Spearman Rank Correlation Research Articles

HIV-1 Elite Controllers are Characterised by Elevated Levels of CD69-Expressing Natural Killer Cells.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) elite controllers (ECs) are a rare subset of people living with HIV-1 (PLWH) who control viral replication in the absence of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and may provide a model for a functional cure. We investigated the role of natural killer (NK) cells in HIV-1 ECs from South Africa. Phenotypic (CD69, CD38, CD57, PD-1), functional (CD107a, IFN-γ), and nutrient transporter profiles (glucose transporter 1, CD98) of NK cells from ECs (n=20), viraemic progressors (VPs; n=19), people living with HIV-1 (PLWH) on ART (n=20), and people without HIV-1 (PWOH; n=21) were analysed using flow cytometry. The Kruskal-Wallis test followed by the Mann-Whitney U test were used to determine differences among the study groups. The Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to determine significant associations. Compared to the other study groups, the percentage of CD69-expressing NK cells was higher in ECs, whereas the percentage of CD38-expressing NK cells was higher in VPs. Percentages of CD69+CD38- NK cells were elevated in ECs compared to VPs (p = 0.003), but were not different to PLWH on ART and PWOH. Differentiation, exhaustion, and metabolic profiles were not different in ECs compared with PLWH on ART and PWOH, however, NK cell function was lower than in PWOH. These findings demonstrate that NK cells from ECs have an activated, mature profile with low levels of immune exhaustion and a reduced metabolic phenotype suggesting functional competence. This insight could inform the development of novel immunotherapeutic strategies for treating HIV-1.

Analysis of risk factors for papillary thyroid carcinoma and the association with thyroid function indicators.

This study aims to analyze the relationship between papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and various factors. The study involved two groups-PTC patients and non-PTC controls. We utilized binary logistic regression and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (Lasso) regression for variable selection and risk factor analysis. Correlation analysis was performed using Spearman's rank correlation. The diagnostic value of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels for PTC was assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves. PTC patients exhibited higher body mass index (BMI) (23.71 vs. 22.66, p<0.05) and TSH levels (3.38 vs. 1.59, p<0.05). Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was an independent predictor of PTC (OR=1.005, p<0.05). The optimal TSH threshold for PTC diagnosis was 2.4 mIU/L [The Area Under the Curve (AUC)=67.3%, specificity=71.4%, sensitivity=70.1%]. TSH levels positively correlated with BMI (r=0.593, p<0.05) and UIC (r=0.737, p<0.05). UIC may be an independent predictor of PTC, and TSH levels have some diagnostic value for identifying PTC.

DURASI MENDERITA DM MEMENGARUHI KONTROL GLIKEMIK JANGKA PANJANG YANG DIUKUR MELALUI HbA1c PADA PASIEN DIABETES MELITUS TIPE 2

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia due to abnormalities in insulin secretion or action. In West Java, the prevalence of DM reached 1.9%, with a significant increase in Tasikmalaya City, which recorded 7,436 cases in 2022. This study aimed to explore the relationship between individual characteristics, nutritional status, comorbidities, and duration of DM with HbA1c levels in type 2 diabetes patients at one of the private hospitals in Tasikmalaya City.This study evaluated medical records of 210 patients with type 2 DM. The Spearman's rank correlation test was used to analyse the relationships between variables and a p&lt;0.05 was considered as statistically significant. The research design used is cross sectional with purposive sampling technique.The result showed there was a statistically significant relationship between the duration of illness and HbA1c levels (p = 0.001 and r = 0,072). However, the relationship between nutritional status or comorbidities and HbA1c levels were not statistically significant (p = 0.471 and 0.187, respectively), indicating no relationship between nutritional status and HbA1c levels. The study concluded there was no significant relationship between nutritional status and comorbidities with HbA1c levels. Namun, ada hubungan antara durasi penyakit dengan kadar HbA1c

A single-center retrospective comparison of pT1 substaging methods in bladder cancer.

