Category: Statistics

Behav Res Methods. 2026 Jul 24;58(9):248. doi: 10.3758/s13428-026-03119-5.

ABSTRACT

A novel dataset of 556 street art images is presented, accompanied by affective evaluations from 1,239 Portuguese and Brazilian participants. Artworks were selected to reflect themes associated with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Using a stimulus-sampling design, each participant completed an online survey in which 10 randomly selected artworks were presented and reported their responses in terms of valence, arousal, and specific emotion labels (being moved, awe, inspiration, hope, sadness, fear, anger, emotional connection, reflection, awareness, and interest), as well as their interest in street art and sustainability consciousness. Multilevel analyses showed that higher interest in street art and greater sustainability consciousness were consistent predictors of more positive emotional responses to the artworks. In contrast, the effects of gender and age were negligible, and national differences emerged only for feeling moved and awe. Network analyses revealed a highly interconnected emotional structure, with three clusters: self-transcendent, epistemic, and negative emotions. Feeling moved and emotional connection occupied central bridging positions, showing both direct and indirect links across positive and negative emotion clusters. Overall, these findings indicate that street art evokes a broad range of interconnected self-transcendent, cognitive-epistemic, and negative emotions, highlighting the complexity of viewers’ responses to the artworks. The dataset provides a valuable resource for research on emotional responses to street art and can support broader investigations into visual perception, aesthetic processing, and the communication of sustainability-related themes.

PMID:42498908 | DOI:10.3758/s13428-026-03119-5

Behav Res Methods. 2026 Jul 24;58(9):247. doi: 10.3758/s13428-026-03128-4.

ABSTRACT

Cognition is not a static process but is subject to substantial and meaningful variation within individuals over time. This has led to an increase in studies that aim to describe cognition in daily life by sampling participants repeatedly and remotely. Such studies, which we call high-frequency cognitive assessment or “HFCA”, tend to use a limited number of brief cognitive tests. This focus on a small number of tests leaves open questions concerning the psychometric characteristics of a wide array of cognitive tasks useful for HFCA that can guide researchers on appropriate task selection. We developed the Cognitive Variability Battery (CVB), a series of nine cognitive tests clustered into three distinct cognitive domains: attentional control, processing speed, and episodic memory. CVB was administered to participants three times per day for 3 weeks. Cognitive tests were rotated to reduce the length of any single testing session. Each test was administered up to 60 times. We provide detailed descriptions of the performance of each task, including variability, skew, and reliability statistics, using intraclass correlations. We examine the sensitivity of each test to several contextual factors including stress, affect, and social interactions. Finally, we provide power analyses on each cognitive test to determine how many assessments and participants are needed to detect effects of interest. These analyses will be essential to anyone seeking to implement HFCA testing in their own research programs, by providing guidance on which cognitive tests to select and how many participants and observations may be needed.

PMID:42498901 | DOI:10.3758/s13428-026-03128-4

Funct Integr Genomics. 2026 Jul 25;26(1):203. doi: 10.1007/s10142-026-01979-w.

ABSTRACT

We examined clinical, genetic, and molecular links between sleep disorders and endometriosis. Women aged 20-54 years in NHANES 2005-2006 were analyzed with survey-weighted logistic regression. Bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to assess genetic directionality. Endometriosis-related genes were obtained from the Endometriosis eQTL analysis, whereas sleep disorder-related proteins were obtained from the sleep disorder pQTL analysis and mapped to their encoding genes. The two candidate lists were intersected by gene symbol, and shared candidates were evaluated by pathway enrichment, transcriptomic validation, machine-learning prioritization, single-cell localization, drug-gene annotation, and exploratory docking. Among 1,460 women, clinician-diagnosed sleep disorder was more common in those with endometriosis than in those without endometriosis (weighted prevalence, 13.4% vs 5.1%). In the core adjusted model, endometriosis was associated with higher odds of clinician-diagnosed sleep disorder (OR 2.64, 95% CI 1.03-6.76; P = 0.044). Forward MR suggested a modest association between genetic liability to sleep disorders and endometriosis risk (IVW OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.00-1.22; P = 0.040), whereas reverse MR provided no clear evidence for the opposite direction. Intersecting endometriosis-related eQTL genes with sleep disorder-related pQTL protein-coding genes yielded 37 shared xQTL-prioritized gene/protein candidates. Downstream analyses highlighted glucose metabolism, MAPK signaling, inflammatory pathways, and stromal-cell expression of SPARC and YEATS4. Sleep disorders and endometriosis showed convergent epidemiologic, genetic, and expression-based signals. The core clinical association remained positive after adjustment for major demographic and lifestyle covariates. The genetic and molecular findings should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating pending prospective and experimental validation.

