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This paper discussed the concept of computer competency and investigated the relationship between students' computer competency and their perception of enjoyment and difficulty level of web-based distance-learning courses. Participants were 237 entering graduate students in library and information science from a mid-southwestern state university in the United States from year 2001 to 2003. Computer competency was estimated by students' self-report of their prior knowledge of information technology skills in a survey called "Computer Skill and Use Assessment". Statistical significance was found between the correlation of computer competency and students' perception of enjoyment level (p=0.011) and difficulty level (p=0.001). (Contains 4 tables.)

Background: Since common diagnostic tests for gonorrhea do not provide information about susceptibility to antibiotics, treatment of gonorrhea remains empiric. Antibiotics used for empiric therapy are usually changed once resistance prevalence exceeds a certain threshold (e.g., 5%). A low switch threshold is intended to increase the probability that an infection is successfully treated with the first-line antibiotic, but it could also increase the pace at which recommendations are switched to newer antibiotics. Little is known about the impact of changing the switch threshold on the incidence of gonorrhea, the rate of treatment failure, and the overall cost and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) associated with gonorrhea. Methods and findings: We developed a transmission model of gonococcal infection with multiple resistant strains to project gonorrhea-associated costs and loss in QALYs under different switch thresholds among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. We accounted for the costs and disutilities associated with symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and sequelae, and combined costs and QALYs in a measure of net health benefit (NHB). Our results suggest that under a scenario where 3 antibiotics are available over the next 50 years (2 suitable for the first-line therapy of gonorrhea and 1 suitable only for the retreatment of resistant infections), changing the switch threshold between 1% and 10% does not meaningfully impact the annual number of gonorrhea cases, total costs, or total QALY losses associated with gonorrhea. However, if a new antibiotic is to become available in the future, choosing a lower switch threshold could improve the population NHB. If in addition, drug-susceptibility testing (DST) is available to inform retreatment regimens after unsuccessful first-line therapy, setting the switch threshold at 1% to 2% is expected to maximize the population NHB. A limitation of our study is that our analysis only focuses on the MSM population and does not consider the influence of interventions such as vaccine and common use of rapid drugs susceptibility tests to inform first-line therapy. Conclusions: Changing the switch threshold for first-line antibiotics may not substantially change the health and financial outcomes associated with gonorrhea. However, the switch threshold could be reduced when newer antibiotics are expected to become available soon or when in addition to future novel antibiotics, DST is also available to inform retreatment regimens. Using a mathematical model of gonococcal infection, Xuecheng Yin and co-authors project the burden of gonorrhea in a population of men who have sex with men in the US and, the gonorrhea-associated costs and loss in quality adjusted life-years under various antibiotic switch thresholds and scenarios for antibiotic availability. Author summary: Why was this study done?: Antibiotics used for the empiric therapy of gonorrhea are usually changed once the prevalence of resistance to the antibiotic exceeds a certain threshold, currently set at 5%. A low switch threshold is often selected to ensure that the first-line antibiotic remains effective for most patients with gonorrhea. However, little is known about the impact of changing the switch threshold on the incidence of gonorrhea, the rate of treatment failure, and the overall cost and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) associated with gonorrhea. What did the researchers do and find?: We developed a mathematical model of gonococcal infection among a population of men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States to project the burden of gonorrhea and the overall associated cost and QALYs under various switch thresholds and scenarios for the future availability of antibiotics and drug-susceptibility testing (DST). We found that changing the switch threshold between 1% and 10% does not meaningfully impact the annual number of gonorrhea cases, and total cost and total QALY loss associated with gonorrhea. However, if a new antibiotic is expected to become available in the future choosing a lower threshold could improve the population net health benefit (NHB). What do these findings mean?: Changing the switch threshold may not substantially impact the health and financial outcomes associated with gonorrhea. However, the switch threshold could be reduced when newer antibiotics are expected to become available soon or when DSTs is available to inform retreatment regiments. Our study was limited to MSM in the US and future studies should evaluate the generalizability of our findings to other populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy with poor survival and requires long-term follow-up. Hence, we collected information on patients with Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the United States from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and EndResults (SEER) database. We used this information to establish a deep learning with a multilayer neural network (the NMTLR model) for predicting the survival rate of patients with Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma. HCC patients pathologically diagnosed between January 2011 and December 2015 in