Tag: statistics

Environ Sci Technol. 2022 Oct 26. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.2c04150. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

As the largest emission source in the Pan-Third Pole region, residential solid fuel combustion gains increasing public concern regarding air pollution-associated health impacts. This study firstly developed emission inventories by combining energy statistics, fuel-mix survey, and detailed emission factors considering different fuel types, stove types, and altitudes, and we achieved full regional coverage and increased spatial resolution from 9 × 9 km to 1 km × 1 km. Total CO₂, CO, PM_2.5, SO₂, and NO_x emissions (coefficient of variation) were estimated to be 823 Mt (24%), 53 Mt (28%), 4525 kt (48%), 1388 kt (55%), and 1275 kt (46%) in 2020. India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh combined contributed 73, 57, 65, 67, and 69% of total CO₂, CO, PM_2.5, SO₂, and NO_x emissions, respectively, due to the large population. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau had the second-highest emission intensity, mainly due to the high fuel consumption per capita. Unlike the emissions of the Pan-Third Pole in existing Asian inventories, dung cake combustion dominated total PM_2.5, SO₂, and NO_x emissions rather than firewood combustion with proportions of 54, 70, and 67%, respectively. The effect of altitude on combustion efficiencies increased PM_2.5 emissions by about 21% from the region. The method and results can provide technical guidance for emission inventory refinement in the Pan-Third Pole and other regions.

PMID:36288504 | DOI:10.1021/acs.est.2c04150

Int J Prosthodont. 2022 Oct 21. doi: 10.11607/ijp.7332. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To determine the effects of scanning protocol, number of implants, and implant splinting on the accuracy of digital scanning in the edentulous arch.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A resin-based model of an edentulous mandible with six implants was scanned with a coordinate measurement machine as a reference and then with two intraoral scanner (IOS) systems (TRIOS 3 and Primescan). Ten scans were taken per IOS in three experiments, and each scan was compared to the reference to evaluate trueness and precision. Analysis involved using engineering software (GOM Inspect) to measure linear and angular discrepancies. In experiment 1, three scanning protocols were compared (linear, zigzag, and half-arch). In experiment 2, three clinical situations were simulated. In experiment 3, the effect of implant splinting with a suture thread was measured. Normal distribution of data was examined with Shapiro-Wilk test. Levene test was used for equality of variance (αα = .05). Statistical differences in distance and angular deviations were analyzed by Student t test or ANOVA with post hoc Tukey test (α = .05).

RESULTS: The best results in terms of trueness and precision were obtained with a linear scanning protocol and six implants: TRIOS 3 = trueness 52 µm/0.42 degrees, precision 40 µm/0.26 degrees; and Primescan = trueness 24 µm/0.28 degrees, precision 18 μm/0.27 degrees. The scanning protocol did not significantly affect distance or angular deviation accuracy. Trueness and precision significantly decreased with four implants using both Primescan and TRIOS 3. Splinting implants negatively affected accuracy with both scanners.

CONCLUSION: Both IOS systems achieved clinically satisfying accuracy in distance (< 100 μm) and angular (< 0.5 degrees) deviation with six implants and a linear scanning protocol. With four implants, angular deviations sometimes differed between implants within the same digital scan depending on the IOS and the clinical situation.

PMID:36288490 | DOI:10.11607/ijp.7332

Int J Prosthodont. 2022 Oct 21. doi: 10.11607/ijp.7821. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To examine the effects of anodization and different surface modifications of titanium on bond strength to 10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (10-MDP) resin cement.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Grade 5 titanium alloy disks (n = 160) were assigned to one of five prebonding surface treatment study groups (polished; polished and anodized; polished, etched, and anodized; sandblasted; sandblasted and anodized). Disks were adhesively bonded with 10-MDP cement (Panavia 21; bonding area: 3.3 mm in diameter) to resin cylinders. In each study group, tensile bond strength tests were conducted after 24 ± 1 hours and after 6 months (180 ± 2 days) of water storage (n = 16 specimens per water storage subgroup). Debonded specimens were stereomicroscopically analyzed to determine their fracture mode. Statistics included one-way and multifactorial analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc tests (α = .05).

