Statistical Calculations Research Articles

Tomentediline A: A isoquinoline alkaloids with undescribed carbon skeleton from Corydalis tomentella

Two undescribed isoquinolines (1–2), including one undescribed carbon skeleton isoquinoline together with six known ones (4–9) as well as an undescribed amide (3) and three known ones (10–12) were isolated from C. tomentella. Their planar structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by extensive analyses of UV, NMR, HRESIMS, DP4+ statistical analysis and ECD calculations, respectively. Tomentediline A (1) is an isoquinoline alkaloid dimer that forms an undescribed carbon carbon bond at the C-13 position of (2H)-protoberberine in a natural product discovered for the first time. Meantime, 1 exerted moderate cytotoxicity against the U251 cell lines, indicating that the undescribed dimer skeleton of isoquinoline compound has the potential for anti-glioma.

Management Delays and Outcomes in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) in the COVID-19 Era in Senegal: Insights from a Tertiary Center

Low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) face many challenges regarding the timely management of STEMI, and the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our already fragile health systems. The aim of this study was to assess the delays in managing STEMI during COVID-19 and evaluate the 6-month mortality rates related to these delays. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted over two years starting from January 2020 at a tertiary center in Dakar, Senegal. All patients referred for STEMI during the study period were included. Statistical analysis was performed using R, version 4.4.0 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing). A total of 273 patients were enrolled during the study period (65.9% males, mean age: 59 ± 12.4). Diabetes Mellitus was present in 37.7% of cases. Only 1 out of 5 patients (20.5%) reached medical attention within 1 hour after symptoms onset, and the time from first medical contact to ECG was < 10 minutes in 39 % of cases. Primary PCI within the first 24 hours was performed in 23.5% of cases. Factors significantly associated with late hospital admission (<12h) were first medical contact < 1h (P 0.0009, OR: 4.06 95% CI; 1.8-9.64), time to first ECG < 10 minutes (P 0.002, OR: 2.79 95% CI; 1.45-5.41) and number of facilities visited < 2 (P 0.004, OR: 3.4 95% CI 1.51-8.22). The 6-month mortality rate was 18.7%, and the probability of death increased with a more significant delay in first medical contact. Our study found persisting delays in STEMI management in Senegal. Establishing a standard of care for STEMI in Senegal is mandatory to overcome healthcare system weaknesses and improve the outcomes of our STEMI patients.

Assessing the efficacy of renal denervation in patients with resistant arterial hypertension : Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Renal denervation (RDN) is an innovative procedure designed to regulate the renal sympathetic nervous system for the control of arterial hypertension (HTN). RDN has emerged as an alternative for patients with resistant HTN. However, the clinical efficacy of RDN remains incompletely elucidated. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the use of RDN with sham procedure or pharmacological treatment in patients with resistant HTN. Statistical analyses were performed using RStudio 4.3.2 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). Heterogeneity was examined with the CochranQ testI2 statistics. Mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were pooled across trials. Pvalues of <0.05 were considered statistically significant. The primary outcomes of interest were changes from baseline in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and serum creatinine. Twenty-one RCTs comprising 3345 patients were included in this meta-analysis, whereby 2004 (59.91%) received renal denervation and 1341 (40.09%) received pharmacological treatment or sham procedure. Follow-up ranged from 2to 48months. Compared to control group, RDN significantly reduced SBP (MD -3.53 mm Hg; 95% CI -5.94 to -1.12; p = 0.004; I2 = 74%) and DBP (MD -1.48 mm Hg; 95% CI -2.56 to -0.40; p = 0.007; I2 = 51%). Regarding serum creatinine (MD -2.51; 95% CI -7.90 to 2.87; p = 0.36; I2 = 40%), there was no significant difference between RDN and control groups. In this meta-analysis of RCTs of patients with resistant HTN, RDN was associated with areduction in SBP and DBP compared to sham procedure or pharmacological treatment.

