Tag: statistics

Altern Ther Health Med. 2024 May 24:AT9417. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: In the context of coronary artery disease (CAD) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), it is essential to explore the variations in coronary endothelial diameter. Understanding these variations holds significance for the early diagnosis and treatment of CAD. This study aims to elucidate the relevance of coronary endothelial diameter in the broader landscape of CAD and PCI outcomes.

METHODS: This study is a retrospective cohort study. Consecutive patients with CAD who underwent PCI during hospitalization were included. IVUS measured the endothelial diameter of the coronary artery, and the patients were divided into the endothelial diameter constricted group, normal group and dilated group. The primary endpoint event was all-cause death, and the secondary endpoint events were cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and elective revascularization. Follow-up was completed from August 2021 to February 2022. The follow-up period from August 2021 to February 2022 was selected to capture a comprehensive view of long-term postoperative outcomes in coronary artery disease patients undergoing PCI, ensuring a contemporary and relevant assessment of the study endpoints.

RESULTS: The study ultimately included 705 patients, which included 295 (41.8%) in the endothelial diameter constricted group, 410 (58.2%) in the endothelial diameter normal group and 221 (31.3%) in the endothelial diameter dilated group. Patients with dilated endothelial diameter experienced a reduction in 5-year all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, non-fatal heart attack, and elective revascularization rates. Specifically, the 5-year all-cause mortality rate in the dilated group was 1.79 (95% CI: 1.07-3.00), cardiac mortality was 3.73 (95% CI: 1.27-10.95), non-fatal heart attack rate was 1.65 (95% CI: 0.99-2.75), and elective revascularization rate was 2.15 (95% CI: 1.30-3.60) (P < .05). The Cox proportional-hazards model indicated that age, AMI, and endothelial diameter expansion were identified as risk factors for 5-year all-cause mortality (P < .05). There was no statistically significant difference in the 5-year all-cause mortality, cardiogenic mortality, elective revascularization rate and non-fatal myocardial infarction rate.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with dilated endothelial diameter had decreased 5-year all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, non-fatal heart attack, and elective revascularization rates. IVUS evaluation of the diameter of the coronary endothelium prior to PCI can aid in the classification and prevention of CAD risk. The retrospective design and potential biases associated with hospitalization data, along with the absence of certain clinical parameters, should be considered when interpreting the findings. The IVUS evaluation of coronary endothelial diameter not only aids in risk classification but also has the potential to inform personalized treatment strategies, enhancing patient care in coronary artery disease.

PMID:38814594

Vet Med Sci. 2024 Jul;10(4):e1469. doi: 10.1002/vms3.1469.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Eimeria is a protozoan parasite that affects poultry, particularly chickens, causing a disease known as coccidiosis. This disease imposes substantial significant economic challenges to the poultry sector.

OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to estimate the global prevalence and associated risk factors of Eimeria in domestic chickens.

METHODS: Multiple databases (Scopus, PubMed, ProQuest, Web of Science and Google Scholar) were searched for articles published until June 2023. The pooled prevalence was estimated using a random-effects model with a 95% confidence interval. The statistical analysis was conducted using meta packages in R version (3.6.1).

RESULTS: In total, 41 articles fulfilled the eligibility criteria. The global pooled prevalence was 44.3% (36.9%-51.8%) with Eimeria tenella (38.7%, 30.1%-47.7%) as the most prevalent species. The highest pooled prevalence was related to the Western Pacific Region (80.5%, 72.6%-87.3%) and urban areas (44.4%, 36.5%-52.6%). Moreover, areas with humid subtropical climates represent the highest overall prevalence (75.8%, 46.6%-95.9%).

CONCLUSION: The necessity for robust and innovative strategies for preventing and managing this disease cannot be overstated. Addressing Eimeria impact is crucial not only for safeguarding poultry health but also for sustaining the economic viability of the poultry industry.

PMID:38814576 | DOI:10.1002/vms3.1469

J Phys Ther Educ. 2024 May 29. doi: 10.1097/JTE.0000000000000348. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students have considerable educational debt upon graduation with suspected low levels of financial literacy, limited financial self-efficacy, and elevated stress and anxiety. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between financial knowledge, financial anxiety, financial stress, and financial self-efficacy with socioeconomic determinants in DPT students.

SUBJECTS: Five hundred seventy-eight DPT students, surveyed through a cross-sectional sample of convenience.

