Assessing measurement error in surveys using latent class analysis: application to self-reported illicit drug use in data from the Iranian Mental Health Survey

Kazem Khalagi,Mohammad Ali Mansournia,Afarin Rahimi-Movaghar,Keramat Nourijelyani,Masoumeh Amin-Esmaeili,Ahmad Hajebi,Vandad Sharifi,Reza Radgoodarzi,Mitra Hefazi,Abbas Motevalian 한국역학회 2016 Epidemiology and Health Vol.38 No.-

Latent class analysis (LCA) is a method of assessing and correcting measurement error in surveys. The local independence assumption in LCA assumes that indicators are independent from each other condition on the latent variable. Violation of this assumption leads to unreliable results. We explored this issue by using LCA to estimate the prevalence of illicit drug use in the Iranian Mental Health Survey. The following three indicators were included in the LCA models: five or more instances of using any illicit drug in the past 12 months (indicator A), any use of any illicit drug in the past 12 months (indicator B), and the self-perceived need of treatment services or having received treatment for a substance use disorder in the past 12 months (indicator C). Gender was also used in all LCA models as a grouping variable. One LCA model using indicators A and B, as well as 10 different LCA models using indicators A, B, and C, were fitted to the data. The three models that had the best fit to the data included the following correlations between indicators: (AC and AB), (AC), and (AC, BC, and AB). The estimated prevalence of illicit drug use based on these three models was 28.9%, 6.2% and 42.2%, respectively. None of these models completely controlled for violation of the local independence assumption. In order to perform unbiased estimations using the LCA approach, the factors violating the local independence assumption (behaviorally correlated error, bivocality, and latent heterogeneity) should be completely taken into account in all models using well-known methods.

Synthesis and Spectroscopic Characterization of the New Sitting-atop Complexes from Reaction of Zirconyl Nitrate and Free Base meso-Tetraarylporphyrins in Mild Conditions

Dehghani, Hossein,Mansournia, Mohammad Reza Korean Chemical Society 2009 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.30 No.8

A series of sitting-atop (SAT) complexes, [(ZrO)$H_2t(X)pp(NO_3)_2$], have been prepared via the reactions of free base meso-tetraarylporphyrins, $H_2$t(X)pp, with zirconyl nitrate hydrate, ZrO(N$O_3)_2{\cdot}xH_2$O. The products have been characterized by a variety of methods including $^1H\;NMR,\;^{13}C$ NMR, IR and UV-Vis spectroscopies, elemental analysis and conductance measurements. The data indicate that the meso-tetraarylporphyrins coordinate with two pyrrolenine nitrogen atoms to the zirconyl cation located above the distorted porphyrin plane and two protons remain on the pyrrole nitrogens. Such half sandwich-type sitting-atop complexes may be considered as models for the initial steps of the metallation of the macrocycles.

Synthesis and Spectroscopic Characterization of the New Sitting-atop Complexes from Reaction of Zirconyl Nitrate and Free Base meso-Tetraarylporphyrins in Mild Conditions

Hossein Dehghani,Mohammad Reza Mansournia 대한화학회 2009 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.30 No.8

A series of sitting-atop (SAT) complexes, [(ZrO)H2t(X)pp(NO3)2], have been prepared via the reactions of free base meso-tetraarylporphyrins, H2t(X)pp, with zirconyl nitrate hydrate, ZrO(NO3)2·xH2O. The products have been characterized by a variety of methods including 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR and UV-Vis spectroscopies, elemental analysis and conductance measurements. The data indicate that the meso-tetraarylporphyrins coordinate with two pyrrolenine nitrogen atoms to the zirconyl cation located above the distorted porphyrin plane and two protons remain on the pyrrole nitrogens. Such half sandwich-type sitting-atop complexes may be considered as models for the initial steps of the metallation of the macrocycles.

Misclassification Adjustment of Family History of Breast Cancer in a Case-Control Study: a Bayesian Approach

Moradzadeh, Rahmatollah,Mansournia, Mohammad Ali,Baghfalaki, Taban,Ghiasvand, Reza,Noori-Daloii, Mohammad Reza,Holakouie-Naieni, Kourosh Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.18

