Prevalence of Self-Reported Pain,Joint Complaints and Knee or Hip Complaints in Adults Aged ≥ 40 Years: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Herne,Germany

Background

Pain and musculoskeletal complaints are among the most common symptoms in the general population. Despite their epidemiological, clinical and health economic importance, prevalence data on pain and musculoskeletal complaints for Germany are scarce.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey of a random sample of citizens of Herne, Germany, aged ≥ 40 years was performed. A detailed self-complete postal questionnaire was used, followed by a short reminder questionnaire and telephone contacts for those not responding. The questionnaire contained 66 items, mainly addressing pain of any site, musculoskeletal complaints of any site and of knee and hip, pain intensities, the Western Ontario MacMaster Universities (WOMAC) index, medication, health care utilization, comorbidities, and quality of life.

Results

The response rate was 57.8% (4,527 of 7,828 individuals). Survey participants were on average 1.3 years older, and the proportion of women among responders tended to be greater than in the population sample. There was no age difference between the population sample and 2,221 participants filling out the detailed questionnaire. The following standardized prevalences were assessed: current pain: 59.7%, pain within the past four weeks: 74.5%, current joint complaints: 49.3%, joint complaints within the past four weeks and twelve month: 62.8% and 67.4%, respectively, knee as the site predominantly affected: 30.9%, knee bilateral: 9.7%, hip: 15.2%, hip bilateral: 3.5%, knee and hip: 5.5%. Pain and musculoskeletal complaints were significantly more often reported by women. A typical relationship of pain and joint complaints to age could be found, i.e. increasing prevalences with increasing age categories, with a drop in the highest age groups. In general, pain and joint pain were associated with comorbidity and body mass index as well as quality of life.

Conclusions

Our data confirm findings of other recent national as well as European surveys. The high site specific prevalences of knee and hip complaints underline the necessity to further investigate characteristics and consequences of pain and symptomatic osteoarthritis of these joints in adults in Germany.     

Use of oral cholera vaccines in an outbreak in Vietnam: a case control study

Background

Killed oral cholera vaccines (OCVs) are available but not used routinely for cholera control except in Vietnam, which produces its own vaccine. In 2007–2008, unprecedented cholera outbreaks occurred in the capital, Hanoi, prompting immunization in two districts. In an outbreak investigation, we assessed the effectiveness of killed OCV use after a cholera outbreak began.

Methodology/Principal Findings

From 16 to 28 January 2008, vaccination campaigns with the Vietnamese killed OCV were held in two districts of Hanoi. No cholera cases were detected from 5 February to 4 March 2008, after which cases were again identified. Beginning 8 April 2008, residents of four districts of Hanoi admitted to one of five hospitals for acute diarrhea with onset after 5 March 2008 were recruited for a matched, hospital-based, case-control outbreak investigation. Cases were matched by hospital, admission date, district, gender, and age to controls admitted for non-diarrheal conditions. Subjects from the two vaccinated districts were evaluated to determine vaccine effectiveness. 54 case-control pairs from the vaccinated districts were included in the analysis. There were 8 (15%) and 16 (30%) vaccine recipients among cases and controls, respectively. The vaccine was 76% protective against cholera in this setting (95% CI 5% to 94%, P = 0.042) after adjusting for intake of dog meat or raw vegetables and not drinking boiled or bottled water most of the time.

Conclusions/Significance

This is the first study to explore the effectiveness of the reactive use of killed OCVs during a cholera outbreak. Our findings suggest that killed OCVs may have a role in controlling cholera outbreaks.     

Recovery from a fish kill in a semi‐arid Australian river: Can stocking augment natural recruitment processes?

Localized catastrophic events can dramatically affect fish populations. Management interventions, such as stocking, are often undertaken to re‐establish populations that have experienced such events. Evaluations of the effectiveness of these interventions are required to inform future management actions. Multiple hypoxic blackwater events in 2010–2011 substantially reduced fish communities in the Edward‐Wakool river system in the southern Murray‐Darling Basin, New South Wales, Australia. These events led to extensive fish kills across large sections of the entire system following a period of prolonged drought. To expedite recovery efforts, 119 661 golden perch Macquaria ambigua and 59 088 Murray cod Maccullochella peelii fingerlings were stocked at five locations over 3 years. All fish stocked were chemically marked with calcein to enable retrospective evaluation of wild or hatchery origin. Targeted collections were undertaken 3 years post‐stocking to investigate the relative contribution of stocking efforts and recovery via natural recruitment in the system. Of the golden perch retained for annual ageing (n = 93) only nine were of an age that could have coincided with stocking activities. Of those, six were stocked. The dominant year‐class of golden perch were spawned in 2009; before the stocking programme began and prior to blackwater events. All Murray cod retained (n = 136) were of an age that coincided with stocking activities, although only eight were stocked. Among the Murray cod captured, the dominant year‐class was spawned in 2011, after the blackwater events occurred. The results from this study provide first evidence that natural spawning and recruitment, and possibly immigration, were the main drivers of golden perch and Murray cod recovery following catastrophic fish kills. Interpreted in the context of other recent examples, the collective results indicate limited benefit of stocking to existing connected populations already naturally recruiting in riverine systems.     

