Risks,benefits and the role of stakeholders in pathogen reduction technology

While Canada’s blood supply is currently very safe, risks remain, prompting blood suppliers to develop a more effective strategy to minimise the risk of transmitting infectious agents through blood transfusion. Pathogen reduction technology provides an additional way to protect the blood supply from new threats. However, the uptake of this new technology has been slow, reflecting the safety of the current system, the success of surveillance and screening methods, the lack of knowledge regarding pathogen reduction technology and the impact of pathogen reduction on blood quality and recipient safety. In the absence of public debate, the legacy of previous adverse events and the challenges of negotiating perceptions of risk, our objective in this article is to explore stakeholder perceptions of the challenges of introducing pathogen reduction technology in Canada. In this article, we provide a debate about risk communication and assessment drawing on data from a study of 2010 that used focus groups and interviews with key stakeholders, including media, blood suppliers, blood or blood product recipients and implementers of pathogen reduction technologies to examine stakeholders’ perceptions of risk assessment and communication. We found that there was a broad understanding among stakeholders of the need to effectively communicate the risks and benefits of pathogen reduction technology and to provide accurate information. Consequently, we predict that public acceptance of the new technology will be largely based on its perception of the risk of pathogen reduction technology.     

Health-related risk behaviors among myocardial infarction survivors in the United States: A propensity score matched study

BackgroundAccording to the American College of Cardiology/the American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) recommendations, health-related risk behaviors for secondary prevention of myocardial infarction (MI) are critical to determine.ObjectiveThis study aimed to compare health-related risk behaviors between MI survivors and propensity-score-matched non-MI controls using nationally representative data.MethodsThis cross-sectional, matched case-control study used publicly available Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2017 data. Older adults with MI were propensity-score-matched to their non-MI controls. The 10 dependent variables included body mass index (BMI), smoking status, heavy alcohol consumption, influenza vaccine, length of time since last routine and cholesterol checkup, alcohol consumption, fruit and vegetable consumption, and physical activity. Chi-square tests and binomial logistic regression were used to examine the health-related risk behaviors differences between MI survivors and propensity-score-matched non-MI controls.ResultsThe final study sample consisted of 18,021 MI survivors and 54,063 non-MI controls after propensity score matching. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed significant differences between MI survivors and matched non-MI controls in terms of cholesterol checkup, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. For example, multivariate analysis of health-related risk behaviors showed MI survivors were more likely to be smokers (AOR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.28–1.68).ConclusionBased on this national survey of adults, MI survivors were more likely to be smokers but less likely to consume alcohol compared to their propensity-score-matched controls. Moreover, MI survivors were more likely to have their cholesterol checkup within the past 2 years compared to matched non-MI controls. Although lower alcohol consumption and greater chances of cholesterol checkups are reassuring health-related behaviors, interventions are needed to minimize the chances of smoking in this population.     

海口市学龄前儿童特应性皮炎流行病学调查

目的 调查海口市学龄前儿童特应性皮炎(atopic dermatitis, AD)流行病学特征及患病危险因素。 方法 2020年10—11月采用问卷与体检相结合的方式调查海口市3~6岁学龄前儿童AD的流行病学特征,并采用logistic回归分析确定患病危险因素。 结果 海口市学龄前儿童AD总患病率为4.79%,其中男性为5.20%,女性为4.33%,3~4岁儿童为5.65%,5~6岁儿童为4.10%,男女及各年龄段患病率差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。AD患儿病情以轻中度为主,64.95%的患儿在1岁内首次发病,45.36%的患儿合并其他过敏性疾病。经logistic回归分析显示父母过敏史、居住城市、儿童被动吸烟、居住环境潮湿、母亲孕期及儿童出生后居住新装修半年内房屋是学龄前儿童AD患病的独立危险因素。 结论 海口市3~6岁学龄前儿童AD患病率较高,父母过敏史、居住城市、儿童被动吸烟、居住环境潮湿、儿童出生后及母亲孕期居住新装修半年内房屋是学龄前儿童AD患病的独立危险因素。     

Prediction of Jury Verdicts in Child Sexual Assault Trials

Child sexual abuse allegations are typically resolved by jury trial. The presence of a number of variables, known before a trial commences, may play a significant part in trial outcomes beyond jurors’ assessment of witness credibility. New Zealand Crown Prosecutors completed survey questionnaires for 137 trials related to charges of sexual offending against children. Nine trial variables were recorded along with other trial data. The hypothesis was confirmed that the presence of any three or more of the nine evidential variables was significantly predictive of conviction on at least one sexual offence per trial. The results were similar for the total sample and the two subgroups of historical cases and the child cases with complainants aged younger than 17 years at the time of trial. The three variables most strongly associated with conviction were similar fact evidence, evidence from a witness to the offending, and positive medical evidence or DNA evidence.     

Product review

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to review the phenomenon of same-sex attraction in married men. As well as looking at a variety of reasons that gay and bisexual men provide for getting married, the author describes a model that incorporates a variety of possible theoretical explanations. Finally, practical implications for therapists are provided, focusing on identity development and support.     

A review of risk factors for oral cavity cancer: the importance of a standardized case definition

The aim of this work is to review the literature on risk factors of oral cavity cancer with a special attention to the definition of the cases, in order to highlight special features of these cancers and of their subsites. PubMed database was systematically searched to access relevant articles published between 1980 and 2010. Reference lists of selected papers were examined to identify further articles. One hundred and two studies met the inclusion criteria. Their results were difficult to compare because of the lack of uniformity in defining oral cavity. In addition, few studies examined risk factors other than alcohol and tobacco, and studies differentiating between subsites were rare. Despite these limitations, some characteristics of oral cavity cancers may be emphasized: smoked tobacco seems to be a stronger risk factor for oral cavity cancer than alcohol, and the floor of the mouth seems to be more sensitive to the harmful effects of alcohol and smoked tobacco. Studies limited strictly to oral cavity cancers and distinguishing between subsites are needed to better understand the aetiology of these cancers, and better define risk groups to target prevention efforts and screening.     

Simple versus complex carbohydrates and health: A frequently neglected problem

AimsFor several decades, there has been a notion that dietary fat is made of different components (at least SAFA, MUFA, and PUFA) that exhibit different and sometimes contrasting effects when associated with health and diseases: coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in general. A similar fact is not noticed in carbohydrates and their components considering that even some major recent studies on the issue did not segregate simple carbohydrates from complex carbohydrates. In this study, we aimed to stress this need.Data synthesisA small number of selected studies are presented and commented where segregation of simple from complex carbohydrates was either performed or disregarded to address the inconsistency of not disentangling them.ConclusionsIf only total fats were considered in investigations where fat was studied, the present notion and attitude toward different roles of the various classes of fats, at least SAFA versus unsaturated (MUFA and PUFA) would be missing. Therefore, there is a need to disentangle simple from complex carbohydrates, and this should be systematically applied when addressing CHD or CVD mortality risks and their preventive measures.