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Journal of Applied Microbiology Jun 2024Shellfish production areas are classified for suitability for human consumption using counts of E.coli in shellfish samples. Two alternative laboratory methods are...
AIMS
Shellfish production areas are classified for suitability for human consumption using counts of E.coli in shellfish samples. Two alternative laboratory methods are approved in the EU and UK for measuring E. coli in shellfish samples; the MPN and pour plate methods. These methods have inherently different statistical uncertainty and may give different counts for the same sample. Using two approaches: simulated data and spiking experiments, we investigate the theoretical properties of the two methods to determine their reliability for shellfish waters classification.
METHODS AND RESULTS
Assuming a Poisson distribution of E. coli in shellfish samples, we simulate concentrations in 10,000 samples using the MPN and pour plate methods. We show that for higher concentrations of E. coli the pour plate method becomes increasingly more reliable than the MPN method. The MPN method has higher probabilities than pour plate of generating results exceeding shellfish classification thresholds, while conversely having higher probabilities of failing to detect counts that exceed regulatory thresholds. The theoretical analysis also demonstrates that the MPN method can produce genuine extreme outliers, even when E. coli are randomly distributed within the sampled material. A laboratory spiking experiment showed results consistent with the theoretical analysis, suggesting the Poisson assumption used in the theoretical analysis is reasonable.
CONCLUSION
The large differences in statistical properties between the pour plate and MPN methods should be taken into consideration in classifying shellfish beds, with the pour plate method being more reliable over the crucial range of E. coli concentrations used to determine class boundaries.
PubMed: 38944416
DOI: 10.1093/jambio/lxae163 -
Australian Dental Journal Jun 2024Periodontitis is a common oral disease and the chronic inflammation caused by it may influence the development of cancers in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Many...
BACKGROUND
Periodontitis is a common oral disease and the chronic inflammation caused by it may influence the development of cancers in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Many observational studies have established a relationship between the two, but the results are not entirely consistent.
METHODS
Two-sample MR was performed using publicly available genome-wide association studies data for periodontitis, oral, gastric and oesophagal cancers. The Inverse Variance Weighting (IVW) method serves as the primary method, with MR Egger, Weighted Median, Simple Model and Weighted Model Algorithm methods as complementary methods to assess genetic causal associations. Cochran Q-test, MR-Egger regression and MR polytropic residuals and outliers were used to assess heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy.
RESULTS
IVW results did not support a causal association between periodontitis and oral (OR = 1.00, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.00) and oesophagal cancer (OR = 1.00, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.00). Similarly, there was again no causal association between periodontitis and gastric cancer, which was integrated with an OR of 1.04 (95% CI: 0.97, 1.12). Complementary method results were consistent with IVW and heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy were not found in most studies.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings of our MR study do not support a causal relationship between periodontitis and oral, gastric and oesophagal cancers.
PubMed: 38943355
DOI: 10.1111/adj.13028 -
Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Jun 2024Navigated augmented reality (AR) through a head-mounted display (HMD) has led to accurate glenoid component placement in reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) in an...
Navigated augmented reality through a head-mounted display leads to low deviation between planned, intra- and post-operative parameters during glenoid component placement of reverse shoulder arthroplasty: a proof-of-concept case series.
BACKGROUND
Navigated augmented reality (AR) through a head-mounted display (HMD) has led to accurate glenoid component placement in reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) in an in-vitro setting. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the deviation between planned, intra-, and postoperative inclination, retroversion, entry point and depth of the glenoid component placement during RSA, assisted by navigated AR through a HMD, in a surgical setting.
