American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
April 2016; 94 (4)
http://www.ajtmh.org/content/current

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Perspective Piece
An Improved Ward Architecture for Treatment of Patients with Ebola Virus Disease in Liberia
Jianping You and Qing Mao
Am J Trop Med Hyg 2016 94:701-703; Published online January 11, 2016, doi:10.4269/ajtmh.15-0209
Abstract
During the recent outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in west Africa, we established an Ebola treatment center (ETC) with improved ward architecture. The ETC was built with movable prefabricated boards according to infectious disease unit standard requirements. The clinical staff ensured their own security while providing patients with effective treatment. Of the 180 admissions to the ETC, 10 cases were confirmed with EVD of which six patients survived. None of the clinical staff was infected. We hope that our experience will enable others to avoid unnecessary risks while delivering EVD care.

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Infectious Diseases in Sub-Saharan Immigrants to Spain
Núria Serre Delcor, Begoña Treviño Maruri, Antoni Soriano Arandes, Isabel Claveria Guiu, Hakima Ouaarab Essadik, Mateu Espasa Soley, Israel Molina Romero, and Carlos Ascaso
Am J Trop Med Hyg 2016 94:750-756; Published online February 15, 2016, doi:10.4269/ajtmh.15-0583
Abstract
Immigrants may be carriers of infectious diseases because of the prevalence of these diseases in their country of origin, exposure during migration, or conditions during resettlement, with this prevalence being particularly high in sub-Saharan Africans. We performed a retrospective review of 180 sub-Saharan immigrants screened for infectious diseases at an International Health Center from January 2009 to December 2012. At least one pathogenic infectious disease was diagnosed in 72.8% patients: 60.6% latent tuberculosis infection, 36.8% intestinal parasites (intestinal protozoa or helminths), 28.1% helminths, 14.8% hepatitis B surface antigen positive, 1.2% anti-hepatitis C virus positive, 1.2% human immunodeficiency virus–positive, and 1.2% malaria. Coinfections were present in 28.4%. There was significant association between eosinophilia (absolute count or percentage) or hyper-IgE and the presence of helminths (P < 0.001). Relative eosinophilia and hyper-IgE were better indicators of helminth infection than absolute eosinophilia, particularly for schistosomiasis and strongyloidiasis. We found a high prevalence of infectious diseases in sub-Saharan immigrants, which could lead to severe health problems (in the absence of prompt treatment), representing a high cost to the public health system and possible transmission in the host country. Accurate screening and tailored protocols for infectious diseases are recommended in sub-Saharan immigrants.

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Retrospective Analysis of the 2014–2015 Ebola Epidemic in Liberia
Katherine E. Atkins, Abhishek Pandey, Natasha S. Wenzel, Laura Skrip, Dan Yamin, Tolbert G. Nyenswah, Mosoka Fallah, Luke Bawo, Jan Medlock, Frederick L. Altice, Jeffrey Townsend,
Martial L. Ndeffo-Mbah, and Alison P. Galvani
Am J Trop Med Hyg 2016 94:833-839; Published online February 29, 2016, doi:10.4269/ajtmh.15-0328
Abstract
The 2014–2015 Ebola epidemic has been the most protracted and devastating in the history of the disease. To prevent future outbreaks on this scale, it is imperative to understand the reasons that led to eventual disease control. Here, we evaluated the shifts of Ebola dynamics at national and local scales during the epidemic in Liberia. We used a transmission model calibrated to epidemiological data between June 9 and December 31, 2014, to estimate the extent of community and hospital transmission. We found that despite varied local epidemic patterns, community transmission was reduced by 40–80% in all the counties analyzed. Our model suggests that the tapering of the epidemic was achieved through reductions in community transmission, rather than accumulation of immune individuals through asymptomatic infection and unreported cases. Although the times at which this transmission reduction occurred in the majority of the Liberian counties started before any large expansion in hospital capacity and the distribution of home protection kits, it remains difficult to associate the presence of interventions with reductions in Ebola incidence.

BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 9 April 2016)

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Research article
Drivers of improved health sector performance in Rwanda: a qualitative view from within
Rwanda has achieved great improvements in several key health indicators, including maternal mortality and other health outcomes. This raises the question: what has made this possible, and what makes Rwanda so …
Felix Sayinzoga and Leon Bijlmakers
BMC Health Services Research 2016 16:123
Published on: 8 April 2016

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Research article
Effectiveness, cost effectiveness, acceptability and implementation barriers/enablers of chronic kidney disease management programs for Indigenous people in Australia, New Zealand and Canada: a systematic review of mixed evidence
Indigenous peoples in Australia, New Zealand and Canada carry a greater burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) than the general populations in each country, and this burden is predicted to increase.
Rachel Reilly, Katharine Evans, Judith Gomersall, Gillian Gorham, Micah D. J. Peters, Steven Warren, Rebekah O’Shea, Alan Cass and Alex Brown
BMC Health Services Research 2016 16:119
Published on: 6 April 2016

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Abstracts
Researching Complex Interventions in Health: The State of the Art
KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS
Peter Craig, Ingalill Rahm-Hallberg, Nicky Britten, Gunilla Borglin, Gabriele Meyer, Sascha Köpke, Jane Noyes, Jackie Chandler, Sara Levati, Anne Sales, Lehana Thabane, Lora Giangregorio, Nancy Feeley, Sylvie Cossette, Rod Taylor, Jacqueline Hill…
BMC Health Services Research 2016 16(Suppl 1):101
Published on: 4 April 2016

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpregnancychildbirth/content
(Accessed 9 April 2016)

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Research article
Are all immigrant mothers really at risk of low birth weight and perinatal mortality? The crucial role of socio-economic status
Judith Racape, Claudia Schoenborn, Mouctar Sow, Sophie Alexander and Myriam De Spiegelaere
Published on: 8 April 2016

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Research article
Birth preparedness, complication readiness and other determinants of place of delivery among mothers in Goba District, Bale Zone, South East Ethiopia
Semere Sileshi Belda and Mulugeta Betre Gebremariam
Published on: 6 April 2016

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 9 April 2016)

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Research article
Adherence to and acceptability of home fortification with vitamins and minerals in children aged 6 to 23 months: a systematic review
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies affect more than two million people worldwide. In 2011, based on recent scientific evidence and the low effectiveness of current strategies, the World Health Organization recommends…
Samara Fernandes de Barros and Marly Augusto Cardoso
BMC Public Health 2016 16:299
Published on: 7 April 2016

Conflict and Health
http://www.conflictandhealth.com/
[Accessed 9 April 2016]

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Research
A quantitative assessment of termination of sexual violence-related pregnancies in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Shada A. Rouhani, Jennifer Scott, Gillian Burkhardt, Monica A. Onyango, Sadia Haider, Ashley Greiner, Katherine Albutt, Michael VanRooyen and Susan A. Bartels
Published on: 6 April 2016

Eurosurveillance
Volume 21, Issue 14, 07 April 2016
http://www.eurosurveillance.org/Public/Articles/Archives.aspx?PublicationId=11678

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Perspectives
Risk communication as a core public health competence in infectious disease management: Development of the ECDC training curriculum and programme
by P Dickmann, T Abraham, S Sarkar, P Wysocki, S Cecconi, F Apfel, Ü Nurm

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
April 2016 Volume 45, In Progress
http://www.ijidonline.com/current

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Editorial
Zika virus outbreak and the case for building effective and sustainable rapid diagnostics laboratory capacity globally
Alimuddin Zumla, Ian Goodfellow, Francis Kasolo, Francine Ntoumi, Philippe Buchy, Matthew Bates, Esam I Azhar, Matthew Cotten, Eskild Petersen
p92–94
Published online: March 4 2016
Preview
New and re-emerging pathogens with epidemic potential have threatened global health security for the past century.1 As with the recent Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) epidemic, the Zika Virus (ZIKV) outbreak has yet again surprised and overwhelmed the international health community with an unexpected event for which it might have been better prepared.

