Searching for Sharp Drops in the Incidence of Pandemic A/H1N1 Influenza by Single Year of Age

BACKGROUND During the 2009 H1N1 pandemic (pH1N1), morbidity and mortality sparing was observed among the elderly population; it was hypothesized that this age group benefited from immunity to pH1N1 due to cross-reactive antibodies generated from prior infection with antigenically similar influenza viruses. Evidence from serologic studies and genetic similarities between pH1N1 and historical influenza viruses suggest that the incidence of pH1N1 cases should drop markedly in age cohorts born prior to the disappearance of H1N1 in 1957, namely those at least 52-53 years old in 2009, but the precise range of ages affected has not been delineated. METHODS AND FINDINGS To test for any age-associated discontinuities in pH1N1 incidence, we aggregated laboratory-confirmed pH1N1 case data from 8 jurisdictions in 7 countries, stratified by single year of age, sex (when available), and hospitalization status. Using single year of age population denominators, we generated smoothed curves of the weighted risk ratio of pH1N1 incidence, and looked for sharp drops at varying age bandwidths, defined as a significantly negative second derivative. Analyses stratified by hospitalization status and sex were used to test alternative explanations for observed discontinuities. We found that the risk of laboratory-confirmed infection with pH1N1 declines with age, but that there was a statistically significant leveling off or increase in risk from about 45 to 50 years of age, after which a sharp drop in risk occurs until the late fifties. This trend was more pronounced in hospitalized cases and in women and was independent of the choice in smoothing parameters. The age range at which the decline in risk accelerates corresponds to the cohort born between 1951-1959 (hospitalized) and 1953-1960 (not hospitalized). CONCLUSIONS The reduced incidence of pH1N1 disease in older individuals shows a detailed age-specific pattern consistent with protection conferred by exposure to influenza A/H1N1 viruses circulating before 1957.The project described was supported by the National Institute Of General Medical Sciences [Award Number U54GM088558], http://www.nigms.nih. gov/. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute Of General Medical Sciences or the National Institutes of Health. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Structural brain alterations and their association with cognitive function and symptoms in Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder families

Gray matter disruptions have been found consistently in Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The organization of these alterations into brain structural networks remains largely unexplored. We investigated 508 participants (281 males) with ADHD (N = 210), their unaffected siblings (N = 108), individuals with subthreshold ADHD (N = 49), and unrelated healthy controls (N = 141) with an age range from 7 to 18 years old from 336 families in the Dutch NeuroIMAGE project. Source based morphometry was used to examine structural brain network alterations and their association with symptoms and cognitive performance. Two networks showed significant reductions in individuals with ADHD compared to unrelated healthy controls after False Discovery Rate correction. Component A, mainly located in bilateral Crus I, showed a ADHD/typically developing difference with subthreshold cases being intermediate between ADHD and typically developing controls. The unaffected siblings were similar to controls. After correcting for IQ and medication status, component A showed a negative correlation with inattention symptoms across the entire sample. Component B included a maximum cluster in the bilateral insula, where unaffected siblings, similar to individuals with ADHD, showed significantly reduced loadings compared to controls; but no relationship with individual symptoms or cognitive measures was found for component B. This multivariate approach suggests that areas reflecting genetic liability within ADHD are partly separate from those areas modulating symptom severity

Searching for Sharp Drops in the Incidence of Pandemic A/H1N1 Influenza by Single Year of Age

