430 results on '"Norman T"'
Search Results
2. Oxytocin in old age psychiatry: A systematic review of the safety of using intranasal oxytocin in older adults.
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Sawares A, Olver J, Morcos M, and Norman T
- Abstract
Objectives: To examine the literature for evidence of adverse events associated with the use of intranasal oxytocin in older adults (60+)., Methods: A systematic review was undertaken according to PRISMA guidelines. Peer-reviewed literature was searched for studies involving intranasal oxytocin use in older populations. The Joanna Briggs Institute's (JBI) critical appraisal tool was used to assess the quality of included studies., Results: The search identified nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the effects of intranasal oxytocin on a total sample size of 331 older participants. Adverse effects associated with oxytocin administration were predominantly mild and varied inconsistently between studies. Compared to placebo intranasal oxytocin was not significantly associated with severe adverse outcomes in doses ranging from 24 to 72 IU after single dose and or repeated doses in the short-term., Conclusion: In a population of older adults, intranasal oxytocin is devoid of serious adverse events. Although this review offers valuable insights, it may not fully reflect the potential adverse events associated with the long-term administration of intranasal oxytocin such as would be expected in its clinical application if approved for the treatment of dementia., Competing Interests: DisclosureThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Antoine Sawares does not have any conflicts of interest to declare. James Olver does not have any conflicts of interest to declare. Marco Morcos does not have any conflicts of interest to declare. Trevor Norman does not have any conflicts of interest to declare.
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- 2024
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3. The influence of complete and partial shared translation in the first language on semantic processing in the second language.
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Norman T, Eviatar Z, and Degani T
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This study investigated (a) whether L2 semantic processing is modulated by automatic activation of L1 translations, (b) whether L1 translation activation involves both phonological and orthographic representations, and (c) whether these phonological and orthographic representations of L1 translations are accessed along a similar time course. To this end, 48 Hebrew-English bilinguals and 48 native English speakers with no Hebrew knowledge performed a semantic relatedness judgment task in English. Critical prime-target pairs ( n = 96) were semantically unrelated, but their translations in Hebrew could include form overlap. Specifically, complete translation-overlap pairs shared both a phonological and an orthographic lexical form (e.g., "beak" and "source" = מקור /makor/), whereas partial translation-overlap pairs shared either a phonological form (e.g., "skin" and "light" = /or/) or an orthographic form (e.g., "book" and "barber" = ספר) in Hebrew. Stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) of the prime-target L2-English words was further manipulated to reveal the time course of phonological and orthographic translation activation. Results showed that complete overlap in the translation lead Hebrew-English bilinguals, but not native English speakers, to judge semantically unrelated pairs as related in meaning and to do so more quickly irrespective of SOA. For partial translation overlap in phonology, the percentage of "yes" responses was affected only in the short SOA (300 ms), and under partial translation overlap in orthography, only in the long SOA (750 ms). These findings suggest that L1 translation activation during L2 word processing spreads to both phonological and orthographic representations but at different time points along processing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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- 2024
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4. Using digital technology as a platform to strengthen the continuum of care at community level for maternal, child and adolescent health in Tanzania: introducing the Afya-Tek program.
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Dillip A, Kahamba G, Sambaiga R, Shekalaghe E, Kapologwe N, Kitali E, Kengia JT, Haonga T, Nzilibili S, Tanda M, Haroun Y, Hofmann R, Litner R, Lampariello R, Kimatta S, Ketende S, James J, Fumbwe K, Mahmoud F, Lugumamu O, Gabunda C, Salim A, Allen M, Mathew E, Nkaka M, Liana J, Norman T, Mbwasi R, and Sarkar N
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- Humans, Tanzania, Adolescent, Female, Child, Pregnancy, Community Health Workers, Digital Technology, Child Health, Referral and Consultation, Adult, Child, Preschool, Adolescent Health, Male, Continuity of Patient Care organization & administration
- Abstract
Inadequate care within Tanzania's primary health system contributes to thousands of preventable maternal and child deaths, and unwanted pregnancies each year. A key contributor is lack of coordination between three primary healthcare actors: public sector Community Health Workers (CHWs) and health facilities, and private sector Accredited Drug Dispensing Outlets (ADDOs). The Afya-Tek program aims to improve the continuity of care amongst these actors in Kibaha district, through a mobile-application based digital referral system that focuses on improving maternal, child and adolescent health. The digital system called Afya-Tek was co-created with users and beneficiaries, and utilises open-source technology in-line with existing government systems. The system guides healthcare actors with individualised decision support during client visits and recommends accurate next steps (education, treatment, or referral). From July 2020 to June 2023, a total of 241,000 individuals were enrolled in the Afya-Tek program covering 7,557 pregnant women, 6,582 postpartum women, 45,900 children, and 25,700 adolescents. CHWs have conducted a total of 626,000 home visits to provide health services, including screening clients for danger signs. This has resulted in 38,100 referrals to health facilities and 24,300 linkages to ADDOs. At the ADDO level, 48,552 clients self-presented; 33% of children with pneumonia symptoms received Amoxicillin; 34% of children with diarrhoea symptoms received ORS and zinc; and 4,203 referrals were made to nearest health facilities. Adolescents preferred services at ADDOs as a result of increased perceived privacy and confidentiality. In total, 89% of all referrals were attended by health facilities. As the first digital health program in Tanzania to demonstrate the linkage among public and private sector primary healthcare actors, Afya-Tek holds promise to improve maternal, child and adolescent health as well as for scale-up and sustainability, through incorporation of other disease conditions and integration with government's Unified Community System (UCS)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
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- 2024
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5. EcoLiDAR: An economical LiDAR scanner for ecological research.
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Pereira Mendes C and Lim NT
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- Remote Sensing Technology instrumentation, Remote Sensing Technology economics, Remote Sensing Technology methods, Ecosystem, Ecology instrumentation, Ecology economics, Ecology methods
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Despite recent popularization and widespread use in modern electronic devices, LiDAR technology remains expensive for research purposes, in part due to the very high performance offered by commercially available LiDAR scanners. However, such high performance is not always needed, and the expensive price ends up making LiDAR scanners inaccessible for research projects with reduced budget, such as those in developing countries. Here we designed and built a simple ground-based LiDAR scanner, with performance sufficient to fulfil the requirements for a variety of ecological research projects, while being cheap and easy to build. We managed to assemble a LiDAR scanner under 400 USD (as of 2021), and it is simple enough to be built by personnel with minimal engineering background. We also demonstrated the quality of the resulting point clouds by scanning a test site and producing some common LiDAR products. Although not adequate for mapping large area due to its limited range, our LiDAR design is open, customizable, and can produce adequate results while costing ~1% of "low-cost" scanners available in the market. As such, our LiDAR scanner opens a world of new opportunities, particularly for projects in developing countries., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Pereira Mendes, Lim. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)
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- 2024
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6. Acrobatic training prevents motor deficits and neuronal loss in male and female rats following chronic cerebral hypoperfusion.
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Martini APR, Hoeper E, Dos Santos DP, Norman T, Dos Santos AS, Pereira LO, and Netto CA
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- Rats, Animals, Male, Female, Brain, Ischemia, Disease Models, Animal, Maze Learning, Brain Ischemia pathology, Dementia, Vascular, Motor Cortex
- Abstract
Background: Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion in vascular dementia leads to memory and motor deficits; Physical exercise improves these aspects and promotes neuroprotection. Sexual dimorphism may significantly influence both ischemic and exercise outcomes., Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 2VO (Two-Vessel occlusion) and the acrobatic training on motor function, functional performance, and tissue loss in male and female rats., Methods: Male and female rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: sham acrobatic, sham sedentary, 2VO acrobatic and 2VO sedentary. After 45 days of 2VO surgery, the animals received 4 weeks of acrobatic training. At the end, open field, beam balance and horizontal ladder tests were performed. Brain samples were taken for histological and morphological evaluation., Results: Spontaneous motor activity in the open field was not affected by 2VO, on the other hand, an impairment in forelimb placement was observed after 2VO and acrobatic training prevented errors and improved hindlimb placement. Neuronal loss was found in the motor cortex and striatum after 2VO, especially in females, which was prevented by acrobatic training., Conclusion: Mild motor damage was found in animals after 2VO when refined movement was evaluated, probably associated to neuronal death in the motor cortex and striatum. The acrobatic exercise showed a neuroprotective effect, promoting neuronal survival and attenuating the motor deficit., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
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- 2024
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7. A maturity model for the scientific review of clinical trial designs and their informativeness.
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Dolley S, Norman T, McNair D, and Hartman D
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- Humans, Clinical Trials as Topic, Research Design
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Background: Informativeness, in the context of clinical trials, defines whether a study's results definitively answer its research questions with meaningful next steps. Many clinical trials end uninformatively. Clinical trial protocols are required to go through reviews in regulatory and ethical domains: areas that focus on specifics outside of trial design, biostatistics, and research methods. Private foundations and government funders rarely require focused scientific design reviews for these areas. There are no documented standards and processes, or even best practices, toward a capability for funders to perform scientific design reviews after their peer review process prior to a funding commitment., Main Body: Considering the investment in and standardization of ethical and regulatory reviews, and the prevalence of studies never finishing or failing to provide definitive results, it may be that scientific reviews of trial designs with a focus on informativeness offer the best chance for improved outcomes and return-on-investment in clinical trials. A maturity model is a helpful tool for knowledge transfer to help grow capabilities in a new area or for those looking to perform a self-assessment in an existing area. Such a model is offered for scientific design reviews of clinical trial protocols. This maturity model includes 11 process areas and 5 maturity levels. Each of the 55 process area levels is populated with descriptions on a continuum toward an optimal state to improve trial protocols in the areas of risk of failure or uninformativeness., Conclusion: This tool allows for prescriptive guidance on next investments to improve attributes of post-funding reviews of trials, with a focus on informativeness. Traditional pre-funding peer review has limited capacity for trial design review, especially for detailed biostatistical and methodological review. Select non-industry funders have begun to explore or invest in post-funding review programs of grantee protocols, based on exemplars of such programs. Funders with a desire to meet fiduciary responsibilities and mission goals can use the described model to enhance efforts supporting trial participant commitment and faster cures., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
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- 2024
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8. Vesiculopustular drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms induced by levetiracetam.
