bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Utility, acceptability and applicability of a nucleic acid amplification test in comparison with a syndromic approach in the management of sexually transmitted diseases at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Uganda (ASTRHA): protocol for an open-label, randomised controlled trial
Authors: Serraino Riccardo , Cesana Bruno Mario , Morrone Helen Linda , Marino Gabriella Giuseppina , Cirillo Maria , Olivadese Vincenzo , Kyambadde Peter , Biriwo Lawrence Ssejjuko , Mutebi Frederik , Trecarichi Enrico Maria , Musinguzi Patrick , Byakika-Kibwika Pauline , Torti Carlo 
Published: June 2024

IntroductionSexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a major cause of long-term disability. Urethral discharge syndrome (UDS), abnormal vaginal discharge (AVD) and genital ulcer disease (GUD) are very common in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where, due to lack of resources, these infections are managed according to a syndromic approach. Although microbiological diagnosis using nuclear acid amplification tests (NAAT) is already a standard to prescribe targeted treatments in industrialised countries, no randomised clinical trials have been conducted to evaluate clinical usefulness and acceptability of NAAT in comparison with syndromic approach in LMICs. The results of this study could inform diagnostic guidelines since they may suggest an update of the current recommendation if microbiological diagnosis using NAAT in the management of STD is demonstrated to be both useful and acceptable in an LMIC context.Methods and analysisThe primary objective of this randomised, open-label trial is to evaluate the clinical usefulness of a NAAT and its acceptability in comparison with a clinical syndromic approach and to explore whether this test could replace the syndromic approach in the management of STDs at a national referral hospital in Uganda. 220 patients presenting to the STD clinic at Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda with AVD, UDS or GUD will be randomised to either standard of care (syndromic management) or NAAT-based treatment with a 1:1 ratio. All the patients will be asked to return after 2 or 3 weeks for a control visit. Primary outcome will be therapeutic appropriateness.Ethics and disseminationThis trial was approved by the Mulago Hospital Research and Ethical Committee (MHREC2023-97) and the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (HS31000ES). Patients will give informed consent to participate before taking part in the study. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals in open-access formats and data made available in anonymised form.Trial registration numberNCT05994495.
Evaluation of a unique and innovative diabetes care model in primary care in Ontario, Canada: protocol for a multiple-methods study with a convergent parallel design
Authors: Mathews Maria , Lyons Rhiannon , Harris Stewart , Hedden Lindsay , Choi Yun-Hee , Donnan Jennifer , Green Michael E , Harvey Elisabeth , Reichert Sonja M. , Ryan Bridget , Sibbald Shannon , Meredith Leslie 
Published: June 2024

IntroductionThe growth and complexity of diabetes are exceeding the capacity of family physicians, resulting in the demand for community-based, interprofessional, primary care-led transition clinics. The Primary Care Diabetes Support Programme (PCDSP) in London, Ontario, is an innovative approach to diabetes care for high-risk populations, such as medically or socially complex and unattached patients. In this study, we will employ a quadruple-aim approach to evaluate the health system impacts of the PCDSP.Methods and analysisWe will use multiple methods through a convergent parallel design in this project across five unique studies: a case study, a patient study, a provider study, a complications study and a cost-effectiveness study. The project will be conducted in a dedicated stand-alone clinic specialising in chronic disease management, specifically focusing on diabetes care. Participants will include clinic staff, administrators, family physicians, specialists and patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who received care at the clinic between 2011 and 2023. The project design will define the intervention, support replication at other sites or for other chronic diseases and address each of the quadruple aims and equity. Following the execution of the five individual studies, we will build a business case by integrating the results. Data will be analysed using both qualitative (content analysis and thematic analysis) and quantitative techniques (descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression).Ethics and disseminationWe received approval from the research ethics boards at Western University (reference ID: 2023–1 21 766; 2023–1 22 326) and Lawson Health Research Institute (reference ID: R-23–202). A privacy review was completed by St. Joseph’s Healthcare Corporation. The findings will be shared among PCDSP staff and patients, stakeholders, academic researchers and the public through stakeholder sessions, conferences, peer-reviewed publications, infographics, posters, media interviews, social media and online discussions. For the patient and provider study, all participants will be asked to provide consent and are free to withdraw from the study, without penalty, until the data are combined. Participants will not be identified in any report or presentation except in the case study, for which, given the number of PCDSP providers, we will seek explicit consent to identify them.
Pain experiences during intrauterine device procedures: a thematic analysis of tweets
Authors: Taghinejadi Neda , van der Westhuizen Helene-Mari , Ayomoh Francis Ifeanyi , Ahmed Wasim , Greenhalgh Trisha , Boylan Anne-Marie 
Published: June 2024

