Category: Statistics

Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2022 Aug 24:S0901-5027(22)00319-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ijom.2022.08.005. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to investigate the gingival thickness and biologic width in the aesthetic zone (maxillary central and lateral incisors) in an Asian population using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) as a non-invasive measurement method, prior to immediate implant placement. The gingival geometric ratio is introduced as a new parameter for assessing soft tissue stability and hence predicting the aesthetic outcome. The gingival thickness, biologic width category (normal, high, and low crest), and gingival geometric ratio (shape and configuration of the gingival tissues) were assessed for 171 central and 175 lateral incisors on high-resolution CBCT images. Thick gingivae were found in 93.6% of the central incisors and 64% of the lateral incisors (P < 0.001). The difference in thickness between the central and lateral incisors was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Regarding the biologic width of the facial gingival tissue, the majority of central (64.8%) and lateral (64.3%) incisors were categorized as low crest (>3 mm). The study found that most of the gingivae of the maxillary central incisors were thick, while thin gingivae were more prevalent in the lateral incisors. Therefore, an individual patient may have different gingival thickness types, and ‘one individual, one gingival biotype’ may not be true. Furthermore, the majority of the facial gingival tissues of the maxillary incisors were found to be low crest.

PMID:36030186 | DOI:10.1016/j.ijom.2022.08.005

Epidemics. 2022 Aug 12:100621. doi: 10.1016/j.epidem.2022.100621. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:36030185 | DOI:10.1016/j.epidem.2022.100621

Prim Care Diabetes. 2022 Aug 15:S1751-9918(22)00134-6. doi: 10.1016/j.pcd.2022.08.005. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIMS: This study was carried out to investigate fear levels, treatment compliance, and metabolic control of type II Diabetes Mellitus patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: The study employed a single-center, observational design and was conducted between January and April 2021. The study consisted of 303 patients who attended the internal medicine outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Turkey. For data collection, the Patient Identification Form, COVID-19 Fear Scale, and the Type II Diabetes Treatment Compliance Scale were used. The study complied with the Helsinki Declaration criteria. IBM SPSS v25.0 statistics package program was used for data analysis.

RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 45.8 ± 7.5 years, the mean duration of illness was 8.2 ± 3.6 years. Moreover, 40.6% of patients presented with poor levels of treatment compliance. In addition, the mean FCV-19S score of the patients was 29.1 ± 3.05. It was noticeable that those with high mean scores of FCV-19S had poor compliance with treatment and metabolic control during the pandemic (p < 0.05).

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Fear of COVID-19 negatively affects treatment compliance and metabolic control of type II diabetes patients. The patients avoided attending their regular follow-ups at the hospital due to fear of contracting COVID-19. In order to reduce the fear of COVID-19 it is paramount to maintain optimum metabolic control and treatment compliance.

PMID:36030171 | DOI:10.1016/j.pcd.2022.08.005

Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2022 Aug 24:101753. doi: 10.1016/j.clae.2022.101753. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The corneo-scleral-profile (CSP) describes the transition from cornea to sclera, while the corneo-scleral junction angle (CSJ), is the angle formed between the cornea and the sclera. The aims of this study were (i) to analyse the CSP and CSJ in different quadrants and (ii) to test correlation and repeatability of an established observational grading and measurement method, using Scheimpflug images.

METHODS: The nasal, temporal, superior and inferior CSP of 35 healthy eye participants (mean age 25.5 SD ± 3.1 years; 20 female) was imaged using the corneo-scleral-profile module of the Pentacam (Oculus, Wetzlar, Germany). On the captured Scheimpflug images CSP was subjectively graded into five different corneo-scleral transitions, using the Meier grading scale (profile 1 fluid-convex; profile 2 fluid-tangential; profile 3 marked-convex; profile 4 marked-tangential; profile 5 concave). The CSJ was measured on the same images using ImageJ v1.8.0. Grading and measurement was repeated at a second session. Intra-observer reliability for the CSP-grading was analysed by Cohen’s Kappa. Differences between repeated CSJ-measurements and different quadrants were analysed by paired-t-test and ANOVA. The eta-coefficient was used to determine the association between subjective CSP-grading and CSJ-measurement.

