Getting men to be actively involved in Antenatal Care (ANC) has been acknowledged by the World Health Organisation as a key indicator for better maternal health outcomes. We investigated the perception of women about barriers to male involvement in ANC in Sekondi, Ghana. Dwelling on cross-sectional design, we used a sample of 300 pregnant women (adolescents excluded) who had ever attended ANC in five fishing communities in Sekondi. The study was underpinned by a conceptual framework adapted from Doe’s conceptual framework of male partner involvement in maternity care. Necrostatin 1S clinical trial We used questionnaire for the data collection. Both descriptive-frequencies and percentages; and inferential-binary logistic regression analyses were carried out. Seven out of ten (70%) participants indicated high male involvement in ANC. Respondents whose partners were aged 50-59 were less likely to report high male involvement in ANC compared to those whose partners were aged 20-29 years (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = [0.35-0.86], p = 0.03). Those living together with their partners were about two times more likely to report high male involvement in ANC compared to those who did not live with their partners (OR = 1.63, 95% CI = [1.18-3.19], p = 0.01). Participants who identified long waiting time at the health facility as a determinant of male involvement in ANC were less likely to report high male involvement in ANC compared to those who disagreed (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = [0.38-0.85], p = 0.01). The outcome of our study calls for male partner friendly policy driven environment at the various ANC visit points that would make men more comfortable to accompany their partners in accessing ANC services.This study aims to investigate antecedent variables and IT Processes being suitable factors for ultimately measuring and assessing feature values of an Intelligent Travel Assistant (ITA) related to the actual use of the Free Individual Traveler (FIT). Accordingly, the technology acceptance model (TAM) is extended with the essential factors of travel and tourism (i.e., Quality and Safety), and a plenary FIT life cycle (i.e., Pre-Trip, On-Route, On-Site, and Post-Trip). The data collection is gathered from 382 FITs in Thailand by the online questionnaire through famous social media, i.e., Facebook and Line. Hence, the collected data are analyzed statistically by PASW Statistics and SmartPLS. Therefore, the distinguished finding of this study is obtained from the useful assessment model, which is decided to usage for FITs and investment of ITA operators for travel and tourism firms.Meta-analyses have been increasingly used to synthesize proportions (eg, disease prevalence) from multiple studies in recent years. Arcsine-based transformations, especially the Freeman-Tukey double-arcsine transformation, are popular tools for stabilizing the variance of each study’s proportion in two-step meta-analysis methods. Although they offer some benefits over the conventional logit transformation, they also suffer from several important limitations (eg, lack of interpretability) and may lead to misleading conclusions. Generalized linear mixed models and Bayesian models are intuitive one-step alternative approaches, and can be readily implemented via many software programs. This article explains various pros and cons of the arcsine-based transformations, and discusses the alternatives that may be generally superior to the currently popular practice.

Cardiovascular death is an important cause of mortality in end stage liver disease (ESLD) patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplant (OLT). Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is often the early manifestation and only measurable manifestation of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. Therefore, it is important to understand the risk factors for LVDD in ESLD patients undergoing OLT and its immediate impact post-operatively.

Electronic medical records (EMR) of 100 consecutive patients who underwent OLT were reviewed at the University of Tennessee/Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) reports were accessed to evaluate for LVDD based on the latest 2016 American Society of Echocardiography and European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging guidelines. The clinical and demographic variables were obtained and variable quality measures, incidence of cardiac arrhythmias, and 30-day all-cause mortality were compared.

Patients with LVDD were older (62.7 ±6.3 years vs. 55.9 ±12.3 years,

= 0.017) and were more often female (57% vs. 31%,

= 0.026). In addition, patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) were more likely to have LVDD (48% vs. 12%,

= 0.001). In contrast, patients with alcoholic liver disease were less likely to have LVDD (10% vs. 33%,

= 0.032). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, NASH (OR = 4.4 [95% CI 1.33-14.5],

= 0.015) and female gender (OR = 3.31 [95% CI 1.09-9.99],

= 0.033) were independent predictors of LVDD.

In our cohort of patients, the presence of NASH was associated with a higher risk of LVDD. However, presence of LVDD did not influence immediate post-transplant outcome or 30-day all-cause mortality.

In our cohort of patients, the presence of NASH was associated with a higher risk of LVDD. However, presence of LVDD did not influence immediate post-transplant outcome or 30-day all-cause mortality.

Liver cirrhosis is an irreversible destructive liver disease that is associated with a wide range of complications. Among the recognized comorbidities of liver cirrhosis are sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), which is being more and more often described among cirrhotics. This study aimed to detect the prevalence of SDB among Egyptian post-viral cirrhotic adults.

This study enrolled 48 post-viral cirrhotic patients and 16 apparently healthy control subjects. All patients and controls were evaluated by thorough history taking, full clinical examination, laboratory investigations, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale questionnaire, the Berlin Questionnaire and polysomnography.

