Epidemiology of type 1 diabetes : global incidence and determinants

Background: The increase of worldwide incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) was calculated to be on average 3.0% per year and it was predicted that it would be 40% higher in 2010 in children aged 0-14 years. The causes of this increase are still under study; this thesis updates our current knowledge on the global incidence of T1D, and taking advantage of the increasing availability of public databases examines the correlation between incidence and country characteristics. Methods: A comprehensive systematic literature search of published articles on the incidence of T1D worldwide was conducted to study global variations of the incidence within countries. The initial goal of this thesis was to study the correlation between environmental variables available in public databases with the country incidence of T1D. Conclusions and implications: During this thesis, we quantified the country-to-country variation in T1D incidence worldwide in children and adults, and show that a large part of this incidence could be accounted for by the variability of environmental factors within the countries taking advantage of the increasing availability of public databases. Environmental factors may be involved in the strong cohort effect we found; it is advisable to deepen the research on pregnancy and neonatal period and its implications on T1D. Here we could quantify that the increase of T1D was even larger than had been predicted in an earlier study.Introduction : L'augmentation de l'incidence mondiale du diabète de type 1 (DT1) a été calculée à 3,0% par année en moyenne et il a été prédit qu'elle serait de 40% en 2010 chez les enfants âgés de 0 à 14 ans. Les causes de cette augmentation ne sont pas encore déterminées; cette thèse met à jour les connaissances actuelles sur l'incidence mondiale du DT1, en profitant de la disponibilité croissante des bases de données publiques et en examinant la corrélation entre l'incidence et les caractéristiques des pays. Méthodes : Une recherche exhaustive et systématique des articles publiés sur l'incidence du DT1 dans le monde a été effectuée pour étudier les variations globales de cette incidence dans les divers pays. L'objectif initial de cette thèse était d'étudier la corrélation entre les variables environnementales disponibles dans les bases de données publiques, et l'incidence du DT1 selon les pays.Conclusions et implications : Au cours de cette thèse, nous avons quantifié la variation pays par pays de l'incidence du DT1 dans le monde chez les enfants et les adultes, montrons qu'une grande partie de cette incidence pourrait s’expliquer par la variabilité de facteurs environnementaux d’un pays à l’autre. Cette thèse a également profité de la disponibilité croissante de données publiques sur la variation des facteurs environnementaux et génétiques de pays à pays, qui peuvent être impliqués dans le fort effet de cohorte de naissance qui a été observé ; il est conseillé d'approfondir la recherche sur la grossesse et la période néonatale et son implication dans DT1

Clinical Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma as a Treatment for Hand Aging: Follow up after 6 Months Of Application

RESUMEN: El envejecimiento de la piel es un proceso natural, acelerado por factores ambientales, principalmente la luz solar; lo cual es evidente en la piel expuesta del dorso de las manos. El plasma rico en plaquetas (PRP) se muestra como regenerador tisular por su alta concentración de factores de crecimiento en los gránulos alfa. Nuestro estudio pretende determinar el efecto del PRP en los signos de envejecimiento de la piel en el dorso de la mano. Materiales y métodos: Se evaluaron los cambios clínicos y en el grosor del tejido blando en el dorso de 24 manos de mujeres mayores de 18 años, no fumadoras, mediante ultrasonografía, a las 6 semanas y 6 meses posterior a una aplicación de PRP. Resultados: Se presentó mejoría en los signos de fotodaño en el dorso de las manos, los cuales se mantuvieron a los 6 meses; se documentó aumento del grosor del tejido blando a las 6 semanas: 163,3% en la mano derecha y 140,0% en la mano izquierda, presentando un bajo porcentaje de reabsorción a los 6 meses: 7,67% y 5,38% respectivamente. Conclusión: El PRP es un tratamiento de bajo costo, mínimamente invasivo y con una respuesta clínica predecible a los 6 meses de aplicación para el tratamiento del envejecimiento de la piel de la manoABSTRACT: Introduction: Aging is a natural process accelerated by environmental factors, mainly sunlight, this is evident in the damage to the exposed skin of the hands. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is known as a tissue regenerator, particularly the growth factors contained in the alpha granules. This study pretends to determine the effect of PRP on the signs of aging on the skin of the hand. Materials and methods: Clinical changes and soft tissue thickness were evaluated in the back of 24 hands of women older than 18 years. Ultrasonography was used at 6 weeks and 6 months after a PRP application. Results: There was improvement in the signs of photodamage, which were maintained at 6 months. Increased soft tissue thickness was documented at 6 weeks: 163.3% in the right hand and 140.0% in the left hand. The percentage of reabsorption was low at 6 months: 7.67% and 5.38 % respectively. Conclusion: PRP is a low cost, minimally invasive treatment with a predictable clinical response diminishing the signs of aged skin of the hands 6 months after the applicatio

Assessing eating disorder symptoms in low and middle-income countries : a systematic review of psychometric studies of commonly used instruments

