Tag: statistics

Invest Educ Enferm. 2021 Feb;39(1). doi: 10.17533/udea.iee.v39n1e04.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To synthesize the best available evidence regarding the effectiveness of nursing case management in primary health care, compared to usual care, in improving blood pressure in adults over 18 years with hypertension.

METHODS: Systematic review that includes studies carried out with adult patients diagnosed with hypertension, with or without other concomitant chronic diseases, followed-up by a case manager nurse, who evaluated the effectiveness of case management in the improvement of blood pressure. A critical evaluation of the studies was made and the results of interest were described using the instruments and tools from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Due to the heterogeneity of the included studies, the results of similar measures were not grouped in statistical meta-analysis. A narrative and tabular format was used to synthesize and present them.

RESULTS: Six randomized controlled trials were critically evaluated and included in the review. The total sample was 1963 participants. The results showed the outcomes compared at baseline and at the end of follow-up (six or twelve months). Regarding the main outcome, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, there was some reduction in the group followed-up through case management in studies lasting six months; however, the impossibility of comparing the findings poses limitations to answering the questions in this review.

CONCLUSIONS: Despite the heterogeneity of the studies, the narrative and tabular analysis demonstrated that short-term case management in primary care (six-month studies) helped to reduce blood pressure levels, although the level of evidence for these results is low or very low.

PMID:33687808 | DOI:10.17533/udea.iee.v39n1e04

Invest Educ Enferm. 2021 Feb;39(1). doi: 10.17533/udea.iee.v39n1e10.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To identify overload and associated factors among caregivers of adult patients receiving palliative care.

METHODS: Descriptive, quantitative, and cross-sectional study addressing 40 adults under palliative care and their respective caregivers enrolled in the Home Care System in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. Data concerning the patients included demographic profile and Mini-Mental State Examination. A form was used to collect the caregivers’ demographic data along with the Zarit Burden Interview Scale, Self-Reporting Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, and Coping Strategies Inventory.

RESULTS: Regarding the patients, 84.2% were women, 52.6% were over 80, 65.8% had no partner, and 76.3% presented cognitive impairment. The caregivers were mostly women (84.5%), aged 56.67 years old on average, were the patients’ children (42.5%); had no partner (55%), and lived with the patient (77.5%). The mean score obtained in the burden scale was 28.78 points, 32.5% had stress, and 42.5% depression. Regarding coping strategies, the ones most frequently used were positive reappraisal (12.8), withdrawal (10.2), and problem solution (9.7). A positive and statistically significant correlation was found between time spent with care (days and hours) and escape/avoidance with overload. Linear regression analysis revealed an association between being a woman (p=0.002), number of days spent with care (p=0.004), and depression (p<0.001) with overload.

CONCLUSIONS: Being a woman, spending more days providing care, and depressive symptoms were associated with caregiver overload.

PMID:33687814 | DOI:10.17533/udea.iee.v39n1e10

Invest Educ Enferm. 2021 Feb;39(1). doi: 10.17533/udea.iee.v39n1e13.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The study sought to compare community-dwelling older people with respect to their level of physical activity and to the fear of falls between a group of sedentary elderly and a group of active elderly.

METHODS: Cross-sectional descriptive study carried out with 113 community-dwelling older people (45 sedentary and 48 active), users of an outpatient care center of the private health system with a geriatric program in Santiago, Chile. The study measured socio-demographic variables, state of health, comprehensive geriatric assessment, exercise, depression with the Yesavage scale, and fear of falling with the Short Falls Efficacy Scale – International (Short FES-I).

RESULTS: Sedentary older people have significantly higher scores in the Yesavage depression scale compared with active older people (4.2 versus 0.8). No statistically significant differences were found when comparing both groups of sedentary and active participants in terms of socio-demographic variables along with health, and functional and cognitive capacity. Regarding the fear of falling, the sedentary had a slightly higher score than the active (12 versus 11), although not significant.

CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that fear of falling was equal in sedentary and active older people who live in the community, although it was found that sedentary individuals had a higher risk of having a positive screening for geriatric depression in those participants who do not perform physical activity.

PMID:33687817 | DOI:10.17533/udea.iee.v39n1e13

IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2021 Mar 9;PP. doi: 10.1109/TBME.2021.3065016. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this work is to study whether the active state and species of biological tissues can influence changes in their dielectric properties.

METHODS: In this paper, the dielectric properties of liver, kidney and spleen tissues from human active, human inactive and animal tissues are measured in the frequency range of 10 Hz to 100 MHz. The four- and two-electrode methods are used to measure dielectric properties at different frequencies. Statistical analysis and the pattern recognition method are used to compare the dielectric properties of human active tissues, human inactive tissues, animal tissues and data provided by the IFAC database.

