bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Seroprevalence of syphilis and its predictors among pregnant women in Buno Bedele zone, southwest Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Befekadu Biruk , Shuremu Muluneh , Zewdie Asrat 
Published: August 2022

ObjectivesThe study was aimed at assessing the prevalence of syphilis and associated factors among pregnant women with antenatal care follow-up.DesignA health facility-based, cross-sectional study.SettingThe study was conducted in 12 health facilities in Buno Bedele zone, southwest Ethiopia.ParticipantsRandomly selected 920 pregnant women who came to health facilities in the Buno Bedele zone for antenatal care services from May to August 2021 were included in the study. Women with previously diagnosed syphilis and those on treatment were excluded from the study.Outcome measuresBlood samples and data on sociodemographic and other risk factors for syphilis were collected. Sera were screened for syphilis using the one-step rapid syphilis diagnostic test kit, and positive tests were retested using the rapid plasma reagin test. Data were analysed using SPSS V.22. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify risk factors for maternal syphilis at a p value less than 0.05.ResultsThe prevalence of syphilis among pregnant women was found to be 1.4% (95% CI: 0.8% to 2.3%, p=0.002). Women with no formal education (adjusted OR (AOR)=3.6; 95% CI: 1.02 to 13.2, p=0.047), husbands with a history of substance use (AOR=3.3, 95% CI: 1.04 to 10.7, p=0.042), more than one antenatal care visit (AOR=3.5, 95% CI: 1.07 to 10.5, p=0.038), age at marriage under 18 years (AOR=4.3, 95% CI: 2.2 to 7.9, p=0.045) and a woman’s poor knowledge of syphilis (AOR=3.3, 95% CI: 1.04 to 10.4, p=0.042) were significantly associated with syphilis.ConclusionThe prevalence of maternal syphilis in this study area was found to be comparable with the national prevalence. Women’s educational status, husbands’ history of substance use, antenatal care, age at marriage and knowledge about syphilis were the independent predictors of syphilis. Emphasis shall be given to screening all pregnant women, education of women, lifestyle factors and avoiding early marriage.
Safety, tolerability and efficacy of agonist anti-CD27 antibody (varlilumab) administered in combination with anti-PD-1 (nivolumab) in advanced solid tumors
Authors: Sanborn Rachel E , Pishvaian Michael J , Callahan Margaret K , Weise Amy , Sikic Branimir I , Rahma Osama , Cho Daniel C , Rizvi Naiyer A , Sznol Mario , Lutzky Jose , Bauman Julie E , Bitting Rhonda L , Starodub Alexander , Jimeno Antonio , Reardon David A , Kaley Thomas , Iwamoto Fabio , Baehring Joachim M , Subramaniam Deepa S , Aragon-Ching Jeanny B , Hawthorne Thomas R , Rawls Tracey , Yellin Michael , Keler Tibor 
Published: August 2022

BackgroundPhase 1/2 dose-escalation and expansion study evaluating varlilumab, a fully human agonist anti-CD27 mAb, with nivolumab in anti-PD-1/L1 naïve, refractory solid tumors.MethodsPhase 1 evaluated the safety of varlilumab (0.1–10 mg/kg) with nivolumab (3 mg/kg) administered once every 2 weeks. Phase 2 evaluated varlilumab regimens (3 mg/kg once every 2 weeks, 3 mg/kg once every 12 weeks, and 0.3 mg/kg once every 4 weeks) with nivolumab 240 mg once every 2 weeks in tumor-specific cohorts. Primary objective was safety; key clinical endpoints included objective response rate (ORR) and overall survival rate at 12 months (OS12) (glioblastoma (GBM) only). Exploratory objectives included determination of effects on peripheral blood and intratumoral immune signatures.Results175 patients were enrolled (36 in phase 1 and 139 in phase 2). Phase 1 dose-escalation proceeded to the highest varlilumab dose level without determining a maximum tolerated dose. In phase 2, ORR were ovarian 12.5%, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck 12.5%, colorectal cancer 5%, and renal cell carcinoma 0%; GBM OS12 was 40.9%. Increased tumor PD-L1 and intratumoral T cell infiltration were observed in ovarian cancer patients, with increases of ≥5% associated with better progression-free survival. The most common treatment related adverse events were fatigue (18%), pruritus (16%), and rash (15%).ConclusionVarlilumab and nivolumab were well tolerated, without significant toxicity beyond that expected for each agent alone. Clinical activity was observed in patients that are typically refractory to anti-PD-1 therapy, however, overall was not greater than expected for nivolumab monotherapy. Treatment was associated with proinflammatory changes in the tumor microenvironment, particularly in ovarian cancer where the changes were associated with better clinical outcomes.Trial registration numberNCT02335918.
Gender equity in academic rheumatology, current status and potential for improvement: a cross-sectional study to inform an EULAR task force
Authors: Ovseiko Pavel V , Gossec Laure , Andreoli Laura , Kiltz Uta , van Mens Leonieke , Hassan Neelam , van der Leeden Marike , Siddle Heidi J , Alunno Alessia , McInnes Iain B , Damjanov Nemanja S , Apparailly Florence , Ospelt Caroline , van der Horst-Bruinsma Irene E , Nikiphorou Elena , Druce Katie L , Szekanecz Zoltán , Sepriano Alexandre , Avcin Tadej , Bertsias George , Schett Georg , Keenan Anne-Maree , Pololi Linda H , Coates Laura C 
Published: August 2022

