Metabolic Associated Steatohepatitis Liver Disease (MASLD) currently impacts a quarter of the global population and its prevalence is expected to increase in the future. As a result, the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma associated with MASLD is also on the rise. Notably, hepatocellular carcinoma in this group does not always develop alongside liver cirrhosis, often leading to a more advanced stage at diagnosis. The challenge lies in accurately identifying patients who are at a higher risk of hepatocellular carcinoma to tailor screening processes effectively. Additionally, several therapeutic approaches are being explored to prevent hepatocellular carcinoma, although there are yet no universally accepted guidelines

Lassa fever, commonly known as Lassa hemorrhagic fever (LHF), is one of the progressive illnesses invading a large population of two to three million individuals in West Africa. The infection transmitted through the rodents severely impacts the local population and the medical professionals in surrounding areas, which were also the primary target of LHF. In epidemic areas, Lassa fever causes a public health threat since it poses a significant morbidity and fatality Case rate (CFR) ≥ 50%). The disease is widespread in West Africa and has developed into one of the most common and life-threatening viral hemorrhagic fevers. Monitoring and preventing persistent disease outbreaks has been challenging in affected regions due to insufficient healthcare facilities, diagnostics labs, care centers, and low socioeconomic conditions. An absence of public awareness and the emergence of an ecological niche is advantageous for the survival and multiplication of the mouse (Mastomys natalensis) inhabiting the Lassa virus serving as the disease's natural host and reservoir. The current review focuses on early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, highlighting the immediate requirement of clinically approved vaccines for LHF, causing preventative and control actions more difficult in the present era.

Violence can promote various mental complications such as depression, however, the type of violence that promotes it has not been estimated in detail. The purpose of this study was to assess whether depression is associated with domestic violence in pregnant women treated at a Peruvian health center, 2022. A quantitative, observational, cross-sectional analytical study. A total of 180 pregnant adults who attend the health facility in person were selected. Intrafamily violence was assessed using a questionnaire from the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations of Peru and depression using the Beck Depression Inventory. The study has the approval of the ethics committee of the university and the permission of the head of the health establishment. 36.11% [95%CI: 29.39-43.43] of the pregnant women presented depression and 1.11% severe de-pression; likewise, 41.67% [95%CI: 36.64-49.05] reported having experienced domestic violence. It was identified that presenting domestic violence increases the probability of presenting depression during pregnancy (aPR: 9.89; p<0.001). The associated types of violence were psychological (aPR: 10.44; p<0.001) and physical (aPR: 1.78; p=0.007). There is an association between domestic violence and depression during pregnancy, the types of violence associated being psychological and physical.

Health literacy is an indicator of a society’s ability to make better health judgement for themselves and the people around them. This study investigates the prevalence of health literacy among Malaysian adults and provides an overall picture of the current health literacy state of the society. The study also highlights socio-demographics markers of communities with limited health literacy which may warrant future intervention. A population based self-administered survey using the Health Literacy Survey Malaysian Questionnaire18 (HLS-M-Q18) instrument was conducted as part of the National Health Morbidity Survey 2019 in Malaysia. The nationwide survey utilized two-staged stratified random sampling method. A sample of 9478 individuals aged 18 and above participated in the study. The health literacy score was divided into three levels; limited, sufficient and excellent. Findings showed that majority Malaysian population has sufficient health literacy level, albeit leaning towards the lower end of the category with an average score of 35.5. The limited health literacy groups are associated with respondents with older age, lower education level and lower household income. Overall health literacy state for Malaysia is categorized at a lower sufficient level. Health literacy improvements should focus on communities with limited health literacy level.

To address the question whether there is evidence that drinking water in general or mineral water in particular is effective in preventing diabetes; we performed a literature search of randomized controlled trials (PubMed). The search resulted in very few trials (N = 9) investigating this topic: one trial investigates the effect of increasing water consumption on glycemic control in diabetic patients; two trials investigate the effect of drinking water with a meal in diabetic patients; while six trials compare the effect of mineral rich water with that of low mineralized water on glucose metabolism in healthy subjects. There is evidence that increasing water consumption can improve glucose metabolism and randomized controlled trials with mineral water suggest that waters containing relevant amounts of magnesium can exert an additional effect. The role of bicarbonate; which is present in all the mineral waters used in the trials; will be discussed. Future research needs to investigate the effect of mineral water in prediabetic individuals or individuals with impaired glycemic control.

The effects of statin use for primary prevention in reducing mortality among older adults in Asian populations are unknown. This study aimed to determine whether use of statins for primary prevention was associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality in a Japanese older adult population. A regional, population-based, longitudinal cohort study was conducted using the Shizuoka Kokuho Database (SKDB). Data were compared between the statin-treated group and a non-statin-treated (control) group using the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) method. In the SKDB cohort aged ≥65 years, new statin use was associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.33–0.48) after IPTW adjustment. The risk difference for mortality at 5 years in the statin-treated group (7.9%) compared with that in the control group (92.1%) was 0.05 (95% CI, 0.04–0.06), and the number needed to treat was 21.20 (95% CI, 18.10–24.70). In conclusion, statin use for primary prevention in older adults may reduce the risk of all-cause mortality in the population without atherosclerotic disease. Furthermore, statin use for primary prevention is feasible in patients aged 75 to <85 years and in patients with comorbidities such as diabetes, or dementia.

Australia and New Zealand have the highest incidence of skin cancer. Sport is a fundamental part of Australasian culture, beginning in childhood, often with life-long participation. Participating in outdoor sports can contribute significantly to the lifetime ultraviolet radiation (UVR) dose individuals receive and their risk of developing skin cancer. This systematic scoping review explores the use of sun-protection by outdoor sporting participants in Australasia and considers how sun-protection practices may be better evaluated and improved in the community. A search of electronic databases using the search strategy “sun protection” AND “sport” AND “Australia” yielded 17 studies published in English from January 1992 to August 2021. Study methods included using UV-dosimeters to measure individual UVR-exposure; remote estimates of clothing-adjusted UVR-exposure; direct observation of sun-protection practices; and self-reported sun-exposure and sun-protection. Despite 40-years of ‘Slip Slop Slap’ campaigns in Australia, the use of sun-protection in most outdoor sports is inadequate. The paucity of comparable data limited our analyses, demonstrating a need for standardized, objective evaluation tools. Such tools, if used across a range of sports, should inform the development of workable recommendations that sporting clubs could implement and adopt into policy, thus empowering them to better protect the health of their participants.

Background: The COVID-19 outbreak has accelerated the huge difference between medical care and disease prevention in Chinese medical institutions. This study aimed to investigated the relationship between the symbiotic units, environments, models, and effects of the integration of medical and disease prevention. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 762 employees of public hospitals in 11 cities in Zhejiang Province by random stratified sampling. We analyzed the influence paths of elements in the mechanism of integration of medical and disease prevention and the mediating effect of symbiotic models among symbiotic units, symbiotic environments, and effects for on this integration. Results: The path coefficient of symbiotic unit on the symbiosis model was 0.46 (p<.001), the path coefficient of symbiotic environment on symbiosis model was 0.52 (p<.001). The path coefficient of the symbiotic unit and environment was 0.91 (p<.001). The symbiotic models exhibited a partial mediation effect between symbiotic units and the effect of this integration. Sobel test = 3.27, β = 0.152, and the mediating effect accounted for 34.6%. Conclusions: It is suggested that Health policy-makers and public hospital managers should provide sufficient symbiotic units, establish collaborative symbiotic models, and improve the effects of integration of medical and disease prevention in public hospitals.

Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) affects approximately 20% of women after breast cancer therapy. Advances in treatment have increased life expectancy, thus the prevalence of BCRL will continue to rise with the number of cancer survivors. Hence the need to develop strategies to prevent this condition. We provide a systematic review of the literature on primary prevention of BCRL by prophylactic lymphatic surgery (PLS). Between June and August 2022, we conducted a search of PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane. In the end a total of eighteen papers were selected. The eleven studies without a control group reported only 15 of 342 patients who developed lymphedema at least six months after PLS (4.59%). The seven studies with a control group included 569 patients, 328 cases and 241 controls. Among the cases, 36 (10%) developed lymphedema. In contrast, the incidence of lymphedema in controls was 40% (98 of 241 patients). Formulation of definite recommendations in favour of PLS is hindered by low-quality studies. There is no consensus on which technique should be preferred, nor on whether adjuvant radiotherapy might affect the efficacy of PLS. Randomized controlled trials are mandatory to conceive evidence-based recommendations.

COVID-19 manifests regarding extreme acute respiratory conditions caused by a novel beta coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) which is reported to be the seventh coronavirus to infect humans. Like other SARS-CoVs it has a large positive-stranded RNA genome. But specific furin site in the spike protein, mutation prone and phylogenetically mess Orf1ab separates SARS-CoV-2 from other RNA viruses. Since, the outbreak (February - March 2020) which originated in China, researchers, scientists, and medical professionals are inspecting all possible facts from every possible aspect including its replication, detection, and prevention strategies. This led to the prompt identification of its basic biology, genome characterization, structural based functional information of proteins, and strategies to prevent its spread. Due to the rapid mutation rate, the functional characterization of a few proteins is still lagging. This review summarizes the recent updates on the basic molecular biology of SARS-CoV-2 and prevention strategies undertaken worldwide to tackle COVID-19. This recent information can be implemented for the development and designing of therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2.

Introduction: Road traffic accidents are a real pandemic and incur expenses amounting to 1-2% of every country’s GDP. AESLEME (Association for the Study of Spinal Cord Injuries) – devoted to teaching road safety and health to prevent road accidents – has celebrated its 30th anniversary. AESLEME’s instructors are health workers and people with spinal cord injuries caused by road accidents: their presentations – teaching road safety and sharing information on irreversible injuries – are enhanced by personal stories that help schoolchildren to acquire knowledge on this matter. However, until now, we had not assessed how far this acquisition of knowledge had reached. Methods used: Two multiple-choice tests were given to each of the 8,106 students (12-14 years) who took part. Of the four possible answers, only one of them was correct. The first multiple-choice test was taken before the presentation and the second was taken one month later. Results: After assessing the answers, there was a change in the tendency of the number of correct answers before/after answers for the multiple-choice test, and the number of correct one´s rose one month after the presentation. This increase is statistically significant (p<0.01) and represents a national increase of 61% in the number of correct answers, although this varies from 8% to 278% depending on the region. Conclusions: The assessment, involving over 8,000 people, showed that there has been an improvement in road safety knowledge thanks to education provided by AESLEME’s instructors, and a statistically significant increase was obtained throughout Spain, with an average of 61% (confidence level 95: 53% and 64%).

In December 2019, outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China and exported across the world leading to thousands of deaths and millions of suspected cases. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) infection into the host undergoes a huge number of complex replicative machineries which still remains unclear. Understanding the mechanism (s) of replication and mode of infection of SARS-CoV2 to human cells will help us in the development of novel vaccines or drugs for the eradication and prevention of the disease. This review compiles the knowledge of SARS-CoV2 replicative machinery, mode of infection to the human cells and the development of drugs and vaccines which are currently under clinical trials.

Statins prevent cardiovascular diseases, yet their use is limited by the muscle disturbances they cause. Rarely, statin-induced myopathy is autoimmune, but more commonly it is due to direct muscle toxicity. Available evidence suggests that statin-induced creatine deficiency may be a major cause of this toxicity, and that creatine supplementation prevents it. Statins inhibit guanidinoacetate methyl transferase (GAMT), the last enzyme in the synthesis of creatine, thus they decrease its intracellular content. Such decreased content could cause mitochondrial impairment, since creatine is the final acceptor of the phosphate group of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) at the end of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Decreased cellular synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) would follow. Accordingly, ATP synthesis is decreased in statin-treated cells. In vitro, creatine supplementation prevents the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore caused by statins. Clinically, creatine administration prevents statin myopathy in statin-intolerant patients. Additional research is warranted to hopefully confirm these findings. However, creatine is widely used by athletes with no adverse events, and has demonstrated to be safe even in double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of elder individuals. Thus, it should be trialed, under medical supervision, in patients who cannot assume statin due to the occurrence of muscular symptoms.

Extremely sensitive food-allergic patients may react to very small amounts of allergenic foods. Precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) warns from possible allergenic contaminations. We explored the ability of proteomic methods to identify minute amounts of milk/egg allergens in a brand of PAL-labelled milk- and egg-free biscuits. We evaluated the reactivity of children with severe milk and egg allergy, by oral food challenge. Traces of milk and/or egg allergens in biscuits were measured by two different liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry methods. The binding of patient's serum with egg/milk proteins was assessed at immunoblotting. None of the patients reacted to biscuits. Egg and milk proteins were found under the limit of detection of 0.6 µg/g for milk and egg (method A), and of 0.1 and 0.3 µg /g for milk and egg, respectively (method B). The immunoblots did not show milk/egg proteins in the studied biscuits. Our biscuits did not contain allergens of clinical significance. Their milk/egg content is far lower than 4 µg of milk or egg protein per gram of product, the minimal doses considered theoretically capable of causing reactions. With high sensitivity, proteomic assessments predict the harmlessness of very small amount of allergenic foods and can be used to avoid unnecessary PAL.

