Medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Reduction in postpartum weight with laser acupuncture: A randomized control trial.
Gestational weight gain and weight retention at 1 year after delivery are associated with long-term obesity. We aimed to investigate the effect of laser acupuncture therapy on postpartum weight control. ⋯ Laser acupuncture reduces postpartum weight retention by improving BMI and BFP, but does not impact the WBR following short-term treatment.
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Observational Study
A proposed predictive model for advanced fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B and its validation.
We created a predictive model using serum-based biomarkers for advanced fibrosis (F3 or more) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and to confirm the accuracy in an independent cohort. A total of 249 CHB patients were analyzed. To achieve our study aim, a training group (n = 125) and a validation group (n = 124) were formed. ⋯ In all subgroup analyses of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) status (HB surface antigen quantification, HBV-DNA quantification, and HBe antigen seropositivity), GMPH score in F3 or F4 was significantly lower than that in F0 to F2. In the above mentioned 8 variables, differences between the liver fibrosis stages (F0 to F1 vs F2, F2 vs F3, F3 vs F4, F0 to F1 vs F3, F0 to F1 vs F4, and F2 vs F4) for the entire cohort (n = 249) were all significant only in GMPH score. In conclusion, the GMPH scoring system may be helpful for detecting advanced liver fibrosis in patients with CHB.
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The butyrophilin-like 2 (BTNL2) G16071A gene polymorphism has been implicated in the susceptibility to granulomatous diseases, but the results were inconclusive. The objective of the current study was to precisely explore the relationship between BTNL2 G16071A gene polymorphism and granulomatous disease susceptibility by the meta-analysis including false-positive report probability (FPRP) test. ⋯ The meta-analysis indicated that BTNL2 G16071A gene polymorphism may as a likelihood factor contributed to granulomatous disease susceptibility, especially increasing the sarcoidosis susceptibility. In addition, the polymorphism may be greatly associated with likelihood of granulomatous diseases among Caucasians.
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We aimed to study the prevalence of oral sex and its possible association with human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 infection in the development of oropharyngeal cancer in the US population for possible prevention. ⋯ Family physicians will play a key role in prevention and educating the public about the risk of oral sex.
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The aim was to assess the association between objectified preoperative psychological factors and postoperative pain at the first day after otolaryngological surgery in accordance with other predictors of postoperative pain. Eighty-two (82) patients (59% male, median age 56 years) were included between January and May 2015. The psychological assessment the day before surgery included the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), pain catastrophizing scale (PCS), State-Trait Operation Anxiety (STOA) inventory, and the resilience scale (RS-13). ⋯ Otolaryngological surgery covers the spectrum from low to severe postoperative pain and is therefore a good model for pain management studies. A set of somatic and psychological parameters seems to allow the identification of patients with higher risk for more postoperative pain. This should help to individualize and improve the perioperative pain management.