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Norman T, Guenther J, Wu K, DeClerck B, and Worswick S
- Abstract
Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is a severe cutaneous adverse reaction characterised by fever, lymphadenopathy, morbilliform rash, haematologic abnormalities, and multiorgan involvement. Herein, we describe a 32-year-old female presenting with a 9-day history of facial oedema, cervical and inguinal lymphadenopathy, and a pruritic rash comprised of vesicles and pustules on her face, trunk, and extremities. Her only medications were valproate, which she had been taking for several years, and levetiracetam, which was initiated 41 days prior to rash onset. On the 16th day of her rash, she was diagnosed with DRESS induced by levetiracetam (Registry of Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions: 5). At this point, her absolute eosinophil count was 0.9 × 10
9 cells/L and aspartate and alanine transaminase levels were 357 and 339 U/L, respectively. Pustules with a morbilliform rash may occur in up to 30% of DRESS cases. In rarer instances, as in our patient, DRESS can present with isolated pustules and vesicles. Similarly, although rare, DRESS can be induced by levetiracetam., Competing Interests: Norman, Guenther, Wu, DeClerck, and Worswick report no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Skin Health and Disease published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Association of Dermatologists.)- Published
- 2024
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9. Persistent depression in pregnant refugee and migrant women living along the Thai-Myanmar Border: a secondary qualitative analysis.
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Ashley-Norman T, Fellmeth G, Brummaier T, Nosten S, Oo MM, Phichitpadungtham Y, Wai K, Khirikoekkong N, Plugge E, and McGready R
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Background: Antepartum depression affects around 15% of pregnant women worldwide, and may negatively impact their infants' physical, cognitive and social development, and confer a greater risk of emotional dysregulation in their children. Risk factors for antepartum depression disproportionately affect women from resource-sparse settings. In particular, pregnant refugee and migrant women face many barriers to diagnosis and care of mental health conditions, yet this group is under-represented in the literature. This study explores what refugee and migrant women living along the Thai-Myanmar border perceive as being contributory and protective factors to their antepartum depression, through secondary qualitative analysis of responses to clinical interviews for depression., Methods: Previous research investigating perinatal depression in pregnant refugee and migrant women on the Thai-Myanmar border involved assessing 568 women for depression, using the Structured Clinical Interview for the diagnosis of DSM-IV Disorders (SCID). This study analyses a subsample of 32 women, diagnosed with persistent depression during the antepartum period. Thematic analysis of responses to the SCID and social and demographic surveys was undertaken to investigate factors which contribute towards, or protect against, persistent antepartum depression., Results: Major themes which women described as contributing towards persistent antepartum depression were financial problems, interpersonal violence, substance misuse among partners, social problems and poor health. Factors women considered as protecting mental wellbeing included social support, accessible healthcare and distractions, highlighting the need for focus on these elements within refugee and migrant settings. Commonly expressed phrases in local Karen and Burmese languages were summarised., Conclusions: Knowledge of factors affecting mental wellbeing in the study population and how these are phrased, may equip stakeholders to better support women in the study area. This study highlighted the limitations of contextually generic diagnostic tools, and recommends the development of tools better suited to marginalised and non-English speaking groups., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Ashley-Norman T et al.)
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- 2024
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10. Cutaneous adverse effects induced by tebentafusp in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma: a case series and treatment insights.
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Rodriguez I, Norman T, Guenther J, Smart K, Kwong A, Berry J, In GK, and Worswick S
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- Humans, Melanoma pathology, Skin Neoplasms drug therapy, Uveal Neoplasms drug therapy, Recombinant Fusion Proteins
- Abstract
Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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- 2024
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11. Analysis of Contact Allergens in Polyvinyl Chloride Examination Gloves in the United States.
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Norman T, Guenther J, Asante I, and Adler BL
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- Humans, United States, Allergens adverse effects, Polyvinyl Chloride adverse effects, Polyvinyl Chloride chemistry, Gloves, Protective, Patch Tests, Maleates, Rubber, Tritolyl Phosphates, Dermatitis, Allergic Contact diagnosis, Dermatitis, Allergic Contact etiology, Thiazoles, Benzhydryl Compounds, Organophosphates, Phosphites, Phenols
- Abstract
Background : Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gloves are recommended as a safe alternative for patients with rubber accelerator allergy. However, allergic contact dermatitis to other chemicals in PVC gloves has been reported. Objective : To analyze single-use PVC medical examination gloves in the United States for the presence of potential contact allergens. Methods : Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, 20 unique PVC gloves were analyzed in triplicate for 6 chemicals: benzisothiazolinone, bisphenol A, mono(2-ethylhexyl) maleate, tricresyl phosphate, triphenyl phosphate, and triphenyl phosphite. Results : All 20 PVC gloves contained detectable quantities of benzisothiazolinone (range, 0.001-1.48 parts per million [ppm]), bisphenol A (0.01-0.11 ppm), triphenyl phosphate (0.01-2.11 ppm), and triphenyl phosphite (0.001-0.22 ppm). Eighteen (90%) gloves contained mono(2-ethylhexyl) maleate (0.001-0.14 ppm) and 3 (15%) contained tricresyl phosphate (0.001-0.002 ppm). Conclusions : Known allergens were present in all 20 PVC gloves. However, the detected levels were mostly low and their relationship with sensitization and elicitation thresholds requires further study.
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- 2024
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12. Typologies of alcohol and other drug-related risk among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (trans) and queer adults.
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Norman T, Bourne A, Amos N, Power J, Anderson J, Lim G, Carman M, and Meléndez-Torres GJ
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- Adult, Female, Humans, Gender Identity, Bisexuality, Sexual Behavior, Transgender Persons, Sexual and Gender Minorities, Homosexuality, Female
- Abstract
Introduction: Prevalence and patterns of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use among specific lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (trans) and queer (LGBTQ+) subpopulations are well established. However, patterns of substance-related risk have been less thoroughly explored. This study aimed to determine typologies AOD risk among LGBTQ+ adults in Australia., Method: Latent class analyses were performed to determine distinct patterns of AOD risk (n = 6835), as measured by the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test and Drug Abuse Screening Tool. Demographic characteristics, experience of harassment, assault and/or threats, mental wellbeing and LGBTQ+ connectedness were compared across emergent classes., Results: AOD risk was characterised as 'no risk' (13.3% of sample), 'low risk' (15.1%), 'moderate risk' (alcohol + other drugs; 30.1%), or 'moderate alcohol only risk' (41.5%). The 'moderate risk' class was the most likely class to report recent sexual assault, verbal abuse, harassment and physical threats compared to other classes, while those in the 'moderate alcohol only risk' group were least likely to report these experiences of all classes. However, both the 'moderate risk' and 'moderate alcohol risk only' classes reported greater mental wellbeing and LGBTQ+ connectedness compared to the 'no risk' and 'low risk' classes., Discussion and Conclusions: Our findings indicate that level of AOD risk is not uniform among some LGBTQ+ adults, nor is the distribution of harms experienced by them. Tailored harm-reduction interventions may be fruitful in attenuating harms based on risk profile; most specifically, LGBTQ+ individuals engaging in moderately risky concurrent AOD use., (© 2024 The Authors. Drug and Alcohol Review published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.)
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- 2024
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13. A Survey of Skin Reactions Associated With Acrylic Nail Cosmetics, With a Focus on Home Kits: Is There a Need for Regulation?
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Guenther J, Norman T, Wee CP, and Adler BL
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- Female, Humans, Adolescent, Nails, Cross-Sectional Studies, Acrylates adverse effects, Self Report, Dermatitis, Allergic Contact etiology, Nail Diseases, Cosmetics adverse effects
- Abstract
Background: Sensitization to (meth)acrylates, the most common nail cosmetic allergens, is rising. In recent years, home acrylic nail kits have become easily available. Objective: To investigate the characteristics of individuals reporting skin reactions associated with acrylic nail cosmetics, particularly home kits. Methods: Cross-sectional survey of Facebook nail allergy support groups. Inclusion criteria were self-reported skin reactions associated with acrylic nails and age ≥18 years. Results: There were 199 respondents, nearly all female (99%), mostly white (83%), and 25-54 years old (83%). Seventy-eight percent reported using home acrylic kits, more than half for the first time during COVID-19. They predominantly learned about kits through social media (68%) and received training through websites/online videos (74%). Most home users (83%) first developed skin reactions after starting to use home kits. Compared with nonhome users, significantly more home users reported skin reaction onset within 1 year of use, as well as nail damage ( P < 0.05). Conclusions: Among online nail allergy support group members, home acrylic nail kit use was common and associated with earlier development of skin reactions and more frequent nail damage than professional acrylic manicures. These findings raise important questions about the need to regulate home acrylic nail kits.
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- 2024
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14. Author Correction: Child wasting and concurrent stunting in low- and middle-income countries.
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Mertens A, Benjamin-Chung J, Colford JM Jr, Hubbard AE, van der Laan MJ, Coyle J, Sofrygin O, Cai W, Jilek W, Rosete S, Nguyen A, Pokpongkiat NN, Djajadi S, Seth A, Jung E, Chung EO, Malenica I, Hejazi N, Li H, Hafen R, Subramoney V, Häggström J, Norman T, Christian P, Brown KH, and Arnold BF
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- 2023
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15. Author Correction: Early-childhood linear growth faltering in low- and middle-income countries.
