Comparison of RNAscope and immunohistochemistry for evaluation of the UPK2 status in urothelial carcinoma tissues

Background UPK2 exhibits excellent specificity for urothelial carcinoma (UC). UPK2 evaluation can be useful in making the correct diagnosis of UC. However, UPK2 detection by immunohistochemistry (IHC) has relatively low sensitivity. This paper aimed to compare the diagnostic sensitivity of RNAscope and IHC for evaluation of the UPK2 status in UC. Methods Tissue blocks from 127 conventional bladder UCs, 45 variant bladder UCs, 24 upper tract UCs and 23 metastatic UCs were selected for this study. IHC and RNAscope were used to detect the UPK2 status in UCs. Then, comparisons of the two methods were undertaken. Results There was no significant difference between RNAscope and IHC for the evaluation of the UPK2 positivity rate in UC (68.0% vs. 62.6%, P = 0.141). Correlation analysis revealed a moderate positive correlation for detection of UPK2: RNAscope vs. IHC (P < 0.001, R = 0.441). Our results showed a trend toward a higher positive UPK2 rate detected by RNAscope (53.3%) than by IHC (35.6%) in variant bladder UCs. Disappointingly, the P value did not indicate a significant difference (P = 0.057). Conclusions RNAscope for UPK2 appeared to perform similarly to IHC, with a marginally higher positive rate, suggesting it could be used as an alternative or adjunct to UPK2 IHC.

Prevalence of comorbidities and concomitant medication use in acromegaly: analysis of real-world data from the United States

Purpose Patients receiving treatment for acromegaly often experience significant associated comorbidities for which they are prescribed additional medications. We aimed to determine the real-world prevalence of comorbidities and concomitant medications in patients with acromegaly, and to investigate the association between frequency of comorbidities and number of concomitantly prescribed medications. Methods Administrative claims data were obtained from the IBM® MarketScan® database for a cohort of patients with acromegaly, identified by relevant diagnosis codes and acromegaly treatments, and a matched control cohort of patients without acromegaly from January 2010 through April 2020. Comorbidities were identified based on relevant claims and assessed for both cohorts. Results Overall, 1175 patients with acromegaly and 5875 matched patients without acromegaly were included. Patients with acromegaly had significantly more comorbidities and were prescribed concomitant medications more so than patients without acromegaly. In the acromegaly and control cohorts, respectively, 67.6% and 48.4% of patients had cardiovascular disorders, the most prevalent comorbidities, and 89.0% and 68.3% were prescribed > 3 concomitant medications (p < 0.0001). Hypopituitarism and hypothalamic disorders, sleep apnea, malignant neoplasms and cancer, and arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders were also highly prevalent in the acromegaly cohort. A moderate, positive correlation (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.60) was found between number of comorbidities and number of concomitant medications in the acromegaly cohort. Conclusion Compared with patients without acromegaly, patients with acromegaly have significantly more comorbidities and are prescribed significantly more concomitant medications. Physicians should consider the number and type of ongoing medications for individual patients before prescribing additional acromegaly treatments.

Korelasi Tingkat Kepatuhan Konsumsi Obat Antiepilepsi Menggunakan Kuesioner MGLS (Morisky, Green, Levine Adherence Scale) dengan Frekwensi Kejang Pasien Epilepsi

Epilepsy is a chronic non-communicable brain disorder that can affect people of all ages. AED (antiepileptic drug) is the main therapy for most epilepsy patients with the overall goal being to prevent seizures without causing side effects. One measure of management of drug therapy in epilepsy is the decrease / loss of seizures, so that the frequency of seizures is one of the measures to achieve end-outcome. This study was an observational cross sectional study conducted on outpatients in Airlangga University Hospital, which aims to look at the relationship between the level of adherence using antiepileptic drugs with the incidence of seizures in epilepsy patients. The level of adherence with AED consumption in this study used the MGLS questionnaire (Morisky, Green, Levine Adherence Scale). The level of adherence based on the MGLS questionnaire was divided into 3 levels including low, medium or medium obedient and high compliant. The seizure events in epilepsy patients observed were the presence or absence of seizures during the past month, the data of which were obtained from patient or family interviews and from diary seizures. The results of the study of 40 respondents found that there was a moderate positive correlation between the level of adherence measured using the MGLS questionnaire whose majority level of adherence was moderate with the occurrence of seizures in epilepsy patients (r = 0.423 with p = 0.006 <0.05.

