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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Identifying depression in the United States veterans using deep learning algorithms, NHANES 2005-2018

BMC Psychiatry. 2023 Aug 23;23(1):620. doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-05109-9.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Depression is a common mental health problem among veterans, with high mortality. Despite the numerous conducted investigations, the prediction and identification of risk factors for depression are still severely limited. This study used a deep learning algorithm to identify depression in veterans and its factors associated with clinical manifestations.

METHODS: Our data originated from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2018). A dataset of 2,546 veterans was identified using deep learning and five traditional machine learning algorithms with 10-fold cross-validation. Model performance was assessed by examining the area under the subject operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, recall, specificity, precision, and F1 score.

RESULTS: Deep learning had the highest AUC (0.891, 95%CI 0.869-0.914) and specificity (0.906) in identifying depression in veterans. Further study on depression among veterans of different ages showed that the AUC values for deep learning were 0.929 (95%CI 0.904-0.955) in the middle-aged group and 0.924(95%CI 0.900-0.948) in the older age group. In addition to general health conditions, sleep difficulties, memory impairment, work incapacity, income, BMI, and chronic diseases, factors such as vitamins E and C, and palmitic acid were also identified as important influencing factors.

CONCLUSIONS: Compared with traditional machine learning methods, deep learning algorithms achieved optimal performance, making it conducive for identifying depression and its risk factors among veterans.

PMID:37612646 | DOI:10.1186/s12888-023-05109-9

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Undernutrition and associated factors among adults with mental and neurological disorders in public health hospitals, Eastern Ethiopia, 2019: a cross-sectional study

BMC Psychiatry. 2023 Aug 23;23(1):617. doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-05117-9.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Poor nutritional status can be consequence of impaired mental health that may lead to involuntary weight gain, weight loss, or deficiency of essential nutrients. However, little has been documented about the nutritional status of adults with mental disorders and the contributing factors in low-income countries like Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of undernutrition and associated factors among adults with mental disorders in public hospitals of Eastern Ethiopia.

METHODS: Institution-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among 507 adults with mental disorders from March 1, 2019 to April 1, 2019. Interviewer administered pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Anthropometric data were collected using calibrated weighing scale and height measuring board. Descriptive statistics was computed to describe the data. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were applied to identify factors associated with the undernutrition. Odds ratio alongside 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated to measure the strength of the association. Level of statistical significance was declared at p-value less than 0.05.

RESULTS: Undernutrition affected 62.7%; 95% CI: (58.3%, 67.7%) of the patients. Undernutrition was associated with meal frequency < 3 per day (adjusted odds ratio [(AOR = 2.07, 95% CI: (1.18, 3.63)], use of multiple medication (adjusted odds ratio [(AOR = 3.02, 95% CI: (1.88, 4.84)], being non-smoker [(AOR = 0.50, 95%CI: (0.25, 0.91)], and use of prescribed diet [(AOR = 0.45, 95%CI: (0.26, 0.78)].

CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of undernutrition was high among the study participants. Multiple medication, cigarette smoking, frequency of meal and taking prescribed diet were significantly associated with undernutrition. Nutrition education for patients with mental disorders and their caregivers about the impact of taking multiple medication and substance use needs to be emphasized alongside nutritional screening and support to improve their nutritional status.

PMID:37612618 | DOI:10.1186/s12888-023-05117-9

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Perspective of healthcare providers on assessing the quality and accessibility of health services for chronic diseases in Jordan during Covid-19: a mixed method study

BMC Health Serv Res. 2023 Aug 23;23(1):895. doi: 10.1186/s12913-023-09919-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Hospital services in all parts of the world were severely affected by the crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. This was particularly concerning for patients who suffer from chronic diseases.

AIM: This study aimed to: assess the level of quality and accessibility of chronic disease services from the perspectives of healthcare providers, assess the association between healthcare providers’ socio-demographic factors and their perspectives on accessibility and quality level, and explore the providers’ perspectives on the barriers and facilitators of quality and accessibility to chronic disease health services during the COVID -19 pandemic.

