Tailoring Capture-Recapture Methods to Estimate Registry-Based Case Counts Based on Error-Prone Diagnostic Signals

Surveillance research is of great importance for effective and efficient epidemiological monitoring of case counts and disease prevalence. Taking specific motivation from ongoing efforts to identify recurrent cases based on the Georgia Cancer Registry, we extend recently proposed "anchor stream" sampling design and estimation methodology. Our approach offers a more efficient and defensible alternative to traditional capture-recapture (CRC) methods by leveraging a relatively small random sample of participants whose recurrence status is obtained through a principled application of medical records abstraction. This sample is combined with one or more existing signaling data streams, which may yield data based on arbitrarily non-representative subsets of the full registry population. The key extension developed here accounts for the common problem of false positive or negative diagnostic signals from the existing data stream(s). In particular, we show that the design only requires documentation of positive signals in these non-anchor surveillance streams, and permits valid estimation of the true case count based on an estimable positive predictive value (PPV) parameter. We borrow ideas from the multiple imputation paradigm to provide accompanying standard errors, and develop an adapted Bayesian credible interval approach that yields favorable frequentist coverage properties. We demonstrate the benefits of the proposed methods through simulation studies, and provide a data example targeting estimation of the breast cancer recurrence case count among Metro Atlanta area patients from the Georgia Cancer Registry-based Cancer Recurrence Information and Surveillance Program (CRISP) database

The Vascular Flora of Doolittle Prairie State Preserve - A Prairie Pothole Wetland Complex

Doolittle Prairie State Preserve is a 10 ha prairie pothole wetland complex located in Story County, central Iowa. A vascular flora of Doolittle Prairie is compiled and the prominent vegetation communities and zones described based on field observations by the authors and several additional investigators from 1982 to 1997. The preserve contains 14 shallow wetlands comprised of low prairie, wet meadow, and shallow emergent plant communities, as well as a disturbed prairie community and fence rows. These communities support a diverse vascular flora of 223 native species, plus 42 non-natives, representing 59 families and 178 genera. The Asteraceae (40), Poaceae (24), and Cyperaceae (22) families contained the greatest number of native plant species. The low prairie community has the highest number of species (104) and the greatest species overlap with the disturbed prairie and wet meadow communities. The fence row/parking area community contains the second highest number of species (101) and the greatest number of non-natives (33), with 78% of the species restricted to that community. Species number decreased in communities with increasing soil moisture. The wet meadow (46 species) and shallow emergent (14 species) communities contained the lowest number of species. A quantitative comparison of floristic composition was made between Doolittle Prairie and three other Iowa state preserves of similar size and vegetation community types. Floristic similarity between Doolittle Prairie and the other preserves ranged from 35-39%

The Vehicle, Fall 1983

Vol. 25, No. 1 Table of Contents Amish BoyDevon Flesorpage 3 SyllogismJ. Maura Davispage 3 Ten SecondsD.L. Lewispage 4 The Cedar ChestBridget M. Howepage 4 A Christmas With CarolSteve Longpage 5 TeethMichelle Mitchellpage 7 An I-Love-You PoemD.L. Lewispage 8 The Dragon SlayerSusan Gradypage 8 A DefinitionAmy J. Eadespage 9 FingernailsSuzanne Hornpage 10 The Liar\u27s TableBrook Wilsonpage 10 Fifi\u27s Last PartySteve Longpage 12 Absence/PresenceSuzanne Hornpage 13 From the Rantings of a Mad Astronomy StudentAmy J. Eadespage 13 In the Name of the Father, the Son, and MachiavelliF. Link Rapierpage 15 Errant LoverBecky Lawsonpage 16 DaddyKevin Lylespage 16 GhostsGary Ervinpage 17 TangoF. Link Rapierpage 17 Grandma\u27s SlippersBecky Lawsonpage 18 EdgesAmy J. Eadespage 19 Having ChildrenDevon Flesorpage 20 Young Black GirlKevin Lylespage 21 CatSuzanne Hornpage 22 Breakfast for OneMichelle Mitchellpage 22 A Modest ProposalBrooke Sanfordpage 23 Post MortemF. Link Rapierpage 26 Who Said I Forgot?Lynne Krausepage 27 The Corner Booth at StuckeysMaggie Kennedypage 28 The First DayDavis Brydenpage 29 DownLynne Krausepage 30 Fairie RingDevon Flesorpage 31 The LaundrymatKathy Fordpage 32 Sunday in OctoberBridget M. Howepage 32 The Kitchen WindowMaggie Kennedypage 33 UntitledChristina Maire Vitekpage 34 8th Grade Field Trip to SpringfieldMichelle Mitchellpage 34 Children of the FortiesF. Link Rapierpage 35 one winter and i was eightGary Ervinpage 35 Don\u27t we all know?Thomas B. Waltrippage 36 The TravelerMaggie Kennedypage 36 The VisitKathy Fordpage 40 CubismMaggie Kennedypage 40https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1042/thumbnail.jp

