Effect of gender on the reliability of COVID-19 rapid antigen test among elderly

Defining con-founders that affect the reliability of diagnostic tests for coronavirus disease 2019 is vital to breaking the chain of infection. The elderly population is a higher risk group for the emerging virus. However, gender seems to exert a critical role in modifying the infection risk among women owing to hormonal changes. The menopause transition is an exceptional period for older women where the protective and immunomodulatory effects of the estrogen hormone are lost. Accordingly, attention should be given to postmenopausal women since they will have an increased risk compared to their pre-menopausal peers.     

Evaluation of unsupervised 30-second chair stand test performance assessed by wearable sensors to predict fall status in multiple sclerosis

BackgroundOne in two people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) will fall in a three-month period. Predicting which patients will fall remains a challenge for clinicians. Standardized functional assessments provide insight into balance deficits and fall risk but their use has been limited to supervised visits.Research questionThe study aim was to characterize unsupervised 30-second chair stand test (30CST) performance using accelerometer-derived metrics and assess its ability to classify fall status in PwMS compared to supervised 30CST.MethodsThirty-seven PwMS (21 fallers) performed instrumented supervised and unsupervised 30CSTs with a single wearable sensor on the thigh. In unsupervised conditions, participants performed bi-hourly 30CSTs and rated their balance confidence and fatigue over 48-hours. ROC analysis was used to classify fall status for 30CST performance.ResultsNon-fallers (p = 0.02) but not fallers (p = 0.23) differed in their average unsupervised 30CST performance (repetitions) compared to their supervised performance. The unsupervised maximum number of 30CST repetitions performed optimized ROC classification AUC (0.79), accuracy (78.4%) and specificity (90.0%) for fall status with an optimal cutoff of 17 repetitions.SignificanceBrief durations of instrumented unsupervised monitoring as an adjunct to routine clinical assessments could improve the ability for predicting fall risk and fluctuations in functional mobility in PwMS.     

Dry eye in chronic stroke patients with hemiplegia: A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

Objective: Dry eye is reported to be associated with several neurological diseases. The aim of this study is to evaluate the patients with hemiplegia after stroke for dry eye and compare their results with a control group.

Materials and methods: Forty-five patients with hemiplegia and 45 individuals as the control group were included in the study. Tear function tests (Schirmer and tear breakup time) and a dry eye questionnaire for dry eye symptoms (ocular surface disease index) were performed and the results of the two groups were compared.

Results: Schirmer test results were significantly lower in the post-stroke hemiplegia group compared to the control group (11.3 ± 8.2 mm and 20.6 ± 11.6 mm, respectively, p < .001). Tear breakup time results were significantly lower in the post-stroke hemiplegia group compared to the control group (7.9 ± 3.1 s and 12.1 ± 4.3 s, respectively, p < .001). Ocular surface disease index scores were not significantly different between hemiplegia and control groups (21.6 ± 20.0 and 19.8 ± 13.9, respectively, p = .635). Schirmer scores lower than 10 mm (60% and 30%, p < .001) and tear breakup time results lower than 10 s (65.6% and 28.9%, p < .001) were also higher in the hemiplegia group compared to control group.

Conclusion: We found lower Schirmer test and tear breakup time results and similar OSDI scores in hemiplegia patients compared to controls. Hemiplegia patients may have dry eye without typical symptoms. This should be taken into consideration in the follow-up and rehabilitation of post-stroke hemiplegia patients.     

健脾益肾方对非小细胞肺癌细胞体外增殖凋亡作用的实验研究

目的:探讨健脾益肾方对非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)细胞体外增殖凋亡的作用。方法:人NSCLC细胞系A549分为四组:空白对照组(仅加入细胞培养液)、阴性对照组(加入细胞,不进行中药处理)、实验组(加细胞加中药处理)。荧光定量PCR和Western blot分别检测Survivin、Bcl-2和Caspase-3的mRNA和蛋白表达。MTT检测细胞增殖;流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡。结果:与空白对照组相比,阴性对照组细胞在24、48、72 h的吸光度值明显升高,细胞凋亡率下降,Survivin和Bcl-2 mRNA和蛋白相对表达量上调,Caspase-3 mRNA和蛋白相对表达量下调,组间比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);而健脾益肾方处理的实验组24、48、72 h的吸光度值均显著降低,细胞凋亡率显著上升,Survivin和Bcl-2 mRNA和蛋白相对表达量下调,Caspase-3 mRNA和蛋白相对表达量上调,与空白对照组相比差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:健脾益肾方可通过下调Survivin和Bcl-2、上调Caspase-3表达诱导NSCLC细胞凋亡,并抑制肿瘤细胞的增殖,进而抑制NSCLC的发展。     

Fractal dimension in CT low attenuation areas is predictive of long-term oxygen therapy initiation in COPD patients: Results from two observational cohort studies

