Quantitative Variables Research Articles

The expression of ferroptosis-related genes in osteoporosis based on GEO.

The aim of this study was to screen the differential genes related to ferroptosis in osteoporosis patients. GEO2R was used to screen the differential genes related to ferroptosis in osteoporosis patients by searching the relevant chips in the GEO database, and Spearman's correlation analysis was used to describe the correlation between quantitative variables without normal distribution. p-values lower than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Another group of osteoporosis patients was selected in the GEO database to verify the significantly differentially expressed genes. The results showed that 10 samples in chip GSE35956 were identified as research objects, and a total of 5 ferroptosis differential genes were screened out: ATP5MC3, CDKN1A, MT1G, NCOA4, SLC1A5, of which 3 up-regulated genes (CDKN1A, MT1G, SLC1A5), 2 down-regulated genes (ATP5MC3, NCOA4). The above differential genes were placed in 19 samples of chip GSE35959 for verification, and the same expression trend was obtained, but only the MT1G difference was statistically significant. The gene correlation test found that MT1G and ATP5MC3 had a strong negative correlation.

INFLUENCE OF NEOADJUVANT THERAPY ON THE RATIO OF LYMPH NODES.

To evaluate the relationship between the ratio of affected lymph nodes (LNR) and clinical and anatomopathological variables in patients with rectal adenocarcinoma submitted or not to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. The LNR was determined by dividing the number of compromised LNR by the total number of LNR dissected in the surgical specimen. Patients were divided into two groups: with QRT and without QRT. In each group, the relationship between LNR and the following variables was evaluated: degree of cell differentiation, depth of invasion in the rectal wall, angiolymphatic /perineural invasion, degree of tumor regression and occurrence of metastases. The LNR was evaluated in patients with more than 1, LNR (LNR >12) or less (LNR<12) in the surgical specimen with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). The results were expressed as the mean with the respective standard deviation. Qualitative variables were analyzed using Fisher's exact test, while quantitative variables were analyzed using the Kruskal -Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. The significance level was 5%. We evaluated 282 patients with QRT and 114 without QRT, between 1995-2011. In the QRT Group, LNR showed a significant association with mucinous tumors (P=0.007) and degree of tumor regression (P=0.003). In both groups, LNR was associated with poorly differentiated tumors (P=0.001, P=0.02), presence of angiolymphatic invasion (P<0.0001 and P=0.01), perineural (P=0.0007, P=0.02), degree of rectal wall invasion (T3>T2; P<0.0001, P=0.02); Compromised LNR (P<0.0001, P<0.01), metastases (P<0.0001, P<0.01). In patients with QRT, LNR<12 was associated with DFS (5.889; 95%CI1.935-19.687; P=0.018) and LNR>12 with DFS and OS (17.984; 95%CI5.931-54.351; P<0.001 and 10.286; 95%CI 2.654-39.854; P=0.007, respectively). LNR was associated with histological aspects of poor prognosis, regardless of the use of QRT. In the occurrence of less than 12 evaluated LNR, the LNR was associated only with the DFS. • Assessment of the lymph nodes during pathological analysis of the surgical specimen is crucial to determine treatment and prognosis. • Neoadjuvance therapy reduces the number of lymph nodes, being lower than recommended, therefore the lymph node ratio can be an alternative analysis for a better prognosis.

Pulmonary Function Tests in Thunderstorm-associated Respiratory Symptoms: A Cross-sectional Study.

