Category: Statistics

Adv Sci (Weinh). 2026 Mar 22:e12369. doi: 10.1002/advs.202512369. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Despite growing evidence that the visual system pools sensory data into a summary statistical representation, the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. We characterized the neural coding of summary statistics at the single-cell and population levels using calcium signals imaged in primary visual cortex (V1) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC) while head-fixed mice passively viewed or classified eight mean motion directions of randomly moving dots into two categories. A small portion of neurons in both areas showed global mean motion direction selectivity beyond what would be expected from the simple summation of responses to individual dot motions. Although this selectivity was variable across stimulus variability and trials, population activity robustly encoded global mean motion direction, even though most neurons were not significantly tuned. The V1 population-level mean motion representation was dependent on stimulus variance and systematically biased toward the category center during the motion categorization task. These, along with the observed population-level neural coding of stimulus variance, suggest that multivariate V1 activity is well suited to processing summary statistics. The redundant summary statistical encodings in both V1 and PPC suggest that such information accumulates across the visual hierarchy, which may allow PPC to bind multiple levels of summary statistical representations into task-oriented category signals.

PMID:41865416 | DOI:10.1002/advs.202512369

Cell Rep. 2026 Mar 20;45(4):117136. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117136. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

IL-4 can have significant therapeutic benefit in many injury settings, but its mechanism of action is unclear. Using a model of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-mediated acute liver injury, we find that exogenous IL-4 causes a dramatic shift from recruited Ly6C^hi monocytes to an abundance of monocyte-derived macrophages (MoMFs) within the injured tissue that is accompanied by reduced indices of hepatic damage and enhanced hepatic regeneration. Rather than altering the recruitment or differentiation of monocytes, treatment with IL-4 triggers monocyte apoptosis alongside proliferation of MoMFs. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals injury and cell-type-specific responses to IL-4 treatment across hepatic myeloid lineages and a largely pro-reparative gene signature in the expanded pool of MoMFs. IL-4 treatment fails to enhance hepatic repair when the accrual of MoMFs is limited using Ccr2-deficient monocytopenic mice. Together, these data reveal a pathway through which therapeutic IL-4 alters the composition, number, and function of injury-associated myeloid cells to resolve liver injury.

PMID:41865375 | DOI:10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117136

Clin Transl Oncol. 2026 Mar 22. doi: 10.1007/s12094-026-04311-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIM: Four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) is the gold standard for radiotherapy planning in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), yet its use in radiomics remains underexplored. This study proposes a reproducible, scalable methodology for assessing radiomic feature (RF) stability in 4D-CT and evaluates whether image filtering identifies additional stable RFs compared to unfiltered images.

METHODS: Early-stage NSCLC patients treated with SBRT with 4D-CT were included. Gross tumor volumes (GTVs) were re-segmented on all available phases. RFs were extracted using PyRadiomics. Features with near-zero variance in > 85% of patients were excluded. RF stability was evaluated using two complementary approaches: (i) coefficient of variation (COV), quantifying the magnitude of inter-phase variability, and (ii) repeated-measures modeling, assessing the presence of a statistically significant association between RF values and respiratory phase. RFs with COV < 5% and 5-10% were considered highly stable and stable, respectively. Repeated-measures analyses were performed separately for expiratory (0-40%) and inspiratory (50-90%) phases.

RESULTS: Seventy patients met the inclusion criteria. 1892 RFs were analyzable. Based on COV, about 21% (397/1892) of RFs were highly stable, and 18% (338/1892) were stable, while the remaining showed intermediate or high variability. The largest proportion of highly stable RFs derived from lbp-3D (25%) and log-sigma (12%) filtered images. Repeated measures analysis showed that only a limited subset of RFs had a statistically-significant dependence on respiratory phase, with 1747 and 1744 RFs remaining time-independent across expiratory and inspiratory phases, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Radiomic features extracted from 4D-CT images in early-stage NSCLC patients show heterogeneous stability across respiratory phases. Radiomic features extracted from 4D-CT images in early-stage NSCLC exhibit heterogeneous quantitative variability across respiratory phases. However, only a minority of features show statistically significant time dependence. The study provides a reproducible methodological framework to identify stable radiomic features from 4D-CT, enabling their more reliable use in lung cancer radiomic studies.

