Category: Statistics

Poult Sci. 2023 Aug 22;102(11):103057. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.103057. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In the commercial egg industry, avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) can lead to significant economic loss. The Poulvac E. coli vaccine (PECV) is a commercially available attenuated live vaccine commonly applied via spray or drinking water to protect against losses associated with colibacillosis. The PECV has not been tested in layer hatching eggs using in ovo injection. Therefore, the purpose of this experiment was to determine the effects of injecting 50 μL of different doses of the PECV into Hy-Line W-36-layer hatching eggs on the hatchability and quality characteristics of hatchlings. At 18 d of incubation (DOI), treatments included 1 noninjected and 1 diluent-injected control. Furthermore, PECV treatments included a full dose (4.4 × 10⁸E. coli CFU) or serial dilutions of the full dose to produce 4.4 × 10⁶, 4.4 × 10⁴, or 4.4 × 10² CFU doses of E. coli. In ovo injections targeted the amnion. Percent hatchability of live embryonated eggs (HI), percent residue eggs, hatchling mortality, and female chick whole and yolk-free BW, relative yolk sac weight, and body length were among the variables examined. Treatment significantly (P < 0.0001) affected HI, with HI being highest in the control groups (97.3% in the noninjected and 94.2% in the diluent-injected), and with HI values being 89.0, 88.9, 84.4, and 71.2% in the 4.4 × 10², 4.4 × 10⁴, 4.4 × 10⁶, and 4.4 × 10⁸ CFU E. coli dose treatments, respectively. The percentage of live embryos that did not complete hatch but that pipped internally (P = 0.024) or externally (P < 0.0001) were significantly affected by treatment, with percentages being highest in the 4.4 × 10⁸ CFU treatment. Female chick body length was significantly (P < 0.0001) affected by treatment and was longer in both control groups and in the 1 × 10² CFU E. coli treatment in comparison to all other treatments. Yolk-free female chick BW was significantly (P = 0.034) affected by treatment and was lower in the 4.4 × 10⁶ CFU and 4.4 × 10⁸ CFU treatments when compared to the diluent-injected control group. An increase in the E. coli concentration administered in the amnion of embryonated layer hatching eggs at 18 DOI decreased hatch success and female chick yolk-free BW and body length.

PMID:37690369 | DOI:10.1016/j.psj.2023.103057

J Biomech. 2023 Sep 8;159:111794. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2023.111794. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The study aims to investigate the effects of different loads and speed during running on inter- and intra-individual muscle force amplitudes, variabilities and coordination patterns. Nine healthy participants ran on an instrumentalized treadmill with an empty weight vest at two velocities (2.6 m/s and 3.3 m/s) or while carrying three different loads (4.5, 9.1, 13.6 kg) at 2.6 m/s while kinematics and kinetics were synchronously recorded. The major lower limb muscle forces were estimated using a musculoskeletal model. Muscle force amplitudes and variability, as well as coordination patterns were compared at the group and at the individual level using respectively statistical parametric mapping and covariance matrices combined with multidimensional scaling. Increasing the speed or the load during running increased most of the muscle force amplitudes (p < 0.01). During the propulsion phase, increasing the load increased muscle force variabilities around the ankle joint (modification of standard deviation up to 5% of body weight (BW), p < 0.05) while increasing the speed decreased variability for almost all the muscle forces (up to 10% of BW, p < 0.05). Each runner has a specific muscle force coordination pattern signature regardless of the different experimental conditions (p < 0.05). Yet, this individual pattern was slightly adapted in response to a change of speed or load (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that adding load increases the amplitude and variability of muscle force, but an increase in running speed decreases the variability. These findings may help improve the design of military or trail running training programs and injury rehabilitation by progressively increasing the mechanical load on anatomical structures.

PMID:37690366 | DOI:10.1016/j.jbiomech.2023.111794

Alzheimers Dement. 2023 Sep 10. doi: 10.1002/alz.13453. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to describe baseline amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau-positron emission tomograrphy (PET) from Longitudinal Early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease Study (LEADS), a prospective multi-site observational study of sporadic early-onset Alzheimer’s disease (EOAD).

