Analysis Of Variance Research Articles

The effect of spatial lag on modeling geomatic covariates using analysis of variance

AbstractIn recent years, statistical methods have been developed that include spatial considerations, for example, those that incorporate data with georeferencing. The descriptive part of geographical information systems currently provides many visualization and analysis tools; however, in terms of analysis, these systems are still quite limited, therefore, ignorance of these limitations may result in data with spatial effects being treated with conventional statistical methods for non-spatial use, which can certainly invalidate the excellent work of data capture with advanced tools such as those that are used daily in the geomatic context. This prompted the current document, drawing attention to how geomatic information analyzed with statistical methods that imply independence in modeled observations can be invalid. The Moran index is compared with a proposal for a spatial lag coefficient in the context of experimental design so that users of variance analysis do not apply this well-known procedure in a ritualistic way, perhaps revising some assumptions and perhaps ignoring more important ones. The distortion of the p value generated from the analysis of variance is clear in the presence of spatial dependence. In this case, it is associated with the lag or spatial overlap. The methodology is easy to apply in other designs with the development of the design matrix, its reparameterization and the choice of the respective weight matrix. This may cause users to reconsider the traditional method of analysis and incorporate some appropriate analysis methodology to address spatial effects present in data or in outputs from the modeling process.

Impact of phytase supplementation on nutrient variability, growth, and digestibility in weaned pigs fed a corn-SBM complex diet.

This study evaluated the effects of different nutrient matrices, with or without phytase supplementation, on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, ileal amino acid (AA) digestibility, and blood inositol in pigs fed a complex diet based on corn-soybean meal. Four hundred newly weaned cross-bred (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc) 21-day-old piglets of initial body weight 6.35 ± 1.91 kg were allotted to one of the five dietary treatments: Control (CNT), a corn-soybean-based standard diet; negative control 1 (NC1), a standard diet with reduced available phosphorus (Av.P) (-0.125%), metabolizable energy (ME) (-40 kcal), and crude protein (CP) (-0.3%); NC1 with 500 phytase units per kilogramme (FTU/kg) (N1P5); negative control 2 (NC2), a standard diet with greater reduction of Av.P (-0.150%), ME (-55 kcal), and CP (-0.45%,); and NC2 with 1000 FTU/kg (N2P10). Piglets were housed in a random arrangement based on sex and body weight and data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design using analysis of variance. Results showed that the body weight and average daily gain of the NC2 treatment were lower (p < 0.05) compared to NC2. Gain to feed ratio was greater (p < 0.05) in the CNT and N1P5 treatments compared to the NC1, NC2, and N2P10 treatments. The CP digestibility was higher (p < 0.05) in N1P5 and N2P10 treatments compared to other treatments. Moreover, the digestibility of phosphorus and calcium was higher (p < 0.05) in N1P5 and N2P10 treatments than in CNT, NC1, and NC2 treatments. The digestibility of non-dispensable AA; histidine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, and valine were increased (p < 0.05) in N1P5 and N2P10 than in CNT, NC1, and NC2 treatments. Nevertheless, the digestibility of dispensable AA, glutamic acid, was higher (p < 0.05) in N1P5 and N2P10 treatments than in CNT, NC1, and NC2 treatments. Blood myo-inositol concentration was higher (p < 0.05) in N1P5 and N2P10 treatments compared to CNT, NC1, and NC2 treatments in phase 2. These results demonstrated enhanced outcomes under conditions of moderate deficiency, whereas more pronounced deficiencies necessitated increased phytase dosages to observe significant improvements. The efficacy of phytase was evident in its ability to elevate average daily gain, gain to feed ratio, phosphorus and calcium, CP, AA, and blood myo-inositol.

