Tag: statistics

Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2024 Jan 10. doi: 10.1039/d3cp04854c. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photodissociation of N₂ molecules is a source of reactive N atoms in the interstellar medium. In the energy range of VUV optical excitation of N₂, the N-N triple bond cleavage leads to three types of atoms: ground-state N(⁴S) and excited-state N(²P) and N(²D). The latter is the highest reactive and it is believed to be the primary participant in reactions with hydrocarbons in Titan’s atmosphere. Experimental studies have observed a non-monotonic energy dependence and non-statistical character of the photodissociation of N₂. This implies different dissociation pathways and final atomic products for different wavelength regions in the sunlight spectrum. We here apply ab initio quantum chemical and nonadiabatic quantum dynamical techniques to follow the path of an electronic state from the excitation of a particular singlet ¹Σ+u and ¹Π_u vibronic level of N₂ to its dissociation into different atomic products. We simulate dynamics for two isotopomers of the nitrogen molecule, ¹⁴N₂ and ¹⁴N¹⁵N for which experimental data on the branching are available. Our computations capture the non-monotonic energy dependence of the photodissociation branching ratios in the energy range 108 000-116 000 cm^-1. Tracing the quantum dynamics in a bunch of electronic states enables us to identify the key components that determine the efficacy of singlet to triplet population transfer and therefore predissociation lifetimes and branching ratios for different energy regions.

PMID:38197167 | DOI:10.1039/d3cp04854c

Psychol Med. 2024 Jan 10:1-10. doi: 10.1017/S0033291723003665. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: We compared dissociative seizure specific cognitive behavior therapy (DS-CBT) plus standardized medical care (SMC) to SMC alone in a randomized controlled trial. DS-CBT resulted in better outcomes on several secondary trial outcome measures at the 12-month follow-up point. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate putative treatment mechanisms.

METHODS: We carried out a secondary mediation analysis of the CODES trial. 368 participants were recruited from the National Health Service in secondary / tertiary care in England, Scotland, and Wales. Sixteen mediation hypotheses corresponding to combinations of important trial outcomes and putative mediators were assessed. Twelve-month trial outcomes considered were final-month seizure frequency, Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS), and the SF-12v2, a quality-of-life measure providing physical (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores. Mediators chosen for analysis at six months (broadly corresponding to completion of DS-CBT) included: (a) beliefs about emotions, (b) a measure of avoidance behavior, (c) anxiety and (d) depression.

RESULTS: All putative mediator variables except beliefs about emotions were found to be improved by DS-CBT. We found evidence for DS-CBT effect mediation for the outcome variables dissociative seizures (DS), WSAS and SF-12v2 MCS scores by improvements in target variables avoidance behavior, anxiety, and depression. The only variable to mediate the DS-CBT effect on the SF-12v2 PCS score was avoidance behavior.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings largely confirmed the logic model underlying the development of CBT for patients with DS. Interventions could be additionally developed to specifically address beliefs about emotions to assess whether it improves outcomes.

PMID:38197148 | DOI:10.1017/S0033291723003665

J Periodontol. 2024 Jan 10. doi: 10.1002/JPER.23-0514. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: ChatGPT’s (Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer) remarkable capacity to generate human-like output makes it an appealing learning tool for healthcare students worldwide. Nevertheless, the chatbot’s responses may be subject to inaccuracies, putting forth an intense risk of misinformation. ChatGPT’s capabilities should be examined in every corner of healthcare education, including dentistry and its specialties, to understand the potential of misinformation associated with the chatbot’s use as a learning tool. Our investigation aims to explore ChatGPT’s foundation of knowledge in the field of periodontology by evaluating the chatbot’s performance on questions obtained from an in-service examination administered by the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP).

METHODS: ChatGPT3.5 and ChatGPT4 were evaluated on 311 multiple-choice questions obtained from the 2023 in-service examination administered by the AAP. The dataset of in-service examination questions was accessed through Nova Southeastern University’s Department of Periodontology. Our study excluded questions containing an image as ChatGPT does not accept image inputs.