RESULTS: Intra-observer reliability for the CSP grading system was poor (kappa = 0.098) whereas repeated measurements of CSJ angle showed no statistically significant difference between sessions (0.04°; 95 % CI – 0.21° to 0.29°; p = 0.77). CSJ angles ranged from 172° to 180° with no statistically significant differences between nasal, temporal, superior and inferior (p = 0.24). Eta-coefficient indicated a weak association between CSP-grading and CSJ-measurement (η = 0.27; p = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS: The subjective CSP-grading showed poorer repeatability than the objective CSJ-measurement, which did not detect any differences in angles between the meridians. The weak association between CSP-grading and CSJ-measurement is likely caused by the limited intra-observer reliability of the Meier grading scale. Furthermore, the CSP-grading scale seems to consider other aspects beside the CSJ angle, such as scleral radius.

PMID:36030150 | DOI:10.1016/j.clae.2022.101753

Curr Probl Diagn Radiol. 2022 Jul 30:S0363-0188(22)00115-3. doi: 10.1067/j.cpradiol.2022.07.012. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine patient portal enrollment and the usage with a specific focus on the utilization of on-line radiology reports by patients. Oracle SQL (Austin, TX, USA) queries were used to extract portal enrollment data over a 13-month period from March 1, 2017 through March 31, 2018 from the hospital system’s EMR. Patient enrollment was collected as was patient information including basic demographics and utilization patterns. For enrolled patients, interaction within the portal with the “Radiology” work tab (RADTAB) was used as a surrogate for review of radiology results. As a comparator, interaction within the portal with the “Laboratory” work tab (LABTAB) was used as a surrogate for review of laboratory results. Statistical analysis on the data was performed using Chi-squared, Student’s t-test, Logistic regression and multivariate analysis where appropriate. The population for analysis included 424,422 patients. Overall, 138,783 patients (32.7%) were enrolled in the portal. Patients enrolled in the portal were older (P < 0.0001), female (P < 0.0001) and Caucasian (P < 0.0001). Patients enrolled in the portal had higher levels of educational attainment (p < 0.0001), higher annual household income (P < 0.0001), and more outpatient clinic visits (P < 0.0001). The proportion of enrolled patients that interacted with the LABTAB (47.2%) was significantly higher than those that interacted with the RADTAB (27.1%) (P < 0.0001; Table 2). Patients that utilize the portal are more likely to utilize the Laboratory tab than the Radiology tab, and demographic differences do not account for this difference in usage. Further investigation is needed to better understand the reasons for the differing usage trends of Laboratory and Radiology tabs.

PMID:36030140 | DOI:10.1067/j.cpradiol.2022.07.012

Vaccine. 2022 Aug 24:S0264-410X(22)00817-9. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.06.048. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Vaccination is a cost-effective disease prevention measure. Sustainable financing is critical to successful implementation of vaccination programs. Countries in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) have vaccination programs that remain highly vulnerable to budget limitations.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to understand the current vaccine financing landscape in MEA; to assess the availability and variability of data on vaccination budgets, expenditure and schedules including introductions of new vaccines; and to identify and describe key trends.

METHOD: A targeted literature review was conducted for 69 MEA countries for data between 2010 and 2019. Descriptive analysis of the collected data was conducted.

RESULTS: Data on vaccination expenditure were available for 96% of the countries. However, data on vaccination budget were limited, and the variability was high. The median vaccination expenditure per capita was between US$0.57 and US$1.02. High-income countries spent the most on vaccination per capita (median US$3.41) compared to low-income countries (median US$0.69). The highest vaccination expenditure per capita was in countries that receive 100% government funding of vaccination programs (US$0.87) compared to those where government pays for > 0% to < 50% of vaccination expenditure (US$0.74). Vaccination expenditure as a proportion of gross domestic product was the highest (0.10%) in low-income countries and the lowest in high-income countries (0.01%). Vaccination expenditure as proportion of healthcare expenditure was the highest (1.76%) in low-income countries and the lowest in high-income countries (0.33%). Statistically significant trends in median expenditure per capita were identified for 27% of the countries. During this period, an average of 4.4 vaccines were introduced.