Genotype by environment interactions and stability for grain yield and other agronomic traits in selected sorghum genotypes in Ethiopia

AbstractEnvironmental changes pose major impacts on the performance of crop genotypes with important implications for crop improvement strategies. Hence, breeders pay attention to the effects of genotype by environment interaction (GEI) to mine genetic resources and select adapted genotypes. Twenty sorghum genotypes selected from a large collection of Ethiopian sorghum landraces and two improved varieties were evaluated using a randomized complete block design with three replications at eight locations representing different environmental conditions in Ethiopia. The study aimed at assessing GEI and identifying stable and high‐yielding genotypes of sorghum for grain yield and major agronomic traits. Analysis of variance and additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) revealed highly significant (p ≤ 0.001) variance due to genotypes, environments, and GEI among all traits except for days to maturity. Plant height, days to maturity, panicle width, panicle weight, and grain yield were highly affected by environment and GEI, while days to flowering, panicle length, and 1000‐grain weight were mainly affected by genotypic variations. The data also suggest the importance of considering GEI in screening for high‐yielding and stable sorghum genotypes across environments. Among testing sites, Chawaka, Gute, and Uke were ideal environments for grain yield and Asosa was the most discriminative environment. Three genotypes (ETSL100808, Merera, and ETSL100474) were superior and stable across test environments for grain yield and related traits. Overall, based on mean grain yield and disease reaction, AMMI, GGE (genotype and genotype by environment interaction) biplot, and regression models, ETSL100808 was the most stable, high‐yielding, and disease‐tolerant sorghum genotype, suggesting its potential both in breeding program, as donor of traits, and for direct release as a variety.

HIV and intersectional stigma among people living with HIV and healthcare workers and antiretroviral therapy adherence in the Dominican Republic.

HIV-related stigma, discrimination, and social marginalization undermines optimal HIV care outcomes. More research examining the impact of HIV-related stigma, discrimination, other interlocking forms of oppression, and antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence is needed to optimize HIV treatment programming. This study uses data from two clinics in the Dominican Republic to examine client and healthcare worker (HCW) perceptions of HIV and intersectional stigmas among people living with HIV. Surveys exploring demographics, HIV-related stigma, various dimensions of discrimination (race/ethnicity, HIV status, sexual orientation), healthcare engagement, and medication adherence were collected from 148 clients and 131 HCWs. Analysis of variance was conducted to examine differences in stigma by clinic and logistic regressions were used to determine predictors of optimal client medication adherence. Perceived discrimination in healthcare facilities due to clients' sexual orientation retained significance in crude and multivariable logistic regression models and was negatively associated with ART adherence (aOR:0.79; 95% CI:0.66, 0.95). Findings highlight the importance of implementing strategies to address stigma, discrimination, and social marginalization, particularly within healthcare facilities.

Foot and Mouth Disease Virus Strain-specific Antibody Titres in Naturally Infected or Vaccinated Bulls in Kenya

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a global viral infection that causes vesicular lesions in and around the mouth and feet, causing reluctance of animals to eat or move. In Kenya, bulls raised for AI receive vaccinations against FMD, but it is unclear if these animals experience vaccine-induced immunity. No research has been conducted to determine if animals in endemic areas develop natural immunity or whether animals in disease-free regions might be seropositive. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and levels of foot and mouth disease virus infection-triggered and vaccine-induced antibodies. A cross-sectional study was conducted on bulls farmed for AI production and vaccinated against FMD. Antibodies were quantified using a virus-neutralization test. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Kruskal-Wallis test with Tukey and Dunn post-tests, respectively, were used to examine the data using the GraphPad InStat program. Additionally, the Spearman test was employed for correlation analysis and the t-test for intergroup differences analysis. A statistically significant P value was defined as less than 0.05. Findings showed protective antibody levels were present in 23%, 10.3%, 2.6%, and 7.7% of the animals in the FMD non-endemic region against the FMD virus strains O, A, SAT 1, and SAT 2, respectively. The protection provided by the O strain virus was significantly greater than that of SAT 1 (P = 0.01). In the FMD endemic area, all sampled animals showed protection levels at 100%, 100%, 100% and 29% for virus strains O, A, SAT 1, and SAT 2 respectively with the antibody titres showing significant differences (P &lt; 0.05) for all the intergroup analysis except between strains O vs SAT 1 and A vs SAT 1 (P &gt; 0.05). To conclude, the current research suggests that FMD may be making a comeback in the areas where the illness is not established. Furthermore, it seems that sperm recovery upon freezing is somewhat mitigated by FMDV-specific antibodies. The study advises monitoring FMD in areas where the illness is not endemic and confirms the current findings with larger sample sizes to enable more informed decision-making.

