Linear Score Research Articles

Udder morphology and milk yield of East Friesian sheep

Linear scores and measures of both udder and teat shape and size (thirteen traits) were assessed in 83 ewes of Improved Valachian breed (IV) and in crossbreds with East Friesian breed (EF 25% or EF 50%). At the same time, cistern measures and cross-section areas (fourteen traits) as well as milk yield and milkability were scanned using ultrasound technique or measured in the same individuals (130 measurements in each trait). Crossbreds with EF 50% had the largest udders in terms of depth, width, and height, as determined by either a nine-point linear score or exact measurements. Additionally, these crossbreds had teats that were more horizontally placed and the most appropriate udder attachment and shape. more horizontally and most appropriate udder attachment and shape. Ultrasound scans revealed that the areas of both the left and right udder cisterns scanned by ultrasound were the highest in EF 50% crosses. Overall cistern cross-section areas scanned from the side were 2934.6 mm2 in IV, 2932.6 mm2 in crosses of EF 25% and 3559.4 mm2 in crosses of EF 50% (P<0.05). Crossbreds of EF 50% had more appropriate machine milked milk and total milk yield (311.1 and 424.7 ml) than purebred IV (231.8 and 336.1 ml; P>0.05). On average, the proportion of machine-stripped milk was 33.2%, and non-significant influence of genotype was shown. Furthermore, all traits under study showed non significant differences between crosses of EF 25% and 50%.

Unique microbial communities of parasitic fleas on wild animals from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Fleas, one of the most significant ectoparasites, play a crucial role as vectors in spreading zoonotic diseases globally. The Qinghai Province, as part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is one of the provinces in China with the largest number of flea species. In this study, we characterized the microbial communities of eighty-five adult fleas, belonging to nineteen species within four families (Ceratophyllidae, Ctenophthalmidae, Leptopsyllidae, and Pulicidae). We identified a total of 1162 unique operational taxonomic units at the genus level, with flea-borne pathogens such as Wolbachia, Bartonella, Rickettsia being the members of top abundant taxa. Except for comparison between Ctenophthalmidae and Leptopsyllidae families, the analyses of both alpha- and beta- diversity indicators suggested that bacterial diversity varied among flea families. This could be attributed to flea phylogeny, which also influenced by their geographical sites and animal hosts. Results of Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) indicated that 29 genera in Ceratophylloidea, 11 genera in Ctenophthalmidae, 15 genera in Leptopsyllidae, and 22 genera in Pulicidae were significantly responsible for explaining the differences among the four flea families (linear discriminant analysis score > 2, P < 0.05). Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt2) analyses showed that the functional pathways varied significantly across flea families, which was supported by the significant correlation between the functional pathways and the microbial communities.

Species-level characterization of the cervicovaginal microbiota and its role in human papillomavirus-associated cervical carcinogenesis.

The cervicovaginal microbiome may contribute to human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cervical carcinogenesis, but studies have been limited by low-resolution analysis methods. Using a high-resolution bioinformatics pipeline, we evaluated the relationship of the cervicovaginal microbiome with HPV and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). The cervicovaginal microbiome of 186 women was characterized by sequencing 16S rRNA regions (V3-V4 and V5-V6) and annotated with the high-resolution ANCHOR pipeline. Samples were genotyped for HPV using the Roche-Cobas 4800 assay. We fitted logistic regression models using stepwise forward selection to select species (presence/absence) as correlates of CIN1+ and constructed a linear microbiome-based score using the regression coefficients. An HPV-based score was calculated from a separate logistic regression model to detect CIN1+ . Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were performed; the area under the curve (AUC) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were compared between scores. Overall, 66.7% of participants were HPV-positive. 77 unique species were identified: 8 using V3-V4, 48 using V5-V6, and 21 shared. Twelve species were retained via stepwise selection. The AUCs for the microbiome-, and HPV-based scores were 0.7656 (95% CI 0.6885-0.8426), and 0.7529 (95% CI 0.6855-0.8204), respectively. Bacterial species may be involved in cervical carcinogenesis as the microbiome- and HPV-based scores performed similarly for CIN1+ detection.

