Category: Statistics

Clin Oral Implants Res. 2021 Aug 5. doi: 10.1111/clr.13812. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the dimensions and morphology of peri-implant tissues around a modified dental implant designed with tissue level connection and a convergent transmucosal neck, when compared with a conventional bone level implant connected to a cylindrical machined titanium abutment.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eight experimental animals were used for this in vivo investigation, in whom 16 test and 16 control implants were placed following a random allocation sequence. The following histological outcomes at 4 and 12 weeks were evaluated: morphology of peri-implant tissues, the soft tissue height and thickness, the horizontal and vertical bone remodeling and the bone to implant contact (BIC).

RESULTS: In both early (4 weeks) and late (12 weeks) healing times, there were no statistically significant differences between test and control implants, with respect to the overall height and thickness of the peri-implant hard and soft tissues. There was a tendency towards a more coronal free gingival margin (I-FGM) at the buccal aspect of test when compared to control implants (at 4 weeks, difference of 0.97mm (p=0.572) and 0.30mm (p=1.000) at 12 weeks). Similarly, there was a tendency towards a more coronal position of the first bone to implant contact (I-B) at the buccal aspect of test as compared to control implants (1.08mm (p=0.174) at 4 weeks and 0.83mm (p=0.724) at 12 weeks).

CONCLUSIONS: Hard and soft tissue healing occurred at both implant types with no statistically significant differences. Test implants tended to present a more coronal gingival margin (FGM) and first bone to implant contact (B).

PMID:34352137 | DOI:10.1111/clr.13812

Clin Oral Implants Res. 2021 Aug 5. doi: 10.1111/clr.13825. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of artificial aging on the transformation propagation and fracture resistance of zirconia implants.

METHODS: One- [with integrated implant abutment, 1P; regular diameter (4.1mm); n=16] and two-piece [with separate implant abutment, 2P; wide diameter (5mm); n=16] zirconia implants were embedded according to ISO 14801. A two-piece titanium-zirconium implant (Ti-Zr; 4.1mm diameter) served as a control (n=16). One subgroup (n=8) of each system was simultaneously dynamically loaded (10⁷ cycles; 98N) and hydrothermally aged (85°C, 58 days) while the other subgroup (n=8) remained untreated. Finally, specimens were statically loaded to fracture. Potential crystal phase transformation was examined at cross-sections using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A multivariate linear regression model was applied for statistical analyses.

RESULTS: The fracture resistance of 1P [1117 (SD = 38) N; loaded/aged: 1009 (60) N], 2P [850 (36) N; loaded/aged: 799 (84) N] and Ti-Zr implants [1338 (205) N; loaded/aged: 1319 (247) N] was not affected significantly by loading/aging (p=0.171). However, when comparing the systems, they revealed significant differences independent of loading/aging (p≤0.001). Regarding the crystal structure, a transformation zone was observed in SEM images of 1P only after aging, while 2P showed a transformation zone even before aging. After hydrothermal treatment, an increase of this monoclinic layer was observed in both systems.

CONCLUSIONS: The Ti-Zr control implant showed higher fracture resistance compared to both zirconia implants. Loading/aging had no significant impact on the fracture resistance of both zirconia implants. The wide body 2P zirconia implant was weaker than the regular body 1P implant.

PMID:34352139 | DOI:10.1111/clr.13825

Clin Oral Implants Res. 2021 Aug 5. doi: 10.1111/clr.13824. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the peri-implant tissue changes and aesthetic outcomes of cemented and screw-retained crowns of single-tooth implants in the aesthetic zone using zirconia abutments.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: An electronic search was performed on nine databases. The risk-of-bias was assessed by the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized (RoB 2) and non-randomized (ROBINS-I) clinical trials. Marginal bone level change, soft tissue thickness, bleeding on probing, probing depth, survival rates of implants and crowns, complications, plaque and papilla indexes, and pink aesthetic score data were extracted and analysed. The certainty of evidence was accessed through the GRADE approach.

