diff --git "a/PMC_clustering_115.jsonl" "b/PMC_clustering_115.jsonl" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/PMC_clustering_115.jsonl" @@ -0,0 +1,1079 @@ +{"text": "Rhetorical inquires have shown connections between representation and power, workplace fashion and development of ethos, and the rhetoric of glamour through women\u2019s fashion and dress. One element absent from that conversation is how the life course, which typically differs for women because of existing power structures advantaging men, may impact the experience of women as they age, their choice of dress, and the rhetorical implications of those decisions. To explore dress and rhetoric from a life course perspective, this project traces the evolution of Serena Williams\u2019 work apparel across her professional tennis career to the catsuit worn at the 2018 French Open, which is the focus of the project. Press reports on the 2018 catsuit by Nike, New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Business Insider, BBC Sport, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times, interviews given by Williams, and the television documentary, Becoming Serena, will be analyzed for their treatment of Williams\u2019 work attire and the life course. Responses to the catsuit emphasize attitudes about gender, race, and class, either discounting or ignoring the life course implications such as motherhood and changes in health status. Despite professional success, responses about the catsuit may reflect that Williams faces the same jeopardies, and invisibility, common to many women as they age, and the rhetorical perspective provides new methodological and pedagogical possibilities for instruction in aging."} +{"text": "The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is difficult considering its complexity, variety in signs and symptoms, and its similarity to the signs and symptoms of other neurological diseases. The purpose of this study is to design and develop a clinical decision support system (CDSS) to help physicians diagnose MS with a relapsing-remitting phenotype. The CDSS software was developed in four stages: requirement analysis, system design, system development, and system evaluation. The Rational Rose and SQL Server were used to design the object-oriented conceptual model and develop the database. The C sharp programming language and the Visual Studio programming environment were used to develop the software. To evaluate the efficiency and applicability of the software, the data of 130 medical records of patients aged 20 to 40 between 2017 and 2019 were used along with the Nilsson standard questionnaire. SPSS Statistics was also used to analyze the data. For MS diagnosis, CDSS had a sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 1, 0.97 and 0.99, respectively, and the area under the ROC curve was 0.98. The agreement rate of kappa coefficient (\u03ba) between software diagnosis and physician\u2019s diagnosis was 0.98. The average score of software users was 98.33%, 96.65%, and 96.9% regarding the ease of learning, memorability, and satisfaction, respectively. Therefore, the applicability of the CDSS for MS diagnosis was confirmed by the neurologists. The evaluation findings show that CDSS can help physicians in the accurate and timely diagnosis of MS by using the rule-based method. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system -2. It us1.The diversity, instability and vagueness of the signs and symptoms , 5, 8, 92.Its differential diagnosis from other diseases such as acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO), and small vessel ischemic disease (SVID) -16;3.The absence of any definitive diagnostic tests for it -5;4.Limited specificity and accuracy of laboratory methods , 12, 15,Moreover, there is a significant delay from the stage of awareness of the initial signs and symptoms of MS to its diagnosis , 14, 18,In recent years, intelligent systems such as the clinical decision support system (CDSS) have been used to solve many complicated issues -27. ThesMany researchers use software techniques to diagnose diseases and disorders of the nervous system , 33. VarThe purpose of this study is to develop a CDSS software and evaluate it in the case of relapsing-remitting MS to accelerate and improve the diagnosis of this disease.The software was developed in four stages, as shown in 1.Extraction of the requirements of system users: At the requirements analysis stage, data requirements, functional and non-functional requirements were determined in interviewers with 10 expert neurologists based on a semi-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire's validity was evaluated through its content validity, and its reliability was determined using the test-retest method (r = 0.87);2.Software design: The software was designed in two stages, including designing the software's knowledge base and designing an object-oriented conceptual model.In order to design a knowledge base, the following should be conducted:\u2022Knowledge acquisition: Acquiring medical knowledge and identifying important and effective parameters regarding the diagnosis of MS occurs in two steps. In the first step, books, specialized texts, and articles concerning central nervous system diseases, MS diagnostic criteria, and MS diagnosis guidelines are studied, followed by identifying clinical signs and symptoms of MS diagnosis. In the second step, targeted interviews are conducted with 10 expert neurologists to determine the effective parameters in the diagnosis of MS, the relationship between clinical decision-making parameters and MS, the incidence of clinical signs, and the relationship between clinical signs and symptoms and the location of plaques in the central nervous system.\u2022Knowledge representation: The decision tables and 3 an\u2022Knowledge analysis: A rule-based method and MS diagnostic algorithm are usedTo design the software database, the object-oriented methodology was developed using the IBM Rational Rose Enterprise v9. Operational, structural, and behavioral models of the software were created by drawing use cases, class-responsibility-collaboration (CRC), class, sequence, activity, state and collaboration diagrams.3.Software development and implementation: SQL SERVER 2017 and Visual Studio 2017 v 15.8.9 and the C sharp programming language were used to codify the decision support software. Finally, the CDSS was deployed at the Neurology Department of the Shahid Beheshti Hospital of Kashan.4.System evaluation: The software was evaluated in terms of efficiency and applicability. The efficiency of the CDSS for MS diagnosis was calculated using the real data recorded in 130 cases of patients admitted at the Shahid Beheshti Hospital of Kashan. Ninety-one patients with MS and 39 patients with stroke, neuromyelitis optica (NMO), brain and spinal cord tumors, and acute encephalomyelitis in the age range of 20 to 40 years between 2017 and 2019 were included based on sensitivity, specificity and accuracy with the use of IBM SPSS Statistics v25.0.The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve and surface area under the curve were also plotted to judge the performance and efficiency of the system. Also, the Kappa test was conducted, and its results were interpreted to evaluate the agreement of the physician's diagnosis and the proposed system's. The software applicability was evaluated by 10 neurologists based on the Nielsen standard questionnaire in three distinct areas, including the ease of learning, memorability, and satisfaction. The validity of the applicability questionnaire designed in this study was evaluated using content validity based on valid sources, and its reliability was determined by calculating Cronbach's alpha (\u03b1 = 0.87).The findings of this study are presented in 5 parts, as seen below.The software input data were divided into five sections: demographic data, historical data, physical examinations, radiographic data, and laboratory data, which are described in The functional requirements of the system include simulation of the physician's decision-making process, thought and diagnosis, storing and creating a database of patients' data at each encounter, providing guidance and advice to the physician, providing reports required by physicians for decision making, presenting a summary of records to patients for them to find out the condition of their illness and back up their data to present to any neurologist.Non-functional requirements of the system features include maintaining privacy and security of patients' data, tracking users' operations in software, the capability of maintaining and updating the system knowledge base based on new criteria of MS diagnosis, the capability of software extension, addition of new features and heightening its processing speed in the future.The software includes the main sections of the patient profile, physician profiles, and reports. Patient profiles incorporate sub-parts for medical recording, recording explanations and examination data, recording MRI data, recording laboratory data, diagnosis, and a summary of the records. Physicians are able to edit their information on their profile and their patient's medical record. They can also provide their reports and information in the software reporting section. The system output is the diagnosis of MS with a degree of certainty as well as the diagnosis of other diseases and suggestions for the examination of the differential diagnosis of MS. The software developed in this study provides the output and new advice to the physician at each encounter of the patient based on newly recorded data in the system. The system also provides users with the capability of describing their responses and reasons. The decision support software developed in this paper has a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 97%, an accuracy of 99%, and a surface area under the ROC curve of 0.987 . Also, tThe average score of software users was 98.33%, 96.65%, and 96.9%, regarding ease of learning, memorability, and satisfaction, respectively. Therefore, the applicability of the CDS software for MS diagnosis was confirmed by the neurologists.The results of the software evaluation revealed that there was a complete consistency between the system diagnosis and the final diagnosis recorded in the patient records, and also reflected the high acceptability of the system and the satisfaction of all users' operational expectations, as well as the system's applicability in health environments.All the diagnostic parameters affected the efficiency and performance of software diagnosis. In this paper, 45 parameters presented in A powerful knowledge base is one of the strengths of CDSSs because it makes its inference engine optimal, smart, and more error-tolerant. According to the studies, decision tables, decision trees, and semantic networks are helpful in designing a knowledge base for decision support and expert systems and represent the link between signs and symptoms and diseases, and the rules of production are derived from them. The expert system for the diagnosis of neuromuscular disorders has used the decision tree, and the neurological expert system has used the decision table and the decision tree. The decision table has been used in the design of the knowledge base of the diagnostic system for nervous demyelination diseases and neurological disorders. The Fuzzy Expert System for MS diagnosis in Italy used the graphic diagram of the semantic network to organize and represent the knowledge base. In this paper, the approaches to the decision table and the semantic network are used to represent the production rules.et al. used the computer-assisted diagnostic system for the differential diagnosis of MS using logistic regression and artificial neural networks in Germany. The sensitivity and accuracy of the statistical method in the classification of patients were 0.84 and 0.54, respectively, and the sensitivity and accuracy for the artificial neural network in the classification of MS patients from other patients were 0.95 and 0.83, respectively [Using a suitable reasoning method and technique to diagnose in decision support systems is important in the efficiency of the software. A rule-based method is one of the most widely used methods to diagnose diseases, especially MS . This meectively . The difectively . The fuzectively . The artectively , 45.The use of an object-oriented conceptual model helps software analysts to design quick and logical systems in the changing conditions of the business atmosphere, enhancing the quality of analysis of the users' requirements and software design documentation. The system developed in this paper and the Neurology Diagnose System Project at the University of Tryp Habana used object-oriented design and UML modeling language diagrams, which are deemed to be strengths of the software and show the operational, structural, and behavioral perspectives of the software.In order to access the proposed system, we encountered limitations such as the limited number of medical records of patients with NMO and ADEM, incomplete data records in the medical records of patients, and their removal in the evaluation stage.Given that a rule-based method has limited flexibility, it is suggested that a combination of rule-based and case-based methods be used to overcome this problem in decision support systems. Also, to overcome the uncertainty problems in medicine, and the different parameters of MS diagnosis and their values in different patients, a combination of rule-based and fuzzy logic methods should be used. The proposed decision system in this study could be expanded for the diagnosis of other types of MS phenotypes and for their management and treatment.The results of the evaluations of the efficiency and applicability of the software demonstrate the high acceptability of the system and satisfaction of all the operational expectations of users, and that CDSS provides guidance in decision-making and helps physicians in the timely and accurate diagnosis of MS. These are the results of proper knowledge engineering and the use of effective parameters in the diagnosis, analysis process and object-oriented conceptual design of the software, the use of appropriate reasoning methods, and the development of MS diagnosis algorithm based on the latest McDonald's MS diagnosis criteria and guideline, as well as the centrality of final users and neurologists in the design of the graphical user interface of the system.The rule-based method is one of the most widely used reasoning methods for the diagnosis of MS having proper efficiency and benefits such as modularity and general combination and description of the results. Being understood and well accepted by physicians, this method manages well-defined issues with text-based knowledge. In CDSSs and expert systems, a combination of different reasoning methods can be used based on the system's objective in order to enhance the efficiency and intelligence of the system.The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest."} +{"text": "The relationship between diet and the diversity and function of the intestinal microbiome and its importance for human health is currently the subject of many studies. The type and proportion of microorganisms found in the intestines can determine the energy balance of the host. Intestinal microorganisms perform many important functions, one of which is participation in metabolic processes, e.g., in the production of short-chain fatty acids\u2014SCFAs . These acids represent the main carbon flow from the diet to the host microbiome. Maintaining intestinal balance is necessary to maintain the host\u2019s normal health and prevent many diseases. The results of many studies confirm the beneficial effect of probiotic microorganisms on the balance of the intestinal microbiome and produced metabolites, including SCFAs. The aim of this review is to summarize what is known on the effects of probiotics on the production of short-chain fatty acids by gut microbes. In addition, the mechanism of formation and properties of these metabolites is discussed and verified test results confirming the effectiveness of probiotics in human nutrition by modulating SCFAs production by intestinal microbiome is presented. Firmicutes, Bacteroides, Actinobacteria, Fusobacteria, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Cyanobacteria, and Spirochaetes) ..BifidobaEnterobacteriaceae fermentation and is carried out by some bacteria belonging to this family, including Escherichia, Proteus, Salmonella, and Shigella . P. PLactobnfection and in r disease .Maintaining the balance of the intestinal microbiome is crucial for maintaining normal human health and preventing many diseases. Short-chain fatty acids, as metabolites of intestinal bacteria, perform many important functions. The concentration of SCFAs depends on the composition and size of the population of intestinal microorganisms, genetic factors, environmental factors and the diet conditioning access to appropriate substrates. Imbalance of the intestinal microbiome and a decrease in the number of bacteria producing metabolites such as SCFAs are often diagnosed in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), type 2 diabetes (T2D), obesity, infections bacterial, autoimmune disorders, or cancer patients. Numerous scientific reports confirm the effectiveness of probiotics in modulating the intestinal microbiome and their effect on the SCFAs content in the colon. Many studies, in addition to acting in the digestive system, concern the effect of SCFAs produced by intestinal microbiome on functions of distant tissues and organs. Researchers highlight the immunomodulatory effect of SCFAs produced by probiotics, but the mechanisms of their action still need further study. The use of probiotic microorganisms to prevent and treat intestinal dysbiosis, leading to an increase in SCFAs in the colon, seems to be an important direction for further research. Research on SCFAs in relation to diseases covered by the review is much-needed to understand their etiology and pathogenesis, and to propose new therapies. Clinical studies in human populations in this area are highly desirable."} +{"text": "In March 2020, the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases overburdened the Italian health system, with the country becoming the pandemic\u2019s epicenter. We present a narrative review based on manuscripts, official documents, and newspaper articles regarding COVID-19 in Italy. Characteristics of the epidemic, possible causes for its worsening, and the measures adopted across Italian regions are presented. In the early stages of an epidemic, effective decision-making is essential to contain the number of cases. Medical support for patients and social isolation measures are the most appropriate strategies currently available to reduce the spread and lethality of COVID-19. In March 2020, the epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus (or SARS-CoV-2) turned into a global pandemic, with Italy leading the tally with regard to the number of COVID-19 cases as well as fatalities. This turn of events raises an important question: what happened in Italy, the first Western country to be hit by COVID-19, for it to become the epicenter of the pandemic? And, most significantly for us, what can we learn from the Italian experience to reduce the impact of the pandemic in Brazil? Here, we present a narrative review of articles published from February to April 2020 in scientific journals, on institutional websites, and in the press in general, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy.,During the month of March, the press and social networks broadcast shocking images of Italian hospitals-crowded emergency rooms, patients on stretchers in corridors, surgical centers transformed into intensive care units (ICUs), health professionals becoming ill (and dying), 50-70% of hospital beds occupied by patients with COVID-19, and so on. The scarcity of the necessary equipment put doctors in the position of having to make the drastic decision of who would be placed on respirators based on their chances of survivalIt should be noted that Italy has one of the best public health systems in the worldBased on data from May 17, Italy was the third country by number of COVID-19 deaths , behind the United States of America and the United Kingdom Nursing homes for older adults in Italy have become high-risk locations for their residents, who, in addition to old age, have multiple comorbidities; the nursing home setting has witnessed a large number of deaths by COVID-19. The province of Bergamo, for example, recorded more than 600 deaths in 20 days , and 40% of the professionals working in these asylums were on sick leave or in isolationHarvard Business Review, Pisano et al.The advanced age of a large part of the Italian population may be one of the causes of the significant number of deaths, but it is not a comprehensive explanation. Political decisions aimed at limiting the spread of the epidemic across the entire territory were slow to be taken. In an article published in the The delay in adopting social isolation measures and restricting movement, together with a public event in late February that involved politicians in Milan exchanging handshakes to symbolize that the economy could not stop because of the epidemic, contributed to misinformation about the risks of virus transmission. In the same month, public events brought together thousands of people in Lombardy. Agricultural fairs in Bergamo and Brescia, a soccer match between Atalanta (Bergamo) and Valencia (Spain) for the Champions League in MilanIn the article by Pisano et al.The decentralization of the Italian health system also prevented uniform measures from being adopted across the countryIn Italy, hospitals receive around 45% of health system funding, which is higher than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average (38%)At the time of writing this article, on May 17, Italy had reported 223,885 cases of COVID-19. However, after so much desolation, the number of deaths, which in one day almost reached the quota of 1,000, began to fall to less than 200In Brazil, we are in the ascending phase of the pandemic curve, with an exponential progression of cases and, consequently, deathsFrom the above, and in the absence of proven effective treatments or a preventive vaccine, we must offer supportive treatment to patients and adopt non-pharmacological measures since, at the moment, the best way for each of us to contribute to slowing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 is to avoid contact with other people. Behaving in this way, we will allow time for the preparation of the health system, increasing our chances of receiving adequate medical care and surviving this new virus."} +{"text": "The highest Road Traffic Deaths (RTDs) are related to Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). The efforts for decreasing the incidence and deaths of RTDs can be successful if there is precise information about its related risk factors. This study is aimed at modeling the effective factors of economic, population, road, and vehicles on road traffic deaths in Iran.This is an ecologic study which has been done using the covariates of; the proportion of the population, economic growth, urbanization, distance traveled (km) in 100 thousand people, the length of urban roads, the length of rural roads and the number of vehicles for each province in 2015. The regression model of Negative Binomial (NB) was used to modeling these covariates on the deaths of RTDs. The statistical software of STATA edition 14. Was used.The average of road traffic deaths was 474 (SD= 70.59) in 2015. The result of the multivariate negative binomial model showed that the covariates of the proportion of the population and Gross Domestic Production (GDP) were statistically significant on the number of RTDs.The covariates of the proportion of population and GDP were effective on the RTDs with the direct and indirect relationship respectively.Death, Road traffic crash, Modeling, Iran"} +{"text": "Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is distributed worldwide, extending from China to the Middle East and from Mediterranean countries to the sub-Saharan Africa and South America. According to WHO, one million people around the world are suffering from CE with an estimated burden of 183,573 DALYs. The annual monetary burden of the disease due to treatment costs and CE-related livestock losses has been estimated at US$ 3 billion. CE is endemic in all countries within the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO). The region, which includes most of the Middle East and North Africa, is one of the most ancient foci of the domestic cycle of CE and is recognized as one of the major hotspots of CE. There are 22 countries in the EMRO, where about 688 million people are living at risk of CE. In many EMRO countries, little is known about CE epidemiology and transmission. WHO included echinococcosis in a list of 17 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and 12 neglected zoonotic diseases (NZDs). Accordingly, different regional offices of WHO organized several initiatives for CE control and prevention. WHO\u2019s Western Pacific regional office considered echinococcosis as one of the region\u2019s major health topics, and several preventive measures have been implemented in the American region with the support of Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Argentina, Peru, Uruguay, and Chile. Although CE is endemic in all 22 EMRO countries, surprisingly, CE is absent from the health topics list of diseases and conditions in this region. Therefore, CE clearly requires further attention in the WHO EMRO agenda, and the need for elaboration of specific measures for CE control is becoming apparent in EMRO countries, where substantial collaborations among the member states and WHO EMRO is of paramount importance. Major topics of collaborative activities include training programs and health communication on different aspects of CE control, analysis of CE burden, national and international surveillance and disease registry systems, technical support to promote epidemiological studies for collecting baseline data, cost\u2013benefit analysis of control interventions, and intersectoral cooperation among the agriculture, veterinary, medical, and health sectors. Echinococcus granulosus. CE is distributed worldwide, extending from China and Central Asia to the Middle East and Mediterranean countries as well as sub-Saharan Africa and South America [Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a major parasitic disease of humans and animals caused by the small intestinal tapeworm of carnivores, America .According to WHO, 1 million people around the world are suffering from CE, and an estimated burden of 183,573 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) has been attributed to this zoonotic infection [WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO), which includes most of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), is one of the most ancient foci of the domestic cycle of CE and is recognized as one of the major hotspots of CE ,5. The sThere are 22 countries in EMRO, where about 688 million people are living at risk of CE. Actually, CE is endemic in all EMRO countries. In many EMRO countries, little is known about CE epidemiology and transmission. For instance, although CE is endemic in Pakistan, the country has been neglected in international collaborations on echinococcosis control, largely due to the paucity of information in the country . There aWHO included echinococcosis in a list of 17 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and 12 neglected zoonotic diseases (NZDs) ,11. AccoCE as a major neglected infectious disease has received special attention in the Americas through the \u201cSouth American Initiative for the Control and Surveillance of Cystic Echinococcosis /Hydatidosis\u201d. Several preventive measures have been implemented in the region with the support of PAHO in Argentina, Peru, Uruguay, and China .WHO EMRO has announced plans for training, monitoring, and epidemiological evaluation of several NTDs, including lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, and soil-transmitted helminths . AlthougMajor topics of collaborative activities include training programs and health communication on different aspects of CE control, analysis of CE burden, national and international surveillance and disease registry systems, technical support to promote epidemiological studies for collecting baseline data, cost\u2013benefit analysis of control interventions, and intersectoral cooperation among the agriculture, veterinary, medical, and health sectors.As part of the new roadmap on NTDs, WHO would coordinate and support member states to develop intervention programs for the prevention and control of NTDS, including cystic and alveolar echinococcosis. Initiatives need to be started by EMRO and its members through practical participatory planning to mobilize resources for incorporating echinococcosis and other human zoonotic diseases into the One Health domains."} +{"text": "More than 5 million people die each year as a result of: injuries, resulting from acts of violence against oneself or others, road traffic crashes, burns, drowning, falls, poisonings, among other causes. That is the reason for Safe Community program in every part of the world. Because Safe Communities are an Essential need for a Modern-Day Society. Safe Community is our present and future. Safe Community does not know the state boundaries, nationality, religion, skin color, age and gender. Safe Community is a global program and global movement for the preservation and protection of the environment, life and health of every inhabitant of this planet. Safe Community is a safe environment in which people can develop all their work and productive potentials. European safe Community Network aims at strengthening existing International Safe Communities in Europe and promotion of the formation of new communities to be accepted into the Safe community movement. The Global Burden of Disease Studies has documented unfair distribution of injury by socioeconomic strata in Europe. This gradient, existing within and between countries, must be addressed. Our board has representatives from Novi Sad in South Eastern Europe through the Baltics and as far north in Scandinavia as 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle in Norway. Together we are working against public indifference towards the burden of injury and trying to promote community based interventions against injuries e.g. traffic accidents , drowning, burns, falls, violence, and suicide. In the 53 countries of the WHO European Region injuries are estimated to cause 790 000 deaths yearly. This is 9% of deaths from all causes. An estimate for the 27 countries in the European Union is 252 000 injury related deaths and about 7 million hospital admissions yearly . Injury is the greatest thief of life years in the age group from one year to the mid-forties. The first Safe Community was designated in 1989. Several Swedish and Norwegian communities followed in Falkopings, footsteps during the next two decades. There are 58 designated Safe Communities in Europe. Of these 36 are in Sweden and Norway. Norway has a strong National Safe Community Network, Norwegian Safety Forum and are steadily recruiting communities up to the present. Sweden he s recruited few new safe communities the last two decades, probably due to the dissolving of the Swedish National Network. However, existing Swedish Safe Communities are active and strong and thus redesigned. Key success on participation in National and International Safe Communities Networks are: Statistics, Research, Strategy, Motivation, Education, Training and Collaboration.Safe Community, European Network, Statistics, Research, Strategy, Motivation, Education, Training and Collaboration"} +{"text": "We examine the distribution of residential care in California, showing geographical disparities in care supply and need. We mapped the ratio of beds to older women in Los Angeles and San Diego County census tracts and concentrations of small and large facilities in the Cities of Los Angeles and San Diego. The largest ratios of residential care beds per older women occur on the border of the City of San Diego and on the periphery of Los Angeles County away from the City of Los Angeles. Clusters of small facilities take place in northern Los Angeles and southeastern San Diego, while clusters of large facilities occur in Downtown Los Angeles and near La Jolla. Understanding geographical disparities in residential care supply and need in California can help residential care developers, service providers, and local and state agencies partner in planning for residential care facility development in underserved areas. As lifeAs a result, the demand for residential care is expected to grow, putting pressure on cities and local governments to incentivize and plan for more care facilities to meet the growing long-term care need, particularly in the highly populated and urbanized regions of California, the largest state by older adult population. At present, more than a third of residential care facilities are located in the western US , and morLittle is known, however, regarding the number and distribution of residential care facilities in Californian cities and surrounding areas, containing large populations of older adults who need or will soon need such care. The vast majority of facilities in the state are situated near coastal areas, in major metropolitan centers, as demonstrated by Because residential care is regulated primarily at the state level in the US and is funded and developed almost exclusively by private means, it is subjected to less governmental oversight and regional planning than institutional facilities such as skilled nursing care, which have historically been planned and developed via federal partnerships . The devSince the residential care industry in California is concentrated in major metropolitan areas, and because the development of such facilities varies substantially by neighborhood, in this study, we present spatial and cartographic analyses of the availability of residential care in the two largest Californian cities and surrounding counties by census tract, using 2015 California Department of Social Services residential care for the elderly and American Community Survey data. To understand the geography of residential care in these areas, we map the ratio of facility beds to older women with a disability. To evaluate the spatial distribution of facilities, we present maps of locations and spatial clustering of small and large facilities in California\u2019s largest cities and residential care markets relative to the concentration of older women with disability.2.2.1.We acquired 2015 California Department of Social Services (CDSS) residential care facility data, a census of all licensed facilities in the state, and geocoded facilities based on their address information. We also used data from the 2015 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates to create measures of the proportion of older women with disability in the census tract, which serves as a proxy for the potential long-term care need in the older adult population. In ACS, disability is defined as having hearing, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care, or independent living difficulty . Geocode2.2.To spatially analyze residential care facility beds and older women with disability, we calculated the number of beds and older women in Los Angeles and San Diego County census tracts. In evaluating the relationship between beds and older women, we mapped the ratio of beds and older women, categorizing the ratio of the two as above and below the adequate supply and undersupply equilibrium break point of 1.0. Densities of beds and older women and the ratio of the two were categorized and illustrated in county choropleth maps, using graduated colors to show increases in values of each in census tracts.To investigate the spatial distribution of facilities, we employed hot spot analysis, testing for clusters of small and large sized facilities using the Getis-Ord Gi* statistic . Applyin3.We show the spatial distribution of residential care in Los Angeles County and its principal city, Los Angeles and in San Diego County and its principal city, San Diego.The main map portrays the ratio of residential care facility beds to older women in Los Angeles County census tracts in Figure \u2460, highlighting areas with no beds per older women, as shown in white, areas with less than one bed per older woman, as represented by the lightest shade of gray, and areas with more than one bed per older woman, as shown in darker gray and black. Ratios shown in the lightest gray represent areas of undersupply or fewer beds than older women. Ratios shown in darker gray to black represent areas of adequate supply or more beds than older women. The majority of county census tracts show no beds per older women or an undersupply of beds, whereas only select and widely scattered areas of the county indicate an adequate supply. The highest ratios of adequate supply in the county occur in Santa Monica, Claremont, south of Beverly Hills, portions of the San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, Alhambra, Arcadia, south of Torrance, and north of Humphreys and Lancaster, toward the northern end of the county.The map displays the location and clustering of residential care facilities in the City of Los Angeles in Figure \u2462, drawn over the concentration of older women with disability. The map shows where facilities are sited, where clusters of small and large facilities congregate, as shown in blue and red respectively, and where large enclaves of older women are located, increasing in density, as shown in dot patterning to gray to black, indicating zero to low to high density. Dot patterning in city census tracts specifies areas with no older women, typically representing open space or public areas, such as Griffith Park and Topanga State Park. Areas shown in white within the larger boundary of the City of Los Angeles denote independently incorporated cities, including San Fernando, Beverly Hills, and Culver City. The majority of facilities are located in the San Fernando Valley, most of them small board and care facilities, six or fewer beds in size. Fewer facilities are located south of this suburban area, inside and west of the downtown district, most of them large assisted living and CCRC facilities. In general, clusters of small facilities group in areas of lower densities of older women, such as the San Fernando Valley, while clusters of large facilities congregate in areas of higher densities of the demographic, surrounding and west of the downtown area. However, certain areas with high concentrations of older women lack an immediate residential care presence, such as portions of Hollywood and neighborhoods east, west, and south of the downtown area.The map document also shows the spatial distribution of residential care in San Diego County and the City of San Diego in Figure \u2461. It shows the ratio of residential care facility beds to older women in county census tracts, displaying areas with zero beds per older women, as depicted in white, areas with less than one bed per one older woman, as shown by the lightest shade of gray, and areas with more than one bed per one older woman, as shown in darker gray and black. Similar to Los Angeles, the majority of county census tracts show no beds per older women or an undersupply of beds, whereas only select and fairly dispersed areas of the county indicate adequate supply. The greatest ratios of adequate supply in the county take place in central San Diego, south of La Presa, south of Escondido, and north of Encinitas.The main map displays the siting and concentration of residential care facilities in the City of San Diego, illustrated on top of the density of older women with disability in Figure \u2463. It shows the location of facilities, clusters of small and large facilities, and enclaves of older women. As in Los Angeles, the categorization of the density of older women increases from dot patterning to gray to black, representing zero to low to high density. Dot patterning in city tracts indicates areas with no older women, representing military installations, including Miramar. The majority of facilities are located in the southern half of the city, where most of the clustering of small and large facilities arises. Fewer facilities are located in the northernmost portion of the city, where only small amounts of clustering take place. Unlike Los Angeles, clusters of small facilities in San Diego do not congregate in areas of lower densities of older women, and clusters of large facilities do not coalesce in areas of higher densities of the demographic. In fact, a nearly opposite pattern takes place in the map, in which significant groupings of large assisted living and CCRC facilities cluster adjacent to lower densities of older women in La Jolla, and substantial concentrations of small facilities cluster in neighborhoods of higher densities of older women near Lincoln Park. However, in general, facilities in the jurisdiction appear to follow the pattern of densities of older women, with the development of facilities in or near higher densities of older women, as opposed to the lowest density of older women, as shown in the lightest shade of gray.4.We show that residential care in California\u2019s two largest counties is largely undersupplied with respect to the potential long-term care need. We also demonstrate that the patterns of residential care facility development and hot spots of small and large facilities in terms of size more or less match the pattern of concentrations of older women with disability, with the exception of the City of San Diego, in which clusters of large facilities are located in neighborhoods with smaller densities of older women and clusters of small facilities are located in neighborhoods with larger densities of older women.The overwhelming majority of census tracts display no supply of residential care facility beds or an undersupply of beds, emphasizing the limited and exclusive nature of the industry, which faces many institutional and economic obstacles to growth. These obstacles include a shortage of land supply in metro areas, difficulties in facility development permitting where applicable, and a growing but privileged clientele, who pay an average of $3,500 per month for residential care in the US . These fIn focusing on areas of adequate supply in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties, a number of scattered census tracts come into high relief. In Los Angeles County, the most extreme examples of adequate supply occur in Santa Monica, Lakewood, Van Nuys, Claremont, and in and near Beverly Hills. Taking a closer look at the underlying data, in each of these tracts, which represent the highest ratios of facility beds to older women as shown in black in the map, there are less than ten older women per square mile, and in one case, as few as two per square mile. In these same tracts, however, there are as many as 80 beds per square mile. In comparison, in census tracts with lower ratios of beds to older women, the number of older women per square mile is typically greater, as is the number of beds per square mile. In other words, the typical configuration of the ratio of beds per older women is greater in both the numerator and denominator, creating a distribution of ratios above .9 that overwhelmingly falls beneath 6.0 and a distribution of ratios below 1.0 that represent the bulk of the dataset, as shown in the map.In San Diego County, the most extreme instances of adequate supply take place near La Presa, Oceanside, coastal and central San Diego, the eastern outskirts of San Diego, Escondido, and Encinitas. Due to the miniscule square mileage of some of these census tracts, which produce extremely large ratios of facility beds per square mile and older women per square mile, comparing the distribution of total beds and total women is more helpful in analyzing the greatest ratios of beds to older women in the county. The range of total women in these tracts is one to 357, whereas the range of total beds is six to 1334, the smallest and largest of each corresponding to each other. In comparison, the total number of beds appears to grow more stable in tracts with lower ratios of beds to women, and the total number of women seems to increase as well. As with Los Angeles, the vast majority of census tracts contain a ratio of beds to women under 3.4, as illustrated in the map, and a distribution of ratios below 1.0 that represent most of the data.Areas of adequate supply in both counties appear primarily to be the result of extremely low counts of older women compared to facility beds in census tracts, perhaps indicative of tracts that older women are pushed or pulled to move from to live in other locations . It is aAccordingly, understanding the spatial distribution of residential care can help city and regional planners, community stakeholders, and local representatives address areas of concentrated and underserviced long-term care need through administrative and discretionary planning tools that encourage development of this critically important type of senior housing. In other words, research of this kind, on the geographical disparities in healthcare, can help governmental agencies and communities pinpoint and address the long-term care need of older adults with respect to residential care supply and other forms of housing services and supports outside of the home.Related to counts of older women in tracts are some of the limitations of this research, including 2015 ACS census tract estimates. 2015 ACS estimates were based on sampling over 60 months of time and are not a complete enumeration of people, as in the 2010 Decennial Census . AlthougFuture research is needed to track the increase of residential care in Los Angeles and San Diego along with other major cities in California, investigating how residential care has increased by number of facilities and total beds in jurisdictions relative to the potential long-term care need of older adults through time series analysis of residential care and older age population growth.5.In decimal degrees, the geographical coordinates of the City and County of Los Angeles are 34.052235, \u2212118.243683 (WGS84 datum). The geographical coordinates of the City and County of San Diego are 32.715736, \u2212117.161087 (WGS84 datum) in decimal degrees.ArcMap as part of Esri\u2019s ArcGIS was used to produce all of the maps in this article. California Department of Social Services (CDSS) residential care facilities were geocoded and spatially joined with Los Angeles and San Diego County census tracts, and spatially referenced using the North American Datum (NAD) 1983, California State Plane 2011V FIPS 0405 Feet Lambert Conformal Conic projection. The spheroid of this datum and projection is the Geodetic Reference System (GRS) 1980. We symbolized the data in graduated color choropleth maps, using the Jenks Natural Breaks Classification Method, which maximizes the variance between classifications, while minimizing the variance within each classification. The only exception to this is the variable of the ratio of beds to older women in either county, in which we distinguished classifications as either above or below the equilibrium point of 1.0, between the second and third classifications, to categorize census tracts as having either oversupply or undersupply of residential care. Finally, we plotted residential care facilities, including clusters of small and large facilities, in the Cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, on top of choropleth maps of older women with disability, showing where concentrations of small board and care and large assisted living and continuing care retirement communities (CCRC) occur relative to the potential need in either jurisdiction.Main Map"} +{"text": "NMDA receptors, on its turn, control the impulses of dopamine neurons. Therefore following theories of schizophrenia are proposed. They are a) activation of astrocytes for neuroinflammation, b) glutamate and dopamine theory, as astrocyte products control the activity of NMDA receptors, which influence on the dopamine neurons.The levels of the astrocyte markers were increased unevenly in patients with schizophrenia. Reactive astrogliosis was found in approximately 70% of patients with schizophrenia. The astrocytes play a major role in etiology and pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Astrocytes produce the components that altered in schizophrenia extracellular matrix system which are involved in inflammation, functioning of interneurons, glio-, and neurotransmitter system, especially glutamate system. Astrocytes activate the interneurons through glutamate release and ATP. Decreased expression of astrocyte glutamate transporters was observed in patients with schizophrenia. Astrocytes influence on N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors Schizophrenia is a mental disorder, determined as a complex of positive, negative and cognitive symptoms . PositivThe dopamine theory of schizophrenia, based on hyperactive dopamine projections in the mesolimbic system and reduced dopamine projections in the mesocortical system , is the Glutamate theory of schizophrenia is based on the ability of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists, such as ketamine, induced schizophrenia-like psychosis . DisturbNeuroinflammation theory of schizophrenia is based on increased expression of proinflammatory agents and the presence of autoantibodies. Epidemiological studies associate schizophrenia with autoimmune disorders, autoantibodies affect synapses and NMDA-type glutamate receptors and cause damages in the brain . InflammThe glial theory of schizophrenia assumes that initial disturbances in glial cells can lead to the abnormalities of the neurons and neurotransmitters. The glial theory of schizophrenia based on the proven inflammatory response and elevated levels of the characteristic markers of active glia\u2014S100B and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) . In schiPatients with schizophrenia show increased activation of glia, especially astrocytes, which play a role in the development and functioning of synapses, glutamate release, water-electrolyte balance, regulation of blood circulation, and neuroprotection . The funpostmortem human studies of astrocyte alterations in schizophrenia have focused on the number of glial cells. The number of astrocytes was reduced in the cingulate cortex -12, and astrocytes inhibit the production of IL-12 and produce type 2 cytokines, for example, IL-10 . The dysStimulation of mGluR5 and a1-noradrenergic astrocyte receptors provokes mild inflammatory processes, including the release of prostaglandins and other eicosanoids, which can regulate communication between neurons and blood vessels .via secreted cytokines including LPS and associated cytokines . Astrocyytokines .During pathogenesis of schizophrenia, glia loses the ability to form compartments and connections, which leads to disruption of perception and an inability to think, which can be included in the development of cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia. Supposing that astrocyte gap junctions are the site of memory formation and intentional programming, their functions must be essential for cognition and higher information processing . This suvia inhibitory GABAergic interneurons.Reduced expression of Reelin, which is also a part of extracellular matrix, was noted in patients with schizophrenia in several brain regions, including the hippocampus, prefrontal and temporal cortex, cerebellum and caudate nucleus . In adulIn schizophrenia, there is hypofunction of NMDA receptors, which leads to a decrease in prefrontal cortex functions . WeakeneThe basis of the modified glutamate transmission is increased glutamate excretion in the hippocampus, in which the dysfunction of inhibitory interneurons in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex also plays a role . ReducedPostmortem studies of patients with schizophrenia showed a simultaneous decrease in the levels of parvalbumin interneurons and glutamic acid decarboxylase in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex . Ninety KYNA acts as an antagonist of all 3 ionotropic glutamate receptors, including NMDA, AMPA, and receptors kainate, while KYNA is the only currently known endogenous antagonist of NMDA . KYNA prConversion kynurenine to KYNA occurs mainly in astrocytes since these cells contain kynurenine aminotransferase (KAT) . In adulThe possible role of KYNA as a functional link between the stimulation of dopamine receptors and the neurotoxicity of NMDA in the striatum was noted in rats . An incrThe impact of the increased level of KYNA in schizophrenia symptoms is ambiguous. Elevated levels of KYNA provoked cognitive defects in animals: auditory sensory gating, prepulse inhibition, contextual discriminations, spatial working memory . The levGABA acts on astrocytes through GABA receptors, contributing to the release of chlorine and depolarization of astrocytes, and GABA receptors, activating calcium-dependent mechanisms and contributing to the growth of gliotransmitter . ActivatGABA entering the astrocyte is mediated by a GABA-transporter operating on the principle of symport with sodium, increasing the content of intracellular sodium can contribute to the reversible operation of GABA-transporter . ReducedAdenosine acts through two types of receptors\u2014A1 and A2 . A1-receRecently gaining popularity adenosine theory of schizophrenia. It consists of the hyper-activation of adenosine kinase, which reduces the level of adenosine . It is sStriatal astrocytes express the heterodimer native receptors A2A-D2 . D2 receThe morphological basis of the accepted dopaminergic theory of schizophrenia is the dysregulation of the dopaminergic system primarily in the striatum , which iPostmortem examinations showed an increase in the level of dopamine in the striatum and an increase in the density of the D2 receptor but without changes in dopamine active transporter (DAT) densities also take part in it. The presence of markers of activation of glia in serum and cerebrospinal fluid indicates a growing activation of astrocytes. Isolation of pro-inflammatory agents and KYNA indicates a violation in the metabolism of astrocytes and surrounding cells. As a result, this leads to changes in the structure of the brain. Morphological manifestations include a decrease in astrocyte density in the frontal cortex, changes in the composition of the extracellular matrix and glial hypertrophy. Of course, in addition to the obvious changes in the brain, astrocytes make a significant contribution to the negative, positive, and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia.The number of astrocytes was reduced in the prefrontal cortex, that connects altered astrocyte system with mesocortical system, and nucleus accumbens, anterior cingulate cortex, which proves the changes in glial cells in the mesolimbic system, although in the hippocampus it was increased. The differences between the number of astrocytes in the mesocortical and mesolimbic system can affect on the manifestation of schizophrenia symptoms. Associations between GFAP and symptoms have not been found. At the same time the levels of another astrocyte markers, S100B and myoinositol, positively correlated with negative and positive symptoms, respectively. This finding suggests the dual alterations in astrocyte in brain regions, related with different symptom complexes.The imbalance between microglia and astrocytes, which occurs in neuroinflammation, influence on different neurotransmitters, such as GABA and dopamine. GABAergic interneurons, affected by oxidative stress, modulate the activity of prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala, that worsen alterations in dopamine system and, therefore, symptoms of schizophrenia.The contribution of glia to the development of cognitive symptoms was unexpected; normally it forms compartments and connections between neurons, but altered astrocyte themselves and extracellular matrix, affected by them, disturbs these interconnections.via KYNA and altered in schizophrenia glutamate transporters, as on the glycine system via non-synaptic GlyT-1 and D-serine. NMDA receptors and adenosine receptors, on its turn, control the dopamine release which is still considered the main schizophrenia neurotransmitter.NMDA receptors, related with all the groups of schizophrenia symptoms, associated also with astrocytes, since NMDA antagonist increased the number of GFAP-positive astrocytes in the prefrontal cortex. Astrocyte affects as on the glutamate system The study of the contribution of astrocytes to the etiology, pathogenesis, and symptoms of schizophrenia is associated with certain problems. The researches have been focused on the study of glia in different areas of the brain, which not only makes it difficult to generalize and analyze heterogeneous reactions of astrocytes but also eliminates the relationship between these areas and their respective astrocytes. In particular, the glia of \u201cstriatum-prefrontal cortex\u201d axis, which supposedly plays a major role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, requires further analysis to study the contribution of NMDA receptors. Also, the study of the genetic patterns of astrocyte pathology is needed. Some problems are associated with the astrocytes themselves, for example, there is evidence of their heterogeneity, which means that it is impossible to accurately judge the suppression or activation of astrocytes in any structure of the brain. This problem is supplemented by the dependence of astrocyte functioning on the age of patients, which is not always taken into account in case-control studies.Further study of the effect of astrocytes on neurotransmission may clarify the currently controversial aspects of brain function in schizophrenia and explain the characteristic symptoms. For example, it is not clear why a decrease in the expression of NMDA receptors is observed in both the prefrontal cortex and the striatum, if NMDA receptors have an activating effect on dopamine neurons. A separate role in this can play KYNA, NMDA receptor antagonist, an association of which was found with all types of symptoms of schizophrenia. Special attention should be paid to the study of GLT-1, whose effect on the symptoms of schizophrenia is heterogeneous (VVT, AAS, VNC, SSS, PM, DL, SGS, CEK, SOB, and GA conceptualized and designed the study. PM and DL collected and analyzed the data. All of the authors discussed the analyses, the results, and their interpretation, revised and improved the various drafts. VT, AAS, VNC, SSS, PM, DL, SGS, CEK, SOB, and GA wrote the original draft. All authors have reviewed and approved the manuscript before submission.This research was supported within the framework of the grant provided by CSP Ministry of the Health Russian Federation, and by the IPAC RAS State Targets Project # 0090-2019-0005\u201d. This work was also supported by the Russian Academic Excellence Project \u201c5-100\u201d for the Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia.GA is employed by GALLY International Biomedical Research LLC, San Antonio, TX, USA.The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest."} +{"text": "In modern foods, the delivery systems for bioactive compounds play a fundamental role in health promotion, wellbeing, and disease prevention through diet. Nanotechnology has secured a fundamental role in the fabrication of delivery systems with the capability of modulating the in-product and in-body behavior for augmenting bioavailability and activity of bioactive compounds. Structured nanoemulsions and nanoparticles, liposomes, and niosomes can be designed to improve bioactives preservation after ingestion, mucoadhesion, as well as of their release and pathophysiological relevance. In the future, it is expected that the delivery systems will also contribute to augment the efficacy of the bioactive compounds, for example by improving the intestinal absorption and delivery in the bloodstream, as well as promoting the formation of additional bioactive metabolites by regulating the transformations taking place during digestion and the interaction with the intestinal microbiota. The growing demand for health promotion, wellbeing and disease prevention through diet and nutrition has stimulated the development of smart foods, characterized by advanced functionality for the delivery to the target sites of the bioactive compounds they contain. Until recently, the main challenges to the incorporation of bioactive compounds, such as phytochemicals, micronutrients, and dietary fibers, in foods were related to overcoming the issues of poor dispersibility in the food matrix, unpleasant taste and physicochemical instability under food processing conditions ,2,3. HowThe food industry has extensively relied on the use of nanotechnology, as an essential tool to extend the capability of controlling the in-product and in-body behavior of delivery systems for bioactive compounds, with applications in agriculture, foodstuffs transformation, packaging, and storage, and the production of dietary supplements ,7. CoherRecently, Mart\u00ednez-Ballesta et al. have reviewed the use of novel nanosized encapsulation and delivery systems to expand the field of application of bio-functional nutraceutical compounds , which cNanoemulsions offer several inherent advantages for the food industry, especially the simplicity of production, high loading capability, high stability against creaming, and optical transparency ,13, but Although biocompatible particles are generally considered as safe for human consumption , the risBecause of the lack of knowledge on potential risks, Mart\u00ednez-Ballesta et al. suggest that the next generation of delivery systems for bioactive compounds should focus on enhancing the bioavailability and activity of the bioactive compounds, to reduce dosages . This ca"} +{"text": "The repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic for medical students are enormous and not limited to the interruption of courses in medical schools and/or hospital training rotations, the introduction of teaching exclusively online, postponement of examinations, and of the new academic year, but extend beyond that. The mobility of students within the framework of the International Federation of Medical Students\u2019 Associations (IFMSA) is also strongly affected by the unexpected interruption of this program and the deprivation of thousands of students worldwide of this fine opportunity for training, exchange and sharing. The International Federation of Medical Students\u2019 Associations (IFMSA) was founded in 1951 and currently maintains 135 National Member Organizations (NMOs) from 125 countries, representing a network of 1.3 million medical students around the globe. Moroccan students, members of IFMSA like students from other countries, are also concerned. Clinical and research exchanges, carried out under the auspices of the IFMSA, allow all the students to discover the health care and medical education systems of another country in a different sociocultural environment. To maintain student motivation and deal with the repercussions of cancelled exchanges, IFMSA could propose online training programs, adapted to student needs during this period of confinement and deconfinement from June to September 2020. The repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic for medical students are enormous and not limited to the interruption of courses in medical schools and/or hospital training rotations, the introduction of teaching exclusively online, postponement of examinations, and of the new academic year, but extend beyond that. The mobility of students within the framework of the International Federation of Medical Students\u2019 Associations (IFMSA) is also strongly affected by the unexpected interruption of this program and the deprivation of thousands of students worldwide of this fine opportunity for training, exchange and sharing. IFMSA was founded in 1951 and currently maintains 135 National Member Organizations (NMOs) from 125 countries, representing a network of 1.3 million medical students around the globe (1). IFMSA is recognized as a non-governmental organization within the United Nations system and the World Health Organization and works in collaboration with world medical associations. It thus represents one of the world\u2019s oldest and largest student-run organizations. Each year, more than 15,000 medical students embark on a journey to explore health care delivery and health systems in different cultural and social settings. An organization that annually, fulfills the dream of thousands of students, including those living in the most distant and most disadvantaged regions of the world. Students at all levels of medical studies are involved, from the first year to graduation with the degree in medicine. On average, these exchanges last four weeks and some may last eight weeks.Very excited, motivated, and involved, students will leave their countries for several weeks, perhaps for the first time, heading to different destinations on five continents with the aim of learning, and discovering the functioning of other systems of health care and medical education. IFMSA-Morocco is the national member organization that has represented Morocco at IFMSA since 2012, year that the country officially joined this giant international student organization (2). However, it required two years of preparation and acquisition of the necessary documents, including the agreements and signatures of the deans of the faculties of medicine and the directors of university hospital centers of Morocco, before exchanges could really occur and membership take effect. The first exchanges from and to Morocco thus began in 2014/2015. It should be noted that the \u2018academic year\u2019 for the exchange program corresponds to the period between April of the year in progress and March of the following year. From the year 2014\u20132015 to the year \u22122019, 1,039 non-Moroccan students came to do 861 clinical exchanges and 178 research exchanges in Morocco. During this same period, 1,202 Moroccan students did 991 clinical and 211 research exchanges abroad. The Faculty of Medicine of Oujda, a city in the northeast of Morocco, received 106 foreign students of 25 different nationalities between the years 2015 and 2019, while 130 students left for 28 different destinations .The training programs through IFMSA provide an immense opportunity for Moroccan students to acquire new knowledge, develop new skills and consolidate acquired knowledge in two areas of medical studies, whether clinical or research. These exchanges are experiences that are not only very rich, rewarding, and interesting, but also marked by deep sharing and exchange between students of different nationalities and socio-cultural milieus. They also allow students to examine and participate in treatment of patients with diseases not usually encountered in their countries, such as malaria, brucellosis, typhoid, tuberculosis, leptospirosis, leishmaniasis, bilharziasis, hemorrhagic fevers, etc., diseases often studied in the lecture halls of the faculties or in medical textbooks, but rarely or never seen in hospital practice.The students, in the framework of IFMSA exchanges, are received in hospital departments and/or affiliated research facilities, participate in different educational activities of the department, are integrated into the medical and paramedical teams, and accomplish predetermined objectives stipulated in their training handbooks, objectives that are appropriate to their level of study and type of exchange, clinical or research. Their educational progress is directly supervised by a senior educator of the hospital department or the director of a research facility. These exchanges also aim to develop more than the student\u2019s medical and research abilities. Very important also for a young doctor, are the interpersonal, communication and management skills needed to communicate with all actors in the health system. Moreover, these exchanges provide an opportunity to strengthen language skills, and English is the universal language of communication between students of different nationalities. Students from Francophone countries may find difficulties in mastering English and language then becomes a real obstacle for some, limiting the choice of countries, and thus of exchange sites.Beyond the educational and research goals, the students discover other cultural and social environments in a climate of respect, tolerance, sympathy and generosity. They are thus better prepared to approach and treat patients of foreign nationalities in their respective countries and develop ethical and cultural competencies accordingly. The activities of IFMSA are far from being limited to training programs, and extend to the organization of general assemblies, large international and regional events, medical prevention campaigns, and conferences.The COVID-19 pandemic, triggered in December 2019, has affected more than seven million inhabitants in 218 countries, has immobilized air traffic in most of the affected countries, and has thus interrupted, across the world, the exchange program of students who should have started their assignments in April 2020. Thousands of students found themselves unable to take part in these exchanges, so desired and eagerly awaited. One part of these programs, notably those scheduled between August and March 2020, could resume if the land or air borders between countries were open and non-essential flights authorized. The exchanges that cannot be conducted this year will be postponed to next year, but this option deprives a great many students of the opportunity to participate.https://ifmsa.org/2020/05/26/climate-change-in-medical-curricula-a-need-for-current-and-future-physicians.International Federation of Medical Students\u2019 Associations. International Federation of Medical Students\u2019 Associations- Morocco.To maintain student motivation and to make up for the exchanges cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, IFMSA could propose special, adapted online training programs during the period of suspension, between June and September 2020, in the form of webinars, workshops, videos of medical simulation scenarios, and courses on diseases with active teaching methods and evaluation tools. Training on the acquisition of the fundamental bases of clinical research could also be organized in the same way as clinical training. It could also organize training sessions on student stress during this period of confinement and deconfinement. These types of training could be moderated by expert senior educators and co-moderated by IFMSA students. IFMSA could also organize, in collaboration with major accredited language centers and organizations, a rigorous, accelerated, certifying program to strengthen language skills, especially in English and Spanish, to benefit the students. IFMSA should play its supportive role for medical students during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic.http://ifmsa-morocco.org"} +{"text": "Several approaches were proposed to describe the geomorphology of drainage networks and the abiotic/biotic factors determining their morphology. There is an intrinsic complexity of the explicit qualification of the morphological variations in response to various types of control factors and the difficulty of expressing the cause-effect links. Traditional methods of drainage network classification are based on the manual extraction of key characteristics, then applied as pattern recognition schemes. These approaches, however, have low predictive and uniform ability. We present a different approach, based on the data-driven supervised learning by images, extended also to extraterrestrial cases. With deep learning models, the extraction and classification phase is integrated within a more objective, analytical, and automatic framework. Despite the initial difficulties, due to the small number of training images available, and the similarity between the different shapes of the drainage samples, we obtained successful results, concluding that deep learning is a valid way for data exploration in geomorphology and related fields. The three-dimensional configuration of a watercourse is generally connected to the tectonic-climatic formation conditions and the evolving morpho-climatic system. The recurrence and ubiquity of some networks in different continental areas also depend on regional macroscale aspects, such as geological outcrops and substrate, gradient, climate, type, and extent of the plant cover. At the local microscale, rock fracturing degree, layers attitude, erosive-depositional processes extent, and resistance to erosion are also involved in the modeling process5.The hydrographic networks of the Earth represent morphologies of the continental landscape characterized by variable dimensions from hundreds of meters to thousands of kilometers and complex geometry, derived by the mutual interaction of numerous physical, biotic and anthropic factors evolving in space and time due to a non-linear physicse.g., Mars and Titan9.However, similar boundary conditions in different regions do not always lead to the same hydrographic patterns modeling: there are phenomena of superimposition of the most recent networks on inherited landscapes, modeled in tectonic and climatic contexts of the past, very different from the current ones. On the contrary, in very different climatic and geological-structural contexts, characterized by active tectonics or volcanism, similar patterns are often observed, due to the morphological convergence and morpho-selection phenomena. These considerations also apply to geometries present in environments very different from terrestrial ones, such as in regions of some Solar System planets and satellites, 10 and references therein). By comparing the various drainage systems present in the two planets and the satellite of Saturn, a greater similarity between those of Titan and Mars was found. In particular, unlike the Earth, in the other two cases the lack of telluric phenomena in the recent past, together with the absence of movements of the tectonic plates, avoided the succession of deviations and anomalies of the river paths, which instead have controlled the modeling of many drainage patterns on the Earth. This means that on the surface of both Mars and Titan, mainly mechanical erosion processes acted. A dense network of large basins was observed on Mars, due to the frequent impact of meteorite bodies and asteroids, which shaped the surface and also conditioned the course of rivers. Recently, this phenomenon was confirmed on Titan by standardizing the resolution of the maps available for the three bodies10. This favored the possibility of carrying out a comparative analysis of drainage patterns on different bodies of the Solar System, classifying them directly from the images, fully combining the experience acquired on Earth and the effectiveness of recent data-driven methodologies.As known, since the beginning of their history, about 4.5 billion years ago, the Earth and Mars planets shared the phenomenon of the modeling of their surface by watercourses, although today, unlike our planet, the surface of Mars appears completely arid. Even the largest moon in the Saturnian system, Titan, resembles the Earth, being the only planetary body in the Solar System characterized by rivers still flowing today, although in the case of Titan they are powered by liquid methane. Despite this, recently was highlighted how the evolutionary history of Titan is unknown the overall drainage network symmetry and on (ii) the pattern dimensional scaling. The former is rarely present in these natural systems, while the latter is proven mostly for limited portions (sub-basins), rather than for the entire river network. This depends on the difficulty of the geomorphology physics interpretation12. Therefore, we tend to identify a series of main and recurrent dimensionless patterns and their derivations processes from secondary ones (erosion), through the interpretation of the fractal dimension. As the latter increases, the effect linked to erosion processes compared to tectonic ones, increases, hence the irregularity of pattern too25.The geomorphic-quantitative analysis in river geomorphology26. The apophenia or astronomical \u201cpareidolia\u201d, that is the ability to see forms known or not in clouds, mountains, streams, stars, or planets, is one of the most extraordinary illusions of the human mind which permeates countless anthropic and scientific disciplines, such as religion, mythology, art, astronomy, and geology27. In such a context, the morphology of drainage patterns is perceived and described based on the prevalent configuration attributed to a single dominant pattern. However, this classification is unsatisfactory and imprecise.In short, the hydrographic networks appear formed by a set of minor networks of the tributaries of the mainstem, characterized by a different geometry. It is known that the human classification of bi- and tridimensional objects, natural or not, is based on complex and little understood brain perception models, which are also used in Robotics34, the Machine Learning (ML) paradigms allowed a rapid and growing diffusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in all sectors of anthropic and scientific activities. The real challenge of AI is that this sophisticated methodology proved to be decisive for computer tasks apparently easy for people, but difficult to describe formally and extremely time-consuming. Among these, there are problems that we solve intuitively and automatically such as recognizing words, faces, or structures within images38.In the analysis of many complex natural systems, e.g. in Astrophysics, Earth and Planetary Sciences41.The complexity of the human intelligence emulation of natural phenomena by data-driven systems highlights the need to acquire knowledge, extracting conceptual schemes and complex data correlations directly from the primary source, which is the observed data of the studied phenomenonThe Deep Learning (DL) models incorporate both the characterization of the parameter space and the classification system, becoming particularly suitable in use cases where: (i) the expert user can recognize the structures within images, but at the cost of an impractical and long process, often affected by interpretation controversies; (ii) it is extremely complex to extract the information potentially contained in the images. This implies the intrinsic difficulty of applying traditional analytical methods or classic ML models, particularly sensitive to the negative effects induced by incomplete, noisy, and/or insufficient data.The scientific problem of an unbiased classification of drainage networks is characterized by the two mentioned aspects, approached through DL in our research. Different from other methods, by adding data, the DL model reinforces the learning power based on its acquired experience, which is used to generalize the ability to classify new samples, thus improving the accuracy and reliability of the classification of new drainage patterns. Such method, directly applied to images, has the real potentiality to define a new, more objective classification of these complex natural elements, characterized by an irregular and asymmetrical geometry, thus contributing to a better characterization and analysis of terrestrial and extraterrestrial examples.In such a scenario, the primary objective of the present work is to classify the drainage networks in an unambiguous, reliable, and as automated as possible way. Unambiguous means guaranteeing the utmost accuracy in assigning the right class, in accordance, but also on a complementary base, with the broadest and most objective consensus provided by the community of experts in the field.In order to reach this consensus, this work intends to promote the \"River Zoo\" survey initiative, aimed primarily at involving the entire scientific community interested in the field and inspired by the well-known category of \"citizen science projects\". The idea behind such an initiative is mostly to solve the problem of the current lack of drainage network samples useful for facing the exercise of multi-class classification in a statistically consistent and balanced way. Therefore, the multiple participation in the expert survey would be able to guarantee a more reliable assignment of the class to each sample, improving the quality and ensuring an incremental strengthening of the training set for DL models.The DL approach is also able to guarantee the repeatability, coherence, and consistency of classification, by maximizing the incremental acquisition of experience , thus ensuring the application of same and consolidated criteria to other drainage network samples over time.Furthermore, another significant aspect of the presented method is to exploit the aseptic and complete information deriving directly from the analysis of the images, avoiding the use of potentially biased, incomplete, and ambiguous derived information, i.e., traditionally extrapolated from processed physical and environmental parameters. Finally, the method is intrinsically automated, thus able to minimize the human intervention in the classification process, relegating it to an a posteriori analysis and the scientific exploitation of the results obtained.Certainly, the long-term goal of the project, for which this work is a fundamental premise, is the multi-class classification using at least the taxonomy highlighted in Fig.\u00a0This work is organized as follows: \u201chttp://dame.oacn.inaf.it/riverzoo_files/DrainagePatternsReferences.txt). For the supervised DL experiments, we assigned class labels to the collected Earth examples by distinguishing between two classes, respectively, dendritic (D), including subtypes sub-dendritic, pinnate and high-relief pinnate, versus not-dendritic (ND), including other subtypes, such as trellis, parallel, rectangular, angular, annular, radial, centripetal, herringbone and barbed. The intrinsic difficulty to provide a sufficient amount of training samples motivated the choice to apply data augmentation techniques to improve the model training capability. This procedure included uniform sizing of all images to 540\u2009\u00d7\u2009540 pixels and their augmentation, obtaining five further samples for each original image, through three rotations of, respectively, 90, 180, and 270\u00a0degrees and two flipping operations concerning, respectively, horizontal and vertical axis. A further advantage was to make the trained model invariant to different orientations of drainage networks within images. Furthermore, we vectorized the images, to make the morphology of a network in a simple, but informative and quantitative form and converted them in grayscale, to simplify the extrapolation of the network pattern. Then the images were cleaned to remove residual noise and to re-arrange parts of the reticle partially lost by the conversion. The labeled dataset of 131 Earth samples was then subdivided into three subsets, using, respectively, 70% for training, 10% for training validation, and the last 20% as a blind test set used to estimate the statistical performances.Both Earth and extraterrestrial drainage network images have been extracted from public literature and dedicated websites and two variants of gradient descent methods, respectively, Adadelta48 and ADAM49.As known, the experiments based on DL are characterized by a long test campaign for the heuristic optimization of its hyper-parameters, highly dependent on the degree of the intrinsic difficulty of the problem, and only partially mitigated by the experience in the use of such methods. Our test campaign led to the final selection of three customized models, respectively, VGGNet\u2009+\u2009Adam, VGGNet\u2009+\u2009RF, and AlexNet\u2009+\u2009Adadelta Fig.\u00a0. VGGNet 43 inspired by two typologies known in the literature. These neural networks are inspired by the behavior of the biological model (human brain). Artificial neurons are organized into several layers, hierarchically connected. As in the biological model, the variation in synaptic connections is related to the learning mechanism. During training, these connections between layers are adapted through a mechanism of propagation of the signal back and forth in the network. At the end of the training process, the supervised model establishes a non-linear input\u2013output relationship, coded by the resulting weight matrix.The two DL model architectures chosen downstream of a test campaign are two CNNs41.The CNN model represents one of the most widespread supervised DL methods, whose peculiarity is the presence of a set of so-called receptor fields that identify the synaptic activity of neurons. A receptor field can be represented by a matrix that connects two consecutive layers through a convolution operation. Similar to the mechanism behind the adaptation of weights in a classic neural network, the kernels are modified during training. The important prerogative is the ability of a CNN to automatically extract the representative features of pixel regions distributed in the image, such as arcs, shapes, structures of various forms, variations in contrast and intensity. Then, these features are coded in a vector at the end of the sequence of internal layers, supplied as input to any classification model, which assigns the category to each structure identified in the starting image. The basic idea of a CNN is the multi-layer mechanism in which convolution and synthesis (pooling) levels of the propagated information alternate. This stratification process usually is made up of dozens of layers, in each of which the convolution level acts as a filter, thus emphasizing or suppressing different features of the image. The pooling level ensures the conservation and propagation of essential information (not redundant) extracted up to that pointUnlike the layers of a classic neural network, in which the neurons of one layer are all connected by weights with each neuron of the next layer, in a CNN these connections are \"scattered\", i.e., limited to a reduced fraction. This reduces the number and complexity of operations, the amount of memory required, and therefore the computing time. The output of each layer consists of a set of sub-images, smaller in size than the original image, called \"feature maps\".49.Another useful operation, even if optional, in the propagation process, is the so-called \"dropout\", which is a series of random interruptions between the neural connections, to avoid excessive \"specialization\" of the network to the images provided in phase training and keeping it more \"flexible\", that is, able to extrapolate the recognition of structures similar but different from those of the training set, a problem known as \"training overfitting\". In the tests carried out in this work, various dropout percentages were used in some cases, to avoid the occurrence of this problem, together with the use of the common early stopping training methodIn the case of classification problems, the final output of a CNN\u2009+\u2009classifier model is represented in the form of a probability matrix, in which each input sample (image) has associated a probability of belonging to each of the classes of the problem.50. The adaptation of the weights of the network, at each training cycle, is performed to minimize an error function . In the case of the models used in this work, this function is the \"cross-entropy\"51:The final attribution of the class takes place through the classic \"softmax\" function, which normalizes an array of values to a probability distribution47;Random Forest: ML method composed of a set of decision trees, built from subsets of features, randomly chosen, capable of attributing, through a \"majority\" mechanism, the class of belonging to each structure present in the image provided as input48;Adadelta: optimization method based on the descending gradient technique, which adapts the learning rate to each iteration, avoiding an excessive reduction of the gradient value of the error function49.ADAM (Adaptive Moment Estimation): a method similar to Adadelta which, in addition to reducing the gradient through the variable learning rate, introduces a mechanism for updating the weights taking into account the moments (mean and variance) of distribution of gradient functionThe first CNN model selected was derived from the VGGNet network45. The network consists of a series of layers, in which the alternation between convolution and pooling is performed by considering several consecutive convolution levels before each pooling level. This model was chosen by considering its high classification performances, already verified in other scientific fields, characterized by the high complexity of data52, like those subject of the present work.Amongst the various classification algorithms used during the test campaign, the so-called optimizers, placed as the last layer of the CNN models, three methods resulted in the best candidates:45. In addition to the succession of layers formed by the alternation of convolution and pooling, its main feature is the final \"dense\" triple-layer, composed of thousands of neurons fully connected.The second CNN model selected is inspired by the AlexNet network53: (i) the average efficiency (AE), obtained from the sum of the correctly classified samples, weighed concerning the total of the samples of the test set; (ii) purity (P), also known as precision; (iii) completeness (C), also known as recall; (iv) F1-score (F1), obtained as the harmonic mean of purity and completeness. These last three estimators were derived for each class is about 2.65 times lower than Earth (0.981\u00a0g). In this case, the drainage networks were not modeled due to the lower weight of water and sediments, but from the higher speed of water and the intense surface run-off in the pastBy predicting the class of extraterrestrial patterns, using models trained only on Earth samples, the results were in agreement with human expert analysis in 88% of cases. Therefore, the DL approach appears quite robust in the prediction, even in cases of different morphologies, and with a high rate of generalization accuracy.As outlined in the previous sections, this work was mainly based on two fundamental aspects, both deriving from the intrinsic multidisciplinary nature of the pursued approach.First, the absolute novelty of the application of methodologies, already widely used and validated in other scientific fields, to a specific scientific use case, in this case, the geomorphology one. This had the primary purpose of (i) minimizing, in perspective, the subjective human interpretation in the classification of drainage patterns and (ii) performing the pattern recognition directly from images, thus avoiding any bias effect induced by the selection of the parameter space, i.e. the physical and environmental parameters extracted from images, which is at the base of most traditional approaches.Secondly, due to the novelty of the approach, we had to proceed from the initial level, that is, from the simplest and most general possible case of the two macro-class classification, for instance, dendritic versus non-dendritic, avoiding in the first instance the well-known problem of error propagation in the case of a hierarchical pairwise classification of different sub-classes. This, to validate the methodological approach and to acquire the necessary experience to be subsequently poured into the harder multi-class problem. Naturally, the simultaneous multi-class classification, that is the attribution of a drainage pattern to one of the ten classes, enucleated in Fig.\u00a0Precisely for this reason, we launched the River Zoo initiative, which aims at quantitatively enriching the database, both in terms of quantity and variety of examples suitable for training the Deep Learning models, through the direct involvement of the wider community of experts interested in the scientific problem.http://dame.oacn.inaf.it/riverzoo.html). Such initiative, inspired by what was done in Astrophysics60, by exploiting the scientist experience, has the role to provide reliable ground truth for DL-based classification.Due to the high sensitivity to the subjective class labeling of training samples, we implemented a public survey addressed to interested researchers, called \u201cRiver Zoo\u201d and available on the Web (Main goal of this project is to perform a statistical evaluation of the classification of terrestrial and extraterrestrial drainage networks by human experts.The idea is to analyze the degree of reliability of class assignment to drainage samples, driven by user expert decisions, taken just by looking at their image and choosing the right pattern type Fig.\u00a0. In thisThe DL approach represents a useful method for the analysis and classification of Earth and extraterrestrial physical geomorphological objects like drainage networks, here applied for the first time.The study of terrestrial drainage patterns is suitable for the research of geological processes responsible for the formation of a specific morphology and may have significant results even at a multidisciplinary level. Considering that the geological-climatic context and the network shape are mutually interconnected, the analysis of Earth, Mars, and Titan basins assumes an important relevance for the study of paleoclimate and indicates a morphological convergence of different and complex erosion processes, suggesting that some patterns could be ubiquitous in the Solar System.Finally, we are confident that the River Zoo public survey initiative could contribute to improving the knowledge about morphological and geologic-climatic aspects of drainage patterns, besides its potential to improve their classification and to extend the training ground truth."} +{"text": "Asthma is the most frequent chronic disease in children, and its pathogenesis involves genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. The rapid rise in the prevalence of asthma registered over the last few decades has stressed the need to identify the environmental and modifiable factors associated with the development of the disease. In particular, there is increasing interest in the role of modifiable nutritional factors specific to both the prenatal and post-natal early life as, during this time, the immune system is particularly vulnerable to exogenous interferences. Several dietary factors, including maternal diet during pregnancy, the duration of breastfeeding, the use of special milk formulas, the timing of the introduction of complementary foods, and prenatal and early life supplementation with vitamins and probiotics/prebiotics, have been addressed as potential targets for the prevention of asthma. In this review, we outline recent findings on the potential role of prenatal and perinatal dietary and nutritional interventions for the primary prevention of pediatric asthma. Moreover, we addressed unmet needs and areas for future research in the prevention of childhood-onset asthma. The role of several dietary factors, including maternal diet and vitamin status, composition of the microbiome, duration of breastfeeding, the use of hydrolyzed formulas and the introduction of complementary foods, has been investigated in recent clinical trials, to identify potential targets for the prevention of childhood-onset asthma , vitamin E, and zinc had a protective effect against early life wheezing in offspring, but not on childhood-onset asthma or other atopic conditions. One recently published study, assessing the impact of pre-pregnancy diet on the risk of allergic outcomes in children in asthma prevention is still controversial. Two early RCTs showed no significant difference between pHF and eHF in the prevention of allergic diseases in children, including asthma , 42. In In a recent birth cohort study, infants received breast milk only, pHF with or without a hypoallergenic label, or non- hydrolyzed formula. The use of the pHF-with hypoallergenic label, compared to non-hydrolyzed formula, had no protective effect on the risk of asthma up to 2 years of age and was related to a higher risk of wheezing at 1 year in high-risk infants . A recenThe hypothesis that VD status in childhood might influence the susceptibility to childhood asthma and allergy is supported by the evidence on the role of VD as a key modulator of lung growth and innate and adaptive anti-inflammatory immune responses \u201350. ExpeInterestingly, VD supplementation during pregnancy and infancy has been related to a reduced risk of sensitization to house dust mites at age 18 months .in-utero or a diet-limited supplementation (control group) showed a 34% reduced risk for recurrent wheezing by 12 months in the intervention group . There iin-utero and postin-utero , and proin-utero . InterveThere is mounting evidence showing the relationship between the composition of the early-life gut microbiome and the risk of asthma in children , 58, whiIn a 2-year follow-up RCT involving 132 infants at risk of atopy, infants that were fed with a formula containing a mixture of prebiotic oligosaccharides reported a lower incidence for recurrent wheezing compared to the placebo group . In a 1-Taken together, the evidence on the effects of oral probiotics and prebiotics for the prevention of pediatric asthma is so controversial that no definitive recommendation can be made. Differences in the probiotic strain specificity, the population treated, the timing of administration, and the duration of the intervention all contribute to the heterogeneity of the meta-analysis and of RCT outcomes.The supplementation with omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) during pregnancy and early life, through the administration of fish oil, has been proposed for the prevention of allergic sensitization and atopic disease, including asthma , 73. LCPConflicting results have been found in studies investigating fish oil supplementation in infants and children for the prevention of allergic sensitization and asthma \u201367 Tabl. A meta-Recent advances in the field of allergy prevention showed that early 2000s recommendation to delay the introduction of solid allergenic foods to the infant's diet is not an effective approach to reduce the risk of allergic sensitization and atopic diseases in children \u201388. MoreThe timing of the introduction of fish is of particular interest to the purpose of primary prevention of asthma, given its high content in LCPUFA. Despite the heterogeneity in the methods of analysis and outcome measures, the early introduction of fish has been associated, in many observational studies, with a reduced risk of allergic sensitization , 94. HowThe significant increase in the prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases registered in recent years has promoted research on the identification of modifiable risk factors for the prevention of such disorders. It is well-acknowledged that respiratory health is determined by a complex interaction between genetic factors and environmental drivers that occur during prenatal and early postnatal life, including dietary factors. However, it remains difficult to define the contribution of specific dietary supplements and nutritional food sources to the risk of developing pediatric asthma, due to the heterogeneous pathogenesis of this disease and the limitations of the currently available evidence, in terms of study design, type and duration of interventions and outcomes measures.Further research is needed to accurately identify dietary and nutritional modifiable risk factors for asthma and to address whether the modulation of such factors, either alone or in combination, could contribute to the primary prevention strategies of pediatric asthma.DP, GN, IT, GC, and PC made substantial contributions to conception, design, and acquisition of data. GC, IT, GN, and PC drafted the initial manuscript. DP, EV, ED'A and PC critically reviewed it for important intellectual content. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest."} +{"text": "Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILDs) are a large family of disorders characterized by inflammation and/or fibrosis of areas of the lung dedicated to gas exchange. In this Special Issue entitled \u201cClinical and Radiological Features of Interstitial Lung Diseases\u201d, we collected a series of contributions in which a multidisciplinary approach was crucial for the correct diagnostic assessment of ILD. Sharing knowledge between different specialties can significantly improve diagnostic approaches and the management of ILD patients. Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILDs) are a large family of disorders characterized by inflammation and/or fibrosis of areas of the lung dedicated to gas exchange. The impairment of lung parenchyma causes the occurrence of symptoms, and in some ILDs, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), it may lead to respiratory failure and death. Some ILDs, including IPF and sarcoidosis, are idiopathic, others such as hypersensitivity pneumonia and drug-induced ILDs recognize specific etiologic agents, some others are instead associated with systemic diseases, as in the case of connective tissue diseases (CTD-ILDs) . ILDs reAll articles of this Special Issue are comprehensive and innovative in their approaches, addressing practical and still controversial or unresolved clinical problems related to the diagnosis, follow-up, and prognosis of ILDs. The two editors, Stefano Palmucci and Sebastiano Torrisi, both have the merit to involve and coordinate in this Special Issue, a number of young clinicians and experts. Looking at the list of authors who contributed to the different articles, it is nice to note the variety of their specialties: Biologists, physicists, immunologists, rheumatologists, radiologists, internists, computer scientists, and pulmonologists have all contributed to the success of this issue dedicated to ILDs. The participation and commitment of young experts to this group of diseases, coming from very different scientific settings, confirm the relevance and the broad clinical interest for this important chapter of the respiratory diseases."} +{"text": "Using the time series of 1 Jan 2020 to 26 June 2020, I employ a machine learning technique, i.e. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) to examine the research question for its benefits over the traditional regression methods. This further allows me to cater to the issue of limited data during the crisis and at the same time, allows both variable selection and regularization in the analysis. Additionally, LASSO is not susceptible to and sensitive to outliers and multi-collinearity. The European market is mostly affected by indices belonging to Singapore, Switzerland, Spain, France, Germany, and the S&P500 index. There is a significant difference in the predictors before and after the pandemic announcement by WHO. Before the Pandemic period announcement by WHO, Europe was hit by the gold market, EUR/USD exchange rate, Dow Jones index, Switzerland, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and Turkey and after the announcement by WHO, only France and Germany were selected by the lasso approach. It is found that Germany and France are the most predictors in the European market. Specifications tableThe world has seen enough of the catastrophic implication of the COVID-19. Till 27 June, confirmed COVID-19 infections have crossed 10 million and with the loss of 5,02,208 lives around the globe. This had a further devastating impact on the global economy See: . Global The international market integration has been a topic of interest in recent times. The coronavirus has had a significant impact on the global economy. This increased volatility and impact on the world financial market is well documented in the literature The literature on pandemic and financial markets is evolving and currently explores rising volatility due to COVID-19 and uncertainty in the financial markets see .In this study, we analyze the potential European and global markets that shook Europe. To do this, 21 different potential predictors of the European financial market including predictors inside and outside Europe are used. The 21 indicators include indices from countries which got impacted by the COVID-19 the most along with gold, oil and bitcoins. This is done using a machine learning approach named LASSO regression, which allows both the model selection and regularization in the analysis. Germany, France, Gold, the S&P500, Singapore, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Turkey, the Dow Jones, and the EUR/USD are found to be among the most important predictors of Europe. Germany and France are found to be the top predictors of Europe.The remainder of the article is structured as follows: the following section provides information on data and methods which describe the data sources, the variables specification, and estimation methods. This followed by a detailed discussion on the analysis and discussion on the importance of the predictors found to be important to Europe. Finally, the conclusion section.We employ daily data from 1 January 2020 till 26 June 2020We employ a machine learning technique, known as the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) for the default sample and subsample periods. The literature on LASSO provides two main advantages of employing lasso over other methodologies like wavelet or ANN; first, LASSO offers a special feature of coefficient shrinkage, which automates the model selection in linear regression due to the nature of 1-penalty, and while doing so it further removes some variables from the model. It also factors in the the issue of multicollinearity as it is not sensitive to outliers and multicollinearity LASSO combines the least-squares estimator with an extra constraint on the sum of the absolute values of the coefficients. The limited data availability, during the COVID-19 crisis, might be an issue for traditional times series analysis, however, learning from the data, lasso also takes care of this problem and gives the best predictors.Before the pandemic announcement, Gold, EUSDD, DJ, Switzerland, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and Turkey indices are found to be the most important commodities and indices that impacted Europe. For the third sample, that is after the announcement of the global pandemic by WHO, only France and Germany are found to be impacting Europe. However, no commodity market is found to be impacting Europe. The plausible reason could be that oil prices were falling due to its own dynamics [23]y-axis and the L1 norm is shown on the x-axis. For the default sample, it is found that all the selected predictors shown in To get further insights into the degree of importance of the selected predictors, the coefficient paths obtained from models are plotted in Addressing the nature of the impact of these predictors, these figures suggest that overall, the impact on Europe is (1) negative from Gold, the S&P500, and Singapore. And (2) positive from, along with the indices from, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Turkey, the Dow Jones, and the EUR/USD. While Germany and France are found to be the top positive predictors of Europe. Though the LASSO selects different variables across different subsamples, the impact of selected variables remains unchanged.We attempted to explore the potential predictors of the European financial market by examining the impact of protentional internal and external determinants. Germany, France, Gold prices, S&P500, Singapore, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Dow Jones, and the EUR/USD are found to be the predictors of the Europe market. Germany and France are found to be the most important determinants of the European market. Though the LASSO selects different variables across different subsamples, the impact of selected variables remains unchanged.The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper."} +{"text": "The authors wish to make the following correction to this paper .Biomolecules [The affiliation of Dr. Anuj Kumar was incorrect in the published paper in olecules .Therefore, this information was changed by the Biomolecules Editorial Office from:School of Chemical Engineering, Yyeongsan 38541, KoreaTo:School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, KoreaWe apologize for any inconvenience caused to the readers. The manuscript will be updated, and the original will remain online on the article webpage with a reference to this Erratum."} +{"text": "The extractionof data from primary studies was performed using an instrument produced bythe authors and which allowed the construction of the categoriespresented.18 publications were included in this review. Among the most studied themesare the difficulties of the teams regarding the continuity of care in thehealth network; the importance of in-service education by themultidisciplinary team; professional unpreparedness; bioethics; thevalidation and application of scales for prognosis and care for somepathologies such as cancer and diabetes; among others.it became evident that palliative care in primary health care has beengradually developed, but it is necessary to consider the organization ofprimary health care and the social policies that support or weaken it, beingconsidered a complex challenge. Currently, PCs are defined as \u201cactive holistic care, offered to peopleof all ages who are in intense suffering related to their health, resulting fromserious illness, especially those who are at the end of life. The objective ofPalliative Care is, therefore, to improve the quality of life of patients, theirfamilies and their caregivers\u201d.The most recent definition of Palliative Care (PC) was published in 2018 anddeveloped after a large project involving more than 400 members from 88 countries ofthe International Association for Hospice & Palliative Care (IAHPC), anassociation that maintains close ties and official relations with the World HealthOrganization (WHO).Thus, offering palliative care to people with serious illnesses takes into accountnot only the person, but everyone involved in the care. As a definition, seriousillness is understood as \u201cany acute or chronic illness and/or condition that causesa significant disability and that can lead to a condition of disability and/orweakness for a long period, or even death\u201d.. It is noteworthy that, in the 1980s, the life expectancy of Brazilianswas 62.5 years. Currently, the reality is different, the numbers have increased, bothlife expectancy has risen to 76 years and the number of services that provide palliative care in the country.This increase in life expectancy is the result of investments in public policies bythe State, including the implantation and implementation of the Unified HealthSystem (UHS).In Brazil, isolated discussions and initiatives in PC have been found since the1970s. It is noteworthy, however, that it was in the 1990s that the first organizedservices began to appear. It is .5 years. Curren76 years and the.Until August 2018, after a survey carried out by the National Academy of PalliativeCare (NAPC), 177 palliative care services were identified, distributed in the fiveregions of Brazil. Of these, 58% (103 services) are concentrated in the Southeastregion, 20% (36 services), in the Northeast region, 14% (25 services), in the Southregion, 5% (eight services), in the Midwest region, while only 3% (five services)are located in the North of the country on primary health care (PHC) and PC, held in 2014, aimed to understandthe roles of PHC professionals in palliative care and pointed out that PHC can makea difference to patients and their families by having easy access to them, close tohome, be able to carry out constant management of symptoms and sensitivity to therealities of the community: \u201cProfessionals monitor the aging and fragility of theirpatients, the efforts of families to accommodate the new care needs of theirmembers, fears, financial insecurity and, therefore, cannot avoid this moment: it isexactly in situations like this that the full potential of PHC actions and theFamily Health Strategy (FHS) becomes more evident. No other health service can standside by side with these families with such property and face the path of palliationwith constant presence, guidance and welcome\u201d.As a result of the growth in the life expectancy of the population, there is anincrease in the occurrence of Chronic-degenerative Noncommunicable Diseases (CNCDs),which make the demand for PC a contemporary public health problem. An integrativereview on primwelcome\u201d., held in 2015 on palliative care and PHC, aimed to identify, in theview of health professionals, the ethical problems arising from practice in thiscontext. The ethical problems detected were the scarcity of resources, the lack ofknowledge about PC, the lack of communication skills, the difficulty of establishinglimits in the clinical relationship, the work overload and the lack of support fromthe reference services. The authors concluded that, in order to incorporate PCs inPHC, specific norms and training are required, in addition to the culture of sharedand co-responsible care.A systematic review, held ible care.Therefore, in order to know the current panorama of palliative care in PHC andbecause there are no studies like this, which synthesize scientific evidence inrelation to the theme, justifying this study and its importance, it is presented asan objective: to map the available evidence on the main topics investigated inpalliative care in primary health care.. The elaboration of the scoping review followed a process consisting offive stages: a) Identifying the research questions; b) Identify the relevant studiesvalid for the investigation; c) Selection of review studies; d) Mapping of data fromstudies included in the review; e) Confront, summarize and report theresults.This is a scoping review study, carried out based on a set of techniques in order tomap knowledge on certain topics in a research field. It differs from systematicreview because it aims to focus on broader themes and include studies with differentdesigns. The elresults.For this, the PICO strategy was used, acronym for Patient, Intervention, Comparisonand Outcomes, for the definition of the following guiding question: \u201cWhat evidenceis available about palliative care in primary health care?\u201d. For the construction ofthe aforementioned question and to carry out the search, the PICO strategy wasstipulated as: P for Population, Patient or Problem (what evidence is available); Iof Interest and Context CO .This review was conducted in the databases Medical Literature Analyzes and RetrievalSystem Online (PubMed/MEDLINE), Latin American and Caribbean Literature in HealthSciences (LILACS), Web of Science, Scopus and Cumulative Index to Nursing &Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). For this, the controlled and indexed descriptorswere used for each of the databases in this review. For the combination of these,the boolean operators OR and AND were used.From the research question, terms were selected in the Health Sciences Descriptors(DeCS) and terms in the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) containing the appropriatedescriptors for searching the databases. The controlled descriptors used were asfollows: a) PubMed/MEDLINE: palliative care , hospicecare (synonym: hospice program), terminal care, critical illness, primary healthcare (MeSH); b) LILACS: palliative care , palliative care at the end of life , terminal assistance ,terminal care , Primary Health Care ; c) Web of Science; d) Scopus; e)CINAHL: Palliative care , hospice care (synonym:hospice program), terminal care, critical illness, primary health care (MeSH).For the selection of studies, the following inclusion criteria were considered: a)original research articles; b) made available in the full version; c) published inthe period 2009 to 2019, the last ten years; d) Portuguese, French, Spanish andEnglish languages.Exclusion criteria were defined: a) studies whose theme palliative care is presentedas a \u201crecommendation\u201d in the results and conclusions, not being configured as acentral object of the study; b) dissertations, theses, public policies and videos.The search for jobs for primary research took place on April 27, 2019 via advancedform.After identification, primary studies were selected, according to the guidingquestion and the previously defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. This step wascarried out by two reviewers independently. The instrument, designed for the purposeof extracting and analyzing data from the included studies, was composed of thefollowing items: 1- article identification; 2- object and/or question and/orobjectives of the study; 3- type of study/design; 4- data production tools and/ortechniques; 5- year; 6- magazine; 7- participants and/or sample; 8- main results; 9-area; 10- country. The stages of selection of the studies included theidentification, screening, eligibility and inclusion.The categorization was the form adopted for the analysis of the results in which itwas extracted how the PC has been carried out in the PHC. The work of analyzing thestudies consisted of a careful task. There was an interest in knowing andcharacterizing the panorama of the studies according to its investigated object. Forthe presentation of the data, we chose to build sequential figures that sought todemonstrate how the CP theme in PHC was studied by different authors.(-) were relevant for this review, since they met the study question andpre-established criteria, as explained in the analysis flowchart and from Brazilian authors, five were published in Spanish and three in English. Of the included studies, eight used the qualitative approach and ten, the quantitative. As for the instruments / techniques for data collection/production,questionnaires, interviews, observation, discussion groups and application of scaleswere used. Among the study participants, the following were identified: healthprofessionals; formal and informal caregivers; patients eligible for palliativecare. Two studies, also, had sample of medical records of patients, according toWith regard to language, eleven studies analyzed were published inPortuguese-,-,-26 annish-,-17 annglish,,22. Oht-,- used th; meaning of being a caregiver and on PC for health professionals; evaluation of tumor asthenia; validation and application of a tool for prognosis; identification and characterization of patients in PC andservices; pain evaluation; assessment of dignity at the end of life; difficulties in accessing PCs; the work process in PHC; perspectives of occupational therapists in PC in PHC; ethical problems; comfort of caregivers of patients in PC; relationship between social support, quality of life and depression inPC patients in PHC, the complexity and/or difficulties in palliative care athome, the peculiarities of palliative care with high cost demands -infrastructure, the insufficient number of visits by health professionals, limited multidisciplinary approaches, insufficient professional training, the reduced scientific production in the area, the need to structure PHC for this purpose,the existence of very general care protocols and difficulties in accessing psychological support.The analysis of scientific production has shown that, although there have beenadvances in recent years, palliative care practices in PHC have still been incipientand, when they occur, present limits, as described in the results in ,21, tthome-,23, ttructure, the inssionals, limiteproaches, insuffaining,-21, t purpose,the exirotocols and dif support..Such aspects are related to the organization of care networks and primary healthcare. In Brazil, Family Health teams represented advances in access and healthindicators, but face difficulties of various kinds, such as economics, withunderfunding of health, training of professionals and improvement of networkarticulation, among others.. Perhaps, the incipience of this practice in Brazilian services isdemonstrated by the absence of a public health policy that specifically structuresor guides the development of these actions.An analysis of the current panorama of the PC, carried out in 2018, indicated that,although aware that primary care may be the strategy with the lowest cost andgreatest impact on the health of a population, the provision of palliative care inthe country is centered on hospitals. Perhap actions..A study involving Brazil and France addressed the transition of patients betweenhospital palliative care services and homes and showed that, in both countries,there are difficulties in this transition related, among others, to caregiverfatigue and fear of death. In this study, hospital discharge was also addressed withrationalizing purposes such as the release of beds. addressed the insufficient training of professionals for palliativecare and this theme was also evidenced in research, pointing out that the professionals\u2019 unpreparedness to deal with thedemands and needs of chronic health conditions was present in countries that have anaging population longer than Brazil.The studies,-21 adresearch, pointiDeath, understood as a theme that is part of the daily life of health services,integrates the different phases of the human life cycle, but it is still a topicthat is treated in a reduced way, both in the training of health professionals andin health services, compromising the principle of integrality. it was shown that the request by family members not to reveal thediagnosis to the patient may coincide with the professional\u2019s option, reinforcingtheir own difficulties with the subject. An integrative review of PC in PHChighlighted that the monitoring of the process of death and grief and thecommunication of bad news, among other topics, are rarely addressed in training andhealth services.In the study it was services..In some speeches of the professionals and in their actions, the curative model stillprevails, focused on the disease and the specificity of care. The training ofprofessionals could favor health education for patients and families, especially inrelation to the implementation of PC in PHC,14.. Thus, it is believed that institutionalized spaces that can putprofessional practices in an interdisciplinary way, are essential for the promotionof comprehensive palliative care.In addition, Permanent Health Education (PHE) is considered learning at work, takeseveryday life as an open space and a permanent reviewer of professional practices,as a place of subjectivity and discussions. Thus, However, it is considered that the provision of palliative care in primary care isrelated not only to the professionals\u2019 capacity for the development of palliativecare, but also with universal health systems that are organized in a network andguided by an expanded conception of the health-disease process, taking into accountsocial determinants and social inequalities. \u201cPoor\u201d teams in poor locations thatmaterialize selective primary care are unable to take on the complexity of primaryhealth care and palliative care..Teams without adequate working conditions may, for example, make an insufficientnumber of visits by health professionals to these families. on Primary Health Care in Latin America addressed 12 countries anddiscussed the relationship between the implementation of comprehensive primary careand universal social protection. Certainly, this aspect does not match theimplementation of neoliberal policies and flexibility of social rights, as has beenseen not only in Brazil.A study on PrimThe authors addressed Primary Health Care in full, which considers the family andcommunity focus, the territorial base, the work in multi-professional teams andsocial participation and the expansion of this aspect in Latin America in left andcenter-left governments. Concerns were raised about the current political scenarioin this region of the world. articles brought the association of palliative care and cancer. Anotherfive articles mentioned cancer, but not in isolation, they also pointed outother diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer\u2019s disease, as well as respiratory andcardiovascular diseases. The expansion of PCs to other diseases appeared in a studyon human rabies and suggested a review of clinical guidelines, proposing theintroduction of PCs for people with rabies in endemic countries.It was observed that five-,-,23 arfive,,-26 arountries..Initially, palliative practice was directed only to cancer patients, but gradually itstarted to be incorporated by other specialties involved in the care of patientswith chronic-degenerative diseases. In its first edition, published in 1995, the\u201cMedical guidelines of the National Palliative Care Organization (NPCO) fordetermining the prognosis in Selected Non-Cancerous Diseases\u201d determined theprognosis of non-cancer diseases and included them in the palliative care programs.The first non-cancer diseases to be included were: Congestive Heart Failure (CHF),Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Alzheimer\u2019s disease..Subsequently, the second edition, published in 1996, added the following pathologies:Aids (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome); liver and kidney disease; leakage; comaand Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)..If the association of diseases with palliative care can facilitate the specificity ofthe care to be offered, for Primary Health Care teams, other knowledge needs to bemobilized, such as, for example, the dynamics of family relationships and theproduction of unique therapeutic projects, as pointed out in a study. and the Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS). Another article proposed the correlation between two scales, the KPSand the ICD-10 classification (ICD-10).The use of scales/instruments to define people eligible for palliative care wasaddressed in six articles, using the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) and theKPS),,-26. A(ICD-10)., the General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ), to assess the comfort offormal and informal caregivers, the European Cancer Research and Treatment Organization scale (EORTCQLQ-C15-PAL), to measure patients\u2019 quality of life, the Medical Outcome Study (MOS)scale, for assessing the level of social support, and the Center for EpidemiologicalStudies - Depression (CES-D) scale for identifying symptoms ofdepression.In addition to the scales to identify people\u2019s eligibility for palliative care, otherinstruments, such as the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), were used to assess painintensity, the Geregivers, the Eupression..An article that aimed to develop the Dignity Scale for Palliative Patients (PPDS) andused six other scales is highlighted: the Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI), whichidentifies sources of suffering in patients at the end of life; the Hospital Anxietyand Depression Scale (HADS); the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS), which measuresresilience; the GES Questionnaire, referring to spirituality; the IBPC C-30 Qualityof Life scale (EORTC-QLQ-C30) and the Duke-UNC-11 Functional Social SupportQuestionnaire, which assesses confidential and affective social support.In addition, it is essential that the primary health care professional knows andknows how to use the main scales used in palliative care, such as the EdmontonSymptom Assessment Scale, the Karnofsky Performance Scale and the PalliativePerformance Scale. Thus, professionals can have tools to help guide the specificcare plan for palliative care.; respect and willingness to understand the meaning attributed by thepatient and their family about death; communication used as a strategy to establish a bond; active and sensitive listening; non-judgment or abandonment of the patient and maintenance ofhope, even about the efficiency of the treatment for symptom relief. Thisdemonstrates that the way of doing, at this moment, emphasizes the ethical andinterpersonal dimensions in the professional-patient-family relationship.Regarding the work process of FHS professionals involved in the care of patients atthe end of the process of living, the following ways of caring can be identified:compassion-empathy-,-19; r death,,21; cning-,,21; n ofhope,19, etionship. publications, this subject was addressed. In one of them, ethics in palliative care was the central theme, includingaspects involving the communication of bad news, such as lack of sincerity andhiding the truth. Another article approached the subject, presenting a brief discussion about otherness,considered one of the references of bioethics.The discussion on bioethics was not a recurring theme in the selected articles and,in only two,21 pu article approacIt should be added that, for the effectiveness and guarantee of palliative care inprimary care, it is assumed that there is articulation between the various healthservices and several other sectors - consequently, other professional categories -such as: transport, to ensure accessibility; social security, guaranteeing socialrights; and justice, to ensure access and equity..In addition, in the intra-sectoral prism of the health system, relations with thevarious medical specialties must besigned and perpetuated, in addition to different multi-professional categories,areas of epidemiological information and management, among others. articles, with an emphasis on the need for theoretical, scientificknowledge and specific clinical skills in the domain of different professions sothat the integrality of actions in the process of offering palliative care takesplace, thus contemplating the physical, psychosocial and spiritual dimensions of thepatient and their family.The importance of the multi-professional team was mentioned as fundamental infive,,-21 ar.In addition, within its scope, PHC has the potential to develop a set ofinterventions that favor the quality of life and continuity of palliative care,inside and outside the home, and can potentially favor and provide the patient withcare close to the patient family and friends, in addition to reducing the risk ofinfections and suffering from unnecessary hospitalizations,34.In addition, for the PC to evolve in PHC, it is necessary to plan the offer, identifyand meet the needs, the available resources, practice the sharing of informationthrough appropriate communication and define the commitments of the partiesinvolved. This is done in collaborative relationships and practices betweendifferent professionals, families and managers..In line with Resolution No. 41, of October 31, 2018, which provides for guidelinesfor the organization of palliative care, in the light of integrated continuous care,within the scope of the Unified Health System (UHS), it is advised that \u201cthepalliative care should be part of the integrated continuous care offered within thescope of the Health Care Network (HCN)\u201d, with PHC being considered the originator ofcare and territorial action..In order for changes to occur in the scope of management and care, the ability todialogue and problematize the current concepts within each health team is essential.The construction of new pacts, with the approximation of concepts aboutcomprehensive, humanized and quality care, in addition to equity and milestones thatoccurred strongly in the process of reforming the Brazilian health system, areessential for such changes to occur.This study has as its limit the non-problematization of the different health systemswhere the studies were produced, and primary health care is not always developed inits integral aspect, and there is still a strong orientation of health servicesaccording to the hospital logic. In addition, another limitation is the inclusion ofarticles in only four languages , which mayhave limited access to other publications on the topic.It is hoped that the compilation of the findings presented in this review may giverise to new lines of research and encourage other publications, contributing to thescientific advancement of the theme and performing the function of aid and supportfor the restructuring of practices and policies related to palliative care inprimary health care.The evidence and themes investigated relating palliative care in primary health carepoint to the possibility of this care, since these teams work closely with familiesand the territories where they live. Such a process could occur in health systemsthat implement primary care articulated with social policies, which ensure health asa human right, being difficult to implement in non-universal systems and withprimary care teams with few resources and poor articulation in a servicenetwork.The studies point out possibilities of using scales that can assist in theidentification and follow-up of people in palliative care, such as the EdmontonSymptom Assessment Scale, the Karnofsky Performance Scale and the PalliativePerformance Scale. There are also productions that point out aspects of subjectivityas important, highlighting empathy, listening and valuing cultural aspects.There are articles that deal with specific pathologies, with emphasis on cancer,diabetes and several pathologies that participate in the epidemiological anddemographic transition. It is emphasized that specific care needs to be recognizedat the same time that, in primary health care, other knowledge needs to be mobilizedto consider family and social dynamics and thus build unique therapeuticprojects.It was possible to identify, in this review, that there is a concern with the initialtraining of health professionals and on-the-job training, as this is stillincipient. To improve this situation, the insertion of the PC discipline in healthcourses is recommended and the implementation of permanent education and healtheducation actions to bring family members and professionals closer together, takinginto account cultural and social aspects of each family and team.However, it is reaffirmed that the provision of palliative care in primary care is acomplex challenge that goes beyond the preparation of professionals and familymembers, involves changing the logic and the care model that is still centered ondiseases, economic logic and professional practices that compete with each other ina corporate way. This process is also related to social policies that conflict withthe implementation of neoliberal policies and the flexibilization of socialrights."} +{"text": "The article analyzes how approaches to \u201cLiving Well\u201d as reflected in the Constitution of the State of Bolivia, the Law of the Rights of Mother Earth, and the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the Organization of American States (OAS) contribute to understanding the Andean cosmovision of indigenous peoples of the American continent. To do so, it first studied the most immediate precedents that led to incorporation of the notion of Living Well into Bolivian law. Second, it approached the right to development from the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which has as its source the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The paper thus proposes reflections on the Bolivian State and the American Declaration that advance understanding of Living Well, a notion comparable in the West to the right to development that enables the individual and collective realization of the individual. Fullness, understood in terms of well-being, is related to the protection of health and of the environment. Finally, the paper employs a qualitative methodology with a well-documented hermeneutic focus, as well as the tool of a semi-structured interview with a Bolivian scholar familiar on the topic. In 2017, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) counted 826 indigenous peoples, of which 200 live in voluntary isolation. In 2014, Bolivia had the largest proportion of indigenous persons in its total population of any country in the region, 62.2% or over 6 million people. Like Bolivia, other ECLAC countries have large numbers of indigenous inhabitants relative to their total population: Guatemala 41% or 5.9 million, and Peru 24% or 7 million an inalienable human right by virtue of which every human person and all peoples are entitled to participate in, contribute to, and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized.\u201dThese are the claims for the individual. In parallel, from the collective perspective, development implies \u201cthe right of peoples to self-determination which includes, subject to the relevant provisions of both International Covenants on Human Rights, the exercise of their inalienable right to full sovereignty over all their natural wealth and resources\u201d (Article 1). \u201cThe human person is the central subject of development and should be the active participant and beneficiary of the right to development\u201d (Article 2). Various legal instruments on indigenous issues have considered the right to development in their different articles. First, Convention 169 (Articles 7 and 23) of the ILO includes the right of indigenous peoples to take decisions about priorities concerning the process of development and the duty of States to lend their support (Article 7). The Convention also stresses the importance of the traditional activities of indigenous peoples to their development (Article 23) .Second, through the principle of free determination, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples recognizes \u201cpolitical, economic, social, and cultural development. And to end all forms of discrimination and oppression, wherever they occur.\u201dThese peoples should control the events that affect them and their lands, territories, and resources according to their needs and aspirations (Preamble). States must therefore adopt effective measures such as free, prior, and informed consent concerning these lands and territories (Article 29) .Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and determine their own priorities with respect to their political, economic, social, and cultural development in conformity with their own cosmovision. They also have the right to be guaranteed the enjoyment of their own means of subsistence and development, and to engage freely in all their economic activities ,6.This right includes the \u201cdevelopment of policies, plans, programs, and strategies\u201d for the exercise of their right to development and to implement them in accordance with their legal, political, social, institutional structure and their cosmovisions.Indigenous peoples have the right to be actively involved in developing and determining development programs that affect them and, to the extent possible, to administer such programs through their own institutions and their cosmovision.States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free and informed consent ,53 priorIndigenous peoples have the right to effective measures to mitigate adverse \u201cecological, economic, social, cultural, or spiritual impacts of the implementation of development projects\u201d that affect their rights. Indigenous peoples who have been deprived of their means of subsistence and development have the right to restitution and, where this is not possible, to fair and equitable compensation. This includes the right to compensation for any harm caused to them by the implementation of plans, programs, or projects of the State, international financial institutions, or private business.The OAS Declaration also materializes the right to development in Article 29. The content of this article is very similar that established by the UN Declaration mentioned above. More specifically, this article includes five situations:It is also important to mention briefly the legal development of the IHR Court on this issue. The IHR Court was a pioneer in expounding the close relationship of indigenous and tribal peoples to the land. Specifically, the IHR Court recognized the right of indigenous and tribal peoples to enjoy the earth without need of a formal title to property. It has decreed the adoption of special measures to guarantee exercise of the right to protection of physical and cultural survival, as in Mayagna (Sumo) Awas Tingni Community v. Nicaragua . SimilarFurther, the IHR Court stipulates indigenous and tribal peoples\u2019 right to property in the case of natural resources discovered in their territories. Without resources, the economic, social, and cultural survival of the peoples is at risk, as demonstrated in the case of Yakye Axa Indigenous Community v. Paraguay . SimilarOn this order of ideas, the IHR Court also identifies the tremendous importance of the right to consultation and prior, free, and informed consent. The right of indigenous peoples to participate and to have their institutions and cosmovision respected includes the definition, demarcation, and allocation of a title to an indigenous or tribal territory, taking into account \u201ctraditional law, values, uses, and customs.\u201d This assumption is reflected in Awas Tingniv. Nicaragua . In SaraOn the right to consultation, the Court determined in the case People of Sarayaku v. Ecuador that States have the obligation to consult with indigenous peoples. It based its decision not only on support for this notion in conventional law, but on also on the fact that the law of consultation constituted a general principle of international law that has been incorporated into domestic statutes and the jurisprudence of the great majority of the OAS member States .Finally, it is worth noting that, following the recent promulgation of the OAS Declaration for the International Day of the World\u2019s Indigenous Peoples (August 9), the Court Reporters of the UN and the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (ICHR) published a joint press release reaffirming indigenous peoples\u2019 right to development, adding that a countries\u2019 development \u201chas been and continues to be driven at the expense of indigenous peoples of the continent.\u201d Ultimately, the right to development, on the one hand, implies the right of all indigenous peoples to define their own development priorities, whether political, economic, social, or culture, according to their cosmovision; on the other, it challenges the States to guarantee that indigenous peoples enjoy their own means of subsistence and development and dedicate themselves freely to their economic activities .The right to development cannot be interpreted in isolation from other rights that complement it and facilitate understanding it as a whole if we seek to equate the right to development to Andean Living Well, which goes beyond the satisfaction of needs for comfort or consumption in monetary terms. Two sets of rights follow. The first set, the rights established in the third Section on Cultural Identity, includes: the right to cultural identity and integrity (Article 13); the right to preserve, use, develop, revitalize, and transmit to future generations their own systems of knowledge, language, and communication (Article 14); the right to education, particularly of indigenous children, at all levels and in all forms, without discrimination (Article 15); the right freely to exercise their own spirituality and indigenous beliefs(Article 16); the right to preserve, maintain, and promote their own family systems (Article 17); collective and individual rights to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical, mental, and spiritual health;(Article 18); and the right to protection of a healthy environment (Article 19).The second set encompasses the rights in the Fifth Section on Social, Economic, and Property Rights, including: the right to maintain and strengthen their distinctive spiritual, cultural, and material relationship with their lands, territories, and resources(Article 25); the right to remain in voluntary isolation or initial contact, and to live freely and in accordance with their cultures (Article 26); labor rights, such that States shall take all specific measures necessary to prevent, punish, and remedy any discrimination (Article 27); the right to protection of their tangible and intangible cultural heritage and intellectual property, including its collective nature, transmitted over millennia from generation to generation (Article 28); and the right to peace, security, and protection(Article 30).We will now focus on the right to peace, which is linked most directly to the right to development. Previously, the UN Declaration on Development had asseThe UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples understands the right to peace as the suppression of military activities in lands or territories of indigenous peoples, unless there is a public reason to justify intervention. In any case, the State must consult before using indigenous lands or territories (Article 30.) The OAS Declaration later views this matter similarly to that of its UN predecessor, but includes more extensive content. According to the Preamble of the OAS Declaration, only:\u201crecognition of the rights of indigenous peoples in this Declaration will foster harmonious and cooperative relations among States and indigenous peoples, based on the principles of justice, democracy, respect for human rights, nondiscrimination, and good faith.\u201dIn their totality, these factors enable harmonious coexistence, that is, realization of the right to peace. The Declaration also includes this right explicitly in Article 30, under the title, \u201cRight to peace, security, and protection\u201d of indigenous peoples, in which indigenous peoples are subject to protection under law. This formulation differs from the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which considers indigenous persons as the subject of protection.Article 30 also recognizes the right to autonomy of indigenous institutions; the right to protection and security in situations of war , according to international humanitarian law; and the fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 on the protection due civil persons in times of war. In addition, Protocol II of 1977 on the protection of the victims of armed conflicts, which is not international in character, recognizes these rights. In the case of armed conflicts, States must take appropriate measures to protect the human rights, institutions, lands, territories, and resources of indigenous peoples and their communities.Special emphasis is placed on protecting the most vulnerable in the group, such as indigenous children and women, prohibiting their recruitment in the armed forces, providing effective compensation and reparations for the harm or damage caused by an armed conflict, taking special and effective measures to avoid all forms of violence ,simultaneously guaranteeing the right of access to effective justice, protection, and reparation of the damages caused to the victims, and protecting their right not to engage in military activities.Within this scenario, the last report of the Inter-American Commission on the situation of indigenous peoples of the Amazon states that \u201cIndigenous peoples have the right to be protected from forced displacement due to violence, as usually occurs in contexts of armed conflict.\u201d By analogy, forced displacement directly attacks the existence of indigenous peoples due to their bond with their territory, \u201con which they depend for their physical and cultural survival.\u201d The indigenous population displaced in urban environments is easy prey to poverty and discrimination, labor exploitation, sexual violence, human trafficking, and crime. For these reasons, States should adopt special protective measures, although such measures do not exclude taking measures to enable the return of indigenous people \u201cto their traditional territories safely and with dignity\u201d .Finally, the right to international peace and security are fundamental elements for constructing the right to development. The right to peace and the right to development are closely related to Andean Living Well, which are related to the individual and collective harmony of indigenous persons and their peoples and, above all, to living together in and for peace.As previously mentioned, Bolivia plays an important and critical role in contributing to issues concerning indigenous peoples, and this contribution spans the legal, political, economic, cultural, and environmental spheres. This section focuses on the legal sphere.First, Bolivia has taken an important step in including in its Constitution the prohThis law originated to remedy the former prohibition of indigenous people and animals from access to public establishments. Specifically, the Framework Law of Mother Earth stipulates that Living Well means that indigenous persons live \u201cin a just, equitable, and solidary society, without material, social, and spiritual poverty\u201d (Article 4. Law 300).A catalog of constitutional rights (Article 30.II).The constitutional and hierarchical equivalence of ordinary and indigenous jurisdiction (Articles 190 to 192).Recognition of rural native indigenous autonomy (Articles 289 to 296).Second, recognition of the following matters in the Constitution of Bolivia providesIn fact, there must be compatibility and complementarity of \u201cfundamental, civil, political, social, economic, and cultural rights to Living Well\u201d (Article 4. Law 300). This idea includes individual and collective rights and freedoms linked to free determination of rural native indigenous peoples. But the concept is also associated with consultation and consent, natural resources, lands, and territory, which are often the subject of controversy between indigenous peoples and the State. According to Article 349 of the Constitution of Bolivia, natural resources are the property and direct and indivisible domain of the Bolivian people.Third, on the right to development, Article 9 of the Constitution affirms that it is the goal and function of the State to guarantee the development, well-being, security, and equality of persons, nations, peoples, and communities. The State must therefore foster \u201cmutual respect and intracultural, intercultural, and plurilingual dialogue.\u201d Bolivia considers development to be integral, \u201cin harmony and equilibrium with Mother Earth\u201d (Article 1. Law 300), Integral Development for Living Well, understood as:\u201cthe continuous process of generating and implementing social, community, citizenly, and public management measures and actions for the creation, provision, and strengthening of conditions, capabilities, and material, social, and spiritual means within the framework of culturally sufficient and appropriate practices and actions\u201d (Article 5. Law 300).Fourth, on the topic of Peace, the Constitution includes in Article 10 that Bolivia is \u201ca pacifist State that promotes the culture of peace and the right to peace, as well as cooperation among the peoples of the region and the World\u2026\u201d (Article 10.I). Article 4 Section 12 of the Framework Law of Mother Earth speaks of the \u201charmonious, dynamic, adaptive, and balanced relationship\u201d between the needs of Bolivia and Mother Earth. Peace is related to harmony, which means \u201cLiving Well amongst ourselves, Living Well with those around us, and Living Well with oneself.\u201dFinally, the influence of the Andean world view is present in the text of the Constitution. As Baldivieso writes: \u201cPrimary laws are enriched with rural native indigenous values and principles that generate fundamental and organic laws, but the law also keeps the higher goods inherent in Western culture; an interesting axiological symbiosis that gives rise to the development of Bolivian legal pluralism\u2019\u2019 .Within this conceptual framework, we will now briefly tackle the contributions of the OAS Declaration. This is an international legal instrument, subsidiary to national law, and the State is the main organism responsible for and guarantor of protection of the rights of all of its citizens within its jurisdiction. As with the Constitution of Bolivia, one of the arguments for development of the OAS Declaration revolves around the vindication of indigenous and tribal populations, which were not historically included, but rather, were made victims century after century. The first checks were imposed on this situation at international level, with the OLI\u2019s Convention 107 and Convention 169 [The OAS Declaration recognizes that the vulnerability of indigenous and tribal populations led them to be dispossessed of their lands, territories, and resources, and that this has made it impossible for them to exercise their right to development, understood in terms of economic and social well-being. The Declaration recovers this respect for cultural identity and exercises the right to development according to one\u2019s needs. Finally, it supports development as an essential element to achieve Living Well.On the right to peace, the Declaration recognizes peace, along with security and protection, as a totality, in times of both peace and war or conflict and draws on other international instruments and humanitarian international law. It seeks to protect its women, children, and adolescents, who are direct victims of conflicts . The Declaration also firmly rejects military activities in territories or lands of indigenous and tribal populations. The only exceptions are public interest and having reached an amicable agreement between the indigenous population and the State.Definitely, the OAS Declaration attempts to equate indigenous peoples\u2019 right to development and peace as integral elements of understanding Andean Good Living. Therefore, the right to development first recognizes the inseparable connection of indigenous peoples to the land, territory, and resources, which are conceived as a pillar of development. Second, the right to peace\u2014defined as peace, security, and protection of indigenous peoples\u2014incorporates essential elements for achieving the right to development. That is, both rights (peace and development) and other connected complementary rights constitute the condition \u201csine qua non\u201d to make it possible to speak in terms of equivalents to Andean Living Well. At the same time, these rights are mechanisms to guarantee the protection and defense of indigenous and tribal peoples against State decisions that may go against their economy, politics, culture, environment, or institutions.Finally, the jurisprudence of the IHR Court plays a valuable role, first as the \u201ccement\u201d for establishing and consolidating the edifice of the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples, constructed primarily around the right to development and peace, both of which are intimately related to Andean Good Living. The Court also establishes that control and possession of land, territories, and natural resources are indispensable parameters for the survival and development of indigenous peoples. Further, it consolidates this inseparable association of indigenous populations and the Earth, their territories and natural resources resources, energy, flora, fauna, etc.) as elements crucial to their economic, political, social, cultural, and institutional development from their Andean cosmovision. Finally, the Court seeks to construct the inseparable synergy between indigenous and tribal peoples and Mother Earth known as \u201cPacha Mama, Mucane, Tonanz\u00edn, Iwi, Nana Tlalli, Gaia\u201d .Appreciating and illustrating this close relationship that indigenous peoples have had historically with the environment and recognizing their rights are essential for the global implementation, monitoring, and fulfillment of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Framework of the UN\u2019s Agenda 2030 along thAt the Inter-American regional level, the Commission and Court for Inter-American Human Rights, as organisms for the protection of the Inter-American Human Rights System, have been working on indigenous issues and the environment. Since 2019, the IHR Court has handed down 24 sentences in favor of indigenous populations. Its legal work on protection of the environment remains, however, incomplete. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, in contrast, is already working on these issues and has produced three reports. These are the 2013 report on the situation of \u201cIndigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact in the Americas: Recommendation for the Full Respect of their Human Rights\u201d ; the 2012). This area is considered the most biodiverse in the world, with tremendous cultural and biological wealth. It is also a \u201csource of subsistence for the whole planet because it is a biome that operates as a global climatic stabilizer \u2026and as a reserve of flora, fauna, and genetic diversity.\u201d From the times of our ancestors to the present, this region has been inhabited and has served as the place where indigenous and tribal peoples develop their lives, knowledge, and traditional practices. It is home to around 350 peoples, including those in voluntary isolation and initial contact [We take the example of the Amazon Basin, part of which is located in Bolivia, with the rest distributed across eight other countries: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela [The Bolivian Constitution\u2019s Article 390.II states that the country\u2019s Amazon territory includes the departments of Beni , Pando, La Paz , Cochabamba and Santa Cruz , 724,000g (CNPV) , there aBolivia\u2019s domestic law specifically includes the protection and preservation of the Amazon region at a Constitutional level . The State prioritizes the sustainable integral development of Bolivia for its \u201cenvironmental sensitivity, existing biodiversity, hydric resources, and ecoregions.\u201d The State also administrates this development, fostering the financing of tourism and ecotourism activities in coordination with the rural native indigenous peoples in the region. To do so, it facilitates dialogue through the creation of a special decentralized entity in the Amazon, fostering traditional extractive products. Finally, the State protects against cutting species such as the syringa and chestnut due to their \u201chistoric, cultural, and economic value,\u201d declaring them symbols of the Bolivian Amazon. Violating this law leads to criminal punishment except in cases of public interest.It is important to stress that Bolivia protects the environment as a right included in the Constitution (Article 30.II.10) and the laws favor Mother Earth and Living Well. Environmental law is protected by other constitutional clauses dedicated to its enforcement . This right is also linked to the right to health, as the State further promotes \u201cquality of life\u201d free access of the Bolivian population to healthcare and protection of the traditional medicine of indigenous populations (Article 35).These articles are also connected to Title II, on Environment, Natural Resources, Land, and Territory, which holds the State and the population responsible for the duty of preserving, protecting, and sustainably exploiting resources and biodiversity (Articles 342 to 347). To this end, environmental management policies are established, since this heritage is of public interest. There is also a special chapter on Hydric Resources. The right to water is recognized as \u201ca most fundamental right for life\u201d and health, through regulation of its use and integral management .Finally, we value very positively for a society like Bolivia its aspiration to collective and individual well-being of its citizens, reviewed in protection and guarantees of the right to the environment and its care. This strategy will be much more productive, however, if it not only includes national law but also makes the regional agenda of all States a priority, i.e., the agendas of both the American continent and the rest of the world. The first victims in this line of fire are always the most vulnerable, in this case, indigenous populations and those without contact or living in voluntary isolation, who live in harmony with nature and from whom we have much to learn. In fact, their participation and wisdom were fundamental elements in the processes that produced the UN\u2019s Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development .The Amazon has significantly affected the way of life, culture, and harmony with nature of the Amazonian indigenous peoples, who have been threatened since the twentieth century by increased extraction activities, reflected in increased logging, that accelerated deforestation that have given way to problems with other land uses. In recent times, there have been many changes, at the regulatory level, in State policies and practices aimed at increasing the extraction of natural resources and advancing large infrastructure projects, exerting pressure on indigenous ancestral territories ,63.In this context, there is a debate among States regarding the ratified international legal instruments of the United Nations and the Inter-American Organizations, emphasizing among other duties deriving from these instruments: (a) Design and effectively implementation of an adequate normative framework for the protection of human rights, which may be affected by extractive, exploitative and development activities; (b) the need for a legal framework that adequately addresses the operation of foreign companies within the jurisdiction of a State; and (c) the duty to prevent illegal activities and forms of violence against the population in areas affected by extractive activities, exploitation, or development .Accordingly, the State must adopt the most appropriate legislation and not contradict these rights, for example, environmental protection standards are indispensable in domestic legislation, not to bring before the Court the State for violating the human rights of the affected populations, and for activities that affect the environment . In thisThe great contradiction between theory and practice makes it difficult for legislators to carry out their work and makes legal implementation difficult, in relation to the exploitation and extraction of the natural resources of the Amazon region, with a combination of interests of individuals and the State itself. The lack of regulation or inadequate regulation of the resources of the Amazon, and the excesses in their exploitation and indiscriminate use, is a pending problem not only at the national level, but also at the global level.In the case of Bolivia, legal implementation at the constitutional and legislative levels has been favorable with regard to the protection of natural resources and indigenous peoples. Thus, the aim of the State is \u201cto promote and guarantee the responsible and planned use of natural resources and to promote their industrialization\u201d (Article 9.6). In particular, Title II, entitled \u201cEnvironment, natural resources, land and territory\u201d, provides for their treatment . In thisThe new Constitution grants ownership of natural resources to the people of Bolivia and is administered by the State in the collective interest (Article 311.II); the State is responsible for the mineral wealth found in the soil and subsoil (Article 369.I). It also deals with biodiversity, forest resources, hydrocarbons, mining, land, and the Amazon (Articles 390 to 392) . In thisThe internal law of Bolivia (Constitution and Laws) is progressive and supports the rights and recognition of the indigenous worldview. This was reflected in different aspects such as identity, feminism and its struggle for equality and justice among different genders, ethnicities, and social classes, with indigenous communities and their traditions. As a result, the cross-cutting \u201cgeneric, cultural, ethnic, and generational diversity\u201d and the principles of equity, interculturality and non-discrimination are taken into account throughout the constitutional text .First, indigenous identity is one of the essential elements in order for a human community to be considered a native indigenous rural people and nation . In this context, these peoples enjoy, among other rights to their cultural identity, religious belief, spiritualities, practices and customs, and to their own worldview, so that, if they consider it, the possibility of registering it with Bolivian citizenship and other official identification documents (ethno-citizenship) .Second, is feminism and its struggle for gender equality and justice. The Constitution recognizes the equality of conditions between men and women, as well as a series of guidelines and rights in favor of equality in relation to political participation and internal election of leaders ; field of work and wages (Article 48); sexual and reproductive rights (Article 66); vocational and humanistic education (Article 78.IV); and more specific rights directed to women, such as: not to suffer physical, sexual or psychological violence, in the family and in society (Article 15.II); maternity and special care before, during, and after childbirth and in the pre-and post-natal periods (Article 45.V); and in this line, not to be dismissed or discriminated against for any of the above reasons, ensuring their occupational security until the child reaches the age of one (Article 48). Consequently, the State is responsible for promoting policies aimed at eliminating all forms of discrimination against women in access to, tenure in and inheritance of land (Article 402).With regard to indigenous women, according to PilarUriona, \u201cLiving Well\u201d is situated \u201cin the context of the recognition and revaluation of the various existing identities\u201d, with the \u201cchallenge to secure a permanently shared political gender agenda so that, in practice, the new legislation reflects the rights and claims that women demand and not the opposite of what is demanded\u201d .However,Third, is sethnic groups and social classes. Discrimination against indigenous people and their populations is a challenge to be overcome throughout the world. In Bolivia, the current Constitution (Article14 and other related articles) eliminates all types of discrimination; especially in 2010, with the entry of the Law against Racism and all forms of discrimination, where ArThe ethnic and cultural diversity of the American continent characterizes some ethnic groups whose ancestors lived in Africa. People of African descent remain ethnically and culturally distinct collectives, sharing a common identity, origin, history, and tradition . Afro-deThe Constitution mentions all the original languages that make up Bolivia, considering the plurinational as part of its commitment to inclusion and social justice, promoting mutual respect and intra-cultural, intercultural and multilingual dialogue (Article 9). The premise is that Bolivia is made up of all Bolivians, the original indigenous peoples, the intercultural, and Afro-Bolivian communities, which together are the people (Article 3).In order to avoid conflicts, the economic, social, political, and cultural rights of the Afro-Bolivian peoples, as provided for in the Constitution for the native indigenous rural nations and peoples, are recognized in all matters of concern to them. The State also provides them with fiscal land that they do not possess or are insufficient, in accordance with State policy, with a policy of sustainable rural development and women\u2019s ownership of land without discrimination on the basis of their civil status (Article 395).Finally, with regard to indigenous peoples in danger of extinction, or in voluntary isolation and not contacted , their iHistorically, the Bolivian people have stood up in 10 marches against the measures and policies of exclusion implemented by various governments, demanding universal vote, agrarian reform, and the participation of the indigenous majority, women, and farmers in the public and political spheres. Subsequently, other marches have taken place, progressively achieving the inclusion and recognition of the rights of excluded groups, such as the native indigenous peasant populations .The political movement also achieved the legal recognition and inclusion of the Afro-descendant community , as wellThe vindication of indigenous persons and their peoples in Bolivia has brought important advances in recognition of their rights and dignity, but it has also revived their hope that they will not return to being excluded and oppressed in an unequal society. The question arises as to whether the protection of Bolivian constitutional law and international law in guaranteeing the rights and worldviews of indigenous peoples is sufficient. It is a collective that has been generationally marginalized throughout history, but, through the United Nations Declaration of Indigenous Peoples, significant progress has been made with the recognition of a number of essential rights .Later, with the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, it becomes clear that the States themselves are still the natural guarantors of the rights of their citizens, constituting the OAS protection bodies which promote a series of provisions for the promotion and protection of the rights of individuals, who are considered indigenous, and who are identified as such, among their parts. This represents a major step forward in the development of indigenous peoples\u2019 issues and inter-American jurisprudence. In this area, it constitutes an invaluable contribution to the protection of the rights of the indigenous and tribal peoples of the OAS member States. However, although a legal framework, both international and national for the protection of indigenous peoples is fully in place , regulatWith the adoption of ancestral knowledges State policies have given concrete form to a hopeful process of change toward Living Well. These policies have been incorporated in Bolivian national law, bringing favorable changes and reforms to benefit these populations. Living Well is care for \u201cMother Earth\u201d, for the person as individual being, social being, collective or group being, and spiritual being, and for the environment. Maintaining the equilibrium of these elements involves harmony within oneself, with one\u2019s environment, and with the cosmos, a plenitude that correlates with health . Although approaches to Living Well differ depending on whether one takes an international perspective or an Andean one, there are points of intersection that should be preserved in both dimensions. Specifically, both approaches pursue the protection and guarantee of the rights of indigenous populations, recognizing the unquestionable bond of indigenous populations with their land, their territory, and their natural resources.As a result, the State must respect the rights of indigenous populations, using the law of prior, free, and informed consultation to guarantee peaceful and harmonious coexistence among indigenous persons, their populations, and the State, as well as equilibrium of the environment and natural resources, such as water. Finally, these rights guarantee quality of life, dignity, health, culture, and preservation of their identity, customs, culture, and oral traditions, among other rights. A long road and many unfinished tasks remain to complete this process, the more so because the process is taking place in a framework conditioned by the individual interests of the States, which sometimes either fail to implement sufficient mechanisms or only do so partially, not taking into account the rights of indigenous populations. But this situation transcends not only our generation and any specific territory, but also the political or economic situation of a single country; it goes beyond even current deforestation of the flora and fauna and the impact on the environment and biodiversity. It involves us all, because if we do not do something to protect these indigenous populations and \u201cMother Earth\u201d as a whole, there will soon be little we can do. We will have destroyed any glimmer of hope for intergenerational equity.Finally, changes are not won in a single day. Promoting transformations of such magnitude requires time, courage, monitoring, and rigor to enable mature evaluation and reveal the aspects that need improvement and strengthening. We must also consolidate and continue the work to make the process of change toward Living Well possible, regardless of who comes to power and who dominates the world in any particular circumstances or at any given moment. Therefore, within the framework of the UN Agenda 2030 of SDGs, we must encourage and protect the knowledge of nature and the hereditary knowledge possessed by the rural native indigenous peoples of Bolivia and of other territories. They are an asset of incalculable value for the adoption and success of this crucial global strategy of humanity. This process will be aided by making a breakdown of data and inclusion of an \u201cindigenous identifier\u201d in the UN\u2019s official statistics on countries\u2019 progress toward fulfilment of Agenda 2030.The survival, dignity, wisdom, well-being, and respect of the rights of the indigenous peoples of Bolivia specifically, and of the whole world in general, constitute an essential foundation for successful dialogue between indigenous peoples and States. But above all, they represent hope for our future generations, for respect for our Mother Earth, for sustainable development, and ultimately for our common future on Earth, in the framework of the Andean vision of Living Well.In the case of the State of Bolivia, its Constitution makes it directly responsible for guaranteeing, protecting, and respecting the rights of indigenous nations and peoples (Article 30.III). It is a good start, that the first guarantor and responsible for a right is the State itself. These policy measures encourage the equal and non-discriminatory treatment of persons, regardless of their original social race, already covered by the Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, this does not mean that an ideal situation has been reached in this area. In this country, although the Constitution includes in part different important aspects that have been demanded since the first marches in the last century, there is still much work to be done, not only at the national level, but also at the regional and global levels. The task is not only for the State in question, but for everyone."} +{"text": "Medical service policy plays a prominent role in the development of a \u201cHealthy China.\u201d This paper constructs a three-dimensional framework for text mining of medical service policy using the elements of policy instruments, policy strength, and types of medical service activity. Taking Sichuan Province as an example, 221 medical service policy documents, issued by the government and related departments, are selected as the research sample; the policy instruments, policy strength, and medical service activity types are analyzed using ROST and Nvivo 11.0 software. It is concluded that the government needs to optimize the structure of policy instruments, to appropriately reduce the use of environmental policy instruments in particular, while increasing the use of demand-based policy instruments. It is necessary to strengthen the interaction between the various sub-policy instruments, and to increase the use of financial services, fiscal taxes, overseas communications, and strategic measures. An increase in the implementation of government policy assists the acceleration of the policy landing, the further improvement of the supervision system, and the safeguard mechanism of the three medicine policy linkage, which can improve the sustainability of the medical service policy, and further resolve the difficulty and expense of seeing a doctor. Health is the foundation of a better life for everyone, and, increasingly, attention has been paid to factors affecting health, ranging from global environmental problems , 2, climAdvice on progressing the reform of the medical and health system in 2019, which was issued by the General Office of the State Council, clearly identified the need to study and formulate relevant policy documents; guidance, management, assessment methods; and regulations on medical and health care within 1 year, in order to implement the Healthy China strategy and further reform the medical and health system. Therefore, in-depth analysis of the content of the medical service policy document is of great practical significance to the improvement of the medical service and the promotion of the \u201chealth of all people.