FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOSTATISTICS leads you through the methods, techniques, and computations of statistics necessary for success in the medical field. Every new concept is developed systematically through completely worked out examples from current medical research problems.

A one-stop guide for public health students and practitioners learning the applications of classical regression models in epidemiology This book is written for public health professionals and students interested in applying regression models in the field of epidemiology. The academic material is usually covered in public health courses including (i) Applied Regression Analysis, (ii) Advanced Epidemiology, and (iii) Statistical Computing. The book is composed of 13 chapters, including an introduction chapter that covers basic concepts of statistics and probability. Among the topics covered are linear regression model, polynomial regression model, weighted least squares, methods for selecting the best regression equation, and generalized linear models and their applications to different epidemiological study designs. An example is provided in each chapter that applies the theoretical aspects presented in that chapter. In addition, exercises are included and the final chapter is devoted to the solutions of these academic exercises with answers in all of the major statistical software packages, including STATA, SAS, SPSS, and R. It is assumed that readers of this book have a basic course in biostatistics, epidemiology, and introductory calculus. The book will be of interest to anyone looking to understand the statistical fundamentals to support quantitative research in public health. In addition, this book: Is based on the authors course notes from 20 years teaching regression modeling in public health courses Provides exercises at the end of each chapter Contains a solutions chapter with answers in STATA, SAS, SPSS, and R Provides real-world public health applications of the theoretical aspects contained in the chapters Applications of Regression Models in Epidemiology is a reference for graduate students in public health and public health practitioners. ERICK SUAREZ is a Professor of the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the University of Puerto Rico School of Public Health. He received a Ph.D. degree in Medical Statistics from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He has 29 years of experience teaching biostatistics. CYNTHIA M. PEREZ is a Professor of the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the University of Puerto Rico School of Public Health. She received an M.S. degree in Statistics and a Ph.D. degree in Epidemiology from Purdue University. She has 22 years of experience teaching epidemiology and biostatistics. ROBERTO RIVERA is an Associate Professor at the College of Business at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. He received a Ph.D. degree in Statistics from the University of California in Santa Barbara. He has more than five years of experience teaching statistics courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. MELISSA N. MARTINEZ is an Account Supervisor at Havas Media International. She holds an MPH in Biostatistics from the University of Puerto Rico and an MSBA from the National University in San Diego, California. For the past seven years, she has been performing analyses for the biomedical research and media advertising fields.

Rabies: Basis of the Disease and Its Management, Fourth Edition is an authoritative reference on the current status of rabies, including the virological, clinical, and public health aspects and management recommendations. Rabies remains one of the most important global public health problems worldwide. Although many important developments have been made over the past century to combat this disease, rabies has become a re-emergent infection in the resource-constrained countries. The Fourth Edition updates this classic reference with comprehensive coverage of the molecular virology, pathogenesis, immunology, vaccines, public health aspects, and epidemiology of rabies and is completely revised, with new chapters that will cover historical developments in rabies intervention strategies, the evolution of rabies virus, modeling rabies control, and on the strategy for rabies elimination. Rabies, Fourth Edition, provides physicians, veterinarians, public health advisors, epidemiologists, and research scientists with a single source for authoritative and up-to-date information on the diagnosis, treatment, control, and prevention of this fatal infectious virus.

Researchers often have difficulties collecting enough data to test their hypotheses, either because target groups are small or hard to access, or because data collection entails prohibitive costs. Such obstacles may result in data sets that are too small for the complexity of the statistical model needed to answer the research question. This unique book provides guidelines and tools for implementing solutions to issues that arise in small sample research. Each chapter illustrates statistical methods that allow researchers to apply the optimal statistical model for their research question when the sample is too small. This essential book will enable social and behavioral science researchers to test their hypotheses even when the statistical model required for answering their research question is too complex for the sample sizes they can collect. The statistical models in the book range from the estimation of a population mean to models with latent variables and nested observations, and solutions include both classical and Bayesian methods. All proposed solutions are described in steps researchers can implement with their own data and are accompanied with annotated syntax in R. The methods described in this book will be useful for researchers across the social and behavioral sciences, ranging from medical sciences and epidemiology to psychology, marketing, and economics.

