Tag: statistics

Matern Child Nutr. 2024 Mar 26:e13647. doi: 10.1111/mcn.13647. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Despite significant progress made previously and the recognized health benefits of optimal feeding practices, ensuring a minimum acceptable diet in developing countries like Ethiopia remains a formidable challenge. Additionally, there is a scarcity of data in this area. Therefore, our study aims to identify predictors of a minimum acceptable diet using a powerful tool called complementary log-log regression analysis. Thus, it contributes to accelerating the pathway of ending child undernutrition thereby promoting optimal child health. A multilevel analysis was conducted among a weighted sample of 1427 children aged 6-23 months using the 2019 Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey (EDHS). The EDHS sample was stratified and selected in two stages. A minimum acceptable diet is defined as a composite of children fed with both minimum dietary diversity and minimum meal frequency. Data extraction took place between August 1 and 30, 2023. We used STATA software version 17 for data analysis. A complementary log-log regression model was fitted to identify significant predictors of the minimum acceptable diet. A p-value of ≤0.05 was used to declare statistically significant predictors. Only 10.44% (95CI: 8.90-12.15) of the children meet the minimum acceptable diet. Child aged (18-23 month) (AOR = 1.78, 95CI:1.14-2.78)], mother’s educational level (secondary and above education) (AOR = 279,95CI: 1.51-5.15), number of children three and above [(AOR = 0.78,95CI: 0.53-0.94], institutional delivery [AOR = 1.77,95CI: 1.11-3.11], having postnatal-check-up [AOR = 2.33,95CI: 1.59-3.41] and high community poverty level (AOR = 0.49,95CI: 0.29-0.85) were found to be predictors of minimum acceptable diet. In Ethiopia, only one in ten children achieve a minimum acceptable diet. Which is lower than the global report findings (16%). Enhancing maternal education programs and promoting family planning strategies to reduce household size are essential. Besides, encouraging institutional deliveries and postnatal check-ups are also recommended. It is necessary to implement targeted interventions for poverty reduction in communities to ensure that families can afford nutritious diets for their children.

PMID:38530126 | DOI:10.1111/mcn.13647

J Chem Phys. 2024 Mar 28;160(12):124501. doi: 10.1063/5.0177706.

ABSTRACT

Heterogeneous ice nucleation (HIN) has applications in climate science, nanotechnology, and cryopreservation. Ice nucleation on the earth’s surface or in the atmosphere usually occurs heterogeneously involving foreign substrates, known as ice nucleating particles (INPs). Experiments identify good INPs but lack sufficient microscopic resolution to answer the basic question: What makes a good INP? We employ molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in combination with machine learning (ML) to address this question. Often, the large amount of computational cost required to cross the nucleation barrier and observe HIN in MD simulations is a practical limitation. We use information obtained from short MD simulations of atomistic surface and water models to predict the likelihood of HIN. We consider 153 atomistic substrates with some surfaces differing in elemental composition and others only in terms of lattice parameters, surface morphology, or surface charges. A range of water features near the surface (local) are extracted from short MD simulations over a time interval (≤300 ns) where ice nucleation has not initiated. Three ML classification models, Random Forest (RF), support vector machine, and Gaussian process classification are considered, and the accuracies achieved by all three approaches lie within their statistical uncertainties. Including local water features is essential for accurate prediction. The accuracy of our best RF classification model obtained including both surface and local water features is 0.89 ± 0.05. A similar accuracy can be achieved including only local water features, suggesting that the important surface properties are largely captured by the local water features. Some important features identified by ML analysis are local icelike structures, water density and polarization profiles perpendicular to the surface, and the two-dimensional lattice match to ice. We expect that this work, with its strong focus on realistic surface models, will serve as a guide to the identification or design of substrates that can promote or discourage ice nucleation.

PMID:38530008 | DOI:10.1063/5.0177706

J Cataract Refract Surg. 2024 Mar 26. doi: 10.1097/j.jcrs.0000000000001452. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Aim of this study was to use a combination of partial least squares regression and a machine learning approach to predict IOL tilt using pre-operative biometry data.

SETTING: Patients scheduled for cataract surgery at the Kepler University Clinic Linz.

DESIGN: Prospective single center study.

METHODS: Optical coherence tomography, autorefraction and subjective refraction was performed at baseline and 8 weeks after cataract surgery. In analysis I only one eye per patient was included and a tilt prediction model was generated. In analysis II a pair-wise comparison between right and left eyes was performed.