Background: During the 2009 H1N1 pandemic (pH1N1), morbidity and mortality sparing was observed among the elderly population; it was hypothesized that this age group benefited from immunity to pH1N1 due to cross-reactive antibodies generated from prior infection with antigenically similar influenza viruses. Evidence from serologic studies and genetic similarities between pH1N1 and historical influenza viruses suggest that the incidence of pH1N1 cases should drop markedly in age cohorts born prior to the disappearance of H1N1 in 1957, namely those at least 52–53 years old in 2009, but the precise range of ages affected has not been delineated. Methods and Findings: To test for any age-associated discontinuities in pH1N1 incidence, we aggregated laboratory-confirmed pH1N1 case data from 8 jurisdictions in 7 countries, stratified by single year of age, sex (when available), and hospitalization status. Using single year of age population denominators, we generated smoothed curves of the weighted risk ratio of pH1N1 incidence, and looked for sharp drops at varying age bandwidths, defined as a significantly negative second derivative. Analyses stratified by hospitalization status and sex were used to test alternative explanations for observed discontinuities. We found that the risk of laboratory-confirmed infection with pH1N1 declines with age, but that there was a statistically significant leveling off or increase in risk from about 45 to 50 years of age, after which a sharp drop in risk occurs until the late fifties. This trend was more pronounced in hospitalized cases and in women and was independent of the choice in smoothing parameters. The age range at which the decline in risk accelerates corresponds to the cohort born between 1951–1959 (hospitalized) and 1953–1960 (not hospitalized). Conclusions: The reduced incidence of pH1N1 disease in older individuals shows a detailed age-specific pattern consistent with protection conferred by exposure to influenza A/H1N1 viruses circulating before 1957

Dead Bird Clusters as an Early Warning System for West Nile Virus Activity

An early warning system for West Nile virus (WNV) outbreaks could provide a basis for targeted public education and surveillance activities as well as more timely larval and adult mosquito control. We adapted the spatial scan statistic for prospective detection of infectious disease outbreaks, applied the results to data on dead birds reported from New York City in 2000, and reviewed its utility in providing an early warning of WNV activity in 2001. Prospective geographic cluster analysis of dead bird reports may provide early warning of increasing viral activity in birds and mosquitoes, allowing jurisdictions to triage limited mosquito-collection and laboratory resources and more effectively prevent human disease caused by the virus. This adaptation of the scan statistic could also be useful in other infectious disease surveillance systems, including that for bioterrorism

Gray matter networks associated with attention and working memory deficit in ADHD across adolescence and adulthood

Contains fulltext : 231759.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a childhood-onset neuropsychiatric disorder and may persist into adulthood. Working memory and attention deficits have been reported to persist from childhood to adulthood. How neuronal underpinnings of deficits differ across adolescence and adulthood is not clear. In this study, we investigated gray matter of two cohorts, 486 adults and 508 adolescents, each including participants from ADHD and healthy controls families. Two cohorts both presented significant attention and working memory deficits in individuals with ADHD. Independent component analysis was applied to the gray matter of each cohort, separately, to extract cohort-inherent networks. Then, we identified gray matter networks associated with inattention or working memory in each cohort, and projected them onto the other cohort for comparison. Two components in the inferior, middle/superior frontal regions identified in adults and one component in the insula and inferior frontal region identified in adolescents were significantly associated with working memory in both cohorts. One component in bilateral cerebellar tonsil and culmen identified in adults and one component in left cerebellar region identified in adolescents were significantly associated with inattention in both cohorts. All these components presented a significant or nominal level of gray matter reduction for ADHD participants in adolescents, but only one showed nominal reduction in adults. Our findings suggest although the gray matter reduction of these regions may not be indicative of persistency of ADHD, their persistent associations with inattention or working memory indicate an important role of these regions in the mechanism of persistence or remission of the disorder

Discrepancies of polygenic effects on symptom dimensions between adolescents and adults with ADHD

A significant proportion of individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show persistence into adulthood. The genetic and neural correlates of ADHD in adolescents versus adults remain poorly characterized. We investigated ADHD polygenic risk score (PRS) in relation to previously identified gray matter (GM) patterns, neurocognitive, and symptom findings in the same ADHD sample (462 adolescents & 422 adults from the NeuroIMAGE and IMpACT cohorts). Significant effects of ADHD PRS were found on hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms in adolescents, hyperactivity symptom in adults, but not GM volume components. A distinct PRS effect between adolescents and adults on individual ADHD symptoms is suggested

Concert recording 2017-04-23b

[Track 1]. Slowing down. I. Rotations in an emergency [Track 2]. II. Under the city [Track 3]. III. Forfeit [Track 4]. IV. Something comfortable to fall into / Jeremiah Flannery

