Propensity Score Matching Model Research Articles

Long-term survival after sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary lymph node dissection in pN0 breast cancer patients: a population-based study.

Findings from randomized clinical trials have shown that survival in patients with sentinel lymph node (SLN)-negative breast cancer is noninferior with SLN biopsy (SLNB) alone versus further axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). However, the long-term outcome of these two surgical approaches in pN0 breast cancer patients in real-world setting remains uncertain. We included patients diagnosed with pathologically staged T1-2N0M0 breast cancer between 2000 and 2015 in surveillance, epidemiology, and end results 18-registry database. Patients were considered to have undergone SLNB alone if they had ≤ 5 examined lymph nodes (ELNs), and ALND if they had ≥ 10 ELNs. The outcomes included overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival. Propensity score analyses by weighting and matching and multivariable Cox regression analysis were performed to minimize treatment selection bias. We included 309,430 patients (253,501 SLNB and 55,929 ALND). In the weighted cohort, ALND was associated with significantly lower OS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-1.16) and BCSS (HR 1.16; 95% CI 1.10-1.22) compared with SLNB alone. Both the propensity score-matching model and multivariable Cox model demonstrated a survival benefit for SLNB when compared with ALND. Subgroup analyses for key variables did not change these findings. We found statistically significant differences in OS and BCSS between SLNB and ALND, though the magnitude of these differences was small. Our findings further support that SLNB alone should be the standard of care for patients who do not have metastatic lymph nodes identified during breast cancer surgery.

Ambroxol for the treatment of COVID-19 among hospitalized patients: A multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Ambroxol is a commonly used mucolytic agent principally used to treat respiratory diseases, which may have a role as adjunctive therapy for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, but there is lack of evidence about its effectiveness on coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients. To study the association between ambroxol use and clinical outcomes among hospitalized patients of COVID-19 infection. We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study involving 3,111 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from three hospitals in Wuhan from 19 December 2019 to 15 April 2020, and the primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. COVID-19 patients were classified into ambroxol and non-ambroxol groups based on the administration of ambroxol during hospitalization. Two analyses including propensity score matching (PSM) to obtain a 1:1 balanced cohort and logistic regression were used to control for confounding factors. The average age of 3,111 patients was 57.55 ± 14.93 years old, 127 of them died during hospitalization, and 924 of them used ambroxol. Treatment with ambroxol did not have a significant effect on in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 patients when compared with non-ambroxol in PSM model after adjusting for confounders (8.0% vs. 3.5%, adjusted OR, 1.03 [95% CI, 0.54–1.97], p = 0.936). Adverse events such as nausea/vomiting, headache, and rash were comparable between the two groups. Our results suggest that the use of ambroxol is not significantly associated with in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients, which provides evidence for evaluating the effects of ambroxol on COVID-19 patient outcomes and may be helpful for physicians considering medication alternatives for COVID-19 patients.

Does political participation help improve the life satisfaction of urban residents: Empirical evidence from China.

Studies have shown that political participation does not only affect the flow of public resources but also creates positive feedback on participants' subjective perceptions. However, research on the relationship between political participation and the life satisfaction of Chinese urban residents is relatively scarce. Thus, this study investigates whether political participation helps improve the life satisfaction of Chinese urban residents. Based on 2577 samples of the 2015 Chinese Social Survey this study used the Ordinary least squares model, instrumental variable model, and propensity score matching model to explore the relationship between political participation and the life satisfaction of Chinese urban residents. The empirical results show that political participation can significantly improve the life satisfaction of urban residents. Compared with urban residents without political participation, the life satisfaction of the political participants was 0.145 units higher at a 0.05 level of significance. In addition, this improved effect varied in degree among different groups of urban residents and was more significant for females, members of the Communist Party of China, highly educated, and employed urban residents. In China, there is a significant relationship between political participation and the life satisfaction of urban residents, with the life satisfaction of urban residents improving significantly through political participation. There are differences in the level of this improved effect among different urban residents, and it is more significant for females, highly educated, members of the Communist Party, and employed urban residents. To improve the life satisfaction of Chinese urban residents, it is necessary to further broaden their political participation channels.

