bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
“Ditch the white coats”: What LGBTQ+ patients prefer in their primary care provider
Authors: Broholm Cindy , Lindell Deborah , Trossello Catherine , Lauren James , Smith Brittany , Harris Alexander B. , Quinn Griffin Mary T. , Radix Asa 
Published: January 2023

ABSTRACT

Background:
Health disparities in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ+) individuals are well documented, and there is a dearth of primary care providers (PCPs) with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to sensitively care for this diverse population.

Purpose:
The purpose of this research study was to ask LGBTQ+ patients what qualities they prefer in their PCP. The findings will be used to better prepare nurse practitioners (NPs) to care for this diverse community and inform the training of future NPs to provide patient-centered care to LGBTQ+ individuals.

Methodology:
In this qualitative descriptive study, four focus groups were conducted remotely between December 2020 and January 2021 with self-identified LGBTQ+ patients of an LGBTQ+ health center in the northeast. Thematic analysis of the data elicited codes, categories, and themes. Strategies were implemented to promote trustworthiness of the results.

Results:
Twenty-eight participants shared the qualities they value in their PCP. Analysis revealed four themes: “Ditch the white coats”; “Meet me where I am”; “The relationship is key”; and “Be knowledgeable about and comfortable with LGBTQ+ people and their health care needs.”

Conclusions:
The focus groups elucidated important information on caring for the LGTBQ+ communities and insights into what NPs must do to provide patient-centered care to this diverse population.

Implications:
These findings can improve practice through a better understanding of LGBTQ+ patients' perspectives. Additionally, this study demonstrates the feasibility of directly asking our patients what they want in their health care provider.
Processes of Care and Associated Factors in Patients With Stroke by Immigration Status
Authors: Mkoma George F. , Johnsen Søren P. , Agyemang Charles , Hedegaard Jakob N. , Iversen Helle K. , Andersen Grethe , Norredam Marie 
Published: January 2023

Background:
Receiving evidence-based stroke care processes is associated with good clinical outcome. However, data on early stroke care among immigrants are scarce.

Objective:
We investigated whether guideline-recommended acute stroke care and associated factors differ between immigrants and Danish-born residents.

Design:
Patients admitted with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke diagnoses (n=129,724) between 2005 and 2018 were identified from the Danish Stroke Registry.

Results:
We included 123,928 Danish-born residents and 5796 immigrants with stroke. Compared with Danish-born residents, immigrants were less likely to be admitted to a stroke unit within 24 hours after stroke onset (81.5% vs. 83.9%, P<0.001) and had lower odds of early stroke care including dysphagia screening, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and nutritional assessment. After adjustment for age, sex, clinical, and sociodemographic factors, immigrants had lower odds of early stroke unit admission (odds ratio [OR]: 0.97; 95% CI, 0.94–0.99), early dysphagia screening (OR: 0.96; 95% CI, 0.93–0.98), early physiotherapy (OR: 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94–0.99), and early occupational therapy (OR: 0.96; 95% CI, 0.93–0.98) than Danish-born residents. Small absolute differences in overall quality of stroke care were found when comparing immigrants and Danish-born residents. Significant factors associated with greater likelihood of stroke care included high income, high education, and cohabitation.

Conclusions:
Immigrants had lower chances of early stroke unit admission and received fewer individual early stroke care processes such as dysphagia screening, physiotherapy and occupational therapy than Danish-born residents. However, the absolute disparities were in general minor and largely influenced by socioeconomic status and cohabitation.
Decoding the fundamental drivers of phylodynamic inference
Authors: Featherstone Leo A. , Duchene Sebastian , Vaughan Timothy G. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractDespite its increasing role in the understanding of infectious disease transmission at the applied and theoretical levels, phylodynamics lacks a well-defined notion of ideal data and optimal sampling. We introduce a formal method to visualise and quantify the relative impact of pathogen genome sequence and sampling times—two fundamental sources of data for phylodynamics under birth-death-sampling models—to understand how each drive phylodynamic inference. Applying our method to simulations and outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 and H1N1 Influenza data, we use this insight to elucidate fundamental trade-offs and guidelines for phylodynamic analyses to draw the most from sequence data. Phylodynamics promises to be a staple of future responses to infectious disease threats globally. Continuing research into the inherent requirements and trade-offs of phylodynamic data and inference will help ensure phylodynamic tools are wielded in ever more targeted and efficient ways.
Description of Kratom Exposure Events in Wisconsin as Reported to the Wisconsin Poison Center — January 1, 2010–September 1, 2022
Authors: DeJonge Peter , Gummin David , Titelbaum Nicholas , Meiman Jonathan 
Published: January 2023

