Category: Statistics

Public Health Nutr. 2023 Jul 24:1-29. doi: 10.1017/S1368980023001271. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the association between coffee consumption and the prevalence of hearing loss in American adults based on a national population-based survey.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of reported audiometric status and coffee intake from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Multivariate logistic regression, forest plots and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were used to explore the associations and dose-response relationships between coffee consumption frequency and hearing loss.

SETTING: The USA.

PARTICIPANT: This study included 1894 individuals aged ≥ 20 from the 2003-2006 NHANES.

RESULTS: In this study, the prevalence of speech-frequency hearing loss (SFHL) and high-frequency hearing loss (HFHL) among the participants was 35.90% and 51.54%, respectively. Compared with those who no consumed coffee, non-Hispanic White who consumed ≥ 4 cups/d had higher prevalence of SFHL (Odds Ratio[OR]: 1.87; 95% Confidence Interval[CI]: 1.003-3.47). And a positive trend of coffee consumption frequency with the prevalence of HFHL was found (P_trend = 0.001). This association of HFHL was similar for aged 20-64 participants (P_trend = 0.001), non-Hispanic White (P_trend = 0.002), non-noise exposure participants (P_trend = 0.03), and noise exposed participants (P_trend = 0.003). The forest plots analysis found that the association between 1 cup-increment of daily coffee consumption and the prevalence of HFHL was statistically significant in males. RCS model supported a positive linear association of coffee consumption with SFHL (P for overall association = 0.02, P for nonlinearity = 0.48), and a positive non-linear association of coffee consumption with HFHL (P for overall association = 0.001, P for nonlinearity = 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Our findings suggested that coffee consumption was associated with higher prevalence of hearing loss. Further cohort studies in larger population are needed to investigate these findings.

PMID:37485659 | DOI:10.1017/S1368980023001271

Cancer Med. 2023 Jul 23. doi: 10.1002/cam4.6351. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Transportation has been identified as a specific source of burden for cancer caregivers. This study examined cancer caregivers’ subjective experiences and objectives costs associated with transportation over a 6-month period of providing end-of-life care to a family member or friend.

METHODS: This was a multi-site longitudinal, prospective cohort study that followed 223 caregiver-patient dyads. Data were collected using biweekly, semi-structured interviews for up to 6 months and collection of all caregiving related receipts. Interviews were coded and analyzed using a comparative, iterative analysis and actual out of pockets costs were described using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS: Over the 6-month study period most caregivers (n = 143; 74%) discussed transportation at one or more timepoints. Average biweekly transportations costs to caregivers were $43.6. Caregivers described (n = 56; 39%) multiple direct and indirect costs of transportation, and 58% (n = 84) discussed the need for transportations services or assistance at the institutional level.

CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers described the multifaceted costs of transportation they experienced which are in line with previous work. Alongside descriptions of direct costs, caregivers described key opportunity costs, such as personal and work time forgone to transporting patients. Caregivers also made suggestions for institutional and/or civic based solutions to facilitate reliable modes of transportation, rather than individual-level intervention.

