Tag: statistics

Aust Endod J. 2021 Sep 8. doi: 10.1111/aej.12561. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The aim was to compare two temporary cements to determine which resisted bacterial and dye penetration under temporary posts/cores/crowns subjected to simulated masticatory function. Forty-six single canal human tooth roots were prepared for posts/crowns. A cotton pellet and Cavit were placed in each post space. Temporary posts/cores/crowns were cemented with Intermediate Restorative Material (IRM) (n = 23) or Tempocem (n = 23). Specimens were sterilised, then immersed in a mixture of Streptococcus gordonii and India ink, and subjected to 4 weeks simulated mastication. Dye penetration was assessed by visually inspecting the cotton pellets. Bacterial penetration was determined by placing the pellets into sterile broth and by plating them onto agar plates to confirm S. gordonii growth. There was no statistically significant difference between the cements and the dependent variables of bacterial and dye penetration. Hence, both cements are good options to cement temporary posts/cores/crowns during endodontic treatment of anterior teeth.

PMID:34494675 | DOI:10.1111/aej.12561

Melanoma Res. 2021 Sep 7. doi: 10.1097/CMR.0000000000000771. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Advancements in dermoscopy techniques have elucidated identifiable characteristics of melanoma which revolve around the asymmetrical constitution of melanocytic lesions consequent of unfettered proliferative growth as a malignant lesion. This study explores the applications of hierarchical density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (HDBSCAN) in terms of the direct diagnostic implications of applying agglomerative clustering in the spectroscopic analysis of malignant melanocytic lesions and benign dermatologic spots. 100 images of benign (n = 50) and malignant moles (n = 50) were sampled from the International Skin Imaging Collaboration Archive and processed through two separate Python algorithms. The first of which deconvolutes the three-digit tupled integer identifiers of pixel color in image composition into three separate matrices corresponding to the red, green and blue color channel. Statistical characterization of integer variance was utilized to determine the optimal channel for comparative analysis between malignant and benign image groups. The second applies HDBSCAN to the matrices, identifying agglomerative clustering in the dataset. The results indicate the potential diagnostic applications of HDBSCAN analysis in fast-processing dermoscopy, as optimization of clustering parameters according to a binary search strategy produced an accuracy of 85% in the classification of malignant and benign melanocytic lesions.

PMID:34494605 | DOI:10.1097/CMR.0000000000000771

Int J Cancer. 2021 Sep 8. doi: 10.1002/ijc.33799. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The incidence of uterine corpus cancer has been increasing globally due to increase in obesity. However, a detailed analysis of long-term epidemiological trends of corpus cancer in Japan, where obesity is relatively minimal, has not been conducted. In this retrospective, population-based study using the Osaka Cancer Registry, we analyzed 15,255 cases of corpus neoplasia registered between 1977 and 2016. We determined the age-standardized incidence, mortality, relative survival, and conditional survival rates, and the treatment trends for corpus cancer over the last 40 years in Japan. The age-standardized incidence rate of corpus cancer increased sharply in 2000-2011 (APC = 9.9, 95% CI: 8.4 to 11.3), whereas the mortality rate trended to a much more modest increase (APC = 3.3, 95% CI: 2.7 to 3.8). Compared with 1977-2000, 10-year survival rates for post-2000 cases of localized and regional cases significantly improved (from 87.7% (95%CI: 85.8 to 89.4) to 94.2% (95%CI: 92.7 to 95.7), and from 47.5% (95%CI: 43.3 to 51.6) to 64.4% (95%CI: 61.0 to 67.6), respectively). This was largely associated with the significant increase in the percentage of localized and regional patients who received chemotherapy instead of radiation as an adjuvant therapy combined to surgery (p<0.001 for both). We found that each histological type (endometrioid carcinoma, serous carcinoma, clear cell carcinoma and carcinosarcoma) has different characteristics of trend of age-standardized incidence rate, relative survival, and distribution of extent of disease. In endometrioid carcinoma, the age-standardized incidence rate increased consistently after 1990, but the rate of increase was decreasing after 1997. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID:34494658 | DOI:10.1002/ijc.33799

