-
BMC Research Notes Jun 2024Asthma is an airways inflammatory disease and the most common chronic disease of childhood, which causes most hospital visits and placing a heavy financial burden on...
Asthma is an airways inflammatory disease and the most common chronic disease of childhood, which causes most hospital visits and placing a heavy financial burden on families and communities. Interleukins 4, 5 and 13, play a central role in the pathogenesis of asthma. Given the importance of oral hygiene in asthmatic patients and IL-4 and 5 are involved in the inflammatory process of periodontitis, the effect of chlorhexidine as mouthwash on asthma attacks in children on serum cytokines is necessary. In this study, 375 children with asthma were divided into two groups using or non-using chlorhexidine. Blood samples were taken and cytokines were measured by ELISA. From 375 patients, 17 patients were excluded. In this study, 171 males and 187 females participated and there were 180 patients in asthma group and 178 patients in asthma/Chlorhexidine group. The levels of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 had no significant difference (p > 0.05) between Asthma and Asthma/Chlorhexidine groups. Using chlorhexidine as mouthwash in children with asthma had no effect on the type 2 cytokines and may not trigger an asthma attack via allergo-inflammatory mechanism.
PubMed: 38918842
DOI: 10.1186/s13104-024-06831-7 -
BMC Psychiatry Jun 2024The 2022 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak occurred at a time when Uganda was still battling the social and psychological challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic; placing...
BACKGROUND
The 2022 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak occurred at a time when Uganda was still battling the social and psychological challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic; placing health care professionals (HCPs) at a much higher risk of developing psychological distress. Psychological distress among HCPs can cause decreased workplace productivity and ineffective management of their patients. The current study aimed to investigate and understand psychological distress among HCPS in Mbarara city in Southwestern Uganda following the 2022 EVD outbreak.
METHOD
We enrolled 200 HCPs through convenient sampling from one private and one public health facility in Mbarara city in Southwestern Uganda, in a cross-sectional convergent parallel mixed method approach where qualitative and quantitative data were collected concurrently. Quantitative data, utilizing the Kessler Psychological Distress (K10) Scale, provided us with a quantitative measure of the prevalence of psychological distress among HCPs, and were analyzed using STATA version 16. Qualitative data, on the other hand, offered deeper insights into the nature, perceptions, and contextual factors influencing this distress, and were analyzed using emergent theme analysis.
RESULTS
The prevalence of psychological distress was 59.5% and it was higher among females (63.9%) compared to males (36.1%). HCPs vividly expressed distress and anxiety, with heightened suspicion that every patient might be an EVD carrier, creating a pervasive sense of unsafety in the workplace. However, the outbreak had an educational affect where concerns about the announcement of another EVD outbreak were diverse, with HCPs expressing anxiety, despair, and dissatisfaction with the country's management of potential outbreaks.
CONCLUSION
High levels of psychological distress were experienced by HCPs in Southwestern Uganda as a result of the 2022 EVD pandemic. HCPs express a wide range of feelings, such as dread, anxiety, despair, pessimism, and discontent with the way the outbreaks are handled throughout the nation. We recommend implementation of comprehensive psychosocial support programs tailored to the unique needs of HCPs, including counseling services, stress management workshops, and peer support networks.
PubMed: 38918760
DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05922-w -
BMC Public Health Jun 2024In 2021, Madagascar had approximately 13,919 people living with diabetes, with 66.1% of cases being undiagnosed. The implication is that this population are at high risk...
BACKGROUND
In 2021, Madagascar had approximately 13,919 people living with diabetes, with 66.1% of cases being undiagnosed. The implication is that this population are at high risk of developing diabetes complications which will affect their quality of life. However, promoting the uptake of screening practices such as the blood glucose test among the asymptomatic population would offer a chance to reduce the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes in the country. This study examined the association between place of residence and blood sugar testing practices among men in Madagascar.
METHODS
Secondary data from the men recode file of the 2021 Madagascar Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) was used. A sample of 9,035 were used for the analysis. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were performed in STATA version 14. The results are presented in adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with the corresponding 95% confidence interval.
