973 research outputs found
Plasmodium vivax malaria incidence over time and its association with temperature and rainfall in four counties of Yunnan Province, China
No full textAbstract. Background: Transmission of Plasmodium vivax malaria is dependent on vector availability, biting rates and parasite development. In turn, each of these is influenced by climatic conditions. Correlations have previously been detected between seasonal rainfall, temperature and malaria incidence patterns in various settings. An understanding of seasonal patterns of malaria, and their weather drivers, can provide vital information for control and elimination activities. This research aimed to describe temporal patterns in malaria, rainfall and temperature, and to examine the relationships between these variables within four counties of Yunnan Province, China. Methods. Plasmodium vivax malaria surveillance data (1991-2006), and average monthly temperature and rainfall were acquired. Seasonal trend decomposition was used to examine secular trends and seasonal patterns in malaria. Distributed lag non-linear models were used to estimate the weather drivers of malaria seasonality, including the lag periods between weather conditions and malaria incidence. Results: There was a declining trend in malaria incidence in all four counties. Increasing temperature resulted in increased malaria risk in all four areas and increasing rainfall resulted in increased malaria risk in one area and decreased malaria risk in one area. The lag times for these associations varied between areas. Conclusions: The differences detected between the four counties highlight the need for local understanding of seasonal patterns of malaria and its climatic drivers
The role of environmental factors in the spatial distribution of Japanese encephalitis in mainland China
No full textAbstract not availableLiya Wang, Wenbiao Hu, Ricardo J. Soares Magalhaes, Peng Bi, Fan Ding, Hailong Sun, Shenlong Li, Wenwu Yin, Lan Wei, Qiyong Liu, Ubydul Haque, Yansong Sun, Liuyu Huang, Shilu Tong, Archie C.A. Clements, Wenyi Zhang, Chengyi L
Spatial heterogeneity of parasite co-infection: Determinants and geostatistical prediction at regional scales.
Get PDFMultiple parasite infections are widespread in the developing world and understanding their geographical distribution is important for spatial targeting of differing intervention packages. We investigated the spatial epidemiology of mono- and co-infection with helminth parasites in East Africa and developed a geostatistical model to predict infection risk. The data used for the analysis were taken from standardised school surveys of Schistosoma mansoni and hookworm (Ancylostoma duodenale/Necator americanus) carried out between 1999 and 2005 in East Africa. Prevalence of mono- and co-infection was modelled using satellite-derived environmental and demographic variables as potential predictors. A Bayesian multi-nominal geostatistical model was developed for each infection category for producing maps of predicted co-infection risk. We show that heterogeneities in co-infection with S. mansoni and hookworm are influenced primarily by the distribution of S. mansoni, rather than the distribution of hookworm, and that temperature, elevation and distance to large water bodies are reliable predictors of the spatial large-scale distribution of co-infection. On the basis of these results, we developed a validated geostatistical model of the distribution of co-infection at a scale that is relevant for planning regional disease control efforts that simultaneously target multiple parasite species
Archie Ammons Book Review
Get PDFIs it possible for an American poet to be influenced heavily by an encounter with another poet/painter? Throughout the pages of the book, “When I Go Back To My Home Country”: A Remembrance of Archie Ammons, author Emily Herring Wilson recounts the highlights of her 30-year friendship and association with Archie Ammons. On several occasions in the book, the author includes her own literary works to illustrate the enormous impact that her friendship with poet/painter Archie Ammons had on her own literary development. To help capture the reader’s interest, the author also includes 65 photographs, 3 color reproductions of Archie Ammons watercolor paintings, and samples of his various poems
New control charts for monitoring MRO’s in hospitals
