• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제63권12호
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• pp.491-498
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• 2020

Background: Renal size is an important indicator in the diagnosis of renal diseases and urinary tract infections in children. Purpose: The purpose of this study is twofold. First, it aimed to measure the renal length and calculate the renal volume of normal Thai children using 2-dimensional ultrasonography (2D-US) and study their correlations with somatic parameters. Second, it aimed to compare the age-specific renal size of normal Thai children with the published data of their Western and Chinese counterparts. Methods: A total of 321 children (150 boys, 171 girls; age, 6-15 years) with a normal renal profile were prospectively recruited. All subjects underwent 2D-US by an experienced pediatric radiologist and the renal length, width, and depth were measured. Renal volume was calculated using the ellipsoid formula as recommended. The data were compared between the left and right kidneys, the sexes, and various somatic parameters. The age-specific renal lengths were compared using a nomogram derived from a Western cohort that is currently referred by many Thailand hospitals, while the renal volumes were compared with the published data of a Chinese cohort. Results: No statistically significant difference (P<0.05) was found between sexes or the right and left kidneys. The renal sizes had strong correlations with height, weight, body surface area, and age but not with body mass index. The renal length of the Thai children was moderately correlated (r=0.59) with that of the Western cohort, while the age-specific renal volume was significantly smaller (P<0.05) than that of the Chinese children. Conclusion: Therefore, we concluded that the age-specific renal length and volume obtained by 2D-US would vary between children in different regions and may not be suitably used as an international standard for diagnosis, although further studies may be needed to confirm our findings.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.451-459
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• 2021

Background: Lignocaine with adrenaline is routinely used as a local anesthetic for dental procedures. Adrenaline was added to increase the duration of anesthesia. However, epinephrine containing a local anesthetic solution is not recommended in conditions such as advanced cardiovascular diseases and hyperthyroidism. Recently, ropivacaine has gained popularity as a long-acting anesthetic with superior outcomes. The goal of this study was to assess and compare the effectiveness of 0.75% ropivacaine alone and 2% lignocaine with adrenaline (1:80,000) in the removal of bilateral maxillary wisdom teeth using the posterior superior alveolar nerve block technique. Methods: This was a single-blind, randomized, split-mouth, prospective study assessing 15 systemically sound outpatients who needed bilateral removal of maxillary third molars. We randomly allocated the sides and sequences of ropivacaine and lignocaine with adrenaline administration. We evaluated the efficacy of both anesthetics with regard to the onset of anesthesia, intensity of pain, variation in heart rate, and blood pressure. Results: The onset of anesthesia was faster with lignocaine (138 s) than with ropivacaine (168 s), with insignificant differences (p = 0.001). There was no need for additional local anesthetics in the ropivacaine group, while in the lignocaine with adrenaline group, 2 (13.3%) patients required additional anesthesia. Adequate intraoperative anesthesia was provided by ropivacaine and lignocaine solutions. No significant difference was observed in the perioperative variation in blood pressure and heart rate. Conclusion: Ropivacaine (0.75%) is a safe and an adrenaline-free local anesthetic option for posterior superior alveolar nerve block, which provides adequate intraoperative anesthesia and a stable hemodynamic profile for the removal of the maxillary third molar.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.105-114
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• 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Several previous studies have investigated whether regular walnut consumption positively changes heart-health-related parameters. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of daily walnut intake on metabolic syndrome (MetS) status and other metabolic parameters among subjects with MetS. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study was a two-arm, randomized, controlled crossover study with 16 weeks of each intervention (45 g of walnuts or iso-caloric white bread) with a 6 week washout period between interventions. Korean adults with MetS (n = 119) were randomly assigned to one of two sequences; 84 subjects completed the trial. At each clinic visit (at 0, 16, 22, and 38 weeks), MetS components, metabolic parameters including lipid profile, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), adiponectin, leptin, and apolipoprotein B, as well as anthropometric and bioimpedance data were obtained. RESULTS: Daily walnut consumption for 16 weeks improved MetS status, resulting in 28.6%-52.8% reversion rates for individual MetS components and 51.2% of participants with MetS at baseline reverted to a normal status after the walnut intervention. Significant improvements after walnut intake, compared to control intervention, in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (P = 0.028), fasting glucose (P = 0.013), HbA1c (P = 0.021), and adiponectin (P = 0.019) were observed after adjustment for gender, age, body mass index, and sequence using a linear mixed model. CONCLUSION: A dietary supplement of 45 g of walnuts for 16 weeks favorably changed MetS status by increasing the concentration of HDL-C and decreasing fasting glucose level. Furthermore, consuming walnuts on a daily basis changed HbA1c and circulating adiponectin levels among the subjects with MetS. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT03267901.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제62권3호
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• pp.85-89
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• 2019