ThP7.10 - Perioperative Temperature in Relation to Theatre Temperature in Orthopaedic Trauma Patients in a District Hospital in NHS

Abstract Aim To understand the relation between intraoperative hypothermia and theatre temperature in Orthopaedic trauma list. Method Prospective analysis of patients listed in the trauma list at a busy district general hospital in NHS. The data collected included duration of surgery, preoperative temperature, pre induction temperature, intra-operative, post procedure, temperature in recovery and temperature post recovery, and mean ambient theatre temperature. Statistical calculations were performed on StatsDirect3 software. Results A total of 100 patients were included in the study from 1 Aug 2023 to 30 September 2023. Intraoperative hypothermia (core body temperature &amp;lt;= 36) was 21%. Preoperative temperature (p=0.033) and preinduction temperature (p&amp;lt;0.001) was statistically significant factor in influencing the intraoperative temperature. Theatre temperature was an independent predictor of intraoperative hypothermia on regression analysis (p&amp;lt;0.001). Conclusions Theatre temperature of 19.5 to 20.5 °C results in a core body intraoperative temperature of 36.3 to 37.3°C. Temperatures below 19.5 results in higher incidence of hypothermia. Preinduction temperature of 36.4°C results in intraoperative temperature of 36°C and a preinduction temperature of 37.1°C leads to intraoperative temperature of 36.7°C. This indicates that preoperative warming as well as a theatre temperature of 19.5 to 20.5 °C will help in reduction of the intraoperative hypothermia.

EP620 - Incidence of Perioperative hypothermia in elective surgeries at a district hospital in NHS - loop completion

Abstract Aim To investigate the incidence of peri-operative hypothermia (core temperature ≤ 36 ⁰C) in all elective surgical patients at a district hospital in NHS and compare the results to the previous study. To understand the contributing factors to hypothermia in the elective surgical patients. Methods Inadvertent perioperative hypothermia (IPH) is defined as a core body temperature &amp;lt;36.0°C. It is a common consequence of anaesthesia, which increases morbidity and potentially increases mortality. National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guideline 65 which summarises best practice for the prevention and treatment of hypothermia in adults undergoing surgery. Prospective analysis of 100 electively listed surgical patients at NMGH. We prospectively studied all the electively listed general surgery, breast, gynaecology, urology, orthopaedics patients from 1 July 2023 to 1 September 2023. Exclusion criteria – All emergency cases. Pre-operative temperature, pre-induction temperature, intra-operative, post-procedure, temperature in recovery and temperature post recovery were recorded. Temperature measurement was via tympanic or temporal thermometers. All statistical calculations were performed on the StatsDirect3 software. Results Preoperative 36.55, Pre-induction 36.55, Intra-operative 36.5, Postoperative is 36.5, Recovery 36.5 Post recovery is 36.6, Theatre temperature 19.5 Conclusion Statistically significant correlation was observed between the intraoperative temperature and the pre-induction temperature as well as the theatre ambient temperature (p &amp;lt; 0.0001). A theatre temperature of 18 °C has a predicted intraoperative temperature of 34.4 °C and a temperature of 19 °C has a predicted temperature of 36.3 °C. Median pre-induction temperature at NMGH is 36.5 °C and the predicted intraop temp is 36 °C. If the pre-induction temperature raises to 37.2 °C the predicted intraop temperature is 36.6 °C.

Study of obesity research using machine learning methods: A bibliometric and visualization analysis from 2004 to 2023.

