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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Frontostriatal and Posterior Cortical Subtypes in Parkinson’s Disease-Mild Cognitive Impairment

Mov Disord. 2021 Dec 17. doi: 10.1002/mds.28888. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The “dual syndrome hypothesis” distinguished two subtypes in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Parkinson’s disease: frontostriatal, characterized by attentional and executive deficits; and posterior cortical, characterized by visuospatial, memory, and language deficits.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to identify resting-state functional modifications associated with these subtypes.

METHODS: Ninety-five nondemented patients categorized as having normal cognition (n = 31), frontostriatal (n = 14), posterior cortical (n = 20), or mixed (n = 30) cognitive subtype had a 3 T resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. Twenty-four age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were also included. A group-level independent component analysis was performed to identify resting-state networks, and the selected components were subdivided into 564 cortical regions in addition to 26 basal ganglia regions. Global intra- and inter-network connectivity along with global and local efficiencies was compared between groups. The network-based statistics approach was used to identify connections significantly different between groups.

RESULTS: Patients with posterior cortical deficits had increased intra-network functional connectivity (FC) within the basal ganglia network compared with patients with frontostriatal deficits. Patients with frontostriatal deficits had reduced inter-network FC between several networks, including the visual, default-mode, sensorimotor, salience, dorsal attentional, basal ganglia, and frontoparietal networks, compared with HCs, patients with normal cognition, and patients with a posterior cortical subtype. Similar results were also found between patients with a mixed subtype and HCs.

CONCLUSION: MCI subtypes are associated with specific changes in resting-state FC. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine the predictive potential of these markers regarding the risk of developing dementia. © 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

PMID:34918782 | DOI:10.1002/mds.28888

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

QSAR Studies and Structure Property/Activity Relationships Applied in Pyrazine Derivatives as Antiproliferative Agents Against the BGC823

Acta Chim Slov. 2021 Dec 15;68(4):882-895. doi: 10.17344/acsi.2021.6875.

ABSTRACT

Electronic structures, the effect of the substitution, structure physicochemical property/activity relationships and drug-likeness applied in pyrazine derivatives, have been studied at ab initio (HF, MP2) and B3LYP/DFT (density functional theory) levels. In the paper, the calculated values, i.e., NBO (natural bond orbitals) charges, bond lengths, dipole moments, electron affinities, heats of formation and quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) properties are presented. For the QSAR studies, we used multiple linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN) statistical modeling. The results show a high correlation between experimental and predicted activity values, indicating the validation and the good quality of the derived QSAR models. In addition, statistical analysis reveals that the ANN technique with (9-4-1) architecture is more significant than the MLR model. The virtual screening based on the molecular similarity method and applicability domain of QSAR allowed the discovery of novel anti-proliferative activity candidates with improved activity.

PMID:34918764 | DOI:10.17344/acsi.2021.6875

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Statistical Optimization of As(V) Adsorption Parameters onto Epichlorohydrin/Fe3O4 Crosslinked Chitosan Derivative Nanocomposite using Box-Behnken Design

Acta Chim Slov. 2021 Dec 15;68(4):997-1007. doi: 10.17344/acsi.2021.6998.

ABSTRACT

In this study, Box-Behnken design (BBD) in response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize As(V) removal from an aqueous solution onto synthesized crosslinked carboxymethylchitosan-epichlorohydrin/Fe3O4 nanaocomposite. The factors like solution pH, adsorbent dose, contact time and temperature were optimized by the method which shows high correlation coefficient (R2=0.9406), and a predictive quadratic polynomial model equation. The adequacy of the model and parameters were evaluated by analysis of variance (ANOVA) with their significant factors of Fischer’s F – test (p<0.05). Seven significant parameters with interaction effects in the experiment with p-value < 0.0001 was observed, having a maximum removal efficiency of As(V) is 95.1%. Optimal conditions of dosage, pH, temperature, initial ion concentration and contact time in the process were found to be 0.7 g, pH 6.5, 308K, 10 mg/L and 60 min respectively. Langmuir isotherm model fitted better than the Freundlich model having a maximum adsorption capacity of 28.99 mg/g, a high regression value of 0.9988, least chi-square value of 0.1781. The process was found to follow monolayer adsorption and pseudo-second-order kinetics. Thermodynamic parameters indicate the process is spontaneous, endothermic and physisorption in nature. Successful regeneration of the adsorbent implies its applicability to the removal of arsenic from real life wastewater.

PMID:34918765 | DOI:10.17344/acsi.2021.6998

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Abnormal transaminase and lipid profiles in coexisting diseases in patients with fatty liver: a population study in Sichuan

Biosci Rep. 2021 Dec 22;41(12):BSR20211769. doi: 10.1042/BSR20211769.

