Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

A Randomised Controlled Trial Evaluating 3-Year Survival Rates and Technical Complications of Screw-Retained Hybrid Abutment Crowns on Two-Piece Zirconia and Titanium Implants

Clin Oral Implants Res. 2025 Apr 29. doi: 10.1111/clr.14443. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study compares the cumulative survival and technical complications of screw-retained implant-supported lithium disilicate crowns (SICs) on polyether ketone ketone (PEKK) base abutments and zirconia implants with those of titanium base abutments and titanium implants.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty participants were randomly and evenly assigned to receive zirconia or titanium implants. Survival and technical complications were assessed at 6 weeks after crown placement (baseline) up to 36 months. The cumulative survival of the SICs was analysed as a non-inferiority design, assuming that the difference between the titanium group and the zirconia group is not more than 10%. Technical complications were assessed based on modified USPHS criteria and Pink Aesthetic Score (PES).

RESULTS: In the zirconia group, three early implant failures occurred; all of them were successfully revised. After baseline, three implants in the zirconia group were lost due to insufficient osseointegration, and therefore the SICs have to be categorised as failures even though none of the SICs failed. The non-inferiority of the zirconia group could not be confirmed, as the cumulative survival was 10.7% lower compared to the titanium group (100%). The technical complication rate was low, with no statistically significant difference between the groups. The PESs improved significantly compared to baseline, with no significant difference between the groups at 12 months.

CONCLUSION: Hybrid abutment SICs with PEKK base abutments on two-piece zirconia implants could be an alternative to hybrid abutments SICs with titanium base on titanium implants. However, the lower osseointegration rate of the zirconia implants has to be considered.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered in the German Clinical Trial Register (Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien) (number: DRKS00014866).

PMID:40297919 | DOI:10.1111/clr.14443

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

The Julian Assange case and its implications for expert witness evidence

Med Sci Law. 2025 Apr 29:258024251328790. doi: 10.1177/00258024251328790. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The recent Julian Assange case raised a number of important issues regarding the role of expert witnesses in court. While written from a personal perspective, this paper will suggest that these issues need much fuller discussion than they have received to date. They will be discussed in the context of what actually happened in this case, the details of which were reported only sketchily (and sometimes inaccurately) in the press. First, there is the question of what is properly a medical or a legal responsibility. A second issue concerns whether re-litigation of already determined matters should be permitted in higher courts, when the expert does not have the opportunity to respond. A third matter involves the apparently differing professional views and ethos of the legal and other professions regarding matters of personal privacy for non-participants, particularly with respect to the safeguarding of children. Other issues include the language which may be used by some lawyers in criticising expert testimony, the protection of experts from potentially libellous reporting in the press, and the use and abuse of diagnostic classifications, such as the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). These various matters have implications for larger concerns regarding the recruitment of suitable expert witnesses to the courts.

PMID:40297917 | DOI:10.1177/00258024251328790

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Robust error calibration for serial crystallography

Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol. 2025 May 1. doi: 10.1107/S2059798325002852. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Serial crystallography is an important technique with unique abilities to resolve enzymatic transition states, minimize radiation damage to sensitive metalloenzymes and perform de novo structure determination from micrometre-sized crystals. This technique requires the merging of data from thousands of crystals, making manual identification of errant crystals unfeasible. cctbx.xfel.merge uses filtering to remove problematic data. However, this process is imperfect, and data reduction must be robust to outliers. We add robustness to cctbx.xfel.merge at the step of uncertainty determination for reflection intensities. This step is a critical point for robustness because it is the first step where the data sets are considered as a whole, as opposed to individual lattices. Robustness is conferred by reformulating the error-calibration procedure to have fewer and less stringent statistical assumptions and incorporating the ability to down-weight low-quality lattices. We then apply this method to five macromolecular XFEL data sets and observe the improvements to each. The appropriateness of the intensity uncertainties is demonstrated through internal consistency. This is performed through theoretical CC1/2 and I/σ relationships and by weighted second moments, which use Wilson’s prior to connect intensity uncertainties with their expected distribution. This work presents new mathematical tools to analyze intensity statistics and demonstrates their effectiveness through the often underappreciated process of uncertainty analysis.

