Category: Statistics

Pediatr Rep. 2026 Feb 4;18(1):23. doi: 10.3390/pediatric18010023.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a critical stage for establishing lifelong dietary habits and preventing non-communicable diseases through adequate intake of bioactive compounds. Numerous studies have thoroughly examined the antioxidant profile of traditional diets such as the Mediterranean diet. In contrast, current research provides limited insights into the antioxidant properties of foods typically consumed by Mexican adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: So, this study aimed to quantify the total phenolic compound (TPC) content and antioxidant capacity (AC) of frequently consumed foods and to estimate dietary intake in Mexican adolescents.

METHODOLOGY: The selected food groups were identified based on their frequency of consumption by 15% or more of the adolescent population, considering those that have demonstrated a sufficient quantity of antioxidants. It was analyzed TPC and ABTS•⁺ and DPPH• to determine the antiradical activity of the analyzed samples.

RESULTS: The estimated daily intake of TPC was 1484.01 mg GAE/person, while AC intake was 345.67 mg AAE/person (ABTS•⁺) and 5399.14 µmol TE/person (DPPH•). Cereals and fruits were the major contributors to total antioxidant intake, while the contribution of leafy vegetables and nuts was relatively low. The statistical analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between TPC and AC. The results of the study indicate the antioxidant potential of the adolescent diet.

CONCLUSIONS: Despite certain limitations, the values obtained from the study are comparable to those of other studies that employed similar methodologies. Consequently, promoting the early consumption of fresh plant-based foods rich in antioxidants, such as polyphenols, which can enhance the dietary profile and contribute to adolescents’ long-term health, constitutes a significant area of research.

PMID:41718435 | DOI:10.3390/pediatric18010023

Pediatr Rep. 2026 Feb 3;18(1):21. doi: 10.3390/pediatric18010021.

ABSTRACT

This study aims to establish diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for common pediatric nuclear medicine (NM) procedures performed within the Dubai Health sector. The established DRLs will serve as a benchmark for pediatric NM practice, supporting standardized healthcare delivery and guiding ongoing quality improvement and internal audit activities. Patient dose survey data were collected from the solo NM center within the Dubai Health sector. The study included common scintigraphy procedures using gamma cameras and the hybrid positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET/CT) procedures. Scintigraphy procedures include the dynamic and static renal scans, and ocular eye scans. The hybrid PET/CT procedures entail tumor/infection and neuroendocrine scans. Patient demographics, administered activities, CT doses, and study description were recorded. Both weight bands of <5, 5-<15, 15-<30, 30-<50, and 50-<80 kg, and age bands of <1, 1-<5, 5-<10, and 10-<15 years were considered. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the 25th percentile, median and 75th percentile of the dose distribution. The median value was used to establish the DRLs for the Dubai Health sector. The analyses revealed significant variation in the administered activities across the different pediatric NM procedures. The proposed DRLs for various pediatric NM procedures for the weight band 15-<30 kg are as follows: renal dynamic 98.4 MBq, renal static 96.2 MBq, ocular eyes 18.5 MBq, tumor/infection 155 MBq, and neuroendocrine 80 MBq. This work provides the first pediatric NM DRLs for the Dubai Health sector, offering a key reference for developing the local DRLs for the Emirate of Dubai. The findings indicate that achieving meaningful dose optimization will require systematic revision of existing imaging protocols, with targeted parameter adjustments informed by continuous dose monitoring and benchmarking to enhance patient safety and overall diagnostic quality.

PMID:41718433 | DOI:10.3390/pediatric18010021

Pediatr Rep. 2026 Jan 19;18(1):13. doi: 10.3390/pediatric18010013.