RESULTS
Only 5.83% reported to have ever had their blood glucose/sugar tested by a health professional. Residing in rural areas was associated in lower likelihood of undergoing a test to check one's blood sugar level [AOR = 0.23; 95%CI = 0.19-0.28] compared to those in urban areas. This association remained consistent even after adjusting for the effects of covariates [AOR = 0.67; 95%CI = 0.52-0.86].
CONCLUSION
We conclude that place of residence plays a significant role in influencing men's decision to test their blood glucose level. It is, therefore, imperative for the Madagascar Public Health Department to liaise with the government to bridge the rural-urban disparities in terms of accessibility to blood glucose testing services. Practically, this can be achieved by instituting community-based health services centers in the rural areas of Madagascar to mitigate the rural-urban disparities. Also, health education campaigns to raise men's awareness about the need to test their blood glucose level must necessarily target older men, those without formal education, those without health insurance, and men who have been diagnosed with hypertension.
PubMed: 38918758
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19248-5 -
BMC Neurology Jun 2024People with Parkinson's disease (PD) are very sensitive to the effects of stress. The prevalence of stress-related neuropsychiatric symptoms is high, and acute stress...
Study protocol for the MIND-PD study: a randomized controlled trial to investigate clinical and biological effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in people with Parkinson's disease.
BACKGROUND
People with Parkinson's disease (PD) are very sensitive to the effects of stress. The prevalence of stress-related neuropsychiatric symptoms is high, and acute stress worsens motor symptoms. Animal studies suggest that chronic stress may accelerate disease progression, but evidence for this in humans is lacking. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) train participants to focus on the present moment, on purpose and without judgement. Previous studies suggest that MBIs may alleviate stress and reduce depression and anxiety in PD. We aim to demonstrate the efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) as a non-pharmacologic treatment strategy for neuropsychiatric (and motor) symptoms in PD, and to identify the mechanisms underlying stress and stress reduction in PD.
METHODS
In a prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT), we investigate whether 8 weeks of MBCT, as compared to care as usual, can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in people with PD. We aim to include 124 PD patients, who experience mild-moderate symptoms of anxiety and depression, are eligible for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and naïve to mindfulness, and who have a disease duration ≤ 10 years. Every participant is followed for 12 months. Clinical and biochemical assessments take place at baseline (T0), after 2 months (T1), and after 12 months (T2); MRI assessments take place at T0 and T2. Our primary outcome is the total score on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at T1, while correcting for the HADS score at T0, age, and gender. Beyond testing the effects of MBCT on symptoms of anxiety and depression in PD, we explore whether MBCT: (1) has an effect on motor symptom severity, (2) influences cerebral and biochemical markers of stress, and (3) leads to a change in biomarkers of PD progression.
DISCUSSION
MIND-PD is one of the first RCTs with a 1-year follow-up to investigate the effects of MBCT on symptoms of anxiety and depression in PD, and to explore possible mechanisms underlying stress and stress reduction in PD. Insight into these mechanisms can pave the way to new treatment methods in the future.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05779137. Registered on 12 January 2023.
PubMed: 38918695
DOI: 10.1186/s12883-024-03736-7 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024The statistical model for automatic flow recognition is significant for public place management. However, the current model suffers from insufficient statistical...
The statistical model for automatic flow recognition is significant for public place management. However, the current model suffers from insufficient statistical accuracy and low lightweight. Therefore, in this study, the structure of the lightweight object detection model "You Only Live Once v3" is optimized, and the "Deep Simple Online Real-Time Tracking" algorithm with the "Person Re-Identification" module is designed, so as to construct a statistical model for people flow recognition. The results showed that the median PersonAP of the designed model was 94.2%, the total detection time was 216 ms, the Rank-1 and Rank-10 were 87.2% and 98.6%, respectively, and the maximum occupied memory of the whole test set was 2.57 MB, which was better than all comparison models. The results indicate that the intelligent identification statistical model for public crowd flow obtained through this design and training has higher statistical accuracy, less computational resource consumption, and faster computing speed. This has certain application space in the management and guidance of crowd flow in public places.
PubMed: 38918535
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64905-9 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Prepacked aggregate concrete (PAC) is made by placing coarse aggregates of various sizes into a formwork and then filling the voids between coarse aggregate and grout....
