Spearman's Coefficient Research Articles

GOOD CORRELATION BETWEEN LIVER STIFFNESS MEASUREMENT AND APRI, FIB-4, PLATELET COUNT, IN PEDIATRIC AUTOIMMUNE HEPATITIS.

•Due to the invasive nature of the liver biopsy, there is a growing interest in the use of non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis. •There is a significant and positive correlation between APRI. FIB-4 and platelet count and liver stiffness measurement evaluated by transient elastography in pediatric autoimmune hepatitis. There is limited evidence focusing on the use of non-invasive markers to assess liver fibrosis in pediatric chronic liver diseases. The aim of the study was to evaluate the correlation between liver stiffness measurement (LSM) using transient liver elastography (TLE) and serum non-invasive markers in pediatric autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Cross-sectional study between May 2016 and February 2020. Twenty-eight children with AIH (age range between 3 and 20 years old) who had undergone TLE and had routine serum tests were enrolled. Patients were divided into 2 groups: (1) Liver fibrosis degree ≥F2 (TLE ≥6.45 kPa) and (2) <F2 (TLE <6.45 kPa). The groups were compared using Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and the Mann-Whitney test for quantitative variables. The correlation between TLE, APRI, FIB-4 and platelet count was assessed using the Spearman coefficient (Rs). Twenty-eight AIH pediatric patients were enrolled, 21 were female and 22 had AIH type 1. Following the cut-off of 6.45 kPa in TLE, 20 patients (71%) were included in group 1, and 8 in group 2. A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups on APRI and FIB-4 results (P=0.0306 and P=0.0055, respectively). There was a significant correlation between TLE with APRI and FIB-4 (Rs=0.67 and 0.78, respectively; P<0.01) as well as with platelet count (Rs=-0.68; P<0.01). APRI, FIB-4 and Platelet Count showed a good and positive correlation with transient liver elastography in pediatric patients with AIH.

Interpretation of Complete Tumor Response on MRI Following Chemoradiotherapy of Rectal Cancer: Inter-Reader Agreement and Associated Factors in Multi-Center Clinical Practice.

To measure inter-reader agreement and identify associated factors in interpreting complete response (CR) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) following chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for rectal cancer. This retrospective study involved 10 readers from seven hospitals with experience of 80-10210 cases, and 149 patients who underwent surgery after CRT for rectal cancer. Using MRI-based tumor regression grading (mrTRG) and methods employed in daily practice, the readers independently assessed mrTRG, CR on T2-weighted images (T2WI) denoted as mrCRT2W, and CR on all images including diffusion-weighted images (DWI) denoted as mrCRoverall. The readers described their interpretation patterns and how they utilized DWI. Inter-reader agreement was measured using multi-rater kappa, and associated factors were analyzed using multivariable regression. Correlation between sensitivity and specificity of each reader was analyzed using Spearman coefficient. The mrCRT2W and mrCRoverall rates varied widely among the readers, ranging 18.8%-40.3% and 18.1%-34.9%, respectively. Nine readers used DWI as a supplement sequence, which modified interpretations on T2WI in 2.7% of cases (36/1341 [149 patients × 9 readers]) and mostly (33/36) changed mrCRT2W to non-mrCRoverall. The kappa values for mrTRG, mrCRT2W, and mrCRoverall were 0.56 (95% confidence interval: 0.49, 0.62), 0.55 (0.52, 0.57), and 0.54 (0.51, 0.57), respectively. No use of rectal gel, larger initial tumor size, and higher initial cT stage exhibited significant association with a higher inter-reader agreement for assessing mrCRoverall (P ≤ 0.042). Strong negative correlations were observed between the sensitivity and specificity of individual readers (coefficient, -0.718 to -0.963; P ≤ 0.019). Inter-reader agreement was moderate for assessing CR on post-CRT MRI. Readers' varying standards on MRI interpretation (i.e., threshold effect), along with the use of rectal gel, initial tumor size, and initial cT stage, were significant factors associated with inter-reader agreement.

Periodontal index and salivary Ph in first trimester´s pregnant women: A cross-sectional study.

