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Lancet (London, England) Jun 2024
Topics: Humans; Ukraine; Epidemics; Mass Screening; Tuberculosis; Mobile Health Units; Armed Conflicts
PubMed: 38945133
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01342-4 -
Environment International Jun 2024Facing the great threats to ecosystems and human health posed by the continuous release of chemicals into aquatic environments, effect-directed analysis (EDA) has... (Review)
Review
Facing the great threats to ecosystems and human health posed by the continuous release of chemicals into aquatic environments, effect-directed analysis (EDA) has emerged as a powerful tool for identifying causative toxicants. However, traditional EDA shows problems of low-coverage, labor-intensive and low-efficiency. Currently, a number of high-efficiency techniques have been integrated into EDA to improve toxicant identification. In this review, the latest progress and current limitations of high-efficiency EDA, comprising high-coverage effect evaluation, high-resolution fractionation, high-coverage chemical analysis, high-automation causative peak extraction and high-efficiency structure elucidation, are summarized. Specifically, high-resolution fractionation, high-automation data processing algorithms and in silico structure elucidation techniques have been well developed to enhance EDA. While high-coverage effect evaluation and chemical analysis should be further emphasized, especially omics tools and data-independent mass acquisition. For the application status in aquatic environments, high-efficiency EDA is widely applied in surface water and wastewater. Estrogenic, androgenic and aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated activities are the most concerning, with causative toxicants showing the typical structural features of steroids and benzenoids. A better understanding of the latest progress and application status of EDA would be beneficial to further advance in the field and greatly support aquatic environment monitoring.
PubMed: 38945088
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108855 -
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Jun 2024To compare prevalence and change scores of disordered eating (DE) in combat sport athletes by sex and explore the potential relationship between rapid weight loss (RWL)...
OBJECTIVES
To compare prevalence and change scores of disordered eating (DE) in combat sport athletes by sex and explore the potential relationship between rapid weight loss (RWL) and DE scores.
DESIGN
Prospective study based on 24 events (September 2022-2023).
METHODS
A body mass (BM) questionnaire was completed at ~1 day post-competition providing pre-competition BM data for -7 days, -24 h, and weigh-in. The Athletic Disordered Eating (ADE) online questionnaire was completed at ~7 and ~28 days post-competition, providing overall DE and four subscale scores (food and energy control, bingeing, body control, and body discontent).
RESULTS
There were 122, 132, and 89 respondents for the BM (77 % male), and ADE questionnaires at 7 (79 % male), and 28 days (74 % male). A large proportion of males' (83 %) and females' (89 %) DE scores were moderate to very high; minimal (17 % vs. 11 %), moderate (36 % vs. 32 %), high (37 % vs. 36 %), and very high (11 % vs. 21 %). Comparing DE change scores in males and females indicated deterioration (5 % vs. 0 %), improvement (3 % vs. 25 %, p = 0.013), and no difference (92 % vs. 75 %). Body discontent change score showed a significant sex difference (p = 0.014), with females improving (42 % vs. 17 %, p = 0.035) and males deteriorating (35 % vs. 4 %, p = 0.008). Correlation analyses were significant for RWL -7 days and males' food control score (R = 0.22, p = 0.031).
CONCLUSIONS
Moderate to very high DE indications were identified in 4 of every 5 combat sport competitors. A sex-specific change in body discontent is evident, and most competitors struggle with their food-body relationship post-competition, irrespective of RWL magnitude.
PubMed: 38944583
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2024.06.007 -
Atherosclerosis Jun 2024Patients with myocardial ischemia without obstructive coronary artery disease often have coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) and associated increased risk of...
BACKGROUND
Patients with myocardial ischemia without obstructive coronary artery disease often have coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) and associated increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) events and anginal hospitalizations. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) covers much of the myocardium and coronary arteries and when dysfunctional, secretes proinflammatory cytokines and is associated with CV events. While oxidative stress and systemic inflammation are associated with CMD, the relationship between EAT and CMD in women is not well known.
METHODS
Women diagnosed with CMD (n = 21) who underwent coronary computed tomography with coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring were compared to a reference group (RG) of women referred for CAC screening for preventive risk assessment (n = 181). EAT attenuation (Hounsfield units (HU)) was measured adjacent to the proximal right coronary artery, along with subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT). Two-sample t-tests with unequal variances were utilized.
RESULTS
Mean age of the CMD group was 56 ± 8 years and body mass index (BMI) was 31.6 ± 6.8 kg/m. CV risk factors in the CMD group were prevalent: 67 % hypertension, 44 % hyperlipidemia, and 33 % diabetes. Both CMD and RG had similar CAC score (25.86 ± 59.54 vs. 24.17 ± 104.6; p = 0.21. In the CMD group, 67 % had a CAC of 0. Minimal atherosclerosis (CAD-RADS 1) was present in 76 % of women with CMD. The CMD group had lower EAT attenuation than RG (-103.3 ± 6.33 HU vs. -97.9 ± 8.3 HU, p = 0.009, respectively). There were no differences in SCAT attenuation. Hypertension, smoking history, age, BMI, and CAC score did not correlate with EAT in either of the groups.
