Tag: statistics

Optom Vis Sci. 2023 Aug 29. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000002066. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

SIGNIFICANCE: Clinicians and researchers will have evidence whether inter-eye differences confound clinical measurements of intraocular pressure or of ocular biomechanical parameters. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether intraocular pressure and biomechanical parameters, as measured by the Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA) and by Cornea Visualization with Scheimpflug Technology (CorVis ST), are different between the first and second eye measured.

METHODS: Intraocular pressure and biomechanical parameters were collected from both eyes of healthy participants (n = 139). The ORA measured corneal-compensated intraocular pressure, Goldmann-correlated intraocular pressure, and corneal hysteresis. The CorVis ST measured biomechanically-corrected intraocular pressure, stiffness parameter at first applanation, and stiffness parameter at highest concavity. For each measurement, a paired t-test compared the value of the first eye measured against that of the second eye measured.

RESULTS: For the ORA, Goldmann-correlated intraocular pressure was significantly higher (P = .001) in the first eye (14.8 [3.45] mmHg) than in the second eye (14.3 [3.63] mmHg). For the CorVis ST, biomechanically-corrected intraocular pressure was significantly higher (P < .001) in the second eye (14.7 [2.14] mmHg) than in the first eye (14.3 [2.11] mmHg). Stiffness parameter at first applanation (inter-eye difference = 6.85 [9.54] mmHg/mm) was significantly (P < .001) higher in the first eye than in the second eye. Stiffness parameter at highest concavity was significantly higher (P = .01) in the second eye (14.3 [3.18] mmHg/mm) than in the first eye (14.0 [3.13] mmHg/mm).

CONCLUSIONS: Although there were statistically significant inter-eye differences in intraocular pressure and in biomechanical parameters for both devices, the variations were small and thus unlikely to affect clinical outcomes.

PMID:37639554 | DOI:10.1097/OPX.0000000000002066

PLoS Comput Biol. 2023 Aug 28;19(8):e1011439. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011439. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The time-varying reproduction number (Rt) is an important measure of epidemic transmissibility that directly informs policy decisions and the optimisation of control measures. EpiEstim is a widely used opensource software tool that uses case incidence and the serial interval (SI, time between symptoms in a case and their infector) to estimate Rt in real-time. The incidence and the SI distribution must be provided at the same temporal resolution, which can limit the applicability of EpiEstim and other similar methods, e.g. for contexts where the time window of incidence reporting is longer than the mean SI. In the EpiEstim R package, we implement an expectation-maximisation algorithm to reconstruct daily incidence from temporally aggregated data, from which Rt can then be estimated. We assess the validity of our method using an extensive simulation study and apply it to COVID-19 and influenza data. For all datasets, the influence of intra-weekly variability in reported data was mitigated by using aggregated weekly data. Rt estimated on weekly sliding windows using incidence reconstructed from weekly data was strongly correlated with estimates from the original daily data. The simulation study revealed that Rt was well estimated in all scenarios and regardless of the temporal aggregation of the data. In the presence of weekend effects, Rt estimates from reconstructed data were more successful at recovering the true value of Rt than those obtained from reported daily data. These results show that this novel method allows Rt to be successfully recovered from aggregated data using a simple approach with very few data requirements. Additionally, by removing administrative noise when daily incidence data are reconstructed, the accuracy of Rt estimates can be improved.

PMID:37639484 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011439

West Afr J Med. 2023 Aug 28;40(8):792-798.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Neonatal septicaemia (NNS) occurs during the first 28 days of life and is characterized by systemic bacterial infection proven by blood culture. It is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates. Determinants of NNS vary between locations forming the basis for this study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and the predisposing factors to neonatal septicaemia among neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Federal Medical Centre, Bida (FMC Bida).

METHODS: This was a one-year prospective observational study, 167 neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of FMC Bida, were selected by purposive sampling method to participate in the study from 13th May, 2015 to 30th April, 2016. A structured questionnaire was filled out by consenting parents and blood samples were collected for laboratory analysis. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 20 (2016). The data were summarized using frequency distributions, means, standard deviation, charts and tables while statistical significance was determined using the chisquare test and Fisher’s exact test at a 5% level of significance as well as Odd’s Ratio (OR) as appropriate.

