BMC Medicine
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmed/content
(Accessed 11 June 2016)

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Research article
Impact of interventions to improve the quality of peer review of biomedical journals: a systematic review and meta-analysis
The peer review process is a cornerstone of biomedical research. We aimed to evaluate the impact of interventions to improve the quality of peer review for biomedical publications.
Rachel Bruce, Anthony Chauvin, Ludovic Trinquart, Philippe Ravaud and Isabelle Boutron
BMC Medicine 2016 14:85
Published on: 10 June 2016

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpregnancychildbirth/content

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Research article
Religious beliefs and practices in pregnancy and labour: an inductive qualitative study among post-partum women in Ghana
Religiosity in health care delivery has attracted some attention in contemporary literature. The religious beliefs and practices of patients play an important role in the recovery of the patient.
Lydia Aziato, Philippa N. A. Odai and Cephas N. Omenyo
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2016 16:138
Published on: 6 June 2016

Disasters
July 2016 Volume 40, Issue 3 Pages 385–588
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/disa.2016.40.issue-3/issuetoc

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Papers
Barriers to the long-term recovery of individuals with disabilities following a disaster (pages 387–410)
Laura M. Stough, Amy N. Sharp, J. Aaron Resch, Curt Decker and Nachama Wilker
Version of Record online: 17 NOV 2015 | DOI: 10.1111/disa.12161
Abstract
This study examines how pre-existing disabling conditions influenced the recovery process of survivors of Hurricane Katrina. It focuses specifically on the barriers that hindered the recovery process in these individuals. Focus groups were convened in four Gulf Coast states with 31 individuals with disabilities who lived in or around New Orleans, Louisiana, prior to Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Qualitative data were analysed using grounded theory methodology. Five themes emerged as the most significant barriers to recovery: housing; transportation; employment; physical and mental health; and accessing recovery services. While these barriers to recovery were probably common to most survivors of the disaster, the research results suggest that disability status enhanced the challenges that participants experienced in negotiating the recovery process and in acquiring resources that accommodated their disabilities. The findings indicate that, when disaster recovery services and resources did not accommodate the needs of individuals with disabilities, recovery was hindered. Recovery efforts should include building accessible infrastructure and services that will allow for participation by all.

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Disaster preparedness in a complex urban system: the case of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal (pages 411–431)
Samuel Carpenter and François Grünewald
Version of Record online: 17 NOV 2015 | DOI: 10.1111/

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Mental and social health in disasters: the Sphere standards and post-tsunami psychosocial interventions in Asia (pages 432–451)
Silja E.K. Henderson, Peter Elsass and Peter Berliner
Version of Record online: 17 NOV 2015 | DOI: 10.1111/disa.12159
disa.12164
Abstract
The primary objective of this paper is to examine and inform the mental health and psychosocial support standards of the 2011 edition of the Sphere Project’s Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response. This is done through a qualitative analysis of internal evaluation documents, reflecting four long-term humanitarian psychosocial programmes in different countries in post-tsunami Asia. The analysis yielded three overall conclusions. First, the Sphere standards on mental health and psychosocial support generally are highly relevant to long-term psychosocial interventions after disasters such as the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004, and their application in such settings may improve the quality of the response. Second, some of the standards in the current Sphere handbook may lack sufficient guidance to ensure the quality of humanitarian response required. Third, the long-term intervention approach poses specific challenges to programming, a problem that could be addressed by including additional guidance in the publication.

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Towards a natural disaster intervention and recovery framework (pages 494–517)
Peter M. Lawther
Version of Record online: 17 NOV 2015 | DOI: 10.1111/disa.12163

Eurosurveillance
Volume 21, Issue 23, 09 June 2016
http://www.eurosurveillance.org/Public/Articles/Archives.aspx?PublicationId=11678

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Editorials
Zika virus, the new kid on the block
by M Zambon

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Sexual transmission of Zika virus in an entirely asymptomatic couple returning from a Zika epidemic area, France, April 2016
by T Fréour, S Mirallié, B Hubert, C Splingart, P Barrière, M Maquart, I Leparc-Goffart

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Sexual transmission of Zika virus in Germany, April 2016
by C Frank, D Cadar, A Schlaphof, N Neddersen, S Günther, J Schmidt-Chanasit, D Tappe

Globalization and Health
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
[Accessed 11 June 2016]

