Tag: pubmed

Nicotine Tob Res. 2022 Nov 1:ntac252. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntac252. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the continued use of nicotine following smoking cessation on perceived well-being in comparison to complete cessation of nicotine use. Aims: To explore aspects of perceived well-being and coping among recent ex-smokers as a function of vaping status.

METHODS: Ever-daily smokers in the International Tobacco Control 4 country smoking and vaping surveys in 2016 (W1 N=883) and 2018 (W2 N=1088). Cross-sectional associations and longitudinal samples for those who quit between waves and those quit at W1 who maintained abstinence to W2.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES WERE: past 30 days depression symptoms, perceived stress, stress management since quitting and change in perceived day-to-day health.

RESULTS: In the cross-sectional analyses vapers were more likely to report both improved stress management (aOR = 1.71, 95% CI 1.23-2.36) and perceived day-to-day health (aOR = 1.65, 95% CI 1.26-2.16) than nicotine abstainers. In the longitudinal analyses, smokers who switched to vaping between waves (n=372) were more likely to report depression symptoms at W2 (aOR = 2.00, 95% CI 1.09-3.65) but reported improved perceived health (aOR = 1.92, 95% CI 1.16-3.20). For the past daily smokers who remained quit between waves (n=382), vapers were more likely to report improved stress management relative to abstainers (RRR =5.05. 95% CI 1.19-21.40). There were no other significant differences between vapers and nicotine abstainers.

CONCLUSIONS: There is little evidence to support the view that perceptions of well-being deteriorate in vapers compared to complete nicotine abstainers in the immediate years after smoking cessation.

IMPLICATIONS: This study could find no conclusive evidence that the continued use of nicotine via e-cigarettes was detrimental to health compared to completely stopping nicotine intake altogether. Our results would suggest that continuing to use nicotine may even result in some benefits in the short term such as improved stress management, however further longitudinal studies are required to examine if these effects are restricted to the early post-quitting phase and whether other positive or negative effects on psychosocial health emerge in the future.

PMID:36318814 | DOI:10.1093/ntr/ntac252

J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2022 Nov 1. doi: 10.1089/jop.2022.0095. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Regression of the refractive outcome is a major concern of LASIK procedures mainly in presbyopic patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy of the pharmacological treatment of presbyopia performed with Benozzi’s method, in combination with hyperopic LASIK surgery in presbyopic population. Methods: A nonrandomized case series was developed, including presbyopic patients who underwent bilateral “Hyperopic LASIK surgery” and were pharmacologically treated with Benozzi’s Method from January 2011 to August 2018, with at least 2 years of follow-up, at two private ophthalmological clinics of Argentina. Main outcomes were spherical equivalent (SE), uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), and uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA). Measurements were evaluated at baseline and postoperative at 1 month (without Benozzi’s treatment), 2 months (starting with Benozzi’s treatment), and 2 years. The SE stability across the time was statistically compared. Results: A total of 84 eyes of 42 patients, with a mean age at the time of the surgery of 51.07 ± 4.5 (42-59), were found following 2 years of follow-up. Patients have improved and maintained UDVA, achieving Jaeger 1 in the second postoperative month, which was maintained up to the last year of follow-up. Refractive stability across the time is observed comparing first month after surgery with the last year of follow-up, without statistical significant difference (p: 0.11). Conclusion: Hyperopic presbyopic patients that underwent LASIK surgery and 1 month after surgery started with the pharmacological treatment of presbyopia (Benozzi’s method) results in excellent UNVA and UDVA that is stable over time without refractive regression.

PMID:36318813 | DOI:10.1089/jop.2022.0095

Carcinogenesis. 2022 Nov 1:bgac084. doi: 10.1093/carcin/bgac084. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a prevalent carcinoma in the female population associated with poor prognostic outcomes, in part due to the late stage of disease at diagnoses. Aiming to identify tumor associated antigens (TAAs) with the potential to facilitate earlier detection and targeted therapy of EOC, five scientific literature repositories were systemically searched for primary literature sources reporting the expression of a TAA in the tissue or serum of adult females diagnosed with EOC and healthy women. We identified 7,120 articles of which 32 met our inclusion criteria and passed the bias-quality assessment. Subsequently data were collated on 29 TAAs whose expression had been analyzed in 2,181 patients and 589 healthy individuals. Reports of CA125 and EpCAM expression were numerous while tissue expression data were available for 28 TAAs. Data were segregated into three meta-cohorts for statistical scrutiny and their capacity for diagnostic and treatment targeting assessed. We showed that CA-125 was expressed homogenously in EOC patients while EpCAM was expressed heterogeneously. CA-125 was the most promising TAA target for both diagnosis and treatment, gaining a priority score of 12 (/12) while EpCAM gained a priority score of seven. Tissue expression of EOC TAAs was homogenous; 90% of the EOC population express any identified TAA while just 3% of healthy individuals will be positive for the same TAA. We suggest TAA profiling should be a fundamental aspect of EOC diagnosis, sitting alongside the FIGO framework, promoting reduced mortality and directing development of TAA targeted therapeutics.

