Tag: statistics

Methods Mol Biol. 2022;2390:1-59. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1787-8_1.

ABSTRACT

Artificial intelligence (AI) has undergone rapid development in recent years and has been successfully applied to real-world problems such as drug design. In this chapter, we review recent applications of AI to problems in drug design including virtual screening, computer-aided synthesis planning, and de novo molecule generation, with a focus on the limitations of the application of AI therein and opportunities for improvement. Furthermore, we discuss the broader challenges imposed by AI in translating theoretical practice to real-world drug design; including quantifying prediction uncertainty and explaining model behavior.

PMID:34731463 | DOI:10.1007/978-1-0716-1787-8_1

Psychon Bull Rev. 2021 Nov 3. doi: 10.3758/s13423-021-02018-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

When making risky choices, people often fall short of the norm of expected value (EV) maximization. Previous research has shown that presenting options in the Open Sampling (OSa) format, a 10-by-10 matrix of randomly arranged outcomes, can improve choices and reduce decision times. First, the current research aims to replicate and extend the findings on the OSa format. To this end, we compare OSa to the common description-based format as well as further graphical representations, and investigate the resulting accordance with EV maximization and decision time. Second, we study whether people lower (vs. higher) in numeracy, the ability to use probabilistic and mathematical concepts, particularly benefit from a graphical representation of options. We conducted five high-powered studies (total N = 1,575) in which participants chose repeatedly between two risky gambles, using different populations and gamble-problem sets. Overall, we could not find a benefit of the OSa format in terms of EV accordance in any of the five studies. However, three studies also tested a novel variant of the OSa format with grouped outcomes and found that it consistently improved EV accordance compared with all other formats. All graphical formats led to faster decisions without harming decision quality. The effects of presentation format were not moderated by numeracy in three of the four studies that assessed numeracy. In conclusion, our research introduces a new presentation format which consistently improves risky choices and can also be used to communicate risks in applied contexts such as medical decision making.

PMID:34731442 | DOI:10.3758/s13423-021-02018-4

Eat Weight Disord. 2021 Nov 3. doi: 10.1007/s40519-021-01323-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Current study aimed to empirically test the Hemmingsson’s theoretical model of childhood obesity which emphasizing the importance of family environment and the emotional distress of parents as influential variables in the emotional distress of the child and subsequent weight gain. This study also tested the hypothesis that the emotional distress of the child triggers a weight gain-inducing behavior (loss of control eating) to suppress negative emotions.

METHODS: Families of 220 Spanish children participated in the study (28.2% normal, 35.1% overweight and 32.2% obesity), aged between 8 and 12. The evaluation included a clinical interview and a battery of questionnaires.

RESULTS: Structural equation models were computed according to the steps proposed by theoretical model. Fit indices were acceptable suggesting that the data adequately fit the hypothesized model. Path coefficients in the final model were statistically significant showing a relationship between socioeconomic status, the emotional distress of parents, family environment, the emotional distress of children, loss of control eating and child’s BMI Z-score.

CONCLUSION: Considering this relation between emotional distress and child weight status, childhood obesity intervention programs may benefit from targeting family environment and the potential role that food is playing in the regulation of children’s distress.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III: Cohort analytic study.

PMID:34731454 | DOI:10.1007/s40519-021-01323-0

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Nov 3. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-17301-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional disorder detrimental to the behavior, cognitive performance, immune system, and physical growth of infants and preschool- and school-age children. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) increases children’s susceptibility to some metals, including the highly toxic lead (Pb), but the character of this relationship is still disputed. Thus, this study aimed to review and meta-analyze the association between the IDA and blood lead levels (BLL) among children, based on papers indexed by international scientific databases and published up to September 2021. A search was performed of the literature in several databases including the ISI Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus. The final papers were assessed concerning their quality based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for cross-sectional studies. Moreover, analyses were performed using R statistical software with the “meta” package. Of the 1528 articles found, only 12 studies met the inclusion criteria and were considered in the meta-analysis. Significantly higher BLL in IDA children (SMD = 2.40; CI 95%, 0.93-3.87 µg/L; p = 0.0014) was seen when compared to non-IDA children. Moreover, the pooled OR is equal to 2.75 (CI 95%, 1.10-6.85 µg/L; p = 0.0303) suggesting a higher risk of IDA development among children with BLL > 10 µg/dL. Thus, we recommend systematic monitoring of Fe and Pb levels among children, especially in countries with limited sources of nutritious food. Since only a few studies were available for this meta-analysis, further studies are necessary to examine the association between IDA and BLL in detail.

