Category: Statistics

Odontology. 2025 Dec 19. doi: 10.1007/s10266-025-01277-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Optimal postoperative analgesia remains pivotal in endodontic success, particularly under acute inflammatory conditions. Although glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone exhibit potent anti-inflammatory efficacy, their prophylactic application in endodontics has not been extensively validated. This study assessed whether preoperative dexamethasone offers superior analgesia to postoperative ibuprofen in endodontic pain control. A randomized, controlled Phase IV clinical trial was undertaken at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Salamanca, involving 82 ASA I patients undergoing single-visit root canal treatment. Subjects were equally randomized into two arms: the experimental group received 4 mg oral dexamethasone one hour preoperatively, while the control group was administered 400 mg ibuprofen at four-hour intervals post-treatment. Postoperative pain was evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 h. Intergroup differences were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. The dexamethasone cohort demonstrated statistically significant reductions in VAS scores between 6- and 24-h post-intervention (p < 0.001), with no adverse events or need for rescue analgesia observed. Gender-based variation in pain perception was not significant. A single 4 mg preoperative oral dose of dexamethasone markedly enhances early postoperative analgesia in root canal treatment relative to standard ibuprofen regimens. These results support its integration into preemptive root canal protocols, contingent upon further multicenter validation. Approved by the Bioethics Committee (Ref. 2025_01/345; March 10, 2025). Clinical trial registration: NCT069063150 (April 1, 2025).The study adhered to the ethical standards of the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments.

PMID:41420134 | DOI:10.1007/s10266-025-01277-0

Psychon Bull Rev. 2025 Dec 19;33(1):20. doi: 10.3758/s13423-025-02818-y.

ABSTRACT

Written words presented within a sequence of words are identified more accurately when this sequence forms a correct sentence or phrase compared with an ungrammatical re-ordering of the same words. Here we examined if this sentence superiority effect (SSE) is modulated by the predictability of the target word given the sentence context. Target words were at positions 2 and 5 in five-word sequences, and either had high or low cloze probabilities (measured by an independent cloze test and further checked using the word-in-context probabilities obtained with a Large Language Model (LLM)). Given that predictability only made sense when considering grammatically correct sequences, we performed two separate analyses. We found: (1) an effect of grammaticality (i.e., we replicated the SSE), (2) a small effect of predictability on responses to grammatically correct sequences, and (3) no interaction between predictability and grammaticality. The impact of predictability on the SSE was then evaluated by comparing the magnitude of the SSE obtained with more predictable words versus less predictable words, with the SSE in each of these conditions being measured using identification accuracy for the same word at the same position in grammatical and ungrammatical sequences. Results revealed no significant modulation of the SSE by word predictability. We conclude that syntactic and semantic constraints, and not predictability per se (as measured by a cloze test or LLM statistics), contribute to the sentence superiority effect. Crucially, this provides evidence against guessing accounts of the SSE according to which predictability should play a key role.

PMID:41420133 | DOI:10.3758/s13423-025-02818-y

Perfusion. 2025 Dec 19:2676591251409379. doi: 10.1177/02676591251409379. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

IntroductionVacuum-assisted venous drainage (VAVD) has been proposed as a better alternative option than conventional gravitational venous drainage (GVD) in cardiac surgery. However, the literature reports conflicting results between both methods in terms of post-cardiac surgery complications. Therefore, we aimed to perform a meta-analysis to compare clinical outcomes between VAVD and GVD in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.MethodsPubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched for any randomized control trials or cohort studies that compared clinical outcomes between VAVD and GVD in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.ResultsSixteen studies with 8426 patients were included in our study. The pooled effect estimate of the postoperative results showed a statistically significant association between VAVD and decreased blood loss/chest tube drainage (MD = -88.7, 95% CI = -154.71 to -22.69, p-value = 0.008), amount of packed red blood cells (pRBC) transfusion (MD = -0.25, 95% CI = -0.27 to -0.22, p < 0.00,001), re-exploration (RR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.35 to 1, p = 0.05), and re-operation (RR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.23 to 0.99, p-value = 0.05). However, our study revealed no significant difference between both groups in terms of postoperative mortality, hospital/ICU stay, other blood product transfusions, change of free hemoglobin at 24 h, and other clinical outcomes.ConclusionOur study revealed that VAVD is at least equivalent and may provide some benefits compared to GVD in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. While, VAVD requires specific expertise and training in order to optimize its outcomes, its ability to reduce blood loss and blood transfusion, support its use as a valuable alternative for GVD in high-risk groups.