RESULTS: In analysis I 50 eyes of 50 patients were analysed. Difference in amount, orientation and vector from pre- to post-operative lens tilt was -0.13°, 2.14° and 1.20° respectively. A high predictive power (variable importance for projection) for post-operative tilt prediction was found for pre-operative tilt (VIP=2.2), pupil decentration (VIP=1.5), lens thickness (VIP=1.1), axial eye length (VIP=0.9) and pre-operative lens decentration (VIP=0.8). These variables were applied to a machine learning algorithm resulting in an out of bag score of 0.92°. In analysis II 76 eyes of 38 patients were included. The difference of pre- to post-operative IOL tilt of right and left eyes of the same individuum was statistically relevant.

CONCLUSION: Post-operative IOL tilt showed excellent predictability using pre-operative biometry data and a combination of partial least squares regression and a machine learning algorithm. Pre-operative lens tilt, pupil decentration, lens thickness, axial eye length and pre-operative lens decentration were found to be the most relevant parameters for this prediction model.

PMID:38529959 | DOI:10.1097/j.jcrs.0000000000001452

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2024 Mar 26:dgae191. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgae191. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT: Along the menstrual cycle, associations between inconsistent sleep duration and levels of metabolic biomarkers are uncertain and could involve fluctuations in estrogen concentrations.

OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between patterns of sleep duration and metabolic biomarkers across two menstrual cycles within a cohort of premenopausal women.

METHODS: The BioCycle Study was conducted in New York between 2005-2007, enrolling 259 premenopausal women over two menstrual cycles. This micro-longitudinal cohort study involved intensive data collection including daily sleep diaries and biomarker assessments of leptin, insulin, and glucose at 16 key points timed to menstrual cycle phases. We considered dynamic sleep duration, as hours slept one night or as mean hours slept during the two nights prior to each biomarker assessment. Variability in habitual sleep duration, i.e., reported daily sleep duration, summarized across both menstrual cycles. Variation in habitual sleep duration was computed using L-moments, a robust version of dispersion, skewness, and kurtosis. To examine associations between patterns of sleep duration and metabolic biomarkers, we fitted a series of linear mixed models with random intercepts and inverse probability weighting. These models were adjusted for potential demographic, lifestyle, health confounders, and menstrual cycle phase.

RESULTS: Sleep duration one night or two nights prior to clinic visits were not associated with metabolic biomarker measures we assessed. However, overall variability (dispersion) in habitual sleep duration was associated with lower mean insulin HOMA-IR levels, but not glucose. Moreover, extreme short or long bouts of sleep duration was associated with higher mean levels of leptin, insulin, and HOMA-IR.

CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that variation in habitual sleep duration along the menstrual cycle may be associated with metabolic function.

PMID:38529946 | DOI:10.1210/clinem/dgae191

Breastfeed Med. 2024 Mar 26. doi: 10.1089/bfm.2023.0265. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Background: To investigate the efficacy of aloe gel in reducing pain and promoting wound healing in postpartum women with nipple trauma. Method: There were 80 postpartum women who took part in this study having developed nipple trauma during breastfeeding in the obstetrics department of a tertiary grade A hospital in Suzhou from January to December 2021. Postpartum women with nipple trauma whose hospital bed numbers ranged between 15 and 33 were included in the test group, whereas those whose hospital bed numbers ranged between 35 and 53 were included in the control group. Both groups received health education and breastfeeding guidance. The control group applied lanolin cream to their nipple trauma, whereas the test group used aloe gel. We used a nipple trauma severity assessment table to determine the severity of nipple trauma in lactating women and a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to determine the level of nipple pain and referred to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Standard for Diagnosis and Therapeutic Efficacy for Diseases and Syndromes to determine the healing time of their wounds. Results: The test group scored 3.70 ± 1.24 and 1.65 ± 0.74 points on the VAS on the first and third days following the intervention, whereas the control group scored 4.30 ± 0.94 and 2.23 ± 1.07 points, respectively. It took 3.75 ± 1.08 days and 4.45 ± 1.15 days for the nipple pain to completely disappear in the test group and the control group, respectively. The healing period for nipple trauma was 5.28 ± 1.26 days for the test group and 6.03 ± 1.61 days for the control group. All of the aforementioned distinctions were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Aloe gel can significantly alleviate the pain associated with nipple trauma in lactating women, accelerate wound healing, and reduce the duration of nipple trauma.

PMID:38529934 | DOI:10.1089/bfm.2023.0265

Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2024;124(3):75-81. doi: 10.17116/jnevro202412403175.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of telerehabilitation (TELEREBT) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the context of the coronavirus pandemic 2020-2021.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 37 patients with MS who underwent a course of teleRBT. The course included 10 classes of 60 minutes for 10 days with a two-day break. Various questionnaires and scales were used to assess the effectiveness, as well as an assessment of the neurological status.

