Materials Research (16)
Area Studies (2)
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology (32)
The Journal of Agricultural Science (26)
Journal of Helminthology (15)
MRS Online Proceedings Library Archive (12)
Plant Genetic Resources (7)
European Psychiatry (6)
Microscopy and Microanalysis (6)
Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine (5)
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science (5)
Journal of Plasma Physics (5)
Experimental Agriculture (4)
Animal Science (3)
European Journal of Anaesthesiology (3)
Geological Magazine (3)
Laser and Particle Beams (3)
Proceedings of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society (3)
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society (3)
Public Health Nutrition (3)
Foundation Books (1)
Materials Research Society (15)
Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (12)
Malaysian Society of Otorhinolaryngologists Head and Neck Surgeons (11)
Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) (5)
The Australian Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (5)
BSAS (3)
JLO (1984) Ltd (3)
MSC - Microscopical Society of Canada (3)
Canadian Mathematical Society (2)
Global Science Press (2)
AMMS - Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Society (1)
International Glaciological Society (1)
Ryan Test (1)
British Computer Society Conference Series (1)
Development Trajectories in Global Value Chains (1)
Cambridge Prisms (1)
Demographics and host-kill parameters of Diglyphus horticola Khan against Chromatomyia horticola (Goureau)
S. Katoch, P. L. Sharma, S. C. Verma, R. S. Chandel, P. Sharma, N. Sharma
Journal: Bulletin of Entomological Research , First View
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 November 2022, pp. 1-13
The pea leafminer, Chromatomyia horticola (Goureau) (Diptera: Agromyzidae) is a polyphagous and serious pest of peas. In India, this pest is attacked by many parasitoids and among them Diglyphus horticola Khan (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is an important one, however, demographics and pest-kill potential of this parasitoid has not been studied so far. This study presents the first report on its demographics and pest-kill potential on C. horticola. The parasitoid showed three modes of host-killing behaviour viz. host-feeding, parasitism and host-stinging. The parasitoid females killed more number of hosts by parasitism than host-feeding or host-stinging. The pre-adult survival, net reproductive rate, intrinsic rate of increase (rm) and finite rate of increase (λ) were higher on the 5-days old host larvae than those reared on the 3-days old larvae. Demographics and pest-kill parameters of D. horticola were also better on 5-days old host larvae than on 3-days old host larvae. Based on the study, D. horticola appeared to be a promising biocontrol agent for the suppression of C. horticola in peas and could be promoted through conservation biological control. Further studies are required to standardize the mass production protocol and release rates to use the parasitoid by augmentation.
Early Community based Ayu-Emergency Intervention in Psychiatric Emergencies: A Community Based Participatory Research
M. Voegeli, P. Sharma, S. Sharma, B. Sharma, I. Goyal, N. Sharma, S. Lakshmanan, A. Venu
Journal: European Psychiatry / Volume 65 / Issue S1 / June 2022
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 September 2022, p. S587
Psychiatry emergencies in India is major challenge for emergency service providers due to rapid growth of various behavioural, higher morbidity and mortality rate. Despite, psychiatry conditions are neglected area related to stigma, share, lack of awareness, and superstitious beliefs. There is an urgent need for specialist psychiatric emergency services, which can fill the huge gap between policymakers and health service providers joined together.
Present feasibility study has been undertaken to evaluate the safety and efficacy of combined emergency and Ayurveda medicine management of psychiatric emergencies in community-based settings.
Ayu-Emergency Care project was developed in partnership with policy makers, researchers and health care providers, a collaborative platform of emergency medicine and Ayurveda medicine (Indian Traditional Medicine) for developing whole-system perspective, where providers work in a coordinated and joined-up way. Twenty trained care providers in psychiatry emergency and Ayurveda management worked in partnership with community-based organisation.
