bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Needle and syringe programs for reducing blood-borne diseases among people who inject drugs in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Kweyu Kevin Zepwa , Owuor Rosebenter Awuor , Mwita Clifford C. 
Published: August 2022

ABSTRACT

Objective:
This review will identify, explore, and map the literature on the characteristics and implementation modalities of needle and syringe programs for reducing blood-borne diseases among people who inject drugs in sub-Saharan Africa compared with the recommended standards by the World Health Organization and AIDS Projects Management Group.

Introduction:
Sub-Saharan Africa bears a disproportionate burden of infectious diseases and HIV/AIDS. Needle and syringe programs have been shown to be effective in preventing transmission of infections among those who inject drugs by providing them with sterile injection equipment. The programs may also serve as avenues for addressing other issues that affect this population.

Inclusion criteria:
This review will consider published and unpublished studies on needle and syringe programs as a method of preventing blood-borne infections among people who inject drugs in sub-Saharan Africa. The review will consider quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods study designs, as well as systematic reviews and text and opinion papers.

Methods:
The electronic databases to be searched include MEDLINE, African Journals Online, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and TRoPHI. We will also search sources of unpublished studies and gray literature (conference abstracts, theses, etc). The search will be restricted to studies in English, with no date limit. Data extraction will be done by two independent reviewers, guided by an extraction tool developed by the reviewers. Key information, such as author, reference, and findings relevant to the review questions, will be obtained. The results will be presented as graphs, figures, and tables accompanied by a narrative summary.
Clinical outcomes of microvascular clipping compared to endovascular coiling for ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysms: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Nowicki Jake , Harding Marguerite , Aromataris Edoardo 
Published: August 2022

ABSTRACT

Objective:
This review will evaluate the effectiveness of microsurgical clipping versus endovascular treatment of ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysms in adults.

Introduction:
Subarachnoid hemorrhage secondary to anterior communicating artery aneurysm rupture is a catastrophic event leading to significant neurological morbidity and mortality. The clinical outcomes of microsurgical clipping versus endovascular coiling have been reported in systematic reviews for other intracranial aneurysm locations, including middle cerebral artery and posterior communicating artery aneurysms. A systematic review is necessary to evaluate the functional, angiographic, and safety outcomes of endovascular management versus microsurgical clipping for treatment guidance.

Inclusion criteria:
Patients aged 18 years and over with a ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm will be included. Patients may have intracranial aneurysms in other locations; however, they will only be included if a ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm has occurred and only if that aneurysm has been treated. Interventions of interest are microsurgical clipping compared to endovascular treatment.

Methods:
The following databases will be searched: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Experimental, quasi-experimental, and analytical observational studies will be considered. Studies in all languages will be included if they can be translated. Two independent reviewers will retrieve and assess relevant studies using JBI's standardized critical appraisal instruments. Extracted data will include Glasgow Outcome Scale/Modified Rankin Score, angiographic occlusion, aneurysm recurrence, intra-operative thromboembolic event rates, post-operative complications, and post-operative aneurysm recurrence rates. Studies will, where possible, be pooled using statistical meta-analysis. Outcomes assessed will include functional status, angiographic occlusion rates, incidence of aneurysm recurrence, and safety of treatment.
Barriers and facilitators to attending dental care appointments among adults in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Karuveettil Vineetha , Sapna Swati , Jain Praneetha , Samad Fozia 
Published: August 2022

ABSTRACT

Objective:
The objective of this scoping review is to identify the barriers and facilitators to attending dental care appointments among adults in low- and middle-income countries.

Introduction:
Missed dental appointments are a well-recognized problem in dental care, widely contributing to adverse health care outcomes. Patients’ adherence to dental appointments plays a vital role in improving and maintaining oral health. This scoping review will identify and synthesize barriers and facilitators that influence adults in keeping dental appointments.

Inclusion criteria:
Studies focusing on barriers and facilitators to dental appointment attendance among adults will be included. The study will include public, private, and university-based dental clinical settings and will be limited to low- and middle-income countries. There will be no restrictions on the source of evidence (primary studies or text/opinion studies) or study design (qualitative or quantitative studies).