Substaging of T1 urothelial cancer is associated with tumor progression and its reporting is recommended by international guidelines. However, it has not been integrated in risk stratification tools and there is no agreement on the best method to use for its reporting. We aimed to investigate the applicability, interobserver variability, and prognostic value of histological landmark based and micrometric (aggregate linear length of invasive carcinoma (ALLICA), microscopic vs. extensive system, Rete Oncologica Lombarda (ROL) system) substaging methods. A total of 79 patients with the primary diagnosis of T1 urothelial cancer treated with conventional transurethral resection and adjuvant BCG therapy between 2000 and 2020 at the Medical University of Vienna were included. The anatomical and metrical substaging systems were evaluated using agreement rate, Cohen's kappa, Kendall's tau, and Spearman rank correlation. Prognostic value for high-grade recurrence or T2 progression was evaluated in uni- and multivariable analysis. Applicability and reproducibility were good to moderate and varied between substaging methods. Obstacles are mainly due to fragmentation of samples. Anatomical substaging was associated with progression in univariable and multivariable analysis. In our cohort, we could only identify anatomical landmark-based substaging to be prognostic for T2 progression. A major obstacle for proper pathological assessment is fragmentation of samples due to operational procedure. Avoiding such fragmentation might improve reproducibility and significance of pathological T1 substaging of urothelial cancer.

Enhancing biohydrogen production: A comparative analysis of utilization of Jerusalem artichoke and bakery waste by dark fermentation

This study investigates the potential of using Jerusalem artichoke (JA) and bakery waste (BW) for biogas and biohydrogen production through dark fermentation. The experiment included four series with different ratios of JA to BW (100:0, 0:100, 50:50, 75:25) under mesophilic conditions at 39 °C. The highest biogas (1.46 L/L.d) and hydrogen production (0.508 L/L.d) was achieved with BW alone. A synergistic effect was observed with the 50:50 mixture, resulting in the highest production of volatile fatty acids (VFA), which reached up to 22252 mg/L. This shows the advantages of combining these substrates for optimized energy production. Spearman rank correlation analysis identified ammonium-nitrogen (N-NH4) as the most influential factor and showed a strong positive correlation with butyric acid/acetic acid (B/A) ratio (ρ = 0.85, p < 0.001). This indicates that maintaining optimal ammonium-nitrogen levels is critical for maximizing yields. In addition, total solids (TS) and volatile solids (VS) showed moderate positive correlations with specific VFAs, indicating their significant role in VFA dynamics. These results highlight the importance of substrate optimization and maintaining stable fermentation conditions for sustainable and efficient energy production.

HUBUNGAN KEPUASAN PETANI JAGUNG ERHADAP KINERJA PENYULUH PERTANIAN DI DESA MOROME KECAMAAN KONDA KABUPATEN KONAWE SELATAN

The phenomenon of corn farmer satisfaction is still an important indicator for extension workers. In this case, the performance of extension workers is a point that can determine farmer satisfaction based on the problems faced by farmers so that solutions and innovations by extension workers can be delivered with the main objective of farmers' needs. This research aims to determine the satisfaction of corn farmers and the performance of extension workers in Morome Village, Konda District, South Konawe Regency, and to see the relationship. The population in this study were all corn farmers in Morome Village, Konda District. Considering that the population is only 30 Corn Farmers, it is appropriate to take all of them as samples without having to take a certain number of samples (saturated sample method/census). Data collection techniques in this research were observation, interviews and documentation. The instrument used was a questionnaire. Type of quantitative research. The data analysis used to determine the satisfaction of corn farmers and the performance of agricultural instructors is using the class interval formula, while the data analysis used to determine the relationship between corn farmer satisfaction and the performance of agricultural instructors is using the Spearman rank correlation formula. The results of this research show that general farmer satisfaction in Morome Village is in the high category. This can be seen from the aspects of quality, service and value which are in the high category, then the performance of agricultural instructors in Morome Village is generally in the high category too. This can be seen from the aspects of extension planning, implementation of extension, evaluation and reporting which are in the high category. Farmer satisfaction has a positive and very close relationship with the performance of instructors in agricultural extension activities in Morome Village. Where when farmer satisfaction increases, the performance of extension workers also increases and vice versa.

Validity of task-specific metrics for assessment in perineal proctectomy.

