Tinnitus is a complex and heterogeneous psycho-physiological disorder responsible for causing a phantom ringing or buzzing sound albeit the absence of an external sound source. It has a direct influence on affecting the quality of life of its sufferers. Despite being around for a while, there hasn’t been a cure for tinnitus, and the usual course of action for its treatment involves use of tinnitus retaining and sound therapy, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). One positive aspect about these therapies is that they can be administered face-to-face as well as delivered via internet or smartphone. Smartphones are especially helpful as they are highly personalized devices, and offer a well-established ecosystem of apps, accessible via respective marketplaces of differing mobile platforms. Note that current therapeutic treatments such as CBT have shown to be effective in suppressing the tinnitus symptoms when administered face-to-face, their effectiveness when being delivered using smartphones is not known so far. A quick search on the prominent market places of popular mobile platforms (Android and iOS) yielded roughly 250 smartphone apps offering tinnitus-related therapies and tinnitus management. As this number is expected to steadily increase due to high interest in smartphone app development, a contemporary review of such apps is crucial. In this paper, we aim to review scientific studies validating the smartphone apps, particularly to test their effectiveness in tinnitus management and treatment. We use the PRISMA guidelines for systematic identification of studies on major scientific literature sources and delineate the outcomes of identified studies.

In this paper, we introduce the Prognostics and Health Management of gear bearing system using autoencoder neural networks. Bearings and gears are the most common mechanical components in rotating machines, and their health conditions are of great concern in practice. This study presents an outlier modeling method for forecasting the gear bearing system failure using the health indicators constructed from mechanical signal processing and modeling. Outlier modeling aims to find patterns in data that are significantly different from what is defined as normal. In the unsupervised outlier modeling setting, prior labels about the anomalousness of data points are not available. In such cases, the most common techniques for scoring data points for outlyingness include distance-based methods density-based methods, and linear methods. The conventional outlier modeling methods have been used for a long time to detect anomalous observations in data. However, this paper shows that autoencoders are a very competitive technique compared to other existing methods. The developed method is demonstrated using the IMS bearing data from NASA Acoustics and Vibration Database.

Genome-based testing in oncology is a rapidly expanding area of health care which is the basis of the emerging area of precision medicine. Efficient and considered adoption of novel genomic medicine testing is hampered in Canada by the fragmented nature of health care oversight as well as by lack of clear and transparent processes to support rapid evaluation, assessment and implementation of genomic tests. This article provides an overview of some key barriers and proposes approaches to addressing these challenges as a potential pathway to developing a national approach to genomic medicine in oncology.

Electronic-health applications rely on large computer networks to facilitate patients' information access and to communicate various types of medical data. To examine the effectiveness of these networks, the traffic parameters need to be analysed. Due to quantity of the information carrying packets, examining each packet's transmission parameters individually is not practical, especially when a real time operation is needed. Sampling allows a subset of packets that accurately represents the original traffic to be formed. In this study an adaptive sampling method based on regression and fuzzy inference system was developed. It dynamically updates the number of packets sampled by responding to the traffic variations. Its performance was found to be superior to the conventional non-adaptive sampling methods.

This paper details the comprehensive activities conducted in a laboratory setting to assess the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of prefabricated building envelopes. Aimed at enhancing the structural evaluation of buildings, the focus of this research lies in employing nondestructive sensors for SHM with the objective to advance in the understanding and assessment of facade conditions. The paper outlines the methodologies employed, starting with a modal analysis to define the structural vibration's modal frequency. Subsequently, tests were defined and executed to validate building envelope compliance in case of stress typical of high-rise building. Throughout these tests, continuous monitoring of the façade was conducted using both conventional (accelerometers, extensimeter washers) and non-conventional sensors (Fiber Optic Sensing) The gathered data underwent thorough processing and analysis to provide an overall perspective on the structure's behavior during the stress test. The investigation aimed to identify whether specific physical phenomena correlate with distinct signals and to evaluate if continuous façade monitoring over the building's lifespan aids in preventing potential structural damage. Moreover, two modal analyses were conducted to compare final data and frequencies with earlier data, enabling the detection of any structural alterations. The results from compliance testing and structural analysis yielded noteworthy insights contributing to the evolving field of structural health monitoring, offering valuable findings that advance our ability to proactively manage and maintain the integrity of building structures.

Accurate segmentation of skin lesions from dermoscopic images is crucial for early skin cancer detection, yet variations in lesion appearance and image artifacts present challenges. This study proposes two deep learning models, UCM-NetV2 and BNN-UCM-NetV2, to improve accuracy and computational efficiency. UCM-NetV2 enhances the UCM-Net architecture with a novel "cyber-structure" combining Multilayer Perceptron and CNN layers, improving prediction accu-racy without increasing the model's parameter count. BNN-UCM-NetV2 further optimizes for mobile deployment by binarizing activations and weights into 1-bit values, reducing computa-tional complexity and model size. Evaluations on the ISIC2017 and ISIC2018 datasets demonstrate that UCM-NetV2 outperforms existing methods in both accuracy and computational efficiency, achieving this with less than 0.04 GFLOPs. These models have the potential to make skin lesion analysis accessible to a broader population, particularly in resource-limited settings, allowing for proactive skin health monitoring and facilitating teledermatology. To foster further innovation in mobile health diagnostics, the source code for UCM-NetV2 will be available on GitHub: https://github.com/chunyuyuan/UCMV2-Net.

Health services play an important role in people's lives and are the basic right of every individual. Equal and quality access to health services is crucial for people's welfare. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of public service innovation in achieving 100% UHC in Semarang City, with a focus on PANGERAN DIPONEGORO’s inspirational contribution, in order to provide insight regarding the implementation of the health insurance program and its impact on UHC. The method used in this research is qualitative using the Double Diamond approach with primary data collection through documentation and innovation supporting literature studies and secondary data collection through literature studies and Focus Group Discussions. The results of the study show that the "PANGERAN DIPONEGORO" innovation succeeded in having a significant positive impact in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Semarang City. There has been an increase in community participation, accessibility and quality of health services, as well as a competitive advantage that is rarely possessed by other agencies. There have been many studies using public service objects. However, little has been discussed about the contribution and innovation of public services, especially those that focus on the health sector.

In the United States, obesity is prevalent, and it could be described as a pandemic. Obesity is excessive fat accumulation, leading to a BMI ≥ 30 (Fruh, 2017). Surveys conducted by the CDC show that the obesity prevalence in the US is on the rise, as several obese people rose from 30.5% to 41.9% between 1999 and 2020 (Bryan et al., 2021). During the same time, several people suffering from severe obesity rose from 4.7% to 9.2% (Bryan et al., 2021). Additionally, childhood obesity is on the rise. Statistics indicate that between 2017-2020 over 19.7% of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years had obesity. During the same period, obesity prevalence in children aged 2-5 years, 6-11 years, and 12-19 years olds was 12.7%, 20.7%, and 22.2%, respectively (Bryan et al., 2021). With so many people suffering from obesity, the WHO declared it a public health crisis (WHO, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the prevalence of obesity in the US. According to the surveys, there was a 4.4% increase in obesity between 2019 to March 2020 due to lifestyle changes that were put on people during the COVID-19 pandemic (Akter et al., 2022). Many comorbidities are associated with obesity. Without adequate health interventions, millions of people could suffer severe health disorders like respiratory problems, type II diabetes, psychological issues, gastrointestinal disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. It is also essential to develop health interventions to mitigate obesity due to its strain on the healthcare system. Research shows that people suffering from obesity spend $2,505 more than people with average weight on healthcare (Cawley et al., 2021). Obesity has financial ramifications in every healthcare category: inpatient, outpatient, and prescription drugs (Cawley et al., 2021). One essential action toward the efforts to mitigate the soaring obesity rates is understanding the demographic inequities across populations and how they can be resolved.

Under the dual background of underemployment and health inequality, this paper empirically analyzes the impact of education level on underemployed workers’ health based on CLDS2016 data. The results show that underemployment is significantly related to the decline of self-rated health, increased depression tendency, and morbidity in a certain period. The results indicate that underemployment can significantly reduce the health level of workers in the low education level group and the high education level group. However, it has no significant impact on workers’ health in the middle education level group; even if we change the measurement method of indicators and consider endogeneity, the research conclusion is still robust. Moreover, this kind of health inequality mainly comes from the difference in economic effect and leisure effect of underemployment to workers with different educational levels. This paper provides empirical support for increasing the labor protection mechanism of underemployed people and reducing the health inequality caused by educational level differences.

Rationale: Genetically modified (GM) foods have the potential to reduce food insecurity and address economic and environmental issues. Despite these benefits, GM foods continue to face significant criticism and there is limited information on public awareness and understanding of their nutritional and environmental health benefits in Nigeria. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating public knowledge and perceptions of GM foods in Victoria Island, Lagos. Methods: A convenience sampling method was used to recruit 369 respondents from Victoria Island, Lagos. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire. The target population comprised employed adults either residing or working on Victoria Island. Statistical analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between sociodemographic factors and awareness of GM foods. Results: The study found that a majority of respondents (62.9%, n=232) were knowledgeable about GM foods and their associated issues. However, many believed that their community was not well-informed on the topic. Awareness of GM foods was significantly associated with sociodemographic factors such as marital status and education (P<0.01). Most respondents were well-informed about the environmental and health benefits of GM foods, with 61.8% believing that GM food production could sustainably reduce reliance on chemical pesticides, fertilizers, and other energy inputs, thus mitigating their ecological impacts. Additionally, most respondents did not feel that purchasing or consuming GM foods conflicted with their beliefs or would affect their food choices. Conclusion: The study concludes that while individual awareness of GM foods is relatively high, there is a perception that community awareness is low. Sociodemographic factors play a significant role in shaping public awareness and perceptions of GM foods. Recommendations: This includes government should actively educate the public on the ecological and health benefits of GM foods and address any safety concerns; Implement strict border controls and food labeling for GM products to protect consumer rights and preferences for organic foods, provide sufficient technical and financial assistance to farmers who participate in organic seed programs to enhance national food security. Significant Statement: This study highlights the importance of public education on GM foods and underscores the need for government intervention to ensure informed consumer choices and support for sustainable agricultural practices.

Introduction The climate crisis is essentially a public health crisis. Response is imperative to prevent economic and social crises associated with the growing burden of climate impacts on human health and the health care sector. Green Podiatry Pillars By adopting the three pillars of Exercise, Evidence, and Everyday changes, podiatrists can contribute to more sustainable health and health care. Discussion Educating our patients to use their feet for low carbon active transport, eliminating interventions not supported by evidence, and reducing fossil fuel driven supply chains and energy use, are three impactful measures that all podiatrists, and indeed, all health and medical personnel, need to adopt. The avoidable suffering, enormous and costly use of resources for diabetic foot disease, is a scourge that must realise its preventable potential. It is too late, too costly, too polluting, and too sad, to continue to direct health care and research efforts and budgets, to an expensive modifiable diabetes disease process, potentiated by poor food and physical inactivity. Affected patients require skilled support, to avert such chronic disease processes, often not of their making. Conclusions Healthcare contributes 5 to 8% of green house gases (GHG), and non-communicable diseases (NCD) are increasing, so healthcare must lead on primary health. As citizens and health professionals, we must advocate for better community health, and educate our patients. Future Directions All health and medical personnel need to consider planetary health and sustainable healthcare within their daily work. Healthcare must act to address climate change, and realise benefits for people and planet.

This study aims to analyze the pedigrees of calves affected by one of three congenital defects: aplasia genitalis, atresia ani et recti and hernia cerebralis. The defects were diagnosed by veterinary surgeons in the Czech surveillance program for bovine genetic disorders. The sires fathering affected calves were born in the Czech Republic or imported from 1986-2001. The cases occurred on farms across the Czech Republic. The pedigree of each case was examined for common maternal and paternal ancestors (inbreeding loops) and for ancestors shared by other cases of the defect. The 13 calves affected by aplasia genitalis had common ancestors in all cases. The results indicate hereditary causation with recessive inheritance. Additionally, in atresia ani et recti, some of the pedigrees of 25 affected calves support hereditary causation, and repeating ancestors were found for 11 calves. In contrast, our analysis of 11 hernia cerebralis cases did not confirm the genetic background. We demonstrated that the pedigree analysis of congenital defects could help in controlling genetic health, although the final goal in terms of inherited defects is the description of causal genes and mutations. Measures to control sires that father affected calves should be appropriate under the current knowledge, which include culling or prudent use of breeding with the monitoring of descendants.

Community-engaged research is understood as existing on a continuum from less to more community engagement, defined by participation and decision-making authority. It has been widely assumed that more is better than less engagement. However, we argue that what makes for good community engagement is not simply the extent but the fit or alignment between the intended approach and the various contexts shaping the research projects. This article draws on case studies from three Community Engagement Cores (CECs) of NIEHS-funded Environmental Health Science Core Centers (Harvard University, UC Davis and University of Arizona,) to illustrate the ways in which community engagement approaches have been fit to different contexts and the successes and challenges experienced in each case. We analyze the processes through which the CECs work with researchers and community leaders to develop place-based community engagement approaches and find that different strategies are called for to fit distinct contexts. We find that alignment of the scale and scope of the environmental health issue and related research project, the capacities and resources of the researchers and community leaders, and the influences of the socio-political environment are critical for understanding and designing effective and equitable engagement approaches. These cases demonstrate that the types and degrees of alignment in community-engaged research projects are dynamic and evolve over time. Based on this analysis, we recommend that CBPR scholars and practitioners select a range of project planning and management techniques for designing and implementing their collaborative research approaches and both expect and allow for the dynamic and changing nature of alignment.

