Significant Statistical Correlation Research Articles

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Characterization in a Population from Bihor County Romania

Our aim was to analyse the characteristics of a large cohort of patients with IBS from Bihor County. We retrospectively studied 525 patients with IBS admitted between 2018-2023 in Bihor Emergency Clinical County Hospital. We extracted, interpreted and statistically analysed the following parameters: age, gender, environment, family history, smoking and alcohol status, Bristol scale, results of colonoscopy and treatment. The overall prevalence of IBS was 0.2%. Fifty-six % were women, 61% of patients were from urban environment, average age was 57.74 years, with a significant statistical difference between medium age in women vs men. There was a significant statistical correlation between the medium age, medium height, and weight of our patients and smoking status, alcohol consumption, and positive family history. Colonoscopy was done in 148 patients and conditions found in addition to IBS appeared in 7.6% of the cases. The dominant finding was tumoral (4% of IBS cases), followed by various inflammatory conditions. The mean age for patients with normal results was 55.07 years, 50.84 years for patients with inflammatory lesions and 67.81 years for tumoral lesions, with statistically significant correlations between age and the results of colonoscopy. We did not find statistical correlation between Bristol Scale and the results of colonoscopy. Only 142 patients followed specific treatment, suggesting low compliance. The epidemiological traits of our IBS patients seem to remain constant along the time as our research lines up with other studies. Among these, age, female gender and urban provenance seem to be the most significant factors, whereas habits, body mass index, and family history seem not to be statistically significant. As Rome criteria accurately diagnose IBS, we have to remember that colonoscopy should be recommended to a rather small and well selected cases of patients of older age, as in such cohorts tumoral lesions were most frequent.

Study of the Relationship between Insulin Resistance, Iron Status Markers and Body Weight in a Sample of Egyptian Population

Abstract Background Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. The chronic hyperglycemia of diabetes is associated with long-term damage, dysfunction, and failure of different organs, especially the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels. Aim of the Work The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between insulin Resistance, iron Status Markers and body Weight in a sample of Egyptian population. Patients and Methods Our study was case control study conducted on 90 subjects their age was ranging form18 to 70 from diabetes outpatient clinic, and they were divided into 3 groups: Group (1): Non-obese non-diabetic as a control group, Group (2): Obese non diabetic and group (3): Obese diabetic. Results In our study, there was no statistical significant difference found between the three studied groups regarding iron study, Also our study showed that there was statistically non significant correlation between (ferritin level and TIBC), and (ferritin level, HOMA IR), but there was statistical significant positive correlation found between TIBC and FBS (p- value 0.045),Similarly, we did not observe either abnormally high or low ferritin values in our study on subjects with obesity. We found no association between this marker and body weight, in contrast with others. In our study, the higher insulin and HOMA-IR values observed in the subjects with TSAT<20% = 4.2(1.4-11.6) than those with TSAT >20% =2.4 (1.15-6.95), but statistically non significant p- value. The present study also showed that There was statistical significant positive correlation between (T.SAT, serum ferritin), (T.SAT, S.iron) and (T.SAT,SBP) (with p-value 0.03). Our study also showed that there was no statistical significant difference found between patients with T.sat ≤ 20% and those with T.sat > 20% regarding all the studied parameters except ferritin level and iron level was found higher in patients with T.sat >20% than those with T. sat ≤20% with p-value <0.001 and <0.001 respectively. Conclusion Characteristics of iron deficiency or iron overload were not observed in subjects with overweight/obesity and diabetic patients. Our results suggest a complex metabolic dysregulation.

Pilot study: Measurement of first phase ejection fraction in a sample of Egyptian people

