Tag: statistics

Appl Nurs Res. 2025 Apr;82:151920. doi: 10.1016/j.apnr.2025.151920. Epub 2025 Feb 2.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Self-care is essential for health promotion, disease management and social justice. Robust, theory-based tools are needed for its measurement. The Self-care Inventory (SCI) was developed to measure self-care behaviours in adults regardless of their health status. The aims of this study are to measure validity of the SCI in an Italian sample and measurement equivalence in US and Italian samples.

METHODS: We recruited 340 Italian and 294 US adults with convenience sampling. The Self-care Inventory, new General Self-Efficacy Scale, Positivity Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and a clinical and sociodemographic questionnaire were administered online. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to assess the factor structure of the SCI. Measurement equivalence testing was conducted using Multiple Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis, testing configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance. For the Italian version of the SCI, reliability and construct validity were also tested.

RESULTS: The SCI factorial structure was confirmed by CFA in the Italian sample. As for measurement equivalence, the Self-care maintenance scale demonstrated full metric and partial scalar invariance, indicating similar cognitive frameworks between US and Italian respondents. The Self-care Monitoring and Self-care Management scales achieved partial metric invariance. Reliability indices were satisfactory: Cronbach’s alpha and Global Reliability Index ranged from 0.69 to 0.84, and test-retest reliability values ranged from 0.70 to 0.84. Construct validity was supported by significant correlations between SCI scales and measures of self-efficacy, positivity, and perceived stress.

CONCLUSION: The SCI is valid and reliable for measuring self-care behaviours in the Italian population. Measurement equivalence show that SCI can be used cross-culturally and results from Italian and US samples are comparable. Our results support the use of the SCI in national and international self-care research and practice.

PMID:40086939 | DOI:10.1016/j.apnr.2025.151920

Appl Nurs Res. 2025 Apr;82:151917. doi: 10.1016/j.apnr.2025.151917. Epub 2025 Jan 30.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To explore the impact of e-health literacy (e-HL) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in young adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D), focusing on the mediating roles of diabetes self-efficacy and self-care behaviors.

BACKGROUND: If glucose levels are not kept within the target range, people with T2D may experience complications such as retinopathy, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disorders.

METHODS: The participants were 150 young adults, aged 18 to 39, with T2D. We assessed e-HL, diabetes self-care behaviors, diabetes self-efficacy, and HRQOL through a structured online survey. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics, incorporating Pearson’s correlation and PROCESS macro mediation analysis.

RESULTS: E-HL, diabetes self-efficacy, and diabetes self-care behavior together accounted for 40.6 % of the variance in HRQOL. Higher e-HL was significantly correlated with improved HRQOL. A significant mediating effect of diabetes self-efficacy in the relationship between e-HL and HRQOL was observed, with an effect size of 0.300 ([95 % confidence interval = 0.055, 0.577]). However, the mediating effect of diabetes self-care behavior in the relationship between e-HL and HRQOL through diabetes self-efficacy was small and not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the critical role of e-HL in enhancing HRQOL among young adults with T2D. It highlights the need for targeted digital health education, especially in subgroups with lower educational levels or poor health habits. The findings advocate for tailored interventions to boost self-efficacy and self-care behaviors, thereby improving overall quality of life in this population.

PMID:40086937 | DOI:10.1016/j.apnr.2025.151917

J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2025 Mar 14:1-8. doi: 10.3171/2024.12.PEDS24523. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Spinal column shortening (SCS) is an emerging alternative to traditional untethering in cases of secondary tethered cord syndrome. It was originally described and applied in adult patients with spinal dysraphism. In the more recent past, SCS has been used in pediatric patients. A comparison between pediatric and adult patients undergoing SCS has not been performed previously.

METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 19 patients (11 children, 8 adults) who underwent SCS procedures from November 30, 2020, to July 21, 2024, at the University of Oklahoma. Outcomes were assessed based on changes in pain, overall symptom burden, subjective bowel/bladder symptoms, and objective testing of urodynamic function. The median follow-up period was 30 months (range 10-41 months).

RESULTS: Most vertebral column resections were performed at the T12 level (79%), with T10-L2 being the most common fusion level (68%). There were no significant preoperative differences in clinical features between children and adults. Both children and adults experienced significant reductions in pain (p = 0.002 and p = 0.018, respectively) and overall symptom burden (p < 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively). Complete symptom resolution was achieved in 63% of children and 25% of adults. Improvements in objective urodynamic function were observed but were not statistically significant in either group (p = 0.082 for children, p = 0.351 for adults). However, only children reported significant improvement in bowel/bladder function (p < 0.01). The difference in surgical metrics or postoperative clinical features was not significant between children and adults.