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that impairs breathing. Management of asthma presents a significant challenge due to its inherent variability; that is, its symptoms can substantially differ among individuals, thereby complicating the prediction and management of exacerbations. Furthermore, individuals with asthma often have unique triggers that precipitate symptoms or attacks. The identification of these triggers can often prove to be a challenging, and at times, an impractical attempt. To address this, our research proposes a practical, personalized alert system, predicated on individual lung function tests conducted under varying environmental conditions classified by air-quality sensors. To validate this concept, we conducted an observational pilot study involving healthy individuals. We recruited twelve healthy participants and monitored their responses across a broad spectrum of environments, characterized by varying air quality, temperature, and humidity conditions. The lung function for each participant, assessed using peak expiratory flow (PEF) values, was recorded in each of these environments. Our results highlighted substantial variability in pulmonary responses to different environments. Utilizing these insights, we proposed a personalized alarm system that provides real-time air-quality monitoring and issues alerts when environmental conditions may potentially become unfavorable. We also explored the feasibility of employing basic machine learning techniques to predict PEF values in the aforementioned environmental conditions. This proposed system has the potential to empower individuals in actively safeguarding their respiratory health and mitigating discomfort caused by environmental conditions, especially in cases of asthma patients. By enabling timely and personalized interventions, the system aims to provide individuals with the necessary tools to minimize exposure to asthma’s possible triggers.

(1) Background: This paper investigates the epidemiological risk related to temperature before and during COVID-19 in Italy; (2) Methods: Deaths in 2015-2019 and temperatures were correlated. Excess and COVID-19 deaths were examined to estimate the relationships with temperatures; (3) Results: Annual deaths were higher during the cold months (+45,000, SD = 4,700, S = 21). The scenario worsened during COVID-19. Mortality was higher during minimum temperature periods, although the curve moderately rose in the warmest months (r = -0.75, 95% CI = [-0.87; -0.56], S = 23). COVID-19 deaths showed a decreasing seasonality. Monthly excess deaths during COVID-19 were high (+4,200, IQR = [2,800; 8,000], S = 28) with a doubt of seasonality. COVID-19 mortality was correlated with regional latitude (r = 0.86, 95% CI = [0.68; 0.94], S = 20). Discrepancies between COVID-19 and excess deaths were found. The exposed population was subject to aging; (4) Conclusions: The epidemiological risk in Italy is seasonal and geographically dependent. Low and very high temperatures can lead to mortality peaks. Therefore, COVID-19 and any other epidemiological risk must be evaluated in light of this evidence. Health systems need to be strengthened during cold and extremely hot periods. Future research should investigate these phenomena at the causal level.

Frequent employee resistance to innovation is one of the main barriers of change failure in a health care organization and one of the negative stimuli of employment relationships. Identifying the reasons of resistance is a topical issue for every organization, as the speed of change can affect their competitiveness. Consequently, it is helpful not only to know the causes of potential resistance but also to be ready to control any implicit opposition. The organizational climate and the attitude of the staff play an important role in understanding and accepting innovation. Purpose of the study is to develop a model, which would facilitate the choice of an appropriate strategy necessary to enable the health care organization to eliminate or at least to reduce resistance to often essential innovative changes. The article analyses the root causes of resistance and identifies strategies that help to mitigate or eliminate staff resistance for innovation. Use of suggested model can make easier reducing staff resistance to change processes and thus speed up the implementation of innovations. This methodology can be used to eliminate the reasons for staff resistance to change in health care institutions of different countries, but it was tested in Lithuania and achieved good enough results.

Background: Historically, in the United States and globally, women have supported other women before, during, and after childbirth. Birth doulas are considered an important component to eliminating racial disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality. To address disparities in birth outcomes, Healthy Women Healthy Futures (HWHF) provides free birth and postpartum doula services to low-income women and communities of color in New York City. Methods: Secondary analysis of program data (n=364) collected between 2020 and 2021 was conducted. Univariate and multivariable analyses focused on: method of delivery, preterm birth, low-birthweight birth, breastfeeding, maternal-infant skin contact. The key exposure variable was total doula hours. Results: Clients who received prenatal doula support had low rates of preterm birth (8.8%) and low birthweight (7.1%), and high rates of vaginal delivery (69.1%), breastfeeding in the hospital (90.9%), and maternal-infant skin contact (78.2%). Multivariable analysis did not identify an association between number of doula hours and any of the five outcomes examined. Conclusion: While descriptive results point to positive birth outcomes, these effects did not persist in multivariable analyses. Data quality concerns from this intervention likely hindered the ability to detect a program impact, emphasizing the importance of funding to support data collection and management activities.

Background: This study aimed to explore the association between the emotional impact of COVID-19 and emotional eating and the risk of alcohol use disorder among Peruvian health science students. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analytical study in which an online questionnaire was administered to 456 health science interns from four cities in Peru. We used the COVID-19 Emotional Impact Profile questionnaire, Mindful Eating Questionnaire, and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Spearman’s correlations were calculated and two multiple linear regression models were developed. Results: 68.4% of the participants were emotional eaters and 8.6% reported low-risk levels of alcohol use disorder. Based on the results of the first model, the overall emotional impact of COVID-19, being overweight or obese, depression and anxiety levels, and living with only one parent were factors associated with emotional eating. The results of the second model showed that the level of depression, living with just one parent, living alone, sex, and number of months as an intern were factors associated with the risk of alcohol use disorder. Conclusion: To reduce emotional eating and the risk of alcohol use disorder among interns, universities should implement interventions aimed at reducing the emotional impact of COVID-19 and provide nutritional counseling.

Global public health systems have continuously faced challenges from the advent of novel infectious illnesses, necessitating quick and efficient actions to stop their spread.First discovered in Saudi Arabia in 2012, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory disorder caused by the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Since then, the nation has reported most cases and fatalities related to this sickness, with occasional outbreaks happening in other nations and regions. Severe sickness and high mortality are caused by MERS-CoV, especially in older persons and those with underlying chronic conditions. Through intimate contact, the virus can spread from people to dromedary camels and vice versa. It has sparked multiple epidemics both domestically and abroad in the Middle East, raising the possibility of fatalities and widespread transmission, especially in susceptible groups. The Riyadh region was the main target of the most current MERS-CoV outbreak in Saudi Arabia, which began in 2023 and ended on September 1, 2023, with 312 confirmed cases and ninety-seven fatalities. With the use of published studies and their contributions to the field, we hope to present a thorough overview of the MERS-CoV outbreak in Saudi Arabia in this review of the literature, including its epidemiological investigation, public health response, impact, and lessons learned. In addition to highlighting the importance and continued relevance of this problem, our work suggests ways to lower the risk of MERS-CoV transmission and avert further outbreaks.

Patients with a psychotic disorder frequently report oral health problems, while mental health nurses (MHNs) seem not to be fully aware of these problems and the risk factors. Therefore, this study aims to develop supportive tools for MHNs regarding oral health to increase sensitization among MHNs and to provide MHNs with knowledge to recognize (potential) oral health problems in patients with a psychotic disorder. We used a human-centered design in which the user, MHNs as well as experts by experience, were placed in the centre of the research process. Problems and needs in MHNs working with patients with a psychotic disorder were addressed. To identify key issues of problem as well as the needs in terms of resources, we started with focus groups (n = 9). We analysed the data thematically based on context of patients and MHNs in practice regarding oral health, preferred oral health tools focused on MHN, and intended outcomes of tools. A Multi Criteria Decision Matrix was developed and analysed (n = 9) to identify the most optimal and viable solution based on established criteria and issues that are prevalent in the work of MHNs. Most promising result was the development of a brochure with an awareness screener. The brochure with awareness screener was developed as a low-fidelity prototype for MHNs regarding oral health in patients with a psychotic disorder, based on the latest scientific evidence. After testing it, the feasibility was tested through semi-structured interviews (n=19). MHNs and experts by experience were satisfied with the tool and provided recommendations for adjustments to the content. Significant augmentations to the brochure include a clinical lesson and a toothbrush with toothpaste for patients. We can conclude that a brochure with an awareness screener is feasible for MHNs. Future steps aiming to further refine and optimize care processes for oral health tools in MHNs, should take refining eligibility criteria for psychiatric populations and the language level of the target group of a tool into account.

User experience-related challenges play a significant part in user-technology interactions. However, design processes have not always kept up with the evolving needs of users in terms of technology interactions. This paper aims to present the design, structure and evaluation of an integrated mental health intervention platform (AMGR-I), emphasizing the importance of user-centred design and engagement in addressing the evolving needs of users in technology interactions, specifically focusing on individuals with mental health disorders. The AMGR-I pilot platform integrates community, e-learning, and care sub-platforms to provide a holistic approach to mental health intervention. The study utilizes participatory design research with targeted users to gather insights into user preferences and expectations. By involving the targeted audience in the design process, the platform’s user-centered design can be improved effectively. The platform recognizes the changing view of users, who now seek products that deliver pleasure, enjoyment, engagement, and embodiment. This research contributes to the field by highlighting the importance of user-centered design in the development of a comprehensive platform for mental health support.

Myocastor coypus is a pest animal present in Africa, Europe, North America, and Asia that causes agricultural and ecological damages. Moreover, it has to be considered as a potential risk for public health. Forty-four Nutrias from the “Parco Naturale La Mandria” (Piedmont region, Northwest Italy) have been analysed. A complete necropsy and a whole histological evaluation of liver, kidney and lung have been carried out on all the animals. Moreover, the positivity to Hepatitis E Virus (HEV), Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV), Francisella spp., Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum have been investigated. None of the animal resulted positive for HEV, EMCV, Francisella spp. or Neospora caninum. Two animals tested positive for Toxoplasma gondii. A high presence of histological lesions has been identified in different organs, suggesting that lesions could be induced by different pathogens. As previously reported, Nutria can act as a host for several pathogens, including important agents for human and animal health, and surveillance is necessary, to fully understand the biological role and the importance of coypu as a disease reservoir in our country.

The rapid growth of urban areas has led to a decline in the amount of green space available to residents. This has a number of negative consequences for human health and well-- being. Green spaces provide a number of benefits for human health, including improved physical, mental, and social health. They also have a number of economic benefits, such as increased property values and reduced crime rates. Given the many benefits of green spaces, it is clear that they are essential for the health and well-being of urban residents. Policymakers and planners should prioritize the creation and preservation of green spaces in urban areas.

Introduction: In recent decades, health literacy, in connection with a broad range of public 1 health terms, has become a burgeoning field. This study aims to explore trends and biases in this 2 area through a bibliometric analysis. Methods: A Random Forest Model was utilized to identify 3 keywords and other metadata that predict annual citations in the field. In order to supplement 4 this machine learning analysis, we have also implemented a bibliometric review of the corpus. 5 Results: Findings indicate a high positive coefficient for the keyword ’Covid-19’ and ’Male’, whereas a 6 negative coefficient was observed for ’Female’, suggesting potential biases. Evolving themes such as 7 Covid-19, Mental Health, and Social Media were discovered. A significant shift was noted in the main 8 publishing journals, while the major contributing authors remained the same. Discussion: The results 9 hint at the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic and potential gender biases on citation likelihood, as 10 well as changing publication strategies despite the fact that the main researchers remain as the ones 11 that have been studying health literacy since its creation.

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

The participation of civil society is essential for environmental health policies to be effective. The objective of this study was to know the perceptions of government officials, members of civil society, and academics about environmental health problems and its governance in Bucaramanga Metropolitan Area, Colombia. In the region there is a strong citizen movement that defends the moorland ecosystem (paramo) as source of drinking water, of large-scale mining projects. A multi-method study was carried out including the review of newspaper and scientific articles, a citizen survey, and interviews and focus groups with identified key stakeholders. The findings indicate that government officials prioritize their actions on issues related to air and water pollution and environmental education. In contrast, citizens prioritize water availability from the moorland ecosystem. There are some advances in the management of environmental health, mainly related to greater citizen awareness. The participation of civil society in the environmental health governance must be enforced to broaden the issues of interest and prioritize the activities in the short- and long-term policy planning. An experience between high school students and the academy that measures air pollutants can be the first meeting point with government officials in the pathway to improve the environmental governance in the territory.

The pandemic of Covid-19 has contributed to the increase of the number of cases of anxiety, depression, and stress, especially in vulnerable workers. The objective of this study was to analyze factors associated with mental health of waste pickers and street sweepers in Brasília, Brazil, during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a cross-sectional cohort study with a quantitative approach. SRQ-20 test was used to assess mental health. The study sample included 886 workers: 601 street sweepers and 285 waste pickers. Of the total, 71 workers (8.0%) had SRQ-20 ≥ 7, which is equivalent to adverse mental health. The characteristics associated with adverse mental health were women (PR: 3.36; 95%CI:1.86;6.08), worker between 18-39 years old (PR: 2.19; 95% CI 1.32;3.65), waste pickers (PR: 1.65; 95%CI:1.01;2.70), worker who reported two (PR: 3.24; 95%CI:1.72; 6.12), three or more (PR: 4.73; 95%CI:2.40;9.32) health problems. For the symptoms, 17.05% of the people interviewed said they felt sad and 18.25% nervous, tense, and worried. Female waste pickers, young adults, with many health problems were more susceptible to adverse mental health and it doesn't just affect them, but also their families. Public policies are needed to protect these professionals so that they can work safely and establish early interventions to maintain these workers' mental integrity.

