Category: Statistics

Psychiatr Danub. 2026 Apr;38(1):53-62. doi: 10.24869/psyd.2026.53.

ABSTRACT

BACKROUND: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) emerged at the end of 2019 and has since affected Türkiye as well as the rest of the World. The main purpose of this study is to examine the effects of social isolation measures during the COVID-19 epidemic on education perceptions, anxiety levels, sleep quality, and physical activity levels of healthcare students, as well as the relationship between anxiety with sleep quality and physical activity level.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted between May and June 2020. The sample consisted of 457 physiotherapy, nursing, and occupational therapy students aged 18-41. Before to starting the survey, electronic consent was obtained from all participants. The data were collected through the Google Forms web survey platform using the convenience sampling method. The demographic information form, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory, and Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity were used to collect data. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows 22 (IBM SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) at a significance level of 0.05.

RESULTS: The majority of students expressed concerns regarding the insufficiency of distance education (82.5%). Over half (53.39%) of the study participants reported experiencing mild, moderate, and severe anxiety. In addition, students exhibited poor sleep quality (67.5%) and low levels of physical activity (61.1%). A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the total scores of the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (r = 0.425, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Healthcare students were concerned about distance education during the first wave of the pandemic. Universities should provide all students with guidance on mental health and encourage them to perform more physical activity. Moreover, different methods and techniques should be developed for applied science during distance education.

PMID:42251718 | DOI:10.24869/psyd.2026.53

Psychiatr Danub. 2026 Apr;38(1):23-32. doi: 10.24869/psyd.2026.23.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare eating disorders (EDs) symptoms, traumatic experiences, family functioning and emotional regulation between Croatian and German bulimia nervosa (BN) female patients.

METHODS: The study included a total of 192 participants; 50 Croatian BN female patients ranging from 15 to 25 years old, treated at University Hospital Center Zagreb, and 55 German BN female patients between 20 and 45 years old, treated at University Hospital Ulm. Croatian control group consisted of 50 subjects, and German control group consisted of 37 subjects that are matched with participants of clinical groups by to the essential characteristics. Participants were asked to fill out EDI-2, ETISR-SF, FAD and DERS.

RESULTS: We obtained differences between Croatian and German BN female patients in age range and in multiple clinical scales. After controlling for the age variable, we found no statistically significant difference between groups in ED symptoms on EDI-2, nor in family functioning with respect to FAD. The Croatian participants showed more traumatic experiences on the ETISR-SF (General trauma, Physical punishment) and German participants showed more difficulties with emotional regulation on DERS (Awareness), whereas higher levels of exposure to General trauma (OR=.25; 95% CI =.09-.70; p<.01) and Physical punishment (OR=.06; 95% CI=.01-.37; p<.01) increased the odds for participant to be categorized as part of the Croatian group, while lack of emotional Awareness (OR=7.07; 95% CI=1.33-37.05; p<.05) increases the odds for participant to belong to the German group.

CONCLUSIONS: The Croatian group exhibited more traumatic experiences, whereas German participants demonstrated greater lack of emotional awareness. On the whole, we found no statistically significant difference between Croatian and German BN female patients in ED symptoms as neither in family functioning.

PMID:42251713 | DOI:10.24869/psyd.2026.23

Aging Ment Health. 2026 Jun 7:1-16. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2026.2678989. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Evidence linking residential environments to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains limited.

METHODS: We followed 426,220 dementia-free UK Biobank participants for a median 13.6 years. Cox models evaluated associations between green, blue spaces, and natural environment (300 and 1000 m buffers) and AD/MCI risk, alongside exploratory mediation and gene-environment interactions.

RESULTS: Incident cases included 3513 AD and 864 MCI. For AD, higher green space, blue space, and natural environment within 300 m lowered risk (decreases of 5.8, 0.8, and 5.7% per IQR, respectively). At 1000 m, only green space (6.7%) and natural environment (5.7%) remained inversely associated. Blue space exhibited a non-linear AD association. For MCI, green and natural spaces consistently lowered risk across both buffers (14.9-22.2% reductions); blue space was non-significant. Analyses showed limited mediation by air pollutants and selective additive gene-environment synergy.