Recent reviews have suggested a possible association between periodontal disease and increasing risks during pregnancy, such as newborn low weight, premature birth, gestational diabetes mellitus and preeclampsia. Besides, being saliva a valuable source of information on general and buccal health, it is necessary to know its parameters associated with periodontal diseases; in order to help odontologists to better understand this disease, and provide a sound clinical treatment. Therefore, this research sought to assess the correlation between periodontal index, and salivary pH on first trimester pregnant women. 71 pregnant women were evaluated by observational, transversal and correlational study, using the community periodontal index and salivary pH-meter. The Spearman coefficient was employed, considering a p value of 0.05. A correlation was found between periodontal index and salivary pH in first trimester pregnant women (p=0.039). According to age, correlations were found to be very weak in age group 18 to 24 years (p=0.605), and age group 25 to 35 years (p=0.071). Similarly, no strong correlation was found when pairing based on number of pregnancies (primiparous p=0.239 and multi pregnancy p=0.114). Also, 36.6% of pregnant women showed periodontal pockets smaller than 5 mm. With lower salivary pH, the periodontal index in pregnant women gets lower; however, no correlation could be found between age group and number of pregnancies. Key words:Periodontal index, periodontal pocket, periodontal diseases, saliva, pregnancy, pregnant women.

Validation of an instrument for patient classification to support obstetric nursing care.

to develop and validate an instrument for the classification of pregnant and postpartum women according to the demand for nursing care. a methodological study conducted in three stages: 1) construction of the instrument based on literature review; 2) content validation using the Delphi technique with 12 experts; and 3) Evaluation of the convergent construct validity through the correlation between the scores of the constructed instrument and the Fugulin instrument. an instrument with ten indicators of specific care for pregnant and postpartum women was developed. A content validity index higher than 0.9 was obtained, requiring only one round of the Delphi technique. The Spearman coefficient was 0.64 between the instruments, indicating a strong correlation. the classification instrument specifically constructed for pregnant and postpartum women showed evidence of content validity and convergent construct validity with a widely used instrument in the national territory.

Human papillomavirus disease in GATA2 deficiency: a genetic predisposition to HPV-associated female anogenital malignancy.

Patients with pathogenic variants in the GATA Binding Protein 2 (GATA2), a hematopoietic transcription factor, are at risk for human papillomavirus-related (HPV) anogenital cancer at younger than expected ages. A female cohort with GATA2 haploinsufficiency was systematically assessed by two gynecologists to characterize the extent and severity of anogenital HPV disease, which was also compared with affected males. A 17-year retrospective review of medical records, including laboratory, histopathology and cytopathology records was performed for patients diagnosed with GATA2 haploinsufficiency followed at the National Institutes of Health. Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test or Fisher's exact test were used to compare differences in continuous or categorical variables, respectively. Spearman's rho coefficient was employed for correlations. Of 68 patients with GATA2 haploinsufficiency, HPV disease was the initial manifestation in 27 (40%). HPV occurred at median 18.9 (15.2-26.2) years in females, and 25.6 (23.4-26.9) years in males. Fifty-two (76%), 27 females and 25 males, developed HPV-related squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) including two males with oral cancer. Twenty-one patients developed anogenital high-grade SIL (HSIL) or carcinoma (16 females versus 5 males, (59% versus 20%, respectively, p=0.005) at median 27 (18.6-59.3) years for females and 33 (16.5-40.1) years for males. Females were more likely than males to require >2 surgeries to treat recurrent HSIL (p=0.0009). Of 30 patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) to manage disease arising from GATA2 haploinsufficiency, 12 (nine females, three males) had persistent HSIL/HPV disease. Of these nine females, eight underwent peri-transplant surgical treatment of HSIL. Five of seven who survived post-HSCT received HPV vaccination and had no or minimal evidence of HPV disease 2 years post-HSCT. HPV disease persisted in two receiving immunosuppression. HPV disease/low SIL (LSIL) resolved in all three males. Females with GATA2 haploinsufficiency exhibit a heightened risk of recurrent, multifocal anogenital HSIL requiring frequent surveillance and multiple treatments. GATA2 haploinsufficiency must be considered in a female with extensive, multifocal genital HSIL unresponsive to multiple surgeries. This population may benefit from early intervention like HSCT accompanied by continued, enhanced surveillance and treatment by gynecologic oncologists and gynecologists in those with anogenital HPV disease.

