Mean Values Of Parameters Research Articles

Visual outcomes and choroidal thickness associated with human leukocyte antigen DRB1*04 in unclassifiable uveitis in Japanese patients

PurposeHuman leukocyte antigen (HLA) and immunity are related. Uveitis is also closely related to immunity. For example, the common presence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1*04 in the immune response is well known. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between visual prognosis and various HLA alleles before and after therapy in patients with unclassifiable uveitis, excluding those with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease.MethodsThis retrospective case series included 42 eyes from 22 consecutive patients with unclassifiable uveitis, excluding those with VKH disease. Visual acuity (VA), sex, refractive error, central retinal thickness (CRT), central choroidal thickness (CCT), and duration from onset to treatment were measured at initial and 6-month visits. Mean values of parameters were compared at each visit. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction amplification with sequence-specific primers.ResultsDRB1*04 showed a dominant change. No significant difference was observed in the other alleles. In DRB1*04, The mean differences in initial CCT, 6-month CCT, and 6-month VA showed statistically significant difference was found in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) between DRB1*04+ and DRB1*04− at the first visit. BCVA values at baseline and at the final visit were 0.13 ± 0.29 and 0.20 ± 0.36 in the DRB1*04+ and 0.00045 ± 0.20 and − 0.058 ± 0.11 in the DRB1*04− groups(p = 0.00465). Central Choroidal Thickness (CCT) values pretreatment and at the final visit after treatment were (pretreatment:361.00 ± 361.0 μm,after treatment: 286.00 ± 106.53 μm, p = 0.0174) in the DRB1*04+ group, and (pretreatment:281.3 ± 139.68 μm,after treatment:223.85 ± 99.034 μm, p = 0.0426) in the DRB1*04− group, respectively, indicating changes between baseline and the final visit. CCT was significantly greater in the DRB1*04+ group at both the initial visit and at 6 months. Multivariate analysis showed a significant difference between the presence or absence of DRB1*04 and sex.ConclusionHLA-DRB1*04 allele may affect visual prognosis and CCT in unclassifiable uveitis.

Data-Driven Retrospective Correction of B1 Field Inhomogeneity in Fast Macromolecular Proton Fraction and R1 Mapping.

Correction of B1 field non-uniformity is critical for many quantitative MRI methods including variable flip angle (VFA) T1 mapping and single-point macromolecular proton fraction (MPF) mapping. The latter method showed promising results as a fast and robust quantitative myelin imaging approach and involves VFA-based R1=1/T1 map reconstruction as an intermediate processing step. The need for B1 correction restricts applications of the above methods, since B1 mapping sequences increase the examination time and are not commonly available in clinics. A new algorithm was developed to enable retrospective data-driven simultaneous B1 correction in VFA R1 and single-point MPF mapping. The principle of the algorithm is based on different mathematical dependences of B1 -related errors in R1 and MPF allowing extraction of a surrogate B1 field map from uncorrected R1 and MPF maps. To validate the method, whole-brain R1 and MPF maps with isotropic 1.25 mm3 resolution were obtained on a 3 T MRI scanner from 11 volunteers. Mean parameter values in segmented brain tissues were compared between three reconstruction options including the absence of correction, actual B1 correction, and surrogate B1 correction. Surrogate B1 maps closely reproduced actual patterns of B1 inhomogeneity. Without correction, B1 non-uniformity caused highly significant biases in R1 and MPF ( ). Surrogate B1 field correction reduced the biases in both R1 and MPF to a non-significant level ( 0.1 ≤ P ≤ 0.8 ). The described algorithm obviates the use of dedicated B1 mapping sequences in fast single-point MPF mapping and provides an alternative solution for correction of B1 non-uniformities in VFA R1 mapping.