Anthropogenic activities are the main cause of climate change globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized that heating and precipitation are the reason for climate change due to anthropogenic actions over the past 30 years and claim 150,000 lives annually. Climate change is also affecting the atmospheres of polar regions. Numerous diseases are linked with climate change like cardiovascular mortality and respiratory illnesses. Due to climate change, lack of long-term and high-quality data sets, variations in drug resistance and immunity, the amplification or the resurgence of diseases, as well as many socio-economic factors, are uncertain.Potentially susceptible regions consist of the temperate latitudes, the regions near the Indian and Pacific oceans are affected due to the heavy rainfall where the heat of the cities could increase life-threatening climatic proceedings. The association between climate and health poses a risk to health under future guesses. Over the current decades, warming has contributed to increased mortality and morbidity in various provinces of the globe. The current study reviews the potential effects of climate change on temperature, human health, air quality, food & nutrition, livelihoods, and livestock & fisheries in detail.

ABSTRACT: Psychological vulnerability (PV) and low mental health literacy correlate negatively with higher education students' positive mental health and health behaviours. Levels of mental health literacy limit self-help, adaptative coping strategies and academic success. However, few studies examine the significant differences between students' PV, mental health literacy, positive mental health (PMH) and modifiable behaviours variables. Identifying modifiable vulnerability factors is essential when seeking and providing professional help. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted to investigate the differences between modifiable behaviours and PV, mental health literacy, and PMH in higher education students. A sample of 3,600 undergraduate students was recruited, mostly female (78.8%), with an average age of 23 years (SD = 6.68). Results: The majority were women, did not exercise, were dissatisfied with sleep quality time per night (62.1% sleep less than 7 hours per night) and did not engage in leisure activities. Also, most respondents had PV and low literacy levels, particularly at F1, and 67.9% scored in the flourishing group. Results showed significant differences (p<0.001) between gender, age, sleep, exercise, diet, leisure activities and PV, and PMH and literacy. Conclusions: The results identified modifiable vulnerability factors that underpin the design of intervention-targeted programmes to promote literacy and PMH in higher education campuses in Portugal to foster students’ well-being and self-help strategies.

Postpartum depression (PPD) can predispose to physical and mental health problems in women. However, PPD is associated with health and perceived social support but their causal relationship is unclear. Therefore, this study intended to evaluate the association of PPD with insomnia, mental health, and physical health. Convenience sampling technique was used to collect data from 320 (52.8 %) young and middle aged postpartum women, in the outpatient departments of obstetrics and gynecology in Government Maula Bakhsh Hospital, District Head Quarter in Sargodha, Pakistan. The Edinburgh Postnatal depression scale, Pittsburg sleep quality index, Warwick-Edinburgh mental wellbeing scale, Patient health questionnaire, and Multidimensional scale of perceived social support were used to measure study variables. Results revealed a significant positive relationship of PPD with physical health (r= .45, p=.001), while a negative relationship with insomnia (r= -.24, p<.001), and perceived social support (r= -.38, p=.001). Results further confirmed that perceived social support played a moderating role (β = .97, p=.01) in the relationship between PPD and mental health among females. This study concluded that perceived social support has an important role in PPD and women’s health. The study also concluded that poor health is a risk indicator for identifying aid in the early stages of postpartum among women.

Worldwide, depressive disorder is one of the leading determinants of disability-adjusted life years. Although the benefits associated with physical activity (PA), there is a lack of information related to depression, especially in countries like Czechia, where modern approaches to mental health care only recently emerged. The PA levels were associated with aspects of depression such as clinician-diagnosed history; different severities; continuous depression scores; and specific symptoms that characterize the depression. The multivariable-adjusted Poisson regression models were carried out on 2123 participants (45.3% men, median 48 years). Compared to subjects with insufficient PA, the moderate and high PA levels were inversely associated with clinician-diagnosed depression history (respectively, prevalence rate [PR]= 0.84; 95% CI 0.66-0.82 and PR=0.50; 95% CI 0.36-0.67); and with continuous depression scores (PR=0.85; 95% CI 0.75-0.97; and PR=0.79; 95%CI 0.70-0.90).; but only high PA showed association with depression categories (PR=0.75; 95%CI 0.60-0.95). Depressed mood and worthlessness were the symptoms associated with moderate and high PA. Tiredness, change in appetite, and problems with concentration only with high PA. Although only high PA was sufficient for people intending changes among depression categories, the moderate PA may be enough for slight changes in depressive symptoms, and a good strategy when starting.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a considerable expansion in the way work settings are structured with a continuum emerging between working fully in-person and from home. The pandemic has also exacerbated many risk factors for poor mental health in the workplace, especially in public-facing jobs. Therefore, we sought to test the potential relationship between work setting and self-rated mental health. Methods: We modeled the association of work setting (only working from home, only in-person, hybrid) on self-rated mental health (Excellent/Very Good/Good vs. Fair/Poor) in an online survey of Canadian workers during the 3rd wave of COVID-19. Mediating effects of vaccination, masking, and distancing were explored due to the potential effect of COVID-19 related worries on mental health among those working in-person. Results: Among 1,576 workers, most reported hybrid work (77.2%). Most also reported good self-rated mental health (80.7%). Exclusive work from home (aOR: 2.79, 95%CI:1.90,4.07) and exclusive in-person work (aOR: 2.79, 95%CI: 1.83,4.26) were associated with poorer self-rated mental health than hybrid work. Vaccine status mediated only a small proportion of this relationship (7%), while masking and physical distancing were not mediators. Conclusion: Hybrid work arrangements were associated with positive self-rated mental health. Compliance to vaccination, masking, and distancing did not meaningfully mediate this relationship.

During the last two years the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world population in several ways. An important increase in mental health problems is a consequence of this pandemic that is ubiquitous worldwide. In this work we study the effect of the pandemic on the mental health of a population of teenagers and youth based on the analysis of natural language processing, machine learning algorithms and expert knowledge. The data analysed was obtained from a chat helpline called Safe time from theIt Get’s Better Foundation in Chile. The data consists of 10,986 conversations gathered from 2018 until 2020 between volunteers from the foundation and users of the platform. We compared the conversationsbefore and during the pandemic in terms of their thematic content. Our analysis found: a significantdecrease in self-image appreciation during the pandemic; a significant decrease in the quality of personalrelationships during the pandemic, and a significant increase of performance appreciation.

Pet ownership is common in modern society. In Portugal, 38% and 31% of all households own, at least, one dog or cat, respectively. Few studies have ascertained the knowledge of pet owners about pet ownership and zoonoses, and none of them was carried out in Portugal. The aim of the present study was to assess household knowledge and practices related to pet ownership and zoonoses in the North of Portugal. A questionnaire was completed by 424 pet owners, during November 2019 to February 2020. Most respondents (97.2%) considered pets as an important part of the family, especially women (p = 0.036); 73.1% allowed their pets free access to indoors; 41.3% denied sharing the bed with their pets and 29% assumed they did it daily; 20.3% reported never kissing their pets/pets licking their faces; 73.6% considered animals as potential sources of diseases to humans, but only 25.9% reported knowing the definition of zoonoses; 96.9% considered important the role of veterinarians in protecting public health. The low level of knowledge of pet owners and the occurrence of high-risk behaviors indicate a need to strengthen communication between veterinarians, physicians, pet owners and the general public to reduce the risk of acquisition and transmission of zoonoses.

Although the universal health coverage (UHC) is pursued by many countries, not all countries with UHC include dental care as their benefits. Japan, with its long-held tradition of UHC, has covered dental care as essential benefit and majority of dental care services are provided to all patients with minimal copayment. Being under the UHC, the scope of services as well as prices are regulated by the uniform fee schedule and dentists submit claims according to the uniform format and fee schedule. The author analyzes the publicly available dental health insurance claims data as well as a sampling survey on dental hygiene and illustrates how Japan’s dental care is responding to the challenges of the population ageing.

Many governments particularly in Europe are designing social interventions for the first post COVID-19 emergency phase. Definition of a ‘best practice’ for restriction release is urgent. Although data uncertainty generate difficulties, we believe near term analysis must shift from attempting to understand the numerous ‘unknowns’ to the clarification and interpretation of the few ‘knowns’, to create stepping stones towards rapid evidence-based decision making.Here, open access data on COVID-19 severity in three European countries were analyzed. Spain’s data were more comprehensive than those from Italy and Germany. Overall, COVID-19 severity shows a remarkable nonlinear growth with age that is significantly higher in adult males. Hence, age-adaptive and gender-balanced social interventions might represent efficient repopulation options for public health policymakers. Furthermore, we urge wider governmental effort for open access to relevant data. Their analysis will allow consolidation of existing trends, validation of key observations and thus facilitation of timely decisions.

An increasing global aridification due to climate change has made the health monitoring of vegetation indispensable to maintaining the food supply chain. Cost-effective and smart irrigation systems are required not only to ensure the efficient distribution of water, but also to track the moisture of plant leaves, which is an important marker of the overall health of the plant. This paper presents a novel electromagnetic method to monitor the water content (WC) and characterization in plant leaves utilizing the absorption spectra of water molecules in the terahertz (THz) frequency for four consecutive days. We extracted the material properties of leaves of eight types of pot herbs from the scattering parameters, measured using a material characterization kit in the frequency range of 0.75 to 1.1 THz. From the computed permittivity, it is deduced that the leaf specimens increasingly become transparent to the THz waves as they dry out with the passage of days. Moreover, the loss in weight and thickness of leaves were observed due to the natural evaporation of leaf moisture cells and change occurred in the morphology of fresh and water-stressed leaves. It is also illustrated that loss observed in WC on day 1 was in the range of 5\% to 22\%, and increased from 83.12\% to 99.33\% on day 4. Furthermore, we observed an exponential decaying trend in the peaks of the real part of the permittivity from day 1 to 4, which was reminiscent of the trend observed in the weight of all leaves. Thus, results in paper demonstrated that timely detection of water stress in leaves can help to take proactive action in relation to plants health monitoring, and for precision agriculture applications, which is of high importance to improve the overall productivity.

The aim of this study was to explore perspectives of occupation health personnels (OHPs) regarding education and training of mineworkers on occupational noise induced hearing loss (ONIHL) and its impact on mineworkers’ hearing. Qualitative, in-depth telephonic and face-to-face interviews were conducted with 16 OHPs comprising representatives from the state, employer and labour as well as audiologists and occupational health hygienists. Purposive and snowball sampling were utilized to recruit participants. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Findings revealed that mineworkers have a superficial awareness and knowledge of the impact of noise on their hearing and health. Moreover, OHPs are not knowledgeable on how mineworkers are educated on ONIHL and its latent consequences. Furthermore, language, low levels of education and literacy as well as the financial constraints were factors that had a negative impact on raising awareness and training mineworkers. There is a need to prioritize health literacy among mineworkers. Additionally, audiologists need to play an active role in educating mineworkers about the effects of excessive exposure to noise. There is a need to take into account literacy levels and language barriers in planning training material for mineworkers.

Objectives Asylum seekers in Germany represent a highly vulnerable group from a health perspective due to a variety of risk factors. At the same time their access to healthcare is restricted. While the introduction of the Electronic Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for asylum seekers instead of healthcare-vouchers is discussed controversially using politico-economic reasons, there is hardly any empirical evidence on its actual impact on the use of medical services Study design Thus, the aim of this study is to examine the influence of the possession of the EHIC on the use of medical services by asylum seekers as measured by their consultation rate of ambulant physicians (CR). For this purpose, a standardized survey was carried out to 260 asylum seekers in different municipalities of which some have introduced the EHIC for asylum seekers, while others have not. Methods Various CR were differentiated considering possible third variables as well as confounding factors. The period prevalence was compared between the groups "with EHIC" and "without EHIC" using a two-sided t-test. Multivariate analysis was done using a linear OLS regression model. Results Asylum seekers who are in possession of the EHIC are significantly more likely to seek ambulant medical care than those receiving healthcare-vouchers. Their CR, however, does not differ significantly from the age-corrected CR of the autochtonous population. Taking into account relevant covariables, the possession of the EHIC can be viewed as an independent influencing factor on the asylum seekers' use of medical care. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that having to ask for healthcare-vouchers at the social security office could be a relevant barrier for asylum seekers. Nevertheless, the ownership of the EHIC does not seem to lead to an overuse of medical services.

The COVID-19 pandemic halted progress in global vaccine coverage and disrupted routine childhood vaccination practices worldwide. While there is ample evidence of vaccination declines experienced during the pandemic, it is less clear how low-income countries were affected. We executed a systematic review to synthesize the current literature on impacts to routine childhood vaccinations in low-income countries from January 1, 2020 to February 8, 2023. We collected data using an extraction form on Covidence and assessed the quality of studies included in the review using the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool. Effect estimates for changes in vaccination during the pandemic were reported and summarized. Factors that influenced changes were grouped into descriptive themes. Thirteen studies, encompassing 18 low-income countries and evaluating 15 vaccines at varying doses, were included in the final review. We found that routine childhood vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic varied considerably by vaccine type, location, and phase of the pandemic. Nine different themes were identified as factors that influenced changes in vaccination. Documenting past experiences and lessons learned is crucial for informing preparedness efforts in anticipation of future public health emergencies. Failure to effectively address these things in the next public health emergency could result in a recurrence of declining routine childhood vaccinations.

