Tag: statistics

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 3;17(2):e0263564. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263564. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is an important horticultural crop and proved to be a very profitable commercial crop for both local consumption and export. The physical characteristics of fruits are an important factor to determine the quality of fruit produced. On the other hand, estimation of fruit volume is time-consuming and impractical under field conditions. Thus, this study was conducted to devise cultivar-specific and generalized allometric models to analytically and non-destructively determine avocado fruit volume of five wildly distributed avocado cultivars. A significant relationship (P ≤ 0.01) was found between fruit diameter, length, and volume of each cultivar. Our best models (VM2 -for cultivar specific, and VM7-generalized model) has passed all the rigorous cross-validation and performance statistics tests and explained 94%, 92%, 87%, 93%, 94% and 93% of the variations in fruit volume of Ettinger, Fuerte, Hass, Nabal, Reed, and Multiple cultivars, respectively. Our finding revealed that in situations where measurements of volume would be inconvenient, or time-consuming, a reliable volume and yield estimation can be obtained using site- and cultivar-specific allometric equations. Allometric models could also play a significant role in improving data availability on avocado fruit physical appearance which is critical to assess the quality and taste of fresh products influencing the purchase decision of customers. Moreover, such information can also be used as a ripeness index to predict optimum harvest time important for planned marketing. More importantly, the models might assist horticulturists, agronomists, and physiologists to conduct further study on avocado production and productivity through agroforestry landuse system across Ethiopia.

PMID:35113958 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0263564

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 3;17(2):e0263110. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263110. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Transcultural adaptation and validation of the FACT-C questionnaire to Serbian language.

METHODS: The study included 131 patients with colorectal cancer. Translation included standard forward and backward translation from original language to Serbian and back. Pilot testing of the questionnaire was conducted on 10 patients with diagnosed colorectal cancer. The questionnaires EORTC-QLQ-C30 and DASS will be used as validated tools to evaluate validity of examined, FACT-C questionnaire.

RESULTS: The FACT-C demonstrated satisfactory construct validity using Cronbach’s alpha. Satisfactory concurrent validity was demonstrated using correlations with EORTC-QLQ-C30 and DASS questionnaires. High reproducibility was demonstrated using repeated questionnaires on 30 patients two weeks after the first interview.

CONCLUSION: The Serbian version of the FACT-C was demonstrated to have satisfactory applicability, reliability and validity in Serbian patients with colorectal cancer. It can be considered as a valid colorectal cancer specific health related quality of life tool for the Serbian population.

PMID:35113936 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0263110

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 3;17(2):e0263373. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263373. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

The capability to establish accurate predictions is an integral part of learning. Whether predictions about different dimensions of a stimulus interact with each other, and whether such an interaction affects learning, has remained elusive. We conducted a statistical learning study with EEG (electroencephalography), where a stream of consecutive sound triplets was presented with deviants that were either: (a) statistical, depending on the triplet ending probability, (b) physical, due to a change in sound location or (c) double deviants, i.e. a combination of the two. We manipulated the predictability of stimulus-onset by using random stimulus-onset asynchronies. Temporal unpredictability due to random onsets reduced the neurophysiological responses to statistical and location deviants, as indexed by the statistical mismatch negativity (sMMN) and the location MMN. Our results demonstrate that the predictability of one stimulus attribute influences the processing of prediction error signals of other stimulus attributes, and thus also learning of those attributes.

PMID:35113946 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0263373

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 3;17(2):e0262993. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262993. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Though antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes are the cornerstone of Uganda’s national action plan (NAP) on antimicrobial resistance, there is limited evidence on AMS attitude and practices among healthcare providers in health facilities in Uganda. We determined healthcare providers’ AMS attitudes, practices, and associated factors in selected health facilities in Uganda. We conducted a cross-sectional study among nurses, clinical officers, pharmacy technicians, medical officers, pharmacists, and medical specialists in 32 selected health facilities in Uganda. Data were collected once from each healthcare provider in the period from October 2019 to February 2020. Data were collected using an interview-administered questionnaire. AMS attitude and practice were analysed using descriptive statistics, where scores of AMS attitude and practices for healthcare providers were classified into high, fair, and low using a modified Blooms categorisation. Associations of AMS attitude and practice scores were determined using ordinal logistic regression. This study reported estimates of AMS attitude and practices, and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were reported. We adjusted for clustering at the health facility level using clustered robust standard errors. A total of 582 healthcare providers in 32 healthcare facilities were recruited into the study. More than half of the respondents (58%,340/582) had a high AMS attitude. Being a female (aOR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.47-0.92, P < 0.016), having a bachelor’s degree (aOR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.24-2.63, P < 0.002) or master’s (aOR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.13-3.75, P < 0.018) were significant predictors of high AMS attitude. Most (46%, 261/582) healthcare providers had fair AMS practices. Healthcare providers in the western region’s health facilities were less likely to have a high AMS practice (aOR: 0.52, 95% CI 0.34-0.79, P < 0.002). In this study, most healthcare providers in health facilities had a high AMS attitude and fair AMS practice.