RESULTS: The results show that the dielectric properties of human active tissues are significantly different from those of human inactive tissues and animal tissues, resulting in a great difference between the dielectric properties provided by the IFAC database and those of human active tissues. The dielectric properties of human active tissues can be identified by the pattern recognition method based on principal component analysis, which further proves that the dielectric properties of human active tissues cannot be replaced.

CONCLUSION: The dielectric properties of biological tissues are closely related to the activity and species of tissues. The dielectric properties of human active tissues cannot be replaced by those of human cadaver tissues or animal tissues.

SIGNIFICANCE: The significance of this study is suggesting that the IFAC database should be updated with the dielectric properties of human active tissues to provide accurate data for bioelectromagnetics research.

PMID:33687834 | DOI:10.1109/TBME.2021.3065016

J Periodontol. 2021 Mar 9. doi: 10.1002/JPER.20-0765. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Emergence of peri-implant diseases led to the development of various methods for implant surface decontamination. This study was designed to compare the efficacy of biofilm removal from implant-like titanium surfaces by an erbium-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er:YAG) laser, titanium brush and carbon fiber curette.

METHODS: Eight study subjects were recruited. A custom mouth appliance that held 8 sandblasted and acid-etched titanium discs was fabricated for each subject. Subjects were asked to wear this appliance for 72 hours to allow for biofilm development. After retrieval, discs were removed and randomized to one of four treatment groups. The discs were stained with a two-component nucleic acid dye kit, and the residual biofilm was visualized under fluorescence microscopy. Quantification of residual biofilm was performed using an image analysis software and expressed as the percentage surface area.

RESULTS: Fifty-nine titanium discs were randomized to the 4 treatment groups. The percentage of titanium disc area covered by residual biofilm was 74.0 ± 21.6%, 32.8 ± 24.0%, 11.8 ± 10.3% and 20.1 ± 19.2% in the control, Er:YAG, titanium brush and carbon fiber curette groups, respectively (mean ± SD). The biofilm-covered area significantly decreased in each of the 3 treatment groups compared to control (P<0.008). Comparisons between treatment groups did not reveal statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS: Er:YAG laser treatment is an effective method for reducing the bacterial biofilm on titanium discs. However, on a threadless titanium surface, Er:YAG laser does not exhibit a significantly greater efficacy in biofilm removal than commonly used titanium brushes or carbon fiber curettes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID:33687796 | DOI:10.1002/JPER.20-0765

Mol Ecol Resour. 2021 Mar 9. doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.13373. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Statistical methodology for testing Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium at X chromosomal variants has recently experienced considerable development. Up to a few years ago, testing X chromosomal variants for equilibrium was basically done by applying autosomal test procedures to females only. At present, male alleles can be taken into account in asymptotic and exact test procedures for both the bi- and multiallelic case. However, current X chromosomal exact procedures for multiple alleles rely on a classical full enumeration algorithm and are computationally expensive, and in practice not feasible for more than three alleles. In this article we extend the autosomal network algorithm for exact Hardy-Weinberg testing with multiple alleles to the X chromosome, achieving considerable reduction in computation times for multiallelic variants with up to five alleles. The performance of the X-chromosomal network algorithm is assessed in a simulation study. Beyond four alleles, a permutation test is, in general, the more feasible approach. A detailed description of the algorithm is given and examples of X chromosomal indels and microsatellites are discussed.

PMID:33687797 | DOI:10.1111/1755-0998.13373

Invest Educ Enferm. 2021 Feb;39(1). doi: 10.17533/udea.iee.v39n1e03.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To assess the relationship between the nutritional status and eating habits of children aged from five to ten years old and their mothers, living in rural areas.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study conducted with 156 children aged from five to ten years old, registered in the Family Health Strategies of the rural area of the Municipality of Divinópolis-MG (Brazil) from July 2017 to April 2018.

RESULTS: The prevalence of excess weight was 27.5%. The following parameters were significantly associated with excess weight in the children: maternal waist circumference (OR=1.04), protein consumption (OR=1.02), irregular consumption of natural juice (OR=5.05), and the most favored socioeconomic level, C1 social stratum (OR=3.54). Regarding the correlation between nutrient intake of the children and their mothers, most of the correlations were weak to moderate, being statistically significant for all the dietary components evaluated (r=0.185 to 0.496).

CONCLUSIONS: Maternal nutritional status was related to the child’s excess weight and a weak to moderate correlation was observed for nutrient intake among the children and their mothers. A high prevalence of children with excess weight was observed in the rural areas. The results point to the need to implement collective approaches, targeted at rural families, so as to prevent this problem.