\u201d At present, there are many problems to be solved in China's medical service . The assPolicy instruments , which aRothwell and Zegveld's policy instrument classification gave relatively little importance to plays down their mandatory characteristics and strengthens the role of government as environmental architect in the process of promoting policy projects, rather than only as an interventionist and controller , which iThe strength of a policy depends on the administrative level of the relevant government agencies: the higher the administrative level of a government agency, the greater its authority. This phenomenon reflects the government's priority on medical development. The weaker policy was promulgated by the lower-level government agencies, which also reflected the importance attached by the lower-level government to the development of medical care. At present, research on policy strength mainly focuses on quantitative research. Cheng and Qian cited PeMost existing policy content analysis frameworks select two or more of the dimensions of policy instruments, policy subjects, policy strength, and so on. However, medical service policy is characterized by multi-type activities, therefore this feature is introduced here into the policy analysis framework. The types of activity related to medical service can generally be divided into three categories: medicine-related activities, medical activities, and medical insurance activities . In thisThis paper constructs a three-dimensional framework for analyzing medical policy based on the elements of policy instruments, policy strength, and medical service activities, as shown in The research method adopted is content analysis, which enables systematic and objective analysis of the policy text, both quantitatively and qualitatively . This haRoumell and Salajan conducteThe sample policy documents used in this article were obtained from the official website of the People's Government of Sichuan Province, the Health Committee of Sichuan Province, the Sichuan Provincial Healthcare Security Administration, the Sichuan Drug Administration, and the Sichuan Traditional Chinese Medicine Administration. These government documents were selected according to the following principles: (1) the issuing unit is the Sichuan Provincial Government and its relevant departments; (2) the selected policy document is directly related to the medical policy; and (3) the policy document is issued in the comprehensive medical reform stage. Based on the feasibility of the policy document acquisition, a total of 221 valid samples of policy issued during the period 2010\u20132018 were collected; some of these are shown in The word network association diagram obtained using ROST software reflects the overall situation of medical service policy in Sichuan Province from 2010 to 2018; however, it is impossible to analyze the text content in detail. Therefore, this paper continues to use Nvivo 11 software to further mine and explore the policy text to ensure the integrity of the research results. The main method used is line-by-line coding of the research samples, to determine the research dimensions and keywords according to the relevant data and industry characteristics; this selects \u201csupply-side policy instruments,\u201d \u201cenvironmental policy instruments,\u201d \u201cdemand-side policy instruments,\u201d \u201cpolicy strength,\u201d and \u201cmedical service activities\u201d as tree nodes, constructing sub-nodes under each of these. Nvivo 11 software is used to code the reference points of each node according to the selection of nodes and reference points. If the total amount of text is consistent, the more reference points there are, the more adequate the disclosure of information. The reference points are the reflection of the absolute number of nodes in the policy text.The classification results for policy instruments are obtained from the coding analysis of medical service policy texts. As shown in The frequent use of environmental policy instruments reflects the importance attached in Sichuan Province to medical service policy and aims to create a favorable environment for their development through macro policy. Specifically, among the sub-policy environmental policy instruments, regulation and supervision is the most widely used, accounting for 36.96% of reference points. The malpractice in medical service systems and mechanisms in Sichuan Province has not yet been completely removed. In the 13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Health and Family Planning in Sichuan Province, it is clearly pointed out that the existing costs of medical services is unreasonable, that the reform of a medical insurance payment system is overdue, and the price of drugs and consumables is high. Therefore, the long-term application of a regulatory and supervisory instrument is the highest priority. The second priority is goal programming, accounting for 25.82% of reference points, improving comprehensive medical reform of all aspects of medical security, services, and the drug supply and regulatory system, the implementation of which needs to be carried out in stages, making it necessary to formulate corresponding specific target plans in each stage of reform. The application of strategic and preventive measures and guaranteed work is a high priority, accounting for 11.14, 11.14, and 11.68% of reference points, respectively. The Sichuan Provincial Government has the lowest use of regulation and supervision, and financial services, accounting for 2.17 and 1.09%, respectively. As the fundamental guarantee of the development of medical services, this has not received adequate attention from the government, which needs to encourage the medical development agencies and enterprises to make available innovative financing and investment mechanisms. Furthermore, relevant medical institutions and enterprises should be given assistance in the form of financial subsidies and tax allowances.Supply-side policy instruments are also used frequently in Sichuan Province. In the sub-policy instruments, the proportion of infrastructure, human resources, and scientific and technological support on the supply-side is 24.61, 24.92, and 20.50% of reference points, respectively. Infrastructure is a basic prerequisite for ensuring the rapid development of the medical service; human resources cannot directly promote the development of the medical industry alone, however, they contribute to improving the utilization and allocation efficiency of other input factors. Scientific and technological support directly promotes the improvement in quality of medical services, and under the remit of the \u201ctalent plan\u201d and the current situation, the government should establish a long-term and comprehensive human resource development plan, with specific implementation measures to achieve the strategic objective of developing the provincial medical service. This will accelerate scientific and technological innovation to construct the medical science and technology innovation platform, promote medical scientific research, and to transform and promote medical scientific and technological achievements. Information services account for 15.46% of the total reference points, and in order to effectively promote the development of the three medical institutions, the Sichuan Provincial Government needs to establish a medical service information platform for the province, city, and county, that consists of information services; a management information system of all medical and health institutions; and make full use of available online knowledge and big data to promote the development of medical information. Financial support is 14.51% of reference points; this sub-policy tool has the lowest utilization rate of supply-side policy instruments, and the government should provide more financial support to strengthen the capacity of medical services such as medical institutions , this paper shows the amount of policy publications related to these different activities in Sichuan Province. Some medical policy documents involve more than one medical service activity. The results of the coding analysis show that there are 84 policy texts related to medicine-related activities, 166 related to medical activities, and 27 to medical insurance activities. The volume of publications for different types of policies shows that medical service activities accounts for the largest proportion of medical activities in Sichuan Province. Medical care has always been an important guarantee of the health of all people in a region. Also, the province attaches great importance to the development of the pharmaceutical industry or production and supply of medicines. In addition to the drug procurement mechanism and innovative drug research and development, the highlight in the field of medicine in Sichuan Province is the development of traditional Chinese medicine. The Province plans to include the traditional Chinese medicine health service industry in the important strategic arrangements for its \u201c5+1\u201d trillion-level modern industrial system.In this paper, the difference between the policy instruments used in different medical service activities is analyzed by using the matrix query method of Nvivo 11. Firstly, the situation of the first-level policy instruments is analyzed, and the statistical results of the reference point account ratios are shown in In order to understand more clearly the strengths and weaknesses of policy instruments used by each medical service activity and the differences in their use, this paper provides in-depth analysis of the specific use of the sub-policy instruments in the policy documents of the three types of medical service activities; the statistical results of the proportions of reference points are shown in Table 5Two-dimensional analysis of reference points between medical service activities and secondary policy instruments.A total of 188 secondary policy instruments were used in the policy paper on medicine activities. The frequency of regulation and supervision in environmental policy instruments is the highest, accounting for 26.06% of reference points; the use of secondary policy instruments has a frequency of <5% for financial support and information services in the supply-side policy instruments, preventive measures, financial services, and fiscal levy in the environmental policy instruments; and for all demand-side policy instruments, the government purchase of policy instruments has been at zero. A total of 540 secondary policy instruments were used in the policy paper on medical activities, with the highest frequency of regulation and supervision use in environmental policy instruments, accounting for 14.63% of reference points, and the use of secondary policy instruments with a frequency of <5% being financial services, strategic measures, and fiscal levy in environmental policy instruments, as well as all demand-side policy instruments; a total of 22 secondary policy instruments for policy documents on medical insurance activities, with the highest frequency for regulation and supervision in environmental policy instruments, accounting for 27.27%. The use of secondary policy instruments with a frequency of <5% has human resources, science and technology support in the supply-side policy instruments, preventive measures, financial services, strategic measures, and fiscal levy in environmental policy instruments, as well as all demand-side policy instruments; of these, only the utilization of a fiscal levy was not zero and the use of other secondary policy instruments with a utilization rate of <5% was zero.The above data show that in the use of secondary policy instruments, the structure of policy instruments for each medical activity is different; the difference is most obvious between medical insurance activities and the others. No demand-side policy instruments are used in the policy text of medical insurance activities, and the use of secondary policy instruments in environmental policy instruments and supply-side policy instruments is also very different. The particularity of medical insurance activities does not involve developmental policy instruments such as human resources, scientific and technological support, financial services and strategic measures, and policy instruments such as information services, goal programming, and guarantee work are preferred. However, the most frequently used secondary policy instruments in the policy documents of medicine activities, medical activities, and medical insurance activities are regulation and supervision, indicating their importance in the development of medical services.Through the application of content analysis and text mining and using Sichuan Province as an example, medical service policy documents published since the implementation of the new medical reforms are selected and frequency analysis of various policy instruments, policy strength, and medical service activities are applied to draw the following conclusions: The overall composition of policy instruments is uneven, with a high proportion of environmental and supply-side policy instruments, and a serious shortage of demand-side policy instruments. This demonstrates the government's attempts to optimize the environment of medical services, to vigorously improve the supply of related elements of medical development, and to promote the long-term development of medical services: however, the level of attention received by the medical service market is low. The distribution of secondary policy instruments is also uneven. Among the various environmental policy instruments, the Sichuan Provincial Government is more likely to ensure the stable and controllable development of medical services through strong regulation and supervision by the government; this emphasizes the importance of the development of medical services in accordance with the rules and regulations, which is conducive to the improvement of medical service capacity and the protection of the people's basic rights and interests relating to health. However, the proportion of financial services and fiscal levy is very low, which, to some extent, will affect the implementation of target planning in policy documents. In the supply-side policy instruments, there is no significant disparity in the use of secondary policy instruments (human resources and infrastructure). In the demand-side policy instruments, foreign exchange, and service outsourcing policy instruments are low, with the shortage of government purchases warranting the most concern. As can be seen in the structural distribution of policy instruments, the government has focused on regulation, supervision, and goal programming; however, the supporting factors of financial services, in terms of fiscal levies, government purchases, and overseas communication are weak, which limits the pace of development of the medical service market.In terms of policy strength, 42% of the policy documents are relevant circulars and announcements issued by the Sichuan Provincial People's Government and its committees, bureaus, and offices, while 38% of the policy documents are temporary regulations, implementation plans, decisions, opinions, methods, and standards. The government's policy efforts mainly focus on the goals, operational principles, and clear tasks related to medical services. Secondly, the medical industry mainly abides by the relevant laws and regulations formulated by the state, and the local laws and regulations formulated by the government are secondary. From 2009 to 2018, the overall policy strength of Sichuan Province has changed substantially, but it has been stable in 2016\u20132018 the past 3 years, and the number of policy issues has also shown an increasing trend, indicating that the government attaches growing importance to the development of the medical industry.In terms of the types of medical service activities, there are great differences in the number of policy issues between medicine, medical, and medical insurance activities: 60% of the medical service policies are related to medical activities; in contrast, the number of policy documents issued in relation to medical insurance activities is the lowest, at 10%. The policy texts of the three kinds of medical service activities prefer the use of environmental policy instruments, and the frequency in the use of demand-side policy instruments is the lowest, which indicates that the government attaches great importance to the environment of these three medical service activities and constantly optimizes the environmental factors in order to provide a better service environment. The utilization rate of secondary policy instruments in each medical service activity is very different, especially when comparing medical insurance activities with the former two. No demand-side policy instrument is used in medical insurance activities, and the use of secondary policy instruments in environmental and supply-side policy instruments is also very different. There is a serious lack of policy instruments, such as human resources, scientific and technological support, preventive measures, financial services, and strategic measures.The improvement of the national level of health is essential for the improvement of national productivity, sustainable economic development, and social harmony. The government undertakes the role of the basic demand guarantor, the system supplier, and the market regulator in the medical service through the formulation and implementation of medical service policy in order to safeguard national health. Using the analysis of medical service policy in Sichuan Province as an example, this paper offers policy suggestions on the development of medical service from the following three angles.From the point of view of policy instruments, the government needs to optimize the their overall structure and the structure of internal secondary policy instruments in order to appropriately reduce the use of environmental policy instruments, increase the application of demand-side policy instruments, and enhance the interaction between secondary policy instruments. In particular, this increases the frequency of use of supportive policy instruments such as government purchases, financial services and fiscal levies, as well as market shaping, overseas communication, and strategic measures, and encourages medical development institutions and enterprises to carry out innovative financing through investment and other measures, while providing support to relevant medical institutions and enterprises in terms of financial subsidies and tax incentives. The government needs to consider the coordinated use of various policy instruments, enhance continuity and stickiness among secondary policy instruments, and focus on strengthening policy synergies in order to enhance the policy effect and improve the sustainability of health care policies.From the point of view of policy strength, the government must continue to strengthen the policy and accelerate the establishment of basic medical service systems for urban and rural residents. To improve the attitudes toward implementation and make these more conducive to the development of medical services, government policy should be implemented as soon as possible to enable universal access to essential medical services.From the point of view of medical service activities, the linked development of three kinds of medical service activities should be accelerated. Medicine activities need to focus on improving drug supervision mechanisms, drug supply shortage guarantee mechanisms, and drug purchase mechanisms. Medical activities must aim to strengthen overseas communication and meet the requirements of financial services and fiscal levies, directly provide more support to the service capacity of medical service subjects such as medical institutions in relation to funding, promote the formation of new medical service models such as intelligent medical services, and improve their overall standard. There are still some problems in medical insurance activities, such as weak supervision of medical insurance funds and misappropriation of insurance. It is necessary to strengthen supervision and preventative measures, continue to implement reform of the system, improve the payment mechanism for medical insurance, solve the problems of accessing medical care in various locations, and mitigate commercial risks as soon as possible in order to improve the level of basic medical insurance.All datasets generated for this study are included in the article/supplementary material.HZ: project administration, supervision, and writing\u2014review & editing. LZ: data curation, methodology, software, and writing\u2014original draft. CZ: data curation and methodology. XC: methodology, supervision and writing\u2014review & editing. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest."} +{"text": "Dear EditorOne of the current worldwide challenges is struggling with the emerging disease of COVID-19. Following the announcement of the outbreak of the disease by the World Health Organization (WHO), numerous measures have been taken in the field of education, treatment and research at the national, regional and international levels by governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).1Immediate and necessary decisions and measures such as closing schools and universities were taken and implemented by this headquarter. The initial instructions about the COVID-19 were published by official websites, including the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME) and the Universities of Medical Sciences included information on disease symptoms, methods of the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19. Iran, like other countries in the world, has taken extensive measures in this regard. On Feb. 25, 2020, the National Headquarter for Combating Corona (NHCC) was formed. 2Another concern about public health was mental and psychological health. Unknown and unpredictable future in the COVID-19 pandemic, along with misinformation and myths, has led to misunderstandings of health messages in the community. Restrictions on travel and quarantine at domestic and international airports in the spring, when most flights take place, have also raised concerns. 4Therefore, following the activities of the NHCC and MoHME, booklets on stress management and coping with anxiety were published. In this regard, a phone line for psychological counseling has been opened in the Ministry of Health and universities of medical sciences. Meanwhile, children are exposed to a lot of news about the disease epidemic. Therefore, publishing some booklets for children was another measure taken by MoHME to reduce their stress and anxiety.On the other hand, as previous studies have shown, fear of infectious diseases with high prevalence and mortality rate is associated with other psychological challenges such as stigma, discrimination, loss, feelings of fear of getting sick or dying, and helplessness. Another activity that took place in the first weeks of the illness and after the closure of schools and universities in Iran was teaching the students by distant education using virtual content and software. This kind of education ensured the students and their family and made them calm because they did not need to attend schools, universities or dormitories. In addition to government agencies, NGOs and charity organizations have taken steps to address the physical, economic, social and psychological harms of the disease. For example, some of these groups provided the equipment and supplies needed for patients and even members of the medical team, such as masks, gloves, and gown. These charity groups have also provided financial support to people suffering from financial problems during the closure of their businesses.5Despite all the measures taken in various areas at the national and provincial levels by government and non-government agencies, there are still some shortages. Because Iran is under numerous sanctions, especially in the field of health, and due to the lack of resources and equipment for healthcare services, an increase in the morbidity and mortality rate might happen in the long time. Although some efforts were made regarding the stress and anxiety of the public health, especially children and youth, there are some other measures which could be applied. Through online counseling, psychologists can provide training on how to deal with health issues caused by domestic conflicts, tensions between children and parents, and anxiety about illness. It is important to note that financial worries, sanctions, pressures, and deficiencies resulting from them could be associated with physical and mental disorders for people in Iranian society, especially for vulnerable, high risk groups such as low-income individuals and their families. Therefore, the support of international community and WHO, at least in lifesaving medical supplies, is essential. These kinds of lifting sanctions could decrease the tragedy and contribute to preventing the second wave of spreading the disease."} +{"text": "Computers and Education, American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, and Theory into Practice. The author with most articles is Reddy, from Rutgers University. The most productive institution is the University of Virginia. The United States is the country with most academic publications, citations and with most international collaborations in its works. Worldwide research has followed an increasing trend, with optimum publication levels in latest years.The university learning classroom, in addition to a space for activities and architectural object, has a direct impact on the academic motivation, well-being and social relationships of the students. Thus, the link between the university classroom and the management of the socio-educational well-being of the student, in accordance with the principles of well-being theory, is a challenge that the current university must manage. The progress of worldwide research on this topic has been studied during the period 2004\u20132018. For this aim, a bibliometric study of 1982 articles has been applied. The results provide data of the scientific productivity of the journals, authors, institutions and countries that contribute to this research. The evidence reveals growing interest, especially in the last six years. The main category is Social Sciences. The most productive journals are In recent decades, the progress reached in educational theories and paradigms, in addition to the development of information and communication technologies (ICT), have led to the need to transform the organization of learning spaces in higher education institutions (HEIs) ,2. This Nowadays, the classroom remains the physical framework that symbolizes educational pedagogy. It is the main element on which school buildings are projected ,5. ThereIn this context, learning spaces are not understood as a simple volumetric container of activities, but their concept goes beyond a mere architectural object. Appropriate for students and teachers, it manages to influence academic motivation, well-being and social relationships ,11. SincIn this same order, the link of the university classroom with the management of the socio-educational well-being of the student must be established according to the principles of the well-being theory, as one of the challenges to be met by the current university. The interest in the well-being and quality of life of students focuses on fully developing their capabilities and potentials. Indicators such as happiness, health and sociability allow you to focus on a healthy and sustainable university ,16.The revised literature has found the terminology around the main concept of research. In this sense, the concept of the classroom refers to the basic cell that is part of learning, where individuals are related according to certain physical, human, cultural and social circumstances and situations. In the classroom, diverse and meaningful learning modes are generated. The classroom therefore does not exist without the network of relationships between students, teachers, objects and facts ,18. At tLikewise, the term socio-educational well-being refers both to the psychological experience of happiness of the university student, due to the control and perception of their physical and mental conditions in relation to the act of teaching and learning ,20. As fThe purpose of this study is to analyze the research trends on the impact of the university educational space on the well-being, motivation and social interaction of the student, considering the physical-environmental, socio-perceptual and motivational attributes.In relation to the review of the literature carried out, and the work found that addresses this topic, the research problem concerns whether the design of the university educational learning and teaching space influences the socio-educational well-being of the student.As regards the main limitation found in this research is to discern whether, among other variables, the number of publications relates to a certain regulatory regulation, is due to the requirements of interest groups, or, on the contrary, to the needs demanded by the education system itself.Therefore, the principal objective of this research is to evaluate research trends on the impact of university classroom design on the socio-educational well-being of students globally during the period 2004\u20132018, considering the physical-environmental, socio-perceptual and motivational attributes.To get responses to research issues, a sample of 1982 articles from a selection of scientific journals from the Scopus database has been evaluated. This review applies the bibliometric method to synthesize the knowledge base on the impact of the university classroom on managing the socio-educational well-being of the student. The results revealed contributions in this field of research, so that it has made it possible to identify the main drivers, their potential trends, and reveal gaps in critical knowledge. Thus, it can be assumed that, at present, university learning spaces require a transformation that positively links the socio-educational well-being of the university student with the classroom where the teaching act is practiced and learning.Finally, it should be noted that among the lines of research currently being established in relation to the topic of the study, these relate, inter alia, to comparing the effect of the intrinsic characteristics of the university classroom on stress both in public and private universities, and in different countries; in addition to different studies that analyze the outcome in terms of inclusion and diversity.The study of the impact of the university classroom on managing of the socio-educational well-being of the student is supported by the analysis of the main theory that together with the basic concepts define the framework of reference in this issue of research. In this way, explanatory theory defines how a set of phenomena behave, in order to generalize and perform a separate generalization of cases.The literature review has allowed the detection and analysis of empirical, theoretical, critical, analytical or methodological scientific documents on the subject of research. The objective of this review was to obtain the research problem and the purpose of the study, in addition to generating a framework. Therefore, the literature analysis has offered publications that respond to the empirical study in the university classroom worldwide and has determined the impact factors of the classroom on the motivation and socio-educational well-being of the university student. The main publications in relation to the purpose of this study have made it possible to define in a concise and balanced way the definitions, concepts and theory on the impact of the university classroom in the management of the socio-educational well-being of the students.Otherwise, the revised literature provides definitions for the basic concepts of this research topic. Hence, it includes some reflections on the terms and concepts used in the context of this research.The link of the university classroom with the management of the socio-educational well-being of the student must be established according to the axioms of the well-being theory or the PERMA model of Seligman, in 2011 . It is aThe well-being theory, in line with positive psychology, relates to the state of flow, referring to an intense concentration, the flexibility to react to new problems, the maximum performance of the capacity of the individual, and the feeling of pleasure and happiness, derived from the activity performed ,32.In order to define the concept of socio-educational well-being in the context of research, the term of well-being, as an abstract concept, refers both to the psychological experience of pleasure and happiness, as well as to the state of satisfaction and tranquility that individual submits because of their good physical and mental conditions ,34,35.Likewise, well-being focuses on capacity development and personal growth, as indicators of positive functioning. In other words, well-being encompasses a series of sensations that allow an individual to judge her/his life globally ,37. OtheThis concept transferred to the educational context has a special relevance. Thus, well-being in the environment is related to improving the teaching and learning process, increasing the capacity for attention and concentration, and promoting creative and holistic thinking ,39. In pNotwithstanding the above, social welfare includes the factors that participate in the quality of life of the individual, so that they allow their tranquility and satisfaction. It is an unobservable condition directly, which is understood and can be compared between different spaces from reflections. Thereby, the term socio-educational adds the goal of education to the concept. In this way, the concept of socio-educational well-being of student is a key factor in achieving better levels of care, success and motivation. While, historically, academic classrooms have not considered the parameters of comfort and well-being, it is now an analyzed factor, which links the learning space with student behavior ,41.The concept of personal space, studied by Hall in 1966, refers to the interpersonal distance that helps and allows the individual to interact with peacefulness and this is influenced by culture . In 1975Personal space is understood as a mechanism that regulates the boundaries between people and as a resource of alert to the invasion of space by another individual. Hence, it fulfills two fundamental roles, of self-protection and as a regulator of privacy ,38,47.Thereby, the concept of the university classroom refers to the educational space where the discents live, coexist, knowledge is transferred and, therefore, they are formed as citizens, with critical capacity, values and as protagonists of society. Nowadays, learning spaces are not understood as a simple volumetric container of activities, but their concept goes beyond a mere architectural object. This, being appropriated by students and teachers, manages to influence academic motivation, behavior and social relationships ,38,43,48The revised literature recognizes certain design factors involved in the classroom and their level of impact, both on the motivation ,43,49,50In 1995, G\u00f6ttler expressed the influence of the physical and environmental characteristics of the educational environment on the social interactions and other psychosocial aspects of the student. Since then, numerous authors have continued with the approach to the issue from a psychological and physical approach ,40,48,51In recent decades, this research topic has become particularly relevant with the publication of a large number of papers worldwide ,28,36,40The design, quality and adequacy of learning spaces encourage students to maintain positive emotions, feel integrated and, thereby, to experience more favorable academic results ,49,52,53The literature shows evidence of the link between student satisfaction with the environment and the academic results obtained. Consequently, if the student experiences personal well-being and attachment to where she/he spends much of her/his daily life, this results in a positive impact on the attention, motivation, learning and sociability ,54.On the other hand, the impact of design on learning spaces, considering that the space intervenes in the social connection of students, thus encouraging collaboration, reflection, exchange and interaction. Conversely, if the design is insufficient, it can promote the development of childhood disorders, such as tacit muteness and lack of social interaction ,50.The influence of learning environments on children\u2019s cognitive development and early literacy is undeniable. In such away, the primary cognitive development of human beings occurs through the relationships we maintain with our environment and the sociocultural stimuli perceived as external information. Hence, the study of the relationship between physical space and its impact on human behavioral processes is not novel . LearninLiterature indicates that the physical attributes of the environment and the configuration of the learning space act on the perception of students. In this dialogue where the level of well-being and the functional possibilities offered by space are related, the impact on the learning process of those who inhabit it can be positive if the conditions are ,38,40,55Learning is a multi-causal process that requires the integration of physical and environmental conditions to generate an enabling climate, allowing students\u2019 behaviors to be more assertive and school environments to be healthy and rewarding ,50. The Thus, there is a relationship between the environmental variables of the built space and its effect on teaching and learning processes, such as lighting, temperature, thermal comfort, color, materials, noise level, indoor air quality ,52,53,56In this way, spatial variables defined by the physical characteristics of the classroom act as a scenario. It underpins the social and motivational actions that the student requires, maintaining a reciprocal and complementary relationship ,45,57. DIn this sense, the morphology of the building, the size, the enclosures, the floors and ceilings and internal divisions of the classrooms must offer a visual continuity, supported by methodologies that favor participatory, active, collective and collaborative. Thus, students better perceive group cohesion, commitment to tasks and cooperation when the organization of seats is in small groups and allows the visibility of the rest ,47. ThisThe socio-perceptual dimension considers the subject as an active protagonist that inhabits the school space, and the impact on her/his behavior. The analysis focuses on human action and interaction in spaces, an aspect that addresses Environmental Psychology ,38,45. AIn this sense, the location within the classroom is decisive in the perception of the student, while the preference of the company with friends generates positive differences in motivation and social relationships ,58. On tIn 1978, Canter, a precursor to the psychological perception of the classroom and the degree of satisfaction provided by a school space in the subject, noted that \u201cby inhabiting the classroom, the individual is involved in the physical experimentation of his architectural space, all of this, taking into account the responses to certain variables\u201d ,56. In tFrom this perspective, the classroom is not only a space where the students live, but it is also the place that represents the family, the activities, customs and culture to which the person belongs ,44, and Finally, the motivational dimension emerges from other variables misused in research, such as academic performance. This dimension serves cognitive and attitudinal factors that influence student efficiency ,37,55. IMotivation influences learning, so the design of the university classroom must improve motivation in learning environments. For example, Keller\u2019s ARCS model explains its relationship to learning processes ,62, in rDigital technologies applied to training and education also enhance motivation in teaching and learning processes and offer new opportunities for learning . The resIn order to achieve the objective proposed in this study, bibliographic data has been analyzed using two methods. A systematic and a bibliomeric (quantitative) analysis of the data has been carried out.Scientometric is recognized as the scientific study of science and its results and is based primarily on the works of Solla Price and Garfield. In practice, there is a significant connection between scientometric and other scientific disciplines: bibliometric, information system, information science and scientific policy .Likewise, bibliometric is a component of the scientometric that utilizes mathematical and statistical processes to the scientific production and the authors that generate it, with the purpose of researching scientific activity. The instruments applied to measure aspects of scientific activity are bibliometric indicators; these are measures that offer evidence on the results of scientific activity ,66. It wThe purpose of this study is to recognize, organize and analyze research trends in the impact of the university classroom on managing of the socio-educational well-being of students, considering the physical-environmental, socio-perceptual and motivational attributes. To accomplish the proposed purpose, a quantitative analysis has been implemented, using bibliometric. In latest decades, it has provided to the review of scientific knowledge, and has been used productively in various scientific disciplines: health, engineering, economics, administration, education or ecology ,68,69.The methodology has been developed to analyze the scientific communities associated with this theme. The relationships between authors, institutions and countries, interpreted through the co-authorship of each document, have been analyzed, as well as analyzing the relationships between the keywords of all articles based on co-occurrence .The co-citation analysis allows the observation of documents with citations and references cited, which can show the intellectual basis and trends in a particular field of research. Thus, the authors, institutions and countries are determined based on the co-citations of the rest, which represent relevance in this discipline, so that these generators of scientific production can be substitutes for the ideas they represent.In this line, the co-occurrence analysis is used in order to provide a graphic visualization of the interconnection of the key terms within the documents analyzed. Generally, co-occurrence networks are used in order to facilitate a graphic visualization of potential relationships between authors, institutions, countries or terms in a text. Thus, the proximity relationship of two or more terms in a text unit can be observed, so that, if the terms co-occur in a sentence, there is a probability of their semantic relationship .In short, the co-occurrence criteria allow revealing and grouping strongly related concepts within the set of documents or records. This procedure examines documents in order to look for two or more concepts that tend to be presented together.The indicators of the collaboration structure, which measure the links between the authors, institutions and countries, have been analyzed through the processing tools and network maps due to their reliability and suitability in the bibliometric analysis .Through this methodology, the interest in the subject matter of our study has evolved, by modifying the most relevant authors, countries, journals and keywords in recent years. Several databases of scientific papers related to the subject that have been studied have been consulted.The two large scientific databases, Web of Science and Scopus, raise the main problem of the comparison and consistency of statistics derived from different data sources. It has been shown that Scopus has more indexed journals than Web of Science, in addition to minimizing the risk of losing documents during the search. Among its advantages, it stands out that it is easily accessible and offers some tools for viewing and analyzing data, as well as the option to download content in different formats, and that it provides a variety of data for each selected publication, its analysis and the comparison between them .The Google Scholar database has not been taken into account, as it has some limitations. In this sense, it includes a greater amount of non-relevant variables, so that the cleaning of the data is more laborious, the processing and classification of the results require more effort, and includes a large number of articles not reviewed by peers, that is, it contemplates publications with a low quality level.For these reasons, the information received from the Scopus database of Elsevier has been selected, as it is the largest repository of scientific articles and with a greater number of journals and authors, with peer review, compared to the rest of the databases . In addiThe method used was to carry out a complete search on the Scopus database, applying a search string, applying Boolean operators to the terms that combine this research: \u201chigher education\u201d, \u201cuniversity\u201d, \u201cclassroom\u201d, \u201cwell-being\u201d, \u201cintegration\u201d, \u201csocioeducational\u201d and \u201cmanagement\u201d.A descending search has been carried out in order to study the topic of research. With this type of search, first a sample of data from a broad general topic is selected and, sequentially, more restricted searches of the initial sample are performed, in order to define the data of a specific topic. Moreover, data abstraction consists in reducing a particular set of data to a simplified representation, that is, it refers to the process of removing characteristics from a research field to reduce it to a set of particular characteristics.Accordingly, in a first search, the key concepts extracted from the review of the literature were included, including the entire time horizon, that is, from the publication of the first document on thematic study until the last full year, that is, from 1944 to 2018. In addition, all types of sources were included, according to the Scopus database . This search yielded a total of 4379 documents. Subsequently, the time horizon was limited to the last fifteen years (2004\u20132018), a period where the study presents relevance, including all types of sources. This second search yielded a total of 2389 documents. Finally, in the third search, only the articles were selected. The decision is based on the fact that the articles are the only documents submitted to a peer review process, which guarantees the scientific quality of the works. This last search yielded 1982 documents.In such manner, the purpose was to analyze the subfields of the title, abstract and keywords over a period of 15 years (2004 to 2018), as reflected in other bibliometric works ,76. The VOSviewer is a software tool for keyword processing and grouping analysis used for map visualization, which allows grouping by co-authorship and co-occurrence. Additionally, using the VOSviewer tool, the collaborative structure indicators, which measure the links between authors and countries, have been studied through network mapping and processing instruments due to their reliability and suitability in the bibliometric analysis, as well as for the identification of research trends based on the use of keywords ,78,79. TIn the same way as with the articles, the total number of authors has also increased for the period analyzed. In the last triennium, 2016\u20132018, 37.30% of the total authors of the 15-year period are concentrated. It is noted that the number of authors who published in this topic of research between 2004 and 2006 was 289, amounting to 1986 authors in the triennium 2016\u20132018. This is a larger increase than experienced in the number of articles published, because the average number of authors by article has also increased. Thus, in 2004\u20132008 the average number of authors by article stood at 2.1 authors by article, while in the last period (2016\u20132018) it increased to 2.8 authors by article, with a maximum of 3.1 in the fourth period (2013\u20132015).On the other hand, the number of countries involved in the publication of articles on this topic of research has increased from 43 in the 2001\u20132003 triennium to 179 of the last period analyzed. Throughout the period analyzed, the total number of countries that have contributed to the publication of articles on the impact of the university classroom on managing of the socio-educational well-being of students amounts to 134.In addition, the number of citations increased from the first period (2004\u20132006) with 3,011 to the third triennium analyzed (2010\u20132012) with 4972. Since this trienium, the total number of citations of the total articles has been decreasing, with 3705 in the following period (2013\u20132015), and with 1257 in the last period (2016\u20132018). This circumstance is due to the fact that the published articles, that is, those corresponding to the last 6 years, will receive a greater number of citations in the coming years, for their recent publication and impact, in addition to their distribution in open-access , and thiThe number of journals that published articles on the subject of study increased from 127 in the first period, 2004\u20132006, to 535, in the last triennium analyzed, 2016\u22122018. Likewise, the number of institutions increased from 215 in the 2004\u20132006 period, to 1296 in 2016\u20132018.Finally, the number of references increased from the first period (2004\u20132006) with 3547 to the last three-year period analyzed with 24,899. This assumes that the average has been increasing from 25.61 in the first triennium (2004\u20132006) to 35.67 in the last period (2016\u20132018).In this regard, During the time horizon analyzed, 2004\u22122018, there are several categories where work related to the impact of the university classroom on managing of the socio-educational well-being of students has been found. Thus, according to the Scopus classification, there are a total of 27 thematic areas in which the 1982 articles analyzed are classified. It is necessary to clarify that the same article can be classified in more than one category, depending on the interest of the author and the publisher.The association of publications in this field of study, mainly, to the Social Sciences category makes sense, since the sustainability factors of higher education relate to learning opportunities in the classroom university , or the By country, among the 20 most important journals are those of European origin: United Kingdom (7), Germany (1) and Ireland (1), which are also the journals that have a better position in the SJR 2018 ranking, and those of American origin, United States (6) and Canada (1).The journals that have published most articles on this field of research have been Computers and Education (31), Teachers College Record (27) and Asia Pacific Education Researcher (22), so these journals represent 4.04% of the total articles published since 2004\u20132018. Computers and Education stands out because it concentrates a great interest in the scientific community, as evidenced by the high number of citations that concentrate its work, 976, and for the average number of citations by published articles, with 31.48 citations by article. Additionally, it is also the journal that presents the largest H index for published articles on this topic of research, 19, although it is quite far from the overall H index of the journal, for all subjects, which stands at 149. It is also the journal with the highest SJR impact factor: 2.323 (Q1), followed by Journal of School Psychology, with 1.751 (Q1), and Teaching and Teacher Education, with 1.512 (Q1).The importance attached to the relationship of the university classroom with socio-educational well-being for the most productive thematic areas. Thus, Social Sciences includes journals such as Teachers College Record, Asia Pacific Education Researcher, Theory into Practice or Australian Journal of Teacher Education; while the area of Computer Science, contains Computers and Education, International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, Australasian Journal of Educational Technology or International Journal of Engineering Education. These findings are linked to the factors or variables described in the literature review. The journals contained in the thematic area of Computer Science assess the physical variables of the classroom ,60; whilThe author who has published the most articles on the subject of research is the American, Reddy, from Rutgers University, with five documents, followed by a group of authors with four documents each: the Americans Bradshaw, Dudek, Vazou and Webster, Chai (Hong Kong), and Hudson . However, the author with the highest number of citations on the research study is the American Bradshaw, with a total of 125. Furthermore, he is the author with the highest average number of citations by article, with 31.25, followed by Chai (Hong Kong), with 76 citations and an average of 19 citations by article. Of the 10 most prolific authors in this field of research, six\u2014Reddy, Bradshaw, Chai, Dudek, Vazou and Webster\u2014have the highest H index, with 4.It is noteworthy that the 10 most prolific authors in the publication of articles on this subject of research have American origin (6), followed by Hong Kong, Australia, Spain and Greece, with one each one. In addition, four authors published a final paper in 2018, the last year analyzed in this study, and three authors in 2017, indicating the importance and interest of the research topic.These results are in line with cooperative learning in university classes, as well as communication of teaching experiences and expectations in educational policies and classroom practices ,98.The impact and influence of the United States on the subject of study is well defined by both its scientific production and the cooperation in its publications. The United States, despite having the most powerful and influential HEIs at the international level, is a country that records a very high gap between the results obtained by those who did not finish secondary school and who have at least two years of university courses . In addiThe terms \u201cHuman\u201d, in 437 documents, and \u201cTeaching\u201d, in 346, occupy the first two positions throughout the period analyzed. They are followed by the term \u201cEducation\u201d, in 332 publications, and \u201cStudents\u201d, in 2031. On the other hand, the composition \u201cOrganization and Management\u201d, is in fifth position, with 213 articles. For its part, the terms \u201cUniversity\u201d, with 211 articles, and \u201cHigher Education\u201d, with 154, occupy the sixth and eighth positions, respectively. Also noteworthy are the terms \u201cWell-being\u201d, \u201cClassroom\u201d and \u201cIntegration\u201d, among the 20 keywords in the period analyzed (2016\u20132018).These lines of research bring together all the concepts related to the topic of research, since it includes aspects related to the sustainability of institutions education in a globalized and connected world , and witAs an additional advantage, it is noted that research on this topic continues to advance at the global level, with other concepts and strategies, such as \u201cKnowledge Management\u201d, \u201cEducation for Sustainability\u201d or \u201cManaging Behaviour\u201d ,106,107.Organizations are also making an effort in line with education for sustainable development, since it is understood that, as UNESCO points out, education, in all its forms and all its levels, is one of the most effective tools for inducing necessary changes in order to achieve sustainable development and optimal management of socio-educational well-being ,110,111.The evolution of the keywords and their association in clusters is related to the dimensions or factors of the study theme indicated in Other relevant terms have also been grouped around the line of educational management students\u201d, \u201cmanagement of innovation and change\u201d, \u201cmanagement development\u201d, \u201cmanagement and regulation of education\u201d). On the other hand, the research is linked to the different thematic areas of Scopus, generating a map highlighting the terms \u201cEducation\u201d, \u201cUniversity\u201d, \u201cStudents\u201d, \u201cHigher Education\u201d and \u201cOrganization and Management\u201d.The aim of this study was to study research trends on the impact of the university classroom on managing the socio-educational well-being worldwide over the previous 15 years, considering the physical-environmental, socio-perceptual and motivational attributes.A bibliometric study of 1982 articles achieved from the Scopus database has been developed. Thematic areas, journals, authors, institutions and most productive countries have been recognized in publications on this field of research.The number of scientific papers by year during the period 2004\u20132018 has increased, mainly in the last six years, where 1207 articles have been published, representing 60.90% of contributions on this research topic.The Social Sciences thematic area is the most relevant, grouping 45% of the articles, and it is followed by Computer Science and Medicine, with 8% and 7%, respectively.The most prolific journals have been Computers and Education, American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, and Theory into Practice, with 4.04% of all articles published each one (34) in the analysis period. It should be noted that 40% of the journals that contribute to this topic are positioned in Scopus\u2019 first quartile. Journal of School Psychology is the journal with the highest number of citations (420), which presents the highest H index for published articles on this subject area (8) and presents the best average number of citations by article, with 46.67.The authors who have published the most about the field of research are the American Reddy from Rutgers University, with five articles, followed by a group of American authors , Chai (Hong Kong), and Hudson , with four publications each one. Bradshaw, from the University of Virginia, is the author with the highest number of citations (125) and the highest average of citation by article (31.25).The most prolific institutions in this area of research are the American ones Iowa State University, University of Texas at Austin and University of Virginia, and The University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong), and the University of Queensland , with 12 publications each one. The University of Virginia (United States) has the highest number of citations (466) and the highest average citations by article (38.83). In the group of the top 10 institutions with the most contributions to the subject of study, by country, the United States stands out with 7.The main countries that have made an effort is this field of research, in order of importance are the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain and Turkey. Thus, the United States presents the largest number of published articles (787) and citations (9496). In relation to the countries that have made the greatest international collaboration in their articles, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia stand out.Nevertheless, this research has some limitations, which could be the basis for future research. Mainly, these come from the intrinsic characteristics of the quantitative analysis of the bibliometric method. One of these restrictions is that some authors publish few articles with high influence in a certain field of research. Furthermore, this method could be extended with other databases or quantitative or qualitative instruments, which would simplify a distinct perspective of the research. Alternatively, other types of documents, additionally to scientific articles, could also be incorporated in the study.In the context of the limitations of this research, these refer to the breadth of the focus of the purpose of the study for university students, since their location, grade, course, gender, race or other defining characteristics have not been specified. In addition, another limitation refers to the use of a sample with quantitative data and not having considered the advantages of qualitative data. It is also noteworthy that the study addresses the possible metabias, particularly as parameters for study samples demographics were not delineated.Future lines of research on this topic will focus on how neuroarchitecture analyses the impact that educational space has on learning activities, through holistic measurements and interpretations. Alternatively, other contributions should also study the impact of the interrelationship of the different natures of which the learning space is composed , in order to observe how their level of relationship may benefit or impede the notion of identity and the sense of belonging of the students. In addition, it should be explored how the transition between the intermediate level and higher education requires students to adapt to different processes and situations that require the implementation of various personal resources and assume participation in the new roles. This involves describing academic stress from the cognitive and affective processes that the student perceives of the impact of academic stressors.In this regard, it is necessary that future research be directed, not so much to the description of the factors that impact the well-being of the student, since they are very developed, and to investigate in a practical way how specific modifications, for example physical space, have impacts on the motivation and well-being of university students. In line with the findings of this study, they can be referred to practical applications, such as visual thinking, flipped classroom and active cooperative learning methodologies that influence students\u2019 communication and interpersonal relationships.Finally, it should be noted that it has been noted that trends in research on the impact of the university classroom on managing of the socio-educational well-being of students worldwide have followed an upward trend and stabilized in optimal publication rates in recent years."} +{"text": "Cannabis has been widely used as a medicinal plant for millennia; however, studies related to its main components were first conducted in 1960. Subsequently, laboratories have produced new components and structures related to its active biological properties. Countries that have approved the medicinal use of cannabis impose regulations that govern its clinical and scientific use. One means of administering medicinal cannabis is via a magistral preparation that must have a medical prescription and be prepared in an establishment that meets quality standards to ensure the quantities of its main components, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Furthermore, suppliers must have a clear indication of its use in the patient before prescription. This review shows the published evidence regarding the clinical use of medicinal cannabis magistral preparations in the management of post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis, and anorexia and cachexia in patients with HIV. The history of cannabis dates back to the year 4000 BC, with its first remains found in China. The first records of the use of cannabis are also found in a Chinese treaty, according to which, marijuana tea was used for the treatment of gout, rheumatism, malaria, and memory loss. However, the treaty warns of the main adverse effects, such as hallucinations and a feeling of \u201clight body\u201d . SubsequThis situation changed with the stigmatization of use at the end of the 19th century, when the epidemic of opioid abuse arose and legislation was introduced that regulated chemical substances related to psychoactive components, mainly as a control measure to address addiction. Therefore, in 1937, the Marijuana Tax Law was approved in the US, which made the non-medicinal use of cannabis illegal. In 1939, the Colombian government prohibited the cultivation of the plant and ordered the destruction of existing plantations .Documents and evidence related to the use of medicinal cannabis in a clinical context are scarce. According to a review of the research, the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concludes that there is conclusive or substantial evidence of the effect of cannabis on chronic pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, multiple sclerosis-associated spasticities, and refractory epilepsy. Moderate or low evidence indicates an effect on sleep disturbances ,4,5, HunOne means of administering medical cannabis is via compounding formulas. According to the technical definitions of the US Pharmacopoeia, chapter 795 , and theIn the context of medicinal cannabis in Colombia, under the regulations of Decree 613 of 2017 , these mDispensing of these magistral preparations must include : common The regulations in Colombia regarding the magistral formulation relate to the following: (i) The norms for the control, monitoring, and surveillance of the import, export, processing, synthesis, manufacture, distribution, dispensing, purchase, sale, destruction, and use of substances subjected to control, medicines, or any other product other than cannabis, its resin, extracts, and tinctures on the yellow list of narcotic drugs, and THC on the green list of psychotropic substances . (ii) ReTo understand the importance of the key characteristics of medical cannabis, its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are described in \u00ae), synthetic THC (Dronabinol), and pure CBD extract (Epidolex). The above ligands can act on CB1 or CB2 receptors and are designed to create cannabis-like properties and reduce undesirable side effects [Concerning the pharmacodynamics of medicinal cannabis, the endocannabinoid system is responsible for maintaining body homeostasis by regulating temperature, sugar, pH, and the elimination of metabolites. Its activation can be conducted by endocannabinoids (anandamide and 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG)), by phytocannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids , THC/CBD extracts management of nausea and vomiting post-chemotherapy, (ii) neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis, and (iii) anorexia and cachexia in HIV. We also aim to show the main regulations related to these master products in Colombia.To increase consistency between the results, the three reviewers reviewed the 735 articles selected for the indication of anorexia and cachexia in HIV, 742 articles for the indication of post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, and 763 articles for the indication of neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis. A free web application, Rayyan, was used as an aid in conducting systematic reviews, in which the analysis of the searches and elimination of duplicates was carried out according to each indication. Disagreements in the selection of the studies, and the extraction of the data by consensus and discussion with the other reviewers, if necessary, was documented in PRISMA format for panoramic reviews ,34,35.Data were extracted based on the characteristics of the article . The studies were grouped and summarized for each of the proposed clinical indications and the type of population and study design, in addition to key measures of interest to our search. After selecting the included articles for each indication, the studies described in The results obtained from the search of the literature, in general, draw attention to the small number of studies that met the inclusion criteria and the scant evidence of the use of these magistral preparations based on medicinal cannabis. Regarding the selected indications and the use of magistral preparations: anorexia and cachexia in HIV have one published article; post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting have three articles; and for neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis, no related article was found.In the studies that met the selection and inclusion criteria for the indication of post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, it is observed that the evidence corresponds to publications over 30 years. This indicates that there is no new evidence related to the use of these magistral preparations. Furthermore, according to the chronological order of the studies in the case of the indication of post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, it is observed that in the first study, by Frytak et al. in 1979, the doses of the magistral preparations based on THC were high compared to those in other studies. No maximum dose of THC was applied, and the study therefore showed a greater number of adverse events and treatment discontinuations .The articles identified during the panoramic review of the characteristics of the cannabis-based magistral preparations for the two indications of anorexia and cachexia in HIV and post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting agree with the finding in the literature that the main component of these formulas must be THC. However, it has been shown that the use of formulas rich in THC can predispose patients to an increase in psychoactive adverse events, which could be reduced with doses of CBD, given its properties of control over THC-induced psychoactive effects .Regarding the excipient, only one of the magistral preparations contains sesame oil, which influences the pharmacokinetics of medicinal cannabis because it allows optimization of its absorption and bioavailability. Most of the magistral preparations based on cannabis have poor bioavailability . The litHowever, one of the limitations described in the studies is that these medicinal cannabis-based drugs are not front-line for the treatment of established indications, but must be considered in indications that are refractory to conventional treatment, and additionally, they are not exempt from the presentation of adverse events.Regarding the risk management of cannabis-based magistral preparations, adverse events have been recorded in relation to the use of formulas rich in THC, such as psychoactive symptoms, sedation, and alterations in mood. These are observed in greater quantity with high doses of THC compared with few adverse events associated with the comparators used (prochlorperazine and placebo), consistent with the effect being mediated by dose-dependent THC . CurrentIn the case of drug interactions, in the indication of post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, Orr et al. in 1981 observed that cannabis may be more effective in controlling vomiting associated with some types of chemotherapy, such as cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil, and doxorubicin, and less effective for nitrogen mustards and nitrosurea . InteracThe panoramic review had a number of limitations. Some of the obtained studies did not describe the specific characteristics of the magistral preparations used, which precludes a more in-depth analysis of these magistral preparations and their clinical use in relation to the outcomes or adverse events. In addition, since the initial study found in the literature, a lack of previous studies or reports of the use of these medicinal cannabis magistral preparations has been documented, which may result in little knowledge of these magistral preparations.The following aspects are recommended for the evaluation and management of patients who could benefit from the use of cannabis-based magistral preparations ,42. The The study protocol was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement, in addition to the panoramic review recommendations of Levac et al. and The Johanna Briggs Institute, which have been reviewed in detail ,35,43,44To be included in the review, the articles had to be original articles, literature reviews, narrative reviews, systematic reviews, or meta-analyzes that examined the use of magistral preparations of medicinal cannabis for the management of post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis, and anorexia and cachexia in patients with HIV, in a population of men and women over 18 years of age. No restrictions on publication time or language were applied. Each indication was searched for separately. The articles were excluded if they did not fit with the conceptual framework of the study or focus on the use of the magistral preparations in the three previously established indications. Letters to the editor and editorial comments were also excluded.Published articles (published until April 2020) that reported the use of magistral preparations were identified using computerized literature searches in Pubmed, Medline, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Cochrane, LILACS, and OpenGrey . The seaMagistral preparations based on medical cannabis are specific preparations for a patient who is undergoing optimal treatment, or in the case of refractory conditions, because there is not enough evidence to indicate the efficacy of these preparations as a front-line treatment. These preparations require a prescription from a doctor who determines the potential benefit of their use. Although it is known that cannabis-based drugs have a favorable safety profile compared to other drugs, there is not enough conclusive evidence in this regard. This research provides key tools to understand the importance of individualizing prescriptions for these types of formulas, monitoring them in the context of efficacy and safety, and monitoring the therapeutic levels for their use in the examined indications."} +{"text": "Social isolation is currently identified as the best way to prevent theinfection by the new coronavirus. However, for some social groups, such aschildren and adolescents, this measure carries a contradiction: the home,which should be the safest place for them, is also a frequent environment ofa sad aggravation: domestic violence. This study aims to evaluate thenotifications of interpersonal/self-inflicted violence available in theInformation System for Notifiable Diseases in the State of Santa Catarina(southern Brazil), for the juvenile age group, before and during the newcoronavirus pandemics. Cross-sectional, descriptive study of violence against children andadolescents (from 0 to 19 years) notified by health professionals bycompleting and entering the occurrence in the Information System forNotifiable Diseases of the State of Santa Catarina in 11 weeks in which thesocial isolation measure was instituted as mandatory, comparing with thesame period before this measure. During the study period, 136 municipalities in Santa Catarina made 1,851notifications. There was a decrease of 55.3% of them in the isolationperiod, and the difficulties encountered in seeking protection andassistance institutions were listed. The society needs to be aware of possible cases of violence in the childrenand adolescent population. It is important to provide accessible, effective,and safe ways for complaints and notifications, as well as a quick responseto the cases, aiming at protecting victims and minimizing damages to preventthe perpetuation of the violence. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized that COVID-19disease, caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), has taken pandemicproportions.Since the first cases identified in Brazil, the population has turned its attentionto the devastating numbers of contaminated people and deaths, the adequacy with theways to avoid contagion and the sanitary obligation of social isolation. As aresult, daily activities of children and adolescents outside their home wereprohibited, such as attending classes, circulating in public environments, and evenhanging out with friends, restricting the social space of individuals to the homeenvironment.Despite laws and advances in the development of assistance and care strategies, thenumbers on violence in pre-pandemic Brazil were already worrying.Data from the Informatics Department of the Unified Health System (DATASUS) revealthat in 2017 there were 126,230 cases of violence against children and adolescentsup to the age of 19 .The record of 21,559 deaths from external causes, accidents, and violence up to theage of 19 shows that many did not resist the abuse. Of these cases, a quarter diedbefore the age of 10, and more than 10% were up to 4 yearsold.In 2019, the Dial Human Rights , a telephone tool provided by the Braziliangovernment to receive, analyze, and forward complaints of human rights violations,including cases of violence, revealed 159,063 complaints of maltreatment - anincrease of 15% compared to 2018. Of these complaints, 86,837 were violence againstchildren and adolescents (55%), distributed as follows: 38% linked to negligence,23% to psychological violence, 21% to physical violence, 11% to sexual violence, 3%to exploitation/child labor, and 3% associated with other violent injuries. The mostfrequent place of occurrences was the victim's home.In the state of Santa Catarina, from 2015 to 2019, 65,672 notifications wereregistered in the Information System for Notifiable Diseases (SINAN). Of these,38.4% occurred in the age group of children and adolescents.Intrafamily violence is difficult to unravel, as it occurs in the private sphere, inthe domestic environment, within homes and is protected by the law of silence, bythe fear, and impunity of its agents - people who should support and protectchildren and adolescents. This violence covers five types: physical, sexual,psychological, neglect, and specific forms, which are expressed in the forms ofM\u00fcnchhausen syndrome, chemical violence, and filicide.This study aimed to present data on compulsory notifications on cases of violenceagainst children and adolescents in the state of Santa Catarina, in the months afterthe emergence of the new coronavirus, and how the establishment of sanitary measuresof social isolation influenced the increase in domestic violence against childrenand adolescents when comparing this information to that of the pre-pandemic, toalert health professionals, public institutions, and society to the need toreinforce actions to prevent injuries, protection, and adequate care forvictims.This is a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study of violence againstchildren and adolescents (aged 0 to 19 years old) notified by health professionals,by filling out and inserting into the SINAN the Notification Forms for IndividualInvestigation of Interpersonal/Self-inflicted Violence,2.According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), in 2012,the Brazilian state was the 11th in size of the population, with 6,248,436inhabitants. The estimated population in 2019 was 7,164,788 inhabitants, with971,034 being the population of children and adolescents. Santa Catarina has 295 municipalities, distributed over 95,730,921kmThe study analyzed the data using descriptive statistics.From January 1 to May 31, 2020, 136 of the 295 municipalities in Santa Catarina made1,851 notifications in SINAN of suspected or confirmed cases of interpersonal orself-inflicted violence in the 0 to 19 age group. These events were characterizedas: neglect or abandonment, physical, psychological, sexual, and other violence, andchild labor .10At the time of data collection for this study, only 46% of the municipalities hadincluded cases of violence in SINAN. The data request was sent to all municipalhealth departments in the state of Santa Catarina. The response of less than half ofthem may be due to the need for restructuring health facilities and adapting theirfacilities to the service demands of the pandemic.For 30 years, the Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA), under Law No. 8,069/90, madechildren and adolescents \u201csubjects of law\u201d in Brazil. It delegates to society theduties to protect and care for these developing Brazilian citizens and emphasizesthe obligation to ensure full compliance with the rights necessary to promote theirfull potential, removing any form of oppression or discrimination. In its Article13, ECA determines the obligation to report all cases of suspected or confirmedphysical punishment, cruel or degrading treatment, and maltreatment of children tothe local child protection councils, without damage to other legal measures.In 2001, the notification of suspected or confirmed cases of abuse against childrenbecame mandatory and directed to municipal epidemiological surveillance and thechild protection council.Data from social organizations and non-governmental institutions published in themedia report an increase in violence against children and adolescents in thepandemic, such as the 7.4% increase in the Federal District,The state of Santa Catarina has provided data on the number of cases of domesticviolence against children and adolescents since the emergence of the COVID-19pandemic.Based on SINAN notifications from 136 municipalities in Santa Catarina that releaseddata for 2020, there was a progressive decrease in the totalnumber of notifications since the beginning of social isolation, the absolutenumbers in January, February, March, April, and May are, respectively, 469, 506,434, 273, and 169 .10 WheDoes this data mean that violence has decreased? We believe it has not. Severalfactors can justify the significant reduction in notifications. The need forrestructuring and adapting health services to the pandemic reality, directingemployees and health units for the exclusive care of cases of acute respiratorysyndromes, and overload of the teams of health workers due to the increased demandfor care may have made it difficult for users to access services usually availableto the population. Added to this, we have the interruption of public transportservices, which imposed difficulties in traveling and accessing health services. Thefear of contamination, the social isolation imposed, the limitations for leavinghome, added to the financial difficulties resulting from the pandemic, may haveconstituted barriers to reporting violence and seeking assistance and the consequentdecrease in notifications.For many women, the health measures adopted to cope with the new coronavirus demandedmore domestic work, greater care for children, away from daycare centers andschools, besides greater assistance to the elderly and sick family members. It isinferred that movement restrictions, financial limitations, and generalizedinsecurity encourage abusers, giving them a greater sense of power and control.Confinement also brings different changes in the routine of family members, leadingto stress, which, if not well conducted, can lead to consequences for the entirefamily dynamics. These consequences can affect the physical and mental health ofchildren and adolescents, especially young children, who do not have the necessarytools to adjust to stress or to overcome it, which can make it especiallyharmful.Family stress is closely associated with uncertainty/insecurity in the near future,the possibility of falling ill and experiencing the illness of a family member/lovedone, fear of not getting adequate access to health, not promising news in the media,economic problems related to job loss and/or reduction of monthly family income.Added to these facts is the increased time spent with children and adolescents, nowalmost 24 hours, both due to the need for social isolation and the closing ofschools, parks, and leisure areas in the condominiums.Stress is also associated with the absence of other components of the family supportnetwork, such as the interaction with grandparents, uncles, neighbors, domesticworkers, and even institutions such as churches and social projects. This tensionexperienced and expressed by parents is reflected in children and adolescents, whostart to adopt the same behavior: tension, demotivation, and aggression, which canbe intensified by the excessive time on screen.This whole range of factors favors a violent domestic environment, which, associatedwith the distance from the protection agencies, the fear of losing the only providerof the family, of not being able to leave the house, for example, to stay at theirparents' house (grandparents of the children), even because of the fear of rupturingthe relationship, thus enabling the maintenance of the pact of silence inside thehouse, making everyone vulnerable to suffering violence.Family violence has a strong historical-cultural connotation: parents who wereeducated in a violent manner reproduce this form of education, resorting to physicaland psychological violence, manifested by beatings, hair pulling, spanking,shouting, and the most diverse threats as a way to impose discipline to theirchildren.The protective role of the school is recognized as paramount, identifying in theteacher often the confidant, the professional with a watchful eye on the studentsunder their care, the one who can be the trigger for the protection and care networkand guarantee the rights of children and adolescents. However, according to theUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), about 1.5billion children and adolescents worldwide are out of school because of the closureof educational institutions as an initiative to contain cases of COVID-19.Still, much of the state's child protection structure, such as child protectioncouncils and police stations, is providing virtual assistance only. Additionally,public transport is absent in many regions and greater consumption of alcohol andother drugs, as well as psychoactive medications.A recent publication was assertive when it was titled \u201cThe pandemic paradox\u201d, as thispandemic creates a paradox concerning security at home: a place where we should beprotected and safe is where violence occurs for the most vulnerable groups. Theauthors emphasize that we must all pay attention to this issue: \u201cGovernments aroundthe world have asked all of us to participate in the fight against COVID-19 bystaying at home, but it is also important to pay critical attention to what thismeans for many women and children\u201d.Given this, specific and regional regulations were developed, initiatives to bethought and reproduced by states and municipalities, such as the National Councilfor the Rights of Children and Adolescents, dictating recommendations for the fullprotection of children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic,On June 10, the National Council of Justice and the Association of BrazilianMagistrates launched the Red Flag Against Domestic Violence campaign. The initiativefocuses on helping women in situations of violence to ask for help in pharmacies inthe country, offering a silent channel of communication and assistance: with a red Xin the palm of the hand, which can be done with a pen or even lipstick, the victimindicates she is in a situation of violence. With the woman's name and address inhand, pharmacies and drugstore attendants who join the campaign should immediatelycall 190 and report the situation. At the time of its launch, the project had apartnership with 10,000 pharmacies and drugstores across the country.In the same direction, the Military Police of Santa Catarina and the National Councilof General Commanders of the Military Police and the Military Fire Brigade joinedforces, dispatched and disseminated, through the internal network, normativeinstruction with the addition of standard operating procedures for the specifichandling of incidents involving domestic violence against women.In the same state, Technical Note 012/2020, from the State Department of Health,dated May 19, 2020, deals with measures to combat domestic violence in the contextof the COVID-19 pandemic. It warns of the importance of notifying suspected orconfirmed cases and referring them as soon as possible to protection agencies andmultiprofessional care as recommended in the care protocols. The note also listssuggestions for protective actions for victims and informs contact phones ofentities in the protection network.Law no. 14.022 was recently published in the Federal Official Gazette of Brazil, which ensures the full functioning, during theCOVID-19 pandemic, of entities assisting women, children, adolescents, the elderly,and citizens with disabilities who are victims of domestic or family violence.According to the law, assistance to victims is considered an essential service andcannot be interrupted while the state of public calamity caused by the newcoronavirus lasts.We chose to study data on domestic violence in children and adolescents underCOVID-19, considering the current concern of society for the risk of itsintensification during home confinement imposed by the pandemic. The small number ofmunicipalities that provided the notification data and the short period analyzed canbe mentioned as limitations of this study. Nonetheless, we understand that theselimitations are minimized by the relevance and urgency of the topic.It is possible to conclude that the reduction in the number of complaints of violenceagainst children and adolescents does not encourage, nor does it seem to reflect adecrease in the incidence of this condition. On the contrary, it can demonstratedifficulties that people may be facing in making the complaints and using existingsocial resources to care for the victims. Initiatives, although specific, areunderstood as beneficial, which warn of the need for attention to the problem. Inthis pandemic moment, with the confinement of children in potentially violent homesand spaces, it is essential that their surroundings and the whole society be alertto the suspicion and evidence of cases of violence and that accessible, effective,and safe ways are provided so that complaints, notification, and prompt response tocases occur, aiming at protecting victims, minimizing damage and, thus, preventingthe perpetuation of violence."} +{"text": "Currently, in the field of dentistry literature, one of most active research topics is clearly related to implants, bone materials, and regenerative strategies for the reconstruction of different oral tissues. Biomaterials and related technologies used with these purposes could only be derived from the integration of the knowledge of different disciplines, which together are skilled in generating innovation and research development, with extensive support of basic sciences and intense international cooperation. The combination of these resources, associated with the greater need for increasingly comprehensive and predictable therapeutic protocols, brings a substantial change in the treatment of oral rehabilitations. The development of biotechnologies and related new biomaterials is a major field of research and clinical innovation in all modern dentistry divisions, but especially so in oral surgery. In the current era of tissue engineering with the evolution of the properties, safety and efficiency of tissue regeneration and implantable materials, biomaterial research has contributed largely to the improvement in treatments strategy and to the suggestion of new therapeutic approaches in oral rehabilitation ,2,3.However, currently the most important research topic is clearly related to dental implants, bone materials, and regenerative medicine strategies for the reconstruction of oral tissues These biThe interdisciplinary field of implant-supported oral rehabilitation alone is generating considerable literature, probably the largest literature from all dental-related topics today ,7. This This interdisciplinary collaboration also extends far outside the limited dental field to most medical disciplines as biomaterials often have multiple potential applications in the human body. Dental implants, bone substitutes, surgical adjuvants, and other instruments and the way to combine them all into a successful therapeutic strategy, particularly represent a new frontier in regenerative medicine with numerous applications in orthopedic, plastic surgery, and other related medical disciplines ,13.Today, the field of dental implants and related biomaterials is also the heart of translational research in dentistry. All of the new biomaterials are thoroughly designed and tested by material scientists, before they are finally tested in vitro, in vivo, in animal models, and finally in clinical settings. The translational research movement is always in both directions: basic to clinical sciences and vice versa ,15,16,17The international cooperation is an important step to develop and spread new ideas and projects, promote debate, contradiction, and sometimes consensus, and finally grow a shared literature with less misunderstandings, confusion, and bias .One final aspect of this field is related to the social sciences and appeared quite recently with the considerable development of this scientific field: the internationalization of higher education and research in this domain, its importance, and its consequences. With the growth of the scientific field and its industrial development, implant dentistry step by step became a major discipline worldwide in oral and maxillofacial sciences, leading to the constitution of various national leaderships and centers of research and education ,14,15.In this special issue on new materials in oral surgery and implant dentistry, we continued our task to gather a meaningful corpus of relevant articles. More than before, a better control of the specialized literature is due. We particularly describe the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of these disciplines and how research in implantable materials, especially dental implants (new implant design and surfaces), bone materials, or surgical adjuvants, is affected by not only scientific bias and misunderstandings, but also industrial and financial interferences, creating many inaccuracies in the literature. Despite the incredible potential and revolution that these disciplines are supporting for patients and the clinical approach to oral rehabilitation, there is also a major threat to the credibility of this field ,20.We selected a series of articles with new data on a wide range of topics in biomaterials and regenerative research in periodontology, oral surgery, and aesthetic and implant dentistry, and we highlight how these interconnected fields of research are both transversal (multidisciplinary) and translational . In the following articles, most of the major current aspects of biomaterials in oral surgery are introduced.Several articles have focused on the molecular, cellular, and pharmaceutical aspects of the biomaterials used for bone grafting. More specific aspects have been investigated by other authors such as the biological mechanisms of dental implants, insisting in particular on the impact of implant surface topography on peri-implant tissues.Therefore, the articles gathered for this Special Issue highlight only a selection of key aspects of the current dental biomaterial sciences, which are both founding knowledge and innovative perspectives for the future of the field."} +{"text": "The Zika virus outbreak has triggered a set of local and global actions for a rapid, effective, and timely public health response. A World Health Organization (WHO) initiative, supported by the Department of Chronic Condition Diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections (DCCI) of the Health Surveillance Secretariat (SVS), Brazil Ministry of Health (MoH) and other public health funders, resulted in the start of the \u201cStudy on the persistence of Zika virus in body fluids of patients with ZIKV infection in Brazil \u2013 ZIKABRA study\u201d. The ZIKABRA study was designed to increase understanding of how long ZIKV persists in bodily fluids and informing best measures to prevent its transmission. Data collection began in July 2017 and the last follow up visit occurred in 06/26/2020.A framework for the ZIKABRA Cooperation initiative is provided through a description and analysis of the mechanisms, strategies and the ethos that have guided the models of international governance and technical cooperation in health for scientific exchange in the context of a public health emergency. Among the methodological strategies, we included a review of the legal documents that supported the ZIKABRA Cooperation; weekly documents produced in the meetings and working sessions; technical reports; memorandum of understanding and the research protocol.We highlight the importance of working in cooperation between different institutional actors to achieve more significant results than that obtained by each group working in isolation. In addition, we point out the advantages of training activities, ongoing supervision, the construction of local installed research capacity, training academic and non-academic human resources, improvement of laboratory equipment, knowledge transfer and the availability of the ZIKABRA study protocol for development of similar studies, favoring the collective construction of knowledge to provide public health emergency responses. Strategy harmonization; human resources and health services; timing and recruiting particularities and processing institutional clearance in the different sites can be mentioned as challenges in this type of initiative. Aedes aegypti and microcephaly [Strategic Response Framework (SRF) [Aedes mosquito, the development of safe and effective therapies and vaccines and the identification of funding sources to support this extensive research and development agenda.The sudden emergence of the Zika virus (ZIKV) in Brazil, the wide geographical range of the mosquito vector of the virus and the link to microcephaly and other important disorders, triggered a call for a global response. On November 11, 2015, the Brazilian Ministry of Health (MoH) declared the ZIKV epidemic as a Public Health Emergency of National Importance . Consideocephaly . In turnThe \u201cStudy on the persistence of Zika virus (ZIKV) in body fluids of patients with ZIKV infection in Brazil \u2013 ZIKABRA Study\u201d was conducted to address one of the research gaps identified by the WHO Research Agenda which comprises the characterization of the ZIKV infection . The aimThe ZIKABRA study brought together the expertise of a multi-disciplinary group of scientists to meet the requirements of designing a research protocol with complex clinical, epidemiological, biomedical, virological, laboratory and public policy features. The national epidemiological situation and research capacity dictated the selection of the study sites, notably in three major capitals in the northern (Manaus), northeastern (Recife) and southeastern (Rio de Janeiro) regions of the country, with its reference laboratories at the Tropical Medicine Foundation Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado (FMT-HVD), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, in Rio de Janeiro (Fiocruz-RJ) and Brazil Oswaldo Cruz Foundation-Institute Aggeu Magalh\u00e3es, Recife (CPqAM \u2013 Fiocruz - PE). On the international side, the United States Department of Defense laboratory, and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) provided technical, material and immunologic assay support.This paper provides a framework for the ZIKABRA initiative through a description and analysis of the mechanisms, strategies and the ethos that have guided the models of international cooperation and scientific exchange between Brazil and international organizations in the context of a public health emergency.The project was jointly funded by the MoH/SVS/DCCI ; WHO ; WRAIR - (0130602D16) - Cooperation Agreement (W81XWH-18-2-0040) between Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine and US Department of the Army; Wellcome Trust (WT) (grant 206522/Z/17/Z); and National Institutes of Health (NIH) (Award Number R21AI139777), thus completing the ZIKABRA international cooperation.This is a descriptive and documentary analytical study, based on primary data, produced by the ZIKABRA Cooperation. The documents produced by the research study group and technical reports were reviewed. Basically, the weekly meetings fed the information about the management and governance information, once all the representatives of the participant institutions attend these calls.Data underlying the study cannot be made publicly available due to ethical concerns, as data contain several personally identifiable information. Data are available from Oswaldo Cruz Foundation for researchers who meet the criteria for access to confidential data. To contact information, please report the Declarations section of the Manuscript, Availability data and materials.The study design was developed in partnership by a team of scientists from WHO, Fiocruz-RJ, CPqAM - Fiocruz-PE, FMT-HVD, WRAIR and DCCI and marked the beginning of the formation of the network of collaborators from MoH, PAHO, WHO, WRAIR, Fiocruz, WT and NIH, which is named ZIKABRA Cooperation.In 2016, at the time of the ZIKABRA study development, 216,207 probable ZIKV cases were reported in Brazil . From 20The laboratory component of the ZIKABRA study is a key part of the protocol, whose performance complexity requires mature operational and logistic support, essential to meet the requirements of all steps of the study, which included: recruitment; collection and transport of biological samples and specimens for laboratory testing at partner institutions in Brazil and WRAIR; follow-up of participants; data management and analysis; and production and progressive dissemination of knowledge generated within the scope of the project, , 10\u201312. Aedes aegypti and Microcephaly [The research agenda integrated into the Brazilian Plan for Fighting ocephaly guided tocephaly , coverinocephaly . It was The WHO provided the initial funding, concept and planning for the investigation of ZIKV persistence in body fluids, and was responsible for bringing together funding partners, (WRAIR and WT), and providing the research protocol using the \u201cEbola RNA Persistence in Semen of Ebola Virus Disease Survivors\u201d as a refPAHO/WHO in Brazil has had a central role in the technical conduct of the public health emergency by ZIKV, contributing to the MoH in the national response to this epidemic in Brazil and in the countries of the region, with the direct participation of its specialized teams in the field, mainly in the infection hotspots, supporting interventions in the areas of surveillance, epidemiological analysis and purchase of laboratory supplies. PAHO has facilitated the dialogue among several health managers in Latin America and contributed to the production of knowledge about ZIKV infection, both in Brazil and in the region. It has also played an important role in the management of funds earmarked for the development of strategic research activities .Fiocruz-RJ was responsible for coordinating the study and managing funds from international sources: Wellcome Trust, WHO and WRAIR. Additionally, it is in charge of carrying out laboratory tests together with FMT-HVD and Institute Aggeu Magalh\u00e3es (CPqAM), in Fiocruz-PE, coordinating the laboratory management interface of the study with CGLAB/SVS. Fiocruz is a federal agency whose mission is to produce, disseminate and share knowledge and technologies aimed at contributing to the promotion of health and quality of life for the Brazilian population. Besides generating knowledge, Fiocruz is also responsible for the production of medicines, immunobiologicals and diagnostic tests , and worFMT-HVD was the center responsible for the management of the national funding of the study. Patients from the city of Manaus, made up almost the entire sample of the study and the researchers were essential for the recruitment and follow-up of volunteer participants, laboratory analyses and transport of samples to the other sites in the national territory. As a national and world reference center for the treatment of tropical diseases, FMT-HVD plays an important role in clinical research and diagnosis and treatment of tropical diseases in the Amazon.The Wellcome Trust supports major projects in partnership with WHO and other institutions around the world to respond quickly to the global health threat caused by the ZIKV, including ZIKABRA. Its funding schemes offer grants across biomedical sciences, population health, medical innovation, humanities and social sciences, and public engagement .The NIH, more specifically the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), has partially funded the study through a grant, obtained via a bid notice. It promoted the research in areas such as the natural history of the disease, basic research on ZIKV, pathogenesis, rapid diagnostic tests, as well as treatments and vaccines .In this cooperation, WRAIR added its experience by providing scientific resources as a center of excellence for immunology and the development of vaccines and medicines for diseases such as dengue, Zika, Ebola, coronaviruses, malaria, HIV/AIDS and others. WRAIR\u2019s contributions to the ZIKABRA study included co-funding, protocol review, laboratory testing, technology transfer, laboratory capacity building and production and dissemination of results.The systematization and governance of the ZIKABRA Cooperation was based on the formalization of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Health, Fiocruz-RJ, WHO and WRAIR, which established the technical criteria for the cooperation, the allocation of responsibilities among the partners, the sharing of technical and scientific information and the commitment to national and international ethical and regulatory requirements . In addiWithin the scope of the ZIKABRA Cooperation governance, a weekly dialogue routine was established since the study protocol development phase, as proposed by WHO, through the use of virtual platforms, in order to enable the participation of those involved, with transparency and integration of the study management as the ethos that characterizes its governance. In these meetings, events that occurred at each site, advances in recruitment, logistical problems faced, and the solutions found, doubts, decentralized monitoring of the protocol follow-up and other topics are reviewed. Each of these meetings is documented by WHO in minutes that record the topics covered, the decisions and courses of action and are circulated to those involved on a weekly basis. This routine helped everyone in the process of following up the work on different areas and sites.In short, the programmatic instruments supporting the study are analyzed in this locus, namely: the MoU ; the resIn Brazil, the National Commission for Research Ethics (CONEP) regulates research involving human beings and coordinates the institutions\u2019 Research Ethics Committee (CEP) network, forming the CEP/CONEP System. The current regulatory framework is the CNS/MoH Resolution 466/2012 . After tIt is noteworthy that, in the ZIKV emergency context in Brazil, the CEP/CONEP System needed to adapt quickly to this reality in orderThe ZIKABRA study strictly followed the current regulations for the transportation, processing and use of human biological material, for the purpose of creating biorepositories and sending biological samples outside the country in accordance with national rules , 26. ForThe ZIKABRA Cooperation Fig.\u00a0, is baseThis cooperation can be thought of as an example of global health governance, a process that makes up the type of collaboration between countries that work with common goals and interests. It can have a wide and flexible range of formal and informal joint activities that may include funding and coordination in health matters . It can The ZIKABRA Cooperation had a direct benefit for Brazil, but it also has potential applicability to other settings. The evidence generated by this cooperation could be used more broadly to address efforts regarding vulnerable and most at-risk population, such as those in countries with active transmission of the ZIKV or other emergent pathogens. It is, also, expected that the scientific information produced can support national and international guidelines for body fluid testing and contribute to the future health technology innovations .However, we point out that one of the main barriers to researching in health emergency scenarios is the bureaucratic mechanisms and the slow chain procedures in conducting the rational use of financial resources in the implementation of the study. For instance, the delay in building the MoU, hiring qualified personnel, procurement and importing supplies, standardizing laboratory tests, transfer of funds to local sites, excessive delay in adjusting the work plan and to reach international quality standards.It should be noted that the team of collaborators and supporters from the institutional partners played a leading role in the implementation of the ZIKABRA Study. The existence of this joint team of collaborators and supporters was key to overcome the barriers that came up during the throughout the execution of the study.Working in cooperation in fact contributes to achieving more significant results than each group working in isolation. For this reason, careful structuring, relevant distribution of functions, well-coordinated collaboration and cooperation are pivotal. Cooperation also enables to provide consultation and coordination mechanisms so that this synergy takes place effectively .Brazilian practices of international cooperation in health have shown fruitful results in tackling public health problems with the consolidation of research and development actions. Other studies have been produced showing the importance of international collaborations for responding to the ZIKV public health emergency, including innovation, joint publications, and research networks .Another Zika research consortia were installed by the European Commission, for instance the Zika Preparedness Latin American Network (ZikaPLAN) to addreIt\u2019s important to highlight the research protocols coordinated by WHO like the ZIKV Individual Participant Data (IPD) Consortium, that aims the development of systematic review to describe and gather data to IPD from longitudinal studies of pregnant women with ZIKV infection during pregnancy and fetal, infant or child outcomes, in the absence of a ZIKV vaccine or prophylactics , 34.Another network initiative is supported by the European Commission (EC) Horizon 2020, was structured as a Consortium that comprises 53 partners organized in eight scientific and one management work packages (WPs), as well as three cross-cutting WPs, it\u2019s the ZIKAlliance Consortium. This is a multicentre research that covers Latin America and the Caribbean region. Among the goals is to describe the dynamic course of the ZIKV epidemic in pregnant women (PW), children (CH) and natural history (NH) cohorts. This Consortium also collaborates with the EC H2020-funded consortia: ZikaPlan and ZikAction. It works as a spin-off for newly emerging infectious diseases, as now seen for COVID-19 .It is relevant to highlight that for all rare disease outcomes in ZIKV infection, networking has been a concrete response to share action regarding side events such as Guillain Barre Syndrome and other neurological complications, early postnatal symptomatic ZIKV infections and other rare events such as thrombocytopenia. Even more frequent events such as attack rates and sexual transmission can be bWe understand that organizational , administrative and regulatory processes must be sufficiently agile to meet the demands of scientific research in favor of the benefits that science can bring to public health , withoutIn ZIKABRA study, groundwork was done in the health units of the selected sites, which involved the participation of health service coordinators, doctors, nurses and social workers, through prospecting visits and meetings with the presence of the researchers in charge and members of WHO, PAHO, WRAIR and MoH. During these visits, technical training on the protocol, good research practices, ethical respect for volunteer participants, structuring of services to avoid interruption in the routine care to regular patients, professionalization of non-academic professionals, among other activities, were promoted. The results were particularly enriching due to the experience shared between the site health teams and the ZIKABRA team, favoring the engagement of all actors involved for the good execution of the study.One of the main bottlenecks in the operationalization of the ZIKABRA study was the change in ZIKV epidemiology, making it impossible to recruit participants in Rio de Janeiro, and very few participants in Recife. Additionally, there was a mismatch between the finalization of the ZIKABRA protocol, including all its regulatory and financial aspects completed in January 2017, and the end of the Rapid Action Strategy by SVS/MoH, on October 31, 2016, as well as the PHEIC closure by WHO, on November 18, 2016 . This deOn the other hand, the ZIKABRA Cooperation structure, with clearly defined roles in the operational instruments, has overcome the difficulties encountered, reaching the proposed goals, greater efficiency in fund management and strengthening research autonomy. The ZIKABRA study leaves as a legacy the interaction among the actors experienced in an arena of weekly discussions where decisions were made in full respect for the cooperative ethos among peers, the intertwining of institutional visions, in order to support the team of collaborators, aiming at the common interest and achieving excellence in results.Based on this cooperation, it is suggested that there is greater flexibility and autonomy in the mechanisms of disbursement of funds and execution of the work plan, ease in hiring qualified human resources and in the purchase and import of laboratory supplies, standardization of diagnostic tests, among others. Table\u00a0The legacy of the ZIKABRA Cooperation includes the construction of installed research capacity in the site, with improvement of laboratory equipment, laboratory and clinical data management platforms, training of academic and non-academic human resources, dissemination of generated knowledge, advancement of knowledge about the studied theme, knowledge transfer, availability of the ZIKABRA study protocol for development of similar studies, thus favoring the collective construction of knowledge to provide public health emergency responses. Additionally, the benefits arising from the study contribute to the strengthening of new partnerships with national and international researchers of recognized excellence in sciences, supported by public and government institutions in political, economic and technical terms .We highlight some steps towards the potential continuity of the ZIKABRA Cooperation initiative, such as the idea of WHO as a global health hub mobilizing experts and putting its tradition, prestige and knowledge to the services of technical responses achieving health goals and sharing understanding and capabilities about the actions, norms and procedures adopted by the set of participating institutions.Another relevant lesson learned is the horizontal cooperation among Brazilian researchers and institutions all over the country. The ZIKABRA project provided technicaIt would also be important to bear in mind the role of interaction among government bodies of the participating institutions that takes place in the joint follow-up of the sites and project performance. Field supervision of all stakeholders during the implementation of the project occurred periodically. This helped to share the level of knowledge of the site settings by all participants and to avoid institutional constraints."} +{"text": "The Internet of Things (IoT) is of continuously growing interest for research and industry. IoT technologies are reaching maturity, as demonstrated by the increasing number of IoT applications in several markets ranging from smart homes to smart factories and Industry 4.0, with the so-called Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).However, some issues remain despite this success. Amongst them, the main issue that may slow down the adoption of IoT relates to security. The heterogeneity in terms of protocols, operating systems, and devices, combined with poor adoption of standard solutions, create insecure designs, architectures, and deployments. Furthermore, IoT applications are often associated with sensitive data, core infrastructures, and assets, thus making them attractive in terms of vulnerability, data breaches, and denial of service attacks.Unfortunately, conventional security approaches tend to be inapplicable in the IoT due to the limitations of the resources of IoT devices and the decentralized nature of IoT architectures.Blockchain is a technology that is currently receiving great attention and may help in providing security in IoT scenarios. The decentralized architecture of blockchains, together with the ability to provide data immutability and non-repudiation services, seem to make blockchain a promising technique for securing IoT and protecting user/data privacy.The Special Issue \u201cBlockchain Security and Privacy for the Internet of Things\u201d seeks to explore the innovative developments, technologies, and challenges related to blockchain, security, and privacy for the IoT coming from both the latest research activities and ongoing projects. The presented topic is characterized by many open challenges that need to be solved or improved, and for this purpose, while several manuscripts have been received, only 15 original and high-quality manuscripts were selected for this Special Issue. Each manuscript was reviewed by several reviewers and went through multiple rounds of the peer-review process.We had two interesting review papers ,2 presenThe authors of present In , the autIn the context of Smart City application and use cases, presentsThe authors of propose In , an archIn the challenging ecosystem of intelligent mobility and transportation systems, the authors in present In , the autIn , a decenPaper investigAn IoT security transmission and storage solution regarding sensing images for blockchain is proposed by the authors in . The proIn the Smart Grid application scenario, the authors of introducThe authors in propose Paper presentsFinally, we would like to thank all authors and reviewers contributing to this Special Issue, the former for their original solutions and the latter for improvement suggestions. Their excellent work has allowed us to present novel and interesting contributions in the field IoT and blockchain technologies."} +{"text": "To the Editor\u2014The pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus disease, known as COVID-19, carried millions of people around the world to a state of unprecedented panic. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that more than one-third of the world is currently under some social distancing pattern, which is the oldest and probably one of the most effective methods for controlling infectious disease outbreaks. However, governments of many countries have difficulty implementing social distancing, particularly in developing countries such as Brazil, where income inequality is high and the national economy is fragile. In a recent study, Taghrir et al investigated the efficacy of mass quarantine during the pandemic and found good-quality evidence for the social distancing strategies to have been highly effective in controlling the spread of the disease. Complementing this analysis, other researchers analyzed data of 8 countries extremely affected by COVID-19: China, Italy, Iran, Germany, France, Spain, South Korea, and Japan. They concluded that the rapidly increasing COVID-19 case numbers in European countries occurs due to late contention measures. Therefore, social distancing is currently the most effective way to slow the spread of COVID-19.Several studies in the literature, both in developed and developing countries, have demonstrated the effectiveness of social distancing in slowing the spread of COVID-19. Social distancing measures included the closing of schools, universities, and almost all shops, except food stores and pharmacies. In addition, cafes, restaurants, clubs, gyms, museums, and other institutions across the country have closed. Public gatherings, religious services, and social and sporting events have been cancelled. Nonetheless, the number of cases for COVID-19 has continued to grow exponentially due to difficulties in establishing true and effective social distancing. In the real Brazilian context, a large number of informal workers are still working normally and there is a lack of access to information for a large part of the population regarding minimum infection prevention and control measures, including hand washing and respiratory etiquette.In Brazil, the Ministry of Health recommended measures of social distancing, respiratory etiquette, and hand hygiene.Although handwashing and social distancing are still the best measures to protect against the virus, the flattening the COVID-19 curve will require additional measures in developing countries, where the spreading factor of the virus are different and more complex. In Brazil, it is essential to better understand the true prevalence of COVID-19, but the lack of mass testing is one of the main problems that make it difficult to implement measures to ensure that infected individuals are in an appropriate quarantine. Here, the physical distancing between infected and people is crucial in the high-risk group, such as the elderly and those with respiratory or chronic illnesses, to reduce the lethal effect of the pandemic. Cowling et al demonstrated that the implementation of social distancing measures and changes in population behaviors, including use of facial masks, were associated with reduced transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Hong Kong. In Brazil, the adoption of this equipment can be difficult due to the low adhesion or the lack of access to facial masks by the Brazilian population. Thus, the correct use of facial masks is fundamental to the effectiveness of the measure and can be encouraged and improved through education campaigns.According to the WHO, wearing a surgical mask, in combination with hand hygiene and other preventative measures, is one of the prevention measures to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in affected areas.In Brazil, coronavirus is advancing exponentially. Although the disease has spread rapidly in large capitals, where the incidence of cases is high, COVID-19 cases are increasing in smaller cities and poorer communities as well. More than three-quarters of the confirmed cases are in southern and southeastern regions of Brazil, which are more densely populated, including many elderly, and with tropical and subtropical climates. In addition, the economic burden that sustained distancing can impose is potentially catastrophic in Brazil and other developing countries. Furthermore, if social distancing is not effective and/or is not sustained for long enough, the healthcare system may collapse, contributing to a greater tragedy."} +{"text": "Maritime safety is a significant topic in the maritime industry since the numerous dangers at sea could lead to loss of property, environmental pollution, and even casualties. Existing research illustrates that human factors are the primary reasons of maritime accidents. Indeed, numerous maritime accidents can be classified into different types of human factors. In this context, the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System for Maritime Accidents (HFACS-MA) model is introduced in this paper. The HFACS-MA framework consists of five levels, complying with the core concepts of HFACS and the guiding principles of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Based on the five levels of the framework, this research explores the underlying causes of Chinese Eastern Star, Korean Sewol, and Thai Phoenix accidents, and a comparative analysis is conducted. The analysis demonstrates the utility of applying the HFACS-MA model to the maritime industry, and the results emphasize the importance of the following categories: legislation gaps, organizational process, inadequate supervision, communication (ships and VTS), decision errors, and so on. Consequently, the research enables increased support for HFACS-MA and its application and provides valuable information for safety management and policy development in the maritime industry at different levels. The maritime industry is the global economic lifeblood, transporting about 90% of global trade, so maritime safety is a vital factor for the sustainable development of international economics and trade . The marThe International Maritime Organization (IMO), whose intention it is to create a fair and effective regulatory framework for the maritime industry in order to decrease human errors, has issued a number of maritime conventions. The four main maritime regulatory conventions are International Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREG), International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), and International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) . In partThis paper takes three catastrophic maritime accidents as examples to identify different kinds of human and organizational factors in the maritime industry: the Chinese Eastern Star, the Korean Sewol, and the Thai Phoenix accidents. There are several reasons for selecting the three accidents. Firstly, all the three maritime accidents happened in recent years and resulted in loss of property and heavy casualties. Secondly, the three accidents occurred in China, Korea, and Thailand, respectively, and they are all located in the Asian region with similar social contexts. After the capsizing of Eastern Star and Sewol, several scholars conducted detailed analysis on the accident causes ,19,20,21On 1 June 2015 (Beijing time), the Eastern Star, which is owned by the CESC, departed from Nanjing City and was sailing to Chongqing City. At 21:30, the Eastern Star encountered a squall line system accompanied by strong convective weather, tornadoes, as well as torrential rain. Influenced by strong storms, the Eastern Star capsized in a short time when the ship navigated in the Jianli waters affiliated to the Yangtze River of China. The Eastern Star is a large-scale travel ship that was initially built by the Chuandong shipyard in 1994 and renovated in 1997, 2008, and 2015, respectively. The passengers on board were mostly old people from a travel agency named Sunset Red and most of them were sleeping when the accident happened. The accident caused 442 deaths and was deemed to be the most serious maritime accident since 1949 [At 08:58 on 16 April 2014, the Sewol with 476 persons capsized on the way from Incheon port to Jeju Island, and 325 out of the 476 passengers were high school students who were going on a school trip. As an 18-year-old Japanese ship, the Sewol was purchased by the Cheonghaejin Marine Company in 2012. Subsequently, the Cheonghaejin made a series of modifications in a Korean yard to boost capacity in 2013, resulting in the Sewol\u2019s instability . When leOn 5 July 2018, the Phoenix went to sea illegally in spite of the weather warning. At 17:45, the ship encountered a severe storm on the way back to Phuket and capsized near Coral Island, resulting in 47 deaths . The sevThe overview of the three maritime accidents is presented in It is significant to choose an accident model because the choice of the model determines the methods of data collection, and the conclusions and the preventive measures could be different. In other words, \u2018what-you-look-for\u2019 determines \u2018what-you-find\u2019, and \u2018what-you-look-for\u2019 depends on the selected method or model employed in accident analysis ,26. TherHFACS, which is recognized as an epidemiological model, enables one to analyze the visible and underlying causes . In 1997With respect to the HFACS-MA framework, some changes have been made by comparing it with the original HFACS model. Firstly, the level of external factors is added into the HFACS-MA framework to capture the contributing factors that go beyond the scope of the organizational level, the additional level follows the application of HFACS model in the mining industry and railroad industry ,41, and In this section, the utility of applying the HFACS-MA model to the three maritime accidents is demonstrated. In order to extract the causation factors accurately, four safety experts are invited to analyze the three maritime accidents based on the HFACS-MA framework. Each safety expert needs to extract the causation factors independently according to the accident investigation report and some news articles, and an in-depth discussion about the causation factors is conducted among the four safety experts. When the causation factors are determined, they are classified into the appropriate level based on experts\u2019 experience, and a comparative analysis is carried out. Practical implications and limitations are discussed.In terms of the Chinese Eastern Star accident, 19 accident causation factors are identified according to experts\u2019 experience, and the accident causation factors are listed in With respect to the Sewol accident in South Korea, the disaster is the result of neglecting safety by government, supervising authorities, Chonghaejin, and the crew members . Based oRegarding the Phoenix ferry accident, 17 causation factors are identified based on the five levels of the HFACS-MA framework. Based on the cause analysis of the three accidents using the HFACS-MA framework, comparative analysis about the causes of three accidents is conducted, and the analysis results are presented in the form of an adapted fishbone diagram, which is shown in Regarding the level of external factors, legislation gaps are the primary category associated with the three accidents, especially in the Eastern Star accident and Sewol accident, as seen in At the level of organizational influences, As for the level of unsafe supervision, the most frequent categories involved in the three accidents are inadequate supervision and violations in supervision. The efficiency of organizational supervision is one of the influencing factors for the system safety and performance . Figure With respect to the level of precondition for unsafe acts, it was the most vulnerable level since the faults in the ship\u2019s hardware could be inspected at a glance. As the Swiss Cheese Model (SCM) suggests, the defects in the external factors, organizational influences, unsafe supervision, and precondition for unsafe acts result in unsafe acts . TherefoThis research explores the underlying causes of three maritime accidents by employing the HFACS-MA model, and the results indicate that the HFACS-MA model is applicative in analyzing the maritime accidents. In addition, we conducted a comparative analysis on the accident causes, attempting to explore the similarities and differences about the accident causes under the similar social context. Furthermore, the demographic of the causation factors were computed, and the key categories associated with the three accidents were identified.Regarding the three accidents, the main focus concentrated on establishing the corresponding legislations, policies, regulations, and safety culture within the maritime industry. Firstly, the legislations that related to maritime safety should be established and improved, which attempts to provide guidelines for maritime safety. Secondly, the standard procedures should be established and improved, including safety management system and rescue communications, and the in-depth risk assessment should be conducted routinely. Thirdly, the crew members on board should receive regular safety training to improve their safety knowledge and safety awareness and finally reduce unsafe acts. In addition, the rescue workers should be properly trained to improve the rescue operations level. Fourthly, it is significant to improve the meteorological warning capability and establish the information distributing platform of meteorological warning. Consequently, this research contributes to safety management and policy development in the maritime industry at different levels.Some materials of this research come from news articles, and one of the limitations is the inadequate data due to the translation obstacle of local language in Korea and Thailand when collecting evidence, which limits the depth of conclusions that we can draw. Furthermore, there are still many unresolved questions associated with the three accidents, such as the path of each accident and the risk assessment of human factors. In addition, this research is limited to accidents caused by Cruise ship and Ro-Ro passenger vessel only. Therefore, if the scope of research is expanded to multiple types of vessels, it is possible to establish effective maritime safety measures for maritime safety. Finally, HFACS was the only method used in this research. While this research was practical, it might be helpful to compare different analytical methods such as 2\u20134 Model , AcciMapIn this paper, the HFACS-MA model is introduced to explore the underlying causes of Chinese Eastern Star, Korean Sewol, and Thai Phoenix ferry accidents, indicating that the HFACS-MA model is applicable for maritime accident analysis. A comparative analysis on the accident causes of the three accidents was conducted, and the demographic of the causation factors were computed, and additionally the key categories were identified. Consequently, the research can increase support for HFACS-MA and its application, and provide valuable information for safety management and policy development in the maritime industry at different levels.At the level of external factors, it is important to improve the legislation in the maritime industry, especially in the Eastern Star accident and Sewol accident. At the level of organizational influences, the defects in the organizational process are the key contributing factors for the three accidents, and additionally the Eastern Star accident and Sewol accident emphasize the defects in the asset management. At the level of unsafe supervision, the inadequate supervision and violations in supervision are the primary reasons for the three accidents, and it highlights the importance of adequate safety training for maritime safety. Regarding the precondition for unsafe acts, the physical environment factors featured remarkably in the three accidents, and meanwhile communication (ships and VTS) play an important part in coordination and accident rescue. At the level of unsafe acts, it emphasizes the importance of the following factors: the decision errors and violations. Efforts to reduce unsafe acts should concentrate some critical HFACS categories at the lower levels.Although this research analyzes the causes of three accidents in detail, there are still many unresolved questions associated with the three accidents, such as the path of each accident and risk assessment of human factors. At the same time, this research provides some new insights to encourage further research to establish effective measures for national and international maritime safety."} +{"text": "Of Italian origin but Brazilian by adoption, Luigi Bogliolo was born on April 18, 1908, on the island of Sardinia, in Sassari, the main commune of the province of the same name. He died in Belo Horizonte on September 6, 1981. The firstborn child of Enrico Bogliolo, a railroad worker, and Maria Ruju, he graduated with a medical degree from the University of Sassari in 1930 as the best student in his class. At Medical School, he was a teaching assistant in Pathological Anatomy under the guidance of Prof. Enrico Emilio Franco, who was a source of inspiration for him throughout his life. In the 1931-1932 biennium, he was a volunteer assistant at the Institute of Pathological Anatomy and Histology of the University of Sassari, directed by Franco. At the end of 1932, he moved, along with his mentor, to the Royal Adriatic University Benito Mussolini, based in Bari, where he became a staff assistant in the Pathological Anatomy Department. In December 1936, following the footsteps of Franco once more, he moved to the University of Pisa, where he remained, until March 1939, as a deputy director of the Institute of Pathological Anatomy and Histology.Salomone Enrico Franco) was born in Trieste on November 22, 1881, and graduated with a degree in medicine from the Royal University of Padua in 1906. He was very demanding as a teacher, and apparently his students feared him with the same intensity with which they admired him; nonetheless, in the case of Bogliolo, he created all the conditions for the emergence of the \u201cmaster\u201d that his disciple, perhaps unsuspectingly, held in the core of his own being. His classes on the cadaver in the autopsy room were belissime, as Prof. Giuseppe Sangiorgi stated in the lecture (posthumous eulogy) that he delivered in Bari on November 18, 1950, to the members of the Italian Society for Experimental Biology. On that topic, his manual atlas of autopsy techniques, originally published in 1926, is an indisputable testimony of the seriousness and mastery with which he performed cadaveric examinations, which he considered a thorough investigation and not a hasty exercise in organ extraction.An Italian of Jewish origin, Enrico Emilio Franco , not only because of their high intellectual stature but also because they descended from a glorious scientific lineage, which is summarized below.While they were working in Pisa, Bogliolo and Franco bonded affectionately and professionally with the regent of the Chair of General Pathology, Cesare Sacerdotti, a disciple of Camillo Golgi and Giulio Bizzozero, whom they respectfully referred to as De sedibus et causis morborum per anatomen indagatis \u2013 a systematic confrontation between autopsy findings and clinical records, published in 1761. Therefore, one can consider Enrico E. Franco a legitimate descendant of the \u201cFather of Pathological Anatomy\u201d, from whom he was distanced by a few generations.As mentioned, Luigi Bogliolo (1908-1981) was a direct disciple of Enrico E. Franco (1881-1950) who, as a medical graduate from the University of Padua in 1906, was linked to the School of Giovanni Battista Morgagni (1682-1771), a distinguished professor of that old university and the author of the masterpiece Giovanni Battista Morgagni was a disciple of the anatomist and surgeon Antonio Maria Valsalva (1666-1723), a professor at the University of Bologna who dedicated himself to the study of the anatomy, physiology and pathology of the human ear. Valsalva was a disciple of Marcello Malpighi (1628-1694), founder of microscopic anatomy and author of notable contributions such as the first observation of capillary circulation, which was previously inferred by William Harvey; the first description of the vesicular structure of the human lung, which formed the basis for the formulation of a theory of respiration; the description of the lymphatic follicles of the spleen; the pioneering description of renal glomeruli; a detailed description of the structure and metamorphosis of the silkworm and of plant morphology; the description of the prickle cell layer of the skin; and the establishment of the foundations of a new discipline, Embryology. Marcello Malpighi was, in turn, both a mentor and a disciple of the physicist and mathematician Giovanni A. Borelli (1608-1679), the founder of Iatromechanics (the application of mechanics to medicine). Finally, Borelli was a disciple of the physicist and mathematician Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), a pioneer of scientific thought.Helicobacter pylori in the human stomach. Giulio Bizzozero studied in Germany with Rudolf Virchow (1821-1902), author of the magnum opus Die Cellularpathologie (1858) and of the famous aphorism Omnis cellula e cellula, which is why he is nicknamed the \u201cFather of Cellular Pathology.\u201d In addition, Camillo Golgi himself was a disciple of Giulio Bizzozero.The connections between Bogliolo and Franco with Cesare Sacerdotti allow the exploration of a second branch of what could be called the scientific lineage of Bogliolo. Sacerdotti was a direct disciple of Camillo Golgi (1843/44-1926), who, along with Santiago Ram\u00f3n y Cajal, won, in 1906, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his brilliant studies on the fine structure of the nervous system; he was also a disciple and collaborator of Giulio Bizzozero (1846-1901), the discoverer of platelets (and of their role in hemostasis) and of spiral bacteria in the stomach of dogs, the first step towards the identification of the species Mus musculus, var. alba) and the rat (Mus norvegicus).The publications of Bogliolo during his academic life in Italy deal with various topics, with an emphasis on those related to leishmaniasis and, in particular, to the experimental production of sarcomas through injections of Thorotrast in the mouse (thorotrastomas) due to exposure to alpha radiation .Thorotrast was introduced for clinical use in 1928 and was used initially for retrograde pyelography and intravenous hepatolienography. As expected, almost all of the injected thorium dioxide was retained in the body, with 70% deposited in the liver, 20% in the spleen and the remainder in the reticuloendothelial system of the bone marrow and in the periportal lymph nodes. In 1931, Thorotrast began to be used by the Portuguese neurosurgeon Egas Moniz to examine the intracranial vessels, replacing the iodinated contrast that had been used until then for the same purpose. with successive injections of Thorotrast subcutaneously into the posterior half of the abdomen. In a second study, published in 1938, the injection of the contrast in the rat (Mus norvegicus) was able to induce the appearance of malignant blastomas in all 23 animals in the experiment, including 20 cases of fasciculated spindle cell sarcoma and three cases of pleomorphic sarcoma with areas of cartilaginous metaplasia in hundreds of patients who had received the radiological contrast for diagnostic purposes, sometimes as much as 40 years previously. Nonetheless, the use of Thorotrast continued until the mid-1950s at highly prestigious institutions such as the Massachusetts General Hospital, the Lahey Clinic and the University of Michigan Hospital, in one of the most embarrassing episodes in the history of medicine.In Pisa, Bogliolo obtained the title of full professor in a public examination held in 1938; that same year, he married Geula Bennoun, a medical student of Jewish origin born in Jaffa, a twin city of Tel Aviv. In January 1939, Franco was dismissed from the University of Pisa amid the wave of anti-Semitism that ravaged his homeland and was forced into exile in Jerusalem, where he died on September 20, 1950, from diabetic nephropathy. In March 1939, Bogliolo was dismissed from the same University for his antifascist position, aggravated by his close relationship with Professor Franco and with Geula Bennoun, and was forced to leave his native country as well. After spending a few months in Belgium, he traveled with his wife to Brazil, arriving in Rio de Janeiro on January 5, 1940. In exile, until Franco's death, master and disciple never ceased to correspond, despite the difficulties imposed by World War II, which began on September 1, 1939, and the Arab-Jewish conflict, which experienced its most dramatic moments in 1947-1948. In January 1949, Bogliolo and Franco met, for the last time, in Jerusalem.At the beginning of his life in Rio de Janeiro, Luigi Bogliolo and his wife lived in a second-class guest house near the pier; and to survive, they tanned alligator skins in the bedroom. It is known that ancient Jews knew the method of tanning hides and skins with oak bark, an art that they must have learned as captives in Egypt; however, in the case of the young couple newly arrived from Italy, the place \u2013 a small bedroom in a guest house \u2013 was not the most suitable for the exercise of that ancient practice. It did not take long for problems to arise: annoyed by the strong smell from the tanning process, the owner of the guest house used to pound the door of the bedroom asking for explanations and threatening to evict the two afflicted artisans who, in an attempt to hide their wrongdoing, quickly threw the skins under the bed.post mortem findings with those observed intra vitam.In January 1941, under the recommendation of Prof. Eduardo MacClure, Bogliolo took on the Pathological Anatomy Service of the 5th Chair of Internal Medicine of the National Faculty of Medicine (now Faculty of Medicine of UFRJ), led by the great clinician Heitor Annes Dias (1884-1943), nicknamed \u201cthe Brazilian Jim\u00e9nez D\u00edaz\u201d. In perfect harmony with Annes Dias, Bogliolo boosted the Clinicopathological Conferences at that institution. Inspired by the unforgettable lessons of Franco, he conducted the autopsies of the cases that were presented in those meetings. Thus, after the clinical features had been explored, the diagnostic hypotheses had been formulated, and the possible reasons for the death of the patient had been considered, he was in charge of the autopsy report. Furthermore, at the end of the conferences, he used to perform the great synthesis \u2013 the epicrisis \u2013 correlating the post mortem examination, live in the clouds of a vain illusion. Forty-two years after Bogliolo\u2019s retirement, the Clinicopathological Conferences continue to take place at the Faculty of Medicine of UFMG. Regarding the invaluable pedagogical value of this academic activity, which I have coordinated since 1995, I published a book in 2010With the premature death of Annes Dias in 1943, Bogliolo was invited by his compatriot Alfredo Balena, director of the Faculty of Medicine of Belo Horizonte (now Faculty of Medicine of UFMG), to head the Chair of Pathological Anatomy of the institution Balena had helped to found in 1911. Starting in 1944, Bogliolo continued to perform autopsies and to favor Clinicopathological Conferences in his new home until his compulsory retirement in 1978. Certainly, he heeded Morgagni\u2019s wise warning that the physicians who have done or seen many autopsies have learned at least to mistrust their diagnoses, while those who do not confront themselves with the often discouraging findings of Taceant colloquia. Effugiat risus. Hic locus est ubi mors gaudet succurr\u011bre vitae \u2013 according to which, in the place where death delights to help the living, there should be no talking or laughing. To describe the Bogliolo\u2019s austere demeanor during the performance of an autopsy, it is worth reproducing the testimony of the late psychiatrist Joaquim Affonso Moretzsohn, who graduated in 1946:In the autopsy room, which he considered a kind of \u201csacred temple\u201d, Bogliolo demanded absolute respect for the corpse, as if he incorporated the message contained in an ancient Latin maxim \u2013 I met Prof. Bogliolo. He debuted with my class in the 4th year of Medical School, in 1944. \u2018What? Do you want to smell roses?\u2019 he exclaimed with a heavy peninsular accent when he realized that I took a handkerchief to my nose in the autopsy room.curriculum vitae, a written exam, a practical exam, a didactic exam and a thesis defense, he achieved the Cathedra.As mentioned, in 1944, Luigi Bogliolo became the head of the Chair of Pathological Anatomy at the Faculty of Medicine of Belo Horizonte. In the capital of Minas Gerais State, three of his children were born, whereas Alexandre, his only son, had already been born in Rio de Janeiro in 1942. Both Alexandre and Ada would tragically die very young, victims of accidents, respectively in 1965 and 1967. Because he was a foreigner, Bogliolo was forced to revalidate his diploma; to accomplish this goal, between 1953 and 1957, he underwent practical, written and oral exams for all subjects of the last three years of the medical program. Therefore, it was not until 1958 that he completed his doctorate, defending a thesis on the pathology of acute toxemic form of schistosomiasis mansoni. In 1959, after a brilliant examination that consisted of an analysis of his Patologia, with the participation of his assistants and renowned professors throughout Brazil and Italy. In 2016, the ninth edition of the book, with 1,542 pages, was printed under the supervision of Prof. Geraldo Brasileiro Filho. In 1978, also through the Editora Guanabara Koogan, Bogliolo published the book Patologia Geral B\u00e1sica; in 2018, also under the supervision of Prof. Geraldo Brasileiro Filho, the sixth edition of the book was printed.In 1972, through the Editora Guanabara Koogan, Bogliolo published the first edition of the book Working at the Faculty of Medicine of UFMG until 1978, the year of his compulsory retirement, Bogliolo created a School of Pathological Anatomy that through its high level of regard would impose itself onto the scientific environment of his adoptive country. His first assistant professors included Paulo Roberto Ferreira Borges, Nello de Moura Rangel, Iracema Baccarini, Jo\u00e3o Henriques de Freitas Filho, Edmundo Chapadeiro, Washington Luiz Tafuri and Pedro Raso. The contributions of his School cover various topics in the field of Pathology, with an emphasis on tropical diseases, such as schistosomiasis mansoni and Chagas disease. The contributions of Bogliolo himself to the knowledge of the pathology of the different anatomoclinical forms of schistosomiasis mansoni deserve special attention, and include the following:\u2022 the accurate characterization of the morphological findings of the liver in the hepatosplenic form, especially in the case of Symmers fibrosis, which, according to some authors, should be called \u201cSymmers-Bogliolo fibrosis\u201d;\u2022 the clarification of the concepts of fibrosis and cirrhosis as they apply to fibrosing liver diseases, thus distinguishing the anatomical picture of the liver in the hepatosplenic form of schistosomiasis and in visceral leishmaniasis from that of liver cirrhosis;\u2022 the first description, in patients with the hepatosplenic form undergoing splenoportography, of the peculiar changes in the hepatogram, characterized by the presence, next to the clearer and denser image of the dichotomous portal branches, of a less dense and less defined shadow attributed to the newly formed vascular network around the dichotomous branches (\u201cBogliolo\u2019s sign\u201d);\u2022 the detailed description of the anatomical picture of the acute toxemic form, which was the focus of his doctoral thesis.The post-graduation, so valued today, was, in a way, already being carried out by Bogliolo in the 1950s; in fact, it consisted of a \u201cpost-graduation in spirit\u201d, because it lacked regulation and recognition by the relevant authorities. It was only in 1972 that the Teaching and Research Coordination Office of UFMG approved the creation of the Post-Graduate Program in Pathology, with three areas of concentration: General Pathology, Special Medical Pathology and Special Dental Pathology.Luigi Bogliolo was one of the founders of the Brazilian Society of Pathologists and served in virtually all positions therein, including the presidency (biennium 1960-1962). His remarkable presence, his verve, his critical spirit and his unmistakable style were felt in the conferences promoted by that society. He was also a member of the Minas Gerais Academy of Medicine, occupying chair 46, whose patron is Jos\u00e9 Aroeira Neves, a disciple of Ezequiel Dias. In 1978, shortly after his compulsory retirement, he received the title of Professor Emeritus of the Faculty of Medicine of UFMG.Although he was extremely strict and demanding, to the point \u2013 like Prof. E. E. Franco \u2013 of stoking undisguised fear in many of those who interacted with him, Bogliolo left an indelible mark on his disciples and collaborators. After all, one of his great passions was the unlocking of young people\u2019s potential, encouraging them to exercise reasoning, ask relevant questions, develop critical awareness and cultivate curiosity. Thus, he certainly endorsed the words of the ancient Greek philosopher Plutarch:For the mind does not require filling like a bottle, but rather, like a wood, it only requires kindling to create in it an impulse to think independently and an ardent desire for the truth.In 1992, I published a book about the fascinating trajectory of the late master."} +{"text": "Twenty years ago, the International Labour Organization (ILO) launched a new strategy, the Decent Work Agenda, to ensure human-oriented development in the globalization of working life and to provide an effective response to the challenges of globalization. We searched for and analysed the origin of the Decent Work concept and identified the key principles in ILO policy documents, survey reports, and relevant United Nations\u2019 (UN) documents. We also analysed the implementation of the Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) and examined the available external evaluation reports. Finally, we examined the objectives of the ILO Decent Work Agenda and the Decent Work targets in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in view of occupational health. In two thirds of the ILO\u2019s Member States, the Decent Work Agenda has been successfully introduced and so far fully or partly implemented in their DWCPs. The sustainability of the Decent Work approach was ensured through the UN 2030 Agenda, the ILO Global Commission Report on the Future of Work, and the ILO Centenary Declaration. However, objectives in line with the ILO Convention No. 161 on Occupational Health Services were not found in the DWCPs. Although successful in numerous aspects in terms of the achievement of the Decent Work objectives and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Decent Work Agenda and the Decent Work Country Programmes need further development and inclusion of the necessary strategies, objectives, and actions for occupational health services, particularly in view of the high burden of work-related diseases and, for example, the present global pandemic. In many countries, national capabilities for participation and implementation of Decent Work Country Programmes need strengthening. A total of 3.5 billion people\u201463% of the world\u2019s population\u2014belong to the global workforce. They spend more than one third of their adult life at work and produce a total world gross domestic product (GDP) of US$ 88 trillion , maintaiThere is evidence of the positive impact of globalization on the global economic growth of the world as a whole, particularly on the growth of world trade and the improved distribution of wealth also to the developing world, for example by halving the global poverty rates in the past 20 years. A similar positive impact is seen in the distribution of new technologies and the Internet throughout the continents and enhancement of global connectivity.th International Labour Conference: \u201cGlobalization has brought prosperity and inequalities, which are testing the limits of collective social responsibility\u201d [The social impact of globalization, and on occupational health in particular, is, however, not universally positive. The transfer of basic and manufacturing industries to low-wage countries has generated many positive impacts there, but left behind major employment and social problems in the former host countries and communities. Still, most of the two billion workers of the developing world, of whom over 50% are informal, have not benefited from globalization; sometimes quite the opposite. In particular, agricultural and rural populations, family farmers, fishers, and forestry workers, domestic workers, and small and microenterprises in developing countries have been losers in globalization. Several vulnerable groups in both the industrialized and developing countries are also recognized as potential victims. Mr. Juan Somavia, Director General of the ILO, stated before the 87ibility\u201d ,3,4,5.The ILO Decent Work Agenda is a unique global-scale response to the challenges of globalization, employment, economic, social protection policies, and social dialogue. This article describes the origin of the Decent Work concept and analyses its implementation at the national level, and particularly the role of occupational health as a part of the social protection pillar of the Decent Work Agenda .This explorative literature review was drawn up by studying the origin of the Decent Work concept and its key principles in selected and relevant ILO policy documents, survey reports, and relevant UN documents . The selIn the 1980s, the pace of globalization was accelerated by several geopolitical changes and the increasing wide-scale implementation of new information and communication technologies. Working conditions changed radically; enterprise structures were reorganized ; and working contracts became fragmented .Freedom of association and right to collective bargaining;Elimination of forced or compulsory labour;Abolition of child labour;Elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation.In 1998, a year before launching the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) approach, the 86th International Labour Conference (ILC) launched the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work , which wThe eight ILO Fundamental Conventions concern the freedom of association, the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, forced labour, the abolition of forced labour, the effective abolition of child labour, the minimum age convention, equal remuneration, and the elimination of discrimination with respect to employment.By ratifying, the countries commit themselves to regulation and implementation in line with the Conventions. This commitment is supported by the ILO Follow-up procedure. The Member States that have not ratified one or more of the ILO Fundamental Conventions are asked each year to report on the status of the relevant rights and principles within their borders and to note any impediments to ratification and areas in which they may require assistance. These reports are reviewed by the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR). Their observations in turn are considered by the ILO\u2019s Governing Body.As a response to globalization, the ILO developed the Decent Work approach to provide a social dimension to globalization and to initiate an intensive human-oriented approach to the challenges posed by the globalization of working life. In February 1999, the Secretary General of the UN, Mr. Kofi Annan, in introducing the new UN concept of the Global Compact before the World Economic Forum , emphasito promote and implement the standards and fundamental principles and rights at work;to enhance opportunities for men and women to obtain decent employment and wages;to expand the scope and heighten the effectiveness of social protection for all;to strengthen tripartism and social dialogue.The ILO\u2019s Decent Work Agenda promotes a development strategy that recognizes the central role of work in everyone\u2032s life. The Organization provides support in the form of integrated Decent Work programmes developed at the country level with ILO\u2032s constituents. These programmes set priorities and targets within national development frameworks and aim to tackle major Decent Work shortcomings through effective programmes that also meet each of ILO\u2032s four strategic objectives:In addition, Mr. Somavia in his address to the 87th ILC recalled the issues inherent in the concept of Decent Work and outlined the future role of ILO: \u201cThe ILO is concerned with Decent Work. The goal is not just the creation of jobs, but the creation of jobs of acceptable quality. The quantity of employment cannot be divorced from its quality. All societies have a notion of Decent Work, but the quality of employment can mean many things. It could relate to different forms of work, and also to different conditions of work, as well as feelings of value and satisfaction. The need today is to devise social and economic systems which ensure basic security and employment while remaining capable of adaptation to rapidly changing circumstances in a highly competitive global market\u201d .Later in 2008, the 97th Session of the ILC adopted the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization , which iSince 1999, the ILO has initiated large numbers of DWCPs, which have also been evaluated. The ILO Secretariat regularly reports on the development and implementation of the Decent Work programmes to the ILO Governing Body and the ILC, at which Member States of the ILO meet in June every year in Geneva, Switzerland. This ensures regular follow-up by the highest governance levels of the Organization.In the course of the globalization process, the relevance of and the need for the Decent Work Agenda have become even more important amid the widespread uncertainty in the world of work, from the financial turmoil and economic downturn of the last two decades to growing unemployment, informal employment, insufficient social protection, and labour migration. These have challenged governments and social partners\u2014workers\u2019 and employers\u2019 organizations\u2014to adopt the Declaration on Social Justice to strengthen the ILO\u2019s capacity to promote its Decent Work Agenda and forge an effective response to the growing challenges of globalization.Both the Decent Work Agenda and its implementation and, at the time, the UN Global Strategy with its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aim to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger through achieving full and productive employment and Decent Work for all, including women and young people (MDG Target 1b). This target highlights the fact that, despite progress, almost half of the world\u2019s employed people are still working in vulnerable conditions, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. The MDGs succeeded in halving absolute poverty in the target period . In spitIn 2015, the UN launched the new Global Strategy, Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which contains 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with hundreds of targets and actions addressing people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership .The SDG strategy contains several goals, targets, and actions relevant to workers\u2019 health and safety, particularly SDG No. 1 on the Elimination of poverty, SDG No. 3 on Health, and SDG No. 8 on the Promotion of inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. The ILO has been appointed the custodian of 13 different SDG indicators . The UN,The ILO launched the Decent Work concept in 1999, and the first DWCPs were begun in 2000 in the Philippines and the Ukraine. The DWCPs were intended to be well coordinated at the national level with other ILO and UN programmes on the development of working life, in order to make as effective use of scarce resources as possible. The DWCPs aimed at the distinct ILO contribution to UN country programmes and constituting one main instrument to better integrate regular budget and extra-budgetary technical cooperation . The ILOThere has been long-term, logical continuity in the drafting and development of the DWCPs and the coordination, implementation, and independent evaluation of the accomplishments of the programmes. In order to facilitate the preparation of the DWCPs, in 2015, the ILO published a guideline for country-level actors\u2019 support . This guThe country diagnostics provide an overall national development framework with demographics and data related to education, health and human development, the structure and performance of the economy, aspects related to inequality, vulnerability, and poverty in the country, employment and the labour market, the labour force, fundamental principles and rights at work, the implementation of international labour standards, decent working conditions and occupational safety and health (OSH), equal opportunities and treatment in employment, and questions related to social protection and social dialogue, to help identify and recognize the main Decent Work challenges ahead.The logic of the DWCP process of the ILO is described in On the basis of the diagnostics of the country situation, the national stakeholders, in collaboration with ILO experts, will draft a DWCP document to be discussed and agreed on in the tripartite process of the country. The process also serves as a learning cycle for the development of Decent Work. Examples of the main contents of the DWCPs are poverty reduction through the creation of Decent Work opportunities with a focus on young men and women, the reduction of child labour and elimination of its worst forms, or more and better employment for vulnerable groups, and responding to HIV and AIDS challenges in the world of work. The selected priorities depend on the deficits recognized in the Decent Work diagnosis of the country .The DWCP process since the beginning of the DWCP implementation from 2000 to September 2019 is summarized by region in The actual situation in September 2019 shows that Africa has the highest number of ongoing DWCPs, followed by Asia. Africa\u2019s activities are even more prominent if the number of countries and the size of the workforce are considered . A totalThe independent evaluations of the national DWCPs have been carried out at the sub-national, national, and regional levels, and the ILO has published the lessons learned to facilitate the further planning of new programmes. Evaluations have been carried out of both the individual country programmes and the regional programmes, such as those of the Arab Region , North Africa, the Caribbean, the Western Balkans, and Mekong Sub-region. These evaluations have identified success factors and needs for development and provided guidance for further actions .One of the fundamental principles of the ILO Constitution is the \u201cprotection of the worker against sickness, disease and injury arising out of his employment\u201d . In adopIn 2003, the 91st ILC adopted the Conclusions of the Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health. These Conclusions confirmed OSH as key principles of Decent Work: \u201cDecent Work must be safe work\u201d . The ConIn addition to the DW policy principles, the ILO has also produced legal instruments for the implementation of Decent Work in occupational health practice. Already before the 87th ILC (and Convention No. 161), Recommendation No. 112 (R112) on Occupational Health Services from 1959 guided the Member States in the organization of occupational health services (OHS) for their workers. In 1985, the ILC adopted the Occupational Health Services Convention No. 161 (C161) and the ILO\u2019s Convention No. 187 on the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health emphasizRecently, new evidence on the growing need for occupational health and OHS has accumulated. Globally, occupational diseases, occupational injuries, and work-related diseases (WRDs) are estimated to cause 2.8 million fatalities a year and over 300 million cases of non-fatal health outcomes that affect the health and work ability of workers, leading to a 4% loss of GDPs on average. Occupational injuries lead to 380,500 fatalities annually, whereas the mortality from WRDs is estimated at 2.41 million a year . The cosThe trend of WRDs is expected to grow as working populations are ageing and numerous vulnerable groups such as migrant and refugee workers, several types of workers with vulnerabilities, and workers with partial work ability are recruited into the workforce and the number of informal workers grows. For example, half of the one billion World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region\u2019s (WPRO) workers are informal. The informal status of workers is the key determinant of the absence of health, safety, and workers\u2019 rights at work. The informal workers work in high-risk jobs, are exposed to high numbers of chemical, physical, biological, and social hazards, and are most vulnerable, for example, to infectious epidemics ,28,29,30The SDGs aim among other things to eliminate poverty. In the long term, the only sustainable way out of poverty for countries, communities, families, and individuals is the gainful employment of working-age people. Successful employment needs job opportunities at the systems level and good employability at the individual level. A prerequisite for individual employability is good work ability , decent working conditions, and safety and health at work. The SDGs cannot be achieved without good health and work ability in working populations, as all the resources available for societies are derived from productive work. Some countries have included or are in the process of including the objectives of the development of occupational health, work ability, and OHS in their National Health 2030 strategies, thus harnessing occupational health for achieving the SDGs.Some countries have achieved reasonably good working conditions and work environments, as well as occupational health, although the majority of countries still face great challenges in meeting the international standards set out in the Occupational Health Services Convention, C161. All countries need to exert a great deal of effort to achieve the UN\u2019s SDGs in the field of health, safety, and work ability of workers. The greatest challenges lie in the improvement of the occupational health and work ability of workers in micro- and small-scale enterprises, the self-employed, and workers in the informal sector, who comprise the majority of the world\u2019s workforce. Today, the majority of the workers of the world are still severely underserved and vulnerable. The gradual extension of the coverage and content of comprehensive OHS, including prevention, protection, promotion of health and work ability, care, rehabilitation, compensation in cases of injuries, and services for return to work is needed for all workers. Workers not yet covered, such as those in agriculture, the informal sector, and the self-employed, have the most urgent need for these services ,27,30.(a)the reduction of economic loss by preventing the loss of work ability through accidents, diseases, presenteeism, disability, and sickness absenteeism and(b)increased productivity derived from better work ability, better motivation, and smoother flow of production .All occupational health and safety hazards can be prevented. Economics researchers have found the control of occupational accidents and diseases and the improvement of working conditions and occupational safety and health to be financially productive and profitable mainly through:The high coverage, comprehensive content, and good functioning of OHS have been positively associated with the human development index (HDI) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the competitiveness index (World Economic Forum) and GDP per capita of countries, and the success and sustainability of enterprises .Work does not produce only economic and material assets; participation in working life enables important social contacts, support from the work community, opportunities for vocational and professional development, and gives the individual a place and status in working organizations, institutions, living communities, and society at large.Work itself is an important determinant of workers\u2019 health, providing potential enhancement of health and work ability in good jobs and adverse effects in poor working conditions. Workers\u2019 health and work ability also have a crucial impact on the health of families. In many societies, labour participation is the prerequisite for registration in social security schemes, which for their part reduce the risk of poverty. Still today, job opportunities and employment conditions vary greatly between and within countries and between different groups of workers and have great inequities among working people ,32,33.th session in Geneva in June 2019, stated \u201cSafe and healthy working conditions are fundamental to decent work\u201d [OSH has been a central issue for the ILO ever since its creation in 1919 and continues to be a fundamental requirement for achieving the objectives of the Decent Work Agenda. In reaffirming this, the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, adopted by the ILO Conference at its 108nt work\u201d .Examination of the DWCPs have revealed that the contributions of occupational health and OHS have not been sufficiently utilized in national programmes. Even the total coverage of OHS in the world has remained low (18.5%). There may be several reasons for this, but the governance model of OHS is likely not the cause, as 73.5% of the respondent countries in International Commission on Occupational Health, ICOH\u2019s OHS survey were governed by the ministry of labour alone or jointly by the ministry of labour and ministry of health .Globally, the majority of work-related loss of DALYs is estimated on the basis of WRDs and only about 11% on the basis of occupational injuries . The manIncluding the development of OHS in the DWCPs would provide a strong substantive and practical contribution to the implementation of the DWCPs and make OHS available for underserved sectors as shown in the needs and provisions analysis in The WHO Global Strategy on Occupational Health for All (1995) called for universal OHS . The UniThe WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific has supported the provision of UOHC in the Western Pacific Region ,40. The As stated by the ILO: \u201cDecent Work is safe work\u201d . WorkersThe globalization process has continued over centuries, but during the last 30 years, it has developed and modified working life more intensively and faster than ever before. It is characterized by growing global trade and the movement of capital, materials, services, and people .Globalization exposes all countries and enterprises to challenges and changes. Production structures will be radically modified; some branches of the economy will disappear; and new ones will appear. There will be changes in enterprise structures, their production methods, working practices, and work environments. Enterprises will need to adjust to several new trends; new work organizations, management systems, working contracts, working hours, OSH, and OHS. All of these mean that working life is expected to undergo major changes in terms of employment opportunities and requirements for competence, skills, and work ability ,44,45,46In spite of progress in OSH in developed economies, the global situation is still unsatisfactory, with 2.8 million fatalities from occupational accidents and diseases a year and a manifold number of non-fatal injuries and diseases (see above). Many of the negative impacts of globalization hit the low-income and low and middle-income countries the worst, but they also affect advanced economies. Digital disruption affects enterprise and institutional structures. Some sectors of traditional economies are dying out, and their workers and professionals are at risk of exclusion from working life. Many traditional jobs are disappearing, and new challenging ones being generated; labour markets are being polarized; and in spite of improving averages, the inequities and gaps between the richest and the poorest are at risk of growing even further. New competence demands require new types of training, and numerous jobs are disappearing virtually overnight in large geographical areas, requiring movement of working populations to seek new job opportunities . Downsizing, outsourcing, and offshoring in industries and services are leading to a new division of work between different countries and continents, which may affect the health and lives of working populations ,48,49. IWith the help of new information and communication technologies, international interactions are being facilitated through ever-growing global connectivity and communication, including social media. Many other technological advancements, the introduction of new substances and materials including nanotechnologies and new e-technologies, digitalization, automation, and robotization in particular, and the use of artificial intelligence and big data are becoming effectively distributed throughout the global world of work. Automation and robotization are expected to eliminate 30\u201350% of current jobs, but new jobs are also being generated with different competence demands. Earlier, only physical and manual human power was replaced by automation, but the new trend is also partially replacing human intelligence by artificial intelligence: for example, speech recognition, problem-solving, learning, and planning.The national and international division of work has changed due to technology transfer and the outsourcing, downsizing, and offshoring of industries and services. Global giant multinationals will dominate economic activities, exceeding the influence of national governments. Changes in production and in consumer markets will lead to a new division of work; some countries may become primarily producers of materials and producers of goods, others dealers of products only, and others only consumers with no large-scale production. This may result in occupational structures becoming one-sided and even more vulnerable to changes in global markets. National markets will mainly be transformed into global markets.Due to robotization and artificial intelligence, the human role in production has become more one of planning, designing, quality control and services, transport and commercial, and marketing activities. The production of goods and materials will become assigned to automatic systems and robots. Some new branches of the economy will be generated, such as environmental and green economies, new energy economies, and knowledge economies. All these will have an impact on job contents, competences, and work ability profiles. ,50,51,52Major changes have been observed in the demographic structures of the global workforce. Four of these macro trends are ,54,55:The ageing of the workforce in most countries: In both the developing and industrialized countries, this is a dominant trend. Both developing and advanced economies show a comparatively rapid increase in the average age of working populations, known as the global ageing epidemic. This raises numerous challenges: the maintenance of decent employment for ageing individuals, the maintenance and promotion of their competence and work ability, the provision of employment opportunities, social protection, and the prevention of age discrimination. Better use of the competences and experience of ageing workers is warranted.Youth: Some developing and emerging economies are facing challenges in the employment of younger age cohorts, which, particularly in Africa, has led to both internal and international migration, particularly to Europe, but also elsewhere. The working conditions, OSH, training and education, fair remuneration, social protection, and overall life situation of young migrant workers is a huge international challenge.The feminization of the workforce: In various parts of the world, this is progressing, providing many advantages for female workers, formal jobs, legal and social protection, better income, and more independence. Simultaneously, several jobs may have health hazards, long working hours, several psychosocial risks, reproductive hazards, balance of work and family life, and lack of gender equality and sexual harassment, calling for special protection of female workers at work.Migrants, the handicapped, workers with partial work ability, and informal and domestic workers: These form a vulnerable group of workers and together constitute the majority of the global workforce. Their labour markets and social situation in global working life have not necessarily improved during the era of globalization, often in fact the opposite. International organizations, particularly the ILO, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have put great effort into the special protection of vulnerable groups of workers and made it a key element in Decent Work programmes.Global economies are characterized by increased uncertainty of work contracts and employment; sudden changes in employment opportunities due to outsourcing and transfers of industries to new areas; quick, high peaks of employment, which may then dramatically drop; casual and temporary working contracts; and in general, higher risks of unemployment and insecure jobs. Such insecurity together with associated high job demands ,56,57 anGood work ability and psychological and physical functional capacity are key prerequisites for successful and productive employment. In the wider sense of the term, the concept of work ability is multidimensional and complex and includes workers\u2019 personal health, psychological, cognitive, and physical capacity, knowledge, skills, and competence, attitudes and motivation to work, and personal social networks (particularly family). However, good work ability and functional capacity also require a healthy and safe work environment, a conducive working community, a secure labour contract, and social protection. Just and fair management supports work ability, as does the availability of OHS with service modules for work ability ,61.In the course of the development of working life, the challenges related to the occupational health and work ability of workers are gaining more importance. This is due to the growing psycho-social demands of work, the need to address the work ability problems of ageing workers, support and protection of the health of vulnerable groups, and consideration of the numerous health needs of migrant workers and other vulnerable groups. Maintaining and promoting the work ability of all working people requires decent working conditions, a safe and healthy work environment, physiologically and psychologically sound working time schedules, and limits of maximum working hours. This all requires well-functioning OHS for all working people in all types of jobs and enterprises and all modes of working contracts and employment models, i.e., UOHC.The SDGs, particularly SDG 8, Decent Work for All, constitute a global response to the challenges of globalization by all sectors of societies and all regions of the world ,20,46.OSH and labour inspection have been relatively well introduced as elements of Decent Work and are even further emphasized by Goal No. 8 of the UN Strategy on Sustainable Development, the ILO Global Commission, and the ILO Centenary Declaration . In spitEach year, the ILO\u2019s Evaluation Office holds consultations with senior management, the Evaluation Advisory Committee, and constituents to select topics for future high-level evaluations. The selected topics are then presented to the Governing Body (GB) for approval .A total of 53 programmes of 121 DWCPs have so far been evaluated by external evaluators, as either regional or subregional or individual country evaluations using pre-set criteria ,63,64,65Relevance to the ILO DW agenda, DW/CPO, and country needsDesign, coherence, and validityEffectivenessEfficiencyImpactSustainabilityThe following parameters were standardized for all DWCP evaluations:Data from national DWCP reports were used in regional and sub-regional analyses. Evaluation projects during the period 2006\u20132018 are presented in The Caribbean region, with twenty countries of diverse sizes, varying from 5900 to three million citizens, is home for a total of approximately 60 million people. It has a young population structure (60% below 30) and is multi-ethnic and multi-lingual, mainly English-, French-, and Dutch-speaking, and its population is highly literate and well-educated.The Caribbean economies are mainly based on agriculture, sugar, and spices and related rum distillation, but are complemented to a growing extent by light industries, electronics, textiles, handicrafts, and tourism. Some countries also have a notable mining industry. Half of the countries belong to the UNEP high human development group and the other half to the medium group. Informal employment is common, making workers vulnerable because of their lack of legal and social protection. The region shows high unemployment rates among youth and women. Increasing migration of female workers and highly educated people in particular to Northern America and partly to Europe is a growing concern. Common natural disasters, tropical storms, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions are also a major concern.On the basis of high-level political commitments by ministers of labour and other high-level government representatives, and employers\u2019 and workers\u2019 organizations of the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean, the DWCPs were launched for 2010\u20132015 in their respective countries. In collaboration with the ILO, DWCPs have been developed in the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Suriname, and the member countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), comprising the Leeward Islands: Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands, and the Windward Islands: Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, the Grenadines and Grenada, Martinique, and Guadeloupe. The ILO has also provided technical support to Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, where no formalized DWCPs have been launched.The DWCPs were designed to enhance the ratification and reporting of ILO Conventions in order to strengthen tripartism and social dialogue, upgrade legislation, advance OSH policies, tackle discrimination on the basis of HIV/AIDS patients, and eliminate child labour. Through the programmes, measures for equalizing working conditions and formalizing the status of informal workers were developed, as well as for integrating workers with disabilities. Administrative capacities in public sector agencies and judicial capacity in the legal system were strengthened. Other inputs were the promotion of vocational training and education and the enhancement of productivity, competitiveness, employment, and trade.According to the high-level evaluation, the sub-regional and national DW programmes were relevant, particularly in addressing youth employment, child labour, OSH, and HIV/AIDS. The evaluation team rated the overall performance of ILO\u2019s DWCPs, strategies, and actions by triangulating the information and data gathered through desk reviews, surveys, and interviews of staff and constituents, as shown in the overall assessment graph in As a part of the ILO Asia Region, the subregion of the Lower Mekong countries, Cambodia, the Lao People\u2019s Democratic Republic, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Myanmar, constitutes a relatively homogenous and closely collaborating area and one of the most rapidly developing areas in the world. The total population of the sub-region is 241 million and the workforce 130 million. Four of the Lower Mekong sub-region countries were subjected to external high-level DWCP evaluation. Myanmar has not been evaluated yet, due to the short history of DWP in the country. According to ILO reports, the countries are simultaneously experiencing several new challenges due to globalization, climate change, environmental disasters, and several traditional working life problems such as occupational injuries and diseases, hazardous physical, chemical and biological exposures, long working hours, inequalities, and psychological stress. To facilitate the positive development of working life, the ILO initiated and obtained the Lower Mekong countries\u2019 commitment to the Decent Work Decade 2006\u20132015, focusing on five priority objectives: (a) sustainable productivity, (b) the youth employment challenge, (c) protecting migrant workers, (d) labour market governance, and e) local development for Decent Work. As in all DWCP evaluations, ILO-guided parameters were standardized and used in the evaluation .The overall assessment on the basis of the regional evaluation is presented in In the second decade of the new millennium, working life in the Western Balkan countries of Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia (previously the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)), and Serbia was exposed to several simultaneous pressures: continuing policy and structural adjustment after the socio-economic transition to market economies, the post transition economic recession followed by the 2008 global financial and economic crisis, preparation for the European Union (EU) accession, and the universal pressures of globalization. Despite the efforts of the ILO and others, the post-crisis recovery in the sub-region was considered weak due to three main problems that continued to exist after the transition and the financial crises: persistently weak economic growth, high unemployment, and weak social dialogue. In spite of these challenges, today, all the Western Balkan countries are considered upper middle-income countries according to the World Bank ranking .The Western Balkan countries committed themselves to the DWCP process at different paces: Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina developed the first generation of DWCPs between 2006 and 2007. The second generation of DWCPs was implemented between 2008 and 2011 in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and at that time, FYROM. From 2012 onward, the third generation of DWCPs was developed in Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Within the framework of the DWCPs, all five countries continued to ratify ILO conventions, which further contributed to improvements of labour or labour-related national legislation.