Category: Statistics

Clin Med Insights Cardiol. 2025 Jun 30;19:11795468251347777. doi: 10.1177/11795468251347777. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The effect of Sodium Glucose Co-Transporter 2 inhibitors on cardiovascular, renal, dyslipidemia, and inflammatory markers has not been analyzed simultaneously. The goal is to determine if SGLT2 inhibitors significantly reduce cardiovascular and renal mortality, and improve these health outcomes.

METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane Library and MEDLINE databases were used to conduct a comprehensive literature search from inception to September 2023. Randomized control trials with follow-up for at least 8 weeks, with a group taking SGLT2 inhibitors being compared with a group taking either placebo or other medication, in which cardiovascular outcomes, renal outcomes, lipid biomarkers, and inflammatory markers were reported as the primary outcomes were included. The statistical analyses were conducted using Review Manager with a random-effects model.

RESULTS: Thirteen studies comprising 92 920 patients were analyzed for several outcomes. The analysis revealed a significant reduction in overall mortality, death due to heart failure, cardiovascular causes, and renal causes in the SGLT2 inhibitor group as compared to placebo. Pooled results also revealed a significant reduction in the frequency of renal replacement therapy and renal composite endpoint in patients on SGLT2 inhibitors. There was also a significant reduction in IL-6, TNF-a, systolic blood pressure in the same group. On the other hand, Flow Mediated Dilation (FMD), lipid profile, and the incidence of amputations and fractures showed no significant associated SGLT2 inhibitor therapy.

CONCLUSION: Our analysis indicates that diabetics and non-diabetics suffering from cardiovascular and renal diseases experience a significant reduction in morbidity and mortality from SGLT2 inhibitor therapy, leading to a better prognosis of such conditions in the long-term.

PMID:40607064 | PMC:PMC12214313 | DOI:10.1177/11795468251347777

Front Mol Biosci. 2025 Jun 18;12:1635227. doi: 10.3389/fmolb.2025.1635227. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious clinical syndrome, with elevated serum uric acid (SUA) recognized as a potential modifiable risk factor. Nonetheless, the association between reduced SUA and the risk of AKI, along with the modification by kidney function on this association, is not well understood.

METHODS: All adult patients from Peking University First Hospital (PKUFH) were screened. The primary outcome was AKI during hospitalization. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) was utilized to examine the hypothesized non-linearity between AKI and SUA as a continuous variable. SUA was categorized into six groups and Poisson regression was applied to evaluate the association between SUA groups and AKI with 240-360 μmol/L as reference. Subgroup analysis was conducted in terms of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

RESULTS: Among 62,775 patients enrolled from PKUFH, 1,866 patients developed AKI (3.0%). The RCS plot showed a U-shaped association between SUA and AKI. Compared with reference group, SUA ≤ 180 μmol/L and >480 μmol/L exhibited a 2.17-fold and a 4.86-fold increased risk of AKI in the unadjusted model. After full adjustment, the associated risk of AKI in SUA ≤ 180 μmol/L (RR 1.92, 95% CI 1.57-2.36) and SUA > 480 μmol/L (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.03-1.34) was weakened but still demonstrated statistical significance. When stratified by eGFR, the U-shaped risk curve was much less steep in the subgroup with eGFR ≤ 45 mL/min/1.73 m².

CONCLUSION: This study reveals a U-shaped association between admission SUA and AKI risk. Kidney function is an important confounder for this association.

PMID:40607059 | PMC:PMC12213346 | DOI:10.3389/fmolb.2025.1635227

Front Nutr. 2025 Jun 18;12:1597065. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1597065. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Muscle strength is strongly associated with various physiological functions and health risks, with grip strength serving as a key indicator for its assessment. Currently, the relationship between novel obesity indices [Body Roundness Index (BRI), Conicity Index (CI), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR)] and grip strength remains unclear. The current study aimed to investigate the non-linear/threshold relationships between BRI, CI, WHtR, and grip strength.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was adopted to analyze the data of 9,356 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2011 and 2014. Researchers measured grip strength and calculated BRI, CI, and WHtR, while controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, and other covariates. Statistical analyses included linear regression, smooth curve fitting, and threshold effect models to evaluate non-linear/threshold relationships. The significance level was set at a p < 0.05, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported.

