Category: Statistics

Foot Ankle Surg. 2026 Apr 17:S1268-7731(26)00102-5. doi: 10.1016/j.fas.2026.04.005. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Precise knowledge of the posterior tibial nerve (PTN) branching pattern is critical to avoid iatrogenic injury during medial foot and ankle procedures. This study aimed to perform a morphometric assessment of the PTN terminal branching in relation to the Dellon-McKinnon Line (DML) to identify safe surgical zones.

METHODS: Forty-three formalin-fixed adult cadaveric limbs were dissected. The bifurcation points of the PTN, its level and distance were measured relative to the DML. Bifurcation angle, and foot length were also measured. Statistical analysis of the measured parameters was performed.

RESULTS: The PTN bifurcated above the level, at the level and below the level of DML in 53.5%, 37.2% and 9.3% of specimens. The mean bifurcation angle was 16.92°.

CONCLUSION: These findings provide quantitative boundaries for establishing safe surgical corridors in medial ankle ORIF (open reduction and internal fixation), ligamentous reconstruction, and tarsal tunnel decompression.

PMID:42002460 | DOI:10.1016/j.fas.2026.04.005

Radiography (Lond). 2026 Apr 18;32(4):103417. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2026.103417. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Three-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (3D TOF-MRA) is widely used for non-invasive postoperative follow-up after cerebral aneurysm treatment. However, susceptibility artifacts from metallic clips or coils can cause apparent parent artery signal loss or missed detection of recanalization. This study aimed to evaluate whether optimization of the frequency-encoding direction improves diagnostic reliability compared with conventional 3D TOF-MRA.

METHODS: Nine patients who underwent surgical clipping of cerebral aneurysms were included. For qualitative assessment, conventional MRA (c-MRA) and optimized MRA (o-MRA) were consecutively acquired in the same subjects. Visualization of the parent artery adjacent to the clip was independently evaluated by two experienced radiographers using a 5-point Likert scale. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and weighted kappa statistics. For quantitative assessment, three patients underwent o-MRA with the frequency-encoding direction set in the anterior-posterior (AP) and right-left (RL) directions. The diameter and extension direction of susceptibility artifacts were measured on the source images.

RESULTS: Qualitative assessment demonstrated significantly higher parent artery visualization scores with o-MRA than with c-MRA (p < 0.01). Interobserver agreement was excellent for both techniques (κ = 0.80 for c-MRA; κ = 0.89 for o-MRA). Quantitative analysis showed that susceptibility artifacts consistently elongated along the frequency-encoding direction.

CONCLUSION: Optimization of the frequency-encoding direction allows susceptibility artifacts to be controlled at the scan-planning stage, significantly improving diagnostic reliability in postoperative 3D TOF-MRA.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This technique requires no additional sequences, hardware, or scan time and can be immediately implemented as a practical scan-planning strategy in routine clinical imaging.

PMID:42001775 | DOI:10.1016/j.radi.2026.103417

Talanta. 2026 Apr 10;308:129806. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2026.129806. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Pediococcus spp. are lactic acid bacteria, which are prevalent in various environments, including plants and animals. Notably, they constitute a significant component of the intestinal microbiota in both humans and animals. Despite this, numerous obstacles remain in developing tools that are both highly sensitive and specific for distinguishing this genus. This study established a fluorescent detection system using an amplification-resistant mutation system-based polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-CRISPR/Cas12a) for identifying 16S rRNA gene containing single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in Pediococcus spp. By aligning the sequences of Pediococcus spp. with those of other genera, we performed a comprehensive statistical analysis of SNP sites within Pediococcus spp. and designed specific primers using the 16S rRNA gene sequence of Pediococcus pentosaceus STS-6. The results demonstrated that, under optimised conditions (a Cas12a:crRNA ratio of 1:1 at 37 °C), the dual recognition process combining ARMS-PCR with CRISPR/Cas12a achieved high specificity and sensitivity in the detection of Pediococcus spp. The detection limit for genomic DNA was 8.15 × 10^-5 ng/μL, demonstrating significantly higher sensitivity than gel electrophoresis. The entire detection process took approximately 1.5 h. In summary, the ARMS-CRISPR/Cas12a detection system established in this study provided a rapid and effective method to detect the 16S rRNA gene of clinically relevant Pediococcus spp. probiotics, meeting the requirements for food production detection.

