Determinantes del estado de vacunación infantil: abordando la brecha de equidad en República Dominicana-2019 / Determinants of childhood immunization status: addressing the equity gap in the Dominican Republic­2019

Introducción: Las desigualdades amenazan el progreso del país hacia la equidad y la cobertura de vacunación infantil. Siendo la cobertura inferior a la meta del 90% de la Organización Mundial de la Salud. Objetivo: Identificar los determinantes sociales y las desigualdades en el estado de vacunación infantil en República Dominicana, 2019. Métodos: Se realiza un análisis basado en la Encuesta de Indicadores Múltiples por Conglomerados. Incluyendo una muestra ponderada de 1674 niños de 12-23 meses. Se calcula la regresión logística multinomial para identificar factores asociados a la vacunación. Adoptando p<0,05 para significación estadística. Utilizando una razón de probabilidades ajustada con intervalo de confianza del 95%. Empleando HEAT 4.0 para medir desigualdades y SPSS.23 para gestión y análisis de datos. Resultados: La edad media de los niños fue 17,4±3,5 meses. El 33% de ellos estaban completamente vacunados. La cobertura fue significativamente menor entre hijos de madre sin educación [AOR= 7,27; IC95%= 2,98­17,74]. La mayor cobertura se concentra en niños con altos niveles de educación y riqueza. Conclusión: Para lograr una cobertura de vacunación completa y equitativa, las intervenciones de salud pública deben diseñarse para satisfacer las necesidades de grupos de alto riesgo.

Introduction: In the Dominican Republic, inequalities threaten progress towards childhood vaccination equity and coverage, the latter being inferior to the World Health Organization's 90% goal. Objective: Identify the social determinants and inequalities in the state of childhood vaccination in the Dominican Republic, 2019. Methods: An analysis based on the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys is conducted. Including a weighted sample of 1674 children aged 12-23 months. The multinomial logistic regression is calculated to identify factors associated with vaccination. Using p<0,05 for statistical significance and an adjusted probability ratio with a 95% confidence interval. Employing HEAT 4.0 to measure inequalities and SPSS.23 for data management and analysis. Results: The children's mean age was 17,4±3,5 months. 33% of them were completely vaccinated. Coverage was significantly lower in children of mothers without education [AOR= 7,27; CI95%= 2,98­17,74]. Coverage was the highest in kids with high levels of education and wealth. Conclusion: To achieve complete and equitable vaccine coverage, public health interventions should be designed to satisfy the needs of high-risk groups.

Social support network, functional capacity and mental health in older adults / Rede de suporte social, capacidade funcional e saúde mental em pessoas idosas / Red de apoyo social, capacidad funcional y salud mental en personas mayores

This study aimed to describe the characteristics of the social networks of older adults and to assess associations between social support, functional capacity and mental health. The sample consisted of 134 community-dwelling older adults, assessed in terms of their social network through the Minimum Map of Older Adult Relationships; functional capacity for performance in activities of daily living; depressive symptoms, assessed through the Geriatric Depression Scale and; anxiety, assessed through the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Cluster analyses were performed. The social network was characterized by being informal, functioning as affective support that occurs through visits. Social support perceived as insufficient was more frequent in men, in those who were dependent regarding instrumental activities of daily living, and in those with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Reduced social support networks and lack of support were associated with limitations in functional capacity and worse mental health, sparking debate about the centrality of the family in the provision of support.(AU)

Este estudo objetivou descrever as características da rede social de pessoas idosas e avaliar associações entre apoio social, capacidade funcional e saúde mental. A amostra foi composta por 134 idosos comunitários, avaliados quanto à rede social pelo Mapa Mínimo das Relações do Idoso; capacidade funcional pelo desempenho em atividades de vida diária; sintomas depressivos, avaliados pela Escala de Depressão Geriátrica e; ansiedade, avaliada pelo Inventário de Ansiedade de Beck. Foram realizadas análises de conglomerados. A rede social caracterizou-se por ser informal, funcionando como suporte afetivo que ocorre por meio de visitas. O apoio social percebido como insuficiente foi mais frequente no sexo masculino, entre idosos dependentes em atividades instrumentais de vida diária, com ansiedade e sintomas depressivos. Redes de suporte social reduzidas e com baixo apoio estão associadas com limitações na capacidade funcional e pior saúde mental, colocando em debate a centralidade da família na provisão de suporte.(AU)

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo describir las características de la red social de personas mayores y evaluar las asociaciones entre el apoyo social, la capacidad funcional y la salud mental. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 134 ancianos comunitarios, quienes fueron evaluados en cuanto a su red social mediante el Mapa Mínimo de Relaciones del Anciano; su capacidad funcional en las actividades de la vida diaria; los síntomas depresivos mediante la Escala de Depresión Geriátrica; y la ansiedad a través del Inventario de Ansiedad de Beck. Se realizaron análisis de conglomerados. La red social se caracterizó por ser informal, funcionando como apoyo afectivo que se manifiesta a través de visitas. El apoyo social percibido como insuficiente fue más frecuente en el sexo masculino, entre los ancianos dependientes en actividades instrumentales de la vida diaria, y aquellos con síntomas de ansiedad y depresión. Las redes de apoyo social reducidas y con bajo apoyo se asocian con limitaciones en la capacidad funcional y un peor estado de salud mental, lo que plantea el debate sobre el papel central de la familia en la provisión de apoyo.(AU)

Cluster de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis e multimorbidade em trabalhadores da atençãoprimária à saúde / Cluster of chronic non-communicable diseases and multimorbidity in primary healthcare workers