Changes of Cognitive Ability and Circulatory Physiological Parameters Among Adolescents Moving From Altitudes of 3600 m to 500 m in China: A 50-Day Follow up Study

Background: Travelling across altitude is increasing these days. The effects of travelling from high to low altitude on cognitive and physiological parameters of native highlander adolescents is not clear. The present study aimed to measure the changes of cognitive ability and circulatory physiological parameters when Tibetan adolescents move from high to low altitude, and to test the association between cognitive function change and changes in circulatory parameters.Method: General fluid intelligence, oxygen saturation, hemoglobin concentration, heart rate and blood pressure of 71 Tibetan adolescents were measured twice, initially at Lhasa city (altitude 3600 m) and again 50 days after arriving at Chengdu (altitude 500 m).Results: The mean intelligence scores remained unchanged when students moved from high to low altitude. However, the mean hemoglobin concentration, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate decreased while mean oxygen saturation and systolic blood pressure increased. No associations between change of intelligence and changes of circulatory physiological parameters were detected.Conclusions: Travelling from high to low altitude altered the mean value of circulatory physiological parameters but not cognition of Tibetan adolescents. Change of cognitive function was not associated with changes in physiological parameters.

Sexual Dimorphism of the Pelvic Bone and Limbs of Francolinus bicalcaratus

Introduction: The Double-spurred francolin (Francolinus bicalcaratus) also known as African Bush Fowl, is a popular bird found in all the geological zones of West Africa. The bird is closely related to galliformes like jungle fowls and cortunix feeding on insects, seeds and vegetable matter. We investigated the pelvic and long bones in Francolinus bicalcaratus to determine the differetianting features as well as the depth of sexual dimorphism in these bones. Methods: Skeleton from five males and five females Francolinus bicalcaratus were acquired using standard evisceration methods. Linear parameters were measured using a Digital Vernier Caliper (Neiko® China, sensitivity of 0.01mm,). A Protractor was used to determine the angles. All morphometric data obtained were subjected to one-way analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at a p <0.05. Results: The two foramina in the male pelvic bone had higher mean values compared to the female, but the acetabulum was non-significantly wider in the female The adult male birds bore two tibio-tarsal spurs. The first (closer to the distal end of the bone) was longer than the second. The mean values of pelvic bone parameters were wider in female than male except for the pelvic length, and pubic bone length. The femur, tibiotarsal and tarsometatarsal length of male was not significantly wider relative to female. The male had longer femur but the female epiphyseal ends of the bone were wider in mean values. The male also had a significantly higher greater trochanter compared to the female. The tarsometatarsal bone that bore the spurs in male was also longer than in female. In the female, the epiphyseal end is wider but with no significant variant (p>0.05) compared to the male epiphyseal end. Significance: The observations made in the course of this study will provide baseline data and other foundational information relevant to the conservation of this animal.

Application of water quality index and multivariate statistical techniques for assessment of water quality around Yamuna River in Agra Region, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract In this research, water quality index and multivariate statistical techniques were carried out on 14 water quality parameters collected quarterly (four times/year) from nine water sources in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India, for one year (May 2019–April 2020). The water quality parameters included are the concentration of hydrogen ions (pH), Electrical Conductivity, Turbidity, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Hardness, Total Alkalinity, Calcium, Sulphate, Chloride, Magnesium, Iron, COD, DO, and BOD. The water samples collected show that the mean values of physicochemical parameters are in the range set by WHO and BIS except for hardness in summer (1,680 mg/L), monsoon (832.22 mg/L), winter (1,876.66 mg/L), spring (1,535.55 mg/L); TDS in summer (1,000.33 mg/L), monsoon (683.44 mg/L), winter (1,087.66 mg/L), spring (776.66 mg/L); and sulphate in summer (927.22 mg/L), monsoon (446.77 mg/L), winter (925.77 mg/L), spring (944.88 mg/L), which indicate bad quality of water. The WQI values were calculated for three locations in different weather conditions. WQI values in summer, winter and spring are 630.90, 279.61, 279.91, showing that the river water is not suitable for drinking purposes whereas the WQI value in monsoon is 75.89, showing that water is fit for drinking purposes due to the dilution of the river water. A moderate positive correlation was observed for turbidity with total hardness, iron, total alkalinity, and sulphate. Negative correlation was observed with pH. Moderate correlation was seen with TDS–EC (0.608), TDS–Alkalinity (0.7794), EC–Ca (0.723), and strong correlation was observed for BOD–DO (0.941) and Ca–Mg (0.999). Principal component analysis revealed that five factors were significant (eigenvalue > 0.5) with total variance of 39.43%–85.19% respectively. The ICP-MS study of water samples from point sources indicate the presence of Ni2+, Cr6+, Co2+, Mn2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+ ions at higher concentrations.

