Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection on Mild or Moderate Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection on Mild or Moderate Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Via Hindawi Publishing Corporation Objective. To evaluate efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), we conducted this meta-analysis, as well as proposed a protocol for its application in curative processes. Methods. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of PRP for the management of mild or moderate CTS were included in this study. Database search was conducted from study inception to July 2020, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. We used visual analogue scores (VAS) and the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) as evaluation tools for primary outcomes. Second outcomes comprised cross-sectional area (ΔCSA) and electrophysiological indexes including distal motor latency (DML), sensory peak latency (SPL), motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV), sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV), compound muscle action potential (CMAP), and sensory nerve action potential (SNAP). The pooled data were analyzed using RevMan 5.3. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted with the evidence of heterogeneity. Egger' test was used to investigate publication bias. Results. 9 RCTs were finally screened out with 434 patients included. Control groups comprised corticosteroid injection in 5 trials, saline injection in 1 trial, and splint in 3 trials. At the 1st month after follow-up, only ΔCSA between the PRP group and the control group showed significant difference (). In the 3rd month, there were statistically significant differences in VAS, BCTQ, SPL, SNCV, and ΔCSA between two groups (), while no statistically significant differences were found in the remaining outcomes. In the 6th month, there were statistically significant differences at BCTQ () in primary outcomes and ΔCSA () in secondary outcomes between two groups. As to adverse events in PRP injecti on, only one study reported increased pain sensation within 48 h after injections. Conclusion. This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrates that the PRP could be effective for mild to moderate CTS and superior to traditional conservative treatments in improving pain and function and reducing the swelling of the median nerve for a mid-long-term effect. To some extent, the electrophysiological indexes also improved after PRP injection compared with others conservative treatments. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Burden of Uterine Rupture and Its Determinant Factors

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader Burden of Uterine Rupture and Its Determinant Factors in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Via Hindawi Publishing Corporation Background. Uterine rupture is a life-threatening obstetrical emergency, which results in serious undesired maternal and perinatal complications in resource-limited countries, mainly in Ethiopia. The prevalence, determinants, and outcomes of uterine rupture described by different studies were highly inconsistent in Ethiopia. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis is aimed at estimating the pooled prevalence, determinants, and adverse outcomes of uterine rupture in Ethiopia. Methods. Studies were searched from international databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, HINARI, Cochrane library, Google Scholar, and web of science) and Ethiopian universities' digital libraries (Addis Ababa University, University of Gondar, and Harameya University). All observational studies were included. A total of 15 studies th at fulfill the inclusion criteria were included in this meta-analysis. Data were extracted by two reviewers and exported to STATA version 11 for analysis. The statistics were used to assess heterogeneity across the studies. Publication bias was examined by using Egger's test and funnel plot. The pooled prevalence of uterine rupture and its outcomes were estimated by using a random effects model. The associations between determinants and uterine rupture were evaluated by using both random and fixed-effect models. Results. In this meta-analysis, a total of 15 studies with 92,394 study participants were involved. The pooled prevalence of uterine rupture was 2.37% in Ethiopia. Obstructed labor (;), lack of antenatal care follow-up (;), duration of hours (;), grand multipara (;), and being rural residency (;) were significantly associated with uterine rupture. Conclusion. The overall prevalence of uterine rupture was high in Ethiopia. Obstructed labor, lack of antenatal care follow-u p, duration of hours, grand multipara, and rural residency were determinants of uterine rupture. This study implies the need to develop plans and policies to improve antenatal care follow-up and labor and delivery management at each level of the health system. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Effects of Urate-Lowering Therapy on Risk of Hyperlipidemia in Gout by a Population-Based Cohort Study and on In Vitro Hepatic Lipogenesis-Related Gene Expression

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader Effects of Urate-Lowering Therapy on Risk of Hyperlipidemia in Gout by a Population-Based Cohort Study and on In Vitro Hepatic Lipogenesis-Related Gene Expression Via Hindawi Publishing Corporation Patients with gout are at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, which is associated with hyperlipidemia. Management of gout in Taiwan is poor, and the association between urate-lowering therapy (ULT) among gout patients and hyperlipidemia is unclear. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID) of Taiwan on new-onset gout patients and a comparison cohort without gout. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze differences in the risk of hyperlipidemia between patients with and without gout after considering related comorbidities. We also examined the ULT medications on the hepatic expression of lipogenesis-related genes. After adjusting for potential confounders, the case group (44,413 patients) was found to have a higher risk of hyperli pidemia than the control cohort (177,652 patients) [adjusted hazards ratio ]. Gout patients without antigout treatment had significantly higher risk of hyperlipidemia than the control cohort (). Among gout patients receiving ULT, except those receiving probenecid (), all had significantly lower risk of hyperlipidemia than gout patients without ULT (all ). Using real-time polymerase chain reaction, we found that most of the antigout drugs decreased the expression of hepatic genes related to lipogenesis in differentiated HepaRG cells. These data indicate that these antigout drugs reduce hyperlipidemia in gout patients, partly via the reduction in expression of lipogenesis-related genes, leading to improved blood lipid profiles. We provide evidence of the strong association between gout and hyperlipidemia and highlight the need for appropriate treatment guidelines. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Factors Affecting Compliance of Infection Control Measures among Dental Radiographers

