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Zhu D, Yang L, Liang X. Gender classification in classical fiction: A computational analysis of 1113 fictions. MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING : MBE 2022; 19:8892-8907. [PMID: 35942740 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2022412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Recent decades have witnessed the rapid development of literary studies on gender and writing style. One of the common limitations of previous studies is that they analyze only a few texts, which some researchers have already pointed out. In this study, we attempt to find the features that best facilitate the classification of texts by authorial gender. Based on a corpus of 1113 classical fictions from the early 19th century to the early 20th century. Eight algorithms, including SVM, random forest, decision tree, AdaBoost, logistic regression, K-nearest neighbors, gradient boosting and XGBoost, are used to automatically select the features that are most useful for properly categorizing a text. We find that word frequency is the most important predictor for identifying authorial gender in classical fictions, achieving an accuracy rate of 92%. We also find that nationhood is not particularly impactful when dealing with authorial gender differences in classical fictions, as genderlectal variation is 'universal' in the English-speaking world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Zhu
- School of Foreign Languages, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Liru Yang
- School of Foreign Languages, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Xin Liang
- School of Mathematics, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
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van de Berg S, Erkens C, Mulder C. Tuberculosis contact investigation following the stone-in-the-pond principle in the Netherlands – Did adjusted guidelines improve efficiency? Euro Surveill 2021; 26. [PMID: 34763753 PMCID: PMC8646980 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2021.26.45.2001828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
In low tuberculosis (TB) incidence countries, contact investigation (CI) requires not missing contacts with TB infection or disease without unnecessarily evaluating non-infected contacts.
Aim
We assessed whether updated guidelines for the stone-in-the-pond principle and their promotion improved CI practices.
Methods
This retrospective study used surveillance data to compare CI outcomes before (2011–2013) and after (2014–2016) the guideline update and promotion. Using negative binomial regression and logistic regression models, we compared the number of contacts invited for CI per index patient, the number of CI scaled-up according to the stone-in-the-pond principle, the TB and latent TB infection (LTBI) testing coverage, and yield.
Results
Pre and post update, 1,703 and 1,489 index patients were reported, 27,187 and 21,056 contacts were eligible for CI, 86% and 89% were tested for TB, and 0.70% and 0.73% were identified with active TB, respectively. Post update, the number of casual contacts invited per index patient decreased statistically significantly (RR = 0.88; 95% CI: 0.79–0.98), TB testing coverage increased (OR = 1.4; 95% CI: 1.2–1.7), and TB yield increased (OR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.0–3.9). The total LTBI yield increased from 8.8% to 9.8%, with statistically significant increases for casual (OR = 1.2; 95% CI: 1.0–1.5) and community contacts (OR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.6–3.2). The proportion of CIs appropriately scaled-up to community contacts increased statistically significantly (RR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.3–2.6).
