Tag: pubmed

J Card Surg. 2022 Aug 23. doi: 10.1111/jocs.16878. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) previously demonstrated its potential benefits in women; however, robotic-assisted OPCAB was scarcely studied.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether robotic-assisted OPCAB could further improve the outcomes in women and the potential impact of hybrid approaches with stents and completeness of revascularization on the late outcomes.

METHODS: Women who underwent robotic-assisted or conventional OPCAB (with sternotomy) between May 2005 and January 2021 at Lankenau Heart Institute were included. Propensity score matching was used to match 273 pairs on 27 characteristics.

RESULTS: In the intraoperative period, women who underwent robotic-assisted OPCAB presented longer operative times (6.00 vs. 5.38 h; p < 0.001), higher rates of extubation in the operating room (83.9% vs. 75.5%; p = 0.019) and lower rates of blood transfusion (13.2% vs. 32.2%; p < 0.001). In the postoperative period, women who underwent robotic-assisted OPCAB presented lower rates of new onset atrial fibrillation (16.8% vs. 25.6%; p = 0.016), need of blood transfusion (33.0% vs. 54.9%; p < 0.001), shorter intensive care unit (ICU) (46.1 vs. 49.8 h; p = 0.006) and hospital length of stay (5.0 vs. 6.0 days; p < 0.001). We observed no statistically significant differences in the rates of operative death between the groups (1.47% vs. 1.47%; p = 0.771). In the follow-up, we observed no differences in terms of overall survival regardless of hybrid procedures with stents and completeness of revascularization.

CONCLUSIONS: Robotic-assisted OPCAB in women is as safe as conventional OPCAB and may further improve outcomes. Hybrid coronary revascularization was a valuable adjunct in the robotic scenario and completeness of revascularization did not play a role in this setting.

PMID:35998275 | DOI:10.1111/jocs.16878

Res Q Exerc Sport. 2022 Aug 23:1-11. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2022.2097625. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To date no studies have compared resistance training loading strategies combined with dietary intervention for fat loss. Methods: Thus, we performed a randomised crossover design comparing four weeks of heavier- (HL; ~80% 1RM) and lighter-load (LL; ~60% 1RM) resistance training, combined with calorie restriction and dietary guidance, including resistance trained participants (n=130; males=49, females=81). Both conditions performed low-volume, (single set of 9 exercises, 2x/week) effort matched (to momentary failure), but non-work-matched protocols. Testing was completed pre- and post-each intervention. Fat mass (kg) was the primary outcome, and a smallest effect size of interest (SESOI) was established at 3.3% loss of baseline bodyweight. Body fat percentage, lean mass, and strength (7-10RM) for chest press, leg press, and pull-down exercises were also measured. An 8-week washout period of traditional training with normal calorie interspersed each intervention. Results: Both interventions showed small statistically equivalent (within the SESOI) reductions in fat mass (HL: -0.67 kg [95%CI -0.91 to 0.42]; LL: -0.55 kg [95%CI -0.80 to -0.31]) which were also equivalent between conditions (HL – LL: -0.113 kg [95%CI -0.437 kg to 0.212 kg]). Changes in body fat percentage and lean mass were also minimal. Strength increases were small, similar between conditions, and within a previously determined SESOI for the population included (10.1%). Conclusions: Fat loss reductions are not impacted by resistance training load; both HL and LL produce similar, yet small, changes to body composition over a 4-week intervention. However, the maintenance of both lean mass and strength highlights the value of resistance training during dietary intervention.

