Changes In Demographic Characteristics Research Articles

A profession in change: Chief financial officers’ characteristics and backgrounds in large German companies

Growing competition, increasing uncertainty, globalization, and deregulation made the nature of what companies do increasingly complex, and especially corporate accounting has become more and more important. This has put chief financial officers (CFOs) on the spot and into a key leading position. This paper commences by briefly reviewing extant empirical findings on CFO characteristics and their effects on firm processes and outcomes. Then, it investigates how the profession of the CFO has changed over time by analyzing changes in demographic characteristics and professional backgrounds of CFOs of German DAX companies over the past 20 years. The findings show changes in the CFO profession specifically with regard to CFO appointment age, professional experience (i.e., breadth of non-company and non-industry lifers, hiring of company and industry outsiders), and educational background (i.e., the role of educational level). Furthermore, the results for DAX CFOs are compared to data pertaining to the CFOs of midcap companies (i.e., MDAX). The respective analyses indicate a noticeable difference with regard to appointment age, professional experience (i.e., work experience, percentage of company-lifers, international experience), and educational level.

Epidemiology of human giardiasis in Romania: A 14 years survey

Giardia spp. is the most common intestinal protozoan (causing gastrointestinal illness) and the most frequent cause of parasitic gastroenteritis in humans and animals worldwide. The aim of this study was to highlight new data in a specific area regarding clinical presentation and epidemiological prevalence over a long period of time. Patients (a total number of 54,623 patients) admitted in a tertiary center for infectious diseases serving a county for a period of 14 years were tested for infection with Giardia. Positive cases were recorded through analyzing the clinical complaints, the month of incidence and the demographic area from which the patients came from. Longitudinal trends have been evaluated. The incidence of giardiasis among the tested patients was 4.47%. A decreasing trend was observed regarding the annual incidence. Patients between the ages of 15 and 44 presented most commonly giardiasis, especially those from urban areas and women. The most common symptoms are loss of appetite (71.24%) and abdominal pain (69.07%). The highest monthly incidence was quoted in July (10.65%), August (10.49%) and June (10.20%). This epidemiological study allows a better knowledge of the infection with Giardia spp. It gives the long-term changes in demographic characteristics of the infected patients in a specific area and the monthly incidence.

The United States' potential blood donor pool: updating the prevalence of donor-exclusion factors on the pool of potential donors.

Despite decreased blood use, there are supply limitations. Therefore, it is important to determine the number of people potentially eligible to donate blood. This study updates an analysis from 2007 to estimate the pool of eligible blood donors in the United States. We developed a revised epidemiologic model to account for changes in donor exclusion factors based on AABB standards. Donor exclusionary factors were identified and epidemiologic databases selected to enumerate the population prevalence of the donor exclusion factors. Prevalence data were adjusted for age, duration of exclusion, and comorbidities. The number of excluded individuals is calculated to estimate the current size of the eligible blood donor pool. The current study incorporates changes in demographic characteristics that have altered the pool of eligible blood donors. The pool of eligible blood donors increased by approximately 93.9 million from 111 million persons in 2007 to 204.9 million persons in 2018, while the population of the United States increased by 34 million persons (from 293 million to 327 million). The number of donor exclusion factors increased from 31 to 38. Overall, the pool of eligible blood donors increased from 37.9% to 62.6% of the total population. The single largest change impacting the pool of eligible blood donors is the inclusion of individuals 65 years and older, increasing the eligible blood donor pool by 51 million of the new 93.9 million persons However, this increase in number of potential donors 65 years and older is offset by a corresponding increase in the prevalence of donor exclusion factor impact in individuals aged 65 years and above. A very large number of people are potentially eligible to donate blood. Therefore, blood supply limitations appear to be due to other factors. We suggest that these factors are differences in social commitments by changing demographic populations and the elimination of high-cost blood collection operations by blood suppliers.