RESULTS: Anodization and water storage did not significantly (P ≥ .389) affect tensile bond strength. Although subgroups of polished samples had significantly (P ≤ .031) lower bond strengths (subgroup mean values: 20 to 26 MPa) than etched or sandblasted samples (subgroup mean values: 29 to 33 MPa), they nonetheless exceeded the empirical threshold of 10 MPa used as a criterion for clinical recommendation. The fracture mode of all test specimens was predominantly cohesive.

CONCLUSION: Anodization of titanium surfaces can be performed without weakening the adhesion of 10-MDP-based resin cement to titanium.

PMID:36288488 | DOI:10.11607/ijp.7821

Int J Prosthodont. 2022 Oct 21. doi: 10.11607/ijp.7824. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the trueness of five intraoral scanners for a fully edentulous model with seven implants.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study model was created from gypsum with seven implant analogs that were placed with 2-mm gingival height and 0-degree angle at tooth sites 47, 45, 43, 31, 33, 35, and 37. The study model was scanned 10 times (n = 10) with five intraoral scanners (CS3600, Emerald S, Primescan, TRIOS 3, TRIOS 4). The study model was digitized with a high-resolution industrial desktop scanner, and the data were imported into a software (Geomagic Studio 2012) as the reference model. The trueness assessment was made digitally with superimposition using the software. Linear measurements were calculated by the differences between the centers of the scan bodies on the study vs the reference model. Volumetric deviations were calculated with root mean square values. Data obtained in the study were analyzed statistically. One-way analysis of variance and Tukey tests were used to evaluate significant interactions. A value of P < .05 was accepted as statistically significant.

RESULTS: In linear measurements, TRIOS 4 showed the best trueness results, followed by TRIOS 3, Emerald S, Primescan, and CS3600. TRIOS 4 showed statistically truer results than CS3600 (P = .029). However, no statistically significant difference was found between groups in volumetric measurements (P < .05).

CONCLUSION: All of the intraoral scanners used in the study showed favorable deviation values in an edentulous model with seven implants. TRIOS 4 showed the best trueness values. The latest generation of intraoral scanners can be used in full-arch implant impressions.

PMID:36288487 | DOI:10.11607/ijp.7824

J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2022 Oct 26. doi: 10.1515/jpem-2022-0305. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widespread. This study aimed to investigate the use of CAM in children with central precocious puberty (PP) who used gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (GnRHa) treatment.

METHODS: Parents of 108 patients who were diagnosed as having PP were involved in the study. A questionnaire was administered to the parents during follow-ups. The patients were divided into two groups according to the use of CAM.

RESULTS: Forty (37%) patients had used CAM. Parents who graduated from primary school tended not to use CAM (χ ² =10.463; p=0.015). There was no other statistically significant difference between the sociodemographic features (p>0.05). The most common information source was physicians (40%). Seventy-five percentage of CAM users and 44.1% of non-CAM users knew/heard about herbal medicine (χ ² =8.517; p=0.004) and herbal medicine was the most common type of CAM used. 80% of parents in the CAM group and 54.4% of parents in the non-CAM group knew at least one biologically based therapy that had estrogenic activity (χ ² =6.082; p=0.014). Seventy-one percentage of parents in the CAM group and 29% of parents in the non-CAM group stated that they would consider using CAM in the future (χ ²=16.979; p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: The use of CAM among patients with PP is high. Although most CAM therapies are harmless, there may be adverse effects or drug interactions with current conventional treatment in children. Health professionals should be aware and inquire about the use and type of CAM, considering the medical history at every patient encounter.

PMID:36288430 | DOI:10.1515/jpem-2022-0305

Vestn Oftalmol. 2022;138(5):39-46. doi: 10.17116/oftalma202213805139.

ABSTRACT

Intrastromal keratoplasty has recently been widely used in the surgical treatment of keratoconus (KC). In 2013, a new type of interlamellar keratoplasty operation was developed – bandage therapeutic-optical keratoplasty (BTOK).

PURPOSE: Evaluation of the long-term outcomes of surgical treatment of stages II and III progressive KC with BTOK technique.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 107 patients (126 eyes): group 1 with stage II KC – 78 eyes, 100% of these patients were observed for 1 year, 52 eyes (66%) for 3 years, and 18 eyes (23%) for 5 years; group 2 – 48 eyes with stage III KC, with 100% of them observed for 1 year, 39 eyes (81%) for 3 years, and 12 eyes (25%) – 5 years. All patients received a customized allograft in the form of an intrastromal corneal ring segment (ICRS).

