bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Factors affecting patients on antiretroviral therapy lost to follow-up in Asunafo South District of Ahafo Region, Ghana: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Kogi Robert , Krah Theresa , Asampong Emmanuel , Kamau Edward Mberu 
Published: October 2024

IntroductionDespite the increased and effective programme coverage for antiretroviral therapy (ART), a considerable proportion of individuals receiving ART discontinue medication at different stages of their treatment pathway. In sub-Saharan Africa, approximately half of individuals who test positive for HIV are lost to follow-up (LTFU). This study was set out to answer the following question ‘What are the factors that affect patients on ART loss to follow-up in Asunafo South District of Ghana?’.MethodsCross-sectional study design with systematic random sampling was employed to select 620 HIV patients on ART. Stata V.17.0 was used to analyse the data. A cox-proportional hazard regression was fitted in order to determine the predictor variables. Variables for the multivariable regression model were chosen by entering the outcome variable (LTFU) and explanatory variables into the model. Finally, the association between the explanatory and outcome factors was determined using the adjusted HRs and their associated 95% CI was considered.ResultsA total of 600 respondents were used for the final analysis after data cleaning. Patients who began ART at age 41 years or older had a significantly lower chance of being LTFU than those who began ART at age 35 or less (adjusted HR (aHR)=0.34, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.84). Furthermore, patients who started ART with a primary education had 1.68-fold increased risk of LTFU compared with patients with no education (aHR=1.68; 95% CI 0.83 to 3.43). In addition, patients in rural locations had a 2.65-fold higher likelihood of being LTFU than patients in urban areas (aHR=2.65, 95% CI 1.29 to 5.44). The main reasons for missing ART appointments among patients included walking long distance to clinic, cost of transportation, fear of scolding from clinic staff, stigma and erratic supply of antiretrovirals.ConclusionAll clinicians should consider the risk factors that have been identified when providing ART services and counselling.
Interferon-induced factor 16 is essential in metastatic melanoma to maintain STING levels and the immune responses upon IFN-γ response pathway activation
Authors: Kobayashi Yuta , Bustos Matias A , Hayashi Yoshinori , Yu Qiang , Hoon Dave 
Published: October 2024

BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitor (ICIs)-based therapies are the standard of care treatment for patients with metastatic melanoma (MM). The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway is critical in controlling immune responses to ICIs. Interferon (IFN)-γ-inducible protein 16 (IFI16) is a cytosolic DNA sensor that activates the STING signaling pathway. The link between IFI16 and STING signaling pathway on IFN-γ stimulation and the connection to ICIs response remains not completely understood.MethodsDeconvolution analyses were performed using the TCGA-SKCM, GSE91061, and PRJEB23709 public RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data sets that contained RNA-seq for patients with MM. Functional assays combined with cytokine arrays were performed using MM cell lines to validate in silico data. Multiplex immunofluorescence was performed on untreated or pretreatment tumor samples from patients with MM.ResultsDeconvolution analysis showed that high-IFI16levels in melanoma cells were associated with a good prognosis in patients with MM and positively correlated with M1-macrophage infiltration. Functional assays using MM cell lines demonstrated that IFI16 is a key molecule to sense cytosolic DNA and activate STING and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways, independent of cyclic GMP-AMP synthase or absent in melanoma 2, on IFN-γ stimulation. IFI16 knockdown significantly decreased CXCL10 and ICAM1 secretion. EZH2 inhibitor reversed the repressive epigenetic control on IFI16 to promote STING and NF-κB signaling pathways on IFN-γ stimulation. Increased IFI16, ICAM1, and CXCL10 levels in tumor samples from patients with MM were positively correlated with M1-macrophage infiltration and a significantly better response to ICIs.ConclusionsThis study identifies IFI16 as a key sensor during IFN-γ stimulation associated with ICI response, and it proposes the epigenetic EZH2 inhibitor as an alternative treatment strategy to overcome ICI resistance in patients with MM.
The effect of rituximab on patient reported outcomes in the preclinical phase of rheumatoid arthritis: 2 year data from the PRAIRI study
Authors: Frazzei Giulia , Cramer Sophie H M , Landewé Robert B M , Maijer Karen I , Gerlag Danielle M , Tak Paul P , de Vries Niek , van Baarsen Lisa G M , van Vollenhoven Ronald F , Tas Sander W 
Published: October 2024

