Premature mortality of epilepsy in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review from the mortality task force of the International League... (Publications)
mortality ratio (PMR) of 27.3% (range 5-75.5%) derived from population-based studies. These direct causes comprise status epilepticus, with reported PMRs ranging from 5 to 56.6%, and sudden unexpected death [...] studies yielded 7.1 (range 1.6-25.1) deaths per 1,000 people. The weighted median SMRs were 5.0 in male and 4.5 in female patients; relatively higher SMRs within studies were measured in children and adolescents
Exposure of highway maintenance workers to fine particulate matter and noise (Publications)
particulate matter (PM2.5), particle number concentration (PNC), noise (Leq), and the gaseous co-pollutants: carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone. Mean work shift PM2.5 concentrations (gravimetric [...] paving and guardrail repair. We found moderate Spearman correlations between PNC and PM2.5 (r = 0.56); PNC, PM2.5, and CO (r = 0.60 and r = 0.50) as well as PNC and noise (r = 0.50). Variability and correlation [...] s) ranged from 20.3 to 321 mug m(-3) (mean 62 mug m(-3)) and PNC were...
A comprehensive evaluation of potential lung function associated genes in the SpiroMeta general population sample (Publications)
carefully defined significance threshold of 1.3x10(-5). The most significant loci associated with FEV(1) include SNPs tagging MACROD2 (P = 6.81x10(-5)), CNTN5 (P = 4.37x10(-4)), and TRPV4 (P = 1.58x10(-3)) [...] with FEV(1) (P = 8.41x10(-5)), followed by PDE4D (P = 1.22x10(-4)). The strongest association with FEV(1)/FVC ratio was observed with ABCC1 (P = 4.38x10(-4)), and ESR1 (P = 5.42x10(-4)) among ever-smokers
Population-based study on incidence, survival rates, and genetic alterations of low-grade diffuse astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas (Publications)
survival rate (mean follow-up 7.5+/-4.8 years) was highest for patients with oligodendroglioma (78% at 5 years, 51% at 10 years), followed by those with oligoastrocytoma (70% at 5 years, 49% at 10 years) and [...] and fibrillary astrocytoma (65% at 5 years, 31% at 10 years). Survival of patients with gemistocytic astrocytoma was poor, with survival rates of 16% at 5 years and 0% at 10 years. Younger patients ( 50
Evaluation of customised lineage-specific sets of MIRU-VNTR loci for genotyping <em>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</em> complex isolates in Ghana (Publications)
MTBC in Ghana. METHOD: One hundred and fifty-eight MTBC isolates classified into Lineage 4 and Lineage 5 were used to compare a customized lineage-specific panel of 12 MIRU-VNTR loci ("customized MIRU-12'') [...] Index (HGDI). A minimal set of customized MIRU-VNTR loci for typing Lineages 4 (Euro-American) and 5 (M. africanum West African 1) strains from Ghana was defined based on the cumulative HGDI. RESULTS AND [...] genotypes, including 1 cluster of 2 isolates (clustering rate: 0.9%) and 104...
Self-rated quality of life and school performance in relation to helminth infections: case study from Yunnan, People's Republic of China (Publications)
respective prevalence rates in Pu'er were 66.9%, 56.5% and 9.2%. Students were interviewed with two standardised questionnaires, the EuroQoL-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) and ShortForm-12 (SF-12) Health Survey. Impairment [...] itted helminth infections as well as self-rated QoL indicators among 252 students attending grades 5-8 in two schools (Bulangshan and Pu'er) in Yunnan province, People's Republic of China. Each student [...] Impairment in any of the five dimensions of the EQ-5D was reported by 87%...
Ownership and usage of mosquito nets after four years of large-scale free distribution in Papua New Guinea (Publications)
mosquito net. Overall usage by household members amounted to 32.5% for LLINs and 44.3% for nets in general. Amongst children under five years, 39.5% used a LLIN and 51.8% any type of net, whereas 41.3% of pregnant [...] increased from 9.4% to 88.7%, ownership of any net from 52.7% to 94.1%. Usage of LLINs increased from 5.5% to 55.1%, usage of any net from 37.3% to 66.7%. Among children under five years, usage of LLINs and [...] was the key determinant of net ownership, while usage was mainly...
Skin and soft tissue infections in intercontinental travellers and the import of multi-resistant <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> to Europe (Publications)
and associated with travel to South Asia (ORcrude 5.3, 95% CI 2.4-11.8), even after adjusting for confounding by genotype (ORadjusted 3.8, 95% 1.5-9.5). Choosing randomly from compounds recommended for [...] (PVL) positive. PVL was associated with disease severity, including hospitalization for SSTI (OR 5.2, 95% CI 1.5-18.2). In returnees with SSTI, longer travel and more intense population contact were risk factors
Mixtures of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution, built environment and temperature and stroke incidence across Europe (Publications)
from different exposure domains: air pollution (nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)), particulate matter < 2.5 mum (PM(2.5)), black carbon (BC), ozone), built environment (green/blue spaces, impervious surfaces) and [...] was associated with an increase in stroke incidence. The first PC of the air pollution domain (PM(2.5), NO(2) and BC) was associated with an increase in stroke incidence. For the built environment, higher [...] impervious surfaces were associated with a protective effect [%change in HR...
Research on the dynamic characteristics of indoor and outdoor environmental quality of office buildings based on long-term online monitoring of... (Publications)
summer > spring > autumn > winter, while the rank of indoor PM2.5 is winter > spring > autumn > summer. However, the outdoor humidity, outdoor PM2.5 and indoor and outdoor illumination, formaldehyde TVOC and [...] and variation characteristics of temperature, humidity, illumination, formaldehyde, TVOC, CO2 and PM2.5 in different floors of 6th, 9th, and 15th at different time scales. The results show that:① for the [...] then decreasing. In contrast, illumination shows a trend of first decreasing...