Category: Statistics

Environ Monit Assess. 2025 Jan 22;197(2):180. doi: 10.1007/s10661-025-13616-3.

ABSTRACT

In this study, an efficient membrane composed of polysulfone and graphene oxide was developed and evaluated for its efficacy in chromium adsorption. Characterization of the synthesized membrane involved comprehensive analyses including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to assess its structural properties. Subsequently, the membrane’s performance in removing chromium from aqueous solutions was scrutinized, considering key operational parameters. Response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite design (CCD) was employed to optimize parameters. Additionally, the pH parameter revealed the most significant (F-value = 184.25) on the amount of chromium removal by the membrane process. The interaction between pH and contact time is the most significant among all interactions, with an F-value of 40.99. Moreover, the high R² (97.58%) and adjusted R² (95.41%) indicate the model effectively explains variance with minimal overfitting, confirming its strong predictive capability. Under optimized conditions (pH 5, initial concentration of 30 mg/L, and contact time of 40 min), the polysulfone/graphene oxide membrane exhibited an impressive removal efficiency of 81.1%. This study highlights the potential of polysulfone/graphene oxide membranes in effectively separating chromium from aqueous mediums, thereby suggesting a promising avenue for future research in addressing heavy metal pollution.√.

PMID:39841272 | DOI:10.1007/s10661-025-13616-3

Clin Oral Investig. 2025 Jan 22;29(1):72. doi: 10.1007/s00784-024-06093-4.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the vertical misfit at the implant-abutment interface in external and internal connections across various implant brands, comparing original milled titanium abutments with laser-sintered cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) abutments.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 160 implants from four different brands were utilized, with 80 featuring external connections (EC) and 80 internal connections (IC). Original milled titanium abutments (n = 160) and Co-Cr laser-sintered abutments (n = 160) were randomly attached to each connection type, following the manufacturer’s recommended torque. After undergoing thermal cycling, the vertical misfit was measured using a scanning electron microscope. Statistical analyses were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. The significance level was set at α = 0.05.

RESULTS: The original milled titanium abutments exhibited the lowest misfit values. Significant differences were identified between both abutment types for EC (d = 109.578 μm; p = 0.0001) and IC (d = 44.317 μm; p = 0.002). The EC with laser-sintered abutments demonstrated the highest marginal misfit values, with an average of nearly 30 μm, while a misfit value of 11.382 μm was achieved in the IC. Differences were observed among the brands for milled abutments in both EC and IC. Similarly, variations were also noted for the laser-sintered Co-Cr abutments in EC and IC configurations.

CONCLUSIONS: The vertical misfit of the original milled titanium abutments in all groups was within the clinically acceptable range for IC. The connection type significantly impacted the vertical misfit in laser-sintered Co-Cr abutments. Differences among the implant systems were observed for both connection types and abutment types evaluated.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Using original milled titanium abutments, particularly in internal connection systems, can lead to better fit and stability at the implant-abutment interface, potentially reducing the risk of mechanical complications and improving long-term implant success.

PMID:39841269 | DOI:10.1007/s00784-024-06093-4

Clin Oral Investig. 2025 Jan 22;29(1):73. doi: 10.1007/s00784-024-06105-3.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study analyzed the differences in the upper airway of patients with skeletal Class III high-angle malocclusion with and without mandibular deviation, and further investigated whether there are differences in the changes in upper airway space after orthognathic surgery between the two groups.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 15 patients with skeletal Class III high-angle malocclusion and mandibular deviation, and 15 patients without mandibular deviation were selected to explore the impact of mandibular deviation on the upper airway. Additionally, 16 patients with mandibular deviation undergoing orthodontic-orthognathic combined treatment, and 13 patients without mandibular deviation, were selected to investigate the differences in the changes in upper airway space after orthognathic surgery between the two groups.

RESULTS: In patients with skeletal Class III high-angle malocclusion, the deviation group showed significantly smaller sagittal diameter/maximum transverse diameter, cross-sectional area, volumes of oropharynx and hypopharynx, and total volume compared to the normal group, with all differences being statistically significant. After orthognathic surgery, the postoperative sagittal diameter/maximum transverse diameter of the oropharyngeal airway increased in the deviation group, while it decreased in the normal group. The postoperative reductions in cross-sectional area, volumes, and total volume of the oropharynx and hypopharynx were more pronounced in the normal group.

