scholarly journals Precision Medicine in Control of Visceral Leishmaniasis Caused by L. donovani

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduard E. Zijlstra
Keyword(s):  
Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽  
Precision Medicine ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Asymptomatic Infection ◽  
Sand Fly ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Data Vector ◽  
Endemic Population ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Right

Precision medicine and precision global health in visceral leishmaniasis (VL) have not yet been described and could take into account how all known determinants improve diagnostics and treatment for the individual patient. Precision public health would lead to the right intervention in each VL endemic population for control, based on relevant population-based data, vector exposures, reservoirs, socio-economic factors and other determinants. In anthroponotic VL caused by L. donovani, precision may currently be targeted to the regional level in nosogeographic entities that are defined by the interplay of the circulating parasite, the reservoir and the sand fly vector. From this 5 major priorities arise: diagnosis, treatment, PKDL, asymptomatic infection and transmission. These 5 priorities share the immune responses of infection with L. donovani as an important final common pathway, for which innovative new genomic and non-genomic tools in various disciplines have become available that provide new insights in clinical management and in control. From this, further precision may be defined for groups (e.g. children, women, pregnancy, HIV-VL co-infection), and eventually targeted to the individual level.

DETECTION OF LEISHMANIA INFECTION IN STRAY DOGS IN HUMAN LEISHMANIASIS ENDEMIC AREA IN MYMENSINGH DISTRICT WITH ITS POSSIBLE PUBLIC HEALTH SIGNIFICANCE IN BANGLADESH

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Hossen
Keyword(s):  
Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽  
Asymptomatic Carrier ◽  
Asymptomatic Infection ◽  
Reservoir Host ◽  
Sand Fly ◽  
Leishmania Infection ◽  
Endemic Region ◽  
Stray Dogs ◽  
Human Leishmaniasis ◽  
Strip Test

Background: Leishmaniasis is primarily caused by two species of Leishmania (L. donovani and L. infantum) of which clinical infection with L. infantum has been recognized in both humans and dogs as zoonotic disease with dogs as the main reservoir hosts in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Asia and South America. Although L. donovani has been associated with both clinical and asymptomatic infection in humans but it is still associated with asymptomatic infection in dogs in Indian sub-continent without any evidence of zoonotic infection. Objectives: The objective of this research was to investigate the potentiality of dog as reservoir host for visceral leishmaniasis in the human leishmaniasis endemic regions in Bangladesh. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 stray dogs in the human VL endemic areas of Mymensingh district were captured for the detection VL during the period of November 2010 to May 2011. The dipstick test rK39 (Bios International; n = 20), Giemsa’s stained impression smears of liver and spleen (n = 6) and PCR with the tissue of liver and spleen (n = 6) were tested as per manufacturer instructions and conventional standard methods. Results: Out of 20 stray dogs examined, 4 (20.0%) were positive for L. donovani infection with rK39 strip test. Of the six randomly selected dogs tested with Modified Giemsa’s stained of impression smears of spleen and liver showed 2 (33.33%) positive whereas PCR technique detected 5 (83.33%) positive for L. donovani. Results of PCR showed 145bp amplicon, specific for L. donovani infection in 83.33% stray dogs. Conclusions: This study reveals that a high percentage of L. donovani asymptomatic carrier infections occur in dogs and evidence indicates that dogs and humans may potentially serve as a source of infection to sand fly vectors and accordingly dogs can be recognized as a probable animal reservoir for the Leishmania infection in the endemic region in Bangladesh. However, further studies are required to determine the ability of dogs to transmit the L. donovani to the vector sand fly in nature and its evidence on ‘One Health’ perspectives. Keywords: Visceral leishmaniasis, Endemic region, Stray dogs, rK39 strip test, Giemsa’s stained liver and spleen impression smears, PCR, Reservoir host, Mymensingh

scholarly journals Predicting the duration of sickness absence spells due to back pain: a population-based study from Sweden

2019 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-121
Author(s):  
Annina Ropponen ◽  
Katalin Gémes ◽  
Paolo Frumento ◽  
Gino Almondo ◽  
Matteo Bottai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Back Pain ◽  
Sickness Absence ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Final Model ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Discriminatory Accuracy ◽  
C Statistic ◽  
International Statistical Classification ◽  
The Individual

