Tag: statistics

Eur Heart J Qual Care Clin Outcomes. 2026 Jul 28:qcag122. doi: 10.1093/ehjqcco/qcag122. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Accurate risk stratification for patients with three-vessel coronary artery disease (3VD) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains important in contemporary practice. SYNTAX-based mortality prediction models require reassessment in modern PCI populations.

METHODS: This post-hoc analysis of the Multivessel TALENT trial evaluated the core and extended logistic clinical SYNTAX Score (LCSS) for predicting 1-year all-cause mortality. Discrimination was assessed using the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC), and calibration using calibration intercept, calibration slope, graphical calibration, and the E-statistic. Prediction scores were calculated within each of 20 imputed datasets, with model performance evaluated within each imputation and summarised across imputations. Intercept-and-slope recalibration and decision curve analysis were also performed.

RESULTS: At 1 year, 46 (3.0%) of 1,548 enrolled patients had died. The pooled AUCs were 0.716 for the LCSS core model and 0.744 for the extended model, compared with 0.629 for the anatomical SYNTAX Score and 0.632 for the functional SYNTAX Score. LCSS models systematically overestimated absolute risk, although observed mortality increased across predicted-risk quintiles. Decision curve analysis showed a positive net benefit for the original and recalibrated LCSS models across threshold probabilities of 1% to 10%, with numerically higher net benefit for the recalibrated extended model across much of the evaluated threshold range.

CONCLUSION: In contemporary PCI for 3VD, the LCSS showed moderate discrimination for 1-year all-cause mortality while overestimating its absolute risk. Recalibration improved agreement with observed risk in this cohort and may inform future validation and model refinement.

PMID:42509586 | DOI:10.1093/ehjqcco/qcag122

Asian J Anesthesiol. 2025 Jun 1;63(2):70-79. doi: 10.6859/aja.202506_63(2).0004.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Opioid-free anesthesia (OFA) is an emerging practice in cancer care, providing adequate analgesia with reduced side effects. The objective of the study is to evaluate whether ketamine can replace morphine for performing OFA by assessing the acute pain relief achieved and to evaluate its effect on chronic pain.

METHODS: A total of 182 women undergoing modified radical mastectomy were recruited and randomized into the morphine group and the ketamine group. Participants in the morphine group received 0.05 mg/kg morphine 20 minutes before induction, and those in the ketamine group received 0.40 mg/kg bolus and 1.00 mg/kg/hour ketamine infusion until axillary dissection. The numerical rating pain scale (NRS) at 0, 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours postsurgery was recorded, and the Revised American Pain Society Patient Outcome Questionnaire (APS-POQ-R) was filled out the next day. The chronic pain score at 3 and 6 months after surgery was noted.

RESULTS: The mean NRS at 24 hours was 2.385 ± 0.965 in the ketamine group and 2.240 ± 0.996 in the morphine group (P = 0.336). The APS-POQ-R showed that, on average, patients in the ketamine group and the morphine group experienced moderate to severe pain for and 28.00% and 27.72% of the time in a day, respectively, and rescue analgesia usage was also comparable. The incidence of chronic pain was 28.9% and 21.2% (P = 0.31) at 3 months and 32.1% and 21.2 % (P = 0.19) at 6 months in the ketamine group and the morphine group, respectively, and not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that both ketamine and morphine provided similar levels of acute pain relief during the procedure, with no significant difference in pain outcomes between the two groups. These findings suggest that ketamine may be a viable alternative to morphine in the management of pain during OFA, with similar efficacy in both acute and chronic pain relief.

PMID:42509583 | DOI:10.6859/aja.202506_63(2).0004

Plant Methods. 2026 Jul 27;22(1):62. doi: 10.1186/s13007-026-01577-8.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Covered smut in barley caused by Ustilago hordei leads to yield reduction and quality loss of stored grains and is especially challenging in organic production. However, screening for resistance remains challenging. The goal of our research was to evaluate protocols for screening covered smut in barley under normal and speed breeding conditions that could be scaled up for breeding purposes. We considered favorable pathogen growth conditions, a sufficient sample size to detect differences among genotypes through a power analysis, sources of disease escape or avoidance, and the infection effect on agronomic traits.

RESULTS: In the first experiment, twenty genotypes treated with various inoculum concentrations were screened for disease incidence under a speed breeding system. Generally, low infection levels were found, likely due to disease escape or avoidance. Based on a power analysis, we modified the protocol to include more plants and improved pathogen growth conditions under a normal greenhouse system. With the modified protocol, the incidence of covered smut was significantly different among genotypes. The protocol also reduced the number of plants required to detect at least one infected plant. Artificial inoculation significantly decreased germination rates while head emergence, days to heading, and plant height were affected by disease infection in the most susceptible genotypes. We also found that covered smut incidence varied with tiller emergence order. The genotypes ‘DH160779′ (RES check), PI 270630’, ‘CIho15270’, and ‘MTV-color-158’ presented potential resistance to covered smut.

