T-test P-value Research Articles

Model Pembelajaran Kooperatif Team Game Tournament Berbasis Media Digital Blooket untuk Mengembangkan Motivasi dan Hasil Belajar Pendidikan Pancasila

Technology-based learning media has an important role in increasing learning motivation and student learning outcomes, one of which is web-based blooket media. Blooket media provides the pleasure of learning while providing learning challenges, activates student learning, and has relevance to the basic values of the independent learning curriculum. This research aims to determine the effect of the blooket media-based team game tournament (TGT) cooperative learning model. on motivation and learning outcomes of Pancasila Education. The research used a quasi-experimental design method with a research population of students at Cimanggung State High School and purposive sampling, the experimental class consisted of 31 people and the control class consisted of 31 people. Data analysis to assess learning outcomes uses paired sample t-test by providing learning outcomes tests in the form of pre-test and post-test, while learning motivation uses Likert scale analysis by providing a Motivation Questionnaire. The results of the research show that the TGT cooperative learning model based on digital blooket media has a higher influence on motivation and learning outcomes, compared to non-digital blooket TGT in Pancasila Education. The experimental class learning motivation interval score was 94% (very high) and the class interval score control was 54% (High) for experimental class learning outcomes was 77% (high) and for control class learning outcomes was 63% (Medium). with a t-test p-value <0.05 (0.000), indicating a significant effect.

Radiomic Assessment of Radiation-Induced Alterations of Skeletal Muscle Composition in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma within the Currently Clinically Defined Optimal Time Window for Salvage Surgery-A Pilot Study.

Patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) frequently require primary radiochemotherapy (RCT). Despite intensity modulation, the desired radiation-induced effects observed in HNSCC may also be observed as side effects in healthy tissue, e.g., the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM). These side effects (e.g., tissue fibrosis) depend on the interval between the completion of RCT and restaging CT. For salvage surgery, the optimal time window for surgery is currently clinically postulated at between 6 and 12 weeks after completion of RCT. Thus, no extensive tissue fibrosis is to be expected. This interval is based on clinical studies exploring surgical complications. Studies directly exploring radiation-induced changes of the SCM in HNSCC patients are sparse. The present study quantified tissue alterations in the SCM and paravertebral musculature (PVM) after RCT, applying radiomics to determine the optimal time window for salvage surgery. Three radiomic key parameters, (1) volume, (2) mean positivity of pixels (MPP), and (3) uniformity, were extracted with mint LesionTM in the staging CTs and restaging CTs of 98 HNSCC patients. Of these, 25 were female, the mean age was 62 (±9.6) years, and 80.9% were UICC Stage IV. The mean restaging interval was 55 (±28; range 29-229) days. Only the mean volume significantly decreased after RCT, from 9.0 to 8.4 and 96.5 to 91.9 mL for the SCM and PVM, respectively (both p = 0.007, both Cohen's d = 0.28). In addition, the mean body mass index (BMI) decreased from 23.9 (±4.2) to 21.0 (±3.6) kg/m² (p < 0.001; Cohen's d = 0.9). The mean BMI decreased significantly and was correlated with the volume decrease for the SCM (r = 0.27; p = 0.007) and PVM (r = 0.41; p < 0.001). If t-test p-values were adjusted for the BMI decrease, no significant change in volumes for the SCM and PVM was observed (both p > 0.05). The present data support the clinically postulated optimal interval for salvage surgery of 6 to 12 weeks.

Evaluation of US Medical Student Bias Toward Mental Health Before and After First-Year Pre-clinical Psychiatry Education.

Much of mental health care is provided by non-psychiatric providers, and unfortunately, bias toward patients with mental health conditions leads to worsened outcomes. The authors endeavored to determine if pre-clinical medical student psychiatry education had an impact on these perceptions. All 366 first-year medical students at Indiana University were invited to participate in a survey that consisted of the Mental Illness: Clinician's Attitudes version 2 (MICA-2) and six supplemental questions, pre- and post-course. One hundred seventeen students completed both surveys. The pre- and post-course means were 36.6 and 33.6, a change of - 2.9 (paired t-test p-value < 0.001), indicating a reduction in bias. These results suggest that pre-clinical education can lead to a measurable decrease in bias in medical students early in training. Unfortunately, individual question results and free responses continue to highlight significant bias in US medical students against mental illness and the field of psychiatry. Health care educators should be aware of these biases and their potential impact on patient outcomes so that these harmful perceptions can be targeted.