Determinants of long-lasting insecticidal net ownership and utilization in malaria transmission regions: evidence from Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Surveys

BackgroundLong-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) were first introduced in 2010 as a vector control intervention, to complement indoor residual spraying, to reduce malaria transmission in Zimbabwe. The objective of this study was to investigate factors that were associated with LLIN ownership and utilization among households in malaria transmission regions of Zimbabwe.MethodsA secondary analysis of cross sectional data from the Zimbabwe demographic and health survey (ZDHS) conducted in 2010 and 2015 surveys round was conducted. The analysis used household-level datasets from across the country to generate evidence for the study. Univariate analysis was used to yield descriptive statistics. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to calculate wealth quintiles. Binary logistic regression approach was used to identify determinants of LLIN ownership and utilization after controlling for other factors. Data analyses were conducted using STATA version 14 software.ResultsThere were no major changes in demographic characteristics of households sampled between 2010 and 2015 survey cycles. LLIN ownership increased significantly by 42 percentage points from 2010 to 2015. There was a tremendous increase in universal coverage of LLINs between 2010 and 2015. The overall utilization levels of LLINs among children under-5 years decreased by 11 percentage points between 2010 and 2015. LLIN usage amongst households followed the same trend with that of the under-fives. Using logistic regression model for 2015 data, region/province, type of place of residence, availability of electricity, radio, roof type, gender of head of household, having telephone, type of cooking fuel, presence of mobile phone, owning a bank account, IRS spraying in the previous 12 months, wealth index, and satellite television decorder were independently associated with net ownership among households. Type of place of residence, age of household head, type of cooking fuel, IRS in previous 12 months, and pregnancy were associated with LLIN utilization.ConclusionThis study revealed increasing LLIN coverage and low usage in malaria-transmission regions of Zimbabwe. Strengthening of LLIN campaigns, social behaviour change communication (SBCC) interventions and programme routine monitoring are recommended.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis over 20 years at a referral hospital in South Korea: trends and outcomes.

A referral centre in South Korea. To investigate trends in drug resistance, treatment modalities and outcomes, and adverse events of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) over two decades. MDR-TB patients treated at Seoul National Hospital University between 1996 and 2015 were divided into four 5-year cohorts according to the date of initial diagnosis. Changes in demographic characteristics, drug resistance, drugs used, treatment outcomes and adverse events over time were elucidated. Between 1996 and 2015, 418 patients were treated for MDR-TB: 86 patients between 1996 and 2000, 125 between 2001 and 2005, 123 between 2006 and 2010, and 84 between 2011 and 2015. The proportion of patients with positive acid-fast bacilli sputum (60.5-29.7%, P < 0.001) or cavities on chest radiographs (86.0-40.5%, P < 0.001) decreased over time. Resistance to pyrazinamide, fluoroquinolones, cycloserine and p-aminosalicylic acid decreased. Later-generation fluoroquinolones (77.9-90.5%) and linezolid (0-26.2%) became more frequently prescribed. The treatment success rate increased (45.3-88.1%, P < 0.001); neurological adverse events, including peripheral neuropathy also increased (4.7-13.1%, P = 0.027). MDR-TB patients presented with less severe disease and better resistance profiles over time in South Korea, with treatment outcomes improving continuously.

Changes in the distribution of household consumption in Southeast Asia

This paper uses household survey data from five Southeast Asian countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam) to examine changes in the distribution of per capita consumption over the period 2006–2014. We perform a decomposition analysis to study the factors that contribute to changes in per capita consumption at the mean and along the entire distribution. Our findings indicate that changes in per capita consumption over time are mainly driven by changes in household income, especially at the top of the distribution. We also find that a sizeable part of the changes in per capita consumption may be attributed to changes in the household size and educational attainment. Urbanization typically contributes to an increase in per capita consumption with exception of the Philippines, where urbanization has declined over time. The contribution of changes in demographic characteristics to changes in per capita consumption is generally positive but relatively small. Our findings highlight the importance of policies that aim to alleviate poverty by enhancing educational attainment and reducing fertility. These policies are particularly relevant in Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines, where national fertility rates remain high.

