Category: Statistics

J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2022 Jan 19;128:105097. doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2022.105097. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Although cellular elastic property (CEP, also known as cellular elastic modulus) has been frequently reported as a biomarker to distinguish some cancerous cells from their benign counterparts, it cannot be adopted as a universal hallmark to be applied to every kind cell. In the present study, we report that insignificant difference is observed between normal gastric cell and its cancer counterpart which is one of the common human malignancies, in terms of CEP statistical distribution. In this regard, we propose multiple cellular mechanical phenotypes (CMPs) to differentiate the above two cell types, which is realized by machine learning algorithm (MLA). The results show that the cellular classification effect proves better with more CMPs adopted, regardless of the exact MLA employed. Moreover, the MLA-based method remains effective if we add two more cell lines to the above two cell categories. Our study indicates that MLA-based cellular classification can potentially serve as an efficient and objective means to assist or even validate cancer prognostics.

PMID:35151180 | DOI:10.1016/j.jmbbm.2022.105097

Ann Diagn Pathol. 2022 Feb 7;58:151909. doi: 10.1016/j.anndiagpath.2022.151909. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Patients with cutaneous melanoma and a positive sentinel node (SN) are currently eligible for adjuvant treatment with targeted therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging could be an alternative and less invasive tool for SN biopsy to select patients for adjuvant treatment. One potential target for NIR is the mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET). This study aimed to assess MET immunoreactivity in positive SNs and to evaluate its potential diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic value.

METHODS: In this retrospective study, positive SN samples from patients with primary cutaneous melanoma were collected to assess MET immunoreactivity. To this end, paraffin-embedded SNs were stained for MET (monoclonal antibody D1C2). A 4-point Histoscore was used to determine cytoplasmic and membranous immunoreactivity (0 negative/1 weak/2 moderate/3 strong). Samples were considered positive when ≥10% of the cancer cells showed MET expression (staining intensity ≥1). Patient and clinicopathological characteristics were used for descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression, and survival analyses.

RESULTS: Positive MET immunohistochemistry was observed in 24 out of 37 samples (65%). No statistically significant associations were found between MET positivity and the following prognostic factors: Breslow thickness (P = 0.961), ulceration (P = 1.000), and SN tumor burden (P = 0.792). According to MET positivity, Kaplan-Meier curves showed no significant differences in survival.

CONCLUSION: This exploratory study found no evidence to support MET immunoreactivity in positive SNs as a possible diagnostic or prognostic indicator in patients with melanoma.

PMID:35151198 | DOI:10.1016/j.anndiagpath.2022.151909

Tissue Cell. 2022 Jan 29;76:101744. doi: 10.1016/j.tice.2022.101744. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common cause of movement disorders in children. Next generation sequencing (NGS) studies have previously shown that expression levels are fundamentally different in children with CP compared to typically developing (TD). However, given that children are in full development, we might expect gene expression levels to change once maturity is reached. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to investigate gene expression levels of 93 target genes in adults with CP using NGS on muscle biopsies of the gastrocnemius, taken from 22 participants (n = 12 adults with CP; n = 10 TD adults). Subsequently, we carried out NGS of the mitochondrial genome to identify mtDNA variants, and additionally we studied the mitochondrial content using transmission electron microscopy images of the gastrocnemius muscle. Finally, we compared systemic ion levels between TD adults and adults with CP. Differential gene expression levels were found in genes involved in muscle contraction (MYH1 and MYBPC2), mitochondrial function kATP5J, CYCS and NDUFB6), calcium handling (CAMK2B and ATP2A), metabolism (LPL), muscle signaling (MYC, CREB1, ACVR2B, LMNA and TRIM54), and ECM (TNC). There was no statistical significant difference between CP and TD for mtDNA variant frequencies and mitochondrial content. The ion levels of Ca²⁺, Na⁺ and K⁺ were statistically significantly reduced while the Cl^– levels were significant increased in adults with CP compared to TD adults. These results highlight that most transcriptional differences are related to muscle function in adults with CP and that mitochondrial function might be altered but not mitochondrial content.

PMID:35151178 | DOI:10.1016/j.tice.2022.101744

Soc Sci Med. 2022 Feb 5;296:114778. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114778. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Using a population-based longitudinal dataset in Australia over nearly 20 years, this study examines the impact of tenure instability on mental health and psychological distress among a low-income working-age population. The analysis compares private renters (who are notable for their relative tenure insecurity in the Australian context) and homeowners with similar sociodemographic characteristics. To enhance group comparability and address the presence of time-varying covariates that confound and mediate the relationship between tenure exposure and mental health, marginal structural models were used applying weights estimated cumulatively over time. The results show that while private rental tenants report worse mental health than homeowners initially (mental health difference: Beta = -5.29, 95%CI -7.61 to -2.97; psychological distress difference: Beta = 1.77, 95%CI 0.55 to 2.99), this difference diminishes to become statistically indistinguishable by 5-6 years of occupancy (mental health difference at year 6: Beta = -2.09, 95%CI -4.31 to 0.13, predicted mental health increases: from 65.06 to 69.83 for private renters and from 70.46 to 72.02 for homeowners; psychological distress difference at year 5: Beta = 0.81, 95%CI -0.09 to 1.71, predicted psychological distress decreases: from 19.85 to 18.04 for private renters and from 17.95 to 17.10 for homeowners). Residential stability is particularly beneficial for private renters in early middle adulthood (35-44 years), with each additional year of stable occupancy for private renters correlated with a 0.99 (95%CI 0.46 to 1.53) increase in mental health and a -0.47 (95%CI -0.69 to -0.24) decrease in psychological distress. The findings provide evidence that stable and secure rental tenure is protective of mental health, and the mental health of stable renters becomes comparable to that of homeowners over time. This adds support for housing policies that promote and improve the stability and security of rental tenure.

