Tag: pubmed

Intern Emerg Med. 2026 Jan 16. doi: 10.1007/s11739-025-04258-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This retrospective cohort study, conducted between December 2022 and December 2023, aims to observe the efficacy of bedside ultrasound-informed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in determining the possible etiology of cardiac arrest, increase the success rate of CPR, shorten the recovery of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) time, and improve the prognosis. The patients were placed into two groups: ultrasound and conventional, to find the causes of cardiac arrest and promptly address them. The differences in the discovery rate of the possible causes of cardiac arrest, CPR success rate, and ROSC time between the two groups of patients were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The effect of the right-sided peak systolic velocity (PSV) of the common carotid artery (CCA) (CCA-PSV) on the success rate of CPR was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The difference between the mean hospital stay and 28-day survival rate of the two groups was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The use of bedside ultrasound-informed CPR can help in determining the possible causes of cardiac arrest in some patients and can improve the success rate of CPR and shorten the time of ROSC. However, there was no significant difference in shortening the mean hospital stay and increasing the 28-day survival rate. A correlation was noted between the right-sided CCA-PSV and the CPR success rate and ROSC time in patients in the ultrasound group.

PMID:41543793 | DOI:10.1007/s11739-025-04258-x

J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2026 Jan 16. doi: 10.1007/s40615-025-02828-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Non-Hispanic (NH) Black birthing persons show the highest prevalence of low-risk cesareans (30.8%), compared to NH White birthing persons (25.3%). Individual, as well as place-based and ecological factors, may contribute to this racial disparity. We examine individual- and county-level characteristics that contribute to the racial disparity, as well as the extent to which the disparity can be attributed to differences in measured characteristics of racial groups. We retrieved data on all live births in the US, between 1998 to 2018, from natality files assembled by the National Center of Health Statistics Division of Vital Statistics. We conduct an Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition of all low-risk births (> 11 million) from all counties in the US. We find that differences in measured characteristics comprise 47.5% of the racial disparity. Older maternal age, higher birthweight percentile, and unmarried status contribute the greatest towards widening the disparity, whereas contextual factors, such as county-level poverty and education, play a more complex and nuanced role. Given that over half of the disparity remains unexplained, it indicates that unmeasured differences – either due to treatment of racial groups, patient preferences, or other healthcare supply-side factors – could play a significant role. Future research should investigate additional antecedents of low-risk cesareans among NH Black birthing persons.

PMID:41543787 | DOI:10.1007/s40615-025-02828-5

Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2026 Jan 16;313(1):45. doi: 10.1007/s00404-025-08292-0.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Primary: To evaluate whether robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery using the Senhance® Surgical System has the potential to reduce muscular demands compared to conventional laparoscopy. Secondary: To verify that the novel eye-tracking feature for zoom and the selection of functions in the Senhance® System menu is not associated with increased eyestrain or neck strain.

METHODS: In a within-subject design, 2 experienced surgeons performed 11 robot-assisted and 12 conventional laparoscopic procedures. Muscular demands were monitored throughout surgical procedures by assessing the muscle activity via bipolar surface electromyography of seven muscles of the lower back, shoulder-neck, and forearms. Surgeons’ head, arm, and torso posture was assessed by gravimetrical position sensors. Furthermore, musculoskeletal discomfort, mental and physical workload, task difficulty and working precision were rated by the surgeons. In addition, a ten-item eyestrain questionnaire was administered after each surgical procedure.

RESULTS: Four out of seven muscles were relieved when working with Senhance®. Only in the left shoulder-neck area there was a statistically significant increase in muscle activation associated with robotic-assisted surgery. Changes in surgeons’ posture related to the surgical technique corresponded to the changes in muscle activation. Furthermore, surgeons reported no musculoskeletal discomfort under both conditions and similar levels of workload (mental and physical), and task difficulty. Working precision was subjectively rated to be better during standard laparoscopy. No eyestrain occurred during any of the procedures.

CONCLUSION: This exploratory study identified the potential of the Senhance® Surgical System for ergonomic improvements and indicated no impairments by the novel eye-tracking feature on muscle demands and eyestrain. Follow-up studies with larger and more diverse indications are needed that also consider clinical outcomes, which were not part of the present study.

