Abnormal Scores Research Articles

Severity of premenstrual symptoms among women with musculoskeletal pain: relation to vitamin D, calcium, and psychological symptoms.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) has various symptoms that occur during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and subside after menstruation. Anxiety and depression are prevalent in women with PMS and may exacerbate the severity of PMS. Vitamin D and calcium deficiency may have a role in developing anxiety, depression, and musculoskeletal pain (MSP). The aim of this study was to evaluate selected premenstrual symptoms in relation to serum vitamin D levels, daily calcium consumption, and psychological symptoms among women with MSP. The study population consisted of 108 women with MSP and 108 healthy controls. Information about premenstrual symptoms and calcium consumption were collected. Psychological symptoms were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Vitamin D was determined by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Women with MSP had lower serum vitamin D levels, lower daily calcium consumption, higher HADS scores for anxiety and depression, and higher frequency of severe premenstrual symptoms including fatigue, headache, irritability, mood swings, anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal compared to controls (P < 0.01). Abnormal HADS scores for anxiety and depression were associated with increased severity of premenstrual symptoms (P < 0.05). Deficient vitamin D and calcium consumption were associated with abnormal HADS scores for anxiety and depression (P < 0.05) and with increased severity of premenstrual headache, irritability, anxiety, and depression (P < 0.05). Low calcium consumption was associated with increased severity of premenstrual irritability, anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal (P < 0.05). The results suggest that vitamin D deficiency, low calcium consumption, psychological symptoms, and MSP could be interrelated and implicated in the etiology severe premenstrual symptoms. Further studies are necessary to assess whether vitamin D and calcium supplements can relieve MSP and premenstrual symptoms.

Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) XpressO: Validation of a digital self-administered cognitive prescreening tool.

The need for cognitive testing is increasing with the aging population and the advent of new Alzheimer disease therapies. To respond to the increased demand, the XpressO was developed as a self-administered digital cognitive prescreening tool that will help distinguish between populations of subjective and objective cognitive impairment according to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). This is a prospective validation study. XpressO is composed of tasks that assess memory and executive functions. It is validated compared to the digital MoCA as a gold standard. Out of 118 participants screened from the MoCA Clinic and a family practice clinic, 88 met inclusion criteria, two participants had missing data due to incomplete tasks, 86 participants were included in the analysis; the mean age was 70.34 years. A logistic regression model was built, and its accuracy was evaluated by the sensitivity, specificity, and Area Under the Curve (AUC) of the Receiver Operating Characteristic. Analysis showed strong correlation between (1) XpressO memory tasks scores and the MoCA Memory Index Score (p-values < 0.001), and between (2) XpressO sub-test scores and MoCA total score (p-values < 0.005). The AUC for predicting MoCA performance is 0.845. To classify individuals with normal and abnormal MoCA scores, two threshold values were introduced for the total XpressO scores: sensitivity of 91% at a cutoff of 72, specificity of 90% at a cutoff of 42, and an undetermined range in between. XpressO demonstrated high AUC, high sensitivity and specificity to predict cognitive performance compared to the digital MoCA. It may provide efficient cognitive prescreening by identifying individuals who would benefit from further clinical assessments, potentially reducing waiting times and high burden on healthcare clinics.

Response to Incremental Replacement of Palm Oil with Fish Oil in Starter Diet on Growth Performance, Plasma Metabolites, Ruminal Fermentation, and Behavior of Dairy Calves.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the incremental levels of n-3 fatty acids (FA) in starter feed (SF) on growth and metabolic performance of milk-fed calves. From day 3 of age, 30 female calves (39.4 ± 3.1 kg of body weight) were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments: (1) SF supplemented with 3.3% palm fatty acids (PO), (2) SF supplemented with 1.7% of PO and 1.9% fish oil (PFO), or (3) SF supplemented with 3.9% fish oil (FO). Chopped straw (7.5% of DM) was included in the SF of all treatments as total mixed ration (TMR). Diets had similar energy and protein contents. Total n-3 FA (% of total FA) and n-6/n-3 of PO, PFO, and FO were 1.90, 6.80, and 11.8 and 15.5, 4.50, and 2.70, respectively. The BW was greater for calves receiving FO (60.2 ± 0.3 kg) compared with PFO (58.7 ± 0.3 kg; p = 0.007) and tended to be greater for calves receiving FO vs. PO (59.0 ± 0.3 kg; p = 0.050). Because there was no interaction effect between diet × week of experiment, the greater BW of FO could not be attributed to the dietary treatment. Accordingly, average daily gain, total dry matter intake (DMI), starter DMI, and gain to intake ratio (G:FI) did not differ among dietary treatments during the entire period of the study (p > 0.05). Dietary treatments did not impact body size parameters such as body length, body girth, withers height, heart girth, hip height, and width (p > 0.05). Neither ruminal fermentation parameters nor blood variables were influenced by supplementing the types of oil at different time points. Calves' behavioral parameters, such as standing, lying, eating, and ruminating, were not influenced by different dietary treatments (p > 0.05). The number of days with abnormal fecal score was not different among dietary groups (p > 0.05). Overall, our findings suggest that changing the n-6/n-3 ratio in starter feed by incremental replacement of palm fatty acid with fish oil at a moderate supplemental level of ~3% of DM may not affect the growth and metabolic performance of young calves under non-challenged conditions.

