CT texture analysis in evaluation of thymic tumors and thymic hyperplasia: correlation with the international thymic malignancy interest group (ITMIG) stage and WHO grade

2021 ◽  
pp. 20210583
Author(s):  
Naveen Rajamohan ◽  
Dr Ankur Goyal ◽  
Dr Devasenathipathy Kandasamy ◽  
Dr Ashu Seith Bhalla ◽  
Dr Rajinder Parshad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Texture Analysis ◽  
Interest Group ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Thymic Hyperplasia ◽  
Dual Energy Ct ◽  
P Value ◽  
Maximum Enhancement ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Who Grade ◽  
Ct Texture Analysis

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of CT texture analysis (CTTA) in (1) differentiating Thymoma (THY) from thymic hyperplasia (TH) (2) low from high WHO grade, and (3) low from high Masaoka Koga (MK)/International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group (ITMIG) stages. Methods: After institute ethical clearance, this cross-sectional study analyzed 26 patients (THY-18, TH-8) who underwent dual energy CT (DECT) and surgery between Jan 2016 and December 2018. CTTA was performed using TexRad (Feedback Medical Ltd., Cambridge, UK- www.fbkmed.com ) by a single observer. Free hand regions of interest (ROI) were placed over axial sections where there was maximum enhancement and homogeneity. Filtration histogram was used to generate six first order texture parameters [mean, standard deviation (SD), mean of positive pixels (MPP), entropy, skewness, and kurtosis] at six spatial scaling factors “SSF 0, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6”. Mann Whitney test was applied among various categories and p value < 0.05 was considered significant. Three-step feature selection was performed to determine the best parameters among each category. Results: The best performing parameters were (1) THY vs TH- Mean at “SSF 0” (AUC: 0.8889) and MPP at “SSF 0” (AUC: 0.8889), (2) Low vs high WHO grade- no parameter showed statistical significance with good AUC, and (3) Low vs high MK/ ITMIG stage- SD at “SSF 6” (AUC: 0.8052 and 0.8333 respectively]). Conclusion: CTTA revealed several parameters with excellent diagnostic performance in differentiating thymoma from thymic hyperplasia and MK/ ITMIG high vs low stages. CTTA could potentially serve as a non-invasive tool for this stratification. Advances in knowledge: This study has employed texture analysis, a novel radionomics method on DECT scans to determine the best performing parameter and their corresponding cut off values to differentiate among the above mentioned categories. These new parameters may help add another layer of confidence to non-invasively stratify and prognosticate patients accurately which was only previously possible with a biopsy.

Awareness of radiation doses and risks among radiology residents, fellows, specialists, consultants and technologists in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Cross-Sectional Study. (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bashayer Hassan Shuaib ◽  
Rahaf Hisham Niazi ◽  
Ahmed Haitham Abduljabbar ◽  
Mohammed Abdulraheem Wazzan
Keyword(s):  
Interventional Radiology ◽  
Ionizing Radiation ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Knowledge Score ◽  
P Value ◽  
Radiation Doses ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Right ◽  
Interventional Radiology Procedures ◽  
Radiology Staff

BACKGROUND Radiology now plays a major role to diagnose, monitoring, and management of several diseases; numerous diagnostic and interventional radiology procedures involve exposure to ionizing radiation. Radiology now plays a major role to diagnose, monitoring, and management of several diseases; numerous diagnostic and interventional radiology procedures involve exposure to ionizing radiation. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to discover and compare the awareness level of radiation doses, protection issues, and risks among radiology staff in Jeddah hospitals. METHODS A cross-sectional survey containing 25 questions on personal information and various aspects of radiation exposure doses and risks was designed using an online survey tool and the link was emailed to all radiology staff in eight tertiary hospitals in Jeddah. The authors were excluded from the study. A P-value of < .05 was used to identify statistical significance. All analyses were performed using SPSS, version 21. RESULTS Out of 156 participants the majority 151 (96.8%) had poor knowledge score, where the mean scores were 2.4±1.3 for doses knowledge, 2.1±1.1for cancer risks knowledge, 2.3±0.6 for general information, and 6.7±1.9 for the total score. Only 34.6% of the participants were aware of the dosage of a single-view chest x-ray, and 9.0% chose the right answer for the approximate effective dose received by a patient in a two-view. 42.9% were able to know the correct dose of CT abdomen single phase. There is a significant underestimation of cancer risk of CT studies especially for CT abdomen where only 23.7% knew the right risk. A p-value of <0.05 was used to identify statistical significance. No significant difference of knowledge score was detected regarding gender (P =.2) or work position (P=.66). CONCLUSIONS Our survey results show considerable inadequate knowledge in all groups without exception. We recommended a conscientious effort to deliver more solid education and obtain more knowledge in these matters and providing periodic training courses to teach how to minimize the dose of radiation and to avoid risk related. CLINICALTRIAL not applicable