(1)Rights at work: e.g., training and education in the protection of workers\u2019 fundamental rights, introduction of models for peaceful settlements of labour disputes, promotion of gender equality at work.(2)Employment creation and enterprise development: e.g., introduction of models for employment policies and their implementation, development of employment services, local employment development, enhancement of vocational training, promotion of entrepreneurship and SMEs, and the development of labour markets, including markets for vulnerable groups.(3)Social protection: e.g., support of national OSH systems and policies and capacity building of national labour inspections, OSH training of labour inspectors and even doctors, assistance in ratification, implementation of international labour standards, advice on the development of social security, social security, and pension reforms, and capacity building.(4)Social dialogue: e.g., legal advice on and technical assistance for national social dialogue mechanisms and capacity building of social partners.Taking into consideration the whole subregion, the inputs of the DWCPs were directed, in addition to the objectives of the ILO DWCP guidebook, also to recognized national needs. As a whole, the Western Balkans\u2019 sub-regional activities covered all the four pillars of the Decent Work Agenda well, but the programme contents differed between the countries, reflecting their specific needs. Examples of activities of the different Decent Work Pillars were:The overall performance assessment results of the evaluation are shown in The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is well endowed with human and natural resources. Given its economic potential, the SADC is one of the most promising developing regions of the world. The economies of the SADC Member States are at different stages of development, and as a result, the state of industry varies widely throughout the region. In many Member States, agriculture plays a major role in the economy, employing almost half of the total population of the region. Mining employs just 5% of the population, but contributes 60% to the foreign exchange earnings and 10% of gross domestic product for the SADC region. Tourism is growing rapidly, employing about 11% of the workforce and contributing over 12% to GDP.The countries of the region are diverse in their degree of development and living and working conditions. In spite of positive perspectives, the region still faces several challenges, including high levels of poverty (majority of people) and inequality, high unemployment (ranging from 4.5% to 80%) and underemployment, labour migration, and neglect of the application of law and international standards. Other challenges are low productivity and the low coverage of social security among the majority of men and women, youth, and children. For example, in South Africa, HIV/AIDS among the working-age population is high, at 12.5%.The four countries selected for evaluation had different economic and human development indicators: Lesotho and South Africa both have middle-income status in the World Bank ranking, and HDIs of 0.518 (low) and 0.705 (medium), respectively. Madagascar and Tanzania still belong to the low-income group with low HDIs of 0.521 and 0.528, respectively .The regional DWP had the following objectives and expected outcomes:Priority 1. Regional and technical work: The priority areas had the following objectives: (a) harmonization and strengthening of functional SADC labour market information systems (LMIS), (b) development of labour migration system, and (c) elimination of human traffickingPriority 2. Promotional work: (a) Ratification, domestication, and compliance of and compliance with International labour standards, (b) promotion of youth employment strategy, (c) compliance with SADC codes , and (d) promotion of Decent Work in the informal economy in SADC Member States.Priority 3. Information sharing: (a) improving knowledge of best practices in employment and labour policies, legislation, programmes, and social protection floors among Member States and (b) harmonization and development of skills development policies.The inputs of the DWCPs in the four countries varied widely.Lesotho: (a) employment creation for poverty reduction, (b) improvement of social protection coverage, and (c) development of tripartism and social dialogue.Madagascar: The DWCP set out two priorities: (a) to promote access of vulnerable groups to employment by enhancing their employability and boosting employment generating sectors; and (b) to improve labour productivity by promoting social dialogue, fundamental principles and rights at work, as well as social protection.Tanzania: (a) extension of social protection coverage for all; (b) promotion of the creation of productive employment; (c) improvement of compliance with labour standards and rights at work; (d) strengthening of social dialogue mechanisms at national and sectoral levels.South Africa: (a) strengthening of fundamental principles and rights at work; (b) promotion of employment creation; (c) strengthening and broadening of social protection coverage to include vulnerable workers operating in the informal economy and informal employment; (d) strengthening of tripartism and social dialogue.The overall assessment results of the SADC countries\u2019 evaluation are presented in The DWCP content, implementation, and actions varied between the countries, due to differences in the diagnosed country needs, national and regional circumstances, and available resources. Large numbers of region-, country-, and substance-specific conclusions and recommendations for the future development of the DWCPs were made. Some overall conclusions can also be drawn from the evaluation reports by using the ILO DWCP evaluation criteria.The relevance of the Regional and National DWCPs was found to be high, due to the national needs identification diagnosis and participatory principle applied with all constituents\u2019 partners. The ability of the national stakeholders to participate, however, varied widely depending on the national circumstances and resources. The DWCPs were also well synchronized with the other programmes of the UN (MDGs and SDGs) and the programmes of NGOs working for related objectives.The programme design and coherence were ensured through effective and skilful guidance provided by the ILO, based on the ILO Decent Work Agenda, DWCP Guidebook, and guidelines and diagnostic methods prepared for regional and country levels.Where critical conditions for full participation were met, the effectiveness and efficiency were good. In countries with lower interest or capacities for participation, capacities of institutions, national ownership of programmes, and availability of human and financial resources, the need for further development and strengthening of these resources was identified.The impact of DWCPs in most countries was good, due to enhanced awareness of Decent Work and transfer of the DWCP objectives to national strategies.The implementation was critically dependent on national circumstances, on political support, participation culture by stakeholders, on institutional capacities, and on human and financial resources, which in many countries need strengthening.The 2019 ILO Report, Time to Act for SDG 8, urges policy-makers around the world to help speed up progress towards SDG 8 and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda as a whole . AccordiOn the basis of experiences gained and the independent external evaluations performed so far, the following conclusions can be drawn:Globalization shows both positive and negative impacts on the occupational health of working people. These are not distributed equally between the countries with different degrees of development.Workers\u2019 health and work ability and healthy and safe workplaces are factors in productive employment, sustainable economies, and overall socioeconomic development. Globalization challenges all these aspects and calls for proactive occupational health policies and actions.The global analysis of health, safety, and economic burden of occupational and work-related diseases and injuries has been estimated to be at a level of 2.8 million fatalities. The majority (about 89%) of the total burden is attributed to WRDs, and about eleven percent to occupational injuries. The economic loss from such hazards amounts to 4% of GDPs on average. Recently, ILO has predicted a global loss of 25 million jobs by the COVID-19 pandemic.International surveys have shown low coverage of occupational health services (OHS) in the world . OHS are the key partner for the prevention and management of hazards for health and work ability at work and for the promotion of health and work ability. ILO C161 on Occupational Health Services aims to provide OHS for all workers.The COVID-19 pandemic has changed dramatically the perspectives for Decent Work and simultaneously demonstrated the critical value of health and safety, as well as of universal occupational health coverage in the management of the global crisis.The Decent Work Agenda of the ILO was established to equalize the impact of globalization on employment, workers\u2019 rights, conditions of work, OSH, social protection, and social dialogue.In 2000\u20132019, the ILO launched a total of 121 DWCPs, i.e., in two-thirds of the 187 ILO Member States. So far, 53 DWCPs have been subjected to external evaluation, either as individual country evaluations or as a part of regional evaluations, and were deemed well guided, well documented, and well implemented.The contents of the DWCPs have been drawn up on the basis of the ILO Decent Work Agenda and the diagnosis of countries\u2019 Decent Work needs and deficits, identified with the help of the Decent Work indicators. Thus, the programmes may differ between countries or the weight of the different Decent Work Pillars may vary between the DWCPs.The rapid changes in working life and working conditions and the parallel major demographic trends mean that OHS must be given more emphasis. For this, the promotion, ratification, and implementation of ILO C161 on Occupational Health Services should be enhanced, aiming for universal occupational health coverage of all workers. The Basic Occupational Health Service approach (BOHS) can serve as an instrument for the implementation of UOHC.In the DWCPs, accidents and safety have been well addressed, but the health dimension and the work-related diseases, WRDs, except for HIV-AIDS at the workplace, are almost non-existent. There is a need to more firmly address the prevention and management of WRDs in DWCPs and ILO policies in general.The Decent Work concept has been deemed timely and feasible at the country level and has been widely adopted by the countries. The DWCPs are effectively guided by the ILO and designed to respond to countries\u2019 needs . They are implemented through national authorities and actors, with technical support from the ILO. The external evaluations collected data on the implementation and country experiences and provided guidance for the further development of the DWCPs.Although effective legal and technical tools, methodologies, and measures to prevent occupational accidents and diseases exist, there is a need for increased general awareness of the importance of OSH and OHS. High-level political commitment is needed for the development of national OSH systems and their effective implementation, including the development of OHS in particular.The ILO Decent Work concept has been adopted as the key content of SDG 8 of the UN 2030 Strategy. The ILO has been assigned as a custodian of 13 SDG 8 targets in the UN Strategy. Thus, the Decent Work Agenda contributes substantially to the implementation of the UN 2030 Strategy, but needs to strengthen the implementation and particularly occupational health dimension. Through the UN SDGs and the Global Commission on the Future of Work Report, the ILO Decent Work Agenda will have a bright future at least up to 2030 and possibly beyond. This brightness is seriously shadowed by the current COVID-19 pandemic. One of the key 2030 objectives should be the UOHC of all working people of the world. This need is even more emphasized by the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, which demonstrates the unmeasurable value of occupational health and work ability of workers as a critical factor for the maintenance of the whole social fabric, health of the population, national and global economies, employment, and the overall functioning of the national, international, and global systems.Decent Work is a unique social innovation with global coverage. The ILO has promoted and implemented it with its constituents for two decades, respecting the consistency and continuity of the ILO Decent Work Agenda. Over 120 countries have joined the ILO for implementation of the DWCPs and succeeded in integrating the DWCPs into national economic, employment, and social policies and programmes. Occupational safety and health have been included in part of, but not in all DWCPs. The external evaluations found the implementation of DWCPs on average good, but variation was wide. The external evaluation results have been used for continuous learning and improvement by all stakeholders. This has generated opportunities to achieve system-wide impact on the work life of the countries.The sustainability of the ILO Decent Work policy was ensured through the UN 2030 Agenda, the ILO Global Commission Report on the Future of Work, and the ILO Centenary Declaration. The priority given to occupational safety and health in the DWCPs needs, however, enhancement, and the position of occupational health services needs it even more. In view of the evidence on the global burden of work-related diseases the strengthening of the occupational health approach and expansion of the coverage of occupational health services are justified according to the lines of the UN Resolution on Universal Health Coverage, including the call for Universal Occupational Health Coverage (UOHC) and the provisions of the ILO Convention No. 161. The recent pandemic emergencies further emphasize the important role of occupational health."} +{"text": "This research aims at exploring and recognizing the effectiveness of implementing a community-based safety plan on reducing the occurrence of road accidents in the city of Zarand.The research method is descriptive method with analytical approach. To analyze the obtained statistical data, descriptive and inferential statistics were used. For field surveys, a questionnaire was used and for analyzing the data obtained from the questionnaire, the inferential statistics such as Friedman and Measurement tests were used. A paired T-test was used to test the significance of the hypotheses.The research showed the positive effect of the implementation of safe community plan on the reduction of accidents. The main cause of the accidents was human factors, including unauthorized speed and overtaking, left-leaning and rushing. After that, the quality and technical issues of the road have been identified, and according to the interviewees, the main cause of accidents is identified as hazardous route bends, especially in rural areas, poor quality paths and inappropriate signs. The technical and qualitative factors of the car are in the third place and, finally, the environmental and natural factors are the fourth. Also, hypotheses related to the role of the implementation of the safe community plan in reducing mortality, car accidents and pedestrian accidents were confirmed. It was also found that the role of human factors was reduced by implementing strategies such as training and changing the behavior of people, the quality of roads and technical issues. Safe society, Accidents, Human factors, Environmental factors, Road factors, Zarand City"} +{"text": "The GSA COVID-19 Task Force developed multiple materials to assist older adults, those who care for them, and policy makers in understanding a variety of topics, including aging and immunity, ageism, the process of developing a vaccine, and how to social distance. Members of the group also undertook development of a decision aid on whether to engage in activities outside the home. The process of developing the decision aid according to Ottawa Research Institute guidelines will be explained."} +{"text": "The present study aimed to propose a model for the national hemovigilance information system with a database approach, considering the importance and necessity of developing an information system for such a network.This is an applied, descriptive, and cross-sectional study, which was conducted in 2018. The research population comprised hemovigilance information systems in advanced countries, including the USA, UK, Australia, and France. Data were collected from library sources and the Internet from 2000 to 2018. The proposed model for the national hemovigilance information system was introduced using comparative tables and based on the similarities and differences of systems in the studied countries. The proposed model was then validated using the two-step Delphi technique through a researcher-made questionnaire whose validity was confirmed, and reliability was approved by a Cronbach\u2019s alpha of 94%.The final model of the national hemovigilance information system comprised five main components: goals, organizations involved in the blood transfusion process, databases of blood transfusion organizations, data transfer flow between the databases of blood transfusion organizations, and transferable datasets, and hemovigilance-related committees. This model was approved by experts with an >85% agreement coefficient.The national hemovigilance information system with a database approach can improve blood transfusion health by providing access to reliable sources on blood transfusion complications to everyone, especially the medical community. Thus, it is essential to implement this standard accurately and precisely control the practical methods of this process based on international guidelines. Blood transfusion is the primary concern for medicine. The advancement in the knowledge and awareness on this topic paves the way for the prevention of diseases and the improvement of the treatment process . In the The process of blood transfusion comprises various clinical and laboratory services; therefore, all the steps in this process must be followed with precision, efficiency, and reliability in order to prevent unwanted complications . Blood tA hemovigilance system is a tool for quality improvement in the blood transfusion process, mainly focusing on safety ,7. This The World Health Organization published in 2007 the standards on the blood transfusion process. Based on this report, the global database on blood safety, 42 countries have implemented national hemovigilance systems under different titles, e.g., the Haemovigilance Advisory Committee (HAC) in Australia in 2008 , the FreAs Iran is a member of the International Haemovigilance Network, due to the importance of designing such an information system for this network, and since no comprehensive study has been conducted on a natThe present applied, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted in the following three steps:1.Review of the literatureIn this step, the required data were collected based on a review of the literature on a hemovigilance information system and its main components in different countries, including the US, UK, Australia, and France, in Ovid, Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases from 2000 to 2018 using the following keywords: National Hemovigillance System, Hemovigilance System, Hemovigilance Network, Hemovigilance Information System, and Transfusion blood system.2.Developing a model for hemovigilance information system in IranIn this step, organizations in charge of blood transfusion and hemovigilance system in Iran were identified, and their work process was examined. Afterward, based on the results of the literature review and the organization and structure of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization (IBTO), a model for the national hemovigilance information system was developed.3.Model validationValidation was performed using the Delphi technique in two steps. First, a researcher-made questionnaire, including the demographic information of system users and the model of axes, was developed. The questionnaire was given to six experts , and their opinions were sought to check the validity. Moreover, Cronbach\u2019s alpha was calculated to determine the reliability of the questionnaire, which equaled 94%. As the value was above 0.7, the questionnaire was found to have high reliability. Then, the final model was given to 13 hematology experts at medical universities in Tehran, as well as the IBTO. Expert opinions on the main components of this model were collected, and the agreement coefficient of 75% was set as the criterion for model acceptance. Next, expert opinions were applied to the proposed model. In the second step of the Delphi technique, an expert panel with six hematology and health information management experts was formed in order to finalize the proposed model. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data on the final model confirmation.The review of the literature revealed that the goal shared by all countries with hemovigilance networks or systems included monitoring transfusion-related complications and reactions and enhancing quality and patient safety by improving the reporting system. Accordingly, the most important components of the hemovigilance information system were determined to be the definition and specifications of organizations involving in the hemovigilance system, databases, and data transfer flow in each database of the noted organizations.The proposed model for the national hemovigilance information system with a database approach in Iran comprised five main components:1.Goals of the national hemovigilance information system2.Organizations involved in the blood transfusion process3.Databases of blood transfusion organizations4.Data transfer flow and transferable datasets5.Hemovigilance-related committeesMajor organizations involved in the blood transfusion process included blood donation and transfusion centers, blood transfusion organizations in provinces, the IBTO, and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME).Data transfer in the process of blood transfusion has been planned at the city, province, and national levels. There are centers for donating and receiving blood at the city level, including blood transfusion organizations at the province level, blood donation centers, and mobile centers for blood donation. The data transfer process was designed as follows: after blood donation, in case of any complications in the donor, this event is immediately reported to the hemovigilance committees at the province level in the blood transfusion organization. Centers receiving blood donation include hospitals and clinics for special diseases in which blood is transfused. In hospitals, complications are immediately reported to the hemovigilance chief physician. Using the national hemovigilance information system, a set of data elements is recorMoreover, a hemovigilance committee is formed in hospitals. If the complication turns out to be related to the transfusion process, this problem is reported to the hemovigilance committee at the province level.Based on organizations and activities related to the blood transfusion process, hemovigilance committees are formed at different levels consist of hospital, provenance, and national level committees.Findings of model validation indicated that all major axes were completely accepted by experts. However, there were some disagreements on several sub-criteria of the major axes. In cases where the agreement coefficient was <75%, those criteria were removed. Furthermore, some sub-criteria were suggested for addition. These suggestions were discussed by experts in the second step of the Delphi technique. The results are presented below.The suggested goals for the national hemovigilance information system, including policy-making and better allocation of financial resources, health planning for blood donors and recipients, evidence-based care planning, monitoring of blood and blood product supply chain, preparing statistical reports on transfusion-related unwanted events, blood processing and transfusion, and measures for preventing complications were agreed upon by all experts (100%).The formation of hemovigilance committees at the city, province, and national level was agreed by all experts. Also, all experts agreed with sending the data online .Findings in this table show that the IBTO, Health Vice-Chancellorship of the MoHME, hospitals, blood and blood product research centers, Iranian Society of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Iranian Scientific Association of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, Iranian Blood Transfusion Association, and Iranian Laboratory Hematology Association were approved by experts (100%). Nevertheless, the Food and Drug Vice-Chancellorship of the MoHME, Iranian Society of Pathology, Iranian Pediatric Hematology & Oncology Society, and Iranian Scientific Association of Clinical Laboratory were eliminated as they scored below 75% .It is evident that that, except for the head of the information management unit, the operating room supervisor, and a representative from the financial affairs unit, the other members were approved by experts (<92%). Therefore, the remaining sub-criteria were eliminated from the final model. It was also suggested that the following be added to the hospital committee: educational supervisor, head of quality improvement unit, patient safety contact, hemovigilance nurse, treatment deputy, and legal medicine expert.Also, findings show that all members were approved by scores of >84%. It was also suggested that the following should be added to province-level committees: patient safety intermediary, hemovigilance chief nurse, a representative of the province-level laboratory affairs unit, and medical associations .Based on In the second step of the Delphi technique, the proposed model was finalized, and all experts completely agreed (100%) with the suggestions added to the model .The goal shared by all countries with hemovigilance networks or systems is monitoring transfusion-related complications and reactions and enhancing the quality and patient safety by improving the reporting system. Accordingly, the proposed model for the national hemovigilance information system with a database approach in Iran comprised the five components of goals, organizations involved in the blood transfusion process and their databases, data transfer flow, transferable datasets, and hemovigilance-related committees. Organizations participating in this system included the IBTO, Health Vice-Chancellorship of the MoHME, hospitals, blood and blood product research centers, Iranian Society of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Iranian Scientific Association of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, Iranian Blood Transfusion Association, and Iranian Laboratory Hematology Association. Similarly, the Australian National Blood Authority cooperates with organizations and committees such as the Peripheral blood mononuclear-stem cell (PBMSC) monitoring committee, the National Immunoglobulin Governance Advisory Committee (NIGAC) and the Australian Haemophilia Centre Directors\u2019 Organisation (AHCDO). Associations cooperating with this system include the Australian Association of Pathology Practices (AAPP), Australia and New Zealand Society of Blood Transfusion (ANZSBT), and Australian Private Hospitals Associations (APHA). It is noteworthy that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US and the In the study conducted by Ganz and Wu , the 201In the present study, the following data elements were included: patients\u2019 demographic characteristics, healthcare events and side-events, the intensity of outcome, blood transfusion measures, the examination of results, type of product, transfused volume and time interval since the onset of transfusion until the event, patient\u2019s clinical condition at the onset of transfusion and during the event, ability to trace each part of the transfusion process, examining whether complications are due to transfusion, and the responsibilities of the hemovigilance chief physician.Similarly, the study by Hillis et al. confirmeMoreover, in the present study, reports are daily and electronically sent, and the method of reporting is based on pre-determined reporting formats at different levels based on the information needs of stakeholders. Similarly, in the study by Sandid et al. and LianInformation is distributed and published using websites, software programs, fax, and automation in the proposed model for the hemovigilance information system in the present study. Consistent with the study by Vanagas et al. , the infThe national hemovigilance information system with a database approach can improve blood transfusion health by providing access to reliable sources on blood transfusion complications to everyone, especially the medical community. Thus, it is essential to accurately implement this standard and precisely control the practical methods of this process based on international guidelines.The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest."} +{"text": "The mission of the majority of dental colleges around the world is to provide the high level of education and facilities to learn about the upstream factors that affect the health outcomes, such as personal behaviors, health care quality and access, social, cultural, economic factors, and to graduate dentists with the ability and desire to improve the health of all people by alleviating suffering and eliminating healthcare disparities through their leadership in patient care, research, education, health care administration, and the community , 2.To achieve these missions appropriately, such authorities as to the ministry of health, ministry of higher education, accreditation bodies, etc. which are responsible for supervision and accreditation of dental colleges must have strict rules and regulations for establishment of the new colleges.Unfortunately, in most developing countries such as Iraq, many conflicts of interest exist . These cThe tremendous increase in establishing new private colleges in the same province in Iraq threaten the quality of education mainly due to severe shortage in teaching staff. This, in turn, leads to graduation of unqualified dentists and low-quality oral health care services , 6. Thus"} +{"text": "The objective was to identify the presence of the capacity for reflexive-critical thinking or similar, in Nursing Curricula in Iberian America.Strategies to develop reflective and critical thinking in nursing students:Iberian America situation. To achieve this, a descriptive and exploratory research was conducted with qualitative approach. An instrument created for this project was used, along with some guiding questions to focus the information..The article gathers the results of one of the objectives of the macro-project developed by the Iberian American Network on Nursing Education Research, titled Eight countries participated , which contributed information from 189 curricular plans. The R&CT was found in the majority of the curricula, although with diverse denominations. The principal learning strategies used were problem-based learning, group dynamics, reflective reading, clinical practice, and simulation laboratories. The evaluation methods used are the knowledge test, case analysis, and practical exam.Significant stress exists in the discourse and curricular organization. Incongruences were found and a clear inclination toward the formation of professionals with broad technical skills under a traditional, memory, banking and knowledge accumulation education. Currently, the nursing professional\u2019s formation must respond in efficient, integral, timely, assertive, and humanistic manner to the demands required by caring for life and maintenance and reestablishment of human health. This is not an easy task, given that the formal care provided by this professional implies the dynamic of growing changes in the designs and current university methodologies, claim with it the implementation of an integrating vision and transversal of the contents, to deploy effectively the elements necessary to manage to strengthen the skills needed by a graduate from a professional nursing program.., recommend que las higher education institutions (HEI) in Iberian America que offer higher education in Nursing (undergraduate and graduate), form and contribute an interpretative vision in nursing professionals, through an academic curriculum that goes beyond teaching the diverse functions -granting, education, investigation, management, and administration, among others - that will take place around formal or professional nursing care, developing innovative skills. One of t.,3Thinking reflectively and critically permits knowing and discriminating one action from another, in function of priorities established to care for the person, interacting with them in emancipatory manner, where forms or bridges of union must be sought between the most artistic part of nursing and those elements more associated with the field of science, thus, achieving higher quality when providing care. The deveThe critical thinking capacity describes an integral or holistic behavior and it is expected that its promotion and development be cross-sectional, that is, that during each period and in each assignment or unit of learning it is taught by the professor and learnt by the students, as an individual skill, with interpersonal connotations, related with other skills, like analysis and synthesis capacity, critical and self-critical capacity, management of information, decision making, and problem resolution.Since the 1990s, in different national and international institutional documents, the need was established to develop the capacity for R&CT of the nursing staff during their formation and during exercise of their work practice. The scientific literature related with this study object also confirms the importance of developing said capacity.,8 Nevertrd Network Meeting in September 2011, in Coimbra, Portugal, within the framework of the 11th Iberian American Conference on Nursing Education, organized by the ALADEFE. This article describes the presence of the R&CT capacity in curricula of higher level or degree in nursing of educational institutions in Iberian America, as well as the educational approaches, teaching, learning, and evaluation strategies registered in each academic program analyzed.The Iberian American Network on Nursing Education Research identified as one of its research priorities the \u201cDevelopment of Reflective and Critical Thinking in Nursing Students\u201d, a preference backed by the participation of over 80 nurses from Iberian American countries who attended the 3More frequently, the characteristics that distinguish nursing professionals are cognitive abilities over psychomotor skills that, historically, have been over-dimensioned in the academic curriculum. Reflection and reflective practice are very familiar terms, currently, within the setting of the nursing practice. These are meanings that can generate a broad spectrum of sensations and reactions: from more enthusiastic adhesion to ambiguity and skepticism. In recent decades, ideas related with reflection and the reflective practice have been incorporated in initial and continuous formation programs in the context in which is conducted the research study by the RIIEE.The evolution of nursing degree curricula has crossed continental borders and has homogenized the objectives and las philosophical lines that inspire different curricula aimed, in these moments, at formation through skills, among which are highlighted as vertebral axis of the formation the capacity for critical thinking. This has permitted, saving the cultural, economic, and socioeconomic diversity of the different regions, to undertake an interuniversity and international study of the educational dimensions presented by this research. Given thThis research has considered the paradigmatic visions or positioning of the authors already mentioned, from which was constructed the integrating notion of R&CT by the RIIEE, which alludes to a \u201cProcess of complex, systematic, dialogical and deliberate, self-directed and action-oriented reasoning, whose primary purpose is to choose, based on intellectual and affective processes , the best response options that favor nursing problem solving in well-defined contexts and according with the ethical postulates of the profession\u201d. This conThe objective of this study was to identify the R&CT presence or similar , in the different Nursing curricula of higher education institutions in Iberian America.study universe, these were nursing curricula of Iberian America and the study population the nursing curricula from universities that offer the career in Nursing in the regions comprising the RIIEE, independent of their being public or private. A population was chosen through convenience, taking into account the complexity and diversity that exists in a study of these dimensions and areas of influence, as shown in This research was carried out with the participation from research groups from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, Peru, Mexico, and Venezuela. It is an exploratory, descriptive study with mixed approach. This article privileges the presentation of qualitative results. Although the project has a common methodological framework, consensual adaptations have been made, in function of the context in which it has been applied, according to the exploratory methodology adopted, to obtain results more in keeping with the reality in each region and assuming the characteristics and limitations of each context. Regarding the The inclusion criteria were the curricula that had in their academic plan some assignments that included the R&CT capacity or similar words considered synonymous for this study, such as critical thinking, reflexive thinking, analysis and synthesis, critical and self-critical capacity, information management, decision making, problem resolution, among others; the curricula had to of public access or that when required from the respective academic instances, such would be provided.The study categories or nuclei were: (i) presence of the R&CT capacity or similar in the curriculum; (ii) teaching and learning methodologies and strategies suggested in the curricula to develop and promote the R&CT capacity or similar; (iii) forms of evaluations suggested in the nursing curricula linked to achieving the R&CT capacity; and (iv) coherence between the R&CT capacity and the educational methodology used in teaching, learning, and assessment processes. Upon identifying the R&CT presence in the curricula, the study proceeded to review the areas of knowledge or areas of development of the academic offer, which were classified into biomed, public health, nursing, research, and electives.To collect the data, a document was constructed, which in the first instance permitted identifying the type of institution, dependence, and country; thereafter, it was possible to gather elements to characterize R&CT within the curricula, through data related with the presence and denomination of this capacity, where, through consideration of the research team, terms were accepted, like analysis and synthesis, problem resolution, decision making, information management, or critical and self-critical capacity, given that they are all related with this type of thinking. Data was also gathered about the assignments, areas of knowledge, teaching-learning methodologies, and evaluation activities, with these elements being necessary to complement the characterization of the development and positioning of R&CT within the curricula. Lastly, to guide filling out the document, 10 guiding questions were elaborated, which permitted obtaining information on the educational approaches and the curricular theory that support the development of R&CT in nursing education institutions in Iberian America that participated in the research.The empirical or field phase filled out 189 data-collection documents. The results were first grouped into the four regions that participated in the research: Andean, Brazil, Mexico, and Europe, resulting from it a regional analysis to, finally, elaborate a final report that permitted knowing the differences and similarities in the nursing degree academic programs in eight countries and 189 curricular plans; organized based on the four categories or thematic nuclei of study already indicated, deriving from the results some conclusions, reflections, and recommendations, taking as axis the objectives proposed in this research.This project adhered to the Helsinki Declaration and to legislation in effect in each region and country of Iberian America for the regulation of confidentiality and protection of data obtained in the research.formation purpose proposes achieving a professional with integral, reflexive, critical formation, capable of adapting and transforming reality, with critical conscience, entrepreneurial leader, free, critical, and universal. The methodological strategy develops and implements pedagogical methods that promote reasoning and creative critical thought, curricular design through skills, analysis of lectures, group dynamics, individual and group practices, integrates theory-practice and integrates teaching-research and extension, with respect to conducting research, which can transcend at interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary levels. As result: the individual can solve problems, promote critical thinking, generate knowledge, critical analysis, capable of anticipating and visioning the future, and construct viable alternatives to problems.The total of the curricula reviewed, although with different emphasis, contemplate the development of R&CT as priority for all graduates from educational institutions. It was identified that this type of thinking was found in three complementary stages: as formation purpose, as methodological strategy, and as result. The Referring to the curricular theory used in the construction and conduction of the curricula, the study identified diversity of approaches, although in most cases alluding to constructivism, centered on learning (independent learning or self-learning), through skills, flexible or semi-flexible; aimed in inter and/or multidisciplinary manner, favoring, in some cases, accent lines: community, clinical, entrepreneurial, educational and/or research, although it is worth mentioning that, mostly, the skill focuses only on the critical capacity and skill, leaving aside the reflective element. The explicit and implicit R&CT presence was found in all the elements that make up the curriculum, such as mission, vision, objectives, foundation of the academic program, graduation profile, curricular guidelines and evaluation, among others. Although it may be said that great diversity exists of terms that, based on the sense in which they are employed within the curricula, these may be considered synonyms of R&CT. Thus, the following can be stated: critical knowledge, reflexive thinking, analysis and synthesis, clinical practice, problem solving capacity, critical and self-critical capacity, critical and/or reflective attitude, critical and/or reflective skill, critical and/or reflective capacity, clinical judgment or clinical method, critical spirit, problem resolution, information management and decision making; all imply a self-directed, complex, systematic, and deliberate reasoning process aimed at action.Social-humanist, which included assignments, like sociology, values, ethics, among others, many of them of elective nature; in contrast to those of greater curricular weight, like that of disciplinary-medical-technical knowledge - integrated by assignments, like anatomy, physiology, genetics, pharmacology, and nursing . Other assignments in which the capacity appears are Communication skills, Foreign languages, Research, Information management, Workshops, Informatics and Technology. In Spain (European region), this capacity is specified predominantly in areas of disciplinary knowledge, like Nursing models and theories, Nursing process, Practicum, Anthropology of Health, and Epistemology of Nursing.Within the Latin American RIIEE setting , R&CT presence is mostly consigned to areas of lower curricular weight, like the st century, making broad specifications on the Being, Knowing and Doing of the nursing professional. An example of this is the following manifestation: \u201cthe Nursing degree graduate will be able to \u2026solve problems, followed by decision-making professionals, with critical thinking, creative, participant, enterprising, productive, reflective and self-critical, capable of making clinical judgments, researcher, capable of business creation and engaging in independent practice, with autonomy, creativity, and self-realization, competent for intersectoral, multidisciplinary work, with effective communication and oral and written expression. Capable of providing integral care, conducting continuous and permanent learning, according to personal and professional needs\u2026\u201d (C-32).It was common to find in the graduation profile of the Nursing Curricula, belonging to the different institutions studied, the following statements: \u201ctrain higher-level professionals committed with the population\u2019s health, development of their discipline, with capacity to construct from their own knowledge, take initiative and solve problems; competitive and with aptitude for team work, assuming responsibly the risks involved in disciplinary and interdisciplinary professional practice, capable of applying knowledge based on scientific evidence to care for human health, with humanistic and bioethics sense\u201d; additionally, attributes are expressed on knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to meet the needs, demands, and conditions of the nursing labor market for the 21formal or written curriculum, which may not necessarily be congruent between the real and the hidden curriculum, an aspect that in this study exceeds those comparisons. Hence, this section only accounts for what was found in most of the curricula reviewed. In all the regions studied, the academic programs make explicit the teaching-learning strategies and evaluation of the capacity for critical thinking, supported by the literature. Nevertheless, the lack of linearity in the application of these strategies is also common. These are not enunciated in the curricula or in the teaching plans, at least with sufficient clarity to determine that, effectively, the teaching activity is being guided toward acquiring the R&CT capacity. The principal teaching and learning strategies made explicit in the curricula were: Portfolio of evidence, analysis of lectures, group dynamics, individual and group practices, research, problem-based learning (PBL), brainstorming, analysis and synthesis, conceptual maps, analogies, case studies, experiential workshops, nursing process, panel, forums, seminars, reflective diary, critical incident, essays, fieldwork, socio-drama, debate, dialogue, summaries, simulation laboratories, supervised clinical practice, among others.Each curriculum analyzed consigns onto the \u201cteaching and learning activities\u201d section a range of actions the curricular program suggests, but it should be mentioned that this is only the so-called etc., which is not congruent with the didactic-pedagogic techniques of transmitting knowledge, generally evaluated to pass a course and promote students to the next academic level.The evaluation activities identified in the curricula reviewed were: portfolio of evidence, field diaries or logbooks, knowledge test, practical exam, elaboration of research work, essays, as well as case studies, elaboration of the nursing process, clinical case, written exam, oral exam, and self-evaluation. Regarding the evaluation, it was found that know-how is mainly evaluated. There is a message/discourse on constructivism, capacities, flexibility, self-learning, The teaching and learning strategies enunciated in the curricula reviewed are diverse. It is common to denominate active, creative, reflective, and critical or innovative methodologies. Most of the teaching plans gather the emerging tendencies having to do with learning and evaluation activities, although full coherence is not observed in them among the learning results expected, the teaching-learning activities developed and those activities to be evaluated by said results. Most of the curricula reviewed in this study do not make explicit the linearity between skill and the teaching-learning-assessment activities (T-L-E).The R&CT capacity is currently a necessary capacity highlighted, explicitly and narratively, in all the Nursing Curricula reviewed in this research; although it must be specified that they must be expressed through diverse nominations, which permits concluding that the term can be seen as multi-voiced. LikewiseIt is interesting to find in the graduation profile of the curricula analyzed statements that describe the formation of nursing professionals committed with the health of the population, development of their discipline, with capacity to construct their own knowledge, take initiative, and solve problems; this implies collecting, interpreting, evaluating, and selecting information for the purpose of making timely decisions on the fThe social, cultural, health, and educational needs, to mention some, of the person, family, and society together are based on all the curricula reviewed, an aspect not reflected in the internal congruency of the study plan; particularly, in the profession\u2019s object of study, its objectives, and the graduate\u2019s profile, still privileging a biological, ahistorical, and individual education, although enunciating an integral or holistic formation of the graduate. We belieMoreover, the gap is often observed between the curricular theory and the pedagogical practice consigned in the majority of the curricula studied. Adaptation of the traditional nursing curriculum to a skills-based curriculum has assumed an important advance for the nursing formation. In the first place, it has mean tan effort of reflection shared by the faculty to become conscious of the new approaches the nursing career must assume, in order to reduce the gap between theory and practice. Integration of contents, coordination among faculty staff, and transversality, as well the orientation toward the professional practice, have been elements present in the reflection carried out. Change is evident in the elaboration of the curriculum, above all in that referring to the orientation by skills and to more creative and innovative teacher methodologies. However, these changes are only evident at explicit curriculum level. When delving into the study of the curriculum, many questions remain unsolved, especially regarding the implicit or hidden curriculum. This poses the question of whether the nursing teachers in the study field are actually carrying out the pedagogical and didactic practices that the new curricular approach suggests in the academic program.st century, formation of nursing professionals must respond in efficient, integral, timely, assertive, and humanistic manner to the demands required by caring for life and maintenance and reestablishment of human health. This is not an easy task, given that the formal care provided by this professional implies the dynamic of growing changes in current university designs and methodologies claim with it implementation of an integrating version and transversal of the contents to deploy effectively the necessary elements to achieve strengthening the skills a nursing degree graduate must have.With respect to the teaching, learning, and evaluation strategies, it may be said that these are not only multiple and diverse, but that they do not present full congruence, such is the case, for example, of the \u201cteaching and learning strategy\u201d used by the evidence portfolio and where the \u201cevaluation\u201d section specifies that the activity and the assignment will be graded through a written test of knowledge. We deem it important to reiterate that, during the second decade of the 21Although it is true that the curriculum orientation is perceived inserted onto the constructivist current, prevalence is still noted in the curricula of technical-instrumental formation characteristic of the positivist biomedical paradigm, known for high percentages of contents with disease-focused biologic clinical character in detriment of contents oriented at health and social critique. The paradigm of the transformation in which we are immersed and which promotes the emancipation of the professionals, is scarcely supported on the formation of new professionals, which proceed and continue to form in a context marked by the repetitive and anachronistic practice of the traditional health culture, where medical paternalism continues expressing the power they maintain in healthcare structures. Nevertheless, it is necessary to highlight the effort by nursing education institutions to adjust the curricula to this new transforming paradigm, in spite of the cultural barriers instituted and which, in many cases is maintained by the care professionals themselves.knowing, know-how, and knowing-being, as general consideration of the curriculum, and knowing to coexist for nursing.(objectification only of knowledge, many times of memory type, where we believe that the principal results are limitation of the students\u2019 creativity, autonomy, and self-criticism to measure and assess their academic performance and achievement.It is prudent to remember and recognize that the evaluation should be diagnostic, formative and summative or final, which seeks to use instruments that enable feedback from the educational process, preserving respect for the academic freedom of teachers, by these being autonomous institutions, through traditional evaluation techniques or assignment of research work, essays, case study, elaboration of the nursing process, clinical case, oral exam, self-evaluation, among other forms and strategies, which will grade the domain of nursing. In spiteDevelopment and promotion of reflective and critical thinking in nursing professionals is currently essential, given that the epistemological and sociological growth of the nursing profession require professionals with permanent discernment, supported on scientific, ethical, aesthetic, and personal knowledge. Reflection and critique, as learning tools, must be incorporated into the formation of nursing professionals. If learning based on life experiences is so important in nursing, reflection is vital to avoid repeating practices that hinder professional development and affect the quality of service provided by the nursing staff. This type of multi-referred thinking must be one of the essential axes that transform the professional formation and practice and with it the quality of care to users, family, and society, besides achieving higher professional status in nursing.The results previously indicated permit stating that it is fitting to review and reorient institutional development plans, programs and academic plans, or study plans, fundamentally in what refers to the curricular contents, to develop and promote in the students and future graduates the practice of R&CT, diminishing existing gaps among theoretical formation, professional practice, and care requirements, reestablishing and maintaining health, favoring individual and collective wellbeing indices, especially if the aspiration of public and private universities that offer the nursing degree in Iberian America, consists in forming and contributing an interpretive vision to nursing professionals, through an academic curriculum that goes beyond teaching the diverse functions -granting, education, research, management, and administration, among others, which will take place around formal or professional nursing care, developing innovative skills. One of the cross-sectional-type curricular axes that must be considered, based on our point of view, is development, implementation, and promotion of R&CT in academic programs and their respective assignments or learning units, which provide nursing professionals the theoretical-practical tools necessary to use this type of thinking in any setting of the labor market they enter, which will enhance their vision, leadership, decision making, autonomy, and social and professional recognition.The principal limitation noted in a multicenter research of this nature was the collection of information in the different participating countries, to the extent in which, although a document was constructed to obtain data, the interpretations made difficult some aspects of analysis and construction of analysis categories."} +{"text": "A considerable number of qualitative studies have been published in recent years on the issues that the quantitative studies have limitations on. This study aimed at performing a meta-synthesis on qualitative studies on Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) with a scoping review approach.This meta-synthesis study was conducted as a scoping review in 2019. The Arkesy and O\u2019Malley framework was applied which has six steps of identifying the research question, identifying the relevant studies, selecting the studies, charting the data, data analysis and reporting the results, and consultation exercise. The required data were gathered by searching the relevant keywords in databases of PubMed, web of knowledge, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, Google scholar, Sid, IranMedex. Extracted data were analyzed by the Content-Analysis method.Finally, 30 studies were included. Extracted data summarized in five main themes and 17 sub-themes. The main themes were: consequences , the needs of survivors , risk factors , barriers of prevention , and prevention solutions of RTIs.This study combined the methods of the scoping review and the meta-synthesis to mapping all qualitative studies on the RTIs, with this approach, this study provides extensive and practical information for policy-makers, managers, practitioners, and researchers in the field of RTIs. Also, by applying this approach, the gaps in the existing knowledge and areas in need of further research are identified.The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13690-020-00493-0. Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) are the main cause of morbidity and mortality in the world nowadays . The bigQuantitative studies have been published on various aspects of the RTIs. Although the quantitative studies were brilliant in this area and have helped the prevention of the RTIs, they are faced with some limitations in some aspects. So the researchers used the qualitative methods besides the quantitative ones . The quaConsidering the characteristics of the qualitative studies, in recent years a significant number of these studies have been performed on some aspects of the RTIs that the quantitative studies were faced with serious limitations on those aspects , 11. SumStep one: Identification of the research questionThis was a meta-synthesis study performed as a scoping review in 2019 with the aim of the analysis of published qualitative studies on RTIs. The framework by Arkesy and O\u2019Malley was used which is the first methodological framework to manage the scoping review studies. The framework is published in 2005 and includes six steps: identification of the research question, identification of the relevant studies, selection of the studies, data charting, data analysis and reporting the results, and consultation exercise .Step onWhat are the main approaches of the qualitative studies on RTIs?What are the main methods of data collection in qualitative studies on RTIs?What are the most important aspects of RTIs studied in qualitative studies and what are the results?The research question was what are the characteristics and results of the qualitative studies on RTIs. The question is specifically divided into the following:Step two: Identification of the relevant studiesInclusion and exclusion criteria: All qualitative studies on the RTIs from January 2000 to March 2019 were eligible to include in the analysis. The language was limited to English and Persian. Those studies on injuries of accidents other than road traffic accidents , those studies that assessed the RTIs and other injuries at the same time, short communications, and conference abstracts were excluded.Step three: Study selection/screeningThe required data were gathered by searching the keywords of road traffic injury, road traffic accidents, road traffic crashes, motorcycle accident, motorcycle crash, motorcycle injury, motor vehicle injury, motor vehicle crash, motor vehicle accident, qualitative, interview, phenomenology, focus group discussion, grounded theory at the databases of PubMed, web of knowledge, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, Google scholar, Sid, IranMedex flow diagram was usedStep four: Categorization of the dataAfter screening, the reporting quality of the studies was assessed by two researchers using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) checklist. The checklist includes 10 items. The first two items are screening questions. The appraisal of the study would continue only if the answer to at least one of these two questions was yes. For the next eight questions the three options of Yes, Can\u2019t tell, No were marked for which the scores of three, two, one were assigned respectively . So the Step five: Conclusion, summarization, and reporting the resultsTo extract the data, the data extraction form was developed in MS Word 2010. Data for three papers were extracted as a pilot. Then the form was revised. The intended data included: author(s), year, country, study purpose, participants, the approach of the study, data collection method, study findings (themes and sub-themes).Step six: Providing practical recommendationsThe gathered data were analyzed by the content analysis method. Content-Analysis is a widespread method for the analysis of qualitative data through the identification, analysis, and reporting of the patterns (themes) within a text \u201318. CodiAfter extracting and reporting the study results, based on the study findings and the opinions of the research team, practical recommendations were made in terms of research methodology and also for the policymakers and managers.Of the 4623 retrieved records, 1825 were duplicates. At the title and abstract screening, 2752 records were removed. The full-text review also resulted in the removal of 16 papers so finally, 30 papers were included in the synthesis , change in roles of the family members such as the breadwinner role of the mother of children due to injury of the father), and cut or reduction of family income.One main social consequence of the RTIs that was highly mentioned was the limitations of the social relations of the injured people. Moreover, the accidents due to the low safety of the vehicles and roads can result in distrust of the people in government actions.One of the most obvious consequences of RTIs is financial consequences. It includes damages to the vehicle, damages to road facilities, treatment and care costs of the injured people, costs of losing the productivity of the people in the society, paying the blood money, and other costs.Every RTIs due to the mentioned consequences creates some needs in the injured individual and his/her family. One of these needs is the social needs of the injured people which include social support by the government, charities, family, and friends in terms of financial, mental, spiritual, and legal supports. Another need after an RTI is the need for healthcare which includes emergency care right after the accident, specialist and quality care at the hospital, rehabilitation care, and mental care.The other main theme was the risk factors of the RTIs which had three sub-themes of general risk factors (five items), risk factors for motorcyclists (five items), risk factors for children and adolescents (four items). Table\u00a0The barriers to the prevention of the RTIs were in three categories of general barriers (five main and 13 sub-main), pre-hospital barriers (three main and 10 sub-main), emergency, and hospital barriers (two main and five sub-main). Table\u00a0Solutions for prevention of the RTIs and reduction of their consequences were categorized in five dimensions including increasing safety (three items), rules and regulations (four items), education (two items), increasing equipment (five items), and scientific solutions (two items). Table\u00a0Results of the quality appraisal of the included qualitative studies showed that the average quality score of them was 21.6 in the 8\u201324 range. One issue that did not receive sufficient attention in the studies was the ethical issues , needs , risk factors of the RTIs , barriers of prevention of the RTIs , and solutions of prevention of the RTIs .The RTIs not only cause physical and financial problems, but also cause some mental problems due to losing family members, feeling guilty, feeling ashamed, being an encumbrance, and fear of the future. The physical problems usually get better by healthcare or the person becomes adapted to the problems. But the mental problems such as long-term depressions bring more suffering for the person and have more severe consequences . A meta-Another consequence of RTIs is financial issues. The high social and economic costs of the RTIs have challenged the policymakers of the countries , 58. TheOne of the main needs of the victims of the RTIs is the need for social support because they cause the victims to be socially isolated , 68. NumOne of the most important categories of the risk factors identified in this study is the risk factors of the motorcyclists. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the risk of death of the motorcyclists is 34 times more than other vehicles. This number is eight times for severe injuries . Most ofAs it is mentioned, the risk factors identified from qualitative papers in this study were general risk factors, specifically for motorcyclists and children and adolescents. Yet quantitative studies have identified specific risk factors for other groups of people such as the elderly, pedestrians, and bike riders. The literature shows that these groups are also vulnerable to RTIs \u201396 and sThe study by Khorasani Zavareh et al. (2009) showed that there are several barriers to the prevention of the RTIs in Iran. The main theme of the study was the lack of a systemic approach to the prevention of the RTIs and the sub-themes were human resources, transportation systems, and organizational coordination . A reporThe existence of a leading organization with sufficient authority and tools is one of the most important solutions for the prevention of the RTIs. Several organizations are involved in RTIs and their prevention, of which the main ones are the ministry of transportation, ministry of industry, ministry of health, traffic Police, forensic medicine organization, Central insurance organization, ministry of Justice, ministry of interior, the red crescent organization, and the EMS. At the countries that are successful in reducing the burden of the RTIs, usually, there is a leading organization that has the stewardship of the activities around the RTIs , 102. FoAnother important solution that was emphasized in several studies is establishing an on-time and effective registration and reporting system. The experiences of the countries indicate that the health sector can play an effective role in designing and implementing the recording and reporting system of the RTIs \u2013108. In Although with the best of our knowledge this is the first study of scoping review and meta-synthesis on qualitative studies on the RTIs, it has some limitations. The main limitation of this study was limiting the search of the literature to English and Persian languages because there might be some good studies in other languages that are not included in the synthesis. Subjective interpretation of the findings is another limitation of this study. Petticrew et al. (2013) noted that the results of meta-synthesis should be more interpreted by policy-makers and users . But in This study combined the methods of the scoping review and the meta-synthesis to mapping all qualitative studies on the RTIs to summarize the vast literature into five main themes and 17 sub-themes. The main themes found in this study were: consequences of the RTIs, needs, risk factors, barriers of prevention, and solutions for the prevention of the RTIs. With this approach, this study provides extensive and practical information for policy-makers, managers, practitioners, and researchers in the field of RTIs. Also, by applying this approach, the gaps in the existing knowledge and areas in need of further research are identified. However, this method is a new method and more studies are needed to become more mature with this method.\u27a2 Psychological and social effects of traffic accidents.\u27a2 Policy-making, management, and organizational tasks of RTIs prevention.\u27a2 Qualitative studies to investigate RTIs prevention issues in high-risk and vulnerable groups .\u27a2 Qualitative studies to further investigate the provision of high-quality health care services to traffic accident victims\u27a2 Carrying out qualitative studies on experiences, high-risk behaviors, and prevention of traffic accidents with the participation of drivers of public and heavy vehicles\u27a2 A qualitative study with policy-makers and senior managers on macro-level issues of traffic accident prevention .\u27a2 Application of qualitative studies in designing, implementing, and evaluating RTIs prevention interventions and policies.Based on the results of this study, the following topics are recommended for future qualitative studies:Additional file 1. Complete search strategy in PubMed databases for identifying the qualitative studies on Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) published between2000 to 2019.Additional file 2. Results of the quality appraisal of qualitative studies on Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) published between2000 to 2019."} +{"text": "Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is one of main topics of Public Health on which international institutions and countries are taking action. With regards to healing architectures, several studies have reported data analysis and case studies to improve users\u2019 health , but there are not enough regarding volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Regarding chemical pollution of indoor air, the Scientific Community has highlighted that there are several factors that affect the IAQ, in particular the design and management, and energetic efficiency, of inpatient wards. Several stakeholders, from the designers to the managers, are responsible for the indoor air in healing environments. Supported by analysis of the State of the Art and the main factors that influence the heterogeneous scenario of inpatient wards, the paper presents three check-lists, designed for supporting the stakeholders during the design phase, or for the daily procedures and maintenance activities, for pre-assessment of factors that affect chemical pollution, and for the definition of strategies to be applied. In fact, in such environments IAQ assumes a particular meaning and importance, both for the vulnerability of the patients and for the long time spent by the sanitary staff. The multidisciplinary approach emphasizes the continuous need for interdisciplinary knowledge and skills aimed at finding solutions able to protect users\u2019 health status , especially in the field of the indoor air issue. Several stakeholders are responsible for health promotion in indoor environments, starting with the decision makers and the designers during the design process, to the managers and the users who will manage, work, use and live in the spaces .Referring to the factors that affect the Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is an issue already discussed in the 1980s ,3,4,5, aAmong the indoor environments, IAQ in \u201cArchitectures for Health\u201d requires great attention for guaranteeing healthy indoor air and well-being, in particular for protecting patients and staff against Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) and occupational diseases ,8. In faTherefore, during the design process of hospital settings and their management, it is necessary to guarantee healthy spaces, starting with (a) the support of managers, medical and non-medical staff, maintainers and service providers, and (b) the design of hospital planners in relation to the layouts, the material selection, the rooms\u2019 dimension, the engineering plants, etc., which can highly affect the performances of the facility and its processes ,11. In fIn general, the IAQ within hospitals is a complex and dynamic system, in which physical factors, and biological and chemical contaminants generated in indoor environments, as well as those in the outdoor air that come into the building via natural ventilation and, primarily, mechanical ventilation play a role. The quality of the management and maintenance of engineering plants , the cleRegarding the chemical composition of indoor spaces, there may be threats to the air quality from a range of indoor and outdoor sources ,26,27,28Currently in the European Legislation, VOC concentrations and IAQ for generic indoor environments are limited via acts and norms in some countries, as Settimo and D\u2019Alessandro investigNowadays, for assessing chemical pollution, it is necessary to monitor activity, but this is not always possible to set it up immediately, and data analysis requires a long time. Therefore, the aim of the paper is to give rise to three check-lists for reducing chemical pollution in inpatient wards, for supporting designers, hospital planners, medical directors and managers, to be applied during the design phase, and for the application of daily procedures and maintenance activities in the defining of strategies for healthy performances. The focuses of the check-lists are related, referring to the current trends in hospital design, and to facilities with mechanical ventilation and/or mixed systems .The inpatient ward is a low\u2013medium care environment, with the presence of hospital staff and users with weak health conditions. Typically, a traditional inpatient ward has about 28\u201332 beds with support services for medical activities and hospital staff, such as a nursing station, the head nurse office, several storages, a medical room, doctors\u2019 offices, a kitchenette, a workers\u2019 dining room and users\u2019 restrooms .In this functional area, one of the most important pathogen sources is related to the respiration of a potentially infectious user and related medical activities; most of the inpatients spend a lot of their time in beds, while medical staff spend a lot of their time in a ward, depending on the activities to be carried out ,33,34,35In general, they may be exposed to a wide range of chemical pollutants emitted from several products, such as finishing materials, furniture and disinfectants, and regular control plans, etc. .The configuration of the inpatient room, as well as the design and health-related trends, is affected by: (a) environmental factors, dimensional space and design features; (b) managerial factors, related to medical procedures, training and health education, maintenance and cleaning activities, etc.; (c) social factors, guaranteeing hospitable spaces for users . With reSince of the scientific literature reports give very different outputs and results, and the resulting work from the analysis conducted by Gola ,42 is diOutdoor and indoor microclimatic factors, which refer to the outdoor air, the solar exposure and indoor microclimatic parameters, such as temperature, relative humidity, air velocity, air change, etc. Although these factors can vary, they have a great influence on the IAQ and the performances of materials in the room and air fluxes.Management activities, which refer to the management and maintenance activities, ventilation systems, cleaning and disinfectant activities, control plan, etc., carried out in the room and in the functional units and/or in the entire facility. They can highly affect IAQ, but their emissions can be controlled through the applications of strategies, and at the same time they can be changed if their actions are dangerous for users.Design factors, which refer to all the components that characterize the inpatient room . In general, their emissions are constant, although in relation to their life, the emissions may decrease over the time.Human presence, which refers to the presence of users, their health status, and the medical activities carried out in the inpatient room. Their presence and application can vary, and therefore they can affect the indoor air in different modes.Starting from an analysis already conducted by Gola et al. , it is pAs emerges from an analysis of the several factors, to overcome the criticisms related to the design of healing environments, interdisciplinary knowledge needs to be taken into account, including: the needs of users related to their activities and therapies; nosocomial infections; applications of the technologies and ventilation systems (HVAC) needed to carry out the ordinary and specialist healthcare disciplines; risk analysis techniques for several functional units, including events caused by incorrect application of procedures; acceptable residual risk values and related sharing and management procedures .In addition, designers, in collaboration with healthcare professionals, should design the healthcare settings according to the different uses, support the healthcare organization in identifying the most optimal solutions , and elExposure of hospital users to chemical pollutions is related to several aspects, related to product formulations, how and where the products are applied, the methods of use, the degree of aging of the various components, the type of maintenance activity, etc. . As someStarting from the application of several case studies and the evidence given by a detailed analysis of the scientific literature , IAQ is As the World Health Organization (WHO) and several Institutions have already highlighted, for understanding the real performances and the IAQ, it is proper to do several monitoring activities for an adequate data analysis, and for the investigating of the factors that affect this issue ,52. AlthFor this reason, for supporting designers and medical directors, the research team produces check-lists for the pre-assessment of chemical pollution in inpatient rooms, during the design phase, daily procedures and maintenance activities.These check-lists aim to be useful tools for the pre-assessment and prior verification of strategies and decisions to be applied, and, when these cannot be verified, to have an awareness and take action for avoiding possible risks for the hospital users regarding chemical pollution. They become a preliminary tool to define a future and broad protocol for supporting the healthcare organizations in the strategies to be applied.These lists refer to several criteria, considered as factors that affect IAQ the State of the Art, several research projects and investigations, and the systematic reviews by scientific international researchers, supported by reports promoted by the research group Study for the Indoor Air Pollution of Istituto Superiore di Sanit\u00e0 in Italy . The lisThe aim of this check-list is to investigate and verify the design features of the room , its configuration and its installations. The check-list is particularly useful for designers and hospital planners during the design process.The general scope of this list is to highlight possible deficiencies in the design phase, and to implement the project of the room through design strategies. This check-list is strongly related to the design of new healthcare facilities, or the renovation of an existing hospital. In this phase, the decision makers have a great responsibility, because it is possible to already define the management strategies, supported by the healthcare organization, for obtaining the best performances of the rooms, as well as of the cleaning and maintenance activities.Starting from the answers, and in particular the negative ones, it will be possible to define strategies and solutions for improving the use and performances of the environmental unit for the medical activities.In general, the check-list focuses on healthcare facilities with mechanical systems, responding to the current trends in hospital design.As The check-list aims to highlight some criticisms, related mainly to negative answers, for identifying strategies and solutions to be applied, where possible, because each hospital project is different.The following list suggestsThe check-list has the aim of investigating and verifying the daily procedures, the room occupancy and its performances. The aim of this list is to highlight possible deficiencies in medical and human activities, and to implement the procedures through management strategies.Although design strategies require hard interventions, the check-list permits one to consider several factors and plan alternative actions related to the ventilation system (HVAC) and its efficiency, cleaning activities and detergents, a series of more specific activities of sanitation and disinfection, medical activities, and procedural adoption of prudential and adequate behavior.Starting from the answers, and in particular the negative ones, it will be possible to define strategies and solutions for improving the use and performances of the environmental unit for the medical activities.In general, the check-list focuses on healthcare facilities with mechanical systems.As The check-list aims to highlight some criticisms, related mainly to negative answers, for identifying strategies and solutions to be applied, where possible, because each healthcare project is different.The following list suggestsThe check-list has the aim of investigating and verifying the condition of the room after the maintenance activity and/or intervention.The aim of this list is to highlight possible deficiencies of the room and procedures before occupation of the room by users, and to apply management strategies.The type of interventions can be different , i.e., hard or soft interventions in the room. In relation to complexity, the strategies may concern natural ventilation or HVAC systems and efficiency, medical activities and management procedures, the planning of cleaning and disinfection, activities\u2019 assessment, and actions related to air monitoring for both chemical and biological agents.Starting from the answers, and in particular the negative ones, it will be possible to define strategies and solutions for improving the use and performances of the environmental unit for medical activities.In general, the check-list focuses on healthcare facilities with mechanical systems.As The check-list aims to highlight some criticisms, related mainly to negative answers, for identifying strategies and solutions to be applied, where possible, because each activity requires different attentions.The following list suggestsIt is clear that IAQ is a very broad topic, in which any variable can affect the performance of air in indoor environments. In fact, design and management strategies which may be adequate in relation to different procedures can decrease or increase the quality performances of the inpatient room, and the comfort of users ,84.Although current monitoring activities and data analyses are more reliable, the check-lists become useful tools for a pre-assessment and prior verification of strategies and decisions to be applied, and when they cannot be verified, they help one to have awareness and take action for avoiding possible risks to the users.The multidisciplinary approach, supported by design, chemical and healthcare issues, demonstrates the need for interdisciplinary of knowledges and skills aimed at finding solutions able to protect the health status of users . It is cThe hospital system should be rethought, giving attention to the pollutant emissions, and providing buildings that, from the design phase up to the building\u2019s realization and functioning, can maintain the safe conditions of the indoor environment ,69,90. IThe paper aims at the elaboration of strategies for health promotion in hospital wards, from the chemical pollution point of view. In any case, it is possible to consider improvements, all the time, to the contents of the check-lists, thanks to the support of several research groups, the data analysis and monitoring activities supported by scientific methodologies, such as those of Gola et al. and \u015amie\u0142owska et al. ,76, whicThese activities help the healthcare organization and hospital staff, with a view to preventions and the planning of interventions into the activities and the use of sanitizing or disinfectant substances related to medical activities, and also helping them to be ready in the case of epidemics , particularly regarding the activity of disinfection .Among the future perspectives, the new challenge is to investigate the correlations between the chemical and biological pollutants, and their effects on IAQ and the quality of the healthcare facility."} +{"text": "Sensors. The authors contacted the publisher regarding the robustness of the results. The selection of weight parameters was not sufficiently rigorous, resulting in doubts concerning the scientific validity of the theoretical models and simulation results.The journal retracts the article , cited aSensors. The extent of the error is significant and, therefore, in accordance with the journal\u2019s procedural requirements, this article is retracted.Adhering to our procedures, an investigation was conducted by the Editor-in-Chief with the editorial office of The authors agreed to this retraction and apologize for any inconvenience caused."} +{"text": "The article presents data on a new scheme of complex treatment and rehabilitation of emigrants with psychogenic, endogenous and organic depressive disorders, as well as the results of comparative analysis of the effectiveness of this scheme, compared to the traditional one.The use of the proposed treatment scheme also allowed to reduce the severity of anxiety, indicators of the severity of psychopathological symptoms, improve the quality of life among emigrants suffering from depressive disorders of different genesis.The received results allow us to recommend the scheme we have developed for implementation in the complex treatment of emigrants suffering from depressive disorders of psychogenic, endogenous, and organic genesis. The problem of emigration in Ukraine is one of the most pressing state and social problems. Emigration is one of the most massive social processes in the world, which has shown a pronounced tendency to increase in recent years. Based on the information from Ukrainian embassies abroad, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that up to 2.5 million citizens are employed outside the country. The data of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine obtained based on the analysis of the labor market, made it possible to determine the volume of labor migration, which is approximately 3 million persons . AccordiIn recent years, due to Russian aggression towards the East of Ukraine, there has been a tendency for a rapid increase in the number of Ukrainian migrants. If the intention to emigrate was present in 12.3% of the respondents in 2005, the percentage was already 65.0% in 2015 .Migration is seen as an important factor in influencing a person\u2019s mental health. Some authors believe that emigration provokes manifestation or exacerbation of endogenous mental illness. At the same time, the issues related to the peculiarities of the depressive disorders in emigrants have not been studied sufficiently. In particular, the manifestations of depression concerning the emigration factor have not been investigated, which significantly complicates the development of targeted therapeutic approaches to the treatment and prevention of depressive disorders in this population category. This study was based on the research and analysis of clinical-psychopathological phenomenology of depression to develop the system of measures for treating depressive disorders in emigrants.Migration is accompanied by the transformation of the whole system of socio-psychological relationships, including interpersonal, family, parental, labor, and leads to significant tension of psychological mechanisms, which finally can lead to depressive and anxiety disorders, somatization, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The process of adaptation of migrants in a recipient country can be challenging and require a fundamental psychological and sociocultural restructuring, defined by the term \u201cstress of acculturation\u201d , 9.N.V. Kondrashova believes that the interdisciplinary nature of the migration problem necessitates the use of a set of research methods based on the implementation of ethno-sociological and cultural approaches, which ensures obtaining the results that objectively reflect the current state of the problem, makes it possible to predict the development of this process and to give scientifically substantiated recommendations .According to N.S. Palagina, the problem of adaptation of forced migrants has a complex interdisciplinary nature, while the socio-psychological aspect of the adaptation of migrants is not enough investigated. In the process of social and psychological adaptation of migrants, there are significant changes in the personal plan manifested in decreased self-esteem and level of aspirations, deformation of value orientations, and social attitudes. The author highlights that most of the forced migrants are non-adapted, which is manifested in the hypothymia type of response, the chaotic nature of the activity, in trend to take a protective position, externality and escapism, a decreased emotional state, emotional tension, and a tendency to groundless concern about minor issues, irritability, and anxiety. The situation of forced migration can be characterized as a crisis and even extreme, the one that poses a threat to health and life. At the same time, the success of the socio-psychological adaptation of migrants is determined by psychological and non-psychological conditions, in particular, socio-demographic affiliation, personal characteristics, life experience, degree of similarity, and differences between cultures, the communicative potential of the subject, creativity, and others. In the process of socio-psychological adaptation of migrants, there are clearly revealed phases (stages) that characterize the dynamics of adaptation processes and the success of adaptation in general. A comprehensive program of assistance, which includes a system of social, psychological, and educational measures, can optimize socio-psychological adaptation by main indicators, such as adaptation to the sociocultural environment, emotional stability, social frustration, and mental state .L.A. Shaygerova emphasizes that the complex process of adaptation in the situation of migration leads to changes in the identity of the migrant\u2019s personality that reach a crisis level. The crisis of identity among migrants manifests itself in the different profound transformations of its contents, occurring on the personal and group levels. So, the overcoming of the identity crisis is an essential condition for the successful adaptation of the individual in the situation of forced migration. However, it often reaches such depth and strength that personal resources are not enough and the person requires psychological help for overcoming it. Such help is the correction of violations of the motivational and necessity sphere, restoring of positive identity, integrity, and integration, development of constructive strategies for overcoming, building up and integrating into the content of the personality\u2019s identity of the values and elements of the host culture .It is evident that the nature of emigration \u2013 forced or voluntary \u2013 is extremely important for the negative impact on the psyche of an individual. R. Rice and D. Bhurra et al. emphasize that the problem of forced migration, which has a powerful negative impact on the state of migrants\u2019 mental health, has recently become a result of political instability, poverty, terrorism, and other negative social factors . From thZ.H. Lepshokova notes that the characteristics of the ethnic identity of the migrants are related to certain acculturation strategies: the expressiveness of the national identity of the migrants is positively related to the separation strategy, the expressiveness of the civic identity \u2013 with the strategy of assimilation. At the same time, the integration strategy is positively associated with all components of the psychological well-being of the individual and with a high level of sociocultural adaptation of migrants. Assimilation, separation, and marginalization strategies have a predominantly negative relationship with the components of mental well-being and mental health (anxiety and depression) .Emigration is considered as a factor provoking a manifestation or exacerbation of endogenous mental illness -19. EmotNumerous studies have found that the situation of migration determines the high dissatisfaction of the individual with life changes and leads to the development of depression, psychosis, paranoid and schizoid disorders.C.A. Zaiontz et al. note that migration is a factor that provokes, exacerbates and participates in the formation of a psychopathological picture of some severe mental disorders, especially affective disorders; the authors consider it necessary to study the level of sociocultural integration and psychological support of migrants in recipient countries .B.L. Zhong et al. report significant psychoemotional stress experienced by migrants, especially difficulties of adaptation in the new social environment, intense work, farness from the family, and financial difficulties .R.A. Yaskevich et al. emphasize the peculiarities of older migrants\u2019 adaptation severity; in addition to the exacerbation of somatic diseases, in the period of adaptation, depressive symptoms can be seen in most individuals. The women have depressive symptoms 1.8 times more often and anxiety disorders 3.2 times more often than men. The authors recommend the use of a special rehabilitation psychotherapeutic program for such migrants .M. Shen et al. note that the presence of depressive and anxiety disorders in migrant parents affects the normal functioning of the whole family and causes behavioral disorders in children .N.S. Mahajan et al. emphasize that emigration is a risk factor for psychosis. The most common diseases are mood disorders - women have a greater prevalence of a major depressive episode with melancholic symptoms, while manic episodes are more frequent in men. In this case, mental disorders are especially prevalent among the second generation of emigrants, which is associated with the effects of migration stress, discrimination, and acculturation in the early years of life .B.L. Zhong et al. report a greater risk of a major depressive disorder during the life of labor migrants . SimilarM.E. Beutel et al. point out that, despite the actuality of the problem of emigration in Germany, the studies of the migrant\u2019s mental health are extremely insufficient. Based on large-scale research , the authors found a high prevalence of depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and suicide among first-generation migrants, while the mental health of the second generation of migrants did not differ from ethnic Germans; their socio-economic status was also high .M. Schouler-Ocak indicates that migrants suffer from specific psychiatric disorders , and the prevalence of mental disorders in this population is greatly increased .D. Bhugra et al. showed that migrants are more prone to mental illness, a fact that should be taken into account in public health and social policy programs.The mental health of migrants has become a key problem in current healthcare issues in EU member states. H.J. Salize et al. indicate that mental health services in the recipient countries are not able to provide adequate psychiatric care to migrants because of a growing stream of mental illnesses, limited health resources, the reduced number of trained professionals, and new legal requirements. Several studies substantiate the need to involve a variety of state and community structures that provide language, cultural and social adaptation of migrants with free access to mental health services in the system of psychiatric help.The experience, gained by migrants in combat zones, crisis regions, and during escapes, increases the risk of primary and secondary traumatism with further psychiatric disorders. In addition to post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and psychosis are more likely to occur in migrants than in the general population. Recent studies have shown that around half of forced migrants suffer from mental illnesses such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety disorders. In Germany, about 5 thousand sessions of psychotherapy are held annually, which is only 4% of the need.Treatment and rehabilitation approaches for depressive disorders of migrants are currently in the stage of active formation. Understanding the importance of correction of depressive symptoms among migrants has motivated scientists from different countries to find new methods of treatment and prevention of depressive disorders in this category of patients.Looking at the life-threatening clinical manifestations, complications and the presence of high suicidal danger, it is clear to see that severe depression belongs to the category of urgent pathologies. The leading deontological requirement for the provision of medical care to patients with depression is the most rapid possible achievement of the therapeutic effect with the appointment of individually adequate intensive care. It requires a comprehensive multivariate assessment of the patient\u2019s condition, including the operative diagnosis of depression and comorbid states, clinical- psychopathological and syndromal evaluation of depression, characteristics of its course, comorbidity and pathogenesis. The authors highlight the need for complex treatment using different medication groups, non-drug therapy with subsequent supportive treatment for reducing the symptoms of the current episode and preventing exacerbations, as well as a prophylactic treatment to avoid relapses.It is evident that migrants need special therapeutic approaches to the treatment of depressive disorders, taking into account the socio-psychological characteristics of this contingent of patients. However, analyzing the modern scientific literature on pharmacological therapy of depressive disorders in emigrants (remigrants), it should be noted that this problem remains practically not resolved. Somewhat more studied are measures for psychosocial therapy of affective disorders in emigrants and remigrants.Specialists of the European Psychiatric Association have formulated recommendations for reducing the risk of migrants\u2019 mental disorders.In the public sphere, a clear policy that takes into account employment, provision of housing, the satisfaction of the physical and intellectual needs of migrants, with appropriate resources that has to be freely available to migrants, provision of the system of social-psychological support of migrants by skilled personnel, adequate information policy, collection and analysis of the necessary information have been implemented.In the field of mental health, the availability to physicians for necessary information, cultural awareness, and training should become an obligatory part of professional competence; it should be the part of training plans for medical staff that provide psychiatric and psychological help to migrants and the range of medical (psychiatric) services should be sufficient and cover all main areas, being provided with all necessary resources. Much attention is paid to the importance of psycho-educational activities, which include giving practical advice to migrants all the necessary knowledge about illnesses. Such information should be problem-oriented.The psychological assistance to emigrants for effective psychological adaptation is determined by the following directions: changes in the living conditions of the emigrant according to his educational and professional level, the change in the hierarchy of needs and in the system of meaningful goals, as well as the increase of intrapsychic adaptation in the process of psychological correction.Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most promising psychotherapeutic directions in the treatment of depressive disorders. CBT refers to a group of interventions that are among the best-known empirically-supported treatments for depression. CBT is based on the premise that inaccurate beliefs and maladaptive information processing (forming the bases for repetitive negative thinking) have a causal role in the etiology and maintenance of depression. This \u2018cognitive model\u2019 posits that when maladaptive thinking is corrected, both acute distress and the risk for subsequent symptom return will be reduced . At the Thus, the analysis of modern scientific literature devoted to the problem of depressive disorders in emigrants and remigrants shows that its development is not enough. The contradictory nature of the scientific data of the influence of factors of emigration and remigration on the emergence and the course of depressive disorders, the lack of programs of complex pharmacological and psychosocial correction, causes the relevance of further research of the clinical, psychopathological and psychiatric aspects of this problem, as well as the development of modern approaches to integrated treatment and rehabilitation of emigrants and remigrants with depressive disorders.Based on this research, the scheme of integrated treatment and rehabilitation of emigrants with psychogenic, endogenous, and organic depressive disorders was developed and implemented in the health care practice. A comparative analysis of the effectiveness of this scheme and the traditional one was conducted.The proposed treatment and rehabilitation schemes are based on the principles of integrated, individualized, and differentiated approaches to ensuring the phases and continuity of treatment and rehabilitation measures. Its goals are to stop, as quickly as possible, the manifestations of depressive disorders and ensure maximal restoration of the ability to work, social functioning of the patient, prevention of relapses of depressive disorders, providing early socialization and social adaptation, taking into account specific features identified at emigrants and reemmigrants, with the involvement of family and public organizations. Targets of therapy are clinical manifestations of depressive disorders , social maladaptation and disorders of microsocial communications, pathological behavior patterns associated with the presence of depressive disorders, as well as factors of emigration and remigration.A comparative assessment of the effectiveness of the proposed treatment and rehabilitation scheme relative to the traditional one was done by comparing clinical and psychological and psychometric data, as well as indicators of quality of life.The proposed scheme is implemented in four stages related to the continuity of treatment and diagnostic measures.\u2022The first stage \u2013 diagnosis. It includes clinical and psychopathological evaluation of the existing psycho-emotional disorders in the patient, analysis of anamnestic data, clinical symptoms, dynamics and prognosis of the disease, the relationship of clinical and socio-psychological factors.\u2022The second stage \u2013 complex treatment. Includes a complex of biological therapy and psychotherapy aimed at reducing depression, normalization of the psycho-emotional state, social adaptation and rehabilitation. Differentiated psychotherapeutic correction of emigrants includes the use of rational psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy and group psychotherapy. In emigrants with psychogenic depressive disorders, psycho-educational therapy could also be used. The criterion of the effectiveness of therapy is a stable (at least two weeks) normalization of the psycho-emotional state, the absence of clinical signs of depressive disorder, the development of an adequate emotional response to real-life circumstances, including emigration, giving up destructive patterns and developing constructive patterns of behavior.\u2022The third rehabilitation stage is aimed at the formation of a stable adequate emotional and behavioral pattern, maximum adaptation and rehabilitation of the patient, prevention of relapses of the depressive disorder. The drug therapy is similar to the one used in the treatment stage, with the correction of doses of medications, depending on the current state of the patient. Differentiated psychotherapeutic work includes the use of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy in emigrants and a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy, family psychotherapy and autogenous training in remigrants. At this stage, there are also measures for social rehabilitation and the readaptation of the patient.\u2022The fourth stage - prophylactic - is aimed at maintaining the normal psycho-emotional state, effective resistance to stress, and prevention of relapse of depressive disorder. Medication therapy includes the treatment of the main disease in depressive disorders of the organic genesis and the seasonal prevention of endogenous depressions. Psychotherapy, the use of techniques of self- regulation, and measures for social adaptation could be used as well.In groups of emigrants that suffer from depressive disorders, the proposed scheme of dynamics therapy showed a higher efficiency, compared with the traditional scheme in terms of recovery and improvement of the general condition, reduction of psychopathological symptoms, and increased quality of life.The obtained results allow us to recommend the scheme we have developed for implementation in the complex treatment of emigrants suffering from depressive disorders of psychogenic, endogenous and organic genesis.The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest."} +{"text": "Urban shrinkage is currently spreading at global level. At the same time, the scale of urban shrinkage is not limited to urban agglomerations, metropolitan areas, or big cities, but begins to expand to a vast number of small towns. Over the years, the characteristics, models, and mechanisms of shrinkage in large cities have attracted the attention of scholars; however, the problem of shrinkage in small towns has not been fully discussed. In China, small towns are located at the margins of cities and are the first part of the countryside; hence, they are the link and the bridge between urban and rural areas, and a space carrier to solve the diseases of big cities and for rural rejuvenation as a whole. However, in the process of rapid urbanization, some small towns have experienced urban shrinkage, mainly through a decline in township enterprises and the deterioration of the living environment, which has restricted their role in coordinating the spatial support of urban and rural development. Therefore, a correct understanding of the shrinkage of small towns has considerable theoretical and practical guiding significance. We focused on the towns of the Jilin Province as the research unit, and combined township population, economy, land use, and employment indices to establish an urban shrinkage index, identifying the status, spatial distribution, and influencing factors of small towns shrinkage in the Jilin Province. Moreover, we analyzed the similarities and differences of small towns shrinkage between the Jilin Province and developed countries. The results show that small towns shrinkage in the Jilin Province shares similar characteristics with developed countries, as well as important differences in aspects such as population migration, low-level industrial structure, and administrative division adjustments. Since there was no negative index in the original data, we adopted the calculation method of the positive index. The specific formula used is as follows:ij is the original index, which represents the value of index j of year i of a small town; and max(jX) and min(jX) are the maximum and minimum values of the index j across all years, respectively.Where Then, we used the entropy method to calculate the weight of the evaluation index and the urban shrinkage index. The specific formulas used are as follows:m is the number of research units; n is the number of indices; jW is the weight of the index j and slightly shrinking towns (-0.069836 - -0.000402) by applying the natural breaks using ArcGIS.Where index j ; Sij is r value, which reflects the degree of linear correlation between two variables. The value of r is between , and the higher the absolute value of r, the higher the correlation. The Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated as follows:Small towns shrinkage is a complex process, influenced by several factors, and caused by factors such as population, economy, location, and nature. In order to measure the relationship between small towns shrinkage and these factors, following existing research , we intrN is the number of shrinking towns; X is the selected index; and S is the urban shrinkage index of shrinking towns.Where Small towns in the Jilin Province are facing an extensive shrinking trend. From 2003 to 2017, 284 of the 414 towns in the Jilin Province, accounting for about 68.60% of the total, had a growth trend, while 130 towns, accounting for about 31.4% of the total, were facing a shrinkage trend. Among these, the slightly shrinking towns accounted for 27.29% of the total, and the significantly shrinking towns accounted for 4.11% of the total. The geographical location of the significantly shrinking towns was relatively remote and far away from the main traffic arteries, core urban areas, and county towns, so they were relatively less attractive to the population. In the Jilin Province, the slightly shrinking towns were mainly agricultural and resource-based towns. The agricultural towns dominated by agricultural production drove the lack of urban economy and employment capacity, and led to the loss of population in townships. Resource-based towns are towns with mineral, forest, and other natural resources exploitation and processing as the leading industry. Due to the implementation of natural forest protection policies and the decline of recoverable mineral resources such as coal and oil, the economy of resource-based towns was in recession, unemployment and poverty were increasing, and towns were shrinking. Hence, it may be concluded that, from 2003 to 2017, about 3/10 of the towns in the Jilin Province experienced different degrees of urban shrinkage, and the majority of these towns had a slightly shrinking trend. Shrinking towns generally faced population loss, economic recession, and lack of industrial support.The concentration of shrinking space in small towns in the Jilin Province was relatively evident . From thThe spatial distribution of small towns shrinkage in the Jilin Province was significantly affected by the agglomeration and diffusion effect of central cities. Changchun was in the primary stage of diffusion, and traditional industries, information, and innovation began to move to the periphery. Under the influence of function diffusion in the central urban area, the shrinkage degree of small towns in the inner suburbs of Changchun decreased. At first, the urban function diffusion of Changchun did not affect the outer suburbs, which made the shrinkage of small towns in the outer suburbs more severe than that in the inner suburbs. However, the development of other central cities in the Jilin Province was in the agglomeration stage, attracting the industries, population, and talents of small towns in the inner suburbs to the central cities, and forming a typical \"siphon effect\", depriving the development opportunities of small towns, and resulting in the fact that shrinking towns were mainly distributed in the inner suburbs of the central cities. The agglomeration and diffusion effect of central cities would continue to act on small towns in the Jilin Province for a period of time in the future. The current spatial pattern of shrinking towns would continue for a long time.Small towns shrinkage was the result of the comprehensive influence of all factors investigated. Considering the possibility to collect and quantify data, as well as the comparability between towns, we focused on 6 aspects and 14 influencing factors of small towns shrinkage in the Jilin Province . The PeaSmall towns shrinkage in the Jilin Province was generally small in scale; this is consistent with the characteristics of small towns shrinkage in developed countries \u201343. By tSmall towns in the peripheral regions of the Jilin Province were seriously shrinking, as well as small towns located in the periphery of large cities and in backward areas of the Jilin Province. Compared with small towns in the periphery of large cities, small towns in geographically peripheral regions were more vulnerable to economic and social recession, in a similar way as for shrinking towns in Germany and France. The peripheral small towns in Germany shrank significantly. Location had a clear influence on the development of these towns: the more peripheral the towns, the higher the population decrease , 44, 45.The mining resources-based small towns in the Jilin Province had a strong shrinkage, in line with the shrinkage of resource-based small towns in developed countries. The initial development of mining towns in the Jilin Province relied mainly on the mining industry, and the development of the town's economy was highly dependent on these resources. In recent years, the exploitable resources of these towns in the Jilin Province have been facing exhaustion, and replacement industries have not been formed. The primary sector in resource-based towns had a small scale, while the secondary and tertiary sectors were insufficient, and their ability to absorb employment was poor. In 2010, the mining industry employed only 4,576 people in the townships of the Jilin Province, indicating a significant shrinkage of small towns. When mines were closed or reduced in size, due to changes in the resource industry and the depletion of recoverable resources, Australia's resource-based mining towns also failed to find suitable alternative industries. As a result, the economy shrank and population loss intensified , 48, 49.The public facilities in the shrinking small towns of the Jilin Province were gradually aging, in a similar way as for shrinking towns in Europe , 50. DueThe following six main differences between small towns shrinkage in the Jilin Province and in developed countries have been identified:The function types of shrinking towns in the Jilin Province were more diverse, while those in developed countries were relatively uniform. The economy of the shrinking towns in the Jilin Province was mainly based on agricultural product processing, industrial and mining resources, trade, and forestry. The functional comprehensive towns, as well as the tourism-based towns and the port towns at the border with other countries, also showed a certain shrinkage. The economy of the shrinking towns in developed countries was mainly based on the agricultural, mining, and manufacturing sectors. In the United States, the towns with strong agricultural and mining sectors recorded the fastest population outflow . In JapaThe shrinkage of small towns in the Jilin Province was mainly affected by population migration, and was less affected by population age structure, as happened in developed countries. The shrinking towns in the Jilin Province were less attractive to population, and emigration rate was increasing, especially among young and educated people, who pursued a higher quality of life. The outflow of population from the province was mainly directed towards Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Shandong . The popThe shrinking towns in the Jilin Province were characterized by a low-level industrial structure, while these in developed countries were mainly affected by deindustrialization under the background of globalization. The low-level industrial structure of small towns in the Jilin Province was mainly composed of resource-based industry and agricultural product processing industry. Resource-based industries were characterized by a high dependence on mineral resources, the lack of deep processing of resources, a short industrial chain, the lack of technological advantages, the lack of technology and product correlation among industries, and by a poor industrial development flexibility. Once entering into resource exhaustion, and market and technology competition, the industrial system of small towns would be \"paralyzed\". The production capacity of the enterprises processing agricultural products was low, resulting in low agricultural economic benefits and low added value of agricultural products. In developed countries, due mainly to economic globalization and deindustrialization, traditional industries such as textiles, metal manufacturing, and shipbuilding gradually lost their competitiveness in the global economy. A large number of traditional manufacturing industries were constantly shifting to overseas developing countries. Some towns, especially in the United States and Japan, lost their leading industries , 47, 56.The development of shrinking towns in the Jilin Province was affected by the overall decline in the development of Northeast China, while some shrinking towns in developed countries were subject to post-socialist transformation. Small towns in the Jilin Province were an important component of the old industrial base in Northeast China. In recent years, the economy of Northeast China has gradually been overtaken by the rapid economic development of the Pearl River Delta, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The economic and industrial focus of China has been moving southward, and the regional functions in Northeast China and their competitiveness have gradually declined. As a result, shrinking towns have lost their appeal to businesses and population, and the prospect of economic development gradually declined. On the contrary, the shrinkage of small towns in Central and Eastern Europe in the 1990s was mainly due to the post-socialist transformation. The socialist system was generally concentrated in the larger cities and established a relatively stable economic base in the small towns in the periphery, which became regional administrative and manufacturing centers. The socialist transformation had a serious impact on the economy and society of these countries, especially on small towns, which lost relatively more development opportunities and economic prospects than big cities .The main strategy of shrinking towns in the Jilin Province was still focused on attracting investment and economic growth, while the development direction of shrinking towns in developed countries shifted towards adopting a strategy of smart decline, consisting in pursuing fewer people, fewer buildings, and less land use , 58. In The adjustment of administrative divisions in the Jilin Province was the most important and characteristic cause of urban shrinkage. With the rapid development of urbanization, the administrative divisions of the Jilin Province have been adjusted frequently, including turning counties (cities) into districts or into cities, merging villages and towns, and including the combination of administrative districts and boundary adjustments. In China, the spatial definition of urban population is also directly linked to the administrative division system. When two towns are merged, although the urban population in the two towns increase, the per capita economic level does not significantly improve \u201361. SincUnder the background of resources depletion in the old industrial bases and the decline of traditional industries in Northeast China, small towns in the Jilin Province have experienced urban shrinkage through population outflow, the decline of township enterprises, and the deterioration of the living environment. The development of most small towns is in a \u201cmaintenance\u201d state, and shrinkage has become a prominent feature of the development of small towns, especially resource-based towns, which show a distinct \u201cabsolute shrinkage\u201d feature. The spatial distribution of shrinking towns in the Jilin Province was highly concentrated along the northeast-southwest axis and followed a core-edge structure. The average population size of shrinking townships in the Jilin Province was considerably lower than that of growing townships. Population migration, industrial development, employment level, and adjustment of the administrative division were the key factors restricting the development of towns.There are several similarities between the shrinkage of towns in the Jilin Province and that in developed countries, related to aspects such as population loss, the decay of the town\u2019s material space, the decline of the economy and social culture, and the exhaustion of resources in resource-based towns. There are also significant differences between the Jilin Province and developed countries. In the Jilin Province, the phenomenon of town shrinkage was shorter in time; moreover, it involved a large number of different types of shrinking towns, which were widely geographically distributed and held significant spatial differences. The shrinkage of small towns in the Jilin Province was mainly due to population migration, low-level industrial structure, and administrative division adjustments. Small towns in developed countries were more likely to shrink because of the industrial restructuring caused by deindustrialization and globalization, as well as because of an aging population and a decline in fertility rate (in Japan and in Europe), poverty and isolation under the background of suburbanization (in the United States), climate change , and post-socialist transformation (in Europe).The formation of urban shrinkage in the Jilin Province cannot be separated from its special development background. First, as one of China's traditional old industrial bases, Jilin Province's traditional industries are mainly resource-based industries. There are many resource-based cities and towns, which are widely distributed in the Jilin Province. The land area, population, and local GDP of resource-based cities and towns account for 70%, 50.6%, and 49%, respectively, of that of the Jilin Province . The JilThere are significant differences in the historical background and political system of small towns shrinkage between China and developed countries, and the shrinkage of small towns in developed countries provides a good basis for the study of the shrinkage of small towns in China. Urban shrinkage is not necessarily a bad thing, and not all shrinking towns will go into decline. Shrinking towns can enjoy economic prosperity , and theThis research used the entropy method and the Pearson correlation coefficient to identify shrinking towns by using multi-dimension indices, to quantitatively explain the factors influencing shrinking towns in the Jilin Province, thereby providing a new perspective for the quantitative study of urban shrinkage. However, this research has the following limitations: 1) The research object of this research is the township, which is similar to the concept of small town in developed countries. However, the concept of small town in China does not entail a clear population limit, therefore the number of identified shrinking towns may be higher than that in developed countries. 2) This research is limited by the urban statistical data. The temporal coverage of the yearbook data on townships is limited, and it is difficult to obtain multi-dimensional data of unified indicators for several years; therefore, it is necessary to further mine the available data on small towns in the future. 3) Due to limitations in urban statistics, this research did not analyze the utilization efficiency of public facilities in shrinking towns, which will be the focus of future research.S1 Table(XLSX)Click here for additional data file.S2 Table(XLSX)Click here for additional data file."} +{"text": "The mediation category underlay theanalysis.an integrative review, which included theoretical and methodological studiespublished in the following databases: COCHRANE Library, EVIPNet, HealthSystems Evidence, LILACS, PDQ-Evidence, PubMed, Rx for Change, and SciELO,in addition to mediation category indicated the need forthese theories not to be restricted to the micro-context, but to incorporatethe elements of the social macro-structure to which they are connected.19 references were included, published between 1997 and 2018. It is aninnovative proposal to direct the process of evaluating health programs,interventions, and/or policies, with the democratic participation of theparties involved, such as users, workers, managers and researchers; itproposes to elaborate theories about what works, for whom, in what context,and how. The It is indicated that the realist evaluation is to be conducted in 21 stages.It takes into account qualitative and procedural methods, which makes itpowerful for understanding human and social relationships in the contextanalyzed. Theories that come from evaluating the functioning of the programsanalyzed have greater explanatory chances if they are built by reference tothe social totality. On the other hand, it is knownthat assumptions about the success of this type of intervention must be betterunderstood through evaluation processes, since they occur concretely within thescope of social relationships, allowing to ascertain the plausibility of theintervention and assist the evaluators in deciding what should beprioritized..Procedural monitoring, with access by the team of evaluators to intermediateoutcomes, is considered essential in the evaluation of complex healthprograms..The evaluations indicated for complex interventions involve stages that range fromthe identification of health needs to the design and implementation of the programsand policies. In addition, it is necessary that the evaluation process takes intoaccount the discussion of the political priorities and considers collecting data atdiverse moments, to capture changes over time..The traditional models for assessing public programs and policies do not have suchattributes. Coming from predominantly positivist frameworks, they focus on theinterests of the organizations and institutions, the logic of human resources, andthe cost-benefit ratio. In this perspective, the structure is vertical, with theevaluator playing a central role and being generally external to the context of theevaluation.. The realistic review, which shares the same theoretical perspectivewith the realist evaluation, argues that the best evidence must come from atheoretically oriented and locally situated process.The realist evaluation aims to overcome this traditional approach. In this sense, itinvolves qualitative and quantitative components, based on theory, to promote theimplementation of policies and programs in specific contexts. The re process..A literature review mapped the concepts of the realist evaluation as applied tohealth systems research, based on primary studies that used this evaluationmethodology. The authors recommend greater clarity regarding the definitions ofmechanisms and context, two elements considered structural in the realistevaluation, in addition to the outcome.Thus, this review aims at identifying and analyzing the concepts of the realistevaluation and the recommended methodology for its implementation in the healtharea.The question in this review is the following: What are the concepts and stages of therealist evaluation used in the health area? It was formulated using the PICostrategy , with theelements delimited as follows: P - Without delimiting the population; I - Conceptsand stages of the realist evaluation; Co: Health area., thus stimulating the exposure and understanding of theoretical andmethodological frameworks about certain phenomena of reality. The development stagescan be systematized in eight steps, according to the literature in the area: (1)Creating a group to conduct the IR; (2) Preparing the introduction; (3) Formulatingthe question and the objective; (4) Describing the methodology; (5) Analyzing andinterpreting data; (6) Presenting outcomes; (7) Interpreting and discussingoutcomes; and (8) Disclosing outcomes.The integrative review (IR) was chosen because it constitutes an appropriatemethodology to contribute to the synthesis of the review of theories andmethodologies, thus soutcomes.In this sense, once the first phases that demanded meetings of the responsible groupwere overcome, in stage 4 only theoretical and methodological studies, bothpublished and of the gray literature, were included, which analyzed and/or proposedtheories and/or methodologies of the realist evaluation. The search was carried outin August 2019 and included references published in Portuguese, English, andSpanish, in any year, and indexed in the databases until July 2019.Teses-CAPES and Google Scholar. Theexpression \u201cRealist evaluation\u201d was chosen as it was the most sensitive searchstrategy, enabling the mapping of the largest number of potential references on thetheme. On the other hand, it guaranteed sufficient specificity. This expression isnot a MeSH term, as it is a relatively new term. Manual searches and among thereferences of the references included were also carried out.To search for scientific and gray literature, the expression \u201cRealist evaluation\u201d inEnglish or Portuguese was used in the following databases: COCHRANE Library,EVIPNet, Health Systems Evidence, LILACS, PDQ-Evidence, PubMed, Rx for change, andSciELO, in addition to After identifying the studies, the references were selected by title and abstract,full reading, inclusion/exclusion, and data extraction by the team of fourreviewers, with at least two of them working independently. Data extraction wasperformed using an instrument composed of the following items: (1) Title; (2) Year;(3) Authors; (4) Country of origin of the lead author; (5) Area of knowledge of thefirst author; (6) Objective of the study; (7) Definition and purposes of the realistevaluation; (8) Theoretical reference framework; (9) Stages of development of therealistic review; and (10) Summary of the text selected.The evaluation of the methodological quality of the studies included was not carriedout, as the object of study was of the theoretical type, and there was no inclusionof empirical studies., with the essential conceptual elements of the realist evaluation beinganalyzed according to the mediation category.From the point of view of collective health, the theoretical approach of historicaland dialectical materialism was adopted in this study, with tThe authors of this article declare that they have no conflict of interest.428 references were identified from data sources, manual searches, and references ofthe references, as shown in After excluding duplicate and unavailable publications and selection by title andabstract, 47 references were analyzed in full. In total, 19 references wereincluded, as shown in It should be noted that the studies were published between 1997 and 2018, with nine(47%) starting from 2011. The studies were published by authors from the UnitedKingdom, Australia, Canada, Sweden, United States, and Singapore, in the followingareas of knowledge of the first author: Primary Care, evaluation, Education,Nursing, Philosophy, Business, Rehabilitation, Technology Development, Sociology andSocial Policy, and Social Research. The figure below presents the integrativesynthesis of the definitions and purposes of the realist evaluation:.It was identified that the concepts presented by the different authors are congruentwith each other. The realist evaluation is a methodology structured according to thephilosophical assumptions of realism, which aims to address the complexity of thehealth interventions, considering the influence of the social relationships andorganizational structures. It is a theory-oriented approach that focuses theevaluation on obtaining answers about what works, for whom, in which context, andhow,,,-30.. The mechanisms are the way the subjects interpret and act regardingthe intervention and are not always explicit, whereas the context is represented bythe characteristics of the conditions in which the interventions were introduced.Finally, the outcomes are the consequences of activating different mechanisms indifferent contexts, which produce clear theories or structured theoretical models, toexplain how interventions promote the expected outcomes.The realist evaluation considers the Context-Mechanisms-Outcomes (CMO) articulationto understand the underlying dispositions that make up the studiedsituation,15. Tcontexts,17, woutcomes., assuming that different contexts produce different outcomes, eitherbetter or worse(-). The CMO configuration has the potential to introduce a broad and complete picture ofwhat is happening, in order to elucidate the essential elements that enabled theuse, or not, of interventions, programs, and/or public policies, assumior worse-16. .Another innovative aspect is the purpose of understanding the configuration ofoutcome patterns obtained by implementing the interventions. The realist evaluationstudies aimed to present the changes resulting from the implementation ofinterventions and how such measures were produced and introduced to modify thecontext and balance of the underlying mechanisms,20.. In this sense, programs/interventions/policies are evaluated based onthe changes produced in the individuals, subgroups, and contexts involved, inaddition to identifying the social and cultural resources that are necessary tosustain the changes. For the realist evaluation, it is necessary to: (1) formulate a theoryabout the program, interventions, and/or policies assessed; (2) formulate andprioritize evaluation questions around the theory; (3) plan, design, and conduct theevaluation based on the theory; (4) identify the constructs postulated in thetheory; (5) determine the efficacy or effectiveness of the program, interventions,and/or policies assessed, and explain cause and effect associations between thetheoretical constructs and the factors that affected the outcome pattern. Theseprinciples are situational and do not constitute strict criteria, since theirapplication depends on the nature of the program assessed, the objective of theevaluation and the individuals who will use it.In order to understand the investigated reality, the realist evaluation must beginwith theories, which will be tested and refined in a cyclical and iterative way,being structured in the form of proposals about how the mechanisms occurred incontexts to produce outcomes,-,,27. I changes. For thl use it.. The choice of the data collection methods must be guided by thetheory, in order to test the assumptions/theories and to unveil the patterns andregularities of the program, through observations, data collection, data analysis,among others. In complex programs, random sampling, randomized clinical trials orquasi-experimental projects may not be able to identify elements that interfere withthe participation of those involved in the program, because the intervention hasunexpected processes that cannot be predicted in advance for statistical purposesand do not capture outcomes and contextual elements.In this way, the evaluation allows for a circuit that can be guided by differentstrategies for understanding the reality under study,,,21. Tg others,27. Ielements,27.. This process should follow an emancipatory perspective, which requiresthe participation of other stakeholders in the evaluation, in the identification oflocal history, and in the transformative actions in which the practiceoccurs. Emancipation is in this sense understood by the author as a process inwhich those involved identify needs for changes in the practices, reflect on suchpractices, and seek to promote cultural changes, based on the needs identified inthat context. Analyses and changes are related to the local cultural dimension ofthe social relationships. The political and economic dimensions are not considered in theauthor\u2019s perspective.In this sense, it is necessary to include the evaluator in the process, who has thetask of understanding and testing the theory studied,19. Teoccurs. Emanciionships. The po.The emerging realist evaluation is one of the evaluation categories found and isdescribed as the one that aims at social improvement by implementing programs andpolicies. The evaluator engages in the process of creating knowledge with theparticipants, believing that public discussion informs society for making sociallyresponsible decisions. Therefore, the evaluation is not a condition for deciding onthe merit of a social policy, but it supports democratic decision-makingprocesses,25..The critical realist evaluation derives from critical realism, an approach that isadvocated for implementing evidence-based innovation in health. In this perspective,it is highlighted that the evaluation is inherent to the implementation process andnot something out of place to measure outcomes. The critical realist evaluationemerges more explicitly to show that it is part of the broader implementationprocess considering the conditions that promoted or hindered the changes..In short, the realist evaluation has the potential to support decision-making and thecreation of public policies, as the outcomes are presented according to thedifferent contextual realities of pre-existing social structures, to generate achange that includes structures, culture, and social relationships,,26.The integration of the stages was possible without the need to overcomecontradictions, since all the papers found are based on the same epistemological andtheoretical-methodological frameworks, with some non-conflicting variations, as isthe case with the emerging and critical realist evaluation. Thus, from the CMOconfiguration, the stages for conducting the realist evaluation were integrated andshown in Using the studies included and the analysis category, the specific guidelines foreach stage were described, considering that the stages can occur in an overlappingand iterative way.1. Definition of the theory and of the evaluation questions:Formulate theories about the program . The understanding of the theory allows for the development ofexperimental configurations of mechanisms and contexts. Consider that theexplanation of reality by the theory will occur in all the stages of theevaluation;context). The unaluation;2. Title: Identify the document as a realistic synthesis orevaluation;aluation;3. Abstract: Include brief details about: the policy, program orinitiative under evaluation; program configuration; purpose of the evaluation;evaluation question(s) and/or objective(s); strategy; data collection,documentation, and analysis methods; main findings and conclusions;clusions;Introduction:4. Presentation of the study theme: Explain the purpose of theevaluation with secondary data;ary data;5. Theory of the program: Describe the initial program theory (ortheories) that underpin the program, policy, or initiative;itiative;6. Evaluation questions, objectives, and focus: Indicate thequestion(s) and specify the objectives for the evaluation. Describe whether and howthe program theory was used to define the scope and focus of theevaluation;aluation;Methods:7. Justification for using the realist evaluation: Explain why arealist evaluation approach was chosen and (if relevant) adapted; adapted;8. Description of the program policy, initiative or productassessed: Provide relevant details about the program, policy orinitiative assessed;assessed;9. Evaluation locus: Describe and justify the reason for choosingthe place where the evaluation took place;ok place;10. Description and justification of the evaluation design: Adescription and justification of the evaluation design must be included, at least briefly or as an appendix, inthe document that presents the main conclusions. If this does not happen, theomission must be justified and a reference or link to the design must be provided.It can also be useful to publish or avail for free any document or original evaluation design document, if any;, if any;11. Data collection method: Provide details and justificationsabout the method choices, which can be quantitative or qualitative: which ones wereused, why, and how they contributed to develop, support, refute or refine theprogram theory. Quantitative methods are mostly used regarding the context, forexample, group comparison; Qualitative methods contribute to the exploration ofhypotheses and to the identification of unforeseen elements of the context andoutcome. The semi-structured qualitative interview is the most common and availablemethod of data collection, either alone or in combination with other methods. Itusually contains exploratory questions based on the program assessed and acting asinstruments to extract the proposals of the general investigation;tion,,-28;12. Definition of the participants: Describe how the participantsin the evaluation were defined, invited and engaged, and how they contributed to thedevelopment, support, refutation or refinement of the program theory. The stakeholders are considered the main data sources, as they haveexperience in specific phases and processes within the program assessed;m theory. The stassessed;13. Data analysis: Describe and justify which method of analysiswas used, how the program theory was developed, supported, refuted and refined, andwhether the analysis changed during the evaluation. There is not just one suitable analytical method, as it depends on thetheories proposed and on the availability of data. In the realistic program theory, different outcome patterns areexpected to exist for different groups or contexts within the program, and theanalysis tests these theories;aluation. There of data. In thetheories;14. Ethical approval: Indicate whether the realist evaluationrequired and obtained ethical approval from the relevant authorities, providingdetails as appropriate. Explain the reason if it is not necessary to conduct theevaluation.aluation.Results:15. Details of the participants: Report (if applicable) whoparticipated in the evaluation, details of the data they provided, and how the datawas used to develop, support, refute or refine the program theory;m theory;16. Main results: Present the main results, linking them to thecontexts, mechanisms, and configurations of outcomes. Show how they were used todevelop, test, or refine the program theory;m theory;Discussion and final considerations:17. Theory test: Review and understand the possible CMO patternconfigurations to refine the theory and promote knowledge;18. Summary of the outcomes: Summarize the main outcomes withattention to the evaluation questions, purpose, the program theory, and thestakeholders;eholders;19. Strengths, limitations, and future directions: Discuss thestrengths of the evaluation and its limitations, including considerations of all thestages in the evaluation processes. In many evaluations, there will be anexpectation of providing guidance on future directions for the program, policy orinitiative, its implementation and/or project. The particular implications of therealistic nature of the outcomes must be reflected in these discussions. Considerthat future directions support public policies, being important politicalinstruments for social research;research;20. Discussion and main conclusions: Compare the outcomes withexisting literature and list the main conclusions that are justified by the dataanalysis. If appropriate, offer recommendations consistent with a realisticapproach;approach;21. Funding and conflict of interests: Indicate the source offunding (if any) for the evaluation, the role played by the funder (if any), and anyconflicts of interest of the evaluators.aluators..The aforementioned stages, integrated from the studies gathered in this review, allowguiding the development, as well as the preparation, of the final report of arealist evaluation,,28.It was assumed in this work that the potential of the realist evaluation lies in itsability to capture the interactions inherent to the CMO complex..This type of evaluation highlights that the outcomes found in a given evaluationprocess are not linearly transferable to other realities, as they depend on theinteraction of particular social processes..The interactions, as analyzed by the mediation category in this work, represent thearticulation between the parts of a complex totality and, at the same time, themovement between the singularity and the totality, formed by socio-historicalstructures, constituted by interactions with dynamic and contradictory movements,and not only by the Cartesian sum of the parts..The mediation category carries both an ontological and a reflective dimension sinceit exists independently of the social subject, and can support individuals\u2019reflection processes about a certain reality, captured by its essence and not onlyin the appearance realm.. In the realist evaluation, part of the underlying mechanisms, whichcan interfere with the outcomes of a given project, depends on the reflection ofthis social being on the proposed intervention and on the reality in which it isinserted.Mediation constitutes the ontology of the social being that is based on the ownmovement of the categories of reality, and not on logical ideal concepts, beingpresent in the sociability of the social being. Therefore, it is sustained in theperspective of the relationship between man and nature and, in this way, thetransformation of nature by man (work) is a condition of human existence. In the.This field of mediations takes shape in the particularity in which the dialecticbetween the universal and the singular occurs. It is in this mediation field thatthe singular facts are related to the laws of universality, which is configured fromthe reality of the singular. The individual, being the smallest unit of the socialtotality, has infinite variations and, therefore, has great complexity andparticularities.. In the realist evaluation, the context is located in the particulardimension since, depending on its conditions, there will be or there will not be theactivation of underlying mechanisms, which may influence the outcomes of theintervention proposed by a given program, policy or service.The particular represents the expression of the categories of mediation between thesingular individuals and society. In the. Thus, the mediation category helps to apprehend the movement of thehidden social being in individuals and, therefore, supports the understanding of theunderlying mechanisms addressed in the realist evaluation.It starts with the understanding that the social being and its dynamic complexesexpress themselves in a particular way. In the sphere of universality, there are thegreat determinations and tendency laws of a given social complex. Laws anddeterminations that, in the sphere of singularity, are hidden by the dynamics offacts. Thus, .In this perspective, mediations are instrumental categories by which the action isimplemented, they are a way of objectifying the practice. The mediations areexpressed by the set of instruments, resources, techniques, and strategies that thesubject becomes aware of in order to penetrate the plots of reality as a possibilityto transform it..Regarding the limitations, realist evaluations of property demarcation and educationprograms in penitentiaries, initially described by the creators of the realistevaluation, were not based on theoretical frameworks or totalizing theories thatexplained what the root is of the problems that lead to the creation of theseprograms. Nor was it discussed, for example, how society is organized and the modeof capitalist production, which are generators of social inequalities. Thus, in itsorigin, the realist evaluation showed certain pragmatism when looking for cause andeffect relationships..Other limitations concern the philosophical dimension of critical realism, whichemphasizes that the production of several authors who follow the critical realistictheory is restricted to non-historical abstraction by not using any tools that makeit possible to understand how objective social structures can be transformed and howto carry out the transformation. Thus, it states that critical theorists do notalways make assumptions about the object of investigation when analyzing socialrelationships, which makes the starting point of investigation arbitrary. In thisperspective, the causal mechanisms are self-referenced and the structures only existas a result of human behavior and that the causal powers would thus berelational.. It has been argued that the use of dialectic alters the researchstrategy for critical realism in several ways. First, it demonstrates the need toabstract causal powers through dialectical connections and contradictions that areinherent to diverse interconnected totalities. Second, historical analysis becomes akey moment in this dialectical procedure in order to overcome a common dualism incritical realistic thinking between structures in closed systems and contingentmechanisms in contingent historical events. Society is seen as an interconnectedhistorical totality, so that concrete events are themselves moments of thattotality. Thus, the mechanisms are considered moments of dialectical connections intotalities and moments of specific dialectical contradictions. It is verified thatthe dialectic reshapes the debates about the relationship between the parts and thewhole.Such limitations are still under discussion, even by one of the main theorists ofcritical realism - Roy Baskar - who has sought to add the dimensions of historicityand totality, and the dialectic, considering the contradictions ofreality. It hasThis IR made it possible to map the scientific production of the health area on theconcepts, purposes, and stages of the realist evaluation. The studies included didnot present theoretical discrepancies, allowing for the epistemologicalreconciliation of the concepts and methodology of this approach. The integration ofdata enabled the presentation of 21 stages for the development of the realistevaluation of complex health contexts.Thus, it can be said that, by analyzing the outcomes of a given intervention, basedon the understanding of the interactions that occur in the reality of socialrelationships, the realist evaluation ends up identifying its potential fortransformation and the elements that interfere in the outcome of theinterventions.From the milestones of the mediation category, however, there is a need for thesetheories to be elaborated incorporating the elements of the social macrostructure towhich the mechanisms are connected.For collective health, this has essential implications for research and healthpolicies because taking social totality as a reference expands the explanation aboutreality and, consequently, the possibilities for transformation."} +{"text": "Between electric gloom,angels and demons dressed in plastic bluehave dragged me through the darkness,to the infinite black stone,where the origin and the end of time are lost.There, in the immense dark solitude,and in the imposed silence of word and thought,She, in my breath, gazed at mewith her eyes of fire,frosty and timeless,without any mercy,without any mercy."} +{"text": "Human Genome Variation (HGV), the second official journal of the Japan Society of Human Genetics, and worked diligently to increase its profile. For the last 6 years, the editorial committee has been successfully managed under his strong leadership. This open-access journal, launched in 2014, has attained a unique position in the human genetics/genomics research community. On behalf of the Editorial Board of the HGV, its authors and readers, I sincerely want to thank Professor Tokunaga for all his contributions to the journal.It is with great pleasure that, from 1 January 2020, I have taken over the role of Editor-in-Chief from Professor Katsushi Tokunaga, who founded HGV as a member of the Editorial Board, I have seen and experienced the success of this unique open-access, online-only journal. An innovative feature of the journal is a curated database of the underlying data from Data Reports, which is growing into an important resource for the human genetics/genomics community. The rapidly changing field of genomic technologies, especially next-generation sequencing and genome editing, are revealing more and more genetic variants responsible for or associated with various human diseases and traits. HGV aims to provide a coherent link between a published paper and the underlying data deposited in an accompanying database. This open-access database of variations and variability can be searched, filtered and variously used to further the progress of genomics research. Articles published in this journal are also fully open access, allowing for the widest dissemination, visibility, and impact of authors\u2019 research. The intended audience for this journal is researchers, scientists, clinicians, genetic counsellors and those interested in human genetics/genomics, from all sectors and from around the world. We warmly welcome submissions from the scientific community. We assure authors submitting to the journal of efficient and respectful handling of their manuscripts and, in particular, of a shorter submission to decision time.During the years that I have been associated with HGV, and also very proud to be working with an outstanding internationally diverse team of Associate Editors, members of the Editorial Board, reviewers, and the supporting staff in Springer Nature. As the new Editor-in-Chief, I will strive to continue to improve and enhance the quality and reputation of HGV. I welcome suggestions, discussions and thoughts from the readers, authors, reviewers, and editors to help me to understand and rectify any problems with the journal.I am truly honored to assume the responsibility of the Editor-in-Chief of I am enthusiastic about this opportunity and look forward to working with you over the coming years."} +{"text": "This study analyzes the productive structure of Portugal in the period 2013\u20132017, using indicators of localization and specialization applied to 308 Portuguese local authorities. From an empirical approach using a threshold model, the following indicators are used: (i) localization quotient; (ii) specialization coefficient; (iii) Theil entropy index; (iv) rate of industrialization; and (v) the density of establishments by business size. The selected period 2013\u20132017 is due to the available data concerning firms located per local authority, and the choice of threshold model is justified through the possibility of assessing the non-linear effects of specialization and diversification on productivity, considering, in simultaneous terms, different regimes per business size. Estimation of the threshold model identified a positive, statistically significant relation between industrialization and productivity. Similarly, the terms of interaction between exports and diversification, and between the former and higher education institutions, shows a catalyzing effect of productivity. In addition, the most specialized micro-firms affect productivity significantly and positively, while the least specialized have the opposite effect. Small, less specialized companies have a significant and negative effect on productivity, contrasting with less specialized, medium-sized companies, which affect productivity positively. For large firms, the impact on productivity is negative for both high and low levels of specialization, reinforcing the need to fill existing gaps in strategic diversification, as well as the vertical and horizontal integration of the activities of production chains with high value added. The relation between spatial concentration and sector specialization, which began to be studied in the field of regional science, in recent years has emerged in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation, with it being a well-established fact that business undertakings are susceptible to geographical concentration ,2,3, togIn the literature on this topic, the concept of industrial district formulated by Marshall and BecaIndustrialization greatly improved productivity , which hAiming to advance knowledge about the relation between industrialization and productivity, using the Sales Index database, this study uses indicators of localization and specialization applied to all 308 local authorities in Portugal, intending to make a generic analysis of the dynamics of their production structure in the period 2013\u20132017. More specifically, a threshold model is estimated, in order to test the effect of industrialization on productivity as well as other research hypotheses arising from the literature review.In this vein, the current study uses a concept of entropy operationalized through the Theil Index, developing an economics approach focused on the analysis of both spatial and sectoral determinants of productivity. This approach aims to assess the non-linear effects of specialization and diversification on productivity, considering, in simultaneous terms, different regimes per business size. Toward this empirical application, we contribute to advancing the existent knowledge on determinants of productivity, using an Entropy index and also unveiling distinct signals and significances of the determinants studied in different specialization regimes.To achieve the objectives proposed, the following sections present firstly a literature review, originating in industrial districts and moving toward the cluster approach, and resulting in the research hypotheses. This is followed by the empirical approach, namely the methodology, and presentation, analysis, and discussion of the results. The study ends with the conclusion, limitations, and implications.Principles of Economics by Marshall see .p value of 0.003, indicating that H0: single threshold model; H1: double threshold model) is highly significant with a bootstrap p value of 0.000 and 0.023 (Th-22) see .The results of the fixed effects regression and threshold effect are presented in The F statistic of 3.06, for a level of significance of 5% with the null hypothesis of all The parameters displayed in It is worth pointing out that the rate of industrialization , which can contribute to reinforcing productivity and competitiveness, following a sustainable logic of strategic diversification of sectors of economic activity and considering the spatial heterogeneity of the European regional chessboard."} +{"text": "December, 2019, marked the third re-emergence in the 21st century of the zoonotic coronavirus (CoV), named severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), crossing species to infect humans. The outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which started in China in the city of Wuhan likely from a wet market of live animals, has caused a rapid increase in the number of infections and deaths across Chinese borders, and has become a serious public and global health threat.The emergence and re-emergence of zoonotic diseases is not new, and over the past three decades the onset of outbreaks of infectious diseases emerging from animal reservoirs to infect humans has increased. For example, Ebola virus, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses, and the coronaviruses severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus.Vet Res in 2005, show that at least 75% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic and originate from wildlife. Prevention activities are difficult to implement because events causing the emerge or re-emerge of zoonoses are complex and affected by multiple factors, such as genetic evolution, demographic changes, environmental conditions, or climate changes affecting the ecosystem.The size of the issue is significant, as epidemiological data by Blancou and colleagues from the University of Athens Medical School , reported in The unforeseeable onset and rapid dissemination of zoonotic outbreaks means public health systems need to be able to quickly identify early signs of such threats and react promptly. The fact that the beginning of the nCoV-2019 outbreak was observed by at least one physician, as reported by The Guardian on February 2, but not perceived as an urgent threat at the level of decision makers, demonstrates the essential need to identify what could be done better\u2014before new diseases emerge\u2014therefore preventing future outbreaks or, at least, reducing their impact.To reach this aim, the following steps are crucial: first, the understanding of the causes of disease emergence, the ecology of the agents involved, and their animal hosts; second, the creation of a network able to merge the contributions of different expertise, and work together holistically. At present, the main players of the network are in place , but they act separately; for example, veterinarians are not connected with occupational physicians, and in turn they are not in contact with general practitioners who are at the frontline of the disease. Therefore, in the current system, a cohesive network able to receive and act on early warnings at different levels is missing.The One Health approach is an example of how separate efforts can be aligned to work together effectively. The concept of One Health recognises the interdependence of human health, animal health, and environmental health, and aims to achieve better public health outcomes through the understanding and prevention of risks that originate at the interface between humans, animals, and their environments. Such approach implies a multidisciplinary effort in the implementation of programmes, policies, and research, where multiple sectors communicate and work together, with the common goal of helping disease prediction, prevention, and preparedness.Three major international organisations, WHO, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), have started to put this vision into practice by consolidating a formal partnership to combat human-animal-environment health risks, strengthening their joint action in May, 2018. A year later, as a result of this partnership, they released a\u00a0guide that provides principles and best practices to assist countries in achieving sustainable and functional collaboration at the human-animal-environment interface.This effort should be repeated both at the academic and public health level. Rare examples are the University of Washington's Center for One Health Research or the Global Health department at Harvard University , which has recently promoted the cross-education of its practitioners by collaborations with veterinaries. In public health, interestingly, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is following One Heath strategies against some zoonoses. An example is the response to the Rift Valley Fever (RVF) Virus outbreak in East Africa in 1997. Most of the human infections resulted from direct or indirect contact with the blood or organs of infected animals. To break the chain of transmission, CDC researchers developed a vaccine to vaccinate animals against RVF, therefore preventing its transmission to humans.The Lancet in January. Those occupational categories deserve attention as groups at particular risk of zoonotic exposure. In public health departments the collaboration between hygienists, occupational physicians, general practitioners, and veterinarians could provide a push to implement monitoring activities, where the health of workers, animals, and the general population are jointly monitored.Another key area where the One Health approach is needed is monitoring and surveillance. Some professions have greater exposure to zoonotic risks than others\u2014eg, farmers or butchers. Nearly half of the first patients affected by COVID-19 were working at the wet market where the virus originated, according to the first clinical characterisation provided by Chen and colleagues from The University of Hong Kong\u2013Shenzhen Hospital , and published by The recent outbreak of the coronavirus infection is a particularly severe example of how close interactions between the health of humans, animals, and the environment can lead to a deadly epidemic. Now it is time to embrace One Health as a framework for public health action against zoonoses, as suggested by the tripartite zoonotic guide. Governments must prioritise strategies to introduce the One Health approach in education and training programmes and in their public health systems, both at the national and international level. The timely recognition of the interconnection between humans, animals, and environment, intrinsic in the One Health approach, is a key prerequisite for understanding and managing the future of global health threats.EClinicalMedicine"} +{"text": "The data were collected between March and April2020, using a form structured into: background, scope, challenges andpotentials of health/nursing professionals and recommendations for thefuture.the challenges and the need for investments in the health and nursingworkforce to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals were evidenced. Thereport of the High Level Commission on health Employment and Economic Growthpresents important recommendations, also introduced in the Triple ImpactReport and in the Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery, convergingto the goals of the Nursing Now campaign, stimulating a profile of nurseswith technical, political and leadership skills, engaged in healthpolicy-making, and the effectiveness of their practice is clear to theentire society.Nursing Now campaign may be a condition forachieving its goals. This reality reveals evidence that global health willnot be ensured without strengthening Nursing first.knowledge about the dynamics of the factors that converged to the developmentof the Contradictorily, despite this numerical relevance, the estimatedglobal shortage of nurses is about nine million by 2030.In 2020, Nursing, with approximately 27.9 million professionals, represents 59% ofall health professionals worldwide, constituting the majority group in the healtharea. Contranurses is used in this article to designate all members of thenursing team, in accordance with the documents of the World Health Organization(WHO) analyzed in this study. The use of the term Nursing, in turn,designates both the profession and the academic discipline.It should be highlighted that, for the sake of standardization, the termnd World Health Assembly, which recognized 2020 as theInternational Year of Nurses and Midwives, not only to honor the 200thanniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, but to reaffirm and grantvisibility to the daily contribution of Nursing to the health and well-being ofpeople. Therefore, WHO underlines that nurses are fundamental to achieving thegoal of leaving no one behind, in a global context of seeking toimplement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030. Among the strategies toachieve the SDG, universal health coverage and access, so that everyone is entitledto health services(-), requires not only the strengthening and qualification of nursingeducation, as investments for the continuation of these workers in professionalpractice.As a historical milestone, it is important, initially, to highlight WHO\u2019s72fpeople. Therefrvices-, requir.Thus, the vital contribution of Nursing to the achievement of global and Braziliangoals related to the priorities on the global health agenda is recognized, includinguniversal access, mental health and non-communicable diseases, emergencypreparedness and response and patient safety, always focusing on people-centeredcare,5.