Tag: pubmed

J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2021 Jul 10;60:102574. doi: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2021.102574. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to compare the use of intramuscular (iEMG) and surface (sEMG) electromyography electrodes to record flexor hallucis longus (FHL) muscle activity during walking, and describe the role of the FHL. Muscle activity was recorded in 12 participants using sEMG and iEMG during treadmill and overground walking. Inter-tester reliability for visual detection of onset and offset of muscle activity was high (ICC = 1.00). During the loading period, the number of bursts of muscle activity was statistically significantly greater using iEMG compared to sEMG when treadmill walking (p = 0.016), and the duration of muscle activity was significantly greater for iEMG (p = 0.01) on both walking surfaces. There were no differences for peak and mean root mean squared (p ≥ 0.07). The FHL activity observed during the loading period (heel strike to forefoot strike) supports the function of the FHL to act as a dynamic ankle stabiliser of the rearfoot, as well as contributing to propulsion during the latter part of stance. The choice of electrodes to detect FHL activity should be dependent on whether the loading and propulsive periods are of interest, and whether treadmill or overground walking will be examined.

PMID:34273727 | DOI:10.1016/j.jelekin.2021.102574

Chemosphere. 2021 Jul 8;285:131486. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131486. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Phosphorus recovery has attracted increasing interest due to the potential depletion of phosphorus resources. One promising solution is to recover phosphorus via struvite precipitation from wastewater or other waste that is in rich of phosphate. However, product quality control during such process is always challenging due to the variation and complexity of wastewater compositions. For example, subcritical wet oxidation (SCWO) effluent is rich in phosphorus and nitrogen but contains a large amount of acetic acid, while its effect on struvite recovery is hardly known. Therefore, central composite design (CCD), considering pH, acetic acid level, Mg level and Ca level, was used to evaluate the effect of acetic acid on struvite purity, phosphorus removal, morphology and reaction kinetics. The experimental data were statistically analysed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and principal components analysis (PCA). The results indicate that pH and Mg level have a significant impact on phosphorus removal (pH: p-value < 0.0001, Mg: p-value < 0.0001) and struvite purity (pH: p-value = 0.0410, Mg: p-value < 0.0001), Ca level only affects the struvite purity (p-value = 0.0333). The presence of acetic acid, within the studied range (8.77-34.53 mM), has a negligible effect on struvite morphology, phosphorus removal and reaction kinetics, but a slightly positive effect on struvite purity. Findings of this research would be beneficial to determine the feasibility of acetic acid-rich wastewater as a phosphorus source for struvite recovery.

PMID:34273697 | DOI:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131486

Placenta. 2021 Jul 8;112:45-53. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2021.07.001. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Maternal metabolism undergoes dynamic changes during pregnancy. A deviation from this physiological metabolic status might be involved in the pathogenesis of pregnancy complications, such as recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Decidua is an important uterine tissue, which provides immunological protection as well as nutritional support to the developing embryo during early pregnancy. Previous studies have shown that aberrant metabolism of the decidua is related to the etiology of RPL. However, the metabolic profile of the decidua in RPL has not yet been fully elucidated.

METHODS: In the current study, decidual samples from RPL patients (n = 23) and normal pregnancy (NP) women (n = 30) were collected, and hydrophilic and hydrophobic metabolites were extracted and measured using a liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry system. Besides, the mRNA expression of several critical enzymes involved in sphingolipid metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism was detected.

RESULTS: The OSC-PLS-DA scores plot illustrates that metabolic differences are present in the decidual tissue of RPL patients compared with that of NP women. Combining multivariate analysis with univariate statistical analysis, a total of 62 metabolites related to RPL were selected, including carnitine, glycerophospholipids, sphingomyelin (SM), ceramide, organic acids and their derivatives, and amino acid metabolomics. KEGG analysis showed that abnormalities in multiple metabolic pathways occurred in RPL decidua, including vitamin digestion and absorption, tryptophan metabolism, citrate cycle, arginine biosynthesis, glycerophospholipid metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, and sphingolipid signaling pathway. Increased SM synthase and decreased Phospholipase A2 Group IIE mRNA levels were detected in RPL compared with NP group.

DISCUSSION: Disruption of decidual metabolism, especially glycerophospholipid metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism, might be involved in the occurrence of RPL.

PMID:34273713 | DOI:10.1016/j.placenta.2021.07.001

Nurs Open. 2021 Jul 17. doi: 10.1002/nop2.977. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To explore the clinical working experiences of Saudi nurses during the novel Coronavirus outbreak, identify the challenges and determine how these challenges affect their nursing practice.

BACKGROUND: From the current experience of working during the novel Coronavirus outbreak, it is statistically significant to identify the challenges that nurses in Saudi Arabia face in their clinical practice and determine how these challenges affected their practice.

DESIGNS: A qualitative descriptive study.

METHODS: An in-depth interview with eight Registered Nurses in Saudi Arabia who worked in areas where the novel Coronavirus patients are treated were conducted between 10 and 23 April.

