Tag: statistics

Clin Exp Dent Res. 2026 Apr;12(2):e70352. doi: 10.1002/cre2.70352.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major systemic disease, predisposing patients to inflammatory conditions, and it is considered a grade modifier of periodontitis. However, its association with peri-implant diseases is still under investigation. This study aimed to investigate the possible association between diabetes and peri-implant disease.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy patients (35 with T2DM and 35 non-diabetic) were included, for a total of 227 dental implants in function for at least 1 year. Patient characteristics, implant features, and peri-implant diseases (including peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis) were recorded.

RESULTS: The overall prevalence of peri-implant diseases was not statistically different between diabetic and non-diabetic subjects (80% vs. 77%, p = 0.99). When distinguishing between peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis, the prevalence of peri-implant mucositis (51% in diabetic patients vs. 63% in non-diabetic individuals; p = 0.47) and peri-implantitis (51% in diabetic patients vs. 43% in non-diabetic individuals; p = 0.63) did not differ significantly between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings did not suggest different occurrence of peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. Therefore, type 2 diabetes may not play a relevant role in peri-implant diseases.

PMID:42035463 | DOI:10.1002/cre2.70352

Clin Exp Dent Res. 2026 Apr;12(2):e70348. doi: 10.1002/cre2.70348.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of unilateral chewing among Italian university students and investigate its association with sex, anxiety, and somatic symptom severity.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 1536 students completed a self-administered questionnaire. Prevalence of unilateral chewing behavior, anxiety, and somatic symptoms was described using frequencies and percentages. Anxiety and somatic symptoms were measured using the self-reported Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15). Pearson Chi-square and Cramér’s V examined the association between sex and unilateral chewing behavior. Differences in GAD-7 and PHQ-15 scores across unilateral chewing categories were analyzed using ANOVA-based methods with post hoc tests. Ordinal logistic regression was performed to assess the association between unilateral chewing behavior, anxiety, and somatic symptom severity while controlling for age and sex.

RESULTS: Overall, 19% of participants reported unilateral chewing “most” or “all of the time.” Moderate-to-severe anxiety and somatic symptoms were each reported by 45% of participants, assessed separately. A significant weak to moderate association between sex and unilateral chewing was reported (p < 0.001). Unilateral chewing behavior was significantly associated with total anxiety scores (p < 0.001), with “all of the time” chewers having four points higher scores than “none of the time” or “a little of the time,” and three points higher scores than “some of the time” chewers. A significant association (p < 0.001) was also observed between unilateral chewing and PHQ-15 scores, with “all of the time” chewers having three points higher scores than “none of the time” and two points higher scores than “a little of the time.” Ordinal regression analysis confirmed these associations, although the effect sizes were modest.

CONCLUSION: Frequent unilateral chewing behavior is associated with higher levels of anxiety and somatic symptoms. Assessing unilateral chewing may help guide interventions promoting bilateral mastication and mindful eating.

PMID:42035459 | DOI:10.1002/cre2.70348

Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2026 Jun;35(2):e70072. doi: 10.1002/mpr.70072.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) is a widely used tool for assessing depressive symptoms. This study examined its psychometric properties in a sample of 1738 university students in Bogotá.

METHODS: Instrumental study with a cross-sectional, single-center design with two-stage sampling. Exploratory and two-factor factorial analyses were applied, along with reliability estimates and subgroup analyses by gender and social stratum.

RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure (depressive affect, positive affect, and social aspects), which explained 56% of the total variance. The KMO index was 0.95, and Bartlett’s sphericity test was significant (χ² = 17,902.82, df = 190, p < 0.001). The bifactor model showed a strong overall factor (hierarchical omega = 0.85; ECV = 0.71), supporting the use of a total score. Internal consistency was high (α = 0.93; ω = 0.94). Women scored significantly higher than men (p < 0.001). Differentiated cut-off points by sex are proposed: ≥ 52 for women and ≥ 45 for men.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the validity and reliability of the CES-D as a unidimensional measure of depressive symptoms in the Colombian university population and highlight its usefulness as a screening tool in public health settings, particularly within Latin American regional contexts where early detection of mental health problems is a priority.

PMID:42035458 | DOI:10.1002/mpr.70072

Mult Scler. 2026 Apr 26:13524585261435415. doi: 10.1177/13524585261435415. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Depression is prevalent among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) yet frequently goes undetected and untreated. Time constraints are a barrier to depression screening in MS clinics. We evaluated the clinical utility, diagnostic accuracy and feasibility of the Two-Question Screening tool (2QS) for routine, in-clinic depression screening.

OBJECTIVES: A prospective cross-sectional study of 207 consecutively recruited adults with MS (Mage = 47.3 ± 12.7, 77.3% female) was conducted at a metropolitan MS Clinic. Clinicians administered the 2QS during in-clinic or telehealth consultations. To assess the sensitivity and specificity of the 2QS in identifying depression, participants underwent a Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders – Fifth Edition (SCID-5) for major depressive disorder (MDD), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Internal consistency, convergent validity and clinician feasibility were assessed.

