Tag: statistics

PLoS One. 2021 Dec 22;16(12):e0260042. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260042. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

This study was concerned with how accurate people are in their knowledge of population norms and statistics concerning such things as the economic, health and religious status of a nation and how those estimates are related to their own demography (e.g age, sex), ideology (political and religious beliefs) and intelligence. Just over 600 adults were asked to make 25 population estimates for Great Britain, including religious (church/mosque attendance) and economic (income, state benefits, car/house ownership) factors as well as estimates like the number of gay people, immigrants, smokers etc. They were reasonably accurate for things like car ownership, criminal record, vegetarianism and voting but seriously overestimated numbers related to minorities such as the prevalence of gay people, muslims and people not born in the UK. Conversely there was a significant underestimation of people receiving state benefits, having a criminal record or a private health insurance. Correlations between select variables and magnitude and absolute accuracy showed religiousness and IQ most significant correlates. Religious people were less, and intelligent people more, accurate in their estimates. A factor analysis of the estimates revealed five interpretable factors. Regressions were calculated onto these factors and showed how these individual differences accounted for as much as 14% of the variance. Implications and limitations are acknowledged.

PMID:34937066 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0260042

Phys Med Biol. 2021 Dec 22. doi: 10.1088/1361-6560/ac459d. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Multi-energy spectral CT has a broader range of applications with the recent development of photon-counting detectors. However, the photons counted in each energy bin decrease when the number of energy bins increases, which causes a higher statistical noise level of the CT image. In this work, we propose a novel iterative dynamic dual-energy CT algorithm to reduce the statistical noise. In the proposed algorithm, the multi-energy projections are estimated from the dynamic dual-energy CT data during the iterative process. The proposed algorithm is verified on sufficient numerical simulations and a laboratory two-energy-threshold PCD system. By applying the same reconstruction algorithm, the dynamic dual-energy CT’s final reconstruction results have a much lower statistical noise level than the conventional multi-energy CT. Moreover, based on the analysis of the simulation results, we explain why the dynamic dual-energy CT has a lower statistical noise level than the conventional multi-energy CT. The reason is that: the statistical noise level of multi-energy projection estimated with the proposed algorithm is much lower than that of the conventional multi-energy CT, which leads to less statistical noise of the dynamic dual-energy CT imaging.

PMID:34937002 | DOI:10.1088/1361-6560/ac459d

J Neural Eng. 2021 Dec 22. doi: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac4595. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Electroencephalography microstates (EEG-ms), which reflect a large topographical representation of coherent electrophysiological brain activity, are widely adopted to study cognitive processes mechanisms and aberrant alterations in brain disorders. EEG-ms topographies are quasi-stable lasting between 60-120 milliseconds. Some evidence suggests that EEG-ms are the electrophysiological signature of resting-state networks (RSNs). However, the spatial and functional interpretation of EEG-ms and their association with functional MRI (fMRI) remains unclear.

APPROACH: In a large cohort of healthy subjects (n = 52), we conducted several statistical and machine learning approaches analyses on the association among EEG-ms spatio-temporal dynamics and the blood-oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) simultaneous EEG-fMRI data using statistical and machine learning approaches.

MAIN RESULTS: Our results using a generalized linear model unraveled that EEG-ms transitions were largely and negatively associated with blood-oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) signals in the somatomotor, visual, dorsal attention, and ventral attention fMRI networks with limited association within the default mode network. Additionally, a novel recurrent neural network (RNN) confirmed the association between EEG-ms transitioning and fMRI signal while revealing that EEG-ms dynamics can predict BOLD signals and vice versa.

SIGNIFICANCE: Results suggest that EEG-ms transitions may represent the deactivation of fMRI RSNs and provide evidence that both modalities can measure common aspects of undergoing brain neuronal activities. Moreover, our results may help to better understand the electrophysiological interpretation of EEG-ms and solve several contradicting findings in the literature.

PMID:34937003 | DOI:10.1088/1741-2552/ac4595

Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2021 Dec 21:1-6. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2020-0836. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Modern pentathlon is a multidisciplinary sport that involves exhaustive training which can cause tissue damage and metabolic changes. However, few studies have evaluated the metabolic changes that occur in pentathletes. Accordingly, we aimed to evaluate the metabolomic profile of pentathletes during a 3-week training period before competition using nuclear magnetic resonance.