Association of Hyperparathyroidism with Depression and Anxiety Among Chronic Hemodialysis Patients in the Al Baha Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Introduction Anxiety and depression are prevalent psychological issues among hemodialysis patients, adversely affecting their well-being and treatment response. The study aims to identify the relationship between these mental health concerns and hyperparathyroidism in chronic hemodialysis patients from the Al Baha Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods This retrospective study included 143 chronic hemodialysis patients aged 18-85 years. Monthly laboratory records for parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for mental health assessment were utilized. Demographic information and the primary causes of end-stage renal disease were obtained through patient interviews. Statistical analyses, including chi-square tests, odds ratio, and significance tests, were performed to assess associations. Results Elevated PTH levels were associated with increased anxiety and depression in hemodialysis patients. Patients with PTH levels >400 pg/ml exhibited higher rates of abnormal HADS scores for anxiety and depression than those with PTH levels <400 pg/ml. Gender differences were evident, with women showing a higher predisposition to anxiety disorders and men having depression. Additionally, patients with PTH levels <150 pg/ml had a significantly higher proportion of the "normal" depression score than those with PTH levels >800 pg/ml. Conclusion The study underscores the association between hyperparathyroidism and adverse mental health outcomes in chronic hemodialysis patients. Maintaining optimal PTH levels plays a crucial role in mitigating anxiety and depression. Gender differences in mental health outcomes highlight the need for tailored interventions. Routine mental health assessments, utilizing tools such as the HADS, are important in the comprehensive care of hemodialysis patients.

Validation and incorporation of digital entheses into a preliminary GLobal OMERACT Ultrasound DActylitis Score (GLOUDAS) in psoriatic arthritis

ObjectivesThe main objective was to generate a GLobal OMERACT Ultrasound DActylitis Score (GLOUDAS) in psoriatic arthritis and to test its reliability. To this end, we assessed the validity, feasibility and...

Predictors of Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Mental Health Symptoms: A School-Based Study in Southern India.

Mental illnesses are one of the major contributors to the overall burden of disease among the young. We investigated the predictors of emotional and behavioral problems among in-school adolescents in the Indian context. Using stratified sampling, 1441 adolescents were recruited to participate in the study in Udupi taluk. The study instruments included a socio-demographic pro forma and the adolescent self-reporting version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to assess the emotional and behavioral problems among them. We explored the predictors of total difficulties, as well as externalizing and internalizing problems and gender differences. SPSS version 25 was used to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics, a Chi-square test for associations, an independent t-test to explore the gender differences, correlation analysis, and backward stepwise logistic regression for the predictors were used. The mean age of the participants was 15.31 ± 0.76. An almost equal percentage of male (49.6%) and female (50.4%) participants provided data. Abnormal scores were highest under conduct problems (8.5%), and the total difficulties reached 5.1%. The male participants had higher levels of conduct, hyperactivity, peer relationship, and externalizing problems the while the female participants experienced higher levels of emotional and internalizing problems. It was observed that there was a significant positive relationship between age and emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems, and total SDQ score. An older age predicted an abnormal total difficulties score and externalizing and internalizing behaviors, while the type of school predicted the total difficulties and internalizing behaviors. The age of the adolescent, their gender, and the type of school they attended emerged as predictors of the emotional and behavioral problems among them.