PMID:41543778 | DOI:10.1007/s00404-025-08292-0

J Cross Cult Gerontol. 2026 Jan 16;41(1):1. doi: 10.1007/s10823-025-09556-7.

ABSTRACT

Of the almost two million older persons in Ghana, fewer than 300,000 receive pensions from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), having contributed to the pension scheme during their working years. Since ageing is associated with several social, economic, and health adversities, it is important to ascertain the quality of life of this population to identify areas of their lives that may need improvement. Consequently, this study examined the quality of life of 437 pensioners benefiting from the SSNIT pension scheme in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The study employed mixed-methods and utilized the WHOQOL-BREF to measure the quality of life under the physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains. The findings suggested that the pensioners had at best a moderate social, physical, psychological, and environmental quality of life. Based on the findings, the study recommends policy actions aimed at enhancing pension adequacy, strengthening social support and community engagement opportunities, and improving access to health and welfare services for pensioners.

PMID:41543769 | DOI:10.1007/s10823-025-09556-7

J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2026 Jan 16. doi: 10.1007/s00702-025-03093-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The global prevalence of Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) is increasing, yet effective supportive interventions remain largely unidentified, highlighting the urgent need to clarify the underlying neuropathophysiology. Neuroimaging offers a pathway toward this understanding; however, most studies rely on indirect measures of neurophysiology, whereas direct approaches such as [¹⁸F]Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) remain underutilized and lack systematic synthesis in the literature. This review and meta-analysis evaluated FDG-PET research in ASC. A systematic search identified 2,725 records, of which 21 studies compared FDG-PET findings between autistic and neurotypical individuals. Nine met the inclusion criteria for the review, and eight were included in the meta-analysis. The review revealed inconsistent findings, reporting both increased and decreased glucose metabolism in ASC, likely reflecting methodological heterogeneity. The meta-analysis found no statistically significant differences, but indicated a weak non-significant trend toward elevated glucose metabolism in the striatum in autistic compared to neurotypicals individuals (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.416; 95% CI – 0.200 to 1.032; p = 0.186). Despite 40 years of FDG-PET research in ASC, the number of studies remains limited, and several exhibit methodological shortcomings. Evidence from FDG-PET studies in other psychiatric and neurological disorders underscores the technique’s potential value in ASC research. The findings of this study further emphasize the urgent need for rigorously designed investigations to clarify the relationship between cerebral glucose metabolism and autism, with the ultimate goal of advancing our understanding of the autistic brain.

PMID:41543762 | DOI:10.1007/s00702-025-03093-w

Eur J Nutr. 2026 Jan 16;65(1):28. doi: 10.1007/s00394-025-03879-4.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To develop and evaluate an anti-inflammatory dietary index based on the specific dietary culture and preference among Chinese adults.

METHODS: A total of 6322 participants were included and were further separated into a training (n = 4514) and a validation set (n = 1808). In the training set, we utilized reduced rank regression to derive a dietary index based on the intake of 33 food groups and five pre-identified anti-inflammatory nutrients. In the validation set, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-6, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured, and a total inflammation score (TIS) was constructed. Pearson partial correlation analysis and multivariate generalized linear regression were applied to explore the relationship between dietary indices and inflammatory biomarkers.

RESULTS: The derived dietary index, termed Nutrient-derived Anti-inflammatory Dietary Index (NADI), mainly characterized by a higher intake of fresh vegetables and fruits, mushrooms and fungi, soybeans, fresh eggs, and tea, alongside a lower intake of red meat, alcohol, and refined grains. NADI significantly correlated with several well-established dietary indices. Participants in the highest quintile of NADI had lower plasma levels of IL-1β (relative concentration [RC]: 0.67, 95% CI 0.58 ~ 0.77), hs-CRP (RC: 0.68, 95% CI 0.58 ~ 0.80), and TIS (RC: 0.43, 95% CI 0.31 ~ 0.59) compared with the lowest quintile in the fully adjusted model. Results were similar in subgroups and sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSIONS: NADI effectively captures inflammation-related dietary quality and could serve as a valuable instrument for evaluating the impact of dietary inflammatory potential on health outcomes in Chinese adults.

