Category: Statistics

Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2023 Dec 21. doi: 10.1007/s13555-023-01068-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Patients with psoriasis report pruritus as their most bothersome symptom. Tapinarof cream 1% once daily demonstrated significant efficacy versus vehicle and was well tolerated in adults with mild to severe plaque psoriasis in two 12-week trials: PSOARING 1 (NCT03956355) and PSOARING 2 (NCT03983980). Here, we present patient-reported pruritus outcomes from these trials.

METHODS: Outcomes included a Peak Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (PP-NRS) score of 0 or 1 (itch-free state); Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) itch item scores; and Psoriasis Symptom Diary (PSD) itch item scores.

RESULTS: Analyses included 683 tapinarof- and 342 vehicle-treated patients. At baseline, mean pruritus scores were similar across trials with only 7-11% of patients reporting an itch-free state. At week 12, the proportion of tapinarof-treated patients achieving an itch-free state was 50% in both trials compared with 32% (P = 0.0007) and 27% (P < 0.0001) in the vehicle groups. Improvements were apparent at the earliest assessments with continued improvement over the course of the trials. There were rapid and statistically significant improvements in the proportion of patients with a ≥ 4-point improvement in PP-NRS for tapinarof-treated patients versus vehicle from week 2 with 68% vs 46% (P = 0.0004) and 60% vs 31% (P = 0.0001) at week 12 achieving a response in each trial. Significantly greater reductions in itch with tapinarof versus vehicle were also demonstrated at week 12 for DLQI itch item 1 (P = 0.0026 and P < 0.0001), PSD item 1 (both P < 0.0001), and PSD item 2 (both P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION: Tapinarof was highly efficacious in reducing pruritus across multiple patient-reported outcome measures, with rapid, statistically significant, and clinically meaningful improvements. The high proportion of patients achieving the treatment target of an itch-free state at week 12 (50%) is a noteworthy clinical outcome for a non-steroidal topical cream in the treatment of mild to severe plaque psoriasis.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trial registration information: NCT03956355, NCT03983980.

PMID:38123875 | DOI:10.1007/s13555-023-01068-x

Environ Monit Assess. 2023 Dec 20;196(1):69. doi: 10.1007/s10661-023-12214-5.

ABSTRACT

Technology-driven population expansion is closely linked to land use change. Unregulated mining, urbanization, industrialization, and forest clearing threaten land use and cover. This study used GIS and statistical methods to examine land use and cover changes in eastern India’s Asansol-Durgapur Development Authority (ADDA). The Kappa coefficient was used to validate each year’s LULC map accuracy. This region is changing rapidly due to industrial and urban development, which might cause environmental issues. Thus, this area is ideal for a scientific land-use change study. The central hypothesis of this study is that the LULC of an industrial area is spatially heterogeneous and that the number of hotspots is gradually increasing in response to the dynamicity of land use change over time and space. Three years (1992, 2007, and 2022) were used to determine the estimated transition rate. Hotspots of land use change were identified using autocorrelation statistics for LULC clustering using Moron’s I and Gi Z statistics. The proportion of land encompassed by natural vegetation experienced a decline from 12% in 1992 to 4% in 2022. Similarly, the extent of land occupied by agricultural activities decreased from 47 to 38% during the period spanning from 1992 to 2022. The industrial and coal mining sectors experienced a modest growth rate of 1% during the period spanning from 1992 to 2022. If the current rate of land use change persists, it will gradually and consistently alter the existing landscape. This study’s findings can potentially inform strategies to mitigate the adverse impacts of industrialization and urbanization on the region’s natural resources.

PMID:38123872 | DOI:10.1007/s10661-023-12214-5

Eur Radiol Exp. 2023 Dec 21;7(1):82. doi: 10.1186/s41747-023-00395-0.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Abdominal aortic endoleaks after endovascular aneurysm repair might be position-dependent, therefore undetectable using supine imaging. We aimed to determine the feasibility and benefit of using a low-field tiltable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner allowing to study patients who can be imaged in both supine and upright positions of endoleaks.

