Category: Statistics

J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2022 Jul 6. doi: 10.1111/jdv.18407. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis) are commonly used for treating psoriatic diseases; however, the risk of infection while receiving TNFis remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the infection risk in patients with psoriatic disease receiving TNFis. A prospectively registered systematic literature search was conducted in Medline (PubMed), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), EMBASE, and the ClinicalTrials.gov databases from inception to December 31, 2021. We included double-blind randomized controlled trials that compared TNFis or other biologics with placebo in adults with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. The primary outcomes included overall and serious infection risks, and secondary outcomes included upper respiratory infections and nasopharyngitis risks. The risk ratio of the dichotomous outcome was calculated using the Mantel-Haenszel method with random effects, and heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran’s Q statistic and quantified using the I-squared statistic. A total of 48 studies with 15464 patients with psoriatic diseases were included. The meta-analysis demonstrated a slightly increased overall infection risk (risk ratio =1.09; 95% confidence interval,1.02 to 1.15) but not serious infection risk (risk ratio =0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.61 to 1.49) among patients receiving TNFis. There was also no increased risks of upper respiratory infections (risk ratio =1.10; 95% confidence interval, 0.94 to 1.28) or nasopharyngitis (risk ratio =1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.00 to 1.30). In subgroup analyses using the fixed effects model, only etanercept and certolizumab pegol were respectively associated with an increased risk of overall infection (RR = 1.14, 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.27) and upper respiratory infections (RR=1.42, 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.98). In conclusion, evidence to date suggests an increased overall infection risk that is generally tolerable in patients with psoriatic diseases receiving TNFis. There are no increased risks of serious infections, upper respiratory infections, or nasopharyngitis.

PMID:35793472 | DOI:10.1111/jdv.18407

Psychooncology. 2022 Jul 6. doi: 10.1002/pon.5995. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a complex and profound impact on the provision of palliative care globally. To support learning from palliative care providers and researchers worldwide, the Education Subcommittee of International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) Palliative Care Special Interest Group developed a webinar with presentations by and discussion with eight international palliative care leaders. Presentations were content rich; the speakers used both quantitative (e.g., sharing recent statistical findings) and qualitative (e.g., narrative storytelling, anecdotal experiences) approaches to portray the effect of COVID-19 in their region. Subsequent to the webinar, the committee collectively identified five themes conveyed by the presenters through consensus. The themes included: 1) altered accessibility to palliative care, with socio-economic status impacting virtual health availability; 2) reduced opportunities to preserve dignity, as survival has been prioritized over preserving the humanity of patients and their loved ones; 3) complicated grief and bereavement arising from social distancing requirements; 4) greater awareness of the importance of sustaining health provider well-being; and 5) the development of valuable innovations across nations, institutions, disciplines, and communities. Overall, the webinar facilitated valuable connection for global learning and identified opportunities for research and clinical interventions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID:35793431 | DOI:10.1002/pon.5995

J Am Chem Soc. 2022 Jul 6. doi: 10.1021/jacs.2c02001. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The conversion of CO₂ into value-added products is a compelling way of storing energy derived from intermittent renewable sources and can bring us closer to a closed-loop anthropogenic carbon cycle. The ability to synthesize nanocrystals of well-defined structure and composition has invigorated catalysis science with the promise of nanocrystals that selectively express the most favorable sites for efficient catalysis. The performance of nanocrystal catalysts for the CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) is typically evaluated with nanocrystal ensembles, which returns an averaged system-level response of complex catalyst-modified electrodes with each nanocrystal likely contributing a different (unknown) amount. Measurements at single nanocrystals, taken in the context of statistical analysis of a population, and comparison to macroscale measurements are necessary to untangle the complexity of the ever-present heterogeneity in nanocrystal catalysts, achieve true structure-property correlation, and potentially identify nanocrystals with outlier performance. Here, we employ environment-controlled scanning electrochemical cell microscopy to isolate and investigate the electrocatalytic CO₂RR response of individual facet-defined gold nanocrystals. Using correlative microscopy approaches, we conclusively demonstrate that {110}-terminated gold rhombohedra possess superior activity and selectivity for CO₂RR compared with {111}-terminated octahedra and high-index {310}-terminated truncated ditetragonal prisms, especially at low overpotentials where electrode kinetics is anticipated to dominate the current response. The methodology framework described here could inform future studies of complex electrocatalytic processes through correlative single-entity and macroscale measurement techniques.