METHOD: Design: An explanatory mixed method design was employed in this study using a questionnaire and focus group discussion approach. The questionnaire consisted of three sections including, demographic, accessibility, and quality.

SAMPLE: A convenience sampling approach was used to collect the quantitative from 412 healthcare providers working at public, private, and teaching hospitals. A purposive sample of 12 healthcare providers were interviewed to collect the qualitative data.

ANALYSIS: The quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics Version 25. The qualitative data was analyzed using the thematic analysis approach.

RESULTS: This study found that the quality and accessibility of chronic disease services in northern Jordan were affected during COVID-19. Quantitative: The majority of the participants reported moderate level of accessibility and quality. Qualitative: Four main and six subthemes were identified: 1) Accessibility barriers including transportation and fear of infection; 2) Accessibility facilitators including availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Covid-19 vaccination; 3) Quality barriers including staff shortage; 4) Quality facilitators including safety protocol.

CONCLUSION: The quality and accessibility of chronic disease services were affected due to the healthcare system restating to address the Covid-19 pandemic. Different barriers and facilitators for chronic disease healthcare services accessibility and quality were identified. The findings of this study lay the ground for healthcare decision and policymakers to develop strategies and formulate polices to ensure these patients receive the needed healthcare services, and hence improve their health outcomes.

PMID:37612605 | DOI:10.1186/s12913-023-09919-1

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Comparison of clinical outcomes among cancer patients treated in and out of clinical trials

BMC Cancer. 2023 Aug 23;23(1):786. doi: 10.1186/s12885-023-11305-3.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: It is unknown if participation in a cancer clinical trial confers clinical benefits to patients. There is not enough scientific evidence in this regard and the available publications are scarce and provide ambiguous and limited information.

OBJECTIVE: Compare overall and progression-free survival and response to treatment among those who met the eligibility criteria and accepted to participate and those who refused to participate in cancer clinical trials.

METHODS: An observational cross-sectional study with an analytical component was carried out, which included patients diagnosed with cancer who participated in phase III clinical trials and patients who, being eligible, refused to participate. The patients were cared for at the National Institute of Cancerology in Colombia between 2019 and 2022. Analysis of differences in proportions and means of sociodemographic and clinical variables was included; overall survival and progression-free survival time were described and the survival curves between groups were compared. Variables related to survival were determined using a Cox regression model and Hazard Ratios were calculated.

RESULTS: 62 women and 50 men were included. In the women group, we found a statistical association between clinical trial participation and non-serious events adverse and progression. The stable disease and complete response were higher in participants than in refusers. The median progression-free survival for refusers was 7,4 m meantime for participants the median was not reached and 74,1% remained without progression at 28 months. In the men group, we also found a statistical association between clinical trial participation and the occurrence of non-serious events adverse meanwhile there were no significant differences in overall response, progression, and death, even though the proportion of progression was minor in participants 20% vs. refusers 26% respectively. The median survival was not reached for any group, even though in the participants group 55,2% were still alive at month 20 and in the refusers group still alive at 56,8% at month 45. Covariables included for the multivariate Cox regression only age had a statistical association with overall survival in the women’s group and the men group any covariables reached statistical association.

CONCLUSION: It can be considered that participation in clinical trials could give participants a better response to treatment, without increasing the probability of death and with the probability of decreasing the progression of the disease. Participation in trials could improve the outcomes of clinical response rates, no change in overall survival, and progression-free.

PMID:37612602 | DOI:10.1186/s12885-023-11305-3

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PCL preservation or sacrifice does not influence clinical outcomes and survivorship at mid-term follow-up of a J-curve CR total knee replacement with a medial congruent liner and a functional coronal alignment

Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2023 Aug 24. doi: 10.1007/s00402-023-05033-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In recent years, increasing interest has arisen for medial pivoting TKA implants, designed to mimic the physiological knee kinematics, maximizing the contact area on the medial compartment of the knee, increasing anterior-posterior stability, and contributing to a ball-in-socket effect that allows the posterior cruciate sacrifice without a post-CAM mechanism. The medial congruent liner works with a J-curve cruciate-retaining (CR) femur without a real ball-in-socket design. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes and survival of these implants, with or without PCL sparing, at a medium follow-up.

