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American Journal of Veterinary Research Jun 2024To improve the current recommendations for the diagnosis of canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) disease.
Loop-mediated isothermal amplification polymerase chain reaction in place of a modified Knott test in screening dogs for heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) infection combined with antigen detection test.
OBJECTIVE
To improve the current recommendations for the diagnosis of canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) disease.
ANIMALS
Blood samples collected from 35 shelter dogs in the Republic of Korea.
METHODS
Samples were tested for the presence of microfilaria using the modified Knott (MK) test and D immitis DNA using species-specific loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) PCR. The blood samples were additionally assessed for the presence of heartworm antigens using the Antigen Rapid Canine Heartworm AG Test Kit 2.0 (Bionote Co). The performance of the MK test and LAMP PCR was assessed through statistical analysis, with a paired McNemar test utilized for comparison.
RESULTS
The heartworm antigen was detected in 28.5% of the subjects. Of the 10 positive animals, the MK test detected microfilaria in 4 of 35 (11.4%) animals, and LAMP PCR detected D immitis DNA in 6 of 35 (17.1%). The results of this study indicate that the LAMP PCR showed more positive results in samples compared to the conventional MK test.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
The D immitis-specific LAMP PCR assay has the potential to function as an alternative to current detection methods. It could complement the existing antigen detection tests in diagnosing canine heartworm infections.
PubMed: 38942062
DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.24.02.0027 -
American Journal of Veterinary Research Jun 2024To evaluate methods for euthanizing cave cockroaches (CCs; Blaberus giganteus) and Madagascar hissing cockroaches (MHCs; Gromphadorhina portentosa). It was hypothesized...
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate methods for euthanizing cave cockroaches (CCs; Blaberus giganteus) and Madagascar hissing cockroaches (MHCs; Gromphadorhina portentosa). It was hypothesized that both suggested methods would be effective for humane mass euthanasia of both species.
SAMPLE
Approximately 800 CC.
METHODS
The CCs were separated into replicate groups of 25, 50, 75, 100, and 150 grams and placed into 3.8-L plastic bags. Twenty-seven MHCs were divided into groups of 2 to 3. The study took place from January to March 2023. All CC groups were exposed to 100% carbon dioxide (CO2) at a rate of 4 L/min until the bag was full. Madagascar hissing cockroaches were similarly anesthetized using either CO2 or 2 mL of isoflurane on a cotton ball in a 1-L container or a combination of CO2 and isoflurane. Once cockroaches were immobile, secondary euthanasia steps were performed. One bag of CCs per weight category was exposed to soapy water (5% Dawn dishwashing liquid), and the second was placed into a -80 °C freezer. The containers of MHCs were evenly exposed to the 2 euthanasia methods. Individuals remained in their secondary euthanasia method for 30 minutes.
RESULTS
Regardless of the weight of the CCs within each bag, there was no impact on time (1.8 ± 0.4 minutes [mean ± SD]) to immobility. The failure rates for both species were 0.2% CI (-0.1% to 1.5% [1/413]) for soapy water and 0.5% CI (0.005% to 1.9% [2/414]) for the freezer method. These results support the use of both 2-step euthanasia methods in CCs and MHCs.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
These methods will serve as an evidence-based alternative for humane mass euthanasia in cockroaches.
PubMed: 38942060
DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.24.04.0114 -
Gaceta Sanitaria Jun 2024To evaluate the modifying effect of social capital on the relationship between living in violent communities and the presence of psychological distress in adolescents...
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the modifying effect of social capital on the relationship between living in violent communities and the presence of psychological distress in adolescents and youth in Mexico.
METHOD
The analysis of the Social Cohesion Survey for the Prevention of Violence and Crime (ECOPRED, by its acronym in Spanish) was conducted. The analytic sample consisted of 39,639 participants aged 12 to 29 years. Community violence and social capital were measured at the census tract level using the average answers of a household's head sample. These environmental variables were independent of the experiences of the participants. Social capital variables included structural (social ties, recreational participation, collaborative participation, and social cohesion), and cognitive (trust in neighbors) dimensions. Multilevel structural equation models were used.
RESULTS
Recreational participation, collaborative participation, and social cohesion modified the relationship between community environments and psychological distress. In females who lived in places with less recreational participation or less social cohesion, the higher the social disorder, the higher the psychological distress. A similar relationship between vandalism and psychological distress was identified, but only in males who lived in places with less collaborative participation, and in females with less social cohesion.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that dimensions of the structural social capital (organization and interest in the community and its members) were the ones that had the buffering effect of the exposure to disordered community environments on psychological distress.
PubMed: 38941885
DOI: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2024.102408 -
PloS One 2024Pain changes how we move, but it is often confounded by other factors due to disease or injury. Experimental pain offers an opportunity to isolate the independent effect...
