"Healthy" Human Development Indices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engineer, Merwan; Roy, Nilanjana; Fink, Sari

2010-01-01

In the Human Development Index (HDI), life expectancy is the only indicator used in modeling the dimension "a long and healthy life". Whereas life expectancy is a direct measure of quantity of life, it is only an indirect measure of healthy years lived. In this paper we attempt to remedy this omission by introducing into the HDI the morbidity…

Global incidence and mortality rates in pancreatic cancer and the association with the Human Development Index: decomposition approach.

PubMed

Veisani, Y; Jenabi, E; Khazaei, S; Nematollahi, Sh

2018-03-01

Pancreatic cancer has a lower morbidity yet higher case fatality rates (CFRs) compared with other gastrointestinal cancers. The effects of socio-economic components on pancreatic cancer rates have been acknowledged; however, the effects of the Human Development Index (HDI) inequality are not. In this study, we aimed to determine the contribution of important socio-economic components on pancreatic cancer rates using a decomposition approach. Global ecological study. Incidence and mortality rates of pancreatic cancer were obtained for 172 countries from GLOBOCAN and the United Nations Development Program. The World Bank database was also used to obtain the HDI and its gradient for 169 countries. Inequality in pancreatic cancer age-specific incidence and mortality rates was calculated according to the HDI using the concentration index (CI). We decomposed the CI to determine main contributors of the inequality. The CI for incidence and mortality of pancreatic cancer in both genders according to the HDI was 0.26 (95% confidence interval: 0.21-0.30) and 0.25 (95% confidence interval: 0.21-0.30), respectively, which indicated more concentrated inequality in advantaged countries. About 80% of the inequality sources were predicted by socio-economic component in both rates of pancreatic cancer. The main contributors to inequality were the mean years of schooling, life expectancy at birth, expected years of schooling, and urbanization. Global inequalities exist in pancreatic cancer incidence and mortality rates according to the HDI; in addition, inequality was more concentrated in countries with higher score of HDI. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Progression of Mortality due to Diseases of the Circulatory System and Human Development Index in Rio de Janeiro Municipalities

PubMed Central

Soares, Gabriel Porto; Klein, Carlos Henrique; Silva, Nelson Albuquerque de Souza e; de Oliveira, Glaucia Maria Moraes

2016-01-01

Background Diseases of the circulatory system (DCS) are the major cause of death in Brazil and worldwide. Objective To correlate the compensated and adjusted mortality rates due to DCS in the Rio de Janeiro State municipalities between 1979 and 2010 with the Human Development Index (HDI) from 1970 onwards. Methods Population and death data were obtained in DATASUS/MS database. Mortality rates due to ischemic heart diseases (IHD), cerebrovascular diseases (CBVD) and DCS adjusted by using the direct method and compensated for ill-defined causes. The HDI data were obtained at the Brazilian Institute of Applied Research in Economics. The mortality rates and HDI values were correlated by estimating Pearson linear coefficients. The correlation coefficients between the mortality rates of census years 1991, 2000 and 2010 and HDI data of census years 1970, 1980 and 1991 were calculated with discrepancy of two demographic censuses. The linear regression coefficients were estimated with disease as the dependent variable and HDI as the independent variable. Results In recent decades, there was a reduction in mortality due to DCS in all Rio de Janeiro State municipalities, mainly because of the decline in mortality due to CBVD, which was preceded by an elevation in HDI. There was a strong correlation between the socioeconomic indicator and mortality rates. Conclusion The HDI progression showed a strong correlation with the decline in mortality due to DCS, signaling to the relevance of improvements in life conditions. PMID:27849263

Progression of Mortality due to Diseases of the Circulatory System and Human Development Index in Rio de Janeiro Municipalities.

PubMed

Soares, Gabriel Porto; Klein, Carlos Henrique; Silva, Nelson Albuquerque de Souza E; Oliveira, Glaucia Maria Moraes de

2016-10-01

Diseases of the circulatory system (DCS) are the major cause of death in Brazil and worldwide. To correlate the compensated and adjusted mortality rates due to DCS in the Rio de Janeiro State municipalities between 1979 and 2010 with the Human Development Index (HDI) from 1970 onwards. Population and death data were obtained in DATASUS/MS database. Mortality rates due to ischemic heart diseases (IHD), cerebrovascular diseases (CBVD) and DCS adjusted by using the direct method and compensated for ill-defined causes. The HDI data were obtained at the Brazilian Institute of Applied Research in Economics. The mortality rates and HDI values were correlated by estimating Pearson linear coefficients. The correlation coefficients between the mortality rates of census years 1991, 2000 and 2010 and HDI data of census years 1970, 1980 and 1991 were calculated with discrepancy of two demographic censuses. The linear regression coefficients were estimated with disease as the dependent variable and HDI as the independent variable. In recent decades, there was a reduction in mortality due to DCS in all Rio de Janeiro State municipalities, mainly because of the decline in mortality due to CBVD, which was preceded by an elevation in HDI. There was a strong correlation between the socioeconomic indicator and mortality rates. The HDI progression showed a strong correlation with the decline in mortality due to DCS, signaling to the relevance of improvements in life conditions.

Human Development Index (HDI) of the maternal country of origin as a predictor of perinatal outcomes - a longitudinal study conducted in Spain.

PubMed

Garcia-Tizon Larroca, S; Arevalo-Serrano, J; Duran Vila, A; Pintado Recarte, M P; Cueto Hernandez, I; Solis Pierna, A; Lizarraga Bonelli, S; De Leon-Luis, J

2017-09-21

In an era of worldwide population displacement, recent studies have identified strong associations between social situations and perinatal outcomes among immigrants. Little is known about the effect of maternal social background on pregnancy outcomes. The Human Development Index (HDI) assesses the following dimensions of human development: life expectancy, education level and income. The objective of our study was to determine if maternal HDI may be used to identify women at increased odds of poor pregnancy outcomes. We conducted a longitudinal population-based study in a tertiary centre in Madrid, Spain. The outcome variables were maternal and perinatal/antenatal mortality, preeclampsia (PE), low birth weight (LBW), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), preterm delivery (PTD) before 37 and 34 gestational weeks, abnormal cardiotocography (CTG) during delivery, C-section (CS) due to abnormal CTG, pH < 7.10 at birth, Apgar at 5 min ≤ 7, and resuscitation type ≥3. We performed multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted for potential confounding variables to evaluate the associations between maternal HDI and perinatal outcomes. In total, 38,719 singleton infants who were born in our maternity ward between 2010 and 2016 and had perinatal outcome data available were included in this study. The neonates of women from medium/low HDI countries had significantly lower odds of low birth weight (LBW) than their very high HDI country counterparts (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.55-0.72). However, the odds of PTD before 37 gestational weeks and PE were higher in the medium/low HDI group than the very high HDI group (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.04-1.53; OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.02-1.79, respectively). Poorer neonatal outcomes were identified in the medium/low HDI group than the very high HDI group, including greater odds of abnormal CTG, CS due to abnormal CTG and Apgar 2 ≤ 7 (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that the infants of mothers from medium/low HDI had lower odds of LBW but higher odds of PTD, PE and poor neonatal outcomes. These results support the hypothesis that maternal HDI can be used to understand the impact of maternal origin on pregnancy outcomes. Further studies are needed to confirm its validity.

Incidence and Mortality of Breast Cancer and their Relationship with the Human Development Index (HDI) in the World in 2012.

PubMed

Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Mirzaei, Maryam; Salehiniya, Hamid

2015-01-01

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women worldwide and its incidence is generally increasing. In 2012, it was the second most common cancer in the world. It is necessary to obtain information on incidence and mortality for health planning. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the human development index (HDI), and the incidence and mortality rates of breast cancer in the world in 2012. This ecologic study concerns incidence rate and standardized mortality rates of the cancer from GLOBOCAN in 2012, and HDI and its components extracted from the global bank site. Data were analyzed using correlation tests and regression with SPSS software (version 15). Among the six regions of WHO, the highest breast cancer incidence rate (67.6) was observed in the PAHO, and the lowest incidence rate was 27.8 for SEARO. There was a direct, strong, and meaningful correlation between the standardized incidence rate and HDI (r=0.725, p≤0.001). Pearson correlation test showed that there was a significant correlation between age-specific incidence rate (ASIR) and components of the HDI (life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, and GNP). On the other, a non-significant relationship was observed between ASIR and HDI overall (r=0.091, p=0.241). In total, a significant relationship was not found between age-specific mortality rate (ASMR) and components of HDI. Significant positive correlations exist between ASIR and components of the HDI. Socioeconomic status is directly related to the stage of the cancer and patient's survival. With increasing the incidence rate of the cancer, mortality rate from the cancer does not necessariloy increase. This may be due to more early detection and treatment in developed that developing countries. It is necessary to increase awareness of risk factors and early detection in the latter.

Incidence and Mortality of Testicular Cancer and Relationships with Development in Asia.

PubMed

Sadeghi, Mostafa; Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Gandomani, Hamidreza Sadeghi; Rafiemanesh, Hosein; Salehiniya, Hamid

2016-01-01

Testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers among young men between ages 20-34 in countries with high or very high levels of the Human Development Index (HDI). This study investigated the incidence and mortality of prostate cancer and the relationship with the HDI and its dimensions in Asia in 2012. The study was conducted based on data from the world data of cancer and the World Bank (including the HDI and its components). Standardized incidence and mortality rates of testicular cancer were calculated for Asian countries. Correlations between incidence and/ormortality rates, and the HDI and its components were assessed with the use of the correlation test, using SPSS software. There was a total of 14902 incidences and 5832 death were recorded in Asian countries in 2012. Among the Asian countries, the five countries with the highest standardized incidence rates of testicular cancer were Israel, Georgia, Turkey, Lebanon and Kazakhstan and the five countries with the highest standardized mortality rates were Turkey, Georgia, Jordan, Cambodia and the Syrian Arab Republic. A positive correlation of 0.382 was observed between the standardized incidence rates of testicular cancer and the HDI (p=0.009). Also a negative correlation of 0.298 between the standardized mortality rate of testicular cancer and the Human Development Index was noted although this relation was statistically non-significant (p=0.052). There is a positive correlation between HDI and the standardized incidence rate of testicular cancer and negative correlation with standardized mortality rate.

Incidence and mortality of kidney cancers, and human development index in Asia; a matter of concern

PubMed Central

Arabsalmani, Masoumeh; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Hadadian, Fatemeh; Towhidi, Farhad; Vafaee, Kamran; Salehiniya, Hamid

2017-01-01

Background The incidence and mortality of kidney cancer have steadily increased by 2%- 3% per decade worldwide, and an increased risk of kidney cancer has been observed in many Asian countries. The information on the incidence and mortality of a disease and its distribution is essential for better planning for prevention and further studies. Objectives This study aimed to assess the incidence and mortality of kidney cancer and their correlation with the human development index (HDI) in Asia. Materials and Methods This ecological study was based on GLOBOCAN data Asia for assessment the correlation between age-specific incidence rate (ASIR) and age-specific mortality rate (ASMR) with HDI and its details that include life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling and gross national income (GNI) per capita. We use of correlation bivariate method for assessment the correlation between ASIR and ASMR with HDI and its components. Results A total of 121 099 kidney cancer cases were recorded in Asian countries in 2012.Overall, 80 080 cases (66.12%) were males. Sex ratio was 1.95. The three countries with the highest number of new patients were china (66 466 cases), Japan (16 830 cases), India(9658 cases), respectively. Positive correlation were seen between HDI and ASIR of kidney cancer 0.655 (P = 0.001), and HDI and ASMR of kidney cancer 0.285 (P = 0.055). Conclusions A positive relationship between ASIR and the HDI was seen. The relationship is due to risk factors in countries with high development such as older age, smoking, hypertension, obesity, and diet. However, ASMR showed no significant relationship with HDI. PMID:28042551

Human development, poverty, health & nutrition situation in India.

PubMed

Antony, G M; Laxmaiah, A

2008-08-01

Human development index (HDI) is extensively used to measure the standard of living of a country. India made a study progress in the HDI value. Extreme poverty is concentrated in rural areas of northern States while income growth has been dynamic in southern States and urban areas. This study was undertaken to assess the trends in HDI, human poverty index (HPI) and incidence of poverty among Indian states, the socio-economic, health, and diet and nutritional indicators which determine the HDI, changes in protein and calorie adequacy status of rural population, and also trends in malnutrition among children in India. The variations in socio-economic, demographic and dietary indicators by grades of HDI were studied. The trends in poverty and nutrition were also studied. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis were done to analyse data. While India's HDI value has improved over a time; our rank did not improve much compared to other developing countries. Human poverty has not reduced considerably as per the HPI values. The undernutrition among preschool children is still a major public health problem in India. The incidence of poverty at different levels of calorie requirement has not reduced in both rural and urban areas. The time trends in nutritional status of pre-school children showed that, even though, there is an improvement in stunting over the years, the trend in wasting and underweight has not improved much. Proper nutrition and health awareness are important to tackle the health hazards of developmental transition. Despite several national nutrition programmes in operation, we could not make a significant dent in the area of health and nutrition. The changing dietary practices of the urban population, especially the middle class, are of concern. Further studies are needed to measure the human development and poverty situation of different sections of the population in India using an index, which includes both income indicators and non income indicators.

Energy expenditure in adults living in developing compared with industrialized countries: a meta-analysis of doubly labeled water studies123

PubMed Central

Dugas, Lara R; Harders, Regina; Merrill, Sarah; Ebersole, Kara; Shoham, David A; Rush, Elaine C; Assah, Felix K; Forrester, Terrence; Durazo-Arvizu, Ramon A; Luke, Amy

2011-01-01

Background: There is an assumption that people in developing countries have a higher total energy expenditure (TEE) and physical activity level (PAL) than do people in developed nations, but few objective data for this assertion exist. Objective: We conducted a meta-analysis of TEE and PAL by using data from countries that have a low or middle human development index (HDI) compared with those with a high HDI to better understand how energy-expenditure variables are associated with development status and population differences in body size. Design: We performed a literature search for studies in which energy expenditure was measured by using doubly labeled water. Mean data on age, weight, body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2), TEE, and PAL were extracted, and HDI status was assessed. Pooled estimates of the mean effect by sex were obtained, and the extent to which age, weight, HDI status, and year of publication explained heterogeneity was assessed. Results: A total of 98 studies (14 studies from low- or middle-HDI countries) that represented 183 cohorts and 4972 individuals were included. Mean (±SE) BMI was lower in countries with a low or middle HDI than in those with a high HDI for both men and women (22.7 ± 1.0 compared with 26.0 ± 0.7, respectively, in men and 24.3 ± 0.7 compared with 26.6 ± 0.4, respectively, in women). In meta-regression models, there was an inverse association of age (P < 0.001) and a positive association of weight (P < 0.001) with TEE for both sexes; there was an association of age only in men with PAL (P < 0.001). There was no association of HDI status with either TEE or PAL. Conclusion: TEE adjusted for weight and age or PAL did not differ significantly between developing and industrialized countries, which calls into question the role of energy expenditure in the cause of obesity at the population level. PMID:21159791

Impact of Human Development Index on the profile and outcomes of patients with acute coronary syndrome.

PubMed

Roy, Ambuj; Roe, Matthew T; Neely, Megan L; Cyr, Derek D; Zamoryakhin, Dmitry; Fox, Keith A A; White, Harvey D; Armstrong, Paul W; Ohman, E Magnus; Prabhakaran, Dorairaj

2015-02-01

To study the impact of national economic and human development status on patient profiles and outcomes in the setting of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We conducted a retrospective analysis of the Targeted Platelet Inhibition to Clarify the Optimal Strategy to Medically Manage Acute Coronary Syndromes trial (TRILOGY ACS) population (51 countries; 9301 patients). Outcome measures compared baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes through 30 months by 2010 country-level United Nations Human Development Indices (HDIs) and per-capita gross national income. TRILOGY ACS enrolled 3659 patients from 27 very-high HDI countries, 3744 from 18 high-HDI countries and 1898 from 6 medium-HDI countries. Baseline characteristics of groups varied significantly, with the medium-HDI group having a lower mean age (63.0 years, vs 65.0 and 68.0 years for high-HDI and very-high HDI, respectively; p<0.001), lower baseline Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events risk score and lower rate of non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (58.0%, vs 62.2% and 83.9% among high-HDI and very-high HDI, respectively). Medium-HDI and high-HDI patients had lower unadjusted 30-month rates for the composite of cardiovascular death/myocardial infarction/stroke (17.6%, 16.9% and 23.1% for medium-HDI, high-HDI and very-high HDI, respectively); this difference disappeared after adjusting for baseline characteristics. Adjusted HRs for the composite endpoint were lower in lower-income/middle-income countries vs upper-income/middle-income (0.791(95% CI 0.632 to 0.990)) and high-income countries (0.756 (95% CI 0.616 to 0.928)), with differences largely attributable to myocardial infarction rates. Clinical patient profiles differed substantially by country HDI groupings. Lower unadjusted event rates in medium-HDI countries may be explained by younger age and lower comorbidity burden among these countries' patients. This heterogeneity in patient recruitment across country HDI groupings may have important implications for future global ACS trial design. NCT00699998. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Distribution of Brazilian dermatologists according to geographic location, population and HDI of municipalities: an ecological study*

PubMed Central

Schmitt, Juliano Vilaverde; Miot, Hélio Amante

2014-01-01

This study investigated the geographic distribution of dermatologists in Brazilian municipalities in relation to the population, regions of the country and human development index. We conducted an ecological study based on data from the 2010 census, the 2010 human development index, and the records of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology. 5565 municipalities and 6718 dermatologists were surveyed. Only 504 (9.1%) municipalities had dermatologists, and accounted for 56.2% of the Brazilian population. The smallest population size and lowest HDI rate that best discriminated municipalities that did not have dermatologists were found to be 28,000 and 0.71, respectively. The average population density of dermatologists in cities was 1/23.000 inhabitants, and variations were independently associated with the HDI, the population of the municipalities and the region of the country. PMID:25387516

Global Incidence and Mortality Rates of Stomach Cancer and the Human Development Index: an Ecological Study.

PubMed

Khazaei, Salman; Rezaeian, Shahab; Soheylizad, Mokhtar; Khazaei, Somayeh; Biderafsh, Azam

2016-01-01

Stomach cancer (SC) is the second leading cause of cancer death with the rate of 10.4% in the world. The correlation between the incidence and mortality rates of SC and human development index (HDI) has not been globally determined. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the association between the incidence and mortality rates of SC and HDI in various regions. In this global ecological study, we used the data about the incidence and mortality rate of SC and HDI from the global cancer project and the United Nations Development Programme database, respectively. In 2012, SCs were estimated to have affected a total of 951,594 individuals (crude rate: 13.5 per 100,000 individuals) with a male/female ratio of 1.97, and caused 723,073 deaths worldwide (crude rate: 10.2 per 100,000 individuals). There was a positive correlation between the HDI and both incidence (r=0.28, <0.05) and mortality rates of SC (r=0.13, P = 0.1) in the world in 2012. The high incidence and mortality rates of SC in countries with high and very high HDI is remarkable which should be the top priority of interventions for global health policymakers. In addition, health programs should be provided to reduce the burden of this disease in the regions with high incidence and mortality rates of SC.

Socioeconomic status is associated with global diabetes prevalence

PubMed Central

Xu, Zhiye; Yu, Dan; Yin, Xueyao; Zheng, Fenping; Li, Hong

2017-01-01

The incidence of diabetes is increasing globally. We investigated the relationship between diabetes prevalence and patient socioeconomic status across multiple countries. We searched PubMed to identify population-based surveys reporting diabetes prevalence between 1990 and May 2016. Search results were filtered, and Human Development Index (HDI) values from the United Nations Development Programme were used to assess socioeconomic status for a given nation. Our analysis included 45 national surveys from 32 countries. Diabetes prevalence was positively correlated with national HDI (r = 0.421 P = 0.041) in developing countries, and negatively correlated with HDI (r = −0.442 P = 0.045) in developed countries. Diabetes prevalence trends were the same in women and men, although men were associated with increased diabetes risk in developed countries (r = 0.459 P = 0.048). Thus, diabetes prevalence rises with increasing HDI in developing countries, and this is reversed in developed countries. Ours is the first study to investigate the relationship between diabetes and socioeconomic status at global level using HDI values. These results will aid in evaluating global diabetes prevalence and risk with respect to patient socioeconomic status, and will be useful in the development of policies that help reduce disease incidence. PMID:28574844

Socioeconomic status is associated with global diabetes prevalence.

PubMed

Xu, Zhiye; Yu, Dan; Yin, Xueyao; Zheng, Fenping; Li, Hong

2017-07-04

The incidence of diabetes is increasing globally. We investigated the relationship between diabetes prevalence and patient socioeconomic status across multiple countries. We searched PubMed to identify population-based surveys reporting diabetes prevalence between 1990 and May 2016. Search results were filtered, and Human Development Index (HDI) values from the United Nations Development Programme were used to assess socioeconomic status for a given nation. Our analysis included 45 national surveys from 32 countries. Diabetes prevalence was positively correlated with national HDI (r = 0.421 P = 0.041) in developing countries, and negatively correlated with HDI (r = -0.442 P = 0.045) in developed countries. Diabetes prevalence trends were the same in women and men, although men were associated with increased diabetes risk in developed countries (r = 0.459 P = 0.048). Thus, diabetes prevalence rises with increasing HDI in developing countries, and this is reversed in developed countries. Ours is the first study to investigate the relationship between diabetes and socioeconomic status at global level using HDI values. These results will aid in evaluating global diabetes prevalence and risk with respect to patient socioeconomic status, and will be useful in the development of policies that help reduce disease incidence.

Indigenous well-being in four countries: an application of the UNDP'S human development index to indigenous peoples in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States.

PubMed

Cooke, Martin; Mitrou, Francis; Lawrence, David; Guimond, Eric; Beavon, Dan

2007-12-20

Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand consistently place near the top of the United Nations Development Programme's Human Development Index (HDI) rankings, yet all have minority Indigenous populations with much poorer health and social conditions than non-Indigenous peoples. It is unclear just how the socioeconomic and health status of Indigenous peoples in these countries has changed in recent decades, and it remains generally unknown whether the overall conditions of Indigenous peoples are improving and whether the gaps between Indigenous peoples and other citizens have indeed narrowed. There is unsettling evidence that they may not have. It was the purpose of this study to determine how these gaps have narrowed or widened during the decade 1990 to 2000. Census data and life expectancy estimates from government sources were used to adapt the Human Development Index (HDI) to examine how the broad social, economic, and health status of Indigenous populations in these countries have changed since 1990. Three indices - life expectancy, educational attainment, and income - were combined into a single HDI measure. Between 1990 and 2000, the HDI scores of Indigenous peoples in North America and New Zealand improved at a faster rate than the general populations, closing the gap in human development. In Australia, the HDI scores of Indigenous peoples decreased while the general populations improved, widening the gap in human development. While these countries are considered to have high human development according to the UNDP, the Indigenous populations that reside within them have only medium levels of human development. The inconsistent progress in the health and well-being of Indigenous populations over time, and relative to non-Indigenous populations, points to the need for further efforts to improve the social, economic, and physical health of Indigenous peoples.

The modifying influence of country development on the effect of individual educational attainment on self-rated health.

PubMed

van der Kooi, Anne L F; Stronks, Karien; Thompson, Caroline A; DerSarkissian, Maral; Arah, Onyebuchi A

2013-11-01

We investigated how much the Human Development Index (HDI), a global measure of development, modifies the effect of education on self-reported health. We analyzed cross-sectional World Health Survey data on 217,642 individuals from 49 countries, collected in 2002 to 2005, with random-intercept multilevel linear regression models. We observed greater positive associations between educational levels and self-reported good health with increasing HDI. The magnitude of this effect modification of the education-health relation tended to increase with educational attainment. For example, before adjustment for effect modification, at comparable HDI, on average, finishing primary school was associated with better general health (b = 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18, 1.80). With adjustment for effect modification by HDI, the impact became 4.63 (95% CI = 3.63, 5.62) for every 0.1 increase in HDI. Among those who completed high school, these associations were, respectively, 5.59 (95% CI = 5.20, 5.98) and 9.95 (95% CI = 8.89, 11.00). The health benefits of educational attainment are greater in countries with greater human development. Health inequalities attributable to education are, therefore, larger in more developed countries.

Early childhood development: impact of national human development, family poverty, parenting practices and access to early childhood education.

PubMed

Tran, T D; Luchters, S; Fisher, J

2017-05-01

This study was to describe and quantify the relationships among family poverty, parents' caregiving practices, access to education and the development of children living in low- and middle-income countries (LAMIC). We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected in UNICEF's Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). Early childhood development was assessed in four domains: language-cognitive, physical, socio-emotional and approaches to learning. Countries were classified into three groups on the basis of the Human Development Index (HDI). Overall, data from 97 731 children aged 36 to 59 months from 35 LAMIC were included in the after analyses. The mean child development scale score was 4.93 out of a maximum score of 10 (95%CI 4.90 to 4.97) in low-HDI countries and 7.08 (95%CI 7.05 to 7.12) in high-HDI countries. Family poverty was associated with lower child development scores in all countries. The total indirect effect of family poverty on child development score via attending early childhood education, care for the child at home and use of harsh punishments at home was -0.13 SD (77.8% of the total effect) in low-HDI countries, -0.09 SD (23.8% of the total effect) in medium-HDI countries and -0.02 SD (6.9% of the total effect) in high-HDI countries. Children in the most disadvantaged position in their societies and children living in low-HDI countries are at the greatest risk of failing to reach their developmental potential. Optimizing care for child development at home is essential to reduce the adverse effects of poverty on children's early development and subsequent life. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Epidemiology, incidence and mortality of lung cancer and their relationship with the development index in the world

PubMed Central

Rafiemanesh, Hosein; Mehtarpour, Mojtaba; Khani, Farah; Hesami, Sayed Mohammadali; Shamlou, Reza; Towhidi, Farhad; Makhsosi, Behnam Reza; Moini, Ali

2016-01-01

Background The highest incidence of lung cancer is seen in North America and the lowest incidence in central Africa. Socioeconomic factors of inequality reflect regional disparities in human development. Due to the importance of awareness about incidence and mortality of lung cancer in health programming and the possible role of the human development index (HDI), this study was done with the aim to investigate the epidemiology of lung cancer in the world and its relationship with HDI. Methods The study was conducted based on data from the world data of cancer and the World Bank (including the HDI and its components). Data about the age-specific incidence and mortality rate (ASR) for every country in 2012 were getting from the global cancer project. To analyze data, correlation tests between incidence and death rates, and HDI and its components were employed with a significance level of 0.05 using SPSS software. Results Lung cancer with standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and standardized mortality rate (ASMR), equal to 23.1 and 19.7 (in 100,000 people), respectively. The highest and lowest values of mortality incidence ratio (MIR) for lung cancer due to continents division were 0.93 and 0.71 for Eastern Africa and Australia/New Zealand, respectively. Univariate analysis showed significant relationship (P<0.0001) between ASIR and ASMR with life expectancy at birth and mean years of schooling. Conclusions The highest MIR for lung cancer was for medium human development countries. Linear regression analysis showed a reverse significant relationship between MIR and HDI. PMID:27293825

Epidemiology, incidence and mortality of lung cancer and their relationship with the development index in the world.

PubMed

Rafiemanesh, Hosein; Mehtarpour, Mojtaba; Khani, Farah; Hesami, Sayed Mohammadali; Shamlou, Reza; Towhidi, Farhad; Salehiniya, Hamid; Makhsosi, Behnam Reza; Moini, Ali

2016-06-01

The highest incidence of lung cancer is seen in North America and the lowest incidence in central Africa. Socioeconomic factors of inequality reflect regional disparities in human development. Due to the importance of awareness about incidence and mortality of lung cancer in health programming and the possible role of the human development index (HDI), this study was done with the aim to investigate the epidemiology of lung cancer in the world and its relationship with HDI. The study was conducted based on data from the world data of cancer and the World Bank (including the HDI and its components). Data about the age-specific incidence and mortality rate (ASR) for every country in 2012 were getting from the global cancer project. To analyze data, correlation tests between incidence and death rates, and HDI and its components were employed with a significance level of 0.05 using SPSS software. Lung cancer with standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and standardized mortality rate (ASMR), equal to 23.1 and 19.7 (in 100,000 people), respectively. The highest and lowest values of mortality incidence ratio (MIR) for lung cancer due to continents division were 0.93 and 0.71 for Eastern Africa and Australia/New Zealand, respectively. Univariate analysis showed significant relationship (P<0.0001) between ASIR and ASMR with life expectancy at birth and mean years of schooling. The highest MIR for lung cancer was for medium human development countries. Linear regression analysis showed a reverse significant relationship between MIR and HDI.

Housing Quality and Access to Material and Learning Resources within the Home Environment in Developing Countries

PubMed Central

Bradley, Robert H.; Putnick, Diane L.

2011-01-01

This study examined home environment conditions (housing quality, material resources, formal and informal learning materials) and their relations with the Human Development Index (HDI) in 28 developing countries. Home environment conditions in these countries varied widely. The quality of housing and availability of material resources at home were consistently tied to HDI; the availability of formal and informal learning materials little less so. Gross domestic product (GDP) tended to show a stronger independent relation with housing quality and material resources than life expectancy and education. Formal learning resources were independently related to the GDP and education indices, and informal learning resources were not independently related to any constituent indices of the overall HDI. PMID:22277008

Prevalence of metastasis at diagnosis of osteosarcoma: an international comparison

PubMed Central

Marko, Tracy A.; Diessner, Brandon J.; Spector, Logan G.

2016-01-01

Background Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor in many countries, with metastatic disease responsible for most patient deaths. This study compares the prevalence of metastatic osteosarcoma at diagnosis across countries to inform the critical question of whether diagnostic delay or tumor biology drives metastases development prior to diagnosis. Procedure A literature search of the PubMed database was conducted to compare the prevalence of metastatic disease at the time of OS diagnosis between countries. A pooled prevalence with 95% confidence intervals was calculated for each study meeting inclusion criteria. Studies were grouped for analysis based on human development index (HDI) scores. Results Our analysis found an 18% (95% CI: 15%, 20%) average global pooled proportion of metastasis at osteosarcoma diagnosis. The average prevalence of metastasis at diagnosis increased as HDI groupings decreased, with very high HDI, high HDI, and medium/ low HDI groups found to be 15% (95% CI: 13%, 17%), 20% (95% CI: 14%, 28%), and 31% (95% CI: 15%, 52%), respectively. Conclusions Our evidence suggests there is a biological baseline for metastatic OS at diagnosis, which is observed in countries with very high HDI. In countries with medium/ low HDI, where there are more barriers to accessing healthcare, the higher prevalence of metastasis may result from treatment delay or an artificial prevalence inflation due to patients with less severe symptoms not presenting to clinic. Additional research in countries with medium/ low HDI may reveal that earlier detection and treatment could improve patient outcomes in those countries. PMID:26929018

The impact of the HDI on the association of psychosocial work demands with sickness absence and presenteeism.

PubMed

Muckenhuber, Johanna; Burkert, Nathalie; Dorner, Thomas E; Großschädl, Franziska; Freidl, Wolfgang

2014-10-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether psychosocial work demands have a different impact on sickness absence and presenteeism in countries with a high vs. countries with a low Human Development Index (HDI). This article is based on an analysis of the fifth European Working Conditions Survey. We investigated single items as well as complex constructs and indices. Sickness absence and presenteeism were measured as outcome variables. Following the model of Karasek and Theorell, we measured the HDI at the macro level and psychosocial job demands at the micro level as independent variables. The multivariate multilevel analysis reveals a significant association between the HDI and the number of days recorded for sickness absence. In countries with a higher HDI, people report a lower number of days with sickness absence. Higher psychosocial job demands are associated with poorer health. There are significant cross-level interaction effects between psychosocial job demands and the HDI for these associations. Psychosocial job demands are stronger associated with sickness absence and presenteeism in high-HDI than in low-HDI countries. We argue that Public Health Actions that are connected to work characteristics need to take into consideration the level of HDI of the countries. In low- and high-HDI countries, different actions could be necessary to reach the needs of the working population. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Impact of human development on safety consciousness in construction.

PubMed

Baradan, Selim; Dikmen, Seyyit Umit; Akboga Kale, Ozge

2018-05-03

The International Labour Organization (ILO) reports that the risk of fatal occupational injuries in developing countries is almost twice as high as in developed countries, indicating a potential relationship between the fatality rates and the development level. The human development index (HDI), based on life expectancy, knowledge level and purchasing power parity, endorsed by the United Nations Development Programme, is a widely accepted measure of the development level. This study investigates the relationship between the HDI and the fatality rates reported by the ILO. A 23-country data set is used to demonstrate the general trend of the relationship followed by country-specific analyses for Australia, Spain, Hungary and Turkey. The study conducted is limited to fatal occupational injuries in construction, where the accidents are notoriously high. The results demonstrate a statistically significant inverse relationship between the fatality rates and the HDI.

Incidence and mortality of kidney cancer and its relationship with HDI (Human Development Index) in the world in 2012.

PubMed

Mohammadian, Maryam; Pakzad, Reza; Towhidi, Farhad; Makhsosi, Behnam Reza; Ahmadi, Abbas; Salehiniya, Hamid

2017-01-01

Kidney cancer is among the cancers that have the highest growth rate in all age and racial groups in the world and is as the most deadly type of urinary tract cancer. Since awareness about this cancer incidence status and mortality is essential for better planning, this study aimed to investigate the incidence and mortality rate of kidney cancer and its relationship with the development index in the world in 2012. This study was an ecological study conducted based on GLOBOCAN project of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the countries in the world. The correlation between Standardized Incidence Rates (SIRs) and Standardized Mortality Rates (SMRs) of kidney cancer with HDI and its components was assessed using SPSS18. In total, 337,860 incidence cases (213,924 were men and 123,936 women) and 143,406 deaths (90,802 cases in men and 52,604 in women) of kidney cancer were recorded in 2012. A positive correlation of 0.731 was seen between SIR of kidney cancer and HDI (p≤0.001). Also, a negative correlation of 0.627 was seen between SMR of kidney cancer and HDI (p≤0.001). The incidence and mortality rate of kidney cancer is higher in developed countries. A significant positive correlation has been seen between the standardized incidence and mortality rate of kidney cancer with the Human Development Index and its components. We need more studies to examine variation in incidence and mortality of kidney cancer and its related factors in the world.

Global Dental Research Productivity and Its Association With Human Development, Gross National Income, and Political Stability.

PubMed

Allareddy, Veerasathpurush; Allareddy, Veeratrishul; Rampa, Sankeerth; Nalliah, Romesh P; Elangovan, Satheesh

2015-09-01

The objective of this study is to examine the associations between country level factors (such as human development, economic productivity, and political stability) and their dental research productivity. This study is a cross-sectional analysis of bibliometric data from Scopus search engine. Human Development Index (HDI), Gross National Income per capita (GNI), and Failed State Index measures were the independent variables. Outcomes were "Total number of publications (articles or articles in press) in the field of dentistry" and "Total number of publications in the field of dentistry per million population." Non-parametric tests were used to examine the association between the independent and outcome variables. During the year 2013, a total of 11,952 dental research articles were published across the world. The top 5 publishing countries were United States, Brazil, India, Japan, and United Kingdom. "Very High" HDI countries had significantly higher number of total dental research articles and dental research articles per million population when compared to the "High HDI," "Medium HDI," and "Low HDI" countries (p < 0.0001). There was a significant linear relationship between the GNI quartile income levels and outcome metrics (p ≤ 0.007). Countries which were highly politically stable were associated with significantly higher dental research productivity (p < 0.0001). There appears to be a regional concentration of articles with just five countries contributing to over 50% of all articles. The human development and economic development of a country are linearly correlated with dental research productivity. Dental research productivity also increases with increasing political stability of a country. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Incidence and Mortality of Colorectal Cancer and Relationships with the Human Development Index across the World.

PubMed

Rafiemanesh, Hosein; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Sepehri, Zahra; Shamlou, Reza; Salehiniya, Hamid; Towhidi, Farhad; Makhsosi, Behnam Reza

2016-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the standardized incidence and mortality rate of colorectal cancer and its relationship with the human development index (HDI) across the world in 2012. This ecologic study was conducted for assessment of the correlation between age-specific incidence rate (ASIR) and age-specific mortality rate (ASMR) with HDI and its components. Data for SIR and SMR for every country for the year 2012 were obtained from the global cancer project. We used a bivariate method for assessment of the correlation between SIR and SMR and HDI. Statistical significance was assumed at <0.05. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS (Version 22.0, SPSS Inc.). Countries with the highest SIR of colorectal cancer in the world in 2012, were Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Hungary and countries with the highest SMR were Hungary, Croatia and Slovakia. The correlation between SIR of colorectal cancer and the HDI was 0.712 (P≤0.001), with life expectancy at birth 0.513 (P≤0.001), with mean years of schooling 0.641 (P≤0.001) and with level of income per each person of the population 0.514 (P=0.013). In addition, the correlation between SMR of colorectal cancer and the HDI was 0.628 (P≤0.001), with life expectancy at birth 0.469 (P≤0.001), with mean years of schooling 0.592 (P≤0.001) and with level of income per each person of the population 0.378 (P=0.013). The highest SIR and SMR of colorectal cancer was in the WHO Europe region. There was a positive correlation between HDI and SIR and SMR of colorectal cancer.

Housing quality and access to material and learning resources within the home environment in developing countries.

PubMed

Bradley, Robert H; Putnick, Diane L

2012-01-01

This study examined home environment conditions (housing quality, material resources, formal and informal learning materials) and their relations with the Human Development Index (HDI) in 28 developing countries. Home environment conditions in these countries varied widely. The quality of housing and availability of material resources at home were consistently tied to HDI; the availability of formal and informal learning materials a little less so. Gross domestic product (GDP) tended to show a stronger independent relation with housing quality and material resources than life expectancy and education. Formal learning resources were independently related to the GDP and education indices, and informal learning resources were not independently related to any constituent indices of the overall HDI. © 2012 The Authors. Child Development © 2012 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Spatial and gender scenario of literate life expectancy at birth in India.

PubMed

Chattopadhyay, Aparajita; Sinha, Kumar Chiman

2010-10-01

Measuring human quality of life is academically challenging. The human development index (HDI) substantially captures the overall country level status on human welfare. However, this index has some drawbacks. Therefore, Lutz composed a simple index in 1995 combining life expectancy and literacy, called literate life expectancy (LLE). LLE can be calculated for subpopulations depending on availability of data. This article captures the LLE in major states in India and the gender differences in LLE at rural and urban levels. The authors have tried to highlight the social development scenario in India and its major states by using this pure social indicator that intentionally does not use any economic measurement. The state scenario comprehensively depicts gender differentials in social development, and it calls for implementing development measures more seriously in states like Haryana, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh to reduce the gender gap. Being highly correlated with the HDI, the LLE index proves to be a very clear and simple comprehensive measure of social development for different subpopulations.

Another Approach to Measuring Human Development: The Composite Dynamic Human Development Index

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bilbao-Ubillos, Javier

2013-01-01

This paper seeks mainly to contribute to the debate on how the relative degree of development of a country should be measured by proposing an indicator to build on the valuable starting point provided by the Human Development Index (HDI). The indicator proposed is called the "Composite, Dynamic Human Development Index". It incorporates in a simple…

Dataset on the prevalence of tobacco smoking in men and women of selected countries whit difference human development.

PubMed

Riahi, Mina; Mohammadi, Ali Akbar; Rohani, Hosein; Bidkhori, Mohammad

2018-06-01

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of human development index (HDI) on tobacco smoking prevalence in men and women of countries which their data about tobacco smoking were available for 2015. Pearson's correlation coefficient and linear regression were used to investigate the association between HDI and all types of smoking, particularly cigarette. Daily smoking and current smoking were used as tobacco smoking indices. The information about prevalence of tobacco smoking and HDI was obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO) website and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), respectively. The results showed that there is no statistically significant relationship between HDI and current tobacco smoking in men (B = -0.45_CI 95%: -29.97, 29.06). However, the same association was significant for women (B = 43.87, CI 95%: 24.97-62.78). The results indicated that women in developed countries are more at risk of health effects attributed to tobacco smoking. Countries should focus on socioeconomic factors to prevent the spread of risk factors for non-communicable diseases.

Incidence and Mortality of Breast Cancer and their Relationship to Development in Asia.

PubMed

Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Salehiniya, Hamid

2015-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the incidence and mortality of breast cancer, and its relationship with human development index (HDI) and its components in Asia in 2012. This study was an ecologic study in Asia for assessment of the correlation between age-specific incidence rate (ASIR) and age-specific mortality rate (ASMR) with HDI and its details that include: life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling and gross national income (GNI) per capita. Data about SIR and SMR for every Asian country for the year 2012 were obtained from the global cancer project. We used a bivariate method for assessment of the correlation between SIR and SMR and HDI and its individual components. Statistical significance was assumed if P<0.05. All reported P-values are two-sided. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS (Version 15.0, SPSS Inc.). In 2012, 639,824 cases of breast cancer were recorded in Asian countries. Countries with the highest standardized incidence rate (ASIR) (per 100,000) were Israel (80.5), Lebanon (78.7), Armenia (74.1) and the highest standard mortality rate (ASMR) was observed in Pakistan (25.2), Armenia (24.2), and Lebanon (24). There was a positive correlation between the ASIR of breast cancer and HDI (r = 0.556, p <0.001), whereas there was a negative correlation between the ASMR of breast cancer and HDI (r = -0.051). Breast cancer incidence in countries with higher development is greater, while mortality is greatest in countries with less development. There was a positive and significant relationship between the ASIR of breast cancer and HDI and its components. Also there was a negative but non significant relationship between the ASMR of breast cancer and HDI.

Neighborhoods in Development: Human Development Index and Self-Organizing Maps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rende, Sevinc; Donduran, Murat

2013-01-01

The Human Development Index (HDI) has been instrumental in broadening the discussion of economic development beyond money-metric progress, in particular, by ranking a country against other countries in terms of the well being of their citizens. We propose self-organizing maps to explore similarities among countries using the components of the HDI…

Determinants of morbidity and mortality following emergency abdominal surgery in children in low-income and middle-income countries.

PubMed

2016-01-01

Child health is a key priority on the global health agenda, yet the provision of essential and emergency surgery in children is patchy in resource-poor regions. This study was aimed to determine the mortality risk for emergency abdominal paediatric surgery in low-income countries globally. Multicentre, international, prospective, cohort study. Self-selected surgical units performing emergency abdominal surgery submitted prespecified data for consecutive children aged <16 years during a 2-week period between July and December 2014. The United Nation's Human Development Index (HDI) was used to stratify countries. The main outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality, analysed by multilevel logistic regression. This study included 1409 patients from 253 centres in 43 countries; 282 children were under 2 years of age. Among them, 265 (18.8%) were from low-HDI, 450 (31.9%) from middle-HDI and 694 (49.3%) from high-HDI countries. The most common operations performed were appendectomy, small bowel resection, pyloromyotomy and correction of intussusception. After adjustment for patient and hospital risk factors, child mortality at 30 days was significantly higher in low-HDI (adjusted OR 7.14 (95% CI 2.52 to 20.23), p<0.001) and middle-HDI (4.42 (1.44 to 13.56), p=0.009) countries compared with high-HDI countries, translating to 40 excess deaths per 1000 procedures performed. Adjusted mortality in children following emergency abdominal surgery may be as high as 7 times greater in low-HDI and middle-HDI countries compared with high-HDI countries. Effective provision of emergency essential surgery should be a key priority for global child health agendas. NCT02179112; Pre-results.

Determinants of morbidity and mortality following emergency abdominal surgery in children in low-income and middle-income countries

PubMed Central

Ademuyiwa, Adesoji O

2016-01-01

Background Child health is a key priority on the global health agenda, yet the provision of essential and emergency surgery in children is patchy in resource-poor regions. This study was aimed to determine the mortality risk for emergency abdominal paediatric surgery in low-income countries globally. Methods Multicentre, international, prospective, cohort study. Self-selected surgical units performing emergency abdominal surgery submitted prespecified data for consecutive children aged <16 years during a 2-week period between July and December 2014. The United Nation's Human Development Index (HDI) was used to stratify countries. The main outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality, analysed by multilevel logistic regression. Results This study included 1409 patients from 253 centres in 43 countries; 282 children were under 2 years of age. Among them, 265 (18.8%) were from low-HDI, 450 (31.9%) from middle-HDI and 694 (49.3%) from high-HDI countries. The most common operations performed were appendectomy, small bowel resection, pyloromyotomy and correction of intussusception. After adjustment for patient and hospital risk factors, child mortality at 30 days was significantly higher in low-HDI (adjusted OR 7.14 (95% CI 2.52 to 20.23), p<0.001) and middle-HDI (4.42 (1.44 to 13.56), p=0.009) countries compared with high-HDI countries, translating to 40 excess deaths per 1000 procedures performed. Conclusions Adjusted mortality in children following emergency abdominal surgery may be as high as 7 times greater in low-HDI and middle-HDI countries compared with high-HDI countries. Effective provision of emergency essential surgery should be a key priority for global child health agendas. Trial registration number NCT02179112; Pre-results. PMID:28588977

Deep cultural ancestry and human development indicators across nation states

PubMed Central

Sookias, Roland B.; Passmore, Samuel

2018-01-01

How historical connections, events and cultural proximity can influence human development is being increasingly recognized. One aspect of history that has only recently begun to be examined is deep cultural ancestry, i.e. the vertical relationships of descent between cultures, which can be represented by a phylogenetic tree of descent. Here, we test whether deep cultural ancestry predicts the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) for 44 Eurasian countries, using language ancestry as a proxy for cultural relatedness and controlling for three additional factors—geographical proximity, religion and former communism. While cultural ancestry alone predicts HDI and its subcomponents (income, health and education indices), when geographical proximity is included only income and health indices remain significant and the effect is small. When communism and religion variables are included, cultural ancestry is no longer a significant predictor; communism significantly negatively predicts HDI, income and health indices, and Muslim percentage of the population significantly negatively predicts education index, although the latter result may not be robust. These findings indicate that geographical proximity and recent cultural history—especially communism—are more important than deep cultural factors in current human development and suggest the efficacy of modern policy initiatives is not tightly constrained by cultural ancestry. PMID:29765628

Deep cultural ancestry and human development indicators across nation states.

PubMed

Sookias, Roland B; Passmore, Samuel; Atkinson, Quentin D

2018-04-01

How historical connections, events and cultural proximity can influence human development is being increasingly recognized. One aspect of history that has only recently begun to be examined is deep cultural ancestry, i.e. the vertical relationships of descent between cultures, which can be represented by a phylogenetic tree of descent. Here, we test whether deep cultural ancestry predicts the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) for 44 Eurasian countries, using language ancestry as a proxy for cultural relatedness and controlling for three additional factors-geographical proximity, religion and former communism. While cultural ancestry alone predicts HDI and its subcomponents (income, health and education indices), when geographical proximity is included only income and health indices remain significant and the effect is small. When communism and religion variables are included, cultural ancestry is no longer a significant predictor; communism significantly negatively predicts HDI, income and health indices, and Muslim percentage of the population significantly negatively predicts education index, although the latter result may not be robust. These findings indicate that geographical proximity and recent cultural history-especially communism-are more important than deep cultural factors in current human development and suggest the efficacy of modern policy initiatives is not tightly constrained by cultural ancestry.

Mortality in Digestive Cancers, 2012: International Data and Data from Romania.

PubMed

Valean, Simona; Acalovschi, Monica; Diculescu, Mircea; Manuc, Mircea; Goldis, Adrian; Sfarti, Catalin; Trifan, Anca

2015-12-01

We aimed to compare the difference in case fatality rate between more developed and very high Human Development Index (HDI) regions, less developed and low HDI regions, and Romania. The incidence and mortality rates for digestive cancers were obtained from the IARC/WHO 2012 database. World mean mortality-to-incidence ratios registered the highest values in pancreatic cancer (0.97/0.94), and liver cancer (0.93/0.96) in males/females, respectively. The lowest values were recorded in colorectal cancer (0.48 in both sexes). Mortality-to-incidence ratios were generally higher in less developed areas, low HDI populations, and in Romania. The difference in case fatality rate between different areas showed higher variations for colorectal, gastric and gallbladder cancers, and smaller variations for esophageal, liver, and pancreatic cancers. In summary, mortality-to-incidence ratios of digestive cancers were high in 2012; higher values were registered in less developed and low HDI regions, and in Romania. Mortality-to-incidence ratios were similar in both sexes, even though the incidence was generally higher in men. Digestive cancer mortality variation suggests the necessity of finding better strategies for prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of digestive cancers.

Shifting the Physical Inactivity Curve Worldwide by Closing the Gender Gap.

PubMed

Mielke, Grégore I; da Silva, Inacio Crochemore M; Kolbe-Alexander, Tracy L; Brown, Wendy J

2018-02-01

The aims of this study were to (i) examine gender differences in physical inactivity in countries with different levels of Human Development Index (HDI); and (ii) assess whether small changes in the prevalence of inactivity in women could achieve the World Health Organization's (WHO) global inactivity target. Data on inactivity were extracted for 142 countries for the year 2010 from the WHO Data Repository. Data for HDI were obtained for the year 2010 from the United Nations Development Program. Absolute and relative gender differences were calculated for countries according to four HDI categories. The potential effects of increasing women's activity levels on achievement of the WHO physical inactivity target were computed. Overall inactivity prevalence was higher in women (27%) than in men (20%). Women were more inactive than men in all except eight countries. Absolute gender differences [median 7.5% (range -10.1 to 33.2)] did not vary by HDI category, but there was a small negative correlation between relative gender difference in inactivity and HDI (rho -0.19; p = 0.02), which was mostly influenced by three outlier countries with low HDI. A decrease in inactivity levels of 4.8% points among women across the world would achieve the WHO target of reducing global levels of inactivity by 10%. Gender differences in the prevalence of physical inactivity were highly variable, both within and across categories of HDI. Interventions which result in small changes in inactivity prevalence in women would achieve the 2025 WHO global target for inactivity, without any change to the prevalence in men.

Population growth, human development, and deforestation in biodiversity hotspots.

PubMed

Jha, S; Bawa, K S

2006-06-01

Human population and development activities affect the rate of deforestation in biodiversity hotspots. We quantified the effect of human population growth and development on rates of deforestation and analyzed the relationship between these causal factors in the 1980s and 1990s. We compared the averages of population growth, human development index (HDI, which measures income, health, and education), and deforestation rate and computed correlations among these variables for countries that contain biodiversity hotspots. When population growth was high and HDI was low there was a high rate of deforestation, but when HDI was high, rate of deforestation was low, despite high population growth. The correlation among variables was significant for the 1990s but not for the 1980s. The relationship between population growth and HDI had a regional pattern that reflected the historical process of development. Based on the changes in HDI and deforestation rate over time, we identified two drivers of deforestation: policy choice and human-development constraints. Policy choices that disregard conservation may cause the loss of forests even in countries that are relatively developed. Lack of development in other countries, on the other hand, may increase the pressure on forests to meet the basic needs of the human population. Deforestation resulting from policy choices may be easier to fix than deforestation arising from human development constraints. To prevent deforestation in the countries that have such constraints, transfer of material and intellectual resources from developed countries may be needed. Popular interest in sustainable development in developed countries can facilitate the transfer of these resources.

Educational inequalities in obesity, abdominal obesity, and metabolic syndrome in seven Latin American cities: the CARMELA Study.

PubMed

Boissonnet, Carlos; Schargrodsky, Herman; Pellegrini, Fabio; Macchia, Alejandro; Marcet Champagne, Beatriz; Wilson, Elinor; Tognoni, Gianni

2011-08-01

Earlier reviews have found that the proportion of inverse associations between socioeconomic status and obesity increased according to the level of development of the studied country. Based on this finding, it has been hypothesized that in low- to middle- income countries the burden of obesity shifts to disadvantaged groups as a country develops. CARMELA is a cross-sectional, population-based observational study that sampled 11,550 women and men age 25-64 from seven major Latin American cities. We analyzed by gender the association of educational attainments (as proxy of socioeconomic status) with body mass index, waist circumference and metabolic syndrome. Participating cities were divided by country Human Development Index (HDI). An inverse gradient between socioeconomic status and body mass index in women was uniformly present in High HDI cities (Buenos Aires, Santiago, Mexico) but not in Medium HDI group (Barquisimeto, Bogota, Lima, Quito), where two cities showed an inverse gradient and two cities did not. In men, no clear socioeconomic gradients were found. Findings regarding waist circumference and metabolic syndrome closely mirrored those about body mass index. In women but not men, these results give support to the hypothesis of obesity shifting to the poor and extend it to the related concepts of abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome. Obesity should be considered as a socially-generated disease and an indicator of socioeconomic disadvantage, to be approached by comprehensive strategies that bear in mind this perspective.

Incidence and Mortality of Bladder Cancer and their Relationship with Development in Asia.

PubMed

Pakzad, Reza; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Mohammadian, Mahdi; Pakzad, Iraj; Safiri, Saeid; Khazaei, Salman; Salehiniya, Hamid

2015-01-01

Over the past decade, bladder cancer was associated with a significant increase. Given the importance of the impact of socioeconomic status on the distribution of cancer incidence and mortality, and the need to information on these parameters for prevention planning, the aim of this study was to evaluate data for bladder cancer and their relationship with human development index (HDI) and its components in Asia in 2012. The study was conducted based on data from the world data of cancer and the World Bank (including the HDI and its components). The incidence and mortality rates were drawn for Asian countries. To analyze data, correlation tests between incidence and death rates, and HDI and its components were employed with a significance level of 0.05 using SPSS software. A total incidence of 696,231 cases (68.7% in males and 31.3% in females, sex ratio of 2.19:1) and 524,465 deaths (67.0% in men and 32.9% in women, sex ratio was 2.03:1) were recorded in Asian countries in 2012. Correlation between HDI and standardized incidence rate was 0.241 overall (p=0.106), 0.236 in men (p=0.114) and -0.250 in women (p=0.094). Also between HDI and standardized mortality rate 0.025 (p=0.871) in men 0.118 (p=0.903) and in women 0.014 (p=0.927). Bladder cancer incidence is higher in developed countries, but the rate is declining, and in less developed and developing countries it is growing. There was no statistically significant correlation between the standardized incidence rate of bladder cancer and the HDI and its dimensions in Asia, except for the level of education.

Education, Human Development and Quality of Life: Measurement Issues and Implications for India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Narayana, M. R.

2009-01-01

This paper analyses and compares the measurement of indicators and variables in the construction of education index in Human Development Index (HDI) at the global, national and 18 sub-national human development reports in India since 1990. The results show non-comparability of measurement of the education indicators and variables. This implies…

From Politics to Parity: Using a Health Disparities Index to Guide Legislative Efforts for Health Equity

PubMed Central

Simpson, Sean L.; Hairston, Kristen G.

2011-01-01

Objectives. We created an index quantifying the longitudinal burden of racial health disparities by state and compared this index to variables to guide the construction of, and validate support for, legislative efforts aimed at eliminating health disparities. Methods. We evaluated 5 focus areas of greatest racial disparities in health from 1999 to 2005 and compiled state health disparities index (HDI) scores. We compared these scores with variables representing the purported social determinants of health. Results. Massachusetts (0.35), Oklahoma (0.35), and Washington (0.39) averaged the fewest disparities. Michigan (1.22), Wisconsin (1.32), and Illinois (1.50) averaged the greatest disparities. The statistical reference point for nationwide average racial disparities was 1.00. The longitudinal mixed model procedure yielded statistically significant correlations between HDI scores and Black state population percentage as well as with the racial gap in uninsured percentages. We noted a trend for HDI correlations with median household income ratios. Conclusions. On the basis of the HDI-established trends in the extent and distribution of racial health disparities, and their correlated social determinants of health, policymakers should consider incorporating this tool to advise future efforts in minority health legislation. PMID:21233445

MANAGEMENT AND OUTCOMES FROM APPENDECTOMY: AN INTERNATIONAL, PROSPECTIVE, MULTICENTRE STUDY.

PubMed

Camilleri-Brennan, J; Drake, T; Spence, R; Bhangu, A; Harrison, E

2017-09-01

To identify variation in surgical management and outcomes of appendicitis across low, middle and high Human Development Index (HDI) country groups. Multi-centre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive patients undergoing emergency appendectomy over a 6-month period. Follow-up lasted 30 days. Primary outcome measure was overall complication rate. 4546 patients from 52 countries underwent appendectomy (2499 high, 1540 middle and 507 low HDI groups). Complications were more frequent in low-HDI (OR 3.81, 95% CI 2.78 to 5.19, p < 0.001) and middle-HDI countries (OR 2.99, 95% CI 2.34-3.84, p < 0.001) compared with high- HDI countries, but differences were adjusted out by case-mix and hospital structural factors. Surgical site infection (SSI) rates were higher in low-HDI (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.33 to 4.99, p=0.005) but not middle-HDI (OR 1.38, 95% CI 0.76 to 2.52, p=0.291) compared with high-HDI countries after adjustment. A laparoscopic approach was common in high-HDI countries (1693/2499, 67.7%), but infrequent in low- (41/507, 8.1%) and middle-HDI (132/1540, 8.6%) groups. After accounting for case-mix, laparoscopy was still associated with fewer complications (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.71, p< 0.001) and SSIs (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.33, p<0.001). The number needed-to-treat with laparoscopic surgery to save an SSI was lower in low-HDI countries (NNT=6, 95% CI 4 to 9) than in high-HDI countries (NNT=9, 95% CI 6 to 16). In propensity-score matched groups within low- and middle- HDI countries, laparoscopy was still associated with fewer overall complications (OR 0.23 95% CI 0.11 to 0.44) and SSI (OR 0.21 95% CI 0.09 to 0.45). Outcomes from appendectomy vary worldwide. A laparoscopic approach is associated with better outcomes and availability appears to differ by country HDI. There are profound clinical, operational and financial barriers to the introduction of laparoscopy that if overcome, could result in significantly improved outcomes for patients in low-resource environments, with potential for wider health-system benefits.

Laparoscopy in management of appendicitis in high-, middle-, and low-income countries: a multicenter, prospective, cohort study.

PubMed

2018-04-05

Appendicitis is the most common abdominal surgical emergency worldwide. Differences between high- and low-income settings in the availability of laparoscopic appendectomy, alternative management choices, and outcomes are poorly described. The aim was to identify variation in surgical management and outcomes of appendicitis within low-, middle-, and high-Human Development Index (HDI) countries worldwide. This is a multicenter, international prospective cohort study. Consecutive sampling of patients undergoing emergency appendectomy over 6 months was conducted. Follow-up lasted 30 days. 4546 patients from 52 countries underwent appendectomy (2499 high-, 1540 middle-, and 507 low-HDI groups). Surgical site infection (SSI) rates were higher in low-HDI (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.33-4.99, p = 0.005) but not middle-HDI countries (OR 1.38, 95% CI 0.76-2.52, p = 0.291), compared with high-HDI countries after adjustment. A laparoscopic approach was common in high-HDI countries (1693/2499, 67.7%), but infrequent in low-HDI (41/507, 8.1%) and middle-HDI (132/1540, 8.6%) groups. After accounting for case-mix, laparoscopy was still associated with fewer overall complications (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.42-0.71, p < 0.001) and SSIs (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.14-0.33, p < 0.001). In propensity-score matched groups within low-/middle-HDI countries, laparoscopy was still associated with fewer overall complications (OR 0.23 95% CI 0.11-0.44) and SSI (OR 0.21 95% CI 0.09-0.45). A laparoscopic approach is associated with better outcomes and availability appears to differ by country HDI. Despite the profound clinical, operational, and financial barriers to its widespread introduction, laparoscopy could significantly improve outcomes for patients in low-resource environments. NCT02179112.

[Secular trend of growth in stature in Florianópolis in the state of Santa Catarina (Brazil) in relation with the human development index (HDI)].

PubMed

Pinheiro, Andressa Caroline Carneiro; Niederauer, Juliana Minuzzi; Vargas, Deisi Maria

2014-01-01

The article seks to evaluate the secular trend of growth in stature of recruits in the 63rd Infantry Battalion in Florianópolis and correlate the information with the human development index (HDI). It involves a transversal and retrospective study of recruits aged between 18 and 20 who joined the 63rd IB in Florianópolis from 1963 to 2007. The sample comprised 600 individuals out of a total of 3000 recruits enlisted over the period. In each decade, three years were selected and within these years the first 40 files were systematically selected for analysis. It was seen that there was an increase in the order of 7 cm in height of recruits in Florianopolis over the past 47 years. This increase was more marked between the decades of 1990 and 2000, with the municipality of Blumenau having the highest average. The average heights study over the decades showed a strong positive correlation with the HDI of Florianopolis during the same period. When comparing the heights of the capital of Santa Catarina and previous studies in Blumenau, it was found that both cities have achieved the same increase of 1.4 cm/decade in the period between the 1960 and 2000. There was a positive secular trend in growth in Florianopolis, with a strong correlation with HDI values of the city between 1960 and 2000.

Effects of Youth Participation in Extra-Curricular Sport Programs on Perceived Self-Efficacy: A Multilevel Analysis.

PubMed

Reverdito, Riller S; Carvalho, Humberto M; Galatti, Larissa R; Scaglia, Alcides J; Gonçalves, Carlos E; Paes, Roberto R

2017-06-01

The present study examined extracurricular sport participation variables and developmental context in relationship to perceived self-efficacy among underserved adolescents. Participants ( n = 821, 13.6 ± 1.5 years) completed the Youth Experience in Sport questionnaire and General Self-Efficacy Scale. We used the Human Development Index (HDI) to characterize developmental contexts. Multilevel regression models were used to explore the relative contributions of age, sex, years of participation in extracurricular sport, HDI, and perceived positive experience in sport. Our results highlight that positive experience alone and in interaction with length of participation in the program fostered perceived self-efficacy. Participants from higher HDI contexts remained longer in the program. An implication of our research is that variables linked to positive sport experiences and perceived self-efficacy can be used as markers to evaluate the outcomes and impact of sport participation programs aimed at promoting positive youth development.

Emerging correlations between measures of population well-being, suicide and homicide: a look at global and Australian data.

PubMed

Lee, Adrian Ys; Pridmore, Saxby

2014-04-01

Our aim was (1) to examine global and Australian data with a view to determining the presence of an inverse relationship between suicide and homicide rates, and (2) to examine global Human Development Index (HDI) values and suicide and homicide rates, with a view to determining any statistical relationship. Suicide and homicide rates and HDI values were available for 102 countries, and suicide and homicide rates were available for the states and territories of Australia. The three data sets had non-normal distributions, and the non-parametric Spearman's ρ was used for correlation statistics with α = 0.05. We found a weak, statistically significant inverse relationship between the suicide and homicide rates of 102 countries (ρ = -0.244, p = 0.014). No relationship was established for the Australian values, however. As anticipated, we found a significant negative correlation between homicide and HDI values. We unexpectedly demonstrated a positive correlation between suicide rates and HDI values. The notion that suicide and homicide have an inverse relationship now has some scientific support; but additional research is warranted to characterise and explain this relationship. The unexpected finding of a positive correlation between suicide rates and HDI values requires further examination.

The incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer and their relationship to development in Asia

PubMed Central

Pakzad, Reza; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Khosravi, Bahman; Soltani, Shahin; Pakzad, Iraj; Mohammadian, Mahdi; Momenimovahed, Zohre

2016-01-01

Background Esophageal cancer is the most common cancer in less developed countries. It is necessary to understand epidemiology of the cancer for planning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer, and its relationship with Human Development Index (HDI) and its components in Asia in 2012. Methods This study was an Ecological study, which conducted based on GLOBOCAN project of WHO for Asian counters. We assess the correlation between standardized incidence rates (SIR) and standardized mortality rates (SMR) of esophageal cancer with HDI and its components with using of SPSS18. Results A total of 337,698 incidence (70.33% were males and 29.87% females. Sex ratio was 2.37) and 296,734 death (69.45% in men and 30.54% in women. The sex ratio was 2.27) esophageal cancer was recorded in Asian countries in 2012. Five countries with the highest SIR and SMR of esophageal cancer were Turkmenistan, Mongolia and Tajikistan, Bangladesh and China respectively. Correlation between HDI and SIR was −0.211 (P=0.159), in men −0.175 (P=0.244) and in women −0.231 (P=0.123). Also between HDI and SMR −0.250 (P=0.094) in men −0.226 (P=0.131) and in women −0.251 (P=0.037). Conclusions The incidence of esophageal cancer is more in less developed and developing countries. Statistically significant correlation was not found between standardized incidence and mortality rates of esophageal cancer, and HDI and its dimensions, except for life expectancy at birth. PMID:26889482

The incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer and their relationship to development in Asia.

PubMed

Pakzad, Reza; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Khosravi, Bahman; Soltani, Shahin; Pakzad, Iraj; Mohammadian, Mahdi; Salehiniya, Hamid; Momenimovahed, Zohre

2016-01-01

Esophageal cancer is the most common cancer in less developed countries. It is necessary to understand epidemiology of the cancer for planning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer, and its relationship with Human Development Index (HDI) and its components in Asia in 2012. This study was an Ecological study, which conducted based on GLOBOCAN project of WHO for Asian counters. We assess the correlation between standardized incidence rates (SIR) and standardized mortality rates (SMR) of esophageal cancer with HDI and its components with using of SPSS18. A total of 337,698 incidence (70.33% were males and 29.87% females. Sex ratio was 2.37) and 296,734 death (69.45% in men and 30.54% in women. The sex ratio was 2.27) esophageal cancer was recorded in Asian countries in 2012. Five countries with the highest SIR and SMR of esophageal cancer were Turkmenistan, Mongolia and Tajikistan, Bangladesh and China respectively. Correlation between HDI and SIR was -0.211 (P=0.159), in men -0.175 (P=0.244) and in women -0.231 (P=0.123). Also between HDI and SMR -0.250 (P=0.094) in men -0.226 (P=0.131) and in women -0.251 (P=0.037). The incidence of esophageal cancer is more in less developed and developing countries. Statistically significant correlation was not found between standardized incidence and mortality rates of esophageal cancer, and HDI and its dimensions, except for life expectancy at birth.

Lack of Any Relationship of Stomach Cancer Incidence and Mortality with Development in Asia.

PubMed

RaFiei, Elahe; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Towhidi, Farhad; Makhsosi, Behnam Reza; Salehiniya, Hamid

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and mortality of stomach cancer, and its relationship with the Human Development Index (HDI) and its components in Asia in 2012. This ecological study was conducted based on GLOBOCAN project of WHO for Asian countries. We assessed the correlations between standardized incidence rates (SIR) and standardized mortality rates (SMR) of stomach cancer with HDI and its components using SPSS18. A total of 696,231 cases (68.7% in males and 31.3% in females, ratio of 2.19:1) and 524,465 deaths (67.1% in men and 33.0% in women, ratio 2.03:1) were included in 2012. Five countries with the highest SIR of stomach cancer were Republic Korea, Mongolia, Japan, China and Tajikistan. Five countries with the highest SMR of stomach cancer were Mongolia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and China. Correlation between HDI and SIR was 0.241 (p = 0.106), in men 0.236 (p = 0.114) and in women -0.250 (p = 0.094). Also between HDI and SMR -0.250 (p = 0.871) in men -0.018 (p = 0.903) and in women -0.014 (p = 0.927). No significant correlation was observed between the SIR of stomach cancer, and the HDI and its dimensions, such as life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, and income level of the population.

[Migrations in Latin American countries. Characteristics of the pediatric population].

PubMed

Vásquez-De Kartzow, Rodrigo; Castillo-Durán, Carlos; Lera M, Lydia

2015-01-01

Migration is a growing phenomenon among Latin American countries (LAC) as well as others; however, scarce information is available studying its impact on paediatric groups and its association with socioeconomic variables. To study the association among socioeconomic variables and the immigration rate of paediatric population in LAC. Official rates of migration of LAC were obtained from: International Organization for Migration, Pan American Health Organization, and United Nations Development Programme. Demographic and socioeconomic information was also obtained for: gross domestic product (GDP), human development index (HDI), Gini coefficient of inequality (GC), alphabetization rate for adults (AA), net migration rate (NMR), and immigration of children<15 years (IM15). Description, linear correlations and analysis of differences between groups of countries were assessed. The NMR was positive for Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Chile and Argentina. No association among NMR and GDP, HDI, GC, AA was found. A correlation of IM15 was found with: GC (r=0.668, P=.01), with GDP (r=-0.720; P=.01), AA (r=-0.755; P=.01) and with HDI (r=-0.799; P=.01). Rate of IM15 was lower in LA countries with advanced/medium development (GDP>median) vs those with low development (Fisher, P<.0001). There is a direct inverse association between GDP per capita, HDI, AA and GC and the proportion of each country IN15. We did not observe an association between NMR and HDI, AA, and GC. The health impact of these migrations should be analysed. Copyright © 2015. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.

Patterns of Human Development Indicators across Constitutional Analysis of Children's Rights to Protection, Provision, and Participation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Habashi, Janette; Wright, Lynne; Hathcoat, John D.

2012-01-01

This study examines children's images in constitutions and/or amendments as articulated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child while they intersect with the three dimensions of the Human Development Index (HDI) of 2008: life expectancy, educational index, and GDP. The connection between the images of the child and the fulfillment of the…

Employing the Components of the Human Development Index to Drive Resources to Educational Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sant'Anna, Annibal Parracho; de Araujo Ribeiro, Rodrigo Otavio; Dutt-Ross, Steven

2011-01-01

A new form of composition of the indicators employed to generate the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) is presented here. This form of composition is based on the assumption that random errors affect the measurement of each indicator. This assumption allows for replacing the vector of evaluations according to each indicator by vectors…

Early adolescent childbearing in low- and middle-income countries: associations with income inequity, human development and gender equality.

PubMed

Decker, Michele R; Kalamar, Amanda; Tunçalp, Özge; Hindin, Michelle J

2017-03-01

Reducing unwanted adolescent childbearing is a global priority. Little is known about how national-level economic and human development indicators relate to early adolescent childbearing. This ecological study evaluates associations of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), GINI index, Human Development Index (HDI) and Gender-related Development Index (GDI; i.e. the HDI adjusted for gender disparities) with early adolescent childbearing in 27 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) across three time periods. Among women ages 18–24, prevalence estimates for early birth (<16 years) were calculated by nation, and weighted linear regressions evaluated associations between national indicators and early childbearing. To examine temporal trends, analyses were stratified by year groupings. Early adolescent childbearing declined over time, with the greatest change observed in Bangladesh (31.49% in 1996/7 to 19.69% in 2011). In adjusted models, GDI was negatively associated with early childbearing, i.e. early childbearing prevalence decreased as GDI increased. In the most recent time period, relative to the lowest GDI group, the average prevalence of early childbearing was significantly lower in the middle (-12.40, P < 0.00) and upper (-10.96, P = 0.03) tertiles after adjustment for the other indicators. These other indicators showed no consistent association with early childbearing. As national-level GDI increased, early adolescent childbearing declined. The GDI, which reflects human development adjusted for gender disparities in educational and economic prospects, was more consistently related to early adolescent childbearing than the absolute development prospects as given by the HDI. While creating gender equality is an important goal in and of itself, the findings emphasize the potential for improved national-level gender equitable development as a means to improve adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health.

Suicide rate in relation to the Human Development Index and other health related factors: A global ecological study from 91 countries.

PubMed

Khazaei, Salman; Armanmehr, Vajihe; Nematollahi, Shahrzad; Rezaeian, Shahab; Khazaei, Somayeh

2017-06-01

There has been no worldwide ecological study on suicide as a global major public health problem. This study aimed to identify the variations in suicide specific rates using the Human Development Index (HDI) and some health related variables among countries around the world. In this ecological study, we obtained the data from the World Bank Report 2013. The analysis was restricted to 91 countries for which both the epidemiologic data from the suicide rates and HDI were available. Overall, the global prevalence of suicide rate was 10.5 (95% confidence intervals: 8.8, 12.2) per 100,000 individuals, which significantly varied according to gender (16.3 in males vs. 4.6 in females, p<0.001) and different levels of human development (11.64/100,000 individuals in very high development countries, 7.93/100,000 individuals in medium development countries, and 13.94/100,000 individuals in high development countries, p=0.004). In conclusion, the suicide rate varies greatly between countries with different development levels. Our findings also suggest that male gender and HDI components are associated with an increased risk of suicide behaviors. Hence, detecting population subgroups with a high suicide risk and reducing the inequality of socioeconomic determinants are necessary to prevent this disorder around the world. Copyright © 2017 Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Incidence and Mortality of Nasopharynx Cancer and Its Relationship With Human Development Index in the World in 2012

PubMed Central

Mahdavifar, Neda; Towhidi, Farhad; Makhsosi, Behnam Reza; Pakzad, Reza; Moini, Ali; Ahmadi, Abbas; Lotfi, Sarah; Salehiniya, Hamid

2016-01-01

Background One of the most common cancers in head and neck is nasopharynx. Knowledge about the incidence and mortality of this disease and its distribution in terms of geographical areas is necessary for further study, better planning and prevention. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the incidence and mortality of nasopharynx cancer and its relationship with human development index (HDI) in the world in 2012. Methods This study was an ecological study conducted based on GLOBOCAN project of World Health Organization (WHO) for the countries in world. The correlation between standardized incidence rates (SIRs) and standardized mortality rates (SMRs) of nasopharynx cancer with HDI and its components was assessed with correlation coefficient by using SPSS 15. Results In 2012, 86,691 nasopharynx cancer cases occurred in the world, so that 60,896 new cases were seen in men and 25,795 new cases in women (sex ratio = 2.36). SIR of the cancer was 1.2 per 100,000 (1.7 in men and 0.7 in women per 100,000) in the world. In 2012, 50,831 nasopharynx death cases occurred in the world, so that 35,756 death cases were seen in men and 15,075 death cases in women (sex ratio = 2.37). SIR of mortality from the cancer was 0.7 per 100,000 (0.7 in women and 1 in men per 100,000) in the world. The results of correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between the SIR and HDI (r = -0.037, P = 0.629), and also the results of correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between the SMR and HDI (r = -0.237, P = 0.002). Conclusion Nasopharyngeal cancer is native to Southeast Asia and the highest incidence and mortality were seen in countries with moderate and low HDI. It is suggested that studies are conducted on determining the causes of the cancer incidence and mortality in the world and the differences between various regions. PMID:28983375

Efficacy of HIV Prevention Interventions in Latin American and Caribbean Nations, 1995–2008: A Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Huedo-Medina, Tania B.; Boynton, Marcella H.; Warren, Michelle R.; LaCroix, Jessica M.; Carey, Michael P.; Johnson, Blair T.

2014-01-01

This meta-analysis synthesized 34 HIV prevention interventions (from 27 studies) that were evaluated in Latin American and Caribbean nations. These studies were obtained through systematic searches of English, Spanish, and Portuguese-language databases available as of January 2009. Overall, interventions significantly increased knowledge (d = 0.51) and condom use (d = 0.28) but the effects varied widely. Interventions produced more condom use when they focused on high-risk individuals, distributed condoms, and explicitly addressed socio-cultural components. The best-fitting models utilized factors related to geography, especially indices of a nations’ human development index (HDI) and income inequality (i.e., Gini index). Interventions that provided at least three hours of content succeeded better when HDI and income inequality were lower, suggesting that intensive HIV prevention activities succeed best where the need is greatest. Implications for HIV intervention development in Latin America and the Caribbean are discussed. PMID:20661768

The incidence and mortality of prostate cancer and its relationship with development in Asia

PubMed Central

Pakzad, Reza; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Pakzad, Iraj; Salehiniya, Hamid

2015-01-01

Purpose Prostate cancer is a common cancer in men in the world. It is rapidly increasing. This study investigated the incidence and mortality of prostate cancer and the relationship with the Human Development Index (HDI) and its dimensions in Asia in 2012. Methods The study was conducted based on data from the world data of cancer and the World Bank (including the HDI and its components). The standardized incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer were calculated for Asian countries. The correlation between incidence, mortality rates, and the HDI and its components were assessed with the use of the correlation test, using SPSS software. Results There was a total of 191,054 incidences and 81,229 death were recorded in Asian countries in 2012. Among the Asian countries, the five countries with the highest standardized incidence rates of prostate cancer were Israel, Turkey, Lebanon, Singapore, and Japan, and the five countries with the highest standardized mortality rates were Turkey, Lebanon, Timor-Leste, Armenia, and the Philippines. The correlation between standardized incidence rate of prostate cancer and the HDI was 0.604 (P ≤ 0.001), with life expectancy at birth 0.529 (P = 0.002), with mean years of schooling 0.427 (P = 0.001), and with level of income per each person of the population 0.349 (P = 0.013). Also, between the standardized mortality rate and the HDI, it was 0.228 (P = 0.127). Conclusions A significant and positive correlation was observed between the standardized incidence rate of prostate cancer, and the HDI and its dimensions, such as life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, and income level of the population per each person of population. However, there was no significant correlation between the standardized mortality rate, and the HDI and its dimensions. PMID:26779461

The incidence and mortality of prostate cancer and its relationship with development in Asia.

PubMed

Pakzad, Reza; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Pakzad, Iraj; Salehiniya, Hamid

2015-12-01

Prostate cancer is a common cancer in men in the world. It is rapidly increasing. This study investigated the incidence and mortality of prostate cancer and the relationship with the Human Development Index (HDI) and its dimensions in Asia in 2012. The study was conducted based on data from the world data of cancer and the World Bank (including the HDI and its components). The standardized incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer were calculated for Asian countries. The correlation between incidence, mortality rates, and the HDI and its components were assessed with the use of the correlation test, using SPSS software. There was a total of 191,054 incidences and 81,229 death were recorded in Asian countries in 2012. Among the Asian countries, the five countries with the highest standardized incidence rates of prostate cancer were Israel, Turkey, Lebanon, Singapore, and Japan, and the five countries with the highest standardized mortality rates were Turkey, Lebanon, Timor-Leste, Armenia, and the Philippines. The correlation between standardized incidence rate of prostate cancer and the HDI was 0.604 (P ≤ 0.001), with life expectancy at birth 0.529 (P = 0.002), with mean years of schooling 0.427 (P = 0.001), and with level of income per each person of the population 0.349 (P = 0.013). Also, between the standardized mortality rate and the HDI, it was 0.228 (P = 0.127). A significant and positive correlation was observed between the standardized incidence rate of prostate cancer, and the HDI and its dimensions, such as life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, and income level of the population per each person of population. However, there was no significant correlation between the standardized mortality rate, and the HDI and its dimensions.

The Incidence and Mortality of Colorectal Cancer and Its Relationship With the Human Development Index in Asia.

PubMed

Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Mohammadian, Maryam; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Salehiniya, Hamid

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in women and the third most common cancer among men, and its incidence is increasing in Asia. Awareness about the status of this cancer incidence and mortality is necessary for a better plan. The present study was done with the aim to investigate the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer and its relationship with the Human Development Index (HDI) in Asia in 2012. This study was an ecological study, which was conducted based on the GLOBOCAN project of the World Health Organization for Asian countries. We assessed the correlation between standardized incidence rates (SIR) and standardized mortality rates (SMR) of colorectal cancer with HDI and its components using SPSS software, version 18 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). A total of 592,563 incidences of and 325,752 deaths from colorectal cancer were recorded in Asian countries in 2012. The 5 countries with the highest SIR were Republic of Korea (45 per 100,000), Israel (35.9 per 100,000), Singapore (33.7 per 100,000), Japan (32.2 per 100,000), and Jordan (25.6 per 100,000). The 5 countries with the highest SMR for colorectal cancer were Jordan (15.5 per 100,000), Kazakhstan (12.8 per 100,000), Democratic Republic of Korea (12 per 100,000), Brunei (12 per 100,000), and Japan (11.9 per 100,000). Correlation between HDI and SIR was 0.709 overall (P ≤ .001)- 0.667 in men (P ≤ .001) and 0.759 in women (P ≤ .001). Also, correlation between HDI and SMR overall was 0.517 (P ≤ .001)- 0.447 in men (P = .002) and 0.593 in women (P ≤ .001). Cancer incidence and mortality are higher in countries with more development. A positive and statistically significant correlation was found between standardized incidence and mortality rate of colorectal cancer and the Human Development Index and its components. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Advances in development reverse fertility declines.

PubMed

Myrskylä, Mikko; Kohler, Hans-Peter; Billari, Francesco C

2009-08-06

During the twentieth century, the global population has gone through unprecedented increases in economic and social development that coincided with substantial declines in human fertility and population growth rates. The negative association of fertility with economic and social development has therefore become one of the most solidly established and generally accepted empirical regularities in the social sciences. As a result of this close connection between development and fertility decline, more than half of the global population now lives in regions with below-replacement fertility (less than 2.1 children per woman). In many highly developed countries, the trend towards low fertility has also been deemed irreversible. Rapid population ageing, and in some cases the prospect of significant population decline, have therefore become a central socioeconomic concern and policy challenge. Here we show, using new cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of the total fertility rate and the human development index (HDI), a fundamental change in the well-established negative relationship between fertility and development as the global population entered the twenty-first century. Although development continues to promote fertility decline at low and medium HDI levels, our analyses show that at advanced HDI levels, further development can reverse the declining trend in fertility. The previously negative development-fertility relationship has become J-shaped, with the HDI being positively associated with fertility among highly developed countries. This reversal of fertility decline as a result of continued economic and social development has the potential to slow the rates of population ageing, thereby ameliorating the social and economic problems that have been associated with the emergence and persistence of very low fertility.

