Tag: statistics

Huan Jing Ke Xue. 2022 Aug 8;43(8):4042-4053. doi: 10.13227/j.hjkx.202110065.

ABSTRACT

Based on the measured water quality data of Huangyuan County, Huzhu Tu Autonomous County, and Minhe Hui Tu Autonomous County in Hehuang Valley of Qinghai province in the normal and wet seasons, the effects of land use and land cover patterns on regional seasonal water quality were analyzed using remote sensing technology and mathematical statistics. The results showed that:① the concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus in the surface water of Hehuang Valley were high. Water pollution areas (Class Ⅳ and Ⅴ) were mainly concentrated in the lower reaches of the river and the junction of tributaries. ② The explanation rate of land use to water quality in the normal season was higher than that in the wet season. The optimal scale was the 200 m buffer scale in the normal season, and farmland and towns were the main influencing factors. The optimal scale in the wet season was the 5 km buffer scale, and the main influencing factor was the forest. ③ In the normal season, the proportion of farmland was positively correlated with the concentration of total nitrogen and permanganate index but negatively correlated with the concentration of total phosphorus. The proportion of town area was positively correlated with the water quality index. The proportion of grassland area in the wet season was positively correlated with the permanganate index. The proportion of forestland area was negatively correlated with water quality index in both periods. Farmland, grassland, and town areas were the “source” landscape of pollutants, but farmland also played a role in intercepting pollutants to a certain extent. Forest land was the “sink” landscape of pollutants. ④ The pattern of forestland in the 200 m buffer zone in the normal season had a high explanatory rate for water quality, and the largest patch index (LPI) and patch density (PD) were the main factors. The study showed that it is an important measure to purify the surface water quality of Hehuang Valley by rationally planning the proportion of residential land and cultivated land and improving the coverage rate and aggregation degree of forestland around the riparian zone.

PMID:35971702 | DOI:10.13227/j.hjkx.202110065

Huan Jing Ke Xue. 2022 Aug 8;43(8):4008-4017. doi: 10.13227/j.hjkx.202111172.

ABSTRACT

As sediment is an essential component of rivers, the enrichment of heavy metals in sediment presents a serious threat to the aquatic environment. Many industrial cities are located along the Yellow River, and heavy metal pollution is a prominent problem in these areas. Thus, the study of heavy metal pollution in sediments of the Yellow River basin is of vital significance to the safety of the Yellow River basin ecosystem. In this study, we collected data on the concentrations of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, As, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Hg) in the sediments of the Yellow River basin from 2000 to 2020. We first analyzed the spatial distribution characteristics of heavy metals based on descriptive statistics and geostatistics and then used the Monte Carlo method to evaluate the probability of the ground accumulation index(I_geo), potential ecological risk, and toxicity units. Finally, the number of pollution sources and their contribution rates were determined by combining the positive definite matrix factor (PMF) decomposition model and Pearson correlation analysis. It was found that the mean values of ω(Pb), ω(As), ω(Zn), ω(Ni), ω(Cu), ω(Hg), ω(Cr), and ω(Cd) in the Yellow River basin sediments were 26.92, 11.78, 87.17, 31.13, 24.96, 0.07, 73.36, and 0.58 mg·kg^-1, which exceeded the mean soil background values in the Yellow River basin provinces by 1.27, 1.08, 1.26, 1.05, 1.09, 2.32, 1.14, and 5.95 times, respectively, among which Cd exceeded the standard by the largest factor and should be taken seriously. The I_geo was ranked as Cd>Hg>Cr>Cu>Pb>Zn>As>Ni, and Cd and Hg showed medium-severe pollution. The proportions of heavy ecological risk in sediments in the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the Yellow River basin were 18.6%, 15.7%, and 7.1%, respectively, with a decreasing trend. Heavy metals in the sediments of the Yellow River basin were in a low-toxicity state. The PMF-Pearson correlation analysis showed that the four sources of heavy metals in the Yellow River basin sediments were mining sources (42.2%), natural activities (38.3%), agricultural activities (11.6%), and electroplating wastewater (7.9%). The results of this study can provide a basis for developing relevant pollution prevention and control measures in the Yellow River basin.

PMID:35971699 | DOI:10.13227/j.hjkx.202111172

Huan Jing Ke Xue. 2022 Aug 8;43(8):3966-3976. doi: 10.13227/j.hjkx.202111145.

