Tag: statistics

J Pediatr Orthop B. 2026 Feb 13. doi: 10.1097/BPB.0000000000001333. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Syndactyly, a congenital hand deformity caused by failed phalangeal separation, often requires surgical correction to restore function and aesthetics. Traditional dorsal rectangular flap techniques involve skin grafting, increasing the risk of web creep and residual deformity. This study evaluates islanded perforator-based flaps, which offer better vascularization for improved outcomes. Preoperative Doppler ultrasound was used for vascular mapping to enhance surgical precision. This prospective observational study analyzed 31 webspaces in 26 patients undergoing syndactyly release. Doppler ultrasound was performed in 15 cases to guide flap selection. Islanded flaps were used when viable, while dorsal rectangular flaps were used otherwise. Data collection included demographics, preoperative evaluation, intraoperative details, and postoperative outcomes. Functional and aesthetic results were assessed using the Withey score, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) from the Patient Observer Scar Assessment Score Scale, and photographic analysis over follow-up. Syndactyly release was performed in 31 webspaces. Doppler mapping optimized flap design. Statistically significant findings showed improved VAS scores postsurgery, especially in younger patients (1-5 years, P = 0.0001 and 6-10 years, P = 0.0065) and males (P = 0.0000). Simple syndactyly had better outcomes than complex cases (P = 0.0004). Long-term VAS scores favored islanded flaps (1.9 ± 0.83) over dorsal flaps (2.60 ± 0.84). Scar quality improved significantly (P < 0.001 for 6+ months), with minimal complications in patients with islanded perforator flaps. Islanded perforator-based flaps present a promising alternative for syndactyly release, delivering superior functional and aesthetic results. The incorporation of Doppler mapping ensures vascular safety and reduces complications. Further research is needed to establish long-term outcomes.

PMID:41691530 | DOI:10.1097/BPB.0000000000001333

Clin Oral Implants Res. 2026 Feb 15. doi: 10.1111/clr.70098. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To determine whether oral hygiene instructions (OHI) alone can be effective in the treatment of peri-implant mucositis (PM).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A randomized clinical trial with 56 PM patients was conducted. Participants were assigned to OHI (n = 28) or OHI + Mechanical Instrumentation (MI) (n = 28). Clinical [modified bleeding index (mBI), disease resolution] and microbiological parameters were assessed at baseline (T1), 1 month (T2), and 3 months (T3). Standardized periapical radiographs were taken at T1 and T3. Outcomes were analyzed at patient- and implant-level.

RESULTS: 48 patients with 118 implants were analyzed (52 in OHI; 66 in OHI + MI). At T3, success rates were 39.1% (OHI) and 56% (OHI + MI) at the patient level, and 36.4% (OHI) versus 67.3% (OHI + MI) at the implant level. Both groups showed a significant reduction in mBI (p < 0.001). Intergroup differences were not statistically significant, though greater divergence was noted at T3. At the patient level, higher FMPI/FMBI at 3 months predicted lower success (p < 0.05), whereas compliance improved outcomes (OR = 11.4, p = 0.004). At the implant level, failure was associated with OHI-only therapy, non-compliance, and higher mPI (all p = 0.001). History of periodontitis was a negative prognostic factor, linked to higher mBI at T3 (p = 0.010).

CONCLUSIONS: OHI achieved resolution of PM in a considerable proportion of patients, particularly among compliant individuals. However, a history of periodontitis and posterior implant location negatively influenced outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of patient adherence and implant accessibility, while reaffirming the critical adjunctive role of MI in optimizing therapeutic success.

PMID:41691512 | DOI:10.1111/clr.70098

Sex Med Rev. 2026 Jan 2;14(1):qeaf085. doi: 10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf085.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Little research examines the prevalence of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in primary care, especially among racially/ethnically and culturally diverse women of various ages and medical statuses across the globe. However, differences in healthcare access, utilization, and education as well as social and cultural values surrounding women’s health and sexuality suggest there are unique factors that place minoritized women at higher risk of developing FSD.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether country of origin and racial/ethnic identity account for differences in the FSD prevalence in primary care settings among studies included in a recent meta-analysis.