PSY76 - US Lupus Trends 2009-2017: Results from the National Health and Wellness Survey

Lupus is an autoimmune disease with no available cure, and a high physical and mental burden on the patient.1 The objective of this analysis was to examine lupus trends and outcomes across US adults from 2009-2017. This analysis utilized cross-sectional data from the US National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS), part of PaCeR (Patient-Centered Research), from 2009 (n=75,000) through 2017 (n=75,004). Respondents were age ≥ 18 years, and results were weighted/projected to reflect the gender, age, and race/ethnic proportions, as determined by the Current Population Survey (US Census Bureau). Quality of life (QoL) was measured by the physical component score (PCS) and mental component score (MCS) of the Short Form (SF-12v2 / SF-36v2)2, 3. Loss of work/productivity was measured by the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) instrument.4 Prevalence of lupus was fairly similar from 2009 to 2017, ranging from 0.48% to 0.63%, which is comparable to estimates by the Lupus Foundation of America.5 Proportion of demographic characteristics and utilization fluctuated from year to year with the following ranges; white (50.0% to 60.7%), married (46.0% to 53.8%), male (15.1% to 21.6%), mean age (46.8 to 51.7), insurance coverage (87.1% to 94.8%), prescription usage (56.0% to 68.6%), healthcare provider visits (93.4% to 96.3%), emergency room visits (27.0% to 36.3%), hospitalization (16.6% to 27.2%). QoL outcomes as measured by the SF-36 showed physical component score ranged from 35.6 to 40.1, while mental component score ranged from 41.9 to 45.1. Less than half of the lupus population is employed with patients reporting between 11.6% and 23.6% absenteeism, 34.1% and 47.5% presenteeism and 39.1% and 52.8% work productivity loss. There have been fluctuating changes in demographic characteristics and utilization with patients experiencing significant impairment in QoL, work and productivity. Findings indicate there is still unmet need in patients with lupus.

HIV prevalence among female sex workers in Guigang City, Guangxi, China: an 8-year consecutive cross-sectional study

BackgroundFemale sex workers (FSW) are a population that are at high risk for HIV infection, and their HIV/AIDS knowledge levels and sexual behaviors are of concern. This study describes changes in HIV prevalence and factors associated among female sex workers in Guigang City, Guangxi, one of the highest HIV prevalence areas in China.MethodsData were derived from an annual cross-sectional venue-based survey, 2008 to 2015, in the form of sentinel surveillance. The participants were recruited using cluster sampling. FSW aged 16 years and above who completed a questionnaire and HIV testing. Both descriptive and multi-level analyses were used to explore factors associated with changes in HIV prevalence.ResultsSeven thousand four hundred ninety-six FSW were recruited in this study. HIV prevalence among FSW in Guigang City fell into two periods, one with an increasing trend (2008–2011) and one with a decline (2012–2015). Differences between these time periods included age, relationship status, HIV knowledge, consistent condom use, lifetime illicit drug use, history of sexually transmitted infection in the past year, HIV testing, receipt of a condom distribution and education program or HIV counseling and testing, and peer education services.ConclusionsSince 2012, a reduction in HIV prevalence among FSW in Guigang City has been observed. The decline of HIV prevalence was associated with coinciding changes in demographic characteristics of FSW, improvement of HIV knowledge and safer sexual behaviors, and a program that promotes condom use, HIV counseling & testing, and peer education.

Changes in consumption of food away from home and intakes of energy and other nutrients among US working-age adults, 2005-2014.

To document changes in consumption of food away from home (FAFH) and intakes of selected nutrients by working-age adults between 2005-06 and 2013-14, covering the most recent recessionary period and recovery. Means were compared across survey rounds relative to 2005-06. Multivariate regression was used to account for changes in demographic characteristics over time. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2005-2014. Working-age adults born in 1951-80 (n 12 129) and adolescents and young adults born in 1981-90 (n 5197) who reported day 1 dietary intake data. Approximately 34 % of energy consumed by working-age adults came from FAFH (14 % from fast foods) in 2005-06. Levels of FAFH consumption were lowest in 2009-10, at 28 and 11 % of energy from FAFH and fast foods, respectively. Percentage of energy from fast foods was 1·9 percentage points higher in 2013-14. Percentage of energy from saturated fat and total mg of cholesterol consumed were lower in 2009-14, while intake of fibre was higher in 2011-14. At-home foods had less saturated fat and more fibre in 2009-14. The greater the percentage of energy from FAFH in the day, the greater the intakes of fat and cholesterol. Percentage of energy from FAFH was highest among those born in 1981-90 and lowest among those born in 1951-60. FAFH is a significant source of energy, fat and cholesterol among working-age adults. Menu labelling may lower FAFH's energy content and make it easier for consumers to choose more healthful items.

Trends in the Diagnosis of Vitamin D Deficiency.