PMID:35793438 | DOI:10.1021/jacs.2c02001

Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2022 Jul 5:1-10. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2022.2091670. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: to investigate long-term effects of SmartDrive on mobility, everyday activity, and shoulder pain among spinal cord injured manual wheelchairs users.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective pilot intervention study was conducted at Spinalis/Aleris Rehab Station, Sweden. Participants were consecutively invited when evaluated for SmartDrive prescription. Assessments were done at baseline, intervention (use of SmartDrive), and after six months. A smartwatch registered wheelchair utilization including push intensity and pushes/day. Wheelchair Outcome Measure, pain rating instruments including Wheelchair User’s Shoulder Pain Index, a wheelchair test, and semi-structured interviews were used. Descriptive statistics and content analysis approach were used.

RESULTS: Twenty-five persons were screened, six of 14 included completed the study. Drop-out reasons were not related to SmartDrive for five of the eight persons. After intervention, there was a tendency of decreased pain (median (IQR) 5/10 (2.6-6.6) vs 2.5 (2-3.2). All participants reported increased satisfaction of performance when “taking a walk”, from median (IQR) 45/100 (27-70) at baseline to 95 (80-100) at 6 months. Two persons who could not ascend a slope at baseline could manage using the SmartDrive. Interviews revealed that the in general positive response persisted at six months. Also, with the SmartDrive the participants could go out despite pain, providing a sense of freedom and independence. Three incidents were reported.

CONCLUSION: This long-term pilot study indicates that a SmartDrive might be a valuable assistive device to promote mobility despite of shoulder pain. All participants considered it easy to use and experienced increased independence, however skills training and follow-ups are necessary. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONA Rear Drive Power Assist Device (RD-PAD) could increase satisfaction with self-selected activities.A RD-PAD could increase functional mobility by facilitating propelling longer distances and steeper slopes.A RD-PAD could improve perseverance of daily activities in spite of shoulder pain.A RD-PAD could be a valuable assistive aid for persons with paraplegia with different level of wheelchair skills but with good self-awareness regarding their abilities.Thorough assessment of initial wheelchair skills, training, and follow-up are important to enhance safety and maximize performance when using the RD-PAD.

PMID:35793399 | DOI:10.1080/17483107.2022.2091670

PLoS One. 2022 Jul 6;17(7):e0270761. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270761. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-1), notoriously known as COVID-19, emerged in 2019 and was responsible for causing acute respiratory collapse. Moreover, in September 2020, new variant cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 were reported in the United Kingdom, with many patients and deaths. This study aimed to see knowledge, perception, and fear among the global population towards a new variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, known as Omicron (B.1.1.529). This online cross-sectional global study was conducted during the emergence of the B.1.1.529 variant, also known as the Omicron variant. The survey was carried out from 2nd December 2021 to 3rd January 2022. The descriptive analysis was presented as frequencies (N), percentages (%), and mean ± standard deviation (m ± SD). The association between dependent and categorical independent variables was determined using the Chi-square test (x2). Statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS version 23. Of 353 respondents, approximately 61% were females. One hundred fifty-four respondents were in the age group of 18-27 years. The average age was 31.53±10.3 (mean± SD). The majority of respondents (43.9%) were from Indonesia. The mean knowledge score about the Omicron variant was 3.18±1.14. Our study suggests that people have some knowledge about the new variant, Omicron (B.1.1.529). Besides, there was a significant association (p = 0.05) for the perception of the fatality rate of Omicron among the respondents from different countries. However, there is still an ample research gap in enlightening people about this infection (B.1.1.529).

