Category: Statistics

Int J Numer Method Biomed Eng. 2026 Feb;42(2):e70138. doi: 10.1002/cnm.70138.

ABSTRACT

Existing lumped arterial stenosis models struggle to accurately capture the pressure and flow relationship of complex lesion morphologies, thereby limiting their ability to accurately evaluate lesions. To overcome these limitations, we introduce a geometry-informed, data-driven lumped stenosis model that incorporates realistic lesion shapes using statistical shape modeling (SSM). By generating a large dataset of synthetic coronary stenoses, hence focusing on epicardial lesions, and evaluating them through high-fidelity 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD), we derived reference pressure drops across a diverse range of lesion geometries and flow regimes. These CFD-derived pressures and flows, along with their corresponding shape coefficients, were used to train a lumped parameter model capable of rapidly estimating trans-lesional pressure drops. Remarkably, only five shape modes were necessary to effectively describe the geometric variability, underscoring the efficiency of the approach. Compared to a conventional lumped model, our approach significantly improved pressure drop prediction accuracy, especially in the case of irregular stenosis morphologies. Integration of the new data-driven lumped stenosis model within a 1D pulse wave propagation framework was also successful, aligning simulated pressure and flow waveforms much closer with high-fidelity CFD-coupled results. In turn, the estimation of the fractional flow reserve, a clinically validated index of lesion-specific ischemia, also improved by 18% compared to a conventional lumped model. Although only validated using synthetic lesion data, the model’s architecture allows easy integration of additional shape features and lesion-specific parameters, paving the way for future validation on patient-derived geometries.

PMID:41645049 | DOI:10.1002/cnm.70138

J Prosthodont. 2026 Feb 5. doi: 10.1111/jopr.70100. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This in vitro study aimed to investigate the effect of different grit sizes of dental burs on the marginal adaptation of lithium-reinforced glass-ceramic restorations. The objective was to determine if finishing with fine-grit burs after initial preparation with coarser-grit burs enhances the marginal adaptation of restorations produced using computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) technology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty impacted human molar teeth with intact enamel were extracted and divided into five groups (n = 10 per group). For group 1, a neutral band chamfer bur (107 µm) was used, while for group 2, a black band bur (181 µm) was used. A green band bur (151 µm) was used for group 3. For group 4, preparation was done using a black band bur and finished with the red band bur (46 µm), while for group 5, a green band bur was used for preparation and finished with the red band bur. Three-dimensional (3D) scans of the prepared teeth were obtained using an intraoral scanner (Virtuo Vivo, Dental Wings), and CAD software was used to design the crowns. The restorations were milled from lithium disilicate blocks (IPS e.max CAD, Ivoclar Vivadent) on a chairside milling machine (M10, Camcube). Marginal gap assessment on the buccal, mesial, palatal/lingual, and distal surfaces by a stereomicroscope at 20× magnification and with 840 LP/mm resolution was performed. The measurements were performed for 32 equidistant points per sample, totaling 1600 points. ImageJ software was used for the analysis. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used on 10 samples for validation. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests at the 0.05 significance level.

RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in marginal adaptation between the different groups, with groups 4 (Black-Red) and 5 (Green-Red) showing a better marginal fit (p < 0.05). Within each group, no significant difference was observed between the buccal, mesial, distal, and palatal sides.

CONCLUSION: Finishing tooth preparation with a fine-grit red diamond bur after using coarser-grit burs significantly enhances the marginal adaptation of glass-ceramic restorations produced by CAD-CAM technology. This technique could lead to better clinical outcomes in patients treated with such restorations.

PMID:41645020 | DOI:10.1111/jopr.70100

Sci Rep. 2026 Feb 6. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-38472-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Psychosomatic symptoms have become increasingly prevalent among adolescents; however, trends covering a longer period remain underexplored in Hungary. This study examines changes in psychosomatic symptoms among school-aged children using nationally representative data from the Hungarian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey, collected in 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 (N = 37,930; M_age = 14.88 years, SD_age = 2.36 years; boys = 49.3%). Descriptive statistics, logistic regression analyses, and ANCOVAs were conducted to assess trends from 2002 to 2022. Girls and older adolescents reported more symptoms overall, with 2022 showing the highest prevalence across all symptom categories in both genders. The proportion of adolescents reporting multiple health complaints (MHC) (excluding fatigue) became considerably more common between 2010 and 2022, increasing from 40.6 to 65.6% among girls, and from 30.2 to 42% among boys. Fatigue emerged as the most reported frequent symptom across all survey waves among both genders, peaking in 2022 at 47.5% among boys and 67.6% among girls. The findings point to a trajectory-particularly in recent years-highlighting the urgent need for targeted interventions and policy actions to support adolescent health.