PMID:37485648 | DOI:10.1002/cam4.6351

J Viral Hepat. 2023 Jul 23. doi: 10.1111/jvh.13876. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Data on the acceptability and usability of hepatitis C virus self-testing (HCVST) remain scarce. We estimated the pooled rates of acceptability/feasibility and re-reading/re-testing agreement of HCVST using oral fluid tests (PROSPERO-CRD42022349874). We searched online databases for studies that evaluated acceptability, usability and inter-reader/operator variability for HCVST using oral fluid tests. Pooled estimates of feasibility, agreement and post-testing perspectives were analysed. Sensitivity analyses were performed in men who have sex with men (MSM) and people who inject drugs (PWID). Heterogeneity was assessed using the I² statistics. A total of six studies comprising 870 participants were identified: USA (n = 95 with liver disease), Kenya (n = 150 PWID), Egypt (n = 116 from the general population), Vietnam (n = 104 MSM and n = 105 PWID), China (n = 100 MSM) and Georgia (n = 100 MSM and n = 100 PWID)]. All studies used OraQuick® HCV Rapid Antibody Test. The pooled overall estimates for correct sample collection and for people who performed HCVST without needing assistance in any step (95% confidence interval [CI]) were 87.2% [76.0-95.3] (n = 755; I² = 93.7%) and 62.6% [37.2-84.8] (n = 755; I² = 98.0%), respectively. The pooled estimate of agreement for re-reading was 95.0% [95% CI 91.5-97.6] (n = 831; I² = 74.0%) and for re-testing was 94.4% [90.3-97.5] (n = 726; I² = 77.1%). The pooled estimate of those who would recommend HCVST was 94.4% [84.7-99.6] (n = 625; I² = 93.7%). Pooled estimates (95% CI) of correct sample collection (72.8% [63.3-81.5] vs. 90.8% [85.9-94.8]) and performance of HCVST without needing assistance (44.1% [14.1-76.7] vs. 78.1% [53.4-95.3]) was lower in PWID compared to MSM. In summary, HCV testing with oral fluid HCVST was feasible and well-accepted. Oral fluid HCVST should be considered in key populations for uptake HCV testing.

PMID:37485619 | DOI:10.1111/jvh.13876

Stat Med. 2023 Jul 23. doi: 10.1002/sim.9851. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Diabetic neuropathy is a disorder characterized by impaired nerve function and reduction of the number of epidermal nerve fibers per epidermal surface. Additionally, as neuropathy related nerve fiber loss and regrowth progresses over time, the two-dimensional spatial arrangement of the nerves becomes more clustered. These observations suggest that with development of neuropathy, the spatial pattern of diminished skin innervation is defined by a thinning process which remains incompletely characterized. We regard samples obtained from healthy controls and subjects suffering from diabetic neuropathy as realisations of planar point processes consisting of nerve entry points and nerve endings, and propose point process models based on spatial thinning to describe the change as neuropathy advances. Initially, the hypothesis that the nerve removal occurs completely at random is tested using independent random thinning of healthy patterns. Then, a dependent parametric thinning model that favors the removal of isolated nerve trees is proposed. Approximate Bayesian computation is used to infer the distribution of the model parameters, and the goodness-of-fit of the models is evaluated using both non-spatial and spatial summary statistics. Our findings suggest that the nerve mortality process changes as neuropathy advances.

PMID:37485617 | DOI:10.1002/sim.9851

Global Spine J. 2023 Jul 24:21925682231191414. doi: 10.1177/21925682231191414. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of prospective cohort.

OBJECTIVES: Reoperation at L3-L4 for adjacent segment disease (ASD) is common after L4-L5 spine fusion. L4-S1 lower lumbar lordosis (LLL) accounts for the majority of global lumbar lordosis (GLL) and is modifiable during surgery. We sought to determine if a reduction in LLL leads to an increase in L3-L4 focal lumbar lordosis (L3-L4 FLL) and resulting risk of ASD at L3-L4.

METHODS: We reviewed the records of a prospective cohort with lumbar spinal stenosis who underwent L4-L5 or L4-L5-S1 fusion between 2006 and 2012. Radiographic parameters-GLL, LLL, L3-L4 FLL, upper lumbar lordosis, lordosis distribution index, pelvic tilt, and pelvic incidence-were extracted from preoperative and postoperative lumbar spine radiographs. Statistical comparisons were made between those who underwent revision for post-fusion adjacent level stenosis at L3-L4 (REVISION) and those who did not (NO REVISION).

RESULTS: Inclusion criteria were met by 104 patients. The REVISION cohort included 19 individuals. No significant differences in baseline demographics or operative details for the index procedure were found between groups. Postoperatively, when compared to the NO REVISION cohort, the REVISION cohort had a decrease in LLL (-2.6° vs + 1.5°, P = .011) and LDI (-5.1% vs + 1.3%, P = .039), and an increase in L3-L4 FLL (+2.6° vs -.6°, P = .001).

