Tag: statistics

Water Res. 2025 May 22;283:123886. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2025.123886. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In marine environments, the sources of organophosphate esters (OPEs), particularly emerging OPEs (eOPEs) remain primarily unclear and present significant challenges for accurate source tracing. Here, we developed an unsupervised machine learning framework termed a multi-factorial multimodal high-dimensional clustering (MFM-clustering) algorithm to efficiently attribute source tracing of these pollutants. Our approach integrates physicochemical properties auch as log K_ow and log BCF, along with geographical data, to comprehensively represent the environmental behavior of these compounds beyond traditional concentration data. The robustness of the MFM-clustering algorithm was validated, offering enhanced pollutant classification accuracy compared to conventional statistical methods by focusing on pollutant-specific features. We used a systematic framework comprising field investigations, target screening, risk assessment, and MFM-clustering-based source analysis. The methodology was applied to the Bohai Sea, China, as a case study, where 29 OPEs, including 15 eOPEs, were quantified in sediment samples. This application refined the clustering analysis and enabled detailed ecological risk assessments. Industries associated with OPEs production, sewage treatment plants, industrial discharges, surface runoff from automotive activities, atmospheric transport of volatile OPEs, and petroleum-related operations for most eOPEs have been identified as key contributors to OPE pollution in various regions of the Bohai Sea. Our results highlight the necessity of tracing upstream production processes and identifying environmentally safer alternatives as effective strategies for mitigating OPE emissions.

PMID:40441093 | DOI:10.1016/j.watres.2025.123886

J Infect. 2025 May 28;91(1):106522. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2025.106522. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:40441063 | DOI:10.1016/j.jinf.2025.106522

Int J Obstet Anesth. 2025 May 10;63:104683. doi: 10.1016/j.ijoa.2025.104683. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Maternal sepsis can lead to poor outcomes for the mother and neonate, and early diagnosis and treatment of infection is important to prevent sepsis. Current guidance to recognise maternal sepsis includes assessment of physiological markers, however normal physiological changes of pregnancy can hinder the diagnosis of sepsis. This study investigated the utility of routine clinical variables, including laboratory tests, in screening for maternal sepsis.

METHODS: Patients considered at risk of obstetric sepsis were recruited into a single centre cohort study. Microbiological, histological and clinical data categorised patients into three diagnostic groups: ‘infection confirmed’, ‘infection unknown’ and ‘infection unlikely’. Differences in physiological and routine laboratory variables were investigated.

RESULTS: Between November 2020 and December 2022, 154 pregnant patients were recruited. Comparison between ‘infection confirmed’ (n=58) and ‘infection unlikely’ (n=17) showed statistical differences in temperature (P <0.001), neutrophil count (P =0.003) and leukocyte count (P =0.004) at the time of recruitment. Temperature was the best discriminator with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) of 0.82 (95% CI 0.70 to 0.94, P <0.0001) with an optimal threshold of ≥37.5°C.

CONCLUSION: This observational cohort study demonstrated that maternal temperature ≥37.5°C (rather than the threshold of 38°C found in most screening tools) may be important in screening patients at risk of developing maternal sepsis. When temperature ≥37.5°C persists, medical care should be expedited and maternal infection considered.

PMID:40441038 | DOI:10.1016/j.ijoa.2025.104683

Public Health. 2025 May 28;244:105767. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2025.105767. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Rapid economic growth in South Korea provides a valuable context for investigating how socioeconomic status (SES) impacts mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in an emerging high-income Asian country. The objective of this study was to examine these associations in a general population and a subgroup with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.

METHODS: Data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) linked to mortality records was used. A total of 48,190 participants including 6,382 patients with T2DM from the 2011-2020 KNHANES cohort were included and followed until death, a cardiovascular event (myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke), or the study endpoint.

RESULTS: Participants in the lowest income quintile had higher risks of mortality (Hazard ratio [HR]: 1.44, 95 % CI: 1.19-1.76) and CVD (HR: 1.35, 95 % CI: 1.05-1.74) compared to the highest quintile. Unemployed individuals had a higher mortality risk (HR: 1.34, 95 % CI: 1.19-1.51) than employed ones. Non-homeowners also had a higher mortality risk (HR: 1.46, 95 % CI: 1.20-1.77) than multi-homeowners. Participants with elementary school education or less had higher risks of mortality (HR: 1.59, 95 % CI: 1.32-1.93) and CVD (HR: 1.71, 95 % CI: 1.31-2.24) compared to college graduates. Among those with T2DM, unemployment (HR: 1.43, 95 % CI: 1.16-1.77) and low education (HR: 1.53, 95 % CI: 1.07-2.17) were associated with higher mortality.

CONCLUSIONS: This analysis revealed significant associations of low SES with increased risks of mortality and CVD. Similar associations were observed in T2DM population for mortality outcomes.

