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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Telepractice in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric speech-language disorders: The opinions and experiences of speech-language pathologists

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2023 Apr 19;169:111560. doi: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2023.111560. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This prospective cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the opinions and experiences with telepractice (TP) of Dutch-speaking speech-language pathologists (SLPs) living in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium (Flanders). This study will help to optimize care for children with speech-language disorders as we will gain more insight into the experienced barriers and facilitators while using TP for assessing and treating these disorders.

METHOD: Twenty-nine Dutch-speaking speech-language pathologists living in Flanders (age category 20-30 years: n = 16/29, 55.2%, 31-40 years: n = 10/29, 34.2%, 41-50 years: n = 2/29, 6.9%, 51-60 years: n = 1/29, 3.4%) were recruited through the social media. An online questionnaire was developed based on the available literature and administered to the SLPs. To compare the opinions and experiences of SLPs with TP, χ2 tests or Fisher’s exact tests were used.

RESULTS: The study showed a statistically significant association between years of clinical experience of SLPs and their opinion that TP does not provide more options in a clinical setting compared to face-to-face contact. SLPs who had expertise in multiple domains experienced significantly more added value of TP during the corona pandemic than SLPs who had expertise in only one specific domain. Additionally, SLPs who worked in a private practice indicated significantly more difficulties in developing a therapeutic relationship due to a lack of personal contact than SLPs who worked in other settings. 51.7% (15/29) of the SLPs experienced technical barriers using TP.

CONCLUSION: Expertise in multiple domains of pediatric speech-language therapy resulted in experiencing more added value of TP during the corona pandemic, possibly because of the experience of multiple different and simultaneous advantages of TP in several domains. Additionally, SLPs in a private practice experienced more difficulties in developing a therapeutic relationship due to a lack of personal contact with their clients. This is in contrast to hospitals where children are often seen for a shorter period. Hence, there may be less chance of a negative perception of relationships with clients. Another conclusion is that treatment drop-out was not larger using TP compared to face-to-face therapy. However, SLPs experienced that the use of TP was not promoted/encouraged by their employer possibly because of technical barriers. It is hoped that the findings of this study will help SLPs and policymakers overthrow existing barriers and make telepractice a substantial, effective, and efficient service delivery model.

PMID:37116275 | DOI:10.1016/j.ijporl.2023.111560

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

CT characterization of retractor related liver injuries after pancreaticoduodenectomy: Retrospective analysis of a single institution experience

Clin Imaging. 2023 Apr 18;99:53-59. doi: 10.1016/j.clinimag.2023.04.006. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Retractor related liver injuries (RRLI) are reported after upper gastrointestinal tract surgeries; most commonly laparoscopic cholecystectomy and gastric surgeries. The aim of this study was to characterize the incidence, identification, type, severity, clinical features and risk factors for RRLI after open and robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy.

METHODS: A 6-year retrospective study of 230 patients was performed. Clinical data was extracted from the electronic medical record. Post-operative imaging was reviewed and graded using the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) liver injury scale.

RESULTS: 109 patients met eligibility criteria. RRLI occurred in 23/109 (21.1%), with a higher incidence in the robotic/combinedapproach (4/9) compared with open (19/100). Most common injury was an intraparenchymal hematoma (56.5%), grade II (78.3%), located in segments II/III (77%). 39.1% of injuries were not reported on the CT interpretation. There was a statistically significant elevation of postoperative AST/ALT in the RRLI group [median AST 219.5 vs. 72.0 (p < 0.001), ALT 203.0 vs. 69.0 (p < 0.001)]. Trends toward lower preoperative platelet counts and longer operations were observed in the RRLI group. No significant difference in hospital length of stay or post-operative pain scores were noted.

CONCLUSION: RRLI occurred frequently after pancreaticoduodenectomy, however most injuries were low grade and the only clinical significance was a transient increase in transaminases. A trend toward higher injury rates was observed in robotic cases. In this population, RRLI was often unrecognized on postoperative imaging.

