Bayesian consensus clustering for multivariate longitudinal data

In clinical and epidemiological studies, there is a growing interest in studying the heterogeneity among patients based on longitudinal characteristics to identify subtypes of the study population. Compared to clustering a single longitudinal marker, simultaneously clustering multiple longitudinal markers allow additional information to be incorporated into the clustering process, which reveals co-existing longitudinal patterns and generates deeper biological insight. In the current study, we propose a Bayesian consensus clustering (BCC) model for multivariate longitudinal data. Instead of arriving at a single overall clustering, the proposed model allows each marker to follow marker-specific local clustering and these local clusterings are aggregated to find a global (consensus) clustering. To estimate the posterior distribution of model parameters, a Gibbs sampling algorithm is proposed. We apply our proposed model to the primary biliary cirrhosis study to identify patient subtypes that may be associated with their prognosis. We also perform simulation studies to compare the clustering performance between the proposed model and existing models under several scenarios. The results demonstrate that the proposed BCC model serves as a useful tool for clustering multivariate longitudinal data.     

Mobile daily diaries to characterize stressors and acute health symptoms in an environmental justice neighborhood

Low-income communities and communities of color face multiple, cumulative environmental and social burdens. Methods development in environmental justice research has largely focused on spatial and quantitative approaches. Less attention has been paid to developing methodologies that help collect information on everyday stressors and quality of life experiences for residents in overburdened communities. Mixed methods approaches can be one way to structure study designs that help consider how residents experience environmental and socioeconomic impacts in a localized community context. In neighborhoods burdened by cumulative stressors, traditional cross-sectional epidemiological research designs can also be challenging, as well as limited or narrow in their application. However, repeat sampling of measures within a vulnerable population can approach a quasi-experimental design and help consider variations within residents in a single neighborhood as well as better parse relationships between exposures and outcomes. Through a community-academic partnership with university partners, local community partners, and a local promotores de salud (community health workers) network, we pilot tested a novel mobile daily diary approach in both English and Spanish in an urban, predominantly immigrant community in South Los Angeles as a potential method to collect information on daily stress, environmental quality, and health status/symptoms. We collected resident responses via a once per day 7-day SMS/text messaging survey. We sought to gather granular data on daily resident experiences of air pollution and environmental hazards. Residents reported acute health symptoms and stressors, with repeat measures demonstrating how residents might rank, categorize, or cope with stressors. We find that residents in environmental justice communities record variation in their daily diary responses and document changes in environmental quality, stressors, and odors. Refining this type of method could enable a more rigorous examination of co-occurrences of environmental quality and acute health symptoms. This approach supports the inclusion of residents in the research process and helps more systematically integrate open-ended environmental health relevant data in environmental justice efforts. Used with measured data such as air monitoring or health measures, mixed methods generated data can help support efforts that aim to alleviate sources of daily stress, alongside efforts to reduce overall pollution burdens. Mobile daily diaries can be one way to capture variable responses to environmental quality, acute health symptoms, and stressors.     

七叶一枝花甾体皂苷种类及含量差异研究进展＊

重楼是我国传统的名贵中药，七叶一枝花为历版《中国药典》收载的重楼药材两个基原植物之一，具有清热解毒、消肿止痛、活血化瘀等功效，其主要活性成分为甾体皂苷类物质。由于重楼市场需求量剧增和七叶一枝花成药时间较长，导致大量依靠人工种植。然而，人工种植过程中产地、采收年限和采收月份都会影响七叶一枝花的甾体皂苷含量。本文系统地总结了七叶一枝花中主要活性成分甾体皂苷的种类，以及不同产地、不同生长年限及不同采收月份的七叶一枝花根茎中甾体皂苷含量差异的研究现状，以期为进一步研究七叶一枝花品质差异、野生资源驯化及规范化种植提供参考。     

