Tag: nevin manimala

Zhonghua Gan Zang Bing Za Zhi. 2023 Jan 20;31(1):42-48. doi: 10.3760/cma.j.cn501113-20220121-00039.

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the demographic characteristics and clinical influencing factors which associates with the occurrence probability of persistent or intermittent hypoviremia (LLV) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treated with nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs). Methods: A single-center retrospective analysis was performed on patients with CHB who received outpatient NAs therapy for≥48 ± 2 weeks. According to the serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA load at 48±2 weeks treatment, the study groups were divided into LLV (HBV DNA < 20 IU/ml and < 2 000 IU/ml) and MVR group (sustained virological response, HBV DNA < 20 IU/ml). Demographic characteristics and clinical data at the start of NAs treatment (considered as baseline) were retrospectively collected for both patient groups. The differences in the reduction of HBV DNA load during treatment was compared between the two groups. Correlation and multivariate analysis were further conducted to analyze the associated factors influencing the LLV occurrence. Statistical analysis was performed using the independent samples t-test, c2 test, Spearman analysis, multivariate logistic regression analysis, or area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: A total of 509 cases were enrolled, with 189 and 320 in the LLV and MVR groups, respectively. Compared to patients with MVR group at baseline: (1) the demographics characteristics of patients showed that LLV group was younger in age (39.1 years, P = 0.027), had a stronger family history (60.3%, P = 0.001), 61.9% received ETV treatment, and higher proportion of compensated cirrhosis (20.6%, P = 0.025) at baseline; (2) the serum virological characteristics of patients showed that LLV group had higher HBV DNA load, qHBsAg level, qHBeAg level, HBeAg positive rate, and the proportion of genotype C HBV infection but decreased HBV DNA during treatment (P < 0.001) at baseline; (3) the biochemical characteristics of patients showed that LLV group had lower serum ALT levels (P = 0.007) at baseline; (4) the noninvasive fibrosis markers of patients showed that LLV group were characterized by high aspartate aminotransferase platelet ratio index (APRI) (P = 0.02) and FIB-4 (P = 0.027) at baseline. HBV DNA, qHBsAg and qHBeAg were positively correlated with LLV occurrence (r = 0.559, 0.344, 0.435, respectively), while age and HBV DNA reduction were negatively correlated (r = -0.098, -0.876, respectively). Logistic regression analysis showed that ETV treatment history, high HBV DNA load at baseline, high qHBsAg level, high qHBeAg level, HBeAg positive, low ALT and HBV DNA level were independent risk factors for patients with CHB who developed LLV with NAs treatment. Multivariate prediction model had a good predictive value for LLV occurrence [AUC 0.922 (95%CI: 0.897 ~ 0.946)]. Conclusion: In this study, 37.1% of CHB patients treated with first-line NAs has LLV. The formation of LLV is influenced by various factors. HBeAg positivity, genotype C HBV infection, high baseline HBV DNA load, high qHBsAg level, high qHBeAg level, high APRI or FIB-4 value, low baseline ALT level, reduced HBV DNA during treatment, concomitant family history, metabolic liver disease history, and age < 40 years old are potential risk factors for developing LLV in patients with CHB during the therapeutic process.

PMID:36948848 | DOI:10.3760/cma.j.cn501113-20220121-00039

J Chem Phys. 2023 Mar 21;158(11):114306. doi: 10.1063/5.0132601.

ABSTRACT

Magic clusters are metastable faceted nanoparticles that are thought to be important and, sometimes, observable intermediates in the nucleation of certain faceted crystallites. This work develops a broken bond model for spheres with a face-centered-cubic packing that form tetrahedral magic clusters. With just one bond strength parameter, statistical thermodynamics yield a chemical potential driving force, an interfacial free energy, and free energy vs magic cluster size. These properties exactly correspond to those from a previous model by Mule et al. [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 143, 2037 (2021)]. Interestingly, a Tolman length emerges (for both models) when the interfacial area, density, and volume are treated consistently. To describe the kinetic barriers between magic cluster sizes, Mule et al. invoked an energy parameter to penalize the two-dimensional nucleation and growth of new layers in each facet of the tetrahedra. According to the broken bond model, barriers between magic clusters are insignificant without the additional edge energy penalty. We estimate the overall nucleation rate without predicting the rates of formation for intermediate magic clusters by using the Becker-Döring equations. Our results provide a blueprint for constructing free energy models and rate theories for nucleation via magic clusters starting from only atomic-scale interactions and geometric considerations.

PMID:36948834 | DOI:10.1063/5.0132601

J Chem Phys. 2023 Mar 21;158(11):114106. doi: 10.1063/5.0138250.

