Evaluating the impact and cost-effectiveness of chlamydia management strategies in Hong Kong:A modeling study

OBJECTIVES: To illustrate the epidemiologic and cost-effectiveness impact of shifting the focus from population-based screening toward a targeted management approach for genital chlamydia infection. DESIGN: Modeling study, implementing an individual-based, stochastic, dynamic network model. SETTING: Hong Kong. POPULATION: A hypothetical sample network of 10,000 people with a partnership distribution based on Hong Kong's sexually active population of reproductive age (age 18–49 years). INTERVENTIONS: In this study, we present several scenarios with different implementations of universal vs. targeted screening (based on partner numbers). We also explored the impact of (1) screening only, (2) screening plus expedited partner therapy, and (3) screening plus partner testing. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Change of chlamydia prevalence before and after implementing the different strategies. The cost-effectiveness analysis reports total direct cost from a health provider perspective, the QALYs gained, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER). RESULTS: In comparing the effects of universal screening only and targeted screening of the high-risk population, the mean prevalence during the 10th year of intervention was 2.75 ± 0.30% and 2.35 ± 0.21%, respectively (compared with 3.24 ± 0.30% and 3.35 ± 0.21% before the interventions, respectively). The addition of contact tracing to the latter targeted screening scenario reduces the mean prevalence during the 10th year of intervention to 1.48 ± 0.13% (compared with 3.31 ± 0.33% at baseline) in the best-case of testing before treatment and maximal contact-tracing effectiveness (40%). Overall, the most effective scenarios were those for which interventions focused on the high-risk population defined by the number of partners, with contact tracing included. The ICER for targeted screening with contact tracing at 20% and 40% efficiency was $4,634 and$7,219 per QALY gained, respectively (10-year time horizon). Expedited partner therapy did not significantly impact overall chlamydia prevalence and caused overtreatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that targeted screening with strengthened contact tracing efforts is the most cost-effective strategy to reduce the prevalence of chlamydia in Hong Kong

Studiapp: Aplicación de temas para escolares

El trabajo de investigación consiste en realizar un aplicativo móvil dirigido a nuestro público objetivo quienes son escolares de secundaria de colegios privados de Lima Metropolitana con una necesidad clara de reforzamiento de clases escolares. Por ese motivo, nuestro servicio tiene como modelo de negocio ofrecer clases grabadas dictadas por universitarios con experiencia en cursos de secundaria y a un precio accesible, además de ofrecer teoría, ejercicios y videollamadas para absolver dudas. Sabemos que son menores de edad, por ello dentro de nuestros elementos tecnológicos diferenciadores está el reconocimiento facial que permitirá velar por la seguridad de los adolescentes. No obstante, se realizará un proceso riguroso de reclutamiento y selección de los colaboradores. Primero, realizamos entrevistas para conocer la problemática. Después, diseñamos y elaboramos el prototipo de alta fidelidad como solución a la necesidad del cliente, de la misma manera con las redes sociales y el landing page para tener un mayor alcance tanto en los escolares quienes demandan el servicio como en los asesores universitarios que ofrecen su servicio. Posteriormente, se elaboraron los diferentes concierge con el objetivo de concretar ventas y de esta manera evaluar la rentabilidad. Para finalizar, se realizó el plan financiero con la finalidad de determinar si nuestro proyecto es viable o no y si nos genera rentabilidad ya que podríamos realizarlo en un futuro no muy lejano.The research work consists of making a mobile application aimed at our target audience who are secondary school students from private schools in Metropolitan Lima with a clear need to reinforce school classes. For this reason, our service's business model is to offer recorded classes taught by university students with experience in high school courses and at an affordable price, in addition to offering theory, exercises and video calls to answer questions. We know that they are minors, so within our differentiating technological elements is facial recognition that will ensure the safety of adolescents. However, a rigorous process of recruitment and selection of collaborators will be carried out. First, we conduct interviews to learn about the problem. Then, we design and develop the hi-fi prototype as a solution to the client's need, in the same way with social networks and the landing page to have a greater reach both in the schoolchildren who demand the service and in the university advisers who offer your service. Subsequently, the different concierges were prepared in order to make sales and thus evaluate profitability. Finally, the financial plan was carried out in order to determine if our project is viable or not and if it generates profitability since we could carry it out in the not too distant future.Trabajo de investigació

