Abstract
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) can respond to a civil conflict only if that conflict first enters the Council's agenda. Some conflicts reach the Council's agenda within days ...after they start, others after years (or even decades), and some never make it. So far, only a few studies have looked at the crucial UNSC agenda-setting stage, and none have examined agenda-setting speed. To fill this important gap, we develop and test a novel theoretical framework that combines insights from realist and constructivist theory with lessons from institutionalist theory and bargaining theory. Applying survival analysis to an original dataset, we show that the parochial interests of the permanent members (P-5) matter, but they do not determine the Council's agenda-setting speed. Rather, P-5 interests are constrained by normative considerations and concerns for the Council's organizational mission arising from the severity of a conflict (in terms of spillover effects and civilian casualties); by the interests of the widely ignored elected members (E-10); and by the degree of preference heterogeneity among both the P-5 and the E-10. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of how the United Nations (UN) works, and they have implications for the UN's legitimacy.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The global type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) epidemic threatens progress made in reducing tuberculosis (TB)-related mortality worldwide. Previous clinical studies have not fully evaluated potential ...confounding variables in addressing the impact of DM on TB treatment outcomes. The antidiabetic agent metformin regulates autophagy and may play a role as a host-directed therapeutic adjuvant to antitubercular treatment.
We conducted a retrospective cohort study comprising patients aged ≥13 years undergoing treatment for culture-confirmed, drug-susceptible pulmonary TB. We assessed the effect of DM on mortality during TB treatment and 2-month TB sputum-culture conversion. We also evaluated the effect of metformin use on survival during TB treatment.
Among 2416 patients undergoing TB treatment, after adjusting for age, sex, chronic kidney disease, cancer, hepatitis C, tobacco use, cavitary disease, and treatment adherence, patients with DM had 1.91 times higher odds (95% confidence interval CI, 1.51-2.40) of death during TB treatment than patients without DM, and 1.72 (95% CI, 1.25-2.38) times higher odds of remaining culture-positive at 2 months. Metformin use in patients with DM was significantly associated with decreased mortality during TB treatment (hazard ratio, 0.56 95% CI, .39-.82), and metformin users had similar mortality as patients without DM.
This study suggests that despite multiple potential confounding variables, DM poses an increased risk of adverse TB treatment outcomes. There was a significant association between metformin use and decreased mortality during TB treatment, suggesting a potential role for this agent as adjunctive, host-directed therapy.
Household contacts of patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) often have latent TB infection, and are at risk of progression to disease. We set out to investigate whether index TB case HIV ...status was linked to a higher probability of latent TB infection among household contacts.
Data were collected prospectively from participants in the intervention arm of a household cluster-randomised trial in two South Africa provinces (Mangaung, Free State, and Capricorn, Limpopo). In intervention group households, TB contacts underwent HIV testing and tuberculin skin testing (TST). TST induration was estimated at two cut-offs (≥5mm, ≥10mm). Multilevel Bayesian regression models estimated posterior distributions of the percentage of household contacts with TST induration ≥5mm and ≥10mm by age group, and compared the odds of latent TB infection by key risk factors including HIV status index case age and study province.
A total of 2,985 household contacts of 924 index cases were assessed, with most 2,725 (91.3%) undergoing TST. HIV prevalence in household contacts was 14% and 10% in Mangaung and Capricorn respectively. Overall, 16.8% (458/2,725) had TST induration of ≥5mm and 13.1% (359/2,725) ≥10mm. In Mangaung, children aged 0-4 years had a high TST positivity prevalence compared to their peers in Capricorn (22.0% vs. 7.6%, and 20.5% vs. 2.3%, using TST thresholds of ≥5mm and ≥10mm respectively). Compared to contacts from Capricorn, household contacts living in Mangaung were more likely to have TST induration ≥5mm (odds ratio OR: 3.08, 95% credibility interval CI: 2.13-4.58) and ≥10mm (OR: 4.52, 95% CI: 3.03-6.97). There was a 90% and 92% posterior probability that the odds of TST induration ≥5mm (OR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.56-1.14) and ≥10mm (OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.53-1.10) respectively were lower in household contacts of HIV-positive compared to HIV-negative index cases.
High TST induration positivity, especially among young children and people living in Mangaung indicates considerable TB transmission despite high antiretroviral therapy coverage. Household contact of HIV-positive index TB cases were less likely to have evidence of latent TB infection than contacts of HIV-negative index cases.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Current approaches are unlikely to achieve the aggressive global tuberculosis (TB) control targets set for 2035 and beyond. Active case finding (ACF) may be an important tool for augmenting existing ...strategies, but the cost-effectiveness of ACF remains uncertain. Program evaluators can often measure the cost of ACF per TB case detected, but how this accessible measure translates into traditional metrics of cost-effectiveness, such as the cost per disability-adjusted life year (DALY), remains unclear.
We constructed dynamic models of TB in India, China, and South Africa to explore the medium-term impact and cost-effectiveness of generic ACF activities, conceptualized separately as discrete (2-year) campaigns and as continuous activities integrated into ongoing TB control programs. Our primary outcome was the cost per DALY, measured in relationship to the cost per TB case actively detected and started on treatment.