ABSTRACT

We report the first numerical calculations in which converged Matsubara dynamics is compared directly with exact quantum dynamics with no artificial damping of the time-correlation functions (TCFs). The system treated is a Morse oscillator coupled to a harmonic bath. We show that, when the system-bath coupling is sufficiently strong, the Matsubara calculations can be converged by explicitly including up to M = 200 Matsubara modes, with the remaining modes included as a harmonic “tail” correction. The resulting Matsubara TCFs are in near-perfect agreement with the exact quantum TCFs, for non-linear as well as linear operators, at a temperature at which the TCFs are dominated by quantum thermal fluctuations. These results provide compelling evidence that incoherent classical dynamics can arise in the condensed phase at temperatures at which the statistics are dominated by quantum (Boltzmann) effects, as a result of smoothing of imaginary-time Feynman paths. The techniques developed here may also lead to efficient methods for benchmarking system-bath dynamics in the overdamped regime.

PMID:36948794 | DOI:10.1063/5.0138250

J Sch Health. 2023 Mar 22. doi: 10.1111/josh.13329. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Adolescents are considered to be vulnerable to particulate matter (PM). This study aims to develop and verify the effectiveness of the “school-based education program for coping with particulate matter (SEPC_PM).” This program was designed by employing the health belief model.

METHODS: High school students between the ages of 15 and 18 in South Korea participated in the program. This study employed a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. A total of 113 students participated in the study; of these, 56 students participated in the intervention group, and 57 in the control group. The intervention group received 8 intervention sessions the SEPC_PM over the course of 4 weeks.

RESULTS: After the completion of the program, the intervention group’s knowledge about PM showed a statistically significant increase (t = 4.79, p < .001). The practice of engaging in health-managing behaviors to protect against PM also showed statistically significant improvement in the intervention group, with the greatest progress in practicing precaution when outdoors (t = 2.22, p = .029). No statistically significant changes were observed regarding other dependent variables. However, a subdomain of the variable of perceived self-efficacy for engaging in health-managing behaviors to protect against PM (degree of body cleansing after returning home) demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the intervention group (t = 1.99, p = .049).

CONCLUSIONS: The SEPC_PM may be proposed for incorporation into regular high school curricula to improve students’ health by encouraging them to take necessary actions against PM.

PMID:36948789 | DOI:10.1111/josh.13329

Clin Nucl Med. 2023 Mar 22. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000004618. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this prospective study was to assess the effectiveness of knee joints treatment by radiosynoviorthesis with the use of 90Y based on ultrasound and clinical analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-seven patients were qualified for treatment from October 2016 to June 2017, and observation period lasted until December 2017. Bioethics Committee of the Medical University of Silesia approved this study. The effectiveness of knee joints treatment with the use of 90Y was based on 927 ultrasound measurements of fluid and 927 synovial thickness in 3 sites of the suprapatellar recess, 309 assessments of patient’s disability documented in Lequesne questionnaire, 309 assessments of pain on visual analog scale, as well as 103 overall self-assessment. Statistical methods were used to process the results.

RESULTS: A reduction in fluid was found in 62.14% of the knees; synovial thickness reduction was observed in 97.09% of all knees. The greatest benefit from the therapy was experienced by patients complaining of morning stiffness lasting more than 15 minutes (in 85.71% of joints). There was reduction in pain at rest in 94.52% of knee joints and in 80.39% of joints with pain while walking. At the second follow-up visit after treatment, the percentage of improvement in self-assessment was 74.76%.

CONCLUSIONS: Statistically significant decreases in the amount of fluid and thickness of the synovial membrane as well as the level of disability and the intensity of pain after radiosynoviorthesis 90Y treatment were demonstrated.

PMID:36947794 | DOI:10.1097/RLU.0000000000004618

Pediatr Dent. 2022 Nov 15;44(6):416-422.

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical performance of composite strip crowns (SCs) and zirconia crowns (ZCs) on primary maxillary incisors affected by early childhood caries over 18 months. Methods: A total of 111 primary maxillary anterior teeth were included in 25 three-to five-year-old children. In each patient, the teeth were randomized to the SC and ZC groups (n equals 43 teeth/group) and sound teeth as the control group (n equals 25) in a split-mouth design. Patients’ oral hygiene and clinical variables, including gingival health, plaque accumulation, pulpal health, secondary caries, retention, color match, and material loss, were assessed at baseline and at one, six, 12, and 18 months. Data were statistically analyzed using Fisher’s exact test, the Friedman test, and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: Zirconia crowns had significantly lower plaque index values than strip crowns and controls during all recalls (P<0.05). The gingival index scores of both crowns improved after six months, while mild inflammation persisted in both groups due to increased exfoliation mobility. ZCs had better color match and retention (P<0.05) than SCs, with the latter being 100 percent for ZCs and 77.8 percent for SCs. Both crowns had similar and high pulp survival at 18 months (ZC equals 93.1 percent; SC equals 95.4 percent). Conclusions: Zirconia crowns had better clinical performance than composite strip crowns in terms of retention, restoration failure, and color change but similar gingival and pulpal health after 18 months. ZCs showed the lowest plaque accumulation when compared with sound teeth and SCs.

PMID:36947757

Pediatr Dent. 2022 Nov 15;44(6):411-417.