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Debate
Addressing the impact of economic sanctions on Iranian drug shortages in the joint comprehensive plan of action: promoting access to medicines and health diplomacy
The U.S Congress initiated sanctions against Iran after the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis in Tehran, and since then the scope of multilateral sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union, and …
Sogol Setayesh and Tim K. Mackey
Globalization and Health 2016 12:31
Published on: 8 June 2016

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Commentary
The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and health: few gains, some losses, many risks
In early October 2015, 12 nations signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), promoted as a model ‘21st century’ trade and investment agreement that other countries would eventually join. There are gro…
Ronald Labonté, Ashley Schram and Arne Ruckert
Globalization and Health 2016 12:25
Published on: 6 June 2016

Health Research Policy and Systems
http://www.health-policy-systems.com/content
[Accessed 11 June 2016]

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Research
The role of researchers in disseminating evidence to public health practice settings: a cross-sectional study
Allese B. McVay, Katherine A. Stamatakis, Julie A. Jacobs, Rachel G. Tabak and Ross C. Brownson
Published on: 10 June 2016
Abstract
Background
Evidence-based public health interventions, which research has demonstrated offer the most promise for improving the population’s health, are not always utilized in practice settings. The extent to which dissemination from researchers to public health practice settings occurs is not widely understood. This study examines the extent to which public health researchers in the United States are disseminating their research findings to local and state public health departments.
Methods
In a 2012, nationwide study, an online questionnaire was administered to 266 researchers from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and universities to determine dissemination practices. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between dissemination to state and/or local health departments and respondent characteristics, facilitators, and barriers to dissemination.
Results
Slightly over half of the respondents (58%) disseminated their findings to local and/or state health departments. After adjusting for other respondent characteristics, respondents were more likely to disseminate their findings to health departments if they worked for a university Prevention Research Center or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or received their degree more than 20 years ago. Those who had ever worked in a practice or policy setting, those who thought dissemination was important to their own research and/or to the work of their unit/department, and those who had expectations set by their employers and/or funding agencies were more likely to disseminate after adjusting for work place, graduate degree and/or fellowship in public health, and the year the highest academic degree was received.
Conclusions
There is still room for improvement in strengthening dissemination ties between researchers and public health practice settings, and decreasing the barriers researchers face during the dissemination process. Researchers could better utilize national programs or workshops, knowledge brokers, or opportunities provided through academic institutions to become more proficient in dissemination practices.

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
Volume 12, Issue 5, 2016
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/khvi20/current

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Review
A review of clinical models for the evaluation of human TB vaccines
pages 1177-1187
Matthew K. O’Shea & Helen McShane
Open access
DOI:10.1080/21645515.2015.1134407
ABSTRACT
While much progress has been made in the fight against the scourge of tuberculosis (TB), we are still some way from reaching the ambitious targets of eliminating it as a global public health problem by the mid twenty-first century. A new and effective vaccine that protects against pulmonary TB disease will be an essential element of any control strategy. Over a dozen vaccines are currently in development, but recent efficacy trial data from one of the most advanced candidates have been disappointing. Limitations of current preclinical animal models exist, together with a lack of a complete understanding of host immunity to TB or robust correlates of disease risk and protection. Therefore, in the context of such obstacles, we discuss the lessons identified from recent efficacy trials, current concepts of biomarkers and correlates of protection, the potential of innovative clinical models such as human challenge and conducting trials in high-incidence settings to evaluate TB vaccines in humans, and the use of systems vaccinology and novel technologies including transcriptomics and metabolomics, that may facilitate their utility.

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Research Papers
Economic evaluation of pediatric influenza immunization program compared with other pediatric immunization programs: A systematic review
pages 1202-1216
Edward Gibson, Najida Begum, Birgir Sigmundsson, Alfred Sackeyfio, Judith Hackett & Sankarasubramanian Rajaram
Open access
DOI:10.1080/21645515.2015.1131369
ABSTRACT
This study compared the economic value of pediatric immunisation programmes for influenza to those for rotavirus (RV), meningococcal disease (MD), pneumococcal disease (PD), human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B (Hep B), and varicella reported in recent (2000 onwards) cost-effectiveness (CE) studies identified in a systematic review of PubMed, health technology, and vaccination databases. The systematic review yielded 51 economic evaluation studies of pediatric immunisation — 10 (20%) for influenza and 41 (80%) for the other selected diseases. The quality of the eligible articles was assessed using Drummond’s checklist. Although inherent challenges and limitations exist when comparing economic evaluations of immunisation programmes, an overall comparison of the included studies demonstrated cost-effectiveness/cost saving for influenza from a European-Union-Five (EU5) and United States (US) perspective; point estimates for cost/quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) from dominance (cost-saving with more effect) to ≤45,444 were reported. The economic value of influenza programmes was comparable to the other vaccines of interest, with cost/QALY in general considerably lower than RV, Hep B, MD and PD. Independent of the perspective and type of analysis, the economic impact of a pediatric influenza immunisation program was influenced by vaccine efficacy, immunisation coverage, costs, and most significantly by herd immunity. This review suggests that pediatric influenza immunisation may offer a cost effective strategy when compared with HPV and varicella and possibly more value compared with other childhood vaccines (RV, Hep B, MD and PD.

