Landrydelacruz2618

3 mg/dL, p < 0.0001).

Patients with ed-GDM showed significantly lower FPG levels during treatment compared to those with md-GDM, presumably indicating an association with the delivery of low-birthweight infants.

Patients with ed-GDM showed significantly lower FPG levels during treatment compared to those with md-GDM, presumably indicating an association with the delivery of low-birthweight infants.

To assess whether angioplasty of hemodialysis access (HA) stenosis with a drug-coated balloon (DCB) would prevent restenosis in comparison with plain-balloon percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA).

This prospective randomized clinical trial enrolled 120 patients with dysfunctional arteriovenous fistulae (n= 109) and grafts (n= 11), due to a ≥50% stenosis between March 2014 and April 2018. All patients underwent high-pressure balloon angioplasty and were then randomized to either DCB (n= 60) or PTA (n= 60). Anacetrapib mouse Patients were followed-up for 1 year, and angiography was performed 6 months after angioplasty. The primary endpoint was the late lumen loss (LLL) at 6 months. Secondary endpoints included other angiographic parameters at 6 months and HA failures, adverse event, and mortality at 12 months. Continuous variables were compared with a Student t-test, and Kaplan-Meier curves were used for freedom from HA failure and for mortality.

LLL in the DCB and in the PTA group were 0.64 mm ± 1.20 and 1.13 mm ± 1.51, respectively (P= .082, adjusted P= .0498). DCB was associated with lower percentage stenosis (54.2% ± 19.3 vs 61.7% ± 18.2; P= .047) and binary restenosis ≥50% (56.5% vs 81.1%; P= .009) than PTA. The number of HA failures after 12 months was lower for DCB than for PTA (45% vs 66.7%; P= .017). Mortality at 12 months was 10% and 8.3% in the DCB and PTA groups, respectively (P= .75).

Despite LLL improvement that failed to reach statistical significance, this study demonstrated decreased incidence and severity of restenosis with DCB compared with PTA to treat dysfunctional HA.

Despite LLL improvement that failed to reach statistical significance, this study demonstrated decreased incidence and severity of restenosis with DCB compared with PTA to treat dysfunctional HA.

Teachers suffer greater impacts of voice problems due inappropriate voice use and other contributing factors such as physiological, environmental, and individual & work related issues. Structured vocal hygiene programs (VHP) prevent/reduce the risk of vocal trauma and promote vocal health in teachers. This study aimed to estimate the outcome of instituting a sociocultural relevant vocal hygiene program in facilitating vocal health among female school teachers using a comprehensive voice assessment protocol.

VHP was developed emphasizing adequate hydration, healthy vocal diet, posture and alignment, vocal practices while teaching, and ideal speaking environment. This was administered via a face to face session to seventeen female teachers with voice concerns. All underwent a comprehensive voice assessment (subjective, objective, and self-perceptual vocal measures) before and four weeks after the VHP. Inter-rater reliability for perceptual and visual examination was estimated using Intra-Class Coefficiehyper-adduction). V-DOP scores indicated positive change in the overall severity (P=0.002), physical (P=0.003) and functional domain (P=0.034). VFI indicated improvement in teachers voice after a period of voice rest (P=0.048).

Though VHP facilitated in improving the teachers' awareness of at risk phono-traumatic behaviors and vocal health, its efficiency was limited in producing physiological improvement in teachers' voice. The comparison of vocal metrics before & after the treatment provides information on changes that can be expected in teachers after guiding them through a systematic VHP.

Though VHP facilitated in improving the teachers' awareness of at risk phono-traumatic behaviors and vocal health, its efficiency was limited in producing physiological improvement in teachers' voice. The comparison of vocal metrics before & after the treatment provides information on changes that can be expected in teachers after guiding them through a systematic VHP.

The aim of the study was comparing the diagnostic role of the white light (WL) endoscopy, video laryngostroboscopy (VLS), and narrow-band imaging (NBI) in the evaluation of the benign vocal fold lesions.

From March 2018 to June 2019, a total of 118 cases were enrolled in this study. Ninety-eight patients were suspected with vocal fold nodules, cysts, polyps, and sulcus vocalis and 20 patients without a history of dysphonia. Each patient was examined by WL, VLS, and NBI endoscopy. Recorded images and videos were analyzed and scored by three otorhinolaryngologists who had at least 3 years of experience in phoniatrics field. The evaluation results were compared between the methods and the physicians.

A total of 118 cases were grouped by their confirmed diagnosis, vocal fold nodules (n=28), vocal fold cyst (n=24), vocal fold polyp (n=9), and sulcus vocalis (n=37). When the correct diagnosis rates of the physicians were compared, the statistical significance was found between the physicians in the WL and VLS than WL endoscopy in reaching the diagnosis for benign vocal fold lesions. Therefore, NBI can be accepted as a promising approach to identify benign laryngeal lesions due to its optical properties.

This study showed that NBI assessments have similar accuracy and sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) to VLS and have a higher value than WL endoscopy in reaching the diagnosis for benign vocal fold lesions. Therefore, NBI can be accepted as a promising approach to identify benign laryngeal lesions due to its optical properties.In prone breast radiation, as the medial tangential beam usually passes through the immobilization board and couch, it is necessary to quantify the attenuation effect and the potential skin dose enhancement from these external structures. The prone breast board studied consists of an insert on which the contralateral breast rests and a board base indexed to the couch. Two different Varian couch systems were also studied. Transmission factors (TF) of the board were measured using a Farmer chamber at 4 cm depth. Couch TFs were measured using a thimble chamber centered in a cylindrical phantom. A custom support model was created in the treatment planning system (TPS). TFs were then computed in the TPS for comparison. Selected clinical plans were recomputed in the TPS incorporating external structures for target coverage evaluation. The correction for the attenuation effect in the TPS was also demonstrated. Skin dose effects were evaluated using a Markus parallel plate chamber with a 1 mm buildup cap. Measured insert TFs ranged 0.