Category: Statistics

Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2025 Jul 17;29(1):135. doi: 10.1007/s10006-025-01430-7.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: One of the challenges of orthognathic surgery (OS) is maintaining condylar position during osteosynthesis. It is believed that the post-surgical condylar position is related to postoperative morphological changes in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), as well as surgical stability.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to perform fractal analysis of the mandibular ramus in class II and class III patients undergoing OS, analyzing cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images one month before surgery (T0), one month after surgery (T1), and six to eight months after surgery (T2).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fractal analysis was performed on coronal and sagittal reconstructions. Regions of interest (ROIs) were selected for each patient and evaluated region. The ROIs underwent a processing method described by White & Rudolph in 1999. After processing, fractal analysis calculation was performed using the box-counting method by the “Fractal Box Count” function of the ImageJ software.

RESULTS: When examining the different periods (T0, T1, and T2) among class II and class III patients, no statistically significant differences were identified (p > 0.05). This finding suggests stability in the fractal characteristics of the analyzed region, regardless of skeletal class.

CONCLUSION: OS for correction of Class II and Class III malocclusions did not demonstrate a significant impact on the microstructure of the mandibular ramus over time.

PMID:40673961 | DOI:10.1007/s10006-025-01430-7

Abdom Radiol (NY). 2025 Jul 17. doi: 10.1007/s00261-025-05107-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of MultiVane (MV) sequence, which is a motion correction technique using rotating blades, for patients with uterine endometrial cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study enrolled 42 patients with histopathologically confirmed uterine endometrial cancer, who underwent preoperative MRI including sagittal T2-weighted images (T2WI) and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images (CE-T1WI) acquired using both turbo spin-echo (TSE) and MV sequences with approximately matched acquisition times. Two experienced radiologists independently evaluated all sagittal images. First, the readers assessed the degree of motion artifacts and measured the signal intensity of the tumor and myometrium to calculate the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and tumor-to-myometrium contrast ratio (CR). Second, the readers assessed the depth of myometrial invasion on sagittal T2WI and CE-T1WI acquired using TSE and MV sequences. Image quality and diagnostic performance for assessing myometrial invasion were compared between TSE and MV sequences.

RESULTS: Motion artifacts were significantly improved on MV sequence than on TSE sequence (p < 0.01). The SNR and CR were not significantly different between TSE and MV sequences (p > 0.05). Sensitivities, specificities, accuracies, and area under the curve for the diagnosis of myometrial invasion were slightly increased on MV sequence than on TSE sequence, but these differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: MV sequence contributes to the improvement of motion artifacts in the female pelvis without degrading SNR and CR of endometrial cancer and myometrium compared to TSE sequence. MV sequence did not significantly improve the diagnostic performance for assessing myometrial invasion in endometrial cancer, possibly due to the limited imaging plane and small sample size.

PMID:40673939 | DOI:10.1007/s00261-025-05107-3

J Neurophysiol. 2025 Jul 17. doi: 10.1152/jn.00060.2025. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Humans can effectively adapt to changes in the environment to maintain adequate motor performance in a vast range of situations. However, residual errors tend to persist when strong a priori assumptions about the statistical regularities of the environment are violated. In our study, we challenged the expectation that inanimate objects are usually at rest. To this end, we used a robotic interface to move a plate over which participants slid their finger while reaching towards a target. We found limited evidence of adaptation after prolonged exposure to this perturbation, and only when visual feedback about hand position was provided. Although participants were aware of the motion of the contact surface, explicit knowledge about its direction was limited. Our results provide important insights on the limits of adaptation to motion perturbation in the somatosensory system, which can inform the design of technology applications such as haptic interfaces and collaborative robots.

PMID:40673926 | DOI:10.1152/jn.00060.2025

Med Biol Eng Comput. 2025 Jul 17. doi: 10.1007/s11517-025-03419-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Echocardiography sequence segmentation is vital in modern cardiology. While the Segment Anything Model (SAM) excels in general segmentation, its direct use in echocardiography faces challenges due to complex cardiac anatomy and subtle ultrasound boundaries. We introduce SAID (Segment Anything with Implicit Decoding), a novel framework integrating implicit neural representations (INR) with SAM to enhance accuracy, adaptability, and robustness. SAID employs a Hiera-based encoder for multi-scale feature extraction and a Mask Unit Attention Decoder for fine detail capture, critical for cardiac delineation. Orthogonalization boosts feature diversity, and I $_{}^2$ Net improves handling of misaligned contextual features. Tested on CAMUS and EchoNet-Dynamics datasets, SAID outperforms state-of-the-art methods, achieving a Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) of 93.2% and Hausdorff Distance (HD95) of 5.02 mm on CAMUS, and a DSC of 92.3% and HD95 of 4.05 mm on EchoNet-Dynamics, confirming its efficacy and robustness for echocardiography sequence segmentation.

