Epidemiology Commons^™

The Cradle Of The Deltaf508 Mutation, Danish Saleheen, Philippe M Frossard

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common autosomal recessive disorder caused due to mutation/s in the CFTR gene. The most common mutation in CFTR worldwide is deltaF508 and cystic fibrosis genetic analysis consortium revealed that this mutation is responsible for approximately 66% of all CF chromosomes in the world. Studies looking at the DNA polymorphic haplotypes created by CF linked markers suggest that deltaF508 has a single origin as this mutation has been found associated exclusively with one marker haplotype. Despite a high prevalence of this mutation in CF patients in northern parts of Europe, findings suggest that this mutation …

A Concentrated Look At Hiv/Aids: Transmission To Low Risk Women Through Intravenous Drug Users And Female Sex Workers In Da Nang City, Vietnam, Danielle A. Depeau

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Female sex workers (FSW) and intravenous drug users (IDU) whom were living in Da Nang City, Vietnam, along with the women and children associated with these individuals, were interviewed to study the effects of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). In addition, an understanding how the epidemic was spreading from high-risk populations to the general population was explored. This was achieved by learning the history of sexual behaviors in regards to sexual partners and regularity of condom use, as well as drug injection practices, HIV/AIDS education, treatment, gender status and socio-demographic characteristics.

Informal interviews were conducted …

Economics, Epidemics & Eradication: A Case Study Of Malaria In Madagascar, Kathleen Minton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Despite effective techniques for preventing and treating malaria, the malaria burden in Madagascar remains quite high, particularly in rural areas where poor villagers are more isolated from health services, and less likely to be able to afford prevention methods or treatment. In response to this challenge, Madagascar’s government has made malaria eradication a high priority, stating that it hopes to reduce the incidence of malaria from its current level of 1,234,520 to 320,000 by 2012, and to eliminate the disease entirely by 2018. Ultimately, though, it remains to be seen if their efforts will be sufficient to meet these ambitious …

Malaria Vivax Di Kabupaten Nias Selatan, Lambok Siahaan

Kesmas

Diperkirakan sekitar 2,5 milyar manusia hidup di wilayah endemis malaria dengan ± 300 juta kasus dan ± 1 juta kematian yang sebagian besar adalah anak-anak. Di Indonesia, malaria tak pernah tereradikasi dan mengalami pasang surut dari tahun ke tahun. Di Jawa-Bali, API pada tahun 2001 (0,62%) dan 2004 (0,15‰) dan di luar Jawa-Bali, AMI pada tahun 2001 (26,20‰) dan 2004 (21,20‰) terlihat menurun. Kabupaten Nias Selatan merupakan daerah endemis malaria dengan angka Monthly Malaria Incidence (MoMI) pada 2005 (124,24 ‰). Gempa bumi tektonik dan tsunami dan gempa bumi susulan yang terjadi berpengaruh meningkatkan angka insiden. Lingkungan menjadi lebih kondusif bagi …

A Metastasis Or A Second Independent Cancer? Evaluating The Clonal Origin Of Tumors Using Array-Cgh Data, Irina Ostrovnaya, Adam Olshen, Venkatraman E. Seshan, Irene Orlow, D G. Albertson, Colin B. Begg

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Dept. of Epidemiology & Biostatistics Working Paper Series

When a cancer patient develops a new tumor it is necessary to determine if this is a recurrence (metastasis) of the original cancer, or an entirely new occurrence of the disease. This is accomplished by assessing the histo-pathology of the lesions, and it is frequently relatively straightforward. However, there are many clinical scenarios in which this pathological diagnosis is difficult. Since each tumor is characterized by a genetic fingerprint of somatic mutations, a more definitive diagnosis is possible in principle in these difficult clinical scenarios by comparing the fingerprints. In this article we develop and evaluate a statistical strategy for …

Properties Of Monotonic Effects On Directed Acyclic Graphs, Tyler J. Vanderweele, James M. Robins

COBRA Preprint Series

Various relationships are shown hold between monotonic effects and weak monotonic effects and the monotonicity of certain conditional expectations. Counterexamples are provided to show that the results do not hold under less restrictive conditions. Monotonic effects are furthermore used to relate signed edges on a causal directed acyclic graph to qualitative effect modification. The theory is applied to an example concerning the direct effect of smoking on cardiovascular disease controlling for hypercholesterolemia. Monotonicity assumptions are used to construct a test for whether there is a variable that confounds the relationship between the mediator, hypercholesterolemia, and the outcome, cardiovascular disease.