Prepacked aggregate concrete (PAC) is made by placing coarse aggregates of various sizes into a formwork and then filling the voids between coarse aggregate and grout. The mechanical performance of PAC is dominated by the compactness due to grout filling, but few study considered the pouring methods and grout performance synchronously. The coupled effect of pouring methods and grout performance on the compactness of PAC is investigated in this study. The results show that the gravity pouring method is only suitable for grouts with good flowability. The pump pouring method is more widely used. It can be adapted to grout with poorer fluidity and coarse aggregate with greater apparent density. The ultrasonic pulse velocity test method provides a relatively accurate evaluation of the compactness of PAC. Furthermore, due to the enhanced mechanical properties of PAC, the filed application potential in the preparation of steel tube concrete columns has also been confirmed, where the results exhibited that PAC based steel tube concrete contributed to an enhanced ductility and autogenous shrinkage.
PubMed: 38918478
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65295-8 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Among phase change materials, Ge-rich GeSbTe alloys (GGST) are key alloys for the next generation of embedded phase change memories because of their good thermal...
Among phase change materials, Ge-rich GeSbTe alloys (GGST) are key alloys for the next generation of embedded phase change memories because of their good thermal stability, allowing their use for the automotive applications. Several studies have investigated GGST crystallization, which takes place in several stages, including phase separation in the amorphous material, the crystallization of the cubic Ge and GST phases before a complete crystallization for higher thermal budget. So far, however, no information is available on the possible changes in density and thickness of such alloys. This paper investigates such variations in density and thickness for a N-doped GGST layer (GGSTN) during isothermal annealing, following the four main stages of its multistep crystallization process. X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and X-ray diffraction were employed for analysis. The study reveals that density and thickness exhibit distinct changes during crystallization, with density increasing by approximately 9% during transition from amorphous to crystalline states. These changes are attributed to alterations in layer morphology, particularly at the Ge crystallization temperature and at the onset of GST crystal formation. Additionally, at high thermal budgets, discrepancies between XRR analysis methods suggest the formation of a thin, lower density layer near the top interface of the GGSTN layer. These results provide insights into the structural evolution of the GGSTN layer, which is crucial for phase change random access memory applications.
PubMed: 38918465
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65828-1 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Clubroot disease in canola (Brassica napus) continues to spread across the Canadian prairies. Growing resistant cultivars is considered the most economical means of...
Clubroot disease in canola (Brassica napus) continues to spread across the Canadian prairies. Growing resistant cultivars is considered the most economical means of controlling the disease. However, sources of resistance to clubroot in B. napus are very limited. In this study, we conducted interspecific crosses using a B. rapa line (T19) carrying race-specific resistance genes and two B. oleracea lines, ECD11 and JL04, carrying race non-specific QTLs. Employing embryo rescue and conventional breeding methods, we successfully resynthesized a total of eight B. napus lines, with four derived from T19 × ECD11 and four from T19 × JL04. Additionally, four semi-resynthesized lines were developed through crosses with a canola line (DH16516). Testing for resistance to eight significant races of Plasmodiophora brassicae was conducted on seven resynthesized lines and four semi-resynthesized lines. All lines exhibited high resistance to the strains. Confirmation of the presence of clubroot resistance genes/QTLs was performed in the resynthesized lines using SNP markers linked to race-specific genes in T19 and race non-specific QTLs in ECD11. The developed B. napus germplasms containing clubroot resistance are highly valuable for the development of canola cultivars resistant to clubroot.
Topics: Brassica napus; Quantitative Trait Loci; Plasmodiophorida; Disease Resistance; Plant Diseases; Plant Breeding; Genes, Plant
PubMed: 38918436
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64795-x -
Archives of Osteoporosis Jun 2024This population-based study analyzes hip fracture and osteoporosis treatment rates among older adults, stratified by place of residence prior to fracture. Hip fracture...
UNLABELLED
This population-based study analyzes hip fracture and osteoporosis treatment rates among older adults, stratified by place of residence prior to fracture. Hip fracture rates were higher among older adults living in the community and discharged to long-term care (LTC) after fracture, compared to LTC residents and older adults living in the community. Only 23% of LTC residents at high fracture risk received osteoporosis treatment.