CONCLUSION: Higher residential green space and natural environment are observationally associated with reduced AD and MCI risks, whereas blue space associations with MCI remain inconclusive. Underlying mechanisms and exploratory gene-environment synergies require further validation.

PMID:42251690 | DOI:10.1080/13607863.2026.2678989

Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2026 Jun 7:izag113. doi: 10.1093/ibd/izag113. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Microscopic colitis (MC) is a colonic inflammatory bowel disease diagnosed via histology. There are no universally accepted guidelines defining treatment goals in MC. Our study evaluated the prognostic significance of histologic normalization in MC.

DESIGN: This retrospective cohort study identified patients with histologically confirmed MC who had at least one repeat colonoscopy with available histology. Outcomes included medical therapy use (anti-diarrheals, steroids, mesalamine, and immunosuppressants), hospitalizations, and surgeries (1) prior to or during first repeat colonoscopy or (2) after first repeat colonoscopy. Multivariable adjusted models were created for medical therapy use after first repeat colonoscopy.

RESULTS: This study included 380 MC patients. On first repeat colonoscopy, 164 (43.2%) patients normalized by histology and were more likely than those with persistent MC changes to have lymphocytic colitis (56.7% vs 43.3%, P = .036). There were no differences in hospitalization or surgery rates before or after first repeat colonoscopy for patients who normalized and those who did not. When compared to patients with MC at first repeat colonoscopy, those who normalized had statistically significant lower odds of steroids use after their first repeat colonoscopy (OR 0.26; 0.13-0.53) after multivariate adjustment. This association remained significant when restricted to patients with symptoms at first repeat colonoscopy (OR 0.22; 0.08-0.59) but was weaker for patients without symptoms (OR 0.45; 0.16-1.29).

CONCLUSION: In patients with MC, histologic normalization at first repeat colonoscopy was associated with reduced need for corticosteroids on follow-up. The effect was slightly attenuated in asymptomatic patients. Future studies of histologic normalization as a treatment target in MC are warranted.

PMID:42251688 | DOI:10.1093/ibd/izag113

World J Biol Psychiatry. 2026 Jun 7:1-24. doi: 10.1080/15622975.2026.2680695. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) commonly involve deficits in social cognition and facial processing. The N170 and N250 event-related potentials (ERP), indexing perceptual and recognition stages of face processing respectively, have shown alterations in schizophrenia. Given diagnostic advances, an updated analysis is necessary to examine these ERP across SSD, including high-risk individuals and those exhibiting schizotypal traits.

OBJECTIVES: To update previous meta-analysis findings by evaluating the effects of SSD on N170 and N250 amplitude and latency.

METHOD: Studies comparing N170 and N250 amplitude and latency between individuals with SSD and healthy controls were identified through a literature search, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations.

RESULTS: Results showed a small reduction in N170 amplitudes in SSD (n = 50), statistically significant in SSD but not in schizotypy or high-risk individuals. A small but significant difference was also found for N170 latency, whereas no significant effects were observed for N250 amplitude or latency.

DISCUSSION: Findings indicate reduced N170 amplitudes and subtle latency alterations in SSD, reflecting early-stage visual perceptual deficits, with no consistent differences observed for N250 amplitude or latency, suggesting relative preservation of later face processing stages. The main limitation of this work is the high heterogeneity across studies analysed.

