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BMJ Paediatrics Open Jun 2024To determine the prevalence and associated factors of scabies among the children living in the Madrasahs (Islamic religious educational institution) of Bangladesh was...
INTRODUCTION
To determine the prevalence and associated factors of scabies among the children living in the Madrasahs (Islamic religious educational institution) of Bangladesh was the objective of the study.
METHODS
This cross-sectional study was conducted in eight selected Madrasahs from May to October 2023 among male and female children aged between 3 and 18 years. Children were screened for scabies according to criteria developed by the International Alliance for the Control of Scabies.
RESULTS
It was found that overall prevalence of scabies among the children living in Madrasahs was almost 34% (mild 73.5%, moderate 24.9% and severe 1.6%). Prevalence of scabies among male was higher than female (39.4% vs 28.4%). Male gender (aOR 2.09, 95% CI 1.27 to 3.47, p=0.004) and age (aOR 0.95, 95% CI 0.91 to 0.99, p=0.017) were two significant predictors of scabies among children. Besides, living in Madrasahs having more boarders (aOR 1.37, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.69, p=0.025), shared bedding, clothes or toilet stuffs with other children (aOR 1.46, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.09, p=0.036) and history of pruritus in the close entourage (aOR 4.19, 95% CI 3.07 to 5.73, p<0.001) were associated with a higher chance of being infected by scabies.
CONCLUSION
Almost one-third of the children living in the Islamic boarding schools in Bangladesh are suffering from scabies, more prevalence in male and younger children. Accommodation of higher number of boarders, sharing personal staffs and pruritus in close contacts increase the risk of scabies in these children.
Topics: Humans; Scabies; Male; Bangladesh; Female; Cross-Sectional Studies; Child; Prevalence; Adolescent; Risk Factors; Child, Preschool; Islam; Schools
PubMed: 38942588
DOI: 10.1136/bmjpo-2023-002421 -
The Science of the Total Environment Jun 2024In 2020, the European Commission published a regulation that states all producers of white paints containing titanium dioxide (TiO) must provide a warning label on their...
In 2020, the European Commission published a regulation that states all producers of white paints containing titanium dioxide (TiO) must provide a warning label on their products. Exposure during the production and application of products containing TiO can be harmful, and therefore these products must be labeled as "may cause cancer." The paint industry is a major user of TiO pigment. This study focuses on pigment release from three TiO-based paints and discusses the effect of paint formulation, more precisely the Pigment Volume Concentration (PVC), to predict TiO pigment release from the paints during a simulated use phase and at the end of life (EoL). The use phase considered mild abrasion of painted panels that simulated cleaning or touching. The EoL phase was studied using leaching tests simulating landfill disposal. TiO release during both activities was evident with a high discrepancy between the three paints. While dry rubbing was similar for all paints, activities involving water present a high release link to paint matrix degradation. The paint pigment volume concentration and the paint permeability determines the TiO release during wet rubbing and leaching. This work represents an attempt to identify the paint permeability as a matrix-related parameter to predict TiO release and a way to use of this parameter to develop safer products.
PubMed: 38942309
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174155 -
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and... Jun 2024Body dissatisfaction is associated with poor psychological and physical health, particularly among young people. However, limited data exist on body size perceptions...
BACKGROUND
Body dissatisfaction is associated with poor psychological and physical health, particularly among young people. However, limited data exist on body size perceptions across countries and factors associated with dissatisfaction.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined dissatisfaction prevalence and associations with sociodemographics and social media use among youth in six countries.
DESIGN
Repeat cross-sectional national online surveys were conducted as part of the 2019 and 2020 International Food Policy Study Youth Survey.
PARTICIPANTS
The sample included 21,277 youth aged 10-17 from Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Youth were recruited to complete the online survey through parents/guardians enrolled in the Nielsen Consumer Insights Global Panel and their partners' panels.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Figural drawing scales assessed self-perceived and ideal body images, with differences between scales representing body dissatisfaction.
STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED
Multinomial logistic regression models examined differences in body dissatisfaction by country, and associations with sociodemographics and either social media 'screen time' or platforms used, including 2-way interactions with country.
RESULTS
Overall, approximately 45% of youth reported the same perceived and ideal body sizes, while 35% were 'larger than ideal' (from 33% in Canada and Australia to 42% in Chile) and 20% were 'thinner than ideal' (from 15% in Chile to 22% in Mexico). Greater social media screen time was associated with a higher likelihood of moderate-severe dissatisfaction for being 'thinner than ideal' and at least mild dissatisfaction for being 'larger than ideal' (p<0.003 for all contrasts), with greater dissatisfaction among users of YouTube and Snapchat than non-users (p≤0.005 for both contrasts). Modest differences in body dissatisfaction between countries were observed for age, ethnicity, body mass index, and weight-based teasing.
CONCLUSION
Body dissatisfaction is prevalent among youth across diverse countries. These findings highlight the need to promote healthy body image in youth, particularly among social media users.
PubMed: 38942287
DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2024.06.223 -
Veterinary Journal (London, England :... Jun 2024Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) causes decreased welfare and production losses and is a major reason for use of antimicrobials in dairy calves. Inflammatory markers...
