Tag: statistics

Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2026 Jun 9:izag092. doi: 10.1093/ibd/izag092. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by continuous mucosal inflammation beginning in the rectum with variable proximal extension. However, up to 17% of patients demonstrate patchy cecal inflammation known as a periappendiceal red patch (PARP). Although PARP has historically been linked to severe disease and worse outcomes, its long-term clinical significance remains unclear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate outcomes in UC patients with isolated PARP.

METHODS: A comprehensive literature search of MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane CENTRAL was performed to identify studies comparing UC patients with and without endoscopic or histologic evidence of PARP. Meta-analysis was conducted using R (version 4.4.3). Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and between-study heterogeneity was assessed using Higgins’ I2 statistic.

RESULTS: Thirteen nonrandomized studies, including 2289 UC patients (PARP+: 725; PARP-: 1564), were analyzed. PARP was significantly associated with higher odds of proctitis (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.09-2.18; P = .02). No significant associations were observed between PARP and left-sided colitis (OR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.57-1.35; P = .51) or extensive colitis (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.50-1.41; P = .45). PARP was not associated with disease progression, pharmacotherapeutic escalation, or colectomy. However, moderate-to-high heterogeneity was observed across most of the outcomes.

CONCLUSION: PARP is more frequently observed in patients with ulcerative proctitis but does not appear to influence long-term disease progression or major clinical outcomes, supporting its classification as a benign endoscopic finding in UC.

PMID:42262727 | DOI:10.1093/ibd/izag092

Vet Med Sci. 2026 Jul;12(4):e71022. doi: 10.1002/vms3.71022.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The significant cross-reactivity between bovine, ovine, and caprine pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAGs) enables the adaptation of bovine-specific diagnostics for use in other ruminants; consequently, the Alertys OnFarm Pregnancy Test (AOFPT)-a blood-based lateral flow assay-provides a rapid and practical solution for pregnancy detection directly at the animal’s head under field conditions.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated to assess and validate the performance of AOFPT in goats at days 21 and 28 post-mating, by comparing the results with serum progesterone (P4) analysis and using transabdominal ultrasonography (TAUS) as the gold standard.

METHODS: The study involved 85 Kilis goats, five months post-partum. Estrus was synchronized using an 11-day progestagen device, d-cloprostenol, and PMSG. Whole blood and serum samples were collected on Days 21 and 28 post-mating. AOFPT was performed on-farm immediately after collection. For validation, serum progesterone concentrations were measured via electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, and TAUS was performed on Days 35 and 42, with Day 42 findings serving as the gold standard.

RESULTS: Results indicated that on Day 21, AOFPT sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 79.4%, 93.8%, 98.2%, and 51.7%, respectively. By Day 28, these metrics reached 100%, 81.3%, 95.8%, and 100%. Statistical agreement between AOFPT and the reference method was K = 0.55 (82.14%) on Day 21 and K = 0.87 (96.43%) on Day 28 (p <0.001). Median ± interquartile range (IQR) of P4 concentrations were 5.95±2.60 ng/mL on day 21 and 6.92 ± 2.93 ng/mL on Day 28. AOFPT-identified pregnant goats exhibited significantly higher P4 levels (p < 0.001) than non-pregnant goats on Day 21 (5.98 ± 3.21 vs. 4.05 ± 5.46) and Day 28 (6.84 ± 3.06 vs. 0.75 ± 5.96).

CONCLUSIONS: AOFPT demonstrated accuracy and reliability closely matching P4 measurements and the reference method. This test provides a practical tool for early on-farm pregnancy diagnosis in goats, potentially enhancing reproductive management and productivity in dairy goat farms and large herds.