Epidemic thunderstorm asthma is an observed increase in cases of acute bronchospasm following thunderstorms. This study aimed to compare the frequency of obstructive airway disease or bronchial hyperresponsiveness in subjects with thunderstorm-associated respiratory symptoms with subjects with similar symptoms presented at other times. A cross-sectional study from June to November of 2013 was conducted on subjects with thunderstorm-associated respiratory symptoms living in Ahvaz City, Iran. Thunderstorm-associated subjects were presented with asthmatic symptoms in thunderstorms, and other patients presented with similar symptoms at other times. Baseline spirometry was performed on patients to examine the presence of obstructive airway disease. In all patients with normal spirometry, a provocation test was applied. A comparison of qualitative and quantitative variables was made using the Chi-square and independent t test, respectively. All analyses were carried out using SPSS Statistics Version 22. A P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Out of 584 subjects, 300 and 284 participants were in thunderstorm-associated and non-thunderstorm-associated groups, respectively. After the final analysis, 87 (30.6%) and 89 (33.3%) of the thunderstorm-associated subjects and non-thunderstorm-associated group, respectively, had pieces of evidence of airflow limitation (P=0.27). Among the patients with normal spirometry, 161 (81.72%) of the thunderstorm-associated patients and 100 (56.17%) patients of the non-thunderstorm-associated symptoms group had a positive methacholine challenge test result (P<0.001). Most of the patients with thunderstorm-associated respiratory symptoms had no obvious evidence of airflow limitation in spirometry.

The Effects of Foot Reflexology and Simple Foot Massage on Fatigue and Pain in Children With Leukemia: A Randomized Control Trial

Background and Purpose: Chemotherapy is one of the main options in treating childhood cancers. Fatigue and pain are common symptoms of cancer and one of the major complications experienced during chemotherapy. This study aimed to determine the effect of foot reflexology and simple foot massage on fatigue and pain in children with leukemia. Materials and Methods: This randomized clinical trial was performed on 99 children with leukemia aged 4-14 years, undergoing chemotherapy in the oncology departments of Hazrat Ali Asghar Hospital and Children’s Medical Center, Tehran City, Iran, in 2019. The sampling was sequential, and participants were assigned into three groups by block randomization: Foot reflexology, simple foot massage, and control group. The foot reflexology and simple foot massage were performed for 5 consecutive days. Participants were asked to report the intensity of pain and fatigue over the past 48 hours using the pain visual and child fatigue scales. Statistical analysis was conducted with SPSS software, version 22. Quantitative variables were reported as the Mean±SD. The chi-square test, analysis of variance, and repeated measures tests were used for data analysis. Results: Demographic characteristics in three groups were not significantly different except for gender (P=0.011). There was no significant difference in pain (P=0.67) and fatigue (P=0.45) before the intervention. The Mean±SD pain scores on the third day in foot reflexology, simple foot massage, and control group were 4.4±1.9, 5.2±1.79, and 6.3±1.76, respectively (P&lt;0.001). The Mean±SD pain scores on the fifth day in foot reflexology, simple foot massage, and control group were 2.7±1.4, 3.9±1.83, and 6.7±1.5, respectively (P&lt;0.001). The Mean±SD fatigue scores on the third day in foot reflexology, simple foot massage, and control group were 2.36±0.55, 2.95±0.6, and 3.65±0.32, respectively (P&lt;0.0001). The Mean±SD fatigue scores on the fifth day in foot reflexology, simple foot massage, and control group were 2.14±0.42, 2.67±0.73, and 4.12±0.16, respectively (P&lt;0.0001). Conclusion: Our results showed that foot reflexology and simple foot massage can decrease pain and fatigue in children with leukemia. Performing foot reflexology could be recommended as a complementary intervention to reduce pain and fatigue in children with leukemia.

Isolated versus combined XEN‐implant surgery

Aims/Purpose: A minimally invasive surgical technique in glaucoma surgery is XEN implant. It allows direct evacuation of aqueous humour from anterior chamber to subconjunctival space. It is indicated in mild or moderate primary open angle glaucoma in patients with treatment with 2 or more active ingredients and good conjunctival status. The objective is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of XEN implant isolated versus combined cataract surgery.Methods: Single‐centre retrospective observational study, conducted between 2018 and 2023. Follow‐up of 1 year in a sample of 44 eyes operated with XEN implant, 15 with isolated implant and 29 combined surgeries with cataract. Quantitative variables are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Comparison between variables was performed using Student's t‐test after testing for normality of distribution using the Shapiro–wilk test.Results: Combined cataract surgery with respect to XEN implant placement showed no significant difference in visual acuity improvement, nor in the decrease in post‐surgical hypotensive treatment and intraocular pressure, except in the first month in favour of isolated surgery (p &gt; 0.02). Follow‐up with visual field and optical coherence tomography showed no significant differences, suggesting that there was no progression of glaucoma with both techniques. There were no intraoperative complications. Needling manoeuvre was performed in 60% of patients with isolated XEN compared to 30% with combined surgery. Good safety profile. Other studies find no significant differences in the postoperative success rate between combined surgery or not with phacoemulsification, nor differences in outcomes in phakic versus pseudophakic patients.Conclusions: The XEN implant is effective and safe in terms of IOP lowering and the number of hypotensive drops. There are no significant differences in IOP lowering or in the number of drugs to be administered between the XEN implant alone and combined cataract surgery.

