Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Wider Population (wider + population)
Selected AbstractsDisease burden of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia within the European UnionEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Louise Watson Abstract Objective:, Whilst Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is considered a rare disease, to our knowledge, the current prevalence of CLL within the European Union (EU) member states is not published. Understanding the number of individuals with CLL is vital to assess disease burden within the wider population. Methods:, Using 2002 data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, we estimated the number of individuals with CLL (ICD-10 C91.1) from those reported for all leukaemias (C91,95) and extrapolated the figures by the population increase within the EU between 2002 and 2006, the last year with fully updated community population estimates. One- and 5-yr partial prevalence estimates are reported (i.e. the number of individuals still living 1,5 yr post-diagnosis). We then applied proportional estimates from the literature to assess those requiring immediate treatment, those under observation and their likely progression rates. Results:, We found that within the 27 EU states plus Iceland, Norway and Lichtenstein, 1- and 5-yr CLL partial prevalence estimates totalled approximately 13 952 and 46 633 individuals respectively in 2006. By applying Binet staging to the 1-yr estimate, 40% of patients will be stage B/C and require immediate treatment. Thus, 5581 individuals may be treated within the first year of diagnosis. Of the 60% (8371) under observation, by 5 yr up to 33% (2763) may have more advanced disease with increased risk of mortality. Conclusion:, Whilst CLL is a rare disease, the number of individuals burdened by the disease within the EU is considerable and thousands of patients require treatment and physician care, which has cost implications for member states. [source] An introduction to medical statistics for health care professionals: Hypothesis tests and estimationMUSCULOSKELETAL CARE, Issue 2 2005Elaine Thomas PhD MSc BSc Lecturer in Biostatistics Abstract This article is the second in a series of three that will give health care professionals (HCPs) a sound introduction to medical statistics (Thomas, 2004). The objective of research is to find out about the population at large. However, it is generally not possible to study the whole of the population and research questions are addressed in an appropriate study sample. The next crucial step is then to use the information from the sample of individuals to make statements about the wider population of like individuals. This procedure of drawing conclusions about the population, based on study data, is known as inferential statistics. The findings from the study give us the best estimate of what is true for the relevant population, given the sample is representative of the population. It is important to consider how accurate this best estimate is, based on a single sample, when compared to the unknown population figure. Any difference between the observed sample result and the population characteristic is termed the sampling error. This article will cover the two main forms of statistical inference (hypothesis tests and estimation) along with issues that need to be addressed when considering the implications of the study results. Copyright © 2005 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] Two Traditions of Bronze Age Burial in the Stonehenge LandscapeOXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 4 2000Frances Peters A study of the size of round barrows in relation to their position in the Stonehenge landscape allows us to define two types of mound, here termed ,Conspicuous' and ,Inconspicuous'. Conspicuous barrows are large and prominently located, whilst inconspicuous barrows are smaller and less strikingly placed. Inconspicuous barrows were associated mainly with funerary urns and were constructed throughout the Early and Middle Bronze Ages. Conspicuous barrows contain a wider range of grave goods and were mainly built in the later part of the Early Bronze Age. The Conspicuous barrows were impressive features of the prehistoric landscape and may have been built there because of the long-established significance of some of the local monuments, including Stonehenge itself. They contain exotic grave goods and could have been the burial places of a wider population. By contrast, the Inconspicuous barrows appear to be associated with settlement areas. They contain a range of ceramic grave goods which extend throughout the Early and Middle Bronze Ages and may have been built by the people who were living in the area. The latter tradition is the longer lived and retained its importance into the Middle Bronze Age when more conspicuous mounds were no longer built. [source] Comparison of microarray-based detection rates for cytogenetic abnormalities in prenatal and neonatal specimensPRENATAL DIAGNOSIS, Issue 9 2008Lisa G. Shaffer Abstract Objective To compare the detection rate by microarray analysis for chromosome abnormalities in a prenatal population to that of a neonatal population referred for diagnostic testing. Methods Array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) analysis was performed for 151 prenatal cases and compared with the results from 1375 postnatal cases less than 3 months of age. Results Two of 151 prenatal cases (1.3%) showed a clinically significant cytogenetic abnormality. In contrast, of the 1375 postnatal cases studied, 11.4% showed a cytogenetic abnormality by aCGH. Many of these (40%) were referred for aCGH because of dysmorphic features, a clinical indication unlikely to be identified in the prenatal population. Conclusions The chance of detecting a chromosome abnormality in a prenatal population that has already been screened by routine cytogenetics is ,1.3%. However, given that many of the abnormal array results in the neonatal population were among those with dysmorphic features as the primary indication for testing, which are not easily identifiable by ultrasound, offering prenatal testing by aCGH to a wider population would likely result in a higher detection rate. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Plant-produced human growth hormone shows biological activity in a rat modelBIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 2 2009Shailaja Rabindran Abstract Plants have been shown to be efficient systems for expressing a wide range of recombinant proteins from various origins. Here, using a plant virus-based expression vector to produce human growth hormone (hGH) in Nicotiana benthamiana plants, we demonstrate, for the first time, that the plant-produced hGH (pphGH) is biologically active in a hypophysectomized rat model. We observed an average weight gain of ,17 g per animal in a group of 10 animals that were injected subcutaneously with pphGH with 60 ,g/dose for 10 days. With the increasing demand for hGH, accompanied with the need to make this recombinant protein available to a wider population at a more reasonable cost, plants provide a feasible alternative to current production platforms. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2009 [source] Assessing Effective Care in Normal Labor: The Bologna ScoreBIRTH, Issue 2 2001Beverley Chalmers DSc(Med) The intention of the "Bologna score" is to quantify, both in an individual labor and in a wider population, the extent to which labors have been managed as if they are normal as opposed to complicated. In this way it may be possible to assess both attitudes and practices within a maternity service toward the effective care of normal labor. A scoring system for normal labor was proposed at the World Health Organization (Regional Office for Europe) Task Force Meeting on Monitoring and Evaluation of Perinatal Care, held in Bologna in January 2000. This paper describes conceptual development of the scale. Recommendations for future evaluation of the Bologna score's validity and potential include field testing globally, comparison with the Apgar score, and evaluation of the relative weight contributed by each of the five measures comprising the Bologna score. [source] Qualitative techniques to investigate how patients evaluate dentists: a pilot studyCOMMUNITY DENTISTRY AND ORAL EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 4 2000Philip R. H. Newsome Abstract ,Objectives: Most previous studies have portrayed patient satisfaction as a rather simple outcome based solely on patient perceptions. The goal of this pilot study was to determine if evidence could be found to support the view that patient evaluation is a more complex process better explained by drawing on the theories of ,disconfirmation of expectations' and ,attribution'. Methods: A qualitative methodological approach was chosen with data collection being achieved by means of four focus group interviews comprising a total of 25 participants (16 women and 9 men, mean age 43.8 years, standard deviation of 14.45) representing a wider population of adults (over the age of 18) who had attended for dental treatment within the previous 12 months. Results: Analysis suggests that patient perceptions of dental practice alone do not fully account for the way patients evaluate dentists. Disconfirmation of expectations does take place during the evaluation process. Equally, patients appear to apply the attributional concepts of ,duty' and ,culpability' to determine either satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Conclusions: A better understanding of patient satisfaction, and the evaluation process that leads to satisfaction, can only be achieved if, in addition to patient perceptions, other antecedent factors such as patient expectations and desires are considered. Disconfirmation and attribution theory do appear to play an important role in this process and warrant further investigation. [source] Omega-3 polyunsaturated acids and cardiovascular disease: notable ethnic differences or unfulfilled promise?JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS, Issue 10 2010J. V. PATEL Summary., The consumption of long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated acids (PUFA) is considered to protect against cardiovascular disease and promote longevity following a heart attack. Historically, research in this area was fuelled by compelling reports of the cardiovascular benefits of omega-3 PUFA in select populations and cultures. More recent studies, in wider populations, suggest discordant findings: differences that are difficult to reconcile as the mechanism of action of omega-3 PUFA are poorly understood. As such, the use of this ,natural treatment' for cardiovascular disease is increasingly controversial, and potentially one of unfulfilled promise. To what extent does ethnicity influence the impact that omega-3 PUFA have on cardiovascular disease and its associated complications? We were interested to review the benefits of omega-3 PUFA in the management of cardiovascular risk amongst diverse ethnic groups. Using a systematic review of literature relating to omega-3 PUFA and cardiovascular disease, we found ethnicity to be a factor that accounts for inconsistency between studies. Some of the effects of omega-3 PUFA are limited to cultures with a very high omega-3 intake, and in turn, ethnicity moderates the efficiency with which PUFA are derived from the diet. Moreover, omega-3 PUFA are an important health care intervention in the current climate of globalization, where supplementation is likely to give protection to cultural groups undergoing dietary transition. Future epidemiological research into the efficacy of omega-3 PUFA in cardiovascular disease should consider the influence of ethnicity. [source] | |||||||||||||