Category: Statistics

Pulm Circ. 2021 Apr 22;11(2):20458940211010371. doi: 10.1177/20458940211010371. eCollection 2021 Apr-Jun.

ABSTRACT

Recent studies have shown low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and dysregulated lipid metabolism in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) is the major protein component of HDL-C and mediates most of its functions. We hypothesize that ApoA-1 and its oxidative state might be more sensitive biomarkers in CTEPH. Plasma levels of HDL-C, ApoA-I, paraoxonase-1 enzyme activity (PON1), and the oxidized dysfunctional ApoA-I (oxTrp72-ApoA-I) were measured in patients with CTEPH and compared to those in healthy controls. Association with markers of disease severity in CTEPH was assessed. We included a total of 61 patients with CTEPH (age: 61.2 ± 15 years; male 52.5%) and 28 control subjects (age: 60.1 ± 8 years; male 59.3%). When adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, and statin use, ApoA-I was lower in CTEPH compared to controls (CTEPH:125.2 ± 27 mg/dl; control:158.3 ± 29.4 mg/dl; p < 0.001), but HDL-C levels were not statistically different. There were no significant differences in PON and oxTrp72-ApoA-I/ApoA-I ratio. In exploratory analyses, ApoA-I was associated with mean right atrial pressure (r_s = -0.32, p = 0.013) and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (r_s = -0.31, p = 0.038). There were no significant associations between HDL-C, PON1, or oxTrp72-ApoA-I/ApoA-I ratio and markers of disease severity. We conclude that ApoA-I is a more sensitive biomarker than HDL-C in CTEPH, and may be associated with right heart dysfunction.

PMID:33996028 | PMC:PMC8071975 | DOI:10.1177/20458940211010371

Addict Health. 2021 Jan;13(1):52-65. doi: 10.22122/ahj.v13i1.298.

ABSTRACT

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a prevalent health issue with serious social and personal consequences. SUDs are linked to numerous physical health problems. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th Edition (DSM-V), the essential characteristic of a SUD is a collection of cognitive, behavioral, and psychological manifestations indicative of the subject’s unbaiting substance use despite experiencing significant problems due to continued use. Several alternative interventions have been indicated. Among them, mindfulness-based therapies are receiving growing attention. This article reviews evidence for the use of third-wave cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBTs) in addiction treatment. We have reviewed the literature published from 1990 to 2019. Further research is required to better understand the types of mindfulness-based interventions that work best for specific types of addiction, patients, and situations. Current findings increasingly support third-wave CBTs as a promising complementary therapy for the treatment and prevention of addiction.

PMID:33995960 | PMC:PMC8080172 | DOI:10.22122/ahj.v13i1.298

J Lasers Med Sci. 2020 Fall;11(Suppl 1):S67-S72. doi: 10.34172/jlms.2020.S11. Epub 2020 Dec 30.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: This randomized clinical trial was designed to investigate the effect of carbon dioxide laser on the treatment of minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis (miRAS) as a painful and common oral ulcer. Methods: Fifteen patients with miRAS entered into this study after compliance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The patients were assigned to three groups of pulsed CO₂ laser, continuous CO₂ laser, and control. A pulsed CO₂ laser with power of 261 W and pulse duration of 180 microseconds and continuous CO₂ lasers with the power of 1 W and radiation duration of 5-10 seconds were used. In the control group, topical triamcinolone ointment of 0.1% was used. The degree of pain was measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS). The patients were evaluated in terms of pain intensity before and immediately after the treatment and at follow-up hours, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours after the intervention, and changes in the size of the ulcers were measured before the treatment and on third, fifth, and seventh days. Results: The effect of CO₂ laser with pulsed and continuous radiation on the pain intensity of aphthous lesions, immediately after the treatment and at subsequent follow-up hours were similar and even better than the control group (P<0.05). All three treatments had a similar effect on the size of the ulcer, which was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: The results of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) showed that the carbon dioxide laser, whether with pulsed radiation or continuous radiation compared to the control group, had a better impact on the pain relief of aphthous lesions.

