Category: Statistics

Gait Posture. 2025 May 24;121:155-159. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.05.005. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Controlling and stabilizing the body are crucial for walking on an inclined path. Healthy individuals adjust their gait to improve stability by reducing stride length and increasing cadence. Incline influences anteroposterior stability; however, its effects on mediolateral stability are inconclusive.

RESEARCH QUESTION: What are the effects of walking inclination and speed on mediolateral stability using foot placement quantified by explained variance (EV)?

METHODS: Fifteen healthy young adults walked on a treadmill under four speed (moderate 0.83 m/s, fast 1.0 m/s) and grade (0 and +6° inclines) combinations. The participants wore markers and surface electromyography (EMG) electrodes. A motion-capture system captured the three-dimensional marker data. The relative EV was used to calculate the ratio between the predicted and actual foot-placement variances. The EV and EMG parameters were tested to identify statistically significant differences between conditions.

RESULTS: Two-way analysis of variance revealed no significant interaction between the condition and speed in EV and most EMG measurements, except for the vastus medialis (p = 0.03). Additionally, speed and incline significantly affected all EMG values (p = 0.001-0.04 and 0.0001-0.003, respectively); however, incline did not affect EV. The EMG was higher in incline than in the level condition.

SIGNIFICANCE: Foot placement was used to identify the effects of walking inclination and speed on mediolateral stability control. Walking speed and incline affect mediolateral stability and muscle activation differently, with higher speeds improving stability and incline increasing quadriceps activation. This highlights the need to incorporate varied speeds and targeted muscle strengthening in rehabilitation.

PMID:40440971 | DOI:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.05.005

Explore (NY). 2025 May 16;21(4):103189. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2025.103189. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Diabetic neuropathy, a prevalent complication of diabetes mellitus, significantly impairs quality of life due to chronic pain and sensory deficits. Conventional pharmacotherapies, while effective, are often limited by systemic adverse effects. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) oil, renowned for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and analgesic properties, presents a promising topical alternative for mitigating neuropathic symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of topical chamomile oil in improving neuropathy indices among patients with controlled diabetes, as measured by validated clinical tools.

METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted involving 72 participants with diabetic neuropathy. Participants were allocated to either the intervention group (chamomile oil) or the control group (placebo), with both groups continuing standard gabapentin therapy. Neuropathy outcomes were assessed using Neurothesiometer scores, the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI), and the DN4 questionnaire at baseline and post-intervention. ANCOVA was employed to analyze intergroup differences, adjusting for baseline covariates.

RESULTS: The chamomile oil group exhibited statistically significant improvements in neuropathy indices compared to the placebo group (p < 0.05). Post-intervention, reductions in Neurothesiometer scores (mean difference: -1.14 ± 0.42), MNSI (-1.89 ± 0.31), and DN4 (-1.97 ± 0.28) were observed in the intervention group, with no comparable changes in controls. ANCOVA confirmed the robustness of these findings (F = 6.72, p = 0.012).

CONCLUSION: Topical chamomile oil significantly alleviates neuropathic symptoms in diabetic patients, offering a safe and adjunctive therapeutic option. Its mechanism may involve modulation of oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways, warranting further investigation into long-term benefits and molecular targets.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT), registration number IRCT20240611062090N1. The full protocol is available at www.irct.ir.

PMID:40440968 | DOI:10.1016/j.explore.2025.103189

Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2025 May 23;78:103361. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2025.103361. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Deficits in vestibulo-ocular function have been reported in athletes following concussion and in healthy developing adolescent athletes. There is a known increase in injury risk in athletes returning to sport following concussion; however, the relationship between vestibulo-ocular dysfunction in adolescents and injury risk is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine i) the prevalence of vestibulo-ocular dysfunction and ii) the relationship between vestibulo-ocular dysfunction and playing season injuries in adolescent rugby union players.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional.

