Recently Published Articles
Liver Stiffness by ARFI does not Correlate with Decompensation and Portal Hypertension in Patients with Cirrhosis
Abstract:
Establishing the degree of fibrosis is important in determining the prognosis of patients with chronic liver disease. Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging (ARFI) has been validated as a reliable method to estimate liver fibrosis. It remains unclear if ARFI readings may be a useful way to stage patients with established cirrhosis and predict the development of complications. The aim of this study was to determine if ARFI liver stiffness measurements correlate with the severity of liver disease in patients with cirrhosis, and predict the development of complications and decompensation. All patients attending our institution who had a prior clinical diagnosis of cirrhosis and an ARFI liver stiffness measurement (LSM) over 26 months were included. Area under the receiver operating c...
Serum Vitamin D Level in Oral Lichen Planus Patients of North India- A Case-Control Study.
Abstract:
Studies have unveiled lower levels of serum vitamin D in autoimmune diseases and the role of vitamin D in inhibition of helper T cells proliferation, stimulation of regulatory T cells, diminishing of B-lymphocyte differentiation and inhibition of immunoglobulin secretion has been discussed in the literature. Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an autoimmune mucocutaneous disorder in which cell mediated immunity plays an important part and so it may also be related to serum vitamin D levels. To estimate serum vitamin D in oral lichen planus patients of North India, compare it to the controls and to evaluate various factors influencing vitamin D level in OLP cases such as sun exposure, gender, psychosocial factors, meteorological influences, religion and diet.
Single Daily Activity or Exercise Capacity Measurements Did not Predict Future Changes in Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Congenital Heart Disease
Abstract:
Studies suggest that cardiovascular risk of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) is increased. This study aims on the predictive value of a single daily activity and exercise capacity assessments on the change of body-mass-index (BMI) and blood pressure in the future. We retrospectively analyzed all patients with CHD who underwent a daily activity assessment by triaxial accelerometry and accompanied cardiopulmonary exercise testing. From 276 patients 16 years or older (120 female, 28.6 ± 8.5 years) current BMI and blood pressure could be abstracted from their last outpatient visit. After a mean follow-up of 5.5 ± 1.5 years, the BMI of the patients has increased from 23.0 ±...
Hearing Loss Induced for Pesticides in a Rural Worker: A Case Report
Abstract:
The use of pesticides by agricultural workers without protection can damage the hearing. This report describes the characteristics of work with pesticides, and compares the results of high-frequency audiometry over 36 months.
Frailty and the Immune System
Abstract:
Frailty describes a medical syndrome that confers increased vulnerability to disproportionate changes in health status following minor stressors. With loss of homeostatic reserve in multiple physiological systems, frailty conveys an increased risk of adverse health outcomes. Despite the lack of a clear universal definition, the utilisation of two landmark operational models has allowed a rapid expansion in frailty-centred research. The pathophysiology of frailty is yet to be elucidated in the literature, but a critical role for a heightened inflammatory state is hypothesised. Raised levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines are associated with frailty, with emerging evidence relating their biochemical action with development of the frailty phenotype. Dysregulation of both the innate and adaptive immune system are key components of the frailty syndrome. Remodelling of the T cell compartment and upregulated inflammatory pathways are theoris...
Vulvovaginitis as a Risk Factor for the Degree of Labial Adhesions in Prepubertal Girls with Labial Fusion
Abstract:
The aim of this study is to assess the correlation between the degree (percentage) of occlusion due to labial adhesions and vulvovaginitis. Prospective study of pre-pubertal females who attended our Division, during the past 7 years, due to labial fusion. Medical history, clinical examination and Q tip culture of vaginal fluid samples were performed, after separation of the labia. Treatment of isolated pathogens was administered, based on antibiogram results. 53 patients, with mean age 3.81 years (±0.88 years, SD:2.65, range:0.33-9.5 years) had a total of 89 vaginal specimens collected, as re-culture was performed in 17 patients due to labial fusion recurrence. In 32.08% no path...
“That Which is Measured Improves”: A Theoretical and Empirical Review of Self-Monitoring in Self-Management and Adaptive Behavior Change
Abstract:
Current psychological treatment approaches that rely on time-intensive, face-to-face psychotherapy are not capable of meeting the demand for mental health services. Mental health interventions that promote self-regulation and self-management of symptoms will play an increasingly important role in the well-being of millions of individuals. Self-monitoring is a core assessment and intervention component of many mental health interventions and an obligatory first step in the self-regulation process. The present paper reviews prominent theories of self-regulation and describes classic studies spanning clinical, social, cognitive, and personality psychology, which identify potential mechanisms underlying self-monitoring. At the empirical level, we describe the use of self-monitoring across a range of behavioral interventions directed at mental health and physical outcomes, identify factors that influence the effects of self-monitoring, and suggest ways in which technol...
The Clinical Significance of a Low Percentage of Mature Oocytes Retrieved Using Common Ovarian Stimulation Protocols.
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to investigate whether percentage of mature oocytes retrieved from ovaries stimulated with long agonist or multi-dose antagonist protocols affect the implantation, clinical pregnancy and live birth of ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection) cycles. The 654 cycles of agonist (long lupron) and 610 cycles of multi-dose flexible antagonist (antagon) were analyzed after stratification according to the percentage of the mature oocytes retrieved. The clinical pregnancy of the groups with less than 30 % mature oocytes retrieved, both antagonist and agonist protocol was statistically lower (at least p< 0.05) compared to the groups with more than 30% mature oocytes retrieved. In the agonist protocol, the implantation and live births for this group were significantly (p<0.009) lower than in the group with ≥70% mature oocytes retrieved. The live births in groups with more mature oocytes retrieved (30-69% and ≥70 %) of the antagonist p...
FT-IR, FT-Raman, Homo-Lumo and UV-Visible Spectral Analysis of E-(N′-(1H-INDOL-3YL) Methylene Isonicotinohydrazide)
Abstract:
A combined experimental and theoretical study on molecular and vibrational structure of E-N¢ (ICINH) had been carried out. The FTIR, FT-Raman and UV-Vis spectra of ICINH were recorded in the solid phase. The optimized geometry was calculated by B3LYP method with 6-311++G(d,p) level of basis set. The harmonic vibrational frequencies, IR intensities and Raman scattering activities of the title compound were calculated at same level of theory. The scaled theoretical wavenumber showed very good agreement with the experimental values. The mulliken charges and thermodynamic functions of the ICINH were also performed at same level of theory. NLO and a study on the electronic properties such as excitation energies and wavelength, were performed by TD-DFT approach. HOMO–LUMO energy gap was also calculated and interpreted.