Category: Statistics

Eur Oral Res. 2024 Sep 5;58(3):127-132. doi: 10.26650/eor.2024200224.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the color stability of nanoparticles reinforced maxillofacial silicone after disinfection with neutral soap, 4% chlorhexidine, and ozone water.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: According to ISO 4823, a metal die was fabricated, and 96 samples were created using Room Temperature Vulcanizing silicone (RTV), Heat Temperature Vulcanizing silicone (HTV), and 3% silicone dioxide nanoparticle-reinforced RTV and HTV silicones. The samples were disinfected using neutral soap, 4% chlorhexidine, and ozone water for 10 minutes, three times a day, for 60 days. The samples were divided into four groups: Group 1 (RTV), Group 2 (3% SiO2 nanoparticle-reinforced RTV), Group 3 (HTV), and Group 4 (3% SiO2 nanoparticle-reinforced HTV). The color stability of the maxillofacial silicones was evaluated before and after disinfection using a UV spectrophotometer. The obtained color stability values were statistically analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD test. Values were considered significant when p<0.05.

RESULTS: The 3% SiO2 nanoparticle-reinforced HTV silicone showed better color stability compared to HTV and RTV silicones, with the least difference observed in the 3% SiO2 nanoparticle-reinforced RTV.

CONCLUSION: Ozone water caused the least change in the color of maxillofacial silicone compared to other disinfectant solutions.

PMID:39588472 | PMC:PMC11586037 | DOI:10.26650/eor.2024200224

Endosc Int Open. 2024 Sep 9;12(9):E1006-E1014. doi: 10.1055/a-2370-5812. eCollection 2024 Sep.

ABSTRACT

Background and study aims Variation between trainers in providing traditional gastrointestinal endoscopy training, in which residents learn endoscopy by doing under the supervision of endoscopy trainers, may cause differences in endoscopy competence between residents. In this study, we explored endoscopy trainers’ views on the current status and desired future best practices regarding endoscopy training. Methods This mixed-methods study comprised quantitative survey data collected from 158 endoscopy trainers working in 26 gastroenterology teaching hospitals in the Netherlands and semi-structured interviews with 15 gastroenterology residency (associate) program directors (PDs). Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and interview results with thematic analysis. Results There was considerable variability in endoscopy training practices between teaching hospitals in the structure of endoscopy supervision, criteria used to determine the level of supervision, and participation of trainers in endoscopy teaching courses. Interview participants agreed that an endoscopy training supervisor requires several teaching strategies, highlighting the importance of formal education in endoscopy teaching. Interview participants perceived self-regulated learning strategies as essential for residents to learn endoscopy effectively. The perceived main barriers to effective supervision were a lack of time and heavy workload. Participants expressed the desire for more standardization in endoscopy training programs between teaching hospitals. Conclusions Considerable variability in endoscopy training practices between gastroenterology teaching hospitals was identified. Formal education on endoscopy teaching, promotion of self-regulated learning, and standardization of endoscopy training programs and supervision practices have the potential to improve future endoscopy training.

PMID:39588471 | PMC:PMC11586648 | DOI:10.1055/a-2370-5812

Vet Res Forum. 2024;15(10):545-550. doi: 10.30466/vrf.2024.2025342.4218. Epub 2024 Oct 15.

ABSTRACT

Cryopreservation and re-transplantation of ovarian tissue is a relatively new technique to preserve fertility. This study evaluated the preservation of ovarian follicles after the vitrification-thawing procedure by implanting ovarian fragments into the gluteus muscle of rabbit. Bilateral ovariectomy was performed on each rabbit. The cortices were separated from the medullae of ovaries and divided into four fragments. One fresh cortical fragment was used as a control, fixed in 10.00% formalin. Three fragments underwent vitrification-thawing for two weeks. Two of these vitrified-thawed fragments were auto-transplanted into separate locations within the opened gluteus muscle, while the final fragment was fixed in 10.00% formalin. Eight weeks after re-implantation, biopsies were collected from the ovarian fragments and fixed in 10.00% formalin. The numbers and areas (µm²) of morphologically normal follicles were evaluated on sections stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin through light microscopy. The follicular morphology in the ovarian fragments immediately after vitrification-thawing remained similar to that of the fresh ovary. The number of morphologically intact follicles was significantly lower in the ovarian fragments eight weeks after re-implantation than fresh ovary and ovarian tissue fragments after vitrification-thawing procedure. However, follicular development to the antral stage was observed in all samples eight weeks after re-implantation. There was no statistical difference in the areas (µm²) of primordial, primary, pre-antral, and antral follicles in the ovarian fragments before cryopreservation, immediately after vitrification-thawing, and following re-implantation procedures. Auto-transplantation of ovarian tissue into the gluteus muscle of rabbits could be a viable approach for preserving ovarian follicles after vitrification-thawing procedure.

