Category: Statistics

Insights Imaging. 2026 Feb 16;17(1):48. doi: 10.1186/s13244-026-02206-7.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Intra-pancreatic fat deposition (IPFD) is associated with pancreatic diseases, but its systemic implications remain unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed 25,547 UK Biobank participants (median follow-up 6.27 years) with MRI-derived pancreatic proton density fat fraction. Multi-variable Cox models, causal mediation, restricted cubic splines, and subgroup analyses assessed IPFD-disease associations. Significant associations were examined through bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) using the UK Biobank and FinnGen data. Receiver operating characteristic curves and the Youden index were used to identify a clinically relevant and statistically optimal IPFD threshold.

RESULTS: Higher IPFD independently increased the risk of 12 multi-systemic diseases: non-insulin-dependent diabetes, primary hypertension, heart failure, cerebral infarction, cholelithiasis, gastritis and duodenitis, diaphragmatic hernia, chronic renal failure, gonarthrosis, disorders of refraction and accommodation, senile cataract, and sleep disorders. Causal mediation by non-insulin-dependent diabetes was negligible. Nonlinear dose-response patterns and effect modifications by sex, race, smoking, and obesity emerged. MR analysis supported the potential causal effects of IPFD on refractive/accommodation disorders and gonarthrosis. An IPFD cutoff of 7.35% (95% CI: 5.68-9.23%) optimally stratified the risk.

CONCLUSION: IPFD is an independent risk factor for diverse conditions, including metabolic, cardiovascular, digestive, musculoskeletal, ophthalmologic, urinary, and mental/behavioral disorders. A pancreatic fat threshold of 7.35% may guide clinical screening and preventive strategies.

CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: This study critically establishes intra-pancreatic fat as a novel, causal multi-system disease risk factor and provides a 7.35% quantitative threshold to advance radiological screening and prevention protocols.

KEY POINTS: Limited research exists on the systemic effects of IPFD. Pancreatic fat deposition independently raises risk for 12 multi-system diseases. A 7.35% pancreatic fat threshold can guide clinical screening and prevention.

PMID:41697450 | DOI:10.1186/s13244-026-02206-7

Eur J Pediatr. 2026 Feb 16;185(3):132. doi: 10.1007/s00431-026-06789-7.

ABSTRACT

Following the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, a significant percentage of people are now experiencing long-term symptoms, despite a continuing lack of concrete documentation of physiological and risk profiles that hinders diagnosis and treatment, particularly in pediatric contexts. This review aims to highlight the existing evidence for measurable physiological markers for post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (long COVID) in children, adolescents, and young adults. Titles providing data related to measurable biomarkers distinguishing young long COVID patients from controls were compiled and analyzed. Results were displayed in table and diagram form for optimal qualitative evaluation of the relationship between markers and symptomatology within the context of each organ system. Only human studies published in English, Italian, Portuguese, German, and Spanish between the 5th of February 2025 and the 31st of December 2025 were considered, and no other time constraints were applied. Following search and criteria evaluation, nine studies were included, totaling 41 occurrences identified in diseased patients with statistically significant variation from healthy controls. Markers suggest the presence of organic manifestations based on published literature, although more data and future studies will be necessary to establish clear connections.

CONCLUSION: The data compiled for this review adds to the body of evidence indicating a physiological manifestation of long COVID and its consequences. Further investigation into potential risk factors, pre- and post-pubescent manifestations, and specific inflammatory and immune pathways will be necessary for a more concrete understanding of long COVID and its effects on children, adolescents, and young adults.

WHAT IS KNOWN: • Long COVID is estimated to affect a significant population of patients, despite the lack of concrete physiological diagnostic and prognostic measures. • Pediatric incidence of the disease is still largely debated, and published data are scarce.

WHAT IS NEW: • A total of 41 biomarker occurrences were identified by selected studies, which were consistent with expected physiology behind reported symptoms. • The body of data discussed suggests the presence of physiological phenomena behind the long-term symptoms experienced by pediatric long- COVID patients.