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Editorial
Engaging high and low burden countries in the “TB end game”
B.J. Marais, A.C. Outhred, A. Zumla
p100–102
Published online: March 19 2016
Preview
Tuberculosis (TB) is now the single biggest infectious disease killer in the world, surpassing malaria and HIV/AIDS. In 2014, there were an estimated 9.6 million incident TB cases and 1.5 million deaths.1 It is not widely appreciated that TB is also a major cause of disease and death in young children.2,3 New estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) are that 1 million children developed TB during 2014.1 This is disconcerting because children have poor access to TB services in most resource-limited settings and paediatric cases provide an accurate reflection of uncontrolled TB transmission within communities.

JAMA Pediatrics
April 2016, Vol 170, No. 4
http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

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Viewpoint
What Pediatricians and Other Clinicians Should Know About Zika Virus FREE
Mark W. Kline, MD; Gordon E. Schutze, MD

Journal of Development Economics
Volume 120, Pages 1-224 (May 2016)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03043878/120

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Regular Articles
The value of children: Inter-generational support, fertility, and human capital
Original Research Article
Pages 1-16
Jaqueline Oliveira
Abstract
This paper offers robust empirical evidence of a Darwinian pro-natalist mechanism: parents can improve their old-age support with an additional child. Using the incidence of first-born twins as an instrument for fertility outcomes, I find that Chinese senior parents with more children receive more financial transfers and are more likely to co-reside with an adult child. They are also less likely to work past retirement age. The estimated effects are large, despite the evidence that adult children from larger families are less educated and earn significantly less. Interestingly, the effect of an increase in the number of children on old-age support does not depend on the child’s gender.

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Impact of Village Savings and Loan Associations: Evidence from a cluster randomized trial
Original Research Article
Pages 70-85
Christopher Ksoll, Helene Bie Lilleør, Jonas Helth Lønborg, Ole Dahl Rasmussen
Abstract
The vast majority of the world’s poor live in rural areas of developing countries with little access to financial services. Setting up Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) has become an increasingly widespread intervention aimed at improving local financial intermediation. Using a cluster randomized trial we investigate the impact of VSLAs in Northern Malawi over a two year period. We find evidence of positive and significant intention-to-treat effects on several outcomes, including the number of meals consumed per day, household expenditure as measured by the USAID Poverty Assessment Tool, and the number of rooms in the dwelling. This effect is linked to an increase in savings and credit obtained through the VSLAs, which has increased agricultural investments and income from small businesses.

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Airtime transfers and mobile communications: Evidence in the aftermath of natural disasters
Original Research Article
Pages 157-181
Joshua E. Blumenstock, Nathan Eagle, Marcel Fafchamps
Abstract
We provide empirical evidence that Rwandans use the mobile phone network to transfer airtime to those affected by unexpected shocks. Using an extensive dataset on mobile phone activity in Rwanda and exploiting the quasi-random timing and location of natural disasters, we show that individuals make transfers and calls to people affected by disasters. The magnitude of these transfers is small in absolute terms, but statistically significant; in response to the Lake Kivu earthquake of 2008, we estimate that roughly US$84 in airtime was transferred to individuals in the affected region, that 70% of these transfers were immediately used to make outgoing calls, and that US$16,959 was spent calling those near the epicenter. Unlike other forms of interpersonal transfers, mobile airtime is sent over large geographic distances and in response to covariate shocks. Transfers are more likely to be sent to wealthy individuals, and are sent predominantly between pairs of individuals with a strong history of reciprocal favor exchange.

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Witchcraft beliefs and the erosion of social capital: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond
Original Research Article
Pages 182-208
Boris Gershman
Abstract
This paper examines the relationship between witchcraft beliefs, a deep-rooted cultural phenomenon, and various elements of social capital. Using novel survey data from nineteen countries in Sub-Saharan Africa we establish a robust negative association between the prevalence of witchcraft beliefs and multiple measures of trust which holds after accounting for country fixed effects and potential confounding factors at the individual, regional, and ethnic-group levels. This finding extends to other metrics of social capital, namely charitable giving and participation in religious group activities. Such coexistence of witchcraft beliefs and antisocial attitudes stands in stark contrast to a well-explored alternative cultural equilibrium characterized by religious prosociality. Evidence from societies beyond Africa shows that in preindustrial communities where witchcraft is believed to be an important cause of illness, mistrust and other antisocial traits are inculcated since childhood. Furthermore, second-generation immigrants in Europe originating from countries with widespread witchcraft beliefs are generally less trusting.

