Tag: pubmed

J Clin Ultrasound. 2021 Oct 30. doi: 10.1002/jcu.23095. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate correlation and agreement between T2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (T2*-wMRI), acoustic radiation force impulse elastography (ARFI-e) measurement results of liver and plasma ferritin levels (PFLs) in children with β-thalassemia major (β-TM).

METHODS: The study included 40 pediatric patients (aged 64-216 months; 14 girls, 26 boys) receiving blood transfusion and chelation therapy. To detect the severity of liver iron overload (LIO) and concomitant parenchymal fibrosis, T2*-wMRI and ARFI-e measurements were performed from the right lobe segments. Student’s t-test, Mann-Whitney U, ANOVA, Spearman’s test and ICC were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS: After the measurements of T2*-wMRI, patients were grouped as normal in 4 (10%), mild in 11 (27.5%), moderate in 21 (52.5%), and severe in 4 (10%) cases in terms of LIO. Combined moderate and severe groups had significantly higher ARFI-e and PFL values than the combination of other groups (p = .001, p = .040). The ARFI-e measurements of boys were found to be significantly higher than those of girls (p = .023). A strong negative correlation between T2*-wMRI and ARFI-e and a moderate negative correlation between T2*-wMRI and PFL were detected (p;r = 0.001;-0.606, p;r = 0.009; -0.407). A strong positive correlation was found between ARFI-e values and PFL (p;r = 0.001; 0.659). The optimal cut-off value of ARFI-e to predict liver fibrosis because of moderate&severe LIO was determined to be 1.29 M/s (80% sensitivity and 88% specificity). A moderate agreement was observed between the T2*-wMRI and ARFI-e methods [ICC: 0.680, 95% CI: (0.470 to 0.817)].

CONCLUSION: Given the strong correlation and moderate agreement between ARFI-e and T2*-wMRI, ARFI -e could be used to monitor LIO in children with β-TM.

PMID:34716933 | DOI:10.1002/jcu.23095

Health Promot J Austr. 2021 Oct 30. doi: 10.1002/hpja.551. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

ISSUE ADDRESSED: Many university students have unhealthy dietary intakes. The food environment on university campuses is a potentially important contributor to students’ diet. This study aimed to describe on-campus food purchasing behaviours; satisfaction with the cost and availability of foods and beverages on-campus; and preferences for the on-campus food environment, in a sample of Australian university students.

METHODS: An online cross-sectional survey of 409 students at the [blinded for peer review] was conducted in 2017-2018. The survey assessed on-campus purchasing behaviours (frequency of purchase and expenditure), satisfaction with the cost and availability of foods, preferences for the on-campus food environment, and socio-demographics (e.g. age, domestic/international student). Results are reported as basic descriptive statistics.

RESULTS: The majority of students (94%) purchased food or beverages on-campus, with 59% purchasing at least once per week. Satisfaction with the availability of foods was low (35.8% satisfied with the types of main meals available, and 48.5% for snacks), however 72.8% were satisfied with types of beverages available. The majority of students were not satisfied with the cost of food and beverages (<40%). The top rated preferences for changes to the on-campus food environment were healthier options, higher quality food, and cheaper food.

CONCLUSION: Overall, the findings demonstrate strong support from students for healthier and cheaper food to be made available on-campus. SO WHAT?: There are two main factors of concern with regards to university food environments; the healthiness of food and beverage options and their cost. These should be key considerations of any future strategies aiming to improve university food environments.