Background: After the increasingly common anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) procedure in competitive athletes, rehabilitation is crucial for facilitating a timely return to sports (RTS) and preventing re-injury. This pilot study investigates the biomechanical and psychological outcomes of postoperative rehabilitation in competitive athletes, comparing supervised rehabilita-tion (SVR) and home-based rehabilitation (HBR). Methods: After ACLR, 60 (out of 74 screened) athletes were recruited and equally divided into 2 groups using non-probability convenience sam-pling: 30 HBR and 30 SVR (each group comprising 15 males and 15 females). Rehabilitation out-comes in respective groups were evaluated at 8 months using measures (Tegner-Activity-Scale [TAS], International Knee Documentation Committee subjective knee form [IKDC-SKF], ACL Return to Sport after Injury [ACL-RSI]) and objective parameters (isometric muscle strength, hamstring/quadriceps asymmetry). RTS was evaluated at 9 months; with ACL re-injury rates rec-orded approximately 6 months post-RTS. Results: Both groups exhibited decreased TAS scores (HBR: 8 to 6, SVR: 8 to 7), with the SVR group demonstrating superior post-operative IKDC-SKF scores (81.82 vs. 68.43) and lower ACL-RSI scores (49.46 vs. 55.25). Isometric and isokinetic mus-cle strength, along with asymmetry values, favored the SVR group 8 months post-ACLR (p

Sexually transmitted infections in South Africa are increasing at alarming rates. The study setting is no.5, with the highest STIs, pregnancy, and HIV statistics in Limpopo province among 13 to 19-year-old teenagers. This study explored preventative measures against STIs practiced by teenagers in rural areas of Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study was conducted at a selected rural-based clinic using an exploratory, descriptive qualitative research approach. Unstructured, in-depth face-to-face interviews were used to collect data from sixteen conveniently sampled teenagers aged 13 -19 who came to Manavhela Clinic for Youth Friendly Services in Au-gust/September 2022. Open-coding analysis was used to identify themes and sub-themes. Measures to ensure trustworthiness were ensured. Ethical clearance (FSH/21/PH/22/2211) was obtained, and ethics principles were observed throughout the study. Two themes emerged from data analysis: STI preventive measures practiced by teenagers and factors influencing the choice of STI preventive measures practices by teenagers. Only a few participants aged 13 and 14 years practiced abstinence and condom use. Most participants were sexually active and used mythical mixtures made from boiling aloe or morula tree, which they drank before and after sex, applying plain yogurt on the vagina once a week, OR vaginal steaming. Participants cited patriarchy, lack of sex education in rural schools, long distances to clinics, and desire to taste sex as reasons for adopting the practiced preventive measures. Risky sexual behaviour among 13 to 19-year-old teenagers is still rife in rural areas. Rural clinics in Limpopo Province should intensify STI school health education and Youth Friendly Services programs to raise awareness and improve accessibility to condoms

Skeletal muscle (SKM), despite comprising ~40% of body mass, is rare. This review explores the mechanisms that help to explain this rarity, including unique SKM architecture and function, which prohibits development of new cancer as well as negates potential metastasis to SKM. SKM also presents a unique immune environment that may magnify the anti-tumorigenic effect. Moreover, the SKM microenvironment manifests characteristics such as decreased extracellular matrix stiffness and altered lactic acid, pH, and oxygen levels that may interfere with tumor development. SKM also secretes anti-tumorigenic myokines and other molecules. Collectively, these mechanisms help account for the rarity of SKM cancer.

Children under two years old are at risk for anemia because young children have an increased need for iron for their physical growth and brain development. The purpose of this study was designed to evaluate the effects of a caregiver potential support program on anemia prevention in children six months to two years old attending the subdistrict health-promoting hospital in Thasala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. This study was quasi-experimental. The sample included children aged six months to two years old and their caregivers, who were selected by random sampling and allocated to either the experimental or control group, with 40 pairs per group. The experimental group received a potential support program, while the control group received regular care. Both groups were followed for 12 weeks. The instruments used were the potential caregiver assessment, children’s anemia assessment, and a program to support the potential of primary caregivers. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and t-tests were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that 11.4% of the children had anemia, and a hematocrit count of less than 33% (range = 30-40, M = 34.89, SD = 1.97). The mean scores of knowledge about anemia and iron supplementation after using the program in the experimental group and control group were significantly different (p < 0.001). The mean scores of knowledge about anemia in the experimental and control group were 15.75, SD = 0.54, and 13.28, SD = 1.43 respectively. The mean scores of knowledge about iron supplementation in the experimental and control group were 10.75, SD = 0.49, and 8.15, SD = 1.54 respectively. It was found that the experimental group had a higher mean score on food care behaviors than the control group for 6-11 months and 1-2 years, with statistical significance. The experimental group also had a higher mean score of care behaviors concerning children’s consumption of medicine than the control group (M = 58.20, SD = 4.05; M = 45.78, SD = 9.66, respectively), (p < 0.001). The mean score of the hematocrit level for the experimental group was found to be higher than the control group after receiving the program (M = 35.80, SD = 1.55; M = 34.83, SD = 2.14, respectively), (p < 0.05). Therefore, healthcare providers should support caregivers' capacity to provide continued care for children to prevent anemia.

The emergence of acute, severe non hepA–E hepatitis of unknown etiology (ASHUE) has attracted global concern owing to the very young age of the patients and its unknown etiology. Although this condition has been linked to several possible causes, including viral infection, drugs, and/or toxin exposure, the exact cause remains unknown; this makes treatment recommendations very difficult. In this review, we summarize recent updates on the clinical manifestations, complemented with laboratory results, case numbers with the global distribution and other epidemiological characteristics, and the possible etiologies. We also provide the proposed actions that could be undertaken to control and prevent further spread of this hepatitis. Since many etiological and pathological aspects of the acute non hepA–E hepatitis remain unclear, further research is needed to minimize the severe impact of this disease.

Abstract Background: Gastric cancer, particularly adenocarcinoma, is a significant global health concern. Environmental risk factors, such as Helicobacter pylori infection and diet, play a role in its development. Purpose: This study aimed to characterize the chemical composition and evaluate the in vitro antibacterial and antitumor activities of AOME. Additionally, morphological changes in gastric cancer cell lines were analyzed. Study design: AOME was analyzed using HPLC-MS/MS and its antibacterial activity against H. pylori was assessed using the broth microdilution method. MIC and MBC values were determined, and positive and negative controls were included in the evaluation. Methods: Anticancer effects were assessed through in vitro experiments using AGS, KATO-III, and SNU-1 cancer cell lines. The morphological changes were examined through SEM and TEM analyses. Results: AOME contained several compounds, including caffeic acid, rutin, and hyperoside. The extract displayed significant antimicrobial effects against H. pylori, with consistent MIC and MBC values of 3.70 ± 0.09 mg/mL. AOME reduced cell viability in all gastric cancer cell in a dose and time-dependent manner. Morphological analyses revealed significant ultrastructural changes in all tumor cells lines, suggesting the occurrence of cellular apoptosis. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that AOME possesses antimicrobial activity against H. pylori and potent antineoplastic properties in gastric cancer cell lines. AOME holds promise as a natural resource for innovative nutraceutical approaches in gastric cancer management. Further research and in vivo studies are warranted to validate its potential clinical applications.

Body weight support (BWS) and incline running (IR) are commonly used either during rehabilitation or during training separately, with many positive effects on athletes’ performance and rehabilitation. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of BWS and IR. In eighteen healthy men (age: 20.3 ± 1.2 yr, body weight: 70.2 ± 4.8 kg, body height: 179.6 ± 5.4 cm), the changes in electromyographic activity (EMGA) during a 10-min run with BWS (15% or 30% of body weight; in different occasions) and IR at 7%, as well as jumping performance and gait spatiotemporal parameters were evaluated. Lower Rating of Perceived Exertion and a significant decrease in VL (33,4%), SOL (17%), and GL EMGA (28.5%, p &lt; 0.05) but not in GM (10.5%, p &gt; 0.05), were observed during BWS30% at 7% slope compared to flat running. Also, low-frequency fatigue of the quadriceps was induced only after running without BWS at 7% slope (P = 0.011). No changes were found in jumping performance (p = 0.246) and gait spatiotemporal parameters (p &gt; 0.05) except for flight time (p &lt; 0.006). In conclusion, compared to normal flat running, BWS reduces electromyographic activity and fatigue during slope running.

Background: Functional Movement Screening (FMS) allows for rapid assessment of an individual’s physical activity level and timely detection of sports injury risk. However, traditional functional movement screening often requires on-site assessment by experts, which is time-consuming and prone to subjective bias. Therefore, the study of automated functional movement screening has become increasingly important. Methods: In this study, we propose an automated assessment method for FMS based on the improved Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM). First, the oversampling of minority samples is conducted, the movement features are manually extracted from the FMS dataset collected with two Azure Kinect depth sensors, then we train the Gaussian mixture model with different scores (1 point, 2 points, 3 points) of feature data separately, finally, we conducted FMS assessment by the Maximum Likelihood estimation. Results: The improved GMM has a higher scoring accuracy (Improved GMM:0.8) compared to other models (Traditional GMM=0.38, Adaboost.M1=0.7, Naïve-Bayes=0.75), and the scoring results of improved GMM have a high level of agreement with the expert scoring (kappa=0.67). Conclusions: The results show that the proposed method based on the improved Gaussian mixture model can effectively perform the FMS assessment task and it is potentially feasible to use depth cameras for FMS assessment.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a rising global burden. Preventative strategies such as Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) have shown a marked reduction of disease burden. Despite this, CR is underutilized worldwide. This study aims to identify the barriers to CR among patients diagnosed with CVD. Methods: A scoping review of the literature was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines. Three major databases including CINAHL, PubMed, EBSCOhost and Scopus were used to obtain studies published between 2010 and 2023. Search terms such as “Cardiac rehab*”, “Barrier*”, “Cardiovascular”, “Disease” And “diagnosis*” Were utilized in order to obtain subject-specific studies relevant to the research question. Results: From the initial 2098 studies only 14 were included in the final analysis, consisting of both qualitative and quantitative designs. The thematic analysis included “healthcare system-related factors”, “Socioeconomic factors”, and “individual characteristics”. Healthcare system-related factors were mostly related to poor availability of CR programs, lack of proper referral strategies, inadequate knowledge of CR provider and inter-provider communication issues, and lack of alternative methods of CR delivery. Socioeconomic barriers were lack of education, longer distance to CR facilities, high cost of care, unemployment, and poor income status. Identified individual characteristics were female gender, older age, and comorbidities. Conclusion: Lack of resources, poor access, educational attainment, and high cost of care were some of the barriers to CR, particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Health policymakers and healthcare providers should implement strategies incorporating issues identified in this scoping review. Systematic reviews may be required to confirm these findings.

Due to the advancement and availability of internet in present age, device tend to become wireless as well. Mobile ad-hoc network is a wireless environment that consist of advanced agility of nodes and does not contain on any central administrative authority. As it does not contain any central administrative authority so being wireless environment, the network is vulnerable to security threats and suffers in performance as well. Security of MANET is the core issue in this era, meanwhile the data is sent over untrustworthy network. Several techniques were proposed to secure data over Mobile Adhoc Network though cryptography that is one of the most reliable techniques to protect data. In our proposed methodology a Secure Cryptographic technique for Mobile Adhoc Networks (SCTMA) we proposed A Collusion attack prevention (CAP) scheme with ElGamal key generator along with DNA encryption Algorithm is used to make it more secure. The proposed scheme protects the network against collusion attacks and improves the performance as well. Performance analysis will be measured on the basis of key generation time, response time, encryption time and decryption time. The proposed scheme also protects the network against collusion attacks.

In this work, quiescence is added to the Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered (SIR) model with demography. In order to investigate consequences of quiescence in the infection process in more depth, we use stochastic simulations on the stochastic version of model that we built. This method provides a more accurate picture of the dynamics of infectious diseases by taking into consideration the inherent randomness in the disease processes. We examine the effects of quiescence on the number of infected people using simulations. The results, presented in histograms depicting the distribution of infected individuals, reveal a notable trend: the mean number of infected individuals is higher when quiescence is incorporated into the dynamics. These finding emphasizes the dynamic influence of quiescence on infectious disease spread. The higher mean number of infections during periods of quiescence highlights the need for public health strategies that are flexible enough to focused interventions during these times to reduce the possibility of an increase in infections.

Background Aspergillus spp. is a widely distributed filamentous fungus in the environment due to its high sporulation capacity. Currently, invasive aspergillosis (IA) is the most common invasive fungal infection in patients with hematologic malignancies with high rates of mortality and morbidity. The multifactorial nature of the disease requires appropriate risk stratification to allow the most appropriate preventive measures to be adapted and implemented according to the characteristics of the patient. In this sense, the present research aims to identify recent risk factors and environmental control measures against invasive aspergillosis to establish preventive actions to reduce the incidence of invasive aspergillosis in hospitals; (2) Methods: We conducted a qualitative systematic review of the scientific literature on environmental risk factors and preventive measures for invasive aspergillosis in patients with hematological malignancies. The Medline, Cochrane and Scopus databases were consulted, following the PRISMA and STROBE guidelines; (3) Results Adequate implementation of environmental control measures is presented as the most efficient intervention in terms of prevention to decrease the incidence of invasive aspergillosis in hospitals. We identify neutropenia, fungal contamination, lack of adequate environmental control measures in hospitals and patients´ homes, duration of hospitalization, and anemia as independent risk factors. We show that HEPA, LAF and Plasmair® systems are suitable methods to reduce the concentration of airborne fungal spores. Antifungal prophylaxis did not influence the reduction of IA significantly in our study; (4) Conclusions: Proper professional training and environmental control measures in hospitals are essential for the prevention of invasive aspergillosis. We should optimize risk stratification for patients with hematologic malignancies. Antifungal prophylaxis should be complementary to environmental control measures and should never be substituted for these last ones. Studies should also be done to evaluate the efficiency of environmental control measures against IA at patients' homes.

