BACKGROUND Atopic dermatitis(AD),or eczema,is a chronic,pruritic inflammatory skin disease affecting children and adults.Socioeconomic status(SES)plays a significant role in developing AD.However,mixed evidence from a...BACKGROUND Atopic dermatitis(AD),or eczema,is a chronic,pruritic inflammatory skin disease affecting children and adults.Socioeconomic status(SES)plays a significant role in developing AD.However,mixed evidence from a previous study by Bajwa et al makes it difficult to determine the directionality of the association.There is a lite-rature gap in understanding the causal association between AD and socioeco-nomic factors.AIM To evaluate the impact of disparities in SES on pediatric AD populations.METHODS Based on the eligibility criteria,the literature review identified eight articles since July 2021,and a descriptive analysis was conducted using an Excel spreadsheet on key components collected from the identified studies.RESULTS Eight observational studies assessed SES in pediatric AD.Five observational studies showed mixed associations between AD and SES.Sub-analysis revealed that urban areas had a higher prevalence of AD,and four studies identified a positive association between parental education and AD in the pediatric popu-lation.Socioeconomic variables,such as residential areas and household income,significantly influence disease outcomes.CONCLUSION There is mixed association between pediatric AD and SES,with AD positively associated with parental education.There is critical need to evaluate global impact of SES variables on pediatric AD.展开更多
Introduction:We aimed to compare the oncological and functional outcomes of glansectomy and split-thickness skin graft reconstruction(GR)with those of glansectomy alone(GA)and penile amputation(PA).Materials and Metho...Introduction:We aimed to compare the oncological and functional outcomes of glansectomy and split-thickness skin graft reconstruction(GR)with those of glansectomy alone(GA)and penile amputation(PA).Materials and Methods:This retrospective study included patients with penile carcinoma or penile intraepithelial neoplasia diagnosed between 2017 and 2022.Surgical outcomes,complications,and oncological outcomes were assessed through a chart review,and functional outcomes were assessed using a questionnaire administered to patients who underwent GR(group A),GA(group B),or PA(group C).Results:Six,eight,and seven patients were enrolled in groups A,B,and C,respectively.Their complication rates were 0%,25%,and 29%,respectively;margin positivity rates were 17%,13%,and 0%,respectively;and local recurrence rates were 0%,0%,and 14%,respectively.Logistic regression analysis showed that being in group Arather than C was a significant predictor of favorable erectile function(p=0.007)and cosmetic outcomes(p=0.030).However,being in group A rather than B was not a significant predictor of favorable erectile function(p=0.127)or cosmetic outcomes(p=0.638).Conclusion:Excellent functional results were observed after GR;however,the benefits were significant only when compared with those of amputation.展开更多
BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)is a global health concern,with advanced-stage diagnoses contributing to poor prognoses.The efficacy of CRC screening has been well-established;nevertheless,a significant proportion of...BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)is a global health concern,with advanced-stage diagnoses contributing to poor prognoses.The efficacy of CRC screening has been well-established;nevertheless,a significant proportion of patients remain unscreened,with>70%of cases diagnosed outside screening.Although identifying specific subgroups for whom CRC screening should be particularly recommended is crucial owing to limited resources,the association between the diagnostic routes and identification of these subgroups has been less appreciated.In the Japanese cancer registry,the diagnostic routes for groups discovered outside of screening are primarily categorized into those with comorbidities found during hospital visits and those with CRC-related symptoms.AIM To clarify the stage at CRC diagnosis based on diagnostic routes.METHODS We conducted a retrospective observational study using a cancer registry of patients with CRC between January 2016 and December 2019 at two hospitals.The diagnostic routes were primarily classified into three groups:Cancer screening,follow-up,and symptomatic.The early-stage was defined as Stages 0 or I.Multivariate and univariate logistic regressions were exploited to determine the odds of early-stage diagnosis in the symptomatic and cancer screening groups,referencing the follow-up group.The adjusted covariates were age,sex,and tumor location.RESULTS Of the 2083 patients,715(34.4%),1064(51.1%),and 304(14.6%)belonged to the follow-up,symptomatic,and cancer screening groups,respectively.Among the 2083 patients,CRCs diagnosed at an early stage were 57.3%(410 of 715),23.9%(254 of 1064),and 59.5%(181 of 304)in the follow-up,symptomatic,and cancer screening groups,respectively.The symptomatic group exhibited a lower likelihood of early-stage diagnosis than the follow-up group[P<0.001,adjusted odds ratio(aOR),0.23;95%confidence interval(95%CI):0.19-0.29].The likelihood of diagnosis at an early stage was similar between the follow-up and cancer screening groups(P=0.493,aOR for early-stage diagnosis in the cancer screening group vs follow-up group=1.11;95%CI=0.82-1.49).CONCLUSION CRCs detected during hospital visits for comorbidities were diagnosed earlier,similar to cancer screening.CRC screening should be recommended,particularly for patients without periodical hospital visits for comorbidities.展开更多
Combinations of metal and lanthanide oxides have been done through casted films for potential medical applications. In this regard, samarium(Ⅲ) oxide/chromium(Ⅲ) oxide/graphene oxide(GO)/polycaprolactone(PCL) based ...Combinations of metal and lanthanide oxides have been done through casted films for potential medical applications. In this regard, samarium(Ⅲ) oxide/chromium(Ⅲ) oxide/graphene oxide(GO)/polycaprolactone(PCL) based films nano-composites(NCs) were fabricated, pointing their utilization as a biological scaffold for wound dressing purposes. Also, samarium(Ⅲ) oxide and chromium(Ⅲ) oxide have been merged as promising optical constituents due to their unique optical behavior. The structural and compositional examination of the studied NCs was executed by X-ray diffraction(XRD), Raman, and field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM). The Sm_(2)O_(3)/Cr_(2)O_(3)/GO/PCL NC exhibits a surface with a lower roughness degree owing to the presence of GO. Cr_(2)O_(3)shows size reduction upon GO insertion to reach 1.2 μm as the average grain size, whilst Sm_(2)O_(3)records an average grain size of less than 1 μm. As well, the polymeric nano-compositions exhibit variation in contact angle values that hit 29.76°± 3.52°for Sm_(2)O_(3)/PCL, and 48.62°± 1.37°for Sm_(2)O_(3)/Cr_(2)O_(3)/GO/PCL as the second lowest contact angle. The optical behavior contributes to absorption edge relocation along the x-axis from 1.7 eV for pure PCL, to 2.65 eV for Sm_(2)O_(3)/Cr_(2)O_(3)/GO/PCL. Regarding biological responses, the cell exposed to 2.5 μg/m L of Sm_(2)O_(3)/Cr_(2)O_(3)/GO/PCL shows cell viability of 119.31%, while 5 μg/m L hits 99.6%. Additionally, the resulting cell attachment micrographs show layers of fibroblast tissue, besides the proliferation and growth of cultivated cells. Thus, the Sm_(2)O_(3)/Cr_(2)O_(3)/GO/PCL scaffold provides 3D proliferation of fibroblast cells endorsing the wound healing process.展开更多
This study was aimed at understanding diabetes knowledge, health beliefs, and behaviors among type 2 diabetes patients in Balinese rural areas. The study used the Health Belief Model (HBM) in applied thematic analysis...This study was aimed at understanding diabetes knowledge, health beliefs, and behaviors among type 2 diabetes patients in Balinese rural areas. The study used the Health Belief Model (HBM) in applied thematic analysis. It involved semi-structured focus groups with 20 patients (M = 49.95 years old, SD 6.7). Three themes formulated: poor diabetes knowledge, diabetes perceived as a life burden, and the factors affecting self-efficacy in practicing healthy lifestyle. The poor diabetes knowledge was due to traditional indigenous beliefs and low health literacy. The perception that diabetes is a life burden was related with physical and psychological condition. The factors affecting the self-efficacy were the perceived barriers and external influence. It is need to understand the traditional indigenous beliefs, burdens, and lacking internal intention as the modifying factors of health beliefs. This study suggests that the development of integrated health promotion of diabetes should consider the HBM’s modifying factors in rural areas.展开更多
