Management of refined and personalized newborn blood specimen collection.

Background: Iatrogenic blood loss is an important cause of neonatal anemia. In this study, a spreadsheet tool was developed to reduce blood collection, providing a new idea for the prevention of iatrogenic blood loss in newborns. Methods: Based on hematocrit, minimum test volume and dead volume, a new tool was to calculate the minimum blood collection volume and the number of containers required for the test portfolio. We collected data from October 2022 to October 2023 from Xiamen Maternal and Child Health Hospital for analysis and validation. Results: During this year, there were 16,434 patients and 13,696 plasma/serological samples in the neonatology department. Among them, there were 8 test combinations of greater than 1%, and 9490 samples in total. According to the hospital manual, the recommended amount of blood collection is 27,534 ml and 9490 containers. Through the analysis of this tool, total blood collection was 8864.77 ml, marked qnantity of upward containers (closest level to the calculated blood collection volume) was 10301 ml, and the amount of containers was 8835, which decreased by 67.8%, 62.58% and 6.9% respectively. Besides, if the hematocrit information cannot be obtained in advance and the high hematocrit is calculated as 0.8, the recommended amount of blood collection is 14334.3 ml, and the marked amount of the upward container markering is 17340 ml, decreasing by 47.9% and 37.02% respectively. Conclusion: We have developed an auxiliary tool that can manage neonatal blood specimen collection in a fine and personalized way and can be applied among different laboratory instruments by parameters modification.

Effect of drug interactions with non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulants on thromboembolic events in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Few real-world studies have investigated drug-drug interactions (DDIs) involving non-vitamin-K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). The interactions encompass drugs inducing or inhibiting cytochrome P450 3A4 and permeability glycoprotein. These agents potentially modulate the breakdown and elimination of NOACs. This study investigated the impact of DDIs on thromboembolism in this clinical scenario. Method: Patients who had NVAF and were treated with NOACs were selected as the study cohort from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. Cases were defined as patients hospitalised for a thromboembolic event and who underwent a relevant imaging study within 7 days before hospitalisa-tion or during hospitalisation. Each case was matched with up to 4 controls by using the incidence density sampling method. The concurrent use of a cytochrome P450 3A4/permeability glycoprotein inducer or inhibitor or both with NOACs was identified. The effects of these interactions on the risk of thromboembolic events were examined with univariate and multivariate conditional logistic regressions. Results: The study cohort comprised 60,726 eligible patients. Among them, 1288 patients with a thromboembolic event and 5144 matched control patients were selected for analysis. The concurrent use of a cytochrome P450 3A4/permeability glycoprotein inducer resulted in a higher risk of thromboembolic events (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.004-1.51). Conclusion: For patients with NVAF receiving NOACs, the concurrent use of cytochrome P450 3A4/ permeability glycoprotein inducers increases the risk of thromboembolic events.

Efficacy of natural products in preventing oral mucositis resulting from cancer therapies: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Oral mucositis significantly compromises the quality of life for patients undergoing cancer therapies. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of natural products in either preventing or alleviating oral mucositis resulting from cancer treatments. METHODS: A systematic review and network meta-analysis were conducted, sourcing data from the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Airiti Library, and Wan Fang Data Knowledge Service Platform until August 2023. The study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021285433). Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis (CINeMA) and R software 4.1.3 were used for analysis. RESULTS: From 1556 identified articles, 36 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were analyzed, involving 2083 patients. Honey, notably, was found to significantly reduce the overall incidence of oral mucositis compared to standard care, with a relative risk (RR) of 0.80 (95% CI: 0.67-0.96). It was particularly effective against moderate-to-severe oral mucositis (grade ≥ 2), reducing incidence with RR of 0.48 (95% CI: 0.30-0.75) versus placebo and 0.56 (95% CI: 0.34-0.93) against standard care. Other natural products, including propolis, chamomile, and P. major L., also demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing the incidence of oral mucositis. Regarding pain relief, honey, and P. major L. emerged as effective, significantly reducing pain severity with a mean difference (MD) of -2.96 (95% CI: -3.80 to -1.94) compared to placebo. CONCUSSION: This network meta-analysis supports the use of honey, propolis, chamomile, and P. major L. as effective natural products in the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis among cancer patients. Specifically, honey is highlighted for its significant impact on reducing both the overall incidence and the severity of moderate-to-severe oral mucositis. By leveraging their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, integrating these natural products into the standard care regimen could markedly improve the well-being of individuals undergoing cancer therapy.