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Benjamin-Chung J, Mertens A, Colford JM Jr, Hubbard AE, van der Laan MJ, Coyle J, Sofrygin O, Cai W, Nguyen A, Pokpongkiat NN, Djajadi S, Seth A, Jilek W, Jung E, Chung EO, Rosete S, Hejazi N, Malenica I, Li H, Hafen R, Subramoney V, Häggström J, Norman T, Brown KH, Christian P, and Arnold BF
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- 2023
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16. People living with HIV who inject or have injected non-prescription drugs: Evidence of substantial differences in health inequalities and experiences of clinical care.
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Norman T, Power J, Clifton B, Murray J, and Bourne A
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- Humans, Nonprescription Drugs therapeutic use, Quality of Life, Comorbidity, Substance Abuse, Intravenous epidemiology, Substance Abuse, Intravenous complications, HIV Infections drug therapy, HIV Infections epidemiology, HIV Infections complications
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Introduction: This study investigates differences in health and well-being associated with current, past or no injecting drug use (IDU) among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Australia, identifying key health care considerations between injecting experiences., Methods: Data were extracted from the HIV Futures 9 study; a survey of PLHIV conducted in 2018-2019. Chi-square and analysis of variance analyses compared clinical and treatment characteristics, major physical and mental comorbidities, sexually transmitted infection diagnoses, and quality of life for those who reported current (last 12 months), past (12+ months ago) or no IDU., Results: Current IDU (n = 106) was associated with higher rates of sexually transmitted infection testing and diagnoses, higher frequency of self-reported antiretroviral therapy non-adherence due to drug use and greater social quality of life than past (n = 126) or no IDU (n = 508; total N = 740). Past and current IDUs were associated with more mental illness diagnoses and self-reported concern about drug use. Past IDU was associated with more physical comorbidities, lower satisfaction with clinical care and greater difficulty in affording health care than current or no IDU., Discussion and Conclusions: Past and current IDUs are associated with unique health concerns. However, past IDU appears to be related to greater dissatisfaction in navigating health care than individuals with current IDU experience. Higher social connection and the types of services being accessed by individuals who currently inject may play a role in shaping service satisfaction. Peer-based interventions to help support individuals in accessing services that are affirming of their needs is an ongoing priority., (© 2023 The Authors. Drug and Alcohol Review published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.)
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- 2023
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17. Child wasting and concurrent stunting in low- and middle-income countries.
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Mertens A, Benjamin-Chung J, Colford JM Jr, Hubbard AE, van der Laan MJ, Coyle J, Sofrygin O, Cai W, Jilek W, Rosete S, Nguyen A, Pokpongkiat NN, Djajadi S, Seth A, Jung E, Chung EO, Malenica I, Hejazi N, Li H, Hafen R, Subramoney V, Häggström J, Norman T, Christian P, Brown KH, and Arnold BF
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- Child, Preschool, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Cross-Sectional Studies, Incidence, Longitudinal Studies, Rain, Seasons, Cachexia epidemiology, Cachexia mortality, Cachexia prevention & control, Developing Countries, Growth Disorders epidemiology, Growth Disorders mortality, Growth Disorders prevention & control, Malnutrition epidemiology, Malnutrition mortality, Malnutrition prevention & control
- Abstract
Sustainable Development Goal 2.2-to end malnutrition by 2030-includes the elimination of child wasting, defined as a weight-for-length z-score that is more than two standard deviations below the median of the World Health Organization standards for child growth
1 . Prevailing methods to measure wasting rely on cross-sectional surveys that cannot measure onset, recovery and persistence-key features that inform preventive interventions and estimates of disease burden. Here we analyse 21 longitudinal cohorts and show that wasting is a highly dynamic process of onset and recovery, with incidence peaking between birth and 3 months. Many more children experience an episode of wasting at some point during their first 24 months than prevalent cases at a single point in time suggest. For example, at the age of 24 months, 5.6% of children were wasted, but by the same age (24 months), 29.2% of children had experienced at least one wasting episode and 10.0% had experienced two or more episodes. Children who were wasted before the age of 6 months had a faster recovery and shorter episodes than did children who were wasted at older ages; however, early wasting increased the risk of later growth faltering, including concurrent wasting and stunting (low length-for-age z-score), and thus increased the risk of mortality. In diverse populations with high seasonal rainfall, the population average weight-for-length z-score varied substantially (more than 0.5 z in some cohorts), with the lowest mean z-scores occurring during the rainiest months; this indicates that seasonally targeted interventions could be considered. Our results show the importance of establishing interventions to prevent wasting from birth to the age of 6 months, probably through improved maternal nutrition, to complement current programmes that focus on children aged 6-59 months., (© 2023. The Author(s).)- Published
- 2023
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18. Causes and consequences of child growth faltering in low-resource settings.
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Mertens A, Benjamin-Chung J, Colford JM Jr, Coyle J, van der Laan MJ, Hubbard AE, Rosete S, Malenica I, Hejazi N, Sofrygin O, Cai W, Li H, Nguyen A, Pokpongkiat NN, Djajadi S, Seth A, Jung E, Chung EO, Jilek W, Subramoney V, Hafen R, Häggström J, Norman T, Brown KH, Christian P, and Arnold BF
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- Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Pregnancy, Cohort Studies, Dietary Supplements, Longitudinal Studies, Mothers, Sex Factors, Malnutrition economics, Malnutrition epidemiology, Malnutrition etiology, Malnutrition prevention & control, Anthropometry, Cachexia economics, Cachexia epidemiology, Cachexia etiology, Cachexia prevention & control, Developing Countries economics, Developing Countries statistics & numerical data, Growth Disorders epidemiology, Growth Disorders prevention & control
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Growth faltering in children (low length for age or low weight for length) during the first 1,000 days of life (from conception to 2 years of age) influences short-term and long-term health and survival
1,2 . Interventions such as nutritional supplementation during pregnancy and the postnatal period could help prevent growth faltering, but programmatic action has been insufficient to eliminate the high burden of stunting and wasting in low- and middle-income countries. Identification of age windows and population subgroups on which to focus will benefit future preventive efforts. Here we use a population intervention effects analysis of 33 longitudinal cohorts (83,671 children, 662,763 measurements) and 30 separate exposures to show that improving maternal anthropometry and child condition at birth accounted for population increases in length-for-age z-scores of up to 0.40 and weight-for-length z-scores of up to 0.15 by 24 months of age. Boys had consistently higher risk of all forms of growth faltering than girls. Early postnatal growth faltering predisposed children to subsequent and persistent growth faltering. Children with multiple growth deficits exhibited higher mortality rates from birth to 2 years of age than children without growth deficits (hazard ratios 1.9 to 8.7). The importance of prenatal causes and severe consequences for children who experienced early growth faltering support a focus on pre-conception and pregnancy as a key opportunity for new preventive interventions., (© 2023. The Author(s).)- Published
- 2023
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19. Early-childhood linear growth faltering in low- and middle-income countries.
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Benjamin-Chung J, Mertens A, Colford JM Jr, Hubbard AE, van der Laan MJ, Coyle J, Sofrygin O, Cai W, Nguyen A, Pokpongkiat NN, Djajadi S, Seth A, Jilek W, Jung E, Chung EO, Rosete S, Hejazi N, Malenica I, Li H, Hafen R, Subramoney V, Häggström J, Norman T, Brown KH, Christian P, and Arnold BF
- Subjects
- Adult, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Asia, Southern epidemiology, Cognition, Cross-Sectional Studies, Developmental Disabilities epidemiology, Developmental Disabilities mortality, Developmental Disabilities prevention & control, Longitudinal Studies, Mothers, Developing Countries statistics & numerical data, Growth Disorders epidemiology, Growth Disorders mortality, Growth Disorders prevention & control
- Abstract
Globally, 149 million children under 5 years of age are estimated to be stunted (length more than 2 standard deviations below international growth standards)
1,2 . Stunting, a form of linear growth faltering, increases the risk of illness, impaired cognitive development and mortality. Global stunting estimates rely on cross-sectional surveys, which cannot provide direct information about the timing of onset or persistence of growth faltering-a key consideration for defining critical windows to deliver preventive interventions. Here we completed a pooled analysis of longitudinal studies in low- and middle-income countries (n = 32 cohorts, 52,640 children, ages 0-24 months), allowing us to identify the typical age of onset of linear growth faltering and to investigate recurrent faltering in early life. The highest incidence of stunting onset occurred from birth to the age of 3 months, with substantially higher stunting at birth in South Asia. From 0 to 15 months, stunting reversal was rare; children who reversed their stunting status frequently relapsed, and relapse rates were substantially higher among children born stunted. Early onset and low reversal rates suggest that improving children's linear growth will require life course interventions for women of childbearing age and a greater emphasis on interventions for children under 6 months of age., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)- Published
- 2023
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20. Lanolin: The 2023 American Contact Dermatitis Society Allergen of the Year.
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Johnson H, Norman T, Adler BL, and Yu J
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- Humans, United States, Lanolin adverse effects, Patch Tests, Allergens adverse effects, Dermatitis, Allergic Contact diagnosis, Dermatitis, Allergic Contact etiology
- Abstract
In 2023, lanolin was named the American Contact Dermatitis Society Allergen of the Year. Despite its widespread use in personal care products and industrial goods, lanolin is thought to be a rare sensitizer in patients with healthy skin; however, those with chronic inflammatory skin conditions are at a higher risk for allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) to lanolin. The proper patch test formulation for lanolin is a source of contention. In this article, we discuss ACD to lanolin with a focus on its paradoxical nature and the subtleties to consider when patch testing to this controversial allergen.
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- 2023
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21. Psychiatric comorbidities on an inpatient dermatology consultation service: A cross-sectional analysis.
