Tag: nevin manimala

BMC Cancer. 2023 Apr 11;23(1):334. doi: 10.1186/s12885-023-10720-w.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Periampullary cancer is a term for cancers arising in or in close proximity to the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer is the 3^rd leading cause of cancer death for both sexes and while surgery is the only option for cure, chemotherapy is given in both the adjuvant and palliative settings. The aim of this study was to investigate any sex and gender differences in patients with pancreatic and other periampullary adenocarcinomas enrolled in a prospective, observational trial.

METHODS: The study cohort consists of the first 100 patients, 49 women and 51 men, enrolled in the Chemotherapy, Host Response and Molecular dynamics in Periampullary cancer (CHAMP) study, an ongoing study of patients undergoing neoadjuvant, adjuvant or first-line palliative chemotherapy treatment. Twenty-five patients had surgery with curative intent and subsequent adjuvant treatment, and 75 patients were treated with palliative chemotherapy. Data regarding health-related quality of life (HRQoL, EORTC-QLQ-C30) at baseline, demographic and clinicopathological factors were examined and stratification by treatment intention according to sex. Overall survival (OS) was calculated through Kaplan-Meier analysis.

RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between male and female patients treated with curative intent, with fewer women having undergone surgery (18 vs 7, p = 0.017), also after adjustment for age, tumor location and performance status. No statistical differences were found between the sexes regarding age, comorbidities, or clinicopathological factors. Before start of chemotherapy treatment, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was lower in female than in male patients. However, HRQoL was not associated with performance status in female patients, whereas in male patients several HRQoL indicators were significantly positively associated with poorer performance status at baseline.

CONCLUSIONS: This study shows no clear differences between the sexes regarding biological factors concluding that gender bias might be responsible for the discrepancy between men and women being offered curative surgery. The observed difference between women and men regarding the association between HRQoL and performance status is unprecedented. Altogether these findings underline the importance of taking gender into consideration when assessing eligibility for curative surgery in order to improve biological outcome and decrease suffering in both sexes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03724994.

PMID:37041522 | DOI:10.1186/s12885-023-10720-w

Chemosphere. 2023 Apr 9;329:138640. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138640. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:37040672 | DOI:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138640

J Pediatr Orthop B. 2023 Apr 11. doi: 10.1097/BPB.0000000000001086. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study aims to compare the clinical and radiological results of patients who underwent plate-screw fixation and K-wire fixation in supracondylar femur fractures in the pediatric population. Patients aged 5-14 years suffering from supracondylar femoral fractures who underwent K-wire and plate-screw fixation were included in the study. Of all patients, follow-up period, age, fracture union time, gender, leg length discrepancy, and Knee Society Score (KSS) data were analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups; fixation with plate (Group A) and fixation with K-wires (Group B). Forty-two patients participated in the study. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, gender, and follow-up time (P > 0.05). When comparing the KSS results, no statistically significant difference was found between the two groups (P = 0.612). A statistically significant difference was detected between the two groups regarding union time (P = 0.01). When both groups were analyzed, no significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of functional results. Good results can be obtained in both plate-screw and K-wires in pediatric supracondylar femur fractures.

PMID:37040655 | DOI:10.1097/BPB.0000000000001086

J Phys Chem B. 2023 Apr 11. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c00882. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Protein stability is important in many areas of life sciences. Thermal protein unfolding is investigated extensively with various spectroscopic techniques. The extraction of thermodynamic properties from these measurements requires the application of models. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is less common, but is unique as it measures directly a thermodynamic property, that is, the heat capacity C_p(T). The analysis of C_p(T) is usually performed with the chemical equilibrium two-state model. This is not necessary and leads to incorrect thermodynamic consequences. Here we demonstrate a straightforward model-independent evaluation of heat capacity experiments in terms of protein unfolding enthalpy ΔH(T), entropy ΔS(T), and free energy ΔG(T)). This now allows the comparison of the experimental thermodynamic data with the predictions of different models. We critically examined the standard chemical equilibrium two-state model, which predicts a positive free energy for the native protein, and diverges distinctly from the experimental temperature profiles. We propose two new models which are equally applicable to spectroscopy and calorimetry. The Θ_U(T)-weighted chemical equilibrium model and the statistical-mechanical two-state model provide excellent fits of the experimental data. They predict sigmoidal temperature profiles for enthalpy and entropy, and a trapezoidal temperature profile for the free energy. This is illustrated with experimental examples for heat and cold denaturation of lysozyme and β-lactoglobulin. We then show that the free energy is not a good criterion to judge protein stability. More useful parameters are discussed, including protein cooperativity. The new parameters are embedded in a well-defined thermodynamic context and are amenable to molecular dynamics calculations.