Patients with major clinical difficulties, in the acute phase were treated and managed by Ayu-Emergencypractitioners. Severe Agitation and violence relating to substance abuse, anxiety disorder and psychosis were the most common admission diagnoses. 2-weeks results indicate that Ayurveda intervention can reduce anxiety(p<0.01), aggression (p< 0.001) and agitation (p<0.01) significantly with no side effects reported. Intervention found to be clinically beneficial and cost-efficient alternative to out-of-home placements (i.e., Incarceration, psychiatric hospitalisation).
The study's findings highlight safety, efficacy and feasibility of intervention. Patients both prefer and seem to benefit from community-based ayu-psychiatric care, and early-intervention community program could be a good model for such care.
No significant relationships.
Coronavirus-associated mucormycosis: different from sinonasal mucormycosis
T Kataria, S Sharma, P S Jat, S N Singh, M Grover, S Sharma, Y Agarwal, S Agarwal
Journal: The Journal of Laryngology & Otology / Volume 136 / Issue 12 / December 2022
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 July 2022, pp. 1296-1303
To study unusual presentations of coronavirus-associated mucormycosis that are rarely seen in sinonasal mucormycosis cases.
The data of 400 rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis patients admitted to Sawai Man Singh Hospital, Jaipur, from May 2021 to June 2021, were retrospectively collected. The diagnosis of mucormycosis was made by histological examination of biopsy samples.
Out of 400 patients, 62 had symptoms other than common symptoms of rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis. Thirty-four patients had facial palsy, 19 complained of gum ulcers, 6 developed a cheek abscess, 2 complained of maggots in the nose along with common rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis symptoms, and 1 had a cerebellar infarct.
Mucormycosis is a disease with various presentations, and coronavirus-associated mucormycosis has added unusual presentations to the existing list of manifestations of rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis. In this coronavirus disease era, mucormycosis should always be considered as a diagnosis in patients with these unusual presentations.
340 Machine Learning Segmentation of Amyloid Load in Ligamentum Flavum Specimens From Spinal Stenosis Patients
JCTS 2022 Abstract Collection
Andy Y. Wang, Vaishnavi Sharma, Harleen Saini, Joseph N. Tingen, Alexandra Flores, Diang Liu, Mina G. Safain, James Kryzanski, Ellen D. McPhail, Knarik Arkun, Ron I. Riesenburger
Journal: Journal of Clinical and Translational Science / Volume 6 / Issue s1 / April 2022
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 April 2022, p. 63
OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Wild-type transthyretin amyloid (ATTRwt) deposits have been found to deposit in the ligamentum flavum (LF) of spinal stenosis patients prior to systemic and cardiac amyloidosis, and is implicated in LF hypertrophy. Currently, no precise method of quantifying amyloid deposits exists. Here, we present our machine learning quantification method. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Images of ligamentum flavum specimens stained with Congo red are obtained from spinal stenosis patients undergoing laminectomies and confirmed to be positive for ATTRwt. Amyloid deposits in these specimens are classified and quantified by TWS through training the algorithm via user-directed annotations on images of LF. TWS can also be automated through exposure to a set of training images with user- directed annotations, and then application to a set of new images without additional annotations. Additional methods of color thresholding and manual segmentation are also used on these images for comparison to TWS. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We develop the use of TWS in images of LF and demonstrate its potential for automated quantification. TWS is strongly correlated with manual segmentation in the training set of images with user-directed annotations (R = 0.98; p = 0.0033) as well as in the application set of images where TWS was automated (R = 0.94; p = 0.016). Color thresholding was weakly correlated with manual segmentation in the training set of images (R = 0.78; p = 0.12) and in the application set of images (R = 0.65; p = 0.23). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our machine learning method correlates with the gold standard comparator of manual segmentation and outperforms color thresholding. This novel machine learning quantification method is a precise, objective, accessible, high throughput, and powerful tool that will hopefully pave the way towards future research and clinical applications.
Stapedotomy using skeeter drill and self-retaining ear canal retractor: a single surgeon's 1000-plus surgical procedure experience
N Vishnu Swaroop Reddy, M Sharma, S Shekhar, Priyanka Sharma, Rushil Narapareddy, Punit Sharma
Journal: The Journal of Laryngology & Otology / Volume 136 / Issue 11 / November 2022
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 February 2022, pp. 1081-1086
This study aimed to evaluate the long-term hearing outcomes in stapedotomy surgery using skeeter oto-drill and to assess safety in difficult situations.