Niger Postgrad Med J. 2021 Apr-Jun;28(2):126-132. doi: 10.4103/npmj.npmj_578_21.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Existing evidence suggests that barotitis media (BM) is common among air travellers, and it has the potential to cause severe discomfort and sometimes permanent hearing and balance deficits. It has not been studied in Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the pre-air travel health-seeking behaviour, prevalence of BM, knowledge of BM and its associated factors among a cohort of outpatients with a history of recent air travel in Kano, Nigeria.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This questionnaire-based survey involved 97 participants systematically and proportionately selected from adult patients or caregivers of children with recent air travel history attending two outpatients clinics over 7 weeks. Information on biodata, pre-air travel advice-seeking behaviours, air travel experience and BM knowledge were obtained. Data were analysed using the descriptive statistical methods, Chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests and odds ratio (OR).

RESULTS: Most participants were male (54.6%) with tertiary education (87.6%); the prevalence of BM was 44.3% (43/97). Only 2.1% (2/97) had ever sought pre-air travel advice from a doctor; 83.5% (81/97) had heard of BM before; 42% had adequate knowledge of BM. Employment status (Fisher’s exact, P = 0.001), clinic at recruitment (Fisher’s exact, P = 0.00008), duration of last flight (Fisher’s exact, P = 0.0001) and persistent ear-pain after landing (Fisher’s exact, P = 0.001) were significantly associated with participants’ knowledge of BM. Persistent ear-pain after landing was the predictor of BM knowledge (OR = 0.04, 95% confidence interval [0.002-0.67], P = 0.025).

CONCLUSION: The BM knowledge level of this cohort suggests the need for further studies to ascertain the complete picture and justify improved pretravel education of air travellers in our setting.

PMID:34494599 | DOI:10.4103/npmj.npmj_578_21

Niger Postgrad Med J. 2021 Apr-Jun;28(2):139-144. doi: 10.4103/npmj.npmj_345_20.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Understanding pattern and outcome of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) will inform better management which expectedly would improve prognosis and minimise complications.

METHODS: : A retrospective study was carried out on all managed TSCI cases from January 2009 to December 2018. Sociodemographic characteristics, injury type, cause and complications were extracted from patients’ registers and case folders. Descriptive statistics summarised the data, and Fisher’s exact test analysed associations between variables.

RESULTS: Eighty-one cases met the inclusion criteria and were analysed. Most cases (91.4%) were males, aged 18-39 years (65.4%) and were civil servants (37.0%). Road traffic accident (RTA) was the leading cause of injury (37.0%) and incomplete lesion predominated (69.1%). Cases referred for physiotherapy constituted 77.8%, only 14.8% of cases recovered without neurological deficits. On discharge, most patients were wheelchair bound (33.3%). Region of spine affected showed significant association with complications developed (P = 0.01). RTA caused more dead as a cause of injury was found to be significantly associated with outcome (P = 0.04). Referral for physiotherapy showed significant association with outcome (P = 0.01), so also, region of spine affected with outcome (0.01). The study found a significant association between type of injury and functional status (P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: : The study concludes that young adults of working class were mostly affected, and RTA and gunshots injuries were the leading causes of TSCI. Findings such as the association found between regions of spine affect and complication developed on admission will help healthcare providers identify those susceptible and offer prompt preventive measures.

PMID:34494601 | DOI:10.4103/npmj.npmj_345_20

Niger Postgrad Med J. 2021 Apr-Jun;28(2):94-101. doi: 10.4103/npmj.npmj_420_21.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Poor compliance with recommended hand hygiene practise by health-care workers is an emerging public health threat associated with significant morbidity, mortality and spread of multidrug-resistant microorganisms.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the effect of voice reminder on compliance with recommended hand hygiene practise among the baseline, and post-intervention compliance with recommended hand hygiene among health-care workers using the WHO checklist for observation of 5-moments of hand hygiene of health-care workers in Kano.

METHODS: Quasi-experimental study design was used. A total of 408 (204 in each arm) baseline and post-intervention observations were conducted in two hospitals in Kano, selected using a multistage sampling technique. Voice reminders were installed in the intervention hospital, and post-intervention observation was conducted 3 months after introducing a voice reminder. SPSS version 22.0 was used for data analysis. Relationship between variables was tested using χ² and McNemar’s test within the groups at 0.05 α-level of significance.