Abstract 3505: Classification of cancer subtypes by cfDNA fragmentomics analysis

Abstract Introduction Fragmentation patterns of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from whole genome sequencing offer insights into nucleosome occupancy, providing a tool to infer epigenomic and transcriptomic information. The nucleosome complex, the primary protector of cfDNA, is reflected in the size distribution of cfDNA fragments, with a mode fragment size of 167 bp corresponding to the wrapping of DNA around a single nucleosome. Nucleosome occupancy patterns at transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) exhibit differences between circulating tumor DNA in cancer patients and normal plasma controls, as well as among different tumor subtypes. Therefore, cfDNA fragmentomics can be employed for cancer subtyping analysis. Methods We utilized the Griffin framework to classify tumor subtypes based on nucleosome profiling of cancer-specific TFBS and tumor subtype-specific chromatin accessibility regions from low-pass whole genome sequencing data of cfDNA. For prostate cancer subtyping, AR and ASCL1 binding sites were used to distinguish between androgen receptor-dependent prostate cancer (ARPC) and neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). ER and ERBB2 were employed for breast cancer subtyping to differentiate between ER-positive and ER-negative tumor subtypes. Results Nucleosome profiling patterns at AR binding sites (ARBS) were compared among over 500 prostate cancer plasma samples and 42 normal plasma backgrounds. The ARBS nucleosome profiling abnormality score (ARBS score) was quantified by comparing its GC-corrected fragment central coverage with the normal background using a standard Z-score.Majority of prostate cancer samples with a high ARBS score could be classified as ARPC. For 12 samples with high tumor fraction but low ARBS score and no AR copy number amplification, we found that 8 had a high ASCL1 nucleosome profiling abnormality score. All these samples also exhibited RB1 copy number loss, suggesting that these 8 samples likely belong to NEPC. Nucleosome profiling of 171 breast cancer plasma samples at breast cancer-specific ER binding sites revealed that majority of samples had a high ERBS abnormality score, indicating likely ER-positive breast cancer. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that nucleosome profiling of tumor cfDNA exhibits distinct patterns across different tumor types. Integrating nucleosome profiling at cancer-specific transcription factor binding sites can facilitate cancer subtyping, highlighting its potential clinical utility for patient stratification. Citation Format: Lisha Zhu, Chao Dai, Shuang Gan, Shidong Jia, Pan Du. Classification of cancer subtypes by cfDNA fragmentomics analysis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3505.

Abstract 940: Integrated analysis of cfDNA fragmentomics, DNA methylation and cfRNA transcription in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)

Abstract Background Liquid biopsies based on cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis provide non-invasive clinical diagnostic insights. Recently, cfDNA fragmentomics has emerged as a tool for inferring epigenomic and transcriptional information from tumor-derived cfDNA. We conducted a comprehensive profiling of cfDNA fragmentomics, whole transcriptome sequencing (WTS), and genome-wide DNA methylation on two metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) samples to systematically investigate molecular aberrations in mCRPC. Methods Two mCRPC patient plasma samples were extensively profiled using high-depth 150x whole-genome sequencing (WGS), 30x whole-genome methylation, and cfRNA WTS. CfDNA fragmentomics analysis was performed to assess androgen receptor (AR) transcriptional activity. We calculated fragment coverage around AR binding sites (ARBS) and quantified ARBS nucleosome profiling abnormality scores (ARBS scores) by comparing centric fragment coverage with normal plasma background. Additionally, we calculated fragment size entropy around AR promoter and enhancer regions to reflect AR gene expression activity. Fragmentomics-inferred gene activity was validated through promoter-targeted panels and WTS profiling of matched mCRPC samples. Results Both mCRPC plasma samples exhibited significant ARBS nucleosome depletion. Sample A showed a higher ARBS score compared to Sample B. Interestingly, AR enhancer activity inferred from high-depth WGS and targeted panels was high in both samples, while AR promoter activity was high only in Sample A. Genome-wide DNA methylation revealed hypo-methylation in AR enhancer and ARBS regions in both samples, with Sample A showing more pronounced hypo-methylation. Copy number variation analysis indicated AR amplification in Sample A and RB1 loss in Sample B. Collectively, these findings suggest that Sample A may represent androgen receptor-dependent prostate cancer (ARPC), while Sample B may have developed resistance to androgen therapy, possibly indicating neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). Conclusions This study, to our knowledge, is the first to combine high-depth WGS, promoter-targeted panels, WTS, and genome-wide DNA methylation to systematically study epigenomic and transcriptional dysregulation in mCRPC. The integration of mutation, copy number variation, fragmentomics, and DNA methylation profiling holds potential clinical utility for inferring prostate cancer subtypes, facilitating patient stratification, and guiding treatment selection. Citation Format: Chao Dai, Lisha Zhu, Yong Huang, Giancarlo Bonora, Kemin Zhou, Shidong Jia, Pan Du. Integrated analysis of cfDNA fragmentomics, DNA methylation and cfRNA transcription in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 940.

