The effect of birthplace on heat tolerance and mortality in Milan, Italy, 1980–1989

The temperature–mortality relationship follows a well-known J-V shaped pattern with mortality excesses recorded at cold and hot temperatures, and minimum at some optimal value, referred as Minimum Mortality Temperature (MMT). As the MMT, which is used to measure the population heat-tolerance, is higher for people living in warmer places, it has been argued that populations will adapt to temperature changes. We tested this notion by taking advantage of a huge migratory flow that occurred in Italy during the 1950s, when a large number of unemployed people moved from the southern to the industrializing north-western regions. We have analyzed mortality–temperature relationships in Milan residents, split by groups identified by area of birth. In order to obtain estimates of the temperature-related risks, log-linear models have been used to fit daily death count data as a function of different explanatory variables. Results suggest that mortality risks differ by birthplace, regardless of the place of residence, namely heat tolerance in adult life could be modulated by outdoor temperature experienced early in life. This indicates that no complete adaptation might occur with rising external environmental temperatures.     

Secular trends in incidence and mortality of bladder cancer in China, 1990–2017: A joinpoint and age-period-cohort analysis

BackgroundBladder cancer is closely related to occupational carcinogens, and China is undergoing a rapid industrialization. However, trend of bladder cancer incidence and mortality remains unknown in China.MethodsIncidence and mortality rates of bladder cancer (1990–2017) were collected for each 5-year age group stratified by gender (males/females) from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 study. The average annual percentage change (AAPC) of rates were analyzed by joinpoint regression analysis; age, period and cohort effects on incidence and mortality were simultaneously estimated by age-period-cohort model.ResultsThrough 1990–2017, age-standardized incidence rates significantly rose in men (AAPC = 0.72%, 95% CI: 0.5%, 0.9%) while decreased in women (-1.25%: -1.6%, -0.9%); age-standardized mortality rates decreased in both men (-1.09%: -1.2%, -0.9%) and women (-2.48%: -2.8%, -2.2%). The joinpoint regression analysis showed the mortality almost decreased in all age groups; while the incidence increased in men for older age groups (from 45 to 49 to 80–84). Moreover, age effect showed the incidence and mortality increased with age; the incidence and mortality increased with time period, while in women period effect stop decreasing and began to increase since 2007; cohort effect showed them decreased with birth cohorts.ConclusionsThe incidence of bladder cancer is increasing in men but mortality decreases in both sexes. Both the incidence and mortality in men substantially increase with age and period, while the rates in women increased with period since 2007. The period effect may indicate the increased risks to bladder cancer in Chinese men. Etiological studies are needed to identify the factors driving these trends of bladder cancer.     

The efficacy of antibiotics in reducing morbidity and mortality from heatstroke – A systematic review

Severe hyperthermia, for example, classical heatstroke or exertional heatstroke from heatwaves or exercise respectively, or from drug ingestion or other non-infective pyrogens, is associated with a high mortality and morbidity, which may be chronic or permanent. Abolition of lipopolysaccharide, from gram-negative intestinal bacteria translocating into the systemic circulation via an intestinal wall rendered permeable from the hyperthermia, reduces the adverse effects, suggesting that antibiotics against the intestinal bacteria may have a similar effect. A systematic review searching Embase, MEDLINE and PubMed from the earliest date available until 2019 was conducted, according to PRISMA guidelines. Two papers were found which fit the criteria. In one, non-absorbable oral antibiotics were administered prior to the onset of heat stress, which reduced the cardiovascular dysfunction and rise in endotoxaemia, but animals succumbed at a lower temperature. In the second, non-absorbable oral antibiotics, in combination with a laxative and enema, given prior to the onset of heat stress, improved mortality; antibiotics administered after the heat stress did not, but the antibiotics used may have limited action against intestinal bacteria. Only two papers were found; both suggest an improvement in organ dysfunction or mortality after an episode of heat stress. No papers were found that investigate the sole use of antibiotics effective against intestinal bacteria given after the onset of heat stress, although biological plausibility suggest they warrant further research.     

The burden of malaria in Sudan: incidence, mortality and disability – adjusted life – years

Background

The goal of Roll Back Malaria (RBM) is to reduce malaria morbidity and mortality by 50% by the year 2010, and still further thereafter until the disease becomes no more a threat to public health. To contribute to the monitoring and evaluation process of this goal, two surveys were carried out in 2000 and 2003 in households and health facilities in the Kassena-Nankana district, northern Ghana using the RBM-WHO/AFRO monitoring and evaluation tools for malaria control activities.

Methods

Data were collected from mothers/caretakers on signs/symptoms of the most recent malaria attack for their under five year old children; the management actions that they took and their perception of health services provided at the health facilities, bednet use, antenatal attendance and place of delivery for the most recent pregnancy, malaria prophylaxis during their last pregnancy. Community health workers and herbalist/traditional healers were also interviewed about the types of health services they provide to community members.