PMID:41865337 | DOI:10.1007/s12094-026-04311-x

World J Urol. 2026 Mar 22;44(1):254. doi: 10.1007/s00345-026-06291-7.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence (PPI) significantly impacts quality of life. While an artificial urinary sphincter is the standard surgical treatment for PPI, adjustable continence therapy balloons (ProACT) have emerged as a less invasive alternative over the past two decades. ProACT implantation is considered technically challenging and limited to three high-volume Dutch medical centers, yet little is known about the surgical learning curve. This study aims to assess the learning curve to inform training requirements for ProACT implantation.

METHODS: This retrospective single-center study included all ProACT implantations performed by one urologist at Erasmus University medical Center, Rotterdam. Surgery success was defined as postoperative use of a maximum of one ‘safety pad’, less than 10 mL urine loss or ≥ 95% subjective improvement of continence. Multivariable logistic regression assessed the learning curve.

RESULTS: A total of 108 surgeries between 2019 and 2024 were included, of which 15 were supervised by an experienced surgeon. No statistical relation was found between the progressive surgeon’s experience and surgical success (per 10 surgeries, OR 0.89, 95%CI: 0.75-1.07, p = 0.2). Preoperative incontinence (pads/day) was statistically significantly associated with surgical success (OR 0.65, 95%CI: 0.47-0.89, p = 0.009). The overall surgical success rate was 61%, with an additional 20% achieving > 50% continence improvement. Complication rate within six months was 21% of which six (5.6%) included explantations of the ProACT device.

CONCLUSION: ProACT implantation achieves consistent outcomes after brief supervised training, with no statistically significant learning curve. This supports a broader adoption of this technique by urologists treating PPI.

PMID:41865333 | DOI:10.1007/s00345-026-06291-7

Pharmacoeconomics. 2026 Mar 22. doi: 10.1007/s40273-026-01611-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major global cause of morbidity and mortality. Recent nephroprotective therapies have improved CKD management, yet their cost effectiveness across settings remains uncertain. This review systematically identified and compared cost-effectiveness studies of novel CKD treatments for both broad CKD populations and disease-specific subgroups.

METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed and the Cochrane Library using terms related to “chronic kidney disease,” “cost-effectiveness,” “cost-utility,” “health technology assessment,” “SGLT2 inhibitor,” and commercial and generic names of nephroprotective drugs approved since 2013. Eligible studies were full-length articles in English published between January 2015 and September 2025. Costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were extracted. All monetary values were standardized to 2025 US dollars.

RESULTS: The search yielded 172 records, of which 26 met inclusion criteria. A supplementary search identified ten additional studies, resulting in 36 evaluations. Most studies assessed sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors or finerenone. Across evaluations, these therapies consistently improved outcomes, with QALY gains reported in all studies (0.012-1.44 QALYs gained). Most concluded that the interventions were cost effective compared with standard of care, and 13 reported cost-saving results. Only three studies reported an incremental cost-efffectiveness ratio above $100,000 per QALY threshold. Cost effectiveness was observed in both general CKD and CKD with diabetes mellitus, although estimates varied by country, time horizon, and analytic perspective.

CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence indicates that novel nephroprotective therapies for CKD are generally cost effective, and in some settings cost saving. These findings support their value in both general CKD and diabetic populations and highlight the importance of early treatment adoption to delay disease progression and reduce long-term healthcare costs.