PMID:40441035 | DOI:10.1016/j.puhe.2025.105767

Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2025 May 28;91 Suppl 1:101607. doi: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2025.101607. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To describe the findings of US examinations performed by Head and Neck Surgery (HNS) resident physicians in patients in the preoperative period immediately before parathyroidectomy, and to compare these results with those of examinations performed preoperatively (ultrasonography and/ or scintigraphy) and with the findings of surgical procedures.

METHODS: Patients in the preoperative period of parathyroidectomy underwent US examinations performed by HNS resident physicians after induction of anesthesia. The findings were registered and later compared with those of preoperative and intraoperative examinations using descriptive statistical analysis and calculation of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy.

RESULTS: At least one gland was identified in 81% of the patients, most commonly the left inferior parathyroid. There was 63% agreement between the examinations performed in the operating room and the preoperative examinations. Sensitivity of 76%, specificity of 100%, and accuracy of 81.25% were evidenced in identifying parathyroids > 5 mm in patients with hyperparathyroidism associated with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), and sensitivity of 33% was found in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

CONCLUSION: US examinations performed by HNS resident physicians in patients preoperatively to parathyroidectomy are accurate (81.25%) in identifying parathyroids compared with intraoperative findings in patients with hyperparathyroidism associated with CKD.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

PMID:40441023 | DOI:10.1016/j.bjorl.2025.101607

Phys Ther Sport. 2025 May 21;74:75-82. doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2025.05.009. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of linear periodization (LP) resistance training after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR).

SETTING: Physiotherapy clinic.

PARTICIPANTS: Male recreational athletes who underwent ACLR.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Knee extensor and flexor isometric strength, hop tests performance, patient-reported function (International Knee Documentation Committee, IKDC), and psychological readiness (Anterior Cruciate Ligament – Return to Sport after Injury, ACL-RSI).

RESULTS: Twenty-two participants (mean age 27 ± 6 years) were randomized to either a LP program or the traditional ‘3×10 reps protocol’. The LP group demonstrated greater knee extensor strength gains compared to the 3×10 group (p = 0.03): 51 % (95 %CI, 28 to 73) vs. 26 % (95 %CI, 11 to 40). No statistically significant difference (p = 0.11) in knee flexor strength gains was observed between the LP group (45 %; 95 % CI, 18 to 71) and the 3×10 group (23 %; 95 % CI, 7 to 39). Six months after ACLR, the LP group exhibited a greater knee extensor limb symmetry index (97 ± 10 % vs. 85 ± 11 %, p < 0.01) and higher ACL-RSI scores (68 ± 18 vs. 53 ± 14, p = 0.04). No significant between-group differences were found in hop performance or IKDC scores (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: A resistance training program incorporating block-structured LP is more effective than the traditional ‘3×10 reps protocol’ in enhancing knee extensor strength and psychological readiness during ACLR rehabilitation.

PMID:40441018 | DOI:10.1016/j.ptsp.2025.05.009

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2025 May 26;341:126389. doi: 10.1016/j.saa.2025.126389. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Simultaneous measurement of drugs used to treat cancer and medications prescribed to overcome resistance to these drugs is important in pharmaceutical formulations and biological samples. In this study, a spectrophotometric method with a hybrid of discrete wavelet transform (DWT), principal component analysis (PCA), fuzzy inference system (FIS), and adaptive Neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) was used to predict concentrations of erlotinib (ERL) and niclosamide (NCM) in binary mixtures and biological samples simultaneously. In DWT, three wavelet families named Daubechies 4 (db4), Symlet 2 (sym2), and Demeyer (DM) were utilized to decompose the absorption of mixtures at five levels, and the resulting matrixes were separately reduced through PCA. The reduced dimensionality outputs were considered as inputs to the FIS and ANFIS models. The performance of DWT-FIS and DWT-ANFIS models were surveyed in terms of the statistical indices, such as coefficient of determination (R²), root mean square error (RMSE), average testing error, and mean recovery percentage. The wavelet family of db4 with R² of > 0.96 and equal to 1 was selected as the best family for FIS and ANFIS, respectively. In the DWT-FIS model, RMSE values were 0.3081 and 1.113 for ERL and NCM, respectively, while in the DWT-ANFIS model, average testing error values of 5.46 × 10^-6 and 5.16 × 10^-5 were obtained for ERL and NCM, respectively. In the selected wavelet, the mean recovery values for both components were > 97.5 % and > 99.8 % in the DWT-FIS and DWT-ANFIS, respectively. The analysis of the spiked biological samples containing ERL and NCM using the DWT-FIS and DWT-ANFIS indicated relative standard deviation (RSD) < 2.3 % and < 1.9 %, respectively. Compared with the DWT-FIS model, the DWT-ANFIS model revealed a better prediction. The recovery averages from the analysis of urine samples related to the proposed methods and the HPLC technique were compared using the ANOVA method. It can be concluded that proposed chemometric-assisted UV-spectrophotometric methods are efficient, reliable, economical, fast, and easy as alternative methods to chromatographic techniques.