Drag reduction and degradation by sodium alginate in turbulent flow

The utilization of drag-reducing polymers has long been hindered by their irritancy, corrosiveness, and toxicity across various domains. In this investigation, we explored sodium alginate, a natural drag reducer, for its efficacy in reducing drag and its resilience to shear in millimeter-scale pipelines. Initially, an experimental setup was devised to assess the drag reduction capabilities of sodium alginate at varying concentrations and flow rates using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The relationship between drag reduction (DR), concentration (C), and flow rate (Q) was established by analyzing the experimental data. Subsequently, variance analysis was employed to validate the data accuracy, with a comparison between predicted and experimental DR values revealing an error margin within ± 20%. Analysis of cyclic shear testing of sodium alginate solution in tubes demonstrated its effectiveness as a shear flow drag reducer. Furthermore, results from laser particle size analysis indicated minimal molecular breakage of sodium alginate during cyclic shear.

Evaluation of the Performance of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus l. Moench) Genotypes for Growth, Yield, and Quality Parameters

The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the performance of okra genotypes for growth, yield and quality parameters. Okra is often cross-pollinated and is grown primarily for its fruits, which have various culinary uses. Tender fruits are commonly boiled or used in sliced and fried dishes. Okra fruits are also dried in the sun, canned, or dehydrated for preservation during the off-season. The study was carried out at New Orchard, Main Agricultural Research Station, UAS, Raichur, during late Kharif 2021-22 using thirty-one genotypes (including the check variety Arka Anamika) and laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences (p &lt; 0.05) among genotypes for all traits studied. Genotype OPL-2127 recorded the highest plant height (96.52 cm), stem girth (14.26 mm), number of leaves per plant (23.20), leaf area index (3.08), number of nodes per plant (13.60), chlorophyll content (59.61 SPAD readings), fruit length (18.69 cm), fruit yield per plant (293.53 g), fruit yield per hectare (16.4 t) and it is found to be superior over the other okra genotypes under the study. The highest fruit girth (41.36 mm) was noted in the genotypes OPL-2108. The genotype OPL-2119 recorded the minimum number of days to 50 per cent flowering (38.00) which indicates the earliness of the genotypes. OPL-2023 recorded the highest fibre content (16.09 %). The genotypes OPL-2127, OPL-2121, OPL-2116, OPL-2115 and OPL-2113 were found to be superior okra genotypes for yield and quality and they can be used in future breeding and crop improvement program.

Patients’ perceptions of community pharmacists’ role: A cross-sectional study in Lebanon

Introduction Recognizing, fostering, and maintaining a favorable public image is crucial for developing strong connections between patients and pharmacists, ultimately enhancing the pharmacist’s influence on healthcare results. Consequently, this research seeks to evaluate how the community perceives the role of pharmacists in Lebanon. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among the Lebanese residents over 2 months. One-way analysis of variance assessed the relationship between the perception score and the general characteristics of the study sample. A multivariate analysis was performed using linear regression models to evaluate the combined effect of predictors on the perception score. Results The study comprised exclusively Lebanese participants, with a slightly higher proportion of males (53.4%) than females (46.6%) and a diverse age distribution, ranging from 18 to 65 years old, with 9.1% being 65 years or older. After adjusting for covariates, females scored 0.25 points lower than males (CI (−0.65, 0.15); p = .217), while individuals aged 40–49 and 50–65 had perception scores of 0.18 and 0.55 points lower than those aged 18–29, respectively (CI (−0.83, 0.48); p = .595 and CI (−1.29, 0.20); p = .153, respectively). Participants from Nabatiyeh had a perception score increase of 0.82 compared to those in Beirut (CI (0.15–1.49); p &lt; .017), and those working in non-medical fields scored 0.90 points lower than others (CI (−1.49, −0.32); p = .002). Individuals with at least one comorbidity scored 0.83 points lower (CI (−1.44, −0.21); p = .008), while patients with public insurance and those with a treatment duration of 6 months had perception scores 0.57 and 0.66 points lower, respectively, compared to their counterparts (CI (−1.12, −0.03); p = .039 and CI (−1.29, −0.03); p = .040). Conclusion Findings stress the significance of tailored healthcare and consistent patient-pharmacist relationships, especially for managing complex conditions, underscoring the importance of understanding these dynamics to bolster trust and appreciation for community pharmacists in Lebanon.

