Risk factors associated with the presence of Mycobacterium bovis in macroscopic lesions suspected as being caused by bovine tuberculosis detected in slaughterhouses

Mycobacterium bovis is a bacterium belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex that causes tuberculosis in cattle and in other domestic and wild animals, as well as in humans. Disease control measures are carried out by slaughtering animals tested positive in the intradermal tuberculinization test and sanitation of their original living spaces, in addition to epidemiological surveillance carried out through the sanitary inspection of bovine carcasses in slaughterhouses. In the latter, official inspection services collect samples from macroscopic lesions suspected of bovine tuberculosis, which are then sent for laboratory analysis. Knowledge concerning the variables associated with the occurrence of M. bovis can aid in decision-making regarding control and disease eradication efforts. In this context, the aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for a positive M. bovis diagnosis in suspected bovine tuberculosis lesions obtained during epidemiological surveillance activities in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. A total of 105 suspicious lesions were analyzed using the Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (nested q-PCR) method, of which 14 (13.33%) tested positive for M. bovis. Univariate and bivariate statistical analyses indicated that the variable “animal slaughter” was the only risk factor presenting statistical significance associated with the diagnosis of M. bovis (p < 0.05), demonstrating that macroscopic lesions suspected as being caused by bovine tuberculosis from animals with an in vivo diagnosis were 2.82 - fold more likely to result in a positive M. bovis diagnosis by molecular tests.

EFFECT OF EXERCISE ON EARLY REHABILITATION OF PATIENTS WITH NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

ABSTRACT Introduction: Acute cerebral infarction refers to the deficiency of the blood supply to the brain and the damage of tissue function. Objective: To study the effect of exercise training in early rehabilitation of patients with hemiplegia treated in the neurology department. Methods: Ninety-six patients with acute cerebral infarction hemiplegia were studied. According to the order of admission, 96 patients were divided into a control group and an early recovery group, with 48 patients in each group. Results: Before early rehabilitation, there was no statistical significance in NIHSS and FUGL-Meyer scores between the two groups (P > 0.05). After early rehabilitation,the NIHSS score of early rehabilitation group was lower than both its pre-early-rehab score and the control group score, while the FUGL-Meyer score was higher than both its pre-early-rehab and the control group score (P<0.05). Before early rehabilitation, there was no significant difference in the GQOLI-74 score between the two groups (P > 0.05). After early rehabilitation, the GQOLI-74 score was higher in the early rehabilitation group than both its pre-early-rehab score and the control group score (P<0.05). Conclusions: The clinical effect of early rehabilitation training in acute cerebral infarction patients with hemiplegia is significant and can further improve the clinical treatment of patients and their quality of life. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment results.

Denture characteristics, oral hygiene practice and periodontal changes of partial denture wearers and non-denture wearers in a Teaching Hospital- A comparative study

Background: There can be localized periodontal inflammation around abutment teeth of dentures as a result of plaque accumulation. This study assessed the periodontal changes of removable partial denture wearers compared to that of non-denture wearers. Methodology: Participants were recruited from the prosthodontic and restorative outpatient clinics of Lagos University Teaching Hospital. The self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographics, denture characteristics, periodontal changes and oral hygiene practice of participants. Periodontal status assessed included gingival inflammation, plaque accumulation and tooth mobility. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20 (IBM SPSS Armonk, New York) and presented as frequencies and percentages. Test for significance was done using Chi-square statistics, and the level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: A total of 96 participants between age 16 and 74years were recruited with mean age of 40±14.5years. There were 56 females and 40 males (F:M; 1.4:1). Fifty-four denture wearers and forty-two non-denture wearers were recruited into the study. Among participants wearing partial denture, 49(90.7%) had gingival inflammation; 45(91.8%) had mild inflammation compared to 4.8% participants who are non-denture wearers. 29(53.7%) denture wearers had fair oral hygiene while most 31(73.8%) non-denture wearers had excellent oral hygiene. Abutment teeth in denture wearers had tooth recession; mostly on the upper arch and also posteriorly. Conclusion: The periodontal inflammation, tooth recession and mobility in denture wearers were worse compared to non-denture wearers. Thus, they need to be motivated for more adequate oral hygiene practices and have regular recall system to monitor their periodontal health.

Peritumoral Enhancement for the Evaluation of Myometrial Invasion in Low-Risk Endometrial Carcinoma on Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI

ObjectivesTo explore the clinical value of subendometrial enhancement (SEE), irregular thin-layered peritumoral early enhancement (ITLPE) and focal irregular peritumoral early enhancement (FIPE) on dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) for myometrial invasion in patients with low-risk endometrial carcinoma.MethodsSeventy-seven patients with low-risk endometrial carcinoma who preoperatively underwent DCE-MRI were included. Two radiologists independently evaluated and recorded the occurrences of SEE, ITLPE and FIPE on DCE-MRI in all patients. Interobserver agreement was calculated between the two radiologists, and the relationships between SEE, ITLPE, FIPE, and myometrial invasion were analyzed based on histologic findings. For statistically significant findings, the sensitivity and specificity were calculated, and the differences in myometrial invasion evaluations were analyzed. For those with no statistical significance, images were compared with the histopathologic sections.ResultsInter-observer agreement was good (k = 0.80; 95%CI, 0.577–0.955) for SEE, and very good (k = 0.88; 95%CI, 0.761–0.972) (k = 0.86; 95%CI, 0.739–0.973) for ITLPE and FIPE. After consensus, SEE was identified in 12/77 (15.6%) patients; ITLPE and FIPE were found in 53/77 (68.8%) and 30/77 (39.0%) patients, respectively. SEE and ITLPE were significantly correlated with myometrial infiltration (P = 0.000), but FIPE were not (P = 0.725).The sensitivity and specificity of SEE and ITLPE for myometrial invasion in patients with low-risk endometrial carcinoma were 95.0 and 52.9%, and 85.0 and 88.0%, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) of SEE and ITLPE for myometrial invasion were 0.740 (95%CI, 0.584–0.896), and 0.866 (95%CI, 0.763–0.970), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity were statistically different between SEE and ITLPE for the detection of myometrial invasion (P = 0.031, 0.016). According to the comparison between FIPE and histopathologic findings, the irregular endomyometrial junction was found in 30/77 (38.9%) cases, 24/30 (80.0%) with myometrial infiltration and 6/30 (20.0%) cases without myometrial infiltration.ConclusionsFIPE was the irregular endomyometrial junction. It can be found in patients with or without myometrial infiltration and may lead to the overestimation of myometrial invasion by SEE on DCE-MRI. ITLPE presented high diagnostic performance and specificity for myometrial invasion in patients with low-risk endometrial carcinoma.

RapidET: a MEMS-based platform for label-free and rapid demarcation of tumors from normal breast biopsy tissues

The rapid and label-free diagnosis of malignancies in ex vivo breast biopsy tissues has significant utility in pathology laboratories and operating rooms. We report a MEMS-based platform integrated with microchips that performs phenotyping of breast biopsy tissues using electrothermal sensing. The microchip, fabricated on a silicon substrate, incorporates a platinum microheater, interdigitated electrodes (IDEs), and resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) as on-chip sensing elements. The microchips are integrated onto the platform using a slide-fit contact enabling quick replacement for biological measurements. The bulk resistivity (ρB), surface resistivity (ρS), and thermal conductivity (k) of deparaffinized and formalin-fixed paired tumor and adjacent normal breast biopsy samples from N = 8 patients were measured. For formalin-fixed samples, the mean ρB for tumors showed a statistically significant fold change of 4.42 (P = 0.014) when the tissue was heated from 25 °C to 37 °C compared to the adjacent normal tissue, which showed a fold change of 3.47. The mean ρS measurements also showed a similar trend. The mean k of the formalin-fixed tumor tissues was 0.309 ± 0.02 W m−1 K−1 compared to a significantly higher k of 0.563 ± 0.028 W m−1 K−1 for the adjacent normal tissues. A similar trend was observed in ρB,ρS, and k for the deparaffinized tissue samples. An analysis of a combination of ρB, ρS, and k using Fisher’s combined probability test and linear regression suggests the advantage of using all three parameters simultaneously for distinguishing tumors from adjacent normal tissues with higher statistical significance.

Light-tissue interactions of low level laser to support the chronic hepatitis patients

In this paper, we present some results obtained from the simulation of low power 633, 780, 850, and 940 nm laser in the liver by Monte Carlo method, with the model of the liver, consisting of 5mm derm, 7mm subcutaneous fat, 5 mm muscle layer. Based on these results, we fabricated devices called “Laser Semiconductor Optoacupuncture and phototherapy Device” using 780 and 940nm semiconductor lasers to treat chronic hepatitis. We combined with the doctor in An Giang province to clinical practice for 50 voluntary patients with chronic hepatitis. We used a 650 nm wavelength intravascular semiconductor laser treatment clinically to provide high-quality blood to the patients’ liver. Treating the phototherapy of the skin with two semiconductor laser beams with 780 nm and 940 nm wavelengths directly affects the liver from the surface of the abdomen. At the moment, we use the treatment on acupoint with 940nm- wavelength laser. A treatment course consists of 20 times for the patients is treated continuously. The patients tested with the ALT and AST before and after treatment with 3 courses. We use the SPSS 23 statistical method to evaluate the outcomes of treatment. The clinical symptoms of the patients such as fatigue, nausea, indigestion, fever, jaundice, yellow eyes almost completely have gone out after treatment. Low-level laser therapy offers a good response in patients with moderate to severe hepatic impairment such as the AST of 56.380 ± 10.162 and 39.260 ± 4.869; The ALT of 56.540 ± 13.580 and 41,360 ± 7,488 for before- and after treatments, respectively. Low-level laser therapy for patients initially has good results, high therapeutic effectiveness, no catastrophic or side Effects, and the statistical significance is p &lt; 0.001.This research applied the ethical principles of the Helsinki Declaration in human researches. The research was carried out using non-invasive methods on humans with the regulations of the University of Technology, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, and the relevant regulations.

