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The effects of restraint stress and orthodontic tooth movements on the intestinal epithelial structure and metabolic function in rats
Chronic stress and orthodontic treatment have been revealed to trigger systemic stress responses in rats. This study aimed to investigate the effects of restraint stress and orthodontic treatment on the intestinal epithelial structure, barrier function, flora, and metabolism in rats. Twenty 8-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham-stressed non-orthodontic (CC), sham-stressed orthodontic (CO), stressed non-orthodontic (SC), and stressed orthodontic (SO). The stress intervention involved subjecting the rats to restraint stress for 21 days, while the orthodontic intervention consisted of maxillary first molar traction from days 8 to 21. Histological and immunohistochemical staining were used to observe the epithelial structure and barrier function of the colon. The intestinal flora and metabolite alterations were investigated by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing and untargeted metabolomics sequencing. Colonic epithelial tissue disruption, mucus cells reduction, and a decreased expression of intestinal tight junction proteins were observed in the CO, SC, and SO groups. Lactobacillus spp. abundance was significantly lower in the CO group than in the CC group. Prevotella spp. abundance was significantly lower in the SC and SO groups than in the CC and CO groups. The differential metabolite enrichment pathways between each inter-group comparison might all be related to amino acid biosynthesis, protein digestion and absorption, and cofactor biosynthesis. Both restraint stress and orthodontic treatment may adversely affect the colonic epithelial structure and barrier function of rats. The intestinal flora structure and types of metabolites were also affected cumulatively.
Embolization of the Middle Meningeal Artery for Chronic Subdural Hematoma
Weight-adjusted waist index shows superior detection of coronary artery disease than body mass index in NHANES 1999–2020
Incidence of macular hole in patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy for submacular hemorrhage
Purpose To investigate the incidence of macular hole (MH) during pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for submacular hemorrhage (SMH) due to either retinal arterial macroaneurysm (RAM) rupture or age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods We retrospectively evaluated 47 eyes of 47 patients with SMH due to RAM rupture or AMD who underwent PPV. The presence or development of MHs was confirmed intraoperatively by the surgeon. We compared the incidence of MH between the RAM and AMD groups. Results In the RAM group, a MH was found in five of 28 (17.9%) eyes, and a MH was developed in three eyes by the surgical procedure. In the AMD group, there was no MH. All MHs were identified intraoperatively and closed by the same surgical procedure. In the RAM group, subretinal tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) injection was performed in 12 eyes. Of the 12 eyes, two developed an MH before t-PA subretinal injection. Of the remaining 10 eyes, four (40%) developed an MH intraoperatively or postoperatively. Conclusion MHs are complications of PPV for SMH that occur more frequently in patients with SMH due to RAM rupture than in patients with SMH due to AMD.
Laryngeal Involvement in Disseminated Cryptococcosis
Deeply supervised two stage generative adversarial network for stain normalization
The effects of plyometric training with speed and weight overloads on volleyball players’ strength, power, and jumping performance
Background The principle of gradual overload is crucial in improving sports performance, yet the effects of combining speed and weight overloads in plyometric training remain understudied. Objective This study investigated the effects of plyometric training with speed and weight overloads on isokinetic strength, explosive power, and agility in volleyball players. Method Forty male volleyball players were randomly assigned to four groups: plyometric training (PT), plyometric training with speed overload (PTS), plyometric training with weight overload (PTW), and plyometric training with both speed and weight overload (PTSW). Each group completed a four-week plyometric training regimen. Performance metrics, including Sarjent’s jump height (SJH), Spike jump height (SPJH), Sheppard test (ShT), muscle voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), rate of force development (RFD), absolute peak torque (PTQ), relative peak torque (RPT), and average power (AP) of knee extensors and flexors were measured before and after the intervention. Results SJH improved significantly in PTS (P = 0.012), PTW (P = 0.041), and PTSW (P = 0.001) compared to PT. SPJH showed substantial gains in PTS (P = 0.002), PTW (P = 0.001), and PTSW (P = 0.001) compared to PT. Average jump height and highest jump in ShT were also significantly higher in PTS, PTW, and PTSW (P < 0.05). Additionally, RFDext240°/s was enhanced considerably in PTS (P = 0.001) and PTSW (P = 0.001). Conclusion Based on the results, plyometric training with speed and weight overloads (PTSW) demonstrated superior enhancements in isokinetic strength, explosive power, and jumping performance. This combined approach is highly effective and significantly benefits male volleyball players, aiming to enhance their physical abilities.
