Tag: nevin manimala

Virchows Arch. 2022 Aug 1. doi: 10.1007/s00428-022-03387-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) is originally described as an epididymis specific protein and now clinically used as a serum marker for ovarian carcinoma. However, the expression of HE4 in neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) has not been studied. By immunohistochemistry, the expressions of HE4 in 94 normal tissues and 484 NENs which included 242 well-differentiated NENs and 242 poorly differentiated NENs were studied. HE4 was positive in 90/94 (95.7%) of the neuroendocrine cells in normal tissues, 228/242 (94.2%) of well-differentiated NENs, and 206/242 (85.1%) of poorly differentiated NENs, and the expression of HE4 decreased progressively with loss of histological differentiation, with the positive rate of 96.2%, 92.7%, 92.3%, 85.4%, and 84.4% in NET-G1/carcinoid, NET-G2/atypical carcinoid, NET-G3, NEC-LC, and NEC-SC respectively. In NET-G1 and NET-G2, HE4 staining showed a peculiar polarized distribution, with an extraordinarily strong granular staining in subnuclear cytoplasm. A diffuse and uniform cytoplastic HE4 staining was observed in NET-G3 and poorly differentiated NENs. The positive rate of HE4 in primary tumors (91.1%, 387/425) was significantly higher than that of metastases (79.7%, 47/59) (p < 0.05). In a series of 70 pure non-NENs poorly differentiated carcinomas, the specificity rate of HE4 was 92.9% (65/70), which was in line with that of Syn. The negative rate of HE4 was 87.0% (40/46) in the non-neuroendocrine components of the MiNEN cases, which was lower than that of the pure non-neuroendocrine carcinomas (92.9%, 65/70) but without statistical significance (p > 0.05). HE4 may prove to be a useful immunohistochemical marker of neuroendocrine differentiation, although comparative studies and a more extensive analysis of other tissue types are necessary.

PMID:35913578 | DOI:10.1007/s00428-022-03387-4

Psicol Reflex Crit. 2022 Aug 1;35(1):24. doi: 10.1186/s41155-022-00223-1.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Physical activity is critical, not only for the normal growth and development of children, but also for emotional and social behavior. The purpose of the article is to determine the relationship between physical education and social and emotional development of preschool children.

METHODS: The study involved 366 children (188 boys and 178 girls) at the ages of 5 (N = 191) and 6 (N = 174), who study in public kindergartens in Beijing (China). Within 3 months, additional physical education and fitness classes were held. Before and after the study, a test was conducted: Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE), which was completed by the parents. The research process did not affect the performance or development of children participants.

RESULTS: As a result of the study, the main regularities of the influence of physical education on social and emotional behavior of children were established. Based on the results of the study, it was determined that there is a positive correlation between age, physical education, and social-emotional behavior (r +-= 0.668).

CONCLUSION: Gender differences are not statistically significant when it comes to physical activity’s effect on social and emotional behavior (p-value = 0.004). The results can be applied to programs for the prevention of psychosocial and social-emotional development delays of children in kindergartens.

PMID:35913559 | DOI:10.1186/s41155-022-00223-1

Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2022 Aug 1. doi: 10.1007/s00417-022-05753-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and other related parameters measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography and the refractive error of eyes.

METHODS: A total of 5394 subjects were enrolled in this population-based cohort study, who were divided into three groups by refractive state after they underwent a standardized ophthalmic examination: emmetropia (the absolute value should range from 0 to 0.5 D), low-moderate myopia (the absolute value of myopic error should range from 0.5 to 6 D), and high myopia (the absolute value of myopic error should be over than 6 D). R 3.6.1 software was adopted for statistical analysis.

