Tag: statistics

Prostaglandins Other Lipid Mediat. 2022 Apr 23:106638. doi: 10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2022.106638. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Estimates of heritability are the first step in identifying a trait with substantial variation due to genetic factors. Large-scale genetic analyses can identify the DNA variants that influence the levels of circulating lipid species and the statistical technique Mendelian randomisation can use these DNA variants to address potential causality of these lipids in disease. We estimated the heritability of plasma eicosanoids, octadecanoids and docosanoids to identify those lipid species with substantial heritability. We analysed plasma lipid mediators in 31 White British families (196 participants) ascertained for high blood pressure and deeply clinically and biochemically phenotyped over a 25-year period. We found that the dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acid (DHET) species, 11,12-DHET and 14,15-DHET, products of arachidonic acid metabolism by cytochrome P450 (CYP) monooxygenase and soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), exhibited substantial heritability (h² = 33%-37%; P_adj<0.05). Identification of these two heritable bioactive lipid species allows for future large-scale, targeted, lipidomics-genomics analyses to address causality in cardiovascular and other diseases.

PMID:35472599 | DOI:10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2022.106638

Comput Biol Chem. 2022 Apr 21;98:107685. doi: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2022.107685. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Vertebrates have very well defined nervous systems. A group of researchers hypothesize that plant also has an alternative sort of sensitive nervous system. They find a close relationship of the neurotransmission mechanism of animal with that of the plant and suspect a close relationship in amino acid transport mechanism among both the organisms. Although the protein structure is conserved more than molecular sequences, but the 3D structure of protein is largely influenced by the amino acid residues in the interior part of it. The constituents of a primary protein sequence have a variety of biochemical information which control the structure, function and stability of the protein. Hence, in this present study it is tried for characterization and comparison of neurotransmission receptors associated with human and plant to unfold the evolutionary relationships among them in bio-molecular level based on the chemical properties of the amino acids. The protein sequences of ionotropic glutamate receptor and GABA receptor of human (from vertebrate) and Arabidopsis thaliana (from plant) are considered as datasets. The 20 standard amino acids are classified into 8 chemical groups and are identified by specific numeric values. Alignment-based methods are used to identify the identical and similar amino acids among the aligned sequences.The common pattern finding procedure finds some conserved regions in the receptor protein sequences of both the species. The proximity between the protein sequences are calculated based on the distribution of each chemical group (in percentage) in them and phylogenetic trees are constructed to show the evolutionary relationships of neurotransmission receptors of both the species. The conventional multiple sequence alignment (MSA) method is also applied on the datasets and the results are compared. The analysis is further extended to structural level to understand the extent to which the animal and plant proteins are similar.

PMID:35472591 | DOI:10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2022.107685

J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2022 Apr 23:S1058-2746(22)00404-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2022.03.016. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Optimal management of a displaced midshaft clavicle fractures remains controversial. This study assessed demographic factors, fracture pattern, and surgical technique as potential predictors of surgical complications. Smoking, diabetes, obesity, polytrauma, high-energy mechanism, inpatient status, transverse or comminuted fractures, and single-plating technique were hypothesized to be associated with an increased risk of complications following clavicle fracture open reduction internal fixation (ORIF).

METHODS: Consecutive patients with minimum 12-week follow-up from the trauma and sports medicine divisions at a single tertiary institution who presented with a midshaft clavicle fracture and underwent ORIF between 2007-2020 were retrospectively identified. Patient demographics, fracture pattern, plating technique, and postoperative complications were recorded. Postoperative complications were classified into major (reoperation) and minor (no reoperation) complications. Chi-squared statistics, Fisher’s exact, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and multivariate logistic regression modeling were utilized with significance level set to p < 0.05.