A retrospective study was conducted with 944 patients who underwent 1007 stapedotomy procedures over 16 years, performed by a single surgeon using a trans-canal approach and a self-retaining ear canal retractor. Hearing thresholds were calculated over four frequencies. Air–bone conduction hearing thresholds were obtained at 1, 5 and 10 years post-operatively and compared to the pre-operative records.
Out of 1007 operated ears with one year follow up, 98.61 per cent of cases showed a negligible air–bone gap of equal to or less than 5 dB, 1.19 per cent of cases showed an air–bone gap equal to or more than 5 dB but less than 10 dB, and only 0.2 per cent of cases showed an air–bone gap of more than 10 dB.
In this study, using skeeter drill with a 0.6 mm diamond burr to make the fenestra was constant in all the cases and one of the safest techniques, showing persistent long-term hearing results.
In vivo haploid induction potential of Himalayan maize (Zea mays) and cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica) gene pools in different segregational cycles of intra and inter-generic crosses of wheat
Chandan Kapoor, Harinder Kumar Chaudhary, Parul Sharma, Ashima Relan, N. V. Manoj, Kritika Singh, Vinod Kumar Sood
Journal: Plant Genetic Resources / Volume 19 / Issue 6 / December 2021
Maize and Imperata cylindrica have been utilized globally as a pollen source for induction of haploids in wheat through chromosome elimination technique. Pollen parents with a higher haploid induction rate are desired for recovering the high frequency of haploids in wheat and related species. The present investigation was carried out with the aim to assess haploid induction efficiency of diverse germplasm of maize and I. cylindrica in different generations of intra and intergeneric crosses of hexaploid and tetraploid wheat and triticale-wheat derivatives. Crosses of twenty-six lines (female) with each of two I. cylindrica and twenty-one maize genotypes (testers) were evaluated for four haploid induction parameters viz., pseudoseed formation frequency (PFF), embryo formation frequency (EFF), haploid regeneration frequency (HRF) and haploid formation frequency (HFF). I. cylindrica outperformed maize in haploid induction rate with a frequency of embryos formed with I. cylindrica (18.39%) were significantly higher as compared to maize (4.08%). In the case of I. cylindrica genotype Ic-ye identified best with mean EFF of 30.55, 14.48 and 25.43% for hexaploids, tetraploids and triticale × wheat derivatives, respectively whereas in the case of maize genotype HPMC-60 performed best with EFF of 12.61% for hexaploids, HPMC-58 (12.58%) for tetraploids and HPMC-16 for triticale × wheat derivatives with EFF of 8.91%. I. cylindrica genotype Ic-ye and maize genotypes HPMC-14, HPMC-53, HPMC-60, HPMC-64 with significantly positive GCA for haploid induction parameters may be utilized as efficient pollen parents for recovering higher frequency of haploids in wheat.
Barrier enclosure in tracheostomy: a protective box for healthcare workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic
N P Nair, V Sharma, A Dixit, S Goyal, S G Dixit, A Goyal, S Misra
Tracheostomy, being a high aerosol-generating procedure, poses a great challenge to surgeons, especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. It is important to preserve staff numbers as this fight may go on for a long time. Personal protective equipment plays a key role in the protection of healthcare workers. Barrier enclosure has been attempted in procedures such as intubation and tracheostomy. The use of boxes became popularised for intubation and they have been utilised in many centres.
This paper describes the box designed by our team and presents our surgical experience with the box. The box is made of transparent acrylic. It is sealed at all ends, with a negative-pressure environment. The hand ports were designed to allow maximum manoeuvrability for surgeons, without restricting hand movements.
The proposed box will provide more protection to healthcare workers during tracheostomy. However, the box is yet to be validated.