Evaluating Patient Perceptions of Smartphone Use for Active and Passive Collection of Health Data

Background: The objectives of this study are to assess patient willingness to share smartphone generated health data with providers and to characterize patient populations who express hesitation around providing these data to providers. Methods: Bivariate analysis involved unpaired t-test or analysis of variance for comparing continuous variables. An alpha value of 0.05 was used. A multivariable regression to investigate demographic factors associated with comfort with sharing health data was performed. Odds ratios compared participants by age group, educational attainment, and race. Results: A total of 485 participants completed the survey, with an average age of 38 years old. Respondents were 65% male and 73% Caucasian. The majority (70%) of participants were comfortable answering questions about their health on their phone, as well as sending pictures of their health problems or wounds. Over half of participants were comfortable with passive social and physical activity information being sent to their doctor and would allow their doctors to download a data tracking application on their smartphone (55% and 59%, respectively). Younger participants (OR 2.0, P&lt;0.05) and participants with increased education (OR 2.5, P &lt; 0.01) were more likely to be comfortable in sharing their data. Privacy concerns were cited as the most common reason patients desired to refrain from sharing data. Conclusion: Most study participants were comfortable sharing smartphone generated health data.

Microbiological, sensory, and chemical properties of high-quality tempeh made with instant Mosaccha tempeh inoculum powder.

The combination of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Rhizopus oligosporus liquid inoculum has been successfully used to ferment soybeans into tempeh that contains β-glucan. However, using the liquid inoculum of these two microbes as a starter is impractical; so, developing an instant tempeh dry inoculum in powdered form, called the Mosaccha inoculum powder, for ease of use is necessary. This study aimed to determine the best concentration of instant Mosaccha inoculum powder to produce high-quality Mosaccha tempeh. The study used a Complete Randomized Block Design with seven different levels of instant Mosaccha inoculum powder percentage, ranging from 0.3% to 1.8% (w/w). A commercial tempeh inoculum, RAPRIMA, amounting to 0.2%, was used as control. Then, the microbiological (total mold and total yeast) and sensory (color, aroma, texture, and taste) properties were evaluated. The data obtained was analyzed statistically using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) tests at the 5% level. The results showed that the percentage of instant Mosaccha inoculum powder significantly affected the microbiological and sensory properties of Mosaccha tempeh. A concentration of Mosaccha inoculum powder between 0.6% to 1.8% could produce good quality Mosaccha tempeh, but the best Mosaccha tempeh was produced with 1.5% instant Mosaccha inoculum powder, which met the Indonesian National Standards (SNI) 3144:2015, had a very favorable taste, and contained 0.49% β-glucan. Therefore, Mosaccha inoculum in powdered form can be developed and used as a starter in making high-quality tempeh that contains β-glucan.

Growth and Yield of Okra (&lt;i&gt;Abelmoschus esculentus&lt;/i&gt; (L.) Moench) as Affected by Weeding Regimes in Mubi, Adamawa State

The two-year experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of weeding regimes on the growth and yield of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) in Mubi Adamawa State, Northern Guinea Savannah, grown at the Tree Crop Plantation (TCP) Farm, School of Agriculture, Federal polytechnic, Mubi, during 2022 and 2023 rain cropping season. Mubi is located in the North-eastern part of Adamawa State laid between Latitude 90 26ʹ and100 10ʹN and Longitude 130 10ʹ and 130 44ʹE. at an Altitude of 696m above sea level. The experiments were laid out in Split Plot Design with four (4) treatments: No weeding (W1), 1 Weeding at 3 weeks after sowing (WAS) (W2), 2 weeding at 3, and 6 WAS (W3) and 3 weeding at 3, 6 and 9 WAS (W4), replicated 3 times. Data were collected on plant height, Number of leaves, stem diameter, days to 50 % flowering, fruit length, fruit diameter, fresh fruit yield per plot, fresh fruit yield per hectare and dried fruit yield per hectare. The data on growth and yield parameters were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using Statistical Analysis System (SAS), (SAS, 2000) and means that showed significant differences were separated by F-test using Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The results revealed that weeding regimes significantly influenced plant height, number of leaves, and stem diameter, at 3, 6 and 9 WAS. On the response of phonological traits and yield components of okra, to weeding regimes and significant influences were observed in days to 50 % flowering, fruit length, fruit diameter, fresh fruit yield per plot, fresh fruit yield per hectare and dried fruit yield per hectare, accordingly. Treatment W4 performed significantly higher than the other treatments. The study therefore recommends 3 times weeding at an interval of 3 WAS to okra farmers in Mubi and its environs for optimum fruit yield.

