Category: Statistics

Braz J Microbiol. 2026 Jan 21;57(1):40. doi: 10.1007/s42770-025-01851-2.

ABSTRACT

Dental caries is a highly prevalent multifactorial oral disease that can cause both local and systemic lesions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antiseptic effect of a topical solution containing polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHMGH) and its possible toxic effects in vivo. PHMGH was tested (0.31-625.0 ppm) against Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguinis, Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus sobrinus, Lactobacillus casei, and Enterococcus faecalis by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC₇₅), fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI), and bactericidal kinetics. The polymer was effective against all microorganisms, with MIC and MBC ranging from 0.31 to 1.24 ppm; lower values were observed especially against S. mitis and E. faecalis when compared to commercial chlorhexidine digluconate. PHMGH inhibited 75% of the microbial biofilms, including S. mutans, with the MBIC₇₅ of PHMGH and CLX being similar for this microorganism. The combination of the polymer with CLX exerted indifferent effects against the cariogenic microorganisms. Regarding bactericidal kinetics, the polymer caused higher percent reductions in the microorganisms than CLX; at concentrations of 3.000 and 1.000 ppm, with 2 and 4 min of exposure, respectively, inducing 100% bacterial death. Given the promising results, rats received daily oral instillations of four drops of PHMGH at a concentration of 625 ppm for 90 days, mimicking a mouthwash. None exhibited alterations in mucosae or tongue, as well as no body weight and histological changes were observed in the oral mucosa, tongue, esophagus, stomach, and intestine. The toxicological evaluation showed that the treated animals did not present significant alterations in the parameters of hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity and DNA damage. Regarding the histopathological analyses of the digestive organs, there were no statistics differences, except for the mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate in the intestinal mucosa, which was significantly higher in treated animals. Under the present experimental conditions, PHMGH exerted in vitro antimicrobial activity against dental caries microorganisms, with no evidence of in vivo toxicity; thus, it becomes a promising and less costly option for the development of oral antiseptic products.

PMID:41563683 | DOI:10.1007/s42770-025-01851-2

Curr Hypertens Rep. 2026 Jan 21;28(1):9. doi: 10.1007/s11906-025-01359-y.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To discuss available data on renal denervation (RDN) for treating hypertension and how expanding access to RDN may improve rates of controlled hypertension while helping address hypertension treatment disparities.

RECENT FINDINGS: RDN is an FDA-approved procedure for the treatment of patients with confirmed uncontrolled hypertension, with proven efficacy and safety in randomized sham-controlled trials. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services completed a national coverage analysis for RDN coverage for the treatment of uncontrolled hypertension. By summarizing the available data on RDN and hypertension statistics among different race and ethnicities in the United States, our review highlights the potential for RDN to improve treatment control rates, without increasing medication burden. By expanding coverage for the procedure, RDN may be an important tool to reduce significant treatment disparities in hypertension.

PMID:41563652 | DOI:10.1007/s11906-025-01359-y

Endocrine. 2026 Jan 21;91(1):45. doi: 10.1007/s12020-025-04537-9.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:41563647 | DOI:10.1007/s12020-025-04537-9

Int Ophthalmol. 2026 Jan 21;46(1):65. doi: 10.1007/s10792-025-03924-5.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To compare the functional and anatomical outcomes of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with or without internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling in patients suffering with non-resolving vitreous hemorrhage and tractional retinal detachment.

METHODS: Fifty-seven patients (57 eyes) suffering from PDR were randomly assigned to undergo PPV with ILM peeling (n = 26) or without ILM peeling (n = 31). Outcomes assessed over a 6-month follow-up included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), need for additional anti-VEGF injections, frequency of reoperations, central macular thickness (CMT), development of epiretinal membrane (ERM), macular traction, and vascular parameters derived from OCT imaging.

RESULTS: Both groups showed statistically significant improvements in BCVA postoperatively (p < 0.001), with no significant difference between them (p = 0.846). The ILM peeling group required fewer repeat anti-VEGF injections (7.7% vs. 35.5%, p = 0.030) and exhibited a significantly lower incidence of secondary ERM (11.5% vs. 51.6%, p = 0.004). ERM formation correlated with iatrogenic retinal tears (p = 0.007) and tractional retinal detachment (TRD) (p < 0.001). Reoperations for ERM removal occurred exclusively in the non-ILM peeling group. No significant intergroup differences were found in CMT, foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, or vessel density.

CONCLUSION: ILM peeling during diabetic vitrectomy effectively minimizes the risk of postoperative ERM formation and reduces the need for further Anti-VEGF injections for DME. However, it does not confer a significant advantage in terms of visual acuity improvements.

PMID:41563617 | DOI:10.1007/s10792-025-03924-5

Cancer Causes Control. 2026 Jan 21;37(2):36. doi: 10.1007/s10552-025-02121-0.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: In 2020, health care systems worldwide were challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, disrupting the medical care trajectory of cancer patients. The observed diagnostic delays requested further monitoring including an assessment of survival probabilities.