Comparison of Treatment Response before and after Antiobsessivae Therapy among Psychiatric Patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Introduction: Obsessive compulsive disorder is a common, chronic and disabling disorder marked by obsessions and/or compulsions. This study tries to find the demographic profiles, severity and response of antiobsessive drugs in young and adult patients with obsessive compulsive disorder. Aims: To study the socio-demographic profile, severity and treatment response to commonly used antiobsessive medications in male and female, and young and adults. Methods: This is a hospital based experimental study done in patients attending to psychiatry out-patient department over one year from February 2020 to January 2021. Diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder was made based on International Classification of Disease- 10 criteria for research. Yale-Brown obsessive compulsive scale check list (adult and children) was applied in those patients and recorded accordingly on baseline (week 0) and patients were treated with specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants in therapeutic doses for 6 weeks. On follow up at week 6, they were again reassessed and the scores were recorded and analyzed. Results: Among the total study subject (N-52), 26(50 %) were male and 26(50 %) were females. Patients in age bracket 20-29 is the most common age group representing 18(34.6 %). Mean age of patients is 30.36±11.93 years (28.65±9.80 in male and 32.04±13.73 in female). Severe form of obsessive compulsive disorder was the most common type that represent 33(63.5%) followed by moderate 16(30.8%) and extreme 3(5.7%). There is a difference of treatment response of antiobsessive therapy in male and female with statistical significance (p= 0.039). Conclusion: This study shows that obsessive compulsive disorder is most commonly found in 20-29 age group and the severe type is the most common. There is a significant difference in treatment response of antiobsessive therapy in male and female.

Extent of diurnal cycle of rainfall and its intra seasonal variation over coastal Tamil Nadu during north east monsoon season

The diurnal variation of north east monsoon rainfall of coastal Tamil Nadu represented by four coastal stations Chennai Nungambakkam (Nbk), Chennai Meenambakkam (Mbk), Nagapattinam (Npt) and Pamban (Pbn) was studied in detail based on hourly rainfall data of rainy days only, for the period 1 Oct-31 Dec for the 47/48 year period 1969-2016/2017. Mean Octet rainfall and its anomaly were computed for the 8 octets 00-03,…., 21-24 hrs of the day and the anomaly was tested for statistical significance. Various analysis for the individual months of Oct, Nov, Dec and the entire period Oct-Dec were separately conducted. The basic technique of evolutionary histogram analysis supplemented by harmonic analysis of octet mean rainfall anomaly was used to detect the diurnal cycle signal. Two indices named as diurnal variation of rainfall index and coefficient of mean absolute octet rainfall anomaly representing the intensity of diurnal variation in dimensionless numbers were defined, computed and interpreted. The analysis based on the above techniques revealed that the diurnal signal which shows an early morning maximum and late afternoon minimum of octet rainfall is well defined in Oct, decreases in Nov and further decreases in Dec for all the 4 stations. Though the diurnal variation manifests a well defined pattern in Dec the signal is not statistically significant in most cases. For Nbk and Mbk there is a weak secondary peak of octet rainfall anomaly occurring in the forenoon and afternoon respectively in Oct and Dec suggesting the presence of semi-diurnal variation of rainfall. Stationwise, the diurnal signal is most well defined for each month/season in Pbn followed by Npt, Nbk and then Mbk. The physical causes behind the diurnal signal and its decrease as the north east monsoon season advances from Oct to Dec have been deliberated. The well known feature of nocturnal maximum of oceanic convection influencing a coastal station with maritime climate and the higher saturation at the lower levels of the upper atmosphere in the early morning hours have been advanced as some of the causes. For the much more complex feature of decrease of diurnal signal with the advancement of the season, the decrease of minimum surface temperature over coastal Tamil Nadu from Oct to Dec causing an early morning conceptual land breeze has been shown as one of the plausible causes based on analysis of temperature and wind. Scope for further work based on data from automatic weather stations, weather satellites and Doppler Weather Radars has been discussed.

Changes in symptoms of dry eyes in health professionals with increased duration of wearing the mask

: In normal population and patient, the significant increase in dry eyes manifestations have been observed. Similarly, aggravated symptoms and complaints of dryness have also been observed in clinical and hospital staff by using a face mask for an extended time period. The purpose of the study was to observe the association between symptoms of dry eyes and the duration of using masks in health professionals.: An unspecified questionnaire was distributed using Google Forms through different social media platforms, asking each respondent to contribute to the survey. Data were collected from December 2021 to January 2021. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Statistical significance was considered if p-value was less than 0.05. A total of 39 responses was included for analysis in the study. There was a positive correlation between the frequency of the symptoms of dryness and the duration of using the mask. Similarly, the severity of the symptoms for dry eyes was strongly correlated with an increase in the frequency of symptoms for dry eyes.The finding reflects that the frequency of the dryness along with the severity will increase with the increase in the duration of wearing a mask. Moreover, it also suggests that cloth mask is the probable predisposing factor for the increase in the dry eye symptoms in this study.