METHODS AND MATERIALS: This study has retrospectively compared the healthcare utilization and associated costs of pre- and post-PPIM treatment in 413 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder recruited from three major public hospitals providing psychiatric services in Hong Kong. Patients were categorized into early treatment (≤3 years since diagnosis) and chronic (>3 years) groups, and also whether they were receiving polypharmacy (POP).
RESULTS: It was found that patients who were started on early therapy with no POP had the most favourable outcomes. Overall results of the entire cohort, including both early and late treatments, indicate that there was a slight increase in annual in-patient days (IP) per patient and outpatient visit (OP) by 3.18 and 1.87, respectively, and a decrease in emergency room visit (ER) of 0.9 (p
RESULTS: Coconut sugar syrup produced by rotary evaporation at 60 °C and 250 mbar vacuum (RE-60) required the shortest production time (12.2 min) and the lowest processing temperature (54.8 °C) when compared with ME (13 min and 103.2 °C) and OHE (46.8 min and 101.6 °C). It also had a light brownish color with a higher L* value (35.17) than the ME (29.84) and OHE (23.84) methods. It was found to contain higher amounts of monosaccharides (fructose and glucose) and lower amounts of disaccharides (sucrose). Furthermore, the amount of energy required for RE-60 (0.35 kWh) was much less than for OHE (0.83 kWh).
CONCLUSION: This study provided an alternative processing method for the sugar processing industry to produce coconut sugar using the rotary evaporation method at 60 °C under 250 mbar vacuum with better physicochemical qualities, shorter processing time, and minimum input energy. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.
METHODS: REDUCE was a prospective, multicenter, randomized investigator-initiated study designed to enroll 1500 ACS patients after treatment with the COMBO Dual Stent Therapy, based on a noninferiority design. Patients were randomized in a 1:1 fashion to either 3 or 12 months of DAPT. Primary study endpoint was a composite of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, definite/probable stent thrombosis (ST), stroke, target-vessel revascularization (TVR) and bleedings (BARC II, III, V) at 12 months. Secondary endpoints were cardiovascular mortality and the individual components of the primary endpoint within 24 months.
RESULTS: From June 2014 to May 2016 300 women and 1196 men were included in the study. Among them, 43.7% of females and 51.9% of males were assigned to the 3 months DAPT treatment. Baseline characteristics were well matched between the two arms, with the exception of a lower rate of TIMI flow