The prompt spread of COVID-19 has emphasized the necessity for effective and precise diagnostic tools.In this article,a hybrid approach in terms of datasets as well as the methodology by utilizing a previously unexplo...The prompt spread of COVID-19 has emphasized the necessity for effective and precise diagnostic tools.In this article,a hybrid approach in terms of datasets as well as the methodology by utilizing a previously unexplored dataset obtained from a private hospital for detecting COVID-19,pneumonia,and normal conditions in chest X-ray images(CXIs)is proposed coupled with Explainable Artificial Intelligence(XAI).Our study leverages less preprocessing with pre-trained cutting-edge models like InceptionV3,VGG16,and VGG19 that excel in the task of feature extraction.The methodology is further enhanced by the inclusion of the t-SNE(t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding)technique for visualizing the extracted image features and Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization(CLAHE)to improve images before extraction of features.Additionally,an AttentionMechanism is utilized,which helps clarify how the modelmakes decisions,which builds trust in artificial intelligence(AI)systems.To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach,both benchmark datasets and a private dataset obtained with permissions from Jinnah PostgraduateMedical Center(JPMC)in Karachi,Pakistan,are utilized.In 12 experiments,VGG19 showcased remarkable performance in the hybrid dataset approach,achieving 100%accuracy in COVID-19 vs.pneumonia classification and 97%in distinguishing normal cases.Overall,across all classes,the approach achieved 98%accuracy,demonstrating its efficiency in detecting COVID-19 and differentiating it fromother chest disorders(Pneumonia and healthy)while also providing insights into the decision-making process of the models.展开更多
Objective: Zoledronic acid (ZOL) is a nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate that induces osteoclast apoptosis and inhibits bone resorption. Adding ZOL to neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been shown to have potential anticanc...Objective: Zoledronic acid (ZOL) is a nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate that induces osteoclast apoptosis and inhibits bone resorption. Adding ZOL to neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been shown to have potential anticancer benefits in women with HER2-negative breast cancer. The objective of the present study was to investigate ZOL’s cost-effectiveness from the perspective of health care payers in Japan. Methods: A Markov model was developed to evaluate the costs and effectiveness associated with ZOL + chemotherapy (CTZ) and chemotherapy (CT) alone over a 10-year time horizon. Monthly transition probabilities were estimated according to JONIE1 (Japan Organization of Neoadjuvant Innovative Expert) Study data and an extrapolated Weibull model. Health outcomes were measured in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Costs were calculated using year-2018 Japanese yen (JPY) (1.00 US dollars (USD) = 110.4 JPY). Model robustness was addressed through one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analysis. The costs and QALYs were discounted at a rate of 2% per year. Results: In the base case, the use of CTZ was associated with a gain of 3.94 QALYs. The incremental cost per QALY of the CTZ gain was 681,056.1 JPY (6168.99 USD) per QALY. Conclusion: It is convincing that neoadjuvant CTZ for patients with breast cancer would be expected to have statistically significant clinical efficacy. Addition of ZOL to CT might be a cost-effective option compared with CT alone.展开更多
Vergence eye movements are the inward and outward rotation of the eyes responsible for binocular coordination.While studies have mapped and investigated the neural substrates of vergence,it is not well understood whet...Vergence eye movements are the inward and outward rotation of the eyes responsible for binocular coordination.While studies have mapped and investigated the neural substrates of vergence,it is not well understood whether vergence eye movements evoke the blood oxygen level-dependent signal reliably in separate experimental visits.The test-retest reliability of stimulus-induced vergence eye movement tasks during a functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)experiment is important for future randomized clinical trials(RCTs).In this study,we established region of interest(ROI)masks for the vergence neural circuit.Twenty-seven binocularly normal young adults participated in two functional imaging sessions measured on different days on the same 3 T Siemens scanner.The fMRI experiments used a block design of sustained visual fixation and rest blocks interleaved between task blocks that stimulated eight or four vergence eye movements.The test-retest reliability of task-activation was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient(ICC),and that of spatial extent was assessed using the Dice coefficient.Functional activation during the vergence eye movement task of eight movements compared to rest was repeatable within the primary visual cortex(ICC=0.8),parietal eye fields(ICC=0.6),supplementary eye field(ICC=0.5),frontal eye fields(ICC=0.5),and oculomotor vermis(ICC=0.6).The results demonstrate significant test-retest reliability in the ROIs of the vergence neural substrates for functional activation magnitude and spatial extent using the stimulus protocol of a task block stimulating eight vergence eye movements compared to sustained fixation.These ROIs can be used in future longitudinal RCTs to study patient populations with vergence dysfunctions.展开更多
Global warming is majorly caused by an increase in atmospheric temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions due to the rise in the temperature. The continued accumulation of CO2 into the atmosphere is a massive part...Global warming is majorly caused by an increase in atmospheric temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions due to the rise in the temperature. The continued accumulation of CO2 into the atmosphere is a massive part of the climate change problem. This study aims to develop a data-driven statistical model using Africa’s fossil-fuel CO2 emissions real data to identify the significant attributable variables and their interaction that produce the carbon dioxide emissions. However, we have considered five attributable variables in our statistical modeling and they are Liquid fuels (Li), Solid fuels (So), Gas fuels (Ga), Gas flares (Gf) and Cement production. The development of the statistical model that contains the different emissions of fossil fuels and their interactions have been specified and ranked based on a percentage of their annual contributions to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Our proposed statistical model is compared with a different penalization method since multicollinearity among the risk factors exists and which provided excellent results according to the root mean square errors (RMSE) statistic. The results of the proposed model are compared to previous results of different countries of the world.展开更多
BACKGROUND Fixed ratio combinations(FRCs)of analogue basal insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists are a newer addition to the therapeutic armamentarium for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus.The...BACKGROUND Fixed ratio combinations(FRCs)of analogue basal insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists are a newer addition to the therapeutic armamentarium for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus.They reduce treatment complexity by combining two injectables in a single daily injectable,thus potentially improving adherence and persistence.Clinicians wanting to use FRCs would need to choose between members of the class.AIM To describe and contrast the glycated haemoglobin reduction of two FRCs of analogue basal insulin and glucagon like peptide-1 receptor agonist in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.METHODS The following Population,Intervention,Comparison,Outcome question was used for the primary analysis:Among adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus[P],what is the effect of iGlarLixi[I]compared to IDegLira[C]for bringing about glycaemic control(as measured by reduction in glycosylated haemoglobin)[O]?The Prisma Statement was used as a guideline for framing this systematic review.We searched PubMed,EMBASE and Cochrane library databases and Clinicaltrials.gov using various keywords and medical search headings related to type 2 diabetes mellitus,iGlarlixi,IDegLira and glycated haemoglobin A1c.RESULTS All 14 studies identified by the systematic search met the primary efficacy endpoint of reduction in glycated haemoglobin.There were no head-to-head studies between the FRCs of iGlarlixi and IDegLira,and we therefore did an indirect comparison based on a common comparator of insulin glargine U100.Both iGlarLixi and IDegLira effectively reduce glycated haemoglobin when compared to insulin glargine U100.However,using indirect comparisons,IDegLira had a greater haemoglobin A1c reducing ability(0.6%vs 0.3%).The indirect comparison is limited by the differences between the studies;the fasting blood glucose targets were slightly higher for iGlarLixi studies when compared to the IDegLira studies(4.0-5.0 mmol/L and 4.4-5.6 mmol/L),and the IDegLira study used a greater average dose of insulin glargine when compared to the iGlarLixi studies(66 U/d vs 40 U/d).CONCLUSION Both iGlarLixi and IDegLira effectively reduce glycated haemoglobin.Indirect comparisons,using insulin glargine as the common comparator,suggest that IDegLira reduces glycated haemoglobin to a greater extent than iGlarLixi.However,given the limitations of indirect comparisons,robust head to head studies and real-world data would better inform clinician choice and clinical practice guidelines.展开更多
