10/06/2024


Biochemical remission (BR), gross total resection (GTR), and intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks are important metrics in transsphenoidal surgery for acromegaly, and prediction of their likelihood using machine learning would be clinically advantageous. We aim to develop and externally validate clinical prediction models for outcomes after transsphenoidal surgery for acromegaly.

Using data from two registries, we develop and externally validate machine learning models for GTR, BR, and CSF leaks after endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery in acromegalic patients. For the model development a registry from Bologna, Italy was used. External validation was then performed using data from Zurich, Switzerland. Gender, age, prior surgery, as well as Hardy and Knosp classification were used as input features. Discrimination and calibration metrics were assessed.

The derivation cohort consisted of 307 patients (43.3% male; mean [SD] age, 47.2 [12.7] years). GTR was achieved in 226 (73.6%) and BR in 245 (79rgical therapy. We demonstrate the feasibility of developing and externally validating clinical prediction models for these outcomes after surgery for acromegaly and lay the groundwork for development of a multicenter model with more robust generalization.Carney complex is a rare syndrome caused by a genetic mutation leading to multiple endocrine abnormalities and a variety of tumors. Here, we report a case of Carney complex diagnosed due to recurrent multiple myxomas in the right atrium of a patient 16 years after the resection of the primary left atrial myxoma. Surgical excision was performed for the multiple recurrent right atrial tumors under cardiopulmonary bypass. The patient remained complication-free after surgery and was discharged on the 14th day. He was scheduled to continue echocardiographic follow-up and periodic systemic review by an endocrinologist. This case emphasizes the fact that if cardiac myxomas tend to be multiple and recurrent at a relatively young age, the possibility of Carney complex should be considered, even in the absence of any other related feature other than cardiac tumors.Intracellular quality control regulated by autophagy process is important for maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Deregulation of autophagy and more specifically mitophagy leads to accumulation of the misfolded proteins and damaged mitochondria that in turn leads to the cell loss. Alteration of autophagy and mitophagy has shown to be involved in the number of disorders including neurodegenerative diseases. Autophagy and mitophagy could be activated by short-time acidification of the cytosol; however, most of the compounds which can induce it are toxic. Here, we tested several organic compounds which are involved in cellular metabolism on their ability to change intracellular pH and induce mitophagy/autophagy. We have found that lactate and pyruvate are able to reduce intracellular pH in non-toxic concentrations. Short-term (2 h) and long-term (24 h) incubation of the cells with lactate and pyruvateinduced mitophagy and autophagy. Incubation of the SH-SY5Y cells or primary neurons and astrocytes with lactate or pyruvate also activated mitophagy and autophagy after MPP + treatment that led to recovery of mitochondrial function and protection of these cells against apoptotic and necrotic death. Thus, pyruvate- or lactate-induced acidification of cytosol activates cell protective mitophagy and autophagy.Four substantial topics are explored in this issue of the Journal of Religion and Health, namely (1) Christianity, (2) family and faith dynamics, (3) the spiritual and religious experiences of students from Islamic, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, and Jewish perspectives, and lastly, (4) the lingering effects of COVID-19. This issue also notes the diamond jubilee-60th year-of JORH (2021).
Anticipated and experienced stigma constitute important issues for patients with multiple sclerosis receiving adequate healthcare. Stigma is likely to be associated with lower quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis, but the underlying mechanisms and contributing factors are unclear.

We conducted a cross-sectional survey among N = 101 patients with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in a German outpatient department. Patients completed questionnaires on enacted and self-stigma (SSCI-8), sense of coherence (SOC-L9) and quality of life (MusiQol). Age, sex, disease duration, disability or extent of limitations (EDSS), cognition (SDMT), depression (BDI-II) and fatigue (FSMC) were used as covariates in linear regression and mediation models.

57.3% of patients with MS reported having experienced stigmatization due to MS at least once. Fatigue (b = -0.199, p < 0.001), enacted stigmatization experience (b = -0.627, p = 0.010) and sense of coherence (b = 0.654, p < 0.001) were significant predictors for quality of life. The mediation analysis showed a partial mediation of the association between enacted stigma and quality of life by patients' sense of coherence (direct effect b = -1.042, t = -4.021, p < 0.001; indirect effect b = -0.773, CI = -1.351--0.339. The association of self-stigma with quality of life was fully mediated by sense of coherence (b = -1.579, CI = -2.954--0.669).

Patients with multiple sclerosis are affected by stigma, which is associated with lower quality of life. Sense of coherence is a potentially important mediator of stigma and represents a promising target to refine existing stigma interventions and improve the quality of life in these patients.
Patients with multiple sclerosis are affected by stigma, which is associated with lower quality of life. Sense of coherence is a potentially important mediator of stigma and represents a promising target to refine existing stigma interventions and improve the quality of life in these patients.
Pandemics can generate considerable distress, which can affect prevention behaviors. Resilience may buffer the negative effects of distress on engagement in relevant prevention behaviors, which may also hold true for COVID-19 prevention behaviors. The objective of the current study was to evaluate whether resilience moderated the relationship between distress and COVID-19 prevention behaviors early in the pandemic.