Early Identification of Root Damages Caused by Western Corn Rootworms Using a Minimally Invasive Root Phenotyping Robot-MISIRoot.

Western corn rootworm (WCR) is one of the most devastating corn rootworm species in North America because of its ability to cause severe production loss and grain quality damage. To control the loss, it is important to identify the infection of WCR at an early stage. Because the root system is the earliest feeding source of the WCR at the larvae stage, assessing the direct damage in the root system is crucial to achieving early detection. Most of the current methods still necessitate uprooting the entire plant, which could cause permanent destruction and a loss of the original root's structural information. To measure the root damages caused by WCR non-destructively, this study utilized MISIRoot, a minimally invasive and in situ automatic plant root phenotyping robot to collect not only high-resolution images but also 3D positions of the roots without uprooting. To identify roots in the images and to study how the damages were distributed in different types of roots, a deep convolution neural network model was trained to differentiate the relatively thick and thin roots. In addition, a color camera was used to capture the above-ground morphological features, such as the leaf color, plant height, and side-view leaf area. To check if the plant shoot had any visible symptoms in the inoculated group compared to the control group, several vegetation indices were calculated based on the RGB color. Additionally, the shoot morphological features were fed into a PLS-DA model to differentiate the two groups. Results showed that none of the above-ground features or models output a statistically significant difference between the two groups at the 95% confidence level. On the contrary, many of the root structural features measured using MISIRoot could successfully differentiate the two groups with the smallest t-test p-value of 1.5791 × 10-6. The promising outcomes were solid proof of the effectiveness of MISIRoot as a potential solution for identifying WCR infestations before the plant shoot showed significant symptoms.

Facial Exercise as an Effort to Improve Quality of Life in Elderly People With Xerostomia at Posyandu, Gedawang Village Banyumanik, Semarang

ABSTRACT Background: The function of the organs of the elderly as they get older will decrease (organ degeneration), both due to natural factors and due to disease. An estimated 30% of seniors aged 65 years and older have decreased saliva production. Decreased saliva production causes complaints of dry mouth which is often known as xerostomia. This situation is caused by atrophy of the salivary glands (saliva) which will reduce salivary production and change its composition. The decreased salivary secretion will cause discomfort in the oral cavity, pain, and increased rates of dental caries and oral infections. Facial gymnastics is the act of giving massage to the facial area from top to bottom around the cheeks, mouth, and chin, this activity can stimulate the function of the oral cavity.Research objective: to analyze the effectiveness of facial exercises on the quality of life of elderly people with xerostomia.Research Methods: Quasi-experimental with pre-test and post-test design, a sample of 30 elderly people with xerostomia. Facial exercise treatment was carried out for 30 days, measurements were carried out using the Xerostomia Related Quality of Life Scale (XeQoLS). Questionnaires were given before and after treatment.Results: The results showed that after doing facial exercises there was an increase in salivary secretion from an average of 0.6 ml/per minute to 1.1 ml/per minute, and the results of the paired t-test p-value = 0.000. The majority of respondents had a low quality of life of 53% and after doing facial exercises the majority of respondents had a high quality of life of 57%, with the results of the paired t-test p-value = 0.000. This can happen because the implementation of facial exercises gets mechanical stimulation. The stimulation given can increase the flow of salivary secretion which directly affects the increase in saliva volume. The normal salivary secretion will cause a sense of comfort in the oral cavity, thereby increasing the quality of life of the elderly.

