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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Efficacy and safety of multiple fluocinolone acetonide implants in diabetic macular oedema: comparison between first and second intravitreal injections

Eye (Lond). 2025 Jul 21. doi: 10.1038/s41433-025-03929-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy and safety between a first and a second injection of fluocinolone acetonide implants (FAc-I) in the treatment of diabetic macular oedema (DMO).

METHODS: This retrospective, multicentre cohort study included eyes with chronic DMO that received two consecutive FAc-I injections. We analysed visual and anatomical outcomes, additional DMO treatments, and intraocular pressure (IOP)-related adverse events.

RESULTS: We included 61 eyes from 44 patients. Stable or improved BCVA was observed in 100% of eyes after the first injection and in 93% after the second, demonstrating statistical equivalence within a ±15% margin (p = 0.005). Statistical equivalence was also found for the lowest CRT (±10% margin, p < 0.001) and for the proportion of eyes with ≥20% CRT decrease (±20% margin, p = 0.026). The proportion of patients requiring additional treatments during the first year was equivalent between injections (p = 0.036), with a therapeutic burden reduction of 63% and 59%, respectively. Regarding peak IOP, equivalence was observed between the two injections (±5 mmHg margin, p < 0.001). The incidence of OHT was numerically higher after the second injection (19.7% vs 11.5%, p = 0.302), but this difference was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION: Multiple FAc-I injections are a safe and effective treatment option for chronic DMO in real life. The second injection maintained similar functional and anatomical outcomes to the first, supporting the sustainability and repeatability of the treatment.

PMID:40691728 | DOI:10.1038/s41433-025-03929-5

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

OsteoStrong and bone health: a scoping review

Osteoporos Int. 2025 Jul 21. doi: 10.1007/s00198-025-07614-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Osteostrong proposes that exercise on proprietary machines once weekly for 10 minutes increases bone mineral density. Because OsteoStrong franchises are open/opening in multiple countries, healthcare providers must be able to answer questions about OsteoStrong’s efficacy and safety. Our objective was to synthesize current research on the efficacy and safety of OsteoStrong for healthcare providers who must be able to answer patients’ questions about OsteoStrong’s efficacy and safety.

METHODS: We conducted a rapid scoping review with searches in five databases. We included studies in English involving OsteoStrong machines, in any population and using any comparator, that measured falls, fractures, or bone strength. Screening and data abstraction were completed by two independent reviewers using Covidence. We used tables and descriptive statistics to chart data.

RESULTS: The search resulted in 1388 studies and nine were included; five were abstracts or unpublished. Seven studies were observational studies (e.g., case study/series, non-randomized trial) and two were randomized trials comparing OsteoStrong to exercise. There were no randomized controlled trials comparing OsteoStrong to a control group. Most studies had small sample sizes and potential conflicts of interest. The two largest studies included individuals on concurrent anti-resorptive treatment. Two of the trials reported on fractures, falls, or adverse events. Most trials reported on bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine and proximal femur. Effects on BMD were inconsistent across trials.

CONCLUSIONS: The research on OsteoStrong is mainly limited to small observational studies that are at risk of bias because of conflict of interest, imprecision, publication in a predatory journal, participants on anti-resorptive medications, or poor-quality research reporting. The effects of OsteoStrong on bone strength outcomes are inconsistent, and currently there is little data on safety of this intervention.

PMID:40691713 | DOI:10.1007/s00198-025-07614-x

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Clinical and radiographic evaluation of premixed bioceramic putty as an apical plug in nonvital immature anterior permanent teeth

Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 21;15(1):26487. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-11407-x.

