Research Infinity - All Articles

Biomedical

Progesterone Exposure and Breast Cancer Risk—Addressing Barriers

This article addresses the role of progesterone exposure in breast cancer risk, focusing on both biological and technical barriers in studying progesterone’s impact. Research indicates that higher progesterone levels in postmenopausal women may modestly increase breast cancer risk, with a stronger association for invasive breast cancers. The study also highlights the complex relationship between...
Posted 7 months ago

Biomedical

Spatial Epidemiology of Diabetes and Tuberculosis in India

In the study by Hernandez et al., the spatial distribution of diabetes in India was examined, revealing a concentration in southern and eastern regions. The study also explored the potential overlap between diabetes and tuberculosis prevalence, but found no significant spatial correlation between the two. This work highlights the importance of spatial epidemiology in understanding disease patterns...
Posted 7 months ago

Biomedical

Single Hormone Receptor–Positive Breast Cancer—Signal or Noise?

Canonical predictors for the prognosis of breast cancer include estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and ERBB2 (formerly HER2) receptor. In most cases, positive ER status is auspicious, but there are exceptions (young women, black women, and BRCA2 mutation carriers). The simplest designation, hormone receptor–positive cancers, includes tumors that express ER and/or PR (hormone rec...
Posted 7 months ago

Biomedical

Is the Environment Associated With Preterm Birth?

The study by Zhang et al. explores the link between preconception exposure to phthalates and an increased risk of preterm birth. Phthalates, commonly found in food and consumer products, are endocrine disruptors. The research found that higher concentrations of specific phthalate metabolites in maternal urine were associated with a 50% increased risk of preterm birth. The findings suggest that int...
Posted 7 months ago

Biomedical

The Challenges of Improving Nursing Home Quality

The study by Song et al. explores the relationship between work environment factors in nursing homes and missed or rushed care. Key findings highlight the importance of organizational slack, social capital, and culture, although the unexpected association between organizational culture and rushed care raises questions. The study, however, does not identify causal pathways and only establishes asso...
Posted 7 months ago

Biomedical

Affordable Biologics for All

To paraphrase something that Mark Twain is alleged to have said, “Everybody talks about drug prices, but nobody does anything about them.” The last part of the paraphrase is not quite accurate, but to date, none of the major federal proposals to lower drug prices have been enacted, and state legislation, such as the California Preserving Access to Affordable Drugs Act, is under legal challenge...
Posted 7 months ago

Biomedical

Diagnostic role of urine human epididymis protein 4 in ovarian cancer

Urine human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) is a promising, non-invasive tumor marker for ovarian cancer (OC), offering advantages in early detection and monitoring. Studies show urine HE4 concentrations are higher than serum levels, with comparable sensitivity and specificity for detecting OC. It can aid in the differential diagnosis, monitor chemotherapy response, and track disease recurrence. Howeve...
Posted 7 months ago

Biomedical

Clinical importance of laboratory biomarkers in liver fibrosis

Hepatic cirrhosis is a major health problem across the world, causing high morbidity and mortality. This disease has many etiologies, yet the result of chronic hepatic injury is hepatic fibrosis causing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, as the liver’s architecture is progressively destroyed. While liver biopsy is currently the gold standard for fibrosis staging, it has significant disadvan...
Posted 7 months ago

Biomedical

A sudden creatinine increase: A case report

Creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) are first-line laboratory parameters in the diagnosis of various renal diseases. In recent decades, cystatin C (cysC) has furthered the laboratory repertoire regarding renal status assessment and has been implemented in many clinical guidelines. Accordingly, with the establishment of cysC as a renal routine biomarker, further opportunities...
Posted 7 months ago

Physics Maths Engineering

Bias estimation for Sigma metric calculation

I read with great interest the study of Keleş on the evaluation of analytical performances of clinical chemistry assays using the Six Sigma methodology (1). The author has computed Sigma metrics according to their laboratory performance as well as the manufacturer’s data in the reagent package inserts. For Sigma metric calculation according to laboratory performance, the author has estimated...
Posted 7 months ago