Test Group Research Articles

WeCare – Mental healthcare for health professionals

Abstract Issue/Problem Health professionals face physical and mental stressors (risk factors) due to challenging working conditions. Description of the Problem Despite high levels of health literacy among healthcare workers, maintaining healthy habits is challenging due to variable shifts, including nights, high workloads, and intense emotional and mental demands. Adopting a healthier lifestyle requires personal changes that can be difficult to implement, particularly in nursing and caregiving. This is critical, as retaining and attracting new staff in these fields is essential for the healthcare sector. Results/Effects/Changes To address these challenges, it’s crucial to boost intrinsic motivation and provide healthcare workers with practical tools to support their well-being and encourage them to remain in the sector. The WeCare project offers a mobile app designed as a ‘pocket coach,’ accessible at any time. Healthcare professionals can use the app to assess their current mental well-being through self-evaluation. With built-in assessments and predefined thresholds, the app tracks stress levels and quality of life. Depending on the outcomes, users are automatically guided to appropriate information, gamified activities, and exercises tailored to their specific needs. The project, running from 2022 to 2024, is co-funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme. Lessons The app is beta-tested during 2024 in five countries: Germany, Austria, Serbia, Poland, and Italy, with local language support. The test group will consist of healthcare professionals and related professions. The results, including user engagement and motivational factors are analyzed. As the project concludes in autumn, comprehensive recommendations and lessons learned will be compiled and presented at the European Public Health (EPH) Conference. This will also include sharing the app and its solution with the broader healthcare community. Key messages • The WeCare app supports healthcare workers’ mental health with a mobile “pocket coach” that provides personalized exercises. Through gamification, it promotes healthy habits and boosts job motivation. • It is critical to support healthcare workers, as retaining and attracting new persons is essential for the healthcare sector.

Interleukin-6 levels in atrium and onset of spontaneous atrial fibrillation: is there a causal relationship

Abstract Background Cumulative evidence suggests that atrial interleukin-6 (IL-6) may play a significant role in the development of spontaneous postoperative atrial fibrillation (sPOAF) in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients. Our previous studies found that the IL-6 produced by the atrium is positively related to the development of sPOAF. However, the causal relationship between IL-6 and sPOAF is not established. Purpose This study aims to explore the potential causality between atrial IL-6 and spontaneous AF(sAF), alongside assessing the impact of IL-6 on the electrophysiological properties of atrial myocytes (AM). Methods To determine the causal link between IL-6 and sAF, mice were randomly divided into eight groups: seven receiving injections of varying doses of recombinant IL-6 protein groups (15ng/kg to180ng/kg) into the left atrial wall, and one control group (vehicle). Mice were monitored for sAF for 7 days using implanted telemetry device. At 48 hrs post-injection, the left atrial appendages of another set of mice were collected for analyzing levels of IL-6, Myeloperoxidase (MPO), Transforming Growth Factor-β1 (TGF-β1), and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α). To assess the effect of IL-6 on the electrophysiological characteristics of AM, AMs were isolated from the hearts of 12-week-old mice and divided into experimental and control groups for electrophysiological testing. The experimental group was perfused with extracellular solutions containing 100 ng/mL of IL-6 while the control group was perfused with standard extracellular solutions. The measurements focused on action potential (AP), transient outward potassium current (Ito), and inward rectifier potassium current (Ik1) after a 30-minute perfusion. Results As depicted in Fig. 1A, a dose-response relationship between IL-6 levels and sAF occurrence was observed, with incidence increasing from 0% at 15 ng/kg to 75% at 180 ng/kg (χ²= 16.691, P = 0.005). The injection of IL-6 also induced the production of MPO, TGF-β1, and TNF-α with a dose-dependent effects (Fig. 2). In comparison to control, the AP duration at 90% (APD90) and APD50 of repolarization of atrial myocytes were significantly shortened in IL-6 group (Fig. 1B). For voltages from -10mV to +70mV, atrial myocytes in the IL-6 group showed significantly lower Ito current density than those in the control (Fig. 1C). No significant alterations were observed in the impact of IL-6 on Ik1 current density in atrial myocytes (Fig.1D). Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that experimentally tested the causal relation between IL-6 and sAF. The injection of IL-6 could cause the onset of sAF and produce MPO, TGF-β1, and TNF-α with a significant dose-dependent effect. The effect of IL-6 on inducing sAF might be through its effect on reducing APD and Ito current density in mouse atrial myocytes. This suggests that inhibition of atrial IL-6 might be a potential novel sPOAF prevention strategy.

