Category: Statistics

Parasit Vectors. 2025 Jul 12;18(1):281. doi: 10.1186/s13071-025-06926-5.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The two intestinal protozoan parasites Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium parvum cause infections in a wide spectrum of vertebrates and have also been shown to infect suitable hosts simultaneously. To investigate potential effects between these parasites and on host cells, a co-infection model with IPEC-J2 cells was established.

METHODS: Optimal infection conditions and several infection doses of both parasites were tested. The effect of Giardia growth medium on IPEC-J2 cells was analyzed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay, while the effect of different infection doses of each parasite on host cell viability was investigated by CellTiter Blue cell viability assay. For co-infection, IPEC-J2 cells were first infected with C. parvum sporozoites, and 3.5 h later, G. duodenalis trophozoites were added. Parasite propagation during single infection and co-infection were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) as well as immunofluorescent staining.

RESULTS: The infection with C. parvum sporozoites had no significant impact on cell viability, while G. duodenalis trophozoites affected cell culture in a dose dependent manner. The amount of gene copies of C. parvum in single and co-infected cells did not differ significantly, while statistically higher amounts of G. duodenalis gene copies in co-infected cell cultures were identified.

CONCLUSIONS: In this study, single infections and co-infections of IPEC-J2 cells with C. parvum and G. duodenalis were established and optimized over a period of 72 h.

PMID:40652254 | DOI:10.1186/s13071-025-06926-5

J Health Popul Nutr. 2025 Jul 12;44(1):253. doi: 10.1186/s41043-025-00959-3.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Infants categorized as large for gestational age (LGA) or with macrosomia face an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and metabolic syndrome. However, the epidemiological characteristics of LGA and macrosomia are not well understood. This study aims to describe these characteristics in detail.

METHODS: Descriptive statistical methods were employed to analyze the prevalence of large for gestational age (LGA) and macrosomia, as well as their distribution from 2014 to 2021, using data from the Guangdong Women and Children Health Information System. Retrospective data on birthweight, gender, method of delivery, maternal age, and household registration were collected. Additionally, the correlation between prevalence rates and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was assessed.

RESULTS: The study included data from 12,992,558 singleton live births for LGA and 12,999,759 for macrosomia. The overall prevalence of LGA and macrosomia in southern China between 2014 and 2021 was 8.59% and 2.33%, respectively. During the study period, the prevalence of LGA in preterm infants (13.64%) was significantly higher than in full-term infants (8.34%), while macrosomia occurred more frequently in full-term infants (2.43%) and male infants (2.98%). The prevalence of LGA and macrosomia in winter was 9.94% and 2.59%, respectively, much higher than in other seasons. Additionally, the rate of LGA and macrosomia among infants born to mothers of advanced maternal age (≥ 35 years) was 13.52% and 3.57%, significantly higher than the 7.79% and 2.17% observed among those born to mothers younger than 35 years. Furthermore, the nine cities in the Pearl River Delta region accounted for the majority of LGA and macrosomia cases in southern China from 2014 to 2021.

CONCLUSIONS: Between 2014 and 2021, the overall birth rate in southern China showed a declining trend, while the prevalence of large for gestational age (LGA) and macrosomia increased. The liberalization of China’s birth policy, coupled with the rise in advanced maternal and paternal ages, contributed to the higher rates of LGA and macrosomia. Additionally, most LGA infants may be born at an earlier gestational age. LGA and macrosomia are more commonly observed in winter, with birth peaks occurring at the beginning of the following year.

PMID:40652252 | DOI:10.1186/s41043-025-00959-3

Malar J. 2025 Jul 12;24(1):227. doi: 10.1186/s12936-025-05357-y.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Malaria is infectious disease with low occurrence in Brazil extra-Amazon Region. Despite this, higher lethality is observed in this region compared to the country’s endemic area. Therefore, this study aimed to analyse factors associated with malaria hospitalizations (severe malaria) in the extra-Amazon Region, in order to prevent deaths.

METHODS: A case-control design was used, utilizing data from the Brazilian Notifiable Diseases Information System (Sinan) and hospitalization records from the Unified Health System (SIH/SUS) from 2011 to 2019. Cases comprised hospitalized malaria patients, while controls included reported malaria notifications without hospitalization. Probabilistic record linkage techniques were employed, and associations were analysed using multiple logistic regression with a 0.05 significance level.

