The cost-effectiveness of opt-in and send-to-all HPV self-sampling among long-term non-attenders to cervical cancer screening in Norway: The Equalscreen randomized controlled trial.

Objective: We assessed the cost-effectiveness of mailing a human papillomavirus self-sampling (HPV-ss) kit, directly or via invitation to order, compared with mailing reminder letters among long-term non-attenders in Norway.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis using the Equalscreen study data with 6000 women aged 35-69 years who had not screened in 10+ years. Participants were equally randomized into three arms: reminder letter (control); invitation to order HPV-ss kit (opt-in); directly mailed HPV-ss kit (send-to-all).

Vibrio tetraodonis subsp. pristinus subsp. nov., isolated from the coral Acropora cytherea at Palmyra Atoll, and creation and emended description of Vibrio tetraodonis subsp. tetraodonis subsp. nov.

Strain OCN044 was isolated from the homogenised tissue and mucus of an apparently healthy Acropora cytherea coral fragment collected from the western reef terrace of Palmyra Atoll in the Northern Line Islands and was taxonomically evaluated with a polyphasic approach. The morphological and chemotaxonomic properties are consistent with characteristics of the genus Vibrio: Gram-stain-negative rods, oxidase- and catalase-positive, and motile by means of a polar flagellum. Strain OCN044 can be differentiated as a novel subspecies based on 21 differences among chemotaxonomic features (e.

Bruit-enhancing phonoangiogram filter using sub-band autoregressive linear predictive coding.

Subjective analysis of bruits has long been an element of vascular access physical exams. Digital recordings of blood flow bruits-phonoangiograms (PAGs)-may provide an objective, non-imaging measure of vascular access stenosis. We have analyzed the long-term stability in PAGs from typical dialysis patients with arteriovenous fistulas and grafts and found that typical patients have correlated PAG spectra.

Long-term graft outcomes after steroid withdrawal in African American kidney transplant recipients receiving sirolimus and tacrolimus.

Background: We previously reported excellent short-term outcomes in African American kidney transplant patients receiving tacrolimus/sirolimus and withdrawn from corticosteroid therapy three months after transplantation. We now report the long-term outcomes of patients subjected to this protocol.

Methods: In all, 47 African American kidney transplant recipients were enrolled in an uncontrolled trial in which they were initially treated with sirolimus, tacrolimus, and corticosteroids, without antibody induction therapy.

Improved renal function after conversion from tacrolimus/sirolimus to tacrolimus/mycophenolate mofetil in kidney transplant recipients.

Background: There is limited data on the potential nephrotoxicity of sirolimus (SRL) and tacrolimus (TAC) in combination.

Methods: We reviewed the course of 97 kidney transplant patients treated with SRL and reduced-dose TAC. Conversion from SRL to mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) was prescribed in a minority (n = 19) for various nonrenal side effects.