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In the 20th century, influenza and pneumonia constituted the largest proportion of infectious disease deaths in the United States. Despite progress in management, US mortality trends for these diseases have not been thoroughly investigated. We aim to examine the patterns of influenza and pneumonia-related deaths among US residents. Crude death rates and age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 100,000 individuals were calculated using influenza and pneumonia mortality data (International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision codes: J09-J18) from the CDC WONDER database. Annual percentage changes with a 95% confidence interval were determined using joinpoint regression analysis. Average annual percentage changes were computed as the weighted average of annual percentage changes. From 1999 to 2020, US influenza and pneumonia deaths totaled 1,257,088 (AAMR: 17.09), with a significantly decreasing AAMR (−2.94). Males had a higher AAMR (20.13) than females (15.02). Non-Hispanic American Indians had the highest AAMR (20.44), while Hispanics had the lowest AAMR (13.91). The Northeast had the highest AAMR (18.02). All other regions had similar AAMRs. Rural regions had a consistently higher AAMR (19.80) than urban regions (AAMR: 16.51). Tailoring interventions toward high-risk groups can enhance the effectiveness of preventive measures, vaccination, and health care access. [Display omitted] • In 20th century, influenza & pneumonia were leading causes of infectious death in US. • Past research has examined mortality trends of geographical racial disparities. • Over the study period, death rates from influenza and pneumonia declined in the US. • Males consistently exhibited higher mortality rates than females. • NH American Indians had the highest mortality rates, while Hispanics had the lowest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Social determinants of health (SDH) negatively affected Coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) outcomes within the five boroughs of New York City. The goal of this study was to determine whether differences in social demographics within the borough of Staten Island, compared with the other four boroughs, may have contributed to poor COVID‐19 outcomes in Staten Island. Methods: Data were obtained from public data sources. Social demographics obtained included age, household income, poverty status, and education level. COVID‐19 infection, hospitalization, and death rates reported from Staten Island were compared with rates from Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx (February 29, 2020–October 31, 2022). Mean differences in case rates of COVID‐19 were higher in Staten Island compared to all four boroughs. Results: Mean differences in hospitalization and death rates were higher than Manhattan but similar to the other four boroughs. Within Staten Island, case rates were highest in zip codes 10306 and 10309. Hospitalization and death rates were highest in Staten Island zip code 10304. We found that the zip codes of Staten Island with poorer COVID‐19 outcomes had more individuals with less than a high school degree, lower mean household income, higher proportion of households earning less than $25,000 a year, and a greater proportion of individuals using public transportation. Conclusion: Differences in COVID‐19 infection, hospitalization, and death rates exist between the five boroughs and between the 12 zip codes within Staten Island. These differences in COVID‐19 outcomes can be attributed to different SDH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Each year, the American Cancer Society estimates the numbers of new cancer cases and deaths in the United States and compiles the most recent data on population‐based cancer occurrence and outcomes using incidence data collected by central cancer registries (through 2020) and mortality data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics (through 2021). In 2024, 2,001,140 new cancer cases and 611,720 cancer deaths are projected to occur in the United States. Cancer mortality continued to decline through 2021, averting over 4 million deaths since 1991 because of reductions in smoking, earlier detection for some cancers, and improved treatment options in both the adjuvant and metastatic settings. However, these gains are threatened by increasing incidence for 6 of the top 10 cancers. Incidence rates increased during 2015–2019 by 0.6%–1% annually for breast, pancreas, and uterine corpus cancers and by 2%–3% annually for prostate, liver (female), kidney, and human papillomavirus‐associated oral cancers and for melanoma. Incidence rates also increased by 1%–2% annually for cervical (ages 30–44 years) and colorectal cancers (ages <55 years) in young adults. Colorectal cancer was the fourth‐leading cause of cancer death in both men and women younger than 50 years in the late‐1990s but is now first in men and second in women. Progress is also hampered by wide persistent cancer disparities; compared to White people, mortality rates are two‐fold higher for prostate, stomach and uterine corpus cancers in Black people and for liver, stomach, and kidney cancers in Native American people. Continued national progress will require increased investment in cancer prevention and access to equitable treatment, especially among American Indian and Alaska Native and Black individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a severe impact on global health. Apart from the disease itself, the strict restrictions and lockdowns enforced to minimize its spread have also substantially disrupted personal and public health. Methods An analysis of forensic autopsy investigations was conducted between 2019 and 2022 on a selected urban population in Colombo, Sri Lanka, assessing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality within these communities. Results During the COVID-19 restrictions, there was a 2.5-fold increase in the total number of deaths, with a significantly higher percentage of female deaths than before. The majority of these deaths were due to cardiovascular causes, while COVID-19-related deaths ranked third overall. The highest proportion of COVID-19 deaths occurred among unvaccinated females. The monthly frequency of deaths from traffic accidents, poisoning, and asphyxiation decreased, while deaths from blunt trauma, sharp trauma, burns, and immersion increased. There was also a rise in blunt homicides and a greater number of femicides during the COVID-19 restrictions than in the pre-pandemic period. A significantly higher percentage of males who received the COVID-19 vaccine died from cardiovascular causes compared to those in the unvaccinated group. Conclusion The significant changes in mortality demographics and causes of death within this community during the COVID-19 restrictions underscore the disruption in healthcare, health-seeking behavior, and social interactions during this period. The vulnerability of individuals residing in highly urbanized areas with lower socioeconomic status, particularly women, is brought into sharp focus.