RESULTS: Two thousand five hundred fifty-two subjects (4548 eyes) were collected in this study, with an average age of 53.14 ± 10.64 years. There were significant differences among groups in average central corneal curvature, spherical equivalent, and axial length (P < 0.001). The measurements of average retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) were 113.95 ± 10.62 μm, 112.97 ± 11.59 μm, and 101.88 ± 15.67 μm, respectively, in the emmetropia, low-moderate, and high myopia groups (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, there was a decreasing trend of cup area, cup volume, disc area, and rim area in the high myopia group compared with the emmetropia group (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: The measurements of RNFL thickness vary greatly with refractive error, and this study indicated that it is of great significance for the accurate diagnosis of glaucoma to establish an individualized RNFL thickness database.

PMID:35913557 | DOI:10.1007/s00417-022-05753-z

Environ Monit Assess. 2022 Aug 1;194(9):626. doi: 10.1007/s10661-022-10303-5.

ABSTRACT

As the run-of-river (RoR) hydropower projects remain understudied, we conducted this study to understand how these projects affect the hydro-chemical dynamics and water quality index (WQI) of the Sindh River in the Kashmir Himalayas. We used multivariate statistical techniques and WQI to identify the spatiotemporal dynamics of 18 physico-chemical parameters from 11 sampling stations distributed along the length of river Sindh from December 2017 to December 2019. The dataset was classified into three groups using hierarchical cluster analysis based on similarities between hydro-chemical characteristics, and the results were confirmed by discriminant analysis. Wilk’s quotient distribution further showed that ions, nutrients, free carbon dioxide, water temperature, and pH contributed to the formation of clusters. Principle component analysis revealed that the chloride (Cl^–), total phosphorus (TP), ortho-phosphorus (PO₄-P), nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃-N), nitrite-nitrogen (NO₂-N), and sulfate ion (SO₄^2-) are significant factors that influence the water quality. Furthermore, our results suggest that diverting water for RoR operation did not significantly raise the WQI value to the point where water in the bypassed reaches could be declared unfit for drinking. Our analysis concluded that inclusive assessments are vital for framing policies on expanding RoR hydropower in the region.

PMID:35913530 | DOI:10.1007/s10661-022-10303-5

Acta Oncol. 2022 Aug 1:1-7. doi: 10.1080/0284186X.2022.2103387. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate phase IV efficacy, of the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab among an unselected and unbiased national cohort of recurrent/metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (rmHNSCC) patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Inclusion criteria included histologically confirmed rmHNSCC and nivolumab as a second-line palliative treatment. Data were collected from patient files at the five Danish head and neck cancer centers and from the DAHANCA database. The iRECIST criteria were used for treatment evaluation.Endpoints were response rate (RR), overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS), calculated from the start of treatment to the date of event/censoring by the KM-method. Descriptive statistics were used to describe patients and treatment. Analyses were two-sided, with p < .05 considered significant.

RESULTS: A total of 146 patients were identified in the period 2017-2020. They had a RR of 14%, median OS of 10.2 months [95% CI: 8.2-12.2] and median PFS of 3.1 months [95% CI: 2.3-4.2]. Patient age (≥ 70 years) or comorbidity did not significantly affect outcome. WHO performance status (PS) =1 was associated with an increased risk of death (HR: 2.1 [95% CI: 1.2-4.0], p = .02) and progression (HR: 1.9 [95% CI: 1.2-3.2], p = .01). Concomitant glucocorticoid-treatment during immunotherapy (≥ 50% of treatment time) appeared important for risk of death (HR: 6.4 [95% CI: 2.3-17.8], p < .001) and risk of progression (HR: 4.8 [95% CI: 1.8-12.5], p = .001). PD-L1 expression ≥ 20% was associated with a lowered risk of progression (HR: 0.5 [95% CI: 0.3-0.7], p = .001), but not lowered risk of death.

CONCLUSION: In this unselected national cohort, outcome of second-line treatment reflects data from the registration studies. Furthermore, the results suggest that immunotherapy should be used with great care in treatment of rmHNSCC in patients with poor performance.

