Department Of Biostatistics Research Articles

Email invitations to publish: Academically sound (such as SAFP) versus potentially predatory journals

Background: Researchers increasingly receive invitations by email to publish. We analysed email publication invitations received by staff members of the Department of Biostatistics, University of the Free State (UFS), comparing emails relating to accredited and non-accredited journals.Methods: This cross-sectional study included all publication invitations received via UFS email accounts by staff members from May 2023 to July 2023. The researchers independently completed the data form, then checked and resolved any discrepancies.Results: Of the 93 distinct emails received from 88 journals, only 15 (16%) were received from a journal appearing on the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) accredited journal lists. These included South African Family Practice (SAFP) and the African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine (PHCFM). Emails from non-accredited journals were significantly (p 0.01) less likely to refer to a journal with a health sciences-related title (37% vs. 86%), indicate the publisher (36% vs. 93%), provide a link to the journal website (59% vs. 100%), state a full physical address (24% vs. 80%), refer to author instructions (21% vs. 47%) or request the recipient to share the email with colleagues (5% vs. 47%). Emails from non-accredited journals were significantly (p 0.01) more likely to contain grammatical errors (63% vs. 0%) and flattering remarks regarding the recipient or his or her research work (49% vs. 0%), and to indicate the journal’s International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) (67% vs. 13%).Conclusion: Clear differences were found between email invitations from accredited versus non-accredited journals.Contribution: The findings provide insight into warning signals in email publication invitations.

Trends of COVID-19 mortality and hospitalization rates in southern states of the United States, 2020-2023

ackground and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has emerged as one of the most profound global health crises of the 21st century. In the United States, the impact of COVID-19 has been severe, with notable disparities observed in the Southern region. This study aims to evaluate trends in COVID-19 mortality and hospitalization rates in southern states over the course of 2020 to 2023 by presenting a comprehensive analysis of trends in COVID-19 outcomes within Southern states. Methods: Data for the study was collected from the COVID-19 Data Tracker, a resource provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Stratification techniques were employed to categorize the sample into subgroups of Southern states (Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia). Joinpoint regression models were used to calculate Annual Percentage Change (APC) and Average Annual Percentage Change (AAPC). Results: Results showed a downward trend in both age adjusted APC and AAPC COVID-19 hospitalization rates and an upward trend in mortality rates for all southern states between 2020 to 2023. Only 3 out of the 12 states have age adjusted mortality rates that are lower than the national age adjusted mortality rate for COVID-19 (286.4 deaths per 100,000). COVID-19 vaccine coverage in 12 southern states is 61.8% - 91.3%. Conclusion:The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the evolving dynamics of COVID-19 pandemic within the southern U.S. states. The information would be a valuable guidance for public health strategies, resource allocation, and policymaking aimed at addressing this ongoing crisis. July 2024; Vol. 18(2):001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55010/imcjms.18.013 *Correspondence: Bever-Leigh Holden, Jackson State University, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Jackson, Mississippi, USA, Email:bever-leigh.i.holden@students.jsums.edu; beverleighholden@yahoo.com

The trend of mortality rates following hospitals downgrading and closures due to outbreak of COVID-19 in Fars province: A comparative cohort study.

Hospitals are one of the most important healthcare centers for providing the patients with different medical needs. Several different factors might cause hospitals to downgrade their services or departments or close down overall. One of the most multifaceted reasons for hospital downgrading or closure is infectious disease outbreaks. In this regard, we aimed to evaluate the effects of hospital closure and downgrading due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the mortality rate of the people residing in Fars province, Iran. We gathered mortality information, including the cause of death, age, sex, place, and time of death of all deceased cases occurring during a period of 3 years, from February 20, 2018 to March 2021 from the forensic medicine and also the Department of Biostatistics in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. A total of 71,331 deaths have been reported since 2018 through the first quarter of 2021, with 57.9% of total mortality cases attributed to male gender. The total mortality counts ranged from 4229 to 9809 deaths per quarter, from which the minimum rate was reported in the first quarter of 2018 and the maximum in the fourth quarter of 2020. Based on the causes of death, diseases of the circulatory system were shown to be the all-time most frequent cause of death, accounting for a total of 42.8% of recorded deaths, followed by neoplasms (9.77%) and diseases of the respiratory system (9.45%). Although the large number of deaths at the time of the pandemic are immediately due to COVID-19 infection, deaths due to a notable number of other causes have had a significant increase which, along with the specific trend of place and causes of death, shows that the downgrading and closure of hospitals have had a significant impact on overall population mortality.