Discrete campaigns costing up to $1,200 (95% uncertainty range UR 850-2,043) per case actively detected and started on treatment in India, $3,800 (95% UR 2,706-6,392) in China, and $9,400 (95% UR 6,957-13,221) in South Africa were all highly cost-effective (cost per DALY averted less than per capita gross domestic product). Prolonged integration was even more effective and cost-effective. Short-term assessments of ACF dramatically underestimated potential longer term gains; for example, an assessment of an ACF program at 2 years might find a non-significant 11% reduction in prevalence, but a 10-year evaluation of that same intervention would show a 33% reduction.
ACF can be a powerful and highly cost-effective tool in the fight against TB. Given that short-term assessments may dramatically underestimate medium-term effectiveness, current willingness to pay may be too low. ACF should receive strong consideration as a basic tool for TB control in most high-burden settings, even when it may cost over $1,000 to detect and initiate treatment for each extra case of active TB.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Although there is ample evidence that smoking increases the risk of tuberculosis (TB), the magnitude of impact on TB risk among HIV-infected persons is poorly described. Given that a high proportion ...of patients with TB are co-infected with HIV in South Africa, the risks arising from the intersection of smoking, TB, and HIV/AIDS have key relevance for tobacco control policies.
To evaluate the association of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) with current tobacco smoking among men with HIV in South Africa.
Case-control study of antiretroviral therapy naïve men with confirmed HIV-infection in Johannesburg. Cases had laboratory-confirmed PTB and controls had no evidence of active TB. Participants were interviewed to collect detailed smoking histories.
We enrolled 146 men diagnosed with PTB and 133 controls. Overall, 33% of participants were currently smoking, defined as smoking a cigarette within 2 months (34% cases vs. 32% controls, p = 0.27). Median CD4 count was lower (60 vs. 81 cells/mm3, P = 0.03) and median viral load was higher (173 vs. 67 copies/ul per thousand, P<0.001) among cases versus controls. In adjusted analyses, current smoking tripled the odds of PTB (aOR 3.2; 95%CI: 1.3-7.9, P = 0.01) and former smoking nearly doubled the odds of PTB (aOR 1.8; 95%CI 0.8-4.4, P = 0.18) compared to never smoking.
Males with HIV that smoke are at greater odds for developing PTB than non-smokers. Extensive smoking cessation programs are needed to reduce odds of TB and promote health among adults living with HIV.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The importance of high-incidence "hotspots" to population-level tuberculosis (TB) incidence remains poorly understood. TB incidence varies widely across countries, but within smaller geographic areas ...(e.g., cities), TB transmission may be more homogeneous than other infectious diseases. We constructed a steady-state compartmental model of TB in Rio de Janeiro, replicating nine epidemiological variables (e.g., TB incidence) within 1 % of their observed values. We estimated the proportion of TB transmission originating from a high-incidence hotspot (6.0% of the city's population, 16.5% of TB incidence) and the relative impact of TB control measures targeting the hotspot vs. the general community. If each case of active TB in the hotspot caused 0.5 secondary transmissions in the general community for each within-hotspot transmission, the 6.0% of people living in the hotspot accounted for 35.3% of city-wide TB transmission. Reducing the TB transmission rate (i.e., number of secondary infections per infectious case) in the hotspot to that in the general community reduced city-wide TB incidence by 9.8% in year 5, and 29.7% in year 50—an effect similar to halving time to diagnosis for the remaining 94% of the community. The importance of the hotspot to city-wide TB control depended strongly on the extent of TB transmission from the hotspot to the general community. High-incidence hotspots may play an important role in propagating TB epidemics. Achieving TB control targets in a hotspot containing 6% of a city's population can have similar impact on citywide TB incidence as achieving the same targets throughout the remaining community.
Mobile phone-based messaging support and biomarker feedback independently show evidence of increasing an individual's likelihood of quitting smoking. However, the combination of these two strategies ...to facilitate smoking cessation has not been adequately explored.
We conducted a randomized controlled trial in Baltimore, Maryland, to assess the efficacy of COach2Quit, a smartphone application that provides exhaled carbon monoxide readings with message support. The primary outcome was self-reported and biochemically verified smoking cessation at 30-day follow-up. Secondary outcomes were reduction in smoking, motivation to quit, and engagement and satisfaction with COach2Quit. An intention-to-treat analysis was conducted.
Adult smokers were randomized 1:1 to receive brief advice and COach2Quit (intervention, n = 50) or brief advice only (control, n = 52). Thirteen participants were lost to follow-up. At 30-day follow-up, one participant in each arm quit smoking. Median change in carbon monoxide levels (in parts per million (ppm)) (intervention: -3.0 interquartile range (IQR) -12.0, 2.0; control: -2.5 IQR -9.0, 2.0) and median change in number of cigarettes smoked per day (intervention: -5.5 IQR -14.0, -1.0; control: -6.0 IQR -10.0, -2.0) was similar between study arms. There was no significant difference in mean percent change in the Reasons for Quitting scale score (intervention: 6.3 95% confidence interval = -2.2% to 14.8%; control: -3.6 95% confidence interval = -9.2% to 2.1%). A majority (n = 32, 91%) of participants liked having COach2Quit to help them quit smoking.
