Tag: pubmed

Echocardiography. 2021 Sep 23. doi: 10.1111/echo.15189. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate early changes in left ventricular systolic function in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) using three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (3D-STI).

METHODS: A total of 30 SLE patients and 30 healthy people (control group) were selected, the patients were further divided into subgroups according to their Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus National Assessment version of the SLE Disease Activity Index (SELENA-SLEDAI) score: ≤ 12: mild-to-moderate group; > 12: severe group. All participants were examined using 3D-STI, the 3D-STI parameters were obtained. Receiver operating curves (ROC) were prepared for above parameters and analyzed to identify correlations among 3D-STI parameters and high sensitivity-TropT (hs-TropT).

RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the absolute values of left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), global longitudinal strain (GLS), global circumferential strain (GCS), left ventricular twist angle (LVtw), torsion (Tor) and myocardial comprehensive index (MCI) decreased, left ventricular end diastolic mass (LV EDmass), left ventricular end systolic mass (LV ESmass) and peak strain dispersion (PSD) increased in the mild-to-moderate and the severe groups (P₂ < 0.05, P₃ < 0.05). There was statistically significant difference in terms of 3D-STI parameters between the mild-to-moderate group and the severe group (P₁ < 0.05). The highest area under the ROC for MCI was 0.909, the highest sensitivity for MCI was 90.00%, and the highest specificity for Tor was 86.67%. Correlation analysis showed that there was a good correlation between the MCI and hs-TropT (r = – 0.677).

CONCLUSION: 3D-STI technology may help detect early changes in left ventricular systolic function in patients with SLE.

PMID:34555198 | DOI:10.1111/echo.15189

Skin Res Technol. 2021 Sep 23. doi: 10.1111/srt.13101. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Skin is our barrier against environmental damage. Moisturizers are widely used to increase hydration and barrier integrity of the skin; however, there are contrasting observations on their in vivo effects in real-life settings. In cosmetic studies, corneometers and tewameters are traditionally used to assess skin hydration. In this study, two novel noninvasive diagnostic techniques, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and confocal Raman spectroscopy, were used to analyze stratum corneum and epidermal thickness (ET), water content, blood flow in function of depth, skin roughness, attenuation coefficient, natural moisturizing factor, ceramides and free fatty acids, cholesterol, urea, and lactates in 20 female subjects aged between 30 and 45 before and after 2 weeks application of a commercially available moisturizing lotion on one forearm. The untreated forearm served as control. A third measurement was conducted 1 week after cessation of moisturizing to verify whether the changes in the analyzed parameters persisted. We noticed a reduction in skin roughness, an increase in ceramides and free fatty acids and a not statistically significant increase in ET. As a conclusion, short time moisturizing appears insufficient to provide significant changes in skin morphology and composition, as assessed by OCT and RS. Novel noninvasive imaging methods are suitable for the evaluation of skin response to topical moisturizers. Further studies on larger sample size and longer treatment schedules are needed to analyze changes under treatment with moisturizers and to standardize the use of novel noninvasive diagnostic techniques.

PMID:34555219 | DOI:10.1111/srt.13101

Environ Entomol. 2021 Sep 23:nvab104. doi: 10.1093/ee/nvab104. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) (White, 1845), is an invasive pest in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Understanding this pest’s dispersion patterns is fundamental for development of management and surveillance programs. To address this knowledge gap, we quantified spotted lanternfly nymph dispersion patterns by instar for rural and urban/suburban habitats, and we compared the number of sample units required for sticky traps and in situ visual counts to estimate population densities at several precisions. In addition, we assessed the ability of two experimental designs (completely random and randomized complete block) to detect management practices’ impacts in the field. All instars typically followed an aggregated dispersion pattern. Sample size and time requirements for checking and replacing sticky traps and for conducting in situ counts were similar, but in situ counts do not require purchasing traps, installation time, or delays before treatment, and do not remove insects. Although the cost for using in situ counts is likely less than for sticky traps, early instar spotted lanternfly nymph populations are harder to visually detect than later instars because of their small size, which may negate any cost advantage when treatments are applied early. In general, using a randomized complete block design resulted in higher statistical power than a completely random design, allowing detection of proportional population reductions of 10-20% less with equal replication. Studies aiming to evaluate treatments that reduce spotted lanternfly numbers by less than 60% will require researchers to evaluate the feasibility of using the required large sample sizes.