RESULTS: Nine records were included and 7 were used in the meta-analyses. Screw-retained crowns presented greater marginal bone level change (MD -0.04 [-0.08, -0.00] p=0.04, I² =0%) compared to cemented crowns up to 1-year. At 3 and 4 years no significant differences (p>.05) were observed. Soft tissue thickness did not differ between groups (p>0.05). The bleeding on probing was higher in cemented group than in screw-retained crowns at 1-year (MD 0.17 [0.08, 0.27] p=0.0005, I² =0%), at medium-term periods (3 and 4 years) no statistically significant differences (p>0.05) were observed for this outcome. Probing depth, survival rates of implants and crowns, complications, and plaque index as well as aesthetic analysis using the papilla index and pink aesthetic score did not differ statistically (p>0.05) between both retention systems at short and medium-term periods.

CONCLUSION: The connection system considering zirconia abutments presented no influence on peri-implant parameters and aesthetics evaluation for medium-term periods (3 and 4 years).

PMID:34352144 | DOI:10.1111/clr.13824

Clin Chem. 2021 Aug 5;67(8):1113-1121. doi: 10.1093/clinchem/hvab091.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial diseases (MD) are genetic metabolic disorders that impair normal mitochondrial structure or function. The aim of this study was to investigate the status of circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA (ccfmtDNA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), together with other biomarkers (growth differentiation factor-15 [GDF-15], alanine, and lactate), in a cohort of 25 patients with a molecular diagnosis of MD.

METHODS: Measurement of ccfmtDNA was performed by using droplet digital PCR.

RESULTS: The mean copy number of ccfmtDNA was approximately 6 times higher in the MD cohort compared to the control group; patients with mitochondrial deletion and depletion syndromes (MDD) had the higher levels. We also detected the presence of both wild-type mtDNA and mtDNA deletions in CSF samples of patients with single deletions. Patients with MDD with single deletions had significantly higher concentrations of GDF-15 in CSF than controls, whereas patients with point mutations in mitochondrial DNA presented no statistically significant differences. Additionally, we found a significant positive correlation between ccfmtDNA levels and GDF-15 concentrations (r = 0.59, P = 0.016).

CONCLUSION: CSF ccfmtDNA levels are significantly higher in patients with MD in comparison to controls and, thus, they can be used as a novel biomarker for MD research. Our results could also be valuable to support the clinical outcome assessment of MD patients.

PMID:34352085 | DOI:10.1093/clinchem/hvab091

Surg Technol Int. 2021 Aug 5;39:sti39/1465. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Partial knee arthroplasty (PKA) is performed to treat end-stage osteoarthritis in a single compartment. There are minimal data characterizing soft-tissue injuries for PKA with robotic and manual techniques. This cadaver study compared the extent of soft-tissue trauma sustained through robotic-arm assisted PKA (RPKA) and manual PKA (MPKA). Five surgeons prepared 24 cadaveric knees for medial PKA, including six MPKA controls and 18 RPKA assigned into three different workflows: RPKA-LB (six knees) – RPKA with legacy burr; RPKA-NB (six knees) – RPKA with new burr design; and RPKA-NBS (six knees) – RPKA with new burr design and oscillating saw. Two surgeons estimated trauma to the patellar tendon, quadriceps tendon, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), medial capsule, posterior capsule, and posterior cruciate ligament (PCLs) using a five-grade system: Grade 1 – complete soft tissue preservation; Grade 2 – ≤25%; Grade 3 – 26 to 50%; Grade 4 – 51 to 75%; and Grade 5 – ≥76% trauma. A total trauma grade was assigned by summing the grades. Kruskal-Wallis statistical tests were used to assess outcomes. When compared to the MPKA group, all RPKA subgroups had lower total trauma grading (p<0.01), lower posterior capsular damage (p<0.01), and less severe ACL damage (p<0.01). The analysis demonstrated no significant difference between the three RPKA workflows. As this study was performed using cadaveric specimens, additional investigations are necessary to determine associations between robotic or manual-assisted technique, observed soft tissue damage, and postoperative clinical outcomes following PKA.

PMID:34352111

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 5;16(8):e0255740. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255740. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The optimal surgical approach for critically ill patients with complex coronary disease remains uncertain. We compared outcomes of bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) versus single ITA (SITA) revascularization in critical patients.

