Tag: pubmed

Health Informatics J. 2026 Apr-Jun;32(2):14604582261450831. doi: 10.1177/14604582261450831. Epub 2026 Jun 8.

ABSTRACT

BackgroundStatistical analysis is crucial in clinical research, but many clinicians lack training or support. StatiCAL, a free and intuitive tool, was created to address this gap without needing coding skills. This study evaluates its effectiveness and usability by analyzing physicians’ performance and perceptions during real-world statistical tasks.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study evaluating StatiCAL’s usability and effectiveness. Surgical physicians analyzed a clinical dataset using StatiCAL after completing a background questionnaire. Usability was measured with the French SUS, and all analyses were independently verified in R.ResultsFourteen physicians with limited prior experience in statistical analysis participated. All successfully completed the assigned tasks using StatiCAL, with an average completion time of 28 minutes. Interestingly, participants without prior experience completed tasks significantly faster than those with experience (p = 0.044). The average F-SUS score was 85.33, indicating high usability above the standard threshold.ConclusionsStatiCAL showed high usability and effectiveness, allowing clinicians, regardless of prior experience, to perform accurate statistical analyses efficiently. Its intuitive interface supports broader access to biostatistics, encourages collaboration with specialists, and simplifies research workflows. Further studies with larger, more diverse populations are needed to confirm and expand these findings.

PMID:42253109 | DOI:10.1177/14604582261450831

Appl Neuropsychol Child. 2026 Jun 8:1-10. doi: 10.1080/21622965.2026.2684724. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Taiwanese Traditional Chinese Version of the Teenage Executive Functioning Inventory (TC-TEXI) in a sample of 784 Taiwanese high school students, their parents, and their teachers. Notably, this research is the first to establish the psychometric properties of teacher ratings across all language versions of the TEXI. The results of confirmatory factor analyses partially supported a two-factor model of executive functioning, namely working memory and inhibition, particularly for teacher ratings. The findings also supported adequate internal and test-retest reliability. Multiple regressions were implemented to explore how the scores from the three types of the TC-TEXI predicted positive mental health among high school students in Taiwan. The results revealed that while the data supported that the self-report TC-TEXI best correlated with the self-acceptance, human relationships, emotional balance, and optimism/enterprising aspects of their positive mental health, teacher-rating and parent-rating were also statistically significantly correlated with the family harmony aspect of positive mental health. Implications regarding the correlation pattern were suggested. The linear age effect commonly found with performance-based EF tasks was not supported in the current study. Future research involving randomly drawn samples from each grade or a longitudinal design should help reconfirm the non-linear effect.

PMID:42253085 | DOI:10.1080/21622965.2026.2684724

J Palliat Med. 2026 Jun 8:10966218261452339. doi: 10.1177/10966218261452339. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Clinicians place comfort measures only (CMO) orders for hospitalized patients at the end-of-life when a decision has been made to focus on patient comfort and allow the natural dying process to occur.

OBJECTIVES: Our primary aim was to assess the associations of specialty palliative consults (SPC) or documented goals of care conversations (GOCC) with in-hospital mortality among patients with CMO orders.

DESIGN: We completed a retrospective cross-sectional study of data from the electronic medical record.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: We assessed all adult patients with CMO orders admitted to four hospitals in the United States between 2022 and 2024.

MEASUREMENTS: We used descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression and linear regression models to identify the association of SPC and documented GOCC with patient outcomes.

RESULTS: Of 6789 hospitalized patients with CMO orders, 48% were female, and these patients had median age 71 years. Seventy-three percent died in-hospital, and 22% were discharged with hospice. SPC placed anytime during hospital admission were associated with lower in-hospital mortality (aOR 0.4, 95% CI 0.3-0.6, p < 0.0001) and higher discharge with hospice (aOR 2.4, 95% CI 1.8-3.2, p < 0.0001). In contrast, documented GOCC anytime during admission were associated with higher in-hospital mortality (aOR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3-2.4, p = 0.0004) and lower discharge with hospice (aOR 0.5, 95% CI 0.4-0.7, p = 0.0003).

CONCLUSIONS: For patients with CMO orders, SPC, rather than documented GOCC, were associated with lower in-hospital mortality and higher receipt of hospice. Future research should explore reasons why only SPC, and not documented GOCC, were associated with these findings.

PMID:42253054 | DOI:10.1177/10966218261452339

J Biopharm Stat. 2026 Jun 8:1-34. doi: 10.1080/10543406.2026.2670526. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Analysis of data from randomized controlled trials in vulnerable populations requires special attention when assessing treatment effect by a score measuring, e.g. disease stage or activity, together with onset of prevalent terminal events. In reality, it is impossible to disentangle a disease score from the terminal event, since the score is not clinically meaningful after this event. In this work, we propose to assess treatment interventions simultaneously on the terminal event and the disease score in the absence of a terminal event. Our proposal is based on a natural data-generating mechanism respecting that a disease score does not exist beyond the terminal event. We use modern semi-parametric statistical methods to provide robust and efficient estimation of the risk of terminal event and expected disease score conditional on no terminal event at a pre-specified landmark time. We also use the simultaneous asymptotic behavior of our estimators to develop a powerful closed testing procedure for confirmatory assessment of treatment effect on both onset of terminal event and level of disease score in the absence of a terminal event. A simulation study mimicking a large-scale outcome trial in chronic kidney patients as well as an analysis of that trial is provided to assess performance.