Abstract Background Left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) constitutes the final common pathway for a number of cardiac disorders. Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the dominant cause of heart failure (HF). The remaining etiologies include cardiomyopathy, hypertension (HTN), valvular heart diseases (VHD) and myocarditis. Data from the Framingham heart study shows that it develops in approximately 16% of men and 18% of women who had diabetes; 12% of men and 8% of women who had HTN; and 30% of both sexes who had myocardial infarction (MI). Aim of the Work to measure the first phase ejection fraction (EF1) in a sample of Egyptian population and to determine its normal value and to assess its reliability in assessment of systolic function. Patients and Methods This study is a prospective and observational clinical that was conducted at El- Mokattam health insurance & Ain Shams University hospitals from October 2019 to March 2022. Results we found that mean EF1 was 35.41 ± 4.16 %, its minimal value was 26.9% and its maximal value was 43.4%. We found that EF1 was reliable and reproducible as there was no statistically significant intra observer nor inter observer variabilities (p-value was 0.547 & 0.602 respectively). We found that there was no significant statistical correlation between EF1 and gender or heart rate or other demographic or clinical data. Conclusion EF1 is a simple and reproducible measurement of LV systolic function that is easily measured by transthoracic echocardiography and is considered comparable to other indices that measure LV systolic function.

Effectiveness of cupping and aversion therapies as adjuvant methods for smoking cessation

Abstract Background Tobacco addiction affects both the mind and the body. Most people find that a mix of medicine, a strategy to change personal habits, and emotional support is the most effective way to quit. The aim of the work was to compare between the effectiveness of cupping therapy and aversion therapy as adjuvant methods in smoking cessation program. Patients and methods A prospective randomized study was done on 60 smokers recruited from Ain Shams University Hospitals who were divided into three groups. Group I : included 20 participants subjected to counseling only (the five A’S); Group II : included 20 participants subjected to counseling and aversion therapy using onion-powdered cigarettes by mixing tobacco with dried onion powder by an equal amount; Group III: included 20 participants subjected to counseling and a monthly bloodletting cupping session for 3 consecutive months, follow up visits were conducted every 2 weeks for 3 months to assess outcome and withdrawal symptoms. Results There was no statistically significant difference (p value >0.05) between the success rate in the three different groups. The success rate of quitting was the same among smokers in group I and group III ( complete success 10% and partial success 10%), while the success rate of quitting among smokers in group II was ( complete success 0% and partial success 15%). There were significant statistical correlations (P < 0.05) found between the outcome and the age, occupation, duration and pack/year smoking, while there was insignificant statistical difference (P < 0.05) between the outcome and marital status, comorbidities and previous quitting attempts. There was no significant difference between three groups in the frequency of withdrawal symptoms during follow up visits, while there was significant statistic reduction in frequency of dizziness, headache and fatigue between follow up visits in the three groups, weight gain increased during follow up visits. Conclusion Using adjuvant methods like aversion and bloodletting cupping therapy in smoking cessation programs doesn’t seem to produce significant change in success rate of quitting smoking.

Role of Α-L-Fucosidase as a Diagnostic Marker versus Α-Fetoprotein in HCC Post Viral Cirrhotic Patients

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer and the third cause of cancer-related mortality world- wide. The incidence of HCC is on the increase, and it is a major threat to our modern life. Epidemiological studies have indicated that HCC are related to chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Aim of the Work To evaluate the role of AFU as a diagnostic marker versus AFP in HCC post viral cirrhotic Egyptian patients. Patients and Methods This study had been carried out on 90 subjects, age range 21-75 year selected from Internal medicine and Hepatology outpatient clinics and inpatient wards at Ain shams university hospitals from January 2022 to June 2022. Results We found that serum levels of AFU were highest in patients of group A with HCC (129.867 ± 32.997 μl U/ml) compared to those with liver cirrhosis (33.433± 14.818 μl U/ml) with P value < 0.001 and the control groups (3.177 ± 1.199 μl U/ml) with P value < 0.001. Similarly alpha fetoprotein its serum levels were much higher in the HCC group (4688.223±11490.009 ng/ml) compared to the cirrhotic patients (4.407±3.107 ng/ml) with P value 0.02 Also, compared to healthy individuals (2.623±1.566 ng/ml) with p value 1.00. We found that there is No significant statistical correlation between serum AFP and AFU in our studied HCC and cirrhotic patients (R 0.332, P 0.073 for HCC and R 0.222, P 0.238 for cirrhotic). Regarding the negative correlation between serum AFU level and AFP level in order to predict the diagnostic value, sensitivity and specificity of both of them in term of tumor size, our study show that for AFU when the best cut off value was >52μl U/ml the sensitivity was 100% and specificity was 90% while for AFP when the best cut off value was > 10.5 ng/ml the sensitivity was 96.67% and specificity 96.67%. AFU is a promising serum tumor marker for HCC diagnosis and can be combined with AFP. Conclusion We concluded from this study that: Serum AFP was highly significant increase in HCC patients compared to cirrhotic and healthy controls, this is in agreement with many several reports that consider AFP in high serum levels as diagnostic for HCC combined with triphasic CT abdomen or dynamic MRI. Serum AFU levels were significantly higher in patients with HCC and mildly elevated in patients with liver cirrhosis compared to the control group. So it can be used as a tumor marker for HCC diagnosis. No correlation between AFU and laboratory data and child score. AFU was not influenced by clinical condition of the liver itself but with HCC. Around 40% of HCC patients have normal or low AFP level so AFU may be useful as a diagnostic marker in those patients. Serum AFP is the standard tumor marker used in clinical practice for diagnosis and surveillance of HCC in cirrhotic patients in spite of normal and low AFP HCC patients that may reach 40%. Sensitivity and specificity of AFU was nearly similar to sensitivity and specificity of AFP. Combined use of AFU with AFP or possibly other markers will improve the diagnostic field and can help in early detection of HCC in surveillance programms.