METHODS: Blood samples from 6 members of a Brazilian modern pentathlon team were collected at the beginning (Pre1, Pre2, and Pre3) and end (Post1, Post2, and Post3) of each week. Low molecular-weight metabolite profiles were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and biochemical markers were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Data were assessed using partial least-squares discriminant analysis and univariate statistical model.

RESULTS: Metabolic changes were observed between pre- and postdata of each week and over the 3 weeks before the competition in the partial least-squares discriminant analysis. Creatine kinase concentration increased in the first 2 weeks (P = .045 and P = .039), but there was no difference in the last week (P > .05). Lactate levels increased significantly after training in each week (P < .001). Cortisol levels at Post3 were different from all other time points (P < .05) and the concentrations of peroxides increased over the weeks (P < .05). Among all metabolites, sarcosine showed the greatest differences (P = .004) in the pretraining and posttraining periods of the 3 weeks.

CONCLUSION: Serum analysis of athletes using nuclear magnetic resonance showed metabolic changes depending on the intensity of the training performed each week.

PMID:34936983 | DOI:10.1123/ijspp.2020-0836

Altern Ther Health Med. 2021 Dec 22:AT6920. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT: Health literacy is defined as the capacity of an individual to acquire, interpret, and understand basic health information and services to improve their health. Cancer patients often turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to cope with diagnosis and treatment processes.

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to determine the effects of health-literacy levels on oncology patients’ use of CAM.

DESIGN: The research team conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study. Using a 95% confidence interval and a 0.95 power ratio, with the analysis performed in the G Power statistical analysis program, version 3.1, the study sample was calculated to be a minimum 120 people.

SETTING: The study took place in Turkey in the outpatient chemotherapy and oncology unit at Ondokuz Mayis University’s Health Application and Research Center between February 2019 and January 2020.

PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 200 oncology patients treated in the unit.

OUTCOME MEASURES: The data were collected using an introductory information form, the Health Literacy Scale (HLS), and the Holistic Complementary and Alternative Health Questionnaire (HCAMQ). Results were analyzed using percentages, means, and the Spearman correlation analysis, Mann Whitney U, and Kruskal Walls tests.

RESULTS: Of the 200 participants, 54% were women; 38.0% were between the ages of 57 and 69; 53.5% were primary school graduates; and 36% were Stage-4 cancer patients. The most common side effect of chemotherapy was fatigue and weakness, with 80.5% experiencing those symptoms. Concerning CAM use, 42.5% used at least one CAM method, and 44.7% of those individuals stated that they resorted to those methods to reduce the treatment’s negative effects.

CONCLUSION: The participants’ health literacy levels were high, and they had moderately positive attitudes toward CAM. No significant relationship existed between health-literacy levels and attitudes toward CAM (P = .219). However, strengthening health literacy can be a preventive practice for the correct and reliable use of CAM.

PMID:34936994

Immunobiology. 2021 Dec 17;227(1):152166. doi: 10.1016/j.imbio.2021.152166. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Soluble TNF receptors (sTNFR1 and sTNFR2) are natural endogenous inhibitors of TNF and are elevated in inflammatory, autoimmune, and chronic degenerative diseases. In Chagas disease, pleiotropic cytokine TNF is considered key in immunopathology. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the levels of TNF, sTNFR1, and sTNFR2 in the serum of patients with chronic Chagas disease. TNF and its soluble receptors were quantified using Cytometric Bead Array in the serum of 132 patients, of which 51 had the indeterminate form (IND), 39 the mild cardiac form (CARD 1), 42 the severe cardiac form (CARD 2), and 20 non-infected individuals (NI). The results indicate that the soluble receptors may regulate TNF in Chagas disease, as their leves were higher in T. cruzi-infected individuals when compared to non-infected individuals. We found a moderate negative correlation between sTNFR1 and TNF in individuals with the IND form, suggesting a relationship with non-progression to more severe forms, such as heart disease. sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 were increased in all clinical forms, but with a moderate positive correlation in more severe patients (r = 0.50 and p = 0.0005). TNF levels showed no statistical differences in the groups of patients. These findings suggest the importance of the endogenous balance of the levels of soluble TNF receptors in the protection and balance in patients with chronic Chagas disease, besides revealing the immunological complexity in chronic T. cruzi-infected individuals.

