Tag: nevin manimala

Sci Rep. 2023 Feb 15;13(1):2717. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-28765-z.

ABSTRACT

Routine semen analysis provides limited information about a man’s male reproductive potential and can not always fully explain male infertility. Many male infertilities are caused by sperm DNA defects that routine semen quality analyses fail to detect. In this study, we analyzed the association of sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) with the semen routine, sperm morphology, in vitro fertilization embryo transfer (IVF-ET)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Further, we explored the predictive value of sperm DFI in evaluating male fertility and the outcome of IVF-ET/ICSI. Data on sperm DFI, sperm routine, and sperm morphology were collected from 1462 males with infertility. According to DFI levels, there were 468 cases in group I (DFI ≤ 15%), 518 cases in group II (15% < DFI < 30%), and 476 cases in group III (DFI ≥ 30%). The correlations of sperm DFI with semen routine and malformation rate were analyzed. Seminal plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were assessed. Sperm DFI, semen routine, and sperm morphology were detected in male patients of 101 pairs of IVF-ET/ICSI infertile couples and subdivided into IVF-I group (DFI ≤ 15%), IVF-II group (15% < DFI < 30%), IVF-III group (DFI ≥ 30%), ICSI-I group (DFI ≤ 15%), ICSI-II group (15% < DFI < 30%) and ICSI-III group (DFI ≥ 30%) according to DFI value. The effect of sperm DFI on the outcome of IVF-ET/ICSI was analyzed. There were significant differences in sperm survival rate, sperm concentration, and PR% between groupIII and group II (P < 0.01). There were significant differences in sperm survival rate, sperm concentration and PR% between group III and group I (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in semen volume, age, abstinence days, or percentage of normal sperm between the three groups (P > 0.05). DFI was positively correlated with MDA content ( P < 0.01) and negatively correlated with TAC (P < 0.01). Sperm DFI was negatively correlated with sperm survival rate, sperm concentration, and PR% (P < 0.01). There was no correlation with age, abstinence days, semen volume, or percentage of normal-form sperm (r = 0.16, 0.05, 0.04, -0.18, p > 0.05). Compared with IVF-I group, the sperm concentration and PR were decreased in IVF-III group. The sperm malformation rate was higher in IVF-III group than that in IVF-II group. Comparatively, the PR was decreased in ICSI-III group. The sperm malformation rate was higher in ICSI-III group than that of the ICSI-I group (P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in fertilization rate, cleavage rate, embryo rate, and clinical pregnancy rate between IVF group or ICSI group, and between all subgroups (P > 0.05). Sperm DFI is negatively associated with sperm survival rate, sperm concentration, and PR%. Antioxidants can decrease the rate of DNA fragmentation. Sperm DFI has proven to be very valuable in the male fertility evaluation, but its significance as a predictor of pregnancy outcomes following assisted reproductive technology. (ART) requires further investigation.

PMID:36792684 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-023-28765-z

Sci Rep. 2023 Feb 15;13(1):2662. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-29791-7.

ABSTRACT

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) has been demonstrated to be beneficial in glycemic control in animal models, but its application in humans has not been well studied. We randomly assigned 160 patients with type 2 diabetes on oral antidiabetic drugs 1:1 to the TENS study device (n = 81) and placebo (n = 79). 147 (92%) randomized participants (mean [SD] age 59 [10] years, 92 men [58%], mean [SD] baseline HbA_1c level 8.1% [0.6%]) completed the trial. At week 20, HbA_1c decreased from 8.1% to 7.9% in the TENS group (- 0.2% [95% CI – 0.4% to – 0.1%]) and from 8.1% to 7.8% in the placebo group (- 0.3% [95% CI – 0.5% to – 0.2%]) (P = 0.821). Glycemic variability, measured as mean amplitude of glycemic excursion (MAGE) at week 20 were significantly different in the TENS group vs. the placebo group (66 mg/dL [95% CI 58, 73] vs. 79 mg/dL [95% CI 72, 87]) (P = 0.009). Our study provides the clinical evidence for the first time in humans that TENS does not demonstrate a statistically significant HbA_1c reduction. However, it is a safe complementary therapy to improve MAGE in patients with type 2 diabetes.

