Tag: statistics

Annu Rev Biomed Data Sci. 2025 Apr 9. doi: 10.1146/annurev-biodatasci-090624-022951. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In recent decades, there has been an explosion of data streams spanning the entire spectrum of biomedicine, opening novel opportunities to tackle biological and medical research questions, increasing our ability to provide effective and efficient health care. In parallel, augmented computational power has allowed the development and deployment of quantitative approaches at unprecedented scales. To effectively take advantage of this progress, it is important to invest in the training of a new generation of biomedical data scientists. Designing a graduate curriculum in the backdrop of a rapidly changing landscape of data, methods, and computing power demands flexibility and openness to adaptation. At the same time, we strive to ensure that the students acquire foundational competencies that might fuel productive and evolving careers, without being constrained to and defined by a niche trendy topic. We offer here a view of graduate training in biomedical data science from the standpoint of our experience at Stanford University. We conclude with a series of open challenges, the answers to which we believe will shape training in biomedical data science.

PMID:40203230 | DOI:10.1146/annurev-biodatasci-090624-022951

PLOS Glob Public Health. 2025 Apr 9;5(4):e0004394. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0004394. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The retention of under-5 mortality (U5M) in various ramifications has dire policy implications. The varying impacts of this inequality is very important and has been researched in many rural-urban settings. In spite of many studies that have examined rural-urban inequalities, very little has been researched with respect to low middle-income countries. In this study, we utilized an innovative statistical method to examine and explain the socio-economic determinants and rural-urban differences of mortality in some selected low- and middle-income (LMIC) countries.

METHODS: Using secondary data from the Demographic Health Survey (DHS), we utilized a Fairlie decomposition analysis to enumerate the differences amongst under-5 populations across 59 low-middle income countries in four continents. Death of any child within 0 – 59 months of life was our dependent variable while some selected individual and neighborhood factors constituted the explanatory variables.

RESULTS: Study findings revealed significant pro-rural and pro-non-rural inequities across the 59 countries. Pro-rural inequities were more commonly found in the African regions. Except for the Maldives, pro-non-rural inequities were largely associated in the remaining four continents. Some factors, unemployed status, ever married or single status, female household head, insurance cover, unimproved water sources, clean fuel were associated with a higher risk of Under-5 mortality.

CONCLUSION: The results from this study are pertinent to health system reforms needed to tackle the menace of under-5 mortalities in LMICs and worldwide. Consolidation of existing maternal and child health programs supported by a resolute and firm re-evaluation of political will considerably help to control the surge of U5MR in the countries studied.

PMID:40203228 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pgph.0004394

PLoS One. 2025 Apr 9;20(4):e0315149. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0315149. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

This study aims to determine the waiting time and the forms of access to specialized health services in public hospitals in Ecuador. A representative sample of 32 hospitals under the Ministry of Public Health was considered, with 26 selected by accessibility convenience. Data will be collected using a structured questionnaire. Patients will be asked about the number of days they waited for their medical appointments and the method used to schedule their appointments. The study distinguishes between standardized access, based on Ecuador’s formal referral and counter-referral system, and non-standardized access methods, such as personal connections or hospital staff involvement. The data of this protocol are registered and publicly accessible at: https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.261ge5z7wg47/v1. We expect to identify a correlation between waiting times and the type of access to specialized medical services, with non-standardized access potentially leading to shorter waiting times. This research may highlight disparities in the system and suggest areas for improvement in equity and efficiency within the healthcare referral process. To do so, a structured survey will be used. Since a construct is not needed to determine the waiting time or the forms of access, it was not necessary to validate the instrument. However, we did validate the understanding of the questions and the response options in several places in the country. According to the results of the validation of the instrument, pollsters will be instructed to inform users about the meaning of the question on ethnic identification, which was difficult to understand in the country’s coastal areas.

