Meaningful Statistical Difference Research Articles

The Prevalence of Serum Anti Nuclear Antibodies in Children Treated With Anti-Epileptics

To evaluate the prevalence of positive serum antinuclear antibody (ANA) in children with epilepsy using three major antiepileptic drugs (phenytoin, carbamazepine and ethosuximide), 60 children under 18 years with epilepsy who were referred to pediatric neurology clinic or had admitted to neurology ward in Children Hospital in Tehran, Iran, were entered our study. They had been treated with one of the three antiepileptic drugs (carbamazepin, phenytoin, ethosuximide) with suitable dose for at least one month. The patients were divided into two groups according to the classification of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE): drug-resistant and drug-responsive. We studied the epidemiological and clinical characteristics and also serum ANA of the patients in both groups. In this research, we studied ANA in 60 epileptic children. 30 patients were diagnosed with drug resistant epilepsy and the other 30 were drug responsive. None of them showed the clinical manifestations of lupus erythematosus. As a whole, 7 patients (11.7%) were ANA-positive, 6.7% of drug resistant and 16.7% of drug responsive group showed this finding. There was no relationship between drug resistancy and ANA according to statistical studies (P=0.21). Although in our study, epidemiological and clinical data of the patients was reported in two separate groups of resistant or responsive to antiepileptic drugs, and no meaningful statistical difference was found between these two groups. Overally in our study, the prevalence of positive ANA in patients receiving antiepileptic drugs was less in comparison with previous studies and was more common in males. Finally, we suggest a more comprehensive and extensive study with more cases and further follow-up period in order to find the cause of immunological reactions to antiepileptic drugs in children with epilepsy.

Techno-environmental analysis of resource recovery processes from end-of-life PV panels

Given the dramatic increase in end-of-life (EoL) photovoltaic (PV) panels, recycling of the EoL PV panels and recovery of valuable resources therein in a sustainable way became a major concern in the industry. In this regard, the feasibility of alternative leaching reagents that can replace the conventional HNO3 was assessed, and resulting stoichiometries from the experiments were used to construct the inventory for the following life cycle assessment. Under optimized conditions, the efficiency of the alternative systems was comparable (ca. 90%) to the conventional system using HNO3, while the environmental impacts of which effectively reduced in most categories using the ReCiPe2016 midpoint method. In addition, uncertainties associated with the amount of chemicals and recovered materials were further considered from the Monte Carlo simulation. The resulting impact variances from using the different leaching agents showed meaningful statistical differences (p < 0.05), which corroborates the legitimacy of so-called ‘green leaching’.

Evaluating the Effect of Mindfulness Group Training on Anxiety, Stress, and Depression in Mothers with Children with Learning Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background and Objective: The present study aimed to determine the effect of mindfulness group training on anxiety, stress, and depression in mothers with children with learning disabilities. Materials and Methods: A clinical trial was performed with the participation of 60 mothers with children suffering from learning disabilities in 2021 in Qazvin City, Iran. The participants were divided into control and intervention groups. The data was collected using a demographic data checklist and the 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) questionnaire three times (before the intervention, immediately after the sessions, and two months after the intervention). The intervention group received eight sessions of 90 minutes of mindfulness group training. The gathered data was imported into R software (version 4.1.0) and subjected to repeated measures of analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the paired t-test or Wilcoxon test. Results: The results indicated that the average scores of stress, anxiety, and depression before the interventions in the mothers in both groups had no meaningful differences. This intervention could significantly increase the stress, anxiety, and depression in mothers with children with learning disabilities in two months of follow-up after the intervention in the test group, in comparison with the control group, and shows a meaningful statistical difference (P˂0.05). Conclusion: It can be concluded that mindfulness group training is influential on the amount of stress, anxiety, and depression in mothers with children suffering from learning disabilities. Therefore, it is recommended to use the conclusions of the current investigation in designing therapeutic and educational programs to reduce the psychological distress of parents with children suffering from learning disabilities.