PMID:34555164 | DOI:10.1093/ee/nvab104

PLoS One. 2021 Sep 23;16(9):e0257775. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257775. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In this study, we aimed to investigate whether FIB-4 index is useful in predicting mortality in patients with concurrent hematological malignancies and COVID-19. We also aimed to determine the optimal cut-off point for the prediction.

METHODS: This is a single-center retrospective cohort study conducted in Dharmais National Cancer Hospital, Indonesia. Consecutive sampling of adults with hematological malignancies and COVID-19 was performed between May 2020 and January 2021. COVID-19 screening test using the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of nasopharyngeal samples were performed prior to hospitalization for chemotherapy. FIB-4 index is derived from [age (years) × AST (IU/L)]/[platelet count (109/L) × √ALT (U/L)]. The primary outcome of this study is mortality, defined as clinically validated death/non-survivor during a 3-months (90 days) follow-up.

RESULTS: There were a total of 70 patients with hematological malignancies and COVID-19 in this study. Median FIB-4 Index was higher in non-survivors (13.1 vs 1.02, p<0.001). FIB-4 index above 3.85 has a sensitivity of 79%, specificity of 84%, PLR of 5.27, and NLR of 0.32. The AUC was 0.849 95% CI 0.735-0.962, p<0.001. This cut-off point was associated with OR of 16.70 95% CI 4.07-66.67, p<0.001. In this study, a FIB-4 >3.85 confers to 80% posterior probability of mortality and FIB-4 <3.85 to 19% probability. FIB-4 >3.85 was associated with shorter time-to-mortality (HR 9.10 95% CI 2.99-27.65, p<0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that FIB-4 >3.85 (HR 4.09 95% CI 1.32-12.70, p = 0.015) and CRP> 71.57 mg/L (HR 3.36 95% CI 1.08-10.50, p = 0.037) were independently associated with shorter time-to-mortality.

CONCLUSION: This study indicates that a FIB-4 index >3.85 was independent predictor of mortality in patients with hematological malignancies and COVID-19 infection.

PMID:34555104 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0257775

PLoS One. 2021 Sep 23;16(9):e0257366. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257366. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

The tomato had nutritional, economic and health benefits to the societies, however, its production and productivity were low in developing countries and particularly in Ethiopia. This might be due to technical inefficiency caused by institutional, governmental, and farmers related factors. Therefore this study tried to investigate the factors that affecting technical efficiency and estimating the mean level of technical efficiency of tomato producers in Asaita district, Afar Regional State, Ethiopia. Both primary and secondary data sources were used; the primary data was collected from 267 tomato producers from the study area cross-sectional by using a multistage sampling technique. The single-stage stochastic frontier model and Cobb Douglas production function were applied and statistical significance was declared at 0.05. The maximum likelihood estimates of the stochastic frontier model showed that land, labor, tomato seed, and oxen have a significant effect on tomato output; and education, extension contact, training, and access to credit have a positive and significant effect on technical efficiency, whereas household size, off-farm income, livestock ownership, distance to market, and pesticides have a worthy and significant effect on technical efficiency; and also estimated mean technical efficiency of tomato producer in a study area was 80.9%. In a line with this, the responsible body should prioritize rural infrastructure development in areas such as education, marketplace, and farmer training centers; demonstrate access to credit and extension services; use the recommended amount of pesticides per hectare, and give more intension to mixed farming rather than animal husbandry exclusively.