ObjectivesEvidence on the current status of gender equity in academic rheumatology in Europe and potential for its improvement is limited. The EULAR convened a task force to obtain empirical evidence on the potential unmet need for support of female rheumatologists, health professionals and non-clinical scientists in academic rheumatology.MethodsThis cross-sectional study comprised three web-based surveys conducted in 2020 among: (1) EULAR scientific member society leaders, (2) EULAR and Emerging EULAR Network (EMEUNET) members and (3) EULAR Council members. Statistics were descriptive with significance testing for male/female responses assessed by χ2 test and t-test.ResultsData from EULAR scientific member societies in 13 countries indicated that there were disproportionately fewer women in academic rheumatology than in clinical rheumatology, and they tended to be under-represented in senior academic roles. From 324 responses of EULAR and EMEUNET members (24 countries), we detected no gender differences in leadership aspirations, self-efficacy in career advancement and work–life integration as well as the share of time spent on research, but there were gender differences in working hours and the levels of perceived gender discrimination and sexual harassment. There were gender differences in the ranking of 7 of 26 factors impacting career advancement and of 8 of 24 potential interventions to aid career advancement.ConclusionsThere are gender differences in career advancement in academic rheumatology. The study informs a EULAR task force developing a framework of potential interventions to accelerate gender-equitable career advancement in academic rheumatology.
Analysis and evaluation of different sequencing depths from 5 to 20 million reads in shotgun metagenomic sequencing, with optimal minimum depth being recommended
Authors: Liu Jin , Wang Xiaokai , Xie Hailiang , Zhong Qinghua , Xia Yan 
Published: August 2022

Our study was to analyze and evaluate the impact of different shotgun metagenomic sequencing depths from 5 to 20 million in metagenome-wide association studies (MWASs), and to determine the optimal minimum sequencing depth. We included a set of 200 previously published gut microbial shotgun metagenomic sequencing data on obesity (100 obese vs. 100 non-obese). The reads with original sequencing depths >20 million were downsized into seven experimental groups with depths from 5 to 20 million (interval 2.5 million). Using both integrated gene cluster (IGC) and metagenomic phylogenetic analysis 2 (MetaPhlAn2), we obtained and analyzed the read matching rates, gene count, species richness and abundance, diversity, and clinical biomarkers of the experimental groups with the original depth as the control group. An additional set of 100 published data from a colorectal cancer (CRC) study was included for validation (50 CRC vs. 50 CRC-free). Our results showed that more genes and species were identified following the increase in sequencing depths. When it reached 15 million or higher, the species richness became more stable with changing rate of 5% or lower, and the species composition more stable with ICC intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) higher than 0.75. In terms of species abundance, 81% and 97% of species showed significant differences in IGC and MetaPhlAn2 among all groups with p < 0.05. Diversity showed significant differences across all groups, with decreasing differences of diversity between the experimental and the control groups following the increase in sequencing depth. The area under a receiver operating characteristic curve, AUC, of the obesity classifier for running the obesity testing samples showed an increasing trend following the increase in sequencing depth ( τ = 0.29). The validation results were consistent with the above results. Our study found that the higher the sequencing depth is, the more the microbial information in structure and composition it provides. We also found that when sequencing depth was 15 million or higher, we obtained more stable species compositions and disease classifiers with good performance. Therefore, we recommend 15 million as the optimal minimum sequencing depth for an MWAS.
Criteria for the absolutely continuous spectral components of matrix-valued Jacobi operators
Authors: Oliveira Fabrício Vieira , de Carvalho Silas Luiz 
Published: August 2022

