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This article discusses a study that examines the relationship between clinical severity measures and patient-reported outcomes in individuals with atopic dermatitis (AD). The study used two measures, the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) and the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM), to assess clinical severity from both the perspective of the clinician and the patient. The findings indicate that there is a moderate correlation between EASI and POEM, but the correlation between POEM and quality of life (QoL) and psychological measures is consistently higher than that of EASI. The study suggests that patient-reported outcomes provide valuable information that complements clinical severity measures in understanding the impact of AD on patients' lives. [Extracted from the article]

The growing activity generated in digital communication platforms is raising new forms of relationship between organizations and their publics of interest. This has triggered, in turn, the production of a large amount of information, an explosion of data known as Big Data. In this new context, there is a need to study how the management of this huge amount of information faced in public relations, which is constantly generated at high speed and which requires even realtime management. In this work, we present a bibliographic review of the current state of research on the management of Big Data in Public Relations. The results showed a total 41 works. A content analysis of these works found that the activities of internal communications, media relations, crisis communications and issues management are the most related to massive data management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background In this study we propose improvements to the method of elaborating deprivation indexes. First, in the selection of the variables, we incorporated a wider range of both objective and subjective measures. Second, in the statistical methodology, we used a distance indicator instead of the standard aggregating method principal component analysis. Third, we propose another methodological improvement, which consists in the use of a more robust statistical method to assess the relationship between deprivation and health responses in ecological regressions. Methods We conducted an ecological small-area analysis based on the residents of the Metropolitan region of Barcelona in the period 1994–2007. Standardized mortality rates, stratified by sex, were studied for four mortality causes: tumor of the bronquial, lung and trachea, diabetes mellitus type II, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. Socioeconomic conditions were summarized using a deprivation index. Sixteen socio-demographic variables available in the Spanish Census of Population and Housing were included. The deprivation index was constructed by aggregating the above-mentioned variables using the distance indicator, DP2. For the estimation of the ecological regression we used hierarchical Bayesian models with some improvements. Results At greater deprivation, there is an increased risk of dying from diabetes for both sexes and of dying from lung cancer for men. On the other hand, at greater deprivation, there is a decreased risk of dying from breast cancer and lung cancer for women. We did not find a clear relationship in the case of prostate cancer (presenting an increased risk but only in the second quintile of deprivation). Conclusions We believe our results were obtained using a more robust methodology. First off, we have built a better index that allows us to directly collect the variability of contextual variables without having to use arbitrary weights. Secondly, we have solved two major problems that are present in spatial ecological regressions, i.e. those that use spatial data and, consequently, perform a spatial adjustment in order to obtain consistent estimators.