PMID:42498900 | DOI:10.1007/s10142-026-01979-w

Neurocrit Care. 2026 Jul 24. doi: 10.1007/s12028-026-02605-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Accurate early prognostication in patients with acute brain injury remains a major challenge in neurocritical care. Conventional bedside assessments provide limited insight into long-term outcomes and may not fully capture preserved brain function that supports recovery. Functional neuroimaging can detect brain activity not evident at the bedside, but its use in intensive care remains constrained by cost, logistics, and the need for stronger evidence supporting its value. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) offers a scalable, bedside-compatible approach for assessing brain function in critically ill patients, but its value for early prognostication has yet to be established.

METHODS: In this prospective observational cohort study, 33 patients with acute brain injury in the intensive care unit (ICU) underwent fNIRS recording while listening to two audio-only movie clips. Functional connectivity features were used to train a machine learning model to classify 6-month functional outcome, defined by the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (favorable ≥ 4, unfavorable < 4). Model performance was assessed using balanced accuracy and statistically evaluated using permutation testing. Performance was compared with validated behavioral assessments and clinical variables. Secondary analyses evaluated prediction of behavioral responsiveness (observable command-following after testing) and covert awareness (neural command-following).

RESULTS: A total of 26 patients had an unfavorable outcome and 7 had a favorable outcome. The fNIRS-based model predicted 6-month outcome with a balanced accuracy of 81.3% (sensitivity = 85.7%, specificity = 76.9%; p = 0.006), outperforming clinical models (balanced accuracy = 67.6%; p = 0.018). The fNIRS-based model also predicted recovery of behavioral responsiveness (balanced accuracy 78.5%; p = 0.008) but not covert awareness (70.4%; p = 0.109).

CONCLUSIONS: Bedside fNIRS provides objective neural measures associated with later functional recovery and behavioral responsiveness in patients with acute brain injury. These findings suggest that fNIRS may capture clinically relevant brain function not detected by conventional assessments. With further validation in larger, multicenter cohorts, such approaches may complement existing methods for early prognostication.

PMID:42498895 | DOI:10.1007/s12028-026-02605-0

Behav Res Methods. 2026 Jul 24;58(9):250. doi: 10.3758/s13428-026-03079-w.

ABSTRACT

This paper introduces an open-source Python package for simplified, customizable computerized adaptive testing (CAT) using Bayesian methods for ability estimation. It addresses the lack of sophisticated packages for CAT in the Python programming language. Moreover, it bridges the gap between the construction and simulation of adaptive tests and their practical application by providing a dedicated API for integration with experiment software. Thereby, it eliminates the need for major code rewrites when transitioning from simulated to real-world adaptive testing. By leveraging Python’s object-oriented programming approach, such as abstract classes, protocols, and inheritance, the package allows for easy extension and customization of its functionality. For example, Bayesian estimators can be modified to incorporate custom priors. This paper outlines the relevance and practical use of the adaptivetesting package through a walkthrough example. The package is fully documented, and its source code is published on GitHub. It is also available on the Python Package Index (PyPi) and conda-forge thus it can easily be installed using Python’s package manager pip or conda. Leveraging R’s reticulate package, adaptivetesting can also be accessed from within RStudio.

