Multifactorial analysis of willingness to undergo subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy in pediatric patients.

Objective: To explore factors influencing the acceptance of allergen immunotherapy (AIT) for the treatment of allergic respiratory diseases by pediatric patients and their families. Methods: A total of 406 children (210 males and 196 females) attending the pediatric outpatient clinics and wards of the Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from June 2020 to April 2022. Those who met the criteria for the AIT treatment, were included in the survey. An online 20-item questionnaire was developed. Data on patient's general characteristics, allergic disease status, family history of allergies, general family information, parental knowledge of allergic diseases, and whether the AIT treatment was recommended by a physician, were collected. The patients were divided into two groups according to their willingness to receive AIT: a reluctant or neutral group (n = 182), and a willing group (n = 224). A univariate analysis of the willingness to undergo AIT was done to detect parameters that significantly differed between the groups, and the identified factors were used as independent variables in the multifactorial logistic regression analysis. Results: The severity of allergic disease, presence of drug allergy, occurrence of severe allergic reactions, mother's education, distance from home to the hospital, parental knowledge of allergic diseases, and whether the doctor recommended AIT were all statistically different between the groups (p < 0.05). Multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that the degree of allergic rhinitis (AR), or asthma (AS), parental knowledge of allergic diseases, and doctor's recommendation of AIT were the factors that influenced the willingness of pediatric patients to receive AIT. Conclusions: The severity of AR and AS, parental knowledge of allergic diseases, and doctor's recommendation influenced the willingness of pediatric patients to receive AIT.

The Effect of Material Thickness, Load Density, External Airflow, and Relative Humidity on the Drying Efficiency and Quality of EHD-Dried Apples.

Electrohydrodynamic drying is a novel non-thermal technique for dehydrating heat-sensitive foods. However, its industrial applications are limited due to the underexplored effects of material properties and environmental conditions on product quality. For this purpose, a multifactorial experiment was designed to study the effects of material thickness, load density, external airflow, and humidity on the EHD drying efficiency and quality of apple slices. The experiments show that the intensity of EHD drying increased with a decrease in humidity, slice thickness, and load density. The effective diffusivity of apple slices with EHD drying was about 5.17·10-12 m2/s, slightly increasing with external airflow. The specific energy consumption of EHD drying was 10-12 times lower than hot air drying. The time of EHD drying at 20 °C was equivalent to hot air drying at 40 °C, but the impact of EHD drying on the product quality was significantly lower. EHD drying better preserved the color and phenolic content in dried apple slices, with less cellular damage. Hence, EHD drying can be employed in industry as a sustainable alternative to hot air drying.

Beyond amylose content, selecting starch traits impacting in vitro α-amylase degradability in a wheat MAGIC population.

A major challenge faced when studying the "structure-degradability" interaction of native starch is deciphering the interdependency between different structural levels, especially when experimental conditions limit the number of samples. To tackle this challenge, 224 wheat starches from a 4-way multiparent advanced generation inter-cross population were screened for structural features and degradation profiles by porcine pancreatic α-amylase. A hierarchical clustering on principal components (HCPC) were used as multifactorial analysis to explore the data structure. The degradation procedure was proved to be robust and sensible enough to screen a large collection of starches. The HCPC highlighted the combined effects of granule size distribution (GSD), amylopectin chain length distribution (CLD), amylose content and endogenous α-amylase activity on degradation kinetics. Especially the GSD and amylopectin CLD showed high co-occurrences with specific hydrolysis profiles. These findings provide an innovative screening method and structural factors to be primarily considered for wheat starch selection in breeding programs.

Analysis of the economic effects on biopsychosocial homeostasis from a three-dimensional probability measurement system.

