Articles: ninos.
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Comparative Study
Statin/ezetimibe combination therapy vs statin monotherapy for carotid atherosclerotic plaque inflammation.
It remains uncertain whether statin/ezetimibe combination therapy serves as a useful and equivalent alternative to statin monotherapy for reducing atherosclerotic plaque inflammation. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of statin/ezetimibe combination therapy and statin monotherapy on carotid atherosclerotic plaque inflammation using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging. Data were pooled from 2 clinical trials that used serial 18FDG PET/CT examination to investigate the effects of cholesterol-lowering therapy on carotid atherosclerotic plaque inflammation. ⋯ There were significant decreases in total and LDL cholesterol levels in both groups at follow-up (P < .001). There were no significant correlations between the percent changes in MDS TBR of the index vessel, changes in the lipid, and high-sensitive C-reactive protein levels. The reduction in carotid atherosclerotic plaque inflammation by statin/ezetimibe combination therapy was equivalent to that by the statin monotherapy.
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Observational Study
Low FOXJ2 expression is associated with unfavorable postoperative prognosis of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.
The forkhead box (FOX) family is a large and diverse group of transcription factors. Forkhead box J2 (FOXJ2) is a member of the FOX family that is aberrantly expressed in a variety of cancers. However, its role in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains elusive. ⋯ Univariate analysis demonstrated that FOXJ2 expression was significantly correlated with OS and PFS in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. Multivariate analysis revealed FOXJ2 expression as an independent prognostic factor of progression-free survival of epithelial ovarian cancer patients. Low FOXJ2 expression is a novel adverse prognostic factor of clinical outcome in epithelial ovarian cancer.
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Observational Study
Strategies adopted to manage physical and psychosocial challenges after returning home among people with stroke: A qualitative study.
Stroke survivors encounter various physical and psychosocial challenges after hospital discharge. Systematic reviews consistently suggest the importance of self-management in promoting post-stroke recovery. However, stroke survivors' performance of self-management behaviors after returning home is poorly understood. ⋯ Participants regarded learning as a prerequisite for improving their affected functions and managing uncertainties in recovery. Learning requires self-participation, building self-efficacy and positive outcome expectations, testing and adapting strategies to one's own health conditions, and engaging in leisure or social activities. These findings will guide future development of interventions for enhancing stroke survivors' recovery outcomes.
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Canaliculops is a rare condition, and only 11 cases have been reported previously. We report 2 cases of canaliculops, which were successfully treated using the new recanalization technique under dacryoendoscopy followed by bicanalicular lacrimal intubation. ⋯ Eleven case series of canaliculops have been described previously, but this is the first report of this recanalization procedure offering a new, less invasive treatment option compared to complete or partial resection of the cystic lesion.
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Observational Study
Health-related quality of life among survivors in minority area 2 years after Jiuzhaigou earthquake: A cross-sectional study.
To investigate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and related factors, the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among earthquake survivors in minority area 2 years after Jiuzhaigou earthquake. Two years after the Jiuzhaigou earthquake, a cross-sectional survey was conducted by a multi-stage sampling approach. HRQoL was measured by the short form 12 (SF-12), PTSD was measured by the PTSD Check List-Civilian Version (PCL-C), and social support was measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. ⋯ Meanwhile, PTSD was significantly associated with MCS. These findings showed that physical disease and psychological symptoms can adversely affect the HRQoL of survivors. Moreover, providing higher social support to survivors should be considered as a way to improve the HRQoL outcomes of survivors.