PMID:41543748 | DOI:10.1007/s00394-025-03879-4

Hernia. 2026 Jan 16;30(1):69. doi: 10.1007/s10029-025-03566-7.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Retromuscular ventral hernia repair (RVHR) is a well-established and increasingly popular technique for mesh placement, offering favorable recurrence and complication rates. However, the role of mesh fixation in RVHR remains unclear, as some have questioned its effect on reducing recurrence and could potentially increase postoperative morbidity. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare outcomes of RVHR with and without mesh fixation.

METHODOLOGY: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched through July 2025. Eligible studies included adult patients undergoing open RVHR with or without fixation. Primary outcomes were hernia recurrence and postoperative pain; secondary outcomes included hematoma, seroma, surgical site infection (SSI), reoperation, operative time, length of stay (LOS), and quality of life. Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2 and ROBINS-I. Random-effects models were used, and heterogeneity was quantified using the I2 statistic.

RESULTS: Six studies (15,106 patients; 3,994 without fixation) met inclusion criteria: two randomized controlled trials and four observational cohorts, including one registry study. Recurrence did not differ between fixation and non-fixation (OR 1.1, 95% CI 0.91-1.34; I2 = 0%). Fixation was associated with significantly worse quality-of-life scores (MD -12.71, 95% CI -16.48 to -8.93; p < 0.001; I2 = 0%) and higher hematoma risk (OR 5.18, 95% CI 1.18-22.68; p = 0.03; I2 = 0%). No significant differences were found for pain, SSI, seroma, reoperation, LOS, or operative time.

CONCLUSION: Our systematic review and meta-analysis identified no difference in recurrence, pain, SSI, or long-term outcomes between mesh fixation and non-fixation in RVHR. However, fixation was associated with significantly worse quality-of-life scores and a higher risk of hematoma. These findings suggest a selective rather than routine use of mesh fixation in RVHR.

PMID:41543744 | DOI:10.1007/s10029-025-03566-7

Ophthalmol Ther. 2026 Jan 16. doi: 10.1007/s40123-025-01301-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Frequent anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) burden patients and healthcare systems. Faricimab may reduce this burden, but robust data are lacking. This study aimed to systematically quantify the injection frequency reduction with faricimab compared to anti-VEGF agents and estimate Dutch budget impact.

METHODS: A systematic review of studies on patients with nAMD switching to faricimab was conducted in PubMed. A hybrid approach using artificial intelligence (NotebookLM) and manual verification was employed for data extraction and risk of bias assessment. A random-effects meta-analysis determined the pooled mean difference in annual injections. A budget impact analysis estimated direct medical costs (drug and administration costs) over a 1-year time horizon using Dutch data.

RESULTS: A meta-analysis of 19 real-world studies (2231 patients) was conducted. Patients switched to faricimab for persistent fluid or to extend treatment intervals, resulting in a significant mean reduction of 2.65 injections in the first year (from 9.70 to 7.05; 95% confidence interval – 3.36 to – 1.93). The base-case analysis projected annual savings of approximately €79 million, corresponding to 96,235 fewer injections nationwide. Scenario analyses showed that substantial savings (€16 to €75 million) can be achieved when using faricimab in second- and third-line settings, although replacing first-line bevacizumab would increase costs.

CONCLUSIONS: Switching patients to faricimab reduced the injection frequency by two to three injections in the first year. Although evidence certainty was limited by statistical heterogeneity, the reduction was consistent across studies. Although replacing first-line bevacizumab increases costs, substantial savings are achievable in later lines. Strategic positioning of faricimab in the second-line yields significantly higher savings compared to third-line use, and could significantly lower the clinical, patient, and economic burden of nAMD care in the Netherlands. These findings provide quantified, real-world evidence to inform Dutch clinical practice and healthcare policy.