Hypoxia signature: A useful tool for hypoxia recognition among aircrew

Introduction: Hypoxia, often referred to as “silent killer,” a common aeromedical stressor in aviation, may have catastrophic events in-flight unless recognized well in time. On exposure to hypoxia, an individual manifests a specific spectrum of symptoms referred to as “hypoxia signature.” The present study was conducted to assess the manifestation of “hypoxia signature” on repeated exposure to simulated hypobaric hypoxia for its potential usage as a tool for hypoxia recognition. Material and Methods: Twenty-two healthy adult volunteers were subjected to a simulated altitude of 22,000 feet for a duration of 5 min in the hypobaric altitude chamber. The symptoms experienced by the participants at the said altitude were recorded using a questionnaire. The heart rate (HR) and oxygen saturation (SpO2) were recorded during the exposure. The hypoxia exposure was repeated two more times with a minimum interval of 3 weeks between each. Paired t-test was used to compare the mean values of physiological parameters (HR and SpO2) between ground level and 22000 feet recorded in all the three exposures. The hypoxia symptoms and their severity reported during the exposures were compared with those of recalled symptoms (reported after 3 weeks of exposure) using McNemar test and Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, respectively. Results: Paired t-test revealed a statistically significant increase in HR and fall in SpO2 with rise in altitude from ground level to 22000 feet. The three most common symptoms consistently observed were lightheadedness, thinking slow, and warm feeling. The common hypoxic symptoms and their severity scores reported at 22,000 feet compared with recalled counterpart during subsequent exposures did not reveal any significant differences (P > 0.05). Conclusion: There was a high degree of similarity in the frequency and severity score of symptoms between acute exposure to hypobaric hypoxia and recall indicating evidence of repeatability of symptoms across the three sessions of hypoxia exposure within the individuals. This brings out the usefulness of “hypoxia signature” as a tool for hypoxia recognition and its application in hypoxia indoctrination and training for aircrew.

Arc center distance as a novel quantitative radiographic parameter for volar Barton fractures.

The aims of this study were to investigate conventional radiographic parameters and introduce a novel parameter (arc center distance, ACD) for volar Barton fractures. Twenty-four cases of volar Barton fracture were retrospectively analyzed. We measured volar tilt angle (VTA), anteroposterior distance (APD), teardrop angle (TDA), and capitate-to-axis-of-radius distance (CARD) on lateral plain radiographs. The ACD was measured on the sagittal images of computed tomography scans. VTAs, APDs, TDAs, and CARDs were compared between the fractured and normal contralateral wrist. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was calculated for each parameter. TDAs did not differ significantly between the fractured wrists and the controls. On the other hand, VTAs, APDs, and CARDs were all significantly greater in the fractured wrists (mean values were 17.25°, 20.70mm, and -3.40mm, respectively). The area under the curve value was highest (0.943) for the ACD. When a cutoff value of 1.02mm was used as a threshold, a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 80.95% were achieved. The mean values of conventional parameters (VTA, APD, TDA and CARD) in volar Barton fractures were presented. The ACD can be useful parameter for quantitatively evaluating volar Barton fractures.

Assessment of sagittal spinopelvic alignment in asymptomatic Chinese juveniles and adolescents: a large cohort study and comparative meta-analysis

Study designRetrospective study and comparative meta-analysis.ObjectiveTo document the sagittal spinopelvic alignment in a large cohort study in asymptomatic Chinese juveniles and adolescents, and to explore whether these parameters were different from various regions using meta-analysis.MethodsMedical records of 656 asymptomatic Chinese juveniles and adolescents were reviewed, whose mean age was 13.14 ± 3.41 years old, including 254 male and 402 female volunteers. Demographic and lateral radiological parameters were evaluated. Furthermore, a systematic online search was performed to identify eligible studies. Weight mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to evaluate whether these sagittal parameters were different from various regions.ResultsThe mean value of sagittal spinopelvic alignment in this study was calculated and analyzed respectively. Significant differences of PI (34.20 ± 4.00 vs. 43.18 ± 7.12, P < 0.001) and PT (3.99 ± 6.04 vs. 8.42 ± 7.08, P < 0.001) were found between juveniles and adolescents. A total of 17 studies were recruited for meta-analysis. For juvenile populations, TK, PI and SS of Caucasians were significantly larger than those of our study (all P < 0.001). As for adolescent populations, PI (P = 0.017), TK (P = 0.017) and SS (P < 0.001) of Caucasians was found to be greater when compared with that of our study. All in all, TK, PI and SS in Chinese pre-adult populations were significantly smaller than those populations in Caucasian regions (all P < 0.001).ConclusionOur study was the first large-scale study that reported the mean values of sagittal parameters in asymptomatic Chinese juveniles and adolescents. There were significant differences in TK, PI and SS between our study and other previous reported populations, which reminded us for using specific mean values in different populations when restoring a relatively normal sagittal spinopelvic balance in spinal deformity.