Obesity, a multifactorial and complex health condition, has emerged as a significant global public health concern. Integrating machine learning techniques into obesity research offers great promise as an interdisciplinary field, particularly in the screening, diagnosis, and analysis of obesity. Nevertheless, the publications on using machine learning methods in obesity research have not been systematically evaluated. Hence, this study aimed to quantitatively examine, visualize, and analyze the publications concerning the use of machine learning methods in obesity research by means of bibliometrics. The Web of Science core collection was the primary database source for this study, which collected publications on obesity research using machine learning methods over the last 20 years from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2023. Only articles and reviews that fit the criteria were selected for bibliometric analysis, and in terms of language, only English was accepted. VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Excel were the primary software utilized. Between 2004 and 2023, the number of publications on obesity research using machine learning methods increased exponentially. Eventually, 3286 publications that met the eligibility criteria were searched. According to the collaborative network analysis, the United States has the greatest volume of publications, indicating a significant influence on this research. coauthor's analysis showed the authoritative one in this field is Leo Breiman. Scientific Reports is the most widely published journal. The most referenced publication is "R: a language and environment for statistical computing." An analysis of keywords shows that deep learning, support vector machines, predictive models, gut microbiota, energy expenditure, and genome are hot topics in this field. Future research directions may include the relationship between obesity and its consequences, such as diabetic retinopathy, as well as the interaction between obesity and epidemiology, such as COVID-19. Utilizing bibliometrics as a research tool and methodology, this study, for the first time, reveals the intrinsic relationship and developmental pattern among obesity research using machine learning methods, which provides academic references for clinicians and researchers in understanding the hotspots and cutting-edge issues as well as the developmental trend in this field to detect patients' obesity problems early and develop personalized treatment plans.

Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy Is Not Associated with Apolipoprotein E Gene Isoforms in the Kazakh Population: A Case-Control Study.

The absence of an early diagnosis of cardiac autonomic neuropathy might increase the risk of the disease, progressing to an irreversible stage. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the APOE gene isoforms in patients with cardiac autonomic neuropathy to identify early markers for predicting this disease in the Kazakh population. A total of 147 patients with cardiac neuropathy and 153 controls were examined in this case-control study. Patients were genotyped for two polymorphisms of the APOE gene using real-time PCR. Statistical calculations were performed using binary logistic regression. As a result of our study, we found that there was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of any APOE gene isoforms (APOE (ε2/ε2), APOE (ε2/ε3), APOE (ε2/ε4), APOE (ε3/ε3), or APOE (ε4/ε4)) between the patient group and the control group (p = 0.69, p = 0.64, p = 0.19, p = 0.22, p = 0.97, respectively). Thus, cardiac autonomic neuropathy is not associated with APOE gene isoforms in the Kazakh population.

Computational Modeling of the Conformation-Dependent Atmospheric Reactivity of Criegee Intermediates.

The impacts of Criegee intermediates (CIs) on atmospheric chemistry depend significantly on the CI conformation. In this Perspective, I highlight examples of how electronic structure and statistical rate theory calculations, in conjunction with experiment, have revealed conformation-dependent details of both CI ground-state reactivity and electronic excitation. Calculations using single-reference electronic structure methods and conventional transition state theory have predicted that CIs with syn-alkyl or syn-vinyl substituents isomerize rapidly to vinyl hydroperoxides (VHPs) or dioxoles, both of which can decompose rapidly under atmospheric conditions. Ongoing computational research on hydroxyl radical (OH) roaming initiated by VHP dissociation requires the application of multireference electronic structure methods and variational transition state theory. CIs that lack both syn-alkyl and syn-vinyl substituents undergo either bimolecular reaction or π* ← π electronic excitation in the atmosphere. Accurate predictions of CI ultraviolet-visible spectra require multireference calculations with large active spaces and at least a second-order perturbative treatment of dynamic electron correlation. The extent to which electronic spectra can be diagnostic of the presence of specific CI conformers varies significantly with CI chemical identity.

Abstract P388: Electrical Stimulation of the Porcine Carotid Sinus Nerve Reliably Decreases Blood Pressure and Heart Rate