PMID:36318800 | DOI:10.1093/carcin/bgac084

Nicotine Tob Res. 2022 Nov 1:ntac253. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntac253. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Count outcomes in tobacco research are often analyzed with Poisson distribution. However, they often exhibit features such as overdispersion (variance larger than expected) and zero-inflation (extra zeros) that violate model assumptions. Furthermore, longitudinal studies have repeated measures that generate correlated counts. Failure to account for overdispersion, zero-inflation, and correlation can yield incorrect statistical inferences. Thus, it is important to familiarize researchers with proper models for such data.

METHODS: Poisson and Negative Binomial models with correlated random effects with and without zero-inflation are presented. The illustrative data comes from a study comparing a mindfulness training app (C2Q, n=60) with a control app (ES, n=66) on smoking frequency at 1, 3 and 6 months. Predictors include app, time, the app by time interaction, and baseline smoking. Each model is evaluated in terms of accounting for zero-inflation, overdispersion, and correlation in the data. Emphasis is placed on evaluating model fit, subject-specific interpretation of effects, and choosing an appropriate model.

RESULTS: The hurdle Poisson model provided the best fit to the data. Smoking abstinence rates were 33%, 32%, and 28% at 1-, 3-, and 6-months, respectively, with variance larger than expected by a factor >7 at each follow-up. Individuals on C2Q were less likely to achieve abstinence across time but likely to smoke fewer cigarettes if smoking.

CONCLUSION: The models presented are specifically suited for analyzing correlated count outcomes and account for zero-inflation and overdispersion. We provide guidance to researchers on the use of these models to better inform nicotine and tobacco research.

IMPLICATIONS: In tobacco research, count outcomes are often measured repeatedly on the same subject and thus correlated. Such outcomes often have many zeros and exhibit large variance relative to the mean. Analyzing such data require models specifically suited for correlated counts. The presented models and guidelines could improve the rigor of the analysis of correlated count data and thus increase the impact of studies in nicotine and tobacco research using such outcomes.

PMID:36318799 | DOI:10.1093/ntr/ntac253

J Am Geriatr Soc. 2022 Nov 1. doi: 10.1111/jgs.18107. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Treatment effect is typically summarized in terms of relative risk reduction or number needed to treat (“conventional effect summary”). Restricted mean survival time (RMST) summarizes treatment effect in terms of a gain or loss in event-free days. Older adults’ preference between the two effect summary measures has not been studied.

METHODS: We conducted a mixed methods study using a quantitative survey and qualitative semi-structured interviews. For the survey, we enrolled 102 residents with hypertension at five senior housing facilities (mean age 81.3 years, 82 female, 95 white race). We randomly assigned respondents to either RMST-based (n = 49) or conventional decision aid (n = 53) about the benefits and harms of intensive versus standard blood pressure-lowering strategies and compared decision conflict scale (DCS) responses (range: 0 [no conflict] to 100 [maximum conflict]; <25 is associated with implementing decisions). We used a purposive sample of 23 survey respondents stratified by both their random assignment and DCS from the survey. Inductive qualitative thematic analysis explored complementary perspectives on preferred ways of summarizing treatment effects.

RESULTS: The mean (standard deviation) total DCS was 22.0 (14.3) for the conventional decision aid group and 16.7 (14.1) for the RMST-based decision aid group (p = 0.06), but the proportion of participants with a DCS <25 was higher in the RMST-based group (26 [49.1%] vs 34 [69.4%]; p = 0.04). Qualitative interviews suggested that, regardless of effect summary measure, older individuals’ preference depended on their ability to clearly comprehend quantitative information, clarity of presentation in the visual aid, and inclusion of desired information.

CONCLUSIONS: When choosing a blood pressure-lowering strategy, older adults’ perceived uncertainty may be reduced with a time-based effect summary, although our study was underpowered to detect a statistically significant difference. Given highly variable individual preferences, it may be useful to present both conventional and RMST-based information in decision aids.