Headteachers’ Instructional Leadership Practices: A Comparison of Public and Private Basic Schools in Two Selected Districts in Ghana

ABSTRACT This study compared headteachers’ instructional leadership practices in public and private basic schools in two selected districts in Ghana. The study used a quantitative cross-sectional survey design and a simple random sampling technique to invite 336 teacher participants. The research utilized the teacher version of Hallinger and Murphy’s Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS) as the research instrument and descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) as analytical tools. Results showed that headteachers in private basic schools enacted instructional leadership functions significantly higher than their counterparts in public basic schools. Among other things, headteachers in private basic schools framed and communicated school goals, supervised and evaluated instruction, monitored student progress, protected instructional time, and promoted teacher professional development significantly higher than headteachers in public basic schools. As the government of Ghana hopes to improve learners’ academic achievements in public basic schools, the study recommends that pragmatic strategies that could improve the instructional leadership practices of the headteachers should be implemented.

Social assets and the career intent of teachers serving students with extensive support needs.

Decades of research indicate social support is vital for retaining teachers. However, little is known about social support for teachers serving students with extensive support needs. The purpose of this study was to explore whether collective social assets (administrative support, colleague support, paraeducator support, school culture) were associated with retaining special education teachers (SETs) who serve students with extensive support needs (e.g., intellectual disability, autism). Stepwise regression analyses and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze survey data from SETs across the United States. Results showed that positive social supports are critical, and teachers serving students with autism reported the highest levels of social support in three of the four social assets categories. Implications for future research and practice are discussed, as well as a need to promote and better understand positive school culture as this variable weighed heavily across SETs.

Machine Learning-Driven Detection of Cross-Site Scripting Attacks

The ever-growing web application landscape, fueled by technological advancements, introduces new vulnerabilities to cyberattacks. Cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks pose a significant threat, exploiting the difficulty of distinguishing between benign and malicious scripts within web applications. Traditional detection methods struggle with high false-positive (FP) and false-negative (FN) rates. This research proposes a novel machine learning (ML)-based approach for robust XSS attack detection. We evaluate various models including Random Forest (RF), Logistic Regression (LR), Support Vector Machines (SVMs), Decision Trees (DTs), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), and ensemble learning. The models are trained on a real-world dataset categorized into benign and malicious traffic, incorporating feature selection methods like Information Gain (IG) and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for optimal performance. Our findings reveal exceptional accuracy, with the RF model achieving 99.78% and ensemble models exceeding 99.64%. These results surpass existing methods, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed approach in securing web applications while minimizing FPs and FNs. This research offers a significant contribution to the field of web application security by providing a highly accurate and robust ML-based solution for XSS attack detection.

Investigation of a solar-assisted methanol steam reforming system: Operational factor screening and computational fluid dynamics data-driven prediction

The development of solar-to-fuel technologies has received significant attention while facing the growing interest in clean energy production. To accurately evaluate and optimize the solar-assisted thermochemical hydrogen production process, a reliable prediction method that ensures stable accuracy is essential. We utilized a gray correlation analysis (GRA) and a multi-objective genetic algorithm (GA) model to optimize the operating parameters of a methanol steam reforming system. Computational fluid dynamics simulations provided the response values for key parameters, including reactant conversion rate, syngas product yield, and CO selectivity. Additionally, the Taguchi’s method and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed to assess the impact of operating parameters on these target outputs. The results demonstrate that the proposed GA-Back propagation neural networks (GA-BPNN) model significantly outperforms traditional prediction models in accuracy, exhibiting robustness and generalization. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of methanol conversion, hydrogen yield, and CO selectivity is 3.20 %, 4.69 % and 3.53 %. The GRA-GA-BPNN model shows a slight decline, while still maintains reliable prediction accuracy, with the MAPE value of 5.76 %, 5.11 %, and 10.4 %. This operational factor screening-based prediction model proves useful for large-scale data-driven predictions of solar thermochemical systems, especially under complex and variable external conditions and internal human interventions.

