Tag: pubmed

Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2026 Jul 29. doi: 10.1007/s44402-026-00155-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To determine whether ocular dominance is associated with systematic interocular asymmetry in spherical equivalent refraction (SER) and axial length (AL) across childhood and early adulthood, and assess whether such asymmetry exceeds laterality effects.

METHODS: Data were analysed from three population-based cohorts: 728 children (6-7-year-olds) and 898 adolescents (12-13-year-olds) from Ireland and 303 young adults (25-30-year-olds) from Western Australia. Ocular dominance was assessed using sighting tests. SER was measured by cycloplegic autorefraction and AL by optical biometry. Interocular differences were evaluated using paired comparisons, concordance correlation coefficients (CCC), Deming regression, Bland-Altman analyses and mediation modelling. Analyses were stratified by refractive status and anisometropia.

RESULTS: Across all age groups, right-left differences in SER and AL were minimal (mean differences <0.05 D and <0.05 mm in children and adolescents), with small, significant laterality effects observed only in young adults (-0.13 D in SER; 0.06 mm in AL). In contrast, dominant-non-dominant comparisons demonstrated consistent directional asymmetry: the dominant eye was less hyperopic/more myopic (-0.09 D at 6-7 years; -0.10 D at 12-13 years; -0.08 D at 25-30 years) and longer (0.03-0.06 mm; all p < 0.05). Deming regression and Bland-Altman analyses confirmed systematic deviation from interocular symmetry, most pronounced in childhood. Mediation analyses indicated that ocular dominance statistically explained over 85% of the observed interocular asymmetry, independent of laterality. Dominance-related asymmetry was most evident in non-myopes (SER -0.09 to -0.36 D; AL 0.03-0.06 mm), attenuated in myopia and amplified in anisometropia (SER up to -1.09 D; AL up to 0.42 mm), particularly in younger cohorts.

CONCLUSION: In this cross-sectional analysis, ocular dominance was associated with small but systematic interocular asymmetry in SER and AL across childhood and early adulthood, which exceeds laterality effects. Dominance-related asymmetry was attenuated in myopia and amplified in anisometropia. Ocular dominance should be considered when analysing interocular refractive and biometric data in research and clinical contexts.

PMID:42527823 | DOI:10.1007/s44402-026-00155-8

J Cancer Educ. 2026 Jul 29. doi: 10.1007/s13187-026-02963-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Podcasts are increasingly popular for health education; however, the scope and characteristics of breast cancer podcasts remain poorly defined. This study evaluates the characteristics of breast cancer podcasts, aiming to inform patient education resources.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five podcasts from Apple and Spotify were identified using the term “Breast Cancer” after screening against pre-determined inclusion criteria. Each podcast was transcribed and analyzed using NVivo. Extracted variables included podcast demographics, podcaster characteristics, and podcast content. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were performed.

RESULTS: Mean podcast length was 47.2 min (SD 22.2; range 12-106 min) and mean age was 0.6 years (SD 1.25; range 1 day to 4 years). Most podcasts originated from the United States (86%); were affiliated with personal (62%) sources; included patient (64%) and physician presenters (54%); and were targeted toward patients (74%). Interview formats predominated (72%), with a mean of 4.4 topics addressed per podcast (SD 1.2). The most covered topic was disease understanding (88%) and treatment and management (88%) while prevention was covered the least (36%). Common themes included: Living With Uncertainty, Reclaiming Control Through Knowledge, Cancer as Disruption and Trauma, Finding Strength Through Connection, and Redefining Life Beyond Cancer.

CONCLUSION: Breast cancer podcasts are predominantly patient-oriented, interview-based, and produced by personal or nonprofit sources. They emphasize experiential narratives and psychosocial themes alongside clinical information. Findings support podcasts as an adjunct to traditional patient education and underscore the need for academic and healthcare institutions to improve content accuracy and reliability.

PMID:42527821 | DOI:10.1007/s13187-026-02963-5

Spine Deform. 2026 Jul 29. doi: 10.1007/s43390-026-01514-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Skeletal intraoperative traction (IOT) has been proposed as an adjunct to posterior spinal fusion (PSF) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) to facilitate deformity correction and reduce perioperative morbidity. However, its clinical benefit remains controversial, with conflicting evidence on radiographic outcomes and safety. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine whether skeletal IOT provides added benefit in patients undergoing one-stage PSF for AIS.

