Tag: nevin manimala

Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2021 Oct 22;49(293):346-351.

ABSTRACT

It is known that the violation of one or more functions of the liver, where the basic biochemical processes take place, is reflected in the functional state of many organs and systems, causing severe consequences. For the effective treatment of the hepatobiliary system diseases the drugs from fungi and plant materials are promising, the ingredients of which are close to natural metabolites, have different mechanisms of hepatoprotective action and, in general, can have a positive effect on liver function.

AIM: The aim of the research was to investigate the hepatoprotective properties of the Maitake mushrooms thick extract in the experiment on rats with paracetamol (acetaminophen)-induced hepatitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed on 60 white male rats weighing 180-210 g and aged 6-6,5 months. Rats were divided into 10 groups, each of which included 6 animals. Acute hepatitis was simulated by acetaminophen intragastrically administering at a dose of 1250 mg/ kg of body weight 1 time per day as a suspension in 2% starch gel solution for 2 days. Correction of the toxic lesions was performed with a thick extract of Maitake mushrooms, which was administered intragastrically 2 hours before the introduction of acetaminophen and daily after the lesion at a dose of 150 mg/kg of body weight. “Silibor” (active basis – silymarin) was chosen as a comparison drug, which was administered according to the same scheme as Maitake extract at a dose of 20 mg/kg of animal body weight. On the 3rd, 7th and 10th days from the onset of the lesion, rats were euthanized using sodium barbamyl. Liver homogenate and blood serum were tested. Blood was taken from the hearts of animals. Endogenous intoxication of animals after the introduction of corrective factors was assessed by the activity of ALT, AST, GGTP, LF and the size of the thymol sample. All changes were confirmed by parametric and nonparametric methods of statistical analysis of the results of the study.

RESULTS: The expressed cytolysis of hepatocytes, after administration to rats of toxicant, on the basis of research of the activity of aminotransferases, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, alkaline phosphatase and thymol sample size is proved. The results of the experiment were confirmed histologically. The introduction of a thick extract of Maitake mushrooms contributed to the normalization of the studied indicators.

CONCLUSIONS: The application of the Maitake mushrooms thick extract as a corrective factor in the simulated acetaminophen hepatitis indicates its hepato-, cytoprotective and antioxidative properties.

PMID:34800021

Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2021 Oct 22;49(293):334-336.

ABSTRACT

In treating inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), regular physical activity (PA) and healthy behaviours play an increasingly important role.

AIM: The aim of the study was to analyse PA with motivation to undertake it, health behaviours, and level of self-esteem in individuals with IBD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved 50 (mean age 39.1±11.5 years) adults with IBD hospitalised in Poznan. The control group consisted of 50 (mean age 40.7±9.1 years) healthy volunteers. The survey included sociodemographic data, Inventory of Physical Activity Objectives (IPAO), Inventory of Health Behaviours (IHB), and Rosenberg self-esteem scale. Differences between groups were calculated using the Mann-Whitney test (p<0.05).

RESULTS: Most respondents of both groups did not undertake any PA. The values of IPAO categories in a group with IBD were significantly higher compared to the control group. Also, people with IBD had a statistically more significant value of general intensity index of health behaviour and statistically higher self-esteem than a group of healthy people.

CONCLUSIONS: We found that people with IBD show a greater awareness of the impact of their health behaviour on their health when compared to control. However, the authors recorded the unsatisfactory level of motivation to undertake daily PA and practical pro-health activities. In treating these chronically ill patients, physicians should pay more attention to adequate education and motivation for regular exercise and appropriate health behaviours in everyday life.

PMID:34800018

Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2021 Oct 22;49(293):337-340.

ABSTRACT

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a common skin disorder caused by contact with an exogenous substance that elicits a hypersensitivity response in susceptible individuals. Changing fashion trends, the process of industrialization as well as official legislations restricting the use of metals in recreational and occupational products change the epidemiological patterns in the European countries.

AIM: The aim of the study was to estimate the current prevalence of isolated and concurrent sensitization to nickel sulfate, cobalt chloride and potassium dichromate, as well as to investigate their associations with potentially predisposing epidemiological and clinical factors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 1200 patients with suspected ACD were enrolled for this study. Medical records were taken on the basis of the standardized questionnaire to collect epidemiological and clinical variables. All patients were tested with T.R.U.E. TEST Panel 1.2 and Panel 2.2, including the total of 24 allergens.