Effects of high albumin leakage on survival between online hemodiafiltration and super high-flux hemodialysis: the HISTORY study

BackgroundAll-cause mortality is lower with a high substitution volume in predilution (pre) and postdilution (post) online hemodiafiltration (OHDF) than with hemodialysis (HD), and mortality does not significantly differ between pre- and post-OHDF groups. Despite the improved survival with a high substitution volume, there may be limitations. On the other hand, either normoalbuminemia or high albumin leakage in HD can reduce mortality, and super high-flux (SHF) membrane dialyzers can reduce mortality compared with low-flux and high-flux membrane dialyzers. Here, we investigated the associations of serum albumin concentration (s-Alb), albumin leakage, and substitution volume with all-cause mortality in OHDF and SHF-HD.MethodsIn a 3-year retrospective observational study of patients receiving dialysis from April 1 to July 1, 2017, we developed a propensity score-matched model using 783 stable patients (SHF-HD, 355; OHDF, 428). We used the log-rank test to compare Kaplan–Meier survival curves and Cox regression analysis to calculate hazard ratio (HR). Cox regression analysis was also used to compare the effect of estimated albumin leakage (EAL) and substitution volume on 3-year all-cause mortality.ResultsAll-cause mortality was significantly lower with high EAL than with low EAL (SHF-HD: P = 0.012, log-rank test; HR, 0.44; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.23–0.85; OHDF: P = 0.027, log-rank test; HR, 0.41; 95% CI 0.18–0.93). The mortality of high EAL was not significantly different between high and low s-Alb in SHF-HD (3.5 ± 0.1 and 3.2 ± 0.2 g/dL) and OHDF (3.6 ± 0.2 and 3.2 ± 0.1 g/dL), despite significant differences in s-Alb. Mortality did not significantly differ between SHF-HD and OHDF with higher EAL ranges or a lower difference in EAL. Mortality in pre-OHDF was significantly correlated with EAL (P = 0.007, beta − 0.32) rather than substitution volume, and mortality in post-OHDF was not analyzed because of fewer deaths.ConclusionsThe results suggest that survival is improved more with high EAL than with low EAL in both OHDF and SHF-HD patients, that high EAL with mild-to-moderate hypoalbuminemia does not necessarily worsen survival in OHDF and SHF-HD patients, and that survival is equivalent between OHDF and SHF-HD patients with a similar level of EAL.

Impact of metformin on the all-cause mortality in diabetic patients hospitalized with acute heart failure

Abstract Introduction Although the hypothesis that metformin is beneficial for diabetic patients with heart failure (HF) has been steadily raised, there have been no solid data on the efficacy of metformin in acute HF patients. Purpose We investigated the impact of metformin on all-cause mortality in hospitalized acute HF patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods The Korean Acute Heart Failure registry enrolled patients hospitalized for acute HF from 2011 to 2014. Among this cohort, we analyzed patients with diabetes. We investigated all-cause mortality at 1 year after discharge. Propensity score matching (1:1 matching) and Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess difference in all-cause mortality. Results The study analyzed 1,976 diabetic patients (median age 72 years, mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 34%, 54.5% male). Among them, 712 (36%) patients were on metformin. After 1:1 propensity score matching, 1,424 patients (712 metformin users vs. 712 non-users) were analyzed. During the median follow-up period of 11 months, 146 (21%) metformin non-users died and 108 (15%) metformin users died. Kaplan-Meier curves showed a higher all-cause mortality rate in non-users than in metformin users (Log-rank P=0.0025). After adjustment for clinically relevant variables, metformin was associated with lower risk for all-cause mortality (HR 0.713, 95% CI 0.551–0.922, P=0.01). In subgroup analyses, metformin use was significantly associated with a lower all-cause mortality in higher eGFR group (≥60 ml/min/1.73 m2, HR 0.531, 95% CI 0.357–0.790, P=0.002), but not in lower eGFR group (<60 ml/min/1.73 m2, HR 0.905, 95% CI 0.643–1.275, P=0.569, P-for-interaction=0.033). There was no significant interaction of metformin use for all-cause mortality between the subgroups with LVEF ≤40% and LVEF >40% (P-for-interaction=0.906). Conclusion Metformin use was associated with a lower risk for 1-year all-cause mortality in diabetic acute HF patients, especially in high eGFR group. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