This book addresses current topics on pathogenic Vibrio spp. from a comprehensive and holistic perspective. Here, experts in the field provide timely chapters, ranging from genomics, pathogen emergence, and epidemiology to pathogenesis, virulence regulation and host colonization. Questions addressed include: How does climate change affect the spread of these bacteria? What is the status of current vaccines? Are there novel therapeutic options to treat Vibrio infections? Is there likelihood of emergence of new pathogenic strains or species? Can insights from mathematical models and epidemiology lead to prediction of pathogen outbreaks? Recent decades have seen a steady increase in Vibrio spp. infections originating in aquatic and marine habitats, driven by higher human population densities, warming of polluted oceans, natural and human-made disasters, and mass seafood production. These conditions increase the likelihood of pathogenic Vibrio spp. coming into contact with humans, making their study even more timely and relevant as these problems escalate over time. This book is a valuable resource for health management professionals, experienced microbiologists/ microbial ecologists, and early career scientists alike who want to learn more about these important environmental human pathogens. The ideas and technologies presented in this book for preventing, controlling, and monitoring Vibrio spp. infections contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being.

The basis for much of medical public health practice comes from epidemiological research. This text describes current statistical tools that are used to analyse the association between possible risk factors and the actual risk of disease. Beginning with a broad conceptual framework on the disease process, it describes commonly used techniques for analysing proportions and disease rates. These are then extended to model fitting, and the common threads of logic that bind the two analytic strategies together are revealed. Each chapter provides a descriptive rationale for the method, a worked example using data from a published study, and an exercise that allows the reader to practice the technique. Each chapter also includes an appendix that provides further details on the theoretical underpinnings of the method. Among the topics covered are Mantel-Haenszel methods, rates, survival analysis, logistic regression, and generalised linear models. Methods for incorporating aspects of study design, such as matching, into the analysis are discussed, and guidance is given for determining the power or the sample size requirements of a study. This text will give readers a foundation in applied statistics and the concepts of model fitting to develop skills in the analysis of epidemiological data.

One doctor's surprising answer to the epidemic of chronic disease and essential reading for everyone concerned with the health of the next generation ..[T]he further we move away from nature the sicker we become, and it is our children who pay the heaviest price for what modern civilization is doing to our environment and our bodies. This book will make the reader think. I warmly recommend it! Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD, author of Gut and Psychology Syndrome Over the past fifty years, rates of autoimmunity and chronic disease have exploded. While some attribute this rise to increased awareness and diagnosis, Thomas Cowan, MD, argues for a direct causal relationship to a corresponding increase in the number of vaccines children typically receive. Dr. Cowan looks at emerging evidence that certain childhood illnesses are actually protective of disease later in life; examines the role of fever, the gut and cellular fluid in immune health; argues that vaccination is an ineffective (and harmful) attempt to shortcut a complex immune response; and asserts that the medical establishment has engaged in an authoritarian argument that robs parents of informed consent. His ultimate question, from the point of view of a doctor who has decades of experience treating countless children is: What are we really doing to children when we vaccinate them? Dr. Cowan intelligently educates us on the complicated and beautiful workings of our immune system, clearly explains how and why its malfunction is harming us, and elucidates why our precious children are so vulnerable to these diseases. Lindy Woodard, MD, Pediatric Alternatives

'Clinical epidemiology' is now widely promoted and taught as a 'basic science' of Evidence-Based Medicine, of clinical EBM to be specific. This book, however, is mostly about that which Miettinen takes to be the necessary substitute for this now-so-fashionable subject - namely, Theory of Clinical Medicine together with its subordinate Theory of Clinical Research. The leit motif in all of this is Miettinen's perception of the need, and opportunity, to bring major improvements into clinical medicine in this Information Age, now that theoretical progress has made feasible the development of practice-guiding Expert Systems for it. Parts of this text constitute essential reading for whoever is expected, or otherwise inclined, to study - or teach - 'clinical epidemiology,' and the same is true of those who set policy for the education of future clinicians; but practically all of it is essential reading for future - and current - academics in the various disciplines of clinical medicine. After all, the text is the result of a concentrated effort, over a half-century no less, to really understand both clinical and community medicine and the research to advance the knowledge-base of these. Research epidemiologists, too, will find this text interesting and instructive.

This publication provides guidance on preparing data to be input into an international computerised database for clinical case histories of persons accidentally exposed to whole body irradiation. The publication has resulted from a close collaboration between the Institute of Biophysics including its Hospital Number 6 in Moscow, Russia, and the Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine at the University of Ulm. In both institutions, much experience has been accumulated during the last 20 years in dealing with basic and clinical research in the field of radiation accident management. In both institutions many case histories of radiation accident victims have been recorded. On this basis the scientists and clinicians from both institutions developed, over the last two years, a pre computer proforma to feed the International Computer Database for Radiation Exposure Case Histories, with standardised data from clinical case histories of radiation accident victims. This activity should be seen as part of WHO efforts to establish a network of institutions around the world, competent in Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance. This network has become known as REMPAN and it is prepared to provide medical advice and assistance when a radiation accident occurs in any country. The Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine, at the University of Ulm, is part of this global network.

