Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

The Impact of an Ostomy on Body Image and Sexual Function of Patients With Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Psychooncology. 2025 Aug;34(8):e70249. doi: 10.1002/pon.70249.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Body image disturbance and sexual dysfunction are two of the most common issues reported by patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The objective of our systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the effects of an ostomy on body image (BI) and sexual dysfunction (SX) in patients with CRC.

METHODS: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched seven databases (MEDLINE, PsychINFO, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, WEB of SCIENCE) covering articles published in English between January 1st, 2000 and July 20, 2024. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) version 4 software.

RESULTS: Of 6321 identified articles, 92 met the inclusion criteria, totalling 27,039 patients. Patients with an ostomy reported significantly more body image concerns (g = -0.467 (95% CI -0.546 to -0.388), p < 0.001; prediction interval (PI): -1.046 to 0.112) and sexual dysfunction (g = -0.331 (95% CI -0.406 to -0.256), p < 0.001; PI: -0.894 to 0.232). Meta-regression showed that for BI, publication date and the choice of questionnaire explained 30% of the variance in effect size (R2analog = 0.30, df = 3, p < 0.05). For SX, gender and publication date explained 31% of the variance in effect size (R2analog = 0.3, df = 2, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: The findings revealed that patients with an ostomy, compared to those without, experience significantly higher levels of BI concerns and SX, with moderate-to-large effect sizes observed. However, there was significant heterogeneity, indicated by the broad prediction interval across studies. Results from the meta-regression suggested that the measurement tools, gender and publication date contributed to the observed variability. Future research should explore additional factors that influence outcomes in body image and sexual health for individuals with lived experience of CRC.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION: No CRD42020167716.

PMID:40754638 | DOI:10.1002/pon.70249

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Coxiella burnetii and HIV infection in people experiencing homelessness

Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 3;15(1):28312. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-09422-z.

ABSTRACT

This study has investigated Coxiella burnetii and HIV infection among the persons experiencing homelessness of São Paulo city, Brazil, and assessed correspondent associated risk factors. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 203 individuals performing serological tests for anti-C. burnetii and anti-HIV antibodies. A prevalence of 14.8% (30/203) was found for anti-C. burnetii IgG antibodies, with titers ranging from 64 to 1024, while anti-HIV seroprevalence was 6.4% (13/203). No statistical association was found between C. burnetii and HIV seropositivity, or between seropositivity and assessed clinical and epidemiological variables. The findings herein highlight the high homelessness exposure to Q fever, possibly influenced by environmental factors such as dust aerosols, stray animal interactions and unsanitary living conditions. To the authors knowledge, this is the first serosurvey of C. burnetii in persons experiencing homelessness to date. The study herein has emphasized the importance of public health strategies targeting vulnerable populations, particularly in Brazilian major cities. Further C. burnetii surveys should be conducted to establish whether transmission may occur in other persons experiencing homelessness worldwide.

PMID:40754629 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-09422-z

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

The transcriptome of the olm provides insights into its evolution and gene expression

Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 3;15(1):28324. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-10073-3.

ABSTRACT

The olm (Proteus anguinus), with a predicted maximum lifespan of more than 100 years, is the longest-lived amphibian, which in addition possesses a range of unique adaptations to its dark, subterranean cave habitat. To assess the underlying molecular signatures, we present the first comprehensive transcriptome of the olm. Our study provides gene expression data across six organs and comparative genomics analyses, accessible via an interactive web server: http://comp-pheno.de/olm . The data uncover significant organ-specific gene expression, with the brain showing the highest number of organ-specific expressed genes. Our findings reveal significantly more genes under strong negative selection than positive selection, particularly in brain-specific expressed genes. Processes under positive selection in the olm resemble those in other long-lived species.

PMID:40754627 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-10073-3

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Association between air pollution and type II diabetes in Italy from clinical data and population-weighted exposure at the municipality level

Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 3;15(1):28326. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-13733-6.