Objetivo: Investigar a agregação das DCNT e a sua associação com as características sociodemográficas e os aspectos ocupacionais dos trabalhadores da APS. Métodos: Tratou-se de um estudo epidemiológico transversal que analisou os dados parciais de uma coorte retrospectiva realizada em Vitória da Conquista (BA) e em São Geraldo da Piedade (MG) no mês de janeiro de 2022 com 105 trabalhadores da Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF), que preencheram um questionário eletrônico específico autoaplicável. As variáveis analisadas foram: sociodemográficas, caracterização do trabalho, presença de DCNT e de multimorbidade. Foram aplicados os seguintes procedimentos estatísticos: análise descritiva, análise de cluster, teste de qui-quadrado de Pearson e regressão logística binária. Resultados:As cinco DCNT mais prevalentes foram a rinite/sinusite (30,5%), a cefaleia/enxaqueca (26,7%), o colesterol alto (26,7%), a gastrite (19,0%) e a hipertensão arterial sistêmica (19,0%). A prevalência de multimorbidade foi de 26,7% e foram encontradas 11 combinações de cluster (34,4%), sendo o maior escore na combinação das cinco doenças mais prevalentes. Foi identificada a associação entre a presença de multimorbidade e o sexo, sendo a prevalência 24% menor entre os homens, e com a escolaridade, sendo a prevalência 26% maior nos indivíduos que não possuem ensino superior. Conclusão: Foram identificadas associações entre a presença de multimorbidade e o sexo feminino, e indivíduos que não concluíram o ensino superior. Observou-se, ainda, uma associação simultânea das cinco principais DCNT deste estudo com o nível de escolaridade (AU).

Objectives: Investigate the aggregation of NCDs and their association with sociodemographic characteristics and occupational aspects in primary healthcare workers. Methods: A cross-sectional study analyzed partial data from a cohort profile conducted in Vitória da Conquista (BA) and in São Geraldo da Piedade (MG) in January 2022 with 105 workers of "Estratégia de Saúde da Família (ESF)" who answered a self-report electronic questionnaire. The variables of this research were: sociodemographic characteristics, job aspects, and the presence of NCDs and multimorbidity. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, chi-square test, and binary logistic regression. Results: The five NCDs more prevalent were: rhinitis/sinusitis (30,5%), headache/migraine (26,7%), hypercholesterolemia (26,7%), gastritis (19,0%), and hypertension (19,0%). The prevalence of multimorbidity was 26,7%, and 11 cluster combinations were found (34,4%) since the higher score was identified in the aggregation of the five more prevalent diseases. There was an association between the presence of multimorbidity and the sex (the prevalence is 24% smaller for men) and between the presence of multimorbidity and the level of education (the prevalence is 26% higher in people without a college degree). Conclusion: The prevalence of multimorbidity was associated with the female sex and with people without a college degree. Furthermore, an association was observed between the five more prevalent NCDs in this study and the level of education (AU).

Spatial clustering analysis of scarlet fever incidence in China from 2016 to 2020 / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the incidence trend and spatial clustering characteristics of scarlet fever in China from 2016 to 2020 to provide evidence for development of regional disease prevention and control strategies.@*METHODS@#The incidence data of scarlet fever in 31 provinces and municipalities in mainland China from 2016 to 2020 were obtained from the Chinese Health Statistics Yearbook and the Public Health Science Data Center led by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.The three-dimensional spatial trend map of scarlet fever incidence in China was drawn using ArcGIS to determine the regional trend of scarlet fever incidence.GeoDa spatial autocorrelation analysis was used to explore the spatial aggregation of scarlet fever in China in recent years.@*RESULTS@#From 2016 to 2020, a total of 310 816 cases of scarlet fever were reported in 31 provinces, municipalities directly under the central government and autonomous regions, with an average annual incidence of 4.48/100 000.The reported incidence decreased from 4.32/100 000 in 2016 to 1.18/100 000 in 2020(Z=103.47, P < 0.001).The incidence of scarlet fever in China showed an obvious regional clustering from 2016 to 2019(Moran's I>0, P < 0.05), but was randomly distributed in 2020(Moran's I>0, P=0.16).The incidence of scarlet fever showed a U-shaped distribution in eastern and western regions of China, and increased gradually from the southern to northern regions.Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Hebei and Gansu provinces had the High-high (H-H) clusters of scarlet fever in China.@*CONCLUSION@#Scarlet fever still has a high incidence in China with an obvious spatial clustering.For the northern regions of China with H-H clusters of scarlet fever, the allocation of health resources and public health education dynamics should be strengthened, and local scarlet fever prevention and control policies should be made to contain the hotspots of scarlet fever.

Spatial distribution of cognitive dysfunction and its risk factors in Chinese population aged 45 years and above / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the spatial distribution of the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction and its risk factors in Chinese population aged 45 years and above to provide evidence for formulating regional prevention and control strategies.@*METHODS@#The study subjects with complete cognitive function data were selected from the follow-up data of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) Phase IV. ArcGis 10.4 software was used for spatial analysis of the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction in the population aged 45 years and above for each province based on the geographic information system (GIS) technology.@*RESULTS@#In 2018, the overall prevalence of cognitive dysfunction was 33.59% (5951/17716) in individuals aged 45 and above in China. Global spatial autocorrelation analysis indicated a spatial clustering and a positive autocorrelation (P < 0.001) of the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction in the study subjects, with a Moran's I value of 0.333085. The results of local spatial autocorrelation analysis showed that the southwestern region of China was the main aggregation area of patients with cognitive dysfunction. Geographically weighted regression analysis suggested that a male gender, an advanced age, and illiteracy were the major risk factors for cognitive dysfunction (P < 0.05). These 3 risk factors showed a spatial distribution heterogeneity with greater impact in the northern, western, and northwestern regions of China, respectively.@*CONCLUSION@#The prevalence of cognitive dysfunction is relatively high in individuals aged 45 years and above in China. A male gender, an advanced age, and illiteracy are the major risk factors for cognitive dysfunction and show different spatial distribution patterns, with the northern, western and northwestern regions of China as the key areas for prevention and control, where the prevention and control measures should be designed based on local conditions.