Die Pharmakoepidemiologie ist im Bereich der Gesundheitswissenschaften eine der jungsten Disziplinen. Sie verbindet die Wissenschaftsbereiche Pharmakologie, klinische Medizin, Epidemiologie und Biostatistik und ist dadurch zur wissenschaftlichen Basis der Praxis der Arzneimittelsicherheit geworden. Das vorliegende englisch-deutsche Worterbuch enthalt die wichtigsten Termini (ca. 500), Definitionen und Konzepte des epidemiologischen Themenspektrums und richtet sich an alle, die Gesundheitsforschung betreiben oder sich mit ihren Ergebnissen auseinandersetzen. Das Buch will dazu beitragen, den Gebrauch von fachspezifischen Termini im Bereich Pharmakoepidemiologie international zu standardisieren. Zur Definition von Begriffen ist jeweils die Originalliteratur herangezogen worden. Die Fundstelle ist fur jeden Terminus angegeben und soll dem Benutzer so die Moglichkeit geben, sich bei Bedarf auch umfassender mit einem Begriff und seinem Umfeld auseinandersetzen zu konnen.

Recent years have seen an explosion in new kinds of data on infectious diseases, including data on social contacts, whole genome sequences of pathogens, biomarkers for susceptibility to infection, serological panel data, and surveillance data. The Handbook of Infectious Disease Data Analysis provides an overview of many key statistical methods that have been developed in response to such new data streams and the associated ability to address key scientific and epidemiological questions. A unique feature of the Handbook is the wide range of topics covered. Key features Contributors include many leading researchers in the field Divided into four main sections: Basic concepts, Analysis of Outbreak Data, Analysis of Seroprevalence Data, Analysis of Surveillance Data Numerous case studies and examples throughout Provides both introductory material and key reference material

In 1793 a disastrous plague of yellow fever paralyzed Philadelphia, killing thousands of residents and bringing the nation's capital city to a standstill. In this psychological portrait of a city in terror, J. H. Powell presents a penetrating study of human nature revealing itself. Bring Out Your Dead is an absorbing account, form the original sources, of an infamous tragedy that left its mark on all it touched.

The disease that came to be called acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was first identified in the summer of 1981. By that time, nearly 100,000 persons in the United States may have been infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). By the time the routes of transmission were clearly identified and HIV was established as the cause of AIDS in 1983, over 300,000 people may have been infected. That number has continued to increase, with approximately 1,000,000 Americans believed to be infected in 1991. The epidemic is of great public health concern because HlV is infectious, causes severe morbidity and death in most if not all of those infected, and often occurs in relatively young persons. In addition, the cost of medical care for a person with HIV disease is high, and the medical care needs of HIV-infected persons place a severe burden on the medical care systems in many areas. Understanding and controlling the HIV epidemic is a particularly difficult challenge. The long and variable period between HIV infection and clinical disease makes it difficult both to forecast the future magnitude of the epidemic, which is important for health care planning, and to estimate the number infected in the last several years, which is important for monitoring the current status of the epidemic.

This book contains the lecture notes for a DMV course presented by the authors at Gunzburg, Germany, in September, 1990. In the course we sketched the theory of information bounds for non parametric and semiparametric models, and developed the theory of non parametric maximum likelihood estimation in several particular inverse problems: interval censoring and deconvolution models. Part I, based on Jon Wellner's lectures, gives a brief sketch of information lower bound theory: Hajek's convolution theorem and extensions, useful minimax bounds for parametric problems due to Ibragimov and Has'minskii, and a recent result characterizing differentiable functionals due to van der Vaart (1991). The differentiability theorem is illustrated with the examples of interval censoring and deconvolution (which are pursued from the estimation perspective in part II). The differentiability theorem gives a way of clearly distinguishing situations in which 1 2 the parameter of interest can be estimated at rate n / and situations in which this is not the case. However it says nothing about which rates to expect when the functional is not differentiable. Even the casual reader will notice that several models are introduced, but not pursued in any detail; many problems remain. Part II, based on Piet Groeneboom's lectures, focuses on non parametric maximum likelihood estimates (NPMLE's) for certain inverse problems. The first chapter deals with the interval censoring problem.