Probable Respiratory Sarcopenia Decreases Activities of Daily Living in Older Patients Hospitalized with Respiratory Diseases: A Cross-sectional Study.

Respiratory sarcopenia is characterized by low respiratory muscle mass and respiratory muscle strength, but its impact on activities of daily living (ADL) remains unknown. We aimed to investigate the association between respiratory sarcopenia and decreased ADL. This retrospective cross-sectional study included older inpatients (≥65 years old) with respiratory diseases who underwent rehabilitation. Because the evaluation of respiratory muscle mass is challenging, probable respiratory sarcopenia was defined according to low appendicular skeletal muscle index (<7 kg/m2 for men, <5.7 kg/m2 for women) and peak expiratory flow rate (<4.4 L/s for men, <3.21 L/s for women). ADL was assessed on the first day of rehabilitation using the baseline Barthel Index (BI). Of 111 inpatients (median age 75 years; 57 women), 13 (11.7%) had probable respiratory sarcopenia. Forty-five patients (40.5%) had sarcopenia and 12 of these had probable respiratory sarcopenia. Pulmonary functions (Forced Vital Capacity and expiratory volume in 1 s) were significantly lower in patients with probable respiratory sarcopenia than those without. Spearman's rank coefficient analysis showed probable respiratory sarcopenia did not significantly correlate with age, phase angle, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), or hemoglobin (Hb). Multivariate linear regression analysis with baseline BI revealed probable respiratory sarcopenia (β -0.279 and P=0.004) was the significant factor after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, CCI, and Hb. Probable respiratory sarcopenia was independently associated with decreased ADL in patients aged 65 years and older who were hospitalized with respiratory diseases.

Mental health of Brazilian students during the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of gratitude, optimism, and hope in reducing anxiety.

To investigate the role of optimism, hope, and gratitude as psychosocial factors for healthy development, especially with regard to anxiety in college students in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This is a quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional study. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the Brazilian Gratitude Scale (Escala Brasileira de Gratidão [B-GRAT]), and the Brazilian versions of an anxiety subscale, the Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R), Hope Index Scale, and BIG-FIVE were administered. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test, the Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman correlations, and hierarchical linear regression. A total of 297 students were assessed. The relationship between gratitude and anxiety became positive in the hierarchical linear analysis, contradicting the initial negative association between these variables according to the Spearman coefficients. This contradiction may be a result of the suppression effect. When gratitude was added to the model, these three variables together accounted for 38% of the variance in anxiety. This indicates that optimism, hope, and gratitude together are significant predictors, although optimism alone accounts for the greater part of the variance in decreased anxiety. The data confirm that family and religiosity are protective factors against mental illness, specifically non-adaptive anxiety. Furthermore, developing optimism as a protective factor makes it possible to experience less anxiety while hope has the potential to provide the individual with multiple pathways to healthy development. This study highlights that gratitude plays a dual role in these relationships as it has the potential to be associated with anxious feelings with likely negative outcomes while at the same time it can drive positive psychosocial factors of optimism and hope, decreasing anxiety.

Non-destructive estimation of mechanical properties in Usibor® 1500 via thermal diffusivity measurements: A thermographic procedure

The study investigated the anti-correlation between thermal diffusivity and Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) in Usibor® 1500 steel. The non-destructive pulsed laser spot thermography technique was used to analyze fifteen boron steel specimens with varying bainite/martensite phase percentages, while the UTS was measured through uniaxial tensile tests. A 23 % thermal diffusivity difference was found between fully martensitic and fully bainitic structures, with UTS varying by around 90 %. The strong anti-correlation was confirmed (Spearman coefficient −0.98) and an empirical power-law equation was derived to estimate UTS based on thermal diffusivity variations. The approach showed an R-squared value over 0.84, providing a non-destructive thermographic procedure for UTS estimation in Usibor® 1500 steel, offering valuable material property insights.

Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the New Cleveland Clinic Colorectal Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire.

