Tag: pubmed

J Gastrointest Cancer. 2025 Dec 28;56(1):246. doi: 10.1007/s12029-025-01367-w.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Although diagnostic and treatment improvements have reduced overall mortality, disparities persist across populations and regions.

METHODS: We analyzed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) database (1999-2023), calculating age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 100,000 and average annual percent change (AAPC), stratified by age, sex, race, urbanization, and state.

RESULTS: From 1999 to 2023, the overall AAMR for CRC declined by 38.9 percent, from 32.06 to 19.57 per 100,000 (AAPC: -2.08). However, disparities remain. In 2023, males had an AAMR of 23.23, which was 41.1 percent higher than that of females at 16.45. Non-Hispanic (NH) Black individuals had the highest mortality (AAMR: 24.90). Among adults aged 35 to 44, the AAMR rose from 2.87 to 3.71 (AAPC: 1.03), marking a 29.3 percent increase. Nonmetropolitan areas had a 24.0% higher mortality rate than metropolitan areas, with AAMRs of 23.16 and 18.69, respectively. Southern states such as Texas and Georgia saw notable increases in death counts, rising by 34.1 and 38.7 percent, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Despite overall progress, rising mortality in adults under 55 and certain racial groups signals an urgent need for targeted action. Recommendations include refining racial categories in national data, expanding screening in high-risk states with slower mortality declines, and providing mobile screening units in rural areas with consistently high AAMR. Additionally, recovery efforts should address COVID-19-related backlogs in screening, diagnostic colonoscopy, and timely treatment.

PMID:41457141 | DOI:10.1007/s12029-025-01367-w

Brain Inform. 2025 Dec 28. doi: 10.1186/s40708-025-00284-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Predicting neurological outcomes in comatose cardiac arrest survivors remains challenging. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) offers potential as an objective biomarker of white matter injury, but its prognostic value needs further validation. We aimed to investigate the predictive value of DTI-derived metrics for six-month neurological outcomes in comatose cardiac arrest patients.

METHODS: This prospective study enrolled 28 comatose cardiac arrest patients (mean age 54.36 ± 3.01 years; 71% male) and 28 age-/sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). All participants underwent 3T brain MRI (median 4 days post-arrest). DTI parameters (fractional anisotropy [FA], mean diffusivity [MD], axial diffusivity [AD], radial diffusivity [RD]) were analyzed using Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and ROI approaches based on white matter atlas. Neurological outcome was assessed at six months using the modified Rankin Scale (good outcome: mRS 0-2; poor outcome: mRS 3-5). Statistical analyses included voxel-wise comparisons and ROC curve analysis for predictive performance.

RESULTS: Compared to HCs, patients showed widespread reductions in FA, MD, AD, and RD (TFCE-corrected p < 0.05). Patients with poor outcomes (n = 18) exhibited significantly lower DTI metrics than those with good outcomes (n = 10) across most white matter tracts. The combination of whole-brain FA and RD demonstrated exceptional prognostic accuracy for good outcome (AUC = 0.984; 95% CI 0.925-1.000; sensitivity 92%, specificity 97.7%), significantly outperforming clinical variables and individual DTI parameters. ROI analysis identified specific tracts (e.g., right cingulum hippocampus, right uncinate fasciculus) with high predictive values. Ventricular fibrillation as initial rhythm was more frequent in the group with good outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS: DTI metrics, particularly the combination of FA and RD, provided outstanding early prediction of good six-month neurological outcomes after cardiac arrest, surpassing traditional biomarkers. These findings supported integrating DTI into multimodal prognostic models to guide clinical decisions and prevent premature withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy.

PMID:41457125 | DOI:10.1186/s40708-025-00284-9

Neurol Sci. 2025 Dec 29;47(1):60. doi: 10.1007/s10072-025-08688-5.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Most of the function-focused interventions performed on hemiparetic individuals consist of motor training.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examined the effects of sensory training applied to the lower extremity on light touch, proprioception, balance, walking and functional capacity.