RESULTS: The following eight major themes were identified from this study: physical exhaustion, fear of infection, providing care with uncertainty, uncomfortable use of personal protective equipment, missed nursing care, prolonged procedures, lack of guidance during the outbreak and lack of managerial support.

CONCLUSION: The results suggest that nurses’ leaders should take active roles in empowering nursing staff. The absence of direct monitoring for nursing performance during their practice compromises patient safety and jeopardises the quality of care through missed nursing care. This study also revealed that nurses who worked during the outbreak need psychological support that can enhance their emotional resilience.

PMID:34273252 | DOI:10.1002/nop2.977

Biofactors. 2021 Jul 17. doi: 10.1002/biof.1770. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Vitamin D supplementation has been shown to prevent vitamin D deficiency, but various factors can affect the response to supplementation. Data mining is a statistical method for pulling out information from large databases. We aimed to evaluate the factors influencing serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in response to supplementation of vitamin D using a random forest (RF) model. Data were extracted from the survey of ultraviolet intake by nutritional approach study. Vitamin D levels were measured at baseline and at the end of study to evaluate the responsiveness. We examined the relationship between 76 potential influencing factors on vitamin D response using RF. We found several features that were highly correlated to the serum vitamin D response to supplementation by RF including anthropometric factors (body mass index [BMI], free fat mass [FFM], fat percentage, waist-to-hip ratio [WHR]), liver function tests (serum gamma-glutamyl transferase [GGT], total bilirubin, total protein), hematological parameters (mean corpuscular volume [MCV], mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration [MCHC], hematocrit), and measurement of insulin sensitivity (homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance). BMI, total bilirubin, FFM, and GGT were found to have a positive relationship and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance, MCV, MCHC, fat percentage, total protein, and WHR were found to have a negative correlation to vitamin D concentration in response to supplementation. The accuracy of RF in predicting the response was 93% compared to logistic regression, for which the accuracy was 40%, in the evaluation of the correlation of the components of the data set to serum vitamin D.

PMID:34273212 | DOI:10.1002/biof.1770

Haemophilia. 2021 Jul 17. doi: 10.1111/hae.14302. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have examined the real-world impact of haemophilia on daily activities and work productivity in people with severe haemophilia A (PWSHA).

AIM: To determine clinical attributes and treatment characteristics associated with impairment in daily activities and work among PWSHA using the patient-reported Work Productivity and Activity Impairment-General Health Questionnaire (WPAI-GH).

METHODS: PWSHA were asked to complete the WPAI-GH as part of the Cost of Haemophilia in Europe: A Socioeconomic Survey (CHESS) study. Outcomes were determined for activity impairment (AI), absenteeism, presenteeism and overall work productivity loss (WPL). Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between these outcomes and clinical and treatment attributes.

RESULTS: Overall, 376 participants completed the AI element of WPAI-GH; 175 were employed and thus also reported on work impact. Mean ± standard deviation scores were as follows: AI = 34.2% ± 25.8%; absenteeism = 0.06% ±0.2%; presenteeism = 26.8% ± 22.4%; WPL = 28.6% ± 24.0%. Increased AI and WPL were associated with high haemophilia-related morbidity, measured both as chronic pain (p < .001 for both) and joint synovitis (AI: p <0.001; WPL: p = .017). In descriptive and multivariate analyses, lifelong prophylaxis was associated with reduced AI (p < .001 and p = .031, respectively); high therapy adherence was associated with reduced AI (p = .001 and p = .012, respectively) and with reduced WPL (p < .001 and p = .012, respectively).

CONCLUSION: The WPAI-GH identified haemophilia-related morbidity and treatment characteristics, including therapy regimen and adherence, as key attributes impacting functional impairment and work contributions of PWSHA. Early prophylactic intervention and greater adherence to therapy may lead to lower AI and WPL in PWSHA.

PMID:34273215 | DOI:10.1111/hae.14302

Vet Med Sci. 2021 Jul 17. doi: 10.1002/vms3.574. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2018 to May 2019 to estimate seroprevalence of foot and mouth disease virus for cattle and assess associated risk factors in selected districts of afar region. Simple random sampling technique was employed to select the study areas. A total of 384 bovine sera were collected from 72 herds and seroprevalence of the disease was determined using 3ABC-ELISA technique. Data were recorded and coded using Microsoft Excel spread sheet and analysed using STATA. Potential risk factors of the disease were also assessed using logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS: Out of 384 sera tested at National Veterinary Institute, the overall seroprevalence of foot and mouth disease (FMD) virus was 19.8% (n = 76; 95% CI = 15.8-23.79) at animal level and 56.94% at herd level. The herd level seroprevalence was higher in animals tested from Dubti (85%, n = 17) than Asayita (48.13%, n = 13) and Chifra (44%, n = 11). Among the associated risk factors, age, herd size, district and contact with wild life were statistically associated with foot and mouth disease serostatus (p < 0.05). Medium and large herd size animals were 2.49 (95% CI: 1.33-6.63) and 6.05 (95% CI: 2.54-14.43) times more likely to develop the disease as compared to animals from small herd size, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: The current study finding revealed that FMD was more prevalent and economically significant disease in the study districts. Hence, further studies ought to be conducted to estimate the region wise serostatus magnitude of the disease, to assess its economic impact and to identify the circulating serotypes and strains in the areas.