Global Inequalities in Cervical Cancer Incidence and Mortality are Linked to Deprivation, Low Socioeconomic Status, and Human Development

PubMed Central

Singh, Gopal K.; Azuine, Romuladus E.; Siahpush, Mohammad

2012-01-01

Objectives This study examined global inequalities in cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates as a function of cross-national variations in the Human Development Index (HDI), socioeconomic factors, Gender Inequality Index (GII), and healthcare expenditure. Methods Age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates were calculated for women in 184 countries using the 2008 GLOBOCAN database, and incidence and mortality trends were analyzed using the WHO cancer mortality database. Log-linear regression was used to model annual trends, while OLS and Poisson regression models were used to estimate the impact of socioeconomic and human development factors on incidence and mortality rates. Results Cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates varied widely, with many African countries such as Guinea, Zambia, Comoros, Tanzania, and Malawi having at least 10-to-20-fold higher rates than several West Asian, Middle East, and European countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, and Switzerland. HDI, GII, poverty rate, health expenditure per capita, urbanization, and literacy rate were all significantly related to cervical cancer incidence and mortality, with HDI and poverty rate each explaining >52% of the global variance in mortality. Both incidence and mortality rates increased in relation to lower human development and higher gender inequality levels. A 0.2 unit increase in HDI was associated with a 20% decrease in cervical cancer risk and a 33% decrease in cervical cancer mortality risk. The risk of a cervical cancer diagnosis increased by 24% and of cervical cancer death by 42% for a 0.2 unit increase in GII. Higher health expenditure levels were independently associated with decreased incidence and mortality risks. Conclusions and Public Health Implications Global inequalities in cervical cancer are clearly linked to disparities in human development, social inequality, and living standards. Reductions in cervical cancer rates are achievable by reducing inequalities in socioeconomic conditions, availability of preventive health services, and women’s social status. PMID:27621956

Global Inequalities in Cervical Cancer Incidence and Mortality are Linked to Deprivation, Low Socioeconomic Status, and Human Development.

PubMed

Singh, Gopal K; Azuine, Romuladus E; Siahpush, Mohammad

2012-01-01

This study examined global inequalities in cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates as a function of cross-national variations in the Human Development Index (HDI), socioeconomic factors, Gender Inequality Index (GII), and healthcare expenditure. Age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates were calculated for women in 184 countries using the 2008 GLOBOCAN database, and incidence and mortality trends were analyzed using the WHO cancer mortality database. Log-linear regression was used to model annual trends, while OLS and Poisson regression models were used to estimate the impact of socioeconomic and human development factors on incidence and mortality rates. Cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates varied widely, with many African countries such as Guinea, Zambia, Comoros, Tanzania, and Malawi having at least 10-to-20-fold higher rates than several West Asian, Middle East, and European countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, and Switzerland. HDI, GII, poverty rate, health expenditure per capita, urbanization, and literacy rate were all significantly related to cervical cancer incidence and mortality, with HDI and poverty rate each explaining >52% of the global variance in mortality. Both incidence and mortality rates increased in relation to lower human development and higher gender inequality levels. A 0.2 unit increase in HDI was associated with a 20% decrease in cervical cancer risk and a 33% decrease in cervical cancer mortality risk. The risk of a cervical cancer diagnosis increased by 24% and of cervical cancer death by 42% for a 0.2 unit increase in GII. Higher health expenditure levels were independently associated with decreased incidence and mortality risks. Global inequalities in cervical cancer are clearly linked to disparities in human development, social inequality, and living standards. Reductions in cervical cancer rates are achievable by reducing inequalities in socioeconomic conditions, availability of preventive health services, and women's social status.

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study.

PubMed

2018-05-01

Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p<0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05-2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p<0·001). Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication. DFID-MRC-Wellcome Trust Joint Global Health Trial Development Grant, National Institute of Health Research Global Health Research Unit Grant. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Attracting Attention for the Cause. The Reporting of Three Indices in the UK National Press

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morse, Stephen

2011-01-01

Indicators and indices (a collection of indicators into a single value) have been promoted for some time as convenient devices for the presentation of complex datasets to a more general audience. Examples of indices are the corruption perception index (CPI), human development index (HDI) and ecological footprint (EF). The research reported in this…

[Environmental health and inequalities: building indicators for sustainable development].

PubMed

Carneiro, Fernando Ferreira; Franco Netto, Guilherme; Corvalan, Carlos; de Freitas, Carlos Machado; Sales, Luiz Belino Ferreira

2012-06-01

Despite its progress in terms of socio-economic indicators, Brazil is still unequal, which is due to an unequal and exclusionary historical process. In this paper we selected the Human Development Index - HDI and other social, economic, environmental and health indicators to exemplify this situation. We selected the municipalities that had the lowest HDI in the country in 2000 comparing their evolution over time between 2000 and 2010 by means of indicators linked to the economic, environmental and social pillars of sustainable development. These municipalities have an HDI classified as low (<0.500), and correspond to countries such as Laos, Yemen, Haiti and Madagascar. At national level, data for the decade show a significant improvement in economic indicators (decrease from 23% to 8.9% of people living on less than a quarter of the minimum wage); social indicators (increase from 86.5% to 90.2% of literacy in women), and the environmental indicator associated with access to the water grid, which also improved to a lesser extent (increase from 81% to 85%). It was concluded that in order to achieve sustainable development with quality of life, the improvement of sanitation and education indicators should be a priority for Brazil.

Housing Quality and Access to Material and Learning Resources within the Home Environment in Developing Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradley, Robert H.; Putnick, Diane L.

2012-01-01

This study examined home environment conditions (housing quality, material resources, formal and informal learning materials) and their relations with the Human Development Index (HDI) in 28 developing countries. Home environment conditions in these countries varied widely. The quality of housing and availability of material resources at home were…

Gender gaps in life expectancy: generalized trends and negative associations with development indices in OECD countries.

PubMed

Liu, Yan; Arai, Asuna; Kanda, Koji; Lee, Romeo B; Glasser, Jay; Tamashiro, Hiko

2013-08-01

Life expectancy (LE) is a major marker of individual survival. It also serves as a guide to highlight both the progress and the gaps in total social and societal health. Comparative LE in concert with measures of gender-specific experience, indices of empowerment and societal happiness and development offer a comparative tool to examine trends and similarities of societal progress as seen through the lens of cross-national experience. To determine the gender gaps in LE (GGLE) trends, we performed a longitudinal analysis, covering a period of 49 years (1960-2008). To examine the association of GGLE with development indices, we used the 2007 GGLE data, the newest happiness data mostly drawn from 2006; the 2006 Human Development Index (HDI) data and the 2006 Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) data. It revealed that most of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries had a GGLE trend that occurred in an inverted U-curve fashion. We divided them into three subgroups based on the peak years of respective GGLE. The earlier the peak year, the happier the countries, the higher the HDI and the smaller the current GGLE are. Association analysis indicates that Happiness, HDI and GEM are all negatively associated with GGLE. This pattern suggests that GGLE undergoes three phases of growth, peak and stability and decline. Japan will soon be seeing its GGLE gradually shrinking in the foreseeable future. The continuing increases in Happiness, HDI and GEM are associated with a decrease in GGLE, which should be carefully taken into consideration.

Suicide in developing countries (1): frequency, distribution, and association with socioeconomic indicators.

PubMed

Vijayakumar, Lakshmi; Nagaraj, K; Pirkis, Jane; Whiteford, Harvey

2005-01-01

Suicide is a global public health problem, but relatively little epidemiological investigation of the phenomenon has occurred in developing countries. This paper aims to (1) examine the availability of rate data in developing countries, (2) provide a description of the frequency and distribution of suicide in those countries for which data are available, and (3) explore the relationship between country-level socioeconomic factors and suicide rates. It is accompanied by two companion papers that consider risk factors and preventive efforts associated with suicide in developing countries, respectively. Using World Health Organization data, we calculated the average annual male, female, and total suicide rates during the 1990s for individual countries and regions (classified according to the Human Development Index [HDI]), and examined the association between a range of socioeconomic indicators and suicide rates. For reasons of data availability, we concentrated on medium HDI countries. Suicide rates in these countries were variable. They were generally comparable with those in high HDI countries from the same region, with some exceptions. High education levels, high telephone density, and high per capita levels of cigarette consumption were associated with high suicide rates; high levels of inequality were associated with low suicide rates. Epidemiological investigations of this kind have the potential to inform suicide prevention efforts in developing countries, and should be encouraged.

Merit Goods, Education Public Policy--India at Cross Roads

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Misra, Satya Narayan; Ghadai, Sanjaya Ku.

2015-01-01

Merit Goods have always received handsome attention and allocation from countries which have witnessed a congruence between high significant economic growth and Human Development Index (HDI). The Emerging Market Economies (EMEs) have become significant manufacturing hubs by universalizing education and improving their Incremental Capital Output…

Benchmarking life expectancy and cancer mortality: global comparison with cardiovascular disease 1981-2010

PubMed Central

Bray, Freddie; Beltrán-Sánchez, Hiram; Ginsburg, Ophira; Soneji, Samir; Soerjomataram, Isabelle

2017-01-01

Objective To quantify the impact of cancer (all cancers combined and major sites) compared with cardiovascular disease (CVD) on longevity worldwide during 1981-2010. Design Retrospective demographic analysis using aggregated data. Setting National civil registration systems in member states of the World Health Organization. Participants 52 populations with moderate to high quality data on cause specific mortality. Main outcome measures Disease specific contributions to changes in life expectancy in ages 40-84 (LE40-84) over time in populations grouped by two levels of Human Development Index (HDI) values. Results Declining CVD mortality rates during 1981-2010 contributed to, on average, over half of the gains in LE40-84; the corresponding gains were 2.3 (men) and 1.7 (women) years, and 0.5 (men) and 0.8 (women) years in very high and medium and high HDI populations, respectively. Declines in cancer mortality rates contributed to, on average, 20% of the gains in LE40-84, or 0.8 (men) and 0.5 (women) years in very high HDI populations, and to over 10% or 0.2 years (both sexes) in medium and high HDI populations. Declining lung cancer mortality rates brought about the largest LE40-84 gain in men in very high HDI populations (up to 0.7 years in the Netherlands), whereas in medium and high HDI populations its contribution was smaller yet still positive. Among women, declines in breast cancer mortality rates were largely responsible for the improvement in longevity, particularly among very high HDI populations (up to 0.3 years in the United Kingdom). In contrast, losses in LE40-84 were observed in many medium and high HDI populations as a result of increasing breast cancer mortality rates. Conclusions The control of CVD has led to substantial gains in LE40-84 worldwide. The inequality in improvement in longevity attributed to declining cancer mortality rates reflects inequities in implementation of cancer control, particularly in less resourced populations and in women. Global actions are needed to revitalize efforts for cancer control, with a specific focus on less resourced countries. PMID:28637656

Epidemiology, Incidence and Mortality of Bladder Cancer and their Relationship with the Development Index in the World.

PubMed

Mahdavifar, Neda; Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Pakzad, Reza; Momenimovahed, Zohre; Salehiniya, Hamid

2016-01-01

Bladder cancer is an international public health problem. It is the ninth most common cancer and the fourteenth leading cause of death due to cancer worldwide. Given aging populations, the incidence of this cancer is rising. Information on the incidence and mortality of the disease, and their relationship with level of economic development is essential for better planning. The aim of the study was to investigate bladder cancer incidence and mortality rates, and their relationship with the the Human Development Index (HDI) in the world. Data were obtained from incidence and mortality rates presented by GLOBOCAN in 2012. Data on HDI and its components were extracted from the global bank site. The number and standardized incidence and mortality rates were reported by regions and the distribution of the disease were drawn in the world. For data analysis, the relationship between incidence and death rates, and HDI and its components was measured using correlation coefficients and SPSS software. The level of significance was set at 0.05. In 2012, 429,793 bladder cancer cases and 165,084 bladder death cases occurred in the world. Five countries that had the highest age-standardized incidence were Belgium 17.5 per 100,000, Lebanon 16.6/100,000, Malta 15.8/100,000, Turkey 15.2/100,000, and Denmark 14.4/100,000. Five countries that had the highest age-standardized death rates were Turkey 6.6 per 100,000, Egypt 6.5/100,000, Iraq 6.3/100,000, Lebanon 6.3/100,000, and Mali 5.2/100,000. There was a positive linear relationship between the standardized incidence rate and HDI (r=0.653, P<0.001), so that there was a positive correlation between the standardized incidence rate with life expectancy at birth, average years of schooling, and the level of income per person of population. A positive linear relationship was also noted between the standardized mortality rate and HDI (r=0.308, P<0.001). There was a positive correlation between the standardized mortality rate with life expectancy at birth, average years of schooling, and the level of income per person of population. The incidence of bladder cancer in developed countries and parts of Africa was higher, while the highest mortality rate was observed in the countries of North Africa and the Middle East. The program for better treatment in developing countries to reduce mortality from the cancer and more detaiuled studies on the etiology of are essential.

Relations between a novel, reliable, and rapid index of arterial compliance (PP-HDI) and well-established inidices of arterial blood pressure (ABP) in a sample of hypertensive elderly subjects.

PubMed

Bergamini, L; Finelli, M E; Bendini, C; Ferrari, E; Veschi, M; Neviani, F; Manni, B; Pelosi, A; Rioli, G; Neri, M

2009-01-01

Hypertension is a risk factor for a long-lasting arterial wall-remodelling leading to stiffness. The rapid method measuring the pulse pressure (PP) by means of the tool of Hypertension Diagnostic Instruments (HDI) called PP-HDI, overcomes some of the problems arising with more-time consuming methods, like ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), and give information about the elasticity of the arterial walls. We studied the relationship between the PP-HDI, the large artery compliance (LA-C) and small artery compliance (SA-C) and few well-established indices of arterial blood pressure (ABP) in a sample of 75 hypertensive subjects, aged 65 years and over. Significant correlations between LA-C and heart rate (HR), PP-ABPM and PP-HDI were found. SA-C relates with HR and systolic blood pressure (SBP) measured in lying and standing positions. Applying a stepwise regression analysis, we found that LA-C variance stems from PP-HDI and HR, while SA-C variance stems from SBP in lying position. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves for thresholds of PP showed that PP-HDI reached levels of sensitivity/specificity similar to PP-ABPM. In conclusion, surveillance of ABP through hemo-dynamic indices, in particular of SBP, is essential, nevertheless the advantage of this control is not known in an elderly population where the organ damage is already evident. PP needs necessarily an instrumental measurement. The PP-HDI result is similar in reliability with respect to PPABPM, but is more rapid and well applicable in an elderly population.

Inequality in the distribution of rheumatologists in Brazil: correlation with local of medical residency, Gross Domestic Product and Human Development Index.

PubMed

de Albuquerque, Cleandro Pires

2014-01-01

To assess the distribution of rheumatologists in Brazil and their correlation with Medical Residency specialization offer, Gross Domestic Product (Gdp) And Municipal Human Development Index (HDI-M) of units of the federation (UFs). Query to various official databases, data summarization by techniques for descriptive statistics and cross-referenced information. For correlation analysis, we used the Spearman correlation coefficient (r). There were 1229 rheumatologists regularly registered in the country. The Northern region had only 3.6% of the total (n = 44), while the Southeast had 42.2% (n = 519). The State capitals, added to the five largest municipalities in each UF, concentrated 75.8% of these specialists (n = 931). In total, 49.9% of rheumatologists offered treatment at SUS. A general ratio of 157,809 inhabitants per rheumatologist in Brazil was determined, but with wide variation among UFs with respect to this ratio. In the years 2000-2012, there were 593 Rheumatology Residency graduated physicians in Brazil. We observed a positive correlation among number of rheumatologists compared with GDP (r = 0.94), HDI-M of the State capitals (r = 0.77) and number of Rheumatology Residency graduated physicians (r = 0.79) in UFs. We noted a strong concentration of rheumatologists in State capitals and larger municipalities, with noticeable inequalities also between UFs and country regions. The distribution of these professionals accompanied GDP, HDI-M of the State capital and number of Rheumatology Residency graduated physicians, suggesting that factors related to income opportunities and human development and the place of speciality training may influence the geographical fixation of rheumatologists.

Adherence to dietary guidelines and cardiovascular disease risk in the EPIC-NL cohort.

PubMed

Struijk, Ellen A; May, Anne M; Wezenbeek, Nick L W; Fransen, Heidi P; Soedamah-Muthu, Sabita S; Geelen, Anouk; Boer, Jolanda M A; van der Schouw, Yvonne T; Bueno-de-Mesquita, H Bas; Beulens, Joline W J

2014-09-20

Global and national dietary guidelines have been created to lower chronic disease risk. The aim of this study was to assess whether greater adherence to the WHO guidelines (Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI)); the Dutch guidelines for a healthy diet (Dutch Healthy Diet-index (DHD-index)); and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD) or stroke. A prospective cohort study was conducted among 33,671 healthy Dutch men and women aged 20-70 years recruited into the EPIC-NL study during 1993-1997. We used Cox regression adjusted for relevant confounders to estimate the hazard ratios per standard deviation increase in score and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of the associations between the dietary guidelines and CVD, CHD and stroke risk. After an average follow-up of 12.2 years, 2752 CVD cases were documented, including 1630 CHD cases and 527 stroke cases. We found no association between the HDI (0.98, 95% CI 0.94; 1.02) or DHD-index (0.96, 95% CI 0.92; 1.00) and CVD incidence. Similar results were found for these guidelines and CHD or stroke incidence. Higher adherence to the DASH diet was significantly associated with a lower CVD (0.92, 95% CI 0.89; 0.96), CHD (0.91, 95% CI 0.86; 0.95), and stroke (0.90, 95% CI 0.82; 0.99) risk. The HDI and the DHD-index were not associated with CVD risk, while the DASH diet was significantly associated with a lower risk of developing CVD, CHD and stroke. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A 15-Year Time-series Study of Tooth Extraction in Brazil

PubMed Central

Cunha, Maria Aparecida Goncalves de Melo; Lino, Patrícia Azevedo; dos Santos, Thiago Rezende; Vasconcelos, Mara; Lucas, Simone Dutra; de Abreu, Mauro Henrique Nogueira Guimarães

2015-01-01

Abstract Tooth loss is considered to be a public health problem. Time-series studies that assess the influence of social conditions and access to health services on tooth loss are scarce. This study aimed to examine the time-series of permanent tooth extraction in Brazil between 1998 and 2012 and to compare these series in municipalities with different Human Development Index (HDI) scores and with different access to distinct primary and secondary care. The time-series study was performed between 1998 and 2012, using data from the Brazilian National Health Information System. Time-series study was performed between 1998 and 2012. Two annual rates of tooth extraction were calculated and evaluated separately according to 3 parameters: the HDI, the presence of a Dental Specialty Center, and coverage by Oral Health Teams. The time-series was analyzed using a linear regression model. An overall decrease in the tooth-loss tendencies during this period was observed, particularly in the tooth-extraction rate during primary care procedures. In the municipalities with an HDI that was lower than the median, the average tooth-loss rates were higher than in the municipalities with a higher HDI. The municipalities with lower rates of Oral Health Team coverage also showed lower extraction rates than the municipalities with higher coverage rates. In general, Brazil has shown a decrease in the trend to extract permanent teeth during these 15 years. Increased human development and access to dental services have influenced tooth-extraction rates. PMID:26632688

A casein diet added isoflavone-enriched soy protein favorably affects biomarkers of steatohepatitis in obese Zucker rats.

PubMed

Gudbrandsen, Oddrun Anita; Wergedahl, Hege; Berge, Rolf Kristian

2009-05-01

Dietary supplementation of a soy protein enriched with isoflavones (HDI) has been shown to improve fatty liver in obese rats. The main objective of this study was to investigate whether HDI would influence the inflammatory status in livers of obese rats with fatty liver. Male obese Zucker fa/fa rats were fed casein (controls) or casein supplemented with HDI (containing 4.00 g of genistein and 4.50 g of daidzein per kilogram of diet) for 6 wk. The HDI-fed rats had a markedly lower hepatic concentration of triacylglycerol when compared with controls. The decreased aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase ratio in plasma, together with lower circulating levels of alkaline phosphatase and bile acids after HDI feeding, implied an improved hepatitis. This was supported by decreased plasma and hepatic mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, lower plasma levels of interleukin-1beta and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and an increased anti-inflammatory fatty acid index in plasma. HDI also seemed to protect the rats from oxidative damage, because the level of lipid peroxides in triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins after in vitro copper oxidation was lower for HDI-fed rats when compared with controls. These results show that isoflavone-enriched soy protein favorably affects biomarkers of hepatic inflammation in obese Zucker fa/fa rats with fatty liver. Thus, dietary soy proteins enriched in isoflavones may be a promising agent to improve steatohepatitis in patients.

Rethinking the Place of Children and Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schissel, Bernard; Schissel, Wendy

2008-01-01

According to the annual United Nations declarations based on the Human Development Index (HDI), Canada remains one of the best places in the world in which to live. Ironically, this declaration of socio-economic superiority does not extend to the young people in the society. Although post-industrial societies like Canada and the United States may…

Socioeconomic disadvantage and schizophrenia in migrants under mental health detention orders.

PubMed

Bulla, Jan; Hoffmann, Klaus; Querengässer, Jan; Ross, Thomas

2017-09-01

Migrants with mental hospital orders according to section 63 of the German criminal code are overrepresented in relation to their numbers in the general population. Subgroups originating from certain world regions are diagnosed with schizophrenia at a much higher rate than others. In the present literature, there is a strong evidence for a substantial correlation between migration, social disadvantage and the prevalence of schizophrenia. This study investigates the relationship between countries of origin, the risk of becoming a forensic patient and the proportion of schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Data from a comprehensive evaluation tool of forensic inpatients in the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg (FoDoBa) were compared with population statistics and correlated with the Human Development Index (HDI) and Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI). For residents with migration background, the risk ratio to receive a mental hospital order is 1.3 in comparison to non-migrants. There was a highly significant correlation between the HDI of the country of origin and the risk ratio for detention in a forensic psychiatric hospital. The proportion of schizophrenia diagnoses also correlated significantly with the HDI. In contrast, the MPI country rankings were not associated with schizophrenia diagnoses. Two lines of explanations are discussed: first, higher prevalence of schizophrenia in migrants originating from low-income countries, and second, a specific bias in court rulings with regard to involuntary forensic treatment orders for these migrant groups.

The roles of contextual and individual social determinants of oral health-related quality of life in Brazilian adults.

PubMed

Vettore, Mario Vianna; Aqeeli, Amal

2016-04-01

This study investigated the relationship between contextual and individual social determinants of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in Brazilian adults. Data of 4594 Brazilian adults aged 35-44 years from the 2010 Brazilian Oral Health Survey were analysed. OHRQoL was measured using the Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP). Contextual socio-economic characteristics at city level assessed in 1991 and 2000 included social deprivation measured by Human Development Index (HDI) and income inequality (Gini index). Individual socio-economic characteristics included family income, schooling and number of goods. Covariates were age, sex, ethnicity and clinical oral measures. Multilevel multivariable Poisson regression analysis was carried to investigate the association of contextual and individual social characteristics with OIDP extent and with each OIDP item. Eating and cleaning teeth were the most reported daily activities influenced by oral conditions. In the adjusted analysis, low HDI 1991 and individual social characteristics (lower family income and lower schooling) were associated with OIDP extent. Sex (females) and all clinical oral measures were also associated with OIDP. Adults living in the cities with low HDI 1991 were more likely to have impact on eating and sleeping, whereas living in cities with high Gini index 1991 increased the prevalence of impact on emotional status, work and social contact. Low income was associated with all OIDP items. Poor contextual social determinants and lower individual socio-economic position are associated with worse OHRQoL among Brazilian adults, even after adjusting for individual socio-demographic and clinical oral health variables.

Incidence and Mortality of Liver Cancer and Their Relationship with Development in Asia.

PubMed

Mohammadian, Maryam; Soroush, Ali; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Towhidi, Farhad; Hadadian, Fatemeh; Salehiniya, Hamid

2016-01-01

Liver cancer (LC) is the sixth world most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death. Due to the importance and necessity of awareness about the incidence and mortality of diseases to perform prevention programs, this study focused on data for LC and its relationship with the human development index (HDI) and its components in Asia in 2012. This ecological study was based on GLOBOCAN data for Asian countries. We assessed correlations between standardized incidence rates (SIR) and standardized mortality rates (SMR) of LC with HDI and its components using of SPSS18. A total of 582,420 incident cases and 557,097 deaths were recorded in Asian countries in 2012. The five with the highest SIR were Mongolia, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Republic of Korea and Thailand and those with the highest SMR were Mongolia, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. A negative relation was observed between HDI and LC for SIR of 0.049 (P=0.748) and for SMR of 0.07 (P=0.645), with life expectancy at birth a positive relation for SIR of 0.061 (P=0.687) and a negative relation for SMR of 0.079 (P=0.603), with the average years of education a negative relation fo SIR of 0.476 (p=0.952) and for SMR of 0.032 (P=0.832), and with the country income level per person a negative relation for SMI of 0.11 (p=0.465) and for SMR of 0.113 (P=0.455). The incidence of LC is more in less developed and developing countries but statistically significant correlations were not found between standardized incidence and mortality rates of LC, and HDI and its dimensions.

Use of hexyl isocyanate antigen to detect antibodies to hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) in sensitized guinea pigs and in a sensitized worker.

PubMed

Karol, M H; Hauth, B A

1982-01-01

Hypersensitivity to hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) has been reported following occupational exposure. Diagnosis of sensitivity is usually made from clinical evaluation of symptomatology. An in vitro serologic assay for HDI sensitivity was developed by immunizing guinea pigs with HDI and with hexyl isocyanate (HMI). Animals injected intradermally with HMI produced hapten-specific antibodies whereas guinea pigs injected with HDI produced antibodies specific for larger determinants which included the HDI hapten. The larger determinants were assumed to be composed of portions of "self" molecules which reacted in vivo with HDI. Serum albumin appeared to be one such molecule. No cross reactions were noted between antibodies to HDI and another widely used industrial isocyanate, toluene diisocyanate (TDI). Antigens effective in detecting antibodies to HDI or HMI were tested for ability to detect reaginic antibodies in a worker with clinical "HDI" asthma. Using a radioimmunoassay (RAST), antibodies reacted with conjugates containing either HDI or HMI as haptens. In addition, the prevalance of HDI polyisocyanates (Desmodur N) in spray paints prompted its use as a hapten. Antibodies reacted with Desmodur N antigen conjugates in RAST. RAST inhibition further indicated that Desmodur N antigen reacted more readily with the patient's antibodies than did HDI or HMI antigens. These results suggest that the patient may have been exposed to HDI polyisocyanates in spray paint application. Use of Rast inhibition for diagnosis of sensitivity may indicate the precise sensitizing agent within a mixture.

Untapped potential of health impact assessment.

PubMed

Winkler, Mirko S; Krieger, Gary R; Divall, Mark J; Cissé, Guéladio; Wielga, Mark; Singer, Burton H; Tanner, Marcel; Utzinger, Jürg

2013-04-01

The World Health Organization has promoted health impact assessment (HIA) for over 20 years. At the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), HIA was discussed as a critical method for linking health to "green economy" and "institutional framework" strategies for sustainable development. In countries having a high human development index (HDI), HIA has been added to the overall assessment suite that typically includes potential environmental and social impacts, but it is rarely required as part of the environmental and social impact assessment for large development projects. When they are performed, project-driven HIAs are governed by a combination of project proponent and multilateral lender performance standards rather than host country requirements. Not surprisingly, in low-HDI countries HIA is missing from the programme and policy arena in the absence of an external project driver. Major drivers of global change (e.g. population growth and urbanization, growing pressure on natural resources and climate change) inordinately affect low- and medium-HDI countries; however, in such countries HIA is conspicuously absent. If the cloak of HIA invisibility is to be removed, it must be shown that HIA is useful and beneficial and, hence, an essential component of the 21st century's sustainable development agenda. We analyse where and how HIA can become fully integrated into the impact assessment suite and argue that the impact of HIA must not remain obscure.

Untapped potential of health impact assessment

PubMed Central

Krieger, Gary R; Divall, Mark J; Cissé, Guéladio; Wielga, Mark; Singer, Burton H; Tanner, Marcel; Utzinger, Jürg

2013-01-01

Abstract The World Health Organization has promoted health impact assessment (HIA) for over 20 years. At the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), HIA was discussed as a critical method for linking health to “green economy” and “institutional framework” strategies for sustainable development. In countries having a high human development index (HDI), HIA has been added to the overall assessment suite that typically includes potential environmental and social impacts, but it is rarely required as part of the environmental and social impact assessment for large development projects. When they are performed, project-driven HIAs are governed by a combination of project proponent and multilateral lender performance standards rather than host country requirements. Not surprisingly, in low-HDI countries HIA is missing from the programme and policy arena in the absence of an external project driver. Major drivers of global change (e.g. population growth and urbanization, growing pressure on natural resources and climate change) inordinately affect low- and medium-HDI countries; however, in such countries HIA is conspicuously absent. If the cloak of HIA invisibility is to be removed, it must be shown that HIA is useful and beneficial and, hence, an essential component of the 21st century’s sustainable development agenda. We analyse where and how HIA can become fully integrated into the impact assessment suite and argue that the impact of HIA must not remain obscure. PMID:23599554

Spatio-Temporal Variation of Longevity Clusters and the Influence of Social Development Level on Lifespan in a Chinese Longevous Area (1982–2010)

PubMed Central

Qin, Jian; Xia, Tianlong; Li, You; Liang, Xue; Wei, Peng; Long, Bingshuang; Lei, Mingzhi; Wei, Xiao; Tang, Xianyan; Zhang, Zhiyong

2017-01-01

The study aims to determine the spatial and temporal variation of a longevous region and explore the correlation between longevity and socioeconomic development. Population data at the township level were obtained from the last four population censuses (1982–2010). Five main lifespan indicators and the Human Development Index (HDI) were calculated. Getis-Ord G*, Gravity modeling, and Pearson’s r between lifespan indicators and HDI were applied. In this study, a stable longevous gathering area was discovered in Hechi during different periods. Under the influence of social and economic development, more longevous areas appeared. However, the effects of genetic and natural environmental factors on longevity were always dominant in this remote and mountainous city. Furthermore, longevity indicators lacked any significant correlation with life expectancy. No significant positive correlation was detected between lifespan indicators and HDI. Thus, we conclude that lifespan indicators can determine the spatial distribution and variation pattern of longevity from multiple dimensions. The geographical scope of longevity in Hechi City is gradually expanding, and significant spatial clustering was detected in southwestern, southern, and eastern parts of Hechi. This study also found that social economic development is likely to have a certain impact on new longevous areas, but their role on extreme longevity is not significant. PMID:28753971

Impact of stillbirths on international comparisons of preterm birth rates: a secondary analysis of the WHO multi-country survey of Maternal and Newborn Health.

PubMed

Morisaki, N; Ganchimeg, T; Vogel, J P; Zeitlin, J; Cecatti, J G; Souza, J P; Pileggi Castro, C; Torloni, M R; Ota, E; Mori, R; Dolan, S M; Tough, S; Mittal, S; Bataglia, V; Yadamsuren, B; Kramer, M S

2017-08-01

To evaluate the extent to which stillbirths affect international comparisons of preterm birth rates in low- and middle-income countries. Secondary analysis of a multi-country cross-sectional study. 29 countries participating in the World Health Organization Multicountry Survey on Maternal and Newborn Health. 258 215 singleton deliveries in 286 hospitals. We describe how inclusion or exclusion of stillbirth affect rates of preterm births in 29 countries. Preterm delivery. In all countries, preterm birth rates were substantially lower when based on live births only, than when based on total births. However, the increase in preterm birth rates with inclusion of stillbirths was substantially higher in low Human Development Index (HDI) countries [median 18.2%, interquartile range (17.2-34.6%)] compared with medium (4.3%, 3.0-6.7%), and high-HDI countries (4.8%, 4.4-5.5%). Inclusion of stillbirths leads to higher estimates of preterm birth rate in all countries, with a disproportionately large effect in low-HDI countries. Preterm birth rates based on live births alone do not accurately reflect international disparities in perinatal health; thus improved registration and reporting of stillbirths are necessary. Inclusion of stillbirths increases preterm birth rates estimates, especially in low-HDI countries. © 2017 World Health Organization, licensed by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Optimized spatial priorities for biodiversity conservation in China: a systematic conservation planning perspective.

PubMed

Wu, Ruidong; Long, Yongcheng; Malanson, George P; Garber, Paul A; Zhang, Shuang; Li, Diqiang; Zhao, Peng; Wang, Longzhu; Duo, Hairui

2014-01-01

By addressing several key features overlooked in previous studies, i.e. human disturbance, integration of ecosystem- and species-level conservation features, and principles of complementarity and representativeness, we present the first national-scale systematic conservation planning for China to determine the optimized spatial priorities for biodiversity conservation. We compiled a spatial database on the distributions of ecosystem- and species-level conservation features, and modeled a human disturbance index (HDI) by aggregating information using several socioeconomic proxies. We ran Marxan with two scenarios (HDI-ignored and HDI-considered) to investigate the effects of human disturbance, and explored the geographic patterns of the optimized spatial conservation priorities. Compared to when HDI was ignored, the HDI-considered scenario resulted in (1) a marked reduction (∼9%) in the total HDI score and a slight increase (∼7%) in the total area of the portfolio of priority units, (2) a significant increase (∼43%) in the total irreplaceable area and (3) more irreplaceable units being identified in almost all environmental zones and highly-disturbed provinces. Thus the inclusion of human disturbance is essential for cost-effective priority-setting. Attention should be targeted to the areas that are characterized as moderately-disturbed, <2,000 m in altitude, and/or intermediately- to extremely-rugged in terrain to identify potentially important regions for implementing cost-effective conservation. We delineated 23 primary large-scale priority areas that are significant for conserving China's biodiversity, but those isolated priority units in disturbed regions are in more urgent need of conservation actions so as to prevent immediate and severe biodiversity loss. This study presents a spatially optimized national-scale portfolio of conservation priorities--effectively representing the overall biodiversity of China while minimizing conflicts with economic development. Our results offer critical insights for current conservation and strategic land-use planning in China. The approach is transferable and easy to implement by end-users, and applicable for national- and local-scale systematic conservation prioritization practices.

Optimized Spatial Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation in China: A Systematic Conservation Planning Perspective

PubMed Central

Wu, Ruidong; Long, Yongcheng; Malanson, George P.; Garber, Paul A.; Zhang, Shuang; Li, Diqiang; Zhao, Peng; Wang, Longzhu; Duo, Hairui

2014-01-01

By addressing several key features overlooked in previous studies, i.e. human disturbance, integration of ecosystem- and species-level conservation features, and principles of complementarity and representativeness, we present the first national-scale systematic conservation planning for China to determine the optimized spatial priorities for biodiversity conservation. We compiled a spatial database on the distributions of ecosystem- and species-level conservation features, and modeled a human disturbance index (HDI) by aggregating information using several socioeconomic proxies. We ran Marxan with two scenarios (HDI-ignored and HDI-considered) to investigate the effects of human disturbance, and explored the geographic patterns of the optimized spatial conservation priorities. Compared to when HDI was ignored, the HDI-considered scenario resulted in (1) a marked reduction (∼9%) in the total HDI score and a slight increase (∼7%) in the total area of the portfolio of priority units, (2) a significant increase (∼43%) in the total irreplaceable area and (3) more irreplaceable units being identified in almost all environmental zones and highly-disturbed provinces. Thus the inclusion of human disturbance is essential for cost-effective priority-setting. Attention should be targeted to the areas that are characterized as moderately-disturbed, <2,000 m in altitude, and/or intermediately- to extremely-rugged in terrain to identify potentially important regions for implementing cost-effective conservation. We delineated 23 primary large-scale priority areas that are significant for conserving China's biodiversity, but those isolated priority units in disturbed regions are in more urgent need of conservation actions so as to prevent immediate and severe biodiversity loss. This study presents a spatially optimized national-scale portfolio of conservation priorities – effectively representing the overall biodiversity of China while minimizing conflicts with economic development. Our results offer critical insights for current conservation and strategic land-use planning in China. The approach is transferable and easy to implement by end-users, and applicable for national- and local-scale systematic conservation prioritization practices. PMID:25072933

Anesthesia-Related and Perioperative Cardiac Arrest in Low- and High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review With Meta-Regression and Proportional Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Koga, Fernando A; El Dib, Regina; Wakasugui, William; Roça, Cairo T; Corrente, José E; Braz, Mariana G; Braz, José R C; Braz, Leandro G

2015-09-01

The anesthesia-related cardiac arrest (CA) rate is a quality indicator to improve patient safety in the perioperative period. A systematic review with meta-analysis of the worldwide literature related to anesthesia-related CA rate has not yet been performed.This study aimed to analyze global data on anesthesia-related and perioperative CA rates according to country's Human Development Index (HDI) and by time. In addition, we compared the anesthesia-related and perioperative CA rates in low- and high-income countries in 2 time periods.A systematic review was performed using electronic databases to identify studies in which patients underwent anesthesia with anesthesia-related and/or perioperative CA rates. Meta-regression and proportional meta-analysis were performed with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to evaluate global data on anesthesia-related and perioperative CA rates according to country's HDI and by time, and to compare the anesthesia-related and perioperative CA rates by country's HDI status (low HDI vs high HDI) and by time period (pre-1990s vs 1990s-2010s), respectively.Fifty-three studies from 21 countries assessing 11.9 million anesthetic administrations were included. Meta-regression showed that anesthesia-related (slope: -3.5729; 95% CI: -6.6306 to -0.5152; P = 0.024) and perioperative (slope: -2.4071; 95% CI: -4.0482 to -0.7659; P = 0.005) CA rates decreased with increasing HDI, but not with time. Meta-analysis showed per 10,000 anesthetics that anesthesia-related and perioperative CA rates declined in high HDI (2.3 [95% CI: 1.2-3.7] before the 1990s to 0.7 [95% CI: 0.5-1.0] in the 1990s-2010s, P < 0.001; and 8.1 [95% CI: 5.1-11.9] before the 1990s to 6.2 [95% CI: 5.1-7.4] in the 1990s-2010s, P < 0.001, respectively). In low-HDI countries, anesthesia-related CA rates did not alter significantly (9.2 [95% CI: 2.0-21.7] before the 1990s to 4.5 [95% CI: 2.4-7.2] in the 1990s-2010s, P = 0.14), whereas perioperative CA rates increased significantly (16.4 [95% CI: 1.5-47.1] before the 1990s to 19.9 [95% CI: 10.9-31.7] in the 1990s-2010s, P = 0.03).Both anesthesia-related and perioperative CA rates decrease with increasing HDI but not with time. There is a clear and consistent reduction in anesthesia-related and perioperative CA rates in high-HDI countries, but an increase in perioperative CA rates without significant alteration in the anesthesia-related CA rates in low-HDI countries comparing the 2 time periods.

Measurement of Social Development: An International Comparison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ray, Amal Kanti

2008-01-01

PQLI and HDI are the two most popular measures of development, besides per capita income. Over the years, PQLI appears to be not much in use for regional comparisons, especially after the introduction of HDI. While PQLI considers only the physical variables--adult literacy, life expectancy at birth and infant survival rate, HDI has life expectancy…

Laryngeal cancer: Global socioeconomic trends in disease burden and smoking habits.

PubMed

Ramsey, Tam; Guo, Eric; Svider, Peter F; Lin, Hosheng; Syeda, Sara; Raza, S Naweed; Fribley, Andrew M

2018-03-06

To characterize health burden and determine the associated level of equality of laryngeal carcinoma (LC) burden at a global level. One hundred eighty-four countries were organized by socioeconomic status using Human Development Index (HDI) categorizations provided by the United Nations Development Program. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), obtained from The Global Health Data Exchange, were calculated and compared between each HDI category for the period from 1990 to 2015. Equality of LC burden was then evaluated with concentration indices. Global LC burden, as measured by age-standardized DALYs, has improved significantly over the 25-year period studied. This burden has declined for very high, high, and medium HDI countries, whereas it has remained unchanged for low HDI countries. The majority of LC global burden was found in high socioeconomic countries before 2010 and has shifted toward low socioeconomic countries, as indicated by concentration indices. Over the last 25 years, Central and Eastern Europe continue to have the largest disease burden in the world. This is the first analysis that we are aware of investigating health disparities of LC at a global level. The global burden of the disease has declined, which is a trend corresponding with significantly reduced smoking behaviors in developed countries. Although the global inequality gap decreased between 2010 and 2015, there remain reasons for concern. Smoking continues to trend upward in low socioeconomic countries, which could increase LC burden in low socioeconomic countries in the near future. A new global initiative directed toward low socioeconomic countries may yield dividends in preventing subsequent disparities in the LC burden. 4. Laryngoscope, 2017. © 2017 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Systematic review of the relationship of Helicobacter pylori infection with geographical latitude, average annual temperature and average daily sunshine.

PubMed

Lu, Chao; Yu, Ye; Li, Lan; Yu, Chaohui; Xu, Ping

2018-04-17

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a worldwide threat to human health with high prevalence. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between latitude, average annual temperature, average daily sunshine time and H. pylori infection. The PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov , EBSCO and Web of Science databases were searched to identify studies reporting H. pylori infection. Latitude 30° was the cut-off level for low and mid-latitude areas. We obtained information for latitude, average annual temperature, average daily sunshine, and Human Development Index (HDI) from reports of studies of the relationships with H. pylori infection. Of the 51 studies included, there was significant difference in H. pylori infection between the low- and mid-latitude areas (P = 0.05). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of H. pylori infection in each 15°-latitude zone analyzed (P = 0.061). Subgroup analysis revealed the highest and lowest H. pylori infection rates in the developing regions at > 30° latitude subgroup and the developed regions at < 30° latitude subgroup, respectively (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that average annual temperature, average daily sunshine time and HDI were significantly correlated with H. pylori infection (P = 0.009, P < 0.001, P < 0.001), while there was no correlation between H. pylori infection and latitude. Our analysis showed that higher average annual temperature was associated with lower H. pylori infection rates, while average daily sunshine time correlated positively with H. pylori infection. HDI was also found to be a significant factor, with higher HDI associated with lower infection rates. These findings provide evidence that can be used to devise strategies for the prevention and control of H. pylori.

The incidence and mortality of lung cancer and their relationship to development in Asia.

PubMed

Pakzad, Reza; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Pakzad, Iraj; Salehiniya, Hamid

2015-12-01

Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer worldwide and the most common cancer in Asia. It is necessary to get information on epidemiology and inequalities related to incidence and mortality of the cancer to use for planning and further research. This study aimed to investigate epidemiology and inequality of incidence and mortality from lung cancer in Asia. The study was conducted based on data from the world data of cancer and the World Bank [including the Human Development Index (HDI) and its components]. The incidence and mortality rates, and cancer distribution maps were drawn for Asian countries. To analyze data, correlation test between incidence and death rates, and HDI and its components at significant was used in the significant level of 0.05 using SPSS software. A total of 1,033,881 incidence (71.13% were males and 28.87% were females. Sex ratio was 2.46) and 936,051 death (71.45% in men and 28.55% in women. The sex ratio was 2.50) recorded in Asian countries in 2012. Five countries with the highest standardized incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer were Democratic Republic of Korea, China, Armenia, Turkey, and Timor-Leste, respectively. Correlation between HDI and standardized incidence rate was 0.345 (P=0.019), in men 0.301 (P=0.042) and in women 0.3 (P=0.043); also between HDI and standardized mortality rate 0.289 (P=0.052), in men 0.265 (P=0.075) and in women 0.200 (P=0.182). The incidence of lung cancer has been increasing in Asia. It is high in men. Along with development, the incidence and mortality from lung cancer increases. It seems necessary to study reasons and factors of increasing the incidence and mortality of lung cancer in Asian countries.

Maternal life course socio-economic position and offspring body composition at birth in a multi-ethnic population.

PubMed

Sletner, Line; Jenum, Anne Karen; Mørkrid, Kjersti; Vangen, Siri; Holme, Ingar M; Birkeland, Kåre I; Nakstad, Britt

2014-09-01

Size and body composition at birth may affect long-term health. Mean birthweight and body composition differ between ethnic groups living in Europe. We wanted to explore if this relates to differences in socio-economic conditions in country of origin and over the maternal life course. This is a population-based cohort study of healthy pregnant women living in Oslo, Norway. Data on maternal early life and present socio-economic position (SEP) were collected in early gestation, and SEP scores were extracted through two separate principal components analyses. The associations between maternal present SEP and four different offspring anthropometric measures at birth were assessed separately, stratified by maternal early life SEP (dichotomised score) and Human Development Index (HDI, a country-level socio-economic indicator) in the country of origin [high HDI (Reference), n = 287 and low HDI, n = 250]. A strong positive association between maternal present SEP and offspring birthweight was observed if maternal early life SEP was high, but not if maternal early life SEP was low (P < 0.001 for the interaction term). This interactional effect was observed in both HDI groups. Maternal life course SEP affected offspring birthweight mainly through an effect on length and sum of skin folds. Offspring of mothers with origin from low HDI countries had smaller abdominal circumference, possibly indicating less fat-free mass, regardless of maternal life course SEP. Our results suggest that there are transgenerational effects of maternal past socio-economic conditions on offspring size and body composition at birth that modify the associations with present socio-economic factors. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Country-Level Macroeconomic Indicators Predict Early Post-Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Survival in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A CIBMTR Analysis.

PubMed

Wood, William A; Brazauskas, Ruta; Hu, Zhen-Huan; Abdel-Azim, Hisham; Ahmed, Ibrahim A; Aljurf, Mahmoud; Badawy, Sherif; Beitinjaneh, Amer; George, Biju; Buchbinder, David; Cerny, Jan; Dedeken, Laurence; Diaz, Miguel Angel; Freytes, Cesar O; Ganguly, Siddhartha; Gergis, Usama; Almaguer, David Gomez; Gupta, Ashish; Hale, Gregory; Hashmi, Shahrukh K; Inamoto, Yoshihiro; Kamble, Rammurti T; Adekola, Kehinde; Kindwall-Keller, Tamila; Knight, Jennifer; Kumar, Lalit; Kuwatsuka, Yachiyo; Law, Jason; Lazarus, Hillard M; LeMaistre, Charles; Olsson, Richard F; Pulsipher, Michael A; Savani, Bipin N; Schultz, Kirk R; Saad, Ayman A; Seftel, Matthew; Seo, Sachiko; Shea, Thomas C; Steinberg, Amir; Sullivan, Keith; Szwajcer, David; Wirk, Baldeep; Yared, Jean; Yong, Agnes; Dalal, Jignesh; Hahn, Theresa; Khera, Nandita; Bonfim, Carmem; Atsuta, Yoshiko; Saber, Wael

2018-03-19

For patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) offers a potential cure. Life-threatening complications can arise from alloHCT that require the application of sophisticated health care delivery. The impact of country-level economic conditions on post-transplantation outcomes is not known. Our objective was to assess whether these variables were associated with outcomes for patients transplanted for ALL. Using data from the Center for Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, we included 11,261 patients who received a first alloHCT for ALL from 303 centers across 38 countries between the years of 2005 and 2013. Cox regression models were constructed using the following macroeconomic indicators as main effects: Gross national income per capita, health expenditure per capita, and Human Development Index (HDI). The outcome was overall survival at 100 days following transplantation. In each model, transplants performed within lower resourced environments were associated with inferior overall survival. In the model with the HDI as the main effect, transplants performed in the lowest HDI quartile (n = 697) were associated with increased hazard for mortality (hazard ratio, 2.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.64 to 3.57; P < .001) in comparison with transplants performed in the countries with the highest HDI quartile. This translated into an 11% survival difference at 100 days (77% for lowest HDI quartile versus 88% for all other quartiles). Country-level macroeconomic indices were associated with lower survival at 100 days after alloHCT for ALL. The reasons for this disparity require further investigation. Copyright © 2018 The American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association of Macroeconomic Factors With Nonrelapse Mortality After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Adults With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: An Analysis From the Acute Leukemia Working Party of the EBMT.

PubMed

Giebel, Sebastian; Labopin, Myriam; Ibatici, Adalberto; Browne, Paul; Czerw, Tomasz; Socie, Gerard; Unal, Ali; Kyrcz-Krzemien, Slawomira; Bacigalupo, Andrea; Goker, Hakan; Potter, Mike; Furness, Caroline L; McQuaker, Grant; Beelen, Dietrich; Milpied, Noel; Campos, Antonio; Craddock, Charles; Nagler, Arnon; Mohty, Mohamad

2016-03-01

From a global perspective, the rates of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) are closely related to the economic status of a country. However, a potential association with outcome has not yet been documented. The goal of this study was to evaluate effects of health care expenditure (HCE), Human Development Index (HDI), team density, and center experience on nonrelapse mortality (NRM) after HLA-matched sibling alloHCT for adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). A total of 983 patients treated with myeloablative alloHCT between 2004 and 2008 in 24 European countries were included. In a univariate analysis, the probability of day 100 NRM was increased for countries with lower current HCE (8% vs. 3%; p = .06), countries with lower HDI (8% vs. 3%; p = .02), and centers with less experience (8% vs. 5%; p = .04). In addition, the overall NRM was increased for countries with lower current HCE (21% vs. 17%; p = .09) and HDI (21% vs. 16%; p = .03) and for centers with lower activity (21% vs. 16%; p = .07). In a multivariate analysis, the strongest predictive model for day 100 NRM included current HCE greater than the median (hazard ratio [HR], 0.39; p = .002). The overall NRM was mostly predicted by HDI greater than the median (HR, 0.65; p = .01). Both lower current HCE and HDI were associated with decreased probability of overall survival. Both macroeconomic factors and the socioeconomic status of a country strongly influence NRM after alloHCT for adults with ALL. Our findings should be considered when clinical studies in the field of alloHCT are interpreted. ©AlphaMed Press.

The power of light: socio-economic and environmental implications of a rural electrification program in Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borges da Silveira Bezerra, Paula; Ludovique Callegari, Camila; Ribas, Aline; Lucena, André F. P.; Portugal-Pereira, Joana; Koberle, Alexandre; Szklo, Alexandre; Schaeffer, Roberto

2017-09-01

Universal access to electricity is deemed critical for improving living standards and indispensable for eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable development. In 2003, the ‘Luz para Todos’ (LpT—Light for All) program was launched aiming to universalize access to electricity in Brazil. The program focused on rural and isolated areas, also targeting to bring development to those regions along with electrification. This paper evaluates the results of the LpT program in improving socio-economic development in the poorest regions of Brazil. After an initial qualitative analysis, an empirical quantitative assessment of the influence of increased electrification rates on the components of the Human Development Index (HDI) is performed. The empirical results of this study showed that electrification had a positive influence on all dimensions of the HDI, with the education component having the strongest effect. Although complementary policies were needed to achieve this, results show that electricity access is a major requirement to improve quality of life.

Concept of an advanced hyperspectral remote sensing system for pipeline monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keskin, Göksu; Teutsch, Caroline D.; Lenz, Andreas; Middelmann, Wolfgang

2015-10-01

Areas occupied by oil pipelines and storage facilities are prone to severe contamination due to leaks caused by natural forces, poor maintenance or third parties. These threats have to be detected as quickly as possible in order to prevent serious environmental damage. Periodical and emergency monitoring activities need to be carried out for successful disaster management and pollution minimization. Airborne remote sensing stands out as an appropriate choice to operate either in an emergency or periodically. Hydrocarbon Index (HI) and Hydrocarbon Detection Index (HDI) utilize the unique absorption features of hydrocarbon based materials at SWIR spectral region. These band ratio based methods require no a priori knowledge of the reference spectrum and can be calculated in real time. This work introduces a flexible airborne pipeline monitoring system based on the online quasi-operational hyperspectral remote sensing system developed at Fraunhofer IOSB, utilizing HI and HDI for oil leak detection on the data acquired by an SWIR imaging sensor. Robustness of HI and HDI compared to state of the art detection algorithms is evaluated in an experimental setup using a synthetic dataset, which was prepared in a systematic way to simulate linear mixtures of selected background and oil spectra consisting of gradually decreasing percentages of oil content. Real airborne measurements in Ettlingen, Germany are used to gather background data while the crude oil spectrum was measured with a field spectrometer. The results indicate that the system can be utilized for online and offline monitoring activities.

Indonesian Perspective on Massive Open Online Courses: Opportunities and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berliyanto; Santoso, Harry B.

2018-01-01

There are two indications that Indonesia needs to improve its education quality. The first is the Human Development Index (HDI), which is still at the medium level, and the second is the enrollment rate in higher education, which is also at the low level. MOOCs have the potential to solve both problems. However, implementing MOOCs in a developing…

Biosphere as a complex life-support system (LSS) for human civilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pechurkin, Nickolay

As a continuously growing link of the Biosphere, we should keep in mind that biotic cycles induced by flows of a solar energy are the source of Biosphere and ecosystems functioning. Our pressure on the Biosphere which is connected with biotic cycle’s alterations and damages is menacingly growing. There are innumerable examples of atmosphere, water and soil pollution. We have contaminated even Earth-Space orbits with different uncontrolled debris. Ecological Footprint (EF) is a proper quantitative measure of anthropogenic impact on the Biosphere and ecosystems functioning. The comparative dynamics of the United Nations’ Human Development Index (HDI) and Ecological Footprint (EF) is discussed in the paper. The main call of sustainable development of mankind: all humans can have opportunity to fulfill their lives without degrading the Biosphere. To support sustainability, we should make an effort to develop each nation and the mankind as a whole with a high HDI and with a low ecological footprint. It means: to have high level of HDI at low level of EF. But current tendency of economical and social development shows: the higher HDI, the bigger EF. EF of mankind is rising threateningly. Now actual pressure of the human civilization of our planet (2014) upon 60 % exceeds its potential possibilities (biological capacity, measured as the area of "global" green hectares). It means that now we require more than 1.5 planets of the Earth’s type for sustainable development. It leads to ecological incident in the scale of Biosphere. Our Biosphere is the large, multilevel, hierarchically organized system, and our civilization is only a part of it. This part is not central; it can disappear for ever, if we do not cope to be included in the Biosphere as a great complex system. An example of Krasnoyarsk region as a representative region with high level of industry and technological energy production is considered in the paper. This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project number 13-06-00060.

United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan: Background and Policy Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-14

mainly through U.N. agencies and NGOs. 6 In 2007, Afghanistan placed 174th out of 178 countries on global rankings of the Human Development Index ( HDI ...and other insurgents to reestablish control of some areas of the country have slowed the pace and extent of economic development and the expansion of...improvement throughout the country . The international recovery and reconstruction effort in Afghanistan is immense and complicated and, in coordination

[Gender development inequalities epidemiology in Spain (1990-2000)].

PubMed

Carrasco-Portiño, Mercedes; Ruiz-Cantero, María Teresa; Gil-González, Diana; Díaz, Carlos Alvarez-Dardet; Torrubiano-Domínguez, Jordi

2008-01-01

Gender is an important health determinant for public health policies. This study describes the changes in gender development inequalities in Spain and its autonomous regions from 1990 to 2000. An ecological study using the Human Development Index (HDI) and the Gender Development Index (GDI) was done. IDG both men and women was analysed according to indexes of education, income and life expectancy at birth. Although the GDI has had an increase of 5,05% in the 90 s, 51,5% of the population was located above the global GDI of Spain in 1990, moreover this number decreased to 46,3% in 2000. Gender inequalities have been reduced both at national and regional levels. The regions with the lowest increase were Asturias (3.37%), Cantabria (3.68%) and Baleares Islands (3.71%). The regions with the highest increase were Madrid (6,46%) and Extremadura (6,75%). All the autonomous regions showed a number of GDI lower than the value of HDI. Both sexes achieved similar increase in life expectancy (Men: 5% and Women: 4%). An unequal variation was detected according to the autonomous region (Basque Country; Men: 7% and Women: 3%; Madrid; Men:8% and Women:5%). Women have improved their educational level in comparison to men (Men: 3% and Women: 6%). In the 90 s, men obtained more income than women, but women improved their situation three times more than men. Inequalities in Human Development analysed by gender have been reduced in the 90 s in Spain. However, the improvement of education, income and life expectancy occurred only in some autonomous regions. This situation shows the differences among Spanish autonomous regions.

Unhealthy Behaviours: An International Comparison

PubMed Central

Ferretti, Fabrizio

2015-01-01

In the current global economy, chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become the leading cause of death and a major health concern for both developed and developing countries. Among other factors, the worldwide spread of NCDs is driven by the globalisation of unhealthy habits. The purpose of this paper is to develop a simple statistic to measure, at the national level, the average population’s exposure to the main NCDs modifiable risk factors. The approach and methodology followed by the United Nations Development Programme to compute the Human Development Index (HDI) is applied to four basic indicators of NCD-related preventable risk factors (alcohol consumption, excess caloric intake, non-balanced diet and tobacco use) in 112 countries worldwide in 2012–14. We obtain a summary composite index, which we call the Unhealthy Behaviour Index (UBI), which ranks countries by the average level of the unhealthy habits (drinking, eating and smoking) of their populations. We find that Belarus and Russian federation are the two countries with the unhealthiest NCD-related lifestyle. With the exception of Canada, the first twenty populations more exposed to the main NCDs preventable risk factors all live in European countries, and mainly in countries of Eastern Europe. Overall, the UBI tends to increase along with the level of human development. In medium, high and very high HDI countries, however, the same level of human development may be associated with very different kinds of NCD-related lifestyles. Finally, economic growth may push populations toward either more unhealthy or healthy habits, depending on the countries’ level of development; the elasticity of unhealthy habits with respect to income per capita is positive (but less than one: on average 0.6) until $30,000, decreases as income rises, and becomes negative (around -0.3) in very high income countries. PMID:26512717

Unhealthy Behaviours: An International Comparison.

PubMed

Ferretti, Fabrizio

2015-01-01

In the current global economy, chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become the leading cause of death and a major health concern for both developed and developing countries. Among other factors, the worldwide spread of NCDs is driven by the globalisation of unhealthy habits. The purpose of this paper is to develop a simple statistic to measure, at the national level, the average population's exposure to the main NCDs modifiable risk factors. The approach and methodology followed by the United Nations Development Programme to compute the Human Development Index (HDI) is applied to four basic indicators of NCD-related preventable risk factors (alcohol consumption, excess caloric intake, non-balanced diet and tobacco use) in 112 countries worldwide in 2012-14. We obtain a summary composite index, which we call the Unhealthy Behaviour Index (UBI), which ranks countries by the average level of the unhealthy habits (drinking, eating and smoking) of their populations. We find that Belarus and Russian federation are the two countries with the unhealthiest NCD-related lifestyle. With the exception of Canada, the first twenty populations more exposed to the main NCDs preventable risk factors all live in European countries, and mainly in countries of Eastern Europe. Overall, the UBI tends to increase along with the level of human development. In medium, high and very high HDI countries, however, the same level of human development may be associated with very different kinds of NCD-related lifestyles. Finally, economic growth may push populations toward either more unhealthy or healthy habits, depending on the countries' level of development; the elasticity of unhealthy habits with respect to income per capita is positive (but less than one: on average 0.6) until $30,000, decreases as income rises, and becomes negative (around -0.3) in very high income countries.

The Dynamics of Democracy, Development and Cultural Values

PubMed Central

Spaiser, Viktoria; Ranganathan, Shyam; Mann, Richard P.; Sumpter, David J. T.

2014-01-01

Over the past decades many countries have experienced rapid changes in their economies, their democratic institutions and the values of their citizens. Comprehensive data measuring these changes across very different countries has recently become openly available. Between country similarities suggest common underlying dynamics in how countries develop in terms of economy, democracy and cultural values. We apply a novel Bayesian dynamical systems approach to identify the model which best captures the complex, mainly non-linear dynamics that underlie these changes. We show that the level of Human Development Index (HDI) in a country drives first democracy and then higher emancipation of citizens. This change occurs once the countries pass a certain threshold in HDI. The data also suggests that there is a limit to the growth of wealth, set by higher emancipation. Having reached a high level of democracy and emancipation, societies tend towards equilibrium that does not support further economic growth. Our findings give strong empirical evidence against a popular political science theory, known as the Human Development Sequence. Contrary to this theory, we find that implementation of human-rights and democratisation precede increases in emancipative values. PMID:24905920

The dynamics of democracy, development and cultural values.

PubMed

Spaiser, Viktoria; Ranganathan, Shyam; Mann, Richard P; Sumpter, David J T

2014-01-01

Over the past decades many countries have experienced rapid changes in their economies, their democratic institutions and the values of their citizens. Comprehensive data measuring these changes across very different countries has recently become openly available. Between country similarities suggest common underlying dynamics in how countries develop in terms of economy, democracy and cultural values. We apply a novel Bayesian dynamical systems approach to identify the model which best captures the complex, mainly non-linear dynamics that underlie these changes. We show that the level of Human Development Index (HDI) in a country drives first democracy and then higher emancipation of citizens. This change occurs once the countries pass a certain threshold in HDI. The data also suggests that there is a limit to the growth of wealth, set by higher emancipation. Having reached a high level of democracy and emancipation, societies tend towards equilibrium that does not support further economic growth. Our findings give strong empirical evidence against a popular political science theory, known as the Human Development Sequence. Contrary to this theory, we find that implementation of human-rights and democratisation precede increases in emancipative values.

Female labour force participation and suicide rates in the world.

PubMed

Chen, Ying-Yeh; Chen, Mengni; Lui, Carrie S M; Yip, Paul S F

2017-12-01

The current study aims to illustrate male to female suicide rate ratios in the world and explore the correlations between female labour force participation rates (FLPR) and suicide rates of both genders. Further, whether the relationship of FLPR and suicide rates vary according to the human capabilities of a given country are examined. Using suicide data obtained from the World Health Organization Statistical Information System, suicide gender ratios of 70 countries are illustrated. Based on the level of Human Development Index (HDI) and FLPR, the Bayesian Information Criteria (BIC) was used to determine the optimal number of clusters of those countries. Graphic illustrations of FLPR and gender-specific suicide rates, stratified by each cluster were presented, and Pearson's correlation coefficients calculated. Three clusters are identified, there was no correlation between FLPR and suicide rates in the first cluster where both the HDI and FLPR were the highest (Male: r = 0.29, P = 0.45; Female: r = 0.01, P = 0.97); whereas in Cluster 2, higher level of FLPR corresponded to lower suicide rates in both genders, although the statistical significance was only found in females (Male: r = -0.32, P = 0.15; Female: r = -0.48, P = 0.03). In Cluster 3 countries where HDI/FLPR were relatively lower, increased FLPR was associated with higher suicide rates for both genders (Male: r = 0.32, P = 0.04; Female: r = 0.32, P = 0.05). The relationship between egalitarian gender norms and suicide rates varies according to national context. A greater egalitarian gender norms may benefit both genders, but more so for women in countries equipped with better human capabilities. Although the beneficial effect may reach a plateau in countries with the highest HDI/FLPR; whereas in countries with relatively lower HDI/FLPR, increased FLPR were associated with higher suicide rates. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The incidence and mortality of lung cancer and their relationship to development in Asia

PubMed Central

Pakzad, Reza; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Pakzad, Iraj

2015-01-01

Background Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer worldwide and the most common cancer in Asia. It is necessary to get information on epidemiology and inequalities related to incidence and mortality of the cancer to use for planning and further research. This study aimed to investigate epidemiology and inequality of incidence and mortality from lung cancer in Asia. Methods The study was conducted based on data from the world data of cancer and the World Bank [including the Human Development Index (HDI) and its components]. The incidence and mortality rates, and cancer distribution maps were drawn for Asian countries. To analyze data, correlation test between incidence and death rates, and HDI and its components at significant was used in the significant level of 0.05 using SPSS software. Results A total of 1,033,881 incidence (71.13% were males and 28.87% were females. Sex ratio was 2.46) and 936,051 death (71.45% in men and 28.55% in women. The sex ratio was 2.50) recorded in Asian countries in 2012. Five countries with the highest standardized incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer were Democratic Republic of Korea, China, Armenia, Turkey, and Timor-Leste, respectively. Correlation between HDI and standardized incidence rate was 0.345 (P=0.019), in men 0.301 (P=0.042) and in women 0.3 (P=0.043); also between HDI and standardized mortality rate 0.289 (P=0.052), in men 0.265 (P=0.075) and in women 0.200 (P=0.182). Conclusions The incidence of lung cancer has been increasing in Asia. It is high in men. Along with development, the incidence and mortality from lung cancer increases. It seems necessary to study reasons and factors of increasing the incidence and mortality of lung cancer in Asian countries. PMID:26798586

Effects on well-being of investing in cleaner air in India.

PubMed

Sanderson, Warren; Striessnig, Erich; Schöpp, Wolfgang; Amann, Markus

2013-01-01

Over the past decade, India has experienced rapid economic growth along with increases in levels of air pollution. Our goal is to examine how alternative policies for air pollution abatement affect well-being there. In particular, we estimate the effects of policies to reduce the levels of ambient fine particulates (PM2.5), which are especially harmful to human health, on well-being, quantified using the United Nations' human development index (HDI). Two of the three dimensions of this index are based on gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and life expectancy. Our approach allows reductions in PM2.5 to affect both of them. In particular, economic growth is affected negatively through the costs of the additional pollution control measures and positively through the increased productivity of the population. We consider three scenarios of PM2.5 abatement, corresponding to no further control, current Indian legislation, and current European legislation. The overall effect in both control scenarios is that growth in GDP is virtually unaffected relative to the case of no further controls, life expectancy is higher, and well-being, as measured by the HDI, is improved. In India, air pollution abatement investments clearly improve well-being.

Dominance and leadership in research activities: Collaboration between countries of differing human development is reflected through authorship order and designation as corresponding authors in scientific publications

PubMed Central

Park, Jinseo; Huamaní, Charles; Ramos, José M.

2017-01-01

Introduction Scientific collaboration is an important mechanism that enables the integration of the least developed countries into research activities. In the present study, we use the order of author signatures and addresses for correspondence in scientific publications as variables to analyze the interactions between countries of very high (VHHD), high (HHD), medium (MHD), and low human development (LHD). Methodology We identified all documents published between 2011 and 2015 in journals included in the Science Citation Index-Expanded categories’ of Tropical Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, and Pediatrics. We then classified the countries participating in the publications according to their Human Development Index (HDI), analyzing the international collaboration; positioning and influence of some countries over others in cooperative networks; their leadership; and the impact of the work based on the HDI and the type of collaboration. Results We observed a high degree of international collaboration in all the areas analyzed, in the case of both LHD and MHD countries. We identified numerous cooperative links between VHHD countries and MHD/LHD countries, reflecting the fact that cooperative links are an important mechanism for integrating research activities into the latter. The countries with large emerging economies, such as Brazil and China stand out due to the dominance they exert in the collaborations established with the United States, the UK, and other European countries. The analysis of the leadership role of the countries, measured by the frequency of lead authorships, shows limited participation by MHD/LHD countries. This reduced participation among less developed countries is further accentuated by their limited presence in the addresses for correspondence. We observed significant statistical differences in the degree of citation according to the HDI of the participating countries. Conclusions The order of signatures and the address for correspondence in scientific publications are bibliographic characteristics that facilitate a precise, in-depth analysis of cooperative practices and their associations with concepts like dominance or leadership. This is useful to monitor the existing balance in research participation in health research publications. PMID:28792519

Reduced carbon intensity in highly developed countries: environmental kuznets curves for carbon dioxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kornhuber, Kai; Rybski, Diego; Costa, Luis; Reusser, Dominik E.; Kropp, Jürgen P.

2014-05-01

The Environmental Kuznets Curves (EKC) postulates that pollution increases with the income per capita up to a maximum, above which it decreases with the further increase in income per capita, i.e. following an inverse U-shape in the pollution vs. income per capita. It is commonly believed that EKC occurs for "local" pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide, but does not hold for CO2 emissions. This is attributed to the fact that while "local" pollutants cause a visible environmental damage on the local/regional scale (which authorities/governments seek to avoid), the consequences of CO2 emission have no immediate attributable local/regional consequences. We review EKC for CO2 exploring its relation between CO2 per capita and the Human Development Index (HDI) between 1990 and 2010 obtained from the World Bank database. We find evidence for a reduction in CO2 emissions per capita in highly developed countries. We propose a model according to which the emissions per capita of a country are composed of a component related to the actual state of development and a component related to the change of development. The model leads to four distinct cases of which two have EKC shape and two imply saturation. This outcome is in line with previously suggested qualitative relations. Our analysis indicates that the EKC shaped cases better describes the empirical values. We explore the less extreme version corresponding to the so-called conventional EKC and study the maximum of the fitted curve, providing a threshold-value for the HDI and a typical maximum value for the emissions per capita. We find that approx. 5 countries have crossed the CO2-HDI maximum, corresponding to approx. 1.5% of the world population.

Dietary patterns in relation to quality-adjusted life years in the EPIC-NL cohort.

PubMed

Fransen, Heidi P; Beulens, Joline W J; May, Anne M; Struijk, Ellen A; Boer, Jolanda M A; de Wit, G Ardine; Onland-Moret, N Charlotte; van der Schouw, Yvonne T; Bueno-de-Mesquita, H Bas; Hoekstra, Jeljer; Peeters, Petra H M

2015-08-01

Dietary patterns have been associated with the incidence or mortality of individual non-communicable diseases, but their association with disease burden has received little attention. The aim of our study was to relate dietary patterns to health expectancy using quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) as outcome parameter. Data from the EPIC-NL study were used, a prospective cohort study of 33,066 healthy men and women aged 20-70 years at recruitment. A lifestyle questionnaire and a validated food frequency questionnaire were administered at study entry (1993-1997). Five dietary patterns were studied: three a priori patterns (the modified Mediterranean Diet Score (mMDS), the WHO-based Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI) and the Dutch Healthy Diet index (DHD-index)) and two a posteriori data-based patterns. QALYs were used as a summary health measure for healthy life expectancy, combining a person's life expectancy with a weight reflecting loss of quality of life associated with having chronic diseases. The mean QALYs of the participants were 74.9 (standard deviation 4.4). A higher mMDS and HDI were associated with a longer life in good health. Participants who had a high mMDS score (6-9) had 0.17 [95% CI, 0.05; 0.30] more QALYs than participants with a low score (0-3), equivalent to two months longer life in good health. Participants with a high HDI score also had more QALYs (0.15 [95% CI, 0.03; 0.27]) than participants with a low HDI score. A Mediterranean-type diet and the Healthy Diet Indicator were associated with approximately 2months longer life in good health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The International Epidemiology of Lung Cancer: Latest Trends, Disparities, and Tumor Characteristics

PubMed Central

Cheng, Ting-Yuan David; Cramb, Susanna M.; Baade, Peter D.; Youlden, Danny R.; Nwogu, Chukwumere; Reid, Mary E.

2017-01-01

Introduction We aim to update global lung cancer epidemiology and describe changing trends and disparities. Methods We presented country-specific incidence and mortality from GLOBOCAN 2012, by region and socioeconomic factors via the Human Development Index (HDI). Between- and within-country incidence by histological type was analyzed from Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Volume X (IARC). Trend analyses including the IARC data, cancer registries, and the WHO Mortality database were conducted using Joinpoint regression. Survival was compared between and within countries, and by histology. Results In 2012, there were 1.82 and 1.59 million new cases and deaths of lung cancer worldwide, respectively. Incidence was highest in very high HDI countries and lowest in low HDI countries (42.2 vs. 7.9/100,000 for males and 21.8 vs. 3.1/100,000 for females, respectively). In most countries with a very high HDI, as male incidence decreased gradually (ranging from −0.3% in Spain to −2.5% in the USA each year), female incidence continued to increase (by 1.4% each year in Australia to 6.1% in recent years in Spain). While histology varied between countries, adenocarcinoma was more common than squamous cell carcinoma, particularly among females (e.g., in Chinese females, the adenocarcinoma-to-squamous cell carcinoma ratio=6.6). Five-year relative survival varied from 2% (Libya) to 30% (Japan), with substantial within-country differences. Conclusion Lung cancer will continue to be a major health problem well through the first half of this century. Preventive strategies, particularly tobacco control, tailored to populations at highest risk are key to reduce the global burden of lung cancer. PMID:27364315

Inequality in Maternal Mortality in Iran: An Ecologic Study

PubMed Central

Tajik, Parvin; Nedjat, Saharnaz; Afshar, Nozhat Emami; Changizi, Nasrin; Yazdizadeh, Bahareh; Azemikhah, Arash; Aamrolalaei, Sima; Majdzadeh, Reza

2012-01-01

Background: Maternal mortality (MM) is an avoidable death and there is national, international and political commitment to reduce it. The objective of this study is to examine the relation of MM to socioeconomic factors and its inequality in Iran's provinces at an ecologic level. Methods: The overall MM from each province was considered for 3 years from 2004 to 2006. The five independent variables whose relations were studied included the literacy rate among men and women in each province, mean annual household income per capita, Gini coefficients in each province, and Human Development Index (HDI). The correlation of Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) to the above five variables was evaluated through Pearson's correlation coefficient (simple and weighted for each province's population) and linear regression – by considering MMR as the dependent variable and the Gini coefficient, HDI, and difference in literacy rate among men and women as the independent variables. Results: The mean MMR in the years 2004–2006 was 24.7 in 100,000 live births. The correlation coefficients between MMR and literacy rate among women, literacy rate among men, the mean annual household income per capita, Gini coefficient and HDI were 0.82, 0.90, –0.61, 0.52 and –0.77, respectively. Based on multivariate regression, MMR was significantly associated with HDI (standardized B=–0.93) and difference in literacy rate among men and women (standardized B=–0.47). However, MMR was not significantly associated with the Gini coefficient. Conclusion: This study shows the association between socioeconomic variables and their inequalities with MMR in Iran's provinces at an ecologic level. In addition to the other direct interventions performed to reduce MM, it seems essential to especially focus on more distal factors influencing MMR. PMID:22347608

Obesity and socioeconomic status in developing countries: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Dinsa, GD; Goryakin, Y; Fumagalli, E; Suhrcke, M

2012-01-01

Summary We undertook a systematic review of studies assessing the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and measured obesity in low- and middle-income countries (defined by the World Bank as countries with per capita income up to US$12,275) among children, men and women. The evidence on the subject has grown significantly since an earlier influential review was published in 2004. We find that in low-income countries or in countries with low human development index (HDI), the association between SES and obesity appears to be positive for both men and women: the more affluent and/or those with higher educational attainment tend to be more likely to be obese. However, in middle-income countries or in countries with medium HDI, the association becomes largely mixed for men and mainly negative for women. This particular shift appears to occur at an even lower level of per capita income than suggested by an influential earlier review. By contrast, obesity in children appears to be predominantly a problem of the rich in low- and middle-income countries. PMID:22764734

An Overview of the Evidence and Mechanisms of Herb–Drug Interactions

PubMed Central

Fasinu, Pius S.; Bouic, Patrick J.; Rosenkranz, Bernd

2012-01-01

Despite the lack of sufficient information on the safety of herbal products, their use as alternative and/or complementary medicine is globally popular. There is also an increasing interest in medicinal herbs as precursor for pharmacological actives. Of serious concern is the concurrent consumption of herbal products and conventional drugs. Herb–drug interaction (HDI) is the single most important clinical consequence of this practice. Using a structured assessment procedure, the evidence of HDI presents with varying degree of clinical significance. While the potential for HDI for a number of herbal products is inferred from non-human studies, certain HDIs are well established through human studies and documented case reports. Various mechanisms of pharmacokinetic HDI have been identified and include the alteration in the gastrointestinal functions with consequent effects on drug absorption; induction and inhibition of metabolic enzymes and transport proteins; and alteration of renal excretion of drugs and their metabolites. Due to the intrinsic pharmacologic properties of phytochemicals, pharmacodynamic HDIs are also known to occur. The effects could be synergistic, additive, and/or antagonistic. Poor reporting on the part of patients and the inability to promptly identify HDI by health providers are identified as major factors limiting the extensive compilation of clinically relevant HDIs. A general overview and the significance of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic HDI are provided, detailing basic mechanism, and nature of evidence available. An increased level of awareness of HDI is necessary among health professionals and drug discovery scientists. With the increasing number of plant-sourced pharmacological actives, the potential for HDI should always be assessed in the non-clinical safety assessment phase of drug development process. More clinically relevant research is also required in this area as current information on HDI is insufficient for clinical applications. PMID:22557968

Functional Inactivation of Putative Photosynthetic Electron Acceptor Ferredoxin C2 (FdC2) Induces Delayed Heading Date and Decreased Photosynthetic Rate in Rice

PubMed Central

Ruan, Banpu; Kang, Shujing; He, Lei; Zhang, Sen; Dong, Guojun; Hu, Jiang; Zeng, Dali; Zhang, Guangheng; Gao, Zhenyu; Ren, Deyong; Hu, Xingming; Chen, Guang; Guo, Longbiao; Qian, Qian; Zhu, Li

2015-01-01

Ferredoxin (Fd) protein as unique electron acceptor, involved in a variety of fundamental metabolic and signaling processes, which is indispensable for plant growth. The molecular mechanisms of Fd such as regulation of electron partitioning, impact of photosynthetic rate and involvement in the carbon fixing remain elusive in rice. Here we reported a heading date delay and yellowish leaf 1 (hdy1) mutant derived from Japonica rice cultivar “Nipponbare” subjected to EMS treatment. In the paddy field, the hdy1 mutant appeared at a significantly late heading date and had yellow-green leaves during the whole growth stage. Further investigation indicated that the abnormal phenotype of hdy1 was connected with depressed pigment content and photosynthetic rate. Genetic analysis results showed that the hdy1 mutant phenotype was caused by a single recessive nuclear gene mutation. Map-based cloning revealed that OsHDY1 is located on chromosome 3 and encodes an ortholog of the AtFdC2 gene. Complementation and overexpression, transgenic plants exhibited the mutant phenotype including head date, leaf color and the transcription levels of the FdC2 were completely rescued by transformation with OsHDY1. Real-time PCR revealed that the expression product of OsHDY1 was detected in almost all of the organs except root, whereas highest expression levels were observed in seeding new leaves. The lower expression levels of HDY1 and content of iron were detected in hdy1 than WT’s. The FdC2::GFP was detected in the chloroplasts of rice. Real-time PCR results showed that the expression of many photosynthetic electron transfer related genes in hdy1 were higher than WT. Our results suggest that OsFdC2 plays an important role in photosynthetic rate and development of heading date by regulating electron transfer and chlorophyll content in rice. PMID:26598971

Negative and Positive Partial Mobility: A Study of the Relative Changes in Human Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sengupta, Atanu; Ghosh, Abhijit

2010-01-01

In this paper, we have considered the issues concerning dynamic changes in HDI and its various components from a relative standpoint. The analysis of HDI mobility should entail directional movement introduced by Fields (in Distribution and development: a new look at the developing world. MIT Press, Cambridge, 2001). However, Fields' analysis was…

Bibliometric analysis of phytotechnologies for remediation: global scenario of research and applications.

PubMed

Koelmel, Jeremy; Prasad, M N V; Pershell, Karoline

2015-01-01

Phytoremediation is often a low cost alternative to conventional remediation. To assess trends, a bibliometric approach using data from SciVerse Scopus, SciVerseHub, and GoogleTM Trends was used. Globally there is a linear increase in publications containing the word phytoremediation as a percent of all published papers in SciVerse Hub, with China, India, and the Philippines concentrating relatively more research in phytoremediation. Furthermore there was an inverse correlation between a country's Human Development Index (HDI) and a country's phytoremediation research output as a percent of total research. Results show a focus on phytoremediation in countries with low HDI values. This suggests that academic experts are available for advancing phytoremediation applications in countries where the majority of the effected population do not have the education, finances, and political leverage to obtain expensive conventional remediation efforts on their land. Phytoremediation can combine expert advice with affected parties commitment and labor to help mitigate the harms of polluted landscapes.