The impact of dairy cooperatives on milk producers’ revenues of Ihuza Aborozi ba Kijyambere Bafatanyinje (IAKIB) in Gicumbi District of Rwanda. Application of Propensity Score Matching (PSM)

Dairy cooperatives should have a significant impact in the future in terms of regenerating rural life. The pressing need in the Cooperative sector in the era of liberalized environments is to seize every opportunity available for the country. Diary co-operatives mainly from cattle production played a vital role in our country’s economy in the previous era and will do so in years to come. This study aims to assess the impact of dairy cooperatives on milk producers’ revenues in the Gicumbi district of Rwanda. The total sample involved in this research was 974, from four cow milk producers, namely Bukure MCC-Cooperative d’Elevage Moderne de Bukure (COOPEMOBU), Koperative Zamuka Mworozi (KOZAMGI) and Borozi Twisungane Kabuga-Nyamiyaga and Giramata, which form the cooperative union of Ihuza Aborozi ba Kijyambere Bafatanyinje (IAKIB). The total sample size to be taken from three cooperatives and other recorded local farmers supplying their milk to the nearest Milk Collection Centres, as preselected, is 260 milk producers, including 187 participants and 73 non-participants of dairy cooperatives. The study used a descriptive survey design, encompassing three cooperatives and other dairy producers not members of cooperatives from Gicumbi district. Descriptive statistics, t-test, Standard Deviation, means, frequency and percentages, as well as a Propensity Score Matching model were used to analyse the results of the study. The study findings show that the average total gross revenue was 551,113 Rwandan francs for these farmers, while the mean difference between dairy cooperative participants and non-participants ranged from 50,146 Rwandan francs to 168,145 Rwandan francs as program impact. This is an indication that participants in dairy cooperatives gain more compared to their factual group. The study recommends that small holder dairy producers should be supported to enable them to produce surplus milk for markets and reduce local milking cow numbers by replacing them with crossbred cows. It is recommended that governments should also strengthen milk processing cooperatives and improve their infrastructure facilities to reduce the transportation cost for small-scale dairy producers.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Refractory Asthma Exacerbations With Respiratory Failure

Asthma exacerbations with respiratory failure (AERF) are associated with hospital mortality of 7%to 15%. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used as a salvage therapy for refractory AERF, but controlled studies showing its association with mortality have not been performed. Is treatment with ECMO associated with lower mortality in refractory AERF compared with standard care? This is a retrospective, epidemiologic, observational cohort study using a national, administrative data set from 2010 to 2020 that includes 25%of US hospitalizations. People were included if they were admitted to an ECMO-capable hospital with an asthma exacerbation, and were treated with short-acting bronchodilators, systemic corticosteroids, and invasive ventilation. People were excluded for age< 18 years, no ICU stay, nonasthma chronic lung disease, COVID-19, or multiple admissions. The main exposure was ECMO vsNo ECMO. The primary outcome was hospital mortality. Key secondary outcomes were ICU length of stay (LOS), hospital LOS, time receiving invasive ventilation, and total hospital costs. The study analyzed 13,714 patients with AERF, including 127 with ECMO and 13,587 with No ECMO. ECMO was associated with reduced mortality in the covariate-adjusted (OR, 0.33; 95%CI, 0.17-0.64; P= .001), propensity score-adjusted (OR, 0.36; 95%CI, 0.16-0.81; P= .01), and propensity score-matched models (OR, 0.48; 95%CI, 0.24-0.98; P= .04) vsNo ECMO. Sensitivity analyses showed that mortality reduction related to ECMO ranged from OR 0.34 to 0.61. ECMO was also associated with increased hospital costs in all three models (P< .0001 for all) vsNo ECMO, but not with decreased ICU LOS, hospital LOS, or time receiving invasive ventilation. ECMO was associated with lower mortality and higher hospital costs, suggesting that it may be an important salvage therapy for refractory AERF following confirmatory clinical trials.