Factors Associated with Maternal Deaths in Cotonou Hospitals, Benin

Background: Maternal mortality remains a major public health issue in Benin. This study aimed to determine the hospital-based maternal mortality ratio and factors related with maternal deaths. Subjects and Method: We conducted a case-control study over two years from 1st January 2020 to 31 December 2021 in four Cotonou hospitals. It included 264 maternal deaths (case) matched to 264 controls by delivery mode. The dependent variable was the status at discharge. Independent variables included socio-demographic characteristics, gyneco-obstetric information, medical and gynecologic history as well as type of complications. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to identify the factors associated with maternal deaths. Results: The hospital-based maternal mortality ratio was 1403 deaths per 100,000 live births. Age superior than or equal to 30 years old (OR= 3.09; 95% CI= 1.52 to 6.41; p=0.002), admission by a referral from public health facility (OR=4.26; 95% CI= 2.60-7.10; p<0.001) or private health facility (OR= 4.52; 95% CI= 2.49-8.38 ; p<0.001); parity between 1 and 3 (OR=2.72; 95% CI= 1.27 to 6.15; p= 0.012), gestational age less than or equal to 31 weeks (OR=3.77; 95% CI= 2.13 to 6.84 ; p<0.001) and the occurrence of non-infectious (OR= 1.94; 95% CI= 1.27 to 2.97; p= 0.002) and fetal com­pli­cations (OR= 1.98; 95% CI= 1.13 to 3.54; p=0.018) were the factors associated to maternal deaths. Conclusion: Strengthening policies aiming to increase access to modern methods of contraception and safe abortion, improving the referral system, and implementing multifaceted contextualized interventions could contribute to reducing maternal mortality. Keywords: maternal death, maternal mortality, associated factors, Benin. Correspondence:Gottfried Agballa. Department of Public Health; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin and Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Population and Diseases Control; Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Humaine et en Démographie, Benin. Email: gottfried.­ag­ba­lla­@yahoo.fr Telephone number: +22995278136

A Comparative Study of Voice Characteristics in Children With Cochlear Implants and Typically Hearing Children: Insights From an Indian Context.

Purpose The aim of the study was to evaluate speech outcomes in children with cochlear implants compared to normally hearing children in terms of fundamental frequency, shimmer, and jitter. The study also aims to assess the intelligibility of speech in children with cochlear implants using a speech intelligibility rating scale. Methods This was a hospital-based comparative study conducted at JIPMER, a major tertiary referral center. A total of 25 prelingually deaf children with profound deafness, who underwent cochlear implantation at the institute, were recruited from the outpatient department of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology. Twenty-five children under seven years of age who underwent cochlear implantation and received a minimum of 36 speech therapy sessions were included in the study. Subjects with incomplete electrode array insertion and any neurological maldevelopment were excluded. Age- and gender-matched controls comprising 25 individuals were selected from the Ophthalmology Outpatient Department at JIPMER. Study procedure The study commenced in January 2019. Test subjects were asked to visit the Audiology and Speech and Language Pathology Department at JIPMER. Voice recordings were conducted in a soundproof room using a microphone, with the mouthpiece held at a distance of 10-15 cm from the patient. The patient was instructed to say "a" three times. Their voice was recorded and analyzed using Praat software (Version 6.1.15, developed by Paul Boersma and David Weenink, Phonetic Sciences, University of Amsterdam). Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 19 (Released 2010; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York) (Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA), and the results were derived. Results The mean fundamental frequency for Group 1 (CI) was 266.03 ± 57.46 Hz, compared to 312.97 ± 22.15 Hz for Group 2 (NH). There was a statistically significant difference between the values of both groups, indicating that cochlear implantation positively impacted the fundamental frequency of speech. The study revealed a significant change in the fundamental frequency when children were implanted at an early age and received effective speech therapy post-implantation. This change was assessed after one year post-implant. Perturbation measures such as shimmer and jitter were lower in the cochlear implant group but were not statistically significant. Conclusion Children with congenital bilateral severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss tend to have higher values of the fundamental frequency of speech. However, when implanted at an early age, they showed a significant difference in the fundamental frequency of speech (p < 0.001). Speech perturbation was lower in the post-cochlear implant group, with a statistically significant difference in the values of shimmer alone. The study concludes that children with cochlear implants can achieve normal voice parameters with early intervention and training. However, the variability range is much higher than in typically hearing individuals.