In-situ estimation of ice crystal properties at the South Pole using LED calibration data from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory instruments about 1 km3 of deep, glacial ice at the geographic South Pole using 5160 photomultipliers to detect Cherenkov light emitted by charged relativistic particles. A unexpected light propagation effect observed by the experiment is an anisotropic attenuation, which is aligned with the local flow direction of the ice. Birefringent light propagation has been examined as a possible explanation for this effect. The predictions of a first-principles birefringence model developed for this purpose, in particular curved light trajectories resulting from asymmetric diffusion, provide a qualitatively good match to the main features of the data. This in turn allows us to deduce ice crystal properties. Since the wavelength of the detected light is short compared to the crystal size, these crystal properties do not only include the crystal orientation fabric, but also the average crystal size and shape, as a function of depth. By adding small empirical corrections to this first-principles model, a quantitatively accurate description of the optical properties of the IceCube glacial ice is obtained. In this paper, we present the experimental signature of ice optical anisotropy observed in IceCube LED calibration data, the theory and parametrization of the birefringence effect, the fitting procedures of these parameterizations to experimental data as well as the inferred crystal properties.</p

Galactic Core-Collapse Supernovae at IceCube: “Fire Drill” Data Challenges and follow-up

The next Galactic core-collapse supernova (CCSN) presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make astrophysical measurements using neutrinos, gravitational waves, and electromagnetic radiation. CCSNe local to the Milky Way are extremely rare, so it is paramount that detectors are prepared to observe the signal when it arrives. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, a gigaton water Cherenkov detector below the South Pole, is sensitive to the burst of neutrinos released by a Galactic CCSN at a level >10σ. This burst of neutrinos precedes optical emission by hours to days, enabling neutrinos to serve as an early warning for follow-up observation. IceCube\u27s detection capabilities make it a cornerstone of the global network of neutrino detectors monitoring for Galactic CCSNe, the SuperNova Early Warning System (SNEWS 2.0). In this contribution, we describe IceCube\u27s sensitivity to Galactic CCSNe and strategies for operational readiness, including "fire drill" data challenges. We also discuss coordination with SNEWS 2.0

All-Energy Search for Solar Atmospheric Neutrinos with IceCube

The interaction of cosmic rays with the solar atmosphere generates a secondary flux of mesons that decay into photons and neutrinos – the so-called solar atmospheric flux. Although the gamma-ray component of this flux has been observed in Fermi-LAT and HAWC Observatory data, the neutrino component remains undetected. The energy distribution of those neutrinos follows a soft spectrum that extends from the GeV to the multi-TeV range, making large Cherenkov neutrino telescopes a suitable for probing this flux. In this contribution, we will discuss current progress of a search for the solar neutrino flux by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory using all available data since 2011. Compared to the previous analysis which considered only high-energy muon neutrino tracks, we will additionally consider events produced by all flavors of neutrinos down to GeV-scale energies. These new events should improve our analysis sensitivity since the flux falls quickly with energy. Determining the magnitude of the neutrino flux is essential, since it is an irreducible background to indirect solar dark matter searches

TXS 0506+056 with Updated IceCube Data

Past results from the IceCube Collaboration have suggested that the blazar TXS 0506+056 is a potential source of astrophysical neutrinos. However, in the years since there have been numerous updates to event processing and reconstruction, as well as improvements to the statistical methods used to search for astrophysical neutrino sources. These improvements in combination with additional years of data have resulted in the identification of NGC 1068 as a second neutrino source candidate. This talk will re-examine time-dependent neutrino emission from TXS 0506+056 using the most recent northern-sky data sample that was used in the analysis of NGC 1068. The results of using this updated data sample to obtain a significance and flux fit for the 2014 TXS 0506+056 "untriggered" neutrino flare are reported