PMID:37116262 | DOI:10.1016/j.clinimag.2023.04.006

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Investigation of low and high dose rate X-ray effects on histopathological changes and prognostic importance of Ki-67 in laryngeal cancer radiotherapy

Appl Radiat Isot. 2023 Apr 17;197:110823. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2023.110823. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to analyze the effect on histopathological changes and Ki-67 expression levels of Flattening Filter (FF) and Flattening Filter Free (FFF) beams to investigate the radiobiological mechanisms underlying laryngeal cancer (LCa) post-radiotherapy (RT) on mice models. Forty adult NOD SCID gamma (NSG) mice models were randomly divided into four groups; the sham, LCa, FF-RT and FFF-RT groups. The head and neck region of mice in FF-RT and FFF-RT groups (LCa plus RT groups) were irradiated with a single dose of 18 Gy at 400 MU/min and 1400 MU/min. The NSG mice received radiotherapy 30 days after tumor transplantation and sacrificed 2 days after radiotherapy for analysis of histopathology parameters and K-67 expression levels. Comparing the LCa, FF-RT and FFF-RT groups with the sham group, statistically significant differences were observed in histopathological parameters depending on tumor tissue and dose rate (p < 0.05). When the histopathological effects of FF-RT beam on LCa tissue were compared with FFF-RT beam, it was observed that statistically significant differences occurred (p < 0.05). Comparing the LCa group with the sham group, it was observed that the Ki-67 level affected significantly depending on the development of cancer (p < 0.01). It was concluded that FF and FFF beams caused significant changes in the histopathological parameters and Ki-67 expression levels. When the effects of FFF beam on Ki-67 levels, cell nucleus and cytoplasmic findings were compared with FF beam, significant radiobiological differences were observed.

PMID:37116260 | DOI:10.1016/j.apradiso.2023.110823

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The stability of personality disorders and personality disorder criteria: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Clin Psychol Rev. 2023 Apr 23;102:102284. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102284. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the diagnostic, the dimensional mean-level, and rank-order stability of personality disorders (PDs) and PD criteria over time. EMBASE, PsycInfo, PubMed, and Web of Science were searched for peer-reviewed studies published in either English, German, or French between the first publication of the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) in 1980 and December 20, 2022. Inclusion criteria were a prospective longitudinal study design, assessing the stability of PDs or PD criteria over at least two measurement occasions at least one month apart, and using the same assessment at baseline and follow-up. Effect sizes included proportion of enduring cases (i.e., diagnostic stability), test-retest correlations (i.e., dimensional rank-order stability), and within-group standardized mean differences (i.e., dimensional mean-level stability), based on the first and last available measurement occasion. From an initial pool of 1473 studies, 40 were included in our analyses, covering 38,432 participants. 56.7% maintained the diagnosis of any PD, and 45.2% maintained the diagnosis of borderline PD over time. Findings on the dimensional mean-level stability indicate that most PD criteria significantly decreased from baseline to follow-up, except for antisocial, obsessive-compulsive, and schizoid PD criteria. Findings on the dimensional rank-order stability suggested moderate estimates, except for antisocial PD criteria, which were found to be high. Findings indicated that both PDs and PD criteria were only moderately stable, although between study heterogeneity was high, and stability itself depended on several methodological factors.

PMID:37116251 | DOI:10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102284

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Air pollution exposure and social responsiveness in childhood: The cincinnati combined childhood cohorts

Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2023 Apr 26;251:114172. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114172. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects about 1 in 44 children and environmental exposures may contribute to disease onset. Air pollution has been associated with adverse neurobehavioral outcomes, yet little research has examined its association with autistic-like behaviors. Therefore, our objective was to examine the association between exposure to air pollution, including NO2 and PM2.5, during pregnancy and the first year of life to ASD-like behaviors during childhood. Participants (n = 435) enrolled in the Cincinnati Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution Study and the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment Study were included in the analysis. Daily exposures to NO2 and PM2.5 at the residential addresses of participants were estimated using validated spatiotemporal models and averaged to obtain prenatal and first year exposure estimates. ASD-like behaviors were assessed via the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) questionnaire at age 12. Linear regression models adjusting for confounders were applied to estimate the association between pollutants and SRS scores. After adjusting for covariates, the association between NO2 and PM2.5 and SRS scores remained positive but were no longer statistically significant. Prenatal and first year exposure to NO2 were associated with total SRS T-scores with an estimated 0.4 point increase (95% CI: -0.7, 1.6) per 5.2 ppb increase in NO2 exposure and 0.7 point (95% CI: -0.3, 1.6) per 4.2 ppb increase in NO2 exposure, respectively. For PM2.5, a 2.6 μg/m3 increase in prenatal exposure was associated with a 0.1 point increase (95% CI: -1.1, 1.4) in SRS Total T-scores and a 1.3 μg/m3 increase first year of life was associated with a 1 point increase (95% CI: -0.2, 2.3). In summary, exposure to NO2 and PM2.5 during pregnancy and the first year of life were not significantly associated with higher autistic-like behaviors measured with SRS scores after adjustment of covariates. Additional research is warranted given prior studies suggesting air pollution contributes to ASD.

PMID:37116232 | DOI:10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114172

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Usual source and better quality of primary care are associated with lower loneliness scores: a cross-sectional study

Fam Pract. 2023 Apr 28:cmad049. doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmad049. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Loneliness is a global issue, and primary care physicians play an important role in assessing and intervening with loneliness. This study aimed to examine the association between having a usual source of care (USC) or a good quality of primary care, and loneliness.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Japan in 2022. A total of 6,000 residents were randomly sampled from the general population, aged 20-74 years. The outcome was the total score of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) 3-item loneliness scale. The exposure included USC and the Person-Centered Primary Care Measure (PCPCM), which assesses the quality of primary care. We conducted a linear regression analysis to adjust for age, sex, educational status, annual household income, self-rated health, living status (whether alone or not), and the existence of physical health problems.

RESULTS: Of the 6,000 residents, 1,277 responded to the survey. The median score of the UCLA 3-item loneliness scale was 6.0 and the mean total score of the PCPCM was 2.62. Of the 1,277 individuals, 713 (55.8%) had USC. Having USC was significantly associated with lower scores on the UCLA 3-item loneliness scale; the coefficient was -0.34 (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.57 to -0.12). Also, the total PCPCM score was significantly associated with lower loneliness scores; the coefficient was -0.56 (P < 0.001, 95% CI: -0.78 to -0.35).

CONCLUSIONS: Having USC and a better quality primary care were associated with a lower loneliness score. The quality of primary care could be a factor to mitigate patient loneliness.

PMID:37116200 | DOI:10.1093/fampra/cmad049

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Meta4P: A User-Friendly Tool to Parse Label-Free Quantitative Metaproteomic Data and Taxonomic/Functional Annotations

J Proteome Res. 2023 Apr 28. doi: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.2c00803. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

We present Meta4P (MetaProteins-Peptides-PSMs Parser), an easy-to-use bioinformatic application designed to integrate label-free quantitative metaproteomic data with taxonomic and functional annotations. Meta4P can retrieve, filter, and process identification and quantification data from three levels of inputs (proteins, peptides, PSMs) in different file formats. Abundance data can be combined with taxonomic and functional information and aggregated at different and customizable levels, including taxon-specific functions and pathways. Meta4P output tables, available in various formats, are ready to be used as inputs for downstream statistical analyses. This user-friendly tool is expected to provide a useful contribution to the field of metaproteomic data analysis, helping make it more manageable and straightforward.

PMID:37116187 | DOI:10.1021/acs.jproteome.2c00803

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Venous Thromboembolism Rates Have Not Decreased in Elective Lumbar Fusion Surgery from 2011 to 2020

Global Spine J. 2023 Apr 28:21925682231173642. doi: 10.1177/21925682231173642. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to (1) evaluate for any temporal trends in the rates of VTE, deep venous thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), and mortality from 2011 to 2020 and (2) identify the predictors of VTE following lumbar fusion surgery.

METHODS: Annual incidences of 30-day VTE, DVT, PE, and mortality were calculated for each of the operation year groups from 2011 to 2020. Multivariable Poisson regression was utilized to test the association between operation year and primary outcomes, as well as to identify significant predictors of VTE.

