Inventory control strategies for steel industry supply chain.

Abstract not provided

An atlas of the transverse dimensions of the face

http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015050820110;view=2up;ui=fullscreen#page/n0/mode/2u

PAX5α and PAX5β mRNA expression in breast Cancer: Relation to serum P53 and MMP2

Background: Many studies evaluated the role of paired box gene 5 (PAX5) in breast cancer. However, few investigated PAX5α and PAX5β isoforms individually. Objective: The aim of the present study is to evaluate mRNA expression of PAX5α and PAX5β in breast cancer and assessing their underlying pathological roles through investigating their correlations to matrix metalloproteinase2 (MMP2), p53 and cancer antigen 15-3 (CA15-3). Methods: Evaluation of PAX5α and PAX5β RNA expression in breast tissue samples was done by real-time PCR, serum MMP2 and p53 by ELISA and CA15-3 by chemiluminescent immunoassay in 55 infiltrating ductal carcinoma patients, 25 fibroadenoma patients and 15 control females who underwent plastic breast surgery. Results: PAX5α RNA was reduced while PAX5b RNA was elevated in breast cancer patients compared to other groups (p < 0.01). The best cutoff value of PAX5α was 61.15 with 78.2% sensitivity and 90% specificity and for PAX5β it was P2.01 with 83.6% sensitivity and 82.5% specificity. The RNA expression of PAX5β was higher in advanced grades and stages (p < 0.01), and significantly correlated to p53 (r: 0.51, p < 0.01), and CA15-3 (r: 0.45, p < 0.01). Moreover, PAX5α was negatively correlated to PAX5β (r: 0.42, p < 0.01), p53 (r: 0.53, p < 0.01) and MMP2 (r: 0.22, p < 0.05). Conclusions: The downregulation of PAX5α with upregulation of PAX5β RNA expressions could highlight the possible oncogenic role of PAX5 as a transcriptional factor in tumorigenesis and progression of breast cancer

Depression screening via a smartphone app : cross-country user characteristics and feasibility

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Smartphone applications (apps) have the potential to be valuable self-help interventions for depression screening. However, information about their feasibility and effectiveness and the characteristics of app users is limited. The aim of this study is to explore the uptake, utilization, and characteristics of voluntary users of an app for depression screening. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of a free depression screening smartphone app that contains the demographics, patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), brief anxiety test, personalized recommendation based on the participant's results, and links to depression-relevant websites. The free app was released globally via Apple's App Store. Participants aged 18 and older downloaded the study app and were recruited passively between September 2012 and January 2013. FINDINGS: 8241 participants from 66 countries had downloaded the app, with a response rate of 73.9%. While one quarter of the participants had a previous diagnosis of depression, the prevalence of participants with a higher risk of depression was 82.5% and 66.8% at PHQ-9 cut-off 11 and cut-off 15, respectively. Many of the participants had one or more physical comorbid conditions and suicidal ideation. The cut-off 11 (OR: 1.4; 95% CI 1.2 to 1.6), previous depression diagnosis (OR: 1.3; 95% CI1.2 to 1.5), and postgraduate educational level (OR: 1.2; 95% CI 1.0 to 1.5) were associated with completing the PHQ-9 questionnaire more than once. CONCLUSIONS: Smartphone apps can be used to deliver a screening tool for depression across a large number of countries. Apps have the potential to play a significant role in disease screening, self-management, monitoring, and health education, particularly among younger adults.6 page(s

Passive Smoking as a Risk Factor of Dry Eye in Children

Purpose. Adult active smoking is a risk factor for dry eye. We hypothesize that passive smoking in children can also produce the same effects. Methods. We included 112 school children presenting with eye discomfort. Assessment of eye dryness and its severity levels depending on symptoms of dry eye, visual symptoms, tear breakup time (TBUT), Schirmer-1 test, and corneal fluorescein staining were done for all of them. Exposure to cigarette smoking was assessed by history-taking and urinary cotinine levels. Results. Dry eye was found in 80/112 children. Passive smoking was documented in 76/112 children. Number of cigarettes to which the child was exposed per day and the duration of exposure to passive smoking were significantly higher in children with dry eye compared to those without. Urinary cotinine, and cotinine/creatinine ratio (CCR) was significantly higher in children with dry eye compared to those without dry eye. Multiregression analysis showed that the most important determinants of dry eye were CCR and number of cigarettes/day. Conclusion. Passive smoking represents a significant risk factor of dry eye in children comparable to that shown with active adult smoking. Male children are more prone to this effect

Malocclusion and craniofacial characteristics in Saudi adolescents with sickle cell disease

