Rank Correlation Coefficient Rho Research Articles

The Strong Correlation Between Multiple Births and Preterm Birth Rates in Greece From 1991 to 2022.

Background This study aims to investigate the correlation between the rising preterm birth rate (PBR) in Greece from 1991 to 2022 and the incidence of multiple births. Methodology Official data on live births in Greece from 1991 to 2022 were sourced from the Hellenic Statistical Authority. The PBR, defined as the number of live births occurring at <37 gestational weeks, and the multiple birth rate (MBR), representing live births from multifetal gestations, were calculated per 100 total live births. The relationship between the PBR and the MBR was evaluated using the non-parametric Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rho). This association was confirmed through linear regression models, with MBR as the independent variable and PBR as the dependent variable, calculating the beta coefficient (β) and the coefficient of determination (R-squared). Results A very strong direct positive correlation was identified between PBR and MBR throughout the study period, with a Spearman's rho of 0.950 (p < 0.001). This conclusion was further supported by the linear regression model, which yielded a β coefficient of 3.32 (95% confidence interval = 2.78 to 3.86, p < 0.001). The R-squared was 0.838, indicating that the change in MBR explained 83.8% of the rise in PBR. The strongest correlations were observed for moderate PBR (32-33 weeks) with a rho of 0.962 (p < 0.001) and late PBR (34-36 weeks) with a rho of 0.940 (p < 0.001). During the period of a steep increase in prematurity rates in the country (1991-2011), an almost perfect correlation between PBR and MBR (rho = 0.987, p < 0.001) was noted. However, in recent years (2011-2022), characterized by a marginal increase in PBR, this association diminished, with a rho of 0.655 (p = 0.021). Conclusions This analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between the PBR and MBR in Greece from 1991 to 2022, underscoring the significant impact of multiple pregnancies on the substantial increase in preterm births within the Greek population.

Infodemiology and Infoveillance of the Four Most Widespread Arbovirus Diseases in Italy.

The purpose of this observational study was to evaluate the potential epidemiological trend of arboviral diseases most reported in Italy by the dedicated national surveillance system (ISS data) compared to searches on the internet, assessing whether a correlation/association between users' searches in Google and Wikipedia and real cases exists. The study considers a time interval from June 2012 to December 2023. We used the following Italian search terms: "Virus Toscana", "Virus del Nilo occidentale" (West Nile Virus in English), "Encefalite trasmessa da zecche" (Tick Borne encephalitis in English), and "Dengue". We overlapped Google Trends and Wikipedia data to perform a linear regression and correlation analysis. Statistical analyses were performed using Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) or Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rho) as appropriate. All the correlations between the ISS data and Wikipedia or GT exhibited statistical significance. The correlations were strong for Dengue GT and ISS (rho = 0.71) and TBE GT and ISS (rho = 0.71), while the remaining correlations had values of r and rho between 0.32 and 0.67, showing a moderate temporal correlation. The observed correlations and regression models provide a foundation for future research, encouraging a more nuanced exploration of the dynamics between digital information-seeking behavior and disease prevalence.

#1964 Diagnosis performance of urine oxalate/creatinine ratio for hyperoxaluria screening

Abstract Background and Aims Primary and secondary hyperoxaluria is characterized by significantly elevated urinary oxalate levels, increased risk of kidney stones, nephrocalcinosis, and chronic kidney disease. Patients with enteric hyperoxaluria are especially at high-risk populations. However, identifying hyperoxaluric individuals within these populations remains challenging due to difficulties in obtaining complete urine collections. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the urine oxalate/creatinine ratio to improve the screening of hyperoxaluria. Method We pooled data from an adult tertiary renal exploration center, including living donors, short bowel syndrome patients, bariatric surgery patients, and individuals with nephrolithiasis or other nephrological issues undergoing 24-hour urine analysis. We assessed the relationship between the urine oxalate/creatinine ratio and 24-hour oxalate excretion. The diagnostic performance of the ratio was analyzed using ROC curves, and an optimal diagnostic threshold was established. Results Of the 1485 initially included adult patients reported in Table 1, 37% lacked complete urine collections, resulting in a study population of 974 individuals (453 females, 521 males, median age 48 years, median renal function 97 ml/min/1.73 m²). Nineteen percent had hyperoxaluria, with a higher prevalence in females (25% vs. 13% in males). Median 24-hour oxaluria was 548 (432,740) µmol/d in the diseased group and 244 (188,309) µmol/d in the healthy group. A strong correlation (Spearman's rank correlation rho= 0.8, p &amp;lt; 0.001) was found between the urine oxalate/creatinine ratio and 24-hour oxalate excretion. ROC curves for both genders exhibited similar performance, with an optimal threshold for the entire population yielding an AUC of 0.97 (0.962-0.981). The diagnostic threshold for maximum sensitivity was an oxalate/creatinine ratio of 0.025 mmol/mmol (Sensitivity = 1, Specificity = 0.65, PPV = 0.4, NPV = 1), while for maximum specificity, it was an oxalate/creatinine 0.074 mmol/mmol (Sensitivity= 0.31, Specificity = 1, PPV = 1, NPV = 0.862). The optimal diagnostic threshold chosen by the minimum distance from the left-upper corner was an oxalate/creatinine 0.034 mmol/mmol (Sensitivity= 0.92, Specificity = 0.91, PPV = 0.69, NPV = 0.98) (Fig. 1). Conclusion The urine oxalate/creatinine ratio demonstrates excellent diagnostic performance and is efficient in screening hyperoxaluric patients within high-risk populations. However, the positive predictive value is insufficient to be a standalone reliable diagnostic test. Therefore, 24-hour urine oxalate measurement remains necessary for diagnosis.