Comparative assessment of overweight/obesity among rural and urban reproductive-age women in Ethiopia: Evidence from a cross-sectional 2016 national survey

2021 ◽  
pp. 026010602098234
Author(s):  
Gizachew Worku Dagnew ◽  
Melash Belachew Asresie
Keyword(s):  
Family Size ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Rural Women ◽  
Alcohol Intake ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Reproductive Age Women

Background: Overweight/obesity has become a global health problem for both developed and developing regions. Nowadays, overweight/obesity among childrearing-age women has become rapidly increasing in both urban and rural areas. Aim: This study aimed to assess the variation of overweight/obesity among urban and rural reproductive-age women in Ethiopia. Methods: For this study, the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey data were used. The survey was a community-based cross-sectional study, which used a two-stage stratified cluster sampling technique to select the participants. A total of 13,451 reproductive-age women were included in the analysis. Both descriptive and analytical analysis was performed. A p-value of less than 0.05 was used as the measure of statistical significance. Results: The prevalence of overweight/obesity among urban reproductive-age women was statistically higher ( p = 21.5%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 18.2–25.1) than the rural women ( p = 3.5%; 95% CI: 2.9%–4.2%). Women who attend secondary or above education, women in the age groups 25–34 and ≥ 35 years, and high wealth index (rich) had higher odds of overweight/obesity in both urban and rural women. Moreover, women who were married, who had a large family size, and who have a history of alcohol intake had higher odds of overweight/obesity among urban women. Conclusions: Overweight/obesity among reproductive-age women is a public health problem in Ethiopia, especially for women who are living in urban settings. Therefore, it is important to establish targeted overweight reduction programs with particular emphasis on urban, older aged, educated, and married women. Additionally, encouraging the limitation of the number of family size and alcohol intake can reduce women’s overweight/obesity.

scholarly journals Perception on Management of Nursing Education Institutes among Bachelors Students in Selected Nursing Colleges at Kathmandu

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-36
Author(s):  
Bhuwan Kumari Dangol ◽  
Narbada Thapa
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Education ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Data Entry ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Current Status ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Organizational Goals

Management is a process of planning, decision making, organizing, leading, motivating and controlling, and an effective utilization of the resources to reach the organizational goals efficiently and effectively. Management has a crucial role in quality of work and production in any institutions. Although a rapid increase of Nursing Education Institutions in Nepal since last decade which had been trained thousands of nursing cadres, the management aspects of these institutions are not studied adequately. Thus current study intended to explore the current status of Nursing Education Institution Management as experienced and perceived by the bachelors nursing students. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among the nursing institutions in Kathmandu valley. Of the total 28 in the valley, 14 were selected purposively. From the selected institutions, all 377 eligible students currently in final year of study were selected. Among them, 208were from BSN and 169 were from B Sc program.  The data was collected through the self administered structured questioners after taking informed consent. Data entry and analysis was done in SPSS version 16 software. The findings of the study show that 70% students were satisfied in institutional management (mean59.62, SD ± 3.66). In academic management (78%), (mean139.82, SD ± 6.22), followed by human resources 67%, (mean43.54, SD ± 2.79) and were in physical resources management 75% students were satisfied (mean45.02, SD ± 3.08). Analysis of variations between group (administrators, faculties, students) found statistical significance (p value <0.05). So it is concluded the perception of students, faculties and administrator were different on managing the nursing education.

scholarly journals Climate Change Awareness and related Tree Planting Practices in a Rural Community in North-Western Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-49
Author(s):  
A.A. Gobir ◽  
A.A. Aliyu ◽  
A.A. Abubakar ◽  
C. Esekhaigbe ◽  
I.A. Joshua ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Tree Planting ◽  
P Value ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Household Heads ◽  
Tree Cutting ◽  
Fire Wood

