scholarly journals National Serosurvey of Cytomegalovirus in Australia

2006 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 1181-1184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly Seale ◽  
C. Raina MacIntyre ◽  
Heather F. Gidding ◽  
J. L. Backhouse ◽  
Dominic E. Dwyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Protective Efficacy ◽  
Vaccination Program ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Target Populations ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Australian Community ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Representative Samples

ABSTRACT In anticipation of the development of a vaccine against cytomegalovirus (CMV), we conducted a large, nationally representative serosurvey to examine the seroprevalence of CMV in Australia. Sera were collected opportunistically from laboratories around Australia. Age- and gender-representative samples were tested for CMV antibody. The population-weighted rate of CMV seropositivity in subjects between 1 and 59 years of age was 57% (95% confidence interval, 55.2 to 58.6%). An association between CMV seroprevalence and increasing age was recognized; however, little overall difference in seroprevalence between the sexes was found. The finding that high levels of CMV exposure occur in the first few years of life suggests that for a universal vaccination program to have maximal impact, the vaccine would need to be delivered to infants and have a long duration of protective efficacy. This is the first national serosurvey looking at cytomegalovirus in the Australian community. This study provides valuable information that can be used to examine the incidence of infection in the community and help focus the administration of a future CMV vaccine to appropriate target populations.

scholarly journals Complement Component C1q as an Emerging Biomarker for the Diagnosis of Tuberculous Pleural Effusion

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Qiao ◽  
Ming-Ming Shao ◽  
Feng-Shuang Yi ◽  
Huan-Zhong Shi
Keyword(s):  
Pleural Effusion ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Complement Component ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Tuberculous Pleural Effusion ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity

Background and Objective: The accurate differential diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) from other exudative pleural effusions is often challenging. We aimed to validate the accuracy of complement component C1q in pleural fluid (PF) in diagnosing TPE.Methods: The level of C1q protein in the PF from 49 patients with TPE and 61 patients with non-tuberculous pleural effusion (non-TPE) was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the diagnostic performance was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves based on the age and gender of the patients.Results: The statistics showed that C1q could accurately diagnose TPE. Regardless of age and gender, with a cutoff of 6,883.9 ng/mL, the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of C1q for discriminating TPE were 0.898 (95% confidence interval: 0.825–0.947), 91.8 (80.4–97.7), 80.3 (68.2–89.4), 78.9 (69.2–86.2), and 92.5 (82.6–96.9), respectively. In subgroup analysis, the greatest diagnostic accuracy was achieved in the younger group (≤ 50 years of age) with an AUC of 0.981 (95% confidence interval: 0.899–0.999) at the cutoff of 6,098.0 ng/mL. The sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, PPV, and NPV of C1q were 95.0 (83.1–99.4), 92.3 (64.0–99.8), 97.4 (85.2–99.6), and 85.7 (60.6–95.9), respectively.Conclusion: Complement component C1q protein was validated by this study to be a promising biomarker for diagnosing TPE with high diagnostic accuracy, especially among younger patients.

Categorical and gradational: alternative survey measures of sex and gender

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aliya Saperstein ◽  
Laurel Westbrook
Keyword(s):  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Sex And Gender ◽  
Categorical Approach ◽  
Transgender People ◽  
Binary Approach ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Single Question ◽  
Representative Samples ◽  
Fluid Characteristics

Demands for recognition of gender diversity and transgender people are growing. We tested non-binary sex and gender measures using nationally representative samples of US adults to assess feasibility for general population surveys. We find more support for a two-step categorical approach, with separate questions about natal sex and gender identity, than for a single question assessing transgender status as the latter was less reliable within our online surveys and over time. We also consider the challenge of determining measurement reliability for fluid characteristics and argue that using categorical and gradational gender measures in combination should become standard practice.<br /><br />Key messages<br /><ul><li>Gender measurement must expand beyond a categorical binary to better reflect gender diversity.</li><br /><li>We demonstrate the utility of a two-step, non-binary approach on representative samples of US adults.</li><br /><li>Our results do not support using a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question to ask if respondents are transgender.</li></ul>

scholarly journals Rapid Immunization Scheme for Spouses of Individuals Estabilished as Hepatitis B Carriers during Premarital Tests

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Selma Tosun ◽  
Murat Yücetürk ◽  
Aydın Bilal Dönmez ◽  
Turan Gündüz
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Vaccination Program ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Hbsag Positivity ◽  
Vaccination Scheme ◽  
And Gender