This study aims to adapt and validate the Cleveland Clinic Colorectal Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (CCF-CaQL) in Turkish, addressing the significant need for reliable, language-specific QoL measures for colorectal cancer (CRC) in Turkiye. This effort fills a critical gap in CRC patient care, enhancing both patient-provider communication and disease-specific QoL assessment. The CCF-CaQL was translated into Turkish, verified for accuracy, and reviewed for clarity and relevance. Eligible patients who underwent colorectal surgery for cancer between July 2021 and July 2022 from six hospitals completed the CCF-CaQL and SF-36 questionnaires. For analysis, confirmatory factor analysis using Smart PLS 4 and descriptive statistics were employed. The questionnaire's reliability and validity were assessed using Cronbach alpha, composite reliability, and the heterotrait-monotrait (HTMT) ratio, along with multicollinearity checks and factor loadings. Nonparametric resampling was used for precise error and confidence interval calculations, and the Spearman coefficient and split-half method were applied for reliability testing. In the study involving 244 colorectal cancer patients, confirmatory factor analysis of the CCF-CaQL indicated effective item performance, with one item removed due to lower factor loading. The questionnaire exhibited high internal consistency, evidenced by a Cronbach alpha value of 0.909. Convergent validity was strong, with all average variance extracted (AVE) values exceeding 0.4. Discriminant validity was confirmed with HTMT coefficients below 0.9, and no significant multicollinearity issues were observed (VIF values < 10). Parallel testing with the SF-36 scale demonstrated moderate to very strong correlations, affirming the CCF-CaQL's comparability in measuring quality of life. The Turkish version of the CCF-CaQL was validated for assessing quality of life in colorectal cancer patients. This validation confirms its reliability and cultural appropriateness for use in Turkiye. The disease-specific nature of the CCF-CaQL makes it a useful tool in clinical and research settings, enhancing patient care by accurately monitoring treatment effects and interventions in the Turkish colorectal cancer patient population.

Transactional Distance Perception as a Predictor for EFL Learners’ Online Self-efficacy

Nowadays, technology has been used in education in general and second language learning in specific, in different ways. So, there is a need to do more in-depth research on its implications. The current study examined whether EFL learners’ transactional distance perception could predict their online self-efficacy. To this end, 138 female and male Iranian EFL learners were selected through convenience sampling. Then, the participants were asked to complete two questionnaires, namely the transactional distance questionnaire and the online self-efficacy questionnaire. In order to answer the research questions, the data were analyzed using the Spearman coefficient of correlation and standard multiple regression. Based on the results of the data analysis, it was found that online self-efficacy was positively and significantly correlated with transactional distance perception, and transactional distance perception could significantly predict online self-efficacy findings of the present study have implications for the teachers, learners, and syllabus designers.

Structure-Function Relationship of Highly Reactive CuOx Clusters on Co3 O4 for Selective Formaldehyde Sensing at Low Temperatures.

Designing reactive surface clusters at the nanoscale on metal-oxide supports enables selective molecular interactions in low-temperature catalysis and chemical sensing. Yet, finding effective material combinations and identifying the reactive site remains challenging and an obstacle for rational catalyst/sensor design. Here, the low-temperature oxidation of formaldehyde with CuOx clusters on Co3 O4 nanoparticles is demonstrated yielding an excellent sensor for this critical air pollutant. When fabricated by flame-aerosol technology, such CuOx clusters are finely dispersed, while some Cu ions are incorporated into the Co3 O4 lattice enhancing thermal stability. Importantly, infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed CO, near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and temperature-programmed reduction in H2 identified Cu+ and Cu2+ species in these clusters as active sites. Remarkably, the Cu+ surface concentration correlated with the apparent activation energy of formaldehyde oxidation (Spearman's coefficient ρ = 0.89) and sensor response (0.96), rendering it a performance descriptor. At optimal composition, such sensors detected even the lowest formaldehyde levels of 3 parts-per-billion (ppb) at 75°C, superior to state-of-the-art sensors. Also, selectivity to other aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, and inorganic compounds, robustness to humidity and stable performance over 4 weeks are achieved, rendering such sensors promising as gas detectors in health monitoring, air and food quality control.