PMID:34731423 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-021-17301-z

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Nov 3. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-17175-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The current discourse addresses fiscal issues, financial decentralization, and environmental quality and significantly affects economic development and sustainability. This investigation aims to address the research gap in fiscal decentralization and haze pollution for innovation and sustainable growth. This study uses the annual data of 270 Chinese cities from 2007 to 2016 for comprehensive analysis and employs spatial regression methods. The key findings imply that haze pollution in neighbouring cities causes further ecological issues. While the environmental regulations of China tend to have negative impacts on pollution, fiscal decentralization was found to be a key contributor to environmental pollution in Chinese cities. Overall, the study supports the validity of the pollution refuge hypothesis in China. Lastly, the conclusions allow us to conclude that China might need micro-level reforms regarding fiscal decentralization, environmental tax laws, and encouragement of cleaner production technologies.

PMID:34731424 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-021-17175-1

J Thromb Thrombolysis. 2021 Nov 3. doi: 10.1007/s11239-021-02595-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Rivaroxaban, as a novel oral anticoagulant agent, emerged in thrombosis management. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of once-daily rivaroxaban versus dose-adjusted warfarin for cerebral venous thrombosis treatment in a real-world clinical setting. This is a prospective cohort study based on the real-world clinical data analysis of the patients with imaging-confirmed CVT enrolled from August 2016 through January 2020 and their outcomes were followed up. Patients were grouped according to their treatment strategies: rivaroxaban (15-20 mg daily) or warfarin (dosage-adjusted according to international normalized ratio), which were matched 1:2 on the propensity score. The primary efficacy outcome was recanalization assessed by magnetic resonance venography. Thrombus burden, CVT recurrence and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) were also compared. The safety outcome was major bleeding. Baseline characteristics were well balanced between the 33 patients in rivaroxaban group and 49 in warfarin group after propensity score matching. During 6-month (median) follow-up, 29 patients (87.9%) in rivaroxaban group and 38 patients (77.6%) in warfarin group obtained recanalization (OR, 1.44; 95% CI 0.63-3.30). The thrombus reduction at the 6-month follow-up did not reach statistical difference (p = 0.118). No CVT recurrence was observed in both groups. All patients in rivaroxaban group obtained favorable functional outcomes (mRS = 0-2), whereas in warfarin group, 1 patient remained physically disable (mRS = 3) at the follow-up. No major bleeding events occurred in two groups. Rivaroxaban might have the same or stronger efficacy in facilitating CVT recanalization and preventing CVT recurrence with a lower incidence of bleeding than that of warfarin in Chinese population.

PMID:34731403 | DOI:10.1007/s11239-021-02595-0

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Nov 3. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-17072-7. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Freshwater biofilms have been increasingly used during the last decade in ecotoxicology due to their ecological relevance to assess the effect(s) of environmental stress at the community level. Despite growing knowledge about the effect of various stressors on the structure and the function of these microbial communities, a strong research effort is still required to better understand their response to chemical stress and the influence of environmental stressors in this response. To tackle this challenge, untargeted metabolomics is an approach of choice because of its capacity to give an integrative picture of the exposure to multiple stress and associated effect as well as identifying the molecular pathways involved in these responses. In this context, the present study aimed to explore the use of an untargeted metabolomics approach to unravel at the molecular/biochemical level the response of the whole biofilm to chemical stress and the influence of various environmental factors in this response. To this end, archived high-resolution mass spectrometry data from previous experiments at our laboratory on the effect of the model photosynthesis inhibitor diuron on freshwater biofilm were investigated by using innovative solutions for OMICs data (e.g., DRomics) and more usual chemometric approaches (multivariate and univariate statistical analyses). The results showed a faster (1 min) and more sensitive response of the metabolome to diuron than usual functional descriptors, including photosynthesis. Also, the metabolomics response to diuron resulted from metabolites following various trends (increasing, decreasing, U/bell shape) along increasing concentration and time. This metabolomics response was influenced by the temperature, photoperiod, and flow. A focus on a plant-specific omega-3 (eicosapentaenoic acid) playing a key role in the trophic chain highlighted the potential relevance of metabolomics approach to establish the link between molecular alteration and ecosystem structure/functioning impairment but also how complex is the response and the influence of all the tested factors on this response at the metabolomics level. Altogether, our results underline that more fundamental researches are needed to decipher the metabolomics response of freshwater biofilm to chemical stress and its link with physiological, structural, and functional responses toward the unraveling of adverse outcome pathways (AOP) for key ecosystem functions (e.g., primary production).