RESULTS: 198 patients (average 39.5 ± 14.6 years) were identified with average follow-up of 9.1 ± 10.7 months. The cohort consisted of 155 males (78.3%), 62 smokers (31.3%), and 12 diabetics (6.1%). Injury characteristics revealed 80 transverse fractures (40.4%), 87 oblique fractures (43.9%), and 31 Z-type fractures (15.7%). Seventy-nine patients (39.9%) underwent superior plating, 72 (36.4%) anterior plating, and 47 (23.7%) dual plating. Overall, postoperative complications occurred in 47 patients (23.7%), 29 minor (14.6%) and 18 major (9.1%). Major complications requiring reoperation were symptomatic hardware, nonunion, deep infection, wound dehiscence, and broken hardware. Minor complications consisted of sensory deficit or paresthesia beyond peri-incisional numbness, superficial infections, postoperative pain and/or stiffness, and delayed union. Smoking status (p = 0.008), obesity (p = 0.009), and transverse or Z-type fractures (p = 0.002) were significant prognostic factors for overall complication risk. Only manual labor was predictive of minor complications (p = 0.019). Transverse or Z-type fractures and single plating were predictive of major complications (p = 0.004 and p = 0.008, respectively). No reoperations occurred in patients who underwent dual plating. Smokers (p = 0.027) with transverse/Z-type fractures (p = 0.022) were at highest risk of reoperation with single plating.

CONCLUSION: The overall rate of complications following ORIF of displaced midshaft clavicle fracture was 27.3%, with 9.1% requiring reoperation. Given relatively high complication rates, in instances when nonoperative versus operative management are equivocal, nonoperative management should be strongly considered in obese patients, smokers, and patients who present with transverse or Z-type fracture. If operative management is indicated, use of dual plating may decrease reoperation rates.

PMID:35472574 | DOI:10.1016/j.jse.2022.03.016

Eur J Cancer. 2022 Apr 23;168:80-90. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2022.03.007. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are rare tumours with variable clinical behaviour. Their natural history is ideally best approached in large, multicentre and multinational registries with long-term patients’ follow-up. The European Neuroendocrine Tumour Society registry aims to obtain information regarding NEN outcomes and prognostic factors in a European frame.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We collected data from 7 national NEN registries (Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Poland, Spain, Switzerland), representing 10,102 patients. Anonymised/pseudonymised data were collected in a secured server. Descriptive statistical methods were applied, as well as Kaplan-Meier survival curves and multivariable analyses for prognostic factors of overall survival (OS).

RESULTS: median age of the study population was 60 years (range: 18-102), 48% were female. Common primary tumour sites were pancreas (27%) and small intestine (21%). Stage 4 disease was found in 47% of patients, while 26/10/16% had stage 1/2/3 disease, respectively. Grading (n = 6952) was G1/2/3 in 48/37/15% of the patients, respectively. Surgery was the main treatment, provided to 71% of patients, followed by somatostatin analogues (32%), chemotherapy (20%), Peptide receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT) (9%) and targeted therapies (8%). OS at 5 years was 74%, influenced by grade, stage and tissue of origin in multivariate analysis. A Ki67 cut-off value set at 55% within the G3 group allowed to separate 2 groups with a meaningful different OS.

CONCLUSION: We report the first analysis of the European Neuroendocrine Tumour Society registry, comprising 10,102 patients with NEN from 7 European countries. This large cohort study describes prognostic factors for the survival of NENs throughout Europe, including primary tumour site, grade, stage and treatment.

PMID:35472579 | DOI:10.1016/j.ejca.2022.03.007

J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2022 Apr 23:S1058-2746(22)00403-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2022.03.015. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Small, preliminary studies and the systematic reviews on superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) that collate data are at increased risk spin. This study’s primary objective was to identify, describe, and account for the incidence of spin in systematic reviews of SCR. This study’s secondary objective was to characterize the studies in which spin was identified to determine whether identifiable patterns of characteristics exist among studies with spin.

METHODS: This study was conducted per Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines using a pre-determined protocol. A search was conducted on the PubMed and Embase databases for systematic reviews and meta-analyses on SCR. Screening and data extraction were conducted independently by 2 authors. Each included study’s abstract was assessed for the presence of the 15 most common types of spin, with full texts reviewed during cases of disagreement or for clarification. General data that was extracted included study title, authors, publication year, journal, level of evidence, study design, funding source, reported adherence to PRISMA guidelines, pre-registration of the study protocol, and primary and secondary outcomes measures. Full texts were used in the assessment of study quality per AMSTAR 2.

RESULTS: We identified 53 studies during our search, of which 17 met the inclusion criteria. At least one form of spin was observed in all 17 studies. The most common types of spin were type 5 (“The conclusion claims the beneficial effect of the experimental treatment despite a high risk of bias in primary studies”) and type 9 (“Conclusion claims the beneficial effect of the experimental treatment despite reporting bias”), both of which were observed in 11 studies (11/17, 65%). A statistically significant association between lower level of evidence and type 5 (“The conclusion claims the beneficial effect of the experimental treatment despite a high risk of bias in primary studies”) was observed (p = 0.0175). A statistically significant association was also found between more recent year of publication and the spin category Misleading Interpretation (p = 0.0398), and between lower AMSTAR-2 score and type 13 (“Failure to specify the direction of the effect when it favors the control intervention”) (p = 0.0260). No other statistically associations between other study characteristics were observed.

