Category: Statistics

J Forensic Leg Med. 2026 Feb 10;118:103088. doi: 10.1016/j.jflm.2026.103088. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Ketoacidosis is a form of metabolic acidosis caused by the excess production of ketone bodies. It can be commonly found in the context of both diabetes mellitus and alcohol dependency but is also associated with a myriad other aetiologies. To date the extent of risk of developing ketoacidosis is unclear in diabetic persons who are alcohol dependent and/or have abused alcohol acutely as in ‘binge drinking’.

METHODOLOGY: We performed a retrospective analysis of consecutive coroners’ autopsies between 2015 and 2023 in a London Coroner’s jurisdiction of individuals aged 18 years and above to assess whether significant ketoacidosis, when present, was of diabetic or alcoholic aetiology or a combination of both. Data was obtained from the medical history, circumstances of death, histology, toxicology and biochemical markers. The deceased individuals were surveyed and categorised into the following three groups: 1. Individuals with diabetes mellitus type 1or 2 and with no known history of alcohol dependency according to their medical history; 2. Alcohol dependent persons or persons abusing alcohol acutely, without diabetes mellitus; 3. Diabetic individuals with known alcohol dependency or acute abuse as in ‘binge drinking’. Individuals suffering from other causes of ketoacidosis were excluded.

RESULTS: From an overall total of 3873 autopsies performed of persons 18 years or above over a 9-year period (2015-2023), 1021 cases were analysed and divided into three groups as stated above. Group 1 consisted of 635 diabetic individuals, with ketoacidosis present in 23 (3.6%). Group 2 consisted of 333 individuals with alcohol dependency, in which ketoacidosis was present in 17 (5.1%). Group 3 consisted of 56 individuals, with both diabetes and alcohol dependency, in which ketoacidosis was present in 7 (13%).

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a statistically significant risk of developing ketoacidosis in all individuals with both diabetes mellitus and alcohol dependency (Group 3) when compared to diabetics alone (Group 1): Risk ratio = 3.8; p = .0001). There was less but significant increased risk when females alone were compared in these two groups. Less but significant increased risk was also found in all Group 3 individuals when compared to those in the alcohol alone category (Group 2) or when all individuals or males alone were compared between Group 1 + Group 2 with those in (Group 3). There was no significant increased risk when diabetics in Group 1 were compared to persons with alcohol dependency in Group 2.

PMID:41678866 | DOI:10.1016/j.jflm.2026.103088

Chemosphere. 2026 Feb 11;396:144856. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2026.144856. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Atrazine is one of the most used herbicides in Argentina. This stable and persistent compound was detected in the environment, even exceeding permitted concentration limits. In this sense, the present work focuses on selecting a defined actinomycetota consortium with atrazine removal abilities, determining the phytotoxicity of the liquid-treated systems, and identifying genes involved in the herbicide catabolism. For that, four actinomycetota consortia (C1, C2, C3, and C4) were tested about their ability to grow and remove 25 and 50 mg L^-1 of atrazine as the only carbon source. The best growth and removal efficiency were detected for C1, constituted by Streptomyces sp. A2, A5, A11, and M7. This consortium was selected and tested on their ability to use atrazine as a sole nitrogen source, and no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed between the growth values detected with atrazine as a carbon (2.98 ± 0.13 g L^-1) or nitrogen source (2.88 ± 0.18 g L^-1). However, a removal decrease of 13.3% was observed with the herbicide as a nitrogen source. Phytotoxicity tests demonstrated the ability of C1 to reverse the herbicide toxicity, especially with atrazine as a carbon source. Moreover, the presence of at least one of the genes that encode enzymes involved in the herbicide degradation was detected in all C1 members. These results demonstrated the ability of C1 to remove atrazine and use it as a carbon or nitrogen source, revealing their metabolic versatility and potential cooperative work, fundamental for the degradation of xenobiotic compounds.