PMID:41865332 | DOI:10.1007/s40273-026-01611-6

J Relig Health. 2026 Mar 22. doi: 10.1007/s10943-026-02621-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Although humility is the opposite end of the same continuum as the dark triad, little is known about how this virtue can be cultivated to prevent the negative influence of narcissistic, Machiavellian, and psychopathic attitudes in the workplace. Based on the relational spirituality framework and trait activation theory, this paper proposes the verification of the mechanism underlying the link between religious practices and dark triad personality traits. Here, humility acts as a mediator and the perception of bond with God acts as a moderator in the relationship between religious practices and humility, and a caring ethical climate acts as a moderator in the link between humility and dark triad traits. The study involved 1071 employees from Poland. Consistent with the relational spirituality approach, the perception of a strong and trustful relationship with God amplified the positive effect of religious practices on humble attitude. In addition, in line with trait activation theory, the perception of a caring ethical climate strengthened the negative effects of humility on Machiavellianism and psychopathy but not on narcissism. Moreover, statistically significant mediating effects of humility moderated by the perception of bond with God were noticed on the relationship between prayer and Machiavellianism and between prayer and Mass attendance and psychopathy, but not narcissism.

PMID:41865331 | DOI:10.1007/s10943-026-02621-6

Pediatr Surg Int. 2026 Mar 22;42(1):160. doi: 10.1007/s00383-026-06401-x.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Adjuvant steroids in the treatment of BA remains controversial. We sought to characterize variations in steroid use and their effect on postoperative outcomes in a multi-institutional cohort of BA patients.

STUDY DESIGN: PHIS was queried for all patients between 2017 and 2024 who were diagnosed with BA and underwent KPE. Patients who received ≥ 3 contiguous days of steroids within 7 days of KPE were considered to have received postoperative steroids. The primary outcome was native liver survival, calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis.

RESULTS: 504 patients from 37 hospitals with a median age of 52 days (IQR: 35-69 days) met inclusion criteria. 139 patients (28.6%) received adjuvant steroids. The steroid-treated cohort had a significantly longer postoperative LOS (P < 0.001) and high-volume-KPE hospitals were significantly more likely to use adjuvant steroids (P < 0.001). The majority of patients were started on steroids on POD#0. 5 hospitals utilized steroids in > 50% of their patients after KPE. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed no difference in two-year native liver survival.

CONCLUSION: In this large multi-institutional cohort study, steroids were used early, with significant intra-hospital variation, and were associated with increased postoperative LOS and higher KPE volume. Larger multi-institutional studies with standardized steroid dosage regimens and extended long-term follow up are needed.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

PMID:41865321 | DOI:10.1007/s00383-026-06401-x

Environ Geochem Health. 2026 Mar 22;48(6):253. doi: 10.1007/s10653-026-03129-4.

ABSTRACT

Mining-induced heavy metal contamination poses a potential threat to the water security of Central India’s tribal-dominated zones, despite the scarcity of integrated hydrogeochemical studies with multi-pathway health risk appraisals. To investigate the seasonal variations in spring water (n = 15) and groundwater (n = 47) quality within four river basins in the region of the Bailadila Iron Ore Mining area, Chhattisgarh using hydrogeochemical diagrams, multivariate statistical analysis, and comprehensive health risk modeling were adopted. The samples collected during two seasons, namely pre-monsoon and post-monsoon were analyzed for eleven heavy metals, major ions, and physico-chemical parameters utilizing the standard methods. The Gibbs plots suggested the weathering of rocks as the major geochemical process, while Piper diagrams showed predominantly Ca-Mg-HCO₃ water types associated with carbonate dissociation. Principal Component Analysis and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis were used to distinguish three sources of contamination, i.e., geogenic weathering, mining operations, and agricultural activities. Strong correlations between mining-related metals (Cr-Pb: r = 0.71) and agricultural indicators (Na-K-Nitrate: r = 0.94-0.95) were observed based on Pearson correlation. The ANNOVA results revealed that the Sankani and Talperu basins had the highest levels of contamination, with considerable geographical differences (F = 39.14, p < 0.001). Health risk assessment revealed elevated non-carcinogenic hazards (89% samples THI > 1.0; range 0.73-3.93), with children most vulnerable (pre-monsoon avg. THI 1.85). Arsenic dominated carcinogenic risk (82-92% TCR contribution; max 0.13 mg/L pre-monsoon vs. WHO/BIS 0.01 mg/L), while iron (max 13.33 mg/L vs. WHO 0.3 mg/L, BIS 1.0 mg/L) and manganese (max 0.34 mg/L vs. WHO 0.4 mg/L, BIS 0.1 mg/L) drove 69% of non-carcinogenic risks. These findings underscore the importance of implementing long‑term remediation strategies to safeguard vulnerable indigenous communities from mining‑related health risks.

