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Background Recently has been suggested that LINC01296 has an important role in tumor-promoting in different malignancies. We performed first meta-analysis to assess the association between the LINC01296 expression and clinicopathological criteria and the survival of patients with cancers. Methods Relevant articles Identified by PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus searching between December 2000 and 28 December 2018. Binomial data were evaluated by the odds ratio (OR) as the rapid statistic. The association between overall survival (OS) and the LINC01296 expression was evaluated using pooling the hazard ratio (HR) with its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). Results Finally, 9 studies with 720 patients with cancer were included. The expression of LINC01296 showed a significant positive association with TNM stage (OR = 2.67, 95% CI = 1.83-3.88), tumor stage (OR= 2.22, 95% CI= 1.34-3.66) and lymph node metastasis (OR = 3.07, 95% CI = 2.23-4.21). A shorter OS was significantly associated with the expression of LINC01296 (HR = 3.95, 95% CI = 2.65-5.25) and lymph node metastasis (HR = 2.39, 95% CI =1.16-3.63). The OS did not show significant association with gender (HR = 0.83, 95% CI = -0.63-2.30) and tumor stage (HR= 2.66, 95% CI= -0.22-5.54). Conclusion In conclusion, the results of this meta-analysis suggest that the expression of LINC01296 might be considered as a potential biomarker in patients with cancer.

Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the major health and socioeconomic problems in the world. Immune-enhancing enteral formula has been proven to significantly reduce infection rate in TBI patients. One of the ingredients that can be used in immunonutrition formulas to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress is pycnogenol. Objective The objective of this work is to survey the effect of pycnogenol on the clinical, nutritional, and inflammatory status of TBI patients. Methods This is a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Block randomization will be used. An intervention group will receive pycnogenol supplementation of 150 mg for 10 days and a control group will receive a placebo for the same duration. Inflammatory status (IL-6, IL- 1β, C-reactive protein) and oxidative stress status (malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity), at the baseline, at the 5th day, and at the end of the study (10th day) will be measured. Clinical and nutritional status will be assessed three times during the intervention. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) questionnaire for assessment of organ failure will be filled out every other day. The mortality rate will be calculated within 28 days of the start of the intervention. Weight, body mass index, and body composition will be measured. All analyses will be conducted by an initially assigned study arm in an intention-to-treat analysis. Discussion We expect that supplementation of 150 mg pycnogenol for 10 days will improve clinical and nutritional status and reduce the inflammation and oxidative stress of the TBI patients. Trial registration This trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (ref: NCT03777683) at 12/13/2018.

Considering conflicting results on the consequences of all types of obesity surgery, we were to summarize them via a systematic review. Electronic literature search was done via scientific search engines. After the removal of duplicates and selection of articles of interest, 771 studies were included. Insulin resistance indicators were significantly improved after bariatric surgery. Leptin was also significantly decreased while adiponectin was significantly increased. Although the level of metabolic hormones changed after bariatric surgery, they were not statistically significant. Inflammation indicators were significantly decreased. Significant reduction was also detected in PAI-1 and sICAM-1. Bariatric surgery is beneficial in morbidly obese patients. Although treating obesity in a surgical way may cause some complications, the weight loss is generally safe and effective.

To investigate the prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and explore its role in quality of life (QoL) and quality of sleep of these patients.This is a cross-sectional study performed on 210 Iranian people with T2DM. The diagnosis of RLS was established based on the essential diagnostic criteria for RLS recommended by the National Institutes of Health. Sleep quality and QoL were assessed in all participants using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire, respectively. Regression models were used for final analysis of data.The prevalence of RLS was 19.5%; of whom 38.1% had poor quality of sleep. Male sex, being single, body mass index (BMI), and RLS were associated with poor quality of sleep. Patients with RLS were almost three times as likely as the patients without RLS to have poor sleep quality. Moreover, being female, BMI value, level of glycosylated hemoglobine (HbA1C), and RLS were associated with lower QoL. RLS lowers the score of QoL even more than BMI and HbA1C. In addition, the QoL and sleep quality of this population of patients with diabetes have not been affected by the severity of RLS as well as presence or absence of neuropathy.RLS has an independent and significant role in sleep quality and QoL in the patients with diabetes. Neuropathy with RLS does not confer any additive burden on QoL and sleep quality of this population of patients with diabetes.

Neurological complications such as peripheral neuropathies are the most common complications among patients with morbid obesity following bariatric surgery. Reduction in nutrient intake especially thiamin may develop polyneuropathy, while neuropathic symptoms improved in patients with diabetes independent of glycemic control after bariatric surgery. The aim of the present review is to investigate the effect of bariatric surgery on peripheral neuropathy. Electronic literature search was done via scientific search engines. After the removal of duplicates and selection of articles of interest, 4 studies were included. A random effects model was applied in this meta-analysis. Considering the pooled analysis, bariatric surgery was significantly associated with Neuropathy Symptoms Score (NSS) (ES = − 3.393, 95% CI (− 4.507, − 2.278), and P value