The Lancet
Apr 09, 2016 Volume 387 Number 10027 p1483-1590
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

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Articles
Worldwide trends in diabetes since 1980: a pooled analysis of 751 population-based studies with 4·4 million participants
NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC)
Published Online: 06 April 2016
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00618-8
Open access funded by Wellcome Trust
Summary
Background
One of the global targets for non-communicable diseases is to halt, by 2025, the rise in the age-standardised adult prevalence of diabetes at its 2010 levels. We aimed to estimate worldwide trends in diabetes, how likely it is for countries to achieve the global target, and how changes in prevalence, together with population growth and ageing, are affecting the number of adults with diabetes.
Methods
We pooled data from population-based studies that had collected data on diabetes through measurement of its biomarkers. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends in diabetes prevalence—defined as fasting plasma glucose of 7·0 mmol/L or higher, or history of diagnosis with diabetes, or use of insulin or oral hypoglycaemic drugs—in 200 countries and territories in 21 regions, by sex and from 1980 to 2014. We also calculated the posterior probability of meeting the global diabetes target if post-2000 trends continue.
Findings
We used data from 751 studies including 4 372 000 adults from 146 of the 200 countries we make estimates for. Global age-standardised diabetes prevalence increased from 4·3% (95% credible interval 2·4–7·0) in 1980 to 9·0% (7·2–11·1) in 2014 in men, and from 5·0% (2·9–7·9) to 7·9% (6·4–9·7) in women. The number of adults with diabetes in the world increased from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014 (28·5% due to the rise in prevalence, 39·7% due to population growth and ageing, and 31·8% due to interaction of these two factors). Age-standardised adult diabetes prevalence in 2014 was lowest in northwestern Europe, and highest in Polynesia and Micronesia, at nearly 25%, followed by Melanesia and the Middle East and north Africa. Between 1980 and 2014 there was little change in age-standardised diabetes prevalence in adult women in continental western Europe, although crude prevalence rose because of ageing of the population. By contrast, age-standardised adult prevalence rose by 15 percentage points in men and women in Polynesia and Micronesia. In 2014, American Samoa had the highest national prevalence of diabetes (>30% in both sexes), with age-standardised adult prevalence also higher than 25% in some other islands in Polynesia and Micronesia. If post-2000 trends continue, the probability of meeting the global target of halting the rise in the prevalence of diabetes by 2025 at the 2010 level worldwide is lower than 1% for men and is 1% for women. Only nine countries for men and 29 countries for women, mostly in western Europe, have a 50% or higher probability of meeting the global target.
Interpretation
Since 1980, age-standardised diabetes prevalence in adults has increased, or at best remained unchanged, in every country. Together with population growth and ageing, this rise has led to a near quadrupling of the number of adults with diabetes worldwide. The burden of diabetes, both in terms of prevalence and number of adults affected, has increased faster in low-income and middle-income countries than in high-income countries.
Funding
Wellcome Trust.