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection among Patients with Acne Vulgaris

Abstract Background Acne vulgaris is one of the most common dermatologic complaints. About 85% of adolescent population and 3% of the adults between the age of 35-44 years have this disease worldwide. It is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the pilosebaceous unit. Helicobacter pylori is a gastric Gram-negative, spiral-shaped microaerophilic pathogen closely associated with gastric and extra-gastric diseases (chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, gastric cancer, iron deficiency anemia, etc). It has been shown that H. pylori may play a potential pathogenic role in extra-intestinal diseases such as hepatobiliary, respiratory, cardiovascular, and dermatological disorders. The latter included chronic urticaria, psoriasis, henoch-schonlein purpura, and rosacea. Objective To determine the prevalence of H. Pylori infection among AV patients and correlate it with the disease severity. We included 45 patients with AV and 45 matched age and sex apparent healthy controls. Methods This case control study included 45 Patients with AV. They were recruited from the Dermatology outpatient clinic, Ain Shams University Hospitals and Teba specialized hospital in Luxur government. The study also included 45 age and sex matched healthy volunteers as a control group. They were recruited from people who don't have AV attending Al Demerdash Hospital Ain Shams University and Tepa Specialized Hospital. The study was done in the period from November 2021 to October 2022. Results Detection of H. pylori antigen in stool and H. pylori antibody IgG in serum in both groups revealed that the rates of H. pylori antigen in stool and H. pylori antibody IgG in serum were significantly higher in AV patients compared to control subjects. Also the patients with severe AV had statistically significant higher rates of H. pylori antigen in stool and H. pylori antibody in serum as compared to the patients with mild Acne and healthy controls. Also the number of AV involved sites and severity of AV were significantly correlated with H. pylori Ag in stool and H pylori Ab in serum. While there was no statistical significant correlation between (the type of AV, onset of AV and duration of AV) and H. pylori Ag in stool and H. pylori Ab in serum. Conclusion The prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients with acne vulgaris is high so it may represent a risk factor for this skin disease. Also the indicators of H. pylori infection were positively correlated with the severity of AV.

Severity of papular urticaria in children is associated with specific IgG4 anti-salivary gland antigens from Aedes aegypti.

Background. Papular Urticaria (PU) is a cutaneous hypersensitivity disorder triggered by hematophagous arthropod bites. Despite being a common condition, especially in tropical environments, many knowledge gaps are observed for this disease. The main objective of this study was to investigate the patterns of humoral immune response to mosquito antigens in children with PU and establish a correlation between this response and the severity of clinical symptoms. Methods. An analytical cross-sectional observational study was carried out. Clinical and sociodemographic data and children's blood samples were collected to measure the specific antibodies from: 1. A. aegypti salivary gland antigens; 2. A. aegypti whole body antigens (both produced in the laboratory of the Center for Health Sciences at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro). A PU severity score based on clinical data is proposed to correlate disease severity with antibody reactivity signatures. Results. According to the clinical data, 58.9% of children received high severity scores. A significant statistical correlation was found between patients with high PU severity score and the development of symptoms before the age of two (p = 0.0326) and high IgG4 anti-salivary gland antigens concentration (p less than 0.05). Conclusion. It is suggested that PU severity in children is associated with a high concentration of IgG4 anti-salivary gland antigens from Aedes aegypti. Further studies are recommended to deepen the understanding of the mechanisms involved.

