A data-driven approach to measuring epidemiological susceptibility risk around the world.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Bitetto A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8674252 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundTaenia solium cysticercosis is a zoonotic neglected disease responsible for severe health disorders such as seizures and death. Understanding the epidemiology of human cysticercosis (HCC) in endemic regions will help to expose critical information about the transmission of the disease, which could be used to design efficient control programs. This review gathered serological data on apparent prevalence of T. solium circulating antigens and/or seroprevalence of T. solium antibodies, apparent prevalence of human taeniasis and risk factors for HCC from endemic communities in order to understand the differences in exposure to the parasite and active infections with T. solium metacestodes in endemic areas around the world.MethodsThree databases were used to search sero-epidemiological data from community-based studies conducted between 1989 and 2014 in cysticercosis endemic communities worldwide. The search focused on data obtained from T. solium circulating antigen detection by monoclonal antibody-based sandwich ELISA and/or T. solium antibody seroprevalence determined by Enzyme-linked Immunoelectrotransfer Blot (EITB). A meta-analysis was performed per continent.Principal findingsA total of 39,271 participants from 19 countries, described in 37 articles were studied. The estimates for the prevalence of circulating T. solium antigens for Africa, Latin America and Asia were: 7.30% (95% CI [4.23-12.31]), 4.08% (95% CI [2.77-5.95]) and 3.98% (95% CI [2.81-5.61]), respectively. Seroprevalence estimates of T. solium antibodies were 17.37% (95% CI [3.33-56.20]), 13.03% (95% CI [9.95-16.88]) and 15.68% (95% CI [10.25-23.24]) respectively. Taeniasis reported prevalences ranged from 0 (95% CI [0.00-1.62]) to 17.25% (95% CI [14.55-20.23]).SignificanceA significant variation in the sero-epidemiological data was observed within each continent, with African countries reporting the highest apparent prevalences of active infections. Intrinsic factors in the human host such as age and immunity were main determinants for the occurrence of infections, while exposure was mostly related to environmental factors which varied from community to community.
| S-EPMC4493064 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Misinformation about COVID-19 is a major threat to public health. Using five national samples from the UK (n = 1050 and n = 1150), Ireland (n = 700), the USA (n = 700), Spain (n = 700) and Mexico (n = 700), we examine predictors of belief in the most common statements about the virus that contain misinformation. We also investigate the prevalence of belief in COVID-19 misinformation across different countries and the role of belief in such misinformation in predicting relevant health behaviours. We find that while public belief in misinformation about COVID-19 is not particularly common, a substantial proportion views this type of misinformation as highly reliable in each country surveyed. In addition, a small group of participants find common factual information about the virus highly unreliable. We also find that increased susceptibility to misinformation negatively affects people's self-reported compliance with public health guidance about COVID-19, as well as people's willingness to get vaccinated against the virus and to recommend the vaccine to vulnerable friends and family. Across all countries surveyed, we find that higher trust in scientists and having higher numeracy skills were associated with lower susceptibility to coronavirus-related misinformation. Taken together, these results demonstrate a clear link between susceptibility to misinformation and both vaccine hesitancy and a reduced likelihood to comply with health guidance measures, and suggest that interventions which aim to improve critical thinking and trust in science may be a promising avenue for future research.
| S-EPMC7657933 | biostudies-literature
Project description:PurposeThe aim of this study was to leverage data-driven approaches, including a novel articulatory consonant distinctiveness space (ACDS) approach, to better understand speech motor control in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).MethodElectromagnetic articulography was used to record tongue and lip movement data during the production of 10 consonants from healthy controls (n = 15) and individuals with ALS (n = 47). To assess phoneme distinctness, speech data were analyzed using two classification algorithms, Procrustes matching (PM) and support vector machine (SVM), and the area/volume of the ACDS. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationship between bulbar impairment and the ACDS. Analysis of variance was used to examine the effects of bulbar impairment on consonant distinctiveness and consonant classification accuracies in clinical subgroups.ResultsThere was a significant relationship between the ACDS and intelligible speaking rate (area, p = .003; volume, p = .010), and the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) bulbar subscore (area, p = .009; volume, p = .027). Consonant classification performance followed a consistent pattern with bulbar severity, where consonants produced by speakers with more severe ALS were classified less accurately (SVM = 75.27%; PM = 74.54%) than the healthy, asymptomatic, and mild-moderate groups. In severe ALS, area of the ACDS was significantly condensed compared to both asymptomatic (p = .004) and mild-moderate (p = .013) groups. There was no statistically significant difference in area between the severe ALS group and healthy speakers (p = .292).ConclusionsOur comprehensive approach is sensitive to early oromotor changes in response due to disease progression. The preserved articulatory consonant space may capture the use of compensatory adaptations to counteract influences of neurodegeneration.Supplemental materialhttps://doi.org/10.23641/asha.22044320.