PMID:34716937 | DOI:10.1002/hpja.551

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Oct 30. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-17124-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Whether maternal macro-environmental chemical fertilizer exposure has an association with the risk of preterm birth remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between maternal exposure to chemical fertilizer during pregnancy and the risk of preterm birth. A total of 13,861 births, including 402 preterm birth from 313 villages in Pingding County, Shanxi Province, China, were analyzed to explore spatial variations of preterm birth risks at the village level. Spatial variations of preterm birth were visualized and tested with Disease Mapping, Moran’s I and G* Statistic. The spatial zero-inflated negative binomial model was used to evaluate the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of preterm birth in different chemical fertilizer consumption levels at the village level. A population-based case-control study was conducted including 153 preterm births cases and 204 controls at the household level. The two-level logistic regression model was performed to estimate the association between risks of preterm birth and maternal exposure to chemical fertilizer after adjusting confounding factors. The findings indicated a remarkably clustering effect in relative risks of preterm birth and identified a high-risk clustering region of preterm birth from the south-central to the southwest and a low-risk clustering region in the northern Pingding county. The results of the spatial zero-inflated negative binomial model showed that the risk of preterm birth in the villages with chemical fertilizer consumption≥100 tons was 2.82 (95% CI: 1.50-5.57) times higher than those with <50 tons. Maternal exposure to chemical fertilizer ≥100 tons at village level was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (aOR 2.14, 95%CI: 1.18-3.96), compared with exposure <50 tons after adjusting for confounding variables. The findings suggests that chemical fertilizers deserve more attention as a potential risk factor of preterm birth.

PMID:34716895 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-021-17124-y

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Oct 30. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-17221-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Diverse and quality diets are crucial to sustainable growth and development of under-five children, especially those of rural farming households. This study investigated the dietary diversity, environment, and health-related factors of young children. The study employed the use of cross-sectional survey data from 140 under-five children of cassava farming households in Ogun and Oyo states, South-West Nigeria. The study estimated factors influencing dietary diversity of under-five children and assessed children dietary diversity, and the availability of some environment and health-related factors of the farming households. The findings indicated that 98.7% and 97.5% of children consumed grains, with roots and tubers while 36.7% and 36.3% consumed legumes in Ogun and Oyo states respectively. The results also found that 48.6% of children sampled met the minimum cut-off point of 4 food groups with dietary diversity mean score of 3.28. The logit regression analysis indicated that child’s age, mothers’ age, distance to farm, and food expenditure were among the significant determinants of children dietary diversity. Therefore, this study seeks the collaborative efforts of stakeholders in providing nutrition-sensitive intervention programs for household members, especially mothers and young children in order to promote consumption of diversified diets and enhance healthy living of rural farming households.

PMID:34716896 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-021-17221-y

Ir J Med Sci. 2021 Oct 30. doi: 10.1007/s11845-021-02840-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Proprioception is important for stability of body segments, postural control, and functionality. However, there are no studies in literature showing effects of online Pilates exercises that create proprioceptive inputs on vertebra on trunk proprioception.

AIMS: This study aims to reveal effect of online Pilates exercises conducted on trunk proprioception and core muscle endurance in healthy individuals.

METHODS: We included thirty-three healthy individuals between ages of 18 and 25 in study. Individuals were randomly divided into two groups. There were 17 individuals in Pilates group (PG), and 16 individuals in control group (CG). The PG was given online Pilates exercises by the physiotherapist in groups 3 days a week for 6 weeks, 1 h a day. There was no exercise program recommended for individuals in CG. We evaluated trunk proprioception with an inclinometer, core muscle endurance with three core endurance tests created by McGill, and prone bridge tests. All evaluations completed just before start of study and 2 days after 6-week training.

RESULTS: Two groups had similar demographic characteristics, and there was no difference between baseline measurements (p > 0.05). While improvement observed in PG in trunk proprioception and all of core muscle endurance tests (p < 0.05), no statistically significant difference reported in CG (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: We revealed that online Pilates exercises performed at mat level for 6 weeks in healthy individuals had positive effects on trunk proprioception and core muscle endurance with this study. Contribution of Pilates exercises to development of both muscular endurance and proprioceptive senses, even if performed at a distance, is important.