Introduction: Neuromodulation of the baroafferent pathway via direct carotid sinus nerve (CSN) stimulation is recognized as a potential therapeutic modality for treating uncontrolled hypertension. Although proof of concept has been demonstrated acutely in humans, there are many questions that remain in both acute and chronic applications. A translational non-companion large animal model is vital for safe development of this modality. Here we present data on the effects of CSN and baroafferent stimulation in farm pigs. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that an effective CSN-bioelectode interface in the pig would demonstrate significant and reproducible reductions in blood pressure in tandem with pulse rate (PR). Methods: Acute CSN stimulation was investigated in 9 anesthetized Yorkshire pigs. Following general anesthesia, CSNs were exposed and an application-specific electrode was placed. A fixed current paradigm was employed at constant 100Hz and 100µs pulse width. Following contact mapping to identify the baroafferent neurointerface, electrical current was escalated to establish dose-response curves. The primary outcome was systolic blood pressure (SBP) and secondary outcomes were diastolic pressure (DBP) and PR. Data were analyzed in Matlab to extract the baseline BP and PR, during and following stimulation. Statistical calculations used a one-sample Wilcoxon signed rank test. Explanted electrodes with surrounding tissue were evaluated using micro-computed tomography (μCT) and histologically. Results: Six of 9 animals were responders (n=7, 2 sides were stimulated in one animal), CSN stimulation caused average (mean±SD, p&lt;0.001) decreases in SBP (6.8±7.2mmHg) and DBP (3.9±3.7mmHg), which tracked closely with decreases in PR (6.2±5.7bpm). Average maximum decreases were: SBP, 9.3±9.9mmHg; DBP, 7.7±6.4mmHg; and PR, 9.7±8.3bpm. Upon stimulation withdrawal, there was near-immediate recovery of both BP and HR. μCT and histological analysis of tissue samples demonstrated inter-animal anatomic heterogeneity. Conclusions: CSN stimulation causes reproducible reduction in BP synchronous with PR drops followed by near immediate recovery of both with stimulation withdrawal. Variations in animal response may be due to anatomical variation in CSN anatomy that can be overcome with further anatomical study. Pigs provide a robust large-animal model for investigating CSN stimulation, offering a platform to better understand baroafferent stimulation as treatment for uncontrolled hypertension.

A dataset of soil water storage of typical ecosystems in arid and semi-arid areas in China, 2005-2017

Soil water is one of the important components of the earth's water resources, and also the main source of water directly consumed by vegetation and crops. Therefore, the storage, recharge, consumption, renewal and balance of soil water are of great significance to agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry, ecological environment and water resources balance, especially for the arid and semi-arid region of China. We collect and sort out the long-term observation data of soil moisture from eight ecosystem observation and research stations of the Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN) located in the arid and semi-arid region of China during 2005 - 2017, and generates the corresponding soil water storage dataset through quality control, spatial and temporal normalization, statistical calculation, in order to provide long-term data support for understanding distribution and change of soil water storage in typical ecosystems in arid and semi-arid areas of China.

Calculation method of particle angular distribution based on directional probability approach in the Monte Carlo simulation

Abstract To address the limitations of narrow applicability and low computational efficiency in the existing methods for calculating particle angular distribution using Monte Carlo simulations, this paper proposes a method based on the directional probability approach. In this method, when calculating the fluence at a recording point using the directional probability approach, virtual particles are binned based on the cosine of the angle between their direction and different reference directions, enabling statistical calculation of the particle angular distribution at the recording point. The simulated one-dimensional angular distribution of particles at the recording point agrees well with the angular distribution at the recording surface, with a total fluence deviation of less than 2% and an angular distribution deviation of less than 5%. Additionally, to facilitate the coupling of particle transport simulation with other physical fields, corresponding methods have been established to statistically calculate the fluence components in different directions of the xyz coordinate system. This method can calculate one-dimensional, two-dimensional angular distributions, and different directional components of particles at any location within the radiation field, providing technical support for research in ray detection, radiation protection, nuclear radiation field analysis, and nuclear data evaluation.

Evaluation of Antipsychotic-Induced Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome Using a Self-Organizing Map.