Results

The results revealed a significant improvement in knowledge among mothers/caretakers over the three-year period; this affected caretakers' initial management of illnesses of their young children. The management in terms of the type and dosage of drugs used also improved significantly (p < 0.0001) over the period. Reported insecticide-treated bed net use among children under-five years and pregnant women significantly increased between 2000 and 2003 (p < 0.0001). Health professionals had improved on adoption of their quality of care roles. The intensification of malaria control activities and awareness creation in this district over a three year period had started demonstrating positive results towards reducing malaria disease burden.

Conclusion

Periodic performance assessments through surveys as described and prompt feedback of results to stakeholders in the locality serves as a catalyst to improving malaria control in malaria-endemic countries.     

Decreased impacts of the 2003 heat waves on mortality in the Czech Republic: an improved response?

The paper examines impacts on mortality of heat waves in 2003, the hottest summer on record in the Czech Republic, and compares them with previous similar events. While most summer heat waves over the period since 1986 were associated with significantly elevated mortality, this was not the case for three out of the four heat waves in 2003. The relatively weak mortality response was particularly noteworthy for the most severe heat wave which occurred in the first 10 days of August 2003 and resulted in enormous excess mortality in some western European countries. A mortality displacement effect and short-term adaptation to heat contributed to the reduced mortality impacts of the heat waves that followed after previous relatively warm periods. However, the decreased mortality response of the 2003 heat waves compared to previous heat waves in the 1990s is also likely to have arisen from positive health-care and other socio-economic changes in the post-communist central European region over the past decade, as well as a better public awareness of heat-related risks due to enhanced media coverage and regular biometeorological forecast and warnings.     

Characterization and comparative analysis of toxin–antitoxin systems in Acetobacter pasteurianus

Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology - Bacterial toxin–antitoxin (TA) systems play important roles in diverse cellular regulatory processes. Here, we characterize three...     

A comparative analysis of the molecular genetic processes in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and Crohn’s disease

Molecular Biology - A comparative bioinformatics analysis of the molecular genetic processes in the pathogenesis of multifactorial diseases—psoriasis and Crohn’s disease—was...     

Statistical modeling of mRNP transport in dendrites: A comparative analysis of β-actin and Arc mRNP dynamics

Localization of messenger RNA (mRNA) in dendrites is crucial for regulating gene expression during long-term memory formation. mRNA binds to RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) to form messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) complexes that are transported by motor proteins along microtubules to their target synapses. However, the dynamics by which mRNPs find their target locations in the dendrite have not been well understood. Here, we investigated the motion of endogenous β-actin and Arc mRNPs in dissociated mouse hippocampal neurons using the MS2 and PP7 stem-loop systems, respectively. By evaluating the statistical properties of mRNP movement, we found that the aging Lévy walk model effectively describes both β-actin and Arc mRNP transport in proximal dendrites. A critical difference between β-actin and Arc mRNPs was the aging time, the time lag between transport initiation and measurement initiation. The longer mean aging time of β-actin mRNP (~100 s) compared with that of Arc mRNP (~30 s) reflects the longer half-life of constitutively expressed β-actin mRNP. Furthermore, our model also permitted us to estimate the ratio of newly generated and pre-existing β-actin mRNPs in the dendrites. This study offers a robust theoretical framework for mRNP transport, which provides insight into how mRNPs locate their targets in neurons.     

Synoptic analysis of heat-related mortality in Sydney,Australia, 1993–2001

Exposure to extremely hot weather has been associated with increased mortality. Temporal Synoptic Index is an effective method used to analyze the relationship between mortality and combined weather factors. The aim of this study is to examine the short-term effect of ambient heat on mortality in Sydney during the warmest 6-month period (October-March) for the years 1993-2001. Eleven synoptic categories were related to daily mortality rates in Sydney. Two distinctive warm categories were associated with significantly higher mortality rates. Hot, dry and relatively rare Synoptic Category 7 (SC7) days showed the highest daily mortality rates, followed by warm and humid SC3 days, which occurred more frequently. Increased mortality was more pronounced among the elderly population, and gender-stratified analysis showed women to be more vulnerable. Mortality on the day of the weather event was higher than 1 or 2 days after the adverse synoptic situation. Ozone and particulate matter smaller than 10 microm were found at high concentrations in SC3 and SC7, respectively, but their impact on mortality was not clear. The population of Sydney was found to be vulnerable to high temperatures, with a lower susceptibility than those of some cities in the USA and Europe.     

Breast‐feeding,social variables,and infant mortality: A hazards model analysis of the case of Malaysia

Abstract

This study is an attempt to use a hazards model to estimate the relative risks of mortality experienced at different periods during the first year of life among Malaysian infants breast‐fed for various durations. Data on mortality, breast‐feeding, and social variables were obtained from the retrospective Malaysian Family Life Survey and were used after checking for quality and consistency. Using LOGLIN to calculate hazards models, essentially multidimensional life‐tables, we found that breast‐feeding had an effect on mortality independent of socio‐economic variables and birth cohort. There was a monotonic relationship between breastfeeding duration and lower infant mortality during each of four subdivisions of the first year of life. Breast‐feeding was a statistically significant predictor of mortality in the first six months. The results are compared with those from the Rand study, which employed regression rather than hazards models.     

