In this study, we aimed to describe the evolution of three cholera epidemics that occurred in Lusaka, Zambia, between 2003 and 2006 and to analyse the association between the increase in number of cases and climatic factors. A Poisson autoregressive model controlling for seasonality and trend was built to estimate the association between the increase in the weekly number of cases and weekly means of daily maximum temperature and rainfall. All epidemics showed a seasonal trend coinciding with the rainy season (November to March). A 1 degrees C rise in temperature 6 weeks before the onset of the outbreak explained 5.2% [relative risk (RR) 1.05, 95% CI 1.04-1.06] of the increase in the number of cholera cases (2003-2006). In addition, a 50 mm increase in rainfall 3 weeks before explained an increase of 2.5% (RR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.04). The attributable risks were 4.9% for temperature and 2.4% for rainfall. If 6 weeks prior to the beginning of the rainy season an increase in temperature is observed followed by an increase in rainfall 3 weeks later, both exceeding expected levels, an increase in the number of cases of cholera within the following 3 weeks could be expected. Our explicative model could contribute to developing a warning signal to reduce the impact of a presumed cholera epidemic.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trstmh.2008.07.017 | DOI Listing |
ACS Nano
January 2025
Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China.
Although considered an "eco-friendly" biodegradable plastic, polylactic acid (PLA) microplastic (PLA-MP) poses a growing concern for human health, yet its effects on male reproductive function remain underexplored. This study investigated the reproductive toxicity of PLA in male mice and its potential mechanisms. To this end, our in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that after degradation in the digestive system, a significant number of PLA-MP-derived nanoparticles could penetrate the blood-testis barrier (BTB) and localize within the spermatogenic microenvironment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
February 2025
Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales SA2 8PP, United Kingdom.
Large herbivores are in decline in much of the world, including sub-Saharan Africa, and true apex carnivores like the lion () decline in parallel with their prey. As a consequence, competitively subordinate carnivores like the African wild dog () are simultaneously experiencing a costly reduction in resources and a beneficial reduction in dominant competitors. The net effect is not intuitively obvious, but wild dogs' density, survival, and reproduction are all low in areas that are strongly affected by prey depletion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
February 2025
Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7030, Norway.
Replication and the reported crises impacting many fields of research have become a focal point for the sciences. This has led to reforms in publishing, methodological design and reporting, and increased numbers of experimental replications coordinated across many laboratories. While replication is rightly considered an indispensable tool of science, financial resources and researchers' time are quite limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
February 2025
Department of Computer Science, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
The preference for simple explanations, known as the parsimony principle, has long guided the development of scientific theories, hypotheses, and models. Yet recent years have seen a number of successes in employing highly complex models for scientific inquiry (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRev Esc Enferm USP
January 2025
Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Departamento de Medicina I, São Luís, MA, Brazil.
Objective: To analyze the prevalence of prenatal tests of pregnant women and factors associated with variation in this prevalence in the years of the Brazilian National Health Survey 2013 and 2019.
Method: A cross-sectional study, carried out with women who underwent prenatal care, interviewed in the Brazilian National Health Survey 2013 (n = 1,851) and 2019 (n = 2,729).
Results: The most prevalent tests were urine and blood, and the least prevalent were syphilis and HIV.
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