Identifying biomarkers of dietary patterns by using metabolomics123

PubMed Central

Derkach, Andriy; Reedy, Jill; Subar, Amy F; Sampson, Joshua N; Albanes, Demetrius; Gu, Fangyi; Kontto, Jukka; Lassale, Camille; Liao, Linda M; Männistö, Satu; Mondul, Alison M; Weinstein, Stephanie J; Irwin, Melinda L; Mayne, Susan T; Stolzenberg-Solomon, Rachael

2017-01-01

Background: Healthy dietary patterns that conform to national dietary guidelines are related to lower chronic disease incidence and longer life span. However, the precise mechanisms involved are unclear. Identifying biomarkers of dietary patterns may provide tools to validate diet quality measurement and determine underlying metabolic pathways influenced by diet quality. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the correlation of 4 diet quality indexes [the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2010, the Alternate Mediterranean Diet Score (aMED), the WHO Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI), and the Baltic Sea Diet (BSD)] with serum metabolites. Design: We evaluated dietary patterns and metabolites in male Finnish smokers (n = 1336) from 5 nested case-control studies within the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study cohort. Participants completed a validated food-frequency questionnaire and provided a fasting serum sample before study randomization (1985–1988). Metabolites were measured with the use of mass spectrometry. We analyzed cross-sectional partial correlations of 1316 metabolites with 4 diet quality indexes, adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking, energy intake, education, and physical activity. We pooled estimates across studies with the use of fixed-effects meta-analysis with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, and conducted metabolic pathway analyses. Results: The HEI-2010, aMED, HDI, and BSD were associated with 23, 46, 23, and 33 metabolites, respectively (17, 21, 11, and 10 metabolites, respectively, were chemically identified; r-range: −0.30 to 0.20; P = 6 × 10−15 to 8 × 10−6). Food-based diet indexes (HEI-2010, aMED, and BSD) were associated with metabolites correlated with most components used to score adherence (e.g., fruit, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and unsaturated fat). HDI correlated with metabolites related to polyunsaturated fat and fiber components, but not other macro- or micronutrients (e.g., percentages of protein and cholesterol). The lysolipid and food and plant xenobiotic pathways were most strongly associated with diet quality. Conclusions: Diet quality, measured by healthy diet indexes, is associated with serum metabolites, with the specific metabolite profile of each diet index related to the diet components used to score adherence. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00342992. PMID:28031192

Inequality in Human Development: An Empirical Assessment of 32 Countries

PubMed Central

Harttgen, Kenneth; Klasen, Stephan; Misselhorn, Mark; Munzi, Teresa; Smeeding, Timothy

2009-01-01

One of the most frequent critiques of the HDI is that is does not take into account inequality within countries in its three dimensions. In this paper, we apply a simply approach to compute the three components and the overall HDI for quintiles of the income distribution. This allows a comparison of the level in human development of the poor with the level of the non-poor within countries, but also across countries. This is an application of the method presented in Grimm et al. (World Development 36(12):2527–2546, 2008) to a sample of 21 low and middle income countries and 11 industrialized countries. In particular the inclusion of the industrialized countries, which were not included in the previous work, implies to deal with a number of additional challenges, which we outline in this paper. Our results show that inequality in human development within countries is high, both in developed and industrialized countries. In fact, the HDI of the lowest quintiles in industrialized countries is often below the HDI of the richest quintile in many middle income countries. We also find, however, a strong overall negative correlation between the level of human development and inequality in human development. PMID:20461123

Associations between national viral hepatitis policies/programmes and country-level socioeconomic factors: a sub-analysis of data from the 2013 WHO viral hepatitis policy report.

PubMed

Lazarus, Jeffrey V; Sperle, Ida; Safreed-Harmon, Kelly; Gore, Charles; Cebolla, Beatriz; Spina, Alexander

2017-07-26

As more countries worldwide develop national viral hepatitis strategies, it is important to ask whether context-specific factors affect their decision-making. This study aimed to determine whether country-level socioeconomic factors are associated with viral hepatitis programmes and policy responses across WHO Member States (MS). WHO MS focal points completed a questionnaire on national viral hepatitis policies. This secondary analysis of data reported in the 2013 Global Policy Report on the Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis in WHO Member States used logistic regression to examine associations between four survey questions and four socioeconomic factors: country income level, Human Development Index (HDI), health expenditure and physician density. This analysis included 119 MS. MS were more likely to have routine viral hepatitis surveillance and to have a national strategy and/or policy/guidelines for preventing infection in healthcare settings if they were in the higher binary categories for income level, HDI, health expenditure and physician density. In multivariable analyses, the only significant finding was a positive association between having routine surveillance and being in the higher binary HDI category (adjusted odds ratio 26; 95% confidence interval 2.0-340). Countries with differing socioeconomic status indicators did not appear to differ greatly regarding the existence of key national policies and programmes. A more nuanced understanding of the multifaceted interactions of socioeconomic factors, health policy, service delivery and health outcomes is needed to support country-level efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis.

Using the ATL HDI 1000 to collect demodulated RF data for monitoring HIFU lesion formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anand, Ajay; Kaczkowski, Peter J.; Daigle, Ron E.; Huang, Lingyun; Paun, Marla; Beach, Kirk W.; Crum, Lawrence A.

2003-05-01

The ability to accurately track and monitor the progress of lesion formation during HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) therapy is important for the success of HIFU-based treatment protocols. To aid in the development of algorithms for accurately targeting and monitoring formation of HIFU induced lesions, we have developed a software system to perform RF data acquisition during HIFU therapy using a commercially available clinical ultrasound scanner (ATL HDI 1000, Philips Medical Systems, Bothell, WA). The HDI 1000 scanner functions on a software dominant architecture, permitting straightforward external control of its operation and relatively easy access to quadrature demodulated RF data. A PC running a custom developed program sends control signals to the HIFU module via GPIB and to the HDI 1000 via Telnet, alternately interleaving HIFU exposures and RF frame acquisitions. The system was tested during experiments in which HIFU lesions were created in excised animal tissue. No crosstalk between the HIFU beam and the ultrasound imager was detected, thus demonstrating synchronization. Newly developed acquisition modes allow greater user control in setting the image geometry and scanline density, and enables high frame rate acquisition. This system facilitates rapid development of signal-processing based HIFU therapy monitoring algorithms and their implementation in image-guided thermal therapy systems. In addition, the HDI 1000 system can be easily customized for use with other emerging imaging modalities that require access to the RF data such as elastographic methods and new Doppler-based imaging and tissue characterization techniques.

Alcohol-Related Negative Consequences among Drinkers around the World

PubMed Central

Graham, Kathryn; Bernards, Sharon; Knibbe, Ronald; Kairouz, Sylvia; Kuntche, Sandra; Wilsnack, Sharon C.; Greenfield, Thomas K.; Dietze, Paul; Obot, Isidore; Gmel, Gerhard

2013-01-01

Aims This paper examines (1) gender and country differences in negative consequences related to drinking; (2) relative rates of different consequences; (3) country-level predictors of consequences. Design, setting and participants Multi-level analyses used survey data from the GENACIS collaboration. Measurements Measures included 17 negative consequences grouped into (a) high endorsement acute, (b) personal and (c) social. Country-level measures included average frequency and quantity of drinking, percent current drinkers, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Human Development Index (HDI). Findings Overall, the three groupings of consequences were reported by 44%, 12% and 7% of men and by 31%, 6% and 3% of women, respectively. More men than women endorsed all consequences but gender differences were greatest for consequences associated with chronic drinking and social consequences related to male roles. The highest prevalence of consequences was in Uganda, lowest in Uruguay. Personal and social consequences were more likely in countries with higher usual quantity, fewer current drinkers, and lower scores on GDP and HDI. However, significant interactions with individual-level quantity indicated a stronger relationship between consequences and usual quantity among drinkers in countries with lower quantity, more current drinkers and higher scores on GDP and HDI. Conclusions Both gender and country need to be taken into consideration when assessing adverse drinking consequences. Individual measures of alcohol consumption and country-level variables are associated with experiencing such consequences. Additionally, country-level variables affect the strength of the relationship between usual quantity consumed by individuals and adverse consequences. PMID:21395893

Patterns of cervical cytological abnormalities according to the Human Development Index in the northeast region of Brazil.

PubMed

Pinho-França, José De Ribamar; Chein, Maria Bethânia Da Costa; Thuler, Luiz Claudio Santos

2016-08-12

Disparities in cancer incidence and mortality rates between regions arise due to differences in socioeconomic conditions and in human development factors. The major purpose of this study was to measure the role of the Human Development Index (HDI) in the pattern of cervical cytological abnormalities (CCAs). This was an analytical sectional study involving a review of secondary cervical cytology data collected from women living in the state of Maranhão, Brazil, in 2007-2012 and collected from the Cervical Cancer Information System (Sistema de Informação do Câncer do Colo do Útero - SISCOLO). The cervical screening results were classified according to the Brazilian Classification of Cervical Reporting (Nomenclatura Brasileira para Laudos Cervicais), an adaptation of the Bethesda System. The Municipal Human Development Index (MHDI) was used, which is an adaptation of the global HDI. The association between CCAs and MHDI was evaluated using the chi-squared test and odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI). The significance level used for all tests was 5 %. We analysed 1,363,689 examinations of women living in the state of Maranhão. CCAs were identified in 2.0 % of smears in municipalities with high MHDI, 2.2 % in those with medium or low MHDI and 4.1 % in those with very low MHDI. In addition, potentially malignant changes and suspected cervical cancer (HSIL+) were 40.0 % more frequent (0.3 %) in municipalities with medium or low MHDI and 3.6 times more frequent (0.8 %) in municipalities with very low MHDI compared to those with high MHDI (0.2 %). The association between MHDI and the occurrence of CCAs and HSIL+ shows that more developed areas with more effective health services have a lower prevalence of these lesions. To control cervical cancer, it is necessary to reduce social inequality and improve the availability of health services.

Simple vs. Complex Carbohydrate Dietary Patterns and the Global Overweight and Obesity Pandemic.

PubMed

Ferretti, Fabrizio; Mariani, Michele

2017-10-04

Nowadays, obesity and being overweight are among the major global health concerns. Many, diet-related diseases impose high tangible and intangible costs, and threaten the sustainability of health-care systems worldwide. In this study, we model, at the macroeconomic level, the impact of energy intake from different types of carbohydrates on the population's BMI (body mass index). We proceed in three steps. First, we develop a framework to analyse both the consumption choices between simple and complex carbohydrates and the effects of these choices on people health conditions. Second, we collect figures for 185 countries (over the period 2012-2014) regarding the shares of simple (sugar and sweetener) and complex (cereal) carbohydrates in each country's total dietary energy supply. Third, we use regression techniques to: (1) estimate the impact of these shares on the country's prevalence of obesity and being overweight; (2) compute for each country an indicator of dietary pattern based on the ratio between simple and complex carbohydrates, weighted by their estimated effects on the prevalence of obesity and being overweight; and (3) measure the elasticity of the prevalence of obesity and being overweight with respect to changes in both carbohydrate dietary pattern and income per capita. We find that unhealthy eating habits and the associated prevalence of excessive body fat accumulation tend to behave as a 'normal good' in low, medium- and high-HDI (Human Development Index) countries, but as an 'inferior good' in very high-HDI countries.

Inequality in Human Development: An Empirical Assessment of 32 Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grimm, Michael; Harttgen, Kenneth; Klasen, Stephan; Misselhorn, Mark; Munzi, Teresa; Smeeding, Timothy

2010-01-01

One of the most frequent critiques of the HDI is that is does not take into account inequality within countries in its three dimensions. In this paper, we apply a simply approach to compute the three components and the overall HDI for quintiles of the income distribution. This allows a comparison of the level in human development of the poor with…

Building the evidence base for global tobacco control.

PubMed Central

Corrao, M. A.; Guindon, G. E.; Cokkinides, V.; Sharma, N.

2000-01-01

The tobacco control movement needs a global information system permitting routine monitoring of the tobacco trade, tobacco farming, the tobacco industry, the prevalence of tobacco use, associated mortality, and national resources for combating tobacco. The Tobacco Control Country Profiles database, a data collection initiative led by the American Cancer Society in collaboration with WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, represents the first step in the development of such a system. Baseline data on several indicators of tobacco use were obtained from 191 Member States of WHO, two Associate Members, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China (Hong Kong SAR), China (Province of Taiwan) and the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The methods used to compile the data are described in the present paper. Selected indicators from the database were analysed in order to demonstrate the potential utility and value of data derived from an information system devoted to tobacco control. The analyses covered gender-specific smoking prevalence by WHO Region, per capita cigarette consumption by Human Development Index (HDI) category, and average real annual percentage changes in cigarette prices between 1990 and 1999 for selected countries in each category. In 1998, men were almost four times more likely than women to be smokers. The prevalence of smoking among men was highest in the Western Pacific Region. The differential in gender-specific smoking prevalence was narrowest in the Region of the Americas and the European Region. It was wider in the South-East Asia Region and the Western Pacific Region. The lowest and highest per capita consumption of manufactured cigarettes occurred in the lowest and highest HDI categories respectively. In the medium HDI category, China's growing cigarette consumption after 1975 had a major bearing on the rise in per capita consumption. Cigarette price trends suggest that there is considerable scope for increasing taxes on tobacco products, particularly in low or medium HDI countries. The implications of the findings for future tobacco control efforts are discussed, as are issues surrounding the quality of available data, priorities for future data collection and the need to maintain and improve the information system in order to support such efforts. PMID:10994261

Epidemiology and Inequality in the Incidence and Mortality of Nasopharynx Cancer in Asia.

PubMed

Mahdavifar, Neda; Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Khosravi, Bahman; Salehiniya, Hamid

2016-12-01

One of the most common head and neck cancers is nasopharynx cancer. Knowledge about the incidence and mortality of this disease and its distribution in terms of geographical areas is necessary for further study and better planning. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of determining the incidence and mortality rates of nasopharynx cancer and its relationship with the Human Development Index (HDI) in Asia in 2012. The aim of this ecologic study was to assess the correlation between age-specific incidence rate (ASIR) and age-specific mortality rate (ASMR) with HDI and its components, which include the following: life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. Data about SIR and SMR for every Asian country for 2012 were obtained from the global cancer project. We used the correlation bivariate method for the assessment. Statistical significance was assumed if p  < 0.05. All reported p values are two-sided. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS (Version 15.0, SPSS Inc.). A total of 68,272 cases (males, 71.02%; females, 28.97%; sex ratio, 2.45) and 40,530 mortalities (males, 71.63%; females, 28.36%; sex ratio, 2.52) were recorded in Asian countries in 2012. The five countries with the highest ASIR of nasopharynx cancer were Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Brunei, and the five countries with the highest ASMR were Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei. The correlation between HDI and ASIR was 0.097 ( p  = 0.520) [0.105 in men ( p  = 0.488) and 0.119 in women ( p  = 0.901)]. The correlation between HDI and ASMR was -0.102 ( p  = 0.502) [-0.072 in men ( p  = 0.633) and -0.224 in women ( p  = 0.134)]. Nasopharynx cancer is native to Southeast Asia. The highest incidence and mortality rates are found in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Brunei. No significant relation was found between the standardized incidence and mortality rates of nasopharynx cancer and the HDI components. Further studies are recommended in Southeast Asian countries in order to find the etiology of cancer, as well as its diagnosis and treatment.

Trends of gender gaps in life expectancy in Japan, 1947-2010: associations with gender mortality ratio and a social development index.

PubMed

Liu, Yan; Arai, Asuna; Obayashi, Yoshihide; Kanda, Koji; Boostrom, Eugene; Lee, Romeo B; Tamashiro, Hiko

2013-07-01

This study analyzed the trend of gender gaps in life expectancy (GGLE) in Japan between 1947 and 2010, and explored the correlations of GGLE with gender mortality ratio and social development indices. Using GGLE and social indices data collected from the official websites, we carried out trends analysis of GGLE by calculating segmented average growth rates for different periods. We explored the association between GGLE and all-cause mortality; and between GGLE and Human Development Index (HDI) while controlling for time trend, by computing the generalized additive models based on the software R (version 2.15). Japan's GGLE increased in a fluctuating fashion. Across 53 years, the average growth rates varied widely: 0.14% (1947-1956), 1.43% (1956-1974), 1.06% (1974-2004) and -0.60% (2004-2010) (overall average 0.87%). The value of GGLE peaked to 7.00 years in 2004, and then has slowly declined (6.75 years in 2010). Age-adjusted all-cause gender mortality ratio had a statistically positive association with GGLE (P<0.01), whereas HDI was found to have no such association. The increased trend of GGLE in Japan could be partly explained by increased disease-specific mortality ratios (male/female), especially those involving chronic bronchitis and emphysema, diseases of the liver, suicide and cancer. The recent decline of GGLE might imply that Japanese women have been catching up with the lifestyle of men, resulting in similar mortality patterns. This calls for gender-sensitive approaches to developing policies and programs that will help sustain healthy lifestyles to combat smoking and alcohol intake, and social support to prevent suicide. © 2012 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Analysis of the interrelationship of the pulmonary irritation and elicitation thresholds in rats sensitized with 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI)

PubMed Central

Pauluhn, Jürgen

2015-01-01

Abstract This paper summarizes a range of experimental data central for developing a science-based approach for hazard identification of monomeric and polymeric aliphatic 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). The dose–response curve of HDI-induced pulmonary responses in naïve or dermally sensitized rats after one or several inhalation priming exposures was examined in the Brown Norway (BN) rat asthma model. Emphasis was directed to demonstrate the need and the difficulty in selecting an appropriate pulmonary dose when much of the inhaled chemically reactive vapor may concentration dependently be retained in the upper airways of obligate nose-breathing rats. The course taken acknowledges the experimental challenges in identifying an elicitation threshold for HDI-monomer near or above the saturated vapor concentration or in the presence of a HDI-polymer aerosol. The inhalation threshold dose on elicitation was determined based on a fixed concentration (C) × variable exposure duration (t) protocol for improving inhalation dosimetry of the lower airways. Neutrophilic granulocytes (PMN) in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid in equally inhalation primed naïve and dermally sensitized rats were used to define the inhalation elicitation threshold C × t. Sensitized rats elaborated markedly increased PMN challenged sensitized rats relative to equally challenged naïve rats at 5625 mg HDI/m3 × min (75 mg/m3 for 75 min). PMN were essentially indistinguishable at 900 mg HDI/m3 × min. By applying adjustment factors accounting for both inter-species differences in inhalation dosimetry and intra-species susceptibility, the workplace human-equivalent threshold C × t was estimated to be in the range of the current ACGIH TLV® of HDI. Thus, this rat “asthma” model was suitable to demonstrate elicitation thresholds for HDI-vapor after one or several inhalation priming exposures and seems to be suitable to derive occupational exposure values (OELs) for diisocyanates in general. PMID:25924102

Assessing Patient Organization Participation in Health Policy: A Comparative Study in France and Italy

PubMed Central

Souliotis, Kyriakos; Agapidaki, Eirini; Evangelia Peppou, Lily; Tzavara, Chara; Varvaras, Dimitrios; Buonomo, Oreste Claudio; Debiais, Dominique; Hasurdjiev, Stanimir; Sarkozy, Francois

2018-01-01

Background: Even though there are many patient organizations across Europe, their role in impacting health policy decisions and reforms has not been well documented. In line with this, the present study endeavours to fill this gap in the international literature. To this end, it aims to validate further a previously developed instrument (the Health Democracy Index - HDI) measuring patient organization participation in health policy decision-making. In addition, by utilizing this tool, it aims to provide a snapshot of the degree and impact of cancer patient organization (CPO) participation in Italy and France. Methods: A convenient sample of 188 members of CPOs participated in the study (95 respondents from 10 CPOs in Italy and 93 from 12 CPOs in France). Participants completed online a self-reported questionnaire, encompassing the 9-item index and questions enquiring about the type and impact of participation in various facets of health policy decisionmaking. The psychometric properties of the scale were explored by performing factor analysis (construct validity) and by computing Cronbach α (internal consistency). Results: Findings indicate that the index has good internal consistency and the construct it taps is unidimensional. The degree and impact of CPO participation in health policy decision-making were found to be low in both countries; however in Italy they were comparatively lower than in France. Conclusion: In conclusion, the HDI can be effectively used in international policy and research contexts. CPOs participation is low in Italy and France and concerted efforts should be made on upgrading their role in health policy decision-making. PMID:29325402

Biomonitoring Hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) exposure based on serum levels of HDI-specific IgG.

PubMed

Wisnewski, Adam V; Stowe, Meredith H; Nerlinger, Abby; Opare-Addo, Paul; Decamp, David; Kleinsmith, Christopher R; Redlich, Carrie A

2012-10-01

Isocyanate chemicals essential for polyurethane production are widely used industrially, and are increasingly found in consumer products. Asthma and other adverse health effects of isocyanates are well-documented and exposure surveillance is crucial to disease prevention. Hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI)-specific serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) was evaluated as an exposure biomarker among workers at a US Air Force Air Logistics Center, which includes a large aircraft maintenance facility. HDI-specific IgG (HDI-IgG) titers in serum samples (n = 74) were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based upon the biuret form of HDI conjugated to human albumin. Information on personal protective equipment (PPE), work location/tasks, smoking, asthma history, basic demographics, and HDI skin exposure was obtained through questionnaire. HDI-specific serum IgG levels were elevated in n = 17 (23%) of the workers studied. The prevalence and/or end-titer of the HDI-IgG was significantly (P < 0.05) associated with specific job titles, self-reported skin exposure, night-shift work, and respirator use, but not atopy, asthma, or other demographic information. The highest titers were localized to specific worksites (C-130 painting), while other worksites (generator painting) had no or few workers with detectable HDI-IgG. HDI-specific immune responses (IgG) provide a practical biomarker to aid in exposure surveillance and ongoing industrial hygiene efforts. The strategy may supplement current air sampling approaches, which do not assess exposures via skin, or variability in PPE use or effectiveness. The approach may also be applicable to evaluating isocyanate exposures in other settings, and may extend to other chemical allergens.

Alcohol-related negative consequences among drinkers around the world.

PubMed

Graham, Kathryn; Bernards, Sharon; Knibbe, Ronald; Kairouz, Sylvia; Kuntsche, Sandra; Wilsnack, Sharon C; Greenfield, Thomas K; Dietze, Paul; Obot, Isidore; Gmel, Gerhard

2011-08-01

This paper examines (i) gender and country differences in negative consequences related to drinking; (ii) relative rates of different consequences; and (iii) country-level predictors of consequences. Multi-level analyses used survey data from the Gender, Alcohol, and Culture: An International Study (GENACIS) collaboration. Measures included 17 negative consequences grouped into (i) high endorsement acute, (ii) personal and (iii) social. Country-level measures included average frequency and quantity of drinking, percentage who were current drinkers, gross domestic product (GDP) and Human Development Index (HDI). Overall, the three groupings of consequences were reported by 44%, 12% and 7% of men and by 31%, 6% and 3% of women, respectively. More men than women endorsed all consequences, but gender differences were greatest for consequences associated with chronic drinking and social consequences related to male roles. The highest prevalence of consequences was in Uganda and lowest in Uruguay. Personal and social consequences were more likely in countries with higher usual quantity, fewer current drinkers and lower scores on GDP and HDI. However, significant interactions with individual-level quantity indicated a stronger relationship between consequences and usual quantity among drinkers in countries with lower quantity, more current drinkers and higher scores on GDP and HDI. Both gender and country need to be taken into consideration when assessing adverse drinking consequences. Individual measures of alcohol consumption and country-level variables are associated with experiencing such consequences. Additionally, country-level variables affect the strength of the relationship between usual quantity consumed by individuals and adverse consequences. © 2011 The Authors, Addiction © 2011 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Trade liberalization and tuberculosis incidence: a longitudinal multi-level analysis in 22 high burden countries between 1990 and 2010

PubMed Central

Bozorgmehr, Kayvan; San Sebastian, Miguel

2014-01-01

Background Trade liberalization is promoted by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through a complex architecture of binding trade agreements. This type of trade, however, has the potential to modify the upstream and proximate determinants of tuberculosis (TB) infection. We aimed to analyse the association between trade liberalization and TB incidence in 22 high-burden TB countries between 1990 and 2010. Methods and findings A longitudinal multi-level linear regression analysis was performed using five different measures of trade liberalization as exposure [WTO membership, duration of membership, trade as % of gross domestic product, and components of both the Economic Freedom of the World Index (EFI4) and the KOF Index of Globalization (KOF1)]. We adjusted for a wide range of factors, including differences in human development index (HDI), income inequality, debts, polity patterns, conflict, overcrowding, population stage transition, health system financing, case detection rates and HIV prevalence. None of the five trade indicators was significantly associated with TB incidence in the crude analysis. Any positive effect of EFI4 on (Log-) TB incidence over time was confounded by differences in socio-economic development (HDI), HIV prevalence and health financing indicators. The adjusted TB incidence rate ratio of WTO member countries was significantly higher [RR: 1.60; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12–2.29] when compared with non-member countries. Conclusion We found no association between specific aggregate indicators of trade liberalization and TB incidence. Our analyses provide evidence of a significant association between WTO membership and higher TB incidence, which suggests a possible conflict between the architecture of WTO agreements and TB-related Millennium Development Goals. Further research is needed, particularly on the relation between the aggregate trade indices used in this study and the hypothesized mediators and also on sector-specific indices, specific trade agreements and other (non-TB) health outcomes. PMID:23595571

Trade liberalization and tuberculosis incidence: a longitudinal multi-level analysis in 22 high burden countries between 1990 and 2010.

PubMed

Bozorgmehr, Kayvan; San Sebastian, Miguel

2014-05-01

Trade liberalization is promoted by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through a complex architecture of binding trade agreements. This type of trade, however, has the potential to modify the upstream and proximate determinants of tuberculosis (TB) infection. We aimed to analyse the association between trade liberalization and TB incidence in 22 high-burden TB countries between 1990 and 2010. and findings A longitudinal multi-level linear regression analysis was performed using five different measures of trade liberalization as exposure [WTO membership, duration of membership, trade as % of gross domestic product, and components of both the Economic Freedom of the World Index (EFI4) and the KOF Index of Globalization (KOF1)]. We adjusted for a wide range of factors, including differences in human development index (HDI), income inequality, debts, polity patterns, conflict, overcrowding, population stage transition, health system financing, case detection rates and HIV prevalence. None of the five trade indicators was significantly associated with TB incidence in the crude analysis. Any positive effect of EFI4 on (Log-) TB incidence over time was confounded by differences in socio-economic development (HDI), HIV prevalence and health financing indicators. The adjusted TB incidence rate ratio of WTO member countries was significantly higher [RR: 1.60; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-2.29] when compared with non-member countries. We found no association between specific aggregate indicators of trade liberalization and TB incidence. Our analyses provide evidence of a significant association between WTO membership and higher TB incidence, which suggests a possible conflict between the architecture of WTO agreements and TB-related Millennium Development Goals. Further research is needed, particularly on the relation between the aggregate trade indices used in this study and the hypothesized mediators and also on sector-specific indices, specific trade agreements and other (non-TB) health outcomes.

Human development, occupational structure and physical inactivity among 47 low and middle income countries

PubMed Central

Atkinson, Kaitlin; Lowe, Samantha; Moore, Spencer

2015-01-01

This study aimed to (a) assess the relationship between a person's occupational category and their physical inactivity, and (b) analyze the association among country-level variables and physical inactivity. The World Health Survey (WHS) was administered in 2002–2003 among 47 low- and middle-income countries (n = 196,742). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to collect verbal reports of physical activity and convert responses into measures of physical inactivity. Economic development (GDP/c), degree of urbanization, and the Human Development Index (HDI) were used to measure country-level variables and physical inactivity. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association among country-level factors, individual occupational status, and physical inactivity. Overall, the worldwide prevalence of physical inactivity in 2002–2003 was 23.7%. Individuals working in the white-collar industry compared to agriculture were 84% more likely to be physically inactive (OR: 1.84, CI: 1.73–1.95). Among low- and middle-income countries increased HDI values were associated with decreased levels of physical inactivity (OR: 0.98, CI: 0.97–0.99). This study is one of the first to adjust for within-country differences, specifically occupation while analyzing physical inactivity. As countries experience economic development, changes are also seen in their occupational structure, which result in increased countrywide physical inactivity levels. PMID:26844185

Human development, occupational structure and physical inactivity among 47 low and middle income countries.

PubMed

Atkinson, Kaitlin; Lowe, Samantha; Moore, Spencer

2016-06-01

This study aimed to (a) assess the relationship between a person's occupational category and their physical inactivity, and (b) analyze the association among country-level variables and physical inactivity. The World Health Survey (WHS) was administered in 2002-2003 among 47 low- and middle-income countries (n = 196,742). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to collect verbal reports of physical activity and convert responses into measures of physical inactivity. Economic development (GDP/c), degree of urbanization, and the Human Development Index (HDI) were used to measure country-level variables and physical inactivity. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association among country-level factors, individual occupational status, and physical inactivity. Overall, the worldwide prevalence of physical inactivity in 2002-2003 was 23.7%. Individuals working in the white-collar industry compared to agriculture were 84% more likely to be physically inactive (OR: 1.84, CI: 1.73-1.95). Among low- and middle-income countries increased HDI values were associated with decreased levels of physical inactivity (OR: 0.98, CI: 0.97-0.99). This study is one of the first to adjust for within-country differences, specifically occupation while analyzing physical inactivity. As countries experience economic development, changes are also seen in their occupational structure, which result in increased countrywide physical inactivity levels.

Predictive global trends in the incidence and mortality of pancreatic cancer based on geographic location, socio-economic status, and demographic shift.

PubMed

Are, Chandrakanth; Chowdhury, Sanjib; Ahmad, Humera; Ravipati, Advaitaa; Song, Tianqiang; Shrikandhe, Shailesh; Smith, Lynette

2016-11-01

Pancreatic Cancer (PC) is a lethal malignancy that accounts for about 4% of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The aim of this study is to describe the influence of geography (based on WHO regions), socio-economic development (based on Human Development Index [HDI]) and demographic shift on the temporal trends in global incidence and mortality of PC. Data (2012-2030) relating to the incidence, mortality of PC and demographic shifts based on WHO regions and HDI areas were extracted from GLOBOCAN 2012. Linear regression was used to evaluate trends in total incidence and mortality. We noted a definite association between PC and higher socio-economic status. Advanced age (age ≥65) contributed to the rising burden in all socio-economic regions of the world except in the Low Human Development (LHD) countries where the disease predominantly affected population <65 years of age. The global burden of PC is expected to rise significantly over the next few decades regardless of geographic location, socio-economic development, age and gender. Advance knowledge of this data can help formulate strategies to specifically target countries and populations that promote public health policy to tackle this lethal disease on the global stage. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:736-742. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Global temporal patterns of pancreatic cancer and association with socioeconomic development.

PubMed

Wong, Martin C S; Jiang, Johnny Y; Liang, Miaoyin; Fang, Yuan; Yeung, Ming Sze; Sung, Joseph J Y

2017-06-09

Pancreatic cancer induces a substantial global burden. We examined its global incidence/mortality rates and their correlation with socioeconomic development (Human Development Index [HDI] and Gross Domestic Product [GDP] in 2000 as proxy measures). Data on age-standardized incidence/mortality rates in 2012 were retrieved from the GLOBOCAN database. Temporal patterns in 1998-2007 were assessed for 39 countries according to gender. The Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC) of the incidence/mortality trends was evaluated using joinpoint regression analysis. The age-standardized incidence ranged between 0.8-8.9/100,000. When compared among countries, Brazil (AAPC = 10.4, 95%C.I. = 0.8,21) and France (AAPC = 4.7, 95%C.I. = 3.6,5.9) reported the highest incidence rise in men. The greatest increase in women was reported in Thailand (AAPC = 7, 95%C.I. = 2.1,12.1) and Ecuador (AAPC = 4.3, 95%C.I. = 1.3,7.3). For mortality, the Philippines (APCC = 4.3, 95%C.I. = 2,6.6) and Croatia (AAPC = 2, 95% C.I. = 0,3.9) reported the biggest increase among men. The Philippines (AAPC = 5.8, 95% C.I. 4.5,7.2) and Slovakia (AAPC = 3.1, 95% C.I. 0.9,5.3) showed the most prominent rise among women. Its incidence was positively correlated with HDI (men: r = 0.66; women: r = 0.70) and GDP (men: r = 0.29; women: r = 0.28, all p < 0.05), and similarly for mortality (men: r = 0.67; women: r = 0.72 [HDI]; men: r = 0.23; women: r = 0.28 [GDP]). In summary, the incidence and mortality of pancreatic cancer were rising in many countries, requiring regular surveillance.

Biomonitoring Hexamethylene Diisocyanate (HDI) Exposure Based on Serum Levels of HDI-Specific IgG

PubMed Central

Wisnewski, Adam V.; Stowe, Meredith H.; Nerlinger, Abby; Opare-addo, Paul; Decamp, David; Kleinsmith, Christopher R.; Redlich, Carrie A.

2012-01-01

Objectives: Isocyanate chemicals essential for polyurethane production are widely used industrially, and are increasingly found in consumer products. Asthma and other adverse health effects of isocyanates are well-documented and exposure surveillance is crucial to disease prevention. Hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI)-specific serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) was evaluated as an exposure biomarker among workers at a US Air Force Air Logistics Center, which includes a large aircraft maintenance facility. Methods: HDI-specific IgG (HDI-IgG) titers in serum samples (n = 74) were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based upon the biuret form of HDI conjugated to human albumin. Information on personal protective equipment (PPE), work location/tasks, smoking, asthma history, basic demographics, and HDI skin exposure was obtained through questionnaire. Results: HDI-specific serum IgG levels were elevated in n = 17 (23%) of the workers studied. The prevalence and/or end-titer of the HDI-IgG was significantly (P < 0.05) associated with specific job titles, self-reported skin exposure, night-shift work, and respirator use, but not atopy, asthma, or other demographic information. The highest titers were localized to specific worksites (C-130 painting), while other worksites (generator painting) had no or few workers with detectable HDI-IgG. Conclusions: HDI-specific immune responses (IgG) provide a practical biomarker to aid in exposure surveillance and ongoing industrial hygiene efforts. The strategy may supplement current air sampling approaches, which do not assess exposures via skin, or variability in PPE use or effectiveness. The approach may also be applicable to evaluating isocyanate exposures in other settings, and may extend to other chemical allergens. PMID:22449630

Back Pain Prevalence and Its Associated Factors in Brazilian Athletes from Public High Schools: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Noll, Matias; de Avelar, Ivan Silveira; Lehnen, Georgia Cristina; Vieira, Marcus Fraga

2016-01-01

Most studies on the prevalence of back pain have evaluated it in developed countries (Human Development Index--HDI > 0.808), and their conclusions may not hold for developing countries. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of back pain in representative Brazilian athletes from public high schools. This cross-sectional study was performed during the state phase of the 2015 Jogos dos Institutos Federais (JIF), or Federal Institutes Games, in Brazil (HDI = 0.744), and it enrolled 251 athletes, 173 males and 78 females (14-20 years old). The dependent variable was back pain, and the independent variables were demographic, socioeconomic, psychosocial, hereditary, exercise-level, anthropometric, strength, behavioral, and postural factors. The prevalence ratio (PR) was calculated using multivariable analysis according to the Poisson regression model (α = 0.05). The prevalence of back pain in the three months prior to the study was 43.7% (n = 104), and 26% of the athletes reported feeling back pain only once. Multivariable analysis showed that back pain was associated with demographic (sex), psychosocial (loneliness and loss of sleep in the previous year), hereditary (ethnicity, parental back pain), strength (lumbar and hand forces), anthropometric (body mass index), behavioral (sleeping time per night, reading and studying in bed, smoking habits in the previous month), and postural (sitting posture while writing, while on a bench, and while using a computer) variables. Participants who recorded higher levels of lumbar and manual forces reported a lower prevalence of back pain (PR < 0.79), whereas feeling lonely in the previous year, obesity, and ethnicity exhibited the highest prevalence ratio (PR > 1.30). In conclusion, there is no association between exercise levels and back pain but there is an association between back pain and non-exercise related variables.

Reaction products of hexamethylene diisocyanate vapors with “self” molecules in the airways of rabbits exposed via tracheostomy

PubMed Central

Wisnewski, Adam V.; Kanyo, Jean; Asher, Jennifer; Goodrich, James A.; Barnett, Grace; Patrylak, Lyn; Liu, Jian; Redlich, Carrie A.; Nassar, Ala F.

2018-01-01

Hexamethylenediisocyanate (HDI) is a widely used aliphatic diisocyanate and a well-recognized cause of occupational asthma.“Self” molecules (peptides/proteins) in the lower airways, susceptible to chemical reactivity with HDI, have been hypothesized to play a role in asthma pathogenesis and/or chemical metabolism, but remain poorly characterized.This study employed unique approaches to identify and characterize “self” targets of HDI reactivity in the lower airways. Anesthetized rabbits free breathed through a tracheostomy tube connected to chambers containing either, O2, or O2 plus ~200 ppb HDI vapors. Following 60 minutes of exposure, the airways were lavaged and the fluid was analyzed by LC-MS and LC-MS/MS.The low-molecular weight (<3 kDa) fraction of HDI exposed, but not control rabbit bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid identified 783.26 and 476.18 m/z [M+H]+ ions with high energy collision-induced dissociation (HCD) fragmentation patterns consistent with bis glutathione (GSH)-HDI and mono(GSH)-HDI. Proteomic analyses of the high molecular weight (>3 kDa) fraction of exposed rabbit BAL fluid identified HDI modification of specific lysines in uteroglobin (aka clara cell protein) and albumin.In summary, this study utilized a unique approach to chemical vapor exposure in rabbits, to identify HDI reaction products with “self” molecules in the lower airways. PMID:28489470

What do we know about the needs and challenges of health systems? A scoping review of the international literature.

PubMed

Roncarolo, Federico; Boivin, Antoine; Denis, Jean-Louis; Hébert, Rejean; Lehoux, Pascale

2017-09-08

While there is an extensive literature on Health System (HS) strengthening and on the performance of specific HSs, there are few exhaustive syntheses of the challenges HSs are facing worldwide. This paper reports the findings of a scoping review aiming to classify the challenges of HSs investigated in the scientific literature. Specifically, it determines the kind of research conducted on HS challenges, where it was performed, in which health sectors and on which populations. It also identifies the types of challenge described the most and how they varied across countries. We searched 8 databases to identify scientific papers published in English, French and Italian between January 2000 and April 2016 that addressed HS needs and challenges. The challenges reported in the articles were classified using van Olmen et al.'s dynamic HS framework. Countries were classified using the Human Development Index (HDI). Our analyses relied on descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. 292 articles were included in our scoping review. 33.6% of these articles were empirical studies and 60.1% were specific to countries falling within the very high HDI category, in particular the United States. The most frequently researched sectors were mental health (41%), infectious diseases (12%) and primary care (11%). The most frequently studied target populations included elderly people (23%), people living in remote or poor areas (21%), visible or ethnic minorities (15%), and children and adolescents (15%). The most frequently reported challenges related to human resources (22%), leadership and governance (21%) and health service delivery (24%). While health service delivery challenges were more often examined in countries within the very high HDI category, human resources challenges attracted more attention within the low HDI category. This scoping review provides a quantitative description of the available evidence on HS challenges and a qualitative exploration of the dynamic relationships that HS components entertain. While health services research is increasingly concerned about the way HSs can adopt innovations, little is known about the system-level challenges that innovations should address in the first place. Within this perspective, four key lessons are drawn as well as three knowledge gaps.

Human Innate Immune Responses to Hexamethylene Diisocyanate (HDI) and HDI-Albumin Conjugates

PubMed Central

Wisnewski, Adam V.; Liu, Qing; Liu, Jian; Redlich, Carrie A.

2011-01-01

Background Isocyanates, a leading cause of occupational asthma, are known to induce adaptive immune responses; however, innate immune responses, which generally precede and regulate adaptive immunity, remain largely uncharacterized. Objective Identify and characterize cellular, molecular and systemic innate immune responses induced by hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). Methods Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were stimulated in vitro with HDI-albumin conjugates or control antigen, and changes in phenotype, gene, and protein expression were characterized by flow cytometry, microarray, Western blot and ELISA. Cell uptake of isocyanate was visualized microscopically using HDI-albumin conjugates prepared with fluorescently-labeled albumin. In vivo, human HDI exposure was performed via specific inhalation challenge, and subsequent changes in PBMCs and serum proteins were measured by flow cytometry and ELISA. Genotypes were determined by PCR. Results Human monocytes take-up HDI-albumin conjugates and undergo marked changes in morphology and gene/protein expression in vitro. The most significant (p 0.007 – 0.05) changes in mircoarray gene expression were noted in lysosomal genes, especially peptidases and proton pumps involved in antigen processing. Chemokines that regulate monocyte/macrophage trafficking (MIF, MCP-1), and pattern recognition receptors that bind chitin (chitinases) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (CD68) were also increased following isocyanate-albumin exposure. In vivo, HDI exposed subjects exhibited an acute increase in the percentage of PBMCs with the same HDI-albumin responsive phenotype characterized in vitro (HLA-DR+/CD11c+ with altered light scatter properties). An exposure-dependent decrease (46±11%; p<0.015) in serum concentrations of chitinase-3-like-1 was also observed, in individuals that lack the major (type 1) human chitinase (due to genetic polymorphism), but not in individuals possessing at least one functional chitinase-1 allele. Conclusions Previously unrecognized innate immune responses to HDI and HDI-albumin conjugates could influence the clinical spectrum of exposure reactions. PMID:18498542

Social Context and Dental Pain in Adults of Colombian Ethnic Minority Groups: A Multilevel Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Ardila, Carlos M; Agudelo-Suárez, Andrés A

2016-01-01

To estimate the effect of social context on dental pain in adults of Colombian ethnic minority groups (CEGs). Information from 34,843 participants was used. A multilevel model was constructed that had ethnic groups (ie, CEGs and non-CEGs) at level 1 and Colombian states at level 2. Contextual variables included gross domestic product (GDP), Human Development Index (HDI), and Unmet Basic Needs Index (UBNI). Dental pain was observed in 12.3% of 6,440 CEGs. In an unadjusted logistic regression model, dental pain was associated with being a CEG (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 1.34 [1.22-1.46]; P = .0001). This association remained significant after adjusting for possible confounding variables. An unconditional multilevel analysis showed that the variance in dental pain was statistically significant at the ethnic group level (β = 0.047 ± 0.015; P = .0009) and at the state level (β = 0.038 ± 0.019; P = .02) and that the variation between ethnic groups was higher than the variation between states (55% vs 45%, respectively). In a multivariate model, the variance in dental pain was also statistically significant at the ethnic group level (β = 0.029 ± 0.012; P = .007) and the state level (β = 0.042 ± .019; P = .01), but the variation between states was higher (40% vs 60%). The results of multilevel multivariate analyses showed that dental pain was associated with increasing age (β = 0.009 ± 0.001; P = .0001), lower education level (β = 0.302 ± 0.103; P = .0001), female sex (β = 0.031 ± 0.069; P = .003), GDP (β = 5.136 ± 2.009; P = .002) and HDI (β = 6.862 ± 5.550; P = .004); however, UBNI was not associated with dental pain. The variance in dental pain was higher between states than between ethnic groups in the multivariate multilevel model. Dental pain in CEGs was associated with contextual and individual factors. Considering contextual factors, GDP and HDI may play a major role in dental pain prevalence.

Three-dimensional and thermal surface imaging produces reliable measures of joint shape and temperature: a potential tool for quantifying arthritis

PubMed Central

Spalding, Steven J; Kwoh, C Kent; Boudreau, Robert; Enama, Joseph; Lunich, Julie; Huber, Daniel; Denes, Louis; Hirsch, Raphael

2008-01-01

Introduction The assessment of joints with active arthritis is a core component of widely used outcome measures. However, substantial variability exists within and across examiners in assessment of these active joint counts. Swelling and temperature changes, two qualities estimated during active joint counts, are amenable to quantification using noncontact digital imaging technologies. We sought to explore the ability of three dimensional (3D) and thermal imaging to reliably measure joint shape and temperature. Methods A Minolta 910 Vivid non-contact 3D laser scanner and a Meditherm med2000 Pro Infrared camera were used to create digital representations of wrist and metacarpalphalangeal (MCP) joints. Specialized software generated 3 quantitative measures for each joint region: 1) Volume; 2) Surface Distribution Index (SDI), a marker of joint shape representing the standard deviation of vertical distances from points on the skin surface to a fixed reference plane; 3) Heat Distribution Index (HDI), representing the standard error of temperatures. Seven wrists and 6 MCP regions from 5 subjects with arthritis were used to develop and validate 3D image acquisition and processing techniques. HDI values from 18 wrist and 9 MCP regions were obtained from 17 patients with active arthritis and compared to data from 10 wrist and MCP regions from 5 controls. Standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated for each quantitative measure to establish their reliability. CVs for volume and SDI were <1.3% and ICCs were greater than 0.99. Results Thermal measures were less reliable than 3D measures. However, significant differences were observed between control and arthritis HDI values. Two case studies of arthritic joints demonstrated quantifiable changes in swelling and temperature corresponding with changes in symptoms and physical exam findings. Conclusion 3D and thermal imaging provide reliable measures of joint volume, shape, and thermal patterns. Further refinement may lead to the use of these technologies to improve the assessment of disease activity in arthritis. PMID:18215307

Trends in frequency of type 2 diabetes in Mexico and its relationship to dietary patterns and contextual factors.

PubMed

Soto-Estrada, Guadalupe; Moreno Altamirano, Laura; García-García, Juan José; Ochoa Moreno, Iván; Silberman, Martín

To analyse the evolution of the frequency of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its relationship to eating patterns in Mexico from 1961 to 2013, and the Gini coefficient, Human Development Index (HDI) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Mexico ranked sixth in world prevalence of diabetes in 2015 with an estimated 11.4 million Mexicans affected. Using data from the Balance Sheets Food published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the means of apparent food consumption (kcal/person/day) were grouped by decades. Data for mortality rate for diabetes were obtained from 1990 until 2015. Spearman's correlation coefficient was calculated between the diabetes mellitus mortality rate and all food groups. Pearson's correlation explored the relationship between socio economic indicators and the prevalence of T2D diabetes. The mortality rate for T2D has increased over the last decades. An increase of 647.9kcal/person/day in apparent food consumption was observed. Cereal and legume consumption decreased, while apparent sugar, animal food and animal fat and vegetable oil consumption increased substantially. HDI and GDP showed a directly proportional relationship to diabetes. Spearman's correlation coefficient was statistically significant only for sugar. The Gini coefficient suggests that in lower inequalities there is an increased frequency of diabetes. The increase in the mortality rate of type 2 diabetes was constant during the study period, which coincides with the increase in energy density of Mexican eating patterns from 1961 to 2013. The higher the Gini coefficient, HDI and GDP, the higher the mortality observed for diabetes. Copyright © 2017 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Neuroblastoma among children in Southern and Eastern European cancer registries: Variations in incidence and temporal trends compared to US.

PubMed

Georgakis, Marios K; Dessypris, Nick; Baka, Margarita; Moschovi, Maria; Papadakis, Vassilios; Polychronopoulou, Sophia; Kourti, Maria; Hatzipantelis, Emmanuel; Stiakaki, Eftichia; Dana, Helen; Bouka, Evdoxia; Antunes, Luis; Bastos, Joana; Coza, Daniela; Demetriou, Anna; Agius, Domenic; Eser, Sultan; Gheorghiu, Raluca; Sekerija, Mario; Trojanowski, Maciej; Zagar, Tina; Zborovskaya, Anna; Ryzhov, Anton; Tragiannidis, Athanassios; Panagopoulou, Paraskevi; Steliarova-Foucher, Eva; Petridou, Eleni Th

2018-05-15

Neuroblastoma comprises the most common neoplasm during infancy (first year of life). Our study describes incidence of neuroblastoma in Southern-Eastern Europe (SEE), including - for the first time - the Nationwide Registry for Childhood Hematological Malignancies and Solid Tumors (NARECHEM-ST)/Greece, compared to the US population, while controlling for human development index (HDI). Age-adjusted incidence rates (AIR) were calculated for 1,859 childhood (0-14 years) neuroblastoma cases, retrieved from 13 collaborating SEE registries (1990-2016), and were compared to those of SEER/US (N = 3,166; 1990-2012); temporal trends were assessed using Poisson regression and Joinpoint analyses. The overall AIR was significantly lower in SEE (10.1/million) compared to SEER (11.7 per million); the difference was maximum during infancy (43.7 vs. 53.3 per million, respectively), when approximately one-third of cases were diagnosed. Incidence rates of neuroblastoma at ages <1 and 1-4 years were positively associated with HDI, whereas lower median age at diagnosis was correlated with higher overall AIR. Distribution of primary site and histology was similar in SEE and SEER. Neuroblastoma was slightly more common among males compared to females (male-to-female ratio: 1.1), mainly among SEE infants. Incidence trends decreased in infants in Slovenia, Cyprus and SEER and increased in Ukraine and Belarus. The lower incidence in SEE compared to SEER, especially in infants living in low HDI countries possibly indicates a lower level of overdiagnosis in SEE. Hence, increases in incidence rates in infancy noted in some subpopulations should be carefully monitored to avoid the unnecessary costs health impacts of tumors that could potentially spontaneously regress. © 2017 UICC.

Work disability benefits due to musculoskeletal disorders among Brazilian private sector workers.

PubMed

Vieira, E R; Albuquerque-Oliveira, P R; Barbosa-Branco, A

2011-05-14

To evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of disability benefits due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) granted to Brazilian private sector workers. This was a population-based epidemiological study of MSD-related benefits among registered private sector workers (n=32 959 329). The prevalence (benefits/10 000 workers/year) of work disability benefits was calculated by gender, age, state, Human Development Index (HDI), economic activity, MSD type and work-relatedness. The prevalence of MSD-related benefits in Brazil among registered private sector workers in 2008 was 93.6/10 000 workers. The prevalence increased with age, and was higher for women (112.2) than for men (88.1), although the former had shorter benefit duration. The gender-adjusted prevalence by state varied from 16.6 to 90.3 for non-work-related, and from 7.8 to 59.6 for work-related benefits. The Brazilian states with a high-very high HDI had the highest prevalence. The top four most common types of MSD-related benefits were due to back pain, intervertebral disc disorders, sinovitis/tenosynovitis and shoulder disorders. MSD is a frequent cause of work disability in Brazil. There were differences in prevalence among economic activities and between states grouped by HDI. This study demonstrates that further evaluation of the contributing factors associated with MSD-related disability benefits is required. Factors that should be considered include production processes, political organisation, socioeconomic and educational characteristics, the compensation and recording systems, and employee-employer power relationships. These factors may play an important role in the prevalence of MSD-related disability benefits, especially in countries with large socioeconomic iniquities such as Brazil.

Studies on the quality nutrition in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

PubMed

Szczuko, Małgorzata; Sankowska, Patrycja; Zapałowska-Chwyć, Marta; Wysokiński, Paweł

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) manifests itself with various symptoms, therefore it interests representatives of many medical specializations: general practitioners, gynecologists, endocrinologists, dermatologists, cardiologists and those who deal with metabolic disorders, such as dieticians. The aim of this study was perform the qualitative assessment of components of diets of women with PCOS as one of the major factor contributing to the disease. The study was performed on 54 women of childbearing age with PCOS diagnosed according to on the Rotterdam criteria. Qualitative assessment of the diets on the basis of 216 menus was performed based on the analysis of 3-day food diaries and food records taken from the last 24-hour dietary interview. Diets quality assessment was made using three types of point tests: Szewczyński’s Diets’ classification (SDC), Bielińska’s Test with Kulesza’s modification (BTK), Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI). Average waist-hip ratio (WHR) and body mass index (BMI) was above the standard 0.91± 0.08 and 29.16 ± 5.8 kg/m2. Qualitative analysis performed with point tests SDC, BT-K and HDI revealed that the majority of the diets were composed inappropriately, containing many mistakes. Statistically significant correlations (Pearson’s) were determined between HDI test and the body weight and BMI. When analyzing the type of the meals also the correlations (Spearman’s) between BMI and BMI category in BT-K test. Mistakes in diets of women with PCOS are the cause of metabolic disorders related to improper function of ovaries. Native test BT-K seems to be a better method then test SDC and probably HDI of assessing diet in women with PCOS from Poland.

Diet quality and adherence to a healthy diet in Japanese male workers with untreated hypertension.

PubMed

Kanauchi, Masao; Kanauchi, Kimiko

2015-07-10

As Japanese societies rapidly undergo westernisation, the prevalence of hypertension is increasing. We investigated the association between dietary quality and the prevalence of untreated hypertension in Japanese male workers. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 433 male workers who completed a brief food frequency questionnaire. Adherence to the WHO-based Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI), the American Heart Association 2006 Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, and Mediterranean-style diet was assessed using four adherence indexes (HDI score, AI-84 score, DASH score and MED score). Hypertension classes were classified into three categories: non-hypertension, untreated hypertension and treated hypertension (ie, taking antihypertensive medication). The prevalence of untreated hypertension and treated hypertension was 22.4% and 8.5%, respectively. Patients with untreated hypertension had significantly lower HDI and AI-84 scores compared with non-hypertension. DASH and MED scores across the three hypertension classes were comparable. After adjusting for age, energy intake, smoking habit, alcohol drinking, physical activity and salt intake, a low adherence to HDI and a lowest quartile of AI-84 score were associated with a significantly higher prevalence of untreated hypertension, with an OR of 3.33 (95% CI 1.39 to 7.94, p=0.007) and 2.23 (1.09 to 4.53, p=0.027), respectively. A lower dietary quality was associated with increased prevalence of untreated hypertension in Japanese male workers. Our findings support a potential beneficial impact of nutritional assessment using diet qualities. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Persisting inequalities in survival patterns of childhood neuroblastoma in Southern and Eastern Europe and the effect of socio-economic development compared with those of the US.

PubMed

Panagopoulou, Paraskevi; Georgakis, Marios K; Baka, Margarita; Moschovi, Maria; Papadakis, Vassilios; Polychronopoulou, Sophia; Kourti, Maria; Hatzipantelis, Emmanuel; Stiakaki, Eftichia; Dana, Helen; Tragiannidis, Athanasios; Bouka, Evdoxia; Antunes, Luis; Bastos, Joana; Coza, Daniela; Demetriou, Anna; Agius, Domenic; Eser, Sultan; Gheorghiu, Raluca; Šekerija, Mario; Trojanowski, Maciej; Žagar, Tina; Zborovskaya, Anna; Ryzhov, Anton; Dessypris, Nick; Morgenstern, Daniel; Petridou, Eleni Th

2018-06-01

Neuroblastoma outcomes vary with disease characteristics, healthcare delivery and socio-economic indicators. We assessed survival patterns and prognostic factors for patients with neuroblastoma in 11 Southern and Eastern European (SEE) countries versus those in the US, including-for the first time-the Nationwide Registry for Childhood Hematological Malignancies and Solid Tumours (NARECHEM-ST)/Greece. Overall survival (OS) was calculated in 13 collaborating SEE childhood cancer registries (1829 cases, ∼1990-2016) and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER), US (3072 cases, 1990-2012); Kaplan-Meier curves were used along with multivariable Cox regression models assessing the effect of age, gender, primary tumour site, histology, Human Development Index (HDI) and place of residence (urban/rural) on survival. The 5-year OS rates varied widely among the SEE countries (Ukraine: 45%, Poland: 81%) with the overall SEE rate (59%) being significantly lower than in SEER (77%; p < 0.001). In the common registration period within SEE (2000-2008), no temporal trend was noted as opposed to a significant increase in SEER. Age >12 months (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.8-4.7 in subsequent age groups), male gender (HR: 1.1), residence in rural areas (HR: 1.3), living in high (HR: 2.2) or medium (HR: 2.4) HDI countries and specific primary tumour location were associated with worse outcome; conversely, ganglioneuroblastoma subtype (HR: 0.28) was associated with higher survival rate. Allowing for the disease profile, children with neuroblastoma in SEE, especially those in rural areas and lower HDI countries, fare worse than patients in the US, mainly during the early years after diagnosis; this may be attributed to presumably modifiable socio-economic and healthcare system performance differentials warranting further research. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SOS response activation and competence development are antagonistic mechanisms in Streptococcus thermophilus.

PubMed

Boutry, Céline; Delplace, Brigitte; Clippe, André; Fontaine, Laetitia; Hols, Pascal

2013-02-01

Streptococcus includes species that either contain or lack the LexA-like repressor (HdiR) of the classical SOS response. In Streptococcus pneumoniae, a species which belongs to the latter group, SOS response inducers (e.g., mitomycin C [Mc] and fluoroquinolones) were shown to induce natural transformation, leading to the hypothesis that DNA damage-induced competence could contribute to genomic plasticity and stress resistance. Using reporter strains and microarray experiments, we investigated the impact of the SOS response inducers mitomycin C and norfloxacin and the role of HdiR on competence development in Streptococcus thermophilus. We show that both the addition of SOS response inducers and HdiR inactivation have a dual effect, i.e., induction of the expression of SOS genes and reduction of transformability. Reduction of transformability results from two different mechanisms, since HdiR inactivation has no major effect on the expression of competence (com) genes, while mitomycin C downregulates the expression of early and late com genes in a dose-dependent manner. The downregulation of com genes by mitomycin C was shown to take place at the level of the activation of the ComRS signaling system by an unknown mechanism. Conversely, we show that a ComX-deficient strain is more resistant to mitomycin C and norfloxacin in a viability plate assay, which indicates that competence development negatively affects the resistance of S. thermophilus to DNA-damaging agents. Altogether, our results strongly suggest that SOS response activation and competence development are antagonistic processes in S. thermophilus.

HPAM: Hirshfeld Partitioned Atomic Multipoles

PubMed Central

Elking, Dennis M.; Perera, Lalith; Pedersen, Lee G.

2011-01-01

An implementation of the Hirshfeld (HD) and Hirshfeld-Iterated (HD-I) atomic charge density partitioning schemes is described. Atomic charges and atomic multipoles are calculated from the HD and HD-I atomic charge densities for arbitrary atomic multipole rank lmax on molecules of arbitrary shape and size. The HD and HD-I atomic charges/multipoles are tested by comparing molecular multipole moments and the electrostatic potential (ESP) surrounding a molecule with their reference ab initio values. In general, the HD-I atomic charges/multipoles are found to better reproduce ab initio electrostatic properties over HD atomic charges/multipoles. A systematic increase in precision for reproducing ab initio electrostatic properties is demonstrated by increasing the atomic multipole rank from lmax = 0 (atomic charges) to lmax = 4 (atomic hexadecapoles). Both HD and HD-I atomic multipoles up to rank lmax are shown to exactly reproduce ab initio molecular multipole moments of rank L for L ≤ lmax. In addition, molecular dipole moments calculated by HD, HD-I, and ChelpG atomic charges only (lmax = 0) are compared with reference ab initio values. Significant errors in reproducing ab initio molecular dipole moments are found if only HD or HD-I atomic charges used. PMID:22140274

Water-energy-food nexus for adopting sustainable development goals in Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taniguchi, M.

2016-12-01

Water, energy, and food are the most essential and fundamental resources for human well-beings, a sustainable society, and global sustainability. These are inextricably linked, and there are complex synergies and tradeoffs among the three resources. More issues arise and attention must be paid when it comes to the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus. Lack of integrated research between a nexus and policy implementation is the most concerning. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all, and are scheduled to be achieved by 2030. Of the 17 SDGs, Goal 2, 6 and 7 are directly related to food, water, and energy sectors. However, there are no integrated SDGs related to the Water-Energy-Food Nexus. Two different directions of nexus research exist in developing and industrialized worlds, and synthesis of both are needed. Developing countries are striving to increase their Human Development Index (HDI) while keeping Ecological Footprints, including Nexus Footprint, low. On the other hand, industrialized countries are targeting to maintain their high HDI and reduce their Ecological Footprints. Both are challenging tasks under the restrictions of planetary boundaries (limited nature) and doughnut economy (limited society). In this study, WEF Nexus research in Asian countries, including developing and industrialized countries, demonstrates the different types of nexus approaches to achieve SDGs through renewable energy, agriculture and aquaculture as food, and water management in Monsoon and semi-arid Asia. Mutual learning between the two types of nexus approaches can be made in the Asian area.

Incidence and mortality of lung cancer: global trends and association with socioeconomic status.

PubMed

Wong, Martin C S; Lao, Xiang Qian; Ho, Kin-Fai; Goggins, William B; Tse, Shelly L A

2017-10-30

We examined the correlation between lung cancer incidence/mortality and country-specific socioeconomic development, and evaluated its most recent global trends. We retrieved its age-standardized incidence rates from the GLOBOCAN database, and temporal patterns were assessed from global databases. We employed simple linear regression analysis to evaluate their correlations with Human Development Index (HDI) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. The average annual percent changes (AAPC) of the trends were evaluated from join-point regression analysis. Country-specific HDI was strongly correlated with age-standardized incidence (r = 0.70) and mortality (r = 0.67), and to a lesser extent GDP (r = 0.24 to 0.55). Among men, 22 and 30 (out of 38 and 36) countries showed declining incidence and mortality trends, respectively; whilst among women, 19 and 16 countries showed increasing incidence and mortality trends, respectively. Among men, the AAPCs ranged from -2.8 to -0.6 (incidence) and -3.6 to -1.1 (mortality) in countries with declining trend, whereas among women the AAPC range was 0.4 to 8.9 (incidence) and 1 to 4.4 (mortality) in countries with increasing trend. Among women, Brazil, Spain and Cyprus had the greatest incidence increase, and all countries in Western, Southern and Eastern Europe reported increasing mortality. These findings highlighted the need for targeted preventive measures.

[Teenage pregnancy rates and socioeconomic characteristics of municipalities in São Paulo State, Southeast Brazil: a spatial analysis].

PubMed

Martinez, Edson Zangiacomi; Roza, Daiane Leite da; Caccia-Bava, Maria do Carmo Gullaci Guimarães; Achcar, Jorge Alberto; Dal-Fabbro, Amaury Lelis

2011-05-01

Teenage pregnancy is a common public health problem worldwide. The objective of this ecological study was to investigate the spatial association between teenage pregnancy rates and socioeconomic characteristics of municipalities in São Paulo State, Southeast Brazil. We used a Bayesian model with a spatial distribution following a conditional autoregressive (CAR) form based on Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm. We used data from the Live Birth Information System (SINASC) and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Early pregnancy was more frequent in municipalities with lower per capital gross domestic product (GDP), higher poverty rate, smaller population, lower human development index (HDI), and a higher percentage of individuals with State social vulnerability index of 5 or 6 (more vulnerable). The study demonstrates a significant association between teenage pregnancy and socioeconomic indicators.

Isocyanate Exposure Below Analytical Detection When a Paint Brush and Roller Are Used to Apply Moisture-Cure Polyurethane Paint.

PubMed

Reeb-Whitaker, Carolyn K; Schoonover, Todd M

2016-05-01

Isocyanate exposure is known to be hazardous when polyurethane paints are applied with a spray gun, but less is known of exposure when paint is applied with a paint brush and roller. Concentrations of 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) monomer and three HDI polymers were assessed when two moisture-cure polyurethane paints containing 31-35% isocyanates were applied with a paint roller and brush. Short-term 15-min samples were taken during paint application in an indoor test environment with no ventilation (n= 12); in an outdoor test environment (n= 11); and in an outdoor in-situ assessment (n= 22). The outdoor in-situ assessment involved the painting of a bus shelter and light poles at a public transit station over two night shifts. All isocyanate samples were below analytical detection. The analytical limits of detection for HDI monomer, HDI biuret, HDI isocyanurate, and HDI uretdione were 0.005, 0.84, 0.87, and 0.88 µg, respectively. The finding that isocyanate concentrations were below detection is attributed to the use of paint roller and brush which minimize paint aerosolization and the paint formulation itself which contained <1% of volatile HDI monomer. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

Worldwide burden of gastric cancer in 2010 attributable to high sodium intake in 1990 and predicted attributable burden for 2030 based on exposures in 2010.

PubMed

Peleteiro, Bárbara; Barros, Susana; Castro, Clara; Ferro, Ana; Morais, Samantha; Lunet, Nuno

2016-08-01

Assessing the impact that patterns of Na intake may have on gastric cancer will provide a more comprehensive estimation of Na reduction as a primary prevention approach. We aimed to estimate the proportion of gastric cancer cases that are attributable to Na intake above the recommendation by the WHO (≤2 g/d) throughout the world in 2010, as well as expected values for 2030. Population attributable fractions (PAF) were computed for 187 countries, using Na intakes in 1990 and 2010 and estimates of the association between Na intake and gastric cancer, assuming a time lag of 20 years. Median PAF ranged from 10·1% in low to 22·5 % in very high Human Development Index (HDI) countries in men (P<0·001) and from 7·2 to 16·6 %, respectively, among women (P<0·001). An increase in median PAF until 2030 is expected in most settings, except for countries classified as low HDI, in both sexes. High Na intakes account for a large proportion of gastric cancer cases, and proportions are expected to increase in almost all of the countries. Intensified efforts to diminish Na intake in virtually all populations are needed to further reduce gastric cancer burden.

Polymerization of hexamethylene diisocyanate in solution and a 260.23 m/z [M+H]+ ion in exposed human cells.

PubMed

Wisnewski, Adam V; Liu, Jian; Redlich, Carrie A; Nassar, Ala F

2018-02-15

Hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) is an important industrial chemical that can cause asthma, however pathogenic mechanisms remain unclear. Upon entry into the respiratory tract, HDI's N=C=O groups may undergo nucleophilic addition (conjugate) to host molecules (e.g. proteins), or instead react with water (hydrolyze), releasing CO 2 and leaving a primary amine in place of the original N=C=O. We hypothesized that (primary amine groups present on) hydrolyzed or partially hydrolyzed HDI may compete with proteins and water as a reaction target for HDI in solution, resulting in polymers that could be identified and characterized using LC-MS and LC-MS/MS. Analysis of the reaction products formed when HDI was mixed with a pH buffered, isotonic, protein containing solution identified multiple [M+H] + ions with m/z's and collision-induced dissociation (CID) fragmentation patterns consistent with those expected for dimers (259.25/285.23 m/z), and trimers (401.36/427.35 m/z) of partially hydrolyzed HDI (e.g. ureas/oligoureas). Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and monocyte-like U937, but not airway epithelial NCI-H292 cell lines cultured with these HDI ureas contained a novel 260.23 m/z [M+H] + ion. LC-MS/MS analysis of the 260.23 m/z [M+H] + ion suggest the formula C 13 H 29 N 3 O 2 and a structure containing partially hydrolyzed HDI, however definitive characterization will require further orthogonal analyses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of Health Research Systems on Under-5 Mortality Rate: A Trend Analysis.

PubMed

Yazdizadeh, Bahareh; Parsaeian, Mahboubeh; Majdzadeh, Reza; Nikooee, Sima

2016-11-26

Between 1990 and 2015, under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) declined by 53%, from an estimated rate of 91 deaths per 1000 live births to 43, globally. The aim of this study was to determine the share of health research systems in this decrease alongside other influential factors. We used random effect regression models including the 'random intercept' and 'random intercept and random slope' models to analyze the panel data from 1990 to 2010. We selected the countries with U5MRs falling between the first and third quartiles in 1990. We used both the total articles (TA) and the number of child-specific articles (CSA) as a proxy of the health research system. In order to account for the impact of other factors, measles vaccination coverage (MVC) (as a proxy of health system performance), gross domestic product (GDP), human development index (HDI), and corruption perception index (CPI) (as proxies of development), were embedded in the model. Among all the models, 'the random intercept and random slope models' had lower residuals. The same variables of CSA, HDI, and time were significant and the coefficient of CSA was estimated at -0.17; meaning, with the addition of every 100 CSA, the rate of U5MR decreased by 17 per 1000 live births. Although the number of CSA has contributed to the reduction of U5MR, the amount of its contribution is negligible compared to the countries' development. We recommend entering different types of researches into the model separately in future research and including the variable of 'exchange between knowledge generator and user.' © 2017 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Mortality differences between the foreign-born and locally-born population in France (2004-2007).

PubMed

Boulogne, Roxane; Jougla, Eric; Breem, Yves; Kunst, Anton E; Rey, Grégoire

2012-04-01

In contrast to the situation in many European countries, the mortality of immigrants in France has been little studied. The main reasons for the lack of studies are based on ethical and ideological considerations. The objective of this study is to explore mortality by country of birth in Metropolitan (i.e. 'mainland') France. Complete mortality data were used to study the relative risks of mortality of the foreign- and locally-born populations by gender, age and cause of death for the period 2004-2007 in Metropolitan France. Analyses were conducted by countries of birth grouped into geographic areas and by the Human Development Index (HDI). The differentials in mortality between foreign-born and locally-born populations were not homogeneous. The figures varied by age (higher foreign-born mortality for the young; lower mortality for migrants aged 15-64 years), gender (female migrants more frequently had higher relative mortality than men migrants), country of birth (Eastern European-born migrants had higher mortality, while those born in Morocco, Central Asia, 'other Asian countries' and America had lower mortality) and cause of death (migrant mortality was higher overall for deaths caused by infectious diseases and diabetes, and lower for violent death and neoplasm). Moreover, mortality relative risks for male, violent deaths and cancer were positively associated with country-of-birth HDI, while female mortality and infectious disease mortality were negatively associated with country-of-birth HDI. Some important caveats have to be considered because the study did not control for individuals socioeconomic position in France, or length of residence in the host country. A strong healthy migrant effect was suggested and its intensity varies with age and gender (which may reflect different reasons for migration). For some specific causes of death, a lifestyle effect seems to explain mortality differentials. The associations between HDI and mortality show that mortality trends are partly related to the educational, sanitary and economic conditions of the country of birth. Further studies would enrich the differential analysis of mortality by country of birth by contributing additional detailed data on socioeconomic and living conditions in the host country as well as in the country of origin. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Global variance in female population height: the influence of education, income, human development, life expectancy, mortality and gender inequality in 96 nations.

PubMed

Mark, Quentin J

2014-01-01

Human height is a heritable trait that is known to be influenced by environmental factors and general standard of living. Individual and population stature is correlated with health, education and economic achievement. Strong sexual selection pressures for stature have been observed in multiple diverse populations, however; there is significant global variance in gender equality and prohibitions on female mate selection. This paper explores the contribution of general standard of living and gender inequality to the variance in global female population heights. Female population heights of 96 nations were culled from previously published sources and public access databases. Factor analysis with United Nations international data on education rates, life expectancy, incomes, maternal and childhood mortality rates, ratios of gender participation in education and politics, the Human Development Index (HDI) and the Gender Inequality Index (GII) was run. Results indicate that population heights vary more closely with gender inequality than with population health, income or education.

Effect of 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate exposure on peak flowmetry in automobile paint shop workers in Iran.

PubMed

Pourabedian, Siyamak; Barkhordari, Abdullah; Habibi, Ehsanallah; Rismanchiyan, Masoud; Zare, Mohsen

2010-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of occupational exposure to 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) on peak flowmetry in automobile body paint shop workers in Iran. We studied a population of 43 car painters exposed to HDI at their workplaces. Peak expiratory flow was tested for one working week, from the start to the end of each shift. Air was sampled and HDI analysed in parallel, according to the OSHA 42 method. Daily and weekly HDI exposure averages were (0.42+/-0.1) mg m(-3) and (0.13+/-0.05) mg m(-3), respectively. On painting days, 72 % of workers showed more than a 10 % variation in peak expiratory flow. Inhalation exposure exceeded the threshold limit value (TLV) ten times over. This strongly suggests that HDI affected the peak flowmetry in the studied workers.

In rheumatoid arthritis, country of residence has an important influence on fatigue: results from the multinational COMORA study.

PubMed

Hifinger, Monika; Putrik, Polina; Ramiro, Sofia; Keszei, András P; Hmamouchi, Ihsane; Dougados, Maxime; Gossec, Laure; Boonen, Annelies

2016-04-01

To investigate the relationship between country of residence and fatigue in RA, and to explore which country characteristics are related to fatigue. Data from the multinational COMORA study were analysed. Contribution of country of residence to level of fatigue [0-10 on visual analogue scale (VAS)] and presence of severe fatigue (VAS ⩾ 5) was explored in multivariable linear or logistic regression models including first socio-demographics and objective disease outcomes (M1), and then also subjective outcomes (M2). Next, country of residence was replaced by country characteristics: gross domestic product (GDP), human development index (HDI), latitude (as indicator of climate), language and income inequality index (gini-index). Model fit (R(2)) for linear models was compared. A total of 3920 patients from 17 countries were included, mean age 56 years (s.d. 13), 82% females. Mean fatigue across countries ranged from 1.86 (s.d. 2.46) to 4.99 (s.d. 2.64) and proportion of severe fatigue from 14% (Venezuela) to 65% (Egypt). Objective disease outcomes did not explain much of the variation in fatigue ([Formula: see text] = 0.12), while subjective outcomes had a strong negative impact and partly explained the variation in fatigue ([Formula: see text]= 0.27). Country of residence had a significant additional effect (increasing model fit to [Formula: see text] = 0.20 and [Formula: see text] = 0.36, respectively). Remarkably, higher GDP and better HDI were associated with higher fatigue, and explained a large part of the country effect. Logistic regression confirmed the limited contribution of objective outcomes and the relevant contribution of country of residence. Country of residence has an important influence on fatigue. Paradoxically, patients from wealthier countries had higher fatigue. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Global burden of cancer attributable to high body-mass index in 2012: a population-based study

PubMed Central

Byrnes, Graham; Renehan, Prof Andrew G; Stevens, Gretchen A; Ezzati, Prof Majid; Ferlay, Jacques; Miranda, J. Jaime; Romieu, Isabelle; Dikshit, Rajesh; Forman, David; Soerjomataram, Isabelle

2015-01-01

Background Excess body mass index (BMI) is associated with increased risk of cancer. To inform public health policyand future research, we estimated the global burden of cancer attributable to excess BMI. Methods Population attributable fractions (PAFs) were derived using relative risks and BMI estimates in adults by age, sex and country. Assuming a10-year lag-period, PAFs were calculated using BMI estimates in 2002. GLOBOCAN2012 was used to compute numbers of new cancer cases attributable to excess BMI. In an alternative scenario, we computed the proportion of potentially avoidable cancers assuming that populations maintained their BMI-level observed in 1982. Secondary analyses were performed to test the model and estimate the impactof hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and smoking. Findings Worldwide, we estimated that 481,000 or 3·6% of all new cancer cases in 2012 were attributable to excess BMI. PAFs were greater in women compared with men (5·4% versus 1·9%). The burden was concentrated in countries with very high and high human development index (HDI, PAF: 5·3% and 4·8%) compared with countries with moderate and low HDI (PAF: 1·6% and 1·0%). Corpus uteri, post-menopausal breast and colon cancers accounted for approximately two-thirds (64%) of excess BMI attributable cancers. One fourth (~118,000) of all cases related to excess BMI in 2012 could be attributed to the rising BMI since 1982. Interpretation These findings further underpin the need for a global effort to abate the rising trends in population-level excess weight. Assuming that the relationship between excess BMI and cancer is causal and the current pattern of population weight gain continues, this will likely augment the future burden of cancer. Funding World Cancer Research Fund, Marie Currie Fellowship, the National Health and Medical Research Council Australia and US NIH. PMID:25467404

Preparation and Characterization of Polyurethanes with Cross-Linked Siloxane in the Side Chain by Sol-Gel Reactions

PubMed Central

Zhao, Hui; Hao, Tong-Hui; Hu, Guo-Hua; Shi, Dean; Huang, Da; Jiang, Tao; Zhang, Qun-Chao

2017-01-01

A series of novel polyurethanes containing cross-linked siloxane in the side chain (SPU) were successfully synthesized through a sol-gel process. The SPU was composed of 0%–20% N-(n-butyl)-3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (HDI-T) modified hexamethylene diisocynate homopolymer. The effects of HDI-T content on both the structure and properties of SPU were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), mechanical properties tests, gel content test, water contact angle measurement and water absorption test. FT-IR, XPS and XRD results confirmed the successful incorporation of HDI-T onto polyurethanes and the formation of Si–O–Si. The surface roughness and the Si content of SPU enhanced with the increase of HDI-T content. Both crystallization and melting temperature shifted to a lower point after the incorporation of HDI-T. The hydrophobicity, tensile strength, Young’s modulus and pencil hardness overall increased with the increasing of HDI-T content, whereas the thermal stability and the elongation at break of SPU slightly decreased. PMID:28772607

Rheumatic heart disease across the Western Pacific: not just a Pacific Island problem.

PubMed

Abouzeid, Marian; Katzenellenbogen, Judith; Wyber, Rosemary; Watkins, David; Johnson, Timothy David; Carapetis, Jonathan

2017-01-01

Some of the highest recorded rheumatic heart disease (RHD) prevalence and mortality rates are from the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Region (WPR). RHD burden has been well documented in much of the WPR subregion of Oceania, but less is known about RHD outside the Pacific Islands and Australasia. We aimed to review RHD burden in WPR outside Oceania to identify countries with high RHD burden and those with contemporary data gaps. We searched the peer-reviewed literature for English-language primary studies published between 1980 and April 2017 that reported RHD prevalence or mortality in the 13 WPR countries/areas outside Oceania, and Taiwan. We also searched for official government reports and health indicator documents. Results were synthesised narratively and reported stratified by 2015 Human Development Index (HDI) level. 30 peer-reviewed publications fulfilling inclusion criteria were identified, representing nine countries/areas. RHD prevalence and mortality have fallen in association with economic development, particularly in very high HDI countries. In several countries that have undergone recent economic development, RHD persists particularly among older populations. In poorer WPR countries there is a persistent RHD burden, including in young populations. Some countries had no available data. Although RHD burden has declined in many high-resource settings across the WPR, in several poorer countries, the impact of RHD appears to continue. Elsewhere, insufficient contemporary data make it difficult to gauge the current status of RHD burden and control. Concerted efforts are needed to fill information gaps and implement action to address this avoidable disease.

Airborne isocyanate exposures in the collision repair industry and a comparison to occupational exposure limits.

PubMed

Reeb-Whitaker, Carolyn; Whittaker, Stephen G; Ceballos, Diana M; Weiland, Elisa C; Flack, Sheila L; Fent, Kenneth W; Thomasen, Jennifer M; Trelles Gaines, Linda G; Nylander-French, Leena A

2012-01-01

Isocyanate exposure was evaluated in 33 spray painters from 25 Washington State autobody shops. Personal breathing zone samples (n = 228) were analyzed for isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) monomer, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) monomer, IPDI polyisocyanate, and three polyisocyanate forms of HDI. The objective was to describe exposures to isocyanates while spray painting, compare them with short-term exposure limits (STELs), and describe the isocyanate composition in the samples. The composition of polyisocyanates (IPDI and HDI) in the samples varied greatly, with maximum amounts ranging from up to 58% for HDI biuret to 96% for HDI isocyanurate. There was a significant inverse relationship between the percentage composition of HDI isocyanurate to IPDI and to HDI uretdione. Two 15-min STELs were compared: (1) Oregon's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OR-OSHA) STEL of 1000 μg/m(3) for HDI polyisocyanate, and (2) the United Kingdom's Health and Safety Executive (UK-HSE) STEL of 70 μg NCO/m(3) for all isocyanates. Eighty percent of samples containing HDI polyisocyanate exceeded the OR-OSHA STEL while 98% of samples exceeded the UK-HSE STEL. The majority of painters (67%) wore half-face air-purifying respirators while spray painting. Using the OR-OSHA and the UK-HSE STELs as benchmarks, 21% and 67% of painters, respectively, had at least one exposure that exceeded the respirator's OSHA-assigned protection factor. A critical review of the STELs revealed the following limitations: (1) the OR-OSHA STEL does not include all polyisocyanates, and (2) the UK-HSE STEL is derived from monomeric isocyanates, whereas the species present in typical spray coatings are polyisocyanates. In conclusion, the variable mixtures of isocyanates used by autobody painters suggest that an occupational exposure limit is required that includes all polyisocyanates. Despite the limitations of the STELs, we determined that a respirator with an assigned protection factor of 25 or greater is required to protect against isocyanate exposures during spray painting. Consequently, half-face air-purifying respirators, which are most commonly used and have an assigned protection factor of 10, do not afford adequate respiratory protection.

Airborne Isocyanate Exposures in the Collision Repair Industry and a Comparison to Occupational Exposure Limits

PubMed Central

Reeb-Whitaker, Carolyn; Whittaker, Stephen G.; Ceballos, Diana M.; Weiland, Elisa C.; Flack, Sheila L.; Fent, Kenneth W.; Thomasen, Jennifer M.; Gaines, Linda G. Trelles; Nylander-French, Leena A.

2014-01-01

Isocyanate exposure was evaluated in 33 spray painters from 25 Washington State autobody shops. Personal breathing zone samples (n = 228) were analyzed for isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) monomer, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) monomer, IPDI polyisocyanate, and three polyisocyanate forms of HDI. The objective was to describe exposures to isocyanates while spray painting, compare them with short-term exposure limits (STELs), and describe the isocyanate composition in the samples. The composition of polyisocyanates (IPDI and HDI) in the samples varied greatly, with maximum amounts ranging from up to 58% for HDI biuret to 96% for HDI isocyanurate. There was a significant inverse relationship between the percentage composition of HDI isocyanurate to IPDI and to HDI uretdione. Two 15-min STELs were compared: (1) Oregon's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OR-OSHA) STEL of 1000 μg/m3 for HDI polyisocyanate, and (2) the United Kingdom's Health and Safety Executive (UK-HSE) STEL of 70 μg NCO/m3 for all isocyanates. Eighty percent of samples containing HDI polyisocyanate exceeded the OR-OSHA STEL while 98% of samples exceeded the UKHSE STEL. The majority of painters (67%) wore half-face air-purifying respirators while spray painting. Using the OROSHA and the UK-HSE STELs as benchmarks, 21% and 67% of painters, respectively, had at least one exposure that exceeded the respirator's OSHA-assigned protection factor. A critical review of the STELs revealed the following limitations: (1) the OR-OSHA STEL does not include all polyisocyanates, and (2) the UK-HSE STEL is derived from monomeric isocyanates, whereas the species present in typical spray coatings are polyisocyanates. In conclusion, the variable mixtures of isocyanates used by autobody painters suggest that an occupational exposure limit is required that includes all polyisocyanates. Despite the limitations of the STELs, we determined that a respirator with an assigned protection factor of 25 or greater is required to protect against isocyanate exposures during spray painting. Consequently, half-face air-purifying respirators, which are most commonly used and have an assigned protection factor of 10, do not afford adequate respiratory protection. PMID:22500941

Human Disease Insight: An integrated knowledge-based platform for disease-gene-drug information.

