bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sex differences in the prognostic role of achieving target doses of heart failure medications: Data from the Swedish Heart Failure Registry
Authors: Ferrari Amerigo , Stolfo Davide , Uijl Alicia , Orsini Nicola , Benson Lina , Sinagra Gianfranco , Mol Peter , de Vries Sieta T. , Dahlström Ulf , Rosano Giuseppe , Lund Lars H. , Savarese Gianluigi 
Published: May 2024

AbstractAimsGuidelines recommend target doses (TD) of heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) medications regardless of sex. Differences in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics may explain heterogeneity in treatment response, adverse reactions, and tolerability issues across sexes. The aim of this study was to explore sex‐based differences in the association between TD achievement and mortality/morbidity in HFrEF.Methods and resultsPatients with HFrEF and HF duration ≥6 months registered in the Swedish HF Registry between May 2000 and December 2020 (follow‐up until December 2021) were analysed. Treatments of interest were renin–angiotensin system inhibitors (RASI) or angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitors (ARNI), and beta‐blockers. Multivariable Cox regression models were performed to explore the risk of cardiovascular mortality or hospitalization for HF across dose categories in females versus males. A total of 17 912 patients were analysed (median age 77.0 years, interquartile range [IQR] 70.0–83.0), 29% were female. Over a median follow‐up of 1.33 years (IQR 0.29–3.22), for RASI/ARNI there was no significant difference in outcome for females achieving 50–99% versus 100% of TD (hazard ratio 0.92, 95% confidence interval 0.83–1.03), whereas males showed a gradual lowering in risk together with the achievement of higher % of TD (p‐interaction = 0.030). For beta‐blockers the achievement of TD was associated with the lowest risk of outcome regardless of sex.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that females and males might differently benefit from the same dose of RASI/ARNI, and do represent a general call for randomized controlled trials to consider sex‐specific up‐titration schemes when testing HFrEF treatments in need of up‐titration.
Assessing survival outcomes of patients with oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma: Focus on age, sex, and stage
Authors: Pamulapati Saagar , Abousaud Marin , Li Yixuan , Ekpenyong Asari , Rudra Soumon , Remick Jill S. , Bates James E. , Stokes William A. , McDonald Mark W. , Schmitt Nicole C. , El‐Deiry Mark W. , Patel Mihir R. , Steuer Conor E. , Switchenko Jeffrey M. , Shin Dong M. , Teng Yong , Hammond Anthea , Saba Nabil F. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe purpose of this study was to provide further insights into whether age and/or sex are associated with prognosis in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study utilizing hospital registry data from 2006 to 2016 obtained from the National Cancer Database. Identified patients were divided into various cohorts based on age, sex, and staging. A descriptive analysis was performed using chi‐square tests and overall survival rates were estimated using Kaplan–Meier method.ResultsA total of 17 642 patients were included in the study. The 5‐year overall survival rates were 82.0% (95% CI: 79.8%–84.0%) in younger patients versus 67.5% (95% CI: 66.7%–68.3%, p‐value <0.0001) older patients. The median overall survival for females was 143.4 months (95% CI: 133.2–NA) versus 129.8 (95% CI: 125.4–138.7, p‐value <0.0001) in males.ConclusionsOur analysis suggests that younger age and female sex are both predictors of improved survival in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma.
Whey protein fouling on polymeric heat exchangers
Authors: Pelz Philipp , Noß Jonas , von Harbou Erik , Bart Hans‐Jörg 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe fouling behavior of whey protein concentrate (WPC) in food‐grade polyether ether ketone (PEEK) heat exchangers was compared to benchmark stainless steel (SS) to evaluate if fouling can be better mitigated by using PEEK. No research has been conducted on WPC fouling behavior of PEEK at WPC concentrations of 2–6 g/L and heat flux densities of 45–55 kW/m2. It was found that PEEK materials led to a reduction in heat resistance of up to 40%. At WPC concentrations of 6 g/L, a fouling factor of 0.9 m2 K/kW was measured for PEEK compared to 1.6 m2 K/kW for SS. Despite a constant heat flux, fouling curves for PEEK showed an asymptotic behavior, whereas linear fouling was observed for SS. To achieve a comparable heat resistance between PEEK and SS heat exchangers, the operating time could be extended by 9 h when using PEEK materials. Investigations of the deposit mass showed that even though the heat transfer resistance is limited on PEEK, fouling continued to grow at a decreased rate. It was found that the fluid started to evaporate underneath the fouling layer, which led to a partial detachment of the fouling layer and therefore mitigated the heat resistance effects of fouling. To test whether these results are transferable to larger setups, experiments on a scale‐up apparatus were conducted. A very similar behavior was qualitatively observed; however, measured deposition deviated on average by 18%. PEEK surfaces also showed great promise regarding cleanability, with fouling layers detaching completely after drying for 10 min and restarting the process. This restored the heat transfer coefficient to its clean state. A cleaning in place therefore seems feasible. In contrast, fouling layers on SS did not detach through drying and had to be chemically cleaned to restore its heat transfer capacity.
