Group Of Healthy Subjects Research Articles

Role of Human β-Defensin-3 in Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Observational Single-Center Study

Background: It's believed that HBD-3 is involved in the tissue remodeling process of articular cartilage. Also, HBD-3 has anti-inflammatory properties. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to assay human beta-defensine-3 (HBD-3) in serum from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and investigate its correlation with proinflammatory cytokines. Methods: In this case-control study, fifty-eight RA patients were aged 20–65 years, and 29 age-matched healthy subjects (HS) had no inflammatory rheumatic diseases. The disease activity score-28 joint erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) was used to measure RA activity. CRP, ACPA, HBD-3, TNF-α, and IL-1β were assessed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique (ELISA). Results: There was a significant increase in RF, ACPA, CRP, proinflammatory cytokines, and HBD-3 in the RA group compared with the HS group. There was no significant difference in HBD-3 levels according to the activity of diseases. The results of the correlation between HBD-3 and proinflammatory cytokines showed a significant positive relationship in the RA group. Conclusions: Inflammatory markers and S.HBD-3 demonstrated fair diagnostic performance to differentiate RA from HS. The current study supports the hypothesis that there is a correlation between HBD-3 and the immunoregulatory response.

A - 07 The Role of Age and Cognitive Reserve in Moderating the Cognitive Effects of Chemotherapy.

The aim of this exploratory study is to assess the cognitive effects of chemotherapy (CT) in women with breast cancer and to understand the role of age and cognitive reserve (CR) in the development of these effects. A group of women with early breast cancer with indication for CT (n = 32) and a group of healthy subjects (n = 32) were recruited. Both groups performed neuropsychological assessment at two time points- at baseline (before the initiation of CT and 6months later). Additionally, Cognitive Reserve Index questionnaire (CRIq), a comprehensive measure of CR, was applied. The cognitive tests were combined in a unique z-score for attention and executive function domain. The longitudinal cognitive assessment was analyzed using a mixed effect modeling approach with patient's vs controls as grouping factor and adjusted for age, CR, years of education and baseline cognitive performance as fixed factors. Mean age and education years for both groups were 49 (SD ± 8) years and 17 (SD ± 3), respectively. The level of CR was equally distributed across both samples, with 75% of participants presenting a high level of CR. The mixed effects model analysis did not show a significant effect for group. For Attention, a three-way interaction among CR, age and years of education was significant (p = 0.04). For the executive functions, none of the factors were significant. Our results suggest that CT did not contribute significantly for the development of cognitive decline in cancer patients. However, age, years of education and CR have a joint impact on attention, but not executive functions.

Brain positron emission tomography in idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus: new 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose pattern in a long-known syndrome.

Patients with idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) can show a global reduction in cerebral glucose metabolism at [18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET. The presence of caudate hypometabolism has been identified as a potential biomarker in iNPH, yet there is limited evidence of hypermetabolic findings in patients with iNPH so far. We retrieved retrospectively patients with iNPH and normal cognitive assessment, evaluated before surgery undergoing brain [18F]FDG-PET. The 18F-FDG-PET brain scans were compared to those of a control group of healthy subjects, matched for age and sex, by statistical parametric mapping (SPM) to identify areas of relative hypo- and hypermetabolism. Furthermore, the existence of a correlation between areas of hypo- and hypermetabolism in the patient group was tested. Seven iNPH patients (mean age 74 ± 6 years) were found in the hospital database. SPM group analysis revealed clusters of significant hypometabolism (P = 0.001) in the iNPH group in the dorsal striatum, involving caudate and putamen bilaterally. Clusters of significant hypermetabolism (P = 0.001) were revealed in the bilateral superior and precentral frontal gyrus (BA 4, 6). A significant inverse correlation between striatal hypometabolism and bilateral superior and precentral frontal gyrus hypermetabolism was revealed (P < 0.001 corrected for multiple comparisons). In this cohort, patients with iNPH showed subcortical hypometabolism, including bilateral dorsal striatum. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating a hypermetabolic pattern in the primary motor and premotor areas, and showing an inverse correlation between the striatum and motor cortex in patients with iNPH.