The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of eating out or skipping meals on the quality or quantity of sleep in young Japanese adults. We analyzed 584 eligible subjects (283 men and 301 women) aged 20 - 29...The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of eating out or skipping meals on the quality or quantity of sleep in young Japanese adults. We analyzed 584 eligible subjects (283 men and 301 women) aged 20 - 29 years. Information on diet and individual lifestyle characteristics, including sleep quality, which was assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Japanese version (PSQI-J), were obtained by participants completing an online questionnaire. Kendall’s tau coefficient was used to measure the ordinal association between diet and sleep quality. The Mann-Whitney U test was performed to evaluate differences in sleep quality by frequency of eating out and frequency of skipping meals. The results revealed a significant difference in sleep duration and PSQI-J score between people who eat out >2 times a week (“high restaurants group”) and those who do not (“low restaurants group”). Furthermore, whereas the mean sleep duration in the “high restaurants group” was 6.59 hours, the mean sleep duration in the “low restaurants group” was 6.90 hours (p = 0.007). The PSQI-J score was significantly higher in the “high restaurants group” than in the “low restaurants group” (4.91 versus 4.37, p = 0.006). Significant differences were also evident in the test’s component scores: C2, C3, and C7. No significant difference was found in sleep duration and PSQI-J score between the groups in terms of frequency of skipping meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Our results suggested that excessive intake by eating out more than twice a week may lead to short sleep duration and high PSQI-J score.展开更多
The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of lifestyle on sleep quality in young Japanese adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted on the web. We analyzed 637 eligible subjects (316 men and 321 women) ...The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of lifestyle on sleep quality in young Japanese adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted on the web. We analyzed 637 eligible subjects (316 men and 321 women) aged 20 - 29 years. Information on diet and individual lifestyle characteristics, including sleep quality, which was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Japanese version (PSQI-J). Results were obtained by participants completing an online questionnaire. The participants were divided into two groups based on whether they were students (“student group”) or not (“not student group”). The participants with a PSQI-J global score of 6 or higher were evaluated as low-sleep-quality. Logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate associations of lifestyle habits with low-sleep-quality. Logistic regression analyses were applied for “student group” and “not student group”. The results showed that days of eating out at dinner (OR: 1.11, CI: 1.00 - 1.22) and skipping dinner (OR: 1.21, CI: 1.05 - 1.42) were significant and independent predictors for low-sleep-quality among the “not student group”. There were no significant and independent predictors for low-sleep-quality among “student group”. Our results suggested that excessive intake by eating out and deficient intake by skipping dinner might lead to a high PSQI-J score. It is necessary for young people to receive education on the importance of cooking their own meals for traditional and daytime eating. The implication of this study lies in the fact that we have analyzed the effects of lifestyle habits on quality of sleep.展开更多
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)is a prevalent cancer in some areas of southern Asia.To explore the potential of photodynamic therapy(PDT)for the treatment of NPC,a small molecule prodrug 5-aminolevulinic acid(ALA)and it...Nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)is a prevalent cancer in some areas of southern Asia.To explore the potential of photodynamic therapy(PDT)for the treatment of NPC,a small molecule prodrug 5-aminolevulinic acid(ALA)and its methyl ester(MAL)mediated PDT was studied in vitro.The results showed that human NPC cells were sensitive to both ALA-and MAL-mediated PDT.However,ALA was more effective than MAL,possiblly due to a higher efficiency of ALA on producing endogenous protoporphyrin(PpIX)in NPC cells.Neither ALA nor MAL caused any significant genotoxicity.The ALA-based PDT might be a useful modality in the treatment ofNPC.展开更多
Niigata City in Japan and Khabarovsk City in Russia signed a sister city agreement in 1965 and have been interacting with each other for a long time. We have been conducting comparative research on the elderly between...Niigata City in Japan and Khabarovsk City in Russia signed a sister city agreement in 1965 and have been interacting with each other for a long time. We have been conducting comparative research on the elderly between the two cities, but there is no research on the young. Distorted perception of body weight and unnecessary dieting behavior in adolescent girls is considered a problem in both Japan and Russia. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to clarify the distortion of weight perception and diet behavior of adolescent girls in both the countries. In addition, it was decided to investigate the eating habits of people in both the countries. In total, 195 15-year-old girls from Niigata, Japan (October 2020) and 286 girls from Khabarovsk, Russia (February 2017) were surveyed. The questionnaire used was an excerpt from the World Health Organization survey on the health behavior of school-age children. The proportion of Japanese adolescent girls who perceived themselves as overweight (distorted body weight perception) was 60.5%, which was significantly higher than that of Russian adolescent girls at 30.1% (p < 0.001). In addition, the prevalence of weight loss behavior in Japan was 34.9% (n = 68), which was significantly higher than that in Russia with 27.3% (n = 78) (p < 0.001). Adolescent girls in Japan had more serious problems with weight perception, but had fewer problems with breakfast and vegetable intake habits than those in Russia. From a young age, perception of correct body shape and establishment of eating habits are important not only for current health but also for future health. We need to carefully educate adolescent girls that their body undergoes major changes through secondary sexual characteristics during adulthood.展开更多