Introduction In neuropsychiatric pharmacotherapy, neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a potentially serious side effect of antipsychotics characterized primarily by fever, disorientation, extrapyramidal disorders, and autonomic nervous system imbalance, which can lead to death if left untreated. We visualized the NMS profile of antipsychotics using a self-organizing map (SOM). We combined it with decision tree analysis to discriminate between 31 antipsychotics in more detail than typical antipsychotic (TAP) and atypical antipsychotic (AAP) classifications. Method A total of 20 TAPs and 11 AAPs were analyzed. We analyzed NMS reports extracted from the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database based on standardized Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) queries (Standardized MedDRA Queries (SMQ) code: 20000044, including 68 preferred terms). The SOM was applied using the SOM package in R version 4.1.2 (RFoundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). Results The Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database contained 887,704 reports published between April 2004 and March 2024. The numbers of cases of NMS (SMQ code: 20000044) reported for risperidone, aripiprazole, haloperidol, olanzapine, and quetiapine were 1691, 1294, 1132, 1056, and 986, respectively. After the antipsychotics were classified into six units using SOM, they were adapted for decision tree analysis. First, 31 antipsychotics branched off into groups with loss of consciousness, with one group (10 TAPs) consisting entirely of TAPs, and the other consisting of antipsychotics that were further separated into two groups with coma induced by TAPs and AAPs. Conclusion The results of this study provide a reference for healthcare providers when predicting the NMS characteristics induced by each drug in patients, thereby facilitating the effective treatment of schizophrenia.

Effective removal of textile dye via synergy of adsorption and photocatalysis over ZnS nanoparticles: Synthesis, modeling, and mechanism

In this work, we prepared sulfur-zinc nanoparticles (ZnS-TGA) functionalized with thioglycolic acid by a hydrothermal method and tested their photodegradation ability by solar irradiation. ZnS-TGA were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), UV–Vis spectrophotometer and photoluminescence spectroscopy. In the characterization of these nanoparticles, thioglycolic acid proved to be a strong capping ligand, with a specific surface area of 36.82 m2/g and an average size of 7.15 nm. To test the photocatalytic degradability of the product, methylene blue (MB) was used as a model pollutant. Various operational variables were investigated, including pH, amount of nanoparticles, dye concentration, contact time and temperature. The equilibrium adsorption tests, and the statistical physical calculations allowed the analysis of the energetic and steric variables of the adsorption of MB dye molecules on the surface of these nanoparticles. The equilibrium data were well fitted with Langmuir-Freundlich (L-F) and the adsorption kinetics with pseudo-first order. The maximum adsorption capacity of the MB dye removal process was 30.92 mg g−1 at pH 7 and 298 K, and this process was spontaneous and exothermic. The dye molecules and the surface of the nanoparticles exhibited physical interactions with adsorption energies of 23.31–25.92 kJ/mol. The photocatalytic activity of these nanoparticles resulted in a dye degradation efficiency of 91.1 % in 180 min. The photocatalytic efficiency remained almost unchanged after five consecutive degradation cycles, resulting in a methylene blue degradation of 85 %. According to these results, these environmentally friendly nanoparticles have the potential to purify industrial and urban liquids contaminated with harmful organic compounds such as dye molecules.

JWST PRIMER: a new multifield determination of the evolving galaxy UV luminosity function at redshifts z ≃ 9 – 15

ABSTRACT We present a new determination of the evolving galaxy ultraviolet (UV) luminosity function (LF) over the redshift range $8.5&amp;lt; z&amp;lt; 15.5$ using a combination of several major Cycle-1 JWST imaging programmes – Public Release IMaging for Extragalactic Research, JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey, and Next Generation Deep Extragalactic Exploratory Public Survey. This multifield approach yields a total of $\simeq 370$ arcmin2 of JWST/NIRCam imaging, reaching (5-$\sigma$) depths of $\simeq 30$ AB mag in the deepest regions. We select a sample of 2548 galaxies with a significant probability of lying at high redshift ($p(z&amp;gt; 8.5)&amp;gt; 0.05$) to undertake a statistical calculation of the UV LF. Our new measurements span $\simeq 4$ mag in UV luminosity at $z=9-12.5$, placing new constraints on both the shape and evolution of the LF at early times. Our measurements yield a new estimate of the early evolution of cosmic star-formation rate density ($\rho _{\rm {SFR}}$) confirming the gradual decline deduced from early JWST studies, at least out to $z \simeq 12$. Finally we show that the observed early evolution of the galaxy UV LF (and $\rho _{\rm {SFR}}$) can be reproduced in a ${\rm \Lambda }$cold dark matter Universe, with no change in dust properties or star-formation efficiency required out to $z \simeq 12$. Instead, a progressive trend towards younger stellar population ages can reproduce the observations, and the typical ages required at $z \simeq$ 8, 9, 10, and 11 all converge on $\simeq 380-330$ Myr after the big bang, indicative of a rapid emergence of early galaxies at $z \simeq 12 - 13$. This is consistent with the first indications of a steeper drop-off in $\rho _{\rm {SFR}}$ we find beyond $z \simeq 13$, possibly reflecting the rapid evolution of the halo mass function at earlier times.

