Category: Statistics

Br Dent J. 2026 Jul 16. doi: 10.1038/s41415-026-9809-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Aims To investigate how UK dental professionals use social media for professional learning, to identify associated learning needs, and to examine the opportunities and challenges this presents for continuing professional development (CPD).Methods A cross-sectional, mixed-methods online survey gathered 381 responses from UK-registered dentists and dental care professionals (DCPs). Quantitative data on demographics and platform use were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multiple logistic regression. Qualitative free-text responses were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.Results A total of 381 participants responded (294 DCPs, 77%; 87 dentists, 23%). Facebook, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn were the dominant platforms. A 37-percentage-point digital confidence gap existed between professionals under 30 (85% confident) and those over 60 (48%; χ²(3) = 28.45, p <0.001), with a 3.5:1 consumption-to-creation ratio indicating predominantly passive engagement. While 84% considered sources reliable, only 78% recognised the need for cross-checking. Three qualitative themes emerged: professional identity validation and learning recognition; community support and accessible learning; and reflective practice enhancement and critical awareness.Conclusions Social media constitutes a substantive informal learning ecosystem within UK dental professional practice, operating alongside the General Dental Council’s formal CPD framework but largely outside its recognition and quality assurance processes, while equity implications of the digital divide remain unmitigated. Successful integration of informal and formal learning pathways requires coordinated action from regulators, educational institutions, and professional associations to ensure all practitioners, regardless of age or digital confidence, engage with these networks safely, critically, and effectively.

PMID:42463878 | DOI:10.1038/s41415-026-9809-1

Sci Rep. 2026 Jul 16. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-59344-7. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Software Defined Networking (SDN) provides programmability and centralized control, but at the same time, increases the attack surface and prevents classical Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) from dealing with new attack vectors. To solve these challenges, we propose NeuroTwin QIDS, a novel quantum-enabled neuro-IDS for SDN. It uses a novel Neuro-Symbolic Feature Pruning (NSFP) approach involving Graph Attention Networks (GAT) and policy-aware symbolic pruning to guarantee the statistical relevancy and defensibility of features used to represent anomalies. Statistical features representing anomalies are mapped to Quantum Reservoir (QRE) space in order to enrich representation for better temporal classification. Classification itself is implemented in two steps: firstly, the Quantum Reservoir-Transformer Hybrid (QRT-Net) performs online real-time binary anomaly detection; secondly, the Capsule Network-BiLSTM (Cap-BiLSTM) classifies anomalies based on their behavior. After that, neuro-symbolic fusion is performed to validate predictions made by the neural network against SDN policies, and a digital twin model is synchronized for simulation of protective actions to be taken before applying the self-healing mechanism for network protection. The experiments were carried out with CSE-CIC-IDS2018 and InSDN datasets to evaluate the end-to-end performance of NeuroTwin QIDS. NeuroTwin QIDS provided outstanding detection results, surpassing state-of-the-art IDS systems. On the CSE-CIC-IDS2018 dataset, it showed 99.12% accuracy, 98.95% precision, 98.87% recall rate, and a 98.91% F1-score. Similarly, on InSDN dataset, the performance of the proposed method was 98.67% accuracy, 98.42% precision, 98.15% recall, and a 98.28% F1-score.