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader Factors Affecting Compliance of Infection Control Measures among Dental Radiographers Via Hindawi Publishing Corporation Objectives. To assess the level of dental radiographers' compliance with infection control measures and to evaluate the factors affecting their compliance. Methods. The study included 175 dental radiographers. Compliance with infection control was evaluated with a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 33 questions related to vaccination, hand hygiene (HH), personal protective equipment (PPE), disinfection and sterilization, and use of surface barriers. Pearson's chi-square test was used to compare compliance between subgroups of radiographers. Results. 64.6% of participants were females, and 62.9% was younger than 30 years. 13.0% of the sample population had >10 years of experience and 28.0% take radiographs for >20 patients/day. 66.9% of participants wash their hands before/after taking rad iographs. 26.3% of participants had vaccination against hepatitis B, tetanus, and tuberculosis. 12.6% fully use PPE, 10.9% perform complete disinfection and sterilization, and 16.0% apply all kinds of surfaces barriers. Vaccination was significantly affected by age, gender, and practice type. HH was affected by years of experience and number of patients radiographed per day. PPE was influenced by number of hours worked per week and patients radiographed daily. Disinfection and sterilization was affected by practice type and years of experience. The use of surface barriers was affected by age, practice type, and number of patients radiographed/day. Conclusions. The current study indicated poor compliance with infection control practices among dental radiographers. We recommend continuing educational programs and training courses to increase dental radiographers' awareness of local and international infection control guidelines and to enhance their implementation of these guidelines . View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Essentials of a Robust Deep Learning System for Diabetic Retinopathy Screening: A Systematic Literature Review

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader Essentials of a Robust Deep Learning System for Diabetic Retinopathy Screening: A Systematic Literature Review Via Hindawi Publishing Corporation This systematic review was performed to identify the specifics of an optimal diabetic retinopathy deep learning algorithm, by identifying the best exemplar research studies of the field, whilst highlighting potential barriers to clinical implementation of such an algorithm. Searching five electronic databases (Embase, MEDLINE, Scopus, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library) returned 747 unique records on 20 December 2019. Predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to the search results, resulting in 15 highest-quality publications. A manual search through the reference lists of relevant review articles found from the database search was conducted, yielding no additional records. A validation dataset of the trained deep learning algorithms was used for creating a set of optimal properties for an ideal diabetic retinopathy classification algorithm. Potential limitations to the clinical implementation of such systems were identified as lack of generalizability, limited screening scope, and data sovereignty issues. It is concluded that deep learning algorithms in the context of diabetic retinopathy screening have reported impressive results. Despite this, the potential sources of limitations in such systems must be evaluated carefully. An ideal deep learning algorithm should be clinic-, clinician-, and camera-agnostic; complying with the local regulation for data sovereignty, storage, privacy, and reporting; whilst requiring minimum human input. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Risk Factors of Cerebral Infarction and Myocardial Infarction after Carotid Endarterectomy Analyzed by Machine Learning

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader Risk Factors of Cerebral Infarction and Myocardial Infarction after Carotid Endarterectomy Analyzed by Machine Learning Via Hindawi Publishing Corporation Objective. The incidence of cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction is higher in patients with carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Based on the concept of coprotection of heart and brain, this study attempts to screen the related factors of early cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction after CEA with the method of machine learning to provide clinical data for the prevention of postoperative cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction. Methods. 443 patients who received CEA operation under general anesthesia within 2 years were collected as the research objects. The demographic data, previous medical history, degree of neck vascular stenosis, blood pressure at all time points during the perioperative period, the time of occlusion, whether to place the shunt, and the time of hospital stay, whether to have cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction were collected. The machine learning model was established, and stable variables were selected based on single-factor analysis. Results. The incidence of cerebral infarction was 1.4% (6/443) and that of myocardial infarction was 2.3% (10/443). The hospitalization time of patients with cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction was longer than that of the control group (8 (7, 15) days vs. 7 (5, 8) days, ). The stable related factors were screened out by the xgboost model. The importance score ( score) was as follows: average arterial pressure during occlusion was 222 points, body mass index was 159 points, average arterial pressure postoperation was 156 points, the standard deviation of systolic pressure during occlusion was 153 points, diastolic pressure during occlusion was 146 points, mean arterial pressure after entry was 143 points, systolic pressure during occlusion was 121 points, and age was 117 points. Conclusion. Eight factors, such as blood pressure, body mass index, and age, may be related to the postoperative cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction in patients with CEA. The machine learning method deserves further study. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Separability of Acute Cerebral Infarction Lesions in CT Based Radiomics: Toward Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Diagnosis