Association between impulsivity and depressive symptoms in recently detoxified patients with alcohol dependence

Background: Depression and impulsivity are etiologically linked to alcohol dependence (AD) and are known to affect course and outcomes. The relationship between impulsivity and depressive symptoms has been investigated only in a few studies of individuals with AD. Aim: This study aimed to explore the association between impulsivity and depressive symptoms in patients with AD. Materials and Methods: Our study was conducted in the inpatient setup of a tertiary care psychiatry institute. The study design is cross-sectional. The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and stop signal task (SST) were used to assess levels of global impulsivity and behavioral impulsivity, respectively, among 60 recently detoxified inpatients with AD. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) was used to measure depressive symptoms. The results were analyzed to examine the association of depressive symptoms with impulsivity. Pearson’s coefficient of correlation or Spearman’s rank correlation and linear regression analysis were performed to explore the association between quantitative variables. Results: Patients with higher HAM-D scores were found to have significantly higher score on all three subscales of the BIS-11. The attention impulsivity subscale had the strongest correlations (r = 0.53, P &lt; 0.001). Depressive symptoms were more strongly correlated with cognitive impulsivity (r = 0.54, P&lt; 0.0001) compared with motor impulsivity and were not significantly associated with behavioral impulsivity. Adjusting for other variables, cognitive impulsivity was found to be the strongest predictor of the severity of depressive symptoms. Conclusions: The study showed a strong association between impulsivity and depressive symptoms in individuals with AD. This relationship may apply more to cognitive impulsivity, reflecting the role of impulsive decisions compared with impulsive actions.

On exploring the generalized mixture estimators under simple random sampling and application in health and finance sector

There are numerous studies where data on population units’ auxiliary variables and attributes are simultaneously available. Therefore, due to cost-effectiveness and ease of recording, the study variable and several linearly related auxiliary variables are recorded. These auxiliary variables are commonly observed as quantitative and qualitative (attributes) variables and are jointly used to estimate the study variable’s population mean using a mixture estimator. In order to achieve this, a family of generalized mixture estimators was proposed under simple random sampling with the aim of improving performance under symmetrical and asymmetrical distributions. In addition, the estimator’s behavior for various sample sizes was examined with regard to its convergence to the normal distribution. The suggested generalized mixture estimator’s mean square error is deduced up to the first order of approximation. It is discovered that for the normal, uniform, Weibull, and gamma distributions, the suggested estimator estimates the population mean of the study variable with greater accuracy than the competing estimators. It is also revealed that when the proposed estimator converges to normality, the sample size is at least taken as 110, 1000, and 120. Furthermore, the implementation of three real-life datasets related to the finance and health sectors is also presented to support the proposed estimator’s significance.