Effects of multiple cropping of farmland on the welfare level of farmers: Based on the perspective of poverty vulnerability

This paper aims to explore the impact of multiple cropping on farmers’ welfare level and provide the theoretical and empirical basis for solving relative poverty in rural areas in the future. The paper uses data from the field survey of 1,120 farmers in Hubei in 2018 and uses the Endogenous Transformation Regression Model (ESR) and generalized propensity score matching (GPSM) model to construct a counterfactual framework. The paper analyses the effect of multiple cropping on farmers’ relative poverty and examines its mechanism. The result shows that: Multiple cropping of farmland can reduce the relative poverty of farmers through the mechanism of yield improvement path and factor intensification path. Under the counterfactual hypothesis, the relative poverty of farmers would increase by 28.43% if the farmers who participated in the multiple cropping did not; and that the relative poverty of the farmers would decrease by 29.57% if the farmers who did not participate in the multiple cropping participated. From the perspective of multiple cropping, the poverty reduction effect of multiple cropping in paddy fields is higher than that of dry land. From the perspective of the degree of multiple cropping, the poverty reduction effects of paddy fields and dryland will experience an increasing return to scale as the multiple cropping index increases. When the household equivalent scale adjustment coefficient is not used to eliminate the impact of family population structure on the “family per capita comparable income,” the artificially high results estimated by the model cannot truly reflect the poverty-reducing effect of multi-cropping of farmland. This paper argues that the government can guide farmers to choose the suitable mode of multiple cropping to reduce farmers’ vulnerability to relative poverty.

Irinotecan- vs oxaliplatin-based regimens for neoadjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal liver metastasis patients: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUNDNeoadjuvant chemotherapy (NC) improves the survival outcomes of selected patients with colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM). The benefits of irinotecan-based regimens in these patients are still under debate.AIMTo compare the benefits of irinotecan- and oxaliplatin-based regimens in patients with resectable CRLM.METHODSFrom September 2003 to August 2020, 554 patients received NC and underwent hepatectomy for CRLM. Based on a 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) model, 175 patients who received irinotecan were matched to 175 patients who received oxaliplatin to obtain two balanced groups regarding demographic, therapeutic, and prognostic characteristics.RESULTSChemotherapy was based on oxaliplatin in 353 (63.7%) patients and irinotecan in 201 (36.3%). After PSM, the 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates with irinotecan were 18.0% and 49.7%, respectively, while the 5-year PFS and OS rates with oxaliplatin were 26.0% and 46.8%, respectively. Intraoperative blood loss, operating time, and postoperative complications differed significantly between the two groups. In the multivariable analysis, carbohydrate antigen 19-9, RAS mutation, response to NC, tumor size > 5 cm, and tumor number > 1 were independently associated with PFS.CONCLUSIONIn NC in patients with CRLM, irinotecan is similar to oxaliplatin in survival outcomes, but irinotecan is superior regarding operating time, intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative complications.