PMID:41697443 | DOI:10.1007/s00431-026-06789-7

Int Ophthalmol. 2026 Feb 16;46(1):117. doi: 10.1007/s10792-026-03981-4.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Dry eye disease (DED) is a common ocular condition that, if left untreated, can lead to visual impairment. The present study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of DED among ophthalmologists, optometrists, and nurses.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study included ophthalmologists, optometrists, and nurses who attended the Emirates Society of Ophthalmology (ESO) conference in 2024 in the United Arab Emirates. Eligible participants were asked to complete the Dry Eye Questionnaire (DEQ-5), based on which the presence and severity of DED were assessed.

RESULTS: The study included 203 participants (53.2% males), with the majority being ophthalmologists (47.8%), followed by nurses (17.2%), optometrists (13.8%), and others (21.2%). The overall prevalence of DED was 82.8%. DED prevalence was significantly higher among females than males (88.4% vs 77.8%, p = 0.046), and female optometrists had a 4.36-fold higher risk of DED than male optometrists (p = 0.013). Regarding DED severity, 27.6% of the participants had mild DED, 35.5% had moderate DED, and 19.7% had severe DED. Females who worked as ophthalmologists (RR = 1.72, p = 0.045) and those engaged in other professions (RR = 3.31, p = 0.002) had a significantly higher risk of severe DED.

CONCLUSION: This study highlights alarmingly high rates of DED among ocular care professionals. Female optometrists had a significantly higher risk of DED than male optometrists.

PMID:41697442 | DOI:10.1007/s10792-026-03981-4

Environ Monit Assess. 2026 Feb 16;198(3):225. doi: 10.1007/s10661-026-15073-y.

ABSTRACT

The irrigation of crops with wastewater can lead to the accumulation of heavy metals (HMs), posing environmental and health risks. This study analyzed HMs in industrial wastewater, soils, and food crops around Hattar Industrial Estate (HIE), Pakistan. Wastewater and soil samples were assessed for physicochemical properties, and all samples were digested and analyzed for HMs using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). HMs levels varied consistently across water, soils, and crops at six sites, with accumulation in crops following the order: Ca > Cu > Mn > Zn > Cr > Ni > As > Al > Cd > Co > Pb > Se. Leafy crops showed higher bioaccumulation than fruit and root/tuber crops, with Zn exhibiting the highest Bioaccumulation Factor (BF). Pearson’s correlation and principal component analyses revealed positive correlations among metals and identified potential sources of crop contamination. In vitro gastrointestinal assays indicated HMs bioaccessibility ranging from 0-94%. While most HMs posed no noncarcinogenic risk, Ni and Cr present significant carcinogenic risks. Regular monitoring and preventative measures are recommended to ensure food safety, human health, and environmental protection.

PMID:41697411 | DOI:10.1007/s10661-026-15073-y

Anat Histol Embryol. 2026 Mar;55(2):e70094. doi: 10.1111/ahe.70094.

ABSTRACT

Apoptosis plays a critical role in maintaining tissue homeostasis and preventing pathological conditions. The accurate detection of apoptosis is crucial for both research and diagnostic pathology, yet conventional histological staining methods often lack the sensitivity to identify early apoptotic changes. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of classical and emerging mitochondria-targeting histological techniques in detecting apoptotic hepatocytes. Paraffinated hepatic tissue from five rabbits was analysed using haematoxylin-eosin (H&E), Goldner’s trichrome (GT), immunohistochemistry for caspase-3 (IHC-Casp3) and Heidenhain’s iron haematoxylin (HIH) staining. The percentage of apoptotic hepatocytes was quantified using two assessment methods, and statistical analyses determined the sensitivity of staining protocols. Histologically, the main apoptotic features identified in HIH-stained hepatic specimens were fading ‘ghost’ mitochondria throughout the cytoplasm, chromatin condensation, fragmentation and dissolution and nucleolar margination. A similar proportion of apoptotic hepatocytes on the HIH staining compared to IHC-Casp3 (19.00% ± 0.7 for HIH vs. 18.50% ± 0.7 for IHC-Casp3) was observed. In comparison, significantly lower values were obtained in H&E (5.75%) and GT (7.5%) stains. The lack of statistical significance of HIH vs. IHC-Casp3 demonstrates similar sensitivities. The additional quantitative analysis methods confirmed IHC as the most sensitive method (3.36 ± 3.82 apoptotic cells/field), followed by HIH, H&E, and GT. In situ histological evaluation of apoptosis remains challenging in standard H&E and GT-stained sections. HIH stain, as a cost-effective alternative to IHC, highlights early stages of apoptotic cells, providing a significant advantage over classical staining methods, emphasising their importance in diagnostic histopathology.