ObjectivesWe aimed to develop and validate a prediction model for the duration of sickness absence (SA) spells due to back pain (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision: M54), using Swedish nationwide register microdata.MethodsInformation on all new SA spells >14 days from 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2012 and on possible predictors were obtained. The duration of SA was predicted by using piecewise constant hazard models. Nine predictors were selected for the final model based on a priori decision and log-likelihood loss. The final model was estimated in a random sample of 70% of the SA spells and later validated in the remaining 30%.ResultsOverall, 64 048 SA spells due to back pain were identified during the 2.5 years; 74% lasted ≤90 days, and 9% >365 days. The predictors included in the final model were age, sex, geographical region, employment status, multimorbidity, SA extent at the start of the spell, initiation of SA spell in primary healthcare and number of SA days and specialised outpatient healthcare visits from the preceding year. The overall c-statistic (0.547, 95% CI 0.542 to 0.552) suggested a low discriminatory capacity at the individual level. The c-statistic was 0.643 (95% CI 0.634 to 0.652) to predict >90 days spells, 0.686 (95% CI 0.676 to 0.697) to predict >180 spells and 0.753 (95% CI 0.740 to 0.766) to predict >365 days spells.ConclusionsThe model discriminates SA spells >365 days from shorter SA spells with good discriminatory accuracy.

Does Sophistication Affect Electoral Outcomes?

2016 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauri Rapeli
Keyword(s):  
Future Research ◽  
Citizen Competence ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Electoral Outcomes ◽  
Sociodemographic Determinants ◽  
Political Left ◽  
Electoral Behaviour ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Right

It is widely assumed that a representative democracy requires an enlightened citizenry in order to function properly. The competence of citizens has been studied extensively and the sociodemographic determinants of political sophistication are particularly well known. Much less is known about whether and how citizen competence affects electoral behaviour and outcomes. This article reviews the existing literature on these topics. Despite the widespread consensus that, generally speaking, citizen competence matters for electoral outcomes, the review produced a mixed result: some studies suggest that the political left would benefit from a better-informed electorate, while other studies suggest the opposite. Although the majoritarian electoral context is overrepresented in the evidence, the review shows that at the individual level, political knowledge greatly increases a person’s ability to match personal preferences with the right candidate or party in an election. The article also identifies several gaps in existing knowledge, thereby suggesting future research questions.

scholarly journals Cohort Profile: The China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xing Zhao ◽  
Feng Hong ◽  
Jianzhong Yin ◽  
Wenge Tang ◽  
Gang Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Laboratory ◽  
Disease Incidence ◽  
Data Access ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Baseline Survey ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Study Participants

AbstractCohort purposeThe China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) is a community population-based prospective observational study aiming to address the urgent need for understanding NCD prevalence, risk factors and associated conditions in resource-constrained settings for ethnic minorities in China.Cohort BasicsA total of 99 556 participants aged 30 to 79 years (Tibetan populations include those aged 18 to 30 years) from the Tibetan, Yi, Miao, Bai, Bouyei, and Dong ethnic groups in Southwest China were recruited between May 2018 and September 2019.Follow-up and attritionAll surviving study participants will be invited for re-interviews every 3-5 years with concise questionnaires to review risk exposures and disease incidence. Furthermore, the vital status of study participants will be followed up through linkage with established electronic disease registries annually.Design and MeasuresThe CMEC baseline survey collected data with an electronic questionnaire and face-to-face interviews, medical examinations and clinical laboratory tests. Furthermore, we collected biological specimens, including blood, saliva and stool, for long-term storage. In addition to the individual level data, we also collected regional level data for each investigation site.Collaboration and data accessCollaborations are welcome. Please send specific ideas to corresponding author at: [email protected].

scholarly journals Sickness absence among privately employed white-collar workers: A total population study in Sweden

2020 ◽  
pp. 140349482093427
Author(s):  
Kristin Farrants ◽  
Kristina Alexanderson
Keyword(s):  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
White Collar ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
White Collar Workers ◽  
The Individual