The Effect of E-learning on Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Regarding COVID-19 in Heart Patients: A Quasi-experimental Study Without a Control Group

Background: The recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic is the worst crisis since World War 2. Because no successful cure for this disease has been reported, efforts to improve knowledge, perspective, and performance in vulnerable groups, such as heart disease patients, are very important for managing this epidemic. Objectives: The present study was conducted to determine the effect of e-learning on COVID-19-related knowledge, attitude, and performance in heart disease patients. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental before and after study without a control group, which was conducted on 80 patients in Lorestan Heart Center (Shahid Madani Hospital, Khorramabad,) selected by random sampling method. The intervention included 10 15-minute educational sessions in 4 weeks, about COVID-19 prevention programs, such as general knowledge about COVID-19, disinfection methods, using facemasks and gloves, the correct way of washing hands, prescribed medication, and nutritional recommendations. Data collection tools were a demographic information questionnaire, a knowledge evaluation questionnaire, and a COVID-19-related performance questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS 26 software by descriptive and statistical methods and paired t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The patients’ mean age was 55.22 ± 11.05 years. The mean knowledge of patients before the educational intervention was 13.25, and after the intervention was 17.42, and a significant statistical difference was observed (P = 0.00). Also, the patients’ mean attitude and practice before the intervention were 38.32 and 11.79, respectively, and reached 40.90 and 13.51 after the intervention, and a meaningful statistical difference was observed (P = 0.00). Conclusions: E-learning improves COVID-19-related knowledge, perspective, and practice in patients with heart disease. We suggest that some nurses should be educated in this area and, using the right equipment, vastly perform E-learning for groups susceptible to COVID-19.

Planned discharge program effectiveness on cardiac self-efficacy and hope in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery: A quasi-experimental study

Background Controlling risk factors and lifestyle modification in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients plays an important role and leads to the empowerment of these patients to take care of themselves. One way to empower these patients is to improve their self-efficacy and hope. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the planned discharge on cardiac self-efficacy and hope of CABG patients. Methods In this quasi-experimental study, the sample consisted of 60 people (30 in the intervention group and 30 in the control group). Data were collected using the Miller Hope Questionnaire and Sullivan Cardiac Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using central indices of mean and standard deviation and Chi-square, t-tests and one-way analysis of variance. The software used for data analysis was SPSS version 19. Results The mean age of participants in the control group was 91/9 ± 86/91 and in the intervention, group was 33/7 ± 7/58. There was no significant difference between the demographic characteristics, heart self-efficacy and hope scores of the participants in the control and intervention groups. After the intervention, there was a meaningful statistical difference between the two groups at discharge time and 1 month afterward in both hope and cardiac heart self-efficacy scores ( p = 0.001, 0.0001). Conclusion In this study, the implementation of the discharge program was effective in increasing the hope and cardiac self-efficacy of CABG patients and the use of the discharge plan is recommended to improve the outcomes of these patients.

Air Temperature Reductions at the Base of Tree Canopies.

Trees in urban settings have a significant role in regulating urban hydrologic cycles. Urban trees, either as standalone plantings or as part of a tree pit, are an increasingly popular stormwater management tool. Beyond their aesthetic contribution to urban environments, trees are widely accepted as reducing the ambient air temperature. However, there is limited long-term quantitative information regarding the temperature mitigation performed by urban trees through the use of temperature sensors over a large urban area. This study monitored air temperature at locations throughout the city of Camden, New Jersey. Sensors were installed under canopies of trees of different sizes throughout the city using a statistical experimental design. The tree size (small or large) and canopy (intersecting or nonintersecting), along with the street orientation (predominantly north-south or east-west) and time of day (daylight, nighttime, or full-day), were experimental design factors. Sensors attached to poles along the streets or in parking lots served as controls. This study recorded temperatures at 10-min intervals from early August through late November 2017 using logging thermistors mounted in radiation shields about 4 m above the ground surface. Using the maximum daily air temperature at control sites, all temperature data were categorized into three groups of hot, average, and cool days. The groups were analyzed separately using the analysis of variance to test the significance of the categorical variables. During hot days (a maximum temperature larger than 30°C), there was a meaningful statistical difference between recorded mean air temperatures under trees with intersecting canopies and the control sites. A categorical analysis of street orientation for hot and average days showed that during the daytime, east-west streets were hotter than north-south streets, while this trend reversed at night when north-south streets were hotter than east-west streets. For cool days, there were no differences for the studied categorical factors.