CONCLUSION: Spin is highly prevalent in abstracts of SCR systematic reviews and meta-analyses. An association was found between the presence of spin and lower level of evidence, year of publication, and AMSTAR-2 ratings.

PMID:35472573 | DOI:10.1016/j.jse.2022.03.015

Psychiatr Pol. 2021 Dec 31;55(6):1341-1356. doi: 10.12740/PP/126445. Epub 2021 Dec 31.

ABSTRACT

According to theWorld Health Organization (WHO), 4.3% of the global population exhibits symptoms of depression. In Poland, 1.5 million people suffer from this illness. Treatment of depression generates significant costs calculated in billions of zlotys. According to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Health Problems, depression is characterized by: reduced mood, reduced psychomotor drive, loss of interest (axial symptoms), as well as low self-esteem, pessimistic attitude, weakness of concentration, sleep disorders, and loss of appetite (additional symptoms). The aim of this research was to review and evaluate studies on the impact of sport climbing as a complementary form of treatment on reducing depressive symptoms. This is the first literature review undertaking a collective assessment of studies on this subject. The appropriate studies were selected in a three-stage process. PubMed, ResearchGate and Google Scholar databases were searched. Finally, 4 studies were qualified for the review and then assessed using the QUADAS-2 tool developed by Bristol Medical School: Population Health Sciences. Analysis of the research gives grounds to consider introducing an additional form of treatment for depression in the form of boulder climbing. The evaluation according to the QUADAS – 2 questionnaire indicates a low possibility of making mistakes in all assessed works.

PMID:35472231 | DOI:10.12740/PP/126445

PLoS Med. 2022 Apr 26;19(4):e1003972. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003972. eCollection 2022 Apr.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Both genetic and lifestyle factors contribute to the risk of type 2 diabetes, but the extent to which there is a synergistic effect of the 2 factors is unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the joint associations of genetic risk and diet quality with incident type 2 diabetes.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: We analyzed data from 35,759 men and women in the United States participating in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) I (1986 to 2016) and II (1991 to 2017) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS; 1986 to 2016) with available genetic data and who did not have diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer at baseline. Genetic risk was characterized using both a global polygenic score capturing overall genetic risk and pathway-specific polygenic scores denoting distinct pathophysiological mechanisms. Diet quality was assessed using the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI). Cox models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for type 2 diabetes after adjusting for potential confounders. With over 902,386 person-years of follow-up, 4,433 participants were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The relative risk of type 2 diabetes was 1.29 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25, 1.32; P < 0.001) per standard deviation (SD) increase in global polygenic score and 1.13 (1.09, 1.17; P < 0.001) per 10-unit decrease in AHEI. Irrespective of genetic risk, low diet quality, as compared to high diet quality, was associated with approximately 30% increased risk of type 2 diabetes (Pinteraction = 0.69). The joint association of low diet quality and increased genetic risk was similar to the sum of the risk associated with each factor alone (Pinteraction = 0.30). Limitations of this study include the self-report of diet information and possible bias resulting from inclusion of highly educated participants with available genetic data.

CONCLUSIONS: These data provide evidence for the independent associations of genetic risk and diet quality with incident type 2 diabetes and suggest that a healthy diet is associated with lower diabetes risk across all levels of genetic risk.

PMID:35472203 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003972

Int J Epidemiol. 2022 Apr 26:dyac082. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyac082. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although a number of studies have reported on the health effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure, particularly in North American and European countries as well as China, the evidence about intermediate to high levels of PM2.5 exposures is still limited. We aimed to investigate the associations between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and risk of cardiopulmonary disease incidence in Taiwan with intermediate levels of PM2.5 exposure.

METHODS: A cohort of Taiwanese adults, who participated in the 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2013 National Health Interview Surveys, was followed through 2016 to identify cardiopulmonary disease onset. Exposure to PM2.5 was estimated by incorporating a widespread monitoring network of air quality monitoring stations and microsensors. We used time-dependent Cox regression models to examine the associations between the PM2.5 exposures and health outcomes, adjusting for individual characteristics and ecological covariates. The natural cubic spline functions were used to explore the non-linear effects of the PM2.5 exposure.