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Norman T, Guenther J, Vecerek N, Adler BL, Crew A, and Worswick S
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Despite the high prevalence of psychiatric illness in hospitalised dermatology patients, characterisation of psychiatric comorbidities on an inpatient dermatology consultation service in the United States has yet to be performed. To fill this gap in knowledge, we investigated the prevalence of and factors associated with psychiatric illness on the inpatient dermatology consultation service at the University of Southern California. Of the 429 patients seen by the dermatology consultation service between June 2021 to July 2022, 147 (34%) had psychiatric illness (defined as having at least 1 psychiatric diagnosis). Increasing age was associated with a decreased likelihood of psychiatric illness, while housing instability, chronic dermatologic disease, drug reaction, and pruritus without rash were associated with an increased likelihood of psychiatric illness. The high prevalence of psychiatric illness observed in hospitalised dermatology patients emphasises the importance of collaboration between consultant dermatologists and mental health specialists, particularly when specific sociodemographic or disease factors are present., Competing Interests: Brandon L. Adler has served as a research investigator and/or consultant to AbbVie and Skin Research Institute, LLC., (© 2023 The Authors. Skin Health and Disease published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Association of Dermatologists.)
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- 2023
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22. Planning for the future of population health: the Johns Hopkins Medicine experience.
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Berkowitz SA, Norman T, and Sowers KW
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Johns Hopkins Medicine underwent a significant evolution with a new Office of Population Health (OPH), inclusive of a hybrid clinical and administrative structure, to optimally align expertise with care delivery functions. Initial priorities included identification of high-risk patients to receive care management, integrated behavioral health, and wraparound supports to address social determinants of health. A cross-functional care team provides multidisciplinary support for primary care practice patient needs, and efforts through the Baltimore Metropolitan Diabetes Regional Partnership have helped accelerate scaling of evidence-based diabetes prevention and management programs across the state. Through a multistakeholder process, OPH and partners developed a 3-year strategic plan, with guiding stars of reducing avoidable utilization and disparities in care. The plan prioritized (1) generation of a data and analytics road map, (2) advanced population management clinical services for priority populations, (3) improved performance on value-based care programming, and (4) enhanced health system coordination. With a new OPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine is better positioned to execute on value-based initiatives in support of its patients.
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- 2023
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23. Visual simulations in the two cerebral hemispheres: A bilingual perspective.
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Norman T and Peleg O
- Subjects
- Humans, Reaction Time physiology, Visual Fields, Reading, Language, Cerebrum
- Abstract
The ability of each hemisphere to construct visual simulations during first language (L1) and second language (L2) sentence reading was investigated. Late bilinguals read L1 and L2 sentences and decided after each sentence whether a pictured object was mentioned in the sentence. Target pictures were presented laterally in the left/right visual field (LVF/RVF) to the right/left hemisphere (RH/LH), respectively. 'Yes' responses were faster when the pictured object's shape matched, rather than mismatched, the sentence-implied shape, irrespective of the language involved. Critically, this visual shape effect was significant only under LVF/RH presentation, indicating that visual simulations are more likely to occur in the RH than in the LH. The fact that a similar experiment with central picture presentation has produced a significant shape effect only in the L1 (Norman & Peleg, 2022), suggests that under normal (central) reading conditions, the RH may be less involved in L2 than in L1 reading., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
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- 2023
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24. Audio-based Deep Learning Algorithm to Identify Alcohol Inebriation (ADLAIA).
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Bonela AA, He Z, Nibali A, Norman T, Miller PG, and Kuntsche E
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- Humans, Female, Male, Blood Alcohol Content, Alcohol Drinking, Violence, Ethanol, Alcoholic Intoxication, Deep Learning
- Abstract
Background: Acute alcohol intoxication impairs cognitive and psychomotor abilities leading to various public health hazards such as road traffic accidents and alcohol-related violence. Intoxicated individuals are usually identified by measuring their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) using breathalyzers that are expensive and labor intensive. In this paper, we developed the Audio-based Deep Learning Algorithm to Identify Alcohol Inebriation (ADLAIA) that can instantly predict an individual's intoxication status based on a 12-s recording of their speech., Methods: ADLAIA was trained on a publicly available German Alcohol Language Corpus that comprises a total of 12,360 audio clips of inebriated and sober speakers (total of 162, aged 21-64, 47.7% female). ADLAIA's performance was determined by computing the unweighted average recall (UAR) and accuracy of inebriation prediction., Results: ADLAIA was able to identify inebriated speakers - with a BAC of 0.05% or higher - with an UAR of 68.09% and accuracy of 67.67%. ADLAIA had a higher performance (UAR of 75.7%) in identifying intoxicated speakers (BAC > 0.12%)., Conclusion: Being able to identify intoxicated individuals solely based on their speech, ADLAIA could be integrated into mobile applications and used in environments (such as bars, sports stadiums) to get instantaneous results about inebriation status of individuals., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
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- 2023
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25. Chromosome-length genome assemblies and cytogenomic analyses of pangolins reveal remarkable chromosome counts and plasticity.
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Houck ML, Koepfli KP, Hains T, Khan R, Charter SJ, Fronczek JA, Misuraca AC, Kliver S, Perelman PL, Beklemisheva V, Graphodatsky A, Luo SJ, O'Brien SJ, Lim NT, Chin JSC, Guerra V, Tamazian G, Omer A, Weisz D, Kaemmerer K, Sturgeon G, Gaspard J, Hahn A, McDonough M, Garcia-Treviño I, Gentry J, Coke RL, Janecka JE, Harrigan RJ, Tinsman J, Smith TB, Aiden EL, and Dudchenko O
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- Animals, Male, Female, Genome, Chromosomes genetics, Pangolins genetics, Mammals genetics
- Abstract
We report the first chromosome-length genome assemblies for three species in the mammalian order Pholidota: the white-bellied, Chinese, and Sunda pangolins. Surprisingly, we observe extraordinary karyotypic plasticity within this order and, in female white-bellied pangolins, the largest number of chromosomes reported in a Laurasiatherian mammal: 2n = 114. We perform the first karyotype analysis of an African pangolin and report a Y-autosome fusion in white-bellied pangolins, resulting in 2n = 113 for males. We employ a novel strategy to confirm the fusion and identify the autosome involved by finding the pseudoautosomal region (PAR) in the female genome assembly and analyzing the 3D contact frequency between PAR sequences and the rest of the genome in male and female white-bellied pangolins. Analyses of genetic variability show that white-bellied pangolins have intermediate levels of genome-wide heterozygosity relative to Chinese and Sunda pangolins, consistent with two moderate declines of historical effective population size. Our results reveal a remarkable feature of pangolin genome biology and highlight the need for further studies of these unique and endangered mammals., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)
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- 2023
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26. Is Laundry Detergent a Common Cause of Allergic Contact Dermatitis?
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Norman T, Johnson H, Yu J, and Adler BL
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- Humans, Allergens adverse effects, Prevalence, Patch Tests, Detergents toxicity, Dermatitis, Allergic Contact diagnosis, Dermatitis, Allergic Contact etiology
- Abstract
Both patients and health care providers commonly suspect laundry detergent as the cause of skin problems; however, research suggests that the prevalence of laundry detergent-associated allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) may be quite low. Herein, we provide a summary of the evidence for the potential allergenicity of laundry detergent, including common allergens present in laundry detergent, the role of machine washing, and the differential diagnosis for laundry detergent-associated ACD.
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- 2023
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27. Racial and Ethnic Disparity in Prehospital Pain Management for Trauma Patients.
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Bradford JM, Cardenas TC, Edwards A, Norman T, Teixeira PG, Trust MD, DuBose J, Kempema J, Ali S, and Brown CV
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- Adult, Humans, Adolescent, Young Adult, Middle Aged, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Pain Management, Retrospective Studies, Minority Groups, Analgesics therapeutic use, Pain drug therapy, Ethnicity, Emergency Medical Services
- Abstract
Background: Although evidence suggests that racial and ethnic minority (REM) patients receive inadequate pain management in the acute care setting, it remains unclear whether these disparities also occur during the prehospital period. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of race and ethnicity on prehospital analgesic use by emergency medical services (EMS) in trauma patients., Study Design: Retrospective chart review of adult trauma patients aged 18 to 89 years old transported by EMS to our American College of Surgeons-verified level 1 trauma center from 2014 to 2020. Patients who identified as Black, Asian, Native American, or Other for race and/or Hispanic or Latino or Unknown for ethnicity were considered REM. Patients who identified as White, non-Hispanic were considered White. Groups were compared in univariate and multivariate analysis. The primary outcome was prehospital analgesic administration., Results: A total of 2,476 patients were transported by EMS (47% White and 53% REM). White patients were older on average (46 years vs 38 years; p < 0.001) and had higher rates of blunt trauma (76% vs 60%; p < 0.001). There were no differences in Injury Severity Score (21 vs 20; p = 0.22). Although REM patients reported higher subjective pain rating (7.2 vs 6.6; p = 0.002), they were less likely to get prehospital pain medication (24% vs 35%; p < 0.001), and that difference remained significant after controlling for baseline characteristics, transport method, pain rating, prehospital hypotension, and payor status (adjusted odds ratio [95% CI], 0.67 [0.47 to 0.96]; p = 0.03)., Conclusions: Patients from racial and ethnic minority groups were less likely to receive prehospital pain medication after traumatic injury than White patients. Forms of conscious and unconscious bias contributing to this inequity need to be identified and addressed., (Copyright © 2022 by the American College of Surgeons. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)
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- 2023
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28. Antiretroviral Therapy Use, Viral Detectability and Fear of Onward Transmission Among People Living with HIV in Australia: Changes Between 1997 and 2018.