PMID:41644995 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-38472-0

Sci Rep. 2026 Feb 5. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-39298-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In pursuit of sustainability, it is necessary to comprehend the evolving relationship between economic growth and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study conducts Index Decomposition Analysis (IDA) for comparative sectoral analysis of the world’s ten largest GHG emitting countries across their eight sectors; agriculture, building, fuel exploitation, industrial combustion, power industry, processes, transport and waste, using latest available data from 2000 to 2023. This study disaggregates sectoral emissions to evaluate the extent to which economic growth has been decoupled from GHG emissions, thereby offering insight into national sectoral emission trajectories and sustainability progress. This study offers sectoral ranking of countries based on average GHG emission abatement during 2000-2023 and offers the sectoral GHG emission intensity in these countries relative in year 2000. The agriculture and building sectors demonstrated significant decoupling, abatement of GHG emissions by an average of 6.44 MtCO₂ and 6.34 MtCO₂, respectively, through sustainable practices. The fuel exploitation sector achieved modest abatement of 2.24 MtCO₂, though emissions intensified in China and Indonesia. In the industrial combustion sector, GHG emissions abatement were recorded by 0.74 MtCO₂ but intensified in several emerging economies. The transport sector recorded a slight intensity of 0.36 MtCO₂, highlighting the urgent need for low carbon mobility solutions. The waste sector achieved the most substantial GHG emissions abatement of 16.31 MtCO₂, led by USA, despite intensified in four other nations. The findings emphasized the critical need for tailored, sector specific policy interventions, technology adoption, and behavioral changes to achieve sustained decarbonization. The study contributes to the global discourse on climate mitigation by offering comparative sectors specific insights to align national energy structures with global decarbonizing practices.

PMID:41644989 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-39298-6

Sci Rep. 2026 Feb 5. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-35689-x. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:41644971 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-35689-x

J Cancer Educ. 2026 Feb 6. doi: 10.1007/s13187-025-02805-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Didactic lectures play an important role in hematology/oncology fellowship education. How each program structures their curricula is determined independently. To improve the trainee experience, identifying best practices is essential, but limited data about program structure exist. This marks the first cross-sectional analysis of hematology/oncology fellowship didactic curricula from a heterogenous group of programs to-date. Twenty-eight US Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited hematology/oncology fellowship programs were included. Local principal investigators completed a 21-question survey containing a series of multiple-choice and open-ended questions to understand participating programs’ educational curricula and structure. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics for multiple-choice questions and thematic analysis for open-ended questions. All participating programs completed the background assessment (100% response rate), representing a heterogenous group of academic and community programs across the continental US. There was a median of 3 days of lectures (range 1-5 days per week), with slideshow presentations as the primary mode of content delivery (100%). Disease-specific faculty delivered the majority of content for malignant hematology and oncology (n = 26, 93%) and classical hematology (n = 18, 64%) at most programs. Journal club was included in 24 programs (86%), however only four programs invited biostatisticians (17%) and only 8 programs (28%) included introductory biostatistics lectures. The majority of programs also encouraged supplemental resource use. These data suggest that there remains heterogeneity with regards to the structure of didactic curricula in hematology/oncology fellowship programs. Future efforts to evaluate how these variations impact fellow education should be undertaken to identify best practices.

PMID:41644935 | DOI:10.1007/s13187-025-02805-w

Obes Surg. 2026 Feb 5. doi: 10.1007/s11695-026-08500-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Obesity significantly increases cardiovascular risk through insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and systemic inflammation. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) are effective weight-loss interventions that may improve cardiovascular outcomes. However, evidence comparing the long-term cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1RAs versus MBS remains limited. We systematically compare the impact of GLP-1RAs versus MBS on cardiovascular outcomes, including major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), and heart failure (HF) in patients with obesity.

METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase were searched up to July 30, 2025, for studies comparing cardiovascular outcomes of GLP-1RAs and MBS. Inclusion criteria encompassed studies reporting cardiovascular disease (CVD), including MACE and HF. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed using the R meta package. Heterogeneity was evaluated with I² statistics, and publication bias was assessed via funnel plots and Egger’s test.

RESULTS: Six cohort studies, including over 282,450 participants, compared cardiovascular outcomes of MBS versus GLP-1RAs. MBS was associated with a significantly lower prevalence of CVD (RR = 0.63; 95% CI: 0.49-0.81; I² = 87.7%) and HF (RR = 0.50; 95% CI: 0.37-0.66; I² = 70.2%) compared to GLP-1RAs. For cerebrovascular events, a non-significant trend favored MBS (RR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.34-1.36; I² = 91%). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings, and no significant publication bias was detected.

CONCLUSIONS: Compared to GLP-1RAs, metabolic bariatric surgery is linked to better cardiovascular outcomes and a decreased prevalence of heart failure in individuals with obesity. Although trends point to possible cerebrovascular benefits, there is insufficient research to draw firm conclusions. These findings might help physicians tailor their approaches to managing obesity in order to maximize the reduction of cardiovascular prevalence.