PMID:36792682 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-023-29791-7

Sci Rep. 2023 Feb 15;13(1):2695. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-29340-2.

ABSTRACT

The Systems Biology community has taken numerous actions to develop data and modeling standards towards FAIR data and model handling. Nevertheless, the debate about incentives and rewards for individual researchers to make their results reproducible is ongoing. Here, we pose the specific question of whether reproducible models have a higher impact in terms of citations. Therefore, we statistically analyze 328 published models recently classified by Tiwari et al. based on their reproducibility. For hypothesis testing, we use a flexible Bayesian approach that provides complete distributional information for all quantities of interest and can handle outliers. The results show that in the period from 2013, i.e., 10 years after the introduction of SBML, to 2020, the group of reproducible models is significantly more cited than the non-reproducible group. We show that differences in journal impact factors do not explain this effect and that this effect increases with additional standardization of data and error model integration via PEtab. Overall, our statistical analysis demonstrates the long-term merits of reproducible modeling for the individual researcher in terms of citations. Moreover, it provides evidence for the increased use of reproducible models in the scientific community.

PMID:36792648 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-023-29340-2

Stat Med. 2023 Feb 15. doi: 10.1002/sim.9684. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Many statistical methods have been applied to VAERS (vaccine adverse event reporting system) database to study the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. However, none of these methods considered the adverse event (AE) ontology. The AE ontology contains important information about biological similarities between AEs. In this paper, we develop a model to estimate vaccine-AE associations while incorporating the AE ontology. We model a group of AEs using the zero-inflated negative binomial model and then estimate the vaccine-AE association using the empirical Bayes approach. This model handles the AE count data with excess zeros and allows borrowing information from related AEs. The proposed approach was evaluated by simulation studies and was further illustrated by an application to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) dataset. The proposed method is implemented in an R package available at https://github.com/umich-biostatistics/zGPS.AO.

PMID:36791465 | DOI:10.1002/sim.9684

J Neural Eng. 2023 Feb 15. doi: 10.1088/1741-2552/acbc4b. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Automated artefact detection in the neonatal electroencephalogram (EEG) is crucial for reliable automated EEG analysis, but limited availability of expert artefact annotations challenges the development of deep learning models for artefact detection. This paper proposes a semi-supervised deep learning approach for artefact detection in neonatal EEG that requires few labelled data by training a multi-task convolutional neural network (CNN).

APPROACH: An unsupervised and a supervised objective were jointly optimised by combining an autoencoder and an artefact classifier in one multi-output model that processes multi-channel EEG inputs. The proposed semi-supervised multi-task training strategy was compared to a classical supervised strategy and other existing state-of-the-art models. The models were trained and tested separately on two different datasets, which contained partially annotated multi-channel neonatal EEG. Models were evaluated using the F1-statistic and the relevance of the method was investigated in the context of a functional brain age prediction model.

MAIN RESULTS: The proposed multi-task and multi-channel CNN methods outperformed state-of-the-art methods, reaching F1 scores of 86.2% and 95.7% on two separate datasets. The proposed semi-supervised multi-task training strategy was shown to be superior to a classical supervised training strategy when the amount of labels in the dataset was artificially reduced. Finally, we found that the error of a brain age prediction model correlated with the amount of automatically detected artefacts in the EEG segment.

SIGNIFICANCE: Our results show that the proposed semi-supervised multi-task training strategy can train CNNs successfully even when the amount of labels in the dataset is limited. Therefore, this method is a promising semi-supervised technique for developing deep learning models with scarcely labelled data. Moreover, a correlation between the error of functional brain age estimates and the amount of detected artefacts in the corresponding EEG segments indicates the relevance of artefact detection for robust automated EEG analysis.

PMID:36791462 | DOI:10.1088/1741-2552/acbc4b

Am Fam Physician. 2023 Feb;107(2):159-164.

