Category: Statistics

Adv Physiol Educ. 2025 May 24. doi: 10.1152/advan.00199.2024. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In response to a decline in the numeracy skills and confidence of first year Biomedical science undergraduate students, a series of quizzes was developed to encourage students to practice their numeracy skills with topic-related problems. The quizzes were created using existing tools in the online learning platform Blackboard (Blackboard Inc). The organisation of the quizzes included repetition and a gamification element to encourage engagement by students. Analysis of pre- and post-assessment data as well as a final subject-related test demonstrate a statistically significant improvement of the test scores in the students who engage with the quizzes compared to those who did not. The confidence of the students who completed all the quizzes also improved. This strategy and configuration of quizzes could easily be adapted to topics other than numeracy.

PMID:40411799 | DOI:10.1152/advan.00199.2024

STAR Protoc. 2025 May 22;6(2):103835. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2025.103835. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Event-related potentials (ERPs), measured using electroencephalography (EEG), are electrical brain potentials related to specific events, such as the presentation of visual stimuli. In this protocol, we describe steps for designing an ERP experimental task, measuring EEG, preprocessing EEG data in MATLAB, and exporting ERP data for statistical analyses. This protocol is intended to be applicable to common ERP experiments in cognitive neuroscience. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Pütz and colleagues.¹.

PMID:40411787 | DOI:10.1016/j.xpro.2025.103835

Rheumatology (Oxford). 2025 May 24:keaf278. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keaf278. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Antinuclear antibody (ANA) positivity has been observed in patients with steatotic liver disease (SLD); however, the link between SLD and ANA-positive connective tissue diseases remains unexplored. We aimed to evaluate the association between SLD and risk of systemic sclerosis (SSc), a representative ANA-positive connective tissue disease.

METHODS: A longitudinal population-based cohort study using a Korean nationwide database was conducted. The analysis included 4,413 719 individuals who participated in a national health screening program in 2012, with a mean follow-up period of 9.21 ± 1.05 years. Participants were categorized based on SLD status into four groups: no SLD, metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease (MASLD), metabolic dysfunction and alcohol-related liver disease (MetALD), and alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). The main outcome measure was incident SSc. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the association between SLD and risk of incident SSc.

RESULTS: Among the 4,413 719 individuals, 2,827 907 (64.07%) had no SLD, 1,344 494 (30.46%) had MASLD, 165 475 (3.75%) had MetALD, and 75 843 (1.72%) had ALD. Compared with individuals without SLD, those with MASLD (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.612 [1.276, 2.038]), MetALD (adjusted HR: 1.575 [0.816, 3.040]), and ALD (adjusted HR: 3.063 [1.635, 5.739]) had a higher risk of incident SSc, with MASLD and ALD reaching statistical significance. The risk was the highest among individuals with ALD.

CONCLUSION: SLD was linked to an increased risk of incident SSc. These findings underscore the need for effective monitoring and management of SLD, particularly by reducing excessive alcohol consumption, to lower the risk of incident SSc.

PMID:40411763 | DOI:10.1093/rheumatology/keaf278

Br J Radiol. 2025 May 24:tqaf074. doi: 10.1093/bjr/tqaf074. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: We proposed a parameter, the circumference derived diameter (CDD), to size the stent-graft implanted in the thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), and evaluated the variation and repeatability compared with the transverse diameter (TD) measured in the cross-sectional (axial) plane of computed tomography angiography (CTA).

METHODS: Fifty patients undergoing TEVAR in our center from June 2016 to July 2017 were enrolled retrospectively. The circumference of the aortic wall at the proximal landing zone (PLZ) was measured on the segment plane orthogonal to the centerline. The TD of the aortic wall at PLZ was measured in the cross-sectional (axial) plane. Three observers independently measured both CDD and TD for each patient twice with the interval of a month. The statistics was used to investigate the variation and repeatability of CDD and TD.

RESULTS: Bland-Altman plot exhibited no statistical difference in terms of main effects of both methods and simple effects of each observer (P > .05), whereas mean difference of > 3 mm (the general size interval of off-the-shelf stent-grafts) between CDD and TD was observed in 7/37 (18.9%) patients. CDD exhibited a significant consistency in both intra-observer and inter-observer variability (P>.05). Whereas, TD exhibited greater absolute mean differences than CDD in both variability tests (intra-observer: -0.210 ± 0.776 mm vs. 0.014 mm ± 0.291, P < .0056; inter-observer: 0.578 ± 0.382 mm vs. 0.188 ± 0.143 mm, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS: Combining with the requirement of current clinical practice and available stent-graft specifications, CDD was a potential substitute parameter for sizing aortic geometry before TEVAR, with higher repeatability and less intra-observer and inter-observer variability.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: We propose a parameter, circumference derived diameter (CDD) which has the potential to be a substitute parameter to size the stent-graft precisely before TEVAR.