(-), as occurs in the context of COVID-19.Despite its representativeness and the acknowledged relevance of its work, however,Nursing is still invisible and undervalued in many aspects, especially in healthpolicy-making. Hence, in addition to the recognition and valuation of its numericalimportance, it is essential to value high-quality Nursing for leadership, policy anddecision-making, participation in decision-making processes, and action ranging fromplanning to care provided to specific population groups, including the fight againstpandemics-8, asNursing Nowcampaign was launched, implemented in collaboration between the InternationalCouncil of nurses (ICN) and WHO, with the support of the Burdett Trust for Nursing,a coalition of nurses and other health advocates.In this perspective, it is imperative to invest in the qualification of nurses toprepare them to cope with health problems worldwide, so that their contributions andpotentials are properly understood. Among the manifestations of the recognition ofNursing as a key profession for health and for the achievement of universal healthcoverage and access, on February 27, 2018, the global dvocates., Triple Impact Report and Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery(2016-2020).The global campaign was based on evidence from key documents that demonstrate therelevance of Nursing to global health: Report of the High-Level Commission on HealthEmployment and Economic Growth-working for Health and Growth, Triplet Report and Glo16-2020).NursingNow campaign, to be met between 2018 and 2020, are: 1) Increaseinvestments in the improvement of teaching, professional development, standards,regulations, and the terms and employment conditions of nurses; (2) Increase andimprove the dissemination of effective and innovative approaches in the field ofnursing; 3) Intensify the influence of nurses and midwives in global and Brazilianhealth policies, as part of broader efforts to ensure that human resources forhealth are more engaged in decision-making processes; (4) Enhance leadershippositions occupied by nurses, and multiply opportunities for development at alllevels; and (5) Provide an expanded evidence base for the decision-makers andpolicy-makers about where Nursing can have the greatest impact, what prevents nursesfrom reaching their full potential, and how to deal with these obstacles.In this context, it is worth noting that the goals of the Nursing Now campaign sets relevant and challengingobjectives, emphasizing the fundamental importance of Nursing leadership for theachievement of local, Brazilian and global health targets. It is based on theassumption that health agendas will not be successful without nurses in leadershippositions, in the different spaces for health policy-making and decision-making, andwho perform their functions with greater effectiveness. Thus, at least 75% ofcountries should have a Chief Nursing Officer as part of their most qualified teamsin health management and policies. Therefore, greater investments in the training ofnurses with political and \u201cpolicy\u201d skills is fundamental.Therefore, the Nursing Now campaign also seeks to demonstratethe individual and collective value of Nursing, supporting research that documentsthe visibility and socioeconomic impact of Nursing on the healthcare quality andcosts. It aims to reset the boundaries of practice, valuing the philosophicalassumptions of the nursing discipline and the social mission of theprofession. Thus, the campaign has been implemented in 123 countries, withdecentralized goals, but which align with the global objectives of the campaign ineach nation involved.In this context, the ofession. Thus, involved.NursingNow campaign, the objective in this article is to identify the guidingaxes of the documents that grounded the Nursing Now campaign and relate therecommendations in those documents with the campaign goals.This being a unique moment for global Nursing and in view of the importance ofunderstanding the creation and implementation context of the , based on the analysis of documents that encouraged the creation andimplementation of the Nursing Now campaign. The identification ofthe documents was based on the reading of the seminal document that officialized thelaunch of the global campaign.Descriptive and documentary research, based Nursing Nowcampaign, aiming at an in-depth understanding of its contributions and importancefor the creation and implementation of the campaign.In this process, it was essential to recover historical materials that referred tothe political and health scenario, at the time of the preparation of the documentsthat motivated the planning and development of the Nursing Nowcampaign constituted the scope of analysis, namely: Report of the High-LevelCommission on health Employment and Economic Growth-working for Health andGrowth; Triple Impact: How developing nursing will improve health, promotegender equality and support economic growth; Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery - 2016-2020.Therefore, three official reports that promoted the dGrowth; Triplec growth; Strate016-2020.These historical documents were accessed from the official websites of the UN, WHOand ICN. Together, these documents establish the campaign, justifying the need for aspecific movement to value Nursing as a means of effective investment instrengthening health systems and improving the health conditions of the population,around the globe.Three independent researchers repeatedly read these reports and individuallycompleted a data collection script they had prepared in advance. In case ofdisagreement between the analyses, the material could be analyzed by a fourthresearcher. That was not necessary though. The script consisted of the topics:background, scope, challenges and potential of health/nursing professionals\u2019 work,as well as recommendations for the future.Nursing Nowcampaign. After completing each topic in the script, for each analyzed report, thecomparative analysis of the data started. Thus, for example, a synthesis of thetopic \u201crecommendations for the future\u201d could be elaborated among the documents(reports). In the next step, the recommendations of the reports that structured thecampaign (guiding axes) were identified, relating them to each of theNursing Now campaign goals. The data collection script made it easier to synthesize in order to describe the dataand identify the guiding axes that promoted the The research data were collected between March and April 2020. Being officialdocuments in the public domain, collected through online access, registration orapproval of the research by an Ethics Committee for Research involving human beingswas deemed unnecessary.(-) that grounded and motivated the Nursing Now campaign, have beendetailed below.The information collected in the analysis process, based on the documents-12 thIn In In Therefore, the data support that each goal of the Nursing Now campaign is based oncomplementary evidence in the seminal documents analyzed for the overallstrengthening of nursing. and, specifically, targets for the advancement of globalhealth(-). Thus, the Report of the High Level Commission on Health Employment andEconomic Growth presents a global diagnosis of the health workforce conditions. Withthe participation of an ICN representative in the Commission, this document presentsimportant recommendations that were also introduced in the Triple ImpactReport and in the Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery.The three documents analyzed in this article emphasize the challenge imposed on theinternational community to invest in the health and Nursing workforce as a conditionfor achieving different SDG and, splhealth-12. Tc Growth presenttReport and in , understanding Nursing not as a cost to institutions, but as aninvestment. This necessary demonstration implies, however, facing the challenge ofopposing arguments that support the thesis of this investment, knowing beforehandthat two priorities of health managers are always at the top of the list: costreduction without changing the quality of care and improvement of patient outcomeswhile maintaining reasonable costs. In this negotiation, the assertiveness of nurse leaders\u2019 argumentsneeds to be based on the best evidence on the effectiveness of Nursing work, throughevidence deriving from comparative analyses between similar conditions ofperformance, with and without nurses, proving the added value of this workforce inthe health indicators of the patients under their care.It should be taken into account that the objectives of the Nursing Now campaign andthe recommendations evidenced in the documents studied, are interconnected, whichalso mobilizes and enables their analysis and discussion in an interrelated way. Thefundamental issue of achieving universal health access and coverage by 2030, in viewof the implementation of the SDG, demonstrates and implies the need to make visibleand disseminate the relevance of Nursing, demonstrating its socioeconomicvalue, undersvestment,15. Tle costs. In thi(-).In addition, the defense will be convincing if the nurse leader demonstrates to thehealth manager the value of Nursing in achieving health outcomes in economic terms.In the same perspective of budget containment, nurses who ensure the patient\u2019s safereturn of the patient successfully develop the alternative of a shorter hospitalstay-19.In this perspective, it should be emphasized that nurses need to be attentive tocapitalize in favor of Nursing on all these initiatives and successfulinterventions, ensuring that these records, in economic value, are computed in thoseorganizations as cost savings resulting from nursing work, without loss of qualityand ensuring care continuity at the primary level, preventing readmissions andensuring the return of the health system user to society and work..The first goal of the Nursing Now campaign recommends investments in the improvementof teaching, professional development, standards, regulations and employmentconditions of nurses. It is directly related to Recommendations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,8 and 9 of the Report of the High Level Commission on Health Employment and EconomicGrowth as well as Recommendation 4 of the Triple Impact Report and Thematic Area 1of the Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery. Therefore, mostrecommendations of the High Level Commission on Health Employment and EconomicGrowth were related to this campaign goal. In this sense, for the sake ofinvestments in professional development and employment conditions, it is essentialto invest in job creation, in the provision and organization of health services. Inthe meantime, it is paramount to invest in the Nursing workforce, fundamentally inhigh-quality, modern, dynamic and relevant teaching, which is attractive to futurenurses, avoiding, as early as in the education process, possible drop-outmovements., with prepared and sufficient teachers who acknowledge Nursingeducation as a challenge, with relevant curricula and sufficientclinical and management experiences and training. An education that guaranteesBrazilian and international recognition of its competence and quality, ensuringrights in possible immigration processes, with preparation focused on the healthneeds of the populations, the most vulnerable groups and areas, centered on people,but also with skills to act in situations of humanitarian crises, particularlyconsidering the workers\u2019 rights and requirements of protection and security. It isimportant for this education to present the students, future nurses, with how theyshould act as leaders, providing role models, broadening horizons and opportunities,as well as the prestige of Nursing, in such a way that future generations will beable to advocate for improvements in services, policies, and opportunities forconstant training as a pre-condition for self-confidence, quality improvements,security, and stimulus to action, as well as the creation and implementation ofpositive changes in the outcomes of the population\u2019s health and well-being.Thus, the goal is teaching based on evidence of the best and most modern practicesfor learning, with pIn addition, plans should be supported to increase the number of trained and employednurses around the world, ensuring the appropriate training and motivation of thisworkforce for work at all health levels and services. Among the recommendations, theunique importance of Nursing work in situations of humanitarian crises and thechallenge that is imposed on countries in cases of international migration of nursesare highlighted. Still within the scope of this first goals, for the advancement ofnursing education, it is relevant to value quality and continued educationthroughout working life, exploring the power of information and communicationtechnologies, based on the recognition of gender equality rights and aiming tomaximize women\u2019s economic participation in the job market.. Despite different possible problems, Nursing practice at the regional,Brazilian and international level may share the competencies of its workers,requiring continuing development, which implies the recognition and valuation ofnursing with lifelong experience and the strengthening of clinical leaders,highlighting that good leaders create other leaders. Achieving this objective will only be possible when enhancing fundingand fiscal resources, as well as through local, regional and internationalintersectoral collaboration and partnerships.In this sense and strongly articulated to the necessary investment in high-qualityeducation, motivating and mobilizing future nurses, health systems need to beresponsive, with the necessary perspective of attractive jobs, not only to welcomeyoung newly qualified nursing workers, but to ensure their permanence and motivationfor the practice of the profession. Therefore, jobs and openings need to createdthat are recognized as decent, with salaries that permit fulfilling nurses\u2019 basicneeds, whose work organization is also decent, fair, appropriate, and compatible interms of sufficiency, quality and value of human resources, and materials andequipment essential for their performance. Despit leaders. Achievincrease and improve the dissemination of effectiveand innovative practices in nursing and is related to Recommendation 10of the Report of the High Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth,with Recommendations 5 and 6 of the Triple Impact Report and with Thematic Area 4 ofthe Strategic Directions. In this perspective, the documents highlight the relevanceof research development with robust evidence that underpins the dissemination ofeffective and innovative Nursing practices. Therefore, research on the impact ofNursing on health service access, quality and costs is suggested, as well as toincrease the gender equality and improve the countries\u2019 economic conditions.Expanded efforts are needed to disseminate the evidence in formats that better reachthe service professionals, as well as the policy makers.Campaign goal 2 aims to The traditional mode of responsibility the researcher complies with by merelypublishing results in journals is outdated, given its insufficiency due to lack ofcapillarity and the characteristics of the postmodern society in the digital age:direct methods need to be explored to increase the quality and speed of scientificdissemination and translation of knowledge.. They also focus on the importance of Nursing and its work throughinterprofessional collaborations, as well as investment in search of scientificevidence that strengthens the development of the Nursing workforce. For this,\u201cbreaking silences\u201d is needed, rupturing walls that sometimes Nursing itself has built in a siegeprocess, conquering other health professionals, politicians, legislators and healthleaders as allies for the work of nurses, so that they are allowed to freely usetheir full potential and competence, not only in a technical, but essentially in apolitical perspective.The third goal advocates nurses and midwives\u2019 greater influence in global andBrazilian health policies, as part of broader efforts to ensure that human healthresources are involved in decision-making processes and is related to Recommendation1 of the Triple Impact Report and thematic areas 3 and 4 of the Strategic Directionsfor Nursing and Midwifery. The recommendations reinforce the need to strengthen theprofile of Nursing, making it central to health policies. They as needed, ruptur. If, for various reasons, investments in leadership are needed, at alllevels and modalities of nursing education, ranging from undergraduate topostgraduate education, in addition to continuing education courses on specifictopics, the aging of the nursing workforce and the imminent vacancies in leadershipneed to be considered, which need to be filled by prepared young talents.Goal 4 reinforces the need for more nurses in leadership positions and moredevelopment opportunities at all levels and relates to Recommendations 1 and 3 ofthe Triple Impact Report and thematic area 2 of the Strategic Directions for Nursingand Midwifery. Leadership is central in the discussions about the contributions ofNursing to more effective health policies that meet the health needs of individualsand communities: leadership of the professional team, leadership in defense ofgender equality with equal wages and opportunities, leadership to exercise the fullpotential of nursing, leadership for active participation in the processes ofestablishing health policies and health decision-making. Thus, the goal is thestrengthening of nursing leadership, enabling more efficient and effectivemanagement and governance environments. Nursing leaders should devote time andeffort to improve the social capital of the workplace in favor of their team, aimingat positive deployments of this investment. If, fo. Nevertheless, training and empowerment initiatives for leaders at thefront line of services are needed, as well as many other forms of development of leadership and themeanings of engagement, empowerment and job satisfaction(-). Goal 4 drives nurses to appropriate the right and duty to emphasizetheir participation in leadership positions and to create opportunities to ensurethe development of professionals and the profession at all levels.Efforts are urgently needed to enhance the prospection of candidates for leadershipposts and concern with other determining factors, such as that generation Y nursesconsider or reject leadership roles. Neverte needed, as welsfaction-25. Gper day, sevendays per week, it is responsible for pointing out feasible routesand strategies to solve problems and achieve the goals the team that outlined,representing the profession with her participation and vision. In this context, thisobjective synthesizes much of the other four objectives, reinforcing the need forreliable evidence to strengthen the political mobilization of Nursing, culminatingin better indicators of health, economic development and gender equality.Finally, goal 5 seeks to provide an expanded evidence base for decision makers andpolicy makers on how and when nursing can have the greatest impact and what preventsnurses from reaching their potential to manage these obstacles. It is directlyrelated to Recommendations 2 and 3 of the High Level Commission on Health Employmentand Economic Growth, Recommendation 5 of the Triple Impact Report and thematic area4 of the Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery. That explains the relevanceof seeking evidence as to how and when the purposes of political activity aresuccessful, ensuring greater and better participation of nursing leaderships inhealth policy-making, health planning and interventions, as well as in situations offrustration and failure, knowing what obstacles remain to be overcome in order toensure this intended and necessary political activity; as the most presentprofession in the entire health system, 24 hours The analysis of these interrelations reveals that the objectives of the campaignidealize a nurse profile with technical and political skills to make the differencein any work environment, with leadership and health policy-making competencies,scientific evidence of the effectiveness of its practice being disseminated to theentire society.The limitations of this research are related to the ability of abstraction themethodology used can grant to the research problem because, being a documentary,descriptive research, other analyses of how the narrative about the topics in thedata analysis process may complement and deepen possibilities to better understandthe possible impact of the Nursing Now campaign, based on its connections with thefactors signaled in the documents that fostered its existence and development.Furthermore, the incipient nature of research on the theme results in limitedexplorations of contextual factors that may be involved in the development of thecampaign goals.At this unique moment for global Nursing, this article was able to demonstrate theaspects embodied in the documents that converged to the planning, launch anddevelopment of the Nursing Now campaign, thus revealing the foundations thatvalidate the campaign goals. Therefore, this study points to a complex process,based on evidence published by respected organizations, that the challenges forglobal health and its socioeconomic implications require that Nursing isacknowledged, equipped and valued to meet the current and future health demands ofhumanity, in different contexts.It should be emphasized, however, that this research did not aim to analyze theimplications of the terminologies international entities use concerning universalhealth coverage or access. Therefore, other theoretical and methodologicalapproaches are due for this purpose.In addition, the investments made now, advocating for changes and actions expectedand explained in the Nursing Now campaign goals, will revert, of course, indeployments of the campaign with short, medium and long-term results. To achievethis success Nursing, Health Systems and the society that receives health caredeserve, it is necessary that each of us, who practice nursing today, arecontinuously mobilized in favor of this cause and that we are all collaborators toachieve the objectives of the Nursing Now campaign."} +{"text": "In 2020, ~1.8 million Americans are expected to be newly diagnosed with cancer, with approximately 70% of cases diagnosed over the age of 65. Cancer can have a ripple effect, impacting not just patients themselves, but their family caregivers. This presentation will provide an overview of the estimates of the number of family caregivers caring for individuals with cancer in the US, focusing on older patients, from several population-based data sources: Caregiving in the US 2020, the Health Information National Trends Survey , the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System , and the National Health and Aging Trends (NHATS) Survey. The presentation will compare features of the data sources to give a comprehensive picture of the state of cancer caregiving. In addition, the presentation will highlight what is known about the experiences of cancer caregivers, including caregiving characteristics, burden, unmet needs, and ideas for improving support for family caregivers."} +{"text": "The prevalence of leprosy has been declining steadily throughout the world since the 1980s as a result of multidrug therapy.Characteristically, leprosy evolves in a chronic, indolent form, with polymorphous lesions and in an oligosymptomatic form. Virchowian forms are even more indolent and diffuse infiltration can make diagnosis difficult. Lepromas, although asymptomatic, are often the reason for seeking medical care, and may generate diagnostic confusion with other papulonodular dermatoses such as granuloma annulare, dermatofibroma and sarcoidosis, among others.As Virchowians are the most bacilliferous, all strategies for identification and early treatments are valuable. In this manuscript, the dermoscopic findings of the lepromas are described.Male, 54 years old, brown, with asymptomatic nodular lesions throughout the integument one year ago. At examination, multiple normochromic papules of fibromatous consistency were found, associated with diffuse infiltration of the skin and diffuse loss of hair on the body . These nM. leprae, with consequent multiplication and bacillary spread through the haematogenic pathway.Individuals that evolve to the virchowian pole, such as this case, present humoral immune response, with high production of antibodies against the PGL-1 antigen, but these antibodies are ineffective in the elimination of Dermoscopy, in addition to being of great importance in the diagnosis of cutaneous tumors, is currently used in the detection and diagnosis of other non-tumoral skin diseases, such as inflammatory and infectious dermatoses, in order to reinforce clinical suspicion and differential diagnosis.The dermoscopic description of the lesions of some clinical forms of leprosy can be found in the literature, such as the histoid and tuberculoid forms.Its yellowing color in the dermoscopic examination is due to the intense xanthomization of the lepromes (Virchow cells), which is less evident in other lesions such as granuloma annular, sarcoidosis and xanthogranuloma,In anatomopathological examination of the leproma, there is an epidermal rectification, probably due to the accumulation of macrophages grouped in the superficial and deep dermis, with clear cytoplasm and vacuolated aspect. These vacuoles, in the coloration of fite-Faraco, contain a large quantity of bacilli; forming globes.The diagnosis of leprosy, however, is clinical, so that dermatoscopic aspects, as well as laboratory tests, anatomopathological and specific staining help in cases of greater clinical difficulty. Treatment with the diagnosis should be done promptly, as well as investigation of communicators, in order to reduce the transmission of the bacillus and controlling the incidence of new cases of the disease in the country.None declared.Anna Carolina Miola: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; elaboration and writing of the manuscript; obtaining, analysis, and interpretation of the data; critical review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.Natalia Parenti Bicudo: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; obtaining, analysis, and interpretation of the data; critical review of the manuscript.Giuliane Minami Tsutsui: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the studied cases, critical review of the manuscript.Helio Amante Miot: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; elaboration and writing of the manuscript; critical review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.None declared."} +{"text": "Violence against women in the Republic of North Macedonia is the most common form of human rights violation, and women's safety is thus a high-priority public health problem. There have been significant achievements in the area of policy development: legislation harmonization for human rights protection, prevention of violence against women, protocols for the treatment and support of female victims, especially those with disabilities, and further collaboration and coordination between different sectors. In practice, there is still a need to establish a system of institutions for effective prevention, protection, gathering of evidence, and support of women victims of gender-based violence in addition to the prosecution of perpetrators. Policies for the improvement of women's safety should be considered as a priority and undertaken at an individual, relationship, community, and society level. Women's safety is a global public health problem , and \u201cGlViolence has a negative effect on women's physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health . EvidencViolence against women in the Republic of North Macedonia (further in the text Macedonia) is the most common form of human rights violation against women, and it has a negative impact on health, causing injuries, death, as well as psychological trauma . Women'sPublic health and human rights approaches have been applied to analyze the magnitude, burden, and risk factors of violence against women in Macedonia and to give actionable recommendations for policy interventions for the purpose of prevention. The public health approach is a science-based, multi-disciplinary approach for understanding and preventing violence, with coordinated action to be undertaken by different sectors .In Macedonia, due to inappropriate evidence of violence and a lack of systematic follow-up of the victims of violence, within health, social, educational, and other institutions in the country, it is not possible to give an objective assessment of the burden of violence against women .The official data from the police showed that, in 2004, there were 2,434 complaints of domestic violence of which 1,000 victims were wives, 460 parents, and 175 were children and other family members in big families with members spanning several generations. In most of the cases, violence was linked to alcohol abuse. Centers for social work have provided services to 409 victims of family violence in 2004 and 2005, and 85 victims of violence were accommodated in the four shelter centers in Skopje, Kochani, Bitola, and Strumica in 2000 showed that 61.5% of the interviewed women reported psychological violence, 23.9% physical violence, and 5% sexual violence .An intimate partner was identified by women as the most frequent perpetrator in 43.9% of reported violence against women in the community injury survey conducted on a sample of 1,000 households in Macedonia in 2008 .The Global School-Based Student Health Survey has shown that \u201coverall 10.0% of students aged 13\u201315 years had been bullied on 1 and more days during the past 30 days, while 8.6% of students seriously considered attempting suicide during the past 12 months; male students (6.8%) were less likely than female students (10.5%) to seriously consider attempting suicide\u201d is 59.4%, whereby psychological violence is most common (58.2%) followed by physical violence (23.7). Almost every second woman in Bosnia and Herzegovina (47.2%) has experienced at least one form of violence since age of 15, mostly psychological (41.9%) and physical (24.3). Data obtained from a study conducted in Serbia in 2010 show that the overall prevalence of violence against women is 54.2%, with psychological violence at 48.7% and physical violence at 21.6% .The official number of violent deaths in females in Macedonia has decreased; homicides have gone down from 12 in 2007 to 9 in 2017 and suicides from 45 in 2007 to 32 in 2017, and this is almost three times lower than in males . Twenty-Evidence suggests that certain characteristics in women, such as sexual orientation, disability status, or ethnicity, and some contextual factors, such as humanitarian crises, including conflict and post-conflict situations, may increase women's vulnerability to violence and may The main risk factors for violence against women in Macedonia, as stated by the perpetrators, are poor economic status of perpetrator, low education, unemployment, exposure to domestic violence against their mothers, harmful use of alcohol (every fourth perpetrator), unequal gender norms, including attitudes accepting violence, and a sense of entitlement over women . The vioThe main risk factors for victims of intimate partner violence as reported by the women are low levels of education, lack of employment for the woman, exposure to mothers being abused by a partner, experienced child abuse, and attitudes accepting violence, male privilege, and women's subordinate status , 18.The State response in addressing the problem of violence against women was in line with the resolution WHA67.15 from May 2014 and the The Government has been undertaking evidence-based policy interventions that are in line with WHO key recommendations , 22 at aThe Republic of North Macedonia is a signatory of the international acts from the United Nations (UN), the Council of Europe (CoE), and the European Union (EU) for the protection of human rights and prevention of discrimination, torture, and maltreatment, which are incorporated in the national legislation . The mosThe existing national legislative provisions are, to a great extent, in compliance with the principle of gender equality and the international instruments on the protection of women's human rights. Macedonia ratified the CEDAW Convention on January 18th, 1994, and the Optional Protocol to the same Convention and made no reservations .The Constitution stipulatCitizens shall be equal in the Constitution and the laws: Criminal Code ; Law on In 2003 and 2004, the State made amendments on the actual Family Law and Law The Annual Report of the Helsinki Committee for 2012 shows that there were serious violations to the freedoms and rights of citizens as well as drastic violations to the principle of rule of law and the legal state; this was not only in the form of systemic problems in the functioning of the bodies and institutions but also in the form of the abuse of their competencies .Violence prevention was set as priority in the collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2004 in Biennial collaborative agreements. The WHO National focal point for violence and injury control and prevention was appointed by the Minister of Health in 2003, thus starting the collaboration with the WHO organizing the national conference against violence against women on November 25th, 2003.The Department for Violence and Injury Control and Prevention was established within the Institute of Public Health in 2004 as a lead agency for violence prevention in the health sector, and it was later in 2012 inaugurated as the Safe Community Affiliate Support Center.The first shelter center was opened in 2004 in Skopje for the protection of victims of domestic violence. The process was followed by the opening of five more centers in the country and a national SOS line financed by the Government. Training of social workers and health professionals was also conducted .In the institutional framework, the sector for equal opportunities was established within the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy for the improvement of the status of women. There is also the national commission on equal opportunities for women and men, which was established in 2006 as a regular parliamentary commission .The Governmental National Coordination Body for Domestic Violence Prevention was established with Government approval in 2009, and it includes representatives from the Ministries of Health, Labor and Social Policy, the Interior, Education, Justice, the Institute of Public Health, as well as other non-governmental organizations, WHO and other stakeholders responsible for the implementation of the National Strategy for protection against domestic violence 2008\u20132011 .The Joint UN Program \u201cStrengthening National Capacities to Prevent Domestic Violence\u201d started in December 2008 and finished in August 2012, and it provided technical and financial assistance to the National Coordination Body in the implementation of the National Strategy for protection from domestic violence. UN agencies UNDP, UNFPA, WHO, UNICEF, and UNIFEM have worked together with the national partners: Ministries of Labor and Social Policy, the Interior, Justice, Health, Education, and Science, providing funding of 2,458,000 US dollars from the Government of the Netherlands, 958,000 US dollars from the UN Trust Fund, and a further 43,000 US dollars from UN agencies. A total of 70,000 US dollars in kind have also been provided by Government of the Republic of Macedonia .Specific national policies for domestic violence prevention have been developed to address violence against women, and annual action plans have also been prepared for implementation: a National Strategy for Protection Against Domestic Violence 2008\u20132011 was implProtocols against child abuse and neglect, sexual abuse, and pedophilia have been prepared as well . The JoiIn the context of the recent ratification of the European Council Istanbul Convention, the Government opened three multi-sectoral sexual assault referral centers in the hospitals in Tetovo, Kumanovo, and the University Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic in Skopje for psychosocial and legal support as well as for the safety and security of the victims of sexual violence, applying a standard operating procedure. In the next 5 years, the Government will open seven more centers .The First Family Center established in 2013 in Skopje as a specialized counseling center for support and prevention against domestic violence is an example of good cooperation between the civil sector, local government, and business sector, providing free, confidential, and high-quality counseling and psychotherapy services for victims and perpetrators of domestic violence .The WHO Training Education Advancing Collaboration in Health Violence and Injury Prevention modular training curriculum on violence prevention and control has been completed by 2,390 health professionals and 60 university professors within the period 2009\u20132012. Training was financially supported by WHO within the UN Joint Program mentioned above. Two hundred twenty doctors were trained in 1 day workshops for evidence of violence and web register in Skopje in 2012 .Guidelines for referral mechanisms for professionals were prepared in 2010 and 2-day capacity-building workshops for the implementation of the Joint Protocol for domestic violence prevention were organized in eight municipalities in the period 2011\u20132012, and these were supported by the UN Joint Program. A total of 200 professionals from different sectors were trained: health workers, social workers, policemen, teachers, municipal staff, etc.Three 1-day capacity-building workshops for the protocol for intersectoral collaboration for domestic violence prevention were organized in 2015, and 90 doctors, nurses, social workers, and other workers were trained.In 2016, the Ministry of Health, in cooperation with NGO HERA, UNFPA, the Center for Family Medicine, and the Institute for Public Health, accredited a training package for gender-based violence with nine modules for 2-day training for health professionals. Over 200 medical professionals have completed this training, while 40 primary health care physicians completed a 2-day training program for gender-based violence in persons with disabilities in 2019.Despite the progress made in violence control and prevention and safety promotion, further efforts and a more strategic approach are needed in the years ahead , especiaThe future key challenges in the prevention of violence against women in Macedonia in the near future will be to implement the legislation for the prevention of domestic violence as well as the recommendations of the WHO World Report on Violence and Health through Advocacy and empowerment counseling interventions, education, and home visitation are promising in the prevention or reduction of intimate partner violence against women .A multisectoral integrated approach is required for gender-based violence reduction at both the legislative and community level, dealing with common risk factors as well as the cultural and societal influences behind perpetrator behavior and victim response.Overall strengthening of the main functions, and especially the development of violence-prevention policies and legislation and establishing strong monitoring, will add significant value to the integrated system for the prevention of violence against women while including health in all policies.There are achievements in policy development for the prevention of violence against women as well as capacity-building and multisectoral collaboration between governmental, civil society, and international organizations with legislative and institutional changes. But there is still a need for the Government to provide resources and undertake measures and activities to respond to cultural change in social systems and to improve efficiency and effectiveness of legal mechanisms for the protection of women. Policies for the improvement of women's safety should be considered as a priority and should be undertaken at the individual, relationship, community, and society level.The author confirms being the sole contributor of this work and has approved it for publication.The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest."} +{"text": "Painful conditions, particularly due to head pain, spinal disease, and neuropathic pain, are highly prevalent in modern society, resulting in a significant impact on the individual due to the disability of the condition and the direct cost of associated treatments. Additionally, indirect costs to society result from the loss of work productivity of the individual due to pain. For musculoskeletal pain alone, the related costs in the USA are estimated at $215 billion, of which 41% are from direct medical care, and the remaining are indirect costs associated with the condition [In this Special Issue of Brain Sciences, the included manuscripts have explored several causes of pain and disability, their diagnosis, and treatment. Cantone et al. evaluated the disability that can result from mucopolysaccharidosis related cervical myelopathy . The aut"} +{"text": "Despite good intentions, training programs targeting hospital managers are only effective if grounded on the best practices. These training programs must be sustainable and continuously be monitored and updated.4Hospital managers and administrators are the key motivators for the success of each inpatient healthcare institution.IJHPM entitled \u201cCapacity Building to Improve Hospital Managers\u2019 Performance in West Asia. \u201d5 This letter outlines the training and development program, targeting public hospital managers in Iran, initiated in 2016 by the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). The purpose of this program is to empower public hospital managers, and to build capacity for improving their performance and productivity. Despite its efforts, the letter did not provide a comprehensive historical overview of the program. The letter also did not adequately acknowledge the intellectual property right of the project owners. There was no reference to the project owners responsible for delivering these training programs. Further, the title of the letter did not represent its content, which mainly covered Iran\u2019s experience not the West Asia region.The present letter is a critique and a response to a letter recently published at the The history of health managers\u2019 professional development initiatives in Iran dates back to nearly two decades ago, in 1999, when some health managers participated in international training courses. 6 and WHO confirmed the proper implementation of this program.7 The tailored course entailed 28 days of training in 7 modules over a period of 8 months. This course was implemented in 7 management training centers in Iran. This successful experience in Iran, motivated the WHO to implement this course for health managers in Iraq and Afghanistan, which was held in the National Public Health Management Center in Tabriz, Iran. The WHO has supported the capacity building program since the starting point of the program, and in addition, involved in monitoring and evaluation of the training courses. In Iran, as a developing country, it will be important to continue conducting health management training, and also to justify the large investments in training programs, through rigorous assessment of their contribution to the capacity development of individuals, organizations, and health systems. To accomplish this important objective, the Health Managers Development and Training Supreme Institute, affiliated with the MoHME, was established in 2017, to organize and lead the professionalism, managers training, and management development in national and international health systems.Notwithstanding these academic events, with the beginning of the Health Transformation Plan in Iran in 2014, the need for managerial skills improvement in hospital managers was deeply felt. In 2015, a training assessment for hospital managers was done to identify their needs for inclusion in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of educational courses. Based on this assessment results, approximately 75% of the participants obtained low scores, and the qualitative analysis demonstrated their training needs. Consequently, the Hospital Managers Development Program was designed, and then started by the Hospital Management and Clinical Services Excellency Office in collaboration with Management Development and Administration Reform Center of MoHME, WHO country office of Iran, International Federation of Hospitals, and Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Also, International Relation Department of MoHME supported and facilitated the Hospital Managers Development Program initiative. In less than two years, all of the 600 public hospitals managers were trained in leadership and management skills,Not applicable.Authors declare that they have no competing interests.All authors developed this letter and agreed upon the final manuscript.1Department of Health Policy, Economics and Management, School of Management and Medical Education, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2Advisor to Secretariat of High Council for Health and Food Security, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran. 3Secretariat of the High Council for Health and Food Security, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran. 4School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 5Health Managers Development Institute, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran. 6Health Management Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran."} +{"text": "COPHELA , a collaborative project between the European Union (EU) and Latin America, will produce on-line courses for the master degree in pharmacy. The program runs from 2019 through 2021. It is funded by the Erasmus+ program of the Education, Audio-visual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Commission. The partners are EU and Latin American universities. These are accompanied by associated partners from EU and Latin American universities, as well as from governmental and non-governmental organizations, such as pharmacy chambers and educational associations. The project is coordinated by the University of Granada, Spain (first author of this paper). It will produce distance learning master degree courses in a dozen fields of specialized pharmaceutical science education and practice, ranging from patient care to industrial pharmacy. This paper describes the design of the project and is intended to evoke constructive comments. It also represents a call for the recruitment of additional associated partners. In light of the evolving situation in pharmacy specialization in Latin America, the COPHELA project proposes to produce distant learning tools for master degrees in pharmacy specialization. These will be published in Spanish, Portuguese and/or English, and will be available primarily for the Latin American market but also in the EU.PHARMINE (Pharmacy Education in Europe) ,2, and tPHAR-QA ,4, andPHAR-IN ,6.This COPHELA project is a follow-on to three previous EU-funded projects: The competences for fundamental and specialized pharmacy practice The education and training tools necessary to produce the competences cited previously in (1) above, andThe harmonization of competences, and the education and training tools necessary, in the EU member states.All three projects centered on:The purpose of the three previous projects was to adapt pharmacy education in the EU to the on-going evolution in practice. For example, community and hospital pharmacies are moving towards patient care activities, such as therapeutic monitoring, intervention in public health campaigns (vaccination and other), medicinal treatment of long-term ailments, and interpretation of clinical biological results, etc. There is also a substantial transformation in industrial pharmacy in research and development, production, etc. This accompanies the shift in therapeutics from small chemical drug molecules to large protein biosimilars. The development of the generic drug market with the consequential changes in marketing, regulatory affairs, etc., is another example of the evolution in practice. COPHELA looks at the paradigms and technology required to extend to Latin America the principles behind the three EU PHARMINE projects. It aims at creating master degree courses in specialized pharmaceutical sciences to meet the challenges of the changing face of pharmacy. Below, we examine the characteristics of pharmacy practice in the EU and Latin America, and how specialized education and training can provide possibilities for adaptation in the changing world.Workplace. A hospital pharmacist can be defined as a pharmacist working in a hospital pharmacy -and this independently of the education and training s/he has followed. An industrial pharmacist can be defined as a pharmacist working for a drug company. In both cases \u2013hospital and industrial \u2013 this attribute is independent of the following three attributes.Specific pharmaceutical activities. This concerns the definitions of the practice of community and hospital pharmacy . Such definitions involve pharmaceutical acts like formulation of specific forms of drugs or deliverance of specific drug treatments. The practitioners\u2019 perceptions of such acts have been described in detail [n detail ,8,9.Laws and directives. The definition of attribute 2 \u2013pharmacy practice \u2013is established through laws and directives from national associations and/or chambers, and, in the case of the EU, by directives drafted by the European Commission and approved by the European Parliament. It should be noted that a directive is an act that requires a given country to achieve a result without dictating the means of achieving that result. Thus hospital pharmacy in Spain and Portugal are governed by associations and chambers [chambers ,11, and chambers ,13. At tchambers defines chambers ,16,17,18chambers ,20. The Education and training. This attribute concerns the education and training for fundamental practice and for specialized practice in hospital and industrial pharmacy. As an example, in Spain and Portugal, hospital pharmacy practice is taught in specific hospital pharmacy specialization courses [ courses ,22. Conc courses .The attributes of pharmacy practice, with examples from the EU and Latin America, are:Below, are the paradigms and methodology to achieve these aims. Evidence of collaboration between the EU and Latin America in the form of student and/or staff exchange, joint projects in education and training and/or research, etc.Present and future development of specialization in pharmacy practice in the fields of patient care, research in pharmaceutical science and/or education, etc.Development of IT capacity in teaching.Interaction with national and international governmental departments , pharmacy chambers and associations, etc.The first stage in the elaboration of the COPHELA project was to constitute a core team of 10 partners (authors of this paper) who replied to the following criteria:EACEA/EU projects are separated into \u201cworkpackages\u201d (WPs) that group the activities of the project. WPs function independently but rely on the results of other WPs. The target group and the ultimate beneficiaries of the COPHELA project are the populations of the Latin American countries. Benefit will come in various forms. Firstly, there will be an improvement in the healthcare of the Latin American population, following the amelioration of pharmaceutical care, based on the upgrade of pharmaceutical specialization in community and hospital pharmacies. Secondly, the Latin American pharmaceutical industry will benefit by providing employees with the tools required for future changes in the industry, such as the change from a chemistry-based industry producing small molecules to a biotechnology-based industry producing large therapeutic proteins.There are several potential issues. Firstly, they involve shortcomings in the performance of the partners and their capacity to produce, evaluate and accredit satisfactory courses. in the time given. Appropriate expedient measures to counter such deficiencies are based on the capacity of the auditing to detect and suggest solutions, and a satisfactory interaction with EACEA and project partners.Secondly, problems could arise in the accreditation of courses by bodies external to the project such as government health and education authorities, and thus, in the long-term use of COPHELA material post-2021, the official date of the closure of the project. The main purpose of COPHELA accreditation is recognition. The project in its present form has 44 partners and associated partners in the EU and Latin America. The fact that all the COPHELA universities and other institutions have contacts with the accreditation authorities in their different countries should ensure that such problems can be resolved. Thirdly, in parallel to accreditation, problems could arise concerning intellectual property and ownership of the material produced given that in the EU and in Latin America the economics of the education and training of pharmacists vary greatly. This ranges from the situation in state-owned universities where such education and training are without charge, to that in private universities with a fee system. Here, solutions will be found on the basis of interactions between the project partners and associated partners, and the relevant partners in the healthcare system of the country concerned. Ownership will be guaranteed by the commitments and conventions on a joint project. Intellectual property rights will be ensured through Creative Commons Licenses .COPHELA is a collaborative project between the EU and Latin America aimed at improving specialization education in pharmacy. Its ambition is to improve not only the competences of target groups, such as university staff and students, and pharmaceutical professionals, but also the wellbeing and prosperity of the general public through better patient care, and better drugs, with a modernized pharmaceutical industry capable of providing the latter. The purpose of this manuscript is to request comments on project design and recruit potential research partners."} +{"text": "Late life depression (LLD), a common mental disorder, has become an increasingly acute public health concern with a quickly expanding geriatric population worldwide. To our knowledge, however, the incidence of LLD in northern cities in China has not been empirically investigated, and many elderly people with depressive moods and mild depressive symptoms have not been given sufficient attention.This is a multi-stage and prospective study. The first stage is a cross-sectional study, investigating the epidemiological characteristics of LLD in northern China and exploring the biological, psychological, and social risk factors for developing LLD based on a set of questionnaires from 6,800 community-residing elderly adults. The second stage involves statistical analysis, by constructing a risk factor model for LLD and analyzing their direct and indirect functional routes on the basis of structural equation modeling. The third stage is an experimental study a total of 60 elderly patients with LLD and their principle caregivers will be randomly assigned to control and trial groups. The trial group patients and caregivers will undergo supportive psychosocial, drug treatment, and health education (PDH) intervention, whereas the control group patients and caregivers will be treated routinely . At the end of the intervention, depressive symptoms, quality of life, and the social and cognitive functioning of the patients in the two groups will be respectively assessed at a baseline and after 6, 9, and 12 months post-intervention by employing scales and questionnaires to analyze the effectiveness of the supportive PDH intervention measures in comparison with TAR. Ultimately, a supportive PDH intervention and health management model will be obtained by combining PDH intervention with mental health institutions, community health services, and aging families as the main line.This study will provide strong and suitable evidence for enhancing the integrated supportive PDH intervention and health management model of LLD patients among community-dwelling residents.This study has been approved by the Ethics and Research Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University . Late life depression (LLD) is complex, burdensome, and difficult to treat. Specifically, it refers to elderly people who, for the first time in their lives, meet criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) or display clinically significant depressive symptoms such as functional disability, cognitive decline, increased risk of medical comorbidity , and even suicide in severe cases \u20134. MeanwEvidence shows that successful antidepressant treatment is one of the most effective ways of reducing disability, preventing morbidity, and improving quality of life (QOL) in older patients . HoweverIn Western countries in the 1970s, health management, an important topic in the field of healthcare, developed rapidly and was successfully implemented for chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease \u201322. By cAccording to literature review and analysis, we found that there are four main deficiencies of the existing research. First, due to a large elderly population base, rapid aging growth, uneven distribution of mental health resources, and insufficient public attention to the mental health of the elderly, under-recognition and under-treatment of depression appears to be severe in Liaoning which ranked first among 19 provinces and cities in terms of the proportion of the elderly population aged 65 and above in 2016. Second, research on interventions for LLD is limited. Previous studies have been mostly based on pharmacotherapy, psychosocial intervention, health education, or a combination of any two of these, but none, to our knowledge, have been conducted combining all aspects together. Third, research on the risk factors of LLD has been limited, and the methods used have not been sufficiently systematic. Previous studies were limited to investigating risk factors \u201326, but This study is designed to comprehensively assess the overall community mental health resources available to LLD patients, along with the prevalence, risk factors, and prevention and treatment status of LLD in Liaoning. By exploring and constructing the integration of psychosocial interventions, medical care, and health education with psychiatric hospitals, community health services (CHS), and aging families, this study can provide a reference for the practice of supportive intervention and health management, as well as guidance for formulating health policies in Liaoning. The aims of this study are as follows:Analyze the epidemiological characteristics of LLD in Liaoning province.Construct a risk factor model for LLD in Liaoning.Conduct supportive psychosocial, drug treatment, and health education (PDH) interventions alongside treatment as routine (TAR) in a trial group and control group, respectively, to compare their effectiveness with regard to patients and their caregivers.Establish a supportive PDH intervention and health management (SIHM) model for elderly patients with depression according to the local economic level, mental health resources, and demographics of Liaoning.Team members of the preliminary investigation will consist of six graduate students studying psychiatry, two clinical psychiatrists with experience in the fields of mental health, geriatrics, and medical psychology, and five CHS staff members from Liaoning province. Before implementing the questionnaire survey, graduate students and CHS staff will undergo unified training, to explain the specific purpose, content, significance, procedures, and principles of the investigation. Further, the team members will learn the definitions and scoring criteria of each item in the questionnaires and scales, communication skills for interacting with elderly patients and their caregivers, and possible problems and solutions that might be encountered. After sampling according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, the psychiatrists, accompanied by other team members, will enter selected communities, ask permission from community leaders, and complete the investigation in public activity areas or at elderly residences accompanied by the arranged community staff.In addition, team members of the intervention will comprise graduate students in psychiatry, one clinical psychiatrist, and one psychologist employed to supervise and guide the intervention process. After team members work out a detailed intervention plan according to the purpose of the project and the characteristics of the research objects, the research team will organize experts in psychiatry, psychotherapeutics, social medicine, and geriatrics to review and approve the plan. Afterwards, the plan will be revised and improved based on expert advice before implementation. Then, in the course of carrying out the plan, the intervention team members will record any problems with the intervention process and immediately report back to the project leader for revisions before further implementation. The goal of such cycles is to ensure the effectiveness of the intervention.In order to ensure the quality of the preliminary investigation of this project, we formulated the following measures. First, there will be unified training for researchers before data collection to reduce bias caused by differences among researchers. Second, when carrying out the questionnaire, the environment will be as quiet as possible, so as to facilitate the emotional stability of the research subjects and avoid adverse effects from the internal and external environment. Third, when collecting the questionnaires after completion, missing items will be promptly identified (without violating the principle of voluntariness) to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the survey data. Finally, data obtained from the survey will be input into statistical software for analysis by two investigators working together. At the same time, before statistical processing, SPSS descriptive statistics will be used to verify the recorded data, and errors will be corrected.Similarly, the following three measures were developed to ensure the quality of the intervention. First, members of the intervention team will regularly report the concrete content of the intervention measures and the implementation process to the project leader and clinical psychiatrists. Second, a clinical psychiatrist will be invited to evaluate, guide, and correct the accuracy of the intervention measures and methods, along with any problems with the intervention and suitable solutions. Third, contingency plans will be developed and imparted to researchers in case of any emergencies while executing intervention measures.This is a multi-stage and prospective study. It includes the following three stages:The first stage is a cross-sectional study, based on the baseline information from 6,800 community-dwelling elderly adults collected through a set of questionnaires. The aim of the first stage is to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of LLD in northern China, and to explore the biological, psychological, and social risk factors for developing LLD.The second stage involves statistical analysis, with the aim of constructing a risk factor model for LLD and analyzing direct and indirect functional routes on the basis of structural equation modeling (SEM).The third stage is an experimental study, comprising a 6-month supportive intervention period and a 6-month follow-up period. In order to ensure the participation of the subjects in this study and improve the effectiveness of the interventions, a total of 60 elderly patients with depression and their principle caregivers will be randomly and equally assigned to trial and control groups.Trial group patients and caregivers will undergo supportive PDH interventions, and control group patients and caregivers will receive TAR. Subsequently, depressive symptoms, QOL, and the social and cognitive functioning of the patients in the two groups will be respectively assessed at a baseline and after 6, 9, and 12 months post-intervention by using scales and questionnaires to analyze the effectiveness of the supportive PDH intervention measures. Ultimately, an SIHM model will be constructed by combining PDH intervention with mental health institutions, CHS, and aging families as the main line.We plan to enroll the participants between December 2019 and December 2022. The goal is to recruit 6,800 community-residing elderly adults to complete the baseline investigation. Then, 60 LLD patients who meet more strict criteria, along with their principle caregivers, will receive 6 months of supportive PDH intervention followed by a 6-month follow-up period. The inclusion and exclusion criteria for all the respondents, patients with LLD, and caregivers are listed in The 6800 community-residing elderly adults will be screened and enrolled by the investigators according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. To ensure the balance and representativeness of sample sources, we intend to adopt a multi-stage sampling method. At the first stage, four cites will be randomly selected in Liaoning province by randomized sortition. At the second stage, one district and one township will be randomly selected from each selected city. At the third stage, one urban community and one village community will be randomly selected from each selected district/township. At the fourth stage, elderly residents will be selected from each selected urban community and village community with a convenient sampling method.The 60 community-residing elderly adults with LLD and their principle caregivers will be allocated to trial and control groups. In addition, we will ensure that there are no statistical differences between the two groups in term of the degree of depression, drug treatment programs, knowledge of mental health, geographic distribution, and other aspects before carrying out the interventions. The trial group of 30 elderly patients and their principle caregivers will receive the same content and frequency of individualized and group intervention for 6 months. By contrast, the 30 elderly patients in the control group and their principle caregivers will receive TAR, which are suitable for all MDD patients as routine. During this period, except for any additional treatment for comorbid physical diseases or short-lasting benzodiazepines for severe insomnia, other antipsychotic medications, systematic psychotherapy, and long-lasting benzodiazepines will not be allowed. The detailed content, forms, and methods of the supportive PDH intervention are listed in Considering that Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning, has the second-largest elderly population in the province, a multi-stage sampling method will be applied during this phase as well. At the first stage, one district and one township will be randomly selected by randomized sortition in Shenyang. At the second stage, one urban community and one village community will be randomly selected from each selected district/township. At the third stage, with the help of local community health workers, 60 elderly patients with LLD who meet the inclusion criteria will be selected from each selected urban community and village community with a convenient sampling method.In addition, the 60 elderly patients in the trial and control groups will receive clinical visits at the baseline and after 6, 9, and 12 months post-intervention using scales and questionnaires. The primary treatment and intervention outcome evaluation index shows the change in the total Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) score. A secondary index includes the change in the total Older People Quality Of Life (OPQOL) score, the 36-item short-form (SF-36) from the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS), the Social Disability Screening Schedule (SDSS), the Family APGAR Scale, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) for LLD, the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and the Irritational Beliefs Scale (IBS). That is, the effectiveness of the supportive PDH intervention will be comprehensively evaluated in terms of depressive symptoms, QOL, and social, family, and cognitive functioning. See At screening, the trained investigators will examine, gather, and record participant eligibility. The Chinese version of MINI will be Finally, to evaluate the effectiveness of supportive PDH intervention, follow-up data regarding improvements in depressive symptoms, QOL, and social, family, and cognitive functioning will be assessed and acquired using other standardized Chinese scales and questionnaires, respectively \u201331.The primary goals of this study are to analyze the epidemiological characteristics and construct a risk model for LLD in Liaoning. The study design for this part is a cross-sectional study. Wang et al. reported the prevalence of MDD in elderly Chinese at 2.8%, where the ratio of urban to rural was 1.4:1 . That isGiven that 10% of the data are missing, a total of 6,800 elderly residents should be included.The secondary goals of this study are to conduct and evaluate integrated supportive PDH interventions and TAR for the objects in the trial group and control group, respectively. The study design for this part is an experimental study, and the sample size can be determined by the change in the value of the mean and standard deviation of the depression score of elderly patients before and after intervention in a previous study . That isGiven that 20% of the data are missing, each group should have a sample size of 30 LLD patients. Meanwhile, to facilitate the compliance of patients in the later intervention stages, and to ensure the effectiveness of the intervention, each patient\u2019s primary caregiver will be required to accompany the participant. In the later stages, we will further revise the sample size according to the preliminary experimental results from the intervention study.The participants, method, assessment time, and data collection administrators are listed in The statistical analyses will be performed by employing the SPSS statistical package, version 20.0 , and all evaluations of significance will be determined based on two-sided tests using the 0.05 level of statistical significance. In addition, missing values will be replaced by the column mean/median in this study. The details of the analytic approach are as follows.Demographic and clinical characteristics, lifestyle patterns, medical history, history of alcohol and drug abuse or dependence, family history of mental illness, self-knowledge and treatment attitude, and the self-efficacy levels and depressive symptoms of the subjects will be described by frequency distribution, percentage, arithmetic mean, and standard deviation.t-test, Mann\u2013Whitney U-test, and the chi-squared test, as appropriate.Comparison of the above variables between patients with or without LLD will be made using the independent-sample Correlation analysis, logistic regression (for binary variables), and multiple linear regression (ANCOVA for continuous variables) will be used to determine whether the variables can enter SEM, and to test the direct and indirect pathways among these hypothesized determinants.Amos version 22.0 statistical software will be used for SEM of the risk factors for LLD.GDS, SDSS, SF-36, OPQOL, Family APGAR, GSES, IBS, MoCA, and the related KAP for LLD in the elderly will be used as evaluation indices, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) will be applied to compare the results of the control and the trial groups before and after intervention.Regression analysis will be used to analyze the influence of various factors on the effectiveness of the supportive PDH intervention.This study [approval no. (2019) 2019-312-2] was approved by the Ethics and Research Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, which verified that the study will be performed in accordance with all ethical standards set forth by the committee.Participants will be assured of the confidential nature of the study, and written informed consent will be obtained. All data collection will be anonymous and in accordance with the provision of Chinese law regulating patient autonomy, rights, and responsibilities in the field of clinical information and documentation.Based on an analysis of the current clinical report results, there are many basic studies and investigations of the pathogenic factors of LLD. Investigations mainly focus on three groups of variables. First, researchers study the correlation between the characteristics , 35 bio, 37 per\u201340 and a grant from the Major Project of the Science and Technology Ministry in China (2017YFC0820200).The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest."} +{"text": "The 11th International Retroviral Nucleocapsid and Assembly Symposium was held August 15\u201317, 2019, on the campus of Northeastern University. The meeting consisted of 40 oral presentations and a poster session while providing a stimulating environment to advance our understanding of retroviral assembly and replication and promoting interactions between young scientists and prominent researchers. The presentations covered a range of topics related to retroviral replication and assembly, including biophysical and structural studies, the roles of Gag, NC, RNA, and membranes in retroviral replication and assembly, interactions with cellular factors, virus assembly and budding, and therapeutic strategies. As an outcome of the meeting, this Special Issue was organized. Due to the pandemic, deadlines for the Special Issue were extended, and the issue was completed in October 2020.The eleven manuscripts published as part of this Special Issue reflect the breadth of topics covered by the symposium, ranging from fundamental biophysical studies of the molecular interactions involved in retroviral replication and assembly to the characterization of complex cellular interactions involved in these processes. Studies of molecular biophysics and biochemistry included a study of the dimerization of the Rous Sarcoma Virus genomic RNA , compari"} +{"text": "Citation analysis is one of the most commonly used methods in academic assessments. Up to now, most of academic assessments are based on English literature, ignoring the fact that the role of Chinese papers in academic assessments has become increasingly indispensable. Therefore, to give full play to the role of Chinese literature in academic assessments is an urgent task of current academic circle. Based on Chinese academic data from ScholarSpace, i.e., 82826 Chinese computer science journal papers, we conduct a comprehensive assessment of academic influence from the perspectives of fields, journals and institutions, in order to achieve a better understanding of the development of Chinese computer literature in the past 60 years. We find that Chinese scholars tend to cite papers in English, discover evolution trend of fields, journals and institutions, and call on journals, institutions, and scholars to strengthen their cooperation. The progress of scientific research is closely related to academic inheritance. Only by standing on the shoulders of predecessors can the younger generation see further. Citation is a form of academic inheritance. Through citation analysis, scholars can understand the development of academic fields and draw lessons from classical research ideas, thus gaining new academic achievements. Therefore, citation analysis is one of the most commonly used methods in academic assessments.Up to now, most of academic assessments are based on databases that mainly consist of English literature, such as DBLPHowever, this assessment method is not entirely suitable for Chinese scholars, since a considerable number of them writes in their native language, and there are many excellent works in Chinese papers [According to papers have fewer than h citations each literature.ScholarSpaceChinese Journal of Computers(CJC), Journal of Computer Research and Development(JCRD), Scientia Sinica (Informationis)(SS-I), Journal of Software(JS), Journal of Computer-Aided Design & Computer Graphics(JCAD&CG), Acta Electronica Sinica(AES), Journal of Chinese Information Processing(JCIP), Journal of Frontiers of Computer Science and Technology(JFCST), Journal of Chinese Computer Systems(JCCS), Journal of Image and Graphics(JIG), as well as Computer Science(CS), including the 10 sub-fields of computer science defined by CCF (China Computer Federation), i.e., Computer Network and Communication(Network), Information Security and Privacy Protection(Security), Chinese Information Processing and Information Retrieval(Info), Computer Theory(Theory), Graphics and Human-Computer Interaction(Graphics & HCI), Software Engineering/System Software/Program Designing(Software), Database System and Data Mining(Database), Architecture and High Performance Computing(Architecture), Artificial Intelligence and Robotics(AI), as well as Intersection and Synthesis(Intersection).As a subsystem of ScholarSpace, our dataset, ScholarCitation has obtained 71,221 citation relationships of 82,826 journal papers from top 11 Chinese computer science journals, i.e., The ontology of our dataset is shown in target papers in the following analysis. We define a series of evaluation indicators for three types of entities: fields, journals, and academic institutions, including the number of papers, the number of self-citations, the number of other-citations, the number of other-references, the number of citations, the number of references, self-citation rate, citation rate, and reference rate. The definitions of these indicators are shown in For ease of explanation, the 82,826 journal papers collected by ScholarCitation will be referred to as Further explanation of these indicators is provided below.P means the total number of target papers published by entity E in a period T. For example, assuming that Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS) published 1000 papers between 2009 and 2018, then P is 1000.First, the number of papers CS\u2212S means the total number of times that entity E cited its own published target papers in a period T, and the meaning of self-citation rate CRS\u2212S is the number of self-citations of entity E per paper in a period T. For example, assuming that CAS published 4000 papers and cited itself 2000 times between 2009 and 2018, then CS\u2212S is 2000, and CRS\u2212S is the ratio of 2000 to 4000, i.e., 0.5.Second, the number of self-citations CO\u2212S means the total number of times that the target papers published by entity E were cited by other entities in a period T. For example, assuming that CAS was cited by other institutions 3000 times between 2009 and 2018, then CO\u2212S is 3000.Third, the number of other-citations Ced means the total number of times that the target papers published by entity E were cited by all entities (itself and other entities) in a period T, and the meaning of citation rate CedR is the number of citations of entity E per paper in a period T. For example, if CS\u2212S is 2,000 and CO\u2212S is 3,000, then Ced is the sum of 2,000 and 3,000, i.e., 5,000. At the same time, if P is 1,000, then CedR is the ratio of 5,000 to 1,000, i.e., 5.Fourth, the number of citations CS\u2212O means the total number of times that the entity E cited target papers published by other entities in a period T. For example, assuming that CAS cited other institutions 4,000 times between 2009 and 2018, then CS\u2212O is 4,000.Fifth, the number of other-references C means the total number of times that the entity E cited target papers published by all entities (itself and other entities) in a period T, and the meaning of reference rate CR is the number of references of entity E per paper in time T. For example, if CS\u2212O is 4,000 and CS\u2212S is 2,000, then C is the sum of 4,000 and 2,000, i.e., 6,000. At the same time, if P is 1,000, then CR is the ratio of 6,000 to 1,000, i.e., 6.Sixth, the number of references CS for entities of institutions. The meaning of CS is the sum of citation scores of entity E in a period T. The calculation method of this indicator is based on the CSRankingsIn addition, we define citation score This section will first give an overview of our citation analysis in section overview of citation analysis, then conduct the citation analysis based on fields, journals and institutions in section fields-based citation analysis, section journals-based citation analysis, and section journals-based citation analysis respectively. In section cross citation analysis, we will finish cross citation analysis.By 2018, ScholarCitation has collected 71,221 self-citation relationships of 82,826 target papers. Therefore, the self-citation rate of ScholarCitation is 0.86. However, from the official website of Scimagojrmerely considering self-citation, Chinese scholars prefer to cite English papers.By comparison, in the field of computer science, the self-citation rate of Chinese and English journal papers published by Chinese scholars is much higher than that of Chinese journal papers. Therefore, P, C and CR, and found out the temporal changes of the three indicators. The publication and citation of target papers in the last 10 years are shown in Horizontally speaking, Chinese scholars prefer to cite English papers. What about the longitudinal situation? We sampled target papers from ScholarCitation from 2009 to 2018, calculated Chinese papers in the field of computer science show a development trend of \u201chigh quality in small amount.\u201d However, although citation rate is on the rise, there is still a gap between it and self-citation rate (2.60) of the above-mentioned Chinese and English journal papers. This situation is not only aroused by the quality of target papers, but also by Chinese scholars' preference to cite English papers.In terms of the number of papers, it increased first and then decreased from 2009 to 2018. However, the overall fluctuation is modest in that the gap between the maximum and the minimum is within 1,000. In terms of the number of citations, it shows an overall growing trend and reached the maximum in 2015. However, similar to the number of papers, the fluctuation of the number of citations, which remains at around 5,000, is slight. As the result of the calculation of the number of papers and citations, citation rate is a more comprehensive indicator. As is seen in the figure, citation rate shows an overall upward trend and reached a maximum of 1.56 in 2015. This is because the number of papers in each year differs little, but in 2015 the number of citations reached a maximum. Therefore, as a whole, P), the number of self-citations ), the number of other-citations ), the number of other-references , and citation rate ). The publication and citation of papers in 10 sub-fields of computer are shown in In order to understand the development of different sub-fields of computers, we extracted citation data collected by ScholarCitation from 1960 to 2018 to calculate 5 indicators for each field: the number of papers published , so the rate of citation in each field, that is, the ratio of the number of citations to the number of papers, fluctuates little (standard deviation is 0.17).Second, there are differences in the composition of citations among different fields. In terms of the composition of citations, the fields where the number of self-citations is significantly higher than that of other-citations are Info, Graphics & HCI, as well as Network. On the other hand, the fields where the number of other-citations is significantly higher than that of self-citations are Architecture, Theory, and Intersection. Therefore, the degree of interdependence among different fields differs.Third, there are differences in citation preference among different fields. In terms of citation preference, the fields of Graphics & HCI, and Network prefer to cite papers in their own fields, while the fields of Theory, Architecture, and Security prefer to cite papers in other fields. This conclusion and the second point above can mutually confirm, indicating that the degree of interdependence among different fields is different.Cumulative citation of the target field in a period T is the sum of citations of target papers in this field in T, which is denoted as Ced. In order to compare the differences of citations in different fields, we introduce the concept of proportion. The proportion of cumulative citation in a target field refers to the ratio of cumulative citation of the target field to that of all fields. Next, we will further analyze the historical development of fields according to the proportion of cumulative citation in different fields. First, the development of Architecture is slowing down. The field of Architecture (HPC) has been the hotspot from 1982 to 2000. But since the twenty-first century, its ranking has been gradually declining: In 2001, it was surpassed by Network, as well as Graphics & HCI, falling to the third place. In 2003, the fields of Theory, Software developed rapidly, rendering a decline in the ranking of HPC to the 5th place. In 2006, 2008 and 2012, the fields of AI, Info, and database and data mining surpassed HPC, respectively, so it ended at the 8th place.Second, Graphics & HCI, as well as Network have become hot fields. The fields of Graphics & HCI, and Network ranked the same for the first time in 1982. After they reached their peaks in 1983 and 1986, respectively, their rankings began to decline slowly. And they got the same rankings again in the 1990s, when they were in their troughs. However, since 1995, the two have grown rapidly and succeeded in occupying the top two places in the twenty-first century.Third, Software and Theory are neck and neck. Although their starting points are sharply different, since 1983, the proportion of cumulative number of citations in Software and Theory has been very close to each other. The former performed slightly worse than the latter from 1983 to 1989, while from 1989 to 2003, the latter was overtaken by the former, but the gap was not huge. The field of Theory gained a weak leading edge again from 2003 to 2006. And from 2006 to 2018, the field of Software was slightly better.P), the number of self-citations ), the number of other-citations ), the number of other-references ), and citation rate ). The publication and citation of papers in eleven most representative journals of computer are shown in In order to understand the development of different computer journals, we extracted the citation data of ScholarCitation from 1960 to 2018 to calculate 5 indicators for each journal: the number of published papers , CJC (founded in 1978) and JCIP (founded in 1986). The lowest are SS-I (founded in 1950), JCCS (founded in 1980), CS (founded in 1974) and JFCST (founded in 2007). It can be seen that the citation rate of a journal has little relation with its starting time.Second, there are differences in the composition of citations among different journals. In terms of the composition of citations, the journals with more self-citations than other-citations include JCAD&CG, AES, JCIP, JCCS, and CS. On the contrary, the journals with more other-citations than self-citations include CJC, JCRD, and JS. From the analysis above, the significance of the three most representative Chinese journals of computer science can be inferred.Third, there are differences in citation preference among different journals. In terms of citation preference, JCAD&CG, AES, and JCIP prefer to cite their own papers, while JFCST, JCCS, and CS prefer to cite papers from other journals.Cumulative citation of a target journal J in a period T is the sum of citations of target papers published by J in T, which is denoted as Ced. In order to compare the differences of citations of different journals, we introduce the concept of proportion. Proportion of cumulative citation of a target journal refers to the ratio of cumulative citation of the target journal to that of all journals. In order to further analyze the historical development of each journal, we use the indicator of the proportion of cumulative citation of different journals. Chinese Journal of Computers, AES, JS, JCRD, and JCAD&CG. These five outstanding journals fall into two categories: stably developing veterans and rapidly rising stars.As is shown in The first is the stably developing veterans. From the perspective of rankings, the performance of journals established for a long time are relatively stable. Except being overtaken by JS in 2009-2012 and 2016-2017, CJC (founded in 1978) and AES (founded in 1962), have consistently ranked in the top two. As for JCRD, founded in 1982, it held the third place till it was overtaken by JS in 2006, and has ranked the fourth since then. However, it is worthy to mention that according to the numeric value of proportion of cumulative citation, CJC and AES show a downward trend.Then there are the rapidly rising stars. After 10 years' hard work, JCAD&CG (founded in 1989) and JS (founded in 1990), both developed rapidly in the twenty-first century. The former has been in the top five since 2003, and the latter has been in the top three since 2006. JS even surpassed AES, obtaining the second place.Cumulative citation score of a target institution I in a period T is the sum of the citation scores of target papers published by the corresponding institution in T, which is denoted as CS. To compare differences between cumulative citation scores of various institutions, we introduce cumulative citation score proportion, which refers to the ratio of cumulative citation scores of the target institution to that of all institutions. + or A on Computer Science and Technology in the 4th round of subject evaluation conducted by Ministry of Education of China.As is the case in citation analysis based on fields and journals, in order to analyze the historical development of each institution, the proportion of the cumulative citation score of each institution will be analyzed below. CAS tops the list. From 1979 to 2018, cumulative citation score of CAS has always been the highest one, leaving institutions in the second place far behind. However, in terms of numerical value, cumulative citation score proportion of CAS fluctuated, descending from 1979 to 2002, increasing from 2002 and 2008 and achieving stability at around 36% from 2008 to 2018. High ranks of CAS mainly attributes to its sheer size. As a whole, ranks of institutions have remained stable since the twenty-first century, especially in the last decade.It can be inferred from +, A, A\u2212, B+, B, C+ are 4, 7, 12, 24, 24, 26, respectively. An institution is accurate-evaluated if it receives an A+ in the assessment conducted by Ministry of Education, and ranks No.1~No.4 after our calculation. We calculated the accuracy of each rating according to the definition above.For each institution, we calculated its ranking of average citation score in the last 10 years and compared the rankings with the assessment in the 4th round of subject evaluation conducted by Ministry of Education of China on Computer Science and Technologyare consistent with the evaluation results of Ministry of Education of China.SS-I, target journals are all included in Cross citation analysis is based on journal-field. Generally speaking, in terms of the subject of computer science, papers collected by English journals are focused on a certain field, while Chinese journals tend to be more comprehensive. That is to say, a journal may include target papers from multiple fields simultaneously. Similarly, target papers in a particular field may be distributed among different journals. most representative Chinese journals of computer science present a situation of tripartite confrontation and are typical comprehensive journals. As a consensus, three most representative Chinese journals of computer science are CJC, JS, and JCRD. They show strong performance, occupying at least two of the top three positions in all fields except Graphics & HCI. Secondly, journals oriented to specific fields to some extent represent the authority of their own fields and are typical characteristic journals. For instance, JIG and JCAD&CG win the top two in the field of Graphics & HCI, while JCIP is the leader in the field of Info.From the analysis of Based on citation relationships collected in ScholarCitation system, we conduct a citation analysis of Chinese journals in the field of computer science with a time span of 60 years. As a whole, Chinese papers in the field of computer science shows a trend of \u201chigh quality in small amount.\u201d The number of papers increased and then decreased in the last decade. However, the number of citations showed an overall growing trend. Merely considering self-citation, Chinese scholars tend to cite papers in English.Three most representative Chinese journals of computer science present a situation of tripartite confrontation and are typical comprehensive journals. They show high coincidence of cooperative institutions and cooperate closely with multi-cooperation institutions. As for characteristic journals, they to some extent represent the authority of their own fields and pay more attention to the dominant institutions in their own fields.Development trends of different fields and institutions differ. The development of Architecture slowed, while Graphics & HCI, and Network developed into hot fields. In terms of institutions, ranks of institutions have remained stable since the twenty-first century, especially in the last decade.Journals, institutions and scholars should strengthen their cooperation, working to improve the quality of papers together. More analysis should also be conducted on literature in non-English languages to boost diversity.The datasets generated for this study are available on request to the corresponding author.All authors listed have made a substantial, direct and intellectual contribution to the work, and approved it for publication.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest."} +{"text": "Replication and cross-validation of research findings across independent longitudinal studies is essential for a cumulative science. However, the interplay between harmonization, replication, and generalizability of results across interdisciplinary longitudinal studies can present remarkable challenges. Careful interpretation of multistudy results must include consideration of the age, birth cohort, health, and education of individuals in the sample, measurements, the number and spacing of assessments, and rates of response and attrition. Placed in a broader historical (or future) context, we must consider the representativeness of population sampling, historical period, and analytic method in understanding the replicability and generalizability of findings. In a multistudy context, harmonization can be considered at levels of research question, statistical models, and measurements and can minimize some sources of cross-study variability. I will discuss the challenges and benefits of harmonization and the coordinated analysis approach used by the IALSA research network to achieve results from multi-study integrative research."} +{"text": "The involvement of psychological factors in the etiology of chronic diseases is rousing the interest of the scientific community (Conversano, Psychodynamic research has highlighted the role of personality in the development and progression of psychopathological and organic diseases (Price et al., One aspect of personality commonly studied in patients with chronic diseases is alexithymia, which is defined as the inability to distinguish between emotions, thoughts, and physiological responses to stimuli. Alexithymia has been found to be associated with several medical conditions (Lumley et al., per se and its influence on individual psychological well-being has been widely documented (Alonzo, Among other factors which contribute both to the onset and to the course of chronic illness, stressful life events are involved in the pathogenesis of both psychological and organic diseases (McFarlane, Alonzo, . Researc Alonzo, . Accordi Alonzo, , confirm Alonzo, as well Alonzo, .the opportunities provided by bioscience and computational psychiatry to creatively explore and assess the value of protocol-directed combinations of specific treatment components to address the key problems of individual patients\u201d (Fonagy, Taking these findings together, we assume that psychological and organic issues are intercorrelated and a comprehensive understanding of chronic medical conditions should consider all aspects of the illness (Yoo and Ryff, Fonagy, .CC and MD contributed in equal part to the development, conceptualization, literature review, and writing of the manuscript. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest."} +{"text": "Dear Editor,The presence of recurrent skin lesion outbreaks in intertriginous areas and lower extremities, during years of evolution, may be a presenting form of necrolytic migratory erythema (NME), which is a paraneoplastic skin disease that is associated with malignant glucagonoma in 90% of cases.This report presents the case of a 59-year-old woman with a history of keratoconjunctivitis, asthenia, and constipation. She was referred to evaluate recurrent skin lesions with four years of evolution. She was affected by erythematous, scaly plaques and hyperpigmentation in the legs, gluteal area, groin area, thighs, and elbows, with no associated systemic symptoms . She proWith the suspicion of NME and high levels of glucagon, an abdominal CT scan was made showing a 4\u202fcm mass in the pancreas, and the presence of a malignant glucagonoma was confirmed by pathological anatomy. The skin lesions completely resolved after tumor resection. However, one year later she developed liver metastasis with no recurrence of skin lesions.etc., NME may be the first and only glucagonoma symptom.Although malignant glucagonoma may be accompanied by systemic symptoms such as diarrhea, weight loss, newly developed diabetes, normocytic anemia, zinc deficiency, or fatty acid or amino acid deficiency, None declared.In\u00e9s Gracia Darder: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; conception and planning of the study; drafting and editing of the manuscript; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; participation in study design; intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the studied cases; critical review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.Daniel Ramos: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; conception and planning of the study; drafting and editing of the manuscript; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; participation in study design; intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the studied cases; critical review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.Juli\u00e1n Boix Vilanova: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; conception and planning of the study; drafting and editing of the manuscript; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; participation in study design; intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the studied cases; critical review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.Ana Francisca Bauz\u00e1 Alonso: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; conception and planning of the study; drafting and editing of the manuscript; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; participation in study design; intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the studied cases; critical review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.None declared."} +{"text": "The article presents, in a clear, concise manner, the main concepts, such as digital imaging, segmentation, extraction/selection of relevant features, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, deep learning, neural network, computer-aided diagnosis, content-based image retrieval, radiomics, and radiogenomics, introducing the reader to these new \u201c-omics\u201d that we will have to deal with on a daily basis in the near future.The article \u201cArtificial intelligence, machine learning, computer-aided diagnosis, and radiomics: advances in imaging towards to precision medicine\u201d by Koenigkam-Santos et al.In recent decades, the field of radiology and diagnostic imaging has been influenced by new technologies that have led to changes in the way radiologists practice their specialty. Notable among such technologies are digital imaging and picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), which have completely modified the reporting of imaging examinations and have allowed large numbers of images to be stored. This large amount of qualitative (imaging) and quantitative data is what constitutes the \u201cBig Data\u201d of medical imaging.,3. In addition, online database sharing and competitions such as those organized by Kaggle have facilitated the development and testing of new algorithms, accelerating their enhancement.In recent years, the development of AI, the increased access to powerful computers, and the large accumulation of data have resulted in great advances in the field of radiology and diagnostic imaging. Many of those advances, such as cell phone use, have enabled social progress and changes in quality of life. In AI, the advance of machine learning algorithms, especially deep learning and neural networks, has allowed the development of powerful computer science tools. Some emblematic examples were victories by the \u201cmachines\u201d over champions in games like chess and Go-10. In the field of dermatology, a cell phone application has been developed to differentiate melanomas from other skin lesions and has been shown to have the same accuracy as that of a group of dermatologists. In the field of pathology, algorithms such as those developed by Liu et al. have been shown to have greater sensitivity for detecting tumor cells in histopathological specimens than do human pathologists. In the field of ophthalmology, studies on the detection and classification of diabetic retinopathy have demonstrated the clinical application of AI in the diagnosis of retinal lesions.The evolution of deep learning involving neural networks has been followed with great interest, and deep learning has changed many aspects of our daily lives; it is sure to revolutionize health care as well. The idea that its impact will be pronounced, likely transforming daily clinical practice in fields such as radiology, pathology, ophthalmology, and diagnostic ophthalmology, has been supported by the results of a number of scientific articles, demonstrate the desire on the part of radiology societies to participate in the development of AI instruments for imaging diagnosis. In the field of imaging, there are several potential applications for AI, such as in patient flow algorithms, in the definition of image protocols, in the generation of synthetic images, in quality control, in radiation dose control, in computer-aided diagnosis, in automated lesion detection, in automated interpretation of findings, in radiomics, and in radiogenomics, which could result in great changes in radiology practice.In the field of radiology, competitions involving the use of AI at annual meetings of the Radiological Society of North America-for bone age definition in 2017 and for the diagnosis of pneumonia in 2018-as well as the launch of a journal focusing specifically on AI in radiology introduce concepts that promote a deeper understanding of this new era.Change is coming, and we radiologists, who have always had our activities closely linked to evolving technologies, should all be aware of AI, which could allow us to put into practice the concepts of precision medicine and personalized medicine. Review articles like the one authored by Koenigkam-Santos et al."} +{"text": "With the incidence and prevalence of COVID-19 disease, health, social, and economic considerations need to be reviewed and redefined. Since this pandemic, even more severe and pervasive than the First and Second World Wars, has disrupted the world\u2019s social systems and economic structures, many well-known concepts and disciplines in the social health sciences need to be adapted. Changes in many professions, industries and economic resources have undoubtedly made new demands on social health.Adherence to the principles of individual ethics, professional ethics, and social ethics, attention to social media , sustainable development, social justice, prevention of violence , vigilance and active management of international institutions in preventing wars between governments, equitable distribution of food resources, preventing the increase of non-communicable diseases are among the urgencies of government and global management.Here it is necessary to mention a group of disciplines discussed in social health ."} +{"text": "Walter Everaerd, former President of the International Academy of Sex Research, World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) gold medalist, and internationally acclaimed sex researcher, died on October 4, 2019, at the age of 82. Walter had been suffering from bladder cancer for several years. He is survived by his wife Bets, his three children, and eight grandchildren.Walter was a pioneer in experimental sexology in the Netherlands. At the age of 21, after two years of military service, Walter began his studies at Utrecht University, where he specialized in the new and promising fields of experimental clinical psychology and psychotherapy. In an academic environment that was at the time mainly oriented toward psychoanalysis and introspection as scientific methods, Walter approached clinical problems as an experimental psychologist and behavioral therapist. He became a full professor in Psychology at the age of 37 at Utrecht University, and he moved to the University of Amsterdam 12\u00a0years later. Over the years, with his students and collaborators, he received numerous grants in fields as diverse as symptom perception, interoception, vaginismus, sexual arousal, stress and health, cancer, asthma, and traumatic memory. Walter\u2019s contributions to the field of sexology, both theoretically and experimentally, have significantly changed and advanced how we define sexuality and treat sexual problems. Influenced by Walter\u2019s work, the field of sexuality has now moved away from drive and libido as the main explanatory constructs for sexual response and sexual expression toward information processing models of sexual response. Walter was the first scholar to propose that sexual arousal should be considered an emotion. Also, current views and knowledge of sexual desire and sexual arousal problems, as reflected by the DSM-5, have, in more direct and indirect ways, been informed and inspired by Walter\u2019s theoretical and experimental work.Walter was a modest and kind man who took his task as an academic mentor as seriously as his scientific endeavors. He mentored almost 60 Ph.D. students, many of whom became full professors. It is probably no exaggeration to say that he raised several generations of Dutch sexologists. His former Ph.D. students include Stephanie Both, Peggy Cohen-Kettenis, Joost Dekker, Jos Frenken, Luk Gijs, Erick Janssen, Bram Kuiper, Ellen Laan, Anne Oldenhave, Theo Sandfort, Mark Spiering, Arno Toorians, Adriaan Tuiten, Daan van Beek, Janneke van der Velde, and Jacques van Lankveld. Walter was honorary member, scientific program chair, and host and president of several national and international psychological and sexological societies, including the International Academy of Sex Research. He also served as department chair and as a board member and chair of various university bodies and national organizations, such as the Dutch Association for Gay and Lesbian Studies and the Dutch Health Council. He was the recipient of many awards, including the Heymans Award of the Dutch Psychological Association, the Sexologist of the Year Award of the Polish Academy of Sexology, the van Emde Boas\u2013van Ussel Award of the Dutch Society of Sexology, and the WAS Gold Medal.We are grateful for Walter\u2019s many contributions, and we will miss him dearly."} +{"text": "Safe community is based on four principles: safety belief, knowledge of the proper use of safety devices, access to safety requirements and respect for the rules, and safe driving is one of its axes. According to the World Health Organization s annual report for 2015, more than 1.25 million People die because of traffic accidents worldwide, and the eighth cause of death in the world is the leading cause of death in the age group of 15-15 years. This study was carried out to promote the safe community based on traffic accident analysis in the age group under 19 years old in Iran.This study was conducted through document review, reassessment of documents, data from the World Health Organization, Death and Immortality of Iran, and the Forensic Medicine Organization.According to the statistics, in 2016, there was a change in the pattern of injuries in adolescence, and the first three priorities were changed to traffic accidents (32%), fall (16%), poisoning and violence (5%). Is. The study of the 10-year trend of traffic accidents in three types of pedestrians, motorcyclists and motorcycles shows that the age group of 15-19 years old males in all three levels is in the number of injuries. In the traffic accident cases, the pattern of injuries has changed. Despite the fact that 34.5% of the victims of the incident belonged to the age group of 19 to 15 years old, it was ranked second in the age group of 19-15 years old. The major causes of driving accidents in the age group of 19-15 years were not having a driving license, mental and emotional state, non-use of seat-belts, imagine the ability to control a car or engine, dramatic movements during driving and Lack of attention to driving directions which could be prevented.All organizations involved in traffic safety and the safe community should focus on providing cultural, educational, and empowering age groups with the explanation of the areas of technical, scientific, educational and research services and the design of safety promotion interventions. Preventive strategies should be employed at three primary, secondary and tertiary levels.Safe community, Traffic Accidents, Prevention, Child and Adolescent"} +{"text": "Drs Kahleova, Alwarith, and Rembert, as employees of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, were involved in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication. The research team of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine had full autonomy in all aspects of the study.\u201d This article has been corrected.In the Original Investigation titled \u201cEffect of a Low-Fat Vegan Diet on Body Weight, Insulin Sensitivity, Postprandial Metabolism, and Intramyocellular and Hepatocellular Lipid Levels in Overweight Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial,\u201d"} +{"text": "The levels of obesity in the general population are reaching epidemic proportions. Over the last 40\u2009years, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has tripled, and the World Health Organization estimates that 650 million individuals worldwide older than 18 years are obese. Although it has long been recognized that obesity is a key risk factor in the etiology of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, emerging evidence indicates that obesity is an adverse factor in the development and severity of many human cancers, including those of the breast and colon was associated with reduced risk of obesity-related cancers, particularly endometrial cancer . LikewisThe current study by Meyerhardt and colleagues is a rare example of a trial that has examined the combination of metformin with an exercise intervention in the context of cancer. Although limited by the small sample size and relatively low compliance to metformin, the results conclusively demonstrate that the combination was most effective at reducing insulin, body weight, HOMA, and leptin in breast and colorectal cancer survivors, highlighting the potential utility of metformin and exercise in patient management and care in oncology. Of particular interest, in exploratory analyses there were greater effects of metformin, exercise, and especially the combination of the two on insulin, glucose, HOMA, and body mass index (BMI) in patients with higher baseline values for each of these variables. This implies that patients with the highest BMI, or those with the most severe metabolic dysfunction, may experience the greatest benefit of metformin and exercise and raises the possibility that stratification strategies based on those parameters may become instrumental in predicting response in future cancer trials of metabolic medications, weight loss, or exercise regimens. These findings emphasize the importance of incorporating standard patient characteristics, such as body weight, BMI, and blood insulin, in the design and execution of future clinical trials.It is estimated that by the year 2030, 50% of Americans will be considered formally obese . Given tAffiliations of authors: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada ; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada .The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose."} +{"text": "To generate high-quality evidence, contextually relevant outcome measurement instruments are required. Quality of life evaluation among polio survivors typically involves the use of generic instruments, which are developed and validated among a different groups of people. There is no clear evidence whether these instruments are appropriate for the measurement of quality of life among polio survivors in northwest Nigeria. The purpose of this review is to identify and select a pre-existing instrument that is best suited for the measurement of quality of life among polio survivors in northwest Nigeria.Using the findings of a previous scoping review of the literature and qualitative descriptive study, we screened 11 quality of life instruments that are used in polio literature. We identified and selected the most appropriate instrument, which reflected the perspectives of polio survivors in northwest Nigeria and at the same time exhibited good measurement properties.The Quality of Life Index, World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief, and Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale are consistent with the perspectives of polio survivors in northwest Nigeria and have satisfactory measurement properties. Among these instruments, the Quality of Life Index satisfied most of the screening criteria we employed and is suitable for cross-cultural adaptation in northwest Nigeria.Most instruments that are employed to evaluate the quality of life of polio survivors were not primarily designed as a measure of quality of life. To select the appropriate instrument, there is a need to consider and reflect the perspectives of the individuals, to improve the validity of the measurement. Paralytic polio is a neuromuscular disorder, which is characterized by acute flaccid paralysis, especially in the upper and lower limb muscles, resulting from the destruction of motor neurons in the brainstem and spinal cord by poliovirus , 10. EviStudies have shown that in comparison with the general population, polio survivors frequently report poor health and quality of life (QoL) , 51, 64.QoL is an important outcome that can be employed to evaluate the unmet social and healthcare needs of individuals and also determine the success of various interventions , 48, 52.Development and validation of a new QoL instrument is exceptionally laborious. Hence, researchers suggest cross-cultural adaptation and validation of pre-existing instruments . One of In our previous review, we identified 11 instruments that have been employed to measure the QoL of polio survivors globally . Table\u00a01We conducted this integrative review using the findings of our previous studies: a scoping review of QoL assessment instruments among polio survivors and a quThe screening of the instruments was done by two authors (SS and BK) to minimize bias and improve validity. We evaluated the characteristics of the instruments using the guidelines proposed by Bentzen and colleagues , and wheThe intent of the instrument refers to the aim of the instrument, which addresses the question: for what purpose was the instrument developed? It reflects the appropriateness of the instrument and the construct that the instrument purports to measure , 24, 32.Content suitability denotes the extent to which the instrument reflects the perspectives of the target individuals. For this review, we looked for reflection of the perspectives of polio survivors. Content suitability mirrors some aspects of validity since it capitalizes on the representation of the construct based on the individuals\u2019 perceptions , 24. We Psychometric analysis refers to the evaluation of the measurement properties of the instruments, based on evidence of reliability , validity , and responsiveness . We asseFeasibility refers to the burden, time, and resources required to administer, score, analyze, and interpret the instrument. It includes aspects such as comprehensibility, interpretability, cost of the instrument, completion time, mode of administration, etc. . We asseConsiderations in adapting the instrument for cross-cultural use deals with the core aspects of translation and adaptation of the instrument into other cultures . To admiTable\u00a0Of the 11 instruments we screened, only 5 instruments were solely designed for measuring QoL. These include the Quality of Life Index (QLI), Kaasa\u2019s Questionnaire (KQ), Quality of Life Profile (QP), World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire- Brief (WHOQOLBREF), and Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale (CQS). For the remaining six instruments, five were designed to measure health status: Short-Form\u00a036 (SF-36), Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), European Quality of Life Instrument-Five Dimensions (EQ5D), Swedish Health-related Quality of Life Questionnaire (SWED-QUAL), and the Short-Form 12 (SF-12). While the last instrument, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), was designed to assess global satisfaction with life.In terms of content suitability, only the QLI has items that reflect all the perspectives of the polio survivors, satisfaction of needs , happiness, spirituality, and self-perception . This is followed by the QP, WHOQOLBREF, and CQS respectively. The QP has items reflecting most aspects of satisfaction of needs and happiness, and two aspects of self-perception, self-value and feeling independent. The items of the WHOQOLBREF reflect happiness and most aspects of satisfaction of needs and self-perception. The CQS has items reflecting the satisfaction of needs and happiness; however, the scale has no item that represents self-perception. The remaining instruments have at least one item reflecting happiness and some aspects of satisfaction of needs and self-perception. Surprisingly, none of the 11 instruments has any item that reflects spirituality except the QLI. Thus, only the QLI satisfies all the requirements of this feature.In terms of psychometric properties, the SF-36 has good evidence of six measurement properties , followed by the QLI , EQ5D , and WHOQOLBREF each with five measurement properties. The NHP and SF-12 have four adequate psychometric properties. The remaining instruments have at least three good measurement properties, except the QP, which has only evidence of adequate content validity. None of the instruments has evidence of measurement error or cross-cultural validity . Thus, with the exception of QP, all the instruments have satisfactory evidence of good measurement properties.All the instruments are user-comprehensive. However, in terms of interpretability, only the SF-36, NHP, QLI, and SF-12 have both meaningful profile and indices scores. While the remaining instruments have either profile score or indices score. Most of the instruments can be self-administered, except the CQS, which requires administration by an interviewer. Besides, most of the instruments are available in the public domain; however, users require written permission for non-commercial use of the instruments. Most of the instruments take approximately 10 min to complete, except CQS which takes about 45\u2009min to complete. Thus, in terms of feasibility, all the instruments are feasible for application in northwest Nigeria.The QLI, KQ, QP, WHOQOLBREF, and CQS have more items that are relevant in the Hausa language compared to the remaining instruments because they are more consistent with the perspectives of polio survivors in northwest Nigeria. All the instruments have contents with semantic relevance in the Hausa language; however, some of the items of the instruments would require adaptation. Moreover, except for the WHOQOLBREF, none of the instruments have been adapted to the Hausa culture. However, the authors that translated the WHOQOLBREF did not provide information about how equivalence was established . Based oAs stated earlier, our goal was to identify and select the most appropriate QoL instrument for cross-cultural adaptation in northwest Nigeria. Specifically, we intended to select the instrument with the following features: primarily designed as a measure of QoL, consistent with the perspectives of polio survivors in northwest Nigeria, good measurement properties, feasible, and amenable to cross-cultural adaptation in northwest Nigeria. Subsequently, we identified and selected only instruments that have all or most of these characteristics. Based on the screening performance of the instruments Table , the QLIThe Quality of Life Index (QLI) was developed by Ferrans and Powers to measuConversely, the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-Brief (WHOQOLBREF) is an abbreviated version of the WHOQOL-100, which was developed cross-culturally by the World Health Organization Quality of life Group . The WHOOn the other hand, the Comprehensive Quality of life Scale (CQS) assesses QoL on both subjective and objective axes across seven domains, which include material well-being, health, productivity, intimacy, safety, place in the community, and emotional well-being . The CQSThis review aims to identify and select a pre-existing QoL instrument that is consistent with the perspectives of polio survivors in northwest Nigeria and at the same time exhibits good psychometric properties. The findings of this review show that the Quality of Life Index (QLI), World Health Organization Quality of Life\u00a0Questionnaire- Brief (WHOQOLBREF), and Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale (CQS) are consistent with the perspectives of polio survivors in northwest Nigeria and have satisfactory measurement properties , 56. TheThe QLI, WHOQOLBREF, and CQS were primarily designed for the measurement of QoL and have well-established evidence of good psychometric properties . In contTo apply the QLI, WHOQOLBREF, and CQS in the measurement of QoL of polio survivors in northwest Nigeria, there is a need to cross-culturally adapt and validate the instruments in the northwestern Nigerian context . GeneralOn the other hand, the item equivalence refers to the acceptability of the items of the instruments in the target culture . Here, tCross-cultural adaptation of outcome measurement instruments has many advantages over the development of a new tool. Cross-cultural adaptation is economically cheaper, less time consuming, and can produce equivalent instruments in various cultures for comparison , 9, 18. Finally, when applying the QoL instrument for cross-cultural adaptation, psychometric validation, or routine QoL evaluation, users should take response shift into consideration, in order to avoid paradoxical scores of QoL measurement. As pointed out earlier in the introduction, response shift can occur as a result of redefinition of the construct, when the individual readjust their priorities as a result of a life-changing event, environmental influences, and newly acquired coping strategies. Moreover, response shift could also ensue when the individual reprioritizes their values or change their internal standards of measurement through recalibration . VariousWe could not identify any study in the literature that integrates individuals\u2019 perspectives to select a QoL instrument that is similar to our process. Our approach to the selection of QoL instrument is based on rigorous recommendations and the perspectives of polio survivors (in northwest Nigeria), to select the most appropriate instrument available. Moreover, we considered critical aspects for cross-cultural adaptation and feasibility of the instrument in addition to psychometric properties. However, despite our effort to ensure rigor, this review has some limitations. For example, we did not assess client comprehensibility of the instruments, which could compromise possible self-administration of the instrument. Moreover, because our study was based on a previous scoping review, we may have not included other relevant QoL assessment instruments in our screening.Most instruments that are used to assess the QoL of polio survivors were not primarily designed for the measurement of QoL. Thus, it is pertinent to employ instruments that are specifically designed for QoL evaluation. To select a contextually relevant instrument, there is a need to consider and integrate the perspectives of the individuals. Our findings show that the QLI, WHOQOLBREF, and CQS are consistent with the perspectives of polio survivors in northwest Nigeria. Hence, these instruments could be used to evaluate the QoL of polio survivors in northwestern Nigeria and similar contexts. Although the instruments have demonstrated good measurement properties, we recommend the validation of the instruments among Nigerian polio survivors. Drawing upon the screening performance of the instruments, the QLI exhibits the following characteristic features: primarily designed as a measure of QoL, more consistent with the perspectives of polio survivors in northwest Nigeria, more evidence of good measurement properties, feasible, and amenable to cross-cultural adaptation in northwest Nigeria. Hence, we recommend the translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and psychometric validation of the QLI among polio survivors in northwest Nigeria. A rigorous protocol of cross-cultural adaptation such as the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research principles of good practice can be considered. Measurement of QoL among polio survivors in northwest Nigeria could provide the impetus needed to draw the attention of stakeholders toward addressing the unmet needs of the individuals. Therefore, to generate high-quality evidence about the QoL of the polio survivors, a culturally relevant and valid instrument is necessary; which researchers can produce using cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric validation techniques."} +{"text": "On the hundredth day since days since the WHO was notified of the first cases of \u201cpneumonia with unknown cause\u201d in China, the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has spread throughout the world to 195 countries with over 1.5 million cases and more than 85\u2009000 deaths [The Government of the Republic of Croatia has established the National Civil Defense Headquarters in order to raise the level of preparedness of all the competent authorities, protect the health of Croatian citizens and coordinate all the services in the battle against SARS-CoV-2 in Croatia. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior was chosen to lead the headquarters, whose members are the Director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, the Director of the Croatian Institute of Emergency Medicine, and the Director of the Dr Fran Mihaljevi\u0107 University Hospital for Infectious Diseases (UHID), who is also the President of the Croatian Society for Biosafety and Biosecurity. After the daily meetings, the headquarters issues press releases.Together with other public services, all the health care institutions were quickly mobilized in preparation for the battle against the COVID-19 epidemic, with the UHID taking the leading role, from the establishment of quarantine to being declared the National Hospital for COVID-19. The Minister of Health issued the decision to proclaim the threat of a COVID-19 epidemic as an administrative measure, which does not indicate the degree of the threat but permits the Minister to mobilize all the resources in the health care system, redeploying ID physicians, other health care workers (HCWs) and equipment, in order to improve the administration of the health care system.Unfortunately, what few had thought possible has come to pass. An infectious disease has transformed social and economic relations, as well as humanity as a whole, entering and altering every pore of society. Colleges and schools have closed their doors, students are attending classes from home, via television and computers, the majority of the public sector employees are working from home, while some, regrettably, have lost their jobs. The churches have also closed their doors.am by an earthquake of 5.5 magnitude on the Richter scale, followed in the next 24 hours by 57 aftershocks. Due to extensive property damage, several hospitals had to be evacuated, including the UHID, where there were 86 patients at the moment, including 22 COVID-19 patients, 15 of whom were in the ICU. This additional misfortune has jeopardized the safety of us all, especially the most vulnerable members of our society: children, the elderly and the sick. A total of 27 persons were injured during the earthquake, of whom one, sadly a 15-year-old girl, died of her injuries.At the end of the fourth week of the epidemic in Croatia, a total of 206 cases had been confirmed, with 49 newly diagnosed on 21 March 2020. When we thought that nothing worse could happen, on 22 March 2020, the citizens of Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, home to a quarter of the total Croatian population, were awakened at 6:24 We as HCWs were expected to remain clear-headed, gather all our strength, knowledge and skills, and provide our patients with the best of what was possible, and sometimes even the impossible. But we also remember the scene around our hospital buildings, where the old and young, staff and patients, corona-positive and negative, were scattered on the grass and the parking lot, shivering from the cold and fear.Nevertheless, we survived that, too, and we will continue to survive, even when faced with greater challenges. We have demonstrated and proven that we cannot do without one another: physicians without nurses, patients without HCWs, HCWs without non-medical and support staff, parents without children, and children without parents.In addition to property damage, we were quite apprehensive that the earthquake would accelerate the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic in Croatia since the earthquake, which left many homeless and fearful of earthquakes to come, triggered migrations to other parts of the country. However, six weeks since the first COVID-19 case and three weeks after the earthquake, only 1650 cases have been registered in Croatia are major threats to humanity. Nevertheless, no one expected that a second misfortune, the earthquake, would occur during this pandemic in our little country.The subtitle of the previously cited article by \u010civljak et al. , What's All HCWs, including physicians, nurses, technicians, laboratory personnel, caregivers and other staff who come into contact with patients, are being directly or indirectly exposed to the infected and sick, which places them at risk. At the UHID, among 691 employees, only two have acquired SARC-CoV-2 infection in the post-earthquake period: one nurse and one ancillary worker. On the national level, no increase in the incidence of COVID-19 was experienced in the post-earthquake period, as shown in Moreover, owing to the chronic shortage of medical personnel throughout the entire health care system, particularly now when the demands are increasing, we are being expected to make great sacrifices in order to provide the best possible care to all citizens. An additional burden is that 216 HCWs in Croatia have COVID-19, while another 562 are in self-isolation at the moment. All of them are currently unable to perform their regular professional duties and the number may soon increase. The Minister of Health has stated that the health care system is not in jeopardy for now and the ministry is redeploying HCWs in order to fill the most crucial positions.Salmonella, chickenpox, or other infectious diseases in general [This third coronavirus epidemic underscores the need for the ongoing surveillance of infectious disease trends throughout the world. However, in combination with a natural disaster, such as earthquake, the risk for increasing the number of the infected, as well as outbreaks of other infectious diseases, is higher. As shown in the systematic review by Suk et al., cascading effects of post-disaster outbreaks are possible after earthquakes, such as outbreaks of general .By now, due to a well-organized public health system and coordinated outbreak response, Croatia has overcome the current challenges, including extensive damage to hospitals, shortage of hospital personnel, and disruption of supply chains. We hope that everything done so far will provide the basis for stopping this epidemic in Croatia and mitigating the damage done from the COVID-19 epidemic and the recent earthquake."} +{"text": "We focused on medical informatics journal publications rather than on conference proceedings by comparing and analyzing the data from journals and conferences from a broader perspective. The aim is to summarize the unique contributions of China to medical digitization and foster more multilevel international cooperation. In February 2019, publications from 2008 to 2018 in three major English-language medical informatics journals were retrieved through Scopus, including the journals, namely, International Journal of Medical Informatics , JAMIA (United States), and Methods of Information in Medicine . Three major Chinese-language journals, namely, China Digital Medicine (CDM), Chinese Journal of Health Informatics and Management (CJHIM), and Chinese Journal of Medical Library and Information Science (CJMLIS), were searched within the major three Chinese literature databases. The datasets were preprocessed using the NLP package on Python, and a smart local moving algorithm was used as a clustering method for identifying the aforementioned journals. Between 2008 and 2018, the total number of published papers and H-index of the three English-language journals was 1371 and 67 (IJMI), 1752 and 86 (JAMIA), and 637 and 35 (MIM), respectively. In the same period, the total number of published papers and H-index in the three Chinese-language journals was 6668 and 23 (CDM), 1668 and 22 (CJHIM), and 2557 and 25 (CJMLIS), respectively. IJMI, JAMIA, and MIM received submissions from 82, 59, and 62 countries/regions, respectively. By contrast, the three Chinese journals only received submissions from seven foreign countries. The proportions of authors from institutional affiliations were similar between the three English-language journals and CJMLIS because the majority of the authors were from universities , followed by medical institutions or research institutes . Furthermore, the proportions of the authors from enterprises were low for all journals. However, the authors in CDM and CJHIM were mainly from medical institutions (50% and 40%), followed by universities (33% and 32%) and research institutes (3% and 4%). In addition, the proportions of enterprises were only 3% and 2%, respectively. Among the top five authors in three English-language journals (ranked in terms of the number of published papers), 100% had doctoral or master's degrees, compared with only 60% in the Chinese journals. Additionally, 28204 different keywords were extracted from the aforementioned papers, covering 275 specific high-frequency key terms. Based on these key terms, four clusters were found in the English literature\u2014\u201cHealth and Clinical Information Systems,\u201d \u201cInternet and Telemedicine,\u201d \u201cMedical Data Statistical Analysis,\u201d and \u201cEHRs and Information Management\u201d\u2014and three clusters were found in the Chinese literature: \u201cHospital Information Systems and EMR,\u201d \u201cLibrary Science and Bibliometrics Analysis,\u201d and \u201cMedical Reform Policy and Health Digitization.\u201d Only two clusters are similar, and Chinese-language journals focus more on health information in technology and industrial applications than in medical informatics basic research. This study provides important insights into the development of medical informatics (MI) in China and Western countries showing that the medical informatics journals of China, the United States, and Europe have distinct characteristics. Specifically, first, compared with the Western journals, the number of papers published in the journals of professional associations in the field of MI in China is large and the application value is high, but the academic influence and academic value are relatively low; second, most of the authors of the Chinese papers are from hospitals, and most of the counterparts in the Western countries are from universities. The proportion of master's or doctoral degrees in the former is also lower than that of the latter; furthermore, regarding paper themes, on the one hand, China MI has no theoretical and basic research on medical data statistics and consumer health based on the Internet and telemedicine; on the other hand, after nearly 10 years of hospital digital development, China has fully used the latecomer and application advantages in hospitals and, through extensive international cooperation, has made significant advancements in and contributions to the development of medical information. Medical informatics (MI) can be defined as the acquiring, storing, retrieving, and using of healthcare information to foster better collaboration among a patient's various healthcare providers , which oJournal of the American Association (JAMIA), is also included in the SCI.The establishment and development of a discipline rely on the foundation and support of a system, including relevant institutions and associations, mainstream auxiliary journals, and publications , for whiDifferent from MI in Western countries that developed from computer applications to medicine, MI in China evolved from medical library information science in the early 1980s. Along with the development of hospital digitization in China, this discipline did not become independent until 2010. To date, only a few educational institutions in China have established an MI institute or graduate courses , and the majority of participants are undergraduates . FurtherTo efficiently, accurately, and timely understand the research hot spots and developing trends of medical informatics, researchers have adopted bibliometrics to study the frontiers of MI from three aspects: academies, conferences, and journals. As for academies, V. Maojo et al. in 2012 reviewed the members attending three mainstream academies of MI, including Medical Informatics Europe (MIE) 2005\u20132008, MedInfo 2004, 2007, and 2010, and AMIA 2005\u20132009, and thought that the influence of these academies outside this discipline was very low . As for Under the framework of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) , We seleFirst, the English-language papers were searched on Scopus, which provided comprehensive preprocessed data from academic publications and has been accepted as one of the best databases for literature analysis . The seaMetadata of journals, including the names of journals, organization of the sponsors, organization of the publication, time of publication, period of publication, place of publication, and database of inclusionMetadata and contents of periodical papers, including the title; keywords; abstract; year of publication; citations of papers; and authors' names and education level, affiliations, and countryBecause all the databases had standard functions for data analysis and abstraction, we selected and imported the following information:Next, to maximize the effectiveness and accuracy of co-word analysis and data visualization, we preprocessed the target datasets. First, the titles and keywords of the included articles were standardized into lowercase, and the morphology and abbreviations were reproduced in Python 2.7\u2009+\u2009NLTK NLP . Second,The basic characteristics of the papers were analyzed with the built-in functions of Scopus, CQVIP, CNKI, and WanFang Data. The author affiliations were clustered using self-developed tool based on Python 2.7. The tool clusters the authors' affiliations into six categories: medical institutions, universities, manufacturers, research institutions, and others. The H-index was designed as a measure of scientific research impact , which iPapers published in MI journals between 2008 and 2018, including the three Chinese MI journals and the three English MI journals , were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The basic information of each journal is listed in Supplementary Materials From the three mainstream Chinese-language databases, 6668, 1668, and 2557 articles between 2008 and 2018 were identified from CDM, CJHIM, and CJMLIS, respectively, with a total of 10893 and an annual rate of 990 articles. Using Scopus, 1371, 637, and 1752 articles were identified from IJMI, MIM, and JAMIA, respectively, with a total of 3760 and an annual rate of 341 articles. The number of Chinese-language papers was 2.89 times that of English-language papers, and the number of papers in CDM was 1.77 times that of the total number of English-language papers . The proThe academic influence of the professional MI journals is significantly different. JAMIA and IJMI are top-ranked journals, followed by MIM; however, the Chinese MI journals are ranked much lower. JAMIA published 1752 papers between 2008 and 2018, which were cited 44051 times, with an average of 25.1 times per paper and an H-index of 86 . IJMI puWe compared similar statistics from the three Chinese MI journals, and the results suggest that the total citations of the three Chinese MI journals are slightly lower than that of IJMI (23184 vs. 26900) but far lower than that of JAMIA (44051), even though the total number of papers published by the three Chinese journals was 16.9 and 13.2 times those in IJMI and JAMIA, respectively.Similar to the country distribution of authors in the MI conference proceedings, the regional MI journals, including JAMIA and MIM , and Chinese MI journals were dominated by local authors, whereas the international journals such as IJMI represented authors from various regions. Between 2008 and 2018, JAMIA published submissions from authors of 58 countries or regions, and the number of countries or regions with >10 manuscripts was 15; however, the majority of authors were from the United States (approximately 69%), followed by Europe (\u223c10%). By contrast, the proportion of the authors from China was only 4%. MIM published submissions of the authors from 62 countries or regions, and the number of countries or regions with >10 manuscripts were 21. However, most authors were from Europe (approximately 63%), followed by the United States (about 16%), and the proportion of authors from China was only 2.4%. IJMI published submissions from the authors of 81 countries or regions; the number of countries or regions with >10 manuscripts was 28; and approximately 27%, 40%, and 6% of authors were from the United States, Europe, and China , respectively. The Chinese MI journals were less internationalized because publications by foreign authors were only from Japan, Canada, the United States, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Germany. The affiliations and academic backgrounds of the authors were largely different among journals. The proportions of different affiliations were similar between the English-language journals and the Chinese journal CJMLIS because the majority (>50%) of authors were from universities , followed by medical institutions or research institutes . Furthermore, the proportions of enterprises were low across all journals. However, the authors in CDM and CJHIM were mainly from medical institutions , followed by universities and research institutes , and the proportions of enterprises were only 3% and 2%, respectively . These dWe further assessed the top five authors in each journal and analyzed their affiliations and academic and knowledge backgrounds and Chinese MI academic journals because the majority of authors had no background in clinical medicine. Of the top five authors in IJMI, one had an MD, four had doctoral degrees, and all were from universities. Among the top five authors in CDM, one had a master's and doctoral degree, three had doctoral degrees, and two had master's degrees. Furthermore, two were from medical institutions and three were from institutes.We also observed some differences because the top five authors from IJMI, MIM, and JAMIA all received professional academic training in MI; however, the top five authors in the Chinese MI academic journals mostly did not receive this training; usually were from the computer, public health, statistics, library science, or informatics fields; and only became involved in MI after employment.The purpose of the keyword selection and analysis is to identify the focal points of research that have been confirmed as a major step in monitoring the development and trend of a discipline . Here, tg-index [The frequency distributions of the keywords were largely different between the Chinese- and English-language MI journals, which led to differences in the high-frequency word selection methods. To simplify the selection and analytical process and to decrease unnecessary interference from low-frequency words, we selected high-frequency words. However, no unified method is available to determine the critical levels of high-frequency words, and the available methods include the subjective empirical method, 80/20 rule , Price'sg-index , and higN1 is the number of keywords with one word frequency and T is the frequency threshold of high-frequency words.To select the appropriate frequency threshold, we first observed the frequency distributions of keywords in the six MI journals and found that the repeated rates of keywords were low in papers from Chinese MI journals compared with those in the international high-quality and mainstream MI journals . Namely, many keywords occurred once, and the rate of these words was 20% higher than those in the English-language papers, which limited the applicability of the high/low-frequency word isolation method based on Zipf's law. Specifically, the threshold value was slightly larger, and too few high-frequency words were intercepted. After multiple trials, we adopted different high-frequency word threshold computation methods according to the characteristics of English-language and Chinese-language papers and used Donohue's method based onFor the Chinese papers, according to the 80/20 rule , high-frAnalysis of keywords can indirectly reveal the hotspots and changing trends in research topics, which is critical for understanding the development of this field . Next, wThe results showed the keywords from the English-language MI journals were reorganized into four clusters, which we named (1) \u201cInternet and Telemedicine\u201d (yellow), (2) \u201cHealth and Clinical Information Systems\u201d (blue), (3) \u201cMedical Data Statistical Analysis\u201d (green), and (4) \u201cEHRs and Information Management\u201d (red). Notably, our clustering results were supported by Kim et al., who mined the abstracts and texts from the articles published in 23 English-language MI journals within 12 years . Only thThe results of the clustering are presented in Figures We previously analyzed the MI conference proceedings in China, the United States, Europe, and IMIA and found that MI research in China was largely different and lagged behind other developed regions in terms of academic evaluation, multisource cooperation, talent pool and quality, focal points, trends, and research investment . In thisMI as an emerging interdisciplinary field has not been set within a specific category in the WOS but has a similar category\u2014Medical Informatics\u2014involving 25 journals. JAMIA (the 2017 impact factor: 4.27), IJMI (the 2017 impact factor: 2.95), and MIM (the 2017 impact factor: 1.53) rank as 3, 6, and 17, respectively. In particular, JAMIA has been highly approved by the Academic Committee of China Computer Society, listed by the China Computer Society as a key recommendation, is a well-known and highly reputed journal in the cross-disciplinary/comprehensive/emerging field, and encourages submissions from Chinese counterparts .However, China has no authorized MI journal or any MI journal included in SCI, EI, or Medline. We believe that this may be related to the academic levels of these journals. Of the three authorized MI professional journals, the H-indices of CDM, CJHIM, and CJMLIS are 23, 22, and 25, respectively, which are less than half that of IJMI and are 70% that of MIM. However, they are slightly higher than that of MEI and the MedInfo proceedings (H-index of both: 19) and lower than that of the AMIA Annual Symposium (H-index: 32) . FurtherIJMI, MIM, and JAMIA, as authorized academic journals in MI, have attracted submissions from academic researchers and industrial workers worldwide; however, the Chinese MI journals have received submissions from only seven foreign countries. However, in the IJMI, MIM, and JAMIA journals, the proportion of Chinese authors did not exceed 6%, which implies gaps in MI development in China.China has an insufficient talent pool for MI and has no continued support from existing educational institutions for the advancement of industrial development, which is stated as \u201ccold in academic research, (and) incorporate(s) hot in industrial application\u201d . The autSuch a difference in author characteristics between the Chinese journals and journals from other regions is because of the distinguished developmental environment for MI in China. In 2009 in China, HIT was considered one of the \u201c four beams and eight pillars\u201d of the new healthcare reform , and MI EMR Function Grade Specification issued by the National Health Commission of China in 2015, telemedicine was already included in EMR [EN-Cluster 1 (\u201cInternet and Telemedicine\u201d): this cluster results from the introduction of the Internet into the medicine field and is based on extensive research on diabetes and family care through the Internet, telemedicine, and other techniques and through questionnaires. Surprisingly, telemedicine in Europe and the United States has formed an independent system, but in China telemedicine belongs to the cluster \u201cHospital Information Systems and EMR\u201d and is an important part of hospital information systems (HIS) and a supplement to out-hospital continuity of medical services to patients. We posit that this situation may be related to the \u201cdigital hospital\u201d policies in China. On the one hand, in the d in EMR ; on the d in EMR .EN-Cluster 2 and CN-Cluster 1 (\u201cHIS and EMR\u201d): clinical informatics , especiaEN-Cluster 3 : this cluster is exclusive to the English-language MI journals and involves abundant content related to theoretical models, including the topics associated with medical information methodology, artificial intelligence, natural semantic processing, and data mining software and systems.EN-Cluster 4 (EHRs and Information Management): this cluster is also exclusive to the English-language MI journals and describes an important aspect of MI. We posit that this also means that EHRs have gradually become a widely approved and accepted concept. The European and US researchers are focusing on technical issues of EHRs. Notably, EHRs are not present in the high-frequency keyword list in China; nevertheless, its in-hospital version\u2014EMR \u2014is the cCN-Cluster 2 : this cluster is exclusive to the Chinese-language MI journals, and its research and application are concentrated in medical information research; medical information resources construction, retrieval, and services; and other health information management and evaluations. We posit that this occurs because the development of MI in China originated from library science in the mid-1980s, and this narrow sense of MI continues to account for a large proportion in China.CN-Cluster 3 : this cluster is exclusive to China and involves the propaganda, interpretation, analysis, and comments of HIT policies issued by healthcare reforms and government functional departments.In Figures As an independent discipline, MI has been widely accepted in Europe and the United States. To date, greater than 80 US-based academic institutions offer on-site or distance MI training programs . AdditioThis study provides notable contributions to theory and practice.From the theoretical perspective, first, this study further enriches and improves the knowledge of global MI literature research; in particular, for the first time, this study adds the analysis of Chinese MI journal literature. On this basis, our comparison of bibliometrics between three representative official English journals of the international MI societies and three Chinese journals of the national MI societies overcomes the limitation that some bibliometrics research in the field of MI has mainly focused on English-language literature , 42, 48.Second, we explore the differences in authors between those in China and Western countries in their organizations and academic degrees. We find that on the one hand, most of the authors of Chinese papers are from medical institutions, and most of their counterparts in Western countries are from universities. The proportion of doctoral or master's degrees in the former is lower than that in the latter. By contrast, China's MI is mainly based on the traditional medical literature system, and the trainees are mainly undergraduates. Therefore, the education level and faculty's strength are far behind their counterparts in Europe and the United States. Thus, we suggest that China's MI field should establish and improve the education system of medical informatics, strengthen the training of faculty by sending teachers and researchers to study abroad, introduce advanced educational concepts of medical informatics, and employ teachers from different professional backgrounds to participate in the teaching, to improve the teaching environment and curriculum selection for students. Furthermore, for the first time, we explore the differences in the themes of the papers published in the mainstream Chinese and English MI journals during the past 11 years. On the one hand, China has fully used the latecomer advantage and application advantage in hospitals, especially the extensive implementation and application of EMR ; on the Third, this study has extended our previous research about the academic proceedings published by main academies of MI , 5, 8 anBecause discipline evaluation is a complicated task, we assess papers published in journals. Moreover, we use data from representative professional journals on MI in both China and Western countries but exclude all MI journals, use a limited number of searching tools to find other professional publications, and exclude achievements of patents or other forms. Furthermore, many achievements in MI may have been published in non-MI journals, but we have no perfect method or mechanism to include these papers; however, we intend to analyze these papers in subsequent studies.We used bibliometrics to analyze Chinese- and English-language MI papers published in six representative MI journals between 2008 and 2018 in China, the United States, and Europe. The results of this study provide important insights for the development of MI in China and Western countries. First, compared with the Western counterparts, the number of papers published in the journals of professional associations in the field of MI in China is large and the application value is high, but the academic influence and academic value are relatively low; second, most of the authors of the Chinese papers are from hospitals, and most of the counterparts in the Western countries are from universities. The proportion of master's or doctoral degrees in the former is also lower than that of the latter; further, regarding paper themes, on the one hand, China MI has no theoretical and basic research on medical data statistics and consumer health based on the Internet and telemedicine; on the other hand, after nearly 10 years of hospital digital development, China has fully used the latecomer and application advances in hospitals and, through extensive international cooperation, has made significant advancements in and contributions to the development of medical information."} +{"text": "Real-time cell analysis (RTCA) is a technique based on impedance and microsensor electrodes. RTCA system allows label-free, real-time, and continuous monitoring of cell adhesion, morphology, and rate of cell proliferation. The system offers a wide range of applications, mainly in toxicological studies, new drug screening, and microbiology. Here, we describe the usefulness of the system in different applications and compare this technology with conventional endpoint assays based on tetrazolium salts. We present advantages and disadvantages of the system and endpoint methods and their limitations in cytotoxicity investigations. Thus, the CI is a reflection of overall cell number, adhesion quality, and cell morphology, which can change as a function of time .,94.42,94Determination of cell numbers is a crucial step in studies focused especially on cytokinetics and cell toxicity . The conThe application of RTCA system in cytotoxicity tests should also be considered when drugs containing additives such as: sorbitol, lactate, and sodium hydroxide are studied . These cDespite the disadvantages of the endpoint assays and RTCA system, both methods are reliable and suitable in cytotoxicity investigations, and they generate mostly comparable results. Braicu and Gherman investigated the effect of epigallocatechin gallate in triple-negative breast cancer cells (Hs578 T). The dynamic real-time monitoring of the cells treated with the compound confirmed the antiproliferative effects obtained by MTT test . VistejnIn spite of more and more use of the RTCA technology, the main limitation of this system is the cost of experiments. E-plates are expensive, single use, and disposable. However, some authors indicate that E-plates can be regenerated and reused several times without significantly affecting experimental results ,. Other The characteristics of the RTCA technology and endpoint assays are presented in 4in vitro studies, especially in the need to confirm the RTCA results.The real-time cell analysis system is a modern and useful technique applied in many areas of research. Despite high costs of experiments and some limitations, the system provides a high throughput and quantitative method for continuous and real-time monitoring of cell proliferation and cellular morphological changes. The system is used in pharmacological, toxicological, and microbiological studies, mainly to evaluate cytotoxicity of new drugs and improve the effects of different therapies. However, it is worth emphasizing that classical endpoint assays, due to low cost and simplicity, will still be widely applied as basic methods in many The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper."} +{"text": "The countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus are linked by travel and trade, which is promoted by visa-free mobility across borders. Unfortunately, this migrant mobility has given rise to the transmission of various infections within this region. Overlaps in culture, tradition, and behavior among these countries provide opportunities to share experiences that have proven effective in controlling transmission. Here we present a review of hepatitis B virus (HBV) prevalence, prevention and treatment across Central Asia and the Caucasus. Overall, owing to effective measures, while HBV prevalence has been steadily declining in the region, certain gaps still exist regarding the generation and availability of HBV infection data. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, 15 countries gained independence: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan Figure . CountriIn this article, we provide an overview of the prevalence, control, and treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among the nine countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus. We review the policies implemented by the governments for the prevention and treatment of HBV, and highlight areas that have worked in certain countries and may be adapted by others.The prevalence of hepatitis B infection in Armenia significantly increased from <2% to 8% between 2000 and 2007 ,7. This As a bloodborne pathogen, HBV transmits readily through injection needles and blood transfusions. The safety of donated blood and its products is ensured by implementation of rigorous screening protocols by the blood banks . AccordiIn Armenia, the HBV vaccine was introduced in 1999, and the birth dose was instituted the same year . The vacWith the exception of Georgia and Turkmenistan, for all the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, clinical guidelines for the treatment of HBV infection are either available online or in the report of the Alliance for Public Health Table 4Table 4. Overall, in Central Asia and the Caucasus, the prevalence of HBV and associated co-infections has been declining, owing to rigorous implementation of vaccination, treatment, and blood donor screening protocols. Thorough and large-scale surveys are key to recording evolving trends in the prevalence and transmission of infections. While regular surveys are being carried out by countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan, certain exceptions still exist. Another area of focus is to enhance public accessibility of the information related to data, as well as policies regarding HBV infection and its control. For the prevalence of HBV single and co-infection, information was readily available from Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan, while from the rest of the countries this information was either partially available or unavailable. Additionally commendable is the full disclosure of information regarding blood-screening protocols by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, and Tajikistan. It appears, therefore, that in certain countries the information, while it may exist, is not readily available for review or scrutiny, compromising the transparency of the process."} +{"text": "Social isolation and loneliness have profound implications for quality of life and health and welfare budgets, but interventions to reduce loneliness are limited effective. The aim of this study is to examine the often-ignored impact of macro-level drivers of loneliness, in addition to micro-level drivers by adopting a cross-national perspective. We use longitudinal data from 2013 and 2015 from the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), combined with macro-level data from additional sources. Our study confirms that key micro-level drivers of loneliness are gender, health and partnership status, frequency of contact with children and changes therein. Macro level drivers are level of safety in the neighbourhood, and poverty and social deprivation of a society. In order to understand and reduce loneliness we require not just a focus on individual risk factors, behaviours and expectations, but also on macro-level factors that are associated with exclusion from social relations."} +{"text": "In the original published version of this article, the article listed the order of the authors in the incorrect order: Christian Ventura, Cody Gibson, George Donald Collier. This has now been corrected to: Cody Gibson, Christian Ventura, George Donald Collier. The publisher apologizes for this mistake. Both the HTML and PDF versions of the article have been updated to correct this error."} +{"text": "Coinciding with the 2020 presidential election, the 75th anniversary of the Gerontological Society of America arrives amid the contentious creation of a new future for politics and aging. Increasing inequality, spreading disinformation, and mounting despotism are escalating threats to constitutional democracy, but at the same time other social changes are promoting the development of a more thoroughly caring, intergenerationally just, and robustly democratic society. At the crux of this societal transformation, relentless political inertia on core aging issues, like the role of government in the care and support of older adults, continues to inhibit meaningful change in federal policy, dampening the potential for older Americans to achieve desired future states, like living well despite advanced age or disability. This session examines major contemporary trends at the intersection of politics and aging in the United States. Papers address the economics and demographics of aging, drawing attention to increasing federal spending on older adults, decreasing availability of caregivers, and geographic clustering of older people; changes in the age of the electorate, intergenerational political values, and the growing politically polarization of American society; the tendency for federal initiatives to fail to support caregivers, for reasons of policy history, policy traits, and mass public features, like the political isolation of informal caregivers; and the role of linguistic and metaphorical practices in shaping our experiences and views of aging. Discussion addresses opportunities for the country to become more age-friendly while also sustaining democratic institutions and national unity."} +{"text": "The recent Covid-19 pandemic has had significant psychological and social effects on the population. Research has highlighted the impact on psychological well-being of the most exposed groups, including children, college students, and health workers, who are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and other symptoms of distress. The social distance and the security measures have affected the relationship among people and their perception of empathy toward others. From this perspective, telepsychology and technological devices assume important roles to decrease the negative effects of the pandemic. These tools present benefits that could improve psychological treatment of patients online, such as the possibility to meet from home or from the workplace, saving money and time and maintaining the relationship between therapists and patients. The aim of this paper is to show empirical data from recent studies on the effect of the pandemic and reflect on possible interventions based on technological tools. The Covid-19 pandemic led to a prolonged exposure to stress. As a consequence, researchers showed an increased interest in measuring social and community uneasiness in order to psychologically support the population. This increased attention might help in managing the current situation and other possible epidemics and pandemics. The security measures adopted in managing the pandemic had different consequences on individuals, according to the social role invested. Some segments of the population seem to be more exposed to the risk of anxious, depressive, and post-traumatic symptoms because they are more sensitive to stress.The following article has two focuses of interest: (1) the evaluation of the psychological and social effects of the pandemic on the population, mostly children, college students, and health professionals; and (2) the identification of new perspectives of intervention based on digital devices and in line with the social security measures and mental health promotion. Telepsychology, for instance, is a valid tool, effective in taking charge of the psychological suffering caused by the pandemic and in preventing the chronicity of the disease. The prolonged stress could involve anxiety, depression, and the inability to manage traumatic and negative emotions. Furthermore, the constant fear of contagion affects daily life and leads to social isolation, modifying human relations.Studies of pandemics faced over time, such as SARS, Ebola, H1N1, Equine Flu, and the current COVID-19, show that the psychological effects of contagion and quarantine is not limited on the fear of contracting the virus . There aAs reported in a recent survey administered during the Covid-19 pandemic, children and young adults are particularly at risk of developing anxious symptoms . The resHealth-care workers (HCWs) are another segment of population particularly affected by stress . HCWs arAs a consequence of the pandemic, the health professionals who were overworked suffered high level of psychophysical stress . Health As emerged by the recent literature, the promotion of psychological interventions on the specific population who is more likely to develop pathologies and suffering is needed. The Lancet Global Mental Health Commission\u2019s observation reportedIn order to reduce anxiety and depression symptoms widespread among the population, the At the same time, as a consequence of the emerging issues, psychotherapists provided psychological support online, addressing the technological challenge ; Liu et via webcam in order to use them in relation to the specific purposes identified by the professional. For example, the Italian Service of Online Psychology conducted a study based on a service of helpdesk on Facebook. This service guided people in asking for psychological help, working on their personal motivation. At the same time, another helpdesk on Skype provided some psychological sessions a webcam . In thisa webcam .One of the future goals of public and private psychological organizations should be the promotion of specific training for psychologists and psychotherapists, with the following aims: (1) developing the basic skills in managing the effects of a pandemic and of emergency situations; and (2) sensitizing patients to online therapeutic relationship, providing the main rules and benefits of the process . On thisOnline psychological services provide several advantages, especially in the current situation of pandemic. First of all, online services help people in a short period of time, reducing the risk of contagion and the strong feeling of anxiety in both psychotherapists and patients, who feel uncomfortable in doing traditional psychotherapy due to the pandemic . Furtheronline disinhibition effect demonstrating how the web, unlike the real life, leads to the failure of the hierarchical relationship based on dominant-dominated among individuals; this aspect, according to the author, allows a greater sense of freedom in expressing oneself and less concern related to judgment (ibid.). Other researchers social context and historical period of the individual, (b) neurological mechanisms, and (c) psychological and behavioral responses to feelings of others. The neuro-sociological perspective analyzes the mechanisms involved in the empathic process, focusing on human communication and interpersonal relationships . SpecifiAccording to the abovementioned considerations, our suggestion consists in:Primary prevention. Studying the impact of the pandemic toward an at-risk population to reduce symptoms related to stress and providing specific online psychological counseling based on the target .Secondary prevention. Overcoming the limitations of the human interaction based on digital devices: (1) developing new spaces of inter- and intrasocial communication and new tools of support and psychological treatment, reproducing the multisensory experienced during the face-to-face interaction ; (2) training the next generation of psychotherapists in managing online devices and in implementing their adaptive and personal skills; and (3) sensitizing the general population on telepsychology and its advantages.Research according to the neurosociological perspective. Studying human interaction mediated by new technologies and the role of empathy, associating neuroscience, sociology, and psychology.VS, DA, and VA conceptualized the contribution. VS wrote the paper, reviewed the manuscript, and provided the critical revision processes as PI. All authors approved the submission of the manuscript.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest."} +{"text": "Responsible higher education institutions have an impact on society and economic, environmental, and social development. These effects define the axes of the socially responsible management of the universities. The concept of university social responsibility (USR) manages these relationships to produce a positive impact on society through higher education, research, and the transfer of knowledge and technology, as well as education for sustainability. For this study, worldwide research into this subject was studied for the period 1970\u20132019. A bibliometric analysis of 870 articles was made, obtaining results for the scientific productivity of the journals, authors, institutions, and countries contributing to this research. The main category is business, management, and accounting. The most productive journal is the Business and Society Review, while the California Management Review is the most cited. The authors with the most articles are Stavnezer, Luo, and Lanero. The most productive institution is Wuhan University. The United States is the country with the most publications and citations, and the same country, together with the United Kingdom, make the most international contributions. Evidence shows growing worldwide interest in the economic and environmental impacts of USR. Future research should focus on analysing the links between the responsible and sustainable consumption of universities and their short-term financial, economic, and sustainable impacts. In recent decades, the impact of global changes, both economic and political, social, environmental, and technological, has led to a shift in the role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in contemporary society ,2. In thCurrently, the survival of universities is related to the social and environmental implications of their actions. In this sense, the transfer of knowledge, associated with economic growth and social development, has a place in public and economic policy ,2,3.Thereby, the social responsibility of universities includes education, organization, cognition, equity, and socialization, to create more sustainable societies . AmongstSince the classical definition of the university as a community of learning and teaching, knowledge has become one of the main instruments for the development of societies ,7. For tTo the initial missions of universities, which were teaching and research, a third has been added related to community commitment. This \u201cthird mission\u201d has drawn attention to university institutions on the part of international agencies and political leaders , promotiThe concept of university social responsibility (USR) is based on the statements of the stakeholder\u2019s theory, in order to unify the commitment that it acquires to fulfil the expectations of the different groups in their economic, social, and environmental functions.In this context, the revised literature points to terminological inaccuracy concerning the main concept of research. USR is a concept that derives and connects with the terms Social responsibility, corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainable development, corporate environmental responsibility (CER) and education for sustainability, and not with terms related to philanthropy ,11.Thereby, with some generality, USR is a commitment of the university institution to develop initiatives that promote its relationship with the different social groups of society. Similarly, it is considered university management policy to promote actions that improve this relationship between the university and society, to balance the impact at both academic and organizational level . TherefoAs regards putting USR into practice, it can be considered within the regulatory framework of quality management in relation to the commitment of universities to meet the demands of knowledge transfer and research results . In partA quality education is the basis for improving people\u2032s lives, as well as for sustainable development. Great progress has been made in access to education at all levels and, similarly, in enrolment rates at universities, particularly for girls and women. Although basic literacy has increased markedly, greater efforts are needed to achieve the goals of universal education and achieve equality for women in the university and their insertion in technical careers.In this sense, the quality management of HE is linked to sustainability and the development of a peaceful and equal society. These aspects, in turn, influence the generation of a higher quality of life and a greater positive impact on the environment, on the welfare state and on the economy in general ,10.Likewise, in the last decades, universities have gone from being dependent on centrals governments, elitist, small, closed and with little scientific production, to reverse this situation and be autonomous, decentralized, internationalized and more active in research, in general lines. This evolution has also meant that the institution participates in the environment in which it is located and cares about the social, economic, and environmental aspects in a productive way, generating innovation and added value ,12,14.The review of the literature, on the other hand, has found different studies that discuss whether universities, as institutions committed to sustainable development, use the USR as an instrument to favourably manage their reputation in their financial statements or, on tIn addition, there is the controversy of equating the CSR with the USR, since the former was formed as a concept of market requirements for business organization, while from a university perspective, it emerged in response to the social needs linking its development with knowledge transfer from HEIs ,21.This has justified the interest to develop this research. Hence, the motivation of this study is to document the evolution of the knowledge base of the economic and environmental impacts of USR, with the intention of contributing to educational institutions to the approach of sustainable consumption, in relation to minimizing the environmental impact and satisfying consumer needs, both for present and future generations.From the reviewed literature, the research questions have been identified, which refer to determining what is the structure of knowledge about the economic and environmental impacts of USR; which are the most productive authors, institutions and countries; and what are the thematic axes that this research topic develops and towards which they are evolving.One of the main limitations of this study is to discern whether, among other variables, the number of publications related to a particular community is due to the demands of given interest groups, or on the contrary, to the needs of society.Accordingly, the main objective of this study is to analyse research trends on the economic and environmental impacts of USR globally over the period 1970\u20132019, i.e., over the last fifty years. This period ranges from the first article published on this topic (1970) to the last full year (2019). The study is consequent in admitting that the extensive period analysed covers numerous global socials, economic and political changes, which have involved different approaches in the management of university campuses. Furthermore, the appearance of new concepts has modified the analysis in scientific research on this topic.To answers these research questions, a sample of 870 selected scientific journal articles from the Elsevier Scopus database was analysed. The bibliometric method was followed to synthesize the knowledge base on the implications of USR in a global context.Finally, it should be noted that the research lines currently being developed on the subject include, among other things, the relation between the effect of implementing social responsibility policies in public and private universities in different countries with different political and economic systems. In addition, different studies are being related that analyse the outcome of social responsibility of HEIs with policies of inclusion and diversity.The study of USR is based on the theoretical principles of interest groups analysis, which, together with the basic concepts, define the reference framework in this field of research. Hence, these explanatory principles define how a set of phenomena behaves, to systematise and generalize individual cases. Consequently, with the study carried out, In 1930, Ortega y Gasset, in his work \u201cMission of the University\u201d, and E. Allen Gaw, in his publication \u201cSocial Education\u201d, discussed of the roles that university institutions needed to play in order to participate in the process of modernising society, and proposed, in a debate still valid today, that higher education (HE) should be reformed for the benefit of society ,23,24.In 2003, at the World Conference on Higher Education, UNESCO stressed the importance of the well-being of nations and the quality and scope of HEIs. Since then, arguments and definitions have flowed that make it possible to distinguish the practices and policies of social responsibility related with universities from those that mainly relate to companies.In particular, among the purposes pursued by HEIs, are, in politics, the development of democracy and conflict resolution ; in the Universities today have a complex end goal, whereby they must respond to confusing questions of strategy. These strategies and alternatives should be aimed, amongst other things, at analysing the causes of the expansion of HE , to seekIn this sense, the triple helix model is a valid framework for describing interactions and relationships between universities, industries, and governments, with a view to capitalizing on knowledge ,33. TherThe literature review has made it possible to analyse documents that are what have allowed us to define the bases of this research. This subsection examined the theoretical principles used to conceptually argue the link between social responsibility, sustainable consumption, corporate sustainability, and HEIs ,51,52. TThe concept of USR must be established according to the axioms of stakeholder theory to unify its commitment to meeting the expectations of the different stakeholders in their health, economic, social, and environmental functions ,54.First, the theoretical approach of stakeholders, enunciated in 1984 by Freeman , is estaOn the other hand, recent decades have seen a growth in the influence of stakeholders on organizations, but to successfully implement and manage social responsibility, there is a need to know and identify their needs and expectations. The implementation of stakeholder theory in HEIs in order to create knowledge-based societies led to the need to promote university policies in social responsibility based on participatory methods, and thus contribute to the liaison between academic and research functions, and social needs and problems ,61.For all these reasons, in recent decades, universities have gone from being dependent on central governments, elitist, small, closed and with little scientific production, to reverse this situation and be autonomous, decentralized, internationalized and more active in research, in lines general. This evolution has also meant that the institution participates in the environment in which it is located and cares about the social, economic, and environmental aspects in a productive way, generating innovation and added value ,60.The revised literature provides definitions for the basics of this research topic. Some reflections are included on the terms and concepts used in the context of this research, which have helped model the term university social responsibility (USR) from the idea of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Hence, Likewise, although the official definitions of CSR refer mainly to companies, the general consensus is that the foundations of CSR affect all types of organizations, be they companies, public administrations, labour unions, or NGOs among others. Furthermore, it is a voluntary initiative of management and good governance, which, integrated from the decision-making of an organization, takes into account its stakeholders, and economic, social, and environmental variables. For these reasons, the USR is the answer that the university must train responsible citizens with their environment, creators of creative ideas and committed to help solve social, economic, and environmental issues.Since its initial definition, the concept of the CSR has not undergone major changes, although its role in company strategy has evolved, as has the effect that socially responsible actions had on sustainable development. The term emerged as a response of companies to growing social and corporative concerns with issues that included social, environmental and consumer interests.Since its inception, CSR has been extensively studied and researched ,63,64,65As regards social responsibility, institutions should treat laws and regulations as opportunities for improvement, insisting on ethical behaviour in their interactions with stakeholders . In thisFor its part, the concept of sustainability formally appeared for the first time in the Brundtland Report in 1987 , relatedFurthermore, just as companies and other organisations have recognised the demand for greater social and environmental sustainability, universities have responded with new pedagogical approaches. Hence, arose the concept of education for sustainable development (EDS), a term that refers to the various forms of learning and teaching associated with the sustainable development of societies . In thisIn relation to the basis of sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, education allows for self-reliance, fosters economic growth by improving skills and improving people\u2032s lives. Thus, the USR and stakeholders require better access and quality to the university, eliminating, among others, gender inequalities, food insecurity and armed conflicts .In addition, by bringing together these concepts that address social responsibility from different perspectives, it is noted that, from their origin, universities have been the basis of education and, to some extent, of social sustainability. In this context, universities are obliged to implement a series of ethical principles and values in the fields of management, teaching, and research, so that they declare their intentions, in this sense, in their vision and mission ,79,80.Hence, in the knowledge society, USR refers to managing the strategic model in the context of a socially responsible HEI. For this reason, the implementation of the USR entails self-criticism from the institution itself, responsibly assessing the impact of its actions on society ,82. ThatAs mentioned by A. Parsons of the UThis social concept reviews the actions of universities in a knowledge society to determine the applicability of CSR in these educational institutions. At the same time, USR encompasses the operational variables that a university must manage if it is to be socially responsible in terms of support for inclusion, community education, and respect for and conservation of the environment or natural resources ,13.As regards the USR regulatory framework, the international standard ISO 9001, which deals with the quality of management systems and accreditation, certifies universities in terms of optimal processes of organization and planning of activities. ISO 26,000 establishes the management and focus of social responsibility in universities from a managerial perspective to achieve a sustainable society ,86.The Bologna Process (1999), the basis of the subsequent European Higher Education Area (EHEA), which is organized on the principles of quality, mobility, diversity and competitiveness, was initially directed towards increasing employment in the European Union and the transformation of the European higher education system into an instrument for attracting students and teachers on a global scale. Thereby, the incorporation of the social dimension of HEIs was not initially considered. Subsequently, the following statements have examined the influence that universities have on the development of European society ,87,88. ITherefore, in 2015, with the support of the European Union\u2032s Lifelong Learning Programme, the Comparative Research Project on University Social Responsibility in Europe and the Development of a Community Reference Framework (EU-USR) were initiated. On the initiative of certain leading European Union universities regarded as leaders in social responsibility, the objective of this common European model was to optimise the USR of all universities. Initially, it was formed in response to the European Commission\u2032s political priority on the need for a common social responsibility strategy for all European universities. Today, many European universities understand their social dimension, promoting policies and practices, albeit without a frame of reference .Likewise, both the Millennium Development Goals, in 2000, and the SDGs, in 2015, mainly in SDG 4, have promoted, in relation to the USR, an inclusive, equitable and quality education that promotes learning opportunities during all life for all. In this way, these resolutions establish the bases for the achievement of a quality education as a foundation to improve people\u2032s lives and sustainable development.In this sense, the European Commission managed the INHERIT project to stimulate effective policies, practices and innovations in relation to key environmental stressors and the underlying causes of inequity in health. Likewise, the objective of this Horizon 2020 research project, for the period 2016\u20132019, was to promote the change of sedentary lifestyles and those outside the circular economy, and thus formulate scenarios to create a more sustainable future. In other words, this project sought to design and implement intersectoral initiatives to achieve healthier social change .Scientometrics is the science that studies and measures scientific production. It is also known as the scientific and empirical study of science and its results. In practice, there is a significant overlap between scientometrics and other scientific fields: bibliometric, information system, information science and scientific policy . It is bBibliometric, on the other hand, applies mathematical and statistical methods to the literature of a scientific nature and the authors that produce it, with the aim of studying and analysing scientific activity. The instruments used to measure aspects of scientific activity are bibliometric indicators, which are measures that provide information on the results of scientific activity in any of its manifestations . It was The objective of this study is to provide an insight into the overall dynamics of research and the state of the issue regarding the economic-environmental impacts of the USR in a global context. To achieve the proposed objective, a quantitative analysis was carried out, using bibliometric, to identify, organize and analyse trends in the research topic. In recent decades, it has contributed to the review of scientific knowledge, and has been successfully used in various scientific fields ,94.According to the reviewed literature of the study topic, mainly the one detailed in The choice of the Scopus database is due to the fact that, when performing the initial search in the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases, it showed a significant difference in the volume of articles in the analyzed period 1970\u20132019, since 559 articles were extracted from WoS, and 870 articles from Scopus.Additionally, Scopus has greater advantages over other databases, such as WoS or Google Scholar, among which are: (i) it is considered the largest repository of peer-reviewed literature; (ii) it minimizes the risk of losing documents during the search; (iii) it is easily accessible and offers some tools for data visualization and analysis, in addition to presenting the option of downloading content in different formats; and, (iv) it presents a variety of data.The process followed in the selection of the sample of documents conforms to the flowchart of Thereby, in phase 1 (identification), 249,478 records were identified from the Scopus database, considering all fields for each of the key search terms , all types of documents, and all years in the data range .In phase 2 (screening), the option of \u201carticle title, abstract and keywords\u201d was chosen in the field of each term, so that 248,123 records were excluded, so 1355 records were identified.Subsequently, in phase 3 (eligibility), only the articles were selected as the type of document, to guarantee the quality derived from the peer review process. In this phase, 420 documents were excluded, so it had 935 records.As for the time horizon of analysis, this is between 1970 and 2019, both included, that is, from the publication of the first article on this topic (1970), to the last full year (2019). For this reason, in the last phase (included), 65 documents are excluded, so the final sample included 870 articles.In short, the search selected records of subfields of title, abstract and keywords, in the period that contains the last 50 years, from 1970 to 2019, in the same way that it has been successfully applied in other studies that have used the bibliometric methodology ,97,98. TTherefore, the final sample included a total of 870 articles, both open access and non-open access. The variables analysed were year of publication, thematic area, journal, author, author\u2019s country of affiliation, institution to which the author is affiliated, and keywords that define the publication.In this study, the indicators of scientific production analysed were the distribution by years of published articles, the productivity of authors, countries, and institutions . As for In addition, collaborative structure indicators, which measure the links between authors and countries, were analysed through network mapping and processing tools due to their reliability and suitability in the bibliometric analysis.VOSviewer software was applied for the analysis of collaboration structure and relationship indicators, by co-authorship and co-occurrence analysis, which provides data on interactions and the evaluation of subject-matters, to measure the activities of research networks. In other words, this tool allows analysis for the purpose of displaying relationship maps and network links between authors, institutions, countries, and keywords. Subsequently, this software tool allows you to recognize research trends based on the use of keywords in research articles. In this sense, network mapping refers to the process of seeing the connection and structure of the network in order to map the dynamics of science, in this case, of a certain research field, and which seeks to explore the structure underlying similarities and interrelationships between documents ,101.Likewise, the clustering algorithm of VOSviewer allows communities to be detected in a network that considers modularity, that is, a measure that assesses the quality of community structures. Thereby, modularity-based clustering of VOSviewer provides networks where nodes are densely connected internally within groups, but without external connection between different groups. In this way, it unifies the mapping and grouping approaches, in addition to dividing the research carried out into documents . The resThis section presents and discusses the results of scientific production concerning the economic-environmental impacts of USR in a global context, as well as the distribution of publications by subject area and journal, and the scientific production of authors, institutions, and countries. The results obtained from the analysis of the keywords associated with this field of research are also discussed.As with the number of articles, the total number of authors also increased during the period analysed. In the last decade (2010\u20132019), 85.70% of the total number of authors for the whole 50-year period published at least one article. While only 11 authors published in this field of research in the first decade (1970\u20131979) a total of 2001 authors were active in the period 2010\u20132019. The average number of authors in the third and fourth decades was 2.8 authors per article, while in the last period studied it was 2.7 authors per article.The number of countries involved in the publication of articles on this research subject increased from 2 in the first decade, 1970\u20131979, to 86 in the last period analysed, representing 95.56%. During the whole period analysed, 90 countries contributed to the publication of articles on the scope of USR.In addition, the number of citations grew exponentially, from the first period (2001\u20132003), increasing from 813 to 5737 in the last period analysed (2010\u20132019). It should be noted that the articles corresponding to the most recent decades will receive a greater number of citations in coming years, both because of their recent publication and impact, and for their distribution in open-access . This isFinally, the number of journals where USR articles were published increased from 2 in the first period, 1970\u20131979, to 397, in the last decade analysed, 2010\u20132019, which also accounts for 88.03% of the total number of journals examined in the 50-year period.Scientific production on the research topic, influenced by the link with the concepts of corporate social responsibility and the HEI at a global level, was developed in line with the technological advance that brought about the appearance of the Internet globally, leading to greater ease in the use of data and international academic and research cooperation ,91,98.In addition, articles published in the English language account for 92% of the total, as the main language of science. Here, English is followed by Chinese (4%) and Spanish (2%). The remaining languages do not add up to 1%.During the period analysed, 1970\u20132019, there are several categories in which works related to the economic and environmental impacts of USR can be found. In this way, according to the Scopus classification, there are a total of 26 thematic areas into which the 870 articles analysed are classified. It must be borne in mind here that the same article can be classified in more than one category, depending on the interest of the author and the publisher.The association of publications in this field of research, mainly the categories of Business, Management and Accounting, and Social Sciences, arises from the conceptual and practical link of the dialogue between the USR and the stakeholders, about the economic, social, and environmental factors ,51.Moreover, as can be seen in The important changes that have taken place in these five decades, both socially, economically, politically, culturally and environmentally, have obviously motivated scientific production to evolve, since the researcher and academic seek and need to find answers to these changes. Along these lines, the Millennium Development Goals, in 2000, and the SDGs, in 2015, mainly in SDG 4, stand out mainly in the promotion of quality education ,51,70.By country, among the 20 most important journals in the USR publication are those of European origin: United Kingdom (7), Netherlands (3), Lithuania (2), Switzerland (1), Poland (1), Czech Republic (1), Romania (1), and those of American origin (4).The journal that has published most articles on the economic and environmental impacts of USR globally is Business and Society Review, with 50 articles, which represents 5.75% of the total number of articles published from 1970 to 2019.The California Management Review is the journal that has occupied the first position in the ranking for more decades, two of the five periods analysed . It also stands out because it attracts great interest from the scientific community, as seen by the high number of citations that it received (2098), and for the average number of citations per article (87.42). It is also the journal that has the highest H index for published articles on USR, with 15, which is far from the journal\u2019s overall H index for all subjects, which stands at 118. The journal Nucleic Acids Research has the highest impact factor SJR, 8.636 (Q1), followed by the Journal of Experimental Medicine, with 7.941 (Q1), and the California Management Review, with 2.658 (Q1).It is important to mention how the journal Sustainability, with 13 articles published on the subject since 2015, has become the journal that has ascended most in terms of ranking, standing seventh throughout the period analysed (1970\u20132019) and fourth for 2010\u20132019.The authors who have published the most articles on the subject are Stavnezer , Luo , and Lanero , with four articles each.The author with the highest number of USR citations is the Australian, Brammer, with a total of 387, which also places him as the author with the highest average number of citations per article, with 129, followed by the Americans, Stavnezer, with 302 citations and an average of 75.50 citations per article, and then Schrader, with 258 and 86, respectively. In addition, Stavnezer has the highest h-index, 4.Of the 10 most prolific authors in the publication of articles on this research subject, four are of Spanish origin, from the University of Granada , and three American .The lack of international co-authorship of Spanish institutions is interesting. By contrast, 50% and 83.3%, respectively, of the articles on the economic and environmental impacts of USR from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and York University are internationally co-authored, with the same number of articles as the Spanish, University of Cadiz (6). In addition, York University shows its international credentials with the highest average number of citations per article published with international collaboration (141.60). It is also of note that the Loyola University of Chicago, despite international collaboration in 20% of their articles, have no citations in these publications.In this sense, efforts being made by HEIs in recent years in relation to educational activity for sustainable development, are relevant, because, as UNESCO points out, education is one of the most effective tools to stimulate the changes necessary to achieve sustainable development ,105. ForThe above data refer to the ranking of the most productive countries in the publication of articles on USR for the whole the period analysed, underlining its research potential, with 171 articles in the last period alone (2010\u20132019). During this last decade, China has moved into second place, with 82 articles published, replacing the United Kingdom, which held this position in the previous two decades . These countries , together with Spain and Canada, are the main promoters of USR research globally, since, they have been responsible for publishing 54.94% of the world total.The remaining five countries have published fewer articles. Of this group, Germany, with the fourth largest number of citations (987) in 27 published articles, presents the third best h-index (15) in articles on USR, and has held eighth position for the last two decades studied.In seven of the countries in Thereby, cluster 1, the largest, includes 7 countries: India, Indonesia, Iran, Lithuania, Malaysia, Pakistan, and United Arab Emirates. Group 2 consists of Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovakia, and Ukraine. Cluster 3 is led by Japan, and includes France, Hungary, Romania, Sweden, and Turkey. Cluster 4 is headed by the United States and includes China, Hong Kong, Lebanon, and South Korea. The fifth cluster, led by the United Kingdom, includes Brazil, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. Cluster 6 consists of Belgium, Finland, Netherlands, and Saudi Arabia. Group 7 consists of Australia, South Africa, and Thailand. Cluster 8 consists of Denmark, Switzerland, and Taiwan. Cluster 9 consists of Austria and Germany. Cluster 10 is made up of Canada and Algeria. Finally, cluster 11 contains Norway and Singapore.The five most common keywords used during the period analysed (1970\u20132019) are sustainability (in 66 articles), priority journal (45), sustainable development (43), controlled study (36), and corporate strategy (28). As regards the first term, Sustainability, in the last period (2010\u20132019), co-occurrence is in 92.4% of the published articles on USR. Moreover, the literature review of the term Sustainability suggests that word is used as a synonym, or an equivalent term, of Sustainable Development ,110.Of the top 20 keywords, six have started to be associated with this field of research during the last period examined (2010\u20132019). These are stakeholders (position 9), students (12), financial performance (15), innovation (18), management (19), and perception (20).These lines group all terms related to the economic and environmental impacts of USR globally. Hence, the \u201csustainability\u201d line includes aspects related to sustainable development in a global context of HEIs . The \u201cgoThe development and evolution of this field involves new concepts and study arguments at a global level, such as \u201ccorporate citizenship and higher education behavior\u201d, \u201cgreen university\u201d, \u201cgreen campus\u201d, \u201csustainable university\u201d, \u201cgreen corridors\u201d, \u201ccircular community\u201d, \u201creducing private car use\u201d, \u201cnetworked governance\u201d, \u201cinclusive university\u201d, \u201cresponsibility for health\u201d, \u201cwork-life balance\u201d, \u201cphysical space\u201d, \u201chealthy lifestyle\u201d, \u201chealthy campus\u201d, \u201ceco inclusion\u201d, or \u201cinclusive education management\u201d.For all these reasons, obtaining a quality education is the basis for improving people\u2032s lives, as well as contributing positively to sustainable development. In this sense, progress has been made in terms of access to education at all levels and in enrolment rates in universities, mainly for women and girls. On the other hand, basic literacy has increased substantially, although greater efforts are needed to achieve the goals of universal education and achieve equality for women in the University and their insertion in technical careers.Hence, the quality management of HEIs are aligned with sustainability and with the development of an egalitarian society, with the purpose of SDG 4 guaranteeing inclusive, equitable and quality education, and promoting lifelong learning opportunities ,82.In recent years, HEIs are undergoing changes at a global level, albeit in a heterogeneous way. It is key to admit that there is a disparity in performance, but also in the resources, capacities, and scope in which these institutions carry out their activity. The modernization of the universities has meant that their focus is turned from the academic and research perspective, and pay attention to the stakeholders, with special reference to the characteristics of their immediate geographical context that marks the environment of competition and the available potential markets. The organizational heterogeneity of the different HEIs has a direct impact on the implications in the decisions that are related to the economic, social, and environmental aspects.The evolution of research on this topic encourages the appearance of different projects at the international level, with the aim of considering a positive environmental impact, a sustainable and responsible consumption, to offer a more sustainable future in relation to the SDGs.In the context of both corporate sustainability, SDGs and responsible consumption, initiatives emerge, such as, the EuroHealthNet research platform promotes evidence-based approaches to health, equity and well-being, through collaboration between decision makers and researchers and their results. In this regard, it provides an evidence base for policies and practices that address health inequalities and environmental threats to health . LikewisThese initiatives promote sustainable consumption to improve sustainable performance, in addition to meeting the needs of consumers, and increasing the quality of life of citizens. It is about improving, through public or private initiatives, both the efficiency of resources, as well as increasing the use of renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions, and minimizing waste ,123,124.Future studies on this topic should focus on new research lines that will determine, among others, whether the ethical code of a given university reflects its commitment to sustainable development; or, also, to evaluate, as a sustainability challenge, the participation of HE in business ethics.Furthermore, on the other hand, the research must identify what actions are necessary for a more responsible future, related to the economy, demography, sustainability, health, well-being, social inequalities, equity, and the environment.Even, it should be analysed how the promotion of educational practices on social responsibility and focused on the development of the consciousness of millennial students, will have a positive effect on responsible consumption. Green marketing, from both educational institutions and their providers, must be extensively studied to highlight these fraudulent practices, which undermine the image of HEIs.It would also be necessary, on the other hand, to develop academic and scientific contributions that establish the dimensions that contribute to the strengthening of the USR from the social, economic, healthy, welfare and sustainable points of view.These new thematic axes should also create models that measure the satisfaction of interested parties with the practical aspects of the USR, institutionalize the link between USR and learning services; evaluate the impact of strategies that develop partnerships between HEIs and other institutions or organizations with respect to achieving the objective of sustainable development, and analyse the links between the responsible and sustainable consumption of universities and their short-term financial, economic, and sustainable impacts.In short, research at the global level, both from the initiative of the individual researcher and from joint projects, should develop studies that extol the sustainable consumption of HEIs in their USR actions, from the consumption of products and services that minimize the environmental impact, maximize the economic impact, and satisfy the needs of the societies to which they are linked, for both present and future generations.The objective of this study was to analyse the scientific production of the economic and environmental impacts of USR in the last 50 years through a bibliometric analysis of 870 articles obtained from the Scopus database. The findings made it possible to identify the main drivers, potential tendencies, and certain gaps in critical knowledge. It is concluded that the USR, as a mechanism that allows the dissemination of HEI values and so ensures their economic, environmental, and social sustainability, is committed to the demands of its various interest groups. Thereby, the thematic areas, journals, authors, institutions, and countries involved USR publications have been identified.The number of scientific papers published per year during the period 1970\u20132019 has increased, especially in the last decade, when 743 articles were published, representing 85.70% of total contributions to this research topic.The thematic area of business, management, and accounting is the most common, since it groups 27% of the articles, followed by Social Sciences with 25%, and Environmental Science with 14%. Furthermore, regulatory developments have influenced the development of articles related to the business, management, and accounting and social sciences subject areas.The most productive journal on the scope of USR worldwide has been the British journal, Business and Society Review, with 50 publications, representing 5.75% of the total number of articles published in the study period. Of the journals that contribute to this topic, 45% are positioned in the first quartile of the Scopus database. The American journal, California Management Review has the highest number of citations , the highest average number of citations per article (87.82) and the highest h-index for published articles in this subject area (15).The authors who have published the most on the subject are Stavnezer (USA), Luo (China), and Lanero (Spain), with four articles each. Brammer, an Australian from Macquarie University, is the author with the highest number of citations (387), and the best average citations per article (129). Stavnezer is also the author with the highest h-index for contributions on USR (4).The most productive institution in this research area is Wuhan University, China, with 10 articles. The Canadian York University has the highest number of citations (709), the best average citations per article (118.17), and it is the institution with the most international collaborations in its work on the USR (83.3%). Among the institutions that have contributed the most to the subject but with no international collaboration in their articles during the period studied are Cadiz University and Jaume I University (Spain) and Loyola University of Chicago (USA).The main countries that have contributed to this area of research, in terms of the number of articles and international collaboration, during the period 1970\u20132019, are, in order, the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Spain, and Canada. The United States presents the largest number of published articles (212) and citations (4550), in addition to the highest h-index, with 34.Future research lines on this topic will focus on (i) determining whether the ethical codes of a given university reflect its commitment to sustainable development, (ii) assessing the involvement of HE in business ethics like a challenge of sustainability, (iii) identifying what actions are needed for a healthier future, related to the economy, demography, sustainability, health, wellbeing, social inequalities, equity, and the environment, and (iv) promoting educational practices focused on the development of millennial students\u2032 awareness of social responsibility and investment.Among the main future research lines to be pursued are, principally, those that must (i) determine whether the ethical code of a given university reflects its commitment to sustainable development; (ii) evaluate the participation of HE in business ethics; (iii) identify the actions necessary for a more responsible future, (iv) analyse how the promotion of educational practices on social responsibility and focused on the development of the consciousness of millennial students will have a positive effect on responsible consumption; (v) study green marketing, both from educational institutions and from their suppliers; or (vi) analyse the links between the responsible and sustainable consumption of universities and their short-term financial, economic, and sustainable impacts.This study supposes an analysis of the scientific production and the actors that stimulate the investigation of the socio-economic and environmental dimensions on University Social Responsibility during the period 1970\u20132019, as well as the identification of the lines of investigation and their evolution and transformation. Innovation in this research field has been identified based on the morphology of the groups of authors, institutions, countries, and keywords, and the intensity of the relationships that develop in them. The results obtained are a complement to the knowledge of the evolution of the socio-economic and environmental dimensions on USR and allow to establish the relationship between science and technology, and to inform the decision-making process.Likewise, this research is of interest since it makes known the importance of USR in training responsible citizens with their environment, generators of creative ideas and committed to help solve social and environmental problems. This study contributes to disseminating the need for universities to make available to students, not only knowledge but also the possibility of developing competencies and skills, which give them the opportunity to transform their participation in social action initiatives.With a triple-pronged approach, the USR allows the implementation of progress policies and actions that lead towards sustainability. In this way, the research we carry out fosters a greater knowledge of the tools for more sustainable progress in our society. In this sense, the investigation and dissemination of these terms allows the promotion of initiatives that promote the ethical conduct of the citizen towards herself/himself and with her/his environment, and goes far beyond compliance with legal obligations, but seeks to raise awareness and respond to forge responsible students with their environment and with humanity.Finally, it should be noted that research on the economic and environmental impacts of USR worldwide has followed an upward trend of exponential growth, especially in the last decade studied, namely 2010\u20132019."} +{"text": "War is a stressful factor for children and families. During war, there are two categories of children including those who are directly attacked and all of their amenities such as school, house, and social structure are influenced and destroyed. Another category includes children who are indirectly observing these disasters through social media and the first group, in addition to psychological aspects, suffers from nutritional and physical health problems. In this study, the researcher aims to find out if there is any solution to provide psychological safety and nutritional and physical health for children involved in war.In this study, articles published in English and Persian languages in scientific sites, journals and conferences of Medical Sciences of Iran and Red Crescent, SID, PubMed and Scopus, and humanities were searched by keywords such as psychological health safety, violence against children, vulnerability of children during war, nutritional and physical health of children, and solutions to provide supplies and health during war.The results show that during war, it is necessary to gather information from the study area exposed to danger. Costs estimation, maintenance and storage of food supplies, supplying kitchens, warehouses and mobile refrigerators, providing food and shelter, establishment of hospitals and schools, education to cope with crisis for families and people working with children, and separating the consumer groups to maintain nutritional health of children are necessary. But the most important element is psychological health of children and it is necessary to train people before the accident and send them to the area. These people should know that children are more sensitive and understand the situations.To solve psychological problems of children, parents and authorities should prepare a comprehensive plan to reduce psychological injuries. For children who may need tranquilizers for psychological disorders, the presence of psychologist and psychiatrist is necessary. For health and nutrition of children, correct planning and prediction and management can reduce losses caused by the crisis.Children, War, Psychological problems, Food supply, Health"} +{"text": "Continuously evolving technologies make dentistry one of the most advanced sectors in the field of medicine. The digital improvements in recent years have brought many advantages to clinicians and patients, including reduced working times, lower costs and increased efficiency of performance. Some of the most important digital technologies introduced in the dental filed are cone beam computer tomography (CBCT) scan, Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD-CAM) systems, and intraoral scanners. All of these allow faster and more accurate rehabilitations, with the opportunity of pre-simulation of the final treatment. The evolution of computer science has brought significant advantages in the medical and dental fields, making the diagnosis and execution of even complex treatments, such as implantology and bone reconstruction, possible. The digital world is trying to supplant the traditional analog workflow, and over time, with the further advance of technologies, it should tend to be the treatment of choice of our patients. Digital Health, is an innovative approach to medicine. The broad scope of digital health includes the computerization of healthcare processes, digitization of medical documents, computerization of medical records, creation of electronic files, and electronic prescriptions ,2. ExampThe digitalization of medical records allows the clinician to share and update the patients\u2019 informations in real time, and archive the documents more easily, with full respect for the general data protection and privacy requirements, also using cloud technologies. Instead, analog medical records are usually stored in \"physical\" environments such as archives or warehouses, which everyone can access. Digital documents contain sensitive data, hence it is of importance that the digitized medical records can be examined only by operators, based on an approved workflow, which was previously established. There may be many attempts to hack digital information (data breach), so it is necessary to protect them with certified procedures, starting from the software houses and ranging to the person authorized to treat them.An example of lifesaving technological solution is geolocation, which can be used to quickly locate an emergency situation that requires the intervention of rescuers. Some emergency interventions would not be possible without the availability of satellite tracking systems and the app map-based running on smartphones ,4. OtherThe digitization of the medical profession, in all sectors, advances inexorably and offers advantages that combine analog workflows with new technologies. Digital technologies can support clinicians to make accurate diagnostic-based decisions, as well as supporting patients to make better-informed consent about their own treatment. Moreover, new options for facilitating the prevention or early diagnosis of life-threatening diseases, and management of chronic conditions outside of traditional care settings, can be provided using an innovative digital health approach. In the dental field, there are several specialities that have undergone evident changes in all the steps of the protocols and materials, including but not limiting to orthodontics, implantology, prostheses, and all the dental laboratory procedures. This allows for accurate prosthetically/functional-driven planning, proper aesthetic/functional pre-evaluation of the proposed therapy, computer-assisted execution of the treatment, as well as continuous follow-up of the patients. The main revolution was the Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD-CAM) technology, initially proposed to increase the performance of the restorations, reduce the costs and the fabrication times, and improve patient satisfaction/aesthetics. The CAD-CAM technologies make both the project and the execution faster, consisting of a three-dimensional design (planning/project) of the virtual treatment through the use of a computer, that than results in computer-assisted production of the same by the use of milling or printing machines. This technology offers several advantages, such as the accuracy of a computer-based planning/project, the rapidity of digital impression, the quality of digital-made products and its reproducibility at any time. Another very important advantage is a three-dimensional pre-visualization (simulation) that allows the final object/execution to be shown on the screen, so that the clinician can evaluate it from every viewpoint, increasing diagnostic capabilities and the accuracy of the treatments. All of this also allows for rapid communication between clinicians, other collaborators, and patients ,7.Some of the last considerable innovations in digital medicine are the digital impressions, optically detected by intraoral scanners (IOS), the introduction of the Cone-Beam Computerized Tomography (CBCT) scan, and the combination of both, thanks to which diagnosis and planning are faster, predictable and safe. There are various types of IOS and CBCT on the market that depend on the acquisition technology, the possibility of processing the files and the type of file generated.Intraoral scanners use structured light scanning, which consists of projecting a grid onto the surface of the tooth, where a series of high-resolution cameras reads its distortion. The detected distortion is processed by a microprocessor which transforms this data into a dimensionally perfect object, visible directly in the acquisition software. The intraoral scanner is the perfect completion for all CAD-CAM productions; the main benefit is the possibility of immediately checking the level of accuracy of the impression with the patient still in the chair. Another great advantage is the possibility of analyzing the occlusal relationships between arches, so as to define whether the occlusal distance is suitable for the creation of CAD-CAM restorations with specific materials. Last but not least is the possibility to send impressions by email, avoiding a waste of time for delivery.1)Night guards;2)Dental aligners;3)Fixed dental prosthesis;4)Guide for dental surgery.Some of the major applications in the dental field are: Its increasing use is also linked to implantology, in which scan bodies are used instead of conventional transfers. Implants are then repositioned in this precise position due to CAD software that matches the specific geometric shape of the scan body, with its dedicate library, allowing the design of individual abutments, frameworks and crowns. It has been demonstrate that the system is precise and accurate, since it does not suffer from distortions due to the traditional impression of the transfers. Moreover, the greater precision in the digital impression techniques has allowed its use, in combination with Digital Imaging and COmmunications in Medicine (DICOM) data derived from CBCT, for even more accurate diagnosis and virtual implant planning, including the production of surgical guides ,9. For tIn orthodontics, the introduction of intraoral and facial scanners, 3D printing machines, and, before that, digital radiology, including a CBTC scan, have improved both the diagnosis and execution of the orthodontic treatment. Digital studio models offer a viable alternative to traditional plaster models. Their advantages in orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning include the easier and quicker transfer of electronic data, immediate consultation, and reduced space for storage . DigitalAesthetics is another application that benefits from intraoral scanners and digital workflow, consisting of smile design and simulation, prototype mock-ups, and veneer manufacturing. This is possible by the acquisition of digital impressions, a series of photos of the face and the patient\u2019s smile, and through a smile design software that allows to shape the entire appearance of the smile area. In this way, clinicians have the opportunity to discuss with the patient and to decide with him/her the aesthetics of the restoration before the treatment starts ,17,18. TEven complete or partial prostheses, on both natural teeth and implants, could be made through a fully digital workflow, that allows clinicians and dental technicians to fabricate the restoration in all of its aspects, potentially reducing production times, and therefore the overall waiting times for both clinicians and patients, and, not least, the costs ,20,21,22Every treatment starts with the acquisition of the dental impressions which can be quickly detected using an intraoral scanner . The digital models are processed with dedicated CAD software. Through this digital workflow, there is no need to physically deliver the impressions to the dental technicians, and this also allows the process to be safer from a biological point of view ,24,25. DEven if working in a fully digital work-flow, simple and complex treatments could be performed. As in the clinic, patient\u2019s aesthetic and virtual jaw\u2019s movements can be simulated before the treatment, allowing both clinicians and dental technicians to better evaluate the proposed treatment plan, and to evaluate in advance the overall cost and time required for the treatment ,33,34,35In conclusion, it is true that these technologies will need to be further improved, and strong scientific evidence presented, before replacing the analog procedures. There are different aspects that need to be evaluated, therefore, both by the clinicians and patients, and in this way they could decide how to face the necessary treatments and feel more relaxed."} +{"text": "JMA Journal, a new official English medical journal.The Japan Medical Association (JMA) and the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences (JAMS) have launched the Asian Medical Journal in 1958 (renamed JMAJ in 2001), the JMA has been publishing Japanese medical studies and its activities in English.Since the inception of the JMA Journal, a peer-reviewed publication, is issued with the cooperation of the JAMS as a new global platform for information dissemination, in place of the traditional JMAJ but continuing its traditions.With due consideration of the environment of global health and medical information provisions, the JMA Journal covers all aspects of medicine and medical care, and includes contributions from medical researchers and healthcare professionals in Japan and elsewhere, on a wide range of areas, including original work, health policy, global health, and other commentary.The JMA Journal will promote international medical science and contribute to the improvement of the quality of health care by being read and cited by many people.The publication of this type of comprehensive medical journal is the first challenge in Japan. We sincerely hope that the Yoshitake Yokokura, MD, PhDPresident, Japan Medical AssociationPresident, World Medical Association"} +{"text": "Nutritional deficiencies developing as a side effect of radiotherapy (RT) currently represents a significant but still inaccurately studied clinical problem in cancer patients. The incidence of malnutrition observed in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients in oncological radiology departments can reach 80%. The presence of malnutrition, sarcopenia, and cachexia is associated with an unfavorable prognosis of the disease, higher mortality, and deterioration of the quality of life. Therefore, it is necessary to identify patients with a high risk of both metabolic syndromes. However, the number of studies investigating potential predictive markers for the mentioned purposes is still significantly limited. This literature review summarizes the incidence of nutritional deficiencies in HNC patients prior to therapy and after the commencement of RT, and presents recent perspectives for the prediction of unfavorable nutritional changes developing as a result of applied RT. Head and neck cancer (HNC) consists of a group of malignant neoplasms, mainly squamous-cell carcinomas (approx. 90% of tumors), that are heterogeneous with regard to their anatomical location, etiology, and clinical presentation, occurring in the mouth, throat, larynx, salivary glands, paranasal sinuses, and ear ,2. HNC fHNC is characterized by an unfavorable prognosis and the percentage of 5-year survival in this group of patients, regardless of the stage of cancer progression, which also depends on the anatomical location of the tumor, its degree of differentiation, the treatment used, and the clinical-demographic characteristics of the patient, does not usually exceed 30\u201340% ,8. In adThe choice of the HNC treatment method depends on the anatomical location, clinical stage, and histological differentiation of the tumor, as well as the clinical and demographic features of the patient, including age, fitness, the presence of comorbidities, and the nutritional status. In addition to surgical treatment, radiotherapy (RT) constitutes essential and routine HNC treatment, and in advanced stages of the disease, it is often supplemented with chemotherapy (CRT). If radical RT is used as the sole method of treatment or in combination with chemotherapy, conventional radiation doses are used /day for 5 days a week in a treatment regimen lasting 5\u20137 weeks ). This allows the achievement of therapeutic effects comparable to surgical treatment and permits the organ affected by cancer to be saved. Currently, in order to reduce RT complications, save healthy tissue, and precisely adjust the radiation dose delivered to the tumor tissue, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is used ,15,16,17Regardless of the applied RT scheme and the obtained treatment results, RT is associated with a high risk of developing early or late radiation reactions. These adverse effects can be more fatal in the case of CRT. Moreover, various degrees of toxicity are observed in all patients who have completed the full course of treatment. Serious physical symptoms and functional disorders and losses caused by the disease and its treatment using RT have negative clinical, psychological, and social effects ,19. The Currently, the definition of malnutrition, cachexia, and sarcopenia is the subject of lively discussions among researchers of various specialties. A multifactorial background leading to the development of the two metabolic disorders, including abnormalities in the functioning of biochemical, molecular, and immunological pathways, effectively prevents the achievement of the desired consensus ,22. AccoFollowing the initiation of the neoplastic process and its further progression, the key function of the body, which is nutrition, becomes impaired. In the physiological state, nutrition is precisely controlled by mechanisms regulating hunger, satiety, and molecular and biochemical pathways responsible for the supply of substances that provide energy to tissues and then their use for the needs of intracellular metabolism. The proper functioning of the above mechanisms allows the body to maintain a dynamic balance between the processes of energy-providing substance consumption and their use for cellular metabolism, as well as the storage of their surplus ,31. The The result of the above-described metabolic disorders developing under the influence of the ongoing cancer process is disruption of the body\u2019s caloric balance, the development of inflammation, a loss of cell mass, and a change in the body composition that can lead to the development of malnutrition or wasting of the body ,40.For decades, the presence of cancer cachexia was considered an obvious consequence of the ongoing neoplastic process in the body. Over the years, however, significant differences have been observed in the response to treatment and the survival of patients suffering from cancer cachexia compared to patients with a normal nutritional status, despite similar clinical-demographic characteristics. Unlike cachexia, sarcopenia was previously matched with an older age. Nevertheless, 22.5% of cancer patients present a risk for sarcopenia. Alarmingly, the prevalence of sarcopenia in HNC patients has been demonstrated to be high, although there is considerable between-study variation (16\u201371%). We now know that malnutrition, sarcopenia, and cachexia in cancer patients constitute an unfavorable clinical factor associated with deterioration in the quality of life and a worse response to the applied therapy, as well as a shorter survival time . MalnutrHNC patients are at a very high risk of developing malnutrition, and about 60,000\u201390,000 patients die from cancer cachexia every year. The high rate of malnutrition in this group of patients is affected by the anatomical location of the tumor, the degree of its infiltration of the structures responsible for providing food to the body, and the toxicity of the applied therapy ,44. ApprMalnutrition, cachexia, and sarcopenia developing as a side effect of cancer treatment is currently a significant but still inaccurately studied clinical problem in cancer patients. RT or CRT, which are characterized by a high aggressiveness in the destruction of tumor tissue, unfortunately also damage healthy tissues, which results in either the development of malnutrition or intensification of the already existing malnutrition, leading to cachexia ,62. The Assessment of the risk of cancer malnutrition, sarcopenia or cachexia at the stage of RT planning in HNC patients seems to be crucial for determining the patient\u2019s further prognosis, the success of the applied therapy, and the risk of early and long-term effects of its toxicity . The curp < 0.001) or have a worse performance status (according to ECOG-WHO), and they were less likely to have a tumor located in the larynx, stage I or II disease, or p16-positive oropharyngeal cancer [Elevations in inflammatory cytokines and impairments in leptin/ghrelin functioning are associated with symptoms of cancer cachexia. Moreover, leptin level can decrease after the commencement of RT . In anotl cancer . Clinical cancer ,112. TheThere are limited data concerning the predictive value of nutritional support in RT-treated HNC patients, because most studies have focused on the treatment methods of post-RT nutritional deficits. However, according to nutritional management guidelines, nutritional intervention should be part of the management of RT-treated HNC patients. Nutritional intervention should be tailored to meet the needs of the patient and be realistic for the patient to achieve. Individualized nutritional intervention either during planning or for early stage RT may be beneficial in terms of decreasing the impact of its side effects, as follows: Decreasing unintended weight loss; improving dietary intake and quality of life; reducing acute toxicities and treatment interruptions; and positively affecting the survival. It is recommended that nutritional intervention takes place before RT is started and continued during and after treatment ,114. ForMalnutrition, cachexia, sarcopenia, and body composition changes are some of the major issues in RT-treated HNC patients. Unfortunately, there are a lack of established clinical guidelines allowing the successful management of HNC patients undergoing RT intervention. Data from oncology departments of European hospitals prove that only 30\u201360% of cancer patients at risk of malnutrition receive nutritional support in the form of oral supplementation, as well as parenteral or enteral nutrition . By sele"} +{"text": "Since 2016, Brazil has been in the midst of its largest sylvatic yellow fever epidemic ever, found predominantly outside the Amazon region. Cases originating from Brazil have been reported in France, the Netherlands, Romania, Switzerland, Argentina, and Chile. The epidemic began in the Central-West region of Brazil in 2014, spreading into the Southern region, with significant non-human primate transmission continuing towards Paraguay and Argentina. This report is an integrative review of Pan American Health Organization cooperation during a sylvatic yellow fever epidemic. The Pan American Health Organization has played a central role in handling the yellow fever emergency, collaborating with the Ministry of Health and various research groups in supporting interventions of different response areas. The Pan American Health Organization's technical cooperation included: training and workshops to exchange experiences, carrying out technical cooperation in patient management and epidemiological, entomological, laboratory, and epizootic surveillance, organizing the assistance network, and acquiring strategic inputs. The Pan American Health Organization\u2019s technical cooperation supported the Ministry of Health\u2019s decision to adopt a single-dose vaccine and use fractional doses to support the vaccination needs of more than 39,000,000 people. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic contributed to the failure of reaching the yellow fever vaccination goals and made it difficult to integrate the yellow fever vaccine into recommended areas. Given the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, it is necessary to strengthen measures for the surveillance, prevention, and control of yellow fever with multilateral cooperation between countries. Brazil is currently experiencing its greatest sylvatic yellow fever (YF) epidemic ever, reaching a record number of cases between 2016 and 2018. The epidemic is centered predominantly outside the Amazon region , and has reached more than 4 times the number of all cases over the previous 20 years. As YF is typically a multimodal epidemic, we consider the period from 2016-2018, after the epidemic began in the Central-West region of Brazil in 2014 and spread into the Southern region, to be part of the two or more waves marking the peak of an epidemicThis particular epidemic was marked by the persistent transmission of the virus in non-human primates (NHP), even in periods of low seasonality, which has subsequently affected areas previously considered to be without risk, such as the states of Rio de Janeiro and Esp\u00edrito Santo, and the eastern portions of Bahia and S\u00e3o Paulo. This increase in the territory affected by the virus, along with an associated increase in the recommendation of anti-yellow fever vaccination, has increased vaccine demand by 30,000,000 doses. Currently, vaccination is being expanded to include the whole country. YF transmission has been so intense that there have been reports of cases originating in Brazil documented in France, the Netherlands, Romania, Switzerland, Argentina, and ChileAedes albopictus mosquitoes captured in the state of Minas Gerais. It is widely known that these insects are capable of bridging the gap between sylvatic and urban transmission, increasing the risk of YF re-urbanization,In addition to the known epidemic described above, the Evandro Chagas Institute of the Health Surveillance Secretariat of the Brazilian Ministry of Health detected the YF virus in In regards to the overlap of this YF epidemic with the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the present report aimed to present the strategies adopted by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in order to improve the understanding of various types of international technical cooperation in health care. The present report entails an integrative review of the cooperative actions carried out by PAHO in coping with the YF epidemic from 2016 to 2020.The Ministry of Health (MoH), in compliance with the International Health Regulations (IHR), notified PAHO of known YF cases in January 2017. PAHO then issued an epidemiologic alert for all American countries, in accordance with the IHR, which has been found to be an effective instrument with which to start response activities in the event of a disease outbreak.in situ and providing of supportive interventions in different response areas, PAHO facilitated the dialogue of several health institutions, and contributed to the knowledge regarding YF transmission, as described in the post-event evaluation and control actions of YF in the state of Minas GeraisIn Brazil, PAHO has played a central role in the technical handling of the current YF emergency, collaborating with the MoH and MoH-partnered research groups in regards to the national response and preparation of other countries within the Americas that may be affected by this YF epidemic. Through the direct participation of their specialized teams The response to the ongoing YF epidemic has brought together the expertise of scientists from different disciplinary fields, involving clinical, epidemiological, virological, laboratory, and public policy aspects, forming a multidisciplinary and multi-institutional team. It is worth mentioning that the established research capacity in Brazil was decisive in ensuring a fast and accurate response. The participation of the Evandro Chagas Institute and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), which are federal institutes whose missions are to produce, disseminate, and share knowledge and technology that contributes to bettering the health and the quality of life of the Brazilian population, was very important to the YF response. In addition to generating knowledge, Fiocruz is also responsible for producing immunobiological and diagnostic tests.Aedes aegypti in 1942. Historically, technical cooperation in the fight against YF was began with the inception of PAHO, which has addressed the disease since its creation in 1902, as the International Sanitary Bureau of the American Republics. The program was institutionalized at the first International Sanitary Convention of the American Republics in 1902, during which the vector-borne transmission of YF, a historically neglected theme, was discussed. PAHO is proud to have achieved the elimination of urban YF with the eradication of Honoring its mission \u201cto promote equity in health, to combat disease, and to improve the quality of, and lengthen the lives of the peoples of the Americas\u201d, PAHO has spared no efforts to tackle this epidemic, which has been supported by the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN).PAHO's technical cooperation occurred in several ways: training and workshops to exchange experiences; carrying out technical cooperation in the areas of patient management and epidemiological, entomological, laboratory, and epizootic disease surveillance; and organization of an assistance network. Equally important was the dissemination of knowledge with support for the creation of distance education courses, the publication of handbooks, the hiring of personnel for laboratory and field epidemiology activities, and the acquisition of strategic items, including dry ice, syringes, software licenses, vaccines, and supplies for molecular and histopathological diagnosis.PAHO also organized, for the first time on the American continent, a meeting for the Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics (EYE) strategy, including the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations International Children\u2019s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), with more than 130 partners. PAHO\u2019s technical cooperation supported the decision of the MoH to adopt a single-dose vaccine, which had been recommended by the organization since 2013, and the use of fractional doses to support the vaccination needs of more than 39,000,000 people. The 7,648,772 fractional doses used provided savings of more than 6,000,000 doses. ,Professionals hired by PAHO, who then transferred to Brazilian National Laboratories, had significant findings of the YF virus in monkeys of the Callitrichidae family. Managerial support for decisions to expand the recommended vaccination area, adjust the vaccination schedule (adoption of a single dose), and adopt a campaign for fractional doses are also among the cooperative activities carried out by PAHO in Brazil during the current YF epidemic,It is worth emphasizing PAHO's participation in the genomic surveillance of YF, a decisive measure to direct Brazil\u2019s response and reaction to national and international concerns about transmission dynamics, including the type of transmission cycle (sylvatic or urban), virus travel speed and origin, and level of introduction of the virus , etc. In this regard, it is also necessary to mention PAHO's support of the studies that culminated in the publications \u201cGenomic and epidemiological monitoring of yellow fever virus transmission potential\u201d and \u201cYellow fever virus reemergence and spread in Southeast Brazil, 2016-2019\u201dThe present technical report is necessary due to the weakening role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the coordination of efforts against COVID-19, and the non-compliance of various nations to the IHR. These factors, along with the reduction of funding to WHO by powerful nations, have diminished both the spirit of solidarity between nations and the multilateral approach needed to respond adequately to the pandemicThe ongoing YF epidemic in Brazil continues to show a significant rate of transmission in the Central-West and Southern regions of Brazil, continuing towards Paraguay and Argentina. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the failure of Brazil to meet the YF vaccination coverage goals, and has made it difficult to implement the YF vaccine in recommended areas. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to strengthen measures for the surveillance, prevention, and control of YF, and multilateral cooperation between countries."} +{"text": "Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved process that occurs in yeast, plants, and animals. Despite many years of research, some aspects of autophagy are still not fully explained. This mostly concerns the final stages of autophagy, which have not received as much interest from the scientific community as the initial stages of this process. The final stages of autophagy that we take into consideration in this review include the formation and degradation of the autophagic bodies as well as the efflux of metabolites from the vacuole to the cytoplasm. The autophagic bodies are formed through the fusion of an autophagosome and vacuole during macroautophagy and by vacuolar membrane invagination or protrusion during microautophagy. Then they are rapidly degraded by vacuolar lytic enzymes, and products of the degradation are reused. In this paper, we summarize the available information on the trafficking of the autophagosome towards the vacuole, the fusion of the autophagosome with the vacuole, the formation and decomposition of autophagic bodies inside the vacuole, and the efflux of metabolites to the cytoplasm. Special attention is given to the formation and degradation of autophagic bodies and metabolite salvage in plant cells. Autophagy, which literally means \u201cself-eating\u201d, plays a crucial role in the degradation of useless or damaged cell components such as macromolecules, protein complexes, and organelles. Autophagy also plays a role in the degradation of foreign elements for cells, such as bacteria, viruses or sperm residues after egg cell fertilization. It is a conserved process that occurs in a similar way in fungal, animal and plant cells. This process was first observed in the 1960s, and for decades it was thought to involve non-selective degradation of cellular elements ,3. HowevSome stages of autophagy are currently subject to intensive study, and our knowledge is gradually increasing. Areas of strong research interest include the initiation of autophagy, formation and elongation of the phagophore, and identification of the receptors and scaffold proteins involved in selective kinds of autophagy. However, despite many years of research, some aspects of autophagy are still not fully understood. Our knowledge about some stages of autophagy is poor, even fragmentary, and in addition, these stages are currently not of interest to many scientists. These include the final stages of autophagy, in particular, the degradation of autophagic bodies and the recovery of metabolites constituting the final products of autophagy. We specifically focus on the formation and degradation of autophagic bodies and metabolite salvage in plant cells and we compare this knowledge to data related to yeast.Macroautophagy is by far the best-studied and described type of autophagy. The first visible symptom of macroautophagy is the appearance in the cytoplasm of a cup-shaped structure, called the phagophore . The phaComponents of the cytoskeleton play an important role in the cytoplasmic transport of autophagosomes . It is aMagnaporthe oryzae, Pichia pastoris, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Schizosaccharomyces pombe [During the fusion of the autophagosome with the vacuole in yeast, the outer membrane of the autophagosome is connected and incarnated to the tonoplast, while the inner membrane together with the content becomes the autophagic body inside the vacuole 24,25,55,56. In es pombe ,63,64,65es pombe , syntaxies pombe , syntaxies pombe ,69,70, aes pombe ,71,72,73Arabidopsis mutants with T-DNA VTI12 insertion, growing in rich-nutrient conditions, presented a normal phenotype, whereas under nutrient-poor conditions accelerated aging was observed, confirming that VTI12 is involved in autophagy in plants [Arabidopsis and Populus and it participates in, among other processes, the formation of the wood conductive elements when programmed cell death occurs [In plants, the fusion of autophagosome and vacuole and the mechanisms regulating this process are poorly understood. So far, only the involvement of protein VTI12 has been confirmed in the fusion of autophagosome and vacuole in plants , Table 1n plants ,75,76,77n plants or intran plants , VTI12 ih occurs ,81. The h occurs ,82. Moreh occurs . NeverthPichia pastoris and degradation of anthocyanin aggregates in Arabidopsis thaliana [The amount of data in the literature that describes the process of microautophagy in fungi, animals and plants, including its course, regulation mechanisms, and importance for the cell, is much smaller than the information on macroautophagy. During microautophagy, an autophagosome is not formed, but the tonoplast creates an invagination into which the cargo moves. The invagination of the tonoplast increases and the cargo is engulfed into the vacuole forming an autophagic body 83,84,8,884,85. thaliana ,87. Howethaliana and proteinase B (Prb1) , Table 3Arabidopsis thaliana is likely to act similarly to yeast Pep4 by activating cascades of other hydrolases that are responsible for the hydrolysis of various structures found inside vacuoles, including the autophagic body embryo axes during seed germination [The regulation of the whole autophagy process is an extensive topic, which has been intensively studied for several decades. In short, autophagy under normal conditions occurs at a low intensity; however, this process is clearly enhanced as a result of various types of abiotic and biotic stresses ,130,131.mination . Enhancemination ,138,139.mination , caused mination .Research on autophagy is currently being carried out in many research centers around the world and is the focus of interest for many research teams. The research on autophagy has two faces. On one hand, the initial stages of autophagy, selective types of autophagy and its significance in the etiology, course, and prevention of diseases is being studied intensively, while on the other hand, there are still many aspects of autophagy that are not popular among the scientific community. The events occurring in the final stages of autophagy have been explored only marginally and require a lot of research to be fully understood. Knowledge regarding the formation and, in particular, degradation of the autophagic body is sparse. Also, the efflux of metabolites from the vacuole to the cytoplasm is poorly investigated and understood. These stages of autophagy have not been intensively studied, indeed, they have been analyzed somewhat incidentally and are often written about using generalities and conjecture. Nevertheless, these latter stages are very important stages, because they complete the entire process of autophagy. Although autophagy has been known since the 1960s, and in the last two or three decades our knowledge on autophagy has increased dramatically, there are still many unanswered questions. For example, is the autophagic body degraded by nonspecific vacuolar lytic enzymes, or is the autophagic body degraded by some specific autophagy-related enzymes? Or do both of these enzymes participate in the degradation of the autophagic body? Another poorly understood stage of autophagy in plants is the transport of metabolites from the vacuole to the cytoplasm after autophagic body degradation. Also, in this case, there are other unanswered questions such as whether the constitutive vacuolar membrane transporters are involved in the transport of metabolites to the cytoplasm or whether some autophagy-related transporters are necessary for the metabolite salvage at the end of autophagy. It is also unknown whether, and how the spectrum and level of vacuolar lytic enzymes and membrane transporters change during enhanced autophagy occurring under different stresses, for example, during carbon or nitrogen starvation. In summary, so far, we have only discovered the tip of the iceberg and there remains much to be explored on the way to a full understanding of the whole process of autophagy."} +{"text": "Sensors. The context of the special issue theme is first briefly described. This is then followed by an outline of each paper that provides information on the problem addressed; the proposed solution/approach; and, where relevant, the results of the evaluation of the proposed solution.This editorial gives an overview of the papers included in the Special Issue on \u201cSecurity, Privacy, and Trustworthiness of Sensor Networks and Internet of Things\u201d of The rapid developments in hardware, software, and communication technologies have facilitated the spread of interconnected sensors, actuators and heterogeneous devices. An example is single board computers, which collect and exchange a large amount of data for offering a new class of advanced services characterized by being available anywhere, at any time and for anyone. This ecosystem is widely referred to as the Internet of Things (IoT). In the past years, the number of deployments both for Sensor Networks (SN) and the IoT grew significantly. This continuous and exponential growth is facilitated by investments and research activities originating from industry, academia and governments, while the penetration of these technologies is also driven by the high technology acceptance rates of both consumers and technologists across disciplines. Such networks collect, store, and exchange a large volume of heterogeneous data. Nevertheless, their rapid and widespread deployment, along with their participation in the provisioning of potentially critical services , raise numerous issues related to the security, privacy, and trustworthiness of the performed operations and provided services. Accordingly, research into the security and privacy of the IoT and sensor networks is attracting increasing attention from both industry and academia. In line with these efforts, the central theme of this Special Issue is to investigate novel methodologies, theories, technologies, techniques, and solutions for IoT/SN security, trust and privacy. In particular, this Special Issue aims at addressing these topics across multiple abstraction levels, ranging from architectural models, the provisioning of services, protocols and interfaces, as well as specific implementation approaches.Fifteen papers have been published in this special issue. Brief presentations of these are given in the next section.In the first paper of the special issue , entitleIn , entitleIn , entitleIn , entitleIn , entitleIn , entitlePaper , entitlePaper , entitlePaper , entitlePaper , entitlePaper , entitlePaper , entitlePaper , entitlePaper , entitleThe last paper in the special issue , entitle"} +{"text": "Childhood malnutrition of every form, including undernutrition , micronutrient deficiencies, as well as overweight and obesity, consists a triple burden of disease, especially for low- and middle-income countries, and is one of the leading causes of poor health and a major impediment to personal development and achievement of full human potential worldwide . GloballMalnutrition is a global public health problem that is associated with high health care cost, and increased morbidity and mortality . ApproxiWhile there has been some progress concerning the reduction of undernourished population from over one billion people in the 1990s to 793 million in 2015 , around At the same time, both in high-income and low- and middle-income countries, rates of childhood overweight and obesity are rising . In the The risk of morbidity and mortality in adult life increases among persons who are overweight or obese as children or adolescents ,26,27,30This Special Issue comprises of both research and review articles, which focus on diverse components of malnutrition among healthy and non-healthy population groups spanning high income and low- and middle-income contexts. Each of the papers provides the readers with a chance to examine a different aspect of childhood malnutrition and highlights the urgent need for design and implementation of the necessary actions and policies for its prevention and control.Readers are encouraged to explore these articles and consider the role of malnutrition as a risk factor in their own context. Every country in the world and every population group is affected by one or more forms of malnutrition ,4,29. Co"} +{"text": "Wiktor Stein is considered one of the founders of Polish neurology after World War II Fig.\u00a0. He creaWiktor Stein was born on November 28, 1899 in Lviv. His father, Maurycy Stein, was a doctor and a representative of the Jewish intelligentsia in Rohatyn (70\u00a0km from Lviv\u2014south-eastern Poland before World War II), where during the second half of the nineteenth century the Jewish community comprised approximately 48% of the city\u2019s total population [After returning to Poland and the nostrification of his medical diploma, he was again promoted, at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow on February 4, 1926. The same year he started working at the Lviv State Hospital. In the period between January 1, 1927 and March 31, 1938, he worked at the Department of Nervous Diseases of the Lviv Hospital. In 1935 he completed an internship at the Neurological Clinic in Paris, headed by Georges Charles Guillain (1876\u20131961). Also in that year he became the head of the Lviv Polyclinic, where he worked until the outbreak of World War II.In the years 1928\u20131936 he was the secretary of the Neurological and Psychiatric Society in Lviv, in the works of which he took an active part. During the Second World War he was in exile in Romania, where, as an outstanding violinist, he was a concertmaster in the Craiova Philharmonic Orchestra. After repatriation in 1946, he worked in Wroclaw as an assistant in the psychiatric clinic of the local University and as the head of the Neurological Department of the Provincial Hospital of Nervous Diseases. Two years later, he moved to Lublin, where he was entrusted with the management of the UMCS Neurological Clinic. He was nominated an associate professor in 1950 and a full professor in 1957. He held the position of head of the clinic until his retirement in 1970. In 1965 he became an honorary member of the French Neurological Society. His scientific achievements include over 40 works devoted to clinical matters. Wiktor Stein died on April 11, 1979.Stein was conducting research on neurological diseases before World War II. Working at the neurological clinic in Lviv, together with Goldschlag, he published works on Swift\u2019s disease (dermato-polyneuritis) and aftePublications from the 1950s and 1960s concerned research on changes in the cerebrospinal fluid in the course of tuberculous meningitis. Both pulmonary and non-pulmonary tuberculosis were huge epidemiological and clinical problems in post-war Poland. In his works, Stein used modern immunological methods; he studied the presence of specific antituberculin antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid and considered the diagnostic value of these observations . His ownNumerous original papers included those devoted to circulatory disorders in the spinal cord, carotid insufficiency, and rehabilitation of patients with sciatica. The Iron Curtain dividing Europe from the late 1940s made it difficult to exchange scientific ideas between East and West. However, archives of the Medical University of Lublin contain numerous traces of correspondence between Stein and scientists from the USA, France, Israel, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany asking him for his publications which were unavailable in full version in the West. Such requests were directed to Stein by, among others, Alfred J. Crowle of the Colorado Foundation for Research on Tuberculosis and Julio H. Garcia of the Medical College of Virginia. These archival documents are proof of a vivid exchange of scientific thought between Stein and many Western research centers.Wiktor Stein was first and foremost a clinical neurologist, an excellent diagnostician, precise in clinical thinking. He was admired by colleagues and valued by patients. He combined the best traditions of Lviv neurological school, with a deep understanding of the need for rapid progress in neurology. The expression of the last was his constant and firm support for the development of neurosurgery. The ability of perspective vision and the correctness of assessing new phenomena was the result of the Professor's comprehensive, natural, humanistic and artistic mind."} +{"text": "The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) is a unique and rich resource of information on the health, social, wellbeing and economic circumstances of the English population aged 50 and older. The current sample contains data from up to nine waves of data collection covering a period of seventeen years (2002-2019). The multidisciplinary and longitudinal nature of the data allows the examination of complex relationships and causal processes. The survey data are designed to investigate a broad set of topics to help understand the ageing process. These include predictors of well-being, health trajectories, disability and healthy life expectancy, the determinants of economic position in older age, the links between socioeconomic status, physical health and functioning, cognition and mental health, the nature and timing of retirement and post-retirement labor market activity, household and family structure, social networks and social supports; patterns, determinants and consequences of social, civic and cultural participation."} +{"text": "An author name was incorrectly spelled as Mohammad Mirhakkak. The correct spelling is Mohammad Hassan Mirhakkak.Thomas Wolf was not included as an author in the published article. The corrected Author Contributions Statement appears below.TD and KT contributed to the conception and design of the work, data acquisition, data analysis, interpretation of the data, and drafting and revising the manuscript critically for intellectual content. M-LY and K-YY contributed to the conception and design of the work, data analysis, interpretation of the data, and revising the manuscript critically for intellectual content. GP contributed to the design of the work, data analysis, interpretation of the data, and revising the manuscript critically for intellectual content. SS, MM, W-LW, AN, CY, AL, TW, and K-HC contributed to the data analysis and interpretation of data, and revising the manuscript critically for intellectual content. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated."} +{"text": "The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) project provides a long-term, comprehensive, and comparable picture of what disables and kills people across countries, time, age, and sex . The GBDThe main goal of the GBD project is to provide comprehensive data on disease burden to support evidence-based decision-making and policies at local, regional, national, and global levels. Insights at the national and sub-national levels can be gained from the GBD estimates if provided with sufficient detail. For Brazil, considering the plurality of the society and its diversity across the regions of the country, obtaining sufficiently fine-grained burden estimates is challenging but needed.Recognizing this challenge, the GBD Brazil Network was created in 2014 as a collaboration among the Brazilian Ministry of Health, a network of Universities, Research Institutes and Health Departments, led by the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) of the University of Washington, which leads the global project [The GBD Brazil Network conducted several initiatives, both in academia and in health services, to discuss Brazilian health issues and to disseminate tools and metrics developed by the GBD project. These capacity-building and dissemination activities involved face-to-face training and postgraduate courses, lectures, media releases, scientific workshops, and regular meetings of a scientific committee, with participation of researchers from several different Brazilian Institutions and ad hoc participation of researchers from the IHME. A web course in the Portuguese language on GBD methods is being developed to be launched later in 2020.Brazilian Journal of Epidemiology [Population Health Metrics aims to further discuss and disseminate findings on the burden of disease in Brazil to the international academic and scientific community.Regarding the scientific production using GBD estimates, the GBD Brazil Network produced analysis that have resulted in the publication of two capstone papers , 4. In 2In the current supplement, we used the GBD tools and metrics developed by to explore different health conditions and specific populations in Brazil and its federative units, from 1990 to 2017. These studies describe patterns and trends, as well as knowledge gaps and point to possibilities for improving the models and estimates used by the GBD study.The publication covers the life cycle of the Brazilian population, including an evaluation of inequalities in infant mortality and the burden of disease among older people. An emphasis was given to studies on chronic noncommunicable diseases, considering the recent epidemiological transition and including analyses on overall mortality from chronic diseases, and the disease burden of diabetes, hypertension, and breast cancer. Given the triple burden of disease, which continues to challenge the Brazilian health system, communicable diseases were not forgotten, with articles on tuberculosis and malaria. Violence by firearms, one of the main causes of death in the country, is also covered. There is also a comprehensive discussion on the impact of an integrated approach to risk factors for chronic noncommunicable diseases .The GBD Brazil network is continuously discussing with IHME, researchers, and analysts the accuracy and reliability of the estimates, and it also monitors data quality in the country. An article on vital statistics data and another on the quality of death certificate completion calls attention to the advances and challenges concerning vital statistics in Brazil. Finally, the article on health-related \u201cSustainable Development Goals (SDGs)\u201d analyzes the indicators and trends of 41 health-related SDG indicators in Brazil and its States and covers regional inequalities, aiming to leave no one behind.Sistema \u00danico de Sa\u00fade) and its expansion in the last three decades has allowed Brazil to rapidly address the changing population health needs, with dramatic upscaling of health service coverage. However, the situation has deteriorated in the last 4 years of economic crisis and political instability, especially due to the reduction of investments and expenditures in health. Indeed, fiscal policies implemented in 2016 ushered in austerity measures that, alongside the new environmental, educational, and health policies of the Brazilian government, could reverse the hard-earned achievements of the SUS and threaten its sustainability and ability to fulfil its constitutional mandate of providing health care for all [Inequality and inequity have been hallmarks of Brazilian society; access to health care and basic sanitary services varies according to the socio-economical position, race/skin color, and region. The creation, 30 years ago, of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS\u2014from Portuguese for all . At presMaintaining and expanding the GBD Brazil Network will assure that the impact of these changes is estimated and the burden estimates remain available for Brazil to guide decisions and health policies in the future. The GBD Brazil Network intends to use GBD data to provide decision-makers at the local, regional, and national levels with the best and most up-to-date evidence on trends and drivers of population health to support decisions and health policy. Providing sound scientific evidence for local managers is challenging due to data gaps, high variability, and the low quality of data from small municipalities. The importance of using models and assumptions for small numbers must be considered as well.Independent groups of researchers are vital in the analysis of country data, reflecting on current and future challenges, tracing trends, and analyzing the living and health conditions of the Brazilian population, from different perspectives. We are aware of the heterogeneity of the quantity and quality of secondary data among the different health conditions we address. Further research is needed, and we advocate for more resources, in Brazil, not only for health care, but also for research. Knowing the health status pattern and its trends in the last decades allows us to take a critical look at progress and what limits it in addressing disease burden. Improved health policies and a strengthened SUS are needed to build a fairer and more equitable society."} +{"text": "Dear Editor,Necrobiosis lipoidica (NL) is a chronic idiopathic disease, of a granulomatous nature, which affects the dermis. The lesions are characterized by brownish-yellow plaques, and the most common location is the pre-tibial region. It more often affects females 3:1) and appears, in general, from the third decade of life onwards. There is an association with diabetes mellitus (DM), and microangiopathy is considered an etiopathogenic factor for the condition. Ulceration is a common complication, while reports of the onset of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in NL lesions are rare. and appe5A 62-year-old female patient presented an ulcerated, hyperkeratotic lesion in the NL area, on the right leg, about three months prior, with no history of local trauma. She had been diagnosed with NL in the pre-tibial region of both legs ten years before, with no history of recurrent ulceration. The patient had controlled systemic arterial hypertension and type 2 DM. She used oral hypoglycemic agents, with good control in the last years, and did not present retinopathy or diabetic nephropathy. At the physical examination, the patient presented atrophic bilateral plaques on the pre-tibial region and, on her right leg, a small hyperkeratotic ulcerated plaque over a NL lesion . The anaNL is a chronic degenerative disease of the dermal connective tissue characterized clinically by yellowish plaques with a narrow granulomatous border, central atrophy, and a tendency to ulceration, most commonly affecting the pre-tibial region of the lower limbs. It is more frequently observed in diabetic patients and, unlike in the reported, most patients also present microvascular complications related to DM, such as nephropathy and retinopathy.The etiology and pathogenesis of NL are uncertain; it is believed that external trauma, primary vascular disorders, and microangiopathy can contribute to its development, regardless of the presence of DM.The onset of SCC in areas of ulceration and scarring is well documented in a variety of skin diseases. Ulceration is the main complication of NL, observed in a quarter of patients with this disease. However, despite presenting a chronic course and a tendency to ulceration, the onset of SCC in NL lesions has been seldom reported. It is not clear whether the transformation to SCC is the result of chronic ulceration or of long-standing changes in NL. Risk factors that may be involved in malignant transformation include loss of melanin, which facilitates the lesion, chronic inflammation, and hypoxia.5th case reported in the international literature.5Metastases have been described in the literature, and may be related to delayed diagnosis .The onset of SCC on a NL lesion is very rare. This possibility should be considered in patients with NL with chronic ulcers, as well as in new lesions in patients with NL. Early detection and treatment of SCC associated with NL is of fundamental importance to allow conservative surgical treatment and the best possible clinical outcome.None declared.Maria Em\u00edlia Vieira de Souza: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; conception and planning of the study; elaboration and writing of the manuscript; critical review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.Julia Kanaan Recuero: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; conception and planning of the study; elaboration and writing of the manuscript; obtaining, analyzing, and interpreting the data; intellectual participation in propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of studied cases; critical review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.Manoella Freitas Santos: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; conception and planning of the study; elaboration and writing of the manuscript; critical review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.Renan Rangel Bonamigo: Approval of the final version of the manuscript, conception and planning of the study, elaboration and writing of the manuscript; obtaining, analyzing, and interpreting the data; effective participation in research orientation; intellectual participation in propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of studied cases; critical review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.None declared."} +{"text": "Background and Objective: Currently, climate change represents an existential, physical, and psychological threat. Therefore, mitigation and adaptation actions and measures have become increasingly necessary to preserve individual and collective well-being. The psychological distance is one of the main psychological constructs that explains the most concrete or abstract perception of the objects and events surrounding people. The psychological distance is a multidimensional construct, and in accordance with the construal level theory (CLT), temporal, hypothetical, spatial, and social distance are considered the most critical dimensions. This systematic review aims to provide an update of the literature on the role of psychological distance in the commitment to engagement mitigation and adaptation attitudes toward climate change.Method: The review was carried out following PRISMA guidelines and a systematic search was performed on PubMed, Psycinfo, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Scopus databases.Results: Nineteen articles have been identified as being eligible for the final synthesis. Results showed, in general, that individuals have a higher propensity to perform pro-environmental and resilient behaviors against climate change when it is perceived as more proximal and concrete within the construct of psychological distance. However, not all studies show this result. Some studies showed that, despite people considering climate changes as real and tangible, they do not perform mitigation and adaptation behaviors. Other studies showed that people implement these behaviors despite perceiving climate changes as distal and abstract.Conclusions: The current literature shows the existence of a relation among psychological distance and pro-environmental and resilient behaviors applied to climate change. For a deeper understanding of the conflicting results that emerged, more studies are necessary to explore the possible presence of further psychological variables involved in the relation within psychological distance, mitigation, and adaptation in environmental contexts. The theory of the Construal Level explains that there is a relation among the psychological distance and response of people to a specific event , personal capabilities , contextual factors , and habit and routine Stern, . HoweverThe psychological distance can explain the commitment to engage pro-environmental and resilient behaviors and, consequently, a more significant engagement of mitigation and adaptation attitudes toward climate change. Perception, from a personal stance is essential because individuals are more probable to behave in favor of the environment, and/or respond resiliently to changes in the surrounding environment, when they perceive the problem of climate change as a difficulty that can have direct consequences for themselves and adaptation behaviors to a low psychological distance . For example, the study of Chen reportedFurthermore, as shown in the analysis of the collected articles, there are several differences in the methodologies used for examining the role of psychological distance and pro-environmental and resilient behaviors. In fact, in the selected studies, different tools and measures were used for both psychological distance dimensions and mitigation and adaptation behaviors. This could explain the conflicting results. Additionally, only a few dimensions of psychological distance were observed in most of the selected studies. Specifically, in 12 studies, only one or two dimensions of psychological distance were measured, as already done in previous studies given the simplest manipulation and the best control of the observed variables were related to pro-environmental and resilient behaviors. A previous study, which already investigated the constructive level linked to the will to act on climate change and measured them in relation to psychological distance and pro-environmental and resilient behaviors (Sacchi et al., In conclusion, psychological distance and all its dimensions contributed to the commitment to adopt pro-environmental and resilient behaviors of mitigation and adaptation, respectively. Although, it is an important topic for the psychological and physical well-being of individuals and the well-being of the whole planet, the studies conducted are still limited. This is because the research field has only recently become interested in this topic. The aim of this systematic review is to offer a good scientific starting point for future studies aimed at exploring and deepening the link among psychological distance and mitigation and adaptation behaviors in the hope of encouraging them more and more.All datasets generated for this study are included in the article.DM, RP, LC, ADD, and MV contributed to the conception and project of this review. RM, PL, EP, and ADC conducted the literature search and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. RP, LC, DM, ADD, and MV revised the first draft of the manuscript. All authors participated to the subsequent drafting and rewriting of the manuscript and approved the final version of the manuscript.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest."} +{"text": "In the everyday life, a large number of pre-hospital emergency missions are including the injurers caused by traumatic events. Meanwhile, the immediate response to the injurers of the mass casualties is of particular importance due to their large number and also the distance to the medical centers. Using of a proper triage scale has a major role in prioritizing the injuries resulted from mass casualty events in order to treat and transfer them to health centers and also in the management of the scene and improving the quality of care of traumatic injuries. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to describe the various methods of triage in the scene, so that we can present a suitable triage scale for prioritizing injuries in mass casualty for pre-hospital emergency.This study is an overview one and is performed by using of databases and library resources and words including triage, pre-hospital emergency, mass casualty, crisis and emergency medical technician.Based on the surveys, a variety of triage methods in the scene were found including Simple triage and rapid treatment (START), Jump start, triage sieve or Major Incident Medical Management and Support (MIMMS), Pediatric Triage Tape (PTT), Move, Assess, Sort, and Send (MASS), Care Flight, Sort, Assess, Lifesaving interventions, and Treatment and/or Transport (SALT), Revised Trauma Score (RTS), Pediatric Trauma score (PTS).In the literature, the use of different triage scales has been recommended in the crisis, the scene of the accident and trauma. By considering the context, structure and dispersion of mass casualty in the country, it isn\u2019t known yet which one of these scales is operational and applicable. Therefore, for the patients in mass casualty, it is suggested that an appropriate and applicable triage scale should be designed for pre-hospital emergency operations.Triage in the scene, Pre-hospital emergency, Mass casualty"} +{"text": "The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the elderly and particularly individuals with Alzheimer\u2019s disease and related disorders (ADRD). Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are heterogeneous and common in individuals with ADRD and are associated with more severe illness. However, unlike the cognitive symptoms of ADRD that are usually progressive, BPSD may be treatable. Individuals with BPSD are facing unique challenges during the pandemic due to the inherent nature of the illness and the biological and psychosocial impacts of COVID-19. These challenges include a higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection in individuals with BPSD due to their frailty and medical vulnerability, difficulty participating in screening or testing, and adhering to infection control measures such as physical distancing. Further, biological effects of COVID-19 on the brain and its psychosocial impact such as isolation and disruption in mental health care are likely to worsen BPSD. In this paper, we discuss these challenges and strategies to manage the impact of COVID-19 and to effectively care for individuals with BPSD in community, long-term care, or hospital settings during the pandemic. Despite the ongoing uncertainty associated with this pandemic, we can reduce its impact on individuals with BPSD with a proactive approach. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the elderly including those with Alzheimer\u2019s disease and related disorders (ADRD), creating numerous challenges to their mental health . BehavioOlder age, medical comorbidities, and other risk factors, such as APOE4 , which aThe recommended treatment approach to BPSD depends on the presenting symptom or the nature of the underlying disorder. However, individualized non-pharmacologic interventions are typically first line, followed by carefully considered pharmacological interventions , 23. FurIn a 4-year retrospective case-control study of an Alzheimer\u2019s Special Care Unit, a higher inherent risk of respiratory infections relative to other units was found . PreviouThere is a need to understand the impact of the current pandemic on individuals with BPSD across various settings from community living to hospital units. Further, there is an urgent need to implement preventive interventions to protect individuals with ADRD from the COVID-19 infection while effectively managing BPSD. In this paper, we discuss unique challenges faced by individuals with BPSD and their caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide recommendations on how to address these challenges. Our aim is to address these challenges in individuals experiencing significant BPSD across the spectrum of cognitive decline ranging from pre-clinical to dementia, and across different neurodegenerative disorders.i.e. weight loss, exhaustion, weakness, and inactivity) and functional decline and dysregulation of immune and inflammatory mechanisms in long-term care homes and inpatient units. Caregivers and HCW need to assess for both typical (upper respiratory symptoms and fever) and atypical presentations of COVID-19, including gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms , 45. An e.g. sedative medications in an emergency situation to reduce movement), as well as seclusion, or physical restraints as a last resort. However, these situations require careful examination of ethical, legal, and institutional factors, due to the potential for serious harm . The comcontact) , 53, 54.contact) . Severalcontact) , 57. Thecontact) , 58. Thecontact) .via neuro-inflammatory mechanisms or vascular mechanisms such as hyper-coagulation . These fousness) with neuousness) and MRI ousness) . In seveousness) , 65 and ousness) , 67. Indousness) . Increasousness) . Howeverousness) .Some individuals who experience worsening of BPSD due to COVID-19 may require additional pharmacological interventions. Many of these individuals are already prescribed multiple psychiatric medications and are likely to experience adverse effects related to polypharmacy , 70. ThiWe expect an increase in all domains of BPSD Figure 1In home environments, family or external caregivers provide support for activities of daily living and management of BPSD. Appointments with physicians and other clinicians may have to be conducted virtually . Thus, fLTCH have been a major focus during this pandemic, given the high morbidity and mortality in these settings , 79. ManAt any given time, a significant number of patients affected by dementia and BPSD are admitted to specialized behavioral units or geriatric inpatient units , 85. TheConsistent staffing is critical to provide effective care to individuals with BPSD because the work demands a high degree of familiarity with the individual. The psychological impact of working in LTCH, hospital, or other institutional settings during a pandemic should be recognized and addressed proactively . There aThe COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately impacting the elderly including those with BPSD. Individuals with BPSD and their family or professional caregivers are facing unique challenges due to the inherent nature of the illness and superimposed biological and psychosocial factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Certain BPSD may lead to a higher risk of infection, a more severe course of illness, and higher mortality rates. These challenges can be addressed with a proactive approach. It is important to implement infection control strategies for individuals with BPSD across settings such as proactive screening and testing, maintaining a high degree of suspicion for atypical presentations of COVID-19, and instituting timely interventions. Individuals with BPSD and COVID-19 should also be monitored for long term biological and psychosocial effects of COVID-19. BPSD need to be managed during the pandemic using evidence-based structured psychosocial and biological interventions through innovative means such as virtual and individualized care, use of structured and algorithmic models of care, and appropriate use of psychosocial interventions across healthcare settings. Individuals with BPSD and their substitute decision makers should be invited to discuss and make decisions regarding goals of care and end of life care. Efforts should be made to address the psychological health of the frontline HCW and informal caregivers as they are paramount to success in caring for BPSD.The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/supplementary material; further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.AK: Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work and the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; final approval of the version to be published; and agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. EB: Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; and final approval of the version to be published. AR: Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; and final approval of the version to be published. TR: Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; and final approval of the version to be published. BP: Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; and final approval of the version to be published. BM: Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; interpretation of data for the work; revising it critically for important intellectual content; and final approval of the version to be published. SK: Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work and the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; final approval of the version to be published; and agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. All\u00a0authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.TR: research support from Brain Canada, Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, BrightFocus Foundation, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Canada Research Chair, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation, National Institutes of Health, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, and the Weston Brain Institute. He also received in-kind equipment support for an investigator-initiated study from Magstim, and in-kind research accounts from Scientific Brain Training Pro. BP: research support from the Peter & Shelagh Godsoe Endowed Chair in Late-Life Mental Health, CAMH Foundation and Discovery Fund, National Institute of Aging, Brain Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Alzheimer\u2019s Drug Discovery Foundation, the Ontario Brain Institute, the Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation, the Bright Focus Foundation, the Alzheimer\u2019s Society of Canada, the W. Garfield Weston Foundation, the Weston Brain Institute, the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging and Genome Canada. Honoraria from the American Geriatrics Society. He holds United States Provisional Patent No.62/466,651 for a cell-based assay and kits for assessing serum anticholinergic activity. BM: research financial support from Brain Canada, CAMH Foundation, Canadian Institutes for Health Research, and US National Institutes of Health; nonfinancial support from Pfizer , Eli Lilly , Capital Solution Design LLC , and HAPPYneuron . He directly owns shares of General Electric . SK: research support from Brain and Behavior Foundation, National institute on Ageing, BrightFocus Foundation, Brain Canada, Canadian Institute of Health Research, Centre for Ageing and Brain Health Innovation, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto. He also receives equipment support from Soterix Medical.The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest."} +{"text": "This study shows that Berlin and London are likely candidates for future world record attempts, whilst such a performance is unlikely in New York or Boston.The main goal of this study was to analyse the pacing strategies displayed by the winners of the six World Marathon Majors in order to determine which race offers the greatest potential for future world record attempts. For data analysis, the total distance of the marathon was divided into eight sections of 5 km and a final section of 2.195 km, and time needed to complete each section was calculated in seconds. When we analyzed the mean winning time in the last 13 editions of each of the World Marathon Majors, we observed differences between New York and London (ES = 1.46, moderate effect, The pacing strategy adopted during competition is crucial in determining marathon running performance succeeded in lowering the previous record by 1 min and 18 s. This performance has increased speculation regarding the possibility of a sub 2 h performance providing the winners of the official World Marathon Majors for men between 2006 and 2018, which resulted in a sum of 76 winners. Each set of information included at least: the position, category, official final time, half-marathon time, and time data every 5 km.The total distance of the marathon was divided into eight sections of 5 km and one section of 2.195 km, and time needed to complete each section was calculated in seconds. Full marathon average speed and the average speed of each section were calculated individually. The relative speed of each section for every runner was then calculated and presented as a percentage of the average speed for the full race.The athletes were divided into six groups: (A) group of marathon Berlin (winners between 2006 and 2018), (B) group of marathon Boston (winners between 2006 and 2018), (C) group of marathon Chicago (winners between 2006 and 2018), (D) group of marathon London (winners between 2006 and 2018), (E) group of marathon New York , (F) group of marathon Tokyo .The course information were retrieved through the official internet website for each city marathon, on marathon archive websites and from various media outlets.post-hoc comparisons. The magnitude of the differences or effect sizes (ES) were calculated according to Cohen's d was used to analyze the data. Each data set was screened for normality of distribution and homogeneity of variances using a Shapiro-Wilk normality test and a Levene test, respectively. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the mean winning time in the last 13 editions of each of the World Marathon Majors. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures for time was used to compare the pacing strategies between the winners of the six world marathons majors. When differences were found, a Tukey's range test was used for d Cohen, and inted Cohen, . SignifiWe acknowledge that such a statistical approach has been criticized as it may induce a greater risk of type I error Sainani, and may p = 0.0030), New York and Berlin , London and Boston , Boston and Berlin , Boston and Chicago , Berlin and Tokyo , Berlin and Chicago .Mean winning time in the last 13 editions of each of the World Marathon Majors are presented in p = 0.0001), London , Tokyo , Boston , and Chicago . On the other hand, London was faster than Chicago .When individual 5 km segments were analyzed, differences were found in running speed relative to the whole race average . In the p = 0.0133), London , Chicago , Boston , and Tokyo .In section 6, New York again differed from other races, as it was faster than Berlin and Boston , London was slower than New York , and Boston and New York was faster than Tokyo .In section 8, we found the following differences: Berlin was slower than New York , London , Boston , and Tokyo .In the final 2.2 km section, New York was faster than Berlin .All datasets generated for this study are included in the article/supplementary material.JD participated in the study design, collected all the data and participated in data analysis, statistical analysis, interpretation of the data, and manuscript editing. AR participated in the study design, participated in data analysis, statistical analysis, interpretation of the data, and manuscript editing. EF-O participated in the conception and design of the study and revised/reviewed the manuscript. MT designed and carried out these experiments, participated in data analysis, and statistical analysis. JS-C participated in the coordination of our study participated in data analysis, statistical analysis, interpretation of the data, and helped to polish the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed with the order of presentation of the authors.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest."} +{"text": "Dear Editor,The first case of the novel coronavirus was reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. The disease caused by the virus is called Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Since it is highly contagious and has widely spread throughout the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the pandemic state on 11 March 2020 . In addAfter the pandemic declaration, most of the countries implemented different types of mitigation strategies, such as self-isolation, social distancing, mass quarantine, and city lockdown. During these conditions, infected individuals as well as healthy ones have been exposed to short- and long-term psychological consequences. Death of a COVID-19 patient in quarantine conditions and burial by special equipment deprives the family members of their traditional grief and leads to complicated grief syndrome. Quarantine conditions also impose stress, anxiety, irritability, and sleep disorders on the general public . Due toDissemination of misinformation, misconceptions of people, and the use of negative words are the causes of the social stigma in patients with COVID-19. Individuals who have died, those who have recovered from the disease, and those who have been quarantined as well as their families are exposed to stigma and rejection by the society. The reluctance of friends and relatives to visit the home of a person with COVID-19 due to the fear of spreading the disease to visitors can exacerbate the feelings of isolation, loneliness, and complex emotions. Families and relatives of patients may also experience the feelings of guilt and self-blame due to isolation conditions and inability to care for the sufferers during the pandemic, which can eventually lead to disruption of their daily activities. The mentioned conditions necessitate exceptional psychosocial support for this group of individuals. The adverse psychological effects could be reduced through increasing the general awareness, educating the people about the characteristics of these patients, and having appropriate interaction and empathy among people.The following solutions can also be useful in reducing the adverse psychological effects: providing the possibility of transferring the deceased to the city of residence, selection of the burial place by the family, and creating an opportunity for the patient\u2019s relatives to see the body and face of the deceased person in a safe manner, using clear bags to transport the corpus of the dead one, letting a family member be present during the transfer by ambulance to the burial site, and sharing his or her latest pictures with family members , conducting telephone and internet-based consultations in the form of telemedicine for psychological screening, developing educational startups and applications in this regard, paying attention to and respecting the local and cultural customs of different societies, providing spiritual supports in hospitals and health centers, holding modified debriefing and hot wash sessions using social media for patients and healthy people in quarantine, providing mental preparedness and adequate explanations about the necessary safety measures for post-quarantine conditions, strengthening and respecting religious beliefs and supporting them, holding virtual funerals and ceremonies through the social media, supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable groups both economically and socially, providing an agreement to impose unavoidable restrictions on patients and their families, using relaxation and yoga techniques, and avoiding following the news.The following measures can be used to prevent the social stigma: increasing the general population\u2019s knowledge and awareness of the disease, respecting the personality and self-esteem of the infected patients, not using negative words by healthcare providers, people, and the community, producing scientific and educational contents by celebrities, bloggers, social media influencers, and religious leaders, strengthening the cohesion of social ties, sharing the experiences and narratives of COVID-19 patients with others, putting false information and beliefs aside, strengthening the society members\u2019 sense of social responsibility towards each other, and establishing public and multi-organizational information networks to deal with false news about the disease and patients. Given that there is no consistent and scientifically validated data on COVID-19, it is common to see the disease as a dangerous and frightening event, which can have adverse psychological effects on people. Challenging the feelings of guilt, processing painful emotions, encouraging grieving people to take care of themselves, and strengthening resilience and the ability to adapt with the consequences of bereavement through psychological support in the form of counseling, psychotherapy, and being in touch with other quarantined families in a safe manner can contribute to people's mental health. The large number of deaths and the need for patients and survivors to receive psychosocial support reflect the necessity of counseling services on a large scale. Hence, reduction of the long-term consequences for families and the society is recommended to be addressed by policymakers and health planners both globally and regionally.Ahmad Soltani and Mahmoudreza Peyravi equally contributed as first authors.The authors would like to thank Ms. A. Keivanshekouh at the Research Improvement Center of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences for improving the use of English in the manuscript.The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.Nil."} +{"text": "Synopsis of the Golden Chamber by Zhang Zhongjing. It is a disease of heart and lung internal heat by Yin deficiency, which belongs to the category of emotion disease in Chinese medicine. In recent years, researchers believe that lily disease and depression syndrome of Yin deficiency and internal heat have many similarities in etiology, pathogenesis, and clinical manifestations. This review summarizes the clinical symptoms, etiology, pathogenesis, and therapeutic medication of lily disease and modern Yin-deficient internal heat depression and discusses the relationship between them. Furthermore, the relationship between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and lily disease was discussed from the etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment. It provides new ideas for the treatment of COVID-19 and the treatment of psychological problems after recovery.Lily disease was first recorded in Major depression disorder (MDD) is a mood disorder characterized by sentimentality, despair, anhedonia, and sensitivity for social rejection . These sEmerging evidences from human postmortem and animal studies point out depressive disorders may instigate from human body system imbalance affected by genetic and environmental factors . HoweverAs a critical component of complementary and alternative medicine, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a multicomponent, multitarget, and multipathway therapy, which can achieve its unique therapeutic effect by adjusting the biological network of the human body system , 7. TCM Most of Yin deficiency and internal heat of depression is the deficiency syndrome, and its main clinical manifestations are anxiety, depression, tension, suspicion, irritated fever, night sweat and zygomatic red, palpitation and insomnia, red tongue with little moss, and thready and rapid pulse .Synopsis of the Golden Chamber by Zhang Zhongjing. It is a disease of heart and lung internal heat by Yin deficiency, which belongs to the category of emotion disease in Chinese medicine [Lily disease was first seen in medicine . In receBased on the TCM theory, many disease occurrences are related to personal physical and emotional injury . It willSynopsis of the Golden Chamber: Lily Disease, Huhuo and Yin Yang Toxin: Pulses, Syndromes and Treatment. The manifestations of \u201clily disease\u201d patients are marked by unclear consciousness, fluctuated appetite, frequent silence, restlessness, confused cold and heat body sensation, bitterness in the mouth and dark urine, red tongue body and less tongue coating, and weak and thready pulse. These characteristics are similar to the manifestations of depressive disorders [The \u201clily disease\u201d is initially reported in isorders . Based oisorders .Emerging evidences from the ancient Chinese medical text suggest that the etiology factor of lily disease is mainly internal and external injury . The intWith regard to pathogenesis, there are many TCM hypothesis mechanisms underlying internal and external factors inducing lily disease . The mosPlain questions said that \u201call eleven dirty depends on the gallbladder.\u201d Therefore, if the gallbladder has heat, all veins are affected by Yin deficiency. The gallbladder controls the decision, so the deficiency of gallbladder Qi showed the symptoms of trance. The third view is the theory of liver. Some scholars believe that the location of this disease is the liver and that the failure of sentiment leads to liver Qi stagnation, endogenous heat deficiency, and Yin injury [Golden Chamber described, TCM experts considered that its pathogenesis lies in the damage of coke due to irregular diet [The second view is the theory of gallbladder. For example, Liang et al. believe that \u201cbitterness in the mouth\u201d is a syndrome of Shaoyang gallbladder meridian disease . Plain qn injury . The foular diet .In summary, the cause of lily disease is the damage of viscera by external or internal injury, leading to Yin deficiency of viscera and disorder of Qi and blood; then, the veins will lose nourishment, and hence, it will lead to the symptoms of mental disorder. The Yin deficiency of viscera will lead to the virtual heat coming from the inside of the body, as well as bitterness in the mouth, red-colored urine, and other symptoms.According to the TCM theory, depression can be divided into positive syndromes and deficiency syndromes, including Qi stagnation, fire stagnation, phlegm stagnation, blood stagnation, heart and spirit loss nourish, deficiency of both heart and spleen, and hyperactivity of fire due to Yin deficiency. Most of the Yin deficiency internal heat depression is menopausal depression or depression in old age, and its etiology is plant nerve dysfunction and endocrine dysfunction .Contemporary scholars believe that depression belongs to the category of \u201cno disease\u201d in TCM. Most patients have no obvious organic lesions. The pathogenesis is the imbalance of Qi, blood, Yin, Yang, and the dysfunction of viscera, which makes the body in a state of excessive Yin and Yang or partial decline. Disorders of Qi and blood in the viscera will lead to abnormal mind, and changes in mind will also affect Qi and blood in the five viscera .TCM experts generally considered that depression is closely related to Qi and blood blockage and liver unreel distributing , 26. AllThe intrinsic mechanism of Yin deficiency and internal heat of depression is the imbalance of the kidney, lung, and spleen and other viscera. The clinical manifestation of Yin deficiency and internal heat of depression is a mixture of deficiency and excess syndromes . Vital QBased on the TCM theory, lily disease is a kind of emotional disease, which is closely related to emotional and psychological factors. Lily disease occurs because of the disorder of seven emotions, which will hurt viscera and lead to the imbalance of Qi, blood, Yin, and Yang. In addition, it may be the sequela of exogenous fever or other diseases . With reFrom the pathogenesis, the basic pathogenesis of lily disease is internal heat due to Yin deficiency, and its pathogenesis is the result of the interaction of various pathogenic factors . From thRehmannia root is naturally sweet with bitter flavor, and mostly shows its curative effects in the kidney, liver, and heart. It has effect on promoting body fluid production, nourishing Yin, and controlling heat [Zhang Zhongjing believed that the treatment of emotional diseases should first improve the physical symptoms combined with Chinese herb treatment based on syndrome differentiation . The maiing heat . When twAnemarrhena) is bitter and sweet in properties, and it is also associated to the lung, stomach, and kidney meridian. It has the effect of clearing away heat, eliminating annoyance, draining the lungs, and nourishing the kidneys. Because \u201cblood and sweat are homologous\u201d and \u201csweat and fluid are homologous,\u201d excessive sweating will lead to more deficiency of body fluid, Qi and blood, and obvious symptoms of dry thirst [Lily Zhimu Decoction (BZD) was another traditional Chinese formula for treatment of lily disease . Zhimu was used to treat lily disease mistreated with purgative. Talc tastes sweet and is cold in nature. It was used to treat vexation, hot, and thirsty. Hematite tastes bitter and is flat in nature, into Stomach Channel of Foot-Yang Ming. It can reduce stomach gas to stop hiccups, relieve cough, and clear heat and have the characteristic of inducing astringency without hurting vital energy. After the wrong purgation, stomach Qi and body fluid were injured, and internal heat increased. Because the main disease has not changed, lily is still the monarch medicine. Talc is used as minister medicine to diuretic and purgation heat, and hematite is used as adjuvant drug to induce astringency and astringing Yin .Lily disease mistreated with the vomiting method should be treated with Lily Yolk Decoction (LYD) underlying syndrome differentiation . Yolk taLily disease patients with lasting for one month without alleviation can use lily to wash the body. If thirst is severe, it should be treated with Gualou oyster powder (GOP) . TrichosTCM believes that the pathogenesis of depression is related to the deficiency of Qi and Yin in several viscera. Therefore, the main principles for treating Yin deficiency and internal heat of depression are nourishing Yin to clear heat in five viscera . Howeverthe Canon of Internal Medicine, people's spiritual consciousness and thinking activities are coordinated by the five viscera. The heart is the master of all the viscera recorded in Lingjiu. It means that the heart has a controlling effect on the five viscera, and the malfunction of the heart can also lead to the malfunction of other viscera. The treatment of Yin deficiency and internal heat of depression from the heart mainly adopts the method of replenishing Qi and nourishing the heart. Major Heart Supplementing Decoction was clinically used to treat heart Qi deficiency-type depression [Inula japonica acts on Qi, and the two drugs used mutual promotion can benefit heart Qi and enhance heart function. Bamboo leaves can clear the mind and purge fire to remove irritation. Pulp of Cornus can ease the emergency of the heart and prevent dredge too much, leading to the consumption of Qi. Ginseng and dried ginger can benefit heart Qi to enhance heart function. This prescription has the effect of supplementing heart Qi. It is an effective prescription for treating depression due to heart Qi deficiency.Heart Qi deficiency can lead to poor blood flow and blockage of heart vessel. According to pression . Cortex Rehmannia can nourish the heart and Yin, as well as cool blood to clear heat, and the two drugs can nourish the heart and lung and clear heat to calm nerves when they are used together.Yin deficiency and hot of the lung can lead to the failure of the lung to disperse and descend. The treatment of Yin deficiency and internal heat of depression from the lung is mainly based on the method of invigorating Qi and nourishing Yin. Zhang et al. considered that LBRD has a good therapeutic effect in clinical practice . In thisAngelica sinensis, Astragalus, and Arillus Longan have the effect of invigorating Qi, activating blood, and calming spirits. Lanceolata can nourish Qi and enhance the function of the spleen and lungs. Atractylodes, Poria cocos, and spine date seed have the function of calming the mind and eliminating dampness to strengthening the spleen. This prescription has the function of strengthening the spleen and blood to calm the spirit, and it is an effective prescription for the treatment of depression due to spleen deficiency.Lack of body fluid in the spleen makes it become hot and dry and leads to Yin deficiency, which will cause the maladjustment of transport and transformation of the spleen. The spleen is the most negative viscera in the human body. And spleen Yin deficiency will affect the lung, liver, and kidney functions and result in the dry heat performance of the body . TherefoAstragalus is commonly used in clinical practice to replenish liver Qi. For example, Wang et al. [Astragalus can replenish Qi. Salvia can activate and nourish blood. Pinellia ternata tastes spicy and can resuscitate and dissipate the lump, and it is an adjuvant drug to inhibit the disadvantage of a large amount of Astragalus. The combination of these three drugs can invigorate Qi and activate blood circulation and has the advantage of supplementing without stagnation.Liver Qi stagnation will make the liver hot and then damage the liver Yin. If the dredge function of the liver is abnormal, the operation of Qi in the viscera and meridians will be obstructed, which will lead to the damage of liver Yin and the appearance of internal heat. The treatment of Yin deficiency and internal heat of depression from the liver is mainly based on the methods of invigorating liver Qi and nourishing Yin of the liver. Common formulations include Ease Powder, Bupleurum Decoction, and so on . In addig et al. treat deSchisandra chinensis has many functions, including tonifying the lung to collect Qi, nourishing the heart to remove annoyance and tranquility, strengthening the spleen and consolidating the base, regulating the rise and fall, softening the liver to relieve depression, and invigorating Qi to stabilize kidney essence [The kidney essence exhausted will make the kidney dry and hot and lead to the injury of kidney Yin. The kidney is the origin of congenital constitution and holds essence, and the essence of the kidney is the material basis of kidney Yin. It shows that the reason of kidney Yin deficiency is the insufficieny of kidney essence. The treatment of Yin deficiency and internal heat depression from the kidney is mainly based on the method of reinforcing the kidney . Epicedi essence . These tCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has the characteristics of fast transmission, wide transmission, strong infection, general population susceptibility, and no specific therapeutic agents . It is aTCM experts believe that COVID-19 was classified as \u201cepidemic disease,\u201d with the lung and spleen as the main disease sites , 49. Qi,The pathogenesis of COVID-19 varies from mild to severe, from surface to entrant, and from solid to deficiency , 52. TheA recent study indicates that exogenous febrile disease and pulmonary diseases are related to the occurrence of lily disease . From thGlycyrrhiza, Pogostemon cablin, bitter almond, honeysuckle, Poria cocos, weeping forsythia, tangerine peel, and Coix seed [TCM has been widely recognized and widely applied in the treatment of COVID-19 during the epidemic. COVID-19 prevention and treatment program and clinical prescription data in various regions of China suggested that the common high-frequency drugs of the prevention and treatment plan and clinical medical records included oix seed . Currentoix seed , fragranWe believe that the treatment prescription of lily disease can be considered as a supplementary treatment for pneumonia in the middle and later stages, to clearing away heat and nourishing Yin, strengthening spleen and benefiting vital Qi, and regulating the function of viscera, Qi, and blood, which is beneficial for novel coronavirus pneumonia rehabilitation.COVID-19 patient medical therapy should be paid not only to the treatment of pneumonia itself but also to the psychological state of patients. The patients' mood changes will affect the treatment and prognosis of the disease. So, it is necessary to carry out psychological intervention and drug therapy for emotional diseases. In addition, COVID-19 patients will still have different psychological problems after recovery and discharge from hospital, and follow-up and psychological intervention after discharge is still an urgent task.We systematically summarize the research status of lily disease and Yin deficiency and internal heat of depression and came to the conclusion that the cause of lily disease is the damage of viscera by external or internal injury, which will lead to Yin deficiency of viscera, and the disorder of Qi and blood; then, the veins will lose nourishment, and hence, it will lead to the symptoms of mental disorder. The Yin deficiency of viscera will lead to the virtual heat coming from the inside of the body, as well as bitterness in the mouth, red-colored urine, and other symptoms.From the clinical symptoms, lily disease showed trance, sleep, anxiety, insomnia, and other symptoms similar to the clinical diagnostic standard of modern depression. And bitterness in the mouth, red-colored urine, and rapid and thready pulse are the typical symptoms of internal heat due to Yin deficiency. Therefore, we can infer that internal heat depression due to Yin deficiency is a major syndrome of lily disease from etiology and pathogenesis.For COVID-19 patients, lung damage can cause spread and decline malfunction, and deficiency of Qi and Yin in the lungs will make it hot and dry. If the residual heat in the late period of febrile disease has not been solved, it will consume Yin-Jin and result in lily disease. Therefore, the treatment of lily disease can also be referenced when treating COVID-19 patients."} +{"text": "The study provides insights into the aspects of creativity, the structure of psychometric intelligence, and personal adaptation resources of senior preschool children. Creativity and intelligence are presented as general adaptation resources. Existing studies of creative ability and creativity as integral individual characteristics in the context of adaptation are analyzed. The aim is to identify varied sets of creativity and personal adaptation resource markers that differentiate groups of children in order to determine possible strategies for adaptation, preservation, and development of their creative abilities at the beginning of lyceum schooling. It embraces the use of the E. Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) , the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), and the G. Rorschach Test. A sample of the study consisted of 122 children, aged 6\u20137 and enrolled in a school. The average IQ score among the children was above 115 . The entire sample was divided into four groups by the originality-elaboration ratio according to the TTCT. The correctness of the children\u2019s division into the groups according to the markers of creativity and personal adaptation resources is confirmed by the discriminant analysis. We have identified the factor structure of creativity, intelligence, and personal adaptation resources in the entire sample of children and in each of the groups. In the group of preschoolers with high originality and elaboration, the resulting structure integrated the components of creativity with personal adaptation resources and intelligence scores. In the group of children with a low level of originality and elaboration, the markers of creativity, intelligence, and personal adaptation resources are not interlinked. The growing frequency and cultural diversity of contemporary creativity studies are connected with the increase in their importance for social progress ,2. TodayThis paper focuses on the personal adaptation resources of children with high intelligence scores and various markers of creativity prior to their enrollment in a lyceum school.The period of schooling is decisive in terms of building creative abilities and adaptation resources in individuals. Schooling nurtures socio-cultural standards of activity and communication. Thus, a conflict is possible between a creative potential and initiative and the need to comply with standards . The speAdaptability in this study is understood as a structural feature of the target future action of subjects and includes personal components that determine its development: Impulse and reflection of forces, desire and anticipation, aspirations and self-confidence, perseverance and performance, forecast of one\u2019s own capabilities and the capabilities of the environment, and situation .Aim: To identify varied sets of creativity and personal adaptation resource markers that differentiate groups of children in order to determine possible strategies for adaptation, preservation, and development of their creative abilities at the beginning of lyceum schooling.To study \u201ccreativity in the context of adaptation\u201d, it is imperative to identify the differentiating grounds according to creativity metrics, identify options for combining them with the adaptation resources of preschoolers, and choose activities with a high level of uncertainty so that a child can independently demonstrate various forms of creativity and adaptability.The adaptation processes are explored in the context of intelligence and its development in ontogenesis ,10. HencThe ratio of intelligence and adaptation is complex and variable due to diverse markers of personal adaptation to the world. The adaptation markers include study progress and professional achievements\u2014\u201csubject-symbolic adaptation\u201d, adaptation to the social environment\u2014\u201csocial adaptation\u201d, and coping behavior as harmonization of the inner world\u2014\u201cpersonal adaptation\u201d . It is rFor the study of \u201ccreativity in the context of adaptation\u201d, the findings of researching the creativity-intelligence ratio as an adaptation resource are crucial. Some studies identify the creativity-intelligence ratio ,14; otheJ.-H. Guignard et al. found that high verbal ability children showed significantly higher scores on verbal creative potential . The comE. Torrance\u2019s studies revealed that the creativity-intelligence interrelationship does not exist in all samples of subjects. According to the intellectual threshold theory, when IQ is below 115\u2013120, intelligence and creativity form a single factor, with IQ above 120 they are independent factors . B. Shi\u2019Let us review the concepts and approaches to insights into creativity, which identify its key features, which are significant for the differentiation of subject groups.The core approach to the study of the structure of creative abilities is the psychometric approach developed by J. Guilford and E. Torrance ,18,20,21Creativity is measured using the widely popular E. Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT). Ample studies have confirmed the good psychometrics of the test\u2014high validity and reliability ,18,25. TAccording to E. Torrance, the key criteria differentiating subjects by creativity are scores of originality as the ability to create new things and elaboration as the ability to detail and deepen initial ideas, which increases their complexity and improves presentation. It has been revealed that children with a high level of originality excel in curiosity and independence, and are prone to take risks, while children with a high level of elaboration are distinguished by the desire to have the upper hand and are emotionally insensitive . The studies of the factor structure of creativity by the TTCT revealed sets of variables featuring the innovation and adaptation potentials of subjects, the relationship of creativity with such personal qualities as openness to new things, curiosity, tolerance for uncertainty, and risk acceptance ,29.In addition, studies revealed two-factor structure of variables in the context of the Adaption-Innovation Theory ,31.To summarize, aforementioned analysis allows us to differentiate our samples by two variables: originality and elaboration. Those two variables, representing both the potential to create new and adaptational potential, are abilities that are required to bring something new into being.Another approach to the study of creativity is integrative: creativity is cited as a systemic feature, including intelligence, knowledge, mindset, individual traits, motivation, and environment . M. CsikIn the studies of creativity as systemic quality, personal components were identified\u2014intrinsic motivation , intelleIn different age samples, the personal properties that manifest themselves in a situation of uncertainty (according to the G. Rorschach Test) were investigated; properties aimed at changing and creativity, and properties aimed at stabilizing and maintaining standards. The first group of properties includes intellectual initiative, flexibility, composite thinking, originality, and perception, while second one includes intellectual control, emotional reactivity, anxiety, and realistic perception ,39.Based on the theoretical analysis, creativity markers were chosen as grounds for differentiating groups of children\u2014originality and elaboration taking into account intelligence scores (according to E. Torrance). For the study of children\u2019s personal adaptation resources, opposite personality traits were selected, including types of experiences (the ratio of introversion and extratension), emotional reactivity, intellectual initiative and intellectual control, composite thinking, realistic perception, and originality, providing both the creativity and adaptability in situations of uncertainty (according to G. Rorschach).Hypothesis: Children with high intelligence scores who have different levels of manifested creative abilities\u2014originality and elaboration\u2014feature specific sets of personal adaptation resources.The empirical study consisted of the psychological diagnostic of children using three methodics: The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), the E. Torrance Test of Creative Thinking, and the G. Rorschach Test.For the study of creativity, intelligence, and personal adaptation resources, discriminant and factor analysis of captured psychological screening results were applied. The analysis as a whole covered the entire sample and groups of children with different creativity scores . All calculations were performed using the IBM SPSS Statistics package.All subjects gave their informed consent for inclusion before they participated in the study. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and the protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the Higher Biomedical School South Ural State University of 307/20 of 5 December 2019.The study involved 122 children aged 6\u20137, 65 boys and 57 girls, enrolled in a school in Chelyabinsk. The sample consisted of children who belonged to the same ethnic group\u2014Russians who live in Chelyabinsk city. Later, all these children were accepted in different classes of the same school.The IQ average scores among the children was above 115 . The sample was divided into four groups by originality and elaboration ratio . The first group was 25 children with above average originality and elaboration scores. The second group was 22 children with above average originality and below average elaboration. The third group was 25 children with below average originality and above average elaboration. The fourth group was 50 children with below average originality and elaboration.For the psychological assessment of creativity and its key markers, we have used the TTCT; the figural version adapted by E.E. Tunik ,23. The For the psychological screening of intellectual levels, we used the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) with five verbal subtests and five non-verbal subtests . In this study, we used the markers of verbal (VIQ) and non-verbal (PIQ) intelligence and a general IQ score.Average results of intelligence, creativity, and adaptive personal resources in groups are shown in For the psychological screening of creative and adaptive resources, the G. Rorschach Test was applied ,41,42. TThe validity of the Rorschach Test results and their combinations were confirmed in multiple scientific studies ,43,44,45The differentiation of children according to the originality-elaboration ratio was tested using discriminant analysis. The captured findings of assessing the correctness of classification and assignment of subjects into groups, the analysis of the contributions of creativity, and personal adaptation resources to the core discriminant function are shown in The greatest contribution to the core discriminant function, which is a linear equation for classifying children with different creativity scores, is made by the variables: Originality, elaboration, and overall creativity (the TTCT), and compositional thinking (the G. Rorschach Test).The structure of children\u2019s creativity, intelligence, and personal adaptation resources was assessed on the basis of the factor analysis of captured psychological screening findings .The factor structure of creativity, intelligence, and personal resources throughout the sample forms five factors (77.62% of explainable variance), in which variables of methods are not included in common factors, while personal resources are represented by two factors (with 18.8% and 16.9% variance). Creativity is represented by two factors (with 17.4% and 11.2% variance) and intelligence by one factor (13.3% variance) in general; in a sample of children with IQ scores above the norm, the factor structure of creativity, intelligence, and personal resources is represented by orthogonal factors, which indicates the unrelated nature of these phenomena.In Group 2, children with above average originality and below average elaboration, the first set of variables is a bipolar factor formed by several features of personal resources and IQ at one pole and originality according to the TTCT at the other pole. The second set of variables includes only the markers of personal adaptation resources\u2014indicators of intellectual control, \u201crealistic\u201d perception, and psychophysical activity. The third set of variables embraces such features of creativity as fluency and flexibility, as well as indicators of intelligence: total IQ and verbal intelligence (VIQ). The fifth set of variables includes flexibility, total IQ, and non-verbal intelligence (PIQ). The fourth set of variables is represented by overall creativity and elaboration and personal resources; intellectual initiative and compositional thinking . Thus, cIn Group 3, children below average originality and above average elaboration, the first set of variables is a bipolar factor formed by several features of personal resources. At one pole of the factor, there are the amounts of experience, emotional reactivity, compositional thinking, and originality of perception, and at the other pole\u2014standard, realistic perception. The second set of variables also represents the bipolar factor: One pole includes features of creativity\u2014overall creativity, flexibility, and originality, and the other pole embraces the indicators of personal adaptation resources\u2014intellectual initiative, psychophysical activity, and realistic perception. The third set of variables covers all IQs: Total IQ score, VIQ, and PIQ, and fluency as a metric of creativity. The fourth set of variables includes overall creativity and elaboration as well as intellectual control and originality of perception . Thus, fIn Group 4, children demonstrating below average originality and elaboration, the markers of creativity, intelligence, and personal adaptation resources are independent and form four orthogonal factors. The first set of variables is formed only by the metrics of personal resources . The second set of variables is formed only by creativity markers. The third set of variables includes the markers of intelligence and its components. Only the fourth set of variables embraces two features of creativity; the overall creativity and elaboration, and the indicator of personal adaptation resources\u2014intellectual control. Thus, as in the whole sample of children with below average originality and elaboration, the markers of creativity, intelligence, and personal adaptation resources are independent.Children with high levels of intellectual abilities differentiated by key characteristics of creativity\u2014originality and elaboration\u2014differ, in general, by characteristics of creativity and personal adaptation resources . The maximum contribution to the proposed classification is made by the indicators of originality, elaboration, overall creativity, and compositional thinking in a situation of uncertainty.In general, in a sample of children with a high level of intellectual abilities, the factor structure of the characteristics of creativity, intelligence, and personal resources is represented by orthogonal factors, showing the unrelated nature of these phenomena. This helps to confirm the \u201cthreshold theory\u201d regarding intelligence proposed by E. Torrance. However, in the group of children with high levels of originality and elaboration, and in the group of children with high level of originality, sets of variables were captured, including both characteristics of intelligence and creativity.The factor structure of creativity, intelligence, and personal adaptation resources in each of the four groups of children demonstrating various levels of originality and elaboration has been determined. In the group of preschoolers with a high level of intellectual abilities, originality, and elaboration, the resulting structure is as integrated as possible; creativity is simultaneously linked to personal adaptation resources, and to overall intelligence and its components . Creativity, intelligence, and adaptation resources in the group of children with a high level of intellectual abilities and low levels of originality and elaboration are not connected at all. The most problematic from the point of view of personal adaptation resources are two groups of children. This is the group of children with a high level of intellectual abilities and a high level of originality characterized by interrelations of creativity and intelligence, as well as creativity and those personal resources that support both intellectual activity and creativity\u2014intellectual initiative and complexity of interpretations. It is this complexity of properties that is decisive in the effective strategy of school adaptation, aimed at supporting \u201cinnovative creativity\u201d ,47. AnotIn general, the study revealed the possible foundations for a differentiated approach to the adaptation of children with high intellectual and creative abilities prior to the start of schooling.The first limitation is the sample that is shifted by intelligence scores: The mean IQ is 133.7. The second limitation of the sample is that the children included in this study were preparing for the enrolment in a lyceum school with high levels of development. The third limitation is the use of the TTCT to screen the characteristics of creativity. The research findings could be improved through the simultaneous combination of several metrics of creativity and real creative achievements."} +{"text": "Medicina. Particular attention was paid to nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic, cardiotoxic, immunotoxic, neurotoxic, and behavioral effects of pyrethroids on human and animal bodies. It could be added that pyrethroids generate oxidative stress, which modifies DNA, RNA, protein, lipid and carbohydrate molecules. However, public awareness of the possible negative effects of the use of insecticides is still low. Further research should be carried out to clarify the molecular basis of the pathomechanism of pyrethroid detrimental action. Proper dissemination of the results seems to be of first importance for public health.Pyrethroids are pesticides commonly used in crop protection; in the forestry, wood, and textile industries; as well as in medicine and veterinary medicine to treat parasitic crustacean infestations. They have been found to be relatively safe for humans and animals. Pyrethroids are recommended for personal protection against malaria and virus Zika by the World Health Organization. Pyrethroids act on voltage-gated sodium channels, which cause an influx of sodium ions into the nerve cells and permanent depolarization. They also influence activities of enzymes, especially in nerve and liver cells. Contact of pyrethroids with the skin, digestive tract, and respiratory tract results in their penetration into the body. Due to the importance of the subject, a summary of the current state of knowledge on the toxic effects of pyrethroids was presented in the comprehensive review by Chrustek et al, published in journal The interest in protecting humans and animals against insects and diseases transmitted by insects, as well as crops against pests, has been around for nearly 200 years. Undoubtedly, due to the growing population of people, farm animals, and growing agricultural areas, the use of pesticides is constantly increasing ,2,3,4. ATanacetum cinerariaefolium (former name Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium) [Historically, pyrethroids are a group of compounds of natural origin isolated from the flowers of the plant efolium) ,3,4,5. Nefolium) (WHO perefolium) (WHO delefolium) (WHO cypefolium) .Pyrethroids act on voltage-gated sodium channels ,4. BindiPyrethroids are lipid soluble, so any contact with the skin, digestive tract, and respiratory tract results in their penetration into the body ,18,19,20Children and pregnant women are at risk of faster pyrethroid penetration into the body ,22,23,24Pyrethroids were divided into two groups, depending on the type of intoxication symptoms that appeared in a vertebral organism after their administration . Type I Particularly noteworthy is the fact that it has been proven that the level of pyrethroids in the body, as well as the severity of symptoms of poisoning, depends on the type of diet ,2,3. HigStudies concerning the negative effects of pyrethroids on humans and animals have been conducted for years. The review \u201cCurrent Research on the Safety of Pyrethroids Used as Insecticides\u201d published in Medicina Lithuania in 2018 , cardiotCurrent knowledge about the site of action of pyrethroids, toxic doses, and induced tissue and organ effects were presented . What deThe article did not Nevertheless, public awareness of the possible negative effects of the use of insecticides is still low and further research should be carried out to clarify the molecular basis of the pathomechanisms of the pyrethroid detrimental action. The results of these studies should be widely disseminated. The review presents"} +{"text": "Ethanol precipitation is a purification process widely used in the purification of Chinese medicine concentrates. This article reviews the research progress on the process mechanism of ethanol precipitation, ethanol precipitation process application for bioactive component purification, ethanol precipitation and traditional Chinese medicine quality, ethanol precipitation equipment, critical parameters, parameter research methods, process modeling and calculation methods, and process monitoring technology. This review proposes that ethanol precipitation technology should be further developed in terms of five aspects, namely, an in-depth study of the mechanism, further study of the effects on traditional Chinese medicine quality, improvement of the quality control of concentrates, development of new process detection methods, and development of a complete intelligent set of equipment. In the 1950s, a batch of modern dosage forms of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) appeared in the climax of national dosage form reform, such as tablets, capsules, injections, granules, and mixtures. To meet the higher refining requirements of these dosage forms for the TCM systems, water extraction and ethanol precipitation (EP) technologies have been widely used in the production of TCM. The ethanol precipitation process (EPP) has many advantages, such as simple operation, easy amplification, and solvent safety. The EPP can effectively remove highly polar molecules such as sugars, salts, and proteins, and it is beneficial to reduce the dosage . In the EP is often the first refining process or even the only refining process after the extraction of TCMs. The quality of the EPP has a significant impact on the difficulty of follow-up preparations and the quality of the final drug. In recent years, with the continuous improvement of Chinese medicine standards, the EPP has attracted much attention from academic and industrial circles. This article mainly reviews the research progress on the process mechanism of EPP, EPP application for bioactive component purification, EP and TCM quality, EP equipment, critical parameters, parameter research methods, process modeling and calculation methods, and process monitoring technology and proposes future development directions.d-glucose, d-fructose, sucrose, maltose, raffinose, trehalose, and cyclodextrin has been reported . Th. Th58]. Table\u00a0The frequency of each critical factor in Table\u00a0According to the researches shown in Table\u00a0Many studies have considered the density, water content, and solid content of the concentrate. However, the differences between different batches of concentrate are mainly reflected in the content of each component in the total solid and other physical and chemical properties except density. There are few studies on these factors. Zhang et al. screenedThere are many process parameters or concentrate properties that may affect EP results. However, the parameters of EPP are usually limited in narrow ranges in industry. Therefore, the quality control of concentrates is very important to keep batch-to-batch consistency of supernatants. By improving the quality control of decoction pieces and upstream processes of EPP, the quality of concentrate can be controlled within a proper range to promote the quality of the EPP.\u03d5) of ethanol in the supernatant solvent is defined in Eq.\u00a0, which is defined in Eq.\u00a0 ofentclass1pt{minimapKa value, the solubility of the organic acid salt (SA), the pH of the supernatant, the total concentration (CA) of the organic acid and organic acid salts in the supernatant is shown in Eq.\u00a0 . The parYan et al. established a mathematical model between the contents of active components in concentrates, the process parameters, and the properties of supernatant by adopting a feedforward control strategy. Then, according to the contents of active components in the concentrate, the parameters of the EPP of Danhong injection were adjusted. This method can improve the consistency of the active component contents in the supernatant . The autOperating process parameters with design space, varying process parameters according to the change of concentrate quality, or adjusting controllable parameters to lower the effects of noise parameters can all improve the batch-to-batch consistency of supernatant quality after EPP.In the production of TCM, an ethanol meter is widely used to detect the apparent ethanol content of the supernatants on the spot. This method is simple and practical, but only the density information of the liquid can be obtained.2, squared prediction error, and principal component score) is set up, and the process trajectory diagram is drawn. The multivariate statistical process control model can monitor the EPP in real-time and sensitively judge the normal operation state of the process. The establishment of a multivariate statistical process control model is helpful further to implement the feedback control of the EPP.The monitoring technology and indicators of EPP in the literature are listed in Table\u00a0In general, spectrum of EP system is rich in information. The process monitoring method based on spectrum can not only judge the process state, but also quantify the concentrations of specific components in combination with chemometrics.Based on the extensive review, great progress has been made in the study of process parameters, optimization methods, and process monitoring methods of EP of TCM. Problems still exist in industrial EP, including the loss of active components, the long time necessary for refrigeration, the quality difference between batches of EP supernatants, etc. In the future, EP technology research can be carried out from the following directions:The difference in concentrates between batches is mainly reflected in the fluctuation of the content of the components. At present, there have been reports about the influence of ethanol content in the supernatant on the solubility of Chinese herbal medicinal components. Nevertheless, there is no study on the influence of the content of Chinese herbal medicinal components on the solubility of other components. Therefore, it is not yet possible to describe the effect of the composition change of concentrate on the effect of EP. It is also difficult to accurately predict the material transfer and drug delivery rule of EPP.EPP is widely used in TCM industry from the last century. However, the quantitative effects of EPP on TCM quality are still unclear. The relationship between TCM substances and its quality is generally nonlinear. Therefore, some newly developed artificial intelligence technology can probably be used for the investigation of EPP and TCM quality. For example, as a typical algorithm of deep learning, convolutional neural network (CNN) can be a useful tool to deal with nonlinear quantitative problems , 154.At present, the concentrate quality in the industry is mostly controlled by density or volume. However, less attention has been paid to the chemical composition of the concentrate. It is recommended that the concentrate be used as one of the critical intermediates, and the quality standard of its composition should be set. Yan et al. used the quantitative model of process parameters, raw material properties, and EP evaluation index to back-calculate the quality standard of a concentrate . This woNIR combined with multivariate statistical analysis is used to detect indicators/major components or to detect process trajectories. NIR has many advantages, but the equipment cost is high, and the renewal and maintenance of the multivariate statistical model require professionals. In addition, there is still no means to detect the amount of encapsulation loss. Therefore, it is still necessary to develop simpler and easier-to-use detection technology.At present, the structure of EP equipment is simple, and process control relies heavily on manual work. The energy and material consumption are still high. Therefore, a complete set of intelligent EP equipment should be developed based on multidisciplinary technology. This equipment should be able to improve the efficiency of heat and mass transfer, quickly collect and analyze process data, and realize the automatic control of EPP."} +{"text": "Due to the high pathogenicity and mortality, the COVID-19 disaster caused global panic and anxiety. At present, diagnosis and treatment are of great concern. As time progresses, however, the sequelae caused by many other organ system complications and treatments will become increasingly obvious, and psychosomatic symptoms are one of these changes with great potential impact. Studies have shown that symptoms like poor sleep quality, anxiety and even delirium are not uncommon in patients during isolation. By summarizing the follow-up study on mental and psychological health of SARS in the past 10 years, and combining the characteristics of the existing cases of COVID-19, we will provide suggestions for the prevention and treatment of psychological diseases in clinical practice. Nearly 8\u2009months have passed since the first confirmed case of Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) was found in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, and now the world is threatened by this highly infectious and devastating viral pneumonia. As of 26th August 2020, around 23,965,059 people in the world have been infected with the virus, and this number is still surging every day in Europe and America, the case fatality rate even exceeded 5%. In China, the earliest outbreak point, although the infection has been basically controlled, a large number of discharged patients are facing the burden brought by the complications of various organ systems and the mental pressure from the change of social roles and environment. As for the 187 countries where the outbreak is still raging, effective mental health interventions are needed to respond to the treatment pain of a large number of isolated patients, the depression of severe patients and the psychological pressure of medical staff under overload work.In view of the strong homology between the COVID-19 genome sequence and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) , and menCurrently, we know little about the long-term impact of mental health of COVID-19 patients, so the importance of detection and treatment of comorbidity is self-evident, and mental health services can play an important role in rehabilitation. By summarizing the potential impact of major emergent events on mental health and behavioral symptoms such as anxiety, stress, fear, violence, progressive neurological dysfunction and cognitive impairment of survivors, and combining previous research and data characteristics of mental disorders caused by infectious diseases such as SARS, this paper concluded the mental and psychological symptoms that may appear on a large scale in the prognosis of patients with COVID-19 a highly dangerous disease spreading globally today, the risk factors and possible effective intervention programs. Then, it can further provide a comprehensive reference for the researchers in the field of global mental health and front-line workers, such as improving the medication plan in the treatment period, conducting certain psychological counseling as early as possible, and focusing on high-risk groups in the follow-up period of prognosis, moreover, regularly carrying out psychological assessment and psychological intervention treatment and giving certain drugs to control the further development of mental and psychological problems and the progressive damage of other organs for patients with severe emotional stress.Excluding acute lung, heart, kidney and other organic damage, psychological damage may have a wide and long-term impact. The outbreak of SARS in 2003 can be regarded as a mental health disaster. PTSD is the most common chronic psychosis, followed by depression. The problem of mental illness after the epidemic is extremely serious, and its influence covers all fields and is closely related to everyone. In one follow-up study of 195 adult SARS patients, 10 to 18% reported PTSD 1 month after discharge, and the severity of symptoms was related to higher perceived life threat and lower emotional support . AnotherSARS survivors also showed worrisome depression, anxiety and post-traumatic symptoms, with an alarming proportion (64%) of those who had reached the diagnostic criteria for psychosis . More stNotably, the mental health of survivors in terms of stress, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic symptoms did not improve over time, but gradually deteriorated . The stuIt is reported that neuroendocrine, neural structure and neuroimmune disorders play an important role in depression and PTSD. On the one hand, coronavirus can guide the immune damage mechanism in the body and induce a large number of inflammatory reactions. In the blood and Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with coronavirus pneumonia, Interleukin-6(IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), Interleukin-1(IL-1), Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) and other proinflammatory factors are all increased to varying degrees , among wSecondly, in PSTD, the increase of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) induced by traumatic stress may play an important role in the process of enhancing activated macrophage releasing facto , and theThe long-term prognosis of COVID-19 patients with mental disorders after rehabilitation is similar to that of SARS and other major epidemics , and itsIn previous retrospective studies, the occurrence of psychosocial diseases is often strongly associated with specific population or special environmental factors. For example, although the stress level of medical staff among SARS survivors during the outbreak was similar to that of non-medical staff, a year later, the pressure level of medical staff was significantly higher, with higher levels of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic symptoms and scores. After controlling factors such as age, gender and education, health care workers are six times more likely to score above the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) threshold due to the dual pressure of being patients and medical staff , so the The infection of virus is not only the battle of patients and medical staff, but also the battle of the whole country and people, as it is closely related to everyone and no one can stay out of the business. Studies have showed that the residents in the areas with high prevalence of SARS, regardless of age, continued to develop more serious post-traumatic interference than those in the areas with low prevalence of SARS. In addition, the prevalence of PTSD was significantly higher in the elderly and residents in SARS epidemic areas . The mosWe found that the high-risk factors for the prognosis of patients with COVID-19 are not only related to the specific population, but also highly related to the treatment drugs in the acute phase. For example, the use of a large number of interferon in the treatment of coronavirus will lead to emotional depression, anxiety, short-term memory disorders of sleep disorders through the impact on endocrine and changes in neurotransmitter and immune system changes ; meanwhiFrom the current situation of transmission, we are concerned about the mental state of people around the world. With regard to SARS, whose outbreak was brought under control in a few months mainly due to the two characteristics of SARS coronavirus: First, coronavirus is a large virus and is not easy to mutate; second, the infected people show obvious symptoms when they are likely to spread the disease, so they can be identified and isolated in time . HoweverPsychological intervention is very necessary for patients, health care workers and the general public. We should pay attention to the high-risk groups prone to disease, and at the same time eliminate the stimulation factors that induce PTSD and depression as much as possible, and timely and early intervention is beneficial to reduce the incidence of PTSD . We shouIt should be noted that stigmatization of disease may have a longer-term impact than disease itself. Two thousand three SARS virus, HIV and Spanish influenza, which was mistakenly associated with Spanish people, all of them have caused huge psychological and economic losses to specific groups and regions. The stigmatization of diseases, especially of certain ethnic groups, can lead to adverse social emotions and promote racism. In 2006, don C. des jarlais PhD proposed a positive and effective strategy for the United States to remove the stigma of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and protect people suffering from AIDS, such as the President of the United States posing with AIDS patients, and the promulgation of the Americans with Disabilities Act . It is tGenerally speaking, it is of great significance to carry out active and effective mental health education for the whole people, popularize relevant mental education assistance work as soon as possible, and provide timely psychological support with self-coping strategies to enhance their resilience and reduce their fear, anxiety and pressure. At the same time, it is more important to ensure the psychological status of specific occupations and high-risk groups, and the possibility of long-term subjective pain and occupational difficulties for medical workers infected with COVID-19 could be included in the data model, which will provide a better basis for future prevention and treatment . EffectiThe mental and psychological impact of major public health events may be long-term and even far outweigh the initial threat to life. The psychological symptoms of COVID-19 patients and cured survivors include poor sleep quality, low mood, anxiety, inattention, and two of the most common and severe long-term mental illnesses-depression and PSTD, which will cause great burden and threat to society in the long run. Age, gender, incidence rate and risk factors of acute phase are highly correlated with psychological morbidity, thereby providing a reliable basis for early identification and psychological support. At the same time, medical staff, as a special group fighting against epidemics and susceptible to infection, are facing multiple and complex pressures and are more prone to mental and psychological diseases, especially in the infected medical staff. Inflammatory response and other organ system prognosis sequelae are the possible mechanism for the generation and continuous progression of depression and PSTD. Therefore, it will exert a significant effect by reducing the dosage of corticosteroids in the treatment period, actively treating the psychiatric or psychological complications in the rehabilitation period with psychological counseling and treating severe cases of depression with chronic antidepressant medication. In addition, the government should provide public policy support to survivors, de-stigmatize the disease, and develop follow-up research programs to strengthen the evaluation of COVID-19 for long-term mental illness."