Educación y ciencia deportiva: comparación de fuerza isocinética entre varones jugadores de voleybol

This study compares lower extremity isokinetic strength values of male volleyball players at two different chronological age and level of competition. 24 volunteer athletes who were playing at youth and junior teams participated in this study. The study was conducted at two different angular speed. Practise test (3 repetitions) and actual test (6 repetitions) at 60o/s angular speed and practise test (5 repetitions) and actual test (15 repetitions) at 180o/s angular speed were conducted with participants. Whether the groups had normal distribution was determined with Shapiro-Wilk test. The means of the data with normal distribution were compared using Independent Samples T-Test; the means of the data with non-normal distribution were compared using Mann-Whitney U Test. The results showed that there was no meaningful statistical difference (p>0.05) in the angular motions which were dominated by quadriceps and hamstring muscles with both legs at 60o/s and 180o/s Consequently, it was seen that in volleyball, isokinetic strength was not affected by motor actions required in the sports field like jumping and sprinting. It is believed that specific training in strength trainings should be done to improve isokinetic strength

Familiarity with teammate's attitudes improves team performance in virtual reality.

Virtual reality (VR) is a potentially challenging social environment for effective communication and collaboration. Thus, we conducted a VR study to determine whether increased familiarity with a teammate would improve performance on a joint decision making task. Specifically, because attitude familiarity, or knowledge of another person’s attitudes, has been correlated with better relationship functioning in the past, we anticipated that team performance would improve when teammates were first asked to discuss their task-relevant attitudes with one another. We also hypothesized that increased familiarity would be particularly useful in immersive VR, where typical social and other nonverbal cues were lacking. Twenty pairs recruited from a workplace environment were randomly assigned to either the Familiar or Control condition before completing a joint decision making task both in VR and on desktop monitors. The manipulation of attitude familiarity was successful: pairs in the Familiar condition were significantly more aware of their partners’ unique task-relevant attitudes. Results found that in VR, Familiar pairs were more accurate at determining patterns to events. Additionally, for teams less experienced in VR, Familiar pairs were also more accurate at predicting future events. However, there was no meaningful statistical difference in pairs’ ability to identify information. Familiar teams also took more time to answer questions, and we found no difference in self-reported communication quality. Overall, this was the first successful manipulation of attitude familiarity and results indicate that such an intervention may prove useful in a collaborative work environment, as Familiar teams demonstrated greater accuracy, especially in VR.