METHODS: Participants responded to a 40-item demographic questionnaire providing a self-assessment of their current financial literacy, financial self-efficacy, financial anxiety, financial stress, and level of general social support. Pairwise correlations were used to determine the relationship between independent variables and composite scores on self-assessment tools. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to predict financial knowledge, self-efficacy, anxiety, stress, and social support by socioeconomic indicators and educational debt status.

RESULTS: While there was a moderate, positive association between presence of debt and financial self-efficacy and financial anxiety for all students (r = .55), there was no statistically significant difference in financial knowledge, self-efficacy, anxiety, stress, or social support for students based on race/ethnicity. There was a negligible to weak correlation between financial knowledge, financial self-efficacy, and level of financial anxiety based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic background, debt load, risk tolerance, and retirement reflection. When subjected to multiple regression analysis, the level of education-related debt could explain a large proportion of the variance in multiple measures, including financial self-efficacy, anxiety, and stress. Economic background explained a large proportion of variance in the general social support students felt.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: We found a strong, positive correlation between the presence of debt and financial stress and anxiety for all DPT student respondents. While there is no difference in financial literacy and self-efficacy based on race and ethnic background, there is a moderate correlation between self-efficacy and financial anxiety for all students. Education on strategies to manage debt load may reduce both factors.

PMID:38814573 | DOI:10.1097/JTE.0000000000000348

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2024 May 30. doi: 10.1007/s11356-024-33806-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study presents a theoretical analysis of the adsorption process of pharmaceutical pollutants, specifically acetaminophen (ATP) and diclofenac (DFC), onto activated carbon (AC) derived from avocado biomass waste. The adsorption isotherms of ATP and DFC were analyzed using a multilayer model, which revealed the formation of two to four adsorption layers depending on the temperature of the aqueous solution. The saturation adsorption capacities for ATP and DFC were 52.71 and 116.53 mg/g, respectively. A steric analysis suggested that the adsorption mechanisms of ATP and DFC involved a multi-molecular process. The calculated adsorption energies (ΔE₁ and ΔE₂) varied between 12.86 and 22.58 kJ/mol, with the highest values observed for DFC removal. Therefore, the adsorption of these organic molecules was associated with physisorption interactions: van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds. These findings enhance the understanding of the depollution processes of pharmaceutical compounds using carbon-based adsorbents and highlight the potential of utilizing waste biomass for environmental remediation.

PMID:38814558 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-024-33806-9

Brain Imaging Behav. 2024 May 30. doi: 10.1007/s11682-024-00896-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Since depression is common in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, we aimed to explore the specific brain functional network dynamics in ALS patients with depression (ALS-D) compared with healthy controls (HCs) and ALS patients without depressive symptoms (ALS-ND). According to the DSM-V, 32 ALS-D patients were selected from a large and newly diagnosed ALS cohort. Then, 32 demographic- and cognitive-matched ALS-ND patients were also selected, and 64 HCs were recruited. These participants underwent resting-state fMRI scans, and functional connectivity state analysis and dynamic graph theory were applied to evaluate brain functional network dynamics. Moreover, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) was used to quantify depressive symptoms in the ALS-D patients. Four distinct states were identified in the ALS-D patients and controls. Compared with that in HCs, the fraction rate (FR) in state 2 was significantly decreased in ALS-D patients, and the FR in state 4 was significantly increased in ALS-D patients. Compared with that of HCs, the dwell time in state 4 was significantly increased in the ALS-D patients. Moreover, compared with that in the ALS-D patients, the FR in state 3 was significantly decreased in the ALS-ND patients. Among the ALS-D patients, there was the suggestion of a positive association between HDRS scores and dwell time of state 4, but this association did not reach statistical significance (r = 0.354; p = 0.055). Depression is an important feature of ALS patients, and we found a special pattern of brain functional network dynamics in ALS-D patients. Our findings may play an important role in understanding the mechanism underlying depression in ALS patients and help develop therapeutic interventions for depressed ALS patients.

PMID:38814545 | DOI:10.1007/s11682-024-00896-5

J Assist Reprod Genet. 2024 May 30. doi: 10.1007/s10815-024-03143-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Determine if the gene expression profiles of ovarian support cells (OSCs) and cumulus-free oocytes are bidirectionally influenced by co-culture during in vitro maturation (IVM).