PMID:42262719 | DOI:10.1002/vms3.71022

Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2026 Jun 9. doi: 10.1007/s40368-026-01236-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the oral health status of children with cerebral palsy (CP) in Türkiye and to examine the distribution of caries experience using the Significant Caries (SiC) Index to identify high-risk subgroups.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 51 children with CP receiving services from the Spastic Children’s Foundation. Clinical examinations assessed dental caries using combined dft + DMFT scores, whilst lesion severity was evaluated using a three-category clinical classification mapped to ICDAS levels. Plaque accumulation was assessed using the Silness-Löe index. Caregivers completed structured questionnaires on oral hygiene practices, feeding habits, and dental attendance. Descriptive statistics were used. Continuous variables were expressed as mean ± SD or median (IQR). Categorical variables were expressed as frequencies and percentages with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS: ICDAS-mapped lesion prevalence was 94% and the mean dft + DMFT score was 4.12 ± 3.59. Lesion severity distribution based on ICDAS-mapped categories showed a predominance of moderate lesions. The SiC value was 8.41, indicating a subgroup with markedly higher caries burden. Although 86% had a toothbrushing habit, only 43% brushed twice daily. Of those using toothpaste, 59% used fluoride-free children’s toothpaste and 34% used adult toothpaste. Nighttime bottle use persisted in 55% and all with this habit had caries. The mean plaque index was 1.25 ± 0.99. No caregiver had received oral health education.

CONCLUSION: Dental caries amongst children with CP in Türkiye are highly prevalent and concentrated in a high-risk subgroup identified by the SiC.

PMID:42262716 | DOI:10.1007/s40368-026-01236-5

Ann Nucl Med. 2026 Jun 9. doi: 10.1007/s12149-026-02245-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to establish a user-friendly practical way to prepare phantoms for routine quantitative ⁶⁸Gallium (Ga) PET.

METHODS: We produced gallium ions in 0.05 M HCl from a ⁶⁸Ge/⁶⁸Ga generator and prepared a phantom in five ways. We directly diluted [⁶⁸Ga]Ga³⁺ in water (i), neutralized [⁶⁸ Ga]Ga³⁺ in NaOH then diluted it with water (ii), labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-617 with [⁶⁸Ga]Ga³⁺ then added it to water (iii), and directly added [⁶⁸Ga]Ga³⁺ to 0.05 M HCl (iv) and 0.1 M citric acid (v). A cylindrical phantom was scanned for 60 min in list mode, and images were reconstructed into consecutive 5-min frames. Temporal changes in spatial uniformity and image noise were evaluated based on the standard deviations (SD) of inter-ROI differences, coefficients of variation (CV), SUV_mean, and the fraction of pixels outside the SUV range of 0.95-1.05.

RESULTS: The visible distribution of activity in the phantom prepared using method (ii) was not uniform with peripheral accumulation, and spatial uniformity progressively deteriorated over time. The SD increased from 0.0206 to 0.0361 at 5 and 60 min, respectively. In contrast, the phantoms prepared using the other four methods yielded visually homogeneous images and the methods (iii), (iv), and (v) maintained relatively stable SDs throughout image acquisition. The CV increased modestly over time under all conditions, and was consistent with decreasing count statistics, whereas SUV_mean remained stable with only small deviations from unity. Pixel-wise analysis showed higher fractions of pixels outside SUV 0.95-1.05 for methods (i) and (ii).

CONCLUSIONS: Diluting [⁶⁸Ga]Ga³⁺ with 0.05 M HCl or 0.1 M citric acid enabled reliable preparation of a uniform phantom with spatial uniformity comparable to that of radiolabeling. Direct dilution in water showed no apparent peripheral accumulation on visual assessment, but quantitative analyses suggested less stable uniformity than acidic dilution. These approaches are practical for quality assurance and cross-calibration in quantitative ⁶⁸Ga PET.

PMID:42262712 | DOI:10.1007/s12149-026-02245-6

Ann Nucl Med. 2026 Jun 9. doi: 10.1007/s12149-026-02243-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance (MR) and [¹⁸F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) studies suggested that temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) might be a progressive disease with mesial temporal regions being the most vulnerable to epileptic seizures. However, the biasing effect of brain atrophy and mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) has not been assessed. We assessed the relationship between epilepsy duration and cerebral glucose metabolism (CMRglu) before and after partial volume correction (PVC).

METHODS: We used PET with FDG in 22 TLE patients to quantify absolute and normalized CMRglu values. An automated, MR-segmentation-based PVC algorithm was applied.

RESULTS: PVC increased CMRglu variability. Normalization of regional absolute CMRglu values to global gray matter reduced variability. There was no significant relationship between absolute CMRglu values and epilepsy duration. A significant negative relationship was found between normalized CMRglu values in parahippocampus and hippocampus that persisted after PVC only in parahippocampus. A significant positive relationship between CMRglu asymmetry indices (AIs) and epilepsy duration was found in hippocampus before, but not after PVC. In patients with MTS, before PVC a statistical trend between epilepsy duration and AI was obtained for hippocampus, superior temporal cortex, and amygdala. After PVC, statistical significance was attained in amygdala.