Vitamin D has attracted considerable interest in recent years, and health care providers have reported large increases in vitamin D test requests. However, rates of diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency in clinical practice have not been investigated. We examined trends in diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency in children in England over time, and by sociodemographic characteristics. Cohort study using primary care records of 711 788 children aged 0 to 17 years, from the Health Improvement Network database. Incidence rates for diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency were calculated per year between 2000 and 2014. Rate ratios exploring differences by age, sex, ethnicity, and social deprivation were estimated using multivariable Poisson regression. The crude rate of vitamin D deficiency diagnosis increased from 3.14 per 100 000 person-years in 2000 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31-7.54) to 261 per 100 000 person-years in 2014 (95% CI, 241-281). After accounting for changes in demographic characteristics, a 15-fold (95% CI, 10-21) increase in diagnosis was seen between 2008 and 2014. Older age (≥10 years), nonwhite ethnicity, and social deprivation were independently associated with higher rates of diagnosis. In children aged <5 years, diagnosis rates were higher in boys than girls, whereas in children aged ≥10 they were higher in girls. There has been a marked increase in diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency in children over the past decade. Future research should explore the drivers for this change in diagnostic behavior and the reasons prompting investigation of vitamin D status in clinical practice.

Early animal farming and zoonotic disease dynamics: modelling brucellosis transmission in Neolithic goat populations.

Zoonotic pathogens are frequently hypothesized as emerging with the origins of farming, but evidence of this is elusive in the archaeological records. To explore the potential impact of animal domestication on zoonotic disease dynamics and human infection risk, we developed a model simulating the transmission of Brucella melitensis within early domestic goat populations. The model was informed by archaeological data describing goat populations in Neolithic settlements in the Fertile Crescent, and used to assess the potential of these populations to sustain the circulation of Brucella. Results show that the pathogen could have been sustained even at low levels of transmission within these domestic goat populations. This resulted from the creation of dense populations and major changes in demographic characteristics. The selective harvesting of young male goats, likely aimed at improving the efficiency of food production, modified the age and sex structure of these populations, increasing the transmission potential of the pathogen within these populations. Probable interactions between Neolithic settlements would have further promoted pathogen maintenance. By fostering conditions suitable for allowing domestic goats to become reservoirs of Brucella melitensis, the early stages of agricultural development were likely to promote the exposure of humans to this pathogen.

Special Demographic Zone in Poland – in search for the gist of the phenomenon

1.IntroductionNotwithstanding the fact that ageing Europe is the sole continent whose society, as a whole, undergoes an ongoing depopulation process, the European Union (EU) is still expected to increase the number of its population by 2% until 2030 [Eurostat 2016]. However, at regional and local taxonomic levels of the UE-28 the consequences of both before mentioned demographic processes - namely population ageing and population decline - are distributed unequally, leading to the substantial differences in the demographic situation of particular areas within the EU. In view of the fact that the number, structure, and quality of population on a given territory constitute prerequisite for any development strategy and the precondition for sustainable local and regional growth [Rauzinski & Szczygielski 2014; Szczygielski 2015], the changes in demographic characteristics at different levels of taxonomic analysis call for a tailored socio-economic policy at consecutive levels with the ultimate goal of alleviating the negative effects of both negative demographic processes. Thus, European and national policies require flexibility to allow regional and local implementation [OECD 2013].In the Polish context, there are also substantial regional differences in the population structure and dynamics to be noticed. There are some mesoregions and microregions in an urgent need for extraordinary political intervention. Nevertheless, the long-term demographic projections clearly show that almost all Polish regions and municipalities will have to embark on strategies to face depopulation problem, and all of them will face the population ageing problem.In 2012 one of 16 Polish voivodeships (NUTS-2 level regions in Poland) - namely Opolskie voivodeship - embarked on special policy programme, called Special Demographic Zone, which has been set up in order to fight against savage region's population demise, and to take measures to countervail the ageing process. Special Demographic Zone is to be perceived as a complex development and socio-economic policy programme that aims at alleviating the negative effect of both demographic processes in question.The objective of this paper is to place the concept of the Special Demographic Zone established in the Polish Opolskie mesoregion in the broad context of local and regional strategies of tackling demographic challenges that have been already applied in other declining and (or) ageing areas worldwide. In particular, it is in our interest to build a theoretical bridge between the consequences of ageing and depopulation processes and challenges steaming from the need to create sustainable local and regional economies.We would like to note that, if not specified otherwise, all statistical data quoted in this paper were sourced from the Eurostat database [Eurostat 2016].In the Literature review section we present a review of international literature that covers: importance of demographic issue in EU-28 member states, context, details and causes of demographic issue at country and regional level in Poland. In Methods section we describe our approach toward research sample selection and Boolean keyword and subject term research performed between 1st - 30th of September 2016. In Research findings section we provide synthesis of research performed presented in form of typology of strategies implemented to tackle negative trends at different regional levels. Our paper concludes with implications of the study for the economic and research practice.2.Literature review2.1.Demography as a strategic policy issue at country level in the EU-28Population ageing, due to successively increasing life expectancy of individuals, is the major demographic threat to be tackled throughout the EU-28 member states. However, there are some countries (and regions) within the EU equally threatened by the depopulation process and its negative consequences. Demographic issue stimulates debate on impact of income and consumption taxes, subsidies and other fiscal instruments on fertility patterns [Kudla 2013]. …

