Tag: statistics

Int J Clin Oncol. 2025 May 1. doi: 10.1007/s10147-025-02766-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Predicting individual prognosis is required for patients with colorectal cancer in the era of precision medicine. However, this may be challenging for the conventional survival analysis such as the Cox proportional hazards model. This study aims to develop a personalized prognostic prediction that incorporates longitudinal data to improve predictions for colorectal cancer patients.

METHODS: Patients with advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer, who received treatment at Kyoto University Hospital between April 2015 and December 2021, were retrospectively analyzed. The Joint model is one of the dynamic prediction models. Using longitudinal clinical data, a carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) prediction equation was developed for each patient. Additionally, a personalized prognostic prediction model was created using the Joint model. The prediction accuracy of the Joint model was compared with one of the Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS: Among the 1010 patients, 614 patients were enrolled. The median frequency of tumor marker measurement (per patient) was 20 times (range: 3-117 times). CEA values could be predicted accurately and the Pearson’s correlation coefficient between measured CEA and predicted CEA was 0.931. In the Joint model, the significant prognostic factors were baseline age (HR, 1.039; 95% CI, 1.025-1.054), poor-differentiated tumor (HR, 2.600; 95% CI 1.446-4.675) and log₂ (predicted CEA) (HR, 1.551; 95% CI 1.488-1.617). The areas under the curve at 2, 3, 4, and 5 were significantly higher for the Joint model than for the Cox proportional hazards model, respectively.

CONCLUSION: The Joint model may accurately predict personalized prognosis that reflects changes in longitudinal tumor marker values.

PMID:40312604 | DOI:10.1007/s10147-025-02766-6

Sci Rep. 2025 May 2;15(1):15322. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-99390-1.

ABSTRACT

Cement has a substantial environmental impact, particularly carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, which occur mostly during the production stage, as it is anticipated that nearly 4-5% of the world’s total CO₂ emissions result from cement production. To address these environmental concerns, future scenarios will require alternative raw materials for clinker production and the usage of supplemental cementitious materials (SCMs). Hence, the current study correspondingly sought to assess the applicability of Laterite soil powder (LSP) for manufacturing High performance Mortar (HPM) and its influence on fresh, hard, and microstructure qualities with varied replacement levels. A series of experiments-including slump flow, compressive strength, chemical resistance, water absorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential thermal analysis (DTA) were conducted. The results indicate that while a superplasticizer maintained adequate flow, the addition of LSP reduced mortar flowability; for example, a 20% replacement resulted in a 23% decrease in flowability. In contrast, a 10% replacement level did not significantly affect the mechanical or durability properties over all curing periods. A one-way ANOVA (p = 0.62) confirmed that there was no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) in compressive strength between the control mix LSP-0 and the LSP-10 mix. Furthermore, FTIR analysis indicated that a 10% LSP content exerted only a modest influence on the hydration products, as the wavenumbers, curves, peaks, and valleys observed in the spectra of the LSP-0 and LSP-10 mortar samples were nearly identical. In general, analysis of various properties indicates that a 10% LSP replacement is optimal, as it maintains performance without significant adverse effects.

PMID:40312571 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-99390-1

Skeletal Radiol. 2025 May 1. doi: 10.1007/s00256-025-04939-w. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To assess the correlation of pre-operative symptoms, pre-operative diagnostic imaging for cartilage loss, and intra-operative cartilage findings in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three radiologists performed retrospective independent reviews of pre-operative MRIs in 96 hips for acetabular/femoral cartilage loss utilizing a simplified “high-low” classification and the International Cartilage Repair Society grading system. Severity of supra-foveal central femoral head cartilage loss was separately noted. Pre-operative radiographs were graded using the Tonnis and Kellgren-Lawrence systems and for central joint space narrowing. Pre-operative patient symptoms were prospectively gathered utilizing the Nonarthritic Hip Score and the modified Harris Hip Score. Intra-operatively, cartilage loss was recorded using the Outerbridge system.

RESULTS: A moderate-to-strong positive correlation between pre-operative radiographic and MR cartilage loss was observed (0.21 $\le$ Τ $\le$ 0.53, T = Kendall’s tau) for all readers/scales. Weak-to-moderate positive correlation was found between intra-operative cartilage grading and radiographic grading (0.10 $\le$ Τ $\le$ 0.30). Weak-to-moderate positive correlation between MRI and intra-operative cartilage grading was found for all readers/grading systems (0.17 $\le$ Τ $\le$ 0.43). Cartilage defects were slightly under-reported on MRI, reaching statistical significance at the femoral head. There was moderate-to-strong positive correlation between radiographic central joint narrowing and MRI central femoral head cartilage loss (0.35 $\le$ Τ $\le$ 0.55) for all readers. Inter-reader reliability was fair-to-moderate for radiographs, but poor for MRI. Clinical scores demonstrated very weak negative to no correlation with radiographic/MR cartilage findings and weak positive correlation with intra-operative cartilage findings.