METHODS: We analyzed baseline [18F]Florbetaben (Aβ) and [18F]Flortaucipir (tau)-PET from cognitively impaired participants with a clinical diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or AD dementia aged < 65 years. Florbetaben scans were used to distinguish cognitively impaired participants with EOAD (Aβ+) from EOnonAD (Aβ-) based on the combination of visual read by expert reader and image quantification.

RESULTS: 243/321 (75.7%) of participants were assigned to the EOAD group based on amyloid-PET; 231 (95.1%) of them were tau-PET positive (A+T+). Tau-PET signal was elevated across cortical regions with a parietal-predominant pattern, and higher burden was observed in younger and female EOAD participants.

DISCUSSION: LEADS data emphasizes the importance of biomarkers to enhance diagnostic accuracy in EOAD. The advanced tau-PET binding at baseline might have implications for therapeutic strategies in patients with EOAD.

HIGHLIGHTS: 72% of patients with clinical EOAD were positive on both amyloid- and tau-PET. Amyloid-positive patients with EOAD had high tau-PET signal across cortical regions. In EOAD, tau-PET mediated the relationship between amyloid-PET and MMSE. Among EOAD patients, younger onset and female sex were associated with higher tau-PET.

PMID:37690109 | DOI:10.1002/alz.13453

Intern Emerg Med. 2023 Sep 10. doi: 10.1007/s11739-023-03414-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The use of point-of-care ultrasound is rapidly increasing in medical practice. This study aims to evaluate the left ventricle systolic function by the bedside focus cardiac ultrasound (FoCUS). We consecutively enrolled n.59 patients of the Emergency Medicine Unit of S. Andrea Hospital. Every patient received a bedside FoCUS examination to estimate the left ventricle (LV) ejection fraction (EF); the LV EF measurements were compared with those obtained by standard echocardiography (as gold standard). The LV EF obtained by the bedside FoCUS examination and the standard echocardiography, resulted, respectively: 50.2 ± 15.1% (by the Quinones equation), 39.5 + 12.0% (by the Lvivo app) and 53.7 + 11.1% (by the standard echocardiography). The correlations between the bedside FoCUS EF measurements versus standard echocardiography were statistically significant: r = + 0.694 p < 1.9 × 10^-6 (Quinones equation, Bland-Altman analysis mean = – 2.3%) and r = + 0.571 p < 0.01 (Lvivo app, Bland-Altman analysis mean = – 13.3%). In conclusion, the present study showed a high accuracy of the bedside FoCUS EF evaluations, which may support the diagnosis of the heart failure in an emergency setting without delaying. The EF measurements by the operational method are more precise than those obtained by the unselected images of the software application.

PMID:37690107 | DOI:10.1007/s11739-023-03414-5

Metabolomics. 2023 Sep 10;19(9):80. doi: 10.1007/s11306-023-02045-3.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is one of the most malignant cancers and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, while acquired chemoresistance would represent a major problem in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) because of the reduced treatment effect and increased rates of recurrence.

METHODS: To establish the chemoresistant NSCLC cells, doxorubicin was treated to A549 cells over 3 months at gradually increasing concentrations from 0.03 to 0.5 µM. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were employed for investigating mRNA and protein expression of the glutathione peroxidase (GPX) protein family and multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) in A549 and A549/CR cells. We also employed gas chromatography mass-spectrometry and nano electrospray ionization mass-spectrometry coupled with multivariate statistical analysis to characterize the unique metabolic and lipidomic profiles of chemoresistant NSCLC cells in order to identify potential therapeutic targets.

RESULTS: Reactive oxygen species levels were decreased, and mRNA and protein levels of GPX2 and multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) were increased in A549/CR. We identified 87 metabolites and intact lipid species in A549 and A549/CR. Among these metabolites, lactic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, aspartic acid, succinic acid, and ceramide, alongside the PC to PE ratio, and arachidonic acid-containing phospholipids were suggested as characteristic features of chemoresistant NSCLC cells (A549/CR).

CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals characteristic feature differences between drug-resistance NSCLC cells and their parental cells. We suggest potential therapeutic targets in chemoresistant NSCLC. Our results provide new insight into metabolic and lipidomic alterations in chemoresistant NSCLC. This could be used as fundamental information to develop therapeutic strategies for the treatment of chemoresistant NSCLC patients.

PMID:37690093 | DOI:10.1007/s11306-023-02045-3

J Robot Surg. 2023 Sep 10. doi: 10.1007/s11701-023-01704-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

To investigate the role of robotic single-site (RSS) ovarian cystectomy in fertility preservation, which was compared with single-port laparoscopic (SPL) surgery based on AMH changes. We retrospectively analyzed medical records of total 156 patients who underwent SPL (n = 72) or RSS (n = 84) surgery with the da Vinci^® Si or Xi system. The pre/post-operative AMH levels and total diameter of ovarian cysts were measured. In addition to the surgical method, AMH changes were compared according to the laterality, multiplicity, and pathology of ovarian cysts. A comparison of the characteristics of the SPL group and RSS group, revealed that there were no significant differences in the average age, the diameter of the ovarian cyst, and the number of locule. There were also no statistical differences between the pre-operative and post-operative AMH levels and the average surgical time including the docking time in robotic surgery. A comparison based on the surgical methods, revealed that the decrease in post-operative AMH was lower in the RSS group (24.2 ± 35.9%) than in the SPL group (34.9 ± 29.1%) significantly (p = 0.044). In patients with endometriosis, the decrease in AMH was greater, than that in patients without endometriosis. A longer operation time, larger ovarian cysts and multi-locular cysts were associated with lower AMH level in both the SPL and RSS groups (Pearson correlation coefficient: – 0.320, p = 0.0001, – 0.218, p = 0.007, – 0.236, p = 0.003, respectively). RSS ovarian cystectomy could be a promising new therapeutic option for fertility preservation in complex cases to avoid an additional side port.

PMID:37690086 | DOI:10.1007/s11701-023-01704-w

J Autism Dev Disord. 2023 Sep 10. doi: 10.1007/s10803-023-06101-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Studies on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on autistic children’s psychosocial outcomes have shown mixed results. In the current study we aimed to gain a better insight into the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic by comparing psychosocial outcomes collected pre-pandemic with data collected during the pandemic. We used the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to examine change over time in psychosocial outcomes of autistic children from pre-pandemic (T0) to lockdown I (T1) and lockdown II (T2) in the Netherlands. We expected a deterioration in psychosocial outcomes. There were 224 participants in T0 and T1, of which 141 also participated in T2. The results showed a surprising improvement in psychosocial outcomes from T0 to T1. Special education and female gender were associated with increased difficulties over time, while higher age was associated with decreased difficulties. At the subdomain level we found that emotional problems remained stable, while hyperactivity, conduct problems, and peer problems decreased, and prosocial behavior increased. Attending special education predicted increased peer problems over time, while higher age predicted both decreased conduct problems and increased prosocial behavior over time. The COVID-19 pandemic may have temporarily improved the fit between the psychosocial needs and the environment for children with autism in the Netherlands.

PMID:37690082 | DOI:10.1007/s10803-023-06101-8

Environ Monit Assess. 2023 Sep 10;195(10):1178. doi: 10.1007/s10661-023-11764-y.