Background: Misreporting self-reported family history may lead to biased estimations. We used Bayesian methods to adjust for exposure misclassification. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based case-control study was used to identify breast cancer risk factors among Iranian women. Three models were jointly considered; an outcome, an exposure and a measurement model. All models were fitted using Bayesian methods, run to achieve convergence. Results: Bayesian analysis in the model without misclassification showed that the odds ratios for the relationship between breast cancer and a family history in different prior distributions were 2.98 (95% CRI: 2.41, 3.71), 2.57 (95% CRI: 1.95, 3.41) and 2.53 (95% CRI: 1.93, 3.31). In the misclassified model, adjusted odds ratios for misclassification in the different situations were 2.64 (95% CRI: 2.02, 3.47), 2.64 (95% CRI: 2.02, 3.46), 1.60 (95% CRI: 1.07, 2.38), 1.61 (95% CRI: 1.07, 2.40), 1.57 (95% CRI: 1.05, 2.35), 1.58 (95% CRI: 1.06, 2.34) and 1.57 (95% CRI: 1.06, 2.33). Conclusions: It was concluded that self-reported family history may be misclassified in different scenarios. Due to the lack of validation studies in Iran, more attention to this matter in future research is suggested, especially while obtaining results in accordance with sensitivity and specificity values.

APO A2 −265T/C Polymorphism Is Associated with Increased Inflammatory Responses in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Fariba Koohdani,Haleh Sadrzadeh-Yeganeh,Mahmoud Djalali,Mohammad Reza Eshraghian,Elham Zamani,Gity Sotoudeh,Mohammad-Ali Mansournia,Laleh Keramat 대한당뇨병학회 2016 Diabetes and Metabolism Journal Vol.40 No.3

Background: Apolipoprotein A2 (APO A2) is the second most abundant structural apolipoprotein in high density lipoprotein. Several studies have examined the possible effect of APO A2 on atherosclerosis incidence. Due to the role of inflammation in atherosclerosis, we aimed to determine the relationship between APO A2 −265T/C polymorphism and inflammation as a risk factor in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Methods: In total, 180 T2DM patients, with known APO A2 −265T/C polymorphism, were recruited for this comparative study and were grouped equally based on their genotypes. Dietary intakes, anthropometric parameters, lipid profile, and inflammatory markers (i.e., pentraxin 3 [PTX3], high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP], and interleukin 18) were measured. The data were analyzed using an independent t-test, a chi-square test, and the analysis of covariance. Results: After adjusting for confounding factors, in the entire study population and in the patients with or without obesity, the patients with the CC genotype showed higher hs-CRP (P=0.001, P=0.008, and P=0.01, respectively) and lower PTX3 (P=0.01, P=0.03, and P=0.04, respectively) in comparison with the T allele carriers. In the patients with the CC genotype, no significant differences were observed in the inflammatory markers between the obese or non-obese patients. However, regarding the T allele carriers, the plasma hs-CRP level was significantly higher in the obese patients compared to the non-obese patients (P=0.01). Conclusion: In the T2DM patients, the CC genotype could be considered as a risk factor and the T allele as a protective agent against inflammation, which the latter effect might be impaired by obesity. Our results confirmed the anti-atherogenic effect of APO A2, though more studies are required to establish this effect.

Ground beetle community in suburban Satoyama — A case study onwing type and body size under small scale management

Sonomi Shibuya,Zaal Kikvidze,Wataru Toki,Yasuto Kanazawa,Tatsuya Suizu,Tamio Yajima,Takahiro Fujimori,Mohammad Reza Mansournia,Zuhair Sule,Kôhei Kubota,Kenji Fukuda 한국응용곤충학회 2014 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.17 No.4

A Satoyama landscape is an important reservoir of biodiversity; however, in post-industrial era traditionalSatoyama management became economically unfeasible. To maintain Satoyama, labor-saving management styles have begun to be implemented. In contrast to thetraditional styles based on labor-intensive practices such as rotational tree clear-cutting, the labor-saving stylesconsist mainly in tree thinning and ground vegetation cutting within a small spatial range. The consequencesof this newapproach are unclear, and our study aimed at filling this gap in our knowledge by analyzing the effectsofsmall scalemanagement on ground beetle community in suburban Satoyama (Kashiwacity, central Japan).Weapplied labor-savingmanagement at limited spatial range, and sampled and analyzed ground beetles both beforeand after management. Cluster analysis revealed three groups of beetle assemblages, corresponding to threehabitats: forest, bamboo stand and grassland. Comparison of wing traits showed that, before management, brachypterousbeetles dominated forest plots and macropterous beetleswere more prominent in the grassland plot,while in the bamboo stand both types of wing morphology were evenly represented. This trend can be linked tohabitat structural stability driven by vegetation regeneration cycleswhich reflect dominant plant longevity. Aftermanagement, macroptery increased in all three habitats. Probably, habitat disturbance created by vegetationmanagement gave advantage to macropterous beetles over brachypterous beetles. These results suggest thatwing type can be linked to vegetation structural stability. In some species, decline in abundance was accompaniedwith decline in body size. Our study shows that small scale Satoyama management can have pronouncedeffects on beetle assemblages.