CONCLUSION: Data on vaccination expenditure in MEA was available for detailed analysis, and it was useful to understand the characteristics of vaccination funding in the region. It is important to secure adequate financing to sustain current vaccination programs and to introduce new vaccines.

PMID:36030126 | DOI:10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.06.048

Int J Epidemiol. 2022 Aug 27:dyac170. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyac170. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: To understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality, this study investigates overall, sex- and age-specific excess all-cause mortality in 20 countries, during 2020.

METHODS: Total, sex- and age-specific weekly all-cause mortality for 2015-2020 was collected from national vital statistics databases. Excess mortality for 2020 was calculated by comparing weekly 2020 observed mortality against expected mortality, estimated from historical data (2015-2019) accounting for seasonality, long- and short-term trends. Crude and age-standardized rates were analysed for total and sex-specific mortality.

RESULTS: Austria, Brazil, Cyprus, England and Wales, France, Georgia, Israel, Italy, Northern Ireland, Peru, Scotland, Slovenia, Sweden, and the USA displayed substantial excess age-standardized mortality of varying duration during 2020, while Australia, Denmark, Estonia, Mauritius, Norway, and Ukraine did not. In sex-specific analyses, excess mortality was higher in males than females, except for Slovenia (higher in females) and Cyprus (similar in both sexes). Lastly, for most countries substantial excess mortality was only detectable (Austria, Cyprus, Israel, and Slovenia) or was higher (Brazil, England and Wales, France, Georgia, Italy, Northern Ireland, Sweden, Peru and the USA) in the oldest age group investigated. Peru demonstrated substantial excess mortality even in the <45 age group.

CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights that excess all-cause mortality during 2020 is context dependent, with specific countries, sex- and age-groups being most affected. As the pandemic continues, tracking excess mortality is important to accurately estimate the true toll of COVID-19, while at the same time investigating the effects of changing contexts, different variants, testing, quarantine, and vaccination strategies.

PMID:36029524 | DOI:10.1093/ije/dyac170

Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand). 2022 May 31;68(5):72-76. doi: 10.14715/cmb/2022.68.5.9.

ABSTRACT

This study was performed to evaluate the histological changes in the cornea after accelerated collagen crosslinking. In this regard, the right eyes of 7 New Zealand albino rabbits weighing 1.5 to 2 kg were studied. The right eye was considered the case group, and the left eye was considered the control group. The right eye epithelium was removed, riboflavin 0.1 solutions (10 mg riboflavin-5 phosphate in 10 ml dextran-T-500, 20%) were shaken every three minutes for 30 minutes and exposed to UVA for 10 minutes, and crosslinking was performed. All rabbits were euthanized and histologically evaluated. Apoptosis was assessed using the tunnel method. The results showed a significant difference in the mean percentage of apoptotic cells in the treatment and control groups. In both endothelial cells and keratocytes in the treated cornea, the number of apoptotic cells was significantly higher than in the control group. In the general examination of the cornea (keratocytes and endothelium) in the right eye of rabbits, the mean and standard deviation of the percentage of apoptotic cells was 18.39 ± 3.4 and in the left eye was 6.37 ± 1.8. The apoptosis results of keratocytes in the right eye showed that the mean and standard deviation for the percentage of apoptotic keratocytes was 2.86 ± 1.07, which was significantly higher than in the left eye (0.53 ± 0.43) (P <0.001). The mean and standard deviation of endothelial apoptotic cells in the right and left eyes were 86.2 and 53.5, respectively, statistically significant (P = 0.026). Although CXL is a reliable method of preventing the progression of keratoconus disease, there is still a risk of endothelial cell damage and related complications due to endothelial cell damage, and further studies are needed.