PMID:42463875 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-59344-7

Sci Rep. 2026 Jul 16. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-60291-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Bakery workers are frequently exposed to flour dust and fine particulate, which can contribute to respiratory symptoms and impaired lung function. In Abidjan, the growth of the bakery sector is increasingly exposing workers to high concentrations of fine particulate. This study aimed to assess respiratory symptoms, impaired lung function and associated occupational factors among bakery workers in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. An analytical and descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 40 bakeries within the Autonomous District of Abidjan between February 2019 and January 2020. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires, spirometry tests, and air quality measurements by zone (Production Zone (ZP) and Sales Zone (ZV)).The data were analyzed using Stata version 15.1. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify factors associated with impaired respiratory function and small airways syndrome (SAS). Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. A total of 599 employees were included in the study, comprising bakers/pastry chefs (59.7%), sales clerks/cashiers (23.5%), cleaning staff (6.3%), and administrative personnel (10.2%). The mean age was 31 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.2, and the majority (88.8%) had less than five years of work experience. Bakers/pastry chefs and sales clerks spent more than 20 hours per day continuously at the workplace. The most common respiratory symptoms were nasal congestion (68.1%), runny nose (46.3%) and sneezing (41.4%). Some workers had impaired FEV1 values (20.9%) and abnormal FEV1/FVC ratios (17.5%). PM2.5 concentrations reached 320 µg/m³ in production areas and 290 µg/m³ in sales areas, representing a 21.3-fold and 19.3-fold increase, respectively, over the WHO guideline value. Respiratory symptoms and impaired lung function were significant (adjusted OR = 3.25; 95% CI: 2.05-5.16; p < 0.001) among workers in production areas. The prevalence of small airway syndrome was low (7.35%). Dry cleaning of floors [aOR = 6.3 (1.06-17.29)] and workbench cleaning [aOR = 4.70 (1.11-10.80)] were significant risk factors, whilst the use of kneading machines fitted with airtight lids was protective [aOR = 0.18 (0.04-0.72)]. Bakery workers in Abidjan experience substantial respiratory symptoms and lung function impairment associated with high occupational exposure to flour dust and PM₂.₅. Preventive occupational measures including improved ventilation, wet-cleaning procedures, respiratory protection, and dust-control systems are urgently needed. Small airways syndrome was identified in a smaller proportion of workers and may represent an early marker of occupational respiratory damage.

PMID:42463864 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-60291-6

Sci Rep. 2026 Jul 16. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-62631-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This paper addresses the poor stability of near-ground flexible capture nets under uncertainty in the ambient wind. The capture net considered is a near-ground system for intercepting small low-altitude targets such as small UAVs or individuals; given its small scale (a 3.2 m net) and short deployment time (about 2 s), the wind can be treated as a quasi-steady flow during a single deployment, and the relevant uncertainty is characterized through the variability of the near-ground ambient mean wind speed. Focusing on the factors influencing the flight attitude of capture nets, a performance evaluation index model for flexible capture nets is established, enabling quantitative assessment of net performance, and a near-ground flexible capture net dynamics model is constructed. The Morris-Sobol method is employed to perform global sensitivity analysis on the factors affecting the effective range of flexible capture nets, revealing that environmental wind speed, ballistic mass, launch angle, and cord diameter are the primary factors influencing capture net performance. The Pareto-optimal non-dominated solution set is obtained using a Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) surrogate model solved via the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II), followed by objective decision-making based on the Utopia point method. The robust design optimum is determined as m_b = 22.34 g, d = 0.370 mm, and theta = 28.9 deg. Finally, high-fidelity numerical simulations are conducted for verification. Compared with the empirical design parameters, the mean effective range increases by 9.02% (statistically significant), and the standard deviation of the deterministic design is 45.71% higher than that of the robust design.

PMID:42463848 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-62631-y

Sci Rep. 2026 Jul 16. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-62649-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Isthmin-1, a recently identified adipokine implicated in endothelial dysfunction and inflammation, may play a role in acute coronary syndromes. However, its clinical relevance in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate serum Isthmin-1 levels in patients presenting with STEMI and to evaluate their association with short-term clinical outcomes. In this single-center prospective study, 123 patients with STEMI and 89 healthy controls were enrolled between December 2023 and May 2024. Serum Isthmin-1 levels were measured using ELISA at admission. Clinical characteristics and 24-hour mortality and 28-day major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were recorded. Prognostic performance for predicting 28-day MACE was assessed using ROC curve analysis. The mean age was 58.1 ± 12.0 years in the STEMI group and 51.6 ± 16.5 years in the control group. Median serum Isthmin-1 levels were significantly higher in patients with STEMI compared with controls (406.98 ng/mL [IQR: 360.63-549.53] vs. 371.16 ng/mL [IQR: 245.18-487.31]; p < 0.001). No statistically significant association was observed between Isthmin-1 levels and STEMI subtype, 24-hour mortality, or 28-day MACE. ROC analysis demonstrated no discriminatory ability of baseline serum Isthmin-1 levels for predicting 28-day MACE (AUC: 0.453; 95% CI: 0.323-0.582; p = 0.479), indicating that Isthmin-1 did not provide clinically useful short-term prognostic discrimination in this cohort. Although serum Isthmin-1 levels were elevated in patients with STEMI, baseline concentrations were not associated with short-term mortality or 28-day MACE and demonstrated no discriminatory ability for predicting short-term adverse outcomes. These findings suggest that Isthmin-1 may reflect acute ischemic and inflammatory responses rather than serving as a clinically useful short-term prognostic biomarker.