ObjectivesEarly treatment of individuals at risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA-risk) in the preclinical phase has the potential to positively impact both patients and society by preventing disease onset and improving patients’ quality of life. The PRAIRI study was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with the B-cell depleting agent rituximab (RTX), which resulted in a significant delay of arthritis development of up to 12 months in seropositive RA-risk individuals. Here, we report our findings on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in this study population.MethodsSeventy-eight RA-risk individuals were treated with one single dose of either placebo (PBO) or 1000 mg RTX plus 100 mg methylprednisolone (MP) and anti-histamines, regardless of treatment allocation, as co-medication. Data on quality of life were collected at baseline and 1, 4, 6, 12 and 24 months using established PRO questionnaires (visual analogue scale (VAS) pain, health assessment questionnaire disability index (HAQ-DI) score, EuroQol five dimension (EQ-5D) and both physical and mental component score of the 36-item short-form heath survey (SF-36)).ResultsNo significant changes in quality of life over a 2 year follow-up were observed in at-risk individuals treated with RTX compared to PBO given the PRO scores at 24 months (mean difference±SEM: HAQ score=0.07±0.16; EQ-5D=−0.02±0.05; VAS pain=11.11±7.40). Furthermore, no significant effect of treatment on perceived arthritis severity at the time of clinically manifest disease (arthritis) was found.ConclusionOne single dose of RTX plus MP administered to RA-risk individuals does not have a meaningful and measurable positive effect on PROs after 2 years of follow-up and/or perceived disease severity at the time of arthritis development.Trial registration numberTrial registered at EU Clinical Trial Register, EudraCT Number: 2009-010955-29 (https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/search?query=Prevention+of+RA+by+B+cell+directed+therapy).
Combining patient-reported outcome measures to screen for active disease in rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis
Authors: Looijen Agnes E M , Snoeck Henkemans Selinde V J , van der Helm-van Mil Annette H M , Welsing Paco M J , Koc Gonul Hazal , Luime Jolanda J , Kok Marc R , Tchetverikov Ilja , Korswagen Lindy-Anne , Baudoin Paul , Vis Marijn , de Jong Pascal H P 
Published: October 2024

ObjectivesTo investigate whether a combination of general health (Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)), Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI), pain (VAS/Numerical Rating Scale (NRS)), quality of life (EQ-5D), fatigue (VAS/NRS) and presenteeism (0%–100% productivity loss) could aid as a screening tool to detect active disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).MethodsRA patients from the tREACH trial and TARA trial (n=683) and PsA patients from the DEPAR cohort (n=525) were included. The association of a deterioration in the aforementioned patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) scores between two consecutive visits and having active disease was assessed. Active disease was defined as a change from disease activity score (DAS) ≤2.4 to DAS >2.4 in RA or Disease Activity Index in Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) ≤14 to DAPSA >14 in PsA. The area under the curve (AUC) of the sum score of deteriorated PROMs was evaluated.Results4594 RA and 1154 PsA visits were evaluated and active disease occurred in 358 (8%) RA and 177 (15%) PsA visits. In both RA and PsA, a deterioration in general health (VAS), HAQ-DI, EQ-5D and pain (VAS/NRS) was significantly associated with active disease. The combination of these PROMs showed acceptable to excellent discriminative ability (RA AUC=0.76, PsA AUC=0.85). If a cut-point of ≥1 deteriorated PROMs is used, 40% of the visits in which RA patients have remission or low disease activity are correctly specified (specificity of 40%), while 10% of visits with active disease are overlooked (sensitivity of 90%). In PsA, these percentages are 41% and 4%, respectively.ConclusionA combination of general health, HAQ-DI, EQ-5D and pain could aid as a screening tool for active disease in patients with RA and PsA. These data could help facilitate remote monitoring of RA and PsA patients in the future.Trial registration numbersISRCTN26791028, NTR2754.
Understanding external carotid artery collateralisation after cerebral revascularisation in moyamoya disease: insights from quantitative analysis
Authors: Li Wenjie , Zhao Meng , Liu Xingju , Wang Peijiong , Zhu Huan , Zhang Qihang , Zhu Chenyu , Zhang Qian , Ye Xun , Zhao Jizong , Zhang Yan 
Published: October 2024

