Triangulating Truth and Reaching Consensus on Population Size, Prevalence, and More: Modeling Study.

Background: Population size, prevalence, and incidence are essential metrics that influence public health programming and policy. However, stakeholders are frequently tasked with setting performance targets, reporting global indicators, and designing policies based on multiple (often incongruous) estimates of these variables, and they often do so in the absence of a formal, transparent framework for reaching a consensus estimate.

Objective: This study aims to describe a model to synthesize multiple study estimates while incorporating stakeholder knowledge, introduce an R Shiny app to implement the model, and demonstrate the model and app using real data.

Modeling of networked populations when data is sampled or missing.

Networked populations consist of inhomogeneous individuals connected via relational ties. The individuals typically vary in multivariate attributes. In some cases primary interest focuses on individual attributes and in others the understanding of the social structure of the ties.

The HIV care continuum for sexually active transgender women in three metropolitan municipalities in South Africa: findings from a biobehavioural survey 2018-19.

Background: Despite high HIV prevalence in transgender women in sub-Saharan Africa, to our knowledge no study presents data across the HIV care continuum for this population in the region. The aim of this study was to estimate HIV prevalence and present data to develop the HIV care continuum indicators for transgender women in three South African metropolitan municipalities.

Methods: Biobehavioural survey data were collected among sexually active transgender women in the metropolitan municipalities of Johannesburg, Buffalo City, and Cape Town, South Africa.

Improving Biomarker-based HIV Incidence Estimation in the Treatment Era.

Background: Estimating HIV-1 incidence using biomarker assays in cross-sectional surveys is important for understanding the HIV pandemic. However, the utility of these estimates has been limited by uncertainty about what input parameters to use for false recency rate (FRR) and mean duration of recent infection (MDRI) after applying a recent infection testing algorithm (RITA).

Methods: This article shows how testing and diagnosis reduce both FRR and mean duration of recent infection compared to a treatment-naive population.

Estimation of HIV-1 Incidence Using a Testing History-Based Method; Analysis From the Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment Survey Data in 12 African Countries.

Background: Estimating HIV incidence is essential to monitoring progress in sub-Saharan African nations toward global epidemic control. One method for incidence estimation is to test nationally representative samples using laboratory-based incidence assays. An alternative method based on reported HIV testing history and the proportion of undiagnosed infections has recently been described.

A Nationally Representative Survey of COVID-19 in Pakistan, 2021-2022.

We conducted 4,863 mobile phone and 1,715 face-to-face interviews of adults >18 years residing in Pakistan during June 2021-January 2022 that focused on opinions and practices related to COVID-19. Of those surveyed, 26.3% thought COVID-19 was inevitable, and 16.

Estimating eviction prevalence across the United States.

SignificanceSeveral negative effects of forced displacement have been well documented, yet we lack reliable measurement of eviction risk in the national perspective. This prevents accurate estimations of the scope and geography of the problem as well as evaluations of policies to reduce housing loss. We construct a nationwide database of eviction filings in the United States.

Population Size Estimation From Capture-Recapture Studies Using shinyrecap: Design and Implementation of a Web-Based Graphical User Interface.

Background: Population size estimates (PSE) provide critical information in determining resource allocation for HIV services geared toward those at high risk of HIV, including female sex workers, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs. Capture-recapture (CRC) is often used to estimate the size of these often-hidden populations. Compared with the commonly used 2-source CRC, CRC relying on 3 (or more) samples (3S-CRC) can provide more robust PSE but involve far more complex statistical analysis.

On The Robustness Of Respondent-Driven Sampling Estimators To Measurement Error.

Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) is a popular method of conducting surveys in hard to reach populations where strong assumptions are required in order to make valid statistical inferences. In this paper we investigate the assumption that network degrees are measured accurately by the RDS survey and find that there is likely significant measurement error present in typical studies. We prove that most RDS estimators remain consistent under an imperfect measurement model with little to no added bias, though the variance of the estimators does increase.

Naomi: a new modelling tool for estimating HIV epidemic indicators at the district level in sub-Saharan Africa.

Introduction: HIV planning requires granular estimates for the number of people living with HIV (PLHIV), antiretroviral treatment (ART) coverage and unmet need, and new HIV infections by district, or equivalent subnational administrative level. We developed a Bayesian small-area estimation model, called Naomi, to estimate these quantities stratified by subnational administrative units, sex, and five-year age groups.

Methods: Small-area regressions for HIV prevalence, ART coverage and HIV incidence were jointly calibrated using subnational household survey data on all three indicators, routine antenatal service delivery data on HIV prevalence and ART coverage among pregnant women, and service delivery data on the number of PLHIV receiving ART.

Urethrocutaneous fistulas after voluntary medical male circumcision for HIV prevention-15 African Countries, 2015-2019.

