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Table of Contents

September 2020

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Priorities in reducing child mortality: Azithromycin and other interventions
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Despite notable reductions in child mortality since 1990, WHO estimates that about 5.2 million children aged under 5 years died worldwide in 2019, many from preventable or treatable causes. Targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals call for further substantial reductions in under-5 mortality in all countries, with reductions in deaths from infectious diseases an ongoing priority.

In a Perspective, David Mabey, Uduak Okomo and Brian Greenwood discuss a research paper by Kieran O'Brien and colleagues in PLOS Medicine, reporting on mass azithromycin treatment for reducing child mortality among malnourished and well-nourished children in Niger, as part of the MORDOR trial.

Image Credit: Doctor 4U, Flickr (CC-BY)

Perspectives

Maternal smoking and preterm birth: An unresolved health challenge

Sarah J. Stock, Linda Bauld

PLOS Medicine: published September 14, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003386

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Priorities in reducing child mortality: Azithromycin and other interventions

David Mabey, Uduak Okomo, Brian Greenwood

PLOS Medicine: published September 15, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003364

Policy Forums

COVID-19 prevention and treatment: A critical analysis of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine clinical pharmacology

Nicholas J. White, James A. Watson, Richard M. Hoglund, Xin Hui S. Chan, Phaik Yeong Cheah, Joel Tarning

PLOS Medicine: published September 3, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003252

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How to make your research jump off the page: Co-creation to broaden public engagement in medical research

Nina Finley, Talia H. Swartz, Kevin Cao, Joseph D. Tucker

PLOS Medicine: published September 14, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003246

Guidelines and Guidance

TIDieR-Placebo: A guide and checklist for reporting placebo and sham controls

Jeremy Howick, Rebecca K. Webster, Jonathan L. Rees, Richard Turner, Helen Macdonald, Amy Price, Andrea W. M. Evers, Felicity Bishop, Gary S. Collins, Klara Bokelmann, Sally Hopewell, André Knottnerus, Sarah Lamb, Claire Madigan, Vitaly Napadow, Andrew N. Papanikitas, Tammy Hoffmann

PLOS Medicine: published September 21, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003294

STrengthening the Reporting Of Pharmacogenetic Studies: Development of the STROPS guideline

Marty Chaplin, Jamie J. Kirkham, Kerry Dwan, Derek J. Sloan, Geraint Davies, Andrea L. Jorgensen

PLOS Medicine: published September 21, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003344

Collection Review

Economic influences on population health in the United States: Toward policymaking driven by data and evidence

Atheendar S. Venkataramani, Rourke O’Brien, Gregory L. Whitehorn, Alexander C. Tsai

PLOS Medicine: published September 2, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003319

Research Articles

Gabapentin in pregnancy and the risk of adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes: A population-based cohort study nested in the US Medicaid Analytic eXtract dataset

Elisabetta Patorno, Sonia Hernandez-Diaz, Krista F. Huybrechts, Rishi J. Desai, Jacqueline M. Cohen, Helen Mogun, Brian T. Bateman

PLOS Medicine: published September 1, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003322

Social capital, social cohesion, and health of Syrian refugee working children living in informal tented settlements in Lebanon: A cross-sectional study

Rima. R. Habib, Amena El-Harakeh, Micheline Ziadee, Elio Abi Younes, Khalil El Asmar

PLOS Medicine: published September 2, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003283

Patterns of beverage purchases amongst British households: A latent class analysis

Nicolas Berger, Steven Cummins, Alexander Allen, Richard D. Smith, Laura Cornelsen

PLOS Medicine: published September 8, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003245

Adverse outcomes and mortality in users of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2: A Danish nationwide cohort study

Lars Christian Lund, Kasper Bruun Kristensen, Mette Reilev, Steffen Christensen, Reimar Wernich Thomsen, Christian Fynbo Christiansen, Henrik Støvring, Nanna Borup Johansen, Nikolai Constantin Brun, Jesper Hallas, Anton Pottegård

PLOS Medicine: published September 8, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003308

Providing TB and HIV outreach services to internally displaced populations in Northeast Nigeria: Results of a controlled intervention study

Suraj A. Abdullahi, Marina Smelyanskaya, Stephen John, Haruna I. Adamu, Emperor Ubochioma, Ishaya Kennedy, Fatima A. Abubakar, Haruna A. Ago, Robert Stevens, Jacob Creswell