METHODS: 42 hemiparetic individuals were included in the study as Control(n = 21) and Study(n = 21) groups. The Bobath approach, as a neurodevelopmental treatment training was implemented across all groups for four weeks, with a frequency of three 45-minute sessions per week. In addition, the study group also received sensory training. Pre-treatment and post-treatment(4weeks) evaluations were performed. Motricity Index, Semmes-Weinstein Monofilament Test for sole sensation, Lower Extremity Position Test, electrogoniometric measurements for kinesthesia, Portable Computerized Balance Device for balance, and Portable Gait Analysis device for walking were used in the evaluations.

RESULTS: In the study group, statistically significant improvement was observed in the motricity index, sole sensation, especially in the forefoot region, 22 cm position sensation, and ankle kinesthesia sensation(p < 0.05). In addition, there was a statistically significant improvement in the hemiparetic side and total balance score in the balance assessment in the study group(p < 0.05). Significant improvement was found in the gait speed, hemiparetic side stride length, healthy side step length, and healthy side stride length parameters, as well as hemiparetic side pelvic propulsion angle in the study group(p < 0.05). In the control group, no statistically significant improvement was achieved in any parameter(p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Participants showed improved functionality, sensation, balance, and gait after sensory training. Somatosensory training enhances functional status in hemiparesis rehabilitation.

PMID:41457106 | DOI:10.1007/s10072-025-08688-5

Nat Commun. 2025 Dec 29. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-68027-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Recent evidence highlights the significance of a new type of tumour suppressors, which are not frequently mutated but inhibited by metabolic cues in cancers. Here, we identify BATF2 as a tumour suppressor whose expression is epigenetically silenced by glutamine in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas (HNSCC). BATF2 correlates with type-I interferon and Th1 signatures in human HNSCC, with correlation coefficients even stronger than those of the positive control, STING. The phosphorylation of BATF2 at serine 227 promotes the oligomerization of STING. BATF2 deficiency or high glutamine levels result in higher oxygen consumption rates and metabolic profiles unfavorable for type-I interferon production. An isocaloric glutamine-rich diet abolishes STING-mediated effector cell expansion in tumours, weakening STING agonist-induced tumour control. Cancer cell-specific BATF2 expression promotes an Id2-centered T-cell effector signature, reduces T-cell exhaustion, and triggers spontaneous HNSCC rejection in a type-I interferon-dependent fashion. Utilizing syngeneic subcutaneous, orthotopic, and 24-week-long cigarette smoke carcinogen-induced HNSCC models, we demonstrate that host Batf2 deficiency results in increased infiltration of CD206⁺ myeloid cells and reduced effector CD8⁺ T-cells, accelerating the initiation of cancers. Overall, we reveal a tumour suppressor BATF2 whose loss is mediated by unique metabolic cues in the TME and drives cancer immune escape.

PMID:41457098 | DOI:10.1038/s41467-025-68027-2

J Am Geriatr Soc. 2025 Dec 28. doi: 10.1111/jgs.70266. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Frailty is a common condition in community-dwelling older adults with high health and socioeconomic implications. However, primary care-led randomized trials have been scarcely tested.

DESIGN: Multicenter cluster randomized clinical trial.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and seventy-three community-dwelling older adults recruited from 12 Spanish primary care centers.

INCLUSION CRITERIA: independence in basic activities of daily living and either prefrailty/frailty using the frailty phenotype or gait speed < 0.8 m/s.

METHODS: Participants were randomized 1:1 by clusters to the intervention or the control group, each cluster being a different primary care center.

INTERVENTION: Physical exercise program, nutritional recommendations, and frailty training to primary care professionals. Interventions were conducted based on the guidelines of the “Consensus document on the prevention of frailty in older adults,” updated in 2022, from the Spanish Health Ministry.

CONTROL: Usual care.