METHODS: Fertility patients aged 25 to 45 years old undergoing conventional ovarian stimulation donated denuded immature oocytes for research. Oocytes were randomly allocated to either OSC-IVM culture (intervention) or Media-IVM culture (control) for 24-28 h. The OSC-IVM culture condition was composed of 100,000 OSCs in suspension culture with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH), androstenedione, and doxycycline supplementation. The Media-IVM control lacked OSCs and contained the same supplementation. A limited set of in vivo matured MII oocytes were donated for comparative evaluation. Endpoints consisted of MII formation rate, morphological and spindle quality assessment, and gene expression analysis compared to in vitro and in vivo controls.

RESULTS: OSC-IVM resulted in a statistically significant improvement in MII formation rate compared to the Media-IVM control, with no apparent effect on morphology or spindle assembly. OSC-IVM MII oocytes displayed a closer transcriptomic maturity signature to IVF-MII controls than Media-IVM control MII oocytes. The gene expression profile of OSCs was modulated in the presence of oocytes, displaying culture- and time-dependent differential gene expression during IVM.

CONCLUSION: The OSC-IVM platform is a novel tool for rescue maturation of human oocytes, yielding oocytes with improved nuclear maturation and a closer transcriptomic resemblance to in vivo matured oocytes, indicating a potential enhancement in oocyte cytoplasmic maturation. These improvements on oocyte quality after OSC-IVM are possibly occurring through bidirectional crosstalk of cumulus-free oocytes and ovarian support cells.

PMID:38814543 | DOI:10.1007/s10815-024-03143-4

Clin Transl Oncol. 2024 May 30. doi: 10.1007/s12094-024-03475-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This research was aimed at investigating the early diagnostic value of emission computed tomograph (ECT) whole-body bone imaging combined with PINP and β-CTX for bone metastasis of lung cancer.

METHODS: Case data of 86 lung cancer patients were categorized into lung cancer with bone metastasis (LCWBM, 46 cases) and lung cancer without bone metastasis (LCWOBM, 40 cases) groups according to the presence or absence of bone metastasis. Patients’ general information were collected. ECT whole-body bone imaging was used to detect bone metastases and the grading of the extent of disease (EOD) in both groups, and electrochemiluminescence was utilized to detect the serum levels of PINP and β-CTX. Spearman correlation analysis was employed to evaluate the correlation between EOD grading and PINP and β-CTX levels. Logistic univariate and multivariate regression was implemented to analyze the risk factors of bone metastasis of lung cancer. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of the single test of ECT whole-body bone imaging, PINP, or β-CTX and the combination of the three tests.

RESULTS: The differences in pathological type, clinical stage and EOD grading, the number of positive ECT cases, and the expression levels of PINP and β-CTX between the LCWBM and LCWOBM groups were statistically significant. In LCWBM patients with different EOD grading, the trends of the expression of PINP and β-CTX were grade 3 > grade 2 > grade 1 and grade 0. Further correlation analyses revealed that EOD grading showed a significant positive correlation with the PINP and β-CTX expression levels. Univariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that adenocarcinoma, TNM stage IV, ECT positivity, and high expression of PINP and β-CTX were associated with bone metastasis of lung cancer, and multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that ECT positivity, high expression of PINP and β-CTX were independent risk factors for bone metastasis of lung cancer. The area under the curve (AUC) of ECT, PINP, and β-CTX alone for the diagnosis of bone metastasis of lung cancer were 0.872, 0.888, and 0.874, respectively, and the AUC for the combined diagnosis of the three was 0.963, which was greater than that of any one of the individual indices, with a sensitivity of 86.96% and a specificity of 97.50% at a Youden index of 0.845.

CONCLUSION: ECT whole-body bone imaging combined with PINP and β-CTX has high diagnostic value for bone metastasis of lung cancer.

PMID:38814542 | DOI:10.1007/s12094-024-03475-8

Asia Pac J Clin Oncol. 2024 May 30. doi: 10.1111/ajco.14076. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: There are significant challenges and a lack of data related to culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) cancer patients. We compared patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer that required an interpreter.

METHODS: Registry data was extracted for advanced pancreatic cancer patients from a single health institution with a comprehensive Transcultural and Language Service (TALS). Demographic and clinicopathologic characteristics were compared. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates with log-rank testing, and univariate and multivariable regression analysis were performed to compare the group with limited English proficiency (LEP) to the English proficient (EP) group.