PMID:37040567 | DOI:10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c00882

Am J Gastroenterol. 2023 Apr 11. doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000002288. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Several earlier studies have indicated an increased risk of cardiac birth defects among infants born to mothers with celiac disease (CeD). Through linking nationwide Swedish health-care registries we aimed to investigate maternal CeD and risk of any or cardiac birth defects in their offspring.

METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of infants born 2002-2016 to women with biopsy-proven CeD (villus atrophy, Marsh III) matched to infants born to non-celiac women from the general population. Conditional logistic regression with odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) was used to determine the association between maternal CeD and birth defects. To minimize the impact of intrafamilial confounding we also compared infants born to mothers with CeD to infants born to their non-affected sisters.

RESULTS: A total of 6,990 infants were born to mothers with diagnosed CeD compared to 34,643 infants born to reference mothers. Any birth defect was seen in 234 (33 per 1,000 infants) and 1244 (36/1000) reference infants corresponding to an OR of 0.93 (95% CI 0.81-1.08). Cardiac birth defects were seen in 113 (16/1000) vs. 569 (16/1000) infants (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.80-1.20). Similar ORs for any and cardiac birth defects were also seen in sibling comparisons.

CONCLUSIONS: We found no statistically significant risk of any or cardiac birth defects in infants born to mothers with diagnosed CeD compared to the general population and to their non-affected sisters.

PMID:37040545 | DOI:10.14309/ajg.0000000000002288

Am J Gastroenterol. 2023 Apr 11. doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000002280. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder of gut-brain interaction, characterized by symptoms of abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits. It often co-occurs with extra-intestinal somatic and psychological symptoms. However, the nature of the inter-relationships among these symptoms is unclear. Although prior studies have noted age differences in IBS prevalence and specific symptom severity, it remains unknown whether specific symptoms and symptom relationships may differ by age.

METHODS: Symptom data were collected in 355 adults with IBS (mean age 41.4 years, 86.2% female). Network analysis was used to examine the inter-relationships among 28 symptoms and to identify the core symptoms driving the symptom structure between young (≤ 45 years) versus older (> 45 years) adults with IBS. We evaluated three network properties between the two age groups: network structure, edge (connection) strength, and global strength.

RESULTS: In both age groups, fatigue was the top core symptom. Anxiety was a second core symptom in the younger but not the older age group. Intestinal gas and/or bloating symptoms also exerted considerable influences in both age groups. The overall symptom structure and connectivity were found to be similar regardless of age.

CONCLUSION: Network analysis suggests fatigue is a critical target for symptom management in adults with IBS, regardless of age. Comorbid anxiety is likely an important treatment focus for young adults with IBS. Rome V Criteria update could consider the importance of intestinal gas and bloating symptoms. Additional replication with larger diverse IBS cohorts is warranted to verify our results.

PMID:37040543 | DOI:10.14309/ajg.0000000000002280

Biotechnol Genet Eng Rev. 2023 Apr 11:1-15. doi: 10.1080/02648725.2023.2200626. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

To analyze the value of the combined test of the cardiac color Doppler ultrasound, the serum middle receptor pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MR-ProANP) and the N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-ProBNP) in forecasting the hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and left heart failure (LHF). All patients were subjected to cardiac color Doppler ultrasound examination to obtain left atrium volume index (LAVI), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), early-diastolic peak flow velocity (E), early-diastolic mean flow velocity (e’), early-diastolic peak flow velocity/early-diastolic mean flow velocity (E/e’) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Biomarkers were performed to obtain serum MR-ProANP and NT-ProBNP concentrations, and statistical analysis was performed. The LVEF was obviously lower than that in the control group (P<0.01). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) values of LVEF, E/e’, serum MR-ProANP and NT-ProBNP alone were in the range of 0.7-0.8. The AUC, sensitivity and specificity of LVEF and E/e’ combined with MR-ProANP and NT-ProBNP to diagnose hypertensive LVH and LHF were 0.892, 89.14% and 78.21%, which were higher than those of single diagnosis. In the heart failure group, LVEF was negatively correlated with serum MR-ProANP and NT-ProBNP concentrations (P<0.05), and E/e’ was positively correlated with serum MR-ProANP and NT-ProBNP concentrations (P<0.05). Pump function and ventricular remodeling in patients with hypertensive LVH and LHF are closely related to serum MR-ProANP and NT-ProBNP levels. Combination of the two testing can improve the prediction and diagnostic efficacy of LHF.