PMID:33995972 | PMC:PMC7956027 | DOI:10.34172/jlms.2020.S11

J Healthc Eng. 2021 Apr 26;2021:5539901. doi: 10.1155/2021/5539901. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

With the increase of the incidence rate of digestive system diseases, digestive endoscopy has become an essential measure. The nursing quality of digestive endoscopy room will have a direct impact on the examination results and treatment effect, so improving the nursing quality of digestive endoscopy room has always been the focus of attention. In this paper, the smart electronic medical blockchain technology and hospital standardized nursing management mode are combined to develop the smart medical standardized nursing management mode. Firstly, 88 patients with digestive endoscopy in a hospital from October 2018 to October 2019 were selected as the experimental subjects: 44 cases in the control group and 44 cases in the experimental group. The control group implemented the traditional management mode of digestive endoscopy room, and the experimental group implemented the standardized nursing management mode of smart medicine. The blood pressure level before and after nursing and the probability of adverse reactions in the process of nursing were counted. After nursing, the patients were asked to fill in the nursing satisfaction questionnaire, evaluate the nursing quality of nursing staff, and make statistics and comparison on the occurrence of safety events in digestive endoscopy room. After nursing, the systolic pressure drop of the experimental group was 125.36 ± 7.27 mmhg, diastolic pressure drop was 73.24 ± 4.21 mmhg, and the incidence of adverse reactions was 11.36%. The satisfaction rate of the experimental group was 15%, 29.55%, and 22.73% higher than that of the control group. The average scores of nursing skills, operation level, and examination results of nursing staff in the experimental group were 94.49, 95.12, and 95.89, respectively; the qualified rate of disinfection of digestive endoscopy room in the experimental group was 100%, the degree of cooperation between doctors and nurses was 100%, the timely rate of emergency measures was 95.45%, and the incidence of accidents was 0%. This shows that, under the standardized nursing of smart medicine, the blood pressure of patients is more stable, the incidence of adverse reactions is lower, the nursing satisfaction is higher, and the nursing quality of nursing staff and the safety of digestive endoscopy room are also improved.

PMID:33995983 | PMC:PMC8096586 | DOI:10.1155/2021/5539901

Basic Clin Neurosci. 2021 Jan-Feb;12(1):105-114. doi: 10.32598/bcn.12.1.1650.2. Epub 2021 Jan 1.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Patients with cancer may have many complications involving their psychosomatic systems, such as sleep disturbance, depression, and anxiety. Thus, many research studies were conducted to reduce these complications. Zolpidem, as a short-term non-benzodiazepine treatment of insomnia, and melatonin as a chronobiological functionregulatory hormone, are commonly used for improving sleep quality. This randomized clinical trial aims to compare the effects of zolpidem and melatonin on sleep quality, depression, and anxiety in patients with colorectal cancer.

METHODS: In this single-blinded trial, 90 patients with colorectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy who had obtained a score of 5 or higher on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were randomly divided into two groups (n=45). One group was treated with 10 mg zolpidem at bedtime, and the other group received 6 mg melatonin at bedtime for 30 days. PSQI on weeks 0, 4, 8, Groningen sleep quality scale, Hamilton rating scale for depression, and Hamilton anxiety rating scale questionnaires were performed to assess patients on weeks 0, 4, and 8. The outcome was then analyzed, and P≤0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: Both zolpidem and melatonin had significant impacts on sleep quality in week 4 (P<0.05). After stopping the treatments, the conditions were noticeably reversed on week 8 (P<0.05). Zolpidem and melatonin were relatively similar in affecting sleep duration, latency, efficiency, and disturbance. None of the two study medications had any considerable influence on anxiety and depression.

CONCLUSION: Melatonin and zolpidem are promising agents for treating sleep complications and, to some extent, depression, and anxiety in cancer patients, according to the present study. However, further clinical trials are recommended to confirm the results of this study.