PMID:35913523 | DOI:10.1080/0284186X.2022.2103387

Minerva Pediatr (Torino). 2022 Aug 1. doi: 10.23736/S2724-5276.22.06968-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Breastfeeding is considered the gold standard for infants’ nutrition and provides unique benefits for infants’ health.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Great research interest has been raised about the use of bioactive components in neonatal medicine, both as standalone products and as addition to infant formula, in the attempt to reproduce human milk beneficial effects. Thus, the aim of this narrative review is to summarize most recent evidence on biotics’ use in the neonatal period, with a focus on infant formula (IF) supplemented with probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics and postbiotics.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Growing data indicate overall positive effects of biotic supplemented formula on microbiome composition and metabolic activity. Furthermore, some benefits are also emerging from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the clinical impact these enriched formulas may have on the health of formula fed infants. However, clear evidence still lacks and none of this supplemented IF has demonstrated conclusive superiority.

CONCLUSIONS: To date, whereas no routine recommendations can be done, biotics supplemented IF have generally proven to be well-tolerated and safe in ensuring infants’ normal growth, paving the way for future IF alternatives for those infants who are not able to be (fully) breastfed. More RCTs, with adequate design and statistical power, are still needed to better clarify, if present, which benefits the supplementation of IF may confer to infants’ short and long-term outcomes.

PMID:35912792 | DOI:10.23736/S2724-5276.22.06968-3

Work. 2022 Jul 24. doi: 10.3233/WOR-211054. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Otorhinolaryngology practitioners are known to be susceptible to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), but the incidence of WMSDs in Saudi Arabia has not been documented.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to establish the prevalence, characteristics, contributing factors, work sector, and impact of WMSDs among otorhinolaryngology practitioners in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 104 otorhinolaryngology practitioners in Saudi Arabia using a six-component questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, prevalence, percentages, and chi-square tests were used for data analysis.

RESULTS: The response rate was 65.3% . The reported 12-month incidence of WMSDs was 72.7% . The neck region (67.3%) was the most common site of disorders, followed by the shoulder (49%). The elbow and hip (10.5%) regions were the least commonly affected regions. WMSD prevalence was related to gender, with men more affected than women (neck, shoulders, low back); age, with younger otorhinolaryngology practitioners more affected than older ones (neck, shoulder); work sector, with greater prevalence in government than other sectors (neck); and sub-specialty, with general otolaryngology reporting the highest WMSD frequency, followed by otology and neurotology (neck, shoulder, low back, upper back, knees). Most otorhinolaryngology practitioners experienced two to four episodes of neck, shoulder, and low-back WMSDs. The most significant risk factor for WMSDs was sustained posture for long periods of time (61.5%). The most common strategy implemented against WMSDs was modifying the practitioner’s position during treatment (58.6%).

CONCLUSIONS: WMSDs among otorhinolaryngology practitioners in Saudi Arabia are very common, with the neck and shoulders regions most often involved. Improved professional skills and an understanding of the principles of ergonomics can prevent the initial development of WMSDs in otorhinolaryngology practitioners.

PMID:35912780 | DOI:10.3233/WOR-211054

J Alzheimers Dis. 2022 Jul 26. doi: 10.3233/JAD-220246. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Aging is a risk factor for several pathologies as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Great interest exists, therefore, in discovering diagnostic biomarkers and indicators discriminating biological aging and health status. To this aim, omic investigations of biological matrices, as saliva, whose sampling is easy and non-invasive, offer great potential.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate the salivary proteome through a statistical comparison of the proteomic data by several approaches to highlight quali-/quantitative variations associated specifically either to aging or to AD occurrence, and, thus, able to classify the subjects.

METHODS: Salivary proteomic data of healthy controls under-70 (adults) and over-70 (elderly) years old, and over-70 AD patients, obtained by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, were analyzed by multiple Mann-Whitney test, Kendall correlation, and Random-Forest (RF) analysis.