Training the next generation of Biostatisticians in West Africa: The Vanderbilt Nigeria Biostatistics Training Program (VN-BioStat).

Biomedical HIV research is growing in West Africa, but biostatistical expertise is lagging. The Vanderbilt-Nigeria Biostatistics Training Program (VN-BioStat) seeks to establish a research and training platform for biostatisticians doing HIV-related research in Nigeria. The objectives of the program are: 1) Host two Nigerian data scientists per year (a total of 10 over 5 years) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center to gain hands-on biostatistics training and experience via one-year fellowships. Eligible trainees will be junior investigators with PhDs or nearing completion of their PhDs in statistics or related fields, including mathematics and computer science. 2) Conduct annual workshops in Nigeria to provide biostatistics training. Trainees will undertake biostatistics coursework and hands-on training and participate in mentorship as biostatisticians involved in HIV research. Trainees will be at Vanderbilt for a full year and be part of an active biostatistics department. They will be immersed in a dry-lab HIV biostatistics project in collaboration with a Nigerian HIV research project and lead a methodologically focused research project. They will also participate in a one-month research training/grant writing program in Nashville. The VN-BioStat program will build on the existing momentum of ongoing initiatives to enhance research capacity in Nigeria by developing biostatistics leadership. VN-BioStat trainees will interact with investigators from Nigeria to provide collaborative biostatistical assistance with study design and data analysis, thus gaining real-world experience that will benefit the trainees and the broader research community in Nigeria.

An R Shiny Application (SDOH) for Predictive Modeling Using Regional Social Determinants of Health Survey Responses.

Social determinants of health (SDoH) surveys are data sets that provide useful health-related information about individuals and communities. This study aims to develop a user-friendly web application that allows clinicians to get a predictive insight into the social needs of their patients before their in-patient visits using SDoH survey data to provide an improved and personalized service. The study used a longitudinal survey that consisted of 108,563 patient responses to 12 questions. Questions were designed to have a binary outcome as the response and the patient's most recent responses for each of these questions were modeled independently by incorporating explanatory variables. Multiple classification and regression techniques were used, including logistic regression, Bayesian generalized linear model, extreme gradient boosting, gradient boosting, neural networks, and random forests. Based on the area under the curve values, gradient boosting models provided the highest precision values. Finally, the models were incorporated into an R Shiny application, enabling users to predict and compare the impact of SDoH on patients' lives. The tool is freely hosted online by the University of Kansas Medical Center's Department of Biostatistics and Data Science. The supporting materials for the application are publicly accessible on GitHub.

News from the European Journal of Therapeutics: A new issue and a new editorial board

News from the European Journal of Therapeutics: A new issue and a new editorial board

Initiation of Varenicline in People Hospitalized for Acute Coronary Syndrome Who Smoke.

HomeCirculationVol. 147, No. 25Initiation of Varenicline in People Hospitalized for Acute Coronary Syndrome Who Smoke No AccessArticle CommentaryRequest AccessFull TextAboutView Full TextView PDFView EPUBSections ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload citationsTrack citationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InMendeleyReddit Jump toNo AccessArticle CommentaryRequest AccessFull TextInitiation of Varenicline in People Hospitalized for Acute Coronary Syndrome Who Smoke Areesha Moiz and Mark J. Eisenberg Areesha MoizAreesha Moiz From the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada (A.M., M.J.E.). Search for more papers by this author and Mark J. EisenbergMark J. Eisenberg Correspondence to: Mark J. Eisenberg, MD, MPH, Divisions of Cardiology and Clinical Epidemiology, Jewish General Hospital/McGill University, 3755 Côte Ste-Catherine Rd, Suite H-421.1, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3T 1E2. Email E-mail Address: [email protected] https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1296-0661 From the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada (A.M., M.J.E.). Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Departments of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, and Division of Cardiology, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada (M.J.E.). Search for more papers by this author Originally published19 Jun 2023https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.123.064257Circulation. 2023;147:1869–1871FootnotesThe opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of the editors or of the American Heart Association.For Sources of Funding and Disclosures, see pages 1870–1871.Circulation is available at www.ahajournals.org/journal/circCorrespondence to: Mark J. Eisenberg, MD, MPH, Divisions of Cardiology and Clinical Epidemiology, Jewish General Hospital/McGill University, 3755 Côte Ste-Catherine Rd, Suite H-421.1, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3T 1E2. Email mark.[email protected]ca

