Category: Statistics

Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 2023 Aug 14;69(8):e20230216. doi: 10.1590/1806-9282.20230216. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study was planned to examine the factors affecting the decision-making styles of pregnant women in the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic, their choice of birth environment, and their decision to start breastfeeding.

METHODS: The study was conducted in a cross-sectional descriptive type. The study was conducted with 631 pregnant women who voluntarily participated between January 2020 and April 2021 and met the sample selection criteria. Women aged 18-45 years who had healthy singleton pregnancies were included. Pregnant women with signs or symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 or suspected or diagnosed with birth were excluded from the study. The data were collected by the questionnaire method through the links shared with the pregnant women. Data Collection Form, Questionnaire for Birth and Breastfeeding in the coronavirus disease 2019 Period, and Melbourne Decision-Making Styles Scale-II were used as data collection tools.

RESULTS: The mean age of the pregnant women was found to be 28.56±6.36 years. Approximately 50.71% of the participants reported that they preferred normal vaginal delivery. It was reported that 56.1% of the pregnant women had a say in the decision-making process of the delivery method. It has been determined that there is a significant difference between the education status, employment status, pregnancy planning, family type, and the person who has a say in deciding the mode of delivery (p<0.05). The results of the analysis of worrying about starting breastfeeding according to the decision-making styles of the pregnant women in the sample group are examined. The difference between the scores of avoidant and procrastinating decision-making style, which is the sub-dimensions of the scale, and worrying about starting breastfeeding is statistically significant (p<0.029 and p<0.029, respectively).

CONCLUSION: The research findings show that situations such as epidemics affect the decisions of pregnant women, and breastfeeding situations and decision-making styles affect each other. For this reason, education programs and guides including guidance services and support systems should be published and pregnant women should be guided correctly.

PMID:37585988 | DOI:10.1590/1806-9282.20230216

An Acad Bras Cienc. 2023 Aug 14;95(suppl 3):e20210692. doi: 10.1590/0001-3765202320210692. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

Active layer and permafrost are important indicators of climate changes in periglacial areas of Antarctica, and the soil thermal regime of Maritime Antarctica is sensitive to the current warming trend. This research aimed to characterize the active layer thermal regime of a patterned ground located at an upper marine terrace in Half Moon Island, during 2015-2018. Temperature and moisture sensors were installed at different soil depths, combined with air temperature, collecting hourly data. Statistical analysis was applied to describe the soil thermal regime and estimate active layer thickness. The thermal regime of the studied soil was typical of periglacial environment, with high variability in temperature and water content in the summer, resulting in frequent freeze-thaw cycles. We detected dominant freezing conditions, whereas soil temperatures increased, and the period of high soil moisture content lasted longer over the years. Active layer thickness varied between the years, reaching a maximum depth in 2018. Permafrost degradation affects soil drainage and triggers erosion in the upper marine terrace, where permafrost occurrence is unlikely. Longer monitoring periods are necessary for a detailed understanding on how current climatic and geomorphic conditions affect the unstable permafrost of low-lying areas of Antarctica (marine terraces).

PMID:37585979 | DOI:10.1590/0001-3765202320210692

An Acad Bras Cienc. 2023 Aug 14;95(suppl 1):e20211188. doi: 10.1590/0001-3765202320211188. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

The increase in Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) flux intensity induces the Condensation Nuclei (CN) production, which intensifies rainfall occurrences. Then, the objective of this study was to analyze the rainfall distribution in the NEB and the impact of GCR flux on extreme rainfall events occurred in July 1998 in Natal/RN, Brazil. We used historical rainfall, Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and GCR flux data for Natal/RN. We used R software for statistical analysis. The results indicate that the GCR flux is important for intensifying extremes rainfall occurrences. This fact is observed when analyzing the relationship between rainfall greater than 10 mm and GCR flux above 6,390 counts/min. Pearson correlation coefficient between rainfall and GCR flux was 0.94 (p-value = 0.0005) and SST was -0.76 (p-value = 0.0263), both statistically significant. The rate between GCR flux and rainfall was +2.87 mm/count/min, while the rate between SST and rainfall was -7.91 mm/°C. The variance proportion explained by regression was 94.41%, with relative importance degree corresponding to 62.0% for GCR flux and 32.4% for SST, respectively. The results show that GCR flux had a greater contribution to extreme rainfall occurrence in the metropolitan region of Natal/RN and it is important in climatological studies.