Chronic viral hepatitis is discussed here in a multidisciplinary approach. The editors' goal was to assemble contributions from clinicians, laboratory physicians, epidemiologists, pathologists, and molecular biologists to provide a synopsis of all the important aspects of this disease. A key element in the chronic evolution of viral hepatitis is the persistent coexistence of a cytotoxic immune response and viral gene expression which is discussed in eleven articles on immune pathogenesis. The oncogenicity of hepatitis B virus at the molecular level and of hepatitis C virus at the epidemiological level is discussed in two chapters. The application of PCR for the detection of hepatitis viruses and their variants is a major topic of both practical and theoretical interest. The clinical significance of newly developed serological assays for diagnosis and prevention is discussed in depth by specialists from clinics, transfusion centers and virological laboratories. The therapy of chronic viral hepatitis is still unsatisfactory, but some slow progress is described in several articles. Furthermore, the volume has a special chapter on the often neglected topic of chronic hepatitis in childhood.

Handbook of Methods for Designing, Monitoring, and Analyzing Dose-Finding Trials gives a thorough presentation of state-of-the-art methods for early phase clinical trials. The methodology of clinical trials has advanced greatly over the last 20 years and, arguably, nowhere greater than that of early phase studies. The need to accelerate drug development in a rapidly evolving context of targeted therapies, immunotherapy, combination treatments and complex group structures has provided the stimulus to these advances. Typically, we deal with very small samples, sequential methods that need to be efficient, while, at the same time adhering to ethical principles due to the involvement of human subjects. Statistical inference is difficult since the standard techniques of maximum likelihood do not usually apply as a result of model misspecification and parameter estimates lying on the boundary of the parameter space. Bayesian methods play an important part in overcoming these difficulties, but nonetheless, require special consideration in this particular context. The purpose of this handbook is to provide an expanded summary of the field as it stands and also, through discussion, provide insights into the thinking of leaders in the field as to the potential developments of the years ahead. With this goal in mind we present: An introduction to the field for graduate students and novices A basis for more established researchers from which to build A collection of material for an advanced course in early phase clinical trials A comprehensive guide to available methodology for practicing statisticians on the design and analysis of dose-finding experiments An extensive guide for the multiple comparison and modeling (MCP-Mod) dose-finding approach, adaptive two-stage designs for dose finding, as well as dose-time-response models and multiple testing in the context of confirmatory dose-finding studies. John O'Quigley is a professor of mathematics and research director at the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research based at the Faculty of Mathematics, University Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris, France. He is author of Proportional Hazards Regression and has published extensively in the field of dose finding. Alexia Iasonos is an associate attending biostatistician at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. She has over one hundred publications in the leading statistical and clinical journals on the methodology and design of early phase clinical trials. Dr. Iasonos has wide experience in the actual implementation of model based early phase trials and has given courses in scientific meetings internationally. Bjoern Bornkamp is a statistical methodologist at Novartis in Basel, Switzerland, researching and implementing dose-finding designs in Phase II clinical trials. He is one of the co-developers of the MCP-Mod methodology for dose finding and main author of the DoseFinding R package. He has published numerous papers on dose finding, nonlinear models and Bayesian statistics, and in 2013 won the Royal Statistical Society award for statistical excellence in the pharmaceutical industry.

What is epidemiology? What are the causes of a new disease? How can pandemics be prevented? Epidemiology is the study of the changing patterns of disease and its main aim is to improve the health of populations. It's a vital field, central to the health of society, to the identification of causes of disease, and to their management and prevention. Epidemiology has had an impact on many areas of medicine; from discovering the relationship between tobacco smoking and lung cancer, to the origin and spread of new epidemics. However, it is often poorly understood, largely due to misrepresentations in the media. In this Very Short Introduction Rodolfo Saracci dispels some of the myths surrounding the study of epidemiology. He provides a general explanation of the principles behind clinical trials, and explains the nature of basic statistics concerning disease. He also looks at the ethical and political issues related to obtaining and using information concerning patients, and trials involving placebos. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Identifying the existing challenges and shortfalls of China's current HIV/AIDS programming, this book provides an understanding of the history of HIV/AIDS in China, comparing government responses to global best practice in prevention and treatment. Considering three key populations in China, namely, female sex workers, people who inject drugs and floating migrants, Living in the Shadows of China's HIV/AIDS Epidemics highlights the effects of high mobility and marginalisation on the spread of HIV in China. It is argued that these groups often suffer from stigmatisation and a lack of human security, resulting in sub-optimal outcomes for HIV/AIDS intervention and prevention efforts and the reinforcement of high-risk behaviours, further contributing to the transmission of the virus to the general population. In adding to the emerging body of literature, this book further elucidates the myriad of challenges posed by HIV/AIDS epidemics, allowing sustained engagement and a fresh insight into how governments might respond to the needs of individuals living with HIV/AIDS, both in China and globally. Including case studies which give voice to research participants in a rich and engaging way, this book will appeal to students and scholars of Chinese Studies, Asian Studies, International Relations and Political Science, as well as those engaged in epidemiological studies in the Health Sciences.