Effect of PCSK9 Inhibition on the Plasma Proteome: A SPIRE SubStudy.

HomeArteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular BiologyAhead of PrintEffect of PCSK9 Inhibition on the Plasma Proteome: A SPIRE SubStudy Open AccessResearch ArticlePDF/EPUBAboutView PDFSections ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload citationsTrack citationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InMendeleyReddit Jump toOpen AccessResearch ArticlePDF/EPUBEffect of PCSK9 Inhibition on the Plasma Proteome: A SPIRE SubStudy Jordan M. Kraaijenhof, Tjerk S.J. Opstal, Jan H. Cornel, Dipender Gill, G. Kees Hovingh, Alberico L. Catapano, Wolfgang Koenig, Paul M Ridker, Erik S.G. Stroes and Nick S. Nurmohamed Jordan M. KraaijenhofJordan M. Kraaijenhof https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7566-6403 Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands (J.M.K., G.K.H., E.S.G.S., N.S.N.). Search for more papers by this author , Tjerk S.J. OpstalTjerk S.J. Opstal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3654-0327 Department of Cardiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands (T.S.J.O., J.H.C.). Department of Cardiology, Northwest Clinics, Alkmaar, the Netherlands (T.S.J.O., J.H.C.). Search for more papers by this author , Jan H. CornelJan H. Cornel https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1006-2112 Department of Cardiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands (T.S.J.O., J.H.C.). Department of Cardiology, Northwest Clinics, Alkmaar, the Netherlands (T.S.J.O., J.H.C.). Search for more papers by this author , Dipender GillDipender Gill https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7312-7078 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (D.G.). Search for more papers by this author , G. Kees HovinghG. Kees Hovingh https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8145-1676 Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands (J.M.K., G.K.H., E.S.G.S., N.S.N.). Search for more papers by this author , Alberico L. CatapanoAlberico L. Catapano https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7593-2094 Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milano, Italy (A.L.C.). IRCCS Multimedica, Milano, Italy (A.L.C.). Search for more papers by this author , Wolfgang KoenigWolfgang Koenig https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2064-9603 Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany (W.K.). German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK e.V.), partner site Munich Heart Alliance, Germany (W.K). Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, University of Ulm, Germany (W.K.). Search for more papers by this author , Paul M RidkerPaul M Ridker https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1249-4522 Divisions of Preventive Medicine and Cardiovascular Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (P.M.R.). Search for more papers by this author , Erik S.G. StroesErik S.G. Stroes https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9555-6260 Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands (J.M.K., G.K.H., E.S.G.S., N.S.N.). Search for more papers by this author and Nick S. NurmohamedNick S. Nurmohamed Correspondence to: Nick S. Nurmohamed, MD, Departments of Vascular Medicine and Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Email E-mail Address: [email protected] https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9045-6009 Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands (J.M.K., G.K.H., E.S.G.S., N.S.N.). Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands (N.S.N.). Search for more papers by this author Originally published15 Jun 2023https://doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA.123.319272Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2023;0FootnotesFor Sources of Funding and Disclosures, see page XXX.Correspondence to: Nick S. Nurmohamed, MD, Departments of Vascular Medicine and Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Email n.s.[email protected]nl Previous Back to top Next FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Advertisement Article InformationMetrics © 2023 The Authors. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology is published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited.https://doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA.123.319272PMID: 37317854 Originally publishedJune 15, 2023 Keywordsinflammationproteomicslipid-lowering therapyphenotypecardiovascular diseasePDF download Advertisement SubjectsAtherosclerosisDiagnostic TestingLipids and CholesterolSecondary Prevention

Guidelines for reporting observational research in urology: the importance of clear reference to causality.