PMID:42001720 | DOI:10.1016/j.talanta.2026.129806

J Forensic Leg Med. 2026 Apr 15;120:103134. doi: 10.1016/j.jflm.2026.103134. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Sex classification using biometric traits is vital in forensic identification. While traditional methods like Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) have been widely used, recent advances in supervised machine learning (ML) offer potential improvements in accuracy and robustness. This study investigates the effectiveness of several ML classifiers compared to conventional LDA for sex classification based on earprint morphometry and indices. A dataset comprising 423 individuals was examined to assess sexual dimorphism in earprint morphometry; however, for sex classification modelling, only 351 individuals with complete discriminating variables were included. Twelve distinct earprint measurements were analyzed, and four derived earprint indices were computed. Sex classification was performed using traditional Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) alongside nine machine learning algorithms: Boosting, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Decision Tree, K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Neural Network, Logistic and Multinomial Regression, Linear Discriminant Analysis, Naïve Bayes, and Random Forest. Performance was benchmarked using Classification Accuracy, Positive Predictive Value (PPV), Negative Predictive Value (NPV), F1 Score, and Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC). Statistically significant sex-based differences (p < 0.05) were observed in the majority of earprint dimensions, with males typically exhibiting larger values. Moreover, conventional LDA achieved the highest overall accuracy (77.8%) and F1 score (0.82) on morphometric data, closely followed by Boosting, ML-LDA, and Decision Tree models (∼75.7%). In contrast, Neural Networks performed poorly (accuracy = 32.9%). KNN and Logistic Regression performed best on earprint indices (accuracy = 74.3% and 72.9%, respectively), while Neural Networks again underperformed (accuracy = 41.4%). MCC scores confirmed model reliability, with LDA and ML classifiers outperforming Neural Networks across both datasets. Morphometric earprint data outperform earprint indices in forensic sex classification. Traditional LDA remains robust, but ML models such as Boosting, Decision Trees, and Logistic Regression offer comparable alternatives. Neural Networks showed poor performance, likely due to overfitting and limited sample size.

PMID:42001636 | DOI:10.1016/j.jflm.2026.103134

Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2026 Apr 19:28014. doi: 10.4317/medoral.28014. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Oral sedation is widely utilized in dental surgical practice for anxiety management during third molar extractions. Midazolam is one of the most frequently employed drugs; however, the clinical benefits of its association with promethazine have not yet been clearly established.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a randomized, double-blind, split-mouth clinical trial. Eighteen anxious patients were included, all with indications for bilateral extraction of impacted or semi-impacted mandibular third molars, presenting similar surgical difficulty on both sides. In one session, patients received 15mg of midazolam alone (Group A), and in another, 15mg of midazolam combined with 25mg of promethazine (Group B). Sedation levels (Ramsay scale), anxiety (Corah scale), and physiological parameters were evaluated.

RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the depth of sedation between the groups (p>0.05). Oxygen saturation and heart rate showed slight, statistically significant variations at specific time points in Group B (p<0.05), although without relevant clinical repercussions. Blood pressure and respiratory rate remained stable across both protocols.

CONCLUSIONS: The association of promethazine with midazolam did not increase sedative efficacy compared to midazolam alone. However, it demonstrated clinical safety, proving to be a viable alternative in sedative drug protocols.

