Paracetamol versus ibuprofen for the treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm neonates: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

<p><b>Background:</b> Paracetamol has been suggested as an effective treatment for patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). However, the comparative efficacy and safety between paracetamol and ibuprofen were not determined.</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed. Relevant studies were identified via database searching. A fixed or random effect model was applied depending on the extent of heterogeneity.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> Five RCTs with 677 neonates were included. The efficacies for the primary (risk ratio [RR]: 1.03, <i>p</i> = .56) and overall PDA closure were comparable between the two medications (RR: 1.02, <i>p</i> = .62). Neonates of the two groups were comparable for the incidence of PDA complications, including necrotizing enterocolitis (RR: 0.86, <i>p</i> = .70), intraventricular hemorrhage (RR: 0.84, <i>p</i> = .55), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (RR: 0.69, <i>p</i> = .16), and retinopathy of prematurity (RR: 0.58, <i>p</i> = .15), and the risks of sepsis (RR = 0.88, <i>p</i> = .48) and death (RR: 1.45, <i>p</i> = .45) within hospitalization. However, treatment with paracetamol was associated with a trend of reduced risk of renal failure (RR: 0.20, <i>p</i> = .07), and a significantly reduced risk of gastrointestinal bleeding (RR: 0.28, <i>p</i> = .009).</p> <p><b>Conclusions:</b> Paracetamol may confer comparable treatment efficacy for the closure of PDA as ibuprofen, although paracetamol is associated with lower risk of adverse events.</p

Table_3_Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of patients with recurrent pregnancy loss toward pregnancy loss.DOCX

ObjectiveSelf-management is crucial in managing recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). This study explored the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of patients with RPL toward RPL.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with RPL between January 2023 and June 2023 at the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University. Participants’ demographic characteristics and KAP were determined using a self-designed questionnaire (Cronbach’s α = 0.818). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to observe the correlations among KAP and different factors.ResultsThis study analyzed 497 valid questionnaires. The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 11.59 ± 4.30 (possible range: 0–20, 57.95%), 44.17 ± 3.18 (possible range: 13–65, 67.95%), and 32.39 ± 5.22 (possible range: 8–40, 80.98%), indicating poor knowledge, moderate attitude, and proactive practice. Age was non-linearly associated with the KAP dimensions, with a positive impact of age on KAP among those aged ConclusionWomen with RPL in Lanzhou show poor knowledge, moderate attitude, and proactive practice toward RPL. This study identified specific KAP items that would require improvements. The study also identified categories of patients who would need more attention.</p

Table_1_Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of patients with recurrent pregnancy loss toward pregnancy loss.DOCX

ObjectiveSelf-management is crucial in managing recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). This study explored the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of patients with RPL toward RPL.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with RPL between January 2023 and June 2023 at the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University. Participants’ demographic characteristics and KAP were determined using a self-designed questionnaire (Cronbach’s α = 0.818). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to observe the correlations among KAP and different factors.ResultsThis study analyzed 497 valid questionnaires. The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 11.59 ± 4.30 (possible range: 0–20, 57.95%), 44.17 ± 3.18 (possible range: 13–65, 67.95%), and 32.39 ± 5.22 (possible range: 8–40, 80.98%), indicating poor knowledge, moderate attitude, and proactive practice. Age was non-linearly associated with the KAP dimensions, with a positive impact of age on KAP among those aged ConclusionWomen with RPL in Lanzhou show poor knowledge, moderate attitude, and proactive practice toward RPL. This study identified specific KAP items that would require improvements. The study also identified categories of patients who would need more attention.</p

Size-Resolved Ultrafine Particle Deposition and Brownian Coagulation from Gasoline Vehicle Exhaust in an Environmental Test Chamber