PLOS Medicine: published September 9, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003218

Mediterranean diet and endothelial function in patients with coronary heart disease: An analysis of the CORDIOPREV randomized controlled trial

Elena M. Yubero-Serrano, Carolina Fernandez-Gandara, Antonio Garcia-Rios, Oriol A. Rangel-Zuñiga, Francisco M. Gutierrez-Mariscal, Jose D. Torres-Peña, Carmen Marin, Javier Lopez-Moreno, Justo P. Castaño, Javier Delgado-Lista, Jose M. Ordovas, Pablo Perez-Martinez, Jose Lopez-Miranda

PLOS Medicine: published September 9, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003282

Comorbidities associated with mortality in 31,461 adults with COVID-19 in the United States: A federated electronic medical record analysis

Stephanie L. Harrison, Elnara Fazio-Eynullayeva, Deirdre A. Lane, Paula Underhill, Gregory Y. H. Lip

PLOS Medicine: published September 10, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003321

The relationship between circulating lipids and breast cancer risk: A Mendelian randomization study

Kelsey E. Johnson, Katherine M. Siewert, Derek Klarin, Scott M. Damrauer, the VA Million Veteran Program, Kyong-Mi Chang, Philip S. Tsao, Themistocles L. Assimes, Kara N. Maxwell, Benjamin F. Voight

PLOS Medicine: published September 11, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003302

Quality of clinical management of children diagnosed with malaria: A cross-sectional assessment in 9 sub-Saharan African countries between 2007–2018

Jessica L. Cohen, Hannah H. Leslie, Indrani Saran, Günther Fink

PLOS Medicine: published September 14, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003254

Severe mental illness and health service utilisation for nonpsychiatric medical disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Amy Ronaldson, Lotte Elton, Simone Jayakumar, Anna Jieman, Kristoffer Halvorsrud, Kamaldeep Bhui

PLOS Medicine: published September 14, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003284

Impact of a pay-for-performance scheme for long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) advice on contraceptive uptake and abortion in British primary care: An interrupted time series study

Richard Ma, Elizabeth Cecil, Alex Bottle, Rebecca French, Sonia Saxena

PLOS Medicine: published September 14, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003333

Reassessment of the risk of narcolepsy in children in England 8 years after receipt of the AS03-adjuvanted H1N1 pandemic vaccine: A case-coverage study

Julia Stowe, Nick Andrews, Paul Gringras, Timothy Quinnell, Zenobia Zaiwalla, John Shneerson, Elizabeth Miller

PLOS Medicine: published September 14, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003225

Association between metabolic surgery and cardiovascular outcome in patients with hypertension: A nationwide matched cohort study

Erik Stenberg, Yang Cao, Richard Marsk, Magnus Sundbom, Tomas Jernberg, Erik Näslund

PLOS Medicine: published September 15, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003307

Biannual azithromycin distribution and child mortality among malnourished children: A subgroup analysis of the MORDOR cluster-randomized trial in Niger

Kieran S. O’Brien, Ahmed M. Arzika, Ramatou Maliki, Farouk Manzo, Alio K. Mamkara, Elodie Lebas, Catherine Cook, Robin L. Bailey, Sheila K. West, Catherine E. Oldenburg, Travis C. Porco, Benjamin Arnold, Jeremy D. Keenan, Thomas M. Lietman, for the MORDOR Study Group

PLOS Medicine: published September 15, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003285

Mental health problems among female sex workers in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Tara S. Beattie, Boryana Smilenova, Shari Krishnaratne, April Mazzuca

PLOS Medicine: published September 15, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003297

Switch to second-line versus continued first-line antiretroviral therapy for patients with low-level HIV-1 viremia: An open-label randomized controlled trial in Lesotho

Alain Amstutz, Bienvenu Lengo Nsakala, Fiona Vanobberghen, Josephine Muhairwe, Tracy Renée Glass, Tilo Namane, Tlali Mpholo, Manuel Battegay, Thomas Klimkait, Niklaus Daniel Labhardt

PLOS Medicine: published September 16, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003325

Combined associations of body mass index and adherence to a Mediterranean-like diet with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: A cohort study