Your place or mine? A phylogenetic comparative analysis of marital residence in Indo-European and Austronesian societies

Accurate reconstruction of prehistoric social organization is important if we are to put together satisfactory multidisciplinary scenarios about, for example, the dispersal of human groups. Such considerations apply in the case of Indo-European and Austronesian, two large-scale language families that are thought to represent Neolithic expansions. Ancestral kinship patterns have mostly been inferred through reconstruction of kin terminologies in ancestral proto-languages using the linguistic comparative method, and through geographical or distributional arguments based on the comparative patterns of kin terms and ethnographic kinship 'facts'. While these approaches are detailed and valuable, the processes through which conclusions have been drawn from the data fail to provide explicit criteria for systematic testing of alternative hypotheses. Here, we use language trees derived using phylogenetic tree-building techniques on Indo-European and Austronesian vocabulary data. With these trees, ethnographic data and Bayesian phylogenetic comparative methods, we statistically reconstruct past marital residence and infer rates of cultural change between different residence forms, showing Proto-Indo-European to be virilocal and Proto-Malayo-Polynesian uxorilocal. The instability of uxorilocality and the rare loss of virilocality once gained emerge as common features of both families.     

A multi-body model for comparative study of cervical traction simulation – development,improvement and validation

A computer simulation model was developed to study the dynamic behavior of the cervical spine during cervical traction therapy in inclined and sitting traction positions. The model improved upon an old model with additional components to represent the behavior of the intervertebral discs and the posterior ligaments. The simulation result of the new model was compared against the cervical traction data from a radiographic experiment in both positions. The simulation results of the old model and new model were compared to illustrate the improvement. Using the new model, we compared the timing response of cervical traction in the inclined and sitting positions.     

Amylolysis in systems with α-amylase and glucoamylase. A comparative study of six procedures of evaluation

Summary Amylolytic activities of -amylase and glucoamylase actuating separately and jointly on soluble starch (MV - 5,000) are studied by six different methods (two of them not previously described), the usefulness of which, is discussed.     

Weight loss and mortality: A gender-specific analysis of the Tromsø study

Background: Weight loss has been associated with increased mortality, but findings have been inconsistent.Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the association between weight loss and mortality, with a focus on gender differences.Methods: This was a population-based cohort study in northern Norway of adults, aged 20 to 54 years in 1979, who participated in 2 or 3 consecutive health surveys in 1979–80, 1986–87, and 1994–95. Weight and height were measured at each survey. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate hazard ratios for mortality between levels of body mass index (BMI) change during 11 years of follow-up. Participants with prior cardiovascular disease or cancer, or incident cancer within the first 2 years of follow-up, were excluded, as were participants who were pregnant, had missing data, or did not give written consent.Results: A total of 4881 men and 5051 women participated in the present study. The mean age at start of follow-up was 50.8 years (range, 35–70 years) in men and 49.2 years (range, 35–65 years) in women. In men, weight loss was associated with increased all-cause, cardiovascular, and noncardiovascular mortality. The hazard ratio for men for all-cause mortality with a 10-year BMI decrease of 2 kg/m² versus a BMI increase of 1 kg/m² was 2.09 (95% CI, 1.56–2.81). The association was not significantly modified by initial BMI, age, smoking status, or self-reported attempts of weight loss, or by exclusion of subjects with self-reported poor health, diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, or high alcohol intake. In women, no association between BMI change and mortality was observed. However, in the subgroup of women who reported no weight-loss attempts, BMI change was significantly associated with mortality risk (P = 0.022).Conclusions: In this study of a Norwegian population, weight loss was associated with excess mortality in men in all subgroups of weight-loss attempts, daily smoking, and overweight. In women, the only significant effect of BMI change on mortality was observed in those who reported no weight-loss attempts. The observed findings could not be explained by preexisting disease.     

Emotional segregation: A content analysis of institutional racism in US films, 1980–2001

The purpose of this article is to empirically demonstrate a concept, known as “emotional segregation” through a systematic analysis of US films. Emotional segregation is defined as an institutionalized process, whereby European Americans are unable to see people of colour as emotional equals or as capable of sharing the same human emotions and experiences. This concept was inspired by Charles C. Stember's (1976) study of sexual racism and Patricia Hill Collins’ (2000) work on sexualized racism. In order to examine the existence of emotional segregation in the United States, a content analysis was conducted of forty US films chosen from a stratified random sample. Differences were found in media portrayals of inter- and intra-racial relationships involving African Americans. Future research on emotional segregation is suggested to assess how this phenomenon creates emotional barriers among ethnic groups.