The Association of NKp46-Positive uNK Cells With a Higher Risk of Recurrent Miscarriage and IVF Failure

Background: Uterine natural killer (uNK) cells have a significant impact on pregnancy and related complications. Given the importance of receptors in the activity of uNK cells, the present study aimed to determine the number of uNK cells and NKp46 (one of the most important NK cell-activating receptors) expression in the endometrium of women with recurrent miscarriage (RM) or a history of in vitro fertilization (IVF) failure. Materials and Methods: This case-control study was performed on 48 participants, including 16 healthy controls, 27 cases with RM, and 5 cases with repeated implantation failure (RIF) during the mid-luteal phase according to a standardized diagnostic protocol. All participants were assessed using transvaginal ultrasound to determine embryo survival rate and confirm gestational age. Endometrial specimens were collected and subjected to immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining using an anti-human NKp46 antibody expressed by uNK cells. Results: A significantly higher number of cells positive for NKp46 was obtained among two groups of cases versus healthy subjects (patients: 1.46±0.78, controls: 0.82±62, P=0.006), and the number of CD56+cells was significantly higher in patients than in controls (patients: 18.14±7.14, controls: 11.71±6.17, P=0.003). Additionally, there was not a significant difference in the frequency ratio of NKp46+NK cell subset to CD56+uNK cells between the patients (P=0.59) and control healthy group. Conclusion: The increase in the number of uterine NK cells and their cytotoxic activity during implantation and early pregnancy, possibly resulting from an excessive expression of inflammatory cytokines, confirms a significant association between uNK cell activity and a higher risk of RM and RIF. Therefore, immunomodulatory treatments may benefit these patients.

The Prevalence of Genetic Determinants of Antibiotic Resistance, which are of Particular Epidemiological Consequences, in the Microbiota of the Oropharyngeal Swabs in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis

Relevance. Antibiotic resistance of microorganisms can contribute to the chronicity of the inflammatory process, lead to an increase in the cost of treating patients and make it difficult to eradicate the pathogen. Patients with cystic fibrosis constantly require medical supervision, regular visits to medical institutions, and therefore there is a high risk of infection with nosocomial antibiotic- resistant strains. In addition, the necessary intake of antibacterial drugs provides an advantage for the reproduction of resistant microorganisms.Aim. Comparison of the frequency of detection of antibiotic resistance determinants in oropharyngeal swabs in children with cystic fibrosis and conditionally healthy children using molecular biological methods.Materials and methods. A PCR study of oropharyngeal discharge from 100 children with cystic fibrosis and 100 children from the control (healthy comparison subject) group was performed. Genetic antibiotic resistance locus: metallo-b-lactamases of the VIM, IMP and NDM groups; carbapenemase genes of the KPC and OXA-48 groups; extended-spectrum beta-lactamase genes of the CTX-M group and the mecA gene were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with hybridization-fluorescence detection.Results and discussion. As a result of the analysis, a statistically significant increase in the frequency of detection of genetic determinants of antibiotic resistance in the microbiota of the oropharyngeal discharge in children with cystic fibrosis was found compared with healthy children (p&lt;0.001). The chances of detecting antibiotic resistance loci in the discharge of the oropharynx among children with cystic fibrosis are 38.5 times higher than among healthy children (95% CI: 5.1-289.5). In 28% of children with cystic fibrosis, DNA of the genetic determinants of antibiotic resistance was detected in the microbiome of the discharge of the oropharynx. A high percentage of the presence of genetic determinants of antibiotic resistance may be the reason for the ineffectiveness of antibiotic therapy.Conclusion. Due to the high occurrence in the microbiome of the oropharyngeal discharge of patients with cystic fibrosis of genetic antibiotic resistance locus that are of particular clinical and/or epidemiological significance, and the high risk of the spread of antibiotic-resistant strains outside medical institutions, it is necessary to include this group of patients in regular epidemiological monitoring.