ABSTRACTBackgroundConsumption of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), an herbal substance, can result in adverse health effects. We characterized kratom-associated adverse events in Wisconsin to provide pertinent recommendations for clinicians and public health practitioners.MethodsUsing Wisconsin Poison Center (WPC) data, we searched for and summarized all records associated with exposure to “kratom”, “electronic delivery device containing kratom”, or “mitragyna” during January 1, 2010–September 1, 2022.ResultsKratom-associated exposure calls to WPC increased 3.75 times during 2016–2020. Among all 59 calls, 26 (44.1%) reported concomitant use of another substance, agitation was the most common symptom reported (23, 39%), and 7 persons required critical care. Three unintentional ingestions were reported in infants aged <2 years.DiscussionKratom-associated exposure calls to WPC have been generally increasing in frequency since 2011. Wisconsinites who choose to use kratom might benefit from education regarding health risks and safe storage practices to avoid unintentional pediatric exposure.
Early diagnosis of oral cancer and lesions in Fanconi anemia patients: a prospective and longitudinal study using saliva and plasma
Authors: Errazquin Ricardo , Carrasco Estela , Marro Sonia Del , Suñol Anna , Peral Jorge , Ortiz Jessica , Rubio Juan Carlos , Segrelles Carmen , Dueñas Marta , Garrido-Aranda Alicia , Alvarez Martina , Belendez Cristina , Balmaña Judith , Garcia-Escudero Ramon 
Published: January 2023

ABSTRACTFanconi anemia (FA) patients display an exacerbated risk of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and precursor lesions at young ages, mainly at the oral cavity. As patients have defects in DNA repair mechanisms, standard-of-care treatments to OSCC such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy give rise to severe toxicities. New methods for early diagnosis are urgently necessary to allow treatments in early disease stages and achieve better clinical outcomes. We have conducted a prospective, longitudinal study whereby liquid biopsies from sixteen lesion/tumor-free patients were analyzed for the presence of mutations in cancer genes. DNA from saliva and plasma were sequentially collected and deep-sequenced, and the clinical evolution followed during a median time of around 2 years. In 9/16 FA patients we detected mutations in cancer genes (mainlyTP53) with molecular allele frequencies (MAF) down to 0.07 %. Importantly, all patients having mutations and clinical follow-up data after mutation detection (n=6) developed oral precursor lesions or OSCC. Lead-time between mutation detection and tumor diagnosis ranged from 23 to 630 days. Strikingly, FA patients without mutations display significantly lower risk of developing precursor lesions or OSCC. Therefore, our diagnostic approach could help to stratify FA patients into risk groups, which would allow closer surveillance for OSCC or precursor lesions.
Antibacterial activity of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Zingiber officinale on Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Rukundo Anjellina , Omara Denis , Majalija Samuel , Odur Solomon , Alafi Steven , Okech Samuel George 
Published: January 2023