Abstract 3669: Clinical application of urinary DNA methylation biomarkers for identifying patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

Abstract Introduction Differences in DNA methylation along cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragments are known to exist between cancer patients and healthy individuals. Profiling these aberrant methylation patterns in urinary cfDNA (ucfNDA) holds great promise for the non-invasive detection and monitoring of bladder tumors, including non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Here, we analyzed fragment-level DNA methylation patterns in urine samples obtained prior to repeat transurethral resection of a bladder tumor (reTURBT) from a cohort of NMIBC patients. The results were compared to traditional clinical disease assessment and mutation-based tumor fractions. We found a strong concordance between DNA methylation abnormality and clinical diagnosis, as well as tumor fractions, highlighting the potential of epigenetic alterations as a non-invasive indicator of bladder cancer status. Methods Patients with high-risk NMIBC (n = 30) were prospectively enrolled prior to reTURBT. The PredicineEPIC™ genome-wide methylation analysis and PredicineBEACON™ MRD profiling was performed on pre-repeat TURBT urine samples. Abnormally methylated genomic fragments were detected against a background model built from a panel of plasma samples from healthy donors. Results DNA methylation abnormality was significantly higher (p = 4.8 × 10−6) in samples classified as NIMBC positive by a clinical pathologist (n = 19) compared to negative samples (n = 11), as well as compared to hold-out healthy donor samples (n=24; p = 7.0 × 10−9). Classifying the samples based on a DNA methylation score cut-off derived from healthy donor samples, 24/30 samples showed concordant disease status. Furthermore, DNA methylation abnormality scores correlated positively with mutation-based tumor fractions (r = 0.62), with higher grade samples showing a stronger correlation (r = 0.81; n = 13) than lower grade samples (r = 0.54; n = 17). Conclusion We demonstrate the utility of methylation patterns extracted ucfDNA samples obtained prior to reTURBT to detect and monitor NMIBC. Urinary DNA methylation patterns were highly concordant with clinical pathology status and as well as tumor fractions determined from mutation analysis. Citation Format: Giancarlo Bonora, Ziqi Zhu, Billie Gould, Binggang Xiang, Kemin Zhou, Shidong Jia, Roger Li, Pan Du. Clinical application of urinary DNA methylation biomarkers for identifying patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3669.

Abstract 44: Soluble CD14 and Risk of Incident Cognitive Impairment: The Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study

Introduction: Black adults in the U.S. experience a greater burden of systemic inflammation and cognitive impairment and dementia compared with White adults. Increasing evidence suggests peripheral inflammation is a risk factor for cognitive decline, however few longitudinal studies have investigated these relationships. CD14 is a pattern recognition receptor expressed by monocytes and macrophages that promotes inflammation. Concentrations of the soluble form of CD14 (sCD14) vary by race, and higher sCD14 was associated with incident coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke in Black but not White participants in the REGARDS cohort study. We hypothesized higher sCD14 would also be more strongly associated with incident cognitive impairment (ICI) in Black compared to White adults. Methods: We performed a nested case-control study of ICI in the REGARDS study, a biracial cohort of 30,239 American adults ≥45 years old. Cases were 495 participants without cognitive impairment or stroke at baseline who developed ICI during a median 3.5 years of follow-up based on abnormal scores on ≥2 of 3 cognitive tests. 587 controls were selected from a cohort random sample and free of cognitive impairment or stroke at baseline. Logistic regression models estimated odds ratios (OR) of ICI by concentration of sCD14 measured from stored baseline serum samples. We tested for a sCD14-by-race interaction a priori. Results: The sCD14-by-race interaction term was statistically significant in each model (p-interaction &lt;0.05). In analyses stratified by race, adjusting for demographic factors (age, sex, and region), a 1-SD increment sCD14 was associated with a 40% higher odds of ICI among Black adults (OR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.95) with no association among White adults (OR: 1.08; 95% CI: 0.90, 1.28). In models adjusted for cognitive and vascular risk factors (income, education, systolic blood pressure, hypertension medication use, dyslipidemia, BMI, history of heart disease, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, smoking, and alcohol use), the relationship was attenuated in Black participants (OR: 1.33; 95% CI: 0.96, 1.84) and remained null among White participants (OR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.81, 1.22). Comparing those with sCD14 concentration &gt;90th percentile to below, adjusted for risk factors, Black participants had a 2.47 (95% CI: 1.08, 5.67) higher odds of ICI with no association in White participants (OR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.46, 1.80). Discussion: Higher sCD14 was associated with ICI risk in Black but not White adults, similar to prior observations for stroke. Results suggest that sCD14-associated inflammatory responses may be a risk factor for ICI among Black adults.