PMID:41644868 | DOI:10.1007/s11695-026-08500-z

Maturitas. 2026 Feb 2;207:108863. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2026.108863. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Limited inconsistent evidence suggests a potential association between advanced paternal age (APA) and simple congenital heart defects, which often resolve without surgical interventions, in offspring. There is no reported potential relationship between APA with major cardiac defects like cyanotic congenital heart defects (CCHD). This study evaluated the association between APA (age at birth ≥40 years) and the occurrence of CCHD among livebirths in the USA, accounting for maternal and other potential confounding factors.

METHODS: Data were from the National Vital Statistics System, comprising 9.9 million singleton first-time livebirths among mothers and fathers aged ≥15 years from 2016 to 2023. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS: From 2016 to 2023, the proportion of births to fathers with APA increased from 7.5% to 7.9%. A greater proportion of fathers with APA had offspring with CCHD (62.0 vs. 53.1 per 100,000), used infertility treatment (9.5% vs. 2.3%), and their partners were also older (34.6 vs. 27.0 years). In models adjusted for paternal factors (age, race and ethnicity, and education), APA was associated with a modest elevated odds for CCHD (OR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.11-1.34) which remained significant after further control for maternal pre-pregnancy sociodemographic and health factors (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.01-1.25). However, additional adjustments for infertility treatment attenuated the observed association (OR = 1.08, 95% CI 0.98-1.20).

CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this large population-based study suggest no association between APA and CCHD after accounting for important confounders, including maternal factors and infertility treatment.

PMID:41643280 | DOI:10.1016/j.maturitas.2026.108863

Radiography (Lond). 2026 Feb 4;32(3):103322. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2025.103322. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Imaging is used in a wide range of contexts in clinical research projects, but adds complexity to the design, conduct and analysis. This paper is the first of two in which we use a consensus approach to bring together multidisciplinary perspectives on the challenges in conducting prospective clinical trials and research studies that include imaging. In this first part we consider challenges in ethics, participant information and consent, recruitment, trial/study and site set-up, training and trial or study conduct.

KEY FINDINGS: Effective communication with patients regarding the purpose, benefits and risks, and potential future use of imaging data is essential to build trust and support informed participation. Transparency around data handling, including de-identification processes and the right to withdraw consent, underpins ethical research practice. Successful recruitment requires strong collaboration between clinical and imaging teams to ensure clarity, consistency, and efficiency. To reduce participant burden, flexibility should be offered in scheduling and scan requirements, taking into account accessibility and personal commitments. Site setup and staff training benefit from feasibility assessments that evaluate equipment capabilities and identify specific imaging training needs. Clearly defined roles and responsibilities of key personnel support streamlined workflows and accountability. Communication of planned changes to procedures during the study to all stakeholders is key to avoid delays and risks to data integrity. Effective monitoring of procedures, radiation doses (where applicable) and data quality should be pre-planned.

CONCLUSION: These considerations derived from a multidisciplinary team will be useful for funding applications, protocol design, trial implementation, conduct, commercialisation and uptake of new imaging techniques.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Many prospective imaging studies could be improved by the upfront awareness of potential challenges and understanding of real-world examples these considerations provide.

PMID:41643277 | DOI:10.1016/j.radi.2025.103322

Aust Crit Care. 2026 Feb 4;39(2):101529. doi: 10.1016/j.aucc.2025.101529. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of nurse-led interventions designed to prevent or mitigate the severity of post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) among adult intensive care unit (ICU) survivors.

REVIEW METHOD USED: A systematic review was conducted.

DATA SOURCES: A systematic search was conducted in five databases (EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library) from January 2012 to April 2024.

METHOD: In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we performed a systematic review. We included studies involving original experimental designs and nurse-led interventions aimed at addressing PICS outcomes in adult ICU survivors. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated using revised Risk of Bias tool and Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Nonrandomized Studies 2. Given the heterogeneity of the included studies, we conducted a synthesis without a meta-analysis.

RESULTS: Twenty-one studies (13 randomised controlled trials and 8 quasi-experimental studies) were included. Five types of nurse-led interventions were identified: clinical interventions (7 studies), patient education (3 studies), consultation and counselling (5 studies), follow-up programs (3 studies), and diary interventions (3 studies). Psychological outcomes were the most frequently assessed domain (17 studies), yet findings were inconsistent across interventions. Physical health was the least examined domain (2 studies), both reporting statistically significant effects. Cognitive function (4 studies) and quality of life (6 studies), however, showed no significant effects.

CONCLUSIONS: Nurse-led interventions demonstrated effects, particularly in psychological and physical domains, but showed limited effects on cognitive outcomes and quality of life. Due to methodological heterogeneity, definitive conclusions regarding overall effectiveness remain challenging. Despite these limitations, the findings underscore the central role of nurses in delivering and coordinating diverse interventions throughout the ICU survivorship trajectory. This review further highlights insufficient preventive strategies prior to ICU admission and the lack of comprehensive assessments across all PICS domains, supporting the need for a continuum of care approach in future research.

PMID:41643272 | DOI:10.1016/j.aucc.2025.101529