Spearman Correlation Analysis Research Articles

Relationships between site index modeling of crimean juniper and habitat factors

The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between height growth and some site factors of Crimean juniper in southwestern Anatolia. The data was collected from 130 sample plots selected from 10 districts in western Anatolia. The age and height of the Crimean juniper were measured in each sample plot. Surface soil samples collected from each sample plot were analyzed for pH, organic matter, carbonate content, texture, stoniness, available water capacity, wilting point, and field capacity. All site index values were calculated at a standard age of 100 years old. Spearman and Pearson correlation analyses were used to determine the relationships between plus tree and site factors. According to Spearman's correlation analysis, the site index showed a negative relationship with limestone. According to the results of the Pearson correlation analysis, the numerical variables LATTUD, SLOPE, SURSTON, and HINDEX had a 1% relationship with the site index, and RINDEX had a 5% relationship. Once the binary relationships had been determined, the multivariate relationships were modelled using generalized additive models. The best site index model was obtained using a generalized additive model 1 (R = 0.63), including latitude, longitude, altitude, slope, and stoniness.

Seed endophytes and rhizosphere microbiome of Imperata cylindrica, a pioneer plant of abandoned mine lands.

Some plant-associated microorganisms could improve host plants biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. Imperata cylindrica is a dominant pioneer plant in some abandoned mine lands with higher concentrations of heavy metal (HM). To discover the specific microbiome of I. cylindrica in this extreme environment and evaluate its role, the microbiome of I. cylindrica's seeds and rhizosphere soils from HM heavily contaminated (H) and lightly contaminated (L) sites were studied. It was found that HM-contamination significantly reduced the richness of endophytic bacteria in seeds, but increased the abundance of resistant species, such as Massilia sp. and Duganella sp. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient analysis showed that both Massilia sp. and Duganella sp. showed a significant positive correlation with Zn concentration, indicating that it may have a strong tolerance to Zn. A comparison of the microbiome of rhizosphere soils (RS) and adjacent bare soils (BS) of site H showed that I. cylindrica colonization significantly increased the diversity of fungi in rhizosphere soil and the abundance of Ascomycota associated with soil nutrient cycling. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient analysis showed that Ascomycota was positively correlated with the total nitrogen. Combined with the fact that the total nitrogen content of RS was significantly higher than that of BS, we suppose that Ascomycota may enhance the nitrogen fixation of I. cylindrica, thereby promoting its growth in such an extreme environment. In conclusion, the concentration of HM and nutrient contents in the soil significantly affected the microbial community of rhizosphere soils and seeds of I. cylindrica, in turn, the different microbiomes further affected soil HM concentration and nutrient contents. The survival of I. cylindrica in HM severely contaminated environment may mainly be through recruiting more microorganisms that can enhance its nutrition supply.

Association of plasma metals with resting-state functional connectivity in ischemic stroke

BackgroundMetal exposure has long been considered a significant risk factor for ischemic stroke. However, existing data on the effects of metal exposure on brain function in ischemic stroke are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the correlation between exposure to various metals and changes in resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) in ischemic stroke patients. MethodsThis study included 28 acute ischemic stroke patients with hemiplegia and 28 matched healthy controls (HCs). All participants underwent T1-weighted MRI and 3.0T resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). After MRI acquisition, the rs-FC between 137 cortical and subcortical regions was extracted and preprocessed. Plasma levels of 19 metals were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) model and the weighted quantile sum regression (WQS) model were used to assess the overall effect of metal mixture exposure. The severity of neurological deficits in each acute ischemic stroke patient was evaluated using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Additionally, the associations between exposure to various metals and modifications in brain functional connectivity were determined using Pearson or Spearman correlation analysis. ResultsBilateral brain connectivity was significantly decreased compared to controls and was associated with neurological impairment in ischemic stroke. In patients with ischemic stroke, the plasma concentrations of Cr (p < 0.001), Cu (p = 0.004), As (p = 0.010), Cs (p = 0.046), Rb (p = 0.041), and Sb (p = 0.001) were significantly higher than those in the HCs, whereas the plasma Tl concentrations (p = 0.022) were significantly lower. The results of the BKMR and WQS models showed that combined exposure to metal mixtures was linked to a higher risk of ischemic stroke. Cr was positively correlated with the rs-FC between the left Rolandic_Oper and the left Supp_Motor_Area (r = 0.414, p = 0.029), while negatively correlated with the rs-FC between the right Parietal_Inf and the left supramarginal (r = -0.398, p = 0.037). Cu was negatively correlated with the rs-FC between the left paracentral lobule and the left thalamus (r = -0.409, p = 0.031). Tl was positively correlated with the rs-FC between the right Parietal_Inf and the left supramarginal cortex (r = 0.590, p = 0.001). A negative correlation was observed between Cs and rs-FC between the right Cingulate_Mid and left Occipital_Sup (r = -0.429, p = 0.024). Sb was negatively correlated with the rs-FC between the left Parietal_Inf and the right SupraMarginal (r = -0.384, p = 0.044), the right Parietal_Inf and the left SupraMarginal (r = -0.583, p = 0.001), and the left SupraMarginal and the right SupraMarginal (r = -0.377, p = 0.048). ConclusionPlasma levels of Cr, Cu, Tl, Cs, and Sb were associated with altered rs-FC in brain regions related to motor control, sensory integration, executive function, language processing, and emotional regulation in ischemic stroke patients with basal ganglia infarction.