| S-EPMC10555455 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Tick-borne rickettsioses are caused by obligate intracellular bacteria belonging to the spotted fever group of the genus Rickettsia. These zoonoses are among the oldest known vector-borne diseases. However, in the past 25 years, the scope and importance of the recognized tick-associated rickettsial pathogens have increased dramatically, making this complex of diseases an ideal paradigm for the understanding of emerging and reemerging infections. Several species of tick-borne rickettsiae that were considered nonpathogenic for decades are now associated with human infections, and novel Rickettsia species of undetermined pathogenicity continue to be detected in or isolated from ticks around the world. This remarkable expansion of information has been driven largely by the use of molecular techniques that have facilitated the identification of novel and previously recognized rickettsiae in ticks. New approaches, such as swabbing of eschars to obtain material to be tested by PCR, have emerged in recent years and have played a role in describing emerging tick-borne rickettsioses. Here, we present the current knowledge on tick-borne rickettsiae and rickettsioses using a geographic approach toward the epidemiology of these diseases.
| S-EPMC3811236 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to identify risk factors for surgical site infection from digestive, thoracic and orthopaedic system surgeries using clinical and data-driven cut-off values. A second objective was to compare the identified risk factors in this study to risk factors identified in literature.Summary background dataRetrospective data of 3 250 surgical procedures performed in large tertiary care hospital in The Netherlands during January 2013 to June 2014 were used.MethodsPotential risk factors were identified using a literature scan and univariate analysis. A multivariate forward-step logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors. Standard medical cut-off values were compared with cut-offs determined from the data.ResultsFor digestive, orthopaedic and thoracic system surgical procedures, the risk factors identified were preoperative temperature of ≥38°C and antibiotics used at the time of surgery. C-reactive protein and the duration of the surgery were identified as a risk factors for digestive surgical procedures. Being an adult (age ≥18) was identified as a protective effect for thoracic surgical procedures. Data-driven cut-off values were identified for temperature, age and CRP which can explain the SSI outcome up to 19.5% better than generic cut-off values.ConclusionsThis study identified risk factors for digestive, orthopaedic and thoracic system surgical procedures and illustrated how data-driven cut-offs can add value in the process. Future studies should investigate if data-driven cut-offs can add value to explain the outcome being modelled and not solely rely on standard medical cut-off values to identify risk factors.
| S-EPMC7592760 | biostudies-literature
Project description:What does it mean to be happy? The vast majority of cross-cultural studies on happiness have employed a Western-origin, or "WEIRD" measure of happiness that conceptualizes it as a self-centered (or "independent"), high-arousal emotion. However, research from Eastern cultures, particularly Japan, conceptualizes happiness as including an interpersonal aspect emphasizing harmony and connectedness to others. Following a combined emic-etic approach (Cheung, van de Vijver & Leong, 2011), we assessed the cross-cultural applicability of a measure of independent happiness developed in the US (Subjective Happiness Scale; Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999) and a measure of interdependent happiness developed in Japan (Interdependent Happiness Scale; Hitokoto & Uchida, 2015), with data from 63 countries representing 7 sociocultural regions. Results indicate that the schema of independent happiness was more coherent in more WEIRD countries. In contrast, the coherence of interdependent happiness was unrelated to a country's "WEIRD-ness." Reliabilities of both happiness measures were lowest in African and Middle Eastern countries, suggesting these two conceptualizations of happiness may not be globally comprehensive. Overall, while the two measures had many similar correlates and properties, the self-focused concept of independent happiness is "WEIRD-er" than interdependent happiness, suggesting cross-cultural researchers should attend to both conceptualizations.
