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Nevin Manimala Statistics

The influences of selected clotting and fibrinolysis factors on survival of patients with kidney tumors – a prospective study

Arch Med Sci. 2021 Apr 8;19(4):1003-1010. doi: 10.5114/aoms/128845. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Multiple studies suggest that cancer leads to activation of clotting and fibrinolysis pathways, elevating the risk of thromboembolic events. Kidney cancer is often complicated by clotting disorders. In this study, we hypothesized that preoperative clotting and fibrinolysis parameters are altered in healthy volunteers and kidney tumor patients. We also hypothesized that these differences may be associated with survival in patients who have undergone operations due to kidney tumors.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this study, 96 patients with kidney tumors and 30 healthy volunteers were recruited at a single university center. All patients were assessed for pre-operative serum concentrations of tissue factor (TF), tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI, total TFPI, full-length TFPI, truncated TFPI), plasmin-antiplasmin complex (PAP), thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), von Willebrand factor (vWF), clotting factor XIII A1 (FXIIIA1), D-dimers, and fibrinogen. Additionally, standard peripheral blood morphology was evaluated.

RESULTS: Malignant kidney tumors were diagnosed in 85 of 96 tumor patients. In patients with kidney tumors, there were statistically significantly higher concentrations of fibrinogen, D-dimers, TAT, PAF, TF, TFPI, vWF, FXIIIA1, and leukocyte counts compared to the control group. Statistically significant correlations were found between multiple parameters. This points to significant clotting system alterations. Cox stepwise hazard analysis showed that pre-operative fibrinogen and D-Dimer concentrations were significantly associated with survival.

CONCLUSIONS: In patients with kidney tumors, multiple clotting and fibrinolysis parameters are significantly altered. Routine pre-operative measures should include determination of fibrinogen and D-dimer concentrations as these markers aid in prediction of survival probability.

PMID:37560740 | PMC:PMC10408028 | DOI:10.5114/aoms/128845

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Virtual reality versus Biodex training in adolescents with chronic ankle instability: a randomized controlled trial

Arch Med Sci. 2021 Mar 18;19(4):1059-1068. doi: 10.5114/aoms/134635. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Ankle instability is a common injury in athletes, affecting the quality of life, functional limitation, as well as static and dynamic balance. The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of virtual reality and Biodex balance training in the treatment of ankle instability in adolescent athletes.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ninety football players were enrolled in this study after the assessment of their eligibility. Their age ranged from 12 to 16 years. They were randomly allocated to three groups of equal numbers. Group 1 received a guideline protocol, group 2 received the same guideline protocol in addition to Wii Sport Training, and group 3 received the same guideline protocol in addition to Biodex balance training. All groups received treatment protocols three times a week for 3 months. Outcome measures included the stability indices (overall stability, anteroposterior stability, and mediolateral) measured by the Biodex Balance System as well as ankle instability measured by the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool. Measurements were collected at the baseline and after 3 months of treatment.

RESULTS: Post-treatment findings revealed a statistically significant decrease in the overall, anteroposterior, and mediolateral stability indices, as well as significant increase in Cumberland Ankle Instability outcomes of all groups (p < 0.05). On the other hand, there were no statistically significant differences between the virtual reality and Biodex balance training groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Virtual reality training has a significant effect which appears to be similar to the Biodex balance training in adolescent athletes with chronic ankle instability.

PMID:37560731 | PMC:PMC10408012 | DOI:10.5114/aoms/134635

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Influenza as an important factor causing increased risk of patients’ deaths, excessive morbidity and prolonged hospital stays

