Category: Statistics

NCHS Data Brief. 2025 Jul;(107):1. doi: 10.15620/cdc/174605.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Pedestrians and pedal cyclists are recognized as two classes of vulnerable road users, or those who travel on roads and highways without the physical protection provided by a motor vehicle, such as a car or truck. This report examines trends in pedestrian and pedal cyclist injury deaths from 2013 to 2023 by census region, sex, and age group.

METHODS: Data are from the National Vital Statistics System mortality files for 2013 through 2023. Deaths were identified using International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) underlying cause-of-death codes V01-V09 for pedestrians and V10-V19 for pedal cyclists. Age-adjusted death rates were calculated and tests for trends were performed to determine changes over time.

KEY FINDINGS: Between 2013 and 2023, the age-adjusted rate of pedestrian and pedal cyclist injury death in the United States rose from 2.1 deaths per 100,000 standard population to 2.9. Among both females and males ages 25-44 and 45-64 years, the rate of pedestrian and pedal cyclist injury death increased between 2013 and 2023. The death rate also increased for males age 65 and older and decreased for males ages 0-14 in this same period.

PMID:40720726 | DOI:10.15620/cdc/174605

Aesthet Surg J. 2025 Jul 26:sjaf152. doi: 10.1093/asj/sjaf152. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Palpebral bags are commonly managed with infraorbital fat excision during lower blepharoplasty. This surgical approach is based on the assumption of age-related anterior herniation of infraorbital fat. However, controversy remains regarding the true volumetric changes of infraorbital fat with aging.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate longitudinal anatomical changes in the infraorbital region.

METHODS: A retrospective longitudinal analysis of serial magnetic resonance images from 50 healthy individuals (20 males and 30 females) aged 20-60 years was conducted; the mean interval between scans was 18.3 years. Six parameters were measured at the mid-pupillary level: the vertical height of orbital aperture (VHOA), infraorbital fat protrusion length (IPL), soft tissue thickness at the orbicularis retaining ligament (TORL), Anterior globe protrusion (GP), nasion-sella-orbital rim angle (NSO), and maxillary angle (MA). Statistical analyses evaluated parameter changes and correlations with the follow-up interval.

RESULTS: Significant increases in the VHOA and NSO and decreases in the TORL and MA were observed (p < 0.05), indicating progressive orbital skeletal remodeling and soft tissue thinning. IPL and GP remained unchanged in supine position, suggesting no volumetric change of infraorbital fat or displacement of the globe. Regression analysis confirmed follow-up interval as key predictor of VHOA and NSO changes.

CONCLUSIONS: Palpebral bags primarily result from structural changes that contribute to pseudoherniation of infraorbital fat and increased prominence above the tear trough. The volume of infraorbital fat itself remains relatively stable. These findings support a lower blepharoplasty approach that prioritizes correcting structural changes over aggressive fat excision.

PMID:40720713 | DOI:10.1093/asj/sjaf152

R I Med J (2013). 2025 Aug 1;108(8):45-49.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Hip osteoarthritis (OA) is a common cause of hip pain in adults and a frequent presentation in primary care, emergency departments, and orthopedic clinics. To improve patient triage and optimize clinical efficiency, we developed a nine-item intake survey designed to assess patient symptoms and prior treatments. This study aimed to evaluate the survey’s ability to differentiate hip OA from other hip pathologies and assess its correlation with treatment recommendations.

METHODS: New patients presenting with hip pain were administered a nine-item multiple choice survey. Each response was assigned a score, and the total cumulative score was recorded. Diagnoses and treatment recommendations, including total hip arthroplasty (THA), were documented. Logistic regression was used to assess associations between the survey scores and both diagnosis and treatment recommendations. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and Youden’s J statistics were applied to determine the optimal survey score threshold for diagnosing hip OA.

