Forecasting mortality rates in hyponatremia: a statistical approach using Holt-Winters models.

Hyponatremia, characterized by a serum sodium concentration below 135 mEq/L, is a prevalent electrolyte imbalance associated with increased morbidity and mortality across various clinical conditions. This study employs the Holt-Winters seasonal method, a robust time series forecasting model, to predict mortality rates attributed to hyponatremia. Leveraging retrospective mortality data from a cohort of hospitals in the United States, our analysis aims to elucidate temporal patterns and trends in hyponatremia-related deaths.

High-throughput quantitation of human neutrophil recruitment and functional responses in an air-blood barrier array.

Dysregulated neutrophil recruitment drives many pulmonary diseases, but most preclinical screening methods are unsuited to evaluate pulmonary neutrophilia, limiting progress toward therapeutics. Namely, high-throughput therapeutic assays typically exclude critical neutrophilic pathophysiology, including blood-to-lung recruitment, dysfunctional activation, and resulting impacts on the air-blood barrier. To meet the conflicting demands of physiological complexity and high throughput, we developed an assay of 96-well leukocyte recruitment in an air-blood barrier array (L-ABBA-96) that enables -like neutrophil recruitment compatible with downstream phenotyping by automated flow cytometry.

A Mimetic Assay of Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Degradation Using YOYO-1-Stained DNA-Histone Surface Webs.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are not only promising biomarkers of disease, but also potential therapeutic targets. Overproduction or the improper clearance of NETs has been linked to disease severity. In vitro NET degradation assays can reveal mechanisms and degradation efficiency differences in diseased serum samples.

Fundamental equations and hypotheses governing glomerular hemodynamics.

The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the outcome of glomerular hemodynamics, influenced by a series of parameters: renal plasma flow, resistances of afferent arterioles and efferent arterioles (EAs), hydrostatic pressures in the glomerular capillary and Bowman's capsule, and plasma colloid osmotic pressure in the glomerular capillary. Although mathematical models have been proposed to predict the GFR at both the single-nephron level and the two-kidney system level using these parameters, mathematical equations governing glomerular filtration have not been well-established because of two major problems. First, the two-kidney system-level models are simply extended from the equations at the single-nephron level, which is inappropriate in epistemology and methodology.

HIGH THROUGHPUT QUANTITATION OF HUMAN NEUTROPHIL RECRUITMENT AND FUNCTIONAL RESPONSES IN AN AIR-BLOOD BARRIER ARRAY.

Dysregulated neutrophil recruitment drives many pulmonary diseases, but most preclinical screening methods are unsuited to evaluate pulmonary neutrophilia, limiting progress towards therapeutics. Namely, high throughput therapeutic screening systems typically exclude critical neutrophilic pathophysiology, including blood-to-lung recruitment, dysfunctional activation, and resulting impacts on the air-blood barrier. To meet the conflicting demands of physiological complexity and high throughput, we developed an assay of 96-well Leukocyte recruitment in an Air-Blood Barrier Array (L-ABBA-96) that enables -like neutrophil recruitment compatible with downstream phenotyping by automated flow cytometry.

Politically related stress and low-birth-weight infants among Arab, Asian, Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White women in Michigan.

Background: Despite the high cost of low birth weight and the persistent challenge of racial inequities affecting the Arab American community, there has been limited research to identify and examine risk factors for these inequities with validated data on Arab American ethnicity and recent population stressors.

Objectives: This study examined whether the 2016 presidential election is associated with low birth weight among non-Hispanic White, Arab American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic Black women.

Design: This population-based study of singleton births in Michigan (2008-2017) used an algorithm to identify mothers who were of Arab descent.

Topographical and zonal patterns of T2 relaxation in osteoarthritic tibial cartilage by low- and high-resolution MRI.

Purpose: This study aimed to establish the topographical and zonal T2 patterns of multi-resolution MRI in medial tibial cartilage in a canine model of osteoarthritis (OA), initiated by the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) transection surgery, and studied after 8-weeks and 12-weeks post-surgery.

Methods: Articular cartilage from healthy, two stages of contralateral, and of OA knees were quantitatively imaged by the MRI T2 protocols at two imaging resolutions (100 and 17.6 μm/pixel).

Untangling the relatedness among correlations, part III: Inter-subject correlation analysis through Bayesian multilevel modeling for naturalistic scanning.

While inter-subject correlation (ISC) analysis is a powerful tool for naturalistic scanning data, drawing appropriate statistical inferences is difficult due to the daunting task of accounting for the intricate relatedness in data structure as well as handling the multiple testing issue. Although the linear mixed-effects (LME) modeling approach (Chen et al., 2017a) is capable of capturing the relatedness in the data and incorporating explanatory variables, there are a few challenging issues: 1) it is difficult to assign accurate degrees of freedom for each testing statistic, 2) multiple testing correction is potentially over-penalizing due to model inefficiency, and 3) thresholding necessitates arbitrary dichotomous decisions.

Progress in the Use of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neural Cells for Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries in Animal Populations: Meta-Analysis and Review.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are cells genetically reprogrammed from somatic cells, which can be differentiated into neurological lineages with the aim to replace or assist damaged neurons in the treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCIs) caused by physical trauma. Here, we review studies addressing the functional use of iPSC-derived neural cells in SCIs and perform a meta-analysis to determine if significant motor improvement is restored after treatment with iPSC-derived neural cells compared with treatments using embryonic stem cell (ESC)-derived counterpart cells and control treatments. Overall, based on locomotion scales in rodents and monkeys, our meta-analysis indicates a therapeutic benefit for SCI treatment using neural cells derived from either iPSCs or ESCs, being this of importance due to existing ethical and immunological complications using ESCs.

