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The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry Sep 2020In randomized controlled trials (RCTs), endpoint scores, or change scores representing the difference between endpoint and baseline, are values of interest. These values...
In randomized controlled trials (RCTs), endpoint scores, or change scores representing the difference between endpoint and baseline, are values of interest. These values are compared between experimental and control groups, yielding a mean difference between the experimental and control groups for each outcome that is compared. When the mean difference values for a specified outcome, obtained from different RCTs, are all in the same unit (such as when they were all obtained using the same rating instrument), they can be pooled in meta-analysis to yield a summary estimate that is also known as a mean difference (MD). Because pooling of the mean difference from individual RCTs is done after weighting the values for precision, this pooled MD is also known as the weighted mean difference (WMD). Sometimes, different studies use different rating instruments to measure the same outcome; that is, the units of measurement for the outcome of interest are different across studies. In such cases, the mean differences from the different RCTs cannot be pooled. However, these mean differences can be divided by their respective standard deviations (SDs) to yield a statistic known as the standardized mean difference (SMD). The SD that is used as the divisor is usually either the pooled SD or the SD of the control group; in the former instance, the SMD is known as Cohen's d, and in the latter instance, as Glass' delta. SMDs of 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 are considered small, medium, and large, respectively. SMDs can be pooled in meta-analysis because the unit is uniform across studies. This article presents and explains the different terms and concepts with the help of simple examples.
Topics: Data Interpretation, Statistical; Humans; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Statistics as Topic
PubMed: 32965803
DOI: 10.4088/JCP.20f13681 -
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders Feb 2022Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is defined as pain around the patella while performing activities such as squats, running, and climbing steps. One of the inherent... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is defined as pain around the patella while performing activities such as squats, running, and climbing steps. One of the inherent risk factors for PFPS is an excessively pronated foot posture. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of foot intervention, talonavicular joint mobilization (TJM) and foot core strengthening (FCS), on PFPS.
METHODS
Forty-eight patients with PFPS (mean age, 21.96 ± 2.34 years; BMI, 22.77 ± 2.95 kg/m) were enrolled in the study. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to three groups, and received 12 sessions of TJM, FCS, and blended intervention at university laboratory for 4 weeks. The primary outcomes were pain while the secondary outcomes were lower extremity function, valgus knee, foot posture, and muscle activity ratio measured at baseline, after 12 sessions, and at the 4-week follow-up.
RESULTS
The two-way repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significant interactions in all groups (p < 0.05). TJM reduced pain more than the FCS at post-test (mean difference, - 0.938; 95% Confidence interval [CI], - 1.664 to - 0.211; p < 0.05), and blended intervention improved lower extremity function (mean difference, 6.250; 95% CI, 1.265 to 11.235; p < 0.05) and valgus knee (mean difference, - 11.019; 95% CI, - 17.007 to - 5.031; p < 0.05) more than the TJM at 4 weeks follow-up. TJM was more effective in post-test (mean difference, - 1.250; 95% CI, - 2.195 to - 0.305; p < 0.05), and TJM (mean difference, - 1.563; 95% CI, - 2.640 to - 0.485; p < 0.05) and blended intervention (mean difference, - 1.500; 95% CI, - 2.578 to - 0.422; p < 0.05) were more effective in foot posture than the FCS in 4 weeks follow-up. Blended intervention displayed greater improvement in muscle activity than the TJM (mean difference, 0.284; 95% CI, 0.069 to 0.500; p < 0.05) and the FCS (mean difference, 0.265; 95% CI, 0.050 to 0.481; p < 0.05) at 4 weeks follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS
Our study is a novel approach to the potential impact of foot interventions on patellofemoral pain. Foot intervention including TJM and FCS is effective for pain control and function improvement in individuals with PFPS.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
KCT0003176 , 16/08/2018 (retrospectively registered).
