Testing different sources of environmental unpredictability on adolescent functioning: ancestral cue versus statistical learning and the role of temperament

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Testing different sources of environmental unpredictability on adolescent functioning: ancestral cue versus statistical learning and the role of temperament via Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry Background The dimensional model of environmental adversity highlighted the effects of an unpredictable environment in promoting risky development. Toward gaining greater specificity in understanding, this multimethod, longitudinal study investigated the role of two sources of environmental unpredictability—ancestral cues versus statistical learning, and their interaction with dove temperament conceptualized within the evolutionary model of temperament, in shaping adolescent functioning. Methods Participants were 192 families with an adolescent (M age = 12.4) followed for two annual waves. We measured unpredictability within the ancestral-cue approach as incidents of disruptive family events, and statistical-learning unpredictability as the random variability in observed moment-to-moment maternal hostility during parent–child interaction. We focused on dove temperament, which characterizes strategies of cautious and inhibited behavior in novel contexts and persistence and intrinsic engagement in benign contexts. Results Findings indicated unique effects of ancestral-cue versus statistical-learning unpredictability—in interaction with dove temperament—in association with adolescent functioning. Ancestral-cue unpredictability interacted with dove temperament in association with vagal stress reactivity, and the interactive effects of statistical-learning unpredictability were only associated with set-shifting. Furthermore, the family instability-x-dove temperament interaction was linked to adolescent adjustment via vagal reactivity. Adolescents with lower dove temperament showed dampened vagal reactivity within the more unpredictable environments, which was in turn associated with a greater decrease in social withdrawal over time. Conclusions The findings highlighted the specificity in different sources of environmental unpredictability in shaping adolescent development. View on Web

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Pediatric renal tumor epidemiology: Global perspectives, progress, and challenges

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Pediatric renal tumor epidemiology: Global perspectives, progress, and challenges via Pediatric Blood & Cancer Abstract Pediatric renal tumors account for 3%–11% of childhood cancers, the most common of which is Wilms tumor or nephroblastoma. Epidemiology plays a key role in cancer prevention and control by describing the distribution of cancer and discovering risk factors for cancer. Large pediatric research consortium trials have led to a clearer understanding of pediatric renal tumors, identification of risk factors, and development of more risk-adapted therapies. These therapies have improved event-free and overall survival for children. However, several challenges remain and not all children have benefited from the improved outcomes. In this article, we review the global epidemiology of pediatric renal tumors, including key consortium and global studies. We identify current knowledge gaps and challenges facing both high and low middle-incomes countries. View on Web

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Clinical response to lifestyle counseling for dyslipidemia and elevated blood pressure in childhood cancer survivors

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Clinical response to lifestyle counseling for dyslipidemia and elevated blood pressure in childhood cancer survivors via Pediatric Blood & Cancer Abstract Background Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) have increased risk of premature cardiovascular disease. Whether they respond similarly to lifestyle changes for elevated blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), and dyslipidemia to those without history of childhood cancer is unknown. Procedure This retrospective cohort study included CCS and 3:1 age- and sex-matched controls treated at Boston Children's Hospital Preventive Cardiology (2010–2019) using lifestyle management based on National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) guidelines. Change in BMI, BP, and lipids were analyzed. Results We included 52 CCS and 162 controls with a median age of approximately 16 years. More CCS (84.3%) had elevated baseline fasting triglycerides (TG) than controls (49.4%) (p < .001). More CCS (62.5%) also had abnormal baseline high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) compared to controls (35.2%) (p = .001). Baseline BMI, BP, total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were similar between groups. Over 15 weeks [IQR: 10.5–26], CCS had greater decrease in TG than controls (72.5 vs. 17 mg/dl decrease, p = .095). BP improved in 5% of CCS versus 38% of controls (p = .008). For both, BMI, TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C remained stable. CCS with stem cell transplantation (SCT) had a TC increase of 5% (6 mg/dl) compared to a decrease of 9% (19 mg/dl) among CCS without SCT (p = .02). Conclusions CCS demonstrated similar improvement in lipids, but impaired BP lowering in response to lifestyle management compared to controls. Further prospective studies are needed to determine if earlier pharmaceutical treatment is warranted in this higher risk population and for the long-term risk reductions of these approaches. View on Web

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Long‐term variations and potency of neutralizing antibodies against Omicron subvariants after CoronaVac inactivated booster: a 7‐month follow‐up study