RESULTS: BRI, CI, and WHtR exhibited significant non-linear associations with grip strength. For BRI, values below 3.55 exhibited a strong positive effect on grip strength (β = 3.60, 95% CIs: 2.81-4.39), with weakened but persistent positive effects above this threshold (β = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.10-0.39). WHtR demonstrated a similar pattern, with a threshold set at 0.51: β = 62.46 (48.36-76.55) below and β = 6.47 (2.85-10.08) above. CI showed an inverted U-shaped relationship, shifting from positive (β = 15.87, 7.85-23.90) to negative (β = -9.98, -14.98 to -4.98, p < 0.01) at a threshold of 1.27.

CONCLUSION: In U. S. adults, BRI, CI, and WHtR exhibited non-linear and threshold-dependent associations with grip strength, suggesting that these indices can help refine the assessment of muscle strength. The findings indicate that integrating these indices could enhance the accuracy of risk stratification for muscle dysfunction, particularly in individuals with central obesity. Longitudinal studies are needed to further validate the causal relationships underlying these associations.

PMID:40607039 | PMC:PMC12213410 | DOI:10.3389/fnut.2025.1597065

Front Nutr. 2025 Jun 18;12:1578459. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1578459. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The rising global prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) poses a significant threat to women’s metabolic and reproductive health. The carbohydrate quality-particularly dietary fiber, glycemic index (GI), and glycemic load (GL)-in addressing metabolic and reproductive abnormalities remains debated due to the condition’s heterogeneity. “The ongoing debate regarding PCOS arises from its complexity and heterogeneity, including variations in clinical symptoms, underlying causes, and treatment responses.” This study aimed to perform a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials to examine the effects of high fiber and low glycemic index (LGI)/low glycemic load (LGL) dietary interventions on metabolic parameters in women with PCOS.

METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Ovid MEDLINE, and Scopus to identify eligible studies. The outcomes were reported as standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Heterogeneity among studies was evaluated using the chi-square test and the I² statistic.

RESULTS: The study showed high dietary fiber and LGI significantly reduced fasting glucose and insulin resistance. Both high fiber and the LGI diet significantly reduced triglycerides and Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), with fiber also increasing High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). High-fiber and LGI diets increased Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG) and reduced Free androgen index (FAI).

DISCUSSION: This meta-analysis highlights the significant benefits of optimizing dietary carbohydrate quality on glycolipid metabolism, sex hormone levels, and weight in women with PCOS. While further high-quality studies are needed, the findings suggest that dietary fiber and LGI/LGL consumption have distinct effects on metabolic parameters. Therefore, treatment strategies should incorporate personalized dietary interventions tailored to the specific needs of women with PCOS within a shared decision-making framework.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: www.crd.york.ac.uk, identifier PROSPERO CRD42024579681.

PMID:40607019 | PMC:PMC12213572 | DOI:10.3389/fnut.2025.1578459

Front Bioinform. 2025 Jun 18;5:1607119. doi: 10.3389/fbinf.2025.1607119. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

With the rapid development of high-density molecular marker chips and high-throughput sequencing technologies, genomic selection/prediction (GS/GP) has been widely applied in plant breeding. Arabidopsis thaliana, as a common model organism, provides important resources for dissecting genetic variation and evolutionary mechanisms of complex traits. Quantitative traits are typically influenced by multiple minor-effect genes, which are often functionally related and can be enriched within gene ontology (GO) pathways. However, optimizing marker subsets associated with these pathways to enhance GP performance remains challenging. In this study, we propose an improved GS framework called binGO-GS by integrating GO-based biological priors with a novel bin-based combinatorial SNP subset selection strategy. We evaluated the performance of binGO-GS on nine quantitative traits from two A. thaliana datasets, comprising nearly 1,000 samples and over 1.8 million SNPs. Compared with using either the full marker set or randomly selected markers with Genomic BLUP (GBLUP), binGO-GS achieved statistically significant improvements in prediction accuracy across all traits. Similar improvements were observed across six additional regression models when applying binGO-GS instead of the full marker set. Furthermore, the selected markers for identical or similar morphological traits exhibited consistent patterns in quantity and genomic distribution, supporting the polygenic model of complex quantitative traits driven by minor-effect genes. Taken together, binGO-GS offers a powerful and interpretable approach to enhance GS performance, providing a methodological reference for accelerating plant breeding and germplasm innovation.