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a severe impact on global health. Apart from the disease itself, the strict restrictions and lockdowns enforced to minimize its spread have also substantially disrupted personal and public health. Methods: An analysis of forensic autopsy investigations was conducted between 2019 and 2022 on a selected urban population in Colombo, Sri Lanka, assessing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality within these communities. Results: During the COVID-19 restrictions, there was a 2.5-fold increase in the total number of deaths, with a significantly higher percentage of female deaths than before. The majority of these deaths were due to cardiovascular causes, while COVID-19-related deaths ranked third overall. The highest proportion of COVID-19 deaths occurred among unvaccinated females. The monthly frequency of deaths from traffic accidents, poisoning, and asphyxiation decreased, while deaths from blunt trauma, sharp trauma, burns, and immersion increased. There was also a rise in blunt homicides and a greater number of femicides during the COVID-19 restrictions than in the pre-pandemic period. A significantly higher percentage of males who received the COVID-19 vaccine died from cardiovascular causes compared to those in the unvaccinated group. Conclusion: The significant changes in mortality demographics and causes of death within this community during the COVID-19 restrictions underscore the disruption in healthcare, healthseeking behavior, and social interactions during this period. The vulnerability of individuals residing in highly urbanized areas with lower socioeconomic status, particularly women, is brought into sharp focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease is the sixth most common cause of death in the United States (U.S.), with one in three adults 65 years of age and older dying of the disease each year. Deaths from Alzheimer's have more than doubled between 2000 and 2019, killing more adults than both breast cancer and prostate cancer. In 2021, Alzheimer's disease resulted in 36 deaths per 100,000 in the U.S. In Mississippi, deaths from Alzheimer's have almost doubled between 2011 and 2021, resulting in 52.9 deaths per 100,000. Women have a higher mortality rate from Alzheimer's than men. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease that develops through seven stages. There are effective strategies to prevent the onset of Alzheimer's. Methods: This paper reviews the risk factors, mortality trends, etiology, and prognosis of Alzheimer's in Mississippi with a focus on prevention. Results: The southern diet with foods high in sugar and sodium, along with sedentary and poor lifestyle choices, increases mortality risk from Alzheimer's disease for women in Mississippi, specifically due to women over 65 having higher rates of obesity and hypertension. Conclusion: Understanding the epidemiology and risk factors of Alzheimer's in Mississippi will help inform communities, policies, and programs to prevent disease occurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a theoretical and empirical regression model to measure the efficacy of vaccinations in reducing COVID death rates across states over the 3/10/21 to 12/28/22 period. During that period, it was estimated that the availability of vaccinations resulted in a reduction of 427,000 COVID deaths in the nation. To arrive at that estimate, other covariants were held constant. In particular, it was found that chronic disease should be included as an explanatory variable to arrive at unbiased measures of the efficacy of vaccinations in reducing deaths. In addition, the percentage of people over the age of 65 was found to be highly significant. The only ethnic/racial characteristic that was significant in explaining COVID deaths was the percentage of American Indians/Alaska Natives residing in a state. Other ethnic/racial characteristics, as well as variables representing population, density, governmental stringency, and income, were not significant over the period tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction Social determinants of health (SDH) negatively affected Coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) outcomes within the five boroughs of New York City. The goal of this study was to determine whether differences in social demographics within the borough of Staten Island, compared with the other four boroughs, may have contributed to poor COVID‐19 outcomes in Staten Island. Methods Data were obtained from public data sources. Social demographics obtained included age, household income, poverty status, and education level. COVID‐19 infection, hospitalization, and death rates reported from Staten Island were compared with rates from Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx (February 29, 2020–October 31, 2022). Mean differences in case rates of COVID‐19 were higher in Staten Island compared to all four boroughs. Results Mean differences in hospitalization and death rates were higher than Manhattan but similar to the other four boroughs. Within Staten Island, case rates were highest in zip codes 10306 and 10309. Hospitalization and death rates were highest in Staten Island zip code 10304. We found that the zip codes of Staten Island with poorer COVID‐19 outcomes had more individuals with less than a high school degree, lower mean household income, higher proportion of households earning less than $25,000 a year, and a greater proportion of individuals using public transportation. Conclusion Differences in COVID‐19 infection, hospitalization, and death rates exist between the five boroughs and between the 12 zip codes within Staten Island. These differences in COVID‐19 outcomes can be attributed to different SDH.

Abstract Background National mortality statistics are based on a single underlying cause of death. This practice does not adequately represent the impact of the range of conditions experienced in an ageing population in which multimorbidity is common. Methods We propose a new method for weighting the percentages of deaths attributed to different causes that takes account of the patterns of associations among underlying and contributing causes of death. It is driven by the data and unlike previously proposed methods does not rely on arbitrary choices of weights which can over-emphasise the contribution of some causes of death. The method is illustrated using Australian mortality data for people aged 60 years or more. Results Compared to the usual method based only on the underlying cause of death the new method attributes higher percentages of deaths to conditions like diabetes and dementia that are frequently mentioned as contributing causes of death, rather than underlying causes, and lower percentages to conditions to which they are closely related such as ischaemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. For some causes, notably cancers, which are usually recorded as underlying causes with few if any contributing causes the new method produces similar percentages to the usual method. These different patterns among groups of related conditions are not apparent if arbitrary weights are used. Conclusion The new method could be used by national statistical agencies to produce additional mortality tables to complement the current tables based only on underlying causes of death.

The purpose of this investigation is to estimate the global disease burden attributable to low physical activity (PA) in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019 by age, sex, and Socio-Demographic Index (SDI). Detailed information on global deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to low PA were collected from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The ideal exposure scenario of PA was defined as 3000-4500 metabolic equivalent minutes per week and low PA was considered to be less than this threshold. Age-standardization was used to improve the comparison of rates across locations or between time periods. In 2019, low PA seems to contribute to 0.83 million [95% uncertainty interval (UI) 0.43 to 1.47] deaths and 15.75 million (95% UI 8.52 to 28.62) DALYs globally, an increase of 83.9% (95% UI 69.3 to 105.7) and 82.9% (95% UI 65.5 to 112.1) since 1990, respectively. The age-standardized rates of low-PA-related deaths and DALYs per 100,000 people in 2019 were 11.1 (95% UI 5.7 to 19.5) and 198.4 (95% UI 108.2 to 360.3), respectively. Of all age-standardized DALYs globally in 2019, 0.6% (95% UI 0.3 to 1.1) may be attributable to low PA. The association between SDI and the proportion of age-standardized DALYs attributable to low PA suggests that regions with the highest SDI largely decreased their proportions of age-standardized DALYs attributable to low PA during 1990-2019, while other regions tended to have increased proportions in the same timeframe. In 2019, the rates of low-PA-related deaths and DALYs tended to rise with increasing age in both sexes, with no differences between males and females in the age-standardized rates. An insufficient accumulation of PA across the globe occurs together with a considerable public health burden. Health initiatives to promote PA within different age groups and countries are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed a meta‐analysis to evaluate the oncological results in women with wound complications following mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction. A systematic literature search up to August 2022 was performed and 1618 subjects with mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction at the baseline of the studies; 443 of them were with wound complications, and 1175 were with no wound complications as a control. Odds ratio (OR) and mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the oncological results in women with wound complications following mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction using dichotomous or contentious methods with a random or fixed‐effect model. The wound complications had a significantly longer length of time to adjuvant therapy (MD, 9.44; 95% CI, 4.07–14.82, P <.001) compared with no wound complications in subjects with mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction. However, no significant difference was found between wound complications and no wound complications in subjects with mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction in breast cancer recurrence (OR, 1.96; 95% CI, 0.95–4.06, P =.07), death rates (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 0.89–4.27, P =.09), and kind of immediate breast reconstruction (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.53–1.92, P =.98). The wound complications had a significantly longer length