Publications by authors named "Zimmerman L"

Objectives: To estimate levels of person-centered contraceptive counseling among current and recent contraceptive users, assess for whom counseling differs, and examine the relationship between counseling and contraceptive practices, specifically use of provider-dependent methods and use of one's preferred method, among women in Ethiopia.

Study Design: This cross-sectional study uses nationally representative data collected by the Performance Monitoring for Action Ethiopia project among current and recent contraceptive users ( = 2731) aged 15-49 between October and November 2021. Descriptive analyses estimated person-centered counseling levels via the recently validated quality of contraceptive counseling short scale (QCC-10).

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This case highlights an unusually rapid onset and extensive presentation of eruptive cutaneous sarcoidosis in a 61-year-old woman who developed a sudden, widespread pruritic rash overnight after ingesting a supplement containing black seed oil and vitamins D3, K2, and E. She responded well to corticosteroid treatment. We compared the findings with two other cases found in the literature.

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Background: While IL-23 inhibitors, which include guselkumab, tildrakizumab, and risankizumab, are currently FDA-approved solely for the treatment of psoriasis, several other inflammatory skin conditions have been associated with elevated IL-23 levels. The purpose of this review is to summarize and interpret the literature surrounding the off-label uses of IL-23 inhibitors in dermatologic practice.

Methods: We conducted searches on PubMed and for clinical trials, observational studies, case series, and case reports assessing use of the three IL-23 inhibitors for non-psoriatic dermatologic conditions.

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Introduction: Yemen has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the Middle East and North Africa region and is home to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. How the conflict and resulting displacement have impacted family formation patterns is not entirely clear. In this study, we investigate the impact of displacement on child marriage and early childbearing by comparing time-to-first-marriage and time-to-first-birth among displaced and non-displaced girls.

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Article Synopsis
  • The paper investigates how COVID-19 impacted food insufficiency among adolescents in five urban poor areas in Africa and Asia, focusing on economic and community factors.
  • The study used data from a longitudinal survey, comparing food insufficiency before and during the pandemic, and applied various statistical methods to analyze the results.
  • Findings show a significant increase in food insufficiency during COVID-19, with variations by location, gender, and socioeconomic status, highlighting the need for targeted strategies to address economic and community disparities affecting adolescents.
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Purpose: This study explores whether economic instability or food insecurity moderates the changes in emotional abuse and neglect over time.

Methods: We used data from the Global Early Adolescent Study, a longitudinal study among adolescents ages 13-18 years (10-14 during pre-COVID-19 round) from poor urban communities in China (n = 387), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (n = 285), Indonesia (n = 400), and Malawi (n = 320). Data were collected before (2017 to March 2020) and during the pandemic (June to November 2020).

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Whole-cell pertussis (wP) vaccines introduced in the 1940s led to a dramatic reduction of pertussis incidence and are still widely used in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) worldwide. The reactogenicity of wP vaccines resulted in reduced public acceptance, which drove the development and introduction of acellular pertussis (aP) vaccines in high-income countries in the 1990s. Increased incidence of pertussis disease has been observed in high-income countries following the introduction of aP vaccines despite near universal rates of pediatric vaccination.

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Background: Empowerment research has largely focused on adult women with little focus on younger adolescents. Additionally, despite recognition that empowerment is a process, few studies have longitudinally explored its development.

Methods: We used secondary data from four waves of the Global Early Adolescent Study to explore trajectories in the development of three domains of agency (i.

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Menopause is associated with reduced endothelial-dependent vasodilation and increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Dietary nitrate, a non-pharmacological approach, may increase vasodilatory capacity consequentially reducing CVD risk. We investigated macro- and microvascular function after acute nitrate supplementation in postmenopausal females (PMF).

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The World Health Organization's Immunization and Vaccines-related Implementation Research Advisory Committee (IVIR-AC) serves to independently review and evaluate vaccine-related research to maximize the potential impact of vaccination programs. From 28 June - 1 July 2024, IVIR-AC was convened for an ad hoc meeting to discuss new evidence on criteria for rubella vaccine introduction and the risk of congenital rubella syndrome. This report summarizes background information on rubella virus transmission and the burden of congenital rubella syndrome, meeting structure and presentations, proceedings, and recommendations.

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Objectives: This study examines the relationship between integrated, person-centered maternity care (PCMC), the provision of postpartum family planning (PPFP) services, and postpartum contraceptive use among women delivering at health facilities in Ethiopia.