Effects of different types of Ringer's solution on patients with traumatic haemorrhagic shock: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the fluid resuscitation effect of sodium acetate Ringer's solution and sodium bicarbonate Ringer's solution on patients with traumatic haemorrhagic shock. METHOD: We conducted a prospective cohort study in our emergency department on a total of 71 patients with traumatic haemorrhagic shock admitted between 1 December 2020 and 28 February 2022. Based on the time of admission, patients were randomly divided into a sodium bicarbonate Ringer's solution group and sodium acetate Ringer's solution group, and a limited rehydration resuscitation strategy was adopted in both groups. General data were collected separately, and the patients' vital signs (body temperature, respiration, blood pressure and mean arterial pressure (MAP)), blood gas indices (pH, calculated bicarbonate (cHCO3-), partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and clearance of lactate (CLac)), shock indices, peripheral platelet counts, prothrombin times and plasma fibrinogen levels were measured and compared before and 1 h after resuscitation. RESULTS: The post-resuscitation heart rate of the sodium bicarbonate Ringer's solution group was significantly lower than that of the sodium acetate Ringer's solution group (p < 0.05), and the MAP was also significantly lower (p < 0.05). The patients in the sodium bicarbonate Ringer's solution group had significantly higher pH, cHCO3- and PaO2 values and lower pCO2 and CLac values (p < 0.05) than those in the sodium acetate Ringer's solution group, and the post-resuscitation peripheral platelet counts and fibrinogen levels were significantly higher, with shorter plasma prothrombin times and smaller shock indices (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Sodium bicarbonate Ringer's solution is beneficial for maintaining MAP at a low level after resuscitation. The use of sodium bicarbonate Ringer's solution in limited fluid resuscitation has positive results and is of high clinical value.

Oral aspirin for preventing colorectal adenoma recurrence: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Colorectal adenomas have the potential of malignant transformation if left untreated. Multiple randomized controlled trials have been performed to evaluate the efficacy of aspirin in preventing colorectal adenoma recurrence in a population with a history of colorectal adenoma but not colorectal cancer, however, the relationship between aspirin dose and colorectal adenoma recurrence remains unclear. We conducted pairwise meta-analysis, meta-regression, trial sequential analysis, and network meta-analysis of all eligible studies. The ROB 2.0 tool was used to assess the risk of bias in the studies. The confidence in network meta-analysis (CINeMA) approach was used to evaluate the confidence of the network meta-analysis results. The network meta-analysis included eight RCTs (nine reports), comprising four on aspirin (low or high dose) alone and four on aspirin combined with another medication, all compared with placebo. In the network meta-analysis, low-dose aspirin (LDA <300 mg per day) was more effective than high-dose aspirin (HDA ≥300 mg per day) and placebo, with risk ratios of 0.76 (95% CI: 0.58 to 0.99) and 0.7 (95% CI: 0.54 to 0.91), respectively. LDA was the optimal treatment relative to HDA and placebo (P-score = 0.99). In the trial sequential analysis, LDA was only more effective than placebo when the number of included participants exceeded the optimal information size; this was not the case for HDA. LDA has statistically significant efficacy for colorectal adenoma prevention, but compared with HDA, its efficacy remains uncertain. Further trials are therefore required.

Hypofractionated radiotherapy for refractory or relapsed aggressive B-cell lymphoma in the rituximab era.