BACKGROUND As of 31 December 2022,there were over 6.6 million coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)deaths and over 651 million cases across 200 countries worldwide.Despite the increase in vaccinations and booster shots,C...BACKGROUND As of 31 December 2022,there were over 6.6 million coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)deaths and over 651 million cases across 200 countries worldwide.Despite the increase in vaccinations and booster shots,COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to remain high.While the effectiveness of these vaccines has already been established by different manufacturers,the fact remains that these vaccines were created quickly for global emergency use,tested under controlled clinical conditions from voluntary subjects and age groups whose general characteristics may differ from the actual general population.AIM To conduct a systematic review to determine the real-world effectiveness of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in the elderly during the predominance of Delta and Omicron variants in preventing COVID-19 related infection,hospital,intensive care unit(ICU)admission and intubation,and death.METHODS A combination of Medical Subject Headings and non–Medical Subject Headings was carried out to identify all relevant research articles that meets the inclusion and exclusion criteria from PubMed,Cochrane,CINAHL,Scopus,ProQuest,EMBASE,Web of Science,and Google Scholar databases,as well as qualified research studies from pre–print servers using medRxiv and Research Square,published from January 1,2021-December 31,2022.RESULTS As per the inclusion and exclusion criteria,the effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were evaluated from an estimated total study population of 26535692 using infection,hospital,ICU admission and intubation,and death as outcome measures from studies published between 2021 and 2022,conducted in New York,Finland,Canada,Costa Rica,Qatar,Greece,and Brazil.The risk of bias was evaluated using risk of bias in nonrandomized studies of interventions(ROBINS-I)tool for cohort,case-control,and cross-sectional studies.While clinical trial data on Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines demonstrated 94%vaccine effectiveness in the elderly,the results in this study showed that vaccine effectiveness in real-world settings is marginally lower against infection(40%-89%),hospitalization(92%),ICU admission and intubation(98%-85%),and death(77%-87%)with an indication of diminished effectiveness of vaccine over time.Furthermore,2 doses of mRNA vaccines are inadequate and only provides interim protection.CONCLUSION Because of the natural diminishing effectiveness of the vaccine,the need for booster dose to restore its efficacy is vital.From a research perspective,the use of highly heterogeneous outcome measures inhibits the comparison,contrast,and integration of the results which makes data pooling across different studies problematic.While pharmaceutical intervention like vaccination is important to fight an epidemic,utilizing common outcome measurements or carrying out studies with minimal heterogeneity in outcome measurements,is equally crucial to better understand and respond to an international health crisis.展开更多
Type II diabetes is a global health concern. This epidemic is elevating in increasing rates in Saudi Arabia. Thus, the study investigates a number of risk factors of Type II diabetes in Hail region, one of Saudi Arabi...Type II diabetes is a global health concern. This epidemic is elevating in increasing rates in Saudi Arabia. Thus, the study investigates a number of risk factors of Type II diabetes in Hail region, one of Saudi Arabia’s highest regions in diabetes records among adults. Data are collected using diabetic subjects from the Diabetes Registry Records in King Khalid Hospital at the city of Hail, Saudi Arabia, where 200 subjects’ records from 2014 to 2018 were included. A binary logistic regression was utilized to assess the association between age, gender, obesity, hypertension, family history, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperglyceridemia as risk factors and Type II diabetes. Some risk factors yielded statistical significant associations such as age (OR = 486.00 for 61 and older;OR = 468.00 for 51 - 60;and OR = 130.50 for 41 - 50;p-values ≤ 0.01), obesity (OR = 3.088;p-value ≤ 0.01), and hypertension (OR = 8.476;p-value ≤ 0.01), while gender, family history, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperglyceridemia were insignificant risk factors in our study. Proper intervention measures targeting diabetes risk factors may tackle or delay this public health issue.展开更多
Background: Community pharmacists should be involved in diabetes care, while there has been less evidence about whether a brief lifestyle intervention is effective for diabetes care in community pharmacies. Objectives...Background: Community pharmacists should be involved in diabetes care, while there has been less evidence about whether a brief lifestyle intervention is effective for diabetes care in community pharmacies. Objectives: To examine the effects of brief lifestyle intervention on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) by using a coaching style, provided by community pharmacists. Methods: A prospective, cluster-randomized, controlled trial was conducted in 50 groups of community pharmacies in Japan. In all, 132 patients with T2D (age, 20 - 75 years, ≥8.0% of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)) were assigned to the intervention group (n = 90) or the usual care group (n = 42). The intervention group (IG) underwent brief lifestyle coaching for self-care of T2D for 6 months. The standard care group (CG) received usual care by pharmacists and was given a general newsletter. The primary outcome was changes in HbA1c levels. Results: After 6 months, the IG had significantly improved HbA1c (IG: -0.6 ± 0.9 vs. CG: -0.2% ± 0.9%;p = 0.021 using the last observation carried forward analysis). Although the number of drugs reduced from 2.3 ± 0.8 to 2.0 ± 1.2 in the IG, the number increased from 2.3 ± 1.1 to 2.5 ± 1.1 in the CG (-0.2 ± 0.9 in IG vs. 0.2 ± 0.6 in CG;p = 0.023). Conclusions: The brief lifestyle intervention by community pharmacists improved glycemic control in patients with T2D. Community pharmacists may more positively participate as lifestyle coaches for diabetes care.展开更多
Photodynamic therapy(PDT)of cancer is a two-step drug device combination modality,which involves the topical or systemie administration of a photosensitizer followed by light ilumnination of cancer site.In the presenc...Photodynamic therapy(PDT)of cancer is a two-step drug device combination modality,which involves the topical or systemie administration of a photosensitizer followed by light ilumnination of cancer site.In the presence of oxygen molecules,the light illmnination of photosensitizer(PS)can lead to the generation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species(ROS)and consequently destroy cancer.Similar to many other anticancer therapies,PDT is also subject to intrinsic cancer resistance mediated by mutidrug resistance(MDR)mechanisms.This paper will review the recent progress in understanding the interaction between MDR transporters and PS uptalke.The strategies that can be used in a clinical setting to owercome or bypass MDR will also be discussed.展开更多
Globally,natural history collections(NHCs)house nearly three billion scientific collections offering an unparalleled resource that contributes to both science and society.The first two decades of the twenty-first cent...Globally,natural history collections(NHCs)house nearly three billion scientific collections offering an unparalleled resource that contributes to both science and society.The first two decades of the twenty-first century have seen a rapid rise in the mobilization of digital biodiversity data.Yet,the transcription of important scientific information from NHCs remains a challenge presenting a critical bottleneck in the digitization process.This experimental study investigates the application of Large Language Models(LLMs)in automating the transcription of herbarium specimen labels.Various LLMs were tested,including OpenAI’s GPT models and Anthropic’s Claude,to evaluate their accuracy and efficiency in transcribing label data.Algorithms have been developed to automate the workflow,leveraging the image processing capabilities of LLMs to bypass traditional Optical Character Recognition(OCR)tools.Prompt engineering strategies were explored to enhance transcription accuracy,focusing on field-specific instructions and formatting.The study demonstrates the potential for LLMs to streamline digitization workflows in natural history collections but underscores several challenges,such as transcription errors,logic errors and inconsistency of results.Promising directions that emerge include improving prompt engineering techniques,exploring the integration of LLMs into workflows and model selection to achieve higher accuracy and reliability.展开更多