安徽省4所综合医院临床护士营养护理能力现状及影响因素分析

目的 调查安徽省4所综合医院临床护士的营养护理能力,并分析其影响因素,为提高临床护士营养护理能力提供理论依据。方法 采用便利抽样法,2021年1月—2月应用一般资料问卷、临床护士营养护理能力量表对安徽省北部、中部、南部4所综合性医院的863名临床护士进行横断面调查。通过多元线性逐步回归分析临床护士营养护理能力的影响因素。结果 共回收有效问卷762份,临床护士营养护理能力总分为（235.16±44.02）分,条目得分为（3.73±0.70）分,其中营养专业知识维度和临床营养评估能力维度得分较低。多元线性逐步回归分析结果显示,工作年限、科室、定期接受营养护理督查、在校学习营养课、参加营养学习班、定期参加营养业务学习是临床护士营养护理能力的影响因素（P<0.05）。 结论 临床护士营养护理能力有待提高,护理管理者应重视对临床护士进行营养相关教育及培训,强化营养专业知识和临床营养评估能力,完善定期检查与考核机制,以提高临床护士的营养护理能力。     

Normative values for the Sensory Organization Test in an active duty military cohort

BackgroundComputerized dynamic posturography is commonly used to assess balance in service members, but normative values for the military population have not been established.Research questionWhat are the normative values for the Motor Control Test (MCT), Sensory Organization Test (SOT) and the enhanced SOT (eSOT) within the military population and at which point do they differ?MethodsCross-sectional study. 237 active duty service members (78 % male) completed the MCT, SOT and the eSOT with the sway manipulated at a gain of 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, or 2.0. A Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the means of men and women for the SOT and MCT composite scores. A Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to compare the means of age groups for the SOT composite score. An independent t-test was used to compare the SOT composite scores from our military population to the manufacturer’s normative (civilian) data. The means and standard deviations for the eSOT scores were reported for each gain. Paired-samples t-tests were performed to compare the SOT composite score with the eSOT composite score for each level of gain.ResultsThere was no difference between SOT composite scores for men and women (Mann-Whitney U = 4363.50, p = 0.19) or among age groups (Kruskal-Wallis = 2.77, p = 0.25). The mean SOT composite scores were not different from the manufacturer’s normative values (p = 0.155). SOT composite scores were significantly higher than eSOT composite scores for gains of 1.4 (t = 3.16, p = 0.003), 1.6 (t = 5.73, p < 0.001), 1.8 (t = 5.26, p < 0.001) and 2.0 (t = 5.89, p < 0.001). MCT composite scores were lower in the 18−26 year old than the 36−45 year old age group (p = 0.013).SignificanceThis study establishes normative values for the MCT, SOT and eSOT in active duty military service members. The results suggest that the manufacturer’s normal values are appropriate for making judgments about the postural stability of service members.     

A Perioperative Care Display for Understanding High Acuity Patients

Background  The data visualization literature asserts that the details of the optimal data display must be tailored to the specific task, the background of the user, and the characteristics of the data. The general organizing principle of a concept-oriented display is known to be useful for many tasks and data types. Objectives  In this project, we used general principles of data visualization and a co-design process to produce a clinical display tailored to a specific cognitive task, chosen from the anesthesia domain, but with clear generalizability to other clinical tasks. To support the work of the anesthesia-in-charge (AIC) our task was, for a given day, to depict the acuity level and complexity of each patient in the collection of those that will be operated on the following day. The AIC uses this information to optimally allocate anesthesia staff and providers across operating rooms. Methods  We used a co-design process to collaborate with participants who work in the AIC role. We conducted two in-depth interviews with AICs and engaged them in subsequent input on iterative design solutions. Results  Through a co-design process, we found (1) the need to carefully match the level of detail in the display to the level required by the clinical task, (2) the impedance caused by irrelevant information on the screen such as icons relevant only to other tasks, and (3) the desire for a specific but optional trajectory of increasingly detailed textual summaries. Conclusion  This study reports a real-world clinical informatics development project that engaged users as co-designers. Our process led to the user-preferred design of a single binary flag to identify the subset of patients needing further investigation, and then a trajectory of increasingly detailed, text-based abstractions for each patient that can be displayed when more information is needed.