Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney odds ratio: A statistical measure for ordinal outcomes such as EDSS

Background: In many clinical situations, ordinal scales afford the primary method of semi-quantifying patient outcomes. In the field of multiple sclerosis, the primary ordinal scale is the Expanded Disability Status Scale. Predominant methods of ordinal scale statistical analysis provide a p-value without effect size or rely heavily on the assumption of proportionality of odds, subjecting them to lack of power and error. The Wilcoxon-Manny-Whitney Odds is a statistical method which provides significant information such as p-value, effect size, number needed to treat, confidence intervals, and is largely assumption-free. However, its utility has not been demonstrated in the field of multiple sclerosis. Methods: Three clinical studies in the field of multiple sclerosis were selected which utilized ordinal scale outcomes at group or individual levels. Data from these studies was extracted using WebPlotDigitizer, and a custom Wilxocon-Mann-Whitney Odds software was applied to each dataset to re-analyze the main outcomes of the studies. Results: Re-analysis of the manuscript by Muraro et al., 2017 demonstrated that autologous stem cell transplantation for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis resulted in a 65% chance of improving from any Expanded Disability Status Scale category, although not significant. Re-analysis of the manuscript by Songthammawat et al., 2019 demonstrated chance of improvement with intravenous methylprednisolone and concurrent plasma exchange was 185% versus 32% in intravenous methylprednisolone with add-on plasma exchange, although not significant. Re-analysis of Kister et al., 2012 demonstrated the chances of mobility or cognition scores generally favored decline at every 5-year increment of study, and although statistically significant, these were smaller effect sizes ranging from an 11% chance of improvement to a 66% chance of decline over a 5-year interval. Discussion: The Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney Odds simplifies ordinal data analysis with its robust largely assumption-free nature. In the place of numerous statistical tests, this single test provides effect size estimate, number needed to treat, p-values, and confidence intervals. Importantly, the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney Odds effect size calculation is intuitively applicable to both individual and population-levels. Further, the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney Odds allows intuitive description of the progression of large cohorts over time, and we were able to clearly convey the odds of mobility and cognitive decline over 30 years in a large multiple sclerosis cohort. Overall, the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney Odds is a powerful and robust statistical test with significant promise within the field of multiple sclerosis

Efficiency in the dairy barn, Station Bulletin, no.387

The Bulletin is a publication of the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire

A Partial African Ancestry for the Creole Cattle Populations of the Caribbean

Seventy-eight cattle samples from three Creole Caribbean islands and one Brazilian breed were analyzed for sequence variation in the hypervariable segment of the mitochondrial DNA control region. Seventy-three samples displayed Bos taurus haplotypes, and five samples exhibited haplotypes that were of Bos indicus ancestry. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all sampled B. taurus sequences fell into two distinct clusters with separate African and European origins. European sequences were encountered in each population; however, the distribution of African haplotypes was uneven, with the highest proportion of African influence found in the Guadeloupe Creole. The reduced levels of African haplotypic variation within the Caribbean and Brazilian are consistent with prior founder effects. Additionally, genetic variation at three microsatellite loci illustrated African influence uniquely in the Guadeloupe Creole. Collectively, the data suggest that this African influence is, at least in part, attributable to the historical importation of African cattle to the Americas. Furthermore, alleles of B. indicus ancestry were detected at appreciable frequencies in all Caribbean Creole populations and may reflect zebu introgressions from either West Africa or the Indian subcontinen

Tbx1 and Brn4 regulate retinoic acid metabolic genes during cochlear morphogenesis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In vertebrates, the inner ear is comprised of the cochlea and vestibular system, which develop from the otic vesicle. This process is regulated via inductive interactions from surrounding tissues. <it>Tbx1</it>, the gene responsible for velo-cardio-facial syndrome/DiGeorge syndrome in humans, is required for ear development in mice. <it>Tbx1 </it>is expressed in the otic epithelium and adjacent periotic mesenchyme (POM), and both of these domains are required for inner ear formation. To study the function of <it>Tbx1 </it>in the POM, we have conditionally inactivated <it>Tbx1 </it>in the mesoderm while keeping expression in the otic vesicle intact.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Conditional mutants (<it>TCre-KO</it>) displayed malformed inner ears, including a hypoplastic otic vesicle and a severely shortened cochlear duct, indicating that <it>Tbx1 </it>expression in the POM is necessary for proper inner ear formation. Expression of the mesenchyme marker <it>Brn4 </it>was also lost in the <it>TCre-KO</it>. <it>Brn4</it>^-;<it>Tbx1</it>^+/-embryos displayed defects in growth of the distal cochlea. To identify a potential signal from the POM to the otic epithelium, expression of retinoic acid (RA) catabolizing genes was examined in both mutants. <it>Cyp26a1 </it>expression was altered in the <it>TCre-KO</it>, while <it>Cyp26c1 </it>showed reduced expression in both <it>TCre-KO </it>and <it>Brn4</it>^-;<it>Tbx1</it>^+/-embryos.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results indicate that <it>Tbx1 </it>expression in the POM regulates cochlear outgrowth potentially via control of local retinoic acid activity.</p

Adsorption and two-body recombination of atomic hydrogen on 3^3He-4^4He mixture films

We present the first systematic measurement of the binding energy $E_a$ of hydrogen atoms to the surface of saturated $^3$He-$^4$He mixture films. $E_a$ is found to decrease almost linearly from 1.14(1) K down to 0.39(1) K, when the population of the ground surface state of $^3$He grows from zero to $6\times10^{14}$ cm$^{-2}$, yielding the value $1.2(1)\times 10^{-15}$ K cm$^2$ for the mean-field parameter of H-$^3$He interaction in 2D. The experiments were carried out with overall $^3$He concentrations ranging from 0.1 ppm to 5 % as well as with commercial and isotopically purified $^4$He at temperatures 70...400 mK. Measuring by ESR the rate constants $K_{aa}$ and $K_{ab}$ for second-order recombination of hydrogen atoms in hyperfine states $a$ and $b$ we find the ratio $K_{ab}/K_{aa}$ to be independent of the $^3$He content and to grow with temperature.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, all zipped in a sigle file. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Transistors

Contains reports on eight research projects.Lincoln Laboratory under Contract AF19(122)-45

Hyperfine frequency shift in two-dimensional atomic hydrogen

We propose the explanation of a surprisingly small hyperfine frequency shift in the two-dimensional (2D) atomic hydrogen bound to the surface of superfluid helium below 0.1 K. Owing to the symmetry considerations, the microwave-induced triplet-singlet transitions of atomic pairs in the fully spin-polarized sample are forbidden. The apparent nonzero shift is associated with the density-dependent wall shift of the hyperfine constant and the pressure shift due to the presence of H atoms in the hyperfine state $a$ not involved in the observed $b\to c$ transition. The interaction of adsorbed atoms with one another effectively decreases the binding energy and, consequently, the wall shift by the amount proportional to their density. The pressure shift of the $b\to c$ resonance comes from the fact that the impurity $a$-state atoms interact differently with the initial $b$-state and final $c$-state atoms and is also linear in density. The net effect of the two contributions, both specific for 2D hydrogen, is comparable with the experimental observation. To our knowledge, this is the first mentioning of the density-dependent wall shift. We also show that the difference between the triplet and singlet scattering lengths of H atoms, $a_t-a_s=30(5)$ pm, is exactly twice smaller than the value reported by Ahokas {\it et al.}, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf101}, 263003 (2008).Comment: 4 pages, no figure