We also evaluated smoking and food preparation methods in the last week and last 24 hours prior to sample collection (as reported on the sample collection questionnaire).
The accuracy values of each database is reported on the samples from the testing set using the features selected by the proposed method.
In these cases, we coded the publication representing the largest amount of data (e.g., the publication reporting on the largest sample size).
If publications reported on the same sample or on overlapping samples, the publication providing the maximum of information was included in the meta-analysis.
While not examined in this study, another potential source of error in assessing vitamin D status is the assay variability as differences in vitamin D concentrations have been reported on the same sample depending on the methodology used [ 22].
APOE results from this study are more extreme than those previously reported on the MRC CFAS sample [ 22] most likely due to the longer follow-up time and use of back weighting.
Studies were excluded from the analysis if (1) outcomes of interest were not reported; (2) it was impossible to extract or calculate the necessary data from the published results; (3) it only reported on the preoperative sampling of peripheral blood; and (4) only portal and/or mesenteric blood sampling was undertaken.
"More likely it's been around in the environment for a long time, and it's just getting into the human population," says University College Dublin microbiologist David Coleman, whose team reports on the Irish samples today in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
Data from multiple publications were merged when it was apparent that they reported on the same sampling effort.
Women who reported near aerial spraying on the day of sampling also had higher ETU concentrations (Table 4), but no significant difference was detected for spraying reported on the day before sampling (1.1% higher; 95% CI: –4.2, 7.0, p = 0.69).
