Surveying migrant households: a comparison of census-based, snowball and intercept point surveys

Summary.  Few representative surveys of households of migrants exist, limiting our ability to study the effects of international migration on sending families. We report the results of an experiment that was designed to compare the performance of three alternative survey methods in collecting data from Japanese–Brazilian families, many of whom send migrants to Japan. The three surveys that were conducted were households selected randomly from a door-to-door listing using the Brazilian census to select census blocks, a snowball survey using Nikkei community groups to select the seeds and an intercept point survey that was collected at Nikkei community gatherings, ethnic grocery stores, sports clubs and other locations where family members of migrants are likely to congregate. We analyse how closely well-designed snowball and intercept point surveys can approach the much more expensive census-based method in terms of giving information on the characteristics of migrants, the level of remittances received and the incidence and determinants of return migration.     

Complex relationship between sex hormones,insulin resistance and leptin in men with and without prostatic disease

Objectives: To assess sex hormones, leptin and insulin-resistance in men with prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and to study associations between androgens and histologic score of prostate tissue in PCa.

Subjects and methods: Two hundred ten men older than 45 years selected from 2906 participants of a population screening for PCa were studied: 70 with PCa, 70 with BPH and 70 controls (CG), matched by body mass index and age. Insulin, IGF-1, PSA, leptin, total, free (fT) and bioavailable testosterone (bT) and estradiol were measured. Each group was subdivided into two subgroups considering the presence of metabolic syndrome (MS); androgens and leptin levels were analyzed in the subgroups.

Results: Prostate cancer and BPH patients presented higher total, fT and bT levels than CG. IGF-1, insulin and HOMA index were higher in BPH than in the other two groups. PCa presented higher leptin [median (range) 6.5 (1.3–28.0) versus 4.8 (1.1–12.3) ng/ml; p?p?=?0.025] levels than CG. After dividing men considering the presence of MS, leptin was higher and total testosterone was lower in MS patients in all the groups.

Conclusions: It was observed a coexistence of an altered hormone profile with increased sex hormones and leptin in PCa patients, in accordance with the new perspective of PCa pathogenesis.     

稀土氧化物对硬质合金组织和机械性能的影响

研究轻稀土氧化物（CeO2、La2O3、Nd2O3）及重稀土氧化物（Y2O3）对YGIO硬质合金组织和机械性能的影响,并对稀土在硬质合金中的分布状态及作用机理进行探讨．结果表明,轻稀土氧化物的加入可提高合金的密度,重稀土氧化物的加入对提高合金抗弯强度有利,随稀土含量的增加,合金硬度下降．     

疫情防控背景下妨害传染病防治罪的适用

在新冠肺炎疫情暴发的特殊时期,妨害传染病防治罪被重新激活,对刑法第330条第1款的修订有其正当性基础,也是现实的迫切需要,更有利于规制妨害新冠肺炎疫情防治的行为,有效惩治和预防犯罪。从客观方面来看,妨害采取甲类传染病预防、控制措施的传染病的防治也可构成该罪。从犯罪主观方面来看,该罪应界定为故意犯罪,这可以从刑法总则对过失的界定以及该罪的罪状表述推断出来。对于妨害传染病防治罪的认定,从犯罪的四个构成要件方面,其与以危险方法危害公共安全罪都可以明显区别开来;对于该罪的刑事处罚,要考虑的是结果与具体危险可以适用同一法定刑,而且在目前疫情情况下可以从严处罚。     

Multivariate association test for rare variants controlling for cryptic and family relatedness