RESULTS: Baseline compliance with hand hygiene in the intervention and control hospitals were 31.4% and 48.0%, respectively. Post-intervention compliance in the intervention and control hospitals were found to be 78.0% and 65.2%, respectively. Voice reminder improved compliance with hand hygiene practise when compared with baseline by +148% (P# = 0.3) in the intervention hospital compared with +36% (P# =0.1) in the control hospital. The differences were not statistically significant post-intervention when compared with the baseline.

CONCLUSIONS: Voice reminder intervention improved hand hygiene compliance among health-care workers in the intervention hospital compared with the control hospital. Voice reminders should be provided in the hospitals by stakeholders. This can help in improving compliance with hand hygiene among health-care workers and reducing the burden of hospital-acquired infections due to the hands of health-care workers.

PMID:34494594 | DOI:10.4103/npmj.npmj_420_21

Niger Postgrad Med J. 2021 Apr-Jun;28(2):112-116. doi: 10.4103/npmj.npmj_505_21.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: With the advent of endoscopic sinus surgery, the variant neurovascular relations of the sphenoid sinus are important to surgeons to minimise the iatrogenic complications. This study elucidates the variant neurovascular relations of the sphenoid sinus in adult Nigerians.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted at the Radiology Department of Delta State University Teaching Hospital after institutional approval. Brain computed tomography images of 336 patients, aged ≥20 years and spanning over 5 years’ duration were utilised. We evaluated the sphenoid sinus for protrusion and dehiscence of neurovascular structures bilaterally. The position of the optic nerve in relation to the sinus was classified from Type 0-4. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 23 was used for the data analysis. The Chi-square test was used to probe for the association between the variants with regard to side and gender. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: Dehiscence and protrusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA) occurred in 34, 10.1% and 83, 24.7% patients correspondingly. The dehiscence of optic, maxillary and Vidian nerves was (26, 7.7%), (60, 17.9%), and (53, 15.8%), whereas the frequency of their protrusion was (50, 14.9%), (76, 22.6%) and (87, 25.9%), respectively. All these variants except the ICA and maxillary nerve dehiscence showed a significant association with the side of occurrence (P = 0.001). Out of the 672 optic canals evaluated bilaterally, a preponderance of Type I (534, 79.5%) was observed followed by II (96, 14.3%), IV (35,5.2%), III (7, 1.0%) and Type 0 (0, 0%).

CONCLUSION: Our study has shown that the neurovascular relations of the sphenoid sinus vary from previously documented reports, thus confirming the need for pre-operative evaluation.

PMID:34494597 | DOI:10.4103/npmj.npmj_505_21

Niger Postgrad Med J. 2021 Apr-Jun;28(2):117-125. doi: 10.4103/npmj.npmj_530_21.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Waterpipe smoking (WPS) has been reported to have a wide range of damaging health effects on pulmonary and cardiovascular systems. Studies suggest that waterpipe tobacco smoking is associated with reduced harm perceptions, mental health problems and the use of psychoactive substances. We investigate the patterns of use and the association of WPS with anxiety, poly-tobacco and alcohol use in Lagos, Nigeria.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used to assess the data from 818 adolescents and adults in Lagos State, Nigeria. An online questionnaire obtained demographic information, waterpipe, e-cigarette, alcohol and other tobacco product use from respondents. Anxiety was assessed using the validated Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-point scale. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with waterpipe ever-use. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: The mean (standard deviation) age of respondents was 23.43 (±3.96), over half were female (55.2%) and a majority had a college diploma or more (88.59%). Among study participants, 18.58% reported waterpipe ever-use. Among ever waterpipe users, 17.33% reported current use (past 30-days), with a majority having smoked waterpipe in a bar or pub. Alcohol use (P < 0.001), e-cigarette ever-use (P: 0.010) and poly-tobacco ever-use (P: 0.030) were significantly associated with higher odds of waterpipe use in the multivariate regression model. Further, there was a lower likelihood of waterpipe ever-use in the bivariate regression model among respondents with mild and moderate to severe anxiety levels than those with normal anxiety levels (P: 0.030); however, this association was no longer significant in the adjusted model.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest a relatively high prevalence of WPS in Lagos, Nigeria. Concurrent alcohol consumption, e-cigarette and poly-tobacco use are associated with WPS, and most waterpipe smokers have normal anxiety levels. The Nigerian Government should consider surveillance measures for WPS and a more comprehensive smoke-free policy.