We extend in this work the Jitomirskaya–Last inequality [Power-law subordinacy and singular spectra i. Half-line operators, Acta Math. 183 (1999) 171–189] and Last and Simon [Eigenfunctions, transfer matrices, and absolutely continuous spectrum of one-dimensional Schrödinger operators, Invent. Math. 135 (1999) 329–367] criterion for the absolutely continuous spectral component of a half-line Schrödinger operator to the special class of matrix-valued Jacobi operators [Formula: see text] given by the law [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] are bilateral sequences of [Formula: see text] self-adjoint matrices such that [Formula: see text] (here, [Formula: see text] stands for the [Formula: see text]th singular value of [Formula: see text]). Moreover, we also show that the absolutely continuous components of even multiplicity of minimal dynamically defined matrix-valued Jacobi operators are constant, extending another result from Last and Simon [Eigenfunctions, transfer matrices, and absolutely continuous spectrum of one-dimensional Schrödinger operators, Invent. Math. 135 (1999) 329–367] originally proven for scalar Schrödinger operators.
Private Finance of Public Infrastructure
Authors: Engel Eduardo , Fischer Ronald , Galetovic Alexander 
Published: August 2022

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have emerged as an organizational form to provide public infrastructure. A key characteristic of PPPs is that private investors participate directly in individual infrastructure projects. The advantage of private finance is that it may improve incentives. However, private finance typically neither frees public funds nor enlarges the pool of viable projects.Private finance improves risk allocation if exogenous demand risk is assigned to the public, while endogenous risks are assigned to the private parties (PPPs and financiers), which provides strong incentives for efficiency. When funding for the project relies on user fees, variable term contracts can allocate risks efficiently, in contrast to allocation under fixed term contracts.The exploration of alternative financial contracts that allocate endogenous risks to private parties and determination of the optimal allocation of these risks among borrowers and lenders are potentially fruitful areas for future research. This line of research is probably relevant beyond infrastructure finance.
Effectiveness of a Community Health Worker-Led Intervention on Knowledge, Perception, and Prostate Cancer Screening among Men in Rural Kenya
Authors: Mbugua Ruth Gathoni , Karanja Simon , Oluchina Sherry 
Published: August 2022

Background. Globally, an increase in mortality from prostate cancer (PC) remains a big challenge with disparities existing with a slight preponderance among men in low and middle-income countries. Prostate cancer is a leading cause of mortality among men in sub-Saharan Africa. In Kenya, despite the majority of men presenting with advanced prostate cancer for treatment, knowledge and screening for prostate cancer is low. The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a community health worker-led education intervention on knowledge, perception, and PC screening. Methods. This was a quasiexperimental study among Kenyan men aged 40–69 years. The intervention site was Gatundu North subcounty and the control site was Kiambu subcounty in Kiambu County. Stratified random sampling was applied to select 288 respondents per arm of the study. We used a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire to collect data at baseline and 6 months postintervention. Pearson’s chi-square test was used for data analysis. Results. Awareness of prostate cancer significantly increased postintervention

P
<
0.05

. The proportion of respondents who had good knowledge of prostate cancer increased significantly from 49% to 76.4%

P
<
0.05

in the intervention arm. The proportion of respondents with a high perception of self-vulnerability increased significantly from 26% to 42.1%

P
<
0.05

. The proportion of men who had undergone PC screening significantly increased from 4.5% to 20.4%

P
<
0.05

in the intervention arm. In postintervention, there was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of men screened for prostate cancer in the intervention and control arm

