Tag: nevin manimala

J Clin Nurs. 2022 Sep 30. doi: 10.1111/jocn.16541. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency, timing, and duration of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) and their impact on health and function.

BACKGROUND: Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection is an emerging major public health problem that is poorly understood and has no current treatment or cure. PASC is a new syndrome that has yet to be fully clinically characterised.

DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional survey (n = 5163) was conducted from online COVID-19 survivor support groups who reported symptoms for more than 21 days following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

METHODS: Participants reported background demographics and the date and method of their covid diagnosis, as well as all symptoms experienced since onset of covid in terms of the symptom start date, duration, and Likert scales measuring three symptom-specific health impacts: pain and discomfort, work impairment, and social impairment. Descriptive statistics and measures of central tendencies were computed for participant demographics and symptom data.

RESULTS: Participants reported experiencing a mean of 21 symptoms (range 1-93); fatigue (79.0%), headache (55.3%), shortness of breath (55.3%) and difficulty concentrating (53.6%) were the most common. Symptoms often remitted and relapsed for extended periods of time (duration M = 112 days), longest lasting symptoms included the inability to exercise (M = 106.5 days), fatigue (M = 101.7 days) and difficulty concentrating, associated with memory impairment (M = 101.1 days). Participants reported extreme pressure at the base of the head, syncope, sharp or sudden chest pain, and “brain pressure” among the most distressing and impacting daily life.

CONCLUSIONS: Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection can be characterised by a wide range of symptoms, many of which cause moderate-to-severe distress and can hinder survivors’ overall well-being.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study advances our understanding of the symptoms of PASC and their health impacts.

PMID:36181315 | DOI:10.1111/jocn.16541

Foot Ankle Spec. 2022 Sep 30:19386400221125373. doi: 10.1177/19386400221125373. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical and functional outcomes following suturing of sheath of peroneal tendons to the calcaneal plate as an innovative technique for reduction of peroneal tendon instability (PTI) accompanying calcaneal fracture surgically treated via extensile lateral approach (ELA).

METHODS: In a retrospective comparative study, among 245 operatively treated calcaneal fractures through ELA, we had 33 cases with PTI who underwent relocation of the peroneal tendons with ethibond suture in a figure-of-8 shape, passed through 2 parts of sheath of peroneal tendons and stitched to the calcaneal plate. Of the 33 cases, 12 were evaluated in the experimental group. Twelve surgically treated calcaneal fractures without PTI were matched as the control group. The outcome of the patients was assessed by American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot Scale, Foot Function Index (FFI) percentage, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain, changes in Tegner activity level, maximal peroneal muscles strength testing, modified Star Excursion Balance Test (mSEBT), and triple hop for distance (THD) test. For the last 3 tests, the difference between operated and normal feet was calculated for each patient and this difference was compared between the 2 groups.

RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups for AOFAS Ankle-Hindfoot Scale (P = .09), FFI percentage (P = .12), VAS pain (P = .73), changes in Tegner activity level (P = .87), maximal peroneal muscles strength testing (P = .45), mSEBT (P > .05), and THD (P = .87) tests. We had a case with point tenderness on retromalleolar groove and 4 cases with paresthesia in the territory of the sural nerve in the experimental group in contrary to one case of sural nerve paresthesia in the control group (P = .31).

CONCLUSIONS: Relocation of peroneal tendons in PTI accompanying calcaneal fractures by fixing sheath of peroneal tendons to the calcaneal plate could be an acceptable procedure with good outcomes but may have increased chance of sural nerve injury.

LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, Level III: Retrospective.

PMID:36181273 | DOI:10.1177/19386400221125373

Foot Ankle Spec. 2022 Sep 30:19386400221125362. doi: 10.1177/19386400221125362. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Surgical treatment for insertional Achilles tendinosis (IAT) sometimes requires tendon repair augmentation. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of polycaprolactone-based polyurethane urea (PUUR) matrix augmentation in the treatment of IAT.

METHODS: A retrospective review was performed in surgically treated IAT. Repairs were augmented with a PUUR matrix. Factors evaluated included date of full weightbearing, patient satisfaction, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score, strength, and ankle motion. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare baseline and final follow-up VAS scores.

RESULTS: A total of 18 cases were included in the study. The mean patient age was 54.61 ± 8.25 (40-75) years with a mean follow-up of 163.61 ± 57.81 (92-314) days. Patient satisfaction was obtained on 15 of 18 patients, with 14 patients satisfied with their outcome. Mean VAS for pain significantly decreased from 6.19 ± 1.97 (2.5-9) to 0.83 ± 1.54 (0-5) postoperatively, which was statistically significant (P < .01).

CONCLUSION: Achilles tendon augmentation with the PUUR matrix is a viable option in the treatment of IAT. Its use in this condition has minimal morbidity and can be an alternative to other forms of augmentation.

LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: Level IV: Retrospective case series.