BJU InternationalEarly View Review Guidelines for reporting observational research in urology: the importance of clear reference to causality Andrew J. Vickers, Corresponding Author Andrew J. Vickers [email protected] orcid.org/0000-0003-1525-6503 Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA Correspondence: Andrew Vickers, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 485 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10017, USA. e-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorMelissa Assel, Melissa Assel Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USASearch for more papers by this authorRodney L. Dunn, Rodney L. Dunn University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USASearch for more papers by this authorEmily C. Zabor, Emily C. Zabor Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USASearch for more papers by this authorMichael W. Kattan, Michael W. Kattan Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USASearch for more papers by this authorMaarten van Smeden, Maarten van Smeden Utrecht University, Utrecht, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this authorDarren Dahly, Darren Dahly University College Cork, Cork, IrelandSearch for more papers by this author Andrew J. Vickers, Corresponding Author Andrew J. Vickers [email protected] orcid.org/0000-0003-1525-6503 Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA Correspondence: Andrew Vickers, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 485 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10017, USA. e-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorMelissa Assel, Melissa Assel Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USASearch for more papers by this authorRodney L. Dunn, Rodney L. Dunn University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USASearch for more papers by this authorEmily C. Zabor, Emily C. Zabor Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USASearch for more papers by this authorMichael W. Kattan, Michael W. Kattan Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USASearch for more papers by this authorMaarten van Smeden, Maarten van Smeden Utrecht University, Utrecht, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this authorDarren Dahly, Darren Dahly University College Cork, Cork, IrelandSearch for more papers by this author First published: 20 May 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/bju.16028 This article is co-published in the journals: European Urology (10.1016/j.eururo.2023.04.027); Urology (10.1016/j.urology.2023.04.007); Journal of Urology (10.1097/JU.0000000000003479) and BJU International (10.1111/bju.16028) Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Early ViewOnline Version of Record before inclusion in an issue RelatedInformation

Causal Relationship Between Average Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

HomeCirculation: Genomic and Precision MedicineAhead of PrintCausal Relationship Between Average Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation: A Mendelian Randomization Study No AccessResearch ArticleRequest AccessAboutView PDFSections ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload citationsTrack citationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InMendeleyReddit Jump toNo AccessResearch ArticleRequest AccessCausal Relationship Between Average Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation: A Mendelian Randomization Study Andrea Georgiou, Georgios Georgiopoulos, Dimitrios Delialis, Eleni Maneta, Pier Giorgio Masci, Onisiphoros Neophytou, Dimitrios Tsiachris and Evangelos Evangelou Andrea GeorgiouAndrea Georgiou https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4214-3678 Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina Medical School (A.G., E.E.). Search for more papers by this author , Georgios GeorgiopoulosGeorgios Georgiopoulos https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7661-5253 Clinical Therapeutics, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece (G.G., D.D., E.M., O.N.). School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, Kings College London, United Kingdom (G.G., P.G.M.). Search for more papers by this author , Dimitrios DelialisDimitrios Delialis https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7609-0087 Clinical Therapeutics, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece (G.G., D.D., E.M., O.N.). Search for more papers by this author , Eleni ManetaEleni Maneta https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5011-3036 Clinical Therapeutics, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece (G.G., D.D., E.M., O.N.). Search for more papers by this author , Pier Giorgio MasciPier Giorgio Masci https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5196-9530 School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, Kings College London, United Kingdom (G.G., P.G.M.). Search for more papers by this author , Onisiphoros NeophytouOnisiphoros Neophytou Clinical Therapeutics, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece (G.G., D.D., E.M., O.N.). Search for more papers by this author , Dimitrios TsiachrisDimitrios Tsiachris Athens Medical Center, Greece (D.T.). Search for more papers by this author and Evangelos EvangelouEvangelos Evangelou Correspondence: Evangelos Evangelou, PhD, Associate Professor of Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology, Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina Medical School, University Campus, 45110, Ioannina, Greece. Email E-mail Address: [email protected] https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5488-2999 Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina Medical School (A.G., E.E.). Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (E.E.). Search for more papers by this author Originally published16 May 2023Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine. 2023;0:e003766FootnotesFor Sources of Funding and Disclosures, see page xxx.Correspondence: Evangelos Evangelou, PhD, Associate Professor of Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology, Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina Medical School, University Campus, 45110, Ioannina, Greece. Email [email protected]gr Previous Back to top Next FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Advertisement Article InformationMetrics © 2023 American Heart Association, Inc.PMID: 37191011 Originally publishedMay 16, 2023 Keywordsriskheart failureMendelian randomization analysisatrial fibrillationPDF download Advertisement SubjectsAgingAtrial FibrillationGeneticsRisk Factors