OBJECTIVE: Describes the economic effects on bio-psychosocial homeostasis from a three-dimensional analysis of the joint interaction of biological, psychological and economic-social comorbidities, in order to know the probabilities of occurrence of these conditions simultaneously. METHOD: It is a cross-sectional study and random quota sampling. 353 men and women over 20 years of age participated, and answered a 27 questions application (bio-psycho-economic-social), the data was analyzed three-dimensionally in order to know the probability of occurrence of the variables studied and their possible location in the probabilistic unit cube. RESULTS: Based on the unit cube proposal, it can be observed that in the block of people with incomes from 2200 to 6600 pesos in the group of men there is a probability of 12.9 per 1000 inhabitants of presenting debt problems, overweight and severe depression, while in the case of women, the probability is 2.08 per 1000 inhabitants. CONCLUSIONS: There is a priority axis that determines the change of the remaining variables, in this case it is the economic axis the one that determines the biological and psychological conditions.

OBJETIVO: Describir los efectos económicos en la homeostasis biopsicosocial a partir de un análisis tridimensional de la interacción conjunta de la comorbilidad biológica, psicológica y económico-social, con la finalidad de conocer las probabilidades de ocurrencia a partir de estas condiciones de forma simultánea. MÉTODO: Estudio transversal y muestreo aleatorio por cuotas. Participaron 353 hombres y mujeres mayores de 20 años que contestaron un cuestionario con 27 preguntas (biopsicosociales-económicas). Se analizaron los datos tridimensionalmente con la finalidad de conocer la probabilidad de ocurrencia de las variables estudiadas y su posible localización en el cubo unitario probabilístico. RESULTADOS: Con base en la propuesta del cubo unitario se obtiene que, en las personas con ingresos de 2200 a 6600 pesos, en los hombres existe una probabilidad de 12.9 por cada 1000 habitantes de presentar deudas, sobrepeso y depresión grave; en las mujeres, la probabilidad es de 2.08 por cada 1000 habitantes. CONCLUSIONES: Existe un eje prioritario que determina el cambio de las variables restantes, en este caso el eje económico que determina las condiciones biológicas y psicológicas.

Relationship Between the Choice of Clinical Treatment, Gait Functionality and Kinetics in Patients With Comparable Knee Osteoarthritis.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the choice of clinical treatment, gait functionality, and kinetics in patients with comparable knee osteoarthritis. Design: This was an observational case-control study. Setting: The study was conducted in a university biomechanics laboratory. Participants: Knee osteoarthritis patients were stratified into the following groups: clinical treatment (conservative/total knee replacement (TKR) planned), sex (male/female), age (60-67/68-75), and body mass index (BMI) (<30/≥30). All patients had a Kellgren-Lawrence score of 2 or 3 (N = 87). Main Outcome Measures: All patients underwent gait analysis, and two groups of dependent variables were extracted: • Spatiotemporal gait variables: gait velocity, stride time, and double-support time, which are associated with patient functionality. • Kinetic gait variables: vertical, anterior-posterior, and mediolateral ground reaction forces, vertical free moment, joint forces, and moments at the ankle, knee, and hip. Multifactorial and multivariate analyses of variance were performed. Results: Functionality relates to treatment decisions, with patients in the conservative group walking 25% faster and spending 24% less time in the double-support phase. However, these differences vary with age and are reduced in older subjects. Patients who planned to undergo TKR did not present higher knee forces, and different joint moments between clinical treatments depended on the age and BMI of the subjects. Conclusions: Knee osteoarthritis is a multifactorial disease, with age and BMI being confounding factors. The differences in gait between the two groups were mitigated by confounding factors and risk factors, such as being a woman, elderly, and obese, reducing the variability of the gait compression loads. These factors should always be considered in gait studies of patients with knee osteoarthritis to control for confounding effects.

Controlling the release rate of topotecan from PLGA spheres and increasing its cytotoxicity towards glioblastoma cells by co-loading with calcium chloride.