ABSTRACT

The ozone concentration characteristics of 13 cities in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regions from 2016 to 2020 were analyzed based on ecological environment monitoring and meteorological observation data. The influence of meteorological elements such as daily maximum temperature (T_max), daily average ground pressure (p), daily average ground relative humidity (RH), and daily average ground wind speed (v) on ozone concentration[ρ(O₃-8h)] and the exceeding standard rate of O₃-8h were discussed. The AQI, ozone concentration range, and ozone pollution level forecast accuracy rates were evaluated using the neural network statistical model. The results showed that the concentrations of O₃-8h-90per[ρ(O₃-8h-90per)] of 13 cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region from 2016 to 2020 were 157.4, 177.2, 177.3, 190.6, and 175.6 μg·m^-3, respectively. The regional ozone concentration increased by 11.6% over the five years from 2016 to 2019. From 2016 to 2019, there was an overall upward trend in volatility, followed by a decline in 2020. Compared with that in 2016, the concentration of O₃-8h-90per in the other 10 cities increased by 6-45.5 μg·m^-3, except for in Beijing, Zhangjiakou, and Chengde, where it decreased slightly. The average value of ρ(O₃-8h) from April to September was higher than 100 μg·m^-3, and the highest monthly average concentration of O₃-8h was 158.10 μg·m^-3 in June. The range of the over standard rate of O₃-8h was 8.6%-19.2% in the 13 cities, and 97.8% of ozone concentrations exceeded the standard in the period from April to September. At the regional scale, the concentration of O₃-8h had the strongest correlation with the daily maximum temperature. Furthermore, when T_max was in the range of 25-28℃, the concentration of O₃-8h in the 13 cities began to exceed the standard concentration of 160 μg·m^-3. Additionally, the concentration of O₃-8h negatively correlated with p. When RH was below 60%, ozone concentration increased slowly with relative humidity in most cities. When RH was above 61%-70%, ozone concentration decreased with the increase in daily relative humidity in most cities. When ozone exceeded the standard concentration of 160 μg·m^-3, the dominant wind was mainly southerly wind, and the high ozone concentration in most cities tended to be concentrated in the low wind speed range of 2-3 m·s^-1 and below. Moreover, the correlation coefficient range of the statistical model of OPAQ 1-9 days in advance was 0.72-0.86, the average accuracy of AQI level forecasts was 67%-86%, and the average accuracy of O₃-8h concentration forecasts was 63%-84%. In April to September, when ozone exceeded the standard of 160 μg·m^-3, the accuracy rates of the model forecast of light ozone pollution and ozone exceeding the standard concentration of 160 μg·m^-3three days in advance were 69% and 66%, which can provide a reference for the management and control of ozone pollution.

PMID:35971695 | DOI:10.13227/j.hjkx.202111145

Cancer Res. 2022 Aug 16;82(16):2821-2823. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-22-2124.

ABSTRACT

In 1988, Blot and colleagues reported results from a U.S. case-control study of oral cavity or pharyngeal (oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal) cancers, with results showing independent associations of smoking and alcohol with increased risk, multiplicative interaction effects between smoking and alcohol, and that nearly three-quarters of these cancers are attributable to smoking and alcohol. The report by Blot and colleagues represents a landmark in oropharyngeal cancer epidemiology. This study, the largest at the time, introduced several novel concepts in oropharyngeal cancer epidemiology that remain relevant today-etiologic heterogeneity, statistical interaction effects, adjusted attributable fractions, and disparities by sex and race/ethnicity. Perhaps the most significant recognition in the field since 1988 is the etiologic association of human papillomavirus (HPV, primarily HPV16) with cancers arising in the oropharynx. Today, more than 80% of oropharyngeal cancers in the United States are caused by HPV while only approximately 3% of oral cavity cancers are caused by HPV. This etiologic heterogeneity across head and cancer subsites revealed by HPV is manifest at the genetic/genomic, epidemiologic, and clinical levels. Tobacco and alcohol remain the major etiologic factors for oral cavity cancers while HPV is the major cause of oropharyngeal cancers. Thus, tobacco and alcohol control and prophylactic HPV vaccination remain the most promising prevention tools for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers at this time. Importantly, the ever-emerging alternative tobacco products, such as smokeless tobacco/snus, hookah and water pipes, e-cigarettes, flavored cigars and cigarillos, and oral dissolvable products, represent a key public health concern and the carcinogenic effects of these products remains an active area of investigation. See related article by Blot and colleagues, Cancer Res 1988;48:3282-7.

PMID:35971675 | DOI:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-22-2124

J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2022 Aug 16:19322968221116384. doi: 10.1177/19322968221116384. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: A smartphone-based automated insulin delivery (AID) controller device can facilitate use of interoperable components and acceptance in adolescents and children.