RESULTS: Of the 167 neonates recruited, 97(58.1%) were males, 70(41.9%) were females and a male: female ratio of 1.4:1. Outborns were 100 (60%), inborns were 67(40%). Mean age was 4.3 ± 1.5 days and the mean weight of 2589 ± 743.9g. The overall prevalence of neonatal sepsis was 2.33% while the blood culture’s positive rate was 9.58%. Risk factors identified in the neonates in this study were prolonged rupture of membranes (PROM), chorioamnionitis, meconium-stained liquor, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, being an outborn, having a low birth weight, inability to cry at birth and prematurity but, PROM was the only risk factor significantly associated with septicaemia (OR 5.4; 95% CI 2.2-13.5) while Escherichia coli was the leading bacterial isolate.

CONCLUSION: In conclusion, prolonged rupture of membrane was mostly responsible for neonatal septicaemia in this study.

PMID:37639291

JAMA Pediatr. 2023 Aug 28. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.3257. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:37639277 | DOI:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.3257

JAMA Intern Med. 2023 Aug 28. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.4067. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:37639256 | DOI:10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.4067

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2023 Aug 1;64(11):31. doi: 10.1167/iovs.64.11.31.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The mechanical properties of the crystalline lens are related to its optical function of accommodation, and their changes with age are one of the potential causes for presbyopia. We estimated the mechanical parameters of the crystalline lens using quantitative optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging and wavefront sensing data from accommodating participants and computer modeling.

METHODS: Full-lens shape data (from quantitative swept-source OCT and eigenlens representation) and optical power data (from Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor) were obtained from 11 participants (22-30 years old) for relaxed accommodation at infinity and -4.5 D accommodative demand. Finite element models of lens, capsular bag, zonulae, and ciliary body were constructed using measured lens geometry and literature data, assuming a 60-mN radial force. An inverse modeling scheme was used to determine the shear moduli of the nucleus and cortex of the lens, such that the simulated deformed (maximally stretched) lens matched the participant’s lens at -4.5 D.

RESULTS: The shear moduli of the nucleus and cortex were 1.62 ± 1.32 and 8.18 ± 5.63 kPa, on average, respectively. The shear modulus of the nucleus was lower than that of the cortex for all participants evaluated. The average of the two moduli per participant was statistically significantly correlated with age (R2 = 0.76, P = 0.0049).

CONCLUSIONS: In vivo imaging and mechanical modeling of the crystalline lens allow estimations of the crystalline lens’ mechanical properties. Differences between nuclear and cortical moduli and their dependency with age appear to be critical in accommodative function and likely in its impairment in presbyopia.

PMID:37639248 | DOI:10.1167/iovs.64.11.31

West Afr J Med. 2023 Aug 28;40(8):786-791.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Despite overwhelming evidence in favour of a relaxed fasting protocol, the traditional practice of keeping patients nil per oral from midnight before the day of surgery for all elective operations still appears to hold sway in many practices.

METHODS: A prospective study to evaluate the pattern of preoperative fasting among patients undergoing elective general surgical operations in the Department of Surgery, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, was conducted between June and December 2020. Data obtained was analysed using the IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 24, and presented as descriptive statistics in the form of frequencies and percentages.

RESULTS: The mean prescribed fasting duration was 11.2 ± 2.4 hours. The mean actual fasting duration of 17.6 ± 13.1 hours was significantly longer than the mean prescribed fasting duration (p= <0.001). Eighty-nine percent of patients fasted for >12 hours before their surgical operations. Bowel surgeries had the longest actual fasting duration of 34.9 ± 27.5 hours, while ventral hernia repairs and superficial mass excisions had the shortest duration of 13.5 ± 0.7 hours. Surgeries performed after noon had the longest actual fasting duration compared to those performed before noon (21.5 ± 18.7 hours vs. 15.6 ± 8.6 hours). Ninety percent of respondents reported hunger score of>4 while fasting.

CONCLUSION: Preoperative fasting duration in our surgical unit remains long and conventional. The potential implications of this practice on patients’ physiological status and surgical outcomes are strong enough to motivate a change.

PMID:37639237

Health Psychol. 2023 Aug 28. doi: 10.1037/hea0001324. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Weight stigma (social devaluation because of weight) and weight bias internalization (self-stigma due to weight) have been independently implicated in maladaptive eating, which ultimately contributes to poor cardiometabolic health. Additionally, vigilance (being on the lookout for social devaluation) is connected to stress, poor sleep, and depression. Most research considers these factors separately but establishing how these variables interact with one another is essential to understanding their cumulative impact on health behaviors.

METHOD: Using a diverse national panel of adults in the United States (N = 1,051), this study tested several statistical moderated mediations in which weight stigma was both directly associated with maladaptive eating and indirectly associated with maladaptive eating via vigilance. We simultaneously examined whether the relationship between weight stigma and vigilance was moderated by self-stigma.