Overlooked Inequities in Language May Undermine Progress in Tobacco Control: Further Thoughts on the Need for Reflection.

Journal Article Accepted manuscript Overlooked inequities in language may undermine progress in tobacco control: further thoughts on the need for reflection Get access Renee D Goodwin, PhD, MPH, Renee D Goodwin, PhD, MPH Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USADepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, The City University of New York, New York, New York, USA Address Correspondence to: Renee D. Goodwin, Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, Rm 514, New York, NY 10032. Phone: 212-304-6554, Email: rdg66@columbia.edu https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1363-5729 Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Lisa K Walker, PhD Lisa K Walker, PhD Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, The City University of New York, New York, New York, USA Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Nicotine & Tobacco Research, ntad069, https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntad069 Published: 05 May 2023 Article history Received: 17 April 2023 Published: 05 May 2023

Cerebral palsy as a public health indicator.

Cerebral palsy as a public health indicator.

Trends in HIV/AIDS incidence rate in Mississippi, 2008-2019

Background and objectives: Despite the decline in new HIV infection across the United States, Mississippi is still experiencing high rates of new HIV infections. Reports highlighted significant variations by geographical locations and socio-demographic factors. This study examined trends of HIV/AIDS incidence rates in Mississippi from 2008 to 2019. Materials and methods: Data on HIV/AIDS diagnosis were extracted from Mississippi Enhanced HIV/AIDS Reporting System database. Data were cleaned and de-identified using Microsoft Excel and SAS 9.4. Overall and annual age-adjusted HIV and AIDS incidence rates were calculated by sex, race, and age using 2000 US population. Annual Percentage Change (APC) and Average Annual Percentage Change (AAPC) were analyzed using Joinpoint regression models. Results: Overall, HIV incidence rate declined from 25.0 in 2008 to 18.79 per 100,000 population in 2019 (24.8% decrease) while AIDS incidence increased from 6.4 in 2008 to 8.2 per 100,000 population in 2019 (28.1% increase). Comparison between sexes of all age groups showed a downward trend of new HIV infection (AAPC: Male:-1.50, Female:-5.17) and an upward trend of AIDS incidence (AAPC: Male: 1.90, Female: 3.70). Age adjusted HIV incidence declined by 26.8% and 12.4% among blacks and whites respectively (AAPC: Blacks: -2.8, Whites:-1.0) but there was no significant change in age-adjusted AIDS incidence among both races from 2008-2019. Conclusion: This study indicated that age-adjusted HIV incidence rate is declining in Mississippi but trends differ by race, gender, and age. More interventions aimed at ensuring early diagnosis, proper linkage to care and preventing the progression of HIV to AIDS particularly among at-risk population are needed in Mississippi. IMC J Med Sci. 2023; 17(2):002. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55010/imcjms.17.012 *Correspondence: Adetoun F. Asala, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, 350 W Woodrow Wilson Dr, Jackson, MS 39213. Email: adetoun.f.asala@students.jsums.edu

The effect: An introduction to research design and causality By NickHuntington‐Klein (2022). New York. Chapman and Hall. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003226055

BiometricsVolume 79, Issue 1 p. 531-532 BOOK REVIEWS The effect: An introduction to research design and causality By Nick Huntington-Klein (2022). New York. Chapman and Hall. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003226055 Hung-Ching Chang, Corresponding Author Hung-Ching Chang huc54@pitt.edu orcid.org/0000-0002-4847-2547 Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Correspondence Hung-Ching Chang, Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. Email: huc54@pitt.eduSearch for more papers by this authorMichael T. Gorczyca, Michael T. Gorczyca Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USASearch for more papers by this author Hung-Ching Chang, Corresponding Author Hung-Ching Chang huc54@pitt.edu orcid.org/0000-0002-4847-2547 Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Correspondence Hung-Ching Chang, Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. Email: huc54@pitt.eduSearch for more papers by this authorMichael T. Gorczyca, Michael T. Gorczyca Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USASearch for more papers by this author First published: 22 March 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/biom.13835Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume79, Issue1March 2023Pages 531-532 RelatedInformation