Enhancing image security via chaotic maps, Fibonacci, Tribonacci transformations, and DWT diffusion: a robust data encryption approach

In recent years, numerous image encryption schemes have been developed that demonstrate different levels of effectiveness in terms of robust security and real-time applications. While a few of them outperform in terms of robust security, others perform well for real-time applications where less processing time is required. Balancing these two aspects poses a challenge, aiming to achieve efficient encryption without compromising security. To address this challenge, the proposed research presents a robust data security approach for encrypting grayscale images, comprising five key phases. The first and second phases of the proposed encryption framework are dedicated to the generation of secret keys and the confusion stage, respectively. While the level-1, level-2, and level-2 diffusions are performed in phases 3, 4, and 5, respectively, The proposed approach begins with secret key generation using chaotic maps for the initial pixel scrambling in the plaintext image, followed by employing the Fibonacci Transformation (FT) for an additional layer of pixel shuffling. To enhance security, Tribonacci Transformation (TT) creates level-1 diffusion in the permuted image. Level-2 diffusion is introduced to further strengthen the diffusion within the plaintext image, which is achieved by decomposing the diffused image into eight-bit planes and implementing XOR operations with corresponding bit planes that are extracted from the key image. After that, the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) is employed to develop secondary keys. The DWT frequency sub-band (high-frequency sub-band) is substituted using the substitution box process. This creates further diffusion (level 3 diffusion) to make it difficult for an attacker to recover the plaintext image from an encrypted image. Several statistical tests, including mean square error analysis, histogram variance analysis, entropy assessment, peak signal-to-noise ratio evaluation, correlation analysis, key space evaluation, and key sensitivity analysis, demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed work. The proposed encryption framework achieves significant statistical values, with entropy, correlation, energy, and histogram variance values standing at 7.999, 0.0001, 0.0156, and 6458, respectively. These results contribute to its robustness against cyberattacks. Moreover, the processing time of the proposed encryption framework is less than one second, which makes it more suitable for real-world applications. A detailed comparative analysis with the existing methods based on chaos, DWT, Tribonacci transformation (TT), and Fibonacci transformation (FT) reveals that the proposed encryption scheme outperforms the existing ones.

Abnormal vascular thickness and stiffness in young adults with type 1 diabetes: new insights from cutting-edge ultrasound modalities

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). Early markers of CVD include increased carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and pulse wave velocity (PWV), but these existing ultrasound technologies show limited spatial and temporal resolution in young adults. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the utility of high-resolution ultrasound modalities, including high frequency ultrasound CIMT (hfCIMT) and ultrafast ultrasound PWV (ufPWV), in young adults with Type 1 Diabetes.MethodsThis is a prospective single-center observational cohort study including 39 participants with T1D and 25 age and sex matched controls. All participants underwent hfCIMT and ufPWV measurements. hfCIMT and ufPWV measures of T1D were compared with controls and associations with age, sex, BMI, A1c, blood pressure, and lipids were studied.ResultsMean age was 24.1 years old in both groups. T1D had a greater body mass index (27.7 [5.7] vs 23.1 [3.2] kg/m2), LDL Cholesterol, and estimated GFR, and had a mean A1c of 7.4 [1.0] % (57 mmol/mol) and diabetes duration of 16.1 [3.7] years with 56% using insulin pumps. In T1D, hfCIMT was significantly increased as compared to controls (0.435 ± 0.06 mm vs 0.379 ± 0.06 mm respectively, p < 0.01). ufPWV measures were significantly increased in T1D (systolic foot PWV: 5.29 ± 0.23 m/s vs 5.50 ± 0.37 m/s, p < 0.01; dicrotic notch PWV = 7.54 ± 0.46 m/s vs 7.92 ± 0.41 m/s, p < 0.01). Further, there was an impact of A1c-measured glycemia on hfCIMT, but this relationship was not seen with ufPWV. No significant statistical correlations between hfCIMT and ufPWV measures in either T1D or healthy controls were observed.ConclusionYoung adults with T1D present with differences in arterial thickness and stiffness when compared with controls. Use of novel high-resolution ultrasound measures describe important relationships between early structural and vascular pathophysiologic changes and are promising tools to evaluate pre-clinical CVD risk in youth with T1D.Trial Registration: ISRCTN91419926.