The Relationship Between Perceived Personal Risk Of Getting Prostate Cancer And Prostate-Specific Antigen (Psa) Screening, Yeatoe G. Mcintosh

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Title: The Relationship between Perceived Personal Risk of getting Prostate cancer and Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Screening Yeatoe G. McIntosh, MPH Candidate Advisor: Emmanuel Anum, MBChB, MPH, PHD Preceptor: Emmanuel Anum, MBChB, MPH, PHD Background: Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancer diagnoses in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2008 28,660 deaths would be attributed to prostate cancer, projecting it to be the leading cause of cancer deaths in U.S. men. Despite the potential threat this cancer presents to men and the potential for improved disease outcomes from early detection, guidelines for screening …

Influence Of Prediction Approaches For Spatially-Dependent Air Pollution Exposure On Health Effect Estimation, Sun-Young Kim, Lianne Sheppard, Ho Kim

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Background: Air pollution studies increasingly estimate individual-level exposures from area-based measurements by using exposure prediction methods such as nearest monitor and kriging predictions. However, little is known about the properties of these methods for health effects estimation. This simulation study explores how two common prediction approaches for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) affect relative risk estimates for cardiovascular events in a single geographic area.

Methods: We estimated two sets of parameters to define correlation structures from 2002 PM2.5 data in the Los Angeles (LA) area and selected additional parameters to evaluate different correlation features. For each structure, annual average PM2.5 was …

Nonparametric Regression Using Local Kernel Estimating Equations For Correlated Failure Time Data, Zhangsheng Yu, Xihong Lin

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Methods For Estimating The Causal Effect Of A Treatment In Randomized Clinical Trials Subject To Noncompliance, Rod Little, Qi Long, Xihong Lin

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Semiparametric Maximum Likelihood Estimation In Normal Transformation Models For Bivariate Survival Data, Yi Li, Ross L. Prentice, Xihong Lin

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Partner Communication And Factors Associated With The Decision To Obtain An Hiv Test Among Chinese/Chinese American Community College Students In Northern California, Sang Leng Trieu

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

HIV testing and counseling is considered the cornerstone of a comprehensive approach to HIV prevention and education. Little is known, however, about HIV prevention, including HIV testing rates for Asian Pacific Islander (API) women, because data for this ethnic group is aggregated, thus limiting specific data for Chinese/Chinese American population or other API subgroups. This dissertation research examined factors associated with the decision to obtain an HIV test among Chinese/Chinese American community college women and explored the association among relationship status, partnership communication, and discussions of HIV testing.

Using constructs of the health belief model, an online and paper-pencil, crosssectional …

Doubly Robust Ecological Inference, Daniel B. Rubin, Mark J. Van Der Laan

U.C. Berkeley Division of Biostatistics Working Paper Series

The ecological inference problem is a famous longstanding puzzle that arises in many disciplines. The usual formulation in epidemiology is that we would like to quantify an exposure-disease association by obtaining disease rates among the exposed and unexposed, but only have access to exposure rates and disease rates for several regions. The problem is generally intractable, but can be attacked under the assumptions of King's (1997) extended technique if we can correctly specify a model for a certain conditional distribution. We introduce a procedure that it is a valid approach if either this original model is correct or if we …

Socioeconomic Determinants Of Hiv Status In Kenya, Kimberly Fletcher

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The spread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is one of the greatest threats to stability and development in Kenya. The country's infection rate is estimated between seven and eight percent, making it one of the highest in the world. Several studies have been done that examine subpopulations such as truck drivers, sex workers, and migrants. However, to date there is little research that examines who, across the country, is contracting HIV. Kenya's 2003 Demographic and Health Survey includes data that make it possible to determine which groups have the highest odds of being infected. The question of who is contracting …

Malaria Pasca Tsunami Di Pulau Weh, Lambok Siahaan, Titik Yuniarti

Kesmas

Bencana tsunami melanda Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam pada tanggal 26 Desember 2004, selain meningkatkan kejadian luar biasa (KLB) malaria juga memunculkan daerah-daerah endemis malaria. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mendapatkan prevalensi penderita malaria di Pulau Weh, pasca Tsunami pada akhir 2004. Penelitian dilakukan secara ‘cross sectional’. Diagnostik malaria ditegakkan berdasarkan pemeriksaan apusan darah (mikroskopik). Ditemukan penurunan kasus malaria di Pulau Weh. Prevalensi penderita malaria yang diperoleh adalah 15,3%. Dari semua penderita malaria, 41,4% tanpa gejala klinis demam. Penderita yang tidak mengalami gejala klinis demam tersebut, umumnya mempunyai gejala klinis badan pegal, pusing, gangguan pencernaan dan lemas. Penurunan prevalensi malaria dalam penelitian ini …

Faktor Determinan Aktivitas Kholinesterase Darah Petani Holtikultura Di Kabupaten Majalengka, Dedi Ruhendi