RESULTS: During the first year after BTOK surgery, the uncorrected and corrected visual acuity (UCVA and CVA) in the first group increased by 0.5±0.04 (p<0.05) and 0.2±0.02 (p<0.05), respectively, in the second group – by 0.46±0.05 (p<0.05) and 0.47±0.05 (p<0.05) due to a decrease in refractive indices in the central 3.0 mm zone. In the first group, mean refraction in the central 3.0 mm zone (K_m) was within 45±3.75 (p<0.05), in the second – 48.63±.2 diopters (p<0.05), while maximum refraction in the central 3.0 mm zone (K_max) decreased from 50.02±2.20 (p<0.05) to 44.61±1.03 diopters (p<0.05) in the first group, from 58.21±3.43 (p<0.05) to 50.45±3.46 diopters (p<0.05) in the second group. The values of UCVA, CVA and refractive indices of the central corneal zone in the first and second groups did not change statistically significantly after three and five years. Minimum corneal thickness in the first group increased from 476.23±13.35 to 485.08±15.80 µm (p<0.05), in the second – from 412.73±38.63 to 422.00±42.25 µm (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION: BTOK surgery can be used in patients with stages II and III KC to improve the visual functions, strengthen the ectatic cornea and stop the progression of the disease.

PMID:36288416 | DOI:10.17116/oftalma202213805139

Vestn Oftalmol. 2022;138(5):30-38. doi: 10.17116/oftalma202213805130.

ABSTRACT

In recent years, a new class of extended depth of focus (EDOF) intraocular lenses (IOLs) has become available on the market. There is only a limited number of scientific papers comparing trifocal and EDOF IOL data, and the results are often contradictory.

PURPOSE: Comparative analysis of the results of trifocal and EDOF IOL implantation in patients with presbyopia and/or cataract.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective study included 72 patients (144 eyes) after bilateral implantation of either Tecnis Symfony EDOF IOL (18 patients, 36 eyes; group I) or AcrySof PanOptix trifocal IOL (54 patients, 108 eyes; group II). In 18 patients out of 72 (25%) the implantation involved mini-monovision, i.e. the calculation of the IOL power on the nondominant eye was performed at -0.5 D. The average follow-up period for the patients was 7.1±1.2 months.

RESULTS: There was a significant (p<0.05) increase in uncorrected near visual acuity (UCNVA), uncorrected intermediate visual acuity (UCIVA) and uncorrected distance visual acuity (UCDVA) at the maximum follow-up time compared to the preoperative indices in all groups. Group II was characterized by slightly better UCNVA dynamics (0.85±0.13 versus 0.2±0.04 before surgery, as comparted to 0.78±0.11 versus 0.19±0.06 before surgery in group I), but differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Statistically significant differences (p=0.046) were observed when comparing best corrected near vision acuity (BCNVA) in groups I and II (0.79±0.05 and 0.98±0.08, respectively) at 6 months compared to the preoperative period (0.62±0.09 and 0.6±0.11, respectively).

CONCLUSION: Trifocal IOL implantation was associated with acceptable near and far vision correction and a higher frequency of adverse optical phenomena, while implantation of the EDOF IOL was associated with slightly better correction of intermediate vision and a significantly lower incidence of halo and glare. Patients were satisfied with the outcomes of surgery in all cases.

PMID:36288415 | DOI:10.17116/oftalma202213805130

Vestn Oftalmol. 2022;138(5):22-28. doi: 10.17116/oftalma202213805122.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To study features of anatomical and morphometric parameters of the structures of anterior eye segment in young patients with moderate and high hyperopia in order to identify the signs of an increased risk of developing primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) and its acute attack.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 160 eyes (80 patients) with axial length (AL) of less than 23 mm. Patients with moderate or high hyperopia were divided into two groups according to their age ranges (the 1^st – 27 patients (54 eyes) under 40 years old; the 2^nd – 27 patients (54 eyes) of 41-50 years old, the comparison group – 26 patients (52 eyes) of 42-50 years old with the initial stage of PACG. AL of the eyes, anterior chamber (AC) depth in the central zone, lens thickness (LT) in the optical zone were measured using IOL Master 700 («Carl Zeiss Meditec AG», Germany). AC volume and peripheral AC depth were measured using rotating Scheimpflug camera Pentacam («Oculus», Germany).