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of direct pulp capping (DPC) using calcium hydroxide (CH), mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), and premedicated DPC with formocresol (FC) in primary teeth. Methods: Sixty primary mandibular second molars with pulp exposures in children aged four to eight years old were treated using DPC. The molars were randomly divided into three groups (n equals 20 per group). Pulp exposures in the CH and MTA groups were capped directly using CH and MTA pastes, respectively, while those in the FC group were premedicated with FC and then capped with zinc oxide eugenol (ZOE) cement. All teeth were finally restored with stainless steel crowns, and clinical and radiographic evaluations were carried out at baseline and three, six, and 12 months after restoration. Fisher’s exact test was performed to define the significance between the groups and follow-up periods. Results: The clinical and radiographic findings showed no significant difference between the three groups. The overall success in the CH, MTA, and FC groups were 88.2 percent, 100 percent, and 73.3 percent, respectively. However, these differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: All three materials examined in this study exhibited clinical and radiographical efficacy when used as direct pulp capping materials.

PMID:36947754

Medwave. 2023 Mar 22;23(2). doi: 10.5867/medwave.2023.02.2675.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people’s mental health care. This study aims to describe mental health care in the first semester of the COVID-19 pandemic of the year 2020 compared to the first semester of the year 2019 in the public health establishments of the commune of Chillán, Chile.

METHODS: A descriptive ecological study. The treated cases were analyzed in aggregate, considering the pandemic, amount of admissions, the reason for consultation, sex, and age for the years 2019 and 2020. Prevalence, percentages, and statistical analysis were evaluated using non-parametric tests.

RESULTS: The prevalence of cases due to admissions to the mental health program in primary health care remained similar between the first semester of 2019 and the first semester of 2020. Most mental health cases concentrate on mood (affective) and anxiety disorders. Statistically significant differences were observed between 2019 and 2020 in the number of mental health admissions for mental and behavioral disorders due to psychotropic substances, harmful use disorders, drug dependence, and personality disorders.

CONCLUSIONS: It is a priority for Chile to increase coverage in primary mental health care. The data provided in this study show at an exploratory level that the initial situation of the pandemic could have affected access to timely care for the most vulnerable people with mental disorders.

PMID:36947748 | DOI:10.5867/medwave.2023.02.2675

Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess. 2023 Mar 22:1-12. doi: 10.1080/19440049.2023.2186711. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to assess the spatiotemporal bioavailability of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) in wild adult mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis, collected along the Portuguese Atlantic coast between 2009 and 2020. The work is part of a national environmental monitoring program. The purpose was to evaluate the dioxins’ temporal trends, the human and ecological risks, and the correlation between mussels’ location and the main pollutant sources in Portugal. The levels and congener patterns of the most toxicity-relevant 17 PCDD/Fs and 12 dl-PCBs were determined, with the dl-PCBs dominant. The sum of Σ₁₇PCDD/Fs and Σ₁₂dl-PCBs values ranged from 2.0 to 4.0 ng WHO-TEQ kg^-1, (wet weight basis), below the limits established by the European Commission for contamination in fish and fishery products (6.5 ng per kg^-1). The study included five years – 2009, 2010, 2016, 2018 and 2020 -, allowing to verify the impact of European Directive 2013/39/UE against the pollution of water in Portugal; it was observed that dioxin levels in mussels diminished over the time. Statistical analysis allowed verification of different spatial trends of dl-PCB profiles along the Portuguese Atlantic coast. The mono-ortho dl-PCB pentachlorinated congener IUPAC #118 prevailed in 2009 and 2018 in all sampling sites, and it was predominant in 2010, 2016 and 2020, followed by the congeners IUPAC #105, #156 and #167. The IUPAC #167, #169 and #123 were the most abundant hexachlorinated congeners, and the IUPAC #77 the most abundant tetrachlorinated congener. This work emphasises the importance of monitoring dioxins and mapping the congeners in Atlantic coastal ecosystems, to contribute to their elimination.

PMID:36947716 | DOI:10.1080/19440049.2023.2186711

Aging (Albany NY). 2023 Mar 22;15. doi: 10.18632/aging.204602. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Here we report on a case series of six women who completed a methylation-supportive diet and lifestyle program designed to impact DNA methylation and measures of biological aging. The intervention consisted of an 8-week program that included diet, sleep, exercise and relaxation guidance, supplemental probiotics and phytonutrients and nutritional coaching. DNA methylation and biological age analysis (Horvath DNAmAge clock (2013), normalized using the SeSAMe pipeline [a]) was conducted on blood samples at baseline and at the end of the 8-week period. Five of the six participants exhibited a biological age reduction of between 1.22 and 11.01 years from their baseline biological age. There was a statistically significant (p=.039) difference in the participants’ mean biological age before (55.83 years) and after (51.23 years) the 8-week diet and lifestyle intervention, with an average decrease of 4.60 years. The average chronological age at the start of the program was 57.9 years and all but one participant had a biological age younger than their chronological age at the start of the program, suggesting that biological age changes were unrelated to disease improvement and instead might be attributed to underlying aging mechanisms.

PMID:36947707 | DOI:10.18632/aging.204602