RESULTS: The survey effectively distinguished hip osteoarthritis from other hip pathologies based upon cumulative score. ROC analysis identified a total score of ≥9 as the optimal threshold, maximizing sensitivity (83.3%) and specificity (55.9%) for diagnosing hip OA. The positive predictive value for this threshold was 78.6%. Additionally, higher total survey scores were significantly associated with the recommendation for THA.

CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that a simple nine-item, patient-reported survey can reliably differentiate hip OA from other hip conditions and may assist in guiding treatment decisions. Implementing such tools in primary care, emergency medicine, and orthopedic settings could enhance early diagnosis and streamline referrals.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

PMID:40720687

Magn Reson Med. 2025 Jul 28. doi: 10.1002/mrm.30644. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Examine the theory and potential clinical application of estimated intravoxel “flow” of separated perfusion, tubular flow, and tissue diffusion from multi-b-value DWI in kidney allografts.

METHODS: Multi-b-value DWI (nine b-values; 0-800 s/mm²) from a kidney cortex is simulated with anisotropic and non-Gaussian (i.e., anomalous) vascular, tubular, and tissue components and analyzed with a Bayesian biexponential, least-squares triexponential, and spectral diffusion MRI. Comparison and application of biexponential, triexponential, and spectral diffusion flow proxies as the product of signal fraction f $$ f $$ and diffusion coefficient D $$ D $$ , f D $$ fD $$ for each component, is demonstrated in a two-center study of 54 kidney allografts patients (21 females/33 males, 48.8 ± 10.5 years, NCT05058170) and compared to fibrosis (Banff 2017 interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy score 0-6 from clinical biopsies of the renal cortex), impaired kidney function (Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration 2021 estimated glomerular filtration rate<45 mL/min/1.73 m²), and proteinuria (mg/24 h).

RESULTS: Spectral diffusion fD $$ fD $$ demonstrated strong correlation to input fD $$ fD $$ of the simulated anisotropic and anomalous components. It agreed with both three-component diffusion ( y = 1.10 x – 0.1 $$ y=1.10x-0.1 $$ , R 2 = 0.74 $$ {R}^2=0.74 $$ ) and two-component diffusion ( y = 1.01 + 0.2 , R 2 = 0.88 $$ y=1.01+0.2,{R}^2=0.88 $$ ). fD $$ fD $$ showed similar or improved agreement and correlation to input than the individual parameters f $$ f $$ and D $$ D $$ , and spectral diffusion showed similar or improved agreement than corresponding bi- and triexponential models. In kidney allografts, fD $$ fD $$ from spectral diffusion showed that allografts with higher fibrosis score had higher f D tissue $$ f{D}_{tissue} $$ (one-way analysis of variance F-statistic = 3.86, p = 0.02) and that allografts with impaired function had reduced f D tubule $$ f{D}_{tubule} $$ (Mann-Whitney U-test = -2.14, p = 0.04). Across diagnostic groups of function and fibrosis, f D vasc $$ f{D}_{vasc} $$ negatively correlated with proteinuria ( y = – 348 x + 1144 , p = 0.035 R 2 = 0.82 $$ y=-348x+1144,p=0.035 {R}^2=0.82 $$ ).

CONCLUSIONS: Spectral diffusion MRI with multi-Gaussian fD $$ fD $$ as a flow proxy separated different anomalous and anisotropic diffusion components of perfusion, tubular flow, and tissue diffusion and may hold clinical value in diffusion MRI of kidney pathophysiology.

PMID:40720675 | DOI:10.1002/mrm.30644

Nutr Rev. 2025 Jul 28:nuaf101. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaf101. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT: Evidence regarding curcumin supplementation in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) has been inconsistent.

OBJECTIVE: This umbrella review aimed to summarize the effects of curcumin supplementation on UC and assess the strength of the evidence.

DATA SOURCES: A systematic search was conducted across the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, CNKI, Sino-Med, VIP, and Wanfang databases from their inception to June 9, 2024.

DATA EXTRACTION: Two review authors independently extracted data.