RESULTS: 19 patients refused to participate in the program. The level of disability on the EDSS scale decreased from 4.86±1.19 at the initial level to 4.73±1.12 after the course of teleRBT, while no statistically significant changes were found.

CONCLUSION: TeleRPT in patients can be an effective way to correct existing disorders. Further research is required to establish the effectiveness of teleRBT.

PMID:38529866 | DOI:10.17116/jnevro202412403175

Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2024;124(3):42-51. doi: 10.17116/jnevro202412403142.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a sequential therapy regimen with Mexidol (500 mg injections intravenously for 14 days) and Mexidol FORTE 250 (250 mg tablets 3 times a day for 60 days) on higher cortical functions in patients with moderate cognitive disorders in chronic cerebral ischemia.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A comparative, prospective study included 63 patients with chronic cerebral ischemia with moderate cognitive impairment. All patients received basic therapy aimed at reducing risk factors (antihypertensive, antithrombotic drugs as indicated). Patients of the main group (30 people: 12 men, 18 women) received Mexidol intravenously 500 mg in 100 ml of 0.9% NaCl solution once a day for 14 days, then Mexidol FORTE 250 (film-coated tablets) 250 mg 3 times a day for the next 60 days. The comparison group consisted of 33 patients (14 men, 19 women) who received only basic therapy. The groups were comparable in terms of age, sex characteristics and severity of cognitive deficit. We examined cognitive status (MoCA scale, Frontal Dysfunction Battery, 10 Word Memorization tests), severity of asthenia (MFI-20 scale), anxiety and depression (HADS scale), patient’s subjective assessment of the dynamics of the condition (CGI-improvement scale) in 1st, 14th and 74th±5 days of observation. On days 1 and 74±5 of observation, patients were examined using transcranial magnetic stimulation to study the neuronal activity of the cerebral cortex.

RESULTS: In the main group, at the time of completion of taking Mexidol and Mexidol FORTE 250, a pronounced cognitive regression was noted (MoCA scale +3 points, difference with the comparison group 1 point (p<0.0001); Frontal Dysfunction Battery test +4 points, difference with comparison group 2 points (p<0.001); memory test «10 words» +2 points, difference with the comparison group 1 point (p<0.05), emotional (HADS anxiety scale -8 points, difference with the comparison group 3 points (p<0.001), depression -3.5 points, difference with the comparison group 1.5 points (p<0.01), asthenic disorders (MFI-20 scale -30 points, difference with the comparison group 15.5 points (p<0.01), improvement in the well-being of patients (CGI-improvement scale -2 points, difference with the comparison group 1 point (p<0.0001). According to the transcranial magnetic stimulation performed, a statistically significant decrease in the central motor conduction time at the level of 1 and 2 motor neurons of the pyramidal tract bilaterally from the start to the end of therapy with Mexidol and Mexidol FORTE 250 was determined (p<0.01). An inverse correlation was found between the time of central motor conduction and the results of the Frontal Dysfunction Battery test at the same time points with left-sided localization of 1 motor neuron (p<0.01). The results of a study of the use of sequential therapy with Mexidol 500 mg IV drip 1 time per day for 14 days followed by oral administration of Mexidol FORTE 250 1 tablet 3 times a day for 60 days indicate its clinical effectiveness and safety in patients with chronic cerebral ischemia with mild cognitive impairment, and also confirm its importance for preventing the progression of cognitive disorders.

PMID:38529862 | DOI:10.17116/jnevro202412403142

J Vet Intern Med. 2024 Mar 26. doi: 10.1111/jvim.17052. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Equine sarcoids (ES) are the most common cutaneous tumors in equids. Systemic treatment options are sparse. Subcutaneous (SC) injections of Viscum album extract (VAE) demonstrate efficacy as a systemic treatment directed against ES.

OBJECTIVES/AIM: To critically assess the therapeutic efficacy of orally administered VAE.

ANIMALS: Forty-five ES-affected, privately owned, 3-12 year-old horses.

METHODS: A 3-armed randomized placebo-controlled, double-blinded study was conducted in a double-dummy design. Horses were subjected to oral administration and SC injections of either VAE or placebo (VAE oral/placebo SC, VAE SC/placebo oral, placebo oral/placebo SC) over a 7-month treatment period. Primary endpoint was the change of baseline of a composite index of ES number and ES area after 14 months. Second endpoint was the clinical response.

RESULTS: No statistically significant difference in the composite endpoint between the 3 study arms was found. The primary endpoint showed 4 (27%) horses in the VAE oral group with complete ES regression, 3 (21%) in the VAE SC injection group, and 2 (13%) in the placebo group. The clinical response revealed complete or partial regression in 6 horses of the oral VAE group (40%), 4 of the SC injection group (29%), and 4 of the placebo group (25%). Direct comparison of oral VAE and placebo showed an odds ratio, stratified for prognosis of 2.16 (95%-CI: 0.45-10.42) and a P-value of 0.336.

CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Oral administration of VAE is well tolerated. No statistically significant difference in the effectiveness of systemic VAE versus placebo against ES was found.

PMID:38529853 | DOI:10.1111/jvim.17052

Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2024 Mar 26. doi: 10.1002/ksa.12146. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Numerous methods have been proposed to characterise tubercle lateralisation. However, their normal values and related changes remain unclear. Accordingly, it was aimed to determine the potential sex and age effects and determined the optimal individualised method of diagnosing lateralisation of the tibial tubercle in patients with recurrent patellar dislocation (RPD).

METHODS: Measurements included the tibial tubercle-trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance, tibial tubercle-posterior cruciate ligament (TT-PCL) distance and tibial tubercle lateralisation (TTL); and the proximal tibial width (PTW), trochlear width (TW) and trochlear dysplasia index (TDI), for adjustment. A two-way analysis of variance was used to determine the effect of age, sex and their interaction within the normal group. When the age effect was statistically significant, a nonlinear regression was created. Areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUCs) were calculated to assess diagnostic accuracy.

RESULTS: A total of 277 normal participants (mean [SD] age, 13.5 [2.6] years; 125 [45.1%] female) and 227 patients with RPD (mean [SD] age, 13.5 [2.6] years; 161 [58.1%] female) were analysed. It was found that in the normal group, in patients aged 7-10, TT-PCL distance (p = 0.006), TTL (p = 0.007) and TT-PCL/PTW (p < 0.001) were significantly larger in females than in males. A significant sex effect was also detected on TT-TG/TW (p = 0.014). TT-TG distance, TT-PCL distance, TTL and TT-PCL/PTW (in male patients) approached an established normal adult value of 12.3 mm, 20.9 mm, 0.64 and 0.28, respectively, with increasing age (p < 0.001). The AUC was greater for TT-TG/TDI and TT-TG/TW (p ≤ 0.01) and TT-TG/TDI outperformed TT-TG/TW in patients aged 15-18 (p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS: Tubercle lateralisation increased with age and was affected by sex, with the exception of TT-TG distance and TT-TG/TDI. TT-TG/TDI is the optimal method of diagnosing a lateralized tibial tubercle in patients with RPD. These findings assist with the evaluation of tubercle lateralisation in that they provide a proper protocol for paediatric and adolescent populations with RPD; and thus, will help determine whether medial tubercle transfer should be included among the tailored surgical procedures considered for the treatment of patients with RPD.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

PMID:38529701 | DOI:10.1002/ksa.12146

Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2024 Mar 26. doi: 10.1002/ksa.12150. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The aims of the present study were (1) to evaluate the survival of patellofemoral joint (PFJ) arthroplasty in a large cohort of patients using data obtained from an Italian regional arthroplasty registry and (2) to collect clinical outcomes of a subgroup of patients, with a minimum follow-up of 4 years. The hypotheses were that PFJ arthroplasty is a procedure that had good survival and clinical outcomes, not inferior to those reported in the literature for primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

METHODS: The Register of Orthopaedic Prosthetic Implants (RIPO) of Emilia-Romagna (ER) (Italy) database was searched for the inclusion of all PFJ arthroplasties implanted between 2003 and 2019. PFJ arthroplasties were excluded if they were implanted in patients who lived outside of the ER. The survival information was extrapolated from the RIPO considering the partial or total revision of the implant as failure; moreover, a subgroup of patients was contacted and interviewed by telephone to collect clinical outcomes. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data. The survival curve was calculated and plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS: A total of 126 arthroplasties in 114 patients were included in the final analysis (mean age at surgery 60.1 ± 11.5 years old). The main causes of patellofemoral arthroplasty were primary osteoarthritis (88%) and posttraumatic arthritis (7%). The survival was 90.4 ± 30.6 and 78.8 ± 51.5 at 5 and 10 years of follow-up, respectively. At the latest follow-up, 23 implants failed (18.3%). The main cause of revision was osteoarthrosis progression (34.8%). A total of 44 patients were contacted by telephone to collect clinical outcomes: Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, functional Knee Society Score, Forgotten Joint Score and Oxford Knee Score. These patients reported good to excellent scores at a medium follow-up of 10.3 ± 4.7 years.

CONCLUSIONS: The PFJ showed good survival and clinical outcomes and could be considered a valuable option for patients affected by isolated patellofemoral osteoarthritis.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

PMID:38529690 | DOI:10.1002/ksa.12150