Evaluation of the relationship between serum interleukin-1β levels and expression of inflammasome-related genes in patients with COVID-19

BackgroundInflammasomes are a group of molecules that are strongly involved in causing inflammation. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of NLR family pyrin domain containing 1 (NLRP1), NLRP3, and Apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC) as well as their association with serum level of interleukin (IL)-1β in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).MethodsThirty COVID-19 patients and 30 healthy subjects (HS) were recruited. Peripheral blood specimens were collected from subjects to assess NLRP1, NLRP3, and ASC gene expression by Real time-PCR technique. Serum levels of IL-1β were also measured via the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).ResultsThe findings showed no significant differences in serum IL-1β level between COVID-19 patients and the HS group. mRNA expression of ASC (P = 0.008) and NLRP1 (P = 0.03) gene had a significant increase in COVID-19 patients compared to HS, while there was no significant increase in the expression of NLRP3 between the studied group. There were significant correlations between patient’s data and expression levels of NLRP1, NLRP3, IL-1β, and ACS.ConclusionsNLRP1 and ASC may have a more critical role in the generation of the active form of IL-1β in COVID-19 patients compared to NLRP3. However, serum levels of IL-1β in patients did not show a significant increase, which may be due to the patient’s condition and the application of virus escape mechanisms through impaired NLRP3 expression and its malfunction.

Innovative multidimensional gait evaluation using IMU in multiple sclerosis: introducing the semiogram.

Quantifying gait using inertial measurement units has gained increasing interest in recent years. Highly degraded gaits, especially in neurological impaired patients, challenge gait detection algorithms and require specific segmentation and analysis tools. Thus, the outcomes of these devices must be rigorously tested for both robustness and relevancy in order to recommend their routine use. In this study, we propose a multidimensional score to quantify and visualize gait, which can be used in neurological routine follow-up. We assessed the reliability and clinical coherence of this method in a group of severely disabled patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (pMS), who display highly degraded gait patterns, as well as in an age-matched healthy subjects (HS) group. Twenty-two participants with pMS and nineteen HS were included in this 18-month longitudinal follow-up study. During the follow-up period, all participants completed a 10-meter walk test with a U-turn and back, twice at M0, M6, M12, and M18. Average speed and seven clinical criteria (sturdiness, springiness, steadiness, stability, smoothness, synchronization, and symmetry) were evaluated using 17 gait parameters selected from the literature. The variation of these parameters from HS values was combined to generate a multidimensional visual tool, referred to as a semiogram. For both cohorts, all criteria showed moderate to very high test-retest reliability for intra-session measurements. Inter-session quantification was also moderate to highly reliable for all criteria except smoothness, which was not reliable for HS participants. All partial scores, except for the stability score, differed between the two populations. All partial scores were correlated with an objective but not subjective quantification of gait severity in the pMS population. A deficit in the pyramidal tract was associated with altered scores in all criteria, whereas deficits in cerebellar, sensitive, bulbar, and cognitive deficits were associated with decreased scores in only a subset of gait criteria. The proposed multidimensional gait quantification represents an innovative approach to monitoring gait disorders. It provides a reliable and informative biomarker for assessing the severity of gait impairments in individuals with pMS. Additionally, it holds the potential for discriminating between various underlying causes of gait alterations in pMS.

The Relationship Between Diabetic Neuropathy and Uric Acid/High-Density Lipoprotein Ratio in Patients With Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus.