Study Design: We analyze 2019-2021 longitudinal data from a representative sample of pregnant and recently postpartum women in Ethiopia. This study examines baseline, 6-week, and 6-month survey data collected from women who delivered at a health facility.

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Despite widespread concerns about contraceptive side effects among contraceptive users, few studies explore the specific side effects women are told about during contraceptive counseling. It is thus unclear whether women receive appropriate and sufficient information on side effects they may experience. The objective of this study is to describe which specific side effects of hormonal contraception or copper IUD users are counseled on and identify relevant user characteristics associated with receipt of counseling, using nationally representative cross-sectional data from Ethiopia.

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Objectives: This study aims to describe patterns of beliefs about contraceptive-induced infertility and assess their relationship with current contraceptive use, including whether these relationships vary by parity and residence.

Design: We use data from Performance Monitoring for Action Ethiopia, a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of 7491 women, aged 15-49, to assess agreement with the statement 'If I use family planning, I may have trouble getting pregnant next time I want to.' We used multilevel hierarchical models to identify the association between agreement and use of a hormonal method of contraception among 3882 sexually active, fecund women who wish to prevent pregnancy.

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Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) has shown some success in treating inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). There is emerging evidence that host engraftment of donor taxa is a tenet of successful FMT. We undertook a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study to characterize the response to FMT in children and young adults with mild to moderate active Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).

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Objective: To understand university students' experiences with sex trading for financial compensation at a large public, Midwestern university.

Participants: 34 university students (26.5% graduate, 70% white, 70% cisgender women, 38% heterosexual).

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The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in education and clinical medicine has shown tremendous growth. The primary explanation for this application is AI's ability to integrate efficient and tailored methods for screening, using diagnostics, and enhancement of patient and medical education. AI's wide scope of utility can be seen through its ability to improve efficiency in clinical settings through scheduling, charting, diagnostics, and screening tools, ultimately allowing physicians to spend more focused time on patient care.

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Exchanging sex for financial compensation is thought to be underreported primarily because extant studies (1) use a single item to capture a complex, stigmatized phenomenon, and (2) do not capture the complex types or reasons why people engage in the sex trades. Few survey studies have explored the sex trades among university students. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of a newly developed measure, the Sexual Services Acts and Materials for Pay (SSAMP), among university students.

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Background: Low use of modern methods of contraception has been linked to HIV seropositivity and to migration, but few studies have evaluated the intersection of both risk factors with contraceptive use.

Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from sexually active female participants aged 15 to 49 years in the Rakai Community Cohort Study (RCCS) between 2011 and 2013. The RCCS is an open population-based census and individual survey in south-central Uganda.

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Background: Screening for iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is important in managing pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Concerns related to adverse reactions may contribute to a reluctance to prescribe intravenous (IV) iron to treat IDA in this population.

Aim: To track the efficacy and safety of IV iron therapy in treating IDA in pediatric IBD patients admitted to our center.

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Introduction: The challenge of achieving maternal and neonatal health-related goals in developing countries is significantly impacted by high fertility rates, which are partly attributed to limited access to family planning and access to the healthcare systems. The most widely used indicator to monitor family planning coverage is the proportion of women in reproductive age using contraception (CPR). However, this metric does not accurately reflect the true family planning coverage, as it fails to account for the diverse needs of women in reproductive age.

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The potential of engineered enzymes in industrial applications is often limited by their expression levels, thermal stability, and catalytic diversity. De novo enzyme design faces challenges due to the complexity of enzymatic catalysis. An alternative approach involves expanding natural enzyme capabilities for new substrates and parameters.

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Rubella virus is a leading cause of vaccine-preventable birth defects. Infection during pregnancy can result in miscarriage, fetal death, stillbirth, or a constellation of birth defects, including cataracts, deafness, heart defects, and developmental delay, known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). A single dose of rubella-containing vaccine can provide lifelong protection against rubella.

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Background: The focus of reproductive autonomy research has historically been on the experience of unintended pregnancy and use of contraceptive methods. However, this has led to the neglect of a different group of women who suffer from constraints on their reproductive autonomy-women who experience pregnancies later than they desire or who are unable to become pregnant. This study examines the extent of later-than-desired pregnancy among women and evaluates the sociodemographic and reproductive factors associated with this experience in Uganda.

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