IntroductionIn June 2021, high-profile testimonials in the media about pain during intrauterine device (IUD) procedures in the UK prompted significant discussion across platforms including Twitter (subsequently renamed X). We examined a sample of Twitter postings (tweets) to gain insight into public perspectives and experiences.MethodsWe harvested tweets posted or retweeted on 21–22 June 2021 which contained the search terms coil, intrauterine system, IUD or intrauterine. We analysed the dataset thematically and selected illustrative tweets with the authors’ consent for publication.ResultsFollowing deduplication and screening, we included 1431 tweets in our analysis. We identified testimonials with descriptions of varied pain experiences. Twitter users reported that clinicians had not warned them that pain could be severe or explained the options for pain relief. Some raised concerns about pain being minimised or dismissed and linked this to the management of women’s pain in medicine more broadly. Twitter users described connecting to an online community with shared experiences as validating and used this as a springboard for collective action.ConclusionsWhile we acknowledge the limitations of our sample, this study highlights important perspectives and accounts relating to pain during IUD procedures. Our findings attest to the need for strategies to improve the patient experience for those opting for IUD as a clinical priority. Further research should explore IUD users' experiences, expectations and wishes around pain management.
Performance of contemporary cardiovascular risk stratification scores in Brazil: an evaluation in the ELSA-Brasil study
Authors: Pedroso Camargos Aline , Barreto Sandhi , Brant Luisa , Ribeiro Antonio Luiz P , Dhingra Lovedeep S , Aminorroaya Arya , Bittencourt Marcio , Figueiredo Roberta C , Khera Rohan 
Published: June 2024

AimsDespite notable population differences in high-income and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), national guidelines in LMICs often recommend using US-based cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk scores for treatment decisions. We examined the performance of widely used international CVD risk scores within the largest Brazilian community-based cohort study (Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health, ELSA-Brasil).MethodsAll adults 40–75 years from ELSA-Brasil (2008–2013) without prior CVD who were followed for incident, adjudicated CVD events (fatal and non-fatal MI, stroke, or coronary heart disease death). We evaluated 5 scores—Framingham General Risk (FGR), Pooled Cohort Equations (PCEs), WHO CVD score, Globorisk-LAC and the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation 2 score (SCORE-2). We assessed their discrimination using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and calibration with predicted-to-observed risk (P/O) ratios—overall and by sex/race groups.ResultsThere were 12 155 individuals (53.0±8.2 years, 55.3% female) who suffered 149 incident CVD events. All scores had a model AUC>0.7 overall and for most age/sex groups, except for white women, where AUC was <0.6 for all scores, with higher overestimation in this subgroup. All risk scores overestimated CVD risk with 32%–170% overestimation across scores. PCE and FGR had the highest overestimation (P/O ratio: 2.74 (95% CI 2.42 to 3.06)) and 2.61 (95% CI 1.79 to 3.43)) and the recalibrated WHO score had the best calibration (P/O ratio: 1.32 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.48)).ConclusionIn a large prospective cohort from Brazil, we found that widely accepted CVD risk scores overestimate risk by over twofold, and have poor risk discrimination particularly among Brazilian women. Our work highlights the value of risk stratification strategies tailored to the unique populations and risks of LMICs.
Stress and sleep quality in palliative care
Authors: Zengin Hilal , Soyaslan Bilge Dilek 
Published: June 2024