PMID:34494598 | DOI:10.4103/npmj.npmj_530_21

Int J Mycobacteriol. 2021 Jul-Sep;10(3):301-306. doi: 10.4103/ijmy.ijmy_138_21.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: To date, there have been no reports on the occurrence of nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) organisms (nor tuberculosis [TB]) on money, currency, banknotes, or coins, where these may act as fomites in the potential transmission of mycobacterial organisms around communities, especially in developing nations, where physical currency is still the popular mainstay of the economy, compared to electronic and digital forms of currency transaction. It was therefore the aim of this study to examine the survival of the Mycobacterium abscessus complex organisms on coins.

METHODS: Coins from 17 countries were examined for the presence of M. abscessus complex organisms by broth enrichment in Middlebrook 7H9 for 2 months. Nickel-plated steel and copper-plated steel coins were artificially contaminated individually with M. abscessus complex (circa 10⁷ [7 log₁₀] organisms/coin), including M. abscessus subsp. massiliense (n = 2), M. abscessus subsp. bolletti (n = 2), and M. abscessus subsp. abscessus (n = 1) and their surviving cells enumerated at weekly period up to 5-week postinoculation.

RESULTS: NTM organisms were not isolated from coins from the 17 currencies examined. In all three subspecies of M. abscessus, the copper-plated steel coins caused a more rapid decline in organism numbers, which were statistically very significant (P < 0.0001), compared to the paired survival on the nickel-plated steel coins, whereby organisms were none detectable after 3-week storage on the copper-plated coins. NTM organisms survived better on the nickel-plated coins, with a mean count across all subspecies of log₁₀ 1.84 colony forming units per coin after 5 weeks of storage (range: 0.6-2.69 log₁₀ cfu/coin). There was no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05; 5%) in the survival dynamics among the three subspecies with storage on either coin type.

CONCLUSIONS: Health-care professionals should be aware of the survival of M. abscessus complex organisms on coins for up to 12 weeks, which may be particular relevant in high-risk areas of health-care institutions where TB or NTM is prevalent and where there are opportunities for the transmission of such organisms through contaminated fomites, including coins, through opportunities including payment for treatments/medicines/dressings, coin-operated payment facilities, such as hospital car parking, self-service vending machines, hospital canteens, coffee shops and dining halls and hospital shops, whether static or mobile onward visits. To mitigate potential infection consequences of handling coins contaminated with M. abscessus complex organisms, other NTMs organisms and TB, the authors support re-establishing the principles of basic hygiene, including proper handwashing and the avoidance of handling money when working with food or dressing wounds and skin lesions, as well as when working with respiratory devices, including nebulizers.

PMID:34494570 | DOI:10.4103/ijmy.ijmy_138_21

Niger Postgrad Med J. 2021 Apr-Jun;28(2):88-93. doi: 10.4103/npmj.npmj_576_21.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There is a high possibility of transmitting the coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) in the orthodontic clinic because orthodontists and their patients are in very close contact when orthodontic care is being given. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and perception of Nigerian orthodontists and orthodontic residents about the risks of COVID-19 as well as the extra-protective infection control measures that need to be taken.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. The questionnaires were distributed and retrieved from consenting participants through an online platform. The questionnaires were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 23. The results were presented in tables and charts.

RESULTS: Out of a total of 90 members on the association’s WhatsApp group as at the time the study was being conducted, a total of 48 respondents participated in this study. There were more females (60.4%) than males. Majority (97.9%) of the respondents agreed/strongly agreed that an infected patient could infect the orthodontic clinic staff members with COVID-19 while most were of the view that debonding (95.8%) and retainer delivery (70.8%) posed a risk for spread of the virus. More than half of the respondents (52.1%) considered it necessary to change N95 masks after each patient as an extra-protective measure against COVID-19.

CONCLUSIONS: Majority of the respondents knew about the risks that COVID-19 posed to different aspects of orthodontic practice and were also knowledgeable about some of the extra-protective measures that they should take. There is a need to improve the knowledge of the participants concerning the use of appropriate mouth rinses to reduce the risks of transmission of COVID-19 in the dental/orthodontic clinic.

PMID:34494593 | DOI:10.4103/npmj.npmj_576_21