BackgroundSome chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients develop hypoxemia with disease progression, with some even requiring long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT). Lung function, especially diffusing capacity, and the annual decline in PaO₂, are reported to be predictive factors of chronic respiratory failure. However, the association between lung morphometry evaluated using computed tomography (CT) images and LTOT initiation is unknown.MethodsWe retrospectively evaluated the relationship between clinical indices, including pulmonary function, body mass index (BMI), and CT parameters, at baseline and LTOT initiation in two prospective COPD cohorts. In the Nara Medical University cohort (n = 76), the low attenuation area (LAA) and its fractal dimension (fractal D) were adapted as the indices for parenchymal destruction in CT images. The association between these CT measurements and LTOT initiation was replicated in the Kyoto University cohort (n = 130).ResultsIn the Nara Medical University cohort, lower BMI (hazard ratio [HR]:0.70, p = 0.006), lower % diffusing capacity (%DLCO) (HR: 0.92, p = 0.006), lower %DLCO/VA (HR, 0.90, p = 0.008), higher RV/TLC (HR, 1.26, p = 0.012), higher LAA% (HR: 1.18, p = 0.001), and lower fractal D (HR: 3.27 × 10^?8, p < 0.001) were associated with LTOT initiation. Multivariate analysis in the Kyoto University cohort confirmed that lower %DLCO and lower fractal D were independently associated with LTOT initiation, whereas LAA% was not.ConclusionFractal D, which is the index for morphometric complexity of LAA in CT analysis, is predictive of LTOT initiation in COPD patients.     

How structural and functional MRI can inform dual-site tACS parameters: A case study in a clinical population and its pragmatic implications

BackgroundAbnormalities in frontoparietal network (FPN) were observed in many neuropsychiatric diseases including substance use disorders. A growing number of studies are using dual-site-tACS with frontoparietal synchronization to engage this network. However, a computational pathway to inform and optimize parameter space for frontoparietal synchronization is still lacking. In this case study, in a group of participants with methamphetamine use disorders, we proposed a computational pathway to extract optimal electrode montage while accounting for stimulation intensity using structural and functional MRI.MethodsSixty methamphetamine users completed an fMRI drug cue-reactivity task. Four main steps were taken to define electrode montage and adjust stimulation intensity using 4x1 high-definition (HD) electrodes for a dual-site-tACS; (1) Frontal seed was defined based on the maximum electric fields (EF) predicted by simulation of HD montage over DLPFC (F3/F4 in EEG 10–10), (2) frontal seed-to-whole brain context-dependent correlation was calculated to determine connected regions to frontal seeds, (3) center of connected cluster in parietal cortex was selected as a location for placing the second set of HD electrodes to shape the informed montage, (4) individualized head models were used to determine optimal stimulation intensity considering underlying brain structure. The informed montage was compared to montages with large electrodes and classic frontoparietal HD montages (F3-P3/F4-P4) in terms of tACS-induced EF and ROI-to-ROI task-based/resting-state connectivity.ResultsCompared to the large electrodes, HD frontoparietal montages allow for a finer control of the spatial peak fields in the main nodes of the FPN at the cost of lower maximum EF (large-pad/HD: max EF[V/m] = 0.37/0.11, number of cortical sub-regions that EF exceeds 50% of the max = 77/13). For defining stimulation targets based on EF patterns, using group-level head models compared to a single standard head model results in comparable but significantly different seed locations (6.43 mm Euclidean distance between the locations of the frontal maximum EF in standard-space). As expected, significant task-based/resting-state connections were only found between frontal-parietal locations in the informed montage. Cue-induced craving score was correlated with frontoparietal connectivity only in the informed montage (r = ?0.24). Stimulation intensity in the informed montage, and not in the classic HD montage, needs 40% reduction in the parietal site to reduce the disparity in EF between stimulation sites.ConclusionThis study provides some empirical insights to montage and dose selection in dual-site-tACS using individual brain structures and functions and proposes a computational pathway to use head models and functional MRI to define (1) optimum electrode montage for targeting FPN in a context of interest (drug-cue-reactivity) and (2) proper transcranial stimulation intensity.     

Perfusion pressure flow study in the upper urinary tract

Hydronephrosis with an undetermined pathology is a common condition detected in imaging studies. In urological clinical practice, it is a persistent dilemma to predict whether this condition will progress to result in the deterioration of renal function. Perfusion pressure flow study of the upper urinary tract, known as the Whitaker test, provides an alternative diagnostic tool for solving this condition. Perfusion pressure flow study has been criticized for its invasiveness, nonphysiological approach, and inconsistency in predicting outcomes. However, it continues to be used to evaluate difficult or equivocal cases and to provide an objective assessment of the upper urinary tract.