Racial and ethnic disparities in pelvic floor disorder awareness

Objectives: Pelvic floor disorders (PFD) affect the quality of life for many women and can be a significant cause of distress. With the United States’ aging population, PFD are becoming increasingly prevalent. Previous population based studies identified both differences in prevalence and baseline knowledge of PFD by race and ethnicity. These prior studies assessing PFD knowledge were limited to single geographical areas or institutions. We aim to conduct a multicenter study across the United States to better understand the baseline knowledge and perceptions of PFD and its variance across different races and ethnicities. Our goal is to provide data that will help deliver culturally competent information to patients. Materials and Methods: This was a multicenter cross-sectional study involving six sites. Upon initial presentation to a urogynecology clinic, patients were evaluated with the Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire along with additional questions aimed to assess differences in PFD descriptive language, barriers to care, and attitude towards PFD. Surveys were distributed at participating institutions from October 2019 to February 2021. Statistical analyses were performed with Fisher\u27s exact test and Chi-square test, using p \u3c0.05 for statistical significance. Results: A total of 287 women completed the survey, with 27 excluded due to omission of race and or ethnicity responses. Respondents identified their ethnicity as Hispanic (21.8%) and race as White (70.5%), African American (AA) (19.2%), and Other Women of Color (OWOC) (10.3%). Overall, the mean percent correct for the urinary incontinence (UI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) sub-scores were 61.2 ± 28.2 and 60.5 ± 28.2, respectively. AA and OWOC had lower scores compared to White respondents in both UI (AA 60.7 ± 30.1; OWOC 46.8 ± 31.2; W 63.5 ± 26.5; p = 0.018) and POP (AA 55.5 ±30.1; OWOC 48.9 ± 31.0; W 64 ± 26.2; p = 0.011). Hispanic women scored lower in both UI (43.9 ± 29.8 vs 66.5 ± 25.3, p \u3c0.001) and POP (46.2 ± 28.4 vs 66.5 ± 25.3, p\u3c0.001) when compared to non-Hispanic respondents. AA and OWOC had decreased knowledge of POP language compared to White respondents (32.3 ± 30.8 % correct vs 35.4 ± 33.6 % correct vs 50.4 ± 32.9 % correct, p \u3c0.001). This was similar for Hispanic compared to non-Hispanic respondents (33.3 ± 31.2 % correct vs 40.1 ± 32.5 % correct, p\u3c0.001). Responses to UI and POP misconception questions were not different by race or ethnicity. Conclusion: This is the first multicenter, cross-sectional survey of a diverse patient population assessing knowledge and perception of PFD. We observed differences between baseline knowledge and language proficiency of PFD amongst AA, White, and OWOC, as well as between Hispanic and non-Hispanic women. This suggests the presence of racial disparities in women pursuing urogynecologic care and highlights the importance of delivering culturally sensitive information to educate women of diverse backgrounds

Higher-order Abel equations: Lagrangian formalism, first integrals and Darboux polynomials

A geometric approach is used to study a family of higher-order nonlinear Abel equations. The inverse problem of the Lagrangian dynamics is studied in the particular case of the second-order Abel equation and the existence of two alternative Lagrangian formulations is proved, both Lagrangians being of a non-natural class (neither potential nor kinetic term). These higher-order Abel equations are studied by means of their Darboux polynomials and Jacobi multipliers. In all the cases a family of constants of the motion is explicitly obtained. The general n-dimensional case is also studied

Search for Squarks and Gluinos in Events Containing Jets and a Large Imbalance in Transverse Energy

Using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 79 pb-1, D0 has searched for events containing multiple jets and large missing transverse energy in pbar-p collisions at sqrt(s)=1.8 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. Observing no significant excess beyond what is expected from the standard model, we set limits on the masses of squarks and gluinos and on the model parameters m_0 and m_1/2, in the framework of the minimal low-energy supergravity models of supersymmetry. For tan(beta) = 2 and A_0 = 0, with mu < 0, we exclude all models with m_squark < 250 GeV/c^2. For models with equal squark and gluino masses, we exclude m < 260 GeV/c^2.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, Submitted to PRL, Fixed typo on page bottom of p. 6 (QCD multijet background is 35.4 events

A measurement of the W boson mass using large rapidity electrons

We present a measurement of the W boson mass using data collected by the D0 experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron during 1994--1995. We identify W bosons by their decays to e-nu final states where the electron is detected in a forward calorimeter. We extract the W boson mass, Mw, by fitting the transverse mass and transverse electron and neutrino momentum spectra from a sample of 11,089 W -> e nu decay candidates. We use a sample of 1,687 dielectron events, mostly due to Z -> ee decays, to constrain our model of the detector response. Using the forward calorimeter data, we measure Mw = 80.691 +- 0.227 GeV. Combining the forward calorimeter measurements with our previously published central calorimeter results, we obtain Mw = 80.482 +- 0.091 GeV

Probing BFKL Dynamics in the Dijet Cross Section at Large Rapidity Intervals in ppbar Collisions at sqrt{s}=1800 and 630 GeV

Inclusive dijet production at large pseudorapidity intervals (delta_eta) between the two jets has been suggested as a regime for observing BFKL dynamics. We have measured the dijet cross section for large delta_eta in ppbar collisions at sqrt{s}=1800 and 630 GeV using the DO detector. The partonic cross section increases strongly with the size of delta_eta. The observed growth is even stronger than expected on the basis of BFKL resummation in the leading logarithmic approximation. The growth of the partonic cross section can be accommodated with an effective BFKL intercept of a_{BFKL}(20GeV)=1.65+/-0.07.Comment: Published in Physical Review Letter

Search for Charged Higgs Bosons in Decays of Top Quark Pairs

We present a search for charged Higgs bosons in decays of pair-produced top quarks using 109.2 +- 5.8 pb^-1 of data recorded from ppbar collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.8 TeV by the D0 detector during 1992-96 at the Fermilab Tevatron. No evidence is found for charged Higgs production, and most parts of the [m(H+),tan(beta)] parameter space where the decay t -> bH+ has a branching fraction close to or larger than that for t -> bW+ are excluded at 95% confidence level. Assuming m(t) = 175 GeV and sigma(ppbar -> ttbar) = 5.5 pb, for m(H+) = 60 GeV, we exclude tan(beta) 40.9.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, submitted to PR

Search for Electroweak Production of Single Top Quarks in ppbar Collisions

We present a search for electroweak production of single top quarks in the electron+jets and muon+jets decay channels. The measurements use ~90 pb^-1 of data from Run 1 of the Fermilab Tevatron collider, collected at 1.8 TeV with the DZero detector between 1992 and 1995. We use events that include a tagging muon, implying the presence of a b jet, to set an upper limit at the 95% confidence level on the cross section for the s-channel process ppbar->tb+X of 39 pb. The upper limit for the t-channel process ppbar->tqb+X is 58 pb.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures. This is the published versio

Search for bottom squarks in pbarp collisions at sqrt(s)=1.8 TeV

We report on a search for bottom squarks produced in pbarp collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV using the D0 detector at Fermilab. Bottom squarks are assumed to be produced in pairs and to decay to the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) and a b quark with branching fraction of 100%. The LSP is assumed to be the lightest neutralino and stable. We set limits on the production cross section as a function of bottom squark mass and LSP mass.Comment: 5 pages, Latex. submitted 3-12-1999 to PRD - Rapid Communicatio