Position of Fovea Palatinae relative to the vibrating line in various soft palate classifications among Jordanian edentulous population

This study aims to examine the relationship between the locations of Fovea Palatinae and the posterior vibrating line in different classes of soft palate angulation (House Classification), accordingly determine its reliability as a landmark and a tool for determining the posterior limit of the maxillary complete denture. 280 completely edentulous patients with normal healthy mucosa from both genders were randomly selected. The House classification of the soft palate angulation was identified and recorded as Class I, II, or III. Phonation was used to determine the position of the vibrating line. The Fovea Palatinae was then marked. Then, the distance between the Fovea Palatinae and the vibrating line was measured and recorded. Finally, the relative position of the Fovea Palatinae to the vibrating line was recorded as being anterior, posterior, or on the vibrating line. The Chi Square test, the effect size measures (Eta and Cramer’s V tests), The Spearman’s Rho rank correlation test, and multinominal logistic regression analysis were utilized to analyse the data. House classification percentages were measured among people whose Fovea Palatinae was detectable; Class II palate was the most prevalent (47.14%), followed by Class I (43.93%), and then Class III (8.93%). Based on vibrating line position, 129 (58%) had a vibrating line anterior to Fovea Palatinae, 57 (26%) on the Fovea Palatinae, 36 (16%) posterior to Fovea Palatinae, and in 58 (21%) Fovea Palatinae were not detected. The mean distance between the vibrating line and Fovea Palatinae was 3.66 ± 1.6 mm anteriorly and 2.97 ± 1.36 mm posteriorly. No significant differences were found between males and females in regard to House classification and vibrating line position. The odds of having the fovea posterior to the vibrating line would increase by 5% for each year increase in the age (P = 0.035, odds ratio = 1.050). Class II House classification of the soft palate was found to be the most prevalent among the study participants. Also, the vibrating line was anterior to the Fovea Palatinae in the majority of cases. The odds of having the fovea posterior to the vibrating line would increase by age. The Fovea Palatinae could be considered a useful guide for locating the vibrating line.

Trends in Burdens of Disease by Transmission Source (USA, 2005–2020) and Hazard Identification for Foods: Focus on Milkborne Disease

BackgroundRobust solutions to global, national, and regional burdens of communicable and non-communicable diseases, particularly related to diet, demand interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary collaborations to effectively inform risk analysis and policy decisions.ObjectiveU.S. outbreak data for 2005–2020 from all transmission sources were analyzed for trends in the burden of infectious disease and foodborne outbreaks.MethodsOutbreak data from 58 Microsoft Access® data tables were structured using systematic queries and pivot tables for analysis by transmission source, pathogen, and date. Trends were examined using graphical representations, smoothing splines, Spearman’s rho rank correlations, and non-parametric testing for trend. Hazard Identification was conducted based on the number and severity of illnesses.ResultsThe evidence does not support increasing trends in the burden of infectious foodborne disease, though strongly increasing trends were observed for other transmission sources. Morbidity and mortality were dominated by person-to-person transmission; foodborne and other transmission sources accounted for small portions of the disease burden. Foods representing the greatest hazards associated with the four major foodborne bacterial diseases were identified. Fatal foodborne disease was dominated by fruits, vegetables, peanut butter, and pasteurized dairy.ConclusionThe available evidence conflicts with assumptions of zero risk for pasteurized milk and increasing trends in the burden of illness for raw milk. For future evidence-based risk management, transdisciplinary risk analysis methodologies are essential to balance both communicable and non-communicable diseases and both food safety and food security, considering scientific, sustainable, economic, cultural, social, and political factors to support health and wellness for humans and ecosystems.