Associations between eosinophils and cancer risk in the UK Biobank
Authors: Wang Jeanny H. , Rabkin Charles S. , Engels Eric A. , Song Minkyo 
Published: May 2024

AbstractEosinophils exhibit anti‐tumor cytotoxic responses in the tumor microenvironment and may contribute to tumor immunosurveillance. To assess the relationship between circulating eosinophils and cancer risk, we analyzed data from 443,542 adults aged 38–73 in the UK Biobank, who were initially cancer‐free, had over a year of follow‐up, and baseline white blood cell count measurements. Using multivariable Cox regression, we estimated hazard ratios (aHR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for each quartile increase in absolute eosinophil count (AEC) across 58 cancer types, adjusting for relevant confounders. During a median follow‐up of 5.8 years, 22,747 incident cancer cases were diagnosed. We observed an inverse association, which met Bonferroni significance, between AEC and overall cancer risk (aHR, 95%CI 0.97, 0.95–0.98). Notably, 16 cancer types showed borderline associations (p <.05) with AEC, with 12 types displaying an inverse relationship. These included four hematologic cancers (acute and other myeloid leukemia, other lymphocytic leukemia, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma; aHR range; 0.58–0.87) and eight nonhematologic cancers (melanoma and nose/middle ear, soft tissue/heart, gum/other mouth, tongue, lung, colon, and breast cancers; aHR range: 0.65–0.95). Higher AEC showed a borderline significant association with increased risk for intrahepatic bile duct cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma, and chronic myeloid leukemia (aHR range: 1.13–1.42). Our study, the largest to date, provides insights into the relationship between blood eosinophils and a comprehensive list of incident cancers. The inverse association between AEC and overall cancer risk suggests a protective role for eosinophils in tumor surveillance.
On modelling non‐performing loans in bank efficiency analysis
Authors: Karagiannis Giannis , Kourtzidis Stavros 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThis paper introduces a methodological framework for the examination of non‐performing loans (NPLs) as reverse outputs under the extended strong disposability assumption, which does not require NPLs to be jointly produced with net loans, as it is implied when they are modelled as undesirable outputs. A directional distance function model with reverse outputs is used and is compared with the models that treat NPLs as an undesirable output under the weak disposability and the constrained weak disposability assumptions with uniform and non‐uniform abatement factors. The model is applied at the case of European banks and for the sample to be representative the banks are chosen based on the European Banking Authority (EBA) stress test of 2021. The results indicate that the reverse output model have greater discriminatory power relative to all other models.
The S&P 500 sectoral indices responses to economic news sentiment
Authors: Madani Mohamed Arbi 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThis study explores the dynamic relationship between economic news sentiment and the US stock market using a non‐linear empirical framework. The analysis focuses on both sectoral indices and the aggregate stock market index from November 2011 to November 2021. Using causality tests and a rolling window detrended cross‐correlation coefficient, the study reveals several key findings. First, the causal effect of investor sentiment on sectoral returns varies over time, with each sector responding differently. Second, while no evidence of dependence exists for time scales less than 2 months, a positive relationship emerges for time scales greater than 6 months, except for the utilities sector, which is found to be negative. Third, the study shows that the relationships between all pairs of variables are time‐dependent. Finally, economic news sentiment might have a varying impact on market inefficiency over different periods, making it challenging to predict market behaviour based on sentiment data.
