Beattyraun7359
In statins-treated diabetic mellitus (DM) patients, longitudinal coronary CTA (CCTA) evidence is scarce regarding the relationship between coronary Agatston artery calcification scores (CACs) and coronary plaque progression. This study was designed to investigate whether the association between CACs progression and compositional plaque volumes (PVs) progression differed between follow-up low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) controlled and uncontrolled groups in statins-treated DM patients.
From January 2015 to June 2021, 208 patients who submitted serial clinically indicated CCTAs in our hospital were included in this study. Participants were further subdivided into LDL-C controlled (n = 75) and LDL-C uncontrolled (n = 133) groups according to whether the LDL-C reached the treatment goals at follow-up. Baseline and follow-up CCTA image datasets were quantified analysis at per-patient and per-plaque levels. The annual change of total PV (TPV), calcific PV(CPV), non-calcific PV (NCPV), low-density noPV (β = 0.469 and 0.144, respectively, both p = 0.001), and LD-NCPV (β = 0.082 and 0.086, respectively, p = 0.004 and p = 0.006) in LDL-C controlled and LDL-C uncontrolled group. On the per-plaque level, the increase in CACs was independently associated with the annual change of NCPV and LD-NCPV in LDL-C uncontrolled patient (β = 0.188 and 0.106, p < 0.001), but not in LDL-C controlled group (β = 0.268 and 0.056, p = 0.085 and 0.08).
The increase of CACs in statins-treated DM patients indicates the progression of compositional PVs. From a per-plaque perspective, there might be increased instability of individual plaques concomitant with CACs increase in LDL-C uncontrolled patients.
The increase of CACs in statins-treated DM patients indicates the progression of compositional PVs. From a per-plaque perspective, there might be increased instability of individual plaques concomitant with CACs increase in LDL-C uncontrolled patients.
There is some evidence in the literature that older adults with cognitive impairments have a higher risk for falls and osteoporotic hip fractures. Currently, the associations between bone health and cognitive health have not been extensively studied. Thus, the present cross-sectional study aims to investigate the relationship between markers of bone loss and cognitive performance in older adults with and without osteopenia as well as older adults with cognitive impairments (i.e., Alzheimer's disease [AD]).
Sixty-two non-osteopenia participants and one hundred three osteopenia participants as the cohort 1 and 33 cognitively normal non-AD participants and 39 AD participants as the cohort 2 were recruited. To assess cognitive and bone health, hip bone mineral density (BMD) and cognitive performance (via Minimal Mental State Examination [MMSE] and/or Auditory Verbal Learning Test-delayed recall [AVLT-DR]) were assessed. Furthermore, in cohort 1, plasma amyloid-β (Aβ) levels, and in cohort 2, cerebrospinal fluolling age, sex, years of education, and BMI; (5) BMD can distinguish AD participants from cognitively normal non-AD participants with AUC of 0.816 and distinguish participants with the cognitive impairment from cognitively normal participants with AUC of 0.794.
Our findings suggest a relationship between bone health and cognitive health. Given the correlations between BMD and important markers of cognitive health (e.g., central and peripheral pathological change of Aβ), BMD might serve as a promising and easy-accessible biomarker. However, more research is needed to further substantiate our findings.
Our findings suggest a relationship between bone health and cognitive health. Given the correlations between BMD and important markers of cognitive health (e.g., central and peripheral pathological change of Aβ), BMD might serve as a promising and easy-accessible biomarker. However, more research is needed to further substantiate our findings.
Allergies, including food allergies, are a considerable clinical and public-health problem. The introduced preventive measures and differential diagnostics, including oral food challenges, are the gold standard for determining further treatment planning.
We present a case of an 18-year-old girl with a cow's milk allergy who underwent an oral food challenge (double blind oral food challenge). Such a challenge may be confounded by inducing a response from other systems and organs, which provides theoretical grounds for the use of other methods of assessing the body's response to food allergens (response demonstrated by the upper respiratory tract). Based on this idea, in order to assess the degree of mucosal response, we used optical rhinometry as an objective method for nasal patency evaluation, as well as identification of tryptase level in nasal lavage fluid and exfoliative cytology of nasal mucosa. The results of these tests confirmed positive reaction of the nasal mucosa in the course of the oral allergen challenge.
The observed increase in the nasal mucosal reactivity that accompanies oral food challenges may suggest a potential for using food allergens in nasal allergen provocation testing in order to diagnose food allergies.
The observed increase in the nasal mucosal reactivity that accompanies oral food challenges may suggest a potential for using food allergens in nasal allergen provocation testing in order to diagnose food allergies.