ATTITUDES OF TOURISTS TOWARDS NEW GASTRONOMY PRODUCTS

Bu çalışmanın amacı; turistlerin profilleri (demografik faktörleri ve seyahat karakteristikleri) ile yeni gastronomi ürünlerine yönelik tutumları (ilgi/istek, çekince/korku) arasındaki ilişkiyi ortaya koymaktır. Bu doğrultuda, zengin ve özgün yerel gastronomi ürünleri ile bilinen, aynı zamanda UNESCO Dünya Gastronomi Şehirleri ağının bir üyesi olan Hatay ili, araştırmanın uygulama alanı olarak seçilmiştir. Destinasyonu ziyarete gelen turistlere anket uygulaması yapılmış ve bulgular, katılımcı gözlemlerle desteklenmiştir. Anket verilerinin analizi ile turistlerin; demografik özellikleri, seyahat karakteristikleri ile gastronomiye yönelimlerine ilişkin verilerin; frekans, yüzde, aritmetik ortalama ve standart sapma değerleri hesaplanarak tablolaştırılmıştır. Araştırmada kullanılan ölçeklere ilişkin güvenilirlik ve geçerlilik analizleri yapılarak, geçerlilik ve güvenirliliklerinin yüksek olduğu görülmüştür. Turistlerin, yeni gastronomi ürünlerine yönelik tutum ölçeğine ilişkin vermiş oldukları yanıtların, yapılan faktör analizleri sonucunda tutumlarını ortaya koyan iki boyut (ilgi/istek ve çekince/korku) belirlenmiştir. Turistlerin, demografik özellikleri ve seyahat karakteristikleri ile yeni gastronomi ürünlerine yönelik tutumları arasında istatistiksel anlamlı farklılıkların tespiti için tek yönlü ANOVA, Tukey HSD ve ikili bağımsız T testi uygulanmıştır. Araştırmanın sonucunda, turistlerin demografik özelliklerinden; yaşları, cinsiyetleri ve medeni durumları ile yeni gastronomi ürünlerine yönelimleri arasında her iki boyutta da (ilgi/istek, çekince/korku) anlamlı farklılıklar bulunurken; eğitim durumları ile herhangi bir boyutta farklılık bulunmamıştır. Seyahat karakteristiklerinde ise; ziyaret amaçları ve ziyaret sıklıkları ile yeni gastronomi ürünlerine yönelimleri arasında her iki boyutta da (ilgi/istek, çekince/korku) anlamlı farklılıklar bulunduğu; tatil birliktelikleri ve gastronomi harcamalarının, yeni gastronomi ürünlerine yönelimlerinin sadece ilgi/istek boyutu ile arasında anlamlı farklılıklar bulunduğu görülmüştür.

Cyber-Physical Security with RF Fingerprint Classification through Distance Measure Extensions of Generalized Relevance Learning Vector Quantization

Radio frequency (RF) fingerprinting extracts fingerprint features from RF signals to protect against masquerade attacks by enabling reliable authentication of communication devices at the “serial number” level. Facilitating the reliable authentication of communication devices are machine learning (ML) algorithms which find meaningful statistical differences between measured data. The Generalized Relevance Learning Vector Quantization-Improved (GRLVQI) classifier is one ML algorithm which has shown efficacy for RF fingerprinting device discrimination. GRLVQI extends the Learning Vector Quantization (LVQ) family of “winner take all” classifiers that develop prototype vectors (PVs) which represent data. In LVQ algorithms, distances are computed between exemplars and PVs, and PVs are iteratively moved to accurately represent the data. GRLVQI extends LVQ with a sigmoidal cost function, relevance learning, and PV update logic improvements. However, both LVQ and GRLVQI are limited due to a reliance on squared Euclidean distance measures and a seemingly complex algorithm structure if changes are made to the underlying distance measure. Herein, the authors (1) develop GRLVQI-D (distance), an extension of GRLVQI to consider alternative distance measures and (2) present the Cosine GRLVQI classifier using this framework. To evaluate this framework, the authors consider experimentally collected Z-wave RF signals and develop RF fingerprints to identify devices. Z-wave devices are low-cost, low-power communication technologies seen increasingly in critical infrastructure. Both classification and verification, claimed identity, and performance comparisons are made with the new Cosine GRLVQI algorithm. The results show more robust performance when using the Cosine GRLVQI algorithm when compared with four algorithms in the literature. Additionally, the methodology used to create Cosine GRLVQI is generalizable to alternative measures.

How Priorities of Men and Women for Choosing Railway Transportation Differ?: A Case Study

For transportation in Iran, there are some peculiar conditions: very cheap fuel prices and very high road fatalities. In order to facilitate shifting to more sustainable modes, we extracted some of the major parameters that affected mode choice from the literature and made a self-developed questionnaire. It was distributed among bus and railway passengers until 400 full questionnaires were collected. In a set of Likert-scale questions, we asked them to rate the current status of the railway and in another set, how important they perceive different parameters for mode choice. We were particularly interested in investigating whether there is a meaningful statistical difference between the opinions of female and male respondents. The mean scores given to the Likert-scale questions were consistently higher for females than males; however, the order of major priorities was similar: 1-Safety, 2-Comfort, 3-Punctuality, 4- Speed, 5- Cost. Levene’s and T-test were used to test the hypotheses of equality of variance and means, respectively. The difference of means was statistically meaningful for cost, punctuality, safety, seeing the landscape and having an extensive choice for departure times but for speed and comfort, the null hypothesis of equality of means could not be rejected.