Altered static and dynamic functional network connectivity in individuals with subthreshold depression: a large-scale resting-state fMRI study.

Dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) is an expansion of static FNC (sFNC) that reflects connectivity variations among brain networks. This study aimed to investigate changes in sFNC and dFNC strength and temporal properties in individuals with subthreshold depression (StD). Forty-two individuals with subthreshold depression and 38 healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study. Group independent component analysis (GICA) was used to determine target resting-state networks, namely, executive control network (ECN), default mode network (DMN), sensorimotor network (SMN) and dorsal attentional network (DAN). Sliding window and k-means clustering analyses were used to identify dFNC patterns and temporal properties in each subject. We compared sFNC and dFNC differences between the StD and HCs groups. Relationships between changes in FNC strength, temporal properties, and neurophysiological score were evaluated by Spearman's correlation analysis. The sFNC analysis revealed decreased FNC strength in StD individuals, including the DMN-CEN, DMN-SMN, SMN-CEN, and SMN-DAN. In the dFNC analysis, 4 reoccurring FNC patterns were identified. Compared to HCs, individuals with StD had increased mean dwell time and fraction time in a weakly connected state (state 4), which is associated with self-focused thinking status. In addition, the StD group demonstrated decreased dFNC strength between the DMN-DAN in state 2. sFNC strength (DMN-ECN) and temporal properties were correlated with HAMD-17 score in StD individuals (all p < 0.01). Our study provides new evidence on aberrant time-varying brain activity and large-scale network interaction disruptions in StD individuals, which may provide novel insight to better understand the underlying neuropathological mechanisms.

Examining audiologist candidates' self-esteem and professional self-esteem

BackgroundSelf-esteem is an individual's perception of themselves. Professional self-esteem is defined as the individual's perception of worthiness regarding their preferred profession. The research aims to examine the relationship between the self-esteem and professional self-esteem of Audiology department students and raise awareness of this issue.Material and MethodIn our study, 532 students in the Audiology undergraduate department were included. Professional Self-Esteem and Self-Esteem questionnaires were delivered to the students online via Google Forms, using snowball sampling, in social media groups of the Audiology undergraduate students. Data were analyzed using Spearman correlation analysis, Mann Whitney U, and Kruskal Wallis Test. p < 0.05 was accepted as significance value.ResultsAccording to the results, it has been observed that there is a weak and significant positive correlation between the professional self-esteem of the audiologist candidates and their total self-esteem scores (p < 0.05). Self-esteem and professional self-esteem scores of those who chose the profession willingly were significantly higher than those who did not choose the profession willingly (p < 0.05). As the grade level increased, professional self-esteem decreased significantly (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the scores in both scales according to income, university type, and gender (p > 0.05).ConclusionAs a result, it was observed that as the self-esteem of the audiologist candidates increased, their professional self-esteem increased. Also, as the class level increased, their professional self-esteem decreased.