METHODS: Ten EVAR patients suspected of endoleak based on ultrasound examination were prospectively included. MRI in upright and supine positions was compared with routine supine computed tomography angiography (CTA). Analysis was performed through (1) subjective image quality assessment by three observers, (2) landmark registration between MRI and CTA scans, (3) Euclidean distances between renal and endograft landmarks, and (4) evaluation of endoleak detection on MRI by a consensus panel. Statistical analysis was performed by one-way repeated measures analysis of variance.

RESULTS: The image quality of upright/supine MRI was inferior compared to CTA. Median differences in both renal and endograft landmarks were approximately 6-7 mm between upright and supine MRI and 5-6 mm between supine MRI and CTA. In the proximal sealing zone of the endograft, no differences were found among all three scan types (p = 0.264). Endoleak detection showed agreement between MRI and CTA in 50% of the cases, with potential added value in only one patient.

CONCLUSIONS: The benefit of low-field upright MRI for endoleak detection was limited. While MRI assessment was non-inferior to standard CTA in detecting endoleaks in selected cases, improved hardware and sequences are needed to explore the potential of upright MRI in patients with endoleaks.

RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Upright low-field MRI has limited clinical value in detecting position-dependent endoleaks; improvements are required to fulfil its potential as a complementary modality in this clinical setting.

KEY POINTS: • Upright MRI shows potential for imaging endoleaks in aortic aneurysm patients in different positions. • The image quality of upright MRI is inferior to current techniques. • Upright MRI complements CTA, but lacks accurate deformation measurements for clinical use. • Advancements in hardware and imaging sequences are needed to fully utilise upright MRI capabilities.

PMID:38123829 | DOI:10.1186/s41747-023-00395-0

Eur Phys J E Soft Matter. 2023 Dec 20;46(12):131. doi: 10.1140/epje/s10189-023-00389-1.

ABSTRACT

Non-equilibrium fluctuations caused by the rearrangement of hemoglobin molecules into an aggregate state under shear stress have been investigated experimentally. The flow response under the shear stress (σ) corroborates the presence of contrasting aggregate and rejuvenation states governed by entropy production and consumption events. From the time-dependent shear rate fluctuation studies of aggregate states, the probability distribution function (PDF) of the rate of work done is observed to be spread from negative to positive values with a net positive mean. The PDFs follow the steady-state fluctuation theorem, even at a smaller timescale than that desired by the theorem. The behavior of the effective temperature (T_eff) that emerges from a non-equilibrium fluctuation and interconnects with the structural restrictions of the aggregate state of our driven system is observed to be within the boundary of the thermodynamic uncertainty. The increase in T_eff with the applied σ illustrates a phenomenal nonlinear power flux-dependent aggregating behavior in a classic bio-molecular-driven system.

PMID:38123828 | DOI:10.1140/epje/s10189-023-00389-1

J Hazard Mater. 2023 Dec 11;465:133108. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133108. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Due to the intervention of human activities, the background values of riverbed sediment exhibit spatiotemporal variability, which can affect the accuracy of risk assessment results. Using risk assessment that do not rely on background values is an executable alternative to avoid such problems. In this study, a relative pollution level assessment (RPLA) method which was based on the statistical results of relevant literatures was proposed. This method includes a four-step data processing procedure to extract the evaluation indexes of relative pollution degree of pollutants in environment and a series of relative pollution status assessment methods to evaluate the overall relative pollution level and regional difference of world-wide rivers. To demonstrate how to use RPLA method, 310 relevant literatures covering world-wide rivers were selected. And the ambient background value (x̅), the world-wide threshold values (WWTV) and the relative pollution grades (LEVEL I ∼ IV) of 9 target metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb, Sb and Tl) in riverbed surface sediments of world-wide rivers were extracted and used for evaluation. Moreover, the stability and applicability of RPLA method were evaluated. Results show that the evaluation results of RPLA method are robust and comparable with traditional evaluation method.

PMID:38118195 | DOI:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133108

Glob Public Health. 2024 Jan;19(1):2291703. doi: 10.1080/17441692.2023.2291703. Epub 2023 Dec 20.

