bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The role of renal resistive index as a prognostic tool in kidney transplantation: a systematic review
Authors: Azzouz Safaa , Chen Anjellica , Ekmekjian Taline , Cantarovich Marcelo , Baran Dana , Sandal Shaifali 
Published: April 2022

ABSTRACT

Background
In kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), observational data have reported conflicting findings about the utility of renal resistive index (RRI) in determining outcomes. This study aimed to synthesize the current literature and determine the prognostic role of RRI in KTRs.

Methods
The authors conducted a systematic review to assess the role of RRI in predicting death, graft failure, graft function and proteinuria. Of the 934 titles/abstracts reviewed, 26 studies were included. There was significant heterogeneity in RRI measurements and thresholds as well as in analytical methods, and a meta-analysis could not be performed.

Results
All included studies were observational and included 7049 KTRs. Eight studies analyzed death, of which five reported a significant association with higher RRI. In the remaining three, small sample sizes and lower/multiple RRI thresholds may have limited detection of a statistically significant difference. Three studies investigated all-cause graft failure, and an association with RRI was reported but varied by time of RRI measurement. Three out of five studies that analyzed a composite of patient and graft outcomes reported an association with RRI. Evidence analyzing death-censored graft failure, graft failure (unclear whether death-censored or all-cause), measures of graft function and proteinuria was conflicting. Most studies had a moderate to high risk of bias.

Conclusions
RRI likely has a prognostic role in predicting patient outcomes, reflecting patient systemic vascular disease burden rather than graft hemodynamics. Since cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of death and graft loss, RRI may be explored as a noninvasive tool to risk-stratify KTRs.
Glioma and the gut–brain axis: opportunities and future perspectives
Authors: Dono Antonio , Nickles Jack , Rodriguez-Armendariz Ana G , McFarland Braden C , Ajami Nadim J , Ballester Leomar Y , Wargo Jennifer A , Esquenazi Yoshua 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
The gut–brain axis has presented a valuable new dynamic in the treatment of cancer and central nervous system (CNS) diseases. However, little is known about the potential role of this axis in neuro-oncology. The goal of this review is to highlight potential implications of the gut–brain axis in neuro-oncology, in particular gliomas, and future areas of research. The gut–brain axis is a well-established biochemical signaling axis that has been associated with various CNS diseases. In neuro-oncology, recent studies have described gut microbiome differences in tumor-bearing mice and glioma patients compared to controls. These differences in the composition of the microbiome are expected to impact the metabolic functionality of each microbiome. The effects of antibiotics on the microbiome may affect tumor growth and modulate the immune system in tumor-bearing mice. Preliminary studies have shown that the gut microbiome might influence PD-L1 response in glioma-bearing mice, as previously observed in other non-CNS cancers. Groundbreaking studies have identified intratumoral bacterial DNA in several cancers including high-grade glioma. The gut microbiome and its manipulation represent a new and relatively unexplored area that could be utilized to enhance the effectiveness of therapy in glioma. Further mechanistic studies of this therapeutic strategy are needed to assess its clinical relevance.
Pediatric pineoblastoma: A pooled outcome study of North American and Australian therapeutic data
Authors: Hansford Jordan R , Huang Jie , Endersby Raelene , Dodgshun Andrew J , Li Bryan K , Hwang Eugene , Leary Sarah , Gajjar Amar , Von Hoff Katja , Wells Olivia , Wray Alison , Kotecha Rishi S , Raleigh David R , Stoller Schuyler , Mueller Sabine , Schild Steven E , Bandopadhayay Pratiti , Fouladi Maryam , Bouffet Eric , Huang Annie , Onar-Thomas Arzu , Gottardo Nicholas G 
Published: April 2022

Abstract

Background
Pineoblastoma is a rare brain tumor usually diagnosed in children. Given its rarity, no pineoblastoma-specific trials have been conducted. Studies have included pineoblastoma accruing for other embryonal tumors over the past 30 years. These included only occasional children with pineoblastoma, making clinical features difficult to interpret and determinants of outcome difficult to ascertain.