The relationship between sleep and depression and bipolar disorder in children and young people
Monica Comsa, Kirstie N. Anderson, Aditya Sharma, Vanishri C. Yadav, Stuart Watson
Journal: BJPsych Open / Volume 8 / Issue 1 / January 2022
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 January 2022, e27
Sleep difficulties are often reported in practice, and are part of the diagnostic criteria for depression and bipolar disorder.
To inform the understanding of the relationship between sleep and both depression and bipolar disorder.
We conducted a narrative literature review of affective disorders and sleep difficulties in children and young people.
Specific sleep disorders, such as parasomnias, narcolepsy and sleep-related movement disorders, are associated with depression, whereas insomnia, obstructive sleep apnoea and circadian rhythm disorders are associated with both depression and bipolar disorder in children and young people. Conversely, children and young people with depression can present with a number of sleep difficulties, and these are associated with higher depression severity and greater fatigue, suicidal ideation, physical complaints, pain and decreased concentration. Sleep disturbances among adolescents with bipolar disorder can affect the severity of depressive and manic symptoms, are a poor prognostic indicator and have been associated with social and academic impairment. Antidepressants and antipsychotics can directly affect sleep architecture, which clinicians need to be aware of. Non-pharmacological interventions for sleep problems could prevent and/or minimise the risk of relapse in affective disorders.
Sleep difficulties can occur before, during and after an episode of depression or bipolar disorder, and have a higher prevalence in affective disorders compared with the general population. A multi-modal approach would include the treatment of both the affective and specific sleep disorder. Further research is needed in this field to understand the impact of combined interventions on clinical outcomes.
Forest canopy resists plant invasions: a case study of Chromolaena odorata in Sal (Shorea robusta) forests of Nepal
L. N. Sharma, B. Adhikari, M. F. Watson, B. B. Shrestha, E. Paudel, B. Karna, D. P. Rijal
Journal: Journal of Tropical Ecology / Volume 38 / Issue 2 / March 2022
Invasive alien species are a major threat to global biodiversity due to the tremendous ecological and economic damage they cause in forestry, agriculture, wetlands, and pastoral resources. Understanding the spatial pattern of invasive alien species and disentangling the biophysical drivers of invasion at the forest stand level is essential for managing forest ecosystems and the wider landscape. However, forest-level and species-specific information on Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS) abundance and their spatial extent are largely lacking. In this context, we analysed the cover of one of the world's worst invasive plants, Chromolaena odorata, in Sal (Shorea robusta) forest in central Nepal. Vegetation was sampled in four community forests using 0.01 ha square quadrats, covering the forest edge to the interior. C. odorata cover, floral richness, tree density, forest canopy cover, shrub cover, tree basal area, and disturbances were measured in each plot. We also explored forest and IAPS management practices in community forests. C. odorata cover was negatively correlated with forest canopy cover, distance to the road, angle of slope, and shrub cover. Tree canopy cover had the largest effect on C. odorata cover. No pattern of C. odorata cover was seen along native species richness gradients. In conclusion, forest canopy cover is the overriding biotic covariate suppressing C. odorata cover in Sal forests.
Distance between the middle turn of the cochlea and labyrinthine portion of the facial nerve: a surgical-radiological comparison and assessment of clinical importance
R Lakhawat, M Grover, S Sharma, M Charan, N Lohar, S Samdani
Journal: The Journal of Laryngology & Otology / Volume 136 / Issue 5 / May 2022
To highlight the close anatomical relationship between the middle turn of the cochlea and the labyrinthine segment of the facial nerve, which will be helpful to predict the probability of occurrence of facial nerve stimulation following cochlear implant surgery.
High-resolution computed tomography of 40 cadaveric temporal bones was performed, followed by microscopic dissection. Cochleo-facial distance was measured with the help of a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine ('DICOM') viewer on high-resolution computed tomography and by a millimetre scale in the dissected specimen.
The cochleo-facial distance on high-resolution computed tomography was 0.62 ± 0.09 mm, ranging from 0.41 to 0.81 mm, and on dissection it was 0.57 ± 0.10 mm, ranging from 0.35 to 0.74 mm.