RESULTS: The main risk factors identified were: Black or mixed-race ethnicity (OR = 1.22; 95% CI 1.04-1.43), low education (elementary school OR = 2.21; 95% CI 1.78-2.75 or high school OR = 1.72; 95% CI 1.39-2.13), infection outside the extra-Amazon Region (Amazon Region OR = 1.50; 95% CI 1.15-1.96 or abroad OR = 1.72; 95% CI 1.28-2.32), high parasite count (501 to 10,000/mm³ OR = 1.51; 95% CI 1.27-1.80, 10,001 to 100,000/mm³ OR = 1.77; 95% CI 2.87-1.96 or higher than 100,000/mm³ OR = 3.15; 95% CI 2.20-4.50) and delayed treatment (after 3-7 days symptoms onset OR = 1.74; 95% CI 1.36-2.24 or 8 days or more OR = 2.08; 95% CI 1.62-2.66). Active case detection was a protective factor (OR = 0.65; 95% CI 0.54-0.78).

CONCLUSIONS: Delayed treatment remains a key factor in the occurrence of severe malaria, leading to high parasitaemia and revealing inequalities in access to healthcare based on socioeconomic differences. Travel to the Amazon Region or other countries also poses a challenge, requiring strengthened traveller health strategies and increased surveillance awareness to promptly suspect and identify cases.

PMID:40652249 | DOI:10.1186/s12936-025-05357-y

BMC Public Health. 2025 Jul 12;25(1):2437. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-23626-y.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: There is a dearth of studies focused on the impact of self-rated health on life satisfaction among large-bodied adolescents, as well as the moderating role of physical activity in this relationship. Large-bodied adolescents refers to young people (usually aged 10-19 years) whose body size falls within the overweight or obese range as defined by the World Health Organisation’s Growth Reference, based on age- and sex-specific body mass index (BMI) percentiles. This study aimed to address the gap in research by examining the association between self-rated health and life satisfaction in a diverse sample of large-bodied adolescents from 39 countries and regions in Europe and North America. The moderating role of physical activity in the association was also examined.

METHODS: The study analysed data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey, involving a sample of 24,839 large-bodied adolescents. Three sequential binary mixed effects logit models were fitted: the first assessing self-rated health alone, the second adjusting for multiple covariates, and the third incorporating an interaction term between physical activity and self-rated health. The analysis was performed using R Software (v4.1.2), with significance determined at a level of 0.05.

RESULTS: The results show that adolescents who rated their health as “poor” were a little more than six times (AOR = 6.32, 95%CI: 5.30-7.54, p < 0.001) as likely to report lower life satisfaction compared to those who rated their health as “excellent”. Those who rated their health as “good” had 1.71 times higher odds (AOR = 1.71, 95%CI: 1.44-2.04, p < 0.001) of reporting lower life satisfaction compared to those who rated their health as “excellent”. The analysis further indicated that physical activity plays a partial moderating role in the relationship between self-rated health and life satisfaction. Participants who considered themselves “somewhat active” reported higher life satisfaction compared to their “inactive” peers (AOR = 0.58, p = 0.031, 95% CI: 0.36-0.95).

CONCLUSIONS: The study supports the hypothesis that poorer self-rated health is associated with lower life satisfaction among large-bodied adolescents. It further suggests that increased physical activity can ‘partly’ buffer the negative effects of poor self-rated health on life satisfaction. These findings emphasise the importance of interventions promoting physical activity and positive self-care to improve general well-being in large-bodied adolescents.

PMID:40652245 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-025-23626-y

Environ Health. 2025 Jul 12;24(1):48. doi: 10.1186/s12940-025-01199-y.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Maternal prenatal exposures to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been linked to adverse birth outcomes. However, few investigations have considered paternal PFAS exposure. We estimated the parent-specific associations of prenatal PFAS exposures with adverse birth outcomes.

METHODS: This study included 498 couples from the INUENDO cohort recruited at antenatal care visits in Greenland, Poland, and Ukraine during 2002-2004. We measured five major types of PFAS in parental serum during pregnancy. We analyzed three birth outcomes ascertained from medical records, including gestational age, birth weight, and birth length. We used weighted least squares linear regression to evaluate parent-specific associations of serum PFAS with the birth outcomes, adjusting for parental co-exposures and covariates. We also used quantile g-computation for mixture modeling of the birth outcomes of paternal and/or maternal exposures to multiple PFAS.

RESULTS: No associations were found between maternal and paternal PFAS exposures and gestational age. However, after adjusting for paternal PFOA, a higher level of maternal serum perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) was linked to a tendency towards lower birth weight and shorter birth length. Paternal exposure to several PFAS was also associated with a tendency for shorter birth length, but the estimated effect sizes were small. We found no joint exposure effects in the mixture analyses.

