Category: Statistics

Bull Exp Biol Med. 2024 Oct 24. doi: 10.1007/s10517-024-06262-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) prepared by the methods of “green” bionanotechnological synthesis is considered a promising food additive and food ingredient. At the same time, the risk of reducing the bioavailability of minerals due to their adsorption on BNC fibers having a high specific surface area and high adsorption and ion exchange capacity cannot be excluded. We studied the effect of oral administration of BNC on the accumulation of macronutrients and trace elements included in the diet in the liver and kidneys of laboratory animals. Male Wistar rats received BNC at doses of 0 (control), 1, 10, and 100 mg/kg body weight as part of their diet for 8 weeks. The content of 30 macronutrients and trace elements in the liver and kidneys was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. It was found that BNC at all doses did not significantly change the content of the main essential macronutrients and trace elements in the organs (Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, Se, and Zn), which indicates the absence of a negative effect on their bioavailability. Among other elements, a statistically significant decrease in the content of As, B, Cd, Co, and Pb in the liver and an increase in Al, B, Ba, Ni, and Pb in the kidneys were revealed (more than 20% of the control). The revealed decrease in the bioaccumulation of cobalt can indicate inhibition of assimilation of certain chemical forms of this trace element under the action of BNC.

PMID:39446275 | DOI:10.1007/s10517-024-06262-1

Issues Law Med. 2024 Fall;39(2):100-116. doi: 10.70257/LZXP7816.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: While both induced abortion and natural pregnancy loss have been associated with subsequent mental health problems, population-based studies directly comparing these two pregnancy outcomes are rare. We sought to compare mental health morbidity after an induced abortion or natural loss.

METHODS: Continuously eligible Medicaid beneficiaries age 16 in 1999 were assigned to two cohorts based upon the first pregnancy outcome: abortion (n = 1,331) or natural loss (n = 605). Outcomes were mental health outpatient visits, inpatient hospital admissions and hospital days of stay per patient per year. Average exposure periods before and after the first pregnancy outcome for each cohort were used to adjust the mental health service rates.

RESULTS: Prior to the first pregnancy outcome, all three utilization rates were significantly higher for the natural loss cohort compared to the abortion cohort. For the abortion cohort, the per-patient per-year increase from the pre- to post-pregnancy periods was significant for all three rates: 2.04 times for outpatient visits (p < 0.0001), 3.04 times for inpatient admissions (p = 0.0003), and 3.01 times for hospital days of stay (p = 0.0112). None of the pre-to-post rate increases were significant for the natural loss cohort.

CONCLUSION: Higher pre-pregnancy use rates for women who experience a natural pregnancy loss indicate that increased mental health services use following abortion cannot be solely attributed to pre-existing mental illness. Only the abortion cohort, but not the natural loss cohort, experienced significant increases in mental health services use following the first pregnancy outcome.

PMID:39446259 | DOI:10.70257/LZXP7816

Braz J Microbiol. 2024 Oct 24. doi: 10.1007/s42770-024-01540-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASPs) are associated with positive outcomes, but seem to be consolidated in few hospitals. This study aimed to evaluate ASPs in Brazilian hospitals and the barriers to their consolidation from the pharmacists’ perspective. This is a cross-sectional study. Data were collected through an online questionnaire applied to hospital pharmacists. Data analysis was performed by descriptive statistics and Spearman’s ordinal correlation test. A total of 83 pharmacists participated in the study and 45.8% stated that the hospital in which they worked had an ASP. The ASPs were predominantly implemented in public hospitals, with a greater number of beds in the intensive care unit and beds in general. The main barriers to the consolidation of ASPs were: reduced number of pharmacists, time allocated to other demands of the pharmacy, the ineffectiveness of the communication process with doctors, and lack of access to reliable information about antimicrobials in the hospital. Pharmacists that work in hospitals where ASPs were implemented were more confident (p = 0.000) and with a better perception of the barriers that prevent their consolidation (p = 0.003. The ASP was commonly adopted in public hospitals with a greater number of beds. The main obstacles to consolidation were infrastructure, economic, and educational resources.

PMID:39446257 | DOI:10.1007/s42770-024-01540-6

Mol Biol Rep. 2024 Oct 24;51(1):1091. doi: 10.1007/s11033-024-10014-9.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Mono-resistance to rifampicin/isoniazid increases poor treatment outcomes and the risk of multi-drug resistance (MDR) in tuberculosis (TB) patients. Limited information exists about mono-resistance status of TB patients in Uttar Pradesh, North India. This study aimed to estimate the burden of rifampicin and isoniazid mono-resistance in Western Uttar Pradesh.