Shear strength parameters of granitic and sedimentary residual soils from the Northern and the Peninsular Malaysia

Reduction of shear strength and negative suction as the soil in a stable slope becomes saturated during prolonged rainy seasons are the two main causes for a stable slope to fail. A total of 148 and 112 effective shear strength parameters were collected from granitic residual soil and sedimentary residual soil respectively at both the stable slopes and slope failures in the Northern Malaysia. Meanwhile a total of 103 and 65 effective shear strength parameters secondary data were also collected from granitic residual soil and sedimentary residual soil respectively in Peninsular Malaysia including Singapore. Because of the natural variability of residual soil as the results of inconsistent weathering process during residual soil formations, the highly variable values of the shear strength parameters were obtained. The objectives of the research are to determine the best fit distributions for the effective shear strength parameters as well as their mean values for the granitic and sedimentary residual soils both in the Northern and the Peninsular Malaysia. It was found that the normal distributions were the best fit distributions for the transformed data of the effective shear strength parameters for granitic and sedimentary residual soils at both locations. It was also found that, the mean values of effective shear strength parameters in granitic and sedimentary residual soils at both locations were almost the same although a slightly lower value for effective cohesion was obtained for sedimentary residual soil in the Northern Malaysia.

Water Quality Monitoring in Inle Lake, Myanmar from the Floating Garden Activity

Inle Lake is the second largest inland lake in Myanmar. Floating gardens, mostly for tomato cultivation, are a unique and profitable method of agriculture used by people living on and around the lake. This study investigated the water quality of Inle Lake and how it has been affected by the different agricultural practices used in tomato cultivation on floating garden beds, by measuring pollution levels. Water samples were collected from the sites representing two types of agricultural practice from four villages. The first was designated as being grown under good agricultural practices (GAP), and the other as under non-good agricultural practices (non-GAP), with this study undertaken during wet season, 2019 and dry season, 2020. Two additional sets of water samples were collected as references. One of these sets was from the center of the lake and the other from an inlet stream to the lake. All water samples were analyzed for physical and chemical properties. The results found that Ca2+, Mg2+ and HCO3- were dominant in the lake surface water. The results showed significant differences in the mean values for some water quality parameters between the GAP and non-GAP of each study sites in both seasons. In particular, nutrient pollution from chemicals such as nitrogen and phosphorus from the non-GAP were significantly higher than those from GAP. Water quality index was calculated to describe the overall quality of lake surface water. It was observed that the water quality was almost threatened in the floating garden areas. In comparison between two practices, the non-GAP gave the higher water quality index value than the GAP. This investigated that poor management of fertilizers usage has had a negative effect on the water quality of the lake. The differences seen in water quality from the GAP and non-GAP areas, point to ways to successfully manage sources of water pollution in order to better conserve the lake by sustainable agricultural production.

Do self-ratings of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index reflect actigraphy recordings of sleep quality or variability? An exploratory study of bipolar disorders versus healthy controls.