CONCLUSIONS: While the evidence was inconclusive, maternal PFOA and paternal PFAS exposures seemed to be associated with lower offspring birth weight and shorter birth length, respectively. Parent-specific effects of PFAS exposures on offspring growth and development warrant further research.

PMID:40652244 | DOI:10.1186/s12940-025-01199-y

BMC Rheumatol. 2025 Jul 11;9(1):87. doi: 10.1186/s41927-025-00543-6.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a progressive autoimmune disease. During complex therapy, vitamin D supplementation could have an immunomodulatory effect and improve disease activity.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of vitamin D supplementation on laboratory parameters and the disease course among patients with RA.

METHODS: This prospective, randomized, parallel-group, double-blind study with a follow-up period of 6 months aimed to investigate the effects of 4000 IU/day vitamin D on visual analogue scale (VAS) and disease activity score-28 (DAS-28) scores among RA patients treated at the Rheumatology Clinic of the University Clinical Centre of Kosova. The study included 100 RA patients (82 women and 18 men) who were divided into two groups: patients with vitamin D supplementation and patients without vitamin D supplementation.

RESULTS: Our results revealed no significant differences in baseline clinical or laboratory parameters between the study groups. At the beginning of the study, to ensure homogeneity between the study groups, we compared inflammatory mediators between groups. We found no significant differences in the IL6 (H statistic of 1.79 for p.180), IL17 (H statistic of 0.015 for p.902), TNF (H statistic of 1.15 for p.284), ESR (H statistic of 0.085 for p.771) or CRP (H statistic of 1.45 for p.229) levels between the two groups. After six months of supplementation therapy, the vitamin D group showed significant differences in pain reduction (VAS score, U’=2245.5; P < 0.0001) and disease activity (DAS28 score, U’=2285.5; P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation with 4000 IU/day of vitamin D can potentially improve disease activity and pain management among RA patients after six months. However, further research is needed with a focus on longer patient follow-up periods to determine the long-term benefits of vitamin D in RA patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ID NCT06716476, Date of Registration 04.12.2024.

PMID:40646666 | DOI:10.1186/s41927-025-00543-6

J Health Popul Nutr. 2025 Jul 11;44(1):248. doi: 10.1186/s41043-025-00964-6.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The assessment of pilgrims’ knowledge and practices regarding food and water safety during Hajj may contribute to a reduction in foodborne disease (FBD) cases. Thus, the food safety knowledge and practices of consumers during Hajj and its association with FBD and demographic information were investigated in this study.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among pilgrims during Hajj 2023. A self-reported questionnaire comprising 4 sections (demographic data, pilgrims’ food safety knowledge and practice, and FBD) was distributed for data collecting. Statistical tests performed including one-way ANOVA, independent samples t-tests, Chi-square, and Pearson’s correlation.

RESULTS: Out of 409 pilgrims, 58% were females and 41% were males with a mean age of 38.9 years. The overall food safety knowledge level among pilgrims was above-average, while their overall food safety practice level was below-average. Those with higher education and employed had the highest knowledge score. Male and unemployed pilgrims had the highest practice score. FBD symptoms were associated with knowledge and practice (p = 0.002 and 0.0001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: The findings confirmed the above-average level of pilgrims’ food safety knowledge. Nevertheless, some risky practices during Hajj were reported. FBD and some factors were significantly associated with food safety knowledge and practices. This study suggests educational interventions to enhance pilgrims’ behaviors and practices towards food before and during Hajj.

PMID:40646665 | DOI:10.1186/s41043-025-00964-6

Infect Dis Poverty. 2025 Jul 11;14(1):66. doi: 10.1186/s40249-025-01320-w.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Malaria is a major worldwide health concern that impacts many individuals worldwide. P. falciparum is Africa’s main malaria cause. However, P. vivax share a large number in Ethiopia than any other countries in Africa, followed by the closest countries. This research aims to examine the spatiotemporal trends in the risk of malaria caused by P. falciparum and P. vivax in Ethiopia and other countries that share borders between 2011 and 2020.

METHODS: This study was carried-out in seven East African countries in 115 administration level 1 (region) settings. We used secondary data on two plasmodium parasites, P. falciparum, and P. vivax, between 2011 and 2020 from the Malaria Atlas Project. This study used a Bayesian setup with an integrated nested Laplace approximation to adopt spatiotemporal models.