RESULTS: We observed statistically significant difference in mean age between women allergic to cobalt (41 vs 49; p<0.001) and nickel (41 vs 50; p<0.001) than among women not allergic to metals . Female gender was a significant risk factor for an allergy to nickel (OR 3.7909, CI95%: 2.4081 – 5.9677; p<0.001). Chi2 test showed that atopic dermatitis may influence the prevalence of allergic reaction to cobalt in a group of women and men, as well only among women or men – the most significant association was noted among men (OR=3.8472, CI95%: 1.1518 – 12.8503; p=0.0285). The sensitization any metal was a significant risk factor for an allergy to other metallic allergens.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study gives a valuable insight into the metal allergy prevalence in Polish population and sheds some light on the associated risk factors. The results serve to raise questions concerning the relevance of metal allergies and to highlight the need for more effective preventive measures.

PMID:34800019

Endocrinol Diabetes Metab. 2021 Nov 19:e00310. doi: 10.1002/edm2.310. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The aims of this study were to examine presence of GAD65 autoantibodies (GAD65aab) in offspring born to women with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and controls and if more were GAD65aab-positive if diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes. This EPICOM study is a prospective follow-up study focussing on pregnancies complicated by maternal T1D. The EPICOM study includes offspring (n = 278) born to mothers with pre-gestational T1D between 1993 and 1999 and matched un-exposed controls (n = 303). Age at the time of follow-up was 16.7 years (13.0-20.4 years). GAD65aab was measured using the Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase Autoantibody RIA kit from RSR^© . An Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) was performed, and abnormal glucose tolerance was defined as having either diabetes, impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). GAD65aab could be measured in 561 participants. Of these, 17 (3%) were positive for GAD65aab (≥25 U/ml) with 11 (4%) offspring being born to women with T1D and 6 (2%) controls. The difference in GAD65aab status was not statistically significant (p = .2). One was diagnosed with GAD65aab-negative diabetes during the study, 18 were diagnosed with IFG, and 44 with IGT. Overall, more were GAD65aab-positive if diagnosed with abnormal glucose tolerance (p = .03). We found no association between GAD65aab status and HOMA-IR, HOMA-IS, birthweight, mode of delivery or maternal BMI prior to pregnancy. Our study found no overall difference in GAD65 status between offspring born to women with T1D and their matched controls. However, among the participants diagnosed with pre-diabetes more were GAD65-positive.

PMID:34800010 | DOI:10.1002/edm2.310

Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2021 Oct 22;49(293):329-333.

ABSTRACT

Data concerning the influence of sex hormones on body composition in women with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is limited.

AIM: The aim of our study was to define free testosterone levels and their association with body composition, biochemical markers of nutrition in females with CKD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 47 women were included into the study. 13 females treated with hemodialysis formed the hemodialysis group (HD), 24 females with CKD stage IV/V (eGFR < 30 ml/min/1,73 m2) formed the predialysis group (PreD), and 10 females without kidney disease formed the control group (C). Lean tissue mass (LTM) and fat mass (Fat) were measured using bioimpedance spectroscopy. Free testosterone levels were assessed using ELISA (IBL International). Statistical analysis was performed using Statistica v 13.1.

RESULTS: The median free testosterone (fT) levels were 0.7, 0.6, 0.85 pg/ml respectively for HD, PreD and C group. The median fT did not differ significantly between the groups (p=0.24). The mean LTM was 28.5 ±5.6, 27.3 ±4.9, 30.6 ±4.3 kg, mean Fat mass was 22.7 ±8.5, 31.3 ±9.8, 31.6 ±8.5 kg for the HD, PreD and C groups respectively. Positive correlations were observed between fT and LTM (r=0.306, p=0.035) in the whole study group. A negative correlation was observed between fT and age (r=-0.284) but was on the border of statistical significance (p=0.052).

CONCLUSIONS: In women with advanced CKD, median testosterone levels did not differ significantly from those observed in women without kidney failure. Free testosterone levels were associated with the amount of muscle mass in the whole study population.

PMID:34800017

J Nurs Scholarsh. 2021 Nov 19. doi: 10.1111/jnu.12745. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: While nurse editors carry great responsibility for the scientific literature in the nursing profession, little has been published about this unique role. The purpose of this study was to examine contemporary nurse editors’ roles and practices.

DESIGN: In early 2019, a sample of 129 nurse editors participated in a cross-sectional study using survey methods.