METHODS: Pediatric participants (N = 20, 8F) with type 1 diabetes were enrolled in three sequential age-based cohorts: adolescents (12-<18 years, n = 8, 5F), school-age (8-<12 years, n = 7, 2F), and young children (2-<8 years, n = 5, 1F). Participants used the interoperable artificial pancreas system (iAPS) and zone model predictive control (MPC) on an unlocked smartphone for 48 hours, consumed unrestricted meals of their choice, and engaged in various unannounced exercises. Primary outcomes and stopping criteria were defined using fingerstick blood glucose (BG) data; secondary outcomes compared continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data with preceding sensor augmented pump (SAP) therapy.

RESULTS: During AID, there was no more than one BG <50 mg/dL except in one young child participant; no instance of more than two episodes of BG ≥300 mg/dL lasting longer than 2 hours; and no adverse events. Despite large meals (total of 404.9 grams of carbs) and unannounced exercise (total of 182 minutes), overall CGM percent time in range (TIR) of 70 to 180 mg/dL during AID was statistically similar to SAP (63.5% vs 57.3%, respectively, P = .145). Overnight glucose standard deviation was 43 mg/dL (vs SAP 57.9 mg/dL, P = .009) and coefficient of variation was 25.7% (vs SAP 34.9%, P < .001). The percent time in closed-loop mode and connected to the CGM was 92.7% and 99.6%, respectively. Surveys indicated that participants and parents/guardians were satisfied with the system.

CONCLUSIONS: The smartphone-based AID was feasible and safe in sequentially younger cohorts of adolescents and children.

CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT04255381 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04255381).

PMID:35971681 | DOI:10.1177/19322968221116384

Br J Haematol. 2022 Aug 15. doi: 10.1111/bjh.18431. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Lung damage caused by SARS-Cov-2 virus results in marked arterial hypoxia, accompanied in many cases by hypocapnia. The literature is inconclusive as to whether these conditions induce alteration of the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen. We studied the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curves (ODCs) of 517 patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for whom arterial blood gas analysis (BGA) was performed upon hospitalization, i.e. before treatment. With respect to a conventional normal p50 (pO₂ at 50% saturation of haemoglobin) of 27 mmHg, 76% had a lower standardized p50 (p50s) and 85% a lower “in vivo” p50 (p50i). In a 33-patient subgroup with follow-up BGAs after 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 days’ treatment, p50s and p50i exhibited statistically significant differences between baseline values and values recorded at all these time points. The 30-day Kaplan-Meier survival curves of COVID-19 patients stratified by p50i level show a higher probability of survival among patients who at admission had p50 values below 27 mmHg (P = 0.012). Whether the observed alteration of the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen in COVID-19 patients is a direct or indirect effect of the virus on haemoglobin is unknown.

PMID:35971642 | DOI:10.1111/bjh.18431

Thorac Cancer. 2022 Aug 15. doi: 10.1111/1759-7714.14531. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The monoclonal antibody durvalumab, an immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) antiprogrammed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), is available for unresectable stage III NSCLC patients as consolidation therapy following induction chemoradiotherapy, with very promising overall survival (OS) and progression-free survial (PFS) results in registration trials. The purpose of this study was to provide policymakers with an estimate of the cost-effectiveness of durvalumab in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS: The study developed a Markov model covering a 5-year period to compare costs and outcomes of treating PD-L1 positive patients with or without durvalumab. We conducted a series of sensitivity analyses (Tornado analysis and Monte Carlo simulation) by varying some parameters to assess the robustness of our model and identify the parameters with the greatest impact on cost-effectiveness.

RESULTS: Prior to the release of durvalumab, the management of NSCLC over a 5-year period cost €33 317 per patient, with an average life expectancy of 2.01 years. After the introduction of the drug, this increased to €37 317 per patient, with an average life expectancy of 2.13 years. Treatment with durvalumab led to an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of €35 526 per year. OS is the variable that contributes the most to the variability of the ICER.

CONCLUSIONS: The study observed that durvalumab is a cost-effective treatment option for patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC.

PMID:35971638 | DOI:10.1111/1759-7714.14531

Clin Shoulder Elb. 2022 Jul 22. doi: 10.5397/cise.2022.00871. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Most acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) injuries are caused by direct trauma to the shoulders, and various methods and techniques are used to treat them; however, none of the options can be considered the gold standard. This study examines the horizontal stability of the ACJ after a complete dislocation was repaired using one of two Ethibond suture techniques, the loop technique and the two holes in the clavicle technique.