PMID:42251651 | DOI:10.1080/15622975.2026.2680695

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2026 Jun 7:e8887957. doi: 10.1002/anie.8887957. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Developing efficient acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts is crucial for proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWE). By mining a dataset of 718 reported catalysts, we statistically identified that multi-metal Ru-based oxides significantly outperform monometallic counterparts (median overpotential: 210 vs. 283 mV). Guided by this insight, microkinetic modeling screened 20 metal dopants, pinpointing vanadium as a promising candidate. The synthesized V-doped RuO₂ (RV) exhibits an ultralow overpotential of 193 ± 1 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 and robust stability for 3000 h. In a practical PEMWE device, RV achieves an industrial current density of 1 A cm^-2 at only 1.725 V and sustains operation for 140 h at 200 mA cm^-2. Mechanistic studies reveal that V-doping plays a dual role in RuO₂. It induces Lewis acidic Ru sites to accelerate deprotonation kinetics, while simultaneously acting as a dynamic redox buffer to prevent Ru over-oxidation. This work shows how data- and theory-guided screening, combined with mechanistic investigation, can accelerate the discovery and understanding of high-performance RuO₂-based acidic OER catalysts.

PMID:42251650 | DOI:10.1002/anie.8887957

Clin Transl Oncol. 2026 Jun 7. doi: 10.1007/s12094-026-04391-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: In patients with endometrial cancer (EC) with metastases at diagnosis, palliative treatment is the only therapy considered and to our knowledge there is no literature on the evolution of these patients following external-beam-irradiation (EBRT) and image-guided brachytherapy (IGBT). We present the clinical outcomes of 11 FIGO 2009 stage-IVB EC patients treated with IGBT ± EBRT.

METHODS/PATIENTS: From July 2009 to February 2018, 11 stage IVB patients were treated with IGBT ± EBRT in 4 European centres. The treatments and the outcomes of these patients were analysed.

STATISTICS: Kaplan-Meier and descriptive analysis were used for analysing overall survival (OS).

RESULTS: The median age was 63 years (46-79) and the median follow-up was 39 months (8-128). The sites of metastases were reported in 8/11 patients: the lung in 4 patients, peritoneal and liver metastasis in one, pleural metastasis in one, bone in one and inguinal lymph nodes in one. Seven patients underwent chemotherapy (5 achieving complete response (CR)). Two patients received IGBT alone and 9 EBRT + IGBT. Three developed uterine relapse, 3 lymph node relapse and all died. Four had distant metastases and only one was alive after treatment. The OS was 69.3% at 2 and 3 years and 41.6% at 5 and 10 years.

CONCLUSION: In this series, patients with stage IVB EC with CR after chemotherapy and treated with IGBT ± EBRT achieved an OS of 41.6% at 5 and 10 years. Local treatment with EBRT ± IGBT should be considered mainly in good responders to chemotherapy and should be validated in prospective trials including biological markers.

PMID:42251630 | DOI:10.1007/s12094-026-04391-9

Intern Emerg Med. 2026 Jun 7. doi: 10.1007/s11739-026-04424-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Existence of linguistic, gender and ethno-racial differences in patients with sepsis remains relatively unknown, especially in the public health domain. Retrospective analysis of data reported by a hospital in South Brooklyn to a New York State sepsis registry was undertaken over a 24-month period. Inclusion criteria were age over 18, available linguistic, gender and ethno-racial data, and registration in the New York State sepsis registry. Patients with missing data fields were excluded from the study. Primary outcome was the correlation of gender, race, ethnic & language-based differences with overall sepsis-based mortality. Secondary outcomes were the correlation of the same demographic variables with rates of mechanical ventilation, vasopressor use, intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates & overall incidence of sepsis and septic shock. Results: 677 patients were included in the final analysis in this single center retrospective observational cohort study and multiple statistically significant primary and secondary outcomes were found. Non-English-speaking patients had a higher incidence rate of sepsis-based mortality when compared to their English-speaking cohorts. The incidence rate difference is -0.36 (95% CI -0.49 to -0.22), with a P-value < 0.0001. A higher rate of vasopressor use was noted among non-English speaking patients when compared to their English speaking counterparts. The difference in incidence rates was -0.35, (95% CI -0.46 to -0.25) with a P-value of < 0.0001. Non-English-speaking patients had a higher incidence of receiving mechanical ventilation when compared to English-speaking cohorts. The incidence rate difference is -0.35 (95% CI -0.48 to -0.22), with a P-value < 0.0001. Non-English-speaking patients had a higher ICU admission rate with an incidence rate difference of -0.30, at a P value < 0.0001. Non-English-speaking patients had a higher sepsis incidence rate (0.70, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.78) compared to English-speaking patients (0.30, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.36), with a P-value of < 0.0001. Non-English-speaking patients experienced a higher incidence of septic shock (0.70, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.78) compared to English-speaking patients (0.30, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.36), with a P-value of < 0.0001. Caucasians showed statistically significant and higher rates across all primary and secondary outcomes albeit with greater statistical fragility. No significant differences were noted with regards to the impact of gender on all outcomes. Conclusion: Significant and multiple linguistic and ethno-racial differences were noted in this single center study with regards to sepsis-based morbidity and mortality outcomes. These differences need to be validated in larger, multi-center trials and could inform future efforts focused on identifying higher risk subsets in patients presenting with sepsis and septic shock in a public health setting.

