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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Biological maturation and sex differences of cholinergic sweating in prepubertal children to young adults

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2025 Apr 15. doi: 10.1111/nyas.15331. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Compared to adults, prepubertal children exhibit underdeveloped cholinergic sweating. How maturation affects cholinergic sweating through early adulthood remains unclear. We assessed the influence of age and sex on cholinergic sweating, including seasonal acclimatization, in groups of prepubescent to young adult males and females. A total of 405 children and adolescents (ages 6-17; 229 boys and 176 girls) and 52 young adults (ages 18-25; 25 males and 27 females) underwent pilocarpine iontophoresis on the ventral forearm to induce cholinergic sweating during summer (n = 111) and non-summer (n = 457). Sweat gland output, calculated as sweat rate divided by activated sweat gland density, was compared between sexes and across age groups in 2-year intervals until age 17. We observed statistically significant sex-related differences in sweat gland output in children as young as 8-9 years of age, with even greater differences between sexes in groups 14-15 years of age and older. The changes in cholinergic sweating function occurred independently of maturational changes in body morphology. Our results offer insight into the sex differences in cholinergic sweating activity during maturation from childhood to adolescence.

PMID:40233267 | DOI:10.1111/nyas.15331

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Changes in recent practices in research and publishing: A view from the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition

J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn. 2025 Apr 14. doi: 10.1037/xlm0001487. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This short review summarizes the ways in which articles published in Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition have changed over the past 25 years, with a special focus on the 6 years of my recently completed editorial term (2018-2024). We evaluated the content of articles in the journal with respect to areas of priority outlined in my inaugural Editorial (Benjamin, 2019), including sample sizes, statistical approaches, and a number of other factors. Enhancements that stand to increase replicability, reproducibility, and open scientific exchange are evident but in certain areas are more modest than others. Establishing changes to a scientific culture requires consistent assays of the field and its behaviors, as well as a long time horizon for measuring change. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

PMID:40232832 | DOI:10.1037/xlm0001487

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Causal relationship between gut microbiota and pyogenic arthritis: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study

J Med Microbiol. 2025 Apr;74(4). doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.002004.

ABSTRACT

Introduction. Accumulating evidence indicates a significant association between gut microbiota and the risk of developing pyogenic arthritis (PA). However, their causal relationship has yet to be elucidated.Hypothesis. The gut microbiota is causally associated with the risk of PA.Aim. The Mendelian randomization (MR) methodology was employed to assess the potential causal effects of gut microbiota on the susceptibility to PA.Methodology. A two-sample MR study was performed using the summary statistics of gut microbiota from the largest available genome-wide association study meta-analysis (n=13,266) conducted by the MiBioGen consortium. The summary statistics of PA were obtained from the R11 release data provided by the FinnGen consortium (2,441 cases and 2,87,796 controls). Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) model, weighted median estimator model, weighted model-based method and MR-Egger regression (MER) model were used to examine the causal association between gut microbiota and PA. To assess the heterogeneity and pleiotropic effects of the identified instrumental variables (IVs), we utilized several analytical methods, including the leave-one-out sensitivity analysis, the MR Pleiotropy Residual Sum and Outlier test and Cochran’s Q test.Results. Utilizing the IVW method, we identified six bacterial traits that were negatively correlated with PA: Eubacterium eligens group [OR: 0.6057; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 0.4525 to 0.8107; P=0.0007], Barnesiella (OR: 0.7456; 95 % CI: 0.5760 to 0.9651; P=0.0258), Coprococcus2 (OR: 0.7257; 95 % CI: 0.5352 to 0.9840; P=0.0391), Ruminococcaceae UCG005 (OR: 0.7562; 95 % CI: 0.5920 to 0.9660; P=0.0252), E. oxidoreducens group (OR: 0.7311; 95 % CI: 0.5547 to 0.9637; P=0.0262) and Lachnospiraceae FCS020 group (OR: 0.7825; 95 % CI: 0.6135 to 0.9981; P=0.0482), respectively. On the contrary, four bacterial traits were positively correlated with PA: Adlercreutzia (OR 1.3210, 95 % CI 1.0181-1.7141, P=0.0362), Holdemania (OR 1.2239, 95 % CI 1.0013-1.4960, P=0.0485), Anaerostipes (OR 1.3614, 95 % CI 1.0189-1.8191, P=0.0369) and Butyricimonas (OR 1.2627, 95 % CI 1.0016-1.5921, P=0.0484), respectively. No significant heterogeneity among IVs or evidence of horizontal pleiotropy was detected.Conclusion. Our research demonstrates a potential causal link between various gut microbiota and the risk of PA. Further research is imperative to elucidate the mechanisms by which gut microbiota influence the pathogenesis of PA.