Microplastic contamination in urban aquatic environments: Occurrence characteristics in urban streams and stormwater runoff from urban surfaces

This study investigates microplastics in urban environments, focusing on their abundance, types, and relationships with hydrological parameters. Microplastic analyses encompassed two steps: (1) examining urban streams including discharges from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) during non-rainy seasons, and (2) analyzing stormwater runoff from urban surfaces for microplastic content during rainy seasons. In urban streams, WWTP discharge exhibited higher microplastic concentrations compared to other streams, indicating WWTP discharge is a dominant source of microplastic pollution. The most prevalent microplastics detected were polypropylene, polyethylene, and their copolymer, although a variety of other types were also found. Concentrations of microplastics were notably influenced by specific urban land uses, as evidenced by a strong correlation (0.95) between microplastic concentrations and areas characterized by industrial and transportation activities. During rainy seasons, microplastics followed the pattern of stormwater runoff, but the highest concentrations, significantly exceeding those in urban streams, were observed before the peak runoff. These maximum concentrations and their timing of occurrence were linked to antecedent dry days, rain intensity, and runoff rate, showing significant statistical correlations. Regardless of their sizes, a diverse range of microplastic types was identified in these conditions, with no consistent pattern across different rain events. This highlights the complex nature of urban microplastic pollution. This study reveals that aquatic ecosystems are significantly affected by two primary factors: (1) the consistent contribution of microplastics from WWTP discharges, and (2) the short-term, but severe, impacts of microplastic pollution associated with stormwater runoff. Furthermore, it suggests the development of alternative strategies to mitigate microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems, informed by the findings on the characteristics of microplastics in urban environments. This research underscores the urgent need for integrated urban environmental management strategies, paving the way for future studies to further explore and address the multifaceted challenges posed by microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems.

Characterization Of First Metatarsal Regeneration After New Modern Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery. A Retrospective Radiographic Review Of 172 Cases.

Introduction First metatarsal regeneration (FMR) is a new phenomenon that occurs as a result of new minimally invasive bunion surgery (MIBS) and has yet to be studied. The goal of this investigation is to characterize bone healing and introduce a new classification system (3 Types). Methods A retrospective radiographic review between January 2018 to June 2021 was performed, identifying 172 feet (122 patients). A minimum of four months of follow-up was required to be included. We classified the extent of callus formation based on the relationship to the primary “anchor” screw. A FMR Type I involved callus medial to the screw, FMR Type II involved callus medial and lateral to the screw, and FMR Type III had robust callus with first metatarsal regeneration. Results Mean age was 46.6±14.6 years; 117 (95.9%) females and 5 (4.1%) males. Mean follow-up was 8.2±5.7 months. The FMR bone healing distributions were Type I (17.4%, 30 feet), Type II (42.4%, 73 feet), and Type III (40.1%, 69 feet). There was a statistically significant overall difference in both IMA and HVA, (P&lt;0.001), which was maintained across all FMR types (I-III, p&lt;0.0001 for all comparisons). No statistical significant correlation between FMR type and age, sex, laterality, operation on both or one foot, length of follow-up, and pre- and postop radiographic angles. The same FMR type occurred in bilateral surgery in 28% when performed on the same day, and 20% on different days; and these differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion This is the first investigation to provide patterns of healing after MIBS, and evidence that FMR does occur for all bunion severities. Surgeons considering performing MIBS should no longer fear that bone healing is not possible. Our classification will help guide future studies by comparing the FMR with different techniques, fixation types/constructs and/or weight bearing protocols.

Tidal Effects on the Schumann Resonance Amplitudes Recorded by the Global Coherence Monitoring System

The main scientific result of this paper is the demonstration of the fact that tidal effects induced by the Moon affect the Schumann resonance amplitudes measured at magnetometers located at different geographical locations of the Global Coherence Monitoring System. Each magnetometer is paired with the closest monitoring station of the global tidal wave measurement network. This paper introduces the Schumann Resonance Complexity Index (SRCI), computed by using the calibrated H-rank algorithm on the local magnetic field data recorded by each magnetometer of the Global Coherence Monitoring System. Tidal wave data recorded at each monitoring station are also used to compute the Tidal Wave Complexity Index (TWCI). Eliminating diel cycles from the SRCI data yields significant statistical correlations between the SRCI and TWCI data, proving the hypothesis of tidal effects on the global network of magnetometers.