Serum Amyloid A and Haptoglobin concentrations in calves at first event of respiratory disease were not associated with subsequent risk of respiratory disease during the preweaning period.
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) causes decreased welfare and production losses and is a major reason for use of antimicrobials in dairy calves. Inflammatory markers released into the blood stream during BRD include acute phase proteins such as Serum Amyloid A (SAA) and Haptoglobin (Hp). This longitudinal observational study aimed to investigate whether the serum concentrations of SAA and Hp measured on the day of a detected mild clinical event of BRD, were associated the odds of developing recurrent BRD events requiring additional treatments in up to a 46-day follow-up period after the first event. A total of 65 preweaned dairy calves were observed for 46 days each in one Danish dairy herd. They were enrolled in this study in the age between 17 and 24 days of age and were followed for the following 46 days in total in which the calves potentially could develop an event of BRD. The calves were clinically assessed every other day using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), where a mild BRD event was defined as a calf that deviated from a normal and non-affected calf. The clinical signs included that the calf was less interested in its surroundings, slightly depressed, less bright, alert, and responsive with less clear eyes and using longer time to get up. The calf could have scruffy hair coat and drooping ears. Blood samples were collected on the day of the first mild BRD event that was only treated with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. A logistic regression model was performed to detect associations between having recurrent events of BRD and VAS, serum SAA and Hp concentrations at the day of the first BRD event and the follow-up period after the BRD event. Only the follow-up period after the first BRD event had a significant association with the odds ratio of having recurrent events of BRD of 2.3 for a 10-day difference in follow-up time after the BRD event.
PubMed: 38942282
DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2024.106188 -
Journal of Proteomics Jun 2024Isotope tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) are among the most widely used proteomics quantification techniques. These tags can be rapidly coupled to...
Isotope tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) are among the most widely used proteomics quantification techniques. These tags can be rapidly coupled to the primary amines of proteins/peptides through chemical reactions under mild conditions, making this technique universally applicable to any kind of sample. However, iTRAQ reagents also partially react with the hydroxyl groups of serine, threonine and tyrosine residues, particularly when these residues coexist with a histidine residue in the same peptide. This overlabeling of peptides causes systematic biases and significantly compromises protein/peptide identification rates. In this study, we report a novel iTRAQ labeling method that overcomes the detrimental overlabeling while providing high amine labeling efficiency. The impacts of reaction temperature, reactant concentrations, reaction time, buffer compositions, and pH on iTRAQ labeling performance were investigated in-depth. In a comparison experiment between our method and the standard labeling method provided by the iTRAQ manufacturer, our method reduced the number of overlabeled peptides by 55-fold while achieving comparable amine labeling efficiency. This improvement allowed our method to eliminates the systematic bias against histidyl- and hydroxyl-containing peptides, and more importantly, enabled the identification of 23.9% more peptides and 9.8% more proteins. SIGNIFICANCE: In addition to amines, the hydroxyl groups in serine, threonine, and tyrosine residues can also partially labeled by iTRAQ reagents, which leads to systematic biases and significantly compromises the analytical sensitivity. To address this issue, we developed a novel iTRAQ labeling method that overcomes the detrimental overlabeling while providing high labeling efficiency of amines. When benchmarking our method against the standard method provided by the reagent manufacturer, our method achieved comparable labeling efficiency but reduced the overlabeled species by 55-fold. This significant improvement eliminated the systematic biases, and more importantly, enabled the identification of 23.9% more peptides and 9.8% more proteins, demonstrating its superior performance and potential to enhance proteome quantification using iTRAQ labeling.
PubMed: 38942233
DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2024.105244 -
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology Jun 2024Early detection of melanoma is a major determinant in disease outcome and drives the number of (over)excised naevi in clinical practice. This study aimed to evaluate...
Early detection of melanoma is a major determinant in disease outcome and drives the number of (over)excised naevi in clinical practice. This study aimed to evaluate demographic features and melanoma risk of clinically suspicious, mainly flat naevus subtypes. Based on the methodology of ex vivo dermoscopy and derm dotting, the 12 most prevalent naevus subtypes were identified in a collection of over 7000 naevi excised for medical reason. Dermoscopical, histopathological and clinical features of these subtypes were described. In addition, the association with melanoma history, histopathological atypia and melanoma occurrence within naevi was compared. Nearly half of the naevi removed for medical reasons were of the hypermelanotic subtype with no or mild histopathological atypia and low melanoma association, suggesting overtreatment in daily practice. Contrarily, the subtypes atypical lentiginous naevus and orange pulverocytic flat naevus were associated with higher proportions of (severe) atypia and melanoma (history). We believe these subtypes may reflect different tumoural and/or (germline) genetic entities with different melanoma risk. The data from this study may direct further prospective research on specific naevus subtypes in order to obtain better insights in associated clinical/genetic factors and melanoma risk.