PMID:41543675 | DOI:10.1007/s40123-025-01301-0

Insights Imaging. 2026 Jan 16;17(1):13. doi: 10.1186/s13244-025-02151-x.

ABSTRACT

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in 112 countries, accounting for approximately 15% of all cancer cases. Whilst the 5-year survival rate for localised disease exceeds 90%, there is a significant drop to 50% if metastases are present. Following the VISION and TheraP trials, ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA-therapy was approved for treatment of metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer by the FDA and EMA 2022. Patient selection for ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA-therapy is now relatively well defined, guided by PSMA-PET/CT criteria established in pivotal trials. Nevertheless, clinical consensus on appropriate criteria is still evolving, and additional imaging modalities such as ¹⁸F-FDG PET, post-therapy SPECT/CT, or emerging techniques such as whole-body diffusion-weighted MRI may serve as valuable adjuncts to identify PSMA-negative or treatment-resistant disease that may not be apparent on PSMA-PET/CT alone. This review examines the current evidence on imaging biomarkers and complementary diagnostic techniques used for patient selection, treatment monitoring, and response assessment in [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 therapy for metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer. Baseline imaging biomarkers on PSMA-PET/CT, such as mean standardised uptake value (SUV_mean), PSMA-avid total tumour volume, and inter-lesional PSMA heterogeneity, have shown promise in predicting treatment response and assessing outcomes. Additionally, statistical prognostic models have been developed to predict treatment efficacy, though further validation is required. Imaging plays a crucial role and should be considered alongside blood biomarkers, clinic-demographic history, and circulating tumour markers to improve patient selection for ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA-therapy. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: PSMA-PET/CT is the established imaging modality for patient selection for ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA-therapy, while ¹⁸F-FDG PET, post-therapy SPECT/CT, and emerging techniques such as whole-body diffusion-weighted MRI can be adjunctive for patient selection, response assessment and long-term monitoring. KEY POINTS: PSMA-PET/CT is the mainstay for patient selection for ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA-therapy. ¹⁸F-FDG PET, SPECT/CT or whole-body diffusion-weighted MRI could be used as adjuncts. Interim and longitudinal PSMA-PET/CT offer sensitive detection of progression, quantitative biomarkers for response assessment, and standardised frameworks. Advances in AI, radiomics, and standardisation frameworks may refine prognostication, enable personalised dosimetry, and integrate imaging biomarkers into clinical practice, though further validation is required.

PMID:41543663 | DOI:10.1186/s13244-025-02151-x

Behav Res Methods. 2026 Jan 16;58(2):38. doi: 10.3758/s13428-025-02911-z.

ABSTRACT

Standardized coefficients – including factor loadings, correlations, and indirect effects – are fundamental to interpreting structural equation modeling (SEM) results in psychology. However, they often exhibit skewed sampling distributions in finite samples, which are not captured by conventional symmetric confidence intervals (CIs). Methods such as bootstrap CI that do not impose symmetry are more appropriate for these coefficients. Despite its popularity, the widely used R package lavaan (version 0.6-19 or earlier) provides limited bootstrap support for standardized coefficients. Specifically, its function standardizedSolution() uses the delta method for CIs and lacks bootstrap p values. It provides a flexible and powerful function, bootstrapLavaan(), for bootstrapping, and it can be used to form bootstrap CIs for the standardized coefficients. However, this function requires a certain level of R coding skills. Moreover, no built-in functions are available to inspect bootstrap distributions, which are recommended for assessing the stability of the bootstrap estimates. To address these limitations, we developed the semboottools R package, which provides a simple workflow in SEM to form bootstrap confidence intervals for unstandardized and standardized estimates of model and user-defined parameters. It allows researchers to generate percentile or bias-corrected bootstrap CIs, standard errors, asymmetric p values, compare the bootstrap CIs with other CI methods (e.g., delta method), and visualize the distributions of bootstrap estimates – with minimal coding effort. We believe the tool can facilitate researchers in easily forming bootstrap CIs, comparing different CI methods to assess the need for bootstrapping, and examining the distribution of bootstrap estimates to assess their stability.

PMID:41543658 | DOI:10.3758/s13428-025-02911-z