PMID:34716884 | DOI:10.1007/s11845-021-02840-8

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Oct 30. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-16814-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Mangroves are important ecosystems of tropical and subtropical shorelines. Anthropogenic activity decreases their habitat quality, affecting structural and functional trophic features. We hypothesized that higher levels of anthropogenic intervention generate diversity loss and modify the trophic structure of tropical mangrove fish communities. We compared the taxonomic and isotopic (δ¹³C/δ¹⁵N) composition, abundance, trophic position, and isotopic niche of fish communities from three mangrove systems with different anthropogenic intervention levels in the Colombian Pacific. Non-parametric statistical tests and a Bayesian approach were used to analyze data. A total of 1254 specimens belonging to 23 families, 25 genera, and 30 species were identified, presenting higher abundance (821) in moderate anthropogenic intervention level mangrove (Moderate-AIL), with high dominance of one species (Lile stolifera). The low anthropogenic intervention level mangrove (Low-AIL) was the second in abundance (291) but exhibited a greater number of species (23), while the high anthropogenic intervention level mangrove (High-AIL) presented the least abundance (142) and species number (17). The isotopic composition ​​reveals that Moderate and High-AIL mangroves presented enriched ¹³C and ¹⁵ N compared to Low-AIL (~ 2 to 4 ‰). Mean trophic position (TP) of communities was slightly higher in the more intervened systems (~ 1 to 2 orders of magnitude), as well as in specific species (Centropomus spp.). Isotopic niche width (TA and SEAc) was greater in High-AIL (41.1 and 9.2), more than doubled compared to Moderate-AIL (33.0 and 4.1). In High-AIL isotopic niche width increased, indicating lesser availability of prey and basal resources. The results obtained in this study support the proposed hypothesis and, suggest that anthropogenic intervention modifies diversity and food webs dynamics, affecting the transfer of matter and energy from macrotidal tropical mangroves to coastal ecosystems. However, it is recommended to be careful concluding differences based exclusively on the anthropogenic intervention level, since it is widely documented that mangrove settings also influence the analyzed trophic parameters.

PMID:34716894 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-021-16814-x

Mol Cell Biochem. 2021 Oct 30. doi: 10.1007/s11010-021-04279-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

MN/CA9 is a cell surface glycoprotein and a tumor-associated antigen. It plays a crucial role in the regulation of cell proliferation and oncogenesis. There is no ideal tumor marker currently available for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with sufficient sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, we studied MN/CA9 gene expression in the tumor tissue, apparently normal kidney tissue, preoperative blood, and urine samples of patients with RCC. We included thirty cases of renal tumors (26 RCC and 4 benign tumors) in the study. We applied an RT-PCR assay for MN/CA9 gene expression to 26 RCC kidney tumor samples and four benign kidney tumor tissue samples. We also evaluated MN/CA9 gene expression in preoperative blood and urine samples of 15 of these cases. Additionally, thirty-five grossly normal renal tissue samples, including 21 from kidneys with RCC, were also evaluated for gene expression. The RT-PCR analysis revealed that twenty-one out of 26 RCC tissue samples showed MN/CA9 gene expression compared to three out of 35 non-malignant renal tissue samples (p < 0.05). Two out of four benign renal tissue samples also expressed this gene. We also observed MN/CA9 gene expression in nine out of 15 blood samples and four out of 15 urine samples. All patients with urinary MN/CA9 gene expression showed expression in blood and tumor tissue samples. We found a correlation in terms of MN/CA9 expression between blood and tumor tissue samples of RCC patients as those who exhibit MN/CA9 expression in blood were also positive at the tumor tissue levels. The difference in MN/CA9 gene expression in tumor tissue, blood, and urine samples in relation to the stage of the disease, nuclear grade, and histological cell-type was not statistically significant. However, all the three patients who had metastatic RCC had MN/CA9 gene expression in their blood. The existence of a tumor-associated antigen such as MN/CA9 may present a possible target for molecular diagnosis and management of RCC.