Epidemiological characteristics and spatio-temporal distribution of pulmonary tuberculosis cases reported in students from Guizhou Province, 2011-2020 / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To analyze the trend of epidemiological characteristics and spatiotemporal distribution of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) among smear-positive or other types of students in Guizhou Province from 2011 to 2020, and to provide a reference for improving prevention and control measures. Methods: Data were collected from the Chinese Information System's Notifiable Disease and Tuberculosis Management Information System for disease control and prevention, the Joinpoint 4.9.1.0 software was used to analyze the trend of registration rate; the ArcGIS 10.6 software was used to construct a ring map and to perform spatial autocorrelation analysis; the SaTScan 9.7 software was used for spatial-temporal scan statistics. Results: A total of 32 682 student PTB cases were reported in Guizhou Province from 2011 to 2020, including 5 949 (18.20%) smear-positive cases. Most cases occurred from high school students of 16 to 18 years old (43.99%, 14 376/32 682); the annual average registered rate was 36.22/100 000, the highest in 2018 (52.90/100 000), and the registration rate showed an increasing trend. Meanwhile, a similar trend of registration rate was observed among smear-positive or other types of students. The spatialtemporal heterogeneity was found that the "high-high" clustering patterns of smear-positive or other types were aggregated in Bijie City. Six spatialtemporal clusters with statistically significant (all P<0.001) were detected among smear-positive or other cases, respectively. Conclusions: Upward trend with spatial- temporal clusters of PTB cases reported in students from Guizhou Province from 2011 to 2020. Surveillance should be strengthened for high school students, and regular screening should be conducted in high-risk areas to control the source of infection and reduce the risk of transmission.

Spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of seasonal A(H3N2) influenza in China, 2014-2019 / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To analyze the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of seasonal A(H3N2) influenza [influenza A(H3N2)] in China and to provide a reference for scientific prevention and control. Methods: The influenza A(H3N2) surveillance data in 2014-2019 was derived from China Influenza Surveillance Information System. A line chart described the epidemic trend analyzed and plotted. Spatial autocorrelation analysis was conducted using ArcGIS 10.7, and spatiotemporal scanning analysis was conducted using SaTScan 10.1. Results: A total of 2 603 209 influenza-like case sample specimens were detected from March 31, 2014, to March 31, 2019, and the influenza A(H3N2) positive rate was 5.96%(155 259/2 603 209). The positive rate of influenza A(H3N2) was statistically significant in the north and southern provinces in each surveillance year (all P<0.05). The high incidence seasons of influenza A (H3N2) were in winter in northern provinces and summer or winter in southern provinces. Influenza A (H3N2) clustered in 31 provinces in 2014-2015 and 2016-2017. High-high clusters were distributed in eight provinces, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in 2014-2015, and high-high clusters were distributed in five provinces including Shanxi, Shandong, Henan, Anhui, and Shanghai in 2016-2017. Spatiotemporal scanning analysis from 2014 to 2019 showed that Shandong and its surrounding twelve provinces clustered from November 2016 to February 2017 (RR=3.59, LLR=9 875.74, P<0.001). Conclusion: Influenza A (H3N2) has high incidence seasons with northern provinces in winter and southern provinces in summer or winter and obvious spatial and temporal clustering characteristics in China from 2014-2019.

Resting-state electroencephalogram relevance state recognition of Parkinson's disease based on dynamic weighted symbolic mutual information and k-means clustering / 生物医学工程学杂志

At present, the incidence of Parkinson's disease (PD) is gradually increasing. This seriously affects the quality of life of patients, and the burden of diagnosis and treatment is increasing. However, the disease is difficult to intervene in early stage as early monitoring means are limited. Aiming to find an effective biomarker of PD, this work extracted correlation between each pair of electroencephalogram (EEG) channels for each frequency band using weighted symbolic mutual information and k-means clustering. The results showed that State1 of Beta frequency band ( P = 0.034) and State5 of Gamma frequency band ( P = 0.010) could be used to differentiate health controls and off-medication Parkinson's disease patients. These findings indicated that there were significant differences in the resting channel-wise correlation states between PD patients and healthy subjects. However, no significant differences were found between PD-on and PD-off patients, and between PD-on patients and healthy controls. This may provide a clinical diagnosis reference for Parkinson's disease.

Simultaneous determination of eleven volatile components in Cinnamomi Oleum by GC-MS / 中国中药杂志

A gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry(GC-MS) method was established for the simultaneous determination of eleven volatile components in Cinnamomi Oleum and the chemical pattern recognition was utilized to evaluate the quality of essential oil obtained from Cinnamomi Fructus medicinal materials in various habitats. The Cinnamomi Fructus medicinal materials were treated by water distillation, analyzed using GC-MS, and detected by selective ion monitoring(SIM), and the internal standards were used for quantification. The content results of Cinnamomi Oleum from various batches were analyzed by hierarchical clustering analysis(HCA), principal component analysis(PCA), and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) for the statistic analysis. Eleven components showed good linear relationships within their respective concentration ranges(R~2>0.999 7), with average recoveries of 92.41%-102.1% and RSD of 1.2%-3.2%(n=6). The samples were classified into three categories by HCA and PCA, and 2-nonanone was screened as a marker of variability between batches in combination with OPLS-DA. This method is specific, sensitive, simple, and accurate, and the screened components can be utilized as a basis for the quality control of Cinnamomi Oleum.