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Articles
Guillain-Barré Syndrome outbreak associated with Zika virus infection in French Polynesia: a case-control study
Van-Mai Cao-Lormeau, Alexandre Blake, Sandrine Mons, Stéphane Lastère, Claudine Roche, Jessica Vanhomwegen, Timothée Dub, Laure Baudouin, Anita Teissier, Philippe Larre, Anne-Laure Vial, Christophe Decam, Valérie Choumet, Susan K Halstead, Hugh J Willison, Lucile Musset, Jean-Claude Manuguerra, Philippe Despres, Emmanuel Fournier, Henri-Pierre Mallet, Didier Musso, Arnaud Fontanet, Jean Neil, Frédéric GhawchéPublished Online: 29 February 2016
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00562-6
Summary
Background
Between October, 2013, and April, 2014, French Polynesia experienced the largest Zika virus outbreak ever described at that time. During the same period, an increase in Guillain-Barré syndrome was reported, suggesting a possible association between Zika virus and Guillain-Barré syndrome. We aimed to assess the role of Zika virus and dengue virus infection in developing Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Methods
In this case-control study, cases were patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome diagnosed at the Centre Hospitalier de Polynésie Française (Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia) during the outbreak period. Controls were age-matched, sex-matched, and residence-matched patients who presented at the hospital with a non-febrile illness (control group 1; n=98) and age-matched patients with acute Zika virus disease and no neurological symptoms (control group 2; n=70). Virological investigations included RT-PCR for Zika virus, and both microsphere immunofluorescent and seroneutralisation assays for Zika virus and dengue virus. Anti-glycolipid reactivity was studied in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome using both ELISA and combinatorial microarrays.
Findings
42 patients were diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome during the study period. 41 (98%) patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome had anti-Zika virus IgM or IgG, and all (100%) had neutralising antibodies against Zika virus compared with 54 (56%) of 98 in control group 1 (p<0·0001). 39 (93%) patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome had Zika virus IgM and 37 (88%) had experienced a transient illness in a median of 6 days (IQR 4–10) before the onset of neurological symptoms, suggesting recent Zika virus infection. Patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome had electrophysiological findings compatible with acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) type, and had rapid evolution of disease (median duration of the installation and plateau phases was 6 [IQR 4–9] and 4 days [3–10], respectively). 12 (29%) patients required respiratory assistance. No patients died. Anti-glycolipid antibody activity was found in 13 (31%) patients, and notably against GA1 in eight (19%) patients, by ELISA and 19 (46%) of 41 by glycoarray at admission. The typical AMAN-associated anti-ganglioside antibodies were rarely present. Past dengue virus history did not differ significantly between patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome and those in the two control groups (95%, 89%, and 83%, respectively).
Interpretation
This is the first study providing evidence for Zika virus infection causing Guillain-Barré syndrome. Because Zika virus is spreading rapidly across the Americas, at risk countries need to prepare for adequate intensive care beds capacity to manage patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Funding
Labex Integrative Biology of Emerging Infectious Diseases, EU 7th framework program PREDEMICS. and Wellcome Trust.

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Review
Increasing value and reducing waste in biomedical research: who’s listening?
David Moher, Paul Glasziou, Iain Chalmers, Mona Nasser, Patrick M M Bossuyt, Daniël A Korevaar, Ian D Graham, Philippe Ravaud, Isabelle Boutron
Summary
The biomedical research complex has been estimated to consume almost a quarter of a trillion US dollars every year. Unfortunately, evidence suggests that a high proportion of this sum is avoidably wasted. In 2014, The Lancet published a series of five reviews showing how dividends from the investment in research might be increased from the relevance and priorities of the questions being asked, to how the research is designed, conducted, and reported. 17 recommendations were addressed to five main stakeholders—funders, regulators, journals, academic institutions, and researchers. This Review provides some initial observations on the possible effects of the Series, which seems to have provoked several important discussions and is on the agendas of several key players. Some examples of individual initiatives show ways to reduce waste and increase value in biomedical research. This momentum will probably move strongly across stakeholder groups, if collaborative relationships evolve between key players; further important work is needed to increase research value. A forthcoming meeting in Edinburgh, UK, will provide an initial forum within which to foster the collaboration needed.

Maternal and Child Health Journal
Volume 20, Issue 4, April 2016
http://link.springer.com/journal/10995/20/4/page/1

