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Nevin Manimala Statistics

First-year medical students’ perceptions of a self-regulated learning-informed intervention: an exploratory study

BMC Med Educ. 2022 Nov 29;22(1):821. doi: 10.1186/s12909-022-03908-4.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Students with developed self-regulated learning (SRL) skills demonstrate an ability to set individualized educational goals, select optimal learning strategies for reaching these goals, and reflect on overall progress. The primary aims of this study were to investigate first-year medical students’ perceived utility of a self-regulated learning-informed intervention and to assess the impact of its implementation on students’ intended use of SRL throughout medical school.

METHODS: A two-part educational intervention focused on SRL skill development was carried out at Harvard Medical School during the start of the 2021 academic year. For the first component of the intervention, 169 first-year medical students engaged in an interactive class session structured around SRL concept videos, a brief lecture, small group discussions and individual reflection. Students completed pre- and post-intervention surveys which inquired about learners’ current and anticipated application of SRL skills. During the second component of the intervention, 15 first-year medical students participated in a set of one-on-one academic SRL coaching sessions. All coaching participants completed follow-up semi-structured interviews.

RESULTS: A statistically significant increase was observed between students’ use of skills in all domains of self-regulated learning prior to the intervention and their anticipated use of these skills following the intervention. Prior to the intervention, 60.1% (n = 92) of students reported utilizing evidence-based learning strategies, compared to 92.8% (n = 142) of students (p < 0.001) who anticipated applying this SRL skills at the completion of the classroom session. Six core themes emerged from qualitative analysis of the post-intervention survey including learning plan development, accountability and progress tracking, goals for growth, engagement through active learning, routine reflection, and adapting to the curriculum.

CONCLUSIONS: Both classroom-based learning sessions and one-on-one academic coaching programs are feasible approaches for encouraging the use of self-regulated learning techniques in the preclinical setting.

PMID:36447223 | DOI:10.1186/s12909-022-03908-4

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Gold miners augment malaria transmission in indigenous territories of Roraima state, Brazil

Malar J. 2022 Nov 29;21(1):358. doi: 10.1186/s12936-022-04381-6.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Endemic malaria is present in all 15 municipalities of Roraima state, Brazilian Amazonia. Knowledge of epidemiological data of specific populations can guide health policies to formulate effective strategies for integrated control of health-disease care. This study aims to ascertain when, where and who fell ill with malaria in Roraima state from 2010 to 2020.

METHODS: This descriptive study was based on statistical secondary surveillance data through the analysis of relationships underlying numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths using the Malaria Epidemiological Surveillance Information System, Mortality Information System and Hospitalization Information System.

RESULTS: From 2010 to 2020, there were 138,504 autochthonous cases, 26,158 Venezuelan imported cases, 3765 hospitalizations, and 77 deaths from malaria reported in Roraima. Annual parasitic incidence and the number of hospitalizations showed impressive changes over the period, but without significantly correlating with number of deaths. The proportion of Plasmodium falciparum infections had significant shifts throughout this study. Malaria prevalence in indigenous and mining areas has been increasing since 2014.

CONCLUSION: The presence of miners in indigenous areas is a reality that has been contributing to the increase of malaria cases in Roraima. The need to implement health policies that also meet this contingent is reinforced.

PMID:36447220 | DOI:10.1186/s12936-022-04381-6

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Measuring patient acuity and nursing care needs in South Korea: application of a new patient classification system

BMC Nurs. 2022 Nov 29;21(1):332. doi: 10.1186/s12912-022-01109-4.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: An accurate and reliable patient classification system (PCS) can help inform decisions regarding adequate assignments for nurse staffing. This study aimed to evaluate the criterion validity of the Asan Patient Classification System (APCS), a new tertiary hospital-specific PCS, by comparing its rating and total scores with those of KPCS-1 and KPCS-GW for measuring patient activity and nursing needs.

METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of the medical records of 50,314 inpatients admitted to the general wards of a tertiary teaching hospital in Seoul, South Korea in March, June, September, and December 2019. Spearman’s correlation and Kappa statistics according to quartiles were calculated to examine the criterion validity of the APCS compared with the KPCS-1 and KPCS-GW.