Background: Various well-validated interview and self-report instruments are available to assess eating disorder symptomatology. However, most psychometric studies have been conducted in high-income countries. The aim of the present study was to systematically review the available psychometric studies conducted in low- and middleincome countries on well-known measures for assessing eating disorder symptoms. Methods: Psychometric studies with the following instruments were included: the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT), and the Children’s Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT). Searches were conducted on August 30, 2021, in the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and CABI. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN). The studies were considered to have conducted the minimum psychometric evaluation if they assessed at least the three types of validity (content, criteria, and construct) or diagnostic performance. The psychometric properties were also evaluated considering the cut-off points described in the literature for each of the analysis methods used to evaluate validity and reliability and two reviewers independently selected the studies and evaluated the quality criteria. Results: A total of 28 studies were included. The studies were conducted in 13 countries (10 middle income and 3 low income). The instruments that were most used in the studies were the EAT and EDE-Q. According to the overall COSMIN assessment, in most (57%) of the studies the psychometric properties assessed were not described. Fortythree percent of the studies conducted the minimum psychometric evaluation. However, according to the described cut-off points, the results for the psychometric properties assessed showed, in general, acceptable validity and reliability. Conclusion: The results of this review suggest a lack of studies with the recommended psychometric properties in low- and middle-income countries on these commonly used instruments. With the steady increase in the prevalence of eating disorders globally, psychometric investigations of instruments for measuring eating disorder symptoms in these countries should be encouraged to promote their early detection and treatment. Plain English summary: The prevalence of eating disorders has increased worldwide. Various instruments are available to assess eating disorder symptomatology, but most psychometric studies have been conducted in high-income countries. The current study aimed to systematically review studies from low- and middle-income countries that have examined the psychometric properties of commonly used measures for assessing eating disorder symptoms. The findings of this study suggest a lack of research in low- and middle-income countries on the psychometric properties of commonly used eating disorder instruments. To promote the early detection and treatment of eating disorder symptoms, instruments with adequate psychometric properties must be available worldwide

Hospital length of stay throughout bed pathways and factors affecting this time : A non-concurrent cohort study of Colombia COVID-19 patients and an unCoVer network project

Publisher Copyright: Copyright: © 2023 Ruiz Galvis et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Predictions of hospital beds occupancy depends on hospital admission rates and the length of stay (LoS) according to bed type (general ward -GW- and intensive care unit -ICU- beds). The objective of this study was to describe the LoS of COVID-19 hospital patients in Colombia during 2020-2021. Accelerated failure time models were used to estimate the LoS distribution according to each bed type and throughout each bed pathway. Acceleration factors and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to measure the effect on LoS of the outcome, sex, age, admission period during the epidemic (i.e., epidemic waves, peaks or valleys, and before/after vaccination period), and patients geographic origin. Most of the admitted COVID-19 patients occupied just a GW bed. Recovered patients spent more time in the GW and ICU beds than deceased patients. Men had longer LoS than women. In general, the LoS increased with age. Finally, the LoS varied along epidemic waves. It was lower in epidemic valleys than peaks, and decreased after vaccinations began in Colombia. Our study highlights the necessity of analyzing local data on hospital admission rates and LoS to design strategies to prioritize hospital beds resources during the current and future pandemics.Peer reviewe

Unravelling data for rapid evidence-based response to COVID-19: a summary of the unCoVer protocol

Introduction unCoVer - Unravelling data for rapid evidence-based response to COVID-19 - is a Horizon 2020-funded network of 29 partners from 18 countries capable of collecting and using real-world data (RWD) derived from the response and provision of care to patients with COVID-19 by health systems across Europe and elsewhere. unCoVer aims to exploit the full potential of this information to rapidly address clinical and epidemiological research questions arising from the evolving pandemic. Methods and analysis From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, partners are gathering RWD from electronic health records currently including information from over 22 000 hospitalised patients with COVID-19, and national surveillance and screening data, and registries with over 1 900 000 COVID-19 cases across Europe, with continuous updates. These heterogeneous datasets will be described, harmonised and integrated into a multi-user data repository operated through Opal-DataSHIELD, an interoperable open-source server application. Federated data analyses, without sharing or disclosing any individual-level data, will be performed with the objective to reveal patients' baseline characteristics, biomarkers, determinants of COVID-19 prognosis, safety and effectiveness of treatments, and potential strategies against COVID-19, as well as epidemiological patterns. These analyses will complement evidence from efficacy/safety clinical trials, where vulnerable, more complex/heterogeneous populations and those most at risk of severe COVID-19 are often excluded. Ethics and dissemination After strict ethical considerations, databases will be available through a federated data analysis platform that allows processing of available COVID-19 RWD without disclosing identification information to analysts and limiting output to data aggregates. Dissemination of unCoVer's activities will be related to the access and use of dissimilar RWD, as well as the results generated by the pooled analyses. Dissemination will include training and educational activities, scientific publications and conference communications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Measurement of B-c(2S)(+) and B-c*(2S)(+) cross section ratios in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

Peer reviewe

Search for dark photons in Higgs boson production via vector boson fusion in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV

A search is presented for a Higgs boson that is produced via vector boson fusion and that decays to an undetected particle and an isolated photon. The search is performed by the CMS collaboration at the LHC, using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 130 fb−1, recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV in 2016–2018. No significant excess of events above the expectation from the standard model background is found. The results are interpreted in the context of a theoretical model in which the undetected particle is a massless dark photon. An upper limit is set on the product of the cross section for production via vector boson fusion and the branching fraction for such a Higgs boson decay, as a function of the Higgs boson mass. For a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV, assuming the standard model production rates, the observed (expected) 95% confidence level upper limit on the branching fraction is 3.5 (2.8)%. This is the first search for such decays in the vector boson fusion channel. Combination with a previous search for Higgs bosons produced in association with a Z boson results in an observed (expected) upper limit on the branching fraction of 2.9 (2.1)% at 95% confidence level