Arch Med Sci. 2021 Jun 4;19(4):941-951. doi: 10.5114/aoms/138145. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Influenza infection is associated with potential serious complications, increased hospitalization rates and a higher risk of death.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective comparative analysis of selected indicators of hospitalization at the University Hospital in Wroclaw was conducted on patients with confirmed influenza infection and a control group during the 2018-2019 influenza season. The threshold for statistical significance of differences between the groups was set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS: The types of influenza viruses confirmed in the hospital patients were remarkably similar to those occurring in the general population in Poland. The largest numbers of influenza cases were observed at the departments related to internal medicine where patients with cardiac, lung and renal diseases were hospitalized. The risk of death among the patients with confirmed influenza infection was significantly higher than among the other patients. The highest risk of death was observed among the patients with confirmed influenza infection at the departments related to internal medicine. Considering patients from the entire hospital, the mean length of hospital stay for those with confirmed influenza was 2.13-fold longer than for those in the control group. Comparisons of the median, minimum and maximum lengths of hospitalization between the patients with confirmed influenza infection and the control group reveal even more distinct differences.

CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences in the selected indicators of hospitalization were observed between the patients with confirmed influenza infection and the control group; they are associated with serious social costs, such as prolonged hospital stay and a higher risk of death during hospitalization in Poland.

PMID:37560729 | PMC:PMC10408030 | DOI:10.5114/aoms/138145

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Analysis of postoperative pregnancy outcome in 180 women with congenital uterine malformation

Arch Med Sci. 2020 Jul 15;19(4):1011-1015. doi: 10.5114/aoms.2020.97281. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to explore the effects of combination of laparoscopy and hysteroscopy in pregnancy outcome in women diagnosed with congenital uterine malformation (CUM). The observation criteria include pregnancy rate, misdiagnosis rate, rate of spontaneous abortion and preterm birth rate.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 180 patients with congenital uterine malformation, who were treated in our hospital from January 2015 to June 2018, were enrolled in the study. Prior to hospitalization, all the patients had neither a history of genital tract surgery nor endocrine abnormalities, chromosomal abnormalities, immune abnormalities or other factors affecting pregnancy. Furthermore, the ovarian functions were normal, and there were no factors leading to infertility in the male partners. The diagnosis was mainly based on medical history, clinical manifestations, gynecological examinations, and ultrasonography including two-dimensional and three-dimensional ultrasonography, as well as hysterosalpingogram (HSG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), hysteroscopy, and/or laparoscopy or surgery. Patients were diagnosed and classified according to the Buttram classification.

RESULTS: Among these 180 patients, 37 patients were diagnosed with complete septate uterus, 96 patients had sub-septate uterus, 25 patients had unicornuate uterus, 11 patients were diagnosed with bicornuate uterus, and 11 patients had didelphic uterus. The total number of preoperative pregnancies was 112, including 106 spontaneous abortions, with an abortion rate of 94.64%, and 86 total postoperative pregnancies, among which spontaneous abortions occurred 11 times, with an abortion rate of 12.79%. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Uterine malformation surgery can significantly improve the reproductive prognosis in patients with CUM.

PMID:37560726 | PMC:PMC10408007 | DOI:10.5114/aoms.2020.97281

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Epidemiological characteristics of ankylosing spondylitis in Guangxi Province of China from 2014 to 2021

Arch Med Sci. 2023 Jan 20;19(4):1049-1058. doi: 10.5114/aoms/159343. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: To explore the epidemiological characteristics of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in Guangxi Province of China through a large sample survey of more than 50 million aboriginal aboriginal population.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic search was conducted using the International Classification of Diseases 10 (ICD-10) codes M45.x00(AS), M45.x03+(AS with iridocyclitis), and M40.101(AS with kyphosis) to search the database in the National Health Statistics Network Direct Reporting System (NHSNDRS). 14004 patients were eventually included in the study. The parameters analyzed included the number of patients, gender, marriage, blood type, occupation, age at diagnosis, and location of household registration data each year, and statistical analysis was performed.