Changes in demographic characteristics and motives for becoming a hospice/palliative care volunteer: Results of single institution 9 years educational program.

e265 Background: Voluntary activities are essential in many different aspects of hospice and palliative care. The interest in becoming a volunteer lowers in many communities. Better knowledge of volunteers’ characteristics and wider understanding of their motivations seem to be crucial for more sufficient volunteers’ recruitment and retain. Methods: Self-reported demographic details and data on motives for hospice / palliative care volunteering were collected from initial questionnaire forms fulfilled by all consecutive participants of the teaching course for medical voluntary cancer patients caregivers (16 editions; April-2006-November-2014; no data for 2009) at Rev. Eugeniusz Dutkiewicz Hospice SAC, Gdańsk, Poland. Results: all 562 records were analyzed: 1) mean volunteers age was 35,73+14,69 years and significant trend (p &lt; 0.001) for increasing age was observed (e.g.: mean age values + SD were: 2007: 28.41+11.82; 2011: 37.19+14.93; 2014: 41.31+12.16); 2) the vast majority of volunteers were females (82.03%), who already completed education; 3) 67 of study participants declared professional connections with medicine (19.47%), 42 (12.21%) - pedagogy or 38 (11.05%) – psychology; 4) 241 (42.88%) volunteers declared full current professional activity, 174 (30.96%) were unemployed, 50 (8.89%) - retired; 5) participants mostly reported motives for volunteering which might be categorized as altruistic (67.08%: “I want to help others”) – the percentage increased significantly during the study period (p &lt; 0.012); 6) the next two most frequently indicated motives represented category of personal gain (29.36%: “I want to improve my skills”; 26.87%: “volunteering is the way of my personal development” – not significant trend for time). Conclusions: 1) Results showed that some demographic features as well motives for hospice / palliative care volunteering changed over the time in our community - it warrants some individualization in recruitment process recognition for volunteers coordinators; 2) the study will continue to identify the volunteers’ subgroup with the greatest probability to retain at service for longer period of time.

Increasing Incidence of the Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome in U.S. Neonatal ICUs

BackgroundThe incidence of the neonatal abstinence syndrome, a drug-withdrawal syndrome that most commonly occurs after in utero exposure to opioids, is known to have increased during the past decade. However, recent trends in the incidence of the syndrome and changes in demographic characteristics and hospital treatment of these infants have not been well characterized. MethodsUsing multiple cross-sectional analyses and a deidentified data set, we analyzed data from infants with the neonatal abstinence syndrome from 2004 through 2013 in 299 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) across the United States. We evaluated trends in incidence and health care utilization and changes in infant and maternal clinical characteristics. ResultsAmong 674,845 infants admitted to NICUs, we identified 10,327 with the neonatal abstinence syndrome. From 2004 through 2013, the rate of NICU admissions for the neonatal abstinence syndrome increased from 7 cases per 1000 admissions to 27 cases per 1000 admissions; the median le...