RESULTS: A total of 121,205 patients were included. There were no statistically significant differences in VTE, DVT, PE, or mortality rates among the operation year groups. Multivariable regression analysis revealed that compared to 2011, operation year 2019 was associated with significantly lower rates of DVT. Age, BMI, prolonged operation time, prolonged length of stay, non-home discharge, anterior fusion, smoking status, functional dependence, and chronic steroid use were identified as independent predictors of VTE following lumbar fusion. Female sex, Hispanic ethnicity, and outpatient surgery setting were identified as protective factors from VTE in this cohort.

CONCLUSIONS: Rates of VTE after lumbar fusion have remained mostly unchanged between 2011 and 2020. Older age, higher BMI, longer operation time, prolonged length of stay, non-home discharge, anterior fusion, smoking, functional dependence, and steroid use were independent predictors of VTE after lumbar fusion, while female sex, Hispanic ethnicity, and outpatient surgery were the protective factors.

PMID:37116184 | DOI:10.1177/21925682231173642

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Prognostic Value of β-Catenin and L1CAM Expressions in Type I Endometrial Carcinoma

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2023 Apr 1;24(4):1413-1417. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2023.24.4.1413.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the expression of β-catenin and L1CAM in the type I of Endometrial Carcinoma.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was an analytical study with a cross-sectional design using 49 samples of type I Endometrial Carcinoma. Immunohistochemical method was used to evaluate the expression of β-catenin and L1CAM related to two significant prognostic parameters i.e., lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) and metastases event of type I Endometrial Carcinoma samples.

RESULTS: From all samples collected, based on the presence of LVSI, there were 17 cases (34.7%) with LVSI and 32 (65.3%) no LVSI. Among them, there were 13 cases that included lymph node or omental samples in type I Endometrial Carcinoma, 5 (38.5%) cases of metastasis, and 8 (61.5%) cases that did not metastasize. The statistical results showed that there was a significant correlation between β-catenin and L1CAM expressions examined from tumor cells with lymphovascular space invasion and the presence of metastases in the type I Endometrial Carcinoma (p <0.05).

CONCLUSION: This study suggest that the positive expression of β-catenin together with L1CAM can participate in the development of tumor cells in type I Endometrial Carcinoma, in its ability to involve lymphovascular space invasion, and metastases to other sites. Our results indicate that both of β-catenin and L1CAM are prominent biomarkers for the prognosis of type I Endometrial Carcinoma.

PMID:37116166 | DOI:10.31557/APJCP.2023.24.4.1413

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Artificial Intelligence Role in Subclassifying Cytology of Thyroid Follicular Neoplasm

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2023 Apr 1;24(4):1379-1387. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2023.24.4.1379.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Fine needle aspiration cytology has higher sensitivity and predictive value for diagnosis of thyroid nodules than any other single diagnostic methods. In the Bethesda system for reporting thyroid, the category IV, encompasses both adenoma and carcinoma, but it is not possible to differentiate both lesions in the cytology practice and can be only differentiated after resection. In this work, we aim at exploring the ability of a convolutional neural network (CNN) model to sub-classifying cytological images of Bethesda category IV diagnosis into follicular adenoma and follicular carcinoma.

METHODS: We used a cohort of cytology cases n= 43 with extracted images n= 886 to train CNN model aiming to sub-classify follicular neoplasm (Bethesda category IV) into either follicular adenoma or follicular carcinoma.

RESULT: In our study, the model subclassification of follicular neoplasm into follicular adenoma (n = 28/43, images n = 527/886) from follicular carcinoma (n = 15/43, images n= 359/886), has achieved an accuracy of 78%, with a sensitivity of 88.4%, and a specificity of 64% and an area under the curve (AUC) score of 0.87 for each of follicular adenoma and follicular carcinoma.

CONCLUSION: Our CNN model has achieved high sensitivity in recognizing follicular adenoma amongest cytology smears of follciualr neoplasms, thus it can be used as an ancillary technique in the subcalssification of Bethesda Iv category cytology smears.

PMID:37116162 | DOI:10.31557/APJCP.2023.24.4.1379