METHODS: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science was performed from inception to September 2025, following PRISMA guidelines. Eligible studies included patients with AIS undergoing one-stage PSF with skeletal IOT versus PSF without IOT. The primary outcomes were coronal main curve correction rate, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and incidence of intraoperative motor-evoked potential (MEP) changes. Pooled estimates were calculated using common- and random-effects models. Between-study heterogeneity was assessed using the I² statistic.

RESULTS: Eight studies comprising 693 AIS patients were included, of which six were comparative (426 IOT group vs. 267 non-IOT group). Under the common-effect model, IOT was associated with a significantly higher main curve correction rate (MD + 3.62, 95% CI 1.75-5.48) and lower blood loss (MD – 274.1 mL, 95% CI – 540.5 to – 7.6). Neither finding was confirmed under the random-effects model, which revealed extreme between-study heterogeneity for correction rate (I² = 82.6%) and near-zero heterogeneity for blood loss (I² = 1.5%). Intraoperative MEP changes occurred in 17.3% of IOT patients versus 3.0% of non-IOT controls (RR 3.49, 95% CI 0.83-14.71); all events were transient, and no permanent neurological deficit was recorded in any study.

CONCLUSIONS: Skeletal IOT does not demonstrate a statistically robust benefit over standard one-stage PSF for AIS when between-study heterogeneity is appropriately accounted for. IOT is associated with a higher incidence of transient intraoperative MEP changes, underscoring the mandatory role of continuous neurophysiological monitoring when this technique is employed. Future large and high-quality prospective studies are needed to further confirm the findings of the present analysis.

PMID:42527807 | DOI:10.1007/s43390-026-01514-8

Cancer Treat Res Commun. 2026 Jul 29;48:101329. doi: 10.1016/j.ctarc.2026.101329. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PC) is the second most common solid cancer affecting men. LncRNA PCAT19 has a carcinogenic role in multiple solid and hematological cancers. Additionally, miR-195 was significantly downregulated in multiple malignancies. Moreover, ITGA6 promotes pathways that control carcinogenesis. E-cadherin is a glycoprotein involved in epithelial cell adhesion and maintaining tissue integrity. E-cadherin loss is related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer metastasis. This preliminary study investigated the expression of PCAT19, miR-195, ITGA6, and E-cadherin in PC tissues.

SUBJECTS & METHODS: Seventy-two tissue specimens from 36 PC patients were enrolled in this study. The diseased group included 36 primary PC tissues, and the control group included 36 specimens from their non-neoplastic adjacent tissues. Gene expression of LncRNA PCAT19, miR-195, and ITGA6 in tissues was estimated by Reverse transcription- quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and E-cadherin expression was detected by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS: A statistically significant upregulation inPCAT19 (7.92-fold) and ITGA6 (6.67-fold) gene expression and downregulation of miR-195 (4.17-fold) gene expression in tumor tissues compared to adjacent non-neoplastic tissues were recorded. During follow-up, 11 of 36 patients (30.6%) died, and disease progression occurred in 6 of 25 evaluable patients (24.0%). There was a statistically significant decrease in PCAT19 and ITGA6 and an increase in miR-195 among surviving cases compared with dead cases. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that PCAT19 at a cutoff of > 8.89-fold demonstrated promising discriminatory performance for advanced-stage PC, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.84 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69-0.99, P < 0.001), 70% sensitivity, 93.7% specificity, 93.3% positive predictive value, 71.4% negative predictive value, and an overall diagnostic accuracy of 80.6%. In comparison, ITGA6 (AUC = 0.73) and miR-195 (AUC = 0.71) exhibited only fair discriminatory ability.

CONCLUSION: Upregulation of PCAT19 and ITGA6, and downregulation of miR-195, in prostate cancer tissues may be associated with disease aggressiveness.