CONCLUSION: Despite MRI underestimation of cartilage loss, the very weak-to-weak correlation of clinical symptoms with pre-operative imaging and intra-operative findings emphasizes the importance of MRI in pre-operative evaluation.

PMID:40312549 | DOI:10.1007/s00256-025-04939-w

Sci Rep. 2025 May 1;15(1):15277. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-99891-z.

ABSTRACT

According to the WHO and domestic statistics, chronic diseases are one of the most common causes of disability in the Polish society, as well as in the world. The presence of the disease significantly reduces the quality of life (QoL), and gender is a factor determining the level of perceived health-related quality of life (HR-QoL), but there are no cross-sectional studies considering several disease entities. Ranking of diseases determining HR-QoL of patients in 13 different groups of disease entities by gender, assessed using the standardized tool for assessing the quality of life SF-36. A cross-sectional study was carried out in a group of 7620 patients. The criterion for inclusion in the study was a chronic disease and the lack of other comorbidities. 13 groups of disease entities were included in the study. The SF-36 questionnaire was used to assess HR-QoL. The analysis used hierarchical cluster analysis to identify disease groups that similarly impact HR-QoL levels. Logistic regression was used to assess the odds of experiencing better quality of life (OR) in the SF-36 dimensions, taking into account gender and Cohen’s d was used as a measure of effect size. In the group of people burdened with chronic diseases, a better average quality of life is more often recorded in the group of men. The most significant differences in QoL are noted in thyroid (TD), renal and urinary (UD), gastrointestinal (DS) diseases. More often, the poorer quality of life of women is recorded in TD and DS (p < 0.05), in UD, the poorer quality of life is declared by men (p < 0.05). Gender significantly determines the level of perceived HR-QoL. Planning of the treatment and convalescence process in patients should consider gender differences and factors affecting HR-QoL. The ranking of diseases that most strongly reduce HR-QoL in Index Life Quality indicated that among women, diseases in the following order reduce HR-QoL most strongly: diseases of the nervous system (NS), cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancers (CD). In the men’s group, the order was as follows: the most HR-QoL-lowering diseases were CD, NS and CVD.

PMID:40312518 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-99891-z

Sci Rep. 2025 May 1;15(1):15265. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-00415-6.

ABSTRACT

Fear of disease progression (FoP) is a multidimensional concept that refers to the fear or worry about disease progress. Little is known about the distinct FoP profiles and their determinants in culturally specific contexts, especially among hematologic malignancies (HM) patients in China. This study aimed to identify heterogeneous profiles of FoP and their associated predictors among Chinese patients with HM. A convenience sample of patients suffering from HM were enrolled from March 2023 to February 2024. To gather multidimensional data from the Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF), the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Family Hardiness Index (FHI), and the EuroQol-Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS), we performed a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study on 455 survivors with HM. The statistical method included latent profile analysis (LPA) and multivariate logistic regression. Three latent profiles of FoP were found: the low-risk fear group (20.88%), the moderate-risk fear group (54.73%), and the high-risk fear group (24.49%). Patients with higher levels of illness perception, anxiety, and depression were more likely to report higher levels of FoP. The study revealed that female gender (OR 2.295-2.577), age > 65 years (OR 4.140-9.363), lower education (OR 0.270-0.365), and lymphoma diagnosis (OR 2.95) significantly predicted higher FoP risk (all P < 0.05), while higher income (OR 0.390-0.477, P < 0.05) and greater family resilience showed protective effects. The findings underscore the need for risk-stratified interventions targeting psychosocial vulnerabilities, particularly in elderly and female adults with HM. This study provides empirical evidence supporting the application of precision psycho-oncology approaches in HM survivorship management. It also contributes to the broader comprehension of FoP and highlights the importance of family-centered interventions .

PMID:40312507 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-00415-6

Sci Rep. 2025 May 1;15(1):15311. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-00218-9.

ABSTRACT

Previous studies have identified various factors affecting dengue fever, but most focus on correlations within specific regions, not establishing causality. This study uses Convergent Cross Mapping (CCM) to explore the causal relationships between nine meteorological factors and reported dengue fever cases in 14 Chinese provinces with the highest incidence. Results show that temperature and pressure have causal links with case numbers in more provinces. In Guangdong, which has the most reported cases, Partial Cross Mapping (PCM) reveals a direct causal relationship only between GDP and reported dengue fever cases, while meteorological factors influence dengue fever via their impact on mosquito populations. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) from 30 provinces further confirms the importance of temperature and pressure. Given the significant negative correlation between temperature and pressure, separate models were developed for each province using the Distributed Lag Nonlinear Model (DLNM) combined with the Generalized Additive Model (GAM), with GDP as a covariate. The results indicate that the Relative Risk (RR) increases significantly under high temperatures and low pressure within a shorter lag period. GDP significantly promotes case numbers in all provinces.

PMID:40312495 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-00218-9

Sci Rep. 2025 May 1;15(1):15296. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-99603-7.