Background: Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) is an HIV prevention strategy recommended to partially protect men from heterosexually acquired HIV. From 2015 to 2019, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has supported approximately 14.9 million VMMCs in 15 African countries.

COVID-19 in hematology: data from a hematologic and transplant unit.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, special attention has been addressed in cancer care to mitigate the impact on the patient's prognosis. We addressed our preparation to face COVID-19 pandemic in a Hematological and Stem Cell Transplant Unit in Brazil during the first two months of COVID-19 pandemic and described COVID-19 cases in patients and health care workers (HCW). Modifications in daily routines included a separation of area and professionals, SARS-CoV-2 screening protocols, and others.

A new method for estimating HIV incidence from a single cross-sectional survey.

Estimating incidence from cross-sectional data sources is both important to the understanding of the HIV epidemic and challenging from a methodological standpoint. We develop a new incidence estimator that measures the size of the undiagnosed population and the amount of time spent undiagnosed in order to infer incidence and transmission rates. The estimator is calculated using commonly collected information on testing history and HIV status and, thus, can be deployed in many HIV surveys without additional cost.

Respondent-driven sampling and the homophily configuration graph.

Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS) is a popular method for surveying hard-to-reach populations, especially in the public health domain. Adjusting for the complex sampling mechanism of the RDS procedure is challenging. We propose a new model for the RDS mechanism motivated by a graph model, which we call the Homophily Configuration Graph.

Correction: A New Method for Estimating the Number of Undiagnosed HIV Infected Based on HIV Testing History, with an Application to Men Who Have Sex with Men in Seattle/King County, WA.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

One-step estimation of networked population size: Respondent-driven capture-recapture with anonymity.

Size estimation is particularly important for populations whose members experience disproportionate health issues or pose elevated health risks to the ambient social structures in which they are embedded. Efforts to derive size estimates are often frustrated when the population is hidden or hard-to-reach in ways that preclude conventional survey strategies, as is the case when social stigma is associated with group membership or when group members are involved in illegal activities. This paper extends prior research on the problem of network population size estimation, building on established survey/sampling methodologies commonly used with hard-to-reach groups.

A New Method for Estimating the Number of Undiagnosed HIV Infected Based on HIV Testing History, with an Application to Men Who Have Sex with Men in Seattle/King County, WA.

We develop a new approach for estimating the undiagnosed fraction of HIV cases, the first step in the HIV Care Cascade. The goal is to address a critical blindspot in HIV prevention and treatment planning, with an approach that simplifies data requirements and can be implemented with open-source software. The primary data required is HIV testing history information on newly diagnosed cases.

Lansoprazole-induced hypomagnesaemia.

The introduction of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in the late 1980s optimised the medical treatment of acid-related disorders. They are potent medications and have a good safety profile. However, long-term therapy with PPIs may carry undesired side effects, one of which is hypomagnesaemia.

Adding antidepressants to antipsychotics for treatment of subsyndromal depressive symptoms in schizophrenia: Impact on positive and negative symptoms.

Objectives: It remains unclear how augmenting anti-psychotic medications with anti-depressants impacts primary positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. In this study, we used data collected from a randomized trial comparing citalopram to placebo for management of subsyndromal depression (SSD) in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, to assess the effects of antidepressant augmentation on positive and negative symptoms.

Materials And Methods: Participants in this study conducted at the University of California, San Diego and the University of Cincinnati, were persons with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder aged 40 or older and who met study criteria for SSD.

Structure-based design of novel class II c-Met inhibitors: 1. Identification of pyrazolone-based derivatives.

Deregulation of c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase activity leads to tumorigenesis and metastasis in animal models. More importantly, the identification of activating mutations in c-Met, as well as MET gene amplification in human cancers, points to c-Met as an important target for cancer therapy. We have previously described two classes of c-Met kinase inhibitors (class I and class II) that differ in their binding modes and selectivity profiles.

Correlates of spirituality in older women.

Introduction: The role of spirituality in the context of mental health and successful aging is not well understood. In a sample of community-dwelling older women enrolled at the San Diego site of the Women's Health Initiative study, we examined the association between spirituality and a range of variables associated with successful cognitive and emotional aging, including optimism, resilience, depression, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods: A detailed cross-sectional survey questionnaire on successful aging was completed by 1973 older women.

Treatment of subsyndromal depressive symptoms in middle-age and older patients with schizophrenia: effect of age on response.

Objective: The authors hypothesized that age would moderate the response of patients with schizophrenia and subsyndromal depression (SSD) treated citalopram with depressive symptoms and other outcomes. Also, older patients would exhibit more side effects with citalopram.

Methods: Participants of 40 years or older had schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder with SSD.