SEARCH · Search PubMed
Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
"A graphical method developed by Gabriel to display the rows and columns of a matrix is applied to tables of age- and period-specific cancer mortality rates. It is particularly useful when the pattern of age-specific rates changes with time. Trends in age-specific rates and changes in the age distribution are identified as projections. Three examples [from England and Wales] are given."
The consequences of population aging on the demand for institutional lodging will undoubtedly be considerable. The authors have estimated this future demand in relationship with the evolution of certain socio-demographic characteristics of tomorrow's elderly. Based on a multivariate analysis (logit model), their projections will demonstrate the need for an approach which takes into account the replacement of generations among the ranks of aged persons. In fact, in future the latter will be appreciably different from today's generations. Their sociodemographic characteristics will have an impact on the risk of living in an institution and, thus, on the proportion and the number of institutionalized elderly people. Furthermore, they will probably be in a position to be able to contribute towards a greater portion of the costs of institutional living. Certainly, the burden of institutionalization will be further weighed down by the arrival of the Baby Boomers into the 65 years and over age bracket. This article nevertheless distinguishes some significant nuances within the scope of this phenomenon.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
OBJECTIVE: Estimates of HIV prevalence in 1995 among all adults in Zimbabwe range between about 18% and 24%. The objective of this study was to estimate, for Zimbabwe, the impact of HIV infection on adult mortality, by age and gender, between 1995 and the year 2000. METHODS: For this analysis, we used 1992 census data to estimate the number of non-HIV-related deaths, and a short-term projection model to estimate the number of deaths attributed to HIV infection in 1995 and the year 2000. RESULTS: It was estimated that between 52% and 60% of all adult deaths in 1995 were attributed to HIV infection, and between 69% and 76% in both males and females in the group between 20 and 39 years of age. The estimated adult mortality rate per 1000 increased from 9.8 in 1987 (based on census data) to between 20.6 and 24.3 in 1995. For the year 2000, it was projected that between 66% and 73% of all adult deaths would be attributed to HIV infection, and between 81% and 86% in those aged 20 to 39 years. The estimated adult mortality rate in the year 2000 increased to between 29.1/1000 and 36.6/1000. Even if all transmission was assumed to cease after 1995, it was projected that >60% of adult deaths would be attributed to HIV in the year 2000. Adult population growth is projected to decrease to between 0.3% and 1.0% in the year 2000. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that the impact of HIV infection on mortality in Zimbabwe is already severe and will continue to increase. Efforts to reduce numbers of new HIV infections today will serve to reduce the future burden of mortality, particularly in the longer term.
Diabetes and its associated complications and risk factors have a higher prevalence among blacks than whites. To reduce the burden of diabetes within the black community, research is needed to assess the behavioral, social, and environmental correlates associated with this disproportionate burden. Because of some well known instances of historical exploitation and abuse from medical and public health research conducted in black communities, this population has little enthusiasm for additional research, despite pressing health needs. This paper describes the process used to eliminate barriers and enhance trust between the target community and the researchers conducting a population survey of diabetes in Wake County, North Carolina. A community advisory board was organized to (1) review the survey instruments and methodologies, (2) identify persons from the community to serve as interviewers, and (3) promote the survey using the major local communication channels. The response rate to both the household survey and the comprehensive medical exam was 77%. Eighty-one percent of eligible black respondents completed the household exam and 80% completed the comprehensive medical exam. Advantages of building collaborative relationships between the community and research team are discussed.
It has been suggested in the literature that cut-off points based on waist circumference (waist action levels) should replace cut-off points based on body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio in identifying subjects with overweight or obesity. In this article, we examine the sensitivity and specificity of the cut-off points when applied to 19 populations with widely different prevalences of overweight. Our design was a cross-sectional study based on random population samples. A total of 32,978 subjects aged 25-64 years from 19 male and 18 female populations participating in the second MONICA survey from 1987 to 1992 were included in this study. We found that at waist action level 1 (waist circumference > or =94 cm in men and > or =80 cm in women), sensitivity varied between 40% and 80% in men and between 51% and 86% in women between populations when compared with the cut-off points based on BMI (> or =25 kg/m2) and waist-to-hip ratio (> or =0.95 for men, > or =0.80 for women). Specificity was high (> or =90%) in all populations. At waist action level 2 (waist circumference > or =102 cm and > or =88 cm in men and women, respectively, BMI > or =30 kg/m2), sensitivity varied from 22% to 64% in men and from 26% to 67% in women, whereas specificity was >95% in all populations. Sensitivity was in general lowest in populations in which overweight was relatively uncommon, whereas it was highest in populations with relatively high prevalence of overweight. We propose that cut-off points based on waist circumference as a replacement for cut-off points based on BMI and waist-to-hip ratio should be viewed with caution. Based on the proposed waist action levels, very few people would unnecessarily be advised to have weight management, but a varying proportion of those who would need it might be missed. The optimal screening cut-off points for waist circumference may be population specific.