In the past decades liver transplantation(LT) has become the treatment of choice for patients with end stage liver disease(ESLD). The chronic shortage of cadaveric organs for transplantation led to the utilization of ...In the past decades liver transplantation(LT) has become the treatment of choice for patients with end stage liver disease(ESLD). The chronic shortage of cadaveric organs for transplantation led to the utilization of a greater number of marginal donors such as older donors or donors after circulatory death(DCD). The improved survival of transplanted patients has increased the frequency of long-term complications, in particular chronic kidney disease(CKD). Acute kidney injury(AKI) post-LT has been recently recognized as an important risk factor for the occurrence of denovo CKD in the long-term outcome. The onset of AKI post-LT is multifactorial, with pre-LT risk factors involved, including higher Model for End-stage Liver Disease score, more sever ESLD and pre-existing renal dysfunction, either with intra-operative conditions, in particular ischaemia reperfusion injury responsible for post-reperfusion syndrome(PRS) that can influence recipient's morbidity and mortality. Post-reperfusion syndrome-induced AKI is an important complication post-LT that characterizes kidney involvement caused by PRS with mechanisms not clearly understood and implication on graft and patient survival. Since preLT risk factors may influence intra-operative events responsible for PRS-induced AKI, we aim to consider all the relevant aspects involved in PRS-induced AKI in the setting of LT and to identify all studies that better clarified the specific mechanisms linking PRS and AKI. A Pub Med search was conducted using the terms liver transplantation AND acute kidney injury; liver transplantation AND post-reperfusion syndrome; acute kidney injury AND post-reperfusion syndrome; acute kidney injury AND DCD AND liver transplantation. Five hundred seventy four articles were retrieved on Pub Med search. Results were limited to title/abstract of English-language articles published between 2000 and 2015. Twenty-three studies were identified that specifically evaluated incidence, risk factors and outcome for patients developing PRS-induced AKI in liver transplantation. In order to identify intra-operative risk factors/mechanisms specifically involved in PRSinduced AKI, avoiding confounding factors, we have limited our study to "acute kidney injury AND DCD AND liver transplantation". Accordingly, three out of five studies were selected for our purpose.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND Atopic dermatitis(AD),or eczema,is a chronic,pruritic inflammatory skin disease affecting children and adults.Socioeconomic status(SES)plays a significant role in developing AD.However,mixed evidence from a previous study by Bajwa et al makes it difficult to determine the directionality of the association.There is a lite-rature gap in understanding the causal association between AD and socioeco-nomic factors.AIM To evaluate the impact of disparities in SES on pediatric AD populations.METHODS Based on the eligibility criteria,the literature review identified eight articles since July 2021,and a descriptive analysis was conducted using an Excel spreadsheet on key components collected from the identified studies.RESULTS Eight observational studies assessed SES in pediatric AD.Five observational studies showed mixed associations between AD and SES.Sub-analysis revealed that urban areas had a higher prevalence of AD,and four studies identified a positive association between parental education and AD in the pediatric popu-lation.Socioeconomic variables,such as residential areas and household income,significantly influence disease outcomes.CONCLUSION There is mixed association between pediatric AD and SES,with AD positively associated with parental education.There is critical need to evaluate global impact of SES variables on pediatric AD.
文摘Introduction:We aimed to compare the oncological and functional outcomes of glansectomy and split-thickness skin graft reconstruction(GR)with those of glansectomy alone(GA)and penile amputation(PA).Materials and Methods:This retrospective study included patients with penile carcinoma or penile intraepithelial neoplasia diagnosed between 2017 and 2022.Surgical outcomes,complications,and oncological outcomes were assessed through a chart review,and functional outcomes were assessed using a questionnaire administered to patients who underwent GR(group A),GA(group B),or PA(group C).Results:Six,eight,and seven patients were enrolled in groups A,B,and C,respectively.Their complication rates were 0%,25%,and 29%,respectively;margin positivity rates were 17%,13%,and 0%,respectively;and local recurrence rates were 0%,0%,and 14%,respectively.Logistic regression analysis showed that being in group Arather than C was a significant predictor of favorable erectile function(p=0.007)and cosmetic outcomes(p=0.030).However,being in group A rather than B was not a significant predictor of favorable erectile function(p=0.127)or cosmetic outcomes(p=0.638).Conclusion:Excellent functional results were observed after GR;however,the benefits were significant only when compared with those of amputation.
基金the Foundation for Cancer Research supported by Kyoto Preventive Medical Center and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science(JSPS)Grants-in-Aid KAKENHI,No.JP 22K21080.
文摘BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)is a global health concern,with advanced-stage diagnoses contributing to poor prognoses.The efficacy of CRC screening has been well-established;nevertheless,a significant proportion of patients remain unscreened,with>70%of cases diagnosed outside screening.Although identifying specific subgroups for whom CRC screening should be particularly recommended is crucial owing to limited resources,the association between the diagnostic routes and identification of these subgroups has been less appreciated.In the Japanese cancer registry,the diagnostic routes for groups discovered outside of screening are primarily categorized into those with comorbidities found during hospital visits and those with CRC-related symptoms.AIM To clarify the stage at CRC diagnosis based on diagnostic routes.METHODS We conducted a retrospective observational study using a cancer registry of patients with CRC between January 2016 and December 2019 at two hospitals.The diagnostic routes were primarily classified into three groups:Cancer screening,follow-up,and symptomatic.The early-stage was defined as Stages 0 or I.Multivariate and univariate logistic regressions were exploited to determine the odds of early-stage diagnosis in the symptomatic and cancer screening groups,referencing the follow-up group.The adjusted covariates were age,sex,and tumor location.RESULTS Of the 2083 patients,715(34.4%),1064(51.1%),and 304(14.6%)belonged to the follow-up,symptomatic,and cancer screening groups,respectively.Among the 2083 patients,CRCs diagnosed at an early stage were 57.3%(410 of 715),23.9%(254 of 1064),and 59.5%(181 of 304)in the follow-up,symptomatic,and cancer screening groups,respectively.The symptomatic group exhibited a lower likelihood of early-stage diagnosis than the follow-up group[P<0.001,adjusted odds ratio(aOR),0.23;95%confidence interval(95%CI):0.19-0.29].The likelihood of diagnosis at an early stage was similar between the follow-up and cancer screening groups(P=0.493,aOR for early-stage diagnosis in the cancer screening group vs follow-up group=1.11;95%CI=0.82-1.49).CONCLUSION CRCs detected during hospital visits for comorbidities were diagnosed earlier,similar to cancer screening.CRC screening should be recommended,particularly for patients without periodical hospital visits for comorbidities.
基金funded by the Scientific Research Deanship at University of Ha'il,Saudi Arabia through project number RG-21169。
文摘Combinations of metal and lanthanide oxides have been done through casted films for potential medical applications. In this regard, samarium(Ⅲ) oxide/chromium(Ⅲ) oxide/graphene oxide(GO)/polycaprolactone(PCL) based films nano-composites(NCs) were fabricated, pointing their utilization as a biological scaffold for wound dressing purposes. Also, samarium(Ⅲ) oxide and chromium(Ⅲ) oxide have been merged as promising optical constituents due to their unique optical behavior. The structural and compositional examination of the studied NCs was executed by X-ray diffraction(XRD), Raman, and field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM). The Sm_(2)O_(3)/Cr_(2)O_(3)/GO/PCL NC exhibits a surface with a lower roughness degree owing to the presence of GO. Cr_(2)O_(3)shows size reduction upon GO insertion to reach 1.2 μm as the average grain size, whilst Sm_(2)O_(3)records an average grain size of less than 1 μm. As well, the polymeric nano-compositions exhibit variation in contact angle values that hit 29.76°± 3.52°for Sm_(2)O_(3)/PCL, and 48.62°± 1.37°for Sm_(2)O_(3)/Cr_(2)O_(3)/GO/PCL as the second lowest contact angle. The optical behavior contributes to absorption edge relocation along the x-axis from 1.7 eV for pure PCL, to 2.65 eV for Sm_(2)O_(3)/Cr_(2)O_(3)/GO/PCL. Regarding biological responses, the cell exposed to 2.5 μg/m L of Sm_(2)O_(3)/Cr_(2)O_(3)/GO/PCL shows cell viability of 119.31%, while 5 μg/m L hits 99.6%. Additionally, the resulting cell attachment micrographs show layers of fibroblast tissue, besides the proliferation and growth of cultivated cells. Thus, the Sm_(2)O_(3)/Cr_(2)O_(3)/GO/PCL scaffold provides 3D proliferation of fibroblast cells endorsing the wound healing process.