} +{"text": "The purpose of this study was to carry out a literature review on the effectiveness of the validation method (VM) in job satisfaction and motivation of care professionals working with older people in nursing homes. The review was carried out in specialised databases: Scopus, PsychINFO, PubMed, Web of Science (WOS), Google Scholar, Scielo, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 9046 results were obtained, out of which a total of 14 studies met the inclusion criteria: five quantitative, four qualitative, one single case series, two quasi-experimental and two mixed methods studies. The results of the analysed studies report that the VM can be an effective tool that facilitates communication and interaction in care, reducing levels of stress and job dissatisfaction among care professionals. The VM facilitates communication between professionals and older people with dementia, and improves the management of complex situations that may arise in care, directly influencing a reduction in work stress and increasing job satisfaction. The increase in life expectancy and the higher prevalence of neurocognitive disorders means there is a need to improve and innovate non-pharmacological strategies in order to ensure the quality of life and well-being of older people and their caregivers ,2,3. As Care for people with dementia can cause difficulties for care professionals, increasing their levels of stress, discomfort and job dissatisfaction ,9,10,11.This methodology is linked to the need found in many residential centers to promote the development of professionals\u2019 relational and socioemotional skills in order to improve positive and reciprocal relationships between them and the older people, which is a core aspect of care models like the well-known person-centred care model ,18,19,20In this regard, this review is necessary given the increase in interest to improve the quality of care, giving priority to humanisation and the implementation of the person-centred care model ,18,33,34A literature review was performed by peers of articles that included the effectiveness of VM in nursing home care professionals. The following databases were used for the review: Scopus, PsychINFO, PubMed, Web of Science (WOS), Google Scholar, Scielo and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The terms validation therapy, validation method, validation training, nursing, care, institutionalised, satisfaction, motivation and burnout were used. The search strategy used in the databases was: \u201c and (therapy OR method OR training) AND AND (satisfaction OR motivation OR burnout)\u201d. In the Google Scholar database the following search was used: \u201c and (therapy OR method OR training) AND AND (satisfaction OR motivation) and (Feil)\u201d.The bibliographic references of the selected articles were analysed manually, in order to find other studies that could potentially be included for the review. In addition, documents from grey literature were included, as well as scientific articles, systematic reviews (SR), metanalyses and book chapters that met the inclusion criteria .The initial selection and subsequent screening were carried out by the principal researcher based on the title and results summary. Subsequently, the final selection was carried out by peers in a team six reviewers: five experts accredited by the Validation Training Institute in VM , and oneFor the evaluation of each article, the following were taken into consideration: the year and country of the study, the type of study design , outcome measures, intervention group , type of intervention, evaluation of intervention and main effects on results in healthcare professionals.Initially, 9046 results were obtained, out of which a total of 14 studies met the inclusion criteria .With regards to the characteristics of older people that some studies included ,28,36,37In contrast, the characteristics of the professional participants in age, gender, sample size and professional profile in the studies are heterogeneous . Most ofRegarding professional profile, 12 studies (86%) included nursing staff, made up mostly of nurses and auxiliary nurses, in the training of the VM and/or in its implementation ,36,37,38These studies used different designs ranging from quantitative designs 5) ,33,36,37 ,33,36,3The trial structure of the included studies that did training in the VM or analysed the effect on its implementation was, in two studies (14%), a single-arm trial where training in the VM was carried out ,30; in fAlthough all the interventions were carried out in nursing homes, the duration and time of intervention varied. Most lasted between five and seven months ,26,27,30Regarding the variables of the professional studied, first, in the studies with quantitative measures, six studies 43%) quantified as outcome measures the effect of VM in three major areas ,33,36,37% quantifSecond, in the studies with qualitative measures, five studies (36%) quantified as an outcome measure the satisfaction with the relationship and communication between the professional and the residents and between the latter and their families which was assessed through observations of the interactions between the professional, the residents and their families or with Hecht\u2019s Interpersonal Communication Satisfaction Inventory (ICSI) , the DemThird, two quasi-experimental studies (14%) and one case series study (7%), quantified as an outcome result the effect of VM on satisfaction with communication between the professional and the residents and between the latter and their families, its use in the positive management of problem behaviours and increasing understanding of the behaviours of the disoriented person with dementia evaluated through Hecht\u2019s Interpersonal Communication Satisfaction Inventory (ICSI) , the DemFinally, despite the heterogeneity in the sample composition and in the structure and duration of the training and implementation, all the studies included in the review agree that training positively influences satisfaction, motivation, competence and self-efficacy of the care professional, improving their productivity and commitment to the organisation. Although there are only two randomised studies, the evidence suggests that training in and/or implementing VM can have a positive effect on healthcare professionals on a personal/professional, interpersonal and organisational level.In the professional sphere there is a reduction in stress levels ,33,36,37Regarding the interpersonal sphere, there is an improvement in communication skills between the professionals and the disoriented person, which facilitate the relationship and care ,27,30,38Finally, in the organisational sphere, there is a positive increase in the work climate ,37 and aThe purpose of this study was to analyse evidence on the efficacy of the VM on the job satisfaction and motivation of nursing home care professionals. Despite the limitations and methodological heterogeneity of the studies, most of the studies indicate that the VM provides benefits to care professionals, concluding that training and the correct use of the communication techniques that the VM provides are useful tools for relating and communicating with disoriented seniors, reducing burnout and negative work climate, and increasing their productivity and satisfaction, motivation and happiness at work ,29,30,33In the studies analysed, the variables most analysed in the professionals are burnout, job satisfaction, competence in the positive management of problematic situations that arise in care, as well as improvement of the relationship and communication between the professional and resident. Implementing and/or training in VM may have positive work effects that can be related to job satisfaction and motivation. Therefore, the communication tools, relationship, and theoretical framework provided by the VM is highlighted in this type of intervention since it provides tools for developing relational competencies, facilitating the relationship and communication between the disoriented senior and the care professional. As a result, it is necessary to extend research on non-pharmaceutical strategies that provide care professionals with tools, as well as the use of VM with other pharmaceutical interventions, as is being done, for example, with the Emotion-Oriented Care Model ,26,27,53The VM, which is in some ways congruent with the good practices that the person-centred care fosters, promotes a change in the culture of care where the abilities of the older person with dementia are valued and empowered, and where the professional moves from a role of being caregiver of a patient to being a caregiver of an expert in his/her own care ,34,54,55Finally, this review has a number of limitations: One is that there may exist a publication selection bias, since the initial screening of articles was not done by peers. Furthermore, the heterogeneity, lack of information on the sample composition or the type of intervention, samples under thirty participants in some studies, as well as methodological limitations, means that the results need to be taken with caution. In addition, there may be a general publication bias in the evidence analysed and a bias on the \u201cnegative\u201d effects of the use of and/or training in VM. The authors of the review have found this publication bias difficult to control. With regard to its strengths, it should be noted that an extensive search on the VM was conducted, where any type of study that dealt with the effectiveness of VM on nursing home care professionals was included, both in terms of implementation of, and training in, the method.Training in and/or implementing VM provides professionals with techniques of relationship and communication with disoriented older people that enables and helps them to manage their care, improving their quality of life and acting as tools that protect them against burnout, given that stress and overwork are reduced. In addition, it leads to greater empathy and provides professionals with a greater understanding of the meaning of the residents\u2019 behaviour, promoting good treatment focused on the real needs of the older person with dementia (or disoriented).More exploration of this method\u2019s techniques is required, since it offers a field of communication and relationship that should not be underestimated and that, as the scientific evidence shows, generates positive effects on the satisfaction and motivation of care professionals. To do this, it is necessary to generate studies with standardised instruments, appropriate samples, and also include mixed methodology to complement the qualitative nuances that are generated in the relationship and communication between the professional and the person with dementia (or disoriented) with the quantitative data."} +{"text": "Dear Editor,Diffuse Normolipemic Plane Xanthoma (DNPX) is a rare acquired dermatosis, clinically characterized by patches and/or yellow-orange plaques symmetrically distributed. It is an uncommon type of non-Langerhans histiocytosis that occurs due to the deposition of lipids in the skin and, in almost half of cases, occur in the absence of hypercholesterolemia.A 61 year-old man with a history of onset of asymptomatic yellowish spots, 2 years ago, initially on the eyelids. In one year, the lesions also appeared in the armpits, in the inguinal, genital and gluteal regions. He had a recent diagnosis of Hepatitis C (HCV), without treatment. He denied other comorbidities and use of medications. On examination he had yellowish plaques with a symmetrical distribution in the periorbital region bilaterally , and plaDNPX is a rare type of non-Langerhans histiocytosis that usually appears initially with a palpebral xanthelasma, as is the case, with later appearance flesions usually in the neck, trunk, upper dorsum, cubital fossae, and extremities. These distribution of xanthomatous lesions in DNPX is unique, although it varies among cases.Hepatitis C is a systemic disease that can cause manifestations in various organs and systems. It is estimated that approximately 74% of patients experience at least one extra hepatic manifestation of the disease during their lifetime, with 17% of them having dermatological manifestations. The most commonly associated dermatoses are cryoglobulinemia, lichen planus, porphyria cutanea tarda and acral necrolytic erythema. It is believed that most of these diseases present as path physiology the formation and deposition of immune complexes in the tissues, although the mechanism of these diseases is not completely understood. Other dermatological diseases also have been shown to be associated with hepatitis C, but with less consistency, such as cutaneous B-cell lymphoma, erythema multiforme, leukocytoclastic vasculitis and urticaria.XPDN has been associated with hematologic disorders, particularly multiple myeloma and monoclonal gammopathy; however, leukemia, lymphoma and Castleman's disease have also been associated with the disease.None declared.Maria Carolina Casa Souza: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; conception and planning of the study; elaboration and writing of the manuscript; obtaining, analysis, and interpretation of the data; effective participation in research orientation; intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the studied cases; review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.Paulo Henrique Teixeira Martins: Statistic analysis; approval of the final version of the manuscript; conception and planning of the study; elaboration and writing of the manuscript; obtaining, analysis, and interpretation of the data; effective participation in research orientation; intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the studied cases; review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.Anal\u00fa Vivian: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; conception and planning of the study; elaboration and writing of the manuscript; effective participation in research orientation; intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the studied cases; review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.Laura Luzzatto: Obtaining, analysis, and interpretation of the data; effective participation in research orientation.None declared."} +{"text": "Case Report. Patient E.M.S, 25 years old, male, leucoderma, referred to the Emergency Room of our institute. He reported being a victim of physical aggression, occlusal alteration, limitation of mouth opening, sensibility loss in the mentalis region, right infraorbital, and denied visual alteration. On physical examination, during the inspection and palpation, the crackling was observed in the right mandibular region and apical displacement of the maxillary alveolar process, corresponding to elements 13, 14, and 15. This report aims at demonstrating the treatment of complex mandibular fracture functional reimplantation of the maxillary alveolar fragment (FRAF), denoting the possibility and feasibility of this reduction with an excellent prognosis. The rigid fixation of the complex jaw fracture and alveolar maxilla process, through functional reduction, indicated satisfactory applicability, and favorable prognosis. The bones of the face are part of the complex stomatognathic apparatus, of which the mandible occupies the second position among the most affected in craniofacial traumas . Such prThe etiology of mandibular fractures is concentrated in cases of physical aggression and automobile accidents, although sports accidents and pathological or mechanical fractures are present as predisposing factors, either in the involvement of neoplasms or during the extraction of lower third molars , 2. CommFor diagnosis, a thorough clinical and radiographic examination should be performed, taking into account factors such as impact energy, direction, and location, as well as the resilience of the structures involved . The objPatient E.M.S, 25 years old, male, leucoderma, was referred to the Emergency Room of our institute. During a medical-dental questionnaire, the patient mentioned having been a victim of physical aggression, reporting occlusal alteration, limitation of the amplitude of buccal opening, and loss of sensibility in the mental and infraorbital region. He denied visual and respiratory changes, although there were signs of subconjunctival ecchymosis and epistaxis. On physical examination, during the inspection and palpation, crepitation was observed in the body region and right mandibular angle and apical displacement of the bone fragment in the premaxilla, corresponding to elements 13, 14, and 15, with an evident sign of alveolar tooth fracture . In all After systemic stabilization, the patient was taken to the Buccomaxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology Service, after 10 days of the first care. In the surgical center, in HDD, under general anesthesia, antisepsis was started with topical PVP-i and placement of the sterile fields, followed by subperiosteal infiltrative terminal anesthesia in the right maxilla region, aiming at facilitating the detachment of the muco-suspicious flap and promoting hemostasis; through the Newman Modified incision, the detachment of the flap continued, evidencing the dentoalveolar fracture. In order to eliminate the granulation tissue at the interface of the fragment and maxilla, which would certainly prevent good bone repair, the fragment was removed Figures \u20134. HowevIn the next step, through the Risdon incision in the mandible, the subcutaneous planes were approached, location and protection of the facial nerve and artery, and incision of the pterygomassetric band and detachment. With the separation of the fragments and evaluation of the lingual space, the reconstruction and anatomical repositioning of the fragments with transfixing screws and plates and screws of the 2.0 system Figures and 8 weThe suture of the deep planes of the mandibular approach and oral cavity was performed with Vicryl 4.0 wire and on the skin was used Nylon 6.0.The patient was preoperatively treated with Dexamethasone 8\u2009mg, Cephalotin 1\u2009g, and intravenous dipyrone 500\u2009mg. All medications were maintained in trans and postoperative and were adapted for use in tablets. Postoperatively, N-acetylcysteine 500\u2009mg was added to the bucosinusal communication.The patient followed postoperative follow-up for 7, 14, 21, 35, and 64 days, presenting evolution within the norms of normality and cicatricial process compatible with the surgical procedure performed. There was an absence of secondary infections, occlusal restoration, and consolidation of the fragment in the maxilla. In respect to the regeneration of the nervous tissue, although it is known, by the literature, that the regeneration of the proximal stump occurs, in this specific case, it comes to an avulsion of fragment with involved teeth, which made the reasoning of this case to devolve in the same conditions and treatment of avulsioned teeth, that is, endodontic treatment after 14 days of the trauma. The patient was referred to the endodontic treatment of the elements 13 and 14, making it possible to maintain them in the oral cavity. A radiographic examination of the control was performed, in which titanium plates and screws were positioned, indicating a satisfactory reduction of the bone fragments Figures and 11.Facial fractures generate discussions among students ever since Hippocrates was alive, especially regarding the origin of the trauma, diagnosis, and treatment. In agreement with the findings found in the literature, this report presents a patient who suffered physical aggression of high intensity, generating maxillomandibular trauma. Such an etiology ranks first among the most common causes attended in emergency services , 4.Among the anatomical subdivisions of the mandible, the body region corresponds to a significant percentage of the fractures, and the immediate reduction of the stumps is a determinant factor to obtain adequate occlusion , 5. In tThe treatment choice was based on the analysis of complete clinical and radiographic examination, considering the possible sequels, both aesthetic and functional, that could be caused. According to most of the cases found in the literature, even in the other mandibular regions, the functional reduction was obtained through occlusal adjustment and rigid internal fixation, considering the complexity and biases of the reduction of complex fractures or maxillo-mandibular fractures , 5\u20137. WhAccording to a study carried out by Melo and Oleveira (2013), dentoalveolar trauma resulting from physical aggression accounts for about 35.8% of the cases, a study carried out on 1459 patients showed that in only 1% of the cases there was an association of dentoalveolar trauma with mandible fracture [It is important to observe that the removal of the fragment for removal of granulation tissue was indispensable; its nutrition was safeguarded by the periosteum itself carefully detached in the step of dieresis . From itThe nonrigid attachment of the dental elements involved should be indicated, when necessary, to stabilize them \u201316. HoweWith the evolution of the case, we can conclude that the proposed treatment proved to be effective, reestablishing the patient functionally. The FRAF technique process and primary stabilization of the anterior mandibular complex fracture and reconstruction plate are feasible and demonstrate a favorable prognosis when correctly indicated, following the basic principles of reduction, stabilization, and fixation even if mediated."} +{"text": "The Lancet HIV, Oliver Ratmann and colleaguesPopulation mobility is an intrinsic human condition. People have always moved over space and time, and always will. Yet mobility can be hard to define and measure, and thus it is challenging to understand the effects of mobility on the spread of HIV. In As countries move toward the UNAIDS 90-90-90 treatment goals and beyond, we will need more studies like that of Ratmann and colleagues to identify and predict whether and how population mobility will influence (positively or negatively) HIV intervention effectiveness. Strategies to end the HIV epidemic, especially those that target geographical hotspots, will increasingly need to account for population mobility with special attention to time.Human mobility directly and indirectly affects HIV transmission dynamics over time, but the temporal scale has received less attention. For example, the importance of population mobility on intervention effectiveness in a community depends on the relative timing of the intervention and mobility in the population.Migrant populations are heterogeneous, and the relative importance of different types of mobile populations on HIV depends on the stage of the epidemic. At the start of the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, the spread of HIV was closely tied to migrant flows,Migration can have non-linear and long-lasting effects on transmission dynamics, depending on the epidemic's stage, the frequency and context of migration, the relative timing of interventions, life-stage, and the sexual behaviour of migrants."} +{"text": "WHO statistics shows that drowning is one of the most important research areas in the world. Despite the extensive research on drowning in the past, scientometric approaches have not been used yet to evaluate these studies.In this descriptive cross-sectional study, which is based on scientometric method, the analysis was done using the words in the title, abstract and keywords. In addition to visualization of the universal cooperation between universities and researchers, the bibliographic and citation data of articles have been retrieved from Web of science, PubMed and Scopus in the period of 2007-2017. These documents were analyzed using HistCite12, 03, 1 and VOS viewer 6, 5, 1 software.2314 articles in Web of science, 4024 articles in Scopus and 98 articles in PubMed published in the past 10 years were found. The number of articles published by Iranian researchers in Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed were 19, 45 and 10, respectively. The findings showed that the number of articles about this topic had increased in Web of Science and Scopus over the last 10 years. According to the results of this study, important research areas were visualized in the three databases by extracting repeated words. The frequency pattern of words showed that the focus of the research has been on cardiovascular diseases, age-groups, resuscitation problems, forensic medicine, and suicide, among others. The language of more than 80% of the documents was English. American and English Universities, journals and researchers had the most contribution in this field. The result of this study will help researchers to develop, plan and increase the qualitative and quantitative levels of their research on drowning. Similar to developed countries, developing research can help improve the culture and general education to prevent drowning in developing countries.Drowning, Scientometrics, Scientific Productions, Article"} +{"text": "Life cycle assessment (LCA) is conducive to the change in the wind power industry management model and is beneficial to the green design of products. Nowadays, none of the LCA systems are for wind turbines and the concept of Internet of Things (IoT) in LCA is quite a new idea. In this paper, a four-layer LCA platform of wind turbines based on IoT architecture is designed and discussed. In the data transmission layer, intelligent sensing of wind turbines can be achieved and their status and location can be monitored. In the data transmission layer, the LCA platform can be effectively integrated with enterprise information systems through the object name service (ONS) and directory service (DS). In the platform layer, a model based on IMPACT 2002+ is developed, and four management modules are designed. In the application layer, different from other systems, energy payback time (EPBT) is selected as an important evaluation index for wind turbines. Compared with the existing LCA systems, the proposed system is specifically for wind turbines and can collect data in real-time, leading to improved accuracy and response time. Wind energy is a type of important clean and renewable energy with abundant reserves. As a green and environmental protection power generation technology, wind turbines can effectively reduce environmental pollution. In recent years, due to the gradual maturity of wind power technology and the continuous decline in the cost of wind power generation, wind turbines have been widely used in the world. According to \u201cBP Statistical Review of World Energy June 2019\u201d, the annual growth rate of global wind farms in 2018 is 12.6%, and the power generation capacity is 1170.0 TWH. Additionally, the rated power of wind turbines has developed from dozens of kilowatts to megawatts . In the As a technology to evaluate the environmental factors related to products and their potential impacts, life cycle assessment (LCA) has been developed as an important tool to evaluate the energy and environmental performance of products in their life cycle. The LCA of wind turbines can not only help enterprises carry out green design or improvement of the key energy consumption parts but also help the wind power industry change from the terminal-oriented management mode to the full life cycle management mode. In order to minimize energy consumption and environmental emissions, it is necessary to optimize energy management and carry out green design through accurate LCA of wind turbines. Moreover, the resource and environmental costs and energy conservation and emission reduction potential can be obtained through quantifying energy consumption and pollutant emissions. On this basis, suggestions for green and low-carbon management strategies of the wind power industry can be put forward.The accuracy of LCA mainly depends on the accuracy of the life cycle inventory and the rationality of the environmental analysis process. In the current research, the inventory data come from investigation, literature, or the existing database, which are universal to a certain extent and can be used in different products. However, due to the effectiveness and regionality of inventory data, the input and output data of the same material will vary greatly in different regions with different process levels. Consequently, the difficulty mainly lies in the acquisition and accuracy of data, because of the polymorphism, time variability, and sensitivity of LCA data.The existing life cycle assessment process mainly relies on software system databases, which are from the average data of various industries, or manually collecting from literature or on site. The real time, dynamic, and accuracy of evaluation data are far from satisfactory. Therefore, the results of LCA are not accurate enough.The existing LCA software are commercial, and they are for many products. As a result, the process is not specifically for wind turbines.The existing LCA methods mainly include problem-oriented midpoint methods and damage-oriented endpoint methods, having their limitations.The existing LCA systems and enterprise information systems (EIS) are independent of each other and cannot be effectively integrated together, and the data of enterprise information systems cannot be effectively utilized.The existing problems in the life cycle assessment of wind turbines are as follows:As a new and rapidly developing technology, the Internet of Things (IoT) holds great promise in handling the abovementioned issues. IoT is a pervasive presence around us of a variety of things or objects (such as radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, sensors, actuators, mobile phones, etc.), which can interact with each other and cooperate with their neighbors through unique addressing schemes ,5. IoT iThe IoT technology is applied to achieve the real-time, intelligent collection of energy consumption and environmental impact data in the entire life cycle of wind turbines. Therefore, the databases of the platform have the function of updating and expanding, which ensures the objectivity and accuracy of the assessment results. Additionally, the status and location of wind turbines and their components can be monitored with the support of IoT technology.A novel LCA architecture based on IoT is proposed, which achieves the energy consumption assessment and environmental impact assessment of wind turbine from parts to products, including the stages of design, raw material acquisition, production and manufacturing, transportation and installation, operation and maintenance, and recovery and disposal.An LCA model for wind turbines is proposed based on IMPACT 2002+ , which cBased on ONS and DS of IoT technology, the effective integration method between the proposed platform and the existing EIS is innovated, thereby constructing an open and extensible platform for life cycle assessment.In order to solve the above problems, based on IoT, this paper proposed a new LCA platform for wind turbines. Additionally, the main innovations are as follows:The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. Life cycle assessment (LCA) has made remarkable progress, since the first life-cycle-oriented methods were proposed in the 1960s. Currently, LCA is defined as a tool that assesses the potential environmental impacts and resource consumption in a product\u2019s life cycle, i.e., from raw material acquisition, via production and use stages, to waste management ,11. It iCurrently, the research on LCA mainly focuses on the evaluation of the new energy system, product resource consumption, and environmental emission. Additionally, LCA has been widely used in various fields, including materials, energy sources, transportation and construction, etc. Boyden et al. compared the environmental impact of three management strategies for lithium-ion batteries in Australia ehydro-metallurgy, pyro-metallurgy, and landfill through LCA . Geng etThe methods of LCA mainly include problem-oriented midpoint methods and damage-oriented endpoint methods . AdditioIn recent years, in view of the continuous expansion and complexity of evaluation objects, LCA methods are also developed in new forms. Additionally, the combination of LCA methodology with other methods has become a common practice. Suhariyanto et al. proposed a multi-life cycle assessment perspective for assessing the environmental impacts on the multiple life cycle product system . Bai et LCA needs a large amount of data as the basis and a variety of models as tools. In order to improve the research efficiency, the software developed includes Simapro, Gabi, LCAiT, eBalance, PEMS, and so on.Simapro is developed by the University of Leiden, the Netherlands. It provides abundant databases and a variety of evaluation methods. The database in the manufacturing phase is the most detailed. It is also the most popular LCA software in the world.GaBi is developed by Institut fur Kunststoffprufung und Kunst\u2014stoffkunde from Stuttgart, Germany. It has the latest wide-range comprehensive database and provides sensitivity analysis.LCAiT (LCA Inventory Tool) is developed by Chalmers Industrieknik in G\u00f6teborg, Sweden. Although it has fewer own databases, it can connect with external databases. It is suitable for people who understand the flow of material and energy.eBalance is developed by IKE Environmental Technology Co. Ltd. from Chengdu, China. It includes three databases: Chinese Life Cycle Database, European Reference Life Cycle Database, and Ecoinvent Database. It supports China\u2019s localized evaluation of energy conservation and emission reduction.Pira Environmental Management System (PEMS) is developed by Pira International, UK. The parameters in the database are from Europe, which cannot be modified or edited.2, CO, SO2, Nox, COD, etc.) in each stage can be calculated.Based on the system boundary, the main input of the above software includes the consumption of various resources and different types of energy . Based on the establishment of process flow and the database in the software, the energy consumption and environmental emissions For enterprises, the improvement schemes are proposed for the stages or parts with large energy consumption/environmental impact, and improvement measures of green design of wind turbine will be provided. (2) For the government, the reference standard of the research object will be established through the LCA results of each stage, and the energy consumption and environmental emission standards of each stage will be established. (3) For the third-party testing and certification department, it is to carry out green certification for the wind turbine by comparing the evaluation results with the defined green index value of the wind turbine.The related research objects are mainly divided into three types: wind farm, wind turbine, and its main components. Wind farm refers to the place where wind energy is captured, converted into electric energy, and sent to the power grid through transmission lines, including wind turbines, power collection lines, substations, and roads. A wind turbine is mainly composed of a rotor, an engine room, a tower, and a foundation. For the main components, the rotor is mainly composed of blade, hub, nose cone, and bolt; the engine room is usually integrated by engine room frame, which covers generator, gearbox, transformer, electrical, and mechanical equipment; tower supports engine room and rotor, mainly made of steel, aluminum, copper, and plastic; foundation provides ground support for all the above parts, which is composed of concrete, steel, and iron.Usually, for enterprises, the research object is mainly wind turbine or its main parts; for the third-party testing and certification department, the research object is wind farm or wind turbine or its main components; for the government, the research object is usually wind farm or wind turbine. The complexity of LCA decreases in the order of wind farm, wind turbine, and its main components.The system boundary is determined according to the research objectives. The wider the research scope is, the more the relative workload will be. Nowadays, the system boundary of LCA pays more attention to evaluation efficiency instead of breadth and depth, which is excluding the stage not related to the research objectives from the system boundary after comprehensively considering the accuracy of the evaluation results and the complexity of the evaluation work, and determining the most efficient system boundary according to the needs of research objectives. For example, when enterprises intend to improve the green design of wind turbines, they only need to study the stages of raw material acquisition, manufacturing, recycling, and scrapping, while the transportation, on-site installation, operation, and maintenance stages have little impact on the research objectives can be ignored.For different users, the objectives, and scope of LCA of wind turbines are shown in The evaluation of the wind turbine is the most common in practical applications. Therefore, this system is mainly designed for wind turbines. Taking wind turbine as an example, the system boundary of LCA for wind turbines is shown in Through the analysis of the objectives and scope of LCA of wind turbines, the architecture of the LCA platform based on IoT technology is constructed. The data acquisition layer, data transmission layer, platform layer, and application layer are included. The architecture of the LCA platform for wind turbines is shown in Each layer of the platform is introduced as follows.In the data acquisition layer, intelligent identification, positioning, tracking, monitoring, and management can be achieved with the help of RFID devices, barcode identification equipment, global positioning systems, laser scanners, and other information sensing equipment. Consequently, all the input and output data involved in the life cycle of wind turbines will be obtained and preprocessed. There are three ways for collecting data: (1) By using RFID, wireless, mobile, and sensor equipment, real-time and intelligent collection of energy consumption and environmental emission data can be generated from different material units and manufacturing processes of wind turbines. (2) Bill of Materials can be acquired from the information management systems of enterprises. (3) For the data that cannot be collected through sensors or obtained by EIS, they can be collected by manual input, such as enterprise fundamental information, some parameters and specifications of wind turbines, etc. In the process of manual entry, it is necessary to ensure the authenticity and effectiveness of data and make sure there is evidence to follow for data output in the later stage.The data acquiring methods in each stage of wind turbines are as follows. In the design stage, the wind turbine and its main components are designed, and the three-dimensional models of them are established, and the structure is tested and analyzed. Because the design tools such as computers and other electronic equipment are mainly used in this stage, the energy consumption and environmental emission data are not generated directly. Therefore, the energy consumption is measured by smart meters, and other data can be obtained through EIS. All the design schemes have a great impact on the final results.Raw materials include parts, components, semi-manufactures, etc. Raw materials can be obtained in two ways: production in the factory and purchased from other factories. For the raw materials produced in the factory, which usually including internal and external blades and baffles of wind turbines, relief valve, brake, transmission shaft, rod, bearing, clutch, flying pendulum, cover, and so on, the relevant data can be obtained by integrating with EIS. For the purchased raw materials, which usually including tire coupling, permanent magnet synchronous generator, standard parts, etc., the relevant data are collected by reading barcodes or RFID tags attached to them.The elementary raw materials in the wind turbine include concrete, steel, iron, copper, glass fiber, epoxy resin, etc., as shown in In the production and manufacturing stage, the energy consumption data of water, electricity, and gas are collected by embedded systems and sensing equipment installed on manufacturing equipment, and environmental emission data can be obtained from intelligent sensors and environmental monitoring systems. At the same time, in order to improve the reliability of the data, the measurement calibration certificates of relevant monitoring equipment should be upload simultaneously to the enterprise information database in the platform layer. According to the material composition of each component and the energy consumption and environmental emissions of various main raw materials, the total energy consumption and environmental emissions of wind turbines can be calculated in this stage.In the transportation stage, the fuel consumption, weight of product transported, and transportation distance are collected by sensors on vehicles, and the total energy consumption and pollutant emission of the transportation process can be calculated based on the fuel consumption per kilometer. In the installation stage, which includes the installation of foundation construction, tower hoisting, and engine room, the data related to mechanical equipment can be obtained by sensors, and other data can be manually entered.In the operation stage, the environmental information and its operation data can be collected through sensors. In addition, equipment calibration records need to be uploaded in time. Based on IoT technology, the wind turbine status can be continuously monitored, and detection automation can be achieved. In the maintenance stage, energy consumption is mainly generated by using various maintenance tools or component replacement. Additionally, its data can be collected by reading RFID tags or manually entering.This stage is the process of wind turbine disassembly, renovation, recycling, reuse, reassembly, or disposal. Recovery methods include direct recovery and recovery after solvent extraction. Scrapping methods of the wind turbine include open stacking, landfill, and incineration. Eighty-five to ninety percent of the foundation, tower, and engine room components of the wind turbine can be recycled. However, it is difficult to recover the blades, because the thermosetting materials cannot be degraded and the cost of recovering fiber materials is very high . NowadayThe data transmission layer can also be called the network layer, which transfers the data captured in the data acquisition to the servers in the platform layer through networking technologies including WSN, WIFI, Ethernet, and so on. In addition, this paper proposes to achieve effective integration with EIS through object name service (ONS) and directory service (DS). As the infrastructure of the network layer, the ONS and DS provide external services.The ONS is defined by GS1 EPCglobal, and it is the core technology of the Internet . In 2013The ONS mainly completes the network resource analysis pointing request of all kinds of IoT identification and can map the Code identification to the resource entrance. The ONS can be called by the applications that need to conduct the name service. The DS is mainly deployed to offer the index access to EIS, which is at the data acquisition layer. Each enterprise submits event indexes automatically to their representative DS server. Before adopting this integration scheme, enterprises need to register and maintain their domain names in the enterprise information database in the Database Management Module in advance.The process of integration with enterprise information systems is shown in As shown in The platform layer mainly carries out an inventory analysis of the life cycle of wind turbines. Inventory analysis is the process of collecting and objectifying the basic data of all relevant processes of wind turbines, which mainly includes the analysis of raw material consumption, production and manufacturing energy consumption, material and product transportation energy consumption, operation and maintenance energy consumption, and scrapping treatment environmental emissions. The integrity and accuracy of the data obtained by inventory analysis affect the accuracy of LCA results directly. The platform layer includes four modules: Unit Process Management Module, Flow Management Module, Database Management Module, and Inventory Data Processing Module.Unit process refers to the most basic unit in life cycle assessment. In this module, the decomposition of the research object and the identification of the process flow are completed. In the meantime, in order to quantitatively determine the input and output corresponding data, users need to input the unit process attribute data of the research object in this module, and manage all the unit processes on this basis.The structure of wind turbines is complex, and there are many kinds of components and materials. Decomposing the wind turbine and classifying the materials and its components play a crucial role in the process of inventory analysis, which will affect the accuracy of the evaluation results. In our system, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used An example of wind turbine decomposition is shown in LCA focuses on the full life cycle and goes deep into each process to analyze the input and output data. For this reason, it is also necessary to identify the key influencing factors of each stage of the process flow. On this basis, the data of each basic unit are input and output, and the data of each stage are classified and summarized. The main LCA influencing factors of wind turbines in each stage are shown in Material flow management and energy flow management are included in this module. Material flow and energy flow data are a vital link and are used to record the material/energy interaction between different unit processes. In this module, the material flow and energy flow information of each unit can be added, modified, deleted, and viewed by users, which provides support for inventory data processing of the wind turbine. The Database Management Module is an important module to support the completion of the life cycle assessment of wind turbines. It mainly includes the functions of data addition, data storage, and data calls. For users, the required data can be obtained from the database conveniently, timely, and accurately.LCA basic database: the existing mature database, including Ecoinvent, European Reference Life Cycle Database (ELCD), Chinese Life Cycle Database (CLCD), GaBi Databases, NREL-USLCI Database, etc. The resource consumption and environmental emission of unit mass materials in the raw material acquisition stage, unit power consumption in the production and manufacturing stage, unit oil consumption in the transportation stage, and materials with different disposal methods in the scrapping stage can be obtained from these databases.Material list database: mostly utilizing the name and unit of the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD), and adding the material list according to the characteristics of the wind turbine.Enterprise information database: storing the enterprise information involved in the life cycle of the wind turbine, including enterprise name, organization code, enterprise identification, identification rules, enterprise address, legal person information, responsible person information, enterprise website, and other fundamental data of the enterprise. The information of the database is obtained through enterprise registration and filing mainly.Product information database: storing the fundamental data, operation and maintenance data, and environmental emissions and energy consumption data in the life cycle of wind turbines. The fundamental data contain the structural information of all kinds of wind turbines and defines the structural relationship between the wind turbine and its components and between the components. In this database, the fundamental data are mainly obtained through integration with EIS, and the operation and maintenance data and environmental emissions and energy consumption data are obtained by real-time monitoring of IoT technology. Based on the database, the usability and real-time performance of LCA can be significantly improved.Four databases are included in this module, which are as follows:LCIA index management: it mainly stores the types of evaluation indicators, conversion coefficients between different types of indicators, and environmental impact assessment standards of relevant industries or regions. It supports the calculation of LCIA characteristic indicators, normalized indicators, and weighted comprehensive indicators. Consequently, it is an important module for data normalization and environmental impact factor unification.Online modeling: Based on linking all types of life cycle inventory results via 14 midpoint categories to four damage categories, a feasible approach combining midpoint and damage is proposed, which is the IMPACT2002+ methodology . Based oThe Inventory Data Processing Module is the core module of the LCA platform. Based on the data support of material flow, energy flow, unit process, and database module, the module can quantify and analyze the data between input and output of resources and environment in each stage through online modeling and the corresponding algorithm. In this module, life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) index management and online modeling are included, which are as follows:As shown in Since the previous data collection is aimed at each unit process, in order to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the evaluation results, it is necessary to determine a measurement reference of data before data processing, which is the function unit. In the raw material acquisition stage, the functional unit of the weight of various raw materials is kg. In the manufacturing stage, the functional unit of electrical energy consumption is kWh. In the transportation stage, the functional unit of the transportation distance and energy consumption are km and L separately. In the recovery and disposal stage, the functional unit of the weight of recycled or scrapped materials is kg.The main influencing factors and functional units of each resource and environment index are shown in After the inventory analysis, in order to evaluate the accuracy of the inventory data, the relative error can be obtained by comparing the total mass of the wind turbine with the summing of the material quality of all components.To sum up, the data processing of the proposed platform is shown in Based on the Unit Process Management Module, the decomposition of the wind turbine is completed. The quantity of various resource and energy consumption can be obtained from the Flow Management Module. Additionally, the total energy consumption and environmental emissions can be calculated, and all kinds of indicators can be characterized in the Inventory Data Processing Module, which is based on the parameters from the Database Management Module.LCIA is a process of quantitative or qualitative evaluation to obtain the performance of energy consumption and environmental emission after inventory analysis, and the inventory information will be translated into environmental impact scores. In terms of resource consumption of wind turbines, it mainly includes the evaluation of mineral energy consumption in the raw material acquisition stage, electric energy consumption in the production and manufacturing stage, and oil consumption in the transportation stage. For wind turbines, energy payback time (EPBT) is one of the key factors of evaluation, because it is one of the important indexes in the evaluation system of wind turbines generating capacity . iE is the total energy input of the wind turbine in its entire life cycle, and 0E is the annual power generation of the wind turbine, which is calculated byp(v) is the expression of wind turbines output power characteristic curve, and f(v) is the wind speed frequency distribution curve expression of wind turbines installation site.EPBT is the ratio of the total energy input of the wind turbine in the entire life cycle to the annual power generation during its operation , as show0E will be calculated. At the same time, Ei is obtained according to the Inventory Data Processing Module. Thus, the EPBT of the wind turbine will be calculated. On this basis, according to the design life of the wind turbine, the power generation without emission in its life cycle can be calculated.In this study, the real-time wind speed and the actual output power of the wind turbine are collected through IoT technology. After obtaining the power characteristic curve of wind turbines and the wind speed frequency distribution of the installation site, Besides, when the wind turbine parameters and installation address are known, the EPBT can be estimated in advance. On this basis, it can be predicted whether the installation site of wind turbines is appropriate, to avoid the loss caused by the improper installation scheme.Improvement analysis is to analyze the results of the impact assessment, form a report, and provide practical improvement plans for different users. Enterprise users, government users, and third-party users are included in this system.For enterprise users, according to the LCA results, the stage, or the key components with large resource consumption, energy consumption and environmental emission of wind turbines will be identified. Consequently, better raw materials can be selected. Additionally, design optimization, production process optimization, transportation route and vehicle optimization, operation and maintenance optimization, and recycling optimization can be carried out. For example, energy consumption in peak hours or idle time can be reduced.For government users, through the results of impact assessment, the entire process of recycling can be monitored, the recovery rate of product components or materials can be improved, and the potential harm to the environment in the recycling can be reduced. Additionally, the suppliers of materials and components with the highest proportion of environmental emission can be list as the major concerns. Based on the evaluation results, relevant standards can be established, the corresponding evaluation mechanism can be improved, and the industrial structure will be optimized finally.For the third-party users, the green certification will be accomplished by comparing the evaluation results with the defined green index value of the wind turbine.Based on the proposed architecture, an LCA prototype system of the wind turbine has been developed. In this system, various users have different authority to manage data.The main process of the life cycle assessment by using this system is illustrated as follows:The enterprise registers in the system and inputs the information of name, identification, address, website, responsible person information, relevant qualifications, etc.The decomposition of the wind turbine studied is determined, and the process flow is identified through the Unit Process Management Module. Additionally, then, the relevant parameters and the main information of key components for life cycle assessment will be input. Then, the material flow and energy flow information of each unit can be added, modified, deleted, and viewed through the Flow Management Module.Based on the installation of various sensors, the relevant energy consumption and environmental emission data will be collected. Meanwhile, the operation data will be monitored, including wind speed, vibration, noise, engine speed, pitch angle, etc. According to these data, the output power characteristic curve is formed, which can be used to calculate the annual power generation of the wind turbine. Moreover, the real-time fault data and the fault rate curve of wind turbines are collected and formed. On this basis, the residual life prediction of the main components of wind turbines is carried out.In addition to the real-time monitoring data, the Bill of Materials is acquired by integrating with the information systems of enterprises. Additionally, other data are obtained by the Database Management Module in the system.Based on the online modeling and LCIA index management, the inventory data will be processed through the Inventory Data Processing Module. Based on inventory data, the energy consumption and environmental emission data at all stages of wind turbines are calculated systematically, and the evaluation results are analyzed visually. On this basis, the life cycle assessment report of wind turbines is formed.The workload of using LCA software include goal definition and scoping, data preprocessing, inventory analysis, and impact assessment. Compared with the existing software, the workload of data collection is greatly reduced, and most of the scoping of wind turbines has been established in detail in the proposed system.To compare the LCA workload between the proposed system and the existing software, we suppose the total workload of data preprocessing, goal definition and scoping, inventory analysis, and impact assessment of the existing software are all 100%, and the weights of them on the LCA workload are 30, 20, 40, and 10%, respectively. The comparison results are shown in As shown in At present, the data collected by existing systems are often intertwined and need to be distributed among multiple parts, which is greatly affected by subjective factors. Therefore, the accuracy of the inventory data is not high. The proposed system can increase the data accuracy through IoT technology and improve the integrity of the data processing model through the integration with EIS.6 \u00d7 100% = 134%As previously mentioned, the system boundary of LCA for wind turbines mainly includes six stages. In order to estimate the accuracy of the results, we assume that the accuracy of inventory analysis in each stage is increased by 5% on average. Consequently, the accuracy of the results is improved by (1 + 5%)The characteristics of the IoT-based life cycle assessment platform of wind turbines are summarized as follows:The platform is designed for wind turbines. In the process of the platform design, the corresponding system modules are established according to the life cycle process of the wind turbine. At the same time, according to the characteristics of the wind turbine, the LCA model based on the IMPACT2002+ is established. Additionally, the EPBT of wind turbines can be calculated accurately.To solve the lacking of information in the process of life cycle assessment, it can effectively integrate with the existing enterprise information systems through the ONS and DS based on IoT. Furthermore, the platform provides a standard application program interface and supports all kinds of users to develop and integrate various business applications on the platform. Therefore, it has the feature of extensibility. Based on the Internet of Things technology, real-time and dynamic data in the life cycle of wind turbines can be collected in the platform. Therefore, the databases of the platform have the function of updating and expanding, which ensures the objectivity and accuracy of the assessment results. Based on the big data technology, the platform can analyze the real-time data collected by sensors and obtained from EIS and has functions of intelligent monitoring, analysis, and prediction. Finally, it can serve the design and manufacturing enterprises of wind turbines, wind farm construction enterprises, and operation and maintenance enterprises, which include modeling service, evaluation service, simulation service, analysis service, and optimization service, etc. In the meantime, an open platform with controllable permissions can be provided through the construction of application components, so that the third party can participate in the application development and create business value.The platform supports centralized user management, unified authentication and authorization, and business collaborative processing. Additionally, it is designed on B/S architecture, which is more convenient to operate and easier to maintain.To sum up, the comparison between the proposed platform and several existing LCA systems is shown in In this paper, based on IoT technology, an LCA platform architecture for wind turbines is proposed. Additionally, object name service and directory service are used to provide external services in the network layer. In the meantime, an LCA model of wind turbines is established based on IMPACT 2002+. Therefore, the platform is wind-turbines-oriented and has good scalability and credibility.The application of this platform can achieve effective integration and sharing with the existing enterprise information system and accomplish the real-time, intelligent collection of the energy consumption and environmental emission data generated in some stages. Given that the inventory data can be updated, the objectivity and accuracy of the assessment results can be ensured. It is of great significance for the sustainable development of the wind power industry.In our future work, it is very important to deploy the LCA platform in more application scenarios. Additionally, combining the platform with blockchain technology to ensure the authenticity and credibility of data is also a key research direction. Besides, further research and exploration are needed to make the analysis results comparable with the existing systems."} +{"text": "The affiliation for the last author is incorrect. The correct affiliation for Morteza Naderi is Arak University.An additional affiliation is missing for the last author. Morteza Naderi is also affiliated with the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Sciences, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey."} +{"text": "Thismakes infections more difficult to treat and increases the risk of pathogensspreading, leading to higher mortality. Although the term antimicrobial refers toantibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics, this article focuses onissues related to the use of antibiotics in the Brazilian context.Acquired antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, andparasites change over time and cease to respond to drugs to which they werepreviously \u00adsusceptibleAMR is a threat to global health and its worsening is observed in the current contextof the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Added to the challenges of infection control and theprevalence of morbidity and mortality in the pandemic, viral and bacterialresistance are a global health emergency. In this regard, AMR becomes intrinsicallyrelated to the current health context, which may imply accelerated AMR patterns andgreater incidence in health services.These challenges, with health and political implications on a global scale, areespecially difficult in countries with medium and low economic income, as is thecase of Latin America. In this scenario, responses to AMR require coordinated and\u00admultisectoral efforts involving clinical-biological, socio\u00adeconomic, and political\u00adperspectives at the global, national, and local levels.,3.In response to the global agenda for tackling AMR, the World Health Organization(WHO) proposes \u201ca collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach \u2013working at local, regional, and national levels \u2013 with the goal of achieving optimalhealth and well-being outcomes, recognizing the interconnection between people,animals, plants, and their shared environment\u201d, designated One HealthThis article considers the potential ramifications of the One Health approach to AMRresearch. It adopts a theoretical-methodological perspective that articulates theOne Health approach and the social production of the AMR phenomenon, in three axes.The first refers to the practices of prescribing and dispensing antibiotics byprofessionals. The second one concerns the analysis of antibiotic use from the pointof view of health services users. The third one proposes a reflection on the processof construction of a political agenda to fight AMR in Brazil. This contributionpresents an analysis and appreciation of the diversity of practices, knowledge, andindividual perspectives of Primary Health Care (PHC) users, health professionals,and policy makers that aim to fill research and knowledge gaps in the Braziliancontext. Moreover, it aims to advance the global action agenda in Brazil, whilecontributing with reflections that can serve as a reference for the Latin Americanregion..Furthermore, the functioning of health services, the communication betweendifferent levels of health care, and the influence, or lack of clinicalrecommendations and evidence-based clinical protocols, particularly in PHC, posechallenges for the implementation of appropriate interventions at this level ofhealth care. Antibiotic prescription has been the subject of increasing monitoring in hospitalsettings in the last decade, even though great part of the problem relies onPHC. Studies point to several factors associated with the prescription ofantimicrobials: knowledge about AMR, critical clinical situations, riskperceptions and patients\u2019 expectations, as well as professionals\u2019 behaviors,values, and ideologies.Antibiotic prescription has been widely used as a preventive strategy inveterinary medicine and zootechnics. Antibiotics are offered on a large scale topromote the growth and development of animals for human food consumption,although little attention is paid to the impacts these practices have on thedevelopment of AMR. Thus,AMR tends to be analyzed, above all, in relation to human health or thedoctor-patient relationship, despite the fact that AMR extends into the web ofinteractions among humans, animals, and the environment, including the healthsystems themselves and the provision of networks of basic sanitation,7. There is little scientific production on the\u00adrelationships among humans, animals, and food consumption, especially in theBrazilian context.However, the purchase, sale, handling and disposal of antibiotics in pharmaciesand pet supply stores continue to be addressed only superficially addressed andin a fragmented waykit-Covid, an arrangement of drugs considered\u201cprophylactic\u201d, the use of which was encouraged by the Federal Government to beprescribed and used with the slogan of \u201cearly treatment\u201d. As a result,azithromycin, an antibiotic already used in health services, had greaterprescription rates and sales throughout 2020 in the country as one of thecomponents of the kit-Covid. Communication and negotiation between antibiotic \u00adprescribers and users, as wellas the challenges and facilities that professionals find in their clinicalpractices, cooperate to make the intrinsic dynamics of antibiotic prescriptioneven more complex. For instance, in Brazil, antibiotics were included in theso-called In Brazil, the analysis of access conditions to the services of the BrazilianPublic Health System (SUS), especially through the teams of the Family HealthStrategy (FHS), contributes to the knowledge of housing spaces and theunderstanding of the factors conditioning demand and the use of antibiotics. Italso reveals how the interactions between users and health professionals areimportant to guide informed attitudes towards the consumption of thesemedications. The family unit, the community, the relationships between humansand animals, and the sanitary conditions in which they live are aspects forunderstanding the problem. isidentified. The impact of disposing of antibiotics in household waste, sinks,and toilets, as well as its influence on the selective pressure of resistantagents, is not completely known, indicating the relevance of investigating theconditions of use, storage, and disposal of antibiotics among health systemusers. All these aspects are an urgent issue in the Brazilian context, given thehigh rate of prescription and consumption of these drugs since the beginning ofthe COVID-19 pandemic in the country.Thus, the centrality of the individual inserted in the environment in which theylive is strategic, with a focus on \u00admapping attitudes and knowledge regardingthe use of antibiotics and AMR. Characteristics such as gender, generation,income, and housing are understood as prevalent factors for the different formsof antibiotic use. The individuals\u2019 lack of knowledge about the complicationscaused by the use of these medications without a medical prescription andthrough self-medicationSuch elements demand a comprehensive understanding of the environment, as thecontext in which individuals and groups are inserted, with the notion of theenvironment being that of a shared space where networks encompassing individualsand groups, as well as the relationships they establish among themselves, arebuilt. In this regard, the integrated approach to the environment and health,both human and animal, advocated by the One Health, is pertinent. Therefore,dimensions of \u00adcohabitation and interaction between owners and animals arevisible, as both domestic animals and humans can develop and transmit multidrugresistant microorganisms. Consequently, veterinary care practices for domesticanimals, such as prescribing antibiotics, also affect the development ofAMR.. The PAN-BR was coordinated bythe Ministry of Health and included the participation of the Brazilian HealthRegulatory Agency (Anvisa), the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply(Mapa), and the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), among others. The PAN-BR bothmeets an internal need to build a more integrated and intersectoral politicalagenda, as well as responds to a call from the multilateral agenda to recognizethe problem of AMR as a priority issue. This initiative was led by the WHO inpartnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).Although specific AMR-related actions have been developed in previous years, theformalization of a national agenda was only materialized in 2018, with thepublication of the National Action Plan for the Prevention and Control ofAntimicrobial Resistance in the Scope of One Health (PAN-BR). The creation of mechanisms that allowdialogue between health and epidemiological surveillance, with data sharing, toallow the search for causal links related to AMR from the perspective of OneHealth is required. The formulation of the PAN-BR represents a step forward in recognizing the needfor a multidisciplinary and multisectoral approach to AMR. Its implementationdemands articulated relationships among different levels of governance, publicand private agencies, industries, as well as the society in general. Thisimplies different priorities and possible conflicting \u00adinterests. Among the mainchallenges for its implementation, the following are highlighted: theinstitution of a sustainable policy; the decentralized execution of control,prevention, and \u00admonitoring activities; and investment in research, development,and innovation for the production of antimicrobials, diagnostic methods, andvaccines through universal and equitable accessThe context of the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic highlighted important elements forthe AMR agenda, including the urgency of investment in infection prevention andcontrol programs, and the need for comprehensive risk communication strategies,as well as the dangers arising from technological dependence on health suppliesfor the guarantee of medicines, including antibiotics. The lessons learned canserve as a reference for planning AMR-related interventions in the post-pandemicscenario and for preventing future crisis.Research on the political agenda of AMR in Brazil implies understanding theframeworks in which AMR is inserted, as well as how the underlying processes ofdispute, negotiation, consensus and dissent are constructed based on theperspectives of the main interested actors. Understanding the extent to whichpolicy responses such as the PAN-BR incorporate views and demands from healthservice users and professionals who work in the prescription and dispensing ofantibiotics is essential to promote adequate and sustainable interventions.Danida \u2013 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark."} +{"text": "PLOS Pathogens strives to advance community-rooted adoption of practices that enable transparency, rapid communication, reproducibility, and trust in research, and help to transform research globally. A key vision of PLOS Pathogens is to facilitate widespread adoption of Open Science to accelerate and improve research that is rigorous and trustworthy and to ensure its meaningful impact on lives.The pathogens research community has driven, and benefited from, Open Science. As a leader in the field, Open Science\u2014the public, unrestricted sharing of all components of research\u2014can improve science in many ways and has benefits for a wide range of stakeholders. Some elements of Open Science, such as Open Access to publications, advance equity to ensure research findings can be accessed by everyone with a vested interest in the science. Other elements, such as resource and data sharing, enable researchers to reuse and build on existing science. What all elements have in common is the ability to increase trust, reproducibility, and transparency in science . These aPLOS Pathogens was founded with a philosophy based on open, high-quality, rigorous science, initially focusing on Open Access publication and diversifying the ways scientists communicate with the community and public and morple, see . We haveple, see and, oveple, see ,6). PLOSs Plan S and the s Plan S , that wiPLOS Pathogens, we have recently seen the critical importance of Open Science practices including the sharing of preprints and the genomic sequencing data of SARS-CoV-2 to drive rapid innovation in research during the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic , an, anPLOS nity see \u2014to incluPLOS Pathogens, and we hope the journal can continue to work with the community to advance Open Science for years to come.Open, high-quality, peer-reviewed science is, and has always been, core to the mission of"} +{"text": "To evaluate the effectiveness of a collective intervention to encourage the consumption of fruits and vegetables on the nutrients intake for the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), a randomized controlled community trial was conducted with a representative sample from the Health Academy Program. While the individuals in the control group (CG) participated in regular physical exercise, those in the intervention group (IG) also participated in a collective intervention. After 12 months, IG and CG showed a reduction in energy, omega 3 and sodium intake and an increase in the consumption of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Individuals from the CG showed an increase in phosphorus consumption and, in the IG, a reduction in the consumption of total, saturated, and polyunsaturated fats as well as an increase in the consumption of monounsaturated fats was seen. In both groups, there was an increase in the prevalence of adequate nutrients. Participation in the nutritional intervention was associated with lower consumption of energy and protein in the diet. The results pointed to the importance of individuals\u2019 participation in the program, which, associated with nutritional intervention, promoted an improvement in the nutrient profile of the diet and the prevention and control of NCDs. Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are an important public health problem, accounting for more than 70% of all deaths worldwide . A healtIn view of this, different nations, including Brazil, have sought to encourage their populations to adopt adequate and healthy diets, in addition to other healthy lifestyle factors ,4,5,6. IThe PAS is a Brazilian primary health care (PHC) service which aims to contribute to the promotion and production of health care and healthy lifestyles for the population . It inclDespite the positive results presented by the nutritional interventions developed within the scope of the PAS, it is not known whether actions to encourage the consumption of FV can also bring positive changes in the nutrient profile of the diet, especially for those nutrients aimed at the prevention and control of NCDs . A systeTherefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a collective intervention to encourage the consumption of FV on the nutrients intake, especially the ones focused on the prevention and control of NCDs, in those who attend the Brazilian PHC health promotion service.This is a randomized controlled community trial, carried out between 2013 and 2015, with the objective of evaluating the impact of an intervention to encourage the consumption of FV in PAS users in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil . This muAccess to the PAS in Belo Horizonte occurs by spontaneous demand or by referral from a health professional . The proThe selection of PAS units participating in the community trial was based on simple cluster sampling, stratified by the nine administrative regions of the municipality. At the time of the sampling process 2012), there were 50 PAS units in operation, 42 of which were eligible because they operate in the morning and are located in areas with medium and high/very high IVS; they have the predominant characteristics of the health service in the municipality, and have not participated in a nutritional intervention study in the last two years , the weight was obtained via a single measurement on a Marte\u00ae brand digital scale, model PP 180, with a capacity of 180 kg and precision of 100 g. Height was also verified via a single measurement using a portable stadiometer, brand Alturexata\u00ae, with a capacity of 220 cm and accuracy of 0.5 cm. Individuals with a BMI \u2265 30 kg/m2 were classified as having obesity and protein [RR: 0.978 ] . Analysis of the adequacy of the consumption of nutrients aiming at the prevention and control of NCDs showed that participants of both groups, after 12 months, reported an increase in the prevalence of adequacy of the consumption of total fat, saturated fats, fiber, and sodium, and reduced trans fats. Additionally, IG individuals showed an increase in the prevalence of adequacy of potassium intake. However, participation in the collective intervention to encourage the consumption of FV, after adjustment for possible confounding factors, was not associated with adequacy of nutrient intake for the prevention and control of NCDs . 1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, D, and E, folate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, selenium, manganese, zinc, and iron. IG individuals also showed a reduction in the consumption of proteins, and total, saturated and polyunsaturated fats; and an increase in monounsaturated fats consumption; while those in the CG reported an increase in phosphorus consumption. Regarding the evolution of the adequacy of the consumption of nutrients for the prevention and control of NCDs, improvements were observed for total fat, saturated, fiber, and sodium in both groups, and in potassium for IG; trans fats in worsened in both groups, with no differences related to participation in the nutritional intervention. The collective intervention to encourage the consumption of FV was effective in reducing the consumption of energy and protein in the diet. In addition, after 12 months of follow-up, regardless of participation in the nutritional intervention, PAS participants showed a reduction in energy, omega 3, and sodium consumption, and an increase in the consumption of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins A, BNutritional interventions are important tools to motivate and encourage healthy food choices, amplifying health service results. Systematic reviews that investigated the effect of nutritional interventions on the eating behavior of PHC users identified beneficial effects of interventions, such as increased consumption of FV and whole grains and reduced consumption of fatty foods, in addition to improving the nutrient profile of the diet ,38. HoweOne of the eating behaviors that should be the target of nutritional interventions developed in PHC is the high consumption of energy and total fat, as it is related to excessive weight gain and the development and aggravation of NCDs . This stRegarding protein consumption, the median values of protein consumption at baseline remained above the recommendations for the prevention and control of NCDs . After 1It is essential to design and strengthen food and nutrition education actions within the scope of health services, such as the PAS, given its characteristics of health promotion and care. In addition, interventions aimed at improving the food environment around these health services are also necessary in order to support their clients in making healthier food choices. Actions developed in the health promotion services are strategic to promote adequate and healthy food choices. For example, longer participation in the PAS seems to be effective in improving the profile of food and nutrient consumption of its clients, as evidenced by a cross-sectional study that identified an increase in the consumption of home-prepared food and a reduction in UPF, as well as lower energy and fat consumption, and higher levels of carbohydrates, vitamin C, and calcium among those with longer time as participation in the health service . A previUnderstanding the role and importance of balanced consumption of nutrients for a healthy diet, and the prevention and control of NCDs, some parameters guide adequate nutrient consumption. It is noteworthy that our result which stated that a significant increase in fiber consumption and adequacy was observed for both groups (CG and IG) over the course of the study, is in line with the recommendation .As for nutrients, the preference for unsaturated fats over saturated and trans fats and limiRegarding sodium, a consumption of less than 2 g per day is recommended, since its increased intake is associated with insufficient potassium consumption contributing to the development of arterial hypertension and increased risk of heart and cerebrovascular diseases . In thisThis study makes important contributions by demonstrating that health promotion service users tend to show improvement in the adequacy of nutrient consumption over time and that the collective intervention to encourage the consumption of FV, based on theories, potentiated these beneficial effects, further reducing total energy and protein consumption. It also showed greater adequacy in the consumption of nutrients, including those aimed at the prevention and control of NCDs, regardless of participation in the nutritional intervention, revealing the potential of the PAS to promote adequate and healthy eating. However, it is also vital that government strengthen public actions and policies that promote a healthy food environment consistent with the health recommendations offered by PAS. Among the limitations of this study is the possible information bias on food consumption, inherent to food surveys. To minimize their possible effects, the instruments were applied by a data collection team trained every six months and a home-measurement kit was used to help identify the portions of food consumed. Another limitation relates to the quality of the nutritional composition tables that contain restricted data in relation to the foods consumed by the population. To reduce this limitation, tables of the nutritional composition of foods commonly consumed in Brazil were used, developed from the Family Budget Surveys; food label information and/or recipe standardizations were added, when necessary. Additionally, not having investigated the intake of vitamin supplements and the fact that some study participants already had arterial hypertension or diabetes were some other limitations of the study, but adjustments were made to minimize this effect as well. The external validity of this study is limited, considering that the participants come from health promotion services, and may differ from the general population, including the motivation to make changes in health-related behaviors. However, its data are relevant for the Brazilian PHC and for the adequacy of public policies and educational actions developed within the scope of PAS, which includes, among its objectives, the prevention and control of NCDs. Finally, there was a loss of follow-up during the study; however, data imputation was performed to minimize possible interference from this loss. The strengths of this study are the sample size and the study design with a high level of scientific evidence, which allowed us to obtain reliable data on the effectiveness of nutritional intervention on the nutrient profile, including those aimed at the prevention and control of NCDs, gaps existing in the literature and identified by systematic reviews ,38. FurtResults of this study pointed to the practical importance of health promotion services for the positive development of the nutrient consumption profile, including those associated with the prevention and control of NCDs. Thus, this study has practical importance, which can guide the expansion of actions carried out within the scope of PAS, including in its routine actions to promote adequate and healthy food."} +{"text": "Therefore, more and more reflections on the impacts and applicability of studies have permeated the center of discussions at a global level, especially considering the growing increase in knowledge production. In this scenario, research translation (RT) has a notable importance insofar as the social commitment of research establishes that the knowledge arising from investigations must reverberate in fruitful and beneficial results for society, configuring a core premise of research. However, the weaknesses regarding transfer and application of knowledge from research in health services\u2019 practice are still notoriousRT tunes in and correlates with the translation of knowledge, evoking, for its understanding, an imaginative variation that expresses a dynamic, interactive, multidirectional and participatory movement that involves several nuances related to health demands and characteristics of research designs, institutional actors, starting points and intersections. From this perspective, RT aims to use evidence and knowledge to close gaps and leverage transformations ethically, responsibly and effectively in health care practice., given that, often, the knowledge unveiled is not transferred and concretely implemented in health practices and in health management and training policies. In this regard, the incipient understanding and implication of RT presents itself as a complex challenge, especially considering the plurality of concepts and terminologies that touch RT as well as the gaps regarding the forms of implementation.Therefore, it is crucial to understand the tenuous distinction between knowledge translation and evidenceTherefore, RT presents itself as an area still under development and covered in complexity. This is due to the pressing need to overcome obstacles, such as the inclusion of a translational perspective in research planning, weaknesses in the researcher\u2019s training path, resulting in unpreparedness and inexperience for RT, lack of dialogue between researchers and services, inaccessibility of evidence for services, managers and potential users of knowledge, restriction of knowledge to the academy, lack of resources and investments, in addition to the historical devaluation of qualitative research results..On the other hand, from the identification of challenges, perspectives and initiatives to overcome them are outlined, highlighting the recovery of research\u2019s social commitment, development of networks for dissemination and transfer of the results obtained, use of methodologies and rigorous, reproducible, and transparent research designs that include translation, reflection on the understandability of findings, increased investments, and communication strategies. Such actions favor accessibility to research and encourage a break with traditional and conservative models that tend to perpetuate unidirectional and limited patterns, which do not guarantee the realization of the public utility of the study and the strengthening of health and research systemsThus, considering the aforementioned considerations as well as the spreading of knowledge disassociated from the effective incorporation of evidence in places where care is provided, which would have repercussions in advances in health care, the following reflections emerged: is there understanding, support and preparation for RT in Brazil? What paths and bridges do we need to build to ensure the effective implementation of research results? What is the future of RP? Where are we going?The discussions raised here converge to the pressing need to (re)think research, its applications and purposes, with the intention of orchestrating them under the aegis of knowledge translation and social commitment, making RT a priority issue and intending to build paths and perspectives that value reflexivity, dissemination of knowledge and collaborative work, promoting powerful, safe and assertive transformations in health care practice for the population.In summary, this editorial is expected to promote new reflections on the subject, contributing to re-signification of RT by reducing the distance between theory and practice, in addition to boosting engagement and concentration of efforts by researchers, research centers and services to improve transfer and use of knowledge obtained, with the aim of remodeling practices and providing subsidies to guide the decision-making process safely and reasonably, whether in clinical practice or in health policies."} +{"text": "The growth in our knowledge of the diversity of the herpetofauna of Mexico has occurred over the period of approximately 445 years from the work of Francisco Hern\u00e1ndez to that of a broad multinational array of present-day herpetologists. The work of this huge group of people has established Mexico as one of the most significant centers of herpetofaunal biodiversity in the world. This status is the result of a complex orography, in addition to diverse habitats and environments and the biogeographic history of Mexico. The current herpetofauna consists of 1,421 native and introduced species, allocated to 220 genera, and 61 families. This figure is comprised of 1,405 native species and 16 non-native species (as of April 2023). The non-native species include two anurans, 13 squamates, and one turtle. The level of endemism is very high, presently lying at 63%, with this level expected to increase with time. Species richness varies among the 32 federal entities in the country, from a low of 50 in Tlaxcala to a high of 492 in Oaxaca. Amphibian species richness by state-level can be envisioned as comprising three levels of low, medium, and high, with the lowest levels occurring in the Peninsula of Baja California, a group of seven states in north-central and central Mexico, and a group of three states in the Yucatan Peninsula, with the highest levels occupying the southern states of Guerrero, Puebla, Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Chiapas, and the medium level in the remaining states of the country. Reptile species richness also can be allocated to three categories, with the lowest level occupying Baja California Sur, a group of central states, and the states of the Yucatan Peninsula, and the highest level found in a cluster of the states of Veracruz, Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Knowledge of the Mexican herpetofauna will continue to grow with additional studies on systematics, conservation, and the construction of checklists at various levels. Historically, our knowledge of the diversity of different biological groups in Mexico has increased through the accumulation of local, regional, state, and/or country level studies mammals: . In studThe contributions of Finally, between 1990 and 2000, a strong interest in biodiversity led to an assessment of the herpetofauna of Mexico at both the regional and state levels , b. SubsChiropterotritonaureus or C.nubilus compiled by the authors, which were searched from 1940 to date;records obtained in specialized journals, such as Mesoamerican Herpetology, ZooKeys, Zootaxa, Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, Herpetological Review, and Amphibian & Reptile Conservation, as well as publications of newly described species for the country (until 30 April 2023);https://www.gob.mx/conabio); anddatabases generated from projects undertaken by the Comisi\u00f3n Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (https://www.gbif.org/), and authenticated by geographic distribution records from previously published literature.records of amphibians and reptiles from Mexico obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (https://www.amnh.org), and for reptiles, based on the Reptile Database website (http://www.reptile-database.org/).All taxonomic changes and the identification of the species were based on the most recent taxonomic revisions . The sciOur results show that the current native herpetofauna of Mexico is comprised as follows: amphibians = 16 families, 58 genera, and 430 species and 14 reptiles .Currently, 16 species of non-native or exotic amphibians and reptiles have been reported from Mexico , includiThe percentage of species endemism of the Mexican herpetofauna is very high at 63.1% maintain the highest richness levels to that of Chihuahua , of which the latter is 165.5 times larger than the former are found in the two states of the Peninsula of Baja California, a north-central swath of states that include Coahuila, Nuevo Le\u00f3n, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, and Guanajuato, two small states in central Mexico, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico, and Tlaxcala, and the Yucatan Peninsula states, Campeche, Yucat\u00e1n, and Quintana Roo Fig. . The nexAccording to the number of species of reptiles by state the resulting categories are somewhat different than those for the amphibians, since the lowest rank (32\u2013120) is occupied by the states of Baja California Sur, a smaller central Mexican swath that includes Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Quer\u00e9taro, Estado de M\u00e9xico, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico, Tlaxcala, and Morelos, the state of Colima, and the states of the Yucatan Peninsula Fig. . The medThe richness of amphibian and reptile species in Mexico has been the subject of study for several decades, generating various works listing the herpetofauna at the country level. In this study, we update the list of species to 1,421, of which 1,405 are native species, and 16 are non-native. The number of native species we record in this study is higher compared to that of recent works by The high species richness and endemism of both groups stands out compared to that of other groups of vertebrates in Mexico , since Jth century, the principal impulse that led to our current knowledge of the Mexican herpetofauna did not occur until the second half of the 19th century and was made possible through the contributions of th century the number of species in the country was ca. 219, but by the end of 20th century it had increased to 995 species (Fig. st century, the increased herpetofaunal species richness resulted from new state records (The brief historical review shown in the introduction of this work highlights the continuous study of the herpetofauna to date, since it began with the acknowledgement of the amphibian and reptile fauna by the Aztecs, which later increased with the Spanish conquest of the Americas . Althougies Fig. and Ameries Fig. . At the records and the records . All theBased on this number, the herpetofauna of Mexico has been analyzed by authors in other related fields, including conservation and biogThe states in southeastern Mexico, including Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Veracruz, have shown the highest amount of species richness Figs , and theFuture studies on systematics , regiona"} +{"text": "Emancipation andHealth: Decoloniality, Reparation, and Critical Reconstruction, the eventproposed a dialogue with previous editions and absorbed the discussions in the area,expressed in the Master Plan of the Commission of Social and Human Sciences in Healthdeveloped from 2020 to 2022. As it took place in a post-pandemic context, wheredemocratic institutions were being re-established and public policy investment cyclesstrengthened, the debates focused on diversity, the decolonial purpose, and the demandfor social reparation as guiding principles for both the production of public actionsand the production and sharing of knowledge.Another page in the history of Brazilian Public Health Association (Abrasco) was writtenfrom October 30 to November 3, 2023, during the 9th Brazilian Congress of Social andHuman Sciences in Health Decoloniality of Can-be-know-do: Challenges and Contributions ofSocial and Human Sciences in Health; Repairing HistoricalInjustices in the Field of Health: Ethos, Knowledge, Politics, and SocialAction; and Challenges for the Critical Reconstruction of Brazil:the Place and Contributions of Social and Human Sciences in Health. Threepanels were also held, guided by the preparatory discussions of the Congress, whichsought to address central themes in the area, such as The Distribution ofCapital and the Question of Visibility in the Field of Public Health;The Critical Vanguard of Human Sciences in Health and their Potential in theField of Public Health; and Training in (Public) Health in theExperience of Social and Human Sciences in Health.The dialogues and debates revolved around three major debates and 34 panel discussions ontopics such as The significant participation of the Social and Human Sciences in Health community wasevident and powerful, with almost 200 organizers and more than 2,300 participants at theCongress, 2,353 articles submitted and 1,770 presented in the 35 thematic meetings. Weinnovated methodologically by including representatives of the social movements on thescientific committee, who designed the activities with us and evaluated the articlessubmitted, and by holding meetings between generations of researchers and students and exchanges among researchers, students, andrepresentatives of the social movements (inter-knowledge snacks).The Congress brought many reflections on the role of Social and Human Sciences in Healthin the paradigmatic renewal movements in the field, on the protagonism and diversity ofepistemic subjects in a turn that affirms the plurality of rights, identities, andstruggles. It also points to the urgent need to review parameters for the inclusion"} +{"text": "Scientific mapping using bibliometric data network analysis was applied to analyze research works related to lipases and their industrial applications, evaluating the current state of research, challenges, and opportunities in the use of these biocatalysts, based on the evaluation of a large number of publications on the topic, allowing a comprehensive systematic data analysis, which had not yet been conducted in relation to studies specifically covering lipases and their industrial applications. Thus, studies involving lipase enzymes published from 2018 to 2022 were accessed from the Web of Science database. The extracted records result in the analysis of terms of bibliographic compatibility among the articles, co-occurrence of keywords, and co-citation of journals using the VOSviewer algorithm in the construction of bibliometric maps. This systematic review analysis of 357 documents, including original and review articles, revealed studies inspired by lipase enzymes in the research period, showing that the development of research, together with different areas of knowledge, presents good results related to the applications of lipases, due to information synchronization. Furthermore, this review showed the main challenges in lipase applications regarding increased production and operational stability; establishing well-defined evaluation criteria, such as cultivation conditions, activity, biocatalyst stability, type of support and reactor; thermodynamic studies; reuse cycles; and it can assist in defining goals for the development of successful large-scale applications, showing several points for improvement of future studies on lipase enzymes. Enzymes can act as natural catalysts on specific or non-selective substrates, usually under mild temperature, pressure, and pH conditions, and achieve high conversion rates . In thisLipases demonstrate several interesting properties, such as their ability to act at the interface between aqueous and non-aqueous phases, their ability to process all types of glycerides and free fatty acids in transesterification, specificity, high catalytic activity under milder reaction conditions, stability in organic solvents, and activity without cofactors. These properties of lipases demonstrate their good performance when applied in biocatalysis in the most diverse processes . For exaDue to the diversity of catalytic processes involving lipases, a large number of studies have been published proposing improvements in the characteristics and mechanisms of action of these biocatalysts, such as improved stability ,14, immoBibliometric analysis is a quantitative method that uses mathematical and statistical tools to measure the interrelationships and impacts of publications within a given area of research, resulting in a macroscopic view of a large number of academic works. VOSviewer is a program designed to build and visualize bibliometric maps based on network data, considering the strength of the connection between items .The emergence of scientific databases, such as Scopus and Web of Science, made it relatively easy to acquire large volumes of bibliometric data. This phenomenon associated with bibliometric software enables extensive data analysis, motivating academic interest in bibliometric analysis . TherefoThe present study highlights the relationship of study networks involving lipase enzymes, based on a search of the literature in English in the Web of Science (WS) database from 2018 to 2022 to highlight, through scientific mapping, the most researched topics involving lipases. With this, it was possible to identify the challenges related to the scale-up of the process catalyzed by lipases and to show perspectives for future research that seek to increase the production and operational stability of processes enzymatic.Bibliometric analysis is a quantitative method that uses mathematical and statistical tools to measure the interrelationships and impacts of publications within a given area of research, resulting in a macroscopic view of a large number of academic literature works .The data collected for this research was based on WS. The search expressions form the terms \u201clipase\u201d and \u201cindustrial applications\u201d for the topics in this field, which performs word searches in titles, abstracts, and keywords. According to Gon\u00e7alves et al. ,25,26, tAccording to Uman , systemaBibliographic coupling measures the proximity between two articles by comparing their references. Therefore, the greater the number of references they share, the greater the similarity between them, which can be theoretical, methodological, or another shared particularity . Figure The articles are indicated by a label and, by default, a circle. Thus, the more citations the document has, the larger the circle in the bibliographic coupling will be. The articles by the authors Chapman et al. , Basso aIn the bibliographic coupling chart, the strength of a link indicates the number of cited references that two publications have in common . Table 1Chandra et al. and MahfIn this context, from the connection network established among the articles, it is possible to observe the similarity of the research topics developed by these authors, evidenced by the total link strength value shown in bibliographic coupling.Keyword co-occurrence analysis assumes that words often appear together and have a thematic relationship . VOSviewIn order to identify possible topics researched in the last five years, a network was built for the co-occurrence of keywords. From the information extracted from the WS, the minimum number of five occurrences for a keyword was established, resulting in a total of 140 keywords identified for constructing the network graph in VOSviewer, as presented in With the grouping of terms, it was possible to identify the existing relationships among topics in the field of research of enzyme immobilization, studies on enzymatic catalysis, its characteristics, and studies on enzymes from microbial sources . In cluster 2 (in green), the search terms were enzymes, cold-adapted lipases, enzyme identification, and classification. Cluster 3 (dark blue) presented a search set involving nanoparticle stability, in vitro antioxidant stability, transesterification, esterification, and biodiesel. The terms in cluster 4 (in yellow) are related to research on biotechnology, directed evolution of enzymes, stability, and enzyme stability. In cluster 5 (in purple), the researched topics were directed to the production and application of lipases, in which the terms industrial application, biochemical characterization, extracellular lipase, production of lipases, solid-state fermentation, and microbial lipases appear. Cluster 6 (in light blue) contains search terms related to enzyme production, optimization, hydrolysis, fermentation, substrate, purification, alkaline lipases, and microbial lipases.Co-occurrence links present the strength of the relationship between items (link strength), represented by a positive numerical value. Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic; International Journal of Biological Macromolecules; Bioresource Technology; Process Biochemistry; Enzyme and Microbial Technology; Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology; Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry; and Biotechnology Advances have very dense and highlighted areas on the map, showing a more significant number of citations in these journals in the investigated period. In addition, it is possible to observe on the map that these journals are located close to each other, indicating closely related research fields. The journal co-citation map shows the structure of the researched scientific areas. For the construction of the map, journals with a minimum of ten citations were selected, totaling 429 journals used to construct the co-citation map. Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic; Process Biochemistry, and Enzyme and Microbial Technology hold great relevance for research mainly related to enzyme immobilization. Therefore, it was possible to obtain an overview of the structure of the co-citation map of the journals, to observe the intellectual links among journals, and the impact of this network through the visualization of the density map , which is one of the few liquid lipase formulations for industrial application. A genetically-modified lipase, derived from the lipase of the fungus Thermomyces lanuginosus [In general, soluble enzymes do not present characteristics that allow their application in large-scale continuous processes. With their sensitivity to process conditions, low stability, and difficult reuse at an industrial scale, studies focus on immobilization techniques to improve this performance . When weuginosus ,78, withuginosus ,80. Curruginosus ,82,83.The main goal of immobilization techniques is the protection of enzymes under extreme environmental conditions, including the influence of temperature, pH, and organic solvents during the application processes, allowing enzymatic activity to be maintained even under various reaction conditions since the main function of the support is to stabilize the enzyme structures and, consequently, to preserve enzyme efficacy and storage. Immobilized enzymes are more robust, show higher stability, and are easier to handle compared to their soluble forms. They are also easily recovered/recycled after use ,86,87,88Enzyme immobilization methods include physical adsorption, ionic and covalent bonds, and various techniques such as binding, entrapment, encapsulation, and reticulation. Various organic and inorganic materials or carriers can be used to apply enzyme immobilization techniques ,89. ImmoIn the food industry, for example, studies show that immobilized enzymes are applied in different stages of food and beverage processing, in brewing, meat tenderization, baking, and protein hydrolysis, offering numerous advantages such as stabilization and reuse, which enable cost reduction ,78,91,92Lipase immobilization techniques have been the subject of several studies developed over the years ,96,97,98In the graph generated by the program VOSviewer , it is oGoing deeper into these details, the authors address the relevance of recombinant technology studies with protein engineering, which act in the structural modification of this enzyme ,18, mainModeling and optimization by statistical experimental planning stand out in most of the works with lipase ,31. NoneAmong the observed works, when talking about the bioreactor, there is a range of studies that need to be considered for the effective dynamics of the reaction system, which should be considered for scale-up. Thus, the large amount of biocatalyst is mentioned, in relation to the efficiency of the reaction and the enzymatic activity, as well as the impregnation of the material on the reactor wall in continuous processes or for long periods, the adequate heat and mass transfer, the effective operational control, the combination of the reaction medium with the characteristic of the enzyme, the kinetic model of the reaction, and the amount of water in the medium ,32,47.The works with significant numbers of citations found in the search focus on lipase immobilization processes for application in industrial processes.Within this niche, the application is focused on the biotechnology and bioprocess sectors, which include food, cosmetics, biofuels, and environmental areas, which show the versatility of this enzyme.When observing the topics that comprise the optimization of lipases, studies are found evaluating both the supports for immobilization, fermentative processes of enzyme production, enzymatic purification, biochemical characterization, and the application in reactions in both an organic and inorganic media, reinforcing the breadth of use of this biocatalyst.It is verified that in the case of lipase immobilization techniques, the tests comprise the configuration of support materials, operational stability, and reuse.Kinetic studies are fundamental in this process of transition from laboratory scale to industrial scale. Allied with the computational modeling of these reactions, it allows us to determine and optimize operational parameters, in addition to enabling monitoring of the bioprocess and planning the structure necessary for implementation.Other factors that contribute to the previous topic are the genetic studies at the structural level of lipases, which allows the improvement of their characteristics regarding activity, productivity, thermal stability, reuse, and enantioselectivity.Compatibility studies considering the synergy of free or immobilized enzyme, reactor type, reaction medium, and product are fundamental to performing a combination that allows an efficient process, with high yields, and continuous operation processes.Lipases stand out in different industrial sectors with wide applicability; consequently, the number of research works involving this enzyme covers multiple areas of knowledge. Therefore, the systematic review presented aimed to map the potentiality of this biocatalyst aiming at its industrial application, where the following topics can be highlighted:Thus, the approach of enzyme technology focused on lipases is broad, requiring the combination of knowledge in protein engineering, immobilization, process engineering, and life cycle analysis to both understand the mechanisms that involve this biocatalyst and enable the use on an industrial scale with the least efficiency loss in the processes."} +{"text": "Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE), and Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR). The qualitative and quantitative findings were grouped into a four-level hierarchical matrix. The epidemiological profile of malaria morbidity, from traditional epidemiology, has been sustained by environmental problems, armed conflict, individual risk behaviors, and low adherence to recommendations from health institutions. However, the qualitative component reveals deeper causes that are less studied, of greater theoretical complexity, and that reflect challenges to design and implement health interventions, such as socioeconomic and political crises, poverty, and the neoliberal orientation in the malaria control policy; the latter reflected in the change in the role of the State, the fragmentation of control actions, the predominance of insurance over social assistance, the privatization of the provision of health services, the individualistic and economistic predominance of health, and low connection with popular tradition and community initiatives. The above confirms the importance of expanding mixed studies as a source of evidence to improve malaria research and control models in Colombia, and to identify the underlying causes of the epidemiological profile.Mixed methods are essential in public health research and malaria control, because they allow grasping part of the complexity and diversity of the factors that determine health-disease. This study analyzes the mixed studies on malaria in Colombia, 1980\u20132022, through a systematic review in 15 databases and institutional repositories. The methodological quality was assessed with The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-023-16098-5. Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum represent about 98% of all Colombian cases, and problems of plasmodial resistance to antimalarials or anophelines to insecticides do not explain their endemicity ) AND ) AND (Colombia), in Scielo with (ab: (mixed methods)) AND ) AND (Colombia) and ScienceDirect with Colombia Title, abstract, keywords: (mixed methods) AND malaria, do not generate results.Specifically in malaria, there are studies with mixed methods that have evaluated strategies for case reporting , health National Strategic Plan for Malaria 2019\u20132022 from Colombia. In connection with these purposes, the objective of this research was to analyze the mixed studies on malaria in Colombia published in the world scientific literature between 1980\u20132022, through a broad approach of Cochrane, which one summarize the scientific production in an area, update a field of knowledge, summarize the available evidence, identify the main research topics or gaps in research, define future lines of work, among other aspects [For all the above, it is important to carry out a systematic review in this field in order to synthesize the available evidence in the country and determine its methodological quality; know the main topics addressed; identify ways to articulate quantitative and qualitative evidence on malaria; identify issues with consistent evidence to guide public policy actions; generate hypotheses on aspects not yet explored or explained in qualitative or quantitative research; broaden the understanding of the processes underlying the epidemiological profile of malaria in Colombia; and ultimately, to generate evidence that allows us to complement the actions of aspects .A systematic review following PRISMA guideline . The revin Spanish Descriptores en Ciencias de la salud) and MeSH , the following search terms were identified: i) for the disease: malaria, Plasmodium, and Paludism; ii) for the method: mixed methods, qualitative, hermeneutic, ethnographies, ethnography, grounded theory, community-based participatory research, community-based research, participatory research, participatory action research, cultural anthropology, ethnopsychology. With these terms, nine search strategies were established and applied in the PubMed, OVID EMCare, Scielo, Science-Direct, Jstor, Web of Science, Campbell Collaboration / Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and HAPI databases . They were complemented with searches for other publications in Google Scholar, Redalyc, and the system of libraries and institutional repositories of the main Colombian universities with research on malaria . It is important to note that the systematic review was limited to Colombia, since the findings of other studies in countries with a similar parasitological situation such as Venezuela, Peru or Brazil, are not comparable in key aspects of this review such as the following: type of system of health, type of disease control program, characteristics of the territory , political and social situation , among other characteristics that may offer disparate results or that they are not applicable to the reality of Colombia. To manage references and eliminate duplicates we use Zotero.We apply four inclusion criteria: include search terms in title, abstract, or keywords ; be a study on malaria as the central outcome; developed in a Colombian population; and that it was original research. In this review we only applied two exclusion criteria: studies executed without a design based on mixed methods , and studies with incomplete information or without data from the two components of a mixed study on malaria. Two researchers conducted this phase independently and discrepancies were resolved by consensus.Data extraction from the selected manuscript was carried out by extracting the following variables: title, authors, year of publication, study location, number and central characteristics of the study subjects, type of mixed study, data collection instruments, central theme or objective, central results of the quantitative component, categories of the qualitative component and conclusions. Then, qualitative synthesis was conducted. Two researchers also conducted this phase independently and discrepancies were resolved by consensus.Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT)\" [STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines were applied for the quantitative component [Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) guidelines were applied for the qualitative component [Two researchers independently guaranteed the reproducibility of the studies' methodological quality assessment . The methodological rigor of the studies was evaluated based on the criteria of the guide \" (MMAT)\" . Given tomponent , becauseomponent . The supCollected search results, screening, and data extraction process, were made in Excel. The percentage of studies that met each of the methodological quality criteria was determined, and for each study, the percentage of quality criteria met was determined. Because, in the quantitative component, the studies evaluated different units of analysis and studied heterogeneous subjects, it was not possible to carry out a quantitative synthesis , but rather a qualitative one of the main variables, proportions, and temporal trends in malaria. In the qualitative component, the main categories reported from the studies were analyzed, and for each one, its properties (characteristics of a category that give it meaning) and dimensions were identified.Once the synthesis of the findings of each component was made, its articulation was carried out through a matrix in which the results were grouped in four levels:The most investigated , called the epidemiological profile of malaria, includes aspects of morbidity, mortality, outbreaks, and knowledge surveys.The second grouped the characteristics of the malaria control program after of the reform to the health system (Law 100 of 1993), giving an account of the impacts of this change on the operation and achievements of the program.In the most profound or structural aspects, the changes in the Colombian health system in the 1990s appear.The base of the hierarchy includes structural and permanent problems from Colombia in the last four decades, such as poverty; economic, social and political crises, and the neoliberal turn in the Colombian economic system.Some approaches of the critical realism were taken to define these levels. Critical realism is an epistemological stance that allows overcoming the limitations of positivism and hermeneutics by making explicit the importance of investigating the simultaneity, interrelation, and superposition of the dimensions of reality : the empirical (observer's perceptions), historical, and transfactual .n\u2009=\u200991), Redalyc (n\u2009=\u200952), and the system of libraries and institutional repositories of the main Colombian universities (n\u2009=\u200944). Only 491 articles with search terms in title, abstract, or keywords were screened. Of the 153 eligible texts, 94 epidemiological studies (quantitative), ten entomological studies, 9 in vivo or in vitro models, 11 qualitative, and 20 corresponding to other typologies were excluded. Therefore, only nine investigations that applied mixed methods were included , allowed the identification of 127,679 records, of which 187 were identified in the manual search in Google Scholar . In this sense, most studies did not correctly describe the quality criteria applied in their quantitative component, being bias control the least applied. In the qualitative component, the least applied items were the specification of the type of study and the guarantee of reflexivity Fig.\u00a0.Fig. 2AsHousing: important characteristics are reported, such as poor material conditions of the floor, ceiling, and walls, as well as the absence of sanitary infrastructure in most of the cases analyzed (greater than 70%) [han 70%) .Families: in this unit stands out the high proportion of poverty , the high risk of greater impoverishment due to the disease, and due to the type of economic activity of its members (primarily people who are paid for each workday), absence of protection mechanisms against malaria and overcrowding [crowding . The extcrowding .Subjects exposed to malaria: the largest proportion does not attend hospitals because they are far from their homes, the long waiting times, the poor-quality care (friendliness), and delay in diagnosis [iagnosis . There aiagnosis .Malaria control program at the municipal, departmental or national level: the following findings are highlighted: i) the national trends evaluated since 1960 show that mortality has decreased and morbidity has increased, with an underestimation of cases between 15\u201325%, and with the presence of outbreaks in some years [ii) in the decade 1991\u20132000, the highest incidence occurred in the Department of Antioquia (one of those that reports the highest proportion of cases in the country), the highest peaks occurred between 1992 and 1995 with 17 municipalities concentrating 75% of all the Department's cases [iii) Antioquia, like the national average, shows a decrease in mortality from 1946 to 2003 [me years ; ii) in 's cases , 35; iii to 2003 , 39, alt to 2003 . After 1 to 2003 .Information related to units of analysis such as housing and families in endemic areas, exposed subjects, and control programs were obtained:However, morbidity trends should be analyzed with caution due to the following problems in data availability: decrease and lack of knowledge over several years of the number of blood samples examined ; underreAdded to the above is a recent study showing a low diagnostic and epidemiological surveillance capacity in some areas. For example, the Rond\u00f3n study with 25 diagnostic sites in southern Colombia indicates that less than 30% had microscopy stations; approximately half of them performed the diagnosis for malaria, and the rest only took the sample and sent it to a reference laboratory; the Secretariat of Health of the Amazon (Colombia) does not carry out monitoring visits, and only 60% of the diagnostic points participate in quality assurance programs . HoweverIn this component, issues related to the concept of health were found in some exposed subjects from rural areas, socioeconomic characterization of some studied regions, the role of the State, and impacts of the change in Colombia's general health social security system in 1993.Regarding the conceptions of health of some endemic areas' residents, it was mentioned that health is related to biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors. At the same time, the disease is explained in terms of socioeconomic problems reflected in the absence of sewerage, little supply of water and food, among others. Also, nosological systems that group diseases into infectious , behaviors that affect health , pests , and environmental problems were found , 36.In describing the socioeconomic context, some authors found that migration to urban areas to seek better education and income generates problems of food insecurity . This isIn some testimonies, the importance of having a strong State was also highlighted, even though the reality of the residents of some endemic areas of the Department of Antioquia, mainly in the rural area, shows the low presence of the State, the failure to comply with its responsibilities in security, its inability to control armed groups, low coverage of basic health-care services, problems (and in some cases absence) of road infrastructure, few incentives for agricultural production and low inclusion of social organizations in activities related to managing their health .Finally, various categories were found that account for the negative effects of changes in the Colombian general health social security system at the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s, from the perspective of key actors such as experts from the Pan American Organization of Health, the National Institute of Health, the departmental and local health secretariats, as well as operational personnel and community leaders. In this sense, it is indicated that since 1993 there have been radical changes in the structure and organization of public health programs and in the functions or responsibilities of territorial entities, which resulted in fewer investments in core public health issues, and loss of the capacity and experience gained in previous decades. Also, significant territorial gaps in planning, allocation of resources, personnel, training, disease monitoring, and intersectoral coordination are outlined .Although the most significant impacts have been recorded since 1993, several authors highlight that the significant changes related to the competencies of territorial entities, particularly the decentralization that affected public health programs, had been a constant and long-term process in Colombia since 1986, modeled by Laws 12 of 1986, 10 of 1990, 60 of 1993, 715 of 2001, being a milestone Law 100 of 1993 that completely reformed the health system , 38. In Malaria was classified as one of the most critical health problems among the subjects studied. The main symptoms of malaria, the causative agent, the vector, and the prevention methods are identified. The subjects know that the vector lives and reproduces in stagnant waters, that transmission occurs by mosquito bites, that the tropical climate partly explains the disease's presence, and that the mosquito is found in bushes, near garbage, stagnant water swamps and latrines. Knowledge is often not directly related to practice; many people start self-medicating since no prescription is required in pharmacies , 36.People living in endemic areas go to health services or traditional healers. They make the initial (symptomatic) diagnosis at home and manage it with medicinal plants, although as the fever progresses, they visit the health center for pharmacological treatment . Most suIn addition to cultural practices and beliefs, the primary socio-ecological dynamics related to malaria include mining, migration, armed conflict, and climatic variations . In addii.Loss of progress made since the Malariology Campaign from 1943 and the Malaria Eradication Service (in Spanish SEM) from 1956, in terms of community education and training, active case detection , operatiii.An economic emphasis of the program , with a prevalence of privatization in disease care and an individualistic view of health .iii.Disarticulation and fragmentation of responsibilities and preventive actions, low integration with local health plans, and little participation of the community and local authorities in control activities .iv.Since 1991, a deterioration in malaria control has been observed, associated with decentralization and the subjection of health policy to market principles, with progressive weakening of State responsibilities, dismantling of installed capacity, loss of know-how and experience acquired, fragmentation of control actions, and the collapse of the information system .v.Reduction of economic resources allocated to the program, subordination of health care to insurance contracts, delayed payments for health service providers, and little clarity on the allocation and administration of resources , 39, 40.vi.Organizational problems since the health secretariats are subject to political influence, with little participation of the personnel and an unstable relationship with institutions of training. Additionally, there is personnel without sufficient technical skills, low salary, corruption in hiring, little horizontal and vertical articulation with other vector control programs, and delays in providing drugs, mosquito nets, and insecticides .Finally, in this component it is highlighted the testimonies of key actors and the documentary research on the negative impacts that the changes in the General Health Social Security System had on the malaria control program in Colombia, highlighting the following events:i.clinical-epidemiological profile of malaria. This level includes the findings of the quantitative component of the studies that show increasing trends in morbidity, the presence of outbreaks, groups with a higher prevalence of the event, and high levels of knowledge about the causes, symptoms, transmission, treatment and prevention of malaria.The first would correspond to the most visible part or to the proximal processes, closest to the clinical-epidemiological outcome, which materialize in the ii.characteristics of the malaria control program after the changes introduced with the health reforms that began in the late 1980s, highlighting the reduction in the program's budget, problems with information systems and surveillance, fragmentation of malaria control actions, among others.The second level shows the iii.The previous characteristics are based on the changes derived from implementing the new social security health law (Law 100 of 1993), whose axes were the economic vision of health, decentralization, privatization, the reduction of social spending, among other neoliberal policies.iv.Finally, all the previous characteristics underlie problems related to the neoliberal economic system, the change in the role of the State, poverty, and the social, economic and political crises that the country has experienced Fig.\u00a0.The previous results account for proximal, intermediate, and structural processes associated with malaria in Colombia. Using some postulates of critical realism Fig.\u00a0, the eviFigure\u00a0It confirms that in malaria research in Colombia, the biomedical studies focused on the parasite, the vector and clinical-epidemiological aspects predominate ;It coincides with previous systematic reviews that demonstrate the low academic-scientific production in qualitative studies and social processes that underlie malaria , 45;This predominance of approaches of traditional epidemiology will not allow progress in the intervention of the malaria in Colombia since its conception of health is limited in theoretical and practical terms .Through 9 search strategies applied in 15 sources, the study found nine mixed studies on malaria in Colombia published between 1986 and 2018 in various topics and units of analysis. This low number of studies accounts for several important aspects:Regarding the last aspect, it is worth noting that, in health philosophy and social epidemiology, this phenomenon has been called the \"paradigm in crisis\" of classical epidemiology. This phenomenon occurs because their reasoning and methods do not address all levels of reality ; they assume the population only as the sum of individuals , favoring the measurement of biological factors, behavioral factors or external environmental exposures; they do not allow addressing social, historical and cultural aspects of the health-disease process; they generate partial public policy recommendations given the limitations of their ontological, epistemological and methodological foundations; and they have low explanatory power for key outcomes such as morbidity or mortality .The above highlights the importance of articulating the quantitative tradition with qualitative findings that make it possible to overcome some of the limitations mentioned above. In this sense, this systematic review shows the advantages of mixed studies by revealing social, economic, political, cultural, and historical causes, generally not revealed in the hegemonic research on malaria in Colombia. Thus, the advantages of mixed methods materialize, such as capturing part of the complexity and diversity of the factors that determine health disease; enriching the results of traditional epidemiological studies ; improviIn the quantitative and qualitative findings, it was common the reference to homes, families, and socioeconomic context characterized by poverty and its related problems such as migration , food insecurity, barriers to access to health services and the increased risk of becoming ill. This complexity of the social and economic contexts in which the disease occurs has been widely documented for general issues that relate to poverty, malnutrition, and infectious diseases . These aIn this regard, it is essential to clarify that the studies in this review that refer to poverty are not exhaustive or precise in the use of this concept. In this sense, it is important to note that in the study of poverty, there are multiple visions , approaches , definitions , methods , and measurement typologies (univariate or multivariate) demonstrating that this field of study is complex. In the case of malaria in Colombia, it is a subject that has not been rigorously investigated, which should be corrected in subsequent studies .i) social representations, meanings, perceptions, wisdom, experiences, and practices about the health-disease process; ii) nosology, knowledge, beliefs and therapeutic itineraries of the traditional health system; and iii) the meanings of the health-disease process as a material, cultural and spiritual reality [On the other hand, it is essential to note that the social and practical representations that subjects and communities have regarding malaria are part of a broader sociocultural system referred to social constructions on health and its value, and they determine the initial actions against health, disease care, hospital consultation and the type of treatment accessed. The finding from the systematized studies in this research coincides with a previous review on the qualitative studies of malaria in Colombia, in which it is established that, from the perspective of social actors, their conception of the health system revolves around the following categories: reality . These aIn this regard, it was also found that the knowledge, attitudes, and practices about the causality, transmission, treatment, and prevention of malaria are satisfactory. This finding indirectly reflects the effect of the education, communication, and health information campaigns that different institutions and community groups have carried out on the disease as part of the objectives of control programs since 1957, which has resulted in the incorporation of a part of biomedical knowledge in the communities , 38. TheIn the structural aspects that determine the profile of malaria, multiple testimonies captured in the qualitative component highlight two interrelated factors, the low presence of the State and the armed conflict derived from this, findings that coincide with that reported in a systematic review of qualitative studies carried out in Colombia . The nexThe results of this research also show that the establishment of neoliberal policies in Colombia, at the end of the 1980s and during the 1990s, negatively affected public health in general and malaria control in particular, because it implied the reduction of the budget, fragmentation of the information system, disarticulation of control actions, reduction of active surveillance of cases, reduction of the diagnostic effort, among other effects derived from the change from a healthcare model to an insurance model, adjusted to the logic of private markets and decentralization. These findings coincide with previous publications that have documented multiple characteristics of neoliberalism in health, highlighting the positioning of the private sector for health care or \"privatization of individual health\"; the lack of financing of the public sector and the dissemination of the idea of its inefficiency to justify the participation of private health companies; assume the provision of health services as an axis of capitalist accumulation; promote the use of generally expensive technologies that result in the need to accept private capital; outsource hospital processes; give technocratic management to the health system; prioritize economic efficiency mainly by reducing costs and medical personnel; and not addressing issues of health inequities as a priority \u201357.Despite the fact that some narratives of the qualitative component relate the changes in the health system with the economic model , the evidence on this relationship is not solid or consistent, which requires further investigation. In general, the structural or deep determinants of the epidemiological profile of malaria in Colombia were only captured in the qualitative component, which has limitations in its inference; For this reason, more quantitative and mixed studies are required to analyze these findings in greater detail.This research shows that health education and communication efforts have effectively generated a significant amount of knowledge about the etiology, symptoms, treatment, and prevention of the disease. It also shows that malaria morbidity has not been effectively impacted in the last decades. The epidemiological profile of malaria morbidity, from traditional epidemiology, has been sustained by environmental problems, armed conflict, individual risk behaviors, and low adherence to recommendations from health institutions. However, the qualitative component of the mixed studies reveals deeper causes that are less studied, of greater theoretical complexity, and that reflect greater challenges to design and implement health interventions, such as socioeconomic and political crises, poverty, and the neoliberal orientation in the policy of malaria control; The latter reflected in the change in the role of the State, the fragmentation of control actions, the predominance of insurance over social assistance, the privatization of the provision of health services, an individualistic and economistic predominance of health, low connection with the popular heritage and the social and community initiatives, among others. These characteristics show the importance of expanding mixed studies as a source of evidence to improve malaria research and control models in Colombia and identify the underlying causes of the epidemiological profile. The intervention of the underlying causes is not being included in current control policies, plans, and projects.Additional file 1."} +{"text": "The Science of Nature grants the Arnold Berliner Award to the lead author of an article which represents excellent, original, and\u2014especially\u2014interdisciplinary research. As such, the winning articles clearly reflect the vision of Arnold Berliner (Autrum As every year, r Autrum . Springer Autrum , a 2-yeaI am very proud that, this year, the Editorial Board of our journal has decided to award Cynthia Tedore Fig. for the On behalf of the Editorial Board, I congratulate Cynthia Tedore, the two co-first authors Mateusz Glenszyk and David Outomuro, and the rest of the team on the award."} +{"text": "Chung Un Lee, was a pioneer of tropical medicine research in China, serving as the president of Guiyang Medical College, the dean of Peking Union Medical College, the vice president of the Chinese Medical Association, a member of the British Medical Association, and the Far Eastern Tropical Medical Association Lu, 199. Chung UChung Un Lee, a native of Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, was born in 1894. His father was influenced by the Reform thoughts when he was the magistrate of Shandong and established the first local new-style primary school, where Chung Un Lee studied . In 1908In 1913, Chung Un Lee entered the medical school of the University of Glasgow in the UK . The schIn 1923, Chung Un Lee published the article \u201cA Filarial Survey in British Guiana, 1921\u201d in the Journal of Helminthology, which included a survey visit to the local domicile, and covered ~50% of the Chinese in Georgetown. According to the census returns for 1921, there were 2,722 Chinese in British Guiana, mostly native-born, and the local Chinese were mostly spared from filariasis or elephantiasis. He found through blood tests and a survey of lifestyle habits that the lower incidence of filariasis among the Chinese was attributable to their attention to personal hygiene, with most falling asleep soon after dark and almost all sleeping under mosquito nets, a traditional habit that allowed them to avoid infection. This finding suggested that filariasis is dangerous regardless of race and that there is no racial immunity .In June 1923, Chung Un Lee returned to his homeland and took up an assistant professorship in the Department of Internal Medicine at Peking Union Medical College, from which he started a new medical career. Chung Un Lee pioneered the research of tropical diseases in China and established tropical disease observatories in the epidemic areas in the south. Many scientific studies from the 1920s and 1930s were focused on parasitic diseases, especially filariasis, malaria, schistosomiasis, and kala-azar.Microthrix parvicella infection was high, whereby lymphatic disease is also evident. His study of paraffin sections of a series of mosquitoes collected from Tsing Kiang Pu revealed that a significant proportion of C. pipiens were negative for different stages of pathogen development, and although no larva was found in the rostrum, larvae at different stages of development were found in the pectoral muscles, which provides strong evidence that both C. pipiens and Culex fatigans can serve as effective intermediate hosts for Filaria bancrofti in China. This led to the conclusion that filariasis is carried by human-associated mosquitoes such as Culex spp., and is mainly caused by indoor infection (At the beginning of the 20th century, there was high incidence of filariasis in China, which is typical in southern regions. In 1926, Chung Un Lee started his research on filariasis in China, and in response to the occurrence of filariasis and elephantiasis in the population north of the Yangtze River, Chung Un Lee examined 363 people for microfilament disease, finding that the rate of microfilament disease in people with signs of filarial infection was much higher than in those who were free from filarial disease . He alsonfection . ThroughAnopheles, the vector of malaria, and proposing countermeasures for the epidemic and clinical treatment of malaria. In the Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chung Un Lee\u2019s team conducted >3,700 experiments in the decade from 1925 to 1935. In 1936, he proposed that two infections, malaria, and relapsing fever, occur after blood transfusion. Based on a study of the occurrence of 54 cases, he found that malaria in most people is the result of direct blood transmission from transfusion donors, thus proposing that blood transfusion is a route for transmitting the pathogen. Accidental transmission of benign tertian malaria or relapsing fever to a person whose health is already compromised by some existing disease is a risk factor for complications, and in malaria-endemic areas, the effects can even be catastrophic, so that the most stringent measures must be used to minimize the incidence of accidental transmission through blood transfusion (Chung Un Lee conducted extensive research on malaria, studying the identification, habits, and control of nsfusion .Plasmodium falciparum or crescents from the blood. Quinine\u2019s strong bitter taste and induction of intoxication symptoms, especially in susceptible individuals, also greatly reduce its value as an antimalarial agent. In addition, the cultivation of quinine-derived cinchona trees is limited to certain regions of the world, and quinine production was monopolized by private companies, which further contributed to unreasonably high drug prices. It is out of these considerations that Chung Un Lee introduced plasmochin, a new synthetic product invented by the Elberfield Pharmaceutical Laboratory in 1925. It belongs to the same class of drugs as quinine, and treatment with a combination of quinine and plasmochin is more effective. In some cases of malaria, in which a decision needs to be made quickly, Chung Un Lee advocated the use of spleen puncture as a diagnostic tool. Even though some so-called irritant measures were applied in some cases, repeated blood examination failed to detect parasites, while after spleen puncture, there was a febrile reaction and parasites were found in peripheral blood (In the 1920s, Chung Un Lee confirmed the value of plasmochin as an antimalarial drug through the treatment history of 8 cases of malaria, 6 cases of benign malaria, and 2 cases of aestivo-autumnal malaria in Beijing. Although the value of quinine and its associated alkaloids is undeniable, in many respects they are not ideal specific drugs. Quinine is more specific for aestivo-autumnal malaria and has little effect on clearing al blood .in vitro could be extended up to two and a half months if the medium was changed frequently. This could be achieved using the small tissue culture method, which prevented bacterial contamination and desiccation of the media. Later, he studied the lethal action of four antimony compounds on schistosomes in vitro: chemically pure, sodium antimony tartrate, Fouadin, and antimony III-pyrocatechin-disulphonate of sodium (Schistosomiasis is also a tropical disease with a high incidence in China, mostly in the Yangtze River basin, which is the hardest hit. Chung Un Lee devised a simple technical method that keeps adult schistosomes alive without difficulty in artificial media for several weeks, or even months if necessary. The viability of the worms varies in different media, which may depend more on the inherent vitality of the parasite than on the nature of the medium . Chung Uf sodium .In the 1930s, kala-azar was widely prevalent in China in the region north of the Yangtze River, with hundreds of thousands of patients. Chung Un Lee proposed that sandflies might be the vector of kala-azar. He used an artificial feeding device to squeeChung Un Lee\u2019s research confirmed the infection of dogs with kala-azar and that patients could be infected by dogs. He conducted studies on the association of kala-azar in humans with sandflies and dogs, and identified the key factor of dogs in the epidemic of kala-azar. He and Dr Huei-Lan Chung confirmed that humans can be infected by dogs with kala-azar, and pointed out that the infection rate of dogs is much higher than that of humans after the bites of sandflies, thus concluding that dogs are the most important hosts of kala-azar . Based oIn a study of clinical manifestations and therapeutic drugs for kala-azar, Chung Un Lee conducted a clinical study of 394 cases of pathogenically confirmed kala-azar admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 51 of which were in the early stages. The results of the study showed that children are relatively susceptible to kala-azar, and the superficial lymph glands of children are significantly enlarged in the early stages of the disease. Severe complications may occur in the early stages of kala-azar, with two cases of acute agranulocytosis. Early diagnosis can be difficult since splenomegaly, leucopenia, and globulin precipitation are absent or negative. Early kala-azar must be differentiated from tuberculosis, malaria, typhoid fever, or undulant fever, and the possibility of pathogenesis can be considered when accompanied by a definite, progressive leucopenia-induced fever . In his In 1934, Chung Un Lee compared the efficacy of urea-stibamine and neostibosan in the treatment of kala-azar and suggested that urea-stibamine is more effective, but its toxicity is also more severe . In the In November 1937, Chung Un Lee left Beijing to attend the National Medical College of Guiyang, which was planned by the Ministry of Education to receive medical students affected by the war. On March 1 of the following year, the National Guiyang Medical College was established, and Chung Un Lee was officially appointed its president. Chung Un Lee\u2019s nine years at Guiyang Medical College were also nine significant years for medical education in China .In 1947, Chung Un Lee was appointed president of the Peking Union Medical College, the first Chinese president in its history . He firmChung Un Lee spent his life fighting for the eradication of tropical diseases in China, blazing the trail for research on kala-azar, filariasis, malaria, and schistosomiasis. He made various breakthrough achievements in tropical medicine and laid the foundation for related research in China. Chung Un Lee devoted himself to medical education, serving as the first president of the National Guiyang Medical College, where he proposed the motto of \u201cSincerity in oneself, loyalty to the group, and respect for the past and the future,\u201d sending a large number of medical experts to China during the war. He served as the president of Peking Union Medical College, was elected as the first academician of Academia Sinica, was a member of the first national committee of the Chinese People\u2019s Political Consultative Conference, and the chairman of the European and American Association. Chung Un Lee was a man who cared about the fate of the motherland and the suffering of the people, always adhering to the spirit of science and the principle of academic primacy, which made him a trailblazer in the research of tropical diseases in China."} +{"text": "Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2019, SARS-CoV-2 virus has undergone numerous mutations and several variants of concern (VOCs) have emerged. Here, we investigated the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 based on the virus sequencing data from the world, USA, and the local area . We examined the changes in prevalence of the WHO designated VOCs Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants in the world, USA, and Temple, TX for past three years. In addition, the time interval until the emergence of these VOCs in 20 major cities of USA and the local area were compared.The metadata for weekly sequenced cases of VOCs Alpha, Delta, and Omicron for the world and USA were downloaded from GISAID. The local data consisted of 8154 SARS-CoV-2 samples collected from patients of Central Texas VA hospital located in Temple, TX from March 2020 to April 2023. Our local catchment includes rural and urban area. All SARS-CoV-2 positive samples were sequenced regardless of their Cycle Threshold (CT) values. The penetration of VOCs in the USA was determined by the days from the first detection of each variant anywhere in the world until the first date that each variant appeared in each city.The prevalence changes of VOCs were similar across all three of our comparison areas . While Alpha and Delta showed gradual increase, Omicron showed a sharp increase. The fold increase of cases between Alpha to Delta, Delta to Omicron, and Alpha to Omicron were much bigger for Temple, TX than the US or across the world . The penetration of VOCs differed by region and by variants . Overall, the penetration of Alpha and Delta was much slower than Omicron. The penetration of Alpha to major cities took 41 to 419 days, and Delta penetration took 0 to 441 days. However, Omicron was penetrated to all major cities in only 12 to 42 days .Penetration of the VOCs in the USAFigure 1The changes in prevalence of the VOC variants Alpha, Delta, and Omicron in the world, USA and local catchment area and its impact. A. The number of VOCs in the world, USA and Temple, TX region. The number is compounded weekly from the week of March 15, 2020, to April 2, 2023. For the World and USA, data analysis is based on the samples sequenced and uploaded to GISAID database. Arrows indicate first detection date of each variant. B. The total number of sequenced cases for each VOCs in each region. C. The fold increase of the number of variants in the transition between Alpha to Delta, Delta to Omicron, and Alpha to Omicron in three regions.By analyzing regional penetration, our study demonstrates the diverse transmission characteristics of Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants. While the penetration of new VOCs such as Alpha and Delta was slower during the early years of the pandemic, Omicron spread was much more rapid. Understanding these transmission patterns of SARS-CoV-2 can help public health entities and the federal government better plan initiatives that help protect their citizens.Figure 2Penetration of the VOC variants to major cities in USA. Days were calculated from the first detection date of each variant in the world till its appearance in the city. The red gradients indicate early emergence while blue gradients indicate late arrival. Background map shows 2018 population of the areas.All Authors: No reported disclosures"} +{"text": "The intention of the present Special Issue is to focus on the latest research in the musculoskeletal system, with an emphasis on the molecular mechanisms underlying its pathophysiology, as well as innovative diagnostic tools and therapeutic perspectives. The musculoskeletal system is the biggest human organ system, comprising bones, providing support, articular cartilage, allowing joints to slide, ligaments and tendons, connecting all the bones together and muscles, with associated nerves and blood vessels, permitting them to contract and allowing the movement of the human body, which, in turn, underlies the basis of life. The mechanobiology of the musculoskeletal system is based on the strong interconnection between the mechanical forces and the biological cues of molecules, cells, and tissues which are connected in the kinetic chain in which one site alterations affect all the tissues and organs. It means that, when the tendon or ligament is damaged, the released metabolites, cytokines, extracellular vesicles, and other mediators affect the cartilage and bone locally, as well as the surrounding muscles, and even distant tissues due to the instauration of a systemic inflammatory response triggering a chain reaction throughout the body. The management of the pathological processes established at the molecular level requires a multidisciplinary approach based on a holistic view of the entire system in terms of prevention, early diagnosis, and innovative therapeutic approaches. The holistic view of the musculoskeletal system as an interdependent organ system has been highlighted by the authors contributing to the present special issue. For instance, Eldjoudi and co-authors , in theiThe muscle atrophy, fibrosis, and inflammation are the main causes of muscle weakness but also of the surrounding tissue impairment . There aAging represents another leading risk factor for musculoskeletal disorders, considering also the metabolic alterations that occur with aging, that may lead to undernutrition, dysbiosis, and other digestive system-related disorders, which, in turn, can worsen age-related variations, as in a vicious circle ,19. The Furthermore, skeletal muscle is considered the main site for insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and therefore, a primary target for insulin resistance in the human body. In a study by Grunwald et al. , the locRecently, in the perspective of the management of articular cartilage degenerative disorders, a multidisciplinary approach based on the construction of \u201csmart\u201d biomaterials for tissue engineering, able to interact both with the damaged and surrounding tissues, raised increasing attention among the scientific community ,23,24,25Finally, we wish to highlight the contributions to the present SI, focusing on the innovations in the examination and diagnostic tools used in the musculoskeletal disorder evaluation and treatment. For instance, the study by Kamp et al. evaluateWe express thanks to all the authors who contributed to this Special Issue, who added, through their researches, a small brick to this extensive wall of knowledge regarding the musculoskeletal disorder physiopathology, diagnosis, and therapeutic perspectives, providing new molecular-level insights and inviting the scientific community to further deepen research into the treated aspects."} +{"text": "To map the inclusion of affirmative policies in Postgraduate Nursing courses in Brazil.This is a descriptive, document-based study, carried out with information collected on the Sucupira Platform, via the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel, linked to the Ministry of Education. After data collection, carried out between October 2021 and March 2022, each public notice was read in full, in order to extract the following elements: name of the program; program code; name of the Higher Education Institution; acronym; Federative unit; and number of vacancies for master\u2019s courses.79 institutions in the country were identified, with a final sample of 67 evaluated programs, which were classified into nine types, based on the use of affirmative policy principles in academic and professional master\u2019s degrees.Postgraduate Nursing courses present an imbalance regarding the implementation of affirmative policies in their offers of regular vacancies, as well as in issues of equity in regional access and diversity in the social groups contemplated. During this period, the demand for plurality in public spaces and the discrimination of this part of the population gave rise to discussions on public policies for equal opportunities and on reorientations in the educational system,4.Through historical perception, it was observed that the conservative way of maintaining the privileged classes in the field of educational, social and media resources, recurrent for generations, provided the practice of discriminatory processes in multiple scenarios. Thus, it was understood that discriminatory actions were not composed of isolated factors and events, but composed structured and complex networks of specific conditions that preceded them, such as intersectionality.Based on the requirements of the National Education Plan, which lasts for ten years, and in a constitutional manner, considering art. 214 of the Federal Constitution and Law #13,005/2014, there was the promotion of goals for overcoming educational inequalities and the elaboration of policies for all educational levels, from basic to higher education, which led to a significant expansion of offers vacancies in Federal Institutions of Higher and Technological Education, in addition to enabling forms of integration and democratization of access to public education in the country for subjects conditioned by the harmful conformations already described,6.This was solidified with the enactment of Law n.\u00ba 12,711/2012, which promoted the reservation of vacancies in higher education courses at federal institutions, linked to the Ministry of Education (MEC), complemented by Law n.\u00ba 13,409/2016, which facilitated the retention of vacancies for low-income students, black, brown, indigenous and people with disabilities, who are part of the Federation Unit where the educational institution is located, according to the records of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE),8.Although the Brazilian population is made up of 47.7% whites and 50.7% blacks, a 2015 study identified that the profile of postgraduate students was composed of 70.86% whites and 27.08% black. With the observation of this inequality, in 2016, Normative Ordinance MEC #13, supported by the Statute of Racial Equality and Law #12.711, designated the expansion of the ethnic and cultural diversities of postgraduate students, from the adoption of AP, giving autonomy to each institution to adhere or not to inclusion of proposals,10, but postgraduate studies present a lack of information in this regard. Therefore, it is pertinent that mechanisms for distributing vacancies aimed at social integration be evidenced, in order to collaborate with the discussion on equity in postgraduate studies, especially in what is in line with the objects of the four-year evaluation report of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES).In reference to the area of Nursing, there are several and diverse studies on the inclusion and follow-up of quota students in undergraduate coursesThus, the present study aims to map the use of affirmative action policies in postgraduate Nursing courses in Brazil.This is a descriptive study, based on documents, with a quantitative approach, carried out with the data obtained from CAPES, linked to MEC..The data set was extracted from the Sucupira platform, a tool designed to collect information on stricto sensu postgraduate programs nationwide. Annually, the program coordinators are responsible for updating the information on the platform, in order to feed the databases on topics related to postgraduate studies, which serve as a reference for the four-year evaluation and academic transparency. The Sucupira platform is an important tool of the National Postgraduate System (SNPG), which handles the monitoring and evaluation of said programsData selection was carried out between November 2021 and March 2022 on the Sucupira platform, based on information provided by graduate programs in Nursing about academic and professional master\u2019s courses (PM) on the platform, in the year 2021. The collection was guided by a research instrument validated by the authors, composed of the items: adhesion of the Higher Education Institution (HEI) to the affirmative action policy; number of vacancies destined to affirmative actions; and types of affirmative action implemented in graduate programs.Thus, the data was downloaded directly from the Sucupira platform, from which a table was generated, with the following variables: name of the program; program code; HEI name; HEI acronym; Federative unit; and quantitative number of vacancies in the institution\u2019s master\u2019s courses.From the collected data, the mapping, quantification and identification of registered programs in the country were carried out. Then, the information was exported to the Microsoft Excel software, being evaluated by descriptive statistics and presented in graphs and tables, considering, in the presentation of the classifications, the groups benefited by the AP, which are generally qualified, based on on characteristics such as race or ethnicity, gender, social class and disability.The rationale for the discussion on the collected texts included articles indexed in the SciELO, LILACS and BDENF databases, using the descriptors: \u201cpublic policy\u201d; \u201cEthnic groups\u201d; \u201cgraduate nursing education\u201d; \u201cteaching\u201d; and \u201csocial inclusion\u201d.Because it is a descriptive study, supported by secondary data in the public domain, there was no need to file ethical questions by the Research Ethics Committee with Human Beings, however the analysis was carried out with scientific rigor, in view of the production of truthful and meaningful results.A total of 79 institutions were found that offer academic and professional master\u2019s (PM) courses at the postgraduate level in Nursing in Brazil, considering the research outlines. However, one program was excluded for having only a doctoral level record and another 11 for not adhering to AP. Thirty-one programs were identified that did not offer doctoral vacancies, only academic and professional master\u2019s degrees, but offered AP vacancies in their selections, while 36 programs had the same number of vacancies for PM courses and doctoral degrees, but their public notices did not define the number of vacancies offered for AP by academic degree.In this scenario, in order to avoid non-scientific biases, the present work only considered evaluations at the PM level, so the final sample had 67 evaluated programs, allocated in the North, Northeast, Midwest, Southeast and South regions of Brazil.In the study, it was observed that the Southeast Region had the highest number of programs (24), considering the important factors of demographic density and the number of public universities that offer graduate programs in Nursing, followed by the Northeast, with 18 programs, South, with 15, Midwest, with six, and North, with four programs .In view of the specific vacancies for AP made available by graduate programs in Nursing in Brazil, the Southeast Region has the highest number (55 vacancies), followed by the Northeast (49), South (41), Central-West (14) and North (seven vacancies) which shows the lowest number of vacancies, as illustrated in In the same evaluation, graduate programs were separated into nine classes, considering the types of AP available in their PM courses: quilombolas; trans people; deaf; gypsies; migrants and refugees; traditional populations; indigenous; black or brown; and people with disabilities .The highest distribution index observed was AP for blacks (blacks and browns), with a percentage of 28.2%, representing a quantitative of 29 programs, while the second highest percentage found was for people with disabilities (25.2%), as 26 programs adhere to this type of AP, followed by 24.3% of AF for indigenous people, arranged in 25 programs, and 10.7% of AP for quilombolas, present in 11 programs .The lowest rates of offers of AP vacancies were observed for trans people, with 4.9%, distributed in five programs, for representatives of traditional populations (2.9% \u2014 three programs), for migrants and refugees (1.9% \u2014 two programs) and for deaf and gypsies (1% \u2014 one program each) .Considering the regional distribution of the analyzed programs, it was verified that, among the seven states that make up the North Region, only Amazonas and Par\u00e1 provide seven vacancies for AP in postgraduate courses in Nursing, exclusively for blacks (blacks and browns), for indigenous people and for people with disabilities (PwD) .In the Northeast Region, made up of nine states, eight programs were found that offer AP vacancies for blacks (blacks and browns), indigenous people and PwD; four that end offers of AP vacancies for quilombolas and/or for traditional peoples and communities; two that offer vacancies in AP for transgender people; and one who joined the AP vacancies for gypsy women .Of the four states in the Midwest Region, three ensure offers of AP vacancies in five postgraduate programs in Nursing , which are aimed at blacks (blacks and browns) and indigenous people, followed by reservations for people with disabilities (made in two states \u2014 33.3% of programs) and for quilombolas (made in one state \u2014 16.7% of programs). Only one of the states in the region, which has a graduate program in the area, does not have vacancies for affirmative action and one of the programs does not describe the number of PA opportunities offered .In the Southeast, comprising four states, 24 graduate programs in Nursing were found. Of the PA vacancies available in the region, the offers cover blacks, indigenous peoples and PwD, granted in the states of S\u00e3o Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro (in 75% of the programs), and there are vacancies for traditional peoples and communities, for trans people and for refugees in one state (Minas Gerais \u2014 25% of programs). It is important to emphasize that, in the state of S\u00e3o Paulo, which has thirteen postgraduate programs in Nursing, only one provided the full number of vacancies for the PA policy, as shown in In the South Region, the three states offer AP vacancies in their programs, considering black, indigenous and quilombola groups . For trans people, vacancies are offered in two states (Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul \u2014 29.9%) and, for deaf people and PwD, there is access in only one state (Rio Grande do Sul \u2014 9%).,12.The participation of students benefiting from quota policies in academic community spaces has created and revealed stigmas in the social and university environments, since there are narratives about stereotypes of inferiority of those involved, however, in fact, such AP are instruments of historical reparation, resulting from initiatives to suspend methods of social exclusion. Such a negative perception also contributes to the individual identification of the subject, producing barriers to the execution of AP in institutions and the monitoring of admissions to universities.Within the scope of postgraduate studies, APs arise from recent and unique discussions, since each program defines its guidelines and criteria for engagement, including because quota policies are flexible, which does not occur at the undergraduate level. For the most part, the programs promote the admission of candidates, based on regular stages, described in a unified public notice and ordered steps, thus the modalities of admission of wide competition and/or use of the AP are declared in each course. However, these actors are important to reduce access inequalities at the higher level,15.The insertion policies, which have, as an initial conception, the identification of the subjects to be admitted, define the characteristics of those who have integration needs, with the objective of aligning the premises of organization of the inclusion and exclusion practices. Such a determination places men, rich, white and heterosexual individuals as habitual and normal and defines black, poor, PwD, women and gay individuals as unequal and distinct, accustomed to the need for integration. Precisely, valuing movements contrary to these characteristics is important in postgraduate studies, as it can bring many benefits to those involved and to society in general,13,16.With this understanding, it is noted that meritocracy, as opposed to equity, points to a generational debate, based on social beliefs, which emphasize the logic of a Eurocentric educational system, demonstrating organizational differences, which strengthen characteristics that have already been deconstructed at different levels of education,16. Indeed, nursing has a significant representation of self-declared brown and black professionals, which, together, constitute 53.0% of the total number of workers in the area, in addition to indigenous professionals. This data is relevant, as it demonstrates the contingent of students who can potentially seek postgraduate studies through offers of AP vacancies.Currently, there is a promising scenario in Nursing, with regard to racial diversity, which is occasionally beneficial to society. Thus, the fact that a large percentage of nursing professionals identify themselves as brown or black may represent important trends in the diversification and enrichment of postgraduate programs in the area. Thus, postgraduate studies, in addition to being a step forward in the academic and professional training of these individuals, can significantly benefit from the variety of experiences and perspectives they bring,13.These points and the issues of integration and diversity in the academic environment translate into fundamental aspects in the production of relevant and contextualized knowledge, whether it be those who identify as non-binary or other gender identities, which can also bring broader perspectives and approaches to patient care.When analyzing the theme of gender identity in Nursing, it can be seen that this area has traditionally been and mostly female. This predominance can be attributed to several sociocultural factors, including the perception that care and empathy are characteristics often associated with being feminine. However, it is crucial to emphasize the importance of gender diversity in the profession, whether male, since multiplicity, in all its manifestations, enriches the profession, making it more representative of the entire population and allowing for a more open and inclusive exchange of ideas,13,16.Furthermore, it is also essential to recognize and value the contribution of indigenous professionals of different age groups, who can help shape a more balanced workforce. Therefore, as we try to demonstrate here, encouraging gender, ethnicity and age diversity in nursing graduate programs is decisive,18.Considering these facts, it is noted that there is already a plurality in the national distribution of vacancies in the Nursing area, considering the heterogeneity of peoples, communities and groups in situations of social vulnerability, of which blacks, traditional communities, indigenous and PwD are the ones that stand out the most, evidenced by the greater visibility of these segments in postgraduate admission processes, which is in line with notes on representativeness, as signaled in other studies.In Nursing, the training of graduate professionals has shown great relevance in promoting fundamental debates for the construction of Science, in addition to allowing the qualification of professionals and composing a new perception of the autonomy of the nursing worker. In this way, the literature also highlights the social vulnerability in the implementation of postgraduate programs in Brazil, considering that the North and Midwest regions have the lowest concentration of courses, in contrast to the Southeast and Northeast, which have the highest concentration, with graduate studies concentrating the main producers of scientific research,20,21, has minimal rates of AP use when students enter their postgraduate courses, despite the fact that a large portion of the northern population is made up of indigenous populations and traditional communities, which benefit from the Quota Law at universities and in local degree courses.Although there are gaps in the literature on aspects of insertion of AP in postgraduate programs in Nursing in Brazil, from the scenario described in this work, it was possible to identify that the North Region, despite being in a moment of ascension in the field of search.The data also clarified that the Midwest region, which has only four states in its composition, has the second largest territorial extension in Brazil and is the political division with the smallest population, has a small scope of use of AP in its postgraduate courses. -graduation. In turn, the Southeast Region, with four states, has the highest population concentration index in the country \u2014 with emphasis on the state of S\u00e3o Paulo, which has the most preponderant economic production in South America and is home to the only mega-metropolis in Brazil: the city of S\u00e3o Paulo \u2014, is a predominantly urban region, with great ethnic, cultural and economic diversity and presents relevant methods of insertion in undergraduate courses, such as the Social Inclusion Program of the University of S\u00e3o Paulo (Inclusp), which reveals the use of measures to expand the access of people in vulnerable situations to the university,22,23,24.The South Region, characterized by having the smallest territorial extension at the national level, for having an influential economy and for being the second most populous division in the country, has three states in its composition, which offer AP vacancies in their programs. In the region, measures for the integration of vulnerable students have been discussed, since graduation, through the guarantee of permanence of these students in courses and the strong presence of interculturality in university spaces,22. This fact was reflected in the last specific public notices, increasing the distance between the regions, in terms of qualification of postgraduate programs. In this sense, it is necessary to consider the importance of such regions becoming protagonists in research on their peculiarities, an important point to raise their grades in national evaluation mechanisms.Historically, the South and Southeast regions have shown the best performances in CAPES assessments, with the North and Northeast regions being marginalized, including in terms of the implementation of public policies, especially at the graduate level,22,25. The expansion of the Quota Law in postgraduate courses in Nursing constitutes important instruments for the insertion and qualification of indigenous professionals, quilombolas, PwD and other actors studied here, improving the debate and increasing the level of research development in each region of the country, according to your specifics.It should be noted that the inclusion processes are relevant to the inclusion of ethnic and multicultural groups in postgraduate spaces, as these initiatives enrich dialogue, as well as reduce inequalities in educationThis study was limited to addressing the master\u2019s programs in Brazil, based on the records of the Sucupira platform and the information provided by the graduate programs themselves, not covering the doctoral level, however. Although these postgraduate levels are stricto sensu, the master\u2019s and doctoral programs differ in terms of objectives, requirements, expected results and duration, so it is opportune to evaluate the academic progress of the AP, depending on the integration and permanence of students in a state of vulnerability, in order to identify the connection between the levels and the barriers demonstrated, related to aspects of access, progression and effective technical and scientific training of students coming from the public in focus in this article, as well as with regard to the organization of programs in monitoring these students.To mitigate these limitations in future studies, it would be useful to expand the research scope, seeking to include doctoral programs and additional sources of information, in addition to the Sucupira platform, to ensure more comprehensive and more accurate views of postgraduate studies in Brazil. Certainly, there is no attempt to generalize graduate programs since the characteristics and requirements of master\u2019s programs may not represent the universe of graduate programs with the necessary accuracy.As for the area of Nursing, this study makes it possible to visualize the result of some systems of entry of groups in a situation of social vulnerability in postgraduate studies \u2014 in master\u2019s courses, particularly \u2014, presenting subsidies for making new and better decisions, referring to the methods selection and vacancies. This fact adds value to the discussions on actions of social scope, an item observed by CAPES in the quadrennial evaluation procedures of the PM, being opportune in the constitution of reports on the current condition of the postgraduate programs analyzed here and in their future planning.Additionally, this text points out the importance of discussing the meanings of integration and its processes, aiming, in addition to access, the qualification of programs and the alignment of the mentioned policies. Likewise, problematic situations already identified in graduation are highlighted, such as the question of the permanence of students enrolled in AP, which must be better managed, aiming at obtaining satisfactory results, which is far ahead of the theme of offer of inclusive vacancies that can be the subject of studies, regarding the permanence and continuity of the qualifications of these individuals.When addressing the issue of affirmative action vacancies among the 67 institutions studied here, nine significant classifications were identified, demonstrating that there is a movement towards the implementation of affirmative action policies in academic and professional master\u2019s courses in the country, proving a dynamic with the potential to reduce the historical limits and barriers experienced by certain minority groups. When investigating the findings on postgraduate courses in Nursing, observing them as specialized spaces to produce knowledge, aimed at health promotion and prevention, and on the constitution of essential and unique epistemological foundations for each region, it was verified the practical difficulties in the implementation of educational policies in Brazil.In this sense, the North and Midwest regions stood out, demonstrating the absence of initiatives to aggregate ethnicities and cultures to the profile of local nursing students, based on exchanges of knowledge and experiences with blacks, browns and indigenous peoples On the other hand, the execution of these actions in the South and Southeast is significant, confirming the logic, in which regions considered peripheral repeat the colonialist movement, regarding the production of knowledge and postgraduate training, therefore the maintenance of the Eurocentric profile is also evident among graduate students, as well as the standardization, already underway, which regulates admission by quotas to undergraduate courses.This mapping also makes it possible, in principle, to identify and discuss possible challenges and obstacles in graduate programs in Nursing, throughout the national territory, highlighting the disparities between regions, as well as the distribution and plurality of types of eligible affirmative actions, which makes it possible to review selection processes and opportunities for advancement, in terms of equitable training and the production of information representative of regional groups, especially those with the protagonism of communities and individuals from each part of Brazil.Moreover, the demand to produce data about and with historically excluded groups and, beyond that, about multiple public policies, which cover different human spaces, contributes to the constitution of an intercultural scientific knowledge, capable of strengthening society, which can be made possible by the insertion and recognition of the role of affirmative action policies in the practice of a more equitable education."