Conclusion
This study shows that promoting evidence-based CI guidelines strengthen the efficiency of CIs without jeopardising effectiveness. These findings support CI is an effective TB elimination intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Connie Erkens
- KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, The Hague, the Netherlands
| | - Christiaan Mulder
- Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, The Hague, the Netherlands
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Moyo N, Tay EL, Nolan A, Graham HR, Graham SM, Denholm JT. TB contact tracing for young children: an Australian cascade of care review. Public Health Action 2021; 11:91-96. [PMID: 34159069 DOI: 10.5588/pha.20.0086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate care cascades for programmatic active case finding and latent TB infection (LTBI) management in young child TB contacts (aged <5 years) in Victoria, Australia. DESIGN This was a retrospective review of public health surveillance data to identify contacts of all pulmonary TB cases notified from 2016 to 2019. RESULTS Contact tracing identified 574 young child contacts of 251 pulmonary TB cases. Active TB was found in 28 (4.9%) contacts, none of whom had previously received bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination, and 529 were tested for TB infection using the tuberculin skin test (TST). The overall TST positivity was 15.3% (95% CI 0.1-0.2). Among the 574 children, 150 (26.1%) were close contacts of sputum smear-positive cases and 25 (16.7%) of these were not referred to TB clinics. Of the 125 referred, 81 were considered to have LTBI, 79 agreed to commence TB preventive treatment (TPT) and 71 (89.9%) completed TPT. Following completion of TPT, no child was subsequently diagnosed with active TB. CONCLUSION There was a high yield from active case finding and uptake of TPT. Notable losses in the cascade of care occurred around referral to tertiary clinics, but high treatment completion rates and good outcomes were found in those prescribed treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Moyo
- Victorian Tuberculosis Program, Melbourne Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - E L Tay
- Health Protection Branch, Department of Health and Human Services, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - A Nolan
- Victorian Tuberculosis Program, Melbourne Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - H R Graham
- Department of General Medicine, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Centre for International Child Health, University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics and Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - S M Graham
- Centre for International Child Health, University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics and Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Respiratory Medicine, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - J T Denholm
- Victorian Tuberculosis Program, Melbourne Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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Melsew YA, Gambhir M, Cheng AC, McBryde ES, Denholm JT, Tay EL, Trauer JM. The role of super-spreading events in Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission: evidence from contact tracing. BMC Infect Dis 2019; 19:244. [PMID: 30866840 PMCID: PMC6417041 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-019-3870-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2017] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In current epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB), heterogeneity in infectiousness among TB patients is a challenge, which is not well studied. We aimed to quantify this heterogeneity and the presence of "super-spreading" events that can assist in designing optimal public health interventions. METHODS TB epidemiologic investigation data notified between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2015 from Victoria, Australia were used to quantify TB patients' heterogeneity in infectiousness and super-spreading events. We fitted a negative binomial offspring distribution (NBD) for the number of secondary infections and secondary active TB disease each TB patient produced. The dispersion parameter, k, of the NBD measures the level of heterogeneity, where low values of k (e.g. k < 1) indicate over-dispersion. Super-spreading was defined as patients causing as many or more secondary infections as the 99th centile of an equivalent homogeneous distribution. Contact infection was determined based on a tuberculin skin test (TST) result of ≥10 mm. A NBD model was fitted to identify index characteristics that were associated with the number of contacts infected and risk ratios (RRs) were used to quantify the strength of this association. RESULTS There were 4190 (2312 pulmonary and 1878 extrapulmonary) index TB patients and 18,030 contacts. A total of 15,522 contacts were tested with TST, of whom 3213 had a result of ≥10 mm. The dispersion parameter, k for secondary infections was estimated at 0.16 (95%CI 0.14-0.17) and there were 414 (9.9%) super-spreading events. From the 3213 secondary infections, 2415 (75.2%) were due to super-spreading events. There were 226 contacts who developed active TB disease and a higher level of heterogeneity was found for this outcome than for secondary infection, with k estimated at 0.036 (95%CI 0.025-0.046). In regression analyses, we found that infectiousness was greater among index patients found by clinical presentation and those with bacteriological confirmation. CONCLUSION TB transmission is highly over dispersed and super-spreading events are responsible for a substantial majority of secondary infections. Heterogeneity of transmission and super-spreading are critical issues to consider in the design of interventions and models of TB transmission dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yayehirad A. Melsew
