Tag: statistics

J Cosmet Dermatol. 2023 Aug 4. doi: 10.1111/jocd.15894. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the effects of PDO threads non-surgical rhinoplasty on patients’ quality of life (using FACE-Q Scale) and first impression assessments.

METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study of 10 adult patients who sought non surgical rhinoplasty to improve tip rotation or reduce the appearance of a dorsal hump. All patients fulfilled the study’s enrollment criteria. Prior to treatment, patients completed pre-treatment FACE-Q surveys and pre-treatment photos were obtained. Each patient was treated with the appropriate size and number of PDO threads necessary to achieve optimal correction result (OCR). Two weeks after treatment, the patient completed posttreatment FACE-Q surveys and posttreatment photos were obtained and analyzed. First impression surveys were created using pre- and posttreatment photos, and the survey was completed by 146 blinded evaluators.

RESULTS: There was statistically significant improvement in the FACE-Q scores for social function (p = 0.02), psychological function (p = 0.0009) and satisfaction with nose (p = 0.0001). There was significant reduction in scores for appearance related psychosocial distress (p = 0.03). For the first impression surveys, there was a statistically significant improvement (p = 0.029) in the attractiveness scale posttreatment. Although not statistically significant, there was reduction of the dorsal hump (p = 0.15) and increase in the nasolabial angle (p = 0.48) and Goode’s ratio (p = 0.16). There were no major adverse events or complications.

CONCLUSION: This study shows that the PDO threads alone can be used safely to achieve minor nasal changes especially in tip rotation and appearance of dorsal hump, to improve patients’ quality of life, and perceived attractiveness of treated patients.

PMID:37539496 | DOI:10.1111/jocd.15894

Aging Cell. 2023 Aug 4:e13940. doi: 10.1111/acel.13940. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in immune responses; however, their excessive production and accumulation increases the risk of inflammation-related diseases. Although irradiation is known to accelerate immunological aging, the underlying mechanism is still unclear. To determine the possible involvement of ROS in this mechanism, we examined 10,023 samples obtained from 3752 atomic-bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, who participated in repeated biennial examinations from 2008 to 2016, for the effects of aging and radiation exposure on intracellular ROS (H₂ O₂ and O₂ ^•- ) levels, percentages of T-cell subsets, and the effects of radiation exposure on the relationship between cell percentages and intracellular ROS levels in T-cell subsets. The cell percentages and intracellular ROS levels in T-cell subsets were measured using flow cytometry, with both fluorescently labeled antibodies and the fluorescent reagents, carboxy-DCFDA and hydroethidine. The percentages of naïve CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells decreased with increasing age and radiation dose, while the intracellular O₂ ^•- levels in central and effector memory CD8⁺ T cells increased. Additionally, when divided into three groups based on the percentages of naïve CD4⁺ T cells, intracellular O₂ ^•- levels of central and effector memory CD8⁺ T cells were significantly elevated with the lowest radiation dose group in the naïve CD4⁺ T cells. Thus, the radiation exposure-induced decrease in the naïve CD4⁺ T cell pool size may reflect decreased immune function, resulting in increased intracellular ROS levels in central and effector memory CD8⁺ T cells, and increased intracellular oxidative stress.

PMID:37539495 | DOI:10.1111/acel.13940

Int J Speech Lang Pathol. 2023 Aug 4:1-9. doi: 10.1080/17549507.2023.2180094. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to adapt and validate the Speech Pathology-Specific Questionnaire for Persons with Multiple Sclerosis (SMS) into the Greek language.

METHOD: The study sample consisted of 124 people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) and 50 healthy controls (HCs). All PwMS underwent cognitive assessment using the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS). Both PwMS and HCs completed the SMS, the Eating Assessment tool (EAT-10), the Voice Handicap Index (VHI), and the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale-39 (SAQOL-39).