Pengaruh Terapi Pijat terhadap Kenaikan Berat Badan Balita di PMB Bidan Lena Rangkapan Jaya Kota Depok Tahun 2023

The 1000 HPK period is important in the process of growth and development of children in obtaining optimal nutritional intake. One of the non-pharmacological ways that is done is by giving massage therapy. The research objective was to determine the effect of massage therapy on toddlers' weight gain and the differences in weight gain between the intervention and control groups. This research is a quasi-experimental design, a pretest-posttest control group design and a combination intervention of healthy massage therapy and the elderly. Therapy was given 6x/week consecutively for 1 month, weighing was carried out on the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th days. The purposive sampling sample consisted of 30 toddlers. Data analysis paired t-test and independent t-test. Results of data analysis paired t-test p-value 0.000&lt;0.05. The mean difference in the intervention group on day 7: 160 grams, 14th: 353.333 grams, 21st: 626.667 grams, 28th: 986.667 grams. The mean difference in the control group on day 7:86.667 grams, 14th: 193.333 grams, 21st: 300 grams, 28th: 440 grams. Independent t-test results with a p-value of 0.034&lt;0.05 on the 21st day and a p-value of 0.011&lt;0.05 on the 28th day. There is an effect of massage therapy on toddlers' weight gain. There are differences in toddlers' weight gain between the intervention group and the control group. It is hoped that all health workers and families can apply it to toddlers to prevent malnutrition.

Incidental Finding of Thickened Endometrium in Postmenopausal Women: A Survey of Endometrial Cancer.

Objectives The primary objective was to determine the prevalence of endometrial cancer in asymptomatic and symptomatic postmenopausal women referred to the hysteroscopy service for incidental finding of thickened endometrium. The secondary objectives were to identify, for the asymptomatic cohort, an acceptable threshold of endometrial thickness (ET) which should trigger endometrial sampling and its related sensitivity and specificity. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of 136 asymptomatic and 602 symptomatic postmenopausal women with an ET of >4 mm referred to the endometrial cancer diagnostic service in a gynecology oncology center over a period of one year. Clincal and demographic data were analyzed. Histopathological diagnosis was completed and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for acceptable ET cutoff in asymptomatic women were evaluated. Results The prevalenceof malignancy and atypical hyperplasia in asymptomatic women was 3.7% and 4.4%, respectively. Within the asymptomatic subgroup with ET <11 mm, the yield rate for atypical hyperplasia (AH)+cancer was 2.2%. An ET <10 mm gave a similar yield; however, specificity decreased.ET (t-test p-value=0.037) correlates with endometrial pathology. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves identified a cutoff of 11 mm as an acceptable threshold for triggering further investigations. Conclusion Based on our findings, 11 mm may represent an acceptable threshold for further investigation in asymptomatic postmenopausal women. We strongly advocate qualitative assessment of the endometrium and evaluation of individual risk factors in women with ET between 4 mm and 11 mm. This study will contribute to the existing body of evidence for the management of asymptomatic postmenopausal women with incidental increased ET. Further studies are required.

MemU-Net: A new volumetric dose prediction model using deep learning techniques in radiation treatment planning

Objective:Automatic radiation treatment planning systems are gaining significance nowadays. This paper presents a novel deep learning architecture for automatically generating the radiotherapy dose information given to the cancer patients. Methods:A new deep learning architecture MemU-Net is proposed. MemU-Net incorporates the principles of two existing deep learning architectures: Memnet, which was proposed for image restoration, and U-Net, which was proposed for biomedical image segmentation. The proposed model is first trained and tested with the public dataset (OpenKBP). The predicted dose distributions are evaluated based on dosimetric values and Dose volume histogram measures. The results are compared with the predictions made by a standard 3D U-Net, Residual U-Net, Dense U-Net and 3D GAN. The statistical significance of the proposed model is tested by computing the paired t-test P-values. Finally the proposed model is trained and tested on a private dataset collected from MVR Cancer Center and Research Institute. The model performance was evaluated by plotting DVHs and analyzing dosimetric values. Results:The dose distributions of MemU-Net shows superiority in performance compared to other models. MemU-Net had a lower mean absolute error of the predicted and ground truth doses than other models for all targets and OARs except spinal cord. The dosimetric measures of the MemU-Net outperformed the state of the art models except in the case of D0.1cc of OARs. Conclusion:A new variant of U-Net, MemU-Net is proposed, that performs better than the state of the art models, in the dose prediction domain in radiotherapy.