The Vehicle, Fall 1983

Vol. 25, No. 1 Table of Contents Amish BoyDevon Flesorpage 3 SyllogismJ. Maura Davispage 3 Ten SecondsD.L. Lewispage 4 The Cedar ChestBridget M. Howepage 4 A Christmas With CarolSteve Longpage 5 TeethMichelle Mitchellpage 7 An I-Love-You PoemD.L. Lewispage 8 The Dragon SlayerSusan Gradypage 8 A DefinitionAmy J. Eadespage 9 FingernailsSuzanne Hornpage 10 The Liar\u27s TableBrook Wilsonpage 10 Fifi\u27s Last PartySteve Longpage 12 Absence/PresenceSuzanne Hornpage 13 From the Rantings of a Mad Astronomy StudentAmy J. Eadespage 13 In the Name of the Father, the Son, and MachiavelliF. Link Rapierpage 15 Errant LoverBecky Lawsonpage 16 DaddyKevin Lylespage 16 GhostsGary Ervinpage 17 TangoF. Link Rapierpage 17 Grandma\u27s SlippersBecky Lawsonpage 18 EdgesAmy J. Eadespage 19 Having ChildrenDevon Flesorpage 20 Young Black GirlKevin Lylespage 21 CatSuzanne Hornpage 22 Breakfast for OneMichelle Mitchellpage 22 A Modest ProposalBrooke Sanfordpage 23 Post MortemF. Link Rapierpage 26 Who Said I Forgot?Lynne Krausepage 27 The Corner Booth at StuckeysMaggie Kennedypage 28 The First DayDavis Brydenpage 29 DownLynne Krausepage 30 Fairie RingDevon Flesorpage 31 The LaundrymatKathy Fordpage 32 Sunday in OctoberBridget M. Howepage 32 The Kitchen WindowMaggie Kennedypage 33 UntitledChristina Maire Vitekpage 34 8th Grade Field Trip to SpringfieldMichelle Mitchellpage 34 Children of the FortiesF. Link Rapierpage 35 one winter and i was eightGary Ervinpage 35 Don\u27t we all know?Thomas B. Waltrippage 36 The TravelerMaggie Kennedypage 36 The VisitKathy Fordpage 40 CubismMaggie Kennedypage 40https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1042/thumbnail.jp

Polyhydroxy Fullerenes (Fullerols or Fullerenols): Beneficial Effects on Growth and Lifespan in Diverse Biological Models

Recent toxicological studies on carbon nanomaterials, including fullerenes, have led to concerns about their safety. Functionalized fullerenes, such as polyhydroxy fullerenes (PHF, fullerols, or fullerenols), have attracted particular attention due to their water solubility and toxicity. Here, we report surprisingly beneficial and/or specific effects of PHF on model organisms representing four kingdoms, including the green algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, the plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the fungus Aspergillus niger, and the invertebrate Ceriodaphnia dubia. The results showed that PHF had no acute or chronic negative effects on the freshwater organisms. Conversely, PHF could surprisingly increase the algal culture density over controls at higher concentrations (i.e., 72% increase by 1 and 5 mg/L of PHF) and extend the lifespan and stimulate the reproduction of Daphnia (e.g. about 38% by 20 mg/L of PHF). We also show that at certain PHF concentrations fungal growth can be enhanced and Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings exhibit longer hypocotyls, while other complex physiological processes remain unaffected. These findings may open new research fields in the potential applications of PHF, e.g., in biofuel production and aquaculture. These results will form the basis of further research into the mechanisms of growth stimulation and life extension by PHF