Sleep disturbances are typical symptoms of acute episodes of bipolar disorder (BD) and differentiate euthymic BD cases from healthy controls (HC). Researchers often employ objective recordings to evaluate sleep patterns, such as actigraphy, whilst clinicians often use subjective ratings, such as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). As evidence suggests the measures may disagree, we decided to compare subjective (PSQI) and objective (3weeks of actigraphy) sleep profiles in BD cases and HC (n=154). We examined whether a dimensional approach helps to illustrate different patterns of sleep disturbances and whether the concordance between subjective and objective recordings varies according to clinical status (BD versus HC). Principal component analysis (PCA) extracted two factors from the PSQI, and separate PCAs of actigraphy recordings extracted two factors for mean values of sleep parameters and one factor for intra-individual variability. Correlational and linear regression analyses of PCA-derived dimensions demonstrated that, in both BD and HC, a PSQI "Sleep duration-efficiency" factor was significantly correlated with an actigraphy "Sleep initiation-duration" factor. Furthermore, in BD cases only, the PSQI total score and a PSQI "Sleep Impairments" factor were each significantly correlated with an actigraphy "Sleep Variability" factor. Overall, we found that subjective experiences of sleep may be modulated by different components of objectively recorded sleep in BD compared with HC. Also, the use of PCA enabled us to consider the multi-dimensional nature of subjective sleep, whilst the inclusion of intra-individual sleep variability afforded a more subtle evaluation of objective sleep.

The thickness of the ventricles and interventricular septum in males with overweight according to echocardiography

Introduction. Mortality from cardiovascular disease ranks first in the world. New and high requirements are required for the anatomical substantiation of emerging methods and methods of treatment. In modern literature, there are many publications on the issues of heart morphology, but data on the influence of gender, age, body weight on heart parameters are insufficient, fragmentary and often contradictory.Objective. To determine the thickness of the ventricles and interventricular septum in overweight men when performing echocardiography and to assess the presence or absence of the relationship of these parameters with age and body mass index (BMI) of the subjects. Patients and methods. The analysis of the protocols of ultrasound examination of the heart of 68 apparently healthy men of adolescence, the first and second periods of adulthood with a body mass index of 25.0–29.9 kg/m², with no pulmonary and cardiac pathology and the risk of cardiovascular diseases was carried out. Ultrasound examination was performed on an Aloka ProSound Alpha 6 ultrasound scanner. Results and discussion. When comparing the mean values of heart parameters in overweight men in three age groups according to the Kruskell – Wallis criterion, no statistically significant differences were found between the mean values (p &gt; 0.05). Revealed a moderate strength relationship between the thickness of the anterior wall of the right ventricle with the age of the subject (r = 0.375; p = 0.020) and moderate strength relationship between the thickness of the posterior wall of the left ventricle and BMI (r = 0.352; p = 0.030).Conclusions. The results of the study supplement the information available in the scientific literature on the thickness of the ventricles of the heart and the interventricular septum in healthy men with overweight in three age groups. The data obtained will be useful to doctors of functional diagnostics when performing echocardiography in matters of differentiation between norm and pathology.

Depression and anxiety screening improves cardiovascular risk prediction in population-based sample of 4,750 russian individuals

Abstract Introduction Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the most serious public health problem, remaining the leading cause of death in the adult population. A great number of CVD risk scales are successfully used in clinics, yet they are tuned to work the best for patients of older age and often are population specific. Methods We used the data from a longitudinal epidemiologic study of 4,750 individuals aged 25–64 years from European part of Russia recruited in 2012–2013 to predict the 10-year risk of cardiovascular events in Russian population and evaluate performance for common clinical risk scales. The cohort was divided into two groups: “cases” – individuals with a cardiovascular event registered during the follow up period (2013–2019) as a study group (N=106) and “controls” – individuals with no cardiovascular events registered during follow up as a control group (N=4,644). All individuals with previous history of CVD (ischemic heart disease, stroke or heart attack) prior to 2012 were assigned high risk in all scales. The case and control groups were split by age: below and above 40 to reflect the properties of cardiovascular risk scales to work best for age over 40. We assessed CVD risk scores using Framingham 2008 [1], ASCVD 2013, both were calculated with mean parameters values calculated from our cohort and from the original study [2], SCORE 2003, 2017 and 2019 [3] and MOSP - the recalibrated for Russian population scale of the SCORE 2017 [4] Results For patients over 40 years old, cardiovascular risk scales showed similar performance, with ASCVD normalized to the original study's mean parameter values returning the best prediction scores. Expectedly, for the younger group of patients, cardiac risk scales do not have notable predictive power. Further, we thought to identify additional factors discriminating young individuals at higher risk of CVD. We downsampled the control cohort to include only samples with age, weight, height, LDL, total cholesterol and systolic blood pressure matching those in a case cohort (&amp;lt;40 years of age). 186 phenotypic features were tested and 4 out of top 10 (p&amp;lt;0.05) associated features included questions related to depression, anxiety or current stress level from HADS scale, though not significant after multiple hypothesis correction, this suggests that younger individuals with high scores in depression/anxiety screenings might be at higher risk of CVD. Depression/anxiety features were added to cardiovascular risk scales as binary predictor components to improve prediction quality (Table 1). Conclusions We identified depression and anxiety screening questionnaires as a valuable predictor for cardiovascular events in the younger population improving the quality of predictions of traditional clinical scales. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Table 1. ROC analysis