PMID:35793377 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0270761

PLoS One. 2022 Jul 6;17(7):e0270553. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270553. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Price forecasting of perishable crop like vegetables has importance implications to the farmers, traders as well as consumers. Timely and accurate forecast of the price helps the farmers switch between the alternative nearby markets to sale their produce and getting good prices. The farmers can use the information to make choices around the timing of marketing. For forecasting price of agricultural commodities, several statistical models have been applied in past but those models have their own limitations in terms of assumptions.

METHODS: In recent times, Machine Learning (ML) techniques have been much successful in modeling time series data. Though, numerous empirical studies have shown that ML approaches outperform time series models in forecasting time series, but their application in forecasting vegetables prices in India is scared. In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to explore efficient ML algorithms e.g. Generalized Neural Network (GRNN), Support Vector Regression (SVR), Random Forest (RF) and Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM) for forecasting wholesale price of Brinjal in seventeen major markets of Odisha, India.

RESULTS: An empirical comparison of the predictive accuracies of different models with that of the usual stochastic model i.e. Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model is carried out and it is observed that ML techniques particularly GRNN performs better in most of the cases. The superiority of the models is established by means of Model Confidence Set (MCS), and other accuracy measures such as Mean Error (ME), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Mean Absolute Prediction Error (MAPE). To this end, Diebold-Mariano test is performed to test for the significant differences in predictive accuracy of different models.

CONCLUSIONS: Among the machine learning techniques, GRNN performs better in all the seventeen markets as compared to other techniques. RF performs at par with GRNN in four markets. The accuracies of other techniques such as SVR, GBM and ARIMA are not up to the mark.

PMID:35793366 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0270553

PLoS One. 2022 Jul 6;17(7):e0267627. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267627. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Agricultural water salvation is the lifeblood of the national economy and is of great significance to the high-quality development of the region. In order to maximize the economic assistances of agricultural water salvation investment, this article focuses on panel data from 2005 to 2019 in 14 provinces in Eastern China, this research constructs an economic development evaluation index system from five dimensions: innovative development, coordinated development, green development, open development and shared development, and uses dynamic panel model to explore the influence relationship and path of Eastern Agricultural water salvation investment on economic development. The results represent that: there is a significant non-linear effect between agricultural water salvation investment and economic growth, showing an inverted U-shaped relationship. Which means that with the expansion of agricultural water salvation investment; economic growth has risen first and then declined. At present, the impact of agricultural water salvation investment in the Eastern region on economic development is in the promotion stage of positive and sustained growth. The recommendation of this research will help the state control in the amount of agricultural water salvation investment in the Eastern region, improve the efficiency of agricultural water salvation investment, and provide support in decision making.

PMID:35793363 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0267627

PLoS One. 2022 Jul 6;17(7):e0270232. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270232. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Intraocular treatment with antibodies targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) inhibits pathological vessel growth in adults and preterm infants. Recently, concerns regarding the impact of anti-VEGF treatment on systemic VEGF levels in preterm infants have been raised. Earlier studies suggest that preanalytical and methodological parameters impact analytical VEGF concentrations, but we have not found a comprehensive systematic review covering preanalytical procedures and methods for VEGF measurements.

OBJECTIVE: This review aimed to evaluate the most critical factors during sample collection, sample handling, and the analytical methods that influence VEGF levels and therefore should be considered when planning a prospective collection of samples to get reproducible, comparable results.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: PubMed and Scopus databases were searched 2021/Nov/11. In addition, identification of records via other methods included reference, citation, and Google Scholar searches. Rayyan QCRI was used to handle duplicates and the selection process. Publications reporting preanalytical handling and/or methodological comparisons using human blood samples were included. Exclusion criteria were biological, environmental, genetic, or physiological factors affecting VEGF. The data extraction sheets included bias assessment using the QUADAS-2 tool, evaluating patient selection, index-test, reference standard, and flow and timing. Concentrations of VEGF and results from statistical comparisons of analytical methods and/or preanalytical sample handling and/or different sample systems were extracted. The publications covering preanalytical procedures were further categorized based on the stage of the preanalytical procedure. Meta-analysis was used to visualize VEGF concentrations among healthy individuals. The quality of evidence was rated according to GRADE.

