Educational achievement of children with selected major congenital anomalies and associated factors: a Finnish registry-based study

\ua9 The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. BACKGROUND: Children with major congenital anomalies may be at risk of poor educational outcomes. We aimed to evaluate the educational achievement of children born with major congenital anomalies compared with children without major congenital anomalies in relation to sociodemographic factors. METHODS: We performed a registry-based study including 401 544 children in Finland, graduates of the compulsory school who applied to secondary education. We used health data from the Finnish Register of Congenital Malformations for children born from 1995 to 2002 linked with education data from the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. We used generalized linear regression to compare the mean grade differences of children with specific major congenital anomalies and \u27All anomalies\u27 subgroup (major congenital anomalies, chromosomal syndromes, and multiple anomalies) with reference children. RESULTS: Children with major congenital anomalies were less likely to apply for further education than reference children (88.0% vs. 96.8%; odds ratio = 4.13; 95% confidence interval, 3.92-4.36). For most non-chromosomal congenital anomalies, children born with congenital anomalies had similar educational achievement to the reference children. For the \u27All anomalies\u27 subgroup, children with congenital anomalies had lower educational achievement than reference children. Among children with congenital anomalies, male sex, lower maternal educational levels and younger maternal age were associated with lower educational achievement. CONCLUSIONS: For children applying to further education, most non-chromosomal congenital anomalies were not associated with lower educational achievement. Nevertheless, efforts are needed to improve educational achievement in children with major congenital anomalies associated with maternal sociodemographic background

Nanotechnology and global energy demand: challenges and prospects for a paradigm shift in the oil and gas industry.

The exploitation of new hydrocarbon discoveries in meeting the present global energy demand is a function of the availability and application of new technologies. The relevance of new technologies is borne out of the complex subsurface architecture and conditions of offshore petroleum plays. Conventional techniques, from drilling to production, for exploiting these discoveries may require adaption for such subsurface conditions as they fail under conditions of high pressure and high temperature. The oil and gas industry over the past decades has witnessed increased research into the use of nanotechnology with great promise for drilling operations, enhanced oil recovery, reservoir characterization, production, etc. The prospect for a paradigm shift towards the application of nanotechnology in the oil and gas industry is constrained by evolving challenges with its progression. This paper gave a review of developments from nano-research in the oil and gas industry, challenges and recommendations

The Effect of Eight Weeks of Exercises Based on Prayer Movements on Pain and Endurance of Trunk Flexor and Extensor Muscles in Patients with Non-Specific Chronic Back Pain

Background & aim: Due to the high prevalence of chronic non-specific back pain and its effects on daily activities and people's lifestyle, it is important to study about new treatment perspectives and therapeutic exercises for this disease. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine and evaluate the effect of eight weeks of exercises. It was based on prayer movements on the amount of pain and endurance of trunk flexor and extensor muscles in patients with non-specific chronic back pain. Methods: The present semi-experimental study was conducted in 2019. the research population included all patients with non-specific chronic back pain referred to Shahid Muftah Clinic No. 1 in Yasuj, Iran. Sixty-six eligible patients were selected by non-probability sampling method and were divided into two groups based on random block allocation: test (33 people) and control (33 people). Two participants from the intervention group refused to participate in the study during the implementation of the intervention. For the patients of the test group, exercises based on prayer movements were performed 3 times a week for 8 weeks, and no training was given to the control group. From the demographic data collection form and the Quebec back pain disability questionnaire, the visual pain measurement scale, the 60-degree body support test and the Byring Sorensen test to collect data before the intervention and immediately after the intervention from the visual measurement scale Pain, one week after the intervention, the body maintenance test at a 60-degree angle and Sorensen bearings were used. The collected data were analyzed using t-paired, Man-Whitney, independent t, Wilcoxon, chi-score and Shapiro-Wilk statistical tests. Results: At the starting point of the study, there was no significant difference between the groups under study in terms of the amount of pain and endurance of the trunk muscles, except for the endurance of the extensor muscles (p<0.05). After the completion of the research intervention, a significant decrease in the amount of pain and a significant increase in the endurance of the trunk muscles were observed (p<0.05). Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, increasing the level of endurance of flexor muscles, trunk extensors and relieving pain and improving the level of performance in patients with non-specific chronic back pain, it can be said that exercises based on prayer movements had an effect on the level of pain and endurance of trunk muscles in patients. Suffering from non-specific chronic back pain, it was effective

Head-to-Head Comparison of Fibroblast Activation Protein Inhibitors (FAPI) Radiotracers versus [¹⁸F]F-FDG in Oncology: A Systematic Review.