METHODS: Meta-analytic data were gathered and extracted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, which involved article identification, screening and inclusion resulting in n = 2177 records initially screened and a final sample of n = 48. Predictor variables included economic status (more versus less developed country), country of origin (Middle Eastern, North African, or Asian region or not), and racial identity (percentage of White, Caucasian, and/or European American women included in studies from Western societies). Outcome variables included overall FSD, genitopelvic pain, and sexual desire prevalence via meta regressions conducted in R Studio.

RESULTS: Studies including women from less developed countries reported higher prevalence rates of FSD. Studies including a greater proportion of White, Caucasian, and/or European American women also reported higher prevalence rates of female sexual desire dysfunction. Studies including women from the Middle East or North Africa (MENA) and Asia reported higher prevalence rates of overall FSD and female sexual desire dysfunction compared to studies with women from other regions.

CONCLUSION: Cross-cultural differences in values about sex and sexuality also appear to be contributing to the higher rates of FSD found among women in MENA/Asia, low-income and middle-income regions found in the present study. Health providers located in these regions need to ensure they are screening for FSD and potentially comorbid issues across all health care settings to ensure they are providing the best possible care. The findings align with prior literature suggesting that acculturation/immigration, religion, and culture may impact sexuality and should be considered accordingly in FSD prevention and intervention efforts.

PMID:41691499 | DOI:10.1093/sxmrev/qeaf085

J Public Health (Oxf). 2026 Feb 15:fdag012. doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdag012. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Public health has long relied on quantitative indicators to document suffering and guide action. In contexts of mass violence, however, statistical approaches alone may be insufficient to capture the full scope of population-level harm.

METHODS: This reflective essay engages Zahir Raihan’s 1971 short documentary film ‘Stop Genocide’, produced during the Bangladesh Liberation War, as a case study in visual testimony. The film is examined as a form of public health witnessing that documents harm through proximity, narrative, and moral insistence rather than epidemiologic measurement.

RESULTS: ‘Stop Genocide’ depicts civilian targeting, forced displacement, and collective trauma in ways that anticipate contemporary public health concepts, including structural violence and health system collapse. The film foregrounds patterns of harm that are recognizable at the population level, even in the absence of formal surveillance data.

DISCUSSION: Revisiting ‘Stop Genocide’ raises critical questions about what forms of evidence public health recognizes as legitimate, particularly when data systems are disrupted or politically constrained. Situating epidemiologic data within a broader epistemic framework that includes art, testimony, and witnessing may strengthen ethical public health practice in times of mass violence.

PMID:41691478 | DOI:10.1093/pubmed/fdag012

Adv Sci (Weinh). 2026 Feb 15:e14446. doi: 10.1002/advs.202514446. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are pivotal post‑transcriptional regulators whose single‑cell behavior has remained largely inaccessible due to technical barriers in single-cell small‑RNA profiling. We present SiCmiR, a two‑layer neural network that predicts miRNA expression profiles from only 977 LINCS L1000 landmark genes, thereby reducing sensitivity to dropout in single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data. Proof‑of‑concept analyses illustrate how SiCmiR can uncover candidate hub‑miRNAs in bulk-seq cell lines and hepatocellular carcinoma, scRNA-seq pancreatic ductal carcinoma, and ACTH‑secreting pituitary adenoma and extracellular vesicle (EV)‑mediated crosstalk in glioblastoma. Trained on 6,462 TCGA paired miRNA-mRNA samples, SiCmiR attains state‑of‑the‑art accuracy on cancers and generalizes to unseen cancer types and drug perturbations. We next construct SiCmiR‑Atlas, containing 362 public datasets, 9.36 million cells, and 726 cell types, which is the first dedicated database of single‑cell mature miRNA expression, providing interactive visualization, biomarker identification, and cell‑type‑resolved miRNA-target networks. SiCmiR transforms bulk‑derived statistical power into a single‑cell view of miRNA biology and provides a community resource for biomarker discovery. SiCmiR Atlas is available at https://awi.cuhk.edu.cn/∼SiCmiR/.