SOCIAL ISOLATION IN OLDER ADULTS POST HIP SURGERY IS CORRELATED WITH MOBILITY AND PHYSIOLOGICAL INDICATORS

Abstract Hip fracture affect approximately 30,000 people in Canada and more than 300,000 people in U.S., annually. Older adults post hip-fracture surgery experience social isolation along with reduced physical mobility, changes in sleeping patterns, reduced indoor and outdoor activities, and other physiological changes once they are discharged form inpatient rehabilitation. Our team has developed MAISON (Multimodal AI-based Sensor platform for Older iNdividuals), a cloud-based multimodal sensor system that supports the collection of physiological, ambient and contextual data from various smart devices. Currently, MAISON consists of a smart watch, a smart phone, a motion sensor and a sleep mattress. Using MAISON, we have collected 24 weeks of raw acceleration data, heartrate, step count, frequency of indoor motion, GPS and sleep metrics from three older adults post-hip surgery living in the community. Statistical and domain-specific features were extracted from the collected data with a time window of one day, including average heartrate, maximum acceleration, total sleep time, total steps taken, and average number of exits. Additionally, clinical data is collected from the participants on a biweekly basis consisting of three questionnaires (i.e., Social Isolation Scale (SIS)) and two physical tests. The correlation between features from sensor data and clinical data was performed using Spearman coefficient, which showed a strong positive correlation (&amp;gt;0.5) between the SIS and number of exits, variance of acceleration, total sleep time, and heartrate variance. Various correlation values were found between features from all the sensors and SIS, indicating the usefulness of multimodal sensors for this application.

Nehézfémek elosztása a szénbányák hulladéklerakóiban statisztikai elemzés alapján

At the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in autumn 2021 (COP26), world leaders and participants decided to phase out coal energy and gradually replace fossil fuels. At COP26, Ukraine has committed to shutting down state-owned coal-fired power plants by 2035, reducing methane emissions by 30% by 2030 and halting deforestation. The waste dumps are also a detrimental factor in coal mining. The determination of the heavy metals content in the waste dumps of coal mines is a topical issue today, as the results of such studies are part of the monitoring of the environmental safety of mining regions. This scientific article considers the results of research on the heavy metals content in the waste dumps and their distribution in one of the largest coal mines in the Lviv-Volyn coal basin – ‘Chervonohradska’ (Ukraine). 2.9 million m3 of rock have accumulated in the dump since 1971. Every year, 40,000 m3 of fresh rock is dumped. Samples were taken uniformly from all sides of the dump in places with no vegetation cover. Note that exceeding the maximum allowable concentrations of the studied heavy metals is observed in all areas except for Zn. Statistical analysis of the results of semi-quantitative spectral studies of waste dumps rock at the Chervonohradska mine site was performed using the Statistica 8 applied statistics package. According to the results of more than 50 samples taken at a depth of 0.3 m, the statistical distribution of heavy metals Mn, Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn and Co in the mine dumps was determined, and a correlation analysis was performed. It was found that the distributions of Cu and Zn in dumps are closest to normal. The nonparametric Spearman coefficient (rs) revealed the average level of correlation of the content of heavy metals in the pairs Mn and Ni (rs = 0.46), Mn and Zn (rs = 0.52), Ni and Zn (rs = 0.57), Cu and Zn (rs = 0.49). Chaotic and uneven discharge of rock onto the open area caused uneven substrate deposition of certain chemical elements in the profile of the dump.

Teeth amount and its impact on wrinkles severity

Aim. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between missing teeth in the oral cavity and upper face wrinkles.Material and methods. The research consisted of two stages – a retrospective and a current study, in a retrospective study documentation of 100 patients was obtained, in a current study took part 50 patients. Extraoral and intraoral medical photographs of the patient`s faces were taken. Photographs from the retrospective and the current study were assessed by 3 investigators for the severity of upper facial wrinkles, based on the Skin Aging Atlas reference scale. Volume 1, Caucasian Type. Paris: EditionsMed'Com.Results. In a retrospective analysis, a result close to statistical significance with a negative Spearman's coefficient was obtained for the relationship – reduced number of the teeth in the lateral segments and CF (wrinkles around the eyes). In a current study statistical significance was obtained for correlations: Kłp ( right side eye wrinkles), KŁl (left side eye wrinkles), UEW (left side suborbital wrinkles).Conclusions. There is a need to treat even single missing teeth in the lateral segments in order to preserve the young appearance of the face.

Scoring Enzootic Pneumonia-like Lesions in Slaughtered Pigs: Traditional vs. Artificial-Intelligence-Based Methods.

