Previous Issues

This week, Science Clips is pleased to feature articles related to the new CDC Vital Signs on Firearm Deaths Grow, Disparities Widen: Comprehensive Strategies Can Prevent Violence Firearms were involved in 79% of all homicides and 53% of all suicides in 2020. Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a historic increase of 35% in the firearm homicide rate, resulting in the highest firearm homicide rate in more than 25 years. This, along with increases in firearm suicide rates for some groups, has widened racial, ethnic, and other disparities, according to a new CDC Vital Signs analysis. Firearm homicide rates are consistently highest among males, adolescents, young adults, and non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people. In 2020, firearm homicide rates increased across all age groups, with the highest rates and increases observed among those 10–44 years old. Considering age, sex, and race/ethnicity simultaneously, the largest increases in firearm homicide rates were among non-Hispanic Black males 10–44 years old. The overall firearm suicide rate remained nearly level between 2019 and 2020, with age-specific rate increases among persons 10–44 years old, partially offset by a decrease among those 45–64 years old. Considering age, sex, and race/ethnicity simultaneously, rates of firearm suicide increased most notably among non-Hispanic AI/AN males aged 10–44. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed technical packages to help states and communities prevent violence. A technical package is a select group of strategies based on the best available evidence to prevent or reduce public health problems, and improve the health and well-being of communities. (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention, 2021)

This week, Science Clips is pleased to feature articles related to the new CDC Vital Signs on Drug Overdose Deaths Rise, Disparities Widen: Differences Grew by Race, Ethnicity, and Other Factors.

This week, Science Clips is pleased to feature articles related to the new CDC Vital Signs - Too Few People Treated for Hepatitis C: Reducing Barriers Can Increase Treatment and Save Lives.

This week, Science Clips is pleased to feature articles related to the new CDC Vital Signs on Preventing Sickle Cell Anemia Complications in Children.

This week, CDC Science Clips spotlights 3 CDC sponsored journal supplements featuring CDC authored editorials and scientific publications focused on critical public health priorities.

This week, CDC Science Clips features CDC authored editorials and scientific publications focused on inequities in flu vaccine uptake.

This week, CDC Science Clips features articles from the Clinical Infectious Disease CDC sponsored supplement Anthrax Preparedness.

This week, CDC Science Clips features articles from the CDC sponsored supplement The Varicella Vaccination Program in the United States: 25 Years of Saving Lives and Preventing Illness.

This week, Science Clips is pleased to feature a selection of articles from the Preventing Chronic Disease collection: Advancing Health Equity, Eliminating Health Disparities, and Improving Population Health. In an accompanying editorial, editor-in-chief Leonard Jack writes: "Over the past decade, there has been a range of community-based, technically innovative, and clinically driven prevention strategies in public health to prevent and reduce the burden of chronic conditions among diverse populations worldwide. Articles in this collection describe innovative and successful work to address factors contributing to advancing health equity, eliminating health disparities, and improving population health. They provide the latest information on ways to better understand contextual factors responsible for influencing health outcomes (both negatively and positively) and effective approaches to improve population health among diverse populations in various settings. At the center of this collection of articles is a shared commitment to the goal of eliminating health disparities, particularly those that continue to persist despite aggressive efforts to ameliorate them. The collection describes a range of diverse and timely examples of efforts to eliminate health disparities and advance health equity among racial and ethnic groups in the US. Articles appearing here represent various types of PCD articles that encompass multiple perspectives, from original research and systematic reviews to implementation evaluation to expert commentaries to tools that can be used in public health practice. As a discipline, we have important work to do, not only to better understand how social determinants of health and other contextual factors impact health but also to design, implement, and evaluate effective multilevel systems approaches that create optimal conditions to promote health for all." The articles highlighted below address topics related to COVID.

This week, CDC Science Clips is pleased to feature the Journal of Physical Activity & Health’s recent supplement on Progress and New Directions in Physical Activity Surveillance.

This week, CDC Science Clips is pleased to feature the winners of the 2021 Charles C. Shepard Science Awards. This award is presented to the best manuscript on original research published by a CDC or ATSDR scientist in a reputable, peer-reviewed journal. The purpose of the award is:

• To recognize excellence in scientific achievement by CDC and ATSDR authors of outstanding scientific papers
• To honor the memory of Charles C. Shepard whose career was marked by the pursuit of scientific excellence

The program for the 2021 Shepard Awards ceremony and a complete list of nominees may be found herepdf icon.