Problems and solutions to conduct of thesis of postgraduate medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: an insight into the students perspective.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has adversely impacted medical education worldwide. However, its impact on the postgraduate medical thesis and dissertation work is still not evaluated. Through this study, we planned to find out the problems brought by the pandemic and likely alternatives and possible solutions to thrust the academic competence of postgraduate students. After obtaining institutional ethics committee approval, we sent a 13-item questionnaire to postgraduate medical students in India via various social media online platforms. Data on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on thesis work and alternatives/solutions to improve the research competence were collected on a Likert scale and analyzed. We received a total of 398 responses out of which 377 entries were included for final analysis. The majority of participants (88%) reportedly had an adverse impact on the thesis work and out of 25% of the participants who recently submitted their around 45% had to do so without achieving the estimated sample size. The 6-month departmental review for thesis progress was seen in merely 28% of participants. Possible alternatives suggested were the maintenance of log books, task-based assessment of research methodology, departmental audits, and systematic reviews. Solutions suggested for improving the research competence of students were a compulsory research methodology curriculum, a biostatistics department in each institution, permission to conduct thesis work beyond submission time, exclusive time for research work, and financial incentives. Modification in the research aspect of the current postgraduate medical education is the need of the hour and the pandemic has enlightened us regarding the current weaknesses.

Abstract P2-03-24: Predictors of Incomplete Ovarian Function Suppression (OFS) in Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Women with Hormone Receptor Positive (HR+) Breast Cancer

Abstract Authors: Apoorva Anandan, MD (1,2), Trinetri Ghosh (3), Jiwei Zhao (3), Kari Wisinski, MD (1,2) (1) Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI (2) University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI (3) University of Wisconsin Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics Madison, WI Background: A combined analysis of the SOFT/TEXT trials demonstrated an overall survival (OS) benefit to endocrine therapy in addition to OFS compared to endocrine therapy alone, further establishing the importance of adequate OFS in premenopausal women with HR+ breast cancers. Factors associated with inadequate OFS are ambiguous, but younger age, type of chemotherapy, high body mass index (BMI), and time from treatment completion seem to be important. Additionally, data remains limited regarding whether monitoring of OFS should be routinely performed and optimal timing of hormone levels. We sought to identify predictors of inadequate OFS among an AYA population of hormone receptor positive breast cancer receiving OFS at our institution. Methods: A retrospective, descriptive study was conducted looking at AYA patients (pts) aged 18-39 with a diagnosis of HR+ breast cancer who previously and/or currently received oncologic care for management of their breast cancer at the institution. Data was collected from pts diagnosed between 2000-2022. Patients who had previously received or are currently receiving OFS in the adjuvant and/or metastatic setting were included in the study. Data was collected regarding age, BMI, chemotherapy regimen received in the neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant setting, type, dose, and frequency of ovarian suppression, number of times estradiol was monitored, and frequency of estradiol levels &amp;gt;20. This was used as the cut off based on a comprehensive review of data consistently categorizing levels &amp;gt;20 as not to be postmenopausal. Results: 74 AYA patients who received OFS were included with median age of 28 (range 20-39) and average BMI 27.7 (range 15-45). 70% of the population was Caucasian, 10% African American, and 20% Hispanic. Estradiol levels were monitored in 46 of the 74 pts (62%). The frequency of estradiol monitored ranged from 1-22 times. 16 out of the 46 (35%) pts had estradiol checked only once, 10 (22%) twice, and 16 (35%) four or more times. 22 out of 46 pts (48%) had estradiol levels &amp;gt;20 when checked at least once. 9 out of 22 (41%) had estradiol &amp;gt;20 when checked more than four times. Out of 74 pts, 36 received OFS every month (49%), 32 received OFS every three months (43%). Only 4 out of 74 pts (5%) switched from monthly to every three months, meanwhile only 1 (1%) switched from every three months to monthly. 18 out of the 36 pts (50%) receiving monthly OFS had estradiol levels checked with 9 (50%) having estradiol &amp;gt;20. Meanwhile, 20 out of the 32 pts who received OFS every 3 months (63%) had estradiol levels checked with 10 (50%) having estradiol &amp;gt;20. The average age of pts with estradiol &amp;gt;20 was 33.6 while the average BMI of those with estradiol &amp;gt;20 was 29.2. Finally, 64 out of 74 pts (86%) received chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant setting. 41 out of 64 (64%) had estradiol levels checked. 18 out of 41 (44%) had estradiol &amp;gt;20. Discussion: Our data indicates a high degree of clinician variability in monitoring estradiol levels in AYA pts treated with OFS. Lack of adequate OFS was seen in nearly half of pts in this cohort. Higher BMI and young age may be predictors of lack of adequate ovarian suppression, supporting the findings of other studies. An algorithm for routine monitoring of estradiol may improve outcomes with OFS especially in young pts or those with a high BMI. Citation Format: Apoorva Anandan, Trinetri Ghosh, Jiwei Zhao, Kari B. Wisinski. Predictors of Incomplete Ovarian Function Suppression (OFS) in Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Women with Hormone Receptor Positive (HR+) Breast Cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-03-24.