Searching for sharp drops in the incidence of pandemic A/H1N1 Influenza by single year of age

Fil: Hartman Jacobs, Jessica. Harvard School of Public Health. Department of Epidemiology; Estados Unidos.Fil: Archer, Brett Nicholas. National Health Laboratory Service. National Institute for Communicable Diseases; Sudáfrica.Fil: Baker, Michael G. University of Otago. Department of Public Health; Nueva Zelanda.Fil: Cowling, Benjamin J. The University of Hong Kong. School of Public Health; China.Fil: Heffernan, Richard T. Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Division of Public Health; Estados Unidos.Fil. Mercer, Geoff. Australian National University. National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health; Australia.Fil: Uez, Osvaldo. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Epidemiología; Argentina.Fil: Hanshaoworakul, Wanna. Ministry of Public Health. Department of Disease Control; Tailandia.Fil: Viboud, Cécile. National Institutes of Health. Division of International Epidemiology and Population Studies; Estados Unidos.Fil: Schwartz, Joel. Harvard School of Public Health. Department of Epidemiology; Estados Unidos.Fil: Tchetgen Tchetgen, Eric. Harvard School of Public Health. Department of Epidemiology; Estados Unidos.Fil: Lipsitch, Marc. Harvard School of Public Health. Department of Epidemiology; Estados Unidos.BackgroundDuring the 2009 H1N1 pandemic (pH1N1), morbidity and mortality sparing was observed among the elderly population; it was hypothesized that this age group benefited from immunity to pH1N1 due to cross-reactive antibodies generated from prior infection with antigenically similar influenza viruses. Evidence from serologic studies and genetic similarities between pH1N1 and historical influenza viruses suggest that the incidence of pH1N1 cases should drop markedly in age cohorts born prior to the disappearance of H1N1 in 1957, namely those at least 52–53 years old in 2009, but the precise range of ages affected has not been delineated.Methods and FindingsTo test for any age-associated discontinuities in pH1N1 incidence, we aggregated laboratory-confirmed pH1N1 case data from 8 jurisdictions in 7 countries, stratified by single year of age, sex (when available), and hospitalization status. Using single year of age population denominators, we generated smoothed curves of the weighted risk ratio of pH1N1 incidence, and looked for sharp drops at varying age bandwidths, defined as a significantly negative second derivative. Analyses stratified by hospitalization status and sex were used to test alternative explanations for observed discontinuities. We found that the risk of laboratory-confirmed infection with pH1N1 declines with age, but that there was a statistically significant leveling off or increase in risk from about 45 to 50 years of age, after which a sharp drop in risk occurs until the late fifties. This trend was more pronounced in hospitalized cases and in women and was independent of the choice in smoothing parameters. The age range at which the decline in risk accelerates corresponds to the cohort born between 1951–1959 (hospitalized) and 1953–1960 (not hospitalized).ConclusionsThe reduced incidence of pH1N1 disease in older individuals shows a detailed age-specific pattern consistent with protection conferred by exposure to influenza A/H1N1 viruses circulating before 1957

1 Personality Polygenes, Positive Affect, and Life Satisfaction

Approximately half of the variation in wellbeing measures overlaps with variation in personality traits. Studies of non-human primate pedigrees and human twins suggest that this is due to common genetic influences. We tested whether personality polygenic scores for the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) domains and for item response theory (IRT) derived extraversion and neuroticism scores predict variance in wellbeing measures. Polygenic scores were based on published genome-wide association (GWA) results in over 17,000 individuals for the NEO-FFI and in over 63,000 for the IRT extraversion and neuroticism traits. The NEO-FFI polygenic scores were used to predict life satisfaction in 7 cohorts, positive affect in 12 cohorts, and general wellbeing in 1 cohort (maximal N = 46,508). Meta-analysis of these results showed no significant association between NEO-FFI personality polygenic scores and the wellbeing measures. IRT extraversion and neuroticism polygenic scores were used to predict life satisfaction and positive affect in almost 37,000 individuals from UK Biobank. Significant positive associations (effect sizesPeer reviewe