ABSTRACT

A growing body of literature supports the association between ambient particulate pollution and the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Both issues are particularly relevant in Italy. This study investigates the relationship between T2DM and exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 in Italian municipalities from 2013 to 2021. Data on T2DM were provided by the Italian Association of Diabetologists (AMD), representing the only national outpatient dataset not based on self-reported information. Air pollution data, sourced from the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, ISPRA, were summarized using the population-weighted exposure (PWE) indicator. Both datasets were made available through a dedicated research agreement. Random effects models and non-parametric methods were applied to assess the association between air pollution and T2DM. Results indicate a statistically significant relationship, particularly between T2DM and PM2.5. T2DM incidence rates were significantly negatively associated with time (coefficient = – 0.07961, p < 0.01), indicating a decreasing trend over time. After adjusting for other covariates, PM10 population-weighted exposure was not significantly associated with incidence rates (coefficient = – 0.00057, p = 0.58). On the other hand, increases in the ratio of PM2.5 to PM10 (pwratio) were significantly positively associated with increases in T2DM incidence rates (coefficient = 0.52304, p < 0.01) at the municipal level. T2DM prevalence proportions were significantly positively associated with time (coefficient = 0.01749, p < 0.01), suggesting an increasing trend over time. PM10 was significantly negatively associated with prevalence proportions (coefficient = – 0.00298, p = 0.03), while increases in pwratio were significantly positively associated with increases in prevalence proportions (coefficient = 0.18724, p < 0.01). Thus, municipalities with a higher share of PM2.5 within the same level of PM10, tended to show higher T2DM prevalence proportions and incidence rates, consistent with the spatial distribution of air pollution and disease burden observed across Italy.

PMID:40754624 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-13733-6

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Leveraging a novel nanocomposite for enhanced drilling fluid efficiency

Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 3;15(1):28304. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-13087-z.

ABSTRACT

The efficient formulation of drilling fluids is critical for maintaining stability and performance in demanding wellbore environments. In this study, a novel nanocomposite material (TiO2/Saponin/Zr) was synthesized and introduced into drilling fluid formulations to enhance rheological behavior, filtration control, and thermal stability. The synthesis involved sol-gel methods, FTIR, TGA, and SEM analyses, confirming the material’s successful functionalization and nanoscale structure. Rheological measurements demonstrated significant improvements in viscosity and shear stress with nanoparticle concentrations up to 500 ppm, where the optimal performance was achieved. Filtration tests revealed reductions in fluid loss by up to 50%, ensuring better wellbore stability. Statistical modeling with the Bingham Plastic and Herschel-Bulkley approaches revealed superior predictability for these nanocomposite-enhanced fluids. Overall, this innovative nanocomposite provides a promising avenue for addressing challenges in modern drilling operations, offering technical and operational benefits.

PMID:40754607 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-13087-z

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

The results of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with allograft versus autograft: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol. 2025 Aug 3;35(1):337. doi: 10.1007/s00590-025-04470-7.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is a common sports-related injury that often requires surgical intervention. The two main types of grafts used in ACL reconstruction are autografts and allografts. Two types of transplants have their own advantages in different aspects, so the choice of graft type is a matter of ongoing debate among orthopedic surgeons. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to compare the results of ACL reconstruction using allograft versus autograft.

METHODS: The Embase and PubMed databases were searched for clinical trial literature from January 1, 2000, to July 19, 2023, which met the individual inclusion criteria, for a meta-analysis of objective and subjective outcomes of the knee joint. Using random effects model, risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration’s tools.

RESULTS: Thirteen studies and total of 1299 patients were included in the analysis. The pooled mean difference (MD) of subjective IKDC score was 2.14 (95% CI:1.43-2.85). The pooled MD of Lysholm score was 0.38 (95% CI:-1.25-2.02). The pooled MD of Tegner score was 0.23 (95% CI:0.03-0.43). The pooled relative risk (RR) of Lachman test was 1.32 (95% CI:0.95-1.82). The pooled RR of pivot shift test was 1.12 (95% CI:1.00-1.25). The pooled RR of objective IKDC was 1.03 (95% CI:1.01-1.05). In general, statistically significant differences in favor of autograft were observed for Subjective International Knee Documentation Committee score, Tegner score, pivot shift test and Objective International Knee Documentation Committee score, as for the Lysholm score and Lachman test there is no statistical differences between the two.