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Commentary
Catalyzing a Reproductive Health and Social Justice Movement
Sarah Verbiest, Christina Kiko Malin, Mario Drummonds…
Abstract
Objectives The maternal and child health (MCH) community, partnering with women and their families, has the potential to play a critical role in advancing a new multi-sector social movement focused on creating a women’s reproductive and economic justice agenda. Since the turn of the twenty-first century, the MCH field has been planting seeds for change. The time has come for this work to bear fruit as many states are facing stagnant or slow progress in reducing infant mortality, increasing maternal death rates, and growing health inequities. Methods This paper synthesizes three current, interrelated approaches to addressing MCH challenges—life course theory, preconception health, and social justice/reproductive equity. Conclusion Based on these core constructs, the authors offer four directions for advancing efforts to improve MCH outcomes. The first is to ensure access to quality health care for all. The second is to facilitate change through critical conversations about challenging issues such as poverty, racism, sexism, and immigration; the relevance of evidence-based practice in disenfranchised communities; and how we might be perpetuating inequities in our institutions. The third is to develop collaborative spaces in which leaders across diverse sectors can see their roles in creating equitable neighborhood conditions that ensure optimal reproductive choices and outcomes for women and their families. Last, the authors suggest that leaders engage the MCH workforce and its consumers in dialogue and action about local and national policies that address the social determinants of health and how these policies influence reproductive and early childhood outcomes.

Nature
Volume 532 Number 7597 pp5-142 7 April 2016
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

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Editorials
Viral complacency
The first outbreak of yellow fever in Angola in almost 30 years illustrates the danger of a short attention span when confronting epidemic threats.

Mind matters
Mental illness is moving up the global agenda — but there is still much to do.

PharmacoEconomics
Volume 34, Issue 4, April 2016
http://link.springer.com/journal/40273/34/4/page/1

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Original Research Article
What Can We Expect from Value-Based Funding of Medicines? A Retrospective Study
Anthony Harris, Jing Jing Li, Karen Yong
Abstract
Objective
Deciding on public funding for pharmaceuticals on the basis of value for money is now widespread. We suggest that evidence-based assessment of value has restricted the availability of medicines in Australia in a way that reflects the relative bargaining power of government and the pharmaceutical industry. We propose a simple informal game-theoretic model of bargaining between the funding agency and industry and test its predictions using a logistic multiple regression model of past funding decisions made by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee in Australia.
Method
The model estimates the probability of a drug being recommended for subsidy as a function of incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY), as well as other drug and market characteristics. Data are major submissions or resubmissions from 1993 to 2009 where there was a claim of superiority and evidence of a difference in quality of life. Independent variables measure the incremental cost per QALY, the cost to the public budget, the strength and quality of the clinical and economic evidence, need as measured by severity of illness and the availability of alternative treatments, whether or not a resubmission, and newspaper reports as a measure of public pressure. We report the odds ratio for each variable and calculate the ratio of the marginal effect of each variable to the marginal effect of the cost per QALY as a measure of the revealed willingness to pay for each of the variables that influence the decision.
Results
The results are consistent with a bargaining model where a 10,000 Australian dollar ($A) fall in value (increase in cost per QALY) reduces the average probability of public funding from 37 to 33 % (95 % CI 34–32). If the condition is life threatening or the drug has no active comparator, then the odds of a positive recommendation are 3.18 (95 % CI 1.00–10.11) and 2.14 (95 % CI 0.95–4.83) greater, equivalent to a $A33,000 and a $A21,000 increase in value (fall in cost per QALY). If both conditions are met, the odds are increased by 4.41 (95 % CI 1.28–15.24) times, equivalent to an increase in value of $A46,000. Funding is more likely as time elapses and price falls, but we did not find clear evidence that public or corporate pressure influences decisions.
Conclusion
Evidence from Australia suggests that the determinants of public funding and pricing decisions for medicines reflect the relative bargaining power of government and drug companies. Value for money depends on the quality of evidence, timing, patient need, perceived benefit and opportunity cost; these factors reflect the potential gains from striking a bargain and the risk of loss from not doing so

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
http://www.plosntds.org/
(Accessed 9 April 2016)

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Editorial
Neglected Tropical Diseases in the Anthropocene: The Cases of Zika, Ebola, and Other Infections
Peter J. Hotez
| published 08 Apr 2016 | PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0004648

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Effects of Mother’s Illness and Breastfeeding on Risk of Ebola Virus Disease in a Cohort of Very Young Children
Hilary Bower, Sembia Johnson, Mohamed S. Bangura, Alie Joshua Kamara, Osman Kamara, Saidu H. Mansaray, Daniel Sesay, Cecilia Turay, Francesco Checchi, Judith R. Glynn
Research Article | published 08 Apr 2016 | PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 9 April 2016]