Prognostic value of right ventricular systolic function by speckle tracking echocardiography beyond conventional echocardiography in significant tricuspid regurgitation

Abstract Background Right ventricular (RV) systolic function is determinant in the evaluation of patients with significant tricuspid regurgitation (TR). Timely detection of RV dysfunction with conventional 2D echocardiography is limited by the geometry and position of the RV. RV strain has emerged as an accurate and sensitive tool for evaluation of RV function with the capability of detect subclinical RV dysfunction Purpose This study was aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of RV strain in consecutive patients with significant TR, in comparison with conventional parameters of RV systolic function. Methods Consecutive patients in stable clinical status with significant TR (severe, massive or torrential TR) evaluated in the Heart Valve Clinic were included. RV systolic function was measured with conventional echocardiographic parameters (RV fractional area change [FAC], tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion [TAPSE]), DTI S wave (S') and with STE derived automatic peak global and free wall longitudinal strain (GLS, FW-LS respectively) using the EPIQ system (Philips Medical Systems, Andover, Massachusetts). A combined endpoint of hospital admission due to right heart failure or cardiovascular mortality was defined. Results A total of 130 patients were included (mean age was 75±17 years, 69% females, 93% in NYHA I/II). According to etiology, 14% were primary TR and 86% were functional (49% due to corrected left valve disease and 37% due to tricuspid annulus dilatation). Mean values of RV function parameters are shown in the table. During a mean follow up of 18±8 months, n=39 patients (30%) reached the combined endpoint. Patients with events showed impaired RV GLS and FW-LS. Both parameters were predictive of the combined endpoint (table 1). Conventional parameters of RV systolic function were not associated with outcomes (p&amp;gt;0.05 for all). Conclusion In patients with severe TR, RV strain values are superior to conventional parameters to detect RV dysfunction. Among different measurements of RV function, RV GLS and FW-LS were the only predictors of poor prognosis. These parameters should be included in the serial evaluation of these patients. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None. RV parameters

Seasonal dynamics of cold airway hyperresponsiveness in patients with asthma

Introduction. Cold air-induced bronchoconstriction in patients with asthma, leading to a breakdown in disease control, is one of the most serious problems in the northern countries of the world.Aim. To assess the seasonal dynamics of the airway response (ΔFEV1CA) to cold bronchoprovocation in asthma patients with cold airway hyperresponsiveness (CAHR).Materials and methods. Out of 513 asthma patients who underwent primary bronchoprovocation testing, 273 patients (140 women; 133 men) with diagnosed CAHR took part in the retrospective analysis. The design objectification of clinical data using the Asthma Control Test questionnaire (ACT, Quality Metric Inc., 2002), a screening questionnaire for identifying clinical symptoms of response to low ambient temperature in everyday life; assessment of the lung function; bronchoprovocation test of 3-minute isocapnic hyperventilation with cold (-20ºC) air (IHCA).Results. At the time of testing, the average age of patients was 34.8±0.87 years, FEV1 88.5±1.3% of predicted, FEV1/VC 70.9±0.7%; ACT 16 (12; 19) points. On average in the group, ΔFEV1CA was -19.2±0.6%. The frequency of CAHR detection in the winter was 22%, spring – 34%, summer – 22%, autumn – 24% (p&gt;0.05). The minimum changes in FEV1 in response to IHCA were recorded in May-June (mean value ΔFEV1CA -16.2±1.3 and -14.5±1.6%, respectively) and were significantly less in comparison with February (-21.9±2.3%, p˂0.05) and April (-23.0±2.36%, p˂0.01). A correlation has been found between the monthly mean values of meteorological parameters and CAHR, as well as the value of ACT in points and ΔFEV1 (r=0.16; p=0.018).Conclusion. Seasonal changes in the strength of the action of meteorological factors produce a change in the response of the airways to cold bronchoprovocation, and contribute to the loss of asthma control. The maximum values of CAHR fall on February-April, August, November. The data obtained reflect the presence of a complex interaction of physical environmental factors in the induction of seasonal fluctuations of CAHR, which requires a search for specific mechanisms for the formation of altered airway reactivity associated with the characteristics of molecular reception of low temperatures and humidity in the human airways.

