Establishment of prediction equations for available energy values of sorghum in broilers using machine learning and stepwise regression methods.

Do potentially traumatic events experienced by people in one's social circle affect one's own mental health and emotional support? Findings from a prospective population-based study.

Pedestrian crashes are a major concern in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia, but the factors associated with these crashes differ from those in other Australian jurisdictions. This study aims to provide a comprehensive investigation of pedestrian crashes in the NT. Using police crash records and hospitalisation data, we conducted a retrospective observational analysis. We describe crash factors and calculate standardised rate ratios to compare involvement by gender, age and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status. Stepwise logistic regression was used to explore crash factors contributing to fatal and 'severe injury collision' outcomes. Male pedestrians were 1.43 times (95% CI: 1.22-1.66) more likely to be involved in crashes and 1.38 times more likely to be hospitalised (95% CI: 1.23-1.56). Across all age groups, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pedestrians had higher crash involvement and fatality rates. Among those aged 35-44 years, the likelihood of being involved in a fatal crash increased 35-fold (95% CI: 8.81-305.88), while severe injury risk increased 14-fold (95% CI: 8.83-23.81). Most crashes occurred during clear weather and light traffic, on straight, flat, sealed and dry roads. Factors that influence the severity of injuries in a pedestrian crash are visibility, road speed limit and driver and pedestrian alcohol and drug use. Improving lighting on roads with speed limits ≥ 70 km/h should be prioritised, or speed limits reduced where lighting upgrades are not feasible. Keeping people safe while they are intoxicated is a priority for reducing pedestrian injuries and deaths.

Symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (sLSS) is associated with sagittal imbalance and degeneration of paraspinal muscles. While morphological changes are well documented, the functional relationships between electromyographic paraspinal fatigability, endurance, and global imbalance remain unclear. This study aimed to examine these relationships in preoperative patients with sLSS. In this cross-sectional study, 109 preoperative patients with sLSS underwent magnetic resonance imaging, EOS radiography, and a modified Biering-Sørensen test with bilateral surface electromyography (EMG) of the longissimus, iliocostalis and multifidus muscles. Paraspinal muscle fatigability was defined by three EMG-based indices: slope of median frequency (MDF) decline (Hz/s), normalized slope (%/s), and absolute MDF decrease (Hz). Endurance was defined as the duration of the modified Biering-Sørensen test. Global spinal imbalance was quantified using the Full Balance Integrated (FBI) score. Associations between fatigability, endurance, and FBI were assessed using Pearson correlation and stepwise multiple regression analyses. Valid EMG data were available for 90 of the 109 patients who performed the modified Biering-Sørensen test. Greater absolute MDF decreases (but not MDF slopes) were significantly associated with lower FBI scores (r = -0.38, p < 0.001). Longer endurance times correlated with both lower FBI scores (r = -0.41, p < 0.001) and greater absolute MDF decreases (r = 0.40, p < 0.001). Regression analysis revealed that absolute MDF decrease (β = -0.3, p = 0.004), endurance time (β = -0.1, p = 0.005), and age (β = 0.31, p < 0.001) independently predicted FBI, explaining 35% of its variance. Mediation analysis confirmed that the association between absolute MDF decrease and FBI was predominantly direct (71%) and only partially mediated through endurance time. In preoperative patients with sLSS, both reduced paraspinal endurance and lower absolute MDF decrease were independently associated with greater global spinal imbalance. The association between absolute MDF decrease and imbalance was only partially mediated through endurance time, indicating that these two measures capture complementary aspects of paraspinal muscle function. Since lower absolute MDF decrease coincided with shorter endurance times, reduced electromyographic fatigability in this population likely reflects diminished physiological reserve rather than enhanced neuromuscular efficiency.

Diagnostic Performance of Quantitative T1rho MRI for the Assessment of Disease Activity in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis.

While cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) provides prognostic value in transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA), current ATTR-CA staging relies on serum biomarkers. We evaluated the incremental value of incorporating CMR parameters into the National Amyloidosis Center (NAC) staging and assessed their utility in guiding evaluation for advanced heart failure (HF) therapies and emerging disease-modifying treatments. We retrospectively analyzed a multicenter cohort of 266 ATTR-CA patients who underwent CMR between 2007-2023. Cox regressions were used to assess time to death. A baseline model was constructed using the NAC stage. CMR predictor variables were selected a priori based on clinical relevance and non-collinearity, then refined using stepwise backward elimination regression with NAC stage control; variables retained in ≥60% of 1,000 bootstrapped samples were included. Internal validation was performed via bootstrapping, with performance reported as Harrell's C-statistic and calibration slope. Decision curve analysis evaluated clinical utility.85 patients (32%) died over a median follow up of 20 months (IQR 8-35). Extracellular volume (ECV ≥59%, HR 2.45, 95% CI 1.2-5.2, p = 0.020) and indexed left atrial volume (LAVi ≥54 ml/m2, HR 2.00, 95% CI 1.1-3.7, p = 0.026) were independently associated with mortality after NAC adjustment and improved prognostic accuracy across all biomarker stages. When risk prediction was framed around initiation of advanced HF or emerging disease-modifying therapies, incorporating CMR alongside NAC staging facilitated identification of 28 additional high-risk patients per 1,000. CMR-derived ECV and LAVi were associated with incremental prognostic value in ATTR-CA beyond biomarker staging and may inform clinical risk stratification.

Elucidating the pathogenic mechanism underlying plasticizer-induced chronic kidney disease via integrated network toxicology and machine learning.

Factors associated with failed induction of labor after cesarean delivery with an unfavorable cervix at term.

Novel and potentially sustainable alternative proteins, such as cultivated meat, face many barriers when entering the consumer market, yet these are less well explored with children and their parents. Across two exploratory online cross-sectional studies, we aimed to investigate the factors influencing the likelihood of trying and regularly consuming cultivated meat, with a focus on parents, their children, and the family. Study 1 recruited UK parents of children 6-10 years of age (n=475) and Study 2 recruited UK parents of children 11-15 years of age (n=453). Studies included questionnaires relating to parents and children, including measures of eating behaviour, neophobia, and child temperament. Using a backward stepwise regression approach, across both studies, familiarity with cultivated meat, acceptance of new technologies and processes, and attitudes towards cultivated meat positively predicted how likely parents were to provide, try and regularly consume cultivated meat, for themselves, their children, and their family. Acceptance of cultivated meat, and attitudes towards conventional beef, generally predicted these outcomes also, whereas eating behaviour and temperament were selective predictors. Of note, child neophobia and child food fussiness were not significant predictors of provision. Together, these exploratory findings are useful for theory development, and speculatively suggest that familiarity with cultivated meat, acceptance of new technologies and processes, and attitudes towards cultivated meat could be used to enhance the acceptance of cultivated meat, e.g., communicating key benefits of cultivated meat to the consumer, to enhance positive attitudes.

Lockie, RG, Dawes, JJ, Campana, T, Kramer, J, Orr, RM, and Romero, M. Relationships between isometric midthigh pull, body mass, countermovement jump, upper-body muscular endurance, and intermittent running with job task performance in firefighter trainees. J Strength Cond Res 40(7): 815-821, 2026-Maximal strength is essential for firefighters but may be challenging to measure in this population because of time constraints, injury risk, and ability variations. The isometric midthigh pull (IMTP) could provide a safe and expedient strength measure. Retrospective analysis of data from 47 firefighter trainees (41 men, 6 women) was used to examine relationships between body mass, IMTP, and other general fitness tests (countermovement jump, hand release push-ups, and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 [YYIRT1]) with job-specific tasks. In addition to the general fitness tests, trainees completed the job-specific tests of the 40-m, 100.5-kg manikin drag, 10.67-m ladder extension, and 5-lap stair climb wearing a 12.9-kg self-contained breathing apparatus while carrying a 24.9-kg, 30.5-m long hose pack. Pearson's correlations derived relationships between body mass, and general fitness and job-specific tests (p < 0.05). Stepwise regression derived predictive relationships between body mass and the general and job-specific fitness tests (p < 0.05). Body mass (r = -0.517), IMTP (r = -0.622), and YYIRT (r = -0.384) significantly correlated with the manikin drag. Body mass (r = -0.392) and IMTP (r = -0.560) significantly correlated with the ladder extension. The manikin drag was significantly predicted by IMTP, body mass, and YYIRT1, with ∼52% explained variance. The ladder extension was significantly predicted by the IMTP (∼30% explained variance). The stair climb had no significant relationships. Maximal strength is needed for the manikin drag and ladder extension and could be especially important for lighter firefighters to move absolute loads. The IMTP could help predict performance in firefighter job tasks, although other factors such as technique would be important.

