Plos One
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To investigate the risk of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter in patients with periodontitis (PD) in comparison with individuals without PD. ⋯ The present study results indicate an increased risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter in patients with PD. Lack of individual information about alcohol consumption, obesity, and tobacco use was a major limitation.
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Comparative Study
Heavy Smoking Is More Strongly Associated with General Unhealthy Lifestyle than Obesity and Underweight.
Smoking and obesity are major causes of non-communicable diseases. We investigated the associations of heavy smoking, obesity, and underweight with general lifestyle to infer which of these risk groups has the most unfavourable lifestyle. ⋯ Unhealthy general lifestyle was associated with both heavy smoking and BMI extremes, but we observed a stronger association for heavy smoking. Future smoking prevention measures should pay attention to improvement of general lifestyle and co-occurrence with obesity and underweight.
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Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) is the most common malignant primary brain tumor in adults. Radiotherapy plus concomitant and adjuvant TMZ chemotherapy is the current standard of care for patients with GBM. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a family of zinc-dependent endopeptidases, are key modulators of tumor invasion and metastasis due to their ECM degradation capacity. The aim of the present study was to identify the most informative MMP member in terms of prognostic and predictive ability for patients with primary GBM. ⋯ Patients with primary GBMs with low MMP9 expression may have longer survival and may benefit from temozolomide chemotherapy.
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Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) relates to the consumption of coagulation factors and platelets with bleeding and micro thrombosis events. ⋯ Patients with DIC displayed signs of a hypocoagulative response and impaired fibrinolysis, which was also evident over time in non-survivors. Patients with DIC had a higher mortality rate than non-DIC patients, and DIC scores were higher in non-survivors than in survivors.
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the internal consistency, structural validity, sensitivity and specificity of the 5- and 4-item versions of the LATCH assessment tool among a multiethnic population in Singapore. ⋯ We found that the 4-item version demonstrated sound psychometric properties compared to the 5-item version. Health professionals can use the 4-item LATCH as a clinical tool because it is a concise, easy-to-use and valid tool for assessing breastfeeding techniques among a multiethnic population.