ROC Curve

SIRT3, a mitochondrial sirtuin belonging to nicotinamide adenine nucleotide (NAD) dependent deacetylases, is implicated in metabolism, longevity and carcinogenesis. SIRT3 expression and its significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain largely unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that SIRT3 expression in HCC tissue was much lower than that in paracarcinoma tissue, at both mRNA and protein levels. The cutoff value for low SIRT3 expression in HCC was defined according to receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis.

OBJECTIVE: With the increasing longevity of heart transplant recipients, the long-term effects of cyclosporine on renal function have become more evident. Highly sensitive, early, and effective monitoring of posttransplant renal function is still being researched. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of cystatin C for patients after heart transplantation. METHODS: Seventy-three long-term recipients of a heart transplant more than 5 years before the study start were included in the analysis with a follow-up of 4 years.

BACKGROUND: Suicide has been linked to intense negative affect. However, little is known about the range of affects experienced by suicidal persons, or the separate effects of affect valence and intensity. We examine a novel self-report scale, the 17-item Affective Intensity Rating Scale (AIRS), and its relation to suicidality in a high-risk sample. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Patients presenting with suicidality were recruited from the Emergency Department in a large urban hospital, and completed a battery of assessments there.

BACKGROUND: A practical and reliable monitor of depth of anaesthesia would be a major advance on current clinical practice. None of the present monitors is both simple to use and accurate. Ocular microtremor (OMT) is a physiological tremor that is suppressed by propofol in a dose-dependent manner. We studied OMT during propofol induction and nitrous oxide-oxygen-sevoflurane maintenance of anaesthesia in 30 patients, and compared OMT with the bispectral index (BIS) as a predictor of response to verbal command.

OBJECTIVE: To provide experience of monitoring the level of hypnosis with the Cerebral State Monitor (CSM), a device extracting a single numerical variable between 0 and 100 from the electroencephalogram in dogs sedated with medetomidine during dental scale removal. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective observational study. Animals Nine female Beagle dogs weighing 13.3 +/- 1.3 kg. METHODS: Cerebral state index (CSI) and burst suppression ratio (BSR) were recorded from sub-dermal needle electrodes in dogs sedated after subcutaneous injection of 114 +/- 11 microg kg(-1) medetomidine.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The A-Line auditory evoked potential index (AAI) (AEP Monitor/2, Danmeter A/S, Odense, Denmark) is a newly developed composite parameter representing the degree of hypnosis. We conducted a prospective, observational study to explore the performance and validity of the AAI during conventional sedation for gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy. METHODS: Thirty adults of either sex, age <65, scheduled for combined oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) and colonoscopy under sedation with intravenous (i.v.) midazolam and alfentanil were enrolled.

BACKGROUND: The aepEX Plus monitor (aepEX) utilizes a mid-latency auditory evoked potential-derived index of depth of hypnosis (DoH). OBJECTIVE: This observational study evaluates the performance of the aepEX as a DoH monitor for pediatric patients receiving propofol-remifentanil anesthesia. METHODS: aepEX and BIS values were recorded simultaneously during surgery in three groups of 25 children (aged 1-3, 3-6 and 6-16 years). Propofol was administered by target-controlled infusion. The University of Michigan Sedation Scale (UMSS) was used to clinically assess the DoH during emergence.

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) confers an increased risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Although high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) concentrations are higher and adiponectin concentrations lower in MetS, there is no reliable biochemical measure that can capture its various features. We evaluated whether hsCRP, adiponectin, or the ratio of adiponectin or its oligomers, especially the high-molecular-weight (HMW) oligomer, to hsCRP predict MetS in 123 subjects with MetS compared with that in 91 healthy control subjects.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate an improved quantitative lung fibrosis score based on a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system that classifies CT pixels with the visual semi-quantitative pulmonary fibrosis score in patients with scleroderma-related interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD). METHODS: High-resolution, thin-section CT images were obtained and analysed on 129 subjects with SSc-ILD (36 men, 93 women; mean age 48.8±12.1 years) who underwent baseline CT in the prone position at full inspiration. The CAD system segmented each lung of each patient into 3 zones.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is often associated with the preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Special scoring of word-list recall data for serial position has been suggested to improve discrimination of normal aging from dementia. We examined serial position effects in word-list recall for MCI participants compared to Alzheimer patients and controls. Individuals with MCI, like Alzheimer patients, had a diminished primacy effect in recalling words from a list.