PMID:40607015 | PMC:PMC12213587 | DOI:10.3389/fbinf.2025.1607119

Biol Psychiatry Glob Open Sci. 2025 May 7;5(5):100526. doi: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2025.100526. eCollection 2025 Sep.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) proposes 3 neurobiological systems that underlie individual differences in sensitivity to reward, punishment, and motivational conflicts. From a latent variable perspective, theoretical model structures can be identified based on empirical data. We applied exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses as well as structural equation modeling (SEM) with the aim of evaluating the RST neurobiological systems from biological phenotype indicators based on brain morphological organization.

METHODS: We analyzed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 300 healthy adults (128 female, 172 male) using gray matter volumes extracted through the Neuromorphometrics atlas, targeting RST-related brain systems. To assess the underlying structure of RST neurobiological systems, we used principal component analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and exploratory SEM, as well as its model hierarchy. All analyses were enhanced by advanced techniques such as parallel analysis and exploratory graph analysis.

RESULTS: The findings reveal a robust 4-factor model: the behavioral activation system, the combined behavioral inhibition and fight-flight-freeze system, and a dual constraint system with dorsal cortical stream and ventral cortical stream. The dorsal cortical stream exhibited significant integrative capacity, impacting the model hierarchy through top-down projections on all the other systems. Exploratory SEM provided the best fit to the MRI data, underscoring its suitability for summarizing neural substrate data.

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insights into the neurobiological foundations of RST, proposing a structural brain topology that is consistent with the theoretical proposal and emerging empirical evidence in human research. The results support the integration of psychological constructs with biological phenotypes.

PMID:40607008 | PMC:PMC12219347 | DOI:10.1016/j.bpsgos.2025.100526

Clin Transl Radiat Oncol. 2025 Jun 13;54:100993. doi: 10.1016/j.ctro.2025.100993. eCollection 2025 Sep.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To evaluate the dosimetric and toxicity profiles of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for prostate cancer, comparing cohorts with and without intraprostatic boost (IPB) to assess feasibility and safety of IPB, with particular attention to urethral and bladder dose and toxicity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed 349 patients with localized prostate cancer treated between 2018 and 2023. Of these, 266 received SBRT with IPB, and 83 received SBRT without IPB. Patients were treated using a robotic SBRT platform with fiducial tracking. Dosimetric parameters for the urethra, including D0.03cc, D0.3cc, and V40Gy, and for the bladder, including D0.03cc, D5cc, D10cc, and V37Gy, were evaluated. Acute and late toxicities were assessed using CTCAE criteria.

RESULTS: For the urethra, median values for D0.03cc, D0.3cc, and V40Gy, and for the bladder, median values D0.03cc, D5cc, D10cc, and V37Gy were compared and no statistically significant differences were observed between the two cohorts. Late urinary toxicity of grade 3 or higher occurred in 2.25 % of patients in the IPB group and 2.47 % in the no IPB group, with no grade 3 acute toxicities reported.

DISCUSSION: These findings support the use of SBRT using an IPB as a feasible and safe approach to achieve focal dose escalation to dominant intra-prostatic lesions (DILs) without significantly increasing urethra or bladder dose or toxicity. Future research should focus on standardizing DIL contouring, exploring adaptive planning techniques to increase accuracy, and prospectively studying toxicity and quality of life in patients treated with IPB with SBRT.

PMID:40607005 | PMC:PMC12209893 | DOI:10.1016/j.ctro.2025.100993

Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 2;15(1):23240. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-06175-7.