Artificial-intelligence-based methods are regularly used in the biomedical sciences, mainly in the field of diagnostic imaging. Recently, convolutional neural networks have been trained to score pleurisy and pneumonia in slaughtered pigs. The aim of this study is to further evaluate the performance of a convolutional neural network when compared with the gold standard (i.e., scores provided by a skilled operator along the slaughter chain through visual inspection and palpation). In total, 441 lungs (180 healthy and 261 diseased) are included in this study. Each lung was scored according to traditional methods, which represent the gold standard (Madec's and Christensen's grids). Moreover, the same lungs were photographed and thereafter scored by a trained convolutional neural network. Overall, the results reveal that the convolutional neural network is very specific (95.55%) and quite sensitive (85.05%), showing a rather high correlation when compared with the scores provided by a skilled veterinarian (Spearman's coefficient = 0.831, p < 0.01). In summary, this study suggests that convolutional neural networks could be effectively used at slaughterhouses and stimulates further investigation in this field of research.

Research on Establishing Inbound Strategies for Supermarkets based on LSTM and Gaussian Process Regression Modeling

This paper provides an in-depth study on the challenges of vegetable merchandising in fresh produce supermarkets, aiming to provide a comprehensive set of management strategies to optimize supermarket operations. First, the sales volume and sales of six types of vegetables were analyzed by descriptive statistics and the cyclical trend was explored by time series processing; second, good correlations between edibles and aquatic roots and tubers as well as edibles and eggplants were found by plotting correlation matrices and heat maps of Spearman's coefficients. Next, this paper analyzed the relationship between cost-plus pricing and total sales and predicted the total replenishment and pricing of vegetables in the coming week using an LSTM time series forecasting model and evaluated the model performance using root mean square error (RMSE). Finally, a Gaussian regression model was used to predict a small sample of data to develop an optimal replenishment volume and pricing strategy for the superstore, which maximized the superstore's revenue. The results of the study show that the inventory management efficiency of fresh supermarkets can be effectively improved by these methods.

Sexual quality of life in patients with pemphigus: A case-control study.

Pemphigus, an autoimmune blistering disease that affects the skin and mucous membranes, significantly impairs the quality of life (QoL) of affected individuals. While there are a variety of QoL measurement tools available for assessing this disease, there is a lack of studies that specifically evaluate the sexual QoL of patients with pemphigus. This case-control study aims to investigate the impact of the disease on sexual activity as well as its overall effect on QoL. Fifty pemphigus patients, who were referred to the Dermatology Department at the University Hospital of Brescia in the period March 2019-September 2021, completed several QoL surveys, including the 36-item Short Form Health survey (SF-36), the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life (ABQOL) and either the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) or the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). The severity of the disease was assessed using the Pemphigus Disease Area Index (PDAI). Differences in QoL surveys between the case and control groups were analysed using either the t-test or the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test. The correlation between QoL surveys in pemphigus patients and disease severity were analysed using Spearman's coefficient (r). The results revealed a marked impairment in overall QoL among patients with pemphigus compared to the healthy control subjects. Significant differences were observed in various domains of QoL, including physical health, mental well-being, social functioning and, notably, sexual health. Furthermore, disease severity as evaluated by the PDAI showed correlations with specific aspects of health status, and disease-specific QoL demonstrated associations with nearly all domains of health status. No significant correlations were found between sexual activity, mucosal involvement or steroid therapy and PDAI scores or disease-specific QoL measures. These findings emphasize the significant impact of pemphigus on patients' well-being, with particular attention to the impaired sexual activity.

Self-reported interoception and exteroception are atypical and excessively coupled in psychosis compared to healthy controls.