Development and validation of a smart system for medullation and diameter assessment of alpaca, llama and mohair fibres

Medullated fibres, due to their higher resistance to bending and pressure, constitute a problem for the textile industry. Thus, having practical instruments to identify them is essential. Therefore, the aim of this research was to develop and validate a novel, swift, automatic system (referred to as S-FiberMed) for medullation and diameter assessment of animal fibres based on artificial intelligence. The medullation of 88 samples of alpaca, llama and mohair fibres (41, 43 and 4, respectively) was evaluated. Additionally, 269 samples of alpacas were considered for average fibre diameter (AFD) and the results were compared with the Portable Fiber Tester (PFT) and Optical Fibre Diameter Analyser (OFDA) methods (72 and 197 samples, respectively). The preparation of each sample to be analysed followed the procedure described in IWTO-8-2011. Version 5 of “You Only Look Once” and DenseNet models were used to recognise the type of medullation and diameter of the fibres, respectively. Within each image (n = 661 for alpaca), all fibres were labelled (as Non-Medullated, Fragmented Medulla, Uncontinuous Medulla, Continuous Medulla and Strongly Medullated) using the LabelImg tool. Data augmentation technique was applied to obtain 3 966 images. Such data set was divided into 3 576 and 390 images for training and test data, respectively. For mohair samples (n = 321), a similar process was carried out. The data to train the model used to infer the diameter contained 16 446 fibres labelled with his respective AFD. A complementary hardware composed of three subsystems (mechanical, electronic, and optical) was developed for evaluation purposes. T-test, Pearson and Concordance correlation, Bland-Altman plot and linear regression analyses were used to validate and compare the S-Fiber Med with other methods. Results indicate that there was no significant difference between medullation percentage obtained with the projection microscope and the S-Fiber Med. The Pearson and Concordance correlation analysis shows a strong, high and significant relationship (P-value < 0.001). The AFDs of alpaca and llama fibre samples obtained with the two methods are very similar, because no significant difference was found at the t-test (P-value > 0.172), and they have a strong, high and significant relationship between them, given the high Pearson correlation value (r ≥ 0.96 with P-value < 0.001), high Concordance coefficient and bias correction factor. Similar results were found when PFT and OFDA100 were compared with S-Fiber Med. As a conclusion, this new system provides precise, accurate measurements of medullation and AFD in an expeditious fashion (40 seconds/sample).

PD14-09 VALIDATION OF THE LURN SI-10 QUESTIONNAIRE WITH SACRAL NEUROMODULATION SURGERY

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023PD14-09 VALIDATION OF THE LURN SI-10 QUESTIONNAIRE WITH SACRAL NEUROMODULATION SURGERY Grace Lai, James Gross, Joel Vetter, and H Henry Lai Grace LaiGrace Lai More articles by this author , James GrossJames Gross More articles by this author , Joel VetterJoel Vetter More articles by this author , and H Henry LaiH Henry Lai More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003261.09AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The LURN SI-10 (10-item LURN Symptom Index) was developed by the Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN) to measure lower urinary tract symptoms LUTS (Cella et al 2019). LURN SI-10 consists of ten items on LUTS, plus an additional question on global urinary bother. Three of the items focus on urinary urgency, urgency urinary incontinence (UUI), and frequency. Here we validate and evaluate the responsiveness of these items on the LURN SI-10 questionnaire by comparing patients’ responses before and after sacral neuromodulation surgery. METHODS: Patients who completed the LURN SI-10, overactive bladder questionnaire (OAB-q), and Urinary Distress Inventory (UDI-6) questionnaires before and after a successful sacral neuromodulation (InterStim) staged trial were included. Indications for InterStim included overactive bladder, UUI, or urinary frequency/urgency. Interstitial cystitis or urinary retention were excluded. Mean change in the urinary urgency, UUI, and frequency scores, paired t-tests, effect sizes (ES) of the change, and standardized response means (SRM) were tabulated. For ES and SRM, value of 0.5 to 0.7 is considered moderate responsiveness, 0.8 to 1.0 is considered good, and values >1.0 is considered excellent responsiveness to change. The LURN SI-10 scores were compared to the OAB-q and UDI-6. RESULTS: Mean urinary urgency, UUI and frequency scores on LURN SI-10 decreased by 41%, 54% and 26% respectively after sacral neuromodulation (n=34). p-values of paired t-tests were <0.001, <0.001 and 0.051 respectively (see Table 1). The effect sizes (ES) for the urgency and UUI items were 2.05 and 1.13 respectively, indicating excellent responsiveness to change of the items to known effective treatments. The standardized response means (SRM) for the urgency and UUI items were 1.14 and 1.04 respectively, again indicating excellent responsiveness to change. There were strong correlations between LURN SI-10 scores and OAB-q and UDI-6 (r=0.66 and r=0.70 respectively, all p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The urinary urgency and urgency incontinence (UUI) items on LURN SI-10 questionnaire were responsive to change, and may be used to assess overactive bladder symptom change or improvement after sacral neuromodulation surgery. Source of Funding: Midwest Stone Institute © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e415 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Grace Lai More articles by this author James Gross More articles by this author Joel Vetter More articles by this author H Henry Lai More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Comparison of Academic Results during Conventional and Online Modes of Learning: A Case Study of Two Groups of Saudi University Students