A quantitative MRI comparative study of imaging markers for cerebral small vessel disease in the middle-aged and elderly patients with and without hypertension

Objective: To explore the difference of MRI markers of small cerebral vascular disease in middle-aged and elderly patients with hypertension and non-hypertension. Methods: A cross-sectional study. The clinical data of 316 patients who underwent head MRI with susceptibility weighted imaging scans at the Affiliated Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University from November 2013 to August 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 190 males and 126 females, with the age of (71.6±8.9)years. According to the history of hypertension, the patients were divided into hypertension group(n=259) and the non-hypertension group(n=57). The patients in the non-hypertension group were further divided into abnormal blood pressure group on admission (n=19) and normal blood pressure group on admission (n=38). The imaging features of different CSVD dimensions in the patient's images were quantified or graded and compared between hypertensive and non-hypertensive patient groups. Deep learning methods were employed to segment white matter lesions, and voxel-wise analysis was conducted to investigate the differences in whole-brain white matter lesion probability between patients in both groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between hypertension and small cerebral vascular disease. Results: Compared with the non-hypertensive group, the cerebral microhemorrhage count, deep microhemorrhage count, basal ganglia level lacunae count, perivascular space (EPVS) grade of hemioval center level and EPVS grade of basal ganglia level were higher in the hypertensive group (all P<0.05). The cerebral microhemorrhage count [3.0(1.0, 15.0) vs 1.0 (0, 4.2)], deep microhemorrhage count [1.0 (0, 7.0) vs 1.0 (0, 4.2)] and EPVS classification at basal ganglium level [2.0(1.0, 3.0) vs 1.0(1.0, 2.0)] in the group with history of hypertension were higher than those in the group with normal blood pressure at admission (all P<0.05). The EPVS grade at the central level of the semiovale in the hypertension group was higher than that of the group with normal blood pressure at admission [2.0(1.0, 2.0) vs 1.0 (1.0, 2.0)], and also higher than that of the group with abnormal blood pressure at admission [2.0(1.0, 2.0) vs 1.0(1.0, 2.0)](both P<0.05). Voxel-by-voxel analysis showed no significant difference in the probability of white matter lesions in the whole brain between patients with and without a history of hypertension, but patients with a history of hypertension showed more extensive para-ventricular white matter hypersignaling than those without a history of hypertension. Spearman correlation analysis showed that hypertension grade was correlated with the number of microbleeding lesions in depth (r=0.149), the number of lacunae lesions in the center of the hemioval (r=0.209), and the number of lacunae lesions in the basal ganglia (r=0.204) (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Chronic hypertension can affect different dimensions of small vessel disease imaging, primarily manifested in the increases of deep microbleed counts and the EPVS grade.

Attitudes Toward Dating Violence, Social Impact, and Alexithymia in University Students: A Structural Equation Modeling.

This research was conducted to determine the effects of social impact and alexithymia on attitudes toward dating violence. Additionally, the interaction between them was examined. In this context, the effect of social impact on alexithymia was also examined. In addition, this research tried to determine whether alexithymia has a mediating role between social impact and attitudes toward dating violence. The study was descriptive and cross-sectional. There was a total of 582 participants in the study. The study used the Sociodemographic Questionnaire Form, Social Impact Scale (SIS), 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and Dating Violence Scale (DVS) for data collection. The study used the descriptive statistics, spearman correlation analysis and structural equation modeling in the evaluation of the data. Participants' SIS scores had a statistically significant and positive correlation with their TAS-20 scores (p < .01), while they had a statistically significant and negative correlation with their DVS scores (p < .01). In addition, a statistically significant and negative correlation was found between TAS-20 scores and DVS scores (p < .01). SIS scores directly affected the TAS-20 (effect value = 0.481; p = .001) and DVS scores (effect value = -0.405; p = .001). Similarly, the TAS-20 scores had a direct effect on the DVS scores (effect value = -0.261; p = .008). In addition to this direct effect of TAS-20 scores, there was a significant mediator effect between the SIS scores and DVS scores (effect value = -0.126; p = .008). In this study, it was established that social impact effects both alexithymia and attitudes toward dating violence, and moreover, alexithymia influences attitudes toward dating violence. Additionally, it was identified that alexithymia serves as a mediator in the relationship between social impact and attitudes toward dating violence.