CONCLUSIONS: SCS procedures appear to be effective in reducing pain and overall symptom burden in both pediatric and adult patients with complex tethered cord syndrome. SCS seems to improve bowel/bladder symptoms in children specifically. Further research with larger cohorts and longer follow-up periods is warranted to confirm these findings and assess long-term outcomes.

PMID:40085929 | DOI:10.3171/2024.12.PEDS24523

J Orthop Surg (Hong Kong). 2025 Jan-Apr;33(1):10225536251328099. doi: 10.1177/10225536251328099. Epub 2025 Mar 14.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Chondroblastoma (CBL) is a rare benign bone tumor with potentially local recurrence and metastases. At present, the local recurrence risk factors are controversial. The purpose of this study is to analysis local recurrence factors in our medical center. Methodology: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 18 male and 10 female patients who presented at our hospital between 2016 and 2023. The clinical data included radiological images, histological results, treatment modalities, functional outcomes, and local recurrence rates. Surgical interventions comprised curettage, followed by bone grafting and adjunctive techniques. Furthermore, all patients were stratified into two groups based on tumor volume, with a threshold of 25 cm³, to explore the relationship between tumor volume and recurrence. Results: Among the 28 patients, with an average age of 13 years (range: 9 to 16 years) and an average follow-up duration of 33 months (range: 8 to 91 months). The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score was 27 points (range: 14 to 30). Notably, recurrence was observed in 3 pediatric patients. A statistically significant difference in recurrence rates was found between tumors with volumes less than 25 cm³ and those greater than 25 cm³ (p < .05). Conclusion: Curettage, combined with alcohol as an adjuvant, resulted in local control and good outcomes in most pediatric patients. It was noteworthy that a larger tumor size correlated with an increased likelihood of recurrence.

PMID:40085921 | DOI:10.1177/10225536251328099

NCHS Data Brief. 2024 Nov;(516).

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: This report presents the prevalence of diagnosed, undiagnosed, and total diabetes in U.S. adults during August 2021-August 2023. Trends in diagnosed, undiagnosed, and total diabetes prevalence in adults from 1999-2000 through August 2021-August 2023 are also shown.

METHODS: Prevalence of self-reported diagnosed, undiagnosed, and total diabetes was estimated using August 2021-August 2023 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. Diagnosed diabetes was defined as answering “yes” to the question: “Other than during pregnancy, have you ever been told by a doctor or health professional that you have diabetes or sugar diabetes?” Undiagnosed diabetes was defined as reporting never receiving a diabetes diagnosis from a healthcare provider and 8- to 24-hour fasting plasma glucose greater than or equal to 126 mg/dL or hemoglobin A1c greater than or equal to 6.5%. Total diabetes was the combined prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes. Standard errors of percentages were estimated using Taylor series linearization. Pairwise differences between groups were evaluated using t statistics, and stated differences were statistically significant at p less than 0.05. Orthogonal contrasts were used to test for linear trends except for trends over time, where a linear regression model was used accounting for the unequal time between survey cycles.

KEY FINDINGS: During August 2021-August 2023, the prevalence of total, diagnosed, and undiagnosed diabetes in U.S. adults was 15.8%, 11.3%, and 4.5%, respectively. The prevalence of total and diagnosed diabetes was higher in men than among women and decreased with increasing educational attainment. The prevalence of total, diagnosed, and undiagnosed diabetes increased with increasing age and increasing weight status. The age-adjusted prevalence of total and diagnosed diabetes increased from 9.7% to 14.3% and from 5.9% to 10.1%, respectively, between 1999-2000 and August 2021-August 2023.No change was seen between 2017-March 2020 and August 2021-August 2023.

PMID:40085919

Phys Rev Lett. 2025 Feb 28;134(8):087102. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.087102.

ABSTRACT

Celebrated fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT) linking the response function to time dependent correlations of observables measured in the reference unperturbed state is one of the central results in equilibrium statistical mechanics. In this Letter we discuss an extension of the standard FDT to the case when multidimensional matrix representing transition probabilities is strictly non-normal. This feature dramatically modifies the dynamics, by incorporating the effect of eigenvector nonorthogonality via the associated overlap matrix of Chalker-Mehlig type. In particular, the rate of entropy production per unit time is strongly enhanced by that matrix. We suggest, that this mechanism has an impact on the studies of collective phenomena in neural matrix models, leading, via transient behavior, to such phenomena as synchronization and emergence of the memory. We also expect, that the described mechanism generating the entropy production is generic for wide class of phenomena, where dynamics is driven by non-normal operators. For the case of driving by a large Ginibre matrix the entropy production rate is evaluated analytically, as well as for the Rajan-Abbott model for neural networks.