PMID:40411754 | DOI:10.1093/bjr/tqaf074

J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2025 May 24:ocaf075. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocaf075. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains a challenge due to symptom variability and comorbidities. Linguistic analysis offers an innovative approach to identify PTSD symptoms and severity. This systematic review aimed at identifying linguistic features associated with PTSD, assessing the quality and limitations of existing studies, summarizing the predictive performance of identified models, and describing the clinical utility of these models.

MATERIALS: A comprehensive search was conducted across multiple databases, resulting in the identification of 593 articles. After screening and eligibility assessment, 58 studies were included.

METHODS: Data extraction focused on study characteristics, methodology, and performance metrics. We assessed the risk of bias using the PROBAST and conducted both a narrative synthesis and a meta-analysis.

RESULTS: Linguistic features such as pronoun use, emotional valence, cognitive processing words, narrative length, discourse disorganization, temporal orientation, specific lexical fields (death, anxiety, sensory-perception details), and disfluencies were commonly investigated. The meta-analysis revealed a pooled area under the curve of 0.81, indicating the high performance of classification models. However, significant publication bias and heterogeneity were noted. Only 8 studies were rated with a low risk of bias, highlighting common issues such as inadequate control groups, unvalidated linguistic tools, unvalidated diagnosis tools, and low rigor in statistical analysis.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Linguistic markers showed potential for enhancing PTSD diagnoses, but the contemporary research was limited by methodological inconsistencies and biases. Future research should focus on standardized tools, symptom-focused studies, and interdisciplinary collaboration to improve the robustness and clinical applicability of findings.

PMID:40411747 | DOI:10.1093/jamia/ocaf075

Int J Comput Assist Radiol Surg. 2025 May 24. doi: 10.1007/s11548-025-03396-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study investigates the effectiveness of synthetic training data in predicting 2D landmarks for 3D intraoral reconstruction in cleft lip and palate patients. We take inspiration from existing landmark prediction and 3D reconstruction techniques for faces and demonstrate their potential in medical applications.

METHODS: We generated both real and synthetic datasets from intraoral scans and videos. A convolutional neural network was trained using a negative-Gaussian log-likelihood loss function to predict 2D landmarks and their corresponding confidence scores. The predicted landmarks were then used to fit a statistical shape model to generate 3D reconstructions from individual images. We analyzed the model’s performance on real patient data and explored the dataset size required to overcome the domain gap between synthetic and real images.

RESULTS: Our approach generates satisfying results on synthetic data and shows promise when tested on real data. The method achieves rapid 3D reconstruction from single images and can therefore provide significant value in day-to-day medical work.

CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that synthetic training data are viable for training models to predict 2D landmarks and reconstruct 3D meshes in patients with cleft lip and palate. This approach offers an accessible, low-cost alternative to traditional methods, using smartphone technology for noninvasive, rapid, and accurate 3D reconstructions in clinical settings.

PMID:40411726 | DOI:10.1007/s11548-025-03396-z

J Robot Surg. 2025 May 24;19(1):233. doi: 10.1007/s11701-025-02396-0.

ABSTRACT

Robotic bariatric surgery (RBS) is increasingly adopted worldwide. This study aims to evaluate the implementation and evolution of RBS at a high volume center over five years, focusing on operative time (OT), operating room (OR) efficiency, and cost outcomes. A prospective analysis was conducted on patients undergoing elective RBS between July 2021 and March 2025 at ARNAS G. Brotzu, Cagliari. Metrics included OT, OR session time, and surgical volume. Variables analyzed included OT, OR session time, and surgical volume. Efficiency metrics such as overall OR efficiency, defined as OR session time/OT (Eff1), and robotic console utilization, defined as OR session time/console time (Eff2) were derived. Cost analysis incorporated OR activation time, surgeon and material costs. Statistical analyses included t-tests, Pearson’s correlation, and linear regression. 100 robotic-assisted procedures were recorded. Robotic adoption increased from 4.06% in 2021 to 38.98% in 2025. A learning curve (LC) was identified, with a significant OT reduction after the first 34 Roux-en-Y gastric bypass cases (p = 0.001). Full robotic manual anastomosis showed a notable cost decrease in later cases (p < 0.0001). Increased surgical volume correlated with both reduced OT (r = – 0.58) and improved Eff1 (r = – 0.49, p = 0.005). However, Eff2 changes were not statistically significant (r = – 0.31, p = 0.09), underscoring the need for team-wide coordination. RBS in high-volume centers enhance OR efficiency and cost-effectiveness over time. The LC, surgical volume, and institutional workflows were key factors in optimizing efficiency, highlighting the importance of a collective LC for the entire surgical team.

PMID:40411713 | DOI:10.1007/s11701-025-02396-0

Eur Phys J E Soft Matter. 2025 May 24;48(4-5):27. doi: 10.1140/epje/s10189-025-00489-0.

