Time-series Study Research Articles

Trends in Complementary Feeding Indicators in Children Aged 6-23 Months According to Participation in a Conditional Cash Transfer Program: Data from the Brazilian Food and Nutrition Surveillance System, 2015-2019.

Inadequate practices during complementary feeding are associated with malnutrition, especially in children experiencing vulnerable conditions and social inequality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the trends in complementary feeding indicators (CFIs) according to participation in a Brazilian cash transferu program-the Bolsa Família Program (BFP). This was a time-series study with secondary data from 600,138 children assisted from 2015 to 2019 and registered within the Brazilian Food and Nutrition Surveillance System. The CFIs assessed were food introduction, minimum meal frequency and appropriate consistency, minimum dietary diversity, iron-rich food, vitamin A-rich food, ultra-processed food consumption, and zero vegetable or fruit consumption. Prevalence and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for the CFIs according to BFP, the region of residence, and the child's age. The Prais-Winsten regression method was used to analyze the temporal trend. There was a steady trend for all CFIs of a healthy diet. A decrease in ultra-processed food consumption for both BFP (-10.02%) and non-BFP children (-9.34%) was observed over the years. Children residing in the North and Northeast regions and those enrolled in the BFP were more distant from the recommended feeding practices when compared to the other regions and non-BFP children. The results highlight the relevance of nutritional surveillance and the need to improve food and nutrition public policies for children aged 6-23 months, particularly for those experiencing greater social vulnerability.

Mental Health Applications of Generative AI and Large Language Modeling in the United States.

(1) Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) has flourished in recent years. More specifically, generative AI has had broad applications in many disciplines. While mental illness is on the rise, AI has proven valuable in aiding the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. However, there is little to no research about precisely how much interest there is in AI technology. (2) Methods: We performed a Google Trends search for "AI and mental health" and compared relative search volume (RSV) indices of "AI", "AI and Depression", and "AI and anxiety". This time series study employed Box-Jenkins time series modeling to forecast long-term interest through the end of 2024. (3) Results: Within the United States, AI interest steadily increased throughout 2023, with some anomalies due to media reporting. Through predictive models, we found that this trend is predicted to increase 114% through the end of the year 2024, with public interest in AI applications being on the rise. (4) Conclusions: According to our study, we found that the awareness of AI has drastically increased throughout 2023, especially in mental health. This demonstrates increasing public awareness of mental health and AI, making advocacy and education about AI technology of paramount importance.

Effects of a physical therapist-driven individualized hybrid model of the exercise component of cardiac rehabilitation on patient outcomes: a prospective single group, time-series design

Purpose The aim of this prospective single group, time-series study was to determine the feasibility, adherence, and effectiveness of an individualized physical therapist (PT)-driven hybrid model of the exercise component of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) that uses a novel intensity-recovery progression protocol (IRPP) and cardiac testing template (CTT) to assess achieved heart rate (HR) intensity, HR recovery, and intensity-recovery total to guide treatment. Methods Assessment of a questionnaire, treadmill 6-min walk (6MW), 1-min sit-to-stand (1STS), 1-min step, and 1-min agility square tests were assessed on 100 participants. Compared to traditional CR the 36-visit 1:1 hybrid model was individualized using the IRPP program and CTT. Results Adherence was 35% (timely) and 44% (overall) completion. The per-protocol analysis (PPA) and intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis suggest significant improvement in objective assessments baseline to visit 15 (PPA = 11 of 14) (ITT = 13 of 14), baseline to visit 30 (PPA = 12 of 14) (ITT = 12 of 14) and visit 15 to visit 30 (PPA = 9 of 14) (ITT = 10 of 14). Improvement beyond the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was 94.3% in the 6MW and 91.4% in the 1STS. Conclusions The PT-driven IRPP program was feasible in terms of adherence and safety, showing significant improvement in a majority of assessments. Analysis of HR using the CTT may help clinical decision making for progression in CR. Implications for rehabilitation Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is an underutilized means of improving health for people recovering from cardiac surgery. People recovering from cardiac surgery have complex reasons for why they choose to enroll in, drop out from, or complete a CR program. Reporting of outcomes in CR and progression in intensity is not often individualized. An individualized physical therapist driven CR program using both subjective and objective assessments may be successful at improving adherence and effectiveness in this cohort.