Nutritional assessment for 891 patients with common cancer in a cancer hospital of southwest China.

e23280 Background: Malnutrition is a problem affecting tumor patients greatly. To investigate the nutritional status of hospitalized patients with common malignant tumor in a cancer hospital of Southwest China. Methods: From April 2017 to May 2021, we enrolled 891 patients with cancer hospitalized for treatment in Chongqing university Cancer Hospital. These patients were diagnosed with one of the following 16 different types of malignant tumors: lung cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, malignant lymphoma, leukemia, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer and brain tumor. Patient-generated subjective global assessment (PG-SGA), anthropometric measurements, and laboratory examination were used to evaluate the nutritional risk or nutritional status.Cancer pain status were assessed with the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). We also investigated the nutritional therapy of these cancer patients. Results: According to the PG-SGA score, 48.7% (434/891) of the cancer patients were severe malnutrition (PG-SGA≥9), 31.2% (312/891) were moderate malnutrition (8≥PG-SGA≥4), 14.7% (131/891) were mild malnutrition (PG-SGA 2~3), and only 5.4% (48/891) patients were no malnutrition (PG-SGA 0~1) . The rate of malnutrition for gastrointestinal cancer patients is higher than Nongastrointestinal cancer patients (67.3% vs. 44.6%, χ2 = 31.48, P &lt; 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis, PG-SGA scores and body mass index (P &lt; 0.001), serum total protein(P &lt; 0.001), hemoglobin serum(P &lt; 0.001), albumin (P &lt; 0.001), prealbumin ( P&lt; 0.001), calf circumference (left side, P = 0.001) were correlated. Age(≥65 years), albumin( &lt; 40g/L), prealbumin ( &lt; 150mg/L) and cancer pain (NRS≥4) are the risk factors of severe malnutrition. However, only 26.8% (200/746) of all the moderately and severely malnourished patients received nutritional therapy. Conclusions: 94.6% of the common malignant tumor patients enrolled in the present study were malnutrition. PG-SGA is an effective tool to assess malnutrition in cancer patients, it is recommended to conduct routine assessment of cancer patients at the beginning of admission. Nutritional therapy of malignant tumor patients with malnutrition is very low. Suggestions for patients with malignant tumor after admission nutritional risk screening, and comprehensive nutritional evaluation, including PG-SGA score, and to give the right nutritional therapy.

Structural changes and assembly mechanisms of microbial communities during rapid sedimentation of Yellow River sediments

Microbial communities are essential for the biogeochemical cycles in aquatic ecosystems. The effects of sediment depositional processes on the microbial community characteristics in the Yellow River have not been extensively studied at the in-situ macroscopic scale. Since the Yellow River diversion reservoir has the sedimentation pond, it can be used as a natural experimental area. This study investigated changes in microbial community structures, functions, and assembly mechanisms under sediment deposition by analysing 26 water and sediment samples. The results showed that during rapid sediment deposition, different community structures formed between the water body and the sediment (Analysis of similarities, P<0.01), and the variability between them increased with increasing water depth. Sediments are more closely associated with carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycling processes, while water is more closely associated with light reactions. Under changing sediment concentrations, the microbial community diversities, community compositions, and functions changed significantly. Actinobacteria and Cyanobacteria were the species responsible for the significant differences in the microbial communities in the water, with linear discriminant analysis scores of 4.478–4.724 and 4.427–5.007, respectively. Water temperature, NH4+-N, and electrical conductivity were the most critical factors that affected the microbial community structures. During the rapid deposition of sediments, microbial community assembly was dominated by stochastic process. This study may provide a reference for exploring the mechanism of microbial community changes in reservoirs under the dynamic hydrological conditions of the Yellow River.

Prediction of disease-free survival for precision medicine using cooperative learning on multi-omic data.