Background: Tree cutting is one of the causes of climate change and a common practice in Africa, a continent under significant threat from climate change. Therefore, climate change awareness and mitigation are vital to reducing its impacts in the region. Reforestation through planting of trees is an important carbon emission reduction strategy. This study assessed climate change awareness and related tree planting practices among household heads in a Nigerian rural community.Methods: A community-based descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2019 among all household heads in Nasarawan Buhari community. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from the 104 household heads (or their representatives). Data was analyzed using SPSS (version 21.0) and statistical significance was set at p value of < 0.05.Results: The mean age of respondents was 40.6±12.6 years, and most of them (87.5%) were males. Half (50.0%) were aware of climate change, and their main source of information was radio (63.5%). Most (98.1%) used fire wood for cooking. Only a minority (27.9%) planted at least a tree in the year preceding the study. There was a statistically significant association between climate change awareness and occupation (p=0.038) but not with tree planting (p=0.827).Conclusion: The results indicated that only half of respondents were aware of climate change. There was high use of wood as cooking fuel with low tree planting. Tree planting was not associated with climate change awareness. There is therefore a need for continuous climate change education and mitigation campaign in the community.

scholarly journals Gender-Related Differences of Cardiac Troponin-I Levels in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction at Time of Acute Chest Pain

2021 ◽  
pp. 199-205
Author(s):  
Mahir Abdulkadhum Khudhair Alzughaibi ◽  
Ammar Waheeb Obeiad ◽  
Nassar Abdalaema Abdalhadi Mera ◽  
Mohammed Sadeq Hamzah Al-Ruwaiee
Keyword(s):  
Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Acute Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Chest Pain ◽  
Troponin I ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Acute Chest Pain ◽  
Blood Analysis ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Time Of Admission

Background: Cardiac Troponins-I (CTNI) are myoregulatory polypeptides that control the actin-myosin interface, considered specific to cardiomyocytes. Age and sex variances in the extent of CTNI levels have arisen a recent debatable emphasis. Existing revisions do not display a reliable clinical power of sex-specific CTNI 99th centiles, which actually might mirror procedural aspects. Nevertheless, from a biochemical viewpoint, the trends of sex-specific CTNI 99th centiles seem sensible for the ruling-in of acute myocardial infarction AMI. Vulnerable females may be missed when applying the male sex-specific threshold. This study aimed to determine whether gender differences in CTNI exist in patients with AMI presented with chest pain. Methodology: The study was a cross-sectional, single-center, included 236-patients with AMI diagnosis by cardiologists at Merjan teaching hospital during the period from April to July 2020 from patients attending the hospital for cardiac consultation complaining of acute chest pain suggestive of AMI. Blood analysis had initiated at the time of admission included serum creatinine, blood urea, R/FBS, WBCs, PCV, and serum CTNI. A p-value below 0.05 specifies statistical significance. All statistical bioanalyses had performed by IBM-SPSS, version-25 for Windows. Results: The mean age of participants was 67.5 years, the men were dominant 76.2%. The incidence of DM and hypertension were significantly high and 24.5% of the patients were current smokers. Biochemical serum analysis revealed mean creatinine, urea, sugar, and STI values were 79.8±4.2 mmol/l, 15.9±1.7 mmol/l, 10.9±0.9 mmol/l, and 7.9±0.6 ng/ml separately. Both hypertension and smoking were significantly (p-0.001) more among males compared to the females, which is not the case for the prevalence of DM. The males were heavier significantly than females (p-0.001). Almost, there was no impact of gender on most of the other study variables other than serum TNI levels, which were significantly higher among the males (p-0.001). Conclusion: In patients with AMI presented with acute chest pain, the routine of CTNI in the diagnosis of AMI is based on the patient's gender. The application of gender-dependent cutoff levels for CTNI analyses appears to be highly suggested.

scholarly journals Economic implications of polypharmacy in Nepal: Multicenter community-based study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Binaya Sapkota ◽  
Suraj Shakya ◽  
Saroj Sah ◽  
Narendra Chaudhary ◽  
Bijendra Tamang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Interactions ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Pharmacoeconomic Evaluation ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Economic Implications ◽  
Total Cost