Analysis of the epidemiological characteristics of scarlet fever in Yantai City, Shandong Province from 2015 to 2019 / 中华预防医学杂志

From 2015 to 2019, the annual average incidence rate of scarlet fever was 7.80/100 000 in Yantai City, which showed an increasing trend since 2017 (χ2trend=233.59, P<0.001). The peak period of this disease was from April to July and November to January of the next year. The ratio of male to female was 1.49∶1, with a higher prevalence among cases aged 3 to 9 years (2 357/2 552, 92.36%). Children in kindergartens, primary and middle school students, and scattered children were the high risk population, with the incidence rate of 159.86/100 000, 25.57/100 000 and 26.77/100 000, respectively. The global spatial auto-correlation analysis showed that the global Moran's I index of the reported incidence rate of scarlet fever in Yantai from 2015 to 2019 was 0.28, 0.29, 0.44, 0.48, and 0.22, respectively (all P values<0.05), suggesting that the incidence rate of scarlet fever in Yantai from 2015 to 2019 was spatial clustering. The local spatial auto-correlation analysis showed that the "high-high" clustering areas were mainly located in Laizhou City, Zhifu District, Haiyang City, Fushan District and Kaifa District, while the "low-high" clustering areas were mainly located in Haiyang City and Fushan District.

Padrões espaciais e caracterização epidemiológica dos suicídios na microrregião de Chapecó, Santa Catarina: estudo ecológico, 1996-2018 / Patrones espaciales y caracterización epidemiológica de los suicidios en la micro-región de Chapecó, Santa Catarina, Brasil: estudio ecológico, 1996-2018 / Spatial patterns and epidemiological characterization of suicides in the Chapecó micro-region, Santa Catarina, Brazil: an ecological study, 1996-2018

Objective: to identify spatial clusters of suicide and its epidemiological characteristics in the Chapecó (SC) micro-region from 1996 to 2018. Methods: this was an exploratory ecological study, using data from the Mortality Information System; specific suicide rates and relative risks (RR) were calculated with a 95% confidence interval (95%CI); the scan statistic was used for spatial analysis. Results: there were 1,034 suicides (13.7/100,000 inhabitants), with a male/female ratio of 3.79; the ≥ 60 age group was at higher risk for both sexes; a high risk cluster was found in the southwest region (RR = 1.57) and a low risk cluster in the southeast region, including Chapecó itself (RR = 0.68); risk of suicide among widowed (RR = 3.05; 95%CI 1.99;4.67), separated (RR = 2.48; 95%CI 1.44;4.27), and married (RR = 1.97; 95%CI 1.54;2.51) people was higher than among single people. The main methods were hanging (81.2%) and firearms (9.7%). Conclusion: there was a higher risk of suicide in the elderly, male and widowed people. Hanging was the most frequent method and risk clustering was found in the southwest.

Objetivo: identificar agregados espaciales de suicidio y el perfil epidemiológico en la microrregión de Chapecó (SC), 1996-2018. Métodos: estudio ecológico exploratorio, con datos del Sistema de Información de Mortalidad. Fueron calculadas tasas específicas de suicidio y riesgos relativos (RR) con intervalo de confianza 95% (IC95%). Para el análisis espacial se utilizó la estadística scan. Resultados: hubo 1.034 suicidios (13,7/100.000 habitantes), razón sexo masculino/femenino de 3,79. El grupo de ≥ 60 años presentó mayor riesgo para ambos sexos. Se observó un agregado de alto riesgo en la región suroeste (RR = 1,57) y un agregado de menor riesgo en el sureste (RR = 0,68). El riesgo de suicidio entre viudos (RR = 3.05; IC95% 1,99;4,67), separados (RR = 2.48; IC95% 1,44;4,27) y casados (RR = 1.97; IC95% 1,54;2,51) fueron mayores que entre solteros. El principal medio fue el ahorcamiento (81,2%), seguido de las armas de fuego (9,7%). Conclusión: hubo mayor riesgo de suicidio en ancianos, sexo masculino y viudos. Ahorcamiento fue el método más frecuente y se observó agrupación de riesgos hacia el Suroeste.

Objetivo: identificar conglomerados espaciais do suicídio e características epidemiológicas na microrregião de Chapecó, SC, Brasil, 1996-2018. Métodos: estudo ecológico exploratório, com dados do Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade; foram calculadas taxas específicas de suicídio, e riscos relativos (RR) com intervalo de confiança de 95% (IC95%); na análise espacial, utilizou-se estatística scan. Resultados: 1.034 suicídios (13,7/100 mil habitantes), a razão sexo masculino/feminino de 3,79; a idade ≥ 60 anos apresentou maior risco para ambos os sexos; observou-se um conglomerado de alto risco na região sudoeste (RR = 1,57) e um de menor risco a sudeste, incluindo Chapecó (RR = 0,68); risco de suicídio entre viúvos (RR = 3,05; IC95% 1,99;4,67), separados (RR = 2,48; IC95% 1,44;4,27) e casados (RR = 1,97; IC95% 1,54;2,51) maior que entre solteiros; principal método, enforcamento (81,2%), seguido por uso de arma de fogo (9,7%). Conclusão: maior risco de suicídio para idosos, sexo masculino e viúvos; enforcamento foi mais frequente; conglomerado de risco a sudoeste.