RESULTS: ChatGPT3.5 and ChatGPT4 answered 57.9% and 73.6% of in-service questions correctly on the 2023 Periodontics In-Service Written Examination, respectively. A two-tailed t test was incorporated to compare independent sample means, and sample proportions were compared using a two-tailed χ² test. A p value below the threshold of 0.05 was deemed statistically significant.

CONCLUSION: While ChatGPT4 showed a higher proficiency compared to ChatGPT3.5, both chatbot models leave considerable room for misinformation with their responses relating to periodontology. The findings of the study encourage residents to scrutinize the periodontic information generated by ChatGPT to account for the chatbot’s current limitations.

PMID:38197146 | DOI:10.1002/JPER.23-0514

J Esthet Restor Dent. 2024 Jan 10. doi: 10.1111/jerd.13194. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Shade matching is an essential procedure to obtain an esthetic prosthesis. The Direct Visual Shade Matching (DSM) method using shade guides is the most used method by dentists. However, The Indirect Visual Digital Shade Matching (ISM) method based on digital imaging is concerned to be reliable and useful in determining shade matching in dental practice. Several factors such as method, clinical experience, and gender can affect the success of shade matching.

AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to compare these two methods and evaluate the effect of experience and gender on the results.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three volunteers’ maxillary central incisor teeth were evaluated using (DSM) and (ISM) methods by 87 examiners (42 males, 45 females). These examiners were further divided into three groups based on their clinical experience: Undergraduate Preclinical Dental Students (UPDS) with 31 examiners, Undergraduate Clinical Dental Students (UCDS) with 34 examiners, and Postgraduate Dental Students from the Department of Prosthodontics (PDS) with 22 examiners. The spectrophotometer device results of three teeth were considered as a reference for shade matching. Statistical analyses of the data were performed using Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, and Chi-square tests.

RESULTS: No significant difference was found between indirect and direct methods according to Perfect Matches (p > 0.05). However, according to Shade Matching Deviation Score (SMDS) values a statistically significant difference was found between the two methods where the best result was obtained with the ISM method (p < 0.05). There was a significant difference between the PDS group and the other two groups in terms of clinical experience (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between gender groups (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Digital images, captured under standardized lighting conditions, may serve as a reliable alternative method for direct shade matching. The (ISM) method requires a camera, related accessories, and computer skills. However, as these tools are commonly available nowadays, the focus for practitioners should be on effectively learning and applying these tools to achieve the best results. While clinical experience plays a significant role in the shade matching process, gender does not appear to have a substantial influence.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study found no significant differences between the (DSM) and (ISM) methods, leaving the clinical relevance of this method open to debate. However, the ISM method yielded superior responses. Despite requiring specialized tools, conditions, and training, the widespread use of cameras and computers in modern clinics makes the necessary equipment and software readily available. This method enhances clinician-technician communication, potentially improving prosthesis esthetics and patient satisfaction, especially for less experienced clinicians or those with color deficiencies. Further research is crucial to determine its clinical significance.

PMID:38197140 | DOI:10.1111/jerd.13194

Transl Pediatr. 2023 Dec 26;12(12):2213-2221. doi: 10.21037/tp-23-495. Epub 2023 Dec 22.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The goals of operative treatment for unilateral coronal synostosis (UCS) are to improve appearance and allow unrestricted brain growth. However, for severe unilateral premature closure of the coronal suture, existing methods do not address the compression of the brain or expand the volume of the skull cavity. We report our retrospective experience with bilateral fronto-orbital advancement combined with cranial vault release using a free-floating bone flap (CVR + FFBF) technique and the resulting changes in the anterior cranial vault asymmetry index (ACVAI) and intracranial volume.

METHODS: Twenty patients with UCS who underwent bilateral fronto-orbital advancement combined with CVR + FFBF technique from April 2014 to May 2019 were included. Surgical efficacy was evaluated by the ACVAI and intracranial volume before the operation, 1 week after the operation, and at the last follow-up (average 19.8 months; range, 12 to 40 months). The measurement data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation and were statistically analyzed by t-test.