PMID:40203222 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0315149

J Hosp Palliat Nurs. 2025 Apr 7. doi: 10.1097/NJH.0000000000001117. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Providing ethical, timely, and goal-concordant care for critical patients who are incapacitated with no evident advance directives or surrogates (INEADS) can pose challenges to nursing staff and other care team members and may delay or alter care trajectories. In a nested case-control study, we aimed to determine whether critical care patients who are INEADS have different hospitalization timelines, consultative services, and discharge dispositions relative to matched control subjects. Data were obtained from the publicly accessible Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database of 23 904 adult critical care hospitalizations in a Boston, Massachusetts, hospital from 2001 to 2012. Using natural language processing and verifying by manual chart review, we identified 40 patients in this cohort who were INEADS and matched them 1:1 with control subjects based on age, sex, and comorbidity index. Average length of hospitalization was 11 days for patients and 9 days for control subjects; average time until code status documentation was 8 days for patients and 6 days for control subjects, and average time until documentation of social work involvement was 9 days for patients and 2 days for control subjects. Although these differences were not statistically significant, procedures to support timely ethical decision-making for patients who are INEADS require attention.

PMID:40203195 | DOI:10.1097/NJH.0000000000001117

Chaos. 2025 Apr 1;35(4):043110. doi: 10.1063/5.0259937.

ABSTRACT

Analytical solutions of space-time fractional partial differential equations (fPDEs) are crucial for understanding dynamics features in complex systems and their applications. In this paper, fractional sub-equation neural networks (fSENNs) are first proposed to construct exact solutions of space-time fPDEs. The fSENNs embed the solutions of the fractional Riccati equation into neural networks (NNs). The NNs are a multi-layer computational models that are composed of weights and activation functions between neurons in the input, hidden, and output layers. In fSENNs, every neuron of the first hidden layer is assigned to the solutions of the fractional Riccati equation. In this way, the new trial functions are obtained. The exact solutions of space-time fPDEs can be obtained by fSENNs. In order to verify the rationality of this method, space-time fractional telegraph equation, space-time fractional Fisher equation, and space-time fractional CKdV-mKdV equation are investigated, and generalized fractional hyperbolic function solutions, generalized fractional trigonometric function solutions, and generalized fractional rational solutions are obtained. Since the fractional sub-equation is applied to the NNs model for the first time, more and new solutions can be obtained in this paper. The dynamic characteristics of some solutions corresponding to waves have been demonstrated through some diagrams.

PMID:40198253 | DOI:10.1063/5.0259937

Chaos. 2025 Apr 1;35(4):043118. doi: 10.1063/5.0264243.

ABSTRACT

Understanding how cooperation evolves in multi-subpopulation is crucial for addressing social challenges. While previous studies show that payoff-neutral subpopulations in structured populations can enhance cooperation, the role of broader inter-subpopulation relationships remains unclear. We extend this framework to include generalized relationships-competition, mutualism, and parasitism-modeled by inter-subpopulation payoffs α and β. Within subpopulations, individuals play the prisoner’s dilemma, while inter-subpopulation interactions yield payoffs based on α and β. Evolutionary analysis and simulations reveal that, in fully connected networks, generalized relationships yield outcomes almost indistinguishable from the payoff-neutral scenario (α=0,β=0). However, in structured populations, these relationships introduce additional pathways for sustaining cooperation beyond those observed under payoff neutrality. When the network structure alone can support cooperation, only mutualistic relationships (α>0,β>0) enable the full dominance of cooperative strategies. Conversely, when the network structure alone cannot maintain cooperation, competitive (α<0,β<0) or parasitic (α>0,β<0) relationships allow cooperation to persist or even achieve complete dominance, whereas mutualism offers only limited support. These findings provide deeper insights into how diverse inter-subpopulation relationships shape the evolution of cooperation in multi-subpopulation social systems.

PMID:40198246 | DOI:10.1063/5.0264243

Chaos. 2025 Apr 1;35(4):043114. doi: 10.1063/5.0248658.