METHODS
A prospective, multicenter study was conducted. All consecutive patients undergoing RSA in two institutions, between August 2021 and January 2023, were considered potentially eligible for inclusion in the study. Inclusion criteria were: age >18 years, surgery assisted by AR through a HMD, and postoperative computed tomography (CT) scans at six weeks. All participants agreed to participate in the study and an informed consent was provided in all cases. Preoperative CT scans were undertaken for all cases and used for three-dimensional (3D) planning. Intra-operatively, glenoid preparation and component placement were assisted by a navigated AR system through a HMD in all patients. Intraoperative parameters were recorded by the system. A postoperative CT scan was undertaken at 6 weeks, and 3D reconstruction was used for obtaining postoperative parameters. The deviation between planned, intra-, and postoperative inclination, retroversion, entry point, and depth of the glenoid component placement was calculated. Outliers were defined as >5° for inclination and retroversion and >5 mm for entry point.
RESULTS
17 patients (9 females, 12 right shoulders) with a mean age of 72.8±9.1 years old (range, 47.0 to 82.0) met inclusion criteria. The mean deviation between intra- and postoperative measurements was 1.5°±1.0° (range, 0.0° to 3.0°) for inclination, 2.8°±1.5° (range, 1.0° to 4.5°) for retroversion, 1.8±1.0 mm (range, 0.7mm to 3.0mm) for entry point, and 1.9±1.9 mm (range, 0.0mm to 4.5mm) for depth. The mean deviation between planned and postoperative values was 2.5°±3.2° (range, 0.0° to 11.0°) for inclination, 3.4°±4.6° (range, 0.0° to 18.0°) for retroversion, 2.0±2.5 mm (range, 0.0° to 9.7°) for entry point, and 1.3±1.6 mm (range, 1.3mm to 4.5mm) for depth. There were no outliers between intra- and postoperative values and there were three outliers between planned and postoperative values. The mean time (minutes:seconds) for the tracker unit placement and the scapula registration was 03:02 (range, 01:48 to 04:26) and 08:16 (range, 02:09 to 17:58), respectively.
CONCLUSION
The use of a navigated AR system through a HMD in RSA led to low deviations between planned, intra-operative and postoperative parameters for glenoid component placement.
PubMed: 38942222
DOI: 10.1016/j.jse.2024.05.006 -
Physics in Medicine and Biology Jun 2024Particle therapy treatments are currently limited by uncertainties of the delivered dose. Verification techniques like Prompt-Gamma-Timing-based Stopping Power...
Particle therapy treatments are currently limited by uncertainties of the delivered dose. Verification techniques like Prompt-Gamma-Timing-based Stopping Power Estimation (PGT-SPE) may allow for reduction of safety margins in treatment planning. Approach: From Prompt-Gamma-Timing measurements, we reconstruct the spatiotemporal distribution of prompt gamma emissions, which is linked to the average motion of the primary particles. The stopping power is determined by fitting a model of the average particle motion. Here, we compare a previously published implementation of the particle motion model with an alternative formulation and present two formulations to automatically select the hyperparameters of our procedure. The performance was assessed using Monte-Carlo simulations of proton beams (60 MeV to 219 MeV) impinging on a homogeneous PMMA phantom. Main results: The range was successfully determined within a standard deviation of 3 mm for proton beam energies from 70 MeV to 219 MeV. Stopping power estimates showed errors below 5 % for beam energies above 160 MeV. At lower energies, the estimation performance degraded to unsatisfactory levels due to the short range of the protons. The new motion model improved the estimation performance by up to 5 % for beam energies from 100 MeV to 150 MeV with mean errors ranging from 6 % to 18 %. The automated hyperparameter optimization matched the average error of previously reported manual selections, while significantly reducing the outliers. Significance: The data-driven hyperparameter optimization allowed for a reproducible and fast evaluation of our method. The updated motion model and evaluation at new beam energies bring us closer to applying PGT-SPE in more complex scenarios. Direct comparison of stopping power estimates between treatment planning and measurements during irradiation would offer a more direct verification than other secondary-particle-based techniques.
PubMed: 38941994
DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ad5d4b -
Medicine Jun 2024Observational studies have reported a relationship between multiple common dermatoses and mental illness. To assess the potential bidirectional causality between 3 skin...
