26 research outputs found
Bibliometric and scientometric analysis on biomarkers and molecular mechanisms for physical frailty and sarcopenia
Introduction: The influence of physical frailty and sarcopenia (PFS) on the well-being of older people and continuous pressure on the healthcare systems has prompted a research on the pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms of these conditions. Nonetheless some biomarkers have been suggested as potential markers for PFS none of them have been shown to highlight the complex nature of PFS, which reveals that there is a need for an understanding of the possible biomarker candidates. The aim of this study was to identify the current research hotspots, status, and trends in the field of biomarkers and molecular mechanisms for PFS. Methods: The bibliometric and scientometric analyses were performed using VOSviewer (version 1.6.18) and open source software platform Cytoscape v.3.9 (for visualizing and constructing a network of keywords). Data of publications (from 1997 to 2023) related to biomarkers and molecular mechanisms of PFS were obtained (in May 2023) from the database of Science Citation Index Expanded of Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. The keywords obtained from the Scopus database were used to perform a meaningful keyword analysis. A network of keyword relationships was build using Cytoscape. Results: In this study, we present biomarker keywords for PFS in relation to other keywords potentially designating processes and mechanisms and reveal the biomarker identities and current contexts in which these biomarker identities are discussed. Conclusions: Over recent years, scientific interest in the field of PFS has increased and focused on the inflammatory process and probably will be concentrated on myokines (such as cytokines and small proteins) that are synthetized and released by skeletal muscles in response to physical activity. Moreover, proteomic and genetic markers are deeply involved in PFS
The course of the acute vertebral body fragility fracture: its effect on pain, disability and quality of life during 12 months
The vertebral body fracture is the most frequent bone fragility fracture. In spite of this there is considerable uncertainty about the frequency, extent and severity of the acute pain and even more about the duration of pain, the magnitude of disability and how much daily life is disturbed in the post-fracture period. The aim of the present study was to follow the course of pain, disability, ADL and QoL in patients during the year after an acute low energy vertebral body fracture. The study design was a longitudinal cohort study with prospective data collection. All the patients over 40 years admitted to the emergency unit because of back pain with a radiologically acute vertebral body fracture were eligible. A total of 107 patients were followed for a year. The pain, disability (von Korff pain and disability scores), ADL (Hannover ADL score), and QoL (EQ-5D) were measured after 3 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months. Two-thirds of the patients were women, and were similar in average age, as the men around 75 years. A total of 65.4% of the fractures were due to a level fall or a minor trauma, whereas 34.6% had no recollection of trauma or a specific event as the cause of the fracture. A total of 76.6% of the fractured patients were immediately mobilized and allowed to return home while the remaining were hospitalized. The average pain intensity score after 3 weeks was 70.9 (SD 19.3), the disability score 68.9 (SD 23.6), the ADL score 37.7 (SD 22.1) and EQ-5D score of 0.37 (SD 0.37). The largest improvements, 10–15%, occurred between the initial visit and the 3 months follow-up and were quite similar for all the measures. From 3 months, all the outcome measures leveled out or tended to deteriorate resulting in a mean pain intensity score of 60.5, disability score of 53.9, ADL score of 47.6, and EQ-5D score 0.52 after 12 months. After a whole year the fractured patients’ condition was similar to the preoperative condition of patients with a herniated lumbar disc, central lumbar spinal stenosis or in patients 100% work disabled due to back or neck problems. Instead of the generally believed good prognosis for the greater majority of those fractured, the acute vertebral body fracture was the beginning of a long-lasting severe deterioration of their health
Systematic review and clinical recommendations for dosage of supported home-based standing programs for adults with stroke, spinal cord injury and other neurological conditions
Nicotine preloading for smoking cessation: the Preloading RCT
Background: Nicotine preloading means using nicotine replacement therapy prior to a quit date while
smoking normally. The aim is to reduce the drive to smoke, thereby reducing cravings for smoking after
quit day, which are the main cause of early relapse. A prior systematic review showed inconclusive and
heterogeneous evidence that preloading was effective and little evidence of the mechanism of action, with
no cost-effectiveness data.
Objectives: To assess (1) the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of nicotine preloading in a routine NHS
setting relative to usual care, (2) the mechanisms of the action of preloading and (3) the cost-effectiveness
of preloading.
Design: Open-label randomised controlled trial with examination of mediation and a cost-effectiveness
analysis.
Setting: NHS smoking cessation clinics.
Participants: People seeking help to stop smoking. Interventions: Nicotine preloading comprised wearing a 21 mg/24 hour nicotine patch for 4 weeks prior to quit date. In addition, minimal behavioural support was provided to explain the intervention rationale and to support adherence. In the comparator group, participants received equivalent behavioural support.
Randomisation was stratified by centre and concealed from investigators.
Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was 6-month prolonged abstinence assessed using the
Russell Standard. The secondary outcomes were 4-week and 12-month abstinence. Adverse events (AEs)
were assessed from baseline to 1 week after quit day. In a planned analysis, we adjusted for the use of
varenicline (Champix®; Pfizer Inc., New York, NY, USA) as post-cessation medication. Cost-effectiveness
analysis took a health-service perspective. The within-trial analysis assessed health-service costs during
the 13 months of trial enrolment relative to the previous 6 months comparing trial arms. The base case
was based on multiple imputation for missing cost data. We modelled long-term health outcomes of
smoking-related diseases using the European-study on Quantifying Utility of Investment in Protection
from Tobacco (EQUIPT) model.
Results: In total, 1792 people were eligible and were enrolled in the study, with 893 randomised to the
control group and 899 randomised to the intervention group. In the intervention group, 49 (5.5%) people
discontinued preloading prematurely and most others used it daily. The primary outcome, biochemically
validated 6-month abstinence, was achieved by 157 (17.5%) people in the intervention group and 129
(14.4%) people in the control group, a difference of 3.02 percentage points [95% confidence interval (CI)
–0.37 to 6.41 percentage points; odds ratio (OR) 1.25, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.62; p = 0.081]. Adjusted for use
of post-quit day varenicline, the OR was 1.34 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.73; p = 0.028). Secondary abstinence
outcomes were similar. The OR for the occurrence of serious AEs was 1.12 (95% CI 0.42 to 3.03).
Moderate-severity nausea occurred in an additional 4% of the preloading group compared with the
control group. There was evidence that reduced urges to smoke and reduced smoke inhalation mediated
the effect of preloading on abstinence. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio at the 6-month follow-up
for preloading relative to control was £710 (95% CI –£13,674 to £23,205), but preloading was dominant
at 12 months and in the long term, with an 80% probability that it is cost saving.
Limitations: The open-label design could partially account for the mediation results. Outcome assessment
could not be blinded but was biochemically verified.
Conclusions: Use of nicotine-patch preloading for 4 weeks prior to attempting to stop smoking can
increase the proportion of people who stop successfully, but its benefit is undermined because it reduces
the use of varenicline after preloading. If this latter effect could be overcome, then nicotine preloading
appears to improve health and reduce health-service costs in the long term. Future work should determine
how to ensure that people using nicotine preloading opt to use varenicline as cessation medication.
Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN33031001.NIHR Health Technology Assessment programm
The finite element analysis of osteoporotic lumbar vertebral body by influence of trabecular bone apparent density and thickness of cortical shell
Osteoporosis causes the bone mass loss and increased fracture risk. This paper presents the modelling of osteoporotic human lumbar vertebrae L1 by employing finite elements method (FEM). The isolated inhomogeneous vertebral body is composed by cortical outer shell and cancellous bone. The level of osteoporotic contribution is characterised by reducing the thickness of cortical shell and elasticity modulus of cancellous bone using power-law dependence with apparent density. The strength parameters are evaluated on the basis of von Mises-Hencky yield criterion. Parametric study of osteoporotic degradation contains the static and nonlinear dynamic analysis of stresses that occur due to physiological load. Results of our investigation are presented in terms of nonlinear interdependence between stress and external load
On solvability of homogeneous Riemann–Hilbert problem with discontinuities of coefficients and two-sided curling at infinity of a logarithmic order
The relationship between the calcaneal bone mineral density and the mental index in post-menopausal females
IDEA OF COLLECTIVE GARDENING AND ITS MATERIALISATION IN LITHUANIA / KOLEKTYVINIO SODO IDĖJA IR JOS MATERIALIZACIJA LIETUVOJE
The idea of a collective garden and its effect to Lithuanian built environment is described in the article. Collective gardens in Soviet times became an area to compensate the suppressed need for private property and also it was the place for informal, even corrupt practices. After the shift towards new political system collective gardens are facing intense transformation and it continues to be the “grey zone” where informal practices flourish. The presumption made in the article is that the appearance of collective gardens in Lithuania was heavily influenced by the cultural and economic reality of the Soviet Union. These conditions were crucial for formation of specific living environment in which informal urbanism appears.
Santrauka
Kolektyviniai sodai buvo terpė, kurioje jau sovietmečiu pasireiškė nuslopintas privačios nuosavybės poreikis. Pasikeitus politinei šalies santvarkai, pasikeitė miestų planavimo principai, tačiau kolektyviniai sodai išliko „pilkąja zona“ kurioje ir toliau reiškėsi netipiniai urbanizacijos procesai. Tekste keliama prielaida, kad šis reiškinys yra Sovietų Sąjungai būdingų kultūrinių, politinių ir socialinių procesų rezultatas, o šio eksperimento palikimas Lietuvoje suformavo specifinę gyvenamąją terpę, kurioje vyrauja neformalaus urbanizmo praktikos. Straipsnyje glaustai atskleidžiamos kolektyvinio sodo idėjos atsiradimo aplinkybės, šios idėjos santykis su realia projektavimo ir statybos praktika Lietuvoje, bei minėto proceso įtaka šių dienų gyvenamajai aplinkai.
Reikšminiai žodžiai: kolektyviniai sodai, urbanistikos istorija, utopija, posovietinės miestų transformacijos, neformali ekonomika, neformalus urbanizmas, užmiesčio namas