Increasing Incidence of the Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome in U.S. Neonatal ICUs

BackgroundThe incidence of the neonatal abstinence syndrome, a drug-withdrawal syndrome that most commonly occurs after in utero exposure to opioids, is known to have increased during the past decade. However, recent trends in the incidence of the syndrome and changes in demographic characteristics and hospital treatment of these infants have not been well characterized.MethodsUsing multiple cross-sectional analyses and a deidentified data set, we analyzed data from infants with the neonatal abstinence syndrome from 2004 through 2013 in 299 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) across the United States. We evaluated trends in incidence and health care utilization and changes in infant and maternal clinical characteristics.ResultsAmong 674,845 infants admitted to NICUs, we identified 10,327 with the neonatal abstinence syndrome. From 2004 through 2013, the rate of NICU admissions for the neonatal abstinence syndrome increased from 7 cases per 1000 admissions to 27 cases per 1000 admissions; the median length of stay increased from 13 days to 19 days (P<0.001 for both trends). The total percentage of NICU days nationwide that were attributed to the neonatal abstinence syndrome increased from 0.6% to 4.0% (P<0.001 for trend), with eight centers reporting that more than 20% of all NICU days were attributed to the care of these infants in 2013. Infants increasingly received pharmacotherapy (74% in 2004–2005 vs. 87% in 2012–2013, P<0.001 for trend), with morphine the most commonly used drug (49% in 2004 vs. 72% in 2013, P<0.001 for trend).ConclusionsFrom 2004 through 2013, the neonatal abstinence syndrome was responsible for a substantial and growing portion of resources dedicated to critically ill neonates in NICUs nationwide.

HPV positive oropharyngeal cancer and treatment deintensification: how pertinent is it?

In recent years there has been change in trends in the incidence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC) showing an increased incidence, attributable specifically to infection by human papillomavirus (HPV). At the same time there is change in demographic characteristics and prognosis of this subset of HNSCC. Considering the better prognosis, researchers are trying to reduce the acute and long-term toxicities by alteration of various components of treatment protocols. Although treatment deintensification is an option for this group of patients, there is no standard protocol available and should be tried only in the protocol setting.

Trends in outcomes, complications, and hospitalization costs for hemispherectomy in the United States for the years 2000-2009.

Hemispherectomy is an established surgical treatment for carefully selected pediatric patients with intractable epilepsy. Published perioperative data report low mortality rates and seizure reduction rates of 50-89%. This study investigates trends in the demographics, hospital utilization, and in-hospital complication rates of patients undergoing hemispherectomy over the past decade in the United States, using the nationally representative Kids' Inpatient Database (KID). The KID was queried for all discharges with the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) procedure code for hemispherectomy in the years 2000, 2003, 2006, and 2009. The patient cohorts from these four time points were compared, analyzing differences in demographic data, insurance and payer status, total cost, length of stay, in-hospital mortality, and complications. National estimates and 95% confidence intervals are reported given the weighted sample design of KID. This study identified an estimated total of 552 hospital admissions for hemispherectomy surgery during the years studied in this cohort. The incidence of this procedure increased from 1.2/100,000 admissions in 2000 to 2.2/100,000 in 2009 (p=0.05). Mean age was 6.7 years (range 0-20). There were no significant changes in demographics (age, gender, or race), hospital descriptors (size or type), insurance type, or zip code income quartile. There was a significant increase in total cost, from $42,807 in 2003 to $57,443 in 2009 (p=0.015) (adjusted to 2009 dollars). There were no trends in postoperative complications. In-hospital mortality occurred in five subjects (0.9%). Ventricular shunt placement during hemispherectomy hospitalizations increased over time from 6.7% to 16.5% (p=0.056). Hospitals that performed two or more hemispherectomies yearly had a significantly decreased incidence of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR] 0.08, p=0.04) and an increased incidence of blood transfusion (OR 3.7, p=0.01) compared to hospitals that performed 0-1 procedures a year. Hemispherectomy procedures increased slightly in frequency over the past decade, with no change in demographic characteristics of the patients over time. Rates of mortality and perioperative complications remained low. Total costs have increased significantly over time. In-hospital mortality was lower in higher volume hospitals.

Spatial analysis on hepatitis C virus infection in mainland China: from 2005 to 2011.