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria Australia
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Manoj Gambhir
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria Australia
| | - Allen C. Cheng
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria Australia
| | - Emma S. McBryde
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland Australia
- Department of Medicine at Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria Australia
| | - Justin T. Denholm
- The Victorian Tuberculosis Program at the Peter Doherty Institute, Melbourne, Victoria Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria Australia
| | - Ee Laine Tay
- Department of Health and Human Services, Health Protection branch, Melbourne, Victoria Australia
| | - James M. Trauer
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria Australia
- The Victorian Tuberculosis Program at the Peter Doherty Institute, Melbourne, Victoria Australia
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The Use of Fluoroquinolones for Tuberculosis in Victoria between 2011 and 2016. Tuberc Res Treat 2018; 2018:6860479. [PMID: 30057812 PMCID: PMC6051065 DOI: 10.1155/2018/6860479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Setting. Tuberculosis treatment requires long regimens with multiple antibiotics and is complicated by antibiotic resistance and intolerance. Fluoroquinolones were introduced for the treatment of multidrug resistant TB and have become a vital part of therapy. Objective. Reviewing the indications for fluoroquinolones use in the treatment of active TB in Victoria, Australia. Design. This was a retrospective case-control study of Victorian patients prescribed fluoroquinolones for active tuberculosis, from January 2011 to December 2016. Indications for fluoroquinolone use were extracted from an existing public health database. Results. There were 2268 patients notified to have tuberculosis in Victoria between 2011 and 2016, 276 (12.2%) of whom received a fluoroquinolone. The indications were substitution when intolerance was present (33.3%) or anticipated (21.0%), proven drug resistance (22.5%), suspected drug resistance (13.0%), and site of disease (10.1%). Where fluoroquinolones were prescribed for suspected drug resistance, only a minority of isolates (13%) had resistance confirmed. Conclusion. Fluoroquinolones were most commonly used as replacement for first-line therapy related to adverse effects, when either present or anticipated. Where fluoroquinolones were prescribed for suspected drug resistance, only a minority of isolates ultimately had resistance confirmed. These findings reinforce the importance of fluoroquinolones in TB therapy and the need for ongoing pharmacovigilance to ensure appropriate use.
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Rezai MS, Tabrizi R, Haghdoost AA, Afshari M, Abedi S, Akbari M, Bahrami MA, Moosazadeh M. Estimating the prevalence of Positive Tuberculin Skin Test Reactions in General Population and High-risk Groups: A Meta-analysis. Int J Prev Med 2017; 8:97. [PMID: 29184648 PMCID: PMC5686919 DOI: 10.4103/ijpvm.ijpvm_140_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Results of tuberculin skin test (TST) surveys among different populations have been reported in many studies as a method for detecting primary Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Combining these results provides reliable estimates of primary latent tuberculosis (TB) infection for health policymakers. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of latent TB infection in general and high-risk populations in Iran. National and international databanks were searched using specific keywords. After restricting the search strategy, duplicates exclusion, reviewing titles, abstracts and full texts, and quality assessment, eligible papers were selected. The heterogeneity between the results was assessed according to Cochrane and I-squared indices. The prevalence of positive TST reactions was estimated using fixed and random effect models. Totally, 33 papers were entered into the meta-analysis reporting the TST results in 12693 people aged over 18. The prevalence (95% confidence intervals) of positive TST reactions in all groups, general population, health staff, medical students, household close contacts, patients with TB, immunocompromised patients, HIV/AIDS patients, and those with risky behaviors was 26.2% (19.6-32.8), 25.4% (4.8-46.1), 38.9% (27.4-50.9), 13.4% (9.9-16.7), 35.9% (16.4-55.5), 13.7% (8.4-18.9), 29.4% (21.2-37.7), and 14.6% (3.9-25.3), respectively. Our study showed great varieties of positive TST results among different Iranian subpopulations. Furthermore, the prevalence of latent TB infection among health professionals and family members of TB patients was considerably different from that of the other subgroup. Since TB control programs such as active case finding are routinely conducted among household close contacts and HIV/AIDS cases, other high-risk groups including health-care workers and immunocompromised patients should be taken into consideration in these preventive programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Sadegh Rezai
- Infectious Diseases Research Center with Focus on Nosocomial Infection, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Reza Tabrizi
- Health Policy Research Center, Institute of Health, Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ali Akbar Haghdoost
