Category: Statistics

Sci Rep. 2026 May 18. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-51012-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Academic performance (AP) prediction is crucial for recognizing at-risk students and enhancing learning outcomes. Traditional statistical models often fail to capture temporal and behavioral patterns. Deep learning (DL) approaches offer improved accuracy and adaptability by leveraging multi-dimensional student data for predictive analysis. The objective is to advance a robust predictive model that predicts students’ AP using multi-dimensional data, integrating temporal, behavioral, and demographic features. Students’ learning performance data for n = 2000 is collected from multiple sources, including student grades, attendance, learning management system (LMS) interactions, psychometric surveys, and demographic records. Collected data undergoes preprocessing steps, including handling missing values using K Nearest Neighbor Imputation (KNNI), outlier removal, and normalization. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is employed to decrease dimensionality and extract relevant characteristics from high-dimensional datasets. A novel Gated Long Short-Term Memory Unit is optimized with Dove (GateLSTMU-Dove) to capture temporal dependencies and student engagement patterns. GateLSTMU identifies time-dependent patterns in educational data to support accurate performance forecasting. Dove optimizes model parameters efficiently, enhancing convergence speed and predictive accuracy of the GatedLSTMU. Python 3.10-based experiments demonstrate the model’s superior performance. GateLSTMU-Dove achieved lower error metrics and higher classification accuracy (98.85%) compared to baseline methods. Visualization of predictions confirmed accurate forecasting and interpretable temporal patterns in student performance. The GateLSTMU-Dove effectively predicted academic outcomes using multi-dimensional student data. It provides interpretable insights, supports early intervention strategies, and demonstrates a scalable, reproducible approach for data-driven AP management.

PMID:42144405 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-51012-0

Sci Rep. 2026 May 17. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-51033-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Quantum Random Number Generators (QRNGs) exploit intrinsic quantum mechanical randomness and are promising candidates for higher-quality randomness than classical RNGs. However, QRNGs on Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) platforms are constrained by decoherence, gate and measurement errors, and limited circuit depth, and the resulting impact on statistical randomness is not yet systematically characterized. This work introduces parameterized quantum random number generator (PQRNG) architectures built from parameterized quantum circuits (PQCs) to improve tunability and expressive power under realistic noise. We study three architectures, PQC-H-CH, H-PQC-CH, and H-CH-PQC, and evaluate their randomness under Transpiler optimization and circuit-level error mitigation as preprocessing steps, using NIST SP 800-22 for statistical validation. Utilizing default NIST settings, PQC-H-CH attains the largest number of fully passing preprocessing configurations (126 combinations passing all 15 tests), compared with 110 for H-PQC-CH and 69 for H-CH-PQC, indicating strong robustness across Transpiler optimization and mitigation settings, and we find that preprocessing choices influence randomness quality more strongly than adjusting NIST test parameters. Overall, these results demonstrate that the proposed approach provides a solid foundation for developing more reliable and practical QRNGs using PQCs in NISQ devices.

PMID:42144404 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-51033-9

Sci Rep. 2026 May 18. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-42351-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have gained increasing attention due to their favorable biological properties and potential applications in cancer research. In this study, the ability of Bacillus sp. strain STG-83 to biosynthesize SeNPs was systematically investigated. This study comprehensively investigated how Bacillus sp. strain STG-83 can biosynthesize SeNPs. Response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized to optimize the bioreduction of selenite and to identify the key process parameters that play a significant role. The developed quadratic model showed a strong correlation with experimental data (R²=0.92). Statistical analysis demonstrated that time and selenium concentration significantly affected selenite reduction efficiency (P < 0.05), whereas bacterial inoculum percentage were not significant (P > 0.05). Increasing selenium concentration from 0.5 to 25 mM reduced the bioreduction efficiency from 100% to 29.37%, while extending time from 8 to 96 h increased efficiency from 42.03% to 61.51%. The biosynthesized SeNPs were characterized using UV-Vis’s spectroscopy, FTIR, EDX, SEM, TEM, and XRD analyses. The nanoparticles were predominantly spherical, with sizes ranging from 80 to 140 nm, and were coated with a bioorganic surface layer. Biological evaluation revealed that SeNPs induced dose-dependent cytotoxicity in U-87 line while exerting lower toxicity toward normal fibroblast cells. Flow cytometry analysis further demonstrated a significant increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels following SeNP exposure, suggesting that oxidative stress plays a central role in the observed anticancer effects. The ROS generation triggered by SeNPs suggests they might serve as effective radiosensitizing agents. Future studies that combine radiation and in vivo approaches should confirm this potential.