METHODS: We evaluated 394 consecutive critical patients with multi-vessel disease who underwent CABG during 1996-2001. Outcomes measured were early mortality, strokes, myocardial-infarctions, sternal infections, revisions for bleeding, and late survival. The critical preoperative state was acknowledged concisely by one or more of the following: preoperative ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation, aborted sudden cardiac death, or the need for mechanical ventilation or for preoperative insertion of intra-aortic-balloon counter-pulsation.

RESULTS: During the study period, 193 of our patients who underwent SITA and 201 who underwent BITA were in critical condition. The SITA group was older (mean 68.0 vs. 63.3 years, p = 0.001) and higher proportions were females (28.5% vs. 18.9% p = 0.025), after recent-MI (69.9% vs. 57.2% p = 0.009) and with left-main disease (38.3% vs. 49.3% p = .029); the median logistic EuroSCORE was higher (0.2898 vs. 0.1597, p<0.001). No statistically significant differences were observed between the SITA and BITA groups in 30-day mortality; and in rates of early CVA, MI and sternal infections (13.0% vs. 8.5%, p = 0.148; 4.1% vs. 6.0%, p = 0.49; 6.7% vs. 4.5%, p = 0.32 and 2.1% vs. 2.5%, p>0.99, respectively). Long-term survival (median follow-up of 15 years, interquartile-range: 13.57-15) was better in the BITA group (median 14.39 vs. 9.31± 0.9 years, p = 0.001). Propensity-score matching (132 matched pairs) also yielded similar early outcomes and improved long-term survival (median follow-up of 15 years, interquartile-range: 13.56-15) for the BITA group (median 12.49±1.71 vs. 7.63±0.99 years, p = 0.002). In multivariable analysis, BITA revascularization was found to be a predictor for improved survival (hazard-ratio of 0.419, 95%CI 0.23-0.76, p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated long-term survival benefit for BITA revascularization in patients in a critical pre-operative state who presented for surgical revascularization.

PMID:34352035 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0255740

Hell J Nucl Med. 2021 Aug 6:s002449912351. doi: 10.1967/s002449912351. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Chromogranin A (CgA) is a soluble polypeptide stored within and released from secretory granules of endocrine and other cell types (including cardiomyocytes); CgA appears to be a marker of overall neuroendocrine activity. Increased levels of serum CgA have been found not only in patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms but also with other malignancies, hypertension, myocardial infarction, heart or renal failure.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A population of 307 patients (202 males, 105 females) was enrolled. The study group consisted of 118 individuals (38.4%) with myocardial infarction more than one year old (MI group); the remaining 189 (61.6%) had no known heart disease (control group). All patients underwent myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) after blood withdrawal for serum CgA measurement. To test whether a possible effect of old infarction on serum CgA is mediated by MPS findings, we employed analysis of covariance for three distinct categories of left ventricular (LV) perfusion deficits as dichotomous predictors: (1) any-type deficits (abnormal MPS); (2) reversible deficits (ischemia); and (3) fixed deficits (scar).

RESULTS: In all three MPS conditions, the effect of age, gender, and LV ejection fraction (EFLV) on serum CgA was statistically significant: women exhibited higher CgA levels than men (P=0.008-0.023), whereas increasing age and decreasing EFLV were associated with increasing CgA (all P<0.001). Conversely, no statistically significant differences in mean CgA levels were found between MI patients and normal controls with either abnormal MPS, scar, or ischemia, or their degree and extent.

CONCLUSION: Although serum CgA is significantly associated with age, gender, and EFLV in patients with an old MI, no association was found between CgA levels and either old MI history or MPS findings. The verified involvement of circulating CgA in the acute/subacute phase of infarction appears to be blunted in infarctions older than a year.

PMID:34352046 | DOI:10.1967/s002449912351

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 5;16(8):e0255723. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255723. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) refers to any behavior by either a current or ex-intimate partner or would-be rejected lover that causes physical, sexual, or psychological harm. It is the most common form of violence in women’s lives. According to a World Health Organization report, about 1 in 3 women worldwide experience at least one form of IPV from an intimate partner at some point in her life. In the Gambia, about 62% of pregnant women experience at least one form of violence from an intimate partner. IPV has severe physical and mental health consequences on a woman ranging from minor bodily injury to death. It also increases the risk of low birth weight, premature delivery, and neonatal death.