METHODS: Between October 2016 and October 2018, 165 TKRs were performed in 161 patients (69.2% females and 30.8% males) and prospectively followed. Mean follow-up was 72 ± 12 months. All surgeries were performed using an extramedullary device and the same prosthetic implant. Patients were matched in two groups: in 80 patients, the PCL was preserved; in 85 patients, the PCL was sacrificed with a reduction of the tibial slope.

RESULTS: The OKS and KSS improved in both groups. The difference between the two groups at the final follow-up was not statistically significant. Good-to-excellent clinical results according to the KSS were achieved in 93% of the knees in the PCP group and in 95% in the PCS group. At final follow-up, the Forgotten Joint Score (FJS) was 73.6 in the PCP group and 74.1 in the PCS group with no statistical difference between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: TKA with a medially congruent insert, showed promising results at mid-term follow-up, PCL preservation or sacrifice did not affect the clinical outcomes and survival. Further follow-up will be needed to evaluate these results at long term.

PMID:37612567 | DOI:10.1007/s00402-023-05033-3

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Associations of nickel exposure with diabetes: evidence from observational studies

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 Aug 23. doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-29423-7. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The results of environmental epidemiological studies regarding the relationship between human exposure to nickel and the risk of diabetes remain controversial. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to investigate the relationship between nickel exposure and diabetes. PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase electronic databases were thoroughly searched from their inception to May 2023 to obtain relevant studies. The random-effects model was employed to determine pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Stratified and sensitivity analyses were also performed. Cochran Q test and I2 statistic were employed to assess heterogeneity between studies. Begg’s and Egger’s tests were employed to evaluate publication bias. The indicated studies were evaluated using the ROBINS-E risk of bias tool. The dose-response relationship between nickel in urine and diabetes risk was estimated by restricted cubic spline. A total of 12 studies with 30,018 participants were included in this study. In this meta-analysis, comparing the highest vs. lowest levels of nickel exposure, the pooled ORs for diabetes were 1.42 (95% confidence interval 1.14-1.78) for urine and 1.03 (0.57-1.86) for blood, respectively. A linear relationship between urinary nickel and diabetes risk was discovered in the dose-response analysis (P nonlinearity = 0.6198). Each 1 µg/L increase of urinary nickel, the risk of diabetes increased by 7% (OR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.04-1.10). The risk of diabetes was positively correlated with urine nickel exposure, whereas the risk was not significantly correlated with blood nickel. In the future, more high-quality prospective studies are needed to validate this conclusion.

PMID:37612551 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-023-29423-7

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Evaluating the prediction performance of objective physical activity measures for incident Parkinson’s disease in the UK Biobank

J Neurol. 2023 Aug 24. doi: 10.1007/s00415-023-11939-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the fastest-growing neurological condition with over 10 million cases worldwide. While age and sex are known predictors of incident PD, there is a need to identify other predictors. This study compares the prediction performance of accelerometry-derived physical activity (PA) measures and traditional risk factors for incident PD in the UK Biobank.

METHODS: The study population consisted of 92,352 UK Biobank participants without PD at baseline (43.8% male, median age 63 years with interquartile range 43-69). 245 participants were diagnosed with PD by April 1, 2021 (586,604 person-years of follow-up). The incident PD prediction performances of 10 traditional predictors and 8 objective PA measures were compared using single- and multi-variable Cox models. Prediction performance was assessed using a novel, stable statistic: the repeated cross-validated concordance (rcvC). Sensitivity analyses were conducted where PD cases diagnosed within the first six months, one year, and two years were deleted.

RESULTS: Single-predictor Cox regression models indicated that all PA measures were statistically significant (p-values < 0.0001). The highest-performing individual predictors were total acceleration (TA) (rcvC = 0.813) among PA measures, and age (rcvC = 0.757) among traditional predictors. The two-step forward-selection process produced a model containing age, sex, and TA (rcvC = 0.851). Adding TA to the model increased the rcvC by 9.8% (p-value < 0.0001). Results were largely unchanged in sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSIONS: Objective PA summaries have better single-predictor model performance than known risk factors and increase the prediction performance substantially when added to models with age and sex.