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Long‐term variations and potency of neutralizing antibodies against Omicron subvariants after CoronaVac inactivated booster: a 7‐month follow‐up study via Journal of Medical Virology Abstract The long-term protective efficacy of neutralizing antibodies (Nab) against Omicron subvariants after inactivated booster vaccines remains elusive. During the follow-up study, 54 healthy volunteers aged 20 to 31 years received inactivated CoronaVac booster vaccinations and were monitored for 221 days. The dynamic efficacy and durability of Nab against Omicron subvariants BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.12.2 and BA4/5 were assessed using a pseudotyped virus neutralization assay at up to 9 time points post-immunization. The antibody response against Omicron subvariants was substantially weaker than D614G, with BA.4/5 being the least responsive. The geometric mean titer (GMT) of Nab against Omicron subvariants BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.12.1, and BA.4/5 was 2.2-, 1.7-, 1.8-, and 2.2-fold lower than that against D614G (Ps<0.0001). The gap in Nab response between Omicron subvariants was pronounced during the 2 weeks–2 months following booster vaccination (Ps< 0.05). Seven months post booster, the antibody potency against D614G was maintained at 100% (50% for Nab titers ≥ 100 EC50), whereas 77.3% for BA.1, 90.9% for BA.2, 86.4% for BA.2.12.1, and 86.4% for BA.4/5 (almost 20% for Nab titers ≥ 100 EC50). Despite the inevitable immune escape, Omicron subvariants maintained sustained and measurable antibody potency post-booster vaccination during long-term monitoring, which could help optimize immunization strategies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View on Web

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Metformin use and the risks of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia in patients with type 2 diabetes

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Metformin use and the risks of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia in patients with type 2 diabetes via Journal of Medical Virology Abstract Herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia cause substantial pain in patients. Persons with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are prone to zoster infection and postherpetic neuralgia due to compromised immunity. We conducted this study to evaluate the risks of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia between metformin users and nonusers. Propensity score matching was utilized to select 47472 pairs of metformin users and nonusers from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2017. The Cox proportional hazards models were used for comparing the risks of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia between metformin users and nonusers in patients with T2D. Compared with no-use of metformin, the aHRs (95% CI) for metformin use in herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia were 0.70 (0.66, 0.75) and 0.510 (0.39, 0.68), respectively. A higher cumulative dose of metformin had further lower risks of herpes zoster and postherpetic ne uralgia than metformin no-use. This nationwide cohort study demonstrated that metformin use was associated with a significantly lower risk of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia than metformin no-use. Moreover, a higher cumulative dose of metformin was associated with further lower risks of these outcomes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View on Web

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Relationship between carotid intima‐media thickness and periodontal disease in a Japanese urban population with and without hypertension: the Suita Study

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Relationship between carotid intima‐media thickness and periodontal disease in a Japanese urban population with and without hypertension: the Suita Study via Journal of Clinical Periodontology Abstract Aim To investigate the association between periodontal disease and atherosclerosis and examine whether the association is modified by hypertension status. Materials and Methods In this cross-sectional study, 1,472 Japanese individuals aged 50-79 years who underwent a medical check-up, dental examination, and carotid ultrasonography were studied. Carotid atherosclerosis was expressed as the maximum and mean carotid intima-media thickness (max-IMT, mean-IMT) and the presence of stenosis (>75%). Periodontal status was examined by the Community Periodontal Index (CPI, codes 0-4). The participants were divided into 3 groups according to periodontal status (CPI0-2, CPI3, CPI4). Results A positive correlation was found between mean-IMT and periodontal disease after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors in the entire cohort (mean-IMT in hypertensives: CPI0-2: 0.848 mm, CPI3: 0.857 mm, CPI4: 0.877 mm; normotensives: 0.782, 0.802, 0.826). In the entire cohort, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio of stenosis based on mean-IMT significantly increased according to periodontal status in normotensives (odds ratio; CPI0-2: 1, CPI3: 1.39, CPI4: 2.53; P for trend=0.004), but only marginally significantly increased in hypertensives (1, 1.15, 1.55; P for trend=0.063). No significant relationships were observed for max-IMT in all analyses. Conclusion We observed an association between periodontal disease and atherosclerosis in normotensive and hypertensive participants. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View on Web

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Platelet‐rich fibrin combined with a particulate bone substitute versus guided bone regeneration in the damaged extraction socket: an in vivo study

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Platelet‐rich fibrin combined with a particulate bone substitute versus guided bone regeneration in the damaged extraction socket: an in vivo study via Journal of Clinical Periodontology Abstract Aim It has been proposed that platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) can be used to support bone regeneration during alveolar ridge augmentation. The aim of this study was to determine if an approach utilizing PRF provides similar performance to the established guided bone regeneration (GBR) procedure. Materials and Methods Two-wall defects were surgically created in beagle dogs and treated in three experimental groups: (i) sticky bone (SB) substitute prepared using liquid PRF and deproteinized porcine bone mineral (DPBM), (ii) SB covered with solid PRF compressed into a membrane, and (iii) GBR performed using DPBM covered by a collagen membrane. The quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction was applied to specimen after 1 week of healing, and microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) and histological outcomes were analyzed after 8 weeks of healing. Results Compared with GBR, PRF resulted in a moderate increase in the expression levels of osteoblast and osteoclast markers, osteocalcin, and calcitonin receptor. Moreover, PRF modestly increased angiogenesis and the inflammation markers VEGF and IL-6. Micro-CT and histological analyses confirmed the expected increased alveolar ridge area, with no significant differences between the three groups. Consistently, graft consolidation as indicated by new bone formation at the defect site did not differ significantly between groups. Conclusion The present results demonstrate that PRF-based approaches performed comparably to the established GBR procedure in terms of the consolidation of DPBM in two-wall alveolar defects. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. View on Web