PubMed

Tasleem, Munazzah; Ishrat, Romana; Islam, Asimul; Ahmad, Faizan; Hassan, Md Imtaiyaz

2016-01-01

The scope of the Human Disease Insight (HDI) database is not limited to researchers or physicians as it also provides basic information to non-professionals and creates disease awareness, thereby reducing the chances of patient suffering due to ignorance. HDI is a knowledge-based resource providing information on human diseases to both scientists and the general public. Here, our mission is to provide a comprehensive human disease database containing most of the available useful information, with extensive cross-referencing. HDI is a knowledge management system that acts as a central hub to access information about human diseases and associated drugs and genes. In addition, HDI contains well-classified bioinformatics tools with helpful descriptions. These integrated bioinformatics tools enable researchers to annotate disease-specific genes and perform protein analysis, search for biomarkers and identify potential vaccine candidates. Eventually, these tools will facilitate the analysis of disease-associated data. The HDI provides two types of search capabilities and includes provisions for downloading, uploading and searching disease/gene/drug-related information. The logistical design of the HDI allows for regular updating. The database is designed to work best with Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome and is freely accessible at http://humandiseaseinsight.com. Copyright © 2015 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nature's role in sustaining economic development

PubMed Central

Dasgupta, Partha

2010-01-01

In this paper, I formalize the idea of sustainable development in terms of intergenerational well-being. I then sketch an argument that has recently been put forward formally to demonstrate that intergenerational well-being increases over time if and only if a comprehensive measure of wealth per capita increases. The measure of wealth includes not only manufactured capital, knowledge and human capital (education and health), but also natural capital (e.g. ecosystems). I show that a country's comprehensive wealth per capita can decline even while gross domestic product (GDP) per capita increases and the UN Human Development Index records an improvement. I then use some rough and ready data from the world's poorest countries and regions to show that during the period 1970–2000 wealth per capita declined in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, even though the Human Development Index (HDI) showed an improvement everywhere and GDP per capita increased in all places (except in sub-Saharan Africa, where there was a slight decline). I conclude that, as none of the development indicators currently in use is able to reveal whether development has been, or is expected to be, sustainable, national statistical offices and international organizations should now routinely estimate the (comprehensive) wealth of nations. PMID:20008380

Nature's role in sustaining economic development.

PubMed

Dasgupta, Partha

2010-01-12

In this paper, I formalize the idea of sustainable development in terms of intergenerational well-being. I then sketch an argument that has recently been put forward formally to demonstrate that intergenerational well-being increases over time if and only if a comprehensive measure of wealth per capita increases. The measure of wealth includes not only manufactured capital, knowledge and human capital (education and health), but also natural capital (e.g. ecosystems). I show that a country's comprehensive wealth per capita can decline even while gross domestic product (GDP) per capita increases and the UN Human Development Index records an improvement. I then use some rough and ready data from the world's poorest countries and regions to show that during the period 1970-2000 wealth per capita declined in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, even though the Human Development Index (HDI) showed an improvement everywhere and GDP per capita increased in all places (except in sub-Saharan Africa, where there was a slight decline). I conclude that, as none of the development indicators currently in use is able to reveal whether development has been, or is expected to be, sustainable, national statistical offices and international organizations should now routinely estimate the (comprehensive) wealth of nations.

On the Climate Variability and Energy Demands for Indoor Human Comfort Levels in Tropical Urban Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pokhrel, R.; Ortiz, L. E.; González, J. E.; Ramírez-Beltran, N. D.

2017-12-01

The main objective of this study is to identify how climate variability influences human comfort levels in tropical urban environments. San Juan Metropolitan Area (SJMA) of the island of Puerto Rico was chosen as a reference point. A new human discomfort index (HDI) based on environmental enthalpy is defined. This index is expanded to determine the energy required to maintain indoor human comfort levels and was compared to Total Electricity consumption for the Island of Puerto Rico. Regression analysis shows that both Temperature and HDI are good indictor to predict total electrical energy consumption. Results showed that over the past 35 years the average enthalpy have increased and have mostly been above thresholds for human comfort for SJMA. The weather stations data further shows a clear indication of urbanization biases ramping up the index considered. From the trend analysis local scale (weather station) data shows a decreasing rate of maximum cooling at -11.41 kW-h/years, and minimum is increasing at 10.64 kW-h/years. To compare human comfort levels under extreme heat wave events conditions, an event of 2014 in the San Juan area was identified. The analysis for this extreme heat event is complemented by data from the National Center for environmental Prediction (NCEP) at 250km spatial resolution, North American Re-Analysis (NARR) at 32 km spatial resolution, by simulations of the Weather Forecasting System (WRF) at a resolution of 2 km, and by weather station data for San Juan. WRF simulation's results showed an improvement for both temperature and relative humidity from the input NCEP data. It also shows that difference in Energy per Capita (EPC) in urban area during a heat wave event can increase to 16% over a non-urban area. Sensitivity analysis was done by modifying the urban land cover to the most common rural references of evergreen broadleaf forest and cropland to investigate the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect on HDI. UHI is seen to be maximum during heat wave event during late night and morning hours and minimum during afternoon and late evening hours. The effect of UHI is found to increase the total EPC by 20%.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mori, Koichiro, E-mail: kmori@iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Christodoulou, Aris, E-mail: aris.christodoulou@ucl.ac.uk

The purpose of this paper is to discuss conceptual requirements for a City Sustainability Index (CSI) and to review existing major sustainability indices/indicators in terms of the requirements. The following indices are reviewed: Ecological Footprint (EF), Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI), Dashboard of Sustainability (DS), Welfare Index, Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare, City Development Index, emergy/exergy, Human Development Index (HDI), Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI), Environmental Policy Index (EPI), Living Planet Index (LPI), Environmentally-adjusted Domestic Product (EDP), Genuine Saving (GS), and some applications of composite indices or/and multivariate indicators to local or regional context as case studies. Themore » key conceptual requirements for an adequate CSI are: (i) to consider environmental, economic and social aspects (the triple bottom line of sustainability) from the viewpoint of strong sustainability; (ii) to capture external impacts (leakage effects) of city on other areas beyond the city boundaries particularly in terms of environmental aspects; (iii) to create indices/indicators originally for the purpose of assessing city sustainability; and (iv) to be able to assess world cities in both developed and developing countries using common axes of evaluation. Based on the review, we conclude that it is necessary to create a new CSI that enables us to assess and compare cities' sustainability performance in order to understand the global impact of cities on the environment and human life as compared with their economic contribution. In the future, the CSI will be able to provide local authorities with guidance toward sustainable paths. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We derive the four key requirements for a new City Sustainability Index (CSI) system. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer First, the triple bottom line must be considered in terms of strong sustainability. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Second, environmental leakage effects beyond city boundaries should be captured. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Third, 'city sustainability' should be originally considered when CSI is created. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Fourth, cities in developed and developing countries can be evaluated without bias.« less

Histone deacetylase inhibitor treatment induces ‘BRCAness’ and synergistic lethality with PARP inhibitor and cisplatin against human triple negative breast cancer cells

PubMed Central

Ha, Kyungsoo; Bhaskara, Srividya; Cerchietti, Leandro; Devaraj, Santhana G. T.; Shah, Bhavin; Sharma, Sunil; Chang, Jenny C.; Melnick, Ari M.; Hiebert, Scott; Bhalla, Kapil N.

2014-01-01

There is an unmet need to develop new, more effective and safe therapies for the aggressive forms of triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs). While up to 20% of women under 50 years of age with TNBC harbor germline mutations in BRCA1, and these tumors are sensitive to treatment with poly(ADP) ribose polymerase inhibitors, a majority of TNBCs lack BRCA1 mutations or loss of expression. Findings presented here demonstrate that by attenuating the levels of DNA damage response and homologous recombination proteins, pan-histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDI) treatment induces ‘BRCAness’ and sensitizes TNBC cells lacking BRCA1 to lethal effects of PARP inhibitor or cisplatin. Treatment with HDI also induced hyperacetylation of nuclear hsp90. Similar effects were observed following shRNA-mediated depletion of HDAC3, confirming its role as the deacetylase for nuclear HSP90. Furthermore, cotreatment with HDI and ABT-888 induced significantly more DNA strand breaks than either agent alone, and synergistically induced apoptosis of TNBC cells. Notably, co-treatment with HDI and ABT-888 significantly reduced in vivo tumor growth and markedly improved the survival of mice bearing TNBC cell xenografts. These findings support the rationale to interrogate the clinical activity of this novel combination against human TNBC, irrespective of its expression of mutant BRCA1. PMID:25026298

Urine 1,6-Hexamethylene Diamine (HDA) Levels Among Workers Exposed to 1,6-Hexamethylene Diisocyanate (HDI)

PubMed Central

Gaines, Linda G. T.; Fent, Kenneth W.; Flack, Sheila L.; Thomasen, Jennifer M.; Ball, Louise M.; Richardson, David B.; Ding, Kai; Whittaker, Stephen G.; Nylander-french, Leena A.

2010-01-01

Urinary 1,6-hexamethylene diamine (HDA) may serve as a biomarker for systemic exposure to 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) in occupationally exposed populations. However, the quantitative relationships between dermal and inhalation exposure to HDI and urine HDA levels have not been established. We measured acid-hydrolyzed urine HDA levels along with dermal and breathing-zone levels of HDI in 48 automotive spray painters. These measurements were conducted over the course of an entire workday for up to three separate workdays that were spaced approximately 1 month apart. One urine sample was collected before the start of work with HDI-containing paints and subsequent samples were collected during the workday. HDA levels varied throughout the day and ranged from nondetectable to 65.9 μg l−1 with a geometric mean and geometric standard deviation of 0.10 μg l−1 ± 6.68. Dermal exposure and inhalation exposure levels, adjusted for the type of respirator worn, were both significant predictors of urine HDA levels in the linear mixed models. Creatinine was a significant covariate when used as an independent variable along with dermal and respirator-adjusted inhalation exposure. Consequently, exposure assessment models must account for the water content of a urine sample. These findings indicate that HDA exhibits a biphasic elimination pattern, with a half-life of 2.9 h for the fast elimination phase. Our results also indicate that urine HDA level is significantly associated with systemic HDI exposure through both the skin and the lungs. We conclude that urinary HDA may be used as a biomarker of exposure to HDI, but biological monitoring should be tailored to reliably capture the intermittent exposure pattern typical in this industry. PMID:20530123

Urine 1,6-hexamethylene diamine (HDA) levels among workers exposed to 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI).

PubMed

Gaines, Linda G T; Fent, Kenneth W; Flack, Sheila L; Thomasen, Jennifer M; Ball, Louise M; Richardson, David B; Ding, Kai; Whittaker, Stephen G; Nylander-French, Leena A

2010-08-01

Urinary 1,6-hexamethylene diamine (HDA) may serve as a biomarker for systemic exposure to 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) in occupationally exposed populations. However, the quantitative relationships between dermal and inhalation exposure to HDI and urine HDA levels have not been established. We measured acid-hydrolyzed urine HDA levels along with dermal and breathing-zone levels of HDI in 48 automotive spray painters. These measurements were conducted over the course of an entire workday for up to three separate workdays that were spaced approximately 1 month apart. One urine sample was collected before the start of work with HDI-containing paints and subsequent samples were collected during the workday. HDA levels varied throughout the day and ranged from nondetectable to 65.9 microg l(-1) with a geometric mean and geometric standard deviation of 0.10 microg l(-1) +/- 6.68. Dermal exposure and inhalation exposure levels, adjusted for the type of respirator worn, were both significant predictors of urine HDA levels in the linear mixed models. Creatinine was a significant covariate when used as an independent variable along with dermal and respirator-adjusted inhalation exposure. Consequently, exposure assessment models must account for the water content of a urine sample. These findings indicate that HDA exhibits a biphasic elimination pattern, with a half-life of 2.9 h for the fast elimination phase. Our results also indicate that urine HDA level is significantly associated with systemic HDI exposure through both the skin and the lungs. We conclude that urinary HDA may be used as a biomarker of exposure to HDI, but biological monitoring should be tailored to reliably capture the intermittent exposure pattern typical in this industry.

Quantitative plasma biomarker analysis in HDI exposure assessment.

PubMed

Flack, Sheila L; Fent, Kenneth W; Trelles Gaines, Linda G; Thomasen, Jennifer M; Whittaker, Steve; Ball, Louise M; Nylander-French, Leena A

2010-01-01

Quantification of amines in biological samples is important for evaluating occupational exposure to diisocyanates. In this study, we describe the quantification of 1,6-hexamethylene diamine (HDA) levels in hydrolyzed plasma of 46 spray painters applying 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI)-containing paint in vehicle repair shops collected during repeated visits to their workplace and their relationship with dermal and inhalation exposure to HDI monomer. HDA was detected in 76% of plasma samples, as heptafluorobutyryl derivatives, and the range of HDA concentrations was < or =0.02-0.92 microg l(-1). After log-transformation of the data, the correlation between plasma HDA levels and HDI inhalation exposure measured on the same workday was low (N = 108, r = 0.22, P = 0.026) compared with the correlation between plasma HDA levels and inhalation exposure occurring approximately 20 to 60 days before blood collection (N = 29, r = 0.57, P = 0.0014). The correlation between plasma HDA levels and HDI dermal exposure measured on the same workday, although statistically significant, was low (N = 108, r = 0.22, P = 0.040) while the correlation between HDA and dermal exposure occurring approximately 20 to 60 days before blood collection was slightly improved (N = 29, r = 0.36, P = 0.053). We evaluated various workplace factors and controls (i.e. location, personal protective equipment use and paint booth type) as modifiers of plasma HDA levels. Workers using a downdraft-ventilated booth had significantly lower plasma HDA levels relative to semi-downdraft and crossdraft booth types (P = 0.0108); this trend was comparable to HDI inhalation and dermal exposure levels stratified by booth type. These findings indicate that HDA concentration in hydrolyzed plasma may be used as a biomarker of cumulative inhalation and dermal exposure to HDI and for investigating the effectiveness of exposure controls in the workplace.

Neglected tropical diseases in Brazil.

PubMed

Lindoso, José Angelo L; Lindoso, Ana Angélica B P

2009-01-01

Poverty is intrinsically related to the incidence of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). The main countries that have the lowest human development indices (HDI) and the highest burdens of NTDs are located in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Among these countries is Brazil, which is ranked 70th in HDI. Nine out of the ten NTDs established by the World Health Organization (WHO) are present in Brazil. Leishmaniasis, tuberculosis, dengue fever and leprosy are present over almost the entire Brazilian territory. More than 90% of malaria cases occur in the Northern region of the country, and lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis occur in outbreaks in a particular region. The North and Northeast regions of Brazil have the lowest HDIs and the highest rates of NTDs. These diseases are considered neglected because there is not important investment in projects for the development of new drugs and vaccines and existing programs to control these diseases are not sufficient. Another problem related to NTDs is co-infection with HIV, which favors the occurrence of severe clinical manifestations and therapeutic failure. In this article, we describe the status of the main NTDs currently occurring in Brazil and relate them to the HDI and poverty.

Technical Summary of the Half-Degree Imager (HDI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richmond, Michael W.

2017-01-01

The Half-Degree Imager (HDI) was first attached to the WIYN 0.9-m Telescope in October, 2013. In the three years since then, it has served a large community of astronomers throughout the WIYN 0.9-m consortium. The large field of view and relatively short readout time, combined with a large selection of broad-band and narrow-band filters, make HDI a powerful tool for large-area surveys. I will provide a summary of the technical features of this CCD camera and its operations, and present statistics on its use -- showing the fraction of time lost due to bad weather and technical problems. I will reserve time to answer questions from the audience, including those who may be interested in using HDI for their own projects.

The efficacy of oral habit modification on headache.

PubMed

Agha-Hosseini, Farzaneh; Sheykhbahaei, Nafiseh; Mirzaii-Dizgah, Iraj; Fatehi, Farzad

2017-12-01

Headache is the most common complaint of patients suffering from temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs). Thus, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) examinations maybe necessary in patients with headache. Considering the high prevalence of bruxism and TMDs in patients with headache the effects of conservative TMD treatment on headache should be assessed. Patients were questioned about headaches in the past three months. Those responding affirmatively to this question were examined for TMD and bruxism. After the examinations, 219 patients remained in the study and received self-management instructions. Patients were requested to modify oral habits except when eating or sleeping. The degree of pain (visual analogue scale), headache disability index (HDI), frequency of headaches (FH) per month and TMD intensity were evaluated. The median levels of pain, HDI, FH, and TMD intensity were 8, 44, 8, and 7, respectively, before modifying oral habits and decreased to 4, 24, 2, and 3, respectively, after intervention. These decreases were statistically significant. Having patients maintain free space between the teeth and relax muscles can be an efficient method to treat headache and TMD, especially when repeated frequently.

Field comparison of air sampling methods for monomeric and polymeric 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate.

PubMed

Thomasen, Jennifer M; Fent, Kenneth W; Reeb-Whitaker, Carolyn; Whittaker, Stephen G; Nylander-French, Leena A

2011-03-01

This study was to critically compared 13 different air samplers for their ability to monitor air exposures to monomeric and polymeric 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) in the automotive refinishing industry. Using both fast- and slow-drying clearcoat, we tested the following types of samplers: single- and dual-stage 37-mm polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) samplers (open- and closed-face), IOM (with plastic and stainless steel inserts), OSHA42, IsoChek, and WA-DOSH samplers. Midget impingers with frit were used as reference samplers. We observed the PP, PS, and IOM samplers to measure greater levels of HDI monomer and biuret when a fast-drying clearcoat was applied compared with a slow-drying clearcoat. When a slow-drying clearcoat was applied, the open-face PP and PS samplers measured significantly more monomeric and polymeric HDI (2-fold; p < 0.003) than the closed-face PP and PS samplers. We determined that significantly more monomeric and polymeric HDI were measured by impingers (1.3-1.9-fold) compared with single-stage PP/PS (N = 59), dual-stage PP/PS (N = 59), or IOM (N = 24) samplers. However, when stratified by cassette characteristics, the open-face single-stage PP and PS samplers performed equally to the impingers for HDI monomer when a fast-drying clearcoat was applied, and for all analytes when a slow-drying clearcoat was applied. Significantly higher HDI monomer concentrations (1.2-3.1-fold; p = 0.001) were measured with OSHA42 compared with the impinger. The IsoChek did not detect HDI monomer, and of the three samplers analyzed by laboratories other than UNC (i.e., OSHA42, IsoChek, and WA-DOSH), the WA-DOSH was in the best agreement with the impingers. The influence of clearcoat drying time on the sampler's ability to measure monomeric and polymeric HDI emphasizes the importance of the speciation of diisocyanates in chemical analysis and the careful consideration for the selection of the air sampler to be used when measuring exposures during automotive spray painting.

Hemoglobin adducts in workers exposed to 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate

PubMed Central

Flack, Sheila L.; Fent, Kenneth W.; Gaines, Linda G. T.; Thomasen, Jennifer M.; Whittaker, Stephen G.; Ball, Louise M.; Nylander-French, Leena A.

2014-01-01

We investigated the utility of 1,6-hexamethylene diamine (HDA) hemoglobin adducts as biomarkers of exposure to 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) monomer. Blood samples from 15 spray painters applying HDI-containing paint were analyzed for hemoglobin HDA (HDA-Hb) and N-acetyl-1,6-hexamethylene diamine (monoacetyl-HDA-Hb) by GC-MS. HDA-Hb was detected in the majority of workers (≤1.2–37 ng/g Hb), whereas monoacetyl-HDA-Hb was detected in one worker (0.06 ng/g Hb). The stronger, positive association between HDA-Hb and cumulative HDI exposure (r2 = 0.3, p < 0.06) than same day exposure (p ≥ 0.13) indicates long-term elimination kinetics for HDA-Hb adducts. This association demonstrates the suitability of HDA-Hb adducts for further validation as a biomarker of HDI exposure. PMID:21506697

Occupational exposure to HDI: progress and challenges in biomarker analysis.

PubMed

Flack, Sheila L; Ball, Louise M; Nylander-French, Leena A

2010-10-01

1,6-Hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) is extensively used in the automotive repair industry and is a commonly reported cause of occupational asthma in industrialized populations. However, the exact pathological mechanism remains uncertain. Characterization and quantification of biomarkers resulting from HDI exposure can fill important knowledge gaps between exposure, susceptibility, and the rise of immunological reactions and sensitization leading to asthma. Here, we discuss existing challenges in HDI biomarker analysis including the quantification of N-acetyl-1,6-hexamethylene diamine (monoacetyl-HDA) and N,N'-diacetyl-1,6-hexamethylene diamine (diacetyl-HDA) in urine samples based on previously established methods for HDA analysis. In addition, we describe the optimization of reaction conditions for the synthesis of monoacetyl-HDA and diacetyl-HDA, and utilize these standards for the quantification of these metabolites in the urine of three occupationally exposed workers. Diacetyl-HDA was present in untreated urine at 0.015-0.060 μg/l. Using base hydrolysis, the concentration range of monoacetyl-HDA in urine was 0.19-2.2 μg/l, 60-fold higher than in the untreated samples on average. HDA was detected only in one sample after base hydrolysis (0.026 μg/l). In contrast, acid hydrolysis yielded HDA concentrations ranging from 0.36 to 10.1 μg/l in these three samples. These findings demonstrate HDI metabolism via N-acetylation metabolic pathway and protein adduct formation resulting from occupational exposure to HDI. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling the human development index and the percentage of poor people using quantile smoothing splines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulyani, Sri; Andriyana, Yudhie; Sudartianto

2017-03-01

Mean regression is a statistical method to explain the relationship between the response variable and the predictor variable based on the central tendency of the data (mean) of the response variable. The parameter estimation in mean regression (with Ordinary Least Square or OLS) generates a problem if we apply it to the data with a symmetric, fat-tailed, or containing outlier. Hence, an alternative method is necessary to be used to that kind of data, for example quantile regression method. The quantile regression is a robust technique to the outlier. This model can explain the relationship between the response variable and the predictor variable, not only on the central tendency of the data (median) but also on various quantile, in order to obtain complete information about that relationship. In this study, a quantile regression is developed with a nonparametric approach such as smoothing spline. Nonparametric approach is used if the prespecification model is difficult to determine, the relation between two variables follow the unknown function. We will apply that proposed method to poverty data. Here, we want to estimate the Percentage of Poor People as the response variable involving the Human Development Index (HDI) as the predictor variable.

Making and Using Aesthetically Pleasing Images With HDI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buckner, Spencer L.

2017-01-01

The Half-Degree Imager (HDI) was installed as the primary imager on the 0.9-m WIYN telescope in October 2013. In the three plus years since then it has proven to be highly effective as a scientific instrument for the 0.9-m WIYN consortium. One thing that has been missing from the mix are aesthetically pleasing images for use in publicity and public outreach. The lack of “pretty pictures” is understandable since the HDI is designed for scientific use and observers are given limited telescope time. However, images which appeal to the general public can be an effective tool for public outreach, publicity and recruitment of students into astronomy programs. As a counter to the loss of limited telescope time an observer has, “pretty picture” images can be taken under less than desirable conditions when photometric studies would have limited usefulness. Astroimaging has become a popular pastime among both amateur and professional astronomers. At Austin Peay State University astrophotography is a popular course with non-science majors that wish to complete an astronomy minor as well as physics majors pursuing the astrophysics track. Images of a number of Messier objects have been taken with the HDI camera and are used to teach the basics of image calibration and processing for aesthetic value to students in the astrophotography class. Using HDI images with most image processing software commercially available to the public does present some problems, though. The extended FITS format of the images is not readable by most amateur image processing software and such software can also have problems recognizing the filter configurations of the HDI. Overcoming these issues and how the images are used in APSU courses, publicity and public outreach as well as finished pictures will be discussed in this presentation. A poster describing the processing techniques used will be displayed during the concurrent HDI poster session along with several poster-sized prints of images.

Association of Sex With the Global Burden of Cataract.

PubMed

Lou, Lixia; Ye, Xin; Xu, Peifang; Wang, Jingyi; Xu, Yufeng; Jin, Kai; Ye, Juan

2018-02-01

Eye disease burden could help guide health policy making. Differences in cataract burden by sex is a major concern of reducing avoidable blindness caused by cataract. To investigate the association of sex with the global burden of cataract by year, age, and socioeconomic status using disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). This international, comparative burden-of-disease study extracted the global, regional, and national sex-specific DALY numbers, crude DALY rates, and age-standardized DALY rates caused by cataract by year and age from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. The DALY data were collected from January 1, 1990, through December 31, 2015, for ever 5 years. The human development index (HDI) in 2015 was extracted as an indicator of national socioeconomic status from the Human Development Report. Comparisons of sex-specific DALY estimates due to cataract by year, age, and socioeconomic status at the global level. Paired Wilcoxon signed rank test, Pearson correlation, and linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate the socioeconomic-associated sex differences in cataract burden. Differences in rates of cataract by sex were similar between 1990 and 2015, with age-standardized DALY rates of 54.5 among men vs 65.0 among women in 1990 and 52.3 among men vs 67.0 among women in 2015. Women had higher rates than men of the same age, and sexual differences increased with age. Paired Wilcoxon signed rank test revealed that age-standardized DALY rates among women were higher than those among men for each HDI-based country group (z range, -4.236 to -6.093; P < .001). The difference (female minus male) in age-standardized DALY rates (r = -0.610 [P < .001]; standardized β = -0.610 [P < .001]) and the female to male age-standardized DALY rate ratios (r = -0.180 [P = .02]; standardized β = -0.180 [P = .02]) were inversely correlated with HDI. Although global cataract health care is progressing, sexual differences in cataract burden showed little improvement in the past few decades. Worldwide, women have a higher cataract burden than men. Older age and lower socioeconomic status are associated with greater differences in rates of cataract by sex. Our findings may enhance public awareness of sexual differences in global cataract burden and emphasize the importance of making sex-sensitive health policy to manage global vision loss caused by cataract.

Hemoglobin adducts in workers exposed to 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate.

PubMed

Flack, Sheila L; Fent, Kenneth W; Gaines, Linda G T; Thomasen, Jennifer M; Whittaker, Stephen G; Ball, Louise M; Nylander-French, Leena A

2011-05-01

We investigated the utility of 1,6-hexamethylene diamine (HDA) hemoglobin adducts as biomarkers of exposure to 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) monomer. Blood samples from 15 spray painters applying HDI-containing paint were analyzed for hemoglobin HDA (HDA-Hb) and N-acetyl-1,6-hexamethylene diamine (monoacetyl-HDA-Hb) by GC-MS. HDA-Hb was detected in the majority of workers (≤1.2-37 ng/g Hb), whereas monoacetyl-HDA-Hb was detected in one worker (0.06 ng/g Hb). The stronger, positive association between HDA-Hb and cumulative HDI exposure (r(2) = 0.3, p < 0.06) than same day exposure (p ≥ 0.13) indicates long-term elimination kinetics for HDA-Hb adducts. This association demonstrates the suitability of HDA-Hb adducts for further validation as a biomarker of HDI exposure.

Mortality of emergency abdominal surgery in high-, middle- and low-income countries.

PubMed

2016-07-01

Surgical mortality data are collected routinely in high-income countries, yet virtually no low- or middle-income countries have outcome surveillance in place. The aim was prospectively to collect worldwide mortality data following emergency abdominal surgery, comparing findings across countries with a low, middle or high Human Development Index (HDI). This was a prospective, multicentre, cohort study. Self-selected hospitals performing emergency surgery submitted prespecified data for consecutive patients from at least one 2-week interval during July to December 2014. Postoperative mortality was analysed by hierarchical multivariable logistic regression. Data were obtained for 10 745 patients from 357 centres in 58 countries; 6538 were from high-, 2889 from middle- and 1318 from low-HDI settings. The overall mortality rate was 1·6 per cent at 24 h (high 1·1 per cent, middle 1·9 per cent, low 3·4 per cent; P < 0·001), increasing to 5·4 per cent by 30 days (high 4·5 per cent, middle 6·0 per cent, low 8·6 per cent; P < 0·001). Of the 578 patients who died, 404 (69·9 per cent) did so between 24 h and 30 days following surgery (high 74·2 per cent, middle 68·8 per cent, low 60·5 per cent). After adjustment, 30-day mortality remained higher in middle-income (odds ratio (OR) 2·78, 95 per cent c.i. 1·84 to 4·20) and low-income (OR 2·97, 1·84 to 4·81) countries. Surgical safety checklist use was less frequent in low- and middle-income countries, but when used was associated with reduced mortality at 30 days. Mortality is three times higher in low- compared with high-HDI countries even when adjusted for prognostic factors. Patient safety factors may have an important role. NCT02179112 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov). © 2016 BJS Society Ltd Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Head-disk interface nanotribology for Tbit/inch2 recording densities: near-contact and contact recording

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vakis, Antonis I.; Polycarpou, Andreas A.

2010-06-01

In the effort to achieve Tbit/inch2 recording densities, thermal fly-height control (TFC) nanotechnology was developed to effectively reduce the clearance (which is of the order of a few nanometres) at the head-disk interface (HDI) of hard-disk drives. In this work, we present a model of the HDI that can predict the dynamic flying and nanotribological contacting behaviour, allowing for accurate predictions and characterization of the operating regime as a function of TFC actuation. A geometric model for TFC is presented and an improved definition of contact at the interface is developed in the presence of nanoscale topographical roughness and dynamic microwaviness. A new methodology is proposed for the calculation of the nominal area of contact, which affects both near- and at-contact behaviour, while the stiffening of the air bearing force with TFC actuation is also accounted for. Slider behaviour is analysed by quantifying the approach, jump-to-contact, lubricant and solid contact regimes of operation and identifying the critical and optimum TFC actuations. The feasibility of near-contact, light molecularly thin lubricant contact versus solid contact recording is explored under the effect of the interfacial forces and stresses present at the HDI. The clearance and the state of vibrations are analysed and design guidelines are proposed for improved performance.

Factors affecting variability in the urinary biomarker 1,6-hexamethylene diamine in workers exposed to 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate.

PubMed

Gaines, Linda G T; Fent, Kenneth W; Flack, Sheila L; Thomasen, Jennifer M; Whittaker, Stephen G; Nylander-French, Leena A

2011-01-01

Although urinary 1,6-hexamethylene diamine (HDA) is a useful biomarker of exposure to 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), a large degree of unexplained intra- and inter-individual variability exists between estimated HDI exposure and urine HDA levels. We investigated the effect of individual and workplace factors on urine HDA levels using quantitative dermal and inhalation exposure data derived from a survey of automotive spray painters exposed to HDI. Painters' dermal and breathing-zone HDI-exposures were monitored over an entire workday for up to three separate workdays, spaced approximately one month apart. One urine sample was collected before the start of work with HDI-containing paints, and multiple samples were collected throughout the workday. Using mixed effects multiple linear regression modeling, coverall use resulted in significantly lower HDA levels (p = 0.12), and weekday contributed to significant variability in HDA levels (p = 0.056). We also investigated differences in urine HDA levels stratified by dichotomous and classification covariates using analysis of variance. Use of coveralls (p = 0.05), respirator type worn (p = 0.06), smoker status (p = 0.12), paint-booth type (p = 0.02), and more than one painter at the shop (p = 0.10) were all found to significantly affect urine HDA levels adjusted for creatinine concentration. Coverall use remained significant (p = 0.10), even after adjusting for respirator type. These results indicate that the variation in urine HDA level is mainly due to workplace factors and that appropriate dermal and inhalation protection is required to prevent HDI exposure.

International Comparison of Water Resources Utilization Efficiency in the Silk Road Economic Belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Long; Ma, Jing; Deng, Wei; Wang, Yong

2018-03-01

In order to get knowledge of the standard of water utilization of the Silk Road Economic Belt from international point of view, the paper analyzes the annual variation of water resources utilization in the Silk Road Economic Belt, and compares with other typical countries. The study shows that Water resources utilization efficiency has been greatly improved in recent 20 years and the water consumption per USD 10000 of GDP has been declined 87.97%. the improvement of industrial water consumption efficiency is the key driving factors for substantial decrease in water consumption.The comparison of water utilization and human development shows that the higher HDI the country is, the more efficient water utilization the country has. water consumption per USD 10000 of GDP in country with HDI>0.9 is 194m³, being 8.5% of that in country with HDI from 0.5 to 0.6. On the premise of maintaining the stable economic and social development of the Silk Road Economic Belt, the realization of the control target of total water consumption must depend on the strict control over the disorderly expansion of irrigated area, the change in the mode of economic growth, the implementation of the development strategy for new industrialization and urbanization, vigorous development of the processing industry with low water consumption as well as the high-tech and high value-added industry. Only in this way, the control target of total water consumption can be realized in the process of completing the industrialization task.

Indoor air pollution evaluation with emphasize on HDI and biological assessment of HDA in the polyurethane factories.

PubMed

Mirmohammadi, Mirtaghi; Hakimi Ibrahim, M; Ahmad, Anees; Kadir, Mohd Omar Abdul; Mohammadyan, M; Mirashrafi, S B

2010-06-01

Today, many raw materials used in factories may have a dangerous effect on the physiological system of workers. One of them which is widely used in the polyurethane factories is diisocyanates. These compounds are widely used in surface coatings, polyurethane foams, adhesives, resins, elastomers, binders, and sealants. Exposure to diisocyanates causes irritation to the skin, mucous membranes, eyes, and respiratory tract. Hexamethylene diamine (HDA) is metabolite of hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). It is an excretory material by worker's urine who is exposed to HDI. Around 100 air samples were collected from five defined factories by midget impinger which contained dimethyl sulfoxide absorbent as a solvent and tryptamine as reagent. Samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with EC\\UV detector using NIOSH 5522 method of sampling. Also, 50 urine samples collected from workers were also analyzed using William's biological analysis method. The concentration of HDI into all air samples were more than 88 microg/m(3), and they have shown high concentration of pollutant in the workplaces in comparison with NIOSH standard, and all of the workers' urine were contaminated by HDA. The correlation and regression test were used to obtain statistical model for HDI and HDA, which is useful for the prediction of diisocyanates pollution situation in the polyurethane factories.

The use of high-dose insulin therapy and intravenous lipid emulsion to treat severe, refractory diltiazem toxicosis in a dog.

PubMed

Maton, Barbara L; Simmonds, Erin E; Lee, Justine A; Alwood, Amy J

2013-01-01

To describe the novel use of high-dose insulin (HDI) therapy and intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) to treat refractory, severe diltiazem toxicosis in a dog. A 4-year-old Pomeranian was presented for treatment 2.5 hours following ingestion of a diltiazem extended-release capsule. Toxic ingestion was calculated at a maximum exposure of 79 mg/kg, with a reported canine LD50 of 50 mg/kg. Clinical signs of progressive hypotension and severe bradycardia with atrial standstill were observed, which persisted despite treatment with atropine, calcium, glucagon, and dopamine. The novel use of HDI and ILE as part of therapy for diltiazem toxicosis resulted in clinical resolution of life-threatening signs. Within 1 hour of initiating HDI therapy, the clinical signs improved, and with continued treatment, the patient remained normotensive and survived to discharge. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported clinical case describing the use of both HDI and ILE therapy in the treatment of severe refractory diltiazem toxicosis in veterinary medicine. No significant adverse effects were observed from the treatment. In veterinary patients with severe refractory calcium channel blocker toxicosis, the use of HDI and ILE should be considered for life-threatening clinical signs. © Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2013.

ERalpha and ERbeta expression and transcriptional activity are differentially regulated by HDAC inhibitors

PubMed Central

Duong, Vanessa; Licznar, Anne; Margueron, Raphaël; Boulle, Nathalie; Busson, Muriel; Lacroix, Matthieu; Katzenellenbogen, Benita S.; Cavaillès, Vincent; Lazennec, Gwendal

2006-01-01

The proliferative action of ERα largely accounts for the carcinogenic activity of estrogens. By contrast, recent data show that ERβ displays tumor-suppressor properties, thus supporting the interest to identify compounds which could increase its activity. Here, we show that histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDI) up-regulated ERβ protein levels, whereas it decreased ERα expression. Part of this regulation took place at the mRNA level through a mechanism independent of de novo protein synthesis. In addition, we found that, in various cancer cells, the treatment with different HDI enhanced the ligand-dependent activity of ERβ more strongly than that of ERα. On the other hand, in MDA-MB231 and HeLa cells, the expression of ERs modified the transcriptional response to HDI. The use of deletion mutants of both receptors demonstrated that AF1 domain of the receptors was required. Finally, we show that ERβ expression led to a dramatic increased in the antiproliferative activity of HDI, which correlated with a modification of the transcription of genes involved in cell cycle control by HDI. Altogether, these data demonstrate that the interference of ERβ and HDAC on the control of transcription and cell proliferation constitute a promising approach for cancer therapy. PMID:16158045

Inequalities in public water supply fluoridation in Brazil: An ecological study

PubMed Central

Gabardo, Marilisa CL; da Silva, Wander J; Olandoski, Marcia; Moysés, Simone T; Moysés, Samuel J

2008-01-01

Background The literature is scarce on the social and geographic inequalities in the access to and implementation of the fluoridation of public water supplies. This study adds knowledge to the Brazilian experience of the chronic privation of water and wastewater policies, access to potable water and fluoridation in the country. Thus, the aim of this study was to verify possible inequalities in the population's access to fluoridated drinking water in 246 Brazilian municipalities. Methods The information on the process of water fluoridation in the municipalities and in the macro region in which each municipality is located was obtained from the national epidemiological survey which was concluded in 2003. The data relating to the human development index at municipal level (HDI-M) and access to mains water came from the Brazilian Human Development Atlas, whilst the size of the population was obtained from a governmental source. The Fisher exact test (P < 0.05) was employed to identify significant associations between the explanatory variables and their ability to predict the principal outcomes of interest to this study, namely the presence or absence of the water fluoridation process in the municipalities as well as the length of time during which this measure has been implemented. Linear regression was used to observe the associations between the relevant variables in a multivariate environment. Results The results clearly showed that there is a relationship between municipalities with larger populations, located in more socio-economically advantaged regions and with better HDI-M, and where fluoridation is both present and has been implemented for a longer period of time (started before 1990). Conclusion The findings suggest that the aim of treating water with fluoride may not be being adequately achieved, requiring more effective strategies so that access to this measure can be expanded equitably. PMID:18402688

Worldwide burden of gastric cancer in 2012 that could have been prevented by increasing fruit and vegetable intake and predictions for 2025.

PubMed

Peleteiro, Bárbara; Padrão, Patrícia; Castro, Clara; Ferro, Ana; Morais, Samantha; Lunet, Nuno

2016-03-14

The regional and temporal variation in patterns of fruit and vegetable intake contributes to differences in the impact on gastric cancer burden across regions and over the years. We aimed to estimate the proportion and absolute number of gastric cancer cases that could have been prevented in 2012 with an increase in fruit and vegetable intake up to the levels defined by the Global Burden of Disease as the theoretical minimum-risk exposure distribution (300 and 400 g/d, respectively), as well as the corresponding figures expected for 2025. Preventable fractions (PF) were computed for 161 countries, using data on fruit and vegetable availability in 1997 and 2010 and published estimates of the magnitude of the association between fruit and vegetable intake and gastric cancer, assuming a time lag of approximately 15 years. Countries classified as very high Human Development Index (HDI) presented median PF in 2012 much lower than low-HDI countries for both fruits (3·0 v. 10·2%, P<0·001) and vegetables (6·0 v. 11·9%, P<0·001). For vegetables only, PF significantly decreased until 2025 in most settings; however, this corresponded to a reduction in the absolute number of preventable gastric cancer cases in less than half of the countries. Increasing fruit and vegetable intake would allow preventing a relatively high proportion of gastric cancer cases, mostly in developing countries. Although declines in PF are predicted in the near future, changes in order to achieve healthier lifestyles may be insufficient to overcome the load of demographic variation to further reduce the gastric cancer burden.

Quantification and Statistical Modeling—Part I: Breathing-Zone Concentrations of Monomeric and Polymeric 1,6-Hexamethylene Diisocyanate

PubMed Central

Fent, Kenneth W.; Gaines, Linda G. Trelles; Thomasen, Jennifer M.; Flack, Sheila L.; Ding, Kai; Herring, Amy H.; Whittaker, Stephen G.; Nylander-French, Leena A.

2009-01-01

We conducted a repeated exposure-assessment survey for task-based breathing-zone concentrations (BZCs) of monomeric and polymeric 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) during spray painting on 47 automotive spray painters from North Carolina and Washington State. We report here the use of linear mixed modeling to identify the primary determinants of the measured BZCs. Both one-stage (N = 98 paint tasks) and two-stage (N = 198 paint tasks) filter sampling was used to measure concentrations of HDI, uretidone, biuret, and isocyanurate. The geometric mean (GM) level of isocyanurate (1410 μg m−3) was higher than all other analytes (i.e. GM < 7.85 μg m−3). The mixed models were unique to each analyte and included factors such as analyte-specific paint concentration, airflow in the paint booth, and sampler type. The effect of sampler type was corroborated by side-by-side one- and two-stage personal air sampling (N = 16 paint tasks). According to paired t-tests, significantly higher concentrations of HDI (P = 0.0363) and isocyanurate (P = 0.0035) were measured using one-stage samplers. Marginal R2 statistics were calculated for each model; significant fixed effects were able to describe 25, 52, 54, and 20% of the variability in BZCs of HDI, uretidone, biuret, and isocyanurate, respectively. Mixed models developed in this study characterize the processes governing individual polyisocyanate BZCs. In addition, the mixed models identify ways to reduce polyisocyanate BZCs and, hence, protect painters from potential adverse health effects. PMID:19622637

Effort-reward imbalance at work, over-commitment personality and diet quality in Central and Eastern European populations.

PubMed

Chen, Sung-Wei; Peasey, Anne; Stefler, Denes; Malyutina, Sofia; Pajak, Andrzej; Kubinova, Ruzena; Chan, Jen-Hui; Bobak, Martin; Pikhart, Hynek

2016-04-14

The aims of this study were to investigate the associations between work stress defined by the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model and diet quality and to examine the potential role of over-commitment (OC) personality in ERI-diet relationships. A cross-sectional study was conducted in random population samples of 6340 men and 5792 women (age 45-69 years) from the Czech Republic, Russia and Poland. Dietary data were collected using FFQ. The healthy diet indicator (HDI) was constructed using eight nutrient/food intakes (HDI components) to reflect the adherence to WHO dietary guideline. The extent of imbalance between effort and reward was measured by the effort:reward (ER) ratio; the effort score was the numerator and the reward score was multiplied by a factor adjusting for unequal number of items in the denominator. Logistic regression and linear regression were used to assess the associations between exposures (ER ratio and OC) and outcomes (HDI components and HDI) after adjustment for confounders and mediators. The results showed that high ER ratio and high OC were significantly associated with unhealthy diet quality. For a 1-SD increase in the ER ratio, HDI was reduced by 0·030 and 0·033 sd in men and women, and for a 1-SD increase in OC, HDI was decreased by 0·036 and 0·032 sd in men and women, respectively. The modifying role of OC in ERI-diet relationships was non-significant. To improve diet quality at workplace, a multiple-level approach combining organisational intervention for work stress and individual intervention for vulnerable personality is recommended.

Elimination of avoidable blindness due to cataract: Where do we prioritize and how should we monitor this decade?

PubMed Central

Murthy, Gudlavalleti V S; John, Neena; Shamanna, Bindiganavale R; Pant, Hira B

2012-01-01

Background: In the final push toward the elimination of avoidable blindness, cataract occupies a position of eminence for the success of the Right to Sight initiative. Aims: Review existing situation and assess what monitoring indicators may be useful to chart progress towards attaining the goals of Vision 2020. Settings and Design: Review of published papers from low and middle income countries since 2000. Materials and Methods: Published population-based data on prevalence of cataract blindness/visual impairment were accessed and prevalence of cataract blindness/visual impairment computed, where not reported. Data on prevalence of cataract blindness, cataract surgical coverage at different visual acuity cut offs, surgical outcomes, and prevalence of cataract surgery were analyzed. Scatter plots were used to look at relationships of some variables, with Human Development Index (HDI) rank. Available data on Cataract Surgical Rate (CSR) was plotted against prevalence of cataract surgery reported from surveys. Results: Worse HDI Ranks were associated with higher prevalence of cataract blindness. Most studies showed that a significant proportion of the blind were covered by surgery, while a fifth showed that a significant proportion, were operated before they went blind. A good visual outcome after surgery was positively correlated with higher surgical coverage. CSR was positively correlated with cataract surgical coverage. Conclusions: Cataract surgical coverage is increasing in most countries at vision <3/60 and visual outcomes after cataract surgery are improving. Establishing population-based surveillance of cataract surgical need and performance is a strong monitoring tool and will help program planners immensely. PMID:22944756

Study of risk factors for gastric cancer by populational databases analysis

PubMed Central

Ferrari, Fangio; Reis, Marco Antonio Moura

2013-01-01

AIM: To study the association between the incidence of gastric cancer and populational exposure to risk/protective factors through an analysis of international databases. METHODS: Open-access global databases concerning the incidence of gastric cancer and its risk/protective factors were identified through an extensive search on the Web. As its distribution was neither normal nor symmetric, the cancer incidence of each country was categorized according to ranges of percentile distribution. The association of each risk/protective factor with exposure was measured between the extreme ranges of the incidence of gastric cancer (under the 25th percentile and above the 75th percentile) by the use of the Mann-Whitney test, considering a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: A variable amount of data omission was observed among all of the factors under study. A weak or nonexistent correlation between the incidence of gastric cancer and the study variables was shown by a visual analysis of scatterplot dispersion. In contrast, an analysis of categorized incidence revealed that the countries with the highest human development index (HDI) values had the highest rates of obesity in males and the highest consumption of alcohol, tobacco, fruits, vegetables and meat, which were associated with higher incidences of gastric cancer. There was no significant difference for the risk factors of obesity in females and fish consumption. CONCLUSION: Higher HDI values, coupled with a higher prevalence of male obesity and a higher per capita consumption of alcohol, tobacco, fruits, vegetables and meat, are associated with a higher incidence of gastric cancer based on an analysis of populational global data. PMID:24409066

Assessing Patient Participation in Health Policy Decision-Making in Cyprus

PubMed Central

Souliotis, Kyriakos; Agapidaki, Eirini; Peppou, Lily Evangelia; Tzavara, Chara; Samoutis, George; Theodorou, Mamas

2016-01-01

Although the importance of patient participation in the design and evaluation of health programs and services is well-documented, there is scarcity of research with regard to patient association (PA) participation in health policy decision-making processes. To this end, the present study aimed to validate further a previously developed instrument as well as to investigate the degree of PA participation in health policy decision-making in Cyprus. A convenient sample of 114 patients-members of patients associations took part in the study. Participants were recruited from an umbrella organization, the Pancyprian Federation of Patient Associations and Friends (PFPA). PA participation in health policy decision-making was assessed with the Health Democracy Index (HDI), an original 8-item tool. To explore its psychometric properties, Cronbach α was computed as regards to its internal consistency, while its convergent validity was tested against a self-rated question enquiring about the degree of PA participation in health policy decision-making. The findings revealed that the HDI has good internal consistency and convergent validity. Furthermore, PAs were found to participate more in consultations in health-related organizations and the Ministry of Health (MoH) as well as in reforms or crucial decisions in health policy. Lower levels were documented with regard to participation in hospital boards, ethics committees in clinical trials and health technology assessment (HTA) procedures. Overall, PA participation levels were found to be lower than the mid-point of the scale. Targeted interventions aiming to facilitate patients’ involvement in health policy decision-making processes and to increase its impact are greatly needed in Cyprus. PMID:27694659

A hybrid method for quantifying China's nitrogen footprint during urbanisation from 1990 to 2009.

PubMed

Cui, Shenghui; Shi, Yalan; Malik, Arunima; Lenzen, Manfred; Gao, Bing; Huang, Wei

2016-12-01

In this study, we devise a national nitrogen footprint method to evaluate the life cycle nitrogen flows through the national economy of China from 1990 to 2009. To this end, we build a hybrid method based on two well-established techniques, namely material flow analysis (MFA) and input-output analysis (IOA). This integration allows for the evaluation of the effects of international trade and interdependencies among economic sectors. Our results suggest that China's nitrogen footprint (NF) has increased from 30.3Teragrams (Tg) in 1990 to 54.0Tg in 2009, whereas the NF per capita has increased from 25.9 to 39.5kgN/yr. Relationship between the world NF per capita and human development index (HDI) appears to show an inverted U curve, whilst China shows an increase both in NF per capita and HDI. We find that an increase in China's NF is largely associated with high levels of urbanisation. Although the energy NF (E_NF) has increased more drastically than the food NF (F_NF), the latter still dominates China's total NNF, with proportions of 91% in 1990 and 82% in 2009. Taking international trade into account, our results demonstrate that China was a net exporter of F_NF, whilst a net importer of E_NF over this time period. There are many measures considered to reduce China's nitrogen footprint, including improvements in N use efficiency of food systems, transformation of meat-based diets and optimisation of China's economic structure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seasonal lake surface water temperature trends reflected by heterocyst glycolipid-based molecular thermometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauersachs, T.; Rochelmeier, J.; Schwark, L.

2015-06-01

It has been demonstrated that the relative distribution of heterocyst glycolipids (HGs) in cultures of N2-fixing heterocystous cyanobacteria is largely controlled by growth temperature, suggesting a potential use of these components in paleoenvironmental studies. Here, we investigated the effect of environmental parameters (e.g., surface water temperatures, oxygen concentrations and pH) on the distribution of HGs in a natural system using water column filtrates collected from Lake Schreventeich (Kiel, Germany) from late July to the end of October 2013. HPLC-ESI/MS (high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry) analysis revealed a dominance of 1-(O-hexose)-3,25-hexacosanediols (HG26 diols) and 1-(O-hexose)-3-keto-25-hexacosanol (HG26 keto-ol) in the solvent-extracted water column filtrates, which were accompanied by minor abundances of 1-(O-hexose)-3,27-octacosanediol (HG28 diol) and 1-(O-hexose)-3-keto-27-octacosanol (HG28 keto-ol) as well as 1-(O-hexose)-3,25,27-octacosanetriol (HG28 triol) and 1-(O-hexose)-3-keto-25,27-octacosanediol (HG28 keto-diol). Fractional abundances of alcoholic and ketonic HGs generally showed strong linear correlations with surface water temperatures and no or only weak linear correlations with both oxygen concentrations and pH. Changes in the distribution of the most abundant diol and keto-ol (e.g., HG26 diol and HG26 keto-ol) were quantitatively expressed as the HDI26 (heterocyst diol index of 26 carbon atoms) with values of this index ranging from 0.89 in mid-August to 0.66 in mid-October. An average HDI26 value of 0.79, which translates into a calculated surface water temperature of 15.8 ± 0.3 °C, was obtained from surface sediments collected from Lake Schreventeich. This temperature - and temperatures obtained from other HG indices (e.g., HDI28 and HTI28) - is similar to the one measured during maximum cyanobacterial productivity in early to mid-September and suggests that HGs preserved in the sediment record of Lake Schreventeich reflect summer surface water temperatures. As N2-fixing heterocystous cyanobacteria are widespread in present-day freshwater and brackish environments, we conclude that the distribution of HGs in sediments may allow for the reconstruction of surface water temperatures of modern and potentially ancient lacustrine settings.

Back Pain Prevalence and Its Associated Factors in Brazilian Athletes from Public High Schools: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Noll, Matias; de Avelar, Ivan Silveira; Lehnen, Georgia Cristina; Vieira, Marcus Fraga

2016-01-01

Most studies on the prevalence of back pain have evaluated it in developed countries (Human Development Index—HDI > 0.808), and their conclusions may not hold for developing countries. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of back pain in representative Brazilian athletes from public high schools. This cross-sectional study was performed during the state phase of the 2015 Jogos dos Institutos Federais (JIF), or Federal Institutes Games, in Brazil (HDI = 0.744), and it enrolled 251 athletes, 173 males and 78 females (14–20 years old). The dependent variable was back pain, and the independent variables were demographic, socioeconomic, psychosocial, hereditary, exercise-level, anthropometric, strength, behavioral, and postural factors. The prevalence ratio (PR) was calculated using multivariable analysis according to the Poisson regression model (α = 0.05). The prevalence of back pain in the three months prior to the study was 43.7% (n = 104), and 26% of the athletes reported feeling back pain only once. Multivariable analysis showed that back pain was associated with demographic (sex), psychosocial (loneliness and loss of sleep in the previous year), hereditary (ethnicity, parental back pain), strength (lumbar and hand forces), anthropometric (body mass index), behavioral (sleeping time per night, reading and studying in bed, smoking habits in the previous month), and postural (sitting posture while writing, while on a bench, and while using a computer) variables. Participants who recorded higher levels of lumbar and manual forces reported a lower prevalence of back pain (PR < 0.79), whereas feeling lonely in the previous year, obesity, and ethnicity exhibited the highest prevalence ratio (PR > 1.30). In conclusion, there is no association between exercise levels and back pain but there is an association between back pain and non-exercise related variables. PMID:26938456

Global Incidence and Mortality for Prostate Cancer: Analysis of Temporal Patterns and Trends in 36 Countries.

PubMed

Wong, Martin C S; Goggins, William B; Wang, Harry H X; Fung, Franklin D H; Leung, Colette; Wong, Samuel Y S; Ng, Chi Fai; Sung, Joseph J Y

2016-11-01

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally, but its specific geographic patterns and temporal trends are under-researched. To test the hypotheses that PCa incidence is higher and PCa mortality is lower in countries with higher socioeconomic development, and that temporal trends for PCa incidence have increased while mortality has decreased over time. Data on age-standardized incidence and mortality rates in 2012 were retrieved from the GLOBOCAN database. Temporal patterns were assessed for 36 countries using data obtained from Cancer incidence in five continents volumes I-X and the World Health Organization mortality database. Correlations between incidence or mortality rates and socioeconomic indicators (human development index [HDI] and gross domestic product [GDP]) were evaluated. The average annual percent change in PCa incidence and mortality in the most recent 10 yr according to join-point regression. Reported PCa incidence rates varied more than 25-fold worldwide in 2012, with the highest incidence rates observed in Micronesia/Polynesia, the USA, and European countries. Mortality rates paralleled the incidence rates except for Africa, where PCa mortality rates were the highest. Countries with higher HDI (r=0.58) and per capita GDP (r=0.62) reported greater incidence rates. According to the most recent 10-yr temporal data available, most countries experienced increases in incidence, with sharp rises in incidence rates in Asia and Northern and Western Europe. A substantial reduction in mortality rates was reported in most countries, except in some Asian countries and Eastern Europe, where mortality increased. Data in regional registries could be underestimated. PCa incidence has increased while PCa mortality has decreased in most countries. The reported incidence was higher in countries with higher socioeconomic development. The incidence of prostate cancer has shown high variations geographically and over time, with smaller variations in mortality. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Temperature- and pH-responsive nanoparticles of biocompatible polyurethanes for doxorubicin delivery.

PubMed

Wang, Anning; Gao, Hui; Sun, Yanfang; Sun, Yu-long; Yang, Ying-Wei; Wu, Guolin; Wang, Yinong; Fan, Yunge; Ma, Jianbiao

2013-01-30

A series of temperature- and pH-responsive polyurethanes based on hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) were synthesized by a coupling reaction with bis-1,4-(hydroxyethyl) piperazine (HEP), N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) and N-butyldiethanolamine (BDEA), respectively. The chemical structure, molecular weight, thermal property and crystallization properties were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy. The resulting polyurethanes were then used to prepare nanoparticles either by direct dispersion method or dialysis method. Their pH and temperature responsibilities were evaluated by optical transmittance and size measurement in aqueous media. Interestingly, HDI-based and MDI-based polyurethanes exhibited different pH and temperature responsive properties. Nanoparticles based on HDI-HEP and HDI-MDEA were temperature-responsive, while MDI-based biomaterials were not. All of them showed pH-sensitive behavior. The possible responsive mechanism was investigated by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. The cytotoxicity of the polyurethanes was evaluated using methylthiazoletetrazolium (MTT) assay in vitro. It was shown that the HDI-based polyurethanes were non-toxic, and could be applied to doxorubicin (DOX) encapsulation. The experimental results indicated that DOX could be efficiently encapsulated into polyurethane nanoparticles and uptaken by Huh-7 cells. The loaded DOX molecules could be released from the drug-loaded polyurethane nanoparticles upon pH and temperature changes, responsively. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cancer incidence and mortality among young adults aged 20-39 years worldwide in 2012: a population-based study.

PubMed

Fidler, Miranda M; Gupta, Sumit; Soerjomataram, Isabelle; Ferlay, Jacques; Steliarova-Foucher, Eva; Bray, Freddie

2017-12-01

To date, the burden of cancer among young adults has rarely been studied in depth. Our aim was to describe the scale and profile of cancer incidence and mortality worldwide among 20-39 year-olds, highlighting major patterns by age, sex, development level, and geographical region. We did a population-based study to quantify the burden of young adult cancers worldwide. We defined young adult cancers as those occurring between the ages of 20 and 39 years because these individuals will have passed puberty and adolescence, but not yet experienced the effects of hormonal decline, immune response deterioration, or organ dysfunction associated with chronic health conditions. Global, regional, and country-specific (n=184) data estimates of the number of new cancer cases and cancer-associated deaths that occurred in 2012 among young adults were extracted in four 5-year bands from the International Agency for Research on Cancer's GLOBOCAN 2012 for all cancers combined and for 27 major types as defined by the International Classification of Disease, tenth revision. We report the number of new cancer cases and cancer-associated deaths overall and by sex alongside corresponding age-standardised rates (ASR) per 100 000 people per year. We also present results using four levels of the Human Development Index (HDI; low [least developed], medium, high, and very high [most developed]), which is a composite indicator for socioeconomic development comprising life expectancy, education, and gross national income. 975 396 new cancer cases and 358 392 cancer-associated deaths occurred among young adults worldwide in 2012, which equated to an ASR of 43·3 new cancer cases per 100 000 people per year and 15·9 cancer-associated deaths per 100 000 people per year. The burden was disproportionally greater among women and the most common cancer types overall in terms of new cases were female breast cancer, cervical cancer, thyroid cancer, leukaemia, and colorectal cancer; in terms of deaths, female breast cancer, liver cancer, leukaemia, and cervical cancer were the main contributors. When assessed by development level and geographical region, the cancer profile varied substantially; generally, the burden of infection-associated cancers was greater in regions under transition. Cancer incidence was elevated in very high-HDI regions compared with low-HDI regions (ASR 64·5 vs 46·2 cancer cases per 100 000 people per year); however, the mortality burden was 3 times higher in low-HDI regions (ASR 25·4 vs 9·2 cancer-associated deaths per 100 000 people per year), reflecting differences in cancer profiles and inferior outcomes. The global cancer burden among 20-39 year-olds differs from that seen in younger or older ages and varies substantially by age, sex, development level, and geographical region. Although the cancer burden is lower in this age group than that observed in older ages, the societal and economic effects remain great given the major effects of premature morbidity and mortality. Targeted surveillance, prevention, and treatment are needed to reduce the cancer burden in this underserved age group. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and European Commission's FP-7 Marie Curie Actions-People-COFUND. Copyright © The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article published under the CC BY 3.0 IGO license which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. In any use of this article, there should be no suggestion that WHO endorses any specific organisation, products, or services. The use of the WHO logo is not permitted. This notice should be preserved along with the article's original URL.

Does a better adherence to dietary guidelines reduce mortality risk and environmental impact in the Dutch sub-cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition?

PubMed

Biesbroek, Sander; Verschuren, W M Monique; Boer, Jolanda M A; van de Kamp, Mirjam E; van der Schouw, Yvonne T; Geelen, Anouk; Looman, Moniek; Temme, Elisabeth H M

2017-07-01

Guidelines for a healthy diet aim to decrease the risk of chronic diseases. It is unclear as to what extent a healthy diet is also an environmentally friendly diet. In the Dutch sub-cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, the diet was assessed with a 178-item FFQ of 40 011 participants aged 20-70 years between 1993 and 1997. The WHO's Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI), the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score and the Dutch Healthy Diet index 2015 (DHD15-index) were investigated in relation to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, land use and all-cause mortality risk. GHG emissions were associated with HDI scores (-3·7 % per sd increase (95 % CI -3·4, -4·0) for men and -1·9 % (95 % CI -0·4, -3·4) for women), with DASH scores in women only (1·1 % per sd increase, 95 % CI 0·9, 1·3) and with DHD15-index scores (-2·5 % per sd increase (95 % CI -2·2, -2·8) for men and -2·0 % (95 % CI -1·9, -2·2) for women). For all indices, higher scores were associated with less land use (ranging from -1·3 to -3·1 %). Mortality risk decreased with increasing scores for all indices. Per sd increase of the indices, hazard ratios for mortality ranged from 0·88 (95 % CI 0·82, 0·95) to 0·96 (95 % CI 0·92, 0·99). Our results showed that adhering to the WHO and Dutch dietary guidelines will lower the risk of all-cause mortality and moderately lower the environmental impact. The DASH diet was associated with lower mortality and land use, but because of high dairy product consumption in the Netherlands it was also associated with higher GHG emissions.

Chronic widespread pain prevalence in the general population: A systematic review.

PubMed

Andrews, P; Steultjens, M; Riskowski, J

2018-01-01

Chronic widespread pain (CWP) is a significant burden in communities. Understanding the impact of population-dependent (e.g., age, gender) and contextual-dependent (e.g. survey method, region, inequality level) factors have on CWP prevalence may provide a foundation for population-based strategies to address CWP. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to estimate the global prevalence of CWP and evaluate the population and contextual factors associated with CWP. A systematic review of CWP prevalence studies (1990-2017) in the general population was undertaken. Meta-analyses were conducted to determine CWP prevalence, and study population data and contextual factors were evaluated using a meta-regression. Thirty-nine manuscripts met the inclusion criteria. Study CWP prevalence ranged from 1.4% to 24.0%, with CWP prevalence in men ranging from 0.8% to 15.3% and 1.7% to 22.1% in women. Estimated overall CWP prevalence was 9.6% (8.0-11.2%). Meta-regression analyses showed gender, United Nations country development status, and human development index (HDI) influenced CWP prevalence, while survey method, region, methodological and reporting quality, and inequality showed no significant effect on the CWP estimate. Globally CWP affects one in ten individuals within the general population, with women more likely to experience CWP than men. HDI was noted to be the socioeconomic factor related to CWP prevalence, with those in more developed countries having a lower CWP prevalence than those in less developed countries. Most CWP estimates were from developed countries, and CWP estimates from countries with a lower socioeconomic position is needed to further refine the global estimate of CWP. This systematic review and meta-analysis updates the current global CWP prevalence by examining the population-level (e.g. age, gender) and contextual (e.g. country development status; survey style; reporting and methodologic quality) factors associated with CWP prevalence. This analyses provides evidence to support higher levels of CWP in countries with a lower socioeconomic position relative to countries with a higher socioeconomic position. © 2017 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.

Associations between Caries among Children and Household Sugar Procurement, Exposure to Fluoridated Water and Socioeconomic Indicators in the Brazilian Capital Cities

PubMed Central

Gonçalves, Michele Martins; Leles, Cláudio Rodrigues; Freire, Maria do Carmo Matias

2013-01-01

The objective of this ecological study was to investigate the association between caries experience in 5- and 12-year-old Brazilian children in 2010 and household sugar procurement in 2003 and the effects of exposure to water fluoridation and socioeconomic indicators. Sample units were all 27 Brazilian capital cities. Data were obtained from the National Surveys of Oral Health; the National Household Food Budget Survey; and the United Nations Program for Development. Data analysis included correlation coefficients, exploratory factor analysis, and linear regression. There were significant negative associations between caries experience and procurement of confectionery, fluoridated water, HDI, and per capita income. Procurement of confectionery and soft drinks was positively associated with HDI and per capita income. Exploratory factor analysis grouped the independent variables by reducing highly correlated variables into two uncorrelated component variables that explained 86.1% of total variance. The first component included income, HDI, water fluoridation, and procurement of confectionery, while the second included free sugar and procurement of soft drinks. Multiple regression analysis showed that caries is associated with the first component. Caries experience was associated with better socioeconomic indicators of a city and exposure to fluoridated water, which may affect the impact of sugars on the disease. PMID:24307900

Crime Modeling using Spatial Regression Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleh Ahmar, Ansari; Adiatma; Kasim Aidid, M.

2018-01-01

Act of criminality in Indonesia increased both variety and quantity every year. As murder, rape, assault, vandalism, theft, fraud, fencing, and other cases that make people feel unsafe. Risk of society exposed to crime is the number of reported cases in the police institution. The higher of the number of reporter to the police institution then the number of crime in the region is increasing. In this research, modeling criminality in South Sulawesi, Indonesia with the dependent variable used is the society exposed to the risk of crime. Modelling done by area approach is the using Spatial Autoregressive (SAR) and Spatial Error Model (SEM) methods. The independent variable used is the population density, the number of poor population, GDP per capita, unemployment and the human development index (HDI). Based on the analysis using spatial regression can be shown that there are no dependencies spatial both lag or errors in South Sulawesi.

Modelling difficulties in abstract thinking in psychosis: the importance of socio-developmental background.

PubMed

Berg, A O; Melle, I; Zuber, V; Simonsen, C; Nerhus, M; Ueland, T; Andreassen, O A; Sundet, K; Vaskinn, A

2017-01-01

Abstract thinking is important in modern understanding of neurocognitive abilities, and a symptom of thought disorder in psychosis. In patients with psychosis, we assessed if socio-developmental background influences abstract thinking, and the association with executive functioning and clinical psychosis symptoms. Participants (n = 174) had a diagnosis of psychotic or bipolar disorder, were 17-65 years, intelligence quotient (IQ) > 70, fluent in a Scandinavian language, and their full primary education in Norway. Immigrants (N = 58) were matched (1:2) with participants without a history of migration (N = 116). All participants completed a neurocognitive and clinical assessment. Socio-developmental background was operationalised as human developmental index (HDI) of country of birth, at year of birth. Structural equation modelling was used to assess the model with best fit. The model with best fit, χ 2  = 96.591, df = 33, p < .001, confirmed a significant indirect effect of HDI scores on abstract thinking through executive functioning, but not through clinical psychosis symptoms. This study found that socio-developmental background influences abstract thinking in psychosis by indirect effect through executive functioning. We should take into account socio-developmental background in the interpretation of neurocognitive performance in patients with psychosis, and prioritise cognitive remediation in treatment of immigrant patients.

Assessing Patient Participation in Health Policy Decision-Making in Cyprus.

PubMed

Souliotis, Kyriakos; Agapidaki, Eirini; Peppou, Lily Evangelia; Tzavara, Chara; Samoutis, George; Theodorou, Mamas

2016-06-20

Although the importance of patient participation in the design and evaluation of health programs and services is well-documented, there is scarcity of research with regard to patient association (PA) participation in health policy decision-making processes. To this end, the present study aimed to validate further a previously developed instrument as well as to investigate the degree of PA participation in health policy decision-making in Cyprus. A convenient sample of 114 patients-members of patients associations took part in the study. Participants were recruited from an umbrella organization, the Pancyprian Federation of Patient Associations and Friends (PFPA). PA participation in health policy decision-making was assessed with the Health Democracy Index (HDI), an original 8-item tool. To explore its psychometric properties, Cronbach α was computed as regards to its internal consistency, while its convergent validity was tested against a self-rated question enquiring about the degree of PA participation in health policy decision-making. The findings revealed that the HDI has good internal consistency and convergent validity. Furthermore, PAs were found to participate more in consultations in health-related organizations and the Ministry of Health (MoH) as well as in reforms or crucial decisions in health policy. Lower levels were documented with regard to participation in hospital boards, ethics committees in clinical trials and health technology assessment (HTA) procedures. Overall, PA participation levels were found to be lower than the mid-point of the scale. Targeted interventions aiming to facilitate patients' involvement in health policy decision-making processes and to increase its impact are greatly needed in Cyprus. © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Did the Family Health Strategy have an impact on indicators of hospitalizations for stroke and heart failure? Longitudinal study in Brazil: 1998-2013.

PubMed

Cavalcante, Denise de Fátima Barros; Brizon, Valéria Silva Cândido; Probst, Livia Fernandes; Meneghim, Marcelo de Castro; Pereira, Antonio Carlos; Ambrosano, Gláucia Maria Bovi

2018-01-01

The objective was to analyze whether socioeconomic factors related to the context and those related to the model of care-specifically the coverage of primary care by the Family Health Strategy (ESF)-had an impact on hospitalizations due to heart failure (HF) and stroke, in the State of São Paulo/Brazil between 1998 and 2013. A longitudinal ecological study involving 645 municipalities was conducted in the state of São Paulo/Brazil from 1998 to 2013, using the Hospital Information System (SIH-DataSUS database). The hospitalizations for primary care sensitive conditions: Stroke and heart failure (HF) that correspond to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD 10): I50, I63 to I67; I69, G45 to G46 were analyzed longitudinally during the period indicated regarding the percentage of people covered by the Family Health Program (PSF) adjusted for confounders (population size, gross domestic product -GDP and human development index- HDI). There was a significant decrease in the number of hospitalizations for heart failure and stroke per 10000 (inhabitants) in the period (p <0.0001), with a significant relationship with increased proportion of ESF (p <0.0001), and this remained significant even when possible confounders (population size, GDP and HDI) were included in the model (p <0.0001). GDP per capita was close to or higher than that if many European countries, which shows the relevance of the study. The health care model based on the Family Health Strategy positively impacted hospitalization indicators for heart failure and stroke, indicating that this model is effective in the prevention of primary care sensitive conditions.

Inhalation exposure to isocyanates of car body repair shop workers and industrial spray painters.

PubMed

Pronk, Anjoeka; Tielemans, Erik; Skarping, Gunnar; Bobeldijk, Ivana; VAN Hemmen, Joop; Heederik, Dick; Preller, Liesbeth

2006-01-01

As part of a large-scale epidemiological study, occupational isocyanate exposure was assessed in spray-painting environments. The aim was to assess which compounds contribute to isocyanate exposure in car body repair shops and industrial painting companies, and to identify tasks with high risk of isocyanate exposure. Mainly personal task-based samples (n = 566) were collected from 24 car body repair shops and five industrial painting companies using impingers with DBA in toluene. Samples were analysed by LC-MS for isocyanate monomers, oligomers and products of thermal degradation. From the 23 analysed compounds, 20 were detected. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a HDI, TDI and MDI factor with the thermal degradation products divided over the TDI and MDI factors. The HDI factor mainly consisted of HDI oligomers and was dominant in frequency and exposure levels in both industries. Spray painting of PU lacquers resulted in the highest exposures for the HDI factor (

Phase II randomized trial comparing high-dose IFN-α2b with temozolomide plus cisplatin as systemic adjuvant therapy for resected mucosal melanoma.

PubMed

Lian, Bin; Si, Lu; Cui, Chuanliang; Chi, Zhihong; Sheng, Xinan; Mao, Lili; Li, Siming; Kong, Yan; Tang, Bixia; Guo, Jun

2013-08-15

Mucosal melanoma is rare and associated with extremely poor prognosis. However, standard adjuvant therapy for mucosal melanoma has not been established. We conducted a randomized phase II clinical trial in patients with resected mucosal melanoma to compare the efficacy and safety of high-dose IFN-α2b (HDI) and temozolomide-based chemotherapy as adjuvant therapy. Patients with mucosal melanoma in stage II/III after surgery were randomized into three groups: observation group (group A, surgery alone), HDI group (group B, treated with 15 × 10(6) U/m(2)/d IFN-α2b, followed by 9 × 10(6) U IFN-α2b), and temozolomide (200 mg/m(2)/d) plus cisplatin (75 mg/m(2)) group (group C). The endpoints were relapse-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicities. One hundred and eighty-nine patients were enrolled and finally analyzed. With a median follow-up of 26.8 months, the median RFS was 5.4, 9.4, and 20.8 months for group A, B, and C, respectively. Estimated median OS for group A, B, and C was 21.2, 40.4, and 48.7 months, respectively. Patients treated with temozolomide plus cisplatin showed significant improvements in RFS (P < 0.001) and OS (P < 0.01) than those treated with either HDI or surgery alone. Toxicities were generally mild to moderate. Both temozolomide-based chemotherapy and HDI are effective and safe as adjuvant therapies for resected mucosal melanoma as compared with observation alone. However, HDI tends to be less effective than temozolomide-based chemotherapy for patients with resected mucosal melanoma in respect to RFS. The temozolomide plus cisplatin regimen might be a better choice for patients with resected mucosal melanoma. ©2013 AACR.

Early Childhood Developmental Status in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: National, Regional, and Global Prevalence Estimates Using Predictive Modeling.

PubMed

McCoy, Dana Charles; Peet, Evan D; Ezzati, Majid; Danaei, Goodarz; Black, Maureen M; Sudfeld, Christopher R; Fawzi, Wafaie; Fink, Günther

2016-06-01

The development of cognitive and socioemotional skills early in life influences later health and well-being. Existing estimates of unmet developmental potential in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are based on either measures of physical growth or proxy measures such as poverty. In this paper we aim to directly estimate the number of children in LMICs who would be reported by their caregivers to show low cognitive and/or socioemotional development. The present paper uses Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI) data collected between 2005 and 2015 from 99,222 3- and 4-y-old children living in 35 LMICs as part of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) programs. First, we estimate the prevalence of low cognitive and/or socioemotional ECDI scores within our MICS/DHS sample. Next, we test a series of ordinary least squares regression models predicting low ECDI scores across our MICS/DHS sample countries based on country-level data from the Human Development Index (HDI) and the Nutrition Impact Model Study. We use cross-validation to select the model with the best predictive validity. We then apply this model to all LMICs to generate country-level estimates of the prevalence of low ECDI scores globally, as well as confidence intervals around these estimates. In the pooled MICS and DHS sample, 14.6% of children had low ECDI scores in the cognitive domain, 26.2% had low socioemotional scores, and 36.8% performed poorly in either or both domains. Country-level prevalence of low cognitive and/or socioemotional scores on the ECDI was best represented by a model using the HDI as a predictor. Applying this model to all LMICs, we estimate that 80.8 million children ages 3 and 4 y (95% CI 48.1 million, 113.6 million) in LMICs experienced low cognitive and/or socioemotional development in 2010, with the largest number of affected children in sub-Saharan Africa (29.4.1 million; 43.8% of children ages 3 and 4 y), followed by South Asia (27.7 million; 37.7%) and the East Asia and Pacific region (15.1 million; 25.9%). Positive associations were found between low development scores and stunting, poverty, male sex, rural residence, and lack of cognitive stimulation. Additional research using more detailed developmental assessments across a larger number of LMICs is needed to address the limitations of the present study. The number of children globally failing to reach their developmental potential remains large. Additional research is needed to identify the specific causes of poor developmental outcomes in diverse settings, as well as potential context-specific interventions that might promote children's early cognitive and socioemotional well-being.

Global burden of human papillomavirus and related diseases.

PubMed

Forman, David; de Martel, Catherine; Lacey, Charles J; Soerjomataram, Isabelle; Lortet-Tieulent, Joannie; Bruni, Laia; Vignat, Jerome; Ferlay, Jacques; Bray, Freddie; Plummer, Martyn; Franceschi, Silvia

2012-11-20

The worldwide prevalence of infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) in women without cervical abnormalities is 11-12% with higher rates in sub-Saharan Africa (24%), Eastern Europe (21%) and Latin America (16%). The two most prevalent types are HPV16 (3.2%) and HPV18 (1.4%). Prevalence increases in women with cervical pathology in proportion to the severity of the lesion reaching around 90% in women with grade 3 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive cancer. HPV infection has been identified as a definite human carcinogen for six types of cancer: cervix, penis, vulva, vagina, anus and oropharynx (including the base of the tongue and tonsils). Estimates of the incidence of these cancers for 2008 due to HPV infection have been calculated globally. Of the estimated 12.7 million cancers occurring in 2008, 610,000 (Population Attributable Fraction [PAF]=4.8%) could be attributed to HPV infection. The PAF varies substantially by geographic region and level of development, increasing to 6.9% in less developed regions of the world, 14.2% in sub-Saharan Africa and 15.5% in India, compared with 2.1% in more developed regions, 1.6% in Northern America and 1.2% in Australia/New Zealand. Cervical cancer, for which the PAF is estimated to be 100%, accounted for 530,000 (86.9%) of the HPV attributable cases with the other five cancer types accounting for the residual 80,000 cancers. Cervical cancer is the third most common female malignancy and shows a strong association with level of development, rates being at least four-fold higher in countries defined within the low ranking of the Human Development Index (HDI) compared with those in the very high category. Similar disparities are evident for 5-year survival-less than 20% in low HDI countries and more than 65% in very high countries. There are five-fold or greater differences in incidence between world regions. In those countries for which reliable temporal data are available, incidence rates appear to be consistently declining by approximately 2% per annum. There is, however, a lack of information from low HDI countries where screening is less likely to have been successfully implemented. Estimates of the projected incidence of cervical cancer in 2030, based solely on demographic factors, indicate a 2% increase in the global burden of cervical cancer, i.e., in balance with the current rate of decline. Due to the relative small numbers involved, it is difficult to discern temporal trends for the other cancers associated with HPV infection. Genital warts represent a sexually transmitted benign condition caused by HPV infection, especially HPV6 and HPV11. Reliable surveillance figures are difficult to obtain but data from developed countries indicate an annual incidence of 0.1 to 0.2% with a peak occurring at teenage and young adult ages. This article forms part of a special supplement entitled "Comprehensive Control of HPV Infections and Related Diseases" Vaccine Volume 30, Supplement 5, 2012. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advantages and Challenges of 10-Gbps Transmission on High-Density Interconnect Boards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yee, Chang Fei; Jambek, Asral Bahari; Al-Hadi, Azremi Abdullah

2016-06-01

This paper provides a brief introduction to high-density interconnect (HDI) technology and its implementation on printed circuit boards (PCBs). The advantages and challenges of implementing 10-Gbps signal transmission on high-density interconnect boards are discussed in detail. The advantages (e.g., smaller via dimension and via stub removal) and challenges (e.g., crosstalk due to smaller interpair separation) of HDI are studied by analyzing the S-parameter, time-domain reflectometry (TDR), and transmission-line eye diagrams obtained by three-dimensional electromagnetic modeling (3DEM) and two-dimensional electromagnetic modeling (2DEM) using Mentor Graphics HyperLynx and Keysight Advanced Design System (ADS) electronic computer-aided design (ECAD) software. HDI outperforms conventional PCB technology in terms of signal integrity, but proper routing topology should be applied to overcome the challenge posed by crosstalk due to the tight spacing between traces.

Nothing about Us without Us: Asking Kentuckians with Disabilities about What They Need to Thrive. Research Brief. Spring 2016

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mevoli, K.; Tanner, A.; Adams, C.; Rhodes, A.; Warren, T.; Sherif, V.

2016-01-01

As a part of their strategic long term planning process, the Commonwealth Council for Developmental Disabilities (CCDD), Kentucky Protection & Advocacy (KPA), and the Human Development Institute (HDI) at the University of Kentucky developed a survey to identify areas of high need for people with disabilities in the state. This research brief…

Ecological Growth Boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bluszcz, Anna

2017-03-01

The trends of the society for the continuous growth, combined with the demographic changes, today have led to the important ecological problems on a global scale, which include, among others: the increased use of non-renewable natural resources, an increase of the greenhouse gas emissions, contamination of soil, water, air and the progressive degradation of ecosystems. In the face of such serious threats the global initiatives of all countries are important to limit the results of the excessive consumption. The aim of the article is to present the methods of measurement of the consumption level of natural resources by the societies and the examination of relationships between the level of development of the societies and the use of resources. The popular measure - the ecological footprint - was used as a measurement method for the consumption of the today's generations in relation to the regenerative possibilities of the natural environment. On the other hand, as the assessment method for the level of development of societies - the Human Development Index (HDI), including three basic areas: the life expectancy, GDP level per capita and education was used. The results of the research indicate that the current trend of the unlimited consumption of the highly developed countries takes place at the expense of the future generations.

Association between rates of caesarean section and maternal and neonatal mortality in the 21st century: a worldwide population-based ecological study with longitudinal data.

PubMed

Ye, J; Zhang, J; Mikolajczyk, R; Torloni, M R; Gülmezoglu, A M; Betran, A P

2016-04-01

Caesarean section was initially performed to save the lives of the mother and/or her baby. Caesarean section rates have risen substantially worldwide over the past decades. In this study, we set out to compile all available caesarean section rates worldwide at the country level, and to identify the appropriate caesarean section rate at the population level associated with the minimal maternal and neonatal mortality. Ecological study using longitudinal data. Worldwide country-level data. A total of 159 countries were included in the analyses, representing 98.0% of global live births (2005). Nationally representative caesarean section rates from 2000 to 2012 were compiled. We assessed the relationship between caesarean section rates and mortality outcomes, adjusting for socio-economic development by means of human development index (HDI) using fractional polynomial regression models. Maternal mortality ratio and neonatal mortality rate. Most countries have experienced increases in caesarean section rate during the study period. In the unadjusted analysis, there was a negative association between caesarean section rates and mortality outcomes for low caesarean section rates, especially among the least developed countries. After adjusting for HDI, this effect was much smaller and was only observed below a caesarean section rate of 5-10%. No important association between the caesarean section rate and maternal and neonatal mortality was observed when the caesarean section rate exceeded 10%. Although caesarean section is an effective intervention to save maternal and infant lives, based on the available ecological evidence, caesarean section rates higher than around 10% at the population level are not associated with decreases in maternal and neonatal mortality rates, and thus may not be necessary to achieve the lowest maternal and neonatal mortality. The caesarean section rate of around 10% may be the optimal rate to achieve the lowest mortality. © 2015 The Authors BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

A Brazilian Vulnerability Index Towards Natural Disasters and Climatic Change - Flashfloods and Landslides.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debortoli, N. S.; Camarinha, P. I., Sr.; Marengo, J. A.; Rodrigues, R.