PMID:35998256 | DOI:10.1080/02701367.2022.2097625

Res Q Exerc Sport. 2022 Aug 23:1-8. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2022.2096843. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Purpose: We investigated the effect of drop-set (DS) and rest-pause (RP) systems compared to traditional (TRAD) resistance training on muscular adaptations and psychophysiological responses. Methods: Twenty-seven trained men (age: 23.4 ± 3.4 years; resistance training experience: 5.1 ± 1.7 years) were assigned to experimental groups (DS: n = 9, 3 × 10 repetitions at 75% with 6 additional repetitions at 55% 1RM; RP: n = 9, 3 × 16 repetitions at 75% 1RM; TRAD: n = 9, 4 × 12 repetitions at 70% 1RM) and performed lower-limb training sessions twice a week for 8 weeks. Maximum dynamic strength (1RM) and localized muscular endurance (LME) tests were performed in 45° leg press at baseline and post intervention. Session-RPE was assessed 15 min after the end of each training session. Results: A significant time vs. group interaction was observed for 1RM (p = .012) and LME (p < .0001). Post hoc comparisons revealed that RP elicited greater gains in muscular strength than DS (p = .044) but not TRAD (p = .116); and DS elicited greater LME than RP (p < .001) and TRAD (p = .001). No statistical differences were observed in Session-RPE and training strain between conditions; however, RP promoted higher training monotony (p = .036) than DS and TRAD. Conclusions: The DS and RP systems have a potential role in training programs aiming to promote muscle strength and localized muscular endurance adaptations, respectively. However, RP may promote higher training monotony than DS and TRAD, even though the other psychophysiological responses are similar.

PMID:35998251 | DOI:10.1080/02701367.2022.2096843

J Oral Pathol Med. 2022 Aug 23. doi: 10.1111/jop.13348. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to analyze if the results of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 questionnaire (OHIP-14) in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) are correlated with salivary flow and level of xerostomia.

METHODS: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted in sixty-one patients (60 women, one man, mean age 57.64 (13.52)) diagnosed of pSS according to the American-European Criteria (2002). After recording demographic, medical and dental data (decayed-missing-filled teeth index (DMFT)), unstimulated (UWS) and stimulated (SWS) salivary flows were collected. Subsequently, UWS flow was categorized into two groups (<0.1 mL/min and ≥0.1mL/min) and SWS into three groups (<0.1 mL/min, 0.1-0.7 mL/min and >0.7 mL/min). Patients also filled out a visual analog scale (VAS) for xerostomia and OHIP-14 for self-reported quality of life (QoL).

RESULTS: Data showed positive and significant correlation between OHIP-14 and xerostomia, based on VAS results (r=0.52; p=0.001). Furthermore, there was a negative correlation between UWS and OHIP-14 scores (r=-0.34; p=0.006) and VAS for xerostomia (r=-0.22; p=0.09). No significant correlation was found between SWS and OHIP-14 or VAS neither between DMFT and OHIP-14. When assessing the level of QoL by the UWS and SWS flow categories a significant association was found for UWS (p=0.001) but not for SWS (p=0.11). The OHIP-14 values were higher in the groups with lower salivary flow. The multiple linear regression to predict OHIP-14 only selected VAS for xerostomia as a statistically significant predictor.

CONCLUSIONS: Increased level of xerostomia and reduced UWS flow decrease oral health-related QoL in patients with pSS.

PMID:35998227 | DOI:10.1111/jop.13348

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Aug 30;119(35):e2202764119. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2202764119. Epub 2022 Aug 23.

ABSTRACT

The use of spoken and written language is a fundamental human capacity. Individual differences in reading- and language-related skills are influenced by genetic variation, with twin-based heritability estimates of 30 to 80% depending on the trait. The genetic architecture is complex, heterogeneous, and multifactorial, but investigations of contributions of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were thus far underpowered. We present a multicohort genome-wide association study (GWAS) of five traits assessed individually using psychometric measures (word reading, nonword reading, spelling, phoneme awareness, and nonword repetition) in samples of 13,633 to 33,959 participants aged 5 to 26 y. We identified genome-wide significant association with word reading (rs11208009, P = 1.098 × 10^-8) at a locus that has not been associated with intelligence or educational attainment. All five reading-/language-related traits showed robust SNP heritability, accounting for 13 to 26% of trait variability. Genomic structural equation modeling revealed a shared genetic factor explaining most of the variation in word/nonword reading, spelling, and phoneme awareness, which only partially overlapped with genetic variation contributing to nonword repetition, intelligence, and educational attainment. A multivariate GWAS of word/nonword reading, spelling, and phoneme awareness maximized power for follow-up investigation. Genetic correlation analysis with neuroimaging traits identified an association with the surface area of the banks of the left superior temporal sulcus, a brain region linked to the processing of spoken and written language. Heritability was enriched for genomic elements regulating gene expression in the fetal brain and in chromosomal regions that are depleted of Neanderthal variants. Together, these results provide avenues for deciphering the biological underpinnings of uniquely human traits.