METHODS AND RESULTS: 153 sputum samples of suspected pulmonary tuberculosis patients were processed to isolate Mycobacterium tuberculosis using the Lowenstein-Jensen (L-J) culture medium. The isolates were identified using an immuno-chromatographic test and IS6110 PCR. The confirmed Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates were tested for drug susceptibility testing against rifampicin and isoniazid anti-tuberculosis drugs. The results of the drug susceptibility testing were compared with demographic information and analyzed statistically. Out of 153 sputum samples, 83 (54.24%) samples were positive for growth on L-J medium, including 82 (98.79%) Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates. Of the 82 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates, 16 (19.51%), 7 (8.54%), and 5 (6.10%) isolates were MDR, mono-resistant to rifampicin and isoniazid, respectively. The occurrence of RIF/INH mono-resistant-TB was higher in patients of male gender, age above 45 years, living in rural conditions, history of weight loss, and previous anti-TB treatment, but the effect was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS: The study reported the status of rifampicin and isoniazid mono-resistance among TB patients and highlighted the need for continuous monitoring and improved intervention for the initial detection of mono-drug-resistant cases. This will improve clinical treatment outcomes and decrease the rate of drug-resistant TB in Uttar Pradesh, North India.

PMID:39446249 | DOI:10.1007/s11033-024-10014-9

Sci Rep. 2024 Oct 23;14(1):24963. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-75644-2.

ABSTRACT

This emerging infectious disease poses one of the most severe threats to public health in these locations, but there are not many reliable therapies yet. In this work, we developed the Ebola virus dynamics and control factors epidemic model with a piecewise hybrid fractional Operator in time scale measure insight of Mittag-Leffler kernel. Patterns and structures that repeat at various scales are the focus of fractal analysis, which has applications in complex systems such as biological ones. Both qualitatively and statistically, a proposed model with the Lipschitz criteria and linear growth is examined, considering positive solutions, boundedness, and uniqueness at equilibrium points with Leray-Schauder results under time scale ideas. The regulation for linear responses approach will be used by Chaos Control to stabilize the system after its equilibrium points. A fractional-order framework with a controlled design will be considered, where solutions are bounded in the feasible domain of relations of different compartments. Ulam-Hyers stability results in the solution are treated when function (constant or rising) for the component of qualitative inquiry in generalized form. The dynamical behaviors of the suggested model are discussed with the Newton polynomial approach used to implement on model in the sense of classical piecewise and Mittag-Leffler kernel at different fractional order values. The model shows that solutions are stable and confined within a feasible range, ensuring reliability. Through detailed simulations, it effectively captures how different interventions and infection rates influence Ebola spread. This fractional-order model enhances understanding of Ebola transmission, providing a strong basis for predicting outbreaks and planning effective control measures, with practical applications for analyzing real-world data.

PMID:39443508 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-75644-2

Nat Commun. 2024 Oct 23;15(1):9153. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-53326-x.

ABSTRACT

Representational drift-the gradual continuous change of neuronal representations-has been observed across many brain areas. It is unclear whether drift is caused by synaptic plasticity elicited by sensory experience, or by the intrinsic volatility of synapses. Here, using chronic two-photon calcium imaging in primary visual cortex of female mice, we find that the preferred stimulus orientation of individual neurons slowly drifts over the course of weeks. By using cylinder lens goggles to limit visual experience to a narrow range of orientations, we show that the direction of drift, but not its magnitude, is biased by the statistics of visual input. A network model suggests that drift of preferred orientation largely results from synaptic volatility, which under normal visual conditions is counteracted by experience-driven Hebbian mechanisms, stabilizing preferred orientation. Under deprivation conditions these Hebbian mechanisms enable adaptation. Thus, Hebbian synaptic plasticity steers drift to match the statistics of the environment.

PMID:39443498 | DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-53326-x

Sci Rep. 2024 Oct 23;14(1):25041. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-74782-x.

ABSTRACT

NO previous studies have examined the simultaneous effects of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), hypertension, and the SNP rs68430822 on stroke. We aimed to explore whether these elements together, play a role as risk factors for stroke. Data was obtained from the Taiwan Biobank and the National Health Insurance database. We used logistic regression analysis to investigate the effect of OSA and hypertension as a risk factor for stroke in different genotypes. We found that OSA and hypertension was associated with stroke in those with the rs6843082 genotype. People with OSA and hypertension together with the rs6843082 genotype (GA + AA) showed a statistically significant difference as a risk for stroke (OR,2.57; 95% CI,1.53 to 4.33). However, there was no statistically significant difference in those people with OSA but without hypertension (OR, 0.53; 95% CI,0.13 to 2.25). After further stratification by combination of OSA and hypertension, those with genotype rs6843082 (GG) had higher risk odds than those with OSA and those with hypertension alone (OR,5.46, 95% CI,3.46 to 8.60). Individuals with genotype rs6843082(GA + AA), OSA and hypertension together had the highest risk for stroke (OR,6.25, 95% CI,3.63 to 10.76) and those with OSA and no hypertension (OR,0.57, 95% CI,0.14 to 2.36) had no significant risk. Our findings showed that people with genotype rs6843082 (GG), with or without hypertension had OSA as a risk factor for stroke. For individuals with the genotype rs6843082 (GA + AA), those with hypertension, OSA is a risk factor for stroke, and for those without hypertension, OSA is not associated with stroke.

