Articles: health.
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Observational Study
Serum pentraxin-3 as a potential biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis in primary liver cancer: An observational study.
This study aimed to examine serum pentraxin 3 levels in patients with primary liver cancer and to assess its potential as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker. Serum samples were obtained from 180 patients with primary liver cancer and 180 healthy control subjects. The concentration of PTX3 in these samples was measured using an ELISA kit. ⋯ Serum PTX3 levels are elevated in patients with primary liver cancer and high serum PTX3 levels are associated with poor prognosis. This suggests that serum PTX3 has the potential to be a novel biomarker for both the diagnosis and prognosis of primary liver cancer. These findings may improve patient outcomes by enabling early detection and continuous monitoring.
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Preterm birth is a significant public health concern. To achieve a growth trajectory consistent with the genetic law, a catch-up growth strategy must be adopted for these infants to achieve normal growth and development. The aim of this study is to investigate the use requirements of a WeChat mini program-based post-discharge catch-up growth follow-up management system for the parents of preterm infants. ⋯ The factors that influence the demand for WeChat mini program functions for managing the catch-up growth of preterm infants after discharge include occupation, education level, family structure, number of births, residential area, and frequency of using WeChat (P < .05). The demand for the WeChat mini program for post-discharge catch-up growth management among parents of preterm babies is high. The contents and functions of the WeChat mini program can be further enriched and improved to meet the needs of parents of preterm infants of different birth ages.
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The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) is a significant indicator of lipid levels. This study aimed to investigate the association between psoriasis and AIP in adults. The association between AIP and psoriasis was investigated using multivariate logistic regression, and smoothing curve fitting utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009 to 2014. ⋯ In the male group, the risk of developing psoriasis increased by 0.86 points per 1 unit increase in AIP. AIP is positively associated with psoriasis in US adults. Our findings imply that AIP improves psoriasis prevention in the general population.
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The study aimed to compare the morphometric and morphologic analyses of the bone structures of temporomandibular joint and masticatory muscles on Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in 62 healthy subjects and 33 subjects with temporomandibular dysfunction (TMDS) aged between 18 and 56 years. In addition, a machine learning (ML) pipeline involving the Random Forest classifier was used to automatically detect TMDS. Thirty parameters (including age and gender) associated with the condylar process, articular tubercle, mandibular fossa, ramus mandible, joint space, and masticatory muscles were examined using CBCT. ⋯ The reference values of the condylar process, articular tubercle, mandibular fossa, ramus of mandible, and joint space may play a key role in increasing of the success of the surgical procedure, or the assessment/differentiating of the TMD. ML is capable of detecting TMD in an automatic and highly accurate way. Hence, it is also concluded that ML can be useful for cases requiring making automatic and highly correct predictions.
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Patients who reside in areas of high neighborhood disadvantage have poorer health outcomes; the mechanisms for this disparity are complex. We sought to determine if there was an association between neighborhood disadvantage and diagnostic error among a cohort of adult inpatients who experienced either an ICU transfer or in-hospital death. ⋯ In contrast to previous studies that found differences in hospital care based on socioeconomic status, we found no difference in diagnostic error rate between patients based on neighborhood disadvantage. Once a patient reaches the hospital, their risk of diagnostic error is not related to the neighborhood in which they live.