Methods:
The review will follow the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. Studies will be searched in MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Dentistry and Oral Sciences Source, and Scopus. Databases will be searched from inception until the present. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, OAIster, International Association for Dental Research conference abstracts, and Google Scholar will be searched for unpublished studies. Study screening will be performed by two reviewers, and data extraction will be done using a customized data extraction form. Barriers and facilitators will be categorized based on the Theoretical Domains Framework. The tabulated data and figures will be accompanied by a narrative summary of barriers and facilitators to attending dental care appointments, which may be used to guide further research.

Scoping review protocol registration:
Open Science Framework osf.io/mny8h
Microbiota Sampling Capsule: Design, Prototyping and Assessment of a Sealing Solution Based on a Bistable Mechanism
Authors: Ben Salem Mouna , Aiche Guillaume , Haddab Yassine , Rubbert Lennart , Renaud Pierre 
Published: August 2022

Abstract
The objective of the present work is to allow noninvasive sampling of microbiota, until now, surgery is still needed to collect intestinal liquid samples. Given the recent developments of endoscopic capsules and their added value for the diagnosis and the treatment of gastrointestinal pathologies, the paper is focused on the design of a microbiota sampling capsule. The device has to offer an efficient collection of intestinal liquid and at the same time to protect it from any contamination as the device navigates out of the human body. To ensure this and safety at the same time, a passive capsule is developed based on a bistable mechanical structure actuated by an expanding foam that itself collects the intestinal fluid. The device is developed using additive manufacturing. It is shown that the process is compatible with the production of the complete capsule with biocompatible material, while ensuring the presence of bistability for capsule closing. In-vitro trials validate the operating mode of the capsule. This work represents a significant step toward the creation of simple and yet efficient tools to better understand microbiota impact and future pathology detection.
Inpatient palliative care use by patients with sickle cell disease: a retrospective cross-sectional study
Authors: Nwogu-Onyemkpa Eberechi , Dongarwar Deepa , Salihu Hamisu M , Akpati Lois , Marroquin Maricarmen , Abadom Megan , Naik Aanand D 
Published: August 2022

ObjectiveSickle cell disease (SCD) is a highly morbid condition notable for recurrent hospitalisations due to vaso-occlusive crises and complications of end organ damage. Little is known about the use of inpatient palliative care services in adult patients with SCD. This study aims to evaluate inpatient palliative care use during SCD-related hospitalisations overall and during terminal hospitalisations. We hypothesise that use of palliative care is low in SCD hospitalisations.DesignA retrospective cross-sectional study using data from the National Inpatient Sample from 2008 to 2017 was conducted.SettingUS hospitals from 47 states and the District of Columbia.ParticipantsPatients >18 years old hospitalised with a primary or secondary International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) or ICD-10-CM diagnosis of SCD were included.Primary and secondary outcome measuresPalliative care service use (documented by ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes V66.7 and Z51.5).Results987 555 SCD-related hospitalisations were identified, of which 4442 (0.45%) received palliative care service. Palliative care service use increased at a rate of 9.2% per year (95% CI 5.6 to 12.9). NH-black and Hispanic patients were 33% and 53% less likely to have palliative care services compared with NH-white patients (OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.45 to 0.99 and OR 0.47; 95% CI 0.26 to 0.84). Female patients (OR 0.40; 95% CI 0.21 to 0.76), Medicaid use (OR 0.40; 95% CI 0.21 to 0.78), rural (OR 0.47; 95% CI 0.28 to 0.79) and urban non-teaching hospitals (OR 0.61; 95% CI 0.47 to 0.80) each had a lower likelihood of palliative care services use.ConclusionUse of palliative care during SCD-related hospitalisations is increasing but remains low. Disparities associated with race and gender exist for use of palliative care services during SCD-related hospitalisation. Further studies are needed to guide evidence-based palliative care interventions for more comprehensive and equitable care of adult patients with SCD.
Long-term spill-over impact of COVID-19 on health and healthcare of people with non-communicable diseases: a study protocol for a population-based cohort and health economic study
Authors: Youn Hin Moi , Quan Jianchao , Mak Ivy Lynn , Yu Esther Yee Tak , Lau Chak Sing , Ip Mary Sau Man , Tang Sydney Chi Wai , Wong Ian Chi Kei , Lau Kui Kai , Lee Michael Shing Fung , Ng Carmen S , Grépin Karen Ann , Chao David Vai Kiong , Ko Welchie Wai Kit , Lam Cindy Lo Kuen , Wan Eric Yuk Fai 
Published: August 2022