Clinical validation of the self-reported 6-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D6-SR) among inpatients

BackgroundBrief and valid patient-rated symptom scales represent a valuable addition to clinician-rated scales for assessing depression. Studies on the psychometric properties of the self-rated 6-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D6-SR) have shown promising results for outpatients with depression. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the HAM-D6-SR among inpatients using the clinician-rated 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD17) as the gold standard. MethodsInpatients with unipolar or bipolar depression completed the HAM-D6-SR and were subsequently rated on the HAM-D17 by trained raters, who were blind to the HAM-D6-SR ratings. The pairs of HAM-D6-SR and HAM-D17 ratings were completed twice during admission to evaluate responsiveness over time. Agreement between the HAM-D6-SR and the clinician-rated HAM-D17–derived HAM-D6 was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Responsiveness was evaluated by means of the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rho). ResultsA total of 102 participants completed the HAM-D6-SR at least once (median age: 41 years; 66 % females). The ICC for the HAM-D6-SR and the HAM-D17–derived HAM-D6 was 0.60 (95%CI = 0.30–0.76), with the ICC at the item level ranging from 0.13 (Psychomotor retardation) to 0.75 (Depressed mood). The correlation between the changes in the baseline–endpoint total scores on the HAM-D6-SR and HAM-D17-derived HAM-D6 was rho = 0.59 (p < 0.001). LimitationsTest-retest reliability and structural validity were not evaluated. ConclusionsThe HAM-D6-SR holds promise as a valid self-report of core depressive symptoms among inpatients and may aid treatment decisions. However, the validity of self-reported psychomotor retardation was poor.

Spine-specific sarcopenia: distinguishing paraspinal muscle atrophy from generalized sarcopenia

BACKGROUND CONTEXTAtrophy of the paraspinal musculature (PM) as well as generalized sarcopenia are increasingly reported as important parameters for clinical outcomes in the field of spine surgery. Despite growing awareness and potential similarities between both conditions, the relationship between “generalized” and “spine-specific” sarcopenia is unclear. PURPOSETo investigate the association between generalized and spine-specific sarcopenia. STUDY DESIGNRetrospective cross-sectional study. PATIENT SAMPLEPatients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion surgery for degenerative spinal pathologies. OUTCOME MEASURESGeneralized sarcopenia was evaluated with the short physical performance battery (SPPB), grip strength, and the psoas index, while spine-specific sarcopenia was evaluated by measuring fatty infiltration (FI) of the PM. METHODSWe used custom software written in MATLAB® to calculate the FI of the PM. The correlation between FI of the PM and assessments of generalized sarcopenia was calculated using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rho). The strength of the correlation was evaluated according to established cut-offs: negligible: 0–0.3, low: 0.3–0.5, moderate: 0.5–0.7, high: 0.7–0.9, and very high≥0.9. In a Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis, the Area Under the Curve (AUC) of sarcopenia assessments to predict severe multifidus atrophy (FI≥50%) was calculated. In a secondary analysis, factors associated with severe multifidus atrophy in nonsarcopenic patients were analyzed. RESULTSA total of 125 (43% female) patients, with a median age of 63 (IQR 55–73) were included. The most common surgical indication was lumbar spinal stenosis (79.5%). The median FI of the multifidus was 45.5% (IQR 35.6–55.2). Grip strength demonstrated the highest correlation with FI of the multifidus and erector spinae (rho=-0.43 and -0.32, p<.001); the other correlations were significant (p<.05) but lower in strength. In the AUC analysis, the AUC was 0.61 for the SPPB, 0.71 for grip strength, and 0.72 for the psoas index. The latter two were worse in female patients, with an AUC of 0.48 and 0.49. Facet joint arthropathy (OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.11–1.47, p=.001) and foraminal stenosis (OR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.10–2.23, p=.015) were independently associated with severe multifidus atrophy in our secondary analysis. CONCLUSIONOur study demonstrates a low correlation between generalized and spine-specific sarcopenia. These findings highlight the risk of misdiagnosis when relying on screening tools for general sarcopenia and suggest that general and spine-specific sarcopenia may have distinct etiologies.