RESULTS: The 2QS had 100% (95% CI: 71%-100%) sensitivity and 68% (95% CI: 60%-76%) specificity for detecting MDD. Clinician screening adherence was 76%. For the in-clinic subsample, clinician-administered 2QS correlations were SCID-5 MDD, r = 0.39 (r = 0.60 with subthreshold depression symptoms added); PHQ-9, r = 0.73; and DASS-D, r = 0.74.

CONCLUSIONS: Clinician-administered 2QS is valid and feasible for routine depression screening at MS clinic appointments. With high sensitivity and acceptable specificity, the clinician-administered 2QS is suitable to improve depression detection in people with MS.

PMID:42035454 | DOI:10.1177/13524585261435415

Vet Med Sci. 2026 May;12(3):e70937. doi: 10.1002/vms3.70937.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Giardiasis is a common protozoal infection in cats, often treated with nitroimidazole derivatives such as metronidazole and secnidazole. However, there are concerns about resistance to nitroimidazoles and their adverse effects. Recent in vitro studies suggest that omeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor, exhibits anti-giardial effects by inhibiting giardial triosephosphate isomerase. No clinical studies have evaluated its efficacy in naturally infected cats.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess and compare the anti-giardial efficacy of omeprazole, metronidazole, and secnidazole in cats naturally infected with Giardia duodenalis, based on faecal cyst shedding and clinical parameters.

METHODS: Forty-eight naturally infected cats were randomly assigned to four groups: omeprazole (1 mg/kg/day for 7 days), metronidazole (25 mg/kg twice daily for 7 days), secnidazole (30 mg/kg single dose), and placebo. Faecal cyst shedding was evaluated using the zinc sulphate flotation technique on days 0, 7 and 14. Faecal consistency was scored daily, and haematological parameters were assessed on days 0, 7 and 14.

RESULTS: By day 7, faecal cyst positivity was 50% in both the omeprazole and metronidazole groups, 58.3% in the secnidazole group, and 83.3% in the placebo group. The reduction observed in the omeprazole and metronidazole groups was statistically significant compared with the placebo (p < 0.05). By day 14, cyst positivity further decreased to 33.3% (omeprazole), 41.7% (metronidazole), and 50% (secnidazole), with omeprazole showing the lowest positivity rate among the treatments. Faecal scores improved significantly earlier in the omeprazole and metronidazole groups compared with secnidazole and placebo (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Omeprazole demonstrated promising anti-giardial efficacy, with reductions in cyst shedding and improvements in faecal consistency comparable to metronidazole. These findings suggest that omeprazole may serve as a potential alternative treatment option for feline giardiasis.

PMID:42035445 | DOI:10.1002/vms3.70937

Echocardiography. 2026 May;43(5):e70475. doi: 10.1111/echo.70475.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Gaucher disease type 1 (GD1) is a rare, multisystemic lysosomal storage disorder in which cardiac involvement may remain clinically silent for years. Conventional echocardiographic indices often fail to detect early myocardial dysfunction. Speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) allows the assessment of subclinical myocardial deformation and may provide incremental prognostic information. This study aimed to investigate the association between ventricular deformation parameters and worsening disease severity, assessed by the Disease Severity Scoring System (DS3), using a bootstrap-based statistical approach suitable for rare disease cohorts.

METHODS: Patients with GD1 underwent comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography, including STE-derived left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV GLS) and right ventricular (RV) longitudinal strain analysis. Conventional systolic parameters were also recorded. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of worsening DS3 score. To enhance statistical robustness in this small cohort, bootstrapping with 10 000 resamples was applied.

RESULTS: Conventional systolic parameters, including left ventricular ejection fraction, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, peak systolic velocity of the tricuspid annulus, and RV fractional area change, were within normal ranges and did not differ significantly between GD1 patients and healthy controls (p = NS for all). In contrast, STE revealed significantly reduced longitudinal deformation in GD1 patients for both the LV (-20.1% ± 1.3 vs. -22.4% ± 2.6, p = 0.029) and RV (-22.2% ± 2.3 vs. -25.4% ± 3.7, p = 0.036). In the bootstrap-adjusted multivariable model, LV GLS was the only independent predictor of worsening DS3 score (B = 26.024, p < 0.001; 95% CI: 2.669-47.893).

CONCLUSION: Myocardial deformation abnormalities precede detectable changes in conventional systolic indices in GD1. LV GLS is a robust and independent predictor of increasing disease severity. STE may therefore represent a valuable tool for early detection of subclinical cardiac involvement and risk stratification in this rare disease population.

PMID:42035441 | DOI:10.1111/echo.70475

Orv Hetil. 2026 Apr 26;167(17):651-660. doi: 10.1556/650.2026.33525. Print 2026 Apr 26.