Data were collected via surveys in which all students at a large midwestern university were emailed invitations beginning March 18, 2020. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/erastin.html Surveys were completed by 5,530 individuals. In addition to demographic questions and items about COVID-19 prevention behaviors, distress was assessed using the K6 Distress Scale and resilience using the Brief Resilience Scale. Data were analyzed using moderator regression analysis.

Resilience moderates the effects from distress to prevention behaviors, such that the relationship was stronger for individuals with higher resilience than for individuals with ng individuals to engage in a greater number of disease-related prevention behaviors. Future research should examine this relationship longitudinally and in relation to differing constructs of resilience.Seasonal tissue concentrations of heavy metals, antioxidant enzymes, immunological components, and water quality parameters were investigated during 1 year in the ark clam, Barbatia decussate, from the coast of Lengeh port, located in the north of the Persian Gulf, Iran. The tissue accumulation of the heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Hg) significantly increased accumulations in late autumn and winter (P  0.01). Seasonal changes were also observed in metal-induced biochemical components. In this regard, the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) elevated throughout spring and summer and then declined during autumn and winter (P  less then  0.01). Phagocytosis activity significantly decreased from December to February and then increased from March to September (P  less then  0.01). Total hemocyte counts decreased from October to March and then elevated until April (P  less then  0.01). Significant relationships were found between tissue heavy metal concentrations, water quality parameters, and biochemical components (P  less then  0.01). The negative correlations were O2 vs. antioxidant enzymes, phagocytosis, and total counts of the hemocytes (THCs); pH vs. SOD; salinity vs. Cr; and temperature vs. GPx and Ni. Positive correlations were O2 vs. Cd, Pb, Hg, and Ni; temperature vs. phagocytosis and THCs; and turbidity vs. link2 phagocytosis, THCs, CAT, and GPx. The results of the present study showed a seasonal pattern in the accumulation of heavy metals, with maximum levels in winter for the ark clam, B. decussate . Furthermore, antioxidant defense and immunity of B. decussate are reduced during winter, which may make B. decussate susceptible to diseases.Particulate matter is usually regarded as the dominant pollutant in Tehran megacity in Iran. However, the number of ozone exceedance days significantly increased in recent years. This study analyzes simultaneous measurements of O3 and NOx (NO+NO2) concentrations to improve our understanding of ozone evolution during the summers of 2017 to 2019. The k-means clustering technique was used to select five representative air quality monitoring sites in Tehran to capture O3 and NOx concentrations' variability. The findings show that all of the investigated sites failed to meet the ozone non-attainment criterion. link3 The ozone weekend effect is seen in the study of weekday/weekend differences in 2017 and 2018, but not in 2019, which can be due to the shift in the ozone production regime. The summer mean variation analysis can also be used to deduce this regime change. In 2017, the O3 and NO2 summer mean variations suggest a holdback in the NO2 upward trend and a reversal in the O3 downward trend that had been in place since 2012. Air mass back trajectory clustering reveals that east and north-east air mass clusters have the most significant impact on Tehran's O3 pollution and the highest regional contribution to OX. The study of OX against NOx shows that the regional contribution to OX increased from 2017 to 2018 and then decreased in 2019; however, the local contribution is the opposite. The diurnal analysis of the regional and local contributions to OX indicated that OX in Tehran might be primarily affected by pollutants from a short distance. The findings reveal critical changes in the behavior of O3 in recent years, indicating that decision-makers in Tehran should reconsider air pollution control measures.Phytoremediation represents a natural method to remove contaminants from soil. The goal of this study was to investigate the potential of phosphate-assisted phytoremediation by two energy crops, Cannabis sativa L. and Brassica juncea L., for the sustainable remediation of heavily arsenic-contaminated industrial soil. The two species were investigated for uptake, translocation, and physiological effects of arsenic and phosphate in a microcosm test. Although C. sativa and B. juncea were symptomless when grown in arsenic-contaminated soil, an important reduction of biomass (50 and 25%, respectively) was observed as a stress marker. Phytotoxicity and cytotoxicity effects promoted by contaminated soils were investigated in both the species and a model plant for ecotoxicity studies, Vicia faba L., which is the most developed model to test genotoxicity effects in terms of chromosomal aberration and micronuclei presence. The higher amount of arsenic was found in C. sativa and B. juncea roots (on average 1473 and 778 mg kg-1, respectively), but both species were able to uptake and translocate arsenic in leaves and stems, up to 47.