Background: Knowledge about sickness absence (SA) and disability pension (DP) among privately employed white-collar workers is very limited. Aims: This study aimed to explore SA and DP among privately employed white-collar women and men using different measures of SA to investigate differences by branch of industry, and to analyse the association between sociodemographic factors and SA. Methods: This was a population-based study of all 1,283,516 (47% women) privately employed white-collar workers in Sweden in 2012, using register data linked at the individual level. Several different measures of SA and DP were used. Logistic regression was used to investigate associations of sociodemographic factors with SA. Results: More women than men had SA (10.9% women vs. 4.5% men) and DP (1.8% women vs. 0.6% men). While women had a higher risk of SA than men and had more SA days per employed person, they did not have more SA days per person with SA than men. The risk of SA was higher for women (odds ratio (OR)=2.54 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.51–2.58)), older individuals (OR age 18–24 years=0.58 (95% CI 0.56–0.60); age 55–64 years OR=1.43 (95% CI 1.40–1.46) compared to age 45–54 years), living in medium-sized towns (OR=1.05 (95% CI 1.03–1.06)) or small towns/rural areas (OR=1.13 (95% CI 1.11–1.15)), with shorter education than college/university (OR compulsory only=1.64 (95% CI 1.59–1.69); OR high school=1.38 (95% CI 1.36–1.40)), born outside the EU25 (OR=1.23 (95% CI 1.20–1.27)) and singles with children at home (OR=1.33 (95% CI 1.30–1.36)). Conclusions: SA and DP among privately employed white-collar workers were lower than in the general population. SA prevalence, length and risk varied by branch of industry, sex and other sociodemographic factors, however, depending on the SA measure used.

scholarly journals Public support for the right to euthanasia: Impact of traditional religiosity and autonomy values across 37 nations

2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maksim Rudnev ◽  
Aleksandra Savelkaeva
Keyword(s):  
Public Support ◽  
Independent Effect ◽  
World Values Survey ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Country Level ◽  
A Value ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Right ◽  
Moral Attitudes

This article takes a postmodernization perspective on support for the right to euthanasia by treating it as an expression of a process of value change, as a preference for quality over quantity of life. Using the data from the fifth wave of the World Values Survey, this study attempts to answer the question of whether the mass support for the right to euthanasia is an expression of autonomy values rather than just a function of a low religiosity. Multilevel regressions demonstrate that both traditional religiosity and autonomy values have a high impact at the individual level, while at the country level only the effects of traditional religiosity are significant. Autonomy values have stronger association with attitudes to euthanasia in countries with higher levels of postmaterialism. Multilevel path analysis demonstrates that the effect of religiosity is partially and weakly mediated by the values of autonomy at both levels. Although religiosity was found to have a much stronger impact, the independent effect of autonomy values suggests that mass support for the right to euthanasia is a value-driven preference for quality over quantity of life. We conclude by suggesting that the fall in traditional religiosity might emphasize the role of values in moral attitudes regulation.

scholarly journals Creativity Versus Innovativeness: Exploring the Differences between the Two Constructs May Lead to Greater Innovation in Large Firms

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 83 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Cocco ◽  
Majdi Quttainah
Keyword(s):  
Motivational Orientation ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Sustained Competitive Advantage ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Study Support ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Primary Focus ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Right

<p>Several individuals from top management seem to be confused about the difference between creativity and innovativeness. Amabile (1997) suggests that while innovation begins with creative ideas, creativity by individuals and teams is only a starting point for innovation. Individual creativity is necessary but not sufficient to yield breakthrough innovation in organizations. This can sometimes cause confusion in employee development efforts and actions taken by management. Companies often look for ways to hire and retain creative employees and at the same time they are also interested in establishing a creative environment for knowledge workers… but should creativity be the primary focus? These firms hope that creativity enhancing steps will eventually lead to greater innovation and therefore help it to achieve sustained competitive advantage. This paper attempts to demonstrate that there are potentially other dimensions beyond creativity related to innovativeness, which should be considered at the individual level in order to foster innovation in firms. Empirical results in this study support the idea that intrinsic motivational orientation, sociability and political astuteness are enhancers to employee innovativeness while perfection seeking behavior detracts employee innovativeness. These findings may serve to extend Amabile’s (1997) componential framework to center on the “innovativeness” construct versus creativity to help explain how firms need to hire, cultivate and retain the right talent.</p>

Definiteness in written Swedish by Finnish-speaking immersion pupils at the end of immersion

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-84
Author(s):  
Eeva-Liisa Nyqvist
Keyword(s):  
Control Group ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Definite Form ◽  
Spontaneous Writing ◽  
Acquisition Order ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Right ◽  
Better Than

