Category: Statistics

J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021 Nov 3. doi: 10.1111/jocd.14555. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To the knowledge of the authors, no data about the reproducibility and accuracy of 3-dimensional surface imaging of the face using a whole-body scanner are available. Thus, the objective of this investigation was to assess the reproducibility of facial scans acquired using a whole-body imaging device.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: This investigation investigated 220 3-D scans of a total of 22 healthy volunteers (with a mean age of 29.36 years). Two consecutive 3-D images using a Vectra WB360 of the volunteers were obtained utilizing a whole-body imaging device. Predefined distances in the face were performed in each scan and compared. Furthermore, surface deviation between two consecutively captured scans was assessed.

RESULTS: The distance with the smallest statistical significance was found to be at the nose with p = 0.998, while the biggest statistical significance was found in the midface with p = 0.658. The area with the biggest surface deviation between the superimposed scans was the neck with a root mean square (RMS) of 1.62 ± 1.71, and the area with the smallest surface deviation was the forehead with a RMS of 0.17 ± 0.05.

CONCLUSION: The whole-body imaging device investigated in this study can be utilized to capture the face and provides enough accuracy to compare scans. Even though not directly investigated, it can be hypothesized that the error caused by repositioning the patient between a baseline and a follow-up scan will not be too big to consider measurements performed with the whole-body imaging device as impractical.

PMID:34731521 | DOI:10.1111/jocd.14555

J Oral Rehabil. 2021 Nov 3. doi: 10.1111/joor.13278. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Previous bench-top studies examined the details of the mechanical environment of rigidly-fixed occluding teeth. It was demonstrated that during each chomp, contacting molar teeth experience in-occlusal-plane forces (F_lateral ) that are highly transient in magnitude and direction.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study are to identify F_lateral behaviors that are attributable to the presence of a visco-elastic periodontal ligament (PDL) analogue, and to asses the necessity of incorporating it into future studies.

METHODS: A weighted maxillary molar denture tooth was lowered onto, and raised from, a matching mandibular molar 10 times. The latter was supported by a load cell that continuously measured F_lateral . For statistical purposes, the test was repeated with 21 (n = 21) different occlusal relationships obtained with 0.05 mm incremental shifts of the lower assembly.

RESULTS: Overall, the results are similar to those of rigid attachment but the details of the F_lateral profiles are very different.

CONCLUSION: The PDL plays a major role in the mechanical environment of occlusion, suggesting that, in general (not necessarily always), it should be integrated into studies of occlusion.

PMID:34731498 | DOI:10.1111/joor.13278

Int J Dermatol. 2021 Nov 3. doi: 10.1111/ijd.15784. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The term super responders defines a subset of patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis that present a rapid and higher rate of response to biological treatments in comparison to the general population. Little scientific evidence to explain the behavior and clinical characteristics of these psoriatic patients has been published thus far. Its characterization could be important to improve therapeutic optimization and to identify the profile of patients that will respond efficiently to biological treatments.

OBJECTIVES: The main objective of this study was to evaluate and characterize the proportion of super-responder patients (who achieved PASI = 0 at week 12 and 24) in a total of 87 patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis treated with guselkumab. Also, our intent was to analyze and evaluate differences in response to guselkumab in absolute PASI, PASI 75, PASI 90, PASI 100, BSA, VAS pruritus, and DLQI between groups.

RESULTS: A total of 14 out of 87 patients treated with guselkumab were characterized as SR. No differences in demographic characteristics were found. The percentage of patients reaching PASI 75, PASI 90, and PASI 100 were numerically greater for SR than N-SR at week 12, 24, 36, and 52. These differences were more pronounced for PASI 100 > PASI 90 > PASI 75. SR performed better and faster to guselkumab treatment as assessed by absolute PASI, BSA, VAS pruritus, and DLQI. Statistically significant differences were found in absolute PASI, BSA, VAS pruritus, and DLQI between groups along the 52 weeks of study. No differences in drug survival were found between groups (P = 0.3326).

CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated for the first time, in a real clinical practice setting, the presence of a subpopulation of patients that super respond to guselkumab at week 12 and 24 and maintain this efficacy for 52 weeks. Further research must be performed to identify basal specific characteristics of this SR population.

PMID:34731493 | DOI:10.1111/ijd.15784

Methods Mol Biol. 2022;2390:177-190. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1787-8_7.

ABSTRACT

We describe an approach to early stage drug discovery that explicitly engages with the complexities of human biology. The combined computational and experimental approach is formulated on a conceptual framework in which network biology is used to bridge between individual molecular entities and the cellular phenotype that emerges when those entities interact in a network. Multiple aspects of early stage discovery are addressed including the data-driven elucidation of biological processes implicated in disease, target identification and validation, phenotypic discovery of active molecules and their mechanism of action, and extraction of genetic target support from human population genetics data. Validation is described via summary of a number of discovery projects and details from a project aimed at COVID-19 disease.

PMID:34731469 | DOI:10.1007/978-1-0716-1787-8_7

Methods Mol Biol. 2022;2390:1-59. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1787-8_1.

ABSTRACT

Artificial intelligence (AI) has undergone rapid development in recent years and has been successfully applied to real-world problems such as drug design. In this chapter, we review recent applications of AI to problems in drug design including virtual screening, computer-aided synthesis planning, and de novo molecule generation, with a focus on the limitations of the application of AI therein and opportunities for improvement. Furthermore, we discuss the broader challenges imposed by AI in translating theoretical practice to real-world drug design; including quantifying prediction uncertainty and explaining model behavior.

PMID:34731463 | DOI:10.1007/978-1-0716-1787-8_1

Psychon Bull Rev. 2021 Nov 3. doi: 10.3758/s13423-021-02018-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

When making risky choices, people often fall short of the norm of expected value (EV) maximization. Previous research has shown that presenting options in the Open Sampling (OSa) format, a 10-by-10 matrix of randomly arranged outcomes, can improve choices and reduce decision times. First, the current research aims to replicate and extend the findings on the OSa format. To this end, we compare OSa to the common description-based format as well as further graphical representations, and investigate the resulting accordance with EV maximization and decision time. Second, we study whether people lower (vs. higher) in numeracy, the ability to use probabilistic and mathematical concepts, particularly benefit from a graphical representation of options. We conducted five high-powered studies (total N = 1,575) in which participants chose repeatedly between two risky gambles, using different populations and gamble-problem sets. Overall, we could not find a benefit of the OSa format in terms of EV accordance in any of the five studies. However, three studies also tested a novel variant of the OSa format with grouped outcomes and found that it consistently improved EV accordance compared with all other formats. All graphical formats led to faster decisions without harming decision quality. The effects of presentation format were not moderated by numeracy in three of the four studies that assessed numeracy. In conclusion, our research introduces a new presentation format which consistently improves risky choices and can also be used to communicate risks in applied contexts such as medical decision making.

PMID:34731442 | DOI:10.3758/s13423-021-02018-4

Eat Weight Disord. 2021 Nov 3. doi: 10.1007/s40519-021-01323-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Current study aimed to empirically test the Hemmingsson’s theoretical model of childhood obesity which emphasizing the importance of family environment and the emotional distress of parents as influential variables in the emotional distress of the child and subsequent weight gain. This study also tested the hypothesis that the emotional distress of the child triggers a weight gain-inducing behavior (loss of control eating) to suppress negative emotions.

METHODS: Families of 220 Spanish children participated in the study (28.2% normal, 35.1% overweight and 32.2% obesity), aged between 8 and 12. The evaluation included a clinical interview and a battery of questionnaires.

RESULTS: Structural equation models were computed according to the steps proposed by theoretical model. Fit indices were acceptable suggesting that the data adequately fit the hypothesized model. Path coefficients in the final model were statistically significant showing a relationship between socioeconomic status, the emotional distress of parents, family environment, the emotional distress of children, loss of control eating and child’s BMI Z-score.

CONCLUSION: Considering this relation between emotional distress and child weight status, childhood obesity intervention programs may benefit from targeting family environment and the potential role that food is playing in the regulation of children’s distress.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III: Cohort analytic study.