Abstract 43: Development and Internal Validation of Risk Scores to Predict Survival to Discharge Following Pediatric In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Introduction: In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) in the pediatric population is associated with poor survival and neurological outcomes. We aimed to develop and internally validate a risk score to predict survival to discharge in pediatric IHCA patients. Methods: For model development and validation, we included pediatric IHCA patients captured in the Get With The Guidelines® registry (provided by the American Heart Association) between 2005 and 2021. We used logistic regression (LR), classification and regression trees (CART), and artificial neural networks (ANN) to develop models using 70% of the data and validate them using the remaining 30% of the data. The discrimination of the models was compared based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration based on the ratio of observed to expected (O: E), and predictive accuracy based on percent survival in each risk group. Results: We included 6141 pediatric patients (mean age 4.82 years, 41.3% infants, 54.7% male). Most patients survived to hospital discharge (60.9%). We developed separate models for infants vs. older children using LR, CART, and ANN. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) identified age, illness category, acyanotic cardiac malformation, hepatic insufficiency, hypotension/hypoperfusion, metabolic/electrolyte abnormality, metastatic/hematologic malignancy, renal insufficiency, septicemia, and pediatric cerebral performance score on admission as important predictor variables for analysis. Table 1 shows a comparison of model parameters. Logistic regression models were found to be better at classifying survivors into risk categories with higher specificity and discrimination. Conclusion: Pediatric patients experiencing IHCA can be classified into low, moderate, and high-risk categories using a simple risk score and easily identified pre-arrest variables. These risk scores can support clinical decisions, facilitate research, and help monitor the quality of medical services.

Predicting alcohol relapse post-detoxification: The role of cognitive impairments in alcohol use disorder patients.

Studies on early abstinence suggest that cognitive function is significantly reduced in the first year of abstinence, which raises the question of whether it is relevant to early relapse in patients with substance use disorders. This study investigates the extent to which impairments in executive function and memory predict alcohol relapse in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Understanding these relationships is crucial for improving therapeutic approaches to prevent relapse in patients with AUD. We selected 116 adult patients (79 male and 37 female) diagnosed with AUD based on DSM-5 criteria, all of whom were undergoing alcohol detoxification treatment. A comprehensive array of neuropsychological tests was administered to assess global cognition, memory, and executive functions. Patients' alcohol use was monitored monthly during a 6-month follow-up period. Logistic regression and Cox regression were used to explore the relationship between cognitive function and the likelihood of alcohol relapse. Impairments in global cognition, semantic and phonemic fluency, cognitive flexibility, and learning ability during detoxification were significant predictors of relapse in AUD patients, showing similar predictive values at both 3 and 6 months post-treatment. An abnormal Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score increased the risk of relapse by 123% (HR: 2.227), and impairments in both semantic and phonemic fluency each increased the risk by 142% (HR: 2.423). Additionally, abnormal performance on the MoCA, Trail Making Test Part B (TMT-B), and California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) was associated with a higher number of drinking days at 3 months (IRR: 3.764; IRR: 2.237; IRR: 2.738, respectively) and abnormal MoCA and TMT-B scores at 6 months (IRR: 2.451; IRR: 1.859, respectively). The MoCA test is a valuable tool for predicting relapse risk in AUD patients undergoing detoxification treatment, with similar predictive value for relapse at 3 or 6 months. Learning ability needs to be assessed and their impairments considered in the treatment of AUD patients.Future research should explore strategies for managing patients with impairments in memory and learning ability to enhance treatment effectiveness and prevent relapse.