DATA ANALYSIS: Methodological quality assessment, and evidence quality assessment, based on predetermined criteria, were performed by 2 independent reviewers. Seven systematic reviews and meta-analyses, encompassing 18 outcomes related to curcumin on UC, were included. Of these, 11 (77.78%) demonstrated statistical significance at the nominal level (P < .05).

CONCLUSION: None of the reported outcomes were supported by high-certainty evidence, making the therapeutic potential of curcumin uncertain. Nevertheless, despite the widespread methodological shortcomings of the SRs/MAs, our study highlights opportunities to strengthen future research efforts.

UMBRELLA REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration No. CRD42024564400.

PMID:40720673 | DOI:10.1093/nutrit/nuaf101

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Aug 5;122(31):e2410949122. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2410949122. Epub 2025 Jul 28.

ABSTRACT

Genomic sequence data harbor valuable information concerning the history of species divergence and interspecific gene flow and may offer important insights into conservation of endangered species. However, extracting such information from genomic data requires powerful statistical inference methods. A recent analysis of genomic sequence data found little evidence for gene flow from domestic Bactrian camels into the endangered wild Bactrian species. Nevertheless, the methods used to infer gene flow are based on data summaries and lack the power and precision to represent the complex phylogenetic history of the species with gene flow. Here, we apply Bayesian methods to genomic sequence data to test for both recent and ancient gene flow among the three species in the genus Camelus and to estimate the strength and timing of gene flow. We detect a strong signal of gene flow from domestic into wild Bactrian camels, confirming early evidence based on mitochondrial DNA and the Y chromosome. Overall gene flow appears to affect the autosomal genome uniformly, with similar effective rates of gene flow for exonic and noncoding regions. Estimation of species divergence times is seriously affected if gene flow is not accommodated in the analysis. Our results highlight the power of the coalescent model in analysis of genomic data and the utility of the coding as well as noncoding parts of the genome in elucidating the evolutionary history of modern species.

PMID:40720656 | DOI:10.1073/pnas.2410949122

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Aug 5;122(31):e2410934122. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2410934122. Epub 2025 Jul 28.

ABSTRACT

Reticulate evolution has long been recognized as a key mechanism that contributes to genetic and trait diversity. With the widespread availability of genomic data, investigating historical reticulate evolution across taxa has gained significant attention, driven by the rapid development of statistical methods for detecting nontreelike patterns. Phylogenetic networks provide a biologically intuitive approach to depicting evolutionary processes such as hybrid speciation and introgressive hybridization, which result in signatures of historical gene flow. Interpreting phylogenetic networks is especially critical for groups of conservation concern that lack reference genome resources and explicit hypotheses from prior investigation, such as those based on molecular data, morphology, or species distributions. Here, we highlight recent advances in computational methods for inferring networks from genome-scale data and offer guidelines for deriving biological insights from phylogenetic networks. Particular emphasis is placed on modeling hybridization and whole-genome duplication in the context of allopolyploidization. Practical recommendations for empirical studies and the limitations of commonly used methods are discussed throughout. We anticipate that phylogenetic networks will influence conservation biology and biodiversity research, emphasizing the need for careful consideration of reticulate evolution inferred from these networks in the near future. Networks will accelerate other pressing avenues of biodiversity research, especially investigations of orphan crops and climate change resilience in natural systems. The promise of phylogenetic networks connects with broader themes in the special feature Monitoring and restoring gene flow in the increasingly fragmented ecosystems of the Anthropocene by providing an emerging probabilistic framework for inferring historical connectivity between species and populations.

PMID:40720655 | DOI:10.1073/pnas.2410934122

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Aug 5;122(31):e2426815122. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2426815122. Epub 2025 Jul 28.