ABSTRACT

Trigger points producing myofascial pain syndromes are common in primary care. Located within skeletal muscle, trigger points are taut, band-like nodules capable of producing pain and disability. Some evidence from clinical trials supports massage, physical therapy, and osteopathic manual medicine as first-line less invasive treatment strategies. Trigger points are often treated with injections; although randomized trials have found statistically significant results with trigger point injections, conclusions are limited by low numbers of study participants, difficulty in blinding, the potential for a placebo effect, and lack of posttreatment follow-up. No single pharmacologic agent used in trigger point injections has been proven superior to another, nor has any single agent been proven superior to placebo. Trigger point injections, therefore, should be reserved for patients whose myofascial pain has been refractory to other measures, and family physicians should first employ less invasive treatment strategies. Trigger point management is only one part of a comprehensive, multimodal, and team-based approach to patients with myofascial pain.

PMID:36791442

J Pediatr Orthop. 2023 Feb 16. doi: 10.1097/BPO.0000000000002358. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: While tibia vara is a disorder of the proximal tibial physis, femoral deformity frequently contributes to the overall limb malalignment. Our purpose was to determine how femoral varus deformity in tibia vara responds to growth modulation, with/without lateral tension band plating (LTBP) to the femur.

METHODS: One-hundred twenty-seven limbs undergoing LTBP for tibia vara were reviewed. All had tibial LTBP and 35 limbs also had femoral LTBP for varus. Radiographs were measured for correction of the mechanical lateral distal femoral angle (mLDFA) and mechanical axis deviation (MAD). Preoperative-femoral varus was defined with an age-adjusted guide: mLDFA >95 degrees for 2 to below 4 years and mLDFA >90 degrees for 4 to 18 years. The 35 limbs having femoral LTBP were compared with 50 limbs with femoral varus and no femoral LTBP. In addition, 42 limbs that did not have preoperative-femoral varus were followed. Patients with early-onset (below 7 y) tibia vara were compared with those with late-onset (≥8 y). Outcome success was based on published age-adjusted mLDFA and MAD norms.

RESULTS: Following femoral LTBP, the mean mLDFA decreased from 98.0 to 87.1 degrees. All femurs had some improvement, with 28/35 femurs (80%) achieving complete correction. One limb, with late follow-up, overcorrected, requiring reverse (medial) femoral tension band plating.For the 50 limbs with femoral varus and only tibial LTBP, 16/22 limbs (73%) with early-onset and 11/28 limbs (39%) with late-onset completely corrected their femoral deformities. If the limb had preoperative-femoral varus, femoral LTBP statistically correlated with successful mLDFA correction and improvement of MAD, only in the late-onset group.Forty-two limbs, without preoperative-femoral varus, had no change in their mean mLDFA of 87 degrees. However, 4 femurs (10%) ended with posttreatment varus.

CONCLUSIONS: Femoral LTBP is effective in correcting femoral varus deformity in the tibia vara. For femoral varus associated with late-onset tibia vara, femoral LTBP should be considered. Those that had femoral LTBP had statistically more successful femoral and overall limb varus correction. However, in early-onset tibia vara, with associated femoral varus, observation is warranted because 73% of femurs are corrected without femoral intervention. This study was underpowered to show additional improvement with femoral LTBP in the early-onset group. Even limbs with normal femoral alignment, should be observed closely for the development of femoral varus, during tibial LTBP treatment for tibia vara.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

PMID:36791409 | DOI:10.1097/BPO.0000000000002358

Am J Occup Ther. 2023 Jan 1;77(1):7701205150. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2023.050076.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Parenting may influence perceptions of occupational balance (OB), particularly among parents of children with disabilities (PCWD).

OBJECTIVE: To compare OB among PCWD and parents of typically developing children (PTDC), identify potential predictors of OB, and examine the association between OB and family quality of life (FQOL).

DESIGN: Cross-sectional group-comparison design.

SETTING: Two hospitals under the Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar. Data were collected between November 2020 and February 2021.

PARTICIPANTS: PCWD attending occupational therapy clinics and PTDC from the hospital staff and their relatives were recruited through convenience sampling. Participants were 89 PCWD and 89 PTDC, of whom 38% spoke Arabic, and 62% spoke English.

OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The revised 11-item Occupational Balance Questionnaire and the short version of the Family Quality of Life Survey-2006 were used to measure outcome variables. An investigator-developed demographic survey was used to collect information on independent variables. All data collection forms were available in English and Arabic. The hypothesis was generated before data were collected.

RESULTS: Statistically significant but marginal differences were found in OB between PTDC and PCWD (M difference = 1.87, p = .02; 95% confidence interval [0.331, 3.339]). A moderate association existed between OB and FQOL among PCWD (r = .57, p = .001) and PTDC (r = .31, p = .003).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Occupational therapists working with families of young children may find it helpful to assess OB and address OB-related issues to facilitate better FQOL. What This Article Adds: Parenting young children affects OB regardless of the disability status of the child. Role satisfaction and spousal support are possible intervention targets to improve OB and thereby improve FQOL.

PMID:36791423 | DOI:10.5014/ajot.2023.050076

J Pediatr Orthop. 2023 Feb 15. doi: 10.1097/BPO.0000000000002367. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of major coronal and sagittal spinal curves (scoliosis and kyphosis) in Turner syndrome (TS) is not well established due to limited reporting. The relationship between growth hormone (GH) therapy and its effect on TS spinal curve incidence is also not well established.

METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 306 TS patients from 2007 to 2021 evaluated major coronal and sagittal spinal curves, progression of the curve, and treatment with GH. Statistical significance (defined as P <0.05) between curvature rates and curve progression was compared between GH-treated patients and non-GH-treated patients using a χ2 or Fisher exact test when appropriate.

RESULTS: Thirty-seven of 306 (12%) TS patients had a radiographically relevant spinal deformity. Twenty-seven of 37 (73%) had mild; 4 of 37 (11%) had moderate, and 6 of 37 (16%) had severe curves. Of those with severe, 4 underwent spinal fusion, 1 was treated with bracing, and 1 was braced before a cardiovascular-related death. Regarding GH use among TS patients, 190 of 306 (62%) used GH versus 116 of 306 (38%) who did not. Of those with a spinal curve, 24 of 37 (65%) used GH compared with 13 of 37 (35%) who did not. On univariate analysis, GH therapy was not a risk factor for the diagnosis of a major spinal curve, a more severe degree of the curve at the time of diagnosis, or spinal curve progression (P >0.05 for all).

CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest single institution retrospective review of a TS cohort known to the authors assessing spinal curve prevalence and relation to GH treatment and demonstrates a TS spinal curve rate of 12% (37/306). Four of six (11%) TS patients with a severe curve underwent corrective spine fusion. There was no relationship between the use of GH and the presence of a spinal curve or curve progression. Further study is warranted to determine risk factors for curve progression.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This retrospective case series serves to review and address the prevalence of spinal deformity in TS patients and whether GH impacts worsening deformity.

PMID:36791404 | DOI:10.1097/BPO.0000000000002367

Prosthet Orthot Int. 2023 Feb 1;47(1):117-121. doi: 10.1097/PXR.0000000000000155. Epub 2022 Jun 22.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Recently, interest in posture correction has increased in Korea owing to increased smartphone usage. However, there have been no studies to evaluate the impact of wearing a posture correction band with an abdominal band on breathing and respiratory function.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 32 healthy adults, consisting of 16 men (mean age: 23.19 ± 2.88) and 16 women (mean age: 19.69 ± 1.49) participated in this study. Pulmonary function tests were conducted before and after wearing posture correction bands.

RESULTS: In all the participants, forced vital capacity decreased significantly (P < .05) after wearing a posture correction band. The forced expiratory volume in 1 second and maximal inspiratory pressure decreased slightly (P > .05). The maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) and peak cough flow (PCF) increased slightly (P > .05). When respiratory functions were monitored separately in men and women after wearing a posture correction band, forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 second were significantly reduced in men (P < .05). In women, MEP and PCF increased significantly (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we confirmed that the posture correction band had an effect on respiratory function. Lung capacity was statistically significantly reduced but was not clinically significant. In addition, in the case of women, it was confirmed that the abdominal band improved the MEP and PCF.

PMID:36791383 | DOI:10.1097/PXR.0000000000000155