We aimed to investigate whether there was a relationship between diabetic peripheral distal neuropathy (DPDN), one of the most common chronic complications in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and the uric acid/HDL ratio, which can be used as an indicator of poor metabolic status. The study consisted of a total of 150 subjects, including 50 patients with T2DM (group 1) who were determined to have diabetic peripheral distal neuropathy with electroneuromyography (ENMG), 50 patients with T2DM who were determined to not have DPDN in their ENMG (group 2), and 50 healthy individuals (group 3). Participants' serum fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), uric acid, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglyceride levels were analyzed. The uric acid/HDL-C ratio (UHR) was calculated. The relationship between UHR and other parameters was evaluated in all three groups. Patients with T2DM who had diabetic neuropathy (group 1), did not have diabetic neuropathy (group 2), and healthy subjects (group 3) were similar in terms of age and gender (p=0.066, p=0.185). Groups 1 and 2 were similar in terms of the duration of diabetes and FBG values (p=0.825, p=0.572), but these values were lower in group 3 than in groups 1 and 2 (p<0.05). HbA1c did not differ significantly between groups 1 and 2 (p=0.607). Creatinine levels were similar in the three groups. Uric acid levels were significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 (p=0.040), but there was no significant difference between groups 1 and 3 or between groups 2 and 3 (p>0.05). UHR was significantly lower in group 1 than in groups 2 and 3 (p<0.001), but no significant difference was found between groups 2 and 3. In our study, we found that the UHR level of the group with diabetic neuropathy was statistically significant compared to the levels of the other two groups. However, no significant difference was found between the patients with diabetes who did not have neuropathy and the healthy group. Based on the findings of our study, we can say that the UHR level is a predictor of the microvascular complications of diabetes.

Searching for Effective Methods of Diagnosing Nervous System Lesions in Patients with Alström and Bardet-Biedl Syndromes.

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) and Alström syndrome (ALMS) are rare multisystem diseases with an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance and genetic heterogeneity, characterized by visual impairment, hearing impairment, cardiomyopathy, childhood obesity, and insulin resistance. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the indicators of nervous system changes occurring in patients with ALMS and BBS using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) methods compared to a group of healthy subjects. The OCT results showed significantly lower macular thickness in the patient group compared to the control group (p = 0.002). The MRS study observed differences in metabolite levels between the study and control groups in brain areas such as the cerebellum, thalamus, and white matter. After summing the concentrations from all areas, statistically significant results were obtained for N-acetylaspartate, total N-acetylaspartate, and total creatine. Concentrations of these metabolites were reduced in ALMS/BBS patients by 38% (p = 0.0004), 35% (p = 0.0008), and 28% (p = 0.0005), respectively. Our results may help to understand the pathophysiology of these rare diseases and identify strategies for new therapies.

Liver stiffness in Fontan patients: the effect of respiration and food intake.

For several years, patients with single ventricle hearts have been palliated according to the Fontan principle. One well known long-term consequence in these patients is the Fontan-associated liver disease and fibrosis, which occurs due to the chronically increased Central Venous Pressure (CVP) after Fontan palliation. It carries an increased risk of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma over time. Liver elastography (LE) is a non-invasive, safe, and feasible ultrasound method to determine liver stiffness and the stage of liver fibrosis. Usually, this examination must be performed in a sober condition and strict inspiratory hold to optimize the results and may therefore be difficult to perform on children as a routine examination. However, the influence of food intake and respiration on these results in Fontan patients is unclear. To optimize the implementation for this examination especially in children, the effects of food intake and breathing maneuvers on liver stiffness in patients with Fontan circulation were investigated. For this prospective study, 25 Fontan patients (group 1) and 50 healthy volunteers (group 2) were examined. The two groups were additionally divided into two age categories (group 1a: 10-19 years; group 1b: 20-29 years; group 2a: 15-19 years; group 2b: 20-25 years). Liver stiffness was measured by liver elastography once before food intake (=T0, with 6 h of fasting). Subsequently the participants consumed a standardized chocolate drink (500 mL) with nutritional distribution corresponding to a standardized meal (600 kcal). Liver stiffness was then determined 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 min after ingestion. Each measurement of liver stiffness was performed during maximal inspiratory and expiratory holds. The study was reviewed and approved by the responsible ethics committee. In group 2 there was a significant increase in liver stiffness after food intake at T15, T30, and T45 during inspiration measurements (T0 = 4.0 kPa vs. T15 = 4.9 kPa, difference = 22.5%; T0 = 4.0 kPa vs. T30 = 4.9 kPa difference = 22.5%; T0 = 4.0 kPa vs. T45 = 4.3 kPa difference = 7.5%), as well as during expiration at T15 and T30 (T0 = 4.5 kPa vs. T15 = 5.1 kPa, difference = 14.7%; T0 = 4.5 kPa vs. T30 = 4.9 kPa difference = 7.8%). Whereas in Fontan patients (group 1) liver stiffness did not differ significantly at any time between fasting (T0) and postprandial values. The respiratory maneuvers in the healthy subjects (group 2) differed significantly only before food intake (T0) (group 2: insp = 3.97 kPa vs. exp. = 4.48 kPa difference = 11.3%). In the Fontan group (group 1), there was no significant difference between the respiratory phases at any point. The different age categories showed no significant difference in liver stiffness. With these results we could demonstrate for the first time that in Fontan patients the time of food intake (i.e., fasting) has no clinical significance for the values obtained in liver elastography. We could also demonstrate that the breathing maneuvers during the examination had only minimal clinical impact on the results of liver elastography in patients with normal circulation and no effect in patients with Fontan-circulation. Consequently, liver elastography for Fontan patients is reliable independently of food intake and breathing maneuvers and can also be performed on younger patients, who are unable to follow breathing commands or longer fasting periods, without any impairment of the results. These results should encourage a routine use of LE in the follow-up of Fontan patients.