PMID:41693633 | DOI:10.1111/ahe.70094

Am J Hum Biol. 2026 Feb;38(2):e70215. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.70215.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To examine the sleep architecture (proportion of Light, Rapid Eye Movement (REM), and Deep Sleep) of rural villagers using noninvasive, wearable ŌURA rings.

METHODS: From June to August 2023, we collected sleep data from 30 participants (16 men, 14 women, 370 nights) using ŌURA rings. Regression models were used to investigate the effect of gender, age, household size, livestock presence, and temperature on sleep patterns and sleep architecture.

RESULTS: Average Total Sleep Time (TST) in the community was 7.6 h (SD: 1.01). Average proportion (%) Light Sleep was 59.9%, % REM Sleep was 17.9%, and % Deep Sleep was 22.2%. Men who cared for livestock had significantly higher % Light Sleep and lower % REM sleep compared to men who did not have livestock. Presence of livestock did not significantly affect men or women’s % Deep Sleep. Temperature was positively associated with % Light and negatively associated with % REM and % Deep Sleep.

CONCLUSIONS: We found that men who were responsible for livestock tended to have more % Light Sleep and less % REM Sleep than men without livestock. Livestock presence did not affect women’s % Light or REM sleep stages, and % Deep Sleep remained unchanged between groups. Temperature was associated with changes in all sleep stages. Our findings highlight the need for naturalistic studies investigating sleep architecture in non-industrialized settings.

PMID:41693621 | DOI:10.1002/ajhb.70215

Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2026 Dec;17(1):2622767. doi: 10.1080/20008066.2026.2622767. Epub 2026 Feb 16.

ABSTRACT

Background: The mental health impact of different forms of childhood maltreatment remains understudied in low- and middle-income countries.Objective: This study used a Mexican sample to examine the associations of five childhood maltreatment subtypes (emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, and emotional and physical neglect) with psychopathology symptoms encompassing depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and domains of the psychosis spectrum.Method: Participants were 1,612 adults from the general population (M_age = 30.3 years, SD_age = 8.1 years; mostly women [79.4%], with a high school education or higher [97%], currently working [55.8%] or studying [30.7%]) who completed self-report measures of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, positive psychotic experiences, multidimensional (positive, negative, and disorganised) schizotypy, and childhood maltreatment.Results: Linear regression analyses examining the unique association of the childhood maltreatment subtypes with the outcome measures indicated that emotional abuse was associated with all the outcomes except negative schizotypy. In addition, emotional neglect was associated with negative and disorganised schizotypy and symptoms of depression and anxiety, and sexual abuse was associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms.Conclusions: The findings contribute to efforts to elucidate patterns of association between childhood maltreatment and mental health outcomes across diverse contexts. Furthermore, they point to the need for increased attention to the impact of emotional maltreatment in low- and middle-income countries.

PMID:41693619 | DOI:10.1080/20008066.2026.2622767

Biometrics. 2026 Jan 6;82(1):ujag018. doi: 10.1093/biomtc/ujag018.