The Changing Approach to Addiction — From Incarceration to Treatment and Recovery Support
Experimental investigation of structural and optical properties of Mn-doped ZnO thin films deposited by pneumatic spray technique
Risk factors for osteoporosis in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Background Osteoporosis is a prevalent chronic result of diabetes. Osteoporosis susceptibility is raised by unstable blood glucose levels, oxidative stress, hormonal abnormalities, and other factors. Currently, there is no systematic review addressing the risk factors of osteoporosis in diabetes. This study intends to systematically assess the current risk factors related to diabetic osteoporosis (DOP) and provide suggestions for the improvement of therapy approaches. Methods and analysis We will search five English literature databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library) and three Chinese databases (CNKI, WanFang, and SinoMed) from the starting point until December 31, 2024. We will perform a systematic examination and meta-analysis of cohort and case-control studies to identify all population-based risk factors for diabetic osteoporosis. Two researchers will independently assess the publication, extract data, and evaluate the quality and potential biases present in the study. We will utilize RevMan V.5.4 software and STATA 16.0 for data analysis. The included studies will be assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Quality Assessment Instrument (NOS). If the heterogeneity of the included studies is higher than 50%, we will perform subgroup and sensitivity analysis to identify probable sources of heterogeneity. The assessment of publication bias will be conducted using funnel plot. Furthermore, we will employ the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) to assess the quality of evidence for each exposure and outcome. Discussion This protocol aims to investigate the risk variables associated with DOP. We will summarize the current knowledge about factors influencing osteoporosis in diabetes. We strive to assist physicians with more extensive references for decision-making and facilitate the implementation of effective prevention strategies for DOP. Registration This study has been registered in the PROSPERO (CRD42024602637).
Carceral Health Care
Identification of ETV4 as a prognostic biomarker and correlates with immune cell infiltration in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Topological data analysis in air traffic management: The shape of big flight data sets
Analyzing flight trajectory data sets poses challenges due to the intricate interconnections among various factors and the high dimensionality of the data. Topological Data Analysis (TDA) is a way of analyzing big data sets focusing on the topological features this data sets have as point clouds in some metric space. Techniques as the ones that TDA provides are suitable for dealing with high dimensionality and intricate interconnections. This paper introduces TDA and its tools and methods as a way to derive meaningful insights from ATM data. Our focus is on employing TDA to extract valuable information related to airports. Specifically, by utilizing persistence landscapes (a potent TDA tool) we generate footprints for each airport. These footprints, obtained by averaging over a specific time period, are based on the deviation of trajectories and delays. We apply this method to the set of Spanish’ airports in the Summer Season of 2018. Remarkably, our results align with the established Spanish airport classification and raise intriguing questions for further exploration. This analysis serves as a proof of concept, showcasing the potential application of TDA in the ATM field. While previous works have outlined the general applicability of TDA in aviation, this paper marks the first comprehensive application of TDA to a substantial volume of ATM data. Finally, we present conclusions and guidelines to address future challenges in the ATM domain.
