Identification of geographic clusters for temporal heterogeneity with application to dengue surveillance

Identifying transmission of hot spots with temporal trends is important for reducing infectious disease propagation. Cluster analysis is a particularly useful tool to explore underlying stochastic processes between observations by grouping items into categories by their similarity. In a study of epidemic propagation, clustering geographic regions that have similar time series could help researchers track diffusion routes from a common source of an infectious disease. In this article, we propose a two-stage scan statistic to classify regions into various geographic clusters by their temporal heterogeneity. The proposed scan statistic is more flexible than traditional methods in that contiguous and nonproximate regions with similar temporal patterns can be identified simultaneously. A simulation study and data analysis for a dengue fever infection are also presented for illustration.     

A more realistic approach to the cumulative pregnancy rate after in-vitro fertilization

As most studies overestimate the cumulative pregnancy rate,a method is proposed to estimate a more realistic cumulativepregnancy rate by taking into account the reasons for an earlycessation of treatment with in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Threemethods for calculating cumulative pregnancy rates were compared.The first method assumed that those who stopped treatment hadno chance at all of pregnancy. The second method, the one usedmost often, assumed the same probability of pregnancy for thosewho stopped as for those who continued. The third method assumedthat only those who stopped treatment, because of a medicalindication, had no chance at all of pregnancy and that the otherswho stopped had the same probability of pregnancy as those whocontinued treatment Data were used from 616 women treated atthe University Hospital Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.The cumulative pregnancy rates after five initiated IVF cyclesfor the three calculation methods were in the ranges 37–51%for the positive pregnancy test result, 33–55% for a clinicalpregnancy and 30–56% for an ongoing pregnancy. As expected,the first method underestimated the cumulative pregnancy rateand the second overestimated it The third method produced themost realistic cumulative pregnancy rates.     

Public health services in Bangladesh with special reference to systems and trends of vital statistics

Health is one of the basic requirements for improvement in the quality of life. Since Bangladesh became independent, a policy for providing essential minimum health care to all has been actively pursued. An overview of Public Health Services in Bangladesh is presented in terms of: (1) a profile of the country, (2) an overview of public health, (3) medical care, and (4) environmental health. Under each of these headings observations are included on recent trends based upon relevant data and information. Finally the authors describe the importance of (1) promotion of health care and planning at the national, divisional, local, and community levels, (2) promotion of medical services at all levels, and (3) effective decentralization of health services to enhance the services of health facilities.     

Feasibility,acceptability and effects of dance therapy in stroke patients: A systematic review

IntroductionStroke is the leading cause of non-traumatic disability in adults, with balance and gait disturbances representing the main limitations of body functions. Dance therapy (DT) has shown positive effects in older adults and in patients with neurological pathologies. This systematic review aims to examine the feasibility, acceptability and effects of DT in stroke rehabilitation, specifically on functional gains of gait and balance.MethodsA systematic search was carried out for articles published in the MEDLINE, PEDro, Web of Science, Scopus and CINHAL in February 2021 and updated in April 2021. Results: Eight studies were included (2 clinical cases, 5 case series and 1 randomized controlled trial), 7 of them in patients with chronic stroke and only 1 in subacute stroke phase. The most widely used dance modality was tango and ballet, with sessions ranging from 30 to 110 min. DT seems to show positive effects on post-stroke body functions and activities such as gait and balance. Reported dropout rates are inconsistent, no adverse effects were reported, and participant satisfaction was high.ConclusionGiven the heterogeneity and uneven quality of the included studies, strong conclusions cannot be put forward on the effectiveness of DT in post-stroke body function and activities. Nevertheless, DT seems to be safe and acceptable therapy for patients, and no adverse effects have been reported. More studies with a high level of evidence and feasibility are needed to determine the patient profile, the characteristics of the intervention, the participation rate and the role of the rehabilitation professional most likely to generate optimal benefit.     

Trends in oral cancer mortality in Japan: 1950-1993

OBJECTIVES: To investigate trends in mortality rates of oral cancer patients in Japan between 1950 and 1993 by sex, age and cancer site, and compare the results with previous studies to determine whether there are any common characteristics of oral cancer patterns between Japan and European countries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The mortality data obtained from the Japanese Vital Statistics were analyzed using the 5-year moving average method, and the mortality rates were adjusted to the 1990 world population by age and sex. Age-specific mortality rates were analyzed by birth cohort. RESULTS: The age-standardized mortality rates among the males increased from 1.14 per 100,000 person--years in 1952 to 1.84 in 1991, whereas the corresponding rate among females changed little over the same period. Cancer of the tongue was the most common cause of death in Japan among the five studied oral regions: lip, tongue, floor of the mouth, major salivary glands and oropharynx, males aged under 54 born in 1920 or later were found to have an increased risk of such disease. CONCLUSION: Further epidemiological investigations are necessary to clarify the etiology of oral cancer in Japan.     

离子通道门控动力学研究

报道作者近期在离子通道动力学方面所作的研究工作。以膜片钳记录信号的自相关函数为基础,证实了离子通道记忆性的存在,并提出两状态非线性随机模型和镶嵌点过程模型,用于描述记忆性和门控动力学的特征,这样做可以克服Ｍａｒｋｏｖ模型和分形模型所遇到的３项困难,即状态不可辨认性、开关判定的主观性和时间间隔疏漏。另外,作者还提出了连续分组平均时间检测法,帮助确定Ｍａｒｋｏｖ模型中状态的个数,与多指数拟合法相比,此方法更直观和易于操作     

利用比数比统计的结果推断相对危险度RR=1、RR>1或RR<1

目的　试图用比数比 (OR)的统计结果得出相对危险度 (RR)是否等于 1的结论 ,由此病例对照研究也能得出 2个率是否相等的统计推断。方法　推导OR与RR的关系表达式。结果　证明了总体OR与总体相对危险度RR在等于 1、大于 1和小于 1处是一致的。结论　OR的统计检验结果和推断可以得出总体RR是否等于 1、大于 1或小于 1,而且P值相同 ,由此得到 2个率是否相等的统计推断。     

A review of recovery from sevoflurane anaesthesia: comparisons with isoflurane and propofol including meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Sevoflurane has a lower blood:gas partition coefficient than isoflurane and thus should be associated with a more rapid recovery from anaesthesia. METHODS: A review and meta-analysis were employed to examine the recovery profiles of adult patients following anaesthesia, comparing sevoflurane to isoflurane and sevoflurane to propofol. RESULTS: There were significant differences in times to several recovery events that favoured sevoflurane to isoflurane anaesthesia, including time to emergence, response to commands, extubation, and orientation. Likewise, there were significant differences in times to the same recovery events following anaesthesia with sevoflurane versus propofol. There were no differences in time to recovery room discharge when comparing sevoflurane to isoflurane or propofol. CONCLUSION: The observed differences between sevoflurane and isoflurane or propofol anaesthesia support the postulate that the use of sevoflurane is associated with a more rapid recovery from anaesthesia than either isoflurane or propofol.