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy (RT) is an effective and available local treatment for patients with refractory or relapsed (R/R) aggressive B-cell lymphomas. However, the value of hypofractionated RT in this setting has not been confirmed. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients with R/R aggressive B-cell lymphoma who received hypofractionated RT between January 2020 and August 2022 at a single institution. The objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and acute side effects were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients were included. The median dose for residual disease was 36 Gy, at a dose per fraction of 2.3-5 Gy. After RT, the ORR and complete response (CR) rates were 90% and 80%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 10 months (range, 2-27 months), 10 patients (33.3%) experienced disease progression and three died. The 1-year OS and PFS rates for all patients were 81.8% and 66.3%, respectively. The majority (8/10) of post-RT progressions involved out-of-field relapses. Patients with relapsed diseases, no response to systemic therapy, multiple lesions at the time of RT, and no response to RT were associated with out-of-field relapses. PFS was associated with response to RT (P = 0.001) and numbers of residual sites (P < 0.001). No serious non-hematological adverse effects (≥ grade 3) associated with RT were reported. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that hypofractionated RT was effective and tolerable for patients with R/R aggressive B-cell lymphoma, especially for those that exhibited localized residual disease.

Major adverse cardiovascular events of vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors among patients with different malignancy: A systemic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (VEGF-TKIs) are a common cancer treatment. However, the pharmacologic characteristics of VEGF-TKIs may influence cardiovascular risks. The relative risks of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) associated with VEGF-TKIs are poorly understood. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception until August 31, 2021, for phase II/III randomized controlled trials of 11 VEGF-TKIs (axitinib, cabozantinib, lenvatinib, pazopanib, ponatinib, ripretinib, regorafenib, sorafenib, sunitinib, tivozanib, and vandetanib). The endpoints were heart failure, thromboembolism, and cardiovascular death. The Mantel-Haenszel method was used to calculate the risk of VEGF-TKI among users by comparing it to nonusers. Pairwise meta-analyses with a random-effects model were used to estimate the risks of the various VEGF-TKIs. We estimated ranked probability with a P-score and assessed credibility using the Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis framework. RESULTS: We identified 69 trials involving 30 180 patients with cancer. The highest risk of MACEs was associated with high-potency tivazonib (odds ratio [OR]: 3.34), lenvatinib (OR: 3.26), and axitinib (OR: 2.04), followed by low-potency pazopanib (OR: 1.79), sorafenib (OR: 1.77), and sunitinib (OR: 1.66). The risk of heart failure significantly increased in association with less-selective sorafenib (OR: 3.53), pazopanib (OR: 3.10), and sunitinib (OR: 2.65). The risk of thromboembolism significantly increased in association with nonselective lenvatinib (OR: 3.12), sorafenib (OR: 1.54), and sunitinib (OR: 1.53). Higher potency (tivozanib, axitinib) and lower selectivity (sorafenib, vandetanib, pazopanib, sunitinib) were associated with a higher probability of heart failure. Low selectivity (lenvatinib, cabozantinib, sorafenib, sunitinib) was associated with a higher probability of thromboembolism. CONCLUSION: Higher-potency and lower-selectivity VEGF-TKIs may influence the risks of MACEs, heart failure, and thromboembolism. These findings may facilitate evidence-based decision-making in clinical practice.

Frailty and Other Factors Associated With Early Outcomes in Middle-to Older Age Trauma Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: To prospectively investigate associations of frailty and other predictor variables with functional recovery and health outcomes in middle-aged and older patients with trauma. DESIGN: Single-center prospective cohort study. SETTING: Emergency department of Wan Fang Hospital in Taiwan. PARTICIPANTS: Trauma patients aged 45 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Frailty was assessed with the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). Injury mechanisms, pre-existing diseases, and fracture locations were recorded at baseline. The primary outcome was functional recovery assessed using the Barthel Index (BI). Secondary outcomes were new care needs, unscheduled return visits, and falls 3 months postinjury. RESULTS: A total of 588 participants were included in the final analysis. For every one-point increase in the CFS, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (OR, 95% confidence interval [CI]) of failure to retain the preinjury BI was 1.34 (1.16-1.55); associations were consistent across levels of age and injury severities. Significant joint associations of frailty and age with poor functional recovery were observed. CFS was also associated with new care needs (OR for every one-point increase, 1.36, 95% CI, 1.17-1.58), unscheduled return visits (OR 1.26, 95% CI, 1.04-1.51), and falls (OR 1.23, 95% CI, 1.01-1.51). Other variables associated with failure to retain preinjury BI included road traffic accident and presence of hip fracture. CONCLUSION: Frailty was significantly associated with poor functional and health outcomes regardless of injury severity in middle-aged and older patients with trauma. Injury mechanisms and fracture locations were also significant predictors of functional recovery postinjury.