PMID:33687807 | DOI:10.17533/udea.iee.v39n1e03

Oncologist. 2021 Mar 9. doi: 10.1002/onco.13751. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although current guidelines advocate early integration of palliative care, symptom burden and palliative care needs of patients at diagnosis of incurable cancer and along the disease trajectory are understudied.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We assessed distress, symptom burden, quality of life, and supportive care needs in patients with newly diagnosed incurable cancer in a prospective longitudinal observational multicentre study. Patients were evaluated using validated self-report measures (NCCN Distress Thermometer (DT), FACT, SEIQoL-Q, PHQ-4, modified SCNS-SF-34) at baseline (T0), at three (T1), six (T2), and twelve months (T3) follow-up.

RESULTS: From 10/2014 to 10/2016, 500 patients (219 women, 281 men; mean age 64.2 years) were recruited at 20 study sites in Germany following diagnosis of incurable metastatic , locally advanced, or recurrent lung (217), gastrointestinal (156), head and neck (55), gynecological (57) and skin (15) cancer. Patients reported significant distress (DT score ≥5) after diagnosis, which significantly decreased over time (T0: 67.2%, T1: 51.7%, T2: 47.9%, T3: 48.7%). The spectrum of reported symptoms was broad with considerable variety between and within the cancer groups. Anxiety and depressiveness were most prevalent early in the disease course (T0: 30.8%, T1: 20.1%, T2: 14.7%, T3: 16.9%). The number of patients reporting unmet supportive care needs decreased over time (T0: 71.8 %, T1: 61.6%, T2: 58.1%, T3: 55.3%).

CONCLUSION: Our study confirms a variable and mostly high symptom burden at the time of diagnosis of incurable cancer, suggesting early screening by using standardized tools, and underlining the usefulness of early palliative care.

IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE: A better understanding of symptom burden and palliative care needs of patients with newly diagnosed incurable cancer may guide clinical practice and help to improve the quality of palliative care services. Our study results provide important information for establishing palliative care programs and related guidelines. Distress, symptom burden and the need for support vary, and are often high at the time of diagnosis. These findings underscore the need for implementation of symptom screening as well as early palliative care services, starting at the time of diagnosis of incurable cancer and tailored according to patients’ needs.

PMID:33687742 | DOI:10.1002/onco.13751

Intern Emerg Med. 2021 Mar 9. doi: 10.1007/s11739-021-02670-7. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Checklists can improve adherence to standardized procedures and minimize human error. We aimed to test if implementation of a checklist was feasible and effective in enhancing patient care in an emergency department handling internal medicine cases. We developed four critical event checklists and confronted volunteer teams with a series of four simulated emergency scenarios. In two scenarios, the teams were provided access to the crisis checklists in a randomized cross-over design. Simulated patient outcome plus statement of the underlying diagnosis defined the primary endpoint and adherence to key processes such as time to commence CPR represented the secondary endpoints. A questionnaire was used to capture participants’ perception of clinical relevance and manageability of the checklists. Six teams of four volunteers completed a total of 24 crisis sequences. The primary endpoint was reached in 8 out of 12 sequences with and in 2 out of 12 sequences without a checklist (Odds ratio, 10; CI 1.11, 123.43; p = 0.03607, Fisher’s exact test). Adherence to critical steps was significantly higher in all scenarios for which a checklist was available (performance score of 56.3% without checklist, 81.9% with checklist, p = 0.00284, linear regression model). All participants rated the checklist as useful and 22 of 24 participants would use the checklist in real life. Checklist use had no influence on CPR quality. The use of context-specific checklists showed a statistically significant influence on team performance and simulated patient outcome and contributed to adherence to standard clinical practices in emergency situations.

PMID:33687692 | DOI:10.1007/s11739-021-02670-7

Methods Mol Biol. 2021;2259:181-189. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1178-4_11.

ABSTRACT

Mass spectrometry-based single-cell proteomic analysis has recently gained momentum and is now an emerging area with established protocols and promising results. Traditional proteomic studies, especially involving bacteria, have been limited to suspension cultures with large protein yields. Such studies, however, remain population centered with the uniqueness of individual responses to environmental challenges becoming diluted. To enable bacterial single-colony proteomics, we describe a quantitative mass spectrometry-based protocol to isolate and analyze the proteome of a single mycobacterial colony from 7H10 media, with growth supplements for optimal growth. Following protein purification and digestion, tryptic peptides are analyzed by UHPLC coupled to a hybrid Q Exactive mass spectrometer. Raw data were analyzed using the MaxQuant Suite, and downstream statistical analysis was performed using Perseus software. A total of 7805 unique peptides and 1387 proteins were identified. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD018168. In this chapter, we identify steps most prone to sample loss and describe measures of alleviation that allows the preservation of protein yield and boosts quantitative power while increasing reproducibility, of “very limiting samples.”

PMID:33687715 | DOI:10.1007/978-1-0716-1178-4_11