ABSTRACT

Among chronic liver diseases, fatty liver has the highest incidence worldwide. Coexistence of fatty liver and other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection, is common in clinical practice. The present study was conducted to analyze the prevalence and association of coexisting diseases in patients with fatty liver and to investigate how coexisting diseases contribute to abnormal transaminase and lipid profiles. We enrolled participants who were diagnosed with fatty liver via ultrasound in the physical examination center of West China Hospital. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the adjusted odds ratios (ORs). We found that 23.6% of patients who underwent physical examinations were diagnosed with fatty liver. These patients had higher risks of metabolic syndrome (MetS), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and hypertension and a lower risk of HBV infection. The risks of Hp infection and hyperthyroidism did not statistically differ. When fatty liver coexisted with T2DM, MetS and thyroid dysfunction, it conferred a higher risk of elevated transaminase. Fatty liver was positively correlated with triglycerides, cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and negatively correlated with HBV; thus, HBV had a neutralizing effect on lipid metabolism when coexisting with fatty liver. In conclusion, patients with fatty liver that coexists with T2DM, MetS and thyroid dysfunction are more prone to elevated transaminase levels. Patients with both fatty liver and HBV may experience a neutralizing effect on their lipid metabolism. Thus, lipid alterations should be monitored in these patients during antiviral treatment for HBV.

PMID:34918746 | DOI:10.1042/BSR20211769

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

In a Stationary Population, the Average Lifespan of the Living Is a Length-Biased Life Expectancy

Demography. 2021 Dec 17:9639692. doi: 10.1215/00703370-9639692. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

What is the average lifespan in a stationary population viewed at a single moment in time? Even though periods and cohorts are identical in a stationary population, we show that the answer to this question is not life expectancy but a length-biased version of life expectancy. That is, the distribution of lifespans of the people alive at a single moment is a self-weighted distribution of cohort lifespans, such that longer lifespans have proportionally greater representation. One implication is that if death rates are unchanging, the average lifespan of the current population always exceeds period life expectancy. This result connects stationary population lifespan measures to a well-developed body of statistical results; provides new intuition for established demographic results; generates new insights into the relationship between periods, cohorts, and prevalent cohorts; and offers a framework for thinking about mortality selection more broadly than the concept of demographic frailty.

PMID:34918737 | DOI:10.1215/00703370-9639692

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

What Tears Couples Apart: A Machine Learning Analysis of Union Dissolution in Germany

Demography. 2021 Dec 17:9648346. doi: 10.1215/00703370-9648346. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study contributes to the literature on union dissolution by adopting a machine learning (ML) approach, specifically Random Survival Forests (RSF). We used RSF to analyze data on 2,038 married or cohabiting couples who participated in the German Socio-Economic Panel Survey, and found that RSF had considerably better predictive accuracy than conventional regression models. The man’s and the woman’s life satisfaction and the woman’s percentage of housework were the most important predictors of union dissolution; several other variables (e.g., woman’s working hours, being married) also showed substantial predictive power. RSF was able to detect complex patterns of association, and some predictors examined in previous studies showed marginal or null predictive power. Finally, while we found that some personality traits were strongly predictive of union dissolution, no interactions between those traits were evident, possibly reflecting assortative mating by personality traits. From a methodological point of view, the study demonstrates the potential benefits of ML techniques for the analysis of union dissolution and for demographic research in general. Key features of ML include the ability to handle a large number of predictors, the automatic detection of nonlinearities and nonadditivities between predictors and the outcome, generally superior predictive accuracy, and robustness against multicollinearity.

PMID:34918743 | DOI:10.1215/00703370-9648346

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

1H-NMR based metabolic study of MMTV-PyMT mice along with pathological progress to screen biomarkers for the early diagnosis of breast cancer

Mol Omics. 2021 Dec 17. doi: 10.1039/d1mo00387a. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

A 1H NMR-based metabonomic approach was applied to monitor the alterations of serum metabolic profiles in MMTV-PyMT transgenic mice to detect the dynamic changes associated with the pathological process and explore the early-stage biomarkers. The 1H NMR spectra of sera samples from four different stages in MMTV-PyMT mice including hyperplasia, adenoma, early carcinoma and late carcinoma stages were recorded and analyzed using multivariate statistical techniques. The results showed that the increased levels of lipid and lactate, and decreased leucine/isoleucine, valine, methionine, glutamine, creatine, PC/GPC, taurine and glucose were of significance for the early carcinoma stage. As the disease progressed (late carcinoma stage), the metabolic profiles changed significantly; some were negatively regulated compared with those at the early carcinoma stage, such as lipid, leucine/isoleucine, methionine and creatine, accompanied by other new metabolite changes of alanine, pyruvate, glutamate, citrate, aspartate, myo-inositol, 3-methylhistidine and formate. It is important to note that breast cancer patients and the early carcinoma stage of MMTV-PyMT mice had some similar metabolite changes, including lipid, lactate, glutamine, creatine, taurine and glucose, which were determined to be of great value for the early clinical diagnosis of breast cancer. The findings from this study provided valuable biomarkers for the early clinical diagnosis of breast cancer, and showed the potential power of integrating NMR techniques and pattern recognition methods for the analysis of the biochemical changes under certain pathophysiological conditions.

