Category: Statistics

JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Jun 1;6(6):e2317945. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.17945.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Identifying changes in epidemiologic patterns of the incidence and risk of cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT), particularly with evolving cancer-directed therapy, is essential for risk stratification.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence of CAT over time and to determine pertinent patient-specific, cancer-specific, and treatment-specific factors associated with its risk.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This longitudinal, retrospective cohort study was conducted from 2006 to 2021. Duration of follow-up was from the date of diagnosis until first venous thromboembolism (VTE) event, death, loss of follow-up (defined as a 90-day gap without clinical encounters), or administrative censoring on April 1, 2022. The study took place within the US Department of Veterans Affairs national health care system. Patients with newly diagnosed invasive solid tumors and hematologic neoplasms were included in the study. Data were analyzed from December 2022 to February 2023.

EXPOSURE: Newly diagnosed invasive solid tumors and hematologic neoplasms.

MAIN OUTCOMES: Incidence of VTE was assessed using a combination of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification and International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification and natural language processing confirmed outcomes. Cumulative incidence competing risk functions were used to estimate incidence of CAT. Multivariable Cox regression models were built to assess the association of baseline variables with CAT. Pertinent patient variables included demographics, region, rurality, area deprivation index, National Cancer Institute comorbidity index, cancer type, staging, first-line systemic treatment within 3 months (time-varying covariate), and other factors that could be associated with the risk of VTE.

RESULTS: A total of 434 203 patients (420 244 men [96.8%]; median [IQR] age, 67 [62-74] years; 7414 Asian or Pacific Islander patients [1.7%]; 20 193 Hispanic patients [4.7%]; 89 371 non-Hispanic Black patients [20.6%]; 313 157 non-Hispanic White patients [72.1%]) met the inclusion criteria. Overall incidence of CAT at 12 months was 4.5%, with yearly trends ranging stably from 4.2% to 4.7%. The risk of VTE was associated with cancer type and stage. In addition to confirming well-known risk distribution among patients with solid tumors, a higher risk of VTE was observed among patients with aggressive lymphoid neoplasms compared with patients with indolent lymphoid or myeloid hematologic neoplasms. Compared with no treatment, patients receiving first-line chemotherapy (hazard ratio [HR], 1.44; 95% CI, 1.40-1.49) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (HR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.22-1.82) had a higher adjusted relative risk than patients receiving targeted therapy (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.13-1.30) or endocrine therapy (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.12-1.28). Finally, adjusted VTE risk was significantly higher among Non-Hispanic Black patients (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.19-1.27) and significantly lower in Asian or Pacific Islander patients (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.76-0.93) compared with Non-Hispanic White patients.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cohort study of patients with cancer, a high incidence of VTE was observed, with yearly trends that remained stable over the 16-year study period. Both novel and known factors associated with the risk of CAT were identified, providing valuable and applicable insights in this current treatment landscape.

PMID:37306999 | DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.17945

JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Jun 1;6(6):e2317952. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.17952.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Infants born with unhealthy birth weight are at greater risk for long-term health complications, but little is known about how neighborhood characteristics (eg, walkability, food environment) may affect birth weight outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether neighborhood-level characteristics (poverty rate, food environment, and walkability) are associated with risk of unhealthy birth weight outcomes and to evaluate whether gestational weight gain mediated these associations.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The population-based cross-sectional study included births in the 2015 vital statistics records from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Only singleton births and observations with complete birth weight and covariate data were included. Analyses were performed from November 2021 to March 2022.

EXPOSURES: Residential neighborhood-level characteristics, including poverty, food environment (healthy and unhealthy food retail establishments), and walkability (measured by both walkable destinations and a neighborhood walkability index combining walkability measures like street intersection and transit stop density). Neighborhood-level variables categorized into quartiles.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The main outcomes were birth certificate birth weight measures including small for gestational age (SGA), large for gestational age (LGA), and sex-specific birth weight for gestational age z-score. Generalized linear mixed-effects models and hierarchical linear models estimated risk ratios for associations between density of neighborhood-level characteristics within a 1-km buffer of residential census block centroid and birth weight outcomes.