PMID:37040501 | DOI:10.1080/02648725.2023.2200626

J Magn Reson Imaging. 2023 Apr 11. doi: 10.1002/jmri.28722. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Cerebral perfusion is directly affected by systemic blood pressure, which has been shown to be negatively correlated with cerebral blood flow (CBF). The impact of aging on these effects is not fully understood.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the relationship between mean arterial pressure (MAP) and cerebral hemodynamics persists throughout the lifespan.

STUDY TYPE: Retrospective, cross-sectional study.

POPULATION: Six hundred and sixty-nine participants from the Human Connectome Project-Aging ranging between 36 and 100+ years and without a major neurological disorder.

FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: Imaging data was acquired at 3.0 Tesla using a 32-channel head coil. CBF and arterial transit time (ATT) were measured by multi-delay pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling.

ASSESSMENT: The relationships between cerebral hemodynamic parameters and MAP were evaluated globally in gray and white matter and regionally using surface-based analysis in the whole group, separately within different age groups (young: <60 years; younger-old: 60-79 years; oldest-old: ≥80 years).

STATISTICAL TESTS: Chi-squared, Kruskal-Wallis, ANOVA, Spearman rank correlation and linear regression models. The general linear model setup in FreeSurfer was used for surface-based analyses. P < 0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS: Globally, there was a significant negative correlation between MAP and CBF in both gray (ρ = -0.275) and white matter (ρ = -0.117). This association was most prominent in the younger-old [gray matter CBF (β = -0.271); white matter CBF (β = -0.241)]. In surface-based analyses, CBF exhibited a widespread significant negative association with MAP throughout the brain, whereas a limited number of regions showed significant prolongation in ATT with higher MAP. The associations between regional CBF and MAP in the younger-old showed a different topographic pattern in comparison to young subjects.

DATA CONCLUSION: These observations further emphasize the importance of cardiovascular health in mid-to-late adulthood for healthy brain aging. The differences in the topographic pattern with aging indicate a spatially heterogeneous relationship between high blood pressure and CBF.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 3.

PMID:37040498 | DOI:10.1002/jmri.28722

Nurs Open. 2023 Apr 11. doi: 10.1002/nop2.1745. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIM: This study aimed to develop a tool to measure paediatric specialist nurses’ core competencies and examine the scale’s validity and reliability.

DESIGN: An exploratory quantitative study.

METHODS: This study was performed in April 2022 with 302 paediatric specialist nurses in mainland China. Items were created through a literature review, a qualitative interview, and the Delphi method. The data were evaluated using descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, explanatory factor analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and split-half reliability.

RESULTS: The final scale consisted of five factors and 32 items. The factors were communication, coordination and judgement abilities; professional technology mastery ability; specialist knowledge mastery ability; medical-related processes; and evidence-based nursing competencies. The explained total variance of the five factors was 62.216%. The scale-level and item-level CVI of this scale was 1.00, and the mean CVR of the total scale was 0.788. The Pearson correlation coefficients of each dimension and the total dimension of the scale was 0.709-0.892, and within each dimension, it was 0.435-0.651. The Cronbach’s α of this scale was 0.944, and its split-half reliability was 0.883.

PMID:37040438 | DOI:10.1002/nop2.1745

Aesthet Surg J. 2023 Apr 11:sjad098. doi: 10.1093/asj/sjad098. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Breast Implant Illness (BII) describes a variety of symptoms reported by patients with breast implants. Biospecimens data revealed minimal statistical differences between BII and Non-BII cohorts. Baseline analysis of PROMIS data demonstrated significant differences between the BII Cohort and the two control cohorts.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to determine if subjects in the BII Cohort obtained any symptom improvement after explantation, whether symptom improvement was related to the type of capsulectomy, and which symptoms improved.

METHODS: A prospective blinded study enrolled 150 consecutive subjects divided equally into three cohorts. Baseline demographic data and a systemic symptoms survey, including PROMIS validated questionnaires, was obtained at baseline, 3-6 weeks, 6 months, and one year.

RESULTS: 150 patients were enrolled between 2019-2021. Follow-up at one year is 94% of BII Cohort and 77% of Non-BII and Mastopexy Cohorts. At one year, 88% of patients showed at least partial symptom improvement with a reduction of 2-20 symptoms. The PROMIS score in the BII Cohort decreased at one year for anxiety, sleep disturbances, and fatigue. Systemic symptom improvement was noted out to one year in the BII Cohort regardless of the type of capsulectomy performed.

CONCLUSIONS: Parts 1-3 in this series concluded there were no consistent differences in biospecimen results between the cohorts. Unlike the data observed in the biospecimen analysis, BII subjects had heightened symptoms and poorer PROMIS scores at baseline compared to the control cohorts. The reduction of negative expectations and a potential nocebo effect could contribute to this improvement.

PMID:37040435 | DOI:10.1093/asj/sjad098