the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) database of the National Cancer Institute of the United States were selected as study subjects. We utilized two deep learning-based algorithms (DeepSurv and Neural Multi-Task Logistic Regression [NMTLR]) and a machine learning-based algorithm (Random Survival Forest [RSF]) for model training. A multivariable Cox Proportional Hazards (CoxPH) model was also constructed for comparison. The dataset was randomly divided into a training set and a test set in a 7:3 ratio. The training dataset underwent hyperparameter tuning through 1000 iterations of random search and fivefold cross-validation. Model performance was assessed using the concordance index (C-index), Brier score, and Integrated Brier Score (IBS). The accuracy of predicting 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival rates was evaluated using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration plots, and Area Under the Curve (AUC). The primary outcomes were the 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year overall survival rates. Models were developed using DeepSurv, NMTLR, RSF, and Cox Proportional Hazards regression. Model differentiation was evaluated using the C-index, calibration with concordance plots, and risk stratification capability with the log-rank test. The study included 2197 HCC patients, randomly divided into a training cohort (70%, n = 1537) and a testing cohort (30%, n = 660). Clinical characteristics between the two cohorts showed no significant statistical difference (p > 0.05). The deep learning models outperformed both RSF and CoxPH models, with C-indices of 0.735 (NMTLR) and 0.731 (DeepSurv) in the test dataset. The NMTLR model demonstrated enhanced accuracy and well-calibrated survival estimates, achieving an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.824 for 1-year survival predictions, 0.813 for 3-year, and 0.803 for 5-year survival rates. This model's superior calibration and discriminative ability enhance its utility for clinical prognostication in Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma. We deployed the NMTLR model as a web application for clinical practice. The NMTLR model have potential advantages over traditional linear models in prognostic assessment and treatment recommendations. This novel analytical approach may provide reliable information on individual survival and treatment recommendations for patients with primary liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elevated tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates have recently been reported for racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States. Tracking such disparities is important for assessing progress toward national health equity goals and implementing change. This time-series analysis of national registry data for 2011 to 2021 aimed to quantify trends in racial and ethnic disparities in TB incidence among U.S.-born persons. Visual Abstract. Disparities in Tuberculosis Incidence by Race and Ethnicity Among the U.S.-Born Population in the United States, 2011 to 2021: Elevated tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates have recently been reported for racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States. Tracking such disparities is important for assessing progress toward national health equity goals and implementing change. This time-series analysis of national registry data for 2011 to 2021 aimed to quantify trends in racial and ethnic disparities in TB incidence among U.S.-born persons. Background: Elevated tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates have recently been reported for racial/ethnic minority populations in the United States. Tracking such disparities is important for assessing progress toward national health equity goals and implementing change. Objective: To quantify trends in racial/ethnic disparities in TB incidence among U.S.-born persons. Design: Time-series analysis of national TB registry data for 2011 to 2021. Setting: United States. Participants: U.S.-born persons stratified by race/ethnicity. Measurements: TB incidence rates, incidence rate differences, and incidence rate ratios compared with non-Hispanic White persons; excess TB cases (calculated from incidence rate differences); and the index of disparity. Analyses were stratified by sex and by attribution of TB disease to recent transmission and were adjusted for age, year, and state of residence. Results: In analyses of TB incidence rates for each racial/ethnic population compared with non-Hispanic White persons, incidence rate ratios were as high as 14.2 (95% CI, 13.0 to 15.5) among American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) females. Relative disparities were greater for females, younger persons, and TB attributed to recent transmission. Absolute disparities were greater for males. Excess TB cases in 2011 to 2021 represented 69% (CI, 66% to 71%) and 62% (CI, 60% to 64%) of total cases for females and males, respectively. No evidence was found to indicate that incidence rate ratios decreased over time, and most relative disparity measures showed small, statistically nonsignificant increases. Limitation: Analyses assumed complete TB case diagnosis and self-report of race/ethnicity and were not adjusted for medical comorbidities or social determinants of health. Conclusion: There are persistent disparities in TB incidence by race/ethnicity. Relative disparities were greater for AI/AN persons, females, and younger persons, and absolute disparities were greater for males. Eliminating these disparities could reduce overall TB incidence by more than 60% among the U.S.