ABSTRACT

Cultivated meat may be an ethical, environmentally friendly, antibiotic-free meat alternative of the future. As of now, one of the main limiting factors for bringing cultivated meat to the market is the high cost of the cell culture media and their great dependency on serum albumins, production of which is predicted to become a major bottleneck of this industry. Here, using bovine muscle stem cells, we optimized serum free B8/B9 medium. We identified several food grade, low-price medium stabilizers, exhibiting comparable or even superior stabilization of the B8 medium in short- and long-term cultivations, as compared to recombinant human serum albumin. We show transferability of our approach to other satellite cells (porcine, chicken) and CHO cells, though significant cell-line specific differences in response to stabilizers were observed. Thus, we provide an alternative to serum albumin, enabling up to an overall 73% reduction of medium price for certain cell lines.

PMID:40312489 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-99603-7

Sci Rep. 2025 May 1;15(1):15293. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-92247-7.

ABSTRACT

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) and atopic diseases are both characterized by chronic inflammation, yet their potential relationship remains unexplored. This study investigates whether atopic diseases are associated with an increased risk of knee OA in a large nationwide cohort. We conducted a nationwide cohort study using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), including 880,300 individuals aged ≥ 50 years. Atopic disease was defined as ≥ 3 outpatient visits for asthma, allergic rhinitis, or atopic dermatitis. Knee OA incidence was identified using ICD-10 codes, and hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. Individuals with atopic diseases had a 36% higher risk of developing knee OA compared to those without (HR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.35-1.37). A dose-response relationship was observed, with risk increasing progressively in individuals with multiple atopic conditions (HR = 1.44 for two conditions; HR = 1.51 for all three conditions). Subgroup analyses indicated that this association was strongest in younger individuals (50-59 years) and males. The results indicate a significant association between atopic diseases and an increased risk of knee OA, which was strongest in younger individuals. Further research is needed to understand the potential role of atopic-specific inflammation on OA development, and any potential implications for targeted therapies.

PMID:40312487 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-92247-7

Surg Endosc. 2025 May 1. doi: 10.1007/s00464-025-11734-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Totally extraperitoneal (TEP) repair involves creating a preperitoneal space. The preperitoneal space can be created by telescopic dissection (TD) or plane dissection (PD). Nevertheless, these techniques may have some complications. This study aims to assess the impact and comprehensively compare the TD and PD methods in patients undergoing laparoscopic TEP inguinal hernia repair.

METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 156 patients who underwent PD at the Hospital from January 2017 to December 2023. Using propensity score matching (PSM), 312 TD patients were matched at a 1:2 ratio. The primary outcomes included peritoneal injury, vascular injury, clarity of the surgical field, operation time, and intraoperative blood loss. Secondary outcomes included length of hospital stay, postoperative pain, and recurrence rate.

RESULTS: After matching, no significant differences in clinical characteristics were observed between the two groups. The PD group showed better the surgical field clarity, reduced intraoperative blood loss, and shorter operation time compared to the TD group. Additionally, the TD group had higher hospitalization costs. There were no statistically significant differences in hospital stay and follow-up duration between the two groups. There was a significant difference in the overall complication rate between the PD and TD groups, mainly in terms of peritoneal and vascular injuries. There was no statistical difference in severe complications (Clavien-Dindo classification) between the two groups. There was also no significant difference between the two groups in terms of incision infection, seroma, hematoma, chronic pain, and recurrence rate between the groups.

CONCLUSION: Both plane dissection and telescopic dissection demonstrate efficacy and reliability in TEP surgery. The PD group showed superior performance in terms of clarity of the surgical field, reduction of peritoneal and vascular injuries, and could shorten hospital stays and reduce costs. Therefore, plane dissection has considerable potential for application in TEP surgery.

PMID:40312485 | DOI:10.1007/s00464-025-11734-0

Sci Rep. 2025 May 1;15(1):15272. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-99179-2.

ABSTRACT

This study explores the relationship between Behçet’s disease (BD) and serum lipid levels, focusing on a large cohort to understand the correlation between lipid profile variations and BD. Utilizing data from the Korean National Healthcare Insurance Service, it encompasses 9,914,049 individuals who participated in health screenings in 2009. The research identifies patients diagnosed with BD during a follow-up period and analyzes their lipid profiles, categorized into quartiles of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides (TG). The study calculates adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) considering age, gender, smoking history, alcohol consumption, exercise habits, income, body mass index, hypertension, and diabetes, to evaluate the impact of lipid concentrations on BD development. Results show a significant increase in BD incidence among those with lower TC and HDL-C levels (aHR for lowest vs. highest TC quartile: 1.57, 95% CI 1.40-1.76, p < 0.0001; aHR for lowest vs. highest HDL-C quartile: 1.66, 95% CI 1.48-1.86, p < 0.0001), while LDL-C and TG levels did not exhibit a statistically significant association with BD risk. Additionally, the risk of BD does not escalate in the low HDL group using lipid-lowering agents (aHR: 1.33, 95% CI 0.93-1.90, p = 0.8496). The study concludes that lower TC and HDL-C levels are associated with an increased risk of developing BD.

PMID:40312472 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-99179-2