P
<
0.05

. Conclusion. Health education by community health workers during household visits increased awareness and knowledge, perception, and uptake of PC screening. Utilization of community health worker delivered education is an effective strategy that requires to be adopted to enhance screening.
Effective Tumor Debulking with Ibrutinib Before Initiation of Venetoclax: Results from the CAPTIVATE Minimal Residual Disease and Fixed-Duration Cohorts
Authors: Barr Paul M. , Tedeschi Alessandra , Wierda William G. , Allan John N. , Ghia Paolo , Vallisa Daniele , Jacobs Ryan , O'Brien Susan , Grigg Andrew P. , Walker Patricia , Zhou Cathy , Ninomoto Joi , Krigsfeld Gabriel , Tam Constantine S. 
Published: August 2022

Abstract

Purpose:
The phase II CAPTIVATE study investigated first-line treatment with ibrutinib plus venetoclax for chronic lymphocytic leukemia in two cohorts: minimal residual disease (MRD)-guided randomized treatment discontinuation (MRD cohort) and fixed duration (FD cohort). We report tumor debulking and tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) risk category reduction with three cycles of single-agent ibrutinib lead-in before initiation of venetoclax using pooled data from the MRD and FD cohorts.

Patients and Methods:
In both cohorts, patients initially received three cycles of ibrutinib 420 mg/day then 12 cycles of ibrutinib plus venetoclax (5-week ramp-up to 400 mg/day).

Results:
In the total population (N = 323), the following decreases from baseline to after ibrutinib lead-in were observed: percentage of patients with a lymph node diameter ≥5 cm decreased from 31% to 4%, with absolute lymphocyte count ≥25 × 109/L from 76% to 65%, with high tumor burden category for TLS risk from 23% to 2%, and with an indication for hospitalization (high TLS risk, or medium TLS risk and creatinine clearance &lt;80 mL/minute) from 43% to 18%. Laboratory TLS per Howard criteria occurred in one patient; no clinical TLS was observed.

Conclusions:
Three cycles of ibrutinib lead-in before venetoclax initiation provides effective tumor debulking, decreases the TLS risk category and reduces the need for hospitalization for intensive monitoring for TLS.
COVID-19 vaccine compliance in adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Shkalim Zemer Vered , Hoshen Moshe , Gerstein Maya , Richenberg Yael , Jacobson Eyal , Grossu Roy , Cohen Moriya , Cohen Herman Avner 
Published: August 2022

Objective To compare the rate of the administration of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccinations between adolescents diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and non-ADHD subjects. Method A retrospective chart review was performed on all adolescents aged 12–17 years registered at a central district in Israel from January 1st 2021 to October 31st 2021. Results Of the 46,544 subjects included in the study, 8241 (17.7%) were diagnosed with ADHD. Of them, 3% were PCR-COVID-19 positive. Among the patients with ADHD, the older adolescents were more likely to be vaccinated: 48.8% of those aged 12-15 years were vaccinated versus 59.6% of patients aged 16-17 years. The ultra-orthodox Jewish and Arab adolescents in the ADHD group were far less likely to be vaccinated (22.9% and 34.6%, respectively), compared to the adolescents with ADHD in the general population (60.5%). Girls were also somewhat more likely to be vaccinated. Conclusions Adolescents diagnosed with ADHD had a higher COVID-19 vaccination rate compared to their non-ADHD counterparts. The vaccine uptake was lower amongst Arab and ultra-orthodox Jewish populations.
Preferred music lowers anxiety levels and pain perception while promoting patient satisfaction in women undergoing ultrasound-guided breast biopsy: randomized controlled study
Authors: Öztürk Funda Ulu , Turnaoğlu Hale , Uslu Nihal 
Published: August 2022

BackgroundImage-guided breast biopsies are well accepted, yet stressful procedures for patients in radiology clinics.PurposeTo investigate the effect of music on anxiety, pain, and patient satisfaction related to a breast biopsy session.Material and MethodsAfter approval of institutional review board and giving informed consent, 93 women scheduled for ultrasound-guided breast biopsy or stereotactic wire localization were prospectively enrolled in this randomized controlled study. Patients were referred into two groups either listening to music of their own choice from three options of genre list during the procedure or not. Immediately before and after the biopsy session, participants were asked to complete questionnaires for measuring anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory), pain, and patient satisfaction (visual analog scale). Sociodemographic data were described, and the duration was noted at the end. Statistical analysis was made using paired samples t-test, chi-square test, independent samples t-test, and Mann–Whitney U test.ResultsExcept for the duration, demographic characteristics were statistically similar between the two groups. Trait and preprocedural state anxiety scores did not have significant difference between the groups. Both groups showed lowered state anxiety values after the biopsy ( P < 0.05) and there was statistically significant reduction in state anxiety levels of music group (10.35 ± 7.5 music vs. 7 ± 7.98 control; P = 0.024). Pain perception was fewer ( P < 0.05) and patient satisfaction was greater ( P < 0.05) through the implementation of music.ConclusionMusic intervention reduces anxiety and pain and thereby increases patient satisfaction during ultrasound-guided breast biopsies.
Shear wave elastography in the characterization of renal cell carcinoma and angiomyolipoma
Authors: Keskin Zeynep , Keskin Suat 
Published: August 2022