Body Mass Index and Blood Pressure Profile of Newly Enrolled Health Sciences Students in a Medical University of Karachi, Pakistan

Objectives: To measure the Body Mass Index (BMI) and Blood pressure (BP) of newly enrolled undergraduate students in a medical university in Karachi, Pakistan, and to assess any association between BMI and BP levels among them. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on pre-existing three-year data of 1403 students. The age, gender, BMI, and BP were recorded. The BMI of students was classified according to the Asian cutoff and BP was categorized using the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC) classification. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 24. Descriptive statistics were used to present quantitative and qualitative variables. The association was measured using the Chi-square test of significance. A p-value of &lt; 0.05 was taken as significant. Results: Total n= 1403 students with a mean age of 19 + 1.4 years students were enrolled including 397 (28.3%) males and 1006 (71.7%) females. A total of 667 (47.5%) students had a normal weight while 216 (15.4%) students were underweight, and 512 (36.5%) were either overweight or obese. Mean systolic BP was 111.42 + 10.7 mmHg and mean diastolic BP was 73.45 + 7.96 mmHg. Most students had normal systolic BP 901 (64.2%) while 501 (35.7%) had prehypertension or stage- I or II hypertension (HTN). The majority of the students had normal diastolic BP 1357 (96.7%) and 45 (3.3%) had stage- I or II HTN. There was a significant association between BMI and BP (0.0001). Conclusion: A significant number of the students are either under or overweight. There is a significant relationship between BMI and BP levels.

Vocal Self-Perception of Singers During COVID-19 Pandemic.

to compare the self-perception of vocal fatigue and use of singing voice during the COVID-19 pandemic between professional and amateur singers and to relate this self-perception with vocal use characteristics during this period. Participants were 121 singers divided into professional singers group (PSG) (12 men and 20 women) comprising singers who depended exclusively on singing as a profession and an amateur singers group (ASG) (37 men and 52 women) of singers who did not depend exclusively on singing for their livelihood. All answered online questionnaires through Google Forms ®. Sociodemographic and vocal characteristics were investigated before and during the pandemic; symptoms of vocal fatigue were assessed through the vocal fatigue index (VFI); and self-perception of use of singing voice through the evaluation of the ability to sing easily protocol for Brazil (EASE-Br). In the comparison between groups, the PSG presented higher scores of vocal fatigue in fatigue and vocal limitation (P=0.045), vocal restriction (P=0.002), and recovery with vocal rest (P=0.008) domains than did the ASG. There was no difference between the groups regarding the use of singing voice. Based on the relationship between self-perception and vocal use characteristics during the pandemic, it was observed that the presence of vocal complaint was the only factor associated with self-perception of fatigue symptomatology in both groups. Regarding the self-perception of the current status of the singing voice, singing time, the presence of vocal complaints, the need to increase visual concentration, and the perception of vocal worsening during the pandemic were considered predictive for amateur singers. For professional singers, vocal complaints and vocal training were predictors for self-perception of the current status of the singing voice. Professional singers presented with higher scores of vocal fatigue than did amateur singers. The symptomatology of vocal fatigue was associated with the presence of vocal complaints in both groups. However, self-perception of the current status of the singing voice was different between the groups and was associated with vocal training for professional singers and characteristics of vocal demand of singing voice during the pandemic period for amateur singers.

Expression of Bcl-2 and Ki-67 in Endometrial Hyperplasia and Disordered Endometrium: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Endometrial hyperplasia affects both premenopausal and postmenopausal women and is a pathological condition that ranges from mild, reversible glandular proliferations to direct precursors of cancer. B-cell Lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), an antiapoptotic gene involved in the regulation of apoptosis, and Ki-67, a proliferation marker, serve as indicators for cell proliferation from endometrial hyperplasia to endometrial carcinoma. Aim: To examine the expression of Bcl-2 and Ki-67 in endometrial hyperplasia and disordered endometrium. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pathology at MVJ Medical College and Research Hospital, located in Hoskote, Karnataka, India, over a period of two years, from September 2020 to September 2022. All endometrial samples and hysterectomy specimens were included. Immunohistochemical staining was performed using Bcl-2 and Ki-67 in disordered proliferative endometrium and endometrial hyperplasia, and the staining and intensity were graded. Statistical analysis was performed, with qualitative variables presented as percentages and quantitative variables presented as Mean±Standard Deviation (SD). A p-value &lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 49.36 years. A total of 33 cases were included in the study, with 15 cases of disordered proliferative endometrium and 18 cases of endometrial hyperplasia. Bcl-2 expression in the 15 cases of disordered proliferative endometrium showed a score 4 positivity in 2 (13.3%) cases, score 8 positivity in 3 (20%) cases, and score 12 positivity in 10 (66.7%) cases, with a mean score of 10.13. Ki-67 expression in the 15 cases of disordered proliferative endometrium showed a score 4 positivity in 10 cases (66.7%), score 8 positivity in 4 (26.7%), and score 12 positivity in 1 (6.67%) case, with a mean score of 5.6. Conclusion: The overexpression of Bcl-2 in endometrial hyperplasia is considered to be an indicative of progression towards frank malignancy. Ki-67, the proliferation marker, is used to determine the progression of endometrial hyperplasia to carcinoma.