PMID:37612539 | DOI:10.1007/s00415-023-11939-0

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Effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on learning in older adults with and without Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review with meta-analysis

Brain Cogn. 2023 Aug 21;171:106073. doi: 10.1016/j.bandc.2023.106073. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Older adults with and without Parkinson’s disease show impaired retention after training of motor or cognitive skills. This systematic review with meta-analysis aims to investigate whether adding transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to motor or cognitive training versus placebo boosts motor sequence and working memory training. The effects of interest were estimated between three time points, i.e. pre-training, post-training and follow-up. This review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD42022348885). Electronic databases were searched from conception to March 2023. Following initial screening, 24 studies were eligible for inclusion in the qualitative synthesis and 20 could be included in the meta-analysis, of which 5 studies concerned motor sequence learning (total n = 186) and 15 working memory training (total n = 650). Results were pooled using an inverse variance random effects meta-analysis. The findings showed no statistically significant additional effects of tDCS over placebo on motor sequence learning outcomes. However, there was a strong trend showing that tDCS boosted working memory training, although methodological limitations and some heterogeneity were also apparent. In conclusion, the present findings do not support wide implementation of tDCS as an add-on to motor sequence training at the moment, but the promising results on cognitive training warrant further investigations.

PMID:37611344 | DOI:10.1016/j.bandc.2023.106073

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Including supramaximal verification reduced uncertainty in VO2peak response rate

Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2023 Aug 23. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2023-0137. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Many reports describe using a supramaximal verification phase – exercising at a power output higher than the highest power output recorded during an incremental cardiopulmonary test – to validate VO2max. The impact of verification phases on estimating proportion of VO2max response remains an underexplored area of the individual response literature. This analysis investigated the influence of same-day and separate-day verification phases during repeated measurements (incremental tests – INCR1 and INCR2; incremental tests + supramaximal verification phases – INCR1+ and INCR2+) of VO2max on typical error (TE) and the proportion of individuals classified as responders (i.e. the response rate) following four weeks of aerobic exercise training or a no-exercise control period. Incorporation of supramaximal verification consistently reduced the standard deviation of individual response, typical error, and confidence interval widths. However, variances were statistically similar across all groups (p>0.05). Response rates increased when incorporating either one (INCR1 to INCR1+; 24% to 48%, p=0.07) or two (INCR2 to INCR2+; 28% to 48%, p=0.063) supramaximal verification phase(s). However, response rates remained unchanged when either zero-based thresholds or smallest worthwhile difference response thresholds were used (50% and 90% confidence intervals, all p>0.05). In conclusion, supramaximal verification phases reduced random variability in VO2max response. Compared to separate-day testing (INCR2 and INCR2+), incorporation of a same-day verification (INCR1+) reduced CI widths the most. Researchers should consider using a same-day verification phase to reduce uncertainty and better estimate VO2max response rate to aerobic exercise training.

PMID:37611323 | DOI:10.1139/apnm-2023-0137

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Flushing in Intravenous Catheters: Observational Study of Nursing Practice in Intensive Care in Brazil

J Infus Nurs. 2023 Sep-Oct 01;46(5):272-280. doi: 10.1097/NAN.0000000000000516.

ABSTRACT

An observational study was developed with 108 nursing professionals who managed vascular access devices in 4 intensive care units of a university hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The objective was to analyze the practice of the nursing staff in performing flushing for the maintenance of vascular access devices in critically ill patients. Data were collected by observing the flushing procedure using a structured checklist and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. In 23% of the 404 observations, there was no flushing. When performed at some point during catheter management (77%), flushing was predominant after drug administration with 1 or 2 drugs administered. There were flaws in the flushing technique applied in terms of volume and method of preparation. Time of professional experience >5 years, knowledge about recommendations, and training on flushing were variables associated with technique performance. It was concluded that the flushing procedure did not meet the recommendations of good practices, with failures that constituted medication errors.

PMID:37611285 | DOI:10.1097/NAN.0000000000000516