Category: Statistics

Network. 2024 Jun 24:1-57. doi: 10.1080/0954898X.2024.2367481. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to test the performance of the recently proposed weighted superposition attraction-repulsion algorithms (WSA and WSAR) on unconstrained continuous optimization test problems and constrained optimization problems. WSAR is a successor of weighted superposition attraction algorithm (WSA). WSAR is established upon the superposition principle from physics and mimics attractive and repulsive movements of solution agents (vectors). Differently from the WSA, WSAR also considers repulsive movements with updated solution move equations. WSAR requires very few algorithm-specific parameters to be set and has good convergence and searching capability. Through extensive computational tests on many benchmark problems including CEC’2015 and CEC’2020 performance of the WSAR is compared against WSA and other metaheuristic algorithms. It is statistically shown that the WSAR algorithm is able to produce good and competitive results in comparison to its predecessor WSA and other metaheuristic algorithms.

PMID:38913877 | DOI:10.1080/0954898X.2024.2367481

J Natl Cancer Inst. 2024 Jun 24:djae141. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djae141. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

We conducted a cross-sectional multi-center study to compare the demographics, clinical characteristics, and lung cancer screening (LCS) results among those eligible for LCS per 2013 vs 2021 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations. Statistical tests are two-sided, with p < .05 considered statistically significant. Among 17,702 screened individuals (85.2% 2013 Eligible, 14.8% 2021 Newly Eligible), a higher proportion of those screened per 2021 vs 2013 criteria were female (56.1% vs 48.1%, p < .0001) and non-Hispanic Black (19.3% vs 13.4%, p < .0001). The risk of developing and dying from lung cancer per 1000 was statistically significantly higher among those eligible per 2013 vs 2021 criteria. A higher proportion of LCS exams had an increased suspicion of lung cancer in the 2013 vs 2021 criteria groups. Our data suggest that, as intended, updated 2021 USPSTF recommendations are leading to a higher proportion of LCS exams among non-Hispanic Black individuals and women.

PMID:38913873 | DOI:10.1093/jnci/djae141

Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2024 Jun 24:ezae249. doi: 10.1093/ejcts/ezae249. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The evaluation of Fontan-associated liver disease is often challenging. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging can detect hepatic fibrosis from capillary perfusion and diffusion abnormalities from extracellular matrix accumulation. This study investigated its role for evaluation of liver disease in Fontan patients and explored possible diagnostic method for early detection of advanced liver fibrosis.

METHODS: Stable adult Fontan patients who could safely receive magnetic resonance examination were enrolled and blood biomarkers, transient elastography were also examined.

RESULTS: Forty-six patients received diffusion weighted imaging and 58.7% were with advanced liver fibrosis (severe liver fibrosis 37.0%, and cirrhosis 21.7%). Two parameters of hepatic dysfunction, platelet counts (Spearman’s ρ: -0.456, p = 0.001) and cholesterol levels (Spearman’s ρ: -0.383, p = 0.009), decreased with increasing severities of fibrosis. Using transient elastography, a cutoff value 14.2 kPa predicted presence of advanced liver fibrosis, but with a low positive predictive value. When we included platelet count, cholesterol, post-Fontan years and TE values as a composite, the prediction capability of advanced liver fibrosis was the most satisfactory (c statistic 0.817 ± 0.071, p < 0.001). A cutoff value of 5.0 revealed a sensitivity of 78% and a specificity of 82%.

CONCLUSIONS: In Fontan patients, diffusion-weighted imaging is helpful in detection of liver fibrosis that was correlated with hepatic dysfunction. A simple score was proposed for long-term surveillance and early detection of advanced liver disease in adult Fontan patients. For adult Fontan patients with calculated score > 5.0, we may consider timely diffusion-weight imaging and early management for liver complications.

PMID:38913856 | DOI:10.1093/ejcts/ezae249

Stroke. 2024 Jul;55(7):e187-e188. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.124.046788. Epub 2024 Jun 24.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:38913798 | DOI:10.1161/STROKEAHA.124.046788

Transplantation. 2024 Jun 24. doi: 10.1097/TP.0000000000005103. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Chronic systemic inflammation is associated with mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between pretransplant inflammatory biomarkers (growth differentiation factor-15 [GDF-15], interleukin-6 [IL-6], soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-1, monokine induced by gamma interferon/chemokine [C-X-C motif] ligand 9 [MIG/CXCL9], monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, soluble FAS, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-15, and interleukin-1β) and death with function (DWF) after kidney transplantation (KT).

METHODS: We retrospectively measured inflammatory biomarker levels in serum collected up to 1 y before KT (time from blood draw to KT was 130 ± 110 d) in recipients transplanted between January 2006 and December 2018. Kaplan-Meier estimation, Cox regression, and Gradient Boosting Machine modeling were used to examine the relationship between inflammatory biomarkers and DWF.