Assessment of Prophylactic Internal Carotid Artery Management in Postradiation Nasopharyngeal Necrosis Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Postradiation nasopharyngeal necrosis (PRNN) frequently develops after second-course radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). PRNN can lead to internal carotid artery (ICA) massive hemorrhage due to ICA rupture, resulting in sudden death. This study aims to explore the pretreatment of the ICA to prevent fatal massive hemorrhage in PRNN patients. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with NPC and PRNN from January 2010 to September 2022 were included. The Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to analyze risk factors for massive hemorrhage and survival. A nomogram was developed to integrate prognostic models and perform parameter calibration. RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty-four PRNN patients were included in this study. Prophylactic ICA occlusion significantly reduced the risk of ICA hemorrhage compared to no prophylactic ICA occlusion (3.6% vs 40.6%, P < .001). Surgical repair on necrosis significantly prevented hemorrhage and improved survival. The nomogram, incorporating the above 2 factors and the nearest distance from necrosis to ICA ≤ 3 mm, exhibited excellent discriminative ability for hemorrhage. We identified 3 high-risk factors that indicate the need for prophylactic ICA management in PRNN patients: (1) exposure of ICA by rhinoscopy; (2) signs of ICA erosion on MRA scanning; (3) the depth of soft tissue coverage surrounding the ICA wall within the necrotic cavity is less than 3 mm on magnetic resonance imaging. CONCLUSION: We have identified 3 high-risk factors for PRNN patients that necessitate prophylactic ICA management. These findings are expected to contribute to improving the quality of life and overall survival of PRNN patients.

Cardiovascular Toxicity of Angiogenesis Inhibitors Among Patients With Cancer in Taiwan: A Nested Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Research on the cardiovascular toxicity of angiogenesis inhibitors among patients with cancer in Taiwan is lacking. This observational study explored the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) associated with angiogenesis inhibitors in Taiwan. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a nested case-control study using the TCR (Taiwan Cancer Registry) linked with the Taiwan National Insurance Claim Database. We matched every case with 4 controls using risk-set sampling by index date, age, sex, cancer type, and cancer diagnosis date. Conditional logistic regression was used to evaluate the risks of MACEs and different cardiovascular events using propensity score adjustment or matching. Sensitivity analyses were used to evaluate the risks matched by cancer stages or exposure within 1 year. Among a cohort of 284 292 after the exclusion of prevalent cases, the incidences of MACEs among the overall cohort and those exposed to angiogenesis inhibitors were 22.5 and 32.5 events per 1000 person-years, respectively. We matched 17 817 cases with 70 740 controls, with a mean age of 74.9 years, and 56.8% of patients were men. After propensity score adjustment, angiogenesis inhibitors were associated with increased risks of MACEs (odds ratio, 4.56; 95% CI, 1.78-11.59). Significantly increased risks were noted for heart failure hospitalization, myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident, and venous thromboembolism, but not for new-onset atrial fibrillation. Similar results were observed after matching by cancer stage or restriction of 1-year exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Angiogenesis inhibitors were associated with increased risks of MACEs among patients with various malignancies in Taiwan but were not associated with new-onset atrial fibrillation.

Harmonic effects of sham acupuncture at Tsu San Li (St-36) in the radial pulse wave.

Background and aim: Acupuncture has been criticized as a theatrical placebo for the sham effect. Unfortunately, sham tests used in control groups in acupuncture studies have always ignored the underlying biophysical factors, including resonance involved in acupuncture points and meridians. Experimental procedure: In this study, the effects of sham acupuncture at Tsu San Li (St-36) were examined by analyzing noninvasive 30-sec. recordings of the radial arterial pulses for 3 groups of patients treated with different probes (blunt, sharp, and patch) on the superficial skin of the acupuncture point. The 3 groups were then treated with the sharp probe for 3 different periods (16, 30, and 50 s). Then we compared the harmonics of the radial arterial pulse after Fourier transformation before and after the treatment. Results: Our results indicated that different probes have effects similar to needle insertion at Tsu San Li. Meanwhile, the harmonic effect of the sharp probe strengthened as time increased. Conclusions: This study revealed that the meridian effect of sham testing from mechanical stimulation, even from simple touch, on an acupuncture point, should not be overlooked. Thus, even simple touch can be added to electrical or laser acupuncture.