PMID:34716861 | DOI:10.1007/s11010-021-04279-y

J Robot Surg. 2021 Oct 30. doi: 10.1007/s11701-021-01324-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The purpose is to report the United Kingdom’s largest single-centre experience of robotically assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomies (RALP), using the neurovascular structure-adjacent frozen-section (NeuroSAFE) technique. We describe the utilisation and outcomes of this technique. This is a retrospective study from 2012 to 2019 on 520 patients undergoing NeuroSAFE RALP at our Institution. Our Institution’s database was analysed for false-positive frozen-section (FS) margins as confirmed on paraffin histopathological analysis: functional outcomes of potency, continence, and biochemical recurrence (BCR). The median (range) of console time was 145 (90-300) min. In our cohort, positive FS was seen in 30.7% (160/520) of patients, with a confirmatory paraffin analysis in 91.8% of our patients’ cohort (147/160). The neurovascular bundles (NVBs) that underwent secondary resection contained tumour in 26.8% (43/160) of the cases. Biochemical recurrence (BCR) was 6.7% (35/520), of which FS was positive in 40% (14/35) of those cases. There were insufficient evidence of a statistical association of urinary incontinence and positive surgical margin rates according to NS or NVB resection. NeuroSAFE enables intraoperative confirmation of the oncologic safety of a NS procedure. Patients with a positive FS on NeuroSAFE can be converted to a negative surgical margin (NSM) by ipsilateral wide resection. This spared 1 in 4 men from positive margins posterolaterally in our series. Limitations are the absence of a matched contemporary cohort of NS RALP without NeuroSAFE in our centre.

PMID:34716876 | DOI:10.1007/s11701-021-01324-2

Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2021 Oct 30. doi: 10.1007/s10006-021-01014-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Biomarkers represent objective indicators of normal processes, pathology, or responses to therapeutic intervention. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the levels of proinflammatory cytokines in synovial fluid of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and to investigate whether there is a correlation between elevated levels and disease progression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective study that included patients who were diagnosed with internal derangement according to magnetic resonance imaging and were classified according to Wilkes’s classifications. After failing to improve with conservative treatment, they were referred for TMJ arthroscopy. During arthroscopy, synovial fluid was collected for biomarker analyses that included the investigation of levels of proinflammatory cytokines: tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for differences between subgroups for TNF-α, IL-6, and VEGF.

RESULTS: During the study period, 22 patients presented with a TMJ disorder and met the criteria of the study. There was a statistically significant correlation between the levels of VEGF, TNF-a, and osteoarthritis (P < 0.05). There was also a statistically significant correlation between TNF-a levels and a higher degree of chondromalacia (P = 0.019).

CONCLUSION: An increase in inflammatory cytokines coupled with chondromalacia propose a more aggressive degenerative disease.

PMID:34716857 | DOI:10.1007/s10006-021-01014-1

Cancer Metastasis Rev. 2021 Oct 30. doi: 10.1007/s10555-021-10001-7. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Neuroblastoma is a devastating disease accounting for 15% of all childhood cancer deaths. Yet, our understanding of key molecular drivers such as receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) in this pathology remains poorly clarified. Here, we provide a systematic analysis of the RTK superfamily in the context of neuroblastoma pathogenesis.

METHODS: Statistical correlations for all RTK family members’ expression to neuroblastoma patient survival across 10 independent patient cohorts were annotated, synthesized, and ranked using the R2: Genomics Analysis and Visualization Platform. Gene expression of selected members across different cancer cell lines was further analyzed in the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia, part of the Cancer Dependency Map portal (depmap portal ( http://depmap.org )). Finally, we provide a detailed literature review for highly ranked candidates.

RESULTS: Our analysis defined two subsets of RTKs showing robust associations with either better or worse survival, constituting potential novel players in neuroblastoma pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapy. We review the available literature regarding the oncogenic functions of these RTKs, their roles in neuroblastoma pathophysiology, and potential utility as therapeutic targets.

CONCLUSIONS: Our systematic analysis and review of the RTK superfamily in neuroblastoma pathogenesis provides a new resource to guide the research community towards focused efforts investigating signaling pathways that contribute to neuroblastoma tumor establishment, growth, and/or aggressiveness and targeting these druggable molecules in novel therapeutic strategies.

PMID:34716856 | DOI:10.1007/s10555-021-10001-7