ObjectivesPalliative care patients experience problems in sleep quality due to stress, chronic diseases, and physical and psychosocial problems. Our aim is to determine the perceived stress and sleep quality levels of our palliative care patients and their related factors.MethodsThis cross-sectional, descriptive research was conducted between November 2023 and February 2024 at a palliative clinic located in Ankara, Turkey, that is affiliated with a training and research hospital. In the research, a data form, the Perceived Stress Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used as data collection instruments. Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Shapiro–Wilk tests, and Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis H tests were used for the analysis.ResultsThe total score on the Perceived Stress Scale was determined to be 35.81±7.45. The total score for Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was 13.20±3.20. Significant relationships were found between insufficient self-efficacy scores and habitual sleep efficiency, daytime dysfunction and total Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores. Significant relationships were found between insufficient self-efficacy scores and sleep latency, habitual sleep efficiency, daytime dysfunction and total Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores.ConclusionsThis study determined that certain descriptive characteristics of palliative care patients affect their sleep quality and perceived stress level, as well as that some components of sleep quality and perceived stress level are related. Palliative care is holistic in nature, encompassing symptom management; therefore, the importance of patients’ psychosocial integrity should not be overlooked. Consequently, identifying components that may hinder symptom management and addressing the patient comprehensively will be crucial.
Nutrition impact symptom monitoring and weight loss outcomes: a longitudinal radiotherapy study
Authors: Urrizola Amaia , Dajani Olav , Aass Nina , Bjerkeset Ellen , Hjermstad Marianne Jensen , Kaasa Stein , Klepstad Pål , Pirnat Aleksandra , Raaness Ida , Steinsheim Hanne , Bye Asta 
Published: June 2024

ObjectivesNutrition impact symptoms (NIS) are associated with weight loss (WL), and decreased energy intake in cross-sectional studies. We aimed to ascertain associations between changes in NIS burden, energy intake and WL over time in patients with advanced cancer.MethodsAdult patients from an observational radiotherapy study for painful bone metastases self-reported NIS and WL using the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment tool (PG-SGA) at baseline and week eight (W8). NIS burden, the sum of NIS per patient, categorised as 0, 1–2 and ≥3 with changes defined as 2-point differences from baseline to W8 were used. Energy intake was assessed by 24-hour recall interviews.Results111 patients (72.1%) were analysed and grouped by NIS burden; 0 NIS (44.1%), 1–2 NIS (30.6%) and ≥3 NIS (25.2%). Patients with NIS burden of ≥3 reported higher baseline WL compared with those with 1–2 or 0 NIS (46.4% vs 18.2% vs 10.2%, respectively, p=0.002). At W8, 21 patients (19%) reported improved NIS burden, accompanied by a lower proportion of severe (≥5%) new-onset WL (19% vs 42.1%) and higher energy intake (median 29.6 vs 21.2 kcal/kg) than those with worsened NIS burden (17.1%).ConclusionsNIS management may improve energy intake and prevent WL, emphasising the importance of systematic follow-up and interventions.ClinicalTrials.gov registrationNCT02107664
Performance of thin-RPC detectors for high rate applications with eco-friendly gas mixtures
Authors:   RPC ECOGas@GIF++ Collaboration, Abbrescia M. , Aielli G. , Aly R. , Arena M. C. , Barroso Ferreira Filho M. , Benussi L. , Bianco S. , Bordon F. , Boscherini D. , Bruni A. , Buontempo S. , Busato M. , Camarri P. , Cardarelli R. , Congedo L. , De Serio M. , Di Ciaccio A. , Di Stante L. , Dupieux P. , Eysermans J. , Ferretti A. , Galati G. , Gagliardi M. , Guida R. , Iaselli G. , Joly B. , Lee K. S. , Liberti B. , Mandelli B. , Manen S. P. , Pastore A. , Pastori E. , Piccolo D. , Pizzimento L. , Polini A. , Proto G. , Pugliese G. , Quaglia L. , Ramos D. , Rigoletti G. , Rocchi A. , Romano M. , Samalan A. , Salvini P. , Santonico R. , Saviano G. , Sessa M. , Simone S. , Terlizzi L. , Tytgat M. , Vercellin E. , Verzeroli M. , Zaganidis N. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractIn the last few years, an intense R &D activity on particle detectors for future HEP applications has been carried on with the aim of developing new techniques as well as studying the performance of already existing detectors when operated in a high rate environment. As for Resistive Plate Chamber detectors, the main challenges to face are the improvement of their detection capabilities and longevity at very high-rates, and the search for new eco-friendly gasmixtures free from greenhouse components. Results obtained in the framework of the RPC ECOGas@GIF++ Collaboration on a thin-Resistive Plate Chamber exposed at the CERN Gamma Irradiation Facility and operated with eco-friendly gas mixtures based on Tetrafluoropropene and Carbon dioxide will be discussed in this paper.
Investigation of 209Bi (α,2n)211At reaction route for the production of α-emitter 211At
Authors: Özdoğan Hasan , Üncü Yiğit Ali , Şekerci Mert , Kaplan Abdullah 
Published: June 2024