AbstractBackgroundStreptococcus pneumoniae, a capsulated lancet gram-positive bacterium, is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity among children globally and is the primary cause of pneumonia.Pseudomonas aeruginosais an opportunistic human pathogen and the leading cause of nosocomial infections, among patients who are admitted to intensive care units. With the increasing resistance of microorganisms to antibiotics, there is a shift of choice from allopathy to naturopathy, where herbs are common ingredients of medicines and components of treatment protocols. It is against this background that this study aimed to investigate the susceptibility ofP. aeruginosaandS. pneumoniaeto ethanolic and aqueous extracts of ginger using the agar well diffusion technique.MethodologyAbsolute (95%) Ethanol and distilled water were used as solvents to make extracts from the ginger powder. The filtrate was dried, and the resulting substance was used to conduct antimicrobial tests onStreptococcus pneumoniaeandPseudomonas aeruginosaisolates using the agar well diffusion technique. The diameters of inhibition zones were measured, and statistical analysis was done by one-way ANOVA. Minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations were determined by serial dilution.Freshly prepared sterile distilled water was used as negative control and ciprofloxacin (5μg/disk), an antibiotic was used as positive control.ResultsThe test organisms were sensitive to both ethanolic and aqueous extracts of ginger. However, this was highly dependent on the concentrations of the extracts. The ethanolic extract had lower Minimum Inhibitory and Bactericidal Concentrations than aqueous extract on both bacterial species and at a concentration of 2g/ml, the ethanolic extract was 2-fold and 1.6-fold more effective in inhibiting the growth ofP. aeruginosaandS. pneumoniaerespectively than aqueous extract.ConclusionWith the high susceptibility of the tested bacterial isolates to the ginger extracts used in this study, it is evident that ginger extracts can serve as a suitable antibiotic. However, further studies need to be conducted on the antimicrobial effects of ginger extracts on other bacterial species.
Challenges in estimating waning effectiveness of two doses of BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 COVID-19 vaccines beyond six months: an OpenSAFELY cohort study using linked electronic health records
Authors: Horne Elsie MF , Hulme William J , Keogh Ruth H , Palmer Tom M , Williamson Elizabeth J , Parker Edward PK , Walker Venexia M , Knight Rochelle , Wei Yinghui , Taylor Kurt , Fisher Louis , Morley Jessica , Mehrkar Amir , Dillingham Iain , Bacon Sebastien , Goldacre Ben , Sterne Jonathan AC ,   The OpenSAFELY Collaborative
Published: January 2023

AbstractQuantifying the waning effectiveness of second COVID-19 vaccination beyond six months and against the omicron variant is important for scheduling subsequent doses. With the approval of NHS England, we estimated effectiveness up to one year after second dose, but found that bias in such estimates may be substantial.
Mechanistic view on the influence of fluctuations in outdoor temperature on the worsening of the course of the disease and hospitalizations associated with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron wave in 2022 in the Tomsk region, Russia
Authors: Ishmatov A.N. , Bart A.A. , Yakovlev S.V. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractIt is well known that low air temperatures negatively affect the human respiratory system and can suppress protective mechanisms in airways epithelial cells.In this study, we put forward the hypothesis that the ‘compromised airway epithelium’ of infected persons can be extremely sensitive to external influences and therefore can be used as an “indicator” and serve to investigate the impact of low air temperatures (as and other external factors) on the respiratory system.Here we supposed that a short-term impact of drop in outdoor temperature on the ‘compromised airway epithelium’ should lead to increased symptoms and severity of the disease.We have analyzed a short-term impact of the air temperature drop on the worsening of disease in patients with COVID-19 (indicated by bursts of daily hospitalizations), which fell on the main epidemic wave in 2022 associated with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant.It was found that even a small and/or short-term impact of drop in outdoor daily temperatures can lead to increased symptoms and severity of the disease (COVID-19).We have identified 14 characteristic points (days) where the temperature drop was more than 3 degrees during the main pandemic wave in 2022. It was shown that each characteristic points clearly associated with characteristic bursts in the number of daily hospitalizations with a time lag of 1-2 days.Thus, it was found that the results of the study can be used in predicting a sudden increase in the number of hospitalizations, which can be used to timely warn clinics and medical hospitals for an increase in the number of seriously ill patients.The findings can be used to improve systems to prevent additional risks connected with impact of drop in air temperature on worsening disease in patients and infected people who do not have or have mild or subtle symptoms of the disease – especially during an epidemic or pandemic wave.
Sero-prevalence of visceral leishmaniasis and its associated factors among asymptomatic pastoral community in Denan district, southeastern Ethiopia
Authors: Ismail Ahmed , Yared Solomon , Dugassa Sisay , Abera Adugna , Animut Abebe , Erko Berhanu , Gebresilassie Araya 
Published: January 2023