PMID:42001488 | DOI:10.4317/medoral.28014

Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2026 Apr 19. doi: 10.1007/s10484-026-09786-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Magic Keys AR as a tool for accelerating vocal learning through synchronized monitoring of breathing, posture, and acoustics. The findings indicate that augmented reality facilitates faster vocal mastery, allowing students to visualize three parameters simultaneously-breathing, posture, and sound. The experiment involved 120 conservatory students aged 18-25 from three Chinese cities, divided into two groups of 60 participants each: the experimental group trained using the Magic Keys AR system, while the control group followed traditional mirror-based instruction. The training lasted 16 weeks. Respiration was measured via plethysmography, body movements were tracked across 37 anatomical points, and voice was recorded in high resolution (96 kHz/24 bit). Students using AR increased phonation duration by 34.1% (up to 16.5 s), while the control group showed a 10.4% increase (up to 13.8 s); the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001, large effect size: d = 1.07). Vocal instability (jitter) decreased by 28.1% in the AR group versus 9.9% in the control, and shimmer decreased by 31.3% versus 8.2%, respectively. Retention rates reached 91% in the AR group and 68% in the control, with 89% of AR-trained students maintaining skills three months post-training. Machine learning algorithms predicted student success with 84.2% accuracy, identifying proprioceptive awareness (β = 0.34) as the strongest predictor. Conservatories are projected to recover AR investment 2.7 times faster due to reduced vocal strain, accelerated technical mastery, and lower dropout rates.

PMID:42001365 | DOI:10.1007/s10484-026-09786-6

Lab Med. 2026 Apr 3;57(3):lmag014. doi: 10.1093/labmed/lmag014.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic led to rapid global vaccine deployment, especially among high-risk groups, such as individuals living with HIV. Data are limited, however, on the immunologic effects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination-specifically, on CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte levels-in HIV-positive women in South Africa, a population with high HIV prevalence.

METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional study included 40 women (aged 14-42 years) admitted to a South African tertiary-care hospital, stratified by HIV and SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status. Flow cytometry (BD Multitest [BD Biosciences]) was used to determine absolute CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell counts. Data were analyzed with GraphPad Prism, version 8, software (GraphPad Software). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparisons between 2 independent groups. For comparisons across more than 2 groups, either a 1-way analysis of variance or the Kruskal-Wallis test was applied, with statistically significant results followed by the Dunn multiple comparisons test. Spearman correlation was used to assess relationships between variables. In all cases, statistical significance was defined as P < .05.

RESULTS: Of the 40 participants, 27 (68%) were HIV positive and 20 (50%) were vaccinated. CD4+ T-cell counts were statistically significantly higher in HIV-negative women than in HIV-positive women (P = .01), while CD8+ levels did not differ significantly (P = .41). Vaccination status had no statistically significant impact on CD4+ or CD8+ counts. The CD4/CD8 ratio was statistically significantly higher in HIV-positive women (P = .01), especially among the unvaccinated subgroup (P = .002).

CONCLUSIONS: SARS-CoV-2 vaccination did not substantially alter CD4+ or CD8+ T lymphocyte levels, regardless of HIV status.

PMID:42001311 | DOI:10.1093/labmed/lmag014

Pak J Pharm Sci. 2026 Jun;39(6):1888-1900. doi: 10.36721/PJPS.2026.39.6.180.1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Long-term use of antipsychotics like risperidone raises metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk, with evidence from Chinese populations being limited.

OBJECTIVES: This study compared MetS prevalence and metabolic profiles between chronic schizophrenia patients on long-term risperidone versus olanzapine.

METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 80 risperidone-treated patients were compared to 80 olanzapine-treated controls. MetS [IDF (The International Diabetes Federation) criteria], glucose/lipid metabolism and anthropometric measures were assessed. Statistical analyses included t-tests and χ^² tests.

RESULTS: The prevalence of MetS was significantly lower in the risperidone group (30.0%) compared to the olanzapine group (48.8%, p = 0.015). Risperidone patients showed better glycemic control and lipid profiles (p < 0.05), though BMI (body mass index), waist circumference and blood pressure remained elevated compared to olanzapine patients.