This work deals with a systematic review of literature data concerning the theme of the integrated approach to occupational health and safety management, with particular reference to the programming of assistance plans, which guide the company's organizational choices also by aiming at the principles of the Total Worker Health. In the current regulatory framework on this issue, the UNI ISO 45001: 2018 standard assumes particular relevance, which defines the dynamic approach to occupational health and safety management systems, paying particular attention to external contextual factors that may influence corporate organizational decisions. The adoption of these systems is not mandatory, but allows companies to fulfill their duties in terms of health and safety at work, through an organizational approach aimed at awareness, involvement and participation of all subjects of the company prevention system, overcoming the phase of the mere technological and prescriptive approach, towards a holistic vision of prevention, which places the person at the center of preventive actions. In this context, the role of institutional networks and socio-economic partnerships assumes particular importance, in the activation of territorial assistance interventions to support companies for the improvement of risk management levels. To this end, the importance of verifying the effectiveness of assistance interventions emerges from the scientific debate, through the use of indicators such as quantitative ones for measuring the performance of all phases of the intervention with particular attention to the effects in terms of improved solutions developed.

CVDs are a leading cause of death globally. In CVDs, the heart is unable to deliver enough blood to other body regions. Since effective and accurate diagnosis of CVDs is essential for CVD prevention and treatment, machine learning (ML) techniques can be effectively and reliably used to discern patients suffering from a CVD from those who do not suffer from any heart condition. Namely, machine learning algorithms (MLAs) play a key role in the diagnosis of CVDs through predictive models that allow us to identify the main risks factors influencing CVD development. In this study, we analyze the performance of ten MLAs on two datasets for CVD prediction and two for CVD diagnosis. Algorithm performance is analyzed on top-two and top-four dataset attributes/features with respect to five performance metrics –accuracy, precision, recall, f1-score, and roc-auc – using the train-test split technique and k-fold cross-validation. Our study identifies the top two and four attributes from each CVD diagnosis/prediction dataset. As our main findings, the ten MLAs exhibited appropriate diagnosis and predictive performance; hence, they can be successfully implemented for improving current CVD diagnosis efforts and help patients around the world, especially in regions where medical staff is lacking.

Cancer risk is known to increase tremendously when the immune system is suppressed, e.g., as observed in young organ-transplant recipients and AIDS patients. Based on such data, it may be hypothesized that the main reason for the development of clinical cancer is the weakening or suppression of the immune system, and that uncontrolled multiplication of cancer cells occurs when some aspects of the immune system fall below certain critical levels. Therefore, cancer may be prevented and treated by boosting these critical aspects of the immune system so that they are maintained above the critical levels. If multiple immune system boosting interventions are utilized, more aspects of the immune system would be boosted, increasing the likelihood of enhancing the critical aspects of the immune system and generating a cancer preventive and/or therapeutic effect. Clinical trials are needed to validate this approach for cancer prevention and treatment. If validated, the proposed approach could result in a major reduction of the death and suffering caused by cancer in the world.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear is currently a main issue in all of sports communities. Although the number of ACL injuries in football remains low, it’s consequences on both professional and personal lives remain a major concern of rehabilitation. If practitioners often require more time to bring athletes in the best condition, the fact remains that this concept of time before return to sport is nowadays considered as obsolete. Indeed, the better understanding of the mechanisms of lesion and the strains placed on the graft after reconstruction, allow us to establish a personalized program based on clinical criteria and the patient's objectives. The current scientific literature allows us today to optimize the return to play and performance by the use of neuromotor and neurocognitive approaches, muscle strengthening methods and a preventive program necessary to cover the previous level of the players while taking into account physiological and psychological changes due to ACL reconstruction. Indeed, it is important to have a systemic approach centered on the patient, the sports movement, as close as possible to the field in order to find an optimal function of the knee in interaction with its environment.If there is a risk of reinjury of the ACL, it appears important to be able to identify the risk factors so that the player can return to play in optimal conditions.

Globally, an approximate of 380,000 patients succumbed to death due to the pandemic COVID-19 which also infected more than six million people since December 2019. Not sparing anyone, COVID-19 infections are widely reported among healthcare professionals, sanitation workers and researchers too while global leaders and various governments are providing their best in defending their citizens against this airborne and contact spread virus. In order to contain the virus and protect millions of lives from this deadly coronavirus, there is a need to have a combination of advanced engineering technology and medical facilities. Application of applied science, engineering and technology diffuse almost every aspect of contemporary living. Grasping the fundamentals to determine humanity's most imperative and forthcoming challenges is essential. Artificial Intelligence, the technology that learns, adapts and reciprocates the actions according to the situations, finds optimum position in the fight against corona virus and acts as a powerful tool against this pandemic. In this research article, the authors discusses how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be leveraged to fight the deadly virus. The research paper further discusses the efficient utilization of AI across the globe to help in testing, treating and serving the population in these hard times. This manuscript focuses on the potential impact of the process in which AI can be implemented to prevent, test and treat.

Cheating prevention in online exams is often hard and costly to tackle with proctoring, and it even sometimes involves privacy issues, especially in social distancing due to the pandemic of COVID-19. Here we propose a low-cost and privacy-preserving anti-cheating scheme by programmatically minimizing the cheating gain. A novel anti-cheating scheme we developed theoretically ensures that the cheating gain of all students can be controlled below a desired level aided by the prior knowledge of students’ abilities and a proper assignment of question sequences. Furthermore, a heuristic greedy algorithm we developed can refine an assignment of questions from a cyclic pool of question sequences to efficiently reduce the cheating gain. Compared to the integer linear programming and min-max matching methods in a small-scale simulation, our heuristic algorithm provides results close to the optimal solutions offered by the two standard discrete optimization methods. Hence, our anti-cheating approach could potentially be a cost-effective solution to the well-known cheating problem even without proctoring.

Brucellosis is one of the most common etiologies of laboratory-acquired infections worldwide, and handling of living brucellae should be performed in a Class II biological safety cabinet. The low infecting dose, multiple portals of entry to the body, the great variety of potentially contaminated specimens, and the unspecific clinical manifestations of human infections facilitate the unintentional transmission of brucellae to laboratory personnel. Work accidents such as spillage of culture media cause only a small minority of exposures, whereas >80% of events result from unfamiliarity with the phenotypic features of the genus, misidentification of isolates, and unsafe laboratory practices such as aerosolization of bacteria and working on an open bench without protective goggles or gloves. Although the bacteriological diagnosis of brucellae by traditional methods is simple, the Gram stain and the biochemical profile of the organism, as determined by commercial kits, can be misleading, resulting in inadvertent exposure and contagion. The use of novel identification technologies is not hazard-free. The MALDI-TOF technology requires an initial bacterial inactivation step, while the instruments’ reference database may misidentify Brucella as belonging to other Gram-negative species. The rapid identification by the FISH method mistakes brucellar isolates for members of the closely related Ochrobactrum genus.

Apart from their established role in embryonic development Nerve Growth Factors (NGFs) have diverse functions in the nervous system. Their role in integration of physiological functioning of the nervous system is now attracting attention. In the present analysis, we propose a novel paradigm about a novel role of NGFs: NGFs play imperative role in maintaining psychological integrity of an individual as a biological system. This function may be mediated through HPA-axis- operated homeostatic mechanisms; stress induced disruption of which may lead to psychiatric disorders. Current literature suggests existence of constitutive homeostatic regulatory mechanisms for NGFs disruption which may lead to pertinent and imperative behavioural effects. NGFs are known to play crucial role in endocrine regulation. This is especially true with the prototype ‘NGF’ and Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). These moieties have been observed to play important function in maintaining neuro-endocrine homeostasis thereby having a profound impact on the psychological health of an individual. Role of NGFs and HPA-axis activation (in separate studies) in developing psychiatric disorders - especially those born of stress - have been reported. Literature suggests their unique interplay for producing a common effect which might be implicated in stress induced genesis of psychiatric disorders. This aspect, therefore, needs to be elucidated further as a disease etiogenesis model. This model may yield important insights into the biology of psychiatric disorders and may open ways for new therapeutic approaches.

The spontaneous combustion of coal in goaf is the main cause of mine fire at present. Lignite has become a major hidden danger in mine production safety because of its easy oxidation. In this paper, an innovative strategy was proposed to inhibit the spontaneous combustion of lignite by using the principle of microbial-induced calcium deposition. Based on the optimized culture method, a novel composite inhibitor of Bacillus pasteurelli was prepared. SEM, pore size analysis and FT-IR experiments were carried out simultaneously, and the oxidation properties of lignite before and after inhibition were quantitatively characterized from the perspective of microstructure, and the flame retardant properties of microbial and chemical retardants on coal samples were compared. The results show that a large number of deposited calcium carbonate particles are obviously attached to the surface of lignite after microbial inhibition treatment, which plays a physical oxygen insulation role. At the same time, the total pore volume and specific surface area of the coal sample decreased by 68.49% and 74.01%, respectively, indicating that microbial inhibitors can effectively plug the primary pores of lignite. Based on the peak measurement of 400-4000cm-1 infrared spectrum of coal samples, it is found that the contents of active groups including hydroxyl, carboxyl and methyl/methylene in lignite molecules after microbial inhibition are lower than those in raw coal, especially the methyl/methylene content involved in the initial oxidation reaction decreased by 96.5% compared with the baseline content in raw coal. The results show that the oxidation and self-heating capacity of lignite after microbial inhibition is effectively restrained in the initial spontaneous combustion. The research results of this paper can provide effective solutions for the prevention and control of coal spontaneous combustion risk in mined-out area.

Worldwide, it is estimated that at least 1 in 4 adults suffers from hypertension, and this number is expected to increase as populations grow and age. Blood pressure (BP) possesses substantial heritability, but is also heavily modulated by lifestyle factors. As such, digital, lifestyle-based in-terventions are a promising alternative to standard care for hypertension prevention and man-agement. In this study we assessed the prevalence of elevated and high BP in a Dutch general pop-ulation cohort undergoing a health screening, and observed the effects of a subsequent self-initiated, digitally-enabled lifestyle program on BP regulation. Baseline data were available for 348 participants, of which 56 had partaken in a BP-focused lifestyle program and got re-measured 10 months after the intervention. Participants with elevated SBP and DBP at baseline showed a mean decrease of 7.2 mmHg and 5.4 mmHg, respectively. Additionally, 70% and 72.5% of participants showed an improvement in systolic and diastolic BP at remeasurement. These improvements in BP are superior to those seen in other recent studies. The long-term sustainability and the efficacy of this and similar digital lifestyle interventions will need to be estab-lished in additional, larger studies.

Background: Recently the role of nutraceutical compounds in the prevention of human diseases is rapidly increasing. Here, we aim to evaluate the beneficial effect of dietary supplementation with seven active principles, lycopene, sulphoraphane, silymarin, glutathione, escin, tryptophan, green tea catechins, on human health. Methods: An extensive search of PubMed and Medline database was performed with the following keywords: “silymarin”, “sulforaphane”, “lycopene”, “green tea catechins”, “tryptophan”, “glutathione” and “escin” accompanied by the keywords “supplement”, “supplementation”, “nutraceutics”. All pre-clinical and clinical trials have been considered for this review. Results: One-hundred and eighteen full-text articles were eligible for inclusion in this review. The papers examined presented considerable variability due to the wide heterogeneity of dosages administered, population involved and outcomes pursued. Conclusion: Nutritional supplementation with lycopene, sulphoraphane, silymarin, glutathione, escin, tryptophan and green tea catechins appears to exert a wide range of benefits on human health, ranging from mood and cognition to cardiovascular health, fertility, metabolism, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capabilities, potential anti-cancer effects. Further studies are required to better define the potential synergic effect, optimal dosage, mechanism of action and tolerability profile of these substances.

1) Background: Northwest Syria (NWS), is a conflict-affected and unstable area. Due to its limited health infrastructure, accessing advanced COVID-19 testing services is challenging. COVID-19 antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) have the potential to overcome this barrier. Therefore, a pilot project was implemented to introduce Ag-RDTs in this setting aiming to a) describe the feasibility, uptake, and results of Ag-RDTs; and b) identify facilitators and barriers to Ag-RDTs testing. 2) Methods: A cross-sectional study design involving secondary analysis of data collected during the project’s monitoring was developed. A local NGO implemented 25,000 Ag-RDTs cross boarder through trained community health workers. 3) Results: A total of 27,888 persons were found eligible and enrolled, of which 24,956 (89.5%) consented to test and 121 (0.5%) were found positive. Highest positivity was observed among those with severe COVID-19 symptoms (12.7%), those with respiratory illnesses (2.5%), persons enrolled at Afrin Hospitals (2.5%), and healthcare workers (1.9%). A non-random sample of 236 people underwent confirmatory rt-PCR test. Accordingly, observed sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, were 80.0%, 96.1%, 91.4% and 90.3%, respectively. Key encountered challenges included obtaining informed consent and conducting confirmatory rt-PCR testing. 4) Conclusion: This project demonstrated great feasibility utilizing Ag-RDTs as a screening/diagnostic tool for COVID-19 infections with nearly 90% uptake. Considering the high specificity and negative predictive values and the higher positivity rates among severe COVID-19 symptomatic, embedding Ag-RDTs into COVID-19 testing strategies for ruling out and in COVID-19 infections would hold a great advantage.