PMID:34555066 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0257366

PLoS One. 2021 Sep 23;16(9):e0257733. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257733. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

Climate change is causing larger wildfires and more extreme precipitation events in many regions. As these ecological disturbances increasingly coincide, they alter lateral fluxes of sediment, organic matter, and nutrients. Here, we report the stream chemistry response of watersheds in a semiarid region of Utah (USA) that were affected by a megafire followed by an extreme precipitation event in October 2018. We analyzed daily to hourly water samples at 10 stream locations from before the storm event until three weeks after its conclusion for suspended sediment, solute and nutrient concentrations, water isotopes, and dissolved organic matter concentration, optical properties, and reactivity. The megafire caused a ~2,000-fold increase in sediment flux and a ~6,000-fold increase in particulate carbon and nitrogen flux over the course of the storm. Unexpectedly, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration was 2.1-fold higher in burned watersheds, despite the decreased organic matter from the fire. DOC from burned watersheds was 1.3-fold more biodegradable and 2.0-fold more photodegradable than in unburned watersheds based on 28-day dark and light incubations. Regardless of burn status, nutrient concentrations were higher in watersheds with greater urban and agricultural land use. Likewise, human land use had a greater effect than megafire on apparent hydrological residence time, with rapid stormwater signals in urban and agricultural areas but a gradual stormwater pulse in areas without direct human influence. These findings highlight how megafires and intense rainfall increase short-term particulate flux and alter organic matter concentration and characteristics. However, in contrast with previous research, which has largely focused on burned-unburned comparisons in pristine watersheds, we found that direct human influence exerted a primary control on nutrient status. Reducing anthropogenic nutrient sources could therefore increase socioecological resilience of surface water networks to changing wildfire regimes.

PMID:34555099 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0257733

PLoS One. 2021 Sep 23;16(9):e0257348. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257348. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The implementation of Universal Health Coverage in SA has sought to focus on promoting affordable health care services that are accessible to all citizens. In this regard, pharmacists are expected to play a pivotal function in the revitalization of primary health care (PHC) during this transition by the expansion of their practice roles.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the readiness and perceptions of pharmacists to expand their roles in an integrated health care system. To determine the availability and pricing of primary health care services currently provided within a community pharmacy environment and to evaluate suitable reimbursement for the provision of such services by a community pharmacist.

METHODS: Community pharmacists’ across SA were invited to participate in an online survey-based study. The survey consisted of both open- and closed-ended questions. Descriptive statistics for closed-ended questions were generated and analysed using Microsoft Excel® and Survey Monkey®. Responses for the open-ended questions were transcribed, analysed, and reported as emerging themes.

RESULTS: Six hundred and sixty-four pharmacists’ responded to the online survey. Seventy-five percent of pharmacists’ reported that with appropriate training, a transition into a more patient-centered role might be beneficial in the re-engineering of the PHC system. However, in order to adopt these new roles, appropriate reimbursement structures are required. The current fee levied by pharmacists in community pharmacies that offered these PHC services was found to be lower to that recommended by the South African Pharmacy Council; this disparity is primarily due to a lack of information and policy standardisation. Therefore, in order to ensure that fees levied are fair, comprehensive service package guidelines are required.

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides baseline data for policy makers on pharmacists’ readiness to transition into expanded roles. Furthermore, it can be used as a foundation to establish appropriate reimbursement frameworks for pharmacists providing PHC services.

PMID:34555058 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0257348

PLoS One. 2021 Sep 23;16(9):e0257428. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257428. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Twitter represents a mainstream news source for the American public, offering a valuable vehicle for learning how citizens make sense of pandemic health threats like Covid-19. Masking as a risk mitigation measure became controversial in the US. The social amplification risk framework offers insight into how a risk event interacts with psychological, social, institutional, and cultural communication processes to shape Covid-19 risk perception.

METHODS: Qualitative content analysis was conducted on 7,024 mask tweets reflecting 6,286 users between January 24 and July 7, 2020, to identify how citizens expressed Covid-19 risk perception over time. Descriptive statistics were computed for (a) proportion of tweets using hyperlinks, (b) mentions, (c) hashtags, (d) questions, and (e) location.

RESULTS: Six themes emerged regarding how mask tweets amplified and attenuated Covid-19 risk: (a) severity perceptions (18.0%) steadily increased across 5 months; (b) mask effectiveness debates (10.7%) persisted; (c) who is at risk (26.4%) peaked in April and May 2020; (d) mask guidelines (15.6%) peaked April 3, 2020, with federal guidelines; (e) political legitimizing of Covid-19 risk (18.3%) steadily increased; and (f) mask behavior of others (31.6%) composed the largest discussion category and increased over time. Of tweets, 45% contained a hyperlink, 40% contained mentions, 33% contained hashtags, and 16.5% were expressed as a question.