PMID:42498892 | DOI:10.3758/s13428-026-03079-w

Int Urol Nephrol. 2026 Jul 24. doi: 10.1007/s11255-026-05307-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of telitacicept in patients with biopsy-proven lupus nephritis.

METHODS: Twenty-one patients diagnosed with lupus nephritis by taking the renal biopsy were enrolled in this study and received telitacicept treatment for at least 6 months. The laboratory test and renal remission rate were assessed during the follow-up period.

RESULTS: All patients were followed for at least 12 months. At the 12-month follow-up, patients with Class II, III, or V LN all had achieved complete or at least partial remission, whereas some patients with Class III + V, IV, or IV + V LN had not achieved remission. However, with extended follow-up (median of 24 months), all patients ultimately achieved complete or partial remission by the end of the study. Significant improvements were observed at 3 months, including a decrease in the urinary protein to creatinine ratio (UPCR) and increases in serum albumin (ALB) and hemoglobin (Hb) levels. C3, C4 complement concentrations, and platelet (PLT) were markedly elevated at 1 month, while immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, and IgM) decreased significantly and remained at low levels over the following 12 months. No severe adverse events were reported during the observation period. Compared with the noninitial-treatment group, patients initially treated with telitacicept had significantly lower baseline albumin, C3, and C4 levels, but subsequent follow-up revealed no statistically significant differences between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Telitacicept is a promising treatment option for patients with LN. The study demonstrated favorable efficacy and safety in LN patients, regardless of whether they were undergoing initial therapy, had failed previous treatments, or had experienced disease relapse. Further randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm this conclusion.

PMID:42498888 | DOI:10.1007/s11255-026-05307-w

Nat Methods. 2026 Jul 24. doi: 10.1038/s41592-026-03155-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Highly multiplexed immunofluorescence imaging visualizes and quantifies protein levels at single-cell resolution in intact tissues at low cost and high scalability. Analysis of these data involves multiple steps with many method and parameter choices that must be adapted to the data and analytical objectives. There is an unmet need for a toolbox that offers flexible end-to-end coverage of the workflow. Here we present ‘spatialproteomics’, a Python package that addresses these challenges. Spatialproteomics enables the processing and analysis of large imaging data, including steps such as segmentation, image processing and cell-type classification, while synchronizing shared coordinates across data modalities. We demonstrate spatialproteomics on images of reactive lymph nodes and B cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas from 132 patients. We showcase an end-to-end analysis from raw images to statistical characterization of how cell type composition and spatial distribution vary across indolent and aggressive lymphomas. Furthermore, we show how spatialproteomics can process Gigapixel whole-slide images.

PMID:42498882 | DOI:10.1038/s41592-026-03155-1

Behav Res Methods. 2026 Jul 24;58(9):251. doi: 10.3758/s13428-026-03125-7.

ABSTRACT

Hierarchical models (HMs) are commonly used to jointly model response accuracies and response times (RTs). However, their relationship cannot be fully captured by the population-level correlation between ability and speed, as local dependencies may arise and threaten valid inferences about individuals and items. In this study, a mixture-based hierarchical model (Mix-HM) that allows respondents to switch between different pacing speeds and identifies positive and negative item-level dependencies is proposed. Two simulation studies were conducted: Simulation 1 examined parameter recovery effects, and Simulation 2 evaluated the effectiveness of Bayesian information-based criteria in model selection processes. The results showed that the Mix-HM achieved satisfactory parameter recovery effects, whereas the conventional HM yielded biased estimates when local dependencies were present. In addition, the model fit criteria were generally able to correctly identify the true model across most conditions. An empirical analysis conducted using large-scale assessment data further showed that the new model provided an improved degree of fit and more stable parameter estimates, while the conventional HM distorted the relationship between ability and speed. These findings highlight the importance of accounting for the heterogeneity of latent speed and local dependencies when incorporating RTs as collateral information.