Double‐blind, randomized, 8‐week multicenter study of the efficacy and safety of STW 5‐IIversus placebo in functional dyspepsia
Authors: Vinson Bettina , Fink Careen , Wargenau Manfred , Talley Nicholas J , Holtmann Gerald 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBackground and AimHerbal products are widely used to treat patients with disorders of gut brain interaction but clinical efficacy and safety data for treatments lasting >4 weeks are widely lacking. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of 8 weeks of treatment with the herbal combination product STW 5‐II for patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) meeting Rome II criteria. We also conducted a post hoc analysis including patients meeting Rome IV criteria for FD and evaluated the effect of the G‐protein beta 3 (GNB3) subunit polymorphism (C825T) on therapeutic response.MethodsThis multicenter, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind study included 272 FD patients meeting Rome II criteria in the intention‐to‐treat cohort and 266 meeting Rome IV criteria. We used the validated Gastrointestinal Symptom Score (GIS) to assess GI symptoms, defining response rate as the proportion of patients with ≥50% GIS improvement in at least three of four assessments.ResultsAfter 8 weeks, the response rate was significantly higher in the STW 5‐II group versus placebo (61.2% vs 45.1%, P = 0.008). Mean GIS non‐significantly improved with STW 5‐II treatment (7.9 ± 4.41 vs 6.7 ± 4.91 with placebo; P = 0.07). In the Rome IV subgroup analysis, STW 5‐II yielded a better response rate (P = 0.01) versus placebo and greater postprandial distress symptom improvement (P = 0.04) versus placebo. Safety parameters did not differ between groups, and GNB3 status was not linked with therapeutic response.ConclusionSTW 5‐II is efficacious, with no observed safety signals at up to 8 weeks of treatment in patients with FD meeting Rome II or IV criteria.
A rare case of schwannoma of the small intestine discovered during intussusception
Authors: Onishi Sachiyo , Ibuka Takashi , Uno Yukari , Kojima Kentaro , Takada Jun , Kubota Masaya , Shimizu Masahito 
Published: May 2024

AbstractA woman in her 60s with anemia was diagnosed with a small intestinal intussusception on computed tomography. She underwent a double‐balloon endoscopy, which revealed submucosal tumor in the ileum. Suspected to be the cause of anemia and intussusception, surgical intervention was carried out, revealing it to be a schwannoma. Schwannomas of the small intestine are very rare, and because exophytic growths are common, intussusception due to luminal side development is even rarer.
Prevalence and incidence of anal high‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesions in a cohort of cisgender men and transgender women who have sex with men diagnosed and treated during acute HIV acquisition in Bangkok, Thailand
Authors: Thitipatarakorn Supanat , Teeratakulpisarn Nipat , Nonenoy Siriporn , Klinsukontakul Aphakan , Suriwong Sujittra , Makphol Jirat , Hongchookiat Piranun , Chaya‐ananchot Thanyapat , Chinlaertworasiri Napasawan , Mingkwanrungruang Pravit , Sacdalan Carlo , Poltavee Kultida , Pankam Tippawan , Kerr Stephen J. , Ramautarsing Reshmie , Colby Donn , Phanuphak Nittaya 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIntroductionMen who have sex with men (MSM), especially those living with HIV, are at an increased risk of anal cancer. The prevalence and incidence of its precursor, anal high‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs), among MSM who started antiretroviral therapy during acute HIV acquisition are yet to be explored.MethodsParticipants in an acute HIV acquisition cohort in Bangkok, Thailand, who agreed to take part in this study, were enrolled. All participants were diagnosed and started antiretroviral therapy during acute HIV acquisition. Human papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping and high‐resolution anoscopy, followed by anal biopsy as indicated, were done at baseline and 6‐monthly visits.ResultsA total of 89 MSM and four transgender women were included in the analyses. Median age at enrolment was 26 years. Baseline prevalence of histologic anal HSIL was 11.8%. With a total of 147.0 person‐years of follow‐up, the incidence of initial histologic anal HSIL was 19.7 per 100 person‐years. Factors associated with incident anal HSIL were anal HPV 16 (adjusted hazards ratio [aHR] 4.33, 95% CI 1.03–18.18), anal HPV 18/45 (aHR 6.82, 95% CI 1.57–29.51), other anal high‐risk HPV (aHR 4.23, 95% CI 1.27–14.14), syphilis infection (aHR 4.67, 95% CI 1.10–19.90) and CD4 count <350 cells/mm3 (aHR 3.09, 95% CI 1.28–7.48).ConclusionsWith antiretroviral therapy initiation during acute HIV acquisition, we found the prevalence of anal HSIL among cisgender men and transgender women who have sex with men to be similar to those without HIV. Subsequent anal HSIL incidence, although lower than that of those with chronic HIV acquisition, was still higher than that of those without HIV. Screening for and management of anal HSIL should be a crucial part of long‐term HIV care for all MSM.