PMID:34731421 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-021-17072-7

AMB Express. 2021 Nov 3;11(1):147. doi: 10.1186/s13568-021-01310-9.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to determine the mutations associated with clarithromycin resistance in Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from biopsy samples that were collected from the endoscopic ward of Shahrekord Hajar teaching Hospital and also to study the frequency of virulence factor and their correlation and pathological findings with clarithromycin resistance during the years 2019-2020. In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 152 patients with Helicobacter pylori infection were considered, and then, two common A2142G and A2143G mutations in the 23SrRNA gene associated with resistance were analyzed by Real-time PCR (Taq man). The presence of vacA, iceA1, iceA2, cagA, babA2, and oipA virulence genes was investigated by PCR and electrophoresis in 8% polyacrylamide gel. Then, data were analyzed using the relevant statistical tests. In this study, the frequency of Helicobacter pylori was 76% and the frequency of mutant isolates was 57.2%. The frequencies of A2142G and A2143G point mutations were 42.1% and 28.3%. There was a significant correlation among oipA, vacA, and iceA1 virulence factors, type of disease, chronic inflammatory score, and glandular atrophy with the antibiotic resistance to clarithromycin. There was no significant correlation between the age and sex of the patients with antibiotic resistance. According to the results of this study, it seems that the use of clarithromycin to combat this bacterium should be limited.

PMID:34731345 | DOI:10.1186/s13568-021-01310-9

J Med Syst. 2021 Nov 3;45(12):106. doi: 10.1007/s10916-021-01787-8.

ABSTRACT

Microsurgical skills of trainee surgeons have been subjectively evaluated due to the lack of technological tools. The objective of this investigation is to present the construct validity of the mitracks3D, which is a system designed to help in the objective evaluation of microsurgery trainees. To achieve this, a stereoscopic vision system records the 3D motion of two tweezers manipulated by surgeons during microsurgery training. Using motion analysis parameters (MAPs), quantitative information about their microsurgical skills and performance is obtained. For validation, 14 participants were enrolled and divided into two groups: expert microsurgeons (3 female, 2 male) and trainee surgeons (4 female, 5 male). The 3D motion tracking was acquired while the surgeons practiced with two training models: transferring objects and suture. Twelve MAPs were used to objective assessment the skill levels of each participant. Subsequent, statistical analysis was computed to compare the scores of both groups. Validation results showed statistically significant differences in 8 of the 12 MAPs and in 10 of the 12 MAPs using the transferring and the suturing models, respectively. The capability of mitracks3D to differentiate the performance of microsurgeons by analyzing their movements was shown. The mitracks3D system was successfully validated. With this system was possible to differentiate the psychomotor microsurgical skills between the two groups of surgeons. The mitracks3D system is a suitable device for the evaluation of microsurgical skills in a variety of surgical specialties that require it during the training of their residents.

PMID:34731325 | DOI:10.1007/s10916-021-01787-8

Insights Imaging. 2021 Nov 3;12(1):158. doi: 10.1186/s13244-021-01097-0.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) in chest radiographs is still widely used to estimate cardiac size despite the advent of newer imaging techniques. We hypothesise that a universal CTR cut-off value of 50% is a poor indicator of cardiac enlargement. Our aim was to compare CTR with volumetric and functional parameters derived from cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

METHODS: 309 patients with a chest radiograph and cardiac MRI acquired within a month were reviewed to assess how CTR correlates with multiple cardiac MRI variables: bi-ventricular EDV (absolute and indexed to body surface area), EF, indexed total heart volume and bi-atrial areas. In addition, we have also determined CTR accuracy by creating multiple ROC curves with the described variables.

RESULTS: All cardiac MRI variables correlate weakly but statistically significantly with CTR. This weak correlation is explained by a substantial overlap of cardiac MRI parameters in patients with normal and increased CTR. For all variables, CTR was only mildly to moderately better than a chance to discriminate cardiac enlargement (AUC 0.6-0.7). Large CTR values (> 55%) are specific but not sensitive, while low CTR values (< 45%) are sensitive but not specific. Values in between are not sensitive nor specific.

CONCLUSIONS: CTR correlates weakly with true chamber size assessed by gold standard cardiac MRI and has a weak discriminatory power. Thus, clinical decisions based on intermediate CTRs (45-55%) should be avoided. Large CTRs (> 55%) are likely indicative of true heart chamber enlargement. Low CTRs (< 45%) are likely indicative of normal heart size.

PMID:34731329 | DOI:10.1186/s13244-021-01097-0