Employment status among individuals afflicted by acquired brain injury: exploring economic consequences for both the affected person and their family (Situación laboral en personas con lesión cerebral adquirida: estudio sobre el impacto económico individual y familiar)

ABSTRACT Background: Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI) are conditions that can result in decreased workforce engagement and economic earnings. This research study aims to explore the impact of ABIs on employability, and their potential to reduce individual and family income. Method: Using data from the II National Survey on Disability, a cohort of 9,835 individuals aged 18 to 65 was chosen. Subsequently, a sample of 110 ABI-affected individuals was selected, employing propensity score matching to ensure equivalence with a control group of healthy subjects (n = 110). Results: The study found that the presence of ABI and disability decreases the likelihood of employment and labour force engagement. These differences persist even after accounting for covariate effects. However, no conclusive predictive association was established regarding individual and family income levels, despite observed disparities across the analysed groups. Discussion: The obtained findings can contribute to raising awareness regarding the general employment situation of individuals with ABI, and facilitate policy-making in the context of inclusion and vocational rehabilitation initiatives.

Gene expression of Interleukin-10 and Foxp3 as critical biomarkers in rheumatoid arthritis patients

Introduction and Aim: Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) are the key regulators controlling the activity of Treg cells, which are crucial for maintaining immune tolerance and reducing autoimmune reactions. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential utility of elevated levels of FOXP3 and IL-10 gene expression as a diagnostic indicator in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Materials and Methods: The study used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to examine the expression levels of FOXP3 and IL-10 transcripts in whole blood samples from Iraqi patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A group of healthy control subjects were also included in the study. Results: In blood samples taken from Iraqi patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, a statistically significant decrease (P 0.01) in the expression levels of the FOXP3 gene and a statistically significant elevation (P 0.01) of IL-10 expression were seen in contrast to the healthy control group. Conclusion: Rheumatoid arthritis patients in Iraq may benefit from FOXP3 and IL-10 gene expression tests. IL-10 and FOXP3 overexpression promotes T cell and immune system immunoreactivity.