RESULTS: Almost all the investigated proteins/peptides significantly decreased in relation to aging in elderly subjects, with or without AD, in comparison with adults. AD subjects exhibited the highest levels of α-defensins, thymosin β4, cystatin B, S100A8 and A9. Correlation tests also highlighted age/disease associated differences. RF analysis individuated quali-/quantitative variations in 20 components, as oxidized S100A8 and S100A9, α-defensin 3, P-B peptide, able to classify with great accuracy the subjects into the three groups.

CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrated a strong change of the salivary protein profile in relation to the aging. Potential biomarkers candidates of AD were individuated in peptides/proteins involved in antimicrobial defense, innate immune system, inflammation, and in oxidative stress. RF analysis revealed the feasibility of the salivary proteome to discriminate groups of subjects based on age and health status.

PMID:35912740 | DOI:10.3233/JAD-220246

Hum Antibodies. 2022 Jul 19. doi: 10.3233/HAB-220010. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Thyroglobulin (anti-TG) and/or thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) autoantibodies are associated with higher rates of poor gestational outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the impact of anti-TPO and anti-TG autoantibodies on the gestational outcomes of euthyroid pregnant women with a history of poor gestational outcome and thyroid gland disorders.

METHODS: This retrospective study included totally 75 euthyroid pregnant, 30 of women with high thyroid autoantibodies (Anti-TPO/Thyroglobulin-positive group) and 45 of them without autoantibodies (control group).

RESULTS: We could not demonstrate significant differences between two groups in terms of risk factors/co-morbidities, obstetric complications, gestational outcomes, and birth data (p> 0.05). However, enhanced miscarriage rates were observed among the Anti-TPO/Thyroglobulin-positive and control groups without significance (36.7% and 17.8% respectively, p= 0.116). High neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission rates were found for control and Anti-TPO/Thyroglobulin-positive groups (16.2% and 21.1%, respectively) (p= 0.720). Clinically, we compared the two groups in terms of the existence and the types of goiter (diffuse and nodular), and demonstrated that nodular goiter was statistically more frequent in the control group (40.0% vs. 8.7%, p= 0.015). Alongside, relatively high hereditary thrombophilia and type-2 diabetes mellitus rates were found in the Anti-TPO/Thyroglobulin-positive group (20.0% and 20.0%).

CONCLUSION: Thyroid autoantibody positivity is likely a risk factor for early pregnancy loss and NICU admission.

PMID:35912736 | DOI:10.3233/HAB-220010

Clin Hemorheol Microcirc. 2022 Jul 28. doi: 10.3233/CH-221554. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: To quantify the hemodynamic and thrombotic effect of COVID-19 on the eye microcirculation of patients with thromboprophylaxis, shortly after hospital discharge.

METHODS: This case-control study included 17 COVID-19 survivors (named “COVID-19 Group”) and 17 healthy volunteers (named “Control Group”). Axial blood velocity (Vax) and percentage of occluded vessels (POV) were quantified by Conjunctival Video Capillaroscopy (CVC). Microvessels were identified and classified as “capillaries” (CAP), “postcapillary venules of size 1” (PC1), and “postcapillary venules of size 2” (PC2).

RESULTS: The COVID-19 Group did not differ significantly in basic demographics from the Control Group. In the COVID-19 Group, there was a statistically significant (p < 0.001) reduction of Vax (39%, 49% and 47%, for CAP, PC1, and PC2, respectively) in comparison to the Control Group and a sizeable (p < 0.001) increase of POV (600%) in comparison to the Control Group.

CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 not only reduces significantly axial blood velocity in the capillaries and postcapillary venules of the eye but has also a devastating effect on microthrombosis (POV) despite thromboprophylaxis treatment. This gives a possible explanation for long COVID and a hint about the existence of a possibly unknown coagulation factor.

PMID:35912735 | DOI:10.3233/CH-221554