Diagnostic potential of relative changes in high-sensitivity troponin levels during intracoronary acetylcholine provocation testing

Abstract Background Intracoronary acetylcholine (ACh) provocation testing is useful for the diagnosis of vasospastic angina (VSA). However, the positive or negative diagnosis of ACh testing is often challenging when lacking typical anginal symptoms and electrocardiographic changes during provocation tests. We hypothesized that relative changes in cardiac troponin levels during ACh provocation testing may be suggestive of myocardial ischemia and would be helpful for the VSA diagnosis. Purpose To evaluate the diagnostic potential of relative changes in high sensitivity troponin I (hs-TnI) levels during intracoronary ACh provocation test. Methods This preliminary study included a total of 29 patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography with or without ACh provocation tests. Patients were divided into three groups; no ACh provocation tests (i.e. angiography alone), negative ACh tests, and positive ACh tests. Blood samples were obtained twice, before and after angiography, through the arterial sheath to evaluate hs-TnI. The primary measure was relative changes in hs-TnI (i.e. Δhs-TnI). Positive ACh provocation test was defined as total or subtotal coronary occlusion accompanied by chest pain and/or ischemic electrocardiographic changes. Results Of the 29 patients, 10 (34.5%) underwent coronary angiography alone, while ACh provocation testing was performed in 19 (65.5%) patients, of whom 7 (36.8%) and 12 (63.2%) had negative and positive ACh test results. Overall, the mean time interval between the blood sample collections was 76 minutes. Levels of hs-TnI before angiography did not differ significantly in the no, negative, and positive ACh test groups (5.3 [2.8, 8.6] vs. 2.9 [1.3, 8.8] vs. 3.3 [1.6, 8.5] pg/ml, p=0.76), while Δhs-TnI was highest in the positive ACh test group, followed by the negative and no ACh test groups (4.2 [0.5, 8.1] vs. 0.8 [0.4, 4.6] vs. −0.3 [−0.6, 0.3], p=0.002) (Figure). Conclusions In patients undergoing intracoronary ACh testing for the VSA diagnosis, a relative increase in Δhs-TnI during angiography was observed than in those who did not undergo the provocation tests, particularly when the ACh test diagnosis was positive. Our findings suggest that Δhs-TnI has the potential to aid in the positive or negative diagnosis of ACh provocation testing.

The impact of root end filling material type and the application of bone graft on healing of periapical tissues after endodontic microsurgery (a clinical randomized controlled trial)

To evaluate the effect of combining different bioactive root-end filling materials with composite bone graft (xenogeneic mixed with autogenous bone fragments) on the healing process of periapical tissues after endodontic micro-surgery procedure. In this triple-blinded clinical trial, 56 patients were divided into 2 main groups (28 each) according to the root-end filling material and 2 subgroups according to the presence or absence of the composite bone graft material. Group I: MTA root-end filling (n = 28) in which there are Sub-group A: without bone graft (n = 14) and Sub-group B: with composite bone graft (n = 14). Group II: TotalFill root-end filling (n = 28) in which there are Sub-group A: without bone graft (n = 14) and Sub-group B: with composite bone graft (n = 14). Healthy patients whose ages range from 20 to 50 years with small-to-medium size radiolucency in CBCT related to single-rooted maxillary teeth were included in this study. Patients were assigned a number starting from 1 to 56 and were randomly allocated to four test groups (2 main groups and 2 sub-groups) following simple randomization procedure guidelines described by IBM SPSS V23 (IBM USA) statistical analysis software. This trial was triple-blind where the patient, the outcome assessors, and the main operator were blinded to the applied intervention. Every patient was evaluated clinically and by CBCT at two main observation periods: presurgical and 12-month post-operative. They were also examined and evaluated clinically and radiographically through periapical x-rays after one week, three, and six months. Statistical analysis was performed with IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows Version 23.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp. Of the 56 patients enrolled in the study, 49 patients were available for the final analysis. All groups showed no statistically significant differences with regard to healing or success rates at the 12-month follow-up mark. No adverse effects were encountered. Results showed that high success rates were achieved using MTA and TotalFill in the healing of periapical lesions after endodontic surgery. The addition of bone graft in small-to-medium size lesions did not affect the success rate of endodontic surgeries.