Tin hair analysis in poly symptomatic patients with Essure® implant

Objective: Essure® is a permanently implanted contraceptive device withdrawn from the market in 2018 because of adverse effects associated with this device, including gynecological disorders and extrapelvic symptoms. After surgical removal device, examination of uterine biopsies showed the frequent presence of tin resulting from implant degradation. In this context, the biological monitoring of tin metal in implanted patients becomes an issue of capital importance since hair is the best matrix to reveal long-term metallic exposure. Methods: The aim of this retrospective study was to compare hair chromium, nickel and tin levels in 10 Essure® implanted patients (aged 50±2 years old) presenting with adverse events, in particular psychosomatic manifestations, with 25 healthy non implanted volunteers’ group (aged 47± 4 years old). Hair chromium, nickel and tin analyses were performed on a 7800 ICP-MS inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Results: For the group of healthy subjects, all tin concentrations in hair (25/25) were below the quantification limit of 0.1 µg/g, with 2 concentrations above the detection limit of 0.07 µg/g. Similarly, all nickel and chromium concentrations (25/25) were below the quantification limit, with 2 Cr concentrations and one Ni concentration above the detection limit of 0.1 µg/g. In the implanted group, subjects had mean hair concentrations of nickel and tin of 0.94+0.39 µg/g and 0.25 ± 0.17 µg/g respectively. All subjects (10/10) had chromium concentrations below the limit of quantification. For nickel and tin assays in hair above the quantification thresholds, there were positive correlations between (a) nickel or tin concentrations and the duration of device implantation (correlation coefficient of 0.79 for tin and 0.44 for nickel) and between (b) tin concentration and the multiplicity of extra-pelvic symptoms (correlation coefficient of 0.76), with (c) no correlation observed between nickel concentration and symptom multiplicity. Conclusion: Tin seems to be an important factor involved in the physio pathogenesis of extra pelvic symptoms in patients with the Essure® medical device. In this context, the hair tin analysis is a useful tool in the monitoring of patients with Essure® implants.

Acute Changes on Left Atrial Function during Incremental Exercise in Patients with Heart Failure with Mildly Reduced Ejection Fraction: A Case-Control Study.

the aim of this study was to assess acute changes in left atrial (LA) function during incremental aerobic exercise in patients with heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) in comparison to healthy subjects (HS). twenty patients with established HFmrEF were compared with 10 HS, age-matched controls. All subjects performed a stepwise exercise test on a cycle ergometer. Echocardiography was performed at baseline, during submaximal effort, at peak of exercise, and after 5 min of recovery. HS obtained a higher value of METs at peak exercise than HFmrEF (7.4 vs. 5.6; between group p = 0.002). Heart rate and systolic blood pressure presented a greater increase in the HS group than in HFmrEF (between groups p = 0.006 and 0.003, respectively). In the HFmrEF group, peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) and conduit strain were both increased at submaximal exercise (p < 0.05 for both versus baseline) and remained constant at peak exercise. Peak atrial contraction strain (PACS) did not show significant changes during the exercise. In the HS group, PALS and PACS increased significantly at submaximal level (p < 0.05 for both versus baseline), but PALS returned near baseline values at peak exercise; conduit strain decreased progressively during the exercise in HS. Stroke volume (SV) increased in both groups at submaximal exercise; at peak exercise, SV remained constant in the HFmrEF, while it decreased in controls (between groups p = 0.002). patients with HFmrEF show a proper increase in LA reservoir function during incremental aerobic exercise that contributes to maintain SV throughout the physical effort.

Non-destructive detection of CAD stenosis severity using ECG-PCG coupling analysis

Background and ObjectiveEffectively assessing the coronary stenosis degree is vital for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). Electrocardiogram (ECG) and phonocardiogram (PCG) are simple, affordable, and non-invasive approaches, containing large cardiovascular physio-pathology information. This study aims to develop a non-destructive technique for CAD stenosis severity assessment. MethodsBy extracting the time series data from ECG and PCG signals, three coupling feature types, namely, cross-entropy (XEntropy), non-entropy (NEntropy), and multivariate-entropy features (MEntropy), are constructed. Then, a statistical analysis is conducted. Combing recursive feature elimination and support vector machines, coronary artery stenosis severity is identified. Experiments are performed on 237 simultaneously obtained ECG and PCG signals from the severe CAD (sCAD), mild to moderate CAD (mCAD), suspected CAD (CPNCA), and healthy (Health) subject groups. ResultsStatistical analysis results show that numerous features are statistically different. Regarding single-class coupling features, MEntropy has the strongest detection ability, followed by XEntropy, while that of NEntropy is relatively poor. Combining these three types of coupling features further improved the accuracy; the accuracies of sCAD-mCAD, sCAD-CPNCA, mCAD-CPNCA, sCAD-Health, mCAD-Health, and CPNCA-Health were 91.17%, 96.64%, 93.33%, 99.39%, 98.89%, and 97.78%, respectively. ConclusionsOur study confirms the great potential of MEntropy in characterizing cardiovascular status and provides a feasible solution for non-destructively assessing coronary artery stenosis.