Objective:Improper management of polypharmacy in community and hospital pharmacies may lead to adverse effects and drug interactions in patients of all age groups, especially children and the elderly. This study aimed to determine the scenario of polypharmacy in multiple communities in Nepal and the costs associated with them. Design: Cross-sectional study Setting:Local communities of nine districts in Nepal Participants:Total 400 patients of all age groups, who were consuming medicines and who fulfilled inclusion criteria from May 2017 to August 2018 Primary and secondary outcome measures:A semi-structured questionnaire, based on the prescription optimization method, was used for data collection. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to analyze the statistical significance of polypharmacy with the predictor variables (e.g., age, education level, occupation, diagnosis, total cost of medicines). The p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant at 95% confidence interval. Polypharmacy cases and their economic implications were reported. Results:Eighty-one patients (20.3%) with an age group of 22-31 years with female patients (219, 54.8%) reported more polypharmacy events. There were 216 patients (54%) with prescriptions of five medicines i.e., moderate polypharmacy. Total number of medicines consumed by all 400 patients was 2269, with a mean, SD 5.67, 1.08. Total expenditure by all 400 patients was USD 3409.54 during the study period, with a mean, SD 8.66, 6.04. Both moderate and severe polypharmacy cases were non-significantly related with age, gender and total cost of medications. They had significant relationship in almost all levels of education and occupation and showed mixed type of significance and non-significance with the diagnosis of the respondents. Conclusion: Polypharmacy cases can be minimized, considering adverse drug reactions and drug interactions. Further studies are warranted in medication utilization and avoidable polypharmacy along with detailed pharmacoeconomic evaluation.

scholarly journals Frequency of number of roots and root canals of maxillary first premolar teeth.

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (10) ◽  
pp. 1513-1518
Author(s):  
Munawar Aziz Khattak ◽  
Sana Arbab ◽  
Syed Amjad Shah
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Maxillofacial Surgery ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ◽  
Root Canals ◽  
India Ink ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Chamber Floor

Objective: To determine the frequency of the number of roots and root canals in a sample of 250 extracted maxillary first premolar teeth of patients visiting Peshawar Dental College and Hospital Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Study Design: Cross Sectional. Setting: Department of Oral Biology, Peshawar Dental College and Hospital Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Period: April 2016 to December 2016. Material & Methods: A total of 250 extracted human maxillary first premolars were collected from the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Peshawar Dental College, and Hospital Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. All teeth were visually inspected to count the number of roots. Subsequently, the access cavity was prepared, and pulp extirpated from each tooth. Endodontic explorer was used to locating the canal orifice(s) at the pulp chamber floor. Later the root canal orifices were injected with India ink to stain the canals. After that roots of teeth were sectioned at different levels to note down the number of canals. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19. The statistical significance of the variations from mean values was considered significant if the p-value was less than 0.05. Results: Out of 250 maxillary first premolar teeth, 44.8% had one root, 40.4% had two separate and 12.8% had two fused roots. Three roots were seen in 2.0% teeth. Two root canals were present in the vast majority (70.4%), whereas one and three root canals were seen in 27.6% and 2.0% teeth, respectively. The correlation between the number of roots and root canals of maxillary first premolar teeth was highly significant. Conclusions: There was a high frequency of maxillary first premolars with two roots and two root canals.

Colostrum Avoidance Practice among primigavida Mothers in Urban Northwest Ethiopia. A Cross-Sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tilksew Ayalew ◽  
Eden Asmare
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Northwest Ethiopia ◽  
P Value ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Normal Delivery ◽  
Childhood Illnesses ◽  
Complete Form ◽  
Strength Of Association

Abstract Background: Breast milk is the ideal and complete form of nutrition for infants colostrum contains all the necessary nutrients for infants’ growth and development and antibodies that can protect from many childhood illnesses. Understanding the extent of and barriers to colostrum avoidance in Ethiopia is important for learning how to best improve optimal breastfeeding. No single study has been conducted on primigavida mothers in the country. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the rate of colostrum avoidance practice and associated factors among primigavida mothers Method: A community- based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2016 among (n=398) randomly selected primigavida mothers in Bahir Dar city, northwest Ethiopia. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version25. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was used to measure the strength of association. Statistical significance was declared at P-value ≤0.05.Results: Out of 398 primipara mothers, 8.8% discarded colostrum. The most common reasons for discarding colostrum were; yellow and creamy (39.2%), bad for infant (35.2%), traditional/cultural reason (17.1%) and infant unable to feed (8.5%).Married mothers (OR=4.52, p<0.05), employed mothers (OR=3.46, p<0.05), mothers underwent normal delivery (OR=5.20, p<0.05) and mothers who initiated breastfeeding within 1 hr. (OR=2.79, p=0.05) were less likely to discard colostrum.Conclusion: The current study revealed that colostrum was discarded by 8.8 % of premiparious mothers. Primipara mothers who were married, unemployed, underwent normal delivery and initiated breastfeeding within one hour were less likely to discard colostrum. These results suggest that multi-sectorial and multi-disciplinary approaches are needed to increase optimal breastfeeding among premiparious mothers.