CONCLUSION: Ipsilateral mesial temporal regions are one of the areas most sensitive to epileptic seizures. Assessment of metabolic progression is affected by methodological factors, such as brain atrophy (and the correction thereof) and data variability. Normalized CMRglu values and AIs have greater statistical power than absolute CMRglu values implying no need for quantitative PET studies.

PMID:42262711 | DOI:10.1007/s12149-026-02243-8

Ann Biomed Eng. 2026 Jun 9. doi: 10.1007/s10439-026-04180-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Recent reports indicate that approximately half of the head impacts and one third of the concussions in American football occur due to contact with the helmet’s facemask. Despite this, helmet innovations have primarily focused on improving attenuation of impacts to the helmet shell. During facemask impacts, the chinstrap goes into tension and materials in the chin cup are compressed. Various chinstraps are available to equip to helmets and the present study sought to conduct the first known evaluation of the influence of the chinstrap on facemask impact severity.

METHODS: Fourteen different chinstraps were affixed to an identical American football helmet which was subjected to laboratory impact testing. Chin cup liner thickness and lengths of the top and bottom straps were measured for each chinstrap. A linear impactor delivered impacts at 3.0 and 7.4 m/s at a central facemask impact location while the helmet was worn by a medium NOCSAE headform. Head kinematics were recorded and used to compute the Head Acceleration Response Metric (HARM), a brain injury risk metric derived from linear and rotational head kinematics.

RESULTS: One-way ANOVAs revealed a statistically significant effect of chinstrap model on HARM at both impact velocities (p < 0.0001). Differences in HARM between chinstraps were as great as 35.4% at 3.0 m/s and 31.4% at 7.4 m/s. There was a statistically significant association between HARM and chin cup liner thickness at 3.0 m/s (p = 0.0002), indicating thicker chin cup liners resulted in lower HARM (R² = 0.706), but this trend was not observed at 7.4 m/s (p = 0.14, R² = 0.450). Top strap length was not significantly associated with HARM at 3.0 m/s (p = 0.689) or 7.4 m/s (p = 0.541). There was a statistically significant association between HARM and bottom strap length at 3.0 m/s (p = 0.004, R² = 0.523), but this trend was not observed at 7.4 m/s (p = 0.799).

CONCLUSION: Overall, we report that the chinstrap can significantly influence the severity of facemask impacts in American football helmets across multiple impact velocities. Increasing chinstrap liner thicknesses and strap lengths may yield reductions in kinematics-based injury risk metrics at some impact velocities. Further investigation of the chinstrap system is warranted to inform future chinstrap design toward improved impact attenuation.

PMID:42262703 | DOI:10.1007/s10439-026-04180-z

Ginekol Pol. 2026 Jun 9. doi: 10.5603/gpl.105472. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to summarize the previous management of pregnant women with LQTS, as well as to present the current guidelines in this area.

DATA SOURCES: We conducted a systematic search in multiple databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Medline/Embase between 1984 and 2022.

STUDY SELECTION: Original articles were eligible if they included pregnant patients suffering from congenital long QT syndrome with the three most common types 1-3.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: The subject-related articles were processed according to Preferred Reporting Items in Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Two authors independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed methodological quality. A total of 15 publications were included in the final report. In the literature, 18 cases of long QT syndrome with the most common types in pregnant women were included, for a final total of 20 cases.

CONCLUSIONS: Despite the advances in medicine there is a lack of studies that can determine unequivocally, the only right way to manage pregnant women suffering from long QT syndrome. The question remains – does cesarean section objectively reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications in such cases? There is a strong need for further research in this scientific field, especially to create opportunities to reduce the performance of unjustified cesarean sections and thus improve mother and neonatal outcomes. It is believed that the actual incidence of LQTS is significantly higher than current statistics report, therefore, it is so vital to standardize the management of this group of patients.

