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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Novel approaches for treating Internet Gaming Disorder: A review of technology-based interventions

Compr Psychiatry. 2022 Apr 3;115:152312. doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2022.152312. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has become a significant issue in mental healthcare over the past decades as the number of people engaging in excessive and unhealthy gaming increases with each year. Despite its inclusion in the 5th Edition of Diagnostic Statistical Manual and the development of a number of treatment methods that have been designed and tested for IGD, treatment remains a challenge. This review attempts to give an overview of the current state of IGD and its treatment with a specific focus on the potential of technology-based solutions, such as web-based programs, mobile applications, and virtual reality. The review also highlights the need for additional work in the area of treatment development for IGD and the preliminary evidence for the usefulness and importance of technology-based treatment methods which offer unique advantages, such as accessibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness, over other existing treatment options.

PMID:35405548 | DOI:10.1016/j.comppsych.2022.152312

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A pilot randomised controlled trial of abrupt versus gradual smoking cessation in combination with vaporised nicotine products for people receiving alcohol and other drug treatment

Addict Behav. 2022 Apr 6;131:107328. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107328. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Vaporised nicotine products (VNPs) may be a potential quit smoking strategy. Most research has permitted participants to use VNPs ad libitum. This is the first study to examine combining the use of a VNP with a gradual or abrupt cessation guideline. This study aims to test the potential feasibility of a quit smoking strategy (abrupt verses gradual cessation) in combination with vaporised nicotine products among people in AOD treatment.

METHODS: We conducted a pilot randomised controlled trial between April 2018 and July 2019. Participants were recruited from AOD programs located within one area health service in Australia. Participants were provided with two VNPs, a 12-week supply of nicotine e-liquid and randomised to either the abrupt (assigned a quit date the day they were provided their VNP) or gradual quit smoking strategy (reduce baseline number of cigarettes per day by 25% over a 4 week period), no further behavioral support was provided. Feasibility was assessed through successful recruitment rates, retention, and adherence to study conditions. Participant perceived helpfulness and satisfaction assessed acceptability.

RESULTS: Among 80 interested individuals, 66 were eligible and consented (100% recruitment rate). From the 66 participants that consented and completed the baseline survey, 60 received the intervention assigned at a 1:1 ratio with 30 in the gradual cessation and 30 in the abrupt cessation group. Retention was 86.4% (n = 52) at 12-weeks post-intervention commencement. Ninety-six percent (n = 25) of participants in the gradual and 95.8% (n = 23) of participants in the abrupt group were using the VNPs at 12-weeks (p = 0.66). There was no difference in adherence to the assigned quit plan between gradual cessation 44% (n = 11) and abrupt cessation 71% (n = 17) groups (p = 0.117). Median perceived helpfulness of VNPs was high for both gradual (10/10) and abrupt (9/10) groups (p = 0.813). Similarly, median perceived satisfaction of VNPs was high for both gradual (9 /10) and abrupt (8/10) groups (p = 0.414).

CONCLUSIONS: AOD participants found an intervention that involved VNPs to be satisfying and helpful. Future large scale trials are needed to elucidate whether a gradual or abrupt cessation guideline is more beneficial in main a quit attempt with a VNP.

PMID:35405479 | DOI:10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107328

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Evaluating predictive relationships between wristbands and urine for assessment of personal PAH exposure

Environ Int. 2022 Apr 4;163:107226. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107226. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

During events like the COVID-19 pandemic or a disaster, researchers may need to switch from collecting biological samples to personal exposure samplers that are easy and safe to transport and wear, such as silicone wristbands. Previous studies have demonstrated significant correlations between urine biomarker concentrations and chemical levels in wristbands. We build upon those studies and use a novel combination of descriptive statistics and supervised statistical learning to evaluate the relationship between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in silicone wristbands and hydroxy-PAH (OH-PAH) concentrations in urine. In New York City, 109 participants in a longitudinal birth cohort wore one wristband for 48 h and provided a spot urine sample at the end of the 48-hour period during their third trimester of pregnancy. We compared four PAHs with the corresponding seven OH-PAHs using descriptive statistics, a linear regression model, and a linear discriminant analysis model. Five of the seven PAH and OH-PAH pairs had significant correlations (Pearson’s r = 0.35-0.64, p ≤ 0.003) and significant chi-square tests of independence for exposure categories (p ≤ 0.009). For these five comparisons, the observed PAH or OH-PAH concentration could predict the other concentration within a factor of 1.47 for 50-80% of the measurements (depending on the pair). Prediction accuracies for high exposure categories were at least 1.5 times higher compared to accuracies based on random chance. These results demonstrate that wristbands and urine provide similar PAH exposure assessment information, which is critical for environmental health researchers looking for the flexibility to switch between biological sample and wristband collection.