Abstract There are two primary goals for this study – first, to analyse definiteness and article use in spontaneous writing in Swedish by 15-year-old Finnish immersion students (n = 162) and secondly, to compare their performance with that of non-immersion students at the same age (n = 67). Analyses at the group level show that immersion students usually perform significantly better than the control group, but they also reveal similar problems to what L2-Swedish non-immersion students have demonstrated in previous studies, such as omission of indefinite articles and difficulty in choosing the right definite form of the noun. Still, these inaccuracies occurred less often in the data from the immersion students. The studied constructions also show at the group level an acquisition order similar to that reported in previous studies, explainable by different aspects of complexity and cross-linguistic influence. Analyses on the individual level, however, show different acquisition orders depending on the criteria being used.

scholarly journals Fair data for next-generation management of multiple sclerosis

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 1151-1156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liesbet M Peeters
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Multidisciplinary Treatment ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Disease Modifying Drugs ◽  
Disease Epidemiology ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Precision Level ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
The Individual

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive demyelinating and degenerative disease of the central nervous system with symptoms depending on the disease type and the site of lesions and is featured by heterogeneity of clinical expressions and responses to treatment strategies. An individualized clinical follow-up and multidisciplinary treatment is required. Transforming the population-based management of today into an individualized, personalized and precision-level management is a major goal in research. Indeed, a complex and unique interplay between genetic background and environmental exposure in each case likely determines clinical heterogeneity. To reach insights at the individual level, extensive amount of data are required. Many databases have been developed over the last few decades, but access to them is limited, and data are acquired in different ways and differences in definitions and indexing and software platforms preclude direct integration. Most existing (inter)national registers and IT platforms are strictly observational or focus on disease epidemiology or access to new disease modifying drugs. Here, a method to revolutionize management of MS to a personalized, individualized and precision level is outlined. The key to achieve this next level is FAIR data.

scholarly journals Treatment Response Prediction and Individualized Identification of Short-Term Abstinence Methamphetamine Dependence Using Brain Graph Metrics

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cui Yan ◽  
Xuefei Yang ◽  
Ru Yang ◽  
Wenhan Yang ◽  
Jing Luo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Response ◽  
Response Prediction ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Middle Temporal ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Graph Metrics ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Right ◽  
Orbital Part

Background: The abuse of methamphetamine (MA) worldwide has gained international attention as the most rapidly growing illicit drug problem. The classification and treatment response prediction of MA addicts are thereby paramount, in order for effective treatments to be more targeted to individuals. However, there has been limited progress.Methods: In the present study, 43 MA-dependent participants and 38 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were enrolled, and their resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected. MA-dependent participants who showed 50% reduction in craving were defined as responders to treatment. The present study used the machine learning method, which is a support vector machine (SVM), to detect the most relevant features for discriminating and predicting the treatment response for MA-dependent participants based on the features extracted from the functional graph metrics.Results: A classifier was able to differentiate MA-dependent subjects from normal controls, with a cross-validated prediction accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 73.2% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 71.23–74.17%), 66.05% (95% CI = 63.06–69.04%), and 80.35% (95% CI = 77.77–82.93%), respectively, at the individual level. The most accurate combination of classifier features included the nodal efficiency in the right middle temporal gyrus and the community index in the left precentral gyrus and cuneus. Between these two, the community index in the left precentral gyrus had the highest importance. In addition, the classification performance of the other classifier used to predict the treatment response of MA-dependent subjects had an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 71.2% (95% CI = 69.28–73.12%), 86.75% (95% CI = 84.48–88.92%), and 55.65% (95% CI = 52.61–58.79%), respectively, at the individual level. Furthermore, the most accurate combination of classifier features included the nodal clustering coefficient in the right orbital part of the superior frontal gyrus, the nodal local efficiency in the right orbital part of the superior frontal gyrus, and the right triangular part of the inferior frontal gyrus and right temporal pole of middle temporal gyrus. Among these, the nodal local efficiency in the right temporal pole of the middle temporal gyrus had the highest feature importance.Conclusion: The present study identified the most relevant features of MA addiction and treatment based on SVMs and the features extracted from the graph metrics and provided possible biomarkers to differentiate and predict the treatment response for MA-dependent patients. The brain regions involved in the best combinations should be given close attention during the treatment of MA.

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