A review of epidemiological parameters from Ebola outbreaks to inform early public health decision-making.

The unprecedented scale of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has, as of 29 April 2015, resulted in more than 10,884 deaths among 26,277 cases. Prior to the ongoing outbreak, Ebola virus disease (EVD) caused relatively small outbreaks (maximum outbreak size 425 in Gulu, Uganda) in isolated populations in central Africa. Here, we have compiled a comprehensive database of estimates of epidemiological parameters based on data from past outbreaks, including the incubation period distribution, case fatality rate, basic reproduction number (R 0), effective reproduction number (R t) and delay distributions. We have compared these to parameter estimates from the ongoing outbreak in West Africa. The ongoing outbreak, because of its size, provides a unique opportunity to better understand transmission patterns of EVD. We have not performed a meta-analysis of the data, but rather summarize the estimates by virus from comprehensive investigations of EVD and Marburg outbreaks over the past 40 years. These estimates can be used to parameterize transmission models to improve understanding of initial spread of EVD outbreaks and to inform surveillance and control guidelines

OncoLog Volume 53, Number 03, March 2008

In Search of the Answer DiaLog: Mapping the Cancer Genome, by Gordon Mills, MD, PhD, Director, Kleberg Center for Molecular Markers, Chair, Department of Systems Biology House Call: The Basics of Biopsieshttps://openworks.mdanderson.org/oncolog/1168/thumbnail.jp

Segmentation for assessment of lumbar muscle mass metrics using quantitative analysis

https://openworks.mdanderson.org/sumexp21/1199/thumbnail.jp

Improving Blood Pressure Control Through Blood Pressure Measurement in an Ambulatory Urban Family Medicine Clinic

Aim Statement: To increase the percentage of patients over the age of 18 with BP controlled to a goal of \u3c140/90 from a baseline of 58% to 68% by April 2020

Identifying Barriers to Statin Therapy in Diabetic Patients in a Large Ambulatory Practice

Aim 1: To understand the root cause(s) for gaps in statin therapy within a large ambulatory care practice. Aim 2: To improve provider awareness of indications for statin therapy, as recommended by the ACC/AHA guidelines. Aim 3: To increase the proportion of patients with diabetes at our practice that are on statin therapy

A video-based educational intervention for providers regarding colorectal cancer screening

Methods: Email sent to providers asking them to complete a 7 question survey regarding knowledge and self-reported comfort in screening for colorectal cancer using a shared decision-making approach.https://jdc.jefferson.edu/patientsafetyposters/1045/thumbnail.jp

OncoLog Volume 45, Number 05, May 2000

Early Detection of Melanoma Spread May Increase Survival Benefits of Adjuvant Therapy No Easy Answers: Women at Increased Risk for Breast Cancer Face Difficult Choices DiaLog: Understanding Risk: A Prerequisite for Making Informed Decisions, by Gordon B. Mills, MD, PhD, Chairman, Department of Molecular Therapeutics House Call: Looking for Trouble: How to Spot Signs of Melanoma Protocols: Melanoma Clinical Trials Biochemotherapy Means Hope for Patients with Advanced Melanomahttps://openworks.mdanderson.org/oncolog/1085/thumbnail.jp

It’s about time: A synthesis of changing phenology in the Gulf of Maine ecosystem

The timing of recurring biological and seasonal environmental events is changing on a global scale relative to temperature and other climate drivers. This study considers the Gulf of Maine ecosystem, a region of high social and ecological importance in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean and synthesizes current knowledge of (a) key seasonal processes, patterns, and events; (b) direct evidence for shifts in timing; (c) implications of phenological responses for linked ecological-human systems; and (d) potential phenology-focused adaptation strategies and actions. Twenty studies demonstrated shifts in timing of regional marine organisms and seasonal environmental events. The most common response was earlier timing, observed in spring onset, spring and winter hydrology, zooplankton abundance, occurrence of several larval fishes, and diadromous fish migrations. Later timing was documented for fall onset, reproduction and fledging in Atlantic puffins, spring and fall phytoplankton blooms, and occurrence of additional larval fishes. Changes in event duration generally increased and were detected in zooplankton peak abundance, early life history periods of macro-invertebrates, and lobster fishery landings. Reduced duration was observed in winter-spring ice-affected stream flows. Two studies projected phenological changes, both finding diapause duration would decrease in zooplankton under future climate scenarios. Phenological responses were species-specific and varied depending on the environmental driver, spatial, and temporal scales evaluated. Overall, a wide range of baseline phenology and relevant modeling studies exist, yet surprisingly few document long-term shifts. Results reveal a need for increased emphasis on phenological shifts in the Gulf of Maine and identify opportunities for future research and consideration of phenological changes in adaptation efforts

Brief Psychotherapy in Primary Care

Overview Overview Case Thread Goals Acknowledgement Rationale Background ‘theory’ Framework(s) Practical application