Pregnancy outcomes in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome who conceived after single thawed blastocyst transfer: a propensity score-matched study

BackgroundIt remains unclear whether polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an independent risk factor for pregnancy complications in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment. For the integrative treatment of PCOS patients, it is still important to investigate the pregnancy outcomes of PCOS patients after adjusting for potential biases, such as body mass index, embryo quality and endometrial preparation method.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study ultimately included a total of 336 PCOS patients who conceived after single thawed blastocyst transfer in the PCOS group and 2,325 patients in the control group from January 2018 to December 2020. A propensity score matching (PSM) model was used, and 336 PCOS patients were matched with 336 patients in the control group.ResultsBefore PSM, no differences in the miscarriage rate, pregnancy complication rate, preterm birth rate, or live birth rate were found between the PCOS group and the control group. After PSM, the late miscarriage rate of the PCOS group was significantly higher than that of the control group (3.3% vs. 0.6%, P = 0.040), although the early miscarriage rates were similar (14.0% vs. 13.7%). The rates of pregnancy complications, preterm birth and live birth in the PCOS group were comparable to those in the matched control group (P = 0.080, P = 0.105, P = 0.109, respectively). The neonatal weights of male infants and female infants were similar between the two groups (P = 0.219, P = 0.169). Subgroup analysis showed that PCOS patients with homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels ≥ 2.49 had a significantly increased risk of preterm birth compared with those with HOMA-IR levels < 1.26 and 1.26 ≤ HOMA-IR levels < 2.49 (26.0% vs. 6.0% vs. 9.8%, P = 0.005). PCOS patients with total testosterone levels ≥ 0.7 ng/ml had a higher early miscarriage rate but a lower late miscarriage rate than those with total testosterone levels < 0.7 ng/ml (29.4% vs. 12.3%, 0% vs. 3.6%, respectively, P = 0.032).ConclusionsPCOS is an independent risk factor for late miscarriage in patients conceived after a single thawed blastocyst transfer, even after adjusting for biases. Among PCOS patients, insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism are associated with a higher risk of preterm birth and early miscarriage, respectively.

Average Treatment Effects of a Single-dose Antenatal Corticosteroid on the Respiratory Morbidity of Filipino Preterm Neonates

Introduction. Prematurity-related respiratory disorders are an important public health concern that should betreated efficiently and effectively. Antenatal corticosteroid (ACS) therapy has been recommended to hasten fetallung maturation in pregnancies at risk but has not been delivered adequately in low to middle-income countries. This study aimed to estimate the treatment effects associated with the use of a single-dose antenatal corticosteroid on the incidence of respiratory-associated morbidity among prematurely delivered neonates.Methods. This was a retrospective cohort study of neonates delivered at 24 to 33 weeks gestation at a tertiaryhospital comparing outcomes in those given single-dose ACS with those given no ACS. Association was estimated using logistic and propensity score (PS) analyses, as well as average treatment effect (ATE) and among those treated (ATET).Results. Most neonates (78.11%) received a single dose before delivery (single-dose ACS group) and only a few(21.89%) did not receive any dose (no ACS dose group). The odds ratio of respiratory morbidity in the single-dose ACS group was 0.44 (0.23-0.84) from an adjusted logistic regression model and 0.33 (0.17-0.80) from the PS matching model. The latter model was used to estimate that the average treatment effect from a single-ACS dose on the entire sample was -0.09 (-0.03 to -0.15), while its effect among the actual recipients was -0.08 (-0.02 to -0.15).Conclusion. There is a small benefit attributed to the single-dose ACS, reinforcing the need for dose administration and completion. Future studies are recommended to clarify the estimated association and improve on the methodological constraints encountered.