PMID:41865317 | DOI:10.1007/s10653-026-03129-4

Pediatr Pulmonol. 2026 Mar;61(3):e71569. doi: 10.1002/ppul.71569.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Asthma rates are rising globally, posing a significant public health challenge. In Qatar, childhood asthma affects 34.6% of children, making it a common chronic condition. The global scope of existing literature on the association between childhood asthma and perinatal and neonatal risk factors may not fully account for Qatar’s distinctive socio-cultural, genetic, and healthcare aspects. Therefore, this research aims to emphasize the importance of considering regional variations in health outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between childhood asthma development and mode of delivery, gestational age, and birthweight in Qatar.

METHODS: A hospital-based case-control study was conducted in Qatar across Hamad General, Al Wakrah, and Al Khor hospitals from January 2020 to July 2023, including 830 asthma cases and 1,512 non-asthma controls aged 6-14 years. Secondary data from Electronic Medical Records were analyzed using logistic regression, with odds ratios (ORs) and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) calculated for each factor. Confounders were managed through Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAG), and multiple imputations addressed missing data.

RESULTS: Asthma prevalence was 35.4%. Compared to controls, asthma cases were more likely to be males (65% vs. 41%) and have a family history of asthma (31.3% vs. 1.7%). In addition, Cesarean delivery (aOR 1.15, 95% CI 0.92, 1.44), preterm birth (aOR 1.07, 95% CI 0.79), and low birth weight (aOR 1.03, 95% CI 0.61, 1.73) showed slight increases in asthma risk. However, none of these associations reached statistical significance.

CONCLUSION: Despite non-significant associations, findings underscore the importance of considering regional variations and context-specific research.

PMID:41865305 | DOI:10.1002/ppul.71569

Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2026 Mar 22:207640261427415. doi: 10.1177/00207640261427415. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Since the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, civilians have experienced substantial war-related trauma, yet little is known about the prevalence and risk factors of ICD-11 post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) among internally displaced persons (IDPs) actively seeking medical or psychological care.

AIMS: To examine the prevalence of PTSD and CPTSD in a clinical sample of Ukrainian IDPs, compare diagnostic rates between psychological and medical treatment-seekers, and identify sociodemographic and war-related predictors of diagnostic outcomes.

METHODS: A total of 224 adult IDPs attending an outpatient clinic in Chernivtsi oblast completed the International Trauma Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, and multinomial logistic regression models were used to assess prevalence and identify predictors of PTSD and CPTSD.

RESULTS: In the full sample, 24.5% met criteria for ICD-11 PTSD and 7.6% for CPTSD. Among psychological treatment-seekers, prevalence was higher (PTSD: 28.3%; CPTSD: 9.0%) compared to those seeking exclusively medical care (PTSD: 13.8%; CPTSD: 3.4%). Losing someone close due to the war significantly predicted both PTSD and CPTSD in the final multivariable model, while male gender independently predicted CPTSD.

CONCLUSIONS: PTSD rates in this sample were broadly comparable to global estimates for conflict-affected populations, whereas CPTSD prevalence appeared lower than that reported in other Ukrainian samples. Relocation to safer areas within one’s own country-without the additional stressors associated with forced international migration-together with the relatively older age of the sample, may have contributed to a reduced CPTSD risk. Sociocultural expectations surrounding masculine roles during wartime might also play a role in male vulnerability to CPTSD, though further evidence is needed. Individuals bereaved by the war may represent a subgroup at heightened risk, highlighting the potential value of targeted psychosocial support. Longitudinal, multi-site studies with diverse samples are needed to clarify symptom trajectories and contextual risk factors in displaced civilians.

PMID:41865301 | DOI:10.1177/00207640261427415