Interpreting the removal behaviours of aniline and 3,4-diaminotoluene on aromatic carbon-rich magnetic polymer: Statistical modelling, DFT quantitative calculations and new perspectives

The widespread presence of harmful and stubborn amine organic contaminants in aquatic environments motivated the exploration of efficient technologies for alleviating their serious environmental crisis. Herein, the recyclable magnetic Schiff base polymer (Fe3O4-TENE) with satisfactory and promising capacity in treating aniline and 3,4-diaminotoluene as representative amine organic contaminants was fabricated via a simple in-situ polymerization method, which combined the magnetic separability advantage of magnetic oxides with the abundant aromatic carbon content properties of Schiff base polymer. Multiple characterization methods verified the effectiveness of the in-situ polycondensation coating reaction and analyzed the physicochemical properties of Fe3O4-TENE. The Fe3O4-TENE possessed abundant homogeneous reaction sites and excellent regeneration performance, multiple diffusion driving forces and micro-mechanisms co-participated in the removal reaction. The adsorption pathway, underlying reaction mechanism and the most probable bonding system were identified based on the statistical modelling and DFT quantitative calculations. Especially, the visible electrostatic potential molecular and molecular orbitals verified the π-π interaction and electrostatic forces greatly contributed to the removal reaction. The Driving forces – Challenges – Breakthrough – Application framework was proposed for comprehensively assessing the possible environmental application of Fe3O4-TENE. Overall, this work not only provides important insights into the utilization of magnetic polymer composite to alleviate ecological and environmental risks caused by amine organic pollutants, but also contributes to an in-depth excavation of the bonding types and removal mechanisms from both micro and macro perspectives.

Privacy-Preserving Workflow for the Cross-Border Federated Analysis of Clinical Data.

The motivation behind this research is to perform a privacy-preserving analysis of data located at remote sites and in different jurisdictions with no possibility of sharing individual-level information. Here, we present key findings from requirements analysis and a resulting federated data analysis workflow built using open-source research software, where patient-level information is securely stored and never exposed during the analysis process. We present additional improvements to further strengthen the security of the workflow. We emphasize and showcase the use of data harmonization in the analysis. The data analysis is done using the R language for statistical computing and DataSHIELD libraries for non-disclosive analysis of sensitive data. The workflow was validated against two data analysis scenarios, confirming the results obtained with a centralized analysis approach. The clinical datasets are part of the large Pan-European SARS-Cov-2 cohort, collected and managed by the ORCHESTRA project. We demonstrate the viability of establishing a cross-border federated data analysis framework and conducting an analysis without exposing patient-level information, achieving results equivalent to centralized non-secure analysis. However, it is vital to ensure requirements associated with data harmonization, anonymization and IT infrastructure to maintain availability, usability and data security.

Pengaruh Motivasi Belajar Mahasiswa PAI UNP melalui Pergaulan

Sociability is a continuation of the process of social interaction that exists between individuals and their social environment, then motivation is one of the things that affects the success of learning activities, without the learning process will not run well. This study aims to determine the effect of association on the learning motivation of PAI students class of 2020 UNP. This research includes quantitative research with the type of correlation and descriptive statistical analysis techniques. The data collection method uses primary data. In this study using validity test and reliability test. There were 60 PAI 2020 UNP students who were sampled in this study. Data data were collected through instrument questionnaires from socialization and learning motivation variables. The results of the data data are processed through statistical calculations and average correlations obtained through the use of SPSS 16.0. The data shows that there is a positive and significant influence between socialization on learning motivation by 59.3%. The results showed that association partially had a positive and significant effect on learning motivation, which means that learning motivation is influenced by association. Researchers recommend that be smart in choosing associations.