Purpose: We compared thyroid hormone profiles in children with nephrotic syndrome (NS) during the nephrotic phase and after remission. Methods: This study included 31 pediatric NS patients. The thyroid hormone profiles included serum levels of triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and free T4. Results: Of the 31 patients, 16 (51.6%) showed abnormal thyroid hormone profiles: 6 had overt hypothyroidism, 8 had subclinical hypothyroidism, and 2 had low T3 syndrome. The mean serum T3, T4, and free T4 levels in the nephrotic phase and after remission were $82.37{\pm}23.64$ and $117.88{\pm}29.49ng/dL$, $5.47{\pm}1.14$ and $7.91{\pm}1.56{\mu}g/dL$, and $1.02{\pm}0.26$ and $1.38{\pm}0.23ng/dL$, respectively; the levels were significantly lower in the NS nephrotic phase (P=0.0007, P<0.0001, and P=0.0002). The mean serum TSH levels during the nephrotic phase and after remission were $8.05{\pm}3.53$ and $4.08{\pm}2.05{\mu}IU/mL$, respectively; they were significantly higher in the nephrotic phase (P=0.0005). The urinary protein/creatinine ratio during the nephrotic phase was significantly correlated with serum T3, T4, and free T4 levels (r=-0.5995, P=0.0032; r=-0.5797, P=0.0047; r=-0.5513, P=0.0078) as well as with TSH levels (r=0.5022, P=0.0172). A significant correlation was found between serum albumin and serum T3 levels during the nephrotic phase (r=0.5385, P=0.0018) but not between serum albumin and T4, TSH, or free T4 levels. These significant correlations all disappeared after remission. Conclusion: Abnormal thyroid hormone profile findings were observed in 51.6% of pediatric patients with NS. Thyroid hormone levels normalized after remission, regardless of levothyroxine therapy.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제46권1호
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• pp.14-21
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• 2019

Objective: The usual seminal profile has been customarily used for diagnosing male infertility based on an examination of semen samples. However, sperm DNA fragmentation has also been causally linked to reproductive failure, suggesting that it should be evaluated as part of male infertility assessments. To compare the ability of the five most widely utilized methodologies of measuring DNA fragmentation to predict male infertility and reactive oxygen species by Oxisperm kit assay. Methods: In this case-control study, which received ethical committee approval, the participants were divided into fertile and infertile groups (50 patients in each group). Results: The alkaline comet test showed the best ability to predict male infertility, followed by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) assay, the sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) test, and the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), while the neutral comet test had no predictive power. For our patient population, the projected cut-off point for the DNA fragmentation index was 22.08% using the TUNEL assay, 19.90% using SCSA, 24.74% using the SCD test, 48.47% using the alkaline comet test, and 36.37% using the neutral comet test. Significant correlations were found between the results of the SCD test and those obtained using SCSA and TUNEL (r = 0.70 and r = 0.68, respectively; p< 0.001), and a statistically significant correlation was also found between the results of SCSA and the TUNEL assay (r = 0.77, p< 0.001). Likewise, the results of the alkaline comet test showed significant correlations with those of the SCD, SCSA, and TUNEL tests (r = 0.59, r = 0.57, and r = 0.72, respectively; p< 0.001). Conclusion: The TUNEL assay, SCSA, SCD, and the alkaline comet test were effective for distinguishing between fertile and infertile patients, and the alkaline comet test was the best predictor of male infertility.

• BMB Reports
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• 제54권10호
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• pp.497-504
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• 2021

EGR1 (early growth response 1) is dysregulated in many cancers and exhibits both tumor suppressor and promoter activities, making it an appealing target for cancer therapy. Here, we used a systematic multi-omics analysis to review the expression of EGR1 and its role in regulating clinical outcomes in breast cancer (BC). EGR1 expression, its promoter methylation, and protein expression pattern were assessed using various publicly available tools. COSMIC-based somatic mutations and cBioPortal-based copy number alterations were analyzed, and the prognostic roles of EGR1 in BC were determined using Prognoscan and Kaplan-Meier Plotter. We also used bc-GenEx-Miner to investigate the EGR1 co-expression profile. EGR1 was more often downregulated in BC tissues than in normal breast tissue, and its knockdown was positively correlated with poor survival. Low EGR1 expression levels were also associated with increased risk of ER+, PR+, and HER2- BCs. High positive correlations were observed among EGR1, DUSP1, FOS, FOSB, CYR61, and JUN mRNA expression in BC tissue. This systematic review suggested that EGR1 expression may serve as a prognostic marker for BC patients and that clinicopathological parameters influence its prognostic utility. In addition to EGR1, DUSP1, FOS, FOSB, CYR61, and JUN can jointly be considered prognostic indicators for BC.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제31권9호
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• pp.1272-1280
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• 2021