CONCLUSION: From a majority of the outcome measures, autografts appear to have a slightly better effect compared to allografts. However, these slight differences in scores may not be reflected in clinical outcomes, indicating that there is not much superiority or inferiority between the two from the perspective of clinical outcomes. Therefore, in other fields such as humanities and economics, they are important factors for doctors to make choices in clinical practice.

PMID:40754602 | DOI:10.1007/s00590-025-04470-7

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Tracking progression of aortic stenosis with echocardiography

Echo Res Pract. 2025 Aug 4;12(1):19. doi: 10.1186/s44156-025-00086-z.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is used to assess aortic stenosis (AS) severity and track disease progression. As the field moves to study medical therapies to halt disease progression, reliable non-invasive imaging markers that are sensitive to small changes in disease progression are needed to enable efficient trial designs. The signal-to-noise ratio of commonly obtained TTE-based measures of progressive (non-severe) AS severity is unknown.

METHODS: This is a retrospective study of TTEs done at a tertiary referral centre (Tufts Medical Center, Boston MA). A cohort of patients with progressive AS who had two TTEs done within 30 days (in the absence of valve intervention) and a cohort of progressive AS patients with TTEs ≥ 1 year apart, also without valvular intervention, were assembled. Limits of agreement (LOA) and intraclass correlation (ICC) were calculated for aortic valve area (AVA) by continuity equation, peak velocity, and mean gradient. Cohen’s d-statistic (d) was calculated for each hemodynamic assessment and a composite marker to assess sensitivity for detecting disease progression normalised to measurement variability.

RESULTS: The reproducibility cohort included 24 patients. The progression cohort included 35 patients. The median age was 70 years (interquartile range [IQR] 13). 22 patients (37.3%) were female. In the progression cohort, the median time between TTEs was 2.2 years (IQR 3.1 years). In the reproducibility cohort, AVA LOA were -0.7 to 0.8, ICC = 0.61; peak velocity LOA were -149.0 to + 126.7, ICC = 0.29; and mean gradient LOA were -16.2 to 12.2, ICC = 0.06. The d-statistic for annualised change in AVA was -0.29, the d-statistic for annualised change in maximum velocity was 0.46, the d-statistic for mean gradient was 0.55. The d-statistic for a composite, including all three hemodynamic markers, was 0.45.

CONCLUSIONS: Standard TTE markers of AS severity have variable sensitivity for detecting AS progression. For patients with progressive (non-severe) AS, mean gradient has the highest signal-to-noise ratio and may be the most reliable TTE-based assessment of disease progression.

PMID:40754590 | DOI:10.1186/s44156-025-00086-z

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Association of magnesium depletion score with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in hyperlipidemia adults: a large nationwide population-based study

J Health Popul Nutr. 2025 Aug 3;44(1):275. doi: 10.1186/s41043-025-01032-9.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Magnesium, an essential dietary trace element, plays a crucial role in numerous physiological processes, and its deficiency has been associated with the development of hyperlipidemia. However, its potential to predict long-term outcomes and inform risk stratification in hyperlipidemic patients remains underexplored.

METHODS: This retrospective cohort study introduces the magnesium depletion score (MgDS), a novel index for quantifying magnesium deficiency, and investigates its association with mortality outcomes in individuals with hyperlipidemia. Data from 12,592 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2018 were analyzed. Advanced statistical methods, including weighted Cox proportional hazards models, restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival curves, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, were employed to assess the association between MgDS and mortality risks.

RESULTS: The results indicate that higher MgDS is significantly associated with increased risks of both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in individuals with hyperlipidemia, even after adjusting for confounders. Subgroup analyses identified prediabetes, smoking, and alcohol consumption as significant modifiers of this association. RCS analysis confirmed a linear relationship between MgDS and mortality, further supporting its value as a reliable predictor of long-term outcomes. ROC analysis demonstrated the potential of MgDS as an independent tool for predicting mortality at 1, 3, and 5 years. Notably, high MgDS levels in hyperlipidemic individuals with binge drinking habits were associated with significantly higher mortality risks.