Background. The aim of this study was to monitor the cases identified as hepatitis B carriers during premarital tests, to vaccinate their prospective spouses with a rapid vaccination scheme, and to compare the anti-HBs responses with the traditional vaccination scheme.Methods. Blood samples of 1250 couple spouses were tested for HBsAg and anti-HBs. HBsAg positive cases' fiancées which were found HBV negative were administered a rapid three-dose vaccination scheme on days 0, 7, and 21. Forty controls with similar age and gender were also were administered three doses of the same vaccine.Results. Out of 1250 cases (625 couples), 46 (3.6%) were HBsAg positive, and 40 of them aged between 18 and 39 were admitted to the rapid vaccination program.Conclusion. Upon determination of HBsAg positivity in premarital tests, a rapid vaccination program provides early protection, but the 6th and 12th month vaccinations are also required. Anti-HBs response should be monitored.

scholarly journals Alcohol and sex: the influence of friendship networks on co-occurring risky health behaviors of U.S. adolescents

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwon Chan Jeon ◽  
Patricia Goodson
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Intercourse ◽  
Risky Behaviors ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Friendship Networks ◽  
Friendship Network ◽  
Drinking Alcohol ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
And Gender

Background: U.S. adolescents face the reality that engaging in one risky health behavior facilitates co-occurring risky behaviors. Moreover, adolescents may change their behaviors to develop new friendships or to match the behavior of existing friends. These relationships among friends can lead to increase in risk-taking. Methods: Utilizing a nationally representative saturated sample (n=901) with friendship network data from two large schools in the Wave I of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), this study examined the influence of friendship network structure upon adolescents’ sexual intercourse and alcohol consumption in tandem. Results: Findings highlighted that, in one school, adolescents in denser and smaller friendship networks were at higher risk for engaging in sexual intercourse and drinking alcohol simultaneously. Additionally, in this school, network attributes (i.e., out-degree and betweeness) and adolescents’ age were associated with an increased risk of sexual intercourse and drinking behaviors. In the other school, more diffused friendship networks seemed to pose less risk of engaging in these two risk behaviors in tandem. Moreover, engagement in risky behaviors was significantly predicted by teens’ age and gender, but there were no effects of network attributes on adolescents’ risky behaviors. Conclusion: The influence of friendships on adolescents’ sexual intercourse and drinking alcohol may play out in different ways, depending on the size and composition of the friendship networks and adolescents’ characteristics. Therefore, structural features of friendship networks, such as denser and smaller networks, and characteristics of adolescents (i.e., age and gender) should be considered in developing intervention programs to reduce adolescents’ risky behaviors.

scholarly journals Excess mortality and shortened life expectancy in people with major mental illnesses in Taiwan

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Ju Pan ◽  
Ling-Ling Yeh ◽  
Hung-Yu Chan ◽  
Chin-Kuo Chang
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
General Population ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Years Of Life Lost ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
And Gender

Abstract Aims Given the concerns of health inequality associated with mental illnesses, we aimed to reveal the extent of which general mortality and life expectancy at birth in people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depressive disorder varied in the 2005 and 2010 nationally representative cohorts in Taiwan. Methods Two nationally representative samples of individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depressive disorder were identified from Taiwan's national health insurance database in 2005 and 2010, respectively, and followed-up for consecutive 3 years. The database was linked to nationwide mortality registry to identify causes and date of death. Age-, gender- and cause-specific mortality rates were generated, with the average follow-up period of each age- and gender-band applied as ‘weighting’ for the calculation of expected number of deaths. Age- and gender-standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated for these 3-year observation periods with Taiwanese general population in 2011/2012 as the standard population. The SMR calculations were then stratified by natural/unnatural causes and major groups of death. Corresponding life expectancies at birth were also calculated by gender, diagnosis of mental disorders and year of cohorts for further elucidation. Results The general differential in mortality rates for people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder remained wide, revealing an SMR of 3.65 (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.55–3.76) for cohort 2005 and 3.27 (3.18-3.36) for cohort 2010 in schizophrenia, and 2.65 (95% CI: 2.55–2.76) for cohort 2005 and 2.39 (2.31-2.48) for cohort 2010 in bipolar disorder, respectively. The SMRs in people with depression were 1.83 (95% CI: 1.81–1.86) for cohort 2005 and 1.59 (1.57-1.61) for cohort 2010. SMRs due to unnatural causes tended to decrease in people with major mental illnesses over the years, but those due to natural causes remained relatively stable. The life expectancies at birth for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression were all significantly lower than the national norms, specifically showing 14.97–15.50 years of life lost for men and 15.15–15.48 years for women in people with schizophrenia. Conclusions Compared to general population, the differential in mortality rates for people with major mental illnesses persisted substantial. The differential in mortality for unnatural causes of death seemed decreasing over the years, but that due to natural causes remained relatively steady. Regardless of gender, people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression were shown to have shortened life expectancies compared to general population.