Aim: Child-to-parent offenders (CPOs) are commonly specialist offenders and with high rates of recidivism. Thus, a field study was designed to estimate the prevalence in the reference measures of recidivism i.e., dangerousness, risk factors and psychopathy, and compare CPOs with non-child-to-parent juvenile offenders. Method: 136 juvenile offenders (76.5% boys), 76 CPOs and 60 non-CPOs juvenile offenders, aged from 14 to 18 years old, were measured in dangerousness, risk of factors and psychopathic traits. Results: The results showed in CPOs a more than common prevalence (&gt; .50), 75.0%, 95% CI [.653, .847], of dangerousness (caseness); a significant prevalence (&gt; .05) of diagnostic of psychopathy, 25.0%, 95% CI [.150, .350]; and a common prevalence (= .50), 55.3%, 95% CI [.441, .665] of classification as high and very high risk by risk factors. Comparatively, no significant differences were observed between CPOs and non-CPOS juvenile offenders in mental health problems (dangerousness), meanwhile that CPOs exhibited significant more interpersonal and affective psychopathic traits and significant more risk in family circumstances, and personality and behaviour risk factors. Conclusions: The implications for prevention and intervention programs with CPOs are discussed

Perfect cardiovascular health (CVH) has been defined by the American Heart Association as the lack of cardiovascular disease and the presence of seven key factors and health behaviors. In this study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of ideal and poor CVH among the Polish adult population, taking the chosen socio-demographic factors into consideration. This is a cross-sectional study conducted among 3,901 adults without cardiovascular diseases, aged between 35 and 64 years. Participants completed a questionnaire, and they had anthropometric and physiological measurements taken. Blood samples were analyzed for fasting glucose and cholesterol levels. Ideal CVH was found in 5.4% of the participants, with the advantage of being toward city dwellers over those living in the rural areas (6.3% vs. 5.0%) p = 0.02. In case of the residents of rural areas, their likelihood of having an ideal body mass index (BMI) was found to be 22% lower (odds ratio (OR) = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.66–0.92), their likelihood of having an ideal diet was found to be 27% lower (OR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.54–0.94), their likelihood of having perfect blood pressure was found to be 29% lower (OR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.56–0.89), and their likelihood of having the perfect glucose levels were found to be 28% lower (OR = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.63–0.84), than the residents of urban areas. The prevalence of ideal cardiovascular behaviors and factors is lower in the rural community compared with people living in the city. Results indicate that more effort should be dedicated toward the country’s health policy, specifically concerning primary prevention. Preventive actions in the field of cardiovascular disease should be addressed to the residents of rural areas to a larger extent.

Several evidences suggest that the positive association between meat intake and colorectal adenoma (CRA) and cancer (CRC) risk is mediated by mutagenic compounds generated during cooking at high temperature. A number of epidemiological studies have estimated the effect of meat-related mutagens intake on CRC/CRA risk with contradictory and sometime inconsistent results. A literature search was carried out (PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus) to identify articles reporting the relationship between the intake of meat-related mutagens (2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine: PhIP, 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f] quinoxaline: MeIQx, 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f] quinoxaline: DiMeIQx, benzo(a) pyrene: (B(a)P) and “meat derived mutagenic activity”: MDM) and CRC/CRA risk. A random-effect model was used to calculate the risk association. Thirty-nine studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Polled CRA risk (15229 cases) was significantly increased by intake of PhIP (OR=1.20; 95%CI:1.13,1.28; p<0.001), MeIQx (OR=1.14; 95%CI:1.05,1.23; p=0.001), DiMeIQx (OR=1.13; 95%CI:1.05,1.21; p=0.001), B(a)P (OR=1.10; 95%CI:1.02,1.19; p=0.017) and MDM (OR=1.17; 95%CI:1.07,1.28; p=0.001). A linear and curvilinear trend was observed in dose-response meta-analisis between CRA risk in association with PhIP and MDM, MeIQx, respectively. CRC risk (21344 cases) was increased by uptake of MeIQx (OR=1.14; 95%CI:1.04,1.25; p=0.004), DiMeIQx (OR=1.12; 95%CI:1.02,1.22; p=0.014) and MDM (OR=1.12; 95%CI:1.06,1.19; p<0.001). No publication bias could be detected whereas heterogeneity was in some cases rather high. Mutagenic compounds formed during cooking of meat at high temperature may be responsible of its carcinogenicity.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, is a chronic inflammatory disease, linked to a state oxidative stress, with several well-identified culprits, of which low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and lipoprotein(a). No specific treatment is currently available to lower lipoprotein(a). It is, therefore, of paramount importance to identify nutritional factors that could lower lipoprotein(a). Growing evidence shows that although reducing saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake decreases LDL-C, it could increase lipoprotein(a). Optimal dietary recommendations may therefore differ depending on an in-dividual’s baseline lipoprotein(a) and LDL-C levels. Assessing the diet-induced true LDL-C response and net balance of these two atherogenic entities is difficult because LDL-C measurement is confounded by lipoprotein(a) cholesterol content. We have estimated, for the first time, the net atherogenic result of diet-induced variations of both LDL-C and lipoprotein(a), thanks to our new concept of LDLapoB risk equivalent=apoB+lp(a)x5 (in nmol/L). This is illustrated, via the rare case of a physician with very high lipoprotein(a) and hypobetalipoproteinemia. She experiences twice a considerable lipoprotein(a) increase (+32%, + 28mg/dL, + 67nmol/L) and higher LDLapoB risk equivalent (138mg/dL versus 123mg/dL) on a mediterranean diet, low in SFA. A reasonable SFA intake, despite causing marginal LDL-C increase, may be advisable in patients with high lipoprotein(a) who need personalized dietary recommendations.

Background: Breast cancer remains a significant health concern among women globally. Despite advancements in awareness and diagnostic techniques, it persists as a leading cause of death, with profound impacts on affected individuals' quality of life. Primary and secondary prevention, including regular screenings and practices like Breast Self-Examination (BSE), are pivotal in ensuring early diagnosis. The NHS in Italy offers screenings for women aged 50-69 every two years, managed by the Local Health Authority. However, the participation rates, especially among the Chinese female population residing in Italy, are not well-understood. Methods: Using a snowball method, we electronically disseminated a survey to investigate how Chinese women living in Italy engage with available NHS screening programs. The survey also explores their practice of BSE, the use and impact of technological tools on prevention, and aims to understand their depth of knowledge and misconceptions about breast cancer. Results: The data revealed a significant gap in breast cancer screening adherence and knowledge among Chinese women in Italy, with a notable discrepancy between the general population and those who have previously encountered cancer. Conclusions: The results highlight the urgent need for interventions that are culturally sensitive, stressing that these actions are not only desirable but essential.

This paper presents a theoretically and methodologically grounded GIS-based model for the measurement and mapping of an index of living conditions in urban residential areas across Sweden. Further, the model is compared and evaluated using the Swedish Police’s assessment of crime-exposed areas. The results indicate that geographically measured vulnerable living conditions overlap to a large extent with the areas assessed to be crime-exposed by the Swedish Police. Over 61% of the police-defined crime-exposed areas are characterized by vulnerable living conditions. The results also show that the overlap is not perfect and that there are vulnerable areas that are not included in the police’s assessment of crime-exposed areas, but which are nonetheless characterized by vulnerable living conditions that could negatively affect the development of crime. It is also proposed that the model and the mapped index of living conditions provide a more well-grounded scientific basis for the police's assessment work. As a first step, the Swedish police have implemented the model and the mapped index in the work process employed in their annual identification of crime-exposed or at-risk areas. In addition to assisting the police, the model and the mapped index could also be used to support other societal actors working with vulnerable areas.

In atherosclerosis patients, vascular endothelial dysfunction is commonly observed with damage of vascular endothelial glycocalyx, an extracellular matrix-bound to and encapsulating the endothelial cell lining the blood vessel wall. Unfavorable lifestyle; smoking and physical inactivity, also induces glycocalyx degradation. Moreover, the vascular endothelial glycocalyx is damaged by various unfavorable disease conditions like as dehydration, acute infectious disease, trauma, sepsis, ARDS, Kawasaki disease, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, atherosclerosis, stroke, dementia, microvascular angina, acute coronary syndrome, and heart failure. The vascular endothelial glycocalyx has been shown to be important not only as a physical cytoprotective barrier for vascular endothelial cells but also as a mechanism that regulates intracellular cell signaling. Therefore, vascular endothelial glycocalyx has great potential to explore new strategies for assessing the benefit conditions of our healthy vasculature.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to numerous delays in cancer-related care and cancer-specific screening, but the extent is not fully understood. For those that experience a delay or disruption in care, health related self-management is required to re-engage in care pathways and the role of health literacy in this pathway has not been explored. The purpose of this analysis is to (1) report the frequency of self-reported delays in cancer treatment and preventative screening services at an academic, NCI-designated center during the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) investigate cancer-related care and screening delays among those with adequate and limited health literacy. A cross-sectional survey was administered from an NCI-designated Cancer Center with a rural catchment area during November 2020 through March 2021. Nearly 19 percent of participants were categorized as having limited health literacy. Twenty percent of those with a cancer diagnosis reported a delay in cancer-related care; and 23-30% of the sample reported a delay in cancer screening. In general, the proportions of delays among those with adequate and limited health literacy were similar with the exception of colorectal cacner screening. There was also a notable difference in the ability to re-engage in cervical cancer screening among those with adequate and limited health literacy. Thus, there is a role for those engaged in cancer-related education and outreach to offer additional navigation resources for those at risk to cancer-related care and screening disruptions. Future study is warranted to investigate the role of health literacy on cancer care engagement.

Flushing tap water is often promoted as a simple and low cost approach to reducing water lead exposures. This study evaluated lead reduction when prevailing flush guidelines (30 seconds-2 minutes) are implemented in a city compliant with lead-associated water regulations (New Orleans, LA). Water samples (n=1,497) collected from a convenience sample of 376 residential sites (2015-2017) were analyzed for lead in samples collected: at 1) first draw (n=375), and after incremental flushes of 2) 30-45 seconds (n=375), 3) 2.5-3 minutes (n=373), and 4) 5.5-6 minutes (n=218). There was no significant reduction when compared to the first draw lead level, until the 6 minute flush (p<0.05); but most sites (52%) still had detectable lead (≥1 ppb) after 6 minutes. Older homes (pre-1950) and low occupancy sites had significantly higher WLLs (p<0.05).Each sample type had health-based standard exceedances at over 50% of sites sampled (max: 58 ppb). While flushing is an effective short-term approach to remediate high lead, prevailing flush recommendations are an inconsistently effective exposure prevention measure that can often inadvertently increase exposures. Public health messages should be modified to ensure appropriate application of flushing for specific cities, while acknowledging its short-comings and practical limitations.

Radiation Fireballs are singular phenomena which involve severe thermal radiation and consequently, they need to be duly assessed and prevented. Although the radiative heat transfer produced by a sphere is relatively well known, the shadowing measures implemented to control the fireball’s devastating effects have frequently posed a difficult analytical instance, mainly due to its specific configuration. In this article, since the usual solving equations for the said cases are impractical, the authors propose a novel graphic-algorithm method that sorts the problem efficiently for different kinds of obstructions and relative positions of the fireball and the defenses. Adequate application of this method may improve the safety of a significant number of facilities exposed to such risks.

Lifestyle interventions halt the progression of prediabetes to frank type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the feasibility of a diabetes prevention program promoting tailored interventions on a national scale and conducted by primary care physicians is unclear. To explore this issue, general practitioners dislocated in ten different regions throughout Italy enrolled random subjects without known metabolic diseases to identify individuals with prediabetes and prescribe them an intervention based on physical activity. Using a simple stepwise approach, people referring to their primary care physician for any reason were screened for their diabetes risk with a web-based app of the Findrisc questionnaire. Those at risk for T2D, i.e. with a Findrisc score > 9, were invited to come back after overnight fasting to measure fasting glycaemia (FG). Those with 100 ≤ FG < 126 mg/dL were considered as people with prediabetes and compiled the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) to then receive a personalized prescription of physical activity. Overall, 5928 people were enrolled and compiled the questionnaire. Of these, 2895 (48.8 %) were at risk for T2D. Among these, FG was measured in 2168 subjects (participation rate 75%). The numbers of individuals with undetected prediabetes and T2D according to FG were 755 and 79 (34.8% and 3.6% of those assessing FG), respectively. Of the 755 subjects in the prediabetes range, 739 compiled the PAR-Q and started a personalized program of physical activity (participation rate 97%). Physicians involved in the study reported a mean of 6 minutes to perform the screening. Overall, these data suggest the feasibility of a national diabetes prevention program developed by general practitioners using a simple stepwise approach starting from a web-app to intercept individuals with prediabetes.