PMID:34731454 | DOI:10.1007/s40519-021-01323-0

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Nov 3. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-17301-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional disorder detrimental to the behavior, cognitive performance, immune system, and physical growth of infants and preschool- and school-age children. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) increases children’s susceptibility to some metals, including the highly toxic lead (Pb), but the character of this relationship is still disputed. Thus, this study aimed to review and meta-analyze the association between the IDA and blood lead levels (BLL) among children, based on papers indexed by international scientific databases and published up to September 2021. A search was performed of the literature in several databases including the ISI Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus. The final papers were assessed concerning their quality based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for cross-sectional studies. Moreover, analyses were performed using R statistical software with the “meta” package. Of the 1528 articles found, only 12 studies met the inclusion criteria and were considered in the meta-analysis. Significantly higher BLL in IDA children (SMD = 2.40; CI 95%, 0.93-3.87 µg/L; p = 0.0014) was seen when compared to non-IDA children. Moreover, the pooled OR is equal to 2.75 (CI 95%, 1.10-6.85 µg/L; p = 0.0303) suggesting a higher risk of IDA development among children with BLL > 10 µg/dL. Thus, we recommend systematic monitoring of Fe and Pb levels among children, especially in countries with limited sources of nutritious food. Since only a few studies were available for this meta-analysis, further studies are necessary to examine the association between IDA and BLL in detail.

PMID:34731423 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-021-17301-z

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Nov 3. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-17175-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The current discourse addresses fiscal issues, financial decentralization, and environmental quality and significantly affects economic development and sustainability. This investigation aims to address the research gap in fiscal decentralization and haze pollution for innovation and sustainable growth. This study uses the annual data of 270 Chinese cities from 2007 to 2016 for comprehensive analysis and employs spatial regression methods. The key findings imply that haze pollution in neighbouring cities causes further ecological issues. While the environmental regulations of China tend to have negative impacts on pollution, fiscal decentralization was found to be a key contributor to environmental pollution in Chinese cities. Overall, the study supports the validity of the pollution refuge hypothesis in China. Lastly, the conclusions allow us to conclude that China might need micro-level reforms regarding fiscal decentralization, environmental tax laws, and encouragement of cleaner production technologies.

PMID:34731424 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-021-17175-1

J Thromb Thrombolysis. 2021 Nov 3. doi: 10.1007/s11239-021-02595-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Rivaroxaban, as a novel oral anticoagulant agent, emerged in thrombosis management. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of once-daily rivaroxaban versus dose-adjusted warfarin for cerebral venous thrombosis treatment in a real-world clinical setting. This is a prospective cohort study based on the real-world clinical data analysis of the patients with imaging-confirmed CVT enrolled from August 2016 through January 2020 and their outcomes were followed up. Patients were grouped according to their treatment strategies: rivaroxaban (15-20 mg daily) or warfarin (dosage-adjusted according to international normalized ratio), which were matched 1:2 on the propensity score. The primary efficacy outcome was recanalization assessed by magnetic resonance venography. Thrombus burden, CVT recurrence and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) were also compared. The safety outcome was major bleeding. Baseline characteristics were well balanced between the 33 patients in rivaroxaban group and 49 in warfarin group after propensity score matching. During 6-month (median) follow-up, 29 patients (87.9%) in rivaroxaban group and 38 patients (77.6%) in warfarin group obtained recanalization (OR, 1.44; 95% CI 0.63-3.30). The thrombus reduction at the 6-month follow-up did not reach statistical difference (p = 0.118). No CVT recurrence was observed in both groups. All patients in rivaroxaban group obtained favorable functional outcomes (mRS = 0-2), whereas in warfarin group, 1 patient remained physically disable (mRS = 3) at the follow-up. No major bleeding events occurred in two groups. Rivaroxaban might have the same or stronger efficacy in facilitating CVT recanalization and preventing CVT recurrence with a lower incidence of bleeding than that of warfarin in Chinese population.

PMID:34731403 | DOI:10.1007/s11239-021-02595-0