Topics: Adult; Humans; Knee; Knee Joint; Lower Extremity; Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome; Single-Blind Method; Young Adult
PubMed: 35168620
DOI: 10.1186/s12891-022-05099-x -
Asian Spine Journal Jun 2015Cervical disc replacement (CDR) has emerged as an alternative surgical option to cervical arthrodesis. With increasing numbers of patients and longer follow-ups,... (Review)
Review
Cervical disc replacement (CDR) has emerged as an alternative surgical option to cervical arthrodesis. With increasing numbers of patients and longer follow-ups, complications related to the device and/or aging spine are growing, leaving us with a new challenge in the management and surgical revision of CDR. The purpose of this study is to review the current literature regarding reoperations following CDR and to discuss about the approaches and solutions for the current and future potential complications associated with CDR. The published rates of reoperation (mean, 1.0%; range, 0%-3.1%), revision (mean, 0.2%; range, 0%-0.5%), and removal (mean, 1.2%; range, 0%-1.9%) following CDR are low and comparable to the published rates of reoperation (mean, 1.7%; range; 0%-3.4%), revision (mean, 1.5%; range, 0%-4.7%), and removal (mean, 2.0%; range, 0%-3.4%) following cervical arthrodesis. The surgical interventions following CDR range from the repositioning to explantation followed by fusion or the reimplantation to posterior foraminotomy or fusion. Strict patient selection, careful preoperative radiographic review and surgical planning, as well as surgical technique may reduce adverse events and the need for future intervention. Minimal literature and no guidelines exist for the approaches and techniques in revision and for the removal of implants following CDR. Adherence to strict indications and precise surgical technique may reduce the number of reoperations, revisions, and removals following CDR. Long-term follow-up studies are needed, assessing the implant survivorship and its effect on the revision and removal rates.
PubMed: 26097667
DOI: 10.4184/asj.2015.9.3.471 -
Computer Methods and Programs in... Sep 2021Eyestrain has been increasingly severe in our lives and works as the progress of computers and smartphones. Evaluating eyestrain helps to prevent and relieve eyestrain....
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Eyestrain has been increasingly severe in our lives and works as the progress of computers and smartphones. Evaluating eyestrain helps to prevent and relieve eyestrain. Our study aimed to evaluate eyestrain by analyzing vertical electrooculogram (VEOG).
METHODS
21 young subjects were asked to watch a video on the computer for a totally 120 minutes each, during which the VEOG signal was acquired using only three electrodes, and the questionnaire was answered every 30 minutes. The VEOG signal was divided into four 30-minute phases, from which VEOG signal power probability (VEOGSPP) features and blink features were extracted. The blink features include the changes of blink number (BN), group blinks number (GBN) and ratio (GBR), mean blink amplitude (Mean_BA) and duration (Mean_BD), mean blink duration at 50% (Mean_BD50), mean closing duration (Mean_CD) and opening duration (Mean_OD), mean opening duration at early 50% (Mean_ODE50) and late 50% (Mean_ODL50), mean blink maximum rising slope (Mean_BMRS) and falling slope (Mean_BMFS).
RESULTS
The results showed that the VEOGSPP in the high-frequency band (0.8-6.3Hz), BN, GBN, and GBR significantly increased while the VEOGSPP in the low-frequency band (0.1-0.4Hz), Mean_BA, Mean_OD, and Mean_ODL50 significantly decreased with eyestrain (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, eyestrain induced by watching videos for a long time could be well evaluated by analyzing the VEOG signal.
Topics: Asthenopia; Blinking; Computers; Electrooculography; Humans; Smartphone
PubMed: 34102561
DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2021.106171 -
Cancers Apr 2023Studies have suggested the chemopreventive effects of anthocyanins on breast cancer carcinogenesis. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effect... (Review)
Review
Anthocyanins Reduce Cell Invasion and Migration through Akt/mTOR Downregulation and Apoptosis Activation in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
BACKGROUND
Studies have suggested the chemopreventive effects of anthocyanins on breast cancer carcinogenesis. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effect of anthocyanins on triple-negative breast cancer cells (TNBC) cultured in vitro.
METHODS
We searched for all relevant studies that evaluated the mechanisms of migration, invasion, Akt/mTOR and MAPK pathways, and apoptosis, using PubMed and Scopus. Means and standard deviation were used, and a randomized effects model was applied, with a confidence interval of 95%. Statistical heterogeneity between studies was assessed using the Chi2 test and I2 statistics. All analyses were performed using RevMan software (version 5.4).
RESULTS
Eleven studies were included in the systematic review and ten in the meta-analysis, where the roles of anthocyanin-enriched extract or cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C-3-O-G) on MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-453 cells were investigated.