- Modeling in Health Research Center, Institute for Future Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mahdi Afshari
- Department of Community Medicine, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran
| | - Siavosh Abedi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Maryam Akbari
- Health Policy Research Center, Institute of Health, Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Amin Bahrami
- Department of Healthcare Management, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Mahmood Moosazadeh
- Health Science Research Center, Addiction Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
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Yanogo PK, Schmit JL, Fresse AS, Andrejak C, Castelain S, Adjodah C, Ganry O. Factors associated with delayed screening of contacts of tuberculosis cases in the Somme, France. Rev Epidemiol Sante Publique 2016; 64:247-53. [PMID: 27594695 DOI: 10.1016/j.respe.2016.03.162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2015] [Revised: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM To analyze the factors associated with the time to initiating tuberculosis contact investigations in the Somme department, France. METHODS All reported tuberculosis cases and all their contacts screened between 2007 and 2011 were retrospectively included. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine the factors associated with a "system delay"≤1 month and a "contact delay"≤0 days. RESULTS The mean time between the mandatory notification of a case of tuberculosis and the date set for the contact's screening (system delay) was 35.3 days and the average time between that date and when the contact was actually screened (contact delay) was 12.5 days. In multivariate analysis, a smear-positive sputum sample (OR: 3.68; 95% CI: 1.63-8.30) and a diagnosis at the university hospital (OR: 2.61; 95% CI: 1.14-5.96) were significantly associated with a system delay≤1 month. A smear-positive sputum sample (OR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.08-1.69), male gender (OR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.01-1.49), being born in a foreign country (OR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.02-1.69), being a family member (OR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.05-1.77), or being another type of close contact of the case (OR: 2.47; 95% CI: 1.81-3.36) were significantly associated with a contact delay≤0 days. CONCLUSION System and contact delays were longer than recommended, and the factors associated with the lengthening of these delays need to be taken into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- P K Yanogo
- Amiens University Hospital, Center for Prevention of Communicable Diseases, hôpital Sud, avenue Réné-Laennec, 80480 Amiens, France.
| | - J L Schmit
- Amiens University Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, hôpital Sud, avenue Réné-Laennec, 80480 Amiens, France
| | - A S Fresse
- Amiens University Hospital, Center for Prevention of Communicable Diseases, hôpital Sud, avenue Réné-Laennec, 80480 Amiens, France
| | - C Andrejak
- Amiens University Hospital, Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, hôpital Sud, avenue Réné-Laennec, 80480 Amiens, France
| | - S Castelain
- Amiens University Hospital, Department of Virology, hôpital Sud, avenue Réné-Laennec, 80480 Amiens, France
| | - C Adjodah
- Amiens University Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, hôpital Sud, avenue Réné-Laennec, 80480 Amiens, France
| | - O Ganry
- Amiens University hospital, Cancer Registry of the Somme-Inserm EA-DGS EA 4666 Epidemiology and Public Health Service, hôpital Sud, avenue Réné-Laennec, 80480 Amiens, France
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Risk of Active Tuberculosis in the Five Years Following Infection . . . 15%? Chest 2016; 149:516-525. [PMID: 26867835 DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2015.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Revised: 11/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is often stated that the lifetime risk of developing active TB after an index infection is 5% to 10%, one-half of which accrues in the 2 to 5 years following infection. The goal of this study was to determine whether such estimates are consistent with local programmatic data. METHODS This study included close contacts of individuals with active pulmonary TB notified in the Australian state of Victoria from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2013, who we deemed to have been infected as a result of their exposure. Survival analysis was first performed on the assumption of complete follow-up through to the end of the study period. The analysis was then repeated with imputation of censorship for migration, death, and preventive treatment, using local mortality and migration data combined with programmatic data on the administration of preventive therapy. RESULTS Of 613 infected close contacts, 67 (10.9%) developed active TB during the study period. Assuming complete follow-up, the 1,650-day cumulative hazard was 11.5% (95% CI, 8.9-14.1). With imputation of censorship for death, migration, and preventive therapy, the median 1,650-day cumulative hazard over 10,000 simulations was 14.5% (95% CI, 11.1-17.9). Most risk accrued in the first 5 months after infection, and risk was greatest in the group aged < 5 years, reaching 56.0% with imputation, but it was also elevated in older children (27.6% in the group aged 5-14 years). CONCLUSIONS The risk of active TB following infection is several-fold higher than traditionally accepted estimates, and it is particularly high immediately following infection and in children.
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