PMID:42261734 | DOI:10.5603/gpl.105472

Ginekol Pol. 2026 Jun 9. doi: 10.5603/gpl.109239. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate Polish women’s attitudes toward water birth, including perceived benefits, concerns, and the influence of demographic factors such as age, education, residence, and childbirth history.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire shared in 76 Facebook groups targeting women and families in Poland. Responses were collected from February 17 to July 27, 2025. The questionnaire included demographic questions, childbirth history, awareness of water birth, perceived pros and cons, sources of information, and willingness to consider this method. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and Pearson’s chi-squared test.

RESULTS: A total of 1,376 responses were analyzed. Awareness of water birth was high (98.2%), mainly acquired via the internet (83.6%). Benefits were known by 70.6% of respondents, particularly those aged 35-44 and those with higher education (p < 0.001). The most cited benefits were pain reduction (59.9%) and relaxation (51.6%). The most common concerns included complications (25.8%) and lack of familiarity (17.9%). Women with prior water birth experience were highly likely to choose it again (96.7%). Overall, 74.0% of all respondents would consider water birth, and 82.8% expressed a need for more accessible educational materials.

CONCLUSIONS: Polish women are generally aware of and open to water birth, but many lack access or adequate knowledge. Misinformation and limited awareness of contraindications persist, especially among younger and less-educated women. Educational efforts should be enhanced, particularly online, to support informed childbirth choices.

PMID:42261733 | DOI:10.5603/gpl.109239

Ginekol Pol. 2026;97(5):399-407. doi: 10.5603/gpl.105642.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) involves abnormal trophoblastic invasion into the uterine myometrium, with increasing incidence due to rising cesarean section rates. PAS poses significant risks, including blood transfusion, bladder injury, intensive care unit admission, and hysterectomy. This study evaluates the use of transverse uterine compression sutures to provide localized compression in placenta previa and PAS cases.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of 55 pregnant women diagnosed with placenta previa and PAS. Patients were divided into two groups: placenta accreta (28 women) and placenta increta (27 women). Demographic data, intraoperative, and postoperative outcomes were compared between the groups.

RESULTS: In the placenta accreta group, transverse sutures alone were sufficient in all cases. In the placenta increta group, four cases required a Bakri balloon, and two of those also needed uterine artery ligation for successful bleeding control. None of the patients required hysterectomy. Hemoglobin changes, mean arterial pressure, and fever were higher in the placenta increta group, but no statistically significant differences were observed in other parameters.

CONCLUSIONS: Transverse uterine compression sutures are highly effective in managing placenta previa and PAS. In severe cases like placenta increta, additional interventions may be necessary to control bleeding.

PMID:42261717 | DOI:10.5603/gpl.105642

Ginekol Pol. 2026;97(5):352-358. doi: 10.5603/gpl.104729.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine disorder that affects many women, including adolescents, around the world. While PCOS is primarily known for its reproductive and metabolic implications, growing evidence suggests that it is also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of the study was to evaluate the concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and visfatin in adolescent girls with PCOS in respect to their central obesity status.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-six PCOS patients were qualified for the study (mean age 15.97 ± 0.91 years, BMI 24.78 ± 5.83 kg/m²). 17 girls with abdominal obesity were included in the AO-PCOS group and 19 girls with waist circumference < 80 cm were classified into the NAO-PCOS group. Each patient had biochemical and hormonal tests performed. Furthermore, markers of endothelial dysfunction: VEGF, MMP-9, and visfatin were measured in all adolescents.

RESULTS: In the study, the AO-PCOS exhibited significantly higher levels of ALT, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, LDL cholesterol and testosterone. This group also showed statistically significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Moreover, higher concentrations of MMP-9, and VEGF and lower visfatin level were found in the group of adolescent patients with PCOS and abdominal obesity. However, significant differences were observed only in relation to MMP-9 concentration (p < 0.0001). Ssignificant positive correlation was found between MMP-9 concentration and body weight (R = 0.37; p = 0.03), waist circumference (R = 0.38; p = 0.02), BMI (R = 0.36; p = 0.03), and LDL concentration (R = 0.43; p = 0.01). Visfatin concentration showed a statistically significant negative correlation with androstenedione concentration (R = -0.53; p = 0.01). However, VEGF concentration did not show statistically significant correlations with any parameters.

CONCLUSIONS: The study results suggest that abdominal obesity, coexisting in adolescent girls with PCOS, may constitute a risk factor for cardiovascular complications in this patient group.

PMID:42261713 | DOI:10.5603/gpl.104729