•We nested a measles and rubella serological survey in a vaccination coverage survey.•Measles and rubella immunity was significantly higher than expected by vaccination.•Study revealed immunity gap ...in young adults and risk of congenital rubella syndrome.•Adding serology to a survey leveraged resources and provided complementary information.
Serological surveys can potentially complement vaccine coverage surveys, such as post-vaccination campaign coverage evaluation surveys (PCES), by providing direct information on population immunity within and outside the target age range of the mass vaccination campaign. We estimate age-specific population immunity to measles and rubella viruses in Southern Province, Zambia, and assess the value of adding serological data to vaccination coverage estimates by nesting a serological survey within a PCES.
Dried blood spots (DBS) from fingerprick blood were collected from all individuals ages nine months or older in households participating in the PCES and tested for measles and rubella virus-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) by enzyme immunoassay (Siemens Enzygnost, Marburg, Germany).
Overall seroprevalence was 95.5% (95% CI: 92.8, 97.2) for measles virus-specific IgG and 97.7% (95% CI: 96.0, 98.7) for rubella virus-specific IgG. Rubella seroprevalence was 98.4% (95% CI: 95.9, 99.4) among children eligible for the MR vaccination campaign, significantly higher than the reported measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign coverage of 89.8% (p = 0.003), and higher than the 91.3% rubella seroprevalence for adolescents and adults 16–30 years of age (p = 0.049).
Seroprevalence to measles and rubella viruses in children younger than 16 years of age was significantly higher than expected from vaccination coverage estimates, likely reflecting exposure to wild-type viruses and underreporting of vaccination. The serosurvey revealed rubella immunity gaps among women 16–30 years of age, precisely the age group in which protection from rubella is most important to prevent congenital rubella syndrome. Nesting serological surveys within existing surveys can leverage resources and infrastructure while providing complementary information important to immunization programs.
In this paper, we analyze the paid labor force participation rates and continuity patterns of rural farm, rural nonfarm, and urban women. Specifically, we trace the labor force participation of a ...panel of approximately 800 women in Nebraska from 1977 to 1985. This paper has a twofold purpose. First, we examine changes in the work status of the cohort of Nebraska women during the farm crisis years. Second, we identify individual factors influencing labor force participation and continuity, contrasting all three residential groups of women. A loglinear model isolates differences in participation rates for rural and urban women as well as for rural farm and rural nonfarm women during the 1977, 1981, and 1985 panel years. A discriminant analysis then ascertains the nonlinear relationships in women's work histories for the same time period. A comparison of continuous, discontinuous, and nonparticipatory labor force patterns illustrates that rural women, and farm women in particular, entered the wage labor force in disproportionate numbers during the farm crisis years. The farm crisis provides a framework for discussing accelerated participation rates and changes in the effects of individual human capital characteristics. Increases in participation rates are most evident among married farm women with dicontinuous part-time work histories. Over the three data points, the effect of preschool children on labor work force participation was attenuated for farm women and higher education levels became less salient in predicting labor force participation rates for both rural and urban women
The WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) gene encodes a tumor suppressor. We have previously shown that targeted ablation of the Wwox gene in mouse increases the incidence of spontaneous and ...chemically induced tumors. To investigate WWOX function in vivo, we examined Wwox-deficient (Wwox-/-) mice for phenotypical abnormalities. Wwox-/- mice are significantly reduced in size, die at the age of 2-3 weeks, and suffer a metabolic disorder that affects the skeleton. Wwox-/- mice exhibit a delay in bone formation from a cell autonomous defect in differentiation beginning at the mineralization stage shown in calvarial osteoblasts ex vivo and supported by significantly decreased bone formation parameters in Wwox-/- mice by microcomputed tomography analyses. Wwox-/- mice develop metabolic bone disease, as a consequence of reduced serum calcium, hypoproteinuria, and hypoglycemia leading to increased osteoclast activity and bone resorption. Interestingly, we find WWOX physically associates with RUNX2, the principal transcriptional regulator of osteoblast differentiation, and on osteocalcin chromatin. We show WWOX functionally suppresses RUNX2 transactivation ability in osteoblasts. In breast cancer MDA-MB-242 cells that lack endogenous WWOX protein, restoration of WWOX expression inhibited Runx2 and RUNX2 target genes related to metastasis. Affymetrix mRNA profiling revealed common gene targets in multiple tissues. In Wwox-/- mice, genes related to nucleosome assembly and cell growth genes were down-regulated, and negative regulators of skeletal metabolism exhibited increased expression. Our results demonstrate an essential requirement for the WWOX tumor suppressor in postnatal survival, growth, and metabolism and suggest a central role for WWOX in regulation of bone tissue formation.
Abstract Objective To evaluate the relapse prevention efficacy of lurasidone compared with quetiapine XR (QXR) in adults patients with schizophrenia. Method This double-blind study evaluated the ...relapse prevention efficacy of 12 months of flexible-dose treatment with lurasidone (40–160 mg/day) compared with QXR (200–800 mg/day), in outpatients with an acute exacerbation of chronic schizophrenia who had recently completed a 6-week placebo-controlled trial of treatment with either lurasidone or QXR. The primary endpoint, time-to-relapse, was analyzed using a Cox proportional hazards model in this noninferiority trial. Results The Kaplan–Meier estimate of the probability of relapse over 12 months was 23.7% for subjects receiving lurasidone vs. 33.6% for QXR. The hazard ratio 95% CI for probability of relapse was 0.728 0.410, 1.295 (log-rank p = 0.280). Since the upper limit of the hazard ratio (1.295) was smaller than the prespecified noninferiority margin (1.93), noninferiority of lurasidone compared with QXR was demonstrated in this study. The probability of hospitalization at 12 months was lower for the lurasidone group compared with the QXR group (9.8% vs. 23.1%; log-rank p = 0.049). A significantly higher proportion of lurasidone subjects achieved remission at study endpoint compared with the QXR group (61.9% vs. 46.3%; p = 0.043). Discontinuation rates due to AEs were similar for lurasidone and QXR (7% vs. 5%). Treatment with lurasidone was not associated with clinically significant changes in weight or metabolic parameters. Conclusions Twelve months of treatment with lurasidone met noninferiority criteria, and was associated with higher rates of remission, and reduced risk of hospitalization compared with QXR. No clinically significant effects on weight or metabolic parameters were observed during maintenance treatment with lurasidone.
A combination of rigorous analysis and case material; this book is an essential guide to trade and industry developments in Central and Eastern Europe. Its scope encompasses globalization, the ...business strategies of MNCs, agriculture, services and the dynamics of innovation. It also considers the trading relationships of these countries with Russia as well as the influence of trade on the democratization of states formerly belonging to the USSR.
PDF