CONCLUSIONS
Women with CMD have decreased EAT attenuation compared to RG women. EAT-mediated inflammation and changes in vascular tone may be a mechanistic contributor to abnormal microvascular reactivity. Clinical trials testing therapeutic strategies to decrease EAT may be warranted in the management of CMD.
PubMed: 38944545
DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2024.118520 -
Maternal Postpartum Depression Screening and Early Intervention in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.Advances in Pediatrics Aug 2024Families with infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at a markedly increased risk of developing postpartum depression (PPD) because of the... (Review)
Review
Families with infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at a markedly increased risk of developing postpartum depression (PPD) because of the stressors they experience by having an infant in this intensive setting. Routine screening for PPD is not regularly performed for these families because many NICUs do not offer it and well-child visits are missed while the infant is hospitalized. Because the identification and treatment of PPD is often missed in these families, screening needs to be administered in the NICU to ensure improved outcomes.
Topics: Humans; Depression, Postpartum; Female; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; Infant, Newborn; Mass Screening; Risk Factors
PubMed: 38944489
DOI: 10.1016/j.yapd.2024.01.004 -
Inorganic Chemistry Jun 2024Zwitterionic thiolate ligands have the potential to introduce novel assembly modes and functions for noble metal clusters. However, their utilization in the synthesis of...
Zwitterionic thiolate ligands have the potential to introduce novel assembly modes and functions for noble metal clusters. However, their utilization in the synthesis of silver clusters remains understudied, particularly for the clusters containing reductive Ag(0) species. In this article, we report the first synthesis of a mixed-valence silver(0/I) cluster protected by zwitterionic Tab as thiolate ligands (Tab = 4-(trimethylammonio)benzenethiolate), denoted as [Ag(Tab)](PF)·16CHOH·6EtO (·16CHOH·6EtO), alongside an Ag(I) cluster [Ag(Tab)(PhCOO)(MeCN)(HO)](PF)·11MeCN (·11MeCN). has a distinct hierarchical supratetrahedral structure with a central {Ag} kernel surrounded by four [Ag(Tab)] units. High-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectra demonstrate that has two free electrons, indicating a superatomic core. has a drum-like [Ag(Tab)(PhCOO)(HO)] inner core capped by two tetrahedral-like [Ag(Tab)(PhCOO)(MeCN)] units. can be transformed into after its reaction with NaBH in solution. Antibacterial measurements reveal that has a significantly lower minimum inhibitory concentration than that of the cluster. This work not only extends the stabilization of silver(0/I) clusters to neutral thiol ligands but also offers new materials for the development of novel antibacterial materials.
PubMed: 38943593
DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.4c01735 -
Health Promotion International Jun 2024Organized cervical screening programmes are commonplace in high-income countries. To provide an equitable cervical screening service, it is important to understand who...
Organized cervical screening programmes are commonplace in high-income countries. To provide an equitable cervical screening service, it is important to understand who is and is not attending screening and why. Promotion of screening and service improvement is not possible without recognition and identification of the barriers and needs of communities that are less engaged with screening. This study explored stakeholder perceptions of cervical screening attendance and accessibility in Ireland. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 healthcare professionals, policymakers and academics. Interviews were conducted online in 2022. Reflexive thematic analysis was used inductively to generate themes, supported by NVivo. Three themes were developed: (i) getting the right information out the right way, (ii) acceptability and accessibility of screening and (iii) trying to identify and reach the non-attenders. Participants felt public knowledge of cervical screening and human papilloma virus was low and communication strategies were not adequate. Individual, cultural, structural and service-level factors influenced the accessibility and acceptability of screening. Identifying and reaching non-attenders was considered challenging and community outreach could support those less likely to attend screening. Stakeholder perspectives were valuable in understanding the complexities of screening accessibility and attendance from individual to service-level factors. Cultural competency training, inclusive language and visual cues in waiting rooms would support engagement with some populations who may be hesitant to attend screening. Collaboration with community organizations has opportunities to promote screening and understand the needs of those less likely to attend screening.
Topics: Humans; Female; Ireland; Qualitative Research; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Health Services Accessibility; Early Detection of Cancer; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Interviews as Topic; Adult; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Middle Aged; Mass Screening; Stakeholder Participation
PubMed: 38943526
DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daae072 -
Bratislavske Lekarske Listy 2024Malnutrition is a global health problem that is not limited to developing countries. So far, it is one of the underdiagnosed and curative medical problems. THE AIM of...
UNLABELLED
Malnutrition is a global health problem that is not limited to developing countries. So far, it is one of the underdiagnosed and curative medical problems. THE AIM of our observation was to evaluate the nutritional status of patients at risk of malnutrition.