PMID:40673922 | DOI:10.1007/s11517-025-03419-6

Anal Bioanal Chem. 2025 Jul 17. doi: 10.1007/s00216-025-06010-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Pesticide contamination is a global challenge, threatening agricultural production and environmental safety. To address the urgent need for efficient and reliable pesticide detection methods, we developed a novel multi-channel colorimetric sensor array based on HAuCl₄-mediated oxidation reactions. This innovative system incorporates six distinct colorimetric channels coupled with advanced multivariate statistical analysis, enabling simultaneous detection and discrimination of multiple pesticide residues. Through systematic optimization of key reaction parameters, the developed sensor improved selectivity and classification accuracy, particularly for structurally similar pesticides. The platform successfully identifies 11 different classes of pesticides and distinguishes five specific pesticides across various concentration levels. This approach overcomes the limitations of traditional single-target detection methods by employing multi-parameter analysis for accurate pesticide identification. Notably, the proposed method offers several practical advantages, including simple operation, rapid detection (within 30 min), high sensitivity (detection limits of 6 μg/mL), and cost-effectiveness by eliminating the need for expensive instrumentation. These features make the developed sensor array particularly suitable for on-site pesticide screening and food safety monitoring applications.

PMID:40673917 | DOI:10.1007/s00216-025-06010-y

Rheumatol Int. 2025 Jul 17;45(8):174. doi: 10.1007/s00296-025-05913-4.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) displays varying disease activity over time. However, few studies have examined the association between disease activity and seasonal differences, and consequently, evidence of a seasonality in disease activity in axSpA is limited. We therefore aimed to study the variation in measures of disease activity, perceived well-being, and functional ability, including both patient-reported and objective measures throughout the year, and their relationship with seasons.

METHODS: Objective and patient-reported disease parameters from 44 987 assessments on 5197 individuals were retrieved from the Swedish Rheumatology Quality register. The variation in different measures of disease activity over the year was examined using generalized additive models with cyclic cubic splines.

RESULTS: Patient reported and objective measures of disease were found to vary congruently over the year, with a trend of decreased disease parameters in the spring. Mean CRP values showed a statistically significant variation throughout the year, with highest in July (7.35 mg/L) and lowest in March (6.88 mg/L). Significant seasonal variation was also seen in BASDAI (range of mean values 3.67-3.72), BASFI (2.79-2.87) and BASMI (3.26-3.31), with highest values in late summer, beginning of fall, or in the fall, respectively. In subgroup analysis, significant variation was only seen in subjects with a disease duration of more than 10 years.

CONCLUSION: Although a statistically significant seasonal variation in disease parameters was found, the absolute variation was close to none and may therefore be clinically irrelevant.

PMID:40673910 | DOI:10.1007/s00296-025-05913-4

J Interpers Violence. 2025 Jul 17:8862605251355623. doi: 10.1177/08862605251355623. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant changes in child maltreatment patterns, particularly due to lockdown measures and the transition to remote education. Despite the heightened risk, reports paradoxically indicate a decline in referrals and notifications related to child abuse during this period. This study seeks to contribute to the literature by assessing the impact of the pandemic on child sexual abuse cases in Turkey, a developing country, through a comparative analysis of pre-pandemic and pandemic-era data. A retrospective analysis was conducted on forensic reports and case records of individuals under the age of 18 who were referred by judicial authorities to forensic medicine units under allegations of sexual abuse. The study encompassed two distinct periods: the pre-pandemic phase (March 2018-August 2019) and the pandemic-related lockdown phase (March 2020-August 2021). Cases from the pandemic period were statistically compared with pre-pandemic cases using SPSS version 27.0. Of the analyzed cases, 63.6% (n = 232) were reported pre-pandemic, whereas 36.4% (n = 133) were reported during the pandemic. A significant increase was observed in victims under 12 years old, whereas cases involving older adolescents (15-17 years) declined (p < .05). Additionally, reports from mandated reporters decreased significantly, while parental reporting increased (p < .05). These findings underscore the necessity of strengthening child protection mechanisms, particularly during crises, to prevent underreporting and ensure timely interventions in future public health emergencies.