PMID:36318788 | DOI:10.1111/jgs.18107

J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A. 2022 Nov 1. doi: 10.1089/lap.2022.0426. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Background: Advancement in surgery has shifted numerous procedures to a same-day discharge (SDD) setting. In this study, we evaluated factors related to SDD after robotic transversus abdominis release (rTAR). Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained hernia databank was performed. Patients who underwent rTAR for incisional hernias were assigned to either the SDD group (length of stay [LOS] <1) or the inpatient group (LOS ≥1 day). Pre-, intra-, and postoperative variables were compared. Predictors of SDD were explored through a logistic regression, and a mediation analysis was performed to assess their effect on the LOS. Results: Out of the 167 patients included, 53 patients were discharged the same day. Age, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, history of coronary artery disease, and wound infection were significantly higher in the inpatient group. Overall, median LOS was 1 (0-2). Postoperative complications did not differ between SDD and inpatient groups except for Clavien-Dindo Grade-II (1 versus 14, respectively; P = .039). Thirty-day readmission rates were comparable (P = .229). A binary logistic regression to predict factors associated with SDD rTAR showed statistical significance in age, operative time, mesh area, and history of wound infection. Mediation analysis showed that mesh size indirectly affected the LOS through the operative time (a = 0.54; b = 0.46; P < .001). An age >46-year-old, an operative time beyond 217 minutes, and a mesh size >475 cm² increased the probability of an inpatient stay (area-under-the-receiver operating characteristic curves: 0.69, 0.81, and 0.82, respectively). Conclusion: The pre- and intraoperative factors associated with SDD rTAR were age, history of wound infection, operative time, and mesh area. Further studies are needed to investigate the appropriateness of discharge decisions while balancing patients’ benefits, resource utilization, and costs.

PMID:36318786 | DOI:10.1089/lap.2022.0426

J Phys Chem B. 2022 Nov 1. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c04600. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Predicting the absorption of gases and liquids in semicrystalline polymers is of critical importance for numerous applications; the mechanical and transport properties of these materials are highly dependent on the amount of solutes dissolved in their bulk. For most semicrystalline polymers which are in contact with an external fluid, the observed uptake of the solute is found to be lower than that predicted by treating the amorphous domains of the polymer as subcooled polymer melts at the same thermodynamic state. This observation has recently led to the hypothesis that the amorphous domains effectively behave as polymer liquids subject to an additional “constraint pressure” which reduces the equilibrium solubility in the domains. We present a new statistical mechanical model of semicrystalline polymers. The constraint pressure emerges naturally from our treatment, as a property of the interlamellar amorphous domains caused by the stretching and localization in space of the tie-molecules (polymer chains linking different lamellae). By assuming that the interlamellar domains exchange monomers reversibly with the lamellae, the model allows one to simultaneously predict the increase of constraint pressure at low temperatures and the variation of the lamellar thickness as a function of temperature─a phenomenon known as premelting. The sorption isotherms of a range of fluids in different polyethylene and polypropylene samples are determined experimentally and the data is compared with calculations of the new model using the SAFT-VR Mie EoS. In order to accurately predict the absorption close to the vapor pressure of the penetrant, we find that it is essential to include the “free”, unconstrained amorphous domains in the description, resulting in a multiscale model with two adjustable parameters (the fractions of tie-molecules and free amorphous domains) that characterize the morphology of a given semicrystalline polymer sample. The trends observed for the adjusted parameters qualitatively match other estimates reported in the literature.

PMID:36318751 | DOI:10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c04600

J Manag Care Spec Pharm. 2022 Nov 1:1-12. doi: 10.18553/jmcp.2022.22144. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Much of the current research on treatment patterns and use of adjunctive pain and anti-inflammatory medications among patients living with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) predates the approval and uptake of IL (interleukin)-17A inhibitors. OBJECTIVE: To compare real-world treatment patterns and use of adjunctive pain and antiinflammatory medications between patients with PsA initiating the IL-17A inhibitors, ixekizumab and secukinumab, in a US-managed care population. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the HealthCore Integrated Research Database. Patients with a PsA diagnosis who initiated ixekizumab or secukinumab treatment between December 1, 2017, and November 30, 2019, were identified. Two cohorts were created based on which of the 2 medications was initiated (index date), and patients with prior use of either drug were excluded, as were patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Patients had to be continuously enrolled in the health plan for 6 months prior to (baseline) and 12 months after the index date (post-index). Inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to minimize confounding from baseline demographic and clinical differences between cohorts. Treatment patterns (dosing, persistence, discontinuation, and switching) and use of adjunctive pain/anti-inflammatory medications were assessed and compared between weighted cohorts using chi-square and t-tests. RESULTS: In total, 407 patients were identified in the ixekizumab cohort (mean age 51.6 years; 54% female) and 1,508 patients were identified in the secukinumab cohort (mean age 50.1 years; 59% female). Prior to weighting, presence of a psoriasis diagnosis code (ixekizumab: 60% vs secukinumab: 45%; standardized difference [std diff] = -0.30), specialty of the index prescriber (std diff = 0.38), and mean number of prior advanced therapies (2.0 vs 1.5; std diff = -0.33) were different between cohorts. Cohorts were well balanced after weighting. The majority of secukinumab patients (71%) received an index dose of 300 mg. Rates of persistence (ixekizumab: 40% vs secukinumab: 43%; P = 0.411) and switching (25% vs 20%; P = 0.072) were not statistically different between cohorts. Use of new adjunctive pain and anti-inflammatory medications was not statistically different between cohorts either (ixekizumab: 63% vs secukinumab: 58%; P = 0.187). CONCLUSIONS: Real-world treatment patterns and use of adjunctive pain and anti-inflammatory medications were similar in patients with PsA initiating ixekizumab and secukinumab in this US-managed care population. Further research examining reasons for discontinuation, switching, and use of adjunctive medications may help inform treatment decisions for patients living with PsA. DISCLOSURES: Ms Pizzicato, Ms Ketkar, and Dr Grabner are employees of HealthCore, Inc, which received funding from Eli Lilly and Company for the conduct of the study on which this manuscript is based. Ms Pepe was an employee of HealthCore, Inc., during the time the study was conducted. Dr Grabner is a shareholder of Elevance Health (legacy Anthem, Inc.). Dr Vadhariya, Dr Birt, and Ms Bolce are employees of Eli Lilly and Company, the manufacturer of ixekizumab (Taltz). Dr Birt and Ms Bolce are shareholders of Eli Lilly and Company. Dr Walsh is a paid consultant to Eli Lilly and Company and Novartis, the manufacturers of ixekizumab (Taltz) and secukinumab (Cosentyx), respectively. Additionally, Dr Walsh is a paid consultant for Pfizer, Janssen, AbbVie, and UCB and has contracts with Pfizer, AbbVie, and Merck.