Background: Recently the role of nutraceutical compounds in the prevention of human diseases is rapidly increasing. Here, we aim to evaluate the beneficial effect of dietary supplementation with seven active principles, lycopene, sulphoraphane, silymarin, glutathione, escin, tryptophan, green tea catechins, on human health. Methods: An extensive search of PubMed and Medline database was performed with the following keywords: “silymarin”, “sulforaphane”, “lycopene”, “green tea catechins”, “tryptophan”, “glutathione” and “escin” accompanied by the keywords “supplement”, “supplementation”, “nutraceutics”. All pre-clinical and clinical trials have been considered for this review. Results: One-hundred and eighteen full-text articles were eligible for inclusion in this review. The papers examined presented considerable variability due to the wide heterogeneity of dosages administered, population involved and outcomes pursued. Conclusion: Nutritional supplementation with lycopene, sulphoraphane, silymarin, glutathione, escin, tryptophan and green tea catechins appears to exert a wide range of benefits on human health, ranging from mood and cognition to cardiovascular health, fertility, metabolism, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capabilities, potential anti-cancer effects. Further studies are required to better define the potential synergic effect, optimal dosage, mechanism of action and tolerability profile of these substances.

Age-related diseases place an intense and growing stress on healthcare systems. Numerous theories of ageing exist. Yet prediction, prevention and treatment limitations of age-related disease persist because we lack a complete aetiological understanding of their origins. Here we propose a new theory that aims to provide a blueprint-type understanding of ageing and disease aetiology, working across multiple scientific disciplines. Supported by specific examples, we demonstrate that the primary driver of much of age-related diseases is the futile triggering of specific biological pathways in a pathological manner, which we term pathophysiological pathways or patho-pathways. Patho-pathways induce pathological cell, tissue and system changes in the form of dysactivity (out of context activity that is at the wrong time and/or place), which is characteristic of age related disease. As part of patho-pathways, all wild-type (normal) genes have the potential to contribute to age-related diseases (though specific risk varies and can be formularised). In a domino-style effect, one patho-pathway typically triggers others, resulting in complex, but traceable, cascades. Utility, in terms of changing clinical and scientific practice, is derived from mapping these cascades to create Blueprint Maps that allow identification of biomarkers and therapeutic targets far upstream in the causal chain of events. Finally, our theory provides testable hypotheses concerning predictions of links between otherwise seemingly disparate diseases as well as new interventions to reduce ageing.

Delirium is the most common complication after major surgeries, with incidence rates ranging from 50% to 87%. Fortunately, postoperative delirium is preventable in up to 50% of patients, with the best preventive strategy being non-pharmacological interventions. However, these therapeutic approaches often face scalability challenges due to the complexity and high variability of their delivery, low patient engagement, and the existing clinical workforce constraints in the hospital setting. Cognitive stimulation is a non-pharmacological intervention with the potential to overcome the scalability and sustainability challenges of other non-pharmacological approaches, but evidence supporting its use is limited, especially in older adults at high risk for delirium. This narrative literature review examines evidence-based cognitive stimulation techniques being used as a non-pharmacological approach to prevent delirium in hospital settings.

Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue with increased risk of fracture. The population that is most at risk for primary osteoporosis in-cludes post-menopausal women. Among different approaches, nutraceuticals are increasingly popular in developed countries since can contribute to bone health and can delay the onset of pathological bone loss. Our review covers three main aspects. Firstly, we discuss the current state of the two con-ditions, osteopenia, and osteoporosis. Secondly, we focus on the latest developments in natural Nutraceuticals and their effectiveness in reducing bone loss. Finally, we conduct a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis to examine the pros and cons of Nutraceuticals assumption. Nutraceuticals hold great promise, but we must address challenges such as regulatory control and experimental evidence to fully realize their potential. Other challenges include identifying the source of raw materials, ensuring the purity of the compound, avoiding contamination or the presence of other active compounds, maintaining product quality, and preventing interactions with other elements or drugs. By addressing these challenges, the scientific community can ensure more reliable indica-tions for the use of Nutraceuticals and help people lead healthier lives.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L) gradually becomes a stable food worldwide since it can be treated as practical nutritional supplement and antioxidant, as well as energy provider for human beings. Financially and nutritionally, cultivation and utility of potatoes is worthy enough attention of the world. To further explore functionality and maximize utilization of component parts, also to develop new products based on potato still be an ongoing issue. To maximize the benefits of potato and induce new high-value products while avoiding unfavorable properties of the crop has been a growing trend in food and medical areas. This review intends to summarize the factors that influence the changes in the key functional components of potatoes and discuss referred research focuses, then help further researchers to make efforts into. Afterwards, it summarizes the application of the latest commercial products and potential value of components existing in potato. Particularly, there are several main tasks for the next potato research: preparing starchy foods for special group of people and developing fiber-rich products to supply the dietary fiber intake as well as manufacturing bio-friendly and specific design films/coating in packaging industry; extracting bioactive proteins and potato protease inhibitors with high biological activity, and continue to build new commercial products based on potato protein and examine their health benefits. Noteworthy, the preservation methods play a key role in phytochemicals contents left in foods and potato performs superior to many common vegetables when meeting demand of mineral daily intake and alleviating mineral deficiencies.

A pandemic can have a huge impact on normal human life and the economy, taking COVID-19 as an example. While the population flow between countries and regions is the main factor affecting the change of a pandemic, exactly as the airline network. Therefore, realizing the overall control of airports is an effective way to control a pandemic. However, restricted to the differences in prevention and control policies in different areas and privacy issues, the patients’ personal data of the medical center cannot be effectively combined with the passengers’ personal data. This prevents more precise airport control decisions from being made. To the end, this paper designs a novel data sharing framework (i.e., PPChain) based on blockchain and federated learning. The experiment shows that the relationship between the epidemic and aircraft transport can be effectively explored by PPChain, without sharing raw data. This approach does not require centralized trust and improves the security of the shareing process.The scheme can help formulate more scientific and rational prevention and control policies on airports’ control. And it can use aerial data to predict pandemics more accurately.

Employing data supplied by the Oxford-based UK Childhood Cancer Research Group in 2003 it is shown that after the Chernobyl accident, childhood leukemia by single age and year of birth in the 0-4y cohort increased significantly in Wales and Scotland combined in the period 1986-1990 compared with controls born 1970-1985 and 1991-1994. Relative risk RR = 1.41; 95% CI 1.20<RR<1.65; p = 0.00004. These exposure periods were chosen because whole body Caesium-137 monitoring had demonstrated that internal exposures persisted for more than 4 years. The dose-response exhibits saturation and reversal, interpreted as biological censoring effects in the developing individual.

Practicing preventive etiquettes such as hand washing, hand disinfection, wearing a face mask, practicing physical distancing, disinfection of surfaces and objects can help curb the transmission of COVID-19 at the workplace. This paper focuses on interventions and behaviors required to curb the spread of COVID-19 at workplaces. We undertook a detailed multi-disciplinary literature search on the following topics: hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, physical distancing, quarantine and isolation, disinfection of objects and surfaces, behavior change, and health crisis communication. We identified interventions that are effective for preventing the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) at workplaces. These findings present very useful non-clinical interventions for preventing COVID-19 in the work environment.

This review examines from a services perspective strategies for preparedness and response to mental health impacts of three types of climate-related events: 1) acute climate-related events such as hurricanes, floods and wildfires, 2) sub-acute or long-term changes in the environment such as drought and heat stress; and 3) the existential threat of long-lasting changes, including higher temperatures, rising sea levels and a permanently altered and potentially uninhabitable physical environment. Strategies for acute events include development and implementation of guidelines and interventions for monitoring and treating adverse mental health outcomes and strengthening individual and community resilience, training of non-mental health professionals for services delivery, and the mapping of available resources and locations of at-risk populations. Additional strategies for sub-acute changes include advocacy for mitigation policies and programs and adaptation of guidelines and interventions to address the secondary impacts of sub-acute events such as economic loss, threats to livelihood, health and well-being, population and family displacement, environmental degradation and collective violence. Strategies for long-lasting changes include implementation of evidence-based risk communication interventions that address the existential threat of climate change, promoting the mental health benefits of environmental conservation, and promoting positive mental health impacts of climate change.

During the period of health emergency linked to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the management of children's oral health presents specific problems related to the infectious spread of the disease. These problems must be faced on the one hand by acting on the oral health prevention methods, and on the other by implementing specific protocols relating both to the conditions of oral pathologies that normally do not represent an emergency, and to those clinical situations that fall into the category of pediatric dental emergencies. In this perspective, in addition to defining rigorous and highly effective infection control protocols in the dental settings, it is of fundamental importance to work on remote communication and education aimed at maintaining the oral health of the children. This article, after an analysis of the risk factors from COVID-19 associated with pediatric dental treatment, presents a series of considerations on potential oral prevention strategies and on the management of emergency and non-emergency dental procedures in a context of disease transmission control, proposing new approaches and models of treatment based also on remote interaction techniques which will then retain their usefulness even at the end of the current emergency period.

Covid-19 is a new coronavirus disease first described in December 2019. This respiratory illness is severe and potentially fatal. Severe cases make up to 15%, lethality ranges between 1.5 and more than 10 %. What is urgently needed is an efficient pharmacological treatment for the treatment of severe cases. During the infection of alveolar epithelial cells of the lung, the ACE2 receptor has a central function. The antimalarial drugs chloroquine phosphate (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) impair in vitro the terminal glycosylation of ACE2 without significant change of cell-surface ACE2 and, therefore, might be potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Starting inhibition at 0.1 µM, CQ completely prevented in vitro infections at 10 µM, suggesting a prophylactic effect and preventing the virus spread 5 hours after infection. In a first clinical trial, CQ was effective in inhibiting exacerbation of pneumonia, improving lung imaging findings, promotion of virus-negative conversion, and shortening the disease. In addition, HCQ, which is three times more potent than CQ in SARS-CoV-2 infected cells (EC50 0.72 µM), was significantly associated with viral load reduction/disappearance in COVID-19 patients compared to controls. Theoretically, CQ and HCQ could thus be effectively used in the treatment of SARS-CoV pneumonia. From a pharmacological standpoint, however, the major problems of oral treatment with these drugs are possible severe side effects and toxicity. Concretely, this relates to (a) the inconsistent individual bioavailability of these drugs at the alveolar target cells, depending on intestinal resorption, hepatic first-pass metabolism and accumulation in liver, spleen and lung, and (b) the need for a relatively high concentration of 1-5 µM at the alveolar surface. Therefore, we propose in a first dose estimation the use of HCQ as an aerosol in a dosage of 2-4 mg per inhalation in order to reach sufficient therapeutic levels at the alveolar epithelial cells. By using a low-dose non-systemic aerosol, adverse drug reactions will markedly be reduced compared with oral application. This increase in tolerability enables a broader use for prevention and after contact with an infected person, which would be an advantage especially for the high-risk, often multi-morbid and elderly patients. Empirical data on self-medication with a one-week aerosol application by two of the authors is presented. Inhalation was well tolerated without relevant side effects.

Objective: To provide mechanistic evidence for the epidemiological link between long-term use of alcohol containing mouthwashes and oral cancer.Methods: Human epithelial keratinocytes were exposed for 30 seconds to concentrations of ethanol commonly present in mouthwashes. After a recovery period, cell viability was assessed with the MTT assay.Results: A marked cytotoxic effect was observed for ethanol concentrations of 20% and above. Conclusions: The cytotoxicity of ethanol can explain the epidemiological association between mouthwash use and oral cancer. Recent findings indicate that the risk of developing cancer in a tissue is strongly determined by the number of stem cell divisions accumulated by the tissue during a person's lifetime; cell division is a major source of mutations and other cancer-promoting errors. Since cell death activates the division of stem cells, the cytotoxicity of ethanol on the cells lining the oral mucosa will promote the division of the stem cells located in deeper layers to produce new cells to regenerate the damaged epithelium. If we regularly use mouthwashes containing cytotoxic concentrations of ethanol, we will force the stem cells of the oral cavity to divide more often than usual and our risk of developing oral cancer will probably increase.Clinical significance: Many mouthwashes contain percentages of ethanol above 20%. Because ethanol is not crucial to prevent and reduce gingivitis and plaque, members of the dental team should consider the potential risk of oral cancer associated with frequent use of alcohol containing mouthwashes when advising their patients.

Growing mushrooms is meeting challenges while aiming for sustainability and circularity. Wherever the producer is located, commercial strains are the same originating from several producers. Following the harvest, enormous quantities of spent mushroom substrate containing spores are disposed presenting a type of foreign material pressure on the ecosystem in the form of the loss of genetic diversity in wild mushroom populations. This challenge can be mitigated by bioprospecting local strains and using them to generate commercial inoculum. Accordingly, the mycoceutical potential of five polypore mushroom species from Serbia was evaluated: secondary metabolite composition, oxidative damage prevention, anti-tyrosinase, and anti-angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) properties. The phenolic pattern was comparable in all samples, but the amounts of specific chemicals varied. Hydroxybenzoic acids were the primary components. All samples had varying quantities of ascorbic acid, carotene, and lycopene, and showed a pronounced inhibition of lipid peroxidation (LPx) and ability to scavenge HO•. Extracts were more potent tyrosinase inhibitors but unsuccessful when faced with ACE. Fomitopsis pinicola had the strongest anti-tumor efficacy while Ganoderma lucidum demonstrated strong selectivity in anti-tumor effect in comparison to healthy cells. The evaluated species provided a solid foundation for commercial development while keeping the local ecology in mind.