CT histogram analysis to distinguish between acute intracerebral hemorrhage and cavernous hemangioma

CT histogram analysis to distinguish between acute intracerebral hemorrhage and cavernous hemangioma

SOH estimation of lithium-ion batteries based on multi-feature deep fusion and XGBoost

State of Health (SOH) is a crucial metric for battery management systems, and accurate estimation of battery SOH is essential for the underlying management and maintenance of batteries. Traditional data-driven approaches lack in-depth analysis of health features and fail to exploit the deep-level health information among these features. Therefore, this paper extracts six health features from both measurement and calculation perspectives based on actual measurable charging curve data, and conducts aging analysis of health features from a mechanistic perspective and Spearman correlation analysis from a quantitative perspective. Additionally, a strategy combining deep learning with ensemble learning is proposed. This strategy utilizes one-dimensional convolutional neural networks to deeply integrate multiple original features, extracting fusion features with deep-level health information. Subsequently, XGBoost is employed to learn the fusion features for estimating battery SOH. Finally, the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method are verified on battery aging datasets from the University of Maryland and our laboratory. Experimental results demonstrate that the RMSE and MAE of the proposed method are both below 1 % and outperform other methods.

Impact of comorbid subthreshold depressive symptoms on cancer-related fatigue and complications in adults with leukemia.

Patients not only experience symptoms caused by cancer but also suffer from the accompanying psychological pain. Therefore, these patients do not have high quality of life. According to the World Health Organization, the incidence of leukemia in China in 2020 was 5.1/100000, the mortality rate was 3.3/100000, and the prevalence rate was 16.7/100000. Therefore, it is important to examine the influence of comorbid subthreshold depressive symptoms on leukemia patients. To determine the impact of comorbid subthreshold depressive symptoms on cancer-related fatigue and complications in leukemia patients, thereby providing a basis for early diagnosis and treatment in clinical practice. A questionnaire survey was conducted among leukemia patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China, from August 2022 to December 2023. Patients with a score > 16 on the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders (CCMD-3) and a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score of 8-17 were classified as the subthreshold depressive group (n = 95), while 100 leukemia patients admitted during the same period were classified as the control group. Data were collected using Epidata 3.1 software, and comparisons were made between the two groups regarding general clinical data, the Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Numeric Rating Scale for pain assessment, laboratory indicators, and the occurrence of complications. In this survey, 120 leukemia patients with depression were preliminarily screened, 95 patients with subthreshold depression were ultimately selected as the subthreshold depression group, and 100 leukemia patients admitted during the same period were enrolled as the normal group. Comparison of basic clinical data between the two groups revealed no significant differences in age, sex, body mass index, cognitive function, or comorbidity with other chronic diseases. However, there were statistically significant differences in the use of radiotherapy and regular exercise between the two groups (P < 0.05). Comparisons of scales and laboratory indicators revealed no significant differences in albumin or PSQI scores between the two groups, but there were statistically significant differences in pain scores, PSQI scores, PFS scores, hemoglobin levels, and C-reactive protein levels (P < 0.05). Spearman's correlation analysis indicated that cancer-related fatigue was correlated with age, hemoglobin levels, C-reactive protein levels, pain, and regular exercise among leukemia patients with subthreshold depression. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that advanced age, combined radiotherapy, pain, and low hemoglobin levels were risk factors for cancer-related fatigue in leukemia patients with comorbid subthreshold depression, while regular exercise was a protective factor against cancer-related fatigue. Follow-up comparisons revealed a significantly lower overall incidence of complications in the control group (4%) than in the depressive group (24.21%; P < 0.001). Leukemia patients with comorbid subthreshold depressive symptoms experience more severe cancer-related fatigue and a higher incidence of complications. These findings may be related to advanced age, combined radiotherapy, pain, and low hemoglobin levels, while regular exercise may effectively alleviate symptoms.

Emotional differences based on comments on doctor-patient disputes with varying levels of severity.

The risks associated with negative doctor-patient relationships have seriously hindered the healthy development of medical and healthcare and aroused widespread concern in society. The number of public comments on doctor-patient relationship risk events reflects the degree to which the public pays attention to such events. To explore public emotional differences, the intensity of comments, and the positions represented at different levels of doctor-patient disputes. Thirty incidents of doctor-patient disputes were collected from Weibo and TikTok, and 3655 related comments were extracted. The number of comment sentiment words was extracted, and the comment sentiment value was calculated. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to compare differences between each variable group at different levels of incidence. Spearman's correlation analysis was used to examine associations between variables. Regression analysis was used to explore factors influencing scores of comments on incidents. The study results showed that public comments on media reports of doctor-patient disputes at all levels are mainly dominated by "good" and "disgust" emotional states. There was a significant difference in the comment scores and the number of partial emotion words between comments on varying levels of severity of doctor-patient disputes. The comment score was positively correlated with the number of emotion words related to positive, good, and happy) and negatively correlated with the number of emotion words related to negative, anger, disgust, fear, and sadness. The number of emotion words related to negative, anger, disgust, fear, and sadness directly influences comment scores, and the severity of the incident level indirectly influences comment scores.