2015-12-01

There are some evidences that hydrological climate extremes events have become more frequent an intense in the last decades due to climatic change. In Brazil, flashfloods and landslides were responsible for 74% of the deaths related to natural disasters in 1991-2010 period. In this sense, climate change could be considered a threat which can further increase these numbers, if actions of adaptation and reducing vulnerability are not taken. To evaluate Brazil's vulnerability hotspots to these disasters, two vulnerability indexes were developed using three sets of variables: (1) climate, with IPCC climate extreme indexes; (2) environmental, including land use, drainage systems, relief map, slope, road density and hydrography variables; (3) socioeconomic, including Gini coefficient, HDI (Human Development Index), housing conditions and poverty-related index. The variables were normalized on a scale between 0 to 1 and related using Map Algebra technique (ArcGIS). As part of the effort to contribute to the elaboration of the Third National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and to contribute to the assessment of impacts on strategic country's issues, simulations at higher resolution were carried out using Eta-20km RCM (Regional Climate Model) nested with two global climate models: HadGEM ES and MIROC 5 (INPE Brazilian National Institute for Space Research). For the baseline period of 1961-1990, the vulnerability indexes were adjusted by an iterative process, which was validated by comparing it to the Brazilian National Disasters Data. The same indexes found at baseline were used to estimate the vulnerability until the end of the XXI century, using the 4.5 and 8.5 IPCC/AR5 RCP (Representative Concentration Pathways) scenarios. The results indicate a large increase in Brazil's vulnerability to landslides mainly in coastal zone, southern states, high lands of southeast states, and along the Amazon River due to climatic aspects only, not considering other factors such as increase in population size, etc. Flashfloods vulnerability, on the other hand, increases mostly in the south/southeast regions, the northeast coastal zone and parts of the Amazon basin. Funded by: Ministry of Science and Technology of Brazil and the United Nations Development Program in Brazil.

A new method for the production of social fragility functions and the result of its use in worldwide fatality loss estimation for earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniell, James; Wenzel, Friedemann

2014-05-01

A review of over 200 fatality models over the past 50 years for earthquake loss estimation from various authors has identified key parameters that influence fatality estimation in each of these models. These are often very specific and cannot be readily adapted globally. In the doctoral dissertation of the author, a new method is used for regression of fatalities to intensity using loss functions based not only on fatalities, but also using population models and other socioeconomic parameters created through time for every country worldwide for the period 1900-2013. A calibration of functions was undertaken from 1900-2008, and each individual quake analysed from 2009-2013 in real-time, in conjunction with www.earthquake-report.com. Using the CATDAT Damaging Earthquakes Database containing socioeconomic loss information for 7208 damaging earthquake events from 1900-2013 including disaggregation of secondary effects, fatality estimates for over 2035 events have been re-examined from 1900-2013. In addition, 99 of these events have detailed data for the individual cities and towns or have been reconstructed to create a death rate as a percentage of population. Many historical isoseismal maps and macroseismic intensity datapoint surveys collected globally, have been digitised and modelled covering around 1353 of these 2035 fatal events, to include an estimate of population, occupancy and socioeconomic climate at the time of the event at each intensity bracket. In addition, 1651 events without fatalities but causing damage have also been examined in this way. The production of socioeconomic and engineering indices such as HDI and building vulnerability has been undertaken on a country-level and state/province-level leading to a dataset allowing regressions not only using a static view of risk, but also allowing for the change in the socioeconomic climate between the earthquake events to be undertaken. This means that a year 1920 event in a country, will not simply be regressed against a year 2000 event, but normalised. A global human development index (HDI) (life expectancy, education and income) was developed and collected for the first time from 1900-2013 globally on a country and province level allowing for a very useful parameter in the regression. In addition, the occupancy rate from the time of day that the event occurred, as well as population density and individual earthquake attributes like the existence of a foreshock were also examined for the 3004 events in the regression analysis. Where an event has not occurred in a country previously, a regionalisation strategy based on building typologies, seismic code index, building practice, climate, earthquake history and socioeconomic climate is proposed. The result is a set of "social fragility functions" calculating fatalities for use in any country worldwide using the parameters of macroseismic intensity, population, HDI, time of day and occupancy, that provide a robust accurate method, which has not only been calibrated to country level data but to town and city data through time. The estimates will continue to be used in conjunction with Earthquake Report, a non-profit worldwide earthquake reporting website and has shown very promising results from 2010-2013 for rapid estimates of fatalities globally.

Management of pegylated interferon alpha toxicity in adjuvant therapy of melanoma.

PubMed

Daud, Adil; Soon, Christopher; Dummer, Reinhard; Eggermont, Alexander M M; Hwu, Wen-Jen; Grob, Jean Jacques; Garbe, Claus; Hauschild, Axel

2012-08-01

Both native IFNα2b and pegylated IFNα2b (PegIFNα2b) are approved for the adjuvant treatment of high-risk melanoma. This review compares the toxicity profiles of high-dose IFNα2b (HDI) and PegIFNα2b, and provides recommendations on the management of common PegIFNα2b-related toxicities, based on available clinical data and published literature. The toxicity profile of PegIFNα2b at the approved dose (6 μg/kg/week for 8 weeks then 3 μg/kg/week for up to 5 years) is qualitatively similar to HDI in melanoma. The most common adverse events (AEs) are fatigue, anorexia, hepatotoxicity, flu-like symptoms, injection site reactions and depression. However, fatigue and flu-like symptoms appear less severe with PegIFNα2b, and toxicity seems to occur earlier, whereas with HDI toxicity may increase with time. Most AEs can be managed effectively by dose modification and aggressive symptom control. Dosing to tolerance using a three-step dose reduction schedule to maintain an ECOG performance status of 0 - 1 may enable patients experiencing toxicity to remain on treatment; this can be applied readily in clinical practice. PegIFNα2b is therefore a valuable alternative option for adjuvant treatment in melanoma, with a toxicity profile similar to that of HDI overall but a more convenient administration schedule.

Cytocompatibility and Mechanical Properties of Short Phosphate Glass Fibre Reinforced Polylactic Acid (PLA) Composites: Effect of Coupling Agent Mediated Interface

PubMed Central

Hasan, Muhammad Sami; Ahmed, Ifty; Parsons, Andrew; Walker, Gavin; Scotchford, Colin

2012-01-01

In this study three chemical agents Amino-propyl-triethoxy-silane (APS), sorbitol ended PLA oligomer (SPLA) and Hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) were identified to be used as coupling agents to react with the phosphate glass fibre (PGF) reinforcement and the polylactic acid (PLA) polymer matrix of the composite. Composites were prepared with short chopped strand fibres (l = 20 mm, ϕ = 20 µm) in a random arrangement within PLA matrix. Improved, initial composite flexural strength (~20 MPa) was observed for APS treated fibres, which was suggested to be due to enhanced bonding between the fibres and polymer matrix. Both APS and HDI treated fibres were suggested to be covalently linked with the PLA matrix. The hydrophobicity induced by these coupling agents (HDI, APS) helped to resist hydrolysis of the interface and thus retained their mechanical properties for an extended period of time as compared to non-treated control. Approximately 70% of initial strength and 65% of initial modulus was retained by HDI treated fibre composites in contrast to the control, where only ~50% of strength and modulus was retained after 28 days of immersion in PBS at 37 °C. All coupling agent treated and control composites demonstrated good cytocompatibility which was comparable to the tissue culture polystyrene (TCP) control, supporting the use of these materials as coupling agent’s within medical implant devices. PMID:24955744

Identification of priority Health Regions in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, for Health Surveillance actions.

PubMed

Mondini, Renata Petzhold; Menegolla, Ivone Andreatta; Silva, Eduardo Viegas da

2017-10-01

This paper aimed to identify the priority Health Regions of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) to implement Health Surveillance strengthening actions. This is a descriptive study with data from time series of 11 (eleven) Health Surveillance indicators of the Ministry of Health's 2016 Guidelines, Objectives, Targets and Indicators Journal agreed by the Bipartite Interagency Committee/RS. The selected indicators are synthesized to produce a Composite Health Surveillance Assessment Indicator (ICAVES) for each of the 30 Health Regions of the state, creating values ranging from zero (worst) to 1 (best), using the Human Development Index (HDI) construction calculation method. The lowest rates of the composite indicator are found in the Health Regions "20-Rota da Produção" and "19-Região do Botucaraí". These two Health Regions are priorities for the strengthening of collective Health Surveillance actions and the management of health risks and diseases, considering horizontal equity as guideline of the Unified Health System.

Chronotype correlates with developmental index, intelligence and academic achievement: A study based on nationwide indicators.

PubMed

Randler, Christoph

2017-01-01

Chronotype or morningness-eveningness (M/E) is an individual trait with a biological basis. In this study, I analysed the relationship between M/E and nationwide available data, such as economic variables, school achievement, intelligence and conscientiousness, which is a personality trait. These variables have been chosen because, first, they are linked on the individual level with circadian preference, and, second these associations have been found based on meta-analyses, which gives these findings a high plausibility. In addition, economic status has also been proposed to be related to M/E. Higher developed countries showed a lower morningness, based on both, the ranking of countries as well as on the HDI value. Similarly, GNI was related to morningness, while higher intelligence and performance in PISA were related to eveningness. Conscientiousness was related to morningness, although the results failed the significance level marginally. When using IQ as a control variable in partial correlations, the relationship between GNI and morningness disappeared, as did the correlation between eveningness and PISA results.

Immunological evaluation of four arc welders exposed to fumes from ignited polyurethane (isocyanate) foam: antibodies and immune profiles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Broughton, A.; Thrasher, J.D.; Gard, Z.

1988-01-01

Four arc welders having a flu-like illness with multiple health complaints following an exposure to high concentrations of isocyanate fumes from ignited polyurethane foam underwent immunological tests as follows: ELISA antibody assays, activated lymphocyte profiles, and lymphocyte blastogenesis. ELISA procedures revealed the presence of antibodies to hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and formaldehyde (F) conjugated to human serum albumin (HDI-SA and F-SA). The results from the activated lymphocyte profiles showed deviations from the norm as follows: three welders had elevated helper/suppressor (H/S) ratios; all four had elevated percentages of Tal positive cells; two had decreases in B cells; and one had lowmore » total white cell and lymphocyte counts. In contrast, the percentage and absolute numbers of ILS receptor cells were normal in the four subjects. T cell blastogenesis to PHA, Con A and PWM resulted in the following: T-cells from one subject responded normally; in another, a high response (212% of controls) to PHA occurred with normal mitogenesis to Con A and PWM. In the remaining two welders, the T cells responded abnormally low (50 to 75% of controls) to the three mitogens. In conclusion, the existence of IgG antibodies to HDI-SA and F-SA, the altered activated immune profiles, the elevated Tal cells, and the abnormal blastogenesis are interpreted as being linked with the episode of HDI and F exposure and the subsequent flu-like illness of the four welders.« less

a Brazilian Vulnerability Index to Natural Disasters of Drought - in the Context of Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camarinha, P. I., Sr.; Debortoli, N. S.; Hirota, M.

2015-12-01

Droughts are characterized as one of the main types of natural disasters that occur in Brazil. During the 1991-2012, droughts affected more than 14 million Brazilians, so that the concern for the following decades is about the potential impacts triggered by climate change. To analyze the vulnerability of the Brazilian municipalities to drought disasters, we have assessed the effects of climate change to droughts until the end of 21th century. A composite index was created based on three different dimensions: i) Exposure, represented by climate anomalies related to the drought process, such as changes in accumulated rainfall averages, interannual variability of rainfall, and the frequency and magnitude of severe droughts (measured by the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index); ii) Sensitivity, encompassing socioeconomic, demographic, land use and water management data; iii) Adaptive Capacity, consisting of socioeconomic and institutional data from Brazilian municipalities, such as the Human Development Index (HDI), social inequality (Gini index) and illiteracy rate. The climate variables used in this study are results from simulations of the Regional Climate Model Eta (with a downscaling of 20km spatial resolution) nested with two global climate models (HadGEM ES and MIROC 5) and was provided by National Institute for Space Research. The baseline period was 1961-1990 and future periods was 2011-2040; 2041-2070 and 2071-2099. For the simulations of future climate it was used the 4.5 and 8.5 IPCC/AR5 RCP (Representative Concentration Pathways) scenarios. All variables used in this study was handled, exploited and related in a Geographic Information System (GIS). The methodology allowed the identification of vulnerability hotspots, the targeting of adaptation strategies and the development of public policy to minimize the potential impacts of future droughts. The final results (see attached image) indicate that the most vulnerable regions are located in the Midwest, in the northeastern Brazilian semi-arid and also on western Amazon.

China on the Mekong: Legitimacy Imperatives and Policy Case Studies

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

1  B.  IMPORTANCE ................................................................................................1  C.  PROBLEMS...gross domestic product GMS Greater Mekong Subregion HDI human development indicators MRC Mekong River Commission MOU memoranda of understanding MPS...home affect China’s policies along the Mekong River? B. IMPORTANCE A careful investigation of PRC policies on the Mekong River will contribute to a

“Pretty Pictures” with the HDI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buckner, Spencer L.

2017-01-01

The Half-Degree Imager (HDI) has been in use on the 0.9-m WIYN telescope since October 2013. The instrument has well served the consortium as evidenced by the posters in this session and presentations at the concurrent special session held at this meeting. One thing that has been missing from the mix are aesthetically pleasing images for use in publicity and public outreach. Making “pretty pictures” with a scientific instrument such as HDI presents a number of challenges and opportunities. The chief challenge is finding the time to do the basic imaging given the limited telescope time available to users. Most users are understandably reluctant to take time away from imaging for their scientific research to take images whose primary purpose is to make a pretty picture. Fortunately, imaging of some objects to make pretty pictures can be done under sky conditions that are less than ideal when photometric studies would have limited usefulness. Another challenge is the raw HDI images must be converted from an extended FITS format into a normal FITS and a filter line added to the header to make the images usable by most commercially available image processing software. On the plus side, pretty picture images can serve to inspire prospective students into astronomy. Austin Peay State University has a popular astrophotography class that makes use of images taken with the HDI camera to introduce students to basic image processing techniques. The course is taken by both physics majors on the astrophysics track and non-science majors completing the astronomy minor. Pretty pictures can also be used as a recruitment tool to bring students into astronomy. APSU houses physics, biology, chemistry, agriculture and medical technology in the same building and displaying astronomical pictures at strategic locations around the building serves to recruit non-science majors to take more astronomy courses. Finally, the images can be used in publicity and outreach efforts by the university. This poster presents some of the techniques used in processing the images tor aesthetic value and how those images are used in recruitment, publicity and outreach. Several of the finished images in poster-sized prints will be available for viewing.

The mechanism behind the environmental kuznets curve for carbon dioxide is unlikely to be sufficient to achieve the 2°C goal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kornhuber, Kai; Reusser, Dominik E.; Costa, Luis; Kropp, Jürgen P.; Rybski, Diego

2015-04-01

Pollution may increase with the income per capita up to a maximum, above which it decreases with the further increase in income per capita, i.e. following an inverse U-shape in the pollution vs. income per capita. Such a behaviour is called the Environmental Kuznets Curves (EKC). In a previous presentation, we reviewed EKC for CO2 exploring its relation between CO2 per capita and the Human Development Index (HDI) between 1990 and 2013. We find evidence for a reduction in CO2 emissions per capita in highly developed countries. We present an updated model according to which the emissions per capita of a country are composed of a component related to the actual state of development and a component related to the change of development. The model leads to four distinct cases of which two have EKC shape and two imply saturation. This outcome is in line with previously suggested qualitative relations. Based on the past trend in parameters of the less extreme version of the EKC curve, we formulate a scenario for the future and contrast it against the RCP scenarios. We find that the mechanisms behind the EKC are unlikely to be sufficient to limit global warming below the 2°C target.

Adherence to a Healthy Diet According to the World Health Organization Guidelines and All-Cause Mortality in Elderly Adults From Europe and the United States

PubMed Central

Jankovic, Nicole; Geelen, Anouk; Streppel, Martinette T.; de Groot, Lisette C. P. G. M.; Orfanos, Philippos; van den Hooven, Edith H.; Pikhart, Hynek; Boffetta, Paolo; Trichopoulou, Antonia; Bobak, Martin; Bueno-de-Mesquita, H. B.; Kee, Frank; Franco, Oscar H.; Park, Yikyung; Hallmans, Göran; Tjønneland, Anne; May, Anne M.; Pajak, Andrzej; Malyutina, Sofia; Kubinova, Růžena; Amiano, Pilar; Kampman, Ellen; Feskens, Edith J.

2014-01-01

The World Health Organization (WHO) has formulated guidelines for a healthy diet to prevent chronic diseases and postpone death worldwide. Our objective was to investigate the association between the WHO guidelines, measured using the Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI), and all-cause mortality in elderly men and women from Europe and the United States. We analyzed data from 396,391 participants (42% women) in 11 prospective cohort studies who were 60 years of age or older at enrollment (in 1988–2005). HDI scores were based on 6 nutrients and 1 food group and ranged from 0 (least healthy diet) to 70 (healthiest diet). Adjusted cohort-specific hazard ratios were derived by using Cox proportional hazards regression and subsequently pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. During 4,497,957 person-years of follow-up, 84,978 deaths occurred. Median HDI scores ranged from 40 to 54 points across cohorts. For a 10-point increase in HDI score (representing adherence to an additional WHO guideline), the pooled adjusted hazard ratios were 0.90 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.87, 0.93) for men and women combined, 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85, 0.92) for men, and 0.90 (95% CI: 0.85, 0.95) for women. These estimates translate to an increased life expectancy of 2 years at the age of 60 years. Greater adherence to the WHO guidelines is associated with greater longevity in elderly men and women in Europe and the United States. PMID:25318818

Exposures to 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate during polyurethane spray painting in the U.S. Air Force.

PubMed

Carlton, G N; England, E C

2000-09-01

1,6-Hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) exposures were measured during polyurethane enamel spray painting at four Air Force bases. Breathing zone samples were collected for HDI monomer and polyisocyanates (oligomers) using three sampling methods: NIOSH Method 5521, the Iso-Chek sampler, and the total aerosol mass method (TAMM). Exposures to HDI monomer are low when compared to current occupational exposure limits; the highest 8-hr time-weighted average (TWA) exposure found was 3.5 micrograms/m3, below the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) threshold limit value (TLV) of 34 micrograms/m3. HDI oligomer levels were higher; mean task exposures indicated by either the Iso-Chek sampler or TAMM are above the Oregon ceiling limit of 1 mg/m3. Eight-hour TWA exposures, however, were much lower, with only one exceeding the Oregon standard of 0.5 mg/m3. Poor worker practices commonly observed during this study included: standing in downwind positions so paint overspray passed through breathing zones; spraying toward other painters; and using excessive paint spray gun air cap pressures. Workers should stand in upwind orientation relative to the aircraft being painted, causing overspray to move away from the painter's breathing zone; adjust their position to prevent spraying other painters or limit paint application to one worker at a time; and use air cap pressure gauges prior to spraying to limit spray gun air cap pressures and reduce paint overspray generation rates. These improved techniques will result in reduced worker exposures to isocyanates.

Diisocyanate-exposed auto body shop workers: a one-year follow-up.

PubMed

Redlich, C A; Stowe, M H; Coren, B A; Wisnewski, A V; Holm, C T; Cullen, M R

2002-12-01

Diisocyanates currently are the most commonly identified cause of occupational asthma in industrialized countries. Auto body shops, a common hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) exposure setting, are difficult to study due to their small size and episodic exposures. A 1-year follow-up was undertaken as an adjunct to the cross-sectional SPRAY study (Survey of Painters & Repairers of Auto bodies by Yale) to investigate the effects of HDI on auto body shop workers over time and whether or not the healthy worker effect may exist in this industry. Forty-eight workers from seven shops were re-contacted. Thirty-four subjects who stayed at the same shop and 11 who left their original shop participated. No statistically significant changes in physiology, symptoms, and immunologic responses from baseline to follow-up were noted. However, significant differences between those who left the shops and those who stayed were noted. Those who left were younger, less experienced in the industry, and more likely to have a history of asthma (23 vs. 3%; P < 0.05), bronchial hyper-responsiveness (23 vs. 9%), HDI-specific IgG (64 vs. 29%; P < 0.05), and HDI-specific proliferation (S.I. 2.0 vs. 1.3; P < 0.05). The differences in workers who stayed at their shop compared to those who left, combined with the low asthma prevalence and high job turnover rate, all suggest that a healthy worker effect may exist in the auto body industry, and may in part account for the low prevalence of asthma noted in SPRAY and other cross-sectional studies of diisocyante workers. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Associations between meal and snack frequency and diet quality and adiposity measures in British adults: findings from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey.

PubMed

Murakami, Kentaro; Livingstone, M Barbara E

2016-06-01

To examine how different definitions of meals and snacks can affect the associations of meal frequency (MF) and snack frequency (SF) with dietary intake and adiposity measures. Based on 7 d weighed dietary record data, all eating occasions providing ≥210 kJ of energy were divided into meals or snacks based on contribution to energy intake (≥15 % or <15 %) or time (06.00-10.00, 12.00-15.00 and 18.00-21.00 hours; other). Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI) and Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS). Great Britain. British adults aged 19-64 years (n 1487). MF based on energy contribution was associated with higher intake of dietary fibre, lower intakes of non-milk extrinsic sugars and alcohol, and higher HDI (only men) and MDS. MF based on time was associated with higher HDI and MDS in women only. Conversely, irrespective of the definition of snacks, SF was associated with higher intakes of confectionery and alcohol, lower intakes of cereals, protein, fat and dietary fibre, and lower HDI (except for SF based on energy contribution in women) and MDS. After adjustment for potential confounders, MF based on time, but not MF based on energy contribution, was positively associated with BMI and waist circumference in men only. SF was positively associated with BMI and waist circumference, irrespective of the definition of snacks. Higher SF was consistently associated with lower diet quality and higher adiposity measures, while associations with MF varied depending on the definition of meals and sex.

Characteristics and comprehensiveness of adult HIV care and treatment programmes in Asia-Pacific, sub-Saharan Africa and the Americas: results of a site assessment conducted by the International epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) Collaboration

PubMed Central

Duda, Stephany N; Farr, Amanda M; Lindegren, Mary Lou; Blevins, Meridith; Wester, C William; Wools-Kaloustian, Kara; Ekouevi, Didier K; Egger, Matthias; Hemingway-Foday, Jennifer; Cooper, David A; Moore, Richard D; McGowan, Catherine C; Nash, Denis

2014-01-01

Introduction HIV care and treatment programmes worldwide are transforming as they push to deliver universal access to essential prevention, care and treatment services to persons living with HIV and their communities. The characteristics and capacity of these HIV programmes affect patient outcomes and quality of care. Despite the importance of ensuring optimal outcomes, few studies have addressed the capacity of HIV programmes to deliver comprehensive care. We sought to describe such capacity in HIV programmes in seven regions worldwide. Methods Staff from 128 sites in 41 countries participating in the International epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS completed a site survey from 2009 to 2010, including sites in the Asia-Pacific region (n=20), Latin America and the Caribbean (n=7), North America (n=7), Central Africa (n=12), East Africa (n=51), Southern Africa (n=16) and West Africa (n=15). We computed a measure of the comprehensiveness of care based on seven World Health Organization-recommended essential HIV services. Results Most sites reported serving urban (61%; region range (rr): 33–100%) and both adult and paediatric populations (77%; rr: 29–96%). Only 45% of HIV clinics that reported treating children had paediatricians on staff. As for the seven essential services, survey respondents reported that CD4+ cell count testing was available to all but one site, while tuberculosis (TB) screening and community outreach services were available in 80 and 72%, respectively. The remaining four essential services – nutritional support (82%), combination antiretroviral therapy adherence support (88%), prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) (94%) and other prevention and clinical management services (97%) – were uniformly available. Approximately half (46%) of sites reported offering all seven services. Newer sites and sites in settings with low rankings on the UN Human Development Index (HDI), especially those in the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief focus countries, tended to offer a more comprehensive array of essential services. HIV care programme characteristics and comprehensiveness varied according to the number of years the site had been in operation and the HDI of the site setting, with more recently established clinics in low-HDI settings reporting a more comprehensive array of available services. Survey respondents frequently identified contact tracing of patients, patient outreach, nutritional counselling, onsite viral load testing, universal TB screening and the provision of isoniazid preventive therapy as unavailable services. Conclusions This study serves as a baseline for on-going monitoring of the evolution of care delivery over time and lays the groundwork for evaluating HIV treatment outcomes in relation to site capacity for comprehensive care. PMID:25516092

Characteristics and comprehensiveness of adult HIV care and treatment programmes in Asia-Pacific, sub-Saharan Africa and the Americas: results of a site assessment conducted by the International epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) Collaboration.

PubMed

Duda, Stephany N; Farr, Amanda M; Lindegren, Mary Lou; Blevins, Meridith; Wester, C William; Wools-Kaloustian, Kara; Ekouevi, Didier K; Egger, Matthias; Hemingway-Foday, Jennifer; Cooper, David A; Moore, Richard D; McGowan, Catherine C; Nash, Denis

2014-01-01

HIV care and treatment programmes worldwide are transforming as they push to deliver universal access to essential prevention, care and treatment services to persons living with HIV and their communities. The characteristics and capacity of these HIV programmes affect patient outcomes and quality of care. Despite the importance of ensuring optimal outcomes, few studies have addressed the capacity of HIV programmes to deliver comprehensive care. We sought to describe such capacity in HIV programmes in seven regions worldwide. Staff from 128 sites in 41 countries participating in the International epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS completed a site survey from 2009 to 2010, including sites in the Asia-Pacific region (n=20), Latin America and the Caribbean (n=7), North America (n=7), Central Africa (n=12), East Africa (n=51), Southern Africa (n=16) and West Africa (n=15). We computed a measure of the comprehensiveness of care based on seven World Health Organization-recommended essential HIV services. Most sites reported serving urban (61%; region range (rr): 33-100%) and both adult and paediatric populations (77%; rr: 29-96%). Only 45% of HIV clinics that reported treating children had paediatricians on staff. As for the seven essential services, survey respondents reported that CD4+ cell count testing was available to all but one site, while tuberculosis (TB) screening and community outreach services were available in 80 and 72%, respectively. The remaining four essential services - nutritional support (82%), combination antiretroviral therapy adherence support (88%), prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) (94%) and other prevention and clinical management services (97%) - were uniformly available. Approximately half (46%) of sites reported offering all seven services. Newer sites and sites in settings with low rankings on the UN Human Development Index (HDI), especially those in the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief focus countries, tended to offer a more comprehensive array of essential services. HIV care programme characteristics and comprehensiveness varied according to the number of years the site had been in operation and the HDI of the site setting, with more recently established clinics in low-HDI settings reporting a more comprehensive array of available services. Survey respondents frequently identified contact tracing of patients, patient outreach, nutritional counselling, onsite viral load testing, universal TB screening and the provision of isoniazid preventive therapy as unavailable services. This study serves as a baseline for on-going monitoring of the evolution of care delivery over time and lays the groundwork for evaluating HIV treatment outcomes in relation to site capacity for comprehensive care.

Characterizing the International Migration Barriers with a Probabilistic Multilateral Migration Model

PubMed Central

Li, Xiaomeng; Xu, Hongzhong; Chen, Jiawei; Chen, Qinghua; Zhang, Jiang; Di, Zengru

2016-01-01

Human migration is responsible for forming modern civilization and has had an important influence on the development of various countries. There are many issues worth researching, and “the reason to move” is the most basic one. The concept of migration cost in the classical self-selection theory, which was introduced by Roy and Borjas, is useful. However, migration cost cannot address global migration because of the limitations of deterministic and bilateral choice. Following the idea of migration cost, this paper developed a new probabilistic multilateral migration model by introducing the Boltzmann factor from statistical physics. After characterizing the underlying mechanism or driving force of human mobility, we reveal some interesting facts that have provided a deeper understanding of international migration, such as the negative correlation between migration costs for emigrants and immigrants and a global classification with clear regional and economic characteristics, based on clustering of migration cost vectors. In addition, we deconstruct the migration barriers using regression analysis and find that the influencing factors are complicated but can be partly (12.5%) described by several macro indexes, such as the GDP growth of the destination country, the GNI per capita and the HDI of both the source and destination countries. PMID:27597319

Characterizing the International Migration Barriers with a Probabilistic Multilateral Migration Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaomeng; Xu, Hongzhong; Chen, Jiawei; Chen, Qinghua; Zhang, Jiang; di, Zengru

2016-09-01

Human migration is responsible for forming modern civilization and has had an important influence on the development of various countries. There are many issues worth researching, and “the reason to move” is the most basic one. The concept of migration cost in the classical self-selection theory, which was introduced by Roy and Borjas, is useful. However, migration cost cannot address global migration because of the limitations of deterministic and bilateral choice. Following the idea of migration cost, this paper developed a new probabilistic multilateral migration model by introducing the Boltzmann factor from statistical physics. After characterizing the underlying mechanism or driving force of human mobility, we reveal some interesting facts that have provided a deeper understanding of international migration, such as the negative correlation between migration costs for emigrants and immigrants and a global classification with clear regional and economic characteristics, based on clustering of migration cost vectors. In addition, we deconstruct the migration barriers using regression analysis and find that the influencing factors are complicated but can be partly (12.5%) described by several macro indexes, such as the GDP growth of the destination country, the GNI per capita and the HDI of both the source and destination countries.

Adherence to a healthy diet in relation to cardiovascular incidence and risk markers: evidence from the Caerphilly Prospective Study.

PubMed

Mertens, Elly; Markey, Oonagh; Geleijnse, Johanna M; Lovegrove, Julie A; Givens, D Ian

2018-04-01

Epidemiological findings indicate that higher adherence to a healthy diet may lower cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The present study aimed to investigate whether adherence to a healthy diet, assessed by the Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score, and Alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI-2010), was associated with CVD incidence and risk markers. Included in the present analyses were data from 1867 middle-aged men, aged 56.7 ± 4.5 years at baseline, recruited into the Caerphilly Prospective Study. Adherence to a healthy diet was examined in relation to CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke incidence (Cox regression), and risk markers (linear regression) with adjustment for relevant confounders. The DASH score was inversely associated with CVD [hazard ratio (HR) 0.81; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.66, 0.99], and stroke (HR 0.61; 95% CI 0.42, 0.88) incidence, but not with CHD after an average of 16.6 year follow-up, and with diastolic blood pressure, after 12 year follow-up. The AHEI-2010 was inversely associated with stroke (HR 0.66; 95% CI 0.42, 0.88) incidence, aortic pulse wave velocity, and C-reactive protein. The HDI was not associated with any single outcome. Higher DASH and AHEI-2010 scores were associated with lower CVD and stroke risk, and favourable cardiovascular health outcomes, suggesting that encouraging middle-aged men to comply with the dietary recommendations for a healthy diet may have important implications for future vascular disease and population health.

Effect of phorbol esters on the macrophage-mediated biodegradation of polyurethanes via protein kinase C activation and other pathways.

PubMed

McBane, Joanne Eileen; Santerre, J P; Labow, Rosalind

2009-01-01

It was previously found that re-seeding monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) on polycarbonate-based polyurethanes (PCNUs) in the presence of the protein kinase C (PKC) activator phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) inhibited MDM-mediated degradation of PCNUs synthesized with 1,6-hexane diisocyanate (HDI), as well as esterase activity and monocyte-specific esterase (MSE) protein. However, no effect on the degradation of a 4,4'-methylene bisphenyl (MDI)-derived PCNU (MDI321) occurred. This finding suggested that oxidation, a process linked to the PKC pathway, was not activated in the same manner for all PCNUs. In the current study MDM were re-seeded onto the above PCNU surfaces with PMA, PKC-inactive 4alphaPMA and the PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide I hydrochloride (BIM) for 48 h before assaying for PCNU degradation, esterase activity, MSE protein, DNA, cell viability and cell morphology. 4alphaPMA did not alter MDM-mediated HDI PCNU degradation but MDI321 degradation increased in this condition. BIM alone had no effect on any parameter; however, when BIM and PMA were added together, the PMA inhibition of biodegradation, esterase activity and MSE protein was partially reversed for MDM on HDI PCNUs only. Adding PMA to MDM on HDI PCNUs increased intercellular connections, whereas 4alphaPMA or BIM+PMA increased cell size. Although this study demonstrated a role for oxidation via a PKC-activated pathway in MDM-mediated PCNU degradation, phorbol esters appear to also activate non-PKC pathways that have roles in biodegradation. Moreover, the sensitivity to material surface chemistry in the MDM response to each PCNU dictates a multi-factorial degradative process involving alternate material specific oxidative and hydrolytic mechanisms.

Adherence to a healthy diet according to the World Health Organization guidelines and all-cause mortality in elderly adults from Europe and the United States.

PubMed

Jankovic, Nicole; Geelen, Anouk; Streppel, Martinette T; de Groot, Lisette C P G M; Orfanos, Philippos; van den Hooven, Edith H; Pikhart, Hynek; Boffetta, Paolo; Trichopoulou, Antonia; Bobak, Martin; Bueno-de-Mesquita, H B; Kee, Frank; Franco, Oscar H; Park, Yikyung; Hallmans, Göran; Tjønneland, Anne; May, Anne M; Pajak, Andrzej; Malyutina, Sofia; Kubinova, Růžena; Amiano, Pilar; Kampman, Ellen; Feskens, Edith J

2014-11-15

The World Health Organization (WHO) has formulated guidelines for a healthy diet to prevent chronic diseases and postpone death worldwide. Our objective was to investigate the association between the WHO guidelines, measured using the Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI), and all-cause mortality in elderly men and women from Europe and the United States. We analyzed data from 396,391 participants (42% women) in 11 prospective cohort studies who were 60 years of age or older at enrollment (in 1988-2005). HDI scores were based on 6 nutrients and 1 food group and ranged from 0 (least healthy diet) to 70 (healthiest diet). Adjusted cohort-specific hazard ratios were derived by using Cox proportional hazards regression and subsequently pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. During 4,497,957 person-years of follow-up, 84,978 deaths occurred. Median HDI scores ranged from 40 to 54 points across cohorts. For a 10-point increase in HDI score (representing adherence to an additional WHO guideline), the pooled adjusted hazard ratios were 0.90 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.87, 0.93) for men and women combined, 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85, 0.92) for men, and 0.90 (95% CI: 0.85, 0.95) for women. These estimates translate to an increased life expectancy of 2 years at the age of 60 years. Greater adherence to the WHO guidelines is associated with greater longevity in elderly men and women in Europe and the United States. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Using the HDI camera with Tohono O’odham Tribal Community College Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garmany, Catharine D.

2017-01-01

Tohono O’odham Community College is a small two-year tribal college, located at the foot of I'oligam Du'ag, also known as Kitt Peak. In recognition and appreciation of Kitt Peak National Observatory’s location on the Tohono O’odham reservation, NOAO has worked with the college to offer an introduction astronomy class when requested. The class has been taught by NOAO scientific staff and post docs, and the lab component of this 4-credit class has been carried out at Kitt Peak. With support from the WIYN0.9-m Consortium, students have been able to observe on the 0.9m telescope. Most recently they have used the HDI camera for an evening, which has been a highlight of the class that students always note in their final evaluation. I will describe challenges and rewards in developing and maintaining this class, including identifying post docs and graduate students who are able to teach it. However, we feel the challenges are worth it: this may be the only formal astronomy class offered at a tribal college.

Is Mauritius Ready to Become the HRD Leader in Africa? An Assessment of Strategic Human Resource Development in Mauritius

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dusoye, Indravidoushi C.; Oogarah, Kavi

2016-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the applicability of Strategic HRD in Mauritius. Additionally, it assesses if Mauritius, with a high HDI factor, can take the lead on Strategic HRD in Africa. Design/methodology/approach: This paper used a mixed-approach questionnaire. A sample of 21 managers was contacted and received a response rate of 67 per…

The Republic of the Philippines: Background and U.S. Relations

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-10

cost of living. 21 The HDI ranks countries according to human development indicators of life expectancy, education, literacy, and gross domestic...sovereignty over Mischief Reef, which is one of approximately 100 reefs and islands disputed by five Southeast Asian countries . A Visiting Forces...Order Code RL33233 The Republic of the Philippines: Background and U.S. Relations Updated August 10, 2007 Thomas Lum Specialist in Asian Affairs

Development of Photocrosslinkable Urethane-Doped Polyester Elastomers for Soft Tissue Engineering

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yi; Tran, Richard T.; Gyawali, Dipendra; Yang, Jian

2012-01-01

Finding an ideal biomaterial with the proper mechanical properties and biocompatibility has been of intense focus in the field of soft tissue engineering. This paper reports on the synthesis and characterization of a novel crosslinked urethane-doped polyester elastomer (CUPOMC), which was synthesized by reacting a previously developed photocrosslinkable poly (octamethylene maleate citrate) (POMC) prepolymers (pre-POMC) with 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) followed by thermo- or photo-crosslinking polymerization. The mechanical properties of the CUPOMCs can be tuned by controlling the molar ratios of pre-POMC monomers, and the ratio between the prepolymer and HDI. CUPOMCs can be crosslinked into a 3D network through polycondensation or free radical polymerization reactions. The tensile strength and elongation at break of CUPOMC synthesized under the known conditions range from 0.73±0.12MPa to 10.91±0.64MPa and from 72.91±9.09% to 300.41±21.99% respectively. Preliminary biocompatibility tests demonstrated that CUPOMCs support cell adhesion and proliferation. Unlike the pre-polymers of other crosslinked elastomers, CUPOMC pre-polymers possess great processability demonstrated by scaffold fabrication via a thermally induced phase separation method. The dual crosslinking methods for CUPOMC pre-polymers should enhance the versatile processability of the CUPOMC used in various conditions. Development of CUPOMC should expand the choices of available biodegradable elastomers for various biomedical applications such as soft tissue engineering. PMID:23565318

Correlation of sex ratio at birth with health and socioeconomic indicators.

PubMed

Grech, Victor

2018-03-01

The sex ratio at birth (male divided by total live births: M/T) has been mooted as a potential sentinel health indicator. Several metrics indicate individual countries' health and socioeconomic status. In this study, in all available countries (where such data was accessible), M/T and these indicators were compared in order to ascertain whether better (vis-à-vis health and socioeconomic status) levels of these indicators were associated with higher M/T in available countries. The following were obtained (by country) from various sources: M/T, infant mortality rate, under 5 years mortality rate, fertility rate, Human Development Index, gross domestic product per capita, life expectancy for both sexes, females, males, as well as both sexes Health Adjusted Life Expectancy (HALE). Pearson correlation was performed comparing M/T and these indicators. Despite weak correlation values, all except for the Human Development Index (HDI) correlated with M/T at statistically significant levels. A decrease in mortality and an increase in life expectancy and GDP/capita are indicators of socioeconomic wellbeing. In this study, mortality was negatively correlated with M/T. Life expectancy and GDP/capita were both positively correlated with M/T, indicating that M/T may also serve as a surrogate health indicator, and incidentally, also supporting the Trivers-Willard hypothesis. Improving economies lead to increasing education, which in turns tends to lower fertility rate in association with a declining M/T. In conclusion, the global correlation of health and socioeconomic indicators with M/T suggests that M/T may be a useful sentinel health indicator. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of education on climate change risks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Neill, B. C.; KC, S.; Jiang, L.; Fuchs, R.; Pachauri, S.; Ren, X.; Zhang, T.; Laidlaw, E.

2017-12-01

Changes in the demographic and socio-economic compositions of populations are relevant to the climate change issue because these characteristics can be important determinants both of the capacity to adapt to climate change impacts as well as of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore climate change. However, the incorporation of major trends such as aging, urbanization, and changes in household size into projections of future energy use and emissions is rare. Here we build on our previous work in this area by exploring the implications of future changes in educational attainment for the climate issue. Changes in the educational composition of the population may reduce the vulnerability of the population to climate change impacts, reducing risks. However they may also have effects on energy use and land use, and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change and increase risks. The direction of the effect of education on emissions is itself ambiguous. On the one hand, improvements in education can be expected to lead to faster fertility decline and slower population growth which, all else equal, would be expected to reduce emissions. On the other hand, education can also be expected to lead to faster economic growth, which would tend to increase emissions, and also to changes in consumption patterns. We employ iPETS, an integrated assessment model that includes a multi-region model of the world economy, driven with a new set of country-specific projections of future educational composition, to test the net effect of education on energy use and emissions on four world regions (China, India, Latin America, and Rest of Asia + Middle East) and therefore on climate. We also calculate the Human Development Index (HDI) for each region resulting from these scenarios, as an indicator of vulnerability to climate impacts. We find that the net effect of improved education is to increase emissions in the medium term driven primarily by increased labor productivity, but decrease emissions in the long term primarily as a result of slower population growth. At the same time, improved education positively affects all aspects of the HDI at all time horizons. Important caveats include the uncertainty in the effect of education on economic growth.

Social determinants of dental treatment needs in Brazilian adults.

PubMed

Roncalli, Angelo Giuseppe; Tsakos, Georgios; Sheiham, Aubrey; de Souza, Georgia Costa; Watt, Richard G

2014-10-23

The chronic cumulative nature of caries makes treatment needs a severe problem in adults. Despite the fact that oral diseases occur in social contexts, there are few studies using multilevel analyses focusing on treatment needs. Thus, considering the importance of context in explaining oral health related inequalities, this study aims to evaluate the social determinants of dental treatment needs in 35-44 year old Brazilian adults, assessing whether inequalities in needs are expressed at individual and contextual levels. The dependent variables were based on the prevalence of normative dental treatment needs in adults: (a) restorative treatment; (b) tooth extraction and (c) prosthetic treatment. The independent variables at first level were household income, formal education level, sex and race. At second level, income, sanitation, infrastructure and house conditions. The city-level variables were the Human Development Index (HDI) and indicators related to health services. Exploratory analysis was performed evaluating the effect of each level through calculating Prevalence Ratios (PR). In addition, a three-level multilevel modelling was constructed for all outcomes to verify the effect of individual characteristics and also the influence of context. In relation to the need for restorative treatment, the main factors implicated were related to individual socioeconomic position, however the city-level contextual effect should also be considered. Regarding need for tooth extraction, the contextual effect does not seem to be important and, in relation to the needs for prosthetic treatment, the final model showed effect of individual-level and city-level. Variables related to health services did not show significant effects. Dental treatment needs related to primary care (restoration and tooth extraction) and secondary care (prosthesis) were strongly associated with individual socioeconomic position, mainly income and education, in Brazilian adults. In addition to this individual effect, a city-level contextual effect, represented by HDI, was also observed for need for restorations and prosthesis, but not for tooth extractions. These findings have important implications for the health policy especially for financing and planning, since the distribution of oral health resources must consider the inequalities in availability and affordability of dental care for all.

Work participation in spondyloarthritis across countries: analysis from the ASAS-COMOSPA study.

PubMed

Rodrigues Manica, Santiago; Sepriano, Alexandre; Ramiro, Sofia; Pimentel Santos, Fernando; Putrik, Polina; Nikiphorou, Elena; Norton, Sam; Molto, Anna; Dougados, Maxime; van der Heijde, Désirée; Landewé, Robert B M; van den Bosch, Filip E; Boonen, Annelies

2018-06-02

To explore the role of individual and country level socioeconomic (SE) factors on employment, absenteeism and presenteeism in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) across 22 countries worldwide. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of SpA fulfilling the ASAS classification criteria and in working age (≤65 years) from COMOSPA were included. Outcomes of interest were employment status, absenteeism and presenteeism, assessed by the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Specific General Health questionnaire. Three multivariable models were built (one per outcome) using mixed-effects binomial (for work status) or ordinal regressions (for absenteeism and presenteeism), with country as random effect. The contribution of SE factors at the individual-level (eg, gender, education, marital status) and country-level (healthcare expenditure (HCE) per capita, Human Development Index (HDI) and gross domestic product per capita) SE factors, independent of clinical factors, was assessed. In total, 3114 patients with SpA were included of which 1943 (62%) were employed. Physical function and comorbidities were related to all work outcomes in expected directions and disease activity also with absenteeism and presenteeism. Higher education (OR 4.2 (95% CI 3.1 to 5.6)) or living in a country with higher HCE (OR 2.3 (1.5 to 3.6)) or HDI (OR 1.9 (1.2 to 3.3)) was positively associated with being employed. Higher disease activity was associated with higher odds for absenteeism (OR 1.5 (1.3 to 1.7)) and presenteeism (OR 2.1 (1.8 to 2.4)). No significant association between individual-level and country-level SE factors and absenteeism or presenteeism was found. Higher education level and higher country SE welfare are associated with a higher likelihood of keeping patients with SpA employed. Absenteeism and presenteeism are only associated with clinical but not with individual-level or country-level SE factors. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Determination of technical grade isocyanates used in the production of polyurethane plastics.

PubMed

Marand, Asa; Dahlin, Jakob; Karlsson, Daniel; Skarping, Gunnar; Dalene, Marianne

2004-07-01

A method for determination of technical grade isocyanates used in the production of polyurethane (PUR) is presented. The isocyanates in technical grade products were characterised as di-n-butylamine (DBA) derivatives using LC-MS and LC-chemiluminescent nitrogen detection (CLND) and the total isocyanate content was compared to a titration assay. For collection of isocyanates in air, an impinger-filter sampling technique with DBA as derivatisation reagent was used. Characterised DBA and nonadeuterium labelled DBA derivatives of isocyanates in technical products were used as calibration standards and internal standards, respectively, in the analysis of air samples. Three workplaces were studied where PUR products were produced either by spraying or by moulding. In both technical products and in air samples, a number of monomeric, oligomeric and prepolymeric isocyanates of e.g. methylenebisphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) were characterised. Several of these have not previously been described in workplace atmospheres. In the technical isocyanate products, between 69 and 102% of the NCO content determined by titration was accounted for by LC-CLND. Quantifications of a wide range of isocyanates in air samples were performed with correlation coefficients in the range 0.988-0.999 (n= 8) and the instrumental detection limits were 0.7-25 pg. At the two workplaces where MDI- and HDI isocyanurate-based products were sprayed, the isocyanate composition in the air reflected the composition in the technical product. At the workplace where a MDI-based product was used in a moulding process, only the monomeric isocyanates were found in the air. The advantage of using characterised technical grade isocyanates as analytical standards was clearly demonstrated and the possibility of using index compounds when monitoring isocyanate exposure is discussed.

Inhibition of Major Drug Metabolizing CYPs by Common Herbal Medicines used by HIV/AIDS Patients in Africa– Implications for Herb-Drug Interactions

PubMed Central

Awortwe, Charles; Bouic, Patrick J.; Masimirembwa, Collen M.; Rosenkranz, Bernd

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential risk of common herbal medicines used by HIV-infected patients in Africa for herb-drug interactions (HDI). High throughput screening assays consisting of recombinant Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) and fluorescent probes, and parallel artificial membrane permeability assays (PAMPA) were used. The potential of herbal medicines to cause HDI was ranked according to FDA guidelines for reversible inhibition and categorization of time dependent inhibition was based on the normalized ratio. CYPs 1A2 and 3A4 were most inhibited by the herbal extracts. H. hemerocallidea (IC50 = 0.63 μg/mL and 58 μg/mL) and E. purpurea (IC50 = 20 μg/mL and 12 μg/mL) were the potent inhibitors of CYPs 1A2 and 3A4 respectively. L. frutescens and H. hemerocallidea showed clear time dependent inhibition on CYP3A4. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of both H. hemerocallidea and L. frutescens before and after PAMPA were identical. The results indicate potential HDI of H. hemerocallidea, L. frutescens and E. purpurea with substrates of the affected enzymes if maximum in vivo concentration is achieved. PMID:24475926

Accuracy and precision of four value-added blood glucose meters: the Abbott Optium, the DDI Prodigy, the HDI True Track, and the HypoGuard Assure Pro.

PubMed

Sheffield, Catherine A; Kane, Michael P; Bakst, Gary; Busch, Robert S; Abelseth, Jill M; Hamilton, Robert A

2009-09-01

This study compared the accuracy and precision of four value-added glucose meters. Finger stick glucose measurements in diabetes patients were performed using the Abbott Diabetes Care (Alameda, CA) Optium, Diagnostic Devices, Inc. (Miami, FL) DDI Prodigy, Home Diagnostics, Inc. (Fort Lauderdale, FL) HDI True Track Smart System, and Arkray, USA (Minneapolis, MN) HypoGuard Assure Pro. Finger glucose measurements were compared with laboratory reference results. Accuracy was assessed by a Clarke error grid analysis (EGA), a Parkes EGA, and within 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of the laboratory value criteria (chi2 analysis). Meter precision was determined by calculating absolute mean differences in glucose values between duplicate samples (Kruskal-Wallis test). Finger sticks were obtained from 125 diabetes patients, of which 90.4% were Caucasian, 51.2% were female, 83.2% had type 2 diabetes, and average age of 59 years (SD 14 years). Mean venipuncture blood glucose was 151 mg/dL (SD +/-65 mg/dL; range, 58-474 mg/dL). Clinical accuracy by Clarke EGA was demonstrated in 94% of Optium, 82% of Prodigy, 61% of True Track, and 77% of the Assure Pro samples (P < 0.05 for Optium and True Track compared to all others). By Parkes EGA, the True Track was significantly less accurate than the other meters. Within 5% accuracy was achieved in 34%, 24%, 29%, and 13%, respectively (P < 0.05 for Optium, Prodigy, and Assure Pro compared to True Track). Within 10% accuracy was significantly greater for the Optium, Prodigy, and Assure Pro compared to True Track. Significantly more Optium results demonstrated within 15% and 20% accuracy compared to the other meter systems. The HDI True Track was significantly less precise than the other meter systems. The Abbott Optium was significantly more accurate than the other meter systems, whereas the HDI True Track was significantly less accurate and less precise compared to the other meter systems.

Alcoholic Beverage Preference and Dietary Habits in Elderly across Europe: Analyses within the Consortium on Health and Ageing: Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States (CHANCES) Project

PubMed Central

Sluik, Diewertje; Jankovic, Nicole; O’Doherty, Mark G.; Geelen, Anouk; Schöttker, Ben; Rolandsson, Olov; Kiefte-de Jong, Jessica C.; Ferrieres, Jean; Bamia, Christina; Fransen, Heidi P.; Boer, Jolanda M. A.; Eriksson, Sture; Martínez, Begoña; Huerta, José María; Kromhout, Daan; de Groot, Lisette C. P. G. M.; Franco, Oscar H.; Trichopoulou, Antonia; Boffetta, Paolo; Kee, Frank; Feskens, Edith J. M.

2016-01-01

Introduction The differential associations of beer, wine, and spirit consumption on cardiovascular risk found in observational studies may be confounded by diet. We described and compared dietary intake and diet quality according to alcoholic beverage preference in European elderly. Methods From the Consortium on Health and Ageing: Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States (CHANCES), seven European cohorts were included, i.e. four sub-cohorts from EPIC-Elderly, the SENECA Study, the Zutphen Elderly Study, and the Rotterdam Study. Harmonized data of 29,423 elderly participants from 14 European countries were analyzed. Baseline data on consumption of beer, wine, and spirits, and dietary intake were collected with questionnaires. Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI). Intakes and scores across categories of alcoholic beverage preference (beer, wine, spirit, no preference, non-consumers) were adjusted for age, sex, socio-economic status, self-reported prevalent diseases, and lifestyle factors. Cohort-specific mean intakes and scores were calculated as well as weighted means combining all cohorts. Results In 5 of 7 cohorts, persons with a wine preference formed the largest group. After multivariate adjustment, persons with a wine preference tended to have a higher HDI score and intake of healthy foods in most cohorts, but differences were small. The weighted estimates of all cohorts combined revealed that non-consumers had the highest fruit and vegetable intake, followed by wine consumers. Non-consumers and persons with no specific preference had a higher HDI score, spirit consumers the lowest. However, overall diet quality as measured by HDI did not differ greatly across alcoholic beverage preference categories. Discussion This study using harmonized data from ~30,000 elderly from 14 European countries showed that, after multivariate adjustment, dietary habits and diet quality did not differ greatly according to alcoholic beverage preference. PMID:27548323

Dermal, inhalation, and internal exposure to 1,6-HDI and its oligomers in car body repair shop workers and industrial spray painters.

PubMed

Pronk, A; Yu, F; Vlaanderen, J; Tielemans, E; Preller, L; Bobeldijk, I; Deddens, J A; Latza, U; Baur, X; Heederik, D

2006-09-01

To study inhalation and dermal exposure to hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and its oligomers as well as personal protection equipment (PPE) use during task performance in conjunction with urinary hexamethylene diamine (HDA) in car body repair shop workers and industrial spray painters. Personal task based inhalation samples (n = 95) were collected from six car body repair shops and five industrial painting companies using impingers with di-n-butylamine (DBA) in toluene. In parallel, dermal exposure was assessed using nitril rubber gloves. Gloves were submerged into DBA in toluene after sampling. Analysis for HDI and its oligomers was performed by LC-MS/MS. Urine samples were collected from 55 workers (n = 291) and analysed for HDA by GC-MS. Inhalation exposure was strongly associated with tasks during which aerosolisation occurs. Dermal exposure occurred during tasks that involve direct handling of paint. In car body repair shops associations were found between detectable dermal exposure and glove use (odds ratio (OR) 0.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.09 to 0.57) and inhalation exposure level (OR 1.34, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.84 for a 10-fold increase). HDA in urine could be demonstrated in 36% and 10% of car body repair shop workers and industrial painting company workers respectively. In car body repair shops, the frequency of detectable HDA was significantly elevated at the end of the working day (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.07 to 4.22 for 3-6 pm v 0-8 am). In both branches HDA was detected in urine of approximately 25% of the spray painters. In addition HDA was detected in urine of a large proportion of non-spray painters in car body repair shops. Although (spray) painting with lacquers containing isocyanate hardeners results in the highest external exposures to HDI and oligomers, workers that do not perform paint related tasks may also receive a considerable internal dose.

[Immunization and equity in the Regional Initiative of the Mesoamerican Health Initiative].

PubMed

Franco-Paredes, Carlos; Hernández-Ramos, Isabel; Santos-Preciado, José Ignacio

2011-01-01

National immunization rates indicate high vaccine coverage in Mesoamerica, but there is growing evidence that the most vulnerable groups are not being reached by immunization programs. Therefore, there is likely low effective vaccine coverage in the region, leading to persistent and growing health inequity. The planning phase of this project was from June to December 2009. The project will be conducted in the target populations which includes children under five, pregnant women, and women of child-bearing age from the most vulnerable populations within countries of the Mesoamerican region, as indicated geographically by a low human development index (HDI) and/or high prevalence of poverty at the municipal level and through the use of participatory methods to define poverty and vulnerability in local contexts. We defined three lines of action for vaccine-preventable disease interventions: 1) pilot projects to fill gaps in knowledge; 2) strengthening immunization policy; and 3) implementation of evidence-based practices. Health system strengthening through health equity is the central regional objective of the immunization workgroup. We hope to have a transformational impact on health systems so as to improve effective coverage, including vaccine and other integrated primary healthcare services.

The Challenge of Universal Eye Health in Latin America: distributive inequality of ophthalmologists in 14 countries

PubMed Central

Hong, Hannah; Mújica, Oscar J; Anaya, José; Lansingh, Van C; López, Ellery; Silva, Juan Carlos

2016-01-01

Background No comprehensive study currently exists on the supply of ophthalmologists across Latin America. We explored sociogeographic inequalities in the availability and distribution of ophthalmologists across 14 Latin American countries. Methods The National Ophthalmologic Societies of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela provided data on affiliated ophthalmologists by first-order subnational divisions in 2013. Human Development Index (HDI) estimates at the corresponding subnational division were used as equity stratifiers. Distributional inequality of ophthalmologists within each country was assessed by the health concentration index (HCI) and the index of dissimilarity (ID), along with the mean level of ophthalmologists per population. Results Across all countries studied, there were 5.2 ophthalmologists per 100 000 population on average (95% CI 5.0 to 5.4) in 2013, with a mean HCI of 0.26 (0.16 to 0.37) and a mean relative ID of 22.7% (20.9% to 24.7%). There was wide inequality in ophthalmologist availability between countries, ranging from 1.2 (1.1 to 1.4) in Ecuador to 8.6 (8.5 to 8.8) in Brazil. All countries had positive (ie, pro-rich) HCI values ranging from 0.68 (0.66 to 0.71) in Guatemala to 0.02 (−0.11 to 0.14) in Venezuela. Correspondingly, redistributive potential to achieve equity was closest in Venezuela (ID: 1.5%) and farthest in Guatemala (ID: 60.3%). Benchmarked against regional averages, most countries had a lower availability of ophthalmologists and higher relative inequality. Conclusions There is high inequality in the level and distribution of ophthalmologists between and within countries in Latin America, with a disproportionate number concentrated in more developed, socially advantaged areas. More equitable access to ophthalmologists could be achieved by implementing incentivised human resources redistribution programmes and by improving the social determinants of health in underserved areas. PMID:27864248

Geospatial approach for assessment of biophysical vulnerability to agricultural drought and its intra-seasonal variations.

PubMed

Sehgal, Vinay Kumar; Dhakar, Rajkumar

2016-03-01

The study presents a methodology to assess and map agricultural drought vulnerability during main kharif crop season at local scale and compare its intra-seasonal variations. A conceptual model of vulnerability based on variables of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity was adopted, and spatial datasets of key biophysical factors contributing to vulnerability were generated using remote sensing and GIS for Rajasthan State of India. Hazard exposure was based on frequency and intensity of gridded standardized precipitation index (SPI). Agricultural sensitivity was based on soil water holding capacity as well as on frequency and intensity of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)-derived trend adjusted vegetation condition index (VCITadj). Percent irrigated area was used as a measure of adaptive capacity. Agricultural drought vulnerability was derived separately for early, mid, late, and whole kharif seasons by composting rating of factors using linear weighting scheme and pairwise comparison of multi-criteria evaluation. The regions showing very low to extreme rating of hazard exposure, drought sensitivity, and agricultural vulnerability were identified at all four time scales. The results indicate that high to extreme vulnerability occurs in more than 50% of net sown area in the state and such areas mostly occur in western, central, and southern parts. The higher vulnerability is on account of non-irrigated croplands, moderate to low water holding capacity of sandy soils, resulting in higher sensitivity, and located in regions with high probability of rainfall deficiency. The mid and late season vulnerability has been found to be much higher than that during early and whole season. Significant correlation of vulnerability rating with food grain productivity, drought recurrence period, crop area damaged in year 2009 and socioeconomic indicator of human development index (HDI) proves the general soundness of methodology. Replication of this methodology in other areas is expected to lead to better preparedness and mitigation-oriented management of droughts.

Simulating irrational human behavior to prevent resource depletion.

PubMed

Sircova, Anna; Karimi, Fariba; Osin, Evgeny N; Lee, Sungmin; Holme, Petter; Strömbom, Daniel

2015-01-01

In a situation with a limited common resource, cooperation between individuals sharing the resource is essential. However, people often act upon self-interest in irrational ways that threaten the long-term survival of the whole group. A lack of sustainable or environmentally responsible behavior is often observed. In this study, we examine how the maximization of benefits principle works in a wider social interactive context of personality preferences in order to gain a more realistic insight into the evolution of cooperation. We used time perspective (TP), a concept reflecting individual differences in orientation towards past, present, or future, and relevant for making sustainable choices. We developed a personality-driven agent-based model that explores the role of personality in the outcomes of social dilemmas and includes multiple facets of diversity: (1) The agents have different behavior strategies: individual differences derived by applying cluster analysis to survey data from 22 countries (N = 10,940) and resulting in 7 cross-cultural profiles of TP; (2) The non-uniform distribution of the types of agents across countries; (3) The diverse interactions between the agents; and (4) diverse responses to those interactions in a well-mixed population. As one of the results, we introduced an index of overall cooperation for each of the 22 countries, which was validated against cultural, economic, and sustainability indicators (HDI, dimensions of national culture, and Environment Performance Index). It was associated with higher human development, higher individualism, lower power distance, and better environmental performance. The findings illustrate how individual differences in TP can be simulated to predict the ways people in different countries solve the personal vs. common gain dilemma in the global limited-resource situation. This interdisciplinary approach to social simulation can be adopted to explain the possible causes of global environmental issues and to predict their possible outcomes.

Simulating Irrational Human Behavior to Prevent Resource Depletion

PubMed Central

Sircova, Anna; Karimi, Fariba; Osin, Evgeny N.; Lee, Sungmin; Holme, Petter; Strömbom, Daniel

2015-01-01

In a situation with a limited common resource, cooperation between individuals sharing the resource is essential. However, people often act upon self-interest in irrational ways that threaten the long-term survival of the whole group. A lack of sustainable or environmentally responsible behavior is often observed. In this study, we examine how the maximization of benefits principle works in a wider social interactive context of personality preferences in order to gain a more realistic insight into the evolution of cooperation. We used time perspective (TP), a concept reflecting individual differences in orientation towards past, present, or future, and relevant for making sustainable choices. We developed a personality-driven agent-based model that explores the role of personality in the outcomes of social dilemmas and includes multiple facets of diversity: (1) The agents have different behavior strategies: individual differences derived by applying cluster analysis to survey data from 22 countries (N = 10,940) and resulting in 7 cross-cultural profiles of TP; (2) The non-uniform distribution of the types of agents across countries; (3) The diverse interactions between the agents; and (4) diverse responses to those interactions in a well-mixed population. As one of the results, we introduced an index of overall cooperation for each of the 22 countries, which was validated against cultural, economic, and sustainability indicators (HDI, dimensions of national culture, and Environment Performance Index). It was associated with higher human development, higher individualism, lower power distance, and better environmental performance. The findings illustrate how individual differences in TP can be simulated to predict the ways people in different countries solve the personal vs. common gain dilemma in the global limited-resource situation. This interdisciplinary approach to social simulation can be adopted to explain the possible causes of global environmental issues and to predict their possible outcomes. PMID:25760635

A REFERENCE-INVARIANT HEALTH DISPARITY INDEX BASED ON RÉNYI DIVERGENCE

PubMed Central

Talih, Makram

2015-01-01

One of four overarching goals of Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) is to achieve health equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups. In health disparity indices (HDIs) such as the mean log deviation (MLD) and Theil index (TI), disparities are relative to the population average, whereas in the index of disparity (IDisp) the reference is the group with the least adverse health outcome. Although the latter may be preferable, identification of a reference group can be affected by statistical reliability. To address this issue, we propose a new HDI, the Rényi index (RI), which is reference-invariant. When standardized, the RI extends the Atkinson index, where a disparity aversion parameter can incorporate societal values associated with health equity. In addition, both the MLD and TI are limiting cases of the RI. Also, a symmetrized Rényi index (SRI) can be constructed, resulting in a symmetric measure in the two distributions whose relative entropy is being evaluated. We discuss alternative symmetric and reference-invariant HDIs derived from the generalized entropy (GE) class and the Bregman divergence, and argue that the SRI is more robust than its GE-based counterpart to small changes in the distribution of the adverse health outcome. We evaluate the design-based standard errors and bootstrapped sampling distributions for the SRI, and illustrate the proposed methodology using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) on the 2001–04 prevalence of moderate or severe periodontitis among adults aged 45–74, which tracks Oral Health objective OH-5 in HP2020. Such data, which uses a binary individual-level outcome variable, are typical of HP2020 data. PMID:26568778

A REFERENCE-INVARIANT HEALTH DISPARITY INDEX BASED ON RÉNYI DIVERGENCE.

PubMed

Talih, Makram

One of four overarching goals of Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) is to achieve health equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups. In health disparity indices (HDIs) such as the mean log deviation (MLD) and Theil index (TI), disparities are relative to the population average, whereas in the index of disparity (IDisp) the reference is the group with the least adverse health outcome. Although the latter may be preferable, identification of a reference group can be affected by statistical reliability. To address this issue, we propose a new HDI, the Rényi index (RI), which is reference-invariant. When standardized, the RI extends the Atkinson index, where a disparity aversion parameter can incorporate societal values associated with health equity. In addition, both the MLD and TI are limiting cases of the RI. Also, a symmetrized Rényi index (SRI) can be constructed, resulting in a symmetric measure in the two distributions whose relative entropy is being evaluated. We discuss alternative symmetric and reference-invariant HDIs derived from the generalized entropy (GE) class and the Bregman divergence, and argue that the SRI is more robust than its GE-based counterpart to small changes in the distribution of the adverse health outcome. We evaluate the design-based standard errors and bootstrapped sampling distributions for the SRI, and illustrate the proposed methodology using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) on the 2001-04 prevalence of moderate or severe periodontitis among adults aged 45-74, which tracks Oral Health objective OH-5 in HP2020. Such data, which uses a binary individual-level outcome variable, are typical of HP2020 data.

Disruptive Technologies in Workmanship: pH-neutral Flux, CDM ESD Events, HDI PCBs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plante, Jeannette F.

2010-01-01

This slide presentation describes what it calls "disruptive technologies", i.e., "Low-end disruption" occurs when the rate at which products improve exceeds the rate at which customers can adopt the new performance. Therefore, at some point the performance of the product overshoots the needs of certain customer segments. At this point, a disruptive technology may enter the market and provide a product which has lower performance than the incumbent but which exceeds the requirements of certain segments, thereby gaining a foothold in the market. This concept is viewed in impacting incumbent technologies Rosin Flux, with a pH-neutral water soluble Flux; electrostatic discharge models being disrupted by the charge device model (CDM) concept; and High Density Interconnect Printed Circuit Boards (HDI PCB).

Asthma and Hispanic Americans

MedlinePlus

... as bronchitis. Children living below or near the poverty level are more likely to have high levels ... www.cdc.gov/nchs/hdi.htm The proportional impact of asthma prevalence, health care use and mortality ...

Effect of manual therapy techniques on headache disability in patients with tension-type headache. Randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Espí-López, G V; Rodríguez-Blanco, C; Oliva-Pascual-Vaca, A; Benítez-Martínez, J C; Lluch, E; Falla, D

2014-12-01

Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most common type of primary headache however there is no clear evidence as to which specific treatment is most effective or whether combined treatment is more effective than individual treatments. To assess the effectiveness of manual therapy techniques, applied to the suboccipital region, on aspects of disability in a sample of patients with tension-type headache. Randomized Controlled Trial. Specialized centre for headache treatment. Seventy-six (62 women) patients (age: 39.9 ± 10.9 years) with episodic chronic TTH. Patients were randomly divided into four treatment groups: 1) suboccipital soft tissue inhibition; 2) occiput-atlas-axis manipulation; 3) combined treatment of both techniques; 4) control. Four sessions were applied over 4 weeks and disability was assessed before and after treatment using the Headache Disability Inventory (HDI). Headache frequency, severity and the functional and emotional subscales of the questionnaire were assessed. Photophobia, phonophobia and pericranial tenderness were also monitored. Headache frequency was significantly reduced with the manipulative and combined treatment (P<0.05), and the severity and functional subscale of the HDI changed in all three treatment groups (P<0.05). Manipulation treatment also reduced the score on the emotional subscale of the HDI (P<0.05). The combined intervention showed a greater effect at reducing the overall HDI score compared to the group that received suboccipital soft tissue inhibition and to the control group (both P<0.05). In addition, photophobia, phonophobia and pericranial tenderness only improved in the group receiving combined therapy (P<0.05). When given individually, suboccipital soft tissue inhibition and occiput-atlas-axis manipulation resulted in changes in different parameters related to the disability caused by TTH. However, when the two treatments were combined, effectiveness was noted for all aspects of disability and other symptoms including photophobia, phonophobia and pericranial tenderness. Although individual manual therapy treatments showed a positive change in headache features, measures of photophobia, photophobia and pericranial tenderness only improved in the group that received the combined treatment suggesting that combined treatment is the most appropriate for symptomatic relief of TTH.

Dermal, inhalation, and internal exposure to 1,6‐HDI and its oligomers in car body repair shop workers and industrial spray painters

PubMed Central

Pronk, A; Yu, F; Vlaanderen, J; Tielemans, E; Preller, L; Bobeldijk, I; Deddens, J A; Latza, U; Baur, X; Heederik, D

2006-01-01

Objectives To study inhalation and dermal exposure to hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and its oligomers as well as personal protection equipment (PPE) use during task performance in conjunction with urinary hexamethylene diamine (HDA) in car body repair shop workers and industrial spray painters. Methods Personal task based inhalation samples (n = 95) were collected from six car body repair shops and five industrial painting companies using impingers with di‐n‐butylamine (DBA) in toluene. In parallel, dermal exposure was assessed using nitril rubber gloves. Gloves were submerged into DBA in toluene after sampling. Analysis for HDI and its oligomers was performed by LC‐MS/MS. Urine samples were collected from 55 workers (n = 291) and analysed for HDA by GC‐MS. Results Inhalation exposure was strongly associated with tasks during which aerosolisation occurs. Dermal exposure occurred during tasks that involve direct handling of paint. In car body repair shops associations were found between detectable dermal exposure and glove use (odds ratio (OR) 0.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.09 to 0.57) and inhalation exposure level (OR 1.34, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.84 for a 10‐fold increase). HDA in urine could be demonstrated in 36% and 10% of car body repair shop workers and industrial painting company workers respectively. In car body repair shops, the frequency of detectable HDA was significantly elevated at the end of the working day (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.07 to 4.22 for 3–6 pm v 0–8 am). In both branches HDA was detected in urine of ∼25% of the spray painters. In addition HDA was detected in urine of a large proportion of non‐spray painters in car body repair shops. Conclusion Although (spray) painting with lacquers containing isocyanate hardeners results in the highest external exposures to HDI and oligomers, workers that do not perform paint related tasks may also receive a considerable internal dose. PMID:16728504

Climate-Related Hazards: A Method for Global Assessment of Urban and Rural Population Exposure to Cyclones, Droughts, and Floods

PubMed Central

Christenson, Elizabeth; Elliott, Mark; Banerjee, Ovik; Hamrick, Laura; Bartram, Jamie

2014-01-01

Global climate change (GCC) has led to increased focus on the occurrence of, and preparation for, climate-related extremes and hazards. Population exposure, the relative likelihood that a person in a given location was exposed to a given hazard event(s) in a given period of time, was the outcome for this analysis. Our objectives were to develop a method for estimating the population exposure at the country level to the climate-related hazards cyclone, drought, and flood; develop a method that readily allows the addition of better datasets to an automated model; differentiate population exposure of urban and rural populations; and calculate and present the results of exposure scores and ranking of countries based on the country-wide, urban, and rural population exposures to cyclone, drought, and flood. Gridded global datasets on cyclone, drought and flood occurrence as well as population density were combined and analysis was carried out using ArcGIS. Results presented include global maps of ranked country-level population exposure to cyclone, drought, flood and multiple hazards. Analyses by geography and human development index (HDI) are also included. The results and analyses of this exposure assessment have implications for country-level adaptation. It can also be used to help prioritize aid decisions and allocation of adaptation resources between countries and within a country. This model is designed to allow flexibility in applying cyclone, drought and flood exposure to a range of outcomes and adaptation measures. PMID:24566046

Chemical analysis of 2,4-toluene diisocyanate, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate and isophorone diisocyanate in petrolatum patch-test preparations.

PubMed

Frick-Engfeldt, Malin; Zimerson, Erik; Karlsson, Daniel; Marand, Asa; Skarping, Gunnar; Isaksson, Marléne; Bruze, Magnus

2005-09-01

Isocyanates with the general formula R-(N=C=O) are theoretically contact sensitizers. However, allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) from isocyanates is seldom reported. In previous reports, patients reacted to their isocyanate-based work materials but not to commercial patch-test preparations of isocyanates. Therefore, we suspected that the low frequency of reported ACD from isocyanates was partly due to inadequate commercial preparations. A past study also showed the concentrations of diphenylmethane-4,4'-diisocyanate (4,4'-MDI) in petrolatum preparations to be much lower than declared. In this study, 2,4-toluene diisocyanate (2,4-TDI), 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (1,6-HDI), and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) were investigated in a similar fashion. In preparations from 12 dermatology departments and two suppliers of patch-test allergens, we determined the isocyanate content as the isocyanate-dibutylamine derivative, using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The preparations were considered stable if the ratio between the stated and found concentrations was within the range of 0.8 to 1.2. Although 28 of 36 investigated preparations had ratios outside of the stable range, they were in its vicinity, which indicates that preparations of 2,4-TDI, 1,6-HDI, and IPDI are more stable than are preparations of 4,4'-MDI where previously reported results showed ratios far outside of stable range. As opposed to preparations of 4,4'-MDI, preparations of 2,4-TDI, 1,6-HDI, and IPDI can be considered to be stable.

Characterizing Awareness of Schizophrenia Among Facebook Users by Leveraging Facebook Advertisement Estimates.

PubMed

Saha, Koustuv; Weber, Ingmar; Birnbaum, Michael L; De Choudhury, Munmun

2017-05-08

Schizophrenia is a rare but devastating condition, affecting about 1% of the world's population and resulting in about 2% of the US health care expenditure. Major impediments to appropriate and timely care include misconceptions, high levels of stigma, and lack of public awareness. Facebook offers novel opportunities to understand public awareness and information access related to schizophrenia, and thus can complement survey-based approaches to assessing awareness that are limited in scale, robustness, and temporal and demographic granularity. The aims of this study were to (1) construct an index that measured the awareness of different demographic groups around schizophrenia-related information on Facebook; (2) study how this index differed across demographic groups and how it correlated with complementary Web-based (Google Trends) and non-Web-based variables about population well-being (mental health indicators and infrastructure), and (3) examine the relationship of Facebook derived schizophrenia index with other types of online activity as well as offline health and mental health outcomes and indicators. Data from Facebook's advertising platform was programmatically collected to compute the proportion of users in a target demographic group with an interest related to schizophrenia. On consultation with a clinical expert, several topics were combined to obtain a single index measuring schizophrenia awareness. This index was then analyzed for differences across US states, gender, age, ethnic affinity, and education level. A statistical approach was developed to model a group's awareness index based on the group's characteristics. Overall, 1.03% of Facebook users in the United States have a schizophrenia-related interest. The schizophrenia awareness index (SAI) is higher for females than for males (1.06 vs 0.97, P<.001), and it is highest for the people who are aged 25-44 years (1.35 vs 1.03 for all ages, P<.001). The awareness index drops for higher education levels (0.68 for MA or PhD vs 1.92 for no high school degree, P<.001), and Hispanics have the highest level of interest (1.57 vs 1.03 for all ethnic affinities, P<.001). A regression model fit to predict a group's interest level achieves an adjusted R 2 =0.55. We also observe a positive association between our SAI and mental health services (or institutions) per 100,000 residents in a US state (Pearson r=.238, P<.001), but a negative association with the state-level human development index (HDI) in United States (Pearson r=-.145, P<.001) and state-level volume of mental health issues in United States (Pearson r=-.145, P<.001). Facebook's advertising platform can be used to construct a plausible index of population-scale schizophrenia awareness. However, only estimates of awareness can be obtained, and the index provides no information on the quality of the information users receive online. ©Koustuv Saha, Ingmar Weber, Michael L Birnbaum, Munmun De Choudhury. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 08.05.2017.

Characterizing Awareness of Schizophrenia Among Facebook Users by Leveraging Facebook Advertisement Estimates

PubMed Central

Weber, Ingmar; Birnbaum, Michael L; De Choudhury, Munmun

2017-01-01

Background Schizophrenia is a rare but devastating condition, affecting about 1% of the world’s population and resulting in about 2% of the US health care expenditure. Major impediments to appropriate and timely care include misconceptions, high levels of stigma, and lack of public awareness. Facebook offers novel opportunities to understand public awareness and information access related to schizophrenia, and thus can complement survey-based approaches to assessing awareness that are limited in scale, robustness, and temporal and demographic granularity. Objective The aims of this study were to (1) construct an index that measured the awareness of different demographic groups around schizophrenia-related information on Facebook; (2) study how this index differed across demographic groups and how it correlated with complementary Web-based (Google Trends) and non–Web-based variables about population well-being (mental health indicators and infrastructure), and (3) examine the relationship of Facebook derived schizophrenia index with other types of online activity as well as offline health and mental health outcomes and indicators. Methods Data from Facebook’s advertising platform was programmatically collected to compute the proportion of users in a target demographic group with an interest related to schizophrenia. On consultation with a clinical expert, several topics were combined to obtain a single index measuring schizophrenia awareness. This index was then analyzed for differences across US states, gender, age, ethnic affinity, and education level. A statistical approach was developed to model a group’s awareness index based on the group’s characteristics. Results Overall, 1.03% of Facebook users in the United States have a schizophrenia-related interest. The schizophrenia awareness index (SAI) is higher for females than for males (1.06 vs 0.97, P<.001), and it is highest for the people who are aged 25-44 years (1.35 vs 1.03 for all ages, P<.001). The awareness index drops for higher education levels (0.68 for MA or PhD vs 1.92 for no high school degree, P<.001), and Hispanics have the highest level of interest (1.57 vs 1.03 for all ethnic affinities, P<.001). A regression model fit to predict a group’s interest level achieves an adjusted R2=0.55. We also observe a positive association between our SAI and mental health services (or institutions) per 100,000 residents in a US state (Pearson r=.238, P<.001), but a negative association with the state-level human development index (HDI) in United States (Pearson r=−.145, P<.001) and state-level volume of mental health issues in United States (Pearson r=−.145, P<.001). Conclusions Facebook’s advertising platform can be used to construct a plausible index of population-scale schizophrenia awareness. However, only estimates of awareness can be obtained, and the index provides no information on the quality of the information users receive online. PMID:28483739

Landslide risk reduction strategies: an inventory for the Global South

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maes, Jan; Kervyn, Matthieu; Vranken, Liesbet; Dewitte, Olivier; Vanmaercke, Matthias; Mertens, Kewan; Jacobs, Liesbet; Poesen, Jean

2015-04-01

Landslides constitute a serious problem globally. Moreover, landslide impact remains underestimated especially in the Global South. It is precisely there where the largest impact is experienced. An overview of measures taken to reduce risk of landslides in the Global South is however still lacking. Because in many countries of the Global South disaster risk reduction (DRR) is at an emerging stage, it is crucial to monitor the ongoing efforts (e.g. discussions on the Post-2015 Framework for DRR). The first objective of this study is to make an inventory of techniques and strategies that are applied to reduce risk from landslides in tropical countries. The second objective is to investigate what are the main bottlenecks for implementation of DRR strategies. In order to achieve these objectives, a review of both scientific and grey literature was conducted, supplemented with expert knowledge. The compilation of recommended and implemented DRR measures from landslide-prone tropical countries is based on an adapted classification proposed by the SafeLand project. According to Vaciago (2013), landslide risk can be reduced by either reducing the hazard, the vulnerability, the number or value of elements at risk or by sharing the residual risk. In addition, these measures can be combined with education and/or awareness raising and are influenced by governance structures and cultural beliefs. Global landslide datasets have been used to identify landslide-prone countries, augmented with region-specific datasets. Countries located in the tropics were selected in order to include landslide-prone countries with a different Human Development Index (HDI) but with a similar climate. Preliminary results support the statement made by Anderson (2013) that although the importance of shifting from post-disaster emergency actions to pre-disaster mitigation is acknowledged, in practice this paradigm shift seems rather limited. It is expected that this is especially the case in countries with a low HDI. Thus far, identified bottlenecks for implementation and maintenance seem to be: 1) no access to capital for government and households, 2) limited awareness of possible measures, and 3) lack of law enforcement. This contribution presents an overview of the potential and applied landslide DRR measures in tropical developing countries as a crucial step towards more knowledge sharing in reducing landslide risks. References: Vaciago, G. (2013). The SafeLand Compendium of Landslide Risk Mitigation Measures. In C. Margottini, P. Canuti, & K. Sassa, Landslide Science and Practice: Volume 6, Risk Assessment, Management and Mitigation (pp. 683-691). Berlin: Springer. Anderson, M. (2013). Landslide Risk Reduction in Developing Countries: Perceptions, Successes and Future Risks for Capacity Building. In C. Margottini, P. Canuti, & K. Sassa, Landslide Science and Practice: Volume 7, Social and Economic Impact and Policies (pp. 247-256). Berlin: Springer.

Understanding the importance of an energy crisis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mechtenberg, Abigail Reid

Human development and energy, in general, and electrical energy, specifically, co-exist seamlessly in high HDI countries where reliability and availability is greater than 99%. In numerous low HDI countries, there is 2-50% electric grid availability with reliability at or below 50% due to load shedding and faults. In Africa, solar, wind, biomass and hydroelectric energy production are cited to meet growing demand and increase reliability and availability; however, the capital costs are greater than the ability-to-pay for wide scale implementation. Since the 1970s, the United States has continued to argue over the new sustainable energy infrastructure solution(s); thus resulting in no new infrastructure being built for wide scale implementation. Together the world is facing the daunting task of averting an energy crisis in developed countries and facing energy crises in developing countries. This thesis explores the importance of energy crises: from the past, current, and future. The first part entails arguing that the United States is not on a pathway to prevent an energy crisis based on an analysis of 1986 and 2004 niche and status-quo manufacturing of light-duty vehicles. The second part answers the question of what an energy crisis looks like by exploring and investigating current electrical energy crises in Fort Portal, Uganda. This part used both anthropological and physics education empowerment research to co-design and build for various energy crisis situations in hospitals, schools, and businesses all from locally available materials and expertise. Finally, looking into the US light-duty vehicle's future, I design a new hybrid vehicle powertrain (called transition mode hybrid). This third part describes my new patent as a way to avert an energy crisis in the light-duty transportation sector.