ABSTRACT

Achieving an apical seal is critical for apexification treatment of nonvital immature teeth. While this is commonly accomplished using biocompatible mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), its limitations, such as prolonged setting time, discoloration, and challenging handling, have driven the search for alternative materials. This study aimed to compare the clinical and radiographic success of bioceramic putty Well-Root PT apical plug compared to MTA in the treatment of nonvital immature permanent incisors. Fifty immature nonvital maxillary permanent central incisors in thirty-eight children aged 8-11 years were randomly divided into two groups (25 teeth/group). Group I received MTA apical plugs, and Group II was treated with Well-Root PT apical plugs. Both groups were recalled at 6 and 12 months for clinical and radiographic evaluations. Statistical analysis was done for the gathered data. Both groups showed improved clinical signs and symptoms during all follow-up periods with no statistically significant difference. Regarding the periapical radiolucency (PAR) area, at twelve months, the mean PAR area in the Well-Root PT group was (0.14 ± 0.08) compared to (2.3 ± 0.9) in the MTA group, with highly statistically significant differences (p < 0.001). The mean periapical bone radiodensity in the Well-Root PT group was (178.2 ± 5.4) compared to (164.8 ± 9.4) in the MTA group at twelve-month follow-up, with highly statistically significant differences(p < 0.001). Well-Root PT, with its reduced technical sensitivity, demonstrates satisfactory clinical and radiographic success as an apical plug for nonvital immature permanent incisors compared to MTA.

PMID:40691703 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-11407-x

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Evaluation of zinc oxide nanoparticle coated elastomeric modules and it’s effect on Streptococcus mutans concentration and enamel mineralization – A randomized split mouth trial

Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 21;15(1):26474. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-11709-0.

ABSTRACT

To assess the long term effects of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle coated elastomeric modules on S. mutans concentration and enamel mineralization among orthodontic patients over a period of one year. A total of 16 patients were recruited for this study. Either the left or right maxillary lateral incisor received the coated module. Group I : ZnO coated elastomeric modules (N = 16); Group II: Non-coated elastomeric modules (N = 16). S. mutans in plaque was assessed at the end of 3 months and one year using Rt -PCR. Enamel mineralization was assessed by laser fluorescence at the end of one year. Integrity of the ZnO nanoparticle coating over a period of one month on a weekly basis was also assessed. Independent t-test was done to find the significant difference between the bivariate samples and intra-group comparison was done using paired t-test. Pearson’s correlation was done to determine the relationship between the variables. For all the statistical tests, p < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. S. mutans concentration at the end of three months and one year was higher in the non-coated group compared to the coated group but it was statistically significant only at the end of one year (p value = 0.032). Laser fluorescence values was higher for the non-coated group compared to the coated group which showed statistical significance (p = 0.020). ZnO coating of the modules showed evidence of disintegration of the coating after two weeks, with further deterioration of the coating at the end of one month. As elastomeric modules are changed periodically, this appears to be a viable option, especially since the nanoparticle release would be around the most common area of plaque retention.

PMID:40691696 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-11709-0

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

An ensemble deep learning model for author identification through multiple features

Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 21;15(1):26477. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-11596-5.

ABSTRACT

One of the challenges in the natural language processing is authorship identification. The proposed research will improve the accuracy and stability of authorship identification by creating a new deep learning framework that combines the features of various types in a self-attentive weighted ensemble framework. Our approach enhances generalization to a great extent by combining a wide range of writing styles representations such as statistical features, TF-IDF vectors, and Word2Vec embeddings. The different sets of features are fed through separate Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) so that the specific stylistic features can be extracted. More importantly, a self-attention mechanism is presented to smartly combine the results of these specialized CNNs so that the model can dynamically learn the significance of each type of features. The summation of the representation is then passed into a weighted SoftMax classifier with the aim of optimizing performance by taking advantage of the strengths of individual branches of the neural network. The suggested model was intensively tested on two different datasets, Dataset A, which included four authors, and Dataset B, which included thirty authors. Our method performed better than the baseline state-of-the-art methods by at least 3.09% and 4.45% on Dataset A and Dataset B respectively with accuracy of 80.29% and 78.44%, respectively. This self-attention-augmented multi-feature ensemble approach is very effective, with significant gains in state-of-the-art accuracy and robustness metrics of author identification.

PMID:40691694 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-11596-5

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

3D printing improves preoperative decision making for patient positioning and surgical approach selection for tibial plateau fractures

Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 22;15(1):26513. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-11995-8.