-born population. Primary Funding Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the divergence in investor behaviour between the United States and China following the abolition of the Chinese presidential term limit in 2018, which may, in part, have reflected the heterogeneous opinions expressed in public online media regarding this event. Compared with Chinese investors, the sentiment among US investors was considerably more pessimistic. Accordingly, we find that Chinese companies listed in the United States significantly underperformed relative to a sample of propensity score‐matched firms listed in China. Additionally, we find that the political connectedness of firms to the Chinese government strongly influenced the stock prices of US‐listed Chinese firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Comprehensive evaluation of the quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) lost attributable to chlamydia, gonorrhea, andtrichomoniasis in the United States is lacking. Methods We adapted a previous probability-tree model to estimate the average number of lifetime QALYs lost due to genital chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis, per incident infection and at the population level, by sex and age group. We conducted multivariate sensitivity analyses to address uncertainty around key parameter values. Results The estimated total discounted lifetime QALYs lost for men and women, respectively, due to infections acquired in 2018, were 1541 (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 186–6358) and 111 872 (95% UI, 29 777–267 404) for chlamydia, 989 (95% UI, 127–3720) and 12 112 (95% UI, 2 410–33 895) for gonorrhea, and 386 (95% UI, 30–1851) and 4576 (95% UI, 13–30 355) for trichomoniasis. Total QALYs lost were highest among women aged 15–24 years with chlamydia. QALYs lost estimates were highly sensitive to disutilities (health losses) of infections and sequelae, and to duration of infections and chronic sequelae for chlamydia and gonorrhea in women. Conclusions The 3 sexually transmitted infections cause substantial health losses in the United States, particularly gonorrhea and chlamydia among women. The estimates of lifetime QALYs lost per infection help to prioritize prevention policies and inform cost-effectiveness analyses of sexually transmitted infection interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The purpose of this study was to estimate the health impact of syphilis in the United States in terms of the number of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) lost attributable to infections in 2018. Methods We developed a Markov model that simulates the natural history and management of syphilis. The model was parameterized by sex and sexual orientation (women who have sex with men, men who have sex with women [MSW], and men who have sex with men [MSM]), and by age at primary infection. We developed a separate decision tree model to quantify health losses due to congenital syphilis. We estimated the average lifetime number of QALYs lost per infection, and the total expected lifetime number of QALYs lost due to syphilis acquired in 2018. Results We estimated the average number of discounted lifetime QALYs lost per infection as 0.09 (95% uncertainty interval [UI].03–.19). The total expected number of QALYs lost due to syphilis acquired in 2018 was 13 349 (5071–31 360). Although per-case loss was the lowest among MSM (0.06), MSM accounted for 47.7% of the overall burden. For each case of congenital syphilis, we estimated 1.79 (1.43–2.16) and 0.06 (.01–.14) QALYs lost in the child and the mother, respectively. We projected 2332 (1871–28 250) and 79 (17–177) QALYs lost for children and mothers, respectively, due to congenital syphilis in 2018. Conclusions Syphilis causes substantial health losses in adults and children. Quantifying these health losses in terms of QALYs can inform cost-effectiveness analyses and can facilitate comparisons of the burden of syphilis to that of other diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper explores the effect of natural disasters on the profitability and solvency of US banks. Design/methodology/approach: Employing a sample of 187 large-scale natural disasters that occurred in the United States between 2000 and 2014 and a sample of 2,891 banks, we examine whether and how disaster-related damages affect various measures of bank profitability and bank solvency. We differentiate between different types of banks (with local, regional and national operations) based on a breakdown of their state-level deposits and explore the reaction of these banks to damages weighted by the GDP of the states they operate in. Findings: We find that natural disasters have a pronounced effect on the net-income-to-assets and the net-income-to-equity ratio of banks, as well as the banks' impaired loans and return on average assets. We also observe significant effects on the equity ratio and the tier-1 capital ratio (two solvency measures). Interestingly, the latter are positive for regional banks which appear to benefit from increased customer deposits related to safekeeping, government payments for post-disaster recovery, insurance payouts and decreased withdrawals, while they are significantly negative for banks that operate locally or nationally. Originality/value: We contribute to the literature by offering various new insights regarding the effects natural disasters have on financial institutions. With climate change-driven natural disasters widely expected to increase both in terms of frequency and severity, their economic fallout is likely to impose an increasing burden on financial institutions. Large, nationally operating banks tend to be well diversified both geographically and in terms of their product offerings. Small, locally operating banks, however, are increasingly at risk – particularly if they operate in disaster-prone areas. Current banking regulations generally do not factor natural disaster risks into their capital requirements. To avoid the next big financial crisis, regulators may want to adjust their reserve requirements by taking this growing risk exposure into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) can result in symptoms such as diarrhea, flushing, abdominal pain, and fatigue and are often associated with a significant disease burden and poor prognosis. This non-interventional, prospective, observational study evaluated the real-world safety and effectiveness of lanreotide depot, a somatostatin analog (SSA) used to treat GEP-NETs, in a community setting. Methods: In this prospective, non-interventional study (NCT02730104), adult patients with locally advanced (inoperable), metastatic GEP-NETs treated with lanreotide depot were evaluated by their physician every 6 months from enrollment for 24 months. Clinically defined time to disease progression (TTDP) and overall survival (OS) were estimated for the total population and by primary tumor type (gastrointestinal [GI], pancreatic, unknown origin), and an exploratory analysis determined the rate of progression-free survival (PFS) at 12 and 24 months. Patient satisfaction was evaluated via the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM-9), and safety information was recorded. Results: Of 99 patients, the 24-month PFS rate was 73.