PMID:42144400 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-42351-z

Enzyme Microb Technol. 2026 May 8;199:110898. doi: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2026.110898. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) commonly use horseradish peroxidase (HRP) to detect chromogenic and chemiluminescent signals. The enzymatic oxidation of these probes requires hydrogen peroxide, which is inherently unstable at ambient temperature and pH, thus affecting the reproducibility and long-term storage stability of the assays. In this study, an enzyme-mediated peroxide supply using glucose oxidase (GOD)/glucose was established as an alternative source of hydrogen peroxide for chemiluminescent ELISA. The performance of the system was evaluated relative to that of conventional ELISA using hydrogen peroxide solution. The optimal reaction conditions were estimated, including GOD and glucose concentrations, as well as the reaction time for the chemiluminescent ELISA. The performance of the enzyme-mediated hydrogen peroxide supply was demonstrated using four commercial ELISA kits for the detection of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), human immunodeficiency virus 1/2 antibody (HIV-1/2 Ab), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). The GOD-mediated hydrogen peroxide supply-based ELISA achieved a limit of detection (LOD) comparable to that obtained with the conventional hydrogen peroxide condition, a high statistical agreement (|mean bias| ≤ 0.02, |95% limit of agreement (LoA)| ≤ 0.15, Spearman’s ρ > 0.96).

PMID:42143822 | DOI:10.1016/j.enzmictec.2026.110898

Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2026 May 16;82:103212. doi: 10.1016/j.ejon.2026.103212. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Research on bereavement has mainly focused on risk factors linked to negative outcomes, while protective factors have been less evaluated. This study investigated the associations of resilience and perceived support from healthcare professionals with self-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in young adults who had lost a sibling to cancer 2-10 years earlier. Additionally, the study explored gender differences in HRQoL, resilience, and perceived social support from healthcare professionals.

METHODS: Of 99 young adults who experienced the loss of a sibling to cancer between 2009 and 2014, 36 participants (response rate = 36.4%) were included in this nationwide Norwegian study. We measured HRQoL (Young Adult Version of the Pediatric Quality of Life), resilience (Resilience Scale for Adolescents), and perceived social support from healthcare professionals during the sibling’s illness, following the death, and during the past year.

RESULTS: Participants were aged 18-26 years at the time of the survey, with the loss occurring 2.5-10 years prior. We did not detect statistically significant gender differences in HRQoL, resilience, or perceived social support. Analysis showed that higher resilience and greater perceived social support during the past year were significantly associated with higher HRQoL among bereaved siblings (adjusted R² = 0.62; F(6, 35) = 14.7; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Young adults with higher resilience and stronger perceived social support during the past year reported better HRQoL 2-10 years after the loss of a sibling to cancer. These results underscore the need to enhance resilience and provide ongoing psychosocial care beyond early bereavement to promote long-term HRQoL among bereaved siblings.