Comparative Analysis of the Clarus Aspergillus Galactomannan Enzyme Immunoassay Prototype for the Diagnosis of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid

BackgroundGalactomannan (GM) testing using Platelia Aspergillus enzyme immunoassay (Platelia AGM) from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) aids in early diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). Globally, only a minority of laboratories have the capability to perform on-site GM testing, necessitating accessible and affordable alternatives. Hence, we conducted a comparative evaluation of the new clarus Aspergillus GM enzyme immunoassay prototype (clarus AGM prototype) with Platelia AGM using BALF samples.MethodsThis is a single-center, prospective, cross-sectional study, where Platelia AGM testing was routinely performed followed by clarus AGM prototype testing in those with true positive or true negative AGM test results according to the 2020 EORTC/MSG and the 2024 FUNDICU consensus definitions. Descriptive statistics, ROC curve analysis, and Spearman’s correlation analysis were used to evaluate analytical performance of the clarus AGM prototype assay.ResultsThis study enrolled 259 adult patients, of which 53 (20%) were classified as probable IPA, while 206 did not fulfill IPA-criteria. Spearman's correlation analysis revealed a strong correlation between the two assays (rho = 0.727, p < 0.001). The clarus AGM prototype had a sensitivity of 96% (51/53) and a specificity of 74% (153/206) for differentiating probable versus no IPA when using the manufacturer recommended cut-off. ROC curve analysis showed an AUC of 0.936 (95% CI 0.901–0.971) for the clarus AGM prototype, while the Platelia AGM yielded an AUC of 0.918 (95% CI 0.876–0.959).ConclusionsClarus AGM prototype demonstrated a strong correlation and promising test performance, comparable to Platelia AGM, rendering it a viable alternative in patients at risk of IPA.

Human biomonitoring of serum polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and oxygenated derivatives by gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry.

While polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are well-known for their potential carcinogenic and mutagenic effects, the health implications of exposure to oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs), which are significant substitutes with increased persistence and bioaccumulation, are less understood. In this work, we compared the background levels of liquid-liquid, solid-phase, and supported-liquid extraction for the determination of serum PAHs and OPAHs. Liquid-liquid extraction demonstrated minimal background interference and was validated and used for human biomonitoring of PAHs and OPAHs in 240 participants using gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. We observed significant positive correlations between these compounds using Spearman correlation analysis. Furthermore, we investigated the concentration levels and compositions of PAHs and OPAHs among different demographic characteristics, including gender, age, and body mass index. Linear regression analysis demonstrated a weak but significant correlation between total concentrations of PAHs and OPAHs and age and body mass index. A multivariate linear regression analysis was then conducted to examine the association of exposure to individual PAHs and OPAHs with the body mass index. Naphthalene exposure and body mass index showed a statistically significant positive correlation, suggesting that higher levels of naphthalene exposure are associated with higher body mass index values. This study establishes a robust method for biomonitoring PAHs and OPAHs in serum, evaluating the exposure levels of these compounds in healthy adults and highlighting their associations with demographic characteristics.

Sex-specific phosphorus (P)-use and -acquisition in dioecious Populus euphratica as affected by soil moisture levels