This week, Science Clips is pleased to feature articles from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine supplement The Evidence Base for Initial Intervention Strategies for Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. In the 40 years since the first reported cases of AIDS, there have been several critical successes, including identifying HIV as the causative agent; defining the sexual and injection drug use behaviors that lead to a high risk for HIV transmission or acquisition; developing HIV antibody and nucleic acid tests; and developing and delivering medications to effectively treat HIV infection. More recently, clinician-delivered interventions were proven effective, including treatment to suppress HIV to levels that don’t permit sexual transmission and antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for persons without HIV if they are exposed to the virus. Use of all these interventions can markedly reduce HIV acquisition and transmission in the U.S.  Diagnosis of all persons with HIV to provide them with effective treatment, provision of PrEP to reduce sexual HIV acquisition and clean syringe access to reduce injection related HIV acquisition, and identifying and responding to clusters of rapid HIV spread together form the basis for a new federal initiative: Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) in the U.S. that takes an intensified all of government approach to reduce the number of Americans acquiring HIV infection by 75% by 2025 and by 90% by 2030. To assist local and state Health Departments serving as the community’s primary mechanism for implementing critical HIV prevention programs, it is critical to share the evidence base for selecting, implementing, and disseminating interventions and strategies proven to be effective and feasible. This journal supplement includes both state of the science articles and best practice articles describing effective intervention strategies conducted by Local Health Departments before the EHE initiative began, for which an evaluation further supports the dissemination of the approach. The content of this supplement is intended to promote the ongoing sharing of lessons learned as Health Departments innovate, implement, and revise program efforts on the basis of an evolving evidence base to achieve EHE goals. Thanks to Dawn K. Smith, MD MS MPH of CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD & TB Prevention for her assistance with this feature.

This week, Science Clips is pleased to collaborate with CDC Vital Signs by featuring scientific articles from the latest issue on Disparities in HIV Infection, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men. The articles marked with an asterisk are general review articles which may be of particular interest to clinicians and public health professionals seeking background information in this area.

this week featuring articles in conjunction with March CDC Vital Signs, Colorectal Cancer Test Use – United States, 2018

This week Science Clips is pleased to feature articles on the topic of p-Values. The American Statistical Association released a statement on p-Values and statistical inference in 2016, catalyzing conversations about statistical applications and literacy throughout the scientific community. In March 2019, The American Statistician released a special issue containing an introductory editorial that expanded from the 2016 statement and provided more specific guidance for using p-Values and “statistical significance” in analyses and reports. Following the introduction were 43 articles to offer p-Value complements, supplements, and replacements, as well as guidance for presenting statistical results in scientific reports. There is no consensus in the statistical community about the best methods to move forward, although there is consensus that it is time to reconsider current usage of p-values in the scientific literature. This Science Clips compilation comprises the American Statistical Association statements, select articles from the special issue of The American Statistician, and public health research articles that applied supplemental measures to p-Values. This compilation does not endorse these particular methods, but rather highlights the variety of methods for researchers to consider in order to adopt the American Statistical Association’s latest recommendations.

This week, Science Clips is pleased to collaborate with CDC Vital Signs by featuring scientific articles from the latest issue on Hepatitis C Screening. The items marked with an asterisk may be of particular interest to clinicians and public health professionals seeking background information in this area.

This week’s Science Clips is pleased to feature articles on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in conjunction with STD Awareness Week. Featured articles highlight recent research on STDs, including studies that identify the often severe consequences of STDs, including congenital syphilis and disseminated gonococcal infection, as well as strategies to prevent STDs and their consequences in populations most affected including men who have sex with men, women, and persons at risk for HIV. STD Awareness Week, observed April 12-18, 2020, provides an opportunity to raise awareness about STDs and how they impact our lives; reduce STD-related stigma, fear, and discrimination; and ensure people have the tools and knowledge to prevent, test for, and treat STDs.  Because local prevention needs vary with the communities, CDC has provided diverse campaigns to choose from with different prevention focuses and audiences:

• Get Yourself Tested (GYT) – Encourages young people to get tested and treated for STDs and HIV
• Talk. Test. Treat. – Focuses on three simple actions individuals and healthcare providers can take to protect their health/their patient’s health: Talk, Test, Treat
• Syphilis Strikes Back – Highlights the resurgence of syphilis and the specific threat against gay and bisexual men, pregnant women, and newborn babies
• Treat Me Right – Underscores the need for strong patient-provider relationships to overcome the rising STD burden

Last week (April 24-30) was World Immunization Week. During World Immunization Week (WIW) and every day, CDC celebrates health heroes who protect all of us—parents and caregivers, healthcare workers, frontline vaccinators, and our public health partners worldwide who work to save millions of lives from vaccine-preventable diseases. This year’s WIW is unlike any other. While we have made many gains toward eradication and elimination goals for vaccine-preventable diseases, we are focused on old and new challenges. The world has seen an increasing number of outbreaks of measles, diphtheria, yellow fever, vaccine-derived poliovirus, and other vaccine-preventable diseases over the past few years. Against this complex backdrop, we have the COVID-19 pandemic. This week’s Science Clips features recent CDC-authored articles on immunization and articles on established or emerging vaccine-preventable diseases. To learn more about WIW, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/immunization/WIW/.