It has been suggested that local administration of topotecan (TT) could increase its efficacy in the treatment of glioblastoma. In this context, a PLGA implant model in the form of spheres with a porous core and stiff surface, loaded with TT and CaCl2 was developed. An array of formulations differing from each other by the type of PLGA used, the integrity of the surface, the concentrations of TT and CaCl2 added during the preparation, and the volume of water in the PLGA mix, was prepared, screened and explored by computerized multifactorial analysis. This analysis enabled the simultaneous identification of the most influential experimental factors on the experimental responses, which were pre-determined as the efficiency of TT loading and the TT % cumulative release at 14 days. The multifactorial analysis also revealed how the interactions among the experimental factors affect the performance of the various formulations. Thus, TT concentration and its factorial interaction with the concentration of CaCl2 added during the spheres' preparation were identified as most prominent on the loading efficiency, while the surface integrity (intact or punctured) and CaCl2 amount in the spheres were identified as most prominent on the TT % cumulative release from the spheres. TT was found to be cytotoxic towards glioblastoma U87 MG cells, an activity which was enhanced, synergistically, in the presence of CaCl2 (the relative viability was reduced from 36 to 28% with combination indices of 1.0, 0.37, 0.13 and 0.06 for EC50, EC75, EC90 and EC95, respectively). Interestingly, dividing the TT dose into 3 equal portions, replenished daily to the incubation medium, increased TT cytotoxicity. The relative viability was then reduced from 35 to 7% and in the presence of CaCl2 - from 28 to 1.9%, suggesting that a local, slow input of TT could be effective in the treatment of glioblastoma by an adjacent TT implant. The increased effect of CaCl2 on cytotoxicity was also observed when it was co-loaded into the TT spheres. In that case, the cells' viability was reduced from 72 to 27%. It is suggested that the PLGA spheres could be used for tunable local delivery of TT in post-resection adjuvant therapy of glioblastoma.

Anterior knee pain after total knee arthroplasty: A multifactorial analysis.

PURPOSE: Dissatisfaction and an impaired quality of life after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is often associated with postsurgical anterior knee pain (AKP). The underlying pathological mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Therefore, a multifactorial approach encompassing clinical and radiological parameters seemed reasonable and promising to investigate postsurgical AKP. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 25 patients without and 25 patients with postsurgical AKP after unilateral TKA were randomly recruited from a larger cohort of patients. Multiple clinical and radiological parameters-including real-time shear wave elastography (SWE) to measure the patellar and quadriceps tendon elasticity-were acquired and subsequently associated with AKP. For statistical analysis, SPSS (IBM, version 25) was used. RESULTS: In total 50 participants (58.0% men, mean age 63.42 years, mean body mass index 29.75 kg/m2), having different prosthetic designs implanted, were included. Independently of key covariates, the strength of the quadriceps muscle (p = 0.021), a thinner inlay (p = 0.041), and a lower position of the patella (p = 0.041) were associated with AKP. Although no correlation with AKP was found (p = 0.346, resp. p = 0.154), we observed significantly decreased Young's modulus of the patellar and quadriceps tendons for the involved knee compared to the uninvolved knee (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, quadriceps muscle strength, inlay thickness, and the patella position might be of particular relevance in avoiding postsurgical AKP. Future studies with larger sample sizes are needed to clarify the impact of quadriceps muscle strength and the postoperative patella position as well as the role of SWE as a personalized modifiable prediction marker.

Relationship among the minor constituents, antibacterial activity and geographical origin of honey: A multifactor perspective.

Some minor constituents of honey samples were determined through a fluorometric-chemical characterization method and related multifactorially with their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and with their geographical origin. Rotated principal component analysis identified five significant components in honey: three related to antibacterial activity and linked to phenolic compounds; Maillard products; proteins; the concentration of H2O2 at 3 and 24 h of incubation; and a tyrosine-containing entity. On the other hand, five constituents (phenolic compounds were the most relevant) allowed the classification of honey samples by geographical origin with 87% certainty. The results showed that phenolic compounds and Maillard products are related to the sustained production of H2O2 over time, which in turn boosts the antibacterial activity of honey. Native flora could promote this capability. The results showed the effect of geographic origin on the content of the analyzed minor constituents of honey, particularly phenolic compounds.

Temporal changes in the transcriptomic profile of granulosa cells of pigs treated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin.