PMID:35405507 | DOI:10.1016/j.envint.2022.107226

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Variability in the unregulated opioid market in the context of extreme rates of overdose

Drug Alcohol Depend. 2022 Mar 26;235:109427. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109427. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Drug checking uses analytical chemistry technologies to report on the composition of drugs from the unregulated market to reduce substance use-related risks, while additionally allowing for monitoring and reporting of the supply. In the context of an overdose crisis linked to fentanyl, we used drug checking data to examine variability within the illicit opioid supply.

METHODS: In this time-series analysis, data was collected from a drug checking service in Victoria, Canada from November 2020 to July 2021. Drugs reported as opioids by participants of the service (N = 454) were analyzed to determine sample composition and paper spray mass spectroscopy was used to quantify low-concentration actives. Interquartile and statistical process control (SPC) analysis, namely standard deviation control charts, were used to examine the degree of variability among samples.

RESULTS: Fentanyl was found in 96% of samples reported to be opioids, with a median concentration of 9%. Concentrations varied significantly, with a standard deviation of 7% for fentanyl and where nearly 20% of data points fell outside the control limits. Over half of the samples contained an additional and unexpected active, most commonly etizolam (43% of samples). Etizolam also showed a large level of variability, uncorrelated to that of fentanyl.

CONCLUSIONS: Based on our chemical quantification and SPC analysis, a high degree of variability was found in opioid samples from the unregulated market in both the drugs detected and the concentrations of those drugs. This demonstrated the opioid crisis to be less attributable to a bad batch of drugs but rather the general variability found in the unregulated market.

PMID:35405459 | DOI:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109427

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Additional evidence on prevalence and predictors of postpartum depression in China: A study of 300,000 puerperal women covered by a community-based routine screening programme

J Affect Disord. 2022 Apr 8;307:264-270. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.04.011. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Previous studies on the prevalence and predictors of postpartum depression (PPD) in China were mostly hospital-based with relatively small study samples. Basing on a routine screening programme, this study assessed the prevalence and factors associated with PPD at community level.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with all the women who delivered in a hospital and were screened for depression during routine postpartum home visits in Shenzhen between 2015 August and 2017 April. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used as the screening tool with a cut-off score of 10. Predictors of PPD were determined by Chi-square test and stepwise logistic regression.

RESULTS: Approximately 300,000 puerperal women were included in the study with a PPD prevalence of 4.3%. Prenatal anxiety and depression were associated with 4.55 and 3.80 times of PPD risk, respectively. Stressful life events, family history of mental illness, poor economic status, low Apgar scores and birth defects of the infants, bottle and mixed feeding, as well as living with parents-in-low after childbirth were related to moderate risk. Higher gravidity and parity, larger gestation age, prenatal education, and living with the women’s own parents were associated with lower risk.

LIMITATIONS: The large sample size might have suggested statistically significant differences which were not practical.

CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of PPD at community level is significantly lower than the rates detected within hospitals. Prenatal anxiety and depression are the most important predictors of PPD. Integrating depression screening into routine postpartum home visits facilitates achievement of universal coverage.