Infectious Diseases of Poverty
http://www.idpjournal.com/content
[Accessed 11 June 2016]

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Commentary
Malaria: Global progress 2000 – 2015 and future challenges
2015 was the target year for malaria goals set by the World Health Assembly and other international institutions to reduce malaria incidence and mortality. A review of progress indicates that malaria programme…
Richard E. Cibulskis, Pedro Alonso, John Aponte, Maru Aregawi, Amy Barrette, Laurent Bergeron, Cristin A. Fergus, Tessa Knox, Michael Lynch, Edith Patouillard, Silvia Schwarte, Saira Stewart and Ryan Williams
Infectious Diseases of Poverty 2016 5:61
Published on: 9 June 2016

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Research Article
Rapid assessment of knowledge, attitudes, practices, and risk perception related to the prevention and control of Ebola virus disease in three communities of Sierra Leone
Hai Jiang, Guo-Qing Shi, Wen-Xiao Tu, Can-Jun Zheng, Xue-Hui Lai, Xin-Xu Li, Qiang Wei, Mei Li, Li-Quan Deng, Xiang Huo, Ming-Quan Chen, Feng Xu, Long-Jie Ye, Xi-Chen Bai, Tong-Nian Chen, Shao-Hua Yin…
Infectious Diseases of Poverty 2016 5:53
Published on: 6 June 2016

The Lancet
Jun 11, 2016 Volume 387 Number 10036 p2351-2478 e29
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current
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Editorial
Dear Mr Ban Ki-moon
The Lancet
We have greatly admired your leadership as Secretary-General of the UN. Over your 10 years heading the world’s most important international organisation, you have played an exemplary part in strengthening the global health agenda—championing awareness of women’s and children’s health, global warming, and humanitarianism. But there is one issue that concerns us deeply.

In 2010, UN soldiers from Nepal were deployed to help after Haiti’s devastating earthquake and cholera contaminated sewage was discarded from their camp into the country’s major river. This triggered the largest cholera outbreak in the world, leaving more than 30 000 Haitians dead and more than 2 million affected.

6 years later a cholera epidemic still rages—14 000 new cases and 150 deaths are reported this year alone. The UN has yet to accept responsibility for introducing cholera into Haiti, despite two investigations establishing these facts.

We applaud the considerable work that the UN has done since 2010 to improve hygiene standards for peacekeepers and support immunisation campaigns. But we are distressed by reports that less than 20% of the funds pledged by the UN after the outbreak to eradicate cholera have been raised.

Calls for you to do more are intensifying. 2000 letters were sent to the UN by Haitians with stories of hardship. Diaspora leaders have urged the UN to install water and sanitation infrastructure to control cholera and to compensate victims. Failing to accept the UN’s responsibilities sets a poor example for the Haitian government to assume theirs, they say. Your own human rights advisers have implored you to respond. Instead, the UN continues to say it is immune from these claims.

It is disappointing that the UN’s silence has forced the matter into the US courts. The UN has enormous power to act. But its power to ignore is what prevails here.

We hope you can address this issue. Please endorse the facts. Please acknowledge the injustice. Please apologise for the indifference. Responsibility is not about vengeance, but about accountability from which needed reparation and reconciliation can flow. The UN has long emphasised the need for accountability—we urge you to make this a final act in your celebrated career as Secretary-General.