Pregabalin as an Effective Adjunct in Postoperative Care following Third Molar Removal

Background: The surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molar is probably the most commonly performed procedure in oral & maxillofacial surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of pregabalin as an adjunct to standard analgesia for managing postoperative pain, facial swelling, and trismus following mandibular third molar extraction.  Methods: A total of 136 patients undergoing bilateral extractions were included. Each patient served as their own control, receiving pregabalin with standard analgesia for one extraction and only standard analgesia for the other. Postoperative pain was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at various intervals, while facial swelling and interincisal distance (IID) were measured on Days 1, 3, 7, and 14.  Results: VAS scores were higher in the control group; however, it was not statistically significant (P = 0.000) at any time interval. % facial swelling was significantly lower in the test group on postoperative day 1[2.32(1.77- 2.95) test; 2.32 (1.82-3.60) control; P = 0.009] and day 3 [6.67 (5.17-8.44) test; 7.49 (5.77-9.43) control; P = 0.004]. However, no significant differences were seen on postoperative day 7 and day 14. Similarly, no significant differences in mouth opening measurements were found.  Conclusion: Pregabalin is effective as an adjuvant therapy in reducing pain and facial swelling after third molar surgery. However, multicenter, randomized, double- blinded studies are recommended to confirm these findings.

The efficacy of preemptive multimodal analgesia in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery: a randomized controlled trial

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of preemptive multimodal analgesiain elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Methods A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted in the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery of the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2022 to December 2022. A total of 133 patients were included according to the criteria and randomly divided into preemptive analgesia (PRA) group (test group, 67patients) and postoperative analgesia (POA) group (control group, 66patients). Results The Visual Analog Scale (VAS)scores of PRA group 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h after operation were lower than those of POA group, and the difference was statistically significant, P < 0.001.The incidences of postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction (POGD) and postoperative delirium (POD)in PRA group were 13.43% and 8.98%, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in POA group (31.82% and 24.24%), P < 0.05. The levels of IL-6 and IL-10 in PRA group after the operation were 17.54 ± 2.13 ng/L and 15.57 ± 1.71 ng/L respectively, which were lower than those in POA group (25.45 ± 2.95 ng/L and 23.45 ± 1.88 ng/L), P < 0.05. The level of acetylcholinesterase(AchE) was 56.34 ± 5.62 nmol/L in the POA group, which was significantly higher than that in the POA group (49.59 ± 5.52 nmol/L), P < 0.001. Conclusion Preemptive multimodal analgesia can reduce the incidence of POGD and POD in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic gastrocolic surgery, improve the recovery process of postoperative gastrointestinal function, increase the concentrations of propionic acid and butyric acid in short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and the number of beneficial intestinal bacteria.

Brief communication: Effect of mobile health intervention on medication time adherence among people living with HIV/AIDS receiving care at selected hospitals in Owerri, Imo State Nigeria.

This study aimed to assess the impact of Mobile health (M-health) on medication time adherence among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The study included all PLWHA who were receiving care at the Federal University Teaching Hospital Owerri (FUTH) and Imo State Specialist Hospital (ISSH) Umugumma during the study duration. The test group (FUTH) received a 2-way text message sent three times a week and a once-a-week phone call, while the control group (ISSH) received only the standard care. The result shows that the adherence was higher among PLWHA in the test group compared to those in the control group (P = 0.000, χ2 = 168.62, 95% confidence interval (CI): 7.22 to 16.19). M-health intervention significantly improved the medication time adherence among the participants in the test group compared to those in the control group.