Tuberculosis en la frontera colombo-venezolana: distribución geoespacial / Tuberculosis in the colombian-venezuelan border: geospatial distribution

RESUMEN La distribución geoespacial de la morbilidad por tuberculosis (TB) pulmonar y extrapulmonar en el municipio de Cúcuta en los años 2019 y 2020 se describió utilizando el método de Kulldorff usando la ubicación geográfica y la fecha de reporte de los casos incidentes de TB. La unidad de análisis fue el evento reportado al Sistema Nacional de Vigilancia Epidemiológica (SIVIGILA). Se identificaron 392 barrios distribuidos en diez comunas, donde se ubicaron 607 casos. En la distribución de la TB pulmonar, la comuna norte fue la que más casos reportó, siendo el barrio El Salado el más afectado de manera repetitiva. Los casos incidentes de TB extrapulmonar no mostraron patrones de repetición en la distribución entre las unidades espaciales y temporales. Se debe priorizar la región occidental dentro de las estrategias de mitigación y control de la propagación de la infección pulmonar del territorio.

ABSTRACT The geospatial distribution of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) morbidity in the municipality of Cúcuta in 2019 and 2020 was described by the Kulldorff method using the geographic location and reporting date of incident TB cases. The unit of analysis was the event reported to the National Epidemiological Surveillance System (SIVIGILA). A total of 607 cases were identified in 392 neighborhoods distributed in ten communes. Most cases of pulmonary TB were reported in the northern commune, with the El Salado neighborhood being the most affected repeatedly. Incident cases of extrapulmonary TB did not show patterns of repetition in the distribution between spatial and temporal units. Strategies to mitigate and control the spread of pulmonary infection should prioritize the western region.

A fresh look at the concept of Genus Epidemicus: findings from the Clificol Project

The Clificol® COVID-19 Support Project is an innovative international data collection project aimed at tackling some of the core questions in homeopathy, including the notion of Genus Epidemicus. Aims:To shed some light on the notion of Genus Epidemicus in the context of this infection. Going beyond that, the project aims to use these data to tackle more fundamental questions, such as the role of symptoms and rubrics in treatment individualisation. Methodology:This online multi-national data-collection project is supported by the ECH, ECCH, ICH, HRI, LMHI, and other professional associations. The collected data includes demographic information, severity, conventional diagnosis and treatment, presenting symptoms as well as the remedies prescribed. The outcome of treatment was tracked using the ORIDL scale. The concept of Genus Epidemicus, including the role of treatment individualisation, was investigated by analysing whether presenting symptoms cluster into distinct groups (K-Means clustering approach). The symptom data originating from China was obtained using a questionnaire. Results and discussion: 20 Chinese practioners collected 359 cases, primarily in the first half of 2020 (766 consultations, 363 prescriptions). The cluster analysis found two to be the optimum number of clusters. These two symptomatic clusters had a high overlap with the two most commonly prescribed remedies in that population: In cluster 1 there were 297 prescriptions, 95.6% of which were Gelsemium sempervirens, incluster 2, there were 61 prescriptions, 95.1% of which were Bryonia alba. Under the assumption of a single genus epidemicuswe would expect to see a single cluster of symptoms. The data from the Chinese population were not compatible with this assumption. Conclusion:This was the first study that investigated the notion of Genus Epidemicus by using modern statistical techniques. These analyses identified at least two distinct symptom pictures. The notion of a single COVID-19 Genus Epidemicus did not apply to this population.

Metodologias de identificação de padrões alimentares a posteriori em adultos: uma revisão integrativa / Methods of a posteriori identification of food patterns in adults: an integrativereview / Métodos de identificación posteriori de patrones alimentarios en adultos: una revisión integradora

Introdução:São poucos os estudos que identificaram os padrões alimentares em adultos sem patologias associadas utilizando metodologias de abordagem a posteriori, o que representa um grande e importante campo de pesquisa na epidemiologia nutricional a ser explorado para melhor entender o hábito alimentar das diferentes populações no mundo e suas relações com demais fatores.Objetivo:Analisar as metodologias deidentificação dos padrões alimentares em adultos saudáveis que utilizaram a abordagem a posteriori.Metodologia:Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa. Foram incluídos somente artigos originais publicados em português ou inglês que identificaram padrão alimentar de adultos saudáveis por meio de abordagem a posteriori, de 2013 a 2018. Os artigos foram selecionados por meio de busca em 4 bases de dados, sendo resgatadas 328 publicações.Resultados:Apenas 9 artigos identificaram padrões alimentares por meio de abordagem a posteriori em adultos, sendo 7 do tipo transversal e 2 longitudinal.O método de abordagem exploratória mais utilizado foi a análise fatorial, abordada em sete estudos. Um artigo utilizou o método de análise de agrupamento, enquanto outros dois utilizaram o método RRR, sendo um deles associado ao método ACP. Conclusões:As metodologias de avaliação do padrão alimentar possuem limitações, o que torna absolutamente importante que os estudos sejam bem delineados, com escolha de inquéritos alimentares mais convenientes, tamanho e seleção da amostra relevantes e testes estatísticos que orientem as decisões do pesquisador da melhor forma possível, para que os resultados retratem padrões e agrupamentos bem fidedignos (AU).

Introduction:There are few studies that have identified dietary patterns in adults without associated pathologies using a posteriori approach methodologies, which represents a large and important field of research in nutritional epidemiology to be explored to better understand the eating habits of different populations in the world and their relationships with other factors. Objective:To analyze the methodologies for identifying dietary patterns in healthy adults who used the a posteriori approach. Methodology:This is an integrative review. Only original articles published in Portuguese or English that identified the dietary pattern of healthy adults through an a posteriori approach, from 2013 to 2018, were included. Results:Only 9 articles identified eating patterns through a posteriori approach in adults, 7 of which were transverse and 2 were longitudinal.The most used exploratory approach method was factor analysis, addressed in seven studies. One article used the cluster analysis method, while two others used the RRR method, one of them associated with the ACP method. Conclusions:The dietary pattern assessment methodologies have limitations, which makes it absolutely important that the studies are well designed, with the choice of more convenient food surveys, relevant sample size and selection, and statistical tests that guide the researcher's decisions in the best possible way, so that the results depict very reliable patterns and groupings (AU).