A Meta-Analysis of Susceptibility to Peer Influence Effects in Adolescence: The Role of Method of Influence and Type of Behavior.

Development of a river habitat quality index (RHQI) framework for dry-hot valleys: Unraveling driving mechanisms and management implications.

Maternal satisfaction with the birth experience: A prospective comparison of water immersion and epidural analgesia.

Impact of In-Network Versus Out-of-Network Fragmentation of Care on Long-Term Outcomes After Trauma.

Hemodynamics Beyond Ischemic Zone Underlies Early Neurological Deterioration in Minor Stroke with Large Vessel Occlusion.

The prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has increased substantially. Early identification of high-risk individuals is critical for improving clinical outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of the systemic immune-inflammation composite index (SIICI) and the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index for CHD in patients with T2DM, and to develop and validate a combined diagnostic model incorporating these indices. We retrospectively enrolled 599 patients with T2DM who underwent coronary angiography and divided them into CHD (n = 371) and non-CHD (n = 228) groups based on angiographic findings. Using stratified 7:3 sampling according to CHD status, the cohort was randomly split into training (n = 439) and validation (n = 160) sets. Clinical and laboratory data were collected. Univariate logistic regression (P < 0.1) followed by backward stepwise multivariate logistic regression was performed to construct the diagnostic model. Model performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Compared with the non-CHD group, patients with CHD had significantly higher median levels of SIICI [5.24 (3.54, 8.05) vs. 3.75 (2.63, 4.76), P < 0.001] and TyG index [9.36 (8.96, 9.77) vs. 8.89 (8.60, 9.27), P < 0.001]. Multivariate logistic regression identified SIICI (OR = 1.347, 95% CI: 1.190-1.524) and TyG (OR = 2.843, 95% CI: 1.794-4.507) as independent risk factors for CHD. The combined model achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.840 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.803-0.877) in the training set, with a sensitivity of 72.8% and specificity of 80.4%; in the validation set, the AUC was 0.851 (95% CI: 0.794-0.908), with a sensitivity of 75.8% and specificity of 80.0%. Calibration curves demonstrated good agreement (Hosmer-Lemeshow test: P = 0.597). DCA revealed positive net clinical benefit across a threshold probability range of 10-56%. Both SIICI and TyG are independent risk factors for CHD in patients with T2DM. The combined diagnostic model exhibits excellent discriminative ability, good calibration, and stable generalizability. While head-to-head comparisons with traditional risk scores are needed, this model offers a non-invasive tool that integrates inflammatory and metabolic information for cardiovascular risk stratification in T2DM patients.

Voice phishing represents a rapidly evolving form of cyber-enabled financial fraud that exploits telecommunications networks to deceive victims. Traditional reactive policing approaches face significant limitations in preventing such crimes in real time. This study introduces a data-driven framework for the proactive detection of phone numbers linked to voice phishing operations using large-scale call log data from South Korea. Behavioral features derived from call metadata were utilized to capture distinctive communication patterns that differentiate fraudulent users from legitimate ones. A stepwise logistic regression model was initially employed to identify key predictors of fraudulent behavior, followed by advanced machine learning models-including random forest, gradient boosting, and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP)-for classification. The results reveal that voice phishing numbers display unique behavioral characteristics, such as concentrated weekday activity, shorter call durations, higher outgoing call ratios, and a preference for Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) usage. The proposed models achieved high performance, exceeding 95% accuracy and 97% recall, demonstrating their robustness in detecting suspicious numbers. These findings underscore the potential of integrating artificial intelligence and behavioral analytics into proactive fraud detection systems and contribute to the development of early-warning mechanisms for preventing telecommunication-based financial crimes.

