bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
HIV-1 infection among women in Israel, 2010-2018
Authors: Wagner Tali , Olshtain-Pops Karen , Wax Marina , Horwitz Olivia , Shirazi Rachel , Gozlan Yael , Volnowitz Hadar , Mendelson Ella , Levy Itzchak , Mor Orna 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Introduction: Although women comprise 33% of the HIV-1-carriers in Israel, they have not previously been considered a risk group requiring special attention. Immigration waves from countries in Africa and in East Europe may have changed the local landscape of women diagnosed with HIV-1. Here, we aimed to assess viral and demographic characteristics of HIV-1-positive women identified in Israel between 2010 and 2018.Methods: All >16 year-old, HIV-1-infected women, diagnosed in Israel in 2010-2018, (n=763) registered in the National HIV reference laboratory were included in this cross-sectional study. Demographic and clinical characteristics were extracted from the database. Viral subtypes and transmitted drug resistance mutations (TDRM) were determined in 337 (44.2%) randomly selected samples collected from treatment-naive women. Results: Median age at diagnosis was 38 years. Most (73.3%) women were immigrants from the former Soviet Union (FSU) (41.2%, 314) or sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (32.2%, 246) and carried subtype A (79.7%) or C (90.3%), respectively. Only 11.4% (87) were Israeli-born women. Over the years, the prevalence of women from SSA decreased while that of women from FSU increased significantly (p<0.001). The median CD4+ cell count was 263 cells/mm3, and higher (391 cells/mm3) in Israeli-born women. TDRM were identified in 10.4% of the tested samples; 1.8%, 3% and 7.1% had protease inhibitors (PI), nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) TDRM, respectively. The prevalence of women with NNRTI TDRM significantly increased from 4.9% in 2010-2012 to 13.3% in 2016-2018. Israeli-born women had the highest prevalence (16.3%) of NNRTI TDRM (p=0.014). NRTI A62 (5.6%), NNRTI E138 and K103 (5.6% and 4.2%, respectively) were the most prominent mutated sites. Conclusions: Most HIV-1-positive women diagnosed in Israel in 2010-2018 were immigrants, with the relative ratio of FSU immigrants increasing in recent years. The high proportion of women diagnosed with resistance mutations, particularly, the yearly increase in the frequency of NNRTI mutations, support the national policy of resistance testing at baseline.
Admission fasting plasma glucose is associated with in-hospital outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome and diabetes: findings from the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China - Acute Coronary Syndrome (CCC-ACS) project
Authors: Ye Nan , Yang Lijiao , Wang Guoqin , Bian Weijing , Xu Fengbo , Ma Changsheng , Zhao Dong , Liu Jing , Hao Yongchen , Liu Jun , Yang Na , Cheng Hong 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
BackgroundThe discrepancy between glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) in clinical practice may be related to factors such as acute stress, renal dysfunction, and anemia, and its relationship with in-hospital outcomes is uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the type of discrepancy between HbA1c and FPG and in-hospital outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and diabetes.MethodsThe Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China - Acute Coronary Syndrome (CCC-ACS) project is a national, hospital-based quality improvement project with an ongoing database. Patients with ACS, diabetes and complete HbA1c and FPG values at admission were included. The consistent group included patients with HbA1c < 6.5% and FPG < 7.0 mmol/L or HbA1c ≥ 6.5% and FPG ≥ 7.0 mmol/L. The discrepancy group included patients with HbA1c ≥ 6.5% and FPG < 7.0 mmol/L (increased HbA1c group) or HbA1c < 6.5% and FPG ≥ 7.0 mmol/L (increased FBG group).ResultsA total of 7,762 patients were included in this study. The numbers of patients in the consistent and discrepancy groups were 5,490 and 2,272 respectively. In the discrepancy group, increased HbA1c accounted for 77.5% of discrepancies, and increased FPG accounted for 22.5% of discrepancies. After adjusting for confounders, patients in the increased FPG group had a 1.6-fold increased risk of heart failure (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.08-2.44), a 1.6-fold increased risk of composite cardiovascular death and heart failure (OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.09-2.43), and a 1.6-fold increased risk of composite major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) and heart failure (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.08-2.24) compared to patients in the increased HbA1c group.Conclusions Patients with an increased FPG but normal HbA1c had a higher risk of in-hospital adverse outcomes than those with increased HbA1c but normal FPG.This result may indicate that when HbA1c and FPG are inconsistent in patients with ACS and diabetes, the increased FPG that may be caused by stress hyperglycemia may have a more substantial adverse effect than increased HbA1c, which may be caused by chronic hyperglycemia. These high-risk patients should be given more attention and closer monitoring in clinical practice.