Perineal proctectomy is a complex procedure that requires advanced skills. Currently, there are no simulators for training in this procedure. As part of our objective of developing a virtual reality simulator, our goal was to develop and validate task-specific metrics for the assessment of performance for this procedure. We conducted a three-phase study to establish task-specific metrics, obtain expert consensus on the appropriateness of the developed metrics, and establish the discriminant validity of the developed metrics. In phase I, we utilized hierarchical task analysis to formulate the metrics. In phase II, a survey involving expert colorectal surgeons determined the significance of the developed metrics. Phase III was aimed at establishing the discriminant validity for novices (PGY1-3) and experts (PGY4-5 and faculty). They performed a perineal proctectomy on a rectal prolapse model. Video recordings were independently assessed by two raters using global ratings and task-specific metrics for the procedure. Total scores for both metrics were computed and analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. A Mann-Whitney U test with Benjamini-Hochberg correction was used to evaluate between-group differences. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was computed to assess the correlation between global and task-specific scores. In phase II, a total of 23 colorectal surgeons were recruited and consensus was obtained on all the task-specific metrics. In phase III, participants (n = 22) included novices (n = 15) and experts (n = 7). There was a strong positive correlation between the global and task-specific scores (rs = 0.86; P < 0.001). Significant between-group differences were detected for both global (χ2 = 15.38; P < 0.001; df = 2) and task-specific (χ2 = 11.38; P = 0.003; df = 2) scores. Using a biotissue rectal prolapse model, this study documented high IRR and significant discriminant validity evidence in support of video-based assessment using task-specific metrics.

Predictive Factors for Herpes Simplex Virus Reactivation in Patients with Trigeminal Neuralgia After Surgery

This study aimed to investigate the predictive factors associated with the reactivation of herpes simplex virus (HSV) in patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) after surgery, and to determine whether there is a correlation between reactivation and surgical efficacy. This study included 190 patients who underwent surgery between January 2020 and December 2021. Postoperative HSV reactivation was defined as the presence of perioral or gingival herpes and herpes labialis within 1 week postoperatively. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate clinical characteristics as potential predictors of HSV reactivation. Additionally, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to determine any correlation between the postoperative barrow neurological institute (BNI) pain intensity score and HSV reactivation. Of the 190 patients, 56 (29.5%) experienced postoperative HSV reactivation. Both univariate and multivariate analyses identified several significant predictors of HSV reactivation, such as a history of HSV infection, previous trigeminal nerve-damaging surgery, the use of internal neurolysis (IN) as a surgical technique, and an operation time of ≥25 min. No significant correlation was found between HSV reactivation and pain relief, as measured by BNI scores. HSV reactivation was observed in a considerable proportion of patients with TN. Long operative times (≥25 min), the use of IN as a surgical technique, a history of HSV infection, and previous trigeminal nerve-damaging surgery were identified as risk factors. Further research is needed to optimize surgical procedures and develop targeted management protocols to reduce the risk of HSV reactivation.

On the Relationship Between Frailty, Nutritional Status, Depression and Quality of Life Among Older People.

Frailty is a multidimensional geriatric syndrome associated with physical, psychological and social changes. There is a paucity of research on frailty in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, especially Ethiopia. To assess the initial correlations among frailty, nutritional status, depression and QOL (quality of life) in a group of older people in Ethiopia who are later enrolled in a study examining the effects of a nurse-led community intervention on frailty and related health outcomes. Data from 68 community-dwelling individuals 60 years of age, or over, were collected. Frailty was measured using the Amharic version of the Tilburg Frailty Indicator. The statistical analysis included Spearman's rank correlation coefficient for degrees of association, Mann-Whitney U-test for variables with two categories and Kruskal-Wallis for variables with three or more categories. The mean frailty score for participants was 7.3 (±1.9). Participants with higher frailty scores had lower nutritional status (rs = -0.46, p < 0.01). There was a statistically significant relationship (positive) between frailty scores and depression (rs = 0.39, p < 0.01). Depressed (Md = 9, n = 23) and non-depressed frail older people (Md = 7, n = 45) showed a significant difference in their overall frailty score, U = 330.50, z = -2.49, p = 0.01, r = 0.30. There was an inverse significant association between the level of frailty across different domains in the QOL: physical (rs = -0.44, p < 0.01), psychological (rs = -0.45, p < 0.01), social relations (rs = -0.29, p < 0.05) and environmental (rs = -0.47, p < 0.01). The findings from this study were consistent with those from across middle-income and high-income countries. This research indicates that older people living in communities who are identified as frail often suffer from a poor nutritional status, depression and reduced QOL. It suggests that healthcare professionals in Sub-Saharan countries would benefit from recognising the frailty in this population, and developing interventions aimed at enhancing nutrition, mental health and overall well-being.