PMID:35998220 | DOI:10.1073/pnas.2202764119

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 23;17(8):e0273449. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273449. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in aqueous humor (AH) from dogs with anterior uveitis and post-operative ocular hypertension (POH) following phacoemulsification, in AH from dogs with primary glaucoma, and in normal healthy eyes with no signs of anterior uveitis or other ocular diseases.

METHODS: An exploratory study including 21 samples of AH collected from 15 dogs; post-phacoemulsification with anterior uveitis and POH (‘POH group’, n = 10 samples), primary glaucoma (‘glaucoma group’, n = 6 samples), and normal (‘normal group’, n = 5 samples). Target mass spectrometry via multiple reaction monitoring (MRM-MS) with the Canine Cytokine SpikeMix™ as internal standard was used to measure the pro-inflammatory cytokine levels.

RESULTS: The MRM-MS method measured 15 pro-inflammatory cytokines. Tumor-necrosis-factor-alpha (TNFα) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) levels in AH were different between all three groups (glaucoma>POH>normal) (p = .05, p = .02, respectively). Additionally, IL-6 was higher in the ‘POH group’ compared to the ‘glaucoma group’ (p = .04) and IL-4 was higher in the ‘POH group’ compared to the ‘normal group’ (p = .04). Intraocular pressure (IOP) was positively associated with increased AH levels of IL-18 (Spearman correlation = .64, p = .03).

CONCLUSIONS: MRM-MS using the Canine Cytokine SpikeMix™ as an internal standard was established as a method to detect pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in canine AH. The study demonstrated increased levels of IL-4, IL-6, IL-18, and TNFα in AH from canines with POH following phacoemulsification. Primary glaucomatous eyes had the highest levels of IL-18 and TNFα which may indicate that inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis of primary glaucoma in dogs.

PMID:35998207 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0273449

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 23;17(8):e0272612. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272612. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Maternal and child mortality remains a major public health problem in Ethiopia. Improving short birth interval practice is a main strategy to reduce neonatal mortality, maternal mortality, adverse pregnancy outcomes, high fertility rate, and enhance economic development efforts. However, there has been limited study done regarding short birth intervals in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to assess short birth intervals and associated factors among women who gave birth in the last three years in Dembecha district, Northwest Ethiopia, 2019.

METHOD: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 880 reproductive-age multipara mothers using a stratified cluster sampling technique. The data were collected by face-to-face interviews through pretested and semi-structured questionnaires. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression model was fitted. Variables with a p-value ≤0.05 were considered statistically significant factors. Adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used to report the association between predictors and the outcome variable.

RESULTS: The prevalence of short birth interval was found to be 43.4% (95% CI: 40.2, 46.9). Husband education (able to read and write) [AOR:2.81,(95% CI:1.04,7.85)], wealth index (lowest quartile) [AOR:3.75,(95% CI:2.35,5.97), residence (urban) [AOR:3.20,(95% CI:1.62,6.33)],age at first marriage (15-17 years old) [AOR: 1.65,(95% CI:1.15, 2.26),and non-use of contraceptive [AOR: 8.78, (95% CI: 6.18, 12.47) were statistically significant variables.