RESULTS: We identified 1596 publications, and, after the screening process, 43 were considered eligible for this systematic review. The risk of bias estimation was difficult for 2/4 domains due to non-reported information. Four critical steps in the preanalytical process that impacted VEGF quantification were identified: blood drawing and the handling before, during, and after centrifugation. Sub-categorization of those elements resulted in nine findings, rated from moderate to very low evidence grade. The choice of sample system was the most reported factor. VEGF levels (mean [95% CI]) in serum (n = 906, 20 publications), (252.5 [213.1-291.9] pg/mL), were approximated to ninefold higher than in plasma (n = 1122, 23 publications), (27.8 [23.6-32.1] pg/mL), based on summarized VEGF levels with meta-analysis. Notably, most reported plasma levels were below the calibration range of the used method.

CONCLUSION: When measuring circulating VEGF levels, choice of sample system and sample handling are important factors to consider for ensuring high reproducibility and allowing study comparisons. Protocol: CRD42020192433.

PMID:35793362 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0270232

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2022 Jul 6;16(7):e0010588. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010588. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus with maternal infection associated with preterm birth, congenital malformations, and fetal death, and adult infection associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome. Recent widespread endemic transmission of ZIKV and the potential for future outbreaks necessitate the development of an effective vaccine. We developed a ZIKV vaccine candidate based on virus-like-particles (VLPs) generated following transfection of mammalian HEK293T cells using a plasmid encoding the pre-membrane/membrane (prM/M) and envelope (E) structural protein genes. VLPs were collected from cell culture supernatant and purified by column chromatography with yields of approximately 1-2mg/L. To promote increased particle yields, a single amino acid change of phenylalanine to alanine was made in the E fusion loop at position 108 (F108A) of the lead VLP vaccine candidate. This mutation resulted in a modest 2-fold increase in F108A VLP production with no detectable prM processing by furin to a mature particle, in contrast to the lead candidate (parent). To evaluate immunogenicity and efficacy, AG129 mice were immunized with a dose titration of either the immature F108A or lead VLP (each alum adjuvanted). The resulting VLP-specific binding antibody (Ab) levels were comparable. However, geometric mean neutralizing Ab (nAb) titers using a recombinant ZIKV reporter were significantly lower with F108A immunization compared to lead. After virus challenge, all lead VLP-immunized groups showed a significant 3- to 4-Log10 reduction in mean ZIKV RNAemia levels compared with control mice immunized only with alum, but the RNAemia reduction of 0.5 Log10 for F108A groups was statistically similar to the control. Successful viral control by the lead VLP candidate following challenge supports further vaccine development for this candidate. Notably, nAb titer levels in the lead, but not F108A, VLP-immunized mice inversely correlated with RNAemia. Further evaluation of sera by an in vitro Ab-dependent enhancement assay demonstrated that the F108A VLP-induced immune sera had a significantly higher capacity to promote ZIKV infection in FcγR-expressing cells. These data indicate that a single amino acid change in the fusion loop resulted in increased VLP yields but that the immature F108A particles were significantly diminished in their capacity to induce nAbs and provide protection against ZIKV challenge.

PMID:35793354 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pntd.0010588

PLoS Biol. 2022 Jul 6;20(7):e3001712. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001712. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

People of all ages display the ability to detect and learn from patterns in seemingly random stimuli. Referred to as statistical learning (SL), this process is particularly critical when learning a spoken language, helping in the identification of discrete words within a spoken phrase. Here, by considering individual differences in speech auditory-motor synchronization, we demonstrate that recruitment of a specific neural network supports behavioral differences in SL from speech. While independent component analysis (ICA) of fMRI data revealed that a network of auditory and superior pre/motor regions is universally activated in the process of learning, a frontoparietal network is additionally and selectively engaged by only some individuals (high auditory-motor synchronizers). Importantly, activation of this frontoparietal network is related to a boost in learning performance, and interference with this network via articulatory suppression (AS; i.e., producing irrelevant speech during learning) normalizes performance across the entire sample. Our work provides novel insights on SL from speech and reconciles previous contrasting findings. These findings also highlight a more general need to factor in fundamental individual differences for a precise characterization of cognitive phenomena.

PMID:35793349 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.3001712