Karl Michaëlsson, John A. Baron, Liisa Byberg, Jonas Höijer, Susanna C. Larsson, Bodil Svennblad, Håkan Melhus, Alicja Wolk, Eva Warensjö Lemming

PLOS Medicine: published September 17, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003331

The proportion of endometrial tumours associated with Lynch syndrome (PETALS): A prospective cross-sectional study

Neil A. J. Ryan, Raymond McMahon, Simon Tobi, Tristan Snowsill, Shona Esquibel, Andrew J. Wallace, Sancha Bunstone, Naomi Bowers, Ioana E. Mosneag, Sarah J. Kitson, Helena O’Flynn, Neal C. Ramchander, Vanitha N. Sivalingam, Ian M. Frayling, James Bolton, Rhona J. McVey, D. Gareth Evans, Emma J. Crosbie

PLOS Medicine: published September 17, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003263

Severe mental illness diagnosis in English general hospitals 2006-2017: A registry linkage study

Hassan Mansour, Christoph Mueller, Katrina A. S. Davis, Alexandra Burton, Hitesh Shetty, Matthew Hotopf, David Osborn, Robert Stewart, Andrew Sommerlad

PLOS Medicine: published September 17, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003306

Interventions for treatment of COVID-19: A living systematic review with meta-analyses and trial sequential analyses (The LIVING Project)

Sophie Juul, Emil Eik Nielsen, Joshua Feinberg, Faiza Siddiqui, Caroline Kamp Jørgensen, Emily Barot, Niklas Nielsen, Peter Bentzer, Areti Angeliki Veroniki, Lehana Thabane, Fanlong Bu, Sarah Klingenberg, Christian Gluud, Janus Christian Jakobsen

PLOS Medicine: published September 17, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003293

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Comparative functional survival and equivalent annual cost of 3 long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) products in Tanzania: A randomised trial with 3-year follow up

Lena M. Lorenz, John Bradley, Joshua Yukich, Dennis J. Massue, Zawadi Mageni Mboma, Olivier Pigeon, Jason Moore, Albert Kilian, Jo Lines, William Kisinza, Hans J. Overgaard, Sarah J. Moore

PLOS Medicine: published September 18, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003248

Age at diagnosis, glycemic trajectories, and responses to oral glucose-lowering drugs in type 2 diabetes in Hong Kong: A population-based observational study

Calvin Ke, Thérèse A. Stukel, Baiju R. Shah, Eric Lau, Ronald C. Ma, Wing-Yee So, Alice P. Kong, Elaine Chow, Juliana C. N. Chan, Andrea Luk

PLOS Medicine: published September 18, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003316

The prevalence of mental illness in refugees and asylum seekers: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Rebecca Blackmore, Jacqueline A. Boyle, Mina Fazel, Sanjeeva Ranasinha, Kylie M. Gray, Grace Fitzgerald, Marie Misso, Melanie Gibson-Helm

PLOS Medicine: published September 21, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003337

Efficacy and safety of vamorolone in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: An 18-month interim analysis of a non-randomized open-label extension study

Edward C. Smith, Laurie S. Conklin, Eric P. Hoffman, Paula R. Clemens, Jean K. Mah, Richard S. Finkel, Michela Guglieri, Mar Tulinius, Yoram Nevo, Monique M. Ryan, Richard Webster, Diana Castro, Nancy L. Kuntz, Laurie Kerchner, Lauren P. Morgenroth, Adrienne Arrieta, Maya Shimony, Mark Jaros, Phil Shale, Heather Gordish-Dressman, Laura Hagerty, Utkarsh J. Dang, Jesse M. Damsker, Benjamin D. Schwartz, Laurel J. Mengle-Gaw, Craig M. McDonald, the CINRG VBP15 and DNHS Investigators

PLOS Medicine: published September 21, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003222

Antibiotic prescribing for lower UTI in elderly patients in primary care and risk of bloodstream infection: A cohort study using electronic health records in England

Laura Shallcross, Patrick Rockenschaub, Ruth Blackburn, Irwin Nazareth, Nick Freemantle, Andrew Hayward

PLOS Medicine: published September 21, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003336

Clinical relevance of low-density Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia in untreated febrile children: A cohort study

Mary-Anne Hartley, Natalie Hofmann, Kristina Keitel, Frank Kagoro, Clara Antunes Moniz, Tarsis Mlaganile, Josephine Samaka, John Masimba, Zamzam Said, Hosiana Temba, Iveth Gonzalez, Ingrid Felger, Blaise Genton, Valérie D’Acremont