Uncertainty Estimation and Out-of-Distribution Detection for Deep Learning-Based Image Reconstruction Using the Local Lipschitz.

Accurate image reconstruction is at the heart of diagnostics in medical imaging. Supervised deep learning-based approaches have been investigated for solving inverse problems including image reconstruction. However, these trained models encounter unseen data distributions that are widely shifted from training data during deployment. Therefore, it is essential to assess whether a given input falls within the training data distribution. Current uncertainty estimation approaches focus on providing an uncertainty map to radiologists, rather than assessing the training distribution fit. In this work, we propose a method based on the local Lipschitz metric to distinguish out-of-distribution images from in-distribution with an area under the curve of 99.94% for True Positive Rate versus False Positive Rate. We demonstrate a very strong relationship between the local Lipschitz value and mean absolute error (MAE), supported by a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of 0.8475, to determine an uncertainty estimation threshold for optimal performance. Through the identification of false positives, we demonstrate the local Lipschitz and MAE relationship can guide data augmentation and reduce uncertainty. Our study was validated using the AUTOMAP architecture for sensor-to-image Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) reconstruction. We demonstrate our approach outperforms baseline techniques of Monte-Carlo dropout and deep ensembles as well as the state-of-the-art Mean Variance Estimation network approach. We expand our application scope to MRI denoising and Computed Tomography sparse-to-full view reconstructions using UNET architectures. We show our approach is applicable to various architectures and applications, especially in medical imaging, where preserving diagnostic accuracy of reconstructed images remains paramount.

Impact of climate on varicella distribution in Bulgaria (2009-2018).

Temperature is the most important environmental variable associated with the varicella frequency across the world. The present study compares the incidence of varicella in the districts of Bulgaria against some climatic factors and tries to find environmental variables which account for the differences in the varicella distribution observed among the Bulgarian districts. The 28 Bulgarian districts were used as units of observation and their average 10-year varicella incidence (2009-2018) was tested for correlation with the standard bioclimatic variables of WorldClim, version 2. The WorldClim estimates for the annual mean temperature, the maximal temperature of the warmest month, the minimal temperature of the coldest month, the mean temperature of the coldest quarter, and the solar radiation inversely and not significantly correlated with the average 10-year varicella frequency. The precipitation of the warmest quarter and the wind speed correlated positively and also not significantly. Only the mean temperature of the driest quarter correlates significantly with the incidence at district level (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of -0.45, p = 0.02). The mean of average 10-year varicella incidence rates among districts with driest quarter during the winter (January, February, March) was 387.6 ± 114.1, while among districts with driest quarter during the summer/autumn (July, August, September or August, September, October) 283.3 ± 102.1 (p = 0.02, ANOVA test). Dry winter and/or wet summer appear as significant determinants for the fluctuant spread of varicella infection in Bulgaria.

Automated echocardiography view classification and quality assessment with recognition of unknown views.

Interpreting echocardiographic exams requires substantial manual interaction as videos lack scan-plane information and have inconsistent image quality, ranging from clinically relevant to unrecognizable. Thus, a manual prerequisite step for analysis is to select the appropriate views that showcase both the target anatomy and optimal image quality. To automate this selection process, we present a method for automatic classification of routine views, recognition of unknown views, and quality assessment of detected views. We train a neural network for view classification and employ the logit activations from the neural network for unknown view recognition. Subsequently, we train a linear regression algorithm that uses feature embeddings from the neural network to predict view quality scores. We evaluate the method on a clinical test set of 2466 echocardiography videos with expert-annotated view labels and a subset of 438 videos with expert-rated view quality scores. A second observer annotated a subset of 894 videos, including all quality-rated videos. The proposed method achieved an accuracy of for the joint objective of routine view classification and unknown view recognition, whereas a second observer reached an accuracy of 87.6%. For view quality assessment, the method achieved a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of 0.71, whereas a second observer reached a correlation coefficient of 0.62. The proposed method approaches expert-level performance, enabling fully automatic selection of the most appropriate views for manual or automatic downstream analysis.

