ORCID Profile
0000-0003-2226-2776
Current Organisation
World Health Organization
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Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 04-2021
DOI: 10.1089/HS.2019.0135
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2020
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 30-10-2007
Abstract: Mutations in the GABA A receptor γ2 subunit are associated with childhood absence epilepsy and febrile seizures. To understand better the molecular basis of absence epilepsy in man, we developed a mouse model harboring a γ2 subunit point mutation (R43Q) found in a large Australian family. Mice heterozygous for the mutation demonstrated behavioral arrest associated with 6-to 7-Hz spike-and-wave discharges, which are blocked by ethosuximide, a first-line treatment for absence epilepsy in man. Seizures in the mouse showed an abrupt onset at around age 20 days corresponding to the childhood nature of this disease. Reduced cell surface expression of γ2(R43Q) was seen in heterozygous mice in the absence of any change in α1 subunit surface expression, ruling out a dominant-negative effect. GABA A -mediated synaptic currents recorded from cortical pyramidal neurons revealed a small but significant reduction that was not seen in the reticular or ventrobasal thalamic nuclei. We hypothesize that a subtle reduction in cortical inhibition underlies childhood absence epilepsy seen in humans harboring the R43Q mutation.
Publisher: World Health Organization, Western Pacific Regional Office
Date: 30-09-2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2007
DOI: 10.1016/J.MCN.2007.03.003
Abstract: Seizure susceptibility is high in human infants compared to adults, presumably because of developmentally regulated changes in neural excitability. Benign familial neonatal-infantile seizures (BFNIS), characterized by both early onset and remission, are caused by mutations in the gene encoding a human sodium channel (NaV1.2). We analyzed neonatal and adult splice forms of NaV1.2 with a BFNIS mutation (L1563V) in human embryonic kidney cells. Computer modeling revealed that neonatal channels are less excitable than adult channels. Introduction of the mutation increased excitability in the neonatal channels to a level similar to adult channels. By contrast, the mutation did not affect the adult channel variant. This "adult-like" increased excitability is likely to be the mechanism underlying BFNIS in infants with this mutation. More generally, developmentally regulated NaV1.2 splicing may be one mechanism that counters the normally high excitability of neonatal neurons and helps to reduce seizure susceptibility in normal human infants.
Publisher: World Health Organization, Western Pacific Regional Office
Date: 27-09-2016
Publisher: World Health Organization, Western Pacific Regional Office
Date: 14-05-2019
Publisher: World Health Organization, Western Pacific Regional Office
Date: 27-09-2016
Publisher: American Public Health Association
Date: 08-2013
Abstract: Objectives. We describe the demographics of the decedents from the tornado outbreak in Alabama on April 27, 2011 examine the circumstances of death surrounding these fatalities and identify measures to prevent future tornado-related fatalities. Methods. We collected information about the decedents from death certificates, disaster-related mortality surveillance, and interview data collected by American Red Cross volunteers from the decedent’s families. We describe demographic characteristics, circumstances and causes of death, and sheltering behaviors before death. Results. Of the 247 fatalities, females and older adults were at highest risk for tornado-related deaths. Most deaths were directly related to the tornadoes, on scene, and trauma-related. The majority of the deceased were indoors in single-family homes. Word of mouth was the most common warning mechanism. Conclusions. This tornado event was the third deadliest in recent US history. Our findings support the need for local community shelters, enhanced messaging to inform the public of shelter locations, and encouragement of word-of-mouth warnings and personal and family preparedness planning, with a special focus on assisting vulnerable in iduals in taking shelter.
Publisher: American Meteorological Society
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1175/WCAS-D-13-00023.1
Abstract: Dangerously cold weather threatens life and property. During periods of extreme cold due to wind chill, the National Weather Service (NWS) issues wind chill warnings to prompt the public to take action to mitigate risks. Wind chill warnings are based on ambient temperatures and wind speeds. Since 2010, NWS has piloted a new extreme cold warning issued for cold temperatures in wind and nonwind conditions. The North Dakota Department of Health, NWS, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collaborated in conducting household surveys in Burleigh County, North Dakota, to evaluate this new warning. The objectives of the evaluation were to assess whether residents heard the new warning and to determine if protective behaviors were prompted by the warning. This was a cross-sectional survey design using the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) methodology to select a statistically representative s le of households from Burleigh County. From 10 to 11 April 2012, 188 door-to-door household interviews were completed. The CASPER methodology uses probability s ling with weighted analysis to estimate the number and percentage of households with a specific response within Burleigh County. The majority of households reported having heard both the extreme cold and wind chill warnings, and both warnings prompted protective behaviors. These results suggest this community heard the new warning and took protective actions after hearing the warning.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2021
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-09-2008
DOI: 10.1002/ANA.21440
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-02-2008
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 18-12-2015
DOI: 10.1017/DMP.2015.164