WITHDRAWN: A software tool for calculating the uncertainty of diagnostic accuracy measures
Authors: Chatzimichail Theodora , Hatjimihail Aristides T. 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Background: Screening and diagnostic tests are used to classify people with and without a disease. Although diagnostic accuracy measures are used to evaluate the correctness of a classification in clinical research and practice, there has been limited research on their uncertainty. The objective for this work is to develop a tool for calculating the uncertainty of diagnostic accuracy measures, as diagnostic accuracy is fundamental to clinical decision-making.Results: For this reason, a freely available interactive program has been developed in Wolfram Language. The program provides six modules with nine submodules, for calculating and plotting the standard and expanded uncertainty and the resultant confidence intervals of various diagnostic accuracy measures of screening or diagnostic tests, which measure a normally distributed measurand, applied at a single point in time in non-diseased and diseased populations. This is done for differing population sample sizes, mean and standard deviation of the measurand, diagnostic threshold and standard measurement uncertainty of the test.The application of the program is illustrated with a case study of glucose measurements in diabetic and non-diabetic populations, that demonstrates the calculation of the uncertainty of diagnostic accuracy measures.Conclusion: The presented interactive program is user-friendly and can be used as a flexible educational and research tool in medical decision making, to calculate and explore the uncertainty of diagnostic accuracy measures.
Longitudinal changes in sports activity from pre-diagnosis to first five years post-diagnosis: a prospective Chinese breast cancer cohort study
Authors: Lei Yuanyuan , Ho Suzanne C. , Kwok Carol , Cheng Ashley , Cheung Ka Li , Lee Roselle , Yeo Winnie 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Background: To compare change in level of physical activity between pre-and post- diagnosis of breast cancer in Chinese women.Methods: Based on an on-going prospective study consisting of 1462 Chinese women with early-stage breast cancer, a validated modified Chinese Baecke questionnaire was used to measure physical activity at baseline (12 months before cancer diagnosis), 18-, 36- and 60-months after diagnosis (over the previous 12 months before each interview).Results: The mean level of physical activity at post-diagnosis was 9.6 metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-hours/week, which was significantly higher than that at pre-diagnosis with mean level of 5.9 MET-hours/week ( P < 0.001). The mean levels of physical activity at 18-, 36- and 60-months follow-up were 9.9, 9.8 and 9.3 MET-hours/week, respectively. There was no significant difference between any two of the three follow-ups at post-diagnosis. The proportions of participant who met World Cancer Research Fund/ American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) recommendation before and after cancer diagnosis were both low, being 20.7% and 35.1%, respectively. Compared to pre-diagnosis, most of the patients improved or had no change on level of physical activity at post-diagnosis, with the respective proportion being 48.2% and 43.8%.Conclusions: Adherence to current lifestyle recommendation for cancer survivors, Chinese women with breast cancer significantly increased level of physical activity level after cancer diagnosis, and such improvement was sustained to five years post-diagnosis. The proportion of patients who met the exercise recommendation for cancer survivors was still low. Encouraging patients on the importance of durable high level of physical activity in breast cancer survivorship is warranted.