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has a significant spill-over effect on people with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) over the long term, beyond the direct effect of COVID-19 infection. Evaluating changes in health outcomes, health service use and costs can provide evidence to optimise care for people with NCDs during and after the pandemic, and to better prepare outbreak responses in the future.Methods and analysisThis is a population-based cohort study using electronic health records of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HA) CMS, economic modelling and serial cross-sectional surveys on health service use. This study includes people aged ≥18 years who have a documented diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease or chronic kidney disease with at least one attendance at the HA hospital or clinic between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2019, and without COVID-19 infection. Changes in all-cause mortality, disease-specific outcomes, and health services use rates and costs will be assessed between pre-COVID-19 and-post-COVID-19 pandemic or during each wave using an interrupted time series analysis. The long-term health economic impact of healthcare disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic will be studied using microsimulation modelling. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression and Poisson/negative binomial regression will be used to evaluate the effect of different modes of supplementary care on health outcomes.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the institutional review board of the University of Hong Kong, the HA Hong Kong West Cluster (reference number UW 21–297). The study findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and international conferences.
Peripheral blood T-cell subset and its clinical significance in lupus nephritis patients
Authors: Wang Huijing , Lan Lan , Chen Jianghua , Xiao Liang , Han Fei 
Published: August 2022

ObjectivesLupus nephritis (LN) is a common and severe manifestation of SLE. Memory T (TM) cells have been implicated in the pathogenesis of SLE. This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of T-cell subsets in a cohort of patients with LN.MethodThe peripheral blood T cells of 24 patients with LN and 13 patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy (iMN) were analysed by flow cytometry. SLE disease activity was evaluated by SLE Disease Activity Index-2000 (SLEDAI-2K). Patients with LN were followed up for >6 months.ResultsPatients with LN presented lower frequency of CD4+cells and higher percentage of CD8+cells than patients with iMN, which was primarily due to lower CD4+cell count. Interestingly, patients with LN under immunosuppressants had lower CD8+CD45RO+TM frequency (p=0.007), fewer regulatory CD4+T cells (p=0.04) than those without immunosuppressants. Most CD4+and CD8+TM cells in patients with LN showed an effector memory (CD45RO+CCR7+) phenotype. The frequency of CD8+CD45RO+TM cells among the CD8+T cells was negatively correlated with white blood cell count, haemoglobin, platelet and serum levels of complements C3 and C4, but was positively correlated with serum IgG, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and SLEDAI score (p<0.05 each). Consistently, the frequency of CD8+CD45RO+TM cells was higher in patients with LN with positive antidouble-stranded DNA antibody, active renal disease, extrarenal manifestations and with sclerotic glomeruli or moderate-to-severe mesangial hypercellularity in renal pathology (p<0.05). Additionally, CD8+CD45RO+TM cell frequency was significantly lower in patients with LN with renal complete remission than that in non-remission LN (18.7% vs 31.2%, p<0.05). None of these significant correlations was observed in CD4+TM cells.ConclusionThe frequency of CD8+TM cells correlates with disease activity and treatment response to immunosuppressant in patients with LN. CD8+TM monitoring in patients with LN could provide more helpful indices for the monitoring and management of this disease.
Predictors of increase in chronicity index and of kidney function impairment at repeat biopsy in lupus nephritis
Authors: Moroni Gabriella , Porata Giulia , Raffiotta Francesca , Frontini Giulia , Calatroni Marta , Reggiani Francesco , Banfi Giovanni , Ponticelli Claudio 
Published: August 2022