The 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) compound is an environmental chemical adversely affecting reproductive processes. Intracellular TCDD effects are mediated via aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The aim of the current study was to identify genes linking the AhR pathway with phenotypic consequences of TCDD action in granulosa cells of pigs. By applying multifactorial analysis, with TCDD and incubation time as factors, it was possible to determine temporal changes induced by TCDD in the cell transcriptome. Among the identified 144 differentially expressed genes (DEGs; Padjusted<0.05, log2 fold change (FC)≥1), 111 DEGs were classified as sustained genes (FC values changing between 3 and 24 h). Eighty six DEGs were classified as early genes and only nine as late genes (FC changes observed between 3 and 12 h or 12 and 24 h, respectively). The sustained gene category included genes related to TCDD mechanism of action (AHR, ARNTL, CYP1A1), cell proliferation (TGFß3), follicular development and ovulation (PTGS2) as well as stress response (NR3C1). The early gene category contained DEGs associated with cell proliferation (DUSP4, TAB1) and cellular response to stress (DHX34). The CYP1A1 gene was the only DEG classified as an early, late and sustained gene. The multifactorial approach allowed for statistically analyzing TCDD-induced changes over time in the gene expression in granulosa cells of pigs. Changes over time in the granulosal transcriptome profile indicated the involvement of stress related molecules in the cellular response to TCDD and TCDD effects on ovulation. The TCDD effects were particularly evident during the early stage of action by this compound.

A Preliminary Report on the Use of the Design of Experiments for the Production of a Synbiotic Yogurt Supplemented With Gluten FriendlyTM Flour and Bifidobacterium infantis.

The main goal of this paper was to design a synbiotic yogurt containing Bifidobacterium infantis and Gluten Friendly FlourTM; the proposed approach relies upon milk fermentation through the classical starter of yogurt (Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) to avoid a strong production of acetic acid by bifidobacterial and inoculum of B. infantis after the fermentation. The research was divided in 3 steps. The aim of the first step was the optimization of fermentation kinetic by L. delbureckii and S. thermophilus, by combining the amount of flour (either Gluten Friendly Flour-GF- or Control Flour-CF) in milk, temperature and inoculum level; the factors were combined through a mixture design. As a result of this step, the best combination was pointed out: flour at 2.5 g/l; L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus at 6 log cfu/ml; temperature at 37-40°C. The goal of the second step was to study the effect of flour (2.5 g/l) on the viability of B. infantis. GF prolonged the viability of the probiotic for 14 days. In the last step, a synbiotic yogurt, supplemented with GF and fermented with L. delbureckii and S. thermophilus, and then inoculated with B. infantis, was produced. The product was stored at 8 and 15°C. A positive effect of GF was found at 15°C, with B. infantis at 7.0 log cfu/g in GF sample and 5.5.5.7 log cfu/g in CF sample.

Can the elite slalom kayaker's performance be correlated with anthropometric, nutritional, genetic, psychological as sleep traits?

Abstract AIMS The aims of this study were to investigate and characterize the anthropometric, nutritional, genetic, psychological and sleep variables of slalom kayakers, and to verify the correlation of these variables with the slalom kayakers' performance. METHODS Ten elite Brazilian team slalom kayakers participated of this study. Nutritional analysis was made by the Food Record (three days), 24 Hour Dietary Recall and Food Frequency Questionnaire. The ACE I/D, AGTMet235Thr, ACTN3R577X and BDKRB2+9/-9 were genotyped for genetic profile. The Profile of Mood States (POMS) and Sports Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT) were applied to investigate the psychological variables. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleep Scale (ESS) and Morningness-eveningness questionnaire (MEQ) were used for sleep traits analysis. Performance trials were performed on a white-water course with 24 gates, and finish time was considered as the variable related to performance. RESULTS Significant correlations were obtained between Performance Time Trial and %Fat (r=0.77), Energy (r=-0.75), Protein (r=-0.76), Carbohydrate (r=-0.72), Vitamin B6 (r=-0.87), Vitamin A (r=-0.82), Thiamine (r=-0.77), Riboflavin (r=-0.71), Magnesium (r=-0.86) and Phosphorus (r=-0.74) intake, besides the Fatigue mood domain (r=0.73) and the SCAT score (r=0.67). Athletes genotyped with the I, T, R and +9 alelle also presented better performances. CONCLUSIONSIn summary, the novel results provided by this study reinforce the necessity of considering several aspects during athlete development in order to achieve better performance in competitions.