ABSTRACT

Treatment of complex tibial plateau fractures remains a challenging task in clinical practice. Sufficient and appropriate preoperative decision making is essential for optimal treatment success and ultimately influences patient outcomes. Recently, the novel technique of 3D printing has proven to be beneficial for the preoperative management in other joint regions. To investigate the impact of point-of-care 3D printing on the preoperative management of tibial plateau fractures, we asked 5 students, 10 surgical residents, 3 junior surgeons and 4 senior surgeons, to simulate the preoperative planning of 22 tibial plateau fractures (11 AO B and 11 AO C fractures) regarding the treatment concept, patient positioning, operative approach and implant selection and positioning. First with CT scans only, second with 3D volumetric reconstructions, and finally with 3D printed fracture models. We analyzed the inter- and intraobserver agreement and the subjective perceived confidence of the rater regarding his decision with the different imaging modalities across the different levels of professional experience. Statistics were performed using kappa values, percentage match (PM) analysis and a univariate one-way analysis of variance. The use of 3D printing had no effect on the interobserver reliability of treatment concept selection (PM CT 83% > 3DCT 83% > 3D 82%). However, descriptively higher kappa and percentage match values increased for agreement on patient positioning and surgical approach using 3D printed fracture models. In addition, the raters selected the implants that were actually used to treat the fractures in 63% of the cases. The subjective perceived certainty of the raters increased with the use of 3D printing technology from 45% (CT and 3DCT) to 60% (3D). Additionally, raters changed their treatment plan in 36% of the cases and gained additional information 76% of the time when using the 3D printed specimen. The use of 3D printed fracture models showed a trend toward higher interrater reliability of patient positioning and surgical approach for medical students and surgical residents, while experienced surgeons show less benefit. In addition, 3D-printed models supported implant pre-selection and increased subjective confidence, positively influencing preoperative planning.

PMID:40691693 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-11995-8

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Serum levels of trace elements in patients with prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Cancer Causes Control. 2025 Jul 21. doi: 10.1007/s10552-025-02041-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PC) is a major health concern and may be influenced by trace elements (TEs) like copper, selenium, manganese, and iron. This study aimed to analyze the difference in serum levels of these TEs in PC patients versus healthy controls.

METHODS: A comprehensive search for relevant literature was conducted across PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar, including studies up to December 2024. Data was analyzed using RevMan software, with standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for effect size. Subgroup analysis was carried out based on the method used to measure serum levels.

RESULTS: This study analyzed data from 12 articles, including serum copper levels in 11, selenium in 8, manganese in 4, and iron in 6. Serum copper levels were significantly higher in PC patients compared to controls (SMD: 1.85; 95% CI [0.85, 2.86]; p = 0.0003). In contrast, serum selenium levels were substantially lower in PC patients (SMD: – 2.45; 95% CI [- 3.84, – 1.05]; p = 0.0006). Although alterations were observed in serum manganese (SMD: – 0.57; 95% CI [- 2.61, 1.47]; p = 0.58) and iron (SMD: 0.63; 95% CI [- 1.51, 2.76]; p = 0.57) levels, these changes did not reach statistical significance. Subgroup analysis based on measurement methods revealed statistically significant differences between subgroups for copper, selenium, and iron, while no substantial subgroup difference was found for manganese.

CONCLUSION: The study identified significant changes in serum copper and selenium levels in PC patients, indicating their potential as biomarkers and enhancing our understanding of TE involvement in PC.

PMID:40691674 | DOI:10.1007/s10552-025-02041-z

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The influence of rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) on operating room and intensive care transfusion practices in major trauma bleeding: a prospective cohort study with historical control

Perioper Med (Lond). 2025 Jul 21;14(1):75. doi: 10.1186/s13741-025-00562-4.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in treatment, hemorrhage remains one of the leading causes of early death in trauma. Rapid, personalized treatment of coagulopathy in this population should therefore be a priority. The introduction of viscoelastic hemostatic assays may improve transfusion strategies.

METHODS: This prospective observational study aimed to compare the efficacy of a ROTEM-guided hemostatic treatment protocol for trauma patients with a historical control group who had received conventional coagulation testing. The study included adults with multiple trauma requiring transfusion (≥ 1 unit of RBC within 12 h). The aim was to compare transfusion requirements in the operating room, on the 1st and 2nd ICU days, the rate of massive transfusion, and the overall outcome. The data obtained were stored in a database and analyzed using Statistica™ 13.3 (Stat Soft Polska). A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Study was registered retrospectively at researchregistry.com (RR10995).