CONCLUSION: In patients with skeletal Class III high-angle malocclusion, mandibular deviation results in narrowing of the lower portion of the upper airway. The orthognathic surgical correction of mandibular deviation compensates to some extent for the reduction in the cross-sectional area and volume of the upper airway caused by the surgery itself.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: For patients with skeletal Class III high-angle malocclusion with mandibular deviation, a thorough assessment of the upper airway should precede the selection of orthognathic surgery procedures. For patients with normal preoperative upper airway morphology, consideration may prioritize correction of facial aesthetics and occlusion. For patients with pre-existing narrow upper airways, as mandibular setback exacerbates narrowing and the compensatory effect of mandibular deviation correction on the airway is limited, it is suggested that these patients prioritize bimaxillary surgery or reduce the amount of mandibular setback to better promote postoperative respiratory function health.

PMID:39841256 | DOI:10.1007/s00784-024-06105-3

Pediatr Radiol. 2025 Jan 22. doi: 10.1007/s00247-024-06107-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Splenic stiffness is a potential imaging marker of portal hypertension. Normative spleen stiffness values are needed to define diagnostic thresholds.

OBJECTIVE: To report stiffness measurements of the spleen in healthy children undergoing liver magnetic resonance (MR) elastography across MRI vendors and field strengths.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a post-hoc analysis of data collected under a prospective multicenter cross-sectional study. Volunteers aged 7-17.9 years without a known history of liver or spleen disease were recruited for a research MRI between February 2018 and October 2019. Gradient recalled echo (GRE) or spin-echo-echo-planar imaging (SE-EPI) MR elastography was performed on a total of three vendor platforms and at two field strengths (1.5 T (T) and 3 T) with standard right upper quadrant passive driver placement (frequency of 60 Hz). Two independent reviewers measured spleen stiffness, length, and volume. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests or Mann-Whitney test, and Pearson’s or Spearman’s correlation were used.

RESULTS: From 101 study volunteers, 72 (34 female) had measurable splenic stiffness. Median age was 12 years (interquartile range [IQR], 9.9-14.9 years). Mean (± SD) spleen stiffness was 4.7 ± 0.9 kPa (IQR, 3.8-5.4 kPa) with 6.1 kPa reflecting the 95th percentile. Strong correlation was observed between reviewers (ICC = 0.89 [95%CI, 0.71-0.93; P < 0.001]). Male volunteers had slightly higher splenic stiffness compared to females: 4.9 ± 0.9 vs. 4.3 ± 0.8 kPa (P = 0.014). There was significant correlation between spleen stiffness and body mass index (r = 0.33 [95%CI, 0.06-0.56; P = 0.024]) but no other measure of patient size (r = 0.15-0.29). No significant difference in spleen stiffness was observed across vendors (P = 0.089) or field strengths (P = 0.236).

CONCLUSION: MR elastography-based spleen stiffness, measured as part of a liver MR elastography acquisition, is < 6.1 kPa in a healthy pediatric population and does not vary with MRI vendor or field strength.

PMID:39841253 | DOI:10.1007/s00247-024-06107-z

Eur Spine J. 2025 Jan 22. doi: 10.1007/s00586-024-08626-7. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcomes of minimally invasive PCF using an interfacet joint fusion cage.

METHODS: The inclusion criteria consisted of patients who underwent a PCF using an interfacet device (Cavux, Providence Medical Technology Inc.) at a single institution and were at least 6 months postoperative. Charts were reviewed for pre-, intra- and postoperative data including arm and neck pain scores, Neck Disability Index (NDI), complications, and reoperations.

RESULTS: A consecutive series of 51 patients were included. Mean age was 54.9 years and 72.6% of patients (n = 37) were female. Most patients (n = 39, 76.5%) had a prior anterior cervical fusion resulting in pseudarthrosis. In total, 157 interfacet devices were implanted in 79 levels. There was statistically significant improvement from pre- to postoperative arm pain (3.8 vs. 2.4), neck pain (6.2 vs. 4.0), and NDI (42.2 vs. 34.9). With the exception of neck pain, these changes would not generally be considered clinically relevant. Ten (19.6%) reoperations occurred, with 4 (7.8%) involving interfacet device removal. The removals were due to: nonunion, device malpositioning, osteophytic overgrowth, trauma, and implantation of additional posterior instrumentation.

CONCLUSION: Performing a minimally invasive facet fusion may be an effective option for treating patients with a history of nonunion. Although the reoperation rate was high in this challenging cohort, only 4 out of 10 reoperations required device removal. More research is warranted to refine indications for this procedure and review larger samples of patients.

PMID:39841223 | DOI:10.1007/s00586-024-08626-7

Eur Spine J. 2025 Jan 22. doi: 10.1007/s00586-025-08643-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous perispinal infiltration of low dose of triamcinolone and lidocaine indicated for pain control in patients with cervical osteoarthritis (COA).