In precision medicine, both predicting the disease susceptibility of an individual and forecasting its disease-free survival are areas of key research. Besides the classical epidemiological predictor variables, data from multiple (omic) platforms are increasingly available. To integrate this wealth of information, we propose new methodology to combine both cooperative learning, a recent approach to leverage the predictive power of several datasets, and polygenic hazard score models. Polygenic hazard score models provide a practitioner with a more differentiated view of the predicted disease-free survival than the one given by merely a point estimate, for instance computed with a polygenic risk score. Our aim is to leverage the advantages of cooperative learning for the computation of polygenic hazard score models via Cox's proportional hazard model, thereby improving the prediction of the disease-free survival. In our experimental study, we apply our methodology to forecast the disease-free survival for Alzheimer's disease (AD) using three layers of data. One layer contains epidemiological variables such as sex, APOE (apolipoprotein E, a genetic risk factor for AD) status and 10 leading principal components. Another layer contains selected genomic loci, and the last layer contains methylation data for selected CpG sites. We demonstrate that the survival curves computed via cooperative learning yield an AUC of around $0.7$, above the state-of-the-art performance of its competitors. Importantly, the proposed methodology returns (1) a linear score that can be easily interpreted (in contrast to machine learning approaches), and (2) a weighting of the predictive power of the involved data layers, allowing for an assessment of the importance of each omic (or other) platform. Similarly to polygenic hazard score models, our methodology also allows one to compute individual survival curves for each patient.

#181 Dysbiosis of gut microbiota in patients with chronic kidney disease

Abstract Background and Aims The human intestinal tract contains 100 trillion microorganisms, and 500–1000 microbial strains exist in each individual, classified into two main phyla: Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. The gut bacterial microbiota is altered in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the bacterial composition at each stage of CKD is unclear in these patients, including those receiving renal replacement therapy. In this report, we present the changes in the gut microbiota among patients with CKD. Method A total of 93 individuals were recruited for the study. Seventy-three patients had stage 3–5 CKD, including those receiving renal replacement therapy (CKD group), and 20 were age- and sex-matched controls (CKD stage 1–2). Gut microbiome composition was analyzed using a 16S ribosomal RNA gene-based sequencing protocol. Results The beta diversity of the samples was evaluated via principal coordinates analysis (PCoA). The unweighted and weighted UniFrac distances revealed a tendency toward separation of microbiota in the samples according to the CKD stage 1–2 and CKD stage 3–5, 5D groups. At the genus level, the butyrate-producing bacteria Lachnospira, Blautia, Coprococcus, Anaerostipes, and Roseburia were more abundant in the control group (Linear Discriminant Analysis score of &amp;gt;3) than in the CKD group. Lachnospira was more abundant in the control group than in patients with CKD stage 3a. Compared to the control group, multiplex butyrate-producing bacteria were deficient in patients with CKD stage 3b–5D, including in patients receiving renal replacement therapy. Conclusion Our findings highlight that the gut bacterial composition, including butyrate-producing bacteria, deteriorates from CKD stage 3b. Even after renal replacement therapy, the bacterial composition did not change.

A randomized, controlled trial examining quarter-level somatic cell count and culture-based selective dry cow therapy against blanket dry cow therapy on early lactation production outcomes

The objective of this study was to determine quarters requiring antimicrobial treatment using either a benchtop somatic cell counter or culture with gram-positive selective media and compare the outcomes in these cows to those receiving blanket dry cow therapy (BDCT) in a randomized, controlled trial. We evaluated 2 novel methods of identifying cows with intramammary infections followed by selective antimicrobial treatment at a commercial dairy farm to determine their usefulness in decreasing antibiotic usage during the dry period without significant detrimental effects on milk quality and production. Cows (n = 840) were randomly allocated to one of 3 groups (BDCT, gram-positive selective media culture-based selective dry cow therapy [C-SDCT], and somatic cell count-based SDCT [S-SDCT]) the day before dry-off, and quarter-level milk samples (QLMS) were collected. The QLMS from cows in the S-SDCT group were evaluated using the cell counter, and quarters were treated if SCC was ≥200,000 cells/mL, whereas the QLMS from cows in the C-SDCT group were cultured, and quarters were treated if the culture showed growth. All cows in the BDCT received antimicrobial therapy, and all cows received an internal teat sealant regardless of treatment group. Outcomes measured were first and second DHIA test SCC, milk production through 60 DIM, cows leaving the farm, clinical mastitis, and bacteriologic new infections in a subset of quarters. Cows in both SDCT groups had fewer antimicrobial treatments than cows in the BDCT group as was expected, and cows in the C-SDCT group had fewer treatments than those in the S-SDCT group. Cows in both SDCT groups had a higher linear score at the first DHIA test (BDCT: 1.8, S-SDCT: 2.2, C-SDCT: 2.2); however, we found no other differences between groups regarding any other outcomes measured. Although antimicrobial use was significantly reduced, farms should use caution in adopting the benchtop analyzer and the selective media described in this study as ways to identify infected cows for dry cow therapy because they may result in increased linear scores early in lactation.

