COVID-19 Gender Disparities and Mitigation Recommendations: A Narrative Review

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has rapidly created widespread impacts on global health and the economy. Data suggest that women are less susceptible to severe illness. However, sex-disaggregated data are incomplete, leaving room for misinterpretation, and focusing only on biologic sex underestimates the gendered impact of the pandemic on women. This narrative review summarizes what is known about gender disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic, domestic, and health burdens along with overlapping vulnerabilities related to the pandemic. In addition, this review outlines recommended strategies that advocacy groups, community leaders, and policymakers should implement to mitigate the widening gender disparities related to COVID-19.     

The impact of the housing status on clinical outcomes and health care utilization among individuals living with HIV

ABSTRACT

The lack of stable housing can impair access and continuity of care for patients living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study investigated the relationship between housing status assessed at multiple time points and several core HIV-related outcomes within the same group of HIV patients experiencing homelessness. Patients with consistently stable housing (CSH) during the year were compared to patients who lacked CSH (non-CSH group). The study outcomes included HIV viral load (VL), CD4 counts, and health care utilization. Multivariable and propensity weighted analyses were used to assess outcomes adjusting for potential group differences. Of 208 patients, 88 (42%) had CSH and 120 (58%) were non-CSH. Patients with CSH had significantly higher proportion of VL suppression and higher mean CD4 counts. The frequency of nurse visits in the CSH group was less than a half of that in the non-CSH group. Patients with CSH were less likely to be admitted to the medical respite facility, and if admitted, their length of stay was about a half of that for the non-CSH group. Our study findings show that patients with CSH had significantly better HIV virologic control and immune status as well as improved health care utilization.     

A Phase I Dose Escalation Study of the Safety,Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetics of Ipilimumab in Chinese Patients with Select Advanced Solid Tumors

Lessons Learned

• The overall safety profiles of ipilimumab 3 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg administered every 3 weeks, were consistent between Chinese patients with solid tumors in the current study and patients from previous U.S. ipilimumab monotherapy studies. No new safety signals were identified.
• The mean systemic exposures to ipilimumab (assessed by first dose area under the curve during the dosing interval and maximum serum concentration) were numerically lower in the Chinese patient population than in U.S. patients for both 3 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg doses; however, the range of serum concentrations in the Chinese and U.S. populations overlapped (3 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg), suggesting that ipilimumab pharmacokinetics was ethnically insensitive in this study.

BackgroundThis phase I, open‐label study assessed ipilimumab safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), immunogenicity, and antitumor activity in Chinese patients with unresectable, metastatic, recurrent malignant melanoma (MM) or nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).MethodsOf 39 patients enrolled, 25 received ipilimumab (11 patients received 3 mg/kg, and 14 patients received 10 mg/kg). Reasons for not receiving treatment were withdrawal of consent (3 patients), no longer meeting the criteria (10 patients), and one recorded as “other.” During the induction phase, patients received ipilimumab (3 mg/kg, i.v.), on day 1 of a 3‐week cycle, to a maximum of four doses or progressive disease (PD). During the maintenance phase at week 24, patients received ipilimumab (3 mg/kg, i.v.) on day 1 of a 12‐week cycle, to a maximum of 3 years or PD. Considering the co‐primary safety and PK endpoints, the successive dosing required nine patients with two or fewer dose‐limiting toxicities during the 42‐day observation period to proceed with a new cohort of nine patients at 10 mg/kg.ResultsIpilimumab safety and PK profiles were similar in Chinese and predominantly White populations. Ipilimumab was well tolerated. Most adverse events (AEs) were grades 1–2 and experienced by 11 patients treated with 3 mg/kg and 14 patients treated with 10 mg/kg. There were no new safety concerns. Incidence of anti‐ipilimumab antibodies was low (1 of 10 in the 3 mg/kg patients and 2 of 13 in the 10 mg/kg patients) and without safety implications. In the 3 mg/kg group, 8 of 11 patients had PD. In the 10 mg/kg group (all NPC, 0 MM patients), 11 of 14 patients had PD. Three patients had stable disease (one at 3 mg/kg and two at 10 mg/kg).ConclusionIpilimumab was well tolerated in Chinese patients, showing similar safety and PK to previous studies in predominantly White populations.     