Heat stress on workers wearing PPE(Personal protective equipment) in hot outdoor environments is of rising concern, especially in cases when rest breaks and clothing changes are impractical. Mist fan evaporative cooling could provide low-energy continuous cooling even during work activity. The cooling effect of a misting fan was compared to that of a fan alone, as well as natural convection. A thermal mannequin with heat flux sensors at 8 body locations was exposed to an outdoor misting fan while clothed in typical work clothes and PPE. Work clothes were dry or saturated with water to simulate sweat. The distance from the misting fan ranged from 4m (wetting common) to 7m (wetting unlikely). On average, the misting fan had a cooling effect of 0.31met (18.3W/m²) higher than natural convection when PPE with wet work clothes are worn, and 0.35met (10.63W/m²) higher when dry work clothes with PPE were worn. This equates to reducing thermal metabolic load from light industrial work to walking about in office work, or from standing to reclining. Under international standards for workers in hot environments based on metabolic rate and WBGT(wet bulb globe temperature), such as ISO 7243, this equate to an average of about a 0.35ºC (dry clothes with PPE) to 0.61ºC (wet clothes with PPE) increase in acceptable WBGT.

Migrate is a verb representing a process where the intention of providing social services to migrants is to reduce their instability and discomfort. Consequently, social service providers are inclined to view migrants as pitiful, often also those to be feared, with migrants learning to form negative views of themselves, decreasing their mental health. Considering migration as a verb neglects the noun initiating the migration when the migrant is heading to a person, place, thing, event, or idea. In viewing migration as noun-dependent, the migrant is identifiable as self-directed in seeking aid rather than pitiful or inciting fear. This study aims to examine the types of nouns migrants conceptualize for guiding their migration based on a Google Scholar search of “[noun-type] to which [whom] migrants head in their migration” for each noun type regarding the four most highly cited reports published since 2020. The purpose is to determine the social services applicable to migrants in their self-direction regarding theoretical foundations that contrast problem-focused with emotion-focused coping. Viewing such migration nouns as essential migration signifiers encourages migrants’ favorable identification. In recognizing the intended self-direction of the migrant, their mental health is improved and is supportable through relevant and appropriately available social services.

Binge drinking is a pattern of alcohol abuse. Its prevalence and associated risk factors are not well documented. Heavy drinking, on the other hand, has a well-studied association with bereavement . This report uses a cross-sectional, population-based survey to estimate prevalence of bingeing and its association with new bereavement. Bingeing is defined as 4 or more drinks (women) or 5 or more drinks (men) in a 2-to-4-hour setting. For the first time, the Georgia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) included a bereavement item, ‘Have you experienced the death of a family member or close friend in the years 2018 or 2019?’. Methods: Georgia BRFSS is a complex sampling survey administered annually. It is designed to represent the 8.1 million persons in the U.S. state of Georgia aged 18 years and older. Alcohol consumption patterns are routinely measured in the common core. In the 2019 field survey, the state added a new item probing for bereavement in the prior 24 months predating the pandemic of COVID-19. Imputation and weighting techniques were applied to yield population prevalence rates of new bereavement, bingeing, and their co-occurrence with other high-risk health states. Models, adjusted for age, gender, and race were used to estimate the risk for other unhealthy behaviors posed by the co-occurrence of bereavement and bingeing. Results: In Georgia, bereavement is common (45.8 %), and alcohol consumption is common (48.8 %). Bereavement and alcohol use co-occurred among 1,796,817 persons (45 % of all drinkers). The subset of co-occurring bereavement and binging totaled 608,282 persons. Within this group, the highest rates of bereavement were associated with death of a friend / neighbor (30.7%) or 3 plus deaths (31.8%). Conclusions: While bingeing is a known risk to public health, its co-occurrence with recent bereavement is a new observation. Public health surveillance systems need to monitor this co-occurrence to protect both individual and societal health. In a time of global bereavement, documenting its influence on binge drinking can support the work towards Sustainable Goal #3 – Good health and Well-Being. Keywords: BRFSS, Binge Drinking, Population Survey, Bereavement, SDG#3. Mental Health

Research into professionalization in health and safety has recently gained in interest. Graduate training is one of the factors that determines or conditions the role of the safety professional, thus intervene in the professionalization process. This article is the result of a workshop and the discussions of nine academic directors of safety education programs about quality evaluation. This article introduces the issue with a historic overview of safety education, presents a synthesis of nine selected education programs, discusses quality evaluation of health and safety education programs, propose a quality evaluation frame and finally, proposes a process for designing a quality safety education program with an associated model of the learning objectives. The outcomes are interesting for everyone who is interested in health and safety education and quality evaluation and will give insights into how safety professionals are educated.

Background: Access to rehabilitation is crucial for the realization of the right to health and a proper concern of global health. Yet, reliable information to guide rehabilitation service planning is unavailable in many countries in part due to the lack of appropriate indicators. To ensure universal health coverage and meet the central imperative of “leaving no one behind” countries must be able to assess key aspects of rehabilitation policy and provision and monitor how they have discharged their human rights responsibilities towards those most disadvantaged, including people with disability. This article describes the process of developing an expert guided indicator framework to assess governments’ efforts and progress in strengthening rehabilitation in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Methods: A systems methodology - concept mapping - was used to capture, aggregate and confirm the knowledge of diverse stakeholders on measures thought to be useful for monitoring the implementation of the Convention with respect to health related rehabilitation. 56 individuals generated a list of 107 indicators through online brainstorming which were subsequently sorted by 37 experts from the original panel into non overlapping categories. 41 participants rated the indicators for importance and feasibility. Multivariate statistical techniques where used to explore patterns and themes in the data and create the indicators’ organizing framework which was verified and interpreted by participants. Results: A concept map of 11 clusters of indicators emerged from the analysis grouped into three broader themes: Governance and Leadership (3 clusters); Service Delivery, Financing and Oversight (6 clusters); and Human Resources (2 clusters). The RESYST was comprehensive and well aligned with the Convention. On average, there was a moderately positive correlation between importance and feasibility of the indicators (r=.58) with experts prioritizing the indicators contained in the clusters of the Governance and Leadership domain. Two of the most important indicators arose from the Service Delivery, Financing and Oversight domain and reflect the need to monitor unmet needs and barriers in access to rehabilitation. In total, 59 indicators achieved above average score for importance and comprised the two–tiered priority set of indicators. Conclusion: Concept mapping was successful in generating a shared model that enables a system’s view of the most critical legal, policy and programmatic factors that must be addressed when assessing country efforts to reform, upscale and improve rehabilitation services. The RESYST provides a data driven basis for the development of standardized data collection tools to facilitate comparative analysis of rehabilitation systems.

Indigenous peoples around the world are revitalizing their ancestral beliefs, practices, and languages, including traditional understandings of health and wellbeing. In the Aotearoa (New Zealand) context, a number of ground-breaking Māori health and wellbeing related models have emerged, each with their own unique applications and offerings. We sought in these qualitative studies to explore and identify some key sources of wellbeing for Māori individuals. Nine interviews were conducted with members of Māori communities to identify key themes of Māori wellbeing. A Reflexive Thematic Analysis was performed on these data, and then a further fifteen interviews were conducted to revise, refine, and reposition the previously generated themes. The Ngaruroro describes wellbeing as the embodied and active process of being in good relation with your 1) here tāngata (social and familial ties), 2) te taiao (the environment), and 3) taonga tuku iho (cultural treasures), while doing what you can to make lifestyle choices that are conducive to the health of your 4) tinana (body) and 5) wairua (spirit), while cultivating a balanced 6) ngākau (inner-system), fulfilling 7) matea (core needs), and exercising your 8) mana (authority). These themes illustrate and reiterate that Māori wellbeing is dynamic, interconnected, and holistic.

In response to new developments of work and employment in high-income countries (HICs), psychosocial aspects of work and health received increased attention. In contrast, middle-income countries (MICs) are mainly concerned with severe challenges of noxious and dangerous material work environments, poor employment conditions, and deficient social policies, leaving psychosocial aspects in a marginal role at best. More recently, differences between these two worlds were even aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, with economic globalisation and growing worldwide interconnectivity, the world of work in MICs is being rapidly transformed, sharing several concerns with modern Western societies. In this process, psychosocial occupational health will become an increasingly pressing issue. This contribution explores to what extent psychosocial aspects of work and health are already addressed in research originating from MICs. A selective focus on recent findings from two regions, Asia Pacific and Latin America, reveals a high degree of awareness of, and inquiry into, work-stress related problems within these countries. Importantly, in addition to incorporating research progress from HICs, these analyses identify new aspects within specific cultural and socio-economic environments, thus enriching the international state of art.

Background: Micrococcus luteus is a commensal bacterial member on the human skin and is essential in keeping the balance among the various microbial flora of the skin. M. luteus strain Q24 or BLIS Q24^TM was isolated from the skin of a healthy human adult and has been identified to produce a unique antimicrobial spectrum that is inhibitory towards pathogenic bacteria associated with many skin diseases such as acne. It has been developed as a probiotic with potential applications in improving overall skin health.Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the perceived changes in skin quality following topical application of a formulation containing skin commensal probiotic BLIS Q24^TM. Materials and methods: A 28-day study involving 100 adult participants with self-reported normal skin with occasional blemishes or breakouts, topically applied a serum formulation containing BLIS Q24^TM to the face. Participants quantitatively evaluated the probiotic serum effect on their skin at baseline Day 0 and then again on Day 10, 20 and 28 of the application. In addition, participants maintained a photo diary to record the perceived changes to their skin.Results: A total of 96 participants completed this research. In comparison to the baseline (Day 0), within 10 days, a significant reduction in blackheads (48%), oiliness (48%), blemishes (57%), dry areas (23%), redness/rosacea (45%) and flaky and rough skin (38%) were reported. The probiotic serum was also effective in a significant reduction in fine lines and wrinkles (38%), whiteheads (41%), pimples (55%), age spots (29%), and acne (21%) by the end of 28 days of probiotic application. Overall, there’s agreement that probiotic serum delivers or exceeds consumer expectations from the concept and performs just as well, or better, than their regular moisturiser.Conclusions: An approach of delivering a live probiotic packaged in an innovative formula to improve several skin conditions in otherwise healthy individuals was found to be successful. This study highlights that a serum formulation containing BLIS Q24^TM has a positive impact on skin health with it being effective topically in reducing the appearance of skin blemishes, oiliness, wrinkles, redness, and dryness. BLIS Q24^TM offers the potential for the prevention of skin health-related issues and routine maintenance of skin microbiome for healthy skin.

Improving the effectiveness of health interventions is a major challenge in public health research and program development. A large body of literature has found low or no impact of health education and promotional interventions. We aim to develop a conceptual framework in support of intervention designs for preventive health behavior improvement programs and outcomes. The proposed approach is based on a narrative review of empirical literature assessing the limitations of less effective or ineffective field experiments regarding preventive health education and promotion interventions. We found three major limitations regarding the mental model’s balance of treatment and comparison groups, treatment groups’ willingness to adopt suggested behaviors, and the type, length, frequency, intensity, and sequence of treatments. To minimize the influence of these concerns, we propose a mental model-based repeated multifaceted (MRM) intervention design framework to provide an intervention design for improving health education and promotional programs.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) poses a significant health burden, yet the vaccine which successfully prevents HPV and its associated cancers remains underutilized. Nurses play a crucial role in patient education and advocacy for HPV vaccination. This study explores how knowledge, along with cultural, religious, and social beliefs, shapes the attitudes of Israeli nurses and nursing students toward the HPV vaccine and their advocacy efforts. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2023 to January 2024 using an anonymous online questionnaire distributed via Facebook groups targeting Israeli nurses and nursing students. The questionnaire assessed demographic data, HPV-related knowledge, and attitudes toward HPV vaccination. Results: The study included 458 participants (229 nurses and 229 nursing students). Significant knowledge gaps were found, with 52% of participants incorrectly believing that the vaccine can cure existing infections and 47% mistakenly believing that it is administered in a single dose. Logistic regression revealed that nurses working in community settings were more likely to have positive attitudes toward HPV vaccination (OR=2.98, 95% CI: 1.84–4.85). Higher levels of HPV-related knowledge (OR=3.35, 95% CI: 2.10–5.35) and secular or traditional religious affiliations (OR=2.45, 95% CI: 1.52–3.97) were strongly associated with positive attitudes toward and advocacy for the vaccine. Conclusions: Targeted educational programs addressing knowledge gaps, especially those tailored to Israel's cultural and religious diversity, are crucial for empowering nurses and nursing students as advocates for HPV vaccination. Enhancing their understanding of HPV can increase vaccine uptake, reduce the incidence of HPV-related diseases, and strengthen public health initiatives in Israel.