RESULTS: A total of 78 patients were compared. The number of RBC units transfused in the OR and on the 1st ICU day decreased significantly after implementation of the ROTEM treatment protocol (p = 0.01, p = 0.04). Fewer patients in the study group required RBC transfusion on the 1st and 2nd ICU days (p = 0.01, p = 0.003), as well as the number of patients requiring FFP transfusion in all examined periods of time (p = 0.02, p = 0.006, p = 0.01). While FFP use per patient in the OR and on the 1st ICU day was lower, it was not statistically significant. Fibrinogen substitution in the OR remained similar, but more patients from the study group received it on the 1st ICU day (13 vs. 5, p = 0.04). The need for other blood products and coagulation factors remained unchanged. MT incidence decreased significantly in the first 24 h (p = 0.02), while 30-day mortality remained unchanged.

CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of the ROTEM- guided hemostatic treatment protocol in trauma resulted in a changes in transfusion requirements and a reduction in the incidence of MT. ROTEM can be a useful clinical tool in the rapid and targeted management of bleeding trauma patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Researchregistry.com (RR10995).

PMID:40691642 | DOI:10.1186/s13741-025-00562-4

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Benchmarking ML in ADMET predictions: the practical impact of feature representations in ligand-based models

J Cheminform. 2025 Jul 21;17(1):108. doi: 10.1186/s13321-025-01041-0.

ABSTRACT

This study, focusing on predicting Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicology (ADMET) properties, addresses the key challenges of ML models trained using ligand-based representations. We propose a structured approach to data feature selection, taking a step beyond the conventional practice of combining different representations without systematic reasoning. Additionally, we enhance model evaluation methods by integrating cross-validation with statistical hypothesis testing, adding a layer of reliability to the model assessments. Our final evaluations include a practical scenario, where models trained on one source of data are evaluated on a different one. This approach aims to bolster the reliability of ADMET predictions, providing more dependable and informative model evaluations.Scientific contributionThis study provided a structured approach to feature selection. We improve model evaluation by combining cross-validation with statistical hypothesis testing, making results more reliable. The methodology used in our study can be generalized beyond feature selection, boosting the confidence in selected models which is crucial in a noisy domain such as the ADMET prediction tasks. Additionally, we assess how well models trained on one dataset perform on another, offering practical insights for using external data in drug discovery.

PMID:40691635 | DOI:10.1186/s13321-025-01041-0

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Gustatory thresholds and obesity: a comparative study of five main tastes

BMC Nutr. 2025 Jul 21;11(1):142. doi: 10.1186/s40795-025-01125-y.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Obesity is an important public health concern, which has dramatically grown in the last decades. Taste sensation determines food preferences and could contribute to obesity. Considering the conflicting results about the association of gustatory threshold and overweight/obesity status of individuals, this study designed to compare gustatory threshold of five main tastes (sweet, umami, salty, bitter, and sour) among individuals with overweight/obesity and with a normal BMI.

METHODS: In this case-control and population-based study, 100 adults participated, divided into two equal number of normal and overweight/obese groups. To measure gustatory threshold of sweet, umami, salty, bitter, and sour tastes, solutions of sucrose, monosodium glutamate, sodium chloride, quinine hydrochloride and citric acid were prepared respectively. Three millimeters of each solution was dropped on the right side of the posterior tongue, and the same volume of distilled water was dropped on the left side. The concentration at which the participant perceived the taste was considered the gustatory threshold. The data was analyzed in SPSS software version 22 with the Mann-Whitney test and Spearmen correlation coefficient.

RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were observed between the gustatory thresholds of the five main tastes among participants with normal BMI and with overweight/obesity. Moreover, among the numerical value of BMI and perceived concentrations of each of the tastes, no association was found (p value > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: According to the findings obtained from this study, no significant statistical difference in gustatory threshold of five main tastes was observed among individuals with overweight/obesity and normal weight.

PMID:40691631 | DOI:10.1186/s40795-025-01125-y