PMID:37585968 | DOI:10.1590/0001-3765202320211188

An Acad Bras Cienc. 2023 Aug 14;95(suppl 1):e20210008. doi: 10.1590/0001-3765202320201459. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

Blast-induced vibration may be harmful to facilities in the vicinity of operating mines, mainly causing structural damage and human discomfort. This study presents an application of multivariate statistics to predict vibration levels regarding their potential to cause structural damage and human discomfort. An extensive seismic monitoring campaign was executed in a large open-pit iron ore mine, near a small village, to gather a dataset for a predictive multivariate analysis. Ten blasting events have produced a dataset of 158 valid measurements. Three classes of vibration peak velocity were adopted from legal standards, which later supported a cluster analysis. Then, it was possible to compare how much these two classification modalities respond to discriminant analysis. The next step was to carry out a principal component analysis (PCA) from the original database, and, comparatively, to plot both the scores concerning the classes derived from the vibration standard and those from the groups obtained from cluster analysis. PCA has considerably explained the data variability, while the three classes from cluster analysis resulted very similar to the corresponding ones from the vibration standards. The results have demonstrated that multivariate statistics may be applied to manage blasting-induced vibration and its deleterious effects with few adjustments and automation.

PMID:37585967 | DOI:10.1590/0001-3765202320201459

An Acad Bras Cienc. 2023 Aug 14;95(suppl 1):e20201317. doi: 10.1590/0001-3765202320201317. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

Learning to anticipate events based on the predictive relationship between an action and an outcome (operant conditioning) is a form of associative learning shared by humans and most of other living beings, including invertebrates. Several behavioral studies on the mechanisms of operant conditioning have included Melipona quadrifasciata, a honey bee that is easily manipulated due to lack of sting. In this work, brain proteomes of Melipona bees trained using operant conditioning and untrained (control) bees were compared by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis within pI range of 3-10 and 4-7; in order to find proteins specifically related to this type of associative learning.One protein was detected with differential protein abundance in the brains of trained bees, when compared to not trained ones, through computational gel imaging and statistical analysis. This protein was identified by peptide mass fingerprinting and MS/MS peptide fragmentation using a MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometer as one isoform of arginine kinase monomer, apparently dephosphorylated. Brain protein maps were obtained by 2-DE (Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis) from a total proteins and phosphoproteins extract of the bee Melipona quadrifasciata. One isoform of arginine kinase, probably a dephosphorylated isoform, was significantly more abundant in the brain of trained bees using operant conditioning. Arginine kinase has been reported as an important enzyme of the energy releasing process in the visual system of the bee, but it may carry out additional and unexpected functions in the bee brain for learning process.

PMID:37585963 | DOI:10.1590/0001-3765202320201317

Rev Gaucha Enferm. 2023 Jul 28;44:e20220269. doi: 10.1590/1983-1447.2023.20220269.en. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Analyze the spiritual growth of family caregivers of people with severe disabilities who reside in the Metropolitan District of Quito and identify the cognitive-affective factors, bio-sociocultural characteristics and care characteristics that model it.

METHOD: Cross-sectional study, carried out during the second semester of 2021, probabilistic sample of 223 caregivers residing in Quito-Ecuador. Descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients and regression were applied.

RESULTS: 49.8% perceived a high spiritual growth. This correlated with the manageability dimension of the sense of coherence and with the self-efficacy of care. Some cognitive-affective factors, bio-sociocultural characteristics and care characteristics explained 25% of its variation.

CONCLUSION: The results showed a frequent practice of actions that promote spiritual growth, self-efficacy of care is highlighted as an important protective factor, these results can serve as a basis for planning interventions towards the evaluation and development of spiritual growth in search of a healthy lifestyle. in this vulnerable population.

PMID:37585960 | DOI:10.1590/1983-1447.2023.20220269.en

Rev Gaucha Enferm. 2023 Jul 28;44:e20220202. doi: 10.1590/1983-1447.2023.20220202.en. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To describe the sociodemographic and gestational profile of HIV-positive women in Curitiba-PR, years 2018-2020.

METHOD: Observational, cross-sectional research, with data obtained from the Information System of Diseases of Notification of Pregnant Women. Data were analyzed for consistency exploration, description and analysis.

RESULTS: The sample consisted mostly of women aged 13-30 years, white and with incomplete elementary school. Prenatal care was performed by 93.8% of pregnant women, 66.1% of whom knew their serological status before prenatal care and 45% received notification in the first gestational trimester. Access to antiretroviral medication occurred for 82.4% of pregnant women and for 74.6% the pregnancy outcome was alive newborns. The statistical variables associated with prenatal care were pregnancy evolution, ART prophylaxis, type of delivery and ART at delivery (p<0.00).

CONCLUSION: The pregnant women in the sample presented desired gestational indicators. The collected data allowed describing the sample’s profile and evaluating the performance of the health policy for pregnant women.