RESULTS: While the average values of AL in patients of the 1^st and 2^nd groups were comparable, a statistically significant decrease in AC depth and a significant increase in LT were revealed in the 2^nd group. There was a statistically significant increase in LT, a decrease in peripheral AC depth and AC volume in the comparison group relative to the 2^nd group. In the 1^st group: in 2 eyes of one 38-year-old patient the maximum proximity of all 3 indices to the median values of the group of patients with PACG was found; in 4 eyes of two other patients (35 and 38 years old), a combination of small AC volume with increased LT or small AC volume with small AC on the periphery was noted.

CONCLUSION: Significant differences in terms of LT, peripheral AC depth and AC volume were found between age-comparable (41-50 years old) healthy individuals with short eyes and patients with initial PACG. In 11% of the eyes of healthy patients with hyperopia aged 21 to 40 years, there was a combination of two or three of the studied morphometric signs, which may indicate the risk of developing PACG.

PMID:36288414 | DOI:10.17116/oftalma202213805122

PLoS Biol. 2022 Oct 26;20(10):e3001846. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001846. eCollection 2022 Oct.

ABSTRACT

Bacterial biofilms are among the most abundant multicellular structures on Earth and play essential roles in a wide range of ecological, medical, and industrial processes. However, general principles that govern the emergence of biofilm architecture across different species remain unknown. Here, we combine experiments, simulations, and statistical analysis to identify shared biophysical mechanisms that determine early biofilm architecture development at the single-cell level, for the species Vibrio cholerae, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa grown as microcolonies in flow chambers. Our data-driven analysis reveals that despite the many molecular differences between these species, the biofilm architecture differences can be described by only 2 control parameters: cellular aspect ratio and cell density. Further experiments using single-species mutants for which the cell aspect ratio and the cell density are systematically varied, and mechanistic simulations show that tuning these 2 control parameters reproduces biofilm architectures of different species. Altogether, our results show that biofilm microcolony architecture is determined by mechanical cell-cell interactions, which are conserved across different species.

PMID:36288405 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.3001846

J Med Internet Res. 2022 Oct 26;24(10):e40292. doi: 10.2196/40292.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Shared decision-making (SDM) is a process aimed at facilitating patient-centered care by ensuring that the patient and provider are actively involved in treatment decisions. In mental health care, SDM has been advocated as a means for the patient to gain or regain control and responsibility over their life and recovery process. To support the process of patient-centered care and SDM, digital tools may have advantages in terms of accessibility, structure, and reminders.

OBJECTIVE: In this randomized controlled trial, we aimed to investigate the effect of a digital tool to support patient activation and SDM.

METHODS: The trial was designed as a randomized, assessor-blinded, 2-armed, parallel-group multicenter trial investigating the use of a digital SDM intervention for 6 months compared with treatment as usual. Participants with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizotypal or delusional disorder were recruited from 9 outpatient treatment sites in the Capital Region of Denmark. The primary outcome was the self-reported level of activation at the postintervention time point. The secondary outcomes included self-efficacy, hope, working alliance, satisfaction, preparedness for treatment consultation, symptom severity, and level of functioning. Explorative outcomes on the effect of the intervention at the midintervention time point along with objective data on the use of the digital tool were collected.

RESULTS: In total, 194 participants were included. The intention-to-treat analysis revealed a statistically significant effect favoring the intervention group on patient activation (mean difference 4.39, 95% CI 0.99-7.79; Cohen d=0.33; P=.01), confidence in communicating with one’s provider (mean difference 1.85, 95% CI 0.01-3.69; Cohen d=0.24; P=.05), and feeling prepared for decision-making (mean difference 5.12, 95% CI 0.16-10.08; Cohen d=0.27; P=.04). We found no effect of the digital SDM tool on treatment satisfaction, hope, self-efficacy, working alliance, severity of symptoms, level of functioning, use of antipsychotic medicine, and number or length of psychiatric hospital admissions.

CONCLUSIONS: This trial showed a significant effect of a digital SDM tool on the subjective level of patient activation, confidence in communicating with one’s provider, and feeling prepared for decision-making at the postintervention time point. The effect size was smaller than the 0.42 effect size that we had anticipated and sampled for. The trial contributes to the evidence on how digital tools may support patient-centered care and SDM in mental health care.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03554655; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03554655.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-doi: 10.1186/s12888-019-2143-2.

PMID:36287604 | DOI:10.2196/40292