ABSTRACT

A novel field theoretical approach towards modelling dynamic networking in complex systems is presented. An equilibrium networking formalism which utilises Gaussian fields is adapted to model the dynamics of particles that can bind and unbind from one another. Here, networking refers to the introduction of instantaneous co-localisation constraints and does not necessitate the formation of a well-defined transient or persistent network. By combining this formalism with Martin-Siggia-Rose generating functionals, a weighted generating functional for the networked system is obtained. The networking formalism introduces spatial and temporal constraints into the Langevin dynamics, via statistical weights, thereby accounting for all possible configurations in which particles can be networked to one another. A simple example of Brownian particles which can bind and unbind from one another demonstrates the tool and that this leads to results for physical quantities in a collective description. Applying the networking formalism to model the dynamics of cross-linking polymers in a mixture, we can calculate the average number of networking instances. As expected, the dynamic structure factors for each type of polymer show that the system collapses once networking is introduced, but that the addition of a repulsive time-dependent potential above a minimum strength prevents this. The examples presented in this paper indicate that this novel approach towards modelling dynamic networking could be applied to a range of synthetic and biological systems to obtain theoretical predictions for experimentally verifiable quantities.

PMID:40411700 | DOI:10.1140/epje/s10189-025-00489-0

CVIR Endovasc. 2025 May 24;8(1):48. doi: 10.1186/s42155-025-00557-8.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Assess incidence of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in patients treated with 8-10 mm Controlled Expansion diameter VIATORR® (VCX) versus 10 mm diameter first-generation VIATORR® (Legacy) stent-grafts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single-centre retrospective study (January 2015 to March 2024), including 132 adult patients with cirrhosis treated with TIPS due to complications of portal hypertension. Outcomes included post-TIPS new onset overt HE, ascites response, re-bleeding, mortality and portal pressure gradient (PPG) before and after TIPS. Comparisons used Chi square and Fisher´s exact test for categorical variables and Student´s t test or Mann-Whitney test for quantitative variables.

RESULTS: Indication for TIPS was refractory ascites (n = 82) and variceal bleeding (n = 50). The VCX group (n = 85) and the Legacy group (n = 47) had similar new onset overt HE: 37% (31/85) vs 43% (20/47), respectively (p = 0.31); mortality rates (34% [29/85]) vs 39% [18/47], respectively, p = 0.57) and re-bleeding (17% [6/35] vs 20% [3/15], respectively, p = 1.00). Median PPG reduction after TIPS was 10 mmHg (7 – 13) in the VCX group and 12 mmHg (9 – 15) in the Legacy group (p = 0.02). Subgroup analysis revealed post TIPS overt HE rate of 38% (19/50) in the VCX group vs 53% (17/32) in the Legacy group (p = 0.13), with refractory ascites as an indication. Shunt dysfunction rate was 7% (6/85) in the VCX group (stent thrombosis n = 6, stenosis or malpositioning n = 0) and 0% (0/47) in the Legacy group (p = 0.09).

CONCLUSION: VCX stent grafts induce an immediate lower PPG reduction, which might lead to more stent dysfunctions, but also to a reduction in post-TIPS HE.

PMID:40411691 | DOI:10.1186/s42155-025-00557-8

Discov Oncol. 2025 May 24;16(1):898. doi: 10.1007/s12672-025-02712-y.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic thyroidectomies are commonly performed for thyroid cancer. Previous studies indicated that trans-areola approach is inferior in central lymph node dissection (CLND) due to clavicle protruding. The present study aimed to compare different surgical approaches of endoscopic thyroidectomies regarding surgical outcomes.

METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 153 patients underwent endoscopic thyroidectomies through oral and areola approaches from Nov. 2019 to Dec. 2022 in our institution, baseline information, surgical outcomes and postoperative complications were recorded and analyzed. For pooled data analysis, comprehensive searching was done to identify studies concerning comparison of endoscopic thyroidectomies. Basic information and surgical outcomes were extracted. RevMan 5.4 was used to analyze the pooled data. p < 0.05 was considered statistically different.

RESULTS: A total of 153 patients were included with 75 in oral, 78 in areola. The operative time was longer in oral compared with other two groups. Number of lymph nodes, positive lymph nodes, hospital stay, postoperative drainage and complications were not different between the two groups. For the systematic review, five studies of oral and areola comparisons containing 568 patients was finally included in the meta-analysis. The operative time was slightly longer in oral group. Number of positive lymph nodes were slightly larger in areola. The blood loss, lymph nodes, hospital stay and transient hoarseness were not different between oral and areola.

CONCLUSIONS: Oral demanded more operative time than other approaches. Lymph nodes, positive lymph nodes and hospital stay were similar between different groups. Areola was comparable with oral in lymph nodes and positive lymph nodes.

PMID:40411690 | DOI:10.1007/s12672-025-02712-y