PubMed: 38942231
DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2024.03.046 -
Ageing Research Reviews Jun 2024Dementia, a prevalent condition in the United States, affecting millions of individuals and their families, underscores the importance of healthy cognitive ageing, which... (Review)
Review
Dementia, a prevalent condition in the United States, affecting millions of individuals and their families, underscores the importance of healthy cognitive ageing, which involves maintaining cognitive function and mental wellness as individuals grow older, promoting overall well-being and quality of life. Our original research study investigates the correlation between lifestyle factors and brain atrophy in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer's disease (AD), as well as healthy older adults. Conducted over six months in West Texas, the research involved 20 participants aged 62-87. Findings reveal that sleep deprivation in MCI subjects and AD patients correlate with posterior cingulate cortex, hippocampal atrophy and total brain volume, while both groups exhibit age-related hippocampal volume reduction. Notably, fruit/vegetable intake negatively correlates with certain brain regions' volume, emphasizing the importance of diet. Lack of exercise is associated with reduced brain volume and hippocampal atrophy, underlining the cognitive benefits of physical activity. The study underscores lifestyle's significant impact on cognitive health, advocating interventions to promote brain health and disease prevention, particularly in MCI/AD cases. While blood profile data showed no significant results regarding cognitive decline, the study underscores the importance of lifestyle modifications in preserving cognitive function.
PubMed: 38942198
DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102397 -
Ageing Research Reviews Jun 2024Although numerous studies have investigated modifiable risk factors for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among community-dwelling seniors, no meta-analysis has summarized... (Review)
Review
Although numerous studies have investigated modifiable risk factors for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among community-dwelling seniors, no meta-analysis has summarized these findings. Five databases were searched from January 1, 2000, to December 30, 2023. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO. Data were extracted and reported following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Relevant meta-analyses of modifiable risk factors were performed. The evidence of each factor was assessed by the GRADE for cohort studies. Of 16,651 citations, 87 studies involving 225,584 community-dwelling seniors were included. Fourteen meta-analyses involving 20 studies with 44,199 participants were performed. The analyses revealed low-to-moderate-quality evidence supporting that diabetes, 2 or more comorbidities, anxiety, apathy, depressive symptoms, and physical frailty were risk factors for incident MCI in older adults. Conversely, hypertension, agitation, and irritability might not be risk factors. Additionally, moderate-quality evidence supports the protective effect of engaging in cognitive-demanding activities on the onset of MCI. Collectively, this study constitutes the first extensive compilation of evidence regarding the various risk factors for the development of MCI in older adults. Our findings hold significant potential to guide the formulation of prevention and management strategies to either prevent or potentially reverse the onset of MCI.
PubMed: 38942197
DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102350 -
NeuroImage Jun 2024The prediction of Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression from its early stages is a research priority. In this context, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in AD has...
BACKGROUND
The prediction of Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression from its early stages is a research priority. In this context, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in AD has experienced a notable surge in recent years. However, existing investigations predominantly concentrate on distinguishing clinical phenotypes through cross-sectional approaches. This study aims to investigate the potential of modeling additional dimensions of the disease, such as variations in brain metabolism assessed via [F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), and utilize this information to identify patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who will progress to dementia (pMCI).
METHODS
We analyzed data from 1,617 participants from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) who had undergone at least one FDG-PET scan. We identified the brain regions with the most significant hypometabolism in AD and used Deep Learning (DL) models to predict future changes in brain metabolism. The best-performing model was then adapted under a multi-task learning framework to identify pMCI individuals. Finally, this model underwent further analysis using eXplainable AI (XAI) techniques.
RESULTS
Our results confirm a strong association between hypometabolism, disease progression, and cognitive decline. Furthermore, we demonstrated that integrating data on changes in brain metabolism during training enhanced the models' ability to detect pMCI individuals (sensitivity=88.4%, specificity=86.9%). Lastly, the application of XAI techniques enabled us to delve into the brain regions with the most significant impact on model predictions, highlighting the importance of the hippocampus, cingulate cortex, and some subcortical structures.
CONCLUSION
This study introduces a novel dimension to predictive modeling in AD, emphasizing the importance of projecting variations in brain metabolism under a multi-task learning paradigm.
PubMed: 38942101
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120695 -
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science Jun 2024Electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NORR) offers a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method to simultaneously yield valuable NHand alleviate...
Electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NORR) offers a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method to simultaneously yield valuable NHand alleviate NOpollution under mild operating conditions.However, this complicated eight-electron reaction suffers from low selectivity and Faradaic efficiency, which highlight the importance of developing efficient catalysts, but still a critical challenge. Here, a theoretical screening is performed on transition metal-tetragonal carbon nitride (TM@T-CN) as active and selective electrocatalysts for NORR, where detailed reaction mechanisms and activity origins are explored. In addition, five-step screening criteria and volcano plots enable fast prescreening among numerous candidates.We identify that V@T-CN and Cr@T-CN are promising candidates with low overpotentials and high selectivity and stability. In particular, a significant negative correlation between the adsorption strength ofnitrate and the Gibbs free energy for the last proton-electron coupling step (*NH→*NH) was existed, which is considerably advantaged to track the activity trend and reveal the origin of activity. This work provides theoretical insights into the rational design of TM-N/C catalysts for NORR andpaves a valuable electrochemical screening framework for other multi-step reactions.
PubMed: 38941929
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.06.178