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Norman T, Bourne A, Lyons A, Rule J, and Power J
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- Humans, Cross-Sectional Studies, Australia epidemiology, Self Report, Viral Load, HIV Infections drug therapy, HIV Infections epidemiology, Anti-HIV Agents therapeutic use
- Abstract
This paper examines how antiretroviral therapy (ART) use and fears towards the onward transmission of HIV have changed among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Australia between 1997 and 2018. Participants were recruited as part of the HIV Futures study, a large cross-sectional survey of PLHIV in Australia, in 1997, 2003, 2012 and 2018 (total n = 3889). ART use, viral load detectability, and fear of onward HIV transmission were compared between years. Predictors of onward transmission fear were assessed among the 2018 subsample. While ART use within our sample decreased between 1997 and 2003, it subsequently increased to 97% in 2018. Self-reported viral load undetectability steadily increased over time, up to 88% in 2018. Notably, fewer PLHIV reported being fearful of transmitting HIV in 2018 compared to all other years. Being unfamiliar with the undetectable = untransmissible health movement, and having a detectable or uncertain viral load at last test, were significant predictors of being fearful of onward HIV transmission. Beyond the immediate medical considerations of HIV treatment, these results suggest that the undetectable = untransmissible movement may play a critical role in attenuating burdens experienced by PLHIV in Australia and that such messaging, in tandem with early and consistent ART use, should remain a salient feature of heath messaging among this population., (© 2022. Crown.)
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- 2023
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29. Health literacy, financial insecurity and health outcomes among people living with HIV in Australia.
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Power J, Lea T, Melendez-Torres GJ, Lyons A, Norman T, Hill AO, and Bourne A
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- Humans, Australia, Mental Health, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Health Literacy, HIV Infections psychology
- Abstract
It is well documented that lower socio-economic status is associated with poorer health outcomes, while health literacy is considered important for improving health. What is less clear, is the extent to which greater health literacy can improve health outcomes among people for whom poverty or financial insecurity are important barriers to health. The paper presents findings from an Australian survey of people living with HIV (PLHIV) (N = 835) in which we explored the relationship between financial insecurity and health outcomes, looking at the extent to which health literacy mediates this relationship. The study drew on a comprehensive definition of health literacy, measuring participant's confidence to communicate with healthcare providers, navigate the health system and take an active stance in relation to their health. Findings showed that financial insecurity was associated with lower health literacy and poorer self-reported physical and mental health. Health literacy mediated 16.2% of the effect of financial insecurity on physical health scores and 16.6% of the effect of financial insecurity on mental health scores. This suggests that programmes which seek to build health literacy among PLHIV may improve health outcomes among PLHIV who are struggling financially. Health literacy programmes are likely to be effective if they build confidence and resourcefulness among people to engage with health information, decision-making and care., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)
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- 2022
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30. Development and validation of the Alcoholic Beverage Identification Deep Learning Algorithm version 2 for quantifying alcohol exposure in electronic images.
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Bonela AA, He Z, Norman T, and Kuntsche E
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- Alcoholic Beverages, Beer, Ethanol, Beverages, Electronics, Deep Learning
- Abstract
Background: Seeing alcohol in media has been demonstrated to increase alcohol craving, impulsive decision-making, and hazardous drinking. Due to the exponential growth of (social) media use it is important to develop algorithms to quantify alcohol exposure efficiently in electronic images. In this article, we describe the development of an improved version of the Alcoholic Beverage Identification Deep Learning Algorithm (ABIDLA), called ABIDLA2., Methods: ABIDLA2 was trained on 191,286 images downloaded from Google Image Search results (based on search terms) and Bing Image Search results. In Task-1, ABIDLA2 identified images as containing one of eight beverage categories (beer/cider cup, beer/cider bottle, beer/cider can, wine, champagne, cocktails, whiskey/cognac/brandy, other images). In Task-2, ABIDLA2 made a binary classification between images containing an "alcoholic beverage" or "other". An ablation study was performed to determine which techniques improved algorithm performance., Results: ABIDLA2 was most accurate in identifying Whiskey/Cognac/Brandy (88.1%) followed by Beer/Cider Can (80.5%), Beer/Cider Bottle (78.3%), and Wine (77.8%). Its overall accuracy was 77.0% (Task-1) and 87.7% (Task-2). Even the identification of the least accurate beverage category (Champagne, 64.5%) was more than five times higher than random chance (12.5% = 1/8 categories). The implementation of balanced data sampler to address class skewness and the use of self-training to make use of a large, secondary, weakly labeled dataset particularly improved overall algorithm performance., Conclusion: With extended capabilities and a higher accuracy, ABIDLA2 outperforms its predecessor and enables the screening of any kind of electronic media rapidly to estimate the quantity of alcohol exposure. Quantifying alcohol exposure automatically through algorithms like ABIDLA2 is important because viewing images of alcoholic beverages in media tends to increase alcohol consumption and related harms., (© 2022 The Authors. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Research Society on Alcoholism.)
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- 2022
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31. Self-exclusion from gambling: A toothless tiger?
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Kraus L, Loy JK, Bickl AM, Schwarzkopf L, Volberg RA, Rolando S, Kankainen VE, Hellman M, Rossow I, Room R, Norman T, and Cisneros Örnberg J
- Abstract
While there is evidence for self-exclusion (SE) as an individual-level harm reduction intervention, its effects on reducing harm from gambling at the population level remain unclear. Based on a review of national legal frameworks and SE programs, including their utilization and enforcement in selected high-income societies, the present analysis aims to explore the reach and strengths of SE in the protection of gamblers in these jurisdictions. It places particular emphasis on SE programs' potential to prevent and minimize gambling harm at the population level. The overview examined SE in Finland, Germany, Italy, Massachusetts (USA), Norway, Sweden, and Victoria (Australia). These jurisdictions differ considerably in how gambling is regulated as well as in how SE is implemented and enforced. The reach and extent of enforcement of SE apparently vary with the polity's general policy balance between reducing gambling problems and increasing gambling revenue. But in any case, though SE may benefit individual gamblers and those around them, it does not appear to be capable of significantly reducing gambling harm at the population level. To render SE programs an effective measure that prevents gamblers and those linked to them from financial, social, and psychological harm, utilization needs to be substantially increased by reforming legal regulations and exclusion conditions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Kraus, Loy, Bickl, Schwarzkopf, Volberg, Rolando, Kankainen, Hellman, Rossow, Room, Norman and Cisneros Örnberg.)
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- 2022
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32. A Consensus on Stomal, Parastomal, and Peristomal Complications.
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Carville K, Haesler E, Norman T, Walls P, and Monterosso L
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- Consensus, Humans, Skin Care methods, Ostomy adverse effects, Skin Diseases etiology, Surgical Stomas adverse effects
- Abstract
Objective: To establish a consensus on terminology used to define stomal, parastomal, and peristomal complications in Australia., Methods: A list of stomal, parastomal, and peristomal complications was generated through group dialogue, which was informed by clinical and academic knowledge of the researchers. An extensive literature review was undertaken to identify any additional terms and to create a database of definitions/descriptions. A library of images related to the identified conditions was generated. An online Delphi process was conducted among a representative, purposive sample of Australia expert wound, ostomy, and continence nurses and colorectal surgeons. Ten terms were presented to the panel with descriptive photographs of each complication. Up to three Delphi rounds and, if necessary, a priority voting round were conducted., Results: Seven of the 10 terms reached agreement in the first round. One term ( allergic dermatitis ) was refined ( allergic contact dermatitis ) and reached agreement in the second round. Two terms ( mucocutaneous granuloma and mucosal granuloma ) were considered by the panel to be the same condition in different anatomical locations and were combined as one term ( granuloma ). Two terms ( skin stripping and tension blisters ) were combined as one term ( medical adhesive-related skin injury ) and reached agreement in round 2., Conclusions: A consensus in terminology used to describe stomal or parastomal/peristomal complications will enhance communication among patients and health professionals and advance opportunities for education and benchmarking of stomal, parastomal, and peristomal complications nationally., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)
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- 2022
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33. Lucio phenomenon with concomitant necrotizing fasciitis and acute kidney injury.
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Norman T, Zikry J, Worswick S, Kim G, and Ochoa MT
- Subjects
- Male, Humans, Leprostatic Agents therapeutic use, Prednisone therapeutic use, Drug Therapy, Combination, Retrospective Studies, Adrenal Cortex Hormones, Fasciitis, Necrotizing complications, Fasciitis, Necrotizing diagnosis, Fasciitis, Necrotizing therapy, Panniculitis drug therapy, Vascular Diseases, Acute Kidney Injury etiology, Acute Kidney Injury drug therapy
- Abstract
Lucio phenomenon is a rare vasculopathy that can occur in patients with Hansen disease, particularly diffuse lepromatous leprosy. It is characterized by retiform purpura and necrotic ulcerations, most commonly affecting the extremities. Diagnosing Lucio phenomenon can be challenging, especially when secondary bacterial infections occur. We report a patient with Lucio phenomenon who presented with acute necrotizing fasciitis of his left upper extremity and a 10-year history of chronic ulcerations. Shortly following admission, he also developed acute kidney injury. The necrotizing fasciitis was treated with prompt surgical debridement and intravenous antibiotics. Biopsy and PCR of a right upper extremity ulcer confirmed the presence of Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Multidrug therapy and prednisone were used to treat the Lucio phenomenon. After initiating treatment, no new lesions developed, kidney function improved, and the patient underwent successful skin graft of his left upper extremity. Although corticosteroid use is controversial, our patient's marked response to multidrug therapy with prednisone highlights the importance of this regimen in severe presentations of Lucio phenomenon. To the best of our knowledge, only two other cases of Lucio phenomenon confirmed to be caused by M. lepromatosis have been reported in living patients (rather than retrospectively identified post-mortem), underscoring the importance of the presented clinical course and treatment regimen.
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- 2022
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34. A prospective multi-centre study assessing the safety and effectiveness following the implementation of an accelerated chest pain pathway using point-of-care troponin for use in New Zealand rural hospital and primary care settings.