RESULTS: The average patient classification score was 28.3 points for APCS, 25.7 points for KPCS-1, and 21.6 points for KPCS-GW. The kappa value between APCS and KPCS-1 was 0.91 (95% CI:0.9072, 0.9119) and that between APCS and KPCS-GW was 0.88 (95% CI:0.8757, 0.8810). Additionally, Spearman’s correlation coefficients among APCS, KPCS-1, and KPCS-GW showed a very strong correlation. However, 10.8% of the participants’ results were inconsistent, and KPCS-1 tended to classify patients into groups with lower nursing needs compared to APCS.

CONCLUSION: This study showed that electronic health record-generated APCS can provide useful information on patients’ severity and nursing activities to measure workload estimation. Additional research is needed to develop and implement a real-world EHR-based PCS system to accommodate for direct and indirect nursing care while considering diverse population and dynamic healthcare system.

PMID:36447217 | DOI:10.1186/s12912-022-01109-4

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Barriers to hospital-based phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation among patients with coronary heart disease in China: a mixed-methods study

BMC Nurs. 2022 Nov 29;21(1):333. doi: 10.1186/s12912-022-01115-6.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease (CHD) has become a leading cause of morbidity and premature death worldwide. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) was proved to have substantial benefits for patients with CHD. The CR was divided into three phases. Phase 2 is the important part of CR which involves hospital-based structured and closely monitored exercises and activities. However, CR utilization is low worldwide. The barriers to hospital-based phase 2 CR in China have not been well identified.

AIMS: To investigate barriers to hospital-based phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation among coronary heart disease patients in China and to explore the reasons.

METHODS: This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. The study was conducted in a university hospital in China from July 2021 to December 2021. Quantitative data was collected through the Cardiac Rehabilitation Barrier Scale. Qualitative data was collected through unstructured face-to-face interviews. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and inductive qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS: One hundred and sixty patients completed the Cardiac Rehabilitation Barrier Scale and 17 patients participated in unstructured face-to-face interviews. The main barriers identified were distance (3.29 ± 1.565), transportation (2.99 ± 1.503), cost (2.76 ± 1.425), doing exercise at home (2.69 ± 1.509) and time constraints (2.48 ± 1.496). Six themes were identified; logistical factors, social support, misunderstanding of cardiac rehabilitation, program and health system-level factors, impression of CR team and psychological distress. The first four themes confirmed the quantitative results and provide a deeper explanation for the quantitative results. The last two themes were new information that emerged in the qualitative phase.

CONCLUSION: This study provides a better understanding of the barriers to hospital-based phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation among coronary heart disease patients in the Chinese context during the Covid-19 pandemic. Innovative programs such as home-based CR, mobile health, and hybrid programs might be considered to overcome some of these barriers. In addition, psychosocial intervention should be included in these programs to mitigate some of the barriers associated with the impression of CR team and psychological distress.

PMID:36447215 | DOI:10.1186/s12912-022-01115-6

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Comprehensive analysis to identify pseudogenes/lncRNAs-hsa-miR-200b-3p-COL5A2 network as a prognostic biomarker in gastric cancer

Hereditas. 2022 Nov 29;159(1):43. doi: 10.1186/s41065-022-00257-6.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Gastric cancer is one of the most common and deadly types of cancer. The molecular mechanism of gastric cancer progression remains unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four hub genes were identified through GEO and TCGA database screening and analysis. Prognostic analysis revealed that COL5A2 was the most likely to affect the prognosis of gastric cancer among the four hub genes. The relationships between COL5A2 and clinical variables and immune cell infiltration were analyzed. Then, COL5A2 was analyzed for single-gene differences and related functional enrichment. Using the starBase database for prediction and analysis, miRNAs and pseudogenes/lncRNAs that might combine with COL5A2 were identified; thus, the ceRNA network was constructed. Finally, the network was verified by Cox analysis and qPCR, and a nomogram was constructed.

RESULTS: First, we found that COL5A2, COL12A1, BGN and THBS2 were highly expressed in gastric cancer. COL5A2 had statistical significance in overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and progression-free interval (PFI) analysis. Immune infiltration analysis suggested that COL5A2 might influence the changes in the tumor immune microenvironment. The StarBase database was used to predict that 3 pseudogenes and 7 lncRNAs might inhibit the hsa-miR-200b-3p-COL5A2 axis in gastric cancer. The pseudogenes/lncRNA-hsa-miR-200b-3p-COL5A2 ceRNA network was identified and verified using Cox regression analysis and PCR. Finally, we constructed a nomogram.