CONCLUSION: The protocol has a high power to differentiate moderately resistant barley genotypes and we confirmed that specific agronomic traits were affected by disease incidence in susceptible genotypes.

PMID:42509569 | DOI:10.1186/s13007-026-01577-8

Parasit Vectors. 2026 Jul 24;19(1):303. doi: 10.1186/s13071-026-07529-4.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Four studies investigated the efficacy of fluralaner/moxidectin/pyrantel chewable tablets (Bravecto® TriUNO) in preventing and treating canine angiostrongylosis; one study also included a formulation of fluralaner/milbemycin oxime.

METHODS: Studies included eight or 10 dogs/group. In Studies 1 and 2 (prevention), dogs inoculated with third-stage larvae of Angiostrongylus vasorum on day – 31 or – 28 were randomized to groups by sex and body weight; in Studies 3 and 4 (treatment) by faecal first-stage larvae counts at approximately 8 weeks post-inoculation (PI). All studies included an untreated control group (CG). Study 1 included three groups treated with formulations of moxidectin/fluralaner/pyrantel; minimum moxidectin doses 0.0125, 0.025 or 0.055 mg/kg. The formulation with moxidectin at 0.025 mg/kg, 99.0% effective in preventing establishment of infection, was adopted as the investigational veterinary product (IVP) for the following studies. Study 2 included a group treated with either the IVP or a combination of fluralaner (10 mg/kg) with milbemycin oxime (0.75 mg/kg) (IVP-2). In all studies, the IVP was administered once on day 0; in Study 2, IVP-2 was administered on days 0, 31, 62 and 93. In Study 1, efficacy was determined by reductions in geometric mean necropsy worm counts approximately 33 days post-treatment versus mean CG counts, in the other studies by reductions in mean faecal L1 counts. Study 2 assessed pulmonary changes via thoracic computed tomography. Respiratory signs and serological antibody responses were monitored.

RESULTS: In Study 1, all moxidectin doses exceeded 90% efficacy. In Study 2, IVP efficacy (one treatment) at 62 days was 100.0%; IVP-2 (four treatments) efficacy was 99.8% at 124 days. Respiratory signs were absent or lower in IVP-treated than CG dogs. In Studies 3 and 4, IVP efficacy was 100% by 3 and 4 weeks post-treatment, respectively. In all studies, lungworm count reductions in the IVP groups were statistically significant (P < 0.0001) versus the CG. Serology confirmed A. vasorum infections in all control and IVP-2-treated dogs, and absence of infections in IVP-treated dogs. Treatments were well tolerated.

CONCLUSIONS: A single treatment with Bravecto TriUNO is highly effective in preventing angiostrongylosis and eliminating established A. vasorum infections. Infection-related lung pathology was reduced in treated dogs.

PMID:42509566 | DOI:10.1186/s13071-026-07529-4

Genome Biol. 2026 Jul 27;27(1):242. doi: 10.1186/s13059-026-04182-z.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: RNA velocity provides a powerful framework for inferring cellular dynamics from single-cell RNA sequencing data. The rapid proliferation of computational methods within this field has prompted a need for systematic evaluation. However, existing comparisons often suffer from limited scope or incomplete task design, leaving users without clear guidance. Consequently, there is a lack of a comprehensive and standardized benchmark that evaluates methods across diverse biological and technical scenarios using appropriate, context-specific metrics.

RESULTS: In this study, we present a comprehensive benchmark of 19 computational RNA velocity tools covering 30 distinct methods. We systematically evaluate 25 RNA-only methods across eight evaluation tasks, designating directional consistency, temporal precision, negative control robustness, and sequencing depth stability as core tasks, while assessing five multimodal-enhanced methods specifically on the multimodal integration task. These assessments utilize 34 datasets spanning 26 real-world and eight simulated scenarios. Our results reveal a clear trade-off between directional consistency and negative control robustness, distinct group-wise behaviors across temporal modeling strategies, and variability driven by sequencing depth and quantification choices. This study also identifies several methodological gaps, including the need for improved modeling of gene dependence, more accurate temporal inference strategies, and better-designed multimodal architectures.

CONCLUSIONS: This benchmark establishes a unified framework for evaluating RNA velocity methods. Crucially, we provide task-aware guidance to facilitate method selection based on specific biological contexts and technical constraints, rather than relying on a single overall ranking.