- Author
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Miller R, Nixon G, Pickering JW, Stokes T, Turner RM, Young J, Gutenstein M, Smith M, Norman T, Watson A, George P, Devlin G, Du Toit S, and Than M
- Subjects
- Chest Pain diagnosis, Chest Pain epidemiology, Electrocardiography methods, Emergency Service, Hospital, Humans, New Zealand epidemiology, Patient Discharge, Point-of-Care Systems, Prospective Studies, Risk Assessment methods, Hospitals, Rural, Troponin
- Abstract
Aims: Most rural hospitals and general practices in New Zealand (NZ) are reliant on point-of-care troponin. A rural accelerated chest pain pathway (RACPP), combining an electrocardiogram (ECG), a structured risk score (Emergency Department Assessment of Chest Pain Score), and serial point-of-care troponin, was designed for use in rural hospital and primary care settings across NZ. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the RACPP., Methods and Results: A prospective multi-centre evaluation following implementation of the RACPP was undertaken from 1 July 2018 to 31 December 2020 in rural hospitals, rural and urban general practices, and urgent care clinics. The primary outcome measure was the presence of 30-day major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in low-risk patients. The secondary outcome was the percentage of patients classified as low-risk that avoided transfer or were eligible for early discharge. There were 1205 patients enrolled in the study. 132 patients were excluded. Of the 1073 patients included in the primary analysis, 474 (44.0%) patients were identified as low-risk. There were no [95% confidence interval (CI): 0-0.3%] MACE within 30 days of the presentation among low-risk patients. Most of these patients (91.8%) were discharged without admission to hospital. Almost all patients who presented to general practice (99%) and urgent care clinics (97.6%) were discharged to home directly., Conclusion: The RACPP is safe and effective at excluding MACEs in NZ rural hospital and primary care settings, where it can identify a group of low-risk patients who can be safely discharged home without transfer to hospital., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Society of Cardiology.)
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- 2022
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35. Action for Increasing Diversity, Market Access, and Capacity in Oncology Registration Trials-Is Africa the Answer? Report From a Satellite Session of the Accelerating Anti-Cancer Agent Development and Validation Workshop.
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Kizub D, Manner CK, Graef K, Abubakar B, Orem J, Odedina F, Adeyeye MC, Nakigudde G, Ayalew K, Kalidas C, Lyerly HK, Norman T, Fashoyin-Aje L, Freedman J, Dent J, Cance B, and Gralow J
- Subjects
- Capacity Building methods, Clinical Trials as Topic, Female, Humans, Uganda, United States, United States Food and Drug Administration, Medical Oncology, Neoplasms drug therapy
- Abstract
Patients of African ancestry are not well-represented in cancer clinical trials despite bearing a disproportionate share of mortality both in United States and Africa. We describe key stakeholder perspectives and priorities related to bringing early-stage cancer clinical trials to Africa and outline essential action steps. Increasing Diversity, Market Access, and Capacity in Oncology Registration Trials-Is Africa the Answer? satellite session was organized at 2021 Accelerating Anti-Cancer Agent Development and Validation Workshop. Panelists included representatives of African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer, Uganda Cancer Institute, Uganda Women's Cancer Support Organization, BIO Ventures for Global Health, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the US Food and Drug Administration, Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Bayer, and Genentech, with moderators from ASCO and American Cancer Society. Key discussion themes and resulting action steps were agreed upon by all participants. Panelists agreed that increasing diversity in cancer clinical trials by including African patients is key to ensuring novel drugs are safe and effective across populations. They underscored the importance of equity in clinical trial access for patients in Africa. Panelists discussed their values related to access and barriers to opening clinical trials in Africa and described innovative solutions from their work aimed at overcoming these obstacles. Multisectoral collaboration efforts that allow leveraging of limited resources and result in sustainable capacity building and mutually beneficial long-term partnerships were discussed as key to outlined action steps. The panel discussion resulted in valuable insights about key stakeholder values and priorities related to bringing early-stage clinical trials to Africa, as well as specific actions for each stakeholder group.
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- 2022
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36. Implementation and evaluation of a rural general practice assessment pathway for possible cardiac chest pain using point-of-care troponin testing: a pilot study.
- Author
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Norman T, Young J, Scott Jones J, Egan G, Pickering J, Du Toit S, Hamilton F, Miller R, Frampton C, Devlin G, George P, and Than M
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Angina Pectoris, Biomarkers, Chest Pain diagnosis, Chest Pain etiology, Electrocardiography, Emergency Service, Hospital, Humans, Pilot Projects, Point-of-Care Systems, Prospective Studies, Risk Assessment methods, General Practice, Troponin
- Abstract
Objectives: To assess the feasibility and acceptability, and additionally to preliminarily evaluate, the effectiveness and safety of an accelerated diagnostic chest pain pathway in rural general practice using point-of-care troponin to identify patients at low risk of acute myocardial infarction, avoiding unnecessary patient transfer to hospital and enabling early discharge home., Design: A prospective observational pilot evaluation., Setting: Twelve rural general (family) practices in the Midlands region of New Zealand., Participants: Patients aged ≥18 years who presented acutely to rural general practice with suspected ischaemic chest pain for whom the doctor intended transfer to hospital for serial troponin measurement., Outcome Measures: The proportion of patients managed using the low-risk pathway without transfer to hospital and without 30-day major adverse cardiac event (MACE); pathway adherence; rate of 30-day MACE; patient satisfaction with care; and agreement between point-of-care and laboratory measured troponin concentrations., Results: A total of 180 patients were assessed by the pathway. The pathway classified 111 patients (61.7%) as low-risk and all were managed in rural general practice with no 30-day MACE (0%, 95% CI 0.0% to 3.3%). Adherence to the low-risk pathway was 95.5% (106 out of 111). Of the 56 patients classified as non-low-risk and referred to hospital, 9 (16.1%) had a 30-day MACE. A further 13 non-low-risk patients were not transferred to hospital, with no events. The sensitivity of the pathway for 30-day MACE was 100.0% (95% CI 70.1% to 100%). Of low-risk patients, 94% reported good to excellent satisfaction with care. Good concordance was observed between point-of-care and duplicate laboratory measured troponin concentrations., Conclusions: The use of an accelerated diagnostic chest pain pathway incorporating point-of-care troponin in a rural general practice setting was feasible and acceptable, with preliminary results suggesting that it may safely and effectively reduce the urgent transfer of low-risk patients to hospital., Competing Interests: Competing interests: JY received a research fellowship from the New Zealand Heart Foundation (1689). JP has received consultancy fees from Abbott Diagnostics. MT has received funding for clinical trials and education (to his institution) and payment for speaking from Abbott, and funding for clinical trials (to his institution) and payment for speaking from Roche. The other coauthors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)
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- 2022
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37. Assessing driving-relevant attentional impairment after a multiday drinking session: A two-phase pilot study.
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Norman T, Monds LA, Dilevski N, Riordan B, Peacock A, Ferguson SG, Kuntsche E, and Bruno R
- Subjects
- Alcohol Drinking adverse effects, Alcohol Drinking psychology, Breath Tests, Humans, Pilot Projects, Alcoholic Intoxication diagnosis, Alcoholic Intoxication psychology, Automobile Driving
- Abstract
Background: The possibility of residual impairment of cognitive performance after multiday drinking sessions is particularly important given the potential for the deleterious effects of fatigue and hangover. This pilot study aimed to devise a methodology to compare sober performance on driving-relevant attentional tasks at the end of a 4-day music festival with performance at varying levels of the breath-alcohol curve., Methods: Fifty-two participants completed selective and sustained attention tasks at a breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) of 0.00%, 0.05%, and 0.08% following acute dosing in a controlled laboratory setting. A subset of participants (n = 13) were then tested at the conclusion of a 4-day music festival at 0.00% BrAC, with task performance compared with laboratory results., Results: During the laboratory phase, sustained attention was poorer at the 0.05% ascending timepoint only (compared to 0.00% BrAC). During the festival phase, participants made a greater number of errors on the selective attention task predeparture than at 0.00% and 0.05% BrAC in the laboratory. Sustained attention performance was poorer while intoxicated in the laboratory., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the absence of blood alcohol acutely may not be indicative of unimpaired cognitive performance and that other factors related to multiday drinking may produce driving-related attentional deficits. The findings reinforce the need to measure attentional performance in real-world drinking contexts despite the methodological complexities of doing so. A larger study is warranted to replicate the findings and should include attentional measures that either are more sensitive to the effects of acute alcohol intoxication than those in our study or are based on a driving simulator., (© 2022 The Authors. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Research Society on Alcoholism.)
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- 2022
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38. Non-prescription drug use among HIV positive gay and bisexual men in Australia: A latent class analysis and comparison of health and well-being.
- Author
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Norman T, Bourne A, Power J, and Meléndez-Torres GJ
- Subjects
- Cross-Sectional Studies, Homosexuality, Male, Humans, Hypnotics and Sedatives, Latent Class Analysis, Male, Nonprescription Drugs, Sexual Behavior psychology, HIV Infections diagnosis, HIV Infections epidemiology, Sexual and Gender Minorities, Sexually Transmitted Diseases epidemiology, Substance-Related Disorders epidemiology, Substance-Related Disorders psychology
- Abstract
Background: Establishing typologies of drug use among gay and bisexual men who have sex with men (GBMSM) who are living with HIV, as well as differences in health outcomes between them, is important in addressing health inequalities within this population. We sought to determine how use of non-prescription drugs is clustered for these individuals and to establish differences in their broader health and well-being, including STI diagnosis, mental health, and physical health., Method: We examined past-year drug use reported by 747 GBMSM in Australia as part of the HIV Futures 8 survey, a large cross-sectional survey of people living with HIV. We tested between two and five latent class models of specific drug use and conducted cross-class comparisons of past-year STI diagnosis and self-reported mental and physical health., Results: We identified four distinct drug use typologies: 'chemsex-related use', 'minimal use', 'analgesic and sedative use', and 'diverse use'. The 'chemsex use' and 'diverse use' classes had a markedly higher likelihood of STI diagnosis relative to the other two classes, while the 'analgesic and sedative use' class reported markedly poorer physical and mental health scores than the other classes., Conclusions: While GBMSM living with HIV in Australia have higher rates of drug use compared to other GBMSM, and the general population, our analysis indicates that patterns of drug use are not uniform within this group. Specific patterns of drug use are related to distinct health inequalities, and this should be accounted for when addressing the needs of men who use drugs differently., Competing Interests: Declarations of Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
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- 2022
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39. Bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and amygdala responses to unpredictable threat in children.