The prevalence of dry eye in patients with psoriasis attending a tertiary care hospital in western Maharashtra

: Psoriasis affects 0.5–11.4% of adults. Psoriasis is caused by a complicated chain of immune cells and cytokines, containing tumour necrosis factors (TNF), interleukin (IL)-17, 22, and 23. Psoriasis causes systemic inflammation, which can cause arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. Our study explores dry eye in Western Maharashtra's psoriasis patients at a tertiary care hospital. A tertiary care hospital outpatient dermatology and ophthalmology department psoriasis patients were included in a cross-sectional research. Patient ages spanned from 20 to 60 years. The anterior and posterior ocular segments were examined, and dry eye was assessed. OSDI, Schirmer's test, TBUT, and corneal and conjunctiva staining has been scored. The PASI score has been received. Degree of dry eye was assessed using Dews dry eye grading system. Dry eye was present in 63.1 percent of people. Cases included 24.4% with mild dryness in their eyes. Moderate dryness made up 46.3% of cases, and severe dryness made up 29.3% of cases. The PASI score and dry eye did not have a statistically significant connection (P=0.355). A PASI score of 10 to 25 indicated the most severe case of dry eye, followed by a score of 10 (29 eyes) and &amp;#62;25. (23 eyes). A total of 81.5 percent of eyes had abnormal OSDI scores, 56.2 percent had abnormal TBUT scores, and 49.2 percent had abnormal Schirmer Test results. Dry eye in psoriasis patients requires dermatologist-ophthalmologist teamwork for comprehensive therapy. Psoriasis, especially in long-lasting cases, can lead to meibomian gland dysfunction.

Serum ACE2 and S19P gene polymorphism in Egyptian patients with COVID-19 infection: correlation with disease severity

The expression of ACE2 is linked to disease severity in COVID-19 patients. The ACE2 receptor gene polymorphisms are considered determinants for SARS-CoV-2 infection and its outcome. In our study, serum ACE2 and its genetic variant S19P rs73635825 polymorphism were investigated in 114 SARS-CoV-2 patients. The results were compared with 120 control subjects. ELISA technique and allele discrimination assay were used for measuring serum ACE2 and genotype analysis of ACE2 rs73635825. Our results revealed that serum ACE2 was significantly lower in SARS-CoV-2 patients (p = 0.0001), particularly in cases with hypertension or diabetes mellitus. There was a significant difference in the genotype distributions of ACE2 rs73635825 A > G between COVID-19 patients and controls (p-value = 0.001). A higher frequency of the heterozygous AG genotype (65.8%) was reported in COVID-19 patients. The G allele was significantly more common in COVID-19 patients (p < 0.0001). The AG and GG genotypes were associated with COVID-19 severity as they were correlated with abnormal laboratory findings, GGO, CXR, and total severity scores with p < 0.05. Our results revealed that the ACE2 S19P gene variant is correlated with the incidence of infection and its severity, suggesting the usefulness of this work in identifying the susceptible population groups for better disease control.

Rapid hearing threshold assessment with modified auditory brainstem response protocols in dogs.

Auditory brainstem response (ABR) is the gold standard for hearing testing in dogs. ABR is commonly used in puppies to diagnose congenital sensorineural deafness. Long test times limit the use for a more comprehensive hearing screening in veterinary practice. This study aimed to establish a super-fast hearing screening protocol in dogs. Hearing thresholds were routinely measured with a mobile device designed for newborn hearing screening in 90 dogs. We introduced modifications of the ABR protocol, e. g., a binaural test mode, higher stimulus rates, a broadband chirp stimulus, and an algorithm for automatic peak V detection in a stepwise fashion. Hearing thresholds were then measured with fast protocols utilizing either 30 Hz click or 90 Hz broadband chirp stimuli with 80, 60, 40, 30, 20, 10, 0 and -10 dBnHL stimulation intensities. Interrater reliability, agreement between click and chirp hearing thresholds and correlations with clinical characteristics of the dogs were assessed. Using all innovations, the test time for hearing threshold assessment in both ears was reduced to 1.11 min (mean). The chirp stimulus accentuated both, peak V and the subsequent trough, which are essential features for judgement of the hearing threshold, but preceding peaks were less conspicuous. Interrater reliability and agreement between click and chirp hearing threshold was excellent. Dogs >10 years of age and dogs with abnormal hearing score or otitis score had significantly higher hearing thresholds than younger dogs (p ≤ 0.001) or dogs without abnormalities (p < 0.001). The results demonstrate that modifications in ABR protocols speed-up test times significantly while the quality of the recordings for hearing threshold assessment is maintained. Modified ABR protocols enable super-fast hearing threshold assessment in veterinary practice.