The impact of diabetic polyneuropathy on toe grip strength in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study

PurposeType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and concomitant diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) induce muscle weakness. Muscle weakness in the foot is associated with foot deformities and falls. However, factors affecting toe grip strength (TGS) are not well known. Therefore, the present study investigated factors related to TGS in patients with T2DM.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study involving 100 patients with T2DM who were hospitalized for the treatment of T2DM and 50 healthy adults. The subjects were divided into three groups: a group of healthy subjects, a group of T2DM patients without DPN, and a group of T2DM patients with DPN. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed with TGS and the TGS-to-weight ratio (TGS/Wt%) as dependent variables and with age, the presence of T2DM, and DPN as independent variables, and sex and BMI as confounders.ResultsThere were no significant differences in age or sex among the three groups. In the final regression analysis, age and presence of T2DM and DPN were associated in both models with TGS and TGS/Wt% as dependent variables.ConclusionDPN, T2DM, and age were found to be related to TGS. The findings of this study could contribute to healthcare providers developing foot care and rehabilitation programs for diabetic patients.Trial registrationThis study was registered with UMIN-CTR (UMIN000034320) on 1 November 2018.

APPLICATION OF MACHINE LEARNING TECHNIQUES FOR DISTINGUISHING SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS FROM HEALTHY SUBJECTS USING FRONTAL LOBE FUNCTIONS ASSESSMENTS

Machine learning (ML) represents a set of artificial in­telligence techniques that can assist in recognition of schizophrenia by classifying a person as belonging to either clinical or healthy subjects group. In the current study, we employed cognitive assessments of frontal lobe functions (the deficit of which is one of the prominent features of schizophrenia) for the training of ML models. Dataset for this research was engaged from our previous studies of two frontal lobe functions (response prepara­tion and inhibition of imitation) in case of schizophrenia. According to our knowledge, all previous cognitive ML schizophrenia studies used only the data from standard neuropsychological test batteries. Nevertheless, we em­ployed the cognitive data assessed with special experi­mental techniques that allowed us to engage Intra-indi­vidual reaction time variability (IIV) together with the classical reaction time (RT) assessment. It is important to emphasize that IIV is a cognitive measurement parameter that received vast attention of neuroscientists during the two last two decades and showed higher results in distin­guishing of schizophrenia patients from healthy subjects than standard RT in the number of studies. The result revealed statistically significant accuracy for all ML models in current study. Moreover, ML classifier with the highest accuracy outperformed the accuracy of a number of best models previously trained with standard neuropsychological test batteries datasets. Thus, cogni­tive experimental assessments of frontal lobe functions (response preparation and inhibition of imitation) can be effectively employed in developing of ML classifiers for distinguishing schizophrenia patients from healthy subjects.

Optical coherence tomography angiography characteristics of retinochoroidal and optic nerve head microcirculation in cryptogenic organizing pneumonia

BackgroundTo assess retinochoroidal and optic nerve head microcirculation alterations in cryptogenic organizing pneumonia. MethodsThirty cryptogenic organizing pneumonia patients in the resolution phase (group 1, 30 right eyes) and 33 healthy subjects (group 2, 33 right eyes) were compared. Patients had 40 mg/day corticosteroids for 8–10 days, and a pulmonary function test, which revealed only minimally restrictive ventilation features. After gathering demographic data, a comprehensive ophthalmological exam and optical coherence tomography angiography were performed three months following maximum disease resolution with corticosteroid therapy ResultsGroups 1 and 2 had mean ages of 54.37±14.87 and 49.61±12.36 years, respectively (P = 0.171). Despite the lack of statistical significance, superficial and deep capillary plexus vessel densities in all macular regions were lower in group 1, as were foveal avascular zone parameters (P>0.05). However, the outer retinal and choriocapillaris flows increased significantly in group 1, especially in select areas (P<0.001, for both). There were no significant differences in whole image (P = 0.346), inside disk (P = 0.438), or peripapillary (P = 0.185) optic nerve head vessel densities between the two groups; however, nasal (P<0.001) and inferior quadrant (P = 0.006) vessel densities differed significantly. Global retinal nerve fiber layer thickness did not differ significantly between groups 1 and 2 (112.83±14.71 versus 111.45±12.74 µm, respectively; P = 0.692). Group 1, however, had significantly higher superior, nasal, and inferior quadrant, and significantly lower temporal quadrant retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (P<0.001, for all). ConclusionsConcerning the impact of probable cryptogenic organizing pneumonia-induced hypoxia on ocular tissues, optical coherence tomography angiography assessments of retinochoroidal and optic nerve head microcirculation could be employed as a biomarker for cerebral microcirculation.