ABSTRACT

Investigating the impacts of climatic factors and human activities on sedimentary records of heavy metal (HM) contamination in lakes is essential for decision-making in global environmental monitoring and assessment. Spatiotemporal distributions of grain size (GS) and HM (Al, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, and Pb) concentrations have been conducted in core sediments that are collected from two adjacent plateau fault-bound lakes in southwest China with contrasting environments, i.e., deep oligotrophic Lake Fuxian (FX) and shallow hypertrophic Lake Xingyun (XY). Results showed that the average value of d₅₀ in FX (4.61 μm) was lower than that in XY (8.35 μm), but the average concentrations of HMs (except Cr and Mn) in XY were higher than those in FX. Heavy metal burial rates (HMBR) were mainly controlled by sediment accumulation rates (SARs) rather than HM concentrations. The correlation coefficients between GS and HM concentrations became strong as the increasing water depths were associated with a stable sedimentary environment. Time-integrated enrichment factors (EF) and source identification of HMs between FX and XY represented that Cr, Ni, and Cu originated from natural sources but Mn, Zn, As, and Pb from anthropogenic sources, respectively. Regardless of FX and XY, the transition times of HMs from natural to anthropogenic sources occurred in the mid-1960s. Comparison of qualification impacts of climatic factors and human-induced factors on increased anthropogenic HMBR by the partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) implied that socio-economic activities, such as population density (PD) and gross domestic product (GDP), provided higher contributors to increased anthropogenic HMBR in XY (0.23/0.71) than FX (0.11/0.18). The comparative results of this study provided new insights into environmental monitoring and management of HM contamination for adjacent lakes with contrasting environments.

PMID:37690077 | DOI:10.1007/s10661-023-11764-y

Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2023 Sep 10:e3722. doi: 10.1002/dmrr.3722. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Diabetes prevalence is rising worldwide, calling for public health concerns and interventions to improve prevention and management. Self-care is an important component in reducing the incidence of complications from diabetes, but it must be taught. This systematic review aims to synthesise the evidence for education videos for people with diabetes. Electronic databases, including Ovid (Medline, Embase, EmCare), PsychInfo, CINAHL, Web of Science and Scopus, were searched for studies on educational videos for patients with diabetes that met the inclusion criteria. A total of 36 studies met the inclusion criteria. Data extracted were synthesised through narrative synthesis. Studies examined outcomes including biological (i.e., glycated haemoglobin (HbA1C), weight, BMI), non-biological (health literacy, self-efficacy) and subjective feedback (i.e., acceptability, cultural appropriateness). The most common length of video was ≤10 min. Online dissemination was the most common method of video distribution. A statistically significant decrease (ranging from -0.1% to -2.1%) in HbA1C was noted in 7 of 12 studies examining this outcome. Other studies also found evidence of improvement in health literacy, self-efficacy, physical activity, medication adherence and other outcomes. Feedback from participants was generally positive, and emphasis was placed on the need for cultural appropriateness and representation in the educational videos.

PMID:37690072 | DOI:10.1002/dmrr.3722

World J Urol. 2023 Sep 10. doi: 10.1007/s00345-023-04572-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To compare the long-term effectiveness, complications, and outcomes of primary obstructive megaureter (POM) treated by endoscopic balloon dilation under fluoroscopic guidance versus not using radioscopy during the procedure.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: A comparative study between POM cases treated at our institution by endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) under fluoroscopic guidance (FG) (n = 43) vs no fluoroscopic guidance (NFG) (n = 48) between the years 2004 and 2018 was conducted. The procedure in FG consisted of performing a retrograde pyelography before dilation. Then, a guidewire is introduced to the renal pelvis, and the dilation of the vesicoureteral junction is performed using high-pressure balloon catheters under fluoroscopic vision. Finally, a double-J stent is placed between the renal pelvis and bladder. The procedure in NFG was performed exclusively under cystoscopic vision without radiological exposure. Complications, outcomes, and success rates were analyzed using Spearman’s correlation test. Mean follow-up was 12.5 ± 2.2 years in FG and 6.4 ± 1.3 years in NFG.

RESULTS: MAG-3 showed significant differences in renal drainage before and after endoscopic treatment in both groups (p < 0.001 T-test). Statistical analysis did not reveal differences between groups in initial technical failure (r: – 0.035, p = 0.74), early postoperative complications (r: – 0.029, p = 0.79), secondary VUR (r: 0.033, p = 0.76), re-stenosis (r: 0.022, p = 0.84), long-term ureteral reimplantation (r: 0.065, p = 0.55), and final outcome (r: – 0.054, p = 0.61). The endoscopic approach of POM had a long-term success rate of 86.5% in FG VS 89.6% in NFG.

CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic balloon dilation of POM can be done with no radiation exposure with similar results, effectiveness, and outcomes.

PMID:37690062 | DOI:10.1007/s00345-023-04572-z