PMID:42509564 | DOI:10.1186/s13059-026-04182-z

Respir Res. 2026 Jul 27;27(1):294. doi: 10.1186/s12931-026-03840-x.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The relevance of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), a marker of low-grade systemic inflammation, remains unclear with regard to its association with severity and clinical outcomes in wheeze/asthma. We aimed to assess the role of hsCRP across different phenotypes and severity levels.

METHODS: We studied children with preschool wheeze (≥ 2 episodes), and patients with GINA-defined asthma (school-age/adult) compared with healthy controls (HCs) in the well-characterized ALLIANCE (All Age Asthma Cohort) study. HsCRP was measured (AU5800®-CRP-Latex test) in 944 study participants (pediatric: n = 728; adult: n = 216) at baseline. Age-stratified analyses (age groups 0-5, 6-18, ≥ 18 years) of standardized log₁₀-transformed hsCRP concentrations (age, sex, BMI, site) were performed using univariable tests and regression models. The validated ASSESS score and its dimensions (exacerbations, lung function, inhaled corticosteroids, symptom control) were primary outcomes.

RESULTS: Adult patients with asthma showed higher hsCRP than HCs (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.56-3.24). Across all ages, hsCRP increased with clinical severity of wheeze/asthma. The ASSESS score correlated positively with hsCRP in patients aged ≥ 6 years (R = 0.19, p = 0.007). hsCRP was increased in school-age asthmatics with prior exacerbations (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.01-1.87), and in adult asthmatics with impaired lung function (R = 0.2, p = 0.013). Inhaled corticosteroid use was associated with lower hsCRP in preschool wheezers (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.50-0.85) but higher levels in adults (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.02-4.09).

CONCLUSIONS: HsCRP was increased in adult asthmatics compared to HCs and was associated with several severity-related clinical characteristics. ICS use was associated with higher hsCRP levels in adults, potentially reflecting greater disease severity, whereas ICS use in preschool wheezers was associated with lower hsCRP levels. These age-dependent effects may mirror varying disease courses across the lifespan and progression of asthma. The association of hsCRP with asthma severity in child- and adulthood may indicate its potential relevance for the course of disease and monitoring clinical outcomes. Future longitudinal studies are needed to assess, whether hsCRP may support therapy monitoring.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov; Pediatric arm: NCT02496468, Registration date: 03 July 2015; Adult arm: NCT02419274, Registration date: 14 April 2015.

PMID:42509549 | DOI:10.1186/s12931-026-03840-x

BMC Pulm Med. 2026 Jul 24;26(1):332. doi: 10.1186/s12890-026-04536-0.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the relationship between demographic characteristics, chest CT findings, and laboratory parameters during hospitalization and post-COVID pulmonary function and exercise capacity.

METHODS: The retrospective study included 101 patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19, had CT findings consistent with COVID-19, and completed at least two months after discharge. In the study, Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), Pulmonary Function Tests (PFT), thorax CT and laboratory findings were evaluated. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS (v25.0); normality and variance homogeneity were assessed by Shapiro-Wilk and Levene tests, respectively, while group comparisons were performed using Student’s t, Mann-Whitney U, Chi-square, and one-way ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc tests, and correlations were evaluated by Spearman analysis.

RESULTS: Patients with severe/critical COVID-19 had significantly higher age, BMI, length of hospital stay, time from diagnosis to admission, ferritin, CRP, D-dimer, neutrophil %, N/L ratio, and Charlson Comorbidity Index, and lower lymphocyte % (p < 0.005). Severe/critical pneumonia was observed in 66.7% of CO-RADS 4 and 67.9% of CO-RADS 5 cases (p = 0.002). Restrictive respiratory patterns were found in 32.7% of the severe/critical group (p = 0.018). ICU patients had significantly shorter 6MWT distances, more frequent restrictive PFT results, and higher inflammatory markers at admission compared to non-ICU patients (p < 0.05). No significant correlation was found between disease severity and 6MWT distance.

CONCLUSION: Elevated inflammatory markers and ICU admission during hospitalization were associated with impaired pulmonary function and reduced exercise capacity in the early post-COVID period. In contrast, disease severity and CO-RADS classification were not predictive of functional outcomes. These findings highlight the role of inflammatory burden and critical illness as key predictors of post-COVID impairment.

PMID:42509548 | DOI:10.1186/s12890-026-04536-0

BMC Pediatr. 2026 Jul 28;26(1):687. doi: 10.1186/s12887-026-07003-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Estimating the total number of children with a life-limiting, complex chronic condition or serious illness has been identified as an important first step in determining how many children might need palliative care in a country or region. Relevant estimates have not been calculated for Ireland, an exercise complicated by the country’s lack of a fully operational unique patient identifier in healthcare data.