Introducción: Existen pocos estudios que hayan identificado patrones alimentarios en adultos sin patologías asociadas utilizando metodologías de abordaje a posteriori, lo que representa un amplio e importante campo de investigación en epidemiología nutricional a explorar para comprender mejor los hábitos alimentarios de diferentes poblaciones en el mundo y sus relaciones con otros factores. Objetivo: Analizar las metodologías para la identificación de patrones dietéticos en adultos sanos que utilizaron el enfoque a posteriori.Metodología:Esta es una revisión integradora. Se incluyeron solo artículos originales publicados en portugués o inglés que identificaron el patrón dietético de adultos sanos a través de un enfoque a posteriori, de 2013 a 2018. Resultados: Solo 9 artículos identificaron patrones de alimentación mediante abordaje a posteriori en adultos, 7 de los cuales fueron transversales y 2 longitudinales.El método de abordaje exploratorio más utilizado fue el análisis factorial, abordado en siete estudios. Un artículo utilizó el método de análisis de conglomerados, mientras que otros dos utilizaron el método RRR, uno de ellos asociado al método ACP.Conclusiones: Las metodologías de evaluación del patrón dietético tienen limitaciones, por lo que es absolutamente importante que los estudios estén bien diseñados, con la elección de encuestas alimentarias más convenientes, tamaño y selección de muestras relevantes y pruebas estadísticas que guíen las decisiones del investigador de la mejor maneraposible, para que que los resultados representan patrones y agrupaciones muy fiables (AU).

Breaking infodemic: discovering SARS-CoV-2 / Rompiendo la infodemia: descubriendo el SARS-CoV-2

By December 2019, multiple cases of unexplained pneumonia were reported in some hospitals in the city of Wuhan, China. Since then, it had been confirmed that it corresponded to an acute respiratory infection caused by a new coronavirus that spread quickly, becoming pandemic in a very short time. On the other hand, this pandemic forced confinement for months, something unprecedented. In that time, millions of people went online for entertainment, education, etc. Consequently, the use of the Internet increased, bringing, on the one hand, online education, and entertainment on the Internet, ensuring social distancing; and on the other hand, it brought new new risks to human life, among them rumors. In this way and given the large number of publications that could denote the level of misinformation about COVID-19 and the impact it could have on global public health, various scientific publications were analyzed and identified from a bibliometric point of view. Potential relationships between the descriptors obtained from the bibliometric search were identified. The results were conglomerated into 5 clusters: Cluster 1, related to studies on access to information provided on COVID-19; cluster 2 shows the list of studies that have been carried out on the information on the COVID-19 vaccine, cluster 3 analyzes the different responses given by conspiracy theories, rumors and misinformation about COVID-19, the Group 4 shows cross-sectional and longitudinal research on COVID-19 and the information it provides to the health sector, and cluster 5 represents studies on scientific production and communication that have contributed to global health during the pandemic(AU)

Para diciembre de 2019, se registraron múltiples casos de una neumonía inexplicables en algunos hospitales de la ciudad de Wuhan, China. Desde ese momento se había confirmado correspondía a una infección respiratoria aguda causada por un nuevo coronavirus que se propagó rápidamente haciéndose pandémico en muy poco tiempo. Por otra parte, esta pademia obligó a un confinamiento por meses, algo sin precedente. En ese tiempo, millones de personas se conectaron en línea para entretenimiento, educación, etc. En consecuencia, el uso de Internet aumentó trayendo, por una parte, educación online y entretenimiento en Internet asegurando el distanciamiento social; y por otra parte, trajo nuevos nuevos riesgos a la vida humana, entre ellos los rumores. En ese sentido, y ante la gran cantidad de publicaciones que podrían denotar el nivel de desinformación sobre el COVID-19 y el impacto que podría tener en la salud pública mundial, se analizaron e identificaron diversas publicaciones científicas desde el punto de vista bibliométrico. Se identificaron las relaciones potenciales entre los descriptores arrojados de la búsqueda bibliométrica. Los resultados se conglomeraron en 5 clúster: El clúster 1, relacionado con los estudios sobre el acceso a la información proporcionada sobre COVID-19; el clúster 2, muestra la relación de los estudios que se han realizado sobre la información de la vacuna COVID-19, el clúster 3, analiza las distintas respuestas que dan las teorías conspirativas, los rumores y la desinformación sobre el COVID-19, el grupo 4 muestra investigaciones transversales y longitudinales sobre el COVID-19 y la información que brinda al sector salud, y el clúster 5 representa los estudios sobre producción y comunicación científicas que han contribuido a la salud mundial durante la pandemia(AU)

Análise crítica e descritiva do sistema de informação e têmporo-espacial de casos humanos de febre maculosa no estado de São Paulo entre os anos de 2007 e 2017 / Critical and descriptive analysis of the information systems and spatiotemporal analysis of human cases of spotted fever in São Paulo State between 2007 and 2017