RESULTS: Of 155 patients, 32.9% (n = 51) required the TALS. The LEP group had a higher mean age (71.2 vs. 76.8 years; p = 0.005) and received less chemotherapy (42.3% vs. 31.4%, p = 0.220). Univariate analysis revealed a shorter median overall survival (OS) in the LEP group (3.6 vs. 5.0 months), with a hazard ratio [HR] of 1.51 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-2.21, p = 0.033). Upon multivariable analysis, adjusting for Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance scale, the number of sites of metastatic disease and chemotherapy use, the strength of association between LEP and OS reduced marginally (HR 1.42, 95% CI: 0.93-2.16), and was no longer statistically significant (p = 0.103).

CONCLUSIONS: In patients with advanced pancreatic cancer utilizing a comprehensive TALS, there was a trend to poorer survival with limited English proficiency, although this association was not statistically significant. An ongoing research commitment to the CALD experience is necessary to build a granular understanding of this population and ensure equitable outcomes.

PMID:38813793 | DOI:10.1111/ajco.14076

Rev Neurol. 2024 Jun 1;78(11):317-322. doi: 10.33588/rn.7811.2024092.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Depression is one of the most prevalent psychiatric conditions in adulthood, reaching figures of around 20%. The methodologies used to study depression are varied, and range from a self-administered test to structured psychiatric assessment. Several studies of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have been conducted in the last 20 years, and figures of around 35% have been found for depressive symptoms, while depressive disorders are less frequent, at approximately 21%.

AIMS: The aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of patient self-reported scales such as the Beck depression inventory (BDI) for identifying depressive symptoms in patients with MS, and to analyse their correlation with the diagnosis of clinical depression or depressive disorder using the psychiatric clinical interview based on the criteria of the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fifth edition.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a multicentre descriptive cross-sectional study of patients with MS and depressive symptoms. The BDI and the Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) were used, and the patients with the highest scores underwent psychiatric assessment.

RESULTS: A total of 191 patients were included; 81 of these (40.5%) had depressive symptomatology in the pathological range according to the BDI (cut-off point of 14), and 20 had a severe score (above 28). Nineteen patients with severe depressive symptoms according to both scales were selected and finally evaluated by a psychiatrist, who also assessed five patients who according to the neurologist had severe depressive symptoms despite a BDI score of almost 28, but did not reach that level. The suspected major depressive disorder was confirmed in only four (21%) cases with BDI scores indicative of severe symptoms. There is no correlation between the severity score as evidenced by the BDI and the psychiatric assessment. A major depressive disorder was diagnosed in 16 (66.6%) of the 24 patients with BDI > 26 evaluated by psychiatry. A score above 26 on the BDI enables identification of 75% of cases of depressive disorder without subtyping. The correlation between the HDRS and the BDI was statistically significant (r = 0.8; p < 0).

CONCLUSIONS: The BDI is a useful screening test for identifying patients with depressive symptoms; in specific terms, a score above 26 is probably indicative of a depressive disorder that may benefit from psychiatric assessment.

PMID:38813789 | DOI:10.33588/rn.7811.2024092

Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care. 2024 May 30:1-8. doi: 10.1080/13625187.2024.2349039. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

STUDY DESIGN: In this retrospective study, we reviewed all cases referred to our specialised centre for nonpalpable contraceptive implants from January 2018 to August 2022.

RESULTS: Out of the cohort studied, 47 female subjects exhibited nonpalpable implants. The implant was nonpalpable for thirty-six patients (76,6%) immediately after the insertion whereas it was not palpable several months after the insertion for eleven patients (23.4%). Twelve patients (25.5%) had one or more failed removal attempts before referral.All 47 implants were successfully visualised via ultrasound in the upper arm: 40 implants (85.1%) were located in the subdermal tissue, 4 (8.5%) were intrafascial and 3 (6.4%) were intramuscular. Depth of the implant was 4.0 mm [1.7 – 12.0]. No clinical factors were statistically associated with differences in depth or location (subdermal vs subfascial). Removal procedures were mainly under local anaesthesia in 74.5% of cases in an outpatient setting. There were two Clavien-Dindo grade 1 complications (one case of cutaneous scar dehiscence and one transient postoperative neuropathic complaint in the upper arm resolved within 3 months under analgetics).

CONCLUSIONS: Identification of deep implants requires following the ultrasound modality protocol. Ultrasound detection makes easy and safe implant removal. Training programs for the insertion as well as for the removal of correct and incorrect inserted implants should be continued and developed all around the world.

PMID:38813779 | DOI:10.1080/13625187.2024.2349039