文摘This study was aimed at understanding diabetes knowledge, health beliefs, and behaviors among type 2 diabetes patients in Balinese rural areas. The study used the Health Belief Model (HBM) in applied thematic analysis. It involved semi-structured focus groups with 20 patients (M = 49.95 years old, SD 6.7). Three themes formulated: poor diabetes knowledge, diabetes perceived as a life burden, and the factors affecting self-efficacy in practicing healthy lifestyle. The poor diabetes knowledge was due to traditional indigenous beliefs and low health literacy. The perception that diabetes is a life burden was related with physical and psychological condition. The factors affecting the self-efficacy were the perceived barriers and external influence. It is need to understand the traditional indigenous beliefs, burdens, and lacking internal intention as the modifying factors of health beliefs. This study suggests that the development of integrated health promotion of diabetes should consider the HBM’s modifying factors in rural areas.
基金the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research at Qassim University for financial support(QU-APC-2024-9/1).
文摘The prompt spread of COVID-19 has emphasized the necessity for effective and precise diagnostic tools.In this article,a hybrid approach in terms of datasets as well as the methodology by utilizing a previously unexplored dataset obtained from a private hospital for detecting COVID-19,pneumonia,and normal conditions in chest X-ray images(CXIs)is proposed coupled with Explainable Artificial Intelligence(XAI).Our study leverages less preprocessing with pre-trained cutting-edge models like InceptionV3,VGG16,and VGG19 that excel in the task of feature extraction.The methodology is further enhanced by the inclusion of the t-SNE(t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding)technique for visualizing the extracted image features and Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization(CLAHE)to improve images before extraction of features.Additionally,an AttentionMechanism is utilized,which helps clarify how the modelmakes decisions,which builds trust in artificial intelligence(AI)systems.To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach,both benchmark datasets and a private dataset obtained with permissions from Jinnah PostgraduateMedical Center(JPMC)in Karachi,Pakistan,are utilized.In 12 experiments,VGG19 showcased remarkable performance in the hybrid dataset approach,achieving 100%accuracy in COVID-19 vs.pneumonia classification and 97%in distinguishing normal cases.Overall,across all classes,the approach achieved 98%accuracy,demonstrating its efficiency in detecting COVID-19 and differentiating it fromother chest disorders(Pneumonia and healthy)while also providing insights into the decision-making process of the models.
文摘Objective: Zoledronic acid (ZOL) is a nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate that induces osteoclast apoptosis and inhibits bone resorption. Adding ZOL to neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been shown to have potential anticancer benefits in women with HER2-negative breast cancer. The objective of the present study was to investigate ZOL’s cost-effectiveness from the perspective of health care payers in Japan. Methods: A Markov model was developed to evaluate the costs and effectiveness associated with ZOL + chemotherapy (CTZ) and chemotherapy (CT) alone over a 10-year time horizon. Monthly transition probabilities were estimated according to JONIE1 (Japan Organization of Neoadjuvant Innovative Expert) Study data and an extrapolated Weibull model. Health outcomes were measured in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Costs were calculated using year-2018 Japanese yen (JPY) (1.00 US dollars (USD) = 110.4 JPY). Model robustness was addressed through one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analysis. The costs and QALYs were discounted at a rate of 2% per year. Results: In the base case, the use of CTZ was associated with a gain of 3.94 QALYs. The incremental cost per QALY of the CTZ gain was 681,056.1 JPY (6168.99 USD) per QALY. Conclusion: It is convincing that neoadjuvant CTZ for patients with breast cancer would be expected to have statistically significant clinical efficacy. Addition of ZOL to CT might be a cost-effective option compared with CT alone.
基金supported by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health,Department of Health and Human Services,Bethesda,MD,USA(NEI ROIEY023261 to TLA)。
文摘Vergence eye movements are the inward and outward rotation of the eyes responsible for binocular coordination.While studies have mapped and investigated the neural substrates of vergence,it is not well understood whether vergence eye movements evoke the blood oxygen level-dependent signal reliably in separate experimental visits.The test-retest reliability of stimulus-induced vergence eye movement tasks during a functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)experiment is important for future randomized clinical trials(RCTs).In this study,we established region of interest(ROI)masks for the vergence neural circuit.Twenty-seven binocularly normal young adults participated in two functional imaging sessions measured on different days on the same 3 T Siemens scanner.The fMRI experiments used a block design of sustained visual fixation and rest blocks interleaved between task blocks that stimulated eight or four vergence eye movements.The test-retest reliability of task-activation was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient(ICC),and that of spatial extent was assessed using the Dice coefficient.Functional activation during the vergence eye movement task of eight movements compared to rest was repeatable within the primary visual cortex(ICC=0.8),parietal eye fields(ICC=0.6),supplementary eye field(ICC=0.5),frontal eye fields(ICC=0.5),and oculomotor vermis(ICC=0.6).The results demonstrate significant test-retest reliability in the ROIs of the vergence neural substrates for functional activation magnitude and spatial extent using the stimulus protocol of a task block stimulating eight vergence eye movements compared to sustained fixation.These ROIs can be used in future longitudinal RCTs to study patient populations with vergence dysfunctions.
文摘Global warming is majorly caused by an increase in atmospheric temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions due to the rise in the temperature. The continued accumulation of CO2 into the atmosphere is a massive part of the climate change problem. This study aims to develop a data-driven statistical model using Africa’s fossil-fuel CO2 emissions real data to identify the significant attributable variables and their interaction that produce the carbon dioxide emissions. However, we have considered five attributable variables in our statistical modeling and they are Liquid fuels (Li), Solid fuels (So), Gas fuels (Ga), Gas flares (Gf) and Cement production. The development of the statistical model that contains the different emissions of fossil fuels and their interactions have been specified and ranked based on a percentage of their annual contributions to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Our proposed statistical model is compared with a different penalization method since multicollinearity among the risk factors exists and which provided excellent results according to the root mean square errors (RMSE) statistic. The results of the proposed model are compared to previous results of different countries of the world.
文摘BACKGROUND Fixed ratio combinations(FRCs)of analogue basal insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists are a newer addition to the therapeutic armamentarium for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus.They reduce treatment complexity by combining two injectables in a single daily injectable,thus potentially improving adherence and persistence.Clinicians wanting to use FRCs would need to choose between members of the class.AIM To describe and contrast the glycated haemoglobin reduction of two FRCs of analogue basal insulin and glucagon like peptide-1 receptor agonist in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.METHODS The following Population,Intervention,Comparison,Outcome question was used for the primary analysis:Among adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus[P],what is the effect of iGlarLixi[I]compared to IDegLira[C]for bringing about glycaemic control(as measured by reduction in glycosylated haemoglobin)[O]?The Prisma Statement was used as a guideline for framing this systematic review.We searched PubMed,EMBASE and Cochrane library databases and Clinicaltrials.gov using various keywords and medical search headings related to type 2 diabetes mellitus,iGlarlixi,IDegLira and glycated haemoglobin A1c.RESULTS All 14 studies identified by the systematic search met the primary efficacy endpoint of reduction in glycated haemoglobin.There were no head-to-head studies between the FRCs of iGlarlixi and IDegLira,and we therefore did an indirect comparison based on a common comparator of insulin glargine U100.Both iGlarLixi and IDegLira effectively reduce glycated haemoglobin when compared to insulin glargine U100.However,using indirect comparisons,IDegLira had a greater haemoglobin A1c reducing ability(0.6%vs 0.3%).The indirect comparison is limited by the differences between the studies;the fasting blood glucose targets were slightly higher for iGlarLixi studies when compared to the IDegLira studies(4.0-5.0 mmol/L and 4.4-5.6 mmol/L),and the IDegLira study used a greater average dose of insulin glargine when compared to the iGlarLixi studies(66 U/d vs 40 U/d).CONCLUSION Both iGlarLixi and IDegLira effectively reduce glycated haemoglobin.Indirect comparisons,using insulin glargine as the common comparator,suggest that IDegLira reduces glycated haemoglobin to a greater extent than iGlarLixi.However,given the limitations of indirect comparisons,robust head to head studies and real-world data would better inform clinician choice and clinical practice guidelines.