Prospective multifactorial analysis of preseason risk factors for shoulder and elbow injuries in high school baseball pitchers.

PURPOSE: To prospectively identify preseason physical factors for shoulder and elbow injuries during the season in high school baseball pitchers. METHODS: The study included 105 high school baseball pitchers [median age 16 (15-17) years]. The range of motion of the shoulder (90° abducted external and internal rotation) and elbow (extension/flexion), shoulder muscle strength (abduction and prone internal and external rotation), shoulder and elbow laxity, horizontal flexion, and scapular dyskinesis were assessed. After the season, the participants completed questionnaires regarding shoulder and/or elbow injuries, with injury defined as an inability to play for ≥1 week due to elbow/shoulder problems. The results of two groups (injured and noninjured) were compared using t tests and Chi-square analyses. Stepwise forward logistic regression models were developed to identify risk factors. RESULTS: Twenty-one injuries were observed. In univariate analysis, 90° abducted internal rotation and total arc of the dominant shoulder and the ratio of prone external rotation in the dominant to nondominant sides in the injured group were significantly less than those in the noninjured group (P = 0.02, 0.04, and 0.01, respectively). In logistic regression analysis, 90° abducted internal rotation in the dominant shoulder and prone external rotation ratio were significantly associated with injuries (P = 0.02 and 0.03, respectively). CONCLUSION: A low prone external rotation ratio and decreased 90° abducted internal rotation in the dominant shoulder in the preseason were significant risk factors for shoulder and elbow injuries in high school baseball pitchers. The results may contribute to reduce the incidence of these injuries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

Assessment of the InSiGHT Interpretation Criteria for the Clinical Classification of 24 MLH1 and MSH2 Gene Variants.

Pathogenicity assessment of DNA variants in disease genes to explain their clinical consequences is an integral component of diagnostic molecular testing. The International Society for Gastrointestinal Hereditary Tumors (InSiGHT) has developed specific criteria for the interpretation of mismatch repair (MMR) gene variants. Here, we performed a systematic investigation of 24 MLH1 and MSH2 variants. The assessments were done by analyzing population frequency, segregation, tumor molecular characteristics, RNA effects, protein expression levels, and in vitro MMR activity. Classifications were confirmed for 15 variants and changed for three, and for the first time determined for six novel variants. Overall, based on our results, we propose the introduction of some refinements to the InSiGHT classification rules. The proposed changes have the advantage of homogenizing the InSIGHT interpretation criteria with those set out by the Evidence-based Network for the Interpretation of Germline Mutant Alleles (ENIGMA) consortium for the BRCA1/BRCA2 genes. We also observed that the addition of only few clinical data was sufficient to obtain a more stable classification for variants considered as "likely pathogenic" or "likely nonpathogenic." This shows the importance of obtaining as many as possible points of evidence for variant interpretation, especially from the clinical setting.

Multifactorial analysis of fatigue scale among nurses in Poland.

Significant progress in the field of nursing has contributed to the widening of range of functions and professional duties of nurses. More frequent lack of nursing personnel has an impact on negative reception of work, it decreases sense of professional satisfaction and increases the level of burden and fatigue. METHODS: The study applied the non-experimental method - a descriptive comparative study without a control group. The data was collected on the basis of Polish-language version of a Japanese questionnaire. In order to evaluate the level of physical fatigue the pedometer was used. RESULTS: 158 respondents of a group of 160 were included in the statistical analysis. The study group was internally diversified. The research project assessed the usefulness of the multifactorial analysis in evaluating the main components of nursing fatigue. Multifactorial analysis has shown that mental fatigue concentrated with changes in activeness, motivation and physical fatigue are strongly correlated with age, professional experience and education. CONCLUSION: Nursing is a profession of a special character and mission. Regardless of the place of work, nursing staff should be given the possibility of pursuing their profession under conditions ensuring the sense of security and protecting them from harmful effects on health.