Early Diagnosis of Neonatal Sepsis Using the Leukocyte Alkaline Phosphatase Score: A Cohort Study

Introduction: The clinical features of sepsis in neonates are subtle and non specific, requiring a high index of suspicion for early diagnosis. Blood culture is the gold standard for diagnosis, but it is time consuming. Therefore, there is a need for a costeffective and reliable screening tool. The Leukocyte Alkaline Phosphatase (LAP) activity of neutrophils is known to increase during bacterial infections in adults. Aim: To determine the activity of LAP in Neonatal Sepsis (NS) and compare the results with blood culture. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective cohort study conducted from January 2018 to June 2019 at Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences, Karnataka, India. Total of 200 neonates by their haematological profile were clinically suspected of having sepsis. A peripheral smear was prepared from a drop of blood and stained to assess the LAP activity. In each smear, a total of 100 consecutive segmented neutrophils were examined and were rated from 0 to 4 according to the red granular precipitate intensity within their cytoplasm. The possible range of 0-400. The blood culture report was obtained from the case sheet. The neonates were divided into two groups: Group 1 consisted of culture-proven sepsis cases, and Group 2 consisted of neonates with clinical suspicion of sepsis but negative blood culture results. Descriptive analysis was performed using mean and standard deviation for quantitative variables, and frequency and proportion for categorical variables. Chi-square test was conducted, and a p-value &lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of the 200 cases studied, 64 neonates showed a positive blood culture. The most common causative organism observed was Klebsiella pneumoniae, which was seen in 56 neonates. The age of the neonates ranged from newborn to 28 days old, with 115 being male. Furthermore, 116 neonates were term neonates, and 146 presented with early onset sepsis. The study revealed a wide range of LAP activity in both groups. In the culture-positive sepsis group, the LAP activity ranged from 36 to 350, while in the clinical sepsis group, it ranged from 10 to 354. Due to the broad range of LAP scores observed, it is concluded that LAP activity is not useful as a screening test. Conclusion: Findings of the present study indicate that LAP activity exhibited a wide range in both the culture-proven and clinical sepsis groups. However, due to this variability, LAP activity does not appear to be a reliable screening test for NS. While LAP activity assessment may still hold diagnostic value, further research is needed to refine its utility and explore its clinical relevance.

Studying the Pedestrian Level-of-Service (PLoS): Lessons regarding the combination of survey and monitoring data

Crowding is often analyzed using crowd dynamics variables. Yet, it is questionable whether quantitative variables fully describe the perception of crowdedness. This paper presents four case studies into the Pedestrian Level-of-Service (PLoS), featuring a 1) mass event, 2) shopping environment, 3) festival, and 4) touristic hotspot. The relation between the PLoS and the crowds’ movement dynamics is studied using a combination of survey and monitoring data. This study establishes that the perception of LoS is partly related to the crowds’ dynamics, and that the combination of in-situ surveys and monitoring data provides more comprehensive insights w.r.t. pedestrians’ perceptions of space.

Which method is successful in closure of acute oroantral communication? A retrospective study.