Pain changes how we move, but it is often confounded by other factors due to disease or injury. Experimental pain offers an opportunity to isolate the independent effect of pain on movement. We used cutaneous electrical stimulation to induce experimental knee pain during locomotion to study the short-term motor adaptions to pain. While other models of experimental pain have been used in locomotion, they lack the ability to modulate pain in real-time. Twelve healthy adults completed the single data collection session where they experienced six pain intensity conditions (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 out of 10) and two pain delivery modes (tonic and phasic). Electrodes were placed over the lateral infrapatellar fat pad and medial tibial condyle to deliver the 10 Hz pure sinusoid via a constant current electrical stimulator. Pain intensity was calibrated prior to each walking bout based on the target intensity and was recorded using an 11-point numerical rating scale. Knee joint angles and moments were recorded over the walking bouts and summarized in waveform and discrete outcomes to be compared with baseline walking. Knee joint angles changed during the swing phase of gait, with higher pain intensities resulting in greater knee flexion angles. Minimal changes in joint moments were observed but there was a consistent pattern of decreasing joint stiffness with increasing pain intensity. Habituation was limited across the 30-90 second walking bouts and the electrical current needed to deliver the target pain intensities showed a positive linear relationship. Experimental knee pain shows subtle biomechanical changes and favourable habituation patterns over short walking bouts. Further exploration of this model is needed in real-world walking conditions and over longer timeframes to quantify motor adaptations.
Topics: Humans; Male; Adult; Biomechanical Phenomena; Female; Knee Joint; Pain; Gait; Locomotion; Walking; Young Adult; Electric Stimulation; Range of Motion, Articular
PubMed: 38941337
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302752 -
Alternative Therapies in Health and... Jun 2024This study evaluated the effectiveness of nalbuphine combined with propofol in reducing visceral pain and preserving cognitive function during laparoscopic ovarian tumor...
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated the effectiveness of nalbuphine combined with propofol in reducing visceral pain and preserving cognitive function during laparoscopic ovarian tumor resection.
METHODS
A total of 100 patients undergoing laparoscopic ovarian tumor resection from January 2019 to January 2022 were randomly assigned to either the control group or the research group (50 patients each). The control group received fentanyl combined with propofol for anesthesia, while the research group received nalbuphine combined with propofol. Various anesthetic parameters, hemodynamics, visceral pain(Visual analog scale was used to evaluate the degree of pain at rest and during movement at 2h, 6h, and 12h after the operation), cognitive function (Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scale was used to assess the cognitive function before the operation and 1 day, 3 days, and 5 days after the operation, including time and place, language, orientation, calculation, delayed memory and useability), and incidence of adverse reactions were assessed and compared between the two groups.
RESULTS
The research group exhibited significantly lower propofol dosage and anesthesia recovery time compared to the control group (P < .05). Hemodynamic stability, as indicated by SBP (Systolic Blood Pressure), DBP (Diastolic Blood Pressure), and SpO2 (Peripheral Capillary Oxygen Saturation)levels, was better maintained in the research group, especially at the beginning of the operation (P < .05). VAS (Visual Analog Scale) scores for pain at rest and during exercise were significantly lower in the research group at 2h and 6h post-operation (P < .05). MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination) scores were higher in the research group compared to the control group at 1and3 days post-operation (P < .05). Additionally, the incidence of adverse reactions was significantly lower in the research group (8.00%) compared to the control group (20.00%, P < .05).The above results were subjected to t test and χ2 test.
CONCLUSIONS
Nalbuphine combined with propofol effectively alleviates visceral pain during laparoscopic ovarian tumor resection, stabilizes hemodynamics, and preserves cognitive function. This combination demonstrates promising analgesic and sedative effects with high safety, suggesting its potential for widespread clinical use.
PubMed: 38940805
DOI: No ID Found -
Alternative Therapies in Health and... Jun 2024Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women all over the world. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a type of small endogenous single-stranded RNA that are involved in various...
BACKGROUND
Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women all over the world. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a type of small endogenous single-stranded RNA that are involved in various cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and metabolism. Over the past decade, numerous studies have demonstrated that the expression levels of miRNAs are dysregulated in many types of cancer, including breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To systematically evaluate both the diagnostic and prognostic value of miRNA expression in breast cancer by meta-analysis.
DESIGN
This was a meta-analysis. The research team performed a comprehensive narrative review by searching Pubmed, Medline, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and other databases that were searched by computer from January 2010 to December 2020. The language was limited to English; the subject words were miRNA and breast cancer.
SETTING
This review took place in Jintang First People's Hospital, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Jingtang Hospital.
PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES
RevMan 5.3 software was implemented to carry out a meta-analysis of the data extracted in this paper. The outcome measures included (1) patient age, (2) patient tumor size, (3) lymph node metastasis, (4) estrogen receptor (ER) level (5) progesterone receptor (PR) level (6) human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) level (7) tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (8) prognosis disease-free survival (DFS) level (9) overall survival (OS) level.