CONCLUSION: The study revealed that the prevalence of short birth intervals among multipara women is found to be high. Husband education, wealth index, urban residence, age at first marriage, and non-use of contraceptives were variables significantly associated with short birth intervals. Hence, to overcome the problem the focus should be on increasing family planning utilization, avoiding early marriage, strengthening paternal education, and improving family income.

PMID:35998184 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0272612

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 23;17(8):e0273056. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273056. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Substantial evidence suggests an important role of liver function in brain health. Liver function is clinically assessed by measuring the activity of hepatic enzymes in the peripheral blood. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is an important regulator of brain function. Therefore, we hypothesized that blood BDNF levels are associated with liver function and fibrosis. To test this hypothesis, in this cross-sectional study, we investigated whether serum BDNF concentration is associated with liver enzyme activity, aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/ alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio, and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index in middle-aged and older women. We found that serum BDNF level showed a significant positive association with ALT and γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) activity and negative association with FIB-4 index, and a trend of negative association with the AST/ALT ratio after adjustment for age. Additionally, these associations remained statistically significant even after adjustment for body mass index (BMI) and fasting blood glucose level. These results demonstrate associations of serum BDNF levels with liver enzymes and hepatic fibrosis-related indices, which may underlie liver-brain interactions.

PMID:35998179 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0273056

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 23;17(8):e0273019. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273019. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

The relative age effect (RAE) is a well-established phenomenon in football. However, while the majority of previous studies focussed on established football nations, it remains unclear if the constraint of a limited population of soccer players in smaller countries associated with less strict selection procedures may reduce the risk of RAE. This study aims to investigate the RAE in Luxembourg that follows an ‘open-door’ selection policy in youth football due to the limited pool of players. Birthdates from all licensed and actively playing Luxembourgish youth footballers including all players of the youth national teams (396 girls and 10981 boys) competing in the season 2018/2019 were analysed and categorised into birth quarters and semesters. To further investigate a performance dependence of the RAE in amateur leagues, success was determined based on the teams’ rankings at the end of the season. Differences between observed and expected birthdate distributions were calculated across all licensed players and age groups, within the national teams, and for the top- and bottom-tier football teams using chi-square statistics. While a RAE was absent across all age groups (except U7), significant RAEs with high effect sizes were observed in the top-level and national teams. These findings contrast the substantial RAE effects in large football nations and suggest that open selection systems might reflect an environmental constraint that limit the prevalence of RAE in football. Further, this study indicates that a performance dependence of the RAE is not limited to high level football but already occurs on an amateur level.

PMID:35998177 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0273019

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2022 Aug 23;16(8):e0010334. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010334. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Colombia has one of the highest burdens of arboviruses in South America. The country was in a state of hyperendemicity between 2014 and 2016, with co-circulation of several Aedes-borne viruses, including a syndemic of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika in 2015.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We analyzed the cases of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika notified in Colombia from January 2014 to December 2018 by municipality and week. The trajectory and velocity of spread was studied using trend surface analysis, and spatio-temporal high-risk clusters for each disease in separate and for the three diseases simultaneously (multivariate) were identified using Kulldorff’s scan statistics. During the study period, there were 366,628, 77,345 and 74,793 cases of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika, respectively, in Colombia. The spread patterns for chikungunya and Zika were similar, although Zika’s spread was accelerated. Both chikungunya and Zika mainly spread from the regions on the Atlantic coast and the south-west to the rest of the country. We identified 21, 16, and 13 spatio-temporal clusters of dengue, chikungunya and Zika, respectively, and, from the multivariate analysis, 20 spatio-temporal clusters, among which 7 were simultaneous for the three diseases. For all disease-specific analyses and the multivariate analysis, the most-likely cluster was identified in the south-western region of Colombia, including the Valle del Cauca department.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The results further our understanding of emerging Aedes-borne diseases in Colombia by providing useful evidence on their potential site of entry and spread trajectory within the country, and identifying spatio-temporal disease-specific and multivariate high-risk clusters of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika, information that can be used to target interventions.

PMID:35998165 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pntd.0010334