BackgroundThis study aims to quantitatively evaluate collateralisation angiogenesis ratio (CAR) of external carotid artery and intracranial arterial residual volumes (ARV) postcerebral revascularisation in moyamoya disease (MMD) and elucidate the factors influencing external carotid artery collateralisation.MethodsThe study retrospectively analysed 297 patients diagnosed with MMD who underwent cerebral revascularisation at our University’s Hospital, between January 2015 and May 2023. The clinical data, imaging results and surgical specifics for the patients were collected. Using a newly proposed digital subtraction angiography-based evaluation system, the CAR of external carotid artery and the intracranial ARV were evaluated quantitatively following standardised protocols.ResultsThe study included 136 male and 161 female patients. The severity of ischaemic (r=−0.297) and haemorrhagic (r=−0.270) MMD, as assessed by the Suzuki stage, demonstrated a significant negative correlation with intracranial ARV (p<0.001). However, no significant correlation was observed between the intracranial ARV and the modified Rankin Scale scores. Patients with fetal-type posterior cerebral arteries exhibited greater intracranial ARV compared with those without (p=0.003). Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between external carotid artery collateralisation and intracranial ARV post-revascularisation (r=0.340, p<0.001). The CAR of external carotid artery following cerebral revascularisation in patients with MMD remained independent correlation of the intracranial ARV (β=0.385, 95% CI (0.921 to 1.669), p<0.001) and Suzuki stage (β=0.211, 95% CI (0.009 to 0.030), p<0.001).ConclusionsThis study showed a complex association between ARV, the Suzuki stage and the collateralisation of the external carotid artery in patients with MMD who are undergoing revascularisation. These findings provide insights into MMD progression and revascularisation outcomes and may guide clinical decision-making to improve patient care.
Trainability maximization using estimation of distribution algorithms assisted by surrogate modelling for quantum architecture search
Authors: Soloviev Vicente P. , Dunjko Vedran , Bielza Concha , Larrañaga Pedro , Wang Hao 
Published: October 2024

AbstractQuantum architecture search (QAS) involves optimizing both the quantum parametric circuit configuration but also its parameters for a variational quantum algorithm. Thus, the problem is known to be multi-level as the performance of a given architecture is unknown until its parameters are tuned using classical routines. Moreover, the task becomes even more complicated since well-known trainability issues, e.g., barren plateaus (BPs), can occur. In this paper, we aim to achieve two improvements in QAS: (1) to reduce the number of measurements by an online surrogate model of the evaluation process that aggressively discards architectures of poor performance; (2) to avoid training the circuits when BPs are present. To detect the presence of the BPs, we employed a recently developed metric, information content, which only requires measuring the energy values of a small set of parameters to estimate the magnitude of cost function’s gradient. The main idea of this proposal is to leverage a recently developed metric which can be used to detect the onset of vanishing gradients to ensure the overall search avoids such unfavorable regions. We experimentally validate our proposal for the variational quantum eigensolver and showcase that our algorithm is able to find solutions that have been previously proposed in the literature for the Hamiltonians; but also to outperform the state of the art when initializing the method from the set of architectures proposed in the literature. The results suggest that the proposed methodology could be used in environments where it is desired to improve the trainability of known architectures while maintaining good performance.
THE RELATIONSHIP OF POSTERIOR TIBIAL SLOPE WITH CRUCIATE LIGAMENTS AND MENISCAL INJURIES BASED ON MRI– A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY
Authors: Vijay C. , Santosh M. S. , Shreyas M. J. , Jain Nirav , Adarsh T. 
Published: October 2024