Relapses after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and multiple sclerosis

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic outbreak raises the question of whether immunization is recommended for patients with CNS demyelinating diseases. On the one hand, existing studies suggested that SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations are not associated with increased risk of relapse activity. On the other hand, case reports with acute CNS demyelinating disease post vaccination were emerging and raising clinicians’ attention. MethodsIn this longitudinal observational study, we included 556 patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and 280 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Each vaccinated patient was matched to two unvaccinated patients according to age, gender, ARR and immunotherapy status, based on propensity score matching model (PSM). The primary outcome is the short- and medium-term risk of relapse, which were evaluated by Kaplan–Meier analysis between groups. ResultsIn our cohort, 649 patients (77.6%) have not yet been vaccinated, mainly due to their concerns about relapse. After PSM, 109 vaccinated patients with NMOSD, 218 PS-matched unvaccinated patients with NMOSD, 78 vaccinated patients with RRMS, and 156 PS-matched unvaccinated patients with RRMS were included in the survival analysis to explore the safety of vaccines, with a median of 9-month follow-up. Following the first vaccination dose, 10 patients with NMOSD (9.2%) and four with RRMS (5.1%) experienced an acute relapse. Meanwhile, in the PS-matched unvaccinated group, 15 patients with NMOSD (6.9%) and 12 patients with RRMS (7.7%) presented with an acute relapse. There was no significant difference between the two curves in both NMOSD and RRMS groups over the course of the observation period. There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and symptoms of relapses between the vaccinated and PS-matched unvaccinated groups. Post vaccination adverse events (ADE) were reported in 39 individuals (20.9%). ConclusionOur results indicate that inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines appear safe for patients with CNS demyelinating diseases.

The influence of the ‘Fragmented City’ on wellbeing: Do mixed neighbourhoods affect young adults' life trajectories in Bogota?

This article investigates the effects that living in heterogeneous neighbourhoods may have on well-being, in order to shed light on the potential consequences of promoting residential mix policies. Using propensity score matching models, the study investigates whether 120 disadvantaged young adults located in a heterogeneous neighbourhood in Bogota scored differently on a battery of indicators of well-being compared to disadvantaged young adults located in a homogenous neighbourhood. Results suggest that when young adults live close to better-off peers, those in heterogeneous neighbourhoods are more likely to experience reduced capability scores than those in homogeneous neighbourhoods.

Analysis of Influencing Factors and Income Effect of Heterogeneous Agricultural Households’ Forestland Transfer

After the collective forest tenure reform, the forestland transfer behavior choices did not reach the policy expectations. In order to explore the factors influencing the behavior of farmers’ forestland transfer and the income effect of forestland transfer, this paper constructs a binary logistic regression model and a propensity score matching (PSM) model and uses the data obtained from a questionnaire survey of 500 farmers from 10 counties in Liaoning Province for quantitative analysis. Considering the heterogeneity, agricultural households are divided into three categories, namely, pure agricultural households, part-time agricultural households and non-agricultural households. The study found that the influencing factors of different types of agricultural households’ forestland transfer behavior choices were not exactly the same and the degree of influence by the same variable was also different. Forestland transfer can effectively promote the increase of agricultural and forestry income and total household income of pure agricultural households, part-time agricultural households and non-agricultural households, among which the promotion effect on pure agricultural households is the largest.

Do youth farmers benefit from participating in contract farming? Evidence from French beans youth farmers in Arusha, Tanzania

ABSTRACT Contract farming (CF) is often seen as a system that enhances production efficiency leading to increased agricultural productivity and improved farmer livelihoods. However, there is a conflict in the literature on its impact on young farmers who are involved in farming in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper evaluates the impacts of CF on crop yield, crop and household income among the youth farmers involved in French bean farming in Tanzania using cross-sectional data of 273 households. The study employs an endogenous switching regression (ESR) model that accounts for observed and unobserved factors to estimate the impact of CF. Further, the propensity score matching (PSM) model is used to check the robustness of ESR results. The results indicate that 162 farmers had contracts and French bean yields and incomes significantly increased with CF. Specifically, the empirical results reveal that CF leads to a gain of 17%, 34% and 37.5% in the yield, crop income and household income. Participation and impact of contract farming differed according to different socio-economic/institutional variables, such as access to extension services.