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Predictive Outcomes of Deep Learning Measurement of the Anterior Glottic Angle in Bilateral Vocal Fold Immobility

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Predictive Outcomes of Deep Learning Measurement of the Anterior Glottic Angle in Bilateral Vocal Fold Immobility via The Laryngoscope The objective of this research was to apply a computer vision tool for assessment of anterior glottic angle (AGA) in patients with bilateral vocal fold immobility (BVFI), and to compare the AGA in BVFI with that of unilateral vocal fold immobility (UVFI) and normal larynges (NL) as measured by the algorithm. The computer vision tool was able to quantitatively assessof the AGA from videolaryngoscopy, demonstrating ability to discriminate between patients with BVFI, UVFI, and normal controls, as well as to predict need for operative airway intervention. This tool may be useful for assessment of other neurological laryngeal conditions and may help guide decision-making in laryngeal surgery. Objective (1) To compare maximum glottic opening angle (anterior glottic angle, AGA) in patients with bilateral vocal fold immobility (BVFI), unilateral vocal fold immobility (UVFI) and normal larynges (NL), and (2) to correlate maximum AGA with patient-reported outcome measures. Methods Patients wisth BVFI, UVFI, and NL were retrospectively studied. An open-source deep learning-based computer vision tool for vocal fold tracking was used to analyze videolaryngoscopy. Minimum and maximum AGA were calculated and correlated with three patient-reported outcomes measures. Results Two hundred and fourteen patients were included. Mean maximum AGA was 29.91° (14.40° SD), 42.59° (12.37° SD), and 57.08° (11.14° SD) in BVFI (N = 70), UVFI (N = 70), and NL (N = 72) groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Patients requiring operative airway intervention for BVFI had an average maximum AGA of 24.94° (10.66° SD), statistically different from those not requiring intervention (p = 0.0001). There was moderate negative correlation between Dyspnea Index scores and AGA (Spearman r = −0.345, p = 0.0003). Maximum AGA demonstrated high discriminatory ability for BVFI diagnosis (AUC 0.92, 95% CI 0.81–0.97, p < 0.001) and moderate ability to predict need for operative airway intervention (AUC 0.77, 95% CI 0.64–0.89, p < 0.001). Conclusions A computer vision tool for quantitative assessment of the AGA from videolaryngoscopy demonstrated ability to discriminate between patients with BVFI, UVFI, and normal controls and predict need for operative airway intervention. This tool may be useful for assessment of other neurological laryngeal conditions and may help guide decision-making in laryngeal surgery. Level of Evidence III Laryngoscope, 2022 View on Web

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Improving Methods of Identifying Anaphylaxis for Medical Product Safety Surveillance Using Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Improving Methods of Identifying Anaphylaxis for Medical Product Safety Surveillance Using Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning via American Journal of Epidemiology - Advance Access Abstract We sought to determine whether machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) applied to electronic medical records could improve performance of automated healthcare claims-based algorithms to identify anaphylaxis events using data on 516 patients with outpatient, emergency department, or inpatient anaphylaxis diagnosis codes during 2015-2019 in two integrated healthcare institutions in the Northwest United States. We used one site's manually reviewed gold standard outcomes data for model development and the other's for external validation based on cross-validated (cv) area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (cv AUC), positive predictive value (PPV), and sensitivity. In the development site 154 (64%) of 239 potential events met adjudication criteria for anaphylaxis compared to 180 (65%) of 277 in the validation site. Logistic regression models using only structured claims data achieved a cv-AUC of 0.58 (95% CI: 0.54, 0. 63). Machine learning improved cv-AUC to 0.62 (0.58, 0.66); incorporating NLP-derived covariates further increased cv AUCs to 0.70 (0.66, 0.75) in development and 0.67 (0.63, 0.71) in external validation data. A classification threshold with cv-PPV of 79% and cv-sensitivity of 66% in development data had cv-PPV of 78% and cv-sensitivity of 56% in external data. Machine learning and NLP-derived data improved identification of validated anaphylaxis events. View on Web

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Update of the classification of midpalatal suture behaviour after surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion using computed tomography

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Update of the classification of midpalatal suture behaviour after surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion using computed tomography via International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery via MedWorm.com The aim of this study was to update the midpalatal suture classification after surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion (SARME) using computed tomography (CT). Thirty-five patients with a transverse maxillary deficiency and unilateral or bilateral posterior crossbite underwent SARME with osteotomy of the pterygoid apophysis of the sphenoid. CT was performed before installation of the Hyrax expander appliance and after the final activation. Opening of the midpalatal suture was classified into three types: type I, total midpalatal suture opening from anterior nasal spine (ANS) to posterior nasal spine (PNS); type II, partial midpalatal suture opening from ANS to the transverse palatine suture, with partial or non-existent opening of the midpalatal suture posterior to the transverse pala... View on Web

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