PMID:40297896 | DOI:10.1107/S2059798325002852

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Quantifying the impact of occupational stress on long-term sickness absence due to mental disorders

Work. 2025 Mar;80(3):1137-1143. doi: 10.1177/10519815241289654. Epub 2024 Oct 21.

ABSTRACT

BackgroundWork-related stressors are a significant predictor of long-term sickness absence due to mental disorders (LTSA-MD) issues.ObjectiveTo examine the relationship between work-related stressors and LTSA-MD among Japanese public servants.MethodsA retrospective cohort study design was utilized, analyzing data from public servants in City A, Japan, who underwent mandatory annual stress checks from 2011 to 2020. The study focused on LTSA-MD instances lasting over three months due to mental disorders. The Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ) was employed to measure occupational stress factors. Cox Hazard Models adjusted for demographic and occupational variables were used to examine the relationship between BJSQ sub-items and the onset of LTSA-MD.ResultsAmong the 1026 LTSA-MD instances identified, an association was found between the scores of job stressors, stress responses, and job satisfaction of BJSQ with increased LTSA-MD risk, whereas social occupational support was not related.ConclusionsThe findings highlight the critical role of occupational stress, stress response, and job satisfaction in predicting LTSA-MD among Japanese public servants. Mitigating these factors could significantly reduce the risk of LTSA-MD, underscoring the importance of implementing targeted workplace interventions.

PMID:40297888 | DOI:10.1177/10519815241289654

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Safety climate, safety behavior, injury experience, and musculoskeletal disorders among Iranian manufacturing employees: A structural equation modeling study

Work. 2025 Mar;80(3):1066-1075. doi: 10.1177/10519815241289697. Epub 2024 Nov 25.

ABSTRACT

BackgroundWhile safety climate and performance are extensively studied, few research studies have explored the relationship between safety climate and both retrospective and prospective indicators of safety performance.ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the relationships between safety climate, safety behavior, musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) symptoms, and injury experience in manufacturing using structural equation modeling (SEM).MethodsThe study enrolled 409 employees from 15 manufacturing companies in Urmia, Iran in 2021. Data were collected using safety climate, safety behavior, and Nordic musculoskeletal disorders questionnaires. Occupational injury experiences from the past year were also recorded. SEM was used to analyze safety climate’s relationships with performance variables.ResultsA positive relationship was observed between safety climate and safety behavior (r = 0.38, p < 0.01). Symptoms of MSD correlated significantly with safety climate (r = -0.12, p < 0.05) and injury experience (r = 0.10, p < 0.05). A significant association was found between safety climate and safety behavior factors in the first model (ß = 0.19, p = 0.001). The overall fit indices for the proposed model were acceptable. SEM confirmed a significant association between safety climate and safety behavior (ß = 0.20, p = 0.001). However, no relationship was found between safety climate/behavior and injury experience or MSD symptoms.ConclusionsThe safety climate influenced safety behavior but had no effect on employees’ self-reported injuries or MSD symptoms. Enhancing workplaces safety climate could prevent unsafe behaviors. This study recommends exploring the association between safety climate and safety performance indicators, considering potential mediators and moderators.

PMID:40297885 | DOI:10.1177/10519815241289697

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Perception of musculoskeletal discomfort in university professors in a pandemic context: A cross-sectional pilot study

Work. 2025 Mar;80(3):1254-1264. doi: 10.1177/10519815241289718. Epub 2024 Nov 29.

