Healthcare workers' willingness to work during an influenza pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis

To estimate the proportion of healthcare workers (HCWs) willing to work during an influenza pandemic and identify associated risk factors, we undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis compliant with PRISMA guidance. Databases and grey literature were searched to April 2013, and records were screened against protocol eligibility criteria. Data extraction and risk of bias assessments were undertaken using a piloted form. Random-effects meta-analyses estimated (i) pooled proportion of HCWs willing to work and (ii) pooled odds ratios of risk factors associated with willingness to work. Heterogeneity was quantified using the I(2) statistic, and publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and Egger's test. Data were synthesized narratively where meta-analyses were not possible. Forty-three studies met our inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis of the proportion of HCWs willing to work was abandoned due to excessive heterogeneity (I(2) = 99.2%). Narrative synthesis showed study estimates ranged from 23.1% to 95.8% willingness to work, depending on context. Meta-analyses of specific factors showed that male HCWs, physicians and nurses, full-time employment, perceived personal safety, awareness of pandemic risk and clinical knowledge of influenza pandemics, role-specific knowledge, pandemic response training, and confidence in personal skills were statistically significantly associated with increased willingness. Childcare obligations were significantly associated with decreased willingness. HCWs' willingness to work during an influenza pandemic was moderately high, albeit highly variable. Numerous risk factors showed a statistically significant association with willingness to work despite significant heterogeneity between studies. None of the included studies were based on appropriate theoretical constructs of population behaviour

A Novel Compound Heterozygous Mutation in the CYP4V2 Gene in a Japanese Patient with Bietti's Crystalline Corneoretinal Dystrophy

Purpose: To describe the clinical and genetic characteristics of a Japanese family in which one member exhibited Bietti's crystalline corneoretinal dystrophy (BCD). Methods: Using direct sequencing, mutation screening was performed in the CYP4V2 gene of both the patient with BCD and her daughter. Ophthalmic examinations were performed to determine the clinical features of both subjects. Results: The 64-year-old female patient had a bilateral visual acuity of 0.4. Slit lamp examination revealed bilateral crystalline-like deposits at the superior limbus of the cornea. Fundus examination revealed there was chorioretinal atrophy along with numerous glistening yellowish-white crystalline deposits that were scattered throughout the posterior pole and the mid-peripheral retina. Standard flash electroretinography showed an extinguished electroretinogram and Goldmann kinetic perimetry detected a relative scotoma. Genetic analysis revealed that the patient had a heterozygous mutation in the CYP4V2 gene (IVS6-8delTCATACAGGTCATCGCG/GC), which is the most commonly found mutation in Japanese patients with BCD. Furthermore, the patient was also shown to have a novel heterozygous point mutation in exon 9 of the CYP4V2 gene (c.1168C>T). In contrast, her daughter exhibited no clinical findings for BCD even though she carried the same heterozygous mutation in the CYP4V2 gene (c.1168C>T). Conclusion: A novel compound heterozygous mutation was found in the CYP4V2 gene of a patient with BCD. This previously unreported c.1168C>T mutation causes a missense mutation (p.R390C) in the CYP4V2 protein

Japanese Newspaper Coverage of Climate Change or Global Warming, 2000-2024 - January 2024

The Media and Climate Change Observatory Data monitors 131 sources (across newspapers, radio and TV) in 59 countries in seven different regions around the world. Data is assembled by accessing archives through the Lexis Nexis, Proquest and Factiva databases via the University of Colorado libraries. More information may be found at: http://mecco.colorado.edu.</p

Japanese Newspaper Coverage of Climate Change or Global Warming, 2000-2023 - December 2023

The Media and Climate Change Observatory Data monitors 131 sources (across newspapers, radio and TV) in 59 countries in seven different regions around the world. Data is assembled by accessing archives through the Lexis Nexis, Proquest and Factiva databases via the University of Colorado libraries. More information may be found at: http://mecco.colorado.edu.</p

Japanese Newspaper Coverage of Climate Change or Global Warming, 2000-2024 - March 2024

The Media and Climate Change Observatory Data monitors 131 sources (across newspapers, radio and TV) in 59 countries in seven different regions around the world. Data is assembled by accessing archives through the Lexis Nexis, Proquest and Factiva databases via the University of Colorado libraries. More information may be found at: http://mecco.colorado.edu.</p

Japanese Newspaper Coverage of Climate Change or Global Warming, 2000-2024 - February 2024

The Media and Climate Change Observatory Data monitors 131 sources (across newspapers, radio and TV) in 59 countries in seven different regions around the world. Data is assembled by accessing archives through the Lexis Nexis, Proquest and Factiva databases via the University of Colorado libraries. More information may be found at: http://mecco.colorado.edu.</p

Asian Newspaper Coverage of Climate Change or Global Warming, 2004-2023 - January 2024

The Media and Climate Change Observatory Data monitors 131 sources (across newspapers, radio and TV) in 59 countries in seven different regions around the world. Data is assembled by accessing archives through the Lexis Nexis, Proquest and Factiva databases via the University of Colorado libraries. More information may be found at: http://mecco.colorado.edu.</p