AbstractBackgroundIn the Somali region of Ethiopia, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a public health concern. Yet, epidemiology and sand fly vectors of VL were not well studied in various areas of the regional state. Thus, the current study was conducted to determine the sero-prevalence, associated factors and distribution sand fly vectors of VL in Denan district, south-eastern Ethiopia.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 187 households between May and September 2021 in six selectedKebelesof Denan district. In total, 187 blood samples were collected from individuals who visited Denan health center using a simple random sampling technique. Blood samples were subjected to Direct Agglutination Test for the detection of antibodies to VL. Pretested structured questionnaire was used to gather information on individual and household level risk factors and other characteristics of knowledge and attitude assessment. Sand flies were also collected from different sampling habitats using light and sticky traps.ResultsThe overall sero-prevalence rate was 9.63% (18/187). Sero-prevalence was significantly associated with outdoor sleeping (OR=2.094), presence of damp floor (OR=9.732), and presence of cracked house walls (OR=6.283). Nearly half (53.48%) of the study participants had previously heard about VL. Communities were practicing different methods to prevent VL infection. In total, 823 sand fly specimens comprising 12 species in two genera (PhlebotomusandSergentomyia) were trapped and identified. The most abundant species wasS Sergentomyia clydei(50.18%), followed byPhlebotomus orientalis(11.42%).ConclusionThe study demonstrated a relatively higher sero-positivity of VL in this new focus, and a remarkable gap in the knowledge, attitude and practices towards VL.P. orientaliswas also detected, which could be a probable vector in this new focus. Thus, public education should be prioritized to improve the awareness of the community on VL and its public health impact. In addition, detailed epidemiological and entomological studies are recommended.
Cross-cultural adaptation of the Arabic version of the Waterloo Footedness Questionnaire-Revised: WFQ-Ar
Authors: Aldaihan Mishal M. 
Published: January 2023

ABSTRACTBackground and purposeEvaluating footedness is of great importance to clinical and behavioural research. The purpose of the current study is to translate the Waterloo Footedness Questionnaire-Revised (WFQ-R) to the Arabic language and investigate its psychometric properties.MethodsTwo independent forward translations were performed by two native Arabic speakers; and then synthesized into one version. The synthesized version was back translated into English by two independent bilingual translators. An expert committee was formed to review the translation and adaptation process. A final Arabic version of the WFQ-R was obtained. In order to test the internal consistency, reliability, and validity of the Arabic WFQ-R, adult Arabic speakers were recruited to participate in this study.ResultsFor the cross-cultural adaptation, only one item was changed in order to express its conceptual meaning. Analysis showed an absence of floor and ceiling effect for the Arabic WFQ-R. Results of construct validity showed that all items of the translated WFQ-R have one dimension. For internal consistency of the Arabic WFQ-R, Cronbach’s alpha was excellent (0.93). ICC values showed excellent test-retest reliability (0.94). The Bland-Altman plot showed acceptable agreement between test and retest scores.ConclusionThe Arabic WFQ-R is valid, reliable and ready for use among the Arabic speaking population for determining footedness.
The 2022 RSV surge was driven by multiple viral lineages
Authors: Adams Gordon , Moreno Gage K. , Petros Brittany A. , Uddin Rockib , Levine Zoe , Kotzen Ben , Messer Katelyn , Dobbins Sabrina T. , DeRuff Katherine C. , Loreth Christine , Brock-Fisher Taylor , Schaffner Stephen F. , Chaluvadi Sushma , Kanjilal Sanjat , Luban Jeremy , Ozonoff Al , Park Daniel , Turbett Sarah , Siddle Katherine J. , MacInnis Bronwyn L. , Sabeti Pardis , Lemieux Jacob 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThe US experienced an early and severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) surge in autumn 2022. Despite the pressure this has put on hospitals and care centers, the factors promoting the surge in cases are unknown. To investigate whether viral characteristics contributed to the extent or severity of the surge, we sequenced 105 RSV-positive specimens from symptomatic patients diagnosed with RSV who presented to the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and its outpatient practices in the Greater Boston Area. Genomic analysis of the resulting 77 genomes (54 with >80% coverage, and 23 with >5% coverage) demonstrated that the surge was driven by multiple lineages of RSV-A (91%; 70/77) and RSV-B (9%; 7/77). Phylogenetic analysis of all US RSV-A revealed 12 clades, 4 of which contained Massachusetts and Washington genomes. These clades individually had times to most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) between 2014 and 2017, and together had a tMRCA of 2009, suggesting that they emerged well before the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, the RSV-B genomes had a tMRCA between 2016 and 2019. We found that the RSV-A and RSV-B genomes in our sample did not differ statistically from the estimated clock rate of the larger phylogenetic tree (10.6 and 12.4 substitutions per year, respectively). In summary, the polyphyletic nature of viral genomes sequenced in the US during the autumn 2022 surge is inconsistent with the emergence of a single, highly transmissible causal RSV lineage.
Tuberculosis Mortalities Among In-patients at a Tertiary Hospital in Zambia Between 2018 and 2019 - The Spectrum of Clinical Presentations
Authors: Chewe Webster , Liusha Namakando , Chansa Abidan , Mwaba Peter 
Published: January 2023