Purpose: Various studies show that the disparities in the posterior tibial slope can make native cruciate ligaments and the menisci susceptible to tears. This study is to determine the relationship between posterior tibial slope with the anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament and meniscal injuries. Methods: A total of 72 subjects between 18 and 60 years having a history of traumatic knee pain were included in the study. All subjects were clinically examined, radiologically investigated, and the posterior tibial slope of the patients was calculated. Incidences of cruciate ligaments and menisci injury were identified. Results: In our study, the mean medial compartment posterior tibial slope and lateral compartment posterior tibial slope in all the Anterior Cruciate Ligament injured patients are 7.82 ± 2.56 and 10.53 ± 3.46. But in controls, it is 5.91 ± 4.49 and 6.24 ± 5.15, respectively. The differences are statistically significant ([Formula: see text] 10). In cases with increased lateral Posterior Tibial Slope, more degeneration was seen in the lateral meniscus. Less Posterior Tibial Slope is associated with Posterior Cruciate Ligament tears. Conclusion: Anterior cruciate ligament is more prone to tears with a steeper posterior tibial slope. Lateral Meniscus tear is frequently associated with acute Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury and Medial Meniscus tear is predominantly associated with a chronic Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury. A decreased posterior tibial slope is more often associated with patients with a posterior cruciate ligament injury and is considered a risk factor for native Posterior Cruciate Ligament.
Design of a playable spherical grip strength detection system based on a PVDF flexible sensor
Authors: Yang Aichao , Song Rui , Wang Xue , Luo Haijun 
Published: October 2024

Grip strength is a crucial indicator for assessing individual health and muscle function, reflecting the level of upper limb strength development. Current grip strength detection devices, while able to accurately assess the magnitude of grip strength, do not integrate well into daily life and have certain limitations in unobtrusive detection during individual activities. Inspired by elderly individuals playing with walnuts in their hands to improve hand blood circulation, clear meridians, and prevent cardiovascular diseases, this work designs a playable spherical grip strength detection (PSGD) system based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) flexible sensor. The PVDF sensor has a vertical pressure sensitivity of 3.955 V/N and can respond to vertical pressures in the 0–15 Hz frequency range, maintaining stable output over more than 2000 cycles. The PSGD system consists of a spherical shell, a PVDF flexible sensor, a data collection and transmission module, and a data reception and display module, enabling effective collection, processing, transmission, display, and storage of grip strength signals during playing. The PSGD system can respond excellently to grip strength signals, with the magnitude of the grip strength positively correlating with the output voltage signal. It can also distinguish the grip strength differences between individuals and has excellent output stability. The PSGD system holds broad application prospects in fields such as rehabilitative medicine and elderly health management.
The Impact of COVID‐19 Pandemic on Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Children
Authors: Trigueros Montes Jose Boris , Montes Diego , Miele Andrew , Baik-Han Won , Gulati Gagan , Lew Lily Q. 
Published: October 2024

Background/Objective: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of bronchiolitis in infants and young children. Bronchiolitis, an acute inflammation of the lower respiratory tract, can lead to pneumonia, respiratory failure, and death. We aimed to compare the incidence and severity of RSV infection in children aged 0–60 months before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic.Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients aged 0–60 months who tested positive for RSV between May 1, 2018, and May 31, 2022, in a community hospital in Queens County, New York City, United States. Comparisons were made between seasons 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 as before, and seasons 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 as during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Severity of RSV infection was assessed using the Bronchiolitis Severity Score (BSS). Data were analyzed using R software, a p value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: The incidence of RSV infection in seasons 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 peaked from mid‐October to February, whereas the first season during the COVID‐19 pandemic (2020–2021) was truncated with a very low incidence of RSV infection, and season 2021–2022 peaked from September to January, with the highest incidence (37%) and lower frequency of RSV infection at any given point. Patients during the season 2021–2022 were older (H [2, 196.6] = 12.5, p < 0.001, 95% CI = [5.4, 25.6]) and had milder illness (H [2, 187.5] = 7.5, p < 0.01, 95% CI = [2.1, 19.2]).Conclusions: We observed a lower incidence of RSV infection and a lower rate of hospitalization for RSV during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The second RSV season during the COVID‐19 pandemic began earlier, lasted longer, and had a lower frequency. Older children with milder illnesses were affected most during this season. RSV epidemiology and disease burden were impacted by the COVID‐19 pandemic and could have significant ramifications for its prevention and control strategies.
Strength Use and Thriving at Work Among Chinese Nurses: The Mediating Roles of Control Beliefs About Stress and Cognitive Reappraisal
Authors: Bai Baoyu , Bai Chengzhi 
Published: October 2024