RESULTS: A total of 62 694 adults from 353 towns were enrolled. Each 10-μg/m3 increase in 5-year average exposure to PM2.5 was associated with a 4.8% increased risk of incident ischaemic heart disease (95% CI: -3.3, 13.6), 3.9% increased risk of incident stroke (95% CI: -2.9, 11.1), 6.7% increased risk of incident diabetes (95% CI: 1.1, 12.7), 15.7% increased risk of incident lung cancer (95% CI: -0.9, 35.1) and 11.5% increased risk of incident chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (95% CI: -0.8, 25.2). The concentration-response curve showed that there was no statistical evidence of non-linearity for most of the disease outcomes except for ischaemic heart disease (P for non-linearity = 0.014).

CONCLUSIONS: Long-term exposure to intermediate levels of ambient PM2.5 was associated with cardiopulmonary health outcomes. Our study adds value to future application and national burden of disease estimation in evaluating the health co-benefits from ambient air pollution reduction policy in Asian countries.

PMID:35472171 | DOI:10.1093/ije/dyac082

Int J Periodontics Restorative Dent. 2022 May-Jun;42(3):e75-e83. doi: 10.11607/prd.5528.

ABSTRACT

In this prospective pilot study on ridge preservation (RP), a collagen sponge was placed to fill the bottom half of the socket, followed by a sequence of bone graft, collagen membrane, and a sponge placed on top. Twelve patients with 13 hopeless posterior teeth were included. Changes in bone dimension (including variations of horizontal ridge width [HRW] and bone height [BH]) between the time immediately postextraction (T₀) and 6 months later (T_6M) were evaluated through CBCT. The soft tissue was assessed using a wound healing index (WHI) at 2 weeks (T_2W), 2 months (T_2M), and 6 months (T_6M) postsurgery. Measured at three parallel levels (1, 3, and 5 mm apical to the crest of the palatal plate), the mean HRW changes (T₀ to T_6M) ranged from 0.47 to 1.05 mm. Statistically significant negative correlations were observed between WHI (T_6M) and midcrestal BH change. This proposed RP technique showed favorable outcomes regarding HRW and BH, even in periodontally compromised dehiscence sockets.

PMID:35472116 | DOI:10.11607/prd.5528

PLoS One. 2022 Apr 26;17(4):e0266054. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266054. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Hyperemesis gravidarum is severe nausea and excessive vomiting, starting between 4 and 6 gestational weeks, peak at between 8 and 12 weeks and usually improve and subside by 20 weeks of pregnancy. Identifying the determinants of hyperemesis gravidarum has a particular importance for early detection and intervention to reduce the health, psychosocial and economic impact. In Ethiopia there is low information on determinants of hyperemesis gravidarum.

METHODS: Institution based unmatched case-control study design was conducted from April 12- June 12, 2021. A structured face-to-face interviewer administered questionnaire and checklist for document review were used to collect the data from 360 study participants (120 cases and 240 controls). The data were collected by KoBocollect 1.3, and then exported to statistical package for social science version 25 for further analysis. Both bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were done to identify the determinants and a p-value < 0.05 with a 95% confidence level was used to declare statistical significance.

RESULT: Being an urban dweller (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.01, 4.34), having polygamous husband (AOR = 2.92, 95% CI: 1.27, 6.68), having history asthma/ other respiratory tract infections (AOR = 3.56, 95% CI: 1.43, 8.82), saturated fat intake (AOR = 4.06 95% CI: 1.98, 8.3), no intake of ginger (AOR = 3.04 95% CI: 1.14, 8.09), and inadequate intake of vitamin B rich foods (2.2, 95% CI: 1.14-4.2) were the determinants of hyperemesis gravidarum.

CONCLUSION: This study revealed that, urban residence, having polygamous husband, history of asthma/other respiratory tract infections, intake of saturated fat, no intake of ginger, inadequate intake of vitamin B reach foods were found to be independent determinants of hyperemesis gravidarum. It is better if healthcare providers and government authorities exert continual effort to give health education and counselling service concerning to dietary practice and asthma attacks. It is advisable if pregnant women adhere to healthy diets and limit intake of saturated fats and also husband and nearby relatives give care and support for pregnant women.

PMID:35472152 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0266054