Tag: statistics

Environ Microbiol. 2022 Nov 4. doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.16271. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The comprehension of microbial interactions is one of the key challenges in marine microbial ecology. This study focused on exploring chemical interactions between the toxic dinoflagellate Prorocentrum lima and a filamentous fungal species, Aspergillus pseudoglaucus, which has been isolated from the microalgal culture. Such interspecies interactions are expected to occur even though they were rarely studied. Here, a co-culture system was designed in a dedicated microscale marine-like condition. This system allowed to explore microalgal-fungal physical and metabolic interactions in presence and absence of the bacterial consortium. Microscopic observation showed an unusual physical contact between the fungal mycelium and dinoflagellate cells. To delineate specialized metabolome alterations during microalgal-fungal co-culture metabolomes were monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry. In-depth multivariate statistical analysis using dedicated approaches highlighted (1) the metabolic alterations associated with microalgal-fungal co-culture, and (2) the impact of associated bacteria in microalgal metabolome response to fungal interaction. Unfortunately, only a very low number of highlighted features were fully characterised. However, an up-regulation of the dinoflagellate toxins okadaic acid and dinophysistoxin 1 was observed during co-culture in supernatants. Such results highlight the importance to consider microalgal-fungal interactions in the study of parameters regulating toxin production. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID:36333915 | DOI:10.1111/1462-2920.16271

Biophys J. 2022 Nov 3:S0006-3495(22)00903-1. doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.11.005. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations have become the predominant computational analysis method in membrane biophysics, as this technique is uniquely suited for investigations of complex molecular systems through the relevant physical principles. Owing to continued improvements in scope and performance, the trajectories generated through this approach contain ever-increasing amounts of information, which must be synthesized and simplified in post-analysis using tools that are not only mechanistically insightful but also computationally efficient and highly scalable. Here, we introduce MOSAICS, a self-contained high-performance suite of C++ software tools designed for advanced analyses of lipid bilayer structure and dynamics from MD trajectories. MOSAICS is to our knowledge the most comprehensive software suite of this kind, enabling analysis of a wide array of morphological and kinetic properties, for both simple and complex membranes, irrespective of system size or resolution. Importantly, MOSAICS is designed to provide spatial distributions of all computed quantities, with built-in masking tools, noise filtering and statistical-significance metrics to facilitate quantitative interpretations of the trajectory data; it is also fully parallelized and can therefore leverage the capabilities of supercomputing facilities. Despite its technical sophistication, MOSAICS is user-friendly and requires minimal computational expertise, making it accessible to researchers of all skill levels.

PMID:36333911 | DOI:10.1016/j.bpj.2022.11.005

Med Educ Online. 2023 Dec;28(1):2141602. doi: 10.1080/10872981.2022.2141602.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: In 2021, the USA recorded 100,000 annual deaths from drug overdose, representing the most frequent cause of death in adults under age 55. The integration of care for substance use disorders (SUDs) into undergraduate medical education is not well established. It is unclear whether a short course on management of opioid use disorder (OUD) offered to fourth year medical students could increase graduating students’ knowledge and preparedness to treat these disorders.

METHODS: We designed a 2-hour interactive case-based session on patient care for OUD and delivered it virtually as part of a Transition to Residency course. A retrospective pre-/post-test assessment instrument determined the impact of this session on students’ perceived knowledge, confidence, and intention to seek further educational opportunities for OUD.

RESULTS: Of 144 participants, 58 students (40.3%) completed the retrospective pre-/post- survey. There were statistically significant improvements in perceived knowledge and attitudes on the 12-item survey. The largest gains in perceived knowledge on a 5-point scale occurred in the categories regarding buprenorphine induction (pre 2.9; post 4.22; p < 0.001), managing inpatient opioid withdrawal (pre 2.84; post 4.27; p < 0.001), and the role of methadone in treating withdrawal (pre 3.16; post 4.29; p < 0.001). All (n = 58) survey respondents would recommend the training to a colleague and felt that the session would benefit their professional practice. Over 90% (93.1%) of respondents planned on seeking additional SUD learning opportunities during residency.

CONCLUSIONS: A 2-hour interactive case-based teaching session delivered to medical students improved perceived knowledge, attitudes, and future interest in obtaining education around OUD. As the opioid epidemic shows no sign of abating, we would advocate for the inclusion SUD education as part of Transition to Residency courses.