METHOD: Seventy-one male adolescent rugby union players were recruited from four schools in Queensland, Australia. In the preseason, clinical assessments of oculomotor and vestibular function were conducted. ‘Time-loss’ injuries were recorded during the season. Statistical analysis was conducted using Pearson’s chi-square test with significance set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS: In preseason assessment, 40 players (57 %) had one or more, and of these, 18 players (25.7 %) had two or more positive vestibular and oculomotor findings indicating vestibulo-ocular dysfunction. There were 39 injuries sustained by 33 players during the season. No between group differences for vestibulo-ocular function were found between players who did and did not sustain an in-season injury (p = 0.55).

CONCLUSION: Vestibulo-ocular dysfunction is common in male adolescent rugby union players and positive findings should include comparison with baseline function or symptom profile. The wider impact of vestibulo-ocular dysfunction on sporting performance in adolescents is unknown.

PMID:40440952 | DOI:10.1016/j.msksp.2025.103361

Int J Paleopathol. 2025 May 27;50:1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.05.001. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the relationship between patterns of violence-related trauma and social, chronological, and demographic variables using skeletal remains from historical Prague.

MATERIALS: 300 human skulls of adults from nine medieval cemeteries divided into three periods: Early Middle Ages (800-1200), High Middle Ages (1200-1500), and Modern Period (1500-1800).

METHODS: All bones were examined macroscopically for trauma (timing, location, type of trauma). We adapted the criteria outlined in the Istanbul Protocol for the identification of violence-related trauma. We used binary logistic regression to assess the trauma frequency.

RESULTS: The analysis revealed no statistically significant relationship between patterns of violence-related trauma and the examined parameters. This lack of variation across socio-demographic predictors may reflect methodological limitations or cultural preference in choosing how to bury the deceased, but it could also suggest that violence impacted individuals across all groups indiscriminately.

CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of violent trauma on human bones in historical Prague is similar to other parts of medieval Europe. The absence of a difference in the prevalence of violence-related trauma between subgroups may indicate cultural and methodological bias.

SIGNIFICANCE: This research provides new insights into the bioarchaeology of violence in historical Prague and illuminates a hitherto understudied chapter of history.

LIMITATIONS: The study is limited to the territory of the capital and focuses exclusively on cranial remains.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: In the future, comparative research could also be conducted comparing Prague burial sites with those found in significant urban centres in the Czech lands.

PMID:40440928 | DOI:10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.05.001

Drug Alcohol Depend. 2025 May 14;273:112713. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.112713. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) significantly affects over 200 health conditions, causing about 3 million deaths annually worldwide and is approximately 50 % heritable.

METHODS: We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on self-reported alcohol consumption and alcohol-related challenges (AUDIT score) in a large East Slavs cohort (N = 41,575). Genetic correlations with diverse phenotypes were assessed, and a polygenic risk score (PRS) for alcohol use disorder (AUD) was built and tested in an independent clinical cohort. GWAS and PRS associations were validated across various genetic ancestries.

RESULTS: The East Slavs GWAS identified a highly significant association (p = 2.5 ×10^-18) between the rs1229984 SNP and AUD. Transancestral modeling revealed significant associations in Ashkenazi Jews, Tatars, Siberian, and other populations. Additional subthreshold associations (p < 10^-6) were found in SNPs within KIF26, OCA2, DLGAP2, and miRNA AL161421 gene regions. SNP-based heritability was estimated at h_g = 6.4 % (SE = 1.1 %). Genetic correlation analysis revealed the strongest positive associations with psychiatric traits. We trained the PRS using external summary statistics and individual-level genomic data from our cohort (R² = 0.013). It outperformed other external PRSs included in the analysis. Validation in the independent clinical cohort showed an AUC of 0.6 (95 % CI = 0.56-0.64), and integrating PRS with non-genetic models increased the AUC by 1.33 %, resulting in 0.762 (p = 8 × 10⁻⁵).

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest a genetic basis for AUD involving genes related to alcohol metabolism and the reward system. The applicability of the PRS across diverse genetic ancestries supports its integration into non-genetic prediction models, enhancing AUD prediction accuracy in diverse populations.