RESULT: Significant difference was found between PwMS and HCs for the EAT-10, SAQOL-39, the total SMS, and the SMS subscales. Discriminant validity analyses revealed a statistically significant difference between PwMS and HCs for the total and subscales SMS. Convergent validity analyses between the total SMS and the SMS subscales, and scores on the BICAMS, EAT-10, SAQOL-39, and VHI in PwMS were significantly correlated, with exception of the SMS Speech/Voice with the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) and the Greek Verbal Learning Test-II (GVLT-II). Scores on the EAT-10, SAQOL-39, and VHI in PwMS were also correlated with the total SMS and the SMS subscales in PwMS, HCs, and the total sample. Construct validity analyses revealed that the total SMS and the SMS subscales were significantly correlated with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and years of education, while no associations were found with regards to age, MS subtype (relapsing-remitting MS [RRMS] vs progressive MS [PMS]), disease duration, or sex. The internal consistency of all items was excellent in PwMS and the total sample (Cronbach’s alpha was >0.7 after deletion of one item), with the exception of two items, which still fell within the acceptable range (>0.6) for PwMS and the total sample.

CONCLUSION: The Greek version of the SMS is a reliable and valid patient-reported outcome measure to assess speech-language and swallowing pathology related symptoms in PwMS, and can be used for research and clinical purposes.

PMID:37539484 | DOI:10.1080/17549507.2023.2180094

Cureus. 2023 Jul 3;15(7):e41305. doi: 10.7759/cureus.41305. eCollection 2023 Jul.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Patients with life-threatening hemorrhages due to blunt torso trauma are at a particularly high risk of being underdiagnosed. The pulse pressure (PP) starts narrowing down before the traditional parameters start changing, making it a useful tool for assessing and planning early intervention.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the utility of low PP in predicting massive transfusion (MT) or operative intervention in patients with isolated blunt abdominal trauma.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 186 patients were included. The PP and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were calculated. Vitals, PP, and MAP were monitored every 15 min during the first 6 h, then every 30 min during the next 6 h, and afterward, every 4 h until discharge. A Chi-square test and an independent t-test (as appropriate) were applied to compare variables with PP at the time of presentation. Differences were considered statistically significant at p-value ≤ 0.05.

RESULTS: A total of 55.9% of these patients had injuries due to road traffic accidents (RTA). Emergency operative intervention was provided to 26.3% of the patients. Death was 4.3%. MT was required by 26.3% of the patients. There was a statistically significant association between low PP and sex, length of stay, repeat extended focused assessment with sonography in trauma (eFAST), emergency operational intervention, outcome, MT, number of crystalloids consumed within the first four hours after presentation, injury severity score, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and pulse rate.

CONCLUSION: The PP <30 mmHg was observed as a useful predictor for increased blood loss requiring blood transfusion or operative intervention.

PMID:37539430 | PMC:PMC10394963 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.41305

Cureus. 2023 Jul 2;15(7):e41293. doi: 10.7759/cureus.41293. eCollection 2023 Jul.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Transplanting a tooth from one area of the mouth to another is known as autogenous tooth transplantation. It is a great choice for restoring young patients’ teeth with developing alveolar bone because it uses the patient’s own tooth as the replacement rather than a false one. This study aims to evaluate pain, infection, mobility, resorption, ankylosis, and success rate in the replacement of mandibular non-restorable molars through an immediate autotransplantation of the nonfunctional impacted mandibular third molar.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this in vivo study, 20 patients between the ages of 22 and 50 were selected. The cases in which the first or second mandibular molar was nonrestorable and had an impacted third molar for transplantation were selected. In all the cases, the nonrestorable molar was extracted and replaced with a nonfunctional, impacted third molar. All the cases were evaluated for pain, infection, mobility, ankylosis, and resorption at the postoperative second week, one month, third month, and six months. The pain was assessed on the visual analog scale (VAS), infection was assessed by the presence of purulent discharges, mobility was assessed on a clinical examination of tooth movements, ankylosis was seen radiographically as the obliteration of the periodontal ligament space, and the absence of the lamina dura and resorption were seen radiographically as radiolucency on the root surface. All the readings were tabulated and statistically analyzed.

RESULTS: Pain was seen to be maximal at two weeks and minimum at six months. Infection was not seen at all time intervals. Mobility was reduced with time. There was no significant ankylosis or resorption. Out of the 20 cases, four patients required extractions due to resorption and grade 3 mobility. One patient showed ankylosis. The success rate of the autotransplantation was 75%. Fifteen patients showed well-defined lamina dura without ankylosis or resorption.

CONCLUSION: Autotransplantation is a valuable tooth replacement option and more economical, especially when provided with proper case selection.