ABSTRACT

The concept of RNA velocity has made it possible to extract dynamic information from single-cell RNA sequencing data snapshots, attracting considerable attention and inspiring various extensions. Nonetheless, existing approaches often lack uncertainty quantification and many adopt unrealistic assumptions or employ complex black-box models that are difficult to interpret. In this paper, we present a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate RNA velocity, which uses a time-dependent transcription rate and non-trivial initial conditions. We discuss identifiability of the model parameters, including larger values of the latent time, which has not been done so far. Our approach allows for well-calibrated uncertainty quantification, through a novel algorithm that combines Markov chain Monte Carlo and consensus approaches for full Bayesian inference. The proposed method is validated in a comprehensive simulation study that covers various scenarios, and compared to several other widely embraced and commonly recognized approaches for RNA velocity on single-cell RNA sequencing data from mouse embryonic stem cells. Our method provides estimates of gene-shared latent time and velocity vectors with well-calibrated uncertainty, which align with the cell cycle phases of the cells.

PMID:41693613 | DOI:10.1093/biomtc/ujag018

Laryngoscope. 2026 Feb 16. doi: 10.1002/lary.70441. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of globus pallidus interna (GPi) and ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus (VIM) deep brain stimulation (DBS) on patients with adductor laryngeal dystonia (ADLD).

METHODS: Seven patients with ADLD underwent DBS (GPi = 4; VIM = 3) surgery. Postoperative voice testing was performed after stable DBS programming. Primary outcome measures included tremor rate, extent of fundamental frequency/intensity modulation, percentage of voicing, duration/number of voice breaks, and cepstral peak prominence. Linear mixed effects models tested voice improvement after GPi and VIM surgery, with significance determined after controlling for multiple comparisons.

RESULTS: GPi-DBS showed trends for improved percentage of voicing, duration of voice breaks, number of voice breaks, and extent of intensity modulation pre-post within-group with large effect size. VIM-DBS showed trends for improved tremor rate within-group with large effect size. Between-group comparison showed greater improvement in percentage voicing and extent of intensity modulation in patients with GPi-DBS compared to VIM-DBS, whereas tremor rate showed greater improvement after VIM-DBS compared to GPi-DBS. Duration of voice breaks showed more improvement in GPi than VIM but it did not achieve statistical significance after multiple comparison adjustments.

CONCLUSIONS: Objective acoustic voice analyses provide preliminary, target-specific patterns that warrant confirmation of bilateral GPi-DBS for patients with ADLD and bilateral VIM-DBS for those with both ADLD and vocal tremor. Future research with larger sample sizes, along with investigations into the neuronal mechanisms underlying laryngeal neuromodulation, is needed to further evaluate the role of DBS in treating ADLD.

PMID:41693579 | DOI:10.1002/lary.70441

Nucleic Acids Res. 2026 Feb 5;54(4):gkag052. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkag052.

ABSTRACT

DNA origami has become a ubiquitous platform because it enables straightforward design of nanostructures that self-assemble with high yield. The interactions between the cooperative effects involved in its assembly are currently not well understood. Fortunately, the nearly infinite number of choices available to the origami designer provides a rich environment in which to explore cooperativity. The DNA domains comprising origami have predictable energetics, and the sources of cooperativity are conceptually straightforward, and the difficulty in predicting assembly comes from their large number of cooperative interactions. We are able to probe cooperativity by using design variations and measuring their effect on assembly yield. We employ an accelerated assembly protocol that increases the sensitivity of structural perfection, or lack thereof, to design variation, and apply this approach to survey a broad set of design features. Using the resulting dataset, we develop metrics to correlate thermal stability, beneficial cooperativity from short folds, and detrimental cooperativity from long folds, with defectivity. Surprisingly, these metrics can be combined to create a single parameter with a clear correlation to yield, which serves as a useful starting place for a predictive understanding of the interplay between cooperativity and design. In doing so, we also identify qualitative trends that provide useful insight into design best practice.

PMID:41693566 | DOI:10.1093/nar/gkag052