PMID:42143816 | DOI:10.1016/j.ejon.2026.103212

Zoology (Jena). 2026 May 7;176-177:126338. doi: 10.1016/j.zool.2026.126338. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Blindsnakes (Scolecophidia) are among the most morphologically conservative reptiles, yet the extent and nature of their phenotypic variation is poorly documented. We provide an integrative assessment of allometry and trophic ecology in two sympatric species of Amerotyphlops from the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil, A. brongersmianus and A. paucisquamus. Based on 100 individuals, we combined morphometric, reproductive, dietary, and phenological data to discuss how fossoriality influences body shape and ecological strategies. A. brongersmianus exhibited greater overall robustness, with females displaying significant allometric shifts in snout and trunk width, whereas A. paucisquamus showed somatic isometry (including body mass), contrasting with strong positive allometry in reproductive organs. Regarding sexual dimorphism, neither species exhibited statistically significant differences in body proportions after correction for multiple comparisons, although A. brongersmianus presented higher SSD indices. Reproductive allometry revealed divergent strategies, contrasting the negative scaling of testis width in A. brongersmianus with the marked positive scaling of testicular dimensions in A. paucisquamus. Furthermore, while A. brongersmianus lacked significant bilateral asymmetry, A. paucisquamus exhibited directional asymmetry in testis width. The species displayed distinct phenologies associated with rainfall, yet shared an exceptionally narrow myrmecophagous niche, feeding almost exclusively on ant brood. Morphological differences in cranial width and trunk robustness align with distinct prey assemblages and soil use, although these differences fall within a narrowly conserved morphofunctional space, implying fine-scale ecological partitioning. Our results show that morphological stasis in Amerotyphlops may coexist with modest, non-pervasive adaptive adjustments along constrained functional axes, highlighting how subtle developmental and ecological modulations sustain evolutionary persistence in fossorial lineages.

PMID:42143808 | DOI:10.1016/j.zool.2026.126338

Heart Lung. 2026 May 17;79:102839. doi: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2026.102839. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a significant global health burden, particularly in severe cases. Corticosteroids have been proposed as adjunctive therapy to improve outcomes, though evidence remains mixed.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of corticosteroid therapy on mortality and morbidities in patients with CAP.

METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 5,866 adult patients with CAP. Studies comparing systemic corticosteroids to placebo or usual care were included. Risk ratios (RRs) and mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the Mantel-Haenszel and inverse variance methods under a random-effects model. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using the I² statistic.

RESULTS: Corticosteroids did not significantly reduce overall mortality (RR 0.84; 95% CI: 0.68-1.03; p = 0.10), but a significant reduction was observed in patients with severe CAP (n = 3,326; RR 0.73; 95% CI: 0.57-0.93; p = 0.01). No mortality benefit was seen in less severe CAP (n = 2,451; RR 1.14; 95% CI: 0.89-1.45; p = 0.31). Hospital length of stay was significantly reduced with corticosteroids (n = 4,175; MD -2.13 days; 95% CI: -3.07 to -1.19; p < 0.00001), with reductions observed in both less severe (-1.03 days) and severe CAP (-3.04 days). ICU stay was also shorter in the corticosteroid group (MD -1.70 days; p = 0.005). Corticosteroids did not significantly increase the need for mechanical ventilation (RR 0.57; p = 0.10), or increase the risk of secondary infections (RR 0.99; p = 0.92), or gastrointestinal bleeding (RR 0.80; p = 0.29).

CONCLUSION: Corticosteroids improve outcomes in severe CAP by reducing mortality and duration of hospitalization without increasing adverse events. Routine use in less severe CAP is not supported.

PMID:42143791 | DOI:10.1016/j.hrtlng.2026.102839

J Crit Care. 2026 May 17;95:155613. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2026.155613. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Central venous catheters have been historically preferred over peripheral venous catheters for the administration of vasoactive medications in critically ill patients to reduce the risk of extravasation. Peripheral vasopressor administration is gaining attention as a strategy to expedite initiation while avoiding the procedural risks of central venous catheter placement. Although prior systematic reviews have focused on anatomical site and peripheral venous catheter gauge, the impact of implementing a peripheral vasopressor protocol on the safety profile of peripheral vasopressor administration has not been systematically evaluated.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a peripheral vasopressor protocol influences the safety profile of peripherally administered vasopressors in critically ill patients.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted across MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Ovid), and PubMed, encompassing studies published since January 2000. Statistical analysis was conducted using R (v. 4.4.3; https://www.r-project.org/), with two-tailed significance set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS: A total of 22 studies involving 10,983 adult patients (≥18 years) were identified. Median extravasation rates were similar between studies using a peripheral vasopressor protocol and those not (33.5 [12.3-53.0] vs. 31.2 [12.0-39.6] per 1000 patients), with no statistically significant difference (U = 68, p = 0.78).