Abstract Dioecious plants show sexual dimorphism in their phosphorus (P) availability responses. However, the understanding of sex-specific strategies for P utilization and acquisition under varying soil moisture levels remains unclear. Here, we assessed a range of root functional traits, soil P properties, total foliar P concentration ([P]), and leaf chemical P fractions – inorganic P ([Pi]), metabolite P ([PM]), lipid P ([PL]), nucleic acid P ([PN]), and residual P ([PR]) – as well as other leaf functional traits in female and male trees under different soil moisture levels (25% for high and 7% for low). Our results showed that females had larger specific root length (SRL) under well-watered conditions, resulting in greater root foraging capacity. This led to a 36.33% decrease in soil active inorganic P in the rhizosphere and a 66.86% increase in total foliar [P], along with all five foliar chemical P fractions ([Pi], [PM], [PL], [PN], and [PR]) compared to males. However, males exhibited significantly higher photosynthetic P utilization efficiency (PPUE) than females. Especially under low soil moisture levels, males exhibited a significant reduction in soil active organic P, coupled with a large increase in the exudation of soil phosphatases and carboxylates. Furthermore, the proportion of metabolite P in total foliar [P] was 41.96% higher in males than in females. Mantel and Spearman correlation analyses revealed distinct coordination and trade-offs between foliar P fraction allocation and below-ground P acquisition strategies between the two sexes. Leveraging these sex-specific strategies could enhance the resilience of dioecious populations in forest plantations facing climate-induced variability.

Aberrant functional connectivity in anterior cingulate gyrus subregions in migraine without aura patients.

The anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG) is an important regulatory region for pain-related information. However, the ACG is composed of subregions with different functions. The mechanisms underlying the brain networks of different subregions of the ACG in patients with migraine without aura (MwoA) are currently unclear. In the current study, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) and functional connectivity (FC) were used to investigate the functional characteristics of ACG subregions in MwoA patients. The study included 17 healthy volunteers and 28 MwoA patients. The FC calculation was based on rsfMRI data from a 3 T MRI scanner. The brain networks of the ACG subregions were compared using a general linear model to see if there were any differences between the two groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine the correlation between FC values in abnormal brain regions and clinical variables. Compared with healthy subjects, MwoA patients showed decreased FC between left subgenual ACG and left middle cingulate gyrus and right middle temporal gyrus. Meanwhile, MwoA patients also showed increased FC between pregenual ACG and right angular gyrus and increased FC between right pregenual ACG and right superior occipital gyrus. The FC values between pregenual ACG and right superior occipital gyrus were significantly positively correlated with the visual analogue scale. Disturbances of FC between ACG subregions and default model network and visual cortex may play a key role in neuropathological features, perception and affection of MwoA. The current study provides further insights into the complex scenario of MwoA mechanisms.

Associations between diffusion kurtosis imaging metrics and neurodevelopmental outcomes in neonates with low-grade germinal matrix and intraventricular hemorrhage

Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging (DKI)-derived metrics are recognized as indicators of maturation in neonates with low-grade germinal matrix and intraventricular hemorrhage (GMH-IVH). However, it is not yet known if these factors are associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes. The objective of this study was to acquire DKI-derived metrics in neonates with low-grade GMH-IVH, and to demonstrate their association with later neurodevelopmental outcomes. In this prospective study, neonates with low-grade GMH-IVH and control neonates were recruited, and DKI were performed between January 2020 and March 2021. These neonates underwent the Bayley Scales of Infant Development test at 18 months of age. Mean kurtosis (MK), radial kurtosis (RK) and gray matter values were measured. Spearman correlation analyses were conducted for the measured values and neurodevelopmental outcome scores. Forty controls (18 males, average gestational age (GA) 30 weeks ± 1.3, corrected GA at MRI scan 38 weeks ± 1) and thirty neonates with low-grade GMH-IVH (13 males, average GA 30 weeks ± 1.5, corrected GA at MRI scan 38 weeks ± 1). Neonates with low-grade GMH-IVH exhibited lower MK and RK values in the PLIC and the thalamus (P < 0.05). The MK value in the thalamus was associated with Mental Development Index (MDI) (r = 0.810, 95% CI 0.695–0.13; P < 0.001) and Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) (r = 0.852, 95% CI 0.722–0.912; P < 0.001) scores. RK value in the caudate nucleus significantly and positively correlated with MDI (r = 0.496, 95% CI 0.657–0.933; P < 0.001) and PDI (r = 0.545, 95% CI 0.712–0.942; P < 0.001) scores. The area under the curve (AUC) were used to assess diagnostic performance of MK and RK in thalamus (AUC = 0.866, 0.787) and caudate nucleus (AUC = 0.833, 0.671) for predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes. As quantitative neuroimaging markers, MK in thalamus and RK in caudate nucleus may help predict neurodevelopmental outcomes in neonates with low-grade GMH-IVH.