PMID:35151148 | DOI:10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114778

Am J Otolaryngol. 2022 Feb 2;43(2):103385. doi: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2022.103385. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To compare postoperative pain, nausea and vomiting, and bleeding between intravascular dexamethasone injection group and control group among children undergoing powered intracapsular tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (PITA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective review of medical records was performed for pediatric patients who underwent PITA from March 1, 2017, to February 28, 2021, at a tertiary referral medical center in South Korea. Postoperative pain and nausea were measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS) from the postoperative day (POD) 0 to POD 6. The number of analgesics administered and the number of vomiting episodes were recorded in the same period. The repeatedly measured parameters were statistically analyzed between the dexamethasone group and control group.

RESULTS: A total of 71 children with complete questionnaires including 44 boys and 27 girls were included, and the mean age was 7.49 ± 2.44 years. There were 33 patients in the dexamethasone group and 38 in the control group. Postoperative pain (p = 0.169) or nausea (p = 0.460) on the VAS showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Postoperative analgesics showed no difference between the groups (p = 0.398), and neither did postoperative vomiting (p = 0.270). In both groups, no child showed signs of postoperative bleeding.

CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that the beneficial effects of intravascular dexamethasone administration in PITA may not be evident. This might be due to the superior outcome of the PITA technique compared to total extracapsular tonsillectomy. Therefore, otolaryngologists performing PITA may not necessarily need to administer dexamethasone in children before surgery.

PMID:35151175 | DOI:10.1016/j.amjoto.2022.103385

Clin Nutr. 2022 Jan 29;41(3):673-679. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2022.01.021. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In this study, we aimed to analyse the relationship between body composition and bioelectrical variables in children and adolescents. The sample was composed of 6801 individuals (4035 males; 2766 females) aged 8-20 years included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) years 1999-2004. Classic and specific bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) were applied and compared with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for the evaluation of fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM), and bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) for the evaluation of intra-cellular water (ICW), extra-cellular water (ECW), and total body water (TBW). Fat-free mass index (FFMI) was calculated. Spearman’s correlation, regression, and depth-depth analyses were applied. The evaluation of body composition with BIVA agreed well with that of DXA or BIS, independently of sex, age, and ethnicity: classic BIVA was mostly sensitive to differences in TBW, ECW/ICW, whereas specific BIVA to differences in %FM, FFMI, and ECW/ICW. The depth-depth analysis confirmed the associations of classic BIVA (coeff. 0.500, p < 0.001), and specific BIVA (coeff. 0.512, p < 0.001), also considering the significant effect of age (p < 0.001). In classic BIVA the association was slightly stronger in females (by 0.03, p = 0.042) and among Blacks (0.06, p = 0.002), whereas in specific BIVA it was stronger by 0.06 (p < 0.001) in females and similar among ethnic groups. The combined use of the two BIVA approaches represents a valuable tool for complete evaluation of body composition in growth studies, for the prevention and monitoring of malnutrition, and the monitoring of the performance in young athletes.

PMID:35151123 | DOI:10.1016/j.clnu.2022.01.021

Clin Nutr. 2022 Jan 29;41(3):680-686. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2022.01.020. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease and is characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD) and a high risk of fracture. Despite advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of osteoporosis, complex gene-environment interactions that influence osteoporosis development remain largely unexplored. In this study, we aimed to identify genetic loci associated with low BMD and to evaluate these genetic variants under individual and environmental factors.

METHODS: A genome-wide association analysis was conducted using 500,568 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 8842 individuals aged 40-69 years using clinical, demographic, and dietary data (>260 traits) established by the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. The gPLINK program was used to detect SNPs associated with osteoporosis at a genome-wide significance level (P < 1.0 × 10^-05) and conduct a haplotype analysis. Statistical differences between the osteoporosis and control groups in categorical variables (sex and dietary profiles) were assessed based on frequency distributions using the chi-squared test.