MAIN OUTCOME: Improvement in one category of the frailty phenotype or one point in the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) at 12 and 32 weeks. under Intention-to-treat analysis was conducted.

RESULTS: Mean age 78.1 years, 68.4% female. 25.7% were frail and 74.3% prefrail or with a gait speed lower than 0.8 m/s. The percentage of participants improving the main outcome at week 12 for the intervention and control groups were 70.4% and 49.5%, respectively, absolute risk reduction (ARR) 20.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.3%-34.5%; p < 0.01; n = 191), number needed to treat (NNT) 4.8 (95% CI 2.9-13.6). At 32 weeks of follow-up 81.7% and 51.9% of the intervention and control group improved, respectively, ARR 29.8% (95% CI 13.8%-45.7%; p < 0.001; n = 134), NNT 3.4 (95% CI 2.2-7.2).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: A primary care-led intervention consisting of a physical exercise program, nutritional recommendations, and training in frailty was feasible and effective for improving frailty status or physical function in community-dwelling older adults with prefrailty or frailty.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrial.gov: NCT05002439 (18/JUN/2021).

PMID:41456342 | DOI:10.1111/jgs.70266

Soc Work Public Health. 2025 Dec 28:1-12. doi: 10.1080/19371918.2025.2607686. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to examine the impact of Africentric ethnic identity on the relationship between gender and poor neighborhood air quality. Quantitative data were collected from a convenience sample of 122 African American charter school students residing in a northeastern metropolitan area of the United States. Female students reported greater satisfaction with neighborhood air quality and higher Africentric ethnic identity in comparison to male students. Hierarchical regression analysis showed Africentric ethnic identity to operate as a covariate in the relationship between gender and neighborhood air quality. The results showed that Africentric ethnic identity statistically significantly improved the model fit, explaining additional variance in neighborhood air quality beyond gender. Higher Africentric ethnic identity was a function of greater satisfaction with neighborhood air quality in students. Africentric ethnic identity operates as a source of resilience that can help youth combat climate change problems like poor air quality through emotional and mental flexibility.

PMID:41456333 | DOI:10.1080/19371918.2025.2607686

J Appl Clin Med Phys. 2026 Jan;27(1):e70439. doi: 10.1002/acm2.70439.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Achieving a pathologic complete response (pCR) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is strongly associated with improved survival. This study investigates whether bilateral asymmetry of quantitative perfusion parameters in normal parenchyma from ultrafast dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI), measured using k-means clustering (KMC) before NAC, can predict pCR in breast cancer patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-six breast cancer patients undergoing NAC with pretreatment ultrafast DCE-MRI (3-9 s/image at 3T) were enrolled. KMC was used to classify tumor and normal parenchymal voxels into five clusters based on maximum enhancement rate (A·α). Ipsilateral-to-contralateral (I/C) ratios of background parenchymal enhancement kinetics (kBPE) and tumor kinetics (kT) were compared between pCR and nonpCR groups. Logistic regression models were developed to predict pCR. Statistical tests included bootstrapping, z-test, chi-square, and Wilcoxon rank-sum.

RESULTS: Patients with residual disease showed significantly higher kBPE in the normal-appearing parenchyma of the ipsilateral breast compared to the contralateral side. Parameters including enhancement rate α, A·α, area under the enhancement curve for 30 s AUC30, volume transfer constant K^{tran s}, and rate constant of contrast transfer, K_ep, were significantly higher, while extravascular extracellular space fractional volume, v_e, was significantly lower in the ipsilateral breast parenchyma versus contralateral breast parenchyma for women who have residual disease (p < 0.05). A prediction model using kBPE asymmetry alone achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.83. Including tumor kinetics improved the AUC to 0.85.

CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral asymmetry of kBPE parameters derived from ultrafast DCE-MRI using KMC before NAC initiation can predict pCR with high accuracy, providing a new minimal-invasive biomarker for treatment response.