Infodemiology and infoveillance: framework for contagious exanthematous diseases, of childhood in Italy

ABSTRACT Background Contagious exanthematous diseases are becoming a major public health problem. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential epidemiological trend of four infectious exanthematous diseases in Italy through the searches on the internet. Methods We used the following Italian search term: ‘Sesta malattia’ (Sixth Disease, in English), ‘Eritema Infettivo’ (also knows ‘Quinta malattia’ in Italian; Fifth Disease in English), ‘Quarta malattia’ (Fourth Disease in English) and ‘Scarlattina’ (Scarlet fever in English). We overlapped Google Trends and Wikipedia data to perform a linear regression and correlation analysis. Statistical analyses were performed using the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (rho). The study period is between July 2015 and December 2022 Results The diseases considered have a seasonal trend and the search peaks between GT and Wikipedia overlap. A temporal correlation was observed between GT and Wikipedia search trends. Google Trends Internet search data showed strong correlation with Wikipedia with a rho statistically significant for Fifth disease (rho = 0.78), Fourth disease (rho = 0.76) and Scarlet-fever (rho = 0.77), moderate correlation for Sixth disease (rho = 0.32). Conclusions Infectious disease searches using Google and Wikipedia can be useful for public health surveillance and help policy makers implement prevention and information programs for the population, in addition to the fact that increases in searches could represent an early warning in the detection of outbreaks.

Stress experienced by dental students performing clinical training in different dental disciplines: a cross-sectional study.

To assess the stress level, the impact of stress factors, and discrepancies between fourth- and fifth-year undergraduate clinical students at the University of Jordan. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the academic year 2022/2023. The study group included fourth- and fifth-year dental students at the University of Jordan (n = 382) who were asked to voluntarily fill in an online dental environment stress (DES) questionnaire. Analysis was conducted using Mann-Whitney U test, independent t-test, χ2 test, and Spearman ρ rank correlations. Statistical significance was inferred when P < .05. Fourth-year students reported higher levels of nervousness before treating patients for the first time. Fifth-year students faced more difficulty, higher stress, and/or fear regarding the amount of assigned work, provided treatment, completed requirements, failing the course, time to finish assignments, patient comprehensive care, and financial expenses of the course. Comparison between groups revealed that the fifth-year students scored higher levels of stress on the total DES score and all partial DES scores. Furthermore, the total DES questionnaire scores were significantly correlated with grade point average (GPA) among the total study sample and the prosthodontics clinical course marks among the fourth-year students' group. The stress level among students in clinical courses was influenced by their academic performance, gender, year level, and the type and time needed for the provided treatment. Completing course requirements was among the most commonly faced stressors. Future research endeavors might be considered to study each clinical factor, its impact on students' stress level, and how to manage and positively improve these factors.

Empty Nest Syndrome: Loneliness and Social Support among Middle-aged Parents

This study explored the dynamics of empty nest syndrome and its relationships with middle-aged parents' feelings of loneliness and the need for social support. As the Philippines was known for having this kind of family values, this study explored the different psychological impacts on Filipino parents when their child or children moved out of their nest. This study also aimed to provide a more thorough knowledge of how individuals navigated this transition, which could ultimately direct the creation of solutions to support middle-aged parents in thriving as they got used to the "empty nest" stage. This study utilized the explanatory-sequential mixed method design. Middle-aged parents (40-64 years old) living in specific municipalities of Laguna were the respondents/participants of the study. The sampling method used was convenience and purposeful homogenous sampling, and G*Power was used to compute the suggested sample size. 74 respondents were gathered for the quantitative phase, and 5 participants for the qualitative phase. Two adopted tests were used for quantitative data gathering, and a researcher-made interview guide was used for the qualitative phase. Statistical tools used were frequency distribution, percentage, weighted mean, and Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient or Spearman rho. Thematic analysis was also used in the qualitative aspect of the study. Results showed that middle-aged parents experiencing empty nest syndrome had a low level of loneliness (mean score 1.96) and received high social support (mean score 5.76). A significant negative correlation (r = -0.680, p &lt; 0.001) existed between social support and loneliness, indicating that increased social support reduced loneliness. The lived experiences of these parents revealed themes such as sadness, coping strategies like social media and spiritual interventions, emotional support from friends, adaptation to social changes, maintaining relationships, and adjusting to new parental roles.

Target-controlled infusion: A comparative, prospective, observational study of the conventional TCI pump and the novel smartphone-based application iTIVA.