PMID:41691474 | DOI:10.1002/advs.202514446

Integr Environ Assess Manag. 2026 Feb 14:vjag026. doi: 10.1093/inteam/vjag026. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Remediation of contaminated sediment sites is complex and expensive, critical to the restoration of damaged ecosystems, and essential to the reduction of threats to human health. Along with the challenges of remediating a contaminated site is determining if the remediation has been effective. In this investigation, the use of bioavailability-based metrics was evaluated as a tool for assessing remedial effectiveness. Metrics included surface water concentrations and bioaccumulation in proxy species. Following the identification, collection, and curation of relevant retrospective bioavailability metric datasets, statistical analyses were performed comparing pre-remediation and post-remediation time periods. Statistical analyses used (i) hypothesis testing to identify significant reductions in bioavailability and (ii) regression to assess significant negative slopes. Datasets from three Superfund sites were evaluated in this investigation: Lower Grasse River, New Bedford Harbor, and Stauffer Chemical Company. Both the Lower Grasse River and New Bedford Harbor demonstrated decreases in the bioavailability of total PCBs as the remediations proceeded. Remedial effectiveness was more apparent for the Lower Grasse River compared to New Bedford Harbor most likely because remediation at the former had been completed for several years while it was still on-going at the latter. In contrast, effectiveness of remediation at Stauffer Chemical Company was less obvious based on statistical analyses of the bioavailability metrics. We speculate this reflects the more complicated environmental behavior of mercury compared to PCBs. This preliminary use of retrospective datasets of bioavailability metrics from Superfund sites to assess remediation effectiveness has shown promising results and merits further evaluation at other sites. In addition, contaminants like PCBs appear to be good candidates with this approach while mercury may not be. Also, datasets with good temporal separation of the pre-remediation and the post-remediation time periods are better candidates for this approach.

PMID:41691458 | DOI:10.1093/inteam/vjag026

Am J Ind Med. 2026 Feb 15. doi: 10.1002/ajim.70062. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Occupational exposure to welding fumes has been suggested as a potential risk factor for bladder cancer, but evidence remains inconclusive. This review aimed to systematically evaluate the association between welding fume exposure and risk of bladder cancer through a meta-analysis of observational studies.

METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Eligible studies were identified based on predefined criteria. The pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses were performed based on study design, publication year, geographic region, sex, and exposure assessment methods.

RESULTS: A total of 34 epidemiological studies were included. The pooled analysis revealed a 20% increased risk of bladder cancer among welders (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.11-1.30). This association remained statistically significant in analyses restricted to studies that adjusted for both age and smoking. Subgroup analyses indicated variation by publication period, geographic region, and exposure assessment method. Sensitivity analyses restricted to high-quality studies confirmed the robustness of the findings.

CONCLUSIONS: Welding fume exposure is associated with an elevated risk of bladder cancer. These findings suggest the need for improved occupational safety measures, exposure monitoring, and further research to clarify underlying biological mechanisms and dose-response relationships.

PMID:41691436 | DOI:10.1002/ajim.70062

Med Sci Monit. 2026 Feb 15;32:e951651. doi: 10.12659/MSM.951651.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, yet the relationship between muscle morphology, strength imbalances, and chronic LBP remains incompletely understood. This study investigated cross-sectional area (CSA) and strength differences in trunk and hip muscles between chronic LBP patients and healthy controls. MATERIAL AND METHODS Fifty patients with chronic LBP (age 53±13.5) and 30 (age 42.3±8.3) healthy controls underwent lumbosacral magnetic resonance imaging to measure CSA of paravertebral (psoas major, quadratus lumborum, erector spinae, multifidus), abdominal (rectus abdominis), and hip muscles (iliacus, gluteus maximus). Isokinetic dynamometry assessed trunk and hip flexor/extensor strength. Statistical analyses included t tests confirmed with Cohen’s d and Pearson correlations. RESULTS Patients with LBP showed smaller psoas major CSA at L2/L5 and rectus abdominis CSA at S2/S3 than controls (all P<0.05), with no differences in quadratus lumborum, erector spinae, multifidus, iliacus, or gluteus maximus. Trunk flexor and extensor strength was lower in LBP patients, with a reduced trunk flexor/trunk extensor ratio (0.77±0.20 vs 0.96±0.16, P<0.001); hip flexor/extensor ratios showed a trend toward imbalance (left hip flexor/hip extensor: 0.60±0.15 vs 0.67±0.12, P=0.047). CSA-strength correlations were stronger in patients with LBP, particularly for the psoas major (r=0.42-0.58, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Chronic LBP is associated with selective atrophy of the psoas major and rectus abdominis, alongside significant strength deficits in trunk and hip flexors. CSA-strength correlations in LBP patients suggest morphological changes exacerbate functional imbalances, contributing to LBP pathophysiology. These findings highlight the importance of targeted rehabilitation addressing trunk and hip musculature to restore strength symmetry and mitigate disability.