COMPARISON OF SUBCARAPACIAL SINUS AND BRACHIAL VEIN PHLEBOTOMY SITES FOR BLOOD COLLECTION IN FREE-RANGING GOPHER TORTOISES (GOPHERUS POLYPHEMUS).

Paired blood samples were collected from the brachial vein and subcarapacial sinus of 42 wild gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) for comparison of hematological and plasma biochemical, vitamin, mineral, and protein electrophoresis parameters with general linear models with repeated measures designs. Comparisons revealed higher brachial vein mean values for 38 of 42 parameters with significance (P ≤ 0.05) for 21 parameters. Significantly lower brachial vein means were noted for two parameters. Coefficients of variation for brachial vein samples were lower for 30 out of 42 parameters with significantly lower values for 11 parameters. Of the 12 parameters with lower coefficients of variation for subcarapacial sinus samples, significant differences were noted for four parameters. Both the lower coefficient of variation and the higher mean values for most parameters from brachial vein samples are attributed to greater hemodilution of subcarpacial samples with lymph compared to the paired brachial vein samples. To address the clinical relevance and reliability of the parameter ranges obtained from both paired phlebotomy sites, we compared these values to those obtained from other selected investigations of gopher tortoise and desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) clinicopathology. Although statistically significant differences were detected, available data demonstrated that most mean ± standard deviation values and/or ranges for both phlebotomy sites of our study are similar to those reported for the selected studies. Based on these results, utilization of either set of our study values in the assessment of a gopher tortoise population or individual gopher tortoises would be acceptable for clinical or management decisions. It is also advisable that investigators develop institutional blood parameter ranges for healthy individuals by phlebotomy site when possible in addition to maintaining standardized sample collection and handling protocols.

Lipid Profile in Pre-dialysis and Post-dialysis End Stage Renal Disease Patients: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study in Lucknow, India.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are at elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) due to altered lipid profiles. Dyslipidemia is maximal in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients and there is insufficient data on the impact of hemodialysis on lipid profile. The present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of hemodialysis on lipid profile of CKD patients.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 50 CKD patients on hemodialysis from three randomly selected hospitals of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, between March - May 2021. Serum lipid profile was analysed before and after hemodialysis session by using an auto analyzer. The mean values of different lipid parameters before and after hemodialysis were calculated and the difference between them was analyzed by using paired t-test. A p-value of <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.Results: In this study, very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) levels decreased significantly after hemodialysis. Total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride (TG) levels were also significantly lowered. High density lipoprotein (HDL) was the only lipoprotein that increased after dialysis although this increase was non-significant.Conclusion: Adequate dialysis and time bound monitoring of various components of lipid profile can help CKD patients by decreasing risks for cardiovascular complications.

Time Dependent Erythrocyte Morphometric Changes of Prolonged Stored Blood and its Effect on Target Post-transfusion Haematocrit of Splenectomised Mongrel Dogs

Background: Mean values of erythrocytic morphometric parameters of very old blood and its effect on the target post-transfusion haematocrit changes of splenectomised dogs was studied. Methods: Two hundred and fifty milliliters of blood each were drawn from healthy dogs (n=6) into citrate phosphate dextrose adenine-1 anti-coagulated blood bags, preserved for 35 days for the evaluation of erythrocyte morphometric and viability parameters. Thereafter, twenty adult male splenectomised dogs were randomly assigned into 5 groups (n=3). Post-splenectomy, 4, 14, 21 and 28 day old blood (DOB) were transfused to groups II-V while group I animals were not transfused. Intraoperative blood loss was determined during the surgery while post-transfusion, animals haematocrit were assayed and used to calculate the targeted haematocrit. Result: Findings revealed irreversible progressive time dependent morphometric changes by day 14 of blood storage. Hence, it is recommended that for transfusion purposes, 4 DOB should be the hallmark as it achieved the desired haematocrit and no morphometric changes were observed from it.