The COVID-19 outbreak disrupted all aspects of people’s lives, including pedagogy and instruction at universities, where its impact was felt globally, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is no exception. This paper discusses and compares the academic results during the conventional mode of learning (spring semester of 2019) and during the online mode of learning (spring semester of 2020), which was throughout the pandemic period. Specifically, the study considers two Saudi groups of fifty students who were enrolled in the Department of Health Information Management and Technology at the University of Hafr Al-batin in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia. The students’ accumulative marks in six first-year courses in two semesters were analyzed and compared by calculating the passing/failure percentages, descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode, standard deviation, variance, maximum, minimum, and range), and the p-value of an inferential t-test. Additionally, the students filled out a six-category survey about their experiences and level of satisfaction with online learning compared to the regular learning mode. It was concluded that more students passed with higher grades in the year 2020 in five theoretical courses. Differently, it was deduced that practical courses such as computer applications had similar passing averages in the two years; the course required students to submit continuous assignments and projects in a fixed time period. Additionally, the participants revealed in their filled online survey that they preferred many features of the remote learning mode and the online assessment methodology. They inclined toward online learning for its flexibility and effectiveness, even though they confessed to having less interaction and focus during online sessions. Thus, the results imply to authorities in the Ministry of Higher Education to carefully and gradually embed online teaching for selected subjects with exam validation measures such as time strict limits, question banks, randomizations, and other security features.

Mass spectrometry-based proteomic profiling of sonicate fluid differentiates Staphylococcus aureus periprosthetic joint infection from non-infectious failure: A pilot study.

This pilot study aimed to use proteomic profiling of sonicate fluid samples to compare host response during Staphylococcus aureus-associated periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) and non-infected arthroplasty failure (NIAF) and identify potential novel biomarkers differentiating the two. In this pilot study, eight sonicate fluid samples (four from NIAF and four from S. aureus PJI) were studied. Samples were reduced, alkylated, and trypsinized overnight, followed by analysis using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) on a high-resolution Orbitrap Eclipse mass spectrometer. MaxQuant software suite was used for protein identification, filtering, and label-free quantitation. Principal component analysis of the identified proteins clearly separated S. aureus PJI and NIAF samples. Overall, 810 proteins were identified based on their detection in at least three out of four samples from each group; 35 statistically significant differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were found (two-sample t-test p-values ≤0.05 and log2 fold-change values ≥2 or ≤-2). Gene ontology pathway analysis found that microbial defense responses, specifically those related to neutrophil activation, to be increased in S. aureus PJI compared to NIAF samples. Proteomic profiling of sonicate fluid using LC-MS/MS differentiated S. aureus PJI and NIAF in this pilot study. Further work is needed using a larger sample size and including non-S. aureus PJI and a diversty of NIAF-types.