Comparative Study of Prolactin Levels in Acne and Non-Acne Individuals among Adolescent

Background: One of the most prevalent dermatological conditions affecting adolescents is acne vulgaris. The production of acne vulgaris lesions is a result of hormonal imbalances that impact skin conditions. Prolactin (PRL) is widely known for its involvement in the formation and operation of the mammary glands in addition to its more than three hundred non-lactational activities. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate and compare prolactin levels in serum hormone between persons with acne vulgaris and those without acne. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional case control study, serum levels of prolactin were collected and estimated in 80 subjects consisting of 40 males and 40 females each; of which 20 were the control group and 20, the test group in each category respectively. Also, certain criteria’s were looked into such as subject’s age, state of health, menstrual patterns (for females) and much more. Data collected was analyzed using the Software Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). At the end of the experiment, the result showed no significant change (p&lt;0.05). Result: In both male and female adolescents, the mean serum prolactin level of those with acne was higher than that of those without the condition. In adolescents with acne, the mean serum prolactin level was higher (19.48 ± 11.04) than in those without acne (13.48 ± 5.22). P less than 0.05 indicated statistical significance. Conclusion: An increase in the mean serum prolactin levels of acne subjects in both categories when compared to non-acne subjects indicates the contribution of prolactin in the pathogenesis of acne.

The effect of educational intervention based on self-efficacy theory on promoting adolescent oral health behaviors through mobile application: a randomized controlled trial study

BackgroundOral health is so important for the adolescent age group that the World Health Organization has listed oral health as a lifelong prerequisite for maintaining public health; Therefore, this research was carried out with the aim of the effect of educational intervention based on self-efficacy theory on the promotion of behaviors related to oral health of adolescents through mobile application.MethodsIn this clinical trial, 80 adolescents aged 13–15 years from Shushtar city were selected using a random cluster sampling method and assigned to either the test or control group. The data collection tools included a standard questionnaire for measuring Oral health behavior (awareness, attitude, behavior) and a standard questionnaire for measuring self-efficacy (self-efficacy in brushing teeth, self-efficacy in using dental floss, and self-efficacy in visiting the dentist), as well as demographic characteristics. Training was provided to the test group via a mobile application for 3 weeks. During the intervention, the control group did not receive any training. Questionnaires were distributed in both groups immediately after the intervention, as well as one month and three months post-intervention, and data were collected. In accordance with research ethics, at the end of the study, the educational content was provided to the control group. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS 22 software and Mann-Whitney and Friedman non-parametric tests.ResultsThe findings showed that the educational intervention through the mobile application was effective in improving the average scores of awareness, attitude, self-efficacy in brushing teeth, flossing, visiting the dentist, and the behavior of adolescents regarding oral health behaviors, and this statistical difference was significant compared to before the educational intervention (P < 0.05), while no change was observed in the control group (p > 0.05).ConclusionConsidering that adolescents aged 13–15 years are the age of starting behavioral habits, including oral health behaviors, and on the other hand, their interest in using technology and virtual spaces is high, it is suggested that part of the education of this age group should be designed and implemented in the platform of mobile application.Clinical TrialRegistration in Iran Clinical Trial Center with ID code (IRCT20200120046204N1) Date of.Registration: 2018-02-25.

Green means go: The effect of a visualization tool towards increased use of renewable energy in households

There is a need to further develop digital and hardware tools to support consumers in the adaptation of their energy use to, for example, integrate renewable sources into it and/or reduce expenses. This paper presents an evaluation study of a tool, including its hardware and software versions, that supports consumers in their electricity consumption optimization, most notably concerning renewable energies for specific devices. We conducted a six-week study in Oldenburg, Germany involving 43 participants divided into three groups: one hardware and one digital variant each of an energy visualization tool, as well as a control group. We furthermore collected quantitative data on energy usage patterns and qualitative insights through semi-structured interviews. Here the participants received information about the percentage of renewable energy currently in the grid, and were asked to document their washing machine and dishwasher use. This paper provides insights into the perception of the proposed visualization tools achieved through semi-structured interviews, comparing the digital and hardware versions, while outlining the challenges of and possibilities for changing energy use behavior, especially regarding the time of day of an appliance's use. Even though the measurable influences of the tool were limited due to thresholds being reached too easily as a result of e.g. high wind levels generating higher-than-anticipated amounts of renewable energy, in terms of the amount of renewable energy use, slight improvements in the two test groups were observed compared to the control group. Regarding consumer behavior, changes in the appliances' use time show slightly higher improvement compared to the control group.

Therapeutic effect of topical tamoxifen in murine cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major.