Telerehabilitation is an appealing service delivery option for optimising recovering. Internationally, the equity of telerehabilitation services for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds has been questioned. Using a 31-item survey, our study explored the access, readiness, and willingness of 260 patients to use allied health telerehabilitation services for adults receiving interventions from a large tertiary health service located in Sydney, Australia. Overall, 72% patients reported having access to technology, 38% met our readiness criteria, and 53% reported willingness to engage in telerehabilitation. There were no difference in access, readiness and willingness to engage in telerehabilitation between patients from CALD and non-CALD backgrounds. Age was the only factor that influenced access, readiness and willingness to engage in telerehabilitation. Past experience of telerehabilitation was related to willingness, but not access or readiness. Findings highlight the importance of ensuring positive patient experiences to promote ongoing willingness to use telerehabilitation. Efforts are needed to improve patients’ digital health literacy, especially patients from older age groups, to ensure equitable access to telerehabilitation services.

Background: This study aimed to assess the dementia literacy (DL) level of community-dwelling adults in the four cities (Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Macau and Zhuhai) of the Greater Bay Area of China and to determine the preferred mass media for receiving dementia information. Methods: A multi-city cross-sectional study with 788 community-dwelling adults completed the survey. Dementia literacy was indirectly measured by two validated scales, 30-item Alzhiemer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS) and 20-item Dementia Attitudes Scale (DAS). When the ADKS total score was <15 and DAS total score was <70, it was considered as ‘inadequate dementia literacy’. Participants were also asked to indicate whether they would like to receive dementia information via digital media or traditional media. Chi-square tests and logistic regressions were undertaken. Results: About one-third of the participants had inadequate dementia literacy. Those with young age or secondary education preferred to get dementia information from social media. But people living in public housing would like to get information from government or hospital websites. Middle-aged participants inclined to learn dementia from television or radio. Conclusion: It is worthy to conduct territory-wide public education in dementia and develop strategies according to their preferences in the types of mass media.

This paper explores factors affecting Out-of-Pocket payments for healthcare expenditures in SAARC countries. The specific objectives of the paper were to compare healthcare expenditure patterns amongst the SAARC countries and explore the macroeconomic, demographic and social factors influencing OOP payments for healthcare these countries. The model selection tests suggest that the fixed effect model is the most appropriate for the data, though the random effect model also provides valuable insights. Fixed effect model result showed that a 1 per cent change in GDP per capita, consumer price index, population aged 65 years and above causes change in out-of-pocket payments for healthcare by 1.08 per cent (p< 0.01), 0.09 per cent (p< 0.05), 1.20 per cent (p

In the evolving landscape of higher education, St. Michael's College (SMC) recognizes the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student welfare. This paper emphasizes the critical importance of addressing mental health, time management, and stress in the college environment, underlining their influence on academic success and personal growth. The call to action urges students to prioritize their well-being. Diverse cultural and religious perspectives, including Islam, emphasize the importance of a balanced mind and body. The wide-ranging literature review uncovers empirically supported strategies for mental health, time management, and stress reduction. Personal autonomy emerges as crucial in addressing these challenges. This study underscores the importance of these dimensions, calls for student action, and highlights the diversity of perspectives contributing to holistic well-being.

Background: Understanding the factors that influence the market entry, exit, and stability of community pharmacies (i.e., market dynamics) is important for stakeholders ranging from patients to health policymakers and small business owners to large corporate institutions. The purpose of this article is to provide an update to a 15-year ecological comparison for the market dynamics of Minnesota community pharmacies from 2002 to 2017 [1]. Objectives: The first objective was to update the 15-year study [1] by describing the market dynamics of community pharmacies for each county in the state of Minnesota every five years over a 20-year period (i.e., 2002-2022). The second objective was to update the 15-year study by describing the number and proportion of community pharmacies for each county in the state of Minnesota every five years over a 20-year period (i.e., 2002-2022) by (1) ‘Business Organization Structure’ and (2) ‘Pharmacy Type.’ The third and fourth objectives were new for the 2022 study. In response to evolutionary trends in the pharmacy market, objective three described the number of Minnesota licensed pharmacies located in-state and out-of-state between 2002 and 2022. Objective four described the primary type of service provided by licensed pharmacies categorized as out-of-state in 2002 and in 2022. Methods: Data were obtained from the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy, US Census Bureau, and Minnesota State Demographic Center for 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, and 2022. Descriptive statistics were used to tabulate and summarize the findings and test associations between study variables. Results: Over the 20-year study period, the total number of community pharmacies in Minnesota remained steady. Findings for 2022 were similar to those for 2017 regarding the effects of population density and metropolitan designation on the market dynamics of community pharmacies and regarding the organizational structures and types of pharmacies. The findings revealed significant growth in the number of proportion of pharmacies licensed in Minnesota that were located out-of-state. In 2002, there were 283 of these pharmacies (19% of the total). By 2022, this grew to 960 (46% of the total). Over that 20-year period, the number of mail order and medical supply service pharmacies rose from 196 to 413. The number of specialty pharmacy distributors rose from 37 to 230 and the number of compounding pharmacies rose from 33 to 202. Discussion: The findings confirmed the shift over the past 20 years from traditional retail convenience models to healthcare access models based on population health metrics. National scalability was another detected shift in order to have profitable margins for some services and was feasible due to advances in technologies. Conclusion: The findings showed that community pharmacy distribution in Minnesota’s 87 counties shifted between 2002 and 2022 from traditional retail convenience models to healthcare access models based on population health metrics and to nationally scalable models based on economic pressures. This signals the need for not only new approaches for tracking community pharmacy market dynamics but also adjustments by community pharmacies to remain relevant in a new environment of patient care services.

An increasing need for better agricultural practices that are sustainable to provide increased yields of crops for the ever increasing food demand to be met for the growing world population is a current necessity. It is estimated by the UN that in 2050 the world’s populace may be as much as 9.8 billion global, yet, farmers still face several obstacles, which includes soil degradation, extreme temperatures, and drought which as increasingly becoming more severe with climate changes. Plant health monitoring is a method that will help to increase awareness about plant enhancing by studying how to increase crop yields while decreasing the environmental impacts. The use of low-cost, controlled environments, soil quality, water levels, and pathogenic and pests attacks can be regularly monitored. Currently, several diagnostic technologies and portable point-of-use methods and technologies are employed for detection of diseases, although, the current available lab-based methods used for plant’s diagnostics test are inadequate for plant point-of-use monitoring. The promotion of use of these point of use methods will enable pathogen detection, poor plant growth, unsuitable environmental conditions and nutrient use efficiency allowing for immediate and timely corrective actions to ensure minimal damage to the plants with maximal yield. Increase in the use of sustainable agri practices are required for ensuring higher yields with minimal inputs and that are non-destructive to the land and the use of improved methodologies and technologies will be useful tools for achieving sustainable agriculture.

In recent years, the use of long-term seismic monitoring systems for the protection of structures is becoming increasingly widespread. This is because more and more awareness is gradually developing regarding the importance of keeping structures under observation so as to prevent any damage scenarios. Within the field of Structural Health Monitoring, data driven techniques allow to process and analyze data collected on site. This paper presents a Mode Tracking procedure to obtain the time-histories of the natural frequencies of a monumental structure. The procedure is applied on the Sanctuary of Vicoforte, an important monumental structure site in Piedmont known for its imposing oval dome and characterized by a permanent structural monitoring system. Through the procedure presented in the paper it has been possible to obtain and observe the time series of the first natural frequencies of the structure considering various aspects, including the temperature variation.

In community-based participatory projects, needs assessments are one of the first steps to identify priority areas. Access-related issues often pose significant barriers to participation for rural and remote communities, particularly Indigenous communities which have a complicated relationship with academia due to a history of exploitation and trauma. In order to bridge this gap, work with Indigenous communities requires consistent and meaningful engagement. The prominence of digital devices (i.e., smartphones) offers an unparalleled opportunity to ethically and equitably engage citizens across jurisdictions, particularly in remote communities. We propose a framework to guide needs assessments which embed digital tools in partnership with Indigenous communities. Guided by this framework, a needs assessment was conducted with a subarctic Métis community in Saskatchewan, Canada. This project is governed by a Citizen Scientist Advisory Council which includes Traditional Knowledge Keepers, Elders, and youth. An environmental scan of relevant programs, key informant interviews, and focus groups were conducted to systematically identify community priority areas. Given the timing of the needs assessment, the community identified the Coronavirus pandemic as a key priority area requiring digital initiatives. Recommendations for community-based needs assessments to conceptualize and implement digital infrastructure are put forward, with an emphasis on self-governance and data sovereignty.

Non-pharmacological interventions in the fight against COVID 19 include: a) suppression, which facilitates its extinction; and b) mitigation, which reduces its speed of spread. Left unmitigated, the intensive care unit bed capacity (ICU) is exceeded over its maximum supply, resulting in increased deaths. Suppression has shown in simulation models the potential for decreasing ICU occupation below its surge limit, effectively decreasing mortality. However, for avoiding a rebound in transmission, suppression must be maintained intermittently until a vaccine is available (which may take up to 2 years). The objective of this paper was to describe the mortality patterns observed in Spain, Italy and South Korea for discussing a hypothetical combined public health policy and socioeconomic model that could potentially reduce mortality while reducing the economic impact of this pandemic in Spain. The plan is based on a progressive-voluntary reinstatement to work of the population exposed to the lowest risks (healthy non-immune family units <50 y/o and immune population) and it depends on having sufficiently available ICU beds for providing adequate support. This model, if proven correct for Spain, could eventually be followed by other countries facing a similar impact of the present pandemic.

Green public space immensely provides ecological soundness (ES), social resilience, social inclusiveness, mental health, self-esteem, and cultural prosperity from privileged class to lower ones. This research aims at estimating the effect of social services, safety, and infrastructural amenity in green space (parks) on mental health building self-esteem for elderly population. Data were collected from four parks out of 21 in Dhaka selected by systematic random sampling. Two-hundred and three elderly participants were picked up for survey using snowball sampling. The survey was conducted in a pre-structured questionnaire consisted of 40 close-ended questions. Data was analyzed applying ordinal logistic model, multivariate regression analysis, and Partial Least Square (PLS) -Path Modeling. The study explored several key findings-1) Infrastructural amenities impacted social services of parks; 2) Social services contributed positively to mental health boosting up self-esteem for elderly population. 3) Likewise, mental health for elderly population was affected by safety measure of green space. Dhaka requires constructing age-friendly parks to promote elderly mental health.

This paper attempts to alter a prevailing assumption that buildings use energy to an understanding that in fact, people use energy. Therefore, to successfully accelerate the transition to a low-carbon society and economy more emphasis should be on motivating people and increasing their awareness by making them energy conscious building users and therefore active players in the energy transition process. In this context, this paper provides insights from the Horizon 2020 MOBISTYLE project. It demonstrates research and development approaches, highlights the main project objectives, and presents findings of an ethnographic (qualitative) study of users’ habits, practices, and needs. The aim of the project is to motivate behavioural change by raising consumer awareness through the provision of attractive personalized information on user’s energy use, indoor environment and health, all enabled by an integrated information and communication technology (ICT) service. In this context, the anthropological people-centred approach is integrated into the MOBISTYLE approach putting users at the centre of the ICT tools development process. The main quantitative objective of the project is a reduction of energy use for at least 16 % prompted by the provision of combined information and feedback systems on energy, indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and health. The most relevant motivational factors and key performance indicators (KPIs) for encouraging a more energy conscious and healthy lifestyle were defined by means of a people-centred approach, adopting anthropological inquiries in different settings. Information about users’ lifestyles and their needs was collected in focus groups with potential users in five case studies, located in different European Union (EU) countries. Behaviour change is achieved through awareness campaigns, which encourage users to be pro-active about their energy consumption and to simultaneously improve health and well-being.

Objective The healthcare industry has witnessed a paradigm shift with the adoption of Electronic Patient Records (EPRs), transitioning from traditional Paper and Pencil (P&P) methods to sophisticated, technology-driven documentation systems. However, the integration of EPRs into clinical settings has introduced new challenges. This study investigates workflow consequences of switching from P&P to EPR systems. Methods In this study, two independent observers audited surgical ward rounds to assess the effects of transitioning from P&P to EPR. These audits captured number of medical personnel and five key aspects before and after EPR implementation. Additionally, the EPR system's usability was gathered through the System Usability Scale (SUS) and the Post Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ). Results A total of 192 observations using P&P and 160 with the EPR system were analyzed. Results indicated that physicians spent a lower proportion of time in patient rooms using the P&P modality (median = 0.14, IQR = [0.06, 0.24]) compared to the EPR system (median = 0.19, IQR = [0.12, 0.29]). Conversely, nurses spent more time with the P&P modality (median = 0.13, IQR = [0.08, 0.18]) than with the EPR system (median = 0.10, IQR = [0.06, 0.13]). The typical team in the P&P modality comprised two physicians and four nurses, while teams in the EPR system generally included two or three physicians and three nurses. Usability assessments yielded scores rated as "Not Acceptable." Conclusion The EPR is already known to contribute to an increased administrative burden. Our findings generally align with this view in the physician sample, whereas nurses did not encounter difficulties switching systems. However, usability scores indicated that the EPR system falls short of meeting user acceptance expectations. Given the continuous increase in administrative workload, our results suggest that ururcing administrative tasks could enhance the efficiency of medical duties performed at patient's bedside.