PMID:36181272 | DOI:10.1177/19386400221125362

Biophys J. 2022 Sep 29:S0006-3495(22)00780-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.09.030. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

T-cells are immune cells that continuously scan for foreign-derived antigens on the surfaces of nearly all cells, termed antigen presenting cells (APCs). They do this by dynamically extending numerous protrusions called microvilli (MV) that contain T-cell receptors (TCRs) towards the APC surface in order to scan for antigens. The number, size, and dynamics of these MV, and the complex multi-scale topography that results, play a yet unknown role in antigen recognition. We develop an anatomically informed model that confines antigen recognition to small areas representing MVs that can dynamically form and dissolve, and use the model to study how MV dynamics impact antigen sensitivity and discrimination. We find that MV surveillance reduces antigen sensitivity compared to a completely flat interface unless MV are stabilized in an antigen-dependent manner and observe that MV have only a modest impact on antigen discrimination. The model highlights that MV contacts optimise the competing demands of fast scanning speeds of the APC surface with antigen sensitivity. Our model predicts an interface packing fraction that corresponds closely to those observed experimentally, indicating that T-cells operate their MV near the limits imposed by anatomical and geometric constraints. Finally, we find that observed MV contact lifetimes can be largely influenced by conditions in the T-cell/APC interface with these lifetimes often being longer than the simulation or experimental observation period. The work highlights the role of MV in antigen recognition.

PMID:36181267 | DOI:10.1016/j.bpj.2022.09.030

J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022 Sep 30. doi: 10.1111/jgh.16010. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Three models based on patient-related factors have been developed to predict inadequate bowel preparation (BP). However, the performance of the models seems suboptimal. This study aimed to develop a novel preparation-related model and compare it with the available patient-related models.

METHODS: Patients receiving standard BP were prospectively enrolled from 5 endoscopic centers. Patient-related and preparation-related factors for inadequate BP (defined by segmental Boston Bowel Preparation Scale score <2) were identified by logistic regression. A preparation-related model was derived and internally validated in 906 patients. The comparisons of models were assessed by discrimination and calibration. The preparation-related model was also externally validated.

RESULTS: Several patient-related factors (male and American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification System score ≥3) and preparation-related factors (drinking-to-stool interval ≥3h, preparation-to-colonoscopy interval ≥6h and poor rectal effluent) were found to be independent associated with inadequate BP (all p<0.05). C-statistics was 0.81 for the preparation-related model in the training cohort (n=604), significantly higher than three available patient-based models (0.58-0.61). Similar results were observed in the validation cohort (n=302). Calibration curves showed close agreement in the preparation-related model (R² =0.315 in the training cohort and 0.279 in the validation cohort). The preparation-related model was externally validated in another 606 patients with C-index of 0.80.

CONCLUSIONS: A new preparation-related model (consisting of drinking-to-stool interval ≥3h, preparation-to-colonoscopy interval ≥6h and poor last rectal effluent) was developed and performed better than three available patient-related models. This easy-to-use model may be a useful decision-support tool on individualized plans in patients undergoing BP.

PMID:36181263 | DOI:10.1111/jgh.16010

Assessment. 2022 Sep 30:10731911221127922. doi: 10.1177/10731911221127922. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Literature has emphasized the urgency of investing in the promotion of Social and Emotional Competence (SEC) in adults. Therefore, the development of a theoretically grounded and developmentally adjusted measure that adequately assesses SEC in its different domains is needed. This study aimed to develop a self-report battery for the assessment of adults’ SEC. Factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Social and Emotional Competence Assessment Battery for Adults (SECAB-A) were assessed. Seven-hundred and ninety-six adults (80.7% female) completed the SECAB-A. A subsample of 63 elementary school teachers (92.1% female) participated at two points in time and also completed external measures assessing affect, emotion regulation, and burnout symptoms, thus making it possible to test for test-retest reliability and convergent and discriminant validities. Despite sample size variation, no statistically significant differences between groups were found for the SECAB-A scales. Extraction of factors and confirmatory factor analysis supported the hypothesized factorial structures. Coefficient omegas suggested adequate internal consistency and scores were highly correlated between the two data collection waves, also ensuring adequate test-retest reliability. There was also evidence of the SECAB-A’s convergent and discriminant validities against the external measures. Results from this study indicate that the SECAB-A is a promising measure for the adult population. Nevertheless, additional criterion-related and construct validity research is needed.

PMID:36181256 | DOI:10.1177/10731911221127922

Opt Lett. 2022 Oct 1;47(19):4901-4904. doi: 10.1364/OL.469648.

ABSTRACT

We investigate the statistical properties of the inherent intensity fluctuation in a low-cost and low-complexity self-homodyne coherent system employing an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) source. The noise distribution model of the considered system is established, which is shown to be highly consistent with the experimental results for a 10 GBd 256-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signal transmission over a 10 m duplex fiber. With the help of the proposed noise model, we then design advanced mappers and demappers. The optimized system alleviates the need for ASE bandwidth and is evaluated by applying forward error correction codes. Furthermore, we demonstrate an information rate increase of 6.67% with respect to 64-QAM.