ObjectivesBased on available data, the histological predictors of long-term outcome of lupus nephritis (LN) are not clearly defined. Aims of this retrospective study were: (i) to evaluate the change of chronicity index from the first to second kidney biopsy and to find the predictors of chronicity index increase and (ii) to detect the clinical/histological features at first and at second kidney biopsy associated with long-term kidney function impairment.MethodsAmong 203 biopsy proven LN subjects, 61 repeated kidney biopsy 49 months after the first biopsy. The reasons for repeated biopsy were: nephritic flares in 25 (41%), proteinuric flares in 21 (36%) of patients and protocol biopsy in 14 (23%) of cases.ResultsDuring 23-year follow-up, 25 patients presented a decrease in glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥30%. At repeat biopsy, chronicity index increased in 44 participants (72%) and did not increase in 17 (28%). Nephritic syndrome and serum creatinine >1.6 mg/dL at presentation correlated with chronicity index increase (p=0.031, 0.027, respectively), cyclophosphamide therapy tended to protect against chronicity index increase (p=0.059). Kidney flares occurred in 53.6% of patients with vs 23.5% of those without chronicity index increase (p=0.035). Chronicity index increases of 3.5 points in patients with kidney flares vs 2 in those without flares (p=0.001). At second, but not at first kidney biopsy, two different models predicted eGFR decrease at multivariate analysis. The first included activity index >3 (OR: 3.230; p=0.013) and chronicity index >4 (OR: 2.905; p=0.010), and the second model included moderate/severe cellular/fibrocellular crescents (OR: 4.207; p=0.010) and interstitial fibrosis (OR: 2.525; p=0.025).ConclusionAt second biopsy, chronicity index increased in 3/4 of participants. Its increase was predicted by kidney dysfunction at presentation and occurrence of LN flares. Kidney function impairment was predicted by both activity and chronicity index and by some of their components at repeated biopsy, but not at first biopsy.
Parallel Five-cycle Counting Algorithms
Authors: Shi Jessica , Huang Louisa Ruixue , Shun Julian 
Published: August 2022

Counting the frequency of subgraphs in large networks is a classic research question that reveals the underlying substructures of these networks for important applications. However, subgraph counting is a challenging problem, even for subgraph sizes as small as five, due to the combinatorial explosion in the number of possible occurrences. This article focuses on the five-cycle, which is an important special case of five-vertex subgraph counting and one of the most difficult to count efficiently.
We design two new parallel five-cycle counting algorithms and prove that they are work efficient and achieve polylogarithmic span. Both algorithms are based on computing low out-degree orientations, which enables the efficient computation of directed two-paths and three-paths, and the algorithms differ in the ways in which they use this orientation to eliminate double-counting. Additionally, we present new parallel algorithms for obtaining unbiased estimates of five-cycle counts using graph sparsification. We develop fast multicore implementations of the algorithms and propose a work scheduling optimization to improve their performance. Our experiments on a variety of real-world graphs using a 36-core machine with two-way hyper-threading show that our best exact parallel algorithm achieves 10–46× self-relative speedup, outperforms our serial benchmarks by 10–32×, and outperforms the previous state-of-the-art serial algorithm by up to 818×. Our best approximate algorithm, for a reasonable probability parameter, achieves up to 20× self-relative speedup and is able to approximate five-cycle counts 9–189× faster than our best exact algorithm, with between 0.52% and 11.77% error.
Targeting DNA Repair with Combined Inhibition of NHEJ and MMEJ Induces Synthetic Lethality in TP53-Mutant Cancers
Authors: Patterson-Fortin Jeffrey , Bose Arindam , Tsai Wei-Chih , Grochala Carter , Nguyen Huy , Zhou Jia , Parmar Kalindi , Lazaro Jean-Bernard , Liu Joyce , McQueen Kelsey , Shapiro Geoffrey I. , Kozono David , D'Andrea Alan D. 
Published: August 2022