METHODS: The 1-, 2- and 3-years relative survival (RS; Ederer II; follow-up until 1st May 2025) was calculated for invasive tumours diagnosed between 2017 and 2021 in Belgium (overall and per cancer type) and compared with asymptotic two-sided Z-tests on the log-transformed scale.

RESULTS: Following a decrease of the 1- and 2-years RS for 2020 (82.0% and 75.5%) compared to 2019 (82.5% and 76.1%), the 3-years RS for 2020 (72.0%) aligned again with the 3-years RS for 2019 (72.2%). The 2021 (1-, 2- and 3-years) RS and 2022 (1- and 2-years) RS estimates are in line with the increasing pre-pandemic survival rates for all cancers. The RS results showed a wide heterogeneity across cancer types. In addition, we observed small shifts in the characteristics of the cancer patient populations with contrasting impact on survival.

CONCLUSION: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of timeliness in the monitoring of cancer incidence and survival emerged for many cancer registries worldwide. Based on our RS results, we advocate for tailored survival analyses per subpopulation (age group, cancer type, stage, etc.) to reveal mid- and long-term survival effects of the pandemic.

PMID:41563602 | DOI:10.1007/s10552-025-02121-0

Cancer Causes Control. 2026 Jan 21;37(2):33. doi: 10.1007/s10552-025-02099-9.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between guideline-concordant breast cancer care and hazard of cancer death by patient race and ethnicity.

METHODS: We used SEER-Medicare data to identify 212,555 older women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 2000 and 2017. Guideline-concordant diagnostic workup, locoregional treatment, and initiation of systemic therapy were defined using NCCN guidelines. Hazards of breast cancer death 2 and 5 years from diagnosis by each guideline-concordance outcome overall and stratified by race and ethnicity were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS: Non-concordant diagnostic workup, locoregional treatment, and systemic therapy initiation were each associated with increased hazards of 2- and 5-year breast cancer mortality (diagnostics HR_2-year (95% CI) 1.33 (1.25-1.41), HR_5-year 1.29 (1.23-1.35); locoregional HR_2-year 2.10 (1.98-2.23), HR_5-year 1.83 (1.76-1.90); systemics HR_2-year 1.67 (1.51-1.84), HR_5-year 1.56 (1.45-1.68)). Non-concordant diagnostic workup and systemic therapy initiation were associated with greater hazard of 2- and 5-year breast cancer death among Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic White, and non-Hispanic White patients; there was no consistent association among American Indian/Alaska Native patients for either outcome. Locoregional treatment was strongly associated with hazards of cancer death for all groups.

CONCLUSION: Equitable delivery of guideline-recommended breast cancer care from diagnosis through treatment across racial and ethnic groups may mitigate survival disparities. Efforts to improve access to high-quality care must be informed by and responsive to the social and structural root causes of health inequities.

PMID:41563590 | DOI:10.1007/s10552-025-02099-9

Support Care Cancer. 2026 Jan 21;34(2):112. doi: 10.1007/s00520-026-10343-4.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Early phase clinical trials (EP-CTs) investigate novel therapeutic approaches for patients with cancer, but little is known about patterns of supportive care service utilization and advance care planning (ACP) in this population. We sought to characterize these features in an EP-CT population and evaluate associations among receipt of supportive care services and ACP documentation.

METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the electronic health record (EHR) of consecutive patients enrolled in EP-CTs at Massachusetts General Hospital from 01/01/17-12/30/19. We abstracted sociodemographics, performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG] score), oncology history, trial details, as well as receipt and timing of six supportive care services (palliative care [PC], social work [SW], spiritual services [SS], parental support [PS], physical therapy [PT], and nutrition). We additionally abstracted receipt and timing of ACP documentation (defined as any EHR-documented conversation addressing illness understanding or values, preferences, or goals for future medical care, as identified using a structured keyword search). We then separately examined associations between receipt of any supportive care service and ACP documentation, number of supportive care services received and ACP documentation, and subtype of supportive care received and ACP documentation. These analyses used logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, cancer type, and performance status.

RESULTS: During our study period, 376 patients participated in EP-CTs (median age 63.0 years, 55.9% female, 97.3% stage 4, median ECOG 1, median follow-up: 223 days, median time from diagnosis to EP-CT: 844 days). Nearly all received at least one type of supportive care across their illness trajectory (88.0%), with varied rates by service type (PC: 54.8%, SW: 64.1%, SS: 39.1%, PS: 8.0%, PT: 54.0%, nutrition: 61.2%). Most also had some form of ACP (73.9%) documented between diagnosis and death. Multivariable regression models demonstrated that receipt of any of the six forms of supportive care was associated with higher likelihood of ACP documentation (odds ratio [OR]: 9.18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.49-18.78, p < 0.001). Similarly, we observed associations between number of supportive care services received when considered as a continuous covariate and ACP documentation (OR_{1 service}:1.89, 95%CI:0.90-4.03, p = 0.090; OR_{2 services}: 15.36, 95%CI 5.78-40.78, p < 0.001, OR_{3+ services}: 35.78, 95%CI: 14.35-89.24, p < 0.001). These associations also persisted when considering PC independently (OR_PC = 11.17, 95%CI_PC = 5.76-21.67, p < 0.001) from other supportive care services (OR_other = 5.41, 95%CI_other: 2.64-11.09, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: In this large cohort of EP-CT participants, most patients received supportive care services and had documented ACP, suggesting trial-related engagement does not impede care delivery. Notably, receipt of supportive care services correlated with ACP documentation. These findings underscore the importance of addressing individual supportive care needs among EP-CT participants.