METHODS: In this single-blind, randomized clinical trial, 104 patients diagnosed with complete ACJ dislocation type V were treated using Ethibond sutures with either the loop technique or the two holes in the clavicle technique. Horizontal changes in the ACJ were radiographically assessed in the lateral axial view, and shoulder function was evaluated by the Constant (CS) and Taft (TS) scores at intervals of 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery.

RESULTS: The horizontal stability of the ACJ was better with the two-hole technique than the loop technique at all measurement times. CS and TS changes showed a significant upward trend over time with both techniques. The mean CS and TS at the final visit were 95.2 and 11.6 with the loop technique and 94 and 11.9 with the two-hole technique, respectively. The incidence of superficial infections caused by the subcutaneous pins was the same in the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Due to the improved ACJ stability with the two-hole technique, it appears to be a more suitable option than the loop technique for AC joint reduction.

PMID:35971605 | DOI:10.5397/cise.2022.00871

Clin Transl Sci. 2022 Aug 15. doi: 10.1111/cts.13377. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This phase Ib study compared the effects of AZD9977, a selective mineralocorticoid receptor modulator with predicted low hyperkalemia risk, with spironolactone on serum potassium (sK⁺ ) in patients with heart failure (HF) with preserved or mildly reduced EF (≥ 40%), and renal impairment. HF patients with EF ≥ 40% and estimated glomerular filtration rate of 40-70 mL/min/1.73 m² were randomized to once-daily AZD9977 100 mg or spironolactone 25 mg for 14 days, up-titrated to AZD9977 200 mg or spironolactone 50 mg for another 14 days. Primary endpoint was relative change (%) in sK⁺ for AZD9977 versus spironolactone (baseline to Day 28). Serum/urinary electrolytes, fractional excretion (FE) of Na⁺ /K⁺ , plasma aldosterone, cortisol and renin, and safety were also assessed. Sixty-eight patients were randomized (AZD9977, n = 33; spironolactone, n = 35). Mean (SD) age was 73.0 (8.5) years, 51.5% male. Mean sK⁺ change from baseline to Day 28 was 5.7% (AZD9977) and 4.2% (spironolactone), and 1.5% and 4.2% at Day 14. Relative change (95% CI) in sK⁺ with AZD9977 versus spironolactone was -0.3% (-5.3% – 4.4%; Day 28), and 3.4% (-0.8% – 7.5%; Day 14). Median increase from baseline in plasma aldosterone at Day 28 was 89.8 pmol/L for AZD9977 and 67.4 pmol/L for spironolactone. Median FE of K⁺ was 12.9% (AZD9977) and 10.1% (spironolactone). AZD9977 was well tolerated. No discontinuations due to hyperkalemia occurred with either treatment. Evidence of target engagement for AZD9977 with a favorable safety profile, supports further evaluation of AZD9977 in patients with HF and renal impairment.

PMID:35971596 | DOI:10.1111/cts.13377

Health Inf Manag. 2022 Aug 15:18333583221115898. doi: 10.1177/18333583221115898. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The professional identity and motivation of qualified health information managers (HIMs) is largely unexplored.

OBJECTIVES: A larger study has investigated the motivators of HIMs in the construction of their professional identity and associated relationships to job satisfaction and engagement with their profession. The aims of this component of the study were to: (i) identify and analyse the characteristics of members of the profession who have different motivation profiles; (ii) obtain HIMs’ perspectives on their professional identity; and (iii) measure correlation between HIMs’ professional identity and different motivating factors. Method: A cross-sectional study design, with a convergent mixed-methods approach to data collection was employed. An online survey was administered to the 1985, 1995, 2005 and 2015 Australian health information management and medical record administration graduate cohorts from one university in Victoria.

RESULTS: Response rate: 72.7% (n = 72). There were no statistically significant correlations between the HIMs’ motivation profile and professional identity. The HIMs were largely motivated by a need for achievement (striving for excellence) and continuous improvement; maintained high standards of work quality (95.8%); valued their work (94.4%) and work collaborations (84.7%); satisfactorily applied skills-knowledge (94%); demonstrated a very strong professional association (92% were proud to belong to the profession). Key factors in motivation that were consistently reported by members of all cohorts in the open-ended questions were as follows: intrinsic motivation; colleagues and teamwork; the variety of work performed; and contribution to the bigger picture. Overall, and notwithstanding between-cohort differences: 65.3% confidently directed others, 45.8% aspired to leadership and 38% actively networked. They related difficulty in explaining the profession to outsiders.

CONCLUSION: There was no correlation between motivation profile and professional identity. Significantly, the HIMs demonstrated exceptionally strong positive professional identity, reflected particularly in pride in membership of the profession and their belief in the importance of their professional work.

PMID:35971595 | DOI:10.1177/18333583221115898