*2.4. Data Analysis*

Descriptive statistics were calculated and expressed as means, standard deviations, and min/max values using the MedCalc Statistical Software version 18.11.3 (MedCalc Software bvba, Ostend, Belgium; https://www.medcalc.org; 2019). In order to evaluate any potential relationships between the analyzed parameters, a non-parametric Spearman rank correlation test was performed. The statistical significance was set at *p* < 0.05 (95% C.I.).