PMID:35405436 | DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2022.04.011

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A new active contraction model for the myocardium using a modified hill model

Comput Biol Med. 2022 Mar 24;145:105417. doi: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.105417. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study develops a new hybrid active contraction model for myocardial dynamics abstracted from sarcomere by combining the phenomenologically active-stress based Hill model and the micro-structurally motivated active strain approach. This new model consists of a passive branch and a parallel active branch that consists of a serial passive element for active tension transmission and a contractile unit for active tension development. This rheology represents an additive decomposition of the total stress into a passive and active response. The active stress is formulated following the active strain approach based on the sliding filament theory by multiplicatively decomposing the stretch of the contractile element into a fictitious and an active part. The length-dependence and force-velocity are further incorporated in the active strain. We estimate the passive stiffness of the serial passive element using literature data, which is 250 kPa, then the active stress is computed from the serial passive element in the active branch because of its force transmission structure. This one-dimensional contraction model is further generalized to three dimensions for modelling myocardial dynamics. Our results demonstrate that the proposed active contraction model has a high descriptive capability for various experiments, including both isometric and isotonic contraction compared to existing active strain approaches. We also show that it can simulate physiologically accurate cardiac dynamics in humans. The excellent agreement with experimental data and a local sensitivity study highlight the importance of length-dependence and force-velocity in the active strain approach. Our results further show that there exists a tight interaction between the length-dependence and force-velocity relationships. This new hybrid model serves as a step forward in personalized cardiac modelling using an active-strain based contraction model and has the potential to understand the multi-scale coupling in active contraction according to the sliding filament theory.

PMID:35405401 | DOI:10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.105417

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Drought tolerance assessment of citron watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (L.H. Bailey) Mansf. ex Greb.) accessions based on morphological and physiological traits

Plant Physiol Biochem. 2022 Apr 4;180:106-123. doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.03.037. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Long-term cultivation of citron watermelon under water-constrained environments in sub-Saharan Africa resulted in the selection and domestication of highly tolerant genotypes. However, information on the magnitude of variation for drought tolerance in citron watermelon is limited for the effective selection of suitable genotypes for breeding. The objective of this study was to determine variation for drought tolerance among South African citron watermelon landrace accessions for selection and use as genetic stock for drought-tolerance breeding in this crop and closely-related cucurbit crops. Forty genetically differentiated citron watermelon accessions were grown under non-stress (NS) and drought-stress (DS) conditions under glasshouse environment. Data of physiological (i.e., leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters) and morphological traits (i.e., shoot and root system architecture traits, and fruit yield) were collected and subjected to various parametric statistical analyses. The accessions varied significantly for assessed traits under both NS and DS conditions which aided classification into five groups, namely; A (highly drought-tolerant), B (drought-tolerant), C (moderate drought-tolerant), D (drought-sensitive) and E (highly drought-sensitive). Drought-tolerant genotypes produced more fruit yield with less water compared with drought-sensitive genotypes. Several physiological and morphological parameters correlated with fruit yield under DS condition namely: instantaneous water-use efficiency (r = 0.97), leaf dry weight (r = 0.77), total root length (r = 0.46) and root dry weight (r = 0.48). The following accessions, namely: WWM-46, WWM-68, WWM-41(A), WWM-15, WWM-64, WWM-57, WWM-47, WWM-37(2), WWM-79, WWM-05 and WWM-50) were identified as highly drought-tolerant and recommended for drought-tolerance breeding in this crop or related cucurbit crops such as sweet dessert watermelon.

PMID:35405428 | DOI:10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.03.037

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Early adulthood overweight and obesity and risk of premenopausal ovarian cancer, and premenopausal breast cancer including receptor status: prospective cohort study of nearly 500,000 Danish women

Ann Epidemiol. 2022 Apr 8:S1047-2797(22)00048-5. doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2022.03.013. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To assess the association between higher than normal BMI and incidence of premenopausal ovarian and breast cancers.

METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 461,646 women registered in the Danish Medical Birth Registry with self-reported early adulthood BMI ≥18.5 kg/m2, without a history of cancer. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of premenopausal epithelial ovarian cancer, breast cancer, estrogen receptor positive and negative, HER2 positive and negative breast cancers according to BMI.

RESULTS: Compared with normal weight, obesity was associated with higher rates of premenopausal ovarian cancer (HR=1.95, 95% CI 1.19-3.21) when adjusted for parity, use of hormonal contraception, family history of ovarian and/or breast cancer, other cancer, and calendar year. Obesity was associated with lower rates of premenopausal breast cancer (HR=0.77, 95% CI 0.68-0.87) when adjusted for parity, use of hormonal contraception, family history of ovarian and/or breast cancer, any other cancer, calendar year, smoking, and highest achieved education. The associations were strongest with estrogen receptor positive premenopausal breast cancers. Results according to HER2 status were similar to overall results for premenopausal breast cancer.