The Lancet
Jun 11, 2016 Volume 387 Number 10036 p2351-2478 e29
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current
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Articles
Global burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors for young people’s health during 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013
Ali H Mokdad, Mohammad Hossein Forouzanfar, Farah Daoud, Arwa A Mokdad, Charbel El Bcheraoui, Maziar Moradi-Lakeh, Hmwe Hmwe Kyu, Ryan M Barber, Joseph Wagner, Kelly Cercy, Hannah Kravitz, Megan Coggeshall, Adrienne Chew, Kevin F O’Rourke, Caitlyn Steiner, Marwa Tuffaha, Raghid Charara, Essam Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, Yaser Adi, Rima A Afifi, Hanan Alahmadi, Fadia AlBuhairan, Nicholas Allen, Mohammad AlMazroa, Abdulwahab A Al-Nehmi, Zulfa AlRayess, Monika Arora, Peter Azzopardi, Carmen Barroso, Mohammed Basulaiman, Zulfiqar A Bhutta, Chris Bonell, Cecilia Breinbauer, Louisa Degenhardt, Donna Denno, Jing Fang, Adesegun Fatusi, Andrea B Feigl, Ritsuko Kakuma, Nadim Karam, Elissa Kennedy, Tawfik A M Khoja, Fadi Maalouf, Carla Makhlouf Obermeyer, Amitabh Mattoo, Terry McGovern, Ziad A Memish, George A Mensah, Vikram Patel, Suzanne Petroni, Nicola Reavley, Diego Rios Zertuche, Mohammad Saeedi, John Santelli, Susan M Sawyer, Fred Ssewamala, Kikelomo Taiwo, Muhammad Tantawy, Russell M Viner, Jane Waldfogel, Maria Paola Zuñiga, Mohsen Naghavi, Haidong Wang, Theo Vos, Alan D Lopez, Abdullah A Al Rabeeah, George C Patton, Christopher J L Murray
Summary
Background
Young people’s health has emerged as a neglected yet pressing issue in global development. Changing patterns of young people’s health have the potential to undermine future population health as well as global economic development unless timely and effective strategies are put into place. We report the past, present, and anticipated burden of disease in young people aged 10–24 years from 1990 to 2013 using data on mortality, disability, injuries, and health risk factors.
Methods
The Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 (GBD 2013) includes annual assessments for 188 countries from 1990 to 2013, covering 306 diseases and injuries, 1233 sequelae, and 79 risk factors. We used the comparative risk assessment approach to assess how much of the burden of disease reported in a given year can be attributed to past exposure to a risk. We estimated attributable burden by comparing observed health outcomes with those that would have been observed if an alternative or counterfactual level of exposure had occurred in the past. We applied the same method to previous years to allow comparisons from 1990 to 2013. We cross-tabulated the quantiles of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) by quintiles of DALYs annual increase from 1990 to 2013 to show rates of DALYs increase by burden. We used the GBD 2013 hierarchy of causes that organises 306 diseases and injuries into four levels of classification. Level one distinguishes three broad categories: first, communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional disorders; second, non-communicable diseases; and third, injuries. Level two has 21 mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive categories, level three has 163 categories, and level four has 254 categories.
Findings
The leading causes of death in 2013 for young people aged 10–14 years were HIV/AIDS, road injuries, and drowning (25·2%), whereas transport injuries were the leading cause of death for ages 15–19 years (14·2%) and 20–24 years (15·6%). Maternal disorders were the highest cause of death for young women aged 20–24 years (17·1%) and the fourth highest for girls aged 15–19 years (11·5%) in 2013. Unsafe sex as a risk factor for DALYs increased from the 13th rank to the second for both sexes aged 15–19 years from 1990 to 2013. Alcohol misuse was the highest risk factor for DALYs (7·0% overall, 10·5% for males, and 2·7% for females) for young people aged 20–24 years, whereas drug use accounted for 2·7% (3·3% for males and 2·0% for females). The contribution of risk factors varied between and within countries. For example, for ages 20–24 years, drug use was highest in Qatar and accounted for 4·9% of DALYs, followed by 4·8% in the United Arab Emirates, whereas alcohol use was highest in Russia and accounted for 21·4%, followed by 21·0% in Belarus. Alcohol accounted for 9·0% (ranging from 4·2% in Hong Kong to 11·3% in Shandong) in China and 11·6% (ranging from 10·1% in Aguascalientes to 14·9% in Chihuahua) of DALYs in Mexico for young people aged 20–24 years. Alcohol and drug use in those aged 10–24 years had an annual rate of change of >1·0% from 1990 to 2013 and accounted for more than 3·1% of DALYs.
Interpretation
Our findings call for increased efforts to improve health and reduce the burden of disease and risks for diseases in later life in young people. Moreover, because of the large variations between countries in risks and burden, a global approach to improve health during this important period of life will fail unless the particularities of each country are taken into account. Finally, our results call for a strategy to overcome the financial and technical barriers to adequately capture young people’s health risk factors and their determinants in health information systems.
Funding
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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The Lancet Commissions
Our future: a Lancet commission on adolescent health and wellbeing
George C Patton, Susan M Sawyer, John S Santelli, David A Ross, Rima Afifi, Nicholas B Allen, Monika Arora, Peter Azzopardi, Wendy Baldwin, Christopher Bonell, Ritsuko Kakuma, Elissa Kennedy, Jaqueline Mahon, Terry McGovern, Ali H Mokdad, Vikram Patel, Suzanne Petroni, Nicola Reavley, Kikelomo Taiwo, Jane Waldfogel, Dakshitha Wickremarathne, Carmen Barroso, Zulfiqar Bhutta, Adesegun O Fatusi, Amitabh Mattoo, Judith Diers, Jing Fang, Jane Ferguson, Frederick Ssewamala, Russell M Viner
Summary
Unprecedented global forces are shaping the health and wellbeing of the largest generation of 10 to 24 year olds in human history. Population mobility, global communications, economic development, and the sustainability of ecosystems are setting the future course for this generation and, in turn, humankind.1,2 At the same time, we have come to new understandings of adolescence as a critical phase in life for achieving human potential. Adolescence is characterised by dynamic brain development in which the interaction with the social environment shapes the capabilities an individual takes forward into adult life.