Stress during a pandemic increased the risk of alcohol consumption, which may require pharmacological management. The characteristics of emergency calls for alcohol-related issues for patients pharmacologically treated, admitted to, or not admitted to the emergency department (ED) were analyzed. An observational single-center retrospective study was conducted from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021, and divided into 2-year periods (2018–2019 and 2020–2021). This study focused on calls to one of the EDs of seven hospitals in the Bari (Italy) metropolitan area for patients requiring emergency services (ES) who were either admitted or not admitted, due to their refusal. A 30% reduction in emergency calls for alcohol-related issues and a 41.17% reduction in calls for patients who refused to be admitted to the ED were observed during the pandemic. During the pandemic, a reduced rate of pharmacological treatment for calls coded green (non-critical), and an increase in calls coded yellow (fairly critical) and red (very critical) were recorded. Metadoxine was administered in almost all alcohol-related emergencies, primarily in conjunction with drugs acting on the gastrointestinal tract, irrespective of age, the period considered, and whether patients were admitted or not admitted to the ED. ES is the first and only out-of-hospital service encountered by numerous patients with alcohol-use disorders who refuse to be admitted to the ED. These patients should be directed by ES personnel to a multidisciplinary program to receive treatment for drinking, improve their quality of life, and reduce sanitation costs.

We present an autonomous system that remotely monitors the state of reinforced concrete structures. This system performs the real-time follow-up of the corrosion rate of rebars (iCORR), along with other relevant parameters, such as temperature, corrosion potential (ECORR) and electrical resistance of concrete (RE), at many of structures’ control points by using embedded sensors. Its corrosion sensor is stressed, to which a novel electrochemical polarization technique is applied. The custom electronic system manages the sensor network, consisting of a measurement board per control point connected to a central single-board computer in charge of processing measurement data and uploading results to a server via 4G connection. In this work, we report the results obtained after implementing the sensor system into a reinforced concrete wall, where two well-differentiated representative areas were monitored. The obtained corrosion parameters showed consistent values. Similar conclusions are obtained with ECORR recorded in rebars. With the iCORR follow-up the corrosion penetration damage diagram is built. This diagram is particularly useful for identifying critical events during the corrosion propagation period and to be able to estimate structures’ service life. Hence the system is presented as a useful tool for the structural maintenance and service life predictions of new structures.

In this paper, a novel pendulum-type accelerometer based on hetero-core fiber optics has been proposed for structural health monitoring targeting large-scale civil infrastructures. Vibration measurement is a non-destructive method for diagnosing the failure of structures by assessing natural frequencies and other vibration patterns. The hetero-core fiber optic sensor utilized in the proposed accelerometer can serve as a displacement sensor with robustness to temperature changes in addition to immunity to electromagnetic interference and chemical corrosions. Thus the hetero-core sensor inside the accelerometer measures applied acceleration by detecting the rotation of an internal pendulum. A series of experiments showed that the hetero-core fiber sensor linearly responded to the rotation angle of the pendulum ranging within ±5°, and furthermore the proposed accelerometer could reproduce the waveform of input vibration in a frequency band of several Hz order.

Online reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms are increasingly used to personalize digital interventions in the fields of mobile health and online education. Common challenges in designing and testing an RL algorithm in these settings include ensuring the RL algorithm can learn and run stably under real-time constraints, and accounting for the complexity of the environment, e.g., a lack of accurate mechanistic models for the user dynamics. To guide how one can tackle these challenges, we extend the PCS (Predictability, Computability, Stability) framework, a data science framework that incorporates best practices from machine learning and statistics in supervised learning (Yu and Kumbier, 2020), to the design of RL algorithms for the digital interventions setting. Further, we provide guidelines on how to design simulation environments, a crucial tool for evaluating RL candidate algorithms using the PCS framework. We illustrate the use of the PCS framework for designing an RL algorithm for Oralytics, a mobile health study aiming to improve users' tooth-brushing behaviors through the personalized delivery of intervention messages. Oralytics will go into the field in late 2022.

Urbanization is a global phenomenon and as the economies are shifting from rural based subsistence to services based, the net flow of migration is inevitable. Unfortunately, In India, migration is very poorly understood. India is next to China in production of bricks, accounting for nearly 13% of global annual bricks’ production. The condition of brick-kiln workers is pitiable, especially due to poor care available. They are exposed to health hazards such as various communicable diseases, sexually transmitted diseases and occupational health hazards. The diseases such as respiratory problems, allergies, gastrointestinal ailments and malnutrition are frequent in these populations. This paper reflects upon various policies that exist for the welfare of unorganised sector but do these workers qualify for these benefits? This paper provides empirical basis for paradigm shift for policy formulation to provide safety nets for migrant population and have better urban planning for future.

Background: The importance of community health psychology in providing complex bio-psycho-social care is well-documented. We present a mixed-method study monitoring the efficacy of health psychology services in the Public Health Focused Model Program for Primary Care Development (2012-2017) in four disadvantaged micro-regions in North-East Hungary. Methods: Study 1 assessed the availability of the services using a sample of 17003 respondents. Study 2 applied a follow-up design to measure the efficacy of the health psychology services in a sample of 132 clients. In Study 3, we conducted focus group interviews to assess clients’ lived experiences. Results: More mental health issues and higher education predicted a higher probability of service use. Follow-up showed that individual and group-based psychological interventions resulted in lower depression and (marginally) higher well-being. Thematic analysis of the focus group interviews indicated that participants deemed topics like psychoeducation, a greater acceptance of psychological support, and heightened awareness of individual and community support important. Conclusions: The results of the monitoring studies demonstrate the important role health psychology services can play in primary health care in disadvantaged regions. Community health psychology can improve well-being, reduce inequality, support the population’s health awareness, and address unmet social needs in disadvantaged regions in Hungary.

This research paper is divided into two aspects: first part describes the modelling techniques which are referred for handling infectious diseases in public health domain, second part describes the modelling techniques which are referred for building epidemiology cases in public health domain. To illustrate further, first part helps in understanding various modeling ordinary differential equations have been defined to develop the definition, described to know the terminologies involved in developing the equations and henceforth established to understand the end-to-end process. Second part helps in understanding various aspects of epidemiology in public health domain and how they help in addressing the public health domain policy-making.

Introduction: The advancement of nursing science and practice necessitates the documentation of information, which is increasingly being recorded in electronic mediums due to the progress of information technology. Various countries around the world have implemented electronic nursing records (ENRs) or are in a process of implementing it. This study aims to ascertain the significance of electronic nursing records and consolidate their primary benefits for nursing. Methods: The study utilized an established scoping review methodology (Arksey and O‘Malley protocol; JBI method; PRISMA 2020). Results: Out of 6970 initial articles extracted from 4 databases, 36 were included in the study. Several essential elements for structuring, introducing, and emphasizing the importance of ENRs have been recognized, including the availability of standardized terminology, enhancement of nursing care quality, advancement of research activity, integration with electronic systems, optimization of healthcare, and conditions for ENR integration. Conclusion: Electronic nursing records are indispensable and beneficial for enhancing care quality, improving patient safety, and affirming the autonomy of the nursing profession.

Background: Virtual care adoption accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for healthcare professionals to develop relevant competencies. However, limited evidence exists on the core competencies required for quality virtual care delivery. Objective: This study aimed to identify the critical competencies physicians, nurses, and other health professionals need for adequate virtual care provision in Saudi Arabia using a Delphi method. Methods: A 3-round Delphi technique was applied with a panel of 42 experts, including policymakers, healthcare professionals, academicians, and telehealth specialists. In round 1, an open-ended questionnaire elicited competencies needed for virtual care. Competencies were distilled and rated for importance in rounds 2 and 3 until consensus was achieved. Results: Consensus emerged on 151 competencies across 33 domains. The most prominent domains were communication (15 competencies), professionalism (13), leadership (12), health informatics (5), digital literacy (5) and clinical expertise (11).

While machine learning (ML) has been quite successful in the field of structural health monitoring (SHM), its practical implementation has been limited. This is because ML model training requires data containing a variety of distinct damaged instances captured from a real structure and the experimental generation of such data is challenging. One way to tackle this issue is by generating training data through numerical simulations. However, simulated data cannot capture the bias and variance of experimental uncertainty. To overcome this problem, this work proposes a deep learning-based domain transformation method for transforming simulated data to the experimental domain. Use of this technique has been demonstrated for debonding location and size prediction of stiffened panels using a vibration-based method. The results are satisfactory for both, debonding location and size prediction. This domain transformation method can be used in any field where experimental data for training machine learning models is scarce.

The quality of life (QOL) is an important indicator of human satisfaction and wellbeing. QOL is significantly and persistently affected for patients after a cancer diagnosis. Despite some evidence suggesting that psycho-oncologic interventions can provide lasting benefits, the inclusion of such interventions in cancer therapy is not universal. This article overviews known approaches to the evaluation of QOL in cancer patients and various interventions for improving patients’ outcomes with a focus on the Eastern European regional and specific Romanian context. With a mortality rate above and cancer care performance below the EU average and unequally distributed, Roma-nia urgently needs a national coordination program which is discussed in our review highlighting the main psychological tools needed for the assessment and its challenges towards implementing the program. In the end, we suggest some directions for future development of the psycho-oncologic approach in the context of social, policy and unexpected financial challenges the nation provides

Laws and regulations make powerful contribution in addressing multitudes of public health concerns. We examined the Public Health Act (PHA) in Malawi to understand its relevance to the ever-growing and changing threats posed by infectious and non-infectious diseases. The current Public Health Act of Malawi came into effect in 1948 to protect and preserve public health. The Act has undergone several amendments, the last one being in 1975. It draws much of its inspiration and standards from the 19th century British laws on insanitary housing, poor ventilation, and drainage. Such laws are silent on emerging major public health concerns including non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes as well as road traffic injuries. This makes the Act outdated and ill equipped to address the 21st century public health concerns. Although supplementary legislation such as the HIV/AIDS Act and Mental Treatment Act have recently been enacted, they are yet to be consolidated into the Public Health Act. Consequently, existing policies and strategic plans that are meant to address gaps in public health and ensure coordinated effort lack support of laws and regulations. The Act also places great emphasis on mandatory vaccinations, quarantine and isolation against smallpox, a disease that has long been eradicated. Furthermore, although the Public Health Act outlines powers, duties and penalties, it fails to reinforce acceptable behaviour due to the insignificant penalties for noncompliance. There is a need for immediate and prompt revision and restructuring of the Public Health Act based on scientific evidence. Such laws require adequate consultation and interaction with key experts and stakeholders from a wide range of disciplines.

Background: Low-level physical activity (PA) among Chronic Low Back Pain (cLBP) is associated with various biopsychosocial factors. This research aimed to study the predictors of PA behavior among cLBP patients. Methods: In the present study 300 eligible patients with cLBP who referred to comprehensive health service centers in the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBUMS) in Tehran, Iran were random selected.To diagnose the predictors of PA behavior, all the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) constructs were examined as risk factors to see if they influence on the probability of PA behavior occurrence and were interpreted through odds ratio (OR). SPSS version 19 was used to analyze the data. Results: Totally 280 cLBP patients with mean age of 57.07 ±13.09 years old participated in the study. This study showed that motivation to comply significant predictor the cLBP patients for subjective norm OR (%95CI): 2.095(0.116-2.792), p-value<0.001), intention was significant predictor for perform the PA behavior OR (%95CI): 1.431(0.138-1.538), p-value <0.001), behavior beliefs could predictor for attitude OR (%95CI): 1.276(0.106-1.355), p-value= 0.002). attitude, normative beliefs, subjective norm ,and evaluation outcome behavior could predictors the cLBP patients for intention to perform the PA behavior OR (%95CI): 1.188(0.032-1.312), p-value<0.001)., OR (%95CI): 1.158(0.076-2.208), p-value=0.003) ., OR (%95CI): 1.104(0.076-1.128), p-value<0.001) ., OR (%95CI): 0.814(0.301-1.440), p-value=0.007). Conclusions: This study showed that the cLBP patients who were normative beliefs and evaluation regarding PA behavior could effect on the intention to engage in greater PA than those via other constructs (attitude and subjective norm). This study showed that the cLBP patients who were normative beliefs and evaluation regarding PA behavior could effect on the intention to engage in greater PA than those via other constructs (attitude and subjective norm). This study showed that the cLBP patients who were normative beliefs and evaluation regarding PA behavior could effect on the intention to engage in greater PA than those via other constructs (attitude and subjective norm).

The history of health records (later also called medical records), including ones regarding individual patients, is thousands of years old. It finds it roots in the first ancient civilisations. Up until the 19^th century the records’ purpose was mainly an educational one. In the 19^th and 20^th century they started becoming significant in other roles as well, including those not strictly limited to medicine. In particular, to account for medical procedures, insurance proceeds or legal action. Currently we are living in a revolutionary era when it comes to health records, in which their character has changed from a “paper-based” to an electronic one. This paper presents the development of health records from the ancient to modern times, mainly in Europe and North America. Other cultures and civilisations, including China and India, are not discussed. An analysis of available sources was conducted, inter alia digital versions of manuscripts up to hundreds of years old. The analysis was based on PubMed and Google Scholar (several key words, all the available sources). Sources published in non-international languages (e.g. Dutch) were also investigated. Overall, approximately 600 articles were analysed, 158 of which were used and cited in this paper. The conclusions drawn from the analysis are as follows: (1) Health records, priorly used mostly for educational purposes, for about 100 years now have acquired a fully formal status. (2) We are currently facing the most revolutionary changes regarding the transformation of paper-based records into electronic ones. (3) The consequences of this process include systematic applications of solutions within the area of e-health, which allow us to make medical services more flexible, improve the health of individual patients and entire populations and potentially limit expenditure. (4) In the light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, introducing electronic health records could be beneficial in terms of limiting the potential sources of contamination (physical copies of health records), saving time and resources, and improving the network of communication between medical centres.

