Precision mapping of COVID-19 vulnerable locales by epidemiological and socioeconomic risk factors, developed using South Korean data

COVID-19 has severely impacted socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. To support pandemic control strategies, geographically weighted negative binomial regression (GWNBR) mapped COVID-19 risk related to epidemiological and socioeconomic risk factors using South Korean incidence data (January 20, 2020 to July 1, 2020). We constructed COVID-19-specific socioeconomic and epidemiological themes using established social theoretical frameworks and created composite indexes through principal component analysis. The risk of COVID-19 increased with higher area morbidity, risky health behaviours, crowding, and population mobility, and with lower social distancing, healthcare access, and education. Falling COVID-19 risks and spatial shifts over three consecutive time periods reflected effective public health interventions. This study provides a globally replicable methodological framework and precision mapping for COVID-19 and future pandemics

Temporal regulation of Dpp signaling output in the Drosophila wing

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/107377/1/dvdy24122.pd

Combined Inactivation of pRB and Hippo Pathways Induces Dedifferentiation in the Drosophila Retina

Functional inactivation of the Retinoblastoma (pRB) pathway is an early and obligatory event in tumorigenesis. The importance of pRB is usually explained by its ability to promote cell cycle exit. Here, we demonstrate that, independently of cell cycle exit control, in cooperation with the Hippo tumor suppressor pathway, pRB functions to maintain the terminally differentiated state. We show that mutations in the Hippo signaling pathway, wts or hpo, trigger widespread dedifferentiation of rbf mutant cells in the Drosophila eye. Initially, rbf wts or rbf hpo double mutant cells are morphologically indistinguishable from their wild-type counterparts as they properly differentiate into photoreceptors, form axonal projections, and express late neuronal markers. However, the double mutant cells cannot maintain their neuronal identity, dedifferentiate, and thus become uncommitted eye specific cells. Surprisingly, this dedifferentiation is fully independent of cell cycle exit defects and occurs even when inappropriate proliferation is fully blocked by a de2f1 mutation. Thus, our results reveal the novel involvement of the pRB pathway during the maintenance of a differentiated state and suggest that terminally differentiated Rb mutant cells are intrinsically prone to dedifferentiation, can be converted to progenitor cells, and thus contribute to cancer advancement

Measuring routine childhood vaccination coverage in 204 countries and territories, 1980-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2020, Release 1

Background: Measuring routine childhood vaccination is crucial to inform global vaccine policies and programme implementation, and to track progress towards targets set by the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) and Immunization Agenda 2030. Robust estimates of routine vaccine coverage are needed to identify past successes and persistent vulnerabilities. Drawing from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2020, Release 1, we did a systematic analysis of global, regional, and national vaccine coverage trends using a statistical framework, by vaccine and over time. // Methods: For this analysis we collated 55 326 country-specific, cohort-specific, year-specific, vaccine-specific, and dose-specific observations of routine childhood vaccination coverage between 1980 and 2019. Using spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression, we produced location-specific and year-specific estimates of 11 routine childhood vaccine coverage indicators for 204 countries and territories from 1980 to 2019, adjusting for biases in country-reported data and reflecting reported stockouts and supply disruptions. We analysed global and regional trends in coverage and numbers of zero-dose children (defined as those who never received a diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis [DTP] vaccine dose), progress towards GVAP targets, and the relationship between vaccine coverage and sociodemographic development. // Findings: By 2019, global coverage of third-dose DTP (DTP3; 81·6% [95% uncertainty interval 80·4–82·7]) more than doubled from levels estimated in 1980 (39·9% [37·5–42·1]), as did global coverage of the first-dose measles-containing vaccine (MCV1; from 38·5% [35·4–41·3] in 1980 to 83·6% [82·3–84·8] in 2019). Third-dose polio vaccine (Pol3) coverage also increased, from 42·6% (41·4–44·1) in 1980 to 79·8% (78·4–81·1) in 2019, and global coverage of newer vaccines increased rapidly between 2000 and 2019. The global number of zero-dose children fell by nearly 75% between 1980 and 2019, from 56·8 million (52·6–60·9) to 14·5 million (13·4–15·9). However, over the past decade, global vaccine coverage broadly plateaued; 94 countries and territories recorded decreasing DTP3 coverage since 2010. Only 11 countries and territories were estimated to have reached the national GVAP target of at least 90% coverage for all assessed vaccines in 2019. // Interpretation: After achieving large gains in childhood vaccine coverage worldwide, in much of the world this progress was stalled or reversed from 2010 to 2019. These findings underscore the importance of revisiting routine immunisation strategies and programmatic approaches, recentring service delivery around equity and underserved populations. Strengthening vaccine data and monitoring systems is crucial to these pursuits, now and through to 2030, to ensure that all children have access to, and can benefit from, lifesaving vaccines

Measuring routine childhood vaccination coverage in 204 countries and territories, 1980-2019 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2020, Release 1