PMID:40673908 | DOI:10.1177/08862605251355623

Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Jul;21(7):e70480. doi: 10.1002/alz.70480.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The number of cases of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) is expected to triple in the United States in the next three decades. Food insecurity may be a risk factor for cognitive decline. However, studies exploring the relationship between food insecurity and individual cognitive domains within the United States remain limited.

METHODS: Data came from 1410 participants from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study. Food insecurity was assessed in 2013, and cognition was assessed using the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol in 2016.

RESULTS: The prevalence of food insecurity was 13.1%. After adjusting for all covariates, food insecurity was inversely associated with executive functioning (β = -1.47, 95% CI -2.65, -0.28) but not significantly associated with memory, language, visuospatial functioning, or orientation.

DISCUSSION: Further research is needed to understand how food insecurity may influence executive function over time and to explore potential underlying mechanisms for this association.

HIGHLIGHTS: After adjusting for age and sex with Bonferroni correction, food insecurity was inversely associated with scores on three of the five cognitive domains: memory (β = -2.67 95% CI -4.41, -0.94); executive functioning (β = -3.50 95% CI -4.62, -2.37); visuospatial (β = -3.18 95% CI -6.13, -0.24. After additional adjustment for other covariates, the inverse association between food insecurity and executive functioning remained statistically significant (β = -1.47 95% CI -2.65, -0.28). Other associations were attenuated and lost statistical significance.

PMID:40673354 | DOI:10.1002/alz.70480

Top Stroke Rehabil. 2025 Jul 17:1-9. doi: 10.1080/10749357.2025.2532424. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of Botulinum Toxin Type A (BoNT-A) injection and BoNT-A injection in combination with ESWT for post-stroke lower extremity ankle plantar flexor spasticity in this prospective, randomized cohort study.

METHODS: Patients with post-stroke ankle plantar flexor spasticity of 1+ or more on the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) were randomized into two groups. Group 1 (n:20): BoNT-A was injected into the gastrocnemius muscle, and conventional physical therapy exercises were performed. Group 2 (n:20): ESWT was applied to the gastrocnemius muscle in addition to the treatments in group 1. MAS, Brunnstrom Motor Recovery Stage (BMRS), ankle range of motion (ROM) measurement, clonus score (CS), Barthel Index (BI), Heckmatt measurements with ultrasonography, and visual analog scale (VAS) evaluations were performed on the patients.

RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups in any of the measured parameters at baseline or at any other time (p > 0.05). In both groups, there was a statistically significant improvement in all scores, except for the Heckmatt scores, after treatment compared to before treatment (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: ESWT treatment added to BoNT-A was not statistically significantly superior to BoNT-A in terms of MAS, BME, ROM, BI, Heckmatt grade, VAS, and CS. Our study did not observe the additional antispastic contribution of ESWT on spasticity.

PMID:40673341 | DOI:10.1080/10749357.2025.2532424

Prague Med Rep. 2025;126(2):75-81. doi: 10.14712/23362936.2025.12.

ABSTRACT

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is a multifactorial disease process with several factors influencing prognosis. CRC is associated with the expression of multiple cell proliferating markers such as Ki-67/MIB-1. This study was aimed to examine possible correlations between Ki-67 expression and the stage of colorectal carcinoma. This was a single centre prospective study including 93 patients who underwent surgery for colorectal carcinoma. Expression of Ki-67 was assessed by immunohistochemistry on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumour tissue blocks. Categorical variables data were presented as number with corresponding percentage. Continuous data were analysed using parametric tests as applicable and categorical data using nonparametric tests. The level of significance α = 0.05 and P-value &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The average Ki-67 expression was 77.66% (SD [standard deviation] = 9.68%) with a range of 60 to 90%. Patients with nodal involvement and larger size had a higher Ki-67 expression. To assess statistical significance, the cut-off for Ki-67 expression was set at 70%. Of 66, 48 (72.7%) adenocarcinomas and 12/18 (66.66%) mucinous adenocarcinomas had Ki-67 expression above cut-off as compared to signet ring cell variety. Ki-67 expression in colorectal carcinoma signifies mitotic activity of the tumour. Thus, it could be used as an adjunct to the existing diagnostic arsenal to help overcome its limitation in gauging the functional status of tissues.

PMID:40673324 | DOI:10.14712/23362936.2025.12