(1) Background: Pedestrian injuries (PIs) represent a significant proportion of road traffic injuries. We aimed at investigating the incidence and mortality of PIs in different age groups and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) categories between 1990 and 2017. (2) Method: Estimates of age-standardized incidence and mortality along with trends of PIs by SDI levels were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease from 1990 to 2017. We also calculated forecasts until 2040. (3) Results: Globally, PIs incidence increased by 3.31% (–9.94 to 16.56) in 2017 compared to 1990. Men have a higher incidence of PIs than women. Forecasted incidence was 132.02 (127.37 to 136.66) per 100,000 population in 2020, 101.52 (65.99 to 137.05) in 2030 and reduced further to 71.02 (10.62 to 152.65) by 2040. Globally across all SDI categories, there was a decreasing trend in mortality due to PIs with the global estimated percentage reduction of 37.12% (–45.19 to –29.04). (4) Conclusions: The results show that PIs are still a burden for all SDI categories despite some variation. Although incidence and mortality are expected to decrease globally, some SDI categories may require particular attention in addition to specific vulnerable age groups. Further studies addressing incidence and mortality patterns in vulnerable SDI categories are needed.

Introduction: Uganda has got the highest prevalence rate of malaria among the risk groups compared to other parts of the world. In addition, Uganda bears a particularly large burden from the disease which is limited by a lack of reliable data, but it is clear that the prevalence of malaria infection, incidence of disease, and mortality among pregnant women all remain very high. According to the Iganga DHIS2 Jan-May report, a higher number of pregnant women received Intermittent Preventive Treatment one (IPT1) and the numbers dropped for IPT2 and IPT3. The district is also referral point of the greater Busoga region and has got several challenges towards malaria control. The study aimed at assessing the uptake of Intermittent Preventive Treatment and the prevalence of malaria among pregnant women in Iganga district so as to generate evidence for scaling up appropriate interventions for IPT uptake among pregnant women. Methods: The research was a retrospective study using secondary data to assess the uptake of IPT and prevalence of malaria for financial year 2019/2020 in nine Public Health Centre IIIs and one Public Health Centre IV. In this study IPT was defined as the administration of a curative dose of an effective antimalarial drug to all pregnant women without testing for presence of malaria parasite and at least three doses as recommended. Secondary data from HMIS was obtained and analyzed to assess the uptake of IPT services and the prevalence of malaria among pregnant women was determined using proportions. Results: The study found that of 6,672 women who received the first dose of IPT-SP, 1671 (25%) of the women received less than 2 doses of IPT and 46% of pregnant women received more than 2 doses of IPT. The study showed that a total of 3,435 pregnant women tested positive for malaria which brings the prevalence to 50%, and being highest among pregnant women aged 20-24 years at 50%. Conclusions: The study showed that the uptake of IPT was relatively low among lower age groups with a relatively high prevalence of malaria among the same age group. This calls for all stakeholders (DHO, MOH, Iganga District, NGOs e.t.c) urgent attention thus to ensure mass sensitization about malaria and IPT importance with IEC and ITN distribution, early diagnosis and treatment, giving incentives to ANC attending mothers, control of the vector.

Background: Perinatal anxiety and related disorders are common (20%), distressing and impairing. Fear of childbirth (FoB) is a common type of perinatal anxiety associated with negative mental health, obstetrical, childbirth and child outcomes. Screening can facilitate treatment access for those most in need. Objectives: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the accuracy of the Childbirth Fear Questionnaire (CFQ) and the Wijma Delivery Expectations Questionnaire (W-DEQ) of FoB as screening tools for specific phobia, FoB. Methods: A total of 659 English-speaking pregnant women living in Canada and over the age of 18 were recruited to the study. Participants completed an online survey of demographic, current pregnancy, and reproductive history information, as well as the CFQ and the W-DEQ, and a telephone interview to assess specific phobia FoB. Results: Symptoms meeting full and subclinical diagnostic criteria for specific phobia, FoB were reported by 3.3% and 7.1% of participants, respectively. The W-DEQ met or exceeded the criteria for a “good enough” screening tool across several analyses, whereas the CFQ only met these criteria in one analysis, and came close in three others. Conclusions: The W-DEQ demonstrated high performance as a screening tool for specific phobia, FoB, with accuracy superior to that of the CFQ. Additional research, to ensure the stability of these findings, is needed.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created extraordinary challenges and prompted remarkable social changes around the world. The implications of the novel coronavirus and the public health control measures that have been implemented to mitigate its impact are likely to be accompanied by a unique set of consequences for specific populations living in low income-countries that have fragile health systems and pervasive social-structural vulnerabilities. This paper discusses the implications of COVID-19 and related public health interventions for children and young people living in Eastern and Southern Africa. Actionable prevention, care, and health promotion initiatives are proposed to attenuate the negative effects of the pandemic and government-enforced movement restrictions on children and young people.

Social and spatial characteristics of a population often interact to influence health outcomes, suggesting a need to jointly analyze both to offer useful insights in community health. However, researchers have used either social or spatial analyses to examine community-based health issues and inform intervention programs. We propose a combined socio-spatial analytic approach to develop a social network with spatial weights and a spatial statistic with social weights, and apply them to an ongoing study of mental and physical well-being of rural Latino immigrants in North Florida, USA. We demonstrate how this approach can be used to calculate measures, such as social network centrality, support contact dyads, and spatial kernel density based on a health survey data. Findings reveal that the integrated approach accurately reflected interactions between social and spatial elements, and identified community members (who) and locations (where) that should be prioritized for community-based health interventions.

Over the past decades, overweight and obesity has become a global epidemic and the leading threat for death. To prevent the serious risk, an overweight or obese individual must apply a long-term weight-management strategy to control food intake and physical activities, which is however, not easy. Recently, with the advances of information technology, more and more people can use wearable devices and smartphones to obtain physical activity information, while they can also access various health-related information from Internet online social networks (OSNs). Nevertheless, there is a lack of an integrated approach that can combine these two methods in an efficient way. In this paper, we address this issue and propose a novel mobile-social framework for health recognition and recommendation, namely, H-Rec². The main ideas of H-Rec² include (1) to recognize the individual's health status using smartphone as a general platform, and (2) to recommend physical activity and food intake based on personal health information, life science principles, and health-related information obtained from OSNs. To demonstrate the potentials of the H-Rec² framework, we develop a prototype that consists of four important components: (1) an activity recognition module that senses physical activity using accelerometer, (2) a health status modeling module that applies a novel algorithm to generate personalized health status index, (3) a restaurant information collection module that collects relevant information from OSN, and (4) a restaurant recommendation module that provides personalized and context-aware recommendation. To evaluate the prototype, we conduct both objective and subjective experiments, which confirm the performance and effectiveness of the proposed system.

End-of-life electric vehicle (EV) batteries can be reused to reduce their environmental impact and economic costs. However, the growth of a second-life market is limited by the lack of information on the characteristics and performance of these batteries. As the volume of end-of-life EVs may exceed the amount of batteries needed for stationary applications, investigating the possibility of repurposing them in mobile applications is also necessary. This article presents an experimental test that can be used to collect the data necessary to fill a battery passport. The proposed procedure can facilitate the decision making process regarding the suitability of a battery for reuse at the end of its first life. Once the battery passport has been completed, the performance and characteristics of the battery are compared with the requirements of several mobile applications. Mobile charging stations and forklift trucks were identified as relevant applications for the reuse of high capacity prismatic cells. Finally, a definition of a state of health (SoH) is proposed to track the suitability of the battery during use in the second life application considering not only energy but also power and efficiency of the battery. This SoH shows that even taking into account accelerated ageing data, a repurposed battery can have an extended life of 11 years at 25~°C. It has also been shown that energy fade is the most limiting performance for lifetime and that cell-to-cell variation should be tracked as it has been shown to have a significant impact on battery life.

Medically underserved communities have limited access to effective disease management resources in the U.S. Mobile health applications (mHealth apps) offer patients a cost-effective way to monitor and self-manage their condition and to communicate with providers; however, current diabetes self-management apps have rarely included end-users from underserved communities in the design process. This research documents key stakeholder-driven design requirements for a diabetes self-management app for medically underserved patients. Semi-structured survey-interviews were carried out with 97 patients with diabetes and 11 healthcare providers from medically underserved counties in South Texas to elicit perspectives and preferences regarding a diabetes self-management app, and their beliefs regarding such an app’s usage and utility. Patients emphasized the need for accessible educational content and for quick access to guidance on regulating blood sugar, diet, and exercise and physical activity using multimedia rather than textual form. Healthcare providers indicated that glucose monitoring, educational content, and graphical visualization of diabetes data were among the top-rated app features. These findings suggest that specific design requirements for the underserved may improve the adoption, usability, and sustainability of such interventions. Designers should consider health literacy and numeracy, linguistic barriers, data visualization, data entry complexity, and information exchange capabilities.

A proportion of osteoarthritis (OA) patients are unsatisfied with post-operative outcomes following total joint replacement surgery (TJR), with insufficient pain relief or poor functional improvement. Predicting those will have poor outcomes would be beneficial for patients and clinicians. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between baseline anthropometric data and the concentration of pre-operative serum and peri-operative synovial fluid (SF) cytokines with 7-month post-operative outcomes in a cohort of knee and hip OA patients. 160 OA patients were recruited who were scheduled for TJR. The concentration of 24 cytokines were measured in blood and SF by multiplex assay. EQ5Dindex health status was assessed pre-operatively and at 7-months post-operatively. 13% of patients were identified as non-responders based on EQ5Dindex. Compared to responders, non-responders were of higher BMI, had greater waist and hip circumference and had higher levels of SF leptin but lower levels of SF Resistin (p&lt;0.05). Linear regression analysis found a significant relationship between pre-operative body weight and post-operative response (ΔEQ5Dindex; r=0.222, p=0.049). The combination of body weight with SF amphiregulin and SF IL-6 provided an improved predictive model of post-operative response (r=0.470, p=0.035).

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful tool for addressing the challenges posed by climate change and their impact on public health. By leveraging its capacity to analyze and predict climatic patterns, AI offers opportunities to enhance resource management and develop effective strategies for climate change mitigation. Moreover, AI can contribute to generating sustainable solutions that address the complex and interconnected nature of climate change. For example, AI can enable the optimization of energy consumption and facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources into existing systems. It can also support the development of climate models that provide timely and accurate predictions, enabling policymakers to implement proactive measures for disaster preparedness and response. Furthermore, AI-powered disease surveillance and mitigation techniques can improve public health outcomes by identifying patterns and trends in the spread of diseases in relation to climatic factors.However, the widespread adoption of AI-based solutions is not without challenges. Ethical concerns surrounding privacy and data ownership must be addressed, as the use of AI requires access to large datasets, raising potential privacy risks. Technical constraints, such as limited computational power and the need for sophisticated algorithms, also pose obstacles to the implementation of AI in climate change mitigation strategies. Furthermore, issues related to the accessibility and affordability of AI technologies must be resolved to ensure equitable distribution and maximize its potential impact on public health.To fully harness the power of AI in addressing climate change and improving public health outcomes, it is crucial to promote innovation, multidisciplinary collaboration, and open data science. Innovation can drive the development of new AI algorithms and technologies specifically tailored to address climate change challenges. Multidisciplinary approaches that bring together experts from diverse fields, including climate science, public health, and computer science, can foster a holistic understanding of complex systems and enable the design of comprehensive solutions. Finally, open data science practices, such as sharing data and algorithms, can facilitate collaboration and accelerate progress in mitigating climate change and its public health impacts.In conclusion, AI offers promising opportunities for effectively addressing climate change and its impact on public health. However, to fully realize its potential, it is essential to tackle ethical and privacy concerns, overcome technical constraints, and ensure accessibility and affordability. By promoting innovation, multidisciplinary collaboration, and open data science, we can unlock the transformative power of AI in mitigating climate change and improving public health outcomes.

This study develops a 7-layer Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model to enhance early diabetes detection in Oman, aligning with the theme of 'Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare'. The model focuses on addressing the increasing prevalence of Type 2 diabetes, projected to impact 23.8% of Oman's population by 2050. It employs LSTM neural networks to manage factors contributing to this rise, including obesity and genetic predispositions, and aims to bridge the gap in public health awareness and prevention. The model's performance is evaluated through various metrics. It achieves an accuracy of 99.40%, specificity and sensitivity of 100% for positive cases, a recall of 99.34% for negative cases, an F1 score of 96.24%, and an AUC score of 94.51%. These metrics indicate the model's capability in diabetes detection. The implementation of this LSTM model in Oman's healthcare system is proposed to enhance early detection and prevention of diabetes. This approach reflects an application of AI in addressing a significant health concern, with potential implications for similar healthcare challenges globally.st diagnostic capabilities, representing a significant leap forward in healthcare technology in Oman.