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Feola B, Melancon SNT, Clauss JA, Noall MP, Mgboh A, Flook EA, Benningfield MM, and Blackford JU
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- Amygdala diagnostic imaging, Animals, Anticipation, Psychological physiology, Anxiety Disorders, Fear physiology, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods, Septal Nuclei diagnostic imaging, Septal Nuclei physiology
- Abstract
Substantial evidence from studies in humans suggests the amygdala is pivotal for anxiety. Findings from animal models and translational studies suggests the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is also critical for anxiety and the anticipation of unpredictable threat in adults. However, it remains unknown whether the BNST is involved in unpredictable threat anticipation in children. Forty-two 8-10-year-olds completed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans and an unpredictable threat fMRI task in which they were trained to associate cues with images. Intrinsic connectivity analyses were performed to establish functional BNST and amygdala networks. BNST and amygdala activation to cues and images was tested. Significant findings were followed by task-based functional connectivity analyses. Children showed evidence for BNST and amygdala intrinsic connectivity that was similar to previous patterns observed in adults. In response to unpredictable cues relative to neutral face cues, children had a significant amygdala response but no response in the BNST. The amygdala, but not the BNST, also showed a significantly greater response to fear face images relative to neutral images. Thus, unpredictable threat activated the amygdala, but not BNST, in children. This finding is contrary to studies showing robust BNST activation to unpredictable threat in adults and may suggest that the BNST's role in threat processing emerges later in development., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
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- 2021
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40. Combining transdermal and breath alcohol assessments, real-time drink logs and retrospective self-reports to measure alcohol consumption and intoxication across a multi-day music festival.
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Norman T, Peacock A, Ferguson SG, Kuntsche E, and Bruno R
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- Adult, Alcohol Drinking epidemiology, Breath Tests methods, Holidays, Humans, Male, Retrospective Studies, Self Report, Young Adult, Alcoholic Intoxication diagnosis, Alcoholic Intoxication epidemiology, Music
- Abstract
Introduction and Aims: Comprehensively investigating alcohol-related behaviours in the context of a dynamic multi-day alcohol-licensed event is important for understanding and minimising patron risk. We aimed to assess the measurement utility of implementing a multi-dimensional alcohol assessment battery using biometric data collection, real-time drink logs and retrospective self-report measures over the course of a 4-day music festival., Methods: Fourteen adults participated (n = 7 male, mean age 21.9 years). Breath and transdermal alcohol concentration (BrAC and TAC, respectively) were measured using breathalysers and transdermal alcohol bracelets. A real-time drink log was completed via smartphones on initiating each drink, and a retrospective questionnaire was administered up to twice daily throughout the event (6 timepoints total)., Results: While almost all participants (92.9%) logged significantly fewer drinks in real-time than they retrospectively reported via the twice-daily questionnaires, logs provided important contextual information including the types of drinks consumed and drinking intensity. Compared to BrAC, TAC provided a better understanding of the time course of intoxication, indicating highest alcohol consumption outside of static BrAC assessment windows. However, BrAC provided a better assessment of present state: all participants were 0.00% BrAC at departure despite over two-fifths (42.9%) of the sample's last TAC reading exceeding 0.00%., Conclusions: As standalone assessments, each method possessed limitations. As a combined battery, they were successfully administered simultaneously, resulting in a more comprehensive overview of alcohol consumption/intoxication over the prolonged drinking session. However, the marked burden of simultaneous administration should be considered, and measures should be chosen judiciously based on research needs., (© 2020 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.)
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- 2021
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41. HIV testing criteria to reduce testing volume and increase positivity in Botswana.
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Rowlinson E, Mawandia S, Ledikwe J, Bakae O, Tau L, Grande M, Seckel L, Mogomotsi GP, Mmatli E, Ngombo M, Norman T, and Golden MR
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- Botswana epidemiology, HIV Testing, Humans, Risk Factors, HIV Infections diagnosis, HIV Infections epidemiology, HIV Seropositivity
- Abstract
Objective: We used data from a routine HIV testing program to develop risk scores to identify patients with undiagnosed HIV infection while reducing the number of total tests performed., Design: Multivariate logistic regression., Methods: We included demographic factors from HIV testing data collected in 134 Botswana Ministry of Health & Wellness facilities during two periods (1 October 2018- 19 August 2019 and 1 December 2019 to 30 March 2020). In period 2, the program collected additional demographic and risk factors. We randomly split each period into prediction/validation datasets and used multivariate logistic regression to identify factors associated with positivity; factors with adjusted odds ratios at least 1.5 were included in the risk score with weights equal to their coefficient. We applied a range of risk score cutoffs to validation datasets to determine tests averted, test positivity, positives missed, and costs averted., Results: In period 1, three factors were significantly associated with HIV positivity (coefficients range 0.44-0.87). In period 2, 12 such factors were identified (coefficients range 0.44-1.37). In period 1, application of risk score cutoff at least 1.0 would result in 50% fewer tests performed and capture 61% of positives. In period 2, a cutoff at least 1.0 would result in 13% fewer tests and capture 96% of positives; a cutoff at least 2.0 would result in 40% fewer tests and capture 83% of positives. Costs averted ranged from 12.1 to 52.3%., Conclusion: Botswana's testing program could decrease testing volume but may delay diagnosis of some positive patients. Whether this trade-off is worthwhile depends on operational considerations, impact of testing volume on program costs, and implications of delayed diagnoses., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)
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- 2021
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42. Frequent Detection of Undiagnosed HIV Within Emergency Departments in Botswana.
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Pintye J, Ortblad KF, Mawandia S, Bakae O, Tau L, Grande M, Mogomotsi GP, Mmatli E, Ngombo M, Norman T, Seckel L, and Ledikwe J
- Subjects
- Ambulatory Care Facilities, Botswana epidemiology, Counseling, Emergency Service, Hospital, Humans, Male, HIV Infections diagnosis, HIV Infections epidemiology
- Abstract
Abstract: Among 130,161 HIV testing records from unique individuals at 149 programmatic sites in Botswana, frequency of detecting undiagnosed HIV infection within emergency departments (EDs) was 4.7% (455/9695), 2-fold higher than other clinic-based HIV counseling and testing. Men and noncitizens less frequently initiated same-day antiretroviral therapy after testing HIV positive within emergency departments., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest and Sources of Funding: The authors declare that no conflicts of interest exist., (Copyright © 2020 American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association. All rights reserved.)
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- 2021
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43. Intensified Assisted Partner Notification Implementation in Botswana Increased Partner Identification but Not HIV Case-Finding: Findings Highlight the Need for Improved Data Monitoring.
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Grande M, Mawandia S, Bakae O, Tau L, Mogomotsi GP, Ngombo M, Norman T, Ledikwe J, and Golden MR
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- Botswana epidemiology, Humans, Contact Tracing methods, HIV Infections epidemiology, HIV Testing statistics & numerical data, HIV-1, Sexual Partners
- Abstract
Background: How to implement and monitor assisted partner services (APS) programs for HIV infection as they go to scale-up is uncertain., Setting: Forty Botswana Ministry of Health clinics, 2018-2020., Methods: We compared 2 APS implementation phases. During phase 1, training, supervision, and data collection were minimal; only newly diagnosed HIV-positive persons received APS, and APS recipients notified partners themselves or jointly with counselors. Phase 2 included the following: intensified training and supervision; APS provision to previously diagnosed, untreated persons; structured interview records; and counselors offering to notify partners directly., Results: Five thousand one hundred seventy-five and 1265 newly diagnosed HIV-positive persons received APS in phases 1 and 2, respectively. Comparing the phases, program reach (percentage of newly diagnosed cases receiving APS) increased from 86% to 93%, the contact index (sex partners named per case) increased from 0.85 to 1.32, and the percentage of cases with an identified HIV-positive partner increased from 12.6% to 60% (P < 0.001, all outcomes). The testing index (partners tested per case) was higher in phase 1 (0.56 vs. 0.45, P = 0.05), whereas the case-finding index (partners testing HIV-positive per case) did not change (0.13 vs. 0.14, P = 0.50). Five hundred seventy-eight (76%) of 756 HIV-positive partners in phase 2 were previously diagnosed; cases identified only 15% of these partners as HIV-positive at their initial interview., Conclusions: APS scale-up increased reach, the contact index, and the identification of previously diagnosed sex partners but not HIV case-finding. Improved, more comprehensive data likely explain the absence of increased case-finding, highlighting the need for more comprehensive data collection., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)
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- 2021
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44. Responding to a Tragedy: Evaluation of a Postvention Protocol Among Adult Psychiatry Residents.