RESULTS: The ACVAI was 9.07%±3.55% before the operation, 3.56%±3.42% 1 week after the operation, and 3.13%±2.41% at the last follow-up. The ACVAI 1 week after the operation was significantly lower than that before the operation (t=4.827, P<0.001). There was no significant difference between the ACVAI 1 week after the operation and at the last follow-up (t=0.660, P=0.517). The intracranial volume was 1,027.85±112.25 mL in patients before the operation and 1,131.92±161.71 mL in the normal control group, which was a statistically significant difference (t=2.364, P=0.023). The intracranial volume significantly increased 1 week after surgery: 1,081.62±111.10 mL (t=8.703, P<0.001), and this trend continued at the last follow-up (1,386.90±119.30 mL) similarly to the normal control group (1,438.22±89.28 mL). At the last follow-up, there was no significant difference between the two groups (t=1.540, P=0.132).

CONCLUSIONS: For the treatment of UCS, bilateral fronto-orbital advancement combined with CVR + FFBF technique offers functional and cosmetic outcomes in terms of intracranial volume expansion and fronto-orbital symmetry.

PMID:38197103 | PMC:PMC10772842 | DOI:10.21037/tp-23-495

Surg J (N Y). 2023 Dec 22;9(4):e135-e144. doi: 10.1055/s-0043-1777790. eCollection 2023 Oct.

ABSTRACT

Introduction Delayed presentation of burn patients, in a developing country with the patient being referred from one center to another higher one, is a common occurrence. Efficient management of such delayed burn wounds thus becomes critical to decrease the morbidity of the patient within economic constraints. The advantages of collagen dressing are numerous. However, there is scarce literature on the timing of its application. Traditionally, it is thought that collagen sheets should be applied within 24 hours of burns as the wound is still sterile. This thus becomes ironical as patients are presenting late. Hence, we studied retrospectively the result of collagen application in delayed presentation of burns. Methods A retrospective study was conducted in which records of pediatric patients of less than 10 years with less than 30% total body surface area scald burns were considered. Collagen dressing was done in all these patients. Presentation time from burns, timing of collagen application, status of wound at various check dresses, complication of burn wound, and total healing times were recorded. Appropriate statistical formulas were used to calculate significance levels for continuous and categorical variables. Result Fifty-three patients, 33 male and 20 female were studied. The most common cause of scald was hot water spillage from baths and cooking, with the anterior trunk being the most involved site. The mean time of presentation of the patient from burns is 71.74 hours and that of collagen application was 76.4 hours. Fourteen (25.4%) patients had wound complications in the form of soakage, fever, and pus. Eight patients had their collagen removed. The average healing time for patients with intact collagen was 12.15 days and that for those on daily dressing was 21.9 days. Conclusion Collagen should be preferred even when the patient presents after 24 hours of burns. A thoroughly washed wound is a necessary prerequisite before collagen application. Burn patients presenting after 3 days have a higher incidence of wound infection. No such time stamp of application of collagen sheets within 24 hours can thus be given for its use as the advantages of adhered and successful collagen dressings outweigh those on daily dressings.

PMID:38197092 | PMC:PMC10746384 | DOI:10.1055/s-0043-1777790

Surg J (N Y). 2023 Dec 28;9(4):e149-e155. doi: 10.1055/s-0043-1770954. eCollection 2023 Oct.

ABSTRACT

Objective This study aims to show the place of muscle-sparing posterolateral thoracotomy in the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax. Methods It was a single-center study performed in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Teaching hospital Hassan II of Fez for 8 years. We adopted the nosological definition, which classifies spontaneous pneumothorax into three categories. We included patients over 15 years of age with primary or secondary spontaneous pneumothorax operated by posterolateral thoracotomy without muscle section, and we analyzed the specific indications of this approach. It included 49 patients with primary or secondary spontaneous pneumothorax, operated by muscle-sparing posterolateral thoracotomy. Data were collected from regularly updated computer files of patients, entered by Excel 2013, and analyzed using SPSS.20 software. These data are: epidemiological, clinical, radiological, surgical exploration, surgical procedure, the result of the surgery and the evolution. Results The average age was 42 years. Smoking was found in 61% of cases and pulmonary tuberculosis in 10% of cases. Thoracic computed tomography (CT) showed bullae and blebs in 31% of cases, pleural adhesions and pachypleuritis in 50% of cases, and hydropneumothorax with pachypleuritis in 37% of cases. There is a statistical correlation between pleuropulmonary decortication and pachypleuritis ( p = 0.002) or hydropneumothorax ( p = 0.001) on CT. Bullae and blebs resection was performed in 53% of cases and pleuropulmonary decortication in 63% of cases. A right pleuropneumonectomy was performed in one case. The follow-up was uneventful in 82% of cases. Conclusion Muscle-sparing posterolateral thoracotomy remains the best approach and leads to good results.