Psychological Adjustment to Acquired Facial Disfigurement: personality characteristics, self-concept and satisfaction with Social Support - a longitudinal study

We intend to contribute towards a better understanding of the variables that affect the Schematic Investment and Self-consciousness of the appearance of those who suffer from acquired facial disfigurement. The sample consisted of 67 individuals who have been submitted to plastic and reconstructive surgery and completed a questionnaire evaluating the influence of personality traits, optimism, self-concept, emotions, and perception of satisfaction with social support, and with the perception of appearance during their admittance to the hospital, and 12 months after the surgery. There were meaningful statistical differences in both evaluation moments for the variables Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Optimism, Positive and Negative Affect, Self-Concept, and Social Support Satisfaction. In both evaluations, Self-conscientiousness of Appearance reveals a positive relationship with Neuroticism and negative relation with Self-concept. Results show that Schematic Investment and Self-conscientiousness of appearance vary in time and that there are variants that influence the psychological adjustment to acquired facial disfigurement.

Elderly People's Acceptance of Death: A Study of a Polish Cohort.

Introduction: Old age is usually the natural time for people to prepare for death, which may evoke various emotions ranging from acceptance to hostility. Aim of the work: The study aimed at specifying various degrees to which elderly people accept death. Material and method: The study employed the diagnostic poll method and an Inventory of the Attitude towards Death (IAD) poll questionnaire. The investigation was administered in a cohort of 150 people over 65 years of age living in Poland. Results: The highest results were noted both for males and females on the “Value” scale (M = 4.94 and M = 4.96) and on the “Necessity” scale (M = 4.79 and M = 4.95). These two scales also had the highest values in the cohorts of city dwellers and country dwellers. A statistically significant difference (Z = 2.339, p = 0.019) was found in the “Necessity” dimension between investigated people with higher education and others. Furthermore, statistically significant differences were found in the following dimensions: “Mysteriousness”, “Value”, “Dread”, “Tragedy”, and “Absurdity”. Comparing death dimensions in people with chronic illnesses and in those without such illnesses, meaningful statistical differences were noted in the “Necessity” dimension (t = 1.983, p = 0.049). However, analysing death dimensions in people who suffered because of a severe illness in a family member and respondents whose families were healthy, statistically significant differences were noted in the “Absurdity” dimension (t = 2.057, p = 0.041). Conclusions: Sex, the place of residence, and death of a close person did not affect elderly people’s acceptance of death. On the other hand, those suffering from chronic diseases were more aware of the inevitability of death. People without higher education were also more aware of the inevitability of death. Suffering of a serious disease of a close one considerably affected acceptance of death in the elderly.

Why results from Bayesian statistical analyses of clinical trials with a strong prior and small sample sizes may be misleading The case of the NICHD Neonatal Research Network Late Hypothermia Trial.

Why results from Bayesian statistical analyses of clinical trials with a strong prior and small sample sizes may be misleading The case of the NICHD Neonatal Research Network Late Hypothermia Trial.

Classify the Acute Drug Intoxication Patients with Poisoning Severity Score(PSS) and Calculate the Optimal Cutoff Value of PSS, PSSsum to Predict Poor Prognosis