PMID:42463837 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-62649-2

NPJ Precis Oncol. 2026 Jul 16. doi: 10.1038/s41698-026-01604-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Although diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a heterogeneous disease, existing prognostic tools, including the revised International Prognostic Index (R-IPI) and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN-IPI), do not fully capture the heterogeneity and their performance in the competing-risks framework has not been validated. We developed and validated prognostic models for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) using both machine-learning (ML) and standard regression approaches in 2769 patients from the Lymphoma and Related Diseases Registry. Predictors included age, stage, performance status, chemo-immunotherapy, creatinine, lactate dehydrogenase, and anaemia, with extranodal involvement additionally used for OS and BCL6 expression for PFS. Both ML and regression-based models showed similar performance, with acceptable discrimination, particularly at 1- and 2-years. In validation, the Cox model achieved a 1-year OS AUC of 0.770, outperforming R-IPI (0.722) and comparable to NCCN-IPI (0.746). Both the nomogram and random survival forest models demonstrated greater 5-year OS risk separation, ranging from 26% in high-risk to 96% in low-risk patients and from 25 to 93%, respectively, compared with the R-IPI (50-91%) and NCCN-IPI (34-96%). Competing-risks analyses demonstrated that conventional methods underestimated survival, particularly in high-risk groups. While our models provided promising risk stratification, external validation is warranted.

PMID:42463804 | DOI:10.1038/s41698-026-01604-w

Sci Rep. 2026 Jul 16. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-62403-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Radiative-conductive systems are intrinsically nonlinear due to the quartic temperature dependence of thermal radiation. Under fixed total heating power, convexity arguments imply that nonuniform temperature distributions radiate more efficiently and therefore exhibit a lower mean temperature than their isothermal counterparts. However, this conclusion remains qualitative, and an explicit quantitative relation between temperature nonuniformity and mean temperature reduction has been lacking. Here we derive a variance-based analytical expression linking the area-averaged temperature to the corresponding isothermal equilibrium temperature in a nonuniformly heated radiative-conductive system. Within a second-order asymptotic expansion about the ambient temperature, we show that the leading reduction in the area-averaged temperature is proportional to the temperature variance. This result transforms the convexity-based inequality into a quantitative statistical relation within the perturbative regime and provides a physically transparent framework for describing nonlinear radiative averaging in thermally heterogeneous systems.

PMID:42463797 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-62403-8

Sci Rep. 2026 Jul 16. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-61778-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

To achieve safe and highly efficient sterilization at low concentrations of ozone, we developed a novel sterilization device that generates negative ions and ozone (NIO3) through its integrated electron-emitting negative ion generator and corona discharge ozone generator. This device allows independent control of negative ion and ozone concentrations. The bactericidal activity and tolerability of gas-phase exposure using this device was studied. Bactericidal effects were quantified against Escherichia coli after 60 min exposure under controlled chamber conditions. Under standard NIO3 conditions (2 × 10⁶ ions/cm³ and 0.05 ppm ozone) with a controlled downflow, the survival rate of E. coli decreased to 0.23% (corresponding to a 99.7% reduction), and the survival rate fell to 0.12%, with 8× standard NIO3 conditions without downflow, which is close to the assay detection limit. No statistically significant effects on cytotoxicity and genotoxicity were observed in A549 cells exposed under submerged conditions up to 10× standard NIO3 conditions as assessed by MTT assay, comet assay, and micronucleus test. These in vitro bactericidal and biocompatibility findings demonstrate that NIO3-mediated surface decontamination is a promising approach under the evaluated chamber conditions.