With changes in human dietary patterns, the proportion of high-fat and high-cholesterol foods in the daily diet has increased. As a result, the incidence rate of cholelithiasis is increasing rapidly. Many studies have reported on the crucial role that the intestinal microflora plays in the progression of gallstones. Although the whole herb of Lysimachia christinae, a traditional Chinese medicine, has long been extensively used as a remedy for cholelithiasis in China, its effects on the intestinal microflora remain unknown. Hence, in this study, we investigated the ability of the aqueous extract of L. christinae (LAE) to prevent cholesterol gallstones (CGSs) in model animals by affecting the intestinal microflora. The effects of LAE on body weight, serum lipid profile, visceral organ indexes, and histomorphology were studied in male C57BL/6J mice, which were induced by a lithogenic diet. After the 8-week study, CGSs formation was greatly reduced after LAE treatment. LAE also reduced body weight gain and hyperlipidemia and restored the histomorphological changes. Moreover, the intestinal microflora exhibited significant variation. In the model group fed the lithogenic diet, the abundances of the genera unclassified Porphyromonadaceae, Lactobacillus and Alloprevotella decreased, but in contrast, Akkermansia dramatically increased compared with the control check group, which was fed a normal diet; the administration of LAE reversed these changes. These results imply that L. christinae can be considered an efficient therapy for eliminating CGSs induced by a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet, which may be achieved by influencing the intestinal microflora.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.171-180
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• 2021

Currently, hospitals and medical practices have a large amount of unstructured information, gathered in time at each ward or practice by physicians in a wide range of medical branches. The data requires processing in order to be able to extract relevant information, which can be used to improve the medical system. It is useful for a physician to have access to a patient's entire medical history when he or she is in an emergency situation, as relevant information can be found about the patient's problems such as: allergies to various medications, personal history, or hereditary collateral conditions etc. If the information exists in a structured form, the detection of diseases based on specific symptoms is much easier, faster and with a higher degree of accuracy. Thus, physicians may investigate certain pathological profiles and conduct cohort clinical trials, including comparing the profile of a particular patient with other similar profiles that already have a confirmed diagnosis. Involving information technology in this field will change so the time which the physicians should spend in front of the computer into a much more beneficial one, providing them with the possibility for more interaction with the patient while listening to the patient's needs. The expert system, described in the paper, is an application for medical diagnostic of the most frequently met conditions, based on logical programming and on the theory of probabilities. The system rationale is a search item in the field basic knowledge on the condition. The web application described in the paper is implemented for the ward of pathological anatomy of a hospital in Romania. It aims to ease the healthcare staff's work, to create a connection of communication at one click between the necessary wards and to reduce the time lost with bureaucratic proceedings. The software (made in PHP programming language, by writing directly in the source code) is developed in order to ease the healthcare staff's activity, being created in a simpler and as elegant way as possible.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제65권4호
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• pp.523-530
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• 2022

Objective : To evaluate the safety and efficacy of an overlapped stenting-assisted coiling technique in treating vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm (VADA) via Low-profile Visualized Intraluminal Support (LVIS) stent-within-Neuroform EZ stent. Methods : From January 2017 to June 2019, 18 consecutive patients with VADAs (ruptured : unruptured=5 : 13) were treated with the overlapping stents assisted-coiling technique in our center. The overlapping manner was a Neuroform EZ stent being deployed first, followed by LVIS stents placement using the 'shelf' technique. The patients' clinical characteristics, technical feasibility and safety, and immediate and follow-up angiographic results were retrospectively reviewed. Results : Seventeen (94.4%) procedures were technically successful with an exact deployment of the stents and patent parent or perforator arteries. The immediate angiographies after procedure confirmed Raymond class I, II, and III occlusion of VADAs were in 12 (66.7%), two (11.1%), and four cases (22.2%), respectively. Post-procedural complications developed in one patient (5.6%) with minor brainstem infarctions, which resulted from an in-stent thrombosis during the procedure. Angiographic follow-up at 5.7 months (range 3 to 9 months) demonstrated Raymond class I and II occlusion were in all cases (100%). The modified Rankin Scale scores at 21.3 months (range 15 to 42 months) 0-2 in 17 cases (94.4%) and three in one case (5.6%). Conclusion : Overlapping stents via LVIS stent-within-Neuroform EZ stent combined with coiling is safe and effective for patients with VADA in the midterm results.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제65권3호
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• pp.136-141
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• 2022

Background: High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is a noninvasive respiratory support that provides the optimum flow of an air-oxygen mixture. Several studies demonstrated its usefulness and good safety profile for treating pediatric respiratory distress patients. However, the cost of the commercial HFNC is high; therefore, the modified high-flow nasal cannula was developed. Purpose: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness, safety, and nurses' satisfaction of the modified system versus the standard commercial HFNC. Methods: This prospective comparative study was performed in a tertiary care hospital. We recruited children aged 1 month to 5 years who developed acute respiratory distress and were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. Patients were assigned to 2 groups (modified vs. commercial). The effectiveness and safety assessments included vital signs, respiratory scores, intubation rate, adverse events, and nurses' satisfaction. Results: A total of 74 patients were treated with HFNC. Thirtynine patients were assigned to the modified group, while the remaining 35 patients were in the commercial group. Intubation rate and adverse events did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. However, the commercial group had higher nurses' satisfaction scores than the modified group. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that our low-cost modified HFNC could be a useful respiratory support option for younger children with acute respiratory distress, especially in hospital settings with financial constraints.