PMID:34936965 | DOI:10.1016/j.imbio.2021.152166

Poult Sci. 2021 Nov 19;101(2):101609. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101609. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The effects of incubator carbon dioxide (CO₂) and oxygen (O₂) concentrations with parental stock age (PSA) on embryonic deaths (ED), hatchability of fertile eggs (HFE), some blood parameters, and the tissue development of broilers were investigated. Four consecutive repetitions following the similar materials and methods were carried. From 3 different aged ROSS 308 broiler parental flocks 7,680 hatching eggs were obtained and classified as young (Y; 29 wk), middle (M; 37 wk) and old (O; 55 wk) as regards PSA, and randomly distributed. Four different incubator ventilation programs (IVP) as control (C; 0.67% CO₂ and 20.33% O₂), high CO₂ (HC; 1.57% CO₂ and 20.26% O₂), high O₂ (HO; 0.50% CO₂ and 21.16% O₂), and high CO₂ + O₂ (HCO; 1.17% CO₂ 21.03% O₂) were applied with oxygen concentrator, and ED and HFE were investigated. Lung and heart tissues, hemoglobin value, packed cell volume, and red blood cell count, triiodothyronine, thyroxine, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) values of the chicks were analyzed. It was found that IVP affected ED and HFE. Higher rate of early ED (EED) was obtained from the HC than HCO, and higher middle+late stage+pipped but unhatched ED (MLPED) with a lower rate of HFE was observed in the C group than HO and HCO (P < 0.05). Association was found between PSA and IVP (P < 0.05), being more evident in EED for young PSA, in MLPED with HFE for Y and O PSA. From hematological values, no statistical difference in RBC, PCV, and Hb values were found among the treatment groups, ACTH concentration known as a response to stress was found to be higher than C in all groups, triiodothyronine concentration was higher in the HO group than C. In the histopathological examination, used IVPs were found to have negative effects on the lung and heart such as vacuolization, hemorrhage in all PSA groups except for C. Conclusively, PSA and IVP affected some hatching, blood and tissue development parameters of the broiler chicks.

PMID:34936960 | DOI:10.1016/j.psj.2021.101609

Transplant Cell Ther. 2021 Dec 19:S2666-6367(21)01443-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jtct.2021.12.008. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The utility of weekly rectal swab surveillance cultures (RSSC) as a resource to identify gut colonisation with Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL)-producing E Coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) producing organisms, to guide empirical antibiotic therapy in HSCT patients continues to be a subject of interest. There is urgency to assess and justify modifications to empirical antibiotics based upon regional epidemiology and patient groups.

OBJECTIVE: To study the utility of weekly rectal swab surveillance cultures (RSSC) to guide empirical antibiotics therapy and the impact of gut colonisation on transplant outcomes.

STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective analysis of 317 successive first transplants done in three pediatric bone marrow transplant centres in Indian sub-continent, mainly for hemoglobinopathies, between April 2016 and April 2021. Transplantation, infection control and febrile neutropenia management protocols are identical among the three centres. First line antibiotics were chosen based on RCCS reports i.e. meropenem and high dose meropenem with colistin for ESBL and carbapenemase resistant colonisation respectively for first half of the study and no adjustment was made in the second half. Clinical response to antibiotics, long term outcomes, antibiotic-resistant bacteraemia and acute GVHD were analysed. Log-rank test, Chi-squared test and Wilcoxon test were used to compare data using R Statistical software.

RESULTS: Of all 871 weekly RSSC done, 162 were positive for ESBL- or KPC-resistant organism. RCCS were ESBL-positive in 106 patients (33%) and KPC-positive in 10 patients (3%). Within 97 ESBL-positive patients for whom antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) report was available, only 22 (25%) demonstrated clinical resistance of Pip-Taz. Within the 10 KPC-positive patients’ clinical resistance was observed only in 4 (40%) to Pip-Taz and 3 (30%) to meropenem. For ESBL-positive RSSC where 1st line empirical antibiotics were used, 66% of the patients responded clinically. Even within the 15 who were resistant to 1st line empirical antibiotics (Pip-Taz) on RSSC reports, 67% responded to Pip-Taz clinically. Within these patients 27 (56%) never needed any carbapenems. Using Pip-Taz empirically in ESBL-positive patients did not prolong meropenem use within 100 days of transplantation (p=0.18). For KPC-positive RSSC where 1st line empirical antibiotics were used, all patients clinically responded, including 4 who were resistant to Pip-Taz and 3 patients who were meropenem resistant on RCCS. Comparing patients who were ESBL-positive, KPC-positive and neither, no statistically significant difference was seen in overall survival (p=0.95), disease free survival (p=0.45), transplant related mortality (p=0.97), rejection (p=0.68) and rate of acute GVHD grade II-IV (p=0.78). Comparing the ESBL-positive patients who did and did not get higher-level empirical antibiotics, no statistical difference was seen in overall survival (p=0.32), disease free survival (p=0.64), transplant related mortality (p=0.65), rejection (p=0.46), acute GVHD grade II-IV (p=0.26) or antibiotic resistant bacteraemia (p=0.3).