Purpose: This study examined the Poisoning Severity Score (PSS) from acute poisoning patients, to determine the relationships among the PSS, PSSsum, the primary outcome (prolonged stay at the ER over 24 hours, general ward and ICU admission and the application of intubation and mechanical ventilator, and the administration of inotropes). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted through the EMR for 15 months. The PSS grade was classified according to the evidence of symptoms and signs. The differences in the primary outcomes between the PSS of when a single organ was damaged, and the PSS, PSSsum combined with the grade of when multiple organs were damaged, were studied. The cutoff value was calculated using the receiving operating characteristics (ROC) curve. Results: Of the 284 patients; 85 (29.9%) were men with a mean age of 48.8 years, and their average arrival time to the ER was $4.4{pm}6.7;hours$. The most frequently used drug was hypnotics. The number of patients with PSS grade 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 was 17, 129, 122, 24, and one, respectively. No ICU admissions, application of intubation and mechanical ventilators, administration of inotropes were observed among the patients with PSS grades 0 and 1 but only on patients with PSS grades 2 to 4. At PSS, when separating the patients according to the number of damaged organs, 17 had no symptoms, 133 had one organ damaged, 75 had two organs damaged, 36 had three organs damaged, and 23 had four organs damaged. Significant differences were observed between increasing number of damaged organs and the primary outcome. Conclusion: Among the acute poisoning patients, the PSS was higher in severity when the grade was higher. The number of damaged organs and the primary outcome showed meaningful statistical differences. This study confirmed that when the patients' PSS&gt;2 and PSSsum&gt;5, the frequency of ICU admission was higher, and they were considered to be severe with an increased prescription risk of application of intubation and mechanical ventilator, and the administration of inotropes.

Effects of the First Phase of Cardiac Rehabilitation Training on Self-Efficacy among Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Background: Heart surgery is vital for patients with coronary artery diseases that do not respond to drug treatments. We aimed to determine the effects of the implementation of the first phase of a cardiac rehabilitation program on self-efficacy in patients after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). Methods: This clinical trial study was conducted on 60 post-CABG patients by convenience sampling method in 2016. Those selected were randomly assigned to intervention (n=30) and control group (n=30). Overall, 72 hours after CABG, the first phase of the cardiac rehabilitation program both in theory and in practice (face-to-face and group methods) was conducted. Data were collected using a self-efficacy questionnaire completed by the patients in 3 stages: before the intervention, at discharge, and at 1 month after discharge. Data was analyzed by using analysis of covariance and repeated measures. Results: The mean of age in the intervention and control groups was 61.60±11.72 and 57.97±13. 4 years, respectively. There were 16 (53.3%) male patients in each group. The mean score of self-efficacy was not significantly different between the 2 groups before the intervention (P=0.076), whereas it had a meaningful statistical difference between the 2 groups at discharge and 1 month afterward (P<0.001). Conclusion: The implementation of the first phase of the cardiac rehabilitation program not only augmented self-efficacy in regard to independent daily activities but also lessened the need for the second phase of the program among our post-CABG patients.

1792P - Comparison of palonosetron and granisetron in triplet antiemetic therapy in nonmetastatic breast cancer patients receiving high emetogenic chemotherapy. A multicenter, prospective, and observational study

We aimed to investigate the efficacy of 0.25 mg dose of palonosetron and granisetron in triplet antiemetic prophylaxis in breast cancer patients receiving HEC. Patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer who received HEC [doxorubicin or epirubicin plus cyclophosphamide (AC/EC)] were enrolled in the study. The prophylactic triplet antiemetic regimens were used according to the doctor’s preference during the first cycle of HEC as intravenous dexamethasone and palonosetron 0.25 mg or granisetron 3 mg on day 1 as well as oral aprepitant (125 mg on day 1 and 80 mg on days 2 and 3).The primary endpoint was complete response rate (CR) on acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), separately. A total of 118 female patients were included in the study. Patients received AC (83%), EC (3%), and dose-dense AC (14%) as adjuvant (88%) or neoadjuvant (12%). The majority of patients received palonosetron (59%) containing antiemetic treatment. The CR rate on acute and delayed vomiting was very high and not statistically different in both of the arms (acute 87% vs. 96%, p = 0.089; delayed 90% vs. 92%, p = 0.489), respectively. Nevertheless, the CR rate on either acute or delayed nausea was lower than vomiting (acute 51% vs. 51%; delayed 38% vs. 29%, p = 0.203; respectively). This is the second study that compared a 0.25 mg dose of palonosetron with first-generation setron in triplet antiemetic prophylaxis in cancer patients receiving HEC. We could not find meaningful statistical differences between two arms, regarding CR rate on acute and delayed CINV.

