Ann Surg Oncol. 2025 Nov 20. doi: 10.1245/s10434-025-18730-7. Online ahead of print.
NO ABSTRACT
PMID:41266920 | DOI:10.1245/s10434-025-18730-7
Category: Statistics
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Eur Spine J. 2025 Nov 21. doi: 10.1007/s00586-025-09598-y. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate inter- and intra-observer reliability of the Lenke classification for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and identify methodological factors influencing agreement. The Lenke system is widely used in AIS surgical planning. While initial reports showed excellent reproducibility, subsequent studies have yielded inconsistent results, particularly for lumbar and sagittal modifiers.
METHODS: Following PRISMA guidelines, five databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched to August 2025. Data on observer characteristics, imaging protocols, measurement methods, and statistical indices (κ, ICC) were extracted. Study quality was assessed with QAREL. Descriptive synthesis and random-effects meta-analysis were performed.
RESULTS: Eleven studies (528 radiographs) met inclusion. Inter-observer reliability averaged κ=0.76 (range 0.50-0.96); lumbar κ=0.75 (0.53-0.92); sagittal κ=0.79 (0.41-1.0). Pooled analysis of two studies with confidence intervals yielded κ=0.69 (95% CI 0.56-0.82; I²=21%). Intra-observer reliability was higher (κ≈0.82). Reliability improved with pre-measured radiographs, experienced observers, computer assistance, and short repeat intervals; it was lower with non-premeasured films, mixed cohorts, and longer intervals. Lumbar modifiers were relatively robust, whereas sagittal reproducibility was most vulnerable to methodological bias. One study illustrated the κ paradox, with high agreement but κ=0.41 due to skewed distribution.
CONCLUSIONS: The Lenke classification is reliable under controlled conditions but less consistent in everyday practice. Reported κ values should be interpreted within their methodological context. Standardised protocols, transparent reporting, and digital tools may improve reproducibility.
PMID:41266912 | DOI:10.1007/s00586-025-09598-y
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2025 Nov 20. doi: 10.1007/s11356-025-37060-5. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a valuable tool for assessing population-level consumption of addictive substances. This study presents long-term WBE monitoring (2021-2025) of alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine in Madrid and Guadalajara (Spain), including the first city-wide spatial analysis in Europe. A total of 192 composite 24-h untreated wastewater samples were collected from nine wastewater treatment plants: one in Guadalajara and eight in Madrid. Regression models were applied to assess spatial and temporal trends, as well as the impact of key events such as the COVID-19 restrictions, New Year celebrations, and weekends. Key findings show that between 2021 and 2024 alcohol and nicotine use showed a decreasing trend in both cities, while caffeine consumption remained stable with slight increases. In Madrid, average alcohol consumption declined from 27.7 to 16.3 mL/day/person and nicotine by approximately 800 mg/day/1000 person; in Guadalajara, alcohol decreased from 13.1 to 7.7 mL/day/person and nicotine 500 mg/day/1000 person. In December 2023, full city-level estimates from Madrid revealed alcohol consumption between 12.8-18.4 mL/day/person, nicotine 2180-3300 mg/day/1000 person, and caffeine 68.5-134.7 mg/day/person. Notably, alcohol and nicotine reached their highest levels among the New Year periods during the 2022-2023 celebration, the first unrestricted one after the pandemic; levels during this period dropped in the following years. These results highlight temporal and spatial patterns in the consumption of legal substances and suggest shifts in public behavior after COVID-19 and the utility of WBE as a long-term monitoring tool for public health surveillance and planning.
PMID:41266906 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-025-37060-5
Mol Psychiatry. 2025 Nov 20. doi: 10.1038/s41380-025-03342-0. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Polygenic score (PGS) predictions of educational achievement are sizeable at the population level. Yet, population-level PGS predictions are environmentally confounded, due to gene-environment correlations, assortative mating, and population stratification. This confounding complicates the interpretation and application of PGS predictions of educational achievement. Here, we charted the variability of PGS predictions in N = 8115 dizygotic twins from UK, US, Swedish, and German samples aged 7 to 19 years. Population-level PGS predictions of educational achievement ranged from β = 0.16 to β = 0.37 across ages and countries. Discerning within- and between-family level estimates, we found that 10 to 65% of the population-level PGS predictions were due to environmental confounding, of which 29 to 100% were accounted for by family socioeconomic status. Variability in within-family and population-level PGS predictions was largely unsystematic across countries’ school systems (multi-tiered vs. comprehensive) and children’s ages. Therefore, interpretations regarding the sources of environmental confounding effects on educational achievement remain, at present, speculative.