PMID:40232815 | DOI:10.1099/jmm.0.002004

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Final 3-year results from the EVIDENS study, an observational study of nivolumab in non-small cell lung cancer

Oncoimmunology. 2025 Dec;14(1):2492932. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2025.2492932. Epub 2025 Apr 15.

ABSTRACT

EVIDENS was a prospective, non-interventional, longitudinal study conducted in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving nivolumab in France. It recruited adults with pathologically confirmed NSCLC who initiated nivolumab between October 2016 and November 2017; the final results are reported here. Primary outcomes included baseline characteristics and 36-month overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes included progression free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), safety and health-related quality of life (HRQoL; assessed regardless of nivolumab continuation or interruption). Overall, 1423 patients were included in the analysis population (median age 66 years; non-squamous histology 69.1%; stage IV disease 91.5%; brain metastases 19.9%). Almost all patients (99.7%) had received prior chemotherapy, and most patients received nivolumab as second-line (73.5%) or later (26.1%) therapy. The 36-month OS rate was 19.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 17.5-22.0); OS was significantly shorter in patients with squamous versus non-squamous tumors (9.8 [95% CI 8.6-11.2] months vs 11.8 [95% CI 10.2-13.2] months; p = 0.005). The 36-month PFS rate was 8.8% (95% CI 7.3-10.4). The 12-month investigator-assessed best ORR in the overall population was 20.4%. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, smoking status, tumor histology, disease stage and liver metastasis independently predicted survival. Grade 3 and 4 treatment-related adverse events were reported in 8.0% and 0.8% of patients, respectively; eight treatment-related deaths occurred (0.005%). HRQoL was maintained with slight improvement throughout the study, without statistical significance. These results confirm that the real-world effectiveness and safety of nivolumab in these patients is similar to that observed in clinical trials.

PMID:40232811 | DOI:10.1080/2162402X.2025.2492932

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Teen Self-Report on Health Behaviors and Social-Emotional Wellbeing: United States, July 2021-December 2022

J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2025 Mar-Apr 01;46(2):e155-e161. doi: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000001350. Epub 2025 Feb 13.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Promoting health during adolescence can support long-term well-being, especially for teens diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), who face increased risks due to the disorder’s impact on development and health behaviors. ADHD is often associated with difficulties in social interactions, a higher likelihood of bullying involvement, and co-occurring mental health conditions. These factors may also be influenced by health factors such as physical activity, sleep quality, and screen time usage. Nationally representative teen self-reports provide a novel perspective on ADHD-related health outcomes compared with relying on parent reports.

METHOD: We used nationally representative data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and NHIS-Teen from July 2021 to December 2022, to examine teen-reported health and well-being factors, stratified by parent-reported ADHD diagnoses among teens aged 12 to 17 years. Weighted prevalence estimates and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) adjusting for teen age, sex, and family income, all with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were calculated.

RESULTS: Just over 10% of teens had ADHD and they reported higher prevalence of bullying victimization (aPR = 1.64, CI = 1.27-2.11), difficulties making friends (aPR = 1.83, CI = 1.15-2.90), difficulty getting out of bed (aPR = 1.29, CI = 1.02-1.64), irregular wake times (aPR = 2.17, CI = 1.45-3.25), and >4 hours daily screen time (aPR = 1.26, CI = 1.05-1.52) than teens without ADHD; teens with ADHD reported a lower prevalence of lacking peer support (aPR = 0.70, CI = 0.51-0.96).

CONCLUSION: Teens with ADHD face distinct challenges related to social-emotional well-being and health behaviors that support overall wellness. Findings may inform opportunities for health promotion among teens with ADHD.

PMID:40232808 | DOI:10.1097/DBP.0000000000001350

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

The statistical reader: The role of orthographic regularities in reading

J Exp Psychol Gen. 2025 Apr 14. doi: 10.1037/xge0001775. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Recent statistical learning views of reading posit that writing systems present to their readers a wide range of statistical regularities which are leveraged to process printed texts. While substantial research has focused on the “vertical” correlations between orthographic, phonological, and semantic units in a given writing system, here we employ information-theoretic measures to further consider “horizontal” regularities-the extent to which printed units predict and are predicted by other printed units, in one writing system compared to another. As a first step, we present a novel information-theoretic measure that captures how horizontal regularities constrain lexical access given the distribution of orthographic information in a writing system and considering realistic retinal and cognitive constraints. We then present a series of empirical studies serving as proof of concept, from both single-word reading experiments and analyses of eye movements during naturalistic reading, which examine how a reader who has internalized these regularities could leverage them for efficient uncertainty reduction regarding printed information while reading on-the-fly. Our findings converge on high-order general principles fleshed out in terms of explicit computational mechanisms that simultaneously apply to a wide range of writing systems and that can potentially explain behavioral outcomes across the trajectory of reading development and reading skill. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