Patients and Methods
Centrally or independently reviewed series with treatment and survival data from North American and Australian cases were pooled. To investigate associations between variables, Fisher’s exact tests, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests, and Spearman correlations were used. Kaplan-Meier plots, log-rank tests, and Cox proportional hazards models were used in survival analyses.

Results
We describe a pooled cohort of 178 pineoblastoma cases from Children’s Oncology Group (n = 82) and institutional series (n = 96) over 30 years. Children &lt;3 years of age have significantly worse survival compared to older children, with 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) estimates of 13.5 ± 5.1% and 16.2 ± 5.3%, respectively, compared with 60.8 ± 5.6% and 67.3 ± 5.0% for ≥3 years old (both P &lt; .0001). Multivariable analysis showed male sex was associated with worse PFS in children &lt;3 years of age (hazard ratio [HR] 3.93, 95% CI 1.80-8.55; P = .0006), suggestive of sex-specific risks needing future validation. For children ≥3 years of age, disseminated disease at diagnosis was significantly associated with an inferior 5-year PFS of 39.2 ± 9.7% (HR 2.88, 95% CI 1.52-5.45; P = .0012) and 5-year OS of 49.8 ± 9.1% (HR 2.87, 95% CI 1.49-5.53; P = .0016).

Conclusion
Given the rarity of this tumor, prospective, collaborative international studies will be vital to improving the long-term survival of these patients.
Etiology-based dietary approach for managing hyperkalemia in people with chronic kidney disease
Authors: St-Jules David E , Fouque Denis 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Diet therapy for hyperkalemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is at a crossroads: many researchers and clinicians are no longer recommending the low-potassium diet, which has defined practice for the last half century, and instead are favoring a high-potassium, plant-rich diet. Central to this shift is the observation that reported dietary potassium intake is not associated with plasma potassium concentrations. However, kinetic studies using potassium salts indicate that people with CKD have impaired potassium tolerance that may make them susceptible to transient increases in plasma potassium levels from dietary potassium (postprandial hyperkalemia). Observational studies generally measure plasma potassium in the fasting state and before hemodialysis treatment, and therefore may not detect the acute effects of dietary potassium on plasma potassium concentrations. Differences between the acute and chronic effects of dietary potassium on plasma potassium levels may help explain clinical experiences and case studies attributing hyperkalemic episodes in patients with CKD to intakes of high-potassium foods despite their apparent lack of association. To reconcile these findings, an etiology-based approach to managing hyperkalemia is proposed in this review. The approach combines key elements of the low-potassium and plant-rich diets, and adds new features of meal planning to lower the risk of postprandial hyperkalemia.
Estimates of resting energy expenditure and total energy expenditure using predictive equations in adults with overweight and obesity: a systematic review with meta-analysis
Authors: Macena Mateus de Lima , Paula Déborah Tenório da Costa , da Silva Júnior André Eduardo , Praxedes Dafiny Rodrigues Silva , Pureza Isabele Rejane de Oliveira Maranhão , de Melo Ingrid Sofia Vieira , Bueno Nassib Bezerra 
Published: April 2022