Nature
Volume 534 Number 7606 pp152-290 9 June 2016
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

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Letters
The Brazilian Zika virus strain causes birth defects in experimental models
Fernanda R. Cugola, Isabella R. Fernandes, Fabiele B. Russo, Beatriz C. Freitas, João L. M. Dias
+ et al.
The Zika virus can cross the placenta and cause intrauterine growth restriction, including microcephaly, in the SJL strain of mice; the virus can also infect human brain organoids, inducing cell death by apoptosis and disrupting cortical layers.

Nature Medicine
June 2016, Volume 22 No 6 pp569-692
http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v22/n5/index.html

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Opinion
Use the Bayh-Dole Act to lower drug prices for government healthcare programs – p576
Alfred B Engelberg & Aaron S Kesselheim
doi:10.1038/nm0616-576
As drug prices have increased, there is also greater pressure to find ways to ensure access to medicines. An existing provision of the Bayh-Dole Act could help to lower costs for qualifying drugs in federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.

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Article
Protection against malaria at 1 year and immune correlates following PfSPZ vaccination – pp614 – 623
Andrew S Ishizuka, Kirsten E Lyke, Adam DeZure, Andrea A Berry, Thomas L Richie, Floreliz H Mendoza, Mary E Enama, Ingelise J Gordon, Lee-Jah Chang, Uzma N Sarwar, Kathryn L Zephir, LaSonji A Holman, Eric R James, Peter F Billingsley, Anusha Gunasekera, Sumana Chakravarty, Anita Manoj, MingLin Li, Adam J Ruben, Tao Li, Abraham G Eappen, Richard E Stafford, Natasha K C, Tooba Murshedkar, Hope DeCederfelt, Sarah H Plummer, Cynthia S Hendel, Laura Novik, Pamela J M Costner, Jamie G Saunders, Matthew B Laurens, Christopher V Plowe, Barbara Flynn, William R Whalen, J P Todd, Jay Noor, Srinivas Rao, Kailan Sierra-Davidson, Geoffrey M Lynn, Judith E Epstein, Margaret A Kemp, Gary A Fahle, Sebastian A Mikolajczak, Matthew Fishbaugher, Brandon K Sack, Stefan H I Kappe, Silas A Davidson, Lindsey S Garver, Niklas K Björkström, Martha C Nason, Barney S Graham, Mario Roederer, B Kim Lee Sim, Stephen L Hoffman, Julie E Ledgerwood & Robert A Seder
doi:10.1038/nm.4110
Fifty-five percent of individuals vaccinated with an attenuated Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite vaccine remained without parasitemia after controlled human malaria infection one year later; immune correlate analysis in humans and non-human primates suggest a role for liver-resident T cells.