Dynamics of speech and language competencies formation while the level-based approach to teaching the discipline ‘foreign language’ is being implemented

Introduction. The level-based approach to organizing foreign language teaching at the university is designed to take into account a number of objective factors: heterogeneity of the degree of foreign language proficiency of students in non-linguistic areas of training entering the university, higher requirements for the quality of mastering the discipline ‘Foreign Language’, and a limited number of academic hours allocated for mastering this discipline in the curriculum. The study aims to identify the dynamics of foreign language teaching when the level-based approach is being implemented. Materials and methods. The study was based on first-year students of non-linguistic areas of training at two higher schools of Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov (236 people). The research methods were the entrance and final diagnostic tests, differentiation of teaching a foreign language (English) and statistical processing methods (the Shapiro-Wilk test, Spearman rank correlation coefficient and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test). Statistical data were processed using the IBM SPSS 23.0 computer software package. Research results. The data obtained allows assessing the qualitative growth of speech formation (reading and listening) and language (vocabulary and grammar) competencies. The differences between the entrance and final tests (p &lt;0.001) are statistically significant and in all the aspects tested are in favor of the final test. Conclusion. The level approach proved effective for speech and language competencies formation in students of non-linguistic areas of training when studying the discipline ‘Foreign Language’, which is confirmed by statistical processing of the final test results. The level approach reduced the impact of such negative factors as heterogeneity of the initial language training of first-year students, psychological barriers, and short terms of teaching a foreign language to students of non-linguistic areas of training. Prospects for further research into the implementation of level-based teaching may be associated with analyzing how other components of foreign language communicative competence are formed.

Severity of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Predicts Neurologic Quality of Life in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

Introduction: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) are underreported in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). We aim to define the incidence of LUTSs in patients with MS and their effect on neurologic quality of life. Materials and Methods: We identified patients presenting to the neurology clinic for routine follow-up for multiple sclerosis. Each patient responded to validated questionnaires regarding urinary quality of life using the Bladder Control Scale (BLCS) from the Multiple Sclerosis Quality-of-Life Inventory (MSQLI) and overall Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (NeuroQOL). A retrospective chart review was performed to assess for the presence of lower urinary tract symptoms. Overall neurologic quality of life was measured in the presence and absence of LUTS, and P-values were calculated using the Student t test. A urinary quality-of-life score was correlated with an overall neurologic quality-of-life score using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient. Results: The study included 91 patients who completed the validated questionnaires. Of the 91 patients, 85 (93%) described the presence of at least 1 lower urinary tract symptom. The most common symptoms were urgency (84%), frequency (69%), incontinence (54%), and retention (38%). Seventy-two (79%) patients reported that LUTS negatively affected urinary quality of life. The presence of LUTS negatively affected the overall neurologic quality of life. Urinary quality of life was predictive of the overall neurologic quality of life (−0.22, P = .04). Conclusions: LUTSs are very common in patients with MS, and they not only significantly affect but also predict the overall neurologic quality of life.

Comparison of vancomycin assays in patients undergoing hemodialysis

Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic mainly excreted by glomerular filtration. Therefore, patients undergoing hemodialysis tend to accumulate its crystalline degradation product, which has been associated with cross-reaction in commercial immunoassays. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of two commercial immunoassays for measuring vancomycin levels in patients undergoing hemodialysis. This method-comparison study enrolled patients undergoing hemodialysis at two hospitals in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Vancomycin serum concentrations measured by Chemiluminescent Microparticle Assay (CMIA) and measured by Kinetic Interaction of Microparticles in Solution (KIMS) were compared with Liquid Chromatography coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A total of 64 samples from 42 patients and 54 samples from 23 patients were included in CMIA and KIMS groups. Both measurements were highly correlated with LC-MS/MS, with Spearman rank correlation coefficient r = 0.840 (p < 0.001) and r = 0.926 (p < 0.001), respectively. No deviation of linearity was observed (p = 0.81 and p = 0.49, respectively). The mean difference between CMIA and LC-MS/MS was -1.19 μg/mL and between KIMS and LC-MS/MS was -2.28 μg/mL. LC-MS/MS measured levels were, on average, 2.64 % higher than CMIA and 8.81 % higher than KIMS. CMIA and KIMS revealed accurate commercial methods to measure vancomycin serum concentrations in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

A veterinary-calibrated point-of-care glucometer accurately measures blood glucose concentration in dogs and cats.