This study's purpose is to retrospectively evaluate the success of surgical methods used in treating Oroantral Communication (OAC). This study was designed as a retrospective cohort study on patients who developed OAC after surgery maxillary posterior region. The records of patients previously treated with OAC were scanned through the hospital registry software. A data set was created by recording patients' age, gender, systemic disease, etiological reasons, and surgical methods. The primary predictor variable was the surgical method used to treat OAC. Other variables were age, gender, systemic disease and etiological reasons. The primary outcome was oroantral fistula development after the first surgical intervention. The patients who were positive in clinical examination and Valsalva test on control days were considered unsuccessful. One-way analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for quantitative variables in more than two groups. Pearson chi-square test was used to compare categorical data. This retrospective cohort study was completed with 605 patients who met the study criteria among 95,883 patients who underwent surgery in the maxillary posterior region. The incidence of OAC was 0.63%. The patients consisted of 238 female and 367 male patients. The mean age was 41.06±14.48 years. Buccal flap and Buccal Fat Pad methods were used most frequently in the treatment. While treatment was completed with the first surgical intervention in 592 (97.85%) patients, OAF developed in 13 (2.15%) patients. No statistically significant relation existed between surgical technique and OAF development (p>0.005). The success rate of the Buccal Flap method was 98.7%, and the Buccal Fat Pad method was 95.8%. The results of this study showed that noninvasive methods in openings smaller than 5 mm and surgical treatment methods in openings larger than 5 mm have a high success rate with the limitations of present study.

The evaluation of nasolacrimal duct injury in Le Fort I osteotomy patients.

Although Le Fort I surgeries are safe and successful procedures; nasolacrimal duct injuries may be observed due to these surgeries. The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of nasolacrimal duct injury in Le Fort I osteotomy patients. The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study consisting of patients who underwent Le Fort I osteotomies between 2017 and 2021 in the Erciyes University Faculty of Dentistry. The primary predictor variables were the distance of the nasolacrimal canal to the outer cortex of the maxilla and the nasal floor, as well as the superior-inferior level of the superiorly positioned screw inserted in the maxilla aperture region relative to the nasolacrimal canal. The outcome variable was the presence of a nasolacrimal duct injury. Mann Whitney U test was used for quantitative variables between the two groups. A Pearson chi-squared analysis was used to compare categorical data. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 290 nasolacrimal canals were evaluated in 145 patients, 87 females, and 58 males. The mean age was 23.47± 6.67. There was a statistically significant relationship between screw level and nasolacrimal canal perforation (p<0,001). The distance between the most anterior border of the nasolacrimal canal and the outer cortical of the maxilla was significantly less in the perforation group (p<0,001). The fixation screw was significantly closer to the nasolacrimal canal in the perforation group (p<0,001). In Le Fort I surgery, nasolacrimal duct injury may occur during screw fixation to the aperture region. Superiorly positioned fixation screws in the aperture region may damage the nasolacrimal canal. In patients where the nasolacrimal canal is close to the outer cortex, care should be taken when applying the fixation screws to the aperture region to avoid damaging the canal.

Microbial Profile and Antibiotic Sensitivity Pattern in Urinary Tract Infections among Children Attending a Tertiary Care Center, Idukki District, Kerala: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Over the recent decades, the importance of Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) has been increasingly recognised in children. The occurrence of UTI during childhood may lead to acute and/or chronic consequences, such as impaired renal function, renal scarring, and hypertension. Due to the irrational use of antimicrobials, multidrug resistant bacterial strains are frequent. Hence, there is an urgent need for continuous surveillance of the microbiological profile of UTI. Aim: To investigate the microbial profile and antibiotic sensitivity pattern from the urine of paediatric patients suspected to have UTI in Idukki district, Kerala and to explore its association with seasonal variations. Materials and Methods: This clinical cross-sectional study was conducted in Al Azhar Medical College and Super Specialty Hospital, Thodupuzha, Idukki, Kerala, India, from January 2019 to December 2021. The study involved 882 paediatric patients in the age group 0-15 years with symptoms and signs suggestive of UTI. Data regarding age, gender, season, laboratory and culture results, and antibiotic sensitivity pattern were considered as variables of interest. Analysis was performed using mean and standard deviation for quantitative variables, and frequency and proportion for categorical variables. The statistical analyses were conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 and Microsoft Excel 2010. Results: The study involved 882 patients, of which 399 were males (45.2%) and 483 were females (54.8%) with a male-tofemale ratio of 0.8:1. The mean age of patients was four years, and a peak incidence was observed in children in the age group of 1-3 years, with 333 (37.8%) children. Microbial growth was observed in the urine of 325 (36.8%) patients. After excluding normal commensal perineal flora and insignificant bacteriuria, 233 samples had significant growth, with males accounting for 106 (45.5%) and females 127 (54.5%). The male-to-female ratio was 0.8 to 1. These samples mostly exhibited growth of aerobic bacteria (232, 99.6%) and Candida albicans (1, 0.4%). E. coli (106, 45.5%) was identified as the most predominant aetiological agent for paediatric UTI. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that it would be advisable for paediatricians in Idukki district to refrain from using Ampicillin to treat cases suspected to have UTI. Preventive measures should be advised to all patients, with emphasis on urinary hygiene during the monsoon and winter seasons.