Relationship Between Demographic Characteristics and Application of Instructional Program Concerning Self-Management Strategies of Patients with Epilepsy

Objective(s): The current study aims to determine the influence of demographic characteristics of patients with epilepsy on the application of instruction program for self-management strategies. Methodology: The study utilized a quasi-experimental (non-randomized) design at Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf City, within the Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf Health Directorate, specifically at The Middle Euphrates Neurosciences Center, from August 13, 2023, to November 13, 2023. The purposive sample comprised 87 patients, divided into two groups: the study group, consisting of 44 patients exposed to the instructional program, and the control group, consisting of 43 patients not exposed to the program. The research tools included a demographic questionnaire and an Epilepsy Self-Management Scale (ESMS) from Dr. Colleen Dilorio, which includes 38 questions measuring 5 subscales related to epilepsy self-management for people with epilepsy. Statistical calculations were performed using SPSS software version 22. Results: The study results showed no statistically significant differences between demographic characteristics and the application of instruction program for self-management strategies (P&gt;0.05). However, there were statistically significant differences between the patient's marital status and application of instruction program for safety and information self-management strategies, with a small size effect. Conclusions: The study concluded that there are no statistically significant differences between demographic characteristics and the application of instruction program for self-management strategies overall. Recommendations: The study recommended that the Ministry of Health implement a self-management program for patients with epilepsy.

Prevalence of alveolar bone crest resorption patterns at the age of 12-30 years from panoramic radiographs at RSGMP Universitas Trisakti

Objectives: The aim of this study is determine the prevalence of alveolar bone crest resorption patterns at the age of 12-30 years from panoramic radiographs. Materials and Methods: This study used consecutive sampling method based on secondary data from panoramic radiographs at the age 12-30 years, who had resorption on central insisivus and first molars at maxilla and mandibula. The samples used in this study were teeth 11, 21, 31, 41, 16, 26, 36 and 46 with using digital measurements from the CEJ to the top of the alveolar bone. Data is presented in tabular form with simple statistical calculations using SPSS and MS. Excel, and intraobserver reliability test. After the measurements were taken, intraobserver reliability was tested using the Cohen's Kappa test. Data processing was carried out using SPSS and Microsoft Excel. Results: The results of this study showed that the prevalence of patients diagnosed with periodontitis was 6.19% with Horizontal bone resorption 4,26% and vertical 1.93%. Conclusion: The prevalence of patients diagnosed with periodontitis in 2022 was 6.19% with horizontal bone destruction patterns of 4.26% and vertical 1.93%.

Suture versus tacks in minimally invasive transabdominal preperitoneal inguinal repair: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

There is uncertainty regarding the method of mesh fixation and peritoneal closure during transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) repair for inguinal hernias, with no definitive guidelines to guide surgeon choice. MEDLINE, Cochrane, Central Register of Clinical Trials, and Web of Science were searched for RCTs published until November 2023. Risk ratios (RRs) and mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled with a random-effects model. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochran Q test and I2 statistics, with p values inferior to 0.10 and I2 > 25% considered significant. Statistical analyses were conducted using Review Manager version 5.4 and RStudio version 4.1.2 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing). Eight randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included, comprising 624 patients, of whom 309 (49.5%) patients were submitted to TAPP with the use of tacks, and 315 (50.5%) received suture fixation. The use of tacker fixation was associated with a significant increase in postoperative pain at 24h (MD 0.79 [VAS score]; 95% CI 0.38 to 1.19; p < 0.0002; I2 = 87%) and one week (MD 0.42 [VAS score]; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.79; p < 0.03, I2 = 84%). The use of tacks was associated with shorter operative time (MD-25.80 [min]; 95% -34.31- -17.28; P < 0.00001; I2 = 94%). No significant differences were found in overall complications, chronic pain, seromas, hematomas, and urinary retention rates. In patients who underwent TAPP hernia repair, tacks are associated with decreased operative time but increased postoperative pain at 24h and one week.