More than 5% of the global population suffers from disabling hearing loss, primarily sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). SNHL is often caused by factors such as vascular disorders, viral infections, ototoxic drugs, systemic inflammation, age-related labyrinthine membrane degeneration, and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). NIHL, in particular, leads to changes in blood-labyrinth-barrier (BLB) physiology, increased permeability, and various cardiovascular health issues, including hypertension, diabetes, neurological disorders, and adverse reproductive outcomes: Research has connected an elevated risk of hypertension with loud noise. The endocrine and autonomic nervous systems are also linked to arousal following an acute exposure to loud sounds. As a preventive option for both NIHL and hypertension as sequela of noise trauma, we present the transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS). taVNS may be appropriate to prevent NIHL-associated hypertension, as it typically reduces blood pressure and improves heart rate variability. On the other hand, normalizing cerebral blood flow preserves cochlear homeostasis, which is maintained by the BLB.The paper provides a comprehensive overview of NIHL pathophysiology and the impact of noise on auditory structures and function. Our research focuses on the auditory structures and functions affected by noise, such as the strial BLB, as well as the autonomic changes caused by NIHL, specifically the emergence of NIHL-associated hypertension as a primary comorbidity. We describe the clear link between taVNS use and increased HRV and slower progression of chronic hypertension, and we propose it as a cutting-edge preventive option for both conditions.

The number of fishers working on commercial fishing vessels worldwide is approximately 159,800 according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The International Labour Organization estimates that the mean annual number of deaths during fishing is approximately 24,000. Most guidelines for the prevention of marine accidents have been developed with a focus on vessels involved in international navigation. As these guidelines may have parts that are unsuitable for application in small-scale boats operating in coastal areas, appropriate modifications are required. This study analyzed quantitative data on 1,790 marine accidents that occurred in trap fishery, a globally common type of fishery, and data obtained through a survey of 101 fishers in South Korea. A guideline to reduce the rate of fatal accidents was developed using the Bayesian network, a method used for the analysis of accidents, as suggested in the formal safety assessment protocol. The results of data analysis and the developed guidelines are expected to be beneficial to all fishers involved in trap fishery across many countries worldwide.

Across the global construction industry, fatalities continue to occur from high-risk activities where the risk controls have been defined, however were unreliable. In the mining industry, Critical Control Risk Management has provided positive results in reducing major accidents, which raises the question, could the Critical Control approach reduce the fatality rate in the construction industry? This study analysed 10 years of serious and fatal incident investigation reports from four international construction companies to i) assess the reliability of their Critical Controls (CCs) and ii) assess the factors which affect the reliability of CCs. The results show the reliability of CCs, measured by implementation and effectiveness, averaged just 42%. Human performance factors including risk identification, decision-making and competency together with supervision, job planning, communication organisational factors were identified as affecting the reliability of CCs. The study used bow-tie diagrams with real event data to find the actual CC effectiveness. This gave actionable findings directly related to individual CCs enabling the participating organization to focus resources on improving specific verification processes. The results confirm the applicability of CCs for the Major Accident Event hazards analyzed and highlights further review is required of the factors which need to be considered when implementing a CC program. This paper details our methodology and results, to assist others apply CCs as a risk management tool.

Maintaining an adequate micronutrient status can be achieved by following a complete, diverse diet. Yet, food trends in Western countries show suboptimal consumption of healthy nutrients. In this study we explored the prevalence of vitamin and mineral imbalances in a general population cohort of Dutch adults, and evaluated the effect of a digital lifestyle program on the nutritional status and nutrition health behaviors of these individuals. A micronutrient panel was measured in 348 participants, alongside a dietary assessment. One-hundred users subsequently underwent a remeasurement. We identified at least one nutritional imbalance in 301 individuals (86.5%). 80% improved and normalized B6, 67% improved folate, 70% improved B12, and 86% improved vitamin D. Iron abnormalities were corrected in 75% of participants. In conclusion, this study found micronutrient deficiencies of easily obtainable vitamins through diet or supplementation such as B vitamins and vitamin D were more prevalent than expected in a Dutch population. This can partly be explained by an insufficient consumption of food groups rich in B vita-mins. Our preliminary results in those remeasured after a digitally-enabled lifestyle intervention show these imbalances can be corrected with adequate behavioral support in a “food as medicine” approach complemented with supplementation where needed.

The possible future emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 virus variants pushes the development of new chemoprophylaxis protocols complementary to the unspecific and specific immune-prophylaxis measures currently used. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is particularly sensitive to oxidation due to the relevant positive electrical charge of its spike protein used as a ligand for target cells. The present study evaluated the safety and efficacy of a new oxidant preparation, liquid hyperoxygen (IOL), to neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 virus. IOL was incubated with throat swabs containing a human wild-type virus. The samples were then incubated with cells expressing the ACE2 receptor and therefore very sensitive to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The ability to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 was determined by assessing the amount of viral nucleic acid inside cells by PCR. The results obtained indicate that IOL, even at considerable dilutions, is capable, after incubation times of less than 30 min and even equal to 5 min, to completely inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection. This inhibitory effect has been shown to be due to the oxidizing capacity of the IOL. This oxidizing capacity is exerted towards the virus but does not damage eukaryotic cells either in the in vitro or in the in vivo skin model. Obtained results indicate that the use of IOL, a hydrophilic liquid mixture saturated with highly reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, is a new powerful, safe, and effective tool for preventing possible future outbreaks of COVID-19 disease.

The use of e-scooters and e-bicycles has been on the rise with an increased medical and financial burden. Our purpose was to identify risk factors for increased medical charges and recommend appropriate steps. We studied a retrospective cohort presenting to a level 1 urban trauma center from January 2018 through July 2019 due to micro-mobility platforms. The primary outcome for comparison was total billing cost and a regression analysis was performed to identify variables associated with higher cost. A total of 4073 patients were identified. The majority of which were males (67%), aged 20-30 years (41%). Helmet use reported in only 39.8%. Radiologic studies were performed more often in the e-bicycle group. Total billing charges amounted to 28.3 million New Israeli Shekels ($7.9 million). Average total cost was higher for e-bicycle injuries and in non-helmet users. Other factors associated with higher cost were age, and time of day 12:00-18:00. We recommend that urban cities invest in infrastructure in advance to micro-mobility introduction, regulate the use of e-platforms, designate resources for education on personal protective equipment and prepare medical centers in advance.

(1) Background: Several agencies in the United States play a primary role in ensuring food safety, yet foodborne illnesses result in about 3,000 deaths and cost more than $15.6 billion each year. The study objectives included analyzing local health departments’ (LHDs) level of engagement in food safety and other related services, and LHDs’ characteristics associated with those services. (2) Methods: We used data from 1,496 LHDs that participated in the 2019 National Profile of Local Health Departments Survey, administered to all 2,459 LHDs in the United States. Logistic regression analyses were performed to model multiple dichotomous variables. (3) Results: An estimated 78.9% of LHDs performed food safety inspections, 78.3% provided food safety education, 40.7% provided food processing inspections, and 48.4% engaged in policy and advocacy. The odds for LHDs to directly provide preventive nutrition services were 20 times higher if the LHD had one or more nutritionists on staff (Adjusted Odds Ratio or AOR=20.0; Confidence Interval, CI=12.4-32.2) compared to LHDs with no nutritionists. Other LHD characteristics significantly associated with the provision of nutrition services (p&lt;.05) included population size, state governance (rather than local), and LHD having at least one registered, licensed, practical, or vocational nurse. The odds of providing food processing services were lower for locally governed than state governed LHDs (AOR=0.5; CI=0.4-0.7). The odds of performing food safety inspections varied by LHD’s population size, whether a nutritionist was on staff or not, state governance (vs. local), and having completed a community health assessment (CHA) within 5 years. (4) Conclusions: LHDs play a critical role in ensuring safe food for Americans, yet variations exist in their performance, based on their specific characteristics. Adequate funding and a competent workforce are essential for LHDs to utilize evidence-based practices and engage in policymaking and advocacy concerning food safety.

Ice formation on aircraft surfaces poses significant safety risks, and current detection systems often struggle to provide accurate, real-time predictions. This paper presents the development and comprehensive evaluation of a smart ice control system using a suite of machine learning models. The system utilizes various sensors to detect temperature anomalies and signal potential ice formation. We trained and tested supervised learning models (Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machine, Random Forest), unsupervised learning models (K-means clustering), and neural networks (Multi-Layer Perceptron) to predict and identify ice formation patterns. Experimental results demonstrate that our smart system, driven by machine learning, accurately predicts ice formation in real-time, optimizes de-icing processes, and enhances safety while reducing power consumption. This solution holds the potential for improving ice detection accuracy in aviation and other critical industries requiring robust predictive maintenance.

Since the advent of the Internet, there has been a significant shift from wired to wireless communication between devices. The volume of data transmitted has surged, primarily driven by the exponential growth of network services, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and online users. This trend became especially pronounced with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the Internet's role and significance expanded dramatically. People began to spend more time online, engaging in activities like e-learning, remote work, and online shopping. Concurrently, concerns about the security of wireless communication channels have escalated. As more data is stored and transmitted over the Internet, cybercriminals are actively seeking unauthorized access to it to further their malicious objectives. Through a comprehensive literature review in the realm of wireless network security and privacy, it has become evident that several factors render these networks susceptible to vulnerabilities. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the major and common security and privacy challenges faced by existing wireless networks. Additionally, it seeks to demonstrate the array of techniques available to mitigate these issues. Ultimately, this paper will culminate in an in-depth analysis of cybersecurity measures to address the issues in wireless networks.

The ever-evolving landscape of technology continually drives the demand for more robust and secure systems. Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IPS) play a pivotal role in safeguarding digital infrastructures. IPS harnesses a blend of cutting-edge technologies, specifically Network-Based, Wireless-Based, and Host-Based Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), to fortify network security. This multifaceted approach enhances the system's capacity to scrutinize incoming data and network traffic, effectively reducing the risk of intrusion. In the realm of malicious activity detection, IPS employs a diverse array of techniques and mechanisms. Our proposed IPS integrates both anomaly-based and signature-based analysis approaches. In signature-based analysis, intrusions are identified by matching data collected from various activities with pre-defined signatures, employing rule-based methods to detect anomalies effectively. In the anomaly-based analysis approach, the system juxtaposes current activities with a baseline of normal behaviour to flag any deviations. This is achieved through distance-based methods, ensuring a well-rounded approach to threat detection. Our comprehensive prevention system encompasses a suite of security measures, including anti-virus software, Deep Packet Inspection, and Quarantine. These components work in synergy to detect and thwart malicious activities effectively. Even when concealed or hidden, the IPS remains a reliable sentinel, ensuring the integrity of your digital ecosystem. This review delves into the intricate web of terminologies and concepts surrounding Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems, shedding light on the evolving technology landscape and the critical role IPS plays in bolstering cybersecurity.

Background: Alzheimer's disease causes great changes, with the prefrontal cortex be-ing frequently damaged zones, affecting physical and cognitive behavioural and compromising autonomy and quality of life. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of feedback-based tech-nology on the improvement of physical-cognitive capacities in Alzheimer. Methods: Forty pa-tients with Alzheimer were recruited from the Santa Elena Alzheimer's Association, Seville, of which 15 ended up being pilot participants, divided randomly into controls (8) and experi-mental (7). They were evaluated with: Cognitive Mini-Examination Scale, Oddball Test and At-tention Network, Berg Scale, Tinetti, Timed up and Go and Geriatric Deterioration Scale. The experimental group was treated with feedback-based technology under the supervision of physiotherapists, during 16 thirty-minute sessions, twice a week. The control group performed their usual care. Result: A significant improvement was observed in the experimental group (Cognitive Mini-Examination and Tinetti). In the group of control, a worsening of physical and motor skills was evidenced because of the degenerative disease. Discussion/Conclusion: This treatment could be a strategy to keep the patient in early stages for longer, and improve quali-ty of life delaying dependency. It creates intergenerational bonds and use at home to promote treatment adherence.

Dietary factors play an important role in shaping the gut microbiome which, in turn, regulates the molecular events in colonic mucosa. The composition and resulting metabolism of the gut microbiome have been implicated in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). Diets low in dietary fibers and phytomolecules as well as other lifestyle-related factors may predispose to CRC. Emerging evidence demonstrates that the predominance of microbes, such as Fusobacterium nucleatum, can predispose the colonic mucosa to malignant transformation. Dietary and lifestyle modifications have been demonstrated to restrict the growth of potentially harmful opportunistic organisms. In this study, we aim to present evidence regarding the relationship of dietary factors to the gut microbiome and development of CRC.