METHODS: Patients with symptomatic COA resistant to conventional treatment including anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, and physical therapy were included. Technetium-99 m pyrophosphate (99mTc-PYP) scintigraphy and computerized tomography (CT) fusion scans images were used for diagnosis of COA and as a guide for level(s) of infiltration(s). Infiltration consisted of subcutaneous administration of 1 cc of a mixture of triamcinolone (6 mg/0.7 cc) and 2% lidocaine (6 mg/0.3 cc) into the posterior central interspinal area, at the levels where the greatest uptake of the radiotracer was observed. Response was assessed using a pain analogue scale (PAS) (range 0-10 with 10 representing worst pain).

RESULTS: Forty-two patients were included. Thirty-six (85.7%) were women. The mean age was 59.2 years. Three months after infiltration clinical improvement was confirmed by a decrease in the PAS value: before and after infiltrations was 7.26 (range 4-10, SD:1.48) and 1.97 (range 0-6, SD:1.24), respectively. This difference being statistically significant (P < 0.05). No patient presented local or systemic adverse effects.

CONCLUSIONS: Low dose subcutaneous perispinal injection of triamcinolone and lidocaine may offer clinical benefits for patients with symptomatic COA refractory to conventional treatments. 99mTc-PYP/CT fusion scans images were useful as a guide for localization of infiltrations.

PMID:39841221 | DOI:10.1007/s00586-025-08643-0

Eur Radiol. 2025 Jan 22. doi: 10.1007/s00330-025-11364-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Evaluating the impact of an AI-based automated cardiac MRI (CMR) planning software on procedure errors and scan times compared to manual planning alone.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing non-stress CMR were prospectively enrolled at a single center (August 2023-February 2024) and randomized into manual, or automated scan execution using prototype software. Patients with pacemakers, targeted indications, or inability to consent were excluded. All patients underwent the same CMR protocol with contrast, in breath-hold (BH) or free breathing (FB). Supervising radiologists recorded procedure errors (plane prescription, forgotten views, incorrect propagation of cardiac planes, and field-of-view mismanagement). Scan times and idle phase (non-acquisition portion) were computed from scanner logs. Most data were non-normally distributed and compared using non-parametric tests.

RESULTS: Eighty-two patients (mean age, 51.6 years ± 17.5; 56 men) were included. Forty-four patients underwent automated and 38 manual CMRs. The mean rate of procedure errors was significantly (p = 0.01) lower in the automated (0.45) than in the manual group (1.13). The rate of error-free examinations was higher (p = 0.03) in the automated (31/44; 70.5%) than in the manual group (17/38; 44.7%). Automated studies were shorter than manual studies in FB (30.3 vs 36.5 min, p < 0.001) but had similar durations in BH (42.0 vs 43.5 min, p = 0.42). The idle phase was lower in automated studies for FB and BH strategies (both p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: An AI-based automated software performed CMR at a clinical level with fewer planning errors and improved efficiency compared to manual planning.

KEY POINTS: Question What is the impact of an AI-based automated CMR planning software on procedure errors and scan times compared to manual planning alone? Findings Software-driven examinations were more reliable (71% error-free) than human-planned ones (45% error-free) and showed improved efficiency with reduced idle time. Clinical relevance CMR examinations require extensive technologist training, and continuous attention, and involve many planning steps. A fully automated software reliably acquired non-stress CMR potentially reducing mistake risk and increasing data homogeneity.

PMID:39841204 | DOI:10.1007/s00330-025-11364-z

Turk Neurosurg. 2024 May 21. doi: 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.46503-24.2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIM: This study was conducted to evaluate the in vitro effects of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) on histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzyme activity and interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) expression. HDAC enzyme activity and the expression of inflammation markers were tested, with the presence of the HDAC inhibitor valproic acid, in human primary cell cultures prepared from two different tissues.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Primary cell cultures were prepared. Samples that did not receive any medication constituted the control group, while culture samples treated with HCQ served as the study group. The surface morphology of cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) were evaluated by Giemsa staining and inverted light microscopy. Cell viability, proliferation, and cytotoxicity were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium-bromide (MTT) analysis. The cultures were simultaneously stained with acridine orange (AO)/propidium iodide (PI) and viewed under fluorescence microscopy. HDAC enzyme activity and IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α expression were evaluated using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. The obtained data were analyzed using statistical methods. The alpha significance level was accepted as p 0.05.