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Predicting and Evaluating the Epidemic Trend of Ebola Virus Disease in the 2014-2015 Outbreak and the Effects of Intervention Measures
Zuiyuan Guo, Dan Xiao, Dongli Li, Xiuhong Wang, Yayu Wang, Tiecheng Yan, Zhiqi Wang
Research Article | published 06 Apr 2016 | PLOS ONE
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0152438

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Optimizing Real-Time Vaccine Allocation in a Stochastic SIR Model
Chantal Nguyen, Jean M. Carlson
Research Article | published 04 Apr 2016 | PLOS ONE
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0152950
Abstract
Real-time vaccination following an outbreak can effectively mitigate the damage caused by an infectious disease. However, in many cases, available resources are insufficient to vaccinate the entire at-risk population, logistics result in delayed vaccine deployment, and the interaction between members of different cities facilitates a wide spatial spread of infection. Limited vaccine, time delays, and interaction (or coupling) of cities lead to tradeoffs that impact the overall magnitude of the epidemic. These tradeoffs mandate investigation of optimal strategies that minimize the severity of the epidemic by prioritizing allocation of vaccine to specific subpopulations. We use an SIR model to describe the disease dynamics of an epidemic which breaks out in one city and spreads to another. We solve a master equation to determine the resulting probability distribution of the final epidemic size. We then identify tradeoffs between vaccine, time delay, and coupling, and we determine the optimal vaccination protocols resulting from these tradeoffs.

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A Performance Analysis of Public Expenditure on Maternal Health in Mexico
Edson Servan-Mori, Leticia Avila-Burgos, Gustavo Nigenda, Rafael Lozano
Research Article | published 04 Apr 2016 | PLOS ONE
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0152635

PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/
(Accessed 9 April 2016)

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Biological Sciences – Sustainability Science:
Tradeoffs between fisheries harvest and the resilience of coral reefs
Yves-Marie Bozec, Shay O’Farrell, J. Henrich Bruggemann, Brian E. Luckhurst, and Peter J. Mumby
PNAS 2016 ; published ahead of print April 4, 2016, doi:10.1073/pnas.1601529113
Significance
Fisheries management must avoid adverse impacts on the ecosystem. Doing so can be challenging in highly complex systems, particularly if the target species serves an important ecosystem function. Caribbean coral reefs provide a classic example in which herbivorous parrotfish are both an important fishery and key driver of ecosystem resilience. We developed and tested a multispecies fisheries model of parrotfish and linked it to a coral reef ecosystem experiencing climate change. We found that corals can remain resilient if less than 10% of the fishable parrotfish biomass is harvested and a minimum size of 30 cm is implemented. To our knowledge, this work is the first attempt to identify harvest levels that have little adverse effect on corals.
Abstract
Many countries are legally obliged to embrace ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management. Reductions in bycatch and physical habitat damage are now commonplace, but mitigating more sophisticated impacts associated with the ecological functions of target fisheries species are in their infancy. Here we model the impacts of a parrotfish fishery on the future state and resilience of Caribbean coral reefs, enabling us to view the tradeoff between harvest and ecosystem health. We find that the implementation of a simple and enforceable size restriction of >30 cm provides a win:win outcome in the short term, delivering both ecological and fisheries benefits and leading to increased yield and greater coral recovery rate for a given harvest rate. However, maintaining resilient coral reefs even until 2030 requires the addition of harvest limitations (<10% of virgin fishable biomass) to cope with a changing climate and induced coral disturbances, even in reefs that are relatively healthy today. Managing parrotfish is not a panacea for protecting coral reefs but can play a role in sustaining the health of reefs and high-quality habitat for reef fisheries.