Relationship between neonatal respiratory distress syndrome pulmonary ultrasonography and respiratory distress score, oxygenation index, and chest radiography grading.

Accurate condition assessment is critical for improving the prognosis of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), but current assessment methods for RDS pose a cumulative risk of harm to neonates. Thus, a less harmful method for assessing the health of neonates with RDS is needed. To analyze the relationships between pulmonary ultrasonography and respiratory distress scores, oxygenation index, and chest X-ray grade of neonatal RDS to identify predictors of neonatal RDS severity. This retrospective study analyzed the medical information of 73 neonates with RDS admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Liupanshui Maternal and Child Care Service Center between April and December 2022. The pulmonary ultrasonography score, respiratory distress score, oxygenation index, and chest X-ray grade of each newborn before and after treatment were collected. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to determine the relationships among these values and neonatal RDS severity. The pulmonary ultrasonography score, respiratory distress score, oxygenation index, and chest X-ray RDS grade of the neonates were significantly lower after treatment than before treatment (P < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that before and after treatment, the pulmonary ultrasonography score of neonates with RDS was positively correlated with the respiratory distress score, oxygenation index, and chest X-ray grade (ρ = 0.429-0.859, P < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that pulmonary ultrasonography screening effectively predicted the severity of neonatal RDS (area under the curve = 0.805-1.000, P < 0.05). The pulmonary ultrasonography score was significantly associated with the neonatal RDS score, oxygenation index, and chest X-ray grade. The pulmonary ultrasonography score was an effective predictor of neonatal RDS severity.

Radiographic parameters and influencing factors of paraspinal muscle degeneration in healthy people

To measure the paraspinal muscle parameters, explore the characteristics of paraspinal muscles, and investigate the influence factors of paraspinal muscle degeneration in healthy people. Eighty-two healthy Chinese people were prospectively recruited between February 2020 and November 2020, including 36 males and 46 females. The age ranged from 21 to 75 years, with a mean of 48.0 years. The height ranged from 150 to 183 cm, with a mean of 165.6 cm. The body mass ranged from 43 to 100 kg, with a mean of 65.4 kg. The body mass index (BMI) ranged from 16.7 to 32.4 kg/m 2, with a mean of 23.7 kg/m 2. Parameters of the paraspinal muscles (multifidus muscle, erector spinae muscle, and psoas major muscle) at L 3, L 4, and L 5 levels were measured by MRI, including the relative total cross-sectional area (rtCSA), relative fatty cross-sectional area (rfCSA), relative signal intensity (rSI), and fatty infiltration (FI). The differences of paraspinal muscle parameters at different genders and different measurement levels were compared; Pearson or Spearman correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship between paraspinal muscle parameters and age, height, body mass, BMI. From L 3 to L 5 level, the rtCSA and rfCSA of multifidus muscle and psoas major muscle as well as the rfCSA of erector spinae muscle increased, while rtCSA of erector spinae muscle decreased. The FI and rSI of paraspinal muscles increased gradually. The parameters of paraspinal muscles at L 4 and L 5 levels were significantly different from those at L 3 levels ( P<0.05). There were significant differences in rtCSA and rfCSA of multifidus muscle, rtCSA, FI, and rSI of erector spinae muscle as well as rtCSA, rfCSA, and FI of psoas major muscle between L 4 and L 5 levels ( P<0.05). Compared with males, the rfCSA and FI of multifidus muscle, FI of erector spinae muscle, and FI of psoas major muscle were significantly higher in females, while the rtCSA of psoas major muscle was significantly lower ( P<0.05). Age was significantly negatively correlated with rtCSA of paraspinal muscles ( P<0.05), but significantly positively correlated with FI of paraspinal muscles, rfCSA and rSI of multifidus and erector spinae muscles ( P<0.05). Height was significantly negatively correlated with rfCSA and FI of paraspinal muscles ( P<0.05). The degree of paraspinal muscle degeneration increases gradually along the spine axis from head to tail. Paraspinal muscle degeneration is related to age, height, and gender. The relationship between the body mass, BMI and paraspinal muscle degeneration needs further study.

Can we Predict Drug Excretion into Saliva? A Systematic Review and Analysis of Physicochemical Properties.