DOES INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR’S CASH COMPENSATION MATTER? EVIDENCE FROM CORPORATE FRAUD

This study empirically investigates the relationship between independent directors’ cash compensation and the likelihood of corporate fraud. Using data of 2542 Chinese firms and 17239 firm years from 2010 to 2017, the findings of logistic regression, firm-fixed effects, instrumental variable specification, and propensity score matching models show that there is a negative association between cash compensation of independent directors and corporate fraud. Our findings suggest that if independent directors are treated with higher cash compensation, it enhances the board’s independence and makes the effective monitoring over management behaviors and financial reporting process. On contrary to non-SOEs, the findings also document that the negative association between independent directors’ compensation and corporate fraud is pronounced in SOEs. The study not only shows the impact of independent director’s compensation on firm fraud beyond agency and contract theories but also creates policy implications regarding independent director’s compensation in particular scenario of emerging economies.

It is not worth postponing frozen embryo transfers after oocyte pickup: A retrospective cohort study based on propensity score matching.

This study was to explore whether postponing frozen embryo transfers (FET) after oocyte pickup (OPU) improves clinical and neonatal outcomes. From May 2018 to Dec 2020, a total of 1109 patients underwent their first OPU cycles adopting a non-selective freeze-all policy were included in this retrospective cohort study. In the immediate group (n=219), patients underwent FET in the first menstrual cycle after OPU, and patients in the postponed group (n=890) waited for more than 1 menstrual cycle after OPU to perform FET. A propensity score matching (PSM) model was used to evaluate the clinical outcomes and neonatal outcomes between the two groups. There were 209 patients in the immediate group and 499 patients in the postponed one after PSM. Patients waited for a significantly shorter period for FET in the immediate group (30.74 ± 3.85 days) compared with the postponed group (80.39 ± 26.25 days, P<0.01). The clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR) in the immediate group were 58.4% and 48.3%, respectively, which were comparable to those of the postponed one (58.1%, 49.7%, P > 0.05). No statistical significance was found in the average birth weight (3088.82 ± 565.35 g vs 3038.64 ± 625.78 g, P > 0.05) and height (49.08 ± 1.87 cm vs 49.30 ± 2.52 cm) of neonates between the two groups. The gender ratio, the incidence of macrosomia and low birth weight did not differ significantly between the two groups. In conclusion, postponing FET does not improve clinical and neonatal outcomes. If patients have no contraindications, FETs should be carried out immediately after OPU.

Circulating Methylated SEPT9 DNA Analyses to Predict Recurrence Risk and Adjuvant Chemotherapy Benefit in Stage II to III Colorectal Cancer.

BackgroundWe aimed to evaluate the ability of circulating cell-free methylated SETP9 DNA (mSEPT9) to identify recurrence and to determine its clinical utility in adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) regimen decisions.Material/MethodsThis study enrolled 426 patients with stage II–III CRC who received radical resection between January 8, 2018, and November 30, 2020. The median follow-up duration was 15.8 months (range, 8.1–43.4 months). The primary endpoint was recurrence-free survival (RFS). A propensity score matching model was used to minimize potential confounding covariates and to confirm our findings.ResultsIn stage II–III CRC patients, postoperative (within 1 month after surgery) mSEPT9 positivity was significantly correlated with worse RFS (HR=6.21, P<0.001), and it remained the strongest independent predictor in multivariate Cox regression analysis (HR=5.83, P<0.001), which was significantly superior to CEA, CA19-9, and CA242. During disease surveillance, mSEPT9 positivity preceded radiographic recurrence by a median of 5.0 months. The postoperative mSEPT9-positive patients benefited more from CAPEOX compared to FOLFOX (HR=3.97, P=0.017), while for mSEPT9-negative patients, CAPEOX and FOLFOX resulted in similar RFS (HR=1.70, P=0.322). Furthermore, 3 months of CAPEOX was more effective than 3 and 6 months of FOLFOX (HR=4.40, P=0.065; HR=1.56, P=0.073, respectively).ConclusionsOur results revealed that mSEPT9 detection after radical resection could identify minimal residual disease (MRD) and could predict a high risk of recurrence in patients with stage II–III CRC. Furthermore, we show pioneering work that mSEPT9 detection could be used to guide the selection of an adjuvant chemotherapy regimen to improve RFS.