文摘The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of eating out or skipping meals on the quality or quantity of sleep in young Japanese adults. We analyzed 584 eligible subjects (283 men and 301 women) aged 20 - 29 years. Information on diet and individual lifestyle characteristics, including sleep quality, which was assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Japanese version (PSQI-J), were obtained by participants completing an online questionnaire. Kendall’s tau coefficient was used to measure the ordinal association between diet and sleep quality. The Mann-Whitney U test was performed to evaluate differences in sleep quality by frequency of eating out and frequency of skipping meals. The results revealed a significant difference in sleep duration and PSQI-J score between people who eat out >2 times a week (“high restaurants group”) and those who do not (“low restaurants group”). Furthermore, whereas the mean sleep duration in the “high restaurants group” was 6.59 hours, the mean sleep duration in the “low restaurants group” was 6.90 hours (p = 0.007). The PSQI-J score was significantly higher in the “high restaurants group” than in the “low restaurants group” (4.91 versus 4.37, p = 0.006). Significant differences were also evident in the test’s component scores: C2, C3, and C7. No significant difference was found in sleep duration and PSQI-J score between the groups in terms of frequency of skipping meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Our results suggested that excessive intake by eating out more than twice a week may lead to short sleep duration and high PSQI-J score.
文摘The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of lifestyle on sleep quality in young Japanese adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted on the web. We analyzed 637 eligible subjects (316 men and 321 women) aged 20 - 29 years. Information on diet and individual lifestyle characteristics, including sleep quality, which was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Japanese version (PSQI-J). Results were obtained by participants completing an online questionnaire. The participants were divided into two groups based on whether they were students (“student group”) or not (“not student group”). The participants with a PSQI-J global score of 6 or higher were evaluated as low-sleep-quality. Logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate associations of lifestyle habits with low-sleep-quality. Logistic regression analyses were applied for “student group” and “not student group”. The results showed that days of eating out at dinner (OR: 1.11, CI: 1.00 - 1.22) and skipping dinner (OR: 1.21, CI: 1.05 - 1.42) were significant and independent predictors for low-sleep-quality among the “not student group”. There were no significant and independent predictors for low-sleep-quality among “student group”. Our results suggested that excessive intake by eating out and deficient intake by skipping dinner might lead to a high PSQI-J score. It is necessary for young people to receive education on the importance of cooking their own meals for traditional and daytime eating. The implication of this study lies in the fact that we have analyzed the effects of lifestyle habits on quality of sleep.
基金This project was partially supported by a Hong Kong Polytechnic University grant(GU737).
文摘Nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)is a prevalent cancer in some areas of southern Asia.To explore the potential of photodynamic therapy(PDT)for the treatment of NPC,a small molecule prodrug 5-aminolevulinic acid(ALA)and its methyl ester(MAL)mediated PDT was studied in vitro.The results showed that human NPC cells were sensitive to both ALA-and MAL-mediated PDT.However,ALA was more effective than MAL,possiblly due to a higher efficiency of ALA on producing endogenous protoporphyrin(PpIX)in NPC cells.Neither ALA nor MAL caused any significant genotoxicity.The ALA-based PDT might be a useful modality in the treatment ofNPC.
文摘Niigata City in Japan and Khabarovsk City in Russia signed a sister city agreement in 1965 and have been interacting with each other for a long time. We have been conducting comparative research on the elderly between the two cities, but there is no research on the young. Distorted perception of body weight and unnecessary dieting behavior in adolescent girls is considered a problem in both Japan and Russia. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to clarify the distortion of weight perception and diet behavior of adolescent girls in both the countries. In addition, it was decided to investigate the eating habits of people in both the countries. In total, 195 15-year-old girls from Niigata, Japan (October 2020) and 286 girls from Khabarovsk, Russia (February 2017) were surveyed. The questionnaire used was an excerpt from the World Health Organization survey on the health behavior of school-age children. The proportion of Japanese adolescent girls who perceived themselves as overweight (distorted body weight perception) was 60.5%, which was significantly higher than that of Russian adolescent girls at 30.1% (p < 0.001). In addition, the prevalence of weight loss behavior in Japan was 34.9% (n = 68), which was significantly higher than that in Russia with 27.3% (n = 78) (p < 0.001). Adolescent girls in Japan had more serious problems with weight perception, but had fewer problems with breakfast and vegetable intake habits than those in Russia. From a young age, perception of correct body shape and establishment of eating habits are important not only for current health but also for future health. We need to carefully educate adolescent girls that their body undergoes major changes through secondary sexual characteristics during adulthood.
文摘BACKGROUND As of 31 December 2022,there were over 6.6 million coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)deaths and over 651 million cases across 200 countries worldwide.Despite the increase in vaccinations and booster shots,COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to remain high.While the effectiveness of these vaccines has already been established by different manufacturers,the fact remains that these vaccines were created quickly for global emergency use,tested under controlled clinical conditions from voluntary subjects and age groups whose general characteristics may differ from the actual general population.AIM To conduct a systematic review to determine the real-world effectiveness of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in the elderly during the predominance of Delta and Omicron variants in preventing COVID-19 related infection,hospital,intensive care unit(ICU)admission and intubation,and death.METHODS A combination of Medical Subject Headings and non–Medical Subject Headings was carried out to identify all relevant research articles that meets the inclusion and exclusion criteria from PubMed,Cochrane,CINAHL,Scopus,ProQuest,EMBASE,Web of Science,and Google Scholar databases,as well as qualified research studies from pre–print servers using medRxiv and Research Square,published from January 1,2021-December 31,2022.RESULTS As per the inclusion and exclusion criteria,the effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were evaluated from an estimated total study population of 26535692 using infection,hospital,ICU admission and intubation,and death as outcome measures from studies published between 2021 and 2022,conducted in New York,Finland,Canada,Costa Rica,Qatar,Greece,and Brazil.The risk of bias was evaluated using risk of bias in nonrandomized studies of interventions(ROBINS-I)tool for cohort,case-control,and cross-sectional studies.While clinical trial data on Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines demonstrated 94%vaccine effectiveness in the elderly,the results in this study showed that vaccine effectiveness in real-world settings is marginally lower against infection(40%-89%),hospitalization(92%),ICU admission and intubation(98%-85%),and death(77%-87%)with an indication of diminished effectiveness of vaccine over time.Furthermore,2 doses of mRNA vaccines are inadequate and only provides interim protection.CONCLUSION Because of the natural diminishing effectiveness of the vaccine,the need for booster dose to restore its efficacy is vital.From a research perspective,the use of highly heterogeneous outcome measures inhibits the comparison,contrast,and integration of the results which makes data pooling across different studies problematic.While pharmaceutical intervention like vaccination is important to fight an epidemic,utilizing common outcome measurements or carrying out studies with minimal heterogeneity in outcome measurements,is equally crucial to better understand and respond to an international health crisis.