PMID:42526156 | DOI:10.1016/j.ctarc.2026.101329

Bioorg Chem. 2026 Jul 23;181:110258. doi: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2026.110258. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have gained recognition for their critical roles in various biological processes and are increasingly viewed as promising candidates for use in disease diagnosis and treatment strategies for complex human diseases. Despite advances in computational methods for predicting circRNA-disease associations (CDAs), existing models often fail to effectively capture both similarity metrics and higher-order mixed neighborhood information simultaneously in bio-graph networks, leading to suboptimal prediction performance. In this study, we present HSimGCDA, an enhanced graph convolutional network that leverages higher-order similarity measures to improve the prediction of CDAs. Specifically, our approach first constructs multi-similarity graph networks that integrate diverse data features of circRNAs and diseases. We then implement a higher-order similarity strategy that effectively aggregates the higher-order similarity information between nodes and their remote neighbors, thus enriching the topological information of the nodes and revealing potential features brought about by different neighboring nodes. Ultimately, a multilayer perceptron algorithm is utilized to accurately infer likely CDAs. The experimental results indicated that HSimGCDA demonstrated excellent competitiveness on the benchmark CircR2Disease dataset, achieving a prediction accuracy of 95.93% and an AUC score of 98.74%. Additionally, the ablation experiments further validated the effectiveness of the improved HSimGCDA model. Furthermore, case studies on gastric and breast cancers demonstrated that HSimGCDA successfully identified previously unrecognized circRNAs associated with these diseases. Collectively, these findings emphasize the potential of HSimGCDA as a practical tool for exploring CDA, thereby providing valuable insights into disease diagnosis and therapeutic development.

PMID:42526132 | DOI:10.1016/j.bioorg.2026.110258

Neurochirurgie. 2026 Jul 29;72(5):101861. doi: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2026.101861. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Research on intracranial aneurysm (IAs) emphasizes the role of flow-induced and neuroinflammation-driven vascular remodelling in aneurysm progression and rupture. However, tissue access for histo-molecular analysis remains limited, particularly with the rise of endovascular techniques. This study aims to establish systematic criteria for IA tissue sampling and preservation in clinical practice.

METHODS: In this retrospective study, adult patients undergoing IA surgery had systematic sampling of the aneurysmal wall, meninges, middle meningeal artery, and superficial temporal artery. Histological analysis was performed to assess tissue integrity, followed by pre-analysis using housekeeping genes expression to evaluate the feasibility of RT-qPCR analyses. Clinico-radiological data, including sampling-related complications were reviewed. A statistical comparison was made between ruptured and unruptured aneurysm groups.

RESULTS: Aneurysms of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) accounted for over 60% in both groups. As expected, in ruptured cases, morbidity and mortality were significantly higher than in unruptured cases (p < 0.001; p = 0.043). No major complications could be directly attributed to sampling. Sampling success rates for the aneurysmal wall reached 97% in both groups, and around 80% for other tissues (STA, MMA, DM). Histopathological analysis of the aneurysmal wall was completed in 85% of unruptured cases and 83% of ruptured cases, indicating a depth limit of >3 mm for aneurysm sampling. Housekeeping gene expression was observed in all samples, without restriction based on aneurysm depth.

CONCLUSION: This study proposed criteria for safe and reproducible MCA aneurysm tissue sampling in routine clinical practice. These findings could support the creation of a national French vascular biobank, fostering further translational research.

PMID:42526103 | DOI:10.1016/j.neuchi.2026.101861

Poult Sci. 2026 May 21;105(11):107159. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2026.107159. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The delivery of ocular vaccines in the poultry industry is a crucial challenge, where manual eye-drop administration is prone to user-dependent variation. This leads to significant vaccine waste, increased labor costs, and potential health risks to animals. Employing robust statistical modeling, we aimed to compare a novel automated dropper apparatus against conventional methods under various influencing factors. Through multi-linear regression, we identified dispensing angle and inconsistent manual pressure as primary sources of drop mass variability in conventional systems. For flat-tip droppers, decreasing the dispensing angle led to smaller drops, while for round-tips, a tilted position (45°) altered drop mass significantly due to lateral wetting. We also demonstrated that remaining volume of the bottle could not explain the variability in drop mass, evidenced by near-zero R-squared values in regression models regardless of preparation or dispensing rate. The automated dropper exhibited superior performance, reducing drop mass standard deviation by 1.32 to 1.23 mg compared to manual methods ensuring both consistent dosing and minimizing waste. These lower standard deviations were particularly noticeable when compared to alternative dispensing techniques. These findings underscore the potential of automated systems to enhance accuracy and consistency in large-scale eye-drop poultry vaccine delivery.

PMID:42526087 | DOI:10.1016/j.psj.2026.107159

Injury. 2026 Jul 23;57(10):113502. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2026.113502. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The value of delayed cervical flexion-extension radiographs after blunt cervical spine trauma remains debated in alert patients with persistent neck pain, normal neurological examination, and normal initial static imaging. At Nantes University Hospital, a dedicated delayed dynamic radiography pathway has been used for more than 20 years. This study reassessed its diagnostic relevance.

