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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 -
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 -
The Tohoku Journal of Experimental... Mar 2014Trunk instability is one of main problems in survivors following stroke. We investigated the effects of weight-shift training (WST) on an unstable surface in sitting... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Trunk instability is one of main problems in survivors following stroke. We investigated the effects of weight-shift training (WST) on an unstable surface in sitting position on trunk control, proprioception, and balance in individuals with chronic hemiparetic stroke. Eighteen participants with chronic hemiparetic stroke were recruited and were allocated to either WST or control group. The WST group received a weight-shift training program for 30 min and then received a conventional exercise program for 30 min, while the control group received conventional exercise program for 60 min, five times a week for four weeks for both groups. In this randomized control study, we used three outcome measures: trunk reposition error (TRE), Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS), and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. TRE was measured by each participant's reposition error to the target angle during his/her active trunk movement. TIS and TUG were examined for trunk control abilities and dynamic balance abilities, respectively. After training, TRE showed significantly greater improvement in the WST group (mean change, 1.67 ± 1.45˚) than the control group (mean change, 0.08 ± 1.05˚). The TIS score was significantly higher in the WST group (mean change, 2.33 ± 1.50) than the control group (mean change, 0.13 ± 0.83). The TUG test also showed a significant improvement in the WST group (mean change, 5.03 ± 1.88 sec) than the control group (mean change, 2.59 ± 1.86 sec). Our findings indicate that weight-shift training is beneficial for improving trunk control and proprioception in patients with chronic hemiparetic stroke.
Topics: Body Weight; Case-Control Studies; Chronic Disease; Exercise Therapy; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Paresis; Postural Balance; Proprioception; Stroke; Stroke Rehabilitation; Torso
PubMed: 24646921
DOI: 10.1620/tjem.232.195 -
Entropy (Basel, Switzerland) May 2021In this paper, we present order invariance theoretical results for weighted quasi-arithmetic means of a monotonic series of numbers. The quasi-arithmetic mean, or...
In this paper, we present order invariance theoretical results for weighted quasi-arithmetic means of a monotonic series of numbers. The quasi-arithmetic mean, or Kolmogorov-Nagumo mean, generalizes the classical mean and appears in many disciplines, from information theory to physics, from economics to traffic flow. Stochastic orders are defined on weights (or equivalently, discrete probability distributions). They were introduced to study risk in economics and decision theory, and recently have found utility in Monte Carlo techniques and in image processing. We show in this paper that, if two distributions of weights are ordered under first stochastic order, then for any monotonic series of numbers their weighted quasi-arithmetic means share the same order. This means for instance that arithmetic and harmonic mean for two different distributions of weights always have to be aligned if the weights are stochastically ordered, this is, either both means increase or both decrease. We explore the invariance properties when convex (concave) functions define both the quasi-arithmetic mean and the series of numbers, we show its relationship with increasing concave order and increasing convex order, and we observe the important role played by a new defined mirror property of stochastic orders. We also give some applications to entropy and cross-entropy and present an example of multiple importance sampling Monte Carlo technique that illustrates the usefulness and transversality of our approach. Invariance theorems are useful when a system is represented by a set of quasi-arithmetic means and we want to change the distribution of weights so that all means evolve in the same direction.
PubMed: 34070385
DOI: 10.3390/e23060662 -
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 -
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 -
Micron (Oxford, England : 1993) Nov 2022In this work, we have explored the factors which govern mean free path values obtained from off-axis electron holography measurements. Firstly, we explore the topic from...
In this work, we have explored the factors which govern mean free path values obtained from off-axis electron holography measurements. Firstly, we explore the topic from a theoretical perspective, and show that the mean amplitude reconstructed from off-axis holograms is due to the coherent portion of the direct, central object-transmitted beam only - it is not affected by the presence or absence of other scattered beams. Secondly, we present a detailed experimental study which compares mean free path values obtained from hologram sideband, centreband, EELS, and TEM measurements as a function of optical collection angle and energy-loss-filtering. These results confirm that the coherent portion of the direct beam defines the mean amplitude, and additionally show that the coherent portion corresponds to the conventional energy-filtered signal (with threshold 5 eV in this work). Finally, we present summary measurements from a selection of different materials, and compare the results against a simple electron scattering model. This study reinforces the claim that the mean amplitude is defined by the energy-filtered direct beam, and confirms that the contributions of elastic and inelastic scattering to the total mean free path are broadly in line with theoretical expectations for these different materials. These results in aggregate indicate that neither experimental collection angles nor enhanced sensitivity to low-loss phonon scattering affect the mean amplitude signal arising from off-axis holography reconstructions, nor the associated mean free path values which are derived from this mean amplitude.
PubMed: 36155105
DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2022.103346 -
Andrology Nov 2019The correlation between the increased mean platelet volume and varicocele is controversial.
BACKGROUND
The correlation between the increased mean platelet volume and varicocele is controversial.
OBJECTIVES
We designed this research to demonstrate the correlation relationship between varicocele and mean platelet volume by studying the changes of mean platelet volume in patients with varicocele before and after operation.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 317 patients with left unilateral varicocele underwent operation, and 293 healthy adult males were enrolled in the study. We collected diagnostic data for preoperative patients through physical examination, color Doppler ultrasonography, and blood routine, and recorded the follow-up data at 6 months after operation for varicocele. Platelet indices and the degree of varicocele or the diameter of spermatic vein correlation analysis were performed. Mean platelet volume values of preoperative and 6-month postoperative were statistically evaluated.
RESULTS
We found that the degree of varicocele and the diameter of spermatic vein were positively correlated with mean platelet volume (p = 0.001 or p < 0.001). When the left unilateral varicocele patients and healthy subjects were compared, there was a significant increase in mean platelet volume (p = 0.003). Mean platelet volume values of 96 varicocele patients who were cured by operation for varicocele after 6 months were decreased significantly more than preoperative (p = 0.039), but 32 varicocele patients of 6-month postoperative recurrence could not prove this change (p = 0.930).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Our research proves that mean platelet volume was positively correlated with the degree of varicocele and the diameter of spermatic vein and varicocele patients showed significantly higher mean platelet volume than healthy subjects. The mean platelet volume of varicocele patients cured by operation for varicocele after 6 months was lower than before, but there was no difference in mean platelet volume between 6-month postoperative recurrent patients with preoperative.
Topics: Adult; Blood Platelets; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Male; Mean Platelet Volume; Sperm Count; Sperm Motility; Spermatozoa; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; Varicocele; Veins; Young Adult
PubMed: 30969016
DOI: 10.1111/andr.12605 -
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