PURPOSE
This population-based study examines hip fracture rate and osteoporosis management among long-term care (LTC) residents > 65 years of age compared to community-dwelling older adults at the time of fracture and admitted to LTC after fracture, in Ontario, Canada.
METHODS
Healthcare utilization and administrative databases were linked using unique, encoded identifiers from the ICES Data Repository to estimate hip fractures (identified using the Public Health Agency of Canada algorithm and International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 codes) and osteoporosis management (pharmacotherapy) among adults > 66 years from April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2018. Sex-specific and age-standardized rates were compared by pre-fracture residency and discharge location (i.e., LTC to LTC, community to LTC, or community to community). Fracture risk was determined using the Fracture Risk Scale (FRS).
RESULTS
At baseline (2014/15), the overall age-standardized hip fracture rate among LTC residents was 223 per 10,000 person-years (173 per 10,000 females and 157 per 10,000 males), 509 per 10,000 person-years (468 per 10,000 females and 320 per 10,000 males) among the community to LTC cohort, and 31.5 per 10,000 person-years (43.1 per 10,000 females and 25.6 per 10,000 males). During the 5-year observation period, the overall annual average percent change (APC) for hip fracture increased significantly in LTC (AAPC = + 8.6 (95% CI 5.0 to 12.3; p = 0.004) compared to the community to LTC group (AAPC = + 2.5 (95% CI - 3.0 to 8.2; p = 0.248)) and the community-to-community cohort (AAPC - 3.8 (95% CI - 6.7 to - 0.7; p = 030)). However, hip fracture rate remained higher in the community to LTC group over the study period. There were 33,594 LTC residents identified as high risk of fracture (FRS score 4 +), of which 7777 were on treatment (23.3%).
CONCLUSION
Overall, hip fracture rates have increased in LTC and among community-dwelling adults admitted to LTC after fracture. However, hip fracture rates among community-dwelling adults have decreased over time. A non-significant increase in osteoporosis treatment rates was observed among LTC residents at high risk of fracture (FRS4 +). Residents in LTC are at very high risk for fracture and require individualized based on goals of care and life expectancy.
Topics: Humans; Hip Fractures; Female; Male; Aged; Ontario; Osteoporosis; Retrospective Studies; Aged, 80 and over; Osteoporotic Fractures; Long-Term Care; Independent Living
PubMed: 38918265
DOI: 10.1007/s11657-024-01402-6 -
Calcified Tissue International Jun 2024Chondrocyte hypertrophic differentiation is a main event leading to articular cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis. It is associated with matrix remodeling and...
Chondrocyte hypertrophic differentiation is a main event leading to articular cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis. It is associated with matrix remodeling and mineralization, the dynamics of which is not well characterized during chondrocyte hypertrophic differentiation in articular cartilage. Based on an in vitro model of progressive differentiation of immature murine articular chondrocytes (iMACs) into prehypertrophic (Prehyp) and hypertrophic (Hyp) chondrocytes, we performed kinetics of chondrocyte differentiation from Prehyp to Hyp to follow matrix mineralization and remodeling by immunofluorescence, biochemical, molecular, and physicochemical approaches, including atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy associated with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), attenuated total reflection infrared analyses, and X-ray diffraction. Chondrocyte apoptosis was determined by TUNEL assay. The results show the formation of a mineral phase 7 days after Hyp induction, which spreads within the matrices to form poorly crystalline carbonate-substituted hydroxyapatite after 14 days, then the proportions of crystalline relative to amorphous content increases over time. Hyp differentiation also induced a matrix turnover that occurs over the first 7 days, characterized by a decrease in type II collagen and aggrecan and the concomitant appearance of type X collagen. This is accompanied by an increase in the enzymatic activity of MMP-13, the main collagenase in cartilage. The number of apoptotic chondrocytes slightly increased with Hyp differentiation and SEM-EDS analyses detected phosphorus-rich structures that could correspond to apoptotic bodies. Our findings highlight the mechanisms of matrix remodeling events leading to the mineralization of articular cartilage that may occur in osteoarthritis.
PubMed: 38918254
DOI: 10.1007/s00223-024-01229-w