Genetic variability, diversity, and character association for dry fruit yield and quality in chili

ABSTRACT Despite the high nutritional value and extensive consumer preference for chili, productivity levels in India are significantly low. An experiment was carried out to study the variability, genetic diversity, and character association in 30 genotypes. Analysis of variance showed significant differences among genotypes for all the traits under study. A high magnitude of genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation, coupled with heritability and genetic advance, was observed for all the traits, except days to first flowering, days to first fruit set, and days to final harvest. Diversity analysis showed that the maximum intercluster distance was observed between clusters IX and XII. Results of correlation and path coefficient analysis indicated that number of fruits per plants, fruit length, fruit weight, green fruit yield per plant, number of seeds per fruit, days to first flowering, and days to final harvest were positively correlated with dry fruit yield. It is concluded that improvement in fruit yield in chili pepper could be achieved by selecting genotypes from clusters IX and XII as parents for hybridization, and traits as components that have positive effect on yield.

Effects of conservation agriculture technologies on soil macrofauna community attributes in rainfed agriculture system

AbstractInappropriate rainfed crop management, especially wrong tillage and crop residue management, led to reduce the diversity of soil biological quality, especially soil macrofauna community, in semiarid region. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of 5 year conservation agriculture operation techniques on the quality and the diversity indices of soil macrofauna community in the rainfed lands in the west of Iran. This experiment was carried out in the statistical format of split‐split plots based on a randomized completely block design with three replications. The main treatments include control or conventional tillage, compound tillage, chisel tillage, and direct cultivation (no tillage) with three sub‐treatments of plant residues (no residues, one‐third, and two‐thirds of plant residues) in rainfed wheat (Triticum aestivum) rotation with rainfed chickpea (Cicer arietinum). Changes in soil biological quality indicators, such as soil microbial respiration were measured. Also, the indicators related to the population of soil macrofauna, including biodiversity index, uniformity index, and species richness, were measured and the effect of treatments on the measured indicators were compared with the classical statistical method of analysis of variance and Duncan's mean comparison test. The results showed that conservation agricultural treatments, including no‐tillage treatment, have led to significant increase of 19% and 15% of macrofauna biodiversity index in wheat and chickpea, respectively. Also, keeping one‐third of the wheat residues has led to an 18% increase in the biodiversity index of the soil macrofauna during the evaluation period. Biodiversity index and taxonomic richness of soil macrofauna were generally higher in the years of wheat than chickpea, and on the contrary, the species uniformity index of soil macrofauna biological community was higher in chickpea than wheat.

Social Determinants of Health and Disparities in Spine Surgery: A Ten-Year Analysis of 8,565 Cases using Ensemble Machine Learning and Multilayer Perceptron

The influence of SDOH on spine surgery is poorly understood. Historically, researchers commonly focused on the isolated influences of race, insurance status, or income on healthcare outcomes. However, analysis of SDOH is becoming increasingly more nuanced as viewing social factors in aggregate rather than individually may offer more precise estimates of the impact of SDOH on healthcare delivery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of patient social history on length of stay (LOS) and readmission within 90 days following spine surgery using ensemble machine learning and multilayer perceptron. Retrospective chart review PATIENT SAMPLE: 8,565 elective and emergency spine surgery cases performed from 2013-2023 using our institution's database of longitudinally collected electronic medical record information. Patient LOS, discharge disposition, and rate of 90-day readmission. Ensemble machine learning and multilayer perceptron were employed to predict LOS and readmission within 90 days following spine surgery. All other subsequent statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 28. To further assess correlations among variables, Pearson's correlation tests and multivariate linear regression models were constructed. Independent sample t-tests, paired sample t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post-hoc Bonferroni and Tukey corrections, and Pearson's chi-squared test were applied where appropriate for analysis of continuous and categorical variables. Black patients demonstrated a greater LOS compared to white patients, but race and ethnicity were not significantly associated with 90-day readmission rates. Insured patients had a shorter LOS and lower readmission rates compared to non-insured patients, as did privately insured patients compared to publicly insured patients. Patients discharged home had lower LOS and lower readmission rates, compared to patients discharged to other facilities. Marriage decreased both LOS and readmission rates, underweight patients showcased increased LOS and readmission rates, and religion was shown to impact LOS and readmission rates. When utilizing patient social history, lab values, and medical history, machine learning determined the top 5 most-important variables for prediction of LOS -along with their respective feature importances-to be insurance status (0.166), religion (0.100), ICU status (0.093), antibiotic use (0.061), and case status: elective or urgent (0.055). The top 5 most-important variables for prediction of 90-day readmission-along with their respective feature importances-were insurance status (0.177), religion (0.123), discharge location (0.096), emergency case status (0.064), and history of diabetes (0.041). This study highlights that SDOH is influential in determining patient length of stay, discharge disposition, and likelihood of readmission following spine surgery. Machine learning was utilized to accurately predict LOS and 90-day readmission with patient medical history, lab values, and social history, as well as social history alone.