PMID:37585957 | DOI:10.1590/1983-1447.2023.20220202.en

Rev Bras Parasitol Vet. 2023 Aug 11;32(3):e006223. doi: 10.1590/S1984-29612023049. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

The objectives of this work were to investigate the occurrence of parasites in feces of cats, compare different coproparasitological techniques for their diagnosis and determine associations with parasitism. The samples were processed using three different coproparasitological techniques: centrifugal flotation in sucrose, centrifugal flotation in ZnSO4 and simple sedimentation. The parasitic association between parasitism and variables such as age, sex and fecal consistency was performed using the chi-square test or the G test with a significance level of 5%. A total of 237 samples were analyzed, of which 93 (39.2%) were positive, being Ancylostoma spp. (17.3%), Giardia intestinalis (12.2%), Platynosomum illiciens (8.0%), Cystoisospora spp. (6.3%), Toxoplasma gondii/ Hammondia hammondi (3.4%), Diphyllobothriidae (2.1%), Toxocara spp. (1.7%), Dipylidium caninum (1.3%) and Mesocestoides spp. (0.8%). In the parasitism association analysis, it was possible to verify a statistical difference in the age category for Cystoisospora spp. (p=0.001) observing a strong relationship between parasitism and young animals, the association with sex proved to be important for P. illiciens (p<0.001) with a higher frequency of parasitized females and fecal consistency revealed to be related to the parasites G. intestinalis (p=0.007) and P. illiciens (p=0.033) showing a higher number of positive animals for these parasites with normal fecal consistency. In conclusion, we observed a higher occurrence of Ancylostoma spp. and G. intestinalis in fecal samples from domestic cats received in routine diagnoses and the presence of other parasites with zoonotic potential, as well as the relationship of these diagnosed parasites with the categories sex, age and fecal consistency.

PMID:37585954 | DOI:10.1590/S1984-29612023049

Rev Saude Publica. 2023 Aug 14;57:51. doi: 10.11606/s1518-8787.2023057004828. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Describe the trends in the production of dental prosthetics by the Unified Health System (SUS) in older people aged 60 years or older in Brazil and country regions from 2010 to 2019 and the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the expected production for 2020 and 2021.

METHODS: A time series study using secondary data from the SUS database (Datasus-Tabnet) and the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics – IBGE) from 2010 to 2021. Age-standardized rates were calculated for Brazil and regions for each year analyzed. Generalized linear regressions estimated production trends using the Prais-Winstein estimation method.

RESULTS: A growth trend occurred in the standardized production rate of complete dentures and other prosthetics per 100,000 inhabitants in Brazil and all country regions. The increase in the production of complete dentures was higher in the Northeast region (50.3%/year) and lower in the North region (19.1%/year). Trends in the production of other prosthetics were higher in the Southeast region (120.7%/year) and lower in the North region (24.5%/year). The output of prosthetics for both groups decreased in the pandemic years. In 2020, the relative difference ranged from -36.4% (North) to -61.7% (Northeast) for producing complete dentures and from -17.9% (North) to -68.4% (Northeast) for other prosthetics. In 2021, standardized rates and total production increased compared to the previous year. However, compared with expected values, the differences were close to those in 2020.

CONCLUSION: Policies aimed at producing complete dentures and other prosthetics have been increasing. However, production remains far from the population’s needs, and there is no equity in providing services. The covid-19 pandemic negatively impacted the production of dental prosthetics by SUS.

PMID:37585950 | DOI:10.11606/s1518-8787.2023057004828

Codas. 2023 Aug 14;35(5):e20210308. doi: 10.1590/2317-1782/20232021308pt. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: monitor the development of pragmatic skills in children with clinical risk indicators for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) before and after the application of an integrated parental guidance protocol.

METHODS: Seven families who had children with clinical risk indicators for autism spectrum disorder and were in the diagnostic process participated in this study. The study was divided into three moments: (1) structured interview with parents and assessment of children’s pragmatic skills, (2) virtual sessions with guidance to parents related to the characteristics of the condition and skills that can be developed to favor their development, and (3) reassessment of children’s pragmatic skills. Statistical analysis considered occupation of communicative space, use of functions and communicative means at ground zero and post-monitoring.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two evaluation moments, but a greater number was observed in the use of communicative acts and more interactive communicative functions as an outcome.

CONCLUSION: The monitoring of children’s pragmatic skills suggests that they present discrete evolution, especially the more interactive ones, after the application of the integrated parental guidance protocol.

PMID:37585895 | DOI:10.1590/2317-1782/20232021308pt