CONCLUSIONS: A reduction in LLL and compensatory increase in L3-L4 FLL after initial lower lumbar fusion surgery resulted in more reoperation at L3-L4 for post-fusion adjacent level spinal stenosis.

PMID:37485611 | DOI:10.1177/21925682231191414

J Viral Hepat. 2023 Jul 23. doi: 10.1111/jvh.13875. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is highly prevalent in people with mental disorders (PWMDs). However, in the international context of HCV elimination, no previous study has explored the features of seropositive PWMDs with vs. without a positive viral load (VL). We retrospectively retrieved all HCV serology results of patients hospitalized in 2019, 2020 and 2021 in the second-largest psychiatric hospital of France. Using the medical records of all patients found seropositive for HCV, the following data were collected: sex (male, female), age (in years), previous history of illicit drug use except cannabis (yes or no) and previous history of incarceration (yes or no). We conducted a case-control comparison of these variables between the PWMDs who had and did not have a positive VL, thus providing odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (ORs [95% CI]). In a total of 13,276 inpatients, 2540 (19.1%) underwent at least one HCV serology; 55 of them (2.16%) were found positive. A VL count was performed for 48 of them, finding 15 (31.3%) individuals with active HCV. Compared with those with a negative VL, these 15 individuals were less likely to have previous documented illicit drug use (OR = 0.18; 95% CI [0.05-0.68]) and to have been previously incarcerated (OR = 0.23; 95% CI [0.06-0.99]); age and sex did not statistically differ. In the context of HCV elimination, PWMDs yet to be treated for HCV are more likely to be those with no identified risk factor for HCV, which supports a strategy of systematic screening for HCV among PWMDs.

PMID:37485610 | DOI:10.1111/jvh.13875

J Sleep Res. 2023 Jul 23:e14004. doi: 10.1111/jsr.14004. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused by temporary partial or complete constriction of the upper airway during sleep which leads to reduced blood oxygen and cardiovascular risks. Main symptoms vary between adults and children leading to misdiagnosis or delayed patient identification. To improve early diagnosis, lateral cephalograms can provide craniofacial measurements associated with a higher risk of OSA. In order to identify the most relevant craniofacial measurements, a systematic literature review with meta-analysis was conducted combining the terms ‘orthodontic*’, ‘craniofacial’, ‘cephalometr*’, ‘cephalogram’, ‘OSA*’, ‘UARS’, ‘SDB’, ‘sleep disordered breathing’, ‘sleep apnea’ and ‘sleep apnoea’. Of 3016 publications, 19 were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis, 15 with adult patients and four with children. A total of 16 measurements (six angles, 10 distances) were compared, nine showed a possible influence in patients with OSA compared to controls: NSBa angle (-0.28°), ANB angle (+0.33°), ML-NSL angle (+0.34°), Me-Go-Ar angle (+0.33°), SN distance (-0.70 mm), N-ANS distance (-0.36 mm), MP-H distance (+1.18 mm), uvula length (+1.07 mm) and thickness (+0.96 mm). Posterior airway measurements were not sufficiently described or comparably measured to be statistically analysed. There is some evidence for altered craniofacial anatomy in patients with OSA compared to controls. Lateral cephalograms should be screened for these aspects routinely to improve early diagnosis of OSA and craniofacial orthopaedics should complement the interdisciplinary treatment plan for young patients with OSA.

PMID:37485571 | DOI:10.1111/jsr.14004

Turk J Gastroenterol. 2023 Jul 24. doi: 10.5152/tjg.2023.22694. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Various tissue preservation solutions are used during the removal of the organ and during transplantation to protect the normal histological and biochemical characteristics of tissue while performing a successful liver transplant. In our study, it was aimed to investigate the effects of intraperitoneal melatonin administration on liver preservation damage before transplantation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In our study, the histological and biochemical characteristics of University of Wisconsin+melatonin group rats treated with melatonin 45 minutes before hepatectomy were compared between serum physiologic group and University of Wisconsin group.