PMID:39443494 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-74782-x

Nat Commun. 2024 Oct 23;15(1):9157. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-53224-2.

ABSTRACT

The observation of the gate-controlled supercurrent (GCS) effect in superconducting nanostructures increased the hopes for realizing a superconducting equivalent of semiconductor field-effect transistors. However, recent works attribute this effect to various leakage-based scenarios, giving rise to a debate on its origin. A proper understanding of the microscopic process underlying the GCS effect and the relevant time scales would be beneficial to evaluate the possible applications. In this work, we observed gate-induced two-level fluctuations between the superconducting state and normal state in Al/InAs nanowires (NWs). Noise correlation measurements show a strong correlation with leakage current fluctuations. The time-domain measurements show that these fluctuations have Poissonian statistics. Our detailed analysis of the leakage current measurements reveals that it is consistent with the stress-induced leakage current (SILC), in which inelastic tunneling with phonon generation is the predominant transport mechanism. Our findings shed light on the microscopic origin of the GCS effect and give deeper insight into the switching dynamics of the superconducting NW under the influence of the strong gate voltage.

PMID:39443447 | DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-53224-2

Int Urol Nephrol. 2024 Oct 23. doi: 10.1007/s11255-024-04249-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate the necessity of spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in children with persistent enuresis, specifically those presenting with urodynamically reduced bladder capacity (RBC) and detrusor overactivity (DO), in comparison to children with normal urodynamic findings.

METHODS: We evaluated 586 children admitted for bedwetting, all of whom received urotherapy and/or pharmacotherapy. Persistent enuresis, lasting for over one year, was identified in 134 patients who were subsequently re-evaluated for occult neurological conditions and recommended for urodynamic studies (UDS). In total, 92 patients provided informed consent and underwent UDS. Of these, 40 patients were divided into two cohorts based on UDS findings. All patients were over 6 years of age and had normal physical examinations. The first cohort consisted of 23 children RBC and DO, while the second cohort included 17 children with normal UDS findings. All participants underwent spinal cord MRI with a 3 Tesla scanner. Urodynamic and MRI results were compared using Fisher’s chi-square test.

RESULTS: The median age of the cohort was 11 years, with 26 (65%) of the patients being female. Spinal disorders were identified in 10 patients (25%), with 8 cases of spina bifida without neurological compression and 2 cases of tethered cord. In the RBC + DO cohort, 7 out of 23 patients (30.4%) were found to have spinal disorders, compared to 3 out of 17 patients (17.6%) in the normal UDS cohort, with no statistically significant difference between the groups (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: When evaluating persistent enuresis nocturna, a combination of RBC and DO in children with nocturnal enuresis and daytime symptoms may warrant spinal cord MRI, though with limited cost-effectiveness.

PMID:39443432 | DOI:10.1007/s11255-024-04249-5

J Robot Surg. 2024 Oct 24;18(1):379. doi: 10.1007/s11701-024-02146-8.

ABSTRACT

A comparison was conducted between robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) performed using the Hugo RAS System and the Da Vinci System. We conducted an extensive search of online databases through September 2024. The data from eligible studies were pooled and analyzed with Review Manager 5.4, employing a random effects model. Weighted mean difference (WMD) and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to analyze continuous and categorical variables. A total of eight original studies, involving 1155 patients (HUGO-RARP: 468 vs. da Vinci-RARP: 687), were included. Compared with da Vinci-RARP, HUGO-RARP had a longer docking time (WMD: 6.2 min; 95% CI 4.25-8.14; p < 0.0001), while no significant differences were observed in total operative time, console time, bladder neck dissection time, seminal vesicle dissection time, vesicourethral anastomosis time, or pelvic lymph node dissection time between two systems. There were no significant differences in hospital stay, estimated blood loss, catheter duration, or complication rates. Likewise, oncological and functional outcomes were similar between the two systems. While these results suggest that the Hugo RAS system performs as well as the Da Vinci system in RARP, more randomized controlled studies are needed to further evaluate prognostic outcomes.

PMID:39443428 | DOI:10.1007/s11701-024-02146-8