Parasite Transmission in Social Interacting Hosts: Monogenean Epidemics in Guppies

Background: Infection incidence increases with the average number of contacts between susceptible and infected individuals. Contact rates are normally assumed to increase linearly with host density. However, social species seek out each other at low density and saturate their contact rates at high densities. Although predicting epidemic behaviour requires knowing how contact rates scale with host density, few empirical studies have investigated the effect of host density. Also, most theory assumes each host has an equal probability of transmitting parasites, even though individual parasite load and infection duration can vary. To our knowledge, the relative importance of characteristics of the primary infected host vs. the susceptible population has never been tested experimentally. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here, we examine epidemics using a common ectoparasite, Gyrodactylus turnbulli infecting its guppy host (Poecilia reticulata). Hosts were maintained at different densities (3, 6, 12 and 24 fish in 40 L aquaria), and we monitored gyrodactylids both at a population and individual host level. Although parasite population size increased with host density, the probability of an epidemic did not. Epidemics were more likely when the primary infected fish had a high mean intensity and duration of infection. Epidemics only occurred if the primary infected host experienced more than 23 worm days. Female guppies contracted infections sooner than males, probably because females have a higher propensity for shoaling. Conclusions/Significance: These findings suggest that in social hosts like guppies, the frequency of social contact largely governs disease epidemics independent of host density

Coating of Quantum Dots strongly defines their effect on lysosomal health and autophagy

In the last decade the interest in autophagy got an incredible boost and the phenomenon quickly turned into an extensive research field. Interestingly, dysfunction of this cytoplasmic clearance system has been proposed to lie at the root of multiple diseases including cancer. We therefore consider it crucial from a toxicological point of view to investigate if nanomaterials that are developed for biomedical applications interfere with this cellular process. Here, we study the highly promising 'gradient alloyed' Quantum Dots (QDs) that differ from conventional ones by their gradient core composition which allows for better fluorescent properties. We carefully examined the toxicity of two identical gradient alloyed QDs, differing only in their surface coatings, namely 3-mercaptopropionic (MPA) acid and polyethylene glycol (PEG). Next to more conventional toxicological endpoints like cytotoxicity and oxidative stress, we examined the influence of these QDs on the autophagy pathway. Our study shows that the cellular effects induced by QDs on HeLa cells were strongly dictated by the surface coat of the otherwise identical particles. MPA-coated QDs proved to be highly biocompatible as a result of lysosomal activation and ROS reduction, two cellular responses that help the cell to cope with nanomaterial-induced stress. In contrast, PEGylated QDs were significantly more toxic due to increased ROS production and lysosomal impairment. This impairment next results in autophagy dysfunction which likely adds to their toxic effects. Taken together, our study shows that coating QDs with MPA is a better strategy than PEGylation for long term cell tracking with minimal cytotoxicity.status: publishe

A Nondegenerate Code of Deleterious Variants in Mendelian Loci Contributes to Complex Disease Risk

SummaryAlthough countless highly penetrant variants have been associated with Mendelian disorders, the genetic etiologies underlying complex diseases remain largely unresolved. By mining the medical records of over 110 million patients, we examine the extent to which Mendelian variation contributes to complex disease risk. We detect thousands of associations between Mendelian and complex diseases, revealing a nondegenerate, phenotypic code that links each complex disorder to a unique collection of Mendelian loci. Using genome-wide association results, we demonstrate that common variants associated with complex diseases are enriched in the genes indicated by this “Mendelian code.” Finally, we detect hundreds of comorbidity associations among Mendelian disorders, and we use probabilistic genetic modeling to demonstrate that Mendelian variants likely contribute nonadditively to the risk for a subset of complex diseases. Overall, this study illustrates a complementary approach for mapping complex disease loci and provides unique predictions concerning the etiologies of specific diseases