Menopause Per se Is Associated with Coronary Artery Calcium Score: Results from the ELSA-Brasil.

Background: Menopause and aging deteriorate the metabolic profile, but little is known about how they independently contribute to structural changes in coronary arteries. We compared a broad cardiometabolic risk profile of women according to their menopausal status and investigated if menopause per se is associated with presence of coronary artery calcium (CAC) in the ELSA-Brasil. Materials and Methods: All participants, except perimenopausal women, who had menopause <40 years or from non-natural causes or reported use of hormone therapy were included. Sample was stratified according to menopause and age categories (premenopause ≤45 years, premenopause >45 years, and postmenopause); their clinical profile and computed tomography-determined CAC were compared using Kruskal-Wallis and chi squared test for frequencies. Associations of CAC (binary variable) with menopause categories adjusted for traditional and nontraditional covariables were tested using logistic regression. Results: From 2,047 participants 51 ± 9 years of age, 1,175 were premenopausal (702 ≤ 45 years) and 872 were postmenopausal women. Mean values of anthropometric variables, blood pressure, lipid and glucose parameters, branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), and homeosthasis model assessment (HOMA-IR), as well as frequencies of morbidities, were more favorable in premenopausal, particularly in younger ones. In crude analyses, CAC >0 was associated with triglyceride-rich lipoprotein remnants, dense low-density lipoprotein, BCAA, and other variables, but not with HOMA-IR. Menopause was independently associated with CAC >0 (odds ratios 2.37 [95% confidence interval 1.17-4.81]) when compared to the younger premenopausal group. Conclusion: Associations of menopause with CAC, independent of traditional and nontraditional cardiovascular risk factors, suggest that hormonal decline per se may contribute to calcium deposition in coronary arteries.

English

BACKGROUND Facial reconstruction aims to reconstruct the face of an unknown individual for identification. It is a process of recreating the face of a human being based on skull remains and can be used to identify otherwise unknown individuals or to reconstruct faces of historical figures. The measurement of facial soft tissue thickness is the basis of this method. The data obtained from various studies are charted and used as a guide for facial reconstruction. This study intended at determining the average soft tissue thickness of the face in 21 different points for the purpose of facial reconstruction in males and females. METHODS For the study, 144 cases belonging to the age of 21 to 60 years were brought for autopsy in the Department of Forensic medicine, Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. They were divided into equal number of males and females. The soft tissue thickness was taken by needle puncture technique. Statistical analysis was done and the mean values in males and females and their age wise comparisons were obtained. Males and females showed strong positive correlation with age at certain points and the data obtained from this study provides a basis for facial reconstruction in the South Indian population. RESULTS Differences in mean values of general parameters and soft tissue thickness of face in different age groups and in both sexes and the coefficient of variation were also calculated at all points in both sexes. The mean values of height, weight were more in males than in females. The difference in the mean values of width of nose, width of forehead and the width of upper lip in females in different age groups was statistically significant. Among the soft tissue thicknesses at midline points of face, the difference in the mean values at the region of mid philtrum was statistically significant in males and females in different age groups. The difference in the mean values of soft tissue thickness in the lower lip in different age groups showed a statistical significance in males and females. Among the bilateral points of face, the difference in the mean values of soft tissue thickness of face in the region of right supraorbital, right and left gonion region showed a statistical significance in males in different age groups. In females, the left suborbital, right and left occlusal line and left mid zygomatic region showed a statistical difference. CONCLUSIONS The results of the study gave a set of average soft tissue thickness of face at 21 different points for an accurate reproduction of the skull in the South Indian population. In this study, the soft tissue thickness at midline and bilateral points were established. Further research in this field of facial reconstruction should incorporate various components of facial anatomy using modern imaging technology. A statistical analysis of multiple variables including other landmarks and various characteristics of the face could open up more relationships and would eventually lead to much more precise reconstruction. KEY WORDS Soft Tissue Thickness; Facial Reconstruction; South Indian Population