RESULTS
A total of 8 references and 1414 patients were contained in this research. Meta-analysis demonstrated that age: odds ratio (OR) =1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.30-12.09), P=0.50. Tumor size (>2 cm): OR=2.23, 95% CI (0.89-5.57), P = .09. Lymph node metastasis: OR=2.09, 95% CI (1.65-2.65), P < .00001. ER: OR=1.26, 95% CI (0.64-2.47), P = .5. PR: OR=0.96, 95% CI (0.86-1.07), P = .41. HER2 OR=1.79, 95% CI (0.42-7.64), P = .09. TNM stage (III vs. I/II) OR=0.89, 95% CI (0.71-1.10), P = .27. DFS: OR=8.49, 95% CI (2.72-26.45), P = .0002. OS: OR=5.99, 95% CI (2.60-13.79), P < .0001. High expression of miRNA was correlated with lymph node metastasis, DFS and OS in BC patients.
CONCLUSION
High expression of microRNA can be adopted as an important indicator for BC screening and has important value for the prognosis of BC patients. Circulating miRNAs could serve as potential targets for BC treatment.
PubMed: 38940799
DOI: No ID Found -
Alternative Therapies in Health and... Jun 2024Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in lifelong cognitive, emotional, and motor impairments. The emergency department is the first stop for diagnosing and treating...
CONTEXT
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in lifelong cognitive, emotional, and motor impairments. The emergency department is the first stop for diagnosing and treating patients with acute TBI, and the quality of nursing care can greatly influence the prognosis and progression of a patient's condition. Currently, standardized evaluation tools are lacking in the world for assessment of the quality of nursing care.
OBJECTIVE
The study intended to construct a nursing-sensitive indicator system for TBI patients, based on the scientific method of evidence-based nursing and the Delphi method, to provide a quantitative tool for emergency-nursing personnel to manage the quality of care for those patients.
DESIGN
Based on the Joanna Briggs Institute's evidence-based healthcare model, the research team performed a literature search and consulted reference guidelines, conducted two rounds of consultations with experts. sensitive indicators for quality of care, and constructed the sensitive indicator system. The team then conducted a retrospective study.
SETTING
The study took place in the department of emergency surgery at Shanxi Norman Bethune Hospital in Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.
PARTICIPANTS
Participants were 56 patients with TBI who had been admitted to the emergency department between January 2022 and December 2022 and 44 patients with TBI who had been admitted to the emergency department between January 2023 and December 2023.
INTERVENTIONS
The research team assigned: (1) the 56 patients in the first group to the control group, who received routine nursing care and (2) the 44 patients in the second group to the intervention group, who received treatment using the sensitive indicator system for the quality of emergency care for TBI patients as well as routine care.
OUTCOME MEASURES
In the verification study, the research team compared the group's rescue effects and satisfaction with emergency care.
RESULTS
In the first and second rounds of inquiries to experts, the research team distributed 25 questionnaires each time, with 25 valid questionnaires collected both times. The response rate for both rounds of inquiries was 100%. The expert authority coefficients for the first and second rounds of inquiries are 0.844 and 0.878, respectively. The sensitive indicator system's final construction included three primary indicators, seven secondary indicators, and 17 tertiary indicators. The AUC for the sensitive indicators was 0.8355882. The indicator system's use found that the intervention group had a shorter time to diagnosis (P < .001), emergency-department stay (P < .001), and emergency-department-to-surgery time (P < .001) compared to the control group. The intervention group also has a higher success rate for the emergency treatment (P = .014) and a higher nursing satisfaction with nurse-patient communications (P = .003), first-aid operations (P < .001), nursing attitudes (P < .001), and emergency environment (P < .001) compared to the control group.
CONCLUSIONS
The process of constructing quality-sensitive indicators for the nursing care of TBI patients was scientific. The constructed quality-sensitive indicator system for the care of patients with TBI covers key factors that influence the quality of care. It's highly practical and has the ability to transform certain indicators, which can better guide the management of quality of care for TBI.
PubMed: 38940780
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of the Korean Association of... Jun 2024This study identifies factors for differential diagnosis among lesions by retrospectively comparing panoramic and cone-beam computed tomography images and analyzing the...
OBJECTIVES
This study identifies factors for differential diagnosis among lesions by retrospectively comparing panoramic and cone-beam computed tomography images and analyzing the characteristics of lesions associated with impacted mandibular third molars (IMTs).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A retrospective cohort study was conducted in patients who simultaneously underwent IMT extraction surgery and related benign tumor resection or cyst enucleation at our institution from 2017 to 2021. To compare the characteristics of each group, two comparative analyses were conducted. The first comparison considered the most frequently observed lesions associated with IMTs: dentigerous cysts, odontogenic keratocysts (OKCs), and ameloblastoma. The second comparison involved placing dentigerous cysts, which have a relatively low recurrence rate, into group A and placing OKC, ameloblastoma, and odontogenic myxoma, which have high recurrence rates, into group B.