PMID:38197090 | PMC:PMC10754642 | DOI:10.1055/s-0043-1770954

Neurol Clin Pract. 2024 Feb;14(1):e200220. doi: 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000200220. Epub 2024 Jan 4.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Evidence of effective multifactorial lifestyle interventions for primary stroke prevention is lacking, despite the significant contribution of lifestyle to stroke burden. We aimed to determine the efficacy of health and wellness coaching (HWC) for primary stroke and cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention in adults at a moderate-to-high CVD risk.

METHODS: This was a parallel, 2-arm, open-label, single-blinded, phase III randomized controlled trial to determine the efficacy of HWC for primary stroke prevention in individuals 30 years and older with a 5-year CVD risk ≥10% as measured by 5-year absolute CVD risk (as measured by the PREDICT tool) at 9 months post-randomization. Eligible participants were those with a 5-year CVD risk ≥10%, with no history of stroke, transient ischemic attack, or myocardial infarction. The relative risk reduction (RRR) and odds ratios (OR) were evaluated separately in those at moderate (10%-14%) 5-year CVD risk and those at high risk (≥15%) at baseline. The Life’s Simple 7 (LS7) score for lifestyle-related CVD risk, as the indicator of cardiovascular health, was a key secondary outcome.

RESULTS: Of a total of 320 participants, 161 were randomized to the HWC group and 159 to the usual care (UC) group. HWC resulted in a statistically significant RRR of -10.9 (95% CI -21.0 to -0.9) in 5-year CVD risk in the higher CVD risk group but no change in the moderate risk group. An improvement in the total LS7 score was seen in the HWC group compared with the UC group (absolute difference = 0.485, 95% CI [0.073 to 0.897], p = 0.02). Improvement in blood pressure scores was statistically significantly greater in the HWC group than in the UC group for those at high risk of CVD (OR 2.28 [95% CI 1.12 to 4.63] and 1.55 [0.80 to 3.01], respectively). No statistically significant differences in mood scores, medication adherence, quality of life, and satisfaction with life scores over time or between groups were seen.

DISCUSSION: Health and wellness coaching resulted in a significant RRR in the 5-year CVD risk compared with UC at 9 months post-randomization in patients with a high baseline CVD risk. There was no improvement in CVD risk in the moderate risk group; hence, this study did not meet the primary hypothesis. However, this treatment effect is clinically significant (number needed to treat was 43). The findings suggest that HWC has potential if further refined to improve lifestyle risk factors of stroke.

PMID:38197084 | PMC:PMC10775165 | DOI:10.1212/CPJ.0000000000200220

Transl Cancer Res. 2023 Dec 31;12(12):3744-3751. doi: 10.21037/tcr-23-1923. Epub 2023 Dec 27.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is one of the main causes of death among women. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) play a crucial role in the progression of breast cancer, with increasingly detailed understanding of RBP functional molecular mechanisms in breast cancer, the functional research of RBPs may help elucidate the potential mechanisms of tumor occurrence, development, invasion, metastasis and prognosis. DDB1- and CUL4-associated factor 13 (DCAF13) is an RBPs has been identified as a substrate receptor for the CUL4-DDB1 E3 ligase complex. Its expression is related to the prognosis of certain cancer. We tried to explore both co-expressed network and biological functions of DCAF13 in breast cancer.