ABSTRACTTuberculosis (TB) has remained one of the most important public health diseases and a leading cause of mortality from a single infectious agent in the world. In-patient mortalities have remained relatively high despite massive investment towards TB elimination. This prompted us to undertake a TB mortality review aimed at understanding the spectrum of clinical presentations in TB mortalities among in-patients in a local hospital set up in Zambia.Files of 74 in-patient TB related mortalities that had occurred at Kitwe Teaching Hospital over a 12-month period between June 2018 and June 2019 were audited using a structured questionnaire. The descriptive data was analyzed using SPSS v 16.0 statistical software and Microsoft excel 2016.The audit revealed that 50 (67.6%) of the files were for male patients with a mean age of 39.2 ± 11.6 years. 60(80%) were HIV positive, 60(80%) resided in high-density residential areas. On presentation to hospital, the commonest symptoms included productive cough and fever [31(41.9%) and 30(40.5%) respectively]. HIV positive male patients were presenting in hyperdynamic state (mean pulse rate of 117.2 ± 32.4 per min). Other findings included signs of multi-organ involvement [hypoalbuminemia 9(12.2%), deranged renal function 8(10.8%) and deranged liver enzymes 9(12.2%)] before mortality occurred.The spectrum of clinical presentations among in-patients with TB in a tertiary hospital include the following; male gender, age younger than 50 years, being HIV positive, residing in a high-density residential area and presenting with unstable hemodynamics. There is a need to focus strategies targeted at strengthening early recognition of clinical instability among admitted TB patients for at-risk populations, including young to middle aged males who are HIV positive.
Time-varying habitat selection analysis: a model and applications for studying diel, seasonal and post-release changes
Authors: Dejeante Romain , Valeix Marion , Chamaillé-Jammes Simon 
Published: January 2023

AbstractResource selection functions are commonly employed to evaluate animals’ habitat selection, e.g. the disproportionate use of habitats relative to their availability. While environmental conditions or animal motivations may vary over time, sometimes in an unknown manner, studying changes in habitat selection usually requiresa prioritime discretization. This limits our ability to precisely answer the question ‘when is an animal’s habitat selection changing?’. Here, we present a straightforward and flexible alternative approach based on fitting dynamic logistic models to used/available data. First, using simulated dataset, we demonstrate that dynamic logistic models performed well to recover temporal variations in habitat selection. We then show real-world applications for studying diel, seasonal, and post-release changes in habitat selection of blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus). Finally, we provide the relevant R scripts to facilitate the adoption of the method by ecologists. Dynamic logistic models allow to study temporal changes in habitat selection in a framework consistent with resource selection functions, but without the need to discretize time, which can be a difficult task when little is known about the process studied, or may obscure inter-individual variability in timing of change. These models should undoubtedly find their place in the movement ecology toolbox.