Peptide-Coated Bacteriorhodopsin-Based Photoelectric Biosensor for Detecting Rheumatoid Arthritis.

An effective early diagnosis is important for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management. This study reveals a novel RA detection method using bacteriorhodopsin as a photoelectric transducer, a light-driven proton pump in purple membranes (PMs). It was devised by covalently conjugating a PM monolayer-coated electrode with a citrullinated-inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 3 (ITIH3)542-556 peptide that recognizes the serum RA-associated autoantibodies. The direct serum coating decreased the photocurrents in the biosensor, with the reduction in the photocurrent caused by coating with an RA-patient serum that is significantly larger than that with a healthy-control serum (38.1% vs. 20.2%). The difference in the reduction in the photocurrent between those two serum groups widened after the serum-coated biosensor was further labeled with gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-conjugated anti-IgA (anti-IgA-AuNP) (53.6% vs. 30.6%). Both atomic force microscopic (AFM) and Raman analyses confirmed the sequential peptide, serum, and anti-IgA-AuNP coatings on the PM-coated substrates. The reductions in the photocurrent measured in both the serum and anti-IgA-AuNPs coating steps correlated well with the results using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits (Spearman rho = 0.805 and 0.787, respectively), with both a sensitivity and specificity close to 100% in both steps. It was shown that an RA diagnosis can be performed in either a single- or two-step mode using the developed biosensor.

Unveiling the Power of Anticancer Drug Screening: A Clinical Case Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Hollow Fiber Assay Microtube Array Membrane (MTAM-HFA) in Breast Cancer Patients.

Breast cancer is a severe public health problem, and early treatment with powerful anticancer drugs is critical for success. The researchers investigated the clinical results of a novel screening tool termed Microtube Array Membrane Hollow Fiber Assay (MTAM-HFA) in breast cancer patients in this clinical investigation. In all trial participants, the MTAM-HFA was utilized to identify active medicines for the treatment of breast cancer. The MTAM-HFA was shown to be extremely useful in predicting patient response to anticancer medication therapy in this study. Furthermore, the substantial association between the MTAM-HFA screening outcome and the clinical outcome of the respective patients emphasizes the promise of this unique screening technology in discovering effective anticancer medication combinations for the treatment of breast cancer. These findings indicate that the MTAM-HFA has clinical significance and might be a valuable tool in the development of tailored therapy for cancer care. This study provides helpful information for physicians and scientists working on breast cancer therapy research. The potential benefits of employing MTAM-HFA to find accurate therapies for breast cancer patients might lead to enhanced personalized medicine approaches to cancer care, resulting in better patient outcomes. Overall, the MTAM-HFA screening approach has the potential to revolutionize customized cancer therapy, providing hope to both patients and physicians.

Comparing the efficacy of different steroids for rhinoplasty: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Rhinoplasty can cause tissue trauma and inflammatory responses. Edema and ecchymosis, especially on the face, accompanied by inflammation are common complications. The anti-inflammatory properties of steroids can reduce postoperative edema and ecchymosis. OBJECTIVE: This review aims to determine the most effective type of steroids for preventing complications related to rhinoplasty. METHODS: The study was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The population of comprised patients who underwent rhinoplasty or septorhinoplasty. Different types of steroids administrated intravenously during the perioperative period were compared. The primary outcome of postoperative edema and other outcomes were evaluated on postoperative day 1, 3, and 7. Random-effects model was performed. The means and standard deviations were extracted. RESULTS: Eighteen randomized controlled trials were included. The network meta-analysis revealed that dexamethasone and methylprednisolone significantly reduced edema on postoperative day 1 compared with placebo. No significant differences between the effects of any of two types of steroids were noted. CONCLUSION: At least one dose of intravenous steroid intervention is recommended during the perioperative period of rhinoplasty. However, in terms of reducing edema and ecchymosis, no significant differences were noted among dexamethasone, methylprednisolone, and betamethasone.