In genetic studies of complex diseases, multiple measures of related phenotypes are often collected. Jointly analyzing these phenotypes may improve statistical power to detect sets of rare variants affecting multiple traits. In this work, we consider association testing between a set of rare variants and multiple phenotypes in family‐based designs. We use a mixed linear model to express the correlations among the phenotypes and between related individuals. Given the many sources of correlations in this situation, deriving an appropriate test statistic is not straightforward. We derive a vector of score statistics, whose joint distribution is approximated using a copula. This allows us to have closed‐form expressions for the p‐values of several test statistics. A comprehensive simulation study and an application to Genetic Analysis Workshop 18 data highlight the gains associated with joint testing over univariate approaches, especially in the presence of pleiotropy or highly correlated phenotypes. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 47: 90–107; 2019 © 2018 Statistical Society of Canada     

基于电子健康档案的慢性病管理模式研究

目的:研究电子信息档案在慢性病管理模式中的应用.方法:选取南京市鼓楼区2008年10月～2011年10月的社区慢性病中高血压、糖尿病和恶性肿瘤三种疾病的管理情况作为研究对象,按照不同时期分为2008年10月～2009年9月(A)、2009年10月～2010年9月(B)以及2010年10月 ～ 2011年9月(C)三个时段,比较三个时段的辖区人数、建档管理数、建档管理率、规范管理数以及规范管理率.结果:截至2011年9月底,全区完成规范性电子健康档案59.88万份,建档率达72.43％,其中规范管理数达33.34万份,规范管理率高达55.68％.数据间比较,B、C两时段均显著高于A时段(P＜0.05),建档管理数与建档管理率C时段显著高于B时段(P＜0.05),但B、C两时段在规范管理数与规范管理率上差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05).结论:慢性病信息化管理模式可以有效整合医疗资源,实现慢性病防治的科学管理,可以动态观察个体和群体的相关健康问题,定时评估,及时发现问题并采取措施干预和控制,效果明显,可以有效提高慢性病管理工作效率.     

Statistical analysis of an endemic disease from a capture–recapture experiment

There are a number of statistical techniques for analysing epidemic outbreaks. However, many diseases are endemic within populations and the analysis of such diseases is complicated by changing population demography. Motivated by the spread of cowpox amongst rodent populations, a combined mathematical model for population and disease dynamics is introduced. A Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm is then constructed to make statistical inference for the model based on data being obtained from a capture–recapture experiment. The statistical analysis is used to identify the key elements in the spread of the cowpox virus.     

High-Risk Sexual Behavior Among Students of a Minority-Serving University in a Community With a High HIV/AIDS Prevalence

Objective: The authors used a stratified cluster sampling design to inform campus sexually transmitted diseases prevention programs. Participants and Methods: They conducted a cross-sectional study of students (N = 1,130) at a large, urban, minority-serving university in South Florida using the 2004 National College Health Assessment Survey instrument. Results: Of the 1,130 participants, 14.0% reported risky sexual behavior (having more than 1 sexual partner in 1 year and not using a condom the last time they had vaginal intercourse), and 11.9% reported consistent risky sexual behavior (having more than 1 partner in 1 year and not using condoms most or all of the time during the past 30 days). In multivariable analysis, past-month alcohol use had the strongest independent association with both risky and consistent risky sexual behavior. Illicit drug use was marginally significant in both models. Conclusions: Administrators should address the use of alcohol and other drugs on campus in planning interventions to promote safe sexual behavior.     

稀土对低合金铸铁组织及耐碱蚀性能的影响

设计了含稀土、镍、铬、铜代合金铸铁，用光学显微镜观察组织，用失重法测定铸铁在碱液中的腐蚀速率。结果表明：加入稀土可细化铸铁组织，改变石墨形貌，提高耐碱腐蚀性能。     

用DSC法研究溴化重稀土丙氨酸配合物的热分解动力学

用差示扫描量热(DSC)法研究了两种溴化重稀土丙氨酸配合物的非等温热分解过程,用Ozawa法和Kissinger法计算了配合物的热分解动力学参数(E和A),用Achar微分法和Coats-Redfern积分法相结合推断出升温速率为10℃/min时,配合物热分解反应第1步和第2步的机理函数均为F2,其热分解动力学方程为dα/dt=A/β.e-E/RT(1-α)2.