Inflammation drives dysbiosis and bacterial invasion in murine models of ileal Crohn's disease.

PubMed

Craven, Melanie; Egan, Charlotte E; Dowd, Scot E; McDonough, Sean P; Dogan, Belgin; Denkers, Eric Y; Bowman, Dwight; Scherl, Ellen J; Simpson, Kenneth W

2012-01-01

Understanding the interplay between genetic susceptibility, the microbiome, the environment and the immune system in Crohn's Disease (CD) is essential for developing optimal therapeutic strategies. We sought to examine the dynamics of the relationship between inflammation, the ileal microbiome, and host genetics in murine models of ileitis. We induced ileal inflammation of graded severity in C57BL6 mice by gavage with Toxoplasma gondii, Giardia muris, low dose indomethacin (LDI; 0.1 mg/mouse), or high dose indomethacin (HDI; 1 mg/mouse). The composition and spatial distribution of the mucosal microbiome was evaluated by 16S rDNA pyrosequencing and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Mucosal E. coli were enumerated by quantitative PCR, and characterized by phylogroup, genotype and pathotype. Moderate to severe ileitis induced by T. gondii (day 8) and HDI caused a consistent shift from >95% gram + Firmicutes to >95% gram - Proteobacteria. This was accompanied by reduced microbial diversity and mucosal invasion by adherent and invasive E. coli, mirroring the dysbiosis of ileal CD. In contrast, dysbiosis and bacterial invasion did not develop in mice with mild ileitis induced by Giardia muris. Superimposition of genetic susceptibility and T. Gondii infection revealed greatest dysbiosis and bacterial invasion in the CD-susceptible genotype, NOD2(-/-), and reduced dysbiosis in ileitis-resistant CCR2(-/-) mice. Abrogating inflammation with the CD therapeutic anti-TNF-α-mAb tempered dysbiosis and bacterial invasion. Acute ileitis induces dysbiosis and proliferation of mucosally invasive E. coli, irrespective of trigger and genotype. The identification of CCR2 as a target for therapeutic intervention, and discovery that host genotype and therapeutic blockade of inflammation impact the threshold and extent of ileal dysbiosis are of high relevance to developing effective therapies for CD.

Regulatory T cells and other lymphocyte subpopulations in patients with melanoma developing interferon-induced thyroiditis during high-dose interferon-α2b treatment.

PubMed

Soldevila, Berta; Alonso, Núria; Martínez-Arconada, Maria J; Granada, Maria L; Boada, Aram; Vallejos, Virginia; Fraile, Manuel; Fernández-Sanmartín, Marco A; Pujol-Borrell, Ricardo; Puig-Domingo, Manel; Sanmartí, Anna; Martínez-Cáceres, Eva M

2013-04-01

One of the side effects of interferon-alpha therapy is interferon-induced thyroiditis (IIT). The role of lymphocyte subpopulations in IIT melanoma patients remains to be defined. Our objective was to assess different peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations, mainly regulatory T cells (Tregs), in melanoma patients who developed IIT. From 30 melanoma patients receiving high-dose interferon (HDI)-alpha 2b (IFN-α2b) treatment, those who developed IIT (IIT patients) were selected and compared with patients who did not develop IIT (Co-MM) and healthy controls (Co-H). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained before treatment (BT), mid-treatment (MT), end of treatment (ET), 24 weeks post-treatment and at appearance of IIT (TT). Nine patients developed IIT (30%): four Hashimoto's thyroiditis and five destructive thyroiditis. An increase in Tregs was observed in both melanoma groups during HDI treatment. A decrease in CD3(+) , NKT lymphocyte subpopulations and Bcl2 expression on B cells was also observed in both groups. However, no changes were observed in the percentage of CD4(+) , CD8(+) , CD3(+) γδ(+) , CD19(+) , transitional B cells (CD24(high) CD38(high) CD19(+) CD27(-) ), natural killer (NK), invariant NKT (iNKT) lymphocytes and Th1/Th2 balance when BT was compared with ET. At TT, IIT patients had a higher Tregs percentage than Co-MM (P = 0·012) and Co-H (P = 0·004), a higher iNKT percentage than Co-MM (P = 0·011), a higher transitional B cells percentage than Co-H (P = 0·015), a lower CD3(+) percentage than Co-H (P = 0·001) and a lower Bcl2 expression on B cells than Co-H (P < 0·001). Our results point to the immunomodulatory effects of IFN-α on different lymphocyte subpopulations and a possible role of Tregs in melanoma patients who developed IIT. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Isocyanate exposure and asthma in the UK vehicle repair industry.

PubMed

Stocks, S J; Jones, K; Piney, M; Agius, R M

2015-12-01

Organic diisocyanates are a common cause of occupational asthma, particularly in motor vehicle repair (MVR) workers. The UK Health & Safety Laboratory provides screening for urinary hexamethylenediamine (UHDA), a biomarker of exposure to 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). The UK Surveillance of Work-related and Occupational Respiratory Disease scheme (SWORD) has collected reports of occupational asthma since 1996. To compare trends in HDI exposure with trends in the incidence of work-related asthma attributed to isocyanates or paint spraying in MVR workers reported to SWORD. Two-level regression models were used to estimate trends in UHDA levels and work-related asthma in MVR workers reported to SWORD. The direction and magnitude of the trends were compared descriptively. From 2006 to 2014, there was a significant decline in the number of urine samples with detectable levels of UHDA (odds ratio = 0.96; 95% confidence intervals 0.94-0.98) and minimal change in those over the guidance value (1.03; 1.00-1.06). Over the same period, there was a significant decline in all asthma cases attributed to isocyanates or paint spraying reported to SWORD (0.90; 0.86-0.94) and a non-significant decline among MVR workers (0.94; 0.86-1.02). The simultaneous decrease in HDI exposure and incident cases of asthma reported to SWORD is temporally consistent with a reduction in exposure to airborne isocyanate leading to a reduction in asthma. Although this is not direct evidence of a causal relationship between the two trends, it is suggestive. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine.

Isocyanate exposure and asthma in the UK vehicle repair industry

PubMed Central

Jones, K.; Piney, M.; Agius, R. M.

2015-01-01

Background Organic diisocyanates are a common cause of occupational asthma, particularly in motor vehicle repair (MVR) workers. The UK Health & Safety Laboratory provides screening for urinary hexamethylenediamine (UHDA), a biomarker of exposure to 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). The UK Surveillance of Work-related and Occupational Respiratory Disease scheme (SWORD) has collected reports of occupational asthma since 1996. Aims To compare trends in HDI exposure with trends in the incidence of work-related asthma attributed to isocyanates or paint spraying in MVR workers reported to SWORD. Methods Two-level regression models were used to estimate trends in UHDA levels and work-related asthma in MVR workers reported to SWORD. The direction and magnitude of the trends were compared descriptively. Results From 2006 to 2014, there was a significant decline in the number of urine samples with detectable levels of UHDA (odds ratio = 0.96; 95% confidence intervals 0.94–0.98) and minimal change in those over the guidance value (1.03; 1.00–1.06). Over the same period, there was a significant decline in all asthma cases attributed to isocyanates or paint spraying reported to SWORD (0.90; 0.86–0.94) and a non-significant decline among MVR workers (0.94; 0.86–1.02). Conclusions The simultaneous decrease in HDI exposure and incident cases of asthma reported to SWORD is temporally consistent with a reduction in exposure to airborne isocyanate leading to a reduction in asthma. Although this is not direct evidence of a causal relationship between the two trends, it is suggestive. PMID:26209793

Thermal modeling of head disk interface system in heat assisted magnetic recording

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vemuri, Sesha Hari; Seung Chung, Pil; Jhon, Myung S., E-mail: mj3a@andrew.cmu.edu

2014-05-07

A thorough understanding of the temperature profiles introduced by the heat assisted magnetic recording is required to maintain the hotspot at the desired location on the disk with minimal heat damage to other components. Here, we implement a transient mesoscale modeling methodology termed lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) for phonons (which are primary carriers of energy) in the thermal modeling of the head disk interface (HDI) components, namely, carbon overcoat (COC). The LBM can provide more accurate results compared to conventional Fourier methodology by capturing the nanoscale phenomena due to ballistic heat transfer. We examine the in-plane and out-of-plane heat transfermore » in the COC via analyzing the temperature profiles with a continuously focused and pulsed laser beam on a moving disk. Larger in-plane hotspot widening is observed in continuously focused laser beam compared to a pulsed laser. A pulsed laser surface develops steeper temperature gradients compared to continuous hotspot. Furthermore, out-of-plane heat transfer from the COC to the media is enhanced with a continuous laser beam then a pulsed laser, while the temperature takes around 140 fs to reach the bottom surface of the COC. Our study can lead to a realistic thermal model describing novel HDI material design criteria for the next generation of hard disk drives with ultra high recording densities.« less

The Challenge of Universal Eye Health in Latin America: distributive inequality of ophthalmologists in 14 countries.

PubMed

Hong, Hannah; Mújica, Oscar J; Anaya, José; Lansingh, Van C; López, Ellery; Silva, Juan Carlos

2016-11-18

No comprehensive study currently exists on the supply of ophthalmologists across Latin America. We explored sociogeographic inequalities in the availability and distribution of ophthalmologists across 14 Latin American countries. The National Ophthalmologic Societies of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela provided data on affiliated ophthalmologists by first-order subnational divisions in 2013. Human Development Index (HDI) estimates at the corresponding subnational division were used as equity stratifiers. Distributional inequality of ophthalmologists within each country was assessed by the health concentration index (HCI) and the index of dissimilarity (ID), along with the mean level of ophthalmologists per population. Across all countries studied, there were 5.2 ophthalmologists per 100 000 population on average (95% CI 5.0 to 5.4) in 2013, with a mean HCI of 0.26 (0.16 to 0.37) and a mean relative ID of 22.7% (20.9% to 24.7%). There was wide inequality in ophthalmologist availability between countries, ranging from 1.2 (1.1 to 1.4) in Ecuador to 8.6 (8.5 to 8.8) in Brazil. All countries had positive (ie, pro-rich) HCI values ranging from 0.68 (0.66 to 0.71) in Guatemala to 0.02 (-0.11 to 0.14) in Venezuela. Correspondingly, redistributive potential to achieve equity was closest in Venezuela (ID: 1.5%) and farthest in Guatemala (ID: 60.3%). Benchmarked against regional averages, most countries had a lower availability of ophthalmologists and higher relative inequality. There is high inequality in the level and distribution of ophthalmologists between and within countries in Latin America, with a disproportionate number concentrated in more developed, socially advantaged areas. More equitable access to ophthalmologists could be achieved by implementing incentivised human resources redistribution programmes and by improving the social determinants of health in underserved areas. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Design of a high definition imaging (HDI) analysis technique adapted to challenging environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laurent, Sophie Nathalie

2005-11-01

This dissertation describes a new comprehensive, flexible, highly-automated and computationally-robust approach for high definition imaging (HDI), a data acquisition technique for video-rate imaging through a turbulent atmosphere with telescopes not equipped with adaptive optics (AO). The HDI process, when applied to astronomical objects, involves the recording of a large number of images (10 3 -10 5 ) from the Earth and, in post-processing mode, selection of the very best ones to create a "perfect-seeing" diffraction-limited image via a three-step process. First, image registration is performed to find the exact position of the object in each field, using a template similar in size and shape to the target. The next task is to select only higher-quality fields using a criterion based on a measure of the blur in a region of interest around that object. The images are then shifted and added together to create an effective time exposure under ideal observing conditions. The last step's objective is to remove residual distortions in the image caused by the atmosphere and the optical equipment, using a point spread function (PSF), and a technique called "l 1 regularization" that has been adapted to this type of environment. In order to study the tenuous sodium atmospheres around solar system bodies, the three-step HDI procedure is done first in the white light domain (695-950 nm), where the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of the images is high, resulting in an image with a sharp limb. Then the known selection and registration results are mapped to the simultaneously recorded spectral data (sodium lines: 589 and 589.6 nm), where the lower-SNR images cannot support independent registration and selection. Science results can then be derived from this spectral study to understand the structure of the atmospheres of moons and planets. This dissertation's contribution to space physics deals with locating the source of escaping sodium from Jupiter's moon lo. The results show, for the first time, that the source region is not homogeneously distributed around the small moon, but concentrated on its side of orbital motion. This identifies for modelers the physical mechanisms taking place around the most volcanic moon in the solar system.

Introduction to Rocket Propulsion

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-01

such as epoxies, MAPO (a trifunctional aziridinyl phosphine oxide), MT-4, various isocyanates, such a TDI, HDI, IPDI, and polyols such as trimethylol...propane (2) Burning rate catalysts, such as copper chromite (or chromate), ferrocene , and several less migratory derivatives of this organic iron

Dynamic stability and slider-lubricant interactions in hard disk drives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambekar, Rohit Pradeep

2007-12-01

Hard disk drives (HDD) have played a significant role in the current information age and have become the backbone of storage. The soaring demand for mass data storage drives the necessity for increasing capacity of the drives and hence the areal density on the disks as well as the reliability of the HDD. To achieve greater areal density in hard disk drives, the flying height of the airbearing slider continually decreases. Different proximity forces and interactions influence the air bearing slider resulting in fly height modulation and instability. This poses several challenges to increasing the areal density (current goal is 2Tb/in.2) as well as making the head-disk interface (HDI) more reliable. Identifying and characterizing these forces or interactions has become important for achieving a stable fly height at proximity and realizing the goals of areal density and reliability. Several proximity forces or interactions influencing the slider are identified through the study of touchdown-takeoff hysteresis. Slider-lubricant interaction which causes meniscus force between the slider and disk as well as airbearing surface contamination seems to be the most important factor affecting stability and reliability at proximity. In addition, intermolecular forces and disk topography are identified as important factors. Disk-to-slider lubricant transfer leads to lubricant pickup on the slider and also causes depletion of lubricant on the disk, affecting stability and reliability of the HDI. Experimental and numerical investigation as well as a parametric study of the process of lubricant transfer has been done using a half-delubed disk. In the first part of this parametric study, dependence on the disk lubricant thickness, lubricant type and slider ABS design has been investigated. It is concluded that the lubricant transfer can occur without slider-disk contact and there can be more than one timescale associated with the transfer. Further, the transfer increases non-linearly with increasing disk lubricant thickness. Also, the transfer depends on the type of lubricant used, and is less for Ztetraol than for Zdol. The slider ABS design also plays an important role, and a few suggestions are made to improve the ABS design for better lubricant performance. In the second part of the parametric study, the effect of carbon overcoat, lubricant molecular weight and inclusion of X-1P and A20H on the slider-lubricant interactions is investigated using a half-delubed disk approach. Based on the results, it is concluded that there exists a critical head-disk clearance above which there is negligible slider-lubricant interaction. The interaction starts at this critical clearance and increases in intensity as the head-disk clearance is further decreased below the critical clearance. Using shear stress simulations and previously published work a theory is developed to support the experimental observations. The critical clearance depends on various HDI parameters and hence can be reduced through proper design of the interface. Comparison of critical clearance on CHx and CHxNy media indicates that presence of nitrogen is better for HDI as it reduces the critical clearance, which is found to increase with increasing lubricant molecular weight and in presence of additives X-1P and A20H. Further experiments maintaining a fixed slider-disk clearance suggest that two different mechanisms dominate the disk-to-slider and slider-to-disk lubricant transfer. One of the key factors influencing the slider stability at proximity is the disk topography, since it provides dynamic excitation to the low-flying sliders and strongly influences its dynamics. The effect of circumferential as well as radial disk topography is investigated using a new method to measure the 2-D (true) disk topography. Simulations using CMLAir dynamic simulator indicate a strong dependence on the circumferential roughness and waviness features as well as radial features, which have not been studied intensively till now. The simulations with 2-D disk topography are viewed as more realistic than the 1-D simulations. Further, it is also seen that the effect of the radial features can be reduced through effective ABS design. Finally, an attempt has been made to establish correlations between some of the proximity interactions as well as others which may affect the HDI reliability by creating a relational chart. Such an organization serves to give a bigger picture of the various efforts being made in the field of HDI reliability and link them together. From this chart, a causal relationship is suggested between the electrostatic, intermolecular and meniscus forces.

Study of Barrier to Help Seeking and its Relationships with Disability in Patients with Headache.

PubMed

John, Deepa; Ram, Dushad; Sundarmurthy, Harsha; Rathod, Harshal; Rathod, Snehal

2016-10-01

Headache is among the first three most prevalent disorders with a wide treatment gap due to barriers in help seeking. Headache has been associated with disability. However, the relationship of barriers to help-seeking and disability are unexplored. To find out the barriers to help seeking and its relationship with headache related disability in patients with headache. In this hospital based cross-sectional study, 200 consecutive subjects with headache attending a tertiary care centre were recruited as per selection criteria and assessed with Sociodemographic & Clinical Proforma, Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), Barriers to Help Seeking Scale (BHSS), The Henry Ford Hospital Headache Disability Inventory (HDI). High mean score was observed on BHSS subscale need for control and self reliance (19.45; SD ±9.66) and minimizing problem and resignation (10.02; SD ±6.98). Mean score on the HDI was 25.65 (SD ± 14.09). Socioeconomic status of the patient was statistically significant and positively associated with need for control and self reliance (p=0.035), concrete barriers and distrust of care givers (p=0.039), emotional control (p=0.005), and privacy (p=0.002). Occupational status had significant association with need for control and self-reliance (p=0.01), minimizing problem and resignation (p=0.033), and emotional control (p=0.006). Score on hospital headache disability inventory significantly predicted the value of score on concrete barriers and distrust of caregivers domain of HDI (p=0.001). Autonomy and under estimation of seriousness of headache are common barriers to help seeking. Pattern of help seeking barriers may vary with socio-economic status and occupational status, while disability varies with gender and severity of headache. Headache associated disability is positively associated with concrete barriers.

IQ as moderator of terminal decline in perceptual and motor speed, spatial, and verbal ability: Testing the cognitive reserve hypothesis in a population-based sample followed from age 70 until death.

PubMed

Thorvaldsson, Valgeir; Skoog, Ingmar; Johansson, Boo

2017-03-01

Terminal decline (TD) refers to acceleration in within-person cognitive decline prior to death. The cognitive reserve hypothesis postulates that individuals with higher IQ are able to better tolerate age-related increase in brain pathologies. On average, they will exhibit a later onset of TD, but once they start to decline, their trajectory is steeper relative to those with lower IQ. We tested these predictions using data from initially nondemented individuals (n = 179) in the H70-study repeatedly measured at ages 70, 75, 79, 81, 85, 88, 90, 92, 95, 97, 99, and 100, or until death, on cognitive tests of perceptual-and-motor-speed and spatial and verbal ability. We quantified IQ using the Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM) test administrated at age 70. We fitted random change point TD models to the data, within a Bayesian framework, conditioned on IQ, age of death, education, and sex. In line with predictions, we found that 1 additional standard deviation on the IQ scale was associated with a delay in onset of TD by 1.87 (95% highest density interval [HDI; 0.20, 4.08]) years on speed, 1.96 (95% HDI [0.15, 3.54]) years on verbal ability, but only 0.88 (95% HDI [-0.93, 3.49]) year on spatial ability. Higher IQ was associated with steeper rate of decline within the TD phase on measures of speed and verbal ability, whereas results on spatial ability were nonconclusive. Our findings provide partial support for the cognitive reserve hypothesis and demonstrate that IQ can be a significant moderator of cognitive change trajectories in old age. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Reliability of CGA/LGA/HDI Package Board/Assembly (Final Report)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghaffaroam. Reza

2014-01-01

Package manufacturers are now offering commercial-off-the-shelf column grid array (COTS CGA) packaging technologies in high-reliability versions. Understanding the process and quality assurance (QA) indicators for reliability are important for low-risk insertion of these advanced electronics packages. The previous reports, released in January of 2012 and January of 2013, presented package test data, assembly information, and reliability evaluation by thermal cycling for CGA packages with 1752, 1517, 1509, and 1272 inputs/outputs (I/Os) and 1-mm pitch. It presented the thermal cycling (-55C either 100C or 125C) test results for up to 200 cycles. This report presents up to 500 thermal cycles with quality assurance and failure analysis evaluation represented by optical photomicrographs, 2D real time X-ray images, dye-and-pry photomicrographs, and optical/scanning electron Microscopy (SEM) cross-sectional images. The report also presents assembly challenge using reflowing by either vapor phase or rework station of CGA and land grid array (LGA) versions of three high I/O packages both ceramic and plastic configuration. A new test vehicle was designed having high density interconnect (HDI) printed circuit board (PCB) with microvia-in-pad to accommodate both LGA packages as well as a large number of fine pitch ball grid arrays (BGAs). The LGAs either were assembled onto HDI PCB as an LGA or were solder paste print and reflow first to form solder dome on pads before assembly. Both plastic BGAs with 1156 I/O and ceramic LGAs were assembled. It also presented the X-ray inspection results as well as failures due to 200 thermal cycles. Lessons learned on assembly of ceramic LGAs are also presented.

The effect of oxidation on the enzyme-catalyzed hydrolytic biodegradation of poly(urethane)s.

PubMed

Labow, Rosalind S; Tang, Yiwen; McCloskey, Christopher B; Santerre, J Paul

2002-01-01

Although the biodegradation of polyurethanes (PU) by oxidative and hydrolytic agents has been studied extensively, few investigations have reported on the combination of their effects. Since neutrophils (PMN) arrive at an implanted device first and release HOCl, followed by monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) which have potent esterase activities and oxidants of their own, the combined effect of oxidative and hydrolytic degradation on radiolabeled polycarbonate-polyurethanes (PCNU)s was investigated and compared to that of a polyester-PU (PESU) and a polyether-PU (PEU). The PCNUs were synthesized with PCN (MW = 1,000), and butanediol (14C-BD) and one of two diisocyanates, hexane-1,6-diisocyanate (14C-HDI) or methylene bis-p-phenyl diisocyanate (MDI). The PESU and PEU were synthesized using toluene-diisocyanate (14C-TDI), with polycaprolactone and polytetramethylene oxide as soft segments respectively, and ethylene diamine as the chain extender. The effect of pre-treatment with 0.1 mM HOC1 for 1 week on the HDI-based PCNUs and both TDI-based PUs resulted in a significant inhibition of radiolabel release (RR) elicited by cholesterol esterase (CE), when compared to buffer alone, whereas the MDI-based PCNU showed a small but significant increase. When PMN were activated on the HDI-based PCNU surface with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), HOCl was released for 3 h, and was almost completely abolished by sodium azide (AZ). Simultaneously, the PMN-elicited RR, shown previously to be due to the esterolytic cleavage by serine proteases, was inhibited approximately 75% by PMA-activation of the cells, but significantly increased relative to the latter when AZ was added. Both in vitro oxidation by HOCl and the release of HOCI by PMN were associated with the inhibition of RR and suggest perturbations between oxidative and hydrolytic mechanisms of biodegradation.

Reliability of CGA/LGA/HDI Package Board/Assembly (Revision A)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghaffarian, Reza

2013-01-01

This follow-up report presents reliability test results conducted by thermal cycling of five CGA assemblies evaluated under two extreme cycle profiles, representative of use for high-reliability applications. The thermal cycles ranged from a low temperature of 55 C to maximum temperatures of either 100 C or 125 C with slow ramp-up rate (3 C/min) and dwell times of about 15 minutes at the two extremes. Optical photomicrographs that illustrate key inspection findings of up to 200 thermal cycles are presented. Other information presented include an evaluation of the integrity of capacitors on CGA substrate after thermal cycling as well as process evaluation for direct assembly of an LGA onto PCB. The qualification guidelines, which are based on the test results for CGA/LGA/HDI packages and board assemblies, will facilitate NASA projects' use of very dense and newly available FPGA area array packages with known reliably and mitigation risks, allowing greater processing power in a smaller board footprint and lower system weight.

Prevalence and correlates of hypertension in Maharashtra, India: A multilevel analysis

PubMed Central

Bhise, Mahadev D.

2018-01-01

Background and aim In the last few decades, the prevalence of hypertension has been drastically increased in India. The present study estimates the current prevalence of hypertension and its correlates in the state of Maharashtra. The variation in the prevalence of hypertension associated with individual-level characteristics is explained at the community and district level. Methods Data is used from the recent round of District Level Household & Facility Survey (DLHS-4), 2012–13. The DLHS-4 has used the nationally representative sample, collected through multistage stratified sampling procedure. A similar sampling frame, used in NSSO-2007-08, has been followed. The chi-square test is used to show the significance level of the association between the estimated prevalence of hypertension and its correlates. Multilevel regression analysis is carried out to investigate the effects of individual and community level factors on the prevalence of hypertension. Results The overall prevalence of hypertension is 25% in Maharashtra, and a huge variation in the prevalence of hypertension is found across the districts. Dhule, Gadchiroli (with a low HDI rank), Mumbai and Satara (with higher HDI rank) are the districts with the higher (above 30%) prevalence of high blood pressure. The prevalence also significantly varies according to different correlates. The prevalence of high blood pressure is higher among elderly population (40%), among males (28%), in the urban areas (27%) and in the richest wealth quintile (28%). The prevalence is also higher among cigarette smokers (31%), alcohol consumers (30%) and people with obesity (38%) as compared to their counterparts. The results of the multilevel analysis show that the older and obese persons are at four-time higher risk of hypertension. Again, age, sex, marital status, place of residence, wealth status, unhealthy habits (i.e. smoking and alcohol consumption) and BMI are significantly associated with hypertension. The results of VPC statistics show that 14% of hypertension prevalence could be attributed to differences at the community level. Conclusion The prevalence of hypertension largely varies in the districts of Maharashtra irrespective of their level of socio-economic development (i.e. HDI rank). The variation in the rate of prevalence of hypertension is higher in the community (PSU) level as compared to the variation in the prevalence rate at the district level. Hypertension is attributable to the modifiable factors like risky lifestyle practices. PMID:29401464

Prevalence and correlates of hypertension in Maharashtra, India: A multilevel analysis.

PubMed

Bhise, Mahadev D; Patra, Shraboni

2018-01-01

In the last few decades, the prevalence of hypertension has been drastically increased in India. The present study estimates the current prevalence of hypertension and its correlates in the state of Maharashtra. The variation in the prevalence of hypertension associated with individual-level characteristics is explained at the community and district level. Data is used from the recent round of District Level Household & Facility Survey (DLHS-4), 2012-13. The DLHS-4 has used the nationally representative sample, collected through multistage stratified sampling procedure. A similar sampling frame, used in NSSO-2007-08, has been followed. The chi-square test is used to show the significance level of the association between the estimated prevalence of hypertension and its correlates. Multilevel regression analysis is carried out to investigate the effects of individual and community level factors on the prevalence of hypertension. The overall prevalence of hypertension is 25% in Maharashtra, and a huge variation in the prevalence of hypertension is found across the districts. Dhule, Gadchiroli (with a low HDI rank), Mumbai and Satara (with higher HDI rank) are the districts with the higher (above 30%) prevalence of high blood pressure. The prevalence also significantly varies according to different correlates. The prevalence of high blood pressure is higher among elderly population (40%), among males (28%), in the urban areas (27%) and in the richest wealth quintile (28%). The prevalence is also higher among cigarette smokers (31%), alcohol consumers (30%) and people with obesity (38%) as compared to their counterparts. The results of the multilevel analysis show that the older and obese persons are at four-time higher risk of hypertension. Again, age, sex, marital status, place of residence, wealth status, unhealthy habits (i.e. smoking and alcohol consumption) and BMI are significantly associated with hypertension. The results of VPC statistics show that 14% of hypertension prevalence could be attributed to differences at the community level. The prevalence of hypertension largely varies in the districts of Maharashtra irrespective of their level of socio-economic development (i.e. HDI rank). The variation in the rate of prevalence of hypertension is higher in the community (PSU) level as compared to the variation in the prevalence rate at the district level. Hypertension is attributable to the modifiable factors like risky lifestyle practices.

Percentage of Children Aged 5--17 Years Ever Receiving a Diagnosis of Learning Disability, United States, 2007--2009

MedlinePlus

... Ethnicity † and Family Income Group § --- National Health Interview Survey, ¶ United States, 2007--2009 * Based on parental response ... cdc.gov/nchs/hdi.htm . National Health Interview Survey 2007--2009 data. Available at http://www.cdc. ...

Preparation of eugenol-based polyurethane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yupeng; Luo, Fang; Cheng, Chuanjie

2018-03-01

The regenerative eugenol was used as the starting material to prepare diol species by two steps, with a total yield of 28%. Furthermore, the prepared diol reacts with 1,6-hexadiisocyanate(HDI) to afford the corresponding polyurethane (PU). The structure of intermediates and PU are characterized by 1H-NMR or IR.

Conflict and Security Indices: A Summary of Open-Source Data

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

in the same dimensions as the HDI while adjusting for gender inequality . The Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) measures the extent of women’s...measures gender inequality in three key areas: political participation and decision making power, as measured by women’s and men’s percentage share of

Evaluation of the impact of collaborative work by teams from the National Medical Residency Committee and the Brazilian Society of Neurosurgery. Retrospective and prospective study.

PubMed

Santos, Renato Antunes Dos; Snell, Linda; Nunes, Maria do Patrocínio Tenório

2016-04-01

Training for specialist physicians in Brazil can take place in different ways. Closer liaison between institutions providing this training and assessment and health care services may improve qualifications. This article analyzes the impact of closer links and joint work by teams from the National Medical Residency Committee (Comissão Nacional de Residência Médica, CNRM) and the Brazilian Society of Neurosurgery (Sociedade Brasileira de Neurocirurgia, SBN) towards evaluating these programs. Retrospective and prospective study, conducted in a public university on a pilot project developed between CNRM and SBN for joint assessment of training programs across Brazil. The literature in the most relevant databases was reviewed. Documents and legislation produced by official government bodies were evaluated. Training locations were visited. Reports produced about residency programs were analyzed. Only 26% of the programs were immediately approved. The joint assessments found problems relating to teaching and to functioning of clinical service in 35% of the programs. The distribution of programs in this country has a strong relationship with the Human Development Index (HDI) of the regions and is very similar to the distribution of specialists. Closer collaboration between the SBN and CNRM had a positive impact on assessment of neurosurgery medical residency across the country. The low rates of direct approval have produced modifications and improvements to the quality of teaching and care (services). Closer links between the CNRM and other medical specialties have the capability to positively change the structure and function of specialty training in Brazil.

Socioeconomic, demographic and policy comparisons of living and deceased kidney transplantation rates across 53 countries.

PubMed

Bendorf, Aric; Pussell, Bruce A; Kelly, Patrick J; Kerridge, Ian H

2013-09-01

There are more than 1.7 million sufferers of end stage kidney disease (ESKD) worldwide and for many a donated kidney provides the only chance of regaining independence from dialysis. Unfortunately, the demand for kidneys for transplantation far exceeds the available supply. It is important, therefore, that we understand the factors that may influence kidney donation rates. While certain socio-demographic factors have been linked to kidney donation rates, few studies have examined the influence of multiple socio-demographic factors on rates of both living and deceased kidney transplantation (KT) and none have examined their comparative effect in large numbers of culturally and socio-politically diverse countries. In this study, we performed univariate and multivariate analyses of the influence of 15 socio-economic factors on both the living donor (LD) and the deceased donor (DD) kidney transplantation rates (KTR) in 53 countries. Our analyses demonstrated that factors such as UN HDI (United Nations Human Development Index), religion, GDP, education, age, healthcare expenditure, presumed consent legislation and existence of a nationally managed organ donation program were associated with higher deceased KTR. In contrast, the only factors associated with living KTR were a highly significant negative association with presumed consent and variable associations with different religions. We suggest that by identifying factors that affect kidney transplantation rates these can be used to develop programs for enhancing donor rates in individual countries where those rates are below the leading countries. © 2013 The Authors. Nephrology © 2013 Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology.

Inflammation Drives Dysbiosis and Bacterial Invasion in Murine Models of Ileal Crohn’s Disease

PubMed Central

Craven, Melanie; Egan, Charlotte E.; Dowd, Scot E.; McDonough, Sean P.; Dogan, Belgin; Denkers, Eric Y.; Bowman, Dwight; Scherl, Ellen J.; Simpson, Kenneth W.

2012-01-01

Background and Aims Understanding the interplay between genetic susceptibility, the microbiome, the environment and the immune system in Crohn’s Disease (CD) is essential for developing optimal therapeutic strategies. We sought to examine the dynamics of the relationship between inflammation, the ileal microbiome, and host genetics in murine models of ileitis. Methods We induced ileal inflammation of graded severity in C57BL6 mice by gavage with Toxoplasma gondii, Giardia muris, low dose indomethacin (LDI;0.1 mg/mouse), or high dose indomethacin (HDI;1 mg/mouse). The composition and spatial distribution of the mucosal microbiome was evaluated by 16S rDNA pyrosequencing and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Mucosal E. coli were enumerated by quantitative PCR, and characterized by phylogroup, genotype and pathotype. Results Moderate to severe ileitis induced by T. gondii (day 8) and HDI caused a consistent shift from >95% Gram + Firmicutes to >95% Gram - Proteobacteria. This was accompanied by reduced microbial diversity and mucosal invasion by adherent and invasive E. coli, mirroring the dysbiosis of ileal CD. In contrast, dysbiosis and bacterial invasion did not develop in mice with mild ileitis induced by Giardia muris. Superimposition of genetic susceptibility and T. Gondii infection revealed greatest dysbiosis and bacterial invasion in the CD-susceptible genotype, NOD2−/−, and reduced dysbiosis in ileitis-resistant CCR2−/− mice. Abrogating inflammation with the CD therapeutic anti-TNF-α-mAb tempered dysbiosis and bacterial invasion. Conclusions Acute ileitis induces dysbiosis and proliferation of mucosally invasive E. coli, irrespective of trigger and genotype. The identification of CCR2 as a target for therapeutic intervention, and discovery that host genotype and therapeutic blockade of inflammation impact the threshold and extent of ileal dysbiosis are of high relevance to developing effective therapies for CD. PMID:22848538

Analysis of the Environmental Management System based on ISO 14001 on the American continent.

PubMed

Neves, Fábio de Oliveira; Salgado, Eduardo G; Beijo, Luiz A

2017-09-01

The American continent is in broad economic and industrial development. Consequently, a more detailed discussion of the impacts generated by such development is needed. Moreover, there is an increase in the number of ISO 14001 certificates issued to this continent. Given the above, no studies were found that bridge the gap to identify the influence of different factors on ISO 14001 in the Americas. Thus, this article has as its main aim to check which economic, environmental and cultural factors have influence on ISO 14001 Certification in the American Continent. The data were collected in the ISO Survey, World Bank, United Nations Development Programme and International Energy Agency. Among the countries of that continent, thirteen were analyzed and only two did not show the economic factors as the influence factor in the multiple regression models fitted with Brazil and the United State. In these models, all presented environmental factors as influencing factors. Only in Brazil the index HDI presented as cultural factor in multiple regression model fitted. The economic factors: Gross Domestic Product and exports of goods and services and environmental: Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) and fossil fuel consumption were the most influential in ISO 14001 certification. Venezuela, Uruguay, Colombia and the United States were countries that had factors dependent on each other, featuring the environmental marketing. Briefly, this study brings up several implications: to the academy, with the proposal of new concepts and guidance on the factors that assist in ISO 14001 certification in the American Continent. Additionally, taking into account the industry, the factors serve as efficiency parameters for the implementation of ISO 14001 standard, and for the Government to improve through factors that do not fit in multiple regression models. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An FTIR investigation of isocyanate skin absorption using in vitro guinea pig skin.

PubMed

Bello, Dhimiter; Smith, Thomas J; Woskie, Susan R; Streicher, Robert P; Boeniger, Mark F; Redlich, Carrie A; Liu, Youcheng

2006-05-01

Isocyanates may cause contact dermatitis, sensitization and asthma. Dermal exposure to aliphatic and aromatic isocyanates can occur in various exposure settings. The fate of isocyanates on skin is an important unanswered question. Do they react and bind to the outer layer of skin or do they penetrate through the epidermis as unreacted compounds? Knowing the kinetics of these processes is important in developing dermal exposure sampling or decontamination strategies, as well as understanding potential health implications such exposure may have. In this paper the residence time of model isocyanates on hairless guinea pig skin was investigated in vitro using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectrometry. Model isocyanates tested were octyl isocyanate, polymeric hexamethylene diisocyanate isocyanurate (pHDI), polymeric isophorone diisocyanate isocyanurate (pIPDI) and methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). Isocyanates in ethyl acetate (30 microL) were spiked directly on the skin to give 0.2-1.8 micromol NCO cm(-2) (NCO = -N=C=O), and absorbance of the isocyanate group and other chemical groups of the molecule were monitored over time. The ATR-FTIR findings showed that polymeric isocyanates pHDI and pIPDI may remain on the skin as unreacted species for many hours, with only 15-20% of the total isocyanate group disappearing in one hour, while smaller compounds octyl isocyanate and MDI rapidly disappear from the skin surface (80+% in 30 min). Isocyanates most likely leave the skin surface by diffusion predominantly, with minimal reaction with surface proteins. The significance of these findings and their implications for dermal exposure sampling and isocyanate skin decontamination are discussed.

Impact of novel histone deacetylase inhibitors, CHAP31 and FR901228 (FK228), on adenovirus-mediated transgene expression.

PubMed

Taura, Kojiro; Yamamoto, Yuzo; Nakajima, Akio; Hata, Koichiro; Uchinami, Hiroshi; Yonezawa, Kei; Hatano, Etsuro; Nishino, Norikazu; Yamaoka, Yoshio

2004-05-01

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDIs) are known to enhance adenovirus (Ad)-mediated transgene expression. Recently, novel HDIs, including cyclic hydroxamic-acid-containing peptide 31 (CHAP31) and FR901228 (FK228), have been developed. The effects of these two novel HDIs on Ad-transduced or endogenous gene expression were investigated. Acetylation of core histones and the expression of the coxsackie and adenovirus receptor (CAR) in HDI-treated cells were examined using Western blot and a quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (TaqMan RT-PCR), respectively. Their in vivo effect on adenoviral gene expression was investigated in BALB/c mice. Both compounds enhanced and prolonged Ad-mediated beta-galactosidase expression more effectively than did trichostatin A, a classic HDI. The same effect was observed in Ad-transduced heat shock protein 72 (HSP72), but not in hyperthermia-induced endogenous expression of HSP72, suggesting that the effect is specific for transduced gene expression. Hyperacetylation of core histones induced by HDIs was considered responsible for the augmentative effects of gene expression. Intravenous administration of either CHAP31 or FR901228 enhanced beta-galactosidase expression in mice infected with AdLacZ. CHAP31 and FR901228 amplified Ad-mediated transgene expression. The enhancement of transgene expression by HDIs may result in fewer vector doses for necessary gene expression, helping to alleviate disadvantages caused by Ad vectors. This could be a useful tool in overcoming current limitations of gene therapy using adenovirus vectors. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Nanoscale modeling for ultrathin liquid films: Spreading and coupled layering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, David Michael

The hard disk drive (HDD) industry is currently experiencing a compound annual growth rate of 100% for the areal density. Current production drives have an areal density of 80 Gbit in-2, and drives with an areal density of 100 Gbit in-2 have been recently demonstrated. While much of this growth has been fueled by the development of new read/write heads, some of this gain was achieved by reducing the spacing between the heads and the magnetic media. This in turn reduces the spacing at the head-disk interface (HDI). The HDI in a HDD system consists of a slider, which contains the read/write heads, flying over the disk surface on an air bearing. The current designed separation distance, or fly height, is less than 10 nm. This spacing is expected to reduce to a mere 5 nm within the next few years. With the reduced fly height, intermittent contacts at the HDI become more probable. Only a thin lubricant film of perfluoropolyether (PFPE) and a sputtered carbon overcoat on the disk surface protect the slider and the stored data from mechanical and thermal damage. The PFPE film is quite thin, with a thickness of less than 2 nm or about a monolayer of molecules. During an HDI contact, the PFPE film is considered sacrificial and is often depleted in the contact area. In order to maintain adequate protection for the disk surface, PFPE molecules from the surrounding film must replenish the depleted area. This replenishment ability directly opposes the requirement that the PFPE film must not spin-off of the disk surface due to the disk rotation rate, which is as high as 10,000 RPM in current drives. To balance the PFPE films to sufficiently meet both requirements, HDD manufacturers functionalized the endgroups of the PFPE molecules to allow some portion of the lubricant film to reversibly bond with the disk overcoat. The result is a lubricant film that has a slower replenishment but does not spin-off. The work presented here focuses on the replenishment ability of thin films of liquid PFPE. The experimental analogue of replenishment is the one-dimensional spreading analysis. PFPEs with functional endgroups demonstrated coupled molecular layering and dewetting phenomena during the spreading analysis, while PFPEs with nonfunctional endgroups did not. All of the PFPE thin films spread via a diffusive process and had diffusion coefficients that depended on the local film thickness. A theoretical analysis is presented here for both the governing equation and the disjoining pressure driving force for the PFPE thin film spreading. For PFPEs with non-functional endgroups, a reasonable analysis is performed on the diffusion coefficient for two classes of film: submonolayer and multilayer. The diffusion coefficient of PFPEs with functional endgroups are qualitatively linked to the gradient of the film disjoining pressure. To augment this theory, both lattice-based and off-lattice Monte Carlo simulations are conducted for PFPE film models. The lattice-based model shows the existence of a critical functional endgroup interaction strength. It is also used to study the break-up of molecular layers for a spreading film via a fractal analysis. The off-lattice model is used to calculate the anisotropic pressure tensor for the model PFPE thin film and subsequently the film disjoining pressure. The model also qualitatively analyzes of the self diffusion in the film.

Development of the Subaru-Mitaka-Okayama-Kiso Archive System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baba, Hajime; Yasuda, Naoki; Ichikawa, Shin-Ichi; Yagi, Masafumi; Iwamoto, Nobuyuki; Takata, Tadafumi; Horaguchi, Toshihiro; Taga, Masatoshi; Watanabe, Masaru; Ozawa, Tomohiko; Hamabe, Masaru

We have developed the Subaru-Mitaka-Okayama-Kiso-Archive (SMOKA) public science archive system which provides access to the data of the Subaru Telescope, the 188 cm telescope at Okayama Astrophysical Observatory, and the 105 cm Schmidt telescope at Kiso Observatory/University of Tokyo. SMOKA is the successor of the MOKA3 system. The user can browse the Quick-Look Images, Header Information (HDI) and the ASCII Table Extension (ATE) of each frame from the search result table. A request for data can be submitted in a simple manner. The system is developed with Java Servlet for the back-end, and Java Server Pages (JSP) for content display. The advantage of JSP's is the separation of the front-end presentation from the middle- and back-end tiers which led to an efficient development of the system. The SMOKA homepage is available at SMOKA

A continuation of the Asia-Pacific Risk Index for natural disasters: extending the record for an updated analysis from 1900-2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniell, James; Daniell, Trevor; Daniell, Katherine; Khazai, Bijan; Schaefer, Andreas; Wenzel, Friedemann

2016-04-01

In 2010, an Asia-Pacific risk index was created for the CECAR5 (Civil Engineering Conference for the Asia-Pacific Region) by Daniell et al. (2010a) for floods and earthquakes, using empirical and analytical risk data for direct as well as socio-economic community vulnerability. The socio-economic situation of countries can aggravate the physical risk of natural disaster impacts, as demonstrated by the impacts of earthquakes in Christchurch and Tohoku 2011; add to this a number of deadly typhoon (Haiyan 2013), cyclone (Yasi 2011), flood (Thailand 2011), bushfire and weather effects, and significant changes to the index in 2010 have been seen. At least 10,000 historical events have been recorded since 1900 across the Asia-Pacific region (western Pacific). The database for global socio-economic indicators was produced to allow comparison of countries in terms of their socio-economic situation for use in risk studies. In addition, a global damaging natural disasters database (CATDAT) has been created over the last 14 years to better understand the historical impact of natural disasters on the Asia-Pacific region as well as globally. Simplified hazard models have been used in conjunction with historical damage data added to human exposure. Post-flood and post-typhoon loss models have been produced this methodology. The relative country level rural and urban building inventories and historical building trends are used to define levels of vulnerability, exposure and hazard. From this, physical and community risk indices are derived for the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. It was found that the vulnerabilities in communities of developing countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines can further intensify the impact from direct damages by many times, showing the increased need for earthquake and flood risk reduction policy. Trends based on HDI and other indicators within the fields of economy, poverty, demographics, governance and environment are also presented, showing the influence of these factors on country-level fragility and resilience showing Philippines and Japan to be the highest at risk countries in absolute and relative terms. (a) Daniell, J.E., Daniell, K.A., Daniell, T.M. & B. Khazai: A country level physical and community risk index in the Asia-Pacific region for earthquakes and floods, Paper No. 0392, 5th CECAR Conference Proceedings, Sydney, Australia, 2010.

WHO guidelines for a healthy diet and mortality from cardiovascular disease in European and American elderly: the CHANCES project.

PubMed

Jankovic, Nicole; Geelen, Anouk; Streppel, Martinette T; de Groot, Lisette Cpgm; Kiefte-de Jong, Jessica C; Orfanos, Philippos; Bamia, Christina; Trichopoulou, Antonia; Boffetta, Paolo; Bobak, Martin; Pikhart, Hynek; Kee, Frank; O'Doherty, Mark G; Buckland, Genevieve; Woodside, Jayne; Franco, Oscar H; Ikram, M Arfan; Struijk, Ellen A; Pajak, Andrzej; Malyutina, Sofia; Kubinova, Růžena; Wennberg, Maria; Park, Yikyung; Bueno-de-Mesquita, H Bas; Kampman, Ellen; Feskens, Edith J

2015-10-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents a leading cause of mortality worldwide, especially in the elderly. Lowering the number of CVD deaths requires preventive strategies targeted on the elderly. The objective was to generate evidence on the association between WHO dietary recommendations and mortality from CVD, coronary artery disease (CAD), and stroke in the elderly aged ≥60 y. We analyzed data from 10 prospective cohort studies from Europe and the United States comprising a total sample of 281,874 men and women free from chronic diseases at baseline. Components of the Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI) included saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, mono- and disaccharides, protein, cholesterol, dietary fiber, and fruit and vegetables. Cohort-specific HRs adjusted for sex, education, smoking, physical activity, and energy and alcohol intakes were pooled by using a random-effects model. During 3,322,768 person-years of follow-up, 12,492 people died of CVD. An increase of 10 HDI points (complete adherence to an additional WHO guideline) was, on average, not associated with CVD mortality (HR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.86, 1.03), CAD mortality (HR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.85, 1.14), or stroke mortality (HR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.03). However, after stratification of the data by geographic region, adherence to the HDI was associated with reduced CVD mortality in the southern European cohorts (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.79, 0.96; I(2) = 0%) and in the US cohort (HR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.87; I(2) = not applicable). Overall, greater adherence to the WHO dietary guidelines was not significantly associated with CVD mortality, but the results varied across regions. Clear inverse associations were observed in elderly populations in southern Europe and the United States.

WHO guidelines for a healthy diet and mortality from cardiovascular disease in European and American elderly: the CHANCES project12

PubMed Central

Jankovic, Nicole; Geelen, Anouk; Streppel, Martinette T; de Groot, Lisette CPGM; Kiefte-de Jong, Jessica C; Orfanos, Philippos; Bamia, Christina; Trichopoulou, Antonia; Boffetta, Paolo; Bobak, Martin; Pikhart, Hynek; Kee, Frank; O’Doherty, Mark G; Buckland, Genevieve; Woodside, Jayne; Franco, Oscar H; Ikram, M Arfan; Struijk, Ellen A; Pajak, Andrzej; Malyutina, Sofia; Kubinova, Růžena; Wennberg, Maria; Park, Yikyung; Bueno-de-Mesquita, H Bas; Kampman, Ellen; Feskens, Edith J

2015-01-01

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents a leading cause of mortality worldwide, especially in the elderly. Lowering the number of CVD deaths requires preventive strategies targeted on the elderly. Objective: The objective was to generate evidence on the association between WHO dietary recommendations and mortality from CVD, coronary artery disease (CAD), and stroke in the elderly aged ≥60 y. Design: We analyzed data from 10 prospective cohort studies from Europe and the United States comprising a total sample of 281,874 men and women free from chronic diseases at baseline. Components of the Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI) included saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, mono- and disaccharides, protein, cholesterol, dietary fiber, and fruit and vegetables. Cohort-specific HRs adjusted for sex, education, smoking, physical activity, and energy and alcohol intakes were pooled by using a random-effects model. Results: During 3,322,768 person-years of follow-up, 12,492 people died of CVD. An increase of 10 HDI points (complete adherence to an additional WHO guideline) was, on average, not associated with CVD mortality (HR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.86, 1.03), CAD mortality (HR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.85, 1.14), or stroke mortality (HR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.03). However, after stratification of the data by geographic region, adherence to the HDI was associated with reduced CVD mortality in the southern European cohorts (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.79, 0.96; I2 = 0%) and in the US cohort (HR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.87; I2 = not applicable). Conclusion: Overall, greater adherence to the WHO dietary guidelines was not significantly associated with CVD mortality, but the results varied across regions. Clear inverse associations were observed in elderly populations in southern Europe and the United States. PMID:26354545

Study of Barrier to Help Seeking and its Relationships with Disability in Patients with Headache

PubMed Central

John, Deepa; Sundarmurthy, Harsha; Rathod, Harshal; Rathod, Snehal

2016-01-01

Introduction Headache is among the first three most prevalent disorders with a wide treatment gap due to barriers in help seeking. Headache has been associated with disability. However, the relationship of barriers to help-seeking and disability are unexplored. Aim To find out the barriers to help seeking and its relationship with headache related disability in patients with headache. Materials and Methods In this hospital based cross-sectional study, 200 consecutive subjects with headache attending a tertiary care centre were recruited as per selection criteria and assessed with Sociodemographic & Clinical Proforma, Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), Barriers to Help Seeking Scale (BHSS), The Henry Ford Hospital Headache Disability Inventory (HDI). Results High mean score was observed on BHSS subscale need for control and self reliance (19.45; SD ±9.66) and minimizing problem and resignation (10.02; SD ±6.98). Mean score on the HDI was 25.65 (SD ± 14.09). Socioeconomic status of the patient was statistically significant and positively associated with need for control and self reliance (p=0.035), concrete barriers and distrust of care givers (p=0.039), emotional control (p=0.005), and privacy (p=0.002). Occupational status had significant association with need for control and self-reliance (p=0.01), minimizing problem and resignation (p=0.033), and emotional control (p=0.006). Score on hospital headache disability inventory significantly predicted the value of score on concrete barriers and distrust of caregivers domain of HDI (p=0.001). Conclusion Autonomy and under estimation of seriousness of headache are common barriers to help seeking. Pattern of help seeking barriers may vary with socio-economic status and occupational status, while disability varies with gender and severity of headache. Headache associated disability is positively associated with concrete barriers. PMID:27891430

Evolution and hazard analysis of high-mountain lakes in the Cordillera Vilcabamba (Southern Peru) from 1991 to 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guardamino, Lucía; Drenkhan, Fabian

2015-04-01

In recent decades, glaciers in high-mountain regions have experienced unprecedented glacier retreat since the Little Ice Age (LIA). This development triggers the formation and growth of glacier lakes, which in combination with changes in glacier parameters might produce more frequent conditions for the occurrence of disasters, such as Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF). Facing such a scenario, the analysis of changing lake characteristics and identification of new glacier lakes are imperative in order to identify and reduce potential hazards and mitigate or prevent future disasters for adjacent human settlements. In this study, we present a multi-temporal analysis with Landsat TM 5 and OLI 8 images between 1991 and 2014 in the Cordillera Vilcabamba region (Southern Peru), a remote area with difficult access and climate and glaciological in-situ data scarcity. A semi-automatic model was developed using the band ratios Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) and Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) in order to identify glacier and lake area changes. Results corroborate a strong glacier area reduction of about 51% from 1991 (200.3 km²) to 2014 (98.4 km²). At the same time, the number of lakes (total lake surface) has increased at an accelerated rate, from 0.77% (0.48%) in 1991 to 2.31% (2.49%) in 2014. In a multiple criteria analysis to identify potential hazards, 90 out of a total of 329 lakes in 2014 have been selected for further monitoring. Additionally, 29 population centers have been identified as highly exposed to lake related hazards from which 25 indicate a distance less than 1 km to an upstream lake and four are situated in a channel of potential debris flow. In these areas human risks are particularly high in view of a low HDI below Peru's average and hence pronounced vulnerability. We suggest more future research on measurements and monitoring of glacier and lake characteristics in these remote high-mountain regions, which include comprehensive risk studies linking climate-related hazards and human vulnerability and exposure.

The CATDAT damaging earthquakes database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniell, J. E.; Khazai, B.; Wenzel, F.; Vervaeck, A.

2011-08-01

The global CATDAT damaging earthquakes and secondary effects (tsunami, fire, landslides, liquefaction and fault rupture) database was developed to validate, remove discrepancies, and expand greatly upon existing global databases; and to better understand the trends in vulnerability, exposure, and possible future impacts of such historic earthquakes. Lack of consistency and errors in other earthquake loss databases frequently cited and used in analyses was a major shortcoming in the view of the authors which needed to be improved upon. Over 17 000 sources of information have been utilised, primarily in the last few years, to present data from over 12 200 damaging earthquakes historically, with over 7000 earthquakes since 1900 examined and validated before insertion into the database. Each validated earthquake includes seismological information, building damage, ranges of social losses to account for varying sources (deaths, injuries, homeless, and affected), and economic losses (direct, indirect, aid, and insured). Globally, a slightly increasing trend in economic damage due to earthquakes is not consistent with the greatly increasing exposure. The 1923 Great Kanto (214 billion USD damage; 2011 HNDECI-adjusted dollars) compared to the 2011 Tohoku (>300 billion USD at time of writing), 2008 Sichuan and 1995 Kobe earthquakes show the increasing concern for economic loss in urban areas as the trend should be expected to increase. Many economic and social loss values not reported in existing databases have been collected. Historical GDP (Gross Domestic Product), exchange rate, wage information, population, HDI (Human Development Index), and insurance information have been collected globally to form comparisons. This catalogue is the largest known cross-checked global historic damaging earthquake database and should have far-reaching consequences for earthquake loss estimation, socio-economic analysis, and the global reinsurance field.

Landscape, Environmental and Social Predictors of Hantavirus Risk in São Paulo, Brazil

PubMed Central

Uriarte, Maria; Tambosi, Leandro Reverberi; Prado, Amanda; Pardini, Renata; D´Andrea, Paulo Sérgio; Metzger, Jean Paul

2016-01-01

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a disease caused by Hantavirus, which are negative-sense RNA viruses in the family Bunyaviridae that are highly virulent to humans. Numerous factors modify risk of Hantavirus transmission and consequent HPS risk. Human-driven landscape change can foster transmission risk by increasing numbers of habitat generalist rodent species that serve as the principal reservoir host. Climate can also affect rodent population dynamics and Hantavirus survival, and a number of social factors can influence probability of HPS transmission to humans. Evaluating contributions of these factors to HPS risk may enable predictions of future outbreaks, and is critical to development of effective public health strategies. Here we rely on a Bayesian model to quantify associations between annual HPS incidence across the state of São Paulo, Brazil (1993–2012) and climate variables (annual precipitation, annual mean temperature), landscape structure metrics (proportion of native habitat cover, number of forest fragments, proportion of area planted with sugarcane), and social factors (number of men older than 14 years and Human Development Index). We built separate models for the main two biomes of the state (cerrado and Atlantic forest). In both biomes Hantavirus risk increased with proportion of land cultivated for sugarcane and HDI, but proportion of forest cover, annual mean temperature, and population at risk also showed positive relationships in the Atlantic forest. Our analysis provides the first evidence that social, landscape, and climate factors are associated with HPS incidence in the Neotropics. Our risk map can be used to support the adoption of preventive measures and optimize the allocation of resources to avoid disease propagation, especially in municipalities that show medium to high HPS risk (> 5% of risk), and aimed at sugarcane workers, minimizing the risk of future HPS outbreaks. PMID:27780250

Subjective and Objective Evaluation of Pitch Extractors for LPC and Harmonic Deviations Vocoders.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-07-01

Neman Inc. significance of the voicing errors at unvoiced-voiced transitions (see Section 7.2), is to penalize the early and the late start of...8217- Report No. 5726 Bolt Beranek and Neman Inc. Objective PAL Measure LPC/Cler =/Clear LPC/Noise HDY Noise S- Bes Measures: S EDFL-C-EF -0.990 -0.991 -0.995

Higher Education Academics' Satisfaction with Their Terms and Conditions of Service and Their Job Satisfaction: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mammen, K. J.

2006-01-01

This article originates from a research conducted at a Historically Disadvantaged Institution (HDI) in South Africa. Academics (those who teach) at higher education institutions (HEIs) are usually highly qualified personnel. Their satisfaction with the terms and conditions of service and the job satisfaction they derive from and through their work…

N-halamine-based rechargeable antimicrobial and biofilm-controlling polyurethane

PubMed Central

Sun, Xinbo; Cao, Zhengbing; Porteous, Nuala; Sun, Yuyu

2012-01-01

An N-halamine precursor, 5, 5-dimethyl hydantoin (DMH), was covalently linked to the surface of polyurethane (PU) with 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) as a coupling agent. The reaction pathways were investigated using propyl isocyanate (PI) as a model compound, and the results suggested that the imide and amide groups of DMH had very similar reactivity toward the isocyanate groups on PU surfaces activated with HDI. After bleach treatment, the covalently bound DMH moieties were transformed into N-halamines. The new N-halmaine-based PU provided potent antimicrobial effects against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus, Gram-positive), Escherichia coli (E. coli, Gram-negative), methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, drug resistant Gram-positive bacteria), vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE, drug resistant Gram-positive bacteria), and Candida albicans (C. ablicans, fungi), and successfully prevented bacterial and fungal biofilm formation. The antimicrobial and biofilm-controlling effects were stable for longer than 6 months under normal storage in open air. Furthermore, if the functions were lost due to prolonged use, they could be recharged by another chlorination treatment. The recharging could be repeated as needed to achieve long-term protection against microbial contamination and biofilm-formation. PMID:22244984

Gelatin-Modified Polyurethanes for Soft Tissue Scaffold

PubMed Central

Kucińska-Lipka, Justyna; Janik, Helena

2013-01-01

Recently, in the field of biomaterials for soft tissue scaffolds, the interest of their modification with natural polymersis growing. Synthetic polymers are often tough, and many of them do not possess fine biocompatibility. On the other hand, natural polymers are biocompatible but weak when used alone. The combination of natural and synthetic polymers gives the suitable properties for tissue engineering requirements. In our study, we modified gelatin synthetic polyurethanes prepared from polyester poly(ethylene-butylene adipate) (PEBA), aliphatic 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), and two different chain extenders 1,4-butanediol (BDO) or 1-ethoxy-2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethanol (EHEE). From a chemical point of view, we replaced expensive components for building PU, such as 2,6-diisocyanato methyl caproate (LDI) and 1,4-diisocyanatobutane (BDI), with cost-effective HDI. The gelatin was added in situ (in the first step of synthesis) to polyurethane to increase biocompatibility and biodegradability of the obtained material. It appeared that the obtained gelatin-modified PU foams, in which chain extender was BDO, had enhanced interactions with media and their hydrolytic degradation profile was also improved for tissue engineering application. Furthermore, the gelatin introduction had positive impact on gelatin-modified PU foams by increasing their hemocompatibility. PMID:24363617

Dietary habits in three Central and Eastern European countries: the HAPIEE study

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background The high cardiovascular mortality in Eastern Europe has often been attributed to poor diet, but individual-level data on nutrition in the region are generally not available. This paper describes the methods of dietary assessment and presents preliminary findings on food and nutrient intakes in large general population samples in Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic. Methods The HAPIEE (Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors In Eastern Europe) study examined random samples of men and women aged 45-69 years at baseline in Novosibirsk (Russia), Krakow (Poland) and six Czech urban centres in 2002-2005. Diet was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire (at least 136 items); complete dietary information was available for 26,870 persons. Results Total energy intakes among men ranged between 8.7 MJ in the Czech sample and 11.7 MJ in the Russian sample, while among women, energy intakes ranged between 8.2 MJ in the Czech sample and 9.8 MJ in the Russian sample. A Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI), ranging from a score of 0 (lowest) to 7 (highest), was developed using the World Health Organisation's (WHO) guidelines for the prevention of chronic diseases. The mean HDI scores were low, ranging from 1.0 (SD = 0.7) among the Polish subjects to 1.7 (SD = 0.8) among the Czech females. Very few subjects met the WHO recommended intakes for complex carbohydrates, pulses or nuts; intakes of saturated fatty acids, sugar and protein were too high. Only 16% of Polish subjects met the WHO recommendation for polyunsaturated fat intake. Consumption of fruits and vegetables was lower than recommended, especially among those Russian subjects who were assessed during the low intake season. Fewer than 65% of subjects consumed adequate amounts of calcium, magnesium and potassium, when compared with the United Kingdom's Reference Nutrient Intake. Conclusion This first large scale study of individual-based dietary intakes in the general population in Eastern Europe implies that intakes of saturated fat, sugar and complex carbohydrates are a cause for concern. The development of country-specific nutritional tools must be encouraged and nutritional campaigns must undergo continuing development. PMID:19951409

RARE PROJECT: QUANTIFYING THE IMPACT OF AN AUTOBODY SHOP COMPLIANCE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IN LAWRENCE, MA ON SHOP EMISSIONS AND RESIDENTIAL EXPOSURES TO HDI AND OTHER ISOCYANTES

EPA Science Inventory

This is an ORD Regional Applied Research Effort (RARE) study with EPA Region 1. For the past several years Region 1 has been managing an EPA grant for an auto body shop compliance assistance project in Lawrence, MA to address residents' concerns about auto body shops as a source...

Education and severe maternal outcomes in developing countries: a multicountry cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Tunçalp, Ö; Souza, J P; Hindin, M J; Santos, C A; Oliveira, T H; Vogel, J P; Togoobaatar, G; Ha, D Q; Say, L; Gülmezoglu, A M

2014-03-01

To assess the relationship between education and severe maternal outcomes among women delivering in healthcare facilities. Cross-sectional study. Twenty-nine countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Pregnant women admitted to 359 facilities during a period of 2-4 months of data collection between 2010 and 2011. Data were obtained from hospital records. Stratification was based on the Human Development Index (HDI) values of the participating countries. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between maternal morbidity and education, categorised in quartiles based on the years of formal education by country. Coverage of key interventions was assessed. Severe maternal outcomes (near misses and death). A significant association between low education and severe maternal outcomes (adjusted odds ratio, aOR, 2.07; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI, 1.46-2.95), maternal near miss (aOR 1.80; 95% CI 1.25-2.57), and maternal death (aOR 5.62; 95% CI 3.45-9.16) was observed. This relationship persisted in countries with medium HDIs (aOR 2.36; 95% CI 1.33-4.17) and low HDIs (aOR 2.65; 95% CI 1.54-2.57). Less educated women also had increased odds of presenting to the hospital in a severe condition (i.e. with organ dysfunction on arrival or within 24 hours: aOR 2.06; 95% CI 1.36-3.10). The probability that a woman received magnesium sulphate for eclampsia or had a caesarean section significantly increased as education level increased (P < 0.05). Women with lower levels of education are at greater risk for severe maternal outcomes, even after adjustment for key confounding factors. This is particularly true for women in countries that have poorer markers of social and economic development. © 2014 RCOG The World Health Organization retains copyright and all other rights in the manuscript of this article as submitted for publication.

Rebuilding Iraq - The Danish Interagency Strategy

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-02-09

HDI ), Iraq dropped from position number 76 in 1990, to position 126 in 2000. No other country underwent a similar descent in the same period. In the...and mutually impressionable main tendencies in Iraq today: progress in the political process, endeavors to rebuild the country , and a continued...the country , and (3) a continued serious security situation including violent incidents especially in the central part of Iraq but also in other

Synthesis and characterization of shape-memory poly carbonate urethane microspheres for future vascular embolization.

PubMed

Liu, Rongrong; Dai, Honglian; Zhou, Qian; Zhang, Qian; Zhang, Ping

2016-08-01

Two types of shape memory poly carbonate urethanes (PCUs) microspheres were synthesized by pre-polymerization and suspension polymerization, based on Polycarbonate diol (PCDL) as the soft segment, Isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) as the hard segments and 1,4-butanediol (BDO) as the chain expanding agent. The structure, crystallinity, and thermal property of the two synthesized PCUs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Differential scanning calorimetery (DSC), respectively. The results showed that the two types of PCUs exhibited high thermal stability with phase separation and semi-crystallinity. Also, the results of the compression test displayed that the shape fixity and the shape recovery of two PCUs were more than 90% compared to the originals, indicating their similar bio-applicability and shape-memory properties. The tensile strength, elongation at break was enhanced by introducing and increasing content of HDI. The water contact angles of PCUs decreased and their surface tension increased by surface modified with Bovine serum albumin (BSA). Furthermore, the biological study results of two types of PCUs from the platelet adhesion test and the cell proliferation inhibition test indicated they had some biocompatibilites. Hence, the PCU microspheres might represent a smart and shape-memory embolic agent for vascular embolization.

Hypervelocity Dust Injection for Plasma Diagnostic Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ticos, Catalin

2005-10-01

Hypervelocity micron-size dust grain injection was proposed for high-temperature magnetized plasma diagnosis. Multiple dust grains are launched simultaneously into high temperature plasmas at several km/s or more. The hypervelocity dust grains are ablated by the electron and ion fluxes. Fast imaging of the resulting luminous plumes attached to each grain is expected to yield local magnetic field vectors. Combination of multiple local magnetic field vectors reproduces 2D or even 3D maps of the internal magnetic field topology. Key features of HDI are: (1) a high spatial resolution, due to a relatively small transverse size of the elongated tail, and (2) a small perturbation level, as the dust grains introduce negligible number of particles compared to the plasma particle inventory. The latter advantage, however, could be seriously compromised if the gas load from the accelerator has an unobstructed access to the diagnosed plasma. Construction of a HDI diagnostic for National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX), which includes a coaxial plasma gun for dust grain acceleration, is underway. Hydrogen and deuterium gas discharges inside accelerator are created by a ˜ 1 mF capacitor bank pre-charged up to 10 kV. The diagnostic apparatus also comprises a dust dispenser for pre-loading the accelerator with dust grains, and an imaging system that has a high spatial and temporal resolution.

Designing an Electronics Data Package for Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs)

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-01

finished PCB flatness deviation should be less than 0.010 inches per inch. 4  The minimum copper wall thickness of plated-thru holes should be...Memory Card International Association)  IPC-6015 MCM-L (Multi-Chip Module – Laminated )  IPC-6016 HDI (High Density Interconnect)  IPC-6018...Interconnect ICT In Circuit Tester IPC Association Connecting Electronics Industries MCM-L Multi-Chip Module – Laminated MIL Military NEMA National

Involvement of Antizyme Characterized from the Small Abalone Haliotis diversicolor in Gonadal Development.

PubMed

Li, Wei-Dong; Huang, Min; Lü, Wen-Gang; Chen, Xiao; Shen, Ming-Hui; Li, Xiang-Min; Wang, Rong-Xia; Ke, Cai-Huan

2015-01-01

The small abalone Haliotis diversicolor is an economically important mollusk that is widely cultivated in Southern China. Gonad precocity may affect the aquaculture of small abalone. Polyamines, which are small cationic molecules essential for cellular proliferation, may affect gonadal development. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and antizyme (AZ) are essential elements of a feedback circuit that regulates cellular polyamines. This paper presents the molecular cloning and characterization of AZ from small abalone. Sequence analysis showed that the cDNA sequence of H. diversicolor AZ (HdiODCAZ) consisted of two overlapping open reading frames (ORFs) and conformed to the +1 frameshift property of the frame. Thin Layer chromatography (TLC) analysis suggested that the expressed protein encoded by +1 ORF2 was the functional AZ that targets ODC to 26S proteasome degradation. The result demonstrated that the expression level of AZ was higher than that of ODC in the ovary of small abalone. In addition, the expression profiles of ODC and AZ at the different development stages of the ovary indicated that these two genes might be involved in the gonadal development of small abalone.

Involvement of Antizyme Characterized from the Small Abalone Haliotis diversicolor in Gonadal Development

PubMed Central

Lü, Wen-Gang; Chen, Xiao; Shen, Ming-Hui; Li, Xiang-Min; Wang, Rong-Xia; Ke, Cai-Huan

2015-01-01

The small abalone Haliotis diversicolor is an economically important mollusk that is widely cultivated in Southern China. Gonad precocity may affect the aquaculture of small abalone. Polyamines, which are small cationic molecules essential for cellular proliferation, may affect gonadal development. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and antizyme (AZ) are essential elements of a feedback circuit that regulates cellular polyamines. This paper presents the molecular cloning and characterization of AZ from small abalone. Sequence analysis showed that the cDNA sequence of H. diversicolor AZ (HdiODCAZ) consisted of two overlapping open reading frames (ORFs) and conformed to the +1 frameshift property of the frame. Thin Layer chromatography (TLC) analysis suggested that the expressed protein encoded by +1 ORF2 was the functional AZ that targets ODC to 26S proteasome degradation. The result demonstrated that the expression level of AZ was higher than that of ODC in the ovary of small abalone. In addition, the expression profiles of ODC and AZ at the different development stages of the ovary indicated that these two genes might be involved in the gonadal development of small abalone. PMID:26313647

Pintail and mallard survival in California relative to habitat, abundance, and hunting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fleskes, J.P.; Yee, J.L.; Yarris, G.S.; Miller, M.R.; Casazza, Michael L.

2007-01-01

The influence of habitat, waterfowl abundance, and hunting on winter survival of waterfowl is not well understood. We studied late August-March survival of 163 after-hatch-year (AHY) and 128 hatch-year (HY) female mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) radiotagged in Sacramento Valley (SACV) and 885 AHY female northern pintails (A. acuta) radiotagged throughout the Central Valley of California, USA, relative to flooded habitat (HAB), January abundance of each species (JMAL or JPIN), hunter-days (HDY), and a hunting pressure index (HPI) that combined these variables. From EARLY (1987-1994) to LATE (1998-2000), HAB increased 39%, JPIN increased 45%, JMAL increased 53%, HDY increased 21%, duck-hunting season increased from 59 days to 100 days, and the female daily bag limit doubled to 2 for mallards but remained 1 for pintails. Survival (?? SE) was greater during LATE versus EARLY for pintails radiotagged in each region (SACV: 93.2 ?? 2.1% vs. 87.6 ?? 3.0%; Suisun Marsh: 86.6 ?? 3.2% vs. 77.0 ?? 3.7%; San Joaquin Valley: 86.6 ?? 3.1% vs. 76.9 ?? 4.1%) but not for SACV mallards (AHY: 70.6 ?? 7.2% to 74.4 ?? 7.7% vs. 80.1 ?? 7.2% to 82.8 ?? 5.6%; HY: 48.7 ?? 9.1% [1999-2000 only] vs. 63.5 ?? 8.8% to 67.6 ?? 8.0%). Most pintail (72%) and mallard (91%) deaths were from hunting, and lower HPI and higher JPIN or JMAL were associated with reduced mortality. Increased HAB was associated with reduced winter mortality for pintails but not for SACV mallards. Pintail survival rates that we measured were within the range reported for other North American wintering areas, and during LATE were higher than most, even though our study duration was 68-110 days longer. Winter survival rates of SACV mallards were also within the reported range. However, with higher bag limits and longer seasons, mallard survival during LATE was lower than in most other wintering areas, especially during 1999-2000, when high winds on opening weekend resulted in high hunting mortality. Habitat conservation and favorable agriculture practices helped create a Central Valley wintering environment where natural mortality of mallards and pintails was low and survival varied with hunting mortality. We recommend regulations and habitat management that continue to minimize natural mortality while allowing sustainable harvest at a level that helps maintain strong incentive for management of Central Valley waterfowl habitats, including the large portion that is privately owned.

Equitable Prices of Single-Source Drugs in Thailand.

PubMed

Ngorsuraches, Surachat; Chaiyakan, Kanokkan

2015-08-01

In Thailand, total drug expenditure has grown rapidly. Recently, the Thai government has addressed the issue of drug pricing, but the prices of single-source drugs remain a major challenge. To examine equitable prices of single-source drugs in Thailand. A total of 98 single-source and high-expenditure drugs were examined. Unit prices from the Drug and Medical Supplies Information Center (DMSIC) and National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) were used to represent drug prices at the provider level in Thailand and the U.S., respectively. Data for measuring drug affordability, e.g., dose and poverty line, were obtained from Micromedex online and the National Statistical Office (NSO). The U.S. drug prices were adjusted by the Human Development Index (HDI) to be equitable prices for Thailand. Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) was used to convert US currency into Thai baht. All prices in this study were based on the year 2012. Catastrophic, Impoverishment, and WHO/Health Action International (HAI) approaches were used to determine Thai citizens' ability to afford the study drugs. Finally, uncertainty analyses were conducted. From all study drugs, 55 single-source drugs were priced higher than their equitable prices, ranging from 0.38 to 422.36% higher. Among these, 28 items were antineoplastic drugs. The prices of drugs outside the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), as well as the country's newer drugs, tended to be higher than their calculated equitable prices. The majority of drugs in Thailand priced higher than equitable prices were unaffordable for most Thai citizens. The uncertainty analyses revealed that almost all results were relatively robust. Most single-source drug prices in Thailand were higher than their equitable prices, and were likely to be unaffordable to Thai citizens.

Whole-of-society monitoring framework for sugar, salt, and fat consumption and noncommunicable diseases in India.

PubMed

Arora, Narendra K; Pillai, Rakesh; Dasgupta, Rajib; Garg, Priyanka Rani

2014-12-01

India has experienced a rising prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors in the past 15 years: the prevalence of diabetes has increased from 5.9% to 9.1%, hypertension from 17.2% to 29.2%, and obesity from 4% to 15%. The increase is among all socioeconomic groups and in urban and rural populations, though the quantum of change varies. A concomitant increase in per capita consumption of sugar from 22 to 55.3 g/day and total fat from 21.2 to 54 g/day was observed, with significant differences between states of high and low human development index (HDI). Per capita consumption of sugar, salt, and fat is consistently and significantly associated with overweight and obesity but variably associated with the occurrence of hypertension and diabetes. Market research shows that approximately 50-60% of total salt, sugar, and fat in Indian markets is procured by bulk purchasers, generally for manufacturing processed food items. This sector of the Indian economy is among the fastest growing, with several policy incentives. It is not clear from most of the data sets whether available information on per capita sugar, salt, and fat consumption has considered the contribution of processed and ready-to-eat food items. The unprecedented changes of rapid urbanization, mechanization, and globalization demand close monitoring of social, developmental, and economic determinants. This paper provides pieces of evidence to justify a whole-of-society (WoS) framework for monitoring the inputs, processes, and behavioral components of the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke (NPCDCS) in India. © 2014 New York Academy of Sciences.

Spatial and simultaneous seroepidemiology of anti-Leishmania spp. antibodies in dog owners and their dogs from randomly selected households in a major city of southern Brazil.

PubMed

Benitez, Aline do Nascimento; Martins, Felippe Danyel Cardoso; Mareze, Marcelle; Nino, Beatriz de Souza Lima; Caldart, Eloiza Teles; Ferreira, Fernanda Pinto; Mitsuka-Breganó, Regina; Freire, Roberta Lemos; Galhardo, Juliana Arena; Martins, Camila Marinelli; Biondo, Alexander Welker; Navarro, Italmar Teodorico

2018-06-01

Although leishmaniasis has been described as a classic example of a zoonosis requiring a comprehensive approach for control, to date, no study has been conducted on the spatial distribution of simultaneous Leishmania spp. seroprevalence in dog owners and dogs from randomly selected households in urban settings. Accordingly, the present study aimed to simultaneously identify the seroprevalence, spatial distribution and associated factors of infection with Leishmania spp. in dog owners and their dogs in the city of Londrina, a county seat in southern Brazil with a population of half a million people and ranked 18th in population and 145th in the human development index (HDI) out of 5570 Brazilian cities. Overall, 564 households were surveyed and included 597 homeowners and their 729 dogs. Anti-Leishmania spp. antibodies were detected by ELISA in 9/597 (1.50%) dog owners and in 32/729 (4.38%) dogs, with significantly higher prevalence (p = 0.0042) in dogs. Spatial analysis revealed associations between seropositive dogs and households located up to 500 m from the local railway. No clusters were found for either owner or dog case distributions. In summary, the seroepidemiological and spatial results collectively show a lack of association of the factors for infection, and the results demonstrated higher exposure for dogs than their owners. However, railway areas may provide favorable conditions for the maintenance of infected phlebotomines, thereby causing infection in nearby domiciled dogs. In such an urban scenario, local sanitary barriers should be focused on the terrestrial routes of people and surrounding areas, particularly railways, via continuous vector surveillance and identification of phlebotomines infected by Leishmania spp. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Identifying and Overcoming Mechanisms of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Resistance | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDIs), such as romidepsin, can inhibit the growth of cancer cells and induce their apoptosis by increasing histone acetylation and altering gene expression. Romidepsin has even been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of two types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) and peripheral T cell lymphoma. But, as Susan Bates, M.D., in CCR’s Medical Oncology Branch, knows firsthand from her work on phase I and II clinical trials testing romidepsin, many cancers are initially resistant or develop resistance to HDIs. Bates, along with Arup Chakraborty, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in her lab, and their colleagues are interested in understanding cellular mechanisms of HDI resistance with the hope of identifying additional pathways that could be targeted to enhance the anticancer efficacy of HDIs.

A methodology to measure cervical vertebral bone maturation in a sample from low-income children.

PubMed

Aguiar, Luciana Barreto Vieira; Caldas, Maria de Paula; Haiter Neto, Francisco; Ambrosano, Glaucia Maria Bovi

2013-01-01

This study evaluated the applicability of the regression method for determining vertebral age developed by Caldas et al. (2007) by testing this method in children from low-income families of the rural zone. The sample comprised cephalometric and hand-wrist radiographs of 76 boys and 64 girls aged 7.0 to 14.9 years living in a medium-sized city in the desert region of the northeastern region of Brazil, with an HDI of 0.678. C3 and C4 vertebrae were traced and measured on cephalometric radiographs to estimate the bone age. The average age, average hand-wrist age and average error estimated for girls and boys were, respectively, 10.62 and 10.44 years, 11.28 and 10.57 years, and 1.42 and 1.18 years. Based on these results, the formula proposed by Caldas et al. (2007) was not applicable to the studied population, and new multiple regression models were developed to obtain the children's vertebral bone age accurately.

Inhibition of HIF-2.alpha. heterodimerization with HIF1.beta. (ARNT)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bruick, Richard K.; Caldwell, Charles G.; Frantz, Doug E.

2017-09-12

Provided is a method of inhibiting heterodimerization of HIF-2.alpha. to HIF1.beta. (ARNT) comprising binding certain small molecules to the HIF-2.alpha. PAS-B domain cavity but not to HIF1.alpha. and inhibiting HIF-2.alpha. heterodimerization to HIF1.beta. (ARNT) but not inhibiting HIF1.alpha. heterodimerization to HIF1.beta. (ARNT). Those certain small molecules are also referenced synonymously as HIF2-HDI and HIF2.alpha. heterodimerization inhibitors and also simply as certain small molecules.

Operations Research Techniques for Human Factors Engineers

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-06-01

mathematical than Raiffa’s explanations. b) Raiffa, Howard. Decision Analisis : Introductory Lectutres on Choiceg~~a hdY9ETny a--s- s- se ia fly, 1968. A...response criterion (8)- d) Pastore , R.E., and Scheirer, C.J. "Signal Detection Theory: Considerations for General Application " itPs Nholo_ cal Bulletin...Relatioship: . N9--1: Joi Vonn rey and Sons, Tr-rppnT35 p -TT. 26. Rouse, William B. System Enin eerin? Models of Human-Machine Interaction. New Y E

In which developing countries are patents on essential medicines being filed?