Correction: Thrombotic and bleeding events,mortality, and anticoagulant use among 546,656 hospitalized patients with COVID‑19 in the United States: a retrospective cohort study

Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis -     

Comparing the rates of low-value back images ordered by physicians and nurse practitioners for Medicare beneficiaries in primary care

BackgroundLittle is known about the extent of ordering low-value services by.PurposeTo compare the rates of low-value back images ordered by primary care physicians (PCMDs) and primary care nurse practitioners (PCNPs).MethodWe used 2012 and 2013 Medicare Part B claims for all beneficiaries in 18 hospital referral ?regions (HRRs) and a measure of low-value back imaging from Choosing Wisely. Models included random clinician effect and fixed effects for beneficiary age, disability, Elixhauser comorbidities, clinician sex, the emergency department setting, back pain visit volume, organization, and region (HRR).FindingsPCNPs (N = 231) and PCMDs (N = 4,779) order low-value back images at similar rates (NP: all images: 26.5%; MRI/CT: 8.4%; MD: all images: 24.5%; MRI/CT: 7.7%), with no detectable significant difference when controlling for covariates.DiscussionPCNPs and PCMDs order low-value back images at an effectively similar rate.     

Predefined vs data-guided training prescription based on autonomic nervous system variation: A systematic review

Monitoring variations in the functioning of the autonomic nervous system may help personalize training of runners and provide more pronounced physiological adaptations and performance improvements. We systematically reviewed the scientific literature comparing physiological adaptations and/or improvements in performance following training based on responses of the autonomic nervous system (ie, changes in heart rate variability) and predefined training. PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science were searched systematically in July 2019. Keywords related to endurance, running, autonomic nervous system, and training. Studies were included if they (a) involved interventions consisting predominantly of running training; (b) lasted at least 3 weeks; (c) reported pre- and post-intervention assessment of running performance and/or physiological parameters; (d) included an experimental group performing training adjusted continuously on the basis of alterations in HRV and a control group; and (e) involved healthy runners. Five studies involving six interventions and 166 participants fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Four HRV-based interventions reduced the amount of moderate- and/or high-intensity training significantly. In five interventions, improvements in performance parameters (3000 m, 5000 m, Loadmax, Tlim) were more pronounced following HRV-based training. Peak oxygen uptake () and submaximal running parameters (eg, LT1, LT2) improved following both HRV-based and predefined training, with no clear difference in the extent of improvement in . Submaximal running parameters tended to improve more following HRV-based training. Research findings to date have been limited and inconsistent. Both HRV-based and predefined training improve running performance and certain submaximal physiological adaptations, with effects of the former training tending to be greater.     

玳玳果黄酮降脂提取物体内组织分布规律及特征研究

目的：建立UPLC-MS/MS分析方法同时测定玳玳果黄酮降脂提取物效应组分新橙皮苷和柚皮苷在大鼠10种脏器组织中含量，分布规律及特征。方法：采用UPLC-MS/MS技术建立提取物效应组分新橙皮苷及柚皮苷在大鼠心、肝、脾、肺、肾、脑、胃、小肠、脂质、肌肉组织中的定量分析方法；大鼠给药后分别于0.33，0.67，1，4，8 h的5个时间点，分别摘取以上10种脏器组织，测定脏器组织及血液中效应组分的质量浓度，采用DAS（V 2.0）药动学软件对各样本的药物浓度-时间数据进行房室拟合，并计算不同组织效应组分的药-时曲线下面积（AUC）及平均滞留时间（MRT）。结果：所建立的UPLC-MS/MS定量分析方法具备良好的专属性、标准曲线及线性范围良好、方法准确度与精密度、定量下限均符合有关规定；玳玳果黄酮降脂提取物效应组分在血液中的分布符合一室模型，除肾脏及脑组织外，其余脏器中提取物效应组分的房室特征多为静脉注射的二室模型，柚皮苷在肾脏中的拟合结果为非静脉注射的二室模型，新橙皮苷在脑组织拟合结果为静脉注射的三室模型，给药后8 h各组织中效应组分新橙皮苷及柚皮苷AUC值大小顺序均为小肠 > 胃 > 肾 > 脂质 ≈ 脾脏 > 肺 > 肌肉 > 肝 > 心 > 脑，效应组分在各脏器中均无明显蓄积；效应组分在血液、肾脏、肝脏中的滞留时间较长，MRT均大于2 h，脂质最短，MRT不足1 h；各脏器中新橙皮苷的药-时曲线下面积约是柚皮苷的3倍，而心、肝、肾中则是3.5，2.1和3.4倍。结论：玳玳果黄酮降脂提取物效应组分在大鼠组织中分布迅速，达峰时间早于血液；效应组分在肠道内消除缓慢，给药8 h后在各脏器中的含量均显著下降且无特异的蓄积部位。研究结果揭示玳玳果黄酮降脂提取物效应组分在大鼠体内的分布特征及规律，为进一步理解玳玳果黄酮降脂提取物在体内的作用靶点及机制奠定了基础。