Comparison of BSGI , MRI, mammography, and ultrasound for the diagnosis of breast lesions and their correlations with specific molecular subtypes in Chinese women
Authors: Liu Hongbiao , Zhan Hongwei , Sun Da , Zhang Ying 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Background: Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer in females, and is the second leading cancer-related cause of death in this group. Early diagnosis is essential to breast cancer to be effectively treated, and ultrasound, mammography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) represent three key technologies that are utilized for the diagnosis of breast lesions. Breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI) is an approach to molecular breast imaging that allows for high-resolution radio-imaging that is not adversely impacted by breast tissue density. This study was therefore designed to assess the relative diagnostic efficacy of BSGI, MRI, mammography, and ultrasound in different molecular subtypes of breast cancer among Chinese women.Methods: Diagnostic findings from 390 patients that had undergone diagnosis and treatment in our breast surgery department were retrospectively reviewed. Patients had been diagnosed via BSGI, mammography, ultrasound, and MRI. The diagnostic efficacy of these different imaging modalities and their associated biological characteristics were compared in the present study.Results: A total of 229 of these 390 patients (58.7%) were diagnosed with malignant breast cancer, with the remaining 161 (41.3%) cases having been found to be benign. BSGI, MRI, mammography, and ultrasound yielded respective sensitivity values of 91.7%, 92.5%, 77.3%, and 82.1%, while the respective specificity values for these imaging modalities were 80.7%, 69.7%, 74.5%, and 70.8%. For lesions > 1 cm, BSGI offered a sensitivity of 92.5%. For mammographic breast density A, B, C, and D, BSGI offered a sensitivity of 93.3%, 94.0%, 91.5%, and 89.3%, respectively. BSGI also yielded a significantly higher lesion-to-normal lesion ratio (LNR) for malignant lesions relative to benign lesions (2.76±1.32 vs 1.46±0.49).Conclusions: These findings confirm that BSGI is highly sensitive and is superior to mammography in the detection and diagnosis of ductal carcinomas in situ (DCIS). Such diagnostic efficacy can be further improved by using BSGI as an auxiliary modality to mammography and ultrasound, potentially improving the reliability of breast lesion diagnosis, thereby ensuring that patients receive rapid and effective treatment without the risk of misdiagnosis or unnecessary surgical treatment.
COVID-Track: World and USA SARS-COV-2 Testing and COVID-19 Tracking
Authors: Zohner Ye Emma Mariam , Morris Jeffrey S 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major health and socio-economic disruptions worldwide. Accurate investigation of emerging data is crucial to inform policy makers as they construct viral mitigation strategies. Complications such as variable testing rates and time lags in counting cases, hospitalizations and deaths make it challenging to accurately track and identify true infectious surges from available data, and requires a multi-modal approach that simultaneously considers testing, incidence, hospitalizations, and deaths. Although many websites and applications report a subset of these data, none of them provide graphical displays capable of comparing different states or countries on all these measures as well as various useful quantities derived from them. Here we introduce a freely available graphical application that allows the user to simultaneously assess time trends in these measures and compare various states or countries, equipping them with a tool to investigate the potential effects of the different mitigation strategies and timelines used by various jurisdictions. Findings COVID-TRACK is a Python based web-application that provides a platform for tracking testing, incidence, hospitalizations, and deaths related to COVID-19 along with various derived quantities. Our application makes the comparison across states or countries in the world easy to explore, with useful transformation options including per capita, log scale, and/or moving averages. We illustrate its use by assessing various viral trends in the USA and Europe. Conclusion The COVID-TRACK web-application is a user-friendly analytical tool to compare data and trends related to the COVID-19 pandemic across areas in the United States and worldwide. Our tracking tool provides a unique platform where trends can be monitored across geographical areas in the coming months to watch how the pandemic waxes and wanes throughout the summer and into a potential second wave in the fall.