Temperature Change in the Contiguous 48 States Between 1901 and 2020

Climate change has become a global emergency. Many people have studied the rise in temperatures over the last few decades. But few have studied how monthly average temperatures at the state level in the United States have changed for more than a century.&#x0D; The authors divide the 120-year period January 1901 to December 2020 into two 60-year periods and then compare the monthly average temperature in each period for each of the 48 contiguous U.S. states. When these data are divided into seasons, the largest changes are observed for winter (December, January, ad February) and summer (June, July, and August) months, especially among states that have coastal access to the Pacific Ocean or the Atlantic Ocean in the northeast. &#x0D; Apart from presenting a series of two-sample t-tests for each of the 48 states for all seasons combined and one for each of the four seasons, the authors also present color-coded maps summarizing the statistical results for the winter and summer seasons. The maps use the p-value of each two-sample t-test to show which states in each season between the two 60-year periods are getting cooler (green, light blue, dark blue) and which states are getting warmer (yellow, orange, red).

The effects of slow-stroke back massage on anxiety and sleep problems in elderly stroke patients

Background: The increasing population of the elderly may cause a large burden of health problems, such as poor sleep quality and anxiety. It was reported that as many as 20 percent – 50 percent of the elderly population in Indonesia experienced sleep problems, and 35 percent of the elderly who had anxiety also had the same problems. Slow Stroke Back Massage (SSBM) may be given as a non-pharmacological to increase sleep quality.Purpose: To analyze the effect of SSBM on sleep quality and anxiety in the elderly at the Tresna Wreda As-Salaam Social Institution, Cirebon City.Method: The pre-experimental design with one group pretest and posttest design. The 15 elderly was the sample, as a total sampling technique was used. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS) questionnaires were used as instruments for measuring sleep quality and anxiety levels. The sleep quality was analyzed by Wilcoxon test and Paired sample t-test was used to analyze anxiety variables.Results: Before the SSBM, all the elderly (100 percent) had poor sleep quality and the majority (93,3 percent) had moderate anxiety levels. Whereas after the intervention, the majority (93,3 percent) had good sleep quality and mild anxiety levels (73,3 percent). The p-value of the Wilcoxon test was 0,001 for sleep quality, and the p-value of paired sample t-test was 0,000 for anxiety.Conclusion: This study indicated that there was a positive effect of SSBM on sleep quality and anxiety levels in the elderly. It is recommended for nurses to widely implement SSBM to help reduce the elderly’s anxiety and sleep problems.

Croatian Combat Athletes’ Attribution Patterns for Their Successes and Failures

Successes and failures are integral outcomes to the sport experience. Based on decades of research, how athletes process both outcomes influence their thoughts, emotions, and subsequent achievement endeavors. Attribution theory details three dimensions as to the causes of success and failure. Since the 1980s, attribution theory has found a home in sport psychology literature. However, research across countries requires valid and reliable questionnaires. One such country is Croatia where attribution research is scant. Thus, in a Croatian combat athlete sample, we examined athletes’ attributions for the most and least successful performances via retrospection. Croatian athletes (N = 154) from three combat sports (judo, karate, and taekwondo) who all competed at least once on an international stage completed the Croatian Causal Dimension Scale-II, answered in reference to a specific reason for their best and worst competitive experience. Results showed that the combat sport athletes attributed their most and least successful competitive achievement to psychological reasons more than other reasons (i.e., general preparation and physical preparation). Furthermore, based on a series of two-tailed paired samples t-tests and the nonparametric equivalent, Wilcoxon signed rank test, the participants made, from small to medium in meaningfulness (Cohen’s d), more internal (d = 0.30), stable (d = 0.56), personal (d = 0.30), and external (d = 0.21) controllable attributions for success than for failure (all t-test p-values &lt; 0.01). Our results suggest the athletes made the self-serving attribution bias across both the success and failure competitive events. Our results contribute to better understanding of specific reasons for success and failure and the attribution dimensions explaining the competitive outcomes in competitive combat sport. Specific to Croatian sport, our results provide Croatian combat sport with theory driven research applicable to improving development of Croatian combat athletes on the international stage.