Combining species distribution modeling and distance sampling to assess wildlife population size: A case study with the northern yellow-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus annamensis)

Population size and distribution data for wildlife species play an important role in conservation and management, especially for endangered species. However, scientists seriously lack data on the population status of many species. The northern yellow-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus annamensis) is found in southern Lao PDR, central Vietnam, and northeastern Cambodia. The population of the species has significantly declined due to hunting, habitat loss, and the wildlife trade. To examine the population size and distribution of N. annamensis, we conducted a field survey in Song Thanh Nature Reserve, Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam from February to April 2019 using the audio point count method. We combined Distance Sampling and Ecological Niche Modeling to estimate the population of the gibbons. Results showed that the total suitable area for the gibbons was about 302.32 km², with the two most important variables of the habitat model being the distance-to-villages and forest type. We detected 36 gibbon groups through field surveys and estimated 443 (95% CI, 278–707) gibbon groups in Song Thanh Nature Reserve. Our results indicate that the gibbon population in Song Thanh Nature Reserve is the largest known population of N. annamensis in Vietnam. In addition, our study was the first to combine species distribution modeling with distance sampling to estimate gibbon density and population size. This approach might be useful in surveying and monitoring gibbon populations because it takes imperfect detection probability into account in estimating gibbon population density while estimating the area of potential habitat using environmental variables.     

Genetic and Antigenic Characterization of Enterovirus 71 in Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam, 2011

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) frequently causes fatal infections in young children in Asia. In 2011, EV71 epidemics occurred in southern Vietnam. We conducted genetic and antigenic analysis of the EV71 isolates and found that 94% of them were genotype C4a related to two lineages circulating in China and 6% were genotype C5 which have circulated in Vietnam since 2003. Antigenic variants were not detected. EV71 vaccines are being developed. Longitudinal enterovirus surveillance data are critical to formulate vaccination policy in Vietnam.     

Applications of enzymes in synthetic carbohydrate chemistry

Abstract: By photosynthesis 200 billion tons of glucose are formed per annum most of which remains in the sugar state. Thus, the well-known properties of saccharides as the basis for structural materials and energy stores is well established. Increasingly, focus is being addressed to their functions as recognition molecule. Therefore, carbohydrate chemistry became en vogue again as documented by classical syntheses of complex hetero-oligosaccharides employing protecting and activating group chemistry. In recent years enzymatic methods for acylation and deacylation in saccharide chemistry came into use. Novel saccharides could be approached following aldolase-catalyzed de novo syntheses. The very complex task of stereospecific glycosylation was addressed by use of enzymes. With glycohydrolases via transglycosylation as well as with glycosyltransferases including cofactor regenerating circles advances were made. Modified acceptor and also donor substrates allowed access to oligosaccharides in preparative quantities. This paper will discuss these modern developments and will focus on some selected examples from others' and our own laboratory.     

Fate of 2 year-old, hatchery-reared trout cod Maccullochella macquariensis (Percichthyidae) stocked into two upland rivers

Radio-tracking was used in monitoring the reintroduction of on-grown 2 year-old trout cod Maccullochella macquariensis (Percichthyidae) (a nationally endangered freshwater fish) in both a large and small upland river. Thirty-six radio-tagged M. macquariensis were stocked into a site in each of the Murrumbidgee and Cotter Rivers (Australian Capital Territory). Restricted dispersal occurred in both rivers, with both samples of M. macquariensis remaining within 5 km of the release site for the duration of the study. Mortality was rapid and 1 month after release 61 and 31% of the sample was alive in the Murrumbidgee and Cotter Rivers, respectively. In the Murrumbidgee River, complete mortality had occurred 6 months after release. An individual survived in the Cotter River until 7 months after release. Predation by cormorants Phalacrocorax spp. and predation or scavenging by the common water rat Hydromys chrysogaster were the probable causes of mortality. Predator-assisted movement of radio-tags by cormorants occurred in both groups and had the potential to confound interpretation of active dispersal movements.     

Determinants of chemoreceptor cluster formation in Escherichia coli

Chemotactic stimuli in bacteria are sensed by large sensory complexes, or receptor clusters, that consist of tens of thousands of proteins. Receptor clusters appear to play a key role in signal processing, but their structure remains poorly understood. Here we used fluorescent protein fusions to study in vivo formation of the cluster core, which consists of receptors, a kinase CheA and an assisting protein CheW. We show that receptors aggregate through their cytoplasmic domains even in the absence of other chemotaxis proteins. Clustering is further enhanced by the binding of CheW. Surprisingly, we observed that some fragments of CheA bind receptor clusters well in the absence of CheW, although the latter does assist the binding of full-length CheA. The resulting mode of receptor cluster formation is consistent with an experimentally observed flexible stoichiometry of chemosensory complexes and with assumptions of recently proposed computer models of signal processing in chemotaxis.     

Properties of the Yeast Communities Associated with Termites of a Tropical Monsoon Forest: Cat Tien National Park,Vietnam

Microbiology - Yeast populations were investigated for the following substrates associated with termitaria of five termite species occurring in the Cat Tien National Park (south Vietnam): nest...