Empirically adjusted, standard drug doses fail to address interindividual pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics variability. Target-controlled infusion (TCI) delivers drugs in calibrated boluses to achieve and maintain a selected target plateau drug level (plasma or effect site). Interactive total intravenous anesthesia (iTIVA™) smartphone software simulates TCI and employs 31 established pharmacokinetic models for 11 different intravenous agents and is coupled with standard volumetric infusion pumps for administering TCI. This prospective, observational, study investigates the degree of agreement between iTIVA and a conventional TCI pump (CTP) for the volume of propofol infused using the Schnider pharmacokinetic model in adult patients of either sex undergoing oncosurgery lasting 1-3 h under total intravenous anesthesia. Bland-Altman analysis of 124 data pairs from 30 patients provided bias, precision, and limits of agreement between the volumes infused by CTP and iTIVA (V-CTP and V-iTIVA) during specific identical time periods. Spearman's rho and Kendall's tau rank correlation coefficients provided the degree of association between V-CTP and V-iTIVA. Spearman's rho and Kendall's tau were 0.996 and 0.964, respectively. Bias or the mean of differences was -0.02, while the limits of agreement were 0.58 and -0.63, respectively (Bland-Altman plot). The maximum allowed difference of 2 ml was much larger than the 95% confidence intervals for the limits of agreement. The Mountain plot was short tailed (-1.28 to 1.55) and centred over zero (0.01). The volume of propofol infused using TCI pump was similar to that calculated by iTIVA in identical time periods, confirming the clinical applicability of iTIVA.

SERS spectroscopy as a tool for the study of thiopurine drug pharmacokinetics in a model of human B leukemia cells

Thiopurine drugs are immunomodulatory antimetabolites relevant for pediatric patients characterized by dose-dependent adverse effects such as myelosuppression and hepatotoxicity, often related to inter-individual differences, involving the activity of important enzymes at the basis of their biotransformation, such as thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT).Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) spectroscopy is emerging as a bioanalytical tool and represents a valid alternative in terms of affordable costs, shorter analysis time and easier sample preparation in comparison to the most employed methods for pharmacokinetic analysis of drugs.The aim of this study is to investigate mercaptopurine and thioguanine pharmacokinetics by SERS in cell lysates of a B-lymphoblastoid cell line (NALM-6), that did (TPMT*1) or did not (MOCK) overexpress the wild-type form of TPMT as an in vitro cellular lymphocyte model to discriminate between cells with different levels of TPMT activity on the base of the amount of thioguanosine nucleotides (TGN) metabolites formed.SERS analysis of the cell lysates was carried out using SERS substrates constituted by Ag nanoparticles deposited on paper and parallel samples were used for quantification of thiopurine nucleotides with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).A direct SERS detection method has been set up that could be a tool to study thiopurine drug pharmacokinetics in in vitro cellular models to qualitatively discriminate between cells that do and do not overexpress the TPMT enzyme, as an alternative to other more laborious techniques.Results underlined decreased levels of TGN and increased levels of methylated metabolites when TPMT was overexpressed, both after mercaptopurine and thioguanine treatments.A strong positive correlation (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient rho = 0.96) exists between absolute quantification of TGMP (pmol/1 x 106 cells), obtained by LC-MS/MS, and SERS signal (intensity of TGN at 915 cm−1).In future studies, we aim to apply this method to investigate TPMT activity in pediatric patients’ leukocytes.

B-025 Evaluation of Bias Between Alzheimer’s Disease Blood-Based Biomarkers Assays and Their Concordance With Amyloid-PET on the Fujirebio Lumipulse and Quanterix Simoa Platforms