Iran is one of the endemic regions of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania major. There is no protective vaccine available against CL available, and the most effective strategy is a definitive treatment. Topical medications can be an excellent option for this purpose. Tamoxifen, a cancer control drug, has properties such as inducing cell apoptosis and anti-parasitic activity, which can be useful in controlling eukaryotic parasites such as Leishmania. The present study was conducted to investigate this theory in experimental CL caused by L. major. Forty female BALB/c mice aged 4 to 6 weeks were infected by injecting 1 × 106 L. major metacyclics (MRHO/IR/75/ER) in the base of the tail. After the appearance of Leishmania nodules, mice were divided into five test and control groups. Two drug formulations were used: tamoxifen 1% in ethanol and tamoxifen citrate ointment 0.1%. The effectiveness of each formula was evaluated by determining the mean size of the ulcers and parasite burden after a 28-day treatment period. Both formulations showed reduced ulcer mean sizes. However, only the tamoxifen citrate ointment group demonstrated a statistically significant reduction (P = 0.049). The parasite burden decreased by 40.83% for the ointment group and 33.67% for the ethanol solution. Other control groups showed lesser reductions. This study partially demonstrated the effectiveness of topical tamoxifen on CL lesions in a murine model. It can provide a basis for further research on the therapeutic effects of different topical tamoxifen formulations.

Understanding the Effectiveness of Email Prompts to Online Asynchronous Course Participants

A persistent problem in asynchronous online courses is low user retention. Compared to conventional courses, participants require some form of reward or intrinsic motivation to complete these courses which do not have set deadlines or timetables. To remedy this, many online course platforms will send email reminders to participants registered in the course to prompt them to continue their participation. This study is focused on understanding the efficacy of such practices in motivating students to continue a course they would otherwise neglect or drop. This study focuses on selected courses on the online asynchronous learning platform open.uom.lk. The participants of an online asynchronous Project Management course who had enrolled but not completed the course were separated into two groups; students who enrolled but have not started the course and students who started the course but have stopped for over a month. The students of each group were divided into test and control groups, where the test group was sent prompts by email to continue the course which included a link to the course page Using user activity data from the platform the progress of students over the month prompts were sent, and the month after were analysed, and the efficacy of sending email prompts was calculated. 4.45% of the students from the test group began participating in the course again as compared to 2% of the students in the test group. 32 students (0.7%) completed the course in the weeks during and after the email prompts were sent while none of the students in the control group completed the course. This shows sending email prompts has a positive impact on increasing participation in the course.

Effects of self-management interventions based on the COM-B model on peri-implant condition in older adults with periodontitis: a randomized controlled trial

ObjectivesThis study evaluated the impact of self-management interventions based on the COM-B model on peri-implant conditions in older adults with periodontitis.Materials and methodsThe patients were randomly divided into two groups: Group 1 (control group) received only an oral health education (OHE) pamphlet. Group 2 (test group) performed a self-management intervention based on the COM-B model. Each patient was examined for the most inflammatory implant. The measurement parameters included self-efficacy, self-management ability, and clinical indicators such as probing depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BOP), modified gingival index (mGI), modified plaque index (mPI), and peri-implant mucositis severity score (PMSS). The data was collected at baseline, 4, 8, and 12 weeks.Results42 patients underwent testing for 3 months. After 12 weeks, the improvement of self-efficacy, self-management ability, and the reduction of BOP, mPI, and PMSS in the test group was significantly higher than in the control group.ConclusionThe study suggests that self-management interventions based on the COM-B model can enhance the self-management ability of older adults with periodontitis and reduce peri-implant inflammation. This method is more effective than distributing OHE pamphlets.Trial registrationThe randomized controlled clinical trial was registered on Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (No. ChiCTR2400082660, Date: 03/04/2024).

Nomogram predicts cervical lymph node metastasis of pathological subtypes of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Pathological subtypes of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) are important factors in thyroid cancer. Some rare subtypes exhibit extensive lymph node metastasis. These pathological subtypes should receive more attention in clinical practice. Patients with different pathological subtypes of PTC were selected from the SEER database. Logistic regression, random forest, and bootstrap aggregating (bagging) methods were employed to screen for risk factors associated with cervical lymph node metastasis in the training cohort. A nomogram was established based on the model with the largest area under the curve (AUC) and evaluated using calibration curves. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to evaluate the clinical benefit to patients. The nomogram was validated in depth by 200 iterations of tenfold cross-validation. A total of 7,882 patients were included in the analysis, with 5,516 patients in the training group and 2,366 patients in the testing group. The logistic regression model achieved the highest AUC of 0.7396. Sex, age, race, extension (extrathyroidal extension), pathological type, and primary tumour size were identified as independent risk factors for cervical lymph node metastasis (p < 0.05). The calibration curve indicated that the model was well calibrated. DCA indicated that the nomogram model had good clinical practicability. In clinical practice, it is important to consider the pathological subtypes of PTC. The established nomogram can serve as a predictive tool for assessing cervical lymph node metastasis.