New England Journal of Medicine
June 9, 2016 Vol. 374 No. 23
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

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Perspective
Saving Tiny Tim — Pediatrics and Childhood Poverty in the United States
Perri Klass, M.D.
N Engl J Med 2016; 374:2201-2205 June 9, 2016 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1603516
Free Full Text

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Perspective
The Hell of Syria’s Field Hospitals
Samer Attar, M.D.
N Engl J Med 2016; 374:2205-2207 June 9, 2016 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1603673
Free Full Text

PLOS Currents: Disasters
http://currents.plos.org/disasters/
[Accessed 11 June 2016]

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Brief Report
Needs of Internally Displaced Women and Children in Baghdad, Karbala, and Kirkuk, Iraq
June 10, 2016 ·
Background: The continuing conflict in Iraq has now created an estimated four million internally displaced persons (IDPs). The bulk of recently displaced persons are in Central Iraq, often in insecure and difficult situations.
Objective: To determine the health status and health needs of women and children, age 15 and under, among a sample of this IDP population in Kirkuk, Baghdad, and Karbala governorates.
Methods: Data were collected from the senior female in 1216 families which contained 3665 children living in 45 makeshift settlements.
Findings: The majority of IDPs were living in tents or religious centers. Repeated displacements were common. Kidnappings were reported by 5.2% of families, and 7.9% of families reported a death of a family member during or after displacement. Intentional violence accounted for 72.3% of deaths. Only a third of children in school at the time of displacement continued in school. On average, households had received assistance on 3.2 occasions since displacement, food being the most common form. Access to health services was difficult. Some form of transport was often required. Few women knew where to secure antenatal services and many did not know where childhood immunization services were available. During or after displacement 307 women had delivered or were currently pregnant. Complications of pregnancies were common, with a quarter reporting anemia, and 22.1% experiencing hemorrhage. Both communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were common in the women and children in the survey. Scabies, diarrhea and lice were common among children. Among women, hypertension accounted for 36.6% of NCDs and type 2 diabetes for 15.9%. Domestic violence directed against women was reported in 17.4% of families and against children in 26.6%
Interpretation: Women and children in IDP settlements of Central Iraq experience many vulnerabilities involving their health, education and their environment, in addition to living in physical danger. While some external assistance was received, much more is needed to meet the needs of a displaced population which is unlikely to return home soon.

PLoS Currents: Outbreaks
http://currents.plos.org/outbreaks/
(Accessed 11 June 2016)

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Research Article
FLIRT-ing with Zika: A Web Application to Predict the Movement of Infected Travelers Validated Against the Current Zika Virus Epidemic
June 10, 2016 ·
Introduction: Beginning in 2015, Zika virus rapidly spread throughout the Americas and has been linked to neurological and autoimmune diseases in adults and babies. Developing accurate tools to anticipate Zika spread is one of the first steps to mitigate further spread of the disease. When combined, air traffic data and network simulations can be used to create tools to predict where infectious disease may spread to and aid in the prevention of infectious diseases. Specific goals were to: 1) predict where travelers infected with the Zika Virus would arrive in the U.S.; and, 2) analyze and validate the open access web application’s (i.e., FLIRT) predictions using data collected after the prediction was made.
Method: FLIRT was built to predict the flow and likely destinations of infected travelers through the air travel network. FLIRT uses a database of flight schedules from over 800 airlines, and can display direct flight traffic and perform passenger simulations between selected airports. FLIRT was used to analyze flights departing from five selected airports in locations where sustained Zika Virus transmission was occurring. FLIRT’s predictions were validated against Zika cases arriving in the U.S. from selected airports during the selected time periods. Kendall’s τ and Generalized Linear Models were computed for all permutations of FLIRT and case data to test the accuracy of FLIRT’s predictions.
Results: FLIRT was found to be predictive of the final destinations of infected travelers in the U.S. from areas with ongoing transmission of Zika in the Americas from 01 February 2016 – 01 to April 2016, and 11 January 2016 to 11 March 2016 time periods. MIA-FLL, JFK-EWR-LGA, and IAH were top ranked at-risk metro areas, and Florida, Texas and New York were top ranked states at-risk for the future time period analyzed (11 March 2016 – 11 June 2016). For the 11 January 2016 to 11 March 2016 time period, the region-aggregated model indicated 7.24 (95% CI 6.85 – 7.62) imported Zika cases per 100,000 passengers, and the state-aggregated model suggested 11.33 (95% CI 10.80 – 11.90) imported Zika cases per 100,000 passengers.
Discussion: The results from 01 February 2016 to 01 April 2016 and 11 January 2016 to 11 March 2016 time periods support that modeling air travel and passenger movement can be a powerful tool in predicting where infectious diseases will spread next. As FLIRT was shown to significantly predict distribution of Zika Virus cases in the past, there should be heightened biosurveillance and educational campaigns to medical service providers and the general public in these states, especially in the large metropolitan areas.