PMID:36181146 | DOI:10.1364/OL.469648

Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Sep 30;101(39):e30893. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000030893.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Bladder cancer (BC) is the 10th most common malignancy worldwide, and some studies reported that ABO blood type or/and rhesus factor has been identified as a prognostic oncologic marker for patients with BC. We carried out a systematic review to assess the prognosis of ABO blood group and rhesus factor on outcomes in patients with bladder cancer.

METHODS: We searched databases through February 2022 for studies assessing blood group on outcomes in patients with bladder cancer.

RESULTS: We included ten studies with 15,204 participants. We found that blood type A is relevant to non-muscle-invasive BC patients treated with transurethral resection of bladder tumor and blood type B patients have a lower incidence of disease recurrence and progression. Blood type O and non-O blood type have not been found to be related to disease recurrence. However, in multivariable analyses, blood type O and non-O blood type are associated with cancer-specific mortality (CSM). Other than that, blood type B doesn’t have statistical significance for BC patients accepted radical cystectomy (RC). The same results showed in blood type AB non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients treated with RC.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed that a particular association of blood type for prognosis of patients with BC, and ABO blood group antigen expression can be suitable biomarkers for BC. We also found that rhesus factor has no impact on prognosis of BC patients.

PMID:36181128 | DOI:10.1097/MD.0000000000030893

Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Sep 30;101(39):e30798. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000030798.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The current systematic review and meta-analysis explored the value of metabolic tumor volume (MTV) as well as total lesion glycolysis (TLG) in predicting the prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) using 18 F-FDG PET parameters.

METHODS: This work identified relevant studies in the English language by searching several electronic databases, like Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and PubMed. In addition, pooled hazard ratios (HRs) were also calculated to analyze whether MTV and TLG were significant in predicting prognosis.

RESULTS: The present study included 15 primary studies involving HNSCC cases. As for the elevated TLG, it attained the pooled HR of 1.85 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-2.94; P = .000; I2 = 78.3%) in predicting overall survival (OS), whereas that for elevated MTV was1.22 (95%CI, 1.09-1.36; P = .000; I2 = 82.4%). Besides, for elevated MTV, it attained the pooled HR of 1.34 (95%CI, 1.15-1.56, P = .000; I2 = 86.0%) in predicting disease-free survival (DFS); while the elevated TLG was related to DFS. Sensitivity analysis confirmed that our results are reliable. As for MTV, the ROC-stratified subgroups for DFS and multivariate analyses-stratified subgroups for OS showed statistically significant differences, with no obvious heterogeneities across different studies. For TLG, other methods-stratified subgroups for OS showed statistically significant differences, with no obvious heterogeneity across different studies.

CONCLUSION: This work indicated that PET/CT is of predictive significance across HNSCC cases. Although the included articles used different methods and recruited HNSCC cases with high clinical heterogeneity; however, our findings confirmed that an elevated MTV can predict the increased risk of side reactions or even death among HNSCC cases and that an elevated TLG can predict a higher death risk.

PMID:36181127 | DOI:10.1097/MD.0000000000030798

Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Sep 30;101(39):e30231. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000030231.

ABSTRACT

Physical factors such as frequency of low back pain, sensory abnormalities in the lower extremities, smoking history before surgery, and preoperative mental health status as predictors of operative outcomes have been growing as areas of interest in the field of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS). This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the preoperative Short Form-36 Mental Component Score (SF-36 MCS) and long-term prognosis after decompression surgery for DLSS. In total, 198 patients were enrolled in this study. The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Rolland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) were used to evaluate spinal functional outcomes. The SF-36 questionnaire was used and analyzed by classifying it into physical component score (PCS) and mental component score (MCS). The SF-36 MCS was divided into role limitations caused by emotional problems, social functioning, vitality, and emotional well-being. In the correlation between preoperative MCS and ODI improvement, the r value was -0.595 (P < .05) at 12 months postoperatively. ODI improvement at 12 months after decompression surgery showed a statistically significant and strong negative correlation with preoperative MCS. In the correlation between preoperative MCS and RMDQ improvement, the r value was -0.544 (P < .05) at 12 months postoperatively. Therefore, RMDQ improvement 12 months after decompression surgery showed a strong negative correlation with preoperative MCS. Regarding the correlation between preoperative MCS and SF-36 PCS improvement, the r values were 0.321 (P < .05) at 6 months postoperatively and 0.343 (P < .05) at 12 months postoperatively. Therefore, SF-36 PCS improvement at 6 and 12 months after decompression surgery showed a strong positive correlation with preoperative SF-36 MCS scores. Preoperative SF-36 MCS is a factor that can predict the prognosis of patients who underwent decompression surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis for at least 1 year postoperatively.

PMID:36181126 | DOI:10.1097/MD.0000000000030231