To assess the outcomes of patients undergoing open abdominal surgery at a National Referral Hospital in Tanzania. A prospective, observational, single-arm cohort study. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Patients who underwent open abdominal surgery between August 2022 and July 2023 were included. Patients were enrolled if they provided informed consent to participate and were ≥18 years of age. Patients were excluded if they were lost to follow-up, were admitted outside the department of surgery or were still admitted since the index surgery at the end of the study. The primary outcome was a composite measurement of mortality that includes patients who died during the index admission and those who died up to 30 days postdischarge. Secondary outcomes included surgical complications, unplanned readmissions, economic burden and functional outcomes. Clinically relevant factors identified a priori and with a p value of ≤0.2 in the univariable model were tested in a multivariable logistic regression to identify independent risk factors for composite mortality, with backward stepwise elimination using a statistical significance set at a p value <0.05 and 95% CI not including 1.0. Of 626 patients who had an open abdominal surgery, 555 (88.7%) met the inclusion criteria, of which 120 (21.6%) died. Of the deaths, 61 (51%) occurred during the index admission, 48 (40%) outside the hospital and 11 (9%) following unplanned readmission. Among the surviving 435 (78%) patients who participated in the 30-day follow-up, those without insurance were less likely to return to work (7.3% vs 16% insured) and had higher out-of-pocket expenses ($321 vs $82 insured). Open abdominal surgery carries a composite mortality rate of 22% with almost half of deaths occurring after index hospital discharge. These findings underscore the need for routine follow-up, early complication identification and management and universal health coverage to improve outcomes, and reduce financial hardships.

Patients with acute ischemic stroke from large vessel occlusion (AIS-LVO) require computed tomography(CT) at stroke centers to determine eligibility for endovascular therapy (EVT).However, the performance of prognostic prediction methods using multimodal CT remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the significance of the mismatch-time ratio (MTR) of CT perfusion imaging (CTP) parameters of conjunction with Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) in non-contrast CT (NCCT) for predicting short-term prognosis following EVT in patients with anterior circulation AIS-LVO. Patients with anterior circulation AIS-LVO who underwent EVT at the stroke specialty alliance of the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from February 2023 to October 2024 were retrospectively were retrospectively included. The mismatch ratio defined by CTP parameters and the ratio of time from onset to CTP (T) were designated as the MTR. Based on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days after EVT, patients were categorized into a favorable prognosis group (mRS ≤ 3) and an adverse prognosis group (mRS > 3). Independent prognostic factors for favorable prognosis at 90 days post-EVT in patients with AIS-LVO were determined by univariate logistic regression and stepwise regression analyses. The predictive performance of MTR alone and the combined predictive efficacy of MTR with ASPECTS was compared via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for prognosis at 90 days post-EVT. 105 patients were enrolled, comprising 44 in the favorable prognosis group and 61 in the adverse prognosis group. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that MTR (OR = 2.072, P = 0.015, 95% CI: 1.155-3.719) and ASPECTS (OR = 2.363, P = 0.001, 95% CI: 1.445-3.866) were independent predictors of favorable prognosis. ROC curve analysis showed that MTR alone predicted a positive prognosis at 90 days post-EVT for AIS-LVO, with an AUC of 0.778 (P < 0.001). The combination of MTR and ASPECTS predicted a favorable prognosis at 90 days post-EVT for AIS-LVO, yielding an AUC of 0.828 (P < 0.001). MTR serves as a novel imaging biomarker indicating positive short-term prognosis for EVT in patients with anterior circulation AIS-LVO. The integration of MTR with ASPECTS enhances the prognostic accuracy of EVT in patients with anterior circulation AIS-LVO.

Addressing adolescent problems tends to focus on problematic behaviour and pays less attention to positive aspects of adolescents that can be used as strengths to improve their psychological well-being. This study aims to examine the contribution of character strengths to adolescent psychological well-being. The research method used is quantitative research with a non-experimental design. Data were obtained from 822 students from 25 public high schools in Bandung City using the Values in Action-Youth questionnaire to measure character strengths and The Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-being to measure adolescent psychological well-being. Data analysis used multiple regression with stepwise regression calculations. Collectively, character strengths explained a significant 56.9% of the variance in psychological well-being (R² = 0.569, p 0.001). Among these, gratitude emerged as the most dominant single predictor, accounting for 32.5% of the variance (B = 3.26, β = 0.23, p 0.001, 95% CI [2.42, 4.11]). Unique findings indicate that although spirituality had the highest average score, its contribution to well-being tended to be reduced when interacting with other characters. The results of this study can be used to develop programs improving adolescent psychological well-being by strengthening positive character traits typical of adolescents.