Population impacts of conditional financial incentives and a male‐targeted digital decision support application on the HIV treatment cascade in rural KwaZulu Natal: findings from the HITS cluster randomized clinical trial
Authors: Inghels Maxime , Kim Hae‐Young , Mathenjwa Thulile , Shahmanesh Maryam , Seeley Janet , Wyke Sally , Matthews Philippa , Adeagbo Oluwafemi , Gareta Dickman , McGrath Nuala , Yapa H. Manisha , Blandford Ann , Zuma Thembelihle , Dobra Adrian , Bärnighausen Till , Tanser Frank 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIntroductionIn South Africa, the HIV care cascade remains suboptimal. We investigated the impact of small conditional financial incentives (CFIs) and male‐targeted HIV‐specific decision‐support application (EPIC‐HIV) on the HIV care cascade.MethodsIn 2018, in uMkhanyakude district, 45 communities were randomly assigned to one of four arms: (i) CFI for home‐based HIV testing and linkage to care within 6 weeks (R50 [US$3] food voucher each); (ii) EPIC‐HIV which are based on self‐determination theory; (iii) both CFI and EPIC‐HIV; and (iv) standard of care. EPIC‐HIV consisted of two components: EPIC‐HIV 1, provided to men through a tablet before home‐based HIV testing, and EPIC‐HIV 2, offered 1 month later to men who tested positive but had not yet linked to care. Linking HITS trial data to national antiretroviral treatment (ART) programme data and HIV surveillance programme data, we estimated HIV status awareness after the HITS trial implementation, ART status 3 month after the trial and viral load suppression 1 year later. Analysis included all known individuals living with HIV in the study area including those who did not participated in the HITS trial.ResultsAmong the 33,778 residents in the study area, 2763 men and 7266 women were identified as living with HIV by the end of the intervention period and included in the analysis. After the intervention, awareness of HIV‐positive status was higher in the CFI arms compared to non‐CFI arms (men: 793/908 [87.3%] vs. 1574/1855 [84.9%], RR = 1.03 [95% CI: 0.99−1.07]; women: 2259/2421 [93.3%] vs. 4439/4845 [91.6%], RR = 1.02 [95% CI: 1.00−1.04]). Three months after the intervention, no differences were found for linkage to ART between arms. One year after the intervention, only 1829 viral test results were retrieved. Viral suppression was higher but not significant in the EPIC‐HIV intervention arms among men (65/99 [65.7%] vs. 182/308 [59.1%], RR = 1.11 [95% CI: 0.88−1.40]).ConclusionsSmall CFIs can contribute to achieve the first step of the HIV care cascade. However, neither CFIs nor EPIC‐HIV was sufficient to increase the number of people on ART. Additional evidence is needed to confirm the impact of EPIC‐HIV on viral suppression.