PMID:41678860 | DOI:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2026.144856

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2026 Feb 8;353:127560. doi: 10.1016/j.saa.2026.127560. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Construction and demolition waste (C&DW) accounts for nearly one-third of total waste generation in the European Union, representing a significant environmental challenge. Although recovery rates are high (∼89%), much of the recycled material is downcycled, hindering true circular economy goals. This study proposes an integrated analytical method combining portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF), near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI), and Shallow Neural Networks (SNN) for fast, accurate classification of earthquake-related C&DW from central Italy. Thirty sample sets from the 2016-2017 earthquake zones in Abruzzo, Marche, and Emilia Romagna were analyzed using portable energy-dispersive XRF to define three recycling-oriented material classes: concrete-based (CON), ceramic-rich (CER), and natural aggregates (NAT). Statistical tests and principal component analysis (PCA) confirmed significant differences among classes. NIR-HSI spectra (1000-1700 nm) were processed to train an SNN with a single hidden layer. The classifier showed excellent precision, recall, specificity, and F1-scores (≥ 0.98) across classes, with misclassifications limited to borderline cases like glazed ceramics. The goal of this work is to evaluate the best achievable performance within a controlled feasibility framework, demonstrating that the coupling of NIR-HSI with SNN provides a rapid, robust, and transferable strategy for automated C&DW classification, thereby supporting circular economy goals through improved material recovery and recycling efficiency.

PMID:41678854 | DOI:10.1016/j.saa.2026.127560

J Chem Theory Comput. 2026 Feb 12. doi: 10.1021/acs.jctc.6c00005. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

We present a comprehensive benchmark of excited-state polarizabilities for a representative set of more than 40 singlet states from 27 small organic molecules. Reference data were obtained using the high-level coupled-cluster CC3 model in combination with the aug-cc-pVTZ atomic basis set, providing the first systematic data set of excited-state polarizabilities at this level of theory. The studied set includes both valence and Rydberg states, the latter exhibiting significantly larger polarizabilities, reflecting their diffuse character and enhanced sensitivity to external electric fields. The benchmark analysis includes lower-level wave function-based methods, namely, CCSD and CC2, as well as Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT) with several common density functional approximations (B3LYP, MN15, M06-2X, CAM-B3LYP, and LC-BLYP). The statistical analysis enables the evaluation of the impact of orbital relaxation and highlights method-dependent differences across the different kinds of excited states. The results indicate that CCSD, in both its relaxed and unrelaxed forms, provides the most accurate description of excited-state polarizabilities, closely followed by CC2, which can therefore be generally employed as a computationally efficient yet reliable alternative. Among the TD-DFT functionals, range-separated hybrids─particularly LC-BLYP─perform best, while larger errors are observed for the three evaluated global hybrids.

PMID:41678842 | DOI:10.1021/acs.jctc.6c00005

NCHS Data Brief. 2025 Dec;(542). doi: 10.15620/cdc/174628.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Using data from the 2022-2023 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), this report estimates ever use of individual fertility services among women ages 20-49 in the United States, as well as ever use of medical help to get pregnant, medical help to prevent pregnancy loss, and any fertility services overall, by selected socioeconomic characteristics.

METHODS: Data from 4,856 women surveyed in the 2022-2023 NSFG, a survey of the U.S. household reproductive-age population, were used in this report. Estimates are shown by Hispanic origin and race, family income as a percentage of the federal poverty level, and current health insurance coverage. Point estimates and the corresponding standard errors were produced using SAS-callable SUDAAN to account for the complex sample design of NSFG. Differences between percentages were evaluated using two-tailed t tests at the 5% level.

KEY FINDINGS: Among women ages 20-49 in 2022-2023, 13.7% had ever used any fertility services, defined as any medical help to get pregnant or prevent pregnancy loss, at some time in their lives. Use of any fertility services or any medical help to get pregnant varied by race and Hispanic origin, family income, and current health insurance coverage, but use of any medical help to prevent pregnancy loss did not vary by these characteristics.

PMID:41678837 | DOI:10.15620/cdc/174628

NCHS Data Brief. 2025 Dec;(543). doi: 10.15620/cdc/174629.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: This report describes rates and characteristics of health center visits by adults with diagnosed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), using data from the 2023 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey Health Center (NAMCS HC) Component.

METHODS: Data for this report are from the 2023 NAMCS HC Component, and 95 health centers participated out of the 315 health centers that were contacted to participate, resulting in a response rate of 30.2% (unweighted). Data analyses were performed using the statistical packages SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, N.C.) and SAS-callable SUDAAN version 11.0 (RTI International, Research Triangle Park, N.C.). Two-tailed t tests with a significance level of p < 0.05 were used to determine statistically significant differences.

KEY FINDINGS: The health center visit rate for adults with ADHD was 52.6 visits per 10,000 adults in 2023 and decreased by age, with adults with ADHD ages 18-24 having the highest rate (92.6) and those age 65 and older having the lowest rate (6.5). An estimated 69.6% of health center visits by adults with ADHD included documentation in the electronic health record of a co-diagnosis of any of the selected mental health disorders.