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader Separability of Acute Cerebral Infarction Lesions in CT Based Radiomics: Toward Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Diagnosis Via Hindawi Publishing Corporation This study aims at analyzing the separability of acute cerebral infarction lesions which were invisible in CT. 38 patients, who were diagnosed with acute cerebral infarction and performed both CT and MRI, and 18 patients, who had no positive finding in either CT or MRI, were enrolled. Comparative studies were performed on lesion and symmetrical regions, normal brain and symmetrical regions, lesion, and normal brain regions. MRI was reconstructed and affine transformed to obtain accurate lesion position of CT. Radiomic features and information gain were introduced to capture efficient features. Finally, 10 classifiers were established with selected features to evaluate the effectiveness of analysis. 1301 radiomic features were extracted from candidate regions after registration. For lesion and their symmetr ical regions, there were 280 features with information gain greater than 0.1 and 2 features with information gain greater than 0.3. The average classification accuracy was 0.6467, and the best classification accuracy was 0.7748. For normal brain and their symmetrical regions, there were 176 features with information gain greater than 0.1, 1 feature with information gain greater than 0.2. The average classification accuracy was 0.5414, and the best classification accuracy was 0.6782. For normal brain and lesions, there were 501 features with information gain greater than 0.1 and 1 feature with information gain greater than 0.5. The average classification accuracy was 0.7480, and the best classification accuracy was 0.8694. In conclusion, the study captured significant features correlated with acute cerebral infarction and confirmed the separability of acute lesions in CT, which established foundation for further artificial intelligence-assisted CT diagnosis. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

NAC Supplementation of Hyperglycemic Rats Prevents the Development of Insulin Resistance and Improves Antioxidant Status but Only Alleviates General and Salivary Gland Oxidative Stress

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader NAC Supplementation of Hyperglycemic Rats Prevents the Development of Insulin Resistance and Improves Antioxidant Status but Only Alleviates General and Salivary Gland Oxidative Stress Via Hindawi Publishing Corporation Previous studies based on animal models demonstrated that N-acetylcysteine (NAC) prevents oxidative stress and improves salivary gland function when the NAC supplementation starts simultaneously with insulin resistance (IR) induction. This study is the first to evaluate the effect of a 4-week NAC supply on the antioxidant barrier and oxidative stress in Wistar rats after six weeks of high-fat diet (HFD) intake. Redox biomarkers were evaluated in the parotid (PG) and submandibular (SMG) salivary glands and stimulated whole saliva (SWS), as well as in the plasma and serum. We demonstrated that the activity of salivary peroxidase and superoxide dismutase and total antioxidant capacity were significantly higher in PG, SMG, and SWS of IR rats treated with NAC. It appears that in PG and SMG of rats fed an HFD, N -acetylcysteine supplementation abolishes oxidative modifications to proteins (evidenced by decreased content of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and advanced glycation end products (AGE)). Simultaneously, it does not reverse oxidative modifications of lipids (as seen in increased concentration of 8-isoprostanes and 4-hydroxynonenal vs. the control), although it reduces the peroxidation of salivary lipids in relation to the group fed a high-fat diet alone. NAC administration increased protein levels in PG and SMG but did not affect saliva secretion, which was significantly lower compared to the controls. To sum up, the inclusion of NAC supplementation after six weeks of HFD feeding was effective in improving the general and salivary gland antioxidant status. Nevertheless, NAC did not eliminate salivary oxidative stress and only partially prevented salivary gland dysfunction. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Invalid Self-Assessment of Olfactory Functioning in Parkinson’s Disease Patients May Mislead the Neurologist