RESULTS: The study included 106 194 births in New York City. The mean (SD) age of pregnant individuals in the sample was 29.9 (6.1) years. Prevalence of SGA and LGA were 12.9% and 8.4%, respectively. Residence in the highest density quartile of healthy food retail establishments compared with the lowest quartile was associated with lower adjusted risk of SGA (with adjustment for individual covariates including gestational weight gain z-score: risk ratio [RR], 0.89; 95% CI 0.83-0.97). Higher neighborhood density of unhealthy food retail establishments was associated with higher adjusted risk of delivering an infant classified as SGA (fourth vs first quartile: RR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.01-1.24). The RR for the association between density of unhealthy food retail establishments and risk of LGA was higher after adjustment for all covariates in each quartile compared with quartile 1 (second: RR, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.04-1.20]; third: RR, 1.18 [95% CI, 1.08-1.29]; fourth: RR, 1.16; [95% CI, 1.04-1.29]). There were no associations between neighborhood walkability and birth weight outcomes (SGA for fourth vs first quartile: RR, 1.01 [95% CI, 0.94-1.08]; LGA for fourth vs first quartile: RR, 1.06 [95% CI, 0.98-1.14]).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this population-based cross-sectional study, healthfulness of neighborhood food environments was associated with risk of SGA and LGA. The findings support use of urban design and planning guidelines to improve food environments to support healthy pregnancies and birth weight.

PMID:37306998 | DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.17952

JAMA Neurol. 2023 Jun 12. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2023.1580. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Both epilepsy and enzyme-inducing antiseizure medications (eiASMs) having varying reports of an association with increased risks for osteoporosis.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify and model the independent hazards for osteoporosis associated with incident epilepsy and eiASMS and non-eiASMs.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This open cohort study covered the years 1998 to 2019, with a median (IQR) follow-up of 5 (1.7-11.1) years. Data were collected for 6275 patients enrolled in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and from hospital electronic health records. No patients who met inclusion criteria (Clinical Practice Research Datalink-acceptable data, aged 18 years or older, follow-up after the Hospital Episode Statistics patient care linkage date of 1998, and free of osteoporosis at baseline) were excluded or declined.

EXPOSURE: Incident adult-onset epilepsy using a 5-year washout and receipt of 4 consecutive ASMs.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The outcome was incident osteoporosis as determined through Cox proportional hazards or accelerated failure time models where appropriate. Incident epilepsy was treated as a time-varying covariate. Analyses controlled for age, sex, socioeconomic status, cancer, 1 or more years of corticosteroid use, body mass index, bariatric surgery, eating disorders, hyperthyroidism, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, smoking status, falls, fragility fractures, and osteoporosis screening tests. Subsequent analyses (1) excluded body mass index, which was missing in 30% of patients; (2) applied propensity score matching for receipt of an eiASM; (3) restricted analyses to only those with incident onset epilepsy; and (4) restricted analyses to patients who developed epilepsy at age 65 years or older. Analyses were performed between July 1 and October 31, 2022, and in February 2023 for revisions.

RESULTS: Of 8 095 441 adults identified, 6275 had incident adult-onset epilepsy (3220 female [51%] and 3055 male [49%]; incidence rate, 62 per 100 000 person-years) with a median (IQR) age of 56 (38-73) years. When controlling for osteoporosis risk factors, incident epilepsy was independently associated with a 41% faster time to incident osteoporosis (time ratio [TR], 0.59; 95% CI, 0.52-0.67; P < .001). Both eiASMs (TR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.87-0.95; P < .001) and non-eiASMs (TR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.76-0.78; P < .001) were also associated with significant increased risks independent of epilepsy, accounting for 9% and 23% faster times to development of osteoporosis, respectively. The independent associations among epilepsy, eiASMs, and non-eiASMs remained consistent in propensity score-matched analyses, cohorts restricted to adult-onset epilepsy, and cohorts restricted to late-onset epilepsy.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: These findings suggest that epilepsy is independently associated with a clinically meaningful increase in the risk for osteoporosis, as are both eiASMs and non-eiASMs. Routine screening and prophylaxis should be considered in all people with epilepsy.

PMID:37306981 | DOI:10.1001/jamaneurol.2023.1580

J Travel Med. 2023 Jun 12:taad080. doi: 10.1093/jtm/taad080. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:37306962 | DOI:10.1093/jtm/taad080

CJEM. 2023 Jun 12. doi: 10.1007/s43678-023-00529-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Triage is the process of identifying patients with both the greatest clinical need and the greatest likelihood of benefit in the setting of limited clinical resources. The primary objective of this study was to assess the ability of formal mass casualty incident triage tools to identify patients requiring urgent lifesaving interventions.