of time to adjuvant, however, no significant difference was found in breast cancer recurrence, death rates, and kind of immediate breast reconstruction. The analysis of outcomes should be done with caution even though no low sample size was found in the meta‐analysis but a low number of studies was found in certain comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: National mortality statistics are based on a single underlying cause of death. This practice does not adequately represent the impact of the range of conditions experienced in an ageing population in which multimorbidity is common. Methods: We propose a new method for weighting the percentages of deaths attributed to different causes that takes account of the patterns of associations among underlying and contributing causes of death. It is driven by the data and unlike previously proposed methods does not rely on arbitrary choices of weights which can over-emphasise the contribution of some causes of death. The method is illustrated using Australian mortality data for people aged 60 years or more. Results: Compared to the usual method based only on the underlying cause of death the new method attributes higher percentages of deaths to conditions like diabetes and dementia that are frequently mentioned as contributing causes of death, rather than underlying causes, and lower percentages to conditions to which they are closely related such as ischaemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. For some causes, notably cancers, which are usually recorded as underlying causes with few if any contributing causes the new method produces similar percentages to the usual method. These different patterns among groups of related conditions are not apparent if arbitrary weights are used. Conclusion: The new method could be used by national statistical agencies to produce additional mortality tables to complement the current tables based only on underlying causes of death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this investigation is to estimate the global disease burden attributable to low physical activity (PA) in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019 by age, sex, and Socio-Demographic Index (SDI). Detailed information on global deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to low PA were collected from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The ideal exposure scenario of PA was defined as 3000-4500 metabolic equivalent minutes per week and low PA was considered to be less than this threshold. Age-standardization was used to improve the comparison of rates across locations or between time periods. In 2019, low PA seems to contribute to 0.83 million [95% uncertainty interval (UI) 0.43 to 1.47] deaths and 15.75 million (95% UI 8.52 to 28.62) DALYs globally, an increase of 83.9% (95% UI 69.3 to 105.7) and 82.9% (95% UI 65.5 to 112.1) since 1990, respectively. The age-standardized rates of low-PA-related deaths and DALYs per 100,000 people in 2019 were 11.1 (95% UI 5.7 to 19.5) and 198.4 (95% UI 108.2 to 360.3), respectively. Of all age-standardized DALYs globally in 2019, 0.6% (95% UI 0.3 to 1.1) may be attributable to low PA. The association between SDI and the proportion of age-standardized DALYs attributable to low PA suggests that regions with the highest SDI largely decreased their proportions of age-standardized DALYs attributable to low PA during 1990-2019, while other regions tended to have increased proportions in the same timeframe. In 2019, the rates of low-PA-related deaths and DALYs tended to rise with increasing age in both sexes, with no differences between males and females in the age-standardized rates. An insufficient accumulation of PA across the globe occurs together with a considerable public health burden. Health initiatives to promote PA within different age groups and countries are urgently needed.

Background. The incidence of COVID-19 novel coronavirus infection has a wave-like pattern with surges in new cases followed by declines. Viral mutations, changes in viral properties, and new strains continue to emerge and are regularly reported.The aim of the study is to present a comparative analysis of clinical and epidemiological characteristics of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 during different periods of the coronavirus infection pandemic in Moscow.Materials and methods. A two-center, retrospective observational epidemiological study was performed using medical records of patients hospitalized with the confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 in Moscow from March 2020 to March 2022 (34,354 patients).Results. Within 2 years of the pandemic, there were significant differences in the age structure of hospitalized patients. During the early months (March–June 2020) of the pandemic, age groups of 18–45 and 46–65 yearolds accounted for higher percentages of hospitalizations. Later on (July 2020 – February 2021), the proportion of older age groups demonstrated an upward trend. From spring 2021 (the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 delta strain) to March 2022 (dominance of the omicron strain), the proportion of hospitalized working-age adults increased once again.The proportion of severe and critically severe cases among the patients hospitalized during different periods remained at steady levels: 7.7% (6.6–8.8%) and 5.5% (4.4–6.6%), respectively. The highest death rates were observed during the delta strain surge, while the lowest death rates were reported for the omicron strain. Throughout the pandemic, the older age and chronic diseases remained risk factors contributing to the severity of the disease and adverse outcomes.Conclusion. The emergence of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 causing a shift of the need for hospitalization towards younger age groups, the persistent high rates of severe cases and death rates among people of retirement age are pressing for the unfailing readiness for implementing preventive and epidemic control measures focusing on the above groups of population.

We analyze the progression of COVID-19 in the United States over a nearly one-year period beginning March 1, 2020 with a novel metric motivated by queueing models, tracking partial-average day-of-event and cumulative probability distributions for events, where events are points in time when new cases and new deaths are reported. The partial average represents the average day of all events preceding a point of time, and is an indicator as to whether the pandemic is accelerating or decelerating in the context of the entire history of the pandemic. The measure supplements traditional metrics, and also enables direct comparisons of case and death histories on a common scale. We also compare methods for estimating actual infections and deaths to assess the timing and dynamics of the pandemic by location. Three example states are graphically compared as functions of date, as well as Hong Kong as an example that experienced a pronounced recent wave of the pandemic. In addition, statistics are compared for all 50 states. Over the period studied, average case day and average death day varied by two to five months among the 50 states, depending on data source, with the earliest averages in New York and surrounding states, as well as Louisiana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Each year, the American Cancer Society estimates the numbers of new cancer cases and deaths in the United States and compiles the most recent data on population‐based cancer occurrence and outcomes using incidence data collected by central cancer registries and mortality data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics. In 2023, 1,958,310 new cancer cases and 609,820 cancer deaths are projected to occur in the United States. Cancer incidence increased for prostate cancer by 3% annually from 2014 through 2019 after two decades of decline, translating to an additional 99,000 new cases; otherwise, however, incidence trends were more favorable in men compared to women. For example, lung cancer in women decreased at one half the pace of men (1.1% vs. 2.6% annually) from 2015 through 2019, and breast and uterine corpus cancers continued to increase, as did liver cancer and melanoma, both of which stabilized in men aged 50 years and older and declined in younger men. However, a 65% drop in cervical cancer incidence during 2012 through 2019 among women in their early 20s, the first cohort to receive the human papillomavirus vaccine, foreshadows steep reductions in the burden of human papillomavirus‐associated cancers, the majority of which occur in women. Despite the pandemic, and in contrast with other leading causes of death, the cancer death rate continued to decline from 2019 to 2020 (by 1.5%), contributing to a 33% overall reduction since 1991 and an estimated 3.8 million deaths averted. This progress increasingly reflects advances in treatment, which are particularly evident in the rapid declines in mortality (approximately 2% annually during 2016 through 2020) for leukemia, melanoma, and kidney cancer, despite stable/increasing incidence, and accelerated declines for lung cancer. In summary, although cancer mortality rates continue to decline, future progress may be attenuated by rising incidence for breast, prostate, and uterine corpus cancers, which also happen to have the largest racial disparities in mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth most common cause of death in the United States (U.S.), with one in three adults 65 years of age and older dying of the disease each year. Deaths from Alzheimer’s have more than doubled between 2000 and 2019, killing more adults than both breast cancer and prostate cancer. In 2021, Alzheimer’s disease resulted in 36 deaths per 100,000 in the U.S. In Mississippi, deaths from Alzheimer’s have almost doubled between 2011 and 2021, resulting in 52.9 deaths per 100,000. Women have a higher mortality rate from Alzheimer’s than men. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that develops through seven stages. There are effective strategies to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s. Methods: This paper reviews the risk factors, mortality trends, etiology, and prognosis of Alzheimer’s in Mississippi with a focus on prevention. Results: The southern diet with foods high in sugar and sodium, along with sedentary and poor lifestyle choices, increases mortality risk from Alzheimer’s disease for women in Mississippi, specifically due to women over 65 having higher rates of obesity and hypertension. Conclusion: Understanding the epidemiology and risk factors of Alzheimer’s in Mississippi will help inform communities, policies, and programs to prevent disease occurrence.