Hospitalizations due to malignant skin neoplasm in the unified health system: an ecological time-series study

To analyze hospitalizations due to malignant skin neoplasms in the Brazilian Unified Health System. This is a descriptive ecological study of time series, with data from the SUS Hospital Information System, analyzed using Prais-Winsten generalized linear regression. Between 2013 and 2022, 453.714 hospitalizations due to cutaneous malignancy were recorded, 80.4% of which were elective and the average mortality rate was 2.1%. On the other hand, hospitalizations that progressed to cure showed the highest values (22.7 and 69.1 cases/100,000) and an increasing trend. The hospitalization rate in Brazil grew, from 16.2 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants in 2013 to 28.6 per 100 inhabitants in 2022, however, there was a reduction in 2020 and 2021, the period of the Covid-19 pandemic. There was an increase in the coefficient of hospitalizations during the period analyzed, especially in the age group of 80 years, males and Southern Brazil, although a stationary mortality rate is maintained. Thus, it is important to improve public policies that raise awareness among the population about skin cancer, in order to carry out an early diagnosis and treatment, aiming at reducing complications and saving the public system.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Mortality trend in the Federal District, Brazil, 2000-2020

Objective: To identify the trend and spatial distribution of deaths from ALL from 2000 to 2020 in the Federal District, Brazil. Method: This is ecological time series study in which data were obtained from Brazil's Mortality Information System. The population was obtained through death certificates and investigation forms of the underlying cause of death classified by code C91.0 for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in the International Classification of Diseases from 2000 to 2020 in the Federal District, Brazil. Statistical analysis was performed using Prais-Winsten linear regression. Results: The deaths from ALL predominantly occurred in male (51.70%), single (60.41%), and white (52.16%) subjects, as well as in those with four to seven years of schooling (27.37%). During the last 20 years, ALL mortality increased among subjects aged 0-4 and 50-59 years, with increment rates of 9.0% and 8.7% respectively. In children, ALL generally has a short latency time, progressing more quickly and invasively. Conclusions: Knowledge regarding mortality patterns for ALL in the Federal District will allow optimizing the allocation of federal and local resources, as well as understanding gaps in diagnosis and specific therapies that still need attention on the part of public policy makers.

Detection of spatial, temporal and spatiotemporal distribution of diarrhea incidence among under-five children in Central Gondar zone, Northwest Ethiopia: a time-series study (2019–2022)

Under-five children’s diarrhea is a significant public health threat and the World Health Organization (WHO) reported it as the second leading cause of children’s death worldwide. In this study area, little is known about the spatiotemporal distribution of under-5 diarrhea incidence. This study was therefore, conducted among all districts in the Central Gondar zone to assess the spatial, temporal, and spatiotemporal variation in diarrhea incidence among under-five children in the Central Gondar zone. The data for children under 5 years of age with diarrhea was obtained from Central Gondar Zone Health Department diarrhea reports from January 2019 to December 2022. All districts were included and geo-coded. The spatial data were created in ArcGIS 10.8.1. Global and local spatial autocorrelation were used to detect hot spots and cold spots. The Poisson model was generated by applying the Kulldorff method in SaTScan™9.6 to analyse the the purely temporal, spatial, and space-time clusters. The study revealed spatial variation of under-5 diarrhea where Gondar City, Gondar Zuria, East Dembia, and Lay Armacho districts were the high-rate spatial clusters during the study period. A year search window for temporal scan statistic identified 01 January 2020-30 December 2021 as risk periods across all districts. Spatiotemporal scan statistics detected high-rate clusters at Gondar City, Gondar Zuria, East Dembia, Lay Armacho, and Alefa between 2019 and 2022. In conclusion, there has been a spatial, temporal, and spatiotemporal variability of under-5 children’s diarrhea in the Central Gondar Zone. Interventional and preventive strategies should be developed and given priority to the areas that has been detected as a hotspot in this study to reduce the mortality and morbidity of under 5 children.