ABSTRACT

Background/Objectives: The effects of online physical activity (PA) interventions on executive function (EF) and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms are promising; nonetheless, their benefits for Latinx youth remain unclear. Methods: This study explores levels of adherence, cognitive and behavioral outcomes and acceptability of an online PA intervention, Zing Performance, among a Latinx youth sample; only a few of the participants completed their condition (n = 6). Results: There was wide variability in adherence levels at mid-treatment (n = 5) and high-level adherence at post-treatment (n = 2). A Mann-Whitney test yielded a statistically significant (p = 0.004) improvement in the treatment group’s inattention symptoms at mid-treatment (n = 5), compared to the Waitlist Control; (WLC; n = 6). EF and hyperactivity/impulsivity were not significantly different. Further, pre-, mid- and post-participant trajectory data revealed that one participant benefited significantly from treatment, one participant demonstrated little to no response to treatment, and most of the WLC participants remained in the severity ranges throughout the 12 weeks. The parents of the two children who completed treatment reported high levels of acceptability informally and on the quantitative measure. Conclusions: Exploratory findings support further investigation of Zing among Latinx families with cultural consideration to study procedures. The lessons learned from this study are valuable for future research procedures and interventions with this marginalized population.

PMID:41718425 | DOI:10.3390/pediatric18010013

Epigenomes. 2026 Feb 13;10(1):12. doi: 10.3390/epigenomes10010012.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Consumption of a Mediterranean diet (MD) has been associated with reduced incidence of non-communicable diseases and reduced overall mortality, with epigenomic effects representing plausible mediators. The aim of this pilot study was to explore potential epigenetic associations between DNA methylation markers in blood and adherence to an MD in pregnancy.

METHODS: Fifty-two pregnant women with high or low adherence to an MD throughout pregnancy, who participated in the BioMood ORIGINS study, were selected using an extremes-of-exposure design. DNA methylation (DNAm) profiles from whole blood were generated using the TWIST human methylome panel. We conducted both genome-wide and candidate gene-based differential methylation analyses to identify epigenetic variations between the study groups. Furthermore, we explored potential associations between blood methylation patterns and circulating inflammatory markers (GlycA, GlycB and SPC) previously observed to exhibit differential abundance in the same cohort of women.

RESULTS: There were no genome-wide significant differences in methylated dinucleotides between MD groups (p-value < 5 × 10^-8); however, a region-based analysis identified 2210 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) (FDR < 0.05, absolute maximum logFC > 1) annotated to 1537 genes, significantly enriched in metabolic, inflammatory and neuronal signaling pathways. Leveraging publicly available data, we replicated nine novel DMR associations. Changes in circulating phospholipid inflammatory markers were significantly associated with a small methylation difference in Lipin-1 (LPIN1), albeit with a small effect size (p-value < 5 × 10^-8). A look-up analysis of previously reported MD-associated genes in this cohort detected small but statistically significantly different methylation of CpGs located within collagen type XVIII alpha 1 (COL18A1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, coactivator 1 beta (PPARGC1B) gene regions.

CONCLUSIONS: We provide preliminary evidence for modest methylation changes in specific genes associated with adherence to an MD.

PMID:41718410 | DOI:10.3390/epigenomes10010012

Antibodies (Basel). 2026 Feb 6;15(1):13. doi: 10.3390/antib15010013.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Allergic features of anisakiasis, caused by ingestion of third-stage larvae of Anisakis simplex via raw or undercooked fish, manifest clinically as acute gastroallergic anisakiasis (GAA) or chronic urticaria with Anisakis sensitization (CU+). Differentiating these clinical phenotypes remains challenging. This study aimed to evaluate the maturation and avidity of specific antibodies (IgE, IgG4, IgG, and IgA) as biomarkers for discriminating between acute and chronic forms of anisakiasis.

METHODS: A prospective cohort of 65 patients from Madrid, Spain, was classified into three groups: GAA (n = 22), CU+ (n = 22), and chronic urticaria without sensitization (CU-, n = 21). Serum samples were analyzed for antigen-specific immunoglobulins using ELISA and Western blot. Avidity indices (AIs) were quantified through urea dissociation assays. Statistical comparisons and correlation analyses were performed to associate antibody avidity with clinical phenotype and demographic variables.

RESULTS: GAA patients exhibited significantly lower IgE avidity indices compared to CU+ individuals (mean AI: 79.9% vs. 88.5%), indicating a less mature IgE response during acute infection. Conversely, IgG4 and IgG avidity were elevated in GAA relative to CU+, reflecting an active but transient immune response. IgA antibodies were detected in both groups, although avidity differences lacked discriminatory capacity. No sex- or age-related differences in antibody avidity were observed. Longitudinal follow-up of GAA patients demonstrated an increase in IgE avidity over time.

CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative assessment of antibody avidity, particularly for IgE and IgG4, enhances understanding of A. simplex immunopathogenesis and serves as a valuable biomarker for distinguishing acute from chronic clinical presentations. These findings support the use of avidity indices in the diagnosis, staging, and clinical management of anisakiasis.

PMID:41718401 | DOI:10.3390/antib15010013

Pathophysiology. 2026 Feb 2;33(1):13. doi: 10.3390/pathophysiology33010013.

ABSTRACT

Background/Objectives: Although tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are key regulators in breast cancer, their differential expression, clinical relevance, and molecular roles remain unclear. This study aimed to compare the expression patterns of the four TIMPs in breast cancer and evaluate their molecular interactions and associated pathways through an integrated bioinformatic analysis. Methods: The expression of TIMPs and their correlations with MMPs were analyzed using the TCGA PanCancer, cBioPortal, and GEO datasets. Associations between TIMP expression and overall survival were assessed in the TCGA Breast Invasive Carcinoma PanCancer cohort. Pathway enrichment analysis was performed using GO, KEGG, and DAVID. The relationships between immune cell infiltration, stromal cells, and TIMP expression were assessed using the EPIC algorithm. Statistical analyses were performed using R. Results:TIMP1 was the only inhibitor overexpressed in breast tumors and showed significant associations with the Luminal B, HER2, TNBC, and normal-like subtypes, along with a modest increase across stages. TIMP2, TIMP3, and TIMP4 were downregulated in tumors. High expression of TIMP1 and TIMP4 correlated with better overall survival. TIMP1-associated genes were enriched in NF-kappa and PI3K-Akt signaling and actin cytoskeleton components. TIMP2 was linked to Hedgehog and MAPK pathways and actin-related elements. TIMP3 correlated with Hedgehog and PI3K-Akt signaling, DNA damage response, and membrane components. TIMP4 was associated with VEGF, MAPK, PI3K-Akt, DNA damage pathways, and actin organization. TIMP2 showed strong positive correlations with MMP2 and MMP14, while TIMP4 showed negative correlations with MMP1 and MMP9. Interestingly, we found a strong positive correlation between TIMP2 and TIMP3 with ADAM12, as well as between TIMP2 and TIMP3 with ADAM10, and negative correlations with ADAM15. The differential expression of TIMPs favors greater infiltration of immune cells related to tumor progression and poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. Conclusions: TIMPs display contrasting expression profiles and distinct pathway associations in breast cancer. TIMP1 emerges as the only consistently overexpressed inhibitor, while TIMP4 appears as a promising prognostic marker with unique MMP correlations that may influence tumor behaviors.

PMID:41718391 | DOI:10.3390/pathophysiology33010013

J Eye Mov Res. 2026 Feb 4;19(1):16. doi: 10.3390/jemr19010016.

ABSTRACT

Fluent word reading is a key literacy skill, yet the full extent of the oculomotor underpinnings in developing readers remains unknown. Rapid automatized naming (RAN) is a useful clinical measure that has been shown to predict word reading fluency. Here we use RAN scores to predict early, mid, and late local stages of word reading as measured by eye tracking in children who are at a critical time in their literacy development. Thirty-three children participated in two RAN tasks (rapid letter naming (RLN) and rapid digit naming (RDN)) and an eye-tracking task, which included sentence-level reading with an embedded target word. The eye-tracking measures of first fixation duration, regression path duration, and total word reading time were used as early, mid, and late local measures, respectively. RLN and RDN significantly predicted only the mid-stage of the reading process (regression path duration). Faster RLN and RDN times were associated with briefer regressions from target words. Preliminary results link behavioral RAN performance to a mid-stage oculomotor variable, indicating that children with slower RAN times may exhibit longer regressions during reading, suggesting possible difficulties with the integration of phonological processing skills.