PMID:36029513 | DOI:10.14715/cmb/2022.68.5.9

Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand). 2022 May 31;68(5):16-23. doi: 10.14715/cmb/2022.68.5.3.

ABSTRACT

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women and is also the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. In recent years, the survival rate of patients with this disease has been long, and at the same time, more emphasis is on their quality of life. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of supportive and educational care of nurses on the life quality of patients with ovarian cancer. The expression of the HE4 gene was also evaluated as a diagnostic marker of ovarian cancer to assess the role of supportive and educational care of nurses in improving the physical health of these patients. In this study, which was a quasi-experimental study, 45 patients with ovarian cancer participated. The instrument was demographic information and quality of life questionnaires related to Beckman Institute, which were completed in two stages before and after patients’ training and support sessions. HE4 gene expression was also assessed by Real-time PCR technique. Finally, the obtained data were analyzed using SPSS software and statistical tests. Based on the results, the mean score of quality of life before the intervention was 51.73 ± 13.91, and after the intervention was 60.46 ± 13.80 (P <0.001). Also, in all four dimensions of quality of life, the mean score of individuals after the intervention increased compared to before the intervention, but this difference was recognized as significant in only two dimensions of physical and mental health (P <0.001). The results of HE4 gene expression also showed that supportive and educational care of nurses had a significant effect on the expression of this gene. Therefore, this study confirmed the positive effect of educational and supportive programs in improving the quality of life of patients with ovarian cancer. In general, the design and implementation of such programs are proposed more widely and based on patients’ educational and supportive needs.

PMID:36029511 | DOI:10.14715/cmb/2022.68.5.3

Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand). 2022 May 31;68(5):89-95. doi: 10.14715/cmb/2022.68.5.12.

ABSTRACT

Stroke is the most common, deadly, and complicating neurological disease. Many studies have shown that the levels of some acute inflammatory reactants in people with ischemic stroke are higher than average. Therefore, in this study, three acute inflammatory reactants, i.e., C-reactive protein, Serum cystatin C, and carbohydrate antigen 125, were evaluated in patients with acute ischemic stroke to consider the association between these serums with intra and extra-cerebral vessels stenosis. In this cross-sectional study, 90 patients with non-embolic ischemic stroke were evaluated. The diagnosis was by physical examination, rejection of emboli, and brain imaging. Blood samples were taken in the first 24 hours of a stroke. ELISA test was used to measure CRP, Serum cystatin C, and CA125. Doppler ultrasound of cerebral arteries was also performed in the first five days. Independent chi-square and t-tests were used to analyze the data. The result of CRP level in patients with stenosis was 7.58±1.33μg/ml and in patients without stenosis was 4.10±1.75μg/ml (p = 0.004). Also, there was a significant relationship between serum CRP level and stenosis (p = 0.003). In patients with abnormal CRP, the internal carotid artery, middle cerebral artery, and anterior cerebral artery were the most involved. In patients with normal CRP, the most involved arteries were the anterior cerebral artery, internal carotid artery, and middle cerebral artery, respectively. There was a significant relationship between serum CRP level and the location of internal carotid artery stenosis (p = 0.015) and middle cerebral artery (p = 0.006). The amount of cystatin C between the normal CRP and abnormal CRP groups was statistically significant so that its concentration in the normal group was less than in the abnormal group (p = 0.04). The results of measuring the serum concentration of carbohydrate antigen 125 showed that the serum level in the normal group was statistically lower than in the abnormal group (P = 0.02). The results showed that stenosis of the internal carotid artery and middle cerebral artery is more common in patients with ischemic stroke with high serum CRP levels. This finding suggests that abnormal CRP may be more associated with narrowing some cerebral arteries.

PMID:36029510 | DOI:10.14715/cmb/2022.68.5.12