ABSTRACT

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disorder, yet its underlying molecular mechanisms remain puzzling. This study aimed to uncover the genes with a causal relationship to KOA using Mendelian randomization (MR), transcriptomic profiling, and machine learning methods. MR analysis was conducted utilizing expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data from the eQTLGen consortium alongside KOA-related GWAS summary statistics to identify candidate genes. Subsequently, differential expression analysis and WGCNA were applied to synovial tissue microarray datasets obtained from the GEO database. The intersecting genes were further refined using three machine learning algorithms: LASSO, random forest, and SVM-RFE. Diagnostic efficacy was assessed via ROC curve analysis and nomogram construction. Validation was ultimately performed using qPCR on clinical synovial tissue samples. Twelve genes with putative causal associations to KOA were identified, with MEG3 and MAPK3 emerging as the most diagnostically robust. Both exhibited high sensitivity and specificity in ROC analysis, and their differential expression was corroborated by qPCR. This study underscores the diagnostic utility of MEG3 and MAPK3 in KOA and offers a promising molecular framework for early disease detection. Nonetheless, validation in larger, independent cohorts and further mechanistic investigations are warranted to substantiate these findings.

PMID:40604047 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-06175-7

Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 2;15(1):23367. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-06389-9.

ABSTRACT

It is important to highlight that infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may trigger chronic inflammation in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), impacting to the key immune cells such B and T lymphocytes, leading to development of autoantibodies which might be potential to developed autoimmune phenomenon. This study represent the first investigation in Sudan designed to evaluate and determine the prevalence of Antinuclear autoantibody (ANA) among people living with HIV/AIDS by systematically charaterizing ANA staining patterns; distribution, frequency and their correlation with estimated endpoint titers and interplay of age -sex specific ANA patterns in the context of HIV infection post antiretroviral therapy era. Using Serum samples of one hundred and sixteen (116) HIV-infected patients admitted to two major Voluntary Testing and Counseling (VTC), of the HIV clinical centers at the Military Hospital and Bahri Hospital in Khartoum, Sudan, have been assessed for ANA screening. A total of 116 HIV confirmed cases, were screened for ANA autoantibodies using HEp-2 cell indirect immunofluorescent technique. out of 116 85/116 (73.3%) were showed positivity for ANA. the proportion of ANA positivity among the male group was higher than the female group, 49/65 (75.4%) and 36/51 (70.6%), respectively, but there are no significant statistical differences (p = 0.7). Interestingly, a high proportion of positivity for ANA were found in the older subject groups (aged 42-56 years and > 57 years), with rates of 80% for each. Furthermore, our study also showed that the predominant ANA patterns were nuclear fine-speckled (AC-4, 56.5%) followed by cytoplasmic fine granules (AC-20, 24.7%). This study suggests that HIV might induced chronic inflammation and trigger the production of autoantibodies with variable specificities, needing further studies to better understand the role of HIV-driven chronic inflammation in shaping autoimmune serological profiles in these patients.

PMID:40604026 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-06389-9

Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 2;15(1):23664. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-07694-z.

ABSTRACT

This study introduces new approach which combines the geometrical theory of diffraction (GTD) and the ray tracing (RT) method to analyze the produced scattering pattern due to a striking plane wave on a rough surface with random attributes regarding electromagnetic and statistical properties. The Fresnel equation-based model is utilized to determine the distribution of scattered power for both reflection from the region above the surface and transmission into the region beneath the surface. The polarization (direction of electric field) of the incident optical wave is also considered. The proposed algorithm addresses multi-bounce of striking ray, making it an advanced higher-order GTD-RT approach. The precision of the findings is validated by comparing them with scattering pattern data from empirical observations produced by a Radiant beam striking paper sheets with different roughness properties and different probabilistic characteristics. This study’s numerical results explore how the scattering pattern is influenced by surface degree of granularity, incidence angle, and light refraction coefficient of the rough surface. Additionally, first and second order scattering are calculated and compared. The second-order GTD-RT method provides slightly improved accuracy over the first-order method, especially for highly rough surfaces, but the enhancement remains marginal. Given its low average error (< 2.5%) and significantly lower computational cost, the first-order GTD-RT method offers a more practical and efficient solution for optical scattering analysis in rough surface scenarios. To validate the accuracy and reliability of the proposed model, a subset of the numerical results obtained in this study has been systematically compared with previously published findings derived using alternative analytical approaches, specifically the Geometrical Optics (GO) method and the second-order Kirchhoff approximation. These comparisons serve to highlight the consistency of the presented approach with established theoretical models and underscore its capability to accurately characterize the scattering behavior from rough surfaces under similar conditions.

PMID:40604003 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-07694-z