CINDI is an European intervention programme against major noncommunicable diseases (NCD). 12 European countries, Canada, and Israel are participating in the programme which is coordinated by the World Health Organization. The book discribes the baseline situation in the countries prior to the start of the programme. Trends in the premature mortality of some major NCDsare given as well as the prevalence of risk factors for NCDs in the population (high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, overweight, smoking). The results presented stress the necessity of a country- wide integrated approach: NCDs account for two third of premature deaths in the CINDI countries and around 70% of the adult population are at risk for NCDs.

The past forty years have been the stage for the maturation of mathematical biolo as a scientific field. The foundations laid by the pioneers of the field during the first half of this century have been combined with advances in ap plied mathematics and the computational sciences to create a vibrant area of scientific research with established research journals, professional societies, deep subspecialty areas, and graduate education programs. Mathematical biology is by its very nature cross-disciplinary, and research papers appear in mathemat ics, biology and other scientific journals, as well as in the specialty journals devoted to mathematical and theoretical biology. Multiple author papers are common, and so are collaborations between individuals who have academic bases in different traditional departments. Those who seek to keep abreast of current trends and problems need to interact with research workers from a much broader spectrum of fields than is common in the traditional mono-culture disciplines. Consequently, it is beneficial to have occasions which bring together significant numbers of workers in this field in a forum that encourages the exchange of ideas and which leads to a timely publication of the work that is presented. Such an occasion occurred during January 13 to 16, 1990 when almost two hun dred research workers participated in an international conference on Differential Equations and Applications to Biology and Population Dynamics which was held in Claremont."

Birdkeeping is becoming increasingly popular, but could it threaten good health? This book discusses the evi- dence suggesting that keeping pet birds is a strong risk factor for lung cancer. Its relation to a number of other endpoints, including death before age 60 and spontaneous abortion, is also examined. In addition, the book looks at the diseases that can be transmitted from birds to man - a fairly unknown field in general medicine. For instance, birds are a source of airborne particles that can cause allergic reactions in humans. People who keep birds as pets tend to have a higher incidence of shortness of breath, colds, sore throats and other flu-like symptoms than those in households without birds. The evidence presented in this book is the result of a ten-year general practice survey. Some recommendations for future research are given.

An excellent introduction for all those coming to the subject for the first time.

New material has been added to the second edition and the original six chapters have been modified.

The previous edition sold 9500 copies world wide since its release in 1996.

Based on numerous courses given by the author to students and researchers in the health sciences and is written with such readers in mind.

Provides a "user-friendly" layout and includes numerous illustrations and exercises.

Written in such a way so as to enable readers learn directly without the assistance of a classroom instructor.

Throughout, there is an emphasis on presenting each new topic backed by real examples of a survival analysis investigation, followed up with thorough analyses of real data sets.

This book contains selected papers from a workshop on modern statistical methods in toxicology held during the EUROTOX '90 conference in Leipzig. The papers deal with the biostatistical evaluation of the commonly used toxicological assays, i.e. mutagenicity, long-term carcinogenicity, embryotoxicity and chronic toxicity assays. The biological background is considered in detail, and most of the related statistical approaches described. In five overview papers, the present state of the art of the related topics is given, while in several contributed papers new approaches are discussed. The most important features are: - A new view on the per-litter analysis problem in em- bryotoxicity assays. - A highly sophisticated treatment of the so-called muta-tox problem in mutagenicity assays. - A detailed discussion of the multiplicity problem based on the closed testing procedure. This volume provides readers with an overview of modern biostatistical methods for several toxicological assays and is in part intended for direct, practical use.

A health policy for the future is the topic of discussion in this book. International scientists discuss central questions corresponding to the targets set by the World Health Organization (WHO). In a unique meeting, social political proposals and recommendations are presented for a regional health care system that includes public involvement. Separate sections of the book treat the primary health care system in relation to public involvement, family medicine, epidemiology, health economics, and institutional requirements.

Biostatistics for Epidemiologists is a unique book that provides a collection of methods that can be used to analyze data in most epidemiological studies. It examines the theoretical background of the methods described and discusses general principles that apply to the analysis of epidemiological data. Specific topics addressed include statistical interference in epidemiological research, important methods used for analyzing epidemiological data, multivariate models, dose-response analysis, analysis of the interaction between causes of disease, meta-analysis, and computer programs. Biostatistics for Epidemiologists will be a useful guide for all epidemiologists and public health professionals who rely on biostatistical data in their work.