"In this study, cultural, economic as well as certain crucial demographic factors are considered as the determinants for projecting the average family size in rural India.... The Analytic Hierarchy Process [is used] to analyze influences of the factors which enter implicitly in a rural couple's decision-making to determine the number of children they want to have as time goes by. [The authors] did not attempt to make distinctions among the regional differences in rural India. The outcome projected in [this] analysis compares favorably with the results of other demographic studies."
The ventral part of the cat oral pontine reticular nucleus (vRPO) is the site in which microinjections of small dose and volume of cholinergic agonists produce long-lasting rapid eye movement sleep with short latency. The present study determined the precise location and proportions of the cholinergic brainstem neuronal population that projects to the vRPO using a double-labeling method that combines the neuronal tracer horseradish peroxidase-wheat germ agglutinin with choline acetyltransferase immunocytochemistry in cats. Our results show that 88.9% of the double-labeled neurons in the brainstem were located, noticeably bilaterally, in the cholinergic structures of the pontine tegmentum. These neurons occupied not only the pedunculopontine and laterodorsal tegmental nuclei, which have been described to project to other pontine tegmentum structures, but also the locus ceruleus complex principally the locus ceruleus alpha and peri-alpha, and the parabrachial nuclei. Most double-labeled neurons were found in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus and locus ceruleus complex and, much less abundantly, in the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus and the parabrachial nuclei. The proportions of these neurons among all choline acetyltransferase positive neurons within each structure were highest in the locus ceruleus complex, followed in descending order by the pedunculopontine and laterodorsal tegmental nuclei and then, the parabrachial nuclei. The remaining 11.1% of double-labeled neurons were found bilaterally in other cholinergic brainstem structures: around the oculomotor, facial and masticatory nuclei, the caudal pontine tegmentum and the praepositus hypoglossi nucleus. The disperse origins of the cholinergic neurons projecting to the vRPO, in addition to the abundant noncholinergic afferents to this nucleus may indicate that cholinergic stimulation is not the only or even the most decisive event in the generation of REM sleep.
After a discussion of the Brass logit model of age-specific mortality, the author proposes five new relational models of the age pattern of mortality. These models and related mathematical extensions of the conventional logit model are assessed as to "their applicability as model life table systems and projection tools of age patterns of mortality in time series. The results indicate that [the] relational models serve as useful demographic tools for estimation and projection besides [their] original use in analytical studies of aging and mortality processes." (SUMMARY IN ENG)
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
"The purpose of the present paper is to help elucidate the mechanisms and reasons behind demographic changes in Egypt during the century from 1882 to 1981 using the Box-Jenkins time series technique...." Projections of demographic and socioeconomic trends up to the year 2000 are also made.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Evolution of a filamentous bacterial population was monitored on four wastewater treatment pilot plants subject to stresses which have consisted of oxygen deficiencies and/or loading shocks. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to perform filaments identification and quantification. Results obtained on the different pilot plants have led us to conclude that independently of the nature of the stresses, a single filamentous bacteria species was involved in the increase of the sludge volume index associated to the filamentous growth. In addition, when serial stresses were used, substitutions in dominant filamentous populations occurred: if another filament began to proliferate it caused the regression of the one which was formerly dominant.
This Issue Brief reviews surveys that provide estimates of the uninsured population in the United States. It includes a discussion of why the estimates from the various surveys differ. It is important to understand the differences in the estimates of the uninsured population. The projected cost of implementing policy proposals depends on the estimates of the number of people affected by the proposals; for instance, the allocation of funding for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) depends heavily on the available estimates. In addition, the estimated effectiveness of policy proposals to reduce the uninsured population will be accurate only if the correct count is known and the precise make-up of the uninsured population is understood. Currently, seven surveys can be used to make nationally representative estimates of the number of people without health insurance coverage. Some of the surveys collect health insurance information in the context of obtaining general information on health care, while other surveys are focused on other topics such as labor force participation and public assistance program participation. The most widely used survey that collects information on health insurance coverage is the Current Population Survey (CPS), conducted by the Census Bureau. The most recent estimates from the CPS suggests that 44.3 million Americans were uninsured in 1998. Besides the CPS, a number of other surveys collect information on the uninsured population. They include the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), Community Tracking Study (CTS), Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), and the National Survey of America's Families (NSAF). Estimates of the uninsured from these surveys range from 19 million to 44 million and vary depending on the time frame the survey covers. A number of states have started to question the validity of the uninsured estimates from the CPS, and other surveys, because of the small sample size in many states. As a result, some states have begun to conduct their own surveys to determine the number of uninsured residents. States that regularly conduct their own surveys include Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Unfortunately, the various state surveys are not easily comparable. Research needs to continue to increase understanding of the differences among the surveys and to improve on methodologies to count the uninsured, as the future of public programs, such as S-CHIP and other state and local initiatives to expand health insurance coverage, depends on the accuracy of these estimates. Whatever survey is used, the results show that a substantial number of Americans do not have any health insurance coverage, and the number has been growing.