scholarly journals Mortality and GH deficiency: a nationwide study

2007 ◽  
Vol 157 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirstine Stochholm ◽  
Claus Højbjerg Gravholt ◽  
Torben Laursen ◽  
Peter Laurberg ◽  
Marianne Andersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Gh Deficiency ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Adult Onset ◽  
Childhood Onset ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Nationwide Study ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Circulatory Diseases

Objective: To estimate the mortality in Denmark in patients suffering from GH deficiency (GHD). Design: Mortality was analyzed in 1794 GHD patients and 8014 controls matched on age and gender. All records in GHD patients were studied and additional morbidity noted. Patients were divided into childhood onset (CO) and adult onset (AO), discriminated by an age cutoff below or above 18 years at onset of GHD. Method: Data on death were identified in national registries. Sex- and cause-specific mortalities were identified in CO and AO GHD when compared with controls. Results: Mortality was increased in CO and AO GHD in both genders, when compared with controls. The hazard ratio (HR) for CO males was 8.3 (95% confidence interval (CI) 4.5–15.1) and for females 9.4 (CI 4.6–19.4). For AO males, HR was 1.9 (CI 1.7–2.2) and for females 3.4 (CI 2.9–4.0). We found a significantly higher HR in AO females versus AO males, both compared with controls (P < 0.001). In AO, mortality was increased due to cancer in all subgroups, due to circulatory diseases in all age groups for females and for males in the oldest age group. For CO, the increased mortality was due to cancer. Conclusions: We found a significantly increased mortality in GHD patients when compared with controls, possibly due to their hypopituitary status. Mortality was increased in AO female patients when compared with males. For CO and AO GHD, different causes of significantly increased mortality were identified.

scholarly journals An integrated clinical and genetic model for predicting risk of severe COVID-19: A population-based case–control study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0247205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gillian S. Dite ◽  
Nicholas M. Murphy ◽  
Richard Allman
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Accurate Prediction ◽  
Clinical Risk Factors ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Clinical Risk ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
And Gender

Up to 30% of people who test positive to SARS-CoV-2 will develop severe COVID-19 and require hospitalisation. Age, gender, and comorbidities are known to be risk factors for severe COVID-19 but are generally considered independently without accurate knowledge of the magnitude of their effect on risk, potentially resulting in incorrect risk estimation. There is an urgent need for accurate prediction of the risk of severe COVID-19 for use in workplaces and healthcare settings, and for individual risk management. Clinical risk factors and a panel of 64 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were identified from published data. We used logistic regression to develop a model for severe COVID-19 in 1,582 UK Biobank participants aged 50 years and over who tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus: 1,018 with severe disease and 564 without severe disease. Model discrimination was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). A model incorporating the SNP score and clinical risk factors (AUC = 0.786; 95% confidence interval = 0.763 to 0.808) had 111% better discrimination of disease severity than a model with just age and gender (AUC = 0.635; 95% confidence interval = 0.607 to 0.662). The effects of age and gender are attenuated by the other risk factors, suggesting that it is those risk factors–not age and gender–that confer risk of severe disease. In the whole UK Biobank, most are at low or only slightly elevated risk, but one-third are at two-fold or more increased risk. We have developed a model that enables accurate prediction of severe COVID-19. Continuing to rely on age and gender alone (or only clinical factors) to determine risk of severe COVID-19 will unnecessarily classify healthy older people as being at high risk and will fail to accurately quantify the increased risk for younger people with comorbidities.

scholarly journals LITERARY FOLKTALES PROMOTING CHILDREN'S MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES/KARYA SASTRA YANG MENINGKATKAN KECERDASAN MULTIPEL ANAK-ANAK

Aksara ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-256
Author(s):  
Berhanu Asaye Agajie
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Education ◽  
Multiple Intelligences ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Purposive Sampling ◽  
Target Populations ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
And Gender