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Radiological Characterization of Cerebral Phenotype in Newborn Microcephaly Cases from 2015 Outbreak in Brazil
June 8, 2016 · Research Article
Introduction: Brazil is facing, since October of 2015, an outbreak of microcephalic fetuses. This outbreak is correlated with the beginning of circulation of Zika virus (ZIKV) in the country. Although it is clear that the size of the head is diminished in these fetuses, the brain phenotype associated with these malformations is unknown.
Methods: We collected computed tomography images of the microcephaly cases from the region of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, from September 2015 to February 2016.
Findings: The microcephalies derived from the current outbreak are associated with intracerebral calcifications, malformation of the ventricular system, migratory disorders in the telencephalon and, in a lower frequency, malformation of the cerebellum and brainstem.
Discussion: The characteristics described herein are not usually found in other types of microcephaly. We suggest that this work can be used as a guideline to identify microcephaly cases associated to the current outbreak.

PLoS Medicine
http://www.plosmedicine.org/
(Accessed 11 June 2016)

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Research Article
Early Childhood Developmental Status in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: National, Regional, and Global Prevalence Estimates Using Predictive Modeling
Dana Charles McCoy, Evan D. Peet, Majid Ezzati, Goodarz Danaei, Maureen M. Black, Christopher R. Sudfeld, Wafaie Fawzi, Günther Fink
Research Article | published 07 Jun 2016 | PLOS Medicine
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002034
Abstract
Background
The development of cognitive and socioemotional skills early in life influences later health and well-being. Existing estimates of unmet developmental potential in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are based on either measures of physical growth or proxy measures such as poverty. In this paper we aim to directly estimate the number of children in LMICs who would be reported by their caregivers to show low cognitive and/or socioemotional development.
Methods and Findings
The present paper uses Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI) data collected between 2005 and 2015 from 99,222 3- and 4-y-old children living in 35 LMICs as part of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) programs. First, we estimate the prevalence of low cognitive and/or socioemotional ECDI scores within our MICS/DHS sample. Next, we test a series of ordinary least squares regression models predicting low ECDI scores across our MICS/DHS sample countries based on country-level data from the Human Development Index (HDI) and the Nutrition Impact Model Study. We use cross-validation to select the model with the best predictive validity. We then apply this model to all LMICs to generate country-level estimates of the prevalence of low ECDI scores globally, as well as confidence intervals around these estimates.
In the pooled MICS and DHS sample, 14.6% of children had low ECDI scores in the cognitive domain, 26.2% had low socioemotional scores, and 36.8% performed poorly in either or both domains. Country-level prevalence of low cognitive and/or socioemotional scores on the ECDI was best represented by a model using the HDI as a predictor. Applying this model to all LMICs, we estimate that 80.8 million children ages 3 and 4 y (95% CI 48.1 million, 113.6 million) in LMICs experienced low cognitive and/or socioemotional development in 2010, with the largest number of affected children in sub-Saharan Africa (29.4.1 million; 43.8% of children ages 3 and 4 y), followed by South Asia (27.7 million; 37.7%) and the East Asia and Pacific region (15.1 million; 25.9%). Positive associations were found between low development scores and stunting, poverty, male sex, rural residence, and lack of cognitive stimulation. Additional research using more detailed developmental assessments across a larger number of LMICs is needed to address the limitations of the present study.
Conclusions
The number of children globally failing to reach their developmental potential remains large. Additional research is needed to identify the specific causes of poor developmental outcomes in diverse settings, as well as potential context-specific interventions that might promote children’s early cognitive and socioemotional well-being.