PMID:41420131 | DOI:10.1177/02676591251409379

J Pharm Pract. 2025 Dec 19:8971900251408306. doi: 10.1177/08971900251408306. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Background: While traditional mail-order pharmacies have overcome some barriers to adherence, there is minimal evidence to indicate whether a novel prescription delivery program (PDP) can impact clinical endpoints in common disease states. The use of integrated pharmacy technicians, a local courier service, and hospital-owned pharmacies contributes to a comprehensive continuum of care. This study’s purpose was to assess the impact of a novel PDP on glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to identify the change in glycated hemoglobin level (HbA1c) of DM patients at enrollment in the PDP to approximately one-year post-enrollment. Secondary objectives were to describe the percentage of patients achieving therapeutic goals, characterize enrolled population, and identify medication classes utilized in the PDP. Methods: This was a retrospective quasi-experimental study to evaluate whether implementation of an internally owned and operated PDP would improve HbA1c control for DM patients throughout primary care and specialty networks. Results: A total of 1223 patients were screened for inclusion. A convenience sample of 100 patients were evaluated. The outcome of change in HbA1c of patients with diabetes improved significantly from baseline at enrollment in a PDP to one-year post-enrollment (pre-PDP 8.2% vs post-PDP 7.4%, P < 0.001). Of the patients included in the study, 30% achieved goal HbA1c pre-enrollment in PDP. One-year post-PDP the percentage of patients who achieved goal HbA1c increased to 48% (P = 0.002), which was statistically significant. Conclusion: Among the studied population, enrollment in the PDP was associated with a significant reduction in HbA1c.

PMID:41420128 | DOI:10.1177/08971900251408306

NPJ Digit Med. 2025 Dec 19. doi: 10.1038/s41746-025-02223-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

To clarify the real-world performance of regulator-approved deep-learning (DL) systems for autonomous diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening, we systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov to 3 April 2025, identifying 82 studies (887,244 examinations) covering 25 devices in 28 countries. Hierarchical bivariate meta-analysis yielded pooled sensitivity/specificity of 0.93/0.90 on a per-patient basis and 0.92/0.93 per eye, closely paralleling expert grading. Meta-regression showed that DR severity threshold, national-income level, image gradability, pupil dilation, reference standard, and diagnostic criteria collectively explained most between-study heterogeneity; any-DR screening, low-income settings, or ungradable images increased false-positive rates, whereas dilated pupils, portable cameras, and adjudicated references improved specificity. Publication bias was minimal. Overall, regulator-approved DL algorithms provide accurate, scalable DR detection, but programs must tailor deployment and reimbursement to disease threshold, image quality, and local resources, and post-market audits with standardized gradability metrics are needed to ensure safe, equitable global adoption.

PMID:41420101 | DOI:10.1038/s41746-025-02223-8

Mol Neurobiol. 2025 Dec 20;63(1):314. doi: 10.1007/s12035-025-05507-y.

ABSTRACT

Neuronal and glial biomarkers like glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1), tau protein, and neurofilament light chain (NfL) in serum are reported to be beneficial in detecting sports-related concussions (SRC) or intracranial trauma sequelae. However, routine blood measurements are invasive, and a non-invasive approach using urine could be advantageous. This prospective study analyzed urine samples from athletes with varying head trauma risks: high-risk (boxing), moderate-risk (American football, soccer), and low-risk (endurance sports). Samples were collected before (pre) and 48-72 h after (post) competition. Consecutive matches per athlete were sampled. Biomarker concentrations were adjusted for urine dilution using the creatinine ratio (CR). Statistical differences between groups were assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. A total of 48 athletes (boxing 11, American football 18, soccer 10, endurance 9) provided 112 samples. Ten SRC were recorded (boxing 9, soccer 1). Boxing athletes had the highest biomarker-CR, with significant differences in tau-CR and UCH-L1-CR compared to American football and endurance athletes (p = 0.005 and p = 0.001, respectively). No significant differences were found for NfL-CR or GFAP-CR. No significant changes were observed for biomarker-CRs 48-72 h after SRC. However, in a pooled analysis of all subsequent samples after a SRC, irrespective of the latency of sampling, there were significantly higher values for tau-CR and UCH-L1-CR (p = 0.02). Significantly higher levels of tau-CR and UCH-L1 were found in high-risk sports, potentially reflecting increased head impacts. However, an early increase of biomarker-CR within 72 h after SRC was not observed.

PMID:41420097 | DOI:10.1007/s12035-025-05507-y

Sci Rep. 2025 Dec 19. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-31406-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to investigate influence of curing mode of universal adhesives and dentin sealing approach on microtensile bond strength (MTBS) of CAD/CAM composite to dentin. Occlusal surfaces of 36 human molars were ground to expose flat dentin and randomly assigned to 6 groups according to: (1) Adhesive curing mode [light-cured/LC (One coat 7 Universal, COLTENE); dual-cure/DC (One coat 7 Universal/Dual-cure Activator, COLTENE); and self-cure/SC (Palfique Universal Bond, Tokuyama); and (2) Dentin sealing approach (delayed sealing/DDS and immediate sealing/IDS). Following 1-week provisionalization, CAD/CAM composite blocks (Brilliant Crios, COLTENE), 4 mm², were cemented over conditioned dentin surfaces. After 24 h, bonded assemblies were thermo-cycled for 5000 cycles. Specimens were tested for MTBS. Failure mode was analyzed under stereomicroscope. Data were statistically analyzed using ANOVA. DDS showed significantly higher MTBS values than IDS when using LC and DC adhesives. While, IDS produced significantly higher MTBS values than DDS when using SC adhesive. Predominant failure mode was adhesive in all groups, except for SC adhesive in IDS group, mixed failure was the predominant mode. Light- and dual-cured universal adhesives improved bond strength in delayed dentin sealing approach. Self-cure universal adhesive produced better bond strength when applied to immediately sealed dentin.