Background: Sickle cell disease can result in dentofacial abnormalities. However, in Saudi Arabia, there are limited data with respect to orthodontic manifestations in patients with sickle cell disease. Objective: To determine the malocclusion and craniofacial characteristics in sickle cell disease adolescents and compare them with that of controls from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Methods: This comparative cross-sectional study included 112 Saudi patients with sickle cell disease, aged 12–18 years, and 124 age-matched Saudi controls from three major hospitals in Al Khobar and Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The Dental Aesthetic Index was used to assess malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs. Digital lateral cephalometric radiographs were recorded for each patient and control, and its analysis included linear and angular measurements. Results: The prevalence of malocclusion was 87.5% in sickle cell disease patients and 54% in controls (P = 0.0001). The percentage of sickle cell disease patients with severe malocclusion that required orthodontic treatment was higher than that of controls (37.5% vs. 26.6%). In the sickle cell disease cohort, incisal segment crowding (72.4%), overjet (67.3%) and maxillary misalignment in the anterior segment (56%) were the most prevalent types of malocclusions and were significantly higher than that of controls (P < 0.05). About 38% and 67% of the sickle cell disease patients had openbite and posterior crossbite, respectively, compared with 19.3% (P = 0.001) and 37.1% (P = 0.0001) of controls, respectively. Cephalometric analysis showed that SNA (86.7°) and ANB (9.9°) angles were significantly higher in sickle cell disease patients than in controls (81.5° and 2°, respectively). In addition, lower central incisor-to-Frankfort horizontal plane (55°) and interincisal angles (121.5°) were significantly lower in sickle cell disease patients than in controls. Conclusion: Adolescents with sickle cell disease had a higher prevalence of malocclusion and greater orthodontic treatment needs than controls. Similarly, they had greater incisal crowding, overjet, openbite and posterior crossbite and demonstrated higher SNA, ANB and lower interincisal angles than controls. The findings of this study suggest that adolescents with sickle cell disease should be provided frequent dental examinations and early orthodontic treatment to improve their oral health, and thus quality of life

Non-operative treatment for simple acute appendicitis (NOTA) in children during the COVID-19 era: new lessons from the pandemic

Abstract Coronavirus (COVID-19) was a pandemic disease that was affecting our medical and surgical daily practice badly. The surgical management of acute appendicitis was the gold standard, but new studies suggest the safety of antibiotic treatment alone. Non-operative treatment for simple acute appendicitis (NOTA) avoids surgery, the risks of general anesthesia, and long hospital stays. It also decreases the risk of exposure to coronavirus. We aimed to study the cost-effectiveness and outcome of NOTA during the COVID-19 pandemic and compared it to single-incision pediatric endo-surgery appendectomy (SIPESA). A prospective cohort study for NOTA of patients from 6 to 12 years old in the COVID-19 pandemic period from April 1st, 2020, to April 30th, 2021, patients were divided into two groups: Group S was managed by SIPESA, and Group N was managed by NOTA. Family education and assurance with detailed explanation were done for early detection of any complications, and we continue monitoring the patients until their complete recovery. Group S had 24 cases (40%), mean age 9.3 years. Group N had 36 cases (60%), mean age 9.1 years. Six cases (17%) in group N were converted to surgical management in the first 6 months of the study. The mean cost dropped from $2736/day to$400/day. The mean psychological stress for the children improved from 4.4 in April to 2 in September. The mean follow-up was 3.5 months. NOTA is a feasible, cost-effective approach, and we recommend it, as we have learned this lesson during the COVID-19 pandemic days

Does a mobile phone depression-screening app motivate mobile phone users with high depressive symptoms to seek a health care professional's help?

Background: The objective of disease screening is to encourage high-risk subjects to seek health care diagnosis and treatment. Mobile phone apps can effectively screen mental health conditions, including depression. However, it is not known how effective such screening methods are in motivating users to discuss the obtained results of such apps with health care professionals. Does a mobile phone depression-screening app motivate users with high depressive symptoms to seek health care professional advice? This study aimed to address this question. Method: This was a single-cohort, prospective, observational study of a free mobile phone depression app developed in English and released on Apple's App Store. Apple App Store users (aged 18 or above) in 5 countries, that is, Australia, Canada, New Zealand (NZ), the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US), were recruited directly via the app's download page. The participants then completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and their depression screening score was displayed to them. If their score was 11 or above and they had never been diagnosed with depression before, they were advised to take their results to their health care professional. They were to follow up after 1 month. Results: A group of 2538 participants from the 5 countries completed PHQ-9 depression screening with the app. Of them, 322 participants were found to have high depressive symptoms and had never been diagnosed with depression, and received advice to discuss their results with health care professionals. About 74% of those completed the follow-up; approximately 38% of these self-reported consulting their health care professionals about their depression score. Only positive attitude toward depression as a real disease was associated with increased follow-up response rate (odds ratio (OR) 3.2, CI 1.38-8.29). Conclusions: A mobile phone depression-screening app motivated some users to seek a depression diagnosis. However, further study should investigate how other app users use the screening results provided by such apps.10 page(s