RESULTS: Our cohort consisted of 1595 KT recipients, of whom 62.9% were male and 83.2% were non-Hispanic White. Over a mean follow-up of 7.4 ± 3.9 y, 21.2% of patients (n = 338) experienced DWF. Patients with the highest quartile levels of GDF-15 (>4766 pg/mL), IL-6 (>6.11 pg/mL), and MIG/CXCL9 (> 5835 pg/mL) had increased rates of DWF, and each predicted mortality independently of the others. When adjusted for clinical factors (age, diabetes, etc), the highest quartile levels of GDF-15 and IL-6 remained independently associated with DWF. Adding inflammatory markers to a clinical Cox model improved the C-statistic for DWF from 0.727 to 0.762 using a Gradient Boosting Machine modeling approach.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that pre-KT serum concentrations of GDF-15, IL-6, and MIG/CXCL9 may help to risk stratify and manage patients undergoing KT and suggests that chronic inflammation may play a role in mortality in KT recipients.

PMID:38913783 | DOI:10.1097/TP.0000000000005103

J Asthma. 2024 Jun 24:1-10. doi: 10.1080/02770903.2024.2372600. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1RAs), originally developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, have attracted attention for their potential therapeutic benefits in asthma due to their anti-inflammatory properties and effects on airway smooth muscle function. However, concerns have been raised about the possibility of GLP1RAs inducing or exacerbating asthma symptoms. Analysis of the US Food and Drug Administration’s adverse events reporting system database has shown that certain GLP1RAs, particularly exenatide, semaglutide and liraglutide, were associated with a higher proportion of respiratory adverse events, particularly asthma or asthma-like events. This association was statistically significant at least for semaglutide and liraglutide. Serious asthma-related events and deaths were also reported, with exenatide having the highest proportion of deaths. However, the reasons for these differences in the adverse event profiles of the GLP1RAs remain unclear and may involve various factors such as pharmacological properties, patient characteristics and reporting biases. The complex interplay between the therapeutic benefits of GLP1RAs and the potential respiratory risks requires careful monitoring by clinicians, underpinned by ongoing research efforts to improve patient care and safety.

PMID:38913778 | DOI:10.1080/02770903.2024.2372600

J Med Internet Res. 2024 Jun 24;26:e55352. doi: 10.2196/55352.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Photographs from medical case reports published in academic journals have previously been found in online image search results. This means that patient photographs circulate beyond the original journal website and can be freely accessed online. While this raises ethical and legal concerns, no systematic study has documented how often this occurs.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to provide systematic evidence that patient photographs from case reports published in medical journals appear in Google Images search results. Research questions included the following: (1) what percentage of patient medical photographs published in case reports were found in Google Images search results? (2) what was the relationship between open access publication status and image availability? and (3) did the odds of finding patient photographs on third-party websites differ between searches conducted in 2020 and 2022?

METHODS: The main outcome measure assessed whether at least 1 photograph from each case report was found on Google Images when using a structured search. Secondary outcome variables included the image source and the availability of images on third-party websites over time. The characteristics of medical images were described using summary statistics. The association between the source of full-text availability and image availability on Google Images was tested using logistic regressions. Finally, we examined the trend of finding patient photographs using generalized estimating equations.

RESULTS: From a random sample of 585 case reports indexed in PubMed, 186 contained patient photographs, for a total of 598 distinct images. For 142 (76.3%) out of 186 case reports, at least 1 photograph was found in Google Images search results. A total of 18.3% (110/598) of photographs included eye, face, or full body, including 10.9% (65/598) that could potentially identify the patient. The odds of finding an image from the case report online were higher if the full-text paper was available on ResearchGate (odds ratio [OR] 9.16, 95% CI 2.71-31.02), PubMed Central (OR 7.90, 95% CI 2.33-26.77), or Google Scholar (OR 6.07, 95% CI 2.77-13.29) than if the full-text was available solely through an open access journal (OR 5.33, 95% CI 2.31-12.28). However, all factors contributed to an increased risk of locating patient images online. Compared with the search in 2020, patient photographs were less likely to be found on third-party websites based on the 2022 search results (OR 0.61, 95% Cl 0.43-0.87).

CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of medical photographs from case reports was found on Google Images, raising ethical concerns with policy and practice implications. Journal publishers and corporations such as Google are best positioned to develop an effective remedy. Until then, it is crucial that patients are adequately informed about the potential risks and benefits of providing consent for clinicians to publish their images in medical journals.

PMID:38913416 | DOI:10.2196/55352

J Med Internet Res. 2024 Jun 24;26:e55352. doi: 10.2196/55352.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Photographs from medical case reports published in academic journals have previously been found in online image search results. This means that patient photographs circulate beyond the original journal website and can be freely accessed online. While this raises ethical and legal concerns, no systematic study has documented how often this occurs.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to provide systematic evidence that patient photographs from case reports published in medical journals appear in Google Images search results. Research questions included the following: (1) what percentage of patient medical photographs published in case reports were found in Google Images search results? (2) what was the relationship between open access publication status and image availability? and (3) did the odds of finding patient photographs on third-party websites differ between searches conducted in 2020 and 2022?