PMID:34918730 | DOI:10.1039/d1mo00387a

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Efficacy of acupuncture for melasma: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis

Medicine (Baltimore). 2021 Dec 17;100(50):e28298. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000028298.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Melasma is a common acquired hyperpigmentation of the skin. The clinical manifestations are light brown or dark brown patches symmetrically distributed on the cheeks, forehead, and mandibular with different shades and unclear borders. The treatment of melasma is extremely challenging due to its easy relapse and hard to cure. As a classical method of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture has been used to treat melasma in clinical practice. However, there is no systematic review and meta-analysis of acupuncture on melasma. This study aims to assess the efficacy of acupuncture for melasma.

METHODS: We will perform a comprehensive retrieval in the following electronic databases: PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wan Fang Database, VIP database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System (SinoMed), Chinese Biomedicine (CBM) database, and TCM Literature Analysis from inception to July 1, 2021, to identify any eligible study. We include all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) without any limitation of blinding or publication language, and exclude cohort studies and case reports. The meta-analyses will be conducted by using the Stata16. We will use the Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials to assess the risk of bias of included studies. The X2 and I2 tests will be utilized to assess the statistical heterogeneity of evidence. We will conduct a meta-analysis if the studies can be combined. Otherwise, a narrative synthesis will be performed. Article screening and data extraction will be independently evaluated by 2 reviewers trained in methodology according to the established selection criteria. Any disagreements between the 2 reviewers will be resolved by reaching a consensus with the other authors (the third reviewer).

RESULTS: This study will systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture for melasma.

CONCLUSION: The conclusion of this study will provide evidence to ensure the efficacy of acupuncture for melasma, so as to provide an objective and scientific basis for clinical practice.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No ethical approval will be required because the data used are not linked to individual patient. The results of this review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2021110097.

PMID:34918707 | DOI:10.1097/MD.0000000000028298

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Analysis of the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health demonstrates employment insecurity to be associated with mental illness

Medicine (Baltimore). 2021 Dec 17;100(50):e28362. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000028362.

ABSTRACT

A growing number of people depend on flexible employment, characterized by outsider employment and lower levels of job security. This study investigated whether there was a synergistic effect of employment status and job insecurity on mental disorders.This study used data from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health (CCHS) of 13,722 Canada’s labor force population aged 20 to 70. Data were collected from January to December, 2012, using computer-assisted personal interviewing. As combining employment status with perceived job insecurity, we formed five job categories: secure full-time, full-time insecure, part-time secure, part-time insecure employment, and unemployment.Results showed that, regardless of employment status (full-time vs part-time), insecure employment was significantly associated with high risk of mental disorders. Furthermore, the odds ratios for insecure employment were similar to those for unemployment. Male workers who are full-time, but with insecure jobs, were more likely to experience mental disorders than female workers.This study’s findings imply that while perceived job insecurity may be a critical factor for developing mental health problems among workers, providing effective health care services can mitigate an excessive health risk for the most vulnerable employment, especially for insecure part-time employment and unemployment.

PMID:34918716 | DOI:10.1097/MD.0000000000028362

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Efficacy and safety of Shumian capsules in treating insomnia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Medicine (Baltimore). 2021 Dec 17;100(50):e28194. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000028194.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: It is known to all that the incidence of insomnia is becoming higher and higher with the increase of people’s life stress. To some extent, it has brought about bad effects on people’s life, work, study, and health, such as mental exhaustion, low work efficiency, and mood irritability. Now there are medications and non-medications methods for insomnia. As one of the treatments for insomnia, western medicine is to prolong the sleeping time and improve the anxious mood. However, taking western medicine to treat insomnia can also be accompanied by some adverse reactions at the same time, such as drug dependence, an allergic reaction, and so on. Traditional Chinese medicine therapy is based on syndrome differentiation and holistic concept. Shumian capsules (SM) are a kind of proprietary Chinese medicine for insomnia, which have the effect of relieving depression and calming the mind. But there are no studies on the efficacy and safety of SM in the treatment of insomnia. Therefore, I will provide a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SM for insomnia.

METHODS: All the studies searched were from PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and WanFang databases, and the studies types included in the analysis were all randomized controlled trials. All the retrieval contents were completed independently by 2 researchers, and a third reviewer would be involved when there existed any disagreement. The eligible studies were screened out according to the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria, and some useful information was extracted and made into a feature table, including the year of the included studies, the age, and disease course of the participants in the studies and intervention methods, etc. Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was used to evaluate the quality of literature and meta-analysis was conducted by RevMan 5.4 software.

RESULTS: A total of 9 articles including 709 participants were included in the study after screening out. The primary outcomes of statistical analysis were cure rate and total effective rate, while the secondary outcomes included Pittsburgh sleep quality index score and incidence of adverse reactions. The results showed that Pittsburgh sleep quality index score of the SM group and Western medicine group were statistically significant (MD = -0.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [-0.78, -0.22], P = .0005). The total effective rate of the SM group was slightly higher than that of the Western medicine group, but there was no statistical significance (relative risk [RR] = 1.03, 95% CI = [0.95,1.13], P = .43).

CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis provides evidence for the efficacy and safety of SM in the treatment of insomnia, and provides a new idea for the clinical treatment of insomnia. But more research is needed to support further evidence.

PMID:34918675 | DOI:10.1097/MD.0000000000028194