METHODS AND PATIENTS
We retrospectively evaluated 140 patients from the Gastroenterology Clinic and the Center for Home Parenteral Nutrition (HPN) at the University Hospital Bratislava, Slovakia. Patients were indicated for examination as part of the entry screening for malnutrition or consultation examination in patients presenting with signs of malnutrition. Based on the determination of the body mass index (BMI), the completed questionnaire of nutritional risk screening (NRS) and the determination of the state of performance, we evaluated the nutritional status of the patient and subsequently started enteral, or parenteral nutrition.
RESULTS
We recorded a statistically significant negative correlation between BMI and malnutrition risk (p<0.001), ie. the lower the BMI, the higher the risk of malnutrition. We did not observe a relationship between age, diagnoses and the incidence of BMI-related malnutrition in the study group of patients.
CONCLUSION
Properly applied clinical nutrition, whether enteral, parenteral, or a combination thereof, can significantly affect morbidity and mortality in patients with malnutrition or the risk of its development. Unfortunately, Slovakia is still lagging behind developed countries in its implementation as part of a comprehensive treatment of patients (Tab. 2, Fig. 4, Ref. 28).
Topics: Humans; Malnutrition; Female; Male; Retrospective Studies; Nutritional Status; Middle Aged; Body Mass Index; Aged; Slovakia; Adult; Aged, 80 and over; Risk Factors; Nutrition Assessment
PubMed: 38943499
DOI: 10.4149/BLL_2024_61 -
What Clinical Factors Affect Length of Transition to Psoriatic Arthritis in Patients With Psoriasis?ACR Open Rheumatology Jun 2024We aimed to identify clinical and demographic features associated with the interval between psoriasis (PsO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to identify clinical and demographic features associated with the interval between psoriasis (PsO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
METHODS
We identified patients with PsO and PsA diagnoses from our tertiary care psoriatic disease biorepository: a longitudinal, real-world database including clinical information and patient-reported outcomes. We used a multivariable a zero-inflated negative binomial model to evaluate several clinical and demographic features that may be associated with the time between PsO and PsA onset.
RESULTS
A total of 384 patients were included, of whom 52.2% were female. The mean age of PsO onset was 31.5 years. Advanced age at PsO onset was associated with a shorter interval between PsO and PsA. Based on our model, patients with PsO onset at age 42.6 years (upper end of the interquartile range [IQR]) had a 62% shorter expected interval compared with patients with PsO onset at age 18.9 years (lower end of IQR) (P < 0.001) and were more likely to have concurrent (onset within 6 months) diagnoses (odds ratio 4.56; 95% confidence interval 2.9-7.17). Patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 34 compared with a BMI of 26 had a 10% shorter interval between PsO and PsA, which trended toward statistical significance (P = 0.053).
CONCLUSION
Our study demonstrated that patients with a diagnosis of PsO at an older age have a shorter interval between PsO and PsA diagnoses and are more likely to have concurrent diagnoses compared with patients with an onset of PsO at a younger age. These results suggest that patients with a later onset of PsO may benefit from earlier PsA screening.
PubMed: 38943257
DOI: 10.1002/acr2.11703 -
BMC Public Health Jun 2024In Haiti, reported incidence and mortality rates for COVID-19 were lower than expected. We aimed to analyze factors at communal and individual level that might lead to...
BACKGROUND
In Haiti, reported incidence and mortality rates for COVID-19 were lower than expected. We aimed to analyze factors at communal and individual level that might lead to an underestimation of the true burden of the COVID-19 epidemic in Haiti during its first two years.
METHODS
We analyzed national COVID-19 surveillance data from March 2020 to December 2021, to describe the epidemic using cluster detection, time series, and cartographic approach. We performed multivariate Quasi-Poisson regression models to determine socioeconomic factors associated with incidence and mortality. We performed a mixed-effect logistic regression model to determine individual factors associated with the infection.
RESULTS
Among the 140 communes of Haiti, 57 (40.7%) had a COVID-19 screening center, and the incidence was six times higher in these than in those without. Only 22 (15.7%) communes had a COVID-19 care center, and the mortality was five times higher in these than in those without. All the richest communes had a COVID-19 screening center while only 30.8% of the poorest had one. And 75% of the richest communes had a COVID-19 care center while only 15.4% of the poorest had one. Having more than three healthcare workers per 1000 population in the commune was positively associated with the incidence (SIR: 3.31; IC95%: 2.50, 3.93) and the mortality (SMR: 2.73; IC95%: 2.03, 3.66). At the individual level, male gender (adjusted OR: 1.11; IC95%: 1.01, 1.22), age with a progressive increase of the risk compared to youngers, and having Haitian nationality only (adjusted OR:2.07; IC95%: 1.53, 2.82) were associated with the infection.
CONCLUSIONS
This study highlights the weakness of SARS-CoV-2 screening and care system in Haiti, particularly in the poorest communes, suggesting that the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths were probably greatly underestimated.
Topics: Humans; Haiti; COVID-19; Male; Female; Adult; Middle Aged; Incidence; Mass Screening; Young Adult; SARS-CoV-2; Adolescent; Aged; Socioeconomic Factors; COVID-19 Testing
PubMed: 38943127
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19262-7