A Meta-Analytic Review of the Effect of Socioeconomic Status on Academic Performance

The two main purposes of the current meta-analysis were (a) to determine the relation between socioeconomic status (SES) of students and academic performance (AP) (b) and evaluate the effect of several potential moderating factors in this relation. Data covered the publications between 2010 and 2019, and the dataset consisted of 48 independent studies that included 62 different samples, and the total sample was 386.601. Findings revealed that the relation between SES and academic performance represented a moderate positive correlation. All moderators, type of SES measure, academic performance scale, location, grade level, subjects of academic performance, and year, produced significant effects, respectively. These findings were discussed for every category of moderators with the related literature.

Correlation between Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratio with C-Reactive Protein in COVID-19 Patients

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Inflammation occurs when the body is infected with the virus. Platelets play a role in immune response and immunomodulation by activating P-Selectin Glycoprotein (PSGL) to the site of inflammation. Lymphocytes play a role through CD4 T-cells, B-cells producing specific viral antibodies, and CD8 cytotoxic T-cells by directly killing the virus in infected cells. This study aimed to prove the correlation between PLR and CRP as inflammation markers in COVID-19 patients. This study was a retrospective observational study with the cross-sectional approach at Dr. Kariadi Hospital, Semarang, for the period March-August 2020. Spearman test performed for analyzing data with p<0.05 was significant. Thirty-three confirmed COVID-19 patients with median value of PLR 218 (103-1609) and CRP 15.94 (1.24-200) mg/L were tested for correlation with a value of p=0.013 and r=0.427. The increase of PLR and CRP in COVID-19 patients was caused by an inflammatory process mediated by the immune response. High values in the blood were associated with disease severity and poor prognosis. There was a statistically significant moderate positive correlation between PLR and CRP in COVID-19 patients.

Cause and Socio-Economic Impact of Water Shortage on the Households of Laptsakha Community, Punakha

Water is indispensable for life since it is a basic need and is also important for economic activities. Although Bhutan has one of the highest per capita water resource availability in the world with 94,500 m3/capita/annum, the imbalance of geographical and temporal distributions is leading to experience of shortages in local areas.This study determined the shortage of water supply and its socio-economic impacts in Laptsakha community under Punakha,Bhutan.The semi structured questionnaires were distributed to the household of 74 following census method sampling.The result showed that the climate change had significant effect on water scarcity (R²=.208, p<.05). There was a moderate positive correlation between total income and total spent on buying food items (r=304, p<.05); however, there was no significant between total annual incomes and annual expenditure on materials to cope up water shortage (r=.209, p >.05). Ability to maintain hygiene was significantly affected by numbers of days the water was available in the tap per week H(2)=7.030, p<.05). The findings from the study also shows that due to decrease of water supply, it has adverse impacts on total annual income of the households and on their health.This study concluded that water shortage has adversely impact on socio economic of the people of Laptsakha Chiwog, which requires implementation of new strategies and actions towards allocating new source of water for households.

A correlational study to identify therapeutic communication on patient satisfaction among patients admitted in hospitals at Kolhapur

A Descriptive correlational study was conducted to identify the therapeutic communication and patient satisfaction among patients admitted in Medical, surgical and orthopedic wards. The study was conducted at Dr.D.Y.Patil Hospital, Kolhapur among 100 admitted patients who were selected by Simple random sampling technique. The study concluded that correlation was calculated by Karl Pearson’s Coefficient correlation which was r=0.76 value was greater than 0 & lesser than 1(0>1)which indicated that the there was moderate positive correlation between therapeutic communication and patient satisfaction. Therefore the findings revealed that if there is good therapeutic communication there would be increase in patient satisfaction.

LOWER URINARY TRACT SYMPTOMS IN NIGERIAN MEN WITH PARKINSONS DISEASE

Introduction: Parkinsons disease (PD) is the commonest age related motoric neurodegenerative disease. It results from the destruction of dopaminergic cell in the substantial nigra in the midbrain. In addition to the typical motor Parkinsonism symptoms, non -motor manifestations affect multiple organs including the lower urinary tract and contribute to worsening the overall quality of life. The objective of this study is to highlight the bother from lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with PD and determine the relationship between the lower urinary symptoms and severity of PD. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study in patients with clinically diagnosed PD that were managed by the Neurology Unit, Neurology Unit, Department of Medicine University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. They all filled the International Prostate Symptom Score and Quality of Life form. The severity of PD in each patient was assessed using Unified Parkinsons Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). The data obtained was analyzed using SPSS Version 20. Results: There were 22 patients aged between 25-87years with a mean age of 59.36 ±15.58years. Nocturia (90.90%), frequency (59.10%) and urgency (59.10%) were the commonest LUTS, while straining was the least frequent (22.70 %). Majority had mild (59.09%)and moderate (27.27%) symptoms. There was a strong association between total IPSSand QoL scores that was statistically significant (p<0.0001 r= +0.859). The degree of bother from LUTS, evaluated with the IPSS questionnaire was associated with worsening of PD symptoms assessed with UPDRS (p=0.012). There was a moderate positive correlation between the severity of PD and the degree of bother from LUTS in PD patients (r=+0.527) Conclusions: Irritative symptoms are very common in Parkinsons disease, with nocturia the commonest. There was a moderate positive correlation between the severity of PD and the degree of bother from LUTS. The IPSS questionnaire could be used in evaluating urinary dysfunction in PD patients in both genders.