Global public health infrastructure is unprepared for emerging pathogen epidemics, in part because diagnostic tests are not developed in advance. The recent Zika, Ebola, and SARS-CoV-2 virus epidemics are cases in point. We demonstrate here that multicolored gold nanoparticles, when coupled to cross-reactive monoclonal antibody pairs generated from a single immunization regimen, can be used to create multiple diagnostics that specifically detect and distinguish related viruses. The multiplex approach for specific detection centers on immunochromatography with pairs of antibody-conjugated red and blue gold nanoparticles, coupled with clustering algorithms to detect and distinguish related pathogens. Cross-reactive antibodies were used to develop rapid tests for i) Dengue virus serotypes 1-4, ii) Zika virus, iii) Ebola and Marburg viruses, and iv) SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 viruses. Multiplexed rapid antigen tests based on multicolored nanoparticles and cross-reactive antibodies and can be developed prospectively at low cost to improve preparedness for epidemic outbreaks., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Lee Gehrke reports financial support was provided by National Institutes of Health (R33AI100190 and AI151807). Helena de Puig reports financial support was provided by Broshy Foundation. Helena de Puig reports financial support was provided by Tata Trusts. Lee Gehrke reports equipment, drugs, or supplies was provided by US Food and Drug Administration. Lee Gehrke reports a relationship with IDx20 that includes: consulting or advisory and equity or stocks. Irene Bosch reports a relationship with IDx20 that includes: board membership, employment, and equity or stocks. Nol Salcedo reports a relationship with IDx20 that includes: employment. Helena de Puig reports a relationship with IDx20 that includes: consulting or advisory. James Collins reports a relationship with Sherlock Biosciences that includes: board membership, consulting or advisory, and equity or stocks. Lee Gehrke has patent #9488613 issued to Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Irene Bosch, Kimberly Hamad-Schifferli, Helena de Puig has patent #9488613 issued to Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Lee Gehrke has patent #10551381 with royalties paid to Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Irene Bosch, Helena de Puig, Kimberly Hamad-Schifferli has patent #10551381 with royalties paid to Massachusetts Institute of Technology., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Background: The focus on laboratory-based diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) warrants alternative public health tools such as rapid antigen tests. While there are a number of commercially available antigen tests to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), all cross-react with the genetically similar SARS-CoV-1 or require an instrument for results interpretation., Methodology/principal Findings: We developed and validated rapid antigen tests that use pairs of murine-derived monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), along with gold nanoparticles, to detect SARS-CoV-2 with or without cross-reaction to SARS-CoV-1 and other coronaviruses. In this development, we demonstrate a robust antibody screening methodology for the selection of mAb pairs that can recognize SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins. Linear epitope mapping of the mAbs helped elucidate SARS-CoV-2 S and N interactions in lateral flow chromatography. A candidate rapid antigen test for SARS-CoV-2 N was validated using nasal swab specimens that were confirmed positive or negative by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Test results were image-captured using a mobile phone and normalized signal pixel intensities were calculated; signal intensities were inversely correlated to RT-PCR cycle threshold (Ct) value., Conclusion/significance: Overall, our results suggest that the rapid antigen test is optimized to detect SARS-CoV-2 N during the acute phase of COVID-19. The rapid antigen tests developed in this study are alternative tools for wide scale public health surveillance of COVID-19., Competing Interests: I have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests:NS, AR, ARG, IB and BBH are employed by or affiliated with E25Bio, Inc., a company that develops rapid diagnostic tests for fever causing infectious agents.

Human transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and emergent variants of concern continue to occur globally, despite mass vaccination campaigns. Public health strategies to reduce virus spread should therefore rely, in part, on frequent screening with rapid, inexpensive, and sensitive tests. We evaluated two digitally integrated rapid tests and assessed their performance using stored nasal swab specimens collected from individuals with or without COVID-19. An isothermal amplification assay combined with a lateral flow test had a limit of detection of 10 RNA copies per reaction, and a positive percent agreement (PPA)/negative percent agreement (NPA) during the asymptomatic and symptomatic phases of 100%/100% and 95.83/100%, respectively. Comparatively, an antigen-based lateral flow test had a limit of detection of 30,000 copies and a PPA/NPA during the asymptomatic and symptomatic phases of 82.86%/98.68% and 91.67/100%, respectively. Both the isothermal amplification and antigen-based lateral flow tests had optimized detection of SARS-CoV-2 during the peak period of transmission; however, the antigen-based test had reduced sensitivity in clinical samples with qPCR Ct values greater than 29.8. Low-cost, high-throughput screening enabled by isothermal amplification or antigen-based techniques have value for outbreak control.

While molecular assays, such as reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), have been widely used throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the technique is costly and resource intensive. As a means to reduce costs and increase diagnostic efficiency, pooled testing using RT-PCR has been implemented. However, pooling samples for antigen testing has not been evaluated. Here, we propose a proof-of-concept pooling strategy for antigen testing that would significantly expand SARS-CoV-2 surveillance, especially for low-to-middle income countries, schools, and workplaces. Our laboratory-based testing demonstrates that combining of up to 20 nasal swab specimens per pool can expand surveillance with antigen tests, even if a pool contains only one positive sample., Competing Interests: NS, AH, and BH are employed by E25Bio, Inc., a biotechnology company that develops diagnostic assays for fever-causing infectious diseases., (Copyright © 2021 Salcedo, Harmon and Herrera.)