PMID:40441001 | DOI:10.1016/j.saa.2025.126389

Gait Posture. 2025 May 24;121:155-159. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.05.005. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Controlling and stabilizing the body are crucial for walking on an inclined path. Healthy individuals adjust their gait to improve stability by reducing stride length and increasing cadence. Incline influences anteroposterior stability; however, its effects on mediolateral stability are inconclusive.

RESEARCH QUESTION: What are the effects of walking inclination and speed on mediolateral stability using foot placement quantified by explained variance (EV)?

METHODS: Fifteen healthy young adults walked on a treadmill under four speed (moderate 0.83 m/s, fast 1.0 m/s) and grade (0 and +6° inclines) combinations. The participants wore markers and surface electromyography (EMG) electrodes. A motion-capture system captured the three-dimensional marker data. The relative EV was used to calculate the ratio between the predicted and actual foot-placement variances. The EV and EMG parameters were tested to identify statistically significant differences between conditions.

RESULTS: Two-way analysis of variance revealed no significant interaction between the condition and speed in EV and most EMG measurements, except for the vastus medialis (p = 0.03). Additionally, speed and incline significantly affected all EMG values (p = 0.001-0.04 and 0.0001-0.003, respectively); however, incline did not affect EV. The EMG was higher in incline than in the level condition.

SIGNIFICANCE: Foot placement was used to identify the effects of walking inclination and speed on mediolateral stability control. Walking speed and incline affect mediolateral stability and muscle activation differently, with higher speeds improving stability and incline increasing quadriceps activation. This highlights the need to incorporate varied speeds and targeted muscle strengthening in rehabilitation.

PMID:40440971 | DOI:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2025.05.005

Explore (NY). 2025 May 16;21(4):103189. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2025.103189. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Diabetic neuropathy, a prevalent complication of diabetes mellitus, significantly impairs quality of life due to chronic pain and sensory deficits. Conventional pharmacotherapies, while effective, are often limited by systemic adverse effects. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) oil, renowned for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and analgesic properties, presents a promising topical alternative for mitigating neuropathic symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of topical chamomile oil in improving neuropathy indices among patients with controlled diabetes, as measured by validated clinical tools.

METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted involving 72 participants with diabetic neuropathy. Participants were allocated to either the intervention group (chamomile oil) or the control group (placebo), with both groups continuing standard gabapentin therapy. Neuropathy outcomes were assessed using Neurothesiometer scores, the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI), and the DN4 questionnaire at baseline and post-intervention. ANCOVA was employed to analyze intergroup differences, adjusting for baseline covariates.

RESULTS: The chamomile oil group exhibited statistically significant improvements in neuropathy indices compared to the placebo group (p < 0.05). Post-intervention, reductions in Neurothesiometer scores (mean difference: -1.14 ± 0.42), MNSI (-1.89 ± 0.31), and DN4 (-1.97 ± 0.28) were observed in the intervention group, with no comparable changes in controls. ANCOVA confirmed the robustness of these findings (F = 6.72, p = 0.012).

CONCLUSION: Topical chamomile oil significantly alleviates neuropathic symptoms in diabetic patients, offering a safe and adjunctive therapeutic option. Its mechanism may involve modulation of oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways, warranting further investigation into long-term benefits and molecular targets.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT), registration number IRCT20240611062090N1. The full protocol is available at www.irct.ir.

PMID:40440968 | DOI:10.1016/j.explore.2025.103189

Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2025 May 23;78:103361. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2025.103361. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Deficits in vestibulo-ocular function have been reported in athletes following concussion and in healthy developing adolescent athletes. There is a known increase in injury risk in athletes returning to sport following concussion; however, the relationship between vestibulo-ocular dysfunction in adolescents and injury risk is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine i) the prevalence of vestibulo-ocular dysfunction and ii) the relationship between vestibulo-ocular dysfunction and playing season injuries in adolescent rugby union players.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional.

METHOD: Seventy-one male adolescent rugby union players were recruited from four schools in Queensland, Australia. In the preseason, clinical assessments of oculomotor and vestibular function were conducted. ‘Time-loss’ injuries were recorded during the season. Statistical analysis was conducted using Pearson’s chi-square test with significance set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS: In preseason assessment, 40 players (57 %) had one or more, and of these, 18 players (25.7 %) had two or more positive vestibular and oculomotor findings indicating vestibulo-ocular dysfunction. There were 39 injuries sustained by 33 players during the season. No between group differences for vestibulo-ocular function were found between players who did and did not sustain an in-season injury (p = 0.55).

CONCLUSION: Vestibulo-ocular dysfunction is common in male adolescent rugby union players and positive findings should include comparison with baseline function or symptom profile. The wider impact of vestibulo-ocular dysfunction on sporting performance in adolescents is unknown.

PMID:40440952 | DOI:10.1016/j.msksp.2025.103361