Characterization Of First Metatarsal Regeneration After New Modern Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery. A Retrospective Radiographic Review Of 172 Cases.

Introduction First metatarsal regeneration (FMR) is a new phenomenon that occurs as a result of new minimally invasive bunion surgery (MIBS) and has yet to be studied. The goal of this investigation is to characterize bone healing and introduce a new classification system (3 Types). Methods A retrospective radiographic review between January 2018 to June 2021 was performed, identifying 172 feet (122 patients). A minimum of four months of follow-up was required to be included. We classified the extent of callus formation based on the relationship to the primary “anchor” screw. A FMR Type I involved callus medial to the screw, FMR Type II involved callus medial and lateral to the screw, and FMR Type III had robust callus with first metatarsal regeneration. Results Mean age was 46.6±14.6 years; 117 (95.9%) females and 5 (4.1%) males. Mean follow-up was 8.2±5.7 months. The FMR bone healing distributions were Type I (17.4%, 30 feet), Type II (42.4%, 73 feet), and Type III (40.1%, 69 feet). There was a statistically significant overall difference in both IM and HVA, (P&lt;0.001), which was maintained across all FMR types (I-III, p&lt;0.0001 for all comparisons). No statistical significant correlation between FMR type and age, sex, laterality, operation on both or one foot, length of follow-up, and pre- and postop radiographic angles. The same FMR type occurred in bilateral surgery in 28% when performed on the same day, and 20% on different days; and these differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion This is the first investigation to provide patterns of healing after MIBS, and evidence that FMR does occur for all bunion severities. Surgeons considering performing MIBS should no longer fear that bone healing is not possible. Our classification will help guide future studies by comparing the FMR with different techniques, fixation types/constructs and/or weight bearing protocols.

Simplified vs modified (reduced) ultrasound 6 joint score in assessing disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients

Introduction and aim. With increasing ultrasound US assessment opportunities for tight rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management, more simplified accurate US-assessment is desired in clinical practice. Aim of the work is assessing modified vs simplified ultrasound 6-joint scores relevance in assessing rheumatoid arthritis disease activity. Material and methods. Fifty-five RA patients were subjected to detailed history, clinical, and musculoskeletal examination with disease activity assessment by clinical disease activity index, simple disease activity index and disease activity score in 28 joints. Com plete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies were done. Patients underwent US examination (gray-scale and power Doppler) for wrist, 2nd and 3rd metacarpophalangeal and knee joints bilaterally. Synovitis composite score was added. Two US indices were constructed: simplified S6 and modified M6 joint scores. Results. Statistical significant positive correlations were high between S6/M6 score parameters (total, grey-scale (GS), power doppler (PD), Composite) and disease activity markers. Both M6 and S6 scores differentiated mild-moderate and moderate-severe disease activity patients. However, only S6 score differentiated remission from mild disease activity patients. Conclusion. Ultrasound 6-joint scores (especially simplified S6) were rapid, easy and sensitive ultrasound tools assessing rheu matoid arthritis disease activity in clinical practice.

CORRELATION OF Ki-67 CELL PROLIFERATION MARKER EXPRESSION WITH AGE,&#x0D; SEX, DISEASE STAGE, AND TUMOR DIFFERENTIATION IN GASTRIC CANCER