RESULTS: Of the seven SNPs that were associated with osteoporosis, both rs10977574 and rs4390000 lay in the PTPRD locus encoding a protein tyrosine phosphatase-receptor type D, which has been implicated in bone metabolism. Haplotype analysis identified two minor alleles, C and G, at the rs10977574 and rs4390000 loci, respectively, forming a linkage disequilibrium block. The subsequent gender-stratified analysis using dietary calcium intake revealed an increased correlation between the CG haplotype and osteoporosis (OR = 2.069) in the low-calcium-intake-female group but not in the high-calcium-intake-female or any male group.

CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed novel evidence of the sex-specific association of the CG haplotype in the PTPRD locus with osteoporosis and indicated that the association can be influenced by dietary calcium intake.

PMID:35151124 | DOI:10.1016/j.clnu.2022.01.020

Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2022 Feb 4;93:105593. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2022.105593. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Maintaining an upright stance involves a complex interaction of sensory processing and motor outputs to adequately perform this fundamental motor skill. Aging and cannabis use independently disrupt balance performance, but our recent data did not find differences in static balance performance between older cannabis Users and older Non-Users using traditional linear measures (i.e., characteristics of the center of pressure sway). The purpose of this analysis was to determine whether an unbiased entropy measure (sample entropy) can differentiate postural control (standing posture) strategies between older cannabis Users and Non-Users when typical linear measures could not.

METHODS: Eight medical cannabis Users and eight age- and sex-matched controls completed static posturography testing in an eyes-open condition for 60 s. Linear measures included pathlength of the anterior-posterior and medio-lateral directions and an ellipse that encapsulates 95% of the 2D area explored. The nonlinear measure was the sample entropy of the center of pressure time-series in anterior-posterior and medio-lateral directions. Group comparisons were accomplished via pairwise testing and effect size calculations.

FINDINGS: The statistical testing revealed that sample entropy in the anterior-posterior direction was significantly larger in the Users (mean ± SD = 0.29 ± 0.08) compared to the Non-Users (0.19 ± 0.05; P = 0.01, d = 1.55).

INTERPRETATION: This finding indicates that the Users had a decreased regularity of their center of pressure signal in the anterior-posterior direction, which might reflect reduced balance adaptability and accompanies the increased fall risk observed in our recent report on these same subjects.

PMID:35151108 | DOI:10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2022.105593

Accid Anal Prev. 2022 Feb 9;168:106576. doi: 10.1016/j.aap.2022.106576. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Predicting pedestrian crashes on urban roads is one of the most important issues related to urban traffic safety. Due to the lack of spatial correlation and instability in the crash data, the statistical reliability of Empirical Bayesian method in the combination of the observed and predicted crash frequency is questionable. In this study, an EB model has been developed to estimate the expected frequency of pedestrian crashes in urban areas using the over-dispersion parameter taking into account the spatial correlation of crash data. The objective of this study is to estimate the expected geographical frequency of pedestrian crashes using the Empirical Bayesian (EB) approach using weighted geographical regression models for pedestrian crashes in Tehran. For doing so, four models of geographic weighted Poisson regression (GWPR), geographic weighted zero-inflated Poisson regression (GWZIPR), geographic weighted Negative Binomial regression (GWNBR) and the geographic weighted zero-inflated Negative Binomial regression (GWZINBR) have been used. In this study, the areas analyzed for the development of the EB model based on pedestrian exposure variables include traffic analysis zones (TAZs). Finally, the EB model was extended to the Geographic Empirical Bayesian (Ge-EB) model. The results showed that GWZIPR and GWZINBR models make more accurate predictions. These models had the lowest values of Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), the lowest values of Cross Validation and the lowest values of Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The Moran and Variance Inflated Factor (VIF) indices were also within acceptable limits. The weighted negative binomial distribution could moderate the amount of heterogeneity of crash data to some extent. This study has shown the dispersion and density of pedestrian crashes without having the volume of pedestrians and thus can be done by taking safety measures in places prone to pedestrian crashes.

PMID:35151094 | DOI:10.1016/j.aap.2022.106576

Accid Anal Prev. 2022 Feb 9;168:106590. doi: 10.1016/j.aap.2022.106590. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Understanding the associations between crash characteristics facilitates the development of traffic safety policies for improving traffic safety. This study investigates the temporal stability of associations between crash characteristics at different temporal levels using multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). For each date in 2020, crash data from the previous week, month, season, half year, one year, two years, three years, and four years are collected respectively as eight temporal levels. MCA plots and chi-square distance analysis are used to assess the temporal stability of associations between crash characteristics across dates in 2020 with data from various temporal levels. The key findings of this study demonstrate that associations between crash characteristics at lower temporal levels show notable and potential cyclical variations across dates, while more stable and long-term trend of associations between crash characteristics may be identified as the temporal level increases, especially at the two-year level and higher temporal levels at which temporal stability may be expected. The study contributes to the literature by presenting a challenge for traffic analysts in that both temporally stable and unstable associations between crash characteristics may be observed at any point in time when different temporal levels are considered as study periods. Therefore, it may serve as a foundation for future research and practical works to identify traffic safety issues and optimal policies as well as facilitate the interpretation of statistical modeling in the presence of temporally unstable data.

PMID:35151096 | DOI:10.1016/j.aap.2022.106590