Several Appropriate Statistical Techniques in Research

This paper has the main purpose to assist researchers and students in choosing the appropriate statistical test for studies that examine one variable or more variables. The aim of this article is to consider the role which statistical methods can sensibly take in some relevant fields. Other objective of writing this paper is to provide the algorithm of choosing the statistical techniques in the data analysis. This article is concentrated to define data analysis and the concept of data preparation. Then, the data analysis will be discussed. The article covers a brief outline of the variables, an understanding of quantitative and qualitative variables and measure of central tendency. This article will also try to apprise the reader with the basic research techniques that are utilized while conducting various studies. Finally, there is a focus on parametric and nonparametric tests for data analysis and various strategies in this concept.

Factors associated with early relapses in children with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome.

Objective: To determine different risk factors associated with relapse in children with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Department of Pediatric Nephrology, The National Institute of Child Health, Karachi. Period: April 2021 to October 2022. Material &amp; Methods: With a sample size of 170 Children aged 1-12 years of either gender were included in the study by non-probability consecutive sampling. Patients who had congenital nephrotic syndrome previously received immunosuppressive treatment or had any other systemic disease leading to nephrotic syndrome were excluded from the study. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for the quantitative variables while chi-square test was applied for the qualitative variables-value of &lt;0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age of the patients was 4.87±2.54 years. The majority of the frequent relapsers (76) were male. The mean serum cholesterol of the patients was 318.71±61.61mg/dl. Of the total sample, 37 (21.76%) were infrequent relapsers and 133 (78.23 %) were frequent relapsers. A significant association was found between upper respiratory tract infection and frequent relapse with a p-value of 0.038. Conclusion: Our study showed a significant association between upper respiratory tract infection and relapse in children with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome.

Evaluation of Plasma Glycosaminoglycan in monitoring the patients of Renal cell carcinoma after Nephrectomy

Renal cell carcinoma is the thirteenth most widespread malignancy worldwide and is the leading cause of urogenital tract cancers. Worldwide, renal cell carcinoma is sixth most prevalent cancer in males and tenth most in females. Its diagnosis is based on histological findings and CT scans that were performed for isolated symptoms. Treatment options include chemotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, nephron-sparing surgery, and radical nephrectomy. Therefore, there is a need for an early non-invasive bio marker for diagnosis, disease surveillance, as well as for monitoring of RCC after therapy. Objective: To determine the role of plasma glycosaminoglycans levels for monitoring and prognosis of renal cell carcinoma patients after nephrectomy. Methods: A Cross sectional study was taken place at Armed forces institute of Pathology in collaboration with Armed forces institute of urology from July 2021 to Dec 2022. A total of 124 samples were included in study, out of which 62 samples were collected from pre-operated patients and another 62 from same RCC patients after operation. Plasma Glycosaminoglycans levels were analyzed through manual enzyme linked immunosorbent assay by non-competitive sandwich technique. Quantitative variables were calculated by means and standard deviation while qualitative variables were assessed as frequency and percentage. Paired t test was applied to check statistical significance of the difference between the means of pre-operative and post-operative cases. Results: Mean age of total population was 39.24±15.90 years. Taking in account age, gender and staging of pre- and post-operative patients, the results revealed significant post-Surgical decrease in plasma glycosaminoglycans levels (p value &lt;0.05). In renal cell carcinoma patients 74(61.7%) were in T2NM0 stage while 31(25.8%) in T3NM0 stage and 15(12.5%) in T4NM0 stage. Majority of patients lied in T2NM0 stage while T3NM0 stage was common in males and T4NM0 stage in females. Conclusion: Plasma glycosaminoglycans levels is a potential biomarker in post-surgical phase of RCC patients. It can be utilised as a promising marker to monitor RCC patients after nephrectomy. The non-invasive nature of the test will help monitoring of such patients which will prove convenient for both patient and treating surgeon.&#x0D;