PMID:35113932 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0262993

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 3;17(2):e0262905. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262905. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Religious responses to COVID-19 as portrayed in a major news source raise the issue of conflict or cooperation between religious bodies and public health authorities. We compared articles in the New York Times relating to religion and COVID-19 with the COVID-19 statements posted on 63 faith-based organizations’ web sites, and with the guidance documents published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) specifically for religious bodies. We used computational text analysis to identify and compare sentiments and topics in the three bodies of text. Sentiment analysis showed consistent positive values for faith-based organizations’ texts throughout the period. The initial negative sentiment of religion-COVID-19 coverage in the New York Times rose over the period and eventually converged with the consistently positive sentiment of faith-based documents. In our topic modelling analysis, rank order and regression analysis showed that topic prevalence was similar in the faith-based and public health sources, and both showed statistically significant differences from the New York Times. We conclude that there is evidence of both narratives and counter-narratives, and that these showed demonstrable shifts over time. Text analysis of public documents shows alignment of the interests of public health and religious bodies, which can be discerned for the benefit of communities if parties are trusted and religious messages are consistent with public health communications.

PMID:35113914 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0262905

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 3;17(2):e0263222. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263222. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Breast cancer is a major health problem worldwide. Analysis of breast cancer epidemiology in emerging countries enables assessment of prognostic factors, cancer care quality, and the equity of resource distribution. We aimed to estimate the overall (OS) and cancer-specific survival (SS) of breast cancer patients in the northeastern Brazilian state of Sergipe to identify independent prognostic factors. We analyzed a cohort for the factors age at diagnosis, place of residence, time to treatment, staging, and molecular classification, using the Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, Pearson’s chi-squared test and Cox regression model. The outcome was the vital status at the end of the study. Our analysis showed an OS probability of 0.72 and an SS probability of 0.75. In multivariate analysis, time to treatment within 60 days, stage IV, and triple-negative classification remained independent prognostic factors for both OS [unadjusted hazard ratio (HRp) 1.50 (1.21; 1.86), HRp 16.56 (8.35; 32.85), and HRp 2.73 (1.73; 4.29), respectively] and SS [HRp 1.43 (1.13; 1.81), HRp 20.53 (9.45; 44.56), and HRp 3.14 (1.88; 5.26), respectively]. Better survival was demonstrated for the following patients: those receiving their first treatment after 60 days, with an OS of 52.5 months (51.2; 53.8) and SS of 53.5 months (52.3; 54.7); stage I patients, with an OS of 58.8 months (57.7; 60.0) and SS of 59.2 months (58.1; 60.3); patients without nodal metastasis, with an OS of 54.2 months (53.0; 55.4) and SS of 55.6 months (54.5; 56.7); and patients with luminal A classification, with an OS of 56.8 months (55.0; 58.5) and SS of 57.8 months (56.2; 59.4). This study identified independent prognostic factors and that OS and SS were lower for patients from Sergipe than for patients in high-income areas. Therefore, determining the profiles of breast cancer patients in this population will inform specific cancer care.

PMID:35113931 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0263222

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 3;17(2):e0262563. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262563. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

Tentative results from feasibility analyses are critical for planning future randomized control trials (RCTs) in the emerging field of neural biomarkers of behavioral interventions. The current feasibility study used MRI-derived diffusion imaging data to investigate whether it would be possible to identify neural biomarkers of a behavioral intervention among people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The corpus callosum has been linked to cognitive processing and callosal abnormalities have been previously found in people diagnosed with ASD. We used a case-control design to evaluate the association between the type of intervention people diagnosed with ASD had previously received and their current white matter integrity in the corpus callosum. Twenty-six children and adolescents with ASD, with and without a history of parent-managed behavioral intervention, underwent an MRI scan with a diffusion data acquisition sequence. We conducted tract-based spatial statistics and a region of interest analysis. The fractional anisotropy values (believed to indicate white matter integrity) in the posterior corpus callosum was significantly different across cases (exposed to parent-managed behavioral intervention) and controls (not exposed to parent-managed behavioral intervention). The effect was modulated by the intensity of the behavioral intervention according to a dose-response relationship. The current feasibility case-control study provides the basis for estimating the statistical power required for future RCTs in this field. In addition, the study demonstrated the effectiveness of purposely-developed motion control protocols and helped to identify regions of interest candidates. Potential clinical applications of diffusion tensor imaging in the evaluation of treatment outcomes in ASD are discussed.