Wear of Glass-ceramic-veneered Zirconia Posterior FPDS After 10 Years
Authors: Matta Ragai Edward , Motel Constantin , Kirchner Elena , Stelzer Simon , Adler Werner , Wichmann Manfred , Berger Lara 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
BackgroundThe abrasion behavior of various ceramics is rarely investigated, though it is relevant for the clinical success of such restorations. The aim of this in vivo study was to evaluate the wear of glass-ceramic-veneered zirconium oxide frameworks over a period of 10 years.MethodsThe abrasive behavior of the restorations was examined in a total of 15 patients after a period of 3, 5, and 10 years using plaster models, which were then subjected to a scanning process on the Atos II industrial scanner and digitized for three-dimensional evaluation of the abrasion by the corresponding software (ATOS Professional 7.6). The individual post-examination models were compared to the baseline model and deviations calculated in the sense of the largest, punctual loss of material in millimeters ("minimal distance"), the average abrasion in millimeters ("mean distance"), and the volume decrease in cubic millimeters ("integrated distance"). Statistical analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon sign rank test or mixed regression models. Multiple testing was considered by Benjamini-Hochberg correction. The significance level was set at 0.05.ResultsWe found steadily increasing wear of the ceramic. The average volume decrease was significant (P < 0.001) at 3 years and 10 years (-3.25 mm3 and − 8.11 mm3, respectively).ConclusionsDespite the increasing wear of the glass-ceramic-veneered zirconium oxide frameworks in this study, the use of this class of materials can be regarded as clinically acceptable.This study is registered in DRKS - German Clinical Trials Registerwith the Register number 00021743
The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio determines clinical efficacy of corticosteroids therapy in patients with COVID-19
Authors: Cai Jingjing , Li Haomiao , Liu Ye-Mao , Zhang Changjiang , Lei Fang , Qin Juan-Juan , Zhou Feng , Song Xiaohui , Bai Liangjie , Zhou Jianghua , Zhao Yan-Ci , Zhu Lihua , Zhang Peng , Zhang Xin , Yang Juan , Ji Yan-Xiao , Zhao Guang-Nian , Lu Zhigang , Liu Liming , Mao Weiming , Liao Xiaofeng , Lu Haofeng , Wang Daihong , Xia Xigang , Huang Xiaodong , Wei Xiang , Xia Jiahong , Zhang Bing-Hong , Yuan Yufeng , Wang Yibin , Zhang Xiao-Jing , She Zhi-Gang , Li Hongliang 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Preliminary results from the RECOVERY trial indicated that dexamethasone usage markedly reduced death rate in COVID-19 patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation. However, the overall reduction for the entire patient cohort in that trial was much more modest, indicating highly variable effects of corticosteroid usage among COVID-19 patients. While steroid treatment is known to have both clinical efficacy and detrimental adverse-effects, defining a clinic parameter that could guide the beneficial corticosteroid usage for treating COVID-19 remains an elusive, urgent, and critical unmet need in COVID-19 therapy. Here, we undertook a multicentered retrospective study on a cohort of 12,862 confirmed COVID-19 cases from 21 hospitals in Hubei Province, China, including 3,254 received corticosteroid treatment and 9,608 received usual care without corticosteroid. We uncovered that the clinical benefits of corticosteroid use were closely associated with the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) measured at admission. Among participants with NLR > 6.12 at admission, corticosteroid treatment was significantly associated with a lower risk of 60-day all-cause mortality of COVID-19 based on both Cox model with time-varying exposure and Marginal Structural Model. However, in patients with NLR ≤ 6.12 at admission, corticosteroid treatment was no longer associated with reduced risk of all-cause death, but rather with increased risks of severe adverse effects, particularly in hyperglycemia and infection. In diabetic patients with COVID-19, corticosteroid treatment was associated with increased glycemia, but not with a higher risk of 60-day mortality. Therefore, our study has uncovered NLR as a clinical indicator to stratify COVID-19 patients in their response to corticosteroid therapy. This finding may assist clinical evaluation and future randomized controlled trials to establish proper guidelines for corticosteroid therapy in COVID-19 patients.