The effects of the first UK lockdown for the COVID-19 pandemic on primary-care-recorded cancer and type-2 diabetes mellitus records: A population-based quasi-experimental time series study

BackgroundCOVID-19 disrupted consulting behaviour, healthcare delivery and cancer diagnostic services. This study quantifies the cancer incidence coded in UK general practice electronic health records and deviations from historical trends after the March 2020 national lockdown. For comparison, we study the coded incidence of type-2 diabetes mellitus, which is diagnosed almost entirely within primary care. MethodsPoisson interrupted time series models investigated the coded incidence of diagnoses in adults aged ≥ 18 years in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink before (01/03/2017–29/02/2020) and after (01/03/2020–28/02/2022) the first lockdown. Datasets were stratified by age, sex, and general practice per 28-day aggregation period. Models captured incidence changes associated with lockdown, both immediately and over time based on historical trends. ResultsWe studied 189,457 incident cancer and 191,915 incident diabetes records in 1480 general practices over 52,374,197 person-years at risk. During 01/03/2020–28/02/2022, there were fewer incident records of cancer (n = 22,199, 10.49 %, 10.44–10.53 %) and diabetes (n = 15,709, 7.57 %, 7.53–7.61 %) than expected. Within cancers, impacts ranged from no effect (e.g. unknown primary, pancreas, and ovary), to small effects for lung (n = 773, 3.11 %, 3.09–3.13 % fewer records) and female breast (n = 2686, 6.77 %, 6.73–6.81 %), to the greatest effect for bladder (n = 2874, 31.15 %, 31.00–31.31 %). Diabetes and cancer records recovered maximally to 86 % (95 %CI 80.3–92.7 %) and 74 % (95 %CI 70.3–78.6 %) in July 2021 and May 2021, respectively, of their expected values, declining again until the study end. ConclusionThe “missing” cancer and diabetes diagnoses in primary care may comprise delayed or missed diagnoses, reduced incidence associated with excess deaths from COVID-19, and potentially increased non-coded recording of diagnoses. Future validation studies must quantify the concordance between primary care and National Cancer Registration Data and Hospital Episode Statistics over the pandemic era.

The Effectiveness of Neurofeedback on the Behavioral Performance of Children With Social Anxiety Disorder: A Time-series Study

The Effectiveness of Neurofeedback on the Behavioral Performance of Children With Social Anxiety Disorder: A Time-series Study

Prediction-Augmented Shared Decision-Making and Lung Cancer Screening Uptake

ImportanceAddressing poor uptake of low-dose computed tomography lung cancer screening (LCS) is critical, especially for those having the most to gain—high-benefit persons with high lung cancer risk and life expectancy more than 10 years.ObjectiveTo assess the association between LCS uptake and implementing a prediction-augmented shared decision-making (SDM) tool, which enables clinicians to identify persons predicted to be at high benefit and encourage LCS more strongly for these persons.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsQuality improvement interrupted time series study at 6 Veterans Affairs sites that used a standard set of clinical reminders to prompt primary care clinicians and screening coordinators to engage in SDM for LCS-eligible persons. Participants were persons without a history of LCS who met LCS eligibility criteria at the time (aged 55-80 years, smoked ≥30 pack-years, and current smoking or quit <15 years ago) and were not documented to be an inappropriate candidate for LCS by a clinician during October 2017 through September 2019. Data were analyzed from September to November 2023.ExposureDecision support tool augmented by a prediction model that helps clinicians personalize SDM for LCS, tailoring the strength of screening encouragement according to predicted benefit.Main outcome and measureLCS uptake.ResultsIn a cohort of 9904 individuals, the median (IQR) age was 64 (57-69) years; 9277 (94%) were male, 1537 (16%) were Black, 8159 (82%) were White, 5153 (52%) were predicted to be at intermediate (preference-sensitive) benefit and 4751 (48%) at high benefit, and 1084 (11%) received screening during the study period. Following implementation of the tool, higher rates of LCS uptake were observed overall along with an increase in benefit-based LCS uptake (higher screening uptake among persons anticipated to be at high benefit compared with those at intermediate benefit; primary analysis). Mean (SD) predicted probability of getting screened for a high-benefit person was 24.8% (15.5%) vs 15.8% (11.8%) for a person at intermediate benefit (mean absolute difference 9.0 percentage points; 95% CI, 1.6%-16.5%).Conclusions and RelevanceImplementing a robust approach to personalized LCS, which integrates SDM, and a decision support tool augmented by a prediction model, are associated with improved uptake of LCS and may be particularly important for those most likely to benefit. These findings are timely given the ongoing poor rates of LCS uptake.