CONCLUSIONS: In context of transplantation for non-malignant HSCTs, empiric antibiotic choice based on rectal swab surveillance cultures is not justified, even in regions with a high prevalence of antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) reports in surveillance cultures did not correlate with in-vivo clinical response. Colonisation reported on weekly surveillance rectal swab cultures showed no correlation with clinical outcomes.

PMID:34936930 | DOI:10.1016/j.jtct.2021.12.008

Eur J Dent Educ. 2021 Dec 22. doi: 10.1111/eje.12751. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate and compare the differences in clinical decision-making in complex endodontic cases between postgraduates at a UK dental school.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: Master of Science postgraduate students in endodontics, prosthodontics, periodontics, oral surgery and implantology participated in a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. The dental specialties were further categorised into restorative and surgical dentistry. A multiple-choice questionnaire with three clinical cases was distributed to the students. Data were analysed for trends using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS: There was a 44% response rate; the majority of respondents were from restorative dentistry specialties. Cases 1 and 2 were rated as moderate to high difficulty, Case 3 was predominantly rated as high difficulty with procedure predictability being the main factor affecting their clinical decision-making in three cases. Endodontic retreatment was selected as the preferred treatment in Cases 1 and 2 and periradicular surgery in Case 3. The students were fairly confident in managing Cases 1 and 2, but they were not confident in their choice in Case 3. Referral patterns were consistent in Cases 1 and 2 with endodontists being the first choice of referral except for Case 3 where 48% preferred to refer to oral surgeons and 35% choosing endodontists. Some indication of differences between specialties were noted throughout. Years in practice appeared to be related to the importance of predictability in case 3 only.

CONCLUSION: Considerable inter-clinician variability was noted whereby specialty postgraduate training impacted on clinical decision-making. Overall, procedural predictability, technical difficulty, risk of damage to the tooth and patient preference were the most highly ranked factors affecting clinical decision-making. Evidence-based treatment guidelines and dental curricula should be reviewed to enhance inter-clinician agreement in clinical decision-making, ultimately improving patient care.

PMID:34936724 | DOI:10.1111/eje.12751

J Oral Implantol. 2021 Dec 22. doi: 10.1563/aaid-joi-D-20-00263. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This retrospective study evaluated the survival rates of implants compromising adjacent teeth and the associated complications.

METHODOLOGY: Medical records and orthopantomographic images of 1,132 patients and 1,478 implants were retrospectively analyzed. Finally, 96 patients (52 females, 44 males) with 111 malpositioned implants were included in the study. The mean follow-up of the study was 32 ± 14 months. The patients were divided into two core groups: 1) adjacent teeth and dental implants were considerably close but tangent to each other (TAN), and 2) dental implant cutting the roots of the adjacent tooth (CUT). In addition, the CUT group was divided into two subcategories considering the possible cause of malangulation as angled implant (AI) or angled adjacent tooth (AT). Damage to adjacent teeth, future treatment requirements, and the survival rates of the implants were recorded.

RESULTS: Among the 111 implants, 4 (3.6%) implants failed, all of which belonged to the CUT category and the AI subgroup. Among the 88 preoperatively vital adjacent teeth, root canal treatment was performed in 18 (20.5%) teeth, whereas 2 (2.3%) teeth were extracted due to malpositioned implanting in follow-ups.

CONCLUSIONS: The placement of implants too close to the adjacent teeth and even cutting direction did not have a statistically significant effect on the survival rates of implants. However, this could cause adjacent teeth to undergo unnecessary root canal treatment or extraction.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Patients with malpositioned adjacent teeth or dilacerated root(s) adjacent to the edentulous area are at a higher risk for malpositioned implant complications. Most implant malposition complications are observed in the first premolar region (37% cases). Therefore, more attention should be given while placing implants in the first premolar region.

PMID:34936706 | DOI:10.1563/aaid-joi-D-20-00263