Several recent studies comparing radiolabeled fibroblast activation protein inhibitors (FAPI) and fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose ([ &lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt; F]F-FDG) as positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracers in oncology have been published. The aim of this systematic review is to perform an updated evidence-based summary about the comparison of these PET radiotracers in oncology to better address further research in this setting. Studies or subsets of studies comparing radiolabeled FAPI and [ &lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt; F]F-FDG as PET radiotracers in oncology were eligible for inclusion in this systematic review. A systematic literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE and Cochrane library databases was performed until August 2021. Literature data about the comparison of [ &lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt; F]F-FDG and radiolabeled FAPI are rapidly increasing. Overall, taking into account radiotracer uptake and tumor-to-background uptake ratio, compared to [ &lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt; F]F-FDG PET, an equal or higher detection of primary tumors and/or metastatic lesions was usually demonstrated by using radiolabeled FAPI PET. In particular, the cancer entities with better detection rate of tumor lesions by using radiolabeled FAPI PET, compared to [ &lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt; F]F-FDG PET, were gastrointestinal tumors, liver tumors, breast cancer and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Further comparison studies are needed to better evaluate the best field of application of radiolabeled FAPI PET

Could Fibroblast Activation Protein (FAP)-Specific Radioligands Be Considered as Pan-Tumor Agents?

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) can strongly modulate the response to therapy of malignant tumor cells, facilitating their continuous proliferation and invading behaviors. In this context, several efforts were made in identifying the fibroblast activation protein (FAP) as a CAF recognizer and in designing FAP-specific PET radiotracers (as &lt;sup&gt;68&lt;/sup&gt; Ga-FAPI) along with FAP-specific therapeutic radioligands. Herein, we review different clinical studies using the various FAP-specific radioligands as novel theranostic agents in a wide range of oncologic and nononcologic indications. A comprehensive systematic search was conducted on the PubMed and Scopus databases to find relevant published articles concerning the FAP-specific PET imaging as well as the FAP-specific radionuclide therapy in patients with oncologic and nononcologic indications. The enrolled studies were dichotomized into oncologic and nononcologic categories, and the required data were extracted by precisely reviewing the whole text of each eligible study. A meta-analysis was also performed comparing the detection rates of &lt;sup&gt;68&lt;/sup&gt; Ga-FAPI vs. &lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt; F-FDG PET/CT using odds ratio (OR) and risk difference as outcome measures. Of the initial 364 relevant papers, 49 eligible articles (1479 patients) and 55 case reports were enrolled in our systematic review. These studies observed high radiolabeled FAPI avidity as early as 10 minutes after administration in primary sites of various malignant tumors. Based on the meta-analysis which was done on the reported detection rates of the &lt;sup&gt;68&lt;/sup&gt; Ga-FAPI and &lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt; F-FDG PET/CT scans, the highest OR belonged to the primary lesion detection rate of gastrointestinal tumors (OR = 32.079, 95% CI: 4.001-257.212; p = 0.001) with low heterogeneity (I &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; = 0%). The corresponding value of the nodal metastases belonged to hepatobiliary tumors (OR = 11.609, 95% CI: 1.888-71.365; p = 0.008) with low heterogeneity (I &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; = 0%). For distant metastases, the highest estimated OR belonged to nasopharyngeal carcinomas (OR = 77.451, 95% CI: 7.323-819.201; p &lt; 0.001) with low heterogeneity (I &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; = 0%). The outperformance of &lt;sup&gt;68&lt;/sup&gt; Ga-FAPI PET/CT over &lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt; F-FDG PET/CT in identifying certain primary tumors as well as in detecting their metastatic lesions may open indications for evaluation of cases with inconclusive &lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt; F-FDG PET/CT findings. What needs to be emphasized is that the false-positive results might be problematic and must be taken into account in &lt;sup&gt;68&lt;/sup&gt; Ga-FAPI PET/CT interpretation. More clarification on the role of FAPI radioligands in oncologic imaging, radionuclide therapy, and radiotherapy treatment planning is therefore required

Educational achievement of children with selected major congenital anomalies and associated factors: a Finnish registry-based study.

BACKGROUND: Children with major congenital anomalies may be at risk of poor educational outcomes. We aimed to evaluate the educational achievement of children born with major congenital anomalies compared with children without major congenital anomalies in relation to sociodemographic factors. METHODS: We performed a registry-based study including 401 544 children in Finland, graduates of the compulsory school who applied to secondary education. We used health data from the Finnish Register of Congenital Malformations for children born from 1995 to 2002 linked with education data from the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. We used generalized linear regression to compare the mean grade differences of children with specific major congenital anomalies and 'All anomalies' subgroup (major congenital anomalies, chromosomal syndromes, and multiple anomalies) with reference children. RESULTS: Children with major congenital anomalies were less likely to apply for further education than reference children (88.0% vs. 96.8%; odds ratio = 4.13; 95% confidence interval, 3.92-4.36). For most non-chromosomal congenital anomalies, children born with congenital anomalies had similar educational achievement to the reference children. For the 'All anomalies' subgroup, children with congenital anomalies had lower educational achievement than reference children. Among children with congenital anomalies, male sex, lower maternal educational levels and younger maternal age were associated with lower educational achievement. CONCLUSIONS: For children applying to further education, most non-chromosomal congenital anomalies were not associated with lower educational achievement. Nevertheless, efforts are needed to improve educational achievement in children with major congenital anomalies associated with maternal sociodemographic background