The study successfully establishes South Korean population-based preference weights for the EQ-5D. The value set derived here is based on a representative population sample, limiting the interpolation space and possessing better model performance. Thus, this EQ-5D value set should be given preference for use with the South Korean population.
Although various studies on predictive markers in the use of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors are in progress, only PD-L1 expression levels in tumor tissues are currently used. In the present study, we investigated whether baseline serum levels of IL-6 can predict the treatment response of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with PD-1/ PD-L1 inhibitors. In our cohort of 125 NSCLC patients, the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were significantly higher in those with low IL-6 (<13.1 pg/ml) than those with high IL-6 (ORR 33.9% vs. 11.1%, p=0.003; DCR 80.6% vs. 34.9%, p<0.001). The median progression-free survival was 6.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.9-8.7) in the low IL-6 group, significantly longer than in the high IL-6 group (1.9 months, 95% CI, 1.6-2.2, p<0.001). The median overall survival in the low IL-6 group was significantly longer than in the high IL-6 group (not reached vs. 7.4 months, 95% CI, 4.8-10.0). Thus, baseline serum IL-6 levels could be a potential biomarker for predicting the efficacy and survival benefit of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in NSCLC.
This study aimed to investigate whether mass drug administration (MDA) intervention has an equivalent effect on reducing the prevalence and intensity of Schistosoma haematobium infection regardless of the baseline values. A repeated cross-sectional survey was performed targeting students of 12 primary schools in Al Jabalain and El Salam districts of White Nile State, Sudan, at both 1 week before and 8 months after the MDA. Prior to the baseline survey, school-aged children in Al Jabalain had received MDA interventions twice in 4 years, while those in El Salam had not. The baseline prevalence was 9.1% in Al Jabalain and 35.2% in El Salam, which were reduced to 1.8% and 5.5% at 8 months after the MDA, respectively. The corresponding reduction rates were 80.3% and 84.4%, not significant difference between both districts. However, changes in the geometric mean intensity (GMI) of egg counts were significantly different between both districts. The baseline GMIs were 14.5 eggs per 10 ml of urine (EP10) in Al Jabalain and 18.5 EP10 in El Salam, which were reduced to 7.1 and 11.2 EP10 after treatment, respectively. The corresponding reduction rates were 51.0% and 39.5%. In conclusion, MDA interventions were found to bring about similar relative reduction in prevalence regardless of the baseline value; however, the relative reduction in infection intensity was more salient in the district with a low baseline value for both prevalence and intensity. This clearly points to the importance of repeated MDA interventions in endemic areas, which will eventually contribute to schistosomiasis elimination.
= ABSTRACT =Objectives: This study was conducted to find out the frequency of urinary incontinence among the rural elderly people and its related factors.
Methods:Informations have been obtained through interviews from the 464 rural residents of advanced age over 65 years on September 1st through November 30th, 2007, in Chungnam Province.
Results:As for the rate of experiencing urinary incontinence, the group with the experience rate of 「every day」were 9.5% and 「occasionally」35.5%, with the total of 45.0%. The higher rates of urinary incontinence were in the elderly women(58.5%) than in the elderly men (29.8%), in the more advanced in age, in the higher educated, and in the groups with higher monthly income. Based on life styles, the rate of experiencing urinary incontinence was significantly higher in smoking groups and non-drinking groups. Based on subjective senses of health, it was more highly associated with the groups who reported that they were not healthy, that they concerned themselves about health, that they had physical disability, that they had forgetfulness, and they needed assistance in terms of activity of daily living(ADL) and instrumental activity of daily living(IADL) than their respective counterparts. By the result of multiple logistic regression, sex, age, smoking status, anxiety, physical disability, amnesia, and IADL was indicated the affecting factors to the prevalence of urinary incontinence.
Conclusions:The above results reveal that the rate of urinary incontinence was higher in the elderly women than the elderly men, and in more advanced age. Moreover, its rate increases in the groups with undesirable life styles or lower senses of subjective and physical health conditions. It is highly suggested that efforts to manage urinary incontinence of the elderly need to be narrowed to the more advanced, especially those with lower standards of health conditions.
This study was performed to determine the levels of quality of life(QOL) according to the grade of long-term care service in the elderly people who affiliated from long-term care insurance, and to reveal its association with socio-demographic characteristics, health status and health related behaviors. The interviews were performed, during the period from March 1st, to May 31th, 2009, to 410 elderlies in rural areas. As a results, the levels of QOL were lower in the group of higher grade of long-term care insurance. In hierarchial multiple regression analysis, the factors influencing on the level QOL were age, Living status, Subjective health status, Bed ridden status, Disability of body, Urinary incontinence, Amnesia and Frequency of going out. Especially, the health status variables were higher related with QOL than other variables.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.