PLOS Medicine: published September 21, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003318

Occurrence and transmission potential of asymptomatic and presymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections: A living systematic review and meta-analysis

Diana Buitrago-Garcia, Dianne Egli-Gany, Michel J. Counotte, Stefanie Hossmann, Hira Imeri, Aziz Mert Ipekci, Georgia Salanti, Nicola Low

PLOS Medicine: published September 22, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003346

Enhanced treatment strategies and distinct disease outcomes among autoantibody-positive and -negative rheumatoid arthritis patients over 25 years: A longitudinal cohort study in the Netherlands

Xanthe M. E. Matthijssen, Ellis Niemantsverdriet, Tom W. J. Huizinga, Annette H. M. van der Helm–van Mil

PLOS Medicine: published September 22, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003296

Healthy lifestyle and life expectancy in people with multimorbidity in the UK Biobank: A longitudinal cohort study

Yogini V. Chudasama, Kamlesh Khunti, Clare L. Gillies, Nafeesa N. Dhalwani, Melanie J. Davies, Thomas Yates, Francesco Zaccardi

PLOS Medicine: published September 22, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003332

Patterns of COVID-19 testing and mortality by race and ethnicity among United States veterans: A nationwide cohort study

Christopher T. Rentsch, Farah Kidwai-Khan, Janet P. Tate, Lesley S. Park, Joseph T. King Jr, Melissa Skanderson, Ronald G. Hauser, Anna Schultze, Christopher I. Jarvis, Mark Holodniy, Vincent Lo Re III, Kathleen M. Akgün, Kristina Crothers, Tamar H. Taddei, Matthew S. Freiberg, Amy C. Justice

PLOS Medicine: published September 22, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003379

Gestational age and the risk of autism spectrum disorder in Sweden, Finland, and Norway: A cohort study

Martina Persson, Signe Opdahl, Kari Risnes, Raz Gross, Eero Kajantie, Abraham Reichenberg, Mika Gissler, Sven Sandin

PLOS Medicine: published September 22, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003207

Lymphocytic infiltration in stage II microsatellite stable colorectal tumors: A retrospective prognosis biomarker analysis

Rebeca Sanz-Pamplona, Marilena Melas, Asaf Maoz, Stephanie L. Schmit, Hedy Rennert, Flavio Lejbkowicz, Joel K. Greenson, Xavier Sanjuan, Maria Lopez-Zambrano, M. Henar Alonso, Chenxu Qu, Kevin J. McDonnell, Gregory E. Idos, Marissa Vignali, Ryan Emerson, Paul Fields, Elisabet Guinó, Cristina Santos, Ramon Salazar, Harlan S. Robins, Gad Rennert, Stephen B. Gruber, Victor Moreno

PLOS Medicine: published September 24, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003292

State-level prescription drug monitoring program mandates and adolescent injection drug use in the United States, 1995–2017: A difference-in-differences analysis

Joel J. Earlywine, Scott E. Hadland, Julia Raifman

PLOS Medicine: published September 25, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003272

Long-term survival of children born with congenital anomalies: A systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based studies

Svetlana V. Glinianaia, Joan K. Morris, Kate E. Best, Michele Santoro, Alessio Coi, Annarita Armaroli, Judith Rankin

PLOS Medicine: published September 28, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003356

Effectiveness of a video-based smoking cessation intervention focusing on maternal and child health in promoting quitting among expectant fathers in China: A randomized controlled trial

Wei Xia, Ho Cheung William Li, Wenzhi Cai, Peige Song, Xiaoyu Zhou, Ka Wai Katherine Lam, Laurie Long Kwan Ho, Ankie Tan Cheung, Yuanhui Luo, Chunxian Zeng, Ka Yan Ho

PLOS Medicine: published September 29, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003355

Correction

Correction: Risk prediction models for selection of lung cancer screening candidates: A retrospective validation study

Kevin ten Haaf, Jihyoun Jeon, Martin C. Tammemägi, Summer S. Han, Chung Yin Kong, Sylvia K Plevritis, Eric J. Feuer, Harry J. de Koning, Ewout W. Steyerberg, Rafael Meza

PLOS Medicine: published September 25, 2020 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003403

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