Perceptual Integration Compensates for Attention Deficit in Elderly during Repetitive Auditory-Based Sensorimotor Task.

Sensorimotor integration (SI) brain functions that are vital for everyday life tend to decline in advanced age. At the same time, elderly people preserve a moderate level of neuroplasticity, which allows the brain's functionality to be maintained and slows down the process of neuronal degradation. Hence, it is important to understand which aspects of SI are modifiable in healthy old age. The current study focuses on an auditory-based SI task and explores: (i) if the repetition of such a task can modify neural activity associated with SI, and (ii) if this effect is different in young and healthy old age. A group of healthy older subjects and young controls underwent an assessment of the whole-brain electroencephalography (EEG) while repetitively executing a motor task cued by the auditory signal. Using EEG spectral power and functional connectivity analyses, we observed a differential age-related modulation of theta activity throughout the repetition of the SI task. Growth of the anterior stimulus-related theta oscillations accompanied by enhanced right-lateralized frontotemporal phase-locking was found in elderly adults. Their young counterparts demonstrated a progressive increase in prestimulus occipital theta power. Our results suggest that the short-term repetition of the auditory-based SI task modulates sensory processing in the elderly. Older participants most likely progressively improve perceptual integration rather than attention-driven processing compared to their younger counterparts.

Flow Dynamic Pattern in Liver and Renal Transplantation under Exercise Prescription Program.

Cardiovascular diseases in the context of renal and liver transplants remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Physical exercise at a moderate intensity is allowed to contrast the risk profile. Echocardiographic evaluation is essential to stratifying potential cardiotoxicity by the standard and, more recently, the deformation and dynamic study of the intracardiac vortex. This study aims to investigate the vortex echo parameters of solid-organ-transplanted subjects who are physically active compared to a control group of healthy subjects. A group of 33 transplanted subjects (16 kidneys and 17 livers) was studied via a transthoracic echocardiography exam, comprehending the myocardial deformation parameters of global longitudinal strain (GLS), twisting of the left ventricle (LV) chamber, and HyperDoppler image acquisition. The subjects enrolled in this study were 50 in total: there were 33 transplanted and 17 healthy subjects. The transplanted subjects presented higher values of interventricular septum in diastole (IVSd p = 0.001), posterior wall diastolic (PWd p = 0.05), and left ventricle mass index (LVMI p = 0.029); ejection fraction (EF) was found to be higher in athletes (p < 0.001). Transplanted subjects presented mild diastolic dysfunction, emerging only from septal E values (p = 0.001). The 4DStrain (p = 0.018) and GLS2c (p = 0.017) were significantly better in the athletes. All of the geometrical and energetical vortex data were in the normal range and no significant differences were found. An interesting positive correlation was evident for the diastolic parameter, particularly the E/A ratio (p = 0.023) and E' septal value (p = 0.049), along with the vorticity fluctuation. This behavior was present for all subjects, particularly those that were transplanted (p = 0.005). In the vortex investigation, especially in cases of normal EF, the positive correlation of some diastolic parameters with the flow dynamic patterns corroborates this hypothesis. The HyperDoppler analysis could be helpful to detecting potential damage earlier in the diastolic time before a systolic deficiency.