Analysis of the mating and reproductive traits of Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae).

The reproductive traits of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) were investigated and analyzed by different analytical methods. Simple statistical analysis showed relatively higher mating rates maintained from 21:00 to 2:00, thereafter dropping to a minimum at about 18:00. Mating rates were affected by female and male age. Mating was most likely to take place between females and males that were 1 d old. Correlation and factor analysis indicated that mating delayed females have a relatively lower and unsuccessful mating rate and relatively shorter copulation duration, with lower egg hatchability and fecundity; in addition, the mating delayed male would reduce female's fertility. Delay of mating prolonged life of both males and females. A higher and successful mating rate would cause a higher egg hatchability and fecundity. Canonical correlation analysis showed that mating age and successful copulation of female play a decisive role for her fecundity and longevity, and mating age and mating rates of male play a decisive role for his longevity.

Multifactorial analysis of risk factors for reduced bone mineral density among postmenopausal women.

INTRODUCTION: The study aimed to determine the risk factors for reduced bone mineral density (BMD) among postmenopausal women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-three postmenopausal women were included to the study. The study group consisted of 85 women with osteoporosis (mean age: 59.9 years) and 168 with osteopenia (mean age: 57.8 years). Patients were assigned to groups according to their BMD measured in the lumbar spine, hip and femoral neck by dual X-ray absorptiometry. Bone formation was assessed by measuring serum osteocalcin and bone resorption by measuring serum C-terminal type I α-collagen chain telopeptide. RESULTS: Multiple regression analysis for lumbar spine showed association of age (p = 0.001), parental history of fracture (p = 0.05), use of hormone replacement therapy (p = 0.034), bisphosphonates therapy (p < 0.001), calcium and vitamin D supplements therapy (p = 0.001), oestradiol level (p = 0.007) and body mass index (p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis for femoral neck and hip total showed association of age (p = 0.001), parental history of fracture (p = 0.049), use of bisphosphonates (p < 0.03)) use of calcium and vitamin D supplements (p = 0.039), oestradiol level (p = 0.047). All the variables together explain 40.4% of variance in BMD for the lumbar spine and 25.6% of variance in BMD for femoral neck and hip total. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated correlations between the variables and BMD, which are known and widely described in the literature. Osteoporosis and osteopenia in Polish subjects appear to be associated with several known risk factors that are well described in the literature.

The factors affecting mandibular third molar angulation during orthodontic treatment / 实用口腔医学杂志

Objective:To analyze the factors which affect mandibular third molar angulation changes during treatment of adult orthodontic patients.Methods:80 post-treatment adult patients including 154 mandibular third molars(M3) were selected.The gender,age,clinical classification and treatment methods of the patients were recorded.The pretreatment and post-treatment panoramic radiographs were analyzed.The angulation and the eruption space of mandibular M3 were measured.The root development stages of the mandibular M3 before treatment were evaluated.The factors affecting mandiular M3 angulation changes were analysed by covariance analysis.Results:The results of multi-factors analysis illustrated that the sagittal skeletal classifications,the root development stages of the pre-treatment mandibular M3,the pre-treatment mandibular M3 angulations,the width/space ratios before and after treatment affected the mandibular M3 angulation changes during the orthodontic treatment.Mandibular M3 showed more improvement in angulation in groups of Class I sagittal skeletal classification,the root development stages of the pre-treatment mandibular M3 where the root was fully formed but the foramen apices wasn't closed or the stages where the root less 1/3 was formed,the pre-treatment mandibular M3 angulations 60?,and the more M3 space before and after treatment,the more improvement in M3 angulation.Conclusion:In adult orthodontic patients,the mandibular M3 angulation changes during the treatment can be influenced by many factors,but orthodontic treatment is not the direct factor.