RESULTS: Results indicated that experiencing weight stigma was directly related to each of the maladaptive eating behaviors (eating to cope, restrictive dieting frequency, and binge eating). Weight stigma was also indirectly related to each eating behavior through vigilance; this indirect relationship was stronger among those with high levels of weight bias internalization, compared to those with low levels of weight bias internalization. Race moderated the relationship between weight stigma and vigilance, such that participants identifying as Black had a stronger relationship between them.

CONCLUSIONS: These results provide support for a theoretical model which explains how weight stigma, self-stigma, and vigilance interact with one another to produce negative health behaviors and highlight the importance of further investigation of vigilance in the context of weight stigma. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

PMID:37639227 | DOI:10.1037/hea0001324

Mol Cell Biochem. 2023 Aug 28. doi: 10.1007/s11010-023-04836-7. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the regulatory effect of berberine (BBR) on the intestinal microbiota and related epigenetics during the inhibition of colon cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. We used a nude mouse xenograft model with HT29 colon cancer cells to establish and divide into a model group and BBR group. The mice were treated for four weeks, and HT29 cells in the BBR group were cultured for 48 h. Cetuximab and the DNA transmethylase (DNMT) inhibitor 5-AZA-dC were added to HT29 cells. Tumour volume and weight were measured by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining for histopathological observation. Mouse faeces were collected, and the gut microbiota was analysed with 16S rDNA amplicons. The levels of cytokines in the supernatant of HT29 cells were measured by ELISA. A CCK-8 kit was used to examine the proliferation of HT29 cells, and RT‒PCR was used to measure the levels of c-Myc, DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B. We found that BBR reduced the growth of colon cancer cells to a certain extent in vitro and in vivo, although the difference was not statistically significant compared with that in the model group. BBR significantly mediated the abundance, composition and metabolic functions of the intestinal microbial flora in mice with colon cancer. The effect of BBR on inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, FGF, and PDGF, was not obvious, but BBR significantly downregulated IL-10 levels (P < 0.05) and reduced c-Myc, DNMT1, and DNMT3B levels (P < 0.05). Inhibiting DNMTs with 5-AZA-dC significantly suppressed the proliferation of HT29 cells, which was consistent with the effect of BBR. The inhibitory effect of berberine on colon cancer is related not only to the intestinal microbiota and its metabolic functions but also to the regulation of DNMTs.

PMID:37639199 | DOI:10.1007/s11010-023-04836-7

Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2023 Aug 28;408(1):339. doi: 10.1007/s00423-023-03083-0.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Yttrium (Y)⁹⁰ liver radioembolization (TARE) induces both tumor downsizing and contralateral liver hypertrophy. In this study, we report the preliminary results of a sequential strategy combining Y⁹⁰ radioembolization and portal vein embolization (PVE) before major right liver resections.

METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed clinical, radiological, and biological data of 5 consecutive patients undergoing Y⁹⁰ TARE-PVE before major right liver resections. Comparison was made with patients undergoing PVE alone or liver venous deprivation (LVD) during the same period.

RESULTS: Between January 2019 and September 2022, five patients underwent sequential TARE-PVE. Type of resection included the following: right hepatectomy (n = 1), right hepatectomy + 1 (n = 2), and right hepatectomy + 1 + 4 (n = 2) with no postoperative mortality. Volumetric data showed a mean hypertrophy ratio of 30.4% after TARE and an additional 37.4% after sequential PVE. Patients undergoing sequential TARE-PVE had higher hypertrophy ratio (p = 0.02; p = 0.004), hypertrophy degree (p = 0.02; p < 0.0001), shorter time to normalize bilirubin (p = 0.04), and prothrombin time (p = 0.003; p < 0.0001) compared with patients receiving LVD or PVE. Time from diagnosis to surgery was statistically significant longer in patients undergoing sequential TARE-PVE compared with LVD or PVE (293.4 ± 169.1 vs 54.18 ±18.26 vs 58.62±13.15; p = 0.0008; p = <0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary report suggests that sequential PVE and TARE can represent a safe and an alternative strategy to downstage liver tumors and to enhance liver hypertrophy before major hepatectomies. When compared with PVE and LVD, sequential TARE/PVE takes longer times but achieves some advantages which warrant further evaluation in a larger setting.

PMID:37639197 | DOI:10.1007/s00423-023-03083-0