RESULTS
Significant differences in the size of the lesion were found in the order of ameloblastoma, OKC, and dentigerous cyst ( <0.05). The buccolingual width of ameloblastoma differed significantly from that of the other groups, with no significant difference observed between the OKCs and dentigerous cysts (=0.083).
CONCLUSION
Patient age and lesion size differed significantly among lesion types associated with IMTs, with younger age and larger lesions for OKCs and odontogenic tumors. OKCs are likely to have a larger mesiodistal width than dentigerous cysts. The buccolingual width of ameloblastomas was larger than those of dentigerous cysts and OKCs.
PubMed: 38940652
DOI: 10.5125/jkaoms.2024.50.3.153 -
Annals of Agricultural and... Jun 2024Due to educational migration to Poland, students from Ukraine and Belarus may experience security to varying degrees. The aim of the study was to check the extent to...
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE
Due to educational migration to Poland, students from Ukraine and Belarus may experience security to varying degrees. The aim of the study was to check the extent to which people from Ukraine and Belarus studying in Lublin feel safe, taking into account their own life and health. An attempt was also made to establish the relationship between the sense of security and selected features of the surveyed students.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The research was conducted using a survey method among 403 students from Ukraine, Belarus and Poland. Eight independent variables were introduced into the analysis of relationships: gender, age, self-assessment of the financial situation, country of origin, place of origin, place of residence during studies, and year of study. The dependency analysis used Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallisau tests and CATREG optimal scaling analysis.
RESULTS
The study showed that both Polish and foreign students assessed the level of safety in Poland and during their studies in Lublin as high. They feel safer during the day than after dark. Polish students are more afraid of theft, rape and being hit by a car than students from Belarus and Ukraine, and students from Ukraine are more afraid of verbal abuse. The predictors influencing students' sense of insecurity are, among others, their financial situation and gender.
CONCLUSIONS
The conducted research and analysis of the obtained results suggest that the situation of students from Ukraine and Belarus studying in Lublin, Poland, in terms of safety, is similar to that of Polish students, and even better in some aspects. This result suggests that Lublin is a friendly academic centre for students from across the eastern border of Poland.
Topics: Humans; Poland; Ukraine; Republic of Belarus; Male; Female; Young Adult; Students; Adult; Safety; Surveys and Questionnaires; Adolescent; Eastern European People
PubMed: 38940113
DOI: 10.26444/aaem/189598 -
Annals of Agricultural and... Jun 2024Obesity is considered a major public health concern. The aim of the study is to compare anthropometric indicators related to overweight and obesity by place of residence... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Comparison of anthropometric indicators related to overweight and obesity by place of residence in a local community with a high social deprivation rate - a cross-sectional study.
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE
Obesity is considered a major public health concern. The aim of the study is to compare anthropometric indicators related to overweight and obesity by place of residence in a local community with a high social deprivation rate, based on the example of residents of the Janów District in eastern Poland, taking into account gender strata differences.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out in a study group of 3,752 individuals. The following anthropometric measurements and laboratory tests were performed to identify the anthropometric indicators related to overweight and obesity: body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and body adiposity index (BAI).
RESULTS
Mean age of the study group was 51.92 ± 8.15. Overweight and obesity-related indicators were more prevalent in rural than urban areas among women, and were as follows: BMI (28.77 ± 5.37 vs. 27.62 ± 5.09; p < 0.001), WHR (0.87 ± 0.07 vs. 0.85 ± 0.07; p < 0.001), WHtR (0.57 ± 0.09 vs. 0.57 ± 0.08; p < 0.001) and BAI (33.58 ± 5.48 vs. 32.82 ± 5.4; p = 0.002). Men's mean WHR was higher in rural than in urban areas (0.96 ± 0.07 vs. 0.95 ± 0.62; p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
The study shows that women living in rural areas had a mean BMI that was 1.1 higher than that of women living in urban areas, as well as 0.02 higher WHR and WHtR and 0.8 higher BAI. In contrast, men living in rural areas had a 0.001 higher WHtR and WHR than men living in urban areas. In the multivariable models, after having considered potential confounding variables, women living in rural areas had approximately a 60% higher probability of being obese, while men had approximately a 30% higher probability of being obese.
Topics: Humans; Male; Poland; Obesity; Female; Cross-Sectional Studies; Middle Aged; Adult; Overweight; Body Mass Index; Waist-Hip Ratio; Rural Population; Anthropometry; Urban Population; Aged; Waist-Height Ratio; Residence Characteristics; Socioeconomic Factors
PubMed: 38940109
DOI: 10.26444/aaem/178180