Determinants of Duration of the First Birth Interval Using the Semi-parametric Survival Model in Uttar Pradesh, India: Evidence from NFHS

Background: First birth is an important phenomenon in women life. It not only affects the duration of the rest of birth intervals but also affects the reproductive pattern of women. The study aims to explore the determinants of the duration of the first birth interval.Subjects dan Method: The cross-sectional study data of 33,275 women married between the years 2005-2021 aged (15-49) years from Uttar Pradesh, were selected from NFHS-5 data. The NFHS-5 sample is a stratified two-stage sample. Socio-demographic, socio-economic and cultural factors were taken as independent variables. The dependent variable was the first birth interval variable. Data analysis was performed on SPSS version 23 software and R Programming language for graphical representation. Cox proportional hazard models were applied for analysis.Results: The mean age of women at first marriage was 19.4; SD=3.26 years and the mean age of women at first birth was 21.39; SD=3.24 years. The median duration of the first birth interval was22 months with an IQR of 14 until 32 months. Cox hazard proportional analysis revealed that religion, residence, (ever) fetal loss, age at first birth, heard family planning, and women or husband education were found to be statistically significant factors associated with the duration of the first birth interval (p&lt;0.001).Conclusion: There is a need to change the mindset of people towards the concept of the use of family planning methods to increase the length of the birth interval, regardless of various factors. This would help to increase the duration of the birth interval, improve the health of women and children, as well as help reduce population growth. Keywords: Uttar Pradesh, birth interval, semi-parametric, cox model, hazard plot. Correspondence:Jai Kishun, Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences. Lucknow – 226014, India; email: jaikishan.stat@gmail.com

Deep Common Spatial Pattern based Motor Imagery Classification with Improved Objective Function

Survey/review study Deep Common Spatial Pattern Based Motor Imagery Classification with Improved Objective Function Nanxi Yu 1,2, Rui Yang 1, and Mengjie Huang 1,* 1 School of Electrical Engineering, Electronics &amp; Computer Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, United Kingdom 2 Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, United States * Correspondence: Mengjie.Huang@liverpool.ac.uk Received: 12 October 2022 Accepted: 28 November 2022 Published: 22 December 2022 Abstract: Common spatial pattern (CSP) technique has been very popular in terms of electroencephalogram (EEG) features extraction in motor imagery (MI)-based brain-computer interface (BCI). Through the simultaneous diagonalization of the covariance matrices, CSP intends to transform data into another mapping with data of different categories having maximal differences in their measures of dispersion. This paper shows the objective function realized by original CSP method could be inaccurate by regularizing the estimated spatial covariance matrix from EEG data by trace, leading to some flaws in the features to be extracted. In order to deal with this problem, a novel deep CSP (DCSP) model with optimal objective function is proposed in this paper. The benefits of the proposed DCSP method over original CSP method are verified with experiments on two EEG based MI datasets where the classification accuracy is effectively improved.