METHODS: The online survey was based on an instrument used in a prior study and included 43 primarily multiple-choice questions. Findings were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

FINDINGS: Beyond the expected roles of journal management, editorial decision making, leadership for the profession, and specific journal focus, some aspects of the nurse editor role have remained unchanged. The role continues to be learned mostly on the job and nurse editors still find satisfaction in helping other nurses publish and disseminate their work. Nurse editors are older and better educated. They also are receiving more manuscripts submitted to their journals and perceive this role as hard work but worth it. This is also the first study to report on the role of other levels of editors.

CONCLUSION: This study provides a description of the current roles and practices of nurse editors. Nurse editors can bring more attention to the role and encourage more nurses to consider this role as an attainable and a satisfying one.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Being a nurse editor is a leadership role and one that many nurses may not consider as a career goal. Nurse editors can increase the visibility of this role and engage, encourage, and support nurses who are interested in this role.

PMID:34799979 | DOI:10.1111/jnu.12745

J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol. 2021 Nov 19. doi: 10.1111/1754-9485.13350. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: To optimize CT chest protocol by comparing venous contrast timing with arterial timing for contrast opacification in vessels, qualitative image quality and radiologists’ satisfaction and diagnostic confidence in assessing for potential nodal, pleural and pulmonary disease in general oncology outpatients.

METHOD: Matched case-control study performed following CT protocol update. 92 patients with a range of primary malignancies with 2 CT chests in a 2-year period, one with an arterial phase protocol and the second in the 60 second venous phase, were included. Contrast attenuation in aorta, pulmonary artery and liver were measured. Subjective measurements assessed perivenous artefact, confidence in nodal pleural and pulmonary assessment and presence of pulmonary emboli. Statistical analysis was performed using paired and unpaired t-tests.

RESULTS: Venous-phase CT demonstrated more consistent enhancement of the vessels, with higher attenuation of the nodes, pulmonary and pleural lesions. There was a significant reduction in perivenous beam hardening artefact on venous-phase CT (P < 0.001). Diagnostic confidence was significantly higher for nodal assessment and pleural abnormality visibility (P < 0.001) and pleural assessment (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in pulmonary mass visibility. There was adequate enhancement to diagnose significant pulmonary emboli (PE) with 4 incidental PEs detected on the venous phase, extending to segmental vessels.

CONCLUSION: Venous-phase CT chest performs better than arterial-phase on all fronts, without compromising assessment of incidental pulmonary emboli. When intravenous contrast is indicated in a routine chest CT (excluding a CT-angiogram), the default timing should be a venous or 60s phase.

PMID:34799981 | DOI:10.1111/1754-9485.13350

J Magn Reson Imaging. 2021 Nov 19. doi: 10.1002/jmri.28000. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The majority of heart failure (HF) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) manifests as a phenotype with preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction; however, the exact contribution of left atrial (LA) phasic function to HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in HCM remains unresolved.

PURPOSE: To define the association between LA function and HFpEF in HCM patients using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) feature tracking.

STUDY TYPE: Retrospective.

POPULATION: One hundred and fifty-four HCM patients (HFpEF vs. non-HF: 55 [34 females] vs. 99 [43 females]).

FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3.0 T/balanced steady-state free precession.

ASSESSMENT: LA reservoir function (reservoir strain [ε_s ], total ejection fraction [EF]), conduit function (conduit strain [ε_e ], passive EF), booster-pump function (booster strain [ε_a ] and active EF), LA volume index, and LV global longitudinal strain (LV GLS) were evaluated in HCM patients.

STATISTICAL TESTS: Chi-square test, Student’s t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, multivariate linear regression, logistic regression, and net reclassification analysis were used. Two-sided P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: No significant difference was found in LV GLS between the non-HF and HFpEF group (-10.67 ± 3.14% vs. -10.14 ± 4.01%, P = 0.397), whereas the HFpEF group had more severely impaired LA phasic strain (ε_s : 27.40 [22.60, 35.80] vs. 18.15 [11.98, 25.90]; ε_e : 13.80 [9.20, 18.90] vs. 7.95 [4.30, 14.35]; ε_a : 13.50 [9.90, 17.10] vs. 7.90 [5.40, 14.15]). LA total EF (37.91 [29.54, 47.94] vs. 47.49 [39.18, 55.01]), passive EF (14.70 [7.41, 21.49] vs. 18.07 [9.32, 24.78]), and active EF (27.19 [17.79, 36.60] vs. 36.64 [26.63, 42.71]) were all significantly decreased in HFpEF patients compared with non-HF patients. LA reservoir (β = 0.90 [0.85, 0.96]), conduit (β = 0.93 [0.87, 0.99]), and booster (β = 0.86 [0.78, 0.95]) strain were independently associated with HFpEF in HCM patients. The model including reservoir strain (Net Reclassification Index [NRI]: 0.260) or booster strain (NRI: 0.325) improved the reclassification of HFpEF based on LV GLS and minimum left atrial volume index (LAVI_min ).