PMID:41456332 | DOI:10.1002/acm2.70439

Physiother Res Int. 2026 Jan;31(1):e70156. doi: 10.1002/pri.70156.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Balance impairments are among the most common motor impairments in patients with neurological disorders. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and robotic-assisted gait training (RAGT) have recently been used in stroke rehabilitation. This review aims to investigate the effects of combined tDCS and RAGT on balance ability in patients with stroke.

METHODS: Multiple databases, including PubMed, SCOPUS, Embase, Cochrane Library, REHABDATA, and Web of Science, were searched from inception to June 2025. The risk of bias across the included studies was assessed using the “Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro)” scale. Statistical analysis was carried out using “Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Version 4 software”.

RESULTS: Five studies met the eligibility criteria. In total, 207 patients with stroke (mean age 60.73 years, 43% female) were included in this review. The median score on the PEDro scale is 9 with 95% range: 6-10 and IQR: 2. Based on three studies, the meta-analysis on combining tDCS with RAGT for balance in post-stroke patients showed a small, non-significant effect (Berg Balance Scale; SMD = 0.329, 95% CI: -0.622 to 1.279, p = 0.498). Heterogeneity was moderate (I² = 63%, Q = 5.347, p = 0.069) with a prediction interval of -1.233 to 1.892. IMPLICATIONS OF PHYSIOTHERAPY PRACTICE: tDCS combined with RAGT appears safe and well-tolerated, but its effectiveness on balance post-stroke remains inconclusive. The meta-analysis showed a small, non-significant effect with substantial heterogeneity. Although some studies reported significant improvements, variability across protocols and outcomes limits firm conclusions. Further high-quality research is needed to clarify the benefits.

PMID:41456318 | DOI:10.1002/pri.70156

Int J Psychol. 2026 Feb;61(1):e70151. doi: 10.1002/ijop.70151.

ABSTRACT

Although workplace incivility (WI) has been extensively studied, limited attention has been paid to its validation in culturally diverse contexts such as China and Pakistan. Addressing this gap, the present study examines the psychometric properties of the instigated WI scale within these two distinct cultural settings. Furthermore, it investigates the cross-cultural measurement equivalence of the scale using a daily diary methodology. Participants were full-time employees from service-sector organisations in China (n = 110) and Pakistan (n = 118), recruited through snowball sampling. Over 10 days, 758 daily observations were collected from Chinese employees and 836 from Pakistani employees. The findings provide evidence supporting the validity and reliability of the scale in both samples, affirming the conceptual transferability of WI across these cultural contexts. The study also highlights the importance of accounting for cultural nuances in the manifestation and assessment of incivility. Establishing the scale’s validity and equivalence contributes critical methodological groundwork for future cross-cultural research on workplace mistreatment.

PMID:41456315 | DOI:10.1002/ijop.70151

Vestn Otorinolaringol. 2025;90(6):66-71. doi: 10.17116/otorino20259006166.

ABSTRACT

Currently, there are individual studies of the width of the piriform aperture (PA) in different populations, but these data are not tied to standards and do not take into account the age characteristics of the individual.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the width of the PA in the population in different age groups.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study involved 577 adults (≥18 years old) of the Central European type of the Caucasian race, divided into groups by gender (273 men and 304 women) and age (18-44, 45-59, 60-74 and over 75 years old), for whom the width of the PA was determined.

RESULTS: The value of the PA (in mm) width in men statistically significantly (p<0.05) exceeds the female values when comparing both all subjects (24.13±0.20 in men and 22.67±0.19 in women) and separately among all age groups: 18-44 (23.46±0.34 and 22.05±0.43), 45-59 (24.13±0.42 and 22.56±0.34), 60-74 (24.15±0.41 and 22.64±0.31) and over 75 years old (24.87±0.40 and 23.43±0.40).

CONCLUSIONS: The results can be used as standards for the width of the piriform aperture of the Central European type of the Caucasian race.

PMID:41456292 | DOI:10.17116/otorino20259006166