PMID:41718376 | DOI:10.3390/jemr19010016

J Eye Mov Res. 2026 Feb 3;19(1):15. doi: 10.3390/jemr19010015.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to analyze, characterize, and compare the measurements of saccades that occurred during the positive and negative fusional vergence test (PFV and NFV, respectively) as a function of the disparity vergence demand. Thirty-four participants’ PFV and NFV amplitudes were measured in a haploscopic setup, recording eye movements with an Eyelink 1000 Plus (SR Research). The visual stimulus was a column of letters. Break and recovery points were determined objectively offline, and saccades were detected with a velocity-threshold-based method. A total of 13,103 and 14,381 saccades were detected during the measurement of the PFV and NFV ranges, respectively. Saccades followed the main sequence (ρ = 0.97, p < 0.001). The distributions of saccadic amplitudes during PFV and NFV differed significantly (U = 4.28, p < 0.001). The amplitude of saccades that occurred while fusion was maintained (median (IQR) 0.73 (0.92) deg) was significantly smaller than that of saccades during diplopia (2.10 (3.90) deg) (U = -75.63, p < 0.001). The distributions of saccade direction during the measurement of PFV and NFV amplitudes were statistically significantly different (p < 0.01). These findings contribute to a better understanding of how the visual system adjusts saccades in response to different disparity vergence demand during fusional vergence amplitudes evaluation.

PMID:41718375 | DOI:10.3390/jemr19010015

J Eye Mov Res. 2026 Jan 30;19(1):14. doi: 10.3390/jemr19010014.

ABSTRACT

Understanding how tacit knowledge embedded in visual materials is accessed and utilized during evaluation tasks remains a key challenge in human-computer interaction and visual expertise research. Although eye-tracking studies have identified systematic differences between experts and novices, findings remain inconsistent, particularly in art-related visual evaluation contexts. This study examines whether tacit aspects of visual evaluation can be inferred from gaze behavior by comparing individuals with and without formal art education. Visual evaluation was assessed using a structured, prompt-based task in which participants inspected artistic images and responded to items targeting specific visual elements. Eye movements were recorded using a screen-based eye-tracking system. Areas of Interest (AOIs) corresponding to correct-answer regions were defined a priori based on expert judgment and item prompts. Both AOI-level metrics (e.g., fixation count, mean, and total visit and gaze durations) and image-level metrics (e.g., fixation count, saccade count, and pupil size) were analyzed using appropriate parametric and non-parametric statistical tests. The results showed that participants with an art-education background produced more fixations within AOIs, exhibited longer mean and total AOI visit and gaze durations, and demonstrated lower saccade counts than participants without art education. These patterns indicate more systematic and goal-directed gaze behavior during visual evaluation, suggesting that formal art education may shape tacit visual evaluation strategies. The findings also highlight the potential of eye tracking as a methodological tool for studying expertise-related differences in visual evaluation processes.

PMID:41718374 | DOI:10.3390/jemr19010014

J Eye Mov Res. 2026 Jan 21;19(1):11. doi: 10.3390/jemr19010011.

ABSTRACT

Visual search behavior, influenced by expertise, prior knowledge, training, and visual fatigue, is crucial in ophthalmic diagnostics. This study investigates differences in eye-tracking strategies between novice and experienced eye care practitioners during fundus image interpretation. Forty-seven participants, including 37 novices (first- to fourth-year optometry students) and 10 experienced optometrists (≥2 years of experience), viewed 20 fundus images (10 normal, 10 abnormal) while their eye movements were recorded using an Eyelink1000 Plus gaze tracker (2000 Hz). Diagnostic and laterality accuracy were assessed, and statistical analyses were conducted using Sigma Plot 12.0. Results showed that experienced practitioners had significantly higher diagnostic accuracy (83 ± 6.3%) than novices (70 ± 12.9%, p < 0.005). Significant differences in oculomotor behavior were observed, including median latency (p < 0.001), while no significant differences were found in median peak velocity (p = 0.11) or laterality accuracy (p = 0.97). Diagnostic accuracy correlated with fixation count in novices (r = 0.54, p < 0.001), while laterality accuracy correlated with total dwelling time (r = -0.62, p < 0.005). The experienced practitioners demonstrated systematic and focused visual search patterns, whereas the novices exhibited unorganized scan paths. Enhancing training with visual feedback could improve fundus image analysis accuracy in novice clinicians.

PMID:41718371 | DOI:10.3390/jemr19010011