Effects of physical fitness on mental health of Chinese college students: across-sectional study

BackgroundThe physical and mental health of college students is often mentioned, but there is limited research on a direct relationship between the mental health status of college students and their physical fitness level. This study mainly proves the relationship between Chinese college students’ mental health and physical fitness indicators.MethodThis study collected SCL-90 Scale test results from 5262 students (4012 boys and 1250 girls) through a questionnaire survey and conducted a Sport Quality Test on these students. Statistical software SPSS was applied for differential analysis and logistic regression analysis. Specifically, the differences in sport quality indicators between normal and abnormal mean total scores of psychological tests were analyzed first. Then, the binary logistic regression model was used to explore the impacts of sports quality indicator scores on students’ psychological fitness.ResultsThere are differences in the results of physical fitness tests between students with abnormal psychology and students with normal psychology. The four indexes of students’ vital capacity, speed, explosive power of lower limbs, and endurance running are effective in improving students’ psychologically abnormal state, and endurance running and improving vital capacity are the most effective methods to improve students’ psychologically abnormal state. In the physical tests of Chinese college students, the risk of psychological abnormalities was reduced by 9% for every one-point increase in lung capacity and 10.4% for every one-point increase in endurance running performance.ConclusionsChinese college students’ physical fitness and mental health are related. The best methods for treating psychological disorders are lung capacity improvement and endurance running. According to the physical test results of Chinese college students, for every 1-point increase in lung capacity and endurance running, the risk of psychological abnormalities decreased by 9% and 10.4%, respectively.

Structural connectivity at term equivalent age and language in preterm children at 2 years corrected.

We previously reported interhemispheric structural hyperconnectivity bypassing the corpus callosum in children born extremely preterm (<28 weeks) versus term children. This increased connectivity was positively associated with language performance at 4-6 years of age in our prior work. In the present study, we aim to investigate whether this extracallosal connectivity develops in extremely preterm infants at term equivalent age by leveraging a prospective cohort study of 350 very and extremely preterm infants followed longitudinally in the Cincinnati Infant Neurodevelopment Early Prediction Study. For this secondary analysis, we included only children born extremely preterm and without significant brain injury (n = 95). We use higher-order diffusion modelling to assess the degree to which extracallosal pathways are present in extremely preterm infants and predictive of later language scores at 22-26 months corrected age. We compare results obtained from two higher-order diffusion models: generalized q-sampling imaging and constrained spherical deconvolution. Advanced MRI was obtained at term equivalent age (39-44 weeks post-menstrual age). For structural connectometry analysis, we assessed the level of correlation between white matter connectivity at the whole-brain level at term equivalent age and language scores at 2 years corrected age, controlling for post-menstrual age, sex, brain abnormality score and social risk. For our constrained spherical deconvolution analyses, we performed connectivity-based fixel enhancement, using probabilistic tractography to inform statistical testing of the hypothesis that fibre metrics at term equivalent age relate to language scores at 2 years corrected age after adjusting for covariates. Ninety-five infants were extremely preterm with no significant brain injury. Of these, 53 had complete neurodevelopmental and imaging data sets that passed quality control. In the connectometry analyses adjusted for covariates and multiple comparisons (P < 0.05), the following tracks were inversely correlated with language: bilateral cerebellar white matter and middle cerebellar peduncles, bilateral corticospinal tracks, posterior commissure and the posterior inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus. No tracks from the constrained spherical deconvolution/connectivity-based fixel enhancement analyses remained significant after correction for multiple comparisons. Our findings provide critical information about the ontogeny of structural brain networks supporting language in extremely preterm children. Greater connectivity in more posterior tracks that include the cerebellum and connections to the regions of the temporal lobes at term equivalent age appears to be disadvantageous for language development.