Anti-nucleolin aptamer mediated specific detection of cancer cells by Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance-based U-bent optical fiber

The detection of Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) is of profound importance for cancer diagnosis and monitoring in diseased patients. In the presented work, an aptasensor for CTC detection was developed using AS1411 aptamer specific for nucleolin on cancer cells’ surface as receptor on Gold NanoParticles (GNPs) decorated U-bent optical fiber. The aptamer binds to target upon folding into a parallel G-quadruplex structure, and therefore, components of folding and running buffer were optimized to 50 mM tris buffer and 100 mM KCl with and without 5 mM Mg+2 based on Circular Dichroism spectroscopy (CD) and bright field microscopy respectively. Further, the binding of aptamer and MCF-7 cells to GNP coated U-bent fiber were validated by fluorescence microscopy. The aptasensor showed significantly higher absorbance for 104 cancer cells (retinoblastoma, meningioma, breast, cervical, and colon cancer cells) as compared to non-cancer cells (MCF-10A and WBCs) with a t-test p-value of 0.0012. On an optical bench, aptasensor was able to detect as low as 500 cells/mL. To develop a portable and small CTC detection system, aptasensor was integrated with a hand-held opto-electronic device μSens (custom developed in our lab) and was able to detect 50 cells/mL. This is the first time a portable sensing system based on U-bent optical fiber was tested for sensing cancer cells. The ability to detect diverse types of cancer cells by AS1411 aptamer is promising and paves the way for the detection of circulating tumor cells in blood samples, with relative ease and low cost.

Is the Ellipsoid Formula Reliable in Prostate MRI?

Our study seeks to study the accuracy of the ellipsoidal formula in prostate MRI of different sizes and to establish the limits of its use. The study included 31 patients with a well-visualized, intact prostatic capsule, excluding malignantly transformed prostates, as well as treated prostates, in which the contrast between the prostatic capsule and parenchyma is reduced. Each patient's prostatic volume was recalculated according to the ellipsoidal formula, and then it was compared with the prostatic volume calculated by the segmentation method. The two calculated volumes were similar, in some cases almost identical, with a slight tendency to underestimate prostate volume below 100cm3, in total in 18 cases, on average by 7.6% (+/-6%), overestimation of those with a volume over 100cm3, a total of 13 cases, on average by 3.2% (+/-2.5%), and of all, in 4 cases the difference between the two formulas was below 1%. There was no statistical difference between the two variables, Student's t-test p-value=0.039. With a precision of 92% (+/-6%), the ellipsoidal formula can be considered accurate when it is correctly performed, but if we take into account the importance that PSA density is starting to have in diagnosis, treatment and follow-up, the calculation of a secondary value through the segmentation method or high-precision software can be motivated when the ellipsoidal formula returns a value close to a threshold.

77P The impact of COVID-19 on gynecological cancer diagnoses in Greece

It has been almost three years since the COVID-19 outbreak, yet evidence of its impact on the cancer care landscape remains scant. The present single-center study examines patterns in gynecological cancer diagnoses before and during the pandemic. All female patients diagnosed in our academic hospital with gynecological cancer, between January 2017 and December 2020, were retrospectively identified. Pre-defined subgroup analyses were performed in patients who had been newly diagnosed during 2020 and in the pre-pandemic 3-year period. The study was approved by the Institutional Ethical Committee and was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the International Conference on Harmonization for Good Clinical Practice. In total, 1,193 women were included in this case-control study; 1,001 (83.91%) were identified in the pre-pandemic period as a control, while 192 (16.09%) cases were allocated in the pandemic group. The two cohorts were similar regarding demographic and clinical characteristics. For the pre-pandemic period, the mean yearly number of patients with newly identified cancer was highest for endometrial (149; 44.61%), followed by ovarian (92; 27.5%) carcinomas. During the first year of the pandemic, the number of new diagnoses significantly decreased by 42.5% (from 334 to 192) for all types of malignancies combined (one sample t-test p-value= 0.014). Declines ranged from 36.96% to 49% for ovarian and endometrial cancer, respectively. This is the first study to appraise a timely snapshot of the effect of COVID-19 on newly diagnosed gynecological tumors in a European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO)-certified center in Greece, demonstrating an alarmingly sharp decline in the number of new cases during the pandemic. It is of utmost importance the gynecologic oncologists to ensure the continuum of care for their patients.Table: 77PDemographic data for patients with newly diagnosed gynecological cancer, by time periodCancer typePre-pandemic period (01-12/2017)Pre-pandemic period (01-12/2018)Pre-pandemic period (01-12/2019)Pandemic period (01-12/2020)TotalCervical73 (19.89%)61 (19.68%)56 (17.28%)39 (20.31%)229 (19.20%)Endometrial174 (47.41%)129 (41.61%)145 (44.75%)76 (39.58%)524 (43.92%)Ovarian84 (22.89%)92 (29.68%)101 (31.17%)58 (30.21%)335 (28.08%)Vulvar30 (8.17%)21 (6.77%)20 (6.17%)14 (7.29%)85 (7.12%)Other6 (1.63%)7 (2.26%)2 (0.62%)5 (2.60%)20 (1.68%)Total367 (100%)310 (100%)324 (100%)192 (100%)1,193 (100%)Pearson chi2 (12) = 13.1806; Pr= 0.356 Open table in a new tab