Intramyocardial dissection (IMD) with ventricular septal rupture (VSR) following myocardial infarction (MI) is a rare subacute form of cardiac rupture. The evidence available in this regard is scarce. We aimed to share our experience and conduct a systematic review of previous cases. We searched the literature and performed a systematic review of previous cases. A total of 37 cases of IMD with VSR were included (1 our original and 36 literature cases). Mean age was 68 ± 8 years and 20 (54.1%) patients were male. Anterior and inferior MI were observed in 14 (37.8%) and 23 (62.2%) cases, respectively. The dissected area was the septum, RV, both septum and RV, or LV apex in 21 (56.8%), 9 (24.3%), 5 (13.5%), and 2 (5.4%), respectively. Apicoseptal and inferoseptal VSR were observed in 15 (40.5%) and 22 (59.5%) cases, respectively. At least one occluded artery was observed in 29 (90.6%) of cases. Reperfusion therapy was done for 15 (40.5%) cases before the VSR occurred. Surgery, percutaneous, and medical therapy were done for 26 (70.3%), 3 (8.1%), and 7 (18.9%) cases, respectively. The mortality rate was significantly higher in the medical versus surgical-treated group (85.7% versus 42.3%, P = .027). There was a trend to higher mortality in the group with dissection of both septum and RV (P = .15). We concluded that echocardiography has a critical role in diagnosing this complication. Surgery is mandatory in IMD with VSR.

Background The main purpose of this study was to assess the structural changes in the bladder wall of prostate cancer patients treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy using magnetic resonance imaging texture features analysis and to correlate image texture changes with radiation dose and urinary toxicity. Methods Ethical clearance was granted to enroll 33 patients into this study who were treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy for prostate cancer. All patients underwent two magnetic resonance imagings before and after radiation therapy (RT). A total of 274 radiomic features were extracted from MR-T2W–weighted images. Wilcoxon singed rank-test was performed to assess significance of the change in mean radiomic features post-RT relative to pre-RT values. The relationship between radiation dose and feature changes was assessed and depicted. Cystitis was recorded as urinary toxicity. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve of a logistic regression–based classifier was used to find correlation between radiomic features with significant changes and radiation toxicity. Results Thirty-three bladder walls were analyzed, with 11 patients developing grade ≥2 urinary toxicity. We showed that radiomic features may predict radiation toxicity and features including S5.0SumVarnc, S2.2SumVarnc, S1.0AngScMom, S0.4SumAverg, and S5. _5InvDfMom with area under receiver operating characteristic curve 0.75, 0.69, 0.65, 0.63, and 0.62 had highest correlation with toxicity, respectively. The results showed that most of the radiomic features were changed with radiation dose. Conclusion Feature changes have a good correlation with radiation dose and radiation-induced urinary toxicity. These radiomic features can be identified as being potentially important imaging biomarkers and also assessing mechanisms of radiation-induced bladder injuries.

We aimed to systematically review the existing evidence and determine the efficacy of MyoRing as a novel method for treatment of keratoconus using meta-analysis. Online electronic search of Medline, ISI Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases was performed with reference lists of relevant articles for pre–post trials published through August 2017. Uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), sphere, cylinder, spherical equivalent (SE), maximum, minimum, and mean keratometry were considered as the visual acuity outcomes. Weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence interval was used as pooled estimation of intervention efficacy using random-effects meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was measured with the Cochran Q statistic and quantified with the I2 statistic using Stata software. Of the 47 potentially related studies, 21 eligible studies were included in the meta-analysis. The mean of uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) based on LogMAR in patients with keratoconus had a significant change 3 months after implantation/embedding of the complete ring (WMD = − 0.73 (CI = − 0.88 to − 0.58), I2 = 79.9%, p

Background: The calculation of the sample size is one of the most important steps in designing a randomized controlled trial. The purpose of this study is drawing the attention of researchers to the importance of calculating and reporting the sample size in randomized controlled trials. Methods: We reviewed related literature and guidelines and discussed some important issues in sample size calculation and reporting in randomized controlled trials. Conclusion: The calculation of the sample size is one of the most important steps in designing a randomized controlled trial. According to the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) guideline and other standard guidelines for designing and reporting of RCTs, sample size calculations should be reported and justified in all published RCTs. Because sample size calculations are prone to bias and because of the high ethical and financial costs related to conducting an RCT, we recommend involving a biostatistician at the designing stage of the study and to ask for statistical advice for sample size calculations.

Biochemical and histological assays are currently used for the diagnosis and characterization of kidney injury. The purpose of this study was to compare technetium-99m-labeled dimercaptosuccinic acid (99mTc-DMSA) renal scintigraphy, as a non-invasive method, with common biochemical and histopathological methods in two animal models of acute kidney injury. Nephrotoxicity was induced either by gentamicin (100 mg/kg/day for one week) or unilateral ureteral ligation (UUO). Renal scintigraphy was performed 1 h after intravenous injection of 99mTc-DMSA (3 mCi). Furthermore, plasma levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, sodium, and potassium were determined using an autoanalyzer. At the end of experiments, kidneys were excised for the measurement of activity uptake (mCi/gr) using a dose calibrator as well as histopathological examinations with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. There was a significant decrease in 99mTc-DMSA uptake in both gentamicin (P value = 0.049) and UUO (P value = 0.034) groups, and it was more significant in the former. The levels of BUN and creatinine increased in both gentamicin and UUO groups, while the levels of sodium and potassium remained unchanged. Furthermore, a strong correlation was found between DMSA uptake and histopathological findings. Scintigraphy with 99mTc-DMSA is capable of detection of kidney injury in both gentamicin and UUO groups. Moreover, a significant correlation was found between scintigraphy parameters and histopathological findings. This suggests 99mTc-DMSA as a non-invasive method for the evaluation of kidney injury induced by drugs or anatomical disorders.

The misinterpretation and misuse of p-value have been increasing for decades. In March 2016, the American Statistical Association released a statement to warn about the use and interpretation of p-value. In this study, we provided a definition and discussion of p-value and emphasized the importance of its accurate interpretation.