Purpose: To report the results of a clinical study designed to evaluate the accuracy of the blinq pediatric vision scanner, which detects amblyopia and strabismus directly by means of retinal polarization scanning, unlike other vision screening devices, which infer possible disease based on detection of refractive risk factors., Methods: Subjects 1-20 years of age were prospectively enrolled in this cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy study with planned enrollment of 200. All enrolled subjects were tested by individuals masked to the diagnosis, followed by complete ophthalmologic examination by pediatric ophthalmologists masked to the screening result. Patients previously treated for amblyopia or strabismus were analyzed separately., Results: The study cohort comprised 193 subjects, 53 of whom had been previously treated, leaving 140 treatment-naïve subjects, including 65 (46%) with amblyopia or strabismus, 11 (8%) with risk factors/suspected binocular vision deficit without amblyopia/strabismus, and 64 (46%) controls. Sensitivity was 100%, with all 66 patients with referral-warranted ocular disease referred. Five patients with intermittent strabismus receiving pass results were deemed "acceptable pass" when considering patient risk factors and amblyogenic potential. Specificity was 91%, with 7 incorrect referrals. Subanalysis of children aged 2-8 years (n = 92) provided similar results (sensitivity 100%; specificity 89%)., Conclusions: In this study cohort, the blinq showed very high sensitivity and specificity for detecting referral-warranted unilateral amblyopia and strabismus. Implementation of the device in vision screening programs could lead to improved rates of disease detection and reduction in false referrals., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Since its 2013 emergence in the Americas, Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has posed a serious threat to public health. Early and accurate diagnosis of the disease, though currently lacking in clinics, is integral to enable timely care and epidemiological response. We developed a dual detection system: a CHIKV antigen E1/E2-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a lateral flow test using high-affinity anti-CHIKV antibodies. The ELISA was validated with 100 PCR-tested acute Chikungunya fever samples from Honduras. The assay had an overall sensitivity and specificity of 51% and 96.67%, respectively, with accuracy reaching 95.45% sensitivity and 92.03% specificity at a cycle threshold (Ct) cutoff of 22. As the Ct value decreased from 35 to 22, the ELISA sensitivity increased. We then developed and validated two lateral flow tests using independent antibody pairs. The sensitivity and specificity reached 100% for both lateral flow tests using 39 samples from Colombia and Honduras at Ct cutoffs of 20 and 27, respectively. For both lateral flow tests, sensitivity decreased as the Ct increased after 27. Because CHIKV E1/E2 are exposed in the virion surfaces in serum during the acute infection phase, these sensitive and specific assays demonstrate opportunities for early detection of this emerging human pathogen.

Background: Dengue virus (DENV) infections pose one of the largest global barriers to human health. The four serotypes (DENV 1-4) present different symptoms and influence immune response to subsequent DENV infections, rendering surveillance, risk assessments, and disease control particularly challenging. Early diagnosis and appropriate clinical management is critical and can be achieved by detecting DENV nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) in serum during the acute phase. However, few NS1-based tests have been developed that are capable of differentiating DENV serotypes and none are currently commercially available., Methodology/principle Findings: We developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to distinguish DENV-1-4 NS1 using serotype-specific pairs of monoclonal antibodies. A total of 1,046 antibodies were harvested from DENV-immunized mice and screened for antigen binding affinity. ELISA clinical performance was evaluated using 408 polymerase chain reaction-confirmed dengue samples obtained from patients in Brazil, Honduras, and India. The overall sensitivity of the test for pan-DENV was 79.66% (325/408), and the sensitivities for DENV-1-4 serotyping were 79.1% (38/48), 80.41% (78/97), 100% (45/45), and 79.6% (98/123), respectively. Specificity reached 94.07-100%., Significance: Our study demonstrates a robust antibody screening strategy that enabled the development of a serotype NS1-based ELISA with maximized specific and sensitive antigen binding. This sensitive and specific assay also utilized the most expansive cohort to date, and of which about half are from Latin America, a geographic region severely underrepresented in previous similar studies. This ELISA test offers potential enhanced diagnostics during the acute phase of infection to help guide patient care and disease control. These results indicate that this ELISA is a promising aid in early DENV-1-4 diagnosis and surveillance in regions of endemicity in addition to offer convenient monitoring for future vaccine interventions., Competing Interests: I.B., A.R., L.M., B.B.H., N.S., & L.G. are affiliated or employed by E25Bio Inc. (www.e25bio.com), a company that develops point-of-care diagnostics for fever-causing infectious agents.