ABSTRACT

BackgroundStudies show contradictory results on telework and MSDs, recommending investigating ergonomic factors and considering mental workload and inactivity.ObjectiveTo analyze the predictive association of mental workload, postural overload, and physical inactivity on the presence of MSDs in university professors in a pandemic context.MethodsA pilot cross-sectional study. An online self-administered questionnaire was used with the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) to assess MSDs, the NASA-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) for mental workload, The Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA) to quantify ergonomic risks, and a physical activity question. The data obtained were analyzed by descriptive statistics and the association between the independent and dependent variables by Chi-square and logistic regression with an α = 0.05.ResultsFifty-one university professors (58.8% female) participated. The frequency of MSDs was 82.3% and was most common in the neck region (62.7%). Significant associations of mental workload, postural overload, and physical inactivity on MSDs were found. Multiple predictive associations were observed between MSDs in the wrists and hands, chair postural overload, and physical inactivity (OR = 11.84 and OR = 15.38, respectively) while considering confounding variables such as gender, age, and BMI. In addition, MSDs in the upper back were observed with chair and mouse-keyboard postural overload (OR = 5.60 and OR = 7.59, respectively).ConclusionsPredictive associations exist between mental workload, postural overload, physical inactivity, and MSDs. In the post-COVID era, teleworking has become essential in universities, and it is crucial to plan for it to prevent the risk of musculoskeletal disorders.

PMID:40297884 | DOI:10.1177/10519815241289718

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Ergonomic criteria related to perceived comfort when using by-pass-type cutting tools

Work. 2025 Mar;80(3):1040-1052. doi: 10.1177/10519815241290000. Epub 2024 Nov 27.

ABSTRACT

BackgroundThe recurrent incompatibility between manual tools and human users is a drawback normally associated with the physical capacity of the worker. Hence, the conception and design of comfortable tools should consider the user experience.ObjectiveThis work looks forward to identifying key descriptors influencing the comfort experience, through the usage assessment of a by-pass-type manual cutting tool (pruning scissors).MethodsThis was a cross-sectional research which was carried out in three stages: (i) Identification of the relevant descriptors using a documented review, (ii) Identification of the relevant descriptors through the user experience, which is documented using semi-structured interviews (n = 20), and (iii) Evaluation and grading of the identified descriptors through interviews and the semantic-differential-methodology application (n = 50).ResultsData were evaluated using descriptive-statistics tools, which allowed us to identify comfort descriptors not included in the literature. Similarly, data were treated using the principal component analysis technique (PCA).ConclusionsIt was found that comfort and discomfort behave like two opposites on a continuum scale and that perception changes according to the tool and the specific task in which the user is immersed. On the other hand, it was figured out that tool appearance or aesthetics are not related to comfort.

PMID:40297881 | DOI:10.1177/10519815241290000

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Accommodation requests among older workers: The role of disability acceptance and other psychosocial factors

Work. 2025 Mar;80(3):1053-1065. doi: 10.1177/10519815241289823. Epub 2024 Nov 13.

ABSTRACT

BackgroundWith an aging workforce becoming increasingly prevalent in the United States, the intersection of older age and disability presents significant challenges for employment, particularly in the context of workplace accommodations.ObjectiveThis study aimed to elucidate the psychosocial factors influencing older workers’ requests and receipts of job accommodations, focusing on the pivotal role of disability acceptance.MethodsEmploying a quantitative approach, we included 217 older workers (50 years and older) across various employment sectors, analyzing their experiences with accommodation requests, workplace support, knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and levels of disability acceptance.ResultsLogistic regression models revealed that perceived workplace support significantly predicted the likelihood of requesting and receiving accommodations, whereas disability acceptance, despite its hypothesized importance, did not emerge as a significant predictor in our models. Results highlight the critical role of workplace support in facilitating accommodation processes for older workers and suggest that interventions to increase ADA awareness and foster supportive work environments may enhance accommodation outcomes.ConclusionThis study contributes to a nuanced understanding of the dynamics surrounding accommodation requests among the aging workforce, emphasizing the need for inclusive workplace practices and policies.