PMID:40085896 | DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.087102

Phys Rev Lett. 2025 Feb 28;134(8):087103. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.087103.

ABSTRACT

Most experiments can only detect a set of coarse-grained clusters of a molecular system, while the internal microstates are often inaccessible. Here, based on an infinitely long coarse-grained trajectory, we obtain a set of sufficient statistics that extracts all statistic information of coarse-grained observations. Based on these sufficient statistics, we set up a theoretical framework of parameter inference and nonequilibrium identification for a general Markov network with an arbitrary number of microstates and arbitrary coarse-grained partitioning. Our framework can be used to identify whether the sufficient statistics are enough for empirical estimation of all unknown parameters and we can also provide a quantitative criterion that reveals nonequilibrium. Our nonequilibrium criterion generalizes the one obtained [J. Chem. Phys. 132, 041102 (2010)JCPSA60021-960610.1063/1.3294567] for a three-state system with two coarse-grained clusters and is capable of detecting a larger nonequilibrium region compared to the classical criterion based on autocorrelation functions.

PMID:40085894 | DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.087103

Phys Rev Lett. 2025 Feb 28;134(8):080803. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.080803.

ABSTRACT

A fundamental limitation of quantum communication is that a single qubit can carry at most one bit of classical information. For an important class of quantum communication channels, known as entanglement breaking, this limitation holds even if the sender and receiver share entangled particles. But does this mean that, for the purpose of communicating classical messages, a noisy entanglement-breaking qubit channel can be replaced by a noisy bit channel? Here we answer the question in the negative. We introduce a game, similar to the Monty Hall problem in classical statistics, where a sender assists a receiver in finding a valuable item (the “prize”) hidden in one of four possible boxes, while avoiding a hazardous item (the “bomb”) hidden in one of the remaining three boxes. We show that no classical strategy using a noisy bit channel can ensure that the bomb is avoided, even if the sender and receiver share arbitrary amounts of randomness. In contrast, communication of a qubit through a class of noisy entanglement-breaking channels, which we call quantum not channels, allows the players to deterministically avoid the bomb and to find the prize with a guaranteed nonzero probability. Our findings show that the communication of classical messages through a noisy entanglement-breaking qubit channel assisted by quantum entanglement cannot, in general, be simulated by communication through a noisy bit channel assisted by classical correlations.

PMID:40085885 | DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.080803

Phys Rev Lett. 2025 Feb 28;134(8):081001. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.081001.

ABSTRACT

The resonant conversion of cosmic microwave background (CMB) photons into axions within large-scale structure induces an anisotropic spectral distortion in CMB temperature maps. Applying state-of-the-art foreground cleaning techniques to Planck CMB observations, we construct maps of axion-induced “patchy screening” of the CMB. We cross-correlate these maps with data from the unWISE galaxy survey and find no evidence of axions. We constrain the axion-photon coupling, g_{aγγ}≲2×10^{-12} GeV^{-1}, at the 95% confidence level for axion masses in the range 10^{-13} eV≲m_{a}≲10^{-12} eV. These constraints are competitive with the tightest astrophysical axion limits in this mass range and are inferred from robust population-level statistics, which makes them complementary to existing searches that rely on modeling of individual systems.

PMID:40085882 | DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.081001

Phys Rev Lett. 2025 Feb 28;134(8):082304. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.082304.

ABSTRACT

We propose a Bayesian inference estimation of in-medium modification of the cluster self-energies from light nuclei multiplicities measured in selected samples of central ^{136,124}Xe+^{124,112}Sn collisions with the INDRA apparatus. The data are interpreted with a relativistic quasiparticle cluster approach in the mean-field approximation without any prior assumption on the thermal parameters of the model. An excellent reproduction is obtained for H and He isotope multiplicities, and compatible posterior distributions are found for the unknown thermal parameters. We conclude that the cluster-σ-meson coupling is temperature dependent, becoming weaker when the temperature increases, in agreement with microscopic quantum statistical calculations. This implies a faster decrease of the light cluster abundances with temperature than previously estimated.

PMID:40085878 | DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.082304