RESULTS: We analyzed P. falciparum and P. vivax malaria incidence data from 2011 to 2020 in 115 regions. Between 2011 and 2020, all of South Sudan’s areas, Ethiopia’s Gambella region, and Kenya’s Homa Bay, Siaya, Busia, Kakamega, and Vihita regions were at a higher risk of contracting P. falciparum malaria than their neighbors in seven East African nations. However, the Southern Nations, nationalities, and people, as well as the Oromia, Harari, Afar, and Amhara areas in Ethiopia, and the Blue Nile in Sudan, are the regions with a higher risk of P. vivax malaria than their bordering regions. For both P. falciparum and P. vivax, the spatially coordinated main effect and the unstructured spatial effect show minimal fluctuation across and within 115 regions during the study period. Through a random walk across 115 regions, the time-structured effect of P. falciparum malaria risk shows linear increases, whereas the temporally structured effect of P. vivax shows increases from 2011 to 2014 and decreases from 2017 to 2020.

CONCLUSIONS: The global malaria control and eradication effort should concentrate particularly on the South Sudan and Ethiopia regions to provide more intervention control to lower the risk of malaria incidence in East African countries, as both countries have high levels of P. falciparum and P. vivax, respectively.

PMID:40646656 | DOI:10.1186/s40249-025-01320-w

Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2025 Jul 11;17(1):263. doi: 10.1186/s13098-025-01846-x.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Nutrient interactions with the gut microbiome modulate the development of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and cardiovascular disease. The dietary index for gut microbiota (DI-GM) is an innovative and comprehensive diet index to assess quality for health of gut microbiota.

METHOD: This is a cohort study from the interview date to the date of death or the end of follow-up (December 31, 2019). Involving 13,390 participants in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), including 3538 with MASLD and 9852 without MASLD. DI-GM was calculated using 14 foods and nutrients with clear positive or negative impacts on gut microbiota, and MASLD was assessed based on liver steatosis and cardiometabolic risk factors, with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality determined through probabilistic matching and death certificate review. Restricted Cubic Spline (RCS) analysis and Cox regression were palyed for the DI-GM-mortality correlation. Subgroup analyses to identify the interactive factors that influence their relationship in MASLD. Six sensitivity analyses reinforced findings.

RESULTS: MASLD participants exhibited lower DI-GM levels, which were statistically associated with higher mortality. Each DI-GM unit increase in MASLD was associated with a 13% lower all-cause mortality (HR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.78-0.98) and a 19.5% lower cardiovascular mortality (HR = 0.805, 95% CI 0.690-0.938). In advanced fibrosis MASLD, this increase was linked to a 20% lower cardiovascular mortality risk (HR = 0.800, 95% CI 0.691-0.927). Age and prediabetes significantly modified DI-GM’s effect on mortality risk.

CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed a significant inverse correlation between the DI-GM and all-cause/cardiovascular mortality in patients with MASLD, which provide dietary suggestions and guidance for MASLD patients in preventing early mortality. However, limitations such as the cross-sectional design, potential residual confounding, and population-specific generalizability should be considered when interpreting these findings.

PMID:40646653 | DOI:10.1186/s13098-025-01846-x

J Forensic Sci. 2025 Jul 11. doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.70131. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Biological evidence from sexual assaults frequently includes few male cells (i.e., spermatozoa) and numerous female cells (i.e., epithelial cells). In practice, their genetic analysis typically involves separating the victim’s cells from the perpetrator’s sperm using conventional differential extraction or advanced cell enrichment/capturing techniques. A descriptive study on simulated sexual assault samples was carried out by the recruitment of 10 heterosexual, monogamous couples. Post-coital swabs were collected before and after consensual sexual intercourse, with a sampling period of up to 96 h, and subjected to analysis to detect, quantify, and genotype adhering sperm by three distinct cell-separation techniques: differential extraction, laser capture microdissection, and DEPArray™. Methods differed in sperm detection and genotyping efficacy, while foreign DNA was identifiable up to 96 h. Time since intercourse and individuals were statistically significant factors (p ≤ 0.05) on male DNA yields, while hygienic behavior was not. Prior sperm enrichment was pivotal for cell capture technologies to counteract the abundance of epithelial cells, achieved by a prior mild digestion step for laser microdissection. Evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of standard and advanced methods provided a novel, comprehensive understanding of their merits, postulating that modern applications can assist conventional ones in challenging crime samples.

PMID:40646640 | DOI:10.1111/1556-4029.70131