OBJETIVOS: Avaliar completitude e oportunidade dos dados registrados no Sistema Nacional de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (SINAN) para os casos de febre maculosa (FM) no estado de São Paulo; Analisar as tendências das taxas de incidência e mortalidade por febre maculosa brasileira (FMB) com base na distribuição espacial de cada vetor; Investigar desfechos por locais de internação; Identificar quais as áreas de maior risco de ocorrência de FM, qual a sua distribuição por zona de ocupação humana e se este risco se manteve estável no território ao longo do período estudado; Projetar a provável evolução da ocorrência no tempo e no espaço. MÉTODOS: Esta tese está dividida em três manuscritos. Manuscrito 1: Trata-se de estudo descritivo e ecológico dos casos humanos confirmados de FM, notificados no SINAN de 2007 a 2017 no estado de São Paulo analisando atributos completitude e oportunidade de dez campos da ficha de notificação. Realizou-se regressão linear para avaliar as tendências das séries temporais (p<0,05). Manuscrito 2: Estudo de série temporal utilizando dados secundários de casos humanos confirmados de FMB por carrapato-vetor no estado de São Paulo, utilizando o software Joinpoint. Os dados foram georreferenciados pelos locais de internação. Manuscrito 3: Trata-se de estudo ecológico de varredura espaço-temporal de casos humanos confirmados notificados de FM com análise do risco de ocorrência da doença no local provável de infecção (LPI), por meio do SaTScan. RESULTADOS: Manuscrito 1: Foram analisados 736 registros. Dos campos essenciais, apenas Data da alta demonstrou baixa completitude (68,5%). Investigação e Encerramento tiveram boa oportunidade; demais intervalos não foram adequados. Manuscrito 2: Nas áreas de Amblyomma sculptum, houve tendência de aumento da incidência e mortalidade (ambos p<0,05), entre 2007 e 2015. Nas áreas de Amblyomma aureolatum, houve tendência de redução da incidência (p<0,05), enquanto a tendência de mortalidade permaneceu estável em todo o período estudado. A letalidade nos casos relacionados ao A. aureolatum foi maior do que nos casos de A. sculptum (67,1% contra 55,0%, p=0,037). A maioria dos pacientes foi hospitalizada próximo ao LPI. Manuscrito 3: No presente momento, comportamento predominantemente urbano para A. sculptum, A. aureolatum e Amblyomma ovale foi verificado, explicado pela atual expansão imobiliária e pelo maior contato de cães domésticos com áreas de floresta. Duas novas áreas potenciais de ocorrência da FM associadas a A. sculptum foram identificadas no período analisado; enquanto para A. aureolatum não houve nova área endêmica. CONCLUSÕES: No estado de São Paulo, a completitude dos dados de FM foi boa (80,0%) na maioria das variáveis estudadas, mas a oportunidade estudada não. Isso aponta para a importância de ações de educação e comunicação em saúde sobre FM. As curvas de incidência e mortalidade foram marcadamente diferentes de acordo com o carrapato-vetor, apontando para uma pior taxa de letalidade quando A. aureolatum foi implicado. Esses achados podem orientar ações específicas de vigilância e abordagens assistenciais, considerando os diferentes territórios. O delineamento ecológico com análise espaço-temporal permitiu melhor detecção de aglomerados de alto risco de distribuição da FM em humanos no espaço e no tempo, contribuindo para a estruturação de ações em saúde coletiva específicas para as diferentes áreas do estado.

AIM: To evaluate completeness and timeliness of data registered in the National Information System for Notifiable Diseases (SINAN) for spotted fever (SF) cases in the state of São Paulo; To analyze the trends of incidence and mortality rates caused by Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) based on each vector spatial distribution; To investigate outcomes by hospitalization sites; Identify which areas are most at risk for the occurrence of SF, their distribution by human occupation zone and whether this risk has remained stable in the territory throughout the period studied; Project the probable evolution of the occurrence in time and space. METHODS: This thesis is divided into three manuscripts. Manuscript 1: This is a descriptive and ecological study of confirmed human cases of SF, reported in Sinan from 2007 to 2017 in the state of São Paulo for completeness and timeliness of ten form fields. Linear regression was performed to analyze trends in the time series (p<0.05). Manuscript 2: A time-series study using secondary data of BSF confirmed human cases by tick-vector in the state of São Paulo, using Joinpoint software. Data was georeferenced by hospitalization sites. Manuscript 3: This was an ecological spatiotemporal clustering study of SF confirmed human cases. The risk analysis of disease occurrence by probable site of infection (PSI) was performed through SaTScan. RESULTS: Manuscript 1: A total of 736 registration were analyzed. Among essential fields, only Discharge date showed low completeness (68.5%). Investigation and Closure had good timeliness; other intervals were not adequate. Manuscript 2: In Amblyomma sculptum areas, there were upward incidence and mortality trends (both p<0.05), between 2007 and 2015. In Amblyomma aureolatum areas, there was a downward incidence trend (p<0.05), while the mortality trend remained stable through all studied period. Lethality rate in A. aureolatum related cases was higher than A. sculptum ones (67.1% against 55.0%, p=0.037). The majority of the patients were hospitalized near PSI. Manuscript 3: Currently, it was verified a predominantly urban behavior for A. sculptum, A. aureolatum, and Amblyomma ovale, which can be explained by the existing real estate expansion and by a higher exposure of pet dogs to forest areas. Two new areas with potential A. sculptum-related SF occurrence were identified, while there were no new endemic territories for A. aureolatum. CONCLUSIONS: In São Paulo, the completeness of SF data was good in most of the variables studied (80,0%), but not timeliness, highlighting the importance of education on SF. Incidence and mortality curves were markedly different according to tick-vector, pointing to a worse lethality rate when A. aureolatum was implicated. These findings may orient specific surveillance actions and assistance approaches, considering the different territories. This approach enabled a better quantification of high-risk spatiotemporal clusters of human SF, contributing for the tailoring of specific public health actions towards different state regions.