METHODS: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to analyze the different expression of DCAF13 messenger RNA (mRNA) between normal breast tissue and breast carcinoma tissue, and the clinical data about 960 samples were downloaded from the cBio Cancer Genomics Portal (cBioPortal). The expression level of DCAF13, co-expression network, and survival were analyzed. Those with a fold change ≥1 and FDR <0.05 were considered to have statistical significance. Unsupervised clustering of differentially expressed RBPs was performed based on log2-transformed FPKM values using the “pheatmap” package in R. Genes with a Spearman score >0.55 were regarded as moderately co-expressed genes. The Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) database was used to construct a co-expression network. Meanwhile, the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases were used to identify the biological process cluster and pathway cluster, respectively.

RESULTS: Compared with normal breast tissue, DCAF13 mRNA expression was significantly increased in breast cancer tissue (P<0.01). The Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) was used to identify the functions of the co-expressed network. These genes were mainly enriched in mitosis, nuclear division, metabolic process, recombination, replication and repair of DNA, double-strand break repair, posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression, regulation of cell cycle, division and proliferation, regulation of protein stability and also participation in in regulation of poly(A) RNA binding, mRNA binding, tRNA binding, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that the genes were mainly enriched in cell cycle, oocyte meiosis and oxidative phosphorylation. According to survival analysis, upregulation of DCAF13 mRNA was significant for overall survival (OS) (P=0.0163).

CONCLUSIONS: DCAF13 is up-regulated in breast cancer, the OS of patients with DCAF13 up-regulation was obviously reduced. DCAF13 was used as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for breast cancer. By building a co-expression network of DCAF13 and conducting bioinformatics analysis, it is possible to find the biomarker to evaluate patient prognosis. This finding provides a new target in mechanism and cell research of breast cancer.

PMID:38197079 | PMC:PMC10774066 | DOI:10.21037/tcr-23-1923

Transl Cancer Res. 2023 Dec 31;12(12):3255-3265. doi: 10.21037/tcr-22-2792. Epub 2023 Dec 27.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Traditional intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) planning for cervical cancer is time-consuming and require iterative repeated optimization. In this study, we focused on leveraging multi-criteria optimization (MCO) to reduce the impact of small bowel high-dose indices on other optimization targets, thereby providing a rapid approach to individualized IMRT for cervical cancer patients.

METHODS: Our research involved a cohort of 25 cervical cancer patients who underwent IMRT radiotherapy. The patient inclusion criteria were as follows: (I) histopathological confirmation of cervical cancer, (II) underwent IMRT radiation therapy, and (III) a prescribed dose of 180 cGy/28 fractions for the patient. All plans were replanned by an experienced dosimetrist without the MCO (W-IMRT). On the basis of the W-IMRT plan, the individualized IMRT (I-IMRT) plan was generated under the priority trade-off of reducing the D2cc (D2cc is the minimal dose to the 2 cm3 of the small bowel receiving the maximal dose) index of the small bowel using the MCO method, maintaining target coverage and protecting other organs at risk (OARs) as much as possible. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon signature rank test.

RESULTS: When the MCO method was applied to the IMRT plan, the high dose index decreased in the overlapping area between the small bowel and the planning treatment volume (PTV) (P<0.001, respectively). The D2cc index of the small bowel decreased to below 5,200 cGy in all I-IMRT plans. On the other hand, in PTV, the I-IMRT plan achieved a better homogeneity index (HI) compared to the W-IMRT plan. Significant dose reductions were also observed in the bladder (D_mean 144.8 cGy and V₄₀ 1.45%) (P<0.001, respectively), rectum (D_mean 43.9 cGy and V₄₀ 2.7%) (P<0.001, respectively) and bilateral femur heads (D_mean 150 cGy) (P<0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: Dosimetric differences suggest that the I-IMRT plan using the MCO method provides better protection of other OARs and equivalently in PTV coverage, while lowering the high-dose index in the small bowel as much as possible for patients with cervical cancer, thus providing a rapid approach to achieving individualized IMRT for cervical cancer patients.

PMID:38197072 | PMC:PMC10774067 | DOI:10.21037/tcr-22-2792