Abstract: Timely morbidity surveillance of sheltered populations is crucial for identifying and addressing their immediate needs, and accurate surveillance allows us to better prepare for future disasters. However, disasters often create travel and communication challenges that complicate the collection and transmission of surveillance data. We describe a surveillance project conducted in New Jersey shelters after Hurricane Sandy, which occurred in November 2012, that successfully used cellular phones for remote real-time reporting. This project demonstrated that, when supported with just-in-time morbidity surveillance training, cellular phone reporting was a successful, sustainable, and less labor-intensive methodology than in-person shelter visits to capture morbidity data from multiple locations and opened a two-way communication channel with shelters. ( Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness . 2015 :525–528)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2020
DOI: 10.1186/S12992-020-00632-W
Abstract: Under the International Health Regulations (2005) [IHR (2005)] Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, after action reviews (AAR) and simulation exercises (SimEx) are two critical components which measure the functionality of a country’s health emergency preparedness and response under a “real-life” event or simulated situation. The objective of this study was to describe the AAR and SimEx supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) globally in 2016–2019. In 2016–2019, WHO supported 63 AAR and 117 SimEx, of which 42 (66.7%) AAR reports and 56 (47.9%) SimEx reports were available. We extracted key information from these reports and created two central databases for AAR and SimEx, respectively. We conducted descriptive analysis and linked the findings according to the 13 IHR (2005) core capacities. Among the 42 AAR and 56 SimEx available reports, AAR and SimEx were most commonly conducted in the WHO African Region (AAR: n = 32, 76.2% SimEx: n = 32, 52.5%). The most common public health events reviewed or tested in AAR and SimEx, respectively, were epidemics and pandemics (AAR: n = 38, 90.5% SimEx: n = 46, 82.1%). For AAR, 10 (76.9%) of the 13 IHR core capacities were reviewed at least once, with no AAR conducted for food safety, chemical events, and radiation emergencies, among the reports available. For SimEx, all 13 (100.0%) IHR capacities were tested at least once. For AAR, the most commonly reviewed IHR core capacities were health services provision ( n = 41, 97.6%), risk communication ( n = 39, 92.9%), national health emergency framework ( n = 39, 92.9%), surveillance ( n = 37, 88.1%) and laboratory ( n = 35, 83.3%). For SimEx, the most commonly tested IHR core capacity were national health emergency framework ( n = 56, 91.1%), followed by risk communication ( n = 48, 85.7%), IHR coordination and national IHR focal point functions ( n = 45, 80.4%), surveillance ( n = 31, 55.4%), and health service provision ( n = 29, 51.8%). For AAR, the median timeframe between the end of the event and AAR was 125 days (range = 25–399 days). WHO has recently published guidance for the planning, execution, and follow-up of AAR and SimEx. Through the guidance and the simplified reporting format provided, we hope to see more countries conduct AAR and SimEx and standardization in their methodology, practice, reporting and follow-up.
Publisher: World Health Organization, Western Pacific Regional Office
Date: 12-01-2016
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 06-2019
DOI: 10.1017/S1049023X19004333
Abstract: In recent years, several high-profile attacks on hospitals providing medical aid in conflict settings have raised international concern. The International Humanitarian Law prohibits the deliberate targeting of health care settings. Violation of this law is considered a war crime and impacts both those delivering and receiving medical aid. While it has been demonstrated that both aid workers and health care settings are increasingly being targeted, little is known about the trends and characteristics of security incidents involving aid workers in health care compared to non-health care settings. Data from the publicly available Aid Worker Security Database (AWSD) containing security incidents involving humanitarian aid workers world-wide were used in this study. The security incidents occurring from January 1, 1997 through December 31, 2016 were classified by two independent reviewers as having occurred in health care and non-health care settings, and those in health care settings were further classified into five categories (hospital, health clinic, mobile clinic, ambulance, and vaccination visit) for the analysis. A stratified descriptive analysis, χ 2 Goodness of Fit test, and Cochran-Armitage test for trend were used to examine and compare security incidents occurring in health care and non-health care settings. Among the 2,139 security incidents involving 4,112 aid workers listed in the AWSD during the study period, 74 and 2,065 incidents were in health care settings and non-health care settings, respectively. There was a nine-fold increase from five to 45 incidents in health care settings (χ 2 = 56.27 P & .001), and a five-fold increase from 159 to 852 incidents in non-health care settings (χ 2 = 591.55 P & .001), from Period 1 (1997-2001) to Period 4 (2012-2016). Of the 74 incidents in health care settings, 23 (31.1%) occurred in ambulances, 15 (20.3%) in hospitals, 13 (17.6%) in health clinics, 13 (17.6%) during vaccination visits, and six (8.1%) in mobile clinics. Bombings were the most common means of attack in hospitals (N = 9 60.0%), followed by gun attacks (N = 3 20.0%). In health care settings, 184 (95.3%) were national staff and nine (4.7%) were international staff. Security threats are a growing occupational health hazard for aid workers, especially those working in health care settings. There is a need for high-quality data from the field to better monitor the rapidly changing security situation and improve counter-strategies so aid workers can serve those in need without having to sacrifice their lives.
Publisher: World Health Organization, Western Pacific Regional Office
Date: 30-09-2016
Location: United States of America
No related grants have been discovered for Cindy Chiu de Vázquez.