CONCLUSIONS: Obesity was associated with higher incidence of premenopausal ovarian cancer and lower incidence of premenopausal breast cancer.

PMID:35405346 | DOI:10.1016/j.annepidem.2022.03.013

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Outcomes of Cervical Disc Replacement in Patients With Neck Pain Greater Than Arm Pain

Spine J. 2022 Apr 8:S1529-9430(22)00147-4. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2022.04.001. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Although anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is believed to positively impact a patient’s radicular symptoms as well as axial neck pain, the outcomes of cervical disc replacement (CDR) with regards to neck pain specifically have not been established.

PURPOSE: Primary: to assess clinical improvement following CDR in patients with neck pain greater than arm pain. Secondary: to compare the clinical outcomes between patients undergoing CDR for predominant neck pain (pNP), predominant arm pain (pAP), and equal neck and arm pain (ENAP).

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of prospectively collected data PATIENT SAMPLE: Patients who had undergone one- or two-level CDR for the treatment of degenerative cervical pathology and had a minimum of 6-month follow-up were included and stratified into three cohorts based on their predominant location of pain: pNP, pAP, and ENAP.

OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs): Neck Disability Index (NDI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS) neck and arm, Short Form 12-Item Physical Health Score (SF12-PHS), Short Form 12-Item Mental Health Score (SF12-MHS), minimal clinically important difference (MCID).

METHODS: Changes in PROs from preoperative values to early (<6 months) and late (≥6 months) postoperative timepoints were analyzed within each of the three groups. The percentage of patients achieving MCID was also evaluated.

RESULTS: 125 patients (52 pNP, 30 pAP, 43 ENAP) were included. The pNP cohort demonstrated significant improvements in early and late NDI and VAS-Neck, early SF-12 MCS, and late SF-12 PCS. The pAP and ENAP cohorts demonstrated significant improvements in all PROMs, including NDI, VAS-Neck, VAS-Arm, SF-12 PCS, and SF-12 MCS, at both the early and late timepoints. No statistically significant differences were found in the MCID achievement rates for NDI, VAS-Neck, SF-12 PCS, and SF-12 MCS at the late timepoint amongst the three groups.

CONCLUSIONS: CDR leads to comparable improvement in neck pain and disability in patients presenting with neck pain greater than arm pain and meeting specific clinical and radiographic criteria.

PMID:35405338 | DOI:10.1016/j.spinee.2022.04.001

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A Retrospective review on the timing of Glasgow Coma Score documentation in a trauma database: implications for patient care, research, and performance metrics

World Neurosurg. 2022 Apr 8:S1878-8750(22)00457-0. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.04.019. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) is intended to be an objective, reliable measure of a patient’s mental status. It is included as a metric for trauma registries, having implications for performance metrics and research. Our study compared the GCS recorded in the trauma registry (GCS-1) to that recorded in the neurosurgery consultation (GCS-2).

METHODS: This retrospective review compared GCS-1 to GCS-2. The Trauma Injury Severity Score (TRISS) method was used to calculate probability of survival (POS) for patients using both GCS-1 and GCS-2.

RESULTS: GCS-1 significantly differed from GCS-2 (6.69 vs 7.84, ± 2.553, p<.001). There were 172 (37.55%) patients with a GCS-1 of 3 and 87 (19.00%) with a GCS-2 of 3 (Chi-square p<0.001). The probability of survival (POS) calculated using TRISS methodology with GCS-1 (POS-1) was 74.7% ± 26.6% compared to GCS-2 (POS-2), which was 79.3% ± 24.4%. There was a statistically significant difference in the means of POS-2 and POS-2 (p<0.001). The actual observed survival rate for the cohort was 71.0% (325/458).

CONCLUSION: The immediate GCS recorded on patient arrival after trauma differs significantly from the GCS recorded at later times. This significantly altered the probability of survival as calculated by the TRISS methodology. This could have profound effects on risk-adjusted benchmarking, assessments of quality of care and injury-severity stratification for research. More studies into the optimal timing of GCS recording or changes in GCS ant their impact on survival is warranted.

PMID:35405314 | DOI:10.1016/j.wneu.2022.04.019