ABSTRACT

The authors provide an overview of the effects of physiotherapy on the immune response. Immunomodulation plays a decisive role in the analgesic and anti-inflammatory mechanisms underlying physiotherapy. Exercise is the most prominent physiotherapy treatment, for which the most evidence exists. The skeletal muscle is a secretory organ that releases myokines in response to movement. One of the best-known of these is irisin, a movement-induced myokine. Irisin plays an important role in inhibiting oxidative stress, reducing systemic inflammatory responses, and providing neuroprotection. It also has a positive effect on the functions of regulatory T cells, modulates immune cells, and increases the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Physiotherapy plays a significant role in improving the clinical condition of patients with autoimmune diseases. The beneficial tumor-immunological effects of regular physical activity are not accompanied by harmful side effects. Physiotherapy increases the number of natural killer cells, which play an important role in the defense against tumors. Massage, electrotherapy, and photomodulation treatments also affect the immune response. Following radon and sulfur bath treatments, statistically significant reductions in cytokine levels and other inflammatory biomarkers were observed. The anti-inflammatory effect of whole-body cryotherapy may also be due to a decrease in interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor levels. Knowledge of the effects of physiotherapy treatments on the immune response may be an important consideration when choosing a treatment strategy for these diseases. Orv Hetil. 2026; 167(17): 651-660.

PMID:42035409 | DOI:10.1556/650.2026.33525

G3 (Bethesda). 2026 Apr 24:jkag100. doi: 10.1093/g3journal/jkag100. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Identifying population structure from genetic data is a key challenge, for which several statistical methods have been developed, including F-statistics, which measure the average correlation in allele frequency differences between two pairs of populations. F-statistics are typically applied to a subset of genetic variation within the common allele frequency band, available through microarrays and SNP enrichment techniques. Recent advances in sequencing technology increasingly allow generating whole-genome sequencing data, both ancient and modern, which not only enable querying nearly every base of the genome, but also contain numerous rare variants. Rare variants, with their more population-specific distribution, allow detection of recent population structure with much finer resolution than common variants – an opportunity that has so far been under-exploited. Here, we develop a new statistical method, RAS (Rare Allele Sharing), for summarizing rare allele frequency correlations, similar to F-statistics but with flexible ascertainment on allele frequencies. We test RAS on both published and simulated data and find that RAS, with appropriate ascertainment, has better resolution than genome-wide F-statistics in identifying population structure caused by recent demographic events. Leveraging this, we further develop the use of RAS to compute ancestry proportions accurately in cases of recently diverged and closely-related source populations. We implemented the new statistical methods as an R package and a command line tool. In summary, our method can provide new perspectives to identify and model population structure, allowing us to understand more subtle relationships among populations in the recent human past.

PMID:42035364 | DOI:10.1093/g3journal/jkag100

IISE Trans Occup Ergon Hum Factors. 2026 Apr 26:1-11. doi: 10.1080/24725838.2026.2653520. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Occupational ApplicationsThis study protocol outlines a co-design approach to develop a workplace-based intervention for radiographers to prevent and manage work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) and enhance overall well-being. By engaging radiographers, occupational health specialists, and other relevant stakeholders in the intervention design process, the resulting interventions will be tailored specifically to the physical, cognitive, and organizational demands of imaging work. Beyond radiography, the methodology offers a transferable, step-by-step framework for identifying occupation-specific risk factors and translating these findings into tailored, feasible solutions. The protocol advances ergonomics practice by shifting from a prescriptive, one-size-fits-all approach to a collaborative, context-specific design, thereby ensuring that any resulting intervention is both evidence-informed and operationally sustainable, and aligned with real-world workplace needs.

PMID:42035363 | DOI:10.1080/24725838.2026.2653520

Public Health Rep. 2026 Apr 26:333549261435518. doi: 10.1177/00333549261435518. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Accurate mortality data for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people are critical for describing health disparities and program planning needs. We describe the rates of leading causes of death among non-Hispanic AI/AN as compared with non-Hispanic White populations living in the same area, by sex and Indian Health Service (IHS) Area in 2020.

METHODS: We used the 2020 US Cancer Statistics AI/AN Mortality Database and SEER*Stat software to calculate sex-specific age-adjusted death rates (per 100 000 population) for the 15 leading causes of death among non-Hispanic AI/AN and non-Hispanic White people in the United States overall (all areas combined), by IHS Area, and by age group. We restricted analyses to non-Hispanic AI/AN and non-Hispanic White people living in Purchased/Referred Care Delivery Area counties.

RESULTS: Death rates were higher among non-Hispanic AI/AN people than among non-Hispanic White people in the United States overall (rate ratio = 1.90) and in every IHS Area (rate ratio range = 1.11-2.78). Death rates also varied by sex and age. Death rates were nearly 4 times higher among non-Hispanic AI/AN people than among non-Hispanic White people in the 25- to 44-year age group. Leading causes of death among non-Hispanic AI/AN males and females included COVID-19, heart disease, unintentional injury, cancer, and chronic liver disease.

CONCLUSIONS: Death rates differed between non-Hispanic AI/AN and non-Hispanic White people by IHS Area, sex, and age when data corrected for racial misclassification were used. Our findings have important implications for guiding future public health practice to address disparities in mortality, particularly in the context of public health emergencies.

PMID:42035359 | DOI:10.1177/00333549261435518