Relevance: Gastric cancer continues to lead the cancer incidence structure. One of the directions of a comprehensive plan to reduce the&#x0D; incidence of malignant neoplasms is the development a highly efficient early diagnostics based on the relationship between the expression of&#x0D; the cell proliferation marker Ki-67 in gastric cancer with age, sex, stage of the disease and the degree of tumor differentiation according to&#x0D; immunohistochemical analysis.&#x0D; The study aimed to study the relationship between the expression of the Ki-67 marker in gastric cancer and age, sex, stage of the disease,&#x0D; and the degree of tumor differentiation.&#x0D; Methods: The research design is a comparative descriptive study. For the study, surgical material was used from 109 patients with gastric&#x0D; cancer stages 0-IIIC, obtained during gastric cancer operations from the pathology department of the West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov&#x0D; Medical University (WKMOMU) Medical Center from 2021 to 2022. Histological and immunohistochemical studies were conducted at the&#x0D; morphological laboratory of the Department of Histology of WKMOMU. The obtained data was statistically processed.&#x0D; Results: The present study showed a significant statistical correlation between the Ki-67 level and the histopathological grade of gastric&#x0D; cancer (p=0.039).&#x0D; The indicators such as ‘pTNM stage’ (p=0.894), ‘Age’ (p=0.664), ‘Sex (F – 1, M – 2)’ (p=0.928), and ‘Tumor localization (cardiac – 1, body – 2,&#x0D; antral and pyloric – 3)’ (p=0.866) did not statistically significantly correlated with the Ki-67 expression level.&#x0D; Conclusions: The relationship between Ki-67 expression and histopathological grade (p=0.039) in gastric cancer helps identify patients&#x0D; with aggressive tumors that require adjuvant therapy.

Effect of Mentorship on Performance of Mission Hospitals in Kenya

Purpose: Those who employ creative leadership tend to do so by creating conditions which promote creativity. Creating such conditions are described as psychological, material, and/or social supports that trigger, enable, and sustain creative thinking in others. The study sought to establish the effect of mentorship creative leadership practice on performance of mission hospitals in Kenya and to establish the moderating effect of perceived organizational support on the effect of mentorship creative leadership practice on performance of mission hospitals in Kenya.&#x0D; Methodology: The study was grounded on servant leadership theory and Transactional Leadership Theory. The cross-sectional survey design was used as the study design with the positivist philosophy also being adopted. The sample populations comprised 285 Mission hospital staff at middle or lower levels of employment selected through census. Questionnaire was the main data collection instruments. This was tested for validity and reliability before being used for the study. Collected data was analyzed quantitatively using SPSS 24th version software and was presented in the form of descriptive and inferential results. Descriptive statistics involved percentages, means and means of Standard deviations while inferential involved linear regression analysis. The study results were presented through use of tables and figures&#x0D; Findings: The findings of the study underscore the substantial influence of effective mentorship in enhancing both individual and organizational performance in the context of Mission hospitals in Kenya. The strong agreement among respondents on the various aspects of mentorship, combined with the significant statistical correlation between mentorship and improved hospital performance, underscores the value of investing in robust mentorship programs. Perceived organizational support moderates the effect of mentorship on performance of Mission hospitals in Kenya.&#x0D; Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study recommends that healthcare institutions prioritize the development and enhancement of mentorship programs. These programs should focus on leadership development, skill acquisition, and professional growth, tailored to the diverse needs of individual employees. From the study, Mentorship could explain upto 63.1% of the performance of mission hospitals in Kenya. This study therefore recommends further study on other factors affecting performance of mission hospitals in Kenya.

Acaricide resistance status of deltamethrin and coumaphos in Hyalomma anatolicum ticks collected from different districts of Haryana.

To study the acaricide resistance status and possible mechanisms of action in conferring resistance to commonly used acaricides (deltamethrin and coumaphos), Hyalomma anatolicum ticks were collected from 6 dairy farms of Hisar and Charkhi Dadri districts of Haryana. By using standard larval packet test, H. anatolicum tick larvae of Charkhi Dadri isolates were found to be susceptible (100% mortality) to both the acaricides. Level-I resistance against coumaphos was recorded from four isolates, whereas, level-II was observed in only one isolate, collected from Hisar. One isolates (Kaimri) from Hisar also showed level-I resistance against deltamethrin. Biochemically, the ticks having higher values of resistance factor (RF) against coumaphos were found to possess increased enzymatic activity of α-esterase, β-esterase, glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and mono-oxygenase enzymes, whereas, the monoamine oxidase did not show any constant trend. However, the RF showed a statistical significant correlation with GST only. Native PAGE analysis of H. anatolicum ticks revealed the presence of nine types of esterases (EST-1h to EST-9h) by using napthyl acetate as substrate. In the inhibitory assay, esterases were found to be inhibited by PMSF, indicating the presence of serine residue at catalytic triad. The partial cds of carboxylesterase and domain II of sodium channel genes were sequenced to determine any proposed mutations in resistant isolates of H. anatolicum ticks, however, no mutations were observed in either gene, indicating that increased expression of detoxification enzymes as a possible mechanism for resistance development, in the current study.