RESULTS: HCQ applied to cell cultures at the tested doses and durations showed cytotoxic effects on cell viability, proliferation, and cell or ECM morphology. It increased HDAC activity in chondrocytes and caused a proinflammatory response, indicated by an increase in TNF-α in the cells (p 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Taken together, the results emphasized that the cytotoxic effect of HCQ increased HDAC activity; therefore, this proinflammatory response should be taken into consideration in the clinical use of HCQ.

PMID:39840570 | DOI:10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.46503-24.2

Turk Neurosurg. 2024 May 4. doi: 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.46011-23.3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIM: The aim of the study is to determine sac volume based on radiological examinations in patients undergoing surgery for myelomeningocele (MMC) and to investigate the relationship of sac volume with hydrocephalus and Chiari malformation type 2 (CM) with a view to determining the optimum length of follow-up and recommend a treatment plan.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The present study involved the retrospective review of radiologic examinations and medical files of 81 patients who underwent surgery for myelomeningocele between 2015 and 2022 in the neurosurgery clinic of Ankara Training and Research Hospital. Then, MMC sac volumes were measured and the statistical relationship of these measurements with the Evans Index, progressive enlargement of the ventricles after sac repair and CM was investigated.

RESULTS: Of the 81 patients, 41(50.6%) were boys and 40(49.4%) were girls. The median MMC sac volume was 11,005.28 mm³ and the mean Evans index (EI) based on brain tomography performed on postnatal day1was 0.405 ± 0.146. Analysis of the relationship between the EI and MMC sac volume yielded r=0.622, p 0.001 and showed a strong positive correlation between the two parameters at a statistical significance level of 5%. Evans Indexes based on brain tomography scans performed on postnatal day 1 showed that ventriculomegaly was present in 49(60.5%) patients and absent in 32(39.5%) patients. Of the 81 patients, 48(59.3%) underwent shunting and the remaining 33(40.7%) patients did not require shunting. 28 patients underwent shunting simultaneously with the sac repair, i.e., on day 12 on average, while 20 patients exhibited a progressive increase in their EI after sac repair and required a second surgery for shunting on day 28 on average. The mean MMC sac volume was 11,511.214 mm³ in 20 patients who subsequently developed hydrocephalus versus 3,066.9997 mm³ in patients who did not require shunting before or after sac repair. In patients who developed hydrocephalus after sac repair, there was no correlation between the day of intervention and sac volume. Mean sac volume was 28,297.36 mm³ in 28 patients with comorbid CM versus 7,600.32mm³ in patients without CM. All children with CM required shunting.

CONCLUSION: Patients with larger myelomeningocele sac volume have higher risk of concomitant hydrocephalus or subsequent development of hydrocephalus after sac repair compared to patients with a smaller sac volume. These patients should definitely be evaluated for same-session intervention. Patients with a larger sac volume and/or comorbid CM should be followed up more frequently and for a longer period of time.

PMID:39840569 | DOI:10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.46011-23.3

Turk Neurosurg. 2024 Mar 20. doi: 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.45958-23.3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIM: St. John’s Wort Oil (JWO) has a sedative property and it is used traditionally for the treatment of depression, neuralgia and excitability. JWO has been shown to have anticancer activity via apoptosis in glioblastoma cells. However, information on whether JWO is effective on the autophagy mechanism in glioblastoma is still not known. So, the current study was the first to search the autophagy mechanism T98 glioma cells.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Three groups were created with T98 human glioblastoma cells; Group 1: T98 glioma cells with no treated (Control group). Group 2: T98 glioma cells treated with 3 µl/ml JWO. Group 3: T98 glioma cells treated with 6 µl/ml JWO. The cell proliferation, oxidative stress, types of cell death were studied at IC50 dose of JWO.

RESULTS: The proliferation of glioma cells was inhibited in 5.296 µl/ml dose. JWO induced apoptosis in T98 glioma cells in comparison with the control and there was statistically significant difference (p 0.001). Apoptosis was analyzed via TUNEL method and results were checked by flow cytometry. We also investigated the effects of JWO on autophagy in T98 glioma cells by immunostaining LC3-II and MDC fluorescent stainings. The differences between JWO treated and control group were notably significant (p 0.001). The immunofluorescence staining resultsof LC3-II was confirmed by Western blotting analysis.

CONCLUSION: JWO seems to be an effective treatment agent for glioblastoma. Not only does it induce apoptosis via oxidative stress but also affects the autophagy. The use of JWO in combination with other treatment options may increase the efficacy of treatment.

PMID:39840562 | DOI:10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.45958-23.3