Vancomisin resistant enterococcus(VRE), is a resistant microorganism which colonizates and causes infections in hospitalized patients. It was aimed to show the spread of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (fVREfm) step-by-step in all intensive care units, which started with the growth of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) on 02.12.2021 in the blood culture of a patient hospitalized in the anesthesia intensive care unit of our hospital and was found to have reached epidemic size in the surveys. Rectal swab samples were taken from all patients hospitalized in intensive care units, VRE colonization was determined and the VanA and VanB resistance genes associated with vancomycin resistance of VREfm isolates were determined by PCR method, and clonal association analysis was performed by Arbitrarily Primed-PCR (AP-PCR) and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis. In our study, VRE was detected in 61 of 2601 rectal swab samples. 54 (85.52%) of the VRE isolates were Enterococcus faecium, 3 (4.91%) was Enterococcus faecalis, 3 (4.91%) was Enterococcus gallinorum, 1 (1.63%) was Enterococcus casseliflavus. It was determined that all of the 54 VREfm isolates, which were the most detected among all VRE isolates, carried the vanA gene. In the clonal association analysis of the isolates by AP-PCR and PFGE methods, it was found that they had 12 different genotypes, 48 of them were included in any cluster, the clustering rate was 88.8%, and the largest cluster was genotype 1 cluster with 36 isolates. Of the 54 patients with VREfm isolated recently, 18.51 percent of the clinical samples were isolated before the survey, and 9.24% were isolated after the survey. It was determined that 100% of VREfm isolates were resistant to ampicillin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, high-level gentamicin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, teicoplanin, 7.4% to tigecycline and 1.85% to linezolid. In our study, in the clonal association analysis performed by isolating VREfm in rectal swab samples, it was found that 88.8% of the samples were indistinguishably similar and the increase in the number of VREfm infections after the index case in our hospital was associated with the epidemic. VREfm infections cause long term hospitalization, costs and also deaths, which shows the seriousness of the event, and the importance of the combination of epidemiological and molecular analysis in epidemic research.

Abstract: The study aimed to investigate the antitumor efficacy of anti-LMP1 antibodies in EBV-positive nasopharyngeal and stomach cell lines and xenograft models. The study also exam-ined the NF-κB expression and cell cycle activation of NPC serum exosome-associated LMP1. An-ti-LMP1 antibody treatment before or during cell implantation prevented tumor growth in nude mice. A small dose of antibodies resulted in complete tumor regression for at least three months af-ter the tumors had grown in size. The consumption of antigen-antibody complexes by tumor cells limited tumor growth. In vitro experiments showed that anti-LMP1 antibodies killed EBV-positive NPC- or GC-derived epithelial cell lines and EBV-positive human B cell lines but not EBV-negative cell lines. Treatment with anti-LMP1 reduced NF-κB expression in cells. The animal model experi-ments showed anti-LMP1 inhibited and prevented NPC- or GC-derived tumor growth. The results suggest that LMP1 antibody immunotherapy could cure nasopharyngeal cancer, EBV-positive gastric carcinoma, and EBV-associated lymphomas. However, further validation of these findings is required through human clinical trials.

Despite various interventions in road safety work, fatal and severe road traffic accidents (RTAs) remain a significant challenge leading to human suffering and economic costs. Understanding the multicausal nature of RTAs, where multiple conditions and factors interact, is crucial for developing effective prevention measures in road safety work. This study investigates the multivariate statistical analysis of co-occurring conditions in RTAs, focusing on single-vehicle accidents with single occupancy and personal injury on Austrian roads outside built-up areas from 2012 to 2019. The aim is to detect recurring combinations of accident-related variables, referred to as blackpatterns (BPs), using the Austrian RTA database. The study proposes Fisher’s exact test to estimate the relationship between an accident-related variable and fatal and severe RTAs (severe casualties). In terms of pattern recognition, the study develops the maximum combination value (MCV) of accident-related variables, a procedure to search through all possible combinations of variables to find the one that has the highest frequency. The accident investigation proceeds with the application of pattern recognition methods, including binomial logistic regression and a newly developed method, the PATTERMAX-method, created to accurately detect and analyse variable-specific BPs in RTA data. Findings indicate significant BPs contributing to severe accidents. The combination of binomial logistic regression and the PATTERMAX-method appears to be a promising approach to investigate severe accidents, providing both insights into detailed variable combinations and their impact on accident severity.

Timely screening for breast cancer plays a pivotal role in early detection and treatment; however, Afghan refugee females face significant barriers that hinder their access to these life-saving screening services. Cultural norms, socioeconomic factors, proficiency with the English language, and the challenges of navigating foreign healthcare systems contribute to low screening rates within this population. The current review article seeks to identify barriers to breast cancer screening in the Afghan refugee population in the United States (US) and address possible measures to overcome these challenges.

Benzimidazole fungicides are a class of highly effective, low-toxicity, systemic broad-spectrum fungicides developed in the 1960s and 1970s, based on the fungicidal activity of the benzimidazole ring structure. They exhibit biological activities including anticancer, antibacterial, and antiparasitic effects. Due to their particularly outstanding antibacterial properties, they are widely used in agriculture to prevent and control various plant diseases caused by fungi. The main products of benzimidazole fungicides include benomyl, carbendazim, thiabendazole, albendazole, thiophanate, thiophanate-methyl, fuberidazole, carbamic acid, and carbendazim salicylate. This article mainly reviews the physicochemical properties, toxicological properties, and disease control efficacy, and pesticide residue and detection technologies of the aforementioned nine benzimidazole fungicides and their main metabolite (2-aminobenzimidazole). On this basis, a brief outlook on the future research directions of benzimidazole fungicides is presented.

BRCA1 and 2 pathogenic variants increase lifetime risks of breast (50-75%) and ovarian cancer (15-20%). Guidelines recommend breast screening (MRI and mammogram) or risk-reducing mastectomy with salpingo-oophorectomy for ovarian cancer prevention. We sought to 1) characterize the population of BRCA1/2 carriers in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) 2) evaluate risk-reducing interventions 3) identify factors influencing screening and prevention adherence. Methods: This is a retrospective study from a population-based provincial cohort of BRCA1/2 carriers. Eligibility criteria for risk-reducing interventions were defined for each case and patients were categorized based on their level of adherence with recommended screening or prevention. Chi-squared and regression analyses were used to determine which factors influenced uptake and level of adherence. Results: 276 BRCA1/2 carriers were identified; 156 living NL females composed the study population. Unaffected females were younger at testing than those with a cancer diagnosis (44.4 y versus 51.7 y; p=0.002). Categorized by eligibility, 61.0%, 61.6%, 39.0% and 75.7% of patients underwent MRI, mammogram, risk-reducing mastectomy, and risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy, respectively. Individuals with breast cancer were more likely to have risk-reducing mastectomy (64.7% versus 35.3%; p<0.001), and those who attended specialty hereditary cancer clinic were more likely to be adherent with breast/ovarian cancer recommendations (73.2% versus 13.4%; p<0.001) and to undergo risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy(84.1% versus 15.9%; p<0.001). Conclusions: Nearly 40% of female BRCA1/2 carriers were not receiving breast surveillance according to evidence-based recommendations. Cancer risk reduction and uptake of breast imaging and prophylactic breast and pelvic surgeries are significantly higher in patients who receive dedicated specialty care. Organized hereditary cancer prevention programs will be a valuable component of Canadian health care systems and have the potential to reduce the burden of disease country-wide.

Suicide is a global public health concern that has enormous social and psychological 1 implications for individuals, families, and communities affected. While the rate of suicide in the 2 UK has remained steady over the years mainly due to the various approaches to detection and 3 management of suicidal ideation, it is still one of the main causes of mortality amongst people 4 between the age of 20 – 34 years. The recent global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, global 5 warming, war, and various environmental catastrophes means that suicide and suicidal ideation 6 is expected to increase especially among younger people. Thus, evidence-based, population-wide 7 preventative approach will be needed to ameliorate the predicted increase in suicide. Also, to 8 understand the effects of some of the suicide prevention approaches, objective and universal risk 9 assessment approach is required. However, there is no universally accepted preventative approach 10 or tools of assessment. This review examines current advances in suicide prevention in the United 11 Kingdom. It examines the epidemiology, risk factors, as well as the strengths and limitations of 12 the various suicide risk assessment and prevention tools currently in use. We hope to obtain a 13 deeper understanding of how these approaches have evolved and their impact on enhancing mental 14 health and preventing suicide ideation in the UK. We present an in-depth review of existing suicide 15 prevention research and policies, while proposing areas for future research and improvement.16

To contain and mitigate the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, African governments have implemented non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs), such as imposing travel bans, confining people to their homes and closing schools, shops and workplaces. These NPIs are likely to be less effective in circumstances where people need to leave their homes to work, collect food, water and cooking fuel or where people cannot maintain distancing due to overcrowded living environments. Using data from the nationally representative South African General Household Survey 2019, we examined individuals’ vulnerability to the risk of COVID-19 infection due to their health, socioeconomic and living circumstances. We explored socioeconomic-related inequalities in COVID-19 using concentration curve and concentration index methods. Our results showed that vulnerability to COVID-19 was disproportionately concentrated among those with low socioeconomic status. Using the Recentered Influence Function decomposition approach, we found that higher income and education had a significant and positive impact on reducing socioeconomic-related COVID-19 vulnerability. Conversely, people with lower socioeconomic status were more likely to live in circumstances that made compliance with NPI requirements almost impossible, and they were also more likely to have pre-existing health conditions that made them more vulnerable to COVID-19.

In West Africa, research on the hepatitis E virus (HEV) is barely covered despite the recorded outbreaks. The still low level of access to safe water and adequate sanitation is one of the main factors of HEV spread in developing countries. HEV infection induces acute or sub-clinical liver diseases with a mortality rate ranging from 0.5 to 4%. The mortality rate is more alarming (15 to 25%) among pregnant women, especially in the last trimester of pregnancy. Here, we conducted a multicentric socio-demographic and seroepidemiological survey of HEV in Senegal among pregnant women. A total of 1,227 consenting participants attending antenatal clinics responded to our questionnaire. Plasma samples were collected and tested for anti-HEV IgM and IgG by using the WANTAI HEV-IgM and IgG ELISA assay. HEV global seroprevalence was 7.9% with 0.5% and 7.4% for HEV IgM and HEV IgG, respectively. One participant's sample was IgM/IgG positive, while four were declared indeterminate to anti-HEV IgM as per the manufacturer's instructions. From one locality to another, the seroprevalence of HEV antibodies varied from 0 to 1% for HEV IgM and from 1.5 to 10.5% for HEV IgG. The data also showed that seroprevalence varied significantly by marital status (p&lt;0.0001), by the regularity of income (p=0.0043) and by access to sanitation services (p=0.0006). These data could serve as a basis to setup national prevention strategies focused on socio-cultural, environmental and behavioral aspects for a better management of HEV infection in Senegal.

The state of epidemic emergency in force in our country since March and the related requirement to implement various sanitary procedures constitute problems for the operation of all companies. However, the unique operation of underground mining companies increases their scale considerably. However, despite initial turbulent moments related to the occurrence of an unknown threat, it was possible to stabilise the situation in all such companies as a result of implementing various anti-threat actions. Following the initial introduction to basic properties of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the paper presents the results of the study (a case study) on actions taken in individual mining companies. There was an attempt to formulate the so-called good work practices recommended to be applied.

Background: Probiotics can provide health benefits to an individual by regulation of the immune system. Many clinical trials have found that probiotics can prevent upper respiratory tracts infections. Aim: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of available trials to investigate the effectiveness of probiotics in the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections in individuals of all ages. Conclusion: Probiotics were found to be better in reducing the number of participants who experienced acute URTI, the average duration per episode of acute URTI, use of antibiotics in URTI related cases and absence due to URTI. Side effects were found to be minor, making probiotics a good candidate for clinical use. This shows that probiotics are effective in preventing acute URTIs. However, due to limited studies and small sample size, the results are subjected to bias and should be interpreted with care.

The present work analyzes university students' perceptions on cyberbullying. More specifically, the main objective was to understand the level of concern displayed by young students in teacher training programs regarding cyberbullying; our analysis includes their degree of self-confidence and their commitment when faced with this problem, their self-reported training on the subject, and the measures they consider adequate to approach it in the educational context. Using a survey research design, 408 students from Early Childhood Education, Primary Education Degrees, and the Master’s Degree in Secondary Education, and Vocational Training from national public universities participated. The results shed light upon the coexistence of three differentiated profiles of teachers in training when faced with cyberbullying. However, although there is clear evidence of the high level of concern regarding this problem in every case, they placed more importance on raising awareness of the issue with families, prevention, management and training as basic pillars for re-directing the worrisome reality experienced in educational centers. The need to include these contents in the initial training of future education professionals, for overcoming cyberbullying, and the importance of collaborative work between parents and educators are the conclusions of this research study that are in agreement with other studies.

OBJETIVE: This study analyses the views of four groups of healthcare professionals who may play a role in the management of suicidal behaviour. The goal was to identify key factors for suicide prevention in different areas of the healthcare system. METHODOLOGY: Qualitative research was conducted using focus groups made up of different healthcare professionals who participated in the identification, management and prevention of suicidal behaviour. Professionals included were primary care physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists and emergency physicians. RESULTS: ‘Suicide’ was amongst the most relevant terms that came up in discussions most of the times it appeared associated with words such as ‘risk’, ‘danger’ or ‘harm’. In the analysis by categories, the four groups of professionals agreed that interventions in at-risk behaviours are first in importance. Prevention was the second main concern with greater significance among psychiatrists. DISCUSSION: Primary care professionals claim for more time to address patients at risk for suicide and an easier access to and communication with the mental health network. Emergency care professionals have a lack of awareness of their role in the detection of risk for suicide in patients who seek attention at emergency care facilities for reasons of general somatic issues. Mental health care professionals are in high demand in case of self-harm but they would like to receive specific training in dealing with g suicidal behaviour.

