Category: Statistics

J Am Soc Mass Spectrom. 2025 Nov 24. doi: 10.1021/jasms.5c00172. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The identities and outgassing rates of contaminants associated with a material determine its suitability for space applications. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is one test commonly used for evaluating these material properties. During TGA, contaminants deposited on quartz crystal microbalances (QCMs) are desorbed through heating while mass spectrometer (MS) data is collected. Three factors contribute to noise and artifacts in the MS data: (a) randomness in QCM outgassing flux, (b) MS measurement noise, and (c) constant chamber background contaminants. We present a two-step noise reduction approach that addresses these sources. First, we use QCM data to determine the number of outgassing species and kinetic parameters governing their desorption. Then, we apply these parameters to fit a linear statistical model to MS data, accounting for variance across the tested discretized mass spectrum. Once the variance is known for each mass bin, we use an adapted N-sigma method to isolate signal from noise. Our approach effectively reduces all three types of noise, improving confidence and efficiency in species identification and enabling MS-based modeling for isothermal outgassing kinetics. Although our analysis relies on the relationship between QCM and MS data, it may be applicable to other test procedures taking MS data concurrently with a measured source of mass flux.

PMID:41284274 | DOI:10.1021/jasms.5c00172

J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2025 Nov 24. doi: 10.23736/S0022-4707.25.17090-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The aim of our research was to compare the effects of the TRX Suspension Trainer and Physioball devices on developing trunk muscles among primary school students.

METHODS: In this quasi-experimental study, we used non-randomized sampling methods. 40 primary school students were involved in the study (14 years old). The participants exclusively used TRX and Physioball devices between the warm-up and relaxation part. For the measurement we applied the trunk stability test (modified plank test) and the dynamic balance test (Y-balance test, star balance test). Statistical tests used: Wilcoxon test, Mann-Whitney U Test. The P value was set at P<0.050. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 software.

RESULTS: The local muscular endurance of the core muscles was significantly improved in both groups (P<0.001). In the TRX and in the Physioball group the stability of the upper limb was significantly improved (P<0.050), except for one direction (P=0.059) in the TRX group. In the lower limb of the TRX and of the Physioball group there was a significant improvement (P<0.050) except for two directions (medial: P=0.083; anteromedial: P=0.154) in the TRX group and two directions (anterior: P=0.052; posteromedial: P=0.085) in the Physioball group.

CONCLUSIONS: The applied program had a positive effect, but no significant difference was found between the developmental effects of the TRX and Physioball. Despite the different availability prices of the devices and the similar but different mechanisms of action of the devices, it can be said that both devices are equally effective.

PMID:41284259 | DOI:10.23736/S0022-4707.25.17090-4

Br J Hosp Med (Lond). 2025 Nov 25;86(11):1-14. doi: 10.12968/hmed.2025.0002. Epub 2025 Nov 7.

ABSTRACT

Aims/Background Esketamine exhibits strong sedative and analgesic effects. Similarly, erector spinae plane block (ESPB) blocks somatic and visceral nerves and is commonly used for pain relief in thoracic surgery. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impacts of combining esketamine with ESPB on opioid consumption, inflammatory stress, and cognitive function after thoracoscopic surgery. Methods This retrospective study collected clinical data from 114 patients who underwent thoracoscopic surgery at Jinhua Municipal Central Hospital, between January 2022 and January 2024. Based on anesthesia approaches, patients were divided into the ESPB (n = 62) and esketamine + ESPB groups (n = 52). Several variables, such as perioperative indicators, postoperative recovery, inflammatory stress, and cognitive function were compared between the two groups. Results In both groups, the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score increased at 6 h postoperatively compared to at 1h, and gradually decreased at 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h (p < 0.05). Compared to the ESPB group, the NRS score was significantly decreased in the esketamine + ESPB group at 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h after surgery (p < 0.001). The oxycodone consumption was significantly lower in the esketamine + ESPB group at 24 h and 48 h post-surgery than in the ESPB group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the incidence of adverse reactions was 30.6% (19/62) in the ESPB group and 34.6% (18/52) in the esketamine + ESPB group, with the difference being statistically insignificant (p = 0.652). Compared to the ESPB group, the white blood cell (WBC) count, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin (IL)-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels were significantly decreased in the Esketamine + ESPB group at day 3 after surgery (p < 0.001). Compared to the ESPB group, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA) score was substantially elevated in the esketamine + ESPB group at days 1 and 3 after surgery (p < 0.001, p = 0.001). Conclusion The combination of esketamine and ESPB effectively alleviated postoperative pain and reduced opioid consumption after thoracoscopic surgery. Furthermore, the combined approach significantly improved postoperative inflammatory stress and cognitive impairment compared to the use of ESPB alone without increasing adverse reactions.