PMID:42251623 | DOI:10.1007/s11739-026-04424-9

Int J Implant Dent. 2026 Jun 7. doi: 10.1186/s40729-026-00694-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Accurate assessment of the distance between dental implants and the mandibular canal is essential for preventing nerve injury. Although cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is widely used for implant planning, its accuracy in resolving submillimeter distances remains uncertain. This study evaluated the measurement accuracy of CBCT for assessing distances below 1.0 mm.

METHODS: A custom phantom enabling 0.0-1.0 mm implant-canal distances in 0.1-mm increments was developed. CBCT images were acquired at varying distances, positional shifts (X, Y, Z), and tube voltages. Five dentists involved in implant treatment measured the implant-canal distances using medical-grade and general-purpose monitors. Measurement error and contributing imaging factors were statistically analyzed.

RESULTS: CBCT did not reliably distinguish distances ≤ 0.4 mm, with the greatest instability observed at 0.3 mm (interquartile range = 0.121). Although a linear trend was observed from 0.1 to 0.4 mm, variability exceeded clinically acceptable limits. For distances ≥ 0.5 mm, reproducibility was high, but CBCT consistently underestimated the true gap by 0.2-0.3 mm. The central field of view produced the most stable measurements, whereas accuracy decreased with off-center positioning. Tube voltage and monitor type had minimal influence on measurement accuracy.

CONCLUSIONS: CBCT cannot accurately identify implant-canal distances ≤ 0.4 mm, which may directly affect clinical risk assessment. Even for distances ≥ 0.5 mm, CBCT underestimates the true distance by 0.2-0.3 mm. These findings provide practical guidance for setting safe margins in implant planning and postoperative evaluation.

PMID:42251614 | DOI:10.1186/s40729-026-00694-2

Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2026 Jun 7;313(1):200. doi: 10.1007/s00404-026-08479-z.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate sexual function in the long term after total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) versus laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (LASH) in patients with benign indications.

METHODS: As part of a longitudinal follow-up, 74 patients who had originally participated in a prospective study on sexual function after TLH or LASH were surveyed again (TLH: n = 45; LASH: n = 29). The median follow-up period was 92 months (TLH) and 98 months (LASH). Sexual function was assessed using the validated Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Statistical analyses were performed using a 2 sample t test, Chi² test and Fisher’s exact test.

RESULTS: Over the long term, there was no significant difference in the FSFI total score between TLH and LASH (22.51 vs. 22.25, p-value: 0.261). Within the TLH group, sexual function remained stable compared to baseline data (p = 0.20). In contrast, the LASH group showed a significant deterioration in the total score (p = 0.028), particularly in the lubrication (p = 0.007) over time.

CONCLUSION: Both surgical methods ensure comparable sexual function. While TLH shows stable results over the years, LASH shows a significant decrease in some areas of sexual function, particularly with regard to lubrication. However, these differences do not result in a significantly worse overall outcome compared to TLH.

PMID:42251612 | DOI:10.1007/s00404-026-08479-z