To determine the clinical and analytical accuracy of a new veterinary-calibrated portable blood glucose monitor (PBGM) compared to a reference laboratory analyzer. Client-owned dogs (n = 77) and cats (n = 64). Peripheral and paired capillary whole-blood glucose concentrations measured via PBGM were compared to plasma glucose concentrations measured via a Cobas c501 reference analyzer (Roche). Analytical accuracy was evaluated with the Spearman rank correlation coefficient, Bland-Altman difference plot analysis, and Deming regression. Clinical accuracy was evaluated with Parkes error grid analysis. Paired peripheral and capillary blood samples were compared with the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test. There was a high correlation between PBGM and reference analyzer readings in dogs and cats. Human quality assurance standards (International Organization for Standardization 15197:2013 guidelines) for analytical accuracy were met for 95% of feline peripheral blood samples and 89% of canine samples. Similar veterinary standards (American Society of Veterinary Clinical Pathology guidelines) were met for 89% of canine and 92% of feline peripheral blood glucose measurements. Error grid analysis showed that all peripheral canine and 97% of feline measurements were clinically accurate (zone A). Any altered clinical decision for the remaining feline measurements was expected to minimally impact outcome (zone B). No significant difference was found between peripheral and capillary blood glucose measurements in either species. The PBGM produced clinically accurate results and is suitable for use in veterinary and home settings to measure blood glucose.

Recommendation method for selecting the rice seeds based on group decision support system

&lt;p&gt;In this paper, we provide group recommendations based on each decision makers (DMs) in choosing the best type of rice for replanting. This group decision support system (GDSS) aims to guide stakeholders who have a role in selecting rice types. In this method, we propose using technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) to rank each DM, Borda to rank in groups, and then test it using Spearman's rank correlation to measure the relationship between system results and the method applied. The results of this study show that DM&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt; ranks highest in selecting Gelagai rice seeds with a preference of 0.7786. Then DM&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; ranked highest with Ekor Payau rice seeds in preference 0.6529. Meanwhile, DM&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; ranked highest in Gelagai rice seeds with a selection of 0.7728. The final group voting system uses Borda, where Gelagai rice seeds occupy the highest rank with the most accumulated votes from each DMs. The best option or the highest rating based on the assessment of the three DMs, DM&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt; as a farmer is the first rank A10 Gelagai with a score of Borda 26 in the decision group selection of superior rice seeds.&lt;/p&gt;

Evaluation of neuropathy in epidermal growth factor administered patients diagnosed with diabetic foot

AimThis study was conducted to evaluate the effect of epidermal growth factor administered to patients diagnosed with diabetic foot on neuropathy. Secondarily, the effect of EGF on foot ulcer and neuropathic pain has also been evaluated. Materials and methodsThe study is an analytical type study with a single-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. It was conducted with 30 patients diagnosed with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes who applied to the wound care unit and cardiovascular surgery outpatient clinic at Pamukkale University Hospitals between March 2021 and November 2022. By not using the sampling method, all patients who received EGF in the units were reached. Data were collected by "structured patient information form", "SINBAD classification", and "LANSS pain scale." Data were obtained as a "pretest" before the administration of epidermal growth factor (EGF), and as a "posttest" applied one month after the completion of EGF administration. Data were analyzed with Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis H, Spearman's Rank Correlation, Mc Nemar, and Chi-Square Tests. FindingsIt was observed that the average age of individuals with diabetic foot ulcer was 60.1 ± 12.9, 40 % were obese/morbidly obese, 83.3 % were male, and 43.3 % were treated with insulin + oral antidiabetic. It was determined that the number of years with diabetes was 17.37 ± 10.93 years, and the duration of diabetic foot ulcer was 218.83 ± 279.04 days. 46.7 % of the participants were determined to have a previous foot wound, and 33.3 % had a history of amputation in the past. Neuropathy was present in 100 % of the participants in the pre-test, while it was found to be 56.7 % in the post-test. The participants with neuropathy were observed to have a significantly higher SINBAD classification and LANSS pain scale scores: (p = 0,01; p = .00). HbA1c, SINBAD, and LANSS scores decreased significantly after EGF (p = 0,00; p = .01; p = .01). EGF administration was observed to have a statistically significant positive effect on neuropathy (p < .01). ResultsEGF administration was observed to have a positive effect on the healing of foot ulcers, the reduction of neuropathic pain, and on neuropathy in patients diagnosed with diabetic foot.