There were no significant differences in smoking cessation, smoking reduction, and motivation to quit between study arms. However, high satisfaction with the COach2Quit application indicates its feasibility and acceptability as a smoking cessation tool.
Smoking is the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Although counseling and pharmacotherapy are efficacious for smoking cessation, they are not easily accessible or desirable to all smokers, highlighting the need for identifying other interventions. There is evidence for the efficacy of mobile phone-based messaging support for smoking cessation. However, there is limited research on the efficacy of biomarker feedback, much less interventions that combine these two approaches. This research contributes to filling this gap and identifying novel interventions to facilitate smoking cessation.
Timely descriptions of HIV service characteristics and their evolution over time across diverse settings are important for monitoring the scale-up of evidence-based program strategies, understanding ...the implementation landscape, and examining service delivery factors that influence HIV care outcomes.
The International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) consortium undertakes periodic cross-sectional surveys on service availability and care at participating HIV treatment sites to characterize trends and inform the scientific agenda for HIV care and implementation science communities. IeDEA's 2020 general site assessment survey was developed through a consultative, 18-month process that engaged diverse researchers in identifying content from previous surveys that should be retained for longitudinal analyses and in developing expanded and new content to address gaps in the literature. An iterative review process was undertaken to standardize the format of new survey questions and align them with best practices in survey design and measurement and lessons learned through prior IeDEA site assessment surveys.
The survey questionnaire developed through this process included eight content domains covered in prior surveys (patient population, staffing and community linkages, HIV testing and diagnosis, new patient care, treatment monitoring and retention, routine HIV care and screening, pharmacy, record-keeping and patient tracing), along with expanded content related to antiretroviral therapy (differentiated service delivery and roll-out of dolutegravir-based regimens); mental health and substance use disorders; care for pregnant/postpartum women and HIV-exposed infants; tuberculosis preventive therapy; and pediatric/adolescent tuberculosis care; and new content related to Kaposi's sarcoma diagnostics, the impact of COVID-19 on service delivery, and structural barriers to HIV care. The survey was distributed to 238 HIV treatment sites in late 2020, with a 95% response rate.
IeDEA's approach for site survey development has broad relevance for HIV research networks and other priority health conditions.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The goal of this study was to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis from the public health system perspective, comparing five strategies for Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI) diagnosis in primary ...health care workers in Brazil.
Analytical model for decision making, characterized by cost-effectiveness analysis.
Primary Care Level, considering primary health care workers in Brazil.
An analytical model for decision making, characterized by a tree of probabilities of events, was developed considering a hypothetical cohort of 10,000 primary health care workers, using the software TreeAge Pro™ 2013 to simulate the clinical and economic impacts of new diagnostic technology (QuantiFERON®-TB Gold in-Tube) versus the traditional tuberculin skin test.
This model simulated five diagnostic strategies for LTBI in primary health care workers (HCW) in Brazil: tuberculin skin testing using ≥5 mm cut-off, tuberculin skin testing ≥10 mm cut-off, QuantiFERON®-TB Gold in-Tube, tuberculin skin testing using ≥5 mm cut-off confirmed by QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube if TST positive, tuberculin skin testing using ≥10 mm cut-off confirmed by QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube if TST positive.
The outcome measures are the number of individuals correctly classified by the test and the number of Tuberculosis cases avoided.
The most cost-effective strategy was the tuberculin skin test considering ≥10mm cut-off. The isolated use of the QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube revealed the strategy of lower efficiency with incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of US$ 146.05 for each HCW correctly classified by the test.
The tuberculin skin test using ≥10 mm cut-off was the most cost-effective strategy in the diagnosis of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in primary health care works in Brazil.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Twenty-three percent of people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, PWH) die within 6 months of hospital discharge. We tested the hypothesis whether a series of structured home visits could reduce ...mortality.
We designed a disease neutral home visit package with up to 6 home visits starting 1-week post-hospitalization and every 2 weeks thereafter. The home visit team used a structured assessment algorithm to evaluate and triage social and medical needs of the participant and provide nutritional support. We compared all-cause mortality 6 months following discharge for the intervention compared to usual care in a pilot randomized trial conducted in South Africa. To inform potential scale-up we also included and separately analyzed a group of people without HIV (PWOH).
We enrolled 125 people with HIV and randomized them 1:1 to the home visit intervention or usual care. Fourteen were late exclusions because of death prior to discharge or delayed discharge leaving 111 for analysis. The median age was 39 years, 31% were men; and 70% had advanced HIV disease. At 6 months among PWH 4 (7.3%) in the home visit arm and 10 (17.9%) in the usual care arm (P = .09) had died. Among the 70 PWOH enrolled overall 6-month mortality was 10.1%. Of those in the home visit arm, 91% received at least one home visit.
We demonstrated feasibility of delivering post-hospital home visits and demonstrated preliminary efficacy among PWH with a substantial, but not statistically significant, effect size (59% reduction in mortality). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related challenges resulted in under-enrollment.
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