Retrospective-Prospective Study on Efficacy & Safety of Entecavir in Chronic Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a partially double spiral type DNA virus. Globally, approximately over 400 million individuals are infected with hepatitis B. HBV is known as one of the most important carcinogens. 

 

Hepatitis B virus (HBV)

Every year, over one million individuals die due to HBV-related causes. The retrospective part of this study with a relatively small number of studied patients could be limitations in such a study, but being a real life data of West Asian, with HBV genotype D has its weight, adding to our daily practical knowledge and experience. Read More>>>>>>>

Whole Genome Sequencing for Detection of Zoonotic Tuberculosis in Queretaro, Mexico

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease that affects both humans and animals. Humans are predominantly infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis whereas animals by M. bovis; however, both are susceptible to both species, with no significant clinical, radiological or pathological differences. 

Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. bovis are 99.9% similar at the nucleotide and 16S rRNA sequences, virtually identical M. bovis has usually neglected as an important pathogen in human tuberculosis; nevertheless, different studies in different populations have shown that M. bovis has an important role in human tuberculosis. In past decades, retrospective studies on stored samples reported that TB due to M. bovis is between 8 and 10%. Read More>>>>>>>>>>>

Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Mycoplasma genitalium in Gynecologic Patients

Although Mycoplasma genitalium is well documented as a causative pathogen in non-gonococcal, non-chlamydial urethritis in men; the manifestations of infection in women are less well described. There is now evidence suggesting it causes cervicitis and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women. One of the major limitations encountered in the study of M. genitalium is that it is fastidious and difficult to culture. 

Mycoplasma genitalium

Although there is no U.S food and drug administration (FDA) approved commercial detection system, the availability of molecular methods for research and commercial purposes has altered our ability to derive valid information about the pathogenicity of this bacterium. There have been more studies in recent years researching into its pathogenicity and treatment.  Read More>>>>>>

Current Situation and Management of Plague Cases in Madagascar

The plague is endemic and epidemic in Madagascar since its introduction in 1898 through Toamasina port. This disease is no longer a public health concerns in many developed countries. 

Factors contributing into Plague and Death

This disease is not yet eradicated because his presence in Madagascar, which is the most, affected country in the world (CRM, 2015).From 300 to 600 cases are reported annually by the basic health centers; The endemic foci are schematically located within two triangles ; (i) the big triangle in the central highland whose angles are formed by Lake of Alaotra in the North, Tsiroanomandidy in the West and Ambalavao in the South; (ii) the little triangle in the North in Tsaratanana massif. Read More>>>>

An Analysis of Selection Models for Incomplete Longitudinal Clinical Trials Due to Dropout: An Application to Multi-centre Trial Data

A typical characteristic of longitudinal studies is that study subjects are measured over repeated time intervals. The dropout of subjects along the time scale is common. The dropout process is assumed to be stochastic in nature and generally dependent upon the observed or unobserved outcomes. It also may depend upon covariates, such as the treatment arm an individual is allocated to. The dropout may be regarded as a “failure” outcome in certain limited settings. 

 

Multi-centre Trial Data

Of prime concern to this study, is the more general situation that characterizes the statistical behavior of the original outcome, while dropout is treated as a “nuisance” occurrence that must be tolerated. As a result of this, the distinction between the outcome and the dropout processes needs to be simultaneously maintained. Rubin, Little and Rubin  introduce different mechanisms for denoting dropout or non-response. Read More>>>>>>>>

Rapid Routine HIV Testing for Psychiatric Inpatients

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that opt-out HIV screening be routinely provided in all areas of healthcare, with a minimum of yearly retesting for high-risk patients. These recommendations were made with the goals of early detection, reducing cases of undiagnosed infection, linking patients to treatment, and reducing associated morbidity and transmission to sex partners

 

Psychiatric diagnoses

Citing similar goals, the American Psychological Association has highlighted the need to prioritize increasing HIV screening in mental health settings, and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has recommended routine HIV screening in psychiatric and substance abuse facilities. However, HIV screening is uncommonly or inconsistently conducted in mental health settings, with rates varying considerably from 17%-47% of patients being tested annually, and 11%-89% of patients never being tested in their lifetime. Read More>>>>>>

Multicollinearity in Regression Analyses Conducted in Epidemiologic Studies

Multicollinearity arises when at least two highly correlated predictors are assessed simultaneously in a regression model. The adverse impact of multicollinearity in regression analysis is very well recognized and much attention to its effect is documented in the literature. 

Epidemiologic Studies

The statistical literature emphasizes that the main problem associated with multicollinearity includes unstable and biased standard errors leading to very unstable p-values for assessing the statistical significance of predictors, which could result in unrealistic and untenable interpretations. Multicollinearity does not affect the overall fit or the predictions of the model. Read More>>>>>