文摘Type II diabetes is a global health concern. This epidemic is elevating in increasing rates in Saudi Arabia. Thus, the study investigates a number of risk factors of Type II diabetes in Hail region, one of Saudi Arabia’s highest regions in diabetes records among adults. Data are collected using diabetic subjects from the Diabetes Registry Records in King Khalid Hospital at the city of Hail, Saudi Arabia, where 200 subjects’ records from 2014 to 2018 were included. A binary logistic regression was utilized to assess the association between age, gender, obesity, hypertension, family history, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperglyceridemia as risk factors and Type II diabetes. Some risk factors yielded statistical significant associations such as age (OR = 486.00 for 61 and older;OR = 468.00 for 51 - 60;and OR = 130.50 for 41 - 50;p-values ≤ 0.01), obesity (OR = 3.088;p-value ≤ 0.01), and hypertension (OR = 8.476;p-value ≤ 0.01), while gender, family history, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperglyceridemia were insignificant risk factors in our study. Proper intervention measures targeting diabetes risk factors may tackle or delay this public health issue.
文摘Background: Community pharmacists should be involved in diabetes care, while there has been less evidence about whether a brief lifestyle intervention is effective for diabetes care in community pharmacies. Objectives: To examine the effects of brief lifestyle intervention on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) by using a coaching style, provided by community pharmacists. Methods: A prospective, cluster-randomized, controlled trial was conducted in 50 groups of community pharmacies in Japan. In all, 132 patients with T2D (age, 20 - 75 years, ≥8.0% of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)) were assigned to the intervention group (n = 90) or the usual care group (n = 42). The intervention group (IG) underwent brief lifestyle coaching for self-care of T2D for 6 months. The standard care group (CG) received usual care by pharmacists and was given a general newsletter. The primary outcome was changes in HbA1c levels. Results: After 6 months, the IG had significantly improved HbA1c (IG: -0.6 ± 0.9 vs. CG: -0.2% ± 0.9%;p = 0.021 using the last observation carried forward analysis). Although the number of drugs reduced from 2.3 ± 0.8 to 2.0 ± 1.2 in the IG, the number increased from 2.3 ± 1.1 to 2.5 ± 1.1 in the CG (-0.2 ± 0.9 in IG vs. 0.2 ± 0.6 in CG;p = 0.023). Conclusions: The brief lifestyle intervention by community pharmacists improved glycemic control in patients with T2D. Community pharmacists may more positively participate as lifestyle coaches for diabetes care.
文摘Photodynamic therapy(PDT)of cancer is a two-step drug device combination modality,which involves the topical or systemie administration of a photosensitizer followed by light ilumnination of cancer site.In the presence of oxygen molecules,the light illmnination of photosensitizer(PS)can lead to the generation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species(ROS)and consequently destroy cancer.Similar to many other anticancer therapies,PDT is also subject to intrinsic cancer resistance mediated by mutidrug resistance(MDR)mechanisms.This paper will review the recent progress in understanding the interaction between MDR transporters and PS uptalke.The strategies that can be used in a clinical setting to owercome or bypass MDR will also be discussed.
基金The Student Center for Science Engagement at Northeastern Illinois University,the Grainger Bioinformatics Center and the Prince Fellowship(both administered by Field Museum),and the National Science Foundation(Award No.2001509)provided funding for undergraduate student internsFinancial support was also provided by the National Science Foundation for digitization and curation(Award No.0949136,1145898,1458300,1541545,2001509 and 2223875).
文摘Globally,natural history collections(NHCs)house nearly three billion scientific collections offering an unparalleled resource that contributes to both science and society.The first two decades of the twenty-first century have seen a rapid rise in the mobilization of digital biodiversity data.Yet,the transcription of important scientific information from NHCs remains a challenge presenting a critical bottleneck in the digitization process.This experimental study investigates the application of Large Language Models(LLMs)in automating the transcription of herbarium specimen labels.Various LLMs were tested,including OpenAI’s GPT models and Anthropic’s Claude,to evaluate their accuracy and efficiency in transcribing label data.Algorithms have been developed to automate the workflow,leveraging the image processing capabilities of LLMs to bypass traditional Optical Character Recognition(OCR)tools.Prompt engineering strategies were explored to enhance transcription accuracy,focusing on field-specific instructions and formatting.The study demonstrates the potential for LLMs to streamline digitization workflows in natural history collections but underscores several challenges,such as transcription errors,logic errors and inconsistency of results.Promising directions that emerge include improving prompt engineering techniques,exploring the integration of LLMs into workflows and model selection to achieve higher accuracy and reliability.
基金Supported by An international research grant 2014 of the Italian Society of NephrologyThe study sponsor provided logistic support but had no role in the collection and analysis of data or in the writing of the review and in the decision to submit the paper for publication+1 种基金The study also received support from the NIHR Birmingham Liver Biomedical Research UnitThe opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS,the NIHR or the Department of Health
文摘In the past decades liver transplantation(LT) has become the treatment of choice for patients with end stage liver disease(ESLD). The chronic shortage of cadaveric organs for transplantation led to the utilization of a greater number of marginal donors such as older donors or donors after circulatory death(DCD). The improved survival of transplanted patients has increased the frequency of long-term complications, in particular chronic kidney disease(CKD). Acute kidney injury(AKI) post-LT has been recently recognized as an important risk factor for the occurrence of denovo CKD in the long-term outcome. The onset of AKI post-LT is multifactorial, with pre-LT risk factors involved, including higher Model for End-stage Liver Disease score, more sever ESLD and pre-existing renal dysfunction, either with intra-operative conditions, in particular ischaemia reperfusion injury responsible for post-reperfusion syndrome(PRS) that can influence recipient's morbidity and mortality. Post-reperfusion syndrome-induced AKI is an important complication post-LT that characterizes kidney involvement caused by PRS with mechanisms not clearly understood and implication on graft and patient survival. Since preLT risk factors may influence intra-operative events responsible for PRS-induced AKI, we aim to consider all the relevant aspects involved in PRS-induced AKI in the setting of LT and to identify all studies that better clarified the specific mechanisms linking PRS and AKI. A Pub Med search was conducted using the terms liver transplantation AND acute kidney injury; liver transplantation AND post-reperfusion syndrome; acute kidney injury AND post-reperfusion syndrome; acute kidney injury AND DCD AND liver transplantation. Five hundred seventy four articles were retrieved on Pub Med search. Results were limited to title/abstract of English-language articles published between 2000 and 2015. Twenty-three studies were identified that specifically evaluated incidence, risk factors and outcome for patients developing PRS-induced AKI in liver transplantation. In order to identify intra-operative risk factors/mechanisms specifically involved in PRSinduced AKI, avoiding confounding factors, we have limited our study to "acute kidney injury AND DCD AND liver transplantation". Accordingly, three out of five studies were selected for our purpose.