Fair evaluation of federated learning algorithms for automated breast density classification: The results of the 2022 ACR-NCI-NVIDIA federated learning challenge

The correct interpretation of breast density is important in the assessment of breast cancer risk. AI has been shown capable of accurately predicting breast density, however, due to the differences in imaging characteristics across mammography systems, models built using data from one system do not generalize well to other systems. Though federated learning (FL) has emerged as a way to improve the generalizability of AI without the need to share data, the best way to preserve features from all training data during FL is an active area of research. To explore FL methodology, the breast density classification FL challenge was hosted in partnership with the American College of Radiology, Harvard Medical Schools’ Mass General Brigham, University of Colorado, NVIDIA, and the National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute. Challenge participants were able to submit docker containers capable of implementing FL on three simulated medical facilities, each containing a unique large mammography dataset. The breast density FL challenge ran from June 15 to September 5, 2022, attracting seven finalists from around the world. The winning FL submission reached a linear kappa score of 0.653 on the challenge test data and 0.413 on an external testing dataset, scoring comparably to a model trained on the same data in a central location.

The effect of selective dry cow therapies based on 2 different algorithms on antimicrobial use, udder health, milk production, and culling in the absence of internal teat sealant use at dry-off

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of selective dry cow therapy (SDCT) strategies based on 2 different algorithms as compared with blanket dry-cow therapy for measures of udder health, milk yield, and culling in herds not using internal teat sealant. Cows from 2 commercial farms in West Texas were randomized into 3 different groups: SDCT Algorithm 1 (ALG1; n = 455) cows treated with an intramammary antimicrobial at dry-off if somatic cell count (SCC) > 200,000 cells/mL at any Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA) test date or if the cow had 2 or more cases of clinical mastitis during the enrollment lactation; SDCT Algorithm 2 (ALG2; n = 458) cows treated with an intramammary antimicrobial at dry-off if SCC >200,000 cell/mL at last test date or any case of clinical mastitis during the enrollment lactation; Control cows (CON = 447) received blanket dry cow therapy. All cows enrolled in the study did not receive an internal or external teat sealant. Data related to milk and somatic cell count linear score (LSCC) was collected monthly. Milk yield and LSCC during the first 6 mo of lactation were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA models, while Cox's Proportional Hazards models were fitted to culling and clinical mastitis data. The farm was fitted as a random effect in all models. The percentage of cows receiving antimicrobials at dry cow was 51.3, 24.7, and 100% for ALG1, ALG2, and CON, respectively. Treatment did not influence the IMI dynamics during the dry period. Additionally, no statistical differences related to treatment were observed for LSCC and milk yield. The LSCC for ALG1, ALG2, and CON was 2.44, 2.41, and 2.26, respectively. The average milk yield for ALG1, ALG2, and CON cows was 43.2, 43.2, and 44.0 kg/d, respectively. Treatment did not affect clinical mastitis incidence and culling. The cumulative incidence of clinical mastitis was 19.6%, 19.4%, and 21.4% for ALG1, ALG2, and CON cows respectively. Additionally, the cumulative risk of death or culling was 18.5%, 17.1%, and 19.5% for ALG1, ALG2, and CON cows respectively. In conclusion, SDCT strategies led to a decrease in antimicrobial drug use at dry-off, without significantly impacting the incidence of clinical mastitis, the risk of culling, LSCC and milk yield of dairy cows. However, numerical differences in LSCC and milk yield were observed between treatment groups.