PMID:39588459 | PMC:PMC11585844 | DOI:10.30466/vrf.2024.2025342.4218

Bone Marrow Transplant. 2024 Nov 25. doi: 10.1038/s41409-024-02480-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is a clonal hematopoietic stem cell malignancy and the only curable therapy is allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). However, allo-HSCT is not appropriate for all CMML patients, and relapse is the leading cause of treatment failure. This project conducted a nationwide multicenter real-world study to develop a novel prediction scoring system for early relapse. A total of 238 CMML patients from twenty-seven medical centers treated with allo-HSCT, and 307 adult patients with CMML who underwent allo-HSCT in a publicly available research dataset from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplantation Registry (CIBMTR) database were included. Independent prognostic factors for the early relapse of CMML posttransplantation were identified according to competing risk regression methods. Four prognostic factors were identified: bone marrow blasts >10% (hazard ratio [HR], 4.262; P = 0.014), age >60 years (HR, 6.221; P = 0.007), hemoglobin level <100 g/L (HR, 3.695; P = 0.004), and non TET2 gene mutation (HR, 3.425; P = 0.017). A risk-grading scoring system was developed based on the regression coefficients and patients were stratified into low-risk (0-1 point), intermediate-risk (1.5-2 points) and high-risk ( > 2 points) groups. The validated internal c-statistic was 0.767 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.674-0.860), and the external c-statistic was 0.769 (95% CI, 0.703-0.836). In the derivation cohort, the cumulative incidence rates of early relapse in the low-risk, intermediate-risk, and high-risk groups were 1.35% (95% CI: 1-4%), 10.40% (95% CI: 4-16%), and 29.54% (95% CI: 16-39%) (P < 0.001), respectively. This scoring system can be utilized to early identification of patients at a high risk of relapse and contributing to the implementation of urgent medical support.

PMID:39587323 | DOI:10.1038/s41409-024-02480-3

Ecol Appl. 2024 Nov 25:e3066. doi: 10.1002/eap.3066. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Earthworms are a key faunal group in agricultural soils, but little is known on how farming systems affect their communities across wide climatic gradients and how farming system choice might mediate earthworms’ exposure to climate conditions. Here, we studied arable soil earthworm communities on wheat fields across a European climatic gradient, covering nine pedo-climatic zones, from Mediterranean to Boreal (S to N) and from Lusitanian to Pannonian (W to E). In each zone, 20-25 wheat fields under conventional or organic farming were sampled. Community metrics (total abundance, fresh mass, and species richness and composition) were combined with data on climate conditions, soil properties, and field management and analyzed with mixed models. There were no statistically discernible differences between organic and conventional farming for any of the community metrics. The effects of refined arable management factors were also not detected, except for an elevated proportion of subsurface-feeding earthworms when crop residues were incorporated. Soil properties were not significantly associated with earthworm community variations, which in the case of soil texture was likely due to low variation in the data. Pedo-climatic zone was an overridingly important factor in explaining the variation in community metrics. The Boreal zone had the highest mean total abundance (179 individuals m^-2) and fresh mass (86 g m^-2) of earthworms while the southernmost Mediterranean zones had the lowest metrics (<1 individual m^-2 and <1 g m^-2). Within each field, species richness was low across the zones, with the highest values being recorded at the Nemoral and North Atlantic zones (mean of 2-3 species per field) and declining from there toward north and south. No litter-dwelling species were found in the southernmost, Mediterranean zones. These regional trends were discernibly related to climate, with the community metrics declining with the increasing mean annual temperature. The current continent-wide warming of Europe and related increase of severe and rapid onsetting droughts will likely deteriorate the living conditions of earthworms, particularly in southern Europe. The lack of interaction between the pedo-climatic zone and the farming system in our data for any of the earthworm community metrics may indicate limited opportunities for alleviating the negative effects of a warming climate in cereal field soils of Europe.

PMID:39587320 | DOI:10.1002/eap.3066

Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 26;14(1):29258. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-80610-z.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of metabolic parameters in preoperative non-enhancing peritumoral regions (NEPTRs) for glioblastoma recurrence, using multivoxel hydrogen proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). Clinical and imaging data from patients with recurrent glioblastoma were analyzed. Through co-registration of preoperative and post-recurrence MRI, we identified future tumor recurrence regions (FTRRs) and future non-tumor recurrence regions (FNTRRs) within the NEPTRs. Metabolic parameters were recorded separately for each region. Cox regression analysis was applied to assess the association between metabolic parameters and glioblastoma recurrence. Compared to FNTRRs, FTRRs exhibited a higher Cho/Cr ratio, higher Cho/NAA ratio, and lower NAA/Cr ratio. Both Cho/NAA and Cho/Cr ratios were recognized as risk factors in univariate and multivariate analyses (P < 0.05). The Cox regression model indicated that Cho/NAA > 1.99 and Cho/Cr > 1.73 are independent risk factors for early glioblastoma recurrence. Based on these cut-off values, patients were stratified into low-risk and high-risk groups, with a statistically significant difference in recurrence rates between the two groups (P < 0.01). The Cho/NAA and Cho/Cr ratios in NEPTRs are independent predictors of future glioblastoma recurrence. Specifically, Cho/NAA > 1.99 and/or Cho/Cr > 1.73 in NEPTRs may indicate a higher risk of early postoperative recurrence at these regions.