AbstractContextEnergy expenditure predictive equations can generate inaccurate estimates for overweight or obese individuals.ObjectiveThe objective of this review was to determine which predictive equations for resting energy expenditure (REE) and total energy expenditure (TEE) have the lowest bias and the highest precision in adults with overweight and obesity.Data SourcesSearches were performed in January 2022 in MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, CENTRAL, and the gray literature databases.Data ExtractionMeta-analyses were performed with equations included in more than 1 study. The DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model and the I2 statistic were used to quantify heterogeneity in the quantitative analyses. The Egger test was performed to assess potential publication biases, and metaregressions were conducted to explore the heterogeneity. Findings were presented separated by participants’ body mass index classification (overweight and obesity).Data AnalysisSixty-one studies were included. The FAO/WHO/UNU (1985) equation, which uses only body weight in its formula, showed the lowest bias in estimating REE (mean difference [MD] = 8.97 kcal; 95% CI = –26.99; 44.94). In the subgroup analysis for individuals with obesity, the Lazzer (2007) equation showed the lowest bias (MD = 4.70 kcal; 95% CI = –95.45; 104.86). The Harris–Benedict equation (1919) showed the highest precision values for individuals with overweight (60.65%) and for individuals with obesity (62.54%). Equations with body composition data showed the highest biases. The equation proposed by the Institute of Medicine (2005) showed the lowest bias (MD = –2.52 kcal; 95% CI = –125.94; 120.90) in estimating the TEE. Most analyses showed high heterogeneity (I2 &gt; 90%). There was no evidence of publication bias.ConclusionFor individuals with overweight, the FAO/WHO/UNU (1985) and the Harris–Benedict equations (1919) showed the lowest bias and the highest precision in predicting the REE, respectively. For individuals with obesity, the Harris–Benedict equation (1919) showed the highest precision and the Lazzer equation (2007) showed the lowest bias. More studies are needed on predictive equations to estimate the TEE.Systematic Review RegistrationPROSPERO registration no. CRD42021262969.
Can wishful thinking explain evidence for overconfidence? An experiment on belief updating
Authors: Gneezy Uri , Hoffman Moshe , Lane Mark A , List John A , Livingston Jeffrey A , Seiler Michael J 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Recent theoretical work shows that the better-than-average effect, where a majority believes their ability to be better than average, can be perfectly consistent with Bayesian updating. However, later experiments that account for this theoretical advance still find behavior consistent with overconfidence. The literature notes that overoptimism can be caused by either overconfidence (optimism about performance), wishful thinking (optimism about outcomes), or both. To test whether the better-than-average effect might be explained by wishful thinking instead of overconfidence, we conduct an experiment that is similar to those used in the overconfidence literature, but removes performance as a potential channel. We find evidence that wishful thinking might explain overconfidence only among the most optimistic subjects and that conservatism is possibly more of a worry; if unaccounted for, overconfidence might be underestimated.
Longitudinal Improvements in Viral Suppression for Persons With New HIV Diagnosis Receiving Care in the Ryan White Program: A 10-Year Experience in New Haven, CT (2009–2018)
Authors: Zhao Alice , Rizk Christina , Zhao Xiwen , Esu Arit , Deng Yanhong , Barakat Lydia , Villanueva Merceditas 
Published: April 2022

Abstract

Background
The Ryan White (RW) program funds medical and other support services for low-income persons with HIV, significantly improving progress along the HIV care continuum. Although the program has shown overall improvements in achievement of viral suppression, the relative contributions of changes in clinical practice and RW service components to the optimization of the HIV care continuum, particularly for those with new HIV diagnoses, remain unknown.

Methods
The target population was patients with recent HIV diagnoses who received care at RW-funded clinics in the greater New Haven area between 2009 and 2018. Client data were extracted from the RW-funded database, CAREWare, and the electronic medical record. Primary outcomes included time between HIV diagnosis and first HIV primary care (PC) visit, antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation, and viral suppression (VS).

Results
There were 386 eligible patients. Between 2009 and 2018, the median number of days from HIV diagnosis to first PC visit decreased from 58.5 to 8.5 days, and ART initiation decreased from 155 to 9 days. In 2018, 86% of participants achieved viral suppression within 1 year, compared with 2.5% in 2009. Patients who initiated single-tablet ART and integrase inhibitor–containing regimens were more likely to reach viral suppression within 1 year (P &lt; .001). Receipt of medical case management services was also associated with achieving viral suppression (P &lt; .001).