DATA CONCLUSION: LA phasic function was severely impaired in HCM patients with HFpEF, whereas LV function was not further impaired compared with non-HF patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 3.

PMID:34799953 | DOI:10.1002/jmri.28000

Child Care Health Dev. 2021 Nov 20. doi: 10.1111/cch.12932. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Developmental delay (DD) indicates a failure to meet the developmental milestones of most children of the same age. Studies based solely on the ICD coding manual may underestimate the prevalence of DD. Real-world use of rehabilitation data may be useful in the identification of more DD children previously undiagnosed with DD.

AIMS: To estimate the prevalence of DD among children aged 0-6 by age and sex in Taiwan based on modified ICD codes.

METHODS: A list of ICD codes specific to DD (including delays and disabilities requiring early intervention) was generated from the existing ICD codebook and modified based on National Health Insurance (NHI) claims data pertaining to developmental rehabilitation of children aged 0-6. The validity of the codes was subsequently assessed by DD experts in various fields using the consensus development technique. The resulting list was used to estimate the prevalence of DD among children in Taiwan from 2000 to 2015 based on analysis of longitudinal NHI data.

RESULT: Between 2000 and 2015, the prevalence of DD among children aged 0 to 6 years increased from 2.0% to 5.7 % and the sex ratio was 181-197 males per 100 females. The prevalence estimate obtained in this study (5.6%) was 229% higher than existing government statistics (1.6%) published in 2014.

CONCLUSIONS: The codes developed using claims data in this study can be used to estimate the prevalence of DD among children and evaluate the effectiveness of intervention programs. Consistent increases in the prevalence of DD indicate that efforts to promote early intervention have been effective. Nonetheless, the low prevalence rate among 0-2y children with developmental delay and low prevalence rate of female CWDD means that the policy should notice the lack of access to healthcare services for infants and female children, and produce a more equitable or fair distribution of healthcare resources.

PMID:34799877 | DOI:10.1111/cch.12932

J Magn Reson Imaging. 2021 Nov 19. doi: 10.1002/jmri.28002. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods are increasingly being used to assess the human placenta. Yet, the structure-function interplay in normal placentas and their associations with pregnancy risks are not fully understood.

PURPOSE: To characterize the normal human placental structure (volume and umbilical cord centricity index (CI)) and function (perfusion) ex-vivo using MRI, to assess their association with birth weight (BW), and identify imaging-markers for placentas at risk for dysfunction.

STUDY TYPE: Prospective.

POPULATION: Twenty normal term ex-vivo placentas.

FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3 T/ T₁ and T₂ weighted (T₁ W, T₂ W) turbo spin-echo, three-dimensional susceptibility-weighted image, and time-resolved angiography with interleaved stochastic trajectories (TWIST), during passage of a contrast agent using MRI compatible perfusion system that mimics placental flow.

ASSESSMENT: Placental volume and CI were manually extracted from the T₁ W images by a fetal-placental MRI scientist (D.L., 7 years of experience). Perfusion maps including bolus arrival-time and full-width at half maximum were calculated from the TWIST data. Mean values, entropy, and asymmetries were calculated from each perfusion map, relating to both the whole placenta and volumes of interest (VOIs) within the umbilical cord and its daughter blood vessels.

STATISTICAL TESTS: Pearson correlations with correction for multiple comparisons using false discovery rate were performed between structural and functional parameters, and with BW, with P < 0.05 considered significant.

RESULTS: All placentas were successfully perfused and scanned. Significant correlations were found between whole placenta and VOIs perfusion parameters (mean R = 0.76 ± 0.06, range = 0.67-0.89), which were also significantly correlated with CI (mean R = 0.72 ± 0.05, range = 0.65-0.79). BW was correlated with placental volume (R = 0.62), but not with CI (P = 0.40). BW was also correlated with local perfusion asymmetry (R = -0.71).

DATA CONCLUSION: Results demonstrate a gradient of placental function, associated with CI and suggest several ex-vivo imaging-markers that might indicate an increased risk for placental dysfunction.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 1.

PMID:34799945 | DOI:10.1002/jmri.28002