Although psychotic disorders are characterized by an impaired ability to discriminate internal and external worlds, the role of interoceptive and exteroceptive perceptions in determining this alteration is still unclear. This observational study aimed at investigating (a) increases/decreases in interoceptive and exteroceptive perceptions in patients with psychosis (PSY) compared to healthy controls (HC); (b) the association between interoception and exteroception in HC and PSY. Two hundred and ten HC and 72 PSY completed the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive awareness (MAIA, 8 domains) and the Adolescent-Adult Sensory Profile (AASP, 4 domains). MAIA/AASP differences were evaluated with MANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. MAIA and AASP scores were correlated to quantify the interoceptive-exteroceptive coupling as Spearman's rho coefficients. Subgroup analyses were performed dividing PSY in schizophrenia/schizoaffective versus other psychosis. Compared to HC, PSY showed increased mean scores in four MAIA and two AASP domains (Bonferroni-p < 0.01). The interoceptive-exteroceptive coupling followed two correlation patterns in HC. A first pattern displayed negative correlations between MAIA not-worrying and AASP sensory sensitivity/sensation avoidance, while the second pattern highlighted positive correlations between MAIA scores and AASP sensation seeking. The two correlation patterns between HC and other-PSY subgroup were similar. However, schizophrenia/schizoaffective PSY did not show positive correlations in the second pattern, rather displaying negative correlations between MAIA scores and AASP domains related to passive behavioral responses. Correlation values were more extreme in PSY subgroups, indicating stronger interoceptive-exteroceptive coupling compared to HC. This study demonstrates that interoception and exteroception are atypical and excessively coupled in psychosis compared to the general population.Clinical Trials Registration: Protocol Number 20210003663 (Pavia, Ethical Committee IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo).

Association of carotid wall shear stress measured by vector flow mapping technique with ba-PWV: a pilot study.

Arterial stiffness is an important tissue biomarker of the progression of atherosclerotic diseases. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV) is a gold standard of arterial stiffness measurement widely used in Asia. Changes in vascular wall shear stress (WSS) lead to artery wall remodeling, which could give rise to an increase in arterial stiffness. The study aimed to explore the association between ba-PWV and common carotid artery (CCA) WSS measured by a newly invented vascular vector flow mapping (VFM) technique. We included 94 subjects free of apparent cardiovascular disease (CVD) and divided them into a subclinical atherosclerosis (SA) group (N = 47) and non subclinical atherosclerosis (NSA) group (N = 47). CCA WSS was measured using the VFM technique. Bivariate correlations between CCA WSS and other factors were assessed with Pearson's, Spearman's, or Kendall's coefficient of correlation, as appropriate. Partial correlation analysis was conducted to examine the influence of age and sex. Multiple linear stepwise regression was used for the analysis of independent determinants of CCA WSS. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to find the association between CCA WSS and 10-year CVD risk. The overall subjects had a mean age of 47.9 ± 11.2 years, and males accounted for 52.1%. Average systolic CCA WSS was significantly correlated with ba-PWV (r = -0.618, p < 0.001) in the SA group. Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis confirmed that ba-PWV was an independent determinant of average systolic CCA WSS (β = -0.361, p = 0.003). The area under the curve (AUC) of average systolic CCA WSS for 10-year CVD risk ≥10% was 0.848 (p < 0.001) in the SA group. Average systolic CCA WSS was significantly correlated with ba-PWV and was associated with 10-year CVD risk ≥10% in the SA group. Therefore, CCA WSS measured by the VFM technique could be used for monitoring and screening subjects with potential CVD risks.

Validation of the phenol red thread test in a Chinese population

BackgroundTo investigate the validation of phenol red thread (PRT) test in a Chinese population by evaluating the intraobserver repeatability and interobserver reproducibility, determining correlations between the PRT test and other dry eye disease (DED) parameters including tear meniscus height (TMH) and Schirmer I test, and testing the accuracy of diagnosing DED when using the PRT test alone.MethodsA total of 108 eyes were involved in this prospective and diagnostic study, and were divided into two groups (with and without DED). Each subject underwent a series of ocular surface examinations, including Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire, non-invasive tear breakup time (NIBUT), tear meniscus height (TMH) assessment, PRT test, fluorescein tear breakup time (FBUT), corneal fluorescein staining and Schirmer I test.ResultsIn the experimental group and the control group, the intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) of the repeatability were 0.747 and 0.723, respectively (all P < 0.05). The ICCs of the reproducibility in both groups were 0.588 and 0.610, respectively (all P < 0.05). The PRT test correlated weakly with the Schirmer I test and the tear meniscus height, with Spearman coefficients of 0.385 and 0.306, respectively (all P < 0.05). The PRT test is available to diagnose DED, with an area under the curve of 0.806 and a Youden index of 0.556 at the cutoff point of 8.83 mm.ConclusionsThe PRT test can provide patients a comfortable, timesaving and less irritating approach to screening and diagnosing DED compared to Schirmer I test.