PMID:41284235 | DOI:10.12968/hmed.2025.0002

Infect Dis Ther. 2025 Nov 24. doi: 10.1007/s40121-025-01252-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) provide important insights into individuals’ health and well-being. We report PROs from six observational cohort studies in treatment-experienced people with HIV switching to bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) in routine clinical practice.

METHODS: Data were pooled from the BICtegravir Single Tablet Regimen (BICSTaR) cohort studies (Asia/Canada/EU/Israel/Japan) and a similarly designed Chinese cohort study (GS-CN-380-5759). Quality of life (QoL; mental/physical health) and HIV treatment satisfaction were self-reported by participants using the generic (non-HIV-specific) 36-item Short Form Health Survey questionnaire and HIV Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (HIVTSQ; status [s]/change), respectively. Descriptive statistics and linear mixed models adjusted for potential confounders and interactions, with bootstrapped confidence intervals, were used to analyse PROs through 24 months (12 months for treatment satisfaction).

RESULTS: Of 3724 treatment-experienced participants included, 64.2% were Asian, 89.0% male; median age was 41 years. Baseline Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores were below the population average despite receiving antiretroviral therapy, whereas Physical Component Summary (PCS) scores were above average. At 24 months, observed median MCS score improved from baseline (+ 0.6 [interquartile range [IQR] – 4.3 to + 5.9; p = 0.018]) and median PCS score remained stable (- 0.1 [IQR – 3.3 to + 3.3; p = 0.998]). In all key populations, predicted adjusted MCS/PCS scores showed small improvements or remained stable over time. Treatment satisfaction was high at baseline (median HIVTSQs score 55 [IQR 49-60]), with participants reporting improved treatment satisfaction following the switch to B/F/TAF compared with their previous regimen (+ 27 [19-30] at 12 months). Similar improvements were observed across all key populations.

CONCLUSION: In this large cohort of people with HIV who switched to B/F/TAF in routine clinical practice, mental and physical health scores improved or remained stable over time and treatment satisfaction improved. Further studies are required to elucidate the clinical relevance of PRO tools and how they relate to QoL in people with HIV. Video abstract available for this article.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers NCT03580668 (Canada study) and NCT04009057 (Israel study); EudraCT trial identifier, EUPAS22185 (Europe study). Video abstract available for this article. Quality of life and treatment satisfaction in people with HIV switching to bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide: Pooled analysis from observational cohort studies – a video abstract.

PMID:41284214 | DOI:10.1007/s40121-025-01252-w

Ther Innov Regul Sci. 2025 Nov 24. doi: 10.1007/s43441-025-00893-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In the context of clinical research, computational models have received increasing attention over the past decades. In this systematic review, we aimed to provide an overview of the role of so-called in silico clinical trials (ISCTs) in medical applications. Exemplary for the broad field of clinical medicine, we focused on in silico (IS) methods applied in drug development, sometimes also referred to as model informed drug development (MIDD). We searched PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov for published articles and registered clinical trials related to ISCTs. We identified 202 articles and 48 trials, and of these, 76 articles and 19 trials were directly linked to drug development. We extracted information from all 202 articles and 48 clinical trials and conducted a more detailed review of the methods used in the 76 articles that are connected to drug development. Regarding application, most articles and trials focused on cancer and imaging-related research while rare and pediatric diseases were only addressed in 14 articles and 5 trials, respectively. While some models were informed combining mechanistic knowledge with clinical or preclinical (in-vivo or in-vitro) data, the majority of models were fully data-driven, illustrating that clinical data is a crucial part in the process of generating synthetic data in ISCTs. Regarding reproducibility, a more detailed analysis revealed that only 24% (18 out of 76) of the articles provided an open-source implementation of the applied models, and in only 20% of the articles the generated synthetic data were publicly available. Despite the widely raised interest, we also found that it is still uncommon for ISCTs to be part of a registered clinical trial and their application is restricted to specific diseases leaving potential benefits of ISCTs not fully exploited.

PMID:41284211 | DOI:10.1007/s43441-025-00893-w

Discov Oncol. 2025 Nov 24;16(1):2155. doi: 10.1007/s12672-025-04009-6.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The role of chemotherapy in colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment, particularly in elderly and very young patients, remains controversial. This study aims to evaluate the survival benefits of chemotherapy across different age groups in CRC patients using real-world data.

METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study using data from the SEER database from 2010 to 2020. A total of 256,320 CRC patients were included in the final analysis. Chemotherapy status (yes/no) was the primary exposure. Outcomes included overall survival (OS), cause-specific survival, and cumulative incidence of cancer- and non-cancer-specific deaths. Statistical analyses involved multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, and competing risks models, adjusted for key demographic and clinical covariates.

RESULTS: Chemotherapy significantly improved OS in patients aged 45 years and older, with the most substantial benefit in those aged 75-84 years (hazard ratios [HR] = 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.52-0.56) and ≥ 85 years (HR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.57-0.64). Patients younger than 45 years did not show a significant survival benefit (HR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.93-1.12). Survival benefit was consistent across tumor locations and most pronounced in stage III (HR = 0.40) and stage IV (HR = 0.39) disease. Competing risks models confirmed reduced cancer-specific mortality in older age groups. Sensitivity analyses excluding early deaths further validated the robustness of these findings.

CONCLUSION: Chemotherapy conferred a survival benefit in patients aged ≥ 45 years, including the very elderly, when selection was based on functional status rather than age alone, whereas no clear benefit emerged in younger patients. This association persisted after multivariable adjustment and across stage-stratified and sensitivity analyses. Given SEER’s lack of regimen, timing, comorbidity, and targeted-therapy detail, cautious interpretation is warranted.

PMID:41284200 | DOI:10.1007/s12672-025-04009-6

Prog Orthod. 2025 Nov 24;26(1):48. doi: 10.1186/s40510-025-00596-w.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) is a complex biological process triggered by orthodontic forces (OF). This study aims to study the influence of sex and age on the gene expression of the dental pulp (DP) and periodontal ligament (PDL) of human premolars subjected to 7 and 28 days of OF in vivo.

METHODOLOGY: Linear mixed and negative-binomial models were used on previously published RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) datasets of DP and PDL tissue subjected to OF for 7 days and 28 days to verify if the effect of OF depends on sex and age. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using false discovery rate and functional analysis was performed.

RESULTS: The datasets consisted of 69 DP and 63 PDL samples from 46 and 41 patients respectively, with similar sex and age distribution. RNA-seq showed that sex did not influence the DP’s gene expression profile, since only one DEG related to immune response was detected after 28-days of OF. In contrast, sex significantly affected PDL: 505 DEGs were found after 7 days of OF, related to bone homeostasis, osteoclastic activity and immune response. Age impacted both tissues; in DP, 18 DEGs related to Ca²⁺ regulation and DNA damage repair were found at 7 days, and 10 DEGs associated with repair and adaptive capacities emerged at 28 days. In PDL, 181 genes related to bone regeneration were identified at 28 days, with no DEGs noted at 7 days.

CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that under OF, DP’s reaction is not sex-based, whereas PDL’s is, particularly in the early phase of OTM, with women showing a more pronounced osteoclastic response. Age-related effects in DP tissue primarily influence Ca²⁺ homeostasis and DNA damage repair in early phases, and tissue repair and adaptive responses later. In contrast, age impacts PDL tissue mainly in the later stages of OTM, affecting its regenerative capacity.

PMID:41284150 | DOI:10.1186/s40510-025-00596-w

Clin Rheumatol. 2025 Nov 24. doi: 10.1007/s10067-025-07843-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the expression and clinical significance of hsa-miR-661 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) and to explore the role of the hsa_circ_0008301/hsa-miR-661/TOLLIP axis in disease progression.

METHODS: A total of 58 pSS patients and 58 age- and sex-matched healthy controls, recruited from the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University between September 2021 and September 2022, were included. Clinical and laboratory data were collected. Hsa-miR-661 expression in PBMCs was measured using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The interaction between hsa_circ_0008301, hsa-miR-661, and TOLLIP was validated using dual-luciferase reporter assays. Group differences were analyzed using t-tests and χ² tests. Correlations with clinical and laboratory parameters were examined using Spearman correlation and logistic regression. Diagnostic utility was evaluated via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, with P < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: Hsa-miR-661 expression was significantly upregulated in pSS patients compared to controls. Increased levels were associated with longer disease duration, lower C3 and platelet counts, higher ESR, more severe xerostomia, and elevated ESSDAI scores. ROC analysis demonstrated that hsa-miR-661 effectively distinguished pSS patients from healthy individuals and discriminated between high- and low-activity disease states. Functional assays confirmed that hsa_circ_0008301 directly interacts with hsa-miR-661, which targets and regulates TOLLIP.