PMID:36318701 | DOI:10.18553/jmcp.2022.22144

Chirurgia (Bucur). 2022 Oct;117(5):579-584. doi: 10.21614/chirurgia.2766.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To determine how individual vascular road-mapping impacts the surgeonsâ?? expectations in difficulty in D3 right colectomy for cancer, and compare these expectations to the results previously published. Aim/summary background data:Literature still lacks data on surgeons expectations using preoperative 3D roadmap of the vascular system.

METHOD: Surgeons filled out a survey asking expectations about operation time, estimated blood loss, amount of lymph nodes harvested and difficulty. The patients were classified into 4 groups and 2 subgroups according to the crossing pattern of the ileocolic artery and the jejunal veins. SPSS was used for statistical analysis. Results: Twelve surgeons were included. Eight of them expected type 2 anatomy to be least time consuming while 11/12 indicated anatomy group 4 to be the most. Five surgeons expected low blood loss in group 2 anatomy patients while 10/12 expected higher blood loss in group 4 anatomy patients. Three anticipated that group 2 would generate the highest lymph node yield and while 2/12 surgeons expected the lowest in anatomy group 4. Eight surgeons perceived group 2 as the least challenging while 10/12 experienced group 4 as the most difficult. Compared to previously published results only group 4b operating time met surgeons expectations.

CONCLUSION: Using a vascular roadmap at surgery evens out surgeons expectations in operation time, blood loss, lymph node harvested and difficulty. Comparing expectations to previously published data shows operating time in one anatomy group as the only factor where these expectations were met.

PMID:36318688 | DOI:10.21614/chirurgia.2766

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2022 Nov 1:EPI-22-0877. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-22-0877. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Exposure to cigarette smoke, particularly in early life, is modestly associated with ovarian cancer risk and may impact systemic immunity and the tumor immune response. However, no studies have evaluated whether cigarette smoke exposure impacts the ovarian tumor immune microenvironment.

METHODS: Participants in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and NHSII reported on early life exposure to cigarette smoke and personal smoking history on questionnaires (n=165,760). Multiplex immunofluorescence assays were used to measure markers of T cells and immune checkpoints in tumor tissue from 385 incident ovarian cancer cases. We used Cox proportional hazards models to evaluate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for developing ovarian tumors with a low (<median) or high (≥median) immune cell percentage by cigarette exposure categories.

RESULTS: Women exposed versus not to cigarette smoke early in life had a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer with low levels of T cells overall (CD3+: HR: 1.54, 95%CI: 1.08, 2.20) and recently activated cytotoxic T cells (CD3+CD8+CD69+: HR: 1.45, 95%CI: 1.05, 2.00). These findings were not statistically significant at the Bonferroni corrected p-value of 0.0083. Adult smoking was not significantly associated with tumor immune markers after Bonferroni correction.

CONCLUSION: These results suggest early life cigarette smoke exposure may modestly increase risk of developing ovarian tumors with low abundance of total T cells and recently activated cytotoxic T cells.

IMPACT: Future research should focus on understanding the impact of exposures throughout the life course on the ovarian tumor immune microenvironment.

PMID:36318652 | DOI:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-22-0877