METHODS: Prospective, observational, single-centre study conducted in routine clinical practice between May 2022 and May 2024. Two populations were analyzed: patients referred to the delayed dynamic radiography pathway after blunt cervical trauma (n = 303), and patients who underwent surgery for unstable post-traumatic cervical ligamentous injury diagnosed during the acute emergency department assessment (n = 24). The objectives were to determine whether delayed flexion-extension radiographs identify surgically relevant unstable cervical injuries in alert patients without neurological/radiological abnormalities at initial emergency department assessment, and to describe the clinical and radiological features of surgically treated unstable ligamentous injuries.

RESULTS: Among 303 patients referred to the delayed dynamic radiography pathway, 4 unstable cervical ligamentous injuries were identified. Retrospective review showed that all 4 patients had abnormal initial imaging and/or neurological symptoms, and therefore did not meet the intended low-risk pathway criteria. No unstable cervical ligamentous injury was diagnosed among the 299 other patients referred according to the pathway criteria, i.e. without initial neurological/radiological features suggestive of instability. During the same period, 23 unstable cervical ligamentous injuries were diagnosed in the emergency department and treated surgically. Among all 27 surgically treated patients, initial imaging was abnormal in 25 (92.6%) and neurological impairment was present in 16 (59.3%); all (100%) had either abnormal initial imaging and/or neurological findings.

CONCLUSION: In alert patients with persistent neck pain, normal neurological examination, and no suspicious abnormality on initial static imaging, delayed flexion-extension radiographs did not identify any surgically relevant injury. Routine use of this pathway should be reconsidered, with initial assessment relying on neurological examination and CT-based evaluation, and dynamic radiographs reserved for cases after specialist evaluation.

PMID:42526083 | DOI:10.1016/j.injury.2026.113502

Clin Psychol Rev. 2026 Jul 25;128:102786. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2026.102786. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The comparative efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) relative to other bona fide psychotherapies has been obscured by methodological limitations and variability in how ACT and active comparators are operationalized. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing full-model ACT (therapist-delivered, multi-session interventions targeting the core ACT processes) to bona fide psychotherapies. We identified 34 RCTs meeting our inclusion criteria. In line with prior critiques of the ACT literature, we identified several common methodological shortcomings, such as lack of preregistration of primary outcomes and hypotheses, inadequate statistical power for detecting differential effects, limited use of intent-to-treat analyses, and interpretive overreach. Random-effects three-level meta-analyses indicated that full-model ACT was not superior to bona fide psychotherapies on mental and behavioral health outcomes (g = -0.01, p = .86). Secondary, hypothesis-generating post hoc analyses examined clinical significance, ACT-targeted processes, and an exploratory TOST comparison against a prespecified equivalence region (g = ±0.20). Current RCT evidence does not justify recommending full-model ACT over other established treatments. Further progress will require more rigorous comparative trials and idiographic designs that better align with the ACT model.

PMID:42526063 | DOI:10.1016/j.cpr.2026.102786

J Prim Care Community Health. 2026 Jan-Dec;17:21501319261474422. doi: 10.1177/21501319261474422. Epub 2026 Jul 29.

ABSTRACT

Introduction/ObjectivesLower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are prevalent and represent prominent health issues among community-dwelling older people globally. This study aimed to examine the association among psychological adaptation, socio-economic status (SES), symptom types, and quality of life in community-dwelling older women with LUTS.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 older women residing in communities in central Thailand, who were recruited using purposive sampling criteria. Data collection was conducted through structured interviews and questionnaires, including the Personal Information Questionnaire, the Thai Geriatric Depression Scale-15, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms, and the King’s Health Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed.ResultsParticipants presented with multiple urinary tract symptoms; filling symptoms were found in 99.3% of participants, followed by incontinence (70%), and voiding symptoms (30%). For psychosocial adaptations, 23.3% suggested mild-moderate depressive symptoms, and 2.7% were classified as having moderate-severe depressive symptoms. Regarding SES, the majority of participants had completed primary school (73.3%), earned an average monthly income of 500-1,000 baht (52.7%), and were unemployed (56.7%). For quality of life, the mean total quality of life score was 16.45 ± 11.32. Participants with more than one lower urinary tract symptom were 3.81 times more likely to report poor quality of life than those with only filling symptoms (OR: 3.81, 95% CI: 1.53-9.47, p = 0.004).ConclusionThe findings from this study provide essential insights for healthcare personnel, particularly geriatric nurse practitioners, about the impact of LUTS on the quality of life of community-dwelling older women. Implementing systematic screening for LUTS may facilitate timely intervention, potentially delaying symptom progression, mitigating complications, and thereby enhancing the quality of life among this population.

PMID:42526051 | DOI:10.1177/21501319261474422