Determination of udder and teat linear morphological traits in Awassi and Bafra (Chios × Karayaka) Ewes

This study was carried in order to evaluate the linear morphological characteristics of the udder and teats in the breeder conditions of Awassi and Bafra (Chios × Karayaka) ewes (Ovis aries) and to determine the udder types, lactation milk yield and the lactation period of the ewes. One hundred two Awassi and 61 Bafra ewes were included in the study. The means of the linear scores of udder depth, udder furrow, udder attachment, teat shape, teat angle and teat placement in Awassi ewes were determined as 6.10 ± 0.27, 6.33 ± 0.27, 4.49 ± 0.27, 6.49 ± 0.33, 3.98 ± 0.29, and 1.47 ± 0.14, respectively. The same parameters were determined as 6.31 ± 0.28, 6.77 ± 0.32, 5.72 ± 0.24, 1.20 ± 0.11, 1.72 ± 0.26, and 1.20 ± 0.11, respectively, in Bafra ewes. Significant differences were found between Awassi and Bafra breeds in terms of udder types (P&lt;0.01). The type 3 udder, suitable for milking, was determined at the highest rate in both breeds, but type 2 udder was not detected in Awassi ewes. Statistically significant differences were found between Awassi and Bafra ewes in terms of linear morphological characteristics of udder and teat, udder attachment, teat shape, teat angle and 60th day milk yield, daily average milk yield and lactation period (P&lt;0.01). Lactation milk yield and lactation period were calculated as 139.85 ± 5.31 kg and 208.53 ± 4.471 days, respectively, in Awassi ewes and 145.91 ± 9.97 kg and 175.23 ± 4.635 days in Bafra ewes, respectively. As a result, in order for linear udder characteristics to be used safely as an indirect selection criterion, there is a need for studies with a higher number of ewes and to calculate the repeatability and heritability.

The association between alcohol consumption and blood lipids in Chinese children and adolescent: findings from the China Health and Nutrition Survey

BackgroundAlcohol consumption by children and adolescents is receiving increasing attention. It may cause dyslipidemia, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, the association between alcohol consumption and blood lipids in children and adolescents is unclear, and so we aimed to characterize this association.MethodsData from the China Health and Nutrition Survey were extracted from children and adolescents aged 7–18 years for whom information was available on alcohol consumption. The population was divided into drinking and nondrinking groups. The χ2, Student’s t, or Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare groups. Univariate and multivariate linear regression and propensity score matching (PSM) analysis were used to identify the association between alcohol consumption and blood lipids.ResultsThis study included 408 children and adolescents with 35 drinkers and 373 nondrinkers. The drinkers had significantly lower values of total cholesterol (TC) (3.8 mmol/L for nondrinkers versus 3.5 mmol/L for drinkers, p = 0.002) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (1.3 mmol/L for nondrinkers versus 1.2 mmol/L for drinkers, p = 0.007), but not for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (2.1 mmol/L for nondrinkers versus 2.0 mmol/L for drinkers, p = 0.092) or triglyceride (TG) (0.9 mmol/L for nondrinkers versus 0.8 mmol/L for drinkers, p = 0.21). The univariate and multivariate analyses led to the same conclusions. After PSM there was still a significant negative association between alcohol consumption and TC or HDL-C.ConclusionAlcohol consumption in children and adolescents exhibited significant negative associated with TC and HDL-C, but not with LDL-C or TG. These findings need to be confirmed in future prospective research, and the health effects of blood lipid changes caused by drinking in children and adolescents need to be clarified.

How Much Does Dysphagia Cost? Understanding the Additional Costs of Dysphagia for New Zealand in Patients Hospitalised with Stroke

