Category: Statistics

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2026;1504:119-144. doi: 10.1007/978-3-032-18966-0_6.

ABSTRACT

Metabolomics has emerged as a powerful discipline for characterizing the small molecules that define cellular physiology, environmental responses, and disease states. As technologies advance, researchers face an expanding landscape of analytical platforms, data-processing strategies, and integrative approaches that require clear guidance for effective application. This chapter was written to provide a comprehensive and accessible resource for students, clinicians, and researchers entering or advancing in the field. We outline the fundamentals of metabolomics, describe major analytical methodologies-including MS, NMR, chromatography, and imaging-and summarize key considerations for experimental design, data preprocessing, statistical analysis, and functional interpretation. We also address current challenges related to metabolite identification, reproducibility, and multi-omic integration, and highlight emerging innovations such as stable-isotope tracing, spatial metabolomics, and AI-driven analytics. Together, these elements offer a detailed roadmap for conducting robust, reproducible, and insightful metabolomic studies.

PMID:42071142 | DOI:10.1007/978-3-032-18966-0_6

J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2026 May 3. doi: 10.1007/s40615-026-02992-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Patient-physician demographic concordance has been associated with improved communication, trust, and care experiences for minoritized patient populations, yet the demographic composition of team physicians in U.S. women’s professional sports has not been evaluated. We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate racial, sex, and intersectional concordance between players and team physicians in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Official league rosters and publicly available online sources were used to identify players and team physicians, and race and sex were independently classified by multiple reviewers. Descriptive statistics summarized player and physician demographics, and chi-square tests compared racial distributions by league. Intersectional representation was assessed by quantifying Black women among team physicians. We identified 162 WNBA players, 380 NWSL players, 39 WNBA physicians, and 51 NWSL physicians. In the WNBA, 69.1% of players versus 28.2% of physicians were Black, with 64.1% of physicians White. In the NWSL, 67.1% of players versus 82.4% of physicians were White, and 18.4% of players versus 5.9% of physicians were Black. Racial distributions differed significantly between players and physicians in both leagues (p < .01). Men comprised most team physicians (53.8% in the WNBA; 68.6% in the NWSL), and only five Black women were identified across all team physician roles. These findings demonstrate substantial racial, sex, and intersectional discordance between female professional athletes and their physicians, underscoring persistent gaps in workforce diversity that may have implications for athlete care.

PMID:42071128 | DOI:10.1007/s40615-026-02992-2

Sci Rep. 2026 May 3. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-51601-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study aims to optimize the mechanical performance, durability, and environmental sustainability of alkali-activated mortars (AAM) incorporating nano-silica (NS), nano-alumina (NA), and polypropylene fiber (PPF). A three-factor, three-level Central Composite Design (CCD) within the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) framework was employed, generating 17 experimental mixtures prepared using fly ash (FA) and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) as binder materials. The maximum compressive strength of 82 MPa was achieved in the mixture containing 2% NA, while the maximum flexural strength (12 MPa) was recorded in the mixture containing 1% NS and 0.5% PPF. ANOVA results confirmed the statistical significance of the developed models, with R² = 0.984 and R² = 0.977 for compressive and flexural strength, respectively. Nano-alumina produced a greater increase in strength than NS, and the combination of both nanomaterials enhanced the density of the microstructure through the formation of C-(A)-S-H and N-A-S-H gels. The incorporation of PPF improved durability by preventing microcrack formation and enhancing resistance to acidic and saline environments. For example, specimens containing 2% NS and 2% NA demonstrated more than 20% higher residual strength under sulfuric acid exposure compared with reference specimens. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analyses showed that the nanomaterials accelerated early strength development by filling micro-voids and creating a more homogeneous matrix structure. A CO₂ emission analysis indicated that the optimized AAM mixture emits approximately 607.4 kg CO₂/m³, representing a reduction of about 26%. The results demonstrate that alkali-activated mortars provide a strong and environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional cement-based systems, highlighting the efficiency and practical potential of this approach.