Observational studies have reported a relationship between multiple common dermatoses and mental illness. To assess the potential bidirectional causality between 3 skin disorders (psoriasis, eczema, and urticaria) and 4 psychiatric disorders (bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and anxiety) in the European population, we used Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis, which provides definitive evidence for causal inference. Eligible single nucleotide polymorphisms were screened for dermatological and psychiatric disorders using a genome-wide association study database. We conducted bidirectional, 2-sample MR analysis using instrumental variables related to psoriasis, eczema, and urticaria as exposure factors, and bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depression, and anxiety as outcomes. Reverse MR analysis with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depression, and anxiety as exposure and psoriasis, eczema, and urticaria as outcomes were also performed, and the causality was analyzed using inverse-variance weighting (IVW), MR-Egger, and weighted median methods. To thoroughly assess causality, sensitivity analyses were conducted using the IVW, MR-PRESSO, and MR-Egger methods. The results showed that bipolar disorder increased the incidence of psoriasis (odds ratio = 1.271, 95% confidence interval = 1.003-1.612, P = .047), heterogeneity test with Cochran Q test in the IVW showed P value > .05, (P = .302), the MR-Pleiotropy and MR-PRESSO (outlier methods) in the multiplicity test showed P value > .05, (P = .694; P = .441), and MR-Pleiotropy evidence showed no apparent intercept (intercept = -0.060; SE = 0.139; P = .694). Major depression increased the risk of eczema (odds ratio = 1.002, 95% confidence interval = 1.000-1.004, P = .024), heterogeneity test showed P value > .05, (P = .328), multiplicity detection showed P value > .05, (P = .572; P = .340), and MR-Pleiotropy evidence showed no apparent intercept (intercept = -0.099; SE = 0.162; P = .572). Sensitivity analyses of the above results were reliable, and no heterogeneity or multiplicity was found. This study demonstrated a statistically significant causality between bipolar disorder and psoriasis, major depression, and eczema in a European population, which could provide important information for physicians in the clinical management of common skin conditions.
Topics: Humans; Mendelian Randomization Analysis; Psoriasis; Eczema; Europe; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Urticaria; Mental Disorders; Genome-Wide Association Study; Bipolar Disorder; Female; Schizophrenia; Depressive Disorder, Major; Causality; Male
PubMed: 38941419
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000038586 -
Medicine Jun 2024Chaihu-Shugan-San (CSS), a Traditional Chinese Medicine formula, has been widely used for treating depression since the Ming Dynasty, as recorded in Jingyue Quanshu, but... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Chaihu-Shugan-San (CSS), a Traditional Chinese Medicine formula, has been widely used for treating depression since the Ming Dynasty, as recorded in Jingyue Quanshu, but its effectiveness and safety lack comprehensive and objective evaluation. Based on our meta-analysis, we aimed to adequately evaluate the efficacy and risk of CSS by considering the latest clinical literature.
METHODS
Multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, SinoMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chongqing VIP, and Wanfang, were used to collect clinical data. The quality of the included clinical studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool, and the data were meta-analyzed using Review Manager 5.0 and Stata 17. The data were obtained from a genome-wide association study, and Mendelian randomization (MR) was performed using R Software 4.3.2 with the TwoSampleMR and MR Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier packages.
RESULTS
A total of 15 studies with 1034 patients and 6 antidepressant drugs were included in this work. Meta-analyses revealed that drug combinations of CSS and antidepressants significantly improved depressive symptoms (weighted mean difference = -4.21; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -5.62--2.81), increased the effective rate (odds ratio [OR] = 3.82; 95% CI: 2.44-6.83), and reduced side effects (OR = -3.55; 95% CI: -5.66--1.43) compared with antidepressant monotherapy. Additionally, compared with antidepressant monotherapy, CSS alone exhibited fewer side effects (95% CI:-9.25--6.95). Like antidepressants, CSS also improved depressive symptoms (weighted mean difference = -0.05; 95% CI: -0.63--0.52) and increased the effective rate (OR = 1.07; 95% CI: 0.52-2.20). Additionally, MR was used to evaluate the safety of traditional antidepressants, as there was a causal association between amitriptyline and body mass index.