DISCUSSION
There was a significant reduction in invasion (mean difference: -98.64; 95% CI: -153.98, -43.3; ˂ 0.00001) and migration (mean difference: -90.13; 95% CI: -130.57, -49.68; ˂ 0.00001) in TNBC cells after anthocyanins treatment. Anthocyanins also downregulated Akt (mean difference: -0.63; 95% CI: -0.70, -0.57; ˂ 0.00001) and mTOR (mean difference: -0.93; 95% CI: -1.58, -0.29; = 0.005), while JNK (mean difference: -0.06; 95% CI: -1.21, 1.09; = 0.92) and p38 (mean difference: 0.05; 95% CI: -1.32, 1.41; = 0.95) were not modulated. There was also an increase in cleaved caspase-3 (mean difference: 1.13; 95% CI: 0.11, 2.16; = 0.03), cleaved caspase-8 (mean difference: 1.64; 95% CI: 0.05, 3.22; = 0.04), and cleaved PARP (mean difference: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.54, 1.32). Although the difference between control and anthocyanin groups was not significant regarding apoptosis rate (mean difference: 3.63; 95% CI: -2.88, 10.14; = 0.27), the analysis between subgroups showed that anthocyanins are more favorable in inducing overall apoptosis ( ˂ 0.00001).
CONCLUSION
The results show that anthocyanins hold promise in fighting against TNBC, but their effects should not be generalized. In addition, further primary studies should be conducted so that more accurate conclusions can be drawn.
PubMed: 37190229
DOI: 10.3390/cancers15082300 -
Statistics in Medicine Jan 2024Accurate assessment of the mean-variance relation can benefit subsequent analysis in biomedical research. However, in most biomedical data, both the true mean and the...
Accurate assessment of the mean-variance relation can benefit subsequent analysis in biomedical research. However, in most biomedical data, both the true mean and the true variance are unavailable. Instead, raw data are typically used to allow forming sample mean and sample variance in practice. In addition, different experimental conditions sometimes cause a slightly different mean-variance relation from the majority of the data in the same data set. To address these issues, we propose a semiparametric estimator, where we treat the uncertainty in the sample mean as a measurement error problem, the uncertainty in the sample variance as model error, and use a mixture model to account for different mean-variance relations. Asymptotic normality of the proposed method is established and its finite sample properties are demonstrated by simulation studies. The data application shows that the proposed method produces sensible results compared with methods either ignoring the uncertainty in the sample means or ignoring the potential different mean-variance relations.
Topics: Humans; Models, Statistical; Computer Simulation; Uncertainty
PubMed: 37994214
DOI: 10.1002/sim.9970 -
Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology &... Apr 2021Data regarding the ability of antidepressants to enter fetal, newborn and infant fluids have become gradually available, but mechanisms of antidepressant transfer remain... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
Data regarding the ability of antidepressants to enter fetal, newborn and infant fluids have become gradually available, but mechanisms of antidepressant transfer remain poorly understood. Here we calculated penetration ratios in an array of matrices from combined samples of pregnant/breastfeeding women taking antidepressants.
METHOD
We performed a systematic literature search of PubMed and EMBASE to identify studies with concentrations of antidepressants from maternal blood, amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood and/or breast milk. Penetration ratios were calculated by dividing the concentrations in amniotic fluid, umbilical cord plasma or breast milk by the maternal plasma concentration. When data from multiple studies were available, we calculated combined penetration ratios, weighting the study mean by study size.
RESULTS
Eighty-five eligible studies were identified. For amniotic fluid, the highest penetration ratios were estimated for venlafaxine (mean 2.77, range 0.43-4.70 for the active moiety) and citalopram (mean 2.03, range 0.35-6.97), while the lowest ratios were for fluvoxamine (mean 0.10) and fluoxetine (mean 0.11, range 0.02-0.20 for the active moiety). For umbilical cord plasma, nortriptyline had the highest ratio (mean 2.97, range 0.25-26.43) followed by bupropion (mean 1.14, range 0.3-5.08). For breast milk, the highest ratios were observed for venlafaxine (mean 2.59, range 0.85-4.85), mianserin (mean 2.22, range 0.80-3.64) and escitalopram (mean 2.19, range 1.68-3.00).
CONCLUSION
We observed considerable variability across antidepressants regarding their ability to enter fetal, newborn and infant fluids. Measuring antidepressant concentrations in a maternal blood sample can provide a reliable estimate of fetal/infant exposure, although further evidence for concentration-dependent effects is required.