Unrealistic optimism may contribute to risky health practices and to a delay in seeking treatment for medical conditions, as most individuals perceive themselves to be at little risk for various disorders. It is thus an important concept to present to medical students as part of their behavioural sciences training. Social psychological concepts such as unrealistic optimism may appear, on initial presentation to students, to be a misjudgement based on faulty understanding of risk estimates by the general population. This project aimed to teach the principle of unrealistic optimism by having students document their own beliefs about health risks. Students rated their own risk, relative to other classmates, of experiencing a range of 17 health problems. Questionnaires were completed by two classes of medical students (n = 257). Class results showed varying levels of unrealistic optimism for all 17 conditions. Males and females differed significantly on three of the 17 conditions. Student data were obtained rapidly in a large didactic setting and served to illustrate the concept of unrealistic optimism which was subsequently taught in class. Such exercises may be a useful teaching aid to students providing them with feedback on their own cognitive processes and illustrating that they display cognitive distortions similar to those of patients.
Approximately 150 million men worldwide experience erectile dysfunction, whereby they are unable to maintain an erection adequate for satisfactory sexual performance. This population is projected to more than double in the next 25 yr. Introduction of the phosphodiesterase inhibitors has revolutionized the management of this common problem, encouraging many more men to seek treatment. The issue of erectile dysfunction treatment is a growing concern in the aviation community as well. This is particularly relevant in civil aviation, as this population is older and has co-morbidities that may contribute to the development of erectile dysfunction. In this article we will review the available options for oral treatment of erectile dysfunction and discuss implications regarding their use in aviators based on the information available in the literature.
The area of the cat's primary auditory cortex (AI) within which high frequency sounds are represented can be subdivided using functional criteria. Within each subdivision, or "binaural interaction band," all recorded neurons display similar responses to binaural stimulation. The current study distinguishes the thalamic sources of input to these subdivisions of AI and characterizes the topography within the thalamic projection to each class of bands. The borders of binaural bands in AI were mapped using microelectrode recording with diotic tonal stimulation, then injections of one to three retrograde tracers were introduced into identified bands. Within the ventral division (V) of the medial geniculate body (the major thalamic source of input to AI), the neuronal populations that projected to different classes of binaural bands were strictly segregated from each other. This segregation of class-specific thalamic sources constitutes a laminar organization within an axis of V that is orthogonal to the previously described tonotopic organization. Excitatory/excitatory (EE) binaural neurons in AI were found to be segregated from excitatory/inhibitory (EI) neurons in alternating "bands." We consistently identified: (1) a ventral pair of rostrocaudally continuous EI and EE bands, (2) a middle area within which the pattern of binaural subdivisions was more variable and within which bands often were discontinuous rostrocaudally, and (3) a dorsal zone (DZ) within which the responses of neurons differed in binaural properties and in frequency specificity from the response patterns that were characteristic of neurons elsewhere in AI. Each EI band apparently derived input that converged from three thickened laminae of cells in V that were oriented approximately horizontally. The most ventral of these laminae encompassed the ovoidal part of V (Vo), suggesting that EI bands are the only recipients in AI of a projection from Vo. All of the EE bands and DZ derived their input from a single continuous structure which included the dorsal two-thirds of the rostral pole of V and a horizontal lamina interposed between the two dorsalmost EI-projecting laminae. Restricted portions of the complex EE-projecting structure in V projected preferentially to particular EE subdivisions of AI. The V-to-AI thalamocortical topography exhibited a high degree of convergence and divergence within the projections to each cortical binaural band and within the projections to each class of bands. These observations indicate that the high frequency representation in AI and its principal thalamic source of input, the ventral division of the medial geniculate body, may be thought of as assemblies of spatially discrete, functionally distinguishable subunits. The significance of this intrinsic organization is discussed in regard to the requirements for analysis of sound stimuli.