PMID:41266877 | DOI:10.1038/s41380-025-03342-0
Hypertens Res. 2025 Nov 20. doi: 10.1038/s41440-025-02439-x. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
This prospective cohort study compared the associations between office blood pressure (OBP) and home blood pressure (HBP) measured before 20 weeks of gestation with the subsequent development of placenta-mediated pregnancy complications (PMPCs). A total of 975 pregnant women were included in the study. OBP and HBP were measured between 10 weeks 0 days and 19 weeks 6 days of gestation, using HBP values from the same gestational weeks as OBP. When both OBP and HBP were included simultaneously in a binary logistic regression model, per 1 standard deviation increase, the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for office and home systolic blood pressure (SBP) were 1.16 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.95-1.42) and 1.68 (95% CI: 1.36-2.09), respectively. For diastolic blood pressure (DBP), the aORs were 1.36 (95% CI: 1.10-1.69) for office and 1.70 (95% CI: 1.37-2.12) for home measurements. The likelihood ratio test showed that adding home SBP to a model with office SBP improved model fit (P value < 0.0001), whereas adding office SBP to a model with home SBP did not (P value = 0.2). For DBP, adding either home or office values improved model fit (P value < 0.0001 and P value = 0.005, respectively). Home SBP was more strongly associated with PMPCs than office SBP. Although home DBP was not statistically stronger than office DBP, its effect estimate was higher. These findings support the added value of HBP monitoring during pregnancy for predicting PMPCs.
PMID:41266872 | DOI:10.1038/s41440-025-02439-x
Mol Neurobiol. 2025 Nov 21;63(1):110. doi: 10.1007/s12035-025-05439-7.
ABSTRACT
Research on the gut-brain-immune axis shows it plays a critical role in ischemic stroke, but the exact causal links between gut bacteria imbalance, immune system problems, and brain blood vessel damage remain unclear. To investigate this, we combined multiple types of biological data using a statistical method called Bayesian weighted Mendelian randomization (BWMR). We analyzed large genetic datasets covering 731 immune cell traits, 91 inflammatory proteins, 412 gut microbes and their pathways, and ischemic stroke cases. Shared genetic variants were confirmed using colocalization, and we used computer simulations to explore potential treatments. The analysis found that genetically predicted higher levels of the protein CD27 on specific memory B cells (CD24+ CD27+ and IgD– CD38dim) directly increased the risk of stroke caused by large-artery atherosclerosis. Computer modeling indicated that a compound called Dioscin could potentially block CD27 effectively. Conversely, bacteria from the order Burkholderiales (specifically at the family, genus, and species level Burkholderiales_bacterium_1_1_47) showed strong protective effects against small-vessel stroke. Further analysis revealed that about 12.6% of the protective effect of the gut bacterium g_Odoribacter worked through the signaling protein FGF19. This study identifies CD27-positive B cells as key drivers of brain inflammation in stroke and suggests Dioscin as a promising treatment candidate. It also demonstrates a protective mechanism where specific gut microbes communicate with blood vessels in the brain via FGF19, providing a foundation for new stroke therapies targeting the microbiome and immune system.
PMID:41266864 | DOI:10.1007/s12035-025-05439-7
Inflamm Res. 2025 Nov 21;74(1):166. doi: 10.1007/s00011-025-02124-2.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Periodontitis has been associated with an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; however, its association with subclinical myocardial injury remains scarce. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between periodontitis, cardiac biomarkers of subclinical myocardial injury, and cardiovascular mortality in the general U.S.
METHODS: We analyzed data from 9202 participants initially free of cardiovascular disease in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The grade of periodontitis was categorized into normal, mild, and moderate-severe. Survey-weighted multiple linear regression model assessed the association between periodontitis and cardiac biomarkers, including high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Survey-weighted multiple Cox regression model was utilized to estimate the association between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease mortality.
RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 40.65 ± 0.32 years, with 48.44% being men. The individuals with mild and moderate-severe periodontitis had significantly elevated hs-cTn and NT-proBNP, which indicated impaired cardiac structure and function, compared with non-periodontitis individuals. After controlling confounding covariates, moderate-severe periodontitis was significantly correlated with elevated hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP (β coefficients: 0.055, 95% CI 0.004 to 0.106; β coefficients: 0.188, 95% CI 0.077 to 0.300, respectively). Sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis further verified the robustness of the results. Over a 17.5-year follow-up period, individuals with moderate-to-severe periodontitis exhibited a 44.9% higher risk of cardiovascular mortality compared to those without periodontitis (hazard ratio: 1.449, 95% CI: 1.027 to 2.044).
CONCLUSION: In individuals without established cardiovascular disease, moderate-severe periodontitis was associated with higher concentrations of hs-cTn and NT-proBNP, as well as an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. These results emphasize the importance of maintaining optimal oral health.
PMID:41266855 | DOI:10.1007/s00011-025-02124-2
Support Care Cancer. 2025 Nov 20;33(12):1102. doi: 10.1007/s00520-025-10171-y.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cisplatin causes nephrotoxicity in approximately 30% of patients. Mannitol has been proposed as a nephroprotective agent, yet the clinical evidence remains inconclusive.
METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library through December 2024 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating mannitol versus control interventions for prevention of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. The primary outcome was acute kidney injury (AKI), standardized across CTCAE, AKIN, and RIFLE systems. Given heterogeneous comparators, analyses were stratified by control type without cross-comparator pooling. Odds ratios (ORs) were used for AKI; risk differences (RDs) were used for adverse events. Pooled estimates were generated only when ≥ 5 trials were available per stratum.
RESULTS: Nine RCTs (357 participants) were included. For severe AKI (grade ≥ 2), three small trials (n = 164) were available. Two placebo-controlled studies showed lower AKI risk with mannitol (absolute reductions ~ 15-20%), while one furosemide-controlled study showed no clear difference. These preliminary observations require confirmation in larger trials. For overall AKI (grade ≥ 1; six trials, n = 297), results were inconsistent across studies. Renal function outcomes were heterogeneous: one placebo-controlled trial favored mannitol, one hydration-controlled trial favored control, and a furosemide-controlled trial showed minimal difference. Adverse events were sparsely reported: no consistent differences were seen for electrolyte or hematological toxicities, while several studies suggested modest reductions in nausea/vomiting and a possible increase in diarrhea.
CONCLUSIONS: Based on only three small trials (n = 164), preliminary trends suggest mannitol might reduce severe AKI in cisplatin-treated patients, particularly versus placebo. However, this evidence is insufficient to support clinical implementation. The observed protective trend should be considered hypothesis-generating rather than definitive. Effects on overall AKI, renal function, and toxicities remain inconclusive. Larger, well-designed RCTs with adequate statistical power are urgently needed before mannitol can be recommended for routine nephroprotection in clinical practice.
PMID:41266849 | DOI:10.1007/s00520-025-10171-y
Commun Chem. 2025 Nov 20;8(1):364. doi: 10.1038/s42004-025-01734-5.
ABSTRACT
The peptide-centric strategy is widely applied in data-independent acquisition (DIA) proteomics to analyze multiplexed MS2 spectra. However, current software tools often rely on single-run data for peptide peak identification, leading to inconsistent quantification across heterogeneous datasets. Match-between-runs (MBR) algorithms address this by aligning peaks or elution profiles post-analysis, but they are often ad hoc and lack statistical frameworks for controlling peak quality, causing false positives and reduced quantitative reproducibility. Here we present DreamDIAlignR, a cross-run peptide-centric tool that integrates peptide elution behavior across runs with a deep learning peak identifier and alignment algorithm for consistent peak picking and FDR-controlled scoring. DreamDIAlignR outperformed state-of-the-art MBR methods, identifying up to 21.2% more quantitatively changing proteins in a benchmark dataset and 36.6% more in a cancer dataset. Additionally, DreamDIAlignR establishes an improved methodology for performing MBR compatible with existing DIA analysis tools, thereby enhancing the overall quality of DIA analysis.
PMID:41266840 | DOI:10.1038/s42004-025-01734-5
Environ Geochem Health. 2025 Nov 20;48(1):9. doi: 10.1007/s10653-025-02882-2.
ABSTRACT
Coal-fired thermal power plant operations significantly impact aquatic environments by releasing fly ash leachate, untreated effluents, and airborne pollutants, thereby deteriorating surface water quality. This study assesses the spatial distribution, pollution load, and ecological risk of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in surface water collected from the surroundings of coal-based thermal power plant (TPP) in Andhra Pradesh, India. Jupudi Reservoir (JR) showed relatively lower pH levels, indicating mildly acidic conditions possibly resulting from ash pond leachate influence, while the other water bodies maintained a more alkaline nature. The mean concentrations of Chromium (406 µg/L) and Arsenic (214 µg/L) were highest at JR and comparatively elevated relative to other water bodies. Furthermore, the total metal load was significantly higher in JR, TPP, and RC across water, sediment, and plant samples, reflecting the significant influence of coal-based thermal power plant activities on these aquatic ecosystems. Geospatial distribution using ArcGIS-IDW interpolation revealed contamination hotspots near coal ash discharge zones, especially at JR and TPP canal sites. Pollution indices highlighted severe pollution and ecological threats at JR and TPP, with ERI values indicating high ecological risk (> 400). Health risk assessments showed that children are particularly at risk, with elevated non-carcinogenic hazard index (HI > 1) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR > 1 × 10⁻4) through both ingestion and dermal pathways. Among the studied sites, JR and TPP canal exhibited the highest PTE concentrations, whereas RC served as the least contaminated reference site. statistical analyses, including Pearson correlation and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF), identified coal combustion by-products, atmospheric deposition, and ash leachate as the dominant sources of contamination, with minor contributions from domestic and agricultural runoff. The findings underscore the urgent need for pollution control, regular monitoring, and site-specific remediation strategies to protect both ecological and human health in coal-affected aquatic systems.
PMID:41266830 | DOI:10.1007/s10653-025-02882-2