Science
08 April 2016 Vol 352, Issue 6282
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl
Special Issue: Metastasis

In Depth
Infectious Diseases
Yellow fever outbreak triggers vaccine alarm
Kai Kupferschmidt
Science 08 Apr 2016:
Vol. 352, Issue 6282, pp. 128-129
DOI: 10.1126/science.352.6282.128
Summary
A big yellow fever outbreak in Angola has depleted the world’s emergency vaccine stockpile and raised worries that future outbreaks of the mosquito-borne virus could be impossible to control. The Angolan outbreak has caused 490 confirmed cases and 198 deaths so far, but experts say the real toll may be 10 times as high. A vaccination campaign has already reached 6 million people in Luanda, where the outbreak began, but the disease has spread to other provinces as well and the vaccine is running out. Only four facilities in the world produce yellow fever vaccine, and their production methods are antiquated and difficult to scale up. Additional outbreaks in other African cities, or in Asia, where yellow fever has never gained a foothold, could be catastrophic, experts say.

TORTURE Journal
Volume 26, Nr. 1, 2016
http://www.irct.org/Default.aspx?ID=5768

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Lilla Hárdi, Editor in Chief
Editorial

Scientific Articles
Reviewing outcomes of psychological interventions with torture survivors: Conceptual, methodological and ethical Issues
Nimisha Patel, Amanda C de C Williams, Blerina Kellezi

Mental health interventions and priorities for research for adult survivors of torture and systematic violence: a review of the literature
William M. Weiss, Ana M. Ugueto, Zayan Mahmooth, Laura K. Murray, Brian J. Hall, Maya Nadison, Andrew Rasmussen, Jennifer S. Lee, Andrea Vazzano, Judy Bass, Paul Bolton

Group Treatment for Survivors of Torture and Severe Violence: A Literature Review
Mary Bunn, Charles Goesel, Mélodie Kinet, Faith Ray

Tropical Medicine & International Health
April 2016 Volume 21, Issue 4 Pages 455–567
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tmi.2016.21.issue-3/issuetoc
Series: who cares for women? Towards a greater understanding of reproductive and maternal healthcare markets

Family planning, antenatal and delivery care: cross-sectional survey evidence on levels of coverage and inequalities by public and private sector in 57 low- and middle-income countries (pages 486–503)
Oona M. R. Campbell, Lenka Benova, David MacLeod, Rebecca F. Baggaley, Laura C. Rodrigues, Kara Hanson, Timothy Powell-Jackson, Loveday Penn-Kekana, Reen Polonsky, Katharine Footman, Alice Vahanian, Shreya K. Pereira, Andreia Costa Santos, Veronique G. A. Filippi, Caroline A. Lynch and Catherine Goodman
Article first published online: 7 MAR 2016 | DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12681

Why women bypass front-line health facility services in pursuit of obstetric care provided elsewhere: a case study in three rural districts of Tanzania (pages 504–514)
A. M. Kanté, A. Exavery, J. F. Phillips and E. F. Jackson
Article first published online: 17 FEB 2016 | DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12672

Measuring the impact of non-monetary incentives on facility delivery in rural Zambia: a clustered randomised controlled trial (pages 515–524)
P. Wang, A. L. Connor, E. Guo, M. Nambao, P. Chanda-Kapata, N. Lambo and C. Phiri
Article first published online: 3 APR 2016 | DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12678

Criteria-based audit of caesarean section in a referral hospital in rural Tanzania (pages 525–534)
S. Heemelaar, E. Nelissen, P. Mdoe, H. Kidanto, J. van Roosmalen and J. Stekelenburg
Article first published online: 4 MAR 2016 | DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12683

Characteristics of neonatal near miss in hospitals in Benin, Burkina Faso and Morocco in 2012–2013 (pages 535–545)
Carine Ronsmans, Jenny A. Cresswell, Sourou Goufodji, Schadrac Agbla, Rasmané Ganaba, Bouchra Assarag, Oscar Tonouhéoua, Cheick Diallo, Fatima-Zahra Meski and Véronique Filippi
Article first published online: 4 MAR 2016 | DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12682

Decreasing child mortality, spatial clustering and decreasing disparity in North-Western Burkina Faso (pages 546–555)
Heiko Becher, Olaf Müller, Peter Dambach, Sabine Gabrysch, Louis Niamba, Osman Sankoh, Seraphin Simboro, Anja Schoeps, Gabriele Stieglbauer, Yazoume Yé and Ali Sié
Article first published online: 19 FEB 2016 | DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12673