} +{"text": "Policy analysis provides multiple methods and tools for generating and transforming policy-relevant information and supporting policy evolution to address emerging social problems. In this study, a bibliometric analysis of a large number of studies on historical policy analysis was performed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the distribution and evolution of policy problems in different fields among countries. The analysis indicates that policy analysis has been a great concern for scholars in recent two decades, and is involved in multiple disciplines, among which the dominant ones are medicine, environment, energy and economy. The major concerns of policy analysts and scholars are human health needs, environmental pressures, energy consumption caused by economic growth and urbanization, and the resulting demand for sustainable development. The multidisciplinary dialog implies the complicated real-world social problems that calls for more endeavors to develop a harmonious society. A global profiling for policy analysis demonstrates that the central policy problems and the corresponding options align with national development, for example, developing countries represented by China are faced with greater environmental pressures after experiencing extensive economic growth, while developed countries such as the USA and the UK pay more attention to the social issues of health and economic transformation. Exploring the differences in policy priorities among countries can provide a new inspiration for further dialog and cooperation on the development of the international community in the future. Social problems are evolving with the rapid development of economy, and the problems mankind is facing and options they choose reflect the developmental demand. Policy is a political action with specific subjects, targets, and strategies in a certain period of time, which primarily aims to create a healthy environment for the development of society Porter, . As for Accordingly, regarding the typology of policy analysis, three categories can be established based on ontology and epistemology Fig. Bacchi,: (1) PosThe profoundly complex and diversified realistic demands such as equity and sustainability What core concerns are reflected in the policy analysis and how does these core concerns reflect real-world social problems? (2) How do these core concerns change over time? (3) What are the differences in core concerns among countries and what drives those differences? From an evolutionary perspective, this paper aims to uncover the past and present policy problems of concern and the relevant possible options, thus providing a clue for future policy analysis. The analysis of the evolution and differences in policy problems among countries may provide a view of the development context of different countries and put forward new inspiration and hope for further dialog and cooperation on the development of the international community in the future. Furthermore, another possible key sustainability implication with respect to the core concerns of policy analysis is to provide a reference for exploring the gaps between academic research and policy agenda.www.vosviewer.com) Core Collection database was used for data retrieval \u201d. For further discipline analysis, the most cited articles were selected with the quick filtering toolbar of WOS. Consequently, 1287 most cited papers of policy analysis were included in dataset 1. Then co-citation analysis of journals was performed to provide clues for discipline research , followed by medicine-related journals , the journals of energy science , the journals of economy , and then several multidisciplinary journals .For network construction, 1287 most cited papers were screened. The collaboration network of countries was visualized and illustrated, showing that 112 countries have published the most cited policy analysis articles. As for the co-authorship of countries and organizations, 2286 universities were identified, and 193 of them from 59 countries met the criteria of network analysis, among which the universities from the USA , the UK and China (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences) had the largest number of links and the strongest willingness to cooperate with other organizations ; the red cluster centering policy, such as policy framework, policy systems, and policy implementation; and the yellow cluster mainly concerned with energy Fig. . SimultaPolicy analysis-related articles mainly involved the fields of medicine, environment, energy, economy and multidiscipline. The publication information in different fields was investigated. First, the volume growth trend over time was traced. Generally, a growing number of articles were published annually. The most obvious growth was found in policy analysis in environment, followed by medicine and energy, and the growth in economy and multidiscipline was relatively stable Fig. . SpecifiA total of 8381 organizations from 177 countries contributed to medical policy analysis. Further investigation showed that universities from the UK , the USA , Canada and Australia contributed the most to medical policy analysis with the greatest willingness to collaborate both domestically and internationally. By contrast, Chinese universities, such as Peking University, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Zhejiang University, were more prone to domestic collaboration Fig. .Fig. 6PrCo-occurrence analysis of keywords showed that of the 16,719 keywords identified from 7963 retrieved items, 1778 keywords met the threshold. In addition to the three core topics \u201cmedicine\u201d, \u201cpolicy\u201d and \u201chealth\u201d , the mortality, prevalence, risk factors as well as prevention of diseases have been the key focus of medical policies. Additionally, the issues of children and adolescents, such as physical activity, overweight and childhood obesity, have also attracted medical scientists and policy analysts. Figure Co-authorship analysis showed that 9060 organizations from 160 countries contributed to environmental policy analysis, among which universities from China played a key role, especially University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing Normal University, North China Electric Power University and Beijing Institute of Technology Fig. . Of the The collaboration network showed that 3668 organizations from 117 countries performed policy analysis in energy. The top five organizations were Tsinghua University, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen University, North China Electric Power University and Beijing Institute of Technology, all of which showed strong willingness to collaborate both domestically and internationally. The network showed that there was complex knowledge interaction and flow in the citation of energy policy analysis Fig. . Of the 1144 organizations from 67 countries were found to contribute almost the same to policy analysis in economy. Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Delft University of Technology, University of Leeds, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and University of Sydney had the largest number of publications. Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Delft University of Technology, University of British Columbia, University of Sydney and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute had the highest collaboration Fig. . Of the In the co-authorship network, universities such as Stanford University, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Maryland, University of California, Berkeley and University of Cambridge had the most publications and a high collaboration. University of California Irvine had fewer publications but relatively higher link, showing that this university was strongly willing to cooperate with other organizations Fig. . Of the Policy analysis aims to understand what is the governments\u2019 focal point, investigate why and how governments issue policies, evaluate the effects of certain policies resulting in climate change and environmental degradation remains to be the most threatening and urgent issue, and has attracted attention of governments and the society hypothesis demonstrates the relationship between environmental quality and economic output, which has been proved by empirical studies Policy analysis has been a great concern of scholars for many years and has attracted increasing attention year by year, which reflects the value of and actual needs for policy analysis. (2) The world is facing common problems, which requires attention and efforts of the whole world, and a more harmonious social development such as the management of epidemics and complex disease, environmental-friendly development, green energy production and transformation from resource and energy usage-driven economic expansion to sustainable development is on the way. (3) Global profiling for policy analysis demonstrates that the central policy problems align with national development, which inspires further dialog and cooperation on the development of the international community in the future.This study has limitations. First, keywords cannot fully reflect the essential intent of an article although they are the key points of a study. Therefore, using keywords as an element for bibliometric analysis is far from enough. Second, this paper deals with academic research of policy analysis, but whether it is fully consistent with the policy agenda is unexplored. Moreover, we have shown the correlations between different phenomena, but the underlying mechanism remains indefinable.Supplementary information"} +{"text": "Considering the development of this study, we selected cases where art therapy played a central role in the educational/therapeutic process. Studied 130-150 cases per year on average, for 25 years (1996-2021), including children and adolescents aged between 2 and 18 years of both sexes, different social backgrounds in terms of housing, culture, and education: education/ clinical art therapy and non-clinical education/art-therapy.The activities also have components of artistic creation, research, and teaching with students, within the disciplines \u201cArt therapy in institutional contexts\u201d and \u201cArtistic play and experiment in group dynamics\u201d, within the University of Art and Design section Pedagogy of Plastic and Decorative Arts from Cluj-Napoca Romania. The results are published at the international and world congresses to which we were invited together with the practitioners under supervision.The aims of occupational therapy, which include art therapy and play therapy, are to facilitate the use of creative process and symbolic communication, associated with narrative and imitation, to develop new ways of communication, self-expression and seeing things.The making of art or the production of other crafts resembles a situation testThe analysis of the products allows the beneficiaries to attain a certain level of introspection and to \u201cwork through\u201d their problems in constructive mannerThe execution of an operation requires sensory, cognitive, and affective intervention;Psychological dimensions, which include the individual\u2019s intrinsic need for self-improvement, for obtaining competence and self-knowledge;The socio-cultural and symbolic dimension of the act;The spiritual dimension, related to the meaning of the occupation for the individual;The temporal dimensions of the occupation (referring to the time or period of time required for recovery).We use materials and techniques that are specific to visual arts , but also traditional ones, specific to tridimensional arts, such as pottery wheels and sculptural modeling. Activities are structured according to the following dimensions:By interacting with these factors, the individual gets to know his own potential and limits, but also those of the environment in which he lives.Image:Image 2:An equidistant trialogue and circular relations between art, religion and science, without any specific supremacy, is created, which can offer from the start the possibility of lasting harmonizations, of informational transfers and professional enhancements that support developments, ennobling the human being through positive reorientations and beneficial recoveries.None Declared"} +{"text": "There are errors in the Funding statement. The correct Funding statement is as follows: This work is supported by Fundamental Research Grant Scheme , Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia , and Faculty Research Grant Scheme (GPF018A-2018), Universiti Malaya . The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript."} +{"text": "Processing of Chinese Materia Medica (PCMM) is the concentrated embodiment, which is the core of Chinese unique traditional pharmaceutical technology. The processing includes the preparation steps such as cleansing, cutting and stir-frying, to make certain impacts on the quality and efficacy of Chinese botanical drugs. The rapid development of new computer digital technologies, such as big data analysis, Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain and cloud computing artificial intelligence, has promoted the rapid development of traditional pharmaceutical manufacturing industry with digitalization and intellectualization. In this review, the application of digital intelligence technology in the PCMM was analyzed and discussed, which hopefully promoted the standardization of the process and secured the quality of botanical drugs decoction pieces. Through the intellectualization and the digitization of production, safety and effectiveness of clinical use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) decoction pieces were ensured. This review also provided a theoretical basis for further technical upgrading and high-quality development of TCM industry. So the corresponding changes of drug processing will improve the efficacy and indications, reduce the toxicity, enhance the clinical efficacy, and increase the clinical use. The theory of processing medicine and the theory of differential usage of the raw and cooked medicine were reported DC. was made into Rehmanniae radix praeparata by multiple steaming and drying with yellow rice wine, its property changed from cold to warm, and its efficacy changed from clearing to tonifying. The steaming and drying repeats created the medicinal components with antioxidant activity of rehmannia radix (Reynoutria multiflora (Thunb.) Moldenke was changed from diarrhea to tonifying W.T.Wang ex Z.Y.Su and C.Y.Wu (Processing of Chinese Materia Medica (PCMM) refers to the processing Chinese botanical drugs by roasting, firing, frying, washing, soaking, bleaching, steaming, boiling and other methods. The purpose of processing is to eliminate or reduce the toxicity of the drug, to enhance the efficacy, to facilitate medicine preparation and storage, and to purify the botanical drugs. Under the guidance of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory, the proper processing is designed along the therapeutic nature of the drug and eliminates or balances the bias and toxicity, the effects of ascending, descending, floating and sinking, and the meridian tropism of drug, reported . For exaredients . After tia radix . After sonifying . The anarhizoma] . These aHowever, the processing traditional Chinese decoction is generally empirical, and there are obvious problems in the PCMM decoction pieces, such as backward or old equipment, low efficiency, no or very few digitalization and intelligence, and insufficient standardization . The devIn this review, the application of digital intelligence technology in the PCMM was reviewed on three major aspects: overview of process of PCMM, application of digital-intellectualization technology in PCMM, and digital-intellectualization industrial transformation of PCMM. The shortcomings of traditional methods in the processing of PCMM and the application significance of digital intelligence technology are shown in PCMM is a key factor affecting the quality and efficacy of decoction pieces. Usually, the botanical drugs are processed by fire after cleansing and cutting, so they are also called stir-frying. The commonly used stir-frying methods include stir-baking, steaming, boiling, and calcining. At present, in the general rules of the appendix of the 2020 edition of Pharmacopoeia of the People\u2019s Republic of China (ChP), the processing methods are systematically, completely and scientifically classified as cleansing processing, cutting processing, stir-frying and other processing . The proCleansing, also known as pure selection, is the first step in the processing PCMM. Generally, the purpose of removing impurities, size grading, removing non-medicinal parts and separating medicinal portions is achieved by selecting, screening, selection in wind (separating impurities from drugs by wind according to different specific gravity of drugs and impurities) and magnetic separation to ensure the accuracy of each medicinal amount in the prescription.Cutting processing refers to the processing softening the purified medicinal materials with cutting them into slices, filaments, segments, blocks or other shapes with appropriate cutting tools. After cutting, it is easier to crush process, extract the effective components, and facilitate the preparation of decoctions and other preparations. In addition to fresh and dry cutting, the cutting methods may soften the medicinal materials. Generally, according to the characteristics of medicinal materials and the conditions of season and temperature, different methods such as leaching, washing, soaking, bleaching, and moistening are adopted to soften dry medicinal materials by absorbing a certain amount of moisture. The soften degree is checked by the bending method, finger pinch method, puncture method, and others in order to have a better cutting. However, at present, it is difficult to control the processing parameters during soaking and moistening. Long-term soaking may cause a significant loss of effective components. If the moistening is not appropriate, successful cutting may not be achieved .The cut medicinal materials contain more water and must be dried in time to maintain the quality for decoction pieces. During the drying process, temperature, time, and drying methods affect the degree of drying, and sometimes lead to changes in metabolites or content, and biological activity . The sizStir-frying generally refers to a processing method of Chinese botanical drugs by fire. The heat, temperature, time, acid and alkali environment, varieties or amount of excipients, applied in the stir-frying processing affect the efficacy of processed products. It is necessary to standardize the processing, so that the effective components and botanical drugs of medicinal materials are fully retained, for ensuring the effectiveness of medicinal materials. The heat may be different with the mild fire, medium fire and martial fire. The commonly used heating methods are stir-baking, steaming, boiling and calcining. Adding different varieties or amount of excipients, the stir-frying processing may change the \u201cfour properties and five flavors\u201d in the drug, thus may alter the therapeutic effect. Obtaining a variety of processed products of a drug may be appropriate for specific clinical treatment. Excipients are mainly divided into liquid excipients and solid excipients. The input of excipients may have an effect on the contents of botanical drugs of drugs, so as to achieve the purpose of reducing toxicity and increasing efficiency .Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Makino , Arisaema erubescens Schott , Sauromatum giganteum (Engl.) Cusimano and Hett. and other Araceae botanical drugs are often processed by duplication method.Other methods include duplication, making frost-like powder, levigating, sprouting and fermentation . Pinellietc., and the fermentation processing must be completed in one processing step without interruption. The temperature and humidity, pH value and medium substrate should be checked and monitored in real time to avoid unwanted bacterial growing, mildew and rancidity caused by environmental factors. In addition, making frost-like powder, levigating and dry distillation are also the characteristics of PCMM. In these processing methods, firepower, temperature, time, water addition and excipients may also affect the quality of decoction pieces to a certain degree.Fermentation method requires controlled environment of temperature, humidity, moisture, etc. The quality of Chinese medicine decoction piece is still difficult to quantify, to evaluate, to control, and to maintain efficiency, through the extensive processing steps. These difficulties become the key scientific limitation restricting the development of Chinese botanical drugs industry.The processing is a key factor to ensure the safety and effectiveness of Chinese botanical drugs. At present, the PCMM has a good science and technology foundation and careful scale measurement. There are, however, still some difficulties, such as the characteristic processing technology on the verge of being lost, the lack of innovation, the lack of brand quality, and the lack of precise clinical application, the combination of digital intelligence and intelligent digitalization. At present, the main branches of artificial intelligence applications include machine learning (ML), machine vision, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial neural network (ANN), robotics and expert system, etc. has powerful visual information on processing capabilities and may achieve efficient hierarchical feature expression of data. CNN plays an important role in applications such as image classification and detection in processing control . TherefoIn the process of softening, many water-soluble active ingredients may be lost or destroyed to varying degrees. As for cutting, different kinds of medicinal materials may be discussed separately. Combining advanced computer vision technology with deep learning architecture, the image data sets of different kinds of plant medicinal materials are constructed. The mathematical model of rhizome cutting specification is established; and the cutting of different specifications and tablets is designed by intelligent conversion of blade position . The cirIn the PCMM, heat refers to the size and duration of fire when the drug is heated, which is a key factor affecting the quality of decoction pieces. Studies have shown that with the change of fire degree, the content of volatile components, amino acids and reduced sugars in drugs have changed significantly . TherefoThe contents of chemical components and biological activity of drugs may be changed by steaming, boiling, and frying under different air pressures . MaillarDue to the particularity of Chinese medicine decoction pieces, it is not only necessary to control the process of PCMM but also to test the quality of the final pieces to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the drug. At present, many scholars have achieved stable and rapid qualitative and quantitative analysis through new technical methods such as electronic sensors, Fourier transform near-infrared technology , DesorptLonicera japonica Thunb. and the steaming processing of Gastrodia elata Blume by NIR spectroscopy as a processing analysis tool combined with real-time release sensor and chemometrics. Thus, the quality of drugs and therapeutic effect were significantly improved. Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge using metabolomic data, which was helpful to select the best processing technology of Salviae miltiorrhizae radix et rhizoma according to the actual needs. Therefore, a combination of NIR spectroscopy, metabolomics, Gas Chromatography-ion Migration Spectrometry (GC-IMS) ((GC-IMS) , online (GC-IMS) and othe(GC-IMS) . For som(GC-IMS) . DNA bar(GC-IMS) . In addi(GC-IMS) .Through data mining (DM), the database of raw and processed products of traditional Chinese medicinal materials was established; the internal relationship between raw and processed products of traditional Chinese medicine and processing steps was analyzed; the related model of processing and quality of decoction pieces was constructed; and the conditions and regulation of processing steps were established . Based oThe research on the technology in producing PCMM is an important link to realize the standardization of the traditional Chinese medicine processing. ML is the core of artificial intelligence, which may predict new and invisible data based on previous observed results and data, so that the computer may automatically learn without manual intervention, to adjust the operation accordingly, and to make decisions automatically. It is often divided into three categories: supervised learning, unsupervised learning and reinforcement learning . The labWith the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, the future factory will be highly digital and intelligent to meet the needs of real-time, flexible, personalized and automated monitoring of traditional Chinese medicine processing, and will realize the intelligent production of \u2018Internet + manufacturing\u2019 . The onlHardware equipment is the infrastructure of the industrial production. With the acceleration of the modernization of TCM, the processing equipment needs to be constantly innovated. The standardization of traditional Chinese medicine processing equipment is the premise of the standardization of processing parameters. The development of digital intelligent processing equipment is helpful to solve the modernization problem of TCM decoction piece industry.The sensor can objectively show the shape, color and taste of the drug through the digital form of the sensitive element, which is the first link to realize automatic detection and control. New sensors are added to the processing equipment, and the corresponding mathematical model is established. The artificial intelligence system is used for automatic control, and the technological innovation is achieved to promote the new equipment creation. The traditional processing technologies such as levigating, dry distillation, duplication, and roasting are combined with modern microwave technology, cyclone and foam separation, mass transfer and heat transfer, and biotransformation to develop new processing equipment.The stir-frying equipment is the most characteristic pharmaceutical equipment of traditional Chinese medicine. Taking the stir-baking equipment as an example, the stir-frying machine is transformed into a fuel gas heat source supply and automatic temperature control system, which may not only achieve rapid heating, but also use the real-time, continuous and non-contact measurement of the temperature in the pot by a temperature sensor. It is truly the digital monitored and managed PCMM processing . Non-conBased on the application of the above-mentioned digital intelligent technology in the processing and the digital intelligent processing equipment, an efficient digital intelligent production line of Chinese medicine decoction pieces may be designed . By autoAconite lateralis radix praeparata), an important medicine for restoring \u201cYang\u201d and rescuing patient from collapse, as an example . Numeral intelligent processing makes all traditional experience objective and information, production processing and quality control, into digital and intelligent controlled processing. New technology aims to improve the problems of distinguishing, evaluating and controlling the quality of traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces through extensive processing with low efficiency. Through the multi-dimensional holographic processing property characterization, the electronic rapid identification of the shape and taste quality of decoction pieces, and the intelligent control of fire temperature and other technologies, the traditional processing technology may be thoroughly innovated and improved. The scientific content of TCM may be improved. The modern development needs may be met. The clinical application of characteristic decoction pieces may be expanded. The high-quality industrial benefits may be achieved. The intelligent manufacturing of a number of traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces may be achieved. This paper reviewed the application of digital intellectualization technology in the processing of TCM, which promoted the standardization of the processing, the standardization of the quality of decoction pieces, the digitalization and intellectualization of production, and the safety and effectiveness of clinical use of TCM decoction pieces. At the same time, this review also provided a theoretical basis for the technical progress and high-quality development of TCM industry in the future."} +{"text": "Sir,Leishmaniasis is a parasitic infection caused by the Leishmania parasite, which is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected sand flies. The disease can cause a variety of symptoms, including disfiguring skin lesions and scars that may leave permanent psychosocial effects, such as declining mental health, social exclusion, and stigma . Moreover, infected individuals are at a higher risk of suffering from lower quality of life, depression, anxiety, low body image, and loss of social status. There are several barriers to effective diagnosis and treatment of leishmaniasis, including poor health literacy, poverty, and limited access to healthcare in some regions. These factors can make it difficult for individuals to seek timely and appropriate care for the disease, which can lead to further complications and negative health outcomes .Community-based interventions are an important strategy for the prevention and treatment of leishmaniasis. These interventions typically focus on reducing contact between humans and the sand fly vectors that transmit the disease, as well as controlling vector populations through the use of insecticides and other measures.Protective management strategies, such as bed nets, can also be effective in reducing the risk of infection. In addition, efforts to reduce the reservoir host populations can help to limit the number of infected individuals.Community participation is crucial in the success of these interventions, as it can help to increase compliance with preventive measures and promote awareness about the importance of seeking treatment. Education and training for health professionals, volunteers, and community members on screening and treatment methods can also play an important role in improving outcomes for individuals with leishmaniasis .Community-based interventions can take many different forms, and may vary in terms of their content, design, and intended outcomes. These interventions are generally aimed at improving the health status and understanding of health issues among community residents, particularly those living in areas where leishmaniasis is endemic.Ultimately, the effectiveness of community-based interventions will depend on a variety of factors, including the specific context in which they are implemented, the resources available, and the level of community engagement and participation. However, when designed and implemented effectively, these interventions can play an important role in reducing the burden of leishmaniasis and improving the health outcomes of affected individuals and communities . Community-based interventions can take place in a variety of settings, including neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, religious institutions, charitable organizations, and government agencies. These interventions may be focused on mobilizing the public through a range of strategies, such as financial incentives, health education programs, information campaigns, and supportive groups.In addition, efforts to improve access to health services and eliminate financial barriers can also play an important role in reducing the morbidity and mortality of leishmaniasis. Training and education activities can help to build the capacity of health professionals and community members to effectively diagnose and treat the disease, while also promoting preventive behaviors and early detection .In conclusion, community-based interventions can be a critical component of efforts to prevent and treat leishmaniasis, particularly given the complex and multifaceted nature of the disease. Addressing the physical and psychosocial complications of leishmaniasis, such as scars, financial barriers, and healthcare accessibility, is essential for improving health outcomes and reducing the burden of the disease.To be effective, community-based interventions must be designed with a holistic and comprehensive approach that takes into account the individual behaviors and social relationships within communities, as well as the broader political and economic context. This may involve working with local governments and other stakeholders to develop policies and strategies that promote effective prevention and treatment of leishmaniasis, as well as engaging with community members directly to promote awareness and education about the disease.Ultimately, the success of community-based interventions will depend on a range of factors, including the level of community engagement and participation, the availability of resources and infrastructure, and the effectiveness of implementation strategies. However, when designed and implemented effectively, these interventions can play a critical role in improving health outcomes and reducing the burden of leishmaniasis in affected communities.The authors declare that they have no competing interests."} +{"text": "To describe the construction process of an intercultural care program for international migrants in northwestern Mexico.Report of professional experiences, according to what was suggested by Daltro and Faria.The development and evolution of care for international migrants has favored the elaboration of a community-like Social Service Program for students of a public university in northwestern Mexico, so that intercultural health and health care for this population become part of the curricular training of the new generations of nursing graduates, in a context in which international migration is a topic of great social and cultural relevance.Salud-Migrante program will enhance compliance with international recommendations on universal health for migrants, promoting respect for identity and cultural diversity in their actions.The construction and application of the Among these, not having access to health services, violence in the migratory process, socioeconomic barriers, illiteracy, language differences, and even the development of risk behaviors, driven by the epidemiological conditions of the countries through which they transit, can be considered,3,4.Recent estimates indicate that 3.6% of the global population are international migrants, the equivalent of 281 million people. Under these settings and characteristics, one can state that this population is at risk of developing and acquiring communicable and non-communicable diseases, accidents, addiction and mental health problems, among others. This has led nursing, as a care science, to generate theoretical-methodological contributions that seek to understand, study, and address these social problems in a culturally sensitive way,7,8.On this basis, it should be considered that the presence of migrants in a particular context implies the existence of cultural diversity, since there are many nationalities, languages, habits, beliefs, and practices that move with them. Under this premise, the concepts of dialogue and negotiation are elementary, establishing that between two figures in which a relationship is established, in this case nursing professional and patient, there are inequalities and inequities. Thus, interculturality is considered one of the most sensitive trends to the needs for interaction, development, and growth of a culturally diverse population group that joins another that is culturally different.Regarding the existing relationship between migrants and new contexts, it becomes necessary to consider the term of interculturality, which is defined as, \u201ca communication and interaction tool that focuses on creating the conditions for dialogue, conflict management, and negotiation between individuals in diverse societies\u201dSalud Intercultural, SI), which is an action recommended by various international organizations,11,12. Intercultural health can be defined as \u201cthe interaction between cultures in a respectful, horizontal, and synergistic way, where the idea is that no cultural group is above the other, favoring at all times the integration and coexistence of both parties\u201d. It is inferred that those policies, programs, strategies, and actions that are developed under this concept shall consider the knowledge and practices in health, based on the individual or collective experience. It should be noted that it not only focuses on the interaction among people, but also on the need for integration and synergistic work of existing health systems, thus vindicating the historical evolution of populations that have been minimized or invisibilitized.A contribution that has been highlighted for the improvement of health care for migrants is Intercultural Health and the Cultural Competence Model in caring for the person.Initially, the Transcultural Nursing can be defined as:. This contribution has gained strength over time thanks to the modification of socio-cultural spaces worldwide. Transcultural Nursing stands out for its generalization, because it recognizes culture as a global element of the human being, starting from the need to discover care and the individuals\u2019 cultural behaviors, as a way of influencing their health, thus consolidating a consistent, safe, and responsible care activity.\u201cA formal area of humanistic and scientific knowledge and practice focused on the phenomena and competencies of holistic cultural care to help individuals or groups to maintain or regain their health (or well-being) and to cope with disabilities, death, or other human conditions, in a culturally coherent and beneficial way. For the use of this theory, an understanding of concepts is required, as follows: Cultural Care Diversity: the differences in meanings, models, values, ways of life and symbols of care between societies or communities that are directly related to the application of care activities to the person .\u2013 Universality of cultural care: the similarity or uniformity in the meanings, models, values, ways of life, and symbols of care manifested among many cultures and that reflect care as an element of universal humanity.\u2013 Moreover, every society develops forms of care specifically associated with its culture, for example, traditional Chinese medicine, or traditional Mexican medicine; however, if the person is not in their environment their thoughts and forms of care are different, and barriers may arise, interfering with prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery processes. Some barriers from the receiving systems are the lack of knowledge of the migrant\u2019s language, the lack of knowledge about historical-cultural factors and intercultural health,18\u201d. For this, the nursing staff should consider the application of one of these actions: Cultural care conservation: Actions and professional decisions of assistance, support, facilitation, and training that help people of a culture to recover or preserve significant care values, for their well-being, to recover from illnesses or to know how to face physical or mental impediments.\u2013 Adaptation of cultural care: Those actions that allow the person to adapt or reach an agreement with other cultures, to obtain beneficial and satisfactory results.\u2013 Reorientation of cultural care: They are actions that allow people to reorganize, change their life models (ways of caring) to obtain different and beneficial results.\u2013 This way, the theory states that in the relationship with the person, nursing staff shall provide culturally appropriate care, which can be considered as the \u201cexplicit use of care and culture-based health knowledge, in a sensitive, creative and meaningful way, that adapts to lifestyles and general needs of individuals or groups for well-being, and beneficial and satisfactory health or to cope with illness, disability or death. This way, seeking a real approach to the person becomes fundamental, inviting us to understand the work methodologies to have an in-depth comprehension of the elements of life that are around health issues. Thus, the Cultural Competence in care emerges as a proposal to strengthen the contributions of the Transcultural Nursing theory.They promote decision-making awareness of cultural needs, which reduces conflicts arising from health care due to cultural differences, which lead to distance between the health staff and the population, and prevents discrimination and the imposition of ethnocentric thinkingMCC). This model, provided by nursing, establishes the need to understand and know the influence of the culture of individuals, families, and communities in various aspects of daily life\u201322, particularly in scenarios where health personnel, and especially nursing professionals, acquire an ethical and professional responsibility, in which understanding, knowing, and recognizing the value of people from their cultural contexts is vital within the process of care, which directly interferes with the nursing professional/person relationship,23.On the other hand, one of the models that has stood out in the literature is the Cultural Competence Model , in the city of Mexicali, in the state of Baja California (BC) in Mexico, where efforts were made in 2018 and 2019 to provide prevention care. These activities were carried out in key community settings, such as points where migrants found temporary and low-paid jobs or near the border wall, also called \u201cThe Line\u201d or \u201cTrump\u2019s Wall.\u201dThe data described is presented chronologically, in such a way that the progress and evolution of the actions carried out with the community of national and international migrants are demonstrated. As recommended, the narrative was made clearly considering the theoretical references and the positions for the development of reflections.The presentation of this experience is not considered a research activity, therefore it was not submitted to the Research Ethics Committee of the academic entity. However, during the approaches to migrant communities, the bioethical principles and human rights of the people with whom interactions were established were followed.This contribution is contextualized within the northwest border landmark of Mexico-United States, in the city of Mexicali, Baja California (BC), Mexico, which is a point where people of different nationalities arrive through land or air and it is also a regular and irregular point of entry to the State of California in the United States.. A large part of this population of migrants is subject to the regulations of the immigration policy of both Mexico and the United States, since many are in the Mexican territory, waiting to receive a response to their asylum claim according to the United States guidelines and policies.From January to December 2022, the migration statistics of the Government of Mexico, regarding people in an irregular situation in BC, refers to the presence of 44.411 people, of which 9.097 were located in this border city. In this scenario, international migrants in a regular situation with temporary (299) and permanent (649 people) visas, as well as those who have requested a stay for humanitarian reasons (251), must also be considered. This situation implies the presence of people from different contexts and socio-cultural needs which proposes a structure that allows migrants to access medical care, health surveillance, and public health services, responding to the wide range of health problems. Initially, health promotion was carried out on topics such as prevention of hypertension, diet, prevention of addictions and sexually transmitted infections, in addition to anthropometric measurements (weight and height).When relating this situation to health care, the fact that Mexico is a country that establishes universality in health, which grants every person who is in the Mexican territory the right to access its protection, is highlighted, and that is why the Mexican government developed the Comprehensive Health Care Plan for the Migrant PopulationPIASPM) of the Mexican government. However, at various times when professors and researchers sought the collaboration of public health institutions that provided care to vulnerable populations, it was highlighted that the efforts made by them were not structured according to the PIASPM and only responded to emerging social and health needs.In these approaches, which included health brigades, humanitarian aid campaigns for clothing and food, and research projects on community intervention, work was done with migrants from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Haiti, as well as those from the south of Mexico. These actions were considered to contribute to those established in the Comprehensive Health Care Plan for the Migrant Population ; within the most representative populations, migrants of Central American origin and Haitians who resided in vulnerable areas of the city are highlighted.The cultural differences became evident with the Haitian population (mainly language) and established the need to address disease prevention from an intercultural approach, a situation with which actions and studies were developed to strengthen cultural competence in what regards access to health services during their transit through the northwestern region of Mexico and on the topic of STI prevention. This situation led to meetings with social and spiritual leaders (barbershops and churches) of the community and later to coexistence and routine interaction.In the process of knowledge of cultural constructs, the Cultural Competence model was used, where through meetings, interviews, and interaction with the various communities, there was a progression to stage number three (consciously competent), which allowed understanding the functioning and representation of health in its migration context. In view of this, maintaining health status becomes critical to allow people to go on moving, while accidents and injuries hinder continuing on the road. The perceived difficulties in accessing health services due to the language were also marked, where the effort of local personnel was focused on explaining with signs and from Spanish, the actions to be carried out. The perception of discrimination based on skin color is also taken up again, a situation associated with long waits in health institutions.\u201ckapot\u201d (Haitian Creole word for condom) is out of step with religious beliefs. As a result of these interactions, significant and sensitive learning was obtained in terms of education for condom use and from which qualitative articles were published that allowed increasing cultural competence,29, leading to the comprehension of the importance of religious beliefs in protected sexual relations and the perception of access to health services during transit to northern Mexico.The increase in the demand of care services for Haitian women\u2019s pregnancy, childbirth, and puerperium, as well as the strengthening of relations between Haitian men and Mexican women, were elements of great interest generated from the observation in the field work. In this regard, and from the perspective of the population addressed, the use of As a result of all this, in the year 2021, the cultural adaptation of an intervention was carried out to increase the use of condoms by Haitian migrant men, in which beliefs, language, habits, and even social and labor dynamics were considered in the Mexican context. Two courses of three sessions each were given, with a total population of 34 migrant men. The activities addressed topics about STIs and HIV, myths and realities, training for the use of the external condom and considerations regarding sexual health during the migration process. This way, a close relationship with the Haitian migrant community was consolidated, which allowed continuing with health activities, as well as volunteer service.The experience regarding the approach of the diverse populations over the years led a member of the group of FEM-UABC\u2019s professors to pursue specialization studies on international migration during the year 2022, in which he proposed, as a final project, the evaluation of the Mexican program established for the migrants health care. For this, meetings were held with those responsible for shelters and public humanitarian support centers to understand the scope of the public health system, as well as their real needs, a situation that led to meetings with OIM representatives and efforts to donate food and winter clothing, and the development of health brigades to shelters in vulnerable areas of the city of Mexicali.Salud Migrante\u201d , was designed and created, the objective of which was to develop activities for disease prevention and health promotion with an intercultural approach, in shelters, refuges, and temporary camps in the city of Mexicali Baja California, Mexico.With all the experience acquired over the years and with the increase in cultural competence regarding health needs and the phenomenon of international migration, the processes began to consolidate a proposal that would allow an approach by organized groups of university students, for which a Community Social Service Project called Health Program for Migrants, with an Intercultural Approach \u201cThe structure of this project implies that students are trained in international migration, current migratory flows in the region of the Americas, intercultural health, and cultural competence. Thus, the proposal is to develop, in each institution, nine sessions of approximately one hour with educational strategies focused on the community, under the following thematic axes: tuberculosis, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, gastrointestinal infections, oral health problems, addiction prevention, prevention of gender and/or sexual violence, cancer prevention in women and men, prevention of HIV and other STIs, and promotion of maternal and child health.Salud Migrante project during 2023 aims to generate a social impact, to promote access to disease prevention and health promotion services for national and international migrant populations, at risk of developing or acquiring communicable and noncommunicable diseases, alterations caused by environmental and animal factors, injuries due to violence and accidents, in the context of the northwest border of Mexico.The application of the Salud Migrante program has been selected and approved by internal calls of this university and is registered as active in the Comprehensive System of Social Service of the UABC. It receives financial resources for student scholarships, with students from all areas of knowledge, particularly from the area of health, being invited to contribute with actions or strategies from their disciplines to improve the health of the international migrant population. In the long term, the creation of groups of nursing students for the migrants\u2019 health is expected, in the Mexican cities through which they transit to the United States.To date, the The construction of health-related proposals, based on the work with migrant populations, is an issue that allows demonstrating the need to incorporate intercultural health and cultural competence in nursing care, which strengthens the provision of congruent cultural care. A globalized world that favors migratory movements requires a great commitment from public and private health services. Health professionals have acquired the responsibility of providing quality care based on scientific and humanistic knowledge, developing community-type projects, promoting quality care, and adding efforts to international recommendations for health universality, a situation in which the migrant population, at least in the context of Latin America and the Caribbean, has greater opportunities to achieve the migratory objectives of better health conditions.The challenge of applying this knowledge in structured programs is vast, since it implies, to a great extent, personal dedication and large economic financing to effectively influence the complex scenarios in which migrants find themselves. Moreover, the permanent link with State agencies becomes evident, for the coordination of efforts and jointly to be able to comply with the application of national and international laws, treaties and agreements.The northwest border of Mexico has been characterized by the reception of people from China, Haiti, Venezuela, Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil, Cuba, etc., and even, and derived from the current geopolitical situation, from Ukraine and African countries; all these people have unique elements that make them stand out from the rest; therefore, nursing staff must consider the cultural factors that constitute them in a holistic approach, promoting a science of care that is more sensitive to the needs of people.The experience in the process of caring for migrant populations has witnessed the need to strengthen actions from intercultural health, something that implies the development of cultural competencies by the nurses who are in contact with this population. The use of cultural care theories and models promotes a more sensitive approach to the needs of international migrants. Care actions can be extended during the various points of transit, which implies coordination between nursing personnel from health institutions in various countries, as well as from higher-level academic institutions, to help these people maintain an optimal health status before and during the journey to the destination country."} +{"text": "Community-based nursing in recent years has received much attention from nursing schools in different countries as a suitable solution in response to existing and future problems and challenges, but there is yet no comprehensive and correct understanding of this concept and considering its importance, the present study was conducted to the aim of analyzing the concept of community-based nursing.Concept analysis was done using Walker and Avant's 8-step approach. Nursing dictionary, Persian dictionary, research articles, journals and conferences articles, dissertations, thesis, books, and other sources related to the concept of research were investigated through search engines and available databases using the keywords of nursing, community-based, concept analysis and Walker and Avant from 1990 to 2023. Finally, 54 articles related to the concept were reviewed and analyzed.The results showed that community-based nursing has attributes such as individual-oriented/ family-oriented/ community-oriented, social partnership with the communities and stakeholders, social justice, and group and interprofessional cooperation, the community as the main activity setting, providing services based on cultural diversity, providing services according to the context, conditions and community needs, caring for individuals and families with health problems throughout life, responding to the community needs, community-based experiences and facing real-life issues in the context of community, using a problem-based and service-based approach, providing context-based care and considering factors affecting health. In this regard, borderline and related cases were also presented to clarify the concept. Antecedents of community-based nursing included: determining the position of community-based nursing, making infrastructure and structure, the partnership between university, hospital and community, identifying all settings, the presence of educators proficient in education, survey of community needs, having knowledge, communication and community-based skills, expanding the role of the nurse, stakeholders' attitude towards community-oriented nursing and management and financial support. Consequences of community-based nursing included: competence development in nurses, solving community-based nursing challenges, meeting the health needs of individuals, families and communities, social justice, and increasing access to health care services.The results of this study can provide an objective and understandable image of the use of community-based nurses and their education in practice. Conducting more quantitative and qualitative studies about community-based nursing is also recommended.The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-023-04749-5. The term community-based has different meanings, but the common and main point of all of them is the community, which is the focus of service delivery and where community participation is very important . ChangesCommunity-based nursing provides nursing care to individuals, families, and groups wherever they are, such as where they live and work . CommuniDue to the extensive changes, including the increase in urbanization and the increase in the elderly population, changes in the geographical epidemiology of diseases, and the inability to control them by the health team has been highlighted the need to pay attention to community-based nursing as a suitable solution in response to the problems and challenges ahead. In Iran, a study showed that community-based nursing provides direct access to health and treatment services through home visits and home care and accurate identification of the patients\u2019 needs .Community-based nursing as a new field in education and a new role of nurses in the community has attracted the attention of many nursing schools in different countries in recent years. Still, due to the attention to this concept in recent years, there is no comprehensive and correct understanding. Many people have confused this concept with community-oriented nursing, community health nursing, population-based nursing, and public health nursing, or use these concepts interchangeably. In contrast, these concepts have different meanings and applications, and there is a limited understanding of this concept , 8, 9. AAlso, considering that every community has different context and characteristics, therefore specifying the definition, features, and constituent elements of this concept by examining the concept in other communities helps us in developing knowledge and a comprehensive understanding of the concept .\u201cIn fact, without a clear understanding of the concept of community-based nursing, one cannot reasonably anticipate its effective execution and appropriate training. A comprehensive grasp of the concept and its constituent elements is essential for the proper implementation of community-based nursing care, enabling nurses to embody the role of a community-based nurse. Furthermore, such comprehension serves to garner increased attention from policymakers and raise public awareness.\u201c , 3.In the field of \u201ccommunity-based nursing education\u201d conceptualization has been done by Mtshali , 11, butConcept analysis has been widely considered and supported as a fundamental research approach to expanding and developing nursing knowledge. Concept analysis is a process of examining the main elements of the concept that the researcher wants to better understand the concept by reviewing its components. It\u2019s a way to deconstruct a term to understand it better and create a correct definition that provides the possibility of measuring the concept and a great insight into the phenomenon of interest . The purThis study is a systematic analytical approach; it aims to clarify the concept of community-based nursing and determine its dimensions using the approach of Walker and Avant (2019). To find meanings related to the concept, an extensive search of the literature of 1990\u20132023 in search engines and available databases such as Iran Doc, Google Scholar, SID, OVID, CINAHL, Scopus, PubMed, Magiran with keywords of Community-based, nursing, Walker & Avant, concept analysis was done.In the current research, based on the approach of Walker and Avant (2019), the following steps were carried out, including selecting the concept, determining the aims of the analysis, identifying the uses of the analyzed concept, determining the defined attributes of the concept, identifying a model case, identifying borderline and related issues, identification of the antecedents and consequences of the concept and defining the empirical referents .In this way, in the beginning, a search was conducted to find what existed under the title of community-based nursing in related articles and sources. Then the articles were included in the study based on the inclusion criteria . The exclusion criteria included the focus of the study on hospital nursing. The procedure for selecting studies using PRISMA diagrams is shown in Fig.\u00a0In this analysis, the concept of \u201ccommunity-based nursing\u201d is considered the main concept of the present research due to its wide application in response to the challenges and health problems of the community, the ever-increasing changes in the way of providing services and the health care system and its importance in education. This concept has received a lot of attention due to its importance in promoting the health of society in the healthcare system. Still, this concept has no proper understanding and clarity, and the boundaries that separate it from other concepts have not been defined. Therefore, it seems that the clarification of this concept can help to understand the performance of community-based nursing and how to train nurses in this field , 15, 16.Considering that the concept of community-based nursing is one of the concepts that is confused with many other concepts and is sometimes used instead of other concepts, while these concepts are different from each other and it iTo identify the characteristics of community-based nursing, a wide range of old to new literature (1995\u20132023) was reviewed, and the characteristics of community-based nursing were determined as follows:(1) Individual-oriented/family-oriented/ community-oriented, (2) Social partnership with the communities and stakeholders, (3) Social justice, (4) Group and interprofessional cooperation, (5) The community as the main activity setting, (6) Providing services based on cultural diversity, (7) Providing services according to the context, conditions and community needs, (8) Caring for individuals and families with health problems throughout life, (9) Responding to the community needs, (10) Community-based experiences and facing the fundamental issues of life in the context of community, 11. Using a problem-based and service-based approach, 12. Providing context-based care and considering factors affecting health .The concept of colowing cases: (1) Managing acute and chronic conditions and providing acute or chronic care in health care centers, homes, schools, primary care clinics, outpatient services, and community centers , 3, 2) 2, 3], . First, the nurse evaluates the condition of the patient\u2019s family in terms of economic, cultural, social, physical and psychological aspects and realizes that their children are all married and they live alone and economically, they are at an average level, as a result, to the patient\u2019s consent, the nurse prepares and uses a suitable dressing for his leg wound , and then the nurse teaches the father of the family how to take care of the dressing and the leg wound and meanwhile, the nurse asks about his diet, the client does not like some foods and on the contrary eats some foods that are not suitable for him and says that he cannot have a regular meal plan (using a problem-based and service-based approach), also, he does not use some foods at all due to the prohibition in their culture and religion . Based on this, the nurse prepares the best meal plan in consultation with the treatment team and nutrition consultant and then implements it with the approval of the specialist doctor and other members of the treatment team, as well as with the client\u2019s consent . The nurse also teaches his wife about diet and asks her to cooperate with her husband to implement this plan. While talking to the mother of the family, the nurse notices her respiratory distress, asks her questions, examines the mother, and realizes that she has asthma and does not use her respiratory aid sprays properly. As a result, the nurse helps her to use the spray correctly and teaches her. The mother of the family states that she is depressed due to her difficult situation, the nurse talked to the mental health consultant of the care team about this issue, and an appointment was made to examine the mother of the family and help her . In the end, the nurse explained the risk factors of diabetes and asked them that if their children have these attributes, they must be evaluated and referred to the health care center of their region . Finally, the nurse determines the time of the next visit, advises on social services that can help the family, and ensures that the patient and his family have received all the needed care .In this study, borderline and related cases of community-based nursing based on the literature review included the following:Community health nursing: In community-based nursing, the nurse may meet an acute need, but the goal is to strengthen the capacity of the individual and family to take care of themselves. The main goal of community health nursing is to maintain the community\u2019s health, and its secondary goal is to promote self-care among individuals and families. It also provides care, especially for high-risk people and those with infectious diseases. Community-based nursing care is family-oriented, even if it is for an individual. Community health nursing combines nursing theory and public health sciences. It assigns the priorities of prevention, protection, and health promotion, and its responsibility goes beyond the client, individual and family. In community-based nursing, the nurse cares for individuals and families who have health problems, while in community health nursing, the nurse works with people who are generally well and have no symptoms. The roles of community-based nurses and community health nurses are both client-centered and service-centered. They include providing care, education, counseling, client advocacy and support, and case management, which are similar. Still, the main difference between the two is in the group-oriented roles. In community health nursing, the nurse has more group roles, such as the community advocate, who knows what the community wants and needs and solves it with the available resources. In community-based nursing, nurses spend most of their time (85%) in case management, patient education, individual and family counseling, and interdisciplinary practice, while in community health nursing, nurses spend most of their time in finding case and patient education, while both emphasize cultural sensitivity , 19.Community-oriented nursing: Many attributes of community-based nursing are shared with community-oriented nursing, but they are different. The purpose of community-oriented nursing is to prevent illness and disability, maintain and promote health, focus on health care for individuals, families and groups in the community, provide medical services to improve the quality of life, provide community diagnosis, health monitoring and assessment and school nursing, while the goal of community-based nursing is to manage acute and chronic conditions, focus on caring for the illness of individuals and families throughout life, determining special care in the community where they are located, home care, disease prevention, and health promotion .Population-based nursing: Population-based nursing is a systems approach to a problem for a specific population, but in community-based nursing, the target population may be located anywhere. In population-focused nursing evaluation, the target population and the environment in which the population is located should be examined. These assessments focus on epidemiological, environmental, psychological, cultural, spiritual, technological factors and the availability of community support systems , 20.Public health nursing: Public health nurses serve poor people instead of working with the whole people, and this is under cover of community health nursing, which occurs in every field. Public health nursing aims to prevent disease and disability and support the community, with a broad focus on community health and investigating the impact of the health status of the community (resources) on the health of individuals, families, and groups .Antecedents of community-based nursing based on extensive literature review included the following: (1) Determining the position of community-based nursing, its duties and organizational level in the Ministry of Health and achieving the position of the nurse at all levels of health from prevention to rehabilitation and creaBased on an extensive literature review, community-based nursing consequences included: 1. Competence development in nurses, such as improving professional, practical, communication skills, critical thinking, teamwork, experience, and deep knowledge about health and social issues in the community ,2. Solving community-based nursing challenges such as hospital-oriented and treatment-oriented in the health system, defects in the position and role of community-based nurses, flaws in community-based education infrastructure, deficiencies in trust, awareness, and acceptance of nurses in the community by the people , 38, 39,According to the extensive literature review, community-based nursing is a vital approach that delivers essential care across the lifespan with a central focus on enhancing overall health, primary care, and rehabilitation. This approach thrives on interdisciplinary collaboration to cater to diverse client groups within their natural environments. It is firmly rooted in the principle that healthcare decision-making primarily rests with the individual, their family, and the community. The nurse plays a pivotal role in devising nursing interventions for the client, their family, and the healthcare team, aligning these interventions with the values held by the client, their family, and the broader community. Community-based nursing places a strong emphasis on prevention, striving to avert the onset of diseases, promptly identify health issues, and provide early intervention and rehabilitation following illness or injury .In the present study, the concept of community-based nursing was analyzed using Walker and Avant\u2019s approach. Since the concept analysis causes objectification of a specific concept and its operationalization , it seemCommunity-based nursing is characterized by individual-centered, family-centered, and community-centered orientation. It provides nursing care for individuals, families, and groups wherever they are, including their place of residence, workplace, school, etc. Many studies have considered this attribute important in community-based nursing , 16, 18.Social participation is defined as a person\u2019s participation in activities that interact with others in community, also, this concept is defined as groups that work with common goals, responsibilities and power for the betterment of community and it includes the participation of community members, governmental and non-governmental organizations, universities, health center staff and other stakeholders and pays attention to the populations it is supposed to serve, many studies have mentioned social participation as an essential characteristic of community-based nursing , 45\u201349 aThe meaning of social justice is the fair and equitable benefit of the people of a community from health care based on need, which is at the heart of community-based health promotion measures to achieve health equality and is another essential attribute of community-based nursing . Community-based nursing requires group and interprofessional cooperation, and the nurse collaborates with different teams, including doctors, pharmacists, specialists, and assistants. Interdisciplinary collaboration is an essential element in the role of community-based nurses because nurses cannot achieve patient support goals without collaboration with other healthcare team members. Nurses provide the necessary care throughout the patient\u2019s life, focusing on improving health and primary rehabilitation care through interdisciplinary cooperation for different community Sects. , 10. In The community is considered the main setting for the activity of community-based nurses. It is used to such an extent that the percentage of community-based experiences is higher than other clinical experiences. Most studies have emphasized this issue , 16, 23.Another essential attribute of community-based nursing is attention to cultural diversity. Cultural diversity exists within and between countries, and nurses are morally committed to providing care appropriate to the culture. To provide adequate care to a client with a different culture or ethnic background, the nurse tries to understand the other person\u2019s point of view regarding their cultural framework. When the nurses are not successful in this field, the consequence will be inequality in care; considering ethnic diversity in Iran, understanding the beliefs of clients, patients, and families, and paying attention to their needs deepens the relationship between nurses and clients . The nurProviding nursing care considering the background, conditions, and community needs is one of the attributes of community-based nursing since the community is the primary activity setting, taking into account the local, regional, and global community conditions, demographic and epidemiological developments, the prevalence of mental diseases, severe changes and the burden of diseases and developing a care plan based on that importance has many and different studies have emphasized this issue , 41, 49.The philosophy of community-based nursing is to guide nursing care for individuals, families with health problems, and other groups throughout life, wherever they are, including where they live, work and go to school, etc. According to this definition, community-based nursing is not a specialty but a philosophy that guides all nursing care and haveCommunity-based nurses are responsible for the health needs of the community. They must be able to provide the necessary care for individuals and families and investigate, plan, intervene, and evaluate the community\u2019s needs. Since nursing services are mainly offered in hospitals in Iran, the activities of nurses do not meet the community\u2019s needs, and it is one of the essential things mentioned in many studies , 55, 56.Community-based experiences and facing real-life problems in the context of the community are integral parts of community-based nursing. Nurses need a wide range of experiences to provide care to individuals, families, and communities, from preventive care to acute care and rehabilitation. This means that they need direct access to population groups to work with and communicate with over time and help improve their health status, and many studies have emphasized this issue , 42, 58.Using a problem-based and service-based approach to solve problems is one of the attributes of community-based nursing. Solving problems and dealing with real-life issues requires using such an approach, and by focusing on the situation, nurses look for different solutions. With critical thinking and using evidence, they provide the best available resolution to meet the needs of the client and the family , 16, 49 Due to being exposed to the conditions and realities of the lives of individuals and families, nurses need to be aware of the target community\u2019s values. This issue makes them aware of social and cultural issues, injustices, and other factors affecting health .Proper care of individuals and families in social environments requires careful attention to social risks such as poverty, mental illness, unsafe housing, history or current injury, malnutrition, transportation problems, low literacy, etc. The nursing care team should comprehensively assess these areas and cooperate with social partners and colleagues to deal with them and follow the needs of the individual, family, and community over time. In community-based nursing, nurses are exposed to social, economic, political, cultural and other factors affecting the health of individuals, families, and communities. It is believed that such exposure facilitates a better understanding of social issues and equips nurses with the skills to deal with them. More importantly, it provides a comprehensive and complete view of health and disease because when the nurse encounters the patient only in the hospital setting, such opportunities are lost , 30, 37.To ensure the continued provision of essential services, community-based nurses must hold a well-defined position within the healthcare infrastructure , 39, 59.Being in different situations and solving problems in community increases the competence of nurses . The posConcept analysis of community-based nursing focused only on theoretical analysis without empirical verification from the nurse educators; this indicates the limitation of the study. Verification of the concept from the nurse educators could have helped the researcher obtain additional data to expand further or clarify the concept.Proper care of individuals and families in social environments requires careful attention to social risks such as poverty, mental illness, unsafe housing, history or current injury, malnutrition, transportation problems, low literacy, etc. The nursing care team should comprehensively assess these areas and cooperate with social partners and colleagues to deal with them and follow the needs of the individual, family, and community over time. In community-based nursing, nurses are exposed to social, economic, political, cultural and other factors affecting the health of individuals, families, and communities. It is believed that such exposure facilitates a better understanding of social issues and equips nurses with the skills to deal with them. More importantly, it provides a comprehensive and complete view of health and disease because when the nurse encounters the patient only in the hospital setting, such opportunities are lost. Based on the literature review, it can be said that community-based nursing, in facing the fundamental problems of life, using a problem-oriented and service-oriented approach, provides the necessary health care for individuals and families to the health problems during life and based on the context and community needs provides from the first level of the prevention to the third level and it does this through group and interdisciplinary cooperation and taking into account cultural diversity, factors affecting health and social justice for different strata of community in the natural environment of life and places in the community and it is based on the principle that community-based nursing is a collaborative work, the individual, family, and community have primary responsibility for health care decisions and the nurse mainly determines the nursing interventions with the client, the family and the health care team based on the values of the client, the family and the community and tries to respond to the community needs. The main goal of community-based nursing is to strengthen the capacity of the individual and family to take care of themselves and improve the community\u2019s health. To achieve such a goal, it is necessary to provide infrastructure and structures such as the position of a community-based nurse, essential resources, and facilities and conditions for the nurse to enter the community. In line with the present study, it is proposed to investigate the challenges of community-based nursing education in Iran and introduce a solution to improve it.Additional file 1: Supplementary file. Overview of all included studies in concept analysis"} +{"text": "Medicine and oral health are constantly progressing through a series of small advancements that, together, lead to significant discoveries and breakthroughs. These achievements enable the management of an increasing number of diseases and improve the quality of care and rehabilitation in the field of dentistry. In the present text, the content of this Special Issue, titled \u201cSecond Edition of Innovative Solutions for Oral Healthcare\u201d, is summarized, which comprises a variety of studies, clinical cases, and reviews aimed at providing new knowledge in the field of oral health and its related topics. The articles cover subjects such as early diagnosis, technological innovation, student education, the use of new therapies, and the impact of the environment on oral health. The objective is to continue promoting research and innovation in the field of dentistry.In the first volume of this Special Issue, oral health was linked to physiological alterations, aging, early diagnosis, environmental pollution, student education, digital dentistry, and the application of new technologies. Ikebuchi et al. identifiAn important aspect of the published research was evaluating the quality of training for students and recent graduates, both in terms of their ability to diagnose benign tumors, malignant tumors, and premalignant lesions through a cross-sectional study , and in New drugs are constantly being proposed, influencing the management of patients undergoing oral surgery. In the case of patients taking direct oral anticoagulants, a peri-operative management protocol has been proposed based on an analysis of the existing literature .In the current Special Issue, many other important topics have been addressed. Moga et al. exploredImplant-prosthetic rehabilitation is at a turning point compared to in the past: from traditional techniques based on the manual fabrication of prostheses, it is now possible to accurately predict and plan the rehabilitation, which will then be executed with the highest precision and predictability. This is made possible by the ever-increasing diagnostic possibilities , extremely advanced CAD/CAM technologies, and innovative materials . In this Special Issue, two studies address this topic.Todaro et al. presenteAzpiazu-Flores et al. presenteBased on the considerations mentioned above, the Guest Editor of the present Special Issue would like to thank all clinicians and researchers who contributed their relevant manuscripts."} +{"text": "The release of organic waste annually amounts to millions of tons of substances. Waste is used as a raw material for fertilizers and microbiological technologies. Anthropogenic pressure increases the volume of waste, which is important for large cities. The release of sewage sludge is expressed in millions of tons. It is disposed of in landfills. Waste is generated as a result of the use of natural resources; it serves as a source of raw materials and secondary raw materials. Waste from the food and processing industries can be recycled. Protein raw materials are used to produce supplements, dietetic treatments, and growing mediums. Microorganisms can decompose organic matter. Ecobiotechnologies use this ability for microbiological synthesis. The main methods of environmentally friendly waste processing are composting and vermicomposting, methane digestion, and aerobic stabilization. Composting is of low cost. Vermicomposting allows obtaining biohumus, which is technologically advanced in use. Liquid fractions of manure, droppings, and manure containing urea are dangerous for the environment. The pollution of nature is a catalyst for ecological catastrophe. Thus, a comprehensive analysis of environmental pollution is needed.Microorganisms and their enzymes destruct organics, which makes it possible to obtain biofertilizers with a high agronomic effect . CompostTraditionally, wastes are recycled naturally, with the participation of relevant microorganisms . WastewaGreen plants are also used in wastewater, soil, and atmospheric air purification (phytoremediation method), which is one of the directions of bioremediation. Anthropogenic pressure on ecosystems is growing, but sustainability has limits; the current problem is to develop biological methods for cleaning the environment. These methods are based on natural mechanisms. One of these methods is phytoremediation - the purification of the environment from pollutants with the help of living plants that can absorb heavy metals and their toxic compounds . PhytoexThe main directions of biotechnological waste processing are based on the degradation of toxic waste; the return of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur into the cycle of substances; as well as obtaining organic fuel . The aimThe research novelty lies in the fact that we propose a system of a comprehensive analysis of the state of the environment, which provides for obtaining objective data on the sources of environmental pollution, the nature of the impact of pollutants on the natural environment, people, and animal and vegetal life, identifying the mechanism of the response of natural objects to the impact of harmful substances on the animal world and nature. It is possible to identify critical links in the biosphere, normalize anthropogenic impact, and environmental-economic regulation of the natural environment using the proposed method.Global environmental problems require significant efforts of the entire international community. Humankind has destroyed and continues to destroy up to 70% of natural ecosystems on the planet in the 20th century, which are capable of retransforming waste products. The permissible anthropogenic impact on the biosphere has now been exceeded several times. Thousands of tons of substances of various nature are thrown into the natural environment, which are not amenable to natural processing. The most urgent environmental problem is protection from pollution, which includes the protection of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. Microorganisms can decompose organic substances and transform polymers. Ecobiotechnologies use this ability during microbiological synthesis in waste processing. The main methods of deep, environmentally friendly waste processing are composting and vermicomposting , methaneOnly a small part of cattle manure and bird droppings is used as fertilizer. The rest of the agricultural production waste accumulates and negatively affects the environment. Liquid fractions of manure, droppings, and manure sewage contain urea, phenols, pathogens, drugs, and other environmentally harmful substances . Most of2 into acetate , which produce carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrogen and sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, dioxins. Pyrolysis is used to produce activated carbon from wood. The main negative factor of thermal utilization is the release of dioxins into the environment . Organic acetate .Land waters have atmospheric nutrition, and their composition depends on the state of the atmosphere. The polluted atmosphere is characterized by acid precipitation, which leaches macro- and microelements, humus from the soil, disrupts plant photosynthesis, slows down their growth, and causes the death of plants sensitive to pollution. All these factors lead to a decline in soil fertility and, as a result, to the disappearance of forests .Aerobic wastewater treatment is the most extensive use of microorganisms in biotechnology. It is promising for the economical production of gaseous fuels at moderate temperatures (30\u00b0C\u201335\u00a0\u00b0C). Different countries use different types of waste to produce energy and by-products. Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand use specialty crops for fuel. Similar projects are being discussed in Finland, Sweden, and Ireland. In England, work on energy bioconversion is carried out under the Solar Energy Program, and biological energy projects are heavily financed there.The 20th and early 21st centuries show an increase in environmental accidents and catastrophes . PollutiChemical and biochemical enterprises are carriers of the potential danger of accidental releases of toxic substances into the atmosphere and microbes that can cause epidemics among people and animals. The ecological situation on the planet is unfavorable due to the insufficient use of the potential of nature by scientific and technological progress and the irrational exploitation of natural resources, increasing the rate of pollution of the biosphere. Humanity has novel methods and approaches to normalize the current situation by processing industrial organic waste. Normalization provides for reducing the degree of pollution of the natural environment; rationalization of exploitation of natural resources; reactivation of non-renewable resources; use of environmentally friendly biotechnologies. Environmentally friendly biotechnologies are the main and promising way to combat pollution of the natural environment, atmosphere and hydrosphere, and the fertile soil layer. A comprehensive analysis of the state of the natural environment is much needed in scholarship and practice, considering promising ways of using biotechnology. The analysis provides a reliable idea of the sources of environmental pollution, the nature of the impact of non-decontaminated waste on the environment and wildlife, the establishment of a mechanism for the reaction of natural subjects to anthropogenic substances and energy fields."} +{"text": "Dear Editor,In the last decades, facial pigmentation techniques for aesthetic purposes have become common. Among them is eyebrow tattooing or micropigmentation. Unlike traditional tattoos, in which the pigment is deposited in the deeper layers of the dermis, in micropigmentation, the semi-permanent pigment is deposited in the upper layer of the dermis. Adverse reactions to this technique include infection, contact dermatitis, granulomatous reactions, and Koebner phenomenon.A 30-year-old female patient, with a history of previous bariatric surgery, without other comorbidities, complained of raised eyebrows for three months. She had repeatedly undergone micropigmentation of the region over the past four years, the last being 14 months before. She denied any systemic symptoms. On examination, she had raised plaques on the topography of the eyebrows, especially on the right, in addition to areas of alopecia A. At derHistopathology showed non-caseating chronic granulomatous dermatitis with a sarcoid pattern ; acid-faMicropigmentation is normally performed with a portable tattoo pen, which is smaller than the traditional tattoo device. Ready-made paints are available on the market, but some professionals make their own mixtures. Pigment washout may occur during the first few days of healing, then the remaining pigment particles are stored in dermal macrophages and fibroblasts.3Sarcoid granulomas can develop in areas of tattooing or permanent makeup as isolated reactions or as part of systemic sarcoidosis. The time between the tattoing and the reaction onset is variable, and there may be a long latency period, justifying the investigation of systemic sarcoidosis.2Topical and intralesional corticosteroids are the first line of treatment.While numerous cases of sarcoid granulomas have been reported in body tattoos, few have been related to eyebrow micropigmentation. With the greater prevalence of this cosmetic technique, it is important to recognize the possible adverse reactions, as well as the adequate management. Moreover, it is crucial to remember the importance of investigating systemic sarcoidosis in these patients.None declared.Tamires Ferri Macedo: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; drafting and editing of the manuscript; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; critical review of the literature.Simone Perazzoli: approval of the final version of the manuscript; drafting and editing of the manuscript; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; critical review of the literature.Renan Rangel Bonamigo: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; design and planning of the study; intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the studied cases; critical review of the manuscript.Renata Heck: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; design and planning of the study; effective participation in research orientation; intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the studied cases; critical review of the manuscript.None declared."} +{"text": "There are errors in the Funding statement. The correct Funding statement is as follows: This work was supported by Institute of Research and Consulting Studies, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript."} +{"text": "In the Funding section, the role of the funder is incorrect. The correct Funding statement is: This study was funded by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA. The funder provided support in the form of salaries or consulting fees for CB, SS, TL, CSL, and MP, and had input in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, and preparation of the manuscript.The authors requested this update prior to the article\u2019s publication, but due to an internal error the updated statement was not incorporated into the article before its publication date. The publisher apologizes for the error."} +{"text": "The advancements of civilization are based on our ability to pass on the events and knowledge of the past so that the next generations can start from an ever-higher level of expertise. The memory of the past can be kept alive by preserving historical and artistic assets, the cultural heritage of every nation.In light of the above, this Special Issue (S.I.) aimed to collect studies that describe interesting/relevant problems in analyzing cultural heritage samples and suggest analytical strategies to solve/manage them. A total of 19 manuscripts were published . The submitted papers cover different aspects of cultural and archeological heritage protection, conservation, and restoration.The sample matrix complexity belonging to cultural heritage, including archeological samples, generally requires a multi-analytical approach. The integrated use of different analytical techniques, with the preference for noninvasive or micro-invasive ones, allows an in-depth understanding of the original materials and their degradation processes and helps obtain innovative solutions for the restoration and conservation of artworks.The paper by Cotte et al. shows thRecently, enormous advances have been seen in analytical strategies for studying bioarcheological materials, particularly through mass spectrometry. The work of Barberis et al. offers aThe synergistic action of air pollution, climatic conditions, and biological contamination can harm the preservation of historical and artistic heritage. In particular, prehistoric artworks, including paintings and engravings, are particularly fragile as they are exposed to different environmental impacts. With the use of nondestructive elemental and molecular spectroscopies, it is possible to choose the most appropriate conservation and restoration strategy for prehistoric artworks and better understand their evolution over time.In work from Costantini et al. , micro-eThe degradation of stone materials with the formation of unsightly and chromatic stains may be related to the biological activity of specific microorganisms and promoted by environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and illumination. The work by Cardellicchio et al. investigAmong the various forms of degradation affecting stone artifacts, colored stains that form on surfaces in contact with metals or alloys are of particular concern. In the work of Reale et al. , the mecStudies of Fe speciation in archeological ceramics may be critical to gain insights into the various types of clay used and the different techniques and temperatures of clay firing. The study by Kozak et al. reports Among the most beautiful expressions of ancient art is the Roman mosaic. The preliminary study by Colantonio et al. suggestsAnother topic addressed in this S.I. is the study and evaluation of the authenticity of precious stones belonging to cultural heritage. The work of Aceto et al. suggestsTwo papers, by Serafini et al. and BosiThe work from Bosi et al. highlighNoninvasive cross-sectional analysis of pictorial stratigraphy in paintings, essential for adopting the most appropriate cleaning strategies or assessing adhesion and compactness between layers, is a major challenge in cultural heritage science. To date, no technique can noninvasively and uniquely measure the thickness of pictorial layers, as these are generally composed of heterogeneous and optically opaque materials. In the work of Dal Fovo et al. , the posIn the paper by Aguilar-Rodr\u00edguez et al. , the comStudying paints and their components, such as binders, dyes, or pigments, may allow us to acquire useful information to differentiate original from non-original materials and date objects and artifacts. In the work of Macchia et al. , the comThe study and preservation of objects, infrastructures, and works belonging to the industrial archeological heritage is a relatively new area of research that emerged in the 1970s. Costantini et al. aimed toContemporary art is affected by a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advanced world in which it is increasingly easy to communicate and exchange information. Because of this, contemporary artworks are a dynamic combination of materials, methods, concepts, and subjects. The conservation of contemporary artworks has become a new and exciting field of study, which needs continuous research because of the ever-changing and more recent materials. The work of Alp et al. providesThe work of Longoni et al. confirmsThe review by Creydt and Fischer discusseTwo reviews concern lipid residues and their degradation products, such as fatty acids and metal soaps, which are of great importance for the study of archeological objects and oil paintings ,19. OrgaThe review by Irto et al. reports"} +{"text": "The publisher apologizes for the errors. There is an error in affiliations 2 and 3 for authors, Sachiko Kuroda and Hideo Owan. The correct affiliation 2 is: Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Waseda University, Japan; and the correct affiliation 3 is: The Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, Tokyo, Japan.i from the baseline (t = 0) and follow-up (t = 1) surveys, and nT and nC are the number of workers in the treatment group and in the control group, respectively.In the Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) subsection of the Estimation strategy, there is an error in the first equation. The correct"} +{"text": "Public health emergencies are extraordinary events of disease spread, with health, economic, and social consequences, which require coordinated actions by governments and society. This work aims to analyze scopes, application possibilities, challenges, and gaps of decision support frameworks in PHE management, using the components of the Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management Framework (H-EDRM) and the Preparedness, Prevention, Response and Recovery Model (PPRR Model), providing guidelines for the development of new models. A systematic literature review was carried out using the Web of Science, Scopus, and Pubmed knowledge databases on studies published between 2016 and 2023, and thirty-six articles were selected. The outcomes show a concentration of frameworks on short-term emergency response operations, with a limited emphasis on the political and strategic components that drive actors and responsibilities. Management prioritizes monitoring, evaluation, and information management frameworks. However, the models need to overcome the challenges of multisectoral and interdisciplinary action, different levels of decisions and actors, data sharing, and development of common platforms of evidence for decisions fitted to the various emergencies. In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 pandemic a Public Health Emergency (PHE) of International Concern affecting the lives of millions of people on a global scale until May 2023, when the slowing of transmission of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was achieved, but with attention to its consequences. Health emergencies, especially pandemics, epidemics, and disasters, are extraordinary events of disease spread, with health, social, economic, and political consequences, which require coordinated actions by states and affect, especially, the most vulnerable populations [In emergency situations, the manager makes decisions under dynamic and chaotic conditions, when interpreting the context under pressure from ethical and political constraints , seekingConsidering this complexity, the WHO increased its perspective on response, prevention, recovery, prediction, and preparedness mechanisms to achieve an intelligence hub, with multidisciplinary collaboration, multisectoral decision making, global data sharing architectures, and expanded health context analysis capabilities to support health manager decision making .In public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, each country has the challenge of making decisions tailored to the limitations of its health systems and related subsystems, guided by global guidelines such as the WHO standards, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015\u20132030, and the International Health Regulations ,7.In this sense, frameworks serve as the interface between the decision maker and the problem to be solved, in various formats such as conceptual models, application of multicriteria methods, and systematic literature review. However, governments can adopt their frameworks without regard for system interoperability and information sharing . In furtThe bounded rationality of decision makers and the behavior of their heuristics and biases in contexts with variables of uncertainty pose a challenge to framework models , requiriCountry planning for an emergency is comprehensive and must begin before the health event, with the challenges of information analysis, expert decision-making approaches and priority setting, choices of methods and models, budget programming, the establishment of a data infrastructure, and evidence production, which condition alert, preparedness, assessment, and crisis control actions, posing a challenge to managers and government structures ; therefoThe examined works present the challenges of decision frameworks in emergencies, focusing on a gap between model type, actor expectation, and context constraints, which this article seeks to mitigate by describing the characteristics and requirement constraints to support country governments in developing frameworks for emergencies using a more adaptive approach incorporating the system dynamics of and the In this sense, this work aims to analyze the scopes, application possibilities, challenges, and gaps of decision support frameworks in PHE management using components of the Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management Framework (H-EDRM) and the In recent decades, the global population has been confronted with recurrent health issues that undermine the ability of governments to respond , establiThe WHO guidelines for a public health information center emphasize a predictive perspective to produce better data, better analyses, and better decisions as part of an adaptive, comprehensive, and contextualized approach. Interpreting the context depends on prioritizing risk dynamics rather than managing isolated events, proactive action rather than reactive action, considering the dangers, uncertainties, and vulnerabilities and capacities of each context, as well as involving society and sharing responsibilities. The challenge is directly related to the capacity for resilience in the face of the entropy of the entire health system in an EPS, generated by a scarcity of resources, disputes over political narratives, and indeterminacies between science and common sense ,5.As an illustration, the Brazilian government issued an ESPIN in January 2023 due to a lack of assistance to the Yanomami indigenous population, which is characterized by a crisis that requires the mobilization of national strategies in the health, environmental, management, and regulatory dimensions of the territory, in response to the dangers posed by the presence of illegal mining in the Amazon Region . At the The International Health Regulations, the central instrument for actions to protect countries against the international spread of disease, define public health risk as \u201cthe probability that an event will adversely affect the health of human populations, with an emphasis on those that can spread internationally or pose a grave and direct threat\u201d . More thA PHE is a surprising event generating uncertainty, dealing with turbulent problems, and challenging states\u2019 forecasting and protection strategies. There are resilience challenges to restore the previous equilibrium of a situation, which is not always possible or even enough. These are complex decision-making contexts for managers, requiring collaborative relationships and the strengthening of partnerships at all levels, adoption of innovative solutions, and effective communication about risks to achieve a new reality .Decision making in PHEs requires a complexity calculation as close to reality as possible, considering the information available in the time interval of the decision, considering the scientific, technological, political, and managerial data, when the use of frameworks can mitigate the bounded rationality of the decision makers . This huA framework, based on Design Science Research (DSR), is an \u201cartefact\u201d in the form of constructs with conceptual aspects, models that attempt to describe reality, its variables, and their interactions. In the DSR approach, the method relates steps for the execution of actions and analysis and may adopt heuristics and algorithms; instantiation verifies the application of one or more artifacts in the environment, to know the technical feasibility and effectiveness, according to the characteristics of the context . This coOne of WHO\u2019s mechanisms for preparing countries for a PHE is the Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management Framework (H-EDRM), an expert-developed management framework that reinforces the paradigm of an integrated approach to deal with health emergencies and disaster risks , guidingThe prevention measures reduce the impact of hazards and risk events on health, especially in the more vulnerable population. Recovery is a slow process that promotes actions to restore community life, such as physical, social, or psychological rehabilitation. The response measures include urgent life-saving support, such as the deployment of workforce, infrastructure, logistics, and communication systems. Preparedness increases PHE readiness by strengthening the capacity of governments, institutions, and society through proper legislation, resource planning, and community empowerment ,22.The H-EDRM Policies, Strategies, and Legislation (H-EDRM-PSL) outline organizational structures, roles, and duties. Planning and Coordination (H-EDRM-P&C) emphasize the integration of health planning at all levels. The Monitoring and Evaluation (H-EDRM-M&E) component tracks risks and the implementation of strategies, programs, and activities. The Information and Knowledge Management (H-EDRM-I&KM) integrates health surveillance, early warning, and evidence-based technical guidance. Health Infrastructure and Logistics (H-EDRM-HI&L) address safe and sustainable health facilities. Human Resources (H-EDRM-HR) build capacity and establish human competencies to address PHEs. The Health and Related Services (H-EDRM-H&RS) component guides actions such as prevention, basic care, rehabilitation, and immunization programs. The Risk Communication (H-EDRM-RC) component reports communication strategies to society, and the Community Health Capacities (H-EDRM-CHC) component assesses community risk prevention, population engagement, and territory planning. Finally, the Financial Resources (H-EDRM-FR) mobilize program budgets, contingency funds, and financial arrangements .As shown in Effective decision making in public health emergencies integrates institutions, public policy, science, and society; integrates multidisciplinary and multisectoral collaboration platforms; bridges knowledge generation and action; overcomes fragmentation; and strengthens the sharing of comprehensive and contextualized data, thereby empowering decision makers to understand and manage health risks. Reliable decisions adopt analytical methods and tools, access collective knowledge, and include cognitive characteristics of the decision maker . The comA PHE is a complex process guided by the interdependence of political, social, economic, and health issues, which involves local, regional, and global components . In thisThis systematic literature review is a qualitative approach, which allows the identification of key issues in the field . Our stuhttps://osf.io/u6xfb (accessed on 15 June 2023). The strategy resulting from this validation process is described in the following sections.This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, which aims to \u201chelp systematic reviewers transparently report why the review was done, what the authors did, and what they found\u201d . This reStudies on decision making in PHEs are recent, and a bibliometric analysis indicates an increase since 2014, associated with the intensification of health events, with 73.27% of the publications identified in the last 5 years, with an indication of growth in the coming years. The results indicate that there is little coordination between countries, institutions, and authors about decision making in PHEs, which raises the possibility of interdisciplinary analysis from a multicultural perspective which is more interpretative of the context of problems that affect the management dimension, especially in countries with populations in situations of economic, social, and environmental vulnerability that intensify in a PHE . In anotThis article reports on the general aspects of frameworks. It considers complexity through the interface of individuals and organizations, dependent on the connectivity of systems and the ambiguities and uncertainties of contexts . The intIn this sense, our article covers the last 7 years in a systematic literature review on aspects and configurations of decision support frameworks in PHEs, which interprets the interface of management problems through the components of the H-EDRM and the Planning defines the scientific knowledge bases that will be investigated in the research as folloIn defining the scope, guiding questions were formulated to be addressed to achieve the objective of this study. The text is organized by the H-EDRM and the PPRR model, which address specific topics. The questions guide the analysis of the frameworks studied. These are the following: Q1: How are management decision support frameworks characterized in PHE contexts? Q2: What type of intervention are the frameworks geared towards in a PHE? Q3: What are the challenges and gaps to be overcome by frameworks for strengthening decision making in PHE contexts?Considering the importance of an integrated view and the boundaries between PPRR measures and the H-EDRM components in PHEs, the identification of the theme should be in more than one H-EDRM, which could accommodate an interdisciplinary approach. However, we tried to locate the article studied in the H-EDRM with the greatest intensity, without prejudice to bringing them closer together in the composition of the texts and analyses.In the literature search step, following the questions presented in the scoping, a string is used to query the databases . In theshttps://decs.bvsalud.org/sobre-o-decs/ accessed on 16 June 2023) to find words and synonyms, resulting in the following string composition: OR OR AND (\u201chumanitarian\u201d) OR (emergenc*) OR (\u201cemergency management\u201d) OR (\u201cdisaster\u201d) OR (\u201coutbreak\u201d) AND OR (\u201cassessment\u201d) OR AND (framework*) OR (\u201cstructure\u201d) OR (\u201cmethod\u201d) OR (\u201cmodel\u201d) OR (\u201ctool\u201d) OR (\u201cmechanism\u201d) OR (\u201ctechnique\u201d) AND (\u201cdecision-making\u201d) OR (\u201cDecision Support Techniques\u201d) NOT . The search eliminates medical research that has no relation to the areas of management and administration.The definition of the search string in the knowledge bases analyzed bibliographies linked to the topic and accessed the Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS) base , with 1.0 being the global average . Notablyhttps://bit.ly/3QZ6DUA (accessed on 15 June 2023). The results are organized by the H-EDRM and answer the presented questions. Q1 addresses the characterization of the frameworks: contexts, identification of the H-EDRM and the PPRR model, scope, and method or model of analyses. Q2 identifies the type of intervention by H-EDRM components and PPRR model measures and the interface between them. Q3 analyzes the gaps and challenges in an interdisciplinary approach. The dynamics observed in our framework study are those located between the causes of a health emergency with its ambiguities and uncertainties and the limits of health systems, whose contexts present challenges for management, based on which we seek to identify their dynamics and sense of intervention, scopes, and relationship of variables and tendencies.This section presents the analysis of the selected frameworks, according to the appendix available at The frameworks are presented in several formats, adopting conceptual structures ,16,17,20The dimensions of information and monitoring and evaluation of the results of managers\u2019 responses deal with the evolution of risk dynamics that need to be managed in emergencies ,52,55,59The provision of structures and resources focuses on hospitals that are under immediate pressure in PHE situations. The focus is on the agility of adapting physical infrastructure and leveA PHE requires the attention of different areas according to the ambiguities and uncertainties of a context, considering a multidisciplinary approach that includes economic, social, psychological, and health impacts , which cIdentifying frameworks using H-EDRM and PPRR Models implies observing permeable borders on their components to look at management dynamics in the context of a PHE. In this sense, Due to the magnitude that the COVID-19 pandemic has reached since 2020, response efforts predominate, followed by preparedness, prevention, and a recovery measure, suggesting a focus on the system\u2019s reaction; however, the strengthening of preparedness activities affects the evolution of all health systems during a crisis, resulting in a more effective response and capacity for resilience to recovery of the health system.Future research must investigate the conditionality relationship between these actions to determine the extent to which having more preparedness actions can produce more assertive responses and require less time to recover structures and the relationship between measure types and management components, as depicted in Framework development incorporates decision support concepts, theories, and multicriteria methods, which address the \u201cmultidimensional representation of problems with identification of critical information, comparisons of alternatives, and preference structures\u201d . AlthougThe H-EDRM-PSL component presents The Analytical Framework of China\u2019s Governance Responses to COVID-19 (response), with centralized governance for effective coordination of implemented measures, in a framework that integrates institutional, administrative, coordination, and governance configurations, with rational behavior of the actors, which generate a dynamic to reduce positive entropy in management that compromised government responses during the pandemic . DecisioHowever, as the frameworks established by nations reflect the opinions and circumstances of their authors, the exchange of models between different country realities is not automatic, and it is vital to expand PHE research into the operational and ethical dimensions of models that address the dynamic complexity of management in a context . It is aWhat must be investigated is the suitability of frameworks in diverse PHE situations, with models that include characteristics of the nations\u2019 governance style in accordance with the degree of centralization of activities. The absence of command and the perception of a PHE as a political game compromises the responses of governments, as in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the Chinese experience of more effective control of the pandemic is not easily adopted by other nations because their decision-making contexts differ .H-EDRM-P&C addresses mechanisms for planning intervention in an epidemic. The definition of action plans is presented in a framework to support the integration of priority setting in the preparedness, alert, control, and evaluation stages of a disease pandemic, using documentary analysis and incorporating the experiences of health professionals, in an outbreak of the Ebola virus in Uganda . In thisThe countermeasure strategies present a multicriteria decision support system for choosing strategies to mitigate (prevention) the effects of COVID-19 using Bayesian networks to addresses uncertainty in dynamic environments, in the transition from short term to long term. Despite the improvement in multicriteria decision support methods for health emergencies, the scoring adjustment of the attributes of analysis may be harmed in contexts of uncertainty, for dealing with strategies not previously tested and for more uncertain attributes that receive less weight in the analyses, compromising a broad view of the problem .(recovery) to a state of normality [In terms of resilience, managing COVID-19 presented a hybrid approach that identifies causal factors, security barriers, and key lessons using bowtie modelling. Modelling societal resilience in health emergencies integrating causation, barriers, and lessons learned relies on hypothetical scenarios rather than probabilities and immediate problem-solving that is not always possible. Few studies have focused on frameworks for dynamically addressing the context of uncertainty, able to integrate accumulated management experiences from previous health crises to understand how contexts returned ormality . The resormality .Ethics, as a component of the planning and coordination measures in a PHE, also depends on developing ethically robust policies for community protection. The framework of ethical values for planning, policy enactment, and action on disasters, based on a decision guide, includes benefit and harm, effectiveness, precautionary principles, harm from intervention, respect, equity, and trust. The framework is a decision tree that provides guidance on the potential of the crisis, the establishment of recommendations, communications for intervention, and the verification of results, but the achievement of an adequate level of protection (prevention) for the population in public health emergencies, based on evidence, still lacks models that integrate the scientific, ethical, and management dimensions, with social, infrastructure, and logistical factors, for interventions that are appropriate to the context, especially for the least favored populations .In problem analysis, planning for a PHE is a complicated system with interdependent variables . Thus, MH-EDRM-HR components are strategic resources to face pandemics because they reinforce guidelines for personnel planning, occupational health, personnel safety, and capacity building in technical, epidemiological, diagnostic, service, and communication areas, in all cycles of the PPRR model and even for the H-EDRM components, at all levels . Despiteresponse to a PHE to straighten the decision-making process in complex emergency contexts, guided by the domains of decision theory, ethical principles, and the individual and group emotions of decision makers. The tool was based on the OODA loop , which incorporates intuition and deliberative process in choosing alternatives. Chaos and unpredictability condition decision making in emergencies, establishing a gap between the intuitions, heuristics, and biases of the decision maker. What is missing is a structured analysis of the variables of the context of uncertainty to achieve a more rational and deliberative process. It is a challenge to be studied to guide the training processes of health authorities in this context. Human resources can also be understood in the face of a PHE by the integration of agents participating in the decision-making process [The framework for training public health practitioners in crisis decision making was also identified as a necessity for the process .The alignment of different agents in PHE decision making requires overcoming collective risk framing positioning, nonlinear preferences, dependence on source conditions, and estimation of gains and losses of each actor or group of actors. Additionally, cognitive and complex linguistic information capture presents a challenge. The gaps point to the development of consensus models which integrate psychological factors, information quality, and decision speed. Thus, decision-maker hesitation and perception demand weights and ranking of alternatives in structured analysis to mitigate their bounded rationality ,13 and aIn H-EDRM-M&E, the analysis of risk dynamics in contexts of uncertainty requires the development of decision support frameworks with the application of advanced hybrid dynamic methodologies to overcome the shortcomings of conventional probabilistic static models. The framework evaluates risk dynamics in time-dependent contexts and the dynamic variation of process variables, using a dynamic risk analysis (DRA) for mapping, managing, and identifying risk dynamics , with thGovernments strategies are subject to evaluating factors to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, taking care to apply the guidance factors established by the WHO for countries. The framework uses Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (dematel) and Fuzzy Rule-Based Techniques and identifies causal relationships between factors and critical elements impacting Covid-19 virus infection, like social media sharing, mass crowding control, people movement control, international travel restrictions, distance learning, and economic stimulus measures. However, the study calls attention to the challenge of linking multicriteria decision support methods to the Dematel method to analyze complementary components (factors) influencing the spread of COVID-19, including different statistical techniques with larger sample sizes . The evaThe adjusting government strategies to contain SARS-CoV-2 transmission by analyzing the interactions and behaviors of agents integrates geographical factors, climatic factors, displacements, and contacts between agents in public spaces, called residents in quarantine or confirmed cases, the transportation agents, or even the government agent which establishes policies to address the emergency. The model relates the agents, their attributes, and interactions, based on data for simulation in the time and space of the analysis, in multi-agent modeling, which uses the tool Repast Simphony 2.8.1 , developed in the Eclipse Platform and using the Java language. It analyzes the spatial dynamics and produces, from scientific evidence, dynamic feedback about the interactions in time, allowing the government to analyze scenarios and adjust prevention and control actions, adopting effective intervention measures according to the context. The restrictive measures for the population are incorporated according to the behavior of the agents and the dynamics of the contexts, without the prevalence of a one-size-fits-all approach. However, this creates a challenge for governments in knowing the impacts of different measures in space and time, given by the economic and social development of a region .Particularly regarding the humanitarian response in PHE contexts, the identification and assessment of factors facilitating agility capacity in the aid network, the framework includes the timeliness of delivery of products and services, health risk management, long-term needs, health information and donor organization, and government and non-governmental organization policies to face the challenge of overcoming the gaps in verifying the effectiveness of action plans (response). It is an application of a hybrid evaluation approach that combines fuzzy decision trial evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and the analytic network process (ANP) to deal with ambiguities, uncertainties, and inaccuracies inherent in the evaluation process. The methods assess interactions between elements and establish reliability ratings .Monitoring and evaluating disaster actions within the scope of the health department (responses) is a framework that generates records for learning and preparing future responses to address emergencies. It is a conceptual framework developed based on a literature review on quality improvement, and it can be applied to enhance the disaster monitoring and evaluation cycle, including stages of documentation, evaluation, dissemination, and implementation of measures, looking at context settings and response mechanisms, focusing on the studies that explain ways of intervention and operation in different contexts .Monitoring and evaluating risk dynamics ,52, goveIt is known that the performance of health systems in a PHE allows for an adaptive response for epidemics, which addresses the analysis of context, intervention, process, performance, and impact, and a route to performance analysis and optimization of interventions, but the studies show models focused on specific contexts, with low capacity to reformulate the intervention, frameworks with limited structures for reapplication in different contexts and an iterative approach, missing settings of evaluation of the full cycle of an intervention .www.gradeworkinggroup.org\u2014accessed on 15 June 2023), that checks and makes recommendations on the quality of evidence to support decision making, applied in the context of public health emergencies [The H-EDRM-I&KM brings together frameworks to support better evidence for decision making, first on an application by the Emergency Operational Committee (EOC) of the Saskatchewan Health Authority, Canada, to identify COVID-19 policy priorities, providing rapid reviews and evidence reporting, in a web-based data dashboard. The COVID-19 evidence support team produce and sustain the best available evidence on COVID-19 to facilitate the decision making of policymakers, researchers, and clinical practitioners and foster the context-based learning cycle in health, which depends on information sharing; however, an aspect still to be overcome is the performance of experts in isolated silos of their own characteristics, which compromises the integration of knowledge from multiple actors and the generation of quality evidence in the emergency . AnotherA disaster impacts the environment and public health, and it is understood that it requires going through different phases of risk mitigation . However, risk assessment frameworks need to advance the identification of evidence in the early stages of the emergency (response) with the involvement of experts and specialized and multidisciplinary technical contributions. In this way, a methodology was developed to strengthen decision making, communication, planning, and action management to assess risks, an on-line tool that integrates the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism . In anotThe decision-making process to response and prevention plans to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the studies, requires the application of multicriteria methods for decision support, integrating the expression of uncertainty by decision makers, setting criteria weights for choosing an optimal solution , and ranThe decision-making process asks for a system of emergency intelligence with the capability to deal with a context full of uncertainty and complexity. In this way, studies have been carried out about interagency decision support systems for sharing critical information in cross-border situations, which addresses the emergency management life cycle, integrating preparedness measures with stages of planning, simulations, and training; response measures using a decision support system and real-time monitoring; and recovery measures for vulnerable groups, highlighting the interoperability of existing systems and end-user-oriented solutions . In anotH-EDRM-HI&L presents framework studies on safety risk factors in the hospital environment during COVID-19 in India, using a Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM). The weights of categories and their respective factors are calculated and ranked based on their criticality using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP), and the ranking of Indian hospitals is conducted by the Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (FTOPSIS). The preparation of health services for the response to a pandemic integrates guidelines from reference bodies such as the WHO and can adopt multicriteria decision support methods to analyze risk factors. However, the exact definition of the criteria and the attribution of values for analysis of services is a challenge to be overcome due to the dynamics of contexts, ambiguities of expert opinions, and scarcity of resources that affect hospitals mainly during the PHE .A literature review on health care agility to classify hospitals in Tehran, Iran, in the context of disaster and the application of the Flowsort method with IT2FSs build a framework to classify hospitals by level of agility, based on management capacity to deal with disasters in contexts of uncertainty. It verifies the relationships between agility factors and the actions to prepare, mitigate, rebuild, and respond to a disaster situation, including organizational structure, hospital chain management, clinical governance, technological upgrading, market awareness, and trained staff. Hospital agility is a structuring component of health service responses in situations of natural or man-made disasters in terms of how effectively facilities respond to the emergency, with competence, flexibility, and speed . A pandeCOVID-19 exposed the weaknesses of supply chain systems by the sudden increase in global demand for health supplies, which challenged the limits of production and logistics and increased the need for studies on frameworks for assessing optimal stock levels in preparedness measures for health emergency contexts. In this way, a decision model about stock levels of health systems in emergency scenarios was developed, using multicriteria spherical fuzzy regret. It represents the level of hesitation or adherence of decision makers to listed alternatives, considering the availability of local production and proximity to production centers, necessary quantity of product or equipment, supply costs, the criticality of use, inventory, and stock maintenance .The spread and speed of cases of a severe acute respiratory syndrome may increase the need for equipment and inputs such as mechanical ventilators and oxygen. A conceptual framework for determining the need for and allocation of ventilators during a PHE was developed (response), capable of planning actions and adequate logistics of equipment, supplies, and qualified personnel in intensive care, analyzing patient demand and the need for adequacy and increase in resources in hospitals, strengthening provisions at federal, state, and local levels. Despite the definition of strategies for technology allocation, frameworks for the situation analysis of the health system need to contemplate the capacity of structures, qualified personnel, and especially ethical principles to serve different population groups .H-EDRM-H&RS listed only one study in decision support methods for managers on improvements for the reduction in overcrowding in emergency rooms in Paran\u00e1, Brazil, which addresses feedback relationships, interdependence, and influences among criteria, with emphasis on resource utilization, layout efficiency, productivity and technology, in a composition of Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory\u2014DEMATEL\u2014and Preference Ranking Organization\u2014PROMETHEE II. The management of the health emergency room to avoid overcrowding deals with problems that are difficult to identify and with patient management factors that cannot be changed quickly; however, according to the complexity of the context, there is a need for the association of multicriteria decision support methods to prioritize alternatives, such as assigning weights, establishing causal relationships between criteria, identifying improvement, and ordering the choices in time .To the best of our knowledge, the studies did not present a specific financial resources framework (H-EDRM-FR); however, it is a strategic resource to provide financing expeditiously and maintain all the programs and measures in different stages of a PHE. The lack of studies also applies to risk communication (H-EDRM-RC), which plays a special role in positioning society in complex contexts of contradictory information that compromises risk mitigation strategies and the protection of citizens, especially vulnerable populations. Communication is closely related to the level of response according to a society\u2019s community capacities (H-EDRM-CHC), which includes health professionals and civil society in shared crisis planning with the community , but no Governments and societies face challenges for assertive decision making in contexts of health emergencies, where the complexity of management lies between the health event\u2019s behavior and the health system\u2019s limit, implying a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary, multisectoral, and contextualized approach. In this sense, the framework is at the interface between the decision maker and the problem, which in a context of uncertainty takes on nonlinear and counterintuitive proportions.The analysis of the frameworks using H-EDRM recorded the prevalence of components in the areas of information and knowledge, monitoring and evaluation, planning and coordination, and infrastructure and logistics; however, policies, strategies and legislation, human resources and services, risk communication, and the community capacity were of a lower priority. In the analysis, response measures predominate, followed by preparedness, prevention, and recovery. This conclusion presents a question for future research, which is the conditionality relationship between measure types and management priorities in a PHE, to verify to what extent strengthening the preparedness action can generate more assertive responses and a shorter recovery time of health structures.This article does not exhaust the analysis of the gaps in multicriteria methods, as synergistic relationships must be strengthened between multicriteria analysis, cognitive psychology, decision-maker behavior, and decision support systems for a moAdapt the development of frameworks to the country\u2019s governance model, according to its organizational forms, vulnerabilities, and capacities, to mitigate the introduction of models that are disconnected from reality.Prioritize ethical aspects in the planning of PHEs in all actions , with special attention to the most vulnerable populations, incorporating historical data to know the behavior of society in previous events and strengthen the resilience capacity for future emergencies.Strengthen policies, strategies, and legislation to prepare the states, prioritizing planning and scenario projection as a conditioning step for response time, improving the effectiveness of interventions and the recovery of health systems.Integrate the expectations and hesitations of decision makers at all levels, individual and collective, with frameworks that best interface heuristics and bias and the rationale of context in the face of variables of uncertainty.Develop within the framework functions that incorporate community capacity into PHE decision making to produce appropriate responses at all levels and increase the social resilience through collective action to strengthen the capacity of the society to deal with the effects of positive entropy in complex and dynamic PHE contexts.Apply methods capable of incorporating the linguistic expressions of the agents, feedback relations, and interdependence among criteria in framework development, making hypotheses and behaviors explicit in the context analysis, due to the uncertainties that compromise the accuracy of predictions.Improve evidence sharing and analysis frameworks, with quality analysis and guidance on levels of certainty, to define local strategies aligned to global challenges in PHEs. In this regard, the interoperability of information systems needs to be strengthened.Forecast complexity scenarios in all phases of a PHE, continuously confronting the behavior of the health event and the limits of the health services and the supply chain, production, and logistics to develop strategies for allocating strategic inputs to health, including human, cognitive, financial, and technological resources.Expand the capacity of the communication frameworks with society, as a strategic action to avoid misinformation and to strengthen sensemaking in society about the interventions.In conclusion and based on the analysis of aspects regarding context constraints, the historical perspective of emergency behavior and future impacts, the limits of provision of technologies and infrastructure, governance styles, and decision maker cognition factors, this article presents the following guidelines for the development of decision support frameworks in PHEs:The studies have shown that the main challenge for the development of frameworks is supporting an adaptive outlook by the manager regarding the complexity of PHE contexts, with tools and mechanisms suited to different circumstances, models of government, and society, since the intervention takes place in a part of a larger reality."} +{"text": "Aging is an inevitable process that leads to changes in various dimensions of older adult life, including physical, psychological, and social aspects. Unfortunately, older adults are more susceptible to health problems caused by adverse experiences such as the Corona outbreak.The current study examines the lived experience of older adults in facing the conditions of the Corona epidemic to see how green spaces at various scales can influence the physical and mental health of this group.Relevant articles published, from 2019 to February 17, 2023, were searched using in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Eligible studies published in English and all studies passed a quality evaluation.In the final search, 40 articles were selected and analyzed. The majority of studies conducted during the pandemic categorized the impact of green spaces on the health of older adults into three main categories: Place-based attribute, Process, and Function.The findings of this study demonstrated that people were using private green spaces , small local green public spaces, sitting and gathering spaces in the neighborhood, nearby open spaces, and urban green-blue spaces throughout the epidemic era. They visited green spaces outside the city and urban areas, including urban gardens, agricultural areas, forestlands, and pastures. In this research, we investigated the characteristics of these spaces and classified them into four physical categories: urban landscape, land use, activity, movement, and accessibility. The results showed that exposure to nature or green space improved physical and mental health and increased attention and decision-making quality in older people. We have proposed design implications recommendations for crises to improve safety, security, and social capital by increasing the safe access of older adults to diverse and high-quality green spaces on different scales, which will ultimately enhance the physical and mental health of people in different age groups. The health issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have had severe repercussions for urban areas, including detrimental impacts on urban health, society, and the economy ]. As a rAccess to urban green spaces improves people's quality of life in cities as it allows for the creation of jobs and food, the promotion of biodiversity, urban heat mitigation, and the creation of health advantages . IncreasThe COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the vulnerability of the older adult population, particularly in terms of their physical and mentPrior to COVID-19, research consistently shows nature exposure improves mental health and wellbeing. Urban green spaces, water bodies, private gardens, and visual experiences are linked to these benefits. Nature connections also reduce the risk of psychiatric disorders , and thThe sense of isolation among older adults can also be attributed to individual factors. Research has shown that age greatly impacts access to services and amenities, as well as participation in cultural and leisure activities. Additionally, factors such as retirement and marital status may contribute to feelings of loneliness and isolation . DespiteIn the various reviews, some policies need to be established to create friendly communities for older adults. In this context, places far from the community should be examined, people far from social activities should be studied, and policies at the neighborhood scale to increase social participation should be considered ; Table 1Table 1 sNumerous studies have demonstrated that exposure to natural environments offers extensive physical and psychological benefits . These eDuring lockdown, it is possible to enhance the mental and behavioral health of older adults by considering their personality traits, such as higher intelligence, emotional stability, and extroversion, while also promoting public communication . AccessIn a study by Bartalucci et al. , the comThe emphasis on green space in previous reviews has been consistent. However, other forms of nature, such as blue space , green In 40 selected articles, the focus was on factors such as the density of commercial facilities, the density of schools, access to public transportation, the density of roads, and access to green spaces, along with the environmental characteristics of built space, such as urban density and mixed language use, the health impacts of urban residents' land use, and long-term active travel behaviors.Older adults, as a vulnerable group of people to epidemic diseases, rarely use green space due to the dread of infection . They arThis narrative review study shows that some socio- demographic factors , and actDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the requirements to observe social distancing highlight to what extent the quality of life (QOL) is related to social and physical activity in middle and old age. They also show the necessity for more mobility in the living space. During lockdown, the amount of activity and mobility of middle-aged people at home or in private outdoor spaces decreased . A studyUrban green spaces are mainly used for various activities, such as running, walking, and outdoor sports, which depend on many interconnected variables and the type of city texture, including the construction and population density of the neighborhood, the amount of green space available, and the safety and security of traffic and crime . With reThe study by Noszczyk et al. , in whicSeveral studies have indicated that the physical and spatial characteristics of a neighborhood can influence the attendance of older adult individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors such as the physical attributes of housing, urban landscapes, land use, and activity levels have been found to impact the quality of attendance for this population . NotablyThe characteristics of the local environment in the neighborhood level play a vital role in promoting adaptive behaviors and enhancing the health and wellbeing of older adults. For instance, a study conducted in New York demonstrated that individuals living in disadvantaged neighborhoods, who faced challenges in leaving their homes due to physical disabilities, encountered similar difficulties . Those wHowever, the presence of greenspace alone does not guarantee access. Barriers such as inadequate transportation, connectivity infrastructure, provisions for disability, and socio-cultural issues, including harassment and violence against women, continue to persist . In summNeglecting the quality of design in green spaces, both in terms of their qualitative and quantitative aspects, can have detrimental effects on social interactions, civic participation, community involvement, and the health of older adults . The WoTo highlight the benefits of green spaces in older adults' lives in this narrative review, worth noting is that, during the pandemic, living in greener neighborhoods with more public green spaces can increase older people's willingness to engage in physical activities such as walking and cycling as well Having more benefits of green space during the pandemic depends on reducing transmission by design based on three crucial factors: the density of development and construction, the level of connectivity and design of green infrastructure, and the availability of urban green-blue spaces . To miniFurthermore, Poh et al. have fouResearchers have extensively confirmed the impact of \u201cplace-oriented\u201d factors on health outcomes . The plNumerous social and economic factors, including age, gender, education, income, race, female-to-male population ratio, employment status, and occupation type, can influence the risk of COVID-19 . IndividFurthermore, there is a significant relationship between education level, engagement in sports, and recreational activities in urban green spaces during the epidemic. Individuals with higher education tend to recognize the importance of utilizing green spaces and improving their mental wellbeing while staying at home . OccupatNotably, Van Tilburg et al. found thBesides, some research indicates that older individuals in disadvantaged neighborhoods face higher social exclusion levels than in other neighborhoods. This discrepancy arises from neighborhood deprivation in areas such as access to services and amenities, social relations and civic participation, and cultural and recreational activities, as well as green spaces . The COVMoreover, the rate of COVID-19 infections is directly related to the percentage of the black population, non-native immigrants, households without access to a vehicle, and the population over 65 years old . The panThe studies related to older adult activity show that throughout the pandemic, individuals attended parks for various activities, including sightseeing, strolling, exercising, and jogging. The purpose of such activity was to enhance their mental wellbeing, and the presence of greenery was a crucial component in attracting older adults. The landscape of parks, particularly the plants, played a significant role in this regard, as evidenced by the popularity of cherry blossoms in Olympic Forest Park, lotus flowers, and red leaves in Xishan National Forest Park . IncorpoThe desirability of a neighborhood for older adults is influenced by the distribution, quality, and accessibility of green spaces . The proYe and Qiu discoverA study proposed the \u201cUrban Meteoropathy\u201d planning tool for high-density cities like Macau Peninsula, suggesting the implementation of multiple layers of greening on the ground, walls, and rooftops of buildings to address the lack of green spaces . To enhFinally, urban planners and designers can enhance the green space experience, especially during the pandemic, by creating green walls, small parks, and gardens 66), an, an66), Our goal was to investigate the impact of green spaces on older adults' wellbeing during the COVID19 pandemic. In the next studies, these benefits and effects can be examined in different socio-economic and cultural conditions. It is also possible to check how the policies of different countries have responded to the needs of older people during the pandemic.This study draws upon available studies to identify the individual characteristics of older adults and their living environment to see the effects of the pandemic on the health of the older adult. Moreover, this study examines the qualities of green spaces, the benefits of using green spaces, the types of spaces used by older adults, and the desirable activities of the older adult in the green space during the COVID pandemic. This narrative review study highlights the substantial and enduring impact of the coronavirus on the physical and mental wellbeing of older adults. It also reveals that there is a strong relationship between the surrounding green environment and the incidence of physical problems, anxiety, and depression symptoms among the older population. In addition, in the lived experience of older adults, there was a positive encounter with the condition of the disease, which included sub-themes such as facing the crisis of acceptance and inflexibility in difficult conditions, which made the older adult adapt to the conditions related to the spread of Corona.According to the findings, there are several stakeholders and experts, including urban planners, health professionals, local communities, and lawmakers, who may collaborate to develop successful strategies to improve people's quality of life. Officials, designers, and urban planners should consider the following measures to help reduce crises:Enabling access to and promoting the use of green and open spaces in various dimensions to alleviate overcrowding,Enhancing the quality of green spaces by improving biodiversity and tree diversity in urban areas,Strengthening pedestrian and bicycle paths to enhance mobility, reduce inequality, promote physical activity, and facilitate access to urban and green areas,Developing public and semi-public spaces to foster social interactions and cohesion within neighborhoods,Establishing private or shared green spaces, such as terraces and patios, to encourage activity and communication and improve the physical and mental health of the older adult,Enhancing neighborhood safety and security while simultaneously strengthening social capital,Utilizing mass media to disseminate relevant information,Prioritizing health measures and providing access to medical consultations, andFocusing on public transportation networks and their ability to minimize risks and injuries, especially for the older adult.As the global population continues to age, there is an urgent need for further research in the field of the physical and mental health of older adults. This is particularly crucial in the context of urban environments, where the majority of the population resides, and where environmental factors can significantly impact health outcomes. To effectively address the challenges facing the older adult population, it is critical to understand the influence of various environmental variables on their physical and mental health.All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work and approved it for publication."} +{"text": "In the published article, there was an error in the author list, and author [Yasser Abdelazim Abdelmawgoud Samak] was erroneously [excluded]. The corrected authors list and affiliations are appears below.1*, Huda Aseem1, Amira Alzain1 and Yasser Abdelazim Abdelmawgoud Samak2Mogeda El Sayed El Keshky1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia2Department of Geography and GIS, Faculty of Arts, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.In the published article, there was an error in the Author contributions. The statement was incorrectly written as \u201cMK contributed to the definition of research objectives, model and hypotheses, data analysis plan, writing \u2013 original draft, funding acquisition, and reviewing and approval of the final manuscript. HA and AA contributed to the provision of materials , participated in data collection. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.\u201dThe corrected statement is:ME contributed to the definition of research objectives, model and hypotheses and funding acquisition. ME and YS participated in data analysis plan, writing\u2014original draft, and approval of the final manuscript. ME, HA, AA, and YS contributed to the provision of materials , participated in data collection, review and editing. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated."} +{"text": "To identify the scientific evidence on the impacts caused by the use of screens during the COVID-19 pandemic in children and adolescents, raising reflections for future interventions with this public.This is an integrative literature review, conducted in the databases Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ci\u00eancias da Sa\u00fade (LILACS), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), United States National Library of Medicine (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase, published from March 2020 to January 2022, in Portuguese, English and Spanish.The search strategies allowed retrieving 418 articles, of which 218 were duplicates. The analysis of titles and abstracts resulted in the maintenance of 62 studies. Of these, 31 were excluded from the reading of the full text, since they did not clearly present the phenomenon investigated. Thirty-one were eligible, resulting in five categories: eye consequences; increased sedentary behavior and weight; change in eating habits; implications for sleep quality and impacts on mental health.The excessive use of screens during the pandemic led to numerous consequences for children and adolescents, with a higher incidence of visual damage, sedentary lifestyle, inadequate eating habit and increased weight gain, in addition to impaired sleep quality and mental health. This study provides subsidy for health professionals to carry out continuing education focused on this theme, and elaborate effective interventions for this public in this transition to the post-pandemic period. In childhood, heavy use of these devices may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and psychological disorders, in addition to favoring exposure to inadequate content. Some authors associate prolonged screen exposure to delays in linguistic domains and fine motor skills. In adolescence, it significantly influences social and family interactions and mood, with a greater risk of developing depression, self-extermination attempts, low self-esteem, as well as other behavioral problems.Technologies evolve rapidly, and are inserted in the daily lives of children and adolescents through pocket, mobile and portable devices, having consequences for healthy development. The trajectory of screen use was analyzed at 24, 36 and 60 months of age in Canadian children, and heavy use showed poorer child development and sub-optimal learning outcomes. In addition, intense use of screens contributes to weight gain that can trigger obesity, sedentarism, and accelerate or accentuate possible physical and mental disorders.Children's early access to technologies and the inappropriate use of these tools can compromise their social, cognitive, and affective development. In these media, they are exposed to advertisements that rely on persuasive and appealing techniques to reach mainly children, exercising intense control over their behavior.Use of screens, including television sets, video games, and computers, is a practice that works as a source of leisure and entertainment for adolescents, replacing outdoor activities. The impact of this habit results in consumption of unhealthy foods and physical inactivity, increasing the prevalence of overweight and obesity in this age group. In addition, excessive use of these technologies can have negative consequences on vision development, as well as on sleep quality and psychological health. that required necessary global preventive measures, such as social distancing to break the disease's transmission chain. Currently, the impacts of these restrictions on the population's health, communication, interpersonal, family, social and economic relationships can be observed.Such a reality and its problems have been intensified with the advent of COVID-19. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic \u2014 an acute, potentially serious respiratory infection with high transmissibility There was an absence of school space and decreased outdoor leisure activities, increasing the use of screens and affecting quality of life. This new reality presents short, medium and long-term effects directly linked to the development of comorbidities, in addition to physical, psychological and behavioral complications that may arise.Initially, with the interruption of school activities, children and adolescents witnessed abrupt changes in their daily routines, were physically more distant from friends, remained in home confinement, and were more exposed to alarming information about the pandemic, increasing feelings of anxiety, stress and sadness. With the advancement of vaccination and its benefits, there was a decrease in restrictive measures, including the return to school. However, studies show that even after going back to school children have low levels of physical activity and increased screen time and sedentary activities.In January 2021 the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 began in Brazil, in a gradual progress, and in 2022 the vaccine was made available to children.This study is justified by the need to investigate the impacts caused by screen use during the pandemic in children and adolescents, grouping information essential for the performance of health professionals given the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it aimed to identify scientific evidence of the impacts of screen use during the COVID-19 pandemic in children and adolescents, raising reflections for future interventions with this public.This is a study that used the integrative review, broad method, which combines experimental and non-experimental research to achieve a more didactic understanding of a phenomenon of interest, presenting the state of science and applicability in health practice.For the elaboration of this integrative review, the following steps were performed: identification of the problem (clear definition of the review purpose), search of the literature , evaluation and data analysis.To guide the integrative review, the following question was formulated: What are the impacts caused by the use of screens during the COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents?The following electronic databases were used: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase. The search was conducted by the authors independently in order to ensure the legitimacy of the study, recovering scientific articles published from March 2020, after the beginning of the pandemic and the consequent establishment of prevention measures. Articles that did not include the guiding question, review, abstracts and conference proceedings, editorials, experience reports, theoretical essays, single case study and duplicate studies were excluded from the selection.The inclusion criteria of the articles were: original, complete studies, published in English, Portuguese and Spanish, with full texts, available online in the selected databases, addressing the impacts of the use of screens on children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in the period from March 2020 to January 2022. This is the period between the recognition by the World Health Organization of COVID-19 as a pandemic and the date of the search for articles in the databases.The search was conducted during the month of January 2022, using combinations between the keywords, which are descriptors in Descriptors in Health Sciences (DeCS), Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and Embase subject headings (Emtree): Screen Time/Tempo de Tela/Tiempo de Pantalla and Child/Crian\u00e7a/Ni\u00f1o and Adolescent/Adolescente/Adolescente, combined with the term COVID-19 in all three languages.The studies retrieved by searching the databases were exported to the Rayyan QCRI Program. Subsequently, duplicate studies were removed, and titles and abstracts were read by three reviewers using the double-blind method in order to identify potentially eligible studies. Those studies that presented doubts and/or divergences between the reviewers regarding the inclusion or exclusion were solved by a fourth author with expertise in child and adolescent health (ECRG).For the compilation of results, a table was built with the main characteristics of the studies, such as: title, authors and year of publication, journal, language, country of origin, objective, methodological approach, population, main results, conclusions, and bibliographic references.There was no need for approval by the Research Ethics Committee because this is a bibliographic study. Ethical aspects and copyright were respected, and the studies referenced.The articles included in this study were selected, evaluated, and classified hierarchically according to their level of evidence. This practice contributes to the decision-making of health professionals. In this study, the proposal of Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt was adopted, which is shown in The search strategies allowed retrieving 418 articles, of which 218 were duplicates. The analysis of titles and abstracts resulted in 62 studies being included. Of these, 31 were excluded from reading of the full text, since they did not clearly present the phenomenon investigated, and 31 were included in the review, as shown in the flowchart .Of the 31 papers analyzed, all were quantitative articles, except one. As for year of publication, the highest incidence was 2021 (27 articles), 2020 (2 articles) and 2022 (2 articles). Seven were developed in China, four in Canada, two in Italy, India, France and Turkey, and one in the Netherlands, Spain, Japan, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United States of America (USA), Hungary, Jordan, Indonesia, Poland and Egypt. All studies were published in English. The table shows the studies\u2019 main characteristics .2,5,6,1All the papers examined addressed the theme of the impacts of screen use during the COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents. Five categories emerged from these findings: eye consequences; increased sedentary behavior and weight; altered eating habits; implications for sleep quality and impacts on mental health.The studies analyzed revealed the association between high use of screens and higher risks of myopia, as well as other eye problems in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers also claim, that the use of computers and smartphones has a higher probability of facilitating the progression of myopia compared to the use of television for remote education.Chinese researchers carried out a large-scale survey, finding that the use of screens in this period increased due to school closures, as well as myopia was more prevalent among respondents who were in high school and fundamentally, screen time was associated with greater risks of symptomatic myopia progression and the study population used more computers and smartphones. An association was also found between excessive exposure to electronics eyestrain, blurred vision or dry eyes.Similar results were found in other studies regarding the progression and incidence of myopia associated with restrictive measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, in addition to axial stretching. Furthermore, there was an increase in children's weight and body mass index (BMI) due to longer time watching television and using computers.The studies revealed greater use of screens during the period of restrictive measures to control COVID-19, providing increased sedentary activities, decreased physical exercise and less time outdoors, compared to the year before the pandemic. Electronic devices, whether televisions, computers, laptops or tablets, when located in bedrooms, present a greater risk of being used for long periods.With the restrictions imposed, the increased use of screens was inevitable, since they became educational tools and a form of leisure, especially for those with restricted access to external areas. Therefore, ending the COVID-19 restriction measures alone will not by itself promote new habits in children and adolescents.The alarming fact is that, even after relaxation of the restriction measures, children still reported performing fewer physical activities than in the previous year, showing that the reopening of schools did not fully restore these activities. This indicates that there may be a lasting impact related to screen use time in that such behavior has been normalized. This is related to higher fat intake and consumption of advertised products, such as sugary cereals, sweets, drinks and snacks. Such behavior was more observed as of the start of distance education during the pandemic, compared to the previous year. The use of screens can indirectly increase food consumption and the intake of unhealthy foods, reduce physical activity and energy expenditure, increasing the risk of obesity.Another issue analyzed in the studies was the diet associated with the use of electronics, where a common habit of eating while watching TV was found. Scientific evidence suggests that the change in diet and lifestyle caused by the pandemic has led to excessive body weight gain in children and adolescents, and this can have serious health consequences.Investigating the relationship between screen time and changes in the diet of children and adolescents showed that increased use of mobile phones, television, laptop and video games was associated with increased appetite, increased consumption of sweets and unhealthy foods, snacks and frequent snacks between meals, as well as with children who were indifferent to eating fruits and vegetables. This can be explained due to changes in the biological clock, which plays an important role in the good performance of restorative sleep. Night exposure to intense light can stimulate the wakefulness system, making individuals more alert and causing them to sleep later.The excessive use of electronics, according to the studies analyzed, has consequences on hygiene and sleep quality, especially when these devices are used at night. bringing physical and psychological consequences to children and adolescentes.Poor sleep quality may be related to the exacerbated use of screens, changes in routines and schedules, little exposure to light during the day and a lot of exposure to light at night, changes that may be related to the restriction measures imposed during the pandemic, This new reality implies less time for performing outdoor activities and lack of socialization with peers, consequently fostering the use of electronic devices both for education and as a form of leisure.The changes caused by social isolation had a great impact on the mental health of the pediatric and adolescent population. In contrast, although education implies spending several hours in front of a screen, learning can act as a form of protection, since it allows the reduction of stressors caused by confinement.Children who use screens for long periods have higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt measures aimed at minimizing damage, using other devices in a moderate way and with limited time.The use of smartphones at younger ages may be a risk factor for mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, longer screen time is associated with more conflicts with parents, since this habit can lead to a negative mood in adolescents.Studies show that more time on TV or digital media causes high levels of inattention and hyperactivity, and the excessive use of video games provoke irritability, inattention and hyperactivity. Although in developed countries access to electronic devices is easier compared to developing countries, among the studies analyzed, the largest amount of research was conducted in emerging countries (n=17), showing that the impacts of screen use have been a global concern, also confirmed by the diversity of countries developing research on the subject.With globalization, the use of technologies has become commonplace, and this reality has both positive and negative aspects; in the pandemic period experienced in recent years, this scenario has become more evident. In 2019, Brazilians were ranked third in relation to daily hours online, Brazilian teenagers in particular ranked second in internet connection time outside of school hours. However, only one of the studies analyzed here was developed in Brazil, showing the need to develop more research on the subject, especially after the pandemic.The more frequent access of children and adolescents to the web is not a recent concern, but has intensified in several countries including Brazil, since the problematic use of these devices can cause mental, visual and auditory disorders.As addressed in category one, although myopia is considered a benign alteration, its prevalence has become increasingly common. This pathology can lead to severe visual complications, including macular degeneration, posterior staphyloma, cataract, glaucoma, and retinal detachment, becoming a public health concern. This should be taken into account and given due importance, since school activities through virtual tools during the pandemic significantly increased screen time, which contributed to symptomatic myopia incidence.Myopia is related to individual characteristics, but it is also caused by environmental factors and lifestyle, thus prolonged screen use is an important factor in its development. These effects are more frequently observed in children and adolescents, since optical development is not fully completed.The size of the screen, as pointed out by the studies, can also influence the progression of myopia, devices that have larger screens provide viewing at a more acceptable distance, minimizing the use of close vision, which reduces stimulation of hypermetropic blur, while with smaller screens the distance is shorter, which can lead to increased eye impairment.Based on these findings, it is necessary to disseminate information, especially to parents and guardians, to warn them of the recommendations regarding the necessary distance when looking at a screen, so they can prioritize those that appear to be less harmful and limit use time, since the risks of developing myopia increase every hour that a child is exposed to a digital device.The change in the lifestyle of the investigated population during the pandemic, with the consequent exacerbated use and the consequent sedentary lifestyle are associated with several health risks, including hypertension, metabolic syndrome and obesity, which presented worrying indicators even before the pandemic.According to data from the Brazilian Society of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the childhood obesity picture in several countries, including Brazil, due to changing lifestyle habits and increased screen time. The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) points out that, in a group of three children from five to nine years old, one is overweight in the country. The context of obesity in Brazil was already worrisome and worsened during the pandemic. Such reality implies morbidities that can cause various damage to health. On the other hand, the pandemic showed regional disparities in Brazil, as there were groups of children and adolescents with malnutrition caused by the worsening of the economic crisis, compromising the growth and development of children and youth.This corroborates the Brazilian study developed in 2022, which sought to investigate the consequences of social isolation in relation to weight gain in children, analyzing the nutritional diagnosis of children in the five Brazilian regions, between the years 2019 and 2021, through reports of the Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (SISVAN) of the Ministry of Health, which observed an increase in weight in children during the pandemic in all Brazilian regions, reflecting changes in lifestyle during this period.Understanding that these long-term habits can have numerous consequences for this population, it is necessary to develop strategies to reduce screen time and stimulate physical activity by retrieving games that stimulate physical abilities and encouraging sports.In addition to the increase in sedentary lifestyle, another concern related to the use of screens is poor diet. As well as the implications found in studies for the consumption of foods with low nutritional content and excess calories associated with technologies, other complications arise, which can be justified by the economic crisis faced during this period, the worsening in family income, the increase in food prices, providing food insecurity and malnutrition. Such reality is faced by Brazilian children and adolescents who suffer from neuropsychomotor impairments, that have a greater likelihood of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and overweight.The Brazilian Society of Pediatrics points out that during the pandemic families started to overeat foods with high sugar content that provide a sense of pleasure. Despite this, family meals can be a nutritional protection mechanism, by favoring the consumption of complete meals, with appropriate intervals, which can ensure an adequate intake of macronutrients, minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins, thus ensuring adequate nutrition.Guidelines on food in the school environment or offered by the family members are necessary so that this public is encouraged to create healthier habits in the current transition to the post-pandemic period, an important factor for a good nutritional status, favoring the adequate development of children and adolescents. During childhood and adolescence, it gains even more importance by acting in the physiological processes of growth, maturation and health, in addition to having an important role in strengthening the immune system.Sleep is essential for the proper functioning of the human body, since it contributes to physical and mental homeostasis. In addition, short sleep and early awakening can lead to depressive or stress symptoms. Thus, it is essential to guide this public about creating routines, having regular and appropriate schedules for sleep, adapting exposure to light, and limiting the use of screens at night.As shown by the investigated studies, the exposure to light-emitting diodes (LED) with a short wavelength (blue range) at night also blocks the secretion of hormones that are important for sleep regulation, such as melatonin, thus morning awakening is later. There is a need to identify the threats to the mental health of this population and to carry out prevention and intervention strategies to minimize the damage caused by confinement as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.Thus the importance of stimulating outdoor activities to reduce risks to mental health. Although the quality of mental health is related to numerous factors, controlling exposure to screens is essential.Among the study's limitations is the fact that analysis of the impacts of screen use during the COVID-19 pandemic was restricted to the month of January 2022, not allowing these impacts to be evaluated up to the present moment. Another limiting factor is the publication of studies in different countries, with only one Brazilian study being retrieved, which shows regional disparities in publications on the subject and makes it impossible to generalize the data. Regarding the levels of evidence, a prevalence of cohort studies, case-control and systematic reviews of qualitative studies was noted. It is believed that the randomized clinical studies not found could clarify the most severe consequences of the use of screens in children and adolescents.The findings reveal that excessive use of screens during the pandemic has led to numerous consequences for children and adolescents, with a higher incidence of visual impairments, sedentary lifestyle, inadequate eating habits, in addition to weight gain, impaired sleep quality and losses in mental health. The changes in habits due to the restrictive measures presented a contrast between the increase in the consumption of foods with low nutritional content and the excess of calories associated with technology, which points to the problem of overweight and malnutrition that compromises the development of children and adolescents, something that is no longer restricted to developed countries. Thus, this study provides subsidy for health professionals to carry out continuing education focused on this theme, warning parents and guardians of the implications of the use of screens, as well as developing interventions that are effective for children in the prevention and promotion of health in the transition to the post-pandemic period."