PMID:40440926 | DOI:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.112713

Mar Pollut Bull. 2025 May 28;218:118172. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118172. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The Bohai Sea, a semi-enclosed marginal sea in northeastern China, plays a critical role in regional coastal ecotourism and marine biodiversity. However, intensifying industrialization and urban expansion have raised significant environmental concerns, particularly regarding trace metal contamination in coastal sediments that threaten both ecosystem services and the long-term viability of ecotourism. This study evaluates the spatial distribution, ecological risk levels, and potential sources of key trace metals-Cu, Cd, As, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Hg-across five prominent coastal tourism and ecological zones: Shuangtaizi Estuary, Jinzhou Bay, Luanhekou Estuary, Bohai Bay, and Laizhou Bay. A total of 108 surface sediment samples were collected in August 2015 and analyzed using a suite of geochemical risk assessment models, including the Contamination Factor (CF), Geo-accumulation Index (Igeo), Pollution Load Index (PLI), and Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI). Results revealed elevated ecological risk from Hg and Cd, particularly in Jinzhou Bay, where concentrations exceeded background levels and posed substantial threats to sediment quality and marine life. Igeo values indicated variable contamination, ranging from unpolluted to highly polluted conditions, with Jinzhou Bay identified as a critical hotspot. Multivariate statistical analyses (PCA and HCA) attributed Hg, Cd, and As primarily to anthropogenic sources, while Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cr were linked to natural geological inputs. Although over 90 % of samples for most metals were below the Threshold Effect Concentration (TEC), 33.3 % of As and 15.7 % of Hg samples fell between TEC and the Probable Effect Concentration (PEC), posing moderate ecological risks. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted pollution mitigation and environmental governance, especially in industrially impacted areas, to safeguard coastal ecotourism and preserve the ecological resilience of the Bohai Sea.

PMID:40440882 | DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118172

Sleep Med. 2025 May 14;133:106567. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2025.106567. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Sleep apnea is suggested to be associated with cancer risk, but results are heterogenous, and few studies are population-based. We aimed to assess risk associations between self-reported witnessed apnea during sleep and specific cancers in a population-based cohort.

METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed questions on witnessed sleep apnea in relation to incident cancer in the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study. Cancer diagnoses were derived from the Swedish Cancer Registry and characterized as 12 different cancer types. Cox regression models adjusted for age, sex, ever smoking, body mass index, and education were used to assess risk associations.

RESULTS: In total, 82,059 participants were included, and 10,668 (13 %) reported witnessed sleep apnea. They were followed for 9.0 (SD 4.7) years and 4030 incident cancers were diagnosed. Self-reported witnessed sleep apnea was independently associated with incident lung cancer with an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 1.78 (95 %CI 1.16, 2.73) p = 0.008 and breast cancer aHR, 1.39 (95 %CI 1.04, 1.84) p = 0.023. The risk for lung cancer was driven by an association with lung adenocarcinoma aHR, 2.16 (95 %CI 1.19, 3.91) p = 0.01. There was a multiplicative effect on ever smoking and reporting witnessed apnea for lung cancer with an aHR, 5.27 (95 %CI 3.07, 9.05) p < 0.001.

CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported witnessed sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of developing lung- and breast cancer. There is a multiplicative effect of reporting witnessed sleep apnea and ever-smoking with an over 5 times increase on the hazard for lung cancer.

PMID:40440874 | DOI:10.1016/j.sleep.2025.106567

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2025 May 24;312:114083. doi: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2025.114083. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact of ‘Physio-EndEA’, a multimodal 9-week supervised exercise intervention, on fatigue, health-related physical fitness, sleep quality, mental health, gastrointestinal complaints, and sexual function in women with endometriosis unresponsive to conventional therapy.

METHODS: This randomized controlled trial included 31 patients randomly allocated to the ‘Physio-EndEA’ group (n = 16) or the control group (n = 15). The primary outcome, fatigue, was evaluated using the Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS). Secondary outcomes included health-related physical fitness [lumbar strength (back dynamometer), lumbar flexibility (Schöber test), body balance (Flamingo test) and cardiorespiratory fitness (6-minute walking test, 6MWT)], sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS), digestive complaints (Gastrointestinal quality of life index, GIQLI), and sexual function (Female sexual function index, FSFI). Outcomes were measured at baseline, post-intervention, and at one year. Statistical (between-group analyses of covariance) and clinical effects were analyzed by intention-to-treat. The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT03979183.