Patients and controls were comparable as regards baseline demographics. Patients with liver cirrhosis had higher frequency of SDB compared to controls (56.2% vs. 12.5%,

= 0.002). The most frequently encountered SBD patterns among cirrhotics were obstructive sleep apnea and apnea hypopnea index. Moreover, SDB was more severe among cirrhotics (25% were mild, 16.6% were moderate and 14.6% were severe obstructive sleep apnea – OSA) compared to the healthy controls (all were mild).

It seems that post-viral cirrhotic patients had a wide range of SDB with variable degrees of severity compared to the healthy controls.

It seems that post-viral cirrhotic patients had a wide range of SDB with variable degrees of severity compared to the healthy controls.

Among the key genes involved in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are genes encoding the synthesis of glutathione S-transferase (GST).

Deletion polymorphism of

and

genes was investigated in 104 NAFLD patients and 45 healthy individuals. Biochemical blood analysis, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-10, leptin and adiponectin plasma levels were studied.

The distribution of deletion vs. non-deletion genotypes of the

gene in NAFLD patients was 18 (17.3%) vs. 86 (82.7%) patients and in healthy people it was 6 (13.3%) vs. 39 (86.7%) individuals. The genotype distribution of the

gene was as follows 52 (50.0%) NAFLD patients had null genotype vs. 52 patients (50.0%) with non-deletion genotype; in the control group – 23 (51.1%) vs. 22 (48.9%) individuals. Deletion of the

gene in NAFLD patients was associated with twice as high (

= 0.01) TNF-α level in the blood as compared to patients with normal genotype. Higher concentration of leptin in blood by 37.1% (

= 0.04) was observed in patients with null genotype of the

gene, as compared to those with normal genotype.

Deletion polymorphism of

and

genes distribution among NAFLD patients did not differ as compared to healthy individuals. Null-genotype

gene carriers were characterized by higher TNF-α concentration and null-genotype

gene carriers were characterized by elevated leptin level as compared to normal genotype carriers.

Deletion polymorphism of GSTT1 and GSTM1 genes distribution among NAFLD patients did not differ as compared to healthy individuals. Null-genotype GSTT1 gene carriers were characterized by higher TNF-α concentration and null-genotype GSTM1 gene carriers were characterized by elevated leptin level as compared to normal genotype carriers.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) can play a role in hepatic regeneration through many mechanisms, one of which is the induction of synthesis of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The aim of the study is to focus on the significance and role of MMPs in the regenerative process to reveal the correlation between IL-6 and MMPs in rats following partial hepatectomy.

Following hemi-hepatectomy, eighty male rats were divided into a control group and a group treated with IL-6 35 µg/100 gm body weight according to a lethality study. The blood samples were drawn from all animal groups for MMP-9 serum level assessment. For the quantitative determination of MMP-9 an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used (Cytoimmune Science Inc., MD) through the quantitative sandwich immunosorbent assay technique. A monoclonal antibody for MMP-9 was pre-coated onto microplate standards. link2 After washing away the unbound substances, an enzyme-linked polyclonal antibody specific for cytokine was added to the wells and color developed in prliferation.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by formation and expansion of cysts within the kidney. Caroli syndrome (CS) is characterized by cystic saccular dilatation of intrahepatic ducts. Kidney and liver images from a model of ADPKD-CS were evaluated to characterize remodeling of the cystically dilated intrahepatic duct wall and the renal cyst wall.

Archival digitized images from Masson’s trichrome-stained renal and Picrosirius red (PSR)-stained renal and hepatic cross-sections were sourced from the PCK rat model of ADPKD-CS, and age-matched Sprague-Dawley rats (wild-type). Cross-sectional areas and wall thicknesses of renal cysts and intrahepatic ducts were measured. link3 Circularly polarized PSR microscopy was utilized to observe accumulation of collagen and identify its subtype.

In the PCK rat model of ADPKD-CS, renal cysts were relatively thin-walled in comparison to intrahepatic ducts with renal cyst cross-sectional area to wall ratio 47-fold greater than the corresponding ratio in intrahepatic ducts. Increasing intrahepatic duct cross-sectional area was accompanied by a rapid and steep rise in wall thickness. There was a weak but significant direct correlation (

= 0.49,

= 0.037) between renal cyst cross-sectional area and wall thickness. Circularly polarized Picrosirius red microscopy revealed collagen I accumulation within the walls of dilated intrahepatic ducts but not renal cysts.

These data suggest that unlike renal cysts, cystically dilated intrahepatic ducts undergo collagen-driven wall remodeling in the PCK rat.

These data suggest that unlike renal cysts, cystically dilated intrahepatic ducts undergo collagen-driven wall remodeling in the PCK rat.