RESULTS: AS incidence rates increased from 1.30 (95% CI: 1.20-1.40) per 100,000 person-years in 2014 to 5.71 (95% CI: 5.50-5.92) in 2020 in Guangxi Province, and decreased slightly in 2021. Males have a higher incidence than females; the ratio was 5.61 : 1. The mean age of diagnosis in male patients was 45.4 (95% CI: 45.1-45.7) years, in females 47.6 (95% CI: 46.8-48.4) years. The most frequent blood type was O, and the most frequent occupation was farmer. The AS incidence rate was disparate in different cities. Liuzhou city had the highest eight-year average AS incidence rates from 2014 to 2021, and Chongzuo city had the lowest (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence between different ethnic groups (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: The AS person-years incidence rate was increasing in Guangxi province of China from 2014 to 2020, which had obvious gender and regional differences, showing the characteristics of local area aggregation.

PMID:37560717 | PMC:PMC10408009 | DOI:10.5114/aoms/159343

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Abdominal complex muscle in women with stress urinary incontinence – prospective case-control study

Arch Med Sci. 2021 Apr 17;19(4):1016-1021. doi: 10.5114/aoms/135708. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: This study was designed to assess the percentage share of musculus obliquus externus abdominis, musculus obliquus internus abdominis and musculus transversus abdominis activity among women suffering from stress urinary incontinence using ultrasound imaging.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study is a retrospective analysis of prospective collected data of 84 women aged 23-62 years. In the study group are women suffering from grade 1 or 2 stress urinary incontinence according to the Stamey classification; the control group consists of women with no micturition disorders. The abdominal muscles’ activity was measured by using ultrasound imaging with assessment of muscle thickness.

RESULTS: The analysis of musculus obliquus externus abdominis in anterolateral abdominal wall activity shows a statistically significant difference between study and control groups concerning isometric tension of abdominal muscles (p = 0.012) and lower abdomen tension (p = 0.004). Women with stress urinary incontinence present higher activity of the musculus obliquus externus abdominis than women in the control group. In the case of the musculus obliquus internus abdominis, statistically significant differences were found during tension of the lower part of the abdomen (p = 0.024). Comparison of activity of the musculus transversus abdominis between study and control groups shows a statistically significant difference during isometric tension of abdominal muscles (p = 0.018).

CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of activity of the assessed muscles differs between the study group and the control group. In the study group, the activity pattern concerns the higher activity of the musculus obliquus externus abdominis and the lower activity of the musculus obliquus internus abdominis and musculus transversus abdominis.

PMID:37560716 | PMC:PMC10408005 | DOI:10.5114/aoms/135708

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Optimization and prediction of CBN tool life sustainability during AA1100 CNC turning by response surface methodology

Heliyon. 2023 Jul 28;9(8):e18807. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18807. eCollection 2023 Aug.

ABSTRACT

The aluminium alloy (AA1100) was familiar with automotive flexible shaft coupling applications due to its high strength, good machinability, and superior thermal and resistance to corrosion characteristics. Machining tool life drives the prominent role for deciding the product quality (machining) act aims to productivity target with zero interruptions. The novelty of this present investigation is the focus on increasing tool life during the complexity of CNC turning operation for AA1100 alloy by using CBN coated insert tool with varied input parameters of spindle speed (SS), feed rate (f), and depth of cut (DOC). Design of experiment (L16), analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical system adopted with response surface methodology (RSM) is implemented for experimental analysis. The turning input parameters of SS, f and DOC are considered as factors and its SS (900, 1100, 1300, and 1500 rpm), f (0.1, 0.15, 0.2, and 0.25), and DOC (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 mm) values are treated as levels. The investigational analysis was made with the ANOVA technique and the desirability of high tool life with input turning parameters was optimized by RSM, and sample no 11/16 was predicted as high tool life and performed with extended working hours compared to other samples. The RSM optimized best turning parameter combinations are 0.1 mm DOC, 0.2mm/rev to 0.25mm/rev f, and 1300 rpm-1500 rpm SS, facilitating a higher tool life of more than 20min.

PMID:37560707 | PMC:PMC10407727 | DOI:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18807

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Prevalence and factors associated with ever had road traffic accidents among drivers in Hargeisa city, Somaliland, 2022

Heliyon. 2023 Jul 27;9(8):e18631. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18631. eCollection 2023 Aug.