PMID:33995933 | PMC:PMC8114863 | DOI:10.32598/bcn.12.1.1650.2

Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2021 Mar;24(3):408-419. doi: 10.22038/ijbms.2021.50528.11511.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether NOS3-c.894G>T transversion (rs1799983), which causes the substitution of glutamate with aspartate (E298D) in the oxygenase domain of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), is associated with susceptibility to metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk in Iranian-Azerbaijanis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The frequencies of the alleles and genotypes were compared in the 300 cases and 300 controls using PCR-RFLP assay. Also, higher-order MetS interaction with the genotypes, gender, age, and body mass index (BMI) was evaluated by classification and regression tree (CART) analysis. In silico analysis was done to introduce a hypothesis describing the molecular effects of NOS3-c.894G>T.

RESULTS: The T allele (OR:1.46; CI:1.054-2.04; P=0.02), GT genotype (OR:1.44; CI:1.02-2.03; P=0.03), and dominant model (TT+GT vs GG, OR:1.48; CI:1.06-2.06; P=0.01) were found to be associated with increased risk of MetS. In the male subpopulation TT genotype (OR:7.19; CI:1.53-33.70; P=0.01) was discovered to be associated with increased odds of MetS. CART analysis showed that NOS3-c.894G>T genotypes and BMI significantly contribute to modulating MetS risk. Furthermore, in silico investigation revealed that c.894G>T may alter eNOS function through affecting interactions of its oxygenase domain with proteins such as B2R, b-actin, CALM1, CAV1, GIT1, HSP90AA1, NOSIP, and NOSTRIN.

CONCLUSION: We showed that NOS3-c.894G>T was associated with an increased risk of MetS in Iranian-Azerbaijanis, and BMI modulates the effects of NOS3-c.894G>T genotypes on MetS risk. Also, in silico analysis found that NOS3-c.894G>T may affect the interaction of the eNOS oxygenase domain with its several functional partners.

PMID:33995953 | PMC:PMC8087842 | DOI:10.22038/ijbms.2021.50528.11511

Addict Health. 2021 Jan;13(1):29-35. doi: 10.22122/ahj.v13i1.291.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this research was to compare Heaviness of Smoking Index (HSI), high early smoking, and heavy smoking with the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and further to evaluate the sensitivity of HSI, high early smoking, and heavy smoking among existing smokers.

METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted by using FTND questionnaire among 200 existing smokers. The cut-off point for HSI was kept at 4; high early smokers and heavy smokers were classified as those individuals who smoked within 30 minutes after waking up and individuals who smoked 30 cigarettes or more daily, respectively. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and Cohen’s Kappa statistics were evaluated.

FINDINGS: A significant agreement was observed between the HSI and the FTND, having Kappa value of 0.70, with good sensitivity of 78.16% and specificity as high as 91.15%. The ROC analysis confirmed that a cut-off score of 4 for HSI was suitable. Agreement between FTND and high early smoking was observed to be moderate (Kappa = 0.47, P < 0.001), while very low agreement (Kappa = 0.19, P < 0.001) was observed for FTND and heavy smoking.

CONCLUSION: Results show that HSI is an effective tool which can be substituted for the conventional FTND by the clinicians, psychotherapists, and investigators in health research.

PMID:33995957 | PMC:PMC8080173 | DOI:10.22122/ahj.v13i1.291

Indian J Orthop. 2020 Nov 19;55(3):662-668. doi: 10.1007/s43465-020-00307-z. eCollection 2021 Jun.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Tibial torsion can be measured by various clinical and radiological methods. Computed tomography (CT) scan measurement is currently the investigation of choice. The purpose of our study was to compare the clinical and CT scan methods to reveal malrotation after nailing of tibia and also to find out if leg position for distal locking has any influence on incidence of malrotation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have included 106 patients (21-68 years) of tibia nailing, and categorised them as category A (figure of four position n = 54) and category B (knee straight position n = 52) based on limb position for distal locking. The plumb line measurement, Thigh Foot Axis (TFA) and CT scan measurement (using new reference line) were documented and compared with the uninjured limb.