PMID:42071109 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-51601-z

Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2026 May 4. doi: 10.1007/s00259-026-07888-1. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:42071107 | DOI:10.1007/s00259-026-07888-1

Sci Rep. 2026 May 4. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-50789-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Real-world environments are usually characterized by uncertainty, hesitation, and time-dependent information in decision-making problems. The current fuzzy and intuitionistic fuzzy models have the limitation that they cannot adequately model multidimensional and dynamic uncertainty without loss of information. To overcome this shortcoming, this paper develops a new dynamic multi-attribute decision-making model using complex intuitionistic fuzzy sets. A more powerful score function is initially suggested to address the comparison ambiguity that is inherent in traditional complex intuitionistic fuzzy ranking approaches. Based on this enhancement, two dynamic Dombi aggregation operators, i.e., the complex intuitionistic fuzzy dynamic Dombi weighted averaging and complex intuitionistic fuzzy dynamic Dombi weighted geometric operators, are proposed to effectively aggregate time-dependent decision information. The structural properties of the proposed operators, including closure, idempotency, monotonicity, and boundedness, are rigorously established. A systematic decision-making algorithm is then constructed under the proposed framework. The practicality and effectiveness of the approach are demonstrated through a case study involving the selection of an optimal Internet of Things platform. Comparative and sensitivity analyses confirm that the proposed methods provide stable, reliable, and more discriminative results than existing approaches. The developed framework offers a flexible and robust tool for dynamic decision-making problems in complex and uncertain environments.

PMID:42071103 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-50789-4

Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. 2026 Apr 24;360:112228. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2026.112228. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Neuroimaging studies in familial high-risk (FHR) individuals are vital for identifying vulnerability markers independent of overt illness. However, research on purely non-prodromal FHR cohorts using comparative multimodal approaches remains limited. This study addresses this gap through multimodal MRI analysis-including cortical morphometry, white matter microstructure, tractography, and functional connectivity-in non-prodromal FHR for psychosis (FHR-P, n = 18), bipolar disorder (FHR-BD, n = 19), and healthy controls (HC, n = 25). FHR-BD showed increased right inferior parietal surface area and right middle temporal volume compared to HC. Conversely, FHR-P exhibited reduced right superior frontal cortical thickness compared to FHR-BD and decreased left pallidum volume compared to HC. White matter analysis revealed significantly lower fractional anisotropy in FHR-P compared to both FHR-BD and HC. FHR-BD showed higher axial diffusivity than HC in the forceps minor, uncinate fasciculus, and right-fronto-occipital fasciculus. No significant differences were found in network-based statistics or graph theoretical measures. These findings reveal shared and distinct neurobiological alterations in non-prodromal FHR-P and FHR-BD, suggesting that grey and white matter disruptions constitute endophenotypes even without clinical symptoms. The lack of network-level findings may reflect the modest sample size, requiring further investigation in larger cohorts.

PMID:42070334 | DOI:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2026.112228

Comput Biol Chem. 2026 May 1;124(Pt 1):109099. doi: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2026.109099. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are major health challenges. While both individually disrupt systemic homeostasis, their potential synergistic effects on hematological, lipid, and renal function profiles remain poorly defined in specific demographics.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to comparatively analyze key hematological, lipid, and renal function biomarkers among Iraqi CKD patients with HBV co-infection, CKD patients without HBV, and healthy controls.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 150 participants (50 CKD, 50 CKD+HBV, 50 controls). Hematological parameters (WBCs, Hb, PCV, RBCs, PLTs, iron, ferritin), lipid profiles (cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, VLDL, HDL), and renal function markers (urea, creatinine) were measured. Statistical analyses included one-way ANOVA with post-hoc tests to assess group differences, Chi-square tests for categorical distributions, and Pearson correlations to evaluate linear relationships between independent biomarkers, with P ≤ 0.05 considered significant.

RESULTS: Compared to healthy controls, both CKD and CKD+HBV groups exhibited significantly lower WBCs, Hb, PCV, RBCs, PLTs, and iron, and higher ferritin, cholesterol, triglycerides, and renal markers (P < 0.05). Notably, there were no statistically significant differences in these biomarkers between the CKD-only and CKD+HBV groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Both CKD and CKD+HBV profoundly alter hematological and biochemical profiles compared to healthy controls. However, HBV co-infection did not significantly exacerbate these abnormalities in this cohort. These findings suggest that the profound metabolic and hematological disruptions driven by uremia may overshadow the secondary physiological effects of HBV infection, highlighting the need for future longitudinal studies incorporating viral load and multivariable modeling.