Cardiovascular comorbidities in a United States patient population with hemophilia A: A comprehensive chart review

PurposePrevious retrospective claims database analyses reported increased prevalence and earlier onset of cardiovascular comorbidities in patients with versus without hemophilia A. A comprehensive chart review was designed to further investigate previous findings. MethodsThis retrospective chart review study was conducted at Henry Ford Health System (Detroit, MI, USA). Baseline demographics, bleeding events, treatment parameters, coexisting diseases, hemophilia-associated events, Charlson Comorbidity Index score, and prevalence of 12 cardiovascular risk factors and associated diseases were compared between hemophilia A and control cohorts. P values from a chi-square test for categorical variables and a t test for continuous variables were calculated. Because of small sample sizes (N = 0–90, most <50), statistical differences between cohorts were also assessed using absolute standardized difference. ResultsBoth groups were well matched by age, race, healthcare payer, and study year. The Charlson Comorbidity Index score was similar between groups. Prevalence of bleeds, hepatitis B and C, and HIV/AIDS was higher in the hemophilia cohort. Hemophilia A severity was severe, moderate, mild, or unknown in 52.7%, 10.8%, 10.8%, and 25.7% of patients, respectively. Prevalence of 12 cardiovascular risk factors and diseases was numerically higher in the control cohort, but differences were statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05) only for diabetes and hyperlipidemia. Meaningful statistical differences using standardized differences were not reached for venous and arterial thrombosis and atrial fibrillation. ConclusionsThis retrospective chart review did not confirm statistically significant differences in cardiovascular comorbidities and their earlier onset in hemophilia A versus controls. Results suggest numerically higher comorbidities in controls.

Comparison of 10 and 20 µg/Kg/day PD-Grastim in Stem Cell Mobilization in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies Candidate for Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation

Introduction: Today, autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation is considered as a substitute procedure for Autologous bone marrow transplantation. Treatment with G-CSF mobilizes CD34+ HSCs from bone marrow into peripheral blood and could be used as a marker for hematopoietic stem cells mobilization and subsequent apheresis. Methods: In this study, 60 patients that had hematologic malignancies were randomly categorized into the two groups and were given PD-grastim (group A: 20 μg/kg/day and B: 10 μg/kg/day) to evaluate 10 and 20 μg/kg/day of PD-grastim in stem cell mobilization for autologous transplantation. Their CD34+ cell enumeration was carried out when leukocyte count was reached above 10000 cells/μl. Apheresis was also carried out when CD34+ count was reached above 16 cells/μl. Results: Results of the groups A and B were statistically analyzed and there was a meaningful statistical difference in gender, drug taking day numbers, apheresis numbers, hospitalization period and injected blood units. Based on the results, group A patients had lesser hospitalization period and apheresis number than group B. Conclusion: This indicates that utilization of PD-grastim at dose 20 μl/kg/day has better therapeutic effects on the patients with hematologic malignancies and could be considered as the major therapeutic regimen.

The protective role of Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein in childhood asthma

BackgroundHelicobacter pylori quantity and HP-NAP gene expression were evaluated in the faeces of healthy and asthmatic children. MethodsH. pylori DNAs and RNAs were isolated from the stool samples of 92 asthmatic children (AC; 3–8 years) and 88 healthy controls (HC). Quantitative PCR was used to determine the quantity of H. pylori and HP-NAP expression relative to the 16S rRNA (reference gene). Gene expression was analysed using the delta delta-Ct method. ResultsH. pylori DNA was detected in the stool samples of 18 (20.4%) of the 88 HC (p<0.0001, OR=0.79) and none of AC. No meaningful statistical differences were found between individuals with positive and negative family histories for asthma in AC and HC (p>0.05). H. pylori quantity was higher in seven of 18 H. pylori-positive samples, but HP-NAP expression levels were low in four of these seven samples. Based on a multivariate logistic regression analysis of these three variables together, only males displayed a significant difference based on gender differences (p<0.02) and it was determined that, based on the OR value of 0.46 and the 95% CI range of 0.241–0.888, male gender was an independent protective factor in asthma. ConclusionsHP-NAP levels vary to the relative concentrations of bacteria in the stationary or late logarithmic phases. Different napA expression levels may be caused by different endogenous napA gene expression or different environmental conditions.