AbstractIn this research, the calculations have been done for α-emitters of 211At, which is a promising isotope in cyclotrons for radiotherapy. The scope of the study is to investigate the production parameters of 211At, which can be produced in the cyclotron by bombarding bismuth with an alpha particle beam for the 209Bi(α,2n)211At reaction. The total activity, reaction yield, and production cross–sections of 209Bi(α,2n)211At reaction have been calculated by using diverse level density models of the TALYS 1.95 code. Furthermore, recommended data with 95% confidence limits have been obtained. Experimental data available in the literature based on EXFOR compilation are used to compare the findings. Consequently, the required beam energy has been found to be 28 MeV to produce 211At.
Effects of external fields and structural parameters on third harmonic generation of GaAs/AlGaAs Manning-like double quantum well structure
Authors: Tuzemen A. Turker 
Published: June 2024

AbstractIn this theoretical work, we investigate how external fields like as electric, magnetic, and intense laser fields, as well as structural factors, affect the third harmonic generation (THG) coefficient of an AlGaAs/GaAs Manning-like double quantum well heterostructure. To achieve our goals, we numerically solve the time-independent Schrödinger equation using the diagonalization approach with the effective mass approximation and then derive the subband energy levels and corresponding wave functions of the structure. After that, we derive the mathematical expression of the THG coefficient by using the compact density matrix method. According to our results, the resonance peaks of the THG coefficient show shifting to the high-energy region with an increase in the field’s magnitude in cases where external fields (electric, magnetic, and intense laser) are applied separately. At the same time, increasing the depth (width) of the quantum well structure causes the THG peaks to shift to the high (low) energy region. We believe that the findings from this search will have a substantial impact on existing experimental device designs and applications.
HTS384 NCI60: The Next Phase of the NCI60 Screen
Authors: Kunkel Mark W. , Coussens Nathan P. , Morris Joel , Taylor Ronald C. , Dexheimer Thomas S. , Jones Eric M. , Doroshow James H. , Teicher Beverly A. 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
The NCI60 human tumor cell line screen has been in operation as a service to the cancer research community for more than 30 years. The screen operated with 96-well plates, a 2-day exposure period to test agents, and following cell fixation, a visible absorbance endpoint by the protein-staining dye sulforhodamine B. In this study, we describe the next phase of this important cancer research tool, the HTS384 NCI60 screen. Although the cell lines remain the same, the updated screen is performed with 384-well plates, a 3-day exposure period to test agents, and a luminescent endpoint to measure cell viability based upon cellular ATP content. In this study, a library of 1,003 FDA-approved and investigational small-molecule anticancer agents was screened by the two NCI60 assays. The datasets were compared with a focus on targeted agents with at least six representatives in the library. For many agents, including inhibitors of EGFR, BRAF, MEK, ERK, and PI3K, the patterns of GI50 values were very similar between the screens with strong correlations between those patterns within the dataset from each screen. However, for some groups of targeted agents, including mTOR, BET bromodomain, and NAMPRTase inhibitors, there were limited or no correlations between the two datasets, although the patterns of GI50 values and correlations between those patterns within each dataset were apparent. Beginning in January 2024, the HTS384 NCI60 screen became the free screening service of the NCI to facilitate drug discovery by the cancer research community.
Significance: The new NCI60 cell line screen HTS384 shows robust patterns of response to oncology agents and substantial overlap with the classic screen, providing an updated tool for studying therapeutic agents.
See related commentary by Colombo and Corsello, p. 2397
TRIM35 Monoubiquitinates H2B in Cardiac Cells, Implications for Heart Failure
Authors: Lorenzana-Carrillo Maria Areli , Tejay Saymon , Nanoa Joseph , Huang Guocheng , Liu Yongsheng , Haromy Alois , Zhao Yuan Yuan , Mendiola Pla Michelle , Bowles Dawn E. , Kinnaird Adam , Michelakis Evangelos D. , Sutendra Gopinath 
Published: June 2024