PMID:39587278 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-80610-z

Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 26;14(1):29261. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-80849-6.

ABSTRACT

The dynamic and multimodal nature of photovoltaic (PV) systems makes it challenging to examine all solar photovoltaic characteristics. Consequently, this study recommends a recently developed optimization method called the marine predator algorithm (MPA) for developing reliable PV models. In the traditional MPA, the two main search processes are Lévy flight (LF) and Brownian walk (BW), and the switch across them is unpredictable. This is while the transition between these two mechanisms is naturally continuous and dynamic. To rectify the limitation mentioned above, this research paper presents an innovative, dynamic shift function that effectively modulates the interplay that exists between the BW and LF procedures. By enhancing the changeover pattern between the primary phases of MPA, the suggested dynamic walk substantially boosts the performance of MPA. The dynamic Lévy-Brownian MPA (DLBMPA) is also made to be resilient in dealing with the parameterization limitations of PV Modeling approaches by using a constraint handling technique. The performance of DLBMPA is tested using ten popular optimization methods. Employing the DLBMPA achieved an average RMSE of 9.7 × 10^{– 4} in the parameter estimation across a number of multiple PV models, including the SDM, DDM, and TDM, where out of the ten optimization algorithms experimented, this was statistically significant (p < 0.05) better. In terms of averaged computation time, DLBMPA was 13 ms and still showed high accuracy in dealing with different irradiance and temperature levels. These improvements allow for MBPA to be credited as having a high efficiency when estimating the PV parameters since its speed of convergence and accuracy level surpass the previous techniques used.

PMID:39587262 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-80849-6

Nat Cancer. 2024 Nov 25. doi: 10.1038/s43018-024-00863-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Refractoriness to initial chemotherapy and relapse after remission are the main obstacles to curing T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). While tumor heterogeneity has been implicated in treatment failure, the cellular and genetic factors contributing to resistance and relapse remain unknown. Here we linked tumor subpopulations with clinical outcome, created an atlas of healthy pediatric hematopoiesis and applied single-cell multiomic analysis to a diverse cohort of 40 T-ALL cases. We identified a bone marrow progenitor (BMP)-like leukemia subpopulation associated with treatment failure and poor overall survival. The single-cell-derived molecular signature of BMP-like blasts predicted poor outcome across multiple subtypes of T-ALL and revealed that NOTCH1 mutations additively drive T-ALL blasts away from the BMP-like state. Through in silico and in vitro drug screenings, we identified a therapeutic vulnerability of BMP-like blasts to apoptosis-inducing agents including venetoclax. Collectively, our study establishes multiomic signatures for rapid risk stratification and targeted treatment of high-risk T-ALL.

PMID:39587259 | DOI:10.1038/s43018-024-00863-5

Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 25;14(1):29229. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-80650-5.

ABSTRACT

A novel, optimized, polysaccharide and biochar-based, compostable hydrogel horticultural growing substrate for use in hydroponics and vertical farming was created based upon empirical methods and statistical design of experiments. A 15-run D-optimal mixture design of experiments was completed that increased the 14-day plant growing ability of a five-component hydrogel nearly ten-fold from 4.3695 g to 41.2623 g per 100 plants. The data were analyzed using a standard least squares method with an effect screening emphasis, and a model was created that maximized the signal to noise ratio. There was a good correlation between the measured and predicted values of the model, with an r-squared value of 0.90. The predictions of efficacy and compostability were confirmed with subsequent experiments that showed the hydrogel was composted in less than 84 days and that the plant growth predicted by the model differed from the experimental growth by 0.65%. The resulting optimized formulation had a high fertilizer content for a growth medium. We therefore suggest that an empirical approach to formulation research can produce superior outcomes with a statistically designed study.

PMID:39587252 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-80650-5

Nat Ecol Evol. 2024 Nov 25. doi: 10.1038/s41559-024-02594-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

A pressing question resulting from global warming is how climate change will affect infectious diseases. Answering this question requires research into the effects of weather on the population dynamics of transmission and infection; elucidating these effects, however, has proved difficult due to the challenges of assessing causality from the predominantly observational data available in epidemiological research. Here we show how concepts from causal inference-the sub-field of statistics aiming at inferring causality from data-can guide that research. Through a series of case studies, we illustrate how such concepts can help assess study design and strategically choose a study’s location, evaluate and reduce the risk of bias, and interpret the multifaceted effects of meteorological variables on transmission. More broadly, we argue that interdisciplinary approaches based on explicit causal frameworks are crucial for reliably estimating the effect of weather and accurately predicting the consequences of climate change.

PMID:39587221 | DOI:10.1038/s41559-024-02594-3