Aim: This study aims to evaluate how strength use affects thriving at work among Chinese nurses, with a focus on the mediating effects of control beliefs about stress and cognitive reappraisal.Background: Nurses’ thriving at work is essential for their well‐being, highlighting the importance of understanding factors that contribute to their thriving.Methods: A comprehensive questionnaire was administered to measure nurses’ strength use, control beliefs about stress, cognitive reappraisal, and thriving at work. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0, with mediation analyses conducted via the PROCESS macro. The study followed the STROBE checklist to ensure quality and transparency.Results: Based on data from 434 nurses, strength use was positively related to thriving at work (β = 0.455, p < 0.001), control beliefs about stress (β = 0.375, p < 0.001), and cognitive reappraisal (β = 0.467, p < 0.001). Mediation analyses showed that both control beliefs about stress and cognitive reappraisal independently mediated the relationship between strength use and thriving at work, with indirect effects of 0.068 (95% CI [0.011, 0.141]) and 0.092 (95% CI [0.037, 0.154]), respectively. The serial mediation model was also significant (indirect effect = 0.067, 95% CI [0.025, 0.108]).Conclusions: The study highlights the critical role of strength use in enhancing workplace thriving among Chinese nurses, with control beliefs about stress and cognitive reappraisal serving as key mediators.Implications for Nursing Management: Encouraging strength use in healthcare and implementing programs to develop control beliefs about stress and cognitive reappraisal can enhance thriving at work, contributing to a more effective healthcare system.
Absence of Kidney Tubular Injury in Patients With Acute Heart Failure With Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Duff Stephen , Wettersten Nicholas , Horiuchi Yu , van Veldhuisen Dirk J. , Raturi Sagar , Irwin Ruairi , Côté Jean Maxime , Maisel Alan , Ix Joachim H. , Murray Patrick T. 
Published: October 2024

BACKGROUND:
Worsening renal function (WRF) is common in hospitalized patients being treated for acute heart failure. However, discriminating clinically significant WRF remains challenging. In patients hospitalized with acute heart failure, we evaluated if blood and urine biomarkers of cardiac and kidney dysfunction were associated with adverse outcomes.

METHODS:
We identified 175 of 927 participants in the AKINESIS study (Acute Kidney Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin Evaluation of Symptomatic Heart Failure Study) who met criteria for stage 1 or 2 Kidney Disease: Improvement Global Outcomes acute kidney injury during the first 3 days of hospitalization. We measured 24 blood and urine biomarkers from specimens collected within 24 hours of meeting acute kidney injury criteria. The primary composite outcome consisted of worsening WRF (higher acute kidney injury stage), need for dialysis, or death at 30 days. Biomarkers’ association with the composite outcome was assessed with logistic regression by tertiles and area under the curve (AUC).

RESULTS:
Of the 175 participants, 32 (18%) developed the primary composite outcome. Only history of chronic kidney disease was significantly different between those with and without the composite outcome. The highest tertile of plasma Gal-3 (galectin-3) and urine epidermal growth factor were associated with increased odds of the composite outcome compared with the lowest tertile in unadjusted analyses. After adjusting for serum creatinine, systolic blood pressure, and blood urea nitrogen, only the highest tertile of Gal-3 was associated with greater odds of the composite outcome (odds ratio, 4.6 [95% CI, 1.4–16.0). Gal-3 had the highest AUC (0.70 [95% CI, 0.58–0.82]), while epidermal growth factor had a lower AUC (0.63 [95% CI, 0.53–0.74]). Notably, urine biomarkers of kidney tubule injury were not associated with the composite outcome.

CONCLUSIONS:
Tubular injury does not occur in most patients with acute heart failure experiencing WRF, consistent with the functional mechanisms of WRF in this patient population.

REGISTRATION:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01291836?term=NCT01291836&rank=1
; Unique identifier: NCT01291836.