CONCLUSIONS: These results establish MgDS as a promising biomarker for mortality risk stratification in patients with hyperlipidemia. This novel index offers important insights for clinical practice and could facilitate the development of tailored management strategies, particularly for high-risk hyperlipidemia populations, to mitigate long-term health risks.

PMID:40754582 | DOI:10.1186/s41043-025-01032-9

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Chip-based label-free incoherent super-resolution optical microscopy

Light Sci Appl. 2025 Aug 4;14(1):259. doi: 10.1038/s41377-025-01914-x.

ABSTRACT

The photo-kinetics of fluorescent molecules have enabled the circumvention of the far-field optical diffraction limit. Despite its enormous potential, the necessity to label the sample may adversely influence the delicate biology under investigation. Thus, continued development efforts are needed to surpass the far-field label-free diffraction barrier. The statistical similarity or finite coherence of the scattered light off the sample in label-free mode hinders the application of existing super-resolution methods based on incoherent fluorescence imaging. In this article, we present physics and propose a methodology to circumvent this challenge by exploiting the photoluminescence (PL) of silicon nitride waveguides for near-field illumination of unlabeled samples. The technique is abbreviated EPSLON, Evanescently decaying Photoluminescence Scattering enables Label-free Optical Nanoscopy. We demonstrate that such an illumination has properties that mimic the photo-kinetics of nano-sized fluorescent molecules, i.e., such an illumination permits incoherence between the scattered fields from various locations on the sample plane. Thus, the illumination scheme enables the development of a far-field label-free incoherent imaging system that is linear in intensity and stable over time, thereby permitting the application of techniques like structured illumination microscopy (SIM) and intensity-fluctuation-based optical nanoscopy (IFON) in label-free mode to circumvent the diffraction limit. In this proof-of-concept work, we observed a two-point resolution of ~ 180 nm on super-resolved nanobeads and resolution improvements between 1.9× to 2.8× over the diffraction limit, as quantified using Fourier Ring Correlation (FRC), on various biological samples. We believe EPSLON is a step forward within the field of incoherent far-field label-free super-resolution microscopy that holds a key to investigating biological systems in their natural state without the need for exogenous labels.

PMID:40754581 | DOI:10.1038/s41377-025-01914-x

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

A cost-benefit analysis of using wastewater monitoring to guide typhoid vaccine campaigns

Trop Dis Travel Med Vaccines. 2025 Aug 4;11(1):24. doi: 10.1186/s40794-025-00260-5.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Enteric diseases are a leading cause of mortality in developing countries, yet are highly preventable. Typhoid vaccines remain underutilized, and diagnostic capacity constraints impede treatment and prevention. Wastewater monitoring could provide a more accurate picture of disease burden if detection and quantification of Salmonella Typhi in wastewater are advanced. To motivate why countries should invest to improve wastewater testing methods, we conducted a cost-benefit analysis, quantifying the value this approach could yield.

METHODS: We estimated benefits that could accrue if wastewater data informed the early launch of a theoretical typhoid vaccine campaign in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. After empirically estimating the lead-time advantage of wastewater data over clinical data to flag case upticks, we simulated changes in case counts from a 1- to 14-day early campaign launch, using ordinary differential equation modeling. We quantified benefits resulting from averted cases (from preserved caregiver time, school days, and wages), hospitalizations (from savings to public funds), and deaths (using the value of statistical life). We then calculated how cumulative benefits, costs, and the ratio of the two varied by campaign launch timing scenario over a five-year period.

RESULTS: Wastewater concentrations of Salmonella Typhi upticked up to 13 days before case counts. Cumulative benefits varied by year and launch timing. With a 13-day early launch, every $100 spent on wastewater monitoring could yield $295 in societal benefits by year 5. Cumulative benefits roughly equaled cumulative costs with a 5-day early launch and outweighed costs when the campaign was launched even earlier.

CONCLUSION: If wastewater data can be advanced to reliably provide early warnings of new typhoid outbreaks, governments could reap large benefits that more than justify spending on program implementation. Our findings could generalize to other high-aid countries that, like Bangladesh, experience routine enteric disease outbreaks and have strong operational networks.

PMID:40754580 | DOI:10.1186/s40794-025-00260-5