Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

A powerful score-based test statistic for detecting gene-gene co-association
Conclusions: SBS is a powerful and efficient gene-based method for detecting gene-gene co-association. (Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations)
Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations - January 29, 2016 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Jing XuZhongshang YuanJiadong JiXiaoshuai ZhangHongkai LiXuesen WuFuzhong XueYanxun Liu Source Type: research

Signatures of early frailty in the gut microbiota
Conclusions: There was a striking negative association between frailty and gut microbiota diversity, underpinned by specific taxonomic associations. Whether these relationships are causal or consequential is unknown. Nevertheless, they represent targets for diagnostic surveillance, or for intervention studies to improve vitality in ageing. (Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations)
Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations - January 29, 2016 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Matt JacksonIan JefferyMichelle BeaumontJordana BellAndrew ClarkRuth LeyPaul O’TooleTim SpectorClaire Steves Source Type: research

Marker assisted pyramiding of drought yield QTLs into a popular Malaysian rice cultivar, MR219
Conclusion: We successfully developed drought-tolerant MR219 pyramided lines with a yield advantage of more than 1500 kg ha −1 . Differential yield advantages of different combinations of the qDTYs indicate a differential synergistic relationship among qDTYs. This is the first report on the successful effect of qDTYs in increasing the yield under drought in genetic backgrounds other than those in which the qDTYs were earlier identified. (Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations)
Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations - January 27, 2016 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Noraziyah ShamsudinB. SwamyWickneswari RatnamMa. Sta. CruzAnitha RamanArvind Kumar Source Type: research

Impact of metabolic syndrome and its components on heart rate variability during hemodialysis: a cross-sectional study
Conclusions: The impact of FPG(+) outstood the influence of uremic autonomic dysfunction, and FPG criterion was the most important one among all the components of MetS to influence HRV. These results underscored the importance of interpretation and management for abnormal glucose metabolism. (Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations)
Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations - January 27, 2016 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Yu-Ming ChangChih-Chung ShiaoYa-Ting HuangI-Ling ChenChuan-Lan YangShow-Chin LeuHung-Li SuJsun-Liang KaoShih-Ching TsaiRong-Na JhenChing-Cherng UenOn behalf of SMCKD (Saint Mary’s hospital Chronic Kidney Disease) study group Source Type: research

Non-invasive programmed stimulation to identify high-risk patients with implanted cardioverter defibrillator (the NIPS-ICD study): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
DiscussionIt is expected that appropriate ICD interventions during follow-up will occur more often in patients who had sustained ventricular arrhythmias induced during NIPS.Clinical trials registryClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02373306, date of registration: 26 February 2015. (Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations)
Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations - January 27, 2016 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Piotr FutymaMarian FutymaPiotr Kułakowski Source Type: research

Understanding the transmission dynamics of Leishmania donovani to provide robust evidence for interventions to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis in Bihar, India
Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected vector-borne disease. In India, it is transmitted to humans by Leishmania donovani-infected Phlebotomus argentipes sand flies. In 2005, VL was targeted for elimination by the governments of India, Nepal and Bangladesh by 2015. The elimination strategy consists of rapid case detection, treatment of VL cases and vector control using indoor residual spraying (IRS). However, to achieve sustained elimination of VL, an appropriate post elimination surveillance programme should be designed, and crucial knowledge gaps in vector bionomics, human infection and transmission need to be addres...
Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations - January 27, 2016 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Mary CameronAlvaro Acosta-SerranoCaryn BernMarleen BoelaertMargriet den BoerSakib BurzaLloyd ChapmanAlexandra ChaskopoulouMichael ColemanOrin CourtenaySimon CroftPradeep DasErin DilgerGeraldine FosterRajesh GarlapatiLee HainesAngela HarrisJanet HemingwayT Source Type: research

Prevalence of resistant hypertension and associated factors for blood pressure control status with optimal medical therapy using Korean ambulatory blood pressure monitoring registry data
Conclusion: The prevalence itself was 11.9 % by daytime BP and it was significantly higher when using nighttime BP criteria. Control status of daytime BP was misclassified in 31.0 %. Smoking, drinking, coronary artery disease, calcium antagonist, and loop diuretics were associated with nighttime BP control status. (Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations)
Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations - January 27, 2016 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Sung ChoiSoon KimSungha ParkJu KimSang IhmGwang-il KimWoo KimWook PyunYu-Mi KimJinho Shin Source Type: research

Metabolic endotoxaemia in childhood obesity
Background: Childhood obesity is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation considered as a precursor to metabolic disease; however, the underlying mechanisms for this remain unclear. Studies in adults have implicated gut derived gram-negative bacterial fragments known as lipopolysaccharide or endotoxin, activating the inflammatory response, whilst the importance in childhood obesity is unclear. The aim of this research is to understand the relationship between circulating endotoxin in childhood obesity, and its’ association with inflammatory and cardiovascular (CV) injury biomarkers. Methods: Fasted blood was obtain...
Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations - January 27, 2016 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Madhusudhan VarmaChristine KusminskiSahar AzharianLuisa GilardiniSudhesh KumarCecilia InvittiPhilip McTernan Source Type: research