ABSTRACT

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are a major cause of morbidity in Somaliland. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with traffic-related incidents in Hargeisa city. A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and March 2022, utilizing a mixed approach involving quantitative and qualitative research approaches. Key informant interviews were conducted with 15 government officials, and structured questionnaires were administered to 387 drivers. Cluster sampling and purposive sampling were employed to select drivers and government officials, respectively. Data collection was performed using the Kobo Collect application, followed by cleaning and analysis using IBM SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression, and chi-square tests were utilized for data analysis. The findings revealed an increasing trend of RTAs in Somaliland over the past 11 years (2011-2021). Moreover, the prevalence of RTAs in the past two years alone was determined to be 28.17% (CI: 23.67, 32.63). Factors significantly associated with RTAs in the research area included the type of vehicle, particularly Minibus (AOR = 3.249, CI: 1.022, 10.322) and Vitz (AOR = 2.325, CI: 1.092, 5.494), encountering aggressive behavior from other drivers (AOR = 1.790, CI: 1.013, 3.162), vehicles less than 4 years (AOR = 0.446, CI: 0.258, 0.771), traffic law violations (AOR = 2.726, CI: 1.296, 5.735), and the presence of traffic campaigns (AOR = 0.465, CI: 0.236, 0.917). The study recommends increasing awareness of RTAs among drivers and pedestrians, regular vehicle maintenance checks, enforcement of traffic laws, and increased police presence in road management to reduce fatalities associated with RTAs.

PMID:37560702 | PMC:PMC10407217 | DOI:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18631

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Fluoride-induced apoptosis in non-skeletal tissues of experimental animals: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Heliyon. 2023 Jul 29;9(8):e18646. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18646. eCollection 2023 Aug.

ABSTRACT

Different studies have suggested that fluoride can induce apoptosis in non-skeletal tissues, however, evidence from these experimental studies is still controversial. This meta-analysis aims to clarify the mechanism of fluoride-induced apoptosis in non-skeletal tissues of experimental animals. Primary studies which measured apoptosis were identified through exhaustive database searching in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and references of included studies. A random effects model with standardized mean difference (SMD) was used for meta-analyses. The heterogeneity of the studies was evaluated using Higgin’s I2 statistics. The risk of bias and publication bias were assessed using the SYRCLE’s risk of bias tool and Egger’s test, respectively. There was an increase in total apoptotic cells, and the expression of Bax, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, Cyt c, and p53, and a decrease in the expression of Bcl-2 in the fluoride-treated groups as compared to the control groups. However, there was no evidence of a difference in the expression of APAF-1 in the two groups. The subgroup analysis highlighted the role of the intervention period in modification of the apoptotic effect of fluoride and that the susceptibility and tolerance of different animal species and tissues vary. Meta-regression analysis indicated that the studies’ effect size for total apoptotic cells was influenced by animal species and that of Bax by the sample source. The results of this meta-analysis revealed that fluoride causes apoptosis by up-regulating caspase-3, -8, and -9, Cyt c, p53, Bax, and down-regulating Bcl-2 with a concomitant up-regulation of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio.

PMID:37560699 | PMC:PMC10407679 | DOI:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18646

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Why is suicide incidence among doctoral students so high? —A study of China’s doctoral tutorial system

Heliyon. 2023 Jul 22;9(8):e18382. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18382. eCollection 2023 Aug.

ABSTRACT

The annual incidence of suicide among Chinese doctoral students remains high. We reviewed the statistics for doctoral student suicides over the past 12 years and administered a questionnaire survey and interviews to relatives and friends of doctoral students who committed suicide. The results indicated that suicide among doctoral students is closely related to academic pressure, the teacher-student relationship, and the academic environment, reflecting the current condition of China’s doctoral tutorial system. This study provides a theoretical basis for society to understand Chinese doctoral student suicide and the Chinese doctoral tutorial system as well as the relationship between the two. Our results may serve as a warning to the academic community to prevent the worsening of the suicide contagion.

PMID:37560672 | PMC:PMC10407023 | DOI:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18382