This paper reports the efforts made and experiences gained in developing the Flood Prevention and Emergency Response System (FPERS) powered by Google Earth Engine, with focus on its applications at the three stages of floods. At the post-flood stage, FPERS integrates various remote sensing imageries, including Formosat-2 optical imagery, to detect and monitor barrier lakes, synthetic aperture radar imagery to derive an inundation map, and high-spatial-resolution photographs taken by unmanned aerial vehicles to evaluate damage to river channels and structures. At the pre-flood stage, a huge amount of geospatial data are integrated in FPERS and are categorized as typhoon forecast and archive, disaster prevention and warning, disaster events and analysis, or basic data and layers. At the during-flood stage, three strategies are implemented to facilitate the access of the real-time data: presenting the key information, making a sound recommendation, and supporting the decision-making. The example of Typhoon Soudelor in August of 2015 is used to demonstrate how FPERS was employed to support the work of flood prevention and emergency response from 2013 to 2016. The capability of switching among different topographic models and the flexibility of managing and searching data through a geospatial database are also explained, and suggestions are made for future works.

The red palm weevil (RPW) Rhynchophorus ferrugineus is highly destructive invasive pest for palms whose management is mainly by application of synthetic pesticides. Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) have been primarily studied as a preventative control measure due to the horizontal transfer of conidia within the RPW population. We previously demonstrated the horizontal transmission of fungal conidia from an egg-laying surface to the female weevil and then to the eggs and larvae. Based on that strategy, this study aimed to evaluate the virulence of commercial EPF products and laboratory EPF preparations to RPW females and their progeny and their ability to protect palms against infestation. As such, it serves as a screening platform for field experiments. Mortality rates of females and eggs depended on the applied treatment formulation and fungal strain. Velifer®, a Beauveria bassiana product, and Metarhizium brunneum (Mb7) resulted in 60–88% female mortality. Mb7—as a conidial suspension or powder—resulted in 18–21% egg-hatching rates, approximately 3 times less than in the non-treated control. Treating palms with Mb7 significantly inhibits infestation signs and results in 75% and 100% protection, respectively. These results lay the foundation for investigating the protective rate of EPF products against RPW in date plantations.

Lifestyle physical activity (PA) and nutrition are known to be effective interventions in preventing and managing obesity related comorbidities is adult populations, but less so in children and adolescents. We examined the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions in children from minority ethnic populations in western high-income countries. Our systematic review included 53 studies involving 26045 children from minority ethnic populations within western countries, who followed lifestyle intervention programs lasting between 8 weeks and 5 years with an aim to prevent and/or manage childhood obesity and associated comorbidities, including adiposity and cardiometabolic risks. Studies were heterogenous in terms of lifestyle intervention components (nutrition, PA, behavioural counselling) and settings (community vs. schools and after schools). Our meta-analysis included 31 eligible studies and showed no significant effects of lifestyle interventions when they focused on body weight and body mass index (BMI) outcomes [pooled BMI mean change = -0.09 (95% CI -0.19, 0.01), p=0.09]. This was irrespective of the intervention program duration (< 6 months vs. ≥ 6 months), type (PA vs nutrition/combined intervention) and weight status (overweight or obese vs no normal weight), all showed no significant effects in the sensitivity analysis. Nonetheless, 19 of the 53 studies reported reduction in BMI, BMI z scores and body fat percentage. However, majority of lifestyle interventions adopting a quasi-design with a combined primary and secondary obesity measures (11 out of 15 studies), were effective in reducing obesity comorbidities of cardiometabolic risks including metabolic syndrome, insulin sensitivity, and blood pressure in children with overweight and obesity. Preventing childhood obesity and associated comorbidities in children from high-risk ethnic minority groups is best achieved using a combined PA and nutrition intervention approach, which jointly target preventing obesity and cardiometabolic disease primary and secondary outcomes, especially measures of diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

The aim of this study is to describe a research protocol of a multi-country randomized controlled trial to investigate the effect of a smartphone CBT stress management program on improving depression and other health- and work-related outcomes among hospital nurses in Vietnam and Thailand during the COVID-19 epidemic as a part of the COCONATS project. The study is a two-arm, parallel randomized control trial. Hospital nurses (N = 1,500) will be recruited in Vietnam and Thailand, and those who meet the criteria will be randomly allocated to the intervention or control (treatment as usual) group. A seven-week, seven-module smartphone-based stress management program will be developed to teach CBT skills. The intervention group will participate in the program for 10 weeks. Depression as the primary outcome will be measured using the DASS21 at baseline and in 3- and 6-month follow-up surveys. A mixed model repeated measures analysis will be used to test the intervention effect in the total combined sample, on an intention-to-treat basis. This is the first study to investigate the effectiveness of a self-guided smartphone CBT program on improving depression among hospital nurses using a RCT design in South-East Asian middle-income countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The prevalence of HIV infections in the province of Papua is rising. The study aimed to examine the effect of a sexual reproductive health-based HIV prevention program on knowledge, subjective norms, and attitudes, as well as the behavior control of reproductive health and HIV prevention. A quasi-experimental study was applied in this study with an equivalent control group. The total of 289 students is divided into the experimental group (n = 134) and the control group (n = 155). The experimental group received the sexual reproductive health-based HIV prevention program. The control group received the routine program from the school. The results found a significant difference in knowledge, subjective norms and attitudes, and behavior control of reproductive health and HIV prevention among intervention groups before and after receiving the Sexual Reproductive Health School-Based HIV Prevention program (p-value

Agriculture is an industry that heavily relies on the environment. The increasing frequency of ex-treme disasters attributable to climate change has adversely affected agricultural land and dis-rupted the stability of the supply of agricultural products. Therefore, we implemented a research program focused on current strategies for adapting to agricultural meteorological disasters. The primary goal was to actively promote disaster prevention information and techniques through information platforms and applications and to provide refined forecasting and an early warning system to enhance preparedness for and recovery from agricultural disasters. This initiative can transform passive mitigation into dynamic action by disseminating crucial information to farmers. We integrated meteorological data and crop characteristics to develop disaster prevention strate-gies for the predisaster, during-disaster, and postdisaster stages to empower farmers to implement autonomous disaster prevention, ensuring their profitability and minimizing the impact of disas-ters. This paper presents an agricultural disaster prevention system involving cross-disciplinary collaboration to establish an early warning system for crop disasters. However, the effectiveness of the early warning system relies on the availability of complete meteorological and crop infor-mation, necessitating high-density agricultural meteorological stations, refined weather forecast services, historical crop damage data, and ongoing research and development on disaster preven-tion technology. In the system, a diversified social media interface is used to provide local farmers with weather forecast information. When impending disasters are identified, the platform acti-vates disaster prevention measures to reduce agricultural losses. This article paper introduces Taiwan’s agricultural disaster prevention system as a complete disaster prevention strategy.

To date, the patent foramen ovale (PFO) does not get the deserved medical attention. The PFO poses a serious threat to health and even life of mankind. The first respective case report in the medical literature dates back to the 19th century. It led to death. The fact that a PFO is present in roughly 25% of people underscores its overall potential to do harm. Yet at the same time by the sheer number, it discourages the medical community from screening for it and from treating it. About 5% of the population have particularly dangerous forms of PFOs. Such PFOs portray a high enough risk for clinical events, the likes of death, stroke, myocardial infarction, or ocular, visceral, and peripheral embolism, to justify screening for them. Highly significant health incidents being at stake, it appears obvious that PFO closure should be used for primary prevention. This is supported by the fact that closing a PFO is the simplest intervention in cardiology, with presumably the highest clinical yield. Being mainly a preventive measure, PFO closure represents a mechanical vaccination. When closing PFOs for one of the rarer therapeutic indications (migraine, platypnea orthodeoxia, etc.), patients automatically profit from the collateral benefit of getting at the same time mechanically vaccinated for life against paradoxical embolism. Vice versa, closing a PFO for prevention of paradoxical embolism not infrequently betters or cures migraine or exercise dyspnea, thereby improving quality of life as a collateral benefit.

Background: Scabies is an unfortunately neglected tropical skin disease. Scabies occurs in Australia, however it is drastically more common amongst select socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. Amongst these, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are affected particularly severely, likely secondary to rampant overcrowding. Methods: This literature review has comprehensively explored the relevant evidence available since the year 2000. Objectives: The objective of this article is to provide updates on the identification, management, and control of scabies in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The article also aims to reveal issues with these factors that may be contributing to the inflated prevalence of scabies amongst these groups. Conclusions: Diagnosis currently depends upon clinical examination, dermatoscopy, and skin scraping microscopy; all of which are prone to error. In Australia, topical permethrin remains first-line treatment, however resistance is developing. Other management aspects to consider are environmental measures and treating secondary infections. Scabies prevention is far more cost-effective than managing advanced individual cases, typically ensured through mass drug administration of permethrin or ivermectin. Sustained prevention can prove troublesome for some communities. In order to address the status of scabies as a neglected tropical disease, these issues must be managed first.

Background/aim: Sexual harassment has become a serious social and public health problem in adolescence, causing adverse effects on mental health. Nevertheless, some behaviours arise that, due to their characteristics, might be misinterpreted as sexual harassment. A field study, a survey with a non-probabilistic accidental sampling, was designed in order to estimate the prevalence of sexual harassment victimization in the Spanish adolescent population, as well as to quantify the harms. Method: 1028 Spanish adolescents, 54.3% females and 45.7% males, aged 13-17 years (M = 15.21, SD = 1.03), responded to a diagnostic measure of sexual harassment victimization and an inventory measure of internalizing and externalizing Mental Health Problems (MHPs). Results: The results showed a significant prevalence of diagnosed sexual harassment victimization of school-aged adolescents, 24.1%, 95% [.215, 267], with adverse effects on internalizing and externalizing MHPs. As for the internalizing MHPs, the results showed moderate adverse effects on depression, anxiety, somatic burns, posttraumatic symptoms, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms; and mild adverse effects on social anxiety. With regard to externalizing MHPs, the results revealed moderate adverse effects on hyperactivity-impulsivity, anger control and antisocial behaviour; and mild adverse effects on attention problems, aggression and defiant behaviour. In addition, it was corroborated that sexual harassment victimization affects adolescent females to a greater extent, with the effect being significantly greater in internalizing than in externalizing MHPs. Conclusions: The results obtained are discussed and future lines of research and intervention are proposed to promote the implementation of prevention and intervention programs that address this phenomenon and, in turn, improve the physical, psychological, and social well-being of adolescents.

The construction industry is one of the most fatal industries, so it is important to pay more attention to safety solutions. Even though work-related accidents are known as major waste in construction projects, little attention has been paid so far to incorporating safety into the lean construction framework. In this research, lean construction theory is reviewed through the lens of safety. That being so, the identified challenges in previous research on improving safety in construction projects are categorized and those related to the concept of lean project delivery are introduced. Then, the principles of the lean construction framework are explained and the relevant changes for incorporating safety into the framework are introduced and discussed. It is expected that this hybrid model would further enrich the lean construction framework. The careful attention of project executives to this model may improve the safety situation in construction projects.

Invasion of plant species has been considered as one of the most dangerous force in biodiversity changes and alteration of soil properties. Due to their significant impacts on ecology and the economy, it is important to find an effective approaches to manage the invasive plants expansion and utilize them as beneficial biomass sources. This review focuses on the characterization of the negative and positive features of invasive plant species in general. Most studies targeted on invasive species removal and lacked an evaluation of their potentials in modern biotechnologies. Currently, there are studies aimed at their use in soil remediation, medicine, the chemical industry, the textile industry, and even gastronomy. Based on these reviews, we bring forward possible future development in this research field, which might serve as a theoretical premise for further researches.

The scope of this paper is to compare different dental sealants and flow materials indicated for sealing pit and fissures considering their chemical formula. The narrative review aims to address the questions: What is the essence of different dental sealants’ activity, how their chemical formula affects their mechanisms of caries prevention and what makes a dental sealant efficient mean of caries prevention. Another vital issue is whether the sealants which contain fluoride, or any other additions have potentially increased antimicrobial properties. Methods: An electronic search of the PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science and Scopus databases was performed. The following keywords were used: (dental sealants) AND (chemical composition). Additionally, information about composition and indications for clinical use provided by manufacturers were utilized. The review aims are to find crucial elements of sealants’ composition which affect their cariostatic mechanisms.

This study describes the AMD impacted environments and critically discusses the effects of AMD, current prediction and prevention methods and treatment technologies. The study further, crit-ically analyses the case studies, gaps in AMD research and the challenges and opportunities of-fered by AMD. The study outlined future technological intervention aiming at a paradigm shift towards reducing the volume of sludge generated as well as the operating cost and improving AMD treatment efficiency. The integrated AMD treatment technologies that result in a holistic approach toward sustainable AMD treatment are a current need. As a result, a sustainable AMD treatment strategy has been made possible due to water reuse and rich resource recoveries such sulphuric acid, rare earth elements, and metals. The cost of AMD treatment can be decreased with the use of recovered water and resources, which is essential for developing a sustainable AMD treatment process.