Medicine
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Non-adherence can be highlighted as one of the main contributors to the occurrence of adverse events in patients treated with warfarin. The usefulness of self-reporting measures of drug adherence could be improved by following psychometric properties in the development of the measurement scales. Thus, we aimed to describe the protocol of a systematic literature review designed to investigate and describe validated instruments used to assess adherence to warfarin therapy. ⋯ The systematic review is registered in the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic review (PROSPERO# CRD42019128324).
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Comparative Study
Clinical value of haptoglobin and soluble CD163 testing for the differential diagnosis of tuberculous and malignant pleural effusions.
This study aims to evaluate the clinical value of haptoglobin (Hp) and sCD163 testing for the differential diagnosis of pleural effusion, and investigate the correlation of Hp and sCD163 with the inflammatory response of the body. Pleural effusion samples were collected from 78 patients (38 tuberculous pleural effusions [TPE] and 40 malignant pleural effusions [MPE]). The concentrations of Hp and sCD163 in the pleural effusion were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). ⋯ However, there was no correlation between sCD163 and TNF-α, CRP and ESR in either the TPE group, or the MPE group (P > .05). Furthermore, sCD163 and IL-1β were weakly correlated in the TPE group (r = 0.49, P = .0018), but these had no correlation in the MPE group (r = 0.068, P = .6767). Hp and sCD163 can be used as biological markers for the differential diagnosis of pleural effusion in clinic, and the level of Hp in pleural effusion may reflect the intensity of inflammation in the body to some extent.
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To research the possible role of Tai Chi in preventing cardiovascular disease and improving cardiopulmonary function in adults with obesity aged 50 years and older. Between 2007 and 2012, 120 adults with obesity, aged 50 years and older, were divided into a Tai Chi group and a control group, with 60 participants in each group. The 2 groups were evaluated for weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, blood pressure (BP), body mass index, and incidence of chronic disease during follow-up monitoring. ⋯ The total incidence of complications and mortality in the Tai Chi group were much lower than those in the control group (P < .001). The incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease in the Tai Chi group (16.67%) was lower than that in the control group (38.33%). Tai Chi is not only a suitable exercise for elderly people with obesity, but it can also help to regulate BP, improve heart and lung function in these individuals, as well as reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases, helping to improve their quality of life.
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Comparative Study
Obstetric and perinatal outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection for infertile men with Y chromosome microdeletions.
To evaluate the safety of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for men with Y chromosome azoospermia factor (AZF) microdeletions. ⋯ Men with AZF microdeletions can achieve the delivery of healthy children using ICSI. In this series, it produced good implantation rate and obstetric and perinatal outcomes.
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Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) has shown beneficial effects on the lipid profile and inflammatory parameters in general population. Our goal is to analyze these changes together with those of intestinal microbiota in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients over 50 years of age. ⋯ Sustained consumption of 50 g of EVOO in elderly HIV-infected patients might be associated with an improvement in lipid profile and alfa diversity of intestinal microbiota.