Evaluating the Serum Zinc and Testosterone Levels of Carpenters in Enugu Metropolis, South East Nigeria: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Exposure to wood dust remains a pervasive occupational hazard with significant health implications Aim: This study aims to investigate the impact of occupational exposure to wood dust on the zinc and testosterone levels of carpenters and to explore its potential implications for their fertility. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study employed simple random sampling to recruit forty carpenters and forty administrative staff after obtaining informed consent. The ethics committee of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital approved of the study. Serum zinc was analyzed with atomic absorption spectroscopy while testosterone was analyzed with the Fluorescence Immunchromatogarphy. Graph pad prism version 7 was used to analyze the data obtained from the study and a p value of 0.05 was used to ascertain statistical significance. Results: The mean zinc level of the test group (48.80 ± 0.83) µg/dl is statistically significantly lower than the reference group (52.40 ± 0.79) µg/dl, (p=0.003). The mean serum testosterone level of the test group (4.11± 0.10) ng/ml is statistically significantly lower than the reference group (4.51 ± 0.11) ng/ml, (p=0.010). Conclusion: These findings may suggest that occupational exposure to wood dust could potentially influence the serum levels of Zinc and testosterone levels.

A comparative analysis of game-based learning and conventional learning in dental education.

To evaluate the efficacy of traditional teaching versus traditional teaching supplemented by serious gaming in imparting knowledge of periodontal indices among dentistry students. Additionally, the study seeks to measure the level of satisfaction among students engaging with the assessed teaching method. This comparative study was approved by the ethics committee of the University of Valencia with file number: 2479311. A sample of 61 subjects was divided randomly into two groups: the test group (n=36) and the control group (n=25). Baseline knowledge of community index of periodontal treatment need was assessed through a questionnaire completed by both groups before receiving a comprehensive explanation of the topic. The test group, in addition to the conventional explanation, received supplementary training via an educational gaming experience. Both groups underwent a final evaluation and, subsequently, a satisfaction survey was completed by the test group. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed using a non-parametric Brunner-Langer model. The relationship between scores was examined using Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests, with a significance level set at α=0.05. The training, in general, was effective as both the test group (p=0.003) and the control group (p=0.015) demonstrated an increase in scores with both teaching modalities, but no significant difference was observed between the groups. The test group expressed a high level of satisfaction with the instructional approach. No statistically significant difference in learning outcomes was identified between the traditional lecture teaching method and the approach supplemented by gaming. There was an elevated level of student satisfaction with the gaming method.

Comparison of denture space and patient satisfaction for neutral zone versus standard-designed digital dentures restoring mandibular resorbed ridges: A crossover randomized clinical trial.

To compare neutral-zone-designed and standard-designed digital complete dentures used to restore severely resorbed ridges through differential digital analysis of teeth arrangement position, shape of the polished surface, and assessment of patient satisfaction. This study applied a within-subject comparison of two denture forms: computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) dentures designed based on the bone-support concept (control group) and CAD-CAM dentures designed based on the neutral-zone concept (test group). Twelve completely edentulous patients exhibiting advanced ridge atrophy were recruited, and they were randomly assigned to use one of the two dentures before the other. A comparison between the two groups' virtual denture confines was conducted using "Medit compare" digital software. The average values of three-dimensional deviations between the two dentures at different regions were calculated. The "patient denture assessment" questionnaire was used to gauge participants' satisfaction with their dentures. The obtained scores were used to compare the two denture types. The position of the neutral zone was significantly shifted at the level of both denture teeth and denture base outer limits (p = 0.001). The greatest deviation was calculated at the region of the palatal polished surface followed by lingual flange contours, while the buccal flanges displayed the least deviations (p≤0.05). Statistically significant differences were observed between patients' satisfaction with neutral zone and standard dentures regarding function and comfort, retention, and stability of lower dentures (p≤0.05). CAD-CAM neutral-zone dentures have distinctly different anatomical confines that can be clinically correlated to their better impact on patient acceptance.