RESULTS: After the intervention and at 1 year, the ‘Physio-EndEA’ group showed significantly improved fatigue compared with the control group, with large size effects (d > 0.80). Post-intervention improvements were also observed in the intervention group for lumbar strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, anxiety, depression, and digestive complaint scores. Improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, anxiety and digestive complaints were maintained at the 1-year follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS: A 9-week supervised multimodal therapeutic exercise program is effective in ameliorating a broad range of endometriosis-related impairments, suggesting that ‘Physio-EndEA’ is a promising strategy for reducing symptom burden in women with endometriosis unresponsive to conventional treatment.

PMID:40440865 | DOI:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2025.114083

Seizure. 2025 May 21;130:92-99. doi: 10.1016/j.seizure.2025.05.014. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Anxiety is a prevalent psychiatric comorbidity in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), however, limited attention has been given to the dynamic characteristics of TLE coexisting with anxiety.The aim of this study was to examine abnormal resting-state Electroencephalography (EEG) microstate dynamics in TLE patients with anxiety disorders compared with TLE patients without anxiety disorders and healthy controls.

METHODS: Ninety participants in this study: 30 healthy controls (HC), 30 TLE patients with anxiety (PAS), and 30 TLE patients without anxiety (nPAS). The dynamic changes in the entire brain were detected using a 21-channel EEG for microstate analysis. This study comprehensively compared the mean duration, frequency of occurrence, time coverage, and transition probability of each microstate(A, B, C, D) among the three groups. Rigorous statistical methods were employed to ensure the robustness and validity of the research findings.

RESULTS: The results of EEG microstate analysis revealed that the occurrence frequency and time coverage of microstate B (visual network) in the PAS were significantly reduced compared to the nPAS. Compared to HC and nPAS groups, patients with PAS exhibited alterations in the probability of EEG microstate transitions: an increase in transitions from the microstate C (salience network) to the microstate A (auditory network), a decrease in transitions from the dorsal microstate C (salience network) and microstate D (attention network) to the microstate B (visual network). These changes suggest heightened overall network alertness, impaired attention-visual pathway function, and decreased stability of the attention network.

CONCLUSION: Our research reveals that anxiety disorders in individuals with temporal lobe epilepsy are characterized by heightened alertness, impaired attention-visual integration, and instability of the dorsal attention network. This highlights the significant impact of anxiety on brain network remodeling and cognitive control deficits. Changes in EEG microstate dynamics may serve as a novel biomarker for psychiatric complications associated with epilepsy.

PMID:40440857 | DOI:10.1016/j.seizure.2025.05.014

Sci Total Environ. 2025 May 28;985:179724. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179724. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

New Approach Methods (NAMs) encompass a wide range of data types; it is increasingly common to have highly multi-dimensional data (e.g., cellular, molecular and gene expression effects) on the same chemicals. In addition, chemical structure descriptors (for mono-constituent substances) or fractional composition (for complex substances) inform similarity hypotheses for read-across. Still, the utility of these multi-dimensional datasets for decision-making is difficult to ascertain. To address this challenge, we hypothesized that correlation and mediation analyses methods can be used to uncover significant and interpretable relationships in complex NAMs datasets. We used previously published data on 141 petroleum UVCBs (substances of unknown or variable composition, complex reaction products and biological materials) that included (i) characterization of the polycyclic aromatic compound (PAC) content, (ii) 42 bioactivity measurements from 12 human cell types, and (iii) transcriptomic data from 6 cell types. We explored the relationships among data types and determined how these data can be used for bioactivity-based prioritization. We found that PAC content was highly informative for bioactivity prediction, while the addition of transcriptomic data provided modest improvements. We then applied the statistical procedure of mediation analysis to uncover relationships among transcriptomics, PAC, and bioactivity. The strongest relationships appeared to be nearly completely mediated, and phenotypes with high transcriptomic mediation tended to have high correlation with PAC content. This study shows how a mediation analysis approach can be used to uncover relationships in multi-dimensional NAMs datasets and provides further insights into strategies for hazard prioritization using a combination of transcriptomic and bioactivity data.

PMID:40440850 | DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179724