PMID:34273244 | DOI:10.1002/vms3.574

J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2021 Jul 17. doi: 10.1111/jdv.17524. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Non-syndromic congenital ichthyosis describes a heterogeneous group of hereditary skin disorders associated with erythroderma and scaling at birth. Although both severe and mild courses are known, the prediction of the natural history in clinical practice may be challenging.

OBJECTIVES: To determine clinical course and genotype-phenotype correlations in children affected by non-syndromic congenital ichthyosis in a case series from south-western Germany.

METHODS: We performed a retrospective observational study of 32 children affected by non-syndromic congenital ichthyoses seen in our genodermatosis clinic between 2011 and 2020. Follow-ups included assessment of weight and severity of skin involvement utilizing a modified Ichthyosis Area Severity Index (mIASI). mIASI was calculated as a sum comprising the previously published IASI score and an additional novel score to evaluate palmoplantar involvement. Linear regression was assessed using Pearson correlation and statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney-Test.

RESULTS: This study included 23 patients with autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis, seven with keratinopathic ichthyosis and two with harlequin ichthyosis. Cutaneous manifestations improved in more than 70% of the children during the follow-up. Especially in patients with mutations in ALOXE3 and ALOX12B, mIASI scores dropped significantly. The most common phenotype observed in this study was designated “mild fine scaling ichthyosis”. Severe palmoplantar involvement occurred in patients with KRT1 and ABCA12 mutations; most patients demonstrated hyperlinearity as a sign of dryness and scaling. Weight was mainly in the normal range, and negatively correlated with the severity of skin involvement.

CONCLUSIONS: Congenital ichthyosis that self-improves and evolves with mild fine scaling ichthyosis was the most common phenotype observed in our patients. This type might be underdiagnosed if the genetic diagnosis is not performed in the first year of life. mIASI is an easy and fast instrument for scoring disease severity, and adding additional points for palmoplantar involvement might be valuable.

PMID:34273205 | DOI:10.1111/jdv.17524

Mil Med. 2021 Jul 17:usab293. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usab293. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Increasingly, physicians find themselves in demanding leadership positions. However, leadership education for medical trainees remains lacking with most physicians reporting that they are ill-equipped to tackle the challenges of leadership. Here, we set out to describe the Feagin Leadership Program (FLP) and assess its reception and impact on trainees over the past 12 years.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: During the 1-year FLP, selected scholars from Duke University, Wake Forest University, and the University of North Carolina participate in five leadership sessions, individual coaching, a leadership forum, and a multidisciplinary team-based capstone project. A 28-question survey with six optional free-response questions was distributed to the Feagin Alumni Network, and descriptive statistics were assessed.

RESULTS: Since its founding, 212 scholars have graduated from the FLP and 117 (55%) alumni have gone on to surgical specialties. A survey was distributed among all Feagin alumni. A total of 56 (26%) surveys were completed. Forty-three percent (n = 24) had held at least one leadership position since completing the FLP. When asked about the impact of their experience, 96% (n = 54) said that the program encouraged them to pursue a position of leadership within their field, 95% (n = 53) stated that it prepared them for such a position, and 93% (n = 52) stated that the program positively influenced their decision to be involved with current or future positions of leadership.

CONCLUSIONS: Over the last 12 years, the FLP has demonstrated a high perceived impact on personal growth, leadership proficiency, and the decision to pursue leadership positions in medicine. The current dearth of leadership education for surgical trainees can best be addressed with models such as the FLP, with adoption benefiting medical trainees, the medical community, and patients they serve.

PMID:34273171 | DOI:10.1093/milmed/usab293

J Clin Lab Anal. 2021 Jul 17:e23868. doi: 10.1002/jcla.23868. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Studies have reported coinfection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), with other viruses that cause respiratory tract infections (RTIs). We investigated the coinfection rate of SARS-CoV-2 and other RTI-causing viruses, and whether the cycle threshold (Ct) value of a real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) differed when the coinfection occurred during the first wave of COVID-19 in Daegu, Republic of Korea, in 2020.

METHODS: After performing PCR for SARS-CoV-2, we additionally tested for the presence of RTI-causing viruses to check for coinfection. Subsequently, we identified the specific coexisting respiratory viruses and calculated the coinfection rate. In addition, based on the coinfection status, we compared the Ct values obtained from RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 in patients who tested positive for COVID-19 PCR.

RESULTS: Of 13,717 patients, 123 had positive results on COVID-19 PCR testing and six tested positive for an RTI-causing virus. Thus, the coinfection rate was 4.9%. There were no statistically significant differences in the mean Ct values of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR between coinfected and non-coinfected patients.

CONCLUSION: This study computed the coinfection rate of SARS-CoV-2 and RTI-causing viruses and revealed that the mean Ct values in SARS-CoV-2 real-time RT-PCR did not differ according to the coinfection status.

PMID:34273182 | DOI:10.1002/jcla.23868