PubMed

Beall, Reed F; Blanchet, Rosanne; Attaran, Amir

2017-06-26

This article is based upon data gathered during a study conducted in partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organization on the patent status of products appearing on the World Health Organization's 2013 Model List of Essential Medicines (MLEM). It is a statistical analysis aimed at answering: in which developing countries are patents on essential medicines being filed? Patent data were collected by linking those listed in the United States and Canada's medicine patent registers to corresponding patents in developing countries using two international patent databases (INPADOC and Derwent) via a commerical-grade patent search platform (Thomson Innovation). The respective supplier companies were then contacted to correct and verify our data. We next tallied the number of MLEM patents per developing country. Spearman correlations were done to assess bivariate relationships between variables, and a multivariate regression model was developed to explain the number of MLEM patents in each country using SPSS 23.0. A subset of 20 of the 375 (5%) products on the 2013 MLEM fit our inclusion criteria. The patent estate reports (i.e., the global list of patents for a given drug) varied greatly in their number with a median of 48 patents (interquartile range [IQR]: 26-76). Their geographic reach had a median of 15% of the developing countries sampled (IQR: 8-28%). The number of developing countries covered appeared to increase with the age of the patent estate (r = .433, p = 0.028). The number of MLEM patents per country was significantly positively associated with human development index (HDI), gross domestic income (GDI) per capita, total healthcare expenditure per capita, population size, the Rule of Law Index, and average education level. Population size, GDI per capita, and healthcare expenditure (in % of national expenditure) were predictors of the number of MLEM patents in countries (p = 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.009, respectively). Population size was the most important predictor (β = 0.59), followed by income (GDI per capita) (β = 0.32), and healthcare expenditure (β = 0.15). Holding the other factors constant, (i) 14.3 million more people, (ii) $833.33 more per capita (GDI), or (iii) 0.88% more of national spending on healthcare resulted in 1 additional essential medicine patent. Population was a powerful predictor of the number of patent filings in developing countries along with GDI and healthcare expenditure. The age and historical context of the patent estate may make a difference in the number of patents and countries covered. Broad surveillance and benchmarking of the global medicine patent landscape is valuable for detecting significant shifts that may occur over time. With improved international medicine patent transparency by companies and data available through third parties, such studies will be increasingly feasible.

Development of segmented polyurethane elastomers with low iodine content exhibiting radiopacity and blood compatibility.

PubMed

Dawlee, S; Jayabalan, Muthu

2011-10-01

Biofunctionally active and inherently radiopaque polymers are the emerging need for biomedical applications. Novel segmented polyurethane elastomer with inherent radiopacity was prepared using aliphatic chain extender 2,3-diiodo-2-butene-1,4-diol, polyol polytetramethylene glycol and 4,4'-methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate) (MDI) for blood compatible applications. Aliphatic polyurethane was also prepared using hexamethylene diisocyanate for comparison. X-ray analysis of the polyurethanes revealed good radiopacity even at a relatively low concentration of 3% iodine in aromatic polyurethane and 10% in aliphatic polyurethane. The polyurethanes also possessed excellent thermal stability. MDI-based polyurethane showed considerably higher tensile strength than the analogous HDI-based polyurethane. MDI-based aromatic polyurethane exhibited a dynamic surface morphology in aqueous medium, resulting in the segregation of hydrophilic domains which was more conducive to anti-thrombogenic properties. The polyurethane was cytocompatible with L929 fibroblast cells, non-hemolytic, and possessed good blood compatibility.

Lubricant depletion under various laser heating conditions in Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Shaomin; Wu, Haoyu; Bogy, David

2014-09-01

Heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) is expected to increase the storage areal density to more than 1 Tb/in2 in hard disk drives (HDDs). In this technology, a laser is used to heat the magnetic media to the Curie point (~400-600 °C) during the writing process. The lubricant on the top of a magnetic disk could evaporate and be depleted under the laser heating. The change of the lubricant can lead to instability of the flying slider and failure of the head-disk interface (HDI). In this study, a HAMR test stage is developed to study the lubricant thermal behavior. Various heating conditions are controlled for the study of the lubricant thermal depletion. The effects of laser heating repetitions and power levels on the lubricant depletion are investigated experimentally. The lubricant reflow behavior is discussed as well.

Diagnostic ultrasound and telemedicine utilization in the international space station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, Stephen J.; Stewart, Brent K.; Kushmerick, Martin J.; Langer, Steve G.; Schmiedl, Udo P.; Winter, Thomas C.; Conley, Kevin E.; Jubrias, Sharon A.

1999-01-01

Clinical diagnostic ultrasound (US) is experiencing an expanding role that is well suited to application on the International Space Station (ISS). Diagnostic US can be used to reduce the risks associated with long duration human space flight by providing a non-invasive tool with head-to-toe diagnostic capability in both biomedical research and crew health care. General health care of the astronauts will be diagnosed with US, e.g., kidney stones, gall bladder disease, appendicitis, etc. Initial studies will focus on detection of ``ureteral jets'' in the bladder. This is a non-invasive test to rule out obstructive uropathy from kidney stones with minimal requirements for crew training. Biomedical research experiments, focusing on the effects of the microgravity environment, will be performed using both the HHU and the HDI 5000. US will be used to evaluate bone density and muscle mass in this environment. Prolonged or emergency EVAs may occur with the ISS. The hand-held ultrasound unit (HHU) and its telemedicine capability will be used in EVA settings to monitor events such as decompression sickness (DCS) microbubble formation in the cardiovascular system. There will be telemetry links between the HHU and the ATL/Lockheed Martin rack mounted HDI 5000 in the ISS Human Research Facility (HRF), as well as between the HRF and medical expertise on the ground. These links will provide the ISS with both real-time and store-and-forward telemedicine capabilities. The HHU can also be used with the existing telemedicine instrument pack (TIP).

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder features and response to behavioral therapy for insomnia among patients with hypnotic-dependent insomnia.

PubMed

Petrov, Megan E; Emert, Sarah E; Lichstein, Kenneth L

2018-06-05

To compare therapeutic response to behavioral therapy for insomnia (BT-I) among hypnotic-dependent insomnia (HDI) patients with and without Cluster C personality disorders. Twenty-three adults with HDI (17 females), aged between 33 and 68 (M = 53; SD = 9.9) were included in the study. Participants completed a personality disorder assessment (baseline), as well as sleep diaries, polysomnography (PSG), and an insomnia severity assessment (baseline, posttreatment, and one-year follow-up). Treatment consisted of eight weeks of individual BT-I and gradual hypnotic medication withdrawal. Multilevel mixed-effects linear regression models examined the interaction between study visit and Cluster C personality disorders status on treatment response to BT-I. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) was the most prevalent of the Cluster C personality disorders with 38% (n = 8) of participants meeting criteria. There were no significant treatment differences by OCPD status across time as measured by sleep diaries and insomnia severity status. However, there were significant treatment differences by OCPD status by one-year follow-up on PSG outcomes, indicating that patients with OCPD status had shorter and more disrupted sleep than patients without OCPD status. Based on self-reported sleep measures, patients with insomnia and features of OCPD responded equivalently to BT-I at one-year follow-up compared to patients without features of OCPD. However, polysomnography outcomes indicated objective sleep deteriorated in these patients, which may suggest greater vulnerability to relapse.

Therapeutic Risk and Benefits of Concomitantly Using Herbal Medicines and Conventional Medicines: From the Perspectives of Evidence Based on Randomized Controlled Trials and Clinical Risk Management

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiu-lai; Chen, Meng; Zhu, Ling-ling

2017-01-01

Despite increased awareness of the potential of herb-drug interactions (HDIs), the lack of rigorous clinical evidence regarding the significance provides a challenge for clinicians and consumers to make rational decisions about the safe combination of herbal and conventional medicines. This review addressed HDIs based on evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Literature was identified by performing a PubMed search till January 2017. Risk description and clinical risk management were described. Among 74 finally included RCTs, 17 RCTs (22.97%) simply addressed pharmacodynamic HDIs. Fifty-seven RCTs (77.03%) investigated pharmacokinetic HDIs and twenty-eight of them showed potential or actual clinical relevance. The extent of an HDI may be associated with the factors such as pharmacogenomics, dose of active ingredients in herbs, time course of interaction, characteristics of the object drugs (e.g., administration routes and pharmacokinetic profiles), modification of herbal prescription compositions, and coexistence of inducers and inhibitors. Clinical professionals should enhance risk management on HDIs such as increasing awareness of potential changes in therapeutic risk and benefits, inquiring patients about all currently used conventional medicines and herbal medicines and supplements, automatically detecting highly substantial significant HDI by computerized reminder system, selecting the alternatives, adjusting dose, reviewing the appropriateness of physician orders, educating patients to monitor for drug-interaction symptoms, and paying attention to follow-up visit and consultation. PMID:28491115

An ultra-compact processor module based on the R3000

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mullenhoff, D. J.; Kaschmitter, J. L.; Lyke, J. C.; Forman, G. A.

1992-08-01

Viable high density packaging is of critical importance for future military systems, particularly space borne systems which require minimum weight and size and high mechanical integrity. A leading, emerging technology for high density packaging is multi-chip modules (MCM). During the 1980's, a number of different MCM technologies have emerged. In support of Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) programs, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has developed, utilized, and evaluated several different MCM technologies. Prior LLNL efforts include modules developed in 1986, using hybrid wafer scale packaging, which are still operational in an Air Force satellite mission. More recent efforts have included very high density cache memory modules, developed using laser pantography. As part of the demonstration effort, LLNL and Phillips Laboratory began collaborating in 1990 in the Phase 3 Multi-Chip Module (MCM) technology demonstration project. The goal of this program was to demonstrate the feasibility of General Electric's (GE) High Density Interconnect (HDI) MCM technology. The design chosen for this demonstration was the processor core for a MIPS R3000 based reduced instruction set computer (RISC), which has been described previously. It consists of the R3000 microprocessor, R3010 floating point coprocessor and 128 Kbytes of cache memory.

Indicators for the evaluation of diet quality.

PubMed

Gil, Ángel; Martinez de Victoria, Emilio; Olza, Josune

2015-02-26

The role of diet quality and physical activity in reducing the progression of chronic disease is becoming increasingly important. Dietary Quality Indices or Indicators (DQIs) are algorithms aiming to evaluate the overall diet and categorize individuals according to the extent to which their eating behaviour is "healthy". Predefined indexes assess dietary patterns based on current nutrition knowledge and they have been developed primarily for nutritional epidemiology to assess dietary risk factors for non-communicable diseases. There are many different types of DQIs. There are three major categories of DQIs: a) nutrient-based indicators; b) food/food group based indicators; and c) combination indexes, the vast majority of DQIs, which often include a measure of diet variety within and across food groups, a measure of adequacy i.e. nutrients (compared to requirements) or food groups (quantities or servings), a measure of nutrients/foods to consume in moderation, and an overall balance of macronutrients. The Healthy Eating Index (HEI), the Diet Quality Index (DQI), the Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI) and the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) are the four 'original' diet quality scores that have been referred to and validated most extensively. Several indexes have been adapted and modified from those originals. In particular, many variations on the MDS have been proposed, included different alternate MDS and Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS). Primary data source of DQI's are individual dietary data collection tools, namely 24 h quantitative intake recalls, dietary records and food frequency questionnaires. Nutrients found in many scores are total fat, saturated fatty acids or the ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids or the latter SFA to polyunsaturated fatty acids. Cholesterol, protein content and quality, complex carbohydrates, mono- and disaccharides, dietary fibre and sodium are also found in various scores. All DQIs, except those that only contain nutrients, include the components fruits and vegetables; additional attributes are legumes or pulses, nuts and seeds. Meat and meat products, namely red and processed meat, poultry, and milk and dairy products are also included in many scores. Other foods contained in some DQIs e.g. MDS are olive oil and fish. Nowadays, there is interest in defining more than DQIs, healthy life indices (HLIs), which give information on behaviours associated with specific patterns and beyond dietary habits they include physical activity, rest and selected socio-cultural habits. The Mediterranean Lifestyle (MEDLIFE) index has been recently created based on the current Spanish Mediterranean food guide pyramid and it includes both the assessment of food consumption directly related to the Mediterranean diet, physical activity and rest and other relevant cultural information. However, a global HLI should consider, based on the Iberoamerican Nutrition Foundation (FINUT) Pyramid of Healthy Lifestyles, in addition to food groups and nutrients, selected items on food safety e.g. consumption rate of proceed foods, food handling, preparation and storage and access to drinking water, selected food habits, including alcoholic beverage and salt consumption patterns, purchase of seasonal and local foods, home cooking and conviviality, as well as patterns of physical activity, sedentary and rest habits and some selected sociocultural habits, particularly those related to food selection, religious beliefs and socializing with friends. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2015. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Socioeconomic indicators are strong predictors of hepatitis A seroprevalence rates in the Middle East and North Africa.

PubMed

Koroglu, Mehmet; Jacobsen, Kathryn H; Demiray, Tayfur; Ozbek, Ahmet; Erkorkmaz, Unal; Altindis, Mustafa

The goal of this analysis was to examine the association between age-specific hepatitis A virus (HAV) seroprevalence rates and various socioeconomic indicators within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. We conducted a systematic review of all recently published studies on HAV conducted in the MENA region and identified the highest quality studies for inclusion in our analysis. We calculated the age at midpoint of population immunity (AMPI) for each study and estimated seroprevalence rates at the ages of 5, 10, and 15 years. Next, we identified the correlations between these metrics and several socioeconomic variables. HAV data collected in or after 2000 were available for 14 of the 19 countries in the MENA region. Four of the 14 included countries had intermediate HAV endemicity (Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and UAE), five had high endemicity (Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia), and five had very high endemicity (Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, and Yemen). Water and sanitation were not significant predictors of AMPI or seroprevalence, most likely because most countries in this region have high rates of access to these utilities. However, gross domestic product (GDP), gross national income (GNI), and the human development index (HDI) were all highly associated with AMPI and prevalence. The observed correlations suggest that of the MENA countries without recent HAV data, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar most likely have low endemicity, Oman likely has intermediate endemicity, and Libya likely has high endemicity. While it is unlikely that a single correlation model would be suitable for use in all world regions, the approach utilized in this analysis might provide a simple but accurate method for using economic data to impute the endemicity profiles of countries without recent data in regions where at least several neighboring countries have conducted recent serostudies. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Bacterial Sepsis in Brazilian Children: A Trend Analysis from 1992 to 2006

PubMed Central

Mangia, Cristina Malzoni Ferreira; Kissoon, Niranjan; Branchini, Otavio Augusto; Andrade, Maria Cristina; Kopelman, Benjamin Israel; Carcillo, Joe

2011-01-01

Background The objective of this study was to determine the epidemiology of hospitalized pediatric sepsis in Brazil (1992–2006) and to compare mortality caused by sepsis to that caused by other major childhood diseases. Methods and Findings We performed a retrospective descriptive study of hospital admissions using a government database of all hospital affiliated with the Brazilian health system. We studied all hospitalizations in children from 28 days through 19 years with diagnosis of bacterial sepsis defined by the criteria of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), (Appendix S1). Based on the data studied from 1992 through 2006, the pediatric hospital mortality rate was 1.23% and there were 556,073 pediatric admissions with bacterial sepsis with a mean mortality rate of 19.9%. There was a case reduction of 67% over.1992–2006 (p<0.001); however, the mortality rate remained unchanged (from 1992–1996, 20.5%; and from 2002–2006, 19.7%). Sepsis-hospital mortality rate was substantially higher than pneumonia (0.5%), HIV (3.3%), diarrhea (0.3%), undernutrition (2.3%), malaria (0.2%) and measles (0.7%). The human development index (HDI) and mortality rates (MR) by region were: North region 0.76 and 21.7%; Northeast region 0.72 and 27.1%; Central-West 0.81 and 23.5%; South region 0.83 and 12.2% and Southeast region 0.82 and 14.8%, respectively. Conclusions We concluded that sepsis remains an important health problem in children in Brazil. The institution of universal primary care programs has been associated with substantially reduced sepsis incidence and therefore deaths; however, hospital mortality rates in children with sepsis remain unchanged. Implementation of additional health initiatives to reduce sepsis mortality in hospitalized patients could have great impact on childhood mortality rates in Brazil. PMID:21674036

In vitro and biomechanical screening of polyethylene glycol and poly(trimethylene carbonate) block copolymers for annulus fibrosus repair.

PubMed

Long, Rose G; Rotman, Stijn G; Hom, Warren W; Assael, Dylan J; Illien-Jünger, Svenja; Grijpma, Dirk W; Iatridis, James C

2018-02-01

Herniated intervertebral discs (IVDs) are a common cause of back and neck pain. There is an unmet clinical need to seal annulus fibrosus (AF) defects, as discectomy surgeries address acute pain but are complicated by reherniation and recurrent pain. Copolymers of polyethylene glycol with trimethylene carbonate (TMC) and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) end-groups were formulated as AF sealants as the HDI form covalent bonds with native AF tissue. TMC adhesives were evaluated and optimized using the design criteria: stable size, strong adherence to AF tissue, high cytocompatibility, restoration of IVD biomechanics to intact levels following in situ repair, and low extrusion risk. TMC adhesives had high adhesion strength as assessed with a pushout test (150 kPa), and low degradation rates over 3 weeks in vitro. Both TMC adhesives had shear moduli (220 and 490 kPa) similar to, but somewhat higher than, AF tissue. The adhesive with three TMC moieties per branch (TMC3) was selected for additional in situ testing because it best matched AF shear properties. TMC3 restored torsional stiffness, torsional hysteresis area and axial range of motion to intact states. However, in a failure test of compressive deformation under fixed 5 ° flexion, some herniation risk was observed with failure strength of 5.9 MPa compared with 13.5 MPa for intact samples; TMC3 herniated under cyclic organ culture testing. These TMC adhesives performed well during in vitro and in situ testing, but additional optimization to enhance failure strength is required to further this material to advanced screening tests, such as long-term degradation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy on Pain and Mood Disorders in Patients With High-Frequency Migraine.

PubMed

D'Ippolito, Mariagrazia; Tramontano, Marco; Buzzi, Maria Gabriella

2017-06-01

The substantial functional impairment associated with migraine has both physical and emotional ramifications. Mood disorders are often comorbid in patients with migraine and are known to adversely affect migraine activity. To explore the effects of osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMTh; manipulative care provided by foreign-trained osteopaths) on pain and mood disorders in patients with high-frequency migraine. Retrospective review of the medical records of patients with high-frequency migraine who were treated with OMTh at the Headache Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia from 2011 to 2015. Clinical assessments were made using the Headache Disability Inventory (HDI), the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) forms X-1 and X-2. Medical records of 11 patients (6 women; mean age, 47.5 [7.8] years) with a diagnosis of high-frequency migraine who participated in an OMTh program met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. When the questionnaire scores obtained at the first visit (T0) and after 4 OMTh sessions (T1) were compared, significant improvement in scores were observed on STAI X-2 (T0: 43.18 [2.47]; T1: 39.45 [2.52]; P<.05), HIT-6 (T0: 63 [2.20]; T1: 56.27 [2.24]; P<.05), and HDI (T0: 58.72 [6.75]; T1: 45.09 [7.01]; P<.05). This preliminary study revealed that patients with high-frequency migraine and comorbid mood disorders showed significant improvement after four 45-minute OMTh sessions. Further investigation into the effects of OMTh on pain and mood disorders in patients with high-frequency migraine is needed.

High frequency of brain metastases after adjuvant therapy for high-risk melanoma.

PubMed

Samlowski, Wolfram E; Moon, James; Witter, Merle; Atkins, Michael B; Kirkwood, John M; Othus, Megan; Ribas, Antoni; Sondak, Vernon K; Flaherty, Lawrence E

2017-11-01

The incidence of CNS progression in patients with high-risk regional melanoma (stages IIIAN2a-IIIC) is not well characterized. Data from the S0008 trial provided an opportunity to examine the role of CNS progression in treatment failure and survival. All patients were surgically staged. Following wide excision and full regional lymphadenectomy, patients were randomized to receive adjuvant biochemotherapy (BCT) or high-dose interferon alfa-2B (HDI). CNS progression was retrospectively identified from data forms. Survival was measured from date of CNS progression. A total of 402 eligible patients were included in the analysis (BCT: 199, HDI: 203). Median follow-up (if alive) was over 7 years (range: 1 month to 11 years). The site of initial progression was identifiable in 80% of relapsing patients. CNS progression was a component of systemic melanoma relapse in 59/402 patients (15% overall). In 34/402 patients (9%) CNS progression represented the initial site of treatment failure. CNS progression was a component of initial progression in 27% of all patients whose melanoma relapsed (59/221). The risk of CNS progression was highest within 3 years of randomization. The difference in CNS progression rates between treatment arms was not significant (BCT = 25, HDI = 34, P = 0.24). Lymph node macrometastases strongly associated with CNS progression (P = 0.001), while ulceration and head and neck primaries were not significant predictors. This retrospective analysis of the S0008 trial identified a high brain metastasis rate (15%) in regionally advanced melanoma patients. Further studies are needed to establish whether screening plus earlier treatment would improve survival following CNS progression. © 2017 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Predicting Response to Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Using High-Throughput Genomics.

PubMed

Geeleher, Paul; Loboda, Andrey; Lenkala, Divya; Wang, Fan; LaCroix, Bonnie; Karovic, Sanja; Wang, Jacqueline; Nebozhyn, Michael; Chisamore, Michael; Hardwick, James; Maitland, Michael L; Huang, R Stephanie

2015-11-01

Many disparate biomarkers have been proposed as predictors of response to histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDI); however, all have failed when applied clinically. Rather than this being entirely an issue of reproducibility, response to the HDI vorinostat may be determined by the additive effect of multiple molecular factors, many of which have previously been demonstrated. We conducted a large-scale gene expression analysis using the Cancer Genome Project for discovery and generated another large independent cancer cell line dataset across different cancers for validation. We compared different approaches in terms of how accurately vorinostat response can be predicted on an independent out-of-batch set of samples and applied the polygenic marker prediction principles in a clinical trial. Using machine learning, the small effects that aggregate, resulting in sensitivity or resistance, can be recovered from gene expression data in a large panel of cancer cell lines.This approach can predict vorinostat response accurately, whereas single gene or pathway markers cannot. Our analyses recapitulated and contextualized many previous findings and suggest an important role for processes such as chromatin remodeling, autophagy, and apoptosis. As a proof of concept, we also discovered a novel causative role for CHD4, a helicase involved in the histone deacetylase complex that is associated with poor clinical outcome. As a clinical validation, we demonstrated that a common dose-limiting toxicity of vorinostat, thrombocytopenia, can be predicted (r = 0.55, P = .004) several days before it is detected clinically. Our work suggests a paradigm shift from single-gene/pathway evaluation to simultaneously evaluating multiple independent high-throughput gene expression datasets, which can be easily extended to other investigational compounds where similar issues are hampering clinical adoption. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Factors impacting short and long-term kidney graft survival: modification by single intra-operative -high-dose induction with ATG-Fresenius.

PubMed

Kaden, Jürgen; May, Gottfried; Völp, Andreas; Wesslau, Claus

2011-01-01

A majority of recipients benefited from the intra-operative single high-dose induction (HDI) with ATG-Fresenius (ATG-F) still leaving a group of recipients who did not profit from this kind of induction. Therefore the aim of this retrospective analysis was 1st to identify the risk factors impacting short and long-term graft survival, and 2nd to assess the efficacy of this type of induction in kidney graft recipients with or without these risk factors. A total of 606 recipients receiving two different immunosuppressive treatment regimens (1st: Triple drug therapy [TDT, n=196] consisting mainly of steroids, azathioprine and cyclosporine; 2nd: TDT + 9 mg/kg ATG-F intra-operatively [HDI, n=410]) were included in this analysis and grouped according to their kidney graft survival time (short GST: ≤1 yr, n=100 and long GST: >5 yrs, n=506). The main risk factors associated with a shortened graft survival were pre-transplant sensitization, re-transplantation, rejections (in particular vascular or mixed ones) and the necessity of a long-term anti-rejection therapy. Adding ATG-F single high dose induction to TDT was more efficient in prolonging kidney graft survival than TDT alone not only in recipients without any risk factors (p<0.005) but also in recipients with at least one risk factor (p<0.021). Only in 4.6% of recipients having two or more risk factors this effect could not be demonstrated. The intra-operative single high-dose induction with ATG-F significantly improves the kidney graft survival in recipients with or without risk factors and can therefore be recommended.

Laboratory Characterization Tests for Antimisting Fuel.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-03-01

Por hdi cal lv, clean wtith chromic acid to reTove traces r! rt c ,t r al e t 1t,’ t t I irt ft tf,(- viscomter C t! tC. ’o( +( .fl50( ,r,, .. , i:t...bath to bel ow 3.9o C. Bubbl e gaseous sul1fur dioxid’e (SO-) through rocetatdsul furic acid (S( 4 ,sp gr 1 .84-) into th, coo led mixture . (’out :oue...qeyce. .t d ’ŕ X oku.4 ict t ,Avenue., NW 3034 W! I. Mr. ,. Thris Meldrum Mr. James H. O’Mara Texdao Company Rohm and Haas P.O. Box 430 727

Anticorrosive organic/inorganic hybrid coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Tongzhai

Organic/inorganic hybrid coating system was developed for anticorrosion applications using polyurea, polyurethane or epoxide as the organic phase and polysiloxane, formed by sol-gel process, as the inorganic phase. Polyurea/polysiloxane hybrid coatings were formulated and moisture cured using HDI isocyanurate, alkoxysilane-functionalized HDI isocyanurate, and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) oligomers. Two urethanes were prepared using the same components as abovementioned in addition to the oligoesters derived from either cyclohexane diacids (CHDA) and 2-butyl-2-ethyl-1,3-propanediol (BEPD) or adipic acid (AA), isophthalic acid (IPA), 1,6-hexanediol (HD), and trimethylol propane (TMP). Accelerated weathering and outdoor exposure were performed to study the weatherability of the polyurethane/polysiloxane hybrid coating system. FTIR and solid-state 13C NMR revealed that the degradation of the hybrid coatings occurred at the urethane and ester functionalities of the organic phase. DMA and DSC analyses showed the glass transition temperature increased and broadened after weathering. SEM was employed to observe the change of morphology of the hybrid coatings and correlated with the gloss variation after weathering. Rutile TiO2 was formulated into polyurethane/polysiloxane hybrid coatings in order to investigate the effect of pigmentation on the coating properties and the sol-gel precursor. Chemical interaction between the TiO2 and the sol-gel precursor was investigated using solid-state 29Si NMR and XPS. The morphology, mechanical, viscoelastic, thermal properties of the pigmented coatings were evaluated as a function of pigmentation volume concentration (PVC). Using AFM and SEM, the pigment were observed to be well dispersed in the polymer matrix. The thermal stability, the tensile modulus and strength of the coatings were enhanced with increasing PVC, whereas the pull-off adhesion and flexibility were reduced with increasing PVC. Finally, the pigmented coatings were evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and the results showed that 10 wt% pigmentation improved the corrosion resistance of the entire coating system. The effect of pigmentation on epoxide/polysiloxane hybrid coatings was also investigated. The epoxide was successfully modified using 3-(triethoxysilyl) propyl isocyanate (TEOSPI) as indicated by FTIR and NMR. Good dispersion of the pigment particles was achieved as revealed by the SEM images. The tensile modulus, tensile strength, pencil hardness and thermal stability of the hybrid coatings were improved while the flexibility and pull-off adhesion were deteriorated when increasing PVC.

Morphology and surface properties of high strength siloxane poly(urethane-urea)s developed for heart valve application.

PubMed

Dandeniyage, Loshini S; Adhikari, Raju; Bown, Mark; Shanks, Robert; Adhikari, Benu; Easton, Christopher D; Gengenbach, Thomas R; Cookson, David; Gunatillake, Pathiraja A

2018-03-04

A series of siloxane poly(urethane-urea) (SiPUU) were developed by incorporating a macrodiol linked with a diisocyanate to enhance mixing of hard and soft segments (SS). The effect of this modification on morphology, surface properties, surface elemental composition, and creep resistance was investigated. The linked macrodiol was prepared by reacting α,ω-bis(6-hydroxyethoxypropyl) poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS) or poly(hexamethylene oxide) (PHMO) with either 4,4'-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), or isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI). SiPUU with PHMO-MDI-PHMO and PHMO-IPDI-PHMO linked macrodiols showed enhanced creep resistance and recovery when compared with a commercial biostable polyurethane, Elast-Eon™ 2A. Small and wide-angle X-ray scattering data were consistent with significant increase of hydrogen bonding between hard and SS with linked-macrodiols, which improved SiPUU's tensile stress and tear strengths. These SiPUU were hydrophobic with contact angle higher than 101° and they had low water uptake (0.7%·w/w of dry mass). They also had much higher siloxane concentration on the surface compared to that in the bulk. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Bedside assistance in freehand ultrasonic diagnosis by real-time visual feedback of 3D scatter diagram of pulsatile tissue-motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuzawa, M.; Kawata, K.; Nakamori, N.; Kitsunezuka, Y.

2011-03-01

By real-time visual feedback of 3D scatter diagram of pulsatile tissue-motion, freehand ultrasonic diagnosis of neonatal ischemic diseases has been assisted at the bedside. The 2D ultrasonic movie was taken with a conventional ultrasonic apparatus (ATL HDI5000) and ultrasonic probes of 5-7 MHz with the compact tilt-sensor to measure the probe orientation. The real-time 3D visualization was realized by developing an extended version of the PC-based visualization system. The software was originally developed on the DirectX platform and optimized with the streaming SIMD extensions. The 3D scatter diagram of the latest pulsatile tissues has been continuously generated and visualized as projection image with the ultrasonic movie in the current section more than 15 fps. It revealed the 3D structure of pulsatile tissues such as middle and posterior cerebral arteries, Willis ring and cerebellar arteries, in which pediatricians have great interests in the blood flow because asphyxiated and/or low-birth-weight neonates have a high risk of ischemic diseases such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and periventricular leukomalacia. Since the pulsatile tissue-motion is due to local blood flow, it can be concluded that the system developed in this work is very useful to assist freehand ultrasonic diagnosis of ischemic diseases in the neonatal cranium.

The effect of manipulation plus massage therapy versus massage therapy alone in people with tension-type headache. A randomized controlled clinical trial.

PubMed

Espí-López, Gemma V; Zurriaga-Llorens, Rosario; Monzani, Lucas; Falla, Deborah

2016-10-01

Manipulative techniques have shown promising results for relief of tension-type headache (TTH), however prior studies either lacked a control group, or suffered from poor methodological quality. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of spinal manipulation combined with massage versus massage alone on range of motion of the cervical spine, headache frequency, intensity and disability in patients with TTH. Randomized, single-blinded, controlled clinical trial. University clinic. We enrolled 105 subjects with TTH. Participants were divided into two groups: 1) manipulation and massage; 2) massage only (control). Four treatment sessions were applied over four weeks. The Headache Disability Inventory (HDI) and range of upper cervical and cervical motion were evaluated at baseline, immediately after the intervention and at a follow-up, 8 weeks after completing the intervention. Both groups demonstrated a large (ƒ=1.22) improvement on their HDI scores. Those that received manipulation reported a medium-sized reduction (ƒ=0.33) in headache frequency across all data points (P<0.05) compared to the control group. Both groups showed a large within-subject effect for upper cervical extension (ƒ=0.62), a medium-sized effect for cervical extension (ƒ=0.39), and large effects for upper cervical (ƒ=1.00) and cervical (ƒ=0.27) flexion. The addition of manipulation resulted in larger gains of upper cervical flexion range of motion, and this difference remained stable at the follow-up. These findings support the benefit of treating TTH with either massage or massage combined with a manipulative technique. However, the addition of manipulative technique was more effective for increasing range of motion of the upper cervical spine and for reducing the impact of headache. Although massage provided relief of headache in TTH sufferers, when combined with cervical manipulation, there was a stronger effect on range of upper cervical spine motion.

More than 5000 patients with metastatic melanoma in Europe per year do not have access to recommended first-line innovative treatments.

PubMed

Kandolf Sekulovic, L; Peris, K; Hauschild, A; Stratigos, A; Grob, J-J; Nathan, P; Dummer, R; Forsea, A-M; Hoeller, C; Gogas, H; Demidov, L; Lebbe, C; Blank, C; Olah, J; Bastholt, L; Herceg, D; Neyns, B; Vieira, R; Hansson, J; Rutkowski, P; Krajsova, I; Bylaite-Bucinskiene, M; Zalaudek, I; Maric-Brozic, J; Babovic, N; Banjin, M; Putnik, K; Weinlich, G; Todorovic, V; Kirov, K; Ocvirk, J; Zhukavets, A; Kukushkina, M; De La Cruz Merino, L; Ymeri, A; Risteski, M; Garbe, C

2017-04-01

Despite the efficacy of innovative treatments for metastatic melanoma, their high costs has led to disparities in cancer care among different European countries. We analysed the availability of these innovative therapies in Europe and estimated the number of patients without access to first-line recommended treatment per current guidelines of professional entities such as the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), the European Association of Dermato-Oncology (EADO), and European Dermatology Forum (EDF). Web-based online survey was conducted in 30 European countries with questions about the treatment schedules from 1st May 2015 to 1st May 2016: number of metastatic melanoma patients, registration and reimbursement of innovative medicines (updated data, as of 1st October 2016), percentage of patients treated and availability of clinical studies and compassionate-use programmes. The recommended BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi) + MEK inhibitor (MEKi) combination was both registered and fully reimbursed in 9/30 (30%) countries, and in 13/30 (43%) (all from Eastern Europe) not reimbursed. First-line immunotherapy with anti-PD1 antibodies was registered and fully reimbursed in 14/30 (47%) countries, while in 13/30 (43%) (all from Eastern Europe) not reimbursed. It was estimated that in Europe 19,600 patients with metastatic melanoma are treated, and 5238 (27%) do not have access to recommended first-line therapy. Significant correlation was found between human development index (HDI, UNDP report 2015), (r = 0.662; p < 0.001), health expenditure per capita (r = 0.695; p < 0.001) and the Mackenbach score of health policy performance (r = 0.765; p < 0.001) with the percentage of patients treated with innovative medicines and a number of reimbursed medicines. Great discrepancy exists in metastatic melanoma treatment across Europe. It is crucial to increase the awareness of national and European policymakers, oncological societies, melanoma patients' associations and pharma industry. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A global approach to assess the economic benefits of increased consumption of sugar-free chewing gum.

PubMed

Rychlik, Reinhard; Kreimendahl, Fabian; Blaich, Cornelia; Calache, Hanny; Garcia-Godoy, Franklin; Kay, Elizabeth; Si, Yan; Zilberman, David; Zimmer, Stefan

2017-04-01

To analyze the influence of increasing the average consumption of sugar-free gum (SFG) in 25 industrialized countries on dental expenditures due to caries by the national health care systems. It was assumed that large cost savings were possible, because the regular consumption of SFG significantly reduces the relative risk of caries and therefore, improves dental health, which reduces expenditures on dental treatments. A budget impact analysis (BIA) was performed to model the decrease in the relative risk of caries and the subsequent cost savings for dental care. Annual consumption of SFG, dental expenditures due to caries, chewing frequencies by age groups and the relative risk reduction for caries due to the consumption of SFG were identified and used as model parameters. Three different scenarios for the increase in the number of SFG were calculated. Besides overall results for all countries together, analyses were conducted for countries grouped by regions and the Human Development Index (HDI). For the entity of all 25 analyzed countries together, possible annual cost savings range from US$805.77 M in the scenario with the lowest increase of SFG consumption up to US$18,248 billion in the scenario with the biggest increase of SFG consumption. Europe and the USA show potential cost savings of US$1,061 billion and US$2,071 billion per year, respectively, if all chewers increase their consumption of SFG by 1 piece per day. The analysis showed the potential cost savings in dental expenditures due to caries that can be achieved by only slightly increasing the consumption of SFG. The regular consumption of SFG cannot replace good dental hygiene like tooth brushing, but can have a significant impact on dental health, which can lead to increased cost savings for health care systems worldwide. Based on the fact that a regular consumption of sugar-free chewing gum has the beneficial effect of reducing caries prevalence, an increased consumption may not only lead to improved dental health but significant cost savings in expenditures for dental treatment worldwide.

Variables associated with sleep quality in chronic tension-type headache: A cross-sectional and longitudinal design.

PubMed

Benito-González, Elena; Palacios-Ceña, Maria; Fernández-Muñoz, Juan J; Castaldo, Matteo; Wang, Kelun; Catena, Antonella; Arendt-Nielsen, Lars; Fernández-de-Las-Peñas, César

2018-01-01

To investigate variables associated at baseline (cross-sectional design) and at one year (longitudinal design) with the quality of sleep in chronic tension-type headache (CTTH). One hundred and eighty (n = 180) and 135 individuals with CTTH participated in the cross-sectional and longitudinal design respectively. Clinical features were collected with a 4-weeks headache diary at baseline and one-year follow-up. Sleep quality was assessed at baseline and 1-year follow-up with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-HADS), burden of headache (Headache Disability Inventory-HDI), quality of life (SF-36 questionnaire), and pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) at trigeminal, extra-trigeminal and widespread area were assessed at baseline. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to determine the associations between variables at baseline and 1-year follow-up with sleep quality. At baseline positive correlations between sleep quality and headache intensity, headache frequency, headache duration, emotional and physical burden of headache and depression were observed. The regression analyses found that depression and emotional burden of headache explained 27.5% of the variance in sleep quality at baseline (r2 = .262; F = 23.72 P < .001). At one-year, sleep quality was significantly associated with baseline burden of headache, depression, widespread PPTs, vitality and mental health domains. Regression analyses revealed that vitality, PPT over the second metacarpal and PPT over the neck explained 30.0% of the variance of sleep quality at one-year (r2 = .269, F = 9.71, P < .001). It seems that sleep quality exhibits a complex interaction in individuals with CTTH since depression and the emotional burden were associated with sleep quality at baseline, but vitality and PPTs over extra-trigeminal areas were associated with the quality of sleep at one-year.

Delivering New Ultrasound System to International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sugita, Yoshino

2011-01-01

Ultrasound has been used for medical purposes and experiments. The previous ultrasound, HDI 5000, was delivered to the ISS in 2001 and had expected its service life in February, 2012. Due to on-orbit ultrasound failure in February 2011, the delivery date of new ultrasound was moved to July 8, 2011, which is 7 months earlier than original delivery date. This report shows how the Ultrasound 2 team including myself worked to make new delivery date. Four-step approach, (1) understanding the project (literature search), (2) learning different documents, (3) performing certification tests and (4) participating crew trainings, were used to succeed my internship at NASA JSC. In addition, the participation in Summer Institution and other contributions are explained. i

Morphological and thermal studies of chitin-curcumin blends derived polyurethanes.

PubMed

Mahmood, Kashif; Zia, Khalid Mahmood; Zuber, Mohammad; Tabasum, Shazia; Rehman, Saima; Zia, Fatima; Noreen, Aqdas

2017-12-01

The present study describes a novel ecofriendly series of chitin/curcumin/1,4-butane diol (BDO) blend derived polyurethanes (PUs), using hydroxy terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) along with different mole ratio of chitin, curcumin and BDO. The structural and morphological elucidation of the prepared films was done by FTIR and SEM techniques. The swelling behavior of the films was analyzed in both water and DMSO, which showed that incorporation of chitin increases the hydrophobicity and decreases the rate of swelling. Thermal analysis of synthesized PU blends revealed better thermal stability with following mole ratio 1:0.5:0.5 of chitin: curcumin: BDO as determined by TGA and DSC techniques. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of a Novel Biodegradable Polyurethane with Phosphatidylcholines

PubMed Central

Cao, Jun; Chen, Niancao; Chen, Yuanwei; Luo, Xianglin

2010-01-01

A novel polyurethane was successfully synthesized by chain-extension of biodegradable poly (l-lactide) functionalized phosphatidylcholine (PC) with hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) as chain extender (PUR-PC). The molecular weights, glass transition temperature (Tg) increased significantly after the chain-extension. The hydrophilicity of PUR-PC was better than the one without PC, according to a water absorption test. Moreover, the number of adhesive platelets and anamorphic platelets on PUR-PC film were both less than those on PUR film. These preliminary results suggest that this novel polyurethane might be a better scaffold than traditional biodegradable polyurethanes for tissue engineering due to its better blood compatibility. Besides, this study also provides a new method to prepare PC-modified biodegradable polyurethanes. PMID:20480047

The impact of demographic, health-related and social factors on dental services utilization: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Reda, Seif Magdy; Krois, Joachim; Reda, Sophie Franziska; Thomson, William Murray; Schwendicke, Falk

2018-04-16

Regular and/or preventive dental services utilization is an indicator of healthcare access and associated with improved health outcomes. We assessed the proportion of individuals regularly/preventively utilizing dental services, and how this was affected by demographic, health-related and social factors. Three electronic databases (Medline, Embase, Central) were searched (2005-2017). We included observational studies investigating the association between preventive/regular dental service utilization and age, oral and general health, edentulism, family structure and health literacy. The proportion of individuals with regular/preventive utilization overall and in different sub-groups were extracted. Random-effects meta-analyses, with subgroup analyses by region, were performed. Meta-regression was used to assess whether and how associations changed with time and countries' human developmental status (HDI). 103 studies on 7,395,697 participants from 28 countries were included. The global mean (95% CI) proportion of individuals regularly/preventively utilizing dental services was 54% (50-59%). In countries with higher HDI, more individuals regularly/preventively utilized services (p < 0.001). Age did not have a significant impact on utilization in adults (OR = 1.00; 0.89-1.12). Utilization was significantly lower in younger than older children (OR = 0.52; 0.46-0.59), individuals with poorer general health (OR = 0.73; 0.65-0.80) and poorer oral health (OR = 0.64; 0.52-0.75), edentulous individuals (OR = 0.32; 0.23-0.41), and individuals with less supportive family structures (OR = 0.81; 0.73-0.89) or poor health literacy (OR = 0.41; 0.01-0.81). The observed differences within populations did not significantly change with time and were universally present. Regular/preventive utilization varied widely between and within countries. Understanding and tackling the reasons underlying this may help to consistently improve utilization. Higher developmental status of countries is reflected in greater regular/preventive utilization of dental services. However, large demographic, health-related and social differences in utilization remain. These may contribute to dental health inequalities. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monopole Element at the Center of a Circular Groundplane of Arbitrary Radius. Volume 2. Appendices

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-03-31

ocM’T-o — o-iMin-o M*riiM/)«rNn« fMD -OO^O^MD<iino*nJ-JJO’*niMI)IDo(HDi>«.flriiot>o^rijNiD<r«i’-H zoo — JJSMI- rM»n-oomr)»o — m — — N — CM — i>ini>nj...o-o-orj-iNrxOO-o-oa) fta )CMOOft•o->rv«0𔃺-inn(0>fODnwoinin-.^)Oftino-ininj)o--o K<rry-<^ODoa)**mrtN«^naiooor)*(D^,NO’^inr>«^orvor)-H’OrvinN...C SUBROUTINE QMM * SUBROUTINE QMM<AK,DKD,DKW,CDKD,SDKD,CDK,SDK,TK. IWZ,NPH. Zll> IMPLICIT REAL*8 <A-H>,(P-Z) C0MPLEX*16 FDM, FMD

Development of high strength siloxane poly(urethane-urea) elastomers based on linked macrodiols for heart valve application.

PubMed

Dandeniyage, Loshini S; Gunatillake, Pathiraja A; Adhikari, Raju; Bown, Mark; Shanks, Robert; Adhikari, Benu

2017-08-31

Mixed macrodiol based siloxane poly(urethane-urea)s (SiPUU) having number average molecular weights in the range 87-129 kDa/mol were synthesized to give elastomers with high tensile and tear strengths required to fabricate artificial heart valves. Polar functional groups were introduced into the soft segment to improve the poor segmental compatibility of siloxane polyurethanes. This was achieved by linking α,ω-bis(6-hydroxyethoxypropyl) poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) or poly(hexamethylene oxide) (PHMO) macrodiols with either 4,4'-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) or isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) prior to polyurethane synthesis. The hard segment was composed of MDI, and a 1:1 mixture of 1,3-bis(4-hydroxybutyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane and 1,2-ethylene diamine. We report the effect of urethane linkers in soft segments on properties of the SiPUU. PHMO linked with either MDI or IPDI produced SiPUU with the highest tensile and tear strengths. Linking PDMS hardly affected the tensile strength; however, the tear strength was improved. The stress-strain curves showed no plastic deformation region typically observed for conventional polyurethanes indicating good creep resistance. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development of a biodegradable tissue adhesive based on functionalized 1,2-ethylene glycol bis(dilactic acid). II.

PubMed

Rohm, Henning W; Lurtz, Claudia; Wegmann, Juergen; Odermatt, Erich K; Behrend, Detlef; Schmitz, Klaus-Peter; Sternberg, Katrin

2011-04-01

In body regions where damage and bleeding must be avoided, a substitute for mechanical tissue fixation by sutures or staplers is needed. Since tissue adhesives provide easy and fast handling they are a promising alternative. The present study reports the development and analysis of a tissue adhesive that consists of two adhesive components: hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) functionalized 1,2-ethylene glycol bis(dilactic acid) (ELA-NCO) and chitosan chloride. This composition was chosen based on preliminary studies on several chain elongation agents. The present study evaluates this adhesive system by IR-spectroscopy, tensile tests, and gel point measurements in comparison to fibrin glue. The system's in vitro biocompatibility was tested with mouse fibroblasts (L929) according to ISO 10993-5. Furthermore, an implantation study was performed in SPF-Wistar rats. The adhesive strength of manually applied mixtures or mixtures applied by double chamber syringes with a mixing extruder was determined to be significantly higher than that of fibrin glue on bovine muscle tissue at 37°C. Tensile strength increased further when exposure time of the adhesive was increased from 10 min to 48 h. The rheological gel point determination showed that the mixture of ELA-NCO/DMSO and chitosan chloride offers a time window large enough to readjust the fused joint during surgery, as opposed to fibrin glue. Additionally, the in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility studies of the adhesive system revealed no toxic effects on the surrounding tissue. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The impact of dark chocolate intake on arterial elasticity in individuals with HIV/AIDS undergoing ART: a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial.

PubMed

Teixeira, Andrea Mariana Nunes da Costa; Luzia, Liania Alves; de Souza, Suelen Jorge; de Almeida Petrilli, Aline; Pontilho, Patrícia de Moraes; de Souza, Jose Maria Pacheco; Segurado, Aluísio Augusto Cotrim; Efraim, Priscila; Picone, Camila de Melo; Rondo, Patrícia Helen de Carvalho

2017-06-21

An increase in the frequency of cardiovascular diseases has been observed in the HIV/AIDS population. Studies involving healthy subjects or subjects with other diseases have shown benefits of chocolate supplementation on endothelial function and vasodilation. We evaluate the impact of chocolate consumption on arterial elasticity in people living with human immunodeficiency virus - PLHIV. A double-blind, crossover trial including 110 PLHIV (19 to 59 years) on antiretroviral therapy - ART for at least 6 months and with a viral load of <500 copies per mL was conducted. All subjects were randomly assigned to 15-d dietary supplements containing dark chocolate or placebo with a 15-d washout period. Each participant received one of the two sequences: A (dark chocolate, placebo chocolate); B (placebo chocolate, dark chocolate). Arterial elasticity was measured using the HDI/PulseWave™ CR-2000 CardioVascular Profiling System®. Body composition, lipid profile, C-reactive protein, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were also assessed. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures using the Stata 11.0® program was used for cross-over analysis. Most subjects were men (59.0%) and Caucasian (46.1%) and the mean age was 44.6 ± 7.1 years. The mean time since diagnosis of HIV infection was 13.7 ± 5.3 years and the mean duration of ART was 12.9 ± 4.2 years. Chocolate consumption resulted in significant alterations in the large artery elasticity index - LAEI (p = 0.049) and the mean concentration of HDL-c was higher after supplementation with dark chocolate (p = 0.045). This is the first study to evaluate the effect of chocolate on arterial elasticity in PLHIV. The results showed that dark chocolate consumption for 15 days improved the elastic properties of the LAEI in PLHIV. These findings, added to the noninvasive method used, may expand the knowledge of CVDs in this population.

Star Formation in Undergraduate ALFALFA Team Galaxy Groups and Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koopmann, Rebecca A.; Durbala, Adriana; Finn, Rose; Haynes, Martha P.; Coble, Kimberly A.; Craig, David W.; Hoffman, G. Lyle; Miller, Brendan P.; Crone-Odekon, Mary; O'Donoghue, Aileen A.; Troischt, Parker; Undergraduate ALFALFA Team; ALFALFA Team

2017-01-01

The Undergraduate ALFALFA Team (UAT) Groups project is a coordinated study of gas and star formation properties of galaxies in and around 36 nearby (z<0.03) groups and clusters of varied richness, morphological type mix, and X-ray luminosity. By studying a large range of environments and considering the spatial distributions of star formation, we probe mechanisms of gas depletion and morphological transformation. The project uses ALFALFA HI observations, optical observations, and digital databases like SDSS, and incorporates work undertaken by faculty and students at different institutions within the UAT. Here we present results from our wide area Hα and broadband R imaging project carried out with the WIYN 0.9m+MOSAIC/HDI at KPNO, including an analysis of radial star formation rates and extents of galaxies in the NGC 5846, Abell 779, NRGb331, and HCG 69 groups/clusters. This work has been supported by NSF grant AST-1211005 and AST-1637339.

Self-repairable polyurethane networks by atmospheric carbon dioxide and water.

PubMed

Yang, Ying; Urban, Marek W

2014-11-03

Sugar moieties were incorporated into cross-linked polyurethane (PUR) networks in an effort to achieve self-repairing in the presence of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). When methyl-α-D-glucopyranoside (MGP) molecules are reacted with hexamethylene diisocyanate trimer (HDI) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) to form cross-linked MGP-polyurethane (PUR) networks, these materials are capable of self-repairing in air. This process requires atmospheric amounts of CO2 and H2O, thus resembling plant behavior of carbon fixation during the photosynthesis cycle. Molecular processes responsible for this unique self-repair process involve physical diffusion of cleaved network segments as well as the formation of carbonate and urethane linkages. Unlike plants, MGP-PUR networks require no photo-initiated reactions, and they are thus capable of repair in darkness under atmospheric conditions. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

[Synthesis and characterization of polylactide-based thermosetting polyurethanes with shape memory properties].

PubMed

Shi, Shuo; Gu, Lin; Yang, Yihu; Yu, Haibin; Chen, Rui; Xiao, Xianglian; Qiu, Jun

2016-06-25

A series of bio-based thermosetting polyurethanes (Bio-PUs) were synthesized by the crosslinking reaction of polylactide and its copolymers diols with hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) trimer. The obtained Bio-PUs were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), universal tensile testing machine and cytotoxicity test. Results indicate that the PLA copolymer (P(LA-co-CL)) diols reduced the glass transition temperature (Tg) of Bio-PUs and improved their thermal stability, compared with PLA diols. The Bio-PUs synthesized from P (LA-co-CL) diols exhibit better mechanical performance and shape memory properties. Especially, Young modulus and elongation at break of the obtained Bio-PUs were 277.7 MPa and 230% respectively; the shape recovery time of the obtained Bio-PUs at body temperature was only 93 s. Furthermore, alamar blue assay results showed that the obtained Bio-PUs had no cell toxicity.

Textural properties of mango cultivars during ripening.

PubMed

Jha, Shyam Narayan; Jaiswal, Pranita; Narsaiah, Kairam; Kaur, Poonam Preet; Singh, Ashish Kumar; Kumar, Ramesh

2013-12-01

Firmness and toughness of fruit, peel and pulp of seven different mango cultivars were studied over a ripening period of ten days to investigate the effects of harvesting stages (early, mid and late) on fruit quality. Parameters were measured at equatorial region of fruits using TA-Hdi Texture Analyzer. The textural characteristics showed a rapid decline in their behaviour until mangoes got ripened and thereafter, the decline became almost constant indicating the completion of ripening. However, the rate of decline in textural properties was found to be cultivar specific. In general, the changes in textural attributes were found to be significantly influenced by ripening period and stage of harvesting, but firmness attributes (peel, fruit and pulp) of early harvested mangoes did not differ significantly from mid harvested mangoes, while peel, fruit and pulp firmness of late harvested mangoes were found to be significantly lower than early and mid harvested mangoes.

Effects of the dose and viability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. 1. Diversity of ruminal microbes as analyzed by Illumina MiSeq sequencing and quantitative PCR.

PubMed

Jiang, Y; Ogunade, I M; Qi, S; Hackmann, T J; Staples, C R; Adesogan, A T

2017-01-01

This study was conducted to examine effects of the dose and viability of supplemental Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the ruminal fermentation and bacteria population and the performance of lactating dairy cows. Four ruminally cannulated lactating cows averaging 284±18d in milk were assigned to 4 treatments arranged in a 4×4 Latin square design with four 21-d periods. Cows were fed a total mixed ration containing 41.7% corn silage, 12.1% brewer's grains, and 46.2% concentrate on a dry matter basis. The diet was supplemented with no yeast (control) or with a low dose of live yeast (5.7×10 7 cfu/cow per day; LLY), a high dose of live yeast (6.0×10 8 cfu/cow per day; HLY), or a high dose of killed yeast (6.0×10 8 cfu/cow per day; HDY). Microbial diversity was examined by high-throughput Illumina MiSeq sequencing (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA) of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. The relative abundance of select ruminal bacteria was also quantified by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Adding LLY to the diet increased the relative abundance of some ruminal cellulolytic bacteria (Ruminococcus and Fibrobacter succinogenes) and amylolytic bacteria (Ruminobacter, Bifidobacterium, and Selenomonas ruminantium). Adding live instead of killed yeast increased the relative abundance of Ruminococcus and F. succinogenes; adding HDY increased the relative abundance of Ruminobacter, Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus bovis, and Selenomonas ruminantium. The most dominant (≥1% of total sequences) bacteria that responded to LLY addition whose functions are among the least understood in relation to the mode of action of yeast include Paraprevotellaceae, CF231, Treponema, and Lachnospiraceae. Future studies should aim to speciate, culture, and examine the function of these bacteria to better understand their roles in the mode of action of yeast. A relatively precise relationship was detected between the relative abundance of F. succinogenes (R 2 =0.67) from qPCR and MiSeq sequencing, but weak relationships were detected for Megasphaera elsdenii, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, and S. ruminantium (R 2 ≤0.19). Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Greenhouse gas emissions of self-selected diets in the UK and their association with diet quality: is energy under-reporting a problem?

PubMed

Murakami, Kentaro; Livingstone, M Barbara E

2018-02-21

While the admittedly limited number of epidemiological findings on the association between diet-related greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and diet quality are not always consistent, potential influence of bias in the estimation of diet-related GHGE caused by misreporting of energy intake (EI) has not been investigated. This cross-sectional study evaluated diet-related GHGE in the UK and their association with diet quality, taking account of EI under-reporting. Dietary data used were from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey rolling programme 2008/2009-2013/2014, in which 4-day food diaries were collected from 3502 adults aged ≥19 years. Diet-related GHGE were estimated based on 133 food groups, using GHGE values from various secondary sources. Diet quality was assessed by the healthy diet indicator (HDI), Mediterranean diet score (MDS) and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score. EI misreporting was assessed as reported EI divided by estimated energy requirement (EI:EER). Mean value of daily GHGE was 5.7 kg carbon dioxide equivalents (CO 2 eq), which is consistent with those reported from a number of national representative samples in other European countries. Mean EI:EER was 0.74. Assuming that all the dietary variables were misreported in proportion to the misreporting of EI, the mean value of the misreporting-adjusted diet-related GHGE was 8.2 kg CO 2 eq/d. In the entire population, after adjustment for potential confounders (i.e., age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic classification, smoking status and physical activity), diet-related GHGE were inversely associated with HDI and DASH score but not with MDS. However, with further adjustment for EI:EER, diet-related GHGE showed inverse associations with all three measures of diet quality. Similar associations were observed when only under-reporters (EI:EER < 0.70; n = 1578) were analysed. Conversely, in the analysis including only plausible reporters (EI:EER 0.70-1.43; n = 1895), diet-related GHGE showed inverse associations with all diet quality measures irrespective of adjustment. With taking account of EI under-reporting, this study showed inverse associations between diet-related GHGE and diet quality not only in the entire sample but also in the separate analyses of plausible reporters and under-reporters, as well as potential underreporting of diet-related GHGE.

Structure–inhibition relationship of ginsenosides towards UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fang, Zhong-Ze; Joint Center for Translational Medicine, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences and The first Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Medical University, No.457, Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023; Laboratory of Metabolism, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892

The wide utilization of ginseng provides the high risk of herb–drug interaction (HDI) with many clinical drugs. The inhibition of ginsenosides towards drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) has been regarded as an important reason for herb–drug interaction (HDI). Compared with the deep studies on the ginsenosides' inhibition towards cytochrome P450 (CYP), the inhibition of ginsenosides towards the important phase II enzymes UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) remains to be unclear. The present study aims to evaluate the inhibition behavior of ginsenosides towards important UGT isoforms located in the liver and intestine using in vitro methods. The recombinant UGT isoform-catalyzed 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) glucuronidation reaction was employedmore » as in vitro probe reaction. The results showed that structure-dependent inhibition existed for the inhibition of ginsenosides towards UGT isoforms. To clarify the possibility of in vivo herb–drug interaction induced by this kind of inhibition, the ginsenoside Rg{sub 3} was selected as an example, and the inhibition kinetic type and parameters (K{sub i}) were determined. Rg{sub 3} competitively inhibited UGT1A7, 2B7 and 2B15-catalyzed 4-MU glucuronidation reaction, and exerted noncompetitive inhibition towards UGT1A8-catalyzed 4-MU glucuronidation. The inhibition parameters (K{sub i} values) were calculated to be 22.6, 7.9, 1.9, and 2.0 μM for UGT1A7, 1A8, 2B7 and 2B15. Using human maximum plasma concentration of Rg{sub 3} (400 ng/ml (0.5 μM)) after intramuscular injection of 60 mg Rg{sub 3}, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) was extrapolated to increase by 2.2%, 6.3%, 26.3%, and 25% for the co-administered drugs completely undergoing the metabolism catalyzed by UGT1A7, 1A8, 2B7 and 2B15, respectively. All these results indicated that the ginsenosides' inhibition towards UGT isoforms might be an important reason for ginseng–drug interaction. - Highlights: ► Structure-dependent inhibition of ginsenoside towards UDP-glucuronosyltransferases. ► Rg{sub 3}′ inhibition towards UGT isoforms can induce in vivo drug–drug interaction. ► Broadening knowledge on ginsenosides' inhibition towards drug-metabolizing enzymes.« less

A new imaging technique on strength and phase of pulsatile tissue-motion in brightness-mode ultrasonogram

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuzawa, Masayuki; Yamada, Masayoshi; Nakamori, Nobuyuki; Kitsunezuka, Yoshiki

2007-03-01

A new imaging technique has been developed for observing both strength and phase of pulsatile tissue-motion in a movie of brightness-mode ultrasonogram. The pulsatile tissue-motion is determined by evaluating the heartbeat-frequency component in Fourier transform of a series of pixel value as a function of time at each pixel in a movie of ultrasonogram (640x480pixels/frame, 8bit/pixel, 33ms/frame) taken by a conventional ultrasonograph apparatus (ATL HDI5000). In order to visualize both the strength and the phase of the pulsatile tissue-motion, we propose a pulsatile-phase image that is obtained by superimposition of color gradation proportional to the motion phase on the original ultrasonogram only at which the motion strength exceeds a proper threshold. The pulsatile-phase image obtained from a cranial ultrasonogram of normal neonate clearly reveals that the motion region gives good agreement with the anatomical shape and position of the middle cerebral artery and the corpus callosum. The motion phase is fluctuated with the shape of arteries revealing local obstruction of blood flow. The pulsatile-phase images in the neonates with asphyxia at birth reveal decreases of the motion region and increases of the phase fluctuation due to the weakness and local disturbance of blood flow, which is useful for pediatric diagnosis.

The Large UV/Optical/Infrared Surveyor (LUVOIR): Decadal Mission concept design update

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolcar, Matthew R.; Aloezos, Steve; Bly, Vincent T.; Collins, Christine; Crooke, Julie; Dressing, Courtney D.; Fantano, Lou; Feinberg, Lee D.; France, Kevin; Gochar, Gene; Gong, Qian; Hylan, Jason E.; Jones, Andrew; Linares, Irving; Postman, Marc; Pueyo, Laurent; Roberge, Aki; Sacks, Lia; Tompkins, Steven; West, Garrett

2017-09-01

In preparation for the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey, NASA has commissioned the study of four large mission concepts, including the Large Ultraviolet / Optical / Infrared (LUVOIR) Surveyor. The LUVOIR Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT) has identified a broad range of science objectives including the direct imaging and spectral characterization of habitable exoplanets around sun-like stars, the study of galaxy formation and evolution, the epoch of reionization, star and planet formation, and the remote sensing of Solar System bodies. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is providing the design and engineering support to develop executable and feasible mission concepts that are capable of the identified science objectives. We present an update on the first of two architectures being studied: a 15- meter-diameter segmented-aperture telescope with a suite of serviceable instruments operating over a range of wavelengths between 100 nm to 2.5 μm. Four instruments are being developed for this architecture: an optical / near-infrared coronagraph capable of 10-10 contrast at inner working angles as small as 2 λ/D the LUVOIR UV Multi-object Spectrograph (LUMOS), which will provide low- and medium-resolution UV (100 - 400 nm) multi-object imaging spectroscopy in addition to far-UV imaging; the High Definition Imager (HDI), a high-resolution wide-field-of-view NUV-Optical-IR imager; and a UV spectro-polarimeter being contributed by Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). A fifth instrument, a multi-resolution optical-NIR spectrograph, is planned as part of a second architecture to be studied in late 2017.

The Construction and Utility of Three Indexes of Intellectual Achievement: An Intellectual-Development (ID) Index; A Socio-Intellectual-Status (SIS) Index; A Differential-Intellectual-Development (DID) Index. U.S. Children and Youths, 6-17 Years. Vital and Health Statistics. Data Evaluation and Methods Research. Series 2-Number 74.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dupuy, Harold J.; Gruvaeus, Gunnar

Although the Intellectual Development (ID) index was constructed using standard psychometric procedures, the derivation of the other two indexes, Socio Intellectual Status (SIS) and Differential Intellectual Development (DID), by criterion scaling should have applications in diverse areas of scale or index construction. The ID is basically…

Head-disk Interface Study for Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) and Plasmonic Nanolithography for Patterned Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Shaomin

The magnetic storage areal density keeps increasing every year, and magnetic recording-based hard disk drives provide a very cheap and effective solution to the ever increasing demand for data storage. Heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) and bit patterned media have been proposed to increase the magnetic storage density beyond 1 Tb/in2. In HAMR systems, high magnetic anisotropy materials are recommended to break the superparamagnetic limit for further scaling down the size of magnetic bits. However, the current magnetic transducers are not able to generate strong enough field to switch the magnetic orientations of the high magnetic anisotropy material so the data writing is not able to be achieved. So thermal heating has to be applied to reduce the coercivity for the magnetic writing. To provide the heating, a laser is focused using a near field transducer (NFT) to locally heat a ~(25 nm)2 spot on the magnetic disk to the Curie temperature, which is ~ 400 C-600°C, to assist in the data writing process. But this high temperature working condition is a great challenge for the traditional head-disk interface (HDI). The disk lubricant can be depleted by evaporation or decomposition. The protective carbon overcoat can be graphitized or oxidized. The surface quality, such as its roughness, can be changed as well. The NFT structure is also vulnerable to degradation under the large number of thermal load cycles. The changes of the HDI under the thermal conditions could significantly reduce the robustness and reliability of the HAMR products. In bit patterned media systems, instead of using the continuous magnetic granular material, physically isolated magnetic islands are used to store data. The size of the magnetic islands should be about or less than 25 nm in order to achieve the storage areal density beyond 1 Tb/in2. However, the manufacture of the patterned media disks is a great challenge for the current optical lithography technology. Alternative lithography solutions, such as nanoimprint, plasmonic nanolithography, could be potential candidates for the fabrication of patterned disks. This dissertation focuses mainly on: (1) an experimental study of the HDI under HAMR conditions (2) exploration of a plasmonic nanolithography technology. In this work, an experimental HAMR testbed (named "Cal stage") is developed to study different aspects of HAMR systems, including the tribological head-disk interface and heat transfer in the head-disk gap. A temperature calibration method based on magnetization decay is proposed to obtain the relationship between the laser power input and temperature increase on the disk. Furthermore, lubricant depletion tests under various laser heating conditions are performed. The effects of laser heating repetitions, laser power and disk speeds on lubricant depletion are discussed. Lubricant depletion under the optical focused laser beam heating and the NFT heating are compared, revealing that thermal gradient plays an important role for lubricant depletion. Lubricant reflow behavior under various conditions is also studied, and a power law dependency of lubricant depletion on laser heating repetitions is obtained from the experimental results. A conductive-AFM system is developed to measure the electrical properties of thin carbon films. The conductivity or resistivity is a good parameter for characterizing the sp2/sp3 components of the carbon films. Different heating modes are applied to study the degradation of the carbon films, including temperature-controlled electric heater heating, focused laser beam heating and NFT heating. It is revealed that the temperature and heating duration significantly affect the degradation of the carbon films. Surface reflectivity and roughness are changed under certain heating conditions. The failure of the NFT structure during slider flying is investigated using our in-house fabricated sliders. In order to extend the lifetime of the NFT, a two-stage heating scheme is proposed and a numerical simulation has verified the feasibility of this new scheme. The heat dissipated around the NFT structure causes a thermal protrusion. There is a chance for contact to occur between the protrusion and disk which can result in a failure of the NFT. A design method to combine both TFC protrusion and laser induced NFT protrusion is proposed to reduce the fly-height modulation and chance of head-disk contact. Finally, an integrated plasmonic nanolithography machine is introduced to fabricate the master template for patterned disks. The plasmonic nanolithography machine uses a flying slider with a plasmonic lens to expose the thermal resist on a spinning wafer. The system design, optimization and integration have been performed over the past few years. Several sub-systems of the plasmonic nanolithography machine, such as the radial and circumferential direction position control, high speed pattern generation, are presented in this work. The lithography results are shown as well.

Geoinformatics for the Mapping of Nexus Between Poverty and Land Degradation in Drylands of Thar Desert

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaur, Mahesh

2012-07-01

Poverty and land degradation are major problems in majority of world dry lands, where meagre vegetative coverage (of forests and trees) contribute significantly to rural livelihoods. In order to eradicate poverty in the dry lands, it is important to protect the land from deforestation, fragmentation, degradation, drought and sometimes flash floods. Satellite remote sensing is a critical need for India - for spatial and temporal inter-linking of poverty and land degradation nexus and its prioritization. Remote sensing and geographical information system (GIS) is often used to generate and apply knowledge in the complex local context. Connecting natural resources and ecosystem services with attributes of poverty is amenable through Remote Sensing and GIS. Such linkages in a typical local context are important to recognize while building rural assets and natural resources conservation leading to poverty alleviation. A large proportion of the poor in the Rajasthan state live in resource poor western region who lack productive assets (especially land) and also lack adequate livelihoods skills or capacities due to illiteracy. People are inadequately organized to assert their rights and utilize available resources and services. The state also continues to be plagued by high levels of gender and caste discrimination (World Bank, 2007). Incidence of Poverty: The number of population below poverty line in Rajasthan in 2004-05 were 22.1 percent. The corresponding figures for rural areas are 18.7 percent. In urban areas, the number of poor people are 32.9 percent. Rural poverty situation is significantly better than urban poverty. (HDR, 2008) Despite the fact that poverty rates in Rajasthan are lower than the national average, the incidence of poverty in Western Rajasthan is nevertheless high. The incidence of poverty varies between 11.2% in Jodhpur to as much as 35.2% in Jalore. The poor households suffer from both lack of resources and the means to access them, which contributes to the relatively low Human Development Index (HDI) indicators. Besides the extreme deprivations in the normal course of life, the poor become particularly vulnerable at the time of recurrent drought induced crisis. (MPOWER, 2010) The present study demonstrates application of earth observations for the mapping of nexus between poverty and land degradation. The empirical study carried out by the investigator in the Pali district highlights that such technological inputs could be applied in support of the poor and marginal farming community in the different parts of State and the country at cadastral level.

Synthesis and Characterization of Biodegradable Polyurethane for Hypopharyngeal Tissue Engineering

PubMed Central

Shen, Zhisen; Lu, Dakai; Li, Qun; Zhang, Zongyong

2015-01-01

Biodegradable crosslinked polyurethane (cPU) was synthesized using polyethylene glycol (PEG), L-lactide (L-LA), and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), with iron acetylacetonate (Fe(acac)3) as the catalyst and PEG as the extender. Chemical components of the obtained polymers were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, 1H NMR spectra, and Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC). The thermodynamic properties, mechanical behaviors, surface hydrophilicity, degradability, and cytotoxicity were tested via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), tensile tests, contact angle measurements, and cell culture. The results show that the synthesized cPU possessed good flexibility with quite low glass transition temperature (T g, −22°C) and good wettability. Water uptake measured as high as 229.7 ± 18.7%. These properties make cPU a good candidate material for engineering soft tissues such as the hypopharynx. In vitro and in vivo tests showed that cPU has the ability to support the growth of human hypopharyngeal fibroblasts and angiogenesis was observed around cPU after it was implanted subcutaneously in SD rats. PMID:25839041

Microwave-assisted synthesis of isosorbide-derived diols for the preparation of thermally stable thermoplastic polyurethane

PubMed Central

Kasmi, Nejib; Roso, Martina; Hammami, Nadia; Majdoub, Mustapha; Boaretti, Carlo; Sgarbossa, Paolo; Vianello, Chiara; Maschio, Giuseppe; Modesti, Michele; Lorenzetti, Alessandra

2017-01-01

Abstract In order to prepare thermally stable isosorbide-derived thermoplastic polyurethane, the synthesis of two new chiral exo–exo configured diols, prepared from isosorbide, and two types of diphenols (bisphenol A and thiodiphenol) was described. The synthesis conditions were optimized under conventional heating and microwave irradiations. To prove their suitability in polymerization, these monomers were successfully polymerized using 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). Both monomers and polymers have been studied by NMR, FT-IR, TGA, DSC; intrinsic viscosity of polymers has also been determined. The results showed the effectiveness of the synthetic strategy proposed; moreover, a dramatic reduction of the reaction time and an important improvement of the monomers yield using microwave irradiation have been demonstrated. The monomers, as well as the polymers, showed excellent thermal stability both in air and nitrogen. It was also shown that the introduction of sulphur in the polyurethane backbone was effective in delaying the onset of degradation as well as the degradation rate. PMID:29491826

Synthesis and characterization of biodegradable polyurethane for hypopharyngeal tissue engineering.

PubMed

Shen, Zhisen; Lu, Dakai; Li, Qun; Zhang, Zongyong; Zhu, Yabin

2015-01-01

Biodegradable crosslinked polyurethane (cPU) was synthesized using polyethylene glycol (PEG), L-lactide (L-LA), and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), with iron acetylacetonate (Fe(acac)3) as the catalyst and PEG as the extender. Chemical components of the obtained polymers were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, (1)H NMR spectra, and Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC). The thermodynamic properties, mechanical behaviors, surface hydrophilicity, degradability, and cytotoxicity were tested via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), tensile tests, contact angle measurements, and cell culture. The results show that the synthesized cPU possessed good flexibility with quite low glass transition temperature (T g , -22°C) and good wettability. Water uptake measured as high as 229.7 ± 18.7%. These properties make cPU a good candidate material for engineering soft tissues such as the hypopharynx. In vitro and in vivo tests showed that cPU has the ability to support the growth of human hypopharyngeal fibroblasts and angiogenesis was observed around cPU after it was implanted subcutaneously in SD rats.

Indexes of severity: conceptual development.

PubMed Central

Krischer, J P

1979-01-01

A discussion of severity index development is presented in relation to conceptual issues in index definition, analytic issues in index formulation and validation issues in index application. The CHOP index is discussed along with six severity indexes described in an earlier paper dealing with underlying concepts to illustrate the material presented. Replies are provided to specific questions raised in an accompanying paper discussing the Injury Severity Score. This conceptual material is presented to provide a foundation for severity index development, to suggest criteria to be used in their formulation and testing, and to identify analyses that can lead to the successful selection and application of an index for a defined purpose. PMID:468553

A novel built-up spectral index developed by using multiobjective particle-swarm-optimization technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sameen, Maher Ibrahim; Pradhan, Biswajeet

2016-06-01

In this study, we propose a novel built-up spectral index which was developed by using particle-swarm-optimization (PSO) technique for Worldview-2 images. PSO was used to select the relevant bands from the eight (8) spectral bands of Worldview-2 image and then were used for index development. Multiobiective optimization was used to minimize the number of selected spectral bands and to maximize the classification accuracy. The results showed that the most important and relevant spectral bands among the eight (8) bands for built-up area extraction are band4 (yellow) and band7 (NIR1). Using those relevant spectral bands, the final spectral index was form ulated by developing a normalized band ratio. The validation of the classification result using the proposed spectral index showed that our novel spectral index performs well compared to the existing WV -BI index. The accuracy assessment showed that the new proposed spectral index could extract built-up areas from Worldview-2 image with an area under curve (AUC) of (0.76) indicating the effectiveness of the developed spectral index. Further improvement could be done by using several datasets during the index development process to ensure the transferability of the index to other datasets and study areas.

Comprehensive evaluation of global energy interconnection development index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lin; Zhang, Yi

2018-04-01

Under the background of building global energy interconnection and realizing green and low-carbon development, this article constructed the global energy interconnection development index system which based on the current situation of global energy interconnection development. Through using the entropy method for the weight analysis of global energy interconnection development index, and then using gray correlation method to analyze the selected countries, this article got the global energy interconnection development index ranking and level classification.

[Geopolitical development inequalities in gender in Spain 1980-2005: a structural determinant of health].

PubMed

Carrasco-Portiño, Mercedes; Ruiz Cantero, María Teresa; Fernández Sáez, José; Clemente Gómez, Vicente; Roca Pérez, Victoria

2010-01-01

Gender is a structural health determinant. This study analyses the changes in gender development inequalities in Spain and its regions (1980-2005). Ecological study of the evolution of Gender Development Index and its components (Education, Income, Life Expectancy at Birth) by sex in Spain and its regions (1980-2005). Information Source: Gender Development Index (1980-2005) from the Human Capital Report, plus construction ad hoc of the Gender Development Index 2005 following the same methodology of Human Capital Report. National Statistics Institute, Active Population Survey, Municipal Register, Ministry of Education, Universities Council, EUROSTAT, and Wage Structure Survey. Spanish Gender Development Index 2005:0,903 and 1980:0,810. The range between regions under Spanish Gender Development Index was 3 times higher in 1980 (DifferenceC.Valenciana-Extremadura:0,068) than in 2005 (DifferenceAsturias-Extremadura:0,023). The regions above the Spanish Gender Development Index did not vary much. The three components (Education, Income, Life Expectancy at Birth) of the Gender Development Index improved from 1980 to 2005. The Spanish Education Index of men was higher than this value in women until 1985; later this index becomes higher in women than in men. The Spanish Income Index of women in 2005 (0,814) is inferior to that of men 25 years before (1980:0,867). Despite the improvement of the gender development happened in Spain between 1980 and 2005, the inter-regional inequalities between north-south persist. In 2005, women have more education level than men. However, the Spanish income media in women in 2005 are inferior to the media of the men in 1980.

VALIDATION OF A RECENTLY DEVELOPED EPIBENTHIC INDEX DEVELOPED FOR NEW JERSEY ESTUARIES

EPA Science Inventory

An epifaunal index was recently developed for New Jersey estuaries (138 sites). Initial analysis indicated that this index related well to land use gradients from Raritan Bay (more developed) south to Great Bay (less developed). In this study we refined the evaluation by compar...

Collaboration, Communication and Co-ordination in Agile Software Development Practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, Hugh; Sharp, Helen

This chapter analyses the results of a series of observational studies of agile software developmentagile software development teams, identifying commonalities in collaboration, co-ordination and communication activities. Pairing and customer collaborationcustomer collaboration are focussed on to illustrate the nature of collaboration and communication, as are two simple physical artefacts that emerged through analysis as being an information-rich focal point for the co-ordination of collaboration and communication activities. The analysis shows that pairingpairing has common characteristics across all teams, while customer collaboration differs between the teams depending on the application and organisational context of development.

Spatio-Temporal Dynamic Analysis of Sustainable Development in China Based on the Footprint Family.

PubMed

Zhao, Jing; Ma, Caihong; Zhao, Xiangui; Wang, Xiaoyu

2018-02-01

The existing index systems on sustainable evaluation are mostly based on a multi index comprehensive evaluation method. The main disadvantage of this approach is that the selection and assignment of evaluation indexes are greatly influenced by subjective factors, which can result in poor comparability of results. By contrast, the Footprint Family (including ecological footprint, carbon footprint, and water footprint) is not affected by subjective factors. The Footprint Family also covers the basic tenets of sustainable development. This paper proposes use of a sustainable development evaluation index system based on the principle of the Footprint Family, and including the ecological pressure index ( EPI ), the ecological occupancy index ( EOI ), the ecological economic coordination index ( EECI ), the GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emission index ( CEI ), the water resources stress index ( WSI ), and the sustainable development index ( SDI ). Furthermore, a standard for grading the evaluated results based on global benchmarks is formulated. The results of an empirical study in China were the following. The development situation deteriorated from 1990 to 2015. The results showed that the SDI decreased from a medium level (grade 5) to a lower-medium level (grade 4). The results of this empirical study also showed that the method of evaluation can avoid the influence of subjective factors and can be used in the evaluation of sustainable development for various temporal and spatial conditions.

Spatio-Temporal Dynamic Analysis of Sustainable Development in China Based on the Footprint Family

PubMed Central

Ma, Caihong; Zhao, Xiangui; Wang, Xiaoyu

2018-01-01

The existing index systems on sustainable evaluation are mostly based on a multi index comprehensive evaluation method. The main disadvantage of this approach is that the selection and assignment of evaluation indexes are greatly influenced by subjective factors, which can result in poor comparability of results. By contrast, the Footprint Family (including ecological footprint, carbon footprint, and water footprint) is not affected by subjective factors. The Footprint Family also covers the basic tenets of sustainable development. This paper proposes use of a sustainable development evaluation index system based on the principle of the Footprint Family, and including the ecological pressure index (EPI), the ecological occupancy index (EOI), the ecological economic coordination index (EECI), the GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emission index (CEI), the water resources stress index (WSI), and the sustainable development index (SDI). Furthermore, a standard for grading the evaluated results based on global benchmarks is formulated. The results of an empirical study in China were the following. The development situation deteriorated from 1990 to 2015. The results showed that the SDI decreased from a medium level (grade 5) to a lower-medium level (grade 4). The results of this empirical study also showed that the method of evaluation can avoid the influence of subjective factors and can be used in the evaluation of sustainable development for various temporal and spatial conditions. PMID:29389886

A discussion of the socio-economic losses and shelter impacts from the Van, Turkey Earthquakes of October and November 2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniell, J. E.; Khazai, B.; Wenzel, F.; Kunz-Plapp, T.; Vervaeck, A.; Muehr, B.; Markus, M.

2012-04-01

The Van earthquake in 2011 hit at 10:41 GMT (13:41 Local) on Sunday, October 23rd, 2011. It was a Mw7.1-7.3 event located at a depth of around 10 km with the epicentre located directly between Ercis (pop. 75,000) and Van (pop. 370,000). Since then, the CEDIM Forensic Analysis Group (using a team of seismologists, engineers, sociologists and meteorologists) and www.earthquake-report.com has reported and analysed on the Van event. In addition, many damaging aftershocks occurring after the main eventwere analysed including a major aftershock centered in Van-Edremit on November 9th, 2011, causing much additional losses. The province of Van has around 1.035 million people as of the last census. The Van province is one of the poorest in Turkey and has much inequality between the rural and urban centers with an average HDI (Human Development Index) around that of Bhutan or Congo. The earthquakes are estimated to have caused 604 deaths (23 October) and 40 deaths (9 November); mostly due to falling debris and house collapse). In addition, between 1 billion TRY to 4 billion TRY (approx. 555 million USD - 2.2 billion USD) is estimated as total economic losses. This represents around 17 to 66% of the provincial GDP of the Van Province (approx. 3.3 billion USD) as of 2011. From the CATDAT Damaging Earthquakes Database, major earthquakes such as this one have occurred in the year 1111 causing major damage and having a magnitude around 6.5-7. In the year 1646 or 1648, Van was again struck by a M6.7 quake killing around 2000 people. In 1881, a M6.3 earthquake near Van killed 95 people. Again, in 1941, a M5.9 earthquake affected Ercis and Van killing between 190 and 430 people. 1945-1946 as well as 1972 brought again damaging and casualty-bearing earthquakes to the Van province. In 1976, the Van-Muradiye earthquake struck the border region with a M7, killing around 3840 people and causing around 51,000 people to become homeless. Key immediate lessons from similar historic earthquakes in eastern Turkey were developed in terms of the mass shelter and post-earthquake housing needs of the displaced population of Van. This included an analysis of shelter and reconstruction requirements under winter weather conditions; community resourcefulness in coping with housing needs through indigenous methods; and issues with in-place sheltering versus relocation and resettlement. A summary of the losses and implications on the GDP, economic dynamics, capital stock, social structure shelter and housing needs of the region is discussed. In addition, a quick comparison to past similar earthquakes is undertaken through the use of CATDAT.

Adaptive Optoelectronic Eyes: Hybrid Sensor/Processor Architectures

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-11-13

corresponding calculated data. The width of the mirror stopband is proportional to the refractive index difference between the high and low index materials ...Silicon VLSI Neuron Unit Arrays 56 Development of a Single-Sided Flip-Chip Bonding Process 65 Development of High Refractive Index Diffractive Optical ...Elements (DOEs) 68 Development of High-Performance Antireflection Coatings for High Refractive Index DOEs 69 Design and Fabrication of Low Threshold

Developing measurement indices to enhance protection and resilience of critical infrastructure and key resources.