The labyrinthine segment is the most likely area of stimulation in patients suffering from facial nerve stimulation following cochlear implantation. Pre-operative high-resolution computed tomography of the temporal bone can be used to examine the bone separating the labyrinthine segment of the facial nerve from the middle turn of the cochlea. This has clinical significance regarding implant side selection and pre-operative patient counselling.
Total annulus excision tympanoplasty – a solution to recurrent myringitis: double blind randomised trial
N Verma, P Singhal, K P Surendra Prabhu, R Sehra, R Yadav, B Singh Aeron, S Munjal, A Hussain, S Agarwal, M Prakash Sharma
In spite of continuous refinements in tympanoplasty techniques, results are variable, and it is not uncommon to see a discharging eardrum even after a good graft uptake. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of total annulus excision tympanoplasty in comparison with conventional underlay tympanoplasty.
This was a double blinded, randomised, controlled trial performed at a tertiary care centre. After inclusion and exclusion criteria were met, 56 patients were enrolled and randomised, and 28 patients were allocated to each group (group A (conventional tympanoplasty) and group B (total annulus excision)). Patients and evaluators were blind to the procedure performed.
Patients in group B (total annulus excision) showed better graft uptake and no discharge with better gains in air conduction thresholds (p < 0.05) when compared with group A (conventional tympanoplasty).
In view of the advantages it offers, total annulus excision tympanoplasty may be preferred over the conventional techniques in patients with central perforations.
Recurrent acute otitis media: a survey of current management in England
T Hampton, E Whitehall, C Beasley, K Stevens, N Lowe, E Hogg, J Bhat, H Emerson, M Krishnan, S Sharma
Journal: The Journal of Laryngology & Otology / Volume 135 / Issue 10 / October 2021
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 September 2021, pp. 855-857
Print publication: October 2021
Recurrent acute otitis media is common in children. The preferred treatment measures for recurrent acute otitis media have a mixed evidence base. This study sought to assess baseline practice across ENT departments in England.
A national telephone survey of healthcare staff was conducted. Every ENT centre in England was contacted. A telephone script was used to ask about antibiotic and grommet use and duration in recurrent acute otitis media cases.
Ninety-six centres (74 per cent) provided complete information. Recurrent acute otitis media treatment across England by ENT departments varied. The antibiotic first- and second-line prophylaxis offered varies, with trimethoprim used in 33 centres and 29 centres not offering any antibiotics. The timing or choice about when to use grommets also varies, but 87 centres (91 per cent) offer grommet surgery at one stage.
The treatments received by children in England for recurrent acute otitis media vary by centre; collaborative research in this area is advised.
The influence of age regarding dietary choices of Indian immigrants in the United Kingdom
M. Sharma, J.C. Abayomi, N. Relph, P. Leadbetter
Journal: Proceedings of the Nutrition Society / Volume 80 / Issue OCE3 / 2021
Regimes of wettability-dependent and wettability-independent bouncing of a drop on a solid surface
Praveen K. Sharma, Harish N. Dixit
Journal: Journal of Fluid Mechanics / Volume 908 / 10 February 2021
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 December 2020, A37
Tiny drops of millimetre size are known to bounce on a solid surface if the surface is superhydrophobic. Recent experiments show that bouncing can occur even on hydrophilic surfaces under conditions where the drop is supported on a thin cushion of gas preventing it from making contact with the surface. We present a detailed insight into this observation by simulating bouncing dynamics of a drop on a flat solid surface using axisymmetric direct numerical simulations. The dynamics of drop motion is governed by three important dimensionless parameters, namely, Reynolds number, $Re$, Weber number, $We$, and capillary number, $Ca_g$. We generate a phase diagram in the $We\text {--}Re$ plane separating the wettability-independent (non-contact bouncing) and wettability-dependent (contact bouncing) regions. We show that $We=2.14$ is the optimum value of Weber number which can support a gas cushion for the widest range of Reynolds numbers. The phase diagram is further divided into five sub-regions based on the shape of the drop and the gas film beneath it. The simulations can reproduce experimentally reported gas films of ${\sim }1\ \mathrm {\mu }\textrm {m}$ with excellent agreement spatially and temporally. Simulations also reproduce well-known scaling laws for a variety of parameters characterising the gas film. New scaling laws for the radial extent of the gas film as well as time taken for impact are derived. For higher Weber and Reynolds numbers, a bouncing drop captures a gas bubble inside it consistent with simple experiments carried out for water drops bouncing on superhydrophobic surfaces.