RESULTS: We observed plumb line measurement to be the most inaccurate method followed by TFA method. CT scan measurement was the most accurate method showing external rotations (> 10º) in 32 cases (30.1%) and internal rotation (> – 10º) in five cases (4.71%). The TFA method had a sensitivity of 44% and specificity of 86% in identifying malrotations. The interobserver reliability for CT scan measurement was 0.96. Even though statistically not significant (P value), figure of four position for distal locking leads to larger number of malrotations (both external and internal rotation).

CONCLUSION: CT scan is the most accurate method of measuring malrotation. The new reference line used in our study provides accurate measurement of malrotation. The two different positions of leg for distal locking do not have a statistically significant influence on incidence of malrotation.

PMID:33995870 | PMC:PMC8081794 | DOI:10.1007/s43465-020-00307-z

Indian J Orthop. 2021 Apr 8;55(3):728-733. doi: 10.1007/s43465-021-00401-w. eCollection 2021 Jun.

ABSTRACT

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical outcomes after Eden-Hybinette procedure for revision surgery in recurrent anterior shoulder instability in patients with epilepsy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated eight such patients between 2015 and 2018. Four patients had failed Latarjet/Bristow procedure and two had failed arthroscopic Bankart procedure, while two had history of both the procedures. After medical control of epilepsy, Eden-Hybinette procedure was performed in all patients. WOSI score and Rowe shoulder score was recorded preoperatively and in subsequent post-operative follow-up. A paired t test was used to analyze and compare preoperative and postoperative outcomes and was considered significant if p value was < 0.05.

RESULTS: The average follow-up was 30 months (range 24-48 months). There was no recurrence of shoulder instability. The mean WOSI score before surgery was 77.3 (range 70-83), which improved to 24.2 (range 19-30) at 24-month follow-up. The mean Rowe score before surgery was 11.3 (range 5-15), which improved to 81.8(range 65-90) at 24-month follow-up. The improvement in WOSI and Rowe score was found to be statistically significant [p value < 0.05].

CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that Eden-Hybinette is a useful revision procedure to manage recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation in patients with epilepsy. Optimum medical control of seizure is also an important factor in preventing recurrent shoulder instability.

PMID:33995880 | PMC:PMC8081779 | DOI:10.1007/s43465-021-00401-w

Basic Clin Neurosci. 2021 Jan-Feb;12(1):95-104. doi: 10.32598/bcn.9.10.480. Epub 2021 Jan 1.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: One of the vital skills which has an impact on emotional health and well-being is the regulation of emotions. In recent years, the neural basis of this process has been considered widely. One of the powerful tools for eliciting and regulating emotion is music. The Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) is part of the emotional neural circuitry involved in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The current study uses functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to examine how neural processing of emotional musical auditory stimuli is changed within the ACC in depression. Statistical inference is conducted using a Bayesian Generalized Linear Model (GLM) approach with an Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation (INLA) algorithm.

METHODS: A new proposed Bayesian approach was applied for assessing functional response to emotional musical auditory stimuli in a block design fMRI data with 105 scans of two healthy and depressed women. In this Bayesian approach, Unweighted Graph-Laplacian (UGL) prior was chosen for spatial dependency, and autoregressive (AR) (1) process was used for temporal correlation via pre-weighting residuals. Finally, the inference was conducted using the Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation (INLA) algorithm in the R-INLA package.

RESULTS: The results revealed that positive music, as compared to negative music, elicits stronger activation within the ACC area in both healthy and depressed subjects. In comparing MDD and Never-Depressed (ND) individuals, a significant difference was found between MDD and ND groups in response to positive music vs negative music stimuli. The activations increase from baseline to positive stimuli and decrease from baseline to negative stimuli in ND subjects. Also, a significant decrease from baseline to positive stimuli was observed in MDD subjects, but there was no significant difference between baseline and negative stimuli.

CONCLUSION: Assessing the pattern of activations within ACC in a depressed individual may be useful in retraining the ACC and improving its function, and lead to more effective therapeutic interventions.

PMID:33995932 | PMC:PMC8114858 | DOI:10.32598/bcn.9.10.480