PMID:41691365 | DOI:10.12659/MSM.951651

Infect Dis Poverty. 2026 Feb 15;15(1):24. doi: 10.1186/s40249-026-01423-y.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Treating drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) is clinically complex and economically burdensome compared to drug-susceptible tuberculosis (DS-TB). China’s diagnosis-intervention packet payment system initially omitted risk adjustment for drug resistance. In 2022, a diagnosis-intervention packet (DIP)-pilot city implemented such adjustment, establishing distinct reimbursement standards for DR-TB and DS-TB. This study aimed to assess the impact of this DR-type risk adjustment on medical expenditures, treatment efficiency, and care quality for TB patients.

METHODS: A quasi-experimental difference-in-differences design was employed, involving 8465 TB patients from June 2021 to December 2023. Linear regression was performed with time and treat fixed effects and the interaction term between time and treat. Subgroup analyses for DR-TB and DS-TB patients were conducted.

RESULTS: Under the DIP system, risk adjustment led to marginally significant reductions in inpatient expenditure per hospitalization [β = – 151.14, P = 0.065; 95% confidence interval (CI) for difference in proportions: – 311.66, 9.38] and in annual total inpatient expenditure per patient (β = – 200.58, P = 0.078, 95% CI – 423.26, 22.10) for all TB patients. It also resulted in significant reductions in inpatient out-of-pocket per hospitalization (β = – 257.51, P < 0.001, 95% CI – 316.20, – 198.81), annual total inpatient out-of-pocket per patient (β = – 266.78, P < 0.001, 95% CI – 342.02, – 191.53), inpatient length of stay per hospitalization (β = – 3.58, P < 0.001, 95% CI – 4.53, – 2.62), and annual total length of stay per patient (β = – 3.21, P < 0.001, 95% CI – 4.50, – 1.92). For DR-TB patients, all outcome measures in expenditures, efficiency, or care quality showed P > 0.1, indicating no significant changes. For DS-TB patients, measures of expenditures and efficiency showed P < 0.1, supporting significant or marginally significant reductions.

CONCLUSIONS: The DR-type risk adjustment policy under China’s diagnosis-intervention packet system proved effective in optimizing resource use and enhancing efficiency, particularly for DS-TB patients, while preserving care quality for DR-TB patients. These findings demonstrate the value of tailored risk adjustment within payment frameworks for heterogeneous diseases like tuberculosis, providing crucial evidence for optimizing TB care and implementing effective payment reforms in China and similar settings.

PMID:41691353 | DOI:10.1186/s40249-026-01423-y

Genome Biol. 2026 Feb 14. doi: 10.1186/s13059-026-04003-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Epigenetic modifications play a vital role in the pathogenesis of human diseases, particularly neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, where dysregulated histone modifications are strongly implicated in disease mechanisms. While recent advances underscore the importance of accurately identifying these modifications to elucidate their contribution to Alzheimer’s disease pathology, existing computational methods remain limited by their generic approaches that overlook disease-specific epigenetic signatures.

RESULTS: To bridge this gap, we develop a novel large language model-based deep learning framework tailored for disease-contextual prediction of histone modifications and variant effects. Focusing on Alzheimer’s disease as a case study, we integrate epigenomic data from multiple patient samples to construct a comprehensive, disease-specific histone modification dataset, enabling our model to learn Alzheimer’s disease -associated molecular signatures. A key innovation of our approach is the incorporation of a Mixture of Experts architecture, which effectively distinguishes between disease and healthy epigenetic states, allowing for precise identification of Alzheimer’s disease -relevant epigenetic modification patterns. Our model demonstrates robust performance in disease-specific histone modification prediction, significantly outperforming existing state-of-the-art methods that lack disease context. Beyond accurate modification site prediction, our framework provides important biological insights by successfully prioritizing Alzheimer’s disease-associated genetic variants, which show significant enrichment in disease-relevant pathways.

CONCLUSIONS: Our framework establishes a powerful new paradigm for epigenetic research that can be extended to other complex diseases, offering both a valuable tool for variant effect interpretation and a promising strategy for uncovering novel disease mechanisms through epigenetic profiling.

PMID:41691336 | DOI:10.1186/s13059-026-04003-3