Serial electrocardiogram recordings revealed a high prevalence of QT interval prolongation in patients with tuberculosis receiving fluoroquinolones.

BACKGROUND: Fluoroquinolones, crucial components of treatment regimens for drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB), are associated with QT interval prolongation and risks of fatal cardiac arrhythmias. However, few studies have explored dynamic changes in the QT interval in patients receiving QT-prolonging agents. METHODS: This prospective cohort study recruited hospitalized patients with TB who received fluoroquinolones. The study investigated the variability of the QT interval by using serial electrocardiograms (ECGs) recorded four times daily. This study analyzed the accuracy of intermittent and single-lead ECG monitoring in detecting QT interval prolongation. RESULTS: This study included 32 patients. The mean age was 68.6 ± 13.2 years. The results revealed mild-to-moderate and severe QT interval prolongation in 13 (41%) and 5 (16%) patients, respectively. The incremental yields in sensitivity of one to four daily ECG recordings were 61.0%, 26.1%, 5.6%, and 7.3% in detecting mild-to-moderate QT interval prolongation, and 66.7%, 20.0%, 6.7%, and 6.7% in detecting severe QT interval prolongation. The sensitivity levels of lead II and V5 ECGs in detecting mild-to-moderate and severe QT interval prolongation exceeded 80%, and their specificity levels exceeded 95%. CONCLUSION: This study revealed a high prevalence of QT interval prolongation in older patients with TB who receive fluoroquinolones, particularly those with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Sparsely intermittent ECG monitoring, the prevailing strategy in active drug safety monitoring programs, is inadequate owing to multifactorial and circadian QT interval variability. Additional studies performing serial ECG monitoring are warranted to enhance the understanding of dynamic QT interval changes in patients receiving QT-prolonging anti-TB agents.

Cancer-related fatigue classification based on heart rate variability signals from wearables.

Background: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is the most distressing side effect in cancer patients and affects the survival rate. However, most patients do not report their fatigue level. This study is aimed to develop an objective CRF assessment method based on heart rate variability (HRV). Methods: In this study, patients with lung cancer who received chemotherapy or target therapy were enrolled. Patients wore wearable devices with photoplethysmography that regularly recorded HRV parameters for seven consecutive days and completed the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) questionnaire. The collected parameters were divided into the active and sleep phase parameters to allow tracking of fatigue variation. Statistical analysis was used to identify correlations between fatigue scores and HRV parameters. Findings: In this study, 60 patients with lung cancer were enrolled. The HRV parameters including the low-frequency/high-frequency (LF/HF) ratio and the LF/HF disorder ratio in the active phase and the sleep phase were extracted. A linear classifier with HRV-based cutoff points achieved correct classification rates of 73 and 88% for mild and moderate fatigue levels, respectively. Conclusion: Fatigue was effectively identified, and the data were effectively classified using a 24-h HRV device. This objective fatigue monitoring method may enable clinicians to effectively handle fatigue problems.

Determinants of the success in flap reconstruction-Outcome analysis of 120 flaps in 484 procedures for pressure injury.

Pressure injury (PI) mainly occurs in bedridden older adults or those with physical limitations. Here, we aimed to determine the appropriate timing to conduct flap reconstruction in patients with PIs and identify factors affecting surgical outcomes. We retrospectively reviewed the data of all patients who received debridement or flap reconstruction surgery for PIs in our hospital from January 2016 to December 2021. The extracted data included patient demographics, surgical records, blood test results, vital signs, and flap outcomes. In total, 484 surgical procedures (364 debridements and 120 flaps) were performed on 216 patients. Serum albumin level of ≥2.5 g/dL remarkably increased the likelihood of complete wound healing (odds ratio [OR] = 4.12, P = .032) and reduced the risk of postoperative complications (OR = 0.26, P = .040). In contrast, advanced age (OR = 1.04, P = .045) and serum creatinine level ≥2 mg/dL (OR = 5.07, P = .016) increased the risk of postoperative complications. Thus, patients with a favourable nutrition status have a higher likelihood of achieving complete wound healing. By contrast, patients who are older and have serum creatinine ≥2 mg/dL and serum albumin <2.5 g/dL tend to develop more postoperative complications. Overall, thorough correction for patient inflammation, infection, anaemia, and malnutrition status can provide optimal flap surgery outcomes.

