PLoS medicine
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Meta Analysis
Mammographic density and ageing: A collaborative pooled analysis of cross-sectional data from 22 countries worldwide.
Mammographic density (MD) is one of the strongest breast cancer risk factors. Its age-related characteristics have been studied in women in western countries, but whether these associations apply to women worldwide is not known. ⋯ Declines in MD with increasing age are present premenopausally, continue postmenopausally, and are most pronounced over the menopausal transition. These effects were highly consistent across diverse groups of women worldwide, suggesting that they result from an intrinsic biological, likely hormonal, mechanism common to women. If cumulative breast density is a key determinant of breast cancer risk, younger ages may be the more critical periods for lifestyle modifications aimed at breast density and breast cancer risk reduction.
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Observational Study
Validity of a minimally invasive autopsy for cause of death determination in stillborn babies and neonates in Mozambique: An observational study.
Over 5 million stillbirths and neonatal deaths occur annually. Limited and imprecise information on the cause of these deaths hampers progress in achieving global health targets. Complete diagnostic autopsies (CDAs)-the gold standard for cause of death determination-are difficult to perform in most high-burden settings. Therefore, validation of simpler and more feasible methods is needed. ⋯ The MIA could be a useful tool for cause-of-death determination in stillbirths and neonatal deaths. These findings may help to accelerate progress towards meeting global health targets by obtaining more accurate information on the causes of death in these age groups, which is essential in guiding the design of new interventions and increasing the effectiveness of those already implemented.
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Melanie Taylor and colleagues discuss progress towards eliminating vertical transmission of HIV and syphilis.
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In an essay, Paul Bloem and Ikechukwu Ogbuanu discuss the public health implications of HPV vaccination.
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Melanie Taylor and colleagues discuss global initiatives for surveillance of sexually transmitted diseases.