Expression Analysis of miRNA Profiles in Apheresis Platelets during Storage / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the expression profiles changes of miRNA in apheresis platelets after 1, 3 and 5 days of storage.@*METHODS@#The apheresis platelets were collected from 20 volunteer blood donors. After mixing fully, the platelets were stored in a shaker with (22±2) ℃ horizontal oscillation. The samples were taken on the 1st, 3rd and 5th day, and used to sequence for miRNAs by DNA nanoball (DNB) sequencing technology, which were named as C_1, C_3 and C_5, respectively. The expression level of platelets miRNA was standardized by transcripts per kilobase million (TPM) algorithm. MiRNAs with P-value < 0.001 and the expression difference of more than two times were considered as significant difference between two groups. The expression of miRNAs was verified by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR).@*RESULTS@#By DNB sequencing, there were 688, 730, and 679 platelet miRNAs expressed in C_1, C_3 and C_5 group, respectively. Cluster analysis showed that the expression profile of miRNAs changed significantly. The expression level of the first 20 high abundance miRNAs was about 4/5 of the total amounts of expressed miRNAs in each group, which the top five miRNAs were miR-21-5p, miR-26a-5p, miR-199a-3p, miR-126-3p, and let-7f-5p. The correlation of high abundance platelet miRNAs among the three groups was high (R2=0.876, R2=0.979, R2=0.937, respectively) and the differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Compared with the differential expression of platelet miRNAs with more than 1 000 TPM in the C_3 and C_1 group, there were 6 differentially expressed miRNAs, including 3 up-regulated (miR-146a-5p, miR-379-5p, and miR-486-5p) and 3 down-regulated (miR-652-3p, miR-142-5p, and miR-7-5p). While in the C_5 and C_1 group, there were 4 differentially expressed miRNAs, including 2 up-regulated (miR-146a-5p and let-7b-5p) and 2 down-regulated (miR-30d-5p and miR-142-5p). Compared with the differentially expression of platelet miRNAs between 1-1 000 TPM in the C_3 and C_1 group, there were 133 differentially expressed miRNAs, in which 99 were up-regulated and 34 were down-regulated. While in the C_5 and C_1 group, there were 77 differentially expressed miRNAs, in which 31 were up-regulated and 46 were down-regulated. The six selected differentially expressed miRNAs verified by RT-qPCR were consistent with those of sequencing.@*CONCLUSION@#The expression profiles of platelets miRNAs change significantly among 1, 3, and 5 d of storage in vitro.

Spatial analysis of echinococcosis in pastoral area of Qinghai province, 2019 / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To understand the spatial characteristics of echinococcosis and associated factors in the pastoral area of Qinghai province, and provide evidence for the effective prevention and control of echinococcosis. Methods: The number of echinococcosis cases in the pastoral areas of Qinghai in 2019 was collected to perform spatial epidemiological analysis. The thematic map of the distribution of echinococcosis cases was generated with software ArcGIS 10.8 for visual analysis and spatial autocorrelation analysis. The spatial autocorrelation and spatial scanning analysis were performed to estimate the clustering of echinococcosis with software SaTScan 9.5. Software GeoDa 1.14 and ArcGIS 10.8 were used to establish spatial lag model and geographical weighted regression model to analyze the related factors of echinococcosis epidemic. Results: In 2019, the echinococcosis surveillance covered 64 741 people in the pastoral area of Qinghai, and 829 echinococcosis cases were found, with a prevalence rate of 1.28%. The distribution of the cases had spatial correlation (Moran's I=0.41, P<0.001). The most possible clustering areas indicated by spatial scanning analysis included Banma, Jiuzhi, Dari and Gande counties of Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (LLR=460.77, RR=9.20, P<0.001). The prevalence of echinococcosis in the pastoral areas was positively associated with the total annual precipitation (β=0.13, P=0.036), and negatively associated with population density (β=-1.36, P=0.019) and doctors/nurse ratio (β=-25.60, P=0.026). Conclusions: The distribution of echinococcosis cases in the pastoral areas of Qinghai in 2019 had spatial correlation, and the prevalence was affected by total annual precipitation, population density, and doctors/nurse ratio.

Epidemiological characteristics and spatiotemporal clustering of hepatitis A in Zhejiang Province from 2010 to 2019 / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and spatiotemporal clustering of hepatitis A in Zhejiang Province from 2010 to 2019. Methods: The data of hepatitis A incidence in Zhejiang Province from 2010 to 2019 were collected from the infectious disease surveillance system of China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention. ArcGIS 10.7 software was used for spatial autocorrelation analysis. SaTScan 9.6 software was used for spatiotemporal scanning analysis. SPSS 25.0 software was used for additional analysis. Results: Zhejiang Province has reported 5 465 cases of hepatitis A in 2010-2019 years, with an average annual incidence rate of 1.00/100 000, and periodicity and seasonality are not obvious. The incidence of male was higher than that of female (P=0.023), and the highest incidence rate was 50-59 years old. Spatial autocorrelation analysis showed that there was a positive spatial correlation between the incidence of hepatitis A in Zhejiang Province from 2010 to 2017, with the weakest correlation in 2010 (Moran's I =0.103, Z=1.769, P=0.049), and the strongest correlation in 2016 (Moran's I=0.328, Z=4.979, P=0.001). Spatiotemporal scanning analysis showed that there was spatial aggregation of hepatitis A in Zhejiang Province from 2010 to 2019, with a total of three aggregation areas identified. Among them, the mostly aggregation area was concentrated in Xiangshan county of Ningbo city, which covered 10 counties (cities and districts), including Ninghai county and Yinzhou district, and appeared from January 1 to June 30, 2012. Conclusion: The incidence level of hepatitis A in Zhejiang Province shows a stable fluctuation trend from 2010 to 2019, and the seasonal regularity is not obvious. The population group aged 50-59 years old is the key population. There is spatial aggregation in the epidemic situation of hepatitis A. Targeted prevention and control measures of hepatitis A should be done based on the law of spatiotemporal aggregation and local incidence.