Introduction: Dysphagia (i.e., disordered swallowing) is a consequence of stroke. Existing literature on the marginal cost of dysphagia after stroke is limited and ignores long-term impacts. Our aim was to determine the marginal 12-month cost attributable to dysphagia, including health-related quality of life (HRQoL) impacts, among patients hospitalised with stroke in New Zealand. Methods: Secondary analysis of observational data from the REGIONS Care study, a national study from New Zealand of consecutively hospitalised patients with acute stroke between May 1, 2018, and October 30, 2018, including an outcome survey at 12 months among those who provided consent. Patients were identified as dysphagic if they received a swallow screen in hospital resulting in a speech language therapist review. Patients that required a nasogastric feeding tube in hospital were classified as “severe.” Optimal linear propensity score matching was utilised to provide a group of patients to compare with stroke and dysphagia. All costs were converted to 2021NZD. Results: Overall, of the 2,379 patients in the REGIONS cohort (51% male, median age: 78), 40% (944/2,379) were dysphagic (52% male, median age: 78), and 5% (111/2,379) were classified as severely dysphagic. Within 12 months of hospital discharge, dysphagia reduced HRQoL overall by 0.06 index points (95% CI: 0.028–0.100), and severe dysphagia by 0.12 index points (95% CI: 0.03–0.20). The estimated marginal 12-month cost attributable to stroke-related dysphagia was NZD 24,200 on average per patient. This estimate includes the additional hospitalisation costs (NZD 16,100), community rehabilitation services (NZD 570), hospital level aged residential care (NZD 4,030), and reduced HRQoL (NZD 3,470) over a 12-month period post-hospital discharge. The overall total marginal cost for those with severe dysphagia was NZD 34,000 per patient. Conclusion: We report cost estimates to 12 months from a national perspective on the additional costs and HRQoL outcomes of dysphagia for people hospitalised with stroke in New Zealand. Findings provide a novel contribution internationally since few prior studies have extended beyond the acute hospital phase of care. By quantifying the economic burden, we provide information to decision makers to improve dysphagia management strategies and ultimately enhance the overall HRQoL for people with stroke and dysphagia.

Efficacy of internal and external teat sealants on cure and new infection risk in dry-off protocols for Holstein cows

Internal teat sealant products have been used alone or in combination with antibiotic dry cow treatment to prevent new IMI over the dry period in dairy cows. Conversely, knowledge about the efficacy of external teat sealants in the prevention of IMI is scarce. The objective of our study was to investigate the effect of 2 different teat sealants, one internal teat sealant and one external teat sealant, on the (1) risk of new IMI during the dry period, (2) risk of IMI cure, (3) first test day linear somatic cell score, (4) first test day milk yield, (5) incidence of farm-diagnosed clinical mastitis ≤ 30 DIM, and (6) incidence of culling ≤ 30 DIM. In a randomized clinical trial, Holstein cows (n = 1,500) from one commercial dairy were assigned to treatment and control groups. At dry off, cows in the treatment groups received an antibiotic dry cow treatment in combination with either an internal teat sealant (INT) or a single application of an external teat sealant (EXT). Control (CON) cows received the antibiotic dry cow treatment alone. Data on linear somatic cell score from the last DHI test day before dry off and the first test after calving, first test day milk yield, and the occurrence of farm-diagnosed clinical mastitis and culling ≤ 30 DIM were obtained from the farm management program. New IMI and cure of IMI during the dry period were calculated. Linear somatic cell score (mean ± SD) at first test day after calving differed among groups and was 3.2 ± 2.2 in CON, 2.8 ± 2.0 in INT, and 3.0 ± 2.1 in EXT groups. The risk of new IMI differed among groups and was 30.2% for CON cows, 18.2% for INT cows, and 22.6% for EXT cows. A Poisson regression analysis revealed that, compared with CON cows, the risks of new IMI were 40% lower for INT cows (risk ratio (RR) = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.41 to 0.88) and 25% lower for EXT cows (RR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.52 to 1.07). By contrast, no meaningful differences were documented for cure risk, clinical mastitis risk during the first 30 DIM, or culling risk within the first 30 DIM. In summary, cows dried off with an INT in combination with antibiotic dry cow treatment had a lower linear somatic cell score at first test day after calving and reduced risk of new IMI than cows dried off with an EXT in addition to antibiotic dry cow treatment or cows dried off using antibiotic dry cow treatment alone. Further, we found supporting evidence that cows dried off with an EXT in addition to antibiotic dry cow treatment might have an advantage in reduced new IMI over cows dried off with an antibiotic dry cow treatment alone.