No full textRoutine surveillance of colonisations with multiple antibiotic resistant organisms (MROs) is now widespread and these data are increasingly summarised in control charts. The purpose of their analysis in this manner is to provide early warning of outbreaks or to judge the response to system changes designed to reduce colonisation rates. Conventional statistical process control (SPC) charts assume independence of observations. In addition, there needs to be a run of stable, non-trended (stationary) data values to obtain accurate control limits.Colonisation with an MRO is not an independent event as it must involve transmission from a carrier and this can lead to excessive variation. In addition, non-linear trends are often present and MRO prevalence data display temporal correlation. The latter occurs when data at particular times are more like data at related, usually contiguous times, than data from more distant times; thus they are not temporally independent. These characteristics make it difficult to implement conventional SPC charts with MRO data. To overcome these problems, we suggest the use of generalised additive models (GAMs) when there is no temporal correlation, as with new colonisations, and generalised additive mixed models (GAMMs) when temporal correlation is present; as occurs commonly with prevalence data. We illustrate their use with multi-resistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (mMRSA) prevalence and new colonisation data. These methods are able to deal with excess variability, trends and temporal correlation. They are easily implemented in the freely available R software package.Our analysis demonstrates an upward non-linear trend in mMRSA prevalence between January 2004 and October 2006. The mMRSA new colonisation data also display an upward trend between September 2005 and May 2006. Monthly new colonisation rates exceeded the upper control limit in April 2005 and equalled it in May 2006. There was a modest downward trend in the new colonisation rate in the latter part of 200
Brigadoon (1992) | Costume Sketch 007
No full textPerformed: 27 February - 3 March 1992; Lerner and Loewe\u27s Brigadoon is a musical about a Scottish village that appears once a century. The play was directed by Wayne Claeren, orchestra conducted by Carl Anderson, vocal coaching by Darnelle Scarbrough-Preston, choreography by Barry Mundy, costumes by Freddy Clements, sets by Carlton Ward, stage management by Amber Norman and assistant stage management by Mishia Burns. Shown is the costume sketch for Archie Beaton, Act I Scene 6, Act II Scenes 2-3. This item is contained within the Clements drama production materials.https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/clements_costumes/1106/thumbnail.jp
The epidemiology of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum malaria in China, 2004-2012: from intensified control to elimination
Get PDFBackgroundIn China, the national malaria elimination programme has been operating since 2010. This study aimed to explore the epidemiological changes in patterns of malaria in China from intensified control to elimination stages.MethodsData on nationwide malaria cases from 2004 to 2012 were extracted from the Chinese national malaria surveillance system. The secular trend, gender and age features, seasonality, and spatial distribution by Plasmodium species were analysed.ResultsIn total, 238,443 malaria cases were reported, and the proportion of Plasmodium falciparum increased drastically from <10% before 2010 to 55.2% in 2012. From 2004 to 2006, malaria showed a significantly increasing trend and with the highest incidence peak in 2006 (4.6/100,000), while from 2007 onwards, malaria decreased sharply to only 0.18/100,000 in 2012. Males and young age groups became the predominantly affected population. The areas affected by Plasmodium vivax malaria shrunk, while areas affected by P. falciparum malaria expanded from 294 counties in 2004 to 600 counties in 2012.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that malaria has decreased dramatically in the last five years, especially since the Chinese government launched a malaria elimination programme in 2010, and areas with reported falciparum malaria cases have expanded over recent years. These findings suggest that elimination efforts should be improved to meet these changes, so as to achieve the nationwide malaria elimination goal in China in 2020
Mental health disorders, social stressors, and health-related quality of life in patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textMental health disorders, social stress, and poor health-related quality of life are commonly reported among people with tuberculosis (TB). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify mental health disorders, social stressors, and health-related quality of life in patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).Kerri Viney is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) through a Sidney Sax Early Career Fellowship and Archie Clements was funded by an NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, interpretation of data, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscrip
Evaluation of the performance of a dengue outbreak detection tool for China
No full textAn outbreak detection and response system, using time series moving percentile method based on historical data, in China has been used for identifying dengue fever outbreaks since 2008. For dengue fever outbreaks reported from 2009 to 2012, this system achieved a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 99.8% and a median time to detection of 3 days, which indicated that the system was a useful decision tool for dengue fever control and risk-management programs in China
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