Antioxidant Activity of Aluminum Oxide Nanoparticles Prepared by Laser Ablation Technique and Evaluating the Toxicity on Blood Human Components (in vitro)

DPPH is one of the most widely used tests with scavenged-free radical effect, in which the color turns to yellow when tested onto a free stable dark-purple tulip, where natural antioxidants are returned by an electron and a proton. The optical, structural properties of Al2O NPs prepared by the pulsed laser ablation (PLA) Nd: YAG laser method at various energies (500,800,1000 mJ) were studied using color absorbance, UV–VIS spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results showed that the average particle size is less than 41 nm. Spectroscopic analyses were used to study the antioxidant activity of Al2O3 nanoparticles by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical. The DPPH displacement was shown to be directly proportional to the high energies according to the results. The increased energy of (500, 800 and 1000 mJ) for free radicals are at (64.53 ± 5.487)%, (74.00 ± 2.887)% and (84.67 ± 4.372)% respectively, as compared to ascorbic acid. Furthermore, the toxicity of these nanoparticles on human blood parameters was studied using the complete blood count (CBC) (in vitro) by hematological parameters (PLT), (HGB–Hb), (RBCs), (WBCs), and count type white blood cells, and are compared to control groups. Our results demonstrate no significant changes in levels of (PLT), (HGB–Hb), (RBCs), (WBCs), and count type white blood cells between test and control groups. This data suggests that aluminum oxide nanoparticles have no harmful effect on hematological parameters (in vitro).

Explainable 18F-FDG PET/CT radiomics model for predicting EGFR mutation status in lung adenocarcinoma: a two-center study

PurposeTo establish an explainable 18F-FDG PET/CT-derived prediction model to identify EGFR mutation status and subtypes (EGFR wild, EGFR-E19, and EGFR-E21) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).MethodsBaseline 18F-FDG PET/CT images of 478 patients with LUAD from 2 hospitals were collected. Data from hospital A (n = 390) was randomly split into a training group (n = 312) and an internal test group (n = 78), with data from hospital B (n = 88) utilized for external test. Further, a total of 4,760 handcrafted radiomics features (HRFs) were extracted from PET/CT scans. Candidates for the prediction model were constructed by cross-combinations of 11 feature selection methods and 7 classifiers. The optimal model was determined by combining the results of cross-center data validation and model visualization (Yellowbrick). The predictive performance was assessed via receiver operating characteristic curve, confusion matrix and classification report. Four explainable artificial intelligence technologies were used for optimal model interpretation.ResultsSex and SUVmax were selected as clinical risk factors, which were then combined with 8 robust PET/CT HRFs to establish the models. The optimal performance was obtained by combining a light gradient boosting machine classifier with random forest feature selection method achieving an optimal performance with a macro-average AUC of 0.75 in the internal test group and 0.81 in the external test group.ConclusionThe explainable EGFR mutation status prediction model have certain clinical practicability and good generalization performance, which may help in the timely selection of treatment options and prognosis prediction in patients with LUAD.

A New Avrami-Based Exponential Model for Predicting Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bar Service Life: A Comparison with Existing Models Using a Large Database.

The fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) bar is a promising solution to problems caused by steel rebar corrosion in concrete. To assess the service life of the FRP bar based on accelerated test results, it is crucial to have a reliable model. Here, a modified exponential (MEP) model is proposed based on the Avrami equation. The Avrami equation provides a theoretical foundation for the empirical exponential (EP) model and does not a priori fix the power of the exposure time to one. A database containing 903 data points from 74 groups of test specimens is assembled to compare the reliability of the MEP model vis-a-vis the EP, single logarithmic, double logarithmic, and power function models. The combination of Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), the Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and the coefficient of determination (R2) criteria is proposed for assessing model reliability. It is shown that in certain cases the combined criteria, versus R2 alone, significantly increase the number of test groups meeting the acceptable performance limit. Observed test data aberrations are found to have minor influence on the results of the EP model, but they significantly influence the results of the other four models. The EP model generally predicts the lowest activation energy and the smallest strength retention for similar groups of bars, while the predicted values of the other four models exhibit a relatively small difference. The difference between the predicted strength retention values of the EP and MEP models shows an increasing trend with the increase of the absolute value of (1 - n), where n is the power of the exposure time in the MEP model.