CONCLUSIONS: We elucidated the regulatory role of the pseudogenes/lncRNA-hsa-miR-200b-3p-COL5A2 network in gastric cancer progression and constructed a nomogram. These studies may provide effective treatments and potential prognostic biomarkers for gastric cancer.

PMID:36447214 | DOI:10.1186/s41065-022-00257-6

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Bidirectional genetic overlap between bipolar disorder and intelligence

BMC Med. 2022 Nov 30;20(1):464. doi: 10.1186/s12916-022-02668-8.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a highly heritable psychiatric illness exhibiting substantial correlation with intelligence.

METHODS: To investigate the shared genetic signatures between BD and intelligence, we utilized the summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to conduct the bivariate causal mixture model (MiXeR) and conjunctional false discovery rate (conjFDR) analyses. Subsequent expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) mapping in human brain and enrichment analyses were also performed.

RESULTS: Analysis with MiXeR suggested that approximately 10.3K variants could influence intelligence, among which 7.6K variants were correlated with the risk of BD (Dice: 0.80), and 47% of these variants predicted BD risk and intelligence in consistent allelic directions. The conjFDR analysis identified 37 distinct genomic loci that were jointly associated with BD and intelligence with a conjFDR < 0.01, and 16 loci (43%) had the same directions of allelic effects in both phenotypes. Brain eQTL analyses found that genes affected by the “concordant loci” were distinct from those modulated by the “discordant loci”. Enrichment analyses suggested that genes related to the “concordant loci” were significantly enriched in pathways/phenotypes related with synapses and sleep quality, whereas genes associated with the “discordant loci” were enriched in pathways related to cell adhesion, calcium ion binding, and abnormal emotional phenotypes.

CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed the polygenic overlap with mixed directions of allelic effects between BD and intelligence and identified multiple genomic loci and risk genes. This study provides hints for the mesoscopic phenotypes of BD and relevant biological mechanisms, promoting the knowledge of the genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity of BD. The essential value of leveraging intelligence in BD investigations is also highlighted.

PMID:36447210 | DOI:10.1186/s12916-022-02668-8

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Validation studies of verbal autopsy methods: a systematic review

BMC Public Health. 2022 Nov 29;22(1):2215. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-14628-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Verbal autopsy (VA) has emerged as an increasingly popular technique to assign cause of death in parts of the world where the majority of deaths occur without proper medical certification. The purpose of this study was to examine the key characteristics of studies that have attempted to validate VA cause of death against an established cause of death.

METHODS: A systematic review was conducted by searching the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane-library, and Scopus electronic databases. Included studies contained 1) a VA component, 2) a validation component, and 3) original analysis or re-analysis. Characteristics of VA studies were extracted. A total of 527 studies were assessed, and 481 studies screened to give 66 studies selected for data extraction.

RESULTS: Sixty-six studies were included from multiple countries. Ten studies used an existing database. Sixteen studies used the World Health Organization VA questionnaire and 5 studies used the Population Health Metrics Research Consortium VA questionnaire. Physician certification was used in 36 studies and computer coded methods were used in 14 studies. Thirty-seven studies used high level comparator data with detailed laboratory investigations.

CONCLUSION: Most studies found VA to be an effective cause of death assignment method and compared VA cause of death to a high-quality established cause of death. Nonetheless, there were inconsistencies in the methodologies of the validation studies, and many used poor quality comparison cause of death data. Future VA validation studies should adhere to consistent methodological criteria so that policymakers can easily interpret the findings to select the most appropriate VA method.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42020186886.

PMID:36447199 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-022-14628-1

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Effectiveness of Hypnosis for the Prevention of Anxiety During Coronary Angiography (HYPCOR study): a prospective randomized study

BMC Complement Med Ther. 2022 Nov 29;22(1):315. doi: 10.1186/s12906-022-03792-x.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Coronary angiography is the gold standard for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. This intervention is nevertheless a source of anxiety for the patient both by its discomfort and by the consequences linked to the discovery of potential diseases.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of hypnosis in reducing anxiety in patients undergoing coronary angiography.