METHODS: A health facility-based cross-sectional study design was carried out to assess the magnitude and factors associated with intimate partner violence among pregnant women seeking antenatal care in the rural Gambia. The study enrolled 373 pregnant women, and a multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the respondents. An interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used to obtain information from the study participants. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS Ver.22. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine the association between dependent and independent variables. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) was computed to determine the presence and strength of associated factors with IPV.

RESULT: The study reveals that the prevalence of IPV in The Gambia is 67%, with psychological violence (43%) being the most common form of IPV reported by the respondents. The multivariate logistic regression result reveals that being aged 35 years or older [AOR 5.1(95% CI 1.5-17.8)], the experience of parents quarreling during childhood [AOR 1.7(95% CI 1.0-2.75)], and having cigarette smoking partners [AOR 2.3 (95% CI 1.10-4.6)] were significantly associated with IPV during pregnancy.

CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated that all forms of IPV in rural Gambia are frequent. Women older than 35 years, had experienced parents quarreling, had a partner who smoked, and a partner who fight with others were more likely report IPV compared to other pregnant women in the study. We recommend that IPV screening should be included as an integral part of routine antenatal care services in The Gambia. Community-based interventions that include indigenous leaders, religious leaders, and other key stakeholders are crucial to create awareness on all forms of IPV and address the risk factors found to influence the occurrence of IPV in rural Gambia.

PMID:34352019 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0255723

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 5;16(8):e0255808. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255808. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Adherence to antiretroviral therapy is very essential to achieve a great outcome of drugs via suppressing viral load, preventing multidrug resistance, and reducing mother to a child transmission rate of the Human Immune Virus.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the level of adherence to option B plus PMTCT and associated factors among HIV Positive pregnant and lactating women in public health facilities of Hawassa city, Southern Ethiopia, 2020 G.C.

METHODS: Institution-based cross-sectional study was done on 254 HIV-positive pregnant and lactating women attending the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) follow-up. Participants were selected by simple random sampling. Data collected through a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire were cleaned and entered into Epi-data 3.1 and exported to SPSS 20 for statistical analysis. Descriptive analysis was done. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions were done to measure the strength of association between independent and dependent variables using the odds ratio and 95% of confidence interval. A p-value <0.05 was taken as statistically significant.

RESULT: The overall adherence level to option B+ was 224 (88.2%). Respondents in age group of ≤ 25 [AOR = 0.12, 95% CI (0.03, 0.42)], with no formal education [AOR = 0.12, 95% CI (0.03, 0.51)], experienced drug side effects [AOR = 0.11, 95% CI (0.04, 0.32)], have good knowledge of PMTCT [AOR = 3.6, 95% CI (1.16, 11.3)], and get support from partner/family [AOR = 4.5, 95% CI (1.62, 12.4)] were identified associated factors with adherence level.

CONCLUSION: The level of adherence to option B plus PMTCT was 88.2% which is suboptimal. Ages, educational level, knowledge on PMTCT, getting support from partner/family, and drug side effect were significantly associated with adherence. Therefore, educating and counseling on the service of PMTCT to improve their knowledge and encouraging partner/family involvement in care are mandatory to achieve the standard adherence level.

PMID:34352020 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0255808

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 5;16(8):e0255727. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255727. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

Tuberculosis (TB) incidence and corresponding mortality rates in S. Korea are unusual and unique compared to other economically developed countries. Korea has the highest TB incidence rate in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. TB is known as a disease reflecting socio-economic and environmental conditions of a society. Besides, TB is an infectious disease spread through the air, naturally forming spatial dependence of its incidence. This study investigates TB incidences in Korea in socio-economic and environmental perspectives. Eigenvector spatial filtering applied accounts for spatial autocorrelation in the TB incidence, and Getis-Ord [Formula: see text] statistic tracks the changes of TB clusters at given time. The results show that population composition ratio, population growth rate, health insurance payment, and public health variables are significant throughout the study period. Environmental variables make minor effects on TB incidence. This study argues that unique demographic features of Korea are a potential threat to TB control in the future.

PMID:34352032 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0255727