Abstract Background Blood-based biomarkers (BBBs) are a growing area of study for improving Alzheimer’s disease (AD) clinical evaluation. BBBs have been demonstrated to correlate with AD CSF biomarkers as well as neuroimaging results for assessment of amyloid pathology. Currently BBBs may be used as a screening tool for patient selection in clinical trials, and alongside more well characterized biomarkers like amyloid-PET and CSF markers for evaluation of individuals presenting with cognitive impairment. A comparative study of several AD BBBs assays was performed to assess bias between two platforms, as well as correlation to markers of amyloid pathology. Methods The study included 146 plasma samples from 112 cognitively normal (CN), and 34 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or AD dementia individuals. Plasma Aβ42, Aβ40, and pTau181 concentrations were obtained using the Fujirebio Lumipulse and Quanterix Simoa immunoassays. Assay comparison between Fujirebio and Quanterix were performed for Aβ42, Aβ40, Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio, pTau181, and pTau181/Aβ42 ratio using Passing-Bablok regression and regression slopes were obtained. Amyloid-PET was performed using Pittsburg Compound B, and a standard uptake value ratio (SUVR) of 1.48 was used to classify amyloid status. In the CN group, 69 were amyloid negative, and 43 were amyloid positive. In the MCI/AD dementia group, 8 were amyloid negative and 26 were amyloid positive. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (rho) was used to determine correlation between assays and correlation of each with Amyloid-PET SUVRs. Results Between Fujirebio (y) and Quanterix (x) assays, measured Aβ42 and Aβ40 concentrations showed a large bias with y = 5.23x − 14.25, and y = 4.42x − 264.87, respectively. A moderate to strong correlation was observed between assays for Aβ42 and Aβ40 with rho values of 0.641 (P &amp;lt; 0.0001), and 0.498 (P &amp;lt; 0.0001), respectively. The ratio of Aβ42/Aβ40 corrected this bias with y = 0.96x + 0.03 and rho = 0.509 (P &amp;lt; 0.0001). pTau181 showed little bias between methods with y = 0.92x + 0.48, and a rho = 0.592 (P &amp;lt; 0.0001). However, the pTau181/Aβ42 ratio showed a large bias driven mostly by differences in the Aβ42 concentrations with y = 0.27x + 0.04 and rho = 0.574 (P &amp;lt; 0.0001). Quanterix assay results correlated with amyloid-PET SUVR yielded rho coefficients of AB42/40 ratio = −0.219 (P = 0.079), pTau181 = 0.380 (P &amp;lt; 0.0001), and pTau181/Aβ42 ratio = 0.466 (P &amp;lt; 0.0001). Fujirebio assay results correlated with amyloid-PET SUVR showed AB42/40 ratio rho = −0.551 (P &amp;lt; 0.0001), pTau181 rho = 0.370 (P &amp;lt; 0.0001), and pTau181/Aβ42 ratio rho = 0.391 (P &amp;lt; 0.0001). Conclusion This study demonstrates that some BBBs methods differ significantly between manufacturers. Little bias was observed between the Aβ42/Aβ40 and pTau181 determinations for the evaluated platforms; however, significant bias was observed in Aβ42, Aβ40, and the pTau181/Aβ42 ratio. The Fujirebio platform demonstrated stronger correlation of the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio with amyloid-PET SUVR, while Quanterix showed better correlation of the pTau181/Aβ42 ratio. The pTau181 assays showed similar correlation to amyloid-PET SUVR. Bias between assays as well as clinical correlation differences may preclude the generalization of clinical performance of AD BBBs assays between platforms.

COVID-19 in Infants and Children under 2 Years-Could Lung Ultrasound Score Be Correlated with Biomarkers and Symptoms?

It is already well known that infants and children infected with COVID-19 develop mild to moderate forms of the disease, with fever and oropharyngeal congestion being the most common symptoms. However, there are instances when patients claim to be experiencing respiratory symptoms. Because of the repeated lung examinations required in these situations, non-irradiating imaging techniques are preferred. This study's objective is to ascertain the value of lung ultrasonography (LUS) in the medical management of these specific cases. Infants and children under two years old with SARS-CoV-2 infection were evaluated using LUS. Patients with other respiratory pathologies were excluded by using specific tests. The LUS score (LUSS) was correlated with biomarkers and clinical findings using the Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman's rank correlation rho. The LUSS for each patient varied from 1 to 8 points out of a maximum of 36 points. The arithmetic mean was 4.47 ± 2.36 (S.D), while the 95% CI for the arithmetic mean was 3.33 to 5.61. Sparse B-lines were present in all enrolled infants and children (100%), while only 36.84% developed alveolar syndrome (confluent B-lines). The lung changes were correlated with their biomarkers, specifically inflammatory markers. The correlation between LUSS and LDH, D-dimers, and IL-6 was a strongly positive one with rho = 0.55 (p = 0.001, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.80) between the LUSS and D-dimer levels and rho = 0.60 (p = 0.03, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.87) between LUSS and D-dimer levels at symptomatic infants and children (with respiratory involvement). Infants and children under the age of two are prone to develop mild forms of COVID-19 disease with a B-line pattern on LUS, although inflammatory markers have elevated blood levels. Despite the small sample, D-dimer levels and O2 saturation were correlated with LUSS in patients with respiratory involvement, while similar results were also found in the entire lot.