CONCLUSION: This review demonstrated that peripheral vasopressor protocols did not yield statistically significant reductions in extravasation rates among patients receiving peripheral vasopressor therapy.

PMID:42143789 | DOI:10.1016/j.jcrc.2026.155613

J Eval Clin Pract. 2026 Jun;32(4):e70466. doi: 10.1111/jep.70466.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: While controlled interrupted time series (CITS) are commonly used to evaluate public health policies, how to incorporate control(s) into their statistical modelling has received limited attention. We aimed to compare the statistical performance of different model formulations for including control groups in various segmented regression model specifications (with a particular focus on CITS and Difference-in-Difference [DiD] designs) under conditions where their assumptions are met, as well as when they are violated.

METHODS: Based on a real-world dataset, we simulated and compared the statistical performance of four model formulations grounded on segmented regressions for including control groups in a pre- and post-evaluation. The compared model formulations were: (1) CITS segmented regression, (2) DiD segmented regression, (3) single ITS of the difference between control and intervention series, and (4) incorporating the control as a covariate in a single ITS. Models were tested across scenarios challenging assumptions around the control group (e.g., non-parallel trends -challenging DiD assumptions-, or inconsistent trend difference over time between groups -challenging CITS assumption-) or regression errors (e.g., heteroscedasticity or autocorrelation). We also included models, including restricted cubic splines of time, which may mitigate distortions from assumption violations. Additionally, we tested for detecting non-parallel trends.

RESULTS: Standard DiD, CITS, and the ITS of the difference between series yielded the lowest bias whenever their design assumptions were satisfied. Overall, including time splines as covariates into ITS of the difference between series achieved the lowest bias and highest coverage also when design assumptions were violated. This makes it a valuable tool for causal inference in settings with parallel, non-parallel or inconsistent trend patterns between groups. Since violations of the trends assumption are often undetectable, methods robust to such violations are extremely valuable.

CONCLUSIONS: Modelling CITS as an ITS of the difference between series is among the most robust methods to embed control series into model specifications. Incorporating time splines as model covariates within an ITS of the difference has the potential of reducing bias from assumption violations (including parallel trends) without negative impacts when assumptions hold.

PMID:42143773 | DOI:10.1111/jep.70466

J Urol. 2026 May 17:101097JU0000000000005091. doi: 10.1097/JU.0000000000005091. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Medication cessation is an important motivator for patients undergoing benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) surgery; however, evidence on this topic remains limited. We evaluated rates and probabilities of BPH and overactive bladder (OAB) medication cessation in a statewide cohort.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using Michigan statewide claims data (2017-2022) from the Michigan Value Collaborative, patients who underwent BPH surgery with pre-existing BPH or OAB medications were identified. Procedures were categorized as (1) transurethral surgery, including transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), laser photovaporization (PVP), robotic waterjet therapy (RWJT), and laser enucleation of the prostate (LEP); (2) minimally invasive surgical therapies (MISTs), including water vapor thermal therapy (WVTT), prostatic urethral lift (PUL), prostatic artery embolization (PAE), and transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT); and (3) simple prostatectomy (SP). Medication cessation was defined as no refills between 181 and 365 days postoperatively. Multivariable logistic regression estimated procedure-specific probabilities of cessation.

RESULTS: Among 12,633 patients with continuous pharmacy enrollment, 8628 (68%) were prescribed BPH medications and 933 (7%) were prescribed OAB medications preoperatively. Medication cessation occurred in 61% and 62% of the BPH and OAB cohort, respectively. Predicted probabilities of BPH medication cessation were highest for LEP and SP (≥ 84%) and lowest for MISTs (< 60%). No statistically significant differences in OAB medication cessation were found across procedures.

CONCLUSIONS: In this real-world, statewide cohort, BPH medication cessation varied by procedure type. Transurethral surgeries and SP were associated with higher BPH medication cessation rates, while minimally invasive surgical therapies had lower rates. These findings provide practical estimates to inform shared decision-making and counseling when considering BPH interventions.

PMID:42143772 | DOI:10.1097/JU.0000000000005091