Clinical Option of Pemetrexed-Based Versus Paclitaxel-Based First-Line Chemotherapeutic Regimens in Combination With Bevacizumab for Advanced Non-Squamous Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer and Optimal Maintenance Therapy: Evidence From a Meta-Analysis of Randomized Control Trials
Authors: Huang Le-Tian , Cao Rui , Wang Yan-Ru , Sun Li , Zhang Xiang-Yan , Guo Yi-Jia , Zhao Jian-Zhu , Zhang Shu-Ling , Jing Wei , Song Jun , Han Cheng-Bo , Ma Jie-tao 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Background: In the era of immunotherapy, it is still unclear which is the best first-line therapy for patients with oncogenic driver negative advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NS-NSCLC) who cannot tolerate immunotherapy, or subsequent therapy for patients with oncogenic driver positive NS-NSCLC whose disease progressed on prior targeted therapy. To assess the optimal choice of first-line and maintenance treatment regimens, we performed a meta-analysis of prospective randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) of patients with NS-NSCLC on bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy. Methods: All eligible RCTs comparing pemetrexed-platinum with or without bevacizumab (PP±B) and paclitaxel-carboplatin with bevacizumab (PC+B) as a first-line therapy, or comparing bevacizumab plus pemetrexed (Pem+B) and bevacizumab alone (B) as a maintenance treatment for advanced NS-NSCLC, were included after systematically searching web databases and meeting abstracts. The main research endpoints were comparisons of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The other endpoints were objective response rate (ORR), 1-year PFS rate (PFSR1y) and major grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events.Results: Data of 3,139 patients from six RCTs were incorporated into analyses. Three RCTs were included in an analysis that compared PP±B and PC+B as a first-line therapy for advanced NS-NSCLC. Patients treated with first-line PP±B showed similar OS and ORR, but significantly improved PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.88) and PFSR1y (risk ratio [RR], 0.83), as compared to patients treated with PC+B (all P<0.05). PP±B resulted in higher rates of grade 3/4 anemia and thrombocytopenia, but lower rates of neutropenia, febrile neutropenia, and sensory neuropathy than PC+B (all P<0.001). The other three RCTs were included in an analysis that compared Pem+B and B as a maintenance treatment. Compared with B, Pem+B maintenance treatment resulted in significant improvements in OS (HR, 0.88), PFS (HR, 0.64), and PFSR1y (RR, 0.70), but higher rates of anemia, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia (all P<0.001).Conclusion: Although the first-line PP+B regimen had longer PFS and PFSR1y than the PC+B regimen, no OS difference was observed. Addition of pemetrexed to bevacizumab as maintenance therapy significantly improved OS compared with bevacizumab maintenance alone, but led to more toxicity.
A novel modification of the Endorectal Advancement Flap for complex anal fistulas: surgical technique and outcomes
Authors: Al-Turaihi Hassan , Elizabeth Blears , Kavin Sugumar , Maya Deshmukh , Ganesh Deshmukh 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Background Fistula-in-ano is a common problem encountered by surgeons which can be classified as either simple or complex. Complex fistulas (CF) cause higher morbidity and are much more challenging to treat. Although numerous treatment options are available for CF, none are proven to be 100% effective. The endorectal advancement flap (EAF) procedure was developed as an alternative to conventional surgical treatments for CF. Herein, we describe a novel modification of the EAF procedure along with surgical outcomes in terms of recurrence, fecal incontinence and factors associated with flap failure. Methods A retrospective review of patients with complex fistula-in-ano who underwent EAF between 2004-2019 was done. The conventional EAF procedure was modified by performing transverse imbrication of the internal sphincter over the internal fistula opening. The incidence of post-operative recurrence and fecal incontinence were calculated from chart documentation at the last available date of follow-up. Also, the association between various clinical and demographic factors and post-operative flap failure were calculated using Chi-squared test and student’s t-test or Mann-Whitney U test with statistical significance at alpha <0.05. Results With a median follow-up of 6.6 months (range: 1.6-84.5 months), 99 patients with CFs underwent a modified EAF. Of these, 93% (92/99) had a successful procedure, 7% (7/99) experienced recurrence and 3% (3/99) experienced postoperative fecal incontinence. Systemic steroid or immunomodulatory therapy use (p=0.001) and patients with diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease (p<0.0001) were associated with increased rate of flap failure.Conclusion EAF with transverse imbrication of the internal opening using interrupted, absorbable suture is an effective technique to treat complex or recurrent anal fistulas. It is associated with a low risk of recurrence (7%) and fecal incontinence (3%) and a valid treatment option for complex fistula-in-ano.