Andes-to-Amazon river connectivity controls numerous natural and human systems in the greater Amazon. However, it is being rapidly altered by a wave of new hydropower development, the impacts of which have been previously underestimated. We document 142 dams existing or under construction and 160 proposed dams for rivers draining the Andean headwaters of the Amazon. Existing dams have fragmented the tributary networks of six of eight major Andean Amazon river basins. Proposed dams could result in significant losses in river connectivity in river mainstems of five of eight major systems-the Napo, Marañón, Ucayali, Beni, and Mamoré. With a newly reported 671 freshwater fish species inhabiting the Andean headwaters of the Amazon (>500 m), dams threaten previously unrecognized biodiversity, particularly among endemic and migratory species. Because Andean rivers contribute most of the sediment in the mainstem Amazon, losses in river connectivity translate to drastic alteration of river channel and floodplain geomorphology and associated ecosystem services.

Background: Malaria remains a worldwide public health concern and, in Colombia, despite the efforts to stop malaria transmission, the incidence of cases has increased over the last few years. In this context, it is necessary to evaluate vector diversity, infection rates, and spatial distribution, to better understand disease transmission dynamics. This information may contribute to the planning and development of vector control strategies., Results: A total of 778 Anopheles mosquitoes were collected in fifteen localities of Córdoba from August 2015 to October 2016. Six species were identified and overall, Anopheles albimanus was the most widespread and abundant species (83%). Other species of the Nyssorhynchus subgenus were collected, including Anopheles triannulatus (13%), Anopheles nuneztovari (1%), Anopheles argyritarsis (< 1%) and two species belonging to the Anopheles subgenus: Anopheles pseudopunctipennis (3%) and Anopheles neomaculipalpus (< 1%). Four species were found naturally infected with two Plasmodium species: Anopheles nuneztovari was detected naturally infected with Plasmodium falciparum and Anopheles pseudopunctipennis with Plasmodium vivax, whereas An. albimanus and An. triannulatus were found infected with both parasite species and confirmed by nested PCR., Conclusions: In general, the obtained results were contrasting with previous studies in terms of the most abundant and widespread collected species, and regarding infection rates, which were higher than those previously reported. A positive relationship between mosquito local abundance at the locality level and human infection at the municipality level was found. Mosquito local abundance and the number of houses with mosquitoes in each village are factors explaining malaria human cases in these villages. The obtained results suggest that other factors related to the apparent variation in malaria eco-epidemiology in northern Colombia, must be identified, to provide health authorities with better decision tools aiming to design control and prevention strategies.