AbstractThe objective of this study wasto investigate how literary folktale narrations promoting children's multiple intelligences. In this study qualitative design was adopted. The target populations of this study were found in Awi zone. In this case, expert sampling was used to capture multiple intelligences entrenched in a meticulous manifestation of knowledge in folktales.Through purposive sampling 20 folktale narrators (10 females and 10 male) were interviewed and two group discussions were conducted. The result of the study showed that engagement of children within literary narrations enablesthem to promote their linguistic, logical, spatial, musical, natural, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and bodily kinesthetic intelligences. Result and discussion showed thatliterary folktale narrations promote social cohesion regardless of age and gender. The children at any talent stage were acquainted with how to use their multiple intelligent through learning and their life experiences. This hypothesis is significant to elementary education because teachers able to observe more recurrently that students learn in different ways. Therefore, there is close relationship between literacy and folklore in influencing naturalist intelligencechildrento make a distinction among animals, categorize, and use features of the environment.Keywords: children, folktale, intelligences, literaryAbstrakTujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk meneliti bagaimana narasi folktale yang meningkatkan  kecerdasan multipel anak-anak. Dalam penelitian ini, digunakan desain kualitatif. Target populasi penelitian ini ditemukan di wilayah Awi. Dalam kasus ini, expert sampling digunakan untuk mengkaji kecerdasan multipel yang berakar dalam manifestasi pengetahuan folktale. Melalui purposive sampling(penyampelan berdasarkan tujuan), 20 pencerita folktale (10 perempuan dan 10 laki-laki) diwawancarai dan dua diskusi kelompok dilakukan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pelibatan anak-anak dalam narasi sastra memungkinkan mereka untuk meningkatkan kecerdasan linguistik, logis, spasial, musik, alami, interpersonal, dan kinestetik tubuh mereka. Hasil dan pembahasan ini menunjukkan bahwa narasi folktale meningkatkan hubungan sosial tanpa memandang usia dan jenis kelamin. Anak-anak pada setiap tahap bakat berkenalan dengan bagaimana menggunakan kecerdasan multipel mereka melalui pembelajaran dan pengalaman hidup mereka. Hipotesis ini sangat penting bagi pendidikan dasar guru dapat mengamati secara berulang-ulang bahwa siswa belajar dengan cara yang berbeda. Oleh karena itu, ada kaitan erat antara literasi dan cerita rakyat dalam memengaruhi kecerdasan alami anak-anak untuk membuat perbedaan di antara hewan, mengategorikannya, dan menggunakan karakteristik lingkungan.  Kata Kunci: anak-anak, dongeng, kecerdasan, literasi 

scholarly journals Alcohol and sex: the influence of friendship networks on co-occurring risky health behaviors of U.S. adolescents

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwon Chan Jeon ◽  
Patricia Goodson
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Intercourse ◽  
Risky Behaviors ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Friendship Networks ◽  
Friendship Network ◽  
Drinking Alcohol ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
And Gender

Background: U.S. adolescents face the reality that engaging in one risky health behavior facilitates co-occurring risky behaviors. Moreover, adolescents may change their behaviors to develop new friendships or to match the behavior of existing friends. These relationships among friends can lead to increase in risk-taking. Methods: Utilizing a nationally representative saturated sample (n=901) with friendship network data from two large schools in the Wave I of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), this study examined the influence of friendship network structure upon adolescents’ sexual intercourse and alcohol consumption in tandem. Results: Findings highlighted that, in one school, adolescents in denser and smaller friendship networks were at higher risk for engaging in sexual intercourse and drinking alcohol simultaneously. Additionally, in this school, network attributes (i.e., out-degree and betweeness) and adolescents’ age were associated with an increased risk of sexual intercourse and drinking behaviors. In the other school, more diffused friendship networks seemed to pose less risk of engaging in these two risk behaviors in tandem. Moreover, engagement in risky behaviors was significantly predicted by teens’ age and gender, but there were no effects of network attributes on adolescents’ risky behaviors. Conclusion: The influence of friendships on adolescents’ sexual intercourse and drinking alcohol may play out in different ways, depending on the size and composition of the friendship networks and adolescents’ characteristics. Therefore, structural features of friendship networks, such as denser and smaller networks, and characteristics of adolescents (i.e., age and gender) should be considered in developing intervention programs to reduce adolescents’ risky behaviors.

scholarly journals Association Analysis of COQ2 Variant in Dementia and Essential Tremor

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Yin Xia Chao ◽  
Ebonne Yu Lin Ng ◽  
Huihua Li ◽  
Kandiah Nagaendran ◽  
Yuen Yih ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Multiple System Atrophy ◽  
Essential Tremor ◽  
Association Analysis ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
And Gender

Objective. COQ2 mutations have been reported in Japanese multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients. We examined the role of COQ2 in patients with dementia and essential tremor (ET), two common neurodegenerative conditions.Materials & Methods. A total of 2064 subjects, including 560 patients with dementia, 466 patients with ET, and 1038 healthy controls, were included. Genotyping for the COQ2 V393A (T>C) was carried out. Odds ratio (OR) adjusted by age and gender, together with 95% confidence interval (CI), was reported by means of logistic regression.Results. The frequency of the polymorphic variant V393A heterozygous (T/C) was 2.7% in dementia, 1.1% in ET, and 2.5% in controls (OR = 0.70, 95% confidence interval is 0.29–1.72 for dementia, and OR = 0.47, 95% confidence interval is 0.17–1.31,p=0.1217for ET). There was no significant association between V393A variant with dementia and ET.Conclusion. There was no significant association between V393A variant with dementia and ET. COQ2 gene is unlikely to play a significant role in patients with dementia or ET in our population.

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