Kesmas

Kholinesterase darah merupakan salah satu indikator keracunan pestisida yang masih menjadi masalah kesehatan masyarakat, khususnya diwilayah pertanian. Pada tahun 2005, di Kabupaten Majalengka, hasil pemeriksaan mendapatkan angka keracunan ringan (21,7%) keracunan sedang (32,5%) dan keracunan berat (3,6%) Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji berbagai faktor determinan aktivitas kholinesterase darah pada petani penyemprot hama tanaman holtikultura. Penelitian yang menggunakan desain potong lintang dengan sumber data sekunder hasil pemeriksaan aktivitas kholinesterase darah yang dilakukan oleh Dinas Kesehatan Kabupaten Majalengka tahun 2007. Variabel dominan yang berhubungan dengan aktivitas kholinesterase menggunakan analisis multivariat adalah riwayat terakhir menyemprot (OR=9,613, 95% CI=2,906 -31,799), memakai Alat Pelindung Diri …

Fighting Nuclear Waste At Skull Valley, Margene Bullcreek

Native American Forum on Nuclear Issues

Abstract:

-Reasons We Oppose Nuclear Waste

-Sovereignty

-Traditional values must be protected

-Protect sacredness of our culture, plants,

animals, air, and water

-Affects on community health

-Protect reservation and homeland

-To protect the air and water

-To protect future generations

-Environmental Justice

Preventing Cardiovascular Disease In Kentucky: Epidemiology, Trends, And Strategies For The Future, Sarah Sartini Rugg, Alison L. Bailey, Steven R. Browning

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States despite dramatic improvements in the treatment of heart disease in recent years. Kentucky leads the nation in the prevalence of several individual risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the prevalence of multiple risk factors, and in cardiovascular mortality. While trends in the prevalence of some of these cardiac risk factors have shown improvement, others have remained unchanged or have worsened. The increased prevalence of obesity and diabetes, especially among young persons, is one of the most worrisome trends. The prevalence of smoking in Kentucky remains high, and has …

An Overview Of Observational Sleep Research With Application To Sleep Stage Transitioning, Brian S. Caffo, B. Swihart, A. Laffan, C. Crainiceanu, N. Punjabi

Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Biostatistics Working Papers

In this manuscript we give an overview of observational sleep research with a particular emphasis on sleep stage transitions. Sleep states represent a categorization of sleep electroencephalogram behavior over the night. We postulate that the rate of transitioning between sleep states is an important predictor of health. This claim is evaluated by comparing subjects with sleep disordered breathing to matched controls.

Targeted Methods For Biomarker Discovery, The Search For A Standard, Catherine Tuglus, Mark J. Van Der Laan

U.C. Berkeley Division of Biostatistics Working Paper Series

More often than not biomarker studies analyze large quantities of variables with complicated and generally unknown correlation structure. There are numerous statistical methods which attempt to unravel these variables and determine the underlying mechanism through identification of causally related biomarkers. Results from these methods are generally difficult to interpret and nearly impossible to compare across studies. The FDA has currently called for a standardization of methods and protocol for biomarker detection. In response, we propose targeted variable importance (tVIM) as a standardized method for biomarker discovery. Through the use of targeted Maximum Likelihood, tVIM provides double robust estimates of variable …

Marginal Structural Models For Partial Exposure Regimes, Stijn Vansteelandt, Karl Mertens, Carl Suetens, Els Goetghebeur

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are ell known to be highly susceptible for nosocomial (i.e. hospital-acquired) infections due to their poor health and many invasive therapeutic treatments. The effects of acquiring such infections in ICU on mortality are however ill understood. Our goal is to quantify these effects using data from the National Surveillance Study of Nosocomial Infections in Intensive Care

Units (Belgium). This is a challenging problem because of the presence of time-dependent confounders (such as exposure to mechanical ventilation)which lie on the causal path from infection to mortality. Standard statistical analyses may be severely misleading in such settings …

Model Selection And Health Effect Estimation In Environmental Epidemiology, Francesca Dominici, Chi Wang, Ciprian Crainiceanu, Giovanni Parmigiani

Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Biostatistics Working Papers

In air pollution epidemiology, improvements in statistical analysis tools can translate into significant scientific advances, because of the unfavorable signal-to-noise ratios, and large correlations between exposures and confounders. Therefore, the use of a novel model selection approach in identifying time windows of exposure to pollutants that lead to adverse health effects is important and welcome. However, previous literature has raised concerns about approaches that select a model based on a given data set, and then estimate health effects in the same data assuming that the chosen model is correct. Problems can be particularly severe when: 1) the sample size is …

Estimation Of Controlled Direct Effects, Sylvie Goetgeluk, Stijn Vansteelandt, Els Goetghebeur

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Foreign-Body Reaction Mimicking Postneurosurgical Infection After Cranioplasty, David Brett-Major, Sean M. Baraniak, Jonathan E. Gilhooly, Rebecca L. Christensen, Gerald T. Grant, Rocco A. Armonda, Anuradha Ganesan

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The case of a 57-year-old woman who suffered a fall is presented. After a polymethyl malacrylate revision cranioplasty, she presented with signs, symptoms, and intraoperative findings consistent with postneurosurgical infection. Dural foreign-body reaction was diagnosed, and parenteral antibiotic therapy was discontinued successfully.