PMID:40232803 | DOI:10.1037/xge0001775

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Profiles of risk and protective factors of women with breast cancer after 18 months: A latent profile analysis

Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2025 Apr 14. doi: 10.1037/ort0000845. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The present study aimed to identify profiles of women diagnosed with breast cancer 18 months postdiagnosis based on a combination of risk and protective factors. Additionally, the study aimed to examine various potential early predictors at 3 and 6 months postdiagnosis to determine their association with the identified profiles at 18 months postdiagnosis. The sample of the study consisted of 499 women with breast cancer from four oncology centers located in Finland, Portugal, Italy, and Israel. Women completed self-report questionnaires at three time points postdiagnosis: 3, 6, and 18 months. The measures utilized included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, the Distress Thermometer, a single item assessing self-efficacy, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, a single item of bounce-back ability, and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Four profiles were identified: Resilience, High distress, Moderate distress, and Bouncing back coupled with distress. The primary predictors across all profiles were anxiety and depression, followed by posttraumatic growth, posttraumatic stress, self-efficacy, and bounce-back ability. This study highlighted that the challenges associated with breast cancer begin at the time of diagnosis and persist beyond the completion of treatment. Early provision of psychosocial support may facilitate improved positive adjustment 18 months postdiagnosis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

PMID:40232757 | DOI:10.1037/ort0000845

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Robin M. Hogarth (1942-2024)

Am Psychol. 2025 Apr 14. doi: 10.1037/amp0001534. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Memorializes Robin M. Hogarth (1942-2024). Hogarth was a founder of the field of judgment and decision making (aka behavioral decision theory), which begat behavioral economics. His legacy includes 50 years of research, mentorship, outreach, and leadership. Robin’s scholarly contributions ranged from precise statistical analyses of specific questions (e.g., how best to combine estimates across judges) to equally rigorous examinations of big topics like causal reasoning, learning from experience, and the nature of intuition. He collaborated with scholars in fields from medicine to urban planning and with a remarkable cadre of PhD students at both the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Robin served as president of the major decision research societies in both the United States and Europe. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

PMID:40232756 | DOI:10.1037/amp0001534

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

A tutorial on using generative models to advance psychological science: Lessons from the reliability paradox

Psychol Methods. 2025 Apr 14. doi: 10.1037/met0000674. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Theories of individual differences are foundational to psychological and brain sciences, yet they are traditionally developed and tested using superficial summaries of data (e.g., mean response times) that are disconnected from our otherwise rich conceptual theories of behavior. To resolve this theory-description gap, we review the generative modeling approach, which involves formally specifying how behavior is generated within individuals, and in turn how generative mechanisms vary across individuals. Generative modeling shifts our focus away from estimating descriptive statistical “effects” toward estimating psychologically interpretable parameters, while simultaneously enhancing the reliability and validity of our measures. We demonstrate the utility of generative modeling in the context of the “reliability paradox,” a phenomenon wherein replicable group effects (e.g., Stroop effect) fail to capture individual differences (e.g., low test-retest reliability). Simulations and empirical data from the Implicit Association Test and Stroop, Flanker, Posner, and delay discounting tasks show that generative models yield (a) more theoretically informative parameters, and (b) higher test-retest reliability estimates relative to traditional approaches, illustrating their potential for enhancing theory development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

PMID:40232753 | DOI:10.1037/met0000674

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Investigating Statistical Conditions of Coevolutionary Signals that Enable Algorithmic Predictions of Protein Partners

J Chem Inf Model. 2025 Apr 15. doi: 10.1021/acs.jcim.5c00052. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study examines the statistical conditions of coevolutionary signals that allow algorithmic predictions of protein partners based on amino acid sequences rather than 3D structures. It introduces a Markov stochastic model that predicts the number of correct protein partners based on coevolutionary information. The model defines state probabilities using a Poisson mixture of normal distributions, with key parameters including the total number of protein sequences M, the coevolutionary information gap α, and variance σ02. The model suggests that algorithmic approaches that maximize coevolutionary information cannot effectively resolve partners in protein families with a large number of sequences M ≥ 100. The model shows that true-positive (TP) rates can be enhanced by disregarding mismatches among similar sequences. This approach allows a distinction, in terms of {α, σ02}, between optimized solutions with trivial errors and other degenerate solutions. Our findings enable the a priori classification of protein families where partners can be reliably predicted by ignoring trivial errors between similar sequences, advancing the understanding of coevolutionary models for large protein data sets.

PMID:40232741 | DOI:10.1021/acs.jcim.5c00052