Background: Self-rated health (SRH) is a powerful predictor of mortality, morbidity, and need for health services. SRH generally increases with educational level, and decreases with age, number of chronic conditions, and body mass index (BMI). Because human concentrations of most persistent organic pollutants (POPs) also vary by age, education, and BMI, and because of the physiological and clinical effects of POPs, we hypothesized that body concentrations of POPs are inversely associated with SRH., Objectives: To analyze the relation between serum concentrations of POPs and SRH in the general population of Catalonia, Spain, taking into account sociodemographic factors and BMI, as well as chronic health conditions and mental disorders, measured by the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12)., Methods: POP serum concentrations were measured by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection in 919 participants of the Catalan Health Interview Survey., Results: Individuals with higher concentrations of POPs had significantly poorer SRH; e.g., the median concentration of HCB in subjects with poor SRH was twice as high as in subjects with excellent SRH (366 ng/g vs. 169 ng/g, respectively; p-value<0.001). In crude models and in models adjusted for sex and BMI, the POPs-SRH association was often dose-dependent, and the likelihood of poor or regular SRH was 2 to 4-times higher in subjects with POP concentrations in the top quartile. In models adjusted for age or for chronic conditions virtually all ORs were near unity. No associations were found between POP levels and GHQ-12., Conclusions: Individuals with higher concentrations of POPs had significantly poorer SRH, an association likely due to age and chronic conditions, but not to sex, education, social class, BMI, or mental disorders., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study is one of a series designed to support Air Force leaders in promoting resilience among its Airmen, civilian employees, and Air Force family members. It examines the relationship between behavioral fitness and resilience, using key constructs found in the scientific literature that relate to sleep, alcohol use, and tobacco use. Supporting or increasing the levels of the key measures of behavioral fitness identified in this study may facilitate resilience and can protect Airmen, civilian employees, and Air Force families from the negative effects of conduct, routines, and habits that are detrimental to fitness. The study also reviews behavioral fitness construct measures and resilience outcomes as well as interventions designed to promote behavioral fitness.

Vibrio owensii is one of the most virulent vibrios known being able to kill crustacean larvae at 10(2) CFU ml(-1). This study describes virulence changes to naïve strains of Vibrio harveyi and Vibrio campbellii when infected with the bacteriophage VOB from a closely related species V. owensii 47666-1. The bacteriophage from V. owensii was induced into lytic phase by using mitomycin C at 100 ng ml(-1). One strain of V. harveyi and two strains of V. campbellii from 29 tested containing no prophage were susceptible to lysogenic conversion with VOB. Virulence changes induced in Harveyi clade bacteria included the up-regulation of protein secretion, statistically significant increased haemolysin and chitinase production and increased mortality to nauplii of Penaeus monodon. No change in siderophore production was observed. Bacteriophage VOB is likely to be responsible for some of the virulence factors expressed by V. owensii. As this bacteriophage is able to infect strains of V. harveyi and V. campbellii this phage may contribute to increased virulence of other vibrios in aquaculture and in the natural environment.

Over the last decade, U.S. military forces have been engaged in extended conflicts that are characterized by increased operational tempo, most notably in Iraq and Afghanistan. While most military personnel cope well across the deployment cycle, many will experience difficulties handling stress at some point; will face psychological health challenges, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression; or will be affected by the short- and long-term psychological and cognitive consequences of a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Over the past several years, the Department of Defense (DoD) has implemented numerous programs that address various components of psychological health along the resilience, prevention, and treatment continuum and focus on a variety of clinical and nonclinical concerns. This article provides detail from an evaluation of 211 programs currently sponsored or funded by DoD to address psychological health and TBI, along with descriptions of how programs relate to other available resources and care settings. It also provides recommendations for clarifying the role of programs, examining gaps in routine service delivery that could be filled by programs, and reducing implementation barriers. Barriers include inadequate funding and resources, concerns about the stigma associated with receiving psychological health services, and inability to have servicemembers spend adequate time in programs. The authors found that there is significant duplication of effort, both within and across branches of service. As each program develops its methods independently, it is difficult to determine which approaches work and which are ineffective. Recommendations include strategic planning, centralized coordination, and information-sharing across branches of service, combined with rigorous evaluation. Programs should be evaluated and tracked in a database, and evidence-based interventions should be used to support program efforts.