DETERMINAN PENERIMAAN PAJAK PERTAMBAHAN NILAI

The purpose of this research is to obtain empirical evidence of the effect of the Self Assessment System, Tax Audit, Tax Collection, Number of Taxable Entrepreneurs, Number of e-billings and Number of e-filings on value added tax revenue at KPP Pratama Tanjung Pandan. The population in this study were all corporate taxpayers at KPP Pratama Tanjung Pandan. The sampling technique in this study used purposive sampling technique so that the samples are taken based on certain criteria. The criteria used are corporate taxpayers who are registered and active as taxable entrepreneurs at the Tanjung Pandan KPP Pratama during the 2015-2022 period. The research carried out is a time series study for 8 years with monthly data units, so the total number of samples was 96. The results of this research show that 2 (two) independent variables, Self Assessment System and e-billing have a positive effect on value added tax revenues at KPP Pratama Tanjung Pandan. Meanwhile, the other 4 (four) independent variables are tax audit, tax collection, taxable entrepreneurs, and e-filing have no effect on value added tax revenue at KPP Pratama Tanjung Pandan.

Variation of ecosystem resilience across the anthropogenic biomes of India: A comprehensive analysis

Quantifying ecosystem resilience under drought is crucial for sustainable development strategies. This study aims to investigate the spatial and temporal variability of Net Primary Productivity (NPP) across anthropogenic biomes in India (2000 to 2020) and to understand the post-drought long-term ecosystem resilience. A time series study of monthly precipitation, standardized precipitation index (SPI), and NPP were applied to understand ecosystem resilience across twenty anthropogenic biomes. Mann-Kendall test was used to quantify the magnitude and direction of the trend. In addition, bivariate raster maps of mean precipitation and soil moisture were presented in relation to ecosystem resilience in India. The forested areas in the Himalayan region and the Western Ghats of India were identified with resilient ecosystem that can withstand climate change. However, the croplands and rangelands were non-resilient to drought, making them vulnerable to climate change. Northern and western part of India falls under catastrophic to critical non-resilient ecosystem. Soil moisture availability in the biome, forest cover, type of land use, agricultural practices, and climate shocks are mainly influencing the resilience of the anthropogenic biomes in India. The resilience assessment can be used by policymakers to plan anthropogenic interventions in harmony with nature.

Temporal trends in population attributable fractions of modifiable risk factors for dementia: a time-series study of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2004–2019)