RESULTS: When hematoxylin and eosin staining was evaluated in terms of hydropic degeneration, sinusoidal dilatation, and hepatocyte necrosis, there was no statistically significant difference. Caspase 3 immunohistochemical staining showed a significant increase in Caspase 3 immunoreactivity positivity at the 12th-hour University of Wisconsin group compared to University of Wisconsin+melatonin group. As a result of biochemical analysis, the malondialdehyde and total oxidant status levels in the University of Wisconsin+melatonin group decreased significantly compared to the University of Wisconsin group. When the reduced glutathione activity and total antioxidant capacity level were compared, a significant increase was observed in the University of Wisconsin+melatonin group compared to the University of Wisconsin group at the 12th hour. It was also found that aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase levels decreased significantly in the University of Wisconsin+melatonin 12th-hour group compared to the University of Wisconsin 12th hour and control group.

CONCLUSION: When the findings were evaluated, intraperitoneal administration of melatonin, a cytoprotective antioxidant, was found to play an effective role in preserving immunohistochemical and biochemical properties of liver tissue integrity and hepatocytes in University of Wisconsin solution.

PMID:37485562 | DOI:10.5152/tjg.2023.22694

Brief Bioinform. 2023 Jul 24:bbad270. doi: 10.1093/bib/bbad270. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Numerous biological studies have shown that considering disease-associated micro RNAs (miRNAs) as potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets offers new avenues for the diagnosis of complex diseases. Computational methods have gradually been introduced to reveal disease-related miRNAs. Considering that previous models have not fused sufficiently diverse similarities, that their inappropriate fusion methods may lead to poor quality of the comprehensive similarity network and that their results are often limited by insufficiently known associations, we propose a computational model called Generative Adversarial Matrix Completion Network based on Multi-source Data Fusion (GAMCNMDF) for miRNA-disease association prediction. We create a diverse network connecting miRNAs and diseases, which is then represented using a matrix. The main task of GAMCNMDF is to complete the matrix and obtain the predicted results. The main innovations of GAMCNMDF are reflected in two aspects: GAMCNMDF integrates diverse data sources and employs a nonlinear fusion approach to update the similarity networks of miRNAs and diseases. Also, some additional information is provided to GAMCNMDF in the form of a ‘hint’ so that GAMCNMDF can work successfully even when complete data are not available. Compared with other methods, the outcomes of 10-fold cross-validation on two distinct databases validate the superior performance of GAMCNMDF with statistically significant results. It is worth mentioning that we apply GAMCNMDF in the identification of underlying small molecule-related miRNAs, yielding outstanding performance results in this specific domain. In addition, two case studies about two important neoplasms show that GAMCNMDF is a promising prediction method.

PMID:37482409 | DOI:10.1093/bib/bbad270

Neurosciences (Riyadh). 2023 Jul;28(3):190-194. doi: 10.17712/nsj.2023.3.20220141.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of a stroke code on the door to needle time during Hajj at a tertiary center in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Stroke is one of the most common medical problems globally. Tissue plasminogen activator is an effective treatment in patients with acute ischemic stroke. However, its efficacy is time-dependent.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on acute ischemic stroke patients who presented within the study window and were eligible for intravenous thrombolysis therapy at King Abdullah Medical City in Makkah between September 1, 2015 and July 2020.

RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients received intravenous tissue plasminogen activator and enrolled in this study, 28 patients of which presented during the Hajj period. We found a statistically significant reduction in both the door to needle time and the door to computed tomography time during the Hajj period. In addition, the length of hospital stay reduced significantly in the same period CONCLUSION: We observed a 44% reduction in the door to needle time during the implementation of the stroke code. However, we did not observe a significant difference in clinical outcomes. This study is limited by its small sample size and it lacks a long follow-up for clinical conditions.

PMID:37482386 | DOI:10.17712/nsj.2023.3.20220141