METHODS: The main outcome measure assessed whether at least 1 photograph from each case report was found on Google Images when using a structured search. Secondary outcome variables included the image source and the availability of images on third-party websites over time. The characteristics of medical images were described using summary statistics. The association between the source of full-text availability and image availability on Google Images was tested using logistic regressions. Finally, we examined the trend of finding patient photographs using generalized estimating equations.

RESULTS: From a random sample of 585 case reports indexed in PubMed, 186 contained patient photographs, for a total of 598 distinct images. For 142 (76.3%) out of 186 case reports, at least 1 photograph was found in Google Images search results. A total of 18.3% (110/598) of photographs included eye, face, or full body, including 10.9% (65/598) that could potentially identify the patient. The odds of finding an image from the case report online were higher if the full-text paper was available on ResearchGate (odds ratio [OR] 9.16, 95% CI 2.71-31.02), PubMed Central (OR 7.90, 95% CI 2.33-26.77), or Google Scholar (OR 6.07, 95% CI 2.77-13.29) than if the full-text was available solely through an open access journal (OR 5.33, 95% CI 2.31-12.28). However, all factors contributed to an increased risk of locating patient images online. Compared with the search in 2020, patient photographs were less likely to be found on third-party websites based on the 2022 search results (OR 0.61, 95% Cl 0.43-0.87).

CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of medical photographs from case reports was found on Google Images, raising ethical concerns with policy and practice implications. Journal publishers and corporations such as Google are best positioned to develop an effective remedy. Until then, it is crucial that patients are adequately informed about the potential risks and benefits of providing consent for clinicians to publish their images in medical journals.

PMID:38913416 | DOI:10.2196/55352

Am J Clin Oncol. 2024 Jun 24. doi: 10.1097/COC.0000000000001123. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Given the vulnerable health condition of adult childhood cancer survivors, it is essential that they develop positive health behaviors to minimize controllable health risks. Therefore, we evaluated if adult survivors of non-childhood cancer and childhood cancer differ in the odds of each modifiable risk factor compared with each other and compared with the general population.

METHODS: This nationally representative study leveraged the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) sample from 2000 to 2018 and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) sample from 2016 to 2021. Our study population included adults diagnosed with cancer when they were ≤14 years of age. Outcomes included physical activity, body mass index (BMI), current smoking, ever-smoking, alcohol use, and binge drinking.

RESULTS: Insufficient physical activity was not statistically significant in the BRFSS, but in the NHIS, childhood cancer survivors had significantly more insufficient physical activity compared with non-childhood cancer survivors (aOR 1.29, P=0.038) and the general population (aOR 1.40, P=0.006). Childhood cancer survivors also had a higher likelihood of being significantly underweight (aOR 1.84, P=0.018) and having ever-smoked (aOR 1.42, P=0.001) compared with the general population in the NHIS. There was a significantly higher likelihood of smoking among childhood cancer survivors in the BRFSS (aOR 2.02, P=0.004).

CONCLUSIONS: The likelihoods of many risky behaviors between adult childhood cancer survivors and general population controls were comparable, although rates of physical activity may be decreased, and rates of smoking may be increased among childhood cancer survivors. Targeted interventions are needed to promote healthy behaviors in this vulnerable population.

PMID:38913415 | DOI:10.1097/COC.0000000000001123

Am J Clin Oncol. 2024 Jun 24. doi: 10.1097/COC.0000000000001123. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Given the vulnerable health condition of adult childhood cancer survivors, it is essential that they develop positive health behaviors to minimize controllable health risks. Therefore, we evaluated if adult survivors of non-childhood cancer and childhood cancer differ in the odds of each modifiable risk factor compared with each other and compared with the general population.

METHODS: This nationally representative study leveraged the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) sample from 2000 to 2018 and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) sample from 2016 to 2021. Our study population included adults diagnosed with cancer when they were ≤14 years of age. Outcomes included physical activity, body mass index (BMI), current smoking, ever-smoking, alcohol use, and binge drinking.

RESULTS: Insufficient physical activity was not statistically significant in the BRFSS, but in the NHIS, childhood cancer survivors had significantly more insufficient physical activity compared with non-childhood cancer survivors (aOR 1.29, P=0.038) and the general population (aOR 1.40, P=0.006). Childhood cancer survivors also had a higher likelihood of being significantly underweight (aOR 1.84, P=0.018) and having ever-smoked (aOR 1.42, P=0.001) compared with the general population in the NHIS. There was a significantly higher likelihood of smoking among childhood cancer survivors in the BRFSS (aOR 2.02, P=0.004).

CONCLUSIONS: The likelihoods of many risky behaviors between adult childhood cancer survivors and general population controls were comparable, although rates of physical activity may be decreased, and rates of smoking may be increased among childhood cancer survivors. Targeted interventions are needed to promote healthy behaviors in this vulnerable population.

PMID:38913415 | DOI:10.1097/COC.0000000000001123