Abstract

DNA repair pathway inhibitors are a new class of anticancer drugs that are advancing in clinical trials. Peposertib is an inhibitor of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), which is a key driver of nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ). To identify regulators of response to peposertib, we performed a genome-wide CRISPR knockout screen and found that loss of POLQ (polymerase theta, POLθ) and other genes in the microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ) pathway are key predictors of sensitivity to DNA-PK inhibition. Simultaneous disruption of two DNA repair pathways via combined treatment with peposertib plus a POLθ inhibitor novobiocin exhibited synergistic synthetic lethality resulting from accumulation of toxic levels of DNA double-strand break end resection. TP53-mutant tumor cells were resistant to peposertib but maintained elevated expression of POLQ and increased sensitivity to novobiocin. Consequently, the combination of peposertib plus novobiocin resulted in synthetic lethality in TP53-deficient tumor cell lines, organoid cultures, and patient-derived xenograft models. Thus, the combination of a targeted DNA-PK/NHEJ inhibitor with a targeted POLθ/MMEJ inhibitor may provide a rational treatment strategy for TP53-mutant solid tumors.

Significance:
Combined inhibition of NHEJ and MMEJ using two nontoxic, targeted DNA repair inhibitors can effectively induce toxic DNA damage to treat TP53-deficient cancers.
p53 Activation Paradoxically Causes Liver Cancer
Authors: Barton Michelle C. , Lozano Guillermina 
Published: August 2022

Activation of p53 regulates a transcriptional program that can cause cell cycle arrest, senescence, apoptosis, and ferroptosis, which are potent tumor suppressive mechanisms. Unexpectedly, Makino and colleagues show in this issue of Cancer Research that the constitutive activation of p53 in murine hepatocytes leads to tumor development. Detailed analyses indicate that p53 activation leads to loss of hepatocytes, increased expression of chemokines and humoral factors, and expansion of the hepatic progenitor cell population. These progenitor cells are highly proliferative, show chromosomal instability, and eventually transform. In chronic liver disease in humans, activation of p53 is associated with increased liver cancer development. This study highlights the complexity and non-cell autonomous nature of the physiologic p53 response.See related article by Makino et al., p. 2860
The Evolving Epidemiology of Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers
Authors: Chaturvedi Anil K. , Freedman Neal D. , Abnet Christian C. 
Published: August 2022

In 1988, Blot and colleagues reported results from a U.S. case–control study of oral cavity or pharyngeal (oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal) cancers, with results showing independent associations of smoking and alcohol with increased risk, multiplicative interaction effects between smoking and alcohol, and that nearly three-quarters of these cancers are attributable to smoking and alcohol. The report by Blot and colleagues represents a landmark in oropharyngeal cancer epidemiology. This study, the largest at the time, introduced several novel concepts in oropharyngeal cancer epidemiology that remain relevant today—etiologic heterogeneity, statistical interaction effects, adjusted attributable fractions, and disparities by sex and race/ethnicity. Perhaps the most significant recognition in the field since 1988 is the etiologic association of human papillomavirus (HPV, primarily HPV16) with cancers arising in the oropharynx. Today, more than 80% of oropharyngeal cancers in the United States are caused by HPV while only approximately 3% of oral cavity cancers are caused by HPV. This etiologic heterogeneity across head and cancer subsites revealed by HPV is manifest at the genetic/genomic, epidemiologic, and clinical levels. Tobacco and alcohol remain the major etiologic factors for oral cavity cancers while HPV is the major cause of oropharyngeal cancers. Thus, tobacco and alcohol control and prophylactic HPV vaccination remain the most promising prevention tools for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers at this time. Importantly, the ever-emerging alternative tobacco products, such as smokeless tobacco/snus, hookah and water pipes, e-cigarettes, flavored cigars and cigarillos, and oral dissolvable products, represent a key public health concern and the carcinogenic effects of these products remains an active area of investigation.
See related article by Blot and colleagues, Cancer Res 1988;48:3282–7