Comparison of testicular stiffness values obtained by ultrasound shear-wave elastography and magnetic resonance elastography in normal healthy volunteers

Objectives: This study aimed to contribute to the standardization of elastography by comparing stiffness values obtained from ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) of the testicular parenchyma in healthy volunteers. Methods: A total of 22 healthy volunteers (44 testes) were included in this study. Of the 26 cases analyzed, four were excluded from the study due to the exclusion criteria. The testicular parenchyma of the included patients was evaluated using MRE and SWE examinations. Pearson's correlation test was used to calculate the correlation between age and stiffness values, testicular volumes and stiffness values, and stiffness values from both examinations. Results: The mean SWE stiffness of the right testes was 5.560±3.1 kPa and the mean SWE stiffness of the left testes was 5.361±2.9 kPa. The mean MRE stiffness of the right testes was 6960.11±460 Pa and the mean MRE stiffness of the left testes was 6560.19±310 Pa. There was no significant correlation between SWE and MRE stiffness values (P=0.096). There was also no significant statistical correlation between SWE and MRE stiffness values and testicular volumes (P=0.17 and P=0.093, respectively). Conclusions: No statistical correlation was found between the stiffness values obtained by SWE and those obtained by MRE in the normal testicular parenchyma. Additionally, no conclusive relationship between stiffness levels, age, or testicular volume was discovered.

Influence of Cumulative Effective Stream Power on Scour Depth Prediction Around Bridge Piers in Cohesive Bed Sediments

Streambed scour in cohesive sediment is complex because erosion processes depend on the physical, geochemical, and biological properties of the sediment. The scouring processes can also be characterized as a slow fatigue phenomenon. Therefore, repetitive hydraulic loadings from multiple stormflow events are likely necessary for equilibrium scour depths to develop in cohesive sediment compared with non-cohesive sediment. Cumulative effective stream power, which is a surrogate measure of effective stream power duration, showed a significant relation with scour development and propagation in cohesive sediments around bridge piers, where results from this study identified a statistically significant correlation between cumulative effective stream power and the observed scour depths around different bridge piers ( R2 = 0.56, p &lt; 0.001). However, some localized and site-specific variations were observed. It was also observed that scour depth development in cohesive soil appeared to be dependent on effective shear duration, rather than the number of flow events above erosion threshold values. In addition, the relationship between an erodibility index ( K) and critical stream power showed a significant statistical correlation ( R2 = 0.61, p = 0.017). Results from this study deviated from the Annandale empirical relationship for sediments when K &lt; 0.1. This finding supports that site-specific critical stream power should be measured using an empirical relationship for cohesive bed sediments to predict scour depths.

Biochemical profile of patients in ketosis-prone diabetes state in Côte d’Ivoire

: Diabetes keto-acidosis is the most serious hyperglycemic emergency in patients with diabetes. DKA has long been considered a key clinical feature of T1D. In this study, we assessed biochemical disorders focused on lipid and renal parameters in KPD.: We carried out a case-controls study for one year, encompassing 200 participants in total. Patients were outpatients newly diagnosed diabetics attending for the first time hospitals, controls were no-ketosis participants. Blood samples were taken, after 10 to 12 hours of fasting from the day before, in different tubes for each intended analyses according to instructor’s recommendation. The increased mean value of fasting blood glucose together with HbA1c are corrolated with ketonuria. As regard to cardio-metabolic risk, ketosis-prone patients were at greater risk than no-ketosis controls The mean AIP value was higher in KPD women than in men, with no significant statistical correlation. Uremia and creatininemia, two kidney parameters commonly prescribed to explore glomerular filtration, were correlated with some social indicators. The mean values of these both parameters increased significantly with age in KPD group. Creatinine increased significantly with age in patients, in line with glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The older the participants, the higher the mean values of these parameters. : These biochemical parameters, high atherogenic index and lower glomerular filtration rate, documented in our study, must be sought out when inaugural ketosis is suspected for improving the clinical prognosis of patients in the initial step of management.