PMID:42498879 | DOI:10.3758/s13428-026-03125-7

Obes Surg. 2026 Jul 25. doi: 10.1007/s11695-026-08800-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG) is the most frequently performed technique among bariatric surgical procedures; however, it may lead to aesthetic concerns due to visible port scars. The primary objective of this study is to compare the safety, efficacy, and cosmetic outcomes of the Modified Bikini Line Sleeve Gastrectomy (MBLSG) technique-which we have defined to address this drawback-with conventional LSG.

METHODS: Patients who underwent MBLSG and conventional LSG at the participating centers between 2020 and 2025 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 1834 patients (Conventional LSG: 928; MBLSG: 906) were included in the study. The two groups were compared based on demographic data (age, sex, BMI, ASA score), operative time, complication rates (according to the Clavien-Dindo classification), postoperative pain scores (VAS), and weight loss percentages (%TWL, %EWL) at the 3rd, 6th, and 12th months.

RESULTS: Significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of age (35.8 ± 6.7 vs. 34.5 ± 6.8 years; p < 0.001) and sex distribution (p < 0.001, with a significantly higher proportion of female patients in the MBLSG group). However, no significant differences were found regarding mean body mass index (BMI), body weight, or ASA score distribution (p > 0.05). The operative time in the MBLSG group (26.9 ± 3.4 min) was longer than that in the conventional group (23.1 ± 3.2 min; p < 0.001). Regarding complication rates, the Grade I complication rate was significantly higher in the MBLSG group (27.0%) compared to the conventional group (25.1%), as was the Grade II complication rate (15.1% in MBLSG vs. 12.0% in conventional; p = 0.049). Analysis of weight loss percentages (at 3, 6, and 12 months) revealed no statistically significant difference between the groups (p > 0.05). The groups also exhibited similar results for early postoperative parameters such as pain levels (VAS) and time to mobilization. Conversely, when postoperative cosmetic scores were evaluated, the level of patient satisfaction was significantly higher in the MBLSG group than in the conventional LSG group.

CONCLUSION: Despite a minimal extension in operative time and a slight increase in the risk of minor, medically manageable complications (specifically surgical site infections and ecchymosis), MBLSG is a safe, clinically effective, and feasible bariatric surgical approach for selected patients who prioritize cosmetic benefits and aesthetic satisfaction.

PMID:42498877 | DOI:10.1007/s11695-026-08800-4

Eur J Pediatr. 2026 Jul 25;185(8):607. doi: 10.1007/s00431-026-07274-x.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to assess right ventricle (RV) systolic function in infants with severe bronchiolitis using tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and to explore its prognostic value. We hypothesized that lower TAPSE at pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission could be associated with prolonged length of stay (LOS) and duration of respiratory support. We conducted a prospective single-center observational pilot study in a tertiary general PICU during the 2022-2023 bronchiolitis season. All children < 12 months admitted to PICU for bronchiolitis were eligible. TAPSE was measured by transthoracic echocardiography at PICU admission. Patients were followed up until discharge. Forty-six patients were included, aged from 16 days to 9.5 months. TAPSE Z-score was within normal range (- 2 to + 2) in 36/46 (78%) patients and > + 2 in 10/46 (22%) patients. TAPSE Z-score was weakly associated with PICU LOS (Spearman ρ = – 0.38, p = 0.009) and moderately associated with the duration of respiratory support (Spearman ρ = – 0.45, p = 0.002). No significant association was found between other echocardiographic parameters and PICU LOS or duration of respiratory support. In post hoc exploratory multivariable analysis, TAPSE Z-score was independently associated with a duration of respiratory support < 3 days (OR = 2.29, 95% CI [1.25; 4.17], p = 0.007). Conclusion: TAPSE was within or above normal range in children with severe bronchiolitis, suggesting that RV systolic dysfunction is uncommon. Although its value may be associated with patients’ clinical course, the pathophysiological basis and the clinical relevance of this association warrants further investigations.Trial registration: NCT07209956, date of registration October 7, 2025, retrospectively registered.

PMID:42498874 | DOI:10.1007/s00431-026-07274-x