Impact of Soil and Water Conservation on Household Income in West Arsi Zone of Oromia

Land degradation due to soil erosion and nutrient depletion is one of the main problems constraining the development of the agricultural sector in Ethiopia. As part of intervention activities number of soil and water conservation (SWC) practices have been promoted to smallholder farmers living in highly degraded and drought prone areas of the country. This study was conducted to assess the impact of SWC intervention on the livelihood of smallholder farm households in terms household income and productivity. To meet this objective primary data was gathered from 150 sample responds (67 SWC program participants and 83 non-participants). Descriptive and inferential statistics and propensity score matching (PSM) models were used to address the stated objectives. Results of the descriptive statistics showed that before matching there was statistically significant difference between program participants and their counterfactual households in terms of sex, education and farm experience generally in favor of non-program participants whereas access to market information and amount of land allocated for production in favor of program participant in the zone. The analysis of mean difference in outcome variables before matching result indicated that the mean total crop yield for SWC practiced respondent households is higher (22.102quintal per hectare per household) than SWC non-practiced respondent households (17.26quintal per hectare per household) with mean total crop yield difference equivalent to 4.842 quintal per hectare per household in the zone. In the mean-time, even though, the results of the PSM model revealed that SWC intervention did not result in significant difference between program participant and non-participant households in terms of maize productivity and gross crop income total annual crop income of households who participated in SWC program was 10,838.13 birr whereas its 6075.48 birr for non-participant farmers accounting 4762.65birr difference suggesting that on average participant households earned 43.9 percent more crop value per hectare than the control group. Logistic regression model was employed to estimate propensity scores for matching SWC program households with their counterfactuals. Except sex of the household, Market information, amount of land cultivated, Education and farm experience influenced the probability of HH participation in SWC positively and significantly at 10% expect land cultivated at 5% level. The implication could be that farm household participation was more guided by demographic than economics factors (defined by farm size and herd size). Nominal results of analysis of treatment effects indicate that there was a sign of positive impact on both of the variables considered due to SWC program. However, the changes in crop productivity and gross household income could not be statistically justified as there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of these variables. The possible reason could be that SWC programs are not short-term nature and impacts are to be realized gradually with increased adoption and intensification of activities. Finally it was to be noted that there were positive trends which all together should guide SWC policy makers to identify important factors influencing the contribution of such a program and reconsider the design and implementation of the interventions. Keywords: Impacts, Income, participant, non- participant, household, Propensity Score Matching. DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/12-18-01 Publication date: September 30 th 2022

Rural women participation in farm and off-farm activities and household income in Bangladesh

The present study was mainly an impact of farm and off-farm activities on household income and participation of rural women in the Thakurgaon district of Bangladesh. The specific aim was to compare the rural women's participation considering their socioeconomic characteristics, income contribution to household income, and its influencing factors. An Independent Sample T-test was used to compare socioeconomic differences. Pearson's correlation test was used to determine the relationship between women's personal income and household income. The propensity Score Matching (PSM) model was used for impact evaluation of off-farm activities. The result of the t-test showed that off-farm activities were significantly ahead for women from the farm women in terms of socioeconomic variables. There was positive and a strong correlation between women's personal income from off-farm activities and their household income. The result of PSM shows that off-farm activities have a positive and significant impact on rural women's income. Estimation of the binary Probit model and marginal effects of related explanatory variables revealed that educational status, family size, work experiences, personal income, saving, and training, significantly affected rural women's involvement in off-farm activities. Therefore, to increase the pace of work, the participation of rural women in off-farm activities needs to be made more effective and efficient, for which government and non-government organizations need to take necessary steps in area-based development (such as work environment, credit facilities, communication, infrastructure, etc.).