β-Hydroxybutyrate Oxidation in Exercise Is Impaired by Low-Carbohydrate and High-Fat Availability

Purpose: In this study, we determined ketone oxidation rates in athletes under metabolic conditions of high and low carbohydrate (CHO) and fat availability.Methods: Six healthy male athletes completed 1 h of bicycle ergometer exercise at 75% maximal power (WMax) on three occasions. Prior to exercise, participants consumed 573 mg·kg bw−1 of a ketone ester (KE) containing a 13C label. To manipulate CHO availability, athletes undertook glycogen depleting exercise followed by isocaloric high-CHO or very-low-CHO diets. To manipulate fat availability, participants were given a continuous infusion of lipid during two visits. Using stable isotope methodology, β-hydroxybutyrate (βHB) oxidation rates were therefore investigated under the following metabolic conditions: (i) high CHO + normal fat (KE+CHO); (ii) high CHO + high fat KE+CHO+FAT); and (iii) low CHO + high fat (KE+FAT).Results: Pre-exercise intramuscular glycogen (IMGLY) was approximately halved in the KE+FAT vs. KE+CHO and KE+CHO+FAT conditions (both p &lt; 0.05). Blood free fatty acids (FFA) and intramuscular long-chain acylcarnitines were significantly greater in the KE+FAT vs. other conditions and in the KE+CHO+FAT vs. KE+CHO conditions before exercise. Following ingestion of the 13C labeled KE, blood βHB levels increased to ≈4.5 mM before exercise in all conditions. βHB oxidation was modestly greater in the KE+CHO vs. KE+FAT conditions (mean diff. = 0.09 g·min−1, p = 0.03; d = 0.3), tended to be greater in the KE+CHO+FAT vs. KE+FAT conditions (mean diff. = 0.07 g·min−1; p = 0.1; d = 0.3) and were the same in the KE+CHO vs. KE+CHO+FAT conditions (p &lt; 0.05; d &lt; 0.1). A moderate positive correlation between pre-exercise IMGLY and βHB oxidation rates during exercise was present (p = 0.04; r = 0.5). Post-exercise intramuscular βHB abundance was markedly elevated in the KE+FAT vs. KE+CHO and KE+CHO+FAT conditions (both, p &lt; 0.001; d = 2.3).Conclusion: βHB oxidation rates during exercise are modestly impaired by low CHO availability, independent of circulating βHB levels.

Self-Determination Theory: Statistical Correlations Between Motivational Regulations and Basic Psychological Needs

Self-determination theory has been predominantly used as a psychological framework to describe human motivation. It classifies three types of motivation with various forms of regulations, ranging from amotivation, extrinsic motivation (i.e., extrinsic regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, and integrated regulation), to intrinsic motivation. In addition, it points out three basic psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, relatedness, competence) which are essential components to enhance the process of internalisation, meaning motivations driven by identified, integrated and intrinsic regulations. This study aims to provide statistical evidence of statistical correlations among these factors and regulations. To achieve this, an online questionnaire with 9 close-ended statements based on 5-Likert scale was distributed to high-school students and school leavers in Thailand. A total of 206 responses were received. Overall, a correlational analysis showed a positive correlation between internalisation and the basic psychological needs (r = 0.4). Furthermore, there was a moderate positive correlation between integrated correlation and intrinsic motivation (r = 0.6) which support the described theoretical framework. In addition, there was a moderate positive correlation between autonomy and competence (r = 0.6) in the perspective of psychological needs. However, the statistical evidence shows a moderate relationship between identified regulation and external regulation (r = 0.6) which adds an insightful finding to our current understanding. It is suggested that in order to increase the level of internalisation, it is essential to provide a learning environment where students can feel the sense of success (competence), constructive relationship with others (relatedness), and a fair degree of self-regulated learning (autonomy).