CONCLUSIONS: Users ascribed many meanings to mask wearing in the social media information environment revealing that COVID-19 risk was expressed in a more expanded range than objective risk. The simultaneous amplification and attenuation of COVID-19 risk perception on social media complicates public health messaging about mask wearing.

PMID:34555060 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0257428

PLoS One. 2021 Sep 23;16(9):e0255952. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255952. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The effect of vegan diets on metabolic processes in the body is still controversial in ultra endurance athletes. The study aims to determine gut microbiome adaptation to extreme exercise according to vegan or omnivore diet consumed in ultra-marathoners. We also seek to evaluate long-term vegan diets’ effects on redox homeostasis, and muscle fatigue, and assess energy availability.

METHODS: Seventy participants will be assigned to the study, including 35 vegan ultra-marathoners and 35 omnivores competing in the Sri-Chinmoy ultra marathon race. Research data will be collected from the participants at four steps (three visits to the research laboratory and the race day) throughout the study. At the first visit (seven days before the race), fecal samples, and anthropometric measurements will be collected. Body composition will be measured using DXA. Participants will be informed about keeping detailed food records and will be asked to record their diet data and activity logs during the entire study period. At second visit, maximum oxygen consumption will be measured on treadmill. On race day, blood samples will be collected immediately before, and 0. min, 2 hours, and 24 hours after the race. Body weight will be measured before and after the race. The blood and fecal samples will be stored at -80 C until analysis. Plasma malondialdehyde, reactive oxygen metabolites, total antioxidant capacity, Heatshockprotein-70, and serum Orosomucoid-1 will be analyzed in blood samples. Fecal samples will be analyzed with shotgun metagenomic analysis and interpreted using bioinformatics pipeline (HumanN2). Statistical tests will be analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 and R Software.

DISCUSSION: Study findings will determine the effects of the vegan diet on sports performance, revealing the multiple interactions between host and gut microbiome at the whole metagenomic level. Additionally, results will show the possible adaptation throughout the race by analyzing blood and fecal samples. Furthermore, by assessing energy availability and determining host-metabolite crosstalk for ultra-endurance athletes, possible nutritional deficiencies can be identified. Thus, advanced nutritional strategies can be developed based on metabolic needs.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current controlled trials, ISRCTN registry 69541705. Registered on 8 December 2019.

PMID:34555041 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0255952

PLoS One. 2021 Sep 23;16(9):e0257535. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257535. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

Effect sizes are commonly interpreted using heuristics established by Cohen (e.g., small: r = .1, medium r = .3, large r = .5), despite mounting evidence that these guidelines are mis-calibrated to the effects typically found in psychological research. This study’s aims were to 1) describe the distribution of effect sizes across multiple instruments, 2) consider factors qualifying the effect size distribution, and 3) identify examples as benchmarks for various effect sizes. For aim one, effect size distributions were illustrated from a large, diverse sample of 9/10-year-old children. This was done by conducting Pearson’s correlations among 161 variables representing constructs from all questionnaires and tasks from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study® baseline data. To achieve aim two, factors qualifying this distribution were tested by comparing the distributions of effect size among various modifications of the aim one analyses. These modified analytic strategies included comparisons of effect size distributions for different types of variables, for analyses using statistical thresholds, and for analyses using several covariate strategies. In aim one analyses, the median in-sample effect size was .03, and values at the first and third quartiles were .01 and .07. In aim two analyses, effects were smaller for associations across instruments, content domains, and reporters, as well as when covarying for sociodemographic factors. Effect sizes were larger when thresholding for statistical significance. In analyses intended to mimic conditions used in “real-world” analysis of ABCD data, the median in-sample effect size was .05, and values at the first and third quartiles were .03 and .09. To achieve aim three, examples for varying effect sizes are reported from the ABCD dataset as benchmarks for future work in the dataset. In summary, this report finds that empirically determined effect sizes from a notably large dataset are smaller than would be expected based on existing heuristics.

PMID:34555056 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0257535