Conclusions
Longitudinal improvements over 10 years in ART initiation and viral suppression were observed due to clinical advances and their effective implementation through the RW comprehensive care model. Further study of the essential components promoting these outcomes is needed.
Health Care Workers’ Sick Leave due to COVID-19 Vaccination in Context With SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Quarantine—A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Survey
Authors: Bauernfeind Stilla , Huppertz Gunnar , Mueller Karolina , Hitzenbichler Florian , Hardmann Loredana , Pemmerl Sylvia , Hollnberger Harald , Sieber Wolfgang , Wettstein Matthias , Seeliger Stephan , Kienle Klaus , Paetzel Christian , Kutz Norbert , Daller Dionys , Zorger Niels , Mohr Arno , Lampl Benedikt M J , Salzberger Bernd 
Published: April 2022

Abstract

Background
Reactogenicity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines can result in inability to work. The object of this study was to evaluate health care workers’ sick leave after COVID-19 vaccination and to compare it with sick leave due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and quarantine leave.

Methods
A multicenter cross-sectional survey was conducted at Regensburg University Medical Center and 10 teaching hospitals in South-East Germany from July 28 to October 15, 2021.

Results
Of 2662 participants, 2309 (91.8%) were fully vaccinated without a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Sick leave after first/second vaccination occurred in 239 (10.4%) and 539 (23.3%) participants. In multivariable logistic regression, the adjusted odds ratio for sick leave after first/second vaccination compared with BNT162b2 was 2.26/3.72 for mRNA-1237 (95% CI, 1.28–4.01/1.99–6.96) and 27.82/0.48 for ChAdOx1-S (95% CI, 19.12–40.48/0.24–0.96). The actual median sick leave (interquartile range [IQR]) was 1 (0–2) day after any vaccination. Two hundred fifty-one participants (9.4%) reported a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection (median sick leave [IQR] 14 [10–21] days), 353 (13.3%) were quarantined at least once (median quarantine leave [IQR], 14 [10–14] days). Sick leave due to SARS-CoV-2 infection (4642 days) and quarantine leave (4710 days) accounted for 7.7 times more loss of workforce than actual sick leave after first and second vaccination (1216 days) in all fully vaccinated participants.

Conclusions
Sick leave after COVID-19 vaccination is frequent and is associated with the vaccine applied. COVID-19 vaccination should reduce the much higher proportion of loss of workforce due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and quarantine.
Beyond Fair Labelling: Offence Differentiation in Criminal Law
Authors: Cornford Andrew 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
How should criminal conduct be divided among different offences? To date, this question has received only one serious answer: the fair labelling principle, which states that distinctions among offences should reflect distinctions in the nature and seriousness of the wrongdoing that they criminalise. This article argues that the fair labelling principle should not be the sole or main principle governing offence differentiation decisions. Its argument consists in three main claims. First, the only plausible foundation for the principle is a duty to ensure that the blame expressed through criminal conviction is allocated justly. Second, this duty cannot be absolute: if it were, the result would be an absurdly highly differentiated criminal law. Third, several other factors are relevant to how we should differentiate offences, and these will often count against the demands of just blaming. A complete normative account of offence differentiation must thus extend beyond fair labelling—or indeed, any single principle.
Recent FDA Approvals in the Treatment of Graft-Versus-Host Disease
Authors: Martini Dylan J , Chen Yi-Bin , DeFilipp Zachariah 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a common complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. For many years, there have been few effective treatment options for patients with GVHD. First-line systemic treatment remains corticosteroids, but up to 50% of patients will develop steroid-refractory GVHD and the prognosis for these patients is poor. Elucidation of the pathophysiological mechanisms of acute and chronic GVHD has laid a foundation for novel therapeutic approaches. Since 2017, there have now been 4 approvals by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for GVHD. Ruxolitinib, an oral selective JAK1/2 inhibitor, received FDA approval for the treatment of steroid-refractory acute GVHD in 2019 and remains the only agent approved for acute GVHD. There are currently 3 FDA approvals for the treatment of chronic GVHD: (1) ibrutinib, a BTK inhibitor traditionally used for B-cell malignancies, was the first agent approved for chronic GVHD after failure of one or more lines of systemic therapy, (2) belumosudil, an oral selective inhibitor of ROCK2, for patients with chronic GVHD who received at least 2 prior lines of treatment, and (3) ruxolitinib for chronic GVHD after failure of one or two lines of systemic therapy. In this review, we highlight the clinical data which support these FDA approvals in acute and chronic GVHD with a focus on mechanism of actions, clinical efficacy, and toxicities associated with these agents.
Physical Function, Psychosocial Status, and Symptom Burden Among Adults with Plasma Cell Disorders and Associations with Quality of Life
Authors: Jensen Christopher E , Vohra Sanah N , Nyrop Kirsten A , Deal Allison M , LeBlanc Matthew R , Grant Shakira J , Muss Hyman B , Lichtman Eben I , Rubinstein Samuel M , Wood William A , Mangieri Nicholas J , Jamison Lee , Tuchman Sascha A 
Published: April 2022