METHODS: Data from the Alberta Trauma Registry (ATR) was used to assess seven triage tools: START, JumpSTART, SALT, RAMP, MPTT, BCD and MITT. Clinical data captured in the ATR was used to determine which triage category each of the seven tools would have applied to each patient. These categorizations were compared to a reference standard definition based on the patients’ need for specific urgent lifesaving interventions.

RESULTS: Of the 9448 records that were captured 8652 were included in our analysis. The most sensitive triage tool was MPTT, which demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.76 (0.75, 0.78). Four of the seven triage tools evaluated had sensitivities below 0.45. JumpSTART had the lowest sensitivity and the highest under-triage rate for pediatric patients. All the triage tools evaluated had a moderate to high positive predictive value (> 0.67) for patients who had experienced penetrating trauma.

CONCLUSIONS: There was a wide range in the sensitivity of triage tools to identify patients requiring urgent lifesaving interventions. MPTT, BCD and MITT were the most sensitive triage tools assessed. All of the triage tools assessed should be employed with caution during mass casualty incidents as they may fail to identify a large proportion of patients requiring urgent lifesaving interventions.

PMID:37306923 | DOI:10.1007/s43678-023-00529-8

J Nephrol. 2023 Jun 12. doi: 10.1007/s40620-023-01636-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: While the use of different immunosuppressants has been investigated in immunoglobulin A nephropathy, further investigation is needed to assess the effect of a regimen of mycophenolate mofetil combined with a short course of glucocorticosteroids in the subset of patients with histologically active features. We compared the efficacy and safety of a combined regimen of mycophenolate mofetil and glucocorticosteroids to a conventional regimen of glucocorticosteroids alone in patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy who have active lesions and major urinary abnormalities.

METHODS: This retrospective study involved 30 immunoglobulin A nephropathy patients with active histological lesions, 15 of whom were treated with both mycophenolate mofetil 2 g/day for 6 months and 3 pulses of 15 mg/kg methylprednisolone, followed by a short tapering schedule of oral prednisone. The control group was made up of the remaining 15 clinically- and histologically-matched patients treated with glucocorticosteroids alone according to a validated schedule, i.e., 1 g of methylprednisolone given intravenously for 3 consecutive days, followed by oral prednisone 0.5 mg/kg every other day for 6 months. At diagnosis, all patients had urinary protein excretion > 1 g/24 h and microscopic hematuria.

RESULTS: At the end of the first year of follow-up (30 patients) and after 5 years (17 patients), there were no differences between the two groups in terms of urinary abnormalities and functional parameters. Both regimens achieved a statistically significant decrease in 24-h urinary protein excretion (p < 0.001) and a reduction of microscopic hematuria. However, the mycophenolate mofetil-based regimen allowed a cumulative sparing dose of 6 g of glucocorticosteroids.

CONCLUSION: In this single center study on immunoglobulin A nephropathy patients with active lesions and major urinary abnormalities and at increased risk of glucocorticosteroid-related complications, a mycophenolate mofetil-based regimen demonstrated similar outcomes in terms of complete response and relapse (at 1 and 5 years) compared to a conventional glucocorticosteroid-based protocol, while achieving a consistent reduction of glucocorticosteroid cumulative dose.

PMID:37306917 | DOI:10.1007/s40620-023-01636-6

J Neurooncol. 2023 Jun 12. doi: 10.1007/s11060-023-04360-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The postoperative period after laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) is marked by a temporary increase in volume, which can impact the accuracy of radiographic assessment. The current criteria for progressive disease (PD) suggest that a 20% increase in size of brain metastasis (BM) assessed in 6-12 weeks intervals should be considered as local progression (LP). However, there is no agreement on how LP should be defined in this context. In this study, we aimed to statistically analyze which tumor volume variations were associated with LP.

METHODS: We analyzed 40 BM that underwent LITT between 2013 and 2022. For this study, LP was defined following radiographic features. A ROC curve was generated to evaluate volume change as a predictor of LP and find the optimal cutoff point. A logistic regression analysis and Kaplan Meier curves were performed to assess the impact of various clinical variables on LP.

RESULTS: Out of 40 lesions, 12 (30%) had LP. An increase in volume of 25.6% from baseline within 120-180 days after LITT presented a 70% sensitivity and 88.9% specificity for predicting LP (AUC: 0.78, p = 0.041). The multivariate analysis showed a 25% increase in volume between 120 and 180 days as a negative predictive factor (p = 0.02). Volumetric changes within 60-90 days after LITT did not predict LP (AUC: 0.57; p = 0.61).