Bone Scintigraphy and Initial Stagging of Prostate Cancer in Burkina Faso: Preliminary Study of 71 Cases

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common cancer in men, behind lung cancer. Bone scintigraphy (BS) is available, accessible and easy to perform, making it the test of choice for the detection of bone metastases for all cancers. We proposed to clarify the contribution of SO in the initial expansion report of the PCa in Burkina Faso. Materials and Method: We carried out a retrospective single-center descriptive cross-sectional study over the period from January 1, 2018 to January 1, 2021. It included the files of patients with CaP confirmed on histology and scored according to the Gleason score in whom an OS was performed. Demographic and histological variables were entered on the scintigraphic examination request forms. The descriptive study consisted of calculating frequencies for qualitative variables and means for quantitative variables. The comparison of variables was made using the Chi-Square contingency or Fisher tests depending on their conditions of applicability. The test was significant if p ≤0.05. Results: We collected 71 patient files, all with histologically confirmed prostate adenocarcinoma and initial BS. Their average age is 68.81 ± 8.70 years. The extreme ages were 50 and 88 years. Patients aged 60 to 70 were the most represented (38%). The PSA level ranged from 4.8 to 1030 with a mean PSA level of 304.94 ± 332.70 ng/ml. 34 patients had a Gleason score ≤ 6 (47.88%): Group A; 35 patients had a Gleason score between 6 and 8 (49.29%): Group B; 02 patients had a Gleason score greater than 8 (2.81%): Group C. BS+ were 46 (64.78%) patients compared to 25 BS- (35.21%). All patients with a Gleason score 6 are classified BS-. Among the 35 patients with a Gleason score = 6, 48.57% had BS+ and 51.42% had BS–. Among the 35 patients with a Gleason score between 7 and 8; 80% had an BS+ and 20% an BS-. The only patient with a Gleason score between 9 and 10 had BS+. Conclusion: Our study shows that OS+ is associated with an age greater than ....

The choice of payment method in online stores depending on demographic characteristics

ObjectivesThe subject of consideration in this article is to determine differences in the form of payment on the Internet depending on selected characteristics of respondents.Material and methodsThe main research problem in this aspect was to answer the question: What types of payment instruments are used in distance transactions depending on gender, place of residence and age? The time scope of the analysis covers the period from October 2022 to February 2023. The basic research method was the CAPI method, based on a questionnaire. In order to verify the hypotheses, statistical analyzes were carried out using the IBM SPSS Statistics 26 package. It was used to analyze basic descriptive statistics together with the Shapiro-Wilk test for normality of distributions of quantitative variables. The study involved 399 people, which is a relatively small sample, so the Mann-Whitney test was an appropriate choice. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare two independent samples in terms of their distribution. Sample 1 was women and sample 2 was men.ResultsThe Mann-Whitney test showed that the distribution of favorite payment methods among women and men is different. This means that women and men prefer different payment methods. Both women and men prefer to pay cash for online purchases. For women, the second most popular non-cash payment method is cards, and for men - bank transfer. Other non-cash methods, such as direct debit, voucher, loyalty points or PayPal, are less popular among both groups.ConclusionsThis study contributes to existing research by offering an analysis of data on Polish consumers' payment methods. The part of the article indicates possible directions of development of the PayTech sector throughout the world and in Poland specifically.