Quality of Life and Psychosocial Outcomes Among Children With Cleft Differences.

Introduction Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) and craniofacial differences can lead to diminished speech and swallowing function resulting in communication and social challenges throughout childhood. To monitor changes in patients' psychosocial health and velopharyngeal function, the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) and Velopharyngeal Insufficiency Effects on Life Outcomes (VELO) survey tools can be utilized. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between VPI quality-of-life outcomes and psychosocial disturbances through a comparative analysis of PSC and VELO parental surveys among children followed by a craniofacial team. Methods A retrospective chart review was completed using data from asingle, multidisciplinary cleft and craniofacial team. Previously completed parental survey responses between 2010 and 2022 were collated and resultswere analyzed using a Spearman's rank correlation test (rs). Results There were 89 subjects who completed both surveys on the same day (n = 148 survey pairs (s)). Patients aged three to five years old (s = 88) had a mean VELO of 17.9 (0-65) and a mean PSC of 7.9 (0-27), while patients aged six to eight years old (s = 60) had a mean VELO of 16.6 (0-74) and a mean PSC of 12.0 (0-37). The strongest correlation observed for both age groups was between the total PSC and VELO Speech Limitations sub-scores (three to five years old: rs = 0.537, p < 0.001; six to eight years old: rs = 0.330, p = 0.010). Similarly, children in the six- to eight-year-old group with cleft lip and palate showed a correlation between the total PSC and VELO Speech Limitations (rs = 0.583, p < 0.001). Conclusion This study suggests arelationship between PSC and VELO scores among childrenages three to eight years old with cleft differences and demonstrates that specific domains within theVELO questionnaireshould be considered as being associated with a higher riskfor psychosocial impairment. Specifically, higher VELO Speech Limitations sub-scores may portend a greater risk for poor psychosocial outcomes supporting the importance of early interventions in this group.

Correlation of Patient-Reported Social Determinants of Health With Census Tract Measures of Socioeconomic Disadvantage in Patients With GI Cancers in Eastern North Carolina.

Investigating the impact of social determinants of health (SDOHs) on cancer care in large populations relies on census estimates. Routine clinic SDOH screening provides timely patient-level information which could inform best practices. This study evaluated the correlation between patient-reported SDOH needs and population-level census tract measures. This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of a cohort of adult patients with GI malignancy screened for SDOHs such as financial insecurity, transportation, and food insecurity during initial outpatient evaluation at East Carolina University (formerly Vidant) Health Medical Center in Greenville, NC (November 2020-July 2021). Primary outcomes included number and severity of identified SDOH needs and area deprivation index (ADI) and census tract measures for each patient. Spearman rank correlations were calculated among patient-level needs and between patient-level needs and similar census tract measures. Of 112 patients screened, 58.9% self-identified as White (n = 66) and 41.1% as Black (n = 46). A total of 50.5% (n = 54) resided in a rural county. The collective median state ADI rank was 7 (IQR, 5-9). The median household income was $38,125 in US dollars (USD) (IQR, $31,436-$48,934 [USD]). Only 12.5% (n = 14) reported a moderate or severe financial need. Among reported needs, financial need moderately correlated with food insecurity (coefficient, 0.46; P < .001) and transportation (coefficient, 0.45; P < .001). Overall, census tract measures and reported needs poorly correlated. Lack of transportation correlated with percentage of households without a vehicle (coefficient, 0.18; P = .03) and limited access to healthy foods (coefficient, 0.18; P = .04). Given the poor correlation between reported and census needs, population-level measures may not accurately predict patient-reported needs. These findings highlight the importance of SDOH screening in the clinical setting to reduce health disparities and identify opportunities to improve care delivery.