Multi-parallel qPCR provides increased sensitivity and diagnostic breadth for gastrointestinal parasites of humans: field-based inferences on the impact of mass deworming
Background: Although chronic morbidity in humans from soil transmitted helminth (STH) infections can be reduced by anthelmintic treatment, inconsistent diagnostic tools make it difficult to reliably measure the impact of deworming programs and often miss light helminth infections. Methods: Cryopreserved stool samples from 796 people (aged 2–81 years) in four villages in Bungoma County, western Kenya, were assessed using multi-parallel qPCR for 8 parasites and compared to point-of-contact assessments of the same stools by the 2-stool 2-slide Kato-Katz (KK) method. All subjects were treated with albendazole and all Ascaris...
Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations - January 27, 2016 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Alice EastonRita OliveiraElise O’ConnellStella KephaCharles MwandawiroSammy NjengaJimmy KiharaCassian MwateleMaurice OdiereSimon BrookerJoanne WebsterRoy AndersonThomas Nutman Source Type: research

Benchmarking the Wilmer general eye services clinics: baseline metrics for surgical and outpatient clinic volume in an educational environment
Conclusions: Our study suggests that resident-hosted clinics can provide the majority of surgical opportunities for ophthalmology trainees, particulary with regard to cataract cases. However, because our study is the first academic resident practice to publish metrics of the type used in private practices, it is impossible to determine where our clinic stands compared to other training programs. Therefore, the authors strongly encourage ophthalmology training programs to explore and publish practice metrics. This will permit the creation of a benchmarking program that could be used to quantify efforts at enhancing ophthalm...
Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations - January 27, 2016 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Eric SingmanDivya SrikumaranKathy HackettBrian KaplanAlbert JunDerek PreecePradeep Ramulu Source Type: research

Axillary surgery in women with sentinel node-positive operable breast cancer: a systematic review with meta-analyses
Traditionally, women with node-positive operable breast cancer have received complete axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), which is associated with significant morbidity, but recently less invasive alternatives have been explored. We conducted a systematic review of randomised controlled trials assessing alternative approaches to axillary surgery in patients with pathologically-confirmed sentinel node-positive operable breast cancer. We searched on 16/3/15 the Specialized Register of the Cochrane Breast Cancer group; CENTRAL; MEDLINE; PreMEDLINE; EMBASE; WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Portal; ClinicalTrials.g...
Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations - January 27, 2016 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Mia Schmidt-HansenNathan BromhamElise HaslerMalcolm Reed Source Type: research

Post-prandial glucose and insulin responses of hummus alone or combined with a carbohydrate food: a dose–response study
ObjectivesPulses are low glycemic index (GI) foods and have been associated with reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. However the blood glucose and insulin responses of hummus, a food containing chickpea, have not been thoroughly tested. Methods: Ten healthy subjects each consumed 11 breakfast study meals in randomized order over a period of 15 weeks. Hummus was consumed alone at three doses (2.7 g, 10.8 g and 25 g available carbohydrate [avCHO] portions) and with 50 g avCHO from white bread at three doses (2.7 g, 5.4 g and 10.8 g avCHO portions). The responses elicited by hummus alone were compared wi...
Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations - January 27, 2016 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Livia AugustinLaura ChiavaroliJanice CampbellAdish EzataghaAlexandra JenkinsAmin EsfahaniCyril Kendall Source Type: research

Non-medical financial burden in tuberculosis care: a cross-sectional survey in rural China
Non-medical costs induced by seeking tuberculosis care were evaluated using data from cross-sectional survey in China. Results showed that non-medical costs relating to tuberculosis treatment are a serious financial burden for many tuberculosis patients. Image: A figure of lung used in our tuberculosis pamphlet. (Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations)
Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations - January 26, 2016 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Qiang LiWeixi JiangQuanli WangYuan ShenJingyuan GaoKaori SatoQian LongHenry Lucas Source Type: research

Repeatability of echocardiographic parameters to evaluate the hemodynamic relevance of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants: a prospective observational study
Conclusions: The inter-observer repeatability of all echocardiographic parameters was poor compared to that of resistance indices in peripheral vessels. Therefore, interventions for ductal patency should be indicated based on averaged repeated rather than single measurements, especially when measured values are close to their cut-off value - both in clinical routine and for study purposes. (Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations)
Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations - January 26, 2016 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Christoph SchwarzAntonio PreuscheWinfried BadenChristian PoetsAxel Franz Source Type: research

The impact of the Great Recession on mental health and its inequalities: the case of a Southern European region, 1997–2013
Conclusions: The Great Recession is being accompanied by adverse effects on mental health, which cannot be fully explained by the increase of unemployment. Public health professionals should closely monitor the medium and long-term effects of the crisis as these may emerge only many years after the onset of recessions. (Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations)
Source: Epidemiologic Perspectives and Innovations - January 26, 2016 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Amaia BacigalupeSantiago EsnaolaUnai Martín Source Type: research