This week, Science Clips is pleased to collaborate with CDC Vital Signs by featuring scientific articles from the latest issue on Postpartum Depressive Symptoms and Provider Discussions About Perinatal Depression — United States, 2018. The articles marked with an asterisk are general review articles which may be of particular interest to clinicians and public health professionals seeking background information in this area.

This week Science Clips is pleased to feature articles from the CDC-organized Clinical Infectious Diseases supplement on “Plague and Bioterrorism Preparedness.” The introductory article notes: “In this supplement of Clinical Infectious Diseases, organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we have assembled a series of articles that address the most pressing questions related to plague. These articles, representing careful and diligent research efforts, have been curated to bring together an essential evidence base on the treatment of plague and considerations for special populations. . . . The aim with this work is to increase resilience and national security against plague by advancing scientific and medical knowledge in order to inform preparedness. This collection of foundational articles and the expertise behind them will provide a basis for efforts to augment defenses against plague in both the natural and intentional release settings and, hopefully, will spur future research.”

This week, CDC Science Clips is pleased to feature items related to the June CDC Public Health Grand Rounds: Smoking Cessation: Past, Present, and Future, which will present key findings on the recently released US Surgeon General’s report on Smoking Cessation. Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. Although the percentage of adults who smoke is at an all-time low in the US, 34 million adults still smoke and therefore continue to be at risk of developing smoking-related diseases.

This week, CDC Science Clips is pleased to feature items related to the July CDC Public Health Grand Rounds: Acute Flaccid Myelitis: Answering Questions Through National Collaboration. Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is an uncommon but serious neurologic condition. It affects the nervous system and causes the muscles and reflexes in the body to become weak. Most AFM cases have been in young children. Cases have been increasing every other year in the United States since 2014. During this session of Public Health Grand Rounds, national AFM experts will discuss the epidemiology of AFM, along with the clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention research updates. Grand Rounds also will present a parent’s perspective on building an AFM support network in the United States.

This week, Science Clips is pleased to collaborate with CDC Vital Signs by featuring scientific articles from the latest issue on Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Confirmed Acute Flaccid Myelitis, United States, 2018. The articles marked with an asterisk are general review articles which may be of particular interest to clinicians and public health professionals seeking background information in this area.

This week, CDC Science Clips is pleased to feature items related to the August CDC Public Health Grand Rounds: Reducing Polysubstance Use in Pregnancy. The use of multiple substances, including tobacco, alcohol, and opioids, during pregnancy can have negative effects on a pregnant person and the developing baby. Research suggests that polysubstance use (using more than one substance at a time) during pregnancy is common. Recent evidence suggests that polysubstance use is highest during early pregnancy.

This week’s Science Clips is pleased to feature articles under the topic of vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) in conjunction with National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). NIAM is an annual observance held in August to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. Because local prevention needs vary with the communities, CDC has provided diverse campaigns to choose from with different prevention focuses and audiences. Articles are unique because they include at least one CDC author and make use of artificial intelligence/machine learning (Ai/ML) as follows: Classification Authors used Support Vector Machine models to introduce a novel approach to rapidly determine cladistic information for any number of genes without the need for time-consuming sequence alignment, phylogenetic tree construction, or manual annotation. Authors used Online Adaptive Lasso Auto Regressive methods to dynamically combine two distinct influenza tracking techniques to achieve improved state-level influenza activity estimates in the United States. Authors used Fast Artificial Neural Networks to verify and validate the performance of the FluChip-8G Insight assay for the detection and positive identification of human and animal origin non-seasonal influenza A specimens. Authors used Random Forest models to describe mothers' knowledge and attitudes about influenza illnesses and vaccination, and identify characteristics associated with mothers' intent to vaccinate their child. Authors discuss how machine learning has been used in vaccine informatics. Natural Language Processing Authors used Finite State Machine to describe negation in surveillance reports of adverse events following immunizations. Authors used rule-based algorithms to create a spelling error correction tool for surveillance reports of adverse events following immunizations. Authors used pyConText/NegEx software to identify local reaction associated with tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine in the Vaccine Safety Datalink. Authors used Stanford NLP algorithms to identify vaccine-related anaphylaxis from plain-text clinical notes.

This week, Science Clips features articles on rural health, in conjunction with the observance of Rural Health Day on November 19.