Parental perception of paediatric lower urinary tract dysfunction during the COVID‐19 shutdown

AbstractWe aimed to investigate how staying at home and stress from the pandemic shutdown impacts lower urinary tract symptoms in paediatric patients. The COVID‐19 pandemic shut down most of the world in March 2020. In the state of Virginia, a mandatory Stay‐at‐Home order was issued requiring students to participate in school from home. Paediatric patients often have difficulty complying with standard urotherapy while at school, with timed voiding being particularly hard to maintain. To our knowledge, only one other study investigated lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) in children during the COVID‐19 shutdown. This study compared lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in paediatric patients seen in their bladder dysfunction clinic for their initial 6 months of treatment during the shutdown to patients treated before the shutdown. Of the studies available that examine how the school environment effects lower urinary tract symptoms, all show a lack of education among teachers and school nurses, classroom rules that oppose adherence to standard urotherapy, and facilities that are often inadequate and unhygienic. Stress is known to have a bidirectional effect on LUTD, so we also investigated the effect of parental stress from the shutdown on LUTD. Parents of patients followed in our bladder dysfunction clinic were given a survey to evaluate the use of a timed voiding regimen, improvement in LUTS and perceived parental stress during the COVID shut down of 2020. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rho) was calculated to measure the correlation of the survey responses. We received 42 responses from 202 surveys administered (20.8%). Only 21.4% of respondents maintained timed voiding while at home, despite 78.6% indicating improved bathroom access. A small number (4.8%) indicated total resolution of voiding symptoms. Half of the respondents (50%) indicated some degree of improvement in LUTS, though almost the entire remaining population saw no change in their symptoms (42.9%). Only a very small number indicated slightly worse LUTS (7.1%) and none indicated that symptoms were much worse. There was no correlation between dysfunctional voiding scoring system (DVSS) scores and improvement in bathroom access. There was a moderate correlation between perceived parental stress and their child's DVSS score, Rho = 0.54 p = 0.0002. Additionally, DVSS scores were weakly, negatively correlated with improvement in LUTS, Rho = −0.3 p = 0.047. Despite the majority of parents perceiving increased access to bathrooms during the Stay‐at‐Home order, a minority of patients were maintained on timed voiding regimens while at home. About half of parents still indicated some degree of improvement in their child's LUTS. There was a correlation between parental stress and their child's dysfunctional voiding score. This survey highlights that the relationship between timed voiding, bathroom access, and severity of LUTS is complex and compliance with timed voiding remains a challenge to adhere to.

Digital epidemiology and infodemiology of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) in Italy. Disease trend assessment via Google and Wikipedia.

The study aimed to evaluate the epidemiological trend of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Italy using data on Internet search volume. A cross-sectional study design was used. Data on Internet searches were obtained from Google Trends (GT) and Wikipedia. We used the following Italian search term: "Malattia mano-piede-bocca" (Hand-foot-mouth disease, in English). A monthly time-frame was extracted, partly overlapping, from July 2015 to December 2022. GT and Wikipedia were overlapped to perform a linear regression and correlation analyses. Statistical analyses were performed using the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rho). A linear regression analysis was performed considering Wikipedia and GT. Search peaks for both Wikipedia and GT occurred in the months November-December during the autumn-winter season and in June during the spring-summer season, except for the period from June 2020 to June 2021, probably due to the restrictions of the COVID19 pandemic. A temporal correlation was observed between GT and Wikipedia search trends. This is the first study in Italy that attempts to clarify the epidemiology of HFMD. Google search and Wikipedia can be valuable for public health surveillance; however, to date, digital epidemiology cannot replace the traditional surveillance system.

Relationship between sonorheometry parameters and laboratory values in a critical care setting in Italy: a retrospective cohort study.

This preliminary retrospective cohort study analyzed the relationship between the parameters provided by sonorheometry device Quantra and the coagulation values obtained from standard venous blood samples in patients admitted in intensive care unit (ICU). We reviewed medical charts of 13 ICU adult patients in whom at least one coagulation study with Quantra was performed. The relationship between Quantra and laboratory data was analyzed with the Spearman rank correlation coefficient (rho). The 95% confidence interval (CI) was computed. A P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. We collected 28 data pairs. Statistically significant moderate correlations were found for the following parameters: clot time (CT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (rho=0.516; 95% CI, 0.123-0.904; P=0.009; clot stiffness (CS) and the international normalized ratio (INR; rho=0.418; 95% CI, 0.042-0.787; P=0.039); INR and platelet contribution to CS (rho=0.459; 95% CI, 0.077-0.836; P=0.022); platelet count and platelet contribution to CS (PCS; rho=0.498; 95% CI, 0.166-0.825; P=0.008); and fibrinogen and fibrinogen contribution to CS (FCS; rho=0.620; 95% CI, 0.081-0.881; P=0.001). Quantra can provide useful information regarding coagulation status, showing modest correlations with the parameters obtained from laboratory tests. During diffuse bleeding, CT and FCS values can guide the proper administration of clotting factors and fibrinogens. However, the correlation of INR with CS and PCS can cause misinterpretation. Further studies are needed to clarify the relationship between Quantra parameters and laboratory tests in the critical care setting and the role of sonorheometry in guiding targeted therapies and improving outcomes.