BACKGROUND:
The tumor suppressor and proapoptotic transcription factor P53 is induced (and activated) in several forms of heart failure, including cardiotoxicity and dilated cardiomyopathy; however, the precise mechanism that coordinates its induction with accessibility to its transcriptional promoter sites remains unresolved, especially in the setting of mature terminally differentiated (nonreplicative) cardiomyocytes.

METHODS:
Male and female control or TRIM35 (tripartite motif containing 35) overexpression adolescent (aged 1–3 months) and adult (aged 4–6 months) transgenic mice were used for all in vivo experiments. Primary adolescent or adult mouse cardiomyocytes were isolated from control or TRIM35 overexpression transgenic mice for all in vitro experiments. Adenovirus or small-interfering RNA was used for all molecular experiments to overexpress or knockdown, respectively, target genes in primary mouse cardiomyocytes. Patient dilated cardiomyopathy or nonfailing left ventricle samples were used for translational and mechanistic insight. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and DNA sequencing or quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to assess P53 binding to its transcriptional promoter targets, and RNA sequencing was used to identify disease-specific signaling pathways.

RESULTS:

Here, we show that E3-ubiquitin ligase TRIM35 can directly monoubiquitinate lysine-120 (K120) on histone 2B in postnatal mature cardiomyocytes. This epigenetic modification was sufficient to promote chromatin remodeling, accessibility of P53 to its transcriptional promoter targets, and elongation of its transcribed mRNA. We found that increased P53 transcriptional activity (in cardiomyocyte-specific
Trim35
overexpression transgenic mice) was sufficient to initiate heart failure and these molecular findings were recapitulated in nonischemic human LV dilated cardiomyopathy samples.

CONCLUSIONS:

These findings suggest that TRIM35 and the
K120
Ub-histone 2B epigenetic modification are molecular features of cardiomyocytes that can collectively predict dilated cardiomyopathy pathogenesis.
Skeletonized Versus Pedicled Harvesting of the Internal Thoracic Artery and Long‐Term Clinical Outcomes in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
Authors: Dalén Magnus , Dismorr Michael , Glaser Natalie , Sartipy Ulrik 
Published: June 2024

Background
The internal thoracic artery (ITA) is the most important conduit for coronary artery bypass grafting. Recent evidence suggests that skeletonized ITA harvesting yields long‐term outcomes inferior to those of pedicled harvesting. The aim was to investigate the impact of the ITA harvesting method on 10‐year mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events.

Methods and Results
In this observational cohort study, we identified all patients from the SWEDEHEART (Swedish Web‐System for Enhancement and Development of Evidence‐Based Care in Heart Disease Evaluated According to Recommended Therapies) register who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting using at least 1 ITA at Karolinska University Hospital from 2012 to 2021. The main outcome was all‐cause mortality, and the secondary outcomes were a combination of myocardial infarction, repeat revascularization, heart failure, and stroke. Outcomes were ascertained using national health data registers and compared between the skeletonized and pedicled groups using weighted flexible parametric survival models. Among 3267 patients, 1657 (51%) underwent pedicled ITA harvesting and 1610 (49%) underwent skeletonized ITA harvesting. The patients' mean age was 66 years, and 15% were women. The weighted all‐cause mortality incidence rate in the pedicled versus skeletonized ITA group was 2.6% (95CI, 2.2%–3.0%) versus 2.6% (95% CI, 2.2%–3.1%), respectively (hazard ratio (HR), 1.01 [95% CI, 0.81–1.27]). The weighted major adverse cardiovascular events incidence rate was 7.8% (95% CI, 7.1%–8.6%) versus 7.5% (95% CI, 6.7%–8.4%), respectively (HR, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.82–1.08]).

Conclusions
We found no significant differences in all‐cause mortality or major adverse cardiovascular events rates between the 2 ITA harvesting methods.