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 63.1–81.7) and 24-month OS rate was 84.2% (95% CI 74.0–90.7). Median TTDP was not reached because few patients experienced disease progression during the study period. The majority of responding patients expressed satisfaction with treatment on each domain of the TSQM-9. Treatment-related adverse events (AEs) occurred in 19.2% of patients, while no serious AEs (SAEs) were related to the study drug. Conclusions: Lanreotide depot is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for GEP-NETs in the real-world community setting. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT02730104. Plain Language Summary: Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) are rare tumors that develop in the gut or pancreas. GEP-NETs may lead to a reduced lifespan, and people with GEP-NETs may have symptoms such as fatigue, muscle weakness, diarrhea, stomach pain/cramping, and skin reactions. One approved treatment for patients whose tumor cannot be removed with surgery is lanreotide depot. Clinical trials have found lanreotide depot to be effective at prolonging survival and managing symptoms in people with GEP-NETs. However, clinical trials take place under very strict conditions and often do not represent all people with a certain disease in the 'real world'. It is important to determine whether treatments are still effective when used outside of clinical trials. This study was conducted in the real world and followed 99 people with GEP-NETs whose physicians were treating them with lanreotide depot. Each person was monitored for 24 months and assessed during check-ups by their physician every 6 months. After 24 months, 73.7% of people did not have progression (worsening) of disease. The percentage of people who had not died by the end of the study was 84.2%. Most patients (91.6%) said they were satisfied with their treatment. Only 19.2% of patients experienced side effects, none of which were serious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pediatric HLT remains uncommon in the United States and criteria for HLT are unclear. The objectives of this study were to review the indications, and outcomes of pediatric HLT. Methods: Data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients heart and liver databases were used to identify 9245 pediatric isolated heart transplants (PHT), 14 134 pediatric isolated liver transplant (PLT), and 20 pediatric HLT (16 patients underwent sHLT [same organ donor] and four patients with a history of PHT followed by PLT [different organ donors]; age ≤21 years) between 1992 and 2017. Outcomes included patient survival, and 1‐year rates of acute heart and liver rejection. Results: The median age for pediatric HLT was 15.6 (IQR: 10.5, 17.9) years, and included 12 males (12/20 = 60%). In the HLT group, the most common indication for HT was CHD (12/20 = 60%), and the most common indication for liver transplant was cirrhosis (9/20 = 45%). The 1, 3, and 5 year actuarial survival rates in pediatric simultaneous HLT recipients (n = 16) were 93%, 93%, and 93%, respectively, and was similar to isolated PHT alone (88%, 81%, and 75.5%, respectively and isolated PLT alone (84%, 82%, and 80%), respectively. There was no heart or liver rejection reported in the HLT group versus 9.9% in heart and 10.6% in liver transplant‐only groups, respectively. Conclusion: Pediatric HLT is an uncommon but acceptable option for recipients with combined end‐organ failure, with intermediate survival outcomes comparable to those of single‐organ recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The butyrophilins (BTNs) represent a unique family of immunoglobulin. They were considered to be involved in milk lactation after their discovery in 1981. With the development of research, an increasing number of research revealed that BTNs play important roles in immune regulation [1992–2019]. Our research aimed to summarize the BTN research status and their relationship with lung cancers and breast cancers by bibliometrics and bioinformatics methods. Our results indicate that the researches on immune-regulatory functions of BTNs gradually developed from 1992 to 2006, whereas they increased quickly after 2007. There are international cooperations among 56 countries, of which the United States is the most active one with the highest number of studies as well as highest citations. By coauthorship and cocitation analysis, we showed that Adrian Hayday, who is active in γδ T-cell field, was an active author in BTN publications with average year of 2015 and led a subfield. By keywords co-occurrence analysis, we found that γδ T cell, which is an important cancer immune regulator, is one important hotspot. Finally, we found that several BTN members' expression levels were significantly correlated with prognosis of lung cancer and breast cancer patients. Thus, these BTNs might play immune regulatory effects and could serve as potential biomarkers for cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer and the second leading cause of cancer related mortality for men in the United States. There is strong empirical and epidemiological evidence supporting a stronger role of genetics in early-onset prostate