Prediction of neoplastic gallbladder polyps in patients with different age level based on preoperative ultrasound: a multi-center retrospective real-world study

BackgroundThe prevalence of neoplastic polyps in gallbladder polyps (GPs) increases sharply with age and is associated with gallbladder carcinoma (GBC). This study aims to predict neoplastic polyps and provide appropriate treatment strategies based on preoperative ultrasound features in patients with different age level.MethodsAccording to the age classification of WHO, 1523 patients with GPs who underwent cholecystectomy from January 2015 to December 2019 at 11 tertiary hospitals in China were divided into young adults group (n=622), middle-aged group (n=665) and elderly group (n=236). Linear scoring models were established based on independent risk variables screened by the Logistic regression model in different age groups. The area under ROC (AUC) to evaluate the predictive ability of linear scoring models, long- and short- diameter of GPs.ResultsIndependent risk factors for neoplastic polyps included the number of polyps, polyp size (long diameter), and fundus in the young adults and elderly groups, while the number of polyps, polyp size (long diameter), and polyp size (short diameter) in the middle-aged groups. In different age groups, the AUCs of its linear scoring model were higher than the AUCs of the long- and short- diameter of GPs for differentiating neoplastic and non-neoplastic polyps (all P<0.05), and Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test showed that the prediction accuracy of the linear scoring models was higher than the long- and short- diameter of GPs (all P>0.05).ConclusionThe linear scoring models of the young adults, middle-aged and elderly groups can effectively distinguish neoplastic polyps from non-neoplastic polyps based on preoperative ultrasound features.

A new abdominal drainage tube fixation method for 3-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy improves patients’ postoperative quality of life

ObjectiveLaparoscopic surgery has become a routine general surgery with many advantages, such as alleviating abdominal pain. However, postoperative pain caused by abdominal drainage tubes has attracted little attention from medical staff. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of a new abdominal drainage tube fixation method for 3-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) on patients’ postoperative quality of life. MethodsPatients who underwent 3-port LC with abdominal drainage tubes in the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Linyi People’s Hospital from March 1, 2023 to October 31, 2023 due to gallstones with chronic cholecystitis were selected for this study. The patients were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. In the experimental group, the new abdominal drainage tube fixation method was used, while in the control group, the traditional method was used. Afterward, the quality of life of patient in terms of pain, activity, recovery time, and mental health status was evaluated. The exudate around the patient’s drainage tube was collected for bacterial culture and analysis. ResultsA total of 139 patients were randomly divided into an experimental group (70 patients) and a control group (69 patients). The patients’ baseline characteristics were not significantly different. The patients in the experimental group had better outcomes in quality of life, with higher pain scores (24.03 ± 2.37 vs. 15.48 ± 2.29, p < 0.001) and activity scores (20.57 ± 1.78 vs. 14.13 ± 1.43, p < 0.001), and a shorter postoperative recovery time (2.36 ± 0.68 d vs. 2.96 ± 1.34 d, p < 0.001). The same results were shown in linear regression analysis scores of the 2 groups. The positive rate of bacterial culture in the exudate around the patient’s drainage tube in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group (12.9% vs. 43.5%, p < 0.001); and furthermore, the positive rate of conditional pathogenic bacteria was even lower (7.1% vs. 33.3%, p < 0.001) in the experimental group than in the control group. ConclusionThis new abdominal drainage tube fixation method can effectively promote patient rehabilitation and improve the quality of life for patient following 3-port LC with abdominal drainage tubes.

Pre-operative body shape concerns moderate excess weight loss trajectory in bariatric surgery patients: a 2-year longitudinal study

PurposeThe main research aim was to inspect whether pre-operative body shape concerns and discomfort as Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) scores moderate post-operative weight loss trajectory in bariatric patients.MethodsTwo studies were conducted. Study 1 analyzed cross-sectional data and verified the structural validity of the 34-item BSQ questionnaire on a sample of 327 candidates for bariatric surgery. Study 2 examined longitudinal data, with objective Body Mass Index (BMI) recorded every 6 months, from surgery intervention on, with 5 measurement occasions, from 111 patients who initially completed BSQ as bariatric surgery candidates and then underwent periodic medical post-operative follow-ups, over 2 years.ResultsIn Study 1, confirmatory factor analysis of a single-dimension model yielded acceptable fit indices and high internal consistency levels. Study 2 showed that post-operative excess BMI reduction trend was not linear and pre-operative BSQ scores moderated it, with a higher risk of weight regain in patients who initially were less concerned with their body shape.ConclusionsThe present findings support the structural validity of the BSQ questionnaire in bariatric candidates and call attention on the role of pre-operative body shape concerns on post-operative weight loss trajectories over 2 years, in accordance with a pathoplasty model. They suggest the need for systematic attention on perceived body image and psychological paths aimed to help bariatric patients regain positive attitudes towards their own body.Level of evidence III, well-designed cohort

The impact of family residence structure on adolescents' non-cognitive abilities: evidence from China.