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
http://www.plosntds.org/

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Viewpoints
Dengue Vaccine: Considerations before Rollout in Colombia
Christian Julian Villabona-Arenas, Raquel Elvira Ocazionez Jimenez, Cinthy Lorena Jimenez Silva
Viewpoints | published 09 Jun 2016 | PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0004653

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Research Article
Health Services for Gender-Based Violence: Médecins Sans Frontières Experience Caring for Survivors in Urban Papua New Guinea
Kamalini Lokuge, Meggy Verputten, Maryanne Ajakali, Bianca Tolboom, Grace Joshy, Katherine A. Thurber, Daisy Plana, Steven Howes, Anastasia Wakon, Emily Banks
| published 10 Jun 2016 | PLOS ONE
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0156813

Preventive Medicine
Volume 87, Pages 1-238 (June 2016)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00917435/86

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Review Article
Mapping interventions that promote mental health in the general population: A scoping review of reviews
Pages 70-80
Jennifer Enns, Maxine Holmqvist, Pamela Wener, Gayle Halas, Janet Rothney, Annette Schultz, Leah Goertzen, Alan Katz
Abstract
Health policies and programs promoting mental health or preventing mental illness in the general public are under-recognized facets of primary prevention. Increasing awareness and adoption of such strategies could reduce the burden of mental illness in individuals, families, communities, and society as whole. We conducted a scoping review of reviews of interventions to promote mental health or prevent mental illness. We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL and ERIC from 2004 to 2014. Reviews were included if the authors indicated a systematic approach in their literature searches, and if they comprised interventions in Westernized countries targeting the general population. We identified 39 reviews that met the inclusion criteria. Mental health intervention approaches and outcomes varied across age groups and settings, and included functional, social, and cognitive measures. Most interventions aimed to prevent a specific mental illness or symptoms (depression, anxiety, burnout, or stress). Cognitive-behavioral therapy and educational components were common. School-based programs focused on outcomes involving social and academic development. Interventions for families, especially for young or disadvantaged parents, taught parenting skills to help improve the well-being of children and their care-givers. In the workplace, the focus was on managing stress, while programs for the elderly emphasized quality of life determinants. This review summarizes a wide variety of interventions to promote mental health or prevent mental illness, but the literature is primarily focused on the individual or family unit. More information is required about interventions at the community and societal levels.

Reproductive Health
http://www.reproductive-health-journal.com/content
[Accessed 11 June 2016]

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Research
Barriers and facilitators to health care seeking behaviours in pregnancy in rural communities of southern Mozambique
In countries, such as Mozambique, where maternal mortality remains high, the greatest contribution of mortality comes from the poor and vulnerable communities, who frequently reside in remote and rural areas w…
Khátia Munguambe, Helena Boene, Marianne Vidler, Cassimo Bique, Diane Sawchuck, Tabassum Firoz, Prestige Tatenda Makanga, Rahat Qureshi, Eusébio Macete, Clara Menéndez, Peter von Dadelszen and Esperança Sevene
Reproductive Health 2016 13(Suppl 1):31
Published on: 8 June 2016

Science
10 June 2016 Vol 352, Issue 6291
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

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Perspectives
Environmental governance for all
By Eduardo S. Brondizio, Francois-Michel Le Tourneau
Science10 Jun 2016 : 1272-1273
Summary
In a world increasingly thought of as overpopulated, sparsely populated spaces remain a dominant feature: ~57% of Asia, ~81% of North America, and ~94% of Australia have population densities below 1 person per square kilometer, equivalent to the population density of most of the Sahara desert (1). These vast, sparsely populated landscapes include rural settlements, towns, agricultural spaces, extractive economies, indigenous lands, and conservation areas. They are crucial for climate change adaptation and mitigation, from carbon sequestration to provisioning of water, food, and energy to cities. Yet governmental and nongovernmental initiatives tend to mostly pay lip service to the diverse views and needs of their populations. Without more inclusive governance, attempts to mitigate and adapt to climate change and conserve ecosystems will be compromised.

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Perspective
Environment
Bridging indigenous and scientific knowledge
Jayalaxshmi Mistry1, Andrea Berardi2
Science 10 Jun 2016:
Vol. 352, Issue 6291, pp. 1274-1275
DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf1160
Summary
Indigenous land use practices have a fundamental role to play in controlling deforestation and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Satellite imagery suggests that indigenous lands contribute substantially to maintaining carbon stocks and enhancing biodiversity relative to adjoining territory (1). Many of these sustainable land use practices are born, developed, and successfully implemented by the community without major influence from external stakeholders (2). A prerequisite for such community-owned solutions is indigenous knowledge, which is local and context-specific, transmitted orally or through imitation and demonstration, adaptive to changing environments, collectivized through a shared social memory, and situated within numerous interlinked facets of people’s lives (3). Such local ecological knowledge is increasingly important given the growing global challenges of ecosystem degradation and climate change (4).