cancer. We performed a genome-wide association scan for early-onset prostate cancer. Novel aspects of this study include the focus on early-onset disease (defined as men with prostate cancer diagnosed before age 56 years) and use of publically available control genotype data from previous genome-wide association studies. We found genome-wide significant (p<5×10−8) evidence for variants at 8q24 and 11p15 and strong supportive evidence for a number of previously reported loci. We found little evidence for individual or systematic inflated association findings resulting from using public controls, demonstrating the utility of using public control data in large-scale genetic association studies of common variants. Taken together, these results demonstrate the importance of established common genetic variants for early-onset prostate cancer and the power of including early-onset prostate cancer cases in genetic association studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying the Theory of Reasoned Action, this paper presents a survey instrument that measures the correlation between students' attitudes and their behavior intention to use Second Life virtual environments. One hundred and sixty-two library and information science students were introduced to Second Life virtual environments during a face-to-face training session and completed a survey instrument afterward. The survey yielded a Cronbach alpha of 0.95, indicating a high reliability test score. Factor loadings for attitude and behavior intention were 76.54% and 56.02%, respectively, suggesting robust construct validity. The correlation coefficient between latent variables attitude and behavior intention was 0.54. This paper suggests approaches to motivate student intentions to use Second Life in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discussed the concept of computer competency and investigated the relationship between students' computer competency and their perception of enjoyment and difficulty level of web-based distance-learning courses. Participants were 237 entering graduate students in library and information science from a mid-southwestern state university in the United States from year 2001 to 2003. Computer competency was estimated by students' self-report of their prior knowledge of information technology skills in a survey called Computer Skill and Use Assessment. Statistical significance was found between the correlation of computer competency and students' perception of enjoyment level (p=.011) and difficulty level (p=.001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Southern adolescents have the lowest HPV vaccination coverage in the US. • HPV vaccination reported in 37.3% of adolescents, with highest initiation at 12 years. • Compared with other adolescent vaccinations, uptake of HPV vaccination is lower. • Strengthening provider recommendation may improve on-time HPV vaccination. Despite a high burden of human papillomavirus (HPV)-attributable cancers, the southern US lags other regions in HPV vaccination coverage. This study sought to characterize and contextualize predictors of HPV vaccination in the southern US. From December 2019 – January 2020, parents of adolescents (ages 9–17 years) living in thirteen southern US states were recruited from a nationally-representative online survey panel and completed a cross-sectional survey. The primary study outcome was initiation of HPV vaccination. Of 1105 parents who responded to the survey, most were ≥35 years of age and of female gender. HPV vaccination initiation was reported only among 37.3% of adolescents and was highest at age 12. Cumulative HPV vaccination coverage was highest at age 15 (60%) but lower than coverage for tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap, 79.3%) and Meningococcal vaccines (MenACWY, 67.3%). Provider recommendation was strongly associated with higher odds of HPV vaccination (aOR: 49.9, 95 %CI: 23.1–107.5). In alternative predictive models, home/online (vs. public) schooling and parents' working status were associated with lower odds of vaccination; health care visits in the past 12 months and shorter travel times to adolescents' usual health care provider were associated with greater odds of vaccination. Our findings suggest missed opportunities for HPV vaccination in the southern US and support strengthening provider recommendation for on-time initiation of HPV vaccination among adolescents. Other strategies to increase HPV vaccinations may include encouraging co-administration with other adolescent vaccines, increasing vaccine access, and promoting vaccinations for home/online-school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RbVO 3 luminescent materials have been successfully prepared by solid-state synthesis. The phase, surface morphology and photoluminescence properties of RbVO 3 have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and luminescence spectrophotometer, respectively. The band structure, Density of States and optical properties of RbVO 3 have been simulated by Materials Studio software based on density functional theory (DFT). According to the experimental results and the First-principles, the electronic structure and optical properties of RbVO 3 were studied. The results show that RbVO 3 crystal has a direct band gap with a band gap of 2.973 eV. Under ultraviolet excitation in the range of 210–390 nm, and the excitation spectrum peak appears at 340 nm. The emission spectrum of RbVO 3 phosphors ranges from 400 to 700 nm, and its peak emission spectrum is near 507 nm, showing white luminescence emission. • RbVO 3 has been successfully prepared by solid-state synthesis. • The RbVO 3 luminescent material is a high brightness phosphor. • PL measurements on RbVO 3 shows a broad emission centered at 507 nm. • The optical properties of RbVO 3 are studied in detail based on first-principles for the first time. • The band structure, density of States and optical properties of RbVO 3 were calculated to reveal its luminescence mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]