Suicides Among Farmers In Three Southeastern States, 1990-1998, Steven R. Browning, Susan C. Westneat, Robert H. Mcknight

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Several studies have documented higher rates of suicide among farmers in comparison to other occupational groups, both in the U.S. and internationally. The purpose of this study is to describe the epidemiology of farmer suicides in three southeastern states (Kentucky, North Carolina, and South Carolina) during the nine-year period 1990-1998. Electronic death certificate data were obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics. Over the nine-year period, there were 590 deaths related to suicide (E-codes: 950-959) among farmers (occupation codes: 473, 474, 475, 477, and 479) in the states of Kentucky, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The results of this …

A Spatial Sirs Boolean Network Model For The Spread Of H5n1 Avian Influenza Virus Among Poultry Farms, Alexander Kasyanov, Leona Kirkland, Mihaela Teodora Matache

Mathematics Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

To predict the spread of Avian Influenza we propose a synchronous Susceptible-Infected-Recovered-Susceptible (SIRS) Boolean network of poultry farms, using probabilistic Boolean rules. Gravity models from transportation theory are used for the probability of infection of a node in one time step, taking into account farm sizes, distances be- tween farms, and mean distance travelled by birds. Basic reproduction numbers are computed analytically and numerically. The dynamics of the network are analyzed and various statistics considered such as number of infected nodes or time until eradication of the epidemic. We conclude that mostly when large farms (eventually) become infected the epidemic …

Assessment Of Seminary Education On End Of Life Issues, Stefan Hakon Pomrenke

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The US health care system faces increased costs from end of life (EOL) care. The intensive approach to EOL treatment with greater use of procedures in ICUs has led to decedent spending six times greater than that of survivors in the hospital. Experts in ICU and Palliative care fields have called for greater utilization of end of life planning and education. To date, EOL education has been dominated by the technologically driven medical field and the church has been under-utilized. The US population relies on clergy support for many mental health and EOL issues. Clergy report feeling uncomfortable in …

Prognostic Factors Of Varying Treatment Outcomes For Onychomycosis (Nail Fungal Infection) Patients, Bin Cai

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prevalence of onychomycosis, as high as 26.9% in the general population, can be reduced by improving current antifungal treatment. This could be accomplished by understanding prognostic factors, especially healthy nail growth, associated with achieving complete cure. This population-based study aimed to evaluate if healthy nail length or percentage of total full nail length as healthy can be early indictors for complete cure. Logistics regression analyses were performed by comparing variables between a population who achieved the complete cure and a population who failed after both populations received the same antifungal treatment in two large randomized double-blinded clinical trials that assessed …

Faktor Risiko Tuberculosis Paru Di Kabupaten Rejang Lebong, Demsa Simbolon

Kesmas

Di Kabupaten Rejang Lebong, sejak tahun 1995 telah dilaksanakan kegiatan pemberantasan TB Paru dengan strategi DOTS, tetapi penderita baru tetap di temukan dan memperlihatkan trend yang meningkat dari tahun ke tahun. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui faktor risiko yang berhubungan dengan kejadian TB paru BTA (+) di Kabupaten Rejang Lebong. Desain penelitian yang digunakan adalah disain kasus kontrol. Kelompok kasus adalah penderita TB Paru BTA (+) berumur >15 tahun yang berobat pada Oktober 2005 sampai Mei 2006. Kontrol adalah tetangga kasus yang tidak mempunyai tanda-tanda gejala klinis TB paru dengan golongan umur >15 tahun. Jumlah sampel sebanyak 50 kasus dan …

Ketahanan Hidup Setahun Pasien Stroke Di Rs Cipto Mangunkusumo Jakarta, Sri Mulyani

Kesmas

Di Indonesia, penyebab utama kematian di rumah sakit adalah stroke. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui ketahanan hidup 1 tahun pasien stroke yang dirawat di RS Cipto Mangunkusumo Jakarta tahun 2003 dan faktor yang mempengaruhinya. Rancangan penelitian ini adalah kohort retrospektif. Sampelnya adalah total populasi, yaitu 275 pasien yang didiagnosa mengalami serangan stroke pertama dan dirawat di RS Cipto Mangunkusumo Jakarta, yang masuk tanggal 1 Januari sampai 31 Desember 2003. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa probabilitas ketahanan hidup pasien stroke berbeda beda, tergantung pada tipe stroke, ruang rawat, dan penyakit jantung. Masing-masing probabilitas ketahanan hidup setahun pasien stroke adalah sebagai berikut: 63,7% …