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Agrawal A, Gitlin M, Melancon SNT, Booth BI, Ghandhi J, and DeBonis K
- Subjects
- Adult, Humans, Quality of Life, Burnout, Professional prevention & control, Internship and Residency, Psychiatry education, Suicide Prevention
- Abstract
Objective: In a time of "zero suicide" initiatives and rising suicide rates, resident physicians are particularly susceptible to the psychological and professional ramifications of patient suicide. An adult psychiatry residency program developed and implemented a postvention protocol to address the impact of patient suicide among resident physicians. The current study is a formal evaluation of a training program's postvention protocol from June 2018 to April 2020., Methods: Process and outcome indicators were identified to assess protocol implementation and effectiveness. Process indicators included were postvention protocol adherence. Outcome indicators were perceived helpfulness of postvention protocol-related supports, occupational and general health measures, posttraumatic growth, and posttraumatic stress symptoms following resident participation in the postvention protocol., Results: Study response rate was 97% (n = 57/59) and 81% completed the entire survey (n = 48/59). Twenty percent of residents (n = 10/48) experienced patient suicide during residency. Postvention protocol adherence was between 57 and 100%. Protocol-related supports, such as speaking with attendings who had previously experienced an adverse event, were more helpful than other supports (p < 0.01). Compared to residents who had not experienced patient suicide, mean work empowerment, burnout, mental health, and quality of life scores were not significantly different from residents who participated in the postvention protocol (p > 0.05). Posttraumatic growth was positively correlated with self-determination at work (p = 0.01)., Conclusions: The postvention protocol was helpful to residents and potentially effective at mitigating the psychological and professional consequences of patient suicide. Study findings may inform standardization of postvention protocols among psychiatry training programs.
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- 2021
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45. COVID-19 vaccine delivery: an opportunity to set up systems for the future.
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Weintraub R, Plotkin S, Liu M, Kim J, Garcon N, Bell D, Storisteanu D, Norman T, and Aronoff-Spencer E
- Abstract
The race to develop safe and effective SARS-COV-2 vaccines has moved with unprecedented speed. There are now multiple vaccines that have received emergency use authorization from the United States Food and Drug Administration and a host of candidates positioned for approval worldwide. Attention has now turned to allocation, distribution and verification of these vaccines, yet this focus exposes that the underlying infrastructure for global delivery and monitoring is threadbare and unevenly distributed. This presents both a barrier and an opportunity to deploy sustainable infrastructure. Major global stakeholders must convene quickly, collaborate, and collectively invest in global standards, legal models, common vocabularies and interoperable biometric-supported digital health technologies. As the COVID-19 vaccine effort scales, governments, private sector, and NGOs have the chance to place lasting resources needed for equitable and effective delivery that can pay dividends into the future., Competing Interests: Competing interests: Toby Norman is CEO of Simprints, a UK based non-profit developing biometric technology. Dan Stori is the Director of Research at Simprints. No other author has any financial conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright: © 2021 Weintraub R et al.)
- Published
- 2021
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46. A Generalized Additive Model Correlating Blacklegged Ticks With White-Tailed Deer Density, Temperature, and Humidity in Maine, USA, 1990-2013.
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Elias SP, Gardner AM, Maasch KA, Birkel SD, Anderson NT, Rand PW, Lubelczyk CB, and Smith RP
- Subjects
- Animals, Animals, Wild parasitology, Climate Change, Disease Vectors, Ecological Parameter Monitoring, Humidity, Incidence, Ixodes physiology, Lyme Disease epidemiology, Maine epidemiology, Nymph physiology, Population Density, Seasons, Temperature, Tick Infestations epidemiology, Deer parasitology, Models, Theoretical, Tick Infestations veterinary
- Abstract
Geographical range expansions of blacklegged tick [Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae)] populations over time in the United States have been attributed to a mosaic of factors including 20th century reforestation followed by suburbanization, burgeoning populations of the white-tailed deer [Odocoileus virginianus Zimmerman (Artiodactyla: Cervidae)], and, at the northern edge of I. scapularis' range, climate change. Maine, a high Lyme disease incidence state, has been experiencing warmer and shorter winter seasons, and relatively more so in its northern tier. Maine served as a case study to investigate the interacting impacts of deer and seasonal climatology on the spatial and temporal distribution of I. scapularis. A passive tick surveillance dataset indexed abundance of I. scapularis nymphs for the state, 1990-2013. With Maine's wildlife management districts as the spatial unit, we used a generalized additive model to assess linear and nonlinear relationships between I. scapularis nymph abundance and predictors. Nymph submission rate increased with increasing deer densities up to ~5 deer/km2 (13 deer/mi2), but beyond this threshold did not vary with deer density. This corroborated the idea of a saturating relationship between I. scapularis and deer density. Nymphs also were associated with warmer minimum winter temperatures, earlier degree-day accumulation, and higher relative humidity. However, nymph abundance only increased with warmer winters and degree-day accumulation where deer density exceeded ~2 deer/km2 (~6/mi2). Anticipated increases in I. scapularis in the northern tier could be partially mitigated through deer herd management., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)
- Published
- 2021
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47. COVID-19 vaccine delivery: an opportunity to set up systems for the future.
- Author
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Weintraub R, Plotkin S, Liu M, Kim J, Garcon N, Bell D, Storisteanu D, Norman T, and Aronoff-Spencer E
- Abstract
The race to develop safe and effective SARS-COV-2 vaccines has moved with unprecedented speed. There are now multiple promising candidates seeking emergency use authorization from the United States Food and Drug Administration and a host of candidates positioned for approval worldwide. Attention has now turned to allocation, distribution and verification of these vaccines, yet this focus exposes that the underlying infrastructure for global delivery and monitoring is threadbare and unevenly distributed. This presents both a barrier and an opportunity to deploy sustainable infrastructure. Major global stakeholders must convene quickly, collaborate, and collectively invest in global standards, legal models, common vocabularies and interoperable biometric-supported digital health technologies. As the COVID-19 vaccine effort scales, governments, private sector and NGOs have the chance to place lasting resources needed for equitable and effective delivery that can pay dividends into the future., Competing Interests: Competing interests: Toby Norman is CEO of Simprints, a UK based non-profit developing biometric technology. Dan Stori is the Director of Research at Simprints. No other author has any financial conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright: © 2020 Weintraub R et al.)
- Published
- 2020
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48. Vertebrate Scavengers Control Abundance of Diarrhea-causing Bacteria in Tropical Plantations.
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Lim NT, Kelt DA, Lim KKP, and Bernard H
- Abstract
Scavenging is a common phenomenon, particularly amongst carnivorous vertebrates. By consuming carrion, vertebrate scavengers reduce resource availability for both pathogenic bacteria and their insect vectors. We investigated the ability of wild vertebrate scavengers to control agents of human diarrheal diseases (specifically Salmonella spp. and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli [STEC]) in oil palm plantations in Sabah (East Malaysia), and the existence of spillover effect whereby additional vertebrate scavengers from adjacent forest patches result in greater disease control in plantation sections near these forest edges. Experimental carcasses were removed by common scavengers ( Varanus salvator , Canis lupus familiaris , and Viverra tangalunga ) at different time points, and this determined the length of time that the carcasses persisted in the environment. The amount of pathogenic bacteria on the surfaces of filth flies collected above the experimental carcasses was positively correlated to the duration of carcass persistence, and reduction in pathogenic bacterial abundances was largely due to carcass consumption by these vertebrate scavengers. Instead of a predicted positive spillover effect (greater scavenger activity near forest edges, hence reduced pathogen abundance), we detected a weak inverse spillover effect in which STEC counts were marginally higher in plantation sections near forest patches, and human hunting along the forest-plantation boundaries could explain this. We propose that making oil palm plantations scavenger-friendly could yield great human health benefits for the millions of workers employed in this rapidly-expanding industry, without drastically changing current management practices.
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- 2020
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49. Clinical trials in the pandemic age: What is fit for purpose?
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Hartman D, Heaton P, Cammack N, Hudson I, Dolley S, Netsi E, Norman T, and Mundel T
- Abstract
It is critical to ensure that COVID-19 studies provide clear and timely answers to the scientific questions that will guide us to scalable solutions for all global regions. Significant challenges in operationalizing trials include public policies for managing the pandemic, public health and clinical capacity, travel and migration, and availability of tests and infrastructure. These factors lead to spikes and troughs in patient count by location, disrupting the ability to predict when or if a trial will reach recruitment goals. The focus must also be on understanding how to provide equitable access to these interventions ensuring that interventions reach those who need them the most, be it patients in low resource settings or vulnerable groups. We introduce a website to be used by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and other funders of the COVID Therapeutics Accelerator that accept proposals for future clinical research. The portal enables evaluations of clinical study applications that focus on study qualities most likely to lead to informative outcomes and completed studies., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2020 Hartman D et al.)
- Published
- 2020
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50. Study protocol for an observational study to evaluate an accelerated chest pain pathway using point-of-care troponin in New Zealand rural and primary care populations.
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Miller R, Young J, Nixon G, Pickering JW, Stokes T, Turner R, Devlin G, Watson A, Gutenstein M, Norman T, George PM, Du Toit S, and Than M
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Myocardial Infarction diagnosis, New Zealand, Patient Safety, Pilot Projects, Prospective Studies, Rural Population, Young Adult, Chest Pain diagnosis, Point-of-Care Systems, Primary Health Care, Research Design, Troponin analysis
- Abstract
INTRODUCTION Accelerated diagnostic chest pain pathways are used widely in urban New Zealand hospitals. These pathways use laboratory-based troponin assays with good analytical precision. Widespread implementation has not occurred in many of New Zealand's rural hospitals and general practices as they are reliant on point-of-care troponin assays, which are less sensitive and precise. An accelerated chest pain pathway using point-of-care troponin has been adapted for use in rural settings. A pilot study in a low-risk rural population showed no major adverse cardiac events at 30 days. A larger study is required to be confident that the pathway is safe. AIMS To assess the safety and effectiveness of an accelerated chest pain pathway adapted for rural settings and general practice using point-of-care troponin to identify low-risk patients and allow early discharge. METHODS This is a prospective observational study of an accelerated chest pain pathway using point-of-care troponin in rural hospitals and general practices in New Zealand. A total of 1000 patients, of whom we estimate 400 will be low risk, will be enrolled in the study. OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome is the proportion of patients identified by the pathway as low risk for a 30-day major adverse cardiac event. Secondary outcomes include the proportion of low-risk patients who were discharged directly from general practice or rural hospitals, the proportion of patients reclassified as having acute myocardial infarction by the pathway and the proportion of patients with low and intermediate risk safely managed in the rural hospital.
- Published
- 2020
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