Background Measuring routine childhood vaccination is crucial to inform global vaccine policies and programme implementation, and to track progress towards targets set by the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) and Immunization Agenda 2030. Robust estimates of routine vaccine coverage are needed to identify past successes and persistent vulnerabilities. Drawing from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2020, Release 1, we did a systematic analysis of global, regional, and national vaccine coverage trends using a statistical framework, by vaccine and over time. Methods For this analysis we collated 55 326 country-specific, cohort-specific, year-specific, vaccine-specific, and dosespecific observations of routine childhood vaccination coverage between 1980 and 2019. Using spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression, we produced location-specific and year-specific estimates of 11 routine childhood vaccine coverage indicators for 204 countries and territories from 1980 to 2019, adjusting for biases in countryreported data and reflecting reported stockouts and supply disruptions. We analysed global and regional trends in coverage and numbers of zero-dose children (defined as those who never received a diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis [DTP] vaccine dose), progress towards GVAP targets, and the relationship between vaccine coverage and sociodemographic development. Findings By 2019, global coverage of third-dose DTP (DTP3; 81.6% [95% uncertainty interval 80.4-82 .7]) more than doubled from levels estimated in 1980 (39.9% [37.5-42.1]), as did global coverage of the first-dose measles-containing vaccine (MCV1; from 38.5% [35.4-41.3] in 1980 to 83.6% [82.3-84.8] in 2019). Third- dose polio vaccine (Pol3) coverage also increased, from 42.6% (41.4-44.1) in 1980 to 79.8% (78.4-81.1) in 2019, and global coverage of newer vaccines increased rapidly between 2000 and 2019. The global number of zero-dose children fell by nearly 75% between 1980 and 2019, from 56.8 million (52.6-60. 9) to 14.5 million (13.4-15.9). However, over the past decade, global vaccine coverage broadly plateaued; 94 countries and territories recorded decreasing DTP3 coverage since 2010. Only 11 countries and territories were estimated to have reached the national GVAP target of at least 90% coverage for all assessed vaccines in 2019. Interpretation After achieving large gains in childhood vaccine coverage worldwide, in much of the world this progress was stalled or reversed from 2010 to 2019. These findings underscore the importance of revisiting routine immunisation strategies and programmatic approaches, recentring service delivery around equity and underserved populations. Strengthening vaccine data and monitoring systems is crucial to these pursuits, now and through to 2030, to ensure that all children have access to, and can benefit from, lifesaving vaccines. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe

Nachhaltige Methoden zur Einführung von Fluoralkyl(thio)gruppen

Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit konnten neue Konzepte zur regioselektiven Einführung von CF3, SCF3, und SCF2H-Gruppen entwickelt und neue konzeptionelle Perspektiven für die Entwicklung nachhaltiger Fluoralkylierungsreaktionen und Reagenzien eröffnet werden. Im ersten Teilprojekt gelang es, praktische Eintopfverfahren zu entwickeln, mit denen Trifluormethyl- und Trifluormethylthiolgruppen selektiv in organische Moleküle eingeführt werden. Der maßgebliche Vorteil dieser Methoden ist, dass breit verfügbare aromatische Amine in situ diazotiert und ohne weitere Aufarbeitung weiter umgesetzt werden. Die vorteilhaften Reaktionsbedingungen wie z.B. Katalysatorbeladung, Raumtemperatur, und die hohe Toleranz gegenüber funktionellen Gruppen konnten beibehalten werden. Im nächsten Teilprojekt wurde aufbauend auf dem Konzept der nukleophilen Difluormethylierung der Organothiocyanate Zugang zu wertvollen Difluormethylthioethern ermöglicht. Dabei werden die Organothiocyanate in situ in Reaktionslösung aus diversen Aryl- und Alkylhalogeniden und –pseudohalogeniden erzeugt, welche anschließend unter Einsatz von TMSCF2H difluormethyliert werden konnten. Der entscheidende Vorteil dieser Methode ist der Einsatz der nachhaltigen CF2H-Quelle, welche aus Fluoroform herstellbar ist. In einem weiteren Teilpojekt erfolgte die Entwicklung eines Verfahrens zur Synthese von Trifluormethylthioethern. Dabei können Organothiocyanate unter Decarboxylierung von Trifluoracetaten in Anwesenheit von Eisenkatalysatoren leicht zu den korrespondierenden, wertvollen Trifluormethylthioethern umgesetzt werden. Die Anwendungsbreite konnte an zahlreichen aromatischen, heteroaromatischen und aliphatischen Organothiocyanaten demonstriert werden. In weiterführenden Arbeiten konnte dieses Reaktionskonzepts auf längerkettige perfluorierte Carboxylate erweitert werden. In einem weiteren Teilprojekt wurde die Sandmeyer Pentafluorethylthiolierung mit Aryldiazoniumsalzen ermöglicht. Sie stellt einen weiteren alternativen Zugang zu den pentafluorethylierten Aromaten dar. Im darauffolgenden Teilprojekt wurden alternative, nachhaltigere Synthesewege zu den gängigen elektrophilen SCF3-Reagenzien ausgehend von Me4NSCF3 mittels einfacher Salzmetatese realisiert. Besonders erwähnenswert hierbei ist, dass eine in situ Generierung dieser sensiblen Reagenzien die komplizierte Handhabung vereinfacht. Im letzten Teilprojekt wurden sowohl elektrophile als auch nukleophile Reagenzien zur regioselektiven Einführung von Phosphorothioat-Gruppen entwickelt. Die Anwendungsmöglichkeiten wurden anhand kupferkatalysierten Sandmeyer Reaktion von Aryldiazoniumsalzen, einer palladiumkatalysierten Umsetzung von Aryliodiden und einer kupferkatalysierten Umsetzung von Arylboronsäuren gezeigt. Zusammengefassend wurden in dieser Arbeit nachhaltige Methoden zur regioselektiven Einführung von CF3, SCF3, SCF2H und SP(O)(OMe)2-Gruppen entwickelt. Dabei wurde das Reaktionskonzept der Sandmeyer Reaktion angewandt. Die wesentlichen Vorteile dabei sind der Einsatz geringer Mengen der Kupferkatalysatoren, die milden Reaktionsbedingungen, sowie die hohe Toleranz gegenüber funktioneller Gruppen, wodurch sich diese Verfahren auch besonders in späten Synthesestufen anbietet