PMID:41420076 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-31406-2

Sci Rep. 2025 Dec 19. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-33035-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Pteridium aquilinum is a medicinally important fern with a limited range in northern Iran, increasingly threatened by climate change. Using morphological, genetic, and environmental data, we assessed differentiation, adaptive capacity, and vulnerability across 11 populations. Factor analysis of mixed data (FAMD) identified stipe indument, pinnule shape, and pinnae number as key traits distinguishing populations. Redundancy and association analyses (RDA/CCA) revealed strong links between both morphological and genetic variation and climatic gradients, particularly temperature and humidity, indicating local adaptation. Several SCoT loci were detected as adaptive outliers. Spatial PCA showed that variation is shaped by both global and local spatial factors, forming clines and local variants. Populations varied in sensitivity and adaptive capacity; populations 2, 3, 7, and 8 exhibited the lowest adaptive indices and highest vulnerability. Connectivity modeling suggested that while some populations (e.g., 2, 4, and 6) may maintain or slightly improve connectivity, others risk isolation under future climates. Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated a positive genetic contribution to adaptation, while differential equation modeling (DEM) predicted logistic growth with temporary instability and genetic decline in vulnerable groups. Overall, findings highlight spatially uneven adaptive responses and recommend targeted conservation through connectivity enhancement, assisted gene flow, and ex-situ preservation of adaptive genotypes.

PMID:41420001 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-33035-1

Magn Reson Med. 2025 Dec 19. doi: 10.1002/mrm.70225. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Our goal was to understand the barriers and challenges to clinical translation of quantitative MR (qMR) as perceived by stakeholders in the UK. We conducted an electronic survey on seven key areas related to clinical translation of qMR, developed at the BIC-ISMRM workshop: “Steps on the path to clinical translation”. Based on the seven areas identified: (i) clinical workflow, (ii) changes in clinical practice, (iii) improving validation, (iv) standardization of data acquisition and analysis, (v) sharing of data and code, (vi) improving quality management, and (vii) end-user engagement, a 40-question survey was developed. Members of BIC-ISMRM, MR-PHYSICS, BSNR and institutional mailing lists were invited to respond to the online survey over a 5-week period between September and October 2022. The responses were analysed via descriptive statistics of multiple-choice questions, Likert scores and a thematic analysis of free text questions. A total of 69 responses were received from predominantly research imaging scientists (69%) in numerous centres across the UK. Three main themes were identified: (1) Consensus; the need to develop in terminology, decision making and validation; (2) Context Dependency; an appreciation of the uniqueness of each clinical situation, and (3) Product Profile; a clear description of the imaging biomarker and its intended use. Effective translation of qMR imaging and spectroscopic biomarkers to achieve their full clinical potential must address the differing needs and expectations of a wide range of stakeholders.

PMID:41419988 | DOI:10.1002/mrm.70225

BMC Chem. 2025 Dec 19;19(1):320. doi: 10.1186/s13065-025-01682-0.

ABSTRACT

A straightforward, precise, and rapid UV spectrophotometric method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of meclizine (MEC) and pyridoxine (PYR) in binary mixtures. The approach involved two calibration curves: the first was constructed to quantify PYR directly at 290 nm, while the second was used to calculate the concentration ratio (CR) of the mixture at 230 nm. This second curve was generated by plotting the absorbance ratio (AR) against the concentration ratio (CR = [MEC]/[PYR]). Using the experimentally determined concentration ratio (CRₑₓₚ) and the known PYR concentration, the MEC content was calculated as [MEC] = CRₑₓₚ × [PYR]. The method was validated in accordance with ICH Q2 guidelines and demonstrated reliable and consistent performance. When applied to a pharmaceutical formulation, the results expressed as a percentage of the labeled claim were 100.34% ± 0.47 for MEC and 100.04% ± 0.182 for PYR. Furthermore, statistical comparison with a previously published chromatographic method confirmed the equivalence of the two approaches. These results suggest that the developed method is suitable for routine quality control analysis of pharmaceutical preparations containing MEC and PYR. The linearity ranges were 4-20 µg/mL for meclizine and 6-30 µg/mL for pyridoxine and close to 1.00 for both analytes. Excellent precision was demonstrated, with percent Relative Standard Deviations (RSD%) well below 2%. The method also exhibited high accuracy, with analyte recoveries from tablets formulation 99.62 ± 0.34 and 98.92 ± 0.62 for MEC and PYR, respectively.

PMID:41419968 | DOI:10.1186/s13065-025-01682-0