ABSTRACT

Due to their relevance to geophysical systems, the investigation of multiscale systems through the lens of statistical mechanics has gained popularity in recent years. The aim of our work is the characterization of the nonequilibrium properties of the well-known two-scales Lorenz96 model, a dynamical system much used for testing ideas in geophysics, by studying either higher-order correlation functions or response to external perturbations of the energy. These tools in both equilibrium (inviscid) or non-equilibrium (viscous) systems provide clear evidence of their suitability for detecting time-reversal symmetry breaking and for characterizing transport properties also in this class of models. In particular, we characterize how localized energy perturbations are transported between the different scales, highlighting that perturbations of synoptic variables greatly impact advective variables but perturbations of the latter have a practically negligible effect on synoptic scales. Finally, we show that responses of global observables to finite size perturbations strongly depend on the perturbation protocol. This prevents the physical understanding of the system from observations of the relaxation process alone, a fact often overlooked.

PMID:40198243 | DOI:10.1063/5.0248658

STAR Protoc. 2025 Apr 7;6(2):103738. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2025.103738. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Functional impact of noncoding variants can be predicted using computational approaches. Although predictive scores can be insightful, implementing the scores for a custom variant set and associating scores with complex traits require multiple phases of analysis. Here, we present a protocol for prioritizing variants by generating deep-learning-predicted functional scores and relating them with brain traits. We describe steps for score prediction, statistical comparison, phenotype correlation, and functional enrichment analysis. This protocol can be generalized to different models and phenotypes. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Mondragon-Estrada et al.¹.

PMID:40198216 | DOI:10.1016/j.xpro.2025.103738

Eye Contact Lens. 2025 Apr 8. doi: 10.1097/ICL.0000000000001182. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To present the long-term visual outcomes and factors affecting treatment success in children with congenital cataract surgery in infancy followed by optical correction by contact lens (CL).

METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data from 30 eyes of 26 pediatric aphakic patients followed by visual habilitation primarily by CL between 2004 and 2023. The patients were evaluated for factors affecting final best-corrected visual acuity (VA), need for additional surgery, and adherence to CL and occlusion therapy.

RESULTS: The study included 16 eyes with idiopathic congenital cataract, 12 eyes with congenital cataract associated with persistent fetal vasculature, and two eyes with concomitant retinopathy of prematurity. Adherence to CL use was evaluated as poor in 13.3%, moderate in 40%, and good in 46.7% of the eyes, while adherence to occlusion therapy was poor in 33.3%, moderate in 20.8%, and good in 45.8% of the eyes. Final VA was 20/50 or better in 50% of the eyes, between 20/50 and 20/400 in 16.7% of the eyes, and 20/400 or worse in 33.3% of the eyes. There was no statistically significant relationship between the presence of strabismus and final VA, whereas the need for additional surgery; the presence of posterior segment pathologies, nystagmus, and glaucoma; and poor treatment adherence were associated with significantly lower final VA.

CONCLUSION: Good long-term visual outcomes can be achieved with effective CL and occlusion therapy in cases of infantile aphakia not accompanied by glaucoma, severe anterior and posterior segment pathologies, or the need for additional surgery.

PMID:40198200 | DOI:10.1097/ICL.0000000000001182

Medicina (B Aires). 2025;85(2):388-403.

ABSTRACT

Vaccination is recognized as one of the most impactful public health interventions, providing significant benefits in terms of disease eradication, prevention of infectious diseases, herd immunity, antimicrobial resistance, years of life gained, morbidity and mortality reduction, and cost-effectiveness. In recent years, vaccination coverage rates have decreased due to multiple factors. The aim of this article is to provide updated information on the benefits of vaccination at both the individual and public health levels, to identify the barriers to vaccination, and to present evidence based global and in-office strategies for implementation in daily medical practice for adults, with the goal of improving vaccination coverage rates.

PMID:40198174