PMID:37539402 | PMC:PMC10394477 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.41293

Cureus. 2023 Jul 3;15(7):e41320. doi: 10.7759/cureus.41320. eCollection 2023 Jul.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The physical and mental health of parents can be adversely affected by their child’s disability, leading to a potential decline in their overall Quality of Life (QoL). This research aimed to determine the QoL of family caregivers and compare this based on sociodemographic factors and child characteristics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: An analytical cross-sectional design was employed, and data were collected from multiple rehabilitation centers for children with special needs and learning disorders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study sample comprised 95 family caregivers who completed a self-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included sections on sociodemographic characteristics, child characteristics, and caregivers’ QoL assessed using the RAND 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). The collected data were analyzed using the IBM Corp. Released 2022. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 29.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp, employing descriptive statistics and multivariate linear regression analysis.

RESULTS: Our findings revealed that the overall mean QoL score among caregivers was 57, ranging from 12 to 94. There were no statistically significant differences in QoL scores based on caregivers’ age, gender, occupational status, or income. However, further analysis indicated significant associations between certain factors and specific domains of QoL. Specifically, caregiver education was found to be associated with role limitations due to emotional problems, while relationships with disabled children were linked to emotional well-being. The severity of the child’s disability and the presence of another child with a disability in the family were associated with the bodily pain domain. Additionally, the presence of another child with a disability had an impact on perceived change in the health domain.

CONCLUSIONS: The QoL of family caregivers varied, highlighting the significant challenges faced by certain individuals. Factors such as education level, the relationship with the child, the severity of the disability, and the presence of multiple disabled children in the family were identified as influencing caregivers’ QoL. These findings emphasize the importance of developing targeted interventions that can address emotional well-being and fatigue management while promoting a supportive society.

PMID:37539394 | PMC:PMC10395756 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.41320

Cureus. 2023 Jul 3;15(7):e41324. doi: 10.7759/cureus.41324. eCollection 2023 Jul.

ABSTRACT

Aim The study aims to substantiate the quantitative role of the predominant periodontopathogen (Porphyromonas gingivalis) associated with peri-implantitis and evaluate the reactive oxygen metabolite levels in peri-implantitis patients. Methodology A total of 40 participants were taken from the department of periodontology, Thai Moogambigai Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, and divided into groups I (control) and II (test). Group I included 20 participants with healthy peri-implant tissue, and group II included 20 participants with infected peri-implant tissues. The predominant periodontopathogen was detected by using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Samples (gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), saliva, and plasma) were collected, and a biochemical assay was conducted for reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) analysis in healthy implants (control group) and peri-implantitis conditions (test group). ROM levels of the patients were statistically analyzed. Results The qualitative and quantitative profiles of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) associated with Peri-implantitis were analyzed, and the levels of ROM in periimplantitis patients were assessed. The study results substantiate the quantitative picture of Porphyromonas gingivalis in the detection of periimplantitis. The saliva and GCF samples showed significant differences in ROM levels between the test and control groups. Conclusion This is one of the few studies to detect the predominant bacterial pathogen associated with peri-implantitis and assess the ROM levels in periimplantitis patients. The study gives a correlation between the periopathogens and ROM levels, thereby facilitating the attainment of the best possible treatment options.

PMID:37539392 | PMC:PMC10396069 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.41324

Front Aging Neurosci. 2023 Jul 19;15:1216052. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1216052. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of music therapy (MT) and/or physical rehabilitation (PR) on cognitive and motor function in elderly Tunisian male and female patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Male patients (N: 16; age: 74.19 ± 4.27 years; weight: 76.71 ± 5.22 kg) and female patients (N: 12; age: 71.46 ± 3.36 years; weight: 67.47 ± 4.31 kg) with mild AD were randomly assigned into 4 groups including control group (Co), PR group participated in physical rehabilitation, MT group received music therapy and MT + PR received both music therapy and physical rehabilitation. Participants were required to engage in the study for four months with three 60-min sessions per week. We found all scores of cognitive (MMSE, ADAS-Cog Total and the ADAS-Cog Memory subscale) and motor functions (step length, walking speed, 6MVT and BBS score) evaluated were the greatest in MT + PR compared to the other groups. Our study also demonstrated that MT has a greater effect on cognitive function, while PR has a more pronounced effect on motor function. Changes in MMSE scores were significantly positively correlated in the PR, MT and MT + PR groups with improvements in all motor functions including step length (r = 0.77), walking speed (r = 0.73), 6MVT (r = 0.75) and BBS scores (r = 0.78) in AD patients. In conclusion, the combination of MT and PR seems to be an appropriate intervention approach that needs consideration as a treatment strategy for elderly male and female patients with mild AD.