PubMed

Fisher, Ronald E; Norman, Michael

2010-07-01

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is developing indices to better assist in the risk management of critical infrastructures. The first of these indices is the Protective Measures Index - a quantitative index that measures overall protection across component categories: physical security, security management, security force, information sharing, protective measures and dependencies. The Protective Measures Index, which can also be recalculated as the Vulnerability Index, is a way to compare differing protective measures (eg fence versus security training). The second of these indices is the Resilience Index, which assesses a site's resilience and consists of three primary components: robustness, resourcefulness and recovery. The third index is the Criticality Index, which assesses the importance of a facility. The Criticality Index includes economic, human, governance and mass evacuation impacts. The Protective Measures Index, Resilience Index and Criticality Index are being developed as part of the Enhanced Critical Infrastructure Protection initiative that DHS protective security advisers implement across the nation at critical facilities. This paper describes two core themes: determination of the vulnerability, resilience and criticality of a facility and comparison of the indices at different facilities.

Development of a Climate Resilience Screening Index (CRSI) ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A Climate Resilience Screening Index is being developed that is applicable at multiple scales for the United States. Those scales include national, state, county and community. The index will be applied at the first three scales and at selected communities. The index was developed in order to explicitly include domains, indicators and metrics addressing environmental, economic and societal aspects of climate resilience. In addition, the index uses indicators and metrics that assess ecosystem, economic, governance and social services at these scales. Finally, we are developing forecasting approaches that can relate intended changes in services and governance to likely levels of changes in the resiliency of communities to climate change impacts. The present challenge is the incorporation of the index, its relationships to governance and the developing forecasting tools into Federal decision-making across US government and into state/county/community decision-making across the US. Governmental acceptance of changes to policies often can be just as challenging as the initial technical acceptance of the index and its relation to climate change. Climate Resilience Index is a requested product by ORD AA and EPA Administrator through SHC Program. Index needed to assess states', counties', and communities' abilities of recovery from climate events. Audience: Internal EPA (Administrator, IO, OLEM, OW and OAR) and external (states, counties and communities). Product

National prevalence of coronary heart disease and its relationship with human development index: A systematic review.

PubMed

Zhu, Ke-Fu; Wang, Yu-Ming; Zhu, Jin-Zhou; Zhou, Qin-Yi; Wang, Ning-Fu

2016-03-01

Coronary heart disease has become a major health concern over the past several decades. Several reviews have assessed the effects of socioeconomic status on the coronary heart disease epidemic in communities and countries, but only a few reviews have been performed at a global level. This study was to explore the relationship between the prevalence of coronary heart disease and socioeconomic development worldwide using the Human Development Index. Systematic review. The data in this study were collected from the MEDLINE database. Cross-sectional studies reporting the prevalence of coronary heart disease until November 2014 were collected. The Human Development Index was sourced from the United Nations Development Programme Database and was used to measure the socioeconomic achievements of countries. Each country was classified as a developing or developed country based on its level of development according to the Human Development Index value. Based on the data analysis on the global level, coronary heart disease prevalence had no association with the national Human Development Index (rho = 0.07). However, there was a positive association between coronary heart disease prevalence and the national Human Development Index in developing countries, although a negative association existed in developed countries (rho = 0.47 and -0.34, respectively). In addition, the past decades have witnessed a growing coronary heart disease epidemic in developing countries, with reverse trends observed in developed countries (P = 0.021 and 0.002, respectively). With the development of socioeconomic status, as measured by the Human Development Index, the prevalence of coronary heart disease is growing in developing countries, while declining in developed countries. Future research needs to pay more attention to the reasonable allocation of medical resources and control of coronary heart disease risk factors. © The European Society of Cardiology 2015.

Solving Reynolds Equation in the Head-Disk Interface of Hard Disk Drives by Using a Meshless Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao-Jun, Shi; Ting-Yi, Yang; Jian, Zhang; Yun-Dong, Du

2010-05-01

With the decrease of the flying height of the magnetic head/slider in hard disk drives (HDDs), Reynolds equation, which is used to describe the pressure distribution of the air bearing film in HDDs, must be modified to account for the rarefaction effect. Meshless local Petrov-Galerkin (MLPG) method has been successfully used in some fields of solid mechanics and fluid mechanics and was proven to be an efficacious method. No meshes are needed in MLPG method either for the interpolation of the trial and test functions, or for the integration of the weak form of the related differential equation. We solve Reynolds equation in the head-disk interface (HDI) of HDDs by using MLPG method. The pressure distribution of the air baring film by using MLPG method is obtained and compared with the exact solution and that obtained by using a least square finite difference (LSFD) method. We also investigate effects of the bearing number on the pressure value and the center of pressure based on this meshless method for different film-thickness ratios.

FTIR and molecular mechanics studies of H-bonds in aliphatic polyurethane and polyamide-66 model molecules.

PubMed

Wang, Guoqing; Zhang, Chunxia; Guo, Xiaohe; Ren, Zhiyong

2008-02-01

Model aliphatic polyurethane (APU) hard segment based on 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and 1,4-butanediol (BDO) were prepared. FTIR and molecular mechanics (MM) simulation were used to conduct the systematic studies on APU and polyamide-66 (PA-66) whose sole difference lies in the alkoxyl oxygen. It was found that the introduction of the alkoxyl not only increases the conformations in APU, makes it a possible H-bond acceptor, but also weakens the H-bond between NH and O=C in APU. There are two conformers stably existed in APU with lowest energy, leading to eight H-bond complexes based on NH as donor and (1) O=C as acceptor, and another two complexes based on (2) alkoxyl O and (3) urethane N as acceptors, whereas there is only one stable conformer in PA-66, leading to one H-bond complex. One predominant H-bond complex has been found in APU with probability of about 95%. The simulated results are consistent with the nuNH and nuC=O band shifting in FTIR.

FTIR and molecular mechanics studies of H-bonds in aliphatic polyurethane and polyamide-66 model molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Guoqing; Zhang, Chunxia; Guo, Xiaohe; Ren, Zhiyong

2008-02-01

Model aliphatic polyurethane (APU) hard segment based on 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and 1,4-butanediol (BDO) were prepared. FTIR and molecular mechanics (MM) simulation were used to conduct the systematic studies on APU and polyamide-66 (PA-66) whose sole difference lies in the alkoxyl oxygen. It was found that the introduction of the alkoxyl not only increases the conformations in APU, makes it a possible H-bond acceptor, but also weakens the H-bond between NH and O dbnd C in APU. There are two conformers stably existed in APU with lowest energy, leading to eight H-bond complexes based on NH as donor and (1) O dbnd C as acceptor, and another two complexes based on (2) alkoxyl O and (3) urethane N as acceptors, whereas there is only one stable conformer in PA-66, leading to one H-bond complex. One predominant H-bond complex has been found in APU with probability of about 95%. The simulated results are consistent with the νNH and νC dbnd O band shifting in FTIR.

7 CFR 1767.69 - Index of records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... (CONTINUED) ACCOUNTING REQUIREMENTS FOR RUS ELECTRIC BORROWERS Preservation of Records § 1767.69 Index of... master index shall be subject to review by Rural Development and Rural Development shall reserve the...

Analysis of development levels in the cities of Tehran province regarding health infrastructural index: the strategy of standardized score and Morris' inequality index.

PubMed

Javani, Ali; Abolhallaje, Masoud; Raadabadi, Mehdi; Rezaee Dehaghi, Hanieh; Nazari, Aslan; Nazari, Hamed; Chatrouz, Azadeh

2015-01-01

One of the main indexes of development is health index or the degree to which a society enjoys health and therapeutic services. The present study was done with the aim to analyze development levels in cities in Tehran regarding health infrastructural index using the standardized score and Morris' model. This is a descriptive and pragmatic study which ranks 14 cities in Tehran province using the standardized score and Morris' models based on 10 selected health indexes. The required data were gathered using a researcher-made information list and the information gathered from the Statistics Center and Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The data were analyzed using Excel software. The development coefficient in the studied cities varies from 0.595 to -0.379 so that Rey city has the highest level of development and Pishva city has the lowest level of development among the studied cities. The more number of the cities (43%) was among the rather undeveloped group and none of the cities (0%) was in the rather developed group. Regarding the findings, there is a big gap and difference regarding enjoying health and therapeutic infrastructural indexes among the cities in Tehran province. Therefore, it is suggested that development-oriented plans consistentent with development levels should be implemented in these cities.

Analysis of development levels in the cities of Tehran province regarding health infrastructural index: the strategy of standardized score and Morris’ inequality index

PubMed Central

Javani, Ali; Abolhallaje, Masoud; Raadabadi, Mehdi; Rezaee Dehaghi, Hanieh; Nazari, Aslan; Nazari, Hamed; Chatrouz, Azadeh

2015-01-01

Background: One of the main indexes of development is health index or the degree to which a society enjoys health and therapeutic services. The present study was done with the aim to analyze development levels in cities in Tehran regarding health infrastructural index using the standardized score and Morris’ model. Methods: This is a descriptive and pragmatic study which ranks 14 cities in Tehran province using the standardized score and Morris’ models based on 10 selected health indexes. The required data were gathered using a researcher-made information list and the information gathered from the Statistics Center and Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The data were analyzed using Excel software. Results: The development coefficient in the studied cities varies from 0.595 to -0.379 so that Rey city has the highest level of development and Pishva city has the lowest level of development among the studied cities. The more number of the cities (43%) was among the rather undeveloped group and none of the cities (0%) was in the rather developed group. Conclusion: Regarding the findings, there is a big gap and difference regarding enjoying health and therapeutic infrastructural indexes among the cities in Tehran province. Therefore, it is suggested that development-oriented plans consistentent with development levels should be implemented in these cities. PMID:26913267

Developing an Index to Measure Health System Performance: Measurement for Districts of Nepal.

PubMed

Kandel, N; Fric, A; Lamichhane, J

2014-01-01

Various frameworks for measuring health system performance have been proposed and discussed. The scope of using performance indicators are broad, ranging from examining national health system to individual patients at various levels of health system. Development of innovative and easy index is essential to measure multidimensionality of health systems. We used indicators, which also serve as proxy to the set of activities, whose primary goal is to maintain and improve health. We used eleven indicators of MDGs, which represent all dimensions of health to develop index. These indicators are computed with similar methodology that of human development index. We used published data of Nepal for computation of the index for districts of Nepal as an illustration. To validate our finding, we compared the indices of these districts with other development indices of Nepal. An index for each district has been computed from eleven indicators. Then indices are compared with that of human development index, socio-economic and infrastructure development indices and findings has shown the similarity on distribution of districts. Categories of low and high performing districts on health system performance are also having low and high human development, socio-economic, and infrastructure indices respectively. This methodology of computing index from various indicators could assist policy makers and program managers to prioritize activities based on their performance. Validation of the findings with that of other development indicators show that this can be one of the tools, which can assist on assessing health system performance for policy makers, program managers and others.

Development of a Climate Resilience Screening Index (CRSI) and its potential for application in the U.S. - Conference Abstract

EPA Science Inventory

A Climate Resilience Screening Index is being developed that is applicable at multiple scales for the United States. Those scales include national, state, county and community. The index will be applied at the first three scales and at selected communities. The index was devel...

Development of a Climate Resilience Screening Index (CRSI) and its potential for application in the U.S.

EPA Science Inventory

A Climate Resilience Screening Index is being developed that is applicable at multiple scales for the United States. Those scales include national, state, county and community. The index will be applied at the first three scales and at selected communities. The index was devel...

Determination of average refractive index of spin coated DCG films for HOE fabrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, T. J.; Campbell, Eugene W.; Kostuk, Raymond K.

1993-01-01

The refractive index of holographic emulsions is an important parameter needed for designing holographic optical elements (HOE's). Theoretical calculations of the accuracy required for the refractive index and thickness of emulsions needed to meet predetermined Bragg angle conditions are presented. A modified interferometric method is used to find average refractive index of the unexposed and the developed dichromated gelatin holographic films. Slanted transmission HOE's are designed considering the index and thickness variations, and used to verify the index measurement results. The Brewster angle method is used to measure surface index of the unexposed and the developed films. The differences between average index and surface index are discussed. Theoretical calculation of the effects of index variation on diffraction efficiency, and experimental results for index modulation variation caused by process changes are also presented.

Percutaneous aspiration of fluid for management of peritonitis in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirkpatrick, A. W.; Nicolaou, S.; Campbell, M. R.; Sargsyan, A. E.; Dulchavsky, S. A.; Melton, S.; Beck, G.; Dawson, D. L.; Billica, R. D.; Johnston, S. L.;

Understanding Factors that Influence Protective Glove Use among Automotive Spray Painters

PubMed Central

Ceballos, Diana; Reeb-Whitaker, Carolyn; Glazer, Patricia; Murphy-Robinson, Helen; Yost, Michael

2017-01-01

Dermal contact with isocyanate-based coatings may lead to systemic respiratory sensitization. The most common isocyanates found in sprayed automotive coatings are monomeric and oligomeric 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI). Most spray painters use thin (4–5 mil) latex gloves that are not effective at preventing dermal exposures when spraying isocyanate paints. Personal interviews with collision repair industry personnel and focus groups with spray painters were held to characterize risk awareness, to examine perceptions and challenges concerning protective glove use and selection, and to generate ideas for protective glove use interventions. The most popular gloves among spray painters were thin (4–5 mil) and thick (14 mil) latex. We found that medium to thick (6–8 mil) nitrile were not always perceived as comfortable and were expected to be more expensive than thin (4–5 mil) latex gloves. Of concern is the users’ difficulty to distinguish between nitrile and latex gloves; latex gloves are now sold in different colors including blue, which has traditionally been associated with nitrile gloves. Even though spray painters were familiar with the health hazards related to working with isocyanate paints; most were not always aware that dermal exposure to isocyanates could contribute to the development of occupational asthma. There is a need for more research to identify dermal materials that are protective against sprayed automotive coatings. Automotive spray painters and their employers need to be educated in the selection and use of protective gloves, specifically on attributes such as glove material, color, and thickness. PMID:24215135

Validation of On-Orbit Methodology for the Assessment of Cardiac Function and Changes in the Circulating Volume Using Ultrasound and Braslet-M Occlusion Cuffs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamilton, Douglas; Sargsyan, Ashot E.; Ebert, Douglas; Duncan, Michael; Bogomolov, Valery V.; Alferova, Irina V.; Matveev, Vladimir P.; Dulchavsky, Scott A.

2010-01-01

The objective of this joint U.S. - Russian project was the development and validation of an in-flight methodology to assess a number of cardiac and vascular parameters associated with circulating volume and its manipulation in long-duration space flight. Responses to modified Valsalva and Mueller maneuvers were measured by cardiac and vascular ultrasound (US) before, during, and after temporary volume reduction by means of Braslet-M thigh occlusion cuffs (Russia). Materials and Methods: The study protocol was conducted in 14 sessions on 9 ISS crewmembers, with an average exposure to microgravity of 122 days. Baseline cardiovascular measurements were taken by echocardiography in multiple modes (including tissue Doppler of both ventricles) and femoral and jugular vein imaging on the International Space Station (ISS). The Braslet devices were then applied and measurements were repeated after >10 minutes. The cuffs were then released and the hemodynamic recovery process was monitored. Modified Valsalva and Mueller maneuvers were used throughout the protocol. All US data were acquired by the HDI-5000 ultrasound system aboard the ISS (ATL/Philips, USA) during remotely guided sessions. The study protocol, including the use of Braslet-M for this purpose, was approved by the ISS Human Research Multilateral Review Board (HRMRB). Results: The effects of fluid sequestration on a number of echocardiographic and vascular parameters were readily detectable by in-flight US, as were responses to respiratory maneuvers. The overall volume status assessment methodology appears to be valid and practical, with a decrease in left heart lateral E (tissue Doppler) as one of the most reliable measures. Increase in the femoral vein cross-sectional areas was consistently observed with Braslet application. Other significant differences and trends within the extensive cardiovascular data were also observed. (Decreased - RV and LV preload indices, Cardiac Output, LV E all maneuvers, LV Stroke Volume). Conclusions: This Study: 1) Addressed specific aspects of operational space medicine and space physiology, including assessment of circulating volume disturbances 2) Expanded the applications of diagnostic ultrasound imaging and Doppler techniques in microgravity. 3) Used respiratory maneuvers against the background of acute circulating volume manipulations which appear to enhance our ability to noninvasively detect volume-dependency in a number of cardiac and vascular parameters. 4) Determined that Tei index is not clinically changed therefore contractility not altered in the face of reduced preload. 5) Determined that increased Femoral Vein Area indicating blood being sequestered in lower extremities correlates with reduced preload and cardiac output. 6) That Braslet may be the only feasible means of acutely treating high pressure pulmonary edema in reduced gravity environments.

Application of the Rural Development Index to Analysis of Rural Regions in Poland and Slovakia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michalek, Jerzy; Zarnekow, Nana

2012-01-01

The main purpose of this research was to construct a multi-dimensional (composite) index measuring the overall level of rural development and quality of life in individual rural regions of a given EU country. In the Rural Development Index (RDI) the rural development domains are represented by hundreds of partial socio-economic, environmental,…

DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A MACROINVERTEBRATE BENTHOS INTEGRITY INDEX (SBII) FOR BIOASSESSMENT OF STREAMS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS REGION

EPA Science Inventory

A multimetric macroinvertebrate index called the Stream Benthos Integrity Index (SBII) was developed for the Mid-Atlantic Highlands Region of the United States. The SBII was developed for assessing biological conditions of wadeable streams and was based on benthic macroinvertebr...

Development of a lumbar EMG-based coactivation index for the assessment of complex dynamic tasks.

PubMed

Le, Peter; Aurand, Alexander; Walter, Benjamin A; Best, Thomas M; Khan, Safdar N; Mendel, Ehud; Marras, William S

2018-03-01

The objective of this study was to develop and test an EMG-based coactivation index and compare it to a coactivation index defined by a biologically assisted lumbar spine model to differentiate between tasks. The purpose was to provide a universal approach to assess coactivation of a multi-muscle system when a computational model is not accessible. The EMG-based index developed utilised anthropometric-defined muscle characteristics driven by torso kinematics and EMG. Muscles were classified as agonists/antagonists based upon 'simulated' moments of the muscles relative to the total 'simulated' moment. Different tasks were used to test the range of the index including lifting, pushing and Valsalva. Results showed that the EMG-based index was comparable to the index defined by a biologically assisted model (r 2  = 0.78). Overall, the EMG-based index provides a universal, usable method to assess the neuromuscular effort associated with coactivation for complex dynamic tasks when the benefit of a biomechanical model is not available. Practitioner Summary: A universal coactivation index for the lumbar spine was developed to assess complex dynamic tasks. This method was validated relative to a model-based index for use when a high-end computational model is not available. Its simplicity allows for fewer inputs and usability for assessment of task ergonomics and rehabilitation.

A novel structural risk index for primary spontaneous pneumothorax: Ankara Numune Risk Index.

PubMed

Akkas, Yucel; Peri, Neslihan Gulay; Kocer, Bulent; Kaplan, Tevfik; Alhan, Aslihan

2017-07-01

In this study, we aimed to reveal a novel risk index as a structural risk marker for primary spontanoeus pneumothorax using body mass index and chest height, structural risk factors for pneumothorax development. Records of 86 cases admitted between February 2014 and January 2015 with or without primary spontaneous pneumothorax were analysed retrospectively. The patients were allocated to two groups as Group I and Group II. The patients were evaluated with regard to age, gender, pneumothorax side, duration of hospital stay, treatment type, recurrence, chest height and transverse diameter on posteroanterior chest graphy and body mass index. Body mass index ratio per cm of chest height was calculated by dividing body mass index with chest height. We named this risk index ratio which is defined first as 'Ankara Numune Risk Index'. Diagnostic value of Ankara Numune Risk Index value for prediction of primary spontaneous pneumothorax development was analysed with Receiver Operating Characteristics curver. Of 86 patients, 69 (80.2%) were male and 17 (19.8%) were female. Each group was composed of 43 (50%) patients. When Receiver Operating Characteristics curve analysis was done for optimal limit value 0.74 of Ankara Numune Risk Index determined for prediction of pneumothorax development risk, area under the curve was 0.925 (95% Cl, 0.872-0.977, p < 0.001). Ankara Numune Risk Index is one of the structural risk factors for prediction of primary spontaneous pneumothorax development however it is insufficient for determining recurrence. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Taiwan.

[Development and validation of the Family Vulnerability Index to Disability and Dependence (FVI-DD)].

PubMed

Amendola, Fernanda; Alvarenga, Márcia Regina Martins; Latorre, Maria do Rosário Dias de Oliveira; Oliveira, Maria Amélia de Campos

2014-02-01

This exploratory, descriptive, cross-sectional, and quantitative study aimed to develop and validate an index of family vulnerability to disability and dependence (FVI-DD). This study was adapted from the Family Development Index, with the addition of social and health indicators of disability and dependence. The instrument was applied to 248 families in the city of Sao Paulo, followed by exploratory factor analysis. Factor validation was performed using the concurrent and discriminant validity of the Lawton scale and Katz Index. The descriptive level adopted for the study was p < 0.05. The final vulnerability index comprised 50 questions classified into seven factors contemplating social and health dimensions, and this index exhibited good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.82). FVI-DD was validated using both the Lawton scale and Katz Index. We conclude that FVI-DD can accurately and reliably assess family vulnerability to disability and dependence.

Performance index for virtual reality phacoemulsification surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Söderberg, Per; Laurell, Carl-Gustaf; Simawi, Wamidh; Skarman, Eva; Nordqvist, Per; Nordh, Leif

2007-02-01

We have developed a virtual reality (VR) simulator for phacoemulsification (phaco) surgery. The current work aimed at developing a performance index that characterizes the performance of an individual trainee. We recorded measurements of 28 response variables during three iterated surgical sessions in 9 subjects naive to cataract surgery and 6 experienced cataract surgeons, separately for the sculpting phase and the evacuation phase of phacoemulsification surgery. We further defined a specific performance index for a specific measurement variable and a total performance index for a specific trainee. The distribution function for the total performance index was relatively evenly distributed both for the sculpting and the evacuation phase indicating that parametric statistics can be used for comparison of total average performance indices for different groups in the future. The current total performance index for an individual considers all measurement variables included with the same weight. It is possible that a future development of the system will indicate that a better characterization of a trainee can be obtained if the various measurements variables are given specific weights. The currently developed total performance index for a trainee is statistically an independent observation of that particular trainee.

DEVELOPMENT OF A STREAM BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATE INTEGRITY INDEX (SBMII) FOR WADEABLE STREAMS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS REGION

EPA Science Inventory

The Stream Benthic Macroinvertebrate Integrity Index (SBMII), a multimetric biotic index for assessing biological conditions of wadeable streams, was developed using seven macroinvertebrate metrics (Ephemeroptera richness, Plecoptera richness, Trichoptera richness, Collector-Filt...

Use of Dietary Indexes among Children in Developed Countries12

PubMed Central

Lazarou, Chrystalleni; Newby, P. K.

2011-01-01

In this article, we review studies that have used dietary indexes to assess different aspects of diet in relation to health outcomes and sociodemographic factors in childhood populations of developed countries. Eighty-four papers published from 1980 to mid-2010 including 90 unique dietary indexes were reviewed. Seventy-two indexes were developed (or have been adapted) specifically for childhood populations; 38 of these were used to assess diet-disease associations, mostly of diet and obesity. In the majority of these studies, small inverse associations between dietary indexes and obesity indexes were shown. Children who were younger, female, and from high-income families had better dietary quality scores. Forty-nine indexes (of 90) were compared with other aspects of dietary intakes or behaviors, with correlations ranging from very low to modest (∼r = 0.05–0.50). Only 2 validation studies compared an index with nutritional biomarkers, and correlations were quite weak for most plasma nutrients (P < 0.10). Overall, a large number of indexes have been created and used, but the majority of studies are descriptive. Fewer analytic studies on index-health associations have been performed, and most analyses insufficiently adjusted for confounders. Thus, prospective and intervention research in diverse populations is needed to further test these tools. In conclusion, indexes are potentially useful methods for dietary assessment, because they offer valuable information on overall dietary patterns in children. However, understanding the advantages and limitations when applying them in research and public health settings is important, and more research is needed to further develop their utility. PMID:22332071

Development of Organ-Specific Donor Risk Indices

PubMed Central

Akkina, Sanjeev K.; Asrani, Sumeet K.; Peng, Yi; Stock, Peter; Kim, Ray; Israni, Ajay K.

2012-01-01

Due to the shortage of deceased donor organs, transplant centers accept organs from marginal deceased donors, including older donors. Organ-specific donor risk indices have been developed to predict graft survival using various combinations of donor and recipient characteristics. We will review the kidney donor risk index (KDRI) and liver donor risk index (LDRI) and compare and contrast their strengths, limitations, and potential uses. The Kidney Donor Risk Index has a potential role in developing new kidney allocation algorithms. The Liver Donor Risk Index allows for greater appreciation of the importance of donor factors, particularly for hepatitis C-positive recipients; as the donor risk index increases, rates of allograft and patient survival among these recipients decrease disproportionately. Use of livers with high donor risk index is associated with increased hospital costs independent of recipient risk factors, and transplanting livers with high donor risk index into patients with Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores < 15 is associated with lower allograft survival; use of the Liver Donor Risk Index has limited this practice. Significant regional variation in donor quality, as measured by the Liver Donor Risk Index, remains in the United States. We also review other potential indices for liver transplant, including donor-recipient matching and the retransplant donor risk index. While substantial progress has been made in developing donor risk indices to objectively assess donor variables that affect transplant outcomes, continued efforts are warranted to improve these indices to enhance organ allocation policies and optimize allograft survival. PMID:22287036

Developing an Index of Deprivation Which Integrates Objective and Subjective Dimensions: Extending the Work of Townsend, Mack and Lansley, and Hallerod

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eroglu, Sebnem

2007-01-01

This article presents a new approach to index development, extending the methods used by Townsend, Mack and Lansley and Hallerod to measure deprivation in the developed world. The index combines three "objective" dimensions of deprivation (i.e. monetary, consumption and work-related), and weighs them according to subjective perceptions…

Development of an Index of Ecological Condition based on Great River Fish Assemblages

EPA Science Inventory

As part of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program for Great River Ecosystems we developed a fish-assemblage based multimetric index (Great River Fish Index,GRFIn) as an indicator of ecological conditions in the Lower Missouri, impounded Upper Mississippi,.unimpoun...

A quantitative index of soil development from field descriptions: Examples from a chronosequence in central California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harden, J.W.

1982-01-01

A soil development index has been developed in order to quantitatively measure the degree of soil profile development. This index, which combines eight soil field properties with soil thickness, is designed from field descriptions of the Merced River chronosequence in central California. These eight properties are: clay films, texture plus wet consistence, rubification (color hue and chroma), structure, dry consistence, moist consistence, color value, and pH. Other properties described in the field can be added when more soils are studied. Most of the properties change systematically within the 3 m.y. age span of the Merced River chronosequence. The absence of properties on occasion does not significantly affect the index. Individual quantified field properties, as well as the integrated index, are examined and compared as functions of soil depth and age. ?? 1982.

Standardization and application of an index of community integrity for waterbirds in the Chesapeake Bay, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prosser, Diann J.; Nagel, Jessica L.; Marban, Paul; Ze, Luo; Day, Daniel D.; Erwin, R. Michael

2017-01-01

In recent decades, there has been increasing interest in the application of ecological indices to assess ecosystem condition in response to anthropogenic activities. An Index of Waterbird Community Integrity was previously developed for the Chesapeake Bay, USA. However, the scoring criteria were not defined well enough to generate scores for new species that were not observed in the original study. The goal of this study was to explicitly define the scoring criteria for the existing index and to develop index scores for all waterbirds of the Chesapeake Bay. The standardized index then was applied to a case study investigating the relationship between waterbird community integrity and shoreline development during late summer and late fall (2012–2014) using an alternative approach to survey methodology, which allowed for greater area coverage compared to the approach used in the original study. Index scores for both seasons were negatively related to percentage of developed shorelines. Providing these updated tools using the detailed scoring system will facilitate future application to new species or development of the index in other estuaries worldwide. This methodology allows for consistent cross-study comparisons and can be combined with other community integrity indices, allowing for more effective estuarine management.

The Nurses’ Well-Being Index and Factors Influencing This Index among Nurses in Central China: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Liu, Bing; Hu, Ying; Yu, Chuanhua

2015-01-01

Backgrounds/Objectives A discussion and analysis of factors that contribute to nurses’ happiness index can be useful in developing effective interventions to improve nurses’ enthusiasm, sense of honor and pride and to improve the efficiency and quality of medical services. Methods In this study, 206 registered nurses at the 2011 annual encounter for 12 Hanchuan hospitals completed a questionnaire survey that covered three aspects of the well-being index and thus served as a comprehensive well-being and general information tool. Results Based on their index score, the nurses’ overall happiness level was moderate. The dimensions of the happiness index are listed in descending order of their contribution to the nurses’ comprehensive happiness levels: health concerns, friendly relationships, self-worth, altruism, vitality, positive emotions, personality development, life satisfaction and negative emotions. Four variables (positive emotion, life satisfaction, negative emotions, and friendly relationships) jointly explained 47.80% of the total variance of the happiness index; positive emotions had the greatest impact on the happiness index. Conclusions Appropriate nursing interventions can improve nurses’ happiness index scores, thereby increasing nurses’ motivation and promoting the development of their nursing practice. PMID:26680594

The Nurses' Well-Being Index and Factors Influencing This Index among Nurses in Central China: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Meng, Runtang; Luo, Yi; Liu, Bing; Hu, Ying; Yu, Chuanhua

2015-01-01

A discussion and analysis of factors that contribute to nurses' happiness index can be useful in developing effective interventions to improve nurses' enthusiasm, sense of honor and pride and to improve the efficiency and quality of medical services. In this study, 206 registered nurses at the 2011 annual encounter for 12 Hanchuan hospitals completed a questionnaire survey that covered three aspects of the well-being index and thus served as a comprehensive well-being and general information tool. Based on their index score, the nurses' overall happiness level was moderate. The dimensions of the happiness index are listed in descending order of their contribution to the nurses' comprehensive happiness levels: health concerns, friendly relationships, self-worth, altruism, vitality, positive emotions, personality development, life satisfaction and negative emotions. Four variables (positive emotion, life satisfaction, negative emotions, and friendly relationships) jointly explained 47.80% of the total variance of the happiness index; positive emotions had the greatest impact on the happiness index. Appropriate nursing interventions can improve nurses' happiness index scores, thereby increasing nurses' motivation and promoting the development of their nursing practice.

Development of an Index of Ecological Condition Based on Great River Fish Assemblages, Presentation

EPA Science Inventory

As part of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program for Great River Ecosystems we developed a fish-assemblage based multimetric index (Great River Fish Index,GRFIn) as an indicator of ecological conditions in the Lower Missouri, impounded Upper Mississippi,.unimpounded...

[Correlation between feeding index and growth development of 6-36 month-old infants in two counties of western China by applying multiple correspondence analysis].

PubMed

Chen, Hong-da; Hao, Bo; Kang, Xiao-ping; Zhao, Geng-li; Zhou, Min

2012-06-18

To explore the correlation between feeding index and growth development status of infants from two counties of western China by applying the method of multiple correspondence analysis. Two sample counties were randomly selected from the ones that satisfied the research conditions in Shaanxi province and Chongqing in western China. In the study, 472 premature/low birth weight infants (PLBW) and 461 normal term infants (NT) of 6-36 months from the two counties were investigated from September 2010 to November 2010. The SPSS 19.0 software was applied to analyze the data using general statistical analysis and multiple correspondence analysis. In the two counties of western China, the proportion of infants with feeding index at the medium level was the highest, which was between 50% and 60%. In the PLBW group and the NT group, the proportion of low level of feeding index among 6-9 month-old infants was the highest, and the proportion was 33.3% for the PLBW group and 29.4% for the NT group. For both the PLBW group and the NT group, the distribution of feeding index among the different age groups showed significant difference (P<0.05).Among the infants with low level of feeding index, the growth development of the PLBW lay behind that of the NT. We could see a catching-up trend of the PLBW with medium or good level of feeding index, but their growth development index was still at a lower level than that of the NT with the same level of feeding condition. Through multiple correspondence analyses, the outcomes of PLBW corresponded and strongly correlated with low level of feeding index, low level of growth development index, mother's low education degree and low annual family income. And the outcomes of NT corresponded and strongly correlated with medium/good level of feeding index, medium level of growth development status, mother's medium/high education degree and medium/high level of annual family income. There are good correspondence correlations at different hierarchical levels of the infants' group, feeding index, growth development index and family factors in the two counties of western China. Multiple correspondence analysis could directly reveal the correlation among several variables, which is a suitable method for categorical data. The result can be illustrated directly through a two-dimensional graph and could provide the suggestion of feeding practice for different infants in western rural China.

Isolation and characterization of Lepidoptera specific Bacillus thuringiensis strains predominantly from north-eastern states of India.

PubMed

Tripathi, Monika; Kumar, Arvind; Kalia, Vinay; Saxena, A K; Gujar, Govind

2016-07-01

Both, the tobacco caterpillar Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) and the cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Hibner), are serious polyphagous pests causing considerable loss to crops. Indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides for controlling them has rather resulted in their resistance development. Microbial pesticides, Bacillus thuringiensis in particular, play an important role in pest management. Here, we isolated Bacillus thuringiensis-like bacteria from the soil samples primarily collected from North East region of India along with some states viz., Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Uttarakhand and studied their toxicity against the above two insect pests at 10 gg/g along with standard strain B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-I and at 1 pg/g Pseudomonasfluorescens based MVPII expressing CrylAc toxin and AUG-5. Isolates AUG-5 and GTG-7 proved toxic to more than 75% larvae on the 4h as well as 7h day of the treatment of the neonates of H. armigera. The AUG-5 isolate was also effective against S. litura. Ten effective isolates (AUG-5, GTG-4, GTG-7, GTG-9, GTG-42, GTG-64, GTG-70, GTG-3S, GTG-4S and GTG-6S) were characterized using biochemical and 16S rDNA analysis. Nearly, all the isolates tested positive for utilizing monosaccharides. All selected B. thuringiensis isolates showed resistance to ampicillin and co-trimoxazole except AUG-5 to- co-trimoxazole. AUG-5 and GTG-7 were highly toxic to both insects, and possessed cryl, cry1A and cry2 genes. These isolates AUG-5 and GTG-7 also contained high CrylAc (104.8 and 88.32 ng/mg) and Cry2Ab (3792 and 1305.9 ng/mg), respectively in their spore-crystal complex. Both, AUG-5 and GTG-7 isolates, could be considered for further development as bioinsecticides. The present study has established the diversity and richness of B. thuringiensis-like isolates in soils collected from north-eastern region of India.

Developing a Vocational Index for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

PubMed Central

Seltzer, Marsha Mailick

2012-01-01

Existing methods of indexing the vocational activities of adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have made significant contributions to research. Nonetheless, they are limited by problems with sensitivity and reliability. We developed an index of vocational and educational outcomes that captures the full range of activities experienced by adults with ASD, and that can be reliably coded across studies using specific decision rules. To develop this index, we used employment, vocational, and educational data collected from nearly 350 adults with ASD at 6 times over 12 years, as part of a larger longitudinal study. The resulting index consists of 11 categories coded on a 9-point scale, ranging from competitive employment and/or postsecondary educational program to no vocational/educational activities. PMID:22466690

An Operational System for Subject Switching between Controlled Vocabularies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silvester, June P.; Klingbiel, Paul H.

1993-01-01

Describes a system developed at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that automatically converts index terms from the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) to NASA thesaurus terms. The NASA Lexical Dictionary (NLD) that generates thesaurus terms for indexing is explained, and the development of machine-aided indexing is…

Developing a Vocational Index for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Julie Lounds; Seltzer, Marsha Mailick

2012-01-01

Existing methods of indexing the vocational activities of adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have made significant contributions to research. Nonetheless, they are limited by problems with sensitivity and reliability. We developed an index of vocational and educational outcomes that captures the full range of activities experienced by…

A Rapidly Prototyped Vegetation Dryness Index Developed for Wildfire Risk Assessment at Stennis Space Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, Kenton; Graham, William D.; Prados, Donald; Spruce, Joseph

2006-01-01

A remote sensing index was developed to allow improved monitoring of vegetation dryness conditions on a regional basis. This remote sensing index was rapidly prototyped at Stennis Space Center in response to drought conditions in the local area in spring 2006.

Developing a Climate-Induced Social Vulnerability Index for Urban Areas: A Case Study of East Tennessee

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Omitaomu, Olufemi A.; Carvalhaes, Thomaz M.

Census American Community Survey 2008-2012 data are used to construct a spatially explicit Climate-Induced Social Vulnerability Index (CSVI) for the East Tennessee area. This CSVI is a combination of a Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and a Climate Index. A method is replicated and adapted to derive a custom SVI by Census tract for the counties participating in the East Tennessee Index, and a Climate Index is developed for the same area based on indicators for climate hazards. The resulting datasets are exported as a raster to be integrated and combined within the Urban Climate Adaptation Tool (Urban-CAT) to act asmore » an indicator for communities which may be differentially vulnerable to changes in climate. Results for the SVI are mapped separately from the complete CSVI in this document as results for the latter are in development.« less

An atmospheric dispersion index for prescribed burning

Treesearch

Leonidas G. Lavdas

1986-01-01

A numerical index that estimates the atmosphere's capacity to disperse smoke from prescribed burning is described. The physical assumptions and mathematical development of the index are given in detail. A preliminary interpretation of dispersion index values is offered. A FORTRAN subroutine package for computing the index is included.

Development Of Index To Assess Drought Conditions Using Geospatial Data A Case Study Of Jaisalmer District, Rajasthan, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chhajer, Vaidehi; Prabhakar, Sumati; Rama Chandra Prasad, P.

2015-12-01

The Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan province of India was known to suffer with frequent drought due to poor and delayed monsoon, abnormally high summer-temperature and insufficient water resources. However flood-like situation prevails in the drought prone Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan as torrential rains are seen to affect the region in the recent years. In the present study, detailed analysis of meteorological, hydrological and satellite data of the Jaisalmer district has been carried out for the years 2006-2008. Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Consecutive Dry Days (CDD) and Effective Drought Index (EDI) have been used to quantify the precipitation deficit. Standardized Water-Level Index (SWI) has been developed to assess ground-water recharge-deficit. Vegetative drought indices like Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), Temperature Condition Index (TCI), Vegetation Health Index (VHI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Modified Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index 2 have been calculated. We also introduce two new indices Soil based Vegetation Condition Index (SVCI) and Composite Drought Index (CDI) specifically for regions like Jaisalmer where aridity in soil and affects vegetation and water-level.

Efficient multifeature index structures for music data retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Wegin; Chen, Arbee L. P.

1999-12-01

In this paper, we propose four index structures for music data retrieval. Based on suffix trees, we develop two index structures called combined suffix tree and independent suffix trees. These methods still show shortcomings for some search functions. Hence we develop another index, called Twin Suffix Trees, to overcome these problems. However, the Twin Suffix Trees lack of scalability when the amount of music data becomes large. Therefore we propose the fourth index, called Grid-Twin Suffix Trees, to provide scalability and flexibility for a large amount of music data. For each index, we can use different search functions, like exact search and approximate search, on different music features, like melody, rhythm or both. We compare the performance of the different search functions applied on each index structure by a series of experiments.

Erosion Resistance Index (ERI) to Assess Surface Stability in Desert Environments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hamada, Yuki; Grippo, Mark A.

2015-11-01

A new spectral index—erosion resistance index (ERI)—was developed to assess erosion risks in desert landscapes. The index was developed by applying trigonometry to the combination of the green/red band-ratio and the red/near infrared band-ratio from very high spatial resolution imagery. The resultant ERI maps showed spatially cohesive distributions of high and low index values across the study areas. High index values were observed over areas that were resistant to erosion (such as desert pavement and dense vegetation), while low index values overlapped with areas likely dominated by loose sandy soils, such as stream beds and access roads. Although further investigationmore » is warranted, this new index, ERI, shows promise for the assessment of erosion risks in desert regions.« less

Impact of the Z potential technique on reducing the sperm DNA fragmentation index, fertilization rate and embryo development.

PubMed

Duarte, Carlos; Núñez, Víctor; Wong, Yat; Vivar, Carlos; Benites, Elder; Rodriguez, Urso; Vergara, Carlos; Ponce, Jorge

2017-12-01

In assisted reproduction procedures, we need to develop and enhance new protocols to optimize sperm selection. The aim of this study is to evaluate the ability of the Z potential technique to select sperm with intact DNA in non-normospermic patients and evaluate the impact of this selection on embryonic development. We analyzed a total of 174 human seminal samples with at least one altered parameter. We measured basal, post density gradients, and post density gradients + Z potential DNA fragmentation index. To evaluate the impact of this technique on embryo development, 54 cases were selected. The embryo development parameters evaluated were fertilization rate, cleavage rate, top quality embryos at the third day and blastocysts rate. We found significant differences in the study groups when we compared the sperm fragmentation index by adding the Z potential technique to density gradient selection vs. density gradients alone. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the embryo development parameters between the low sperm fragmentation index group vs. the moderate and high sperm fragmentation index groups, when selecting sperms with this new technique. The Z potential technique is a very useful tool for sperm selection; it significantly reduces the DNA fragmentation index and improves the parameters of embryo development. This technique could be considered routine for its simplicity and low cost.

The Role of Inflation and Price Escalation Adjustments in Properly Estimating Program Costs: F-35 Case Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-30

costs of new defense systems. An inappropriate price index can introduce errors in both development of cost estimating relationships ( CERs ) and in...indexes derived from CERs . These indexes isolate changes in price due to factors other than changes in quality over time. We develop a “Baseline” CER ...The hedonic index application has commonalities with cost estimating relationships ( CERs ), which also model system costs as a function of quality

78 FR 47041 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; International Securities Exchange, LLC; Notice of Filing of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-02

... methodology developed by NationsShares, a firm that develops proprietary derivatives-based indexes and options... Organizations; International Securities Exchange, LLC; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change To List Options... the Exchange of options on the Nations VolDex index, a new index that measures changes in implied...

Development of a stand-scale forest biodiversity index based on the state forest inventory

Treesearch

Diego Van Den Meersschaut; Kris Vandekerkhove

2000-01-01

Ecological aspects are increasingly influencing silvicultural management. Estimating forest biodiversity has become one often major tools for evaluating management strategies. A stand-scale forest biodiversity index is developed, based on available data from the state forest inventory. The index combines aspects of forest structure, woody and herbal layer composition,...

The development of a host potential index and its postharvest application to the spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Novel methodology is presented for indexing the relative potential of hosts to function as resources. Results from studies examining host selection, utilization, and physiological development of the organism resourcing the host were combined and quantitatively related via a Host Potential Index (HPI...

Measuring Wellbeing in Developing Countries: The Case of Algeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tiliouine, Habib; Cummins, Robert A.; Davern, Melanie

2006-01-01

The International Wellbeing Index (IWI) has been developed as a complementary measure to already well-known economic measures, and as a tool for cross-cultural comparisons. It comprises two subscales: the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) and the National Wellbeing Index (NWI). The aims of this paper are two-fold. Firstly, to test the psychometric…

Evaluation of lophine derivatives as L-012 (luminol analog)-dependent chemiluminescence enhancers for measuring horseradish peroxidase and H2O2.

PubMed

Ichibangase, T; Ohba, Y; Kishikawa, N; Nakashima, K; Kuroda, N

2014-03-01

8-Amino-5-chloro-7-phenylpyrido[3,4-d]pyridazine-1,4(2H,3H)dione (L-012) was recently synthesized as a new chemiluminescence (CL) probe; the light intensity and the sensitivity of L-012 are higher than those of other CL probes such as luminol. Previously, our group developed four lophine-based CL enhancers of the horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-catalyzed CL oxidation of luminol, namely 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4,5-diphenylimidazole (HDI), 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4,5-di(2-pyridyl)imidazole (HPI), 4-(4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)phenylboronic acid (DPA), and 4-[4,5-di(2-pyridyl)-1H-imidazol-2-yl]phenylboronic acid (DPPA), and showed that DPPA was suitable for the photographic detection of HRP. In this study, we replaced luminol with L-012 and evaluated these as L-012-dependent CL enhancers. In addition, to detect HRP and/or H2O2 with higher sensitivity, each detection condition for the L-012-HRP-H2O2 enhanced CL was optimized. All the derivatives enhanced the L-012-dependent CL as well as luminol CL; HPI generated the highest enhanced luminescence. Under optimized conditions for HRP detection, the detection limit of HRP was 0.08 fmol. By contrast, the detection limit of HRP with the enhanced L-012-dependent CL using 4-iodophenol, which is a common enhancer of luminol CL, was 1.1 fmol. With regard to H2O2 detection, the detection limits for enhanced CL with HPI and 4-iodophenol were 0.29 and 1.5 pmol, respectively. Therefore, it is demonstrated that HPI is the most superior L-012-dependent CL enhancer. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effect of diisocyanate linkers on the degradation characteristics of copolyester urethanes as potential drug carrier matrices.

PubMed

Mathew, Simi; Baudis, Stefan; Neffe, Axel T; Behl, Marc; Wischke, Christian; Lendlein, Andreas

2015-09-01

In this study, the effect of three aliphatic diisocyanate linkers, L-lysine diisocyanate ethyl ester (LDI), hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), and racemic 2,2,4-/2,4,4-trimethyl hexamethylene diisocyanate (TMDI), on the degradation of oligo[(rac-lactide)-co-glycolide] (64:36 mol%) based polyester urethanes (PEU) was examined. Samples were characterized for their molecular weight, mass loss, water uptake, sequence structure, and thermal and mechanical properties. Compared to non-segmented PLGA, the PEU showed higher water uptake and generally degraded faster. Interestingly, the rate of degradation was not directly correlating with the hydrophilicity of the diisocyanate moieties; instead, competing intra-/intermolecular hydrogen bonds in between urethane moieties appear to substantially decrease the rate of degradation for LDI-derived PEU. By comparing microparticles (μm) and films (mm) as matrices of different dimensions, it was shown that autocatalysis remains a contributor to degradation of the larger-sized PEU matrices as it is typical for non-segmented lactide/glycolide copolymers. The shown capacity of lactide/glycolide-based multiblock copolymers to degrade faster than PLGA and exhibit improved elastic properties could be of interest for medical implants and drug release systems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mesospheric gravity wave momentum flux estimation using hybrid Doppler interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spargo, Andrew J.; Reid, Iain M.; MacKinnon, Andrew D.; Holdsworth, David A.

2017-06-01

Mesospheric gravity wave (GW) momentum flux estimates using data from multibeam Buckland Park MF radar (34.6° S, 138.5° E) experiments (conducted from July 1997 to June 1998) are presented. On transmission, five Doppler beams were symmetrically steered about the zenith (one zenith beam and four off-zenith beams in the cardinal directions). The received beams were analysed with hybrid Doppler interferometry (HDI) (Holdsworth and Reid, 1998), principally to determine the radial velocities of the effective scattering centres illuminated by the radar. The methodology of Thorsen et al. (1997), later re-introduced by Hocking (2005) and since extensively applied to meteor radar returns, was used to estimate components of Reynolds stress due to propagating GWs and/or turbulence in the radar resolution volume. Physically reasonable momentum flux estimates are derived from the Reynolds stress components, which are also verified using a simple radar model incorporating GW-induced wind perturbations. On the basis of these results, we recommend the intercomparison of momentum flux estimates between co-located meteor radars and vertical-beam interferometric MF radars. It is envisaged that such intercomparisons will assist with the clarification of recent concerns (e.g. Vincent et al., 2010) of the accuracy of the meteor radar technique.

Ultrasonic brain therapy: First trans-skull in vivo experiments on sheep using adaptive focusing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pernot, Mathieu; Aubry, Jean-Francois; Tanter, Michael; Fink, Mathias; Boch, Anne-Laure; Kujas, Michèle

2004-05-01

A high-power prototype dedicated to trans-skull therapy has been tested in vivo on 20 sheep. The array is made of 200 high-power transducers working at 1-MHz central and is able to reach 260 bars at focus in water. An echographic array connected to a Philips HDI 1000 system has been inserted in the therapeutic array in order to perform real-time monitoring of the treatment. A complete craniotomy has been performed on half of the treated animal models in order to get a reference model. On the other animals, a minimally invasive surgery has been performed thanks to a time-reversal experiment: a hydrophone was inserted at the target inside the brain thanks to a 1-mm2 craniotomy. A time-reversal experiment was then conducted through the skull bone with the therapeutic array to treat the targeted point. For all the animals a specified region around the target was treated thanks to electronic beam steering. Animals were finally divided into three groups and sacrificed, respectively, 0, 1, and 2 weeks after treatment. Finally, histological examination confirmed tissue damage. These in vivo experiments highlight the strong potential of high-power time-reversal technology.

Indexing NASA programs for technology transfer methods development and feasibility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clingman, W. H.

1972-01-01

This project was undertaken to evaluate the application of a previously developed indexing methodology to ongoing NASA programs. These programs are comprehended by the NASA Program Approval Documents (PADS). Each PAD contains a technical plan for the area it covers. It was proposed that these could be used to generate an index to the complete NASA program. To test this hypothesis two PADS were selected by the NASA Technology Utilization Office for trial indexing. Twenty-five individuals indexed the two PADS using NASA Thesaurus terms. The results demonstrated the feasibility of indexing ongoing NASA programs using PADS as the source of information. The same indexing methodology could be applied to other documents containing a brief description of the technical plan. Results of this project showed that over 85% of the concepts in the technology should be covered by the indexing. Also over 85% of the descriptors chosen would be accurate. This completeness and accuracy for the indexing is considered satisfactory for application in technology transfer.

The NLM Indexing Initiative's Medical Text Indexer.

PubMed

Aronson, Alan R; Mork, James G; Gay, Clifford W; Humphrey, Susanne M; Rogers, Willie J

2004-01-01

The Medical Text Indexer (MTI) is a program for producing MeSH indexing recommendations. It is the major product of NLM's Indexing Initiative and has been used in both semi-automated and fully automated indexing environments at the Library since mid 2002. We report here on an experiment conducted with MEDLINE indexers to evaluate MTI's performance and to generate ideas for its improvement as a tool for user-assisted indexing. We also discuss some filtering techniques developed to improve MTI's accuracy for use primarily in automatically producing the indexing for several abstracts collections.

Machine-Aided Indexing. Technical Progress Report for Period January 1967-June 1969.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klingbiel, Paul H.

Working toward the goal of an automatic indexing system which is truly competitive with human indexing in cost, time and comprehensiveness the Machine-Aided Indexing (MAI) process was developed at the Defense Documentation Center (DDC). This indexing process uses linguistic techniques but does not require complete syntactic analysis of sentences…

KSC Construction Cost Index

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, J. A.

1983-01-01

Kennedy Space Center cost Index aids in conceptual design cost estimates. Report discusses development of KSC Cost Index since January 1974. Index since January 1974. Index provides management, design engineers, and estimators an up-to-data reference for local labor and material process. Also provides mount and rate of change in these costs used to predict future construction costs.

Development of a brief parent-report risk index for children following parental divorce.

PubMed

Tein, Jenn-Yun; Sandler, Irwin N; Braver, Sanford L; Wolchik, Sharlene A

2013-12-01

This article reports on the development of a brief 15-item parent-report risk index (Child Risk Index for Divorced or Separated Families; CRI-DS) to predict problem outcomes of children who have experienced parental divorce. A series of analyses using 3 data sets were conducted that identified and cross-validated a parsimonious set of items representing parent report of child behavior problems and family level risk and protective factors, each of which contributed to the predictive accuracy of the index. The index predicted child behavior outcomes and substance abuse problems up to 6 years later. The index has acceptable levels of sensitivity and specificity as a screening measure to predict problem outcomes up to 1 year later. The use of the index to identify the need for preventive services is discussed, along with limitations of the study.

Guidelines for the Establishment and Development of Monolingual Thesauri. Second Revised Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin, Derek; Dale, Peter

Intended to facilitate the preparation of thesauri for the indexing of documents in any subject field, this report presents a set of rules pertaining to the complex issues and questions involved in indexing vocabulary development and construction. After a brief discussion of the nature, functions, and components of indexing vocabularies, a set of…

Development of an Integrated Moisture Index for predicting species composition

Treesearch

Louis R. Iverson; Charles T. Scott; Martin E. Dale; Anantha Prasad

1996-01-01

A geographic information system (GIS) approach was used to develop an Integrated Moisture Index (IMI), which was used to predict species composition for Ohio forests. Several landscape features (a slope-aspect shading index, cumulative flow of water downslope, curvature of the landscape, and the water-holding capacity of the soil) were derived from elevation and soils...

Development of a Coastal Drought Index Using Salinity Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conrads, P. A.; Darby, L. S.

2014-12-01

The freshwater-saltwater interface in surface-water bodies along the coast is an important factor in the ecological and socio-economic dynamics of coastal communities. It influences community composition in freshwater and saltwater ecosystems, determines fisheries spawning habitat, and controls freshwater availability for municipal and industrial water intakes. These dynamics may be affected by coastal drought through changes in Vibrio bacteria impacts on shellfish harvesting and occurrence of wound infection, fish kills, harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, and beach closures. There are many definitions of drought, with most describing a decline in precipitation having negative impacts on water supply and agriculture. Four general types of drought are recognized: hydrological, agricultural, meteorological, and socio-economic. Indices have been developed for these drought types incorporating data such as rainfall, streamflow, soil moisture, groundwater levels, and snow pack. These indices were developed for upland areas and may not be appropriate for characterizing drought in coastal areas. Because of the uniqueness of drought impacts on coastal ecosystems, a need exists to develop a coastal drought index. The availability of real-time and historical salinity datasets provides an opportunity to develop a salinity-based coastal drought index. The challenge of characterizing salinity dynamics in response to drought is excluding responses attributable to occasional saltwater intrusion events. Our approach to develop a coastal drought index modified the Standardized Precipitation Index and applied it to sites in South Carolina and Georgia, USA. Coastal drought indices characterizing 1-, 3-, 6-, 9-, and12-month drought conditions were developed. Evaluation of the coastal drought index indicates that it can be used for different estuary types, for comparison between estuaries, and as an index for wet conditions (high freshwater inflow) in addition to drought conditions.

A LANDSCAPE DEVELOPMENT INTENSITY MAP OF MARYLAND, USA

EPA Science Inventory

We present a map of human development intensity for central and eastern Maryland using an index derived from energy systems principles. Brown and Vivas developed a measure of the intensity of human development based on the nonrenewable energy use per unit area as an index to exp...

The Role of Inflation and Price Escalation Adjustments in Properly Estimating Program Costs: F-35 Case Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

regression models that yield hedonic price indexes is closely related to standard techniques for developing cost estimating relationships ( CERs ...October 2014). iii analysis) and derives a price index from the coefficients on variables reflecting the year of purchase. In CER development, the...index. The relevant cost metric in both cases is unit recurring flyaway (URF) costs. For the current project, we develop a “Baseline” CER model, taking

The Australian Early Development Index, Who Does It Measure: Piaget or Vygotsky's Child?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agbenyega, Joseph

2009-01-01

Several psychological instruments have been developed and used over the years to measure various domains of child development. The Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) is a current assessment tool being used as a community measure of young children's development. It measures the following domains: Physical health and wellbeing; Social…

Automated Indexing of the Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

PubMed Central

Nuss, Carlo; Chang, Hua Florence; Moore, Dorothy; Fonger, George C.

2003-01-01

The Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB), produced and maintained by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), contains over 4600 records on potentially hazardous chemicals. To enhance information retrieval from HSDB, NLM has undertaken the development of an automated HSDB indexing protocol as part of its Indexing Initiative. The NLM Indexing Initiative investigates methods whereby automated indexing may partially or completely substitute for human indexing. The poster’s purpose is to describe the HSDB Automated Indexing Project. PMID:14728459

PIRIA: a general tool for indexing, search, and retrieval of multimedia content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joint, Magali; Moellic, Pierre-Alain; Hede, P.; Adam, P.

2004-05-01

The Internet is a continuously expanding source of multimedia content and information. There are many products in development to search, retrieve, and understand multimedia content. But most of the current image search/retrieval engines, rely on a image database manually pre-indexed with keywords. Computers are still powerless to understand the semantic meaning of still or animated image content. Piria (Program for the Indexing and Research of Images by Affinity), the search engine we have developed brings this possibility closer to reality. Piria is a novel search engine that uses the query by example method. A user query is submitted to the system, which then returns a list of images ranked by similarity, obtained by a metric distance that operates on every indexed image signature. These indexed images are compared according to several different classifiers, not only Keywords, but also Form, Color and Texture, taking into account geometric transformations and variance like rotation, symmetry, mirroring, etc. Form - Edges extracted by an efficient segmentation algorithm. Color - Histogram, semantic color segmentation and spatial color relationship. Texture - Texture wavelets and local edge patterns. If required, Piria is also able to fuse results from multiple classifiers with a new classification of index categories: Single Indexer Single Call (SISC), Single Indexer Multiple Call (SIMC), Multiple Indexers Single Call (MISC) or Multiple Indexers Multiple Call (MIMC). Commercial and industrial applications will be explored and discussed as well as current and future development.

A LANDSCAPE DEVELOPMENT INTENSITY MAP OF MARYLAND, USA - 4/07

EPA Science Inventory

We present a map of human development intensity for central and eastern Maryland using an index derived from energy systems principles. Brown and Vivas developed a measure of the intensity of human development based on the nonrenewable energy use per unit area as an index to exp...

Uncertainty result of biotic index in analysing the water quality of Cikapundung river catchment area, Bandung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surtikanti, Hertien Koosbandiah

2017-05-01

The Biotic Index was developed in Western Countries in response to the need in water quality evaluation. This method analysis is based on the classification of aquatic macrobenthos as a bioindicator for clean and polluted water. The aim of this study is to compare the analysis of Cikapundung river using 6 different Biotic Indexes. BI Shannon-Weiner, Belgian Biological Index (BBI), Family Biotic Index (FBI), Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP), Biological Monitoring Working Party-Average Score Per Taxon (BMWP-ASPT), and A Scoring System for Macroinvertebrate in Australian River (A SIGNAL). Those analysis are compared with Physical Water Index (CPI) which is developed in Indonesia. The result shows that a decreasing water quality is detected upstream to downstream of Cikapundung River. However, based on the CPI analysis result, the BMWP-ASPT biotic index analysis is more comprehensive than other BI in explaining Cikapundung water quality.

Deterministic binary vectors for efficient automated indexing of MEDLINE/PubMed abstracts.

PubMed

Wahle, Manuel; Widdows, Dominic; Herskovic, Jorge R; Bernstam, Elmer V; Cohen, Trevor

2012-01-01

The need to maintain accessibility of the biomedical literature has led to development of methods to assist human indexers by recommending index terms for newly encountered articles. Given the rapid expansion of this literature, it is essential that these methods be scalable. Document vector representations are commonly used for automated indexing, and Random Indexing (RI) provides the means to generate them efficiently. However, RI is difficult to implement in real-world indexing systems, as (1) efficient nearest-neighbor search requires retaining all document vectors in RAM, and (2) it is necessary to maintain a store of randomly generated term vectors to index future documents. Motivated by these concerns, this paper documents the development and evaluation of a deterministic binary variant of RI. The increased capacity demonstrated by binary vectors has implications for information retrieval, and the elimination of the need to retain term vectors facilitates distributed implementations, enhancing the scalability of RI.

New Concepts in Indexing *

PubMed Central

Shank, Russell

1965-01-01

Recent trends in indexing emphasize mechanical, not intellectual, developments. Mechanized operations have produced indexes in depth (1) of information on limited areas of science or (2) utilizing limited parameters for analysis. These indexes may include only citations or both useful data and citations of source literature. Both keyword-in-context and citation indexing seem to be passing the test of the marketplace. Mechanical equipment has also been successfully used to manipulate EAM cards for production of index copy. Information centers are increasingly being used as control devices in narrowly defined subject areas. Authors meet growing pressures to participate in information control work by preparing abstracts of their own articles. Mechanized image systems persist, although large systems are scarce and the many small systems may bring only limited relief for information control and retrieval problems. Experimentation and limited development continue on theory and technique of automatic indexing and abstracting. PMID:14306025

Deterministic Binary Vectors for Efficient Automated Indexing of MEDLINE/PubMed Abstracts

PubMed Central

Wahle, Manuel; Widdows, Dominic; Herskovic, Jorge R.; Bernstam, Elmer V.; Cohen, Trevor

2012-01-01

The need to maintain accessibility of the biomedical literature has led to development of methods to assist human indexers by recommending index terms for newly encountered articles. Given the rapid expansion of this literature, it is essential that these methods be scalable. Document vector representations are commonly used for automated indexing, and Random Indexing (RI) provides the means to generate them efficiently. However, RI is difficult to implement in real-world indexing systems, as (1) efficient nearest-neighbor search requires retaining all document vectors in RAM, and (2) it is necessary to maintain a store of randomly generated term vectors to index future documents. Motivated by these concerns, this paper documents the development and evaluation of a deterministic binary variant of RI. The increased capacity demonstrated by binary vectors has implications for information retrieval, and the elimination of the need to retain term vectors facilitates distributed implementations, enhancing the scalability of RI. PMID:23304369

A Software Application for Assessing Readability in the Japanese EFL Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozasa, Toshiaki; Weir, George R. S.; Fukui, Masayasu

2010-01-01

We have been engaged in developing a readability index and its application software attuned for Japanese EFL learners. The index program, Ozasa-Fukui Year Level Program, Ver. 1.0, was used in developing the readability metric Ozasa-Fukui Year Level Index but tended to assume a high level of computer knowledge in its users. As a result, the…

Perceptions of Korean Pre-Service Special Educators Regarding Teaching Competencies for Students with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Yu-Ri; Park, Jiyeon; Lee, Suk-Hyang

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to develop a Teaching competency index in special education and to investigate Korean pre-service special educators' (PSSEs') perceptions regarding each item of the index. Based on a review of the literature on exemplary instruction in special education, we developed an index composed of 44 items. The six sub-domains…

The 2009 Foundation for Child Development Child and Youth Well-Being Index (CWI) Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foundation for Child Development, 2009

2009-01-01

The Foundation for Child Development Child and Youth Well-Being Index Project at Duke University issues an annual comprehensive measure of how children are faring in the United States. The Child Well-Being Index (CWI) is based on a composite of 28 "Key Indicators" of wellbeing that are grouped into seven "Quality-of-Life/Well-Being…

A quantitative comparison of Soil Development in four climatic regimes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harden, J.W.; Taylor, E.M.

1983-01-01

A new quantitative Soil Development Index based on field data has been applied to chronosequences formed under different climatic regimes. The four soil chronosequences, developed primarily on sandy deposits, have some numeric age control and are located in xeric-inland (Merced, Calif.), xeric-coastal (Ventura, Calif.), aridic (Las Cruces, N. Mex.), and udic (Susquehanna Valley, Pa.) soil-moisture regimes. To quantify field properties, points are assigned for developmental increases in soil properties in comparison to the parent material. Currently ten soil-field properties are quantified and normalized for each horizon in a given chronosequence, including two new properties for carbonate-rich soils in addition to the eight properties previously defined. When individual properties or the combined indexes are plotted as a function of numeric age, rates of soil development can be compared in different climates. The results demonstrate that (1) the Soil Development Index can be applied to very different soil types, (2) many field properties develop systematically in different climatic regimes, (3) certain properties appear to have similar rates of development in different climates, and (4) the Profile Index that combines different field properties increases significantly with age and appears to develop at similar rates in different climates. The Soil Development Index can serve as a preliminary guide to soil age where other age control is lacking and can be used to correlate deposits of different geographical and climatic regions. ?? 1983.

Developing an infrastructure-informed index for pedestrians and bicyclists.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-01-01

In this report, an infrastructure-informed index is developed for pedestrians and bicyclists to relate the natural and built environment with its impact on perceived travel distance and time. The objective is to develop an easy-to-use metric for use ...

Not Fully Developed Turbulence in the Dow Jones Index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trincado, Estrella; Vindel, Jose María

2013-08-01

The shape of the curves relating the scaling exponents of the structure functions to the order of these functions is shown to distinguish the Dow Jones index from other stock market indices. We conclude from the shape differences that the information-loss rate for the Dow Jones index is reduced at smaller time scales, while it grows for other indices. This anomaly is due to the construction of the index, in particular to its dependence on a single market parameter: price. Prices are subject to turbulence bursts, which act against full development of turbulence.

Human development index, children's health-related quality of life and movement behaviors: a compositional data analysis.

PubMed

Dumuid, Dorothea; Maher, Carol; Lewis, Lucy K; Stanford, Tyman E; Martín Fernández, Josep Antoni; Ratcliffe, Julie; Katzmarzyk, Peter T; Barreira, Tiago V; Chaput, Jean-Philippe; Fogelholm, Mikael; Hu, Gang; Maia, José; Sarmiento, Olga L; Standage, Martyn; Tremblay, Mark S; Tudor-Locke, Catrine; Olds, Timothy

2018-06-01

Health-related quality of life has been related to physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep among children from developed nations. These relationships have rarely been assessed in developing nations, nor have behaviors been considered in their true context, as mutually exclusive and exhaustive parts of the movement behavior composition. This study aimed to explore whether children's health-related quality of life is related to their movement behavior composition and if the relationship differs according to human development index. Children aged 9-11 years (n = 5855), from the 12-nation cross-sectional observational International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment 2011-2013, self-reported their health-related quality of life (KIDSCREEN-10). Daily movement behaviors were from 24-h, 7-day accelerometry. Isometric log-ratio mixed-effect linear models were used to calculate estimates for difference in health-related quality of life for the reallocation of time between daily movement behaviors. Children from countries of higher human development index reported stronger positive relationships between health-related quality of life and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, relative to the remaining behaviors (r = 0.75, p = 0.005) than those from lower human development index countries. In the very high human development index strata alone, health-related quality of life was significantly related to the movement behavior composition (p = 0.005), with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (relative to remaining behaviors) being positively associated with health-related quality of life. The relationship between children's health-related quality of life and their movement behaviors is moderated by their country's human development index. This should be considered when 24-h movement behavior guidelines are developed for children around the world.

Annotated Bibliography of Human Factors Laboratory Reports (1945-1968). Supplement 4, 1979-1983.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-01-01

A complete bibliographic reference and an abstract are given for each publication of the Human Factors Laboratory from 1979 through 1983 including in-house and contractor - developed documents. Three indexes are provided: Index by Source, Author Index , and Subject Matter Index.

Creating a school nutrition environment index and pilot testing it in elementary and middle schools in urban South Korea

PubMed Central

Kwon, Kwang-il; Kweon, Soon Ju; Wang, Youfa; Gittelsohn, Joel

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The role of a school's nutrition environment in explaining students' eating behaviors and weight status has not been examined in an Asian setting. The purpose of this study was to create a school nutrition environment index and to pilot test the index in elementary and middle schools in urban South Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS This study used a mixed-methods approach. Environment assessment tools were developed based on formative research, which comprised literature reviews, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. Key elements from the formative research were included in the assessment tool, which consisted of a structured survey questionnaire for school dietitians. Fifteen school dietitians from 7 elementary and 8 middle schools in Seoul completed the questionnaire. RESULTS The formative research revealed four main sections that guided a summary index to assess a school's nutrition environment: resource availability, education and programs, dietitians' perceptions and characteristics, and school lunch menu. Based on the literature reviews and interviews, an index scoring system was developed. The total possible score from the combined four index sections was 40 points. From the 15 schools participating in the pilot survey, the mean school nutrition-environment index was 22.5 (standard deviation ± 3.2; range 17-28). The majority of the schools did not offer classroom-based nutrition education or nutrition counseling for students and parents. The popular modes of nutrition education were school websites, posters, and newsletters. CONCLUSIONS This paper illustrates the process used to develop an instrument to assess a school's nutrition environment. Moreover, it presents the steps used to develop a scoring system for creation of a school nutrition environment index. As pilot testing indicated the total index score has some variation across schools, we suggest applying this instrument in future studies involving a larger number of schools. Future studies with larger samples will allow investigation of the validity and reliability of this newly developed tool. PMID:28989577

Creating a school nutrition environment index and pilot testing it in elementary and middle schools in urban South Korea.

PubMed

Park, Sohyun; Kwon, Kwang-Il; Kweon, Soon Ju; Wang, Youfa; Gittelsohn, Joel

2017-10-01

The role of a school's nutrition environment in explaining students' eating behaviors and weight status has not been examined in an Asian setting. The purpose of this study was to create a school nutrition environment index and to pilot test the index in elementary and middle schools in urban South Korea. This study used a mixed-methods approach. Environment assessment tools were developed based on formative research, which comprised literature reviews, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. Key elements from the formative research were included in the assessment tool, which consisted of a structured survey questionnaire for school dietitians. Fifteen school dietitians from 7 elementary and 8 middle schools in Seoul completed the questionnaire. The formative research revealed four main sections that guided a summary index to assess a school's nutrition environment: resource availability, education and programs, dietitians' perceptions and characteristics, and school lunch menu. Based on the literature reviews and interviews, an index scoring system was developed. The total possible score from the combined four index sections was 40 points. From the 15 schools participating in the pilot survey, the mean school nutrition-environment index was 22.5 (standard deviation ± 3.2; range 17-28). The majority of the schools did not offer classroom-based nutrition education or nutrition counseling for students and parents. The popular modes of nutrition education were school websites, posters, and newsletters. This paper illustrates the process used to develop an instrument to assess a school's nutrition environment. Moreover, it presents the steps used to develop a scoring system for creation of a school nutrition environment index. As pilot testing indicated the total index score has some variation across schools, we suggest applying this instrument in future studies involving a larger number of schools. Future studies with larger samples will allow investigation of the validity and reliability of this newly developed tool.

Development of Welding Fumes Health Index (WFHI) for Welding Workplace's Safety and Health Assessment.

PubMed

Hariri, Azian; Paiman, Nuur Azreen; Leman, Abdul Mutalib; Md Yusof, Mohammad Zainal

2014-08-01

This study aimed to develop an index that can rank welding workplace that associate well with possible health risk of welders. Welding Fumes Health Index (WFHI) were developed based on data from case studies conducted in Plant 1 and Plant 2. Personal sampling of welding fumes to assess the concentration of metal constituents along with series of lung function tests was conducted. Fifteen metal constituents were investigated in each case study. Index values were derived from aggregation analysis of metal constituent concentration while significant lung functions were recognized through statistical analysis in each plant. The results showed none of the metal constituent concentration was exceeding the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for all plants. However, statistical analysis showed significant mean differences of lung functions between welders and non-welders. The index was then applied to one of the welding industry (Plant 3) for verification purpose. The developed index showed its promising ability to rank welding workplace, according to the multiple constituent concentrations of welding fumes that associates well with lung functions of the investigated welders. There was possibility that some of the metal constituents were below the detection limit leading to '0' value of sub index, thus the multiplicative form of aggregation model was not suitable for analysis. On the other hand, maximum or minimum operator forms suffer from compensation issues and were not considered in this study.

Index-based Crop Insurance for Climate Adaptation in the Developing World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, M. E.; Osgood, D. E.; Carriquiry, M. A.

2011-12-01

Weather has always presented a challenge to small-scale farmers, particularly in regions where poverty and lack of infrastructure has restricted the development of financial instruments to limit risk. New 'index' insurance innovations in agriculture are beginning to enable even the poorest farmers to unlock major productivity gains (e.g. insuring loans for improved seeds). Although index insurance has the potential to greatly improve productivity in developing country agriculture, the principal technical challenge to up-scaling this product is "data poverty," the absence of weather data in low-income areas needed to design robust and affordable insurance products. Earth science, particularly remote sensing, has the potential to ameliorate data poverty. However, raw use of earth science model output leads to non-optimal indexes and many obstacles remain to transform earth science products into insurance solutions. Estimation uncertainty, limited availability of consistent time series, and difficulties of predicting loses based on remote observations are reviewed in this article. The importance of multidisciplinary approaches addressing the needs of stakeholders in simple to understand indexes is highlighted. The successful use of Earth science data to support the index insurance industry in currently poor and isolated communities in the developing world would transform the ability of small farmers to increase yields, household incomes and regional economies, if the growing gap between earth science and index insurance can be closed.

Application of satellite products and hydrological modelling for flood early warning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koriche, Sifan A.; Rientjes, Tom H. M.

2016-06-01

Floods have caused devastating impacts to the environment and society in Awash River Basin, Ethiopia. Since flooding events are frequent, this marks the need to develop tools for flood early warning. In this study, we propose a satellite based flood index to identify the runoff source areas that largely contribute to extreme runoff production and floods in the basin. Satellite based products used for development of the flood index are CMORPH (Climate Prediction Center MORPHing technique: 0.25° by 0.25°, daily) product for calculation of the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) and a Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) digital elevation model (DEM) for calculation of the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI). Other satellite products used in this study are for rainfall-runoff modelling to represent rainfall, potential evapotranspiration, vegetation cover and topography. Results of the study show that assessment of spatial and temporal rainfall variability by satellite products may well serve in flood early warning. Preliminary findings on effectiveness of the flood index developed in this study indicate that the index is well suited for flood early warning. The index combines SPI and TWI, and preliminary results illustrate the spatial distribution of likely runoff source areas that cause floods in flood prone areas.

Evaluation of Catalytic Effects of Chymotrypsin and Cu2+ for Development of UV-Spectroscopic Method for Gelatin-Source Differentiation.

PubMed

Hamizah, Anis; Hammed, Ademola Monsur; Asiyanbi-H, Tawakalit Tope; Mirghani, Mohamed Elwathig Saeed; Jaswir, Irwandi; Ahamad Fadzillah, Nurrulhidayah Binti

2017-01-01

The consumers interest in gelatin authentication is high due to allergic reactions and adoption of Halal and Kosher eating cultures. This research investigated browning development due to enzymatic hydrolysis and presence of Cu 2+ during Maillard reaction of fish, porcine, and bovine gelatin. The rate of browning index samples showed two phases-rapid and slow-for all the gelatin samples and changes in browning index (Δ B index ) were increased (>100%) in presence of Cu 2+ . Δ B index of enzymatic hydrolysates were different among the gelatin species. Fish gelatin hydrolyzate displayed > 400% increase in browning in the first six hours compared to gelatin hydrolyzates from porcine (200%) and bovine (140%). The variation in Δ B index of chymotrypsin digested gelatin in presence of Cu 2+ could be valuable for the development of an efficient UV-spectroscopic method for gelatin differentiation.

Extracting scene feature vectors through modeling, volume 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berry, J. K.; Smith, J. A.

1976-01-01

The remote estimation of the leaf area index of winter wheat at Finney County, Kansas was studied. The procedure developed consists of three activities: (1) field measurements; (2) model simulations; and (3) response classifications. The first activity is designed to identify model input parameters and develop a model evaluation data set. A stochastic plant canopy reflectance model is employed to simulate reflectance in the LANDSAT bands as a function of leaf area index for two phenological stages. An atmospheric model is used to translate these surface reflectances into simulated satellite radiance. A divergence classifier determines the relative similarity between model derived spectral responses and those of areas with unknown leaf area index. The unknown areas are assigned the index associated with the closest model response. This research demonstrated that the SRVC canopy reflectance model is appropriate for wheat scenes and that broad categories of leaf area index can be inferred from the procedure developed.

Physical Fitness Index for Assess Fitness Speed Among Army Reserve Officer Training Unit Cadet in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rustam, Shahrulfadly; Kassim, Mohar

2018-05-01

The aim of this study is to develop physical fitness index (PFI) for physical fitness among Army Reserve Officer Training Unit Cadet Malaysia. This study use 30 meter speed run as a physical fitness test battery to develop physical fitness index (PFI) and to evaluate the subject fitness speed. 212 male respondent (N=212) was selected in this study including Army Reserve Officer Training Unit Cadet of National Defence University of Malaysia. 30 meter sprint was used as a instrument for this study. The methodology will be adopted for this study is quantitative research in the form of a quasi-experiment. Quasi-experimental methods is used to measure and evaluate the level of physical fitness and develop Physical Fitness Index especially in speed. The design of this study is quasi-experimental study design with pre-test and post-test. The study design is quasi-experimental research design in which the data is obtained through the practical test in the field. The data were analysed by using the SPSS software version 20 to calculate the mean, standard deviation and t-test for develop physical fitness index (PFI) and to evaluate the fitness speed level for Army Reserve Officers Training Unit Cadet Malaysia. The findings showed mean and standard deviation for develope physical fitness index is (M=4.84) and (SD=0.48). The t-test for evaluate fitness level in speed for pre-test and post-test is significantly difference (p ≤ 0.05). The implication at this study is that the develope of standard physical fitness index is able to identify the level of physical fitness among Army Reserve Officer Training Unit Cadet Malaysia.

Impact of FIB-4 index on hepatocellular carcinoma incidence during nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B: An analysis using time-dependent receiver operating characteristic.

PubMed

Tada, Toshifumi; Kumada, Takashi; Toyoda, Hidenori; Tsuji, Kunihiko; Hiraoka, Atsushi; Tanaka, Junko

2017-02-01

Nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) therapy has been reported to reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). However, even during NA therapy, development of HCC has been observed in patients with CHB. Therefore, we clarified the predictive power of clinical factors for HCC incidence using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis that takes time dependence into account. A total of 539 patients with CHB treated with NAs were enrolled. Univariate, multivariate, and time-dependent ROC curves for clinical factors associated with the development of HCC were analyzed. Eighty-one patients developed HCC during the follow-up period (median duration, 5.9 years). α-fetoprotein (AFP) and FIB-4 index at 24 weeks from the initiation of treatment and sex were significantly associated with HCC incidence according to the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards models including the covariates of sex, hepatitis B genotype, basal core promoter mutations, AFP at 24 weeks, and FIB-4 index at 24 weeks showed that FIB-4 index >2.65 (HR, 5.03; 95% CI, 3.06-8.26; P < 0.001) and male sex were independently associated with HCC incidence. In addition, time-dependent ROC analysis showed that compared with AFP at 24 weeks, FIB-4 index at 24 weeks had higher predictive power for HCC incidence throughout the follow-up period. Elevated FIB-4 index at 24 weeks in patients with CHB receiving NA therapy is a risk factor for developing HCC. The FIB-4 index is an excellent predictor of HCC development. © 2016 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Louisiana waterthrush and benthic macroinvertebrate response to shale gas development

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wood, Petra; Frantz, Mack W.; Becker, Douglas A.

2016-01-01

Because shale gas development is occurring over large landscapes and consequently is affecting many headwater streams, an understanding of its effects on headwater-stream faunal communities is needed. We examined effects of shale gas development (well pads and associated infrastructure) on Louisiana waterthrush Parkesia motacilla and benthic macroinvertebrate communities in 12 West Virginia headwater streams in 2011. Streams were classed as impacted (n = 6) or unimpacted (n = 6) by shale gas development. We quantified waterthrush demography (nest success, clutch size, number of fledglings, territory density), a waterthrush Habitat Suitability Index, a Rapid Bioassessment Protocol habitat index, and benthic macroinvertebrate metrics including a genus-level stream-quality index for each stream. We compared each benthic metric between impacted and unimpacted streams with a Student's t-test that incorporated adjustments for normalizing data. Impacted streams had lower genus-level stream-quality index scores; lower overall and Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera richness; fewer intolerant taxa, more tolerant taxa, and greater density of 0–3-mm individuals (P ≤ 0.10). We then used Pearson correlation to relate waterthrush metrics to benthic metrics across the 12 streams. Territory density (no. of territories/km of stream) was greater on streams with higher genus-level stream-quality index scores; greater density of all taxa and Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera taxa; and greater biomass. Clutch size was greater on streams with higher genus-level stream-quality index scores. Nest survival analyses (n = 43 nests) completed with Program MARK suggested minimal influence of benthic metrics compared with nest stage and Habitat Suitability Index score. Although our study spanned only one season, our results suggest that shale gas development affected waterthrush and benthic communities in the headwater streams we studied. Thus, these ecological effects of shale gas development warrant closer examination.

Climate change and marine fisheries: Least developed countries top global index of vulnerability

PubMed Central

Blasiak, Robert; Spijkers, Jessica; Tokunaga, Kanae; Pittman, Jeremy; Yagi, Nobuyuki; Österblom, Henrik

2017-01-01

Future impacts of climate change on marine fisheries have the potential to negatively influence a wide range of socio-economic factors, including food security, livelihoods and public health, and even to reshape development trajectories and spark transboundary conflict. Yet there is considerable variability in the vulnerability of countries around the world to these effects. We calculate a vulnerability index of 147 countries by drawing on the most recent data related to the impacts of climate change on marine fisheries. Building on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change framework for vulnerability, we first construct aggregate indices for exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity using 12 primary variables. Seven out of the ten most vulnerable countries on the resulting index are Small Island Developing States, and the top quartile of the index includes countries located in Africa (17), Asia (7), North America and the Caribbean (4) and Oceania (8). More than 87% of least developed countries are found within the top half of the vulnerability index, while the bottom half includes all but one of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development member states. This is primarily due to the tremendous variation in countries’ adaptive capacity, as no such trends are evident from the exposure or sensitivity indices. A negative correlation exists between vulnerability and per capita carbon emissions, and the clustering of states at different levels of development across the vulnerability index suggests growing barriers to meeting global commitments to reducing inequality, promoting human well-being and ensuring sustainable cities and communities. The index provides a useful tool for prioritizing the allocation of climate finance, as well as activities aimed at capacity building and the transfer of marine technology. PMID:28632781