BackgroundThe burden of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has become more and more considerable in China. A macroscopic spatial analysis of HCV infection that can provide scientific information for further intervention and disease control is lacking.MethodsAll geo-referenced HCV cases that had been recorded by the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention (CISDCP) during 2005–2011 were included in the study. In order to learn about the changes of demographic characteristics and geographic distribution, trend test and spatial analysis were conducted to reflect the changing pattern of HCV infection.ResultsOver 770,000 identified HCV infection cases had specific geographic information during the study period (2005–2011). Ratios of gender (Male/Female, Z-value = −18.53, P<0.001), age group (≤30 years old/≥31 years old, Z-value = −51.03, P<0.001) and diagnosis type (Clinical diagnosis/Laboratory diagnosis, Z-value = −130.47, P<0.001) declined. HCV infection was not distributed randomly. Provinces Henan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Xinjiang, and Jilin reported more than 40,000 HCV infections during 2005 to 2011, accounting for 43.91% of all cases. The strength of cluster of disease was increasing in China during the study period. Overall, 11 provinces had once been detected as hotspots during 7 years, most of which were located in the central or border parts of China. Tibet, Qinghai, Jiangxi were the regions that had coldspots.ConclusionsThe number of clustering of HCV infection among older adults increased in recent years. Specific interventions and prevention programs targeting at main HCV epidemic areas are urgently in need in mainland China.

Changes in Human Population Characteristics and Environmental Change in the West Matogoro Catchment Area of Songea, Tanzania

The study was carried out in West Matogoro Catchment Area (WMCA) of Songea, Tanzania, to establish whether for the period between intercensal periods 1978-1988 and 1988-2002, and between 2002 and 2005 characteristics of human population of the area had changed in terms of size, age structure and sex composition. In case it did, then the study had to establish whether such changes may be used to explain the observed forest cover change that occurred in the area. Establishing whether the observed changes were proportionate was important in linking the relationship among factors at hand. The study partly tested the thesis by Liu and others which linked human population changes and their implications to the panda habitat [1]. The findings indicated existence of changes in human population characteristics for the period under review. Variations in terms of population size, age structure and sex composition were realized. While growth was measured by the total population and size of age group of the environmentally active population as identified by the study by Haule, sex composition was determined by sex ratios [2]. The environmentally active age group included males aged 20 to 44 and females aged 10 to 44, i.e. the key actors in felling trees for farm expansion and for firewood respectively. Geographic Information System (GIS) evidence indicated progressive forest cover deterioration. When compared, the changes in human population characteristics and those of the forest cover were noted to be un-proportional. Variations were in terms of increase in human population size and expansion of age group of the “actors” thus attributed to the augmenting deforestation. A positive relationship was demonstrated between population growth, expansion of age segment of the key actors and expanded deforestation. We reiterate that any sustainable measures to address the environmental issues should take into account changes in demographic characteristics of the in Situ population which forms the locus of the interface between population and environment. These factors signify the intensity and duration of the involved forces that characterize forest cover quality.

Comparison of Data Screening Methods for Evaluating School-Level Fitness Patterns in Youth: Findings from the NFL PLAY 60 FITNESSGRAM Partnership Project

Background: There has been a great interest in tracking health-related fitness across the United States. The NFL PLAY 60 FITNESSGRAM Partnership Project (NFL P60FGPP) is a large participatory research network that involves the surveillance of fitness among more than 1000 schools spread throughout the country. Fitness data are collected by school staff and therefore these data can vary in quality and representativeness. Therefore, careful screening procedures are needed to ensure that the data can reflect actual patterns in the schools. This study examined the impact of different data screening procedures on outcomes of aerobic fitness (AF) collected from the NFL P60FGPP. Methods: Data were compiled from 149,101 youth from 504 schools and were processed using the established age- and gender-specific AF FITNESSGRAM health-related standards. Data were subjected to three different screening procedures (based on grade size and boy-to-girl ratio per grade). Linear models were computed to obtain unadjusted and adjusted (for age, BMI-Z, and socio-economic status) estimates of % youth in the Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ) in order to determine if, 1) there were differences in % in the HFZ and 2) if differences could be explained by changes in the representativeness of the sample due to the different data screening procedures. Results: Depending on the screening procedure used, the final sample ranged from 96,999 (no screening) to 46,572 youth (most stringent criteria). The proportion of youth achieving appropriate levels of AF ranged from 56% to 61% with unscreened data resulting in consistently lower percentages of youth achieving the standard (P < 0.05). Overall, these differences were not explained by possible changes in demographic characteristics as the result of applying different screening criteria. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate the importance of establishing appropriate screening procedures that maximize sample size while also ensuring generalizability of the findings.