Adjunctive yoga training for persons with schizophrenia: who benefits?
Triptish Bhatia, Swathi Gujral, Vikas Sharma, Nupur Kumari, Joel Wood, Maribeth A. Wesesky, Jacquelynn Jones, Louanne W. Davis, Satish Iyenger, Gretchen L. Haas, Vishwajit L. Nimgaonkar, Smita N. Deshpande
Journal: Acta Neuropsychiatrica / Volume 33 / Issue 3 / June 2021
The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with acceptability and efficacy of yoga training (YT) for improving cognitive dysfunction in individuals with schizophrenia (SZ).
We analysed data from two published clinical trials of YT for cognitive dysfunction among Indians with SZ: (1) a 21-day randomised controlled trial (RCT, N = 286), 3 and 6 months follow-up and (2) a 21-day open trial (n = 62). Multivariate analyses were conducted to examine the association of baseline characteristics (age, sex, socio-economic status, educational status, duration, and severity of illness) with improvement in cognition (i.e. attention and face memory) following YT. Factors associated with acceptability were identified by comparing baseline demographic variables between screened and enrolled participants as well as completers versus non-completers.
Enrolled participants were younger than screened persons who declined participation (t = 2.952, p = 0.003). No other characteristics were associated with study enrollment or completion. Regarding efficacy, schooling duration was nominally associated with greater and sustained cognitive improvement on a measure of facial memory. No other baseline characteristics were associated with efficacy of YT in the open trial, the RCT, or the combined samples (n = 148).
YT is acceptable even among younger individuals with SZ. It also enhances specific cognitive functions, regardless of individual differences in selected psychosocial characteristics. Thus, yoga could be incorporated as adjunctive therapy for patients with SZ. Importantly, our results suggest cognitive dysfunction is remediable in persons with SZ across the age spectrum.
Dysphagia presentation and management following coronavirus disease 2019: an acute care tertiary centre experience
C Dawson, R Capewell, S Ellis, S Matthews, S Adamson, M Wood, L Fitch, K Reid, M Shaw, J Wheeler, P Pracy, P Nankivell, N Sharma
As the pathophysiology of Covid-19 emerges, this paper describes dysphagia as a sequela of the disease, including its diagnosis and management, hypothesised causes, symptomatology in relation to viral progression, and concurrent variables such as intubation, tracheostomy and delirium, at a tertiary UK hospital.
During the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, 208 out of 736 patients (28.9 per cent) admitted to our institution with SARS-CoV-2 were referred for swallow assessment. Of the 208 patients, 102 were admitted to the intensive treatment unit for mechanical ventilation support, of which 82 were tracheostomised. The majority of patients regained near normal swallow function prior to discharge, regardless of intubation duration or tracheostomy status.
Dysphagia is prevalent in patients admitted either to the intensive treatment unit or the ward with Covid-19 related respiratory issues. This paper describes the crucial role of intensive swallow rehabilitation to manage dysphagia associated with this disease, including therapeutic respiratory weaning for those with a tracheostomy.