Desempenho agronômico de genótipos de trigo em manejo de fungicidas

The aim of this work was to demonstrate the agronomic response of wheat genotypes to fungicide management. The experiment took place at Escola Fazenda of the Regional University of the Northwest of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, located in the municipality of Augusto Pestana, RS, Brazil. The experimental design used was randomized blocks, organized in a factorial scheme, with four fungicide managements (Management I: no application; Management II: one fungicide application; Management III: two fungicide applications and Management IV: three fungicide applications) x seven cultivars of wheat (TBIO Audaz, ORS Madre Pérola, BRS Bela Joia, TBIO Ponteiro, TBIO Trunfo, OR Agile, TBIO Toruk), in two replications. Three meters wide and five meters long formed the experimental units, totaling 15 m2 per plot. Evaluation of each plot, morphological and productive wheat traits. Use of Tukey's test at 5% probability for analysis of variance and linear correlation analysis to verify linear relationships between pairs of characters. Application of principal component analysis and euclidean distance to verify associations between treatments. The TBIO Trunfo cultivar enhances ear length with two fungicide applications. The management of fungicides did not influence the grain yield of wheat cultivars. The cultivars TBIO Trunfo and ORS Madre Pérola present the highest productive performance. Ear weight and number of grains per ear can select wheat cultivars with higher grain yield indirectly.

Soluble CD44 in oral rinses for the early detection of cancer: a prospective cohort study in high-risk individuals

BackgroundThere are 54,000 new cases of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer in the United States and more than 476,000 worldwide each year. Oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma make up most tumors with five-year survival rates of 50% due to prevalence of late-stage diagnoses. Improved methods of early detection in high-risk individuals are urgently needed. We aimed to assess the tumorigenic biomarkers soluble CD44 (solCD44) and total protein (TP) measured using oral rinses as affordable convenient screening tools for cancer detection.MethodsIn this prospective cohort study, we recruited 150 healthy current or former smokers through a community screening program. Baseline and four annual visits were conducted from March 2011-January 2016 with records followed until August 2020. Participants provided oral rinses, received head and neck exams, and completed questionnaires. SolCD44 and TP levels were measured and compared across groups and time. Participants were placed in the cancer group if malignancy developed in the study period, the suspicious group if physical exams were concerning for premalignant disease or cancer in the head and neck, and the healthy group if there were no suspicious findings. This analysis used two-sample t-test for comparison of means and two-sample Wilcoxon Test for comparison of medians. For subjects with follow-ups, estimated means of biomarkers were obtained from a fitted Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (RANOVA) model including group, visit, and their interaction. Pairwise comparisons of mean solCD44 were made, including intergroup and intragroup comparison of values at different years.ResultsMost participants were males (58.7%), < 60 years of age. (90.7%), and Black (100%). Baseline mean solCD44 was elevated (2.781 ng/ml) in the cancer group compared to the suspicious group (1.849 ng/ml) and healthy group (1.779 ng/ml).ConclusionThis study supports the feasibility of a CD44-based oral rinse test as an affordable and convenient adjunctive tool for early detection of aerodigestive tract and other cancers in high-risk populations.