The family residence structure serves as a crucial pathway through which the family environment influences adolescents' development. Drawing on nationally representative data, this study employs multiple linear regression models and propensity score matching to examine the impact of various family residence structures on adolescents' non-cognitive abilities. Causal identification is achieved through propensity score matching, while robustness is assessed using methods such as augmented inverse probability weighting and placebo tests. Heterogeneity analysis is conducted based on gender and household registration, aiming to explore the mechanisms by which family residence structure affects adolescents' non-cognitive abilities. The findings indicate that compared to two-parent co-residence households, three-generation co-residence families have significantly positive effects on emotional stability, conscientiousness, and agreeableness among adolescents. In contrast, skip-generation coresidence families exhibit significant negative effects on emotional stability and agreeableness in adolescents. Further investigation into the underlying mechanisms reveals that parental involvement and family socioeconomic status within three-generation co-residence families positively influence adolescents' non-cognitive abilities. This study highlights the importance of considering grandparents' role in adolescent growth and advocates for policy recommendations focusing on enhancing non-cognitive abilities in adolescents from skip-generation co-residence families.

Influence of Land Use Types on Soil Properties and Soil Quality in Karst Regions of Southwest China

Establishing a suitable and useful soil quality index (SQI) is the key to accurately evaluating changes in soil quality (SQ) under different land use types. In the present study, a suitable and useful SQI using a minimum data set (MDS) with two scoring methods (linear scoring method and nonlinear scoring method) and two additive models (simple additive model with same weighting value and weighted additive model with significant different weighting value) was established to compare SQ under different land uses in Longtan valley. Soil samples were collected under one dryland (DRYL), one paddy (PADD), one orchard (GRA), and one natural forest (FORE), and 13 soil properties were measured. The four land use types had the same soil type and similar environmental conditions. Land use types had significant effects on the measured 12 soil properties. The top two principal components in Principal Component Analysis were chosen, and their cumulative variance was more than 90%. Soil indicators of soil labile carbon, C/N ratio, and microaggregates were chosen as members of MDS in this study. Significant (p &lt; 0.001) positive correlations among the four establishing SQIs were found. The values of the sensitive index ranged from 47.17% to 82.12% for the four SQIs, and the SQI established using the nonlinear scoring method and weighted additive model (SQI-NLW) had the highest values. Among the four land use types, the four SQIs had similar change trends, and the average values of SQ under FORE (0.73) and PADD (0.68) were significantly higher than those under GRA (0.54) and DRYL (0.43). These results indicated that the SQI-NLW was an effective and precise tool to assess SQ under different land uses in similar regions, and the FORE and PADD were the suitable land use types for the sustainable use of soils in karst regions.

Research on the evaluation of the renovation effect of existing energy-inefficient residential buildings in a severe cold region of China

The renovation of existing energy-inefficient residential buildings is an important measure to improve building energy efficiency and achieve CO2 emission reduction strategic tasks. At present, existing energy-inefficient residential buildings suffer from high energy consumption for heating, low efficiency, and poor indoor thermal comfort. It is necessary to implement energy-saving renovation on existing residential buildings and evaluate the renovation effect. This article took existing energy-inefficient residential buildings as the research object and selected a targeted evaluation system. Based on expert research, the hierarchical-grey correlation degree method was used to determine the weight of indices. Actual testing was conducted on the three nodes of the heat exchange station, secondary network, and the building ontology during the heating seasons of 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 (before and after renovation). Based on measured data, a fuzzy membership degree evaluation model was constructed, and the evaluation results were determined using a linear weighted method to form a complete evaluation system. The evaluation system covered 12 evaluation indices, and the evaluation indices with the largest weight in the criterion and index layer were energy consumption (0.308) and economic contribution rate (0.183), respectively. The average linear weighted evaluation scores before and after the renovation of each node were 14.16 and 29.04, respectively.