Analysis of Ring Spun Yarn Wickability Using the Post-Hoc Test

Abstract Yarn wickability achieves high thermo-physiological comfort. Therefore, this paper aimed to investigate yarn wickability and analyze statistically factors affecting yarn wicking performance. Methodology consists of testing wicking height for ring spun yarn produced from three levels of fibre types and twist factors at two levels of doubling. Statistical tools such as ANOVA, T-test and Post-hoc tests analyzed the impacts on wicking heights. Findings showed that the Post-hoc test represented the variation between groups more accurately than ANOVA. Furthermore, a comparison of Bonferroni Alpha with T-test p-values revealed that yarn wicking was significantly affected by interactions of fibre type, doubling, and twist level.

P805 Selnoflast, a potent NLRP3 inhibitor - results from a phase 1b experimental medicine study in patients with Ulcerative Colitis

Abstract Background The Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine rich repeat and pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is a driver of caspase 1-dependent release of IL-1β and IL-18 and has been identified as a potential drug target for ulcerative colitis (UC) (Tourkochristou et al. 2019). Selnoflast (RO7486967) is an orally active, potent, selective, and reversible small molecule NLRP3 inhibitor. To assess whether NLRP3 is a driver of inflammation and more specifically of IL-1β production and signaling in UC, we performed a Phase 1b study (BP43099) with selnoflast in patients with UC. Methods A randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind study assessed safety, tolerability, PK and PD of selnoflast in patients with active, moderate to severe UC. 19 patients were recruited: 6 were treated with placebo and 13 were treated with 450 mg selnoflast QD for 7 days. Stool and blood samples were taken at baseline, during and at the end of treatment. Sigmoidal tissue samples were taken at baseline and at the end of treatment. Adverse events were assessed throughout the study. https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN16847938 Results Selnoflast was well tolerated in all patients, with mainly mild AEs. No serious or severe AEs were reported. Plasma PK was in line with PK data from previous studies in healthy subjects. In addition, selnoflast demonstrated a good distribution in sigmoidal tissue in all treated patients. The gene signature of 8 genes (i.e. CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL3, CXCL5, CXCL6, CCL2, IL-6, TNFAIP6) downstream of IL-1β, known to be responsive to IL-1β stimulation across different cell types and differentially expressed in colonic biopsies (UC vs healthy), was assessed and showed on average a slight decrease from baseline after treatment with selnoflast compared to placebo (log2 fold change mean (sd) = -1.14 (1.8) and +0.38 (3.26) respectively, t-test p-value = 0.206) in sigmoidal tissue biopsies. Single-cell RNA sequencing showed minimal differences between the two treatment arms. Conclusion Selnoflast was well tolerated and achieved the plasma and tissue exposure predicted to inhibit NLRP3. Expression of IL-1β gene signature in sigmoidal tissue biopsies, single-cell RNA sequencing and additional biomarker analyses showed no robust differences between the two treatment arms, suggesting that targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome with selnoflast may be of limited therapeutic benefit to reduce inflammation in UC. Tourkochristou E, Aggeletopoulou I, Konstantakis C, Triantos C. Role of NLRP3 inflammasome in inflammatory bowel diseases. World J Gastroenterol. 2019