Modelling the effect of changes in vaccine effectiveness and transmission contact rates on pertussis epidemiology

AbstractThe incidence of the highly infectious respiratory disease named pertussis or whooping cough has been increasing for the past two decades in different countries, as in much of the highly vaccinated world. A decrease in vaccine effectiveness over time, especially when acellular vaccines were used for primary doses and boosters, and pathogen adaptation to the immunity conferred by vaccines have been proposed as possible causes of the resurgence. The contributions of these factors are not expected to be the same in different communities, and this could lead to different epidemiological trends. In fact, differences in the magnitude and dynamics of pertussis outbreaks as well as in the distribution of notified cases by age have been reported in various regions.Using an age-structured mathematical model designed by us, we evaluated how the changes in some of the parameters that could be related to the above proposed causes of disease resurgence – vaccine effectiveness and effective transmission rates – may impact on pertussis transmission.When a linear decrease in vaccine effectiveness (VE) was assayed, a sustained increase in pertussis incidence was detected mainly in infants and children. On the other hand, when changes in effective transmission rates (βij) were made, a dynamic effect evidenced by the presence of large peaks followed by deep valleys was detected. In this case, greater incidence in adolescents than in children was observed. These different trends in the disease dynamics due to modifications in VE or βij were verified in 18 possible scenarios that represent different epidemiological situations. Interestingly we found that both incidence trends produced by the model and their age distribution resemble the profiles obtained from data reported in several regions. The implications of these correlations are discussed

Ratunku! or just tunku! : evidence for the reliability and concurrent validity of the Language Use Inventory : LUI-Polish

Purpose: To date, there is no tool for assessing early pragmatic development of Polish-speaking children. This study aimed to adapt to Polish a standardized parent report measure, the Language Use Inventory (LUI; O’Neill, 2009, in order to enable cross-cultural comparisons and to use the LUI-Polish to screen for pragmatic development in children 18-47 months of age. We concentrated on the sociocultural and functional adaptation of LUI and aimed to demonstrate its reliability, developmental sensitivity, and concurrent validity. Method: Parents completed an online version of LUIPolish, longitudinally at 3 time points (when the child was 20, 32, and 44 months old). In addition, parents completed the Polish adaptations of the Questionnaire for Communication and Early Language at 22 months and the Language Development Survey at 24 months. Children’s spontaneous speech was assessed at 24 months, and their expressive and receptive vocabulary was assessed at 36 months. Results: All 3 parts of the LUI-Polish (Gestures, Words, and Sentences) showed very good levels of internal consistency at each time point. Significant correlations were observed between all parts of the LUI-Polish at all 3 measurement time points. The expected developmental trajectory was observed for boys and girls providing evidence of its developmental sensitivity for children between the ages of 2 and 4 years: an increase with age in the total score (due to an increase in Words and Sentences) and a decrease in Gestures. Supporting concurrent validity, significant correlations were found between children’s performance on (a) the LUI-Polish at 20 months and the Questionnaire for Communication and Early Language at 22 months as well as the Language Development Survey and spontaneous speech measures at 24 months and (b) the LUI-Polish at 32 months and the 2 measures of vocabulary comprehension and production at 36 months. Conclusion: The Polish adaptation of the LUI demonstrated good psychometric properties that provide a sound basis for cross-cultural comparisons and further research toward norming of the LUI-Polish. Moreover, the expected developmental trajectory in the pragmatic development of Polish children was observed

Pharmacokinetic drug interactions of antimicrobial drugs:a systematic review on oxazolidinones, rifamycines, macrolides, fluoroquinolones, and Beta-lactams

Like any other drug, antimicrobial drugs are prone to pharmacokinetic drug interactions. These drug interactions are a major concern in clinical practice as they may have an effect on efficacy and toxicity. This article provides an overview of all published pharmacokinetic studies on drug interactions of the commonly prescribed antimicrobial drugs oxazolidinones, rifamycines, macrolides, fluoroquinolones, and beta-lactams, focusing on systematic research. We describe drug-food and drug-drug interaction studies in humans, affecting antimicrobial drugs as well as concomitantly administered drugs. Since knowledge about mechanisms is of paramount importance for adequate management of drug interactions, the most plausible underlying mechanism of the drug interaction is provided when available. This overview can be used in daily practice to support the management of pharmacokinetic drug interactions of antimicrobial drugs

Cappella Sistina in Santa Maria Maggiore.

Le singolarità spaziali, materiche e cromatiche della cappella cinquecentesca anticipano la persuasiva spettacolarità dei "teatri" devozionali barocchi

Intervista a Joseph Beuys

Si tratta di un'intervista rilasciata da Beuys nel 1972, in occasione di una storica mostra presso la Galleria di Lucio Amelio, 'La rivoluzione siamo noi'. L'intervista, in cui l'artista tedesco spiega la sua concezione dell'arte e della vita, era rimasta inedita fino a questa pubblicazione all'interno di un numero monografico della rivista "ON", dedicato all'arte tedesca. Ne era stata citata solo l'esistenza in una nota del libro di G. Celant, "Joseph Beuys. Tracce in Italia"

Note sull'arte concettuale

L'articolo esamina il fenomeno internazionale dell'arte concettuale, distinguendo fra un concettualismo puro e ortodosso(quello di Kosuth, Art Language ecc.) legato esclusivamente all'autoanalisi dell'arte e un concettualismo eteronomo, che non esclude i referenti esterni e che si configura quindi come componente concettuale di fenomeni più complessi. Si analizzano le posizioni teoriche soprattutto di Kosuth e la derivazione da Duchamp. Si analizza l'aspetto di autoanalisi linguistica, facendo ricorso ai concetti chiave della linguistica generale e della semiologia

Immagine e città. Napoli nelle collezioni Alinari e nei fotografi napoletani fra ottocento e novecento

Il catalogo è fra i primi contributi scientifici alla storia della fotografia italiana. Si è basato su una indagine realizzata a tappeto sulla stampa quotidiana ottocentesca e su uno scavo archivistico documentario al fine di reperire notizie di prima mano sui fotografi attivi nella città di Napoli. In particolare il saggio di M. Picone, dopo aver delineato i principali problemi metodologici per una moderna storia della fotografia, passa ad analizzare i rapporti che questa nuova forma di arte intrattiene con la pittura. A questo fine si utilizzano molte notizie tratte dalla stampa dell'epoca per delineare le strategie di penetrazione nel mercato della pittura e soprattutto della grafica da parte dei fotografi. Inoltre si indagano i problemi linguistici legati al taglio delle immagini fotografiche in rapporto agli schemi visivi consolidati nella tradizione pittorica. Infine si analizzano i rapporti fino a quel momento noti fra i pittori napoletani e il mondo della fotografia, con particolare attenzione ad artisti del calibro di Filippo Palizzi e Domenico Morelli

Cappella Sistina in Santa Maria Maggiore.

Le singolarità spaziali, materiche e cromatiche della cappella cinquecentesca anticipano la persuasiva spettacolarità dei "teatri" devozionali barocchi