ABSTRACT

One in five child deaths under age 5 are a result of severe wasting. Malnutrition at early ages is linked to lifelong consequences, such as reduced cognitive skills, reduced earnings in adulthood and chronic health conditions. Countries worldwide have committed to addressing child undernutrition, and ending hunger is foundational to the Millennium Development Goals. In this paper, we study the intergenerational effect of providing free tuition in secondary school on future children’s nutrition. We combined a novel longitudinal dataset that captures educational policies for 40 African countries from 1990 to 2019 with the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). We identified three countries that introduced free secondary education several years after implementing free primary education. Exploiting this variation in timing we estimate the additional impact of providing free secondary education over free primary education. Using a difference-in-difference approach, we find that introducing free secondary education significantly reduced wasting. Cohorts exposed to free secondary had an 18% relative decrease in wasting. The impact on cohorts exposed only to free primary was smaller and not statistically significant. Expanding free secondary education has long-term, intergenerational benefits and is an effective path to reducing malnutrition. Results are robust to different specifications.

PMID:38118117 | DOI:10.1080/17441692.2023.2291703

Am J Public Health. 2023 Dec;113(S3):S240-S247. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2023.307525.

ABSTRACT

Objectives. To evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) receipt among pregnant individuals overall and by race/ethnicity. Methods. We measured changes in WIC receipt among Medicaid-covered births (n = 10 484 697) from the US National Center for Health Statistics Natality Files (2016-2022). Our interrupted time series logistic model included a continuous monthly variable, a binary post-COVID variable, and a continuous slope shift variable. We additionally fit separate models for each race/ethnicity relative to White individuals, using interaction terms between the time series variables and race/ethnicity. Results. We found decreases in WIC receipt (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.899; P < .001) from before COVID (66.6%) to after COVID (57.9%). There were larger post-COVID decreases for American Indian/Alaska Native (AOR = 0.850; P < .001), Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (AOR = 0.877; P = .003), Black (AOR = 0.974; P < .001), and Hispanic (AOR = 0.972, P < .001) individuals relative to White individuals. Conclusions. The greater reductions in WIC receipt among minoritized individuals highlights a pathway through which the pandemic may have widened gaps in already disparate maternal and infant health. Public Health Implications. Continued efforts to increase WIC utilization are needed overall and among minoritized populations. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(S3):S240-S247. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307525).

PMID:38118087 | DOI:10.2105/AJPH.2023.307525

J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2023 Dec 20:1-17. doi: 10.1080/15374416.2023.2292045. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) stigmatization is a key factor related to transgender adolescent mental health. While previous research has focused on direct associations between stigmatization and mental health, the present study of transgender youth, equitably recruited across the autism spectrum, examines cognitive and developmental factors in relation to the self-report of experienced and perceived SGM stigmatization.

METHOD: 65 binary transgender adolescents (43% transfeminine; ages 13-21 years) were intentionally recruited across the spectrum of autism traits from no traits to full criteria autism. Participants completed measures of autism-related social differences, cognitive abilities, and self-reported directly experienced and perceived SGM stigma. Autism-related social differences, cognitive abilities, and age were studied in relation to both SGM stigma factors.

RESULTS: Autism-related social differences were negatively associated with level of directly experienced SGM stigma but unassociated with perceived stigma. Greater cognitive ability was positively associated with level of perceived SGM stigma, but unassociated with report of directly experienced stigma. Older age was positively associated with level of perceived SGM stigma. There was a statistical trend toward older age positively associated with level of directly experienced stigma.

CONCLUSIONS: The present study identifies candidate cognitive and developmental influences on self-reported SGM stigmatization among transgender adolescents, evenly recruited across the autism spectrum. The factors which may impact the perception and experience of stigmatization have been notably under-explored in the mental health field. The examination of these individual characteristics may allow for more precise predictive models for research with transgender youth, and ultimately, in clinical care.

PMID:38118056 | DOI:10.1080/15374416.2023.2292045

N Engl J Med. 2023 Dec 21;389(25):2403-2404. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2312332.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:38118045 | DOI:10.1056/NEJMc2312332

N Engl J Med. 2023 Dec 21;389(25):2403. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2312332.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:38118044 | DOI:10.1056/NEJMc2312332