| S-EPMC7725360 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesThe first and second demographic transitions have led to profound changes in family networks. However, the timing and extent of these transitions vary widely across contexts. We examine how common it is for contemporary older adults to lack living kin and whether such individuals are uniformly disadvantaged around the world.MethodsUsing surveys from 34 countries that together contain 69.6% of the world's population over age 50 and come from all regions of the world, we describe the prevalence and correlates of lacking immediate kin. We examine macro-level demographic indicators associated with the prevalence of kinlessness as well as micro-level associations between kinlessness and sociodemographic and health indicators.ResultsThere is great variation in levels of kinlessness, from over 10% with neither a spouse nor a biological child in Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Switzerland to levels below 2% in China and the Republic of Korea. There are strong macro-level relationships between kinlessness and lagged or contemporaneous fertility, mortality, and nuptiality measures and more marginal relationships with other demographic forces. Micro-level associations between kinlessness and respondent attributes are varied. The kinless are more likely to live alone than those with kin in all countries. In most countries, they have equivalent or worse self-rated health and lower education, although there are notable exceptions. There is substantial variation in the gender composition of the kinless population.DiscussionAs demographic changes affecting kinlessness continue, we expect the scale of the kinless population to grow around the world.
| S-EPMC6777763 | biostudies-literature
Project description:El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the most dominant interannual signal of climate variability and has a strong influence on climate over large parts of the world. In turn, it strongly influences many natural hazards (such as hurricanes and droughts) and their resulting socioeconomic impacts, including economic damage and loss of life. However, although ENSO is known to influence hydrology in many regions of the world, little is known about its influence on the socioeconomic impacts of floods (i.e., flood risk). To address this, we developed a modeling framework to assess ENSO's influence on flood risk at the global scale, expressed in terms of affected population and gross domestic product and economic damages. We show that ENSO exerts strong and widespread influences on both flood hazard and risk. Reliable anomalies of flood risk exist during El Niño or La Niña years, or both, in basins spanning almost half (44%) of Earth's land surface. Our results show that climate variability, especially from ENSO, should be incorporated into disaster-risk analyses and policies. Because ENSO has some predictive skill with lead times of several seasons, the findings suggest the possibility to develop probabilistic flood-risk projections, which could be used for improved disaster planning. The findings are also relevant in the context of climate change. If the frequency and/or magnitude of ENSO events were to change in the future, this finding could imply changes in flood-risk variations across almost half of the world's terrestrial regions.
| S-EPMC4226082 | biostudies-other
Project description:We extract data on physiological aging by computing a frailty index for 201 countries over the period 1990-2019. Using panel estimation techniques, we show that the macro frailty index replicates basic regularities previously observed in related studies of aging at the individual level. We then use the frailty index to highlight trends of global physiological aging and its relationship to economic growth. Holding population age structure fixed, the global frailty index has on average increased by about 2 percent over the last 30 years. The average person has therefore aged by what corresponds to about one life-year of physiological aging. This overall trend is relatively similar across different geographical regions. We also document a negative relationship between physiological aging of the workforce and economic growth. According to our preferred specification, a one percent increase in the frailty index of the workforce is associated with a 1.5 percent decline of GDP per capita. This means that average annual growth of labor productivity would have been 0.1 percentage points higher without physiological aging in the period 1990-2019.
| S-EPMC9176773 | biostudies-literature
Project description:As the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading around the world, increasing evidence highlights the role of cardiometabolic risk factors in determining the susceptibility to the disease. The fragmented data collected during the initial emergency limited the possibility of investigating the effect of highly correlated covariates and of modeling the interplay between risk factors and medication. The present study is based on comprehensive monitoring of 576 COVID-19 patients. Different statistical approaches were applied to gain a comprehensive insight in terms of both the identification of risk factors and the analysis of dependency structure among clinical and demographic characteristics. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus enters host cells by binding to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), but whether or not renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASi) would be beneficial to COVID-19 cases remains controversial. The survival tree approach was applied to define a multilayer risk stratification and better profile patient survival with respect to drug regimens, showing a significant protective effect of RAASi with a reduced risk of in-hospital death. Bayesian networks were estimated, to uncover complex interrelationships and confounding effects. The results confirmed the role of RAASi in reducing the risk of death in COVID-19 patients. De novo treatment with RAASi in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 should be prospectively investigated in a randomized controlled trial to ascertain the extent of risk reduction for in-hospital death in COVID-19.
| S-EPMC7817222 | biostudies-literature