BackgroundInterest in modifiable risk factors (MRFs) for dementia is high, given the personal, social, and economic impact of the disorder, especially in ageing societies such as the United Kingdom. Exploring the population attributable fraction (PAF) of dementia attributable to MRFs and how this may have changed over time remains unclear. Unravelling the temporal dynamics of MRFs is crucial for informing the development of evidence-based and effective public health policies. This investigation examined the temporal trajectories of MRFs for dementia in England.MethodsWe used data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a panel study over eight waves collected between 2004 and 2019 (76,904 interviews in total). We calculated the PAFs for twelve MRFs (including six early- to mid-life factors and six late-life factors), as recommended by the Lancet Commission, and the individual weighted PAFs (IW-PAFs) for each risk factor. Temporal trends were analysed to understand the changes in the overall PAF and IW-PAF over the study period. Subgroup analyses were conducted by sex and socioeconomic status (SES).ResultsThe overall PAF for dementia MRFs changed from 46.73% in 2004/2005 to 36.79% in 2018/2019, though this trend was not statistically significant. During 2004–2019, hypertension, with an average IW-PAF of 8.21%, was the primary modifiable determinant of dementia, followed by obesity (6.16%), social isolation (5.61%), hearing loss (4.81%), depression (4.72%), low education (4.63%), physical inactivity (3.26%), diabetes mellitus (2.49%), smoking (2.0%), excessive alcohol consumption (1.16%), air pollution (0.42%), and traumatic brain injury (TBI) (0.26%). During 2004–2019, only IW-PAFs of low education, social isolation, and smoking showed significant decreasing trends, while IW-PAFs of other factors either did not change significantly or increased (including TBI, diabetes mellitus, and air pollution). Upon sex-specific disaggregation, a higher overall PAF for MRFs was found among women, predominantly associated with later-life risk factors, most notably social isolation, depression, and physical inactivity. Additionally, hearing loss, classified as an early- to mid-life factor, played a supplementary role in the identified sex disparity. A comparable discrepancy was evident upon PAF evaluation by SES, with lower income groups experiencing a higher dementia risk, largely tied to later-life factors such as social isolation, physical inactivity, depression, and smoking. Early- to mid-life factors, in particular, low education and obesity, were also observed to contribute to the SES-associated divergence in dementia risk. Temporal PAF and IW-PAF trends, stratified by sex and SES, revealed that MRF PAF gaps across sex or SES categories have persisted or increased.ConclusionsIn England, there was little change over time in the proportion of dementia attributable to known modifiable risk factors. The observed trends underscore the continuing relevance of these risk factors and the need for targeted public health strategies to address them.

Child Access Prevention Laws and Pediatric Firearm Injury: A Rapid Review.

US child firearm fatality rates have risen since 2013. Child Access Prevention (CAP) laws aimed at reducing minors' access to firearms have existed since the 1980s. However, specific requirements for safe storage of firearms, standards of negligence, and penalties for offenders vary significantly by state, yielding a heterogeneous body of CAP legislation. A few studies have investigated the relative impacts of these laws on child firearm injury rates, with sometimes conflicting results. Here, we present a rapid review of the existing literature on CAP laws and their apparent impact on firearm-related injuries among US children, to assess whether CAP laws are an effective tool for reducing child firearm injuries. We conducted a rapid review of published reports that evaluated the impact of CAP laws on pediatric firearm injuries and/or deaths in the United States. We extracted target population data and outcomes of each study. The data are presented narratively. A total of 14 articles met criteria for evaluation. Taken together, these studies showed that implementation of CAP legislation was associated with reduced pediatric firearm injuries and fatalities. Moreover, longitudinal or time-series studies that examined changes in pediatric firearm injuries pre/post-CAP legislation yielded the most consistent and robust findings. CAP laws were found to be associated with reduced pediatric firearm injuries and deaths, with the magnitude of effect being proportional to CAP law stringency.

Long-term effects of meteorological factors on severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome incidence in eastern China from 2014 to 2020: An ecological time-series study.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne disease with susceptibility influenced by meteorological factors. However, there is limited understanding of the delayed and interactive impacts of meteorological factors on SFTS incidence. Daily incidence data of SFTS and corresponding meteorological factors for the Jiaodong Peninsula in northeast China were collected from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2020. Random forest regression model, based on custom search, was performed to compare the importance of meteorological factors. Generalized additive model with quasi-Poisson regression was conducted to examine the nonlinear relationships and interactive effects using penalized spline methods. A distributed lag nonlinear model with quasi-Poisson regression was constructed to estimate exposure-lag effects of meteorological factors. The most important meteorological factor was weekly mean lowest temperature. The relationship between meteorological factors and SFTS incidence revealed a nonlinear and intricate pattern. Interaction analyses showed that prolonged sunshine duration posed a climatic risk within a specific temperature range for SFTS incidence. The maximum relative risk (RR) observed under extremely low temperature (-4°C) was 1.33 at lag of 15 week, while under extremely high temperature (25°C), the minimum RR was 0.65 at lag of 13 week. The RRs associated with both extremely high and low sunshine duration escalated with an increase in lag weeks. This study underscores that meteorological factors exert nonlinear, delayed, and interactive effects on SFTS incidence. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the dependency of SFTS incidence on meteorological factors in particular climates.

Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the association between short-term exposure to carbon monoxide and COVID-19 incidence: A multistage time-series study in the continental United States

BackgroundPrevious research has established carbon monoxide (CO) as a significant air pollutant contributing to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission. The spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the relationship between short-duration CO exposure and COVID-19 incidence remain underexplored. Investigating such heterogeneity plays a crucial role in designing region-specific cost-effective public health policies, exploring the reasons for heterogeneity, and understanding the temporal trends in the association between CO and an emerging infectious disease such as COVID-19. MethodsThe 49 states of the continental United States (U.S.) were examined in this study. Initially, we developed time-series generalized additive models (GAMs) for each state to assess the preliminary correlation between daily COVID-19 cases and short-term CO exposure from April 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021. Subsequently, the correlations were compiled utilizing Leroux-prior-based conditional autoregression (LCAR) to achieve a smoothed spatial distribution. Finally, we integrated a time-varying component into the GAM and LCAR to analyze temporal correlations and illuminate the factors contributing to spatiotemporal heterogeneity. ResultsOur analysis revealed that, across the 49 states, a 10-ppb increase in CO concentration was associated with a 1.33 % (95%CI: 0.86%–1.81 %) increase in COVID-19 cases on average. Furthermore, spatial variability was noted, with weaker correlations observed in the central and southeastern regions, stronger associations in the northeastern regions, and negligible associations in the western regions. Temporally, the correlation was not significant from April 2020 to June 2021, but began to increase steadily thereafter until the end of 2021. Additionally, vaccination and temperature were determined to be potential causes contributing to the heterogeneity, indicating stronger positive associations in areas with higher vaccination rates and temperatures. ConclusionThe findings of this study underscore the importance of monitoring CO pollution in the central and northeastern US, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance in British Columbia, Canada: An interrupted time series study.

We assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance among individuals with HCV diagnosed with cirrhosis in British Columbia (BC), Canada. We used data from the British Columbia Hepatitis Testers Cohort (BC-HTC), including all individuals in the province tested for or diagnosed with HCV from 1 January 1990 to 31 December 2015, to assess HCC surveillance. To analyse the impact of the pandemic on HCC surveillance, we used pre-policy (January 2018 to February 2020) and post-policy (March to December 2020) periods. We conducted interrupted time series (ITS) analysis using a segmented linear regression model and included first-order autocorrelation terms. From January 2018 to December 2020, 6546 HCC screenings were performed among 3429 individuals with HCV and cirrhosis. The ITS model showed an immediate decrease in HCC screenings in March and April 2020, with an overall level change of -71 screenings [95% confidence interval (CI): -105.9, -18.9]. We observed a significant decrease in HCC surveillance among study participants, regardless of HCV treatment status and age group, with the sharpest decrease among untreated HCV patients. A recovery of HCC surveillance followed this decline, reflected in an increasing trend of 7.8 screenings (95% CI: 0.6, 13.5) per month during the post-policy period. There was no level or trend change in the number of individuals diagnosed with HCC. We observed a sharp decline in HCC surveillance among people living with HCV and cirrhosis in BC following the COVID-19 pandemic control measures. HCC screening returned to pre-pandemic levels by mid-2020.

How heatwaves affect short-term emergency hospital admissions due to bacterial foodborne diseases

The coming decades are likely to see of extreme weather events becoming more intense and frequent across Europe as a whole and around the Mediterranean in particular. The reproduction rate of some microorganisms, including the bacteria that cause foodborne diseases, will also be affected by these events. The aim of this study was thus to ascertain whether there might be a statistically significant relationship between emergency hospital admissions due to the principal bacterial foodborne diseases (BFDs) and the various meteorological variables, including heatwaves.We conducted a time-series study, with daily observations of both the dependent variable (emergency hospital admissions due to BFDs) and the independent variables (meteorological variables and control variables of chemical air pollution) across the period 2013–2018 in the Madrid Region (Spain), using Generalised Linear Models with Poisson regression, in which control and lag variables were included for the purpose of fitting the models. We calculated the threshold value of the maximum daily temperature above which such admissions increased statistically significantly, analysed data for the whole year and for the summer months alone, and estimated the relative and attributable risks.The estimated attributable risk was 3.6 % for every one-degree rise in the maximum daily temperature above 12 °C throughout the year, and 12.21 % for every one degree rise in temperature above the threshold heatwave definition temperature (34 °C) in summer.Furthermore, different meteorological variables displayed a statistically significant association. Whereas hours of sunlight and mean wind speed proved significant in the analyses of both the whole year and summer, the variables “rain” and “relative humidity”, only showed a significant relationship in the analysis for the whole year.High ambient temperature is a risk factor that favours the increase in emergency hospitalisations attributable to the principal BFDs, with a greater impact being observed on days coinciding with heatwave periods. The results yielded by this study could serve as a basis for implementing BFD prevention strategies, especially on heatwave days.