CONCLUSION
This analysis demonstrated that compared with traditional antidepressants, CSS combined with antidepressants was more effective and safer for treating depressed patients. MR showed that a causal relationship may exist between amitriptyline and body mass index. Therefore, clinicians should carefully consider the advantages and potential drawbacks of Traditional Chinese Medicine and classic drugs to serve patients better.
Topics: Humans; Antidepressive Agents; Depression; Plant Extracts; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 38941409
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000038668 -
Medicine Jun 2024Uncertainty exists regarding the association between diet and acute tubulointerstitial nephritis. Dietary factors served as exposures, including intake of alcohol, beef,... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
Uncertainty exists regarding the association between diet and acute tubulointerstitial nephritis. Dietary factors served as exposures, including intake of alcohol, beef, non-oily fish, fresh fruit, oily fish, dried fruit, coffee, salad/raw vegetable, cereal, tea, water, salt, cooked vegetable, cheese, poultry, pork, Lamb/mutton, bread, and processed meat were extracted from the UK Biobank. Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis served as the outcome extracted from the FinnGen biobank. The 3 main methods of this analysis were weighted median, inverse-variance-weighted (IVW), and MR-Egger methods. The heterogeneity was measured employing Cochran Q test. The MR-PRESSO method was employed to identify possible outliers. The robustness of the IVW method was evaluated by employing the leave-one-out analysis. According to the IVW method, processed meat intake (OR = 0.485; P = .00152), non-oily fish intake (OR = 0.396; P = .0454), oily fish intake (OR = 0.612; P = .00161), and dried fruit intake (OR = 0.536; P = .00648) reduced the risk of acute tubulointerstitial nephritis. Other dietary factors were not shown to be causally related to acute tubulointerstitial nephritis. This study revealed that intake of processed meat, non-oily fish, oily fish, and dried fruit all decreased the risk of acute tubulointerstitial nephritis.
Topics: Humans; Nephritis, Interstitial; Diet; Male; Middle Aged; Female; Risk Factors; United Kingdom; Adult; Aged; Fruit
PubMed: 38941401
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000038443 -
Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive &... Jun 2024The test-retest (TRT) reliability of FACE-Q Aesthetic scales is yet to be assessed. The aim of this study was to establish the TRT reliability of 17 FACE-Q Aesthetic...
BACKGROUND
The test-retest (TRT) reliability of FACE-Q Aesthetic scales is yet to be assessed. The aim of this study was to establish the TRT reliability of 17 FACE-Q Aesthetic scales and determine the smallest detectable change (SDC) that can be identified using these scales.
METHODS
Data were collected from an online international sample platform (Prolific). Participants ≥20 years old, who had been to a dermatologist or plastic surgeon for a facial aesthetic treatment within the past 12 months were asked to provide demographic and clinical information and complete an online REDcap survey consisting of 17 FACE-Q Aesthetic scales. Participants were asked if they would be willing to complete the survey again in 7 days. Only the participants who reported no important change in the scale construct and completed the retest within 14 days were included.
RESULTS
A total of 342 unique participants completed the TRT survey. The mean age of the sample was 36.6 (±11.5) years, and 82.4% were female. With outlier data removed, all FACE-Q scales demonstrated an intraclass correlation coefficient >0.70 indicating "good" TRT reliability. The standard error of measurement for the included scales ranged from 3.37 to 11.87, corresponding to a range of SDC from 0.95 to 3.23 and SDC from 9.34 to 32.91.
CONCLUSION
All included FACE-Q scales demonstrated sufficient TRT reliability and stability overall after the outlier data were removed. Moreover, the authors calculated the values for the SDC for these scales.
PubMed: 38936334
DOI: 10.1016/j.bjps.2024.06.002 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2024To explore the psychological personality characteristics of transgender groups and to determine whether these characteristics differ according to sociodemographic...