PMID:42070332 | DOI:10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2026.109099

Forensic Sci Int Genet. 2026 Apr 27;84:103518. doi: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2026.103518. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Y-STRs are used in forensic genetics to investigate male trace material in cases where no useful autosomal STR profiles can be established. While non-matching suspects can be safely excluded from trace donorship this way, interpreting Y-STR haplotype matches is less straightforward. Equating the corresponding Y-STR match probabilities to haplotype frequencies estimated from population databases is not only common practice, but is also recommended by the International Society for Forensic Genetics. However, this approach ignores that population databases, in principle, cannot be representative of all plausible alternative suspects in each and every case. Therefore, we previously introduced a novel mathematical framework for calculating Y-STR match probabilities drawing upon the suspect’s male pedigree, thereby obviating the use of haplotype frequency estimates from population databases for this purpose. Here, we present the implementation of this framework into a publicly available software tool, named MatchY. Expanding the original approach in various ways, the tool can handle any number of single or multi-copy Y-STRs with known mutation rates and allowing both one-step and two-step mutations. MatchY can calculate match probabilities for pedigrees of any size and complexity based upon the haplotype information of its typed members, while simulating haplotypes of untyped ones. In addition to considering all plausible trace donor candidates within the pedigree, the tool can also consider a hypothetical, most closely related candidate from outside the pedigree. The performance of MatchY has been tested using various marker sets and example pedigrees. Together, these features make MatchY a practical and formally correct tool for the interpretation of Y-STR matches by calculating Y-STR match probabilities based on the suspect’s male pedigree.

PMID:42070321 | DOI:10.1016/j.fsigen.2026.103518

J Eval Clin Pract. 2026 Jun;32(4):e70450. doi: 10.1111/jep.70450.

ABSTRACT

RATIONALE: Ankle fractures are common orthopaedic injuries with wide variability in recovery duration and outcome. While long-term outcomes are well documented, less is known about the short-term recovery period. An updated analysis using claims data would provide greater clarity on short-term recovery patterns.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to characterise recovery duration after treatment for ankle fracture and to evaluate associations between comorbidities, perioperative complications, additional procedures and healthcare costs.

METHOD: Healthcare claims from the IBM MarketScan database (2015-2018) were analysed to determine recovery costs for the index treatment and subsequent events including revision surgery, motion restoring surgery (MRS), rehospitalizations, and complication-related interventions. Recovery duration was defined as the interval between the initial surgery/treatment and the final physical/occupational therapy claim. Outcomes were summarised using medians and interquartile ranges (IQR).

RESULTS: Among 7,112 patients, the median index treatment cost was $5163 (IQR: $994-$12,444), and the recovery duration was 88 days (IQR: 36-492). Thirty-eight percent of patients required more than 6 months to complete recovery. Post-treatment complications were associated with markedly longer and more expensive recovery. Patients who required a complication-related surgery had a recovery duration that was 4 times longer and incurred costs that were 8 times greater than those without such events. Joint contracture and MRS were strongly associated with prolonged and costly recoveries.

CONCLUSION: This claims‑based analysis identified wide variation in short‑term recovery after ankle fracture. Strong associations were demonstrated between complications, including joint contracture, MRS and rehospitalizations, and extended recovery duration and higher costs. These findings may help clinicians identify patients at risk for delayed recovery and support more informed decision‑making in early post‑treatment care.

PMID:42070271 | DOI:10.1111/jep.70450

Prostate. 2026 May 3. doi: 10.1002/pros.24904. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The article by Pae et al., titled “LHRH Antagonists Restore Serum Testosterone Faster Than LHRH Agonists in Prostate Cancer Patients After Radiotherapy,” provides valuable insights into the differential effects of LHRH antagonists and agonists on testosterone recovery in prostate cancer patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy. While the study highlights the statistically significant accelerated recovery of testosterone with LHRH antagonists, several limitations warrant further discussion. Notably, the study does not adequately address the variability in the duration and formulations of LHRH agents (e.g., 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month formulations), which may influence recovery times. Existing evidence suggests that long-acting formulations are associated with prolonged recovery, raising questions about whether the observed differences are due to pharmacological properties or formulation duration. The clinical relevance of faster testosterone recovery remains uncertain, as the study does not evaluate its impact on patient-reported outcomes such as quality of life, sexual function, or metabolic health. Future research should focus on stratifying analyses by formulation type and duration and assessing the clinical implications of testosterone recovery on patient-centered outcomes to enhance the applicability of these findings to clinical practice.

PMID:42070253 | DOI:10.1002/pros.24904