Critical Illness in an Adolescent with Influenza A(H5N1) Virus Infection
Connector based short time series prediction
Pharmacological interventions for addressing pediatric and adolescent obesity: A systematic review and network meta-analysis
Background Obesity significantly impacts the health outcomes of children and adolescents, necessitating a comprehensive study to evaluate the effects of various anti-obesity medications (AOMs) on weight-related and metabolic outcomes. Methods PubMed, EMBASE, and CENTRAL were searched for studies published up to January 3, 2024. We performed a network meta-analysis on randomized clinical trials that compared various treatments for pediatric and adolescent obesity, such as phentermine/topiramate, semaglutide, exenatide, liraglutide, topiramate, metformin, fluoxetine, metformin/fluoxetine, sibutramine, and orlistat. The study evaluated body mass index (BMI), BMI percentage change, weight, BMI-SDS, waist circumference, metabolic, anthropometric, and safety outcomes. Results The study gathered 2733 studies, including 30 articles that involved 3822 participants. The results of our research showed that PHEN/TPM was better at lowering BMI than exenatide, liraglutide, metformin, fluoxetine, Met/Flu, topiramate, orlistat, and sibutramine, with mean differences (MD) ranging from −10.29 to −1.28. Additionally, semaglutide demonstrated superior efficacy over other AOMs (MD ranged from −8.28 to −1.24). Various levels of certainty, ranging from very low to moderate, supported the findings. Furthermore, semaglutide demonstrated superior efficacy over exenatide (MD-12.43, 95% CI −23.95 to −0.30) regarding percentage change in BMI. Semaglutide also showed enhanced weight reduction effectiveness compared to seven other AOMs except for PHEN/TPM (MD ranging from −15.56 to −12.65). Similarly, PHEN/TPM displayed greater weight reduction effectiveness than seven other AOMs, except for semaglutide (MD ranged from −12.17 to −9.27). Moreover, semaglutide proved more effective in decreasing waist circumference when compared with other AOMs apart from PHEN/TPM (MD ranged from −11.61 to −6.07). Similarly, we found that PHEN/TPM, excluding semaglutide and sibutramine, was more effective in reducing waist circumference (MD ranged from −8.64 to −5.51). Conclusions The study found that semaglutide outperformed other AOMs in reducing BMI and additional weight-related outcomes in children and adolescents with obesity, while PHEN/TPM showed comparable efficacy.
Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms
Virtual delivery of group-based cognitive behavioral therapy for autistic children and youth during the COVID-19 pandemic was acceptable, feasible, and effective
Early economic evaluation of chelation therapy in kidney transplant recipients with high-normal lead
Background Kidney transplant recipients (KTR) with high-normal lead have a higher risk of graft failure (GF). Clinically, chelation therapy using meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) removes lead. Despite the proposal that chelation therapy can prevent GF through lead removal, evidence is lacking. To guide research efforts, we conducted an early economic evaluation, aiming to explore the economic feasibility of screening for and implementing chelation therapy with oral DMSA for high-normal plasma lead concentrations in KTR (i.e., the intervention) compared to standard of care. Methods A Markov model simulated the life course of 10,000 KTR in the Netherlands from a societal perspective. Transition probabilities were estimated using the data from TransplantLines Food and Nutrition Biobank and Cohort study. Costs and utilities were sourced from publications and public data. Model robustness was investigated through deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Various administration strategies were tested. Five-year costs were calculated from a healthcare payer’s perspective. Value of information was assessed. Results The intervention was cost-saving and improved health, leading to a dominant incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. The result was most sensitive to transition probabilities (led by GF, followed by death with functioning graft and after graft failure). The probability of the intervention being cost-effective was 60%. Chelation strategies did not affect the result. The intervention applied to the Dutch KTR population could save €27 million in the initial five years. Further research is desirable if the cost of obtaining perfect information on GF survival is approximately below €4,000/KTR (all uncertainties under €5,000/KTR). Conclusion The cost-effectiveness of the intervention is robust in KTR, except when considering the uncertainties around (graft) survival probabilities. Applying chelation therapy in the new setting we studied holds significant potential. However, trials that systematically assess the efficacy, administration strategies, and impacts on survival are crucial in updating the current evaluation and informing policies.