PMID:36333902 | DOI:10.1080/10872981.2022.2141602

J Dent Res. 2022 Nov 4:220345221133278. doi: 10.1177/00220345221133278. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to examine to what extent the anatomic characteristics of the upper airway can influence the effect of nocturnal wearing of dentures on the sleep of edentulous elders with untreated sleep apnea. This study used the data from a randomized crossover clinical trial and an exploratory approach to address its objectives. Cone beam computed tomography scans of 65 edentulous individuals (female, n = 37; male, n = 28; mean ± SD age, 74.54 ± 6.42 y) with untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were used to identify anatomic variables. Polysomnography data were collected by means of one portable overnight recording. The respiratory variable values, including apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), with and without denture worn during sleep were used to calculate the change. Statistical analyses included multiple linear regressions, cluster analysis, and binary logistic regressions. A receiver operator characteristic curve was used to illustrate the accuracy of the statistical model. The regression model explained 15.8% (R²) of AHI change. An increase in the lateral dimension of the minimum cross-sectional area was associated with a decrease in AHI, oxygen desaturation index, and respiratory arousal index changes (P ≤ 0.041). Furthermore, an increase in the length of the hypopharynx was associated with an increase in AHI and oxygen desaturation index changes (P ≤ 0.027). An increase in the lateral dimension of the minimum cross-sectional area of the upper airway was associated with a decreased likelihood of being in the group having a worsened AHI (odds ratio = 0.85; 95% CI, 0.76 to 0.95; P = 0.006). An increase in the length of the oropharynx was associated with an increased likelihood of having increased AHI (odds ratio = 1.10; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.20; P = 0.026). The nocturnal aggravation of respiratory variables in edentulous individuals with OSA who wear dentures at night can be linked to certain anatomic characteristics of the upper airway. Replication of these findings may open novel avenues for personalized advice regarding nocturnal wearing of dentures in edentulous individuals with OSA (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01868295).

PMID:36333889 | DOI:10.1177/00220345221133278

Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2022 Nov 4. doi: 10.1002/ijgo.14554. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The present research aimed to determine and compare the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS) in the diagnosis of rectal endometriosis.

METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 555 patients with rectal endometriosis, who had undergone MRI and TVUS before laparoscopic operation, were included. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of these two imaging modalities were evaluated and compared based on histopathological reports and three different kinds of rectal endometriosis surgeries (shaving as a first group, disc and segmental resection methods as a second group).

RESULTS: Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive likelihood ratio (LR+) and negative likelihood ratio (LR-) of ultrasound in the diagnosis of rectal endometriosis were respectively 69.55 (65.4-73.4), 91.30 (72-98.9),70.4 (66.4-74.17),11.48 (9.77-13.43),99.46 (98-99.86),8.0 (2.12-30.1) and 0.3 (0.28-0.4). These values were 51.37 (47.1-55.6), 79.17 (57.8-92.9), 52.53 (48.3-56.6), 6.64 (5.39-8.16), 98.26 (96.26-99.2), 2.47 (1.13-5.4) and 0.6 (0.49-077) for MRI. Even though ultrasound had better accuracy for detection of superficial rectal endometriosis (group 1) (P<0.0001), the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of both imaging modalities in diagnosis of deep rectal lesions (group 2) were almost identical.

CONCLUSION: TVS should be considered as a first-line modality for RE diagnosis, mainly owing to its greater availability, lower cost, and higher accuracy.

PMID:36333881 | DOI:10.1002/ijgo.14554

Vet Surg. 2022 Nov 4. doi: 10.1111/vsu.13904. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:36333870 | DOI:10.1111/vsu.13904

West J Nurs Res. 2022 Nov 4:1939459221128125. doi: 10.1177/01939459221128125. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Sickness symptoms (depressive symptoms, anxiety, and fatigue) are common among people with chronic illness, often presenting as a symptom cluster. Sickness symptoms persist in many patients with chronic kidney disease, even after kidney transplantation (KT); however, little is known about sickness symptom-induced burden in KT recipients. This scoping review synthesizes available evidence for sickness symptoms in KT recipients, including findings on symptom prevalence, predictors, outcomes, interrelationships, and clustering. Among 38 reviewed studies, none identified sickness symptoms as a cluster, but we observed interrelationships among the symptoms examined. Fatigue was the most prevalent sickness symptom, followed by anxiety and depressive symptoms. Predictors of these symptoms included demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors, and health-related quality of life was the most researched outcome. Future research should use common data elements to phenotype sickness symptoms, include biological markers, and employ sophisticated statistical methods to identify potential clustering of sickness symptoms in KT recipients.

PMID:36333867 | DOI:10.1177/01939459221128125

Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2022 Nov 4. doi: 10.1111/acps.13517. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Antipsychotics are increasingly prescribed in pregnancy, yet little is known about potential long-term developmental effects on children. In this study we investigated the effect of prenatal antipsychotic exposure on neurodevelopmental functioning in school-aged children.

METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional neurodevelopmental assessment of 91 children aged 6-14 years whose mothers had severe mental illness (SMI) and were either exposed or unexposed to antipsychotic medication during pregnancy. Neurodevelopmental outcomes were assessed using validated neurodevelopmental assessment instruments to examine the child’s IQ and global cognitive functioning, and the presence of any psychiatric disorders and/or learning problems in the child was assessed by parental report.

RESULTS: No statistically significant associations were found between antipsychotic exposure during pregnancy and either adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes (IQ, neuropsychological function), likelihood of psychiatric diagnosis, or learning problems based on parental report. Analyses were likely limited in power to detect subtler differences in neurodevelopmental functioning due to small sample size and heterogeneity of the sample.

CONCLUSIONS: In this exploratory cohort study, intrauterine exposure to antipsychotics was not associated with any adverse effect on IQ or neurodevelopmental functioning in a cohort of school aged children (6-14 years). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID:36333825 | DOI:10.1111/acps.13517

Aging Cell. 2022 Nov 4:e13736. doi: 10.1111/acel.13736. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The biological mechanisms underlying decline in physical function with age remain unclear. We examined the plasma proteomic profile associated with longitudinal changes in physical function measured by gait speed and grip strength in community-dwelling adults. We applied an aptamer-based platform to assay 1154 plasma proteins on 2854 participants (60% women, aged 76 years) in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) in 1992-1993 and 1130 participants (55% women, aged 54 years) in the Framingham Offspring Study (FOS) in 1991-1995. Gait speed and grip strength were measured annually for 7 years in CHS and at cycles 7 (1998-2001) and 8 (2005-2008) in FOS. The associations of individual protein levels (log-transformed and standardized) with longitudinal changes in gait speed and grip strength in two populations were examined separately by linear mixed-effects models. Meta-analyses were implemented using random-effects models and corrected for multiple testing. We found that plasma levels of 14 and 18 proteins were associated with changes in gait speed and grip strength, respectively (corrected p < 0.05). The proteins most strongly associated with gait speed decline were GDF-15 (Meta-analytic p = 1.58 × 10^-15 ), pleiotrophin (1.23 × 10^-9 ), and TIMP-1 (5.97 × 10^-8 ). For grip strength decline, the strongest associations were for carbonic anhydrase III (1.09 × 10^-7 ), CDON (2.38 × 10^-7 ), and SMOC1 (7.47 × 10^-7 ). Several statistically significant proteins are involved in the inflammatory responses or antagonism of activin by follistatin pathway. These novel proteomic biomarkers and pathways should be further explored as future mechanisms and targets for age-related functional decline.

PMID:36333824 | DOI:10.1111/acel.13736

BMC Nurs. 2022 Nov 4;21(1):298. doi: 10.1186/s12912-022-01090-y.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Occupational exposure to blood and body fluids poses a threat to medical providers and to nurses especially. This harm is not only physical, but psychology as well and can ultimately impact patient safety. This study aims to understand the prevalence of occupational exposure to blood and body fluids among Chinese registered nurses and explores the factors that influence this exposure.

METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted for 31 province-level divisions in China, using a self-created questionnaire entitled Status Survey on Occupational Exposure in Nurses. Descriptive statistics were used to describe both the demographic characteristics of the respondents and the characteristics of occupational exposure. Categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentage, and the relationship between possible influential factors and the occurrence of occupational exposure was determined using binary logistic regression.

RESULTS: Out of a total of 20,791 nurses analyzed, over half (52.1%) of them had experienced occupational exposure to blood or body fluids, but over 1/3 (34.6%) of them did not ever report their exposures to a supervisor/official. The top three causes of under-reporting were: the source patient failed to test positive for infectious pathogens (43.6%), perception of a burdensome reporting process (24.6%), and indifferent attitude towards being infected (16.9%). Nurses who worked over 8 hours per day had higher risks of exposure (OR 1.199, 95% CI 1.130 to 1.272, P < 0.001, respectively). The occupational exposure risk from providing 1-2 types of PPE is 1.947 times that of providing 9-10 types of PPE (OR 1.947, 95% CI 1.740 to 2.178, P < 0.001). Likewise, the occupational exposure risk of providing 1-2 types of safety-engineered injection devices is 1.275 times of that of providing 5-6 types (OR 1.275, 95% CI 1.179 to 1.379, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Occupational exposure to blood and body fluids in registered nurses is common, but the rate of under-reporting such exposure is high. Implementing engineered “sharp” injury prevention devices, following exposure prevention procedures, giving sufficient education and training to healthcare personnel on exposure prevention and control, and developing exposure reporting policies are all steps that can both reduce exposure and increase its reporting.

PMID:36333812 | DOI:10.1186/s12912-022-01090-y