CONCLUSION: Long-term risperidone therapy is associated with a lower MetS risk than olanzapine. Regular metabolic monitoring and adjunctive interventions are recommended for high-risk patients.

PMID:42001294 | DOI:10.36721/PJPS.2026.39.6.180.1

Pak J Pharm Sci. 2026 Jun;39(6):1854-1861. doi: 10.36721/PJPS.2026.39.6.176.1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (cALL) tends to metastasize to central nervous system. Treatment with antileukemic agents against CNS leukaemia is an essential component for cure in ALL. Hence, it is essential to identify biomarkers for CNS infiltration. Proteomics, supported by mass spectrometry, is the platform for exploring biomarkers in various biological samples, contributing to translational research.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the plasma proteome profile of children across different risk groups of cALL. Neurexophilin and PC-esterase family, member 3 (NXPE3), was validated. The protein-protein interactions (PPI) of NXPE3 were evaluated with bioinformatics analyses.

METHODS: Plasma samples from 15 patients with B-ALL standard risk (SR), B-ALL high risk (HR) and T-ALL high risk (HR), were analysed using LC-MS/MS. NXPE3 protein was validated in all risk groups using ELISA. To compare the NXPE3 values across groups, the Kruskal-Wallis test was applied. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. STRING database was used for PPI.

RESULTS: LC MS/MS analysis showed upregulation of NXPE3 in B-ALL SR. Upon ELISA validation, a high plasma concentration of NXPE3 was observed in B-ALL SR, 4.37±1.84 ng/ml (95% CI 3.31, 5.44), consistent with LC MS/MS findings. A lower concentration of NXPE3 was observed in B-ALL HR 2.68±1.34 ng/ml and T-ALL HR 2.38±0.92ng/ml. The findings were statistically significant. The PPI of NXPE3 highlighted its involvement in multiple processes, including gene expression, cytoskeletal organisation and neuronal function.

CONCLUSION: This is the first report of NXPE3 in cALL. NXPE3 was identified as a potential biomarker for assessing CNS infiltration in cALL. Further studies are recommended to explore its role in leukemogenesis.

PMID:42001290 | DOI:10.36721/PJPS.2026.39.6.176.1

Pak J Pharm Sci. 2026 Jun;39(6):1802-1816. doi: 10.36721/PJPS.2026.39.6.171.1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health threat, primarily driven by the inappropriate use of antibiotics and unsafe disposal practices. In developing countries like Pakistan, the misuse of leftover antibiotics through self-medication and improper disposal remains a poorly addressed public health concern.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe the prevalence, patterns and associated factors of self-reuse and disposal practices of leftover antibiotics among residents of Karachi, Pakistan and to identify gaps affecting antibiotic stewardship.

METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated online questionnaire targeting adults (≥18 years) residing in Karachi. A total of 385 responses were collected via non-probability sampling. The study was conducted from 10/02/2025 to 03/06/2025. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were applied using SPSS version 26 to evaluate associations between sociodemographic factors and antibiotic-related behaviours.

RESULTS: Approximately 24% of participants did not complete their prescribed antibiotic course, predominantly because of symptom resolution. Over half (56%) reported retaining leftover antibiotics and 43% admitted to reusing them without professional consultation, largely due to previous successful outcomes. A significant association was observed between educational level and perceptions of the safety of antibiotic reuse (p < 0.001). Disposal practices were suboptimal, with 70% discarding expired antibiotics in household trash and only 8% utilizing pharmacy take-back services. Counselling on proper disposal varied significantly by socioeconomic status (SES) (p = 0.009), with the highest rate reported among low SES participants (37.5%), but overall awareness of disposal programs remained low.

CONCLUSION: The findings highlight concerning patterns in antibiotics storage, self-use and disposal practices in Karachi. These patterns suggest a need for public educational, pharmacist-led interventions and improved access to medication take-back programs to promote safer practices and reduce AMR risk.

PMID:42001285 | DOI:10.36721/PJPS.2026.39.6.171.1