OBJECTIVE
To explore the psychological personality characteristics of transgender groups and to determine whether these characteristics differ according to sociodemographic factors.
METHODS
This cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2021 and April 2023 at a psychosexual outpatient clinic in a psychiatric hospital in Beijing, China. In total, 481 individuals were included in this study, and demographic information was collected using a self-administered general questionnaire. Psychological personality traits were assessed using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI).
RESULTS
The mean scores of the assigned male at birth (AMAB) group were significantly higher than those of the male controls for all 10 clinical factors of the MMPI ( < 0.01 or < 0.001). The scores for both the Masculinity-femininity (Mf) and Depression (D) factors in the AMABs group exceeded the clinical threshold ( > 60) and were the highest and second-highest scores on the entire scale, respectively. Individuals assigned female at birth (AFAB) had significantly higher scores than female controls for Hysteria (Hy), Psychopathic Deviate (Pd), and Hypomania (Ma) ( < 0.05, < 0.01, and < 0.001, respectively). There were significant differences in the rates of abnormal values for the various factors of the MMPI ( > 60) according to gender, age, and education ( < 0.05, < 0.01, and < 0.001, respectively). Compared to AFABs, AMABs had higher rates of abnormal scores ( > 60) on the Hypochondriasis (Hs), D, Hy, Mf, Paranoia (Pa), Psychasthenia (Pt), Schizophrenia (Sc), and Social Introversion (Si) scales ( < 0.05, < 0.01, and < 0.001, respectively). Second, the transgender group aged ≤25 years had higher rates of abnormal scores ( > 60) on the Hs, D, Hy, Pd, Pa, Pt, Sc, and Ma scales ( < 0.05, < 0.01, and < 0.001, respectively). Finally, outliers ( > 60) for the Hs, D, Hy, Pd, Pa, Pt, Ma, and Si factors were more prevalent among those with a primary to high school level of education ( < 0.05, < 0.01, and < 0.001, respectively).
CONCLUSION
Assigned male at births may have a variety of psychological vulnerabilities, and there is a need to focus especially on those with a primary to high school level of education, those aged ≤25 years, and transgender females.
PubMed: 38933582
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1416011 -
Bulletin of the World Health... Jul 2024To explore the feasibility of building a primary care performance dashboard using DHIS2 data from Ethiopia's largest urban (Addis Ababa), agrarian (Oromia) and pastoral...
OBJECTIVE
To explore the feasibility of building a primary care performance dashboard using DHIS2 data from Ethiopia's largest urban (Addis Ababa), agrarian (Oromia) and pastoral (Somali) regions.
METHODS
We extracted 26 data elements reported by 12 062 health facilities to DHIS2 for the period 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023. Focusing on indicators of effectiveness, safety and user experience, we built 14 indicators of primary care performance covering reproductive, maternal and child health, human immunodeficiency virus, tuberculosis, noncommunicable disease care and antibiotic prescription. We assessed data completeness by calculating the proportion of facilities reporting each month, and examined the presence of extreme outliers and assessed external validity.
FINDINGS
At the regional level, average completeness across all data elements was highest in Addis Ababa (82.9%), followed by Oromia (66.2%) and Somali (52.6%). Private clinics across regions had low completeness, ranging from 38.6% in Somali to 58.7% in Addis Ababa. We found only a few outliers (334 of 816 578 observations) and noted that external validity was high for 11 of 14 indicators of primary care performance. However, the 12-month antiretroviral treatment retention rate and proportions of patients with controlled diabetes or hypertension exhibited poor external validity.
CONCLUSION
The Ethiopian DHIS2 contains information for measuring primary care performance, using simple analytical methods, at national and regional levels and by facility type. Despite remaining data quality issues, the health management information system is an important data source for generating health system performance assessment measures on a national scale.
Topics: Ethiopia; Primary Health Care; Humans; Quality Indicators, Health Care; HIV Infections
PubMed: 38933476
DOI: 10.2471/BLT.23.291122