Impact of simplified HCV diagnostic strategies on the HCV epidemic among men who have sex with men in the era of HIV oral pre‐exposure prophylaxis in Taiwan: a modelling study
Authors: Wu Huei‐Jiuan , Shih Sophy TingFang , Applegate Tanya L. , Kwon Jisoo A. , Cunningham Evan B. , Grebely Jason , Gray Richard T. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIntroductionSimplified hepatitis C virus (HCV) diagnostic strategies have the potential to improve HCV diagnoses and treatment. We aimed to investigate the impact of simplified HCV diagnostic strategies on HCV incidence and its effect on HCV diagnosis and treatment among men who have sex with men (MSM) regardless of HIV status and use of HIV pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Taiwan.MethodsA compartmental deterministic model was developed to describe the natural history of HCV disease progression, the HCV care cascade and the HIV status and PrEP using among MSM. The model was calibrated to available data for HCV and HIV epidemiology and population demographics in Taiwan. We simulated the epidemic from 2004 and projected the impact of simplified testing strategies on the HCV epidemic among MSM over 2022–2030.ResultsUnder the current testing approach in Taiwan, total HCV incidence would increase to 12.6 per 1000 person‐years among MSM by 2030. Single‐visit point‐of‐care RNA testing had the largest impact on reducing the number of new HCV infections over 2022–2030, with a 31.1% reduction (interquartile range: 24.9%−32.8%). By 2030, single‐visit point‐of‐care HCV testing improved HCV diagnosis to 90.9%, HCV treatment to 87.7% and HCV cure to 81.5% among MSM living with HCV. Compared to status quo, prioritized simplified HCV testing for PrEP users and MSM living with diagnosed HIV had considerable impact on the broader HCV epidemic among MSM. A sensitivity analysis suggests that reinfection risk would have a large impact on the effectiveness of each point‐of‐care testing scenario.ConclusionsSimplified HCV diagnostic strategies could control the ongoing HCV epidemic and improve HCV testing and treatment among Taiwanese MSM. Single‐visit point‐of‐care RNA testing would result in large reductions in HCV incidence and prevalence among MSM. Efficient risk‐reduction strategies will need to be implemented alongside point‐of‐care testing to achieve HCV elimination among MSM in Taiwan.
Urine tenofovir testing for real‐time PrEP adherence feedback: a qualitative study involving transgender women in Uganda
Authors: Mujugira Andrew , Karungi Beyonce , Mugisha Jackson , Nakyanzi Agnes , Nampewo Olivia , Naddunga Faith , Kamusiime Brenda , Nsubuga Rogers , Nyanzi Kikulwe R. , Muwonge Timothy R. , Wyatt Monique A. , Ware Norma C. , Gandhi Monica , Haberer Jessica E. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIntroductionAdherence counselling with point‐of‐care (POC) drug‐level feedback using a novel tenofovir assay may support pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) adherence; however, perceptions of urine testing and its impact on adherence are not well studied. We qualitatively examined how POC tenofovir testing was experienced by transgender women (TGW) in Uganda.MethodsWithin a cluster randomized trial of peer‐delivered HIV self‐testing, self‐sampling for sexually transmitted infections and PrEP among HIV‐negative TGW showing overall low PrEP prevention‐effective adherence (NCT04328025), we conducted a nested qualitative sub‐study of the urine POC assay among a random sample of 30 TGW (August 2021−February 2022). TGW interviews explored: (1) experiences with POC urine tenofovir testing and (2) perceptions of PrEP adherence counselling with drug‐level feedback. We used an inductive content analytic approach for analysis.ResultsMedian age was 21 years (interquartile range 20–24), and 70% engaged in sex work. Four content categories describe how TGW experienced POC urine tenofovir testing: (1) Urine tenofovir testing was initially met with scepticism: Testing urine to detect PrEP initially induced anxiety, with some perceptions of being intrusive and unwarranted. With counselling, however, participants found POC testing acceptable and beneficial. (2) Alignment of urine test results and adherence behaviours: Drug‐level feedback aligned with what TGW knew about their adherence. Concurrence between pill taking and tenofovir detection in urine reinforced confidence in test accuracy. (3) Interpretation of urine tenofovir results: TGW familiar with the interpretation of oral‐fluid HIV self‐tests knew that two lines on the test device signified positivity (presence of HIV). However, two lines on the urine test strip indicated a positive result for non‐adherence (absence of tenofovir), causing confusion. Research nurses explained the difference in test interpretation to participants’ satisfaction. (4) White coat dosing: Some TGW deliberately chose not to attend scheduled clinic appointments to avoid detecting their PrEP non‐adherence during urine testing. They restarted PrEP before returning to clinic, a behaviour called “white coat dosing.”ConclusionsIncorporating POC urine testing into routine PrEP adherence counselling was acceptable and potentially beneficial for TGW but required attention to context. Additional research is needed to identify effective strategies for optimizing adherence monitoring and counselling for this population.