PMID:35113904 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0262563

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 3;17(2):e0262982. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262982. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Globally, the estimated annual number of new cases of curable sexually transmitted infections occurring among young people aged 15-24 years is approximately 178.5 million. There are fragmented and inconsistent findings on preventive practices for sexually transmitted infections. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis protocol aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of preventive practices of sexually transmitted infections and identify its determinants among young people in Ethiopia.

METHODS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) will be used to develop the review protocol. Online databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Google, and Google Scholar will be used to search published and unpublished studies. The Joanna Briggs Institute Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument will be used to assess the quality of the study. Statistical heterogeneity will be checked using the Cochran Q test and I2 statistics. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression will be performed to identify the sources of heterogeneity. The statistical analysis will be performed using STATA version 14 software. A random-effects model will be performed to estimate the pooled prevalence and identify determinants of preventive practices of sexually transmitted infections.

DISCUSSION: Young people have a high unmet need for sexual and reproductive health services and poor preventive practices toward sexually transmitted infections. Although there are studies on preventive practices for sexually transmitted infections, there is no study finding on the pooled prevalence of preventive practices for sexually transmitted infections and its determinants among young people in Ethiopia. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis protocol will help to develop appropriate strategies.

PMID:35113900 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0262982

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 3;17(2):e0263069. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263069. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Studies have demonstrated a potential correlation between low vitamin D status and both an increased risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 and poorer clinical outcomes. This retrospective study examines if, and to what degree, a relationship exists between pre-infection serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level and disease severity and mortality due to SARS-CoV-2.

PARTICIPANTS: The records of individuals admitted between April 7th, 2020 and February 4th, 2021 to the Galilee Medical Center (GMC) in Nahariya, Israel, with positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) were searched for historical 25(OH)D levels measured 14 to 730 days prior to the positive PCR test.

DESIGN: Patients admitted to GMC with COVID-19 were categorized according to disease severity and level of 25(OH)D. An association between pre-infection 25(OH)D levels, divided between four categories (deficient, insufficient, adequate, and high-normal), and COVID-19 severity was ascertained utilizing a multivariable regression analysis. To isolate the possible influence of the sinusoidal pattern of seasonal 25(OH)D changes throughout the year, a cosinor model was used.

RESULTS: Of 1176 patients admitted, 253 had records of a 25(OH)D level prior to COVID-19 infection. A lower vitamin D status was more common in patients with the severe or critical disease (<20 ng/mL [87.4%]) than in individuals with mild or moderate disease (<20 ng/mL [34.3%] p < 0.001). Patients with vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) were 14 times more likely to have severe or critical disease than patients with 25(OH)D ≥40 ng/mL (odds ratio [OR], 14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4 to 51; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, pre-infection deficiency of vitamin D was associated with increased disease severity and mortality.

PMID:35113901 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0263069

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 3;17(2):e0263011. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263011. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Psychotic illness, although is rare, has been reported in the perinatal period. Individuals diagnosed with psychotic illness tend to first exhibit psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), defined as subclinical psychotic symptoms that occur outside the context of sleep or drug use. However, there is a paucity of empirical data on PLEs in pregnancy to advance scholarly discourse and support professional practice. The current study investigated the prevalence and correlates of PLEs among pregnant women in Ghana, a West African state.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data from 702 pregnant women who responded to measures of PLEs, COVID-19 concerns and behavioral maladies such as anxiety and depressive symptoms. Descriptive and inferential statistics, namely chi square, exploratory factor analysis, MANOVA and multinomial logistic regression were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS: The results showed that 54.2%, 27.3% and 18.5% of participants were at no/low, moderate and high risk for psychosis, respectively. A total of 44.4% participants were not distressed by PLEs, whereas 32.2% and 23.4% were a bit/quite and very distressed, respectively. Psychosis risk was elevated among pregnant women who were more concerned about the COVID-19 effects, scored high in suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms and sleep difficulties.

CONCLUSION: The study showed that psychosis risk is present in pregnancy.

IMPLICATIONS: Screening for psychosis risk in pregnancy should be prioritized for pregnant women with behavioral maladies, including suicidal tendencies, depressive symptoms, sleep difficulties and heightened concerns about COVID-19.

PMID:35113887 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0263011