CONCLUSION: Volume changes within the first 120 days after the procedure are not independent indicators of LP of metastatic brain lesions treated with LITT.

PMID:37306886 | DOI:10.1007/s11060-023-04360-0

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 Jun 12. doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-28019-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The adsorbent MIL-101, a metal-organic framework material, was synthesized, characterized, and tested for removal of relatively low concentrations of benzene and toluene adsorbates (200 ppm) from a gas phase in a continuous flow system. Breakthrough studies were modeled based on Thomas, Yoon-Nelson, Yan, Clark, Bohart-Adams, bed-depth service time, modified dose response, Wolborska, and Gompertz in the continuous fixed-bed operation. Through statistical analysis, it was determined which type of regression is most suitable for the studied models, linear or nonlinear. By comparing the values of error functions, it was possible to infer that the Thomas model is the best match for the experimental breakthrough curves for benzene (with maximum solid-phase concentration q_T=126,750 mg/g) and the Gompertz model for toluene (parameter β=0.01 min^-1). Overall, when compared to the model parameters of the linear regression, those obtained through nonlinear regression show a stronger correlation with the results found experimentally. Thus, this type of regression is more suitable for the adsorption model analysis. The liquid film and intraparticle diffusion analysis was described, and it was suggested that both types of diffusion contribute to the adsorption mechanism of benzene and toluene on MIL-101. As for the isotherms, the adsorption process was better fitted by the Freundlich isotherm. The reusability of MIL-101 after six cycles was 76.5% for benzene and 62.4% for toluene, indicating that MIL-101 was a better adsorbent for the removal of benzene in comparison with toluene.

PMID:37306882 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-023-28019-5

Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2023 Jun 12. doi: 10.1007/s40368-023-00809-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To estimate the taper of root canals of deciduous maxillary and mandibular canines by nano computed tomography (nano-CT).

METHODS: This in vitro study involved CT scan analysis of nine maxillary and five mandibular primary canines. The images of each tooth were reconstructed using OnDemand3D software. Thereon, diameter and taper analyses were performed on the free FreeCAD 0.18 software for the three-dimensional (3D) computer-aided design model. Statistical analysis was conducted using Stata v14.0 software, adopting a significance level of 5%.

RESULTS: 3D image reconstruction was performed, considering the diameters obtained along the entire length of the tooth root, and the conical model was built with a height of 10 mm. The diameters of the maxillary canine at points D0 (0 mm), D5 (5 mm), D7 (7 mm), and D10 (10 mm) were 1.62, 1.07, 0.78, and 0.49 mm, respectively, with a significant difference between the four points (p = 0.0001). Regarding maxillary canine root taper values in the cervical, middle, and apical regions, the values were 12%, 14%, and 10%, respectively. For mandibular canines, the mean diameter values obtained at points D0, D5, D7, and D10 were 1.51, 0.83, 0.64, and 0.45 mm, respectively, with significant differences among the four points (p = 0.005). The inferior canine root tapers in the cervical, middle, and apical regions were 14%, 10%, and 6%, respectively.

CONCLUSION: The detailed knowledge of the root morphology of maxillary and mandibular deciduous canines, as it has been shown in vitro using nano-CT, is critical to achieve accurate and efficient endodontic treatments.

PMID:37306868 | DOI:10.1007/s40368-023-00809-y

J Relig Health. 2023 Jun 12. doi: 10.1007/s10943-023-01853-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The current study investigated the psychometric properties of the Haitian Creole version of the Brief Religious Coping Scale (Brief RCOPE). A total of 256 adult survivors of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti completed the Brief RCOPE and measures of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, resilience, general coping, and posttraumatic growth. The results showed the Brief RCOPE to have excellent internal consistency reliability α = .94 and α = .85 for the positive religious coping and negative religious coping, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis showed construct validity for the Brief RCOPE subscales. The results also showed evidence of convergent validity of the Brief RCOPE in relation to measures of positive spiritual change and religion. Independent t-tests revealed statistically significant gender differences in scores on the positive religious coping subscales as women scored higher than men. These findings suggest that the psychometric properties of the Haitian Creole version of the Brief RCOPE are adequate for the assessment of religious coping with Haitian adults exposed to a natural disaster.

PMID:37306861 | DOI:10.1007/s10943-023-01853-0