Pulmonary actinomycosis is a chronic disease characterized by abscess formation, draining sinuses, fistulae, and tissue fibrosis. It can mimic other conditions, particularly malignant and granulomatous diseases, and is perhaps extremely challenging to diagnose.
A 64-year-old Japanese man presented with 6-week history of a painful solid lump in the chest wall. ROC-325 Chest computed tomography scan revealed a mass-like consolidation in the left upper lobe, with rib erosion and direct extension into the anterior chest wall.
F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scan showed increased metabolic activity in the mass, which is indicative of primary lung cancer. The bronchoscopy and computed tomography scan-guided transthoracic biopsy results were considered nondiagnostic. Finally, the patient was diagnosed with pulmonary actinomycosis via surgical resection. He completed an 8-week course of antibiotic therapy and experienced no recurrence.
There is no difference in positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan findings between actinomycosis and malignancy. Therefore, pulmonary actinomycosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cases involving intensive activity on
F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scan.
There is no difference in positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan findings between actinomycosis and malignancy. Therefore, pulmonary actinomycosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cases involving intensive activity on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scan.
Mental health conditions are one of the largest burdens of disease in Australia and globally. There is a need to seek innovative and alternative interventions that can prevent and alleviate mental health symptoms. Nature-based interventions (NBIs), namely programs and activities where individuals engage with natural environments with the aim of improving their health and wellbeing (e.g., nature walking groups), may be such an alternative. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of mental health clinicians on the potential benefits of, and barriers to, implementing NBIs within a community mental health setting.
This study used a qualitative, exploratory research design. Fifteen mental health clinicians were recruited from the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Australia, and interviewed (September-October 2021) about their perceptions of NBIs within mental health settings. The semi-structured interviews were analysed using an inductive thematic approach and managed with NVivo.
Mental health in this study, mental health clinicians' interest and supportiveness of NBIs, mental health services should consider the implementation of NBIs as part of routine practice.
Responding to the individual and organisational factors that could hinder the implementation of NBIs while building on the existing evidence of the positive impact of nature on health and wellbeing and, as demonstrated in this study, mental health clinicians' interest and supportiveness of NBIs, mental health services should consider the implementation of NBIs as part of routine practice.
To evaluate the influence of corneal ablation patterns on the prediction error after cataract surgery in post-myopic-LASIK eyes.
Eighty-three post-myopic-LASIK eyes of 83 patients that underwent uneventful cataract surgery were retrospectively included. Predicted postoperative spherical equivalence (SE) was calculated for the implanted lens using the Haigis-L and Barrett True-K formula. Prediction error at onemonth postsurgery was calculated as actual SE minus predicted SE. For each eye, area and decentration of the ablation zone was measured using the tangential curvature map. The associations between prediction errors and corneal ablation patterns were investigated.
The mean prediction error was - 0.83 ± 1.00 D with the Haigis-L formula and - 1.00 ± 0.99 D with the Barrett True-K formula. Prediction error was positively correlated with keratometry (K) value and negatively correlated with ablation zone area using either formula, and negatively correlated with decentration of the ablation zone using the Barrett True-K formula (all P < 0.05). In the K < 37.08 D group, prediction error was negatively correlated with decentration of the ablation zone with both formulas (all P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that with the Haigis-L formula, prediction error was associated with axial length (AL), K value and decentration, and with the Barrett True-K formula, prediction error was associated with AL and decentration (all P < 0.05).
A flatter cornea, larger corneal ablation zone and greater decentration will lead to more myopic prediction error after cataract surgery in post-myopic-LASIK eyes.
A flatter cornea, larger corneal ablation zone and greater decentration will lead to more myopic prediction error after cataract surgery in post-myopic-LASIK eyes.
The COVID-19 pandemic has strongly influenced psychological and physical health worldwide. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the pandemic on women with fibromyalgia.
This mixed methods pilot study explored measures of pain severity and interference, as well as pain catastrophizing and level of fibromyalgia impact among women with fibromyalgia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA. Fibromyalgia patients completed demographic, pain-related, and other validated psychosocial questionnaires prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and then were re-assessed with those questionnaires, as well as a pandemic-related questionnaire assessing the impact of the pandemic on the patients' life, during the pandemic.
When comparing data reported before the pandemic to data collected 3-6months into the pandemic, women with fibromyalgia reported a general worsening of their pain and pain-related symptoms. During the pandemic, pain catastrophizing (p ≤ 0.05) and fibromyalgia impact (p ≤ 0.