METHODS: This study estimated prevalence of life-limiting conditions amongst children aged 0-19 in Ireland in 2019 and 2024, demonstrating methods in the absence of a unique identifier. Baseline hospital-based prevalence calculated as (estimated) number of inpatients with a life-limiting diagnoses per 10,000 population aged 0-19 in Ireland, 2019 (pre-Covid) and 2024 (most recent year available). Number of inpatients were estimated from discharge-level data under 3 alternative scenarios (E1, E2, E3) adjusting for multiple admissions in the data. In sensitivity analysis, adjusted prevalence estimates further corrected for sources of under-counting in the data.

RESULTS: Baseline estimated total prevalence of life-limiting conditions amongst children aged 0-19 in Ireland between 34.8 (E3) and 50.0 (E1) per 10,000 population in 2019; between 32.3 (E3) and 44.5 (E1) per 10,000 population in 2024. In sensitivity analysis, correcting for potential under-counting in the data, adjusted estimated prevalence: between 46.4 (E3) and 66.6 (E1) per 10,000 population in 2019; and between 43.0 (E3) and 59.3 (E1) per 10,000 population in 2024. Prevalence was higher for males than for females, and highest in the age group < 1 for all estimation scenarios.

CONCLUSIONS: These are the first estimates of prevalence of life-limiting conditions amongst children in Ireland that have been calculated using Irish-specific hospital data. The estimates are in line with prevalence from other similar-income countries based on studies using similar definitions and methodologies. The findings demonstrate how careful application of transparent methods to routinely collected administrative hospital activity data can yield important findings even in the context of data limitations.

PMID:42509542 | DOI:10.1186/s12887-026-07003-1

BMC Gastroenterol. 2026 Jul 27;26(1):475. doi: 10.1186/s12876-026-05156-y.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory markers are routinely used in the evaluation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) has previously been proposed as a potential biomarker in the evaluation of IBD. This meta-analysis and systematic review challenges the utility of RDW in IBD evaluation.

METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA guidelines. A search strategy was formulated based on Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and other relevant medical terms. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus was performed up to 4th of September 2025. Data were extracted for identifying the role of RDW in IBD detection and its association with disease activity. Statistical analysis employed a random-effects model, with subgroup analysis performed according to different levels of disease activity.

RESULTS: RDW was significantly elevated in patients suffering from Crohn’s disease (CD) (MD = 2.2, p < 0.001) and ulcerative colitis (UC) (MD = 1.36, p < 0.001) compared to healthy controls. Both diseases showed significantly higher RDW in active disease versus remission (CD: MD = 1.29, p < 0.001; UC: MD = 1.11%, p < 0.001). For differentiating active CD from remission, an RDW cut-off > 14% showed a sensitivity of 0.86 and specificity of 0.78 (AUC = 0.83). RDW levels were also significantly higher in active CD compared to active UC (MD = 0.59, p < 0.005).

CONCLUSION: RDW levels were markedly increased in patients with IBD compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, RDW showed a consistent association with both disease activity and severity. Given its wide availability, low cost, and reliable diagnostic performance, RDW could represent a practical and valuable biomarker for evaluating inflammatory bowel disease.

PMID:42509537 | DOI:10.1186/s12876-026-05156-y

J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2026 Jul 27. doi: 10.1007/s40615-026-03127-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The prevalence and impact of mental health challenges among racially and ethnically diverse populations have received growing attention in recent years. This study investigates the factors associated with mental health service utilization and unmet mental health care needs among minoritized adults in the United States. Drawing on data from the 2021-2022 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), an annual survey of the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population that understands public health conditions, this study included a sample of Asian, Black/African American, and Hispanic participants (N = 16,245). A secondary data analysis was conducted using a multinomial logistic regression framework to examine how predisposing, enabling, and need-based factors influence patterns of mental health service use, guided by Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. Findings highlight persistent disparities, showing that Black and Hispanic individuals who reported living with disabilities were more likely to forgo mental health services due to cost. Additionally, Asian older adults were less likely to report receiving mental health services. Meanwhile, Asian young adults who had never been married and who experienced anxiety had the highest odds of delaying mental health care. Together, these findings underscore the importance of culturally responsive strategies to improve access and equity in mental health services for minoritized individuals with intersecting social identities, as well as the need to strengthen training for culturally competent providers with attention to cultural diversity, acculturation processes, language proficiency, and advocacy.

PMID:42509521 | DOI:10.1007/s40615-026-03127-3