PMID:40297879 | DOI:10.1177/10519815241289823

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Zoonotic health hazards to Polish firefighters during rescue and fire-fighting operations

Work. 2025 Mar;80(3):1223-1230. doi: 10.1177/10519815241291417. Epub 2024 Nov 27.

ABSTRACT

BackgroundThe profession of a firefighter is classified as a profession with a very high level of risk. Serving in Rescue and Firefighting Unit (RFU) involves participating in intervention activities, including fighting fires, removing the effects of technical failures and natural disasters, rescuing people and animals, and specialized activities.ObjectiveThe analysis of zoonotic health hazards to firefighters during fire and rescue operations from 2020 to 2022.Materials and MethodsThe analysis covered the data from the Human Resources Office of the State Fire Service Headquarters, from the Department of Occupational Health and Safety and Health Prevention. Data collected from all over Poland in the form of an annual analysis of the accident rate. For the purposes of further analysis and calculations, several definitions were adopted: animal evacuation, animal relocation, access to animals.ResultsIn the years 2020-2022, 67 firefighter injuries of animal origin were registered: animals, birds, as well as hymenopteran insects (stings), and ticks (bites). Interventions involving animals accounted for 8.8% of all firefighter operations. An analysis was conducted to identify the most common cause (species) and location (body area) of firefighter injuries in rescue and firefighting operations with animals. The most common cause of injuries was identified (species): dog (13%), cat (31%), hymenoptera (25%) and the location of injury to firefighters (body area): hand (55%), head (16%).ConclusionsThe overall number of injuries is small compared to the number of incidents with animals, which may be related to good firefighter protection and effective procedures. To avoid zoonotic injuries to the palm area, fire trucks should be provided with a set of general-use veterinary gloves + disposable nitrile gloves that will ensure hygiene when used by many people. The interventions towards animals throughout Poland are on a large scale, which creates a health risk for firefighters, as rescued animals under stress and towards strangers behave in an unpredictable manner, adequate to a given stress reaction.

PMID:40297875 | DOI:10.1177/10519815241291417

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Association of gender-based discrimination and burnout among faculty in an urban academic medical center

Work. 2025 Mar;80(3):1231-1243. doi: 10.1177/10519815241290607. Epub 2024 Nov 14.

ABSTRACT

BackgroundBurnout in physician and scientist faculty threatens professional satisfaction, mental health, and work quality while impacting women more than men. Women experience gender mistreatment more often than men, which may impact burnout.ObjectiveTo determine the differences in burnout, discrimination and harassment by gender, and whether these variables were associated with burnout in physician and scientist faculty.MethodsAn anonymous cross-sectional survey from November 2018 through February 2019 was conducted in physician and scientist faculty at a large urban hospital. Survey instruments included MaslachBurnout Inventory-2, gender-based discrimination and harassment questions, and demographic and professional characteristics.ResultsOf 4156 faculty, 1497 (36%) provided gender identification and were included in analyses. Women experienced burnout at higher rates than men (30.9% vs. 23.3%, p = 0.002). Women also experienced gender discrimination and gender harassment at 11 (25.0% vs 2.3%, p < 0.001) and 5.7 (13.0% vs 2.3%, p < 0.001) times the rate of men, respectively. In a multivariable analysis, gender-based discrimination and harassment was associated with burnout among women (OR 1.65, p = 0.035) and overall (OR 1.65, p = 0.017), but not among men. In men, those aged 40-60 experienced increased burnout compared to those aged >60 (OR 2.67, p = 0.017). For all participants, burnout was associated with depression symptoms, poor work life integration, and lower leadership scores.ConclusionBurnout is prevalent in both men and women physicians and scientists, but correlates vary by gender. Findings suggest that interventions to reduce burnout should account for gender differences, target leadership behaviors and address gender bias and mistreatment.

PMID:40297874 | DOI:10.1177/10519815241290607