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader Invalid Self-Assessment of Olfactory Functioning in Parkinson's Disease Patients May Mislead the Neurologist Via Hindawi Publishing Corporation Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is a prominent nonmotor symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD), and OD is a supportive diagnostic criterion for PD. Physicians often ask their patients if they have noticed a smell disorder. This study evaluates the diagnostic validity of OD self-assessment in PD. To this end, 64 PD patients and 33 age-matched healthy controls were enrolled in a study assessing subjective and objective olfactory functioning. To examine subjective olfactory abilities, first, patients and controls had to classify their olfactory sense as "impaired" or "unimpaired," comparable to a realistic situation in an outpatient setting. Second, to evaluate subjective olfactory acuity, a visual analogue scale (VAS) was used. Third, the Sniffin' Sticks test battery was used as an objective instrument to diag nose OD. Categorical olfactory self-assessment predicts the classification normosmic versus hyposmic based on the global Sniffin' Sticks score (TDI) with a sensitivity of 0.79 and a specificity of 0.45. TDI correlated significantly with the VAS (r = 0.297, ). The ROC curve analysis, using the VAS rating as a predictor for objective olfaction, revealed 42 as the best possible cutoff score with an area under the curve of 0.63. These results demonstrate that olfactory self-assessments show a low accuracy and are not suitable for the diagnosis of a smell disorder in PD. Objective measures are necessary to evaluate olfactory sense in clinical and research settings. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Comparison of the Stability of Two Intraocular Lenses in Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma after Phacoemulsification

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader Comparison of the Stability of Two Intraocular Lenses in Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma after Phacoemulsification Via Hindawi Publishing Corporation Objective. To observe the stability of intraocular lenses (IOLs) in primary angle-closure glaucoma by ultralong scan depth spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (UL-OCT) after phacoemulsification. Methods. A prospective, randomized study. 73 patients (82 eyes) with primary closed-angle glaucoma and age-related cataract were included in the study. 42 eyes were implanted with ZCB00, while 40 eyes were implanted with Softec HD after phacoemulsification. The tilt, decentration, and space between IOL and posterior capsule (IOL-PC space) were analyzed using UL-OCT at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery. The intergroup difference was compared with the paired t-test. Result. The difference of decentration and tilt was not statistically significant (both ) both in the horizontal and vertical position s at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postoperatively. The horizontal IOL-PC space is 0.111 ± 0.091 mm2, 0.044 ± 0.066 mm2, and 0.055 ± 0.055 mm2 in the Softec HD group and 0.458 ± 0.488 mm2, 0.497 ± 0.363 mm2, and 0.492 ± 0.441 mm2 in the ZCB00 group. The vertical IOL-PC space is 0.102 ± 0.061 mm2, 0.037 ± 0.052 mm2, and 0.053 ± 0.079 mm2 in the Softec HD group and 0.692 ± 0.815 mm2, 0.510 ± 0.415 mm2, and 0.691 ± 0.635 mm2 in the ZCB00 group. The difference was statistically significant () both in the horizontal and vertical positions except for the first week on the horizon. The Softec HD group is smaller than the ZCB00 group. Conclusion. There is no difference in the stability of the IOL although the IOL-PC space is different. The thickness of IOL may affect the IOL-PC space. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Systemic Inflammation Response Index Predicts Survival Outcomes in Glioblastoma Multiforme Patients Treated with Standard Stupp Protocol

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader Systemic Inflammation Response Index Predicts Survival Outcomes in Glioblastoma Multiforme Patients Treated with Standard Stupp Protocol Via Hindawi Publishing Corporation Objectives. We endeavored to retrospectively assess the prognostic merit of pretreatment systemic immune response index (SIRI) in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients who underwent postoperative partial brain radiotherapy (RT) and concurrent plus adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ), namely, the Stupp protocol. Methods. The records of 181 newly diagnosed GBM patients who received the postoperative Stupp protocol were retrospectively analyzed. The SIRI value for each eligible patient was calculated by utilizing the platelet, neutrophil, and lymphocyte measures obtained on the first day of treatment: . The ideal cutoff values for SIRI connected with the progression-free- (PFS) and overall survival (OS) results were methodically searched through using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Primary and secondary end-points constituted the potential OS and PFS distinctions among the SIRI groups, respectively. Results. The ROC curve analysis labeled the ideal SIRI cutoffs at 1.74 (Area under the curve (AUC): 74.9%; sensitivity: 74.2%; specificity: 71.4%) and 1.78 (AUC: 73.6%; sensitivity: 73.1%; specificity: 70.8%) for PFS and OS status, individually. The SIRI cutoff of 1.78 of the OS status was chosen as the common cutoff for the stratification of the study population (Group 1: () and ()) and further comparative PFS and OS analyses. Comparisons between the two SIRI cohorts manifested that the cohort had altogether significantly superior median PFS (16.2 versus 6.6 months; ) and OS (22.9 versus 12.2 months; ) than its counterparts. The results of multivariate Cox regression analyses ratified the independent and significant alliance between a low SIRI and longer PFS () and OS () durations, respectively. Conclusions. Present results firmly counseled the pretreatment SIRI as a novel, sound, and independent predictor of survival outcomes in newly diagnosed GBM patients intended to undergo postoperative Stupp protocol. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.