PMID:42463774 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-61778-y

Sci Rep. 2026 Jul 16. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-62548-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Endometriosis is a chronic, estrogen-dependent inflammatory disease that causes debilitating pain and significantly impairs quality of life. Due to its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, vitamin D has been proposed as a potential therapeutic agent, but clinical evidence remains inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on pain symptoms and quality of life in women with endometriosis. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on 66 women with symptomatic endometriosis and vitamin D levels below 30 ng/mL. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n = 33), receiving 4000 IU of vitamin D every other day, or the control group (n = 33), receiving a matching placebo for eight weeks. Crucially, all participants in both groups continued their standard dienogest (Verogest) therapy. The primary outcomes were pain severity, assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the ENDOPAIN-4D questionnaire, and quality of life as secondary outcome, assessed with the Endometriosis Health Profile-30 (EHP-30). Outcomes were measured at baseline and after the eight-week intervention. All 66 participants completed the trial. Despite baseline imbalances in socio-demographic characteristics (quantified via standardized mean differences), adjusting for these variables as covariates did not yield significant differences between groups. Regarding the ENDOPAIN-4D scores, for the “usual level of pain,” the post-intervention mean score was 38.8 (SD = 6.5) in the vitamin D group compared to 50.1 (SD = 7.4) in the placebo group (adjusted mean difference [AMD]: -11.3; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: -26.2 to 3.5; P = 0.136). For the “worst level of pain,” the post-intervention mean score was 23.6 (SD = 3.1) in the vitamin D group and 25.6 (SD = 3.5) in the placebo group (AMD: -2.0; 95% CI: -9.0 to 4.9; P = 0.492). The adjusted mean post-intervention VAS score was 5.8 (SD = 0.3) in the vitamin D group versus 6.2 (SD = 0.4) in the placebo group (AMD: -0.3; 95% CI: -1.3 to 0.5; P = 0.113). No significant differences were observed in the ENDOPAIN-4D scores or in any of the five domains of the EHP-30 questionnaire (all P > 0.05). In women under hormonal suppression with dienogest, eight weeks of adjunctive vitamin D did not yield statistically or clinically significant improvements in pain or quality of life. These null findings likely reflect a “floor effect” from the baseline hormonal therapy and are limited by the lack of biochemical confirmation of repletion. These findings are specific to adjunctive use and may not reflect the potential of vitamin D as a monotherapy.Trial registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) IRCT20120718010324N78. Date of first registration 2023-05-25. URL https//irct.behdasht.gov.ir/trial/68131.

PMID:42463771 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-62548-6

Sci Rep. 2026 Jul 16. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-60496-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Miniaturized systems demand micro-components exhibiting high dimensional fidelity, superior surface quality, and complex geometries for aerospace, biomedical, and microelectronic applications. Micro-milling offers flexibility and precision, but consistent performance remains challenging by rapid tool degradation, burr generation, and size-effect-dominated cutting mechanism, particularly in high strength alloys. This study investigates machinability of Inconel 718 in low-speed micro-milling using uncoated and three coated micro-end mills, with feed rates defined relative to cutting-edge radius. Taguchi L16 orthogonal array methodically assesses the impact of cutting speed, feed rate, depth of cut, and tool coating across four distinct levels each, on surface roughness, tool wear, and burr formation. The experimental outcomes were evaluated statistically using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), while Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) was applied to identify optimal machining conditions. Results reveal that TiAlN coatings improve surface finish, nACo suppresses burr formation, and uncoated tools enhance wear resistance. The optimal condition from GRA is 10.5 m/min cutting speed, 1.5 μm/tooth feed, and 120 μm depth of cut with uncoated tool. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) yielded average reductions of 23.81%, 11.49%, and 18.11% in surface roughness, tool wear, and burr formation, respectively. This integrated Taguchi-ANOVA-GRA-RSM Optimization (TANGRO) framework provides robust insights for optimal machining performance.

PMID:42463766 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-60496-9