} +{"text": "Vocational education helps students develop or enhance their knowledge, skills and abilities for a particular occupation. As a result, vocational education plays an important role in the economic and social development of countries (and regions) around the world. It has also made an important contribution to educational equity. The development of quality and sustainable vocational education has become an issue of concern for governments, educational institutions, educators and researchers. In the past, many experts have been thinking about how to develop policies to help promote vocational education. However, in addition to national goals, industry needs and expert opinions, the education policy system also needs to take into account the views and opinions of the stakeholders in order to implement the policy effectively.The psychology of vocational education is broad in scope, because it encompasses stages of vocational probation, vocational preparation and continuing vocational education, from K-12 education to higher education and to lifelong education. Consequently, the issue of how to improve the quality and learning outcomes of vocational education has become an important topic in education. From the theoretical perspective of educational psychology, psychological and cognitive factors can be used to facilitate students' learning performance or to enhance teachers' teaching effectiveness. It can also help teachers in vocational schools better understand and develop students' vocational literacy in a more in-depth way, so that they can better respond to the challenges of their work.The psychology of vocational education can be based on a cross-disciplinary theoretical approach to facilitate educational policy implementation, educational management, curriculum development, instructional design, apprenticeship, workplace learning, career counselling, skills training, career preparation, workplace learning, and so forth. The importance of the psychology of vocational education is therefore self-evident.Liu Y.-B. et al.; Peng et al.), career adaptation , career exploration , creativity , critical thinking , discrimination perception , education climate , employability , entrepreneurship education , learning engagement , learning methods , learning motivation , learning readiness , online learning , postgraduate education , professional literacy , prosocial behavior , self-efficacy , skills training , social support , and teaching methods . As can be seen from the above, there is a wide range of research issues in the psychology of vocational education.The study of the psychology of vocational education contributes to the development of vocational and technical personnel and the understanding of individual differences. It is more helpful to identify the effects or problems from the perspectives of the persons involved and to understand the reality of the situation. There is a wide range of specific Research Topics in the psychology of vocational education. Examples include: academic achievement (e.g., In addition, the dramatic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education systems around the world has given us insights into the impact of context in educational research. From the perspective of the psychology of vocational education, we have also gained a better understanding of the learning difficulties encountered by vocational education students and the teaching constraints of teachers when learning online. While it is important to understand successful stories, the reasons why they fail or succeed also need to be explored in order for us to understand the reasons. The results of these analyses can also help us understand how to effectively improve the design of online teaching and learning. In the post-epidemic era, vocational education is entering a new phase. Researchers, teachers and government agencies will be considering how to compensate for the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on vocational education. This highlights the need for more research on teaching and learning to inform us of how up-to-date vocational education is.Furthermore, because of the COVID-19 epidemic, positive psychology has gained more attention in vocational education. Therefore, future research could be conducted on the role of helping people understand positive and negative emotions, career choices and career adaptation in the process of career development and construction, within the framework of occupational emotion theory. We can also use more positive psychology-related theories and variables to help us understand the psychology of vocational education.It is clear from the above that, given the specificity and importance of the psychology of vocational education, interdisciplinary research methods, theoretical foundations and statistical models are needed to help us understand it more comprehensively. As time changes, new variables and localized variables need to be proposed to explain more current situations. In addition, the development of research on the psychology of vocational education needs to take into account the characteristics of the localization, global trends and educational policy directions, as well as to extend the scope of the psychology of vocational education to different cultures, groups and contexts. It is also possible to expand the psychology of vocational education in different cultural groups and contextual contexts. The need for education encompasses many dimensions, from the Macrocosm, to the mesocosm, to the microcosm\u2014all need to be considered.Of course, the research themes in the psychology of vocational education are not limited to those mentioned above. We are also looking forward to a wider range of Research Topics to help us understand the situation of vocational education. Although the formal system of vocational education is only a few hundred years old, the concept of skill training has been around since the creation of civilization. The development of vocational talent has also been around for thousands of years. Therefore, it needs to be paid with more attention and importance.J-HY and M-YC: concept, design, and drafting of the manuscript. J-HY and Y-WH: critical revision of the manuscript. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version."} +{"text": "Our aim was to analyze the strength of the family\u2019s influence on the internalization of the ideal of an athletic figure and, consequently, on the multifactorial image of the body, from the perspective of intercultural differencesA total of 488 healthy women aged 19\u201326; of Polish (154), Ukrainian (228), and Italian (106) took part in the study. The Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ-4) and the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ 69) were used to measure athletic ideal internalization and family pressure. The body image of Ukrainian, Polish, and Italian women depends both on the degree of internalization the ideal of an athletic figure and influence of the familyThe research also suggests significant differences between the three populations, which may suggest cultural differences between young women living in Eastern, Central, and South European countries. The search for scientific evidence confirming the existence of sociocultural and family predictors explaining the specificity of the pursuit of the perfect body appearance and its musculature is a subject that increasingly inspires contemporary psychological research in nonclinical and clinical populations . The athThe image of an ideal female body, strongly promoted in the media in Europe and the Research on the subject of the standards of an ideal fit and muscular body was more often conducted on male populations in various European countries \u201317 or thFewer studies have been conducted on women, who are traditionally tested for the pursuit of thinness rather than athleticism. Although there are few studies, their results seem to be consistent. On the one hand, internalizing the ideal of an athletic body can be as harmful as internalizing the ideal of a lean body and may be associated with effects such as eating disorders , 23, excThe literature review suggests the inconsistency of models describing the influence of sociocultural factors on the internalization of the athletic figure ideal. While peer pressure and family and media pressure are often seen as key variables in internalizing the slim ideal, causing body dissatisfaction and, consequently, eating disorders \u2014from Poland, Ukraine, and Italy. The intention of the sample selection was, among others, to examine the differences but also similarities in terms of the specificity of family influences on body image in young women brought up in families living in the Eastern (Ukraine), Central (Poland), and Western European countries. On the one hand, striving to achieve the ideal of an athletic body and its internalization may be an expression of the implementation of pro-health behaviors of physical activity, but also, when applied excessively and restrictively, it may lead to the consolidation of bigorectic tendencies (behaviors).The study undertaken by the authors of this article aims to analyze the strength of the family\u2019s influence on the internalization of the ideal of an athletic figure and, consequently, on the multifactorial image of the body. The study of the family role seems to be particularly important in the analysis of the cultural specificity of the studied populations. The selection of women brought up in families and living in Ukraine, Poland and Italy reflects the potential degree of intensity of the influence of Western culture: Italy, the Western European country that has undergone \u201cwesternization\u201d for the longest time ; UkraineEven though these countries are at different stages of political and social transformation, all three seem to be influenced by Western culture today. However, what is particularly important, in all three countries, is that the family plays a large role in shaping the identity of young people, their system of values, and the transmission of attitudes and beliefs tha tha46)] An important factor that could influence the obtained results is the period of data collection. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which could have influenced many of the factors considered in the study. Some studies suggest that during a pandemic, women may experience increasing difficulties in eating regulation, preoccupation with food, and deteriorating body image . TherefoDespite these limitations, however, the project appears to be a valuable contribution to the study of the body image of young women. The study is all the more valuable, as it indicates significant intercultural differences in the level of intensity of phenomena traditionally associated with nutritional psychopathology. This, in turn, suggests that research on risk factors and predictors of recovery disorders is insufficiently versatile and that there is a need to conduct research on these issues while considering sociocultural background.The research may be of application significance because the results may be used in the creation of educational programs. Evidence-based prevention programs may be more positively accepted by parents. Due to the comparisons of three cultural perspectives and family factors: Italy, Poland, and Ukraine in relation to the ideal of an athletic female figure and different ways of perceiving one\u2019s own body image, the results may be useful in building European programs for use in health prevention and working with young people on their image. Body and stimulating proper health behavior toward the body in the trend of \u201cbody positivity.\u201dThe raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by the Ethics Board for Research Projects at the Institute of Psychology, University of Gdansk, Poland (decision no. 33/2020). The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.BI, BB-K, and ML: conceptualization. SL and ML: methodology. BI and SL: formal analysis. BI, TY, NB, RO, ML, US-R, and BMR: investigation. BI, BB-K, and SL: data curation. BI, KG, BB-K, TY, NB, RO, SL, KS-W, US-R, BMR, and ML: writing\u2014original draft preparation. BI, BB-K, TY, NB, SL, KS-W, US-R, BMR, and ML: writing\u2014review and editing. BI, BB-K, KS-W, and ML: supervision. BI and ML: project administration and funding acquisition. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher."} +{"text": "In the published article, there was an error regarding the affiliations for Gianfranco Parati and Martino F. Pengo. They both have the following affiliations:Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy and Department of Cardiovascular, Neural and Metabolic Sciences, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated."} +{"text": "Access to and choices of food are doubtless beyond the realms of biological and nutritional needs. This does not mean that limitations to individuals\u2019 access to the social, cultural, economic, and psychological aspects should also be overlooked. Access to safe, nutritious, pleasant, sustainable, and healthy food for all individuals should be the focus of food producers, industries, services and policymakers ,2,3,4. IConsidering these premises and the continuous demand for, interest in, and topicality of the subject, as demonstrated in the Special Issue first edition , we promHealthy and sustainable food systems are essential in the efforts to meet increasing food security, nutrition and health demands . DespiteThere is great concern about animal products consumption and the impact of the practice on health and the environment. In this sense, the food industry and consumers are searching for alternatives to reduce animal product consumption globally. However, the use of plant-based foods as substitutes for animal products is challenging from technological, sensory, nutritional, consumer acceptance and sustainable points of view ,11. Furt"} +{"text": "Healthcare access and consequences of COVID-19 were assessed based on comparisons with months before its onset or an identical season in previous years. A general reduction of healthcare delivery, associated with the decline of care quality, and closure of many specialty services were reported. The impact was heterogeneous in space and time, with an increase in urban areas at the beginning of the pandemic (March-June 2020). The return to normalcy was gradual from the 3rd quarter of 2020 until the end of 2021. The impact of COVID-19 on the health system and its use was attributed to (a) conjunctural factors resulting from government actions to mitigate the spread of the epidemic ; (b) structural factors related to the disruption of public and private facilities and institutions, in particular, the health system; and (c) individual factors linked to the increase in costs, impoverishment of the population, and fear of contamination or stigmatization, which discouraged patients from going to health centers. They have caused considerable socio-economic damage. Several studies emphasized some adaptability of the healthcare offer and resilience of the healthcare system, despite its unpreparedness, which explained a return to normal activities as early as 2022 while the COVID-19 epidemic persisted. There appears to be a strong disproportion between the moderate incidence and severity of COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa, and the dramatic impact on healthcare access. Several articles make recommendations for lowering the socioeconomic consequences of future epidemics to ensure better management of health issues.This overview aimed to describe the situation of healthcare access in sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A PubMed The numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), excluding South Africa which accounts for nearly half of the reported COVID-19 cases in SSA, have been lower than in other continents for reasons that remain unclear . HoweverAccording to the COVID-19 dashboard edited and updated daily by the WHO Africa Regional Office, the first cases of COVID-19 were detected in Nigeria on February 28, 2020, and in Senegal on March 2, 2020, in travelers .Access to healthcare requires that five specific dimensions be met: (a) availability, which reflects the adequacy between supply and demand, (b) accessibility, which implies geographical and logistical proximity between the patient and the health center, (c) accommodation, i.e. good quality services adapted to the needs of the public, (d) affordability for the population concerned, and (e) acceptability of the healthcare offered by people and health personnel .A review of the literature during the COVID-19 pandemic period provided an overview of the situation of healthcare access and use of the healthcare system by the population in SSA countries excluding South Africa. This study aimed to identify the main impacts of reduced access to care by mentioning the causes identified by practitioners and researchers involved in the pandemic.\u00ae was searched using the keywords \"COVID, Africa, Public health, Impact\" targeting publications published from March 31, 2020, to August 15, 2022. Articles were selected in two steps, without language restriction , 101-103Across the SSA, there has been a decline in access to sexual and reproductive health services, institutional delivery, antenatal care, family planning, and HIV care. An increase in teenage pregnancies has been reported . In MozaChildhood vaccinations have fallen sharply, leading to a worrying reduction in immunization coverage, raising fears of a resurgence of these diseases , 89, 108In specialty services, including cardiology, urology, rheumatology, radiology, oncology, ophthalmology, and dentistry, visits have declined by more than 50% or even stopped in some places , 117.People with chronic diseases had great difficulty accessing essential medicines during the COVID-19 lockdown, leading to deteriorating health conditions for most of them , 94, 113The decline in blood donation began as soon as COVID-19 was announced, leading first to an interruption in mobile blood drive campaigns and then to the closure of blood donation centers in most countries . In NigeThe impact of COVID-19 on health services was very heterogeneous across localities - generally higher in urban than in rural areas - and over time, with a strong increase in the first months of the pandemic, and then according to the epidemic waves, which were not synchronous in different countries , 112. A Vulnerable populations, including transgender people, sex workers, and drug users, were turned away from medical services, especially sexual and reproductive health services , 93.However, several studies noted a gradual improvement between epidemic waves and a certain capacity to adapt the healthcare supply , 112, anAccess to healthcare was directly affected by the governmental measures taken to contain COVID-19 , 108. ThInadequate health system preparedness was reported. It was due to (A) low availability of the health service, (B) inadequate resources and equipment, and (C) lack of appropriate testing, and therapeutic response for COVID-19 . The redA large proportion of the population refused to visit health centers for fear of contamination and stigma , 119.Many healthcare workers refused to care for patients for fear of contracting the virus themselves , 94, 99.The exacerbation of pre-existing barriers has been highlighted by vulnerable populations to explain their reluctance to visit health centers , 118.Finally, all the specific dimensions necessary to maintain healthcare access - as described by Penchansky and Thomas were hamNearly all studies showed a sharp decline in healthcare activity and access during the early months of the pandemic, followed by a gradual return to normal starting in the third quarter of 2020 and continuing through the end of 2021 . The hetIn any case, the authors are unanimous in describing the socioeconomic disorganization caused by the government measures, making them unacceptable to the population to the point that they were quickly relaxed. Three types of factors explained the decline in healthcare access: conjunctural, linked to government measures for the mitigation of transmission; structural, resulting from the dysfunction of the health system; and individual, involving the reactions of health personnel and the population.The Public Health and Social Measures Severity (PHSM) index can be applied to the governmental response to the epidemic to assess its impact on the epidemic . A high Government restrictions have been responsible for the loss of huge numbers of jobs, especially in the informal sector, and resources that have led to a dramatic decline in purchasing power and prevented patients from accessing basic healthcare, which is their sole responsibility in most SSA countries , 57, 61.Finally, rumors (infodemia) from all sources, and misconceptions or misinformation about diseases and healthcare, contributed to discouraging people from attending health centers, but also to school dropout and a range of psychosocial consequences such as mental health disorders, domestic violence, and prostitution , 120.The overall unpreparedness of the health system was obvious and greatly accentuated the disorganization of the health system caused by conjunctural factors , 118. AdThe health information system and mandatory reporting were severely disrupted, preventing surveillance and the implementation of targeted interventions . This maThe delay or reduction of many healthcares, interruption of services, mitigation of transmission risk strategies or recommendations, difficulties in the supply of drugs and health products, high cost of the latter, and the shortage of essential medicines discouraged people who suspended their seek for healthcare , 84, 94.Many factors have been put forward to explain the population's reluctance to travel, including visiting a health center. In addition to personal reasons, primarily the fear of contamination and resulting stigmatization, as well as the drop in income that limits many activities, conjunctural factors and structural factors explain the refusal to consult and the lack of access to healthcare. Fear of contamination, for themselves or their relatives, also concerned most health workers, especially those who had never experienced a major epidemic , 83, 118Several studies have successfully tested strategies to address the observed deficiencies. Improved service delivery relies on technological innovations and adaptations, such as the use of self-tests, telemedicine through telephone or videoconferencing for diagnosis or prescription of drugs, and the use of drones for the distribution of health products 37, 71. Patient flows and supply of health products, including personal protective equipment, need to be regulated , 46, 84.Training of health workers in patient intake and management, and improvement of alternative diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, such as appropriate drug dispensing would help to anticipate difficulties that are bound to arise in accessing healthcare, in the supply of drugs, or health facility access , 119.The role of community health workers in the management of patients with conditions other than COVID-19, particularly in the most vulnerable slums and rural areas, requires stronger support and recognition , 85, 119Misinformation and rumors should be controlled by appropriate information strategies with clear and simple messages, targeting community and opinion leaders, including religious ones, artists, and trusted individuals , 38, 63.Finally, legislation on domestic violence and the maintenance of constant surveillance, including in times of restricted movement and social disorganization, should be adjusted , 76.This study was not intended to be exhaustive or to detail changes in healthcare access, but to identify the main impacts of COVID-19 on the organization and use of the health system in SSA. The outcomes of a literature review, such as this one, depend largely on the quality of the studies, i.e., their representativeness, the validity of the samples selected, and the relevance of the analyses performed. The procedures used to select the samples, the decision criteria, the presentation of the results and their discussion were not of the same quality according to the study, even if all the articles came from indexed peer-reviewed journals. In addition, health centers were not randomly selected, and some sample sizes were small. However, despite these limitations, the convergence of the raw data supported the validity of the results. The decline in healthcare access appeared in all studies with similar levels and kinetics over time, giving them credibility.The causes of the impact of COVID-19 on access to healthcare are multifactorial. However, restrictive government measures limiting travel, transport, supply, and the opening of public places, including shops and places of entertainment or worship, have blocked all social and economic activities with considerable deleterious consequences. The disorganization affected the whole of society, including the health system which was not prepared for it. In addition, at the individual level, the fear of contamination, reduction in income, economic and social disorder, in particular the loss of confidence in the health system, and stress increased by the infodemia explained the population's reluctance to healthcare access , 120. ThFortunately, although healthcare access was severely hampered , the retThis epidemic, coming after many others, such as the one due to the Ebola virus , will be"} +{"text": "Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been widely used for their potential applications, mainly for the diagnosis and/or therapy (theranostic) of several diseases in the field of nanomedicine, as passive contrast agents, through the opsonization process, or active contrast agents, after their functionalization and the subsequent capture of the signal using various techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), optical imaging, nuclear imaging, and ultrasound. MNPs are also used as carriers for the delivery of drugs, which can be guided or accumulated through the action of a magnetic field, as well as magnetic biosensors in molecular imaging, magnetic separation, or therapeutic applications, such as the technique magnetic hyperthermia (MHT). These nanoparticles, when functionalized using different therapeutic agents, such as radionuclides, nucleic acids, and antibodies, can be used in combined therapies.The various configurations of MNPs in the design of structures, chemical compositions, and surfaces enhance their properties, giving the character of multifunctional nanoparticles and thus permitting their simultaneous use in several molecular imaging techniques in a non-invasive way, providing morphofunctional information in different moments, characterization and quantification of biological processes at the cellular and molecular levels, and accurate and timely diagnosis and individualized treatment of diseases . Technological innovations and the development of new tracers and intelligent probes have further promoted these multimodal imaging techniques, providing better contrast and functional, structural, and morphological information.This Special Issue of Pharmaceutics highlights advances in the development of MNPs and their applications in the field of diagnosis and therapy in various diseases in in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo studies.Of the papers presented in this Special Issue, five papers studied therapies ,2,3,4,5,One of the therapeutic applications of MNPs is their use in the MHT technique, where, due to the MNP heating process, apoptosis of tumor cells is produced when an alternating magnetic field is applied. Therefore, in the publication by Andrade et al. , calciumThe publication by Abbas et al. developeReferring to studies using MNPs for diagnosis, the work by Nucci et al. determinIn the work of Li et al. and HuanThe reviews by Gomez et al. and AhmaIn general, in this Special Issue, original articles and literature reviews are published that allow for understanding the importance of MNPs and potentiate their functionalization aiming at theranostic processes, giving future perspectives to this type of nanomaterial."} +{"text": "The National School for Training in Mental Health Rehabilitation and Recovery at the Ono academic college operates under the auspices of, and is funded by, the Division for Mental Health Rehabilitation of the Israeli Ministry of Health. Intended to hone the quality of services provided, it offers numerous training courses, that target various populations associated with and working in the field of mental health recovery, among them clients and their family members, as well rehabilitation professionals and support personnel. The novel course of trauma and posttraumatic growth (PTG) was developed and aimed at supporting recovery, coping strategies and ultimately PTG through the lenses of both recovery and trauma informed care for psychiatric and support personnel, professionals with lived experience, and family members. It is built of eleven six hours long sessions with lectures, in-vivo assignments, and group supervision.Portray the development, implementation, and outcomes of the course from psycho-educational, clinical, social, and personal perspectives of students as well as the course\u2019s developers.A case study of the course that will be portrayed through qualitative anonymous testimonials from students\u2019 surveys and assignments, as well as the analyses of processes that the course underwent through the years.The course has several dimensions that allow the integration between trauma, recovery, and PTG in psychiatric rehabilitation: the integration between academia and research-based knowledge with experiential knowledge; integration between the perspectives of PTG and recovery; and, integration between social and cultural perspectives and person-centred care. In addition, the course promotes trauma-informed models in psychiatric rehabilitation; offers new perspective and implantation to psychiatric recovery-oriented tools so as to promote PTG; and enhances social support and cohesion within mental health services and personnel.The current case study portrays the unique processes of knowledge development, implementation, and training in psychiatric rehabilitation personnel, supported staff and people with lived experience. The course brings a focus on PTG as a promising addition to the trauma-informed approach in psychiatric rehabilitation, which is only scarcely linked to recovery.None Declared"} +{"text": "The occurrence of African swine fever has restricted the sustainable and healthy development of the hog industry and its ability to enhance the supply of pork, thus negatively impacting China\u2019s economic and social development. During 2018\u20132021, the resilience of China\u2019s hog industry improved due to the adjustments to the prevention and control mechanisms in African swine fever policy and the subsequent recovery of hog breeding and pork production. There are differences among the key factors influencing the resilience of the hog industry across different provinces and periods. These factors include the slaughter rate, carcass weight, mortality rate, culling rate, economic level, industrial structure, per capita consumption, scale level, resource carrying, etc. The aim of this study is to provide guidance for better prevention and mitigation of epidemic risks, thus promoting the high-quality development of the hog industry and meeting the nutritional needs of residents.African swine fever has damaged the foundation of China\u2019s hog industry, caused a serious decline in hog production, highlighted the contradiction between supply and demand in the pork market, and led to major economic and social impacts. The industrial resilience of 31 Chinese provinces to African swine fever shock and its spatial and temporal differentiation characteristics from 2018 to 2021 were measured in this study from the two dimensions of resistance and recoverability. Using Geodetector, the key factors influencing the resilience of China\u2019s hog industry were explored. The results showed that 2018\u20132019 and 2020\u20132021 represented the resistance and recovery periods of the hog industry under African swine fever shock, respectively, with poor resilience characterizing the resistance period and improved resilience characterizing the recovery period. At the early stages of the African swine fever outbreak, the hog industries in Tianjin, Shanxi, Guangxi, and Yunnan had robust resistance due to the slaughter rate, economic level, mortality rate, carcass weight, and culling rate in those areas. At the most severe stage of the outbreak, resistance was generally poor in all provinces due to the slaughter rate, per capita consumption, and scale level at the time. During the period of rapid recovery in hog production, the recoverability of each province was very strong due to the industrial structure, culling rate, economic level, and resource carrying capacity at that time. During the reasonable adjustment period of hog production capacity, the recoverability based on the breeding sow inventory in 13 provinces, including Henan, Shandong, and other large hog-breeding provinces, was negative due to the scale level, slaughter rate, per capita consumption, and resource carrying at that time. Taking measures to enhance the resilience of the hog industry, strengthen the prevention and control of hog epidemics, improve the monitoring and early warning mechanisms, and enhance the ability of the hog industry to cope with major animal epidemics is recommended. According to a traditional Chinese saying, \u201chogs and grain can stabilize the nation\u201d. The hog industry occupies a key strategic position in China\u2019s national economic and social development. Since the reform and opening up, the development of China\u2019s hog industry has achieved remarkable results, but it still faces many outstanding problems and practical challenges. In particular, the outbreak of African swine fever in 2018 had a significant negative impact on both the hog industry and the pork market, severely challenging the foundation of the industry, leading to a severe decline in hog production, exacerbating the contradiction between supply and demand in the pork market, and pushing up the prices of livestock products across the board. In 2019, the number of hogs slaughtered began to fall, declining by 21.6% year on year, and pork production fell by 21.3%. In addition to the impact of cyclical factors, the effect of the African swine fever shock on hog price fluctuations that began in the second half of 2019 was exceptionally obvious, with prices surging and becoming an important factor driving up China\u2019s consumer price index (CPI). At the same time, African swine fever caused major problems, such as a shortage of breeding sows, the retention of ternary sows, and the low productivity of sows in general, which severely impaired the sustainable development of the hog industry. Compared to the hog epidemic and avian influenza of previous years, the impact of African swine fever was much greater and deeper and had more obvious and negative effects on China\u2019s national economic development, as well as on the production and lives of the Chinese people.To cope with the negative impact of African swine fever and accelerate the recovery of hog production, the Chinese government has intensively launched a series of policy initiatives, including infrastructure, agricultural machinery purchase, manure resource utilization, standardization demonstration, resumption of production support, epidemic prevention and control, finance and insurance, etc., which have entailed breakthroughs in terms of land use, prohibition, and breeding restriction policies. In 2022, China\u2019s hog inventory reached 452.56 million heads, which was up 0.7% from the previous year, when the breeding sow inventory reached 43.90 million heads, representing an equivalent increase of 1.4%; hog slaughter reached 699.95 million heads, increasing by 4.3%; pork production reached 55.41 million tons, increasing by 4.6%; and hog production capacity was set within a reasonable range. According to another traditional Chinese saying, \u201cFamily money with animals does not count\u201d, referring to the major risk of animal disease incurred in livestock breeding. At present, China still faces challenges, including a wide range of diseases, considerable capacity issues with respect to total hog breeding capacity, weak epidemic prevention and control, and a large risk of the introduction of foreign animal epidemics into the country. The future prevention and control of major animal epidemics cannot be ignored. In this context, to accelerate the improvement of hog industry resilience, building a safe and effective pork market \u201cdefense system\u201d is of great practical importance.There are currently no domestic or foreign studies on the resilience of China\u2019s hog industry and its influencing factors, and the related literature has placed a greater focus on exploring the relevant impact mechanisms. Studies have concluded that epidemics exert a high negative impact, can cause severe economic losses, and pose a major threat to the livelihoods of farming households in developing countries ,2,3. EpiEpidemics have a major impact on price fluctuations in the hog market, and \u201cbehind every round of large swings in hog prices, there is a lingering shadow of epidemic disease\u201d ,16,17. UThus far, the literature on resilience has focused on the agricultural and macroeconomic fields, and its research paradigm and research methods have important reference value for this study. From the perspective of agricultural resilience, factor analysis, coupling coordination degree, and other methods have been used in the literature to study the characteristics, laws, and synergistic strength of agricultural economic resilience and high-quality agricultural development ; the entConsidering that the resilience of China\u2019s hog industry has not been systematically measured in the literature, and that the relevant influencing factors have yet to be explored, examining resilience is of great practical importance for promoting the stable and orderly development of the hog industry and ensuring the safe and effective supply of the pork market. Therefore, two core variables, namely, the inventories of hogs and breeding sows, were selected for this study, and the industrial resilience and spatial and temporal characteristics of 31 provinces that faced the impact of African swine fever in 2018\u20132021 were systematically measured. In the study, the two dimensions of resistance and recoverability are used, the influencing mechanism of the resilience of China\u2019s hog industry is investigated through Geodetector, and relevant countermeasures and recommendations for policy and production decisions are finally proposed.Based on the theory of regional economic resilience, two indicators were selected\u2014namely, the inventory of hogs, and that of breeding sows\u2014as the core variables of this study, used to measure the resilience of the hog industry to the impact of African swine fever by measuring its resistance and recoverability. Resistance focuses on the ability of the hog industry to avoid the decline caused by the impact of African swine fever, while recoverability focuses on the ability of the hog industry to adapt and recover through its own vitality, external thrust, and other factors. Under the impact of African swine fever, this study focuses on the resistance of the hog industry to falling from its normal level and the recoverability of the hog industry from such a fall back to its normal level.rResistance denotes the resistance of the hog industry, iresV denotes the inventory of hogs or breeding sows in province r in year i during the resistance period, and i\u2212V1res denotes the inventory of hogs or breeding sows in province r in year i \u2212 1 during the resistance period.The formula for calculating resistance is as follows:rRecoverability denotes the recoverability of the hog industry, irecV denotes the inventory of hogs or breeding sows in province r in year i during the recovery period, and i\u2212V1rec denotes the inventory of hogs or breeding sows in province r in year i \u2212 1 during the recovery period.The formula for calculating recoverability is as follows:q denotes the driving force explanatory factor, which has a value range of 0\u20131. A larger value indicates that the influencing factor has a higher degree of explanation regarding the resilience of the regional hog industry; h = 1,2 \u2026; L is the number of classifications; hN and N denote the number of sample units in stratum h and in the whole region, respectively; and h\u03c32 and \u03c32 denote the variance in stratum h and in the whole region, respectively.In this study, Geodetector was used to detect the relationships between various factors and the resilience of the hog industry in each province of China, and to search for the factors with the most explanatory power. Geodetector is a statistical method used to detect spatial heterogeneity and reveal the driving force(s) behind it, including factor detection, interaction detection, risk area detection, and ecological detection . The speTo explore the key factors that affect the resilience of the hog industry, regional economic theory, the actual development of the hog industry, and the existing research foundation were combined for this study, and the four dimensions of the development foundation, scientific and technological support, basic security, and epidemic shock were analyzed. Regarding the development foundation, four main indicators were considered: economic level, industrial structure, market share, and per capita pork consumption. Regarding scientific and technological support, four main indicators were considered: hog slaughter rate, carcass weight, scale breeding degree, and labor productivity. Regarding basic security, three main indicators were considered: the comparative efficiency of hog breeding, resource carrying capacity, and technical service level. Finally, regarding the epidemic shock, three main indicators were considered: the number of cases, mortality, and the culling rate of African swine fever. In general, the better the development foundation of the hog industry, the higher the level of scientific and technological support and basic security, and the more robust the resilience of the hog industry. Furthermore, the more intense the impact of African swine fever, the weaker the resilience of the hog industry. The relevant influencing factors and the methods for calculating the resilience of China\u2019s hog industry are shown in China Statistical Yearbook, the China Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Yearbook, the National Compilation of Cost and Benefit Information of Agricultural Products, and the Official Veterinary Bulletin of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People\u2019s Republic of China. Some of the data were specifically treated in the following ways: (1) Tibet lacks market prices for hogs and corn, so they were replaced in this study with the corresponding average prices across the country. (2) Labor productivity in hog breeding is measured by the ratio of total output value per head to the average number of laborers on large, medium, and small farms; however, there is a lack of data for the small farms in Beijing, Shanghai, and Tibet. For medium farms, there is a lack of data for Shanghai and Tibet. Finally, for large farms, there are data gaps for Tibet and Ningxia. Therefore, national average data were utilized to fill these gaps in this study.The period of 2018\u20132021 was chosen as the research period because the African swine fever outbreak began in 2018, while by 2021 the epidemic was better controlled and hog production had recovered to its previous normal levels. The study unit consisted of 31 provinces in China, excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. The basic data for this study were obtained from the Before examining the resilience of the hog industry and its influencing factors, it was necessary to identify the resistance and recovery periods for the hog industry. After the African swine fever outbreak was first diagnosed in China\u2019s Liaoning Province in August 2018, it spread rapidly across the country in just eight months. The inventories of hogs and breeding sows decreased by 3.04% and 4.71% in 2018 compared to the previous year, respectively, and by 27.50% and 27.70% in 2019 compared to the previous year, respectively. At the end of 2019, the Chinese government formulated and implemented the Three-Year Action Program for Accelerating the Resumption of the Development of Hog Production to promote the accelerated recovery of hog production to its normal levels in previous years. In 2020, the inventories of hogs and breeding sows increased by 30.96% and 35.09%, respectively, compared to the previous year, and the production capacity of hogs effectively recovered to a normal level in 2021, increasing by 10.51% and 4.02%, respectively, compared to the previous year . TherefoBased on this, and considering the hog industry resilience measurement method and basic data, the resilience of the hog industry and its spatial and temporal characteristics were calculated. In terms of resistance, in the early stages of the African swine fever outbreak, i.e., 2018, Tianjin, Shanxi, Guangxi, and Yunnan all had positive resistance, and the positive resistance of Shanxi and Xinjiang was based on the inventory of breeding sows, indicating that the hog industry in these provinces was not negatively affected by African swine fever and maintained a relatively normal development trend. The five provinces with the worst resistance were Beijing, Shanghai, Fujian, Ningxia, and Tibet, which are all areas with relatively weak hog breeding bases; Liaoning Province, where African swine fever was first diagnosed, was also hit relatively hard. The main reason for this was the outbreak of African swine fever that occurred in the second half of 2018, which spread quickly and widely in a relatively short period. During that period, however, the epidemic had not yet spread to all parts of the country, and there were still some areas that had not been affected or were less affected by the epidemic.In 2019, when African swine fever was at its most severe state, aside from the positive resistance level of the hog industry in Ningxia based on the inventory of breeding sows, the resistance of other provinces as based on hog or breeding sow inventories was negative, indicating that the resistance of the hog industry was generally poor during the most severe period of the epidemic. The main reason for this was that African swine fever had appeared in China for the first time, and neither government departments nor hog farmers had mature knowledge or experience in epidemic prevention and control. This fact, coupled with irrational epidemic prevention and control policies and a poor level of epidemic awareness, caused a more serious market panic and artificially deepened the impact of African swine fever. The five provinces with the worst resistance based on hog inventories were Beijing, Jiangsu, Hainan, Qinghai, and Shanghai, and the five provinces with the worst resistance based on breeding sow inventories were Beijing, Hainan, Qinghai, Jiangsu, and Guangdong. From the point of view of large hog-farming provinces, Hunan, Sichuan, and Yunnan Provinces were affected by the impact of African swine fever to varying degrees, but the resistance was high, and the impact was contained to a relatively moderate level.In terms of recoverability, when the recovery of hog production accelerated, in 2020, the recoverability of the hog industry in 31 provinces was positive based on the inventories of hogs or breeding sows, indicating that the hog industry nationwide had been showing continuous accelerated recovery and had strong recoverability. The top five provinces in terms of recoverability based on their hog inventories were Beijing, Jiangsu, Qinghai, Shanghai, and Tibet, and the provinces at the bottom of this ranking were Shaanxi, Jilin, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Heilongjiang; the top five provinces in terms of recoverability based on the breeding sow inventory were Qinghai, Jiangsu, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hainan, and the provinces at the bottom of this ranking were Tibet, Shaanxi, Guangxi, Jilin, and Yunnan. The reason for the generally strong resilience of the hog industry in 2020 was mainly that the government had implemented a series of policies to prevent and control African swine fever and had vigorously promoted and supported hog farming, which included the issuance and implementation of policy documents such as the Three-Year Action Program for Accelerating the Resumption of the Development of Hog Production, which resulted in a very high level of activism among local governments and large-scale farms, aimed at resuming and expanding hog farming. During the piglet shortage period, for the rearing and expansion of the purchase of hogs, ternary sows or backcross sows bred as binary sows, crossbred sows bred as purebred hogs, and other phenomena became more frequent among many farm households; moreover, the birth of foreign piglets was pursued by domestic hog farms.In 2021, two provinces showed negative recoverability based on their inventory of hogs, namely, Ningxia and Shanghai, while the recoverability based on the inventory of breeding sows was relatively more negative, spanning 13 provinces, including Henan, Shandong, and other large hog-breeding provinces. The main reason for this is that, in 2020, the year of accelerated recovery of hog production, many farm households blindly and disorderedly expanded the healthy development of the hog industry, which caused potentially severe problems. It has also been factually demonstrated that due to the unregulated expansion of hog farming, hog market prices in 2021 appeared to fall off a cliff and experienced the strongest \u201chard landing\u201d, which resulted in many farms experiencing the \u201cepidemic impact loss\u2013high price profits\u2013price plunge loss\u201d \u201croller coaster\u201d of the \u201csecond blow\u201d. To ensure the orderly development of the hog industry, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People\u2019s Republic of China issued and implemented the Hog Production Capacity Control Implementation Plan in 2021, which clearly proposed stabilizing the hog production capacity within a reasonable range. The 14th Five-Year Plan period had the effect of stabilizing the normal retention of breeding sows at approximately 41 million, with a minimum retention of no less than 37 million, causing many provinces to reduce the numbers of breeding sows.In this study, the resistance and recoverability of the hog industry in each province was taken as the dependent variable, and 14 indicators in four dimensions, i.e., development foundation, scientific and technological support, basic security, and epidemic shock, were taken as independent variables. After the data of the independent variables were discretized by using the natural breakpoint method of ArcGIS, we applied the factor detection and interaction detection of Geodetector to analyze the resistance and recoverability of the hog industry in China. The spatial differentiation of the factors affecting the resistance and recoverability of China\u2019s hog industry was also analyzed. Regarding the factors that influence resistance in the hog industry, in the early stages of the African swine fever outbreak in 2018, the five indicators with the highest explanatory power regarding resistance based on the inventory of hogs were the slaughter rate, economic level, mortality rate, carcass weight, and culling rate, while the five indicators with the highest explanatory power regarding resistance based on the inventory of breeding sows were the slaughter rate, economic level, carcass weight, mortality rate, and culling rate. Contrasting these two sets of factors, one can see that they appear to be the same indicators, revealing that the scientific and technological support capacity, the economic development level, and the epidemic shock had a large impact on the resistance of the hog industry in the early stages of the African swine fever outbreak. The higher the level of economic development, the more fundamental advantages the development of the hog industry has, and the stronger its resistance. The more severe the African swine fever shock, the greater the impact on the hog industry and the weaker its resistance. In general, the slaughter rate and carcass weight reflect the level of scientific and technological development, and these factors show a positive relationship with the resilience of the hog industry, i.e., the higher the slaughter rate and the carcass weight, the stronger the resilience of the hog industry. However, the extent of the impacts in the early stages of the African swine fever outbreak cannot be solely based on the general situation, as this extent is affected by information asymmetry and many other factors. Many farmers who were experiencing market panic and other influences accelerated their slaughter activities, which resulted in a substantial increase in the hog slaughter rate and a sharp decrease in carcass weight. The slaughter rate and the carcass weight at that time both demonstrated that simply increasing the level of industry resilience is not sufficient.In 2019, when the African swine fever outbreak was at its worst, the five indicators with the highest explanatory power for resistance based on the hog inventory were the slaughter rate, per capita consumption, scale level, economic level, and the number of cases, while the five indicators with the highest explanatory power for resistance based on the breeding sow inventory were the per capita consumption, slaughter rate, technical service, labor productivity, and scale level. When contrasting these two sets of indicators, it can be seen that the indicators for both resistance bases were the slaughter rate, per capita consumption, and scale level. As mentioned above, when an outbreak of African swine fever occurs, many hog farmers accelerate their slaughter efforts, resulting in a different slaughter rate from that of normal years, and the abnormal slaughter level of hog farming is directly related to a lack of resilience. During the period of African swine fever\u2019s most serious impact, large-scale farms had a better foundation and stronger advantages than small-scale farms and free-range farmers, and their resistance to the impact of African swine fever was greater. This is because the higher the scale level, the greater the resistance and resilience of the hog industry. The epidemic impact also caused a decline in hog production capacity that led to pork supply shortages, and residents\u2019 consumption and other demand-side factors became important factors affecting the resistance of the hog industry.Regarding the factors influencing the recoverability of the hog industry, in 2020, which was the year of rapid recovery in hog production, the five indicators with the highest explanatory power for recoverability based on the inventory of hogs were industrial structure, slaughter rate, culling rate, economic level, and resource carrying capacity, while the five indicators with the highest explanatory power for recoverability based on the inventory of breeding sows were resource carrying capacity, labor productivity, culling rate, economic level, and industrial structure. The shared indicators were the industrial structure, culling rate, economic level, and resource carrying capacity. The industrial structure reflects the advantages of the hog industry. The higher the industrial structure, i.e., the higher the proportion of the output value of the hog industry in the total agricultural output value is, the more dominant the hog industry is in the region, the better the foundation for its development, and the more robust its recovery and resilience. The culling rate reflects the severity of the impact of African swine fever; hence, the higher the culling rate, the more severe the epidemic and the greater the threat to the resilience of the hog industry. In addition, hogs are grain-fed livestock. Thus, the better the resource base is, the stronger the carrying capacity, the more secure the feed grain for the development of the hog industry, and the stronger its recoverability and resilience. The mechanism of influence of the economic level on the resilience of the hog industry is the same as that noted above.In 2021, when hog production capacity was reasonably adjusted, the five indicators with the highest explanatory power for recoverability based on the hog inventory were the scale level, slaughter rate, resource carrying, per capita consumption, and economic level, while the five indicators with the highest explanatory power for recoverability based on the breeding sow inventory were the scale level, slaughter rate, per capita consumption, labor productivity, and resource carrying. Contrasting these two sets of indicators, the indicators that apply to both are the scale level, slaughter rate, per capita consumption, and resource carrying capacity. The degree of scale and the slaughter rate reveal the level of scientific and technological support during the reasonable adjustment period of hog production capacity. Scale is the inevitable requirement for the high-quality development of the hog industry, and the slaughter rate reflects the scientific and technological level under normal circumstances. Both had a positive impact on the recoverability and resilience of the hog industry in the adjustment period of hog production capacity. The influence mechanism of per capita consumption and resource carrying capacity is consistent with the above.Regarding the results of the interaction detection for resistance and recoverability in the hog industry, it can be seen that the effect of any two factors interacting on the resistance and recoverability divergence pattern of the hog industry is greater than the effect of any one factor alone on the spatial divergence pattern of resistance and recoverability, indicating that the relevant effects of the resilience of the hog industry are all integrated effects. In addition, the resistance based on the inventory of hogs underwent a two-factor enhancement of 27 in 2018, and the corresponding number of two-factor enhancements for resistance and recoverability in the period 2019\u20132021 was 16\u201317; resistance based on the inventory of breeding sows was a two-factor enhancement of 26 in 2018 and of only 3 in 2019, and the corresponding two-factor enhancements for recoverability in 2020\u20132021 were all 11; all remaining factor interactions were nonlinear enhancements. For example, the scientific and technological support factor and the epidemic shock factor together affected the resilience of the hog industry. Epidemic shock will inevitably affect the scientific and technological support factor, and when African swine fever occurs, indicators such as the hog slaughter rate will be affected to varying degrees. In 2018\u20132019, China\u2019s hog slaughter rate was significantly higher than the normal annual level, at 162.04% and 175.32%, respectively.In this study, we applied two core variables, namely, the inventory of hogs and that of breeding sows. We measured the industrial resilience and its spatial and temporal characteristics in 31 provinces of China that were faced with the impact of African swine fever, from the perspectives of both resistance and recoverability. We then explored the influence mechanism of the resilience of China\u2019s hog industry using Geodetector, and we obtained the following research conclusions:First, the periods of 2018\u20132019 and 2020\u20132021 represent the resistance and recovery periods of the hog industry under the impact of African swine fever, respectively, with the industry showing poor resilience in the resistance period and good resilience in the recovery period. The increase in the resilience of China\u2019s pork industry was mainly due to the adjustment of the policy for the prevention and control of African swine fever, as well as the implementation of the policy for the recovery of hog breeding and pork production.Second, there were differences in the resistance and recoverability of the hog industry across different provinces and periods under the impact of African swine fever. In the early stages of the African swine fever outbreak, Tianjin, Shanxi, Guangxi, and Yunnan had strong levels of resistance. In the most severe stage of the African swine fever outbreak, the resistance of the hog industry in all provinces was generally poor. In the period of rapid recovery in hog production, the recoverability of all provinces was very strong. In the reasonable adjustment period of hog production capacity, the recoverability of the 13 provinces, including Henan, Shandong, and other large hog-breeding provinces, was negative based on their inventories of breeding sows, which resulted from active policy regulation.Third, there were differences in the key factors that influenced the resilience of the hog industry across different provinces and different periods. In the early stages of the African swine fever outbreak, the slaughter rate, economic level, mortality rate, carcass weight, and culling rate had the highest explanatory power for the resistance of the hog industry; in the most severe period of the African swine fever outbreak, the slaughter rate, per capita consumption, and scale level had the highest explanatory power for the resistance of the hog industry. In the period of rapid recovery in hog production, the industrial structure, culling rate, economic level, and resource carrying had the highest explanatory power for the recoverability of the hog industry. Finally, in the reasonable adjustment period of hog production capacity, the scale level, culling rate, per capita consumption, and resource carrying had the highest explanatory power regarding the recoverability of the hog industry.Based on the above research conclusions, the following countermeasures are suggested: First, the level of resilience of the hog industry should be improved. It is necessary to accelerate the construction of the modern hog industry system, production system, and business system, to promote the modernization of breeding, processing, circulation, sales, and other high-quality development factors of the entire industry chain, and to further enhance the resilience of the industry chain, supply chain, and security level. We need to continuously cultivate new industries, new forms, and new modes, focus on improving the levels of industrial integration and development, further extend the industrial chain, improve the value chain, stabilize the supply chain, and enhance the resilience of the hog industry by internalizing risks. We should strengthen disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief capacity building, support the hog breeding insurance system (particularly regarding the prevention and control of major epidemics), and further consolidate the risk prevention foundation of the hog industry, as well as its risk transfer capacity.Second, the prevention and control of hog epidemics should be strengthened. The initiative, foresight, and precision of epidemic prevention and control policies should be enhanced, and short-term emergency response, long-term effective response, and market shock regulation and control should be improved. The construction of a hog disease prevention and control system should be promoted by comprehensively covering both the industrial chain and the supply chain, including breeding, slaughtering, processing, circulation, and sales. We need to strengthen the establishment of grassroots animal disease prevention and control teams and enhance the level of technical training. We should optimize biosecurity, culling, vaccination, and other means of prevention and control, and improve epidemic reporting, culling subsidies, and other systems. We should strengthen the integration and demonstration of technologies for the prevention and control of major animal diseases, including African swine fever, and widely promote effective models for epidemic prevention and control. We must accelerate the promotion of innovation in key core technologies for the prevention and control of major animal diseases, and promote scientific research on African swine fever vaccines.Third, the monitoring and early warning mechanisms should be improved, as should the mechanisms underlying hog epidemic risk identification, market monitoring and early warning, and the regular release of information, reports, and plans. We should concentrate professional talents in the fields of agricultural economics and information technology, rely on big data, cloud computing, and other intelligent technologies, scientifically collect international and domestic information, conduct real-time simulations, and make response plans. Based on one national standard and one set of data, the uniformity and authority of information should be improved. We need to abandon the \u201cinternal reference\u201d and other old concepts and old ways, so that the data and information are open and transparent to the whole society, and every producer, consumer, researcher, and policymaker can access the relevant information to avoid market panic and confusion."} +{"text": "Colomesus, we conducted a survey the parasite fauna of Colomesus tocantinensis collected from the Tocantins River, Brazil. We first recorded the presence of the ectoparasites Ergasilus colomesus and Lernaea sp. where 96.77% of the fish were parasitized.Considering the lack of studies on freshwater fishes of the genus The Tocantins River is composed of the Tocantins-Araguaia basin and is located in the Legal Amazon. It originates in the state of Goi\u00e1s and runs northward for 2500 km, passing through the states of Tocantins, Maranh\u00e3o, and Par\u00e1 . The TocColomesus comprises only three fish species, two of which are freshwater: Colomesus asellus and C. tocantinensis Amaral et al., 2013, both endemic to South America and distributed throughout the Amazon and Tocantins-Araguaia basins, respectively in 2018. The procedures for necropsy of the hosts and collection, preservation, and preparation of parasites were performed according to the methods reported by Thirty-one individuals of Lernaea sp. are freeborn, and after actively infecting the host, they undergo metamorphosis until they reach the adult stage and reproduce , and aposematism , which cividuals , it is uC. tocantinensis, analyzing for the first time the record of two species of ectoparasites (Lernaea sp. and E. colomesus) for this host. We emphasize the need for further study, as existing studies on the biology and ecology of this species are limited.Our study provides new insights on the parasitic fauna of"} +{"text": "The authors would like to clarify the affiliation list of the published article to correctly show where the work was conducted. In the original article, the affiliation at the time of publication of one author (Ramzi Dhahri) was listed as Laboratory of Physics of Materials and Nanomaterials Applied to the Environment, Faculty of Sciences of Gabes, University of Gabes, Erriadh, 6079, Gabes, Tunisia. However, this author also had a second affiliation which was regretfully omitted: Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences and Arts, Najran University, P.O. Box 1988, Najran, 11001, Saudi Arabia. The corrected list of affiliations at the time of publication of the original article is presented here.The Royal Society of Chemistry apologises for these errors and any consequent inconvenience to authors and readers."} +{"text": "It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the passing of the virologist Professor Jianguo Wu. He devoted his life to the research of viruses, and was still working until the end of his life. His death is a great loss to the international virology community. Here, we summarize his significant contributions to the development of virology, the construction of scientific research platforms, and social services in epidemic prevention and control. Through commemorating our beloved virologist, we are inspired to continue to work hard in his spirit of persistent struggle against viruses.Professor Jianguo Wu was born in Jishui County, Ji\u2019an, Jiangxi Province, China. From 1978 to 1985, he studied at Wuhan University and engaged in virology research. He went to the United States in 1989 and obtained his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Idaho in 1992. From 1993 to 1996, he engaged in postdoctoral research in molecular biology at Princeton University, and he worked here as a research fellow for another 3 years. In 1999, he resolutely gave up the preferential treatment in the United States and went back to his motherland, China. He worked diligently at Wuhan University for more than 20 years. After retiring, he continued to engage in teaching and research at Jinan University, and also made remarkable achievements there. As soon as the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, he devoted himself to work on SARS-CoV-2 testing and research until the end of his life.Professor Wu conducted virology research with an emphasis on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of infection, immunity, and the pathogenesis of important human viruses, and the molecular epidemiology of newly emerging viruses. He was devoted to the study of the pathogenesis of human hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). He revealed several important functions of hepatitis B virus x protein (HBx), like its roles in cell apoptosis, transformation, and tumorigenesis ,2,3. TheThe influenza virus has been endangering the life and health of human beings for a long time. Professor Wu was also committed to investigating the epidemiological characteristics of influenza viruses , exploriEnteroviruses, particularly Enterovirus 71 viruses, always attracted Prof. Wu\u2019s research interest. He made great achievements in studies about the epidemiological characteristics ,38 and mAfter retiring from Wuhan University, Professor Wu\u2019s focus shifted to the Pearl River Delta area in China, where Zika and Dengue, of flavivirus, are the more prevalent viruses in the region. He reported the molecular epidemiology and molecular mechanisms of the pathogenesis of Dengue virus , and revThe outbreak of SARS and COVID-19 brought great harm to society, and Prof. Wu conducted in-depth and systematic research on SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 ,55. TheiIn addition to the studies on the viruses mentioned above, Wu\u2019s team also explored the molecular pathogenesis of viruses including Epstein\u2013Barr virus (EBV) , HIV-1 , mumps vAs a national high-level talent introduction, Professor Wu\u2019s scientific research career was supported by governments at all levels. He presided over more than 30 scientific research projects, including major national science and technology projects, 973 national program projects, and key projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. When returning to China and taking up his post at Wuhan University, he devoted himself to the establishment of the State Key Laboratory of Virology (SKLV), played an extremely important role in the establishment of the SKLV, and worked as its director from 2006 to 2016. After retiring, Prof. Wu continued to shine in the virology field. He worked as the president of the Institute of Medical Microbiology at Jinan University . He and Under the leadership of Prof. Wu, these research platforms have produced good scientific output, served local education and scientific research, and contributed to local economic development.Throughout his career, Prof. Wu made outstanding achievements. He published over 230 papers in scientific journals, and he was selected as one of the most cited Chinese Researchers in 2021 by Elsevier. He was also granted 32 authorized national invention patents. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Wu\u2019s company donated free disinfection and sterilization products to the community, which solved the problem of supply shortage. This selfless dedication received praise from the local government . In recognition of his outstanding contribution, he received 30 awards in the last 25 years. They included the first prize for Natural Science in Hubei Province, the second prize for Natural Science in Yunnan Province, the second prize for life chemistry research in Yaoming Kant, the first prize for outstanding team in the implementation of national science and technology plan, and the first prize for excellent academic papers in Natural Science in Hubei Province. His honors also include a special allowance provided by the government of the State Council, Excellent Foreign Experts of the People\u2019s Government of Hubei Province, Top Ten Young and Middle-Aged Experts with Outstanding Contributions in Hubei Province, Advanced Individuals of New Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurship in Hubei Province, etc. In short, Prof. Wu made indelible contributions to education, virology research, and the welfare of society. He achieved many great things in his short life. We pay tribute to our beloved teacher with this article to express our deep thoughts for him."} +{"text": "The German immigration to the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, began in the 1920s. Between 1824 and 1922, 142 German colonies were created in Rio Grande do Sul, and it is estimated that, in this period, about 50 thousand Germans arrived in the state..In this group of immigrants, Augusto Heinrich Rohde, Luiz Rohde's great-grandfather, arrived in 1857. On January 14, 1936, Luiz Rohde was born, the youngest son of Augusto Em\u00edlio and Erna Rohde, fruit of a union that generated eight children, in the locality of Para\u00edso do Sul, in the municipality of Cachoeira do Sul, 200 km from Porto Alegre (RS), in the central region of the stateAfter an initial school education in his region, in Cachoeira do Sul, Luiz completed the high school and soon the inclination to study medicine arose. Since then, it could be noted in the young Luiz Rohde marks that would be perennial in his character and in the example he would set for all those who were his students in the future: discipline, rectitude, education, and concern for the well-being of all with whom he had the opportunity to know and relate to.He studied medicine at Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, where he joined in 1955 and concluded in 1961, having been chosen valedictorian of the class. At the same institution, another characteristic of Rohde was already evident: in the graduation speech, he drew attention to the need for creating a local university hospital to improve the training of doctors. Therefore, very early on he had the vision of what would be most important for the education of medical students. After completing the medical course, he was accepted, by a public tender at the University of S\u00e3o Paulo (USP), in the state of S\u00e3o Paulo (SP), in the residency in General Surgery, from 1962 to 1964.It was also in 1964 that Luiz Rohde married Vera Guedes Paim, newly graduated from the dermatology residency at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). They had two children: Luis Augusto and Luis Eduardo. They also chose to study medicine and pursue teaching like their father, and are currently full professors at UFRGS, respectively, in psychiatry and cardiology. The example of the medical parents stimulated the development of their careers, being nowadays two of the most outstanding professors at the university with worldwide relevance in their fields. In addition, they gave Luiz Rohde some of his greatest joys: his grandchildren Catarina and Pedro, and the latter is also studying medicine to take forward the third family generation in the profession chosen by Luiz Rohde.Funda\u00e7\u00e3o Faculdade Cat\u00f3lica de Medicina de Porto Alegre \u2013 FFCMPA) , working at this institution for 22 years.In 1965, after returning to Porto Alegre, Rohde took over as an assistant professor at the Catholic College of Medicine of Porto Alegre , in 1975.There were hundreds of students and over a hundred residents in General and Digestive Surgery who had the privilege of being trained by Professor Luiz Rohde over the years. He was chosen as an honoree or class sponsor of the medical classes of 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1983, and 1984. At FFCMPA, he developed his full potential as a teacher, surgeon, and researcher. He defended his Titular Professor thesis entitled While working at the Santa Casa de Miseric\u00f3rdia de Porto Alegre, a teaching hospital of that institution, he was head of the surgical wards number 30, 40 and 36, the latter known throughout the state since then as the \u201cInfirmary of Professor Rohde,\u201d where most of the graduates who opted for surgery longed to intern.Hospital de Cl\u00ednicas de Porto Alegre \u2013 HCPA) was just beginning its activities, he worked in the infirmary of Santa Casa, under the coordination of UFRGS, thus being able to develop activities in both schools at the same hospital.Rohde also dedicated himself to the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Hired as a professor in 1978, by public tender, at a time when the General Hospital of Porto Alegre , and Bariatric Surgery Group. He has repeatedly advocated the importance of sub-specialization as a source of improvement in specialized medical care for patients and teaching and research in the Department of Surgery and in HCPA in the area of digestive surgery. Subsequently, he was elected head of the General Surgery Service of HCPA in 2005/2006.During the period in which he was head of the Department of Surgery, he strongly acted on the teaching of General Surgery to students and residents, creating the subareas and groups of surgical activity in the digestive tract: Esophageal and Stomach Surgery Group, Liver Group, Pancreas and Bile Duct GroupFaculdade de Medicina \u2013 FAMED) of UFRGS. Driven by the occasion of the centenary of UFRGS, in 1998, Rohde led a bold project to build the new FAMED building, bringing it to the HCPA, forming the current Health campus with other related schools. Thus, the visionary and pioneering side of Luiz Rohde appeared in a way that left an enduring legacy, gathering FAMED students in his teaching hospital in a definitive way.In 1993, he was elected director of the School of Medicine , alongside his friend Henrique W. Pinotti and other colleagues, gathering prominent specialists in the field of Digestive Surgery from all over Brazil.st Brazilian Week of Digestive System, held in Porto Alegre, which was the seed that allowed us to be, in 2023, in the XXII Brazilian Week of Digestive System.In 1994, he was elected president of the 1He was elected president of the Brazilian College of Digestive Surgery, term of office 1995 and 1996, and, following his predecessors, he greatly contributed to disseminating and valuing digestive surgery throughout the country.Furthermore, he was a member of other national and international medical societies and an emeritus member of the Brazilian College of Surgeons, the Brazilian Medical Association, the Brazilian Society for the Development and Research in Surgery, the American College of Surgeons, the World Association of Hepato-Pancreato Biliary Surgery, and president of the Academy of Medicine of Rio Grande do Sul (2009-2010). He made numerous study trips inside and outside the country. In Brazil, he participated in congresses, courses, and medical journeys in most states, with about 350 lectures given, visiting its main medical and university centers, where he learned about issues related to medical care, scientific research, and medical education, and contributed to their solution.Rotina em Cirurgia Digestiva (\u201cRoutine in Digestive Surgery\u201d), which is already in its 5th edition, being a reference for many students and residents in the field of Digestive Surgery.He had almost a hundred scientific articles published in national and international journals. In 2005, he published the book In 2006, he founded the Digestive Surgery Service at HCPA, unanimously approved by the institution's specialties. Henceforth, over 50 residents have been trained in digestive tract surgery. During all these years, he was responsible for the surgical and academic training of numerous masters and doctors, some of them who are currently physicians and professors at FAMED and other educational institutions. In 2008, the renowned Council of UFRGS granted him the title of Professor Emeritus of the University.In 2018, he was honored with the nomination of the Service, which, from then on, was called the Prof. Luiz Rohde Digestive Surgery Service.We and so many others who know and relate to Professor Luiz Rohde have in him the example of leadership marked by education, rectitude of his conduct, and complete devotion to the art of operating and teaching. His time in the academy, in two Schools of Medicine, was enormously fruitful and continues to be up to now.. Perhaps, with it, we can capture some of the essence of this master in the art of operating and teaching:Better than talking more about Professor Luiz Rohde is to transcribe an excerpt from one of his many speeches\u201cI understand medical education as an integrated whole and not as a simple sum of contents of medical disciplines and specialties. In teaching, in graduate programs and in residency, practice is the great motivator of learning. Problem-based learning. The end result should be the surgeon with deep knowledge, technical competence, ethical humanitarian training, and socially responsible performance. Physicians, especially surgeons, when making their decisions based on evidence, use science; and when they apply these decisions, they put art into practice. Science and art applied with competence, dedication, respect, and compassion are the characteristics that the best surgeons should have.\u201dTeaching is done by words and example. Dear Master Rohde, your example lives on in all of us."} +{"text": "This year, 2023, the Brazilian National Immunization Program is 50 years old. Established on September 18, 1973 by the Ministry of Health, the PNI became officially recognized in 1975, the year in which Law No. 6,259, dated October 30, 1975 came into force. The law),. Currently, there are more than 20 vaccines, capable of safely preventing various diseases, available for each stage of life according to the National Vaccination Schedules - children, adolescents, pregnant women, adults, the elderly and special populations .During this period, the commitment of SUS workers, such as the valuable collaboration of experts, researchers, health professionals, managers, partner institutions and the entire Brazilian society, has helped Brazil to achieve high vaccination coverage. Over the years, Brazil achieved control and elimination of several vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, poliomyelitis, rubella, congenital rubella syndrome and neonatal tetanus, and the PNI became recognized, nationally and internationally, as a public health success story.A set of factors has contributed significantly to the progress and relevance of the PNI over these 50 years: vaccination campaigns, such as National Vaccination Day, D-Day against Polio, with a strong communication plan led by the Z\u00e9 Gotinha character and the support of celebrity immunization ambassadors; strengthening surveillance and diagnosis actions for vaccine-preventable diseases; implementation of pharmacovigilance to monitor vaccine safety; the valuing and expansion of Primary Health Care, as a fundamental SUS strategy for health promotion, disease prevention and control; SUS management decentralization to municipal level; and tripartite administrative management, between the federal administration and the state and municipal health departments.However, the success of the PNI has been threatened by the recent decline in vaccination coverage, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing the risk of reintroduction and spread of vaccine-preventable diseases eliminated in Brazil, such as measles and poliomyelitis.The PNI offers conditions for Brazil to commit to meeting IA 2030, particularly in an integrated manner with Primary Health Care, through the country\u2019s universal health system, the SUS, and through the national capacity for vaccine production, research and technological innovation. However, the success of IA 2030 in Brazil will depend on political commitment and effective measures, aiming to recover the high vaccination rates achieved over half a century of PNI activities.At the beginning of 2023 when the current government took office, important changes were implemented in the regulatory structure of the Ministry of Health, including the reformulation and expansion of the Program, whereby its status changed from General Coordination to Department and four new General Coordinations were set up in its current organization chart.Microplanning enables the planning and implementation of high-quality immunization activities.In its new configuration, the PNI has strengthened ties with various institutions, governmental and non-governmental bodies, and society in general, with the aim of promoting the National Vaccination Movement. This movement, one of the federal government\u2019s priorities in conjunction with state and municipal governments, has the main objective of strengthening the SUS and the country\u2019s vaccination culture.The PNI\u2019s structure and tradition allow it to commit to IA 2030. Its relevance as an exemplary public health policy worldwide enables the Program to reaffirm its original commitment to reducing the transmission of vaccine-preventable diseases through integrated health surveillance and vaccine pharmacovigilance actions, and health innovation, promotion, prevention and protection actions.th anniversary of the PNI, which continues to be, and will be even more so, a source of pride for Brazil, hope for the future of our health and expression of the desire of Brazilian men and women to live in a country free from vaccine-preventable diseases.Everyone is invited to celebrate, with just pride, the 50"} +{"text": "In recent years, China\u2019s sub-healthy and aging populations have increased dramatically, giving rise to a series of health and wellness needs. People prefer health and wellness tourism activities instead of sightseeing tourism activities because of the increasing emphasis on safety and experience. Health and wellness tourism resources are a prerequisite for the development of health and wellness tourism. To critically reflect on China\u2019s official tourism resource evaluation criteria, expert consultation was carried out by applying the Delphi method, and index weights were determined using the analytic hierarchy process. Through three rounds of expert consultation, a value evaluation system for health and wellness tourism resources was established and improved in three aspects: construction of an index system, selection of evaluation subjects, and grade discourse description, thus enhancing the feasibility and application value of the evaluation system. The system developed in this study not only enables a reflection on China\u2019s official tourism resource evaluation criteria, but also presents a new approach in the value evaluation research of health and wellness tourism resources. Accordingly, the China National Tourism Administration encouraged all regions to develop their health industry and actively develop health and wellness tourism resources. After the promulgation of China\u2019s national standard named National Health and Wellness Tourism Demonstration Base, the construction of health and wellness tourism destinations was launched nationwide, promoting the overall development of health and wellness tourism in China.China is the most populous country in the world and is also home to the world\u2019s largest elderly population. In the 19th century, population aging began to increase in China, raising the demand for health, medical care, and elderly care. However, there is a shortage of elderly care professionals, and the quantity and high-quality supply of medical facilities and elderly care service institutions are extremely mismatched with existing social demands [Huang Di Nei Jing, the earliest Chinese medical book, recorded ancient people\u2019s understanding and experience of health and wellness. Over time, the understanding of \u2018health and wellness\u2019 (Kang Yang in Chinese) has become multi-faceted. First, from the Chinese literal understanding, with \u2018Kang\u2019 for health and \u2018Yang\u2019 for nourishing of life, \u2018Kang Yang\u2019 means health and wellness. Secondly, from the perspective of industrial development, the word \u2018Yang\u2019 means pension, and \u2018Kang Yang\u2019 is defined as health and elderly care. In addition, China\u2019s Office for Aging and The Blue Book of Health and Wellness are more inclined to define \u2018Kang Yang\u2019 as health, regimen, and elderly care. In The Blue Book of Health and Wellness published in 2017, health and wellness (Kang Yang in Chinese) is defined as activities that combine with the external environment to improve people\u2019s body and mind, so that they can attain an optimal health condition. The concept of health and wellness tourism is clarified in the National Health and Wellness Tourism Demonstration Base (LB/T051-2016), which states that health and wellness tourism should include forms and functions such as longevity, healthy diet, and self-cultivation, with the aim of optimizing the physical and mental state of tourists [The Blue Book of Health and Wellness (2016) subdivides health and wellness tourism resources into five types: forest, climate, ocean, hot spring, and Chinese medicine. According to the business patterns, Li Weijie divides health and wellness tourism resources into four categories: migratory bird type, healing type, rural type, and comprehensive type [tourists . The Bluive type . Thus, tth century, China began to explore how to scientifically survey existing tourism resources and prepared a trial draft of relevant census specifications. In 1997, the Revised Plan of Tourism Resources Grading and Classification Program was formulated, and a simple fuzzy quantitative evaluation method of expert scoring was designed. On this basis, the national standard of Tourism Resources Classification, Survey and Evaluation was first promulgated in 2003 [Classification, Investigation and Evaluation of Tourism Resources (GB/T 18972\u20132017) was proposed in 2017 [At the end of the 19 in 2003 . The dev in 2017 . Tourismes GB/T 1972\u20132017 The sharp increase in the demand for health and old-age care ushered in health dividends, and the health and wellness tourism industry also ushered in a good development opportunity . Health Existing research on health and wellness tourism on the Web of Science and CNKI databases is largely foreign and focuses on medical health and wellness tourism, hot spring health and wellness tourism, and rural health and wellness tourism. However, Chinese research focuses more on forest health tourism, the health and wellness industry, rural health and wellness tourism, and the construction of health and wellness tourism destinations. As an example of the latter, in the 19th century, forest bathing tours started to emerge in Germany. By the 20th century, the forest bathing base in Bad W\u00f6rishofen in Germany was regarded to be the earliest forest health and wellness tourism destination. As a natural oxygen bar, the forest is a tourism resource integrating rest, exercise, and wellness. It provides hiking, sunbathing, aerobic walking, and other special tourism projects . ScholarFrom the perspective of demand and supply, Kaung Hwa proposed eight customer service elements of health and wellness tourism, including personnel service, environment, healthy diet, leisure, rehabilitation, unique travel experience, social activities, and physical and mental cultivation, and analyzed the health and wellness tourism preferences of elderly tourists . NikipelThe industrial revolution has promoted the rapid development of the healthcare industry, and modern medical technology has made the globalization of medical care possible. The problems of ethics and service quality supervision in the medical care system have hindered the rapid development of medical health and wellness tourism, which has thus attracted scholars\u2019 attention and discussion. Karadayi-Usta and Serdar Asan propose a medical tourism service supply chain (MTSSC) model, which supplements the theoretical basis of medical health and wellness tourism service management . The COVThe relationship between supply and demand of health and wellness tourism, especially the demand side of tourists, such as psychological needs, physical needs, and the relationship between their motivations and behaviors, needs to be further discussed . For exaThe value evaluation research of tourism resources began in the middle of the 20th century, and the evaluation method was mainly qualitative. China\u2019s tourism resource value evaluation started relatively late as compared to foreign research whereby tourism resource value evaluation research started in the 1970s. At the end of the 20th century, with the development of qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods, more subdivided research on the value evaluation of tourism resources appeared, and value evaluation of tourism resources showed a trend of refinement and diversification. Earlier qualitative evaluation can be traced back to the end of the 20th century, when Huang Minsheng assessed tourism resources in terms of resource value, development conditions, and benefits . Most scBased on tourism planning and the tourism value theory, Murtini et al. evaluated the tourism value of Ria Kenjeran beach from four aspects: attraction, infrastructure, suitability, and development strategy . VelascoThe Delphi method was created by RAND Corporation in 1946 and is widely used in comprehensive evaluation and scientific prediction studies in various disciplines . This meIn the late 20th century, American scholar T. L. Satty proposed the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) . AHP comRosenberg and Fishbein put forward the model of behavior and attitude measurement and evaluation in the same basic form . This evi is the weight of the ith factor, and Pi is the evaluation score of the ith factor. This study tries to improve the evaluation model by introducing the evaluation opinions of experts, administrators, and tourists, and assigning different weights to make it more suitable for the value evaluation of health and wellness tourism resources.Where E is the comprehensive evaluation value, n is the total number of factors, QClassification, Investigation and Evaluation of Tourism Resources (GB/T 18972\u20132017), that is, resource elements\u2019 value, environmental value, and development and construction value are selected as the three first-level indicators. When selecting the second-level index, on the basis of China\u2019s relevant evaluation criteria and domestic and foreign studies, the index is modified and added according to the characteristics of health and wellness tourism resources. Nine second-level indexes are selected, including tourism health value, cultural value, resource dependency, resource added value, environment quality, diversity, stability, location characteristics, and construction conditions. In the selection of the three-level index, starting from the three main characteristics of health, regimen, and elderly care, and referring to the index system constructed by domestic and foreign scholars, a total of 36 indicators are determined.The traditional three-level system is adopted to construct the evaluation index system of health and wellness tourism resources. The selection of the first-level index is mainly based on the first-level categories in the Biomedical Research Ethics Committee. Participant experts provided consent via email and telephone communication, thus the experts involved throughout the consultation process voluntarily agreed to participate in the study.Adhering to the principle of objectivity and comprehensive evaluation, the information of experts studying health and wellness tourism was randomly searched on the literature platform. Scholars were invited to participate in the expert consultation by e-mail and telephone, and 35 interviewed experts who voluntarily participated in the whole consultation were identified. The interviewed expert group was composed of experts in tourism geography, ecology, Chinese Traditional Medicine and other research fields, among which 28 were engaged in tourism research, accounting for 80%. This study was approved by The expert consultation questionnaire included three parts: the judgment of the importance of primary indexes, rationality of index system, and suggestions of index correction. Based on the increasing order of importance of indexes, they were divided into five dimensions, and assigned as 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 points in turn. The first round of expert consultation was conducted from August 17, 2021, to August 29, 2021. A total of 35 expert consultation forms were sent out by email and all of them were collected. After analyzing the first round of expert consultation, the index system was modified, and a second round of questionnaires was formed. The second round of expert consultation took place from December 1, 2021, to December 8, 2021, with no change in the list of experts. A total of 35 expert consultation forms were distributed and all of them were collected. All the consultation questionnaires were completed and valid, and the effective recovery rates of the first and second rounds were 100%.The final index system was determined through the first two rounds of expert consultation, and the pairwise importance comparison matrix of three levels was constructed respectively to form the relative importance assignment matrix table. The relative importance of the pairwise index was compared by using the 1\u22129 fractional scale method, and the third round of expert consultation was continued. Experts participating in the first two rounds were invited to fill in the relative importance assignment matrix table between January 5, 2022, and January 12, 2022. A total of 35 consultation questionnaires were sent out and all of them were collected. All the consultation questionnaires were completed and valid. The effective recovery rate of the third round of expert consultation questionnaires was 100%.Concentration degree (M) can reflect the importance of indicators. The larger the concentration degree, the more important the indicators that need to be retained. Usually, if M is between 7 and 9, the corresponding indicators can be retained. If M is between 5 and 7, the two indexes of dispersion and coordination should be combined, or the choice should be made according to experts\u2019 opinions and characteristics of health and wellness tourism resources. If M is less than 5, it is recommended to delete the indicator directly. Dispersion degree (S) is used to describe the dispersion of the evaluation of various indicators by experts. Generally, the second round of expert consultation can only be entered when S is higher than 0.63. Coordination degree (V) is used to measure the coordination of experts\u2019 opinions. When V is between 0 and 0.33, the coordination degree is high, and the opinions among experts are more unified, so relevant indicators can be retained. The calculation formulas of the concentration, dispersion, and coordination degrees are as follows.k is the value of the kth expert on the indicator.Where n is the total number of experts interviewed, k is the expert serial number, and QIn the results of the first round of expert consultation, the mean concentration degree of evaluation indicators was 6.82, the maximum was 8.26, and the minimum was 5.23. The mean dispersion degree was 1.57, the maximum was 2.08, and the minimum was 0.99. The mean coordination degree was 0.24, the maximum was 0.35, and the minimum was 0.12 . In the In the results of second round of expert consultation , the meaCoordination degrees of \u2018combination degree of resources\u2019 and \u2018distance from main source of visitors\u2019 were greater than 0.33, and the importance and coordination of these two indicators were lacking, therefore these were deleted. The data analysis results of the other indicators were good and retained. After the second round of expert consultation, a revised and confirmed value evaluation system of health and wellness tourism resources was constructed .After a consistency test, the consistency ratio (CR) of levels 1\u22123 was less than 0.1, therefore the model passed the consistency test. Then, index weights of each level were calculated . In the Because health and wellness tourism activities involved related research experts, administrators, and tourists, it is segmentary to evaluate a place\u2019s health and wellness tourism resources only from one perspective. Based on the above reasons, the Fishbein-Rosenberg evaluation model is innovatively improved when the evaluation opinions of experts, administrators, and tourists are given different weights. Thus, the value evaluation model of health and wellness tourism resources is established. The improved model is as follows.i is the evaluation score of respondents; Qi is the weight value of evaluation factors; and m, n, and s represent the total number of surveyed experts, administrators, and tourists respectively.Where E is the total evaluation score; PIn tourism activities, administrators represent the supply side and tourists represent the demand side. Both supply and demand are equal, so administrators and tourists are given the same weight. However, experts who study health and wellness tourism are often able to evaluate from a more scientific and comprehensive perspective, so the evaluation weight of experts is slightly higher than that of administrators and tourists in this model. Finally, the weights of this model are determined: the weights of experts, administrators, and tourists are 40%, 30%, and 30%, respectively.In China\u2019s official tourism resource evaluation criteria, the scoring and classification of individual tourism resource evaluation is explained in detail , but theThe value score of health and wellness tourism resources is greater than or equal to 90 points, rated as fifth grade, and classified as super level.The value score of health and wellness tourism resources is between 75 to 89 points, rated as fourth grade, and classified as excellent level.The value score of health and wellness tourism resources is between 60 to 74 points, rated as third grade, and classified as good level.The value score of health and wellness tourism resources is between 45 to 59 points, rated as second grade, and classified as ordinary level.The value score of health and wellness tourism resources is between 30 to 44 points, rated as first grade, and classified as poor level.Classification, Survey and Evaluation of Tourism Resources (2017). Although some problems that appeared in previous tourism evaluation have been amended, China\u2019s official tourism resource evaluation criteria is still characterized by the traditional understanding of tourism resources. First, the value evaluation index system is rough and blunt, which is not conducive to the in-depth value exploration of tourism resources. Second, in the evaluation of tourism resources, China\u2019s official criteria adopts the direct scoring method of survey team to calculate evaluation level, which appears to be subjective and fails to take into account different opinions of stakeholders. Third, there is redundancy in its classification. For example, fifth-grade tourism resources are classified as special grade and excellent grade together with fourth grade and third grade ones.Between 1997 and 2017, China continuously explored and improved the evaluation standards of tourism resources, forming the latest official criteria of Therefore, on the basis of critical reflection on China\u2019s official tourism resource evaluation criteria, a value evaluation model of health and wellness tourism resources that is different from the official criteria is constructed, which is specifically reflected in the following three aspects. First, the characteristic elements of health and wellness tourism resources and public health incident plan are added in the evaluation system. Second, the opinions\u2019 weight of administrators and tourists is included in score calculation. Third, the grade description discourse is improved.In the evaluation process of health and wellness tourism resources, objective and subjective indicators should not be confused. The evaluation of objective indicators should be based on the real and objective analysis of ecological and environmental data and socio-economic data. As for the evaluation of subjective indicators, this study advocates for the design of a special questionnaire or interview outline to comprehensively consider the real experience of experts, administrators, and tourists for investigation, so that evaluation can be more objective.Health and wellness tourism has been in dynamic development. With the evolution and upgrading of tourism and major public events, the value evaluation index will also change. Differing from existing studies, the index system constructed in this study adds the elements of health, wellness, and public health incident plan. The value evaluation research of health and wellness tourism resources should focus on long-term and dynamic analysis and make timely adjustments to the selection and modification of evaluation indicators based on national, social, and people\u2019s conditions, so as to improve the scientific accuracy of the value evaluation on health and wellness tourism resources. In follow-up research, several different types of health and wellness tourism destinations can be selected for empirical and comparative study. It can also subdivide the types of tourists, further adjust the evaluation model through in-depth research, and enhance the universality and applicability of the evaluation system.Based on critical reflections of China\u2019s official tourism resource evaluation criteria, this study establishes and improves the value evaluation system of health and wellness tourism resources from three aspects: construction of index system, selection of evaluation subjects, and grade discourse description.In the aspect of index system construction, through two rounds of expert consultation, the health and wellness tourism resource evaluation system\u2014including three first levels, seven second levels, and twenty-eight third levels\u2014was finally established. The first layer covers three main value evaluation categories of health and wellness tourism resources. In the second layer, it not only absorbs standard elements of general tourism resources, but also adds the characteristic elements of health and wellness tourism resources. In the third layer, a number of indicators such as health value, culture, environment, location, and public health incident plans are taken into account. Stability of ecological environment, rehabilitation and convalescence value, and health preservation value are three key indicators to measure the values of health and wellness tourism resources. Tourism health value, environment quality, and construction conditions are the three key conditions to evaluate the values of health and wellness tourism resources.In terms of evaluation subject selection, this study attaches importance to the different evaluation basis of multiple stakeholders and improves the Fishbein-Rosenberg evaluation model through the comprehensive perspective of experts, administrators, and tourists. It is applied to the value evaluation of health and wellness tourism resources to improve accuracy.In terms of grade discourse description, the classification discourse of grade is modified into the following levels: super, excellent, good, ordinary, and poor. This description eliminates the redundancy of China\u2019s official tourism resource evaluation criteria in the description of grade types, which is not only a rethinking of existing national criteria, but also a new attempt to research the value evaluation theory of health and wellness tourism resources.In addition to the above contributions, this paper had some limitations in case application, because the evaluation index system has not been utilised in the field. Thus, future research should focus on the constant updating and application of the value evaluation index system of health and wellness tourism resources. Reasonable evaluation of health and wellness tourism resources can help correctly understand the characteristics of health and wellness tourism resources and promote related industries to carry out utilization work on this basis. The ultimate goal is to better meet the tourism needs of the elderly and sub-healthy people and respond to the national strategy. At the same time, it is the obligation of every scholar to reflect on the existing evaluation criteria used in China. Based on the inheritance and reflection, it is expected to promote the exchange of different views on tourism resources evaluation, stimulate the innovation of theories, and further improve the national criteria."} +{"text": "Mycotoxin Research may have already recognized, there was a recent change in the position of the editor in chief (EiC). Prof. Dr. Hans-Ulrich Humpf from the University of M\u00fcnster has taken over this position, effective January 1, 2023, from Prof. Dr. Ewald Usleber, who served as EiC for the last 15\u00a0years. Mycotoxin Research, the official journal of the Society for Mycotoxin Research (https://www.mycotoxin.de), has continuously developed very well over the years and is now one of the leading journals in the field of research in all aspects of mycotoxins. This is reflected by a current impact factor of 4.082. Mycotoxin Research is covered by all major scientific databases worldwide, and online access is guaranteed by our publisher, Springer/Nature. The change in the position of the EiC was already announced by the Society for Mycotoxin Research during the 43rd Mycotoxin Workshop 2022 in Toulouse, France , the journal covers all aspects of mycotoxin research: ecology and genetics of mycotoxin formation; mode of action of mycotoxins; metabolism and toxicology; agricultural production and mycotoxins; human and animal health aspects, including exposure studies and risk assessment; food and feed safety, including occurrence, prevention, regulatory aspects, and control; environmental safety and technology-related aspects of mycotoxins; and chemistry, synthesis, and analysis of mycotoxins.Saying this, the incoming EiC Hans-Ulrich Humpf follows in big footsteps left by Ewald Usleber. Hans-Ulrich Humpf will take up the challenge to continue the success story of Mycotoxin Research will introduce associate editors in the near future, to cover specific topics with their expertise. Furthermore, as authors more and more demand short notification and publication time, we will significantly shorten the time from submission to first decision.In order to cover all mentioned aspects, Mycotoxin Research. We also thank the publisher Springer/Nature with all involved coworkers for their support in all administrative questions and the fruitful and helpful collaboration.We would like to thank the authors, members of the editorial board, and the reviewers for their substantial contribution to ensure the high scientific quality and the great success of Society for Mycotoxin Research. Further information will be available on the workshop website (https://www.mycotoxin-workshop.eu/).Mark the date: we are looking forward to meeting you at the 44th Mycotoxin-Workshop, which will be held in Celle (near Hanover), Germany, from 5 to 7th of June, 2023. This year\u2019s Workshop will be organized by the group of Madeleine Pl\u00f6tz from the University of Veterinary Medicine, Hanover, in cooperation with the"} +{"text": "To map and describe studies available in the literature about mobile applications to support parents in newborn care and data from applications accessible in online stores.ndroid and iOS, in October and December 2021, and applications with content to support parents of newborns were selected.This is a scoping review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. The searches were carried out in theses and dissertations databases and portals, in September 2021, and articles, theses, and dissertations were included. An independent search was performed in online stores of applications for operating systems AA total of 5,238 studies and 757 applications were found, and of these, 16 and 150, respectively, composed the sample. The topics discussed in the studies were: care, breastfeeding, fever, identification of neonatal diseases, child growth and development. In the applications, the themes found were care, breastfeeding, growth, immunization, development, sleep, tips, and guidelines.Applications are important support tools for parents, as they are an innovative means and accessible to a large part of the population. Main representative of the evolution of mobile telephony, the smartphone has as its main operating systems the Android and the Iphone Operating System (iOS).The use of mobile applications (Apps), among parents, to receive information and education about their children\u2019s health, is more and more popular, and the use of computer technology is being increasingly accepted and used by society, can be used to optimize results and reduce health risks in educational programs,4,5, as well as to understand the determinants that promote newborns\u2019 (NB) health.Such a scenario collaborates for the construction of a new modality of health care, and the literature shows that Apps, including the information generated from them,6.Currently, the almost universal use of smartphones has presented a transformative potential for health care, as it allows users instant access to information through Apps, which have great potential to support health, facilitating access to information and communication between professionals and patients has been gaining prominence, due to the possibility of interventions and behavior change, through health promotion, self-management of diseases or conditions, data monitoring, and provision of information and communication,7.Mobile health as a medical and public health practice supported by mobile devices. As an ally, mobile technology should be used for training users, as a source of information for parents, and for continuity of care, considering the large number of births, including premature births, and the importance of providing health care and home care.App-based interventions available for smartphones have become an increasingly valuable resource for disease prevention. Thus, knowledge of the already available Apps to support parents of newborns is required, as well as the studies conducted in this field, to encourage professional practice and guide parents on this topic.Nursing is present in the care of newborns and their families at all levels of care and the experience of these professionals in the development of mobile Apps contributes to safe care and care practice and the increasing inclusion of health professionals in the construction and validation is apparent. There is a variety of purposes in the development and use of the App and health researchers have focused on this theme, bringing to light its benefits, presenting results such as theses and dissertations linked to graduate programs in nursing in Brazil and in the world.In this context, the growing number of smartphone Apps availableAiming at contributing to the consolidation of knowledge regarding the development and availability of mobile Apps as a support strategy for parents of newborns, the objective of this research was to map and describe available studies in the literature about mobile applications to support parents in caring for the newborn and app data accessible in online stores. and registered in Open Science Framework (OSF), available at https://osf.io/vtyce/, and conducted with methodological rigor, recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), following the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Checklist. Scoping reviews are not intended to assess the quality of available evidence but aim to map the main concepts that support a research area, involving a systematic procedure.This is a scoping review whose protocol was publishedAndroid and iOS, to identify the Apps that addressed the theme to support NB parents.The structure of this review took place in two phases, the first being a search in databases and the second applied in online mobile devices stores. The first phase was subdivided into six stages: 1) identification of the question and study objective; 2) identification of relevant studies that would allow the extent and comprehensiveness of the review\u2019s purposes; 3) selection of studies, according to predefined criteria; 4) data mapping; 5) summarization of results, through a qualitative analysis in relation to the objective and question; 6) presentation of results. For the second phase, an independent search was carried out in the mobile App virtual stores, through smartphones, with operating system Android and iOS?The elaboration of the guiding question was based on the mnemonic structure PCC proposed by the JBI, with Population (P) being newborn, parents and family; Concept (C), studies addressing mobile applications in the field of neonatology; Context (C), care for newborns. Following this organization, the research question was elaborated: Which mobile applications, developed to support parents in newborn care, exist in the literature or are available in online smartphone stores with the operating systems To ensure the reliability of the process, the searches and selection of scientific productions and applications were carried out by two independent investigators, who standardized the sequence of procedures and, after completing the sample recruitment, compared their findings to check for discrepancies in the sample obtained. A third investigator was called in cases of non-agreement.PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Web of Science, Scopus, Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS), Excerpta Medica dataBASE (Embase), Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Scielo, Portal of the Virtual Health Library (VHL) were used, as well as those in the gray literature (dissertations and theses), through the Portal of Theses and Dissertations from Latin America and the Catalog of Theses and Dissertations of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES).Studies available in an electronic publication in the databases Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), and CINAHL Headings, using the Boolean operators \u201cAND\u201d and \u201cOR\u201d were consulted.The databases were searched through the CAPES plat\u00adform on the Federated Academic Community (CAFe) portal on September 16, 2021, using the \u201cadvanced search\u201d feature. Controlled and uncontrolled descriptors in Health Sciences (DeCS), The strategy integrated descriptors crossed with each other in Portuguese and English, as well as uncontrolled descriptors .Original scientific articles and reviews, either descriptive or analytical, quantitative, or qualitative, theses and dissertations electronically available in full, which dealt with the theme and without time or language limitations, were chosen. Findings addressing NB, premature infants and children, parents and professionals were also included, as well as studies bringing other support tools besides the App. Scientific productions in editorial format, letter to the editor, opinion articles and advertisements were excluded; gamified apps, for the exclusive use of professionals, with an exclusive child theme, and duplicate documents were computed only once. requirements and adapted for the present review, comprising: author, year, methodological design, main results, parent support theme and usability area, and description of the App\u2019s content.The fourth stage consisted of reading the title and abstract, to identify whether they answered the research question. After this reading, the pre-selected studies were read in full to confirm inclusion in the final sample and made up the fifth stage, which consisted of completing and evaluating the data collection instrument. The instrument was based on the JBIAndroid, on October 28, and iOS, on December 26, 2021, according to the protocol. Thus, the Apps available in those stores were also the results of this review, which had as an inclusion criterion addressing support content for parents of newborns. The apps covering newborns, infants, and information for parents and professionals were also included. The exclusion criteria adopted were: not being available for download in free or paid forms, gamified App, unrelated to the theme, exclusive for professionals and product sales. The Apps found twice, during the search with different terms and stores, were counted only once.In the second phase, independently of the search in the databases, searches were carried out in online mobile app stores for smartphones with operating systems Android and 272 in the system iOS. This stage of the research was also carried out by two independent investigators, simultaneously, to avoid selection bias. A total of 150 Apps with themes related to support to newborns\u2019 parents were chosen.In each virtual store, the searches took place using the term \u201cnewborn\u201d. Then, a second search was performed with the term \u201cpremature\u201d individually. This choice was due to the specificity of meeting the search criteria in online stores. All Apps found were downloaded, 485 of which being found in the operating system For data collection, an instrument consisting of ten variables about the App was used: operating system; country/state in which it was produced; language; year of update in the virtual store; parent support theme; indicative rating of the content; entity licensed to use the application; type of access (open or paid); accessibility for people with disabilities; number of downloads. It should be noted that such variables were used because they are information about the App that can be obtained and are available in the App itself and/or in the online store.Then, in the sixth stage, the data from the studies and applications were interpreted separately, with the studies being compared and based on theoretical knowledge and data extracted from mobile applications entered a spreadsheet and then exported to the R program, version x64 4.0.0. For this analysis, descriptive statistics were used, expressed by absolute and relative frequencies.There was no need for ethical appreciation, as the study analyzed secondary and already publicly available data. It should be noted that the copyright of the cited studies was respected.Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (Prism) was used, which was adapted for this study \u201325, fever,27, child development, growth, and identification of neonatal diseases. In addition, 11 scientific productions were presented in the form of articles and 5 dissertations and were published between 2017 and 2021.The narrative synthesis of the 16 studies selected points to the main theme addressed: support for the parents of NBs, care of NBs-21,25,27, United States of America.26, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Iran, Uganda, New Zealand, and Spain , were mapped, described, and elected. Of these, 91.33% are rated as containing no restrictions for use, 31.32% are available and can be accessed in Portuguese, 54% had the last update in the year 2021, 10.66% have more than 1,000,000 downloads, and only 6.66% have charged content access.It should be noted that, in neonatology, childcare, in a way, generates uncertainty,18,21 and domestic care,17,19\u201321, and breastfeeding,23,25 are highlighted, findings that converge with Apps available in online stores (23.99% and 18% respectively). Most of the Apps analyzed, related to baby care, refer to daily care, for personal records and tasks such as bathing, changing diapers, feeding, among others. Fever.27, child development, growth, and identification of neonatal diseases were also support themes identified in the studies.Among the themes identified, care for the NB in different contexts, involving hospital and quality care in the family context is essential for the NB\u2019s healthy growth and development. Scientific evidence indicates that preventive practices can significantly reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality, including basic care such as providing warmth, hygiene, and exclusive breastfeeding.Information about daily care is a useful tool for the parents\u2019 effective participation, being useful to optimize knowledge and take care of their child after hospital discharge,17,20. During the NB\u2019s hospitalization, the parents also state that the use of the App, together with a bundle of care, helps to gain knowledge and significant confidence to enable them to care for their babies in the NICU and, consequently, antedate hospital discharge.Many parents say the App facilitates the quick and reliable retrieval of essential information\u201321 to greater interaction, such as monitoring growth and development and identifying neonatal diseases remotely, care with nutrition, sleep and hygiene, vaccination and growth curve. Parental participation in care, guided by the use of an App, based on scientific evidence, can help reduce the hospitalization rate and improve the quality of care.The literature shows that some Apps are also being developed to support parents of preterm infants, who need specific care after hospital discharge, ranging from App guidance on care,25,34,35.In their turn, BF apps provide specific instructions on breastfeeding, as well as important information involving the family and self-management tools for breastfeeding mothers, and 92% of mothers had complications in breastfeeding, including difficulty, pain, and concern about the amount of milk. Thus, information and support for breastfeeding mothers is vital to encourage breastfeeding.The main factors indicative of initial difficulties with the breastfeeding technique are inadequate latching (25.0%), the baby\u2019s response to contact with the breast (26.1%), and problems with the breast (28.3%),38.The practice of breastfeeding can also be influenced by the participation and knowledge of fathers, and the greater the knowledge about the benefits of breastfeeding, associated with support and involvement, the better the practice of women who provide breast milk to their children, as a well-informed father/mother becomes a key element in the maintenance and success of breastfeeding about time, duration of feeding, and a reminder of breastfeeding time,24, observations about child behavior and baby care, location of milk collection points, lactation rooms, and public spaces favorable to breastfeeding\u201335. Advances in the testing of Apps are still required, in what regards breastfeeding, especially related to content, acceptability, effectiveness, usability, clarity regarding standardization in operational development, validation by women, and all these based on scientific evidence,34.Apps related to breastfeeding, in general, aim to provide support information to the woman and allow the creation of a profile with a diary of personal records,27 and identification of neonatal diseases were developed to provide simple language, focusing on the integration of parents in care and decision-making,27, highlighting the importance of Patient- and Family-Centered Care\u201328,30. It is known that developing a support and information App for parents, with themes that can cause stress and without exacerbating their fear or anxiety is a challenge.The mobile Apps that offer support to parents regarding care in case of fever,30; however, in the App available in online stores, selected in this study, only 4% had these resources. Although some health professionals have suggested making videos of NB procedures available, many parents have stated that watching such material would be disturbing or alarming. It should be noted that some Apps allow parents to interact with health professionals and this leads to a sense of safety in the postnatal period and brings greater satisfaction to users,16,30.The audiovisual resources in the App are important tools,22\u201325 with the participation of users and validated by them, had good acceptance of use,24,26,30.The Apps that were built by health professionals, based on scientific evidence,. In addition to this discussion, it is necessary to evaluate Apps as a support tool for parents that can be used in the long term, since monitoring the child\u2019s growth and development is an important indicator of quality of life and child health. Therefore, in Apps with an area for home use, those related to child growth (10%) and development are highlighted (21.99%).The studies focus on the feasibility and acceptability of mobile Apps, although it is necessary to advance in the evaluation of their effectivenessBased on the mapped evidence, it is possible to state that health professionals are increasingly engaged in the development of health-related Apps and, considering the number of downloads, parents are increasingly accessing this technology. Sharing this health information strengthens the practice of \u00adevidence-based care for newborns.The scoping review method was adopted for allowing the selection of different types of studies, enriching the findings and highlighting the applications developed to support the parents of newborns. It is clarified that the review has limitations regarding searches in online stores. Therefore, there are App differences from a smartphone to another, in what regards the operating system and the update of these mobile devices.The present study allowed mapping and describing the mobile Apps available to support NB parents. These are important support tools, as they are an innovative means and a method capable of generating interest, besides being accessible to most of the population, due to the widespread use of mobile devices connected to the Internet.Knowledge of the technology of Apps available to parents of NBs by nursing professionals can significantly contribute to engagement and guidance on the use of these Apps in NB care, expanding the quality of nursing care in the maternal and child area.It should also be highlighted that it is important and necessary that new Apps developed by health professionals are based on scientific evidence and validated by peers in what regards content, semantics, functionality and usability, and viewing their potential to be integrated into professional practice, even allowing optimization of communication between nurses and parents of newborns from the perspective of care."} +{"text": "Dear colleagues and friends,It is with great joy that we celebrate the 65th anniversary of the founding of Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica (ABBS). Looking back at the development of ABBS, we are filled with immense pride and gratitude.ABBS is a professional academic journal supervised by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and sponsored by the Center of Excellence in Molecular Cell Science , which has evolved in the last 65\u2005years from a Chinese vernacular journal to an English journal with international impact. The Journal was founded as Acta Biochimica Sinica in 1958 by Professor Yinglai Wang, who served as the first Editor-in-Chief. In 1961, the Journal was renamed as Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica (ABBS), with the aim of developing into an authoritative journal in the research field of biochemistry and biophysics in China. In the early years of its establishment, the Journal published a number of important scientific achievements, such as the preliminary research results on synthetic crystalline bovine insulin between 1961 and 1964, and a series of research papers on \u201cKinetics of irreversible modification of enzyme activity\u201d by Professor Chen-Lu Tsou in 1965. These scholarships witnessed the beginning and development of biochemistry in China and promoted the progress of biochemistry and biophysics in China.In 1998, as one of the most influential academic journals in China, ABBS became one of the first Chinese vernacular journals to be indexed in Medline database and SCIE database, which was an important milestone for the journal. To adapt to the rapid progress of scientific research in China and to enhance further international exchange, ABBS was converted to a monthly English journal in 2004. This change significantly promoted the international dissemination of Chinese scientific research works. In 2005, ABBS established a partnership with Blackwell Publishing Asia Ltd, which opened the mode of global publication and distribution for the journal, and took the lead in starting the online version of the journal. ABBS became one of the first few journals in China to explore international cooperation in publishing and marketing. In 2009, ABBS set up a cooperative relationship with Oxford University Press and published the journal simultaneously in both print and electronic versions. In doing so, the subscribers of ABBS have covered most of the developed countries and regions including Europe, the United States, and Japan, as well as more than 30 developing countries. Through these international collaborations, ABBS has achieved tremendous development and accelerated the international dissemination of Chinese research works.The Open Access (OA) publishing model has brought new opportunities for the prosperity of academic journals, and also provided a possibility for Chinese scientific and technological journals to explore the way to grow and develop independently. In 2022, ABBS, as the first academic journal, started the journey of returning back to China to publish independently. With the SciEngine, a full-process digital publishing platform provided by Science Press, ABBS started OA publishing and distribution by itself. The Journal has accomplished the localization of the whole publishing process covering content production, publication, distribution, and data storage, and kept the trend of stable development. This paved a new path for the development of Chinese scientific journals.Over the past 65\u2005years, ABBS has been adhering to the missions of serving the scientific community and providing a professional, friendly and high-quality publication platform for scientific researchers to publicize and disseminate their works. At present, ABBS has grown into a professional academic journal with international influence. In the last 5\u2005years, the Journal has published more than 940 scientific papers with nearly 4000 authors from more than 600 research institutions in 25 countries and regions worldwide; furthermore, the research content of the papers has covered hot research areas such as protein science, RNA regulation, epigenetics, DNA damage repair, tumor metabolism and immunity, enzyme structure and function regulation, cell signaling pathways, and cell death and apoptosis, and much more. The Journal has reached over 300,000 views and downloads per year, and 60% of the readers are international researchers.To meet the new opportunities and challenges in the future, ABBS will continue to commit to the original missions of the journal: to actively promote the publication and dissemination of cutting-edge research works in biochemistry and biophysics, and to provide a high-level, high-quality professional publication platform with better services and supports to the scientific community.On the occasion of the 65th anniversary of ABBS, as the current Editor-in-Chief of ABBS, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to CAS and CEMCS for their full supports, and to the former Editor-in-Chiefs, the members of the past and current Editorial Boards, all the reviewers, and all the researchers who have supported and cared about the development of ABBS for their selfless dedication, tireless efforts, and valuable contributions. Only because of you, ABBS has flourished over the past 65\u2005years. I sincerely hope that ABBS will continue to receive your fondness and support, and I look forward to working together to further promote the development of biochemistry and biophysics in China.To celebrate ABBS\u2019 65th anniversary, ABBS has organized and published two special issues: the current issue focusing on cancer biology and the next issue focusing on liquid-liquid separation. These review articles cover the main research hotspots in these fields, summarizing the research progresses in recent years and providing the authors\u2019 perspectives on future developmental directions. We hope that readers will benefit from these two special issues in their future research work."} +{"text": "For decades, researchers of different areas, ranging from artificial intelligence to computer vision, have intensively investigated human-centered data, i.e., data in which the human plays a significant role, acquired through a non-invasive approach, such as cameras. This interest has been largely supported by the highly informative nature of this kind of data, which provides a variety of information with which it is possible to understand many aspects including, for instance, the human body or the outward appearance. Some of the main tasks related to human analysis are focused on the body , the hands , the head , or the face . Additional tasks are based on non-corporal elements, such as motion and clothes . Unfortunately, privacy issues severely limit the usage and the diffusion of this kind of data, making the exploitation of learning approaches challenging. In particular, privacy issues behind the acquisition and the use of human-centered data must be addressed by public and private institutions and companies.Thirteen high-quality papers have been published in this Special Issue and are summarized in the following: four of them are focused on the human face , two on eye image analysis (eye status classification and 3D gaze estimation), five on the body , and two on the outward appearance (transferring clothing styles and fashion-oriented image captioning). These numbers confirm the high interest in human-centered data and, in particular, the variety of real-world applications that it is possible to develop.Transportation Security Administration Passenger Screening Dataset (TSA-PSD). The task of 3D human pose estimation is addressed in [The human body represents one of the most investigated elements in the literature and in our Special Issue. In , the autessed in , where aessed in , the autAnother topic investigated in this Special Issue is human face analysis. In particular, the published papers address different topics, including the problem of machine interaction using voice commands and facial movements , 3D faceFinally, two papers focus on the problem of outward appearance and fashion. In particular, Fontanini et al. propose The main goal of this Special Issue is to improve the communication between companies and researchers belonging to both private and public institutions regarding the opportunities (and limitations) of the use of human-centered data in the development of future artificial intelligence applications. The above-mentioned papers contribute to stimulating new ideas, motivations, and methodologies that can shape the future of this area, also outlining potential future industrial applications and prospective trends. Again, we remark on the importance of the proper use of data concerning humans, which must be compliant with privacy and ethical regulations."} +{"text": "Five national urban agglomerations are selected according to the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan, namely the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and Chengdu-Chongqing. The study on synergistic effects of such national strategic planning urban agglomerations, defined as coordinated degrees, and their time-series trends from 2016 to 2021 is significant for the practice of the national \"double carbon\" goal. Spatial differentiation of coordinated degree in five agglomerations is analyzed based on the Theil Index, along with regional linkage strength of coordinated degree under the gravity model. Conclusions include: (1) a downward trend is shown from 2016 to 2021 for the coordinated degree, along with the Pearl River Delta is the best among the five agglomerations; (2) the Middle reaches of the Yangtze River is the highest, followed by the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta of coordinated degree in 2021; (3) the main cause of downwards in coordinated degree combined by a stable decline in carbon emissions and fluctuating increase in pollutants; (4) intra-regional differences in the Yangtze River Delta and the Middle reaches of the Yangtze River are relatively large, compared with the smallest in the Pearl River Delta measured by Theil Index; (5) coefficients of variation are relatively higher in the Middle reaches of the Yangtze River and the Yangtze River Delta, followed by the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Pearl River Delta and Sichuan-Chongqing urban. Consequently, countermeasures are proposed from the perspective of government, including technology and regional cooperation, policy innovation by overall coordination, synergy promotion by technological innovation, and regional synergy by win-win cooperation. The CPC Central Committee and The State Council issued Opinions of The State Council on the Complete, Accurate, and Comprehensive Implementation of the new Development Concepts and the Work of Achieving Peak Carbon Neutrality on September 22, 2021 :T:TTB=1Rab represents the regional linkage strength of the Coordinated Degree of Pollution and Carbon Reduction between urban agglomerations a and b; Sda and Sdb represent the Coordinated Degree of Pollution and Carbon Reduction in urban agglomerations a and b; Tab represents the distance between urban agglomeration (unit: km); K is the gravitational constant, usually 1.The spatial linkage gravity model ,18,19 isThe results obtained by Eqs to 9) a a9) are The Thiel index of the Coordinated Degree of the two urban agglomerations in the Yangtze River Delta and the Middle reaches of the Yangtze River is above 0.5, indicating that the regional differences in carbon reduction synergy are large. This may be due to the reason that the urban agglomerations in the Yangtze River Delta and the Middle reaches of the Yangtze River contain more provinces and cities, including 26 and 31 cities respectively, and the inter-provincial connection is not close enough, making integration and coordination tough. Therefore, the discrepancy between the Coordinated Degree of Pollution and Carbon Reduction is significantly greater than that of the other three urban agglomerations. The Yangtze River Delta and the Middle reaches of the Yangtze River have relatively fast economic development. In particular, the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration plays a demonstration role in regional economic innovation and multi-industrial integration and strengthens its ties through inter-regional economic cooperation, trade exchanges, and preferential policies. Consequently, the difference in Coordinated Degree between urban agglomerations and other urban agglomerations is smaller than that between different prefecture-level cities within urban agglomerations.The Theil Indexes of Coordinated Degree of Pollution and Carbon Reduction in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Pearl River Delta, and Chengdu-Chongqing urban groups are all less than 0.33, indicating that there is little difference in the collaborative governance of Pollution and Carbon Reduction within the region, which is speculated to be due to the relatively small number of cities covered by them, the small geographical distance within the urban groups, the similar regional culture, the similar development path, the sharing of regional resources, and the frequent inter-regional connections, so the differences in the collaborative governance of Pollution and Carbon Reduction are small. Among them, the Theil Index of Coordinated Degree of Pollution and Carbon Reduction in the Pearl River Delta is the smallest, which is between 0.168\u20130.180. This may be because the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration only includes nine cities: Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhaoqing, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Huizhou, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, and Jiangmen, and it has the smallest regional coverage area, with well-developed transportation networks such as roads and railways and convenient coordination. That\u2019s why it is the most closely connected. As an urban agglomeration highly open to the outside world and under the jurisdiction of one province, the Pearl River Delta is superior to the Yangtze River Delta and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in terms of resource integration and coordination. The latter region is under the jurisdiction of multiple provinces and cities, and the operation of integration and coordination is more complicated. This factor enables the Pearl River Delta to better conduct collaborative governance of Pollution and Carbon Reduction under unified planning and arrangement, give play to the merits of diverse cities, cooperate, and promote the virtuous cycle of urban agglomeration.From the longitudinal analysis, the Theil Index of the Coordinated Degree of Pollution and Carbon Reduction in the Yangtze River Delta, the Middle reaches of the Yangtze River, the Pearl River Delta, and the Sichuan-Chongqing urban agglomerations show a trend of first rising and then declining in the past 6 years, indicating that the differences of the Coordinated Degree of Pollution and Carbon Reduction in these urban agglomerations show a trend of decreasing gradually, while the variation trend of the Theil Index of the Coordinated Degree of Pollution and Carbon Reduction in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomerations is opposite, and the discrepancies of regional governance increase. On the whole, the contribution rate of intra-regional differences is about 83%, much higher than the contribution rate of inter-regional differences. Consequently, the difference in the Coordinated Degree of urban agglomerations in Pollution and Carbon Reduction is mainly caused by intra-regional differences.Eq is used The spatial linkage gravity model is applied to calculate the regional linkage degree of the collaborative governance of Pollution and Carbon Reduction within the five national urban agglomerations, and the results are shown in From the analysis of In this paper, based on the definition of the synergy of Pollution and Carbon Reduction, as well as the accounting model of the Coordinated Degree of Pollution and Carbon Reduction constructed and the statistical data from 2016 to 2021, the Coordinated Degree of Pollution and Carbon Reduction of five national urban agglomerations is calculated, and its dynamic trend and spatial distribution are analyzed. Furthermore, the spatial differentiation of Pollution and Carbon Reduction degree in five urban agglomerations is analyzed, and the regional linkage strength of the Coordinated Degree of Pollution and Carbon Reduction among five urban agglomerations is deduced. The findings include:First, on the whole, compared with the Coordinated Degree of the five urban agglomerations from 2016 to 2020, the average annual fluctuation range of the Coordinated Degree of the five national urban agglomerations in 2021 is smaller, falling between 17.71% to 21.31%. Additionally, the urban agglomeration of the Middle reaches of the Yangtze River has the highest degree of Pollution and Carbon Reduction in 2021, followed by the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta.Second, from the perspective of time series analysis, the Coordinated Degree of Pollution and Carbon Reduction in the five urban agglomerations show a downward trend on the whole. From 2016 to 2018, it showed a fluctuation trend of first decreasing and then increasing, and from 2019 to 2021, it presented a steady decline. From the horizontal comparison of the five urban agglomerations, compared with other urban agglomerations, which maintained a stable trend and then declined, the Pearl River Delta urban agglomerations had a peak of 1.662 in 2018, reflecting the high coordination of this economic development region.Third, by further analyzing the internal composition of the coordination degree of Pollution and Carbon Reduction of the five urban agglomerations, namely the variation trend of the total amount of pollutants and carbon emissions, it can be concluded that when the coordination degree of Pollution and Carbon Reduction of the five major national urban agglomerations decreases overall, which is mainly caused by the comprehensive effect of steady decreases of the total amount of carbon emissions and the increases of the total amount of pollutants. Besides, although the total amount of pollutant emissions increase due to industry expansion and other reasons these years, the government has put forward documents to reduce pollutants to guarantee environmental sustainability. Therefore, the technology of garbage disposal should be improved to whittle down the coordinated degree.Fourth, the analysis of the intra-regional differences in the coordination degree of Pollution and Carbon Reduction in the five national urban agglomerations shows that there are large intra-regional differences in the Yangtze River Delta and the Middle reaches of the Yangtze River. The Theil index is above 0.5, which may be because the Yangtze River Delta and the Middle reaches of the Yangtze River contain more provinces and cities, including 26 and 31 cities respectively, and the inter-provincial connection is not close enough. Therefore, it is tough to integrate and coordinate. The Theil indexes of the other three urban agglomerations are less than 0.33, with subtle differences within the region. Among them, the Theil index of the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration is the smallest, ranging from 0.168 to 0.180 in the five years from 2016 to 2021, which may be due to the small number of prefecture-level cities and the smallest regional coverage area, as well as the developed and convenient coordination of road, railway, and other transportation networks.Fifth, the Middle reaches of the Yangtze River and the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomerations have a higher level of coefficient of variation, which may be caused by the wide regional coverage area, large differences in transportation network systems, and large differences in resource allocation. The coefficient of variation of Coordinated Degree in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration is the second, and the Pearl River Delta and Sichuan-Chongqing urban agglomeration have low levels of variation, which may be related to the fact that the number of cities in the Pearl River Delta and Sichuan-Chongqing urban agglomeration is only 9 and 16, convenient for integration and coordination.The results of the above study show that: the Coordinated Degree of the five national urban agglomerations is low, there is a great discrepancy in the Coordinated Degree within urban agglomerations, and a deeper mechanism of action has yet to emerge. The collaborative governance of Pollution and Carbon Reduction should be made in the direction of policy, science, technology, etc., and promote the improvement of environmental quality and high-level economic quality.Pollution and Carbon Reduction have the same target, and target synergy is the key to deciding the policy system of collaborative governance. Given the low coordination degree caused by the independent and different modes of collaborative governance systems for Pollution and Carbon Reduction in urban agglomerations, it is essential to effectively implement the national \" Carbon peak, Carbon neutrality\" goals, improve the system and mechanism for environmental pollution control and addressing climate change, and innovate the coordinated policy system for Pollution and Carbon Reduction targets in urban agglomerations. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei city cluster should give full play to the guiding role of government policies, strengthen the reduction of carbon emissions and realize the green transformation of economic and social development. The Yangtze River Delta urban agglomerations should improve climate change investment and financing policies, and strengthen the spatial linkages within urban agglomerations. The Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration should further improve its environmental management mechanism, and innovate coordinated incentive policies for Pollution and Carbon Reduction.Encourage foreign investment to invest in low-carbon green high-tech enterprises, introduce, learn, and absorb foreign advanced manufacturing technologies. In terms of environmental pollution control, set up a special research and development fund for the collaborative treatment of Pollution and Carbon Reduction technologies, carry out research and development of key technologies, and improve the scientific and technological innovation mechanism for the collaborative treatment of Pollution and Carbon Reduction in urban agglomerations, to provide a strong scientific and technological guarantee for realizing the synergy between Pollution and Carbon Reduction. In terms of resource utilization, promote the application of existing successful experiences and technologies in reducing pollution and carbon, strengthen the research and development and application of collaborative regulation technologies, optimize the selection of technological routes for Pollution and Carbon Reduction, and improve resource utilization efficiency.Since greenhouse gases and pollutant emissions are of the same root, same origin, and all industries and fields within urban agglomerations are responsible for environmental pollution and greenhouse gases, all urban agglomerations should, based on their regional advantages and the concept of coordinated development, adopt coordinated governance strategies for Pollution and Carbon Reduction based on local conditions, and jointly promote the high-quality integrated development of the regional economy.Specifically, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration should promote green manufacturing in the industrial field, accelerate the green transformation of steel, petrochemical, building materials, and other industries, and strictly control the construction of projects with high energy consumption and high emissions. The Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration should optimize the allocation of regional human capital, strengthen cooperation among cities, and promote the continuous improvement of ecological environment quality. The Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration should continuously strengthen cooperation in industrial restructuring, industrial transfer, energy conservation, clean energy replacement, and technological upgrading. The Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration should advocate the green, high-end, and intelligent development of traditional industries such as steel, machinery, chemical industry, and building materials, and concentrate on ecological protection, green economy, and resource recycling as an innovation ecosystem. The Middle reaches of the Yangtze River urban agglomeration should inherit the advantages of industrial gradient transfer. Concerted efforts ought to be made to bring in scientific and technological innovation factors and to stimulate high-end and high-quality enterprises to go global.S1 Appendix(XLS)Click here for additional data file."} +{"text": "Numerous interrelationships are known in the literature that have the final effect of unmasking or influencing various pathologies. Among these, the present article aims to discuss the connection between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the human microbiome. The main purpose of this work is to popularize information about the impact of dysbiosis on the pathogenesis and evolutionary course of pediatric patients with SLE. Added to this is the interest in knowledge and awareness of adjunctive therapeutic means that has the ultimate goal of increasing the quality of life. The means by which this can be achieved can be briefly divided into prophylactic or curative, depending on the phase of the condition in which the patient is. We thus reiterate the importance of the clinician acquiring an overview of SLE and the human microbiome, doubled by in-depth knowledge of the physio-pathogenic interactions between the two , with the target objective being that of obtaining individualized, multimodal and efficient management for each individual patient. Being defined as a multisystemic inflammatory disease, juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presents a peak incidence during puberty 12.6 years) and an increased activity compared to the adult form. The evaluation of the activity of the disease is mainly done by measuring the specific antibodies represented by anti-nuclear (ANA) and, respectively, anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-ds-DNA) antibodies. Therefore, pediatric SLE (pSLE) needs a more aggressive therapeutic with the aim of preventing or limiting damage. These characteristics proved to be much more pronounced in the age groups under 5\u20137 years, where the low frequency of ANA stands out, which is doubled by the low titer of anti-ds-DNA and an increased rate of neuropsychiatric symptoms in contrast to renal and musculoskeletal damage. Regarding the determining factors of the condition, single genetic mutations (identified in >7% of the subjective), but also the combination of genetic predisposition and disturbing environmental factors (\u201caggressors\u201d), can be incriminated in the development of SLE 2.6 years. PharmacThe microbiome\u2013host inter-relationship is in continuous evolution parallel to that of the human body since the intrauterine period and until the age of senescence, an aspect that validates the involvement of the former in various physio-pathological processes . The main ways in which the microbiota exerts effects on the body in all stages of life are represented by influencing the metabolic balance, modulating the synthesis and absorption of vitamins (by this means regulating functions such as coagulation) or imprinting the balance of T helper lymphocytes 1/2/17) and regulatory T cells. To these, the ability to influence intestinal maturation and the diversity of food digestion products such as short-chain fatty acids is added. The latter exert their functions on the integrity of the intestinal barrier (being an important source of energy), the inflammatory balance, as well as body weight. Unlike the components of the external environment that must cross certain barriers to interact with the internal environment, the endogenous microbiota can facilitate homeostasis imbalances much more easily, dictated by an inversion of the ratio (\u201cdysbiosis\u201d) beneficial bacteria/ harmful bacteria . Thus, t and reguWe performed a narrative review of the specialized literature using the PubMed, ScienceDirect and Oxford Academic databases to identify relevant articles related to how dysbiosis can influence the emergence and evolution of autoimmunity among pediatric patients with SLE. Searches focused on keywords and phrases frequently used to describe SLE, dysbiosis and the main directions to follow in their support and modulation , as well as terms useful in directing to information about the pathogenesis of SLE and pathophysiological mechanisms behind the microbiome\u2013immune system interaction . Thus, we brought together in the same review current topics intensively studied in medical research that include the human microbiome and ways of modulating it with the aim of maintaining the balance of harmful bacteria/beneficial bacteria. We have chosen to practically exemplify this presentation of information by making a correlation between dysbiosis and organic diseases, with an emphasis on the description of the implications in the potentiation and management of autoimmunity (respectively of SLE). Broadly speaking, the inclusion criteria concerned study groups made up of children (0\u201318 years); although, where clinical exploration was limited, we chose to include results obtained on adult groups or murine models, with the aim of covering the informational bias. The present work is therefore a crossroad of the current information regarding the pathogenesis, diagnosis and management of SLE described from the perspective of a less exploited causal relationship with dysbiosis, especially in pediatric practice.With a high mortality rate, both in comparison with the general population and with the adult form of the pathology, juvenile SLE represents approximately 15\u201320% of all lupus cases, with an incidence of 0.36\u20132.5 and a prevalence of 1.89\u201334.1 per 100,000 children [Regarding the complications of SLE, especially lupus nephritis, Hiraki LT. et al. objectify an increased proportion of positive cases in the research group , with a distribution dependent on the patient\u2019s age, gender and demographic location. Thus, a 4.5 times higher prevalence is reported in girls compared to boys . SimilarThe factors that increase the risk of developing complications are not yet fully defined, but it is unanimously accepted that they are part of the large family of genetic and environmental factors. This hypothesis complicates the work of research professionals because research in the field of the human microbiome has similarities with that of molecular epidemiology or the genome, but the results are much more variable in time and space , individual architecture, component genes and diet-dependent drugs, such as antibiotics, infections or foreign substances, all of which lead to imprinting the health of the subject by influencing the metabolism ,11,12.The physio-pathological cascade encountered in SLE is a multivalent one, the homeostasis of the internal environment being disturbed on various levels, among which we note the impact of genetic factors such as mutations , polymorphisms or aneuploidy that can determine family aggregates prone to certain diseases. While monogenic SLE is caused by disruption of the genes involved in the complement pathway , nucleic acid metabolism, apoptosis and immune tolerance reflected on the activity of B and T lymphocytes, the majority of SLE cases meet a coexistence of the involvement of genetics and additional factors in shaping the etiology. The genetic component can partly explain the division of the risk of the disease depending on sex, with current research emphasizing the pivotal role of the X chromosome in the pathogenesis, an aspect certified by the escalation of up to 14 times the cases of SLE in the male population diagnosed with Klinefelter syndrome compared to boys that have a normal karyotype . The genetic factors are doubled by the epigenetic component, the understanding of which is useful in order to elucidate the discrepancy between SLE incidents in homozygous twins, represented by DNA methylation, post-translational histone modification and the presence of non-coding micro-RNA sequences ,14,15.In the pathogenesis of SLE, both innate and adaptive immunity are disrupted, resulting in the production of antigen\u2013antibody complexes, activation of dendritic cells, abnormalities of phagocytes, overexpression of interferon (IFN) type 1, cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1, IL -2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, IL-18, IL-21, IL-23 and activation of T-helper cells ,17. The In this study, the diagnostic lines follow two entities concurrently, namely SLE and systemic microbiota confined to various sites in the body. For an easier understanding, we will present in the following the mainThe human microbiota, as we stated previously, is divided according to the sites of interest, the disruption of its homeostasis mainly in response to changes in environmental factors, diet or antibiotic therapy, with the effect of increasing the risk of atopy, autoimmunity, heart diseases or malignancy ,27. EverStreptococcus, Staphylococcus, Propionibacteria, lactic bacteria and Bifidobacterium) proved to be an important prebiotic, probiotic and vector of vertical bacterial transmission, modulating Bifidobacterium/Firmicutes balance, with the cessation of breastfeeding leading to the maturation of the intestinal microbiota with the inversion of the ratio of the two, in detriment of Bifidobacterium. Antepartum, intrapartum or postnatal antibiotic therapy, as well as antifungal therapy, also lead to the reduction of Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides and Actinobacteria species, promoting the dominance of Enterococcus, Clostridium, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. A benefit of natural food is the objective of a reduced rate of colonization with Escherichia coli, Clostridium difficile, Bacteroides and lactobacilli. Last but not least, the type of birth and the gestational age seem to influence dysbiosis in the same way as previously described, being thus preferable to natural birth that promotes fetal insemination with vaginal bacteria, to the detriment of cesarean surgery, considered a trigger factor for imbalance [Taking the intestinal microbiota whose relationship with the maternal component is intensively studied as a model, Kim H. et al. have brought to attention, in addition to the impact played by living in the vicinity of pets, the influence of the prenatal and perinatal period in shaping the predisposition towards certain pathologies. In this sense, in addition to its role in nutrition and the maternal\u2013fetal emotional bond, breast milk . From the point of view of the identified microorganisms, a discrepancy was objectified between the regions affected by SLE and the unaffected skin areas, which was characterized by the increase of the genus vibacter .Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium, Dolosigranulum, Moraxella, Haemophilus, Neisseria) of the upper and lower respiratory tract, which was considered a sterile structure until recently [Having a diminished immune defense during childhood, especially at the level of the mucous membranes, objectified by the increased incidence of various pathologies in the respiratory sphere, maintaining the balance of microorganisms that usually or occasionally colonize the respiratory tract represents a topic of interest in current pediatric practice by proving its involvement both in its maturation and in the regulation of immunity. And at this level, the type of birth, nutrition and antibiotic therapy, in addition to seasonal influences, vaccination, history of respiratory tract infections, living together with siblings, frequenting collectives and exposure to smoke have been shown to have a dynamic imprint on the microbial balance during the evolutionary course of children with recurrent respiratory diseases [Being the well-known connection between the intestine and the lungs, the current specialized literature recommends the maintenance of balance and the modulation of the former . Microorganisms present at this level are Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteriaceae, Gardnerella vaginalis, Actinobacteria, Prevotella, Enterobacter, Streptococcus, Proteobacteria and Bacteroides, whose fragile balance is incriminated in the pathogenesis of bacterial vaginitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, hysteromyoma, endometriosis, adenomyosis, transmission infection sexual or those with the human papillomavirus, which can evolve into cervical dysplasia [Bacteroides, Escherichia and Shigella) [Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Faecalibacterium, pathogenic microorganisms characteristic of sexually transmitted diseases, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, Ureoplasma, Prevotella, Corynebacterium, Enterococcus and Staphylococcus aureus, microorganisms whose balance imprints the development of inflammatory conditions, male fertility and even the risk of malignancy in the prostate [The genitourinary tract is made up of the urinary system in close connection with the genital organs and the digestive tract, especially at the level of the external openings. Thus, the microbiota of the three systems, although individual for each one, can show similarities, potentiating each other. In the female sex, the main organs whose bacteriological study is easy are the vagina and the uterus, which have structures that show variable colonization through a retrograde mechanism, hematogenous transmission or the seminal fluid, which, after the onset of puberty, is dependent on the phases of the menstrual cycle and the presence/absence of possible pregnancies, and which are separated from each other by the cervical mucus plug that acts as a barrier to the ascent of pathogens . In boysprostate .While the colonization of the urethra mostly respects the bacterial species identified at the level of the genital system, we emphasize here the need to know the variations of the bladder microbiome and urinary pH, depending on age and pathogen, respectively. A good diagnosis of these leads to the prophylaxis and optimal treatment of renal lithiasis or urinary tract infections, thus eliminating the risk of long-term complications such as the chronicity of the condition, renal scars or resistance to antibiotics ,57,58,59Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Fusobacterium, Veillonella, Haemophilus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas and Lactobacillus), viruses and fungi [Starting from the upper orifice, the microbial components that populate the oral cavity of children are in constant evolution, the key moments of which are birth , with the dental eruption and the finalization of the dentition, being, however, also influenced by diet, type of birth, environmental factors, ethnic or geographic belonging, genetic determinants and horizontal transmission from the people with whom they interact ,60. Thusococcus) .Streptococcus , Lactobacillus, Bacteroidetes, Vaillonella, Candida albicans, Prevotella, Limnohabitans, Rothia, Neisseria, Pasteurella stomatis, Spirochaets or Campylobacter, doubled by a decrease in the abundance of Actinomyces, Corynebacterium, Haemophilus, Eikenella, Ramlibacter, Mucilaginibacter, Proteobacteria, Pseudomonas, Moraxellaceae, Fusobacterium and Firmicutes, which are currently intensively studied components, the variety of which proves to be different even in comparison with first-degree relatives and is the basis of the development of new biomarkers used in microbiota research, but also of the current principles of its modulation, through food means or substitution [The main diseases in which the microbiome of the oral cavity plays an essential role are certified to be dental caries that appeared during early childhood, inflammatory bowel diseases , post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, diabetes, autism, Henoch\u2013Schonlein purpura, Wiskott\u2013Aldrich , appendicitis and sleep apnea syndrome. In their production, the main microorganisms incriminated are matter) ,64,65,66 matter) .Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, but also in chronic gastritis, duodenal ulcer or carcinogenesis, conditions in which the microbiota has been shown to have an altered diversity compared to the batches of control subjects, with part of its components showing causal relationships with the incriminated pathologies [H. pylori and gastric dysbiosis among duodenal ulcer patients, Zheng W. et