Size-resolved deposition rates and Brownian coagulation of particles between 20 and 900 nm (mobility diameter) were estimated in a well-mixed environmental chamber from a gasoline vehicle exhaust with a total peak particle concentration of 10⁵–10⁶ particles/cm³ at 12.24–25.22 °C. A deposition theory with modified friction velocity and coagulation model was also employed to predict particle concentration decay. Initially during particle decay, approximately 85% or more of the particles had diameters of <100 nm. Particle deposition rates with standard deviations were highly dependent on particle size ranges, and varied from 0.012 ± 0.003 to 0.48 ± 0.02 h^–1. In the experiment, the friction velocity obtained was in the range 1.5–2.5 cm/s. The most explainable fractal dimension and Hamaker constant in coagulation model were 2.5–3 and 20 kT, respectively, and the contribution from coagulation dominated the total particle decay during the first 1 h of decay. It is considered that the modified friction velocity and best fitted fractal dimension and Hamaker constants could be further used to analyze gasoline vehicle exhaust particle dynamics and assess human exposure to vehicle particle pollutants in urban areas, tunnels, and underground parking lots

Table_2_Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of patients with recurrent pregnancy loss toward pregnancy loss.DOCX

ObjectiveSelf-management is crucial in managing recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). This study explored the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of patients with RPL toward RPL.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with RPL between January 2023 and June 2023 at the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University. Participants’ demographic characteristics and KAP were determined using a self-designed questionnaire (Cronbach’s α = 0.818). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to observe the correlations among KAP and different factors.ResultsThis study analyzed 497 valid questionnaires. The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 11.59 ± 4.30 (possible range: 0–20, 57.95%), 44.17 ± 3.18 (possible range: 13–65, 67.95%), and 32.39 ± 5.22 (possible range: 8–40, 80.98%), indicating poor knowledge, moderate attitude, and proactive practice. Age was non-linearly associated with the KAP dimensions, with a positive impact of age on KAP among those aged ConclusionWomen with RPL in Lanzhou show poor knowledge, moderate attitude, and proactive practice toward RPL. This study identified specific KAP items that would require improvements. The study also identified categories of patients who would need more attention.</p

Experimental conditions and example sentences.

<p>The example sentences are in Chinese, with literal English translation in brackets. The critical words are in bold. The verbs are in italic. CON, congruent condition; SEM, semantic violation condition; SEM+SYN, combined semantic and syntactic violation condition.</p><p>Experimental conditions and example sentences.</p

Mean word frequency (WF, in units of occurrence per million), mean number of strokes (NS), and mean concreteness (CO) of the critical verbs for the three conditions.

<p>The standard deviations are shown in parentheses. CON, congruent condition; SEM, semantic violation condition; SEM+SYN, combined semantic and syntactic violation condition.</p><p>Mean word frequency (WF, in units of occurrence per million), mean number of strokes (NS), and mean concreteness (CO) of the critical verbs for the three conditions.</p

Mean reaction time (in milliseconds) and accuracy (percentages of correct) for the semantic plausibility judgment task in the three conditions.

<p>The standard deviations are shown in parentheses. CON, congruent condition; SEM, semantic violation condition; SEM+SYN, combined semantic and syntactic violation condition.</p><p>Mean reaction time (in milliseconds) and accuracy (percentages of correct) for the semantic plausibility judgment task in the three conditions.</p

Grand average of ERPs.

<p>Average ERPs from the onset of the critical words (NP2) up to 1000 ms thereafter for congruent condition (CON, black line), semantic violation condition (SEM, red line), and combined semantic and syntactic violation condition (SEM+SYN, green line) at 9 representative electrodes. Negativity is plotted upwards.</p

Statistical testing on conventional ERP and reconstructed ERP.

<p>A, B: The topography of the difference waves of conventional ERP and reconstructed ERP between SEM and CON averaged from the time window of [300ms, 500ms] (the green bar in C). C: The time courses of the difference waves of conventional ERP and reconstructed ERP between SEM and CON, from channel Cz. D-F: same results for the time window of P600 [500ms, 800 ms]. The time courses were from Pz. G-K: same results for the difference wave between SEM+SYN and CON. The digits are the F values, p values and η² from the ANOVA test on the mean value averaged from the green bars. The blue digits are on conventional ERP and the red digits are on reconstructed ERP.</p