Tumor necrosis factor-related lncRNAs predict prognosis and immunotherapy response for patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has become one of the most lethal cancers, for which the recurrence and survival rates remain unfavorable. The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family is involved in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Various long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles by mediating the TNF family in cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to construct a TNF-related lncRNA signature to predict prognosis and immunotherapy response in LUAD. Methods: The expression of TNF family members and their related lncRNAs in a total of 500 enrolled LUAD patients was collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Univariate Cox and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-Cox analysis was used to construct a TNF family-related lncRNA prognostic signature. Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival analysis was used to evaluate survival status. The time-dependent area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) values were used to assess the predictive value of the signature to 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival (OS). Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were applied to identify the signature-related biological pathways. Furthermore, tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) analysis was employed to evaluate immunotherapy response. Results: A total of 8 TNF-related lncRNAs significantly associated with OS of LUAD patients were used to construct a TNF family-related lncRNA prognostic signature. According to risk score, these patients were divided into high- and low-risk subgroups. The KM survival analysis indicated that patients in the high-risk group showed significantly less favorable OS than that of low-risk group. The AUC values in predicting 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS were 0.740, 0.738, and 0.758, respectively. Moreover, the GO and KEGG pathway analyses demonstrated that these lncRNAs were closely involved in immune-related signaling pathways. The further TIDE analysis indicated that high-risk patients had a lower TIDE score than that of low-risk patients, indicating that high-risk patients may be appropriate candidates for immunotherapy. Conclusions: For the first time, this study constructed and validated a prognostic predictive signature of LUAD patients based on TNF-related lncRNAs, and the signature showed good performance to predict immunotherapy response. Therefore, this signature may provide new strategies for individualized treatment of LUAD patients.

On summary ROC curve for dichotomous diagnostic studies: an application to meta-analysis of COVID-19.

In a systematic review of a diagnostic performance, summarizing performance metrics is crucial. There are various summary models in the literature, and hence model selection becomes inevitable. However, most existing large-sample-based model selection approaches may not fit in a meta-analysis of diagnostic studies, typically having a rather small sample size. Researchers need to effectively determine the final model for further inference, which motivates this article to investigate existing methods and to suggest a more robust method for this need. We considered models covering several widely-used methods for bivariate summary of sensitivity and specificity. Simulation studies were conducted based on different number of studies and different population sensitivity and specificity. Then final models were selected using several existing criteria, and we compared the summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) curves to the theoretical ROC curve given the generating model. Even though parametric likelihood-based criteria are often applied in practice for their asymptotic property, they fail to consistently choose appropriate models under the limited number of studies. When the number of studies is as small as 10 or 5, our suggestion is best in different scenarios. An example for summary ROC curves for chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) used in COVID-19 diagnosis is also illustrated.

Effectiveness and Safety of Energy-Based Devices for Acne Scars: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Acne vulgaris is an inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous unit in teenagers. Acne-induced inflammation leads to acne scarring. Scholars have discussed acne scar treatments; however, energy-based devices with satisfactory outcomes remain unidentified. Objective: To measure quartile grading scale and visual analog scale (VAS) to study the difference between energy-based devices. Methods: We included randomized controlled trials that evaluated patients with acne scars. The primary outcomes were the quartile grading scale and VAS scores. We used Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis to evaluate indirectness, imprecision, heterogeneity, and incoherence. Results: A total of 26 studies met the inclusion criteria. The quartile grading scale results revealed that ablative fractional laser was significantly more effective than nonablative fractional laser (standard mean difference [SMD]: 0.516, confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.281-0.750) and radiofrequency treatment (SMD: 0.941, 95% CI: 0.540-1.342). Moreover, nonablative fractional laser was significantly more effective than radiofrequency treatment (SMD: 0.426, 95% CI: 0.049-0.802). No significant difference in VAS score was found among the devices. Conclusion: Ablative fractional laser is an effective treatment for acne scars although it is associated with more pain.