Voluminous vaccine campaigns have been used globally, since the COVID-19 pandemic has brought devastating mortality and destructively unprecedented consequences to different aspects of economies. This study aimed to identify how the numbers of new deaths and new cases per million changed after half of the population had been vaccinated. This paper used actual pandemic consequence variables (death and infected rates) together with vaccination uptake rates from 127 countries to shed new light on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. The 50% uptake rate was chosen as the threshold to estimate the real benefits of vaccination campaigns for reducing COVID-19 infection and death cases using the difference-in-differences (DiD) imputation estimator. In addition, a number of control variables, such as government interventions and people's mobility patterns during the pandemic, were also included in the study. The number of new deaths per million significantly decreased after half of the population was vaccinated, but the number of new cases did not change significantly. We found that the effects were more pronounced in Europe and North America than in other continents. Our results remain robust after using other proxies and testing the sensitivity of the vaccinated proportion. We show the causal evidence of significantly lower death rates in countries where half of the population is vaccinated globally. This paper expresses the importance of vaccine campaigns in saving human lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its results can be used to communicate the benefits of vaccines and to fight vaccine hesitancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundEarly in the COVID-19 pandemic, it became apparent that members of marginalized populations and immigrants were also at risk of being hospitalized and dying more frequently from COVID-19. To examine how the pandemic affected underserved and marginalized populations, we analyzed data on changes in the number of deaths among people with and without Swiss citizenship during the first and second SARS-CoV-2 waves.MethodWe analyzed the annual number of deaths from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office from 2015 to 2020, and weekly data from January 2020 to May 2021 on deaths of permanent residents with and without Swiss citizenship, and we differentiated the data through subdivision into age groups.ResultsPeople without Swiss citizenship show a higher increase in the number of deaths in 2020 than those who were Swiss citizens. The increase in deaths compared to the previous year was almost twice as high for people without Swiss citizenship (21.8%) as for those with it (11.4%). The breakdown by age group indicates that among people between the ages of 64 and 75, those without Swiss citizenship exhibited an increase in mortality (21.6%) that was four times higher than that for people with Swiss citizenship (4.7%).ConclusionThis study confirms that a highly specialized health care system, as is found in Switzerland, does not sufficiently guarantee that all parts of the population will be equally protected in a health crisis such as COVID-19.

Racial/ethnic disparities have been found in the incidence, treatment, and outcomes of penile cancer; however, there is a need for evaluation in recent years. We investigated penile cancer-specific mortality, incidence, and place of death trends in the United States between 1999 and 2020. Overall penile cancer-specific mortality and incidence increased, indicating a need for improvements in penile cancer treatment and screening. Penile cancer is rare in the United States (US); however, disparities have been found in the incidence, treatment, and outcomes of penile cancer. There is a need for evaluation of recent trends in penile cancer mortality, incidence, and place of death across all demographics. Using the CDC WONDER database, penile cancer-specific mortality (PNCSM) trends in the US were evaluated from 1999 to 2020 by race/ethnicity, age group, census region, and place of death. Penile cancer incidence trends for the US from 1995 to 2019 were gathered from the NAACCR database. Average annual percent changes for mortality and incidence rates were determined using Joinpoint regression modeling. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to evaluate independent predictors associated with place of death. From 1999 to 2020, 5833 people died from penile cancer in the US. Overall PNCSM increased by 1.8% per year from 1999-2020 (95% CI, 1.3%, 2.2%). Non-Hispanic White patients and Hispanic patients had increasing PNCSM rates from 1999-2020 (2.1 [95% CI, 1.5%, 2.7%]; 1.9 [95% CI, 1.0%, 2.8%], respectively). From the place of death analysis, Hispanic patients were at higher odds of dying at home or hospice when compared to non-Hispanic White patients (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.19, P =.045). Age-adjusted incidence rates for all stages of penile cancer increased significantly from 1995-2016 (AAPC, 0.7% [95% CI, 0.4%, 1.0%]), driven by regional and distant penile cancer incidence rates (AAPC 1995-2019, regional: 2.0% [95% CI, 1.7%, 2.4%]; AAPC 1995-2019, distant: 2.5% [95% CI, 1.8%, 3.1%]). The increasing penile cancer-specific mortality and incidence rates indicate the need for further improvements in screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Widespread efforts across all demographics are needed to ensure early detection of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Each year, the American Cancer Society estimates the numbers of new cancer cases and deaths in the United States and compiles the most recent data on population‐based cancer occurrence and outcomes. Incidence data (through 2018) were collected by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program; the National Program of Cancer Registries; and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. Mortality data (through 2019) were collected by the National Center for Health Statistics. In 2022, 1,918,030 new cancer cases and 609,360 cancer deaths are projected to occur in the United States, including approximately 350 deaths per day from lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death. Incidence during 2014 through 2018 continued a slow increase for female breast cancer (by 0.5% annually) and remained stable for prostate cancer, despite a 4% to 6% annual increase for advanced disease since 2011. Consequently, the proportion of prostate cancer diagnosed at a distant stage increased from 3.9% to 8.2% over the past decade. In contrast, lung cancer incidence continued to decline steeply for advanced disease while rates for localized‐stage increased suddenly by 4.5% annually, contributing to gains both in the proportion of localized‐stage diagnoses (from 17% in 2004 to 28% in 2018) and 3‐year relative survival (from 21% to 31%). Mortality patterns reflect incidence trends, with declines accelerating for lung cancer, slowing for breast cancer, and stabilizing for prostate cancer. In summary, progress has stagnated for breast and prostate cancers but strengthened for lung cancer, coinciding with changes in medical practice related to cancer screening and/or treatment. More targeted cancer control interventions and investment in improved early detection and treatment would facilitate reductions in cancer mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses the Value of Statistical Life (VSL) literature to weigh the costs and benefits of non-pharmaceutical interventions of the U.S. COVID-19 stay-at-home orders that affected 92 percent of the U.S. workforce at their peak in April 2020. We calculate the prevaccine COVID-19 infection fatality rate to have been 0.85 percent. We find that the stay-at-home orders saved most likely about 71,000 lives and led to a net benefit to the United States of 1.7 percent of GDP after accounting for lives saved and drops in workforce participation. Through October 31, 2021, the VSL of U.S. lives lost to COVID-19 was over $8.4 trillion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, COVD-19 has made millions of death worldwide. When reviewing the death rate, we encountered a very notable difference in death rate of Iran and Iraq, which are two neighboring countries. Investigating the COVID-19 risk factors, parameters, such as ethnicity and vaccination, do not appear not to be affecting our observation. We also could not find important differences in mortality rate being under-reported in the two countries. In this letter, we tried to discuss the possible effect of Iraq pre-COVID-19 mass gatherings on the death rate. The authors would like to highlight the effect of immune system on COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro conservation is recognized as one promising tool in conserving plant genetic resources like gladiolus when grown in the tropics. The study was conducted at the Indonesian Ornamental Crops Research Institute (IOCRI) from February 2016 to August 2018. A complete factorial experiment was set up to establish the combination of gladiolus cultivars and media compositions treatments for in vitro conservation. The results showed that the trends of plantlet survival rate and viability in every 4 months’ observation of both cultivars were similar. The highest plantlet death rate was detected during 12 – 16 months. After 24 months of storage, the differences in plantlet survival and viability were observed. Gladiolus ‘Nafa’ had higher plantlet survivals and viability than ‘Kaifa’. In respect to nutrient and sucrose concentration, full nutrient strength preserved 5% higher plantlet survival and viability than ½ MS. While media contained sucrose 90 g/l also supported plantlet survival and viability for more than 20% and 17%, respectively than lower sucrose media.

Objectives To examine whether racial/ethnic differences in mortality rates have changed in recent years among adults in late midlife, and if so, how. Methods We analyze Health and Retirement Study data on non-Hispanic Whites (Whites), non-Hispanic Blacks (Blacks), and English- and Spanish-speaking Hispanics (Hispanic-English and Hispanic-Spanish), aged 50–64 from 2 periods: 1998–2004 (Period 1, n = 8,920) and 2004–2010 (Period 2, n = 7,224). Using survey-generalized linear regression techniques, we model death-by-end-of-period as a function of race/ethnicity and sequentially adjust for a series of period-specific baseline risk factors including demographics, health status, health insurance, health behaviors, and social networks. Regression decomposition techniques are used to assess the contribution of these factors to observed racial/ethnic differences in mortality rates. Results The odds ratio for death (ORD) was not statistically different for Blacks (vs. Whites) in Period 1 but was 33% higher in Period 2 (OR = 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05–1.69). The adjusted ORD among Hispanic-English (vs. Whites) was not statistically different in both periods. The adjusted ORD among Hispanic-Spanish (vs. Whites) was lower (ORD = 0.36; 95% CI = 0.22–0.59) in Period 1 but indistinguishable in Period 2. In Period 1, 50.1% of the disparity in mortality rates among Blacks was explained by baseline health status, 53.1% was explained by financial factors. In Period 2, 55.8% of the disparity in mortality rates was explained by health status, 40.0% by financial factors, and 16.2% by health insurance status. Discussion Mortality rates among Blacks and Hispanic-Spanish have risen since the mid-1990s. Hispanic-Spanish may be losing their advantageous lower risk of mortality, long known as the "Hispanic Paradox." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to identify older adult malnutrition in Texas, examine county-level characteristics associated with crude malnutrition death rates, and describe assets and opportunities available to address and improve malnutrition among the older population. Design: Secondary data analysis using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's WONDER online database, the U.S. Census 2014–2018 American Community Survey, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Access Research Atlas data. Setting: All 254 counties in the state of Texas. Participants: Individuals aged 65 years and older. Measurement: The dependent variable was the proportion of county-level malnutrition crude death rates. Independent variables included Health Provider Shortage Area designations, rurality, poverty status, food access, age, race, ethnicity, and education. Results: The overall malnutrition crude death rate in Texas was 65.6 deaths per 100,000 older Texans, ranging from 0 to 414.46 deaths per 100,000 depending on the county. Higher malnutrition crude death rates were associated with non-metropolitan counties (P=0.018), lower education (P=0.047), greater household poverty (P=0.010), and low food access (P<0.001). Conclusion: Socioeconomic disadvantages at the county-level appear to be one of the root causes of malnutrition crude death rates in Texas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Life expectancy is one of the most informative indicators of population health and development. Its stability, which has been observed over time, has made the prediction andforecasting of life expectancy an appealing area of study. However, predicted or estimatedvalues of life expectancy do not tell us about age-specific mortality. Objective: Reliable estimates of age-specific mortality are essential in the study of health inequalities, well-being and to calculate other demographic indicators. This task comes with several difficulties, including a lack of reliable data in many populations. Models that relate levels of life expectancy to a full age-specific mortality profile are therefore important but scarce. Methods: We propose a deep neural networks (DNN) model to derive age-specific mortality fromobserved or predicted life expectancy by leveraging deep-learning algorithms akin to demography's indirect estimation techniques. Results: Out-of-sample validation was used to validate the model, and the predictive performanceof the DNN model was compared with two state-of-the-art models. The DNN model provides reliable estimates of age-specific mortality for the United States, Italy, Japan, and Russia using data from the Human Mortality Database. Contribution: We show how the DNN model could be used to estimate age-specific mortality for countries without age-specific data using neighbouring information or populations with similar mortality dynamics. We take a step forward among demographic methods, offering a multi-population indirect estimation based on a data driven-approach, that can be fitted to many populations simultaneously, using DNN optimisation approaches.