Atrial fibrillation (AF), a complex cardiac arrhythmia, necessitates a shift in management paradigms, emphasizing an integrative approach that incorporates lifestyle modifications. Investigations into the role of interleukins and inflammatory mediators are underway, exploring their potential as diagnostic markers and predictors of cardiovascular events in AF. Despite the identification of biomarkers related to cardiac remodeling, their predictive ability for post-cardioversion outcomes remains controversial. Computational models are being developed to understand proarrhythmic contributions and identify anti-AF targets. Addressing the rising global incidence of AF, linked to stroke and heart failure, presents a critical health challenge. As risk factors like obesity prevail, AF becomes a pervasive public health concern, expected to double in prevalence over the next 50 years. The impact on mortality and morbidity, especially through hospitalizations, underscores the need for early detection and effective clinical management. Identifying individuals at increased AF risk becomes crucial for screening and prevention strategies. Lifestyle modifications, including weight management and physical activity, emerge as influential factors in AF management, offering the potential to alleviate symptoms and modify disease progression. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for safer antiarrhythmic therapies based on AF mechanisms, promising improvement in global AF management. The multifaceted nature of AF etiology requires a broader perspective beyond traditional medical interventions, acknowledging the importance of integrated care to address this significant public health challenge.

The Galápagos archipelago is a vast reservoir of terrestrial and marine biodiversity, owing in large part to its relatively recent volcanic genesis and colonization by humans. This unique ecological system is particularly susceptible to human, animal, and environmental impacts. Climate change, globalization, and the blurring of human-domestic animal-wildlife interfaces are poised to bring new threats and challenges to the region. A One Health perspective that simultaneously considers human, animal, and environmental health is imperative in assessing and mitigating the challenges facing the Galápagos Islands.In Part I of this review, we provide the historical context for biodiversity in the archipelago; discuss the role of invasive species in habitat destruction, fragmentation, and competition with endemic species; and summarize the established and emerging infectious disease threats. We also discuss the imperative to implement research, surveillance, and preventative measures to identify and manage future threats from a One Health perspective, with a specific emphasis on implications for wildlife health. In Part II, we outline the socioeconomic context of life in the Galápagos Islands, evaluate the current and predicted effects of climate change, and discuss direct anthropogenic factors affecting Galápagos biodiversity, such as tourism, fishing, pollution, and the illegal wildlife trade. We also examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region. Throughout this two-part review, we build a cohesive picture of One Health in the Galápagos Islands by integrating past work, current needs, and emerging threats. We also consider overarching goals for conservation, ecosystem management, and socioeconomic sustainability that have been previously defined by both governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, and we identify discrete, implementable, and interdisciplinary recommendations that will facilitate achievement of those goals.

Background: Since 2010, Burkina Faso has developed and initiated community-based management of childhood illnesses. Following the increased presence of community health workers and the adoption of free community health care, this study aims to assess community satisfaction with curative care administered by community health workers. Methodology: It was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study. Data were collected in the health districts of Boussé and Boussouma from 20 February to 30 March 2023 for quantitative data and from 12 to 30 January 2024 for qualitative data using a questionnaire (household survey) and an interview grid (focus groups). Analyses were conducted using SPSS IBM 25 and Nvivo 14. Results: Households benefit from oral curative care when using CHWs, but are not satisfied with the temporal accessibility of these community health workers. Temporal accessibility and awareness during care have a significant influence on household satisfaction. Conclusion: Curative care by community health workers is effective, but its use could be improved by addressing the unavailability of community health workers, inputs and better communication during care.

Tooth decay, also known as caries, is a significant medical problem that harms teeth. Treatment is based on the removal of the carious material and then filling the cavity left in the tooth, most commonly with amalgam or composite resin. The consequences of filling failure include repeating the filling, or performing another treatment, such as a root canal, or extraction. Dental amalgam contains mercury, and there is a global effort to reduce its use. However, no consensus has been reached using randomized clinical trials, regarding whether amalgam or composite resin materials are more durable, and which is the best restorative material. To determine which material is superior, we performed a retrospective cohort study using a large database where members of the 58 dental clinics with 440 dental units were treated. The number of failures of the amalgam compared to composite resin restorations between 2014 and 2021 were compared. Our data included information from over 650,000 patients. Between 2014 - 2021, 260,905 patients were treated. 19,692 out of 113,281 first amalgam restorations failed (17.49%), whereas significantly fewer composite restorations failed (11.98%) 65,943 out of 555,671. This study indicates that composite is superior to amalgam and therefore it is reasonable to cease using mercury containing amalgam.

The Galápagos archipelago is a vast reservoir of terrestrial and marine biodiversity and is particularly susceptible to human, animal, and environmental impacts. Climate change, globalization, and the blurring of human-domestic animal-wildlife interfaces are poised to bring new threats and challenges to the region. A One Health perspective that simultaneously considers human, animal, and environmental health is imperative in assessing and mitigating the challenges facing the Galápagos Islands. Many challenges facing biodiversity in the Galápagos Islands can ultimately be linked to anthropogenic factors. In Part I of this review, we reviewed the impacts of invasive species and identified infectious diseases of importance. In Part II of this review, we discuss the impacts of climate change and ocean acidification, and highlight the effects of several direct human activities, including tourism, overfishing, pollution, land use, and human-wildlife conflict. We also review the socioeconomic and political context of the Galápagos Islands, including current challenges in water and energy use, sanitation, and economic stability. We examine the importance of investment in local development for building resiliency and sustainability in the archipelago. Finally, we discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region. Throughout this two-part review, we build a cohesive picture of One Health in the Galápagos Islands by integrating past work, current needs, and emerging threats. We also consider overarching goals for conservation, ecosystem management, and socioeconomic sustainability that have been previously defined by both governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, and identify discrete, implementable, and interdisciplinary recommendations that will facilitate achievement of those goals.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to achieve or maintain an erection during sexual performance. ED is one of the most common and neglected complications of diabetes. Almost 35-75% of diabetic men around the world suffer from ED. Although the exact mechanism by which diabetes causes ED is not well understood. However, several studies suggested it may be related to damage to the nerve and vessels that supply the penis.

Mental health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic have received a great deal of attention by policymakers for the management of present and future cases of the pandemic, especially as new COVID-19 variant cases are on the rise. Thus, this study seeks to conduct a systematic review to address the following research questions: (1) What are the mental health impacts of COVID-19 in the empirical literature? (2) Which categories of people are at higher risk of the mental health impacts of the pandemic based on the extant literature? A sample of 35 studies out of 196 potential studies (from various databases, including Scopus, Google Scholar, , Research Gate, PubMed, , and libraries, from 2020 to 2022) were used after a comprehensive literature search and thorough assessment based on PRISMA-P guidelines. The study reveals that the pandemic has led to severe cases of mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychological disorders, mood disorders, and insomnia. The review identified groups such as health workers, patients with pre-existing psychiatric or mental health issues, COVID-19 survivors, patients with underlying health conditions, and the elderly as the most vulnerable groups to mental health challenges from the pandemic.

Violence against paramedics has been described as a ‘serious public health problem’ but one that remains ‘vastly underreported’, owing to an organizational culture that stigmatizes reporting – hindering efforts at risk mitigation in addition to creating a gap in research. Leveraging a novel reporting process developed after extensive stakeholder consultation and embedded within the electronic patient care record, our objective was to provide a descriptive profile of violence against paramedics in a single paramedic service in Ontario, Canada. Between February 1, 2021, through January 31, 2023, a total of 374 paramedics in Peel Region (48% of the workforce) generated 941 violence reports, of which 40% documented physical (n=364) or sexual (n=19) assault. The violence was typically perpetrated by patients (78%) and primarily took place at the scene of the 9-1-1 call (47%); however, violent behavior frequently persisted or recurred while in transit to hospital and after arrival. Collectively, mental health, alcohol, or drug use were listed as contributing circumstances in 83% of violence reports. In all, 81 paramedics were physically harmed because of an assault. On average, our data correspond to a paramedic filing a violence report every 18 hours, being physically assaulted every 46 hours, and injured every 9 days.

The study investigated determinants of open defecation among rural women in Ghana. The study extracted data from the female’s file of the 2003, 2008 and 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS). A total of 4,284 pooled sample size of rural women aged 15-49 with complete information about the variables analyzed in the study. The outcome variable was “open defecation” (i.e., defecating in an open space rather than a toilet facility) whilst fourteen (14) key explanatory variables were used. Two regression models were built, and output reported in odds ratio. Descriptively, 42 in every 100 women aged 15-49 practised open defecation (n=1811, 95’CI=49-52). Open defecation significantly correlated with educational attainment, wealth status, religion, access to mass media, partner's education, and zone of residence. The likelihood to practice open defecation reduced among those with formal education [aOR=0.69, CI=0.56-0.85], those whose partners had formal education [aOR=0.64, CI=0.52-0.80], women in the rich wealth quintile [aOR=0.12, CI=0.07-0.20], the traditionalist [aOR=0.33, CI=0.19-0.57], and those who had access to mass media [aOR=0.70, CI=0.57-0.85]. Residents in the Savannah zone were over 21-fold higher to defecate openly [aOR=21.06, CI=15.97-27.77]. The prevalence of open defecation is disproportionately pro-poor indicating that impoverished rural women are more likely to perform it.

ackground: This study aimed to examine the effects of a woodworking program on psychosocial health in older adults who had mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia (MD) in Korea. Setting: The study was carried out in a dementia center in Seoul in Korea. Population: A total of 61 participants who had MCI or MD were allocated into two groups: the experimental group (EG, n = 35) and the control group (CG, n = 26). Methods: This study was carried out using a nonequivalent control group pre-test–post-test design. The EG participated in the woodworking program a total of 10 times for 120 min per session twice a week for 5 weeks, and the CG did not participate in the woodworking program. Both groups completed the same survey before and after the intervention. In the survey, demographic characteristics, psychological health (life satisfaction, depression, self-efficacy, and resilience), and social health (social isolation and social support) were measured. Results: In the within-group comparison, there was no significant difference between any factors of the CG before and after the intervention. In contrast, the EG had a significant improvement before and after the woodworking program. Participants in the EG with MCI and MD significantly improved their social support (p < 0.05). Psychological factors (life satisfaction, depression, and self-efficacy) were positively changed, although not significantly. Conclusions: The woodworking program promoted psychosocial health, such as life satisfaction, resilience, and social support, among older adults with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia.

Widespread patterns of poor dietary behavior are a key factor causing the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases around the world. Research provides initial insights into the potential of food literacy (FL) to empower individuals to improve their dietary behavior. Yet, studies on FL interventions in working adults are scarce. This study aimed to investigate the short- and long-term effects of a comprehensive 3-week workplace health promotion program (WHPP) on FL and dietary intake (DI) and to examine the association between FL and DI in a sample of 144 German office workers (30.0% female). Using two random intercept mixed linear regression models, we found significant strong improvements for both FL (β = 0.52, p &lt; .0001) and DI (β = 0.63, p &lt; .0001) after the WHPP when compared to baseline. Significant long-term improvements at 18 months where strong for FL (β = 0.55, p &lt; .0001) and small for DI (β = 0.10, p &lt; .0001). FL showed a significant moderate effect on DI across all measurement time points (β = 0.24, p &lt; .0001). Our study fills a gap of long-term findings in the literature on FL interventions, offers insights into underlying mechanisms, and provides recommendations for effective WHPPs.

Objective: to assess level of trust in health services during COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Methods: Cross-sectional study, carried out between 2020 and 2021, among Brazilians over 18. A non-probabilistic sampling was used. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied, using the Local Bivariate Moran’s technique was used to verify the existence of spatial dependence between the incidence and mortality of COVID-19 and trust in health services. Furthermore, multinomial regression was also used to analyze the factors associated with the confidence level, with the calculation of the Odds Ratio and with a confidence interval of 95%. Results: 50.6% reported trust in hospital services while 41.4% did not trust Primary Health Care services. With the application of the Local Bivariate Moran, both for the incidence and mortality of COVID-19, the trust in tertiary care and primary care services showed a statistically significant spatial association predominant in the Midwest (High-Low) and North (Low-High) regions of Brazil. The level of trust was associated with education, religion, region of the country and income. Conclusions: The level of trust in hospital services, more than Primary Health Care services, may be related to the population's culture of prioritizing the search for hospital care at the detriment of health promotion and disease prevention

Monkeypox, once a rare zoonotic disease, was endemic to some African countries since its original identification among humans in 1970. Since then, cases in non endemic regions were linked to returning travelers or those who had contact with transported animals. The causative agent, Monkeypox virus, belongs to Orthopoxviruses, the same family as Variola; the causative organism for smallpox. Although most Monkeypox outbreaks until recently were linked to zoonotic transmission, secondary human-human transmission in smallpox unvaccinated individuals was observed in a small proportion of overall cases. Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980 and since its eradication, monkeypox virus is the most significant poxvirus to cause human disease. The 2022 monkeypox outbreak marks a significant paradigm shift in the human and poxvirus association, with new modes of transmission, concerns of viral evolution and entrenchment as a sexually transmitted disease. Monkeypox clinically resembles smallpox but is far milder. At this time there are no approved therapies for monkeypox and antiviral agents effective against smallpox are being utilized. Additionally, preventive strategies being utilized include smallpox vaccination like JYNNEOS and ACAM2000. In this narrative review, we discuss the virology, epidemiology, transmission, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, management and prevention strategies associated with monkeypox.