ABSTRACT

A central question in the study of language change is whether or not such change is generational. If a language changes over time generation-by-generation, the process looks as follows: New generations of speakers introduce innovations, while older speakers conserve their usage patterns, and the language changes as new generations replace older ones. At the opposite extreme, language change could be a zeitgeist phenomenon, in which changes are universally adopted by speakers simultaneously, regardless of age or generational cohort. This paper asks this question in the context of word meaning change. We analyze meaning change in over 100 words across more than 7.9 million U.S. congressional speeches, to observe whether, when a word sense rises or falls in prominence, adult speakers from different generations uniformly adopt it, or those from older generations conserve their prior usage. Using language model-based word sense induction methods, we identify different senses of each word, and then model the prevalence of each of these word senses as a function of time and speaker age. We find that most words show a small but statistically significant effect of speaker age; across almost 140 y of Congress, older speakers typically take longer than younger speakers to follow changes in word usage, but nevertheless do so within a few years. Our findings indicate that despite minor age-based differences, word meaning change among mature speakers is likely not a generational process, but rather a zeitgeist process, in which older adult speakers can readily adopt new word usage patterns.

PMID:40720652 | DOI:10.1073/pnas.2426815122

Nutr Rev. 2025 Jul 28:nuaf123. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaf123. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT: The phase angle (PhA) of bioimpedance is a noninvasive parameter that has been reported to reflect the health and integrity of cells. Data on how PhA is related to cardiovascular risk factors are controversial.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to explore the association between PhA and cardiovascular risk factors in participants over 18 years old.

DATA SOURCES: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (2000-2024) to identify studies reporting the relationship between PhA and cardiovascular risk factors, including lipid profile, glycemic control, blood pressure, central obesity, and serum uric acid.

DATA EXTRACTION: Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model due to high heterogeneity (I2 statistic). Subgroup analyses by gender and health status, as well as meta-regressions, were conducted to explore heterogeneity. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and Egger’s test. Of 812 identified studies, 27 met the inclusion criteria.

DATA ANALYSIS: There were varied associations between PhA and key health markers. For lipid profiles, a significant negative correlation was observed with total cholesterol (r = -0.10, P = .02) in individuals with chronic conditions. With regard to glycemic control, PhA showed a significant negative correlation with fasting blood glucose (r = -0.18, P < .001) and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (r = -0.17, P = .02) in men. Diastolic blood pressure was positively correlated with PhA in the males and healthy subgroups (P < .05), while a significant negative correlation with systolic blood pressure was identified in unhealthy individuals (r = -0.10, P < .001). No significant correlations were found between PhA and other cardiovascular risk factors (P > .05).

CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis identified the potential of PhA as a noninvasive tool for cardiovascular risk assessment; however, the inconsistent findings necessitate further research considering other potential confounders as well as recruiting larger samples in other populations.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration no. CRD42024597723.

PMID:40720635 | DOI:10.1093/nutrit/nuaf123

J Craniofac Surg. 2025 Jul 28. doi: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000011690. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of psychometric properties on patients’ postoperative self-esthetic scores following orthognathic surgery using the Chinese version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21). The research involved patients diagnosed with dentofacial deformities who underwent orthognathic surgery. A comprehensive questionnaire was administered, covering 3 key areas: clinical characteristics, self-awareness of esthetics and expectations, and psychometric parameters assessed through the Chinese version of DASS-21. Patients completed the questionnaire both before and after surgery, and the data were analyzed using the R statistical package. The findings revealed that preoperative anxiety scores, anxiety grades, and changes in anxiety levels from presurgery to postsurgery were independent factors influencing the self-perceived outcomes postorthognathic surgery (SPOPO) score. In addition, patients with asymmetrical deformities reported lower SPOPO scores, while the discrepancy between preoperative expectations and self-cognition was positively associated with SPOPO. The study concluded that postoperative satisfaction in orthognathic surgery is influenced by multiple factors, including the type of deformity, patients’ self-awareness and expectations, and their anxiety state. The Chinese version of DASS-21 emerged as a valuable tool for orthognathic surgeons in predicting patients’ postoperative esthetic satisfaction.

PMID:40720615 | DOI:10.1097/SCS.0000000000011690