The scale of impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on society and the economy globally provides a strong incentive to thoroughly analyze the efficiency of healthcare systems in dealing with the current pandemic and to obtain lessons to prepare healthcare systems to be better prepared for future pandemics. In the absence of a proven vaccine or cure, non-pharmaceutical interventions including social distancing, testing and contact tracing, isolation, and wearing of masks are essential in the fight against the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. We use data envelopment analysis and data compiled from Worldometers and The World Bank to analyze how efficient the use of resources were to stabilize the rate of infections and minimize death rates in the top 36 countries that represented 90% of global infections and deaths out of 220 countries as of November 11, 2020. This is the first paper to model the technical efficiency of countries in managing the COVID-19 pandemic by modeling death rates and infection rates as undesirable outputs using the approach developed by You and Yan. We find that the average efficiency of global healthcare systems in managing the pandemic is very low, with only six efficient systems out of a total of 36 under the variable returns to scale assumption. This finding suggests that, holding constant the size of their healthcare systems (because countries cannot alter the size of a healthcare system in the short run), most of the sample countries showed low levels of efficiency during this time of managing the pandemic; instead it is suspected that most countries literally “threw” resources at fighting the pandemic, thereby probably raising inefficiency through wasted resource use.

Air pollution is the deterioration of the natural composition of air by products that are formed as a result of various chemical processes. This deterioration adversely affects biological diversity and natural life. Air pollutants which cause air pollution have negative effects on human health depending on their exposure time, concentration and chemical properties. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the levels of sulfur dioxide, which is one of the molecules that cause air pollution, on deaths in the city center of Kırklareli. The research sample has been constituted of 1381 non-contagious natural death cases between the ages of 18-85, which took place on the dates between 01.02.2014 and 31.01.2019 in the city center of Kırklareli. Data about sulfur dioxide (SO2) levels were obtained from the air quality monitoring network website of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization. Determination of the distribution of sulfur dioxide levels by months in stated dates and their relation with the number of deaths have been carried out by using SPSS 22.0 software. It is obviously seen from the research results that although the sulfur dioxide (SO2) levels in some months between 2014 and 2019 were above the limit value set by the World Health Organization (WHO), the annual averages remained below those limit values. The evaluation, interpretation and comparison of the relationship between the changes in the number of deaths by years and the annual average sulfur dioxide levels have been accomplished by considering these limit values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Each year, the American Cancer Society estimates the numbers of new cancer cases and deaths in the United States and compiles the most recent data on population-based cancer occurrence. Incidence data (through 2017) were collected by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program; the National Program of Cancer Registries; and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. Mortality data (through 2018) were collected by the National Center for Health Statistics. In 2021, 1,898,160 new cancer cases and 608,570 cancer deaths are projected to occur in the United States. After increasing for most of the 20th century, the cancer death rate has fallen continuously from its peak in 1991 through 2018, for a total decline of 31%, because of reductions in smoking and improvements in early detection and treatment. This translates to 3.2 million fewer cancer deaths than would have occurred if peak rates had persisted. Long-term declines in mortality for the 4 leading cancers have halted for prostate cancer and slowed for breast and colorectal cancers, but accelerated for lung cancer, which accounted for almost one-half of the total mortality decline from 2014 to 2018. The pace of the annual decline in lung cancer mortality doubled from 3.1% during 2009 through 2013 to 5.5% during 2014 through 2018 in men, from 1.8% to 4.4% in women, and from 2.4% to 5% overall. This trend coincides with steady declines in incidence (2.2%-2.3%) but rapid gains in survival specifically for nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). For example, NSCLC 2-year relative survival increased from 34% for persons diagnosed during 2009 through 2010 to 42% during 2015 through 2016, including absolute increases of 5% to 6% for every stage of diagnosis; survival for small cell lung cancer remained at 14% to 15%. Improved treatment accelerated progress against lung cancer and drove a record drop in overall cancer mortality, despite slowing momentum for other common cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Europe overall suffered greatly in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic but the impact of different countries varied. Italy was in the forefront, but there too there were differences, with the Lombardy region the epicentre of the pandemic.Methods: We report Crude Mortality Rates (CMRs) from deaths reported as due to COVID-19 and, in five countries where age-specific data are available, Standardized Mortality Rates (SMRs) in the European Union and United Kingdom.Results: As of 30th August 2020, Belgium was the country with the highest cumulative CMR (86.3/100,000), but the Lombardy region reached almost double this figure (167.6/100,000), far ahead of the corresponding figure for the rest of Italy at 37.0/100,000. SMRs could be calculated for five countries (Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Germany, and Netherlands). Among them, Sweden had the highest SMR (61.6/100,000). The corresponding figures for Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Germany were 50.2, 41.4, 15.9, and 10.1 per 100,000, respectively.Conclusion: It is clear that countries within Europe have performed very differently in their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the many limitations in the available data must be addressed before a definitive assessment of the reasons for these differences can be made.