PMID:41678835 | DOI:10.15620/cdc/174629

NCHS Data Brief. 2026 Jan;(547). doi: 10.15620/cdc/174631.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: This report uses 2024 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data to present the percentage of adults age 65 and older who had an influenza vaccination in the past 12 months and who ever had a pneumonia vaccination, by selected sociodemographic characteristics. Trends in vaccination from 2019 to 2024 are also presented.

METHODS: Data from the 2024 NHIS were used for this analysis. Point estimates and corresponding variances for this analysis were calculated using SAS-callable SUDAAN software to account for the complex sample design of NHIS. Differences between percentages were evaluated using two-sided significance tests at the 0.05 level. Linear and quadratic trends by family income were evaluated using orthogonal polynomials in logistic regression.

KEY FINDINGS: The percentage of adults age 65 and older who had an influenza vaccine in the past 12 months and also the percentage who ever had a pneumonia vaccine were lower in 2024 compared with 2019. In 2024, 67.1% of older adults had an influenza vaccine in the past 12 months, with vaccination lowest among adults ages 65-74 (62.6%) compared with ages 75-84 (71.9%) and age 85 and older (75.3%). Women were more likely than men to have ever received a pneumonia vaccine, but there were no significant differences by sex for receipt of influenza vaccine.

PMID:41678833 | DOI:10.15620/cdc/174631

NCHS Data Brief. 2025 Dec;(544). doi: 10.15620/cdc/174633.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: This report describes the rates and characteristics of health center visits by adults with an opioid use disorder (OUD). Health centers provide primary care to health professional shortage areas.

METHODS: Data are from the 2023 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) Health Center Component, a nationally representative survey of federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), which receive federal funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and FQHC look-alikes, which meet HRSA requirements but do not receive HRSA funding. Weighting was conducted to account for sampling probabilities and nonresponse, resulting in nationally representative estimates of health center visits in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

KEY FINDINGS: The health center visit rate for adults with an OUD was 4.8 visits per 1,000 adults in 2023. Visit rates were highest among adults ages 25-49 (7.7) and lowest among adults ages 18-24 (0.8). An estimated 29.0% of health center visits by adults with an OUD also included a diagnosis of nicotine use disorder. Among health center visits by adults with an OUD, mood disorders and anxiety disorders were the two most frequently observed mental health disorders. An estimated 49.6% of health center visits by adults with an OUD had a documented prescription for buprenorphine.

PMID:41678832 | DOI:10.15620/cdc/174633

NCHS Data Brief. 2026 Jan;(548). doi: 10.15620/cdc/174641.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: This report presents final 2024 U.S. mortality data on deaths and death rates by variables such as sex, age, race and Hispanic origin, and cause of death.

KEY FINDINGS: Life expectancy for the U.S. population in 2024 was 79.0 years, an increase of 0.6 year from 2023. The age-adjusted death rate decreased by 3.8% from 750.5 deaths per 100,000 standard population in 2023 to 722.1 in 2024. Age-specific death rates decreased from 2023 to 2024 for all age groups 1 year and older except ages 5-14.

METHODS: The data shown in this report reflect information collected by the National Center for Health Statistics for 2023 and 2024 from death certificates filed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and compiled into national data known as the National Vital Statistics System. The race and Hispanic-origin groups shown in this report follow the 1997 Office of Management and Budget standards and differ from the bridged-race categories shown in reports for data years before 2018.

PMID:41678830 | DOI:10.15620/cdc/174641

NCHS Data Brief. 2026 Jan;(545). doi: 10.15620/cdc/174634.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: This report uses data from the 2024 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to describe the prevalence of diagnosed seasonal allergies, eczema, and food allergies among adults in the United States, by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin, and urbanization level.

METHODS: Point estimates and the corresponding confidence intervals for this analysis were calculated using SAS-callable SUDAAN software to account for the complex sample design of NHIS. Differences between percentages were evaluated using two-sided significance tests at the 0.05 level. Linear and quadratic trends by age group were evaluated using orthogonal polynomials.

KEY FINDINGS: In 2024, 31.7% of adults had a diagnosed seasonal allergy, diagnosed eczema, or a diagnosed food allergy. The percentage of adults with a diagnosed seasonal allergy was higher among those living in nonmetropolitan areas (28.1%) than those living in metropolitan areas (24.8%). Women (9.5%) were more likely to have diagnosed eczema compared with men (5.7%). The prevalence of these selected allergic conditions varied by age group and race and Hispanic origin.

PMID:41678829 | DOI:10.15620/cdc/174634