METHODS: One hundred sixty-nine patients with planned coronary angiography and no history of coronary angiography were randomized to a hypnosis or control group. Patients in the hypnosis group underwent a hypnosis session with self-hypnosis posthypnotic suggestions, while those in the control group had a conversational interview with the hypnotherapist. The primary endpoint was pre-exam anxiety level assessed by the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y A).

RESULTS: Performing a hypnosis session did not result in a significant decrease in anxiety before the intervention. Age, high trait anxiety, high state anxiety the day before, and belief that hypnosis works in general were associated with increased anxiety before the procedure. No adverse events were reported after hypnosis. There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups for the occurrence of complications of the intervention.

CONCLUSION: In this study, performing a hypnosis session before coronary angiography did not reduce the state of anxiety measured just before the intervention. In all cases, the hypnotic experience appears to be positive for the patient, encouraging further research efforts.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: The research protocol has been registered on the ClinicalTrials.gov registry (NCT02818101; 29/06/2016) and with the ANSM (IDRCB 2016-A00205-46; 02/02/2016).

PMID:36447198 | DOI:10.1186/s12906-022-03792-x

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Associations between PM2.5 exposure and Alzheimer’s Disease prevalence Among elderly in eastern China

Environ Health. 2022 Nov 29;21(1):119. doi: 10.1186/s12940-022-00937-w.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Studies showed that PM2.5 might be associated with various neurogenic diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). However, this topic had been little studied in Zhejiang province of China. METHODS: In 2018, we established a cohort of AD high-risk population with 1,742 elderly aged 60 and above. In 2020, the cohort was followed up, a total of 1,545 people participated the 2 surveys. Data collection included questionnaires and basic physical examinations. The average residential exposure to PM2.5 for each participant, that in a 5-years period prior to the first survey, was estimated using a satellite-based spatial statistical model. We determined the association between PM2.5 and AD prevalence by cox proportional hazards regression model. RESULTS: This study showed that an increase in the PM2.5 level was an important associated risk factor that contributed to AD. The average PM2.5 exposure levels among the study population ranged from 32.69 μg/m3 to 39.67 μg/m3 from 2013 to 2017, which were much higher than 5 μg/m3 that specified in the WHO air quality guidelines. There was an association between PM2.5 exposure and AD, and the correlations between PM2.5 and Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal cognitive assessment scale scores were statistically significant. An increase in the PM2.5 level by 10 μg/m3 elevated the risk of AD among residents by 2%-5% (HR model 2-model 4 = 1.02 to 1.05, CI model 2-model 4 = 1.01-1.10). The subgroups of male, with old age, with low education levels, used to work as farmers or blue-collar workers before retirement, overweight and obese were associated with a higher effect of PM2.5.

CONCLUSIONS: Reducing PM2.5 exposure might be a good way to prevent AD.

PMID:36447194 | DOI:10.1186/s12940-022-00937-w

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Prognostic ability of lung immune prognostic index in limited-stage small cell lung cancer

BMC Cancer. 2022 Nov 29;22(1):1233. doi: 10.1186/s12885-022-10351-7.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Lung immune prognostic index (LIPI) is a prognostic marker of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) patients received immunotherapy or chemotherapy. However, its ability in limited-stage SCLC (LS-SCLC) should be evaluated extensively.

METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 497 patients diagnosed as LS-SCLC between 2015 and 2018, and clinical data included pretreatment lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), white blood cell count, and absolute neutrophil count levels were collected. According to the LIPI scores, the patients were stratified into low-risk (0 points) and high-risk (1-2 points). The correlations between LIPI and overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed by the Cox regression. Additionally, the propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weight (IPTW) methods were used to reduce the selection and confounding bias. A nomogram was constructed using on multivariable Cox model.

RESULTS: Two hundred fifty and 247 patients were in the LIPI high-risk group and low-risk group, and their median OS was 14.67 months (95% CI: 12.30-16.85) and 20.53 months (95% CI: 17.67-23.39), respectively. In the statistical analysis, High-risk LIPI was significantly against worse OS (HR = 1.377, 95%CI:1.114-1.702) and poor PFS (HR = 1.338, 95%CI:1.1-1.626), and the result was similar after matching and compensating with the PSM or IPTW method. A novel nomogram based on LIPI has a decent level of predictive power.

CONCLUSION: LIPI stratification was a significant factor against OS or PFS of LS-SCLC patients.

PMID:36447193 | DOI:10.1186/s12885-022-10351-7