Impact of transcranial Doppler screening on stroke prevention in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) have increased stroke risk, identifiable by elevated velocities on transcranial Doppler (TCD). This review assessed the impact of TCD screening on stroke, mortality, quality of life and morbidity in children with SCD.

Methods: A systematic search of MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane libraries, and trial registries was conducted from inception to 28th February 2023.

Point-of-care diagnostic test accuracy in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Detection of sickle cell disease (SCD) could be improved with greater use of point-of-care testing (POCT). This review assessed the accuracy of POCTs for SCD in children and adolescents.

Methods: We systematically searched EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane libraries, registries and conference proceedings from inception to 28th February 2023.

The impact of non-pharmacological interventions on adherence to medication and persistence in dyslipidaemia and hypertension: a systematic review.

Introduction: Suboptimal medication adherence is common among patients with cardiovascular diseases. We sought evidence on non-pharmacological interventions used to support adherence for patients with hypertension and/or dyslipidemia.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, MEDLINE In-Process, ClinicalTrials.

Economic Burden of COVID-19: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To review and qualitatively synthesize the evidence related to the economic burden of COVID-19, including healthcare resource utilization and costs.

Methods: A systematic review of studies that assessed the economic burden [eg, direct costs, productivity, macroeconomic impact due to non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and equity] of COVID-19 was conducted by searches in EMBASE, MEDLINE, MEDLINE-IN-PROCESS, and The Cochrane Library, as well as manual searches of unpublished research for the period between January 2020 to February 2021. Single reviewer data extraction was confirmed independently by a second reviewer.

Development of a Framework Based on Reflective MCDA to Support Patient-Clinician Shared Decision-Making: The Case of the Management of Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (GEP-NET) in the United States.

Introduction: Well- or moderately differentiated gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) are often slow-growing, and some patients with unresectable, asymptomatic, non-functioning tumors may face the choice between watchful waiting (WW), or somatostatin analogues (SSA) to delay progression. We developed a comprehensive multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework to help patients and physicians clarify their values and preferences, consider each decision criterion, and support communication and shared decision-making.

Methods: The framework was adapted from a generic MCDA framework (EVIDEM) with patient and clinician input.

Appraising the holistic value of Lenvatinib for radio-iodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer: A multi-country study applying pragmatic MCDA.

Background: The objective of the study was to reveal through pragmatic MCDA (EVIDEM) the contribution of a broad range of criteria to the value of the orphan drug lenvatinib for radioiodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RR-DTC) in country-specific contexts.

Methods: The study was designed to enable comprehensive appraisal (12 quantitative, 7 qualitative criteria) in the current disease context (watchful waiting, sorafenib) of France, Italy and Spain. Data on the value of lenvatinib was collected from diverse stakeholders during country-specific panels and included: criteria weights (individual and social values); performance scores (judgments on evidence-collected through MCDA systematic review); qualitative impacts of contextual criteria; and verbal and written insights structured by criteria.

Associations of Anogenital Low-Risk Human Papillomavirus Infection With Cancer and Acquisition of HIV.

α-Mucosal human papillomavirus (HPV) types are implicated in a range of clinical conditions and categorized as "low-risk" (LR) and "high-risk" (HR) types according to their degree of association with cervical cancers. The causative role of LR HPV infection in the development of anogenital warts and in low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions is well established. In addition, there is a growing body of evidence that infection with LR HPV types may be associated with an elevated risk of cancers and potentiation of coinfections.

Global availability of data on HPV genotype-distribution in cervical, vulvar and vaginal disease and genotype-specific prevalence and incidence of HPV infection in females.

Background: Country-level HPV genotyping data may be sought by decision-makers to gauge the genotype-specific burden of HPV-related diseases in their jurisdiction and assess the potential impact of HPV vaccines. We investigated, by country, the availability of published literature on HPV genotypes in cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers and intraepithelial neoplasms (CINs, VaINs and VINs) and on prevalence and incidence of genital HPV infections among women without clinically manifest disease.

Findings: Primary sources of publications were the PubMed/Medline and EMBASE databases.

A comparative study of oxidative DNA damage in mammalian spermatozoa.

Alkaline gel electrophoresis, pulsed field gel electrophoresis, and quantitative PCR analyses (QPCR) of the nuclear (nDNA) and mitochondrial (mtDNA) genomes were used to assess DNA integrity in the spermatozoa of three species exposed to oxidative stress. In human and murine spermatozoa, the mtDNA was significantly more susceptible to H2O2-mediated damage than nDNA. In both eutherian species, exposure to 250 microM H2O2 induced around 0.

Cyclic AMP-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation in tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) spermatozoa.

Despite considerable advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating eutherian sperm function, there is a paucity of such knowledge for the Metatheria. In eutherian spermatozoa, the attainment of functional competence is associated with a redox-regulated, cAMP-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation cascade, activated during capacitation. In this report we investigate whether tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) spermatozoa possess a similar signal transduction pathway.