Wind power anomaly data detection based on unsupervised methods

During the actual operation of the wind turbine, a large number of abnormal data will be generated due to environmental or human factors, which will have a great impact on the condition assessment and output prediction. In order to make wind energy a reliable source of energy, it is very important to establish an efficient and accurate wind power detection model. Therefore, it becomes essential to identify abnormal data for a more precise evaluation of wind turbine performance. Based on the data mining clustering technology K-means algorithm, this paper introduces an unsupervised abnormal wind power detection algorithm combining the variational autoencoders (VAE) model. The focus of this abnormal wind power detection method is primarily on assessing the reconstruction error, which, in turn, generates an abnormality score for wind power data. This score is then used to determine the presence of abnormal wind power data. Finally, the wind power data in 2021 is tested.

CT-based Assessment at 6-Month Follow-up of COVID-19 Pneumonia patients in China

This study aimed to assess pulmonary changes at 6-month follow-up CT and predictors of pulmonary residual abnormalities and fibrotic-like changes in COVID-19 pneumonia patients in China following relaxation of COVID restrictions in 2022. A total of 271 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia admitted between November 29, 2022 and February 10, 2023 were prospectively evaluated at 6 months. CT characteristics and Chest CT scores of pulmonary abnormalities were compared between the initial and the 6-month CT. The association of demographic and clinical factors with CT residual abnormalities or fibrotic-like changes were assessed using logistic regression. Follow-up CT scans were obtained at a median of 177 days (IQR, 170–185 days) after hospital admission. Pulmonary residual abnormalities and fibrotic-like changes were found in 98 (36.2%) and 39 (14.4%) participants. In multivariable analysis of pulmonary residual abnormalities and fibrotic-like changes, the top three predictive factors were invasive ventilation (OR 13.6; 95% CI 1.9, 45; P < .001), age > 60 years (OR 9.1; 95% CI 2.3, 39; P = .01), paxlovid (OR 0.11; 95% CI 0.04, 0.48; P = .01) and invasive ventilation (OR 10.3; 95% CI 2.9, 33; P = .002), paxlovid (OR 0.1; 95% CI 0.03, 0.48; P = .01), smoker (OR 9.9; 95% CI 2.4, 31; P = .01), respectively. The 6-month follow-up CT of recent COVID-19 pneumonia cases in China showed a considerable proportion of the patients with pulmonary residual abnormalities and fibrotic-like changes. Antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 like paxlovid may be beneficial for long-term regression of COVID-19 pneumonia.

Association of dopamine receptor D3 polymorphism with Levodopa-induced Dyskinesia: A study on Parkinson’s disease patients from India

IntroductionLevodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) is a debilitating motor feature in a subset of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) after prolonged therapeutic administration of levodopa. Preliminary animal and human studies are suggestive of a key role of dopamine type 3 (D3) receptor polymorphism (Ser9Gly; rs6280) in LID. Its contribution to development of LID among Indian PD patients has remained relatively unexplored and merits further investigation. Methods and materials200 well-characterised PD patients (100 without LID and 100 with LID) and 100 age-matched healthy controls were recruited from the outpatient department of Institute of Neurosciences Kolkata. MDS-UPDRS (Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale from International Movement Disorder Society) Part III and AIMS (abnormal involuntary movement scale) were performed for estimation of severity of motor features and LID respectively in the ON state of the disease. Participants were analysed for the presence of Ser9Gly single nucleotide variant (SNV) (rs6280) by polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism techniques. ResultsThe frequency of AA genotype (serine type) was more frequently present in PD patients with LID compared to PD patients without LID (50 % vs 28 %; P = 0.002; OR = 2.57, 95 % CI: 1.43 – 4.62). The abnormal involuntary movement scale score was significantly higher in PD patients with AA genotype compared to carriers of glycine allele (AG + GG) (4.08 ± 3.35; P = 0.002). ConclusionWe observed a significant association of serine type SNV (rs6280) in D3 receptor gene in a cohort of PD patients with LID from India. More severe motor severity was found in patients with glycine substitution of the same SNV. The current study emphasised the role of D3 receptor in the pathogenesis of LID.