Elevated CXC chemokines in urine noninvasively discriminate OAB from UTI.

Overlapping symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB) and urinary tract infection (UTI) often complicate the diagnosis and contribute to overprescription of antibiotics. Inflammatory response is a shared characteristic of both UTI and OAB and here we hypothesized that molecular differences in inflammatory response seen in urine can help discriminate OAB from UTI. Subjects in the age range of (20-88 yr) of either sex were recruited for this urine analysis study.

Topographical variations in zonal properties of canine tibial articular cartilage due to early osteoarthritis: a study using 7-T magnetic resonance imaging at microscopic resolution.

Objective: Our aim was to determine topographical variations in zonal properties of articular cartilage over the medial tibia in an experimental osteoarthritis (OA) model using 7-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Materials And Methods: An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-transection canine model was subjected to study at 8 (six) and 12 (seven) weeks after the surgery. Each medial tibia was divided into five topographical locations.

Loading-induced changes on topographical distributions of the zonal properties of osteoarthritic tibial cartilage--A study by magnetic resonance imaging at microscopic resolution.

The topographical distributions of the zonal properties of articular cartilage over the medial tibia from an experimental osteoarthritis (OA) model were evaluated as a function of external loading by microscopic Magnetic Resonance Imaging (µMRI). T2 relaxation times and cartilage thicknesses were measured at 17.6 µm resolution from 118 specimens, which came from thirteen dogs (six 8-week and seven 12-week after surgery), with and without mechanical loading.

Topographical variations of the strain-dependent zonal properties of tibial articular cartilage by microscopic MRI.

The topographical variations of the zonal properties of canine articular cartilage over the medial tibia were evaluated as the function of external loading by microscopic magnetic resonance imaging (µMRI). T2 and T1 relaxation maps and GAG (glycosaminoglycan) images from a total of 70 specimens were obtained with and without the mechanical loading at 17.6 µm depth resolution.

Association of inflammaging (inflammation + aging) with higher prevalence of OAB in elderly population.

Introduction: Although epidemiology studies consistently report increased prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB) with age, an accurate deciphering of causative links between the two entities remains elusive. Studies on aged rodent bladder have so far yielded contradictory results on age-associated changes in muscarinic receptors, which highlight the challenge posed by species differences in understanding OAB pathology. We hypothesized that age-related biochemical changes in bladder leading to altered bladder function will be reflected in altered urinary proteome of elderly OAB patients.

Core strength training using a combination of home exercises and a dynamic sling system for the management of low back pain in pre-professional ballet dancers: a case series.

Estimates of low back pain prevalence in USA ballet dancers range from 8% to 23%. Lumbar stabilization and extensor muscle training has been shown to act as a hypoalgesic for low back pain. Timing and coordination of multifidi and transverse abdominis muscles are recognized as important factors for spinal stabilization.

Personal health behaviors and role-modeling attitudes of physical therapists and physical therapist students: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Physical therapists have been encouraged to engage in health promotion practice. Health professionals who engage in healthy behaviors themselves are more apt to recommend those behaviors, and patients are more motivated to change their behaviors when their health care provider is a credible role model.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the health behaviors and role-modeling attitudes of physical therapists and physical therapist students.

384 hanging drop arrays give excellent Z-factors and allow versatile formation of co-culture spheroids.

We previously reported the development of a simple, user-friendly, and versatile 384 hanging drop array plate for 3D spheroid culture and the importance of utilizing 3D cellular models in anti-cancer drug sensitivity testing. The 384 hanging drop array plate allows for high-throughput capabilities and offers significant improvements over existing 3D spheroid culture methods. To allow for practical 3D cell-based high-throughput screening and enable broader use of the plate, we characterize the robustness of the 384 hanging drop array plate in terms of assay performance and demonstrate the versatility of the plate.

The effect of tibio-femoral traction mobilization on passive knee flexion motion impairment and pain: a case series.

The purpose of this case series was to explore the effects of tibio-femoral (TF) manual traction on pain and passive range of motion (PROM) in individuals with unilateral motion impairment and pain in knee flexion. Thirteen participants volunteered for the study. All participants received 6 minutes of TF traction mobilization applied at end-range passive knee flexion.

Lack of association of the VEGF gene promoter (-634 G-->C and -460 C-->T) polymorphism and the risk of advanced retinopathy of prematurity.

Background: Recently, it has been reported that genetic polymorphism (-634 G-->C and -460 C-->T) in the promoter region of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene can influence the progression of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). In order to evaluate its general applicability as a screening procedure in clinics and to replicate the above result, we have undertaken the following study.

Methods: We have analyzed a cohort of 61 patients with advanced ROP (stage 4 and 5) along with 61 normal controls for the VEGF gene promoter polymorphism.

Statistical analysis of differences in the Raman spectra of polymorphs.

Raman spectroscopy is a useful tool for identifying polymorphs of pharmaceutical compounds. One limitation of the technique is that the small differences in Raman spectra require confirmation of polymorphs by other methods. Fourteen compounds, both commercial and proprietary pharmaceutical compounds and their polymorphs, were analyzed by Raman microscopy.

Evaluation of the vibratory feeder method for assessment of powder flow properties.

The flow properties of pharmaceutical powders and blends used in solid oral dosage forms are an important consideration during dosage form development. The vibratory feeder method, a flow measurement technique that quantifies avalanche flow, has been adapted for measurement of the flow properties of common pharmaceutical powders used in solid oral dosage forms. The flow properties of 17 different powders were measured with the instrument, and the results are reported as a powder flow index (PFI).