Superspreaders are recognized as being important drivers of disease spread. However, models to date have assumed random occurrence of superspreaders, irrespective of whom they were infected by. Evidence suggests though that those individuals infected by superspreaders may be more likely to become superspreaders themselves. Here, we begin to explore, theoretically, the effects of such a positive feedback loop on (1) the final epidemic size, (2) the herd immunity threshold, (3) the basic reproduction number, , and (4) the peak prevalence of superspreaders, using a generic model for a hypothetical acute viral infection and illustrative parameter values. We show that positive feedback loops can have a profound effect on our chosen epidemic outcomes, even when the transmission advantage of superspreaders is moderate, and despite peak prevalence of superspreaders remaining low. We argue that positive superspreader feedback loops in different infectious diseases, including SARS-CoV-2, should be investigated further, both theoretically and empirically.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.106618 | DOI Listing |
BMJ Open Qual
December 2024
Bournemouth University, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Bournemouth, UK.
Background: Contractures are a debilitating problem for individuals living in long-term care settings. However, there is a lack of education and training among the care staff regarding the identification of risk factors related to contractures and the preventive strategies that can decrease their development or progression. Addressing this knowledge gap has the potential to improve the quality of care provided to residents in care homes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComput Biol Med
December 2024
Department of Physics, Polytechnic University of Catalonia-Barcelona Tech, B4-B5 Northern Campus UPC, Barcelona, 08034, Catalonia, Spain. Electronic address:
The guanine exchange factor SOS1 plays a pivotal role in the positive feedback regulation of the KRAS signaling pathway. Recently, the regulation of KRAS-SOS1 interactions and KRAS downstream effector proteins has emerged as a key focus in the development of therapies targeting KRAS-driven cancers. However, the detailed dynamic mechanisms underlying SOS1-catalyzed GDP extraction and the impact of KRAS mutations remain largely unexplored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiosens Bioelectron
December 2024
School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China; Zhengzhou Industrial Technology Research Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Zhengzhou, 450016, China. Electronic address:
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become an increasingly severe threat to global health, and AMR-associated infection is one of the leading causes of death around the world. Due to the long turnaround time and the limited flexibility and availability of current antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) methods, a large portion of patients with bacterial infections are still treated empirically, increasing the risk of mistreatment. To address the demand for precision treatment of bacterial infections, we developed a nano-dilution SlipChip (nd-SlipChip)-based systematic evaluation method, which facilitates rapid, logic feedback for the assessment of antibiotics, antibiotic combinations, and phage therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova
December 2024
Mental Health Research Centre, Moscow, Russia.
Objective: Identification of therapeutic targets in the treatment of adolescent depression with attenuated symptoms of schizophrenia and assessment of the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions.
Material And Methods: One hundred and twenty-three patients (mean age 19.6±2.
BMC Prim Care
December 2024
Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, P.O. Box 2040, Rotterdam, 3015 CN, The Netherlands.
Background: HIV indicator condition-guided testing is recommended by guidelines to identify undiagnosed HIV infections. However, general practitioners (GPs) frequently see patients for indicator conditions without testing them for HIV. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether implementing HIV teams, using trained GP ambassadors, promoted local HIV indicator condition-guided testing practices in urban GP centers in the Netherlands.
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