The mediating role of perceived social support: alexithymia and parental burnout in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder.

Parental burnout is a concept that reflects the emotional exhaustion and emotional distance of parents from children due to their inability to cope with the pressure of parenting. It has been confirmed that parents of autistic children are at higher risk for parental burnout. Additional research has suggested a relationship between parental burnout and parents' personality traits. However, the relationship between alexithymia, an independent personality factor, with parental burnout is little to none. To look into the connection between parental burnout and alexithymia among parents of autistic children. Three hundred and one parents were approached for recruitment and data were collected from 203 parents through a cross-sectional survey assessing parental burnout, alexithymia status, and perceived social support. Because the data is not normally distributed, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient rho(p) was used to assess the correlation between the variables; and then using AMOS to analyze the mediating effects of perceived social support and the moderating effect of gender. The result showed that (1) There is a negative association between alexithymia with parental burnout (β = 0.6, p < 0.01), while perceive social support was the negative predictor of alexithymia (β = -0.45, p < 0.01) and parental burnout (β = -0.26, p < 0.01); (2) perceive social support partially mediated the relationship between alexithymia and parental burnout of parents of autistic children, which can explain 16.3% of the total effect; (3) Gender plays a moderating role in the first half of the indirect effect of alexithymia on parental burnout, as evidenced by the significant difference in path coefficients between the male and female models (male: β = -0.10, p < 0.05; female: β = -0.60, p < 0.05). Health professionals and policymakers should be aware of parental burnout among parents of autistic children in China and take early intervention steps. Furthermore, they should recognize the negative impact of alexithymia and the positive impact of social support when developing plans to alleviate parental burnout in children with autism, with a particular focus on mothers with alexithymia, who are more likely to experience low social support and burnout than fathers with alexithymia.

The evaluation of asthma by gender and age groups in Turkey, in 1990-2019: incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and prevalence of asthma, asthma-related DALYs and deaths, and risk factors for asthma by genders and age groups during the study years in Turkey. Methods: The data used in the study were obtained from the estimation data prepared by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation on asthma for Turkey by the global burden of disease study covering the years 1990-2019. During the study years period, death from asthma and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) were used as dependent variables. In addition, the effects of Occupational Asthmagens (OA), Smoking (SM), and High Body Mass Index (HBMI), which are known as risk factors for asthma-related deaths and DALYs, were investigated. Comparisons of the variables according to gender and age groups were made with the Mann-Whitney test. The relationships between the variables were examined with the Spearman rank correlation coefficient (Rho). Results: A statistically significant difference was found between the mean rank of total prevalence number, total incidence number, total number of deaths and DALYs scores by gender. Asthma-related deaths due to risk factors (OA, HBMI, SM) were found to be correlated with DALYs and the total number of asthma deaths. Total asthma deaths, and asthma-related deaths because of HBMI and DALYs because of HBMI-induced asthma in women; deaths from asthma because of OA, SM, and DALYs from asthma because of OA and SM were found to be higher in males. Conclusion: HBMI in women and SM and OA in men stand out as risk factors. Therefore, as a result of a detailed investigation of the risk factors leading to the development of asthma, policies should be developed for gender and age groups, and necessary precautions should be taken.

Impact on online research on celebrities' uncommon diseases: the curious case of Justin Bieber and Ramsay Hunt syndrome.

We investigated how to use Internet user searches to gauge the impact of a celebrity illness on global public interest. The study design is cross-sectional. Data on Internet searches were obtained from Google Trends (GT) for the period between 2017-2022 using the search words "Ramsay Hunt syndrome" (RHS), "Ramsay Hunt syndrome type 2," "Herpes zoster," and "Justin Bieber." The frequency of specific page views for "Ramsay Hunt syndrome," "Ramsay Hunt syndrome type 1," Ramsay Hunt syndrome type 2," Ramsay Hunt syndrome type 3," "Herpes zoster," and "Justin Bieber" were collected via a Wikipedia analysis tool that shows the number of times a specific page is viewed. Statistical analyses were performed using the Pearson (r) and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rho). GT data, in 2022, show a strong correlation for Justin Bieber and RHS or RHS type 2 (r = 0.75); similarly, Wikipedia data show a strong correlation for Justin Bieber and the others explored terms (r > 0.75). Furthermore, the correlation was strong between GT and Wikipedia for RHS (rho = 0.89) and RHS type 2 (rho = 0.88). The peak search times for the GT and Wikipedia pages were during the same period. Useful new tools and analyses of Internet traffic data may be effective in assessing the impact of announced celebrity uncommon illnesses on global public interest.