scholarly journals Seroprevalence of human Brucellosis and associated risk factors among high-risk occupations in Mbeya Region of Tanzania

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick D. Sagamiko ◽  
Ruth L. Mfune ◽  
Bernard M. Hang’ombe ◽  
Esron D. Karimuribo ◽  
Alfred M. Mwanza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Raw Milk ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Human Brucellosis ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Occupationally Exposed ◽  
Associated Risk Factors

Background: Brucellosis is a bacterial zoonotic disease of public health and economic importance. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Mbeya region between November 2015 and January 2016 to investigate the seroprevalence of human brucellosis and identify associated risk factors among individuals in risky occupations. Methods: A total of 425 humans from six occupational categories were serially tested for Brucella antibodies using the Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and competitive Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (c-ELISA), for screening and confirmation, respectively. A questionnaire survey was also administered to participants to collect epidemiological data. Results: The overall seroprevalence among the occupationally exposed individuals was 1.41% (95% CI: 00.64-3.12). Seroprevalence was higher among butcher men 5.6% (95% CI: 1.68-5.26), herds men 1.35% (95% CI: 0.18-9.02); and abattoir workers 1.1% (95% CI: 0.26-4.22) although there was no statistical significance. (P value = .18). Seroprevalence was also higher among men (1.8%) compared to females (0%) (P value = .19). and also, among those aged < 11 years (2.5%). Individuals who consumed raw milk had a higher seroprevalence (1.56%) compared to those who drunk boiled milk while seropositivity was 0.88% among those who assisted animals during parturition (P value = .49). Butcher men were at higher risk of exposure compared to other occupational categories. Our findings show the presence of brucellosis in occupationally exposed individuals in Mbeya region.Conclusion: There is need to sensitize the concerned professions in order to reduce the risk of acquiring Brucella infections from animals and animal products This also calls for public health awareness about the disease, and implementation of measures to prevent further spread of brucellosis within and outside the study area.

scholarly journals Population-based survey of HIV sero-status and vertical transmission among naive pregnant women in Sokoto, Nigeria

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 49-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiekumo Igbida Buseri ◽  
Charity Ngozi Okonkwo
Keyword(s):  
Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Vertical Transmission ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
P Value ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference

Background: This study aims at investigating the seroprevalence of HIV infection among status naive pregnant women and probable vertical transmission in Sokoto, Nigeria.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study examined 13,026 apparently healthy pregnant women aged between 14 and 45 years and 312 mother-baby pairs in 4 different hospital settings in Sokoto State, North West, Nigeria between March, 2011 and February, 2013. The babies were aged between 8 and 16 months. HIV screening was performed using qualitative rapid tests and ELISA and HIV-DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. Measurement of CD4+ T-lymphocytes was carried out by the BD FACScount System. All seropositive pregnant women were immediately placed on triple antiretroviral therapy (ART) throughout the duration of the pregnancy and beyond.Results: An overall 2.4% prevalence of HIV-1 infection among the pregnant women and 20.5% incident of mother-to-child transmission were found. Of the seropositive pregnant women, 75.0% were full-time house wives, 13.8% and 11.2% were traders and civil servants respectively; of which, 70.2% were within the ages of 14 and 27 years (youthful predominance). Pearson’s χ2analysis did not show any statistically significant difference in the Mean values in the 4 health facilities (χ2 =2.084, df=3, P-value=0.555). Similarly, no significant difference in HIV seropositivity in the demographic data of the pregnant women were observed (P>0.05). Infection was recorded in all age groups but there was no statistical significance between age groups and infection (P = 0.833). Of the 64 seropositive babies, 62 (92.5%) contracted HIV from antiretroviral therapy non-adherence mothers (χ2 =271.457, df=1, P<0.01), OR=1506.6 (95%CI=285.5-7950.4). Conclusion: This study found high prevalence of vertical transmission due to ART non-adherence. Intervention initiatives should, therefore, focus seriously on ART non-adherence. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v6i3.11530Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.6(3) 2015 49-57  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document