PMID:41563588 | DOI:10.1007/s00520-026-10343-4

Infect Dis Ther. 2026 Jan 21. doi: 10.1007/s40121-026-01302-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Aging in people with HIV (PWH) is accompanied by an increased burden of multimorbidity and persistent inflammation. Identifying biomarkers that reflect comorbidity risk can help improve long-term care. This study evaluated the association of multimorbidity with GDF-15, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and sP-selectin in PWH.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in two cohorts of adults receiving antiretroviral therapy: a discovery cohort (n = 74) and a validation cohort (Spanish CoRIS network) (n = 150). Median age was 53 years in both cohorts (IQR 44-60 and 45-58), and women represented 19 (25.7%) and 75 (50.0%), respectively. Multimorbidity was defined as ≥ 2 comorbidities, including but not limited to cardiovascular, metabolic, renal, and non-AIDS-defining cancers. Plasma GDF-15, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and sP-selectin were quantified by multiplex immunoassay. Associations with log-transformed GDF-15 were assessed using multivariable linear regression including age-multimorbidity ordinal categories, tobacco smoking, and CD4+ nadir.

RESULTS: Multimorbidity prevalence was 48.6% (36) in the hospital cohort and 54.7% (82) in CoRIS. In both cohorts, participants with multimorbidity had significantly higher GDF-15 levels (hospital: 771.5 vs. 390.0 pg/ml; CoRIS: 485.2 vs. 360.1 pg/ml; both p < 0.001). In the hospital cohort, smoking and age-multimorbidity were independently associated with elevated GDF-15, with 26.1% and 16.0% increases per category, respectively (p < 0.05). These associations were confirmed in CoRIS, with 5.44% and 19.0% increases (p < 0.01). CD4+ nadir showed no significant association with GDF-15. No significant associations were observed between multimorbidity and sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, or sP-selectin (all p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Elevated GDF-15 was consistently associated with multimorbidity in PWH, primarily driven by aging and tobacco smoking. GDF-15 appears to reflect a broader state of multisystem physiological stress than traditional endothelial activation markers, supporting its utility as a biomarker to identify PWH at higher risk of age-related comorbidities and to monitor the impact of modifiable risk factors in clinical care.

PMID:41563586 | DOI:10.1007/s40121-026-01302-x

Cancer Causes Control. 2026 Jan 21;37(2):34. doi: 10.1007/s10552-025-02091-3.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The diet-induced gut microbiota (DI-GM) score captures diet quality relevant to microbial health. However, its association with gynecological cancer (GC) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between DI-GM scores and gynecological cancer risk in U.S. women.

METHODS: We analyzed data from 8,512 adult women aged ≥ 20 years from The U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018. DI-GM scores reflected intake of 14 food groups classified as beneficial or harmful to gut microbial health. Multivariable survey-weighted logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for covariates.

RESULTS: Women with GC had significantly lower DI-GM scores than those without (mean 4.7 vs. 5.0; p = 0.031). Higher DI-GM scores were associated with reduced GC risk (adjusted OR per unit increase: 0.92; 95% CI 0.87-0.98; p = 0.011). Participants with DI-GM ≥ 6 had 27% lower odds of GC compared to those with scores 0-3 (p = 0.037). The beneficial component of DI-GM was independently associated with lower GC risk. No significant effect modification was observed in stratified analyses.

CONCLUSION: Greater adherence to a microbiota-friendly diet may lower gynecological cancer risk in women.

PMID:41563582 | DOI:10.1007/s10552-025-02091-3

Environ Monit Assess. 2026 Jan 21;198(2):155. doi: 10.1007/s10661-026-14999-7.

ABSTRACT

This article aims to predict the concentration of air pollutants at any unmonitored location based on sparse monitoring points in the monitoring area, thereby achieving the goal of fine-grained air pollution mapping. To learn the spatial distribution characteristics of air pollutants from sparse monitoring data, this article proposes a novel Graph Neural Network (GNN) model called Graph Convolutional Neural Networks on K Neighbors (KN-GCN). Additionally, a data augmentation method is employed to enhance the sparse monitoring data and prevent overfitting of the KN-GCN model during the training process. Moreover, since the ground truth concentration value is unavailable at unmonitored locations, the accuracy of the prediction cannot be measured. Therefore, a training strategy is designed to reflect the unmeasurable accuracy on the metrics of the KN-GCN model. To evaluate the proposed method, a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation experiment and a public dataset experiment are conducted. The results reveal that the proposed method outperforms the baseline methods by an average of 65% and 17.8% in the CFD experiment and public dataset experiment, respectively.

PMID:41563526 | DOI:10.1007/s10661-026-14999-7