Cholesterol side-chain hydroxylation is associated with expression of P-glycoprotein and disease-free survival in triple negative breast cancer patients
A. Websdale, S.A. Hutchinson, P. Lianto, H. Roberg-Larsen, L.M. Wastall, B. Williams, A. Rose, N. Sharma, T.A. Hughes, J.L. Thorne
Dietary choices of Indian immigrants living in the UK and the native population in India are negatively influenced by time constraints: A qualitative study
Asian-Pacific perspective on the psychological well-being of healthcare workers during the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic
Nicholas W. S. Chew, Jinghao Nicholas Ngiam, Benjamin Yong-Qiang Tan, Sai-Meng Tham, Celine Yan-Shan Tan, Mingxue Jing, Renarebecca Sagayanathan, Jin Tao Chen, Lily Y. H. Wong, Aftab Ahmad, Faheem Ahmed Khan, Maznah Marmin, Fadhlina Binte Hassan, Tai Mei-Ling Sharon, Chin Han Lim, Mohamad Iqbal Bin Mohaini, Rivan Danuaji, Thang H. Nguyen, Georgios Tsivgoulis, Sotirios Tsiodras, Paraskevi C. Fragkou, Dimitra Dimopoulou, Arvind K. Sharma, Kenam Shah, Bhargesh Patel, Suktara Sharma, R. N. Komalkumar, R. V. Meenakshi, Shikha Talati, Hock Luen Teoh, Cyrus S. Ho, Roger C. Ho, Vijay K. Sharma
Journal: BJPsych Open / Volume 6 / Issue 6 / November 2020
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to significant strain on front-line healthcare workers.
In this multicentre study, we compared the psychological outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in various countries in the Asia-Pacific region and identified factors associated with adverse psychological outcomes.
From 29 April to 4 June 2020, the study recruited healthcare workers from major healthcare institutions in five countries in the Asia-Pacific region. A self-administrated survey that collected information on prior medical conditions, presence of symptoms, and scores on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales and the Impact of Events Scale-Revised were used. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) relating to COVID-19 was compared, and multivariable logistic regression identified independent factors associated with adverse psychological outcomes within each country.
A total of 1146 participants from India, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam were studied. Despite having the lowest volume of cases, Vietnam displayed the highest prevalence of PTSD. In contrast, Singapore reported the highest case volume, but had a lower prevalence of depression and anxiety. In the multivariable analysis, we found that non-medically trained personnel, the presence of physical symptoms and presence of prior medical conditions were independent predictors across the participating countries.
This study highlights that the varied prevalence of psychological adversity among healthcare workers is independent of the burden of COVID-19 cases within each country. Early psychological interventions may be beneficial for the vulnerable groups of healthcare workers with presence of physical symptoms, prior medical conditions and those who are not medically trained.
A period of 10 weeks of increased protein consumption does not alter faecal microbiota or volatile metabolites in healthy older men: a randomised controlled trial
S. M. Mitchell, E. J. McKenzie, C. J. Mitchell, A. M. Milan, N. Zeng, R. F. D'Souza, F. Ramzan, P. Sharma, E. Rettedal, S. O. Knowles, N. C. Roy, A. Sjödin, K.-H. Wagner, J. M. O'Sullivan, D. Cameron-Smith
Journal: Journal of Nutritional Science / Volume 9 / 2020
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 July 2020, e25
Diet has a major influence on the composition and metabolic output of the gut microbiome. Higher-protein diets are often recommended for older consumers; however, the effect of high-protein diets on the gut microbiota and faecal volatile organic compounds (VOC) of elderly participants is unknown. The purpose of the study was to establish if the faecal microbiota composition and VOC in older men are different after a diet containing the recommended dietary intake (RDA) of protein compared with a diet containing twice the RDA (2RDA). Healthy males (74⋅2 (sd 3⋅6) years; n 28) were randomised to consume the RDA of protein (0⋅8 g protein/kg body weight per d) or 2RDA, for 10 weeks. Dietary protein was provided via whole foods rather than supplementation or fortification. The diets were matched for dietary fibre from fruit and vegetables. Faecal samples were collected pre- and post-intervention for microbiota profiling by 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon sequencing and VOC analysis by head space/solid-phase microextraction/GC-MS. After correcting for multiple comparisons, no significant differences in the abundance of faecal microbiota or VOC associated with protein fermentation were evident between the RDA and 2RDA diets. Therefore, in the present study, a twofold difference in dietary protein intake did not alter gut microbiota or VOC indicative of altered protein fermentation.