AbstractBackgroundThe plasma cell disorders (PCDs), multiple myeloma (MM), and light-chain amyloidosis (AL) are disproportionately diseases of older adults, whose care may be complicated by frailty associated with advancing age. We sought to evaluate the prevalence of functional deficits and symptoms in a cohort of persons with PCDs and associations of demographic, disease-related, functional, and psychosocial measures with quality of life (QoL).Patients and MethodsAdults with PCDs were recruited into an observational registry in 2018-2020. Patients completed a functional assessment and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL questionnaire (QLQ-C30). Associations of covariates of interest with QoL were evaluated via univariate linear regression.ResultsAmong 121 adults, the mean age was 68.6. Diagnoses were 74% MM, 14% AL, 7% both MM and AL, and 5% other PCDs. The median time from diagnosis was 34.9 months. Median lines of therapy were 2, with 11% having received ≥4th-line therapy.Patients with functional deficits had lower mean QoL scores: dependence in IADLs (66.3 vs. 79.9, P = .001) and recent falls (56.7 vs. 76.8, P = .001). Patients ≤6 months from diagnosis had lower QoL (66.7) than those ≥2 years from diagnosis (77.3, P = .03). However, patients on later lines of therapy (≥4th-line) had lower QoL (62.2) than those on 1st-line treatment (76.0, P = .04).ConclusionsPatients with physical impairments and more advanced PCDs had lower QoL than those without deficits or earlier in their disease course. Early identification of physical impairments may facilitate interventions that mitigate these deficits and thereby improve QoL for patients with PCDs.
Breast Nurse Intervention to Improve Adherence to Endocrine Therapy Among Breast Cancer Patients in South Ethiopia
Authors: Getachew Sefonias , Addissie Adamu , Seife Edom , Wakuma Tariku , Unverzagt Susanne , Jemal Ahmedin , Taylor Lesley , Wienke Andreas , Kantelhardt Eva J 
Published: April 2022

Abstract

Introduction
Many women in rural Ethiopia do not receive adjuvant therapy following breast cancer surgery despite the majority being diagnosed with estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer and tamoxifen being available in the country. We aimed to compare a breast nurse intervention to improve adherence to tamoxifen therapy for breast cancer patients.

Methods and Materials
The 8 hospitals were randomized to intervention and control sites. Between February 2018 and December 2019, patients with breast cancer were recruited after their initial surgery. The primary outcome of the study was adherence to tamoxifen therapy by evaluating 12-month medication-refill data with medication possession ratio (MPR) and using a simplified medication adherence scale (SMAQ) in a subjective assessment.

Results
A total of 162 patients were recruited (87 intervention and 75 control). Trained nurses delivered education and provided literacy material, gave additional empathetic counselling, phone call reminders, and monitoring of medication refill at the intervention hospitals. Adherence according to MPR at 12 months was high in both the intervention (90%) and control sites (79.3%) (P = .302). The SMAQ revealed that adherence at intervention sites was 70% compared with 44.8% in the control sites (P = .036) at 12 months. Persistence to therapy was found to be 91.2% in the intervention and 77.8% in the control sites during the one-year period (P = .010).

Conclusion
Breast nurses can improve cost-effective endocrine therapy adherence at peripheral hospitals in low-resource settings. We recommend such task sharing to overcome the shortage of oncologists and distances to central cancer centers.