Ambient temperature and cardiovascular disease-related emergency room visits in Lanzhou, China from 2013 to 2019: A time-series study.

This study assessed the links between daily mean temperature and emergency room (ER) admissions for total and cause-specific cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in Lanzhou, China from 2013 to 2019. A quasi-Poisson Generalized Additive Model (GAM) and a Distributed Lag Non-Linear Model (DLNM) were used to determine the effects of temperature on total and cause-specific cardiovascular emergency visits. The relative risks (RR) at cold (hot) temperatures were calculated by comparing the 5th (95th) centile of temperature with the minimum morbidity temperature (MMT). Exposure-response curves demonstrating an inverted U-shape or an irregular M-shape association were observed between temperature and total and cause-specific CVD. The study found that both cold and hot temperatures had negative impacts on emergency room visits for various cardiovascular diseases. For people with total CVD, heart rhythm disturbances (HRD), or cerebrovascular diseases (CD), females were more sensitive to temperature than males, while for ischemic heart disease (IHD) and heart failure (HF), males were more vulnerable to temperature. The < 65 years old with total CVD, IHD, HRD, or CD was more susceptible to the effects of temperature. The results indicated that the relationship between temperature and total and cause-specific CVD was nonlinear, and susceptibility to temperature varied across disease subtype, gender, and age.

Colonization and Biodegradation Potential of Fungal Communities on Immersed Polystyrene vs. Biodegradable Plastics: A Time Series Study in a Marina Environment.

Plastic pollution of the ocean is a major environmental threat. In this context, a better understanding of the microorganisms able to colonize and potentially degrade these pollutants is of interest. This study explores the colonization and biodegradation potential of fungal communities on foamed polystyrene and alternatives biodegradable plastics immersed in a marina environment over time, using the Brest marina (France) as a model site. The methodology involved a combination of high-throughput 18S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to investigate fungal taxa associated with plastics compared to the surrounding seawater, and a culture-dependent approach to isolate environmentally relevant fungi to further assess their capabilities to utilize polymers as carbon sources. Metabarcoding results highlighted the significant diversity of fungal communities associated with both foamed polystyrene and biodegradable plastics, revealing a dynamic colonization process influenced by the type of polymer and immersion time. Notably, the research suggests a potential for certain fungal species to utilize polymers as a carbon source, emphasizing the need for further exploration of fungal biodegradation potential and mechanisms.

SPATIO-TEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS TRANSMISSION IN A HIGHLY ENDEMIC REGION OF BRAZIL

Background: Brazil concentrates 96% of visceral leishmaniasis cases occurred in Americas, and Maranhão is the Brazilian state with the highest number of registered cases. We aimed to analyze the spatio-temporal dynamics of visceral leishmaniasis transmission in a Brazilian region with high endemicity between 2009 to 2017. Methods: We carried out an ecological and time series study using spatio-temporal analysis techniques. A time-trend analysis was performed by the segmented linear regression. High-risk clusters were identified through spatial autocorrelation (Moran’s global and local indexes) and space-time scan statistics. Results: There were 5,128 visceral leishmaniasis cases, and it was observed increasing trends of new cases in the general population, among men, adults ≥20 years old, especially ≥60 years old. VL-HIV coinfection, mortality and lethality were crescent. Spatial analysis revealed intense visceral leishmaniasis transmission in almost the entire state and high-risk priority areas. Implications: Visceral leishmaniasis is in a substantial geographical expansion, demonstrating that the surveillance policies need to be reformulated.