CONCLUSION: Hsa-miR-661 is markedly elevated in pSS and closely correlates with disease activity and key clinical indicators. These findings suggest its potential as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target in pSS. Key Points • Hsa-miR-661 is markedly upregulated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of pSS patients and is closely associated with clinical manifestations and disease activity. • It demonstrates strong diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.892) and effectively distinguishes between high and low disease activity (AUC = 0.779). • The circRNA_0008301/miR-661/TOLLIP axis provides mechanistic insight into pSS pathogenesis and highlights a potential therapeutic target.

PMID:41284134 | DOI:10.1007/s10067-025-07843-9

Int J Comput Assist Radiol Surg. 2025 Nov 24. doi: 10.1007/s11548-025-03550-7. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: For diffusion MRI (dMRI) parameter estimation, machine-learning approaches have shown promising results so far including the synthetic Q-space learning (synQSL) based on regressor training with only synthetic data. In this study, we aimed at the development of a new method named synthetic X-Q space learning (synXQSL) to improve robustness and investigated the basic characteristics.

METHODS: For training data, local parameter patterns of 3 × 3 voxels were synthesized by a linear combination of six bases, in which parameters are estimated at the center voxel. We prepared three types of local patterns by choosing the number of bases: flat, linear and quadratic. Then, at each location of 3 × 3 voxels, signal values of the diffusion-weighted image were computed by the signal model equation for diffusional kurtosis imaging and Rician noise simulation. The multi-layer perceptron was used for parameter estimation and was trained for each parameter with various noise levels. The level is controlled by a noise ratio defined as a fraction of the standard deviation in the Rician noise distribution normalized by the average b = 0 signal values. Experiments for visual and quantitative validation were performed with synthetic data, a digital phantom and clinical breast datasets in comparison with the previous methods.

RESULTS: By using synthetic datasets, synXQSL outperformed synQSL in the parameter estimation of noisy data sets. Through the digital phantom experiments, the combination of synXQSL bases yields different results and a quadratic pattern could be the reasonable choice. The clinical data experiments indicate that synXQSL suppresses noises in estimated parameter maps and consequently brings higher contrast.

CONCLUSION: The basic characteristics of synXQSL were investigated by using various types of datasets. The results indicate that synXQSL with the appropriate choice of bases in training data synthesis has the potential to improve dMRI parameters in noisy datasets.

PMID:41284131 | DOI:10.1007/s11548-025-03550-7

Intern Emerg Med. 2025 Nov 24. doi: 10.1007/s11739-025-04211-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Acute pain is a common reason for emergency department visits. Opioids remain important for moderate to severe pain but their use is controversial due to safety concerns and variable prescribing practices. Differences in training between emergency medicine specialists and general practitioners may influence opioid administration and prescribing.

OBJECTIVES: To compare opioid administration and prescribing practices between emergency medicine specialists and general practitioners working in Turkish EDs, focusing on comfort, training, guideline adherence, and multimodal analgesia use.

METHODS: This nationwide cross-sectional survey included 200 physicians (100 emergency medicine specialists, 100 general practitioners) from various hospital types. Data were collected through a 17-item online questionnaire distributed via institutional mailing lists and professional societies. Statistical analyses included Chi-square tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, Spearman correlations, and binary logistic regression.

RESULTS: Emergency medicine specialists reported significantly greater comfort with opioid administration and prescribing (29% vs. 21% “very comfortable”; p = 0.0155), more frequent use of clinical guidelines (67% vs. 35%; p < 0.001), and more recent formal training (14% vs. 0% within the past year; p < 0.001). Familiarity with multimodal analgesia was also higher among specialists (96% vs. 89%; p = 0.0372). No significant differences were observed in opioid types used, side-effect concerns, or prescribing frequency. Correlation analysis showed that age and years of experience were positively associated with comfort (ρ = 0.17, p = 0.019; ρ = 0.16, p = 0.020), but not with actual opioid use. In logistic regression, specialty, training recency, and adherence to clinical guidelines independently predicted safe and consistent opioid practice.

CONCLUSION: Opioid administration and prescribing in emergency departments differ substantially between emergency medicine specialists and general practitioners, driven mainly by education and guideline adherence rather than institutional factors. Targeted training and standardized protocols are needed to reduce variability and improve safe, effective pain management in emergency care.

PMID:41284128 | DOI:10.1007/s11739-025-04211-y