Background Detection and characterization of renal lesions are common in daily clinical practice. Purpose To investigate the effectiveness of shear wave elastography (SWE), a novel radiological examination technique, in the characterization of renal masses. Material and Methods The study included a total of 68 patients (33 men, 35 women; mean age = 57.71 ± 12.08 years; age range = 19–83 years) who underwent SWE. SWE measurements were obtained at depths of 2–8 cm from the probe surface in two different positions from an analysis window of approximately 0.5 × 1.0 cm on ultrasound. The cutoff SWE was calculated for the differentiation of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and angiomyolipoma (AML) by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. When the result was statistically significant, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values of the test were calculated. Results Mass-to-parenchyma SWE ratios of RCCs were significantly higher than those of AMLs ( P = 0.003). In ROC curve analysis, the SWE cutoff was 1.215 m/s to differentiate RCCs from AMLs. The area under the ROC curve was calculated as 0.74 (95% CI = 0.610–0.871, sensitivity = 70.7%, specificity = 70.6%, positive predictive value = 87.8%, negative predictive value = 44.4%). Conclusion The SWE technique is increasingly used and may be useful in distinguishing RCC and AML lesions, and especially clear cell and non-clear cell RCCs.
Prevalence, characteristics and risk factors of diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Jordan: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Roto Allaa , Farah Randa , Al-imam Mahmood , Q. Al-Sabbagh Mohammed , Abu-Yaghi Nakhleh 
Published: August 2022

Objectives To measure the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes, to define their characteristics, and identify the associated risk factors. Methods We performed a cross sectional study of 1316 adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who attended an ophthalmology clinic. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were analyzed. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) was diagnosed using a complete ophthalmic evaluation, including a fundic examination. Two regression models were constructed to identify the risk factors associated with DR and the parameters associated with the stage of retinopathy. Results Men accounted for 774 (58.8%) of the participants. The prevalence of DR was 28.2% (371 participants). DR was significantly more common in participants who were ≥60 years old, were women, had had diabetes for >10 years, were taking insulin, were not taking metformin, had a body mass index >30 kg/m2, were current smokers, or had a history of hypertension. Advanced stages of DR were more common in participants in the later stages of nephropathy and with albuminuria. Conclusions Poor glycemic control, smoking, and advanced diabetic kidney disease are most closely associated with retinopathy. Further longitudinal studies are necessary to identify the mechanisms underlying these relationships and to guide community-based interventions.
The sialodynamic test: A preliminary porcine head study
Authors: Dang Luong Huu , Chen Yen-Chun , Tseng How , Su Chin-Hui , Hung Shih-Han 
Published: August 2022

Objectives To provide a concept of measuring pressure changes under constant fluid infusion for the diagnosis of sialolithiasis, termed the sialodynamic test, in a porcine head model. Methods Using a porcine head model, a constant infusion of water into the submandibular gland of the two groups over 30 s was performed and the outlet pressure was measured. Metal beads were inserted into the salivary duct for obstruction simulation after the normal submandibular gland sialodynamic measurements were completed. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the differences between the measured individuals and the experimental group ( n = 3). Results The results showed no significant difference between individuals in the control group, but intergroup variation was noted in the simulated sialolithiasis group. The volume-dependent linear increase in pressure was exacerbated in the simulated sialolithiasis group compared with the control. Conclusion This study indicated that evaluating the relationship between pressure and volume changes can help to determine whether stones are present in the submandibular gland. The sialodynamic test might serve as a potential diagnostic method for salivary diseases.