Topics: Amniotic Fluid; Antidepressive Agents; Breast Feeding; Female; Fetal Blood; Humans; Infant; Milk, Human; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications
PubMed: 33358964
DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110228 -
Tanaffos Jan 2023Mean platelet volume (MPV) reflects the platelet production rate and stimulation, while mean corpuscular volume (MCV) represents the average size of red blood cells....
BACKGROUND
Mean platelet volume (MPV) reflects the platelet production rate and stimulation, while mean corpuscular volume (MCV) represents the average size of red blood cells. Considering the possibility of the relationship between red cell index changes and different severities of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as well as the uncertainty of the available results in this regard, the present study aimed at evaluating the relationship between MPV and MCV in the outcome of patients with acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In this cross-sectional analytical study, 150 patients with AECOPD that referred to the emergency department (ED) were included in the study. The severity of the disease was recorded using the GOLD classification, and the MPV and the MCV were evaluated based on the reference range of kits in the laboratory. Then, the data were analyzed using SPSS software.
RESULTS
The mean MPV and MCV were 9.7±8.3 and 85.9±11.5, respectively, and had no significant difference in different severities of COPD(P>0.05). Moreover, although MCV in survivals with a mean of 88.81±6.47 was higher than that of non-survivals with a mean of 85.77±11.73, and MPV in the non-survivals with a mean of 8.53±9.74 was higher than that of survivals with the mean of 8.86±0.92, this difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05).
CONCLUSION
Overall, the results of this study showed that the mean MPV and MCV did not have any significant relationship with AECOPD and patient outcome.
PubMed: 37920314
DOI: No ID Found -
Vision Research Feb 2020When there are many visual items, the visual system could represent their summary statistics (e.g., mean, variance) to process them efficiently. Although many previous...
When there are many visual items, the visual system could represent their summary statistics (e.g., mean, variance) to process them efficiently. Although many previous studies have investigated the mean or variance representation itself, a relationship between these two ensemble representations has not been investigated much. In this study, we tested the potential interaction between mean and variance representations by using a visual adaptation method. We reasoned that if mean and variance representations interact with each other, an adaptation aftereffect to either mean or variance would influence the perception of the other. Participants watched a sequence of orientation arrays containing a specific statistical property during the adaptation period. To produce an adaptation aftereffect specific to variance or mean, one property of the adaptor arrays (variance or mean) had a fixed value while the other property was randomly varied. After the adaptation, participants were asked to discriminate the property of the test array that was randomly varied during the adaptation. We found that the adaptation aftereffect of orientation variance influenced the sensitivity of mean orientation discrimination (Experiment 1), and that the adaptation aftereffect of mean orientation influenced the bias of orientation variance discrimination (Experiment 2). These results suggest that mean and variance representations do closely interact with each other. Considering that mean and variance reflect the representative value and dispersion of multiple items respectively, the interactions between mean and variance representations may reflect their complementary roles to summarize complex visual information effectively.
Topics: Adaptation, Ocular; Female; Figural Aftereffect; Humans; Male; Orientation, Spatial; Psychophysics; Visual Perception
PubMed: 31954877
DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2020.01.002 -
Attention, Perception & Psychophysics Oct 2022The mean estimation task, which explicitly asks observers to estimate the mean feature value of multiple stimuli, is a fundamental paradigm in research areas such as...
The mean estimation task, which explicitly asks observers to estimate the mean feature value of multiple stimuli, is a fundamental paradigm in research areas such as ensemble coding and cue integration. The current study uses computational models to formalize how observers summarize information in mean estimation tasks. We compare model predictions from our Fidelity-based Integration Model (FIM) and other models on their ability to simulate observed patterns in within-trial weight distribution, across-trial information integration, and set-size effects on mean estimation accuracy. Experiments show non-equal weighting within trials in both sequential and simultaneous mean estimation tasks. Observers implicitly overestimated trial means below the global mean and underestimated trial means above the global mean. Mean estimation performance declined and stabilized with increasing set sizes. FIM successfully simulated all observed patterns, while other models failed. FIM's information sampling structure provides a new way to interpret the capacity limit in visual working memory and sub-sampling strategies. As a model framework, FIM offers task-dependent modeling for various ensemble coding paradigms, facilitating research synthesis across different studies in the literature.
Topics: Humans; Memory, Short-Term; Visual Perception
PubMed: 35199324
DOI: 10.3758/s13414-021-02410-1