Saliva is a patient-friendly matrix for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) but is infrequently used in routine care. This is due to the uncertainty of saliva-based TDM results to inform dosing. This study aimed to retrieve data on saliva-plasma concentration and subsequently determine the physicochemical properties that influence the excretion of drugs into saliva to increase the foundational knowledge underpinning saliva-based TDM. Medline, Web of Science and Embase (1974-2023) were searched for human clinical studies, which determined drug pharmacokinetics in both saliva and plasma. Studies with at least ten subjects and five paired saliva-plasma concentrations per subject were included. For each study, the ratio of the area under the concentration-time curve between saliva and plasma was determined to assess excretion into saliva. Physicochemical properties of each drug (e.g. pKa, lipophilicity, molecular weight, polar surface area, rotatable bonds and fraction of drug unbound to plasma proteins) were obtained from PubChem and Drugbank. Drugs were categorised by their ionisability, after which saliva-to-plasma ratios were predicted with adjustment for protein binding and physiological pH via the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation. Spearman correlation analyses were performed for each drug category to identify factors predicting saliva excretion (α = 5%). Study quality was assessed by the risk of bias in non-randomised studies of interventions tool. Overall, 42 studies including 40 drugs (anti-psychotics, anti-microbials, immunosuppressants, anti-thrombotic, anti-cancer and cardiac drugs) were included. The median saliva-to-plasma ratios were similar for drugs in the amphoteric (0.59), basic (0.43) and acidic (0.41) groups and lowest for drugs in the neutral group (0.21). Higher excretion of acidic drugs (n = 5) into saliva was associated with lower ionisation and protein binding (correlation between predicted versus observed saliva-to-plasma ratios: R2 = 0.85, p = 0.02). For basic drugs (n = 21), pKa predicted saliva excretion (Spearman correlation coefficient: R = 0.53, p = 0.02). For amphoteric drugs (n = 10), hydrogen bond donor (R = - 0.76, p = 0.01) and polar surface area (R = - 0.69, p = 0.02) were predictors. For neutral drugs (n = 10), protein binding (R = 0.84, p = 0.004), lipophilicity (R = - 0.65, p = 0.04) and hydrogen bond donor count (R = - 0.68, p = 0.03) were predictors. Drugs considered potentially suitable for saliva-based TDM are phenytoin, tacrolimus, voriconazole and lamotrigine. The studies had a low-to-moderate risk of bias. Many commonly used drugs are excreted into saliva, which can be partly predicted by a drug's ionisation state, protein binding, lipophilicity, hydrogen bond donor count and polar surface area. The contribution of drug transporters and physiological factors to the excretion needs to be evaluated. Continued research on drugs potentially suitable for saliva-based TDM will aid in adopting this person-centred TDM approach to improve patient outcomes.

Association between glucose levels of children with type 1 diabetes and parental economic status in mobile health application.

The glycemic control of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) may be influenced by the economic status of their parents. To investigate the association between parental economic status and blood glucose levels of children with T1D using a mobile health application. Data from children with T1D in China's largest T1D online community, Tang-TangQuan®. Blood glucose levels were uploaded every three months and parental economic status was evaluated based on annual household income. Children were divided into three groups: Low-income (< 30000 Yuan), middle-income (30000-100000 Yuan), and high-income (> 100000 yuan) (1 Yuan = 0.145 United States Dollar approximately). Blood glucose levels were compared among the groups and associations were explored using Spearman's correlation analysis and multivariable logistic regression. From September 2015 to August 2022, 1406 eligible children with T1D were included (779 female, 55.4%). Median age was 8.1 years (Q1-Q3: 4.6-11.6) and duration of T1D was 0.06 years (0.02-0.44). Participants were divided into three groups: Low-income (n = 320), middle-income (n = 724), and high-income (n = 362). Baseline hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were comparable among the three groups (P = 0.072). However, at month 36, the low-income group had the highest HbA1c levels (P = 0.036). Within three years after registration, glucose levels increased significantly in the low-income group but not in the middle-income and high-income groups. Parental economic status was negatively correlated with pre-dinner glucose (r = -0.272, P = 0.012). After adjustment for confounders, parental economic status remained a significant factor related to pre-dinner glucose levels (odds ratio = 13.02, 95%CI: 1.99 to 126.05, P = 0.002). The blood glucose levels of children with T1D were negatively associated with parental economic status. It is suggested that parental economic status should be taken into consideration in the management of T1D for children.