PMID:42253045 | DOI:10.1080/10543406.2026.2670526

Stat Med. 2026 Jun;45(13-14):e70633. doi: 10.1002/sim.70633.

ABSTRACT

When analyzing gait and other human movements, often one-dimensional (1D) functional data are considered, where a variable like joint angle changes smoothly over time from movement start to end. Interpretation of effect sizes in functional data like these generally follows the widely-cited Cohen/Sawilowsky rules of thumb. A key problem is that a given effect size occurs with greater probability for functional data than for the simple scalar (0D) case of Cohen/Sawilowsky. Here, we propose both (i) functional effect size rules of thumb that are probabilistically consistent with the Cohen/Sawilowsky guidelines for a benchmark, two-sample scenario, and (ii) a framework for adapting the benchmark interpretations to arbitrary experimental scenarios with probabilistic consistency. Analysis of an open total hip arthroplasty gait dataset showed that post-surgery effect sizes would be interpreted as ‘medium’ and ‘less than very small’ for the Cohen/Sawilowsky and proposed functional rules of thumb, respectively. Adapting the benchmark case to the actual experimental case (paired design with $n$ = 52 and highly smooth functional residuals) contrastingly yielded an effect size interpretation of ‘very large’. These stark interpretation contrasts suggest that a single set of interpretation guidelines should not be applied to arbitrary experimental scenarios. We recommend using the Cohen/Sawilowsky and proposed functional rules of thumb only for a priori power analysis, and only in the absence of information regarding population variance and smoothness. For all other cases, especially post hoc effect size interpretation, we recommend using the proposed framework to yield probabilistically consistent results, and thus more meaningful cross-study interpretations. Code replicating all results is available at https://github.com/0todd0000/esrot1d.

PMID:42253039 | DOI:10.1002/sim.70633

J Prev Interv Community. 2026 Jun 8:1-12. doi: 10.1080/10852352.2026.2676383. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Peer recovery counseling (PRC) programs increasingly incorporate structured goal-setting frameworks, such as SMART, yet the fidelity of goals produced in real-world mental health crisis settings remains under explored. This study evaluated 128 counseling sessions from 20 clients across two PRC programs using the SMART-GEM framework to assess goal quality. Nonparametric analyses indicated that goal fidelity scores significantly improved over time. A series of multilevel models (MLMs) confirmed that 27.4% of variance in fidelity scores was attributable to differences between clients. Session timing emerged as the strongest predictor. Session timing accounted for the majority of between-client variance, suggesting that sustained engagement drives goal quality. Staff identity also emerged as a modest but statistically significant predictor. In contrast, neither program site nor delivery modality predicted SMART goal quality. Implications include the need for targeted staff development and the integration of retention-focused interventions to optimize SMART goal use in recovery services.

PMID:42253029 | DOI:10.1080/10852352.2026.2676383

Ann Afr Med. 2026 Jun 5. doi: 10.4103/aam.aam_69_26. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the histopathological features and spectrum of lichenoid interface dermatitis with emphasis on epidermal changes and inflammatory patterns. To study the spectrum of lichenoid lesions and estimate the clinical correlation with the histopathological diagnosis of lichenoid interface dermatitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research was a retrospective observational study conducted in the Department of Pathology, Vinayaka Mission Kirupanandha Variyar Medical College and Hospital, from January 2023 to April 2025. The study included all patients with lichenoid tissue reactions. Biopsies were processed and studied under a microscope for histopathological assessment. The histopathological evaluation focused on key features of the epidermal and dermoepidermal junction.

STATISTICS: Categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentages to enable comparisons with other studies. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 21.0, and graphs and tables were created using Microsoft Word and Excel.

RESULTS: We had 70 cases of histopathologically diagnosed lichenoid dermatitis. The age ranged from 1 to 70 years, with the most common being 20-29 years. Females were more affected with M: F ratio of 2:3. We encountered more lichen planus and its variants as the common entity of lichenoid dermatitis, which accounts for 65.7%. The epidermal changes, such as vacuolar degeneration, hyperkeratosis, and acanthosis, are the common findings. Band-like inflammatory infiltrate was seen in 87.2% of cases.

CONCLUSION: The histopathological features may vary depending on the specific subtype of lichenoid dermatitis and the disease stage. It provides valuable insights into its diagnosis, and it should be correlated with clinical presentation and other investigative methods for a comprehensive diagnosis.

PMID:42253009 | DOI:10.4103/aam.aam_69_26

Ann Afr Med. 2026 Jun 5. doi: 10.4103/aam.aam_98_26. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at increased risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, particularly when pregnancy occurs during periods of active disease. Effective contraception is therefore essential, yet data on sexual activity and contraceptive practices among women with SLE in Nigeria are limited.

METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between April and July 2025 among women aged 18-48 years with rheumatologist-diagnosed SLE in Nigeria. Participants were recruited through rheumatology clinics and an online survey platform. Information obtained included sociodemographic characteristics, disease duration, disease activity assessed using the Mexican SLE Disease Activity Index, sexual activity, reproductive intentions, contraceptive use, and perceived risk of unintended pregnancy. Descriptive statistics were used, and Kendall’s tau-b assessed the association between sexual activity and disease activity.

RESULTS: Eighty-five women were analyzed. The mean age was 35.0 ± 7.7 years, and the median disease duration was 50 months (interquartile range: 22-108). Fifty-eight participants (68.2%) were sexually active. Among these, 39 (67.2%) reported using contraception, although only 19 (48.7%) used it consistently. Barrier methods, predominantly condoms, were the most commonly used (31.1%). Most contraceptive users (74.4%) did not intend pregnancy within the next 12 months. Sexual activity was inversely associated with disease activity (Kendall’s tau-b = -0.184, P = 0.048). Despite low perceived risk, 23.2% reported at least one episode of unintended pregnancy risk in the preceding year.

CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that women with SLE in Nigeria remain sexually active and, despite their strong pregnancy avoidance intentions, frequently rely on barrier methods and inconsistently use contraception. These patterns closely mirror global experience and highlight the urgent need to integrate structured, disease-specific contraceptive counseling into routine SLE care in Nigeria to reduce potentially unintended pregnancy and associated maternal-fetal risks.

PMID:42253002 | DOI:10.4103/aam.aam_98_26

Ann Afr Med. 2026 Jun 5. doi: 10.4103/aam.aam_309_26. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Different formulas are being used to determine the internal diameter (ID) of the cuffed endotracheal (ET) tube in pediatric patients. Recently, a new formula was proposed to predict the ET tube size based on middle finger length (MFL). The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of this new formula in predicting the cuffed ET tube and to compare it with other commonly used formulas.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This comparative observational study was carried out among 120 samples of children up to 12 years of age undergoing surgery under general anesthesia after taking their consent. All the details regarding the patient’s age, height, weight, and MFL were collected a day before surgery and the ET tube details and the predicted ET tube size by the five formulae were collected on the day of surgery. They were entered into Microsoft Excel sheet and analyzed using STATA software version 17.

RESULTS: Out of 120 study participants, the fraction of patients in whom the exact ID of cuffed ET tube was correctly predicted with the MFL, age-based formulas (ABFs), height-based formula (HBF), weight-based formula (WBF), and Multivariate prediction tool (MPT) formula were 20%, 18.3%, 0%, 3.3%, and 0.8%, respectively. The predicted ID size within 0.5 mm difference excluding the exact fit for MFL formula, ABF, HBF, WBF, and MPT formula was 20.8%, 57.5%, 12.5%, 30.8%, and 22.5%, respectively. The predicted ID size potentially too big >0.5 mm difference for MFL formula, ABF, HBF, WBF, and MPT formulas were 59.2%, 24.2%, 87.5%, 65.8%, and 76.7%, respectively. Pearson correlation coefficient for all the formulas was r > 0.80 and shows a strong positive correlation which was statistically significant (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: ABFs were more accurate compared to other formulae in predicting the ET tube size in case of pediatric patients, but in children less than 5 years of age, MFL formula was a better predictor than other formulas.

PMID:42252986 | DOI:10.4103/aam.aam_309_26

J Microbiol. 2026 May;64(5):e2603014. doi: 10.71150/jm.2603014. Epub 2026 May 14.

ABSTRACT

16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing is the most widely used approach for characterizing microbial communities, yet analyzing such data requires navigating a fragmented landscape of bioinformatics tools with distinct installation requirements, parameter settings, and data formats. Here we present 16S-Pipeline, an open-source, web-based platform that provides a complete workflow from raw FASTQ files to publication-ready statistical analyses. 16S-Pipeline automatically detects sequencing type (paired-end, single-end, long-read), variable region, and sequencing platform (Illumina, PacBio HiFi, Nanopore), then performs quality filtering, primer trimming, amplicon sequence variant (ASV) inference via DADA2, taxonomy assignment against SILVA v138.1, phylogenetic tree construction, and optional functional prediction via PICRUSt2. Downstream analyses include alpha and beta diversity, taxonomic composition visualization, differential abundance testing using five complementary methods (ALDEx2, DESeq2, ANCOM-BC2, LinDA, MaAsLin2) with consensus reporting, and KEGG pathway mapping. Built-in NCBI SRA integration enables downloading public datasets for re-analysis and generates submission metadata spreadsheets for data deposition. The interactive web interface built on FastAPI and Plotly Dash enables researchers to perform complex microbiome analyses without command-line expertise. 16S-Pipeline is freely available at https://github.com/tatsu1207/16S-Pipeline under the MIT License.

PMID:42252976 | DOI:10.71150/jm.2603014