PMID:37539345 | PMC:PMC10394639 | DOI:10.3389/fnagi.2023.1216052

J Immunother Cancer. 2023 Aug;11(8):e007070. doi: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007070.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) improves survival outcomes, but recurrence rates remain high. Dendritic cell-based immunotherapy (DCBI) showed promising results in patients with pleural mesothelioma. The primary aim of this trial was to determine feasibility of adjuvant DCBI after CRS-HIPEC.

METHODS: This open-label, single-center, phase II clinical trial, performed in the Erasmus MC Cancer Institute Rotterdam, the Netherlands, included patients with epithelioid MPM. 4-6 weeks before CRS-HIPEC leukapheresis was performed. 8-10 weeks after surgery, DCBI was administered three times biweekly. Feasibility was defined as administration of at least three adjuvant vaccinations in 75% of patients. Comprehensive immune cell profiling was performed on peripheral blood samples prior to and during treatment.

RESULTS: All patients who received CRS-HIPEC (n=16) were successfully treated with adjuvant DCBI. No severe toxicity related to DCBI was observed. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 12 months (IQR 5-23) and median overall survival was not reached. DCBI was associated with increased proliferation of circulating natural killer cells and CD4+ T-helper (Th) cells. Co-stimulatory molecules, including ICOS, HLA-DR, and CD28 were upregulated predominantly on memory or proliferating Th-cells and minimally on CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) after treatment. However, an increase in CD8+ terminally differentiated effector memory (Temra) cells positively correlated with PFS, whereas co-expression of ICOS and Ki67 on CTLs trended towards a positive correlation.

CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant DCBI after CRS-HIPEC in patients with MPM was feasible and safe, and showed promising survival outcomes. DCBI had an immune modulatory effect on lymphoid cells and induced memory T-cell activation. Moreover, an increase of CD8+ Temra cells was more pronounced in patients with longer PFS. These data provide rationale for future combination treatment strategies.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NTR7060; Dutch Trial Register (NTR).

PMID:37536940 | DOI:10.1136/jitc-2023-007070

Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2023 Aug 3. doi: 10.1111/bcp.15869. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIM: Sevoflurane is an ether-based inhalational anesthetic that induces and maintains general anesthesia. Our study aimed to detect sevoflurane-induced nephrogenic diabetes insipidus using Data Mining Algorithms (DMAs) and molecular docking. The FAERS database was analyzed using OpenVigil 2.1 for disproportionality analysis.

METHODS: We analyzed FAERS data from 2004 to 2022 to determine the incidence of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus associated with sevoflurane. Reporting Odds Ratios (RORs) and Proportional Odds Ratios (PRRs) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. We also used molecular docking with AutoDock Vina to examine sevoflurane’s binding affinity to relevant receptors.

RESULTS: A total of 554 nephrogenic diabetes insipidus cases were reported in FAERS, of which 2.5% (14 cases) were associated with sevoflurane. Positive signals were observed for sevoflurane with reporting odds ratios (ROR) of 76.012 (95% CI: 44.67-129.35) and proportional odds ratios (PRR) of 75.72 (Chi-sq: 934.688). Of the 14 cases, 50% required hospitalization, 14% resulted in death, and the remaining cases were categorized as other outcomes. Molecular docking analysis showed that sevoflurane exhibited high binding affinity towards AQP2 (4NEF) and AVPR2 (6U1N) with docking scores of -4.9 and -5.3, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Sevoflurane use is significantly associated with the incidence of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Healthcare professionals should be cautious when using this medication and report any adverse events to regulatory agencies. Further research is needed to validate these findings and identify risk factors while performing statistical adjustments to prevent false-positives. Clinical monitoring is crucial to validate potential adverse effects of Sevoflurane.

PMID:37536932 | DOI:10.1111/bcp.15869