We conducted a comparative historical study to interrogate Professor Peter Doherty's warning to Australians in April 2020 that 'COVID-19 is just as lethal as the Spanish flu'. We identified the epicentres of both pandemics, namely, metropolitan Sydney in 1919 and metropolitan Melbourne in 2020 and compared the lethality of the Spanish Flu and COVID-19 in these two cities. Lethality was measured by the number and rate of hospital admissions, death rates, age-specific death rates and age-standardised mortality rates (ASMRs). Using these measures, we demonstrated the strikingly different waves of infection, their severity at various points in time and the cumulative impact of the viruses by the end of our study period, i.e., 30 September in 1919 and 2020. Hospital admissions and deaths from the Spanish Flu in 1919 were more than 30 times higher than those for COVID-19 in 2020. The ASMR per 100,000 population for the Spanish Flu was 383 compared to 7 for COVID-19: The former was about 55 times higher than the latter. These results suggest that the Spanish Flu was more lethal than COVID-19. Professor Doherty's warning was perhaps taken seriously and that partly explains the findings of this study. Containing infection in 1919 and 2020 threw the burden on nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as 'protective sequestration' (quarantine), contact tracing, lockdowns and masks. It is likely that the persistent and detailed contact tracing scheme provides the best possible explanation for why NPIs in 2020 were more effective than in 1919 and therefore contributed to the lower lethality of the COVID-19 pandemic in its first year.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is exacting a disproportionate toll on ethnic minority communities and magnifying existing disparities in health care access and treatment. To understand this crisis, physicians and public health researchers have searched history for insights, especially from a great outbreak approximately a century ago: the 1918 influenza pandemic. However, of the accounts examining the 1918 influenza pandemic and COVID-19, only a notable few discuss race. Yet, a rich, broader scholarship on race and epidemic disease as a "sampling device for social analysis" exists. This commentary examines the historical arc of the 1918 influenza pandemic, focusing on black Americans and showing the complex and sometimes surprising ways it operated, triggering particular responses both within a minority community and in wider racial, sociopolitical, and public health structures. This analysis reveals that critical structural inequities and health care gaps have historically contributed to and continue to compound disparate health outcomes among communities of color. Shifting from this context to the present, this article frames a discussion of racial health disparities through a resilience approach rather than a deficit approach and offers a blueprint for approaching the COVID-19 crisis and its afterlives through the lens of health equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an earlier study, we had observed an inverse correlation between death rates due to COVID-19 and influenza, suggesting cross-immunity. We examine virus surveillance data further to identify the key subtype of influenza virus that seems to give such cross-immunity. This is identified as the H1N1 strain and we show that a country where this strain was recently dominant has much lower COVID-19 mortality rates. It is possible to argue that many countries which already have a high burden of influenza and pneumonia-related deaths, may have a substantial fraction of the population immune to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and hence experience lower mortality rates at the peak typical of exponentially growing epidemics. This has implication on policies appropriate for managing the epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Current guidelines recommend a 10-year interval between screening colonoscopies, but evidence is limited.Objective: To assess the long-term risk for colorectal cancer (CRC) and death from CRC after a high- and low-quality single negative screening colonoscopy.Design: Observational study.Setting: Polish Colonoscopy Screening Program.Participants: Average-risk individuals aged 50 to 66 years who had a single negative colonoscopy (no neoplastic findings).Measurements: Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) of CRC after high- and low-quality single negative screening colonoscopy. High-quality colonoscopy included a complete examination, with adequate bowel preparation, performed by endoscopists with an adenoma detection rate of 20% or greater.Results: Among 165 887 individuals followed for up to 17.4 years, CRC incidence (0.28 [95% CI, 0.25 to 0.30]) and mortality (0.19 [CI, 0.16 to 0.21]) were 72% and 81% lower, respectively, than in the general population. High-quality examination resulted in 2-fold lower CRC incidence (SIR, 0.16 [CI, 0.13 to 0.20]) and mortality (SMR, 0.10 [CI, 0.06 to 0.14]) than low-quality examination (SIR, 0.32 [CI, 0.29 to 0.35]; SMR, 0.22 [CI, 0.18 to 0.25]). In multivariable analysis, the hazard ratios for CRC incidence after high-quality versus low-quality colonoscopy were 0.55 (CI, 0.35 to 0.86) for 0 to 5 years, 0.54 (CI, 0.38 to 0.77) for 5.1 to 10 years, and 0.46 (CI, 0.25 to 0.86) for 10 to 17.4 years. Only after high-quality colonoscopy did the SIR and SMR for 10.1 to 17.4 years of follow-up not differ compared with earlier observation periods.Limitation: The general population was used as the comparison group.Conclusion: A single negative screening colonoscopy was associated with reduced CRC incidence and mortality for up to 17.4 years. Only high-quality colonoscopy yielded profound and stable reductions in CRC incidence and mortality throughout the entire follow-up.Primary Funding Source: Polish Ministry of Health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

and Aims: No valid treatment or preventative strategy has evolved till date to counter the SARS CoV 2 (Novel Coronavirus) epidemic that originated in China in late 2019 and have since wrought havoc on millions across the world with illness, socioeconomic recession and death. This analysis was aimed at tracing a trend related to death counts expected at the 5th and 6th week of the COVID-19 in India. Validated database was used to procure global and Indian data related to coronavirus and related outcomes. Multiple regression and linear regression analyses were used interchangeably. Since the week 6 death count data was not correlated significantly with any of the chosen inputs, an auto-regression technique was employed to improve the predictive ability of the regression model. A linear regression analysis predicted average week 5 death count to be 211 with a 95% CI: 1.31–2.60). Similarly, week 6 death count, in spite of a strong correlation with input variables, did not pass the test of statistical significance. Using auto-regression technique and using week 5 death count as input the linear regression model predicted week 6 death count in India to be 467, while keeping at the back of our mind the risk of over-estimation by most of the risk-based models. According to our analysis, if situation continue in present state; projected death rate (n) is 211 and467 at the end of the 5th and 6th week from now, respectively. • This analysis was aimed at tracing a trend related to death counts expected at the 5th and 6th week of the COVID-19 in India. • If situation continue in present state; projected death rate (n) is 211 and 467 at the end of the 5th and 6th week from now, respectively. • Keeping these projected mortality data in mind, current measured for containment of COVID-19 must be strengthened or supplemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro conservation is recognized as one promising tool in conserving plant genetic resources like gladiolus when grown in the tropics. The study was conducted at the Indonesian Ornamental Crops Research Institute (IOCRI) from February 2016 to August 2018. A complete factorial experiment was set up to establish the combination of gladiolus cultivars and media compositions treatments for in vitro conservation. The results showed that the trends of plantlet survival rate and viability in every 4 months' observation of both cultivars were similar. The highest plantlet death rate was detected during 12 - 16 months. After 24 months of storage, the differences in plantlet survival and viability were observed. Gladiolus 'Nafa' had higher plantlet survivals and viability than 'Kaifa'. In respect to nutrient and sucrose concentration, full nutrient strength preserved 5% higher plantlet survival and viability than½ MS. While media contained sucrose 90 g/l also supported plantlet survival and viability for more than 20% and 17%, respectively than lower sucrose media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Each year, the American Cancer Society estimates the numbers of new cancer cases and deaths that will occur in the United States and compiles the most recent data on population-based cancer occurrence. Incidence data (through 2016) were collected by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program; the National Program of Cancer Registries; and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. Mortality data (through 2017) were collected by the National Center for Health Statistics. In 2020, 1,806,590 new cancer cases and 606,520 cancer deaths are projected to occur in the United States. The cancer death rate rose until 1991, then fell continuously through 2017, resulting in an overall decline of 29% that translates into an estimated 2.9 million fewer cancer deaths than would have occurred if peak rates had persisted. This progress is driven by long-term declines in death rates for the 4 leading cancers (lung, colorectal, breast, prostate); however, over the past decade (2008-2017), reductions slowed for female breast and colorectal cancers, and halted for prostate cancer. In contrast, declines accelerated for lung cancer, from 3% annually during 2008 through 2013 to 5% during 2013 through 2017 in men and from 2% to almost 4% in women, spurring the largest ever single-year drop in overall cancer mortality of 2.2% from 2016 to 2017. Yet lung cancer still caused more deaths in 2017 than breast, prostate, colorectal, and brain cancers combined. Recent mortality declines were also dramatic for melanoma of the skin in the wake of US Food and Drug Administration approval of new therapies for metastatic disease, escalating to 7% annually during 2013 through 2017 from 1% during 2006 through 2010 in men and women aged 50 to 64 years and from 2% to 3% in those aged 20 to 49 years; annual declines of 5% to 6% in individuals aged 65 years and older are particularly striking because rates in this age group were increasing prior to 2013. It is also notable that long-term rapid increases in liver cancer mortality have attenuated in women and stabilized in men. In summary, slowing momentum for some cancers amenable to early detection is juxtaposed with notable gains for other common cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Trapping design influences information collected about wildlife populations and biodiversity. Trapping is also resource-intensive and has animal welfare implications. Aims: The scientific, financial and ethical performances of three trap designs were compared for estimating diversity and sampling small vertebrates. Methods: Small vertebrates were trapped over 16 trapping sessions, from April 2009 to May 2011, with aluminium box-style (Elliott) traps and two pitfall trap designs (shallow–wide and deep–narrow), in an arid environment. Key results: Shallow pitfalls recorded highest overall species richness (S = 22) and diversity (qD = 10.622), reptile diversity (qD = 8.112) and reptile capture rates (13.600 individuals per 100 trap nights). Shallow and deep pitfalls sampled ~79.0% and 85.0% (respectively) more small mammals than did Elliott traps. Deep pitfalls sampled the greatest diversity (qD = 6.017) and number (29.700 individuals per 100 trap nights) of small mammals, and captured the greatest number of small mammal species (0.003) and individuals (0.106) per dollar. Shallow pitfalls were the most cost-efficient trap type for sampling reptile species (0.003) and individuals (0.044) per dollar. Between-session recapture rates were greatest in Elliott traps, indicating an increased likelihood of biased capture rates for certain small mammal species over time. Elliott traps were the least efficient traps on most scientific and cost measures, and recorded the greatest overall recapture rates, particularly for Sminthopsis crassicaudata and S. macroura. Body size of one species only, the nationally threatened Pseudomys australis , influenced its capture rate, with larger individuals more likely to be caught in deep pitfalls. Mortality was highest in pitfalls and mostly related to interactions between animals caught in the same trap. Key conclusions: Shallow pitfalls are suitable for studies focused on estimating species richness, and reptile diversity and abundance. Deep pitfalls are cost-effective for sampling small mammals. Ethical issues associated with pitfalls could be managed by checking traps more often at night, and/or including materials that provide increased protection from predators caught in the same trap, particularly during periods of high abundance. Implications: Trap design profoundly influences cost-effectiveness and welfare outcomes of wildlife research. We provide a tool to assist cost-benefit related decisions. Trap design affects cost-effectiveness and welfare outcomes of wildlife research. We evaluated cost-effectiveness of Elliott, and deep and shallow pitfall traps, in view of their scientific and ethical outcomes. Deep pitfalls were most effective for sampling small mammals, but had the highest death rates; shallow pitfalls were most effective for reptiles, and Elliott traps were the least cost-effective trap overall. We provide information to assist cost-benefit related-decisions. Photograph by Helen P. Waudby. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As our capacity to collect and store health data is increasing, a new challenge of transforming data into meaningful information for disease monitoring and surveillance has arisen. The aim of this study was to explore the potential of using livestock mortality and antibiotic consumption data as a proxy for detecting disease outbreaks at herd level. Changes in the monthly records of mortality and antibiotic consumption were monitored in Danish swine herds that became positive for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and porcine pleuropneumonia. Laboratory serological results were used to identify herds that changed from a negative to a positive status for the diseases. A dynamic linear model with a linear growth component was used to model the data. Alarms about state changes were raised based on forecast errors, changes in the growth component, and the values of the retrospectively smoothed values of the growth component. In all cases, the alarms were defined based on credible intervals and assessed prior and after herds got a positive disease status. The number of herds with alarms based on mortality increased by 3% in the 3 months prior to laboratory confirmation of PRRS-positive herds (Se = 0.47). A 22% rise in the number of weaner herds with alarms based on the consumption of antibiotics for respiratory diseases was found 1 month prior to these herds becoming PRRS-positive (Se = 0.22). For porcine pleuropneumonia-positive herds, a 10% increase in antibiotic consumption for respiratory diseases in sow herds was seen 1 month prior to a positive result (Se = 0.5). Monitoring changes in mortality data and antibiotic consumption showed changes at herd level prior to and in the same month as confirmation from diagnostic tests. These results also show a potential value for using these data streams as part of surveillance strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neonatal mortality is a significant contributor to infant mortality. Causes and predictors of neonatal death are known to vary in different settings and across different contexts. This study aimed to assess predictors, causes, and trends of neonatal mortality amongst neonates admitted to Nekemte Referral Hospital neonatal unit between 2010–2014. Methods: Retrospective data was collected for 2090 live born neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Nekemte Referral Hospital by reviewing records between 2010 to 2014. Variables were collected from the neonatal registration book and patient card on the predictors, causes, and trends of neonatal death using a standard checklist developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Data was analyzed using Epi info version 3.5.1, and SPSS version 25 for windows. The level of significance was set at P<0.05 with the corresponding confidence intervals at 95%. A logistic regression model was used for analysis and to control for confounders. Microsoft Excel 2007 was used to construct the trend analysis. Results: There were 183 deaths in the cohort equivalent to 8.8% of deaths among total admitted neonates during the study period. Early neonatal deaths accounted for 8% and late neonatal deaths accounted for 0.71% of deaths among total admitted neonates. Main predictors identified for an increased risk of neonatal mortality were; neonates from rural residents [AOR 1.35, (95% CI, 1.35–1.87)], birth order of greater than five [AOR 5.10, (95% CI, 1.15–22.63)], home delivery [AOR 3.41, (95% CI, 2.24–5.19)], very low birth weight [AOR 6.75, (95% CI, 3.63–12.54)] and low birth weight [AOR 2.81, (95% CI, 1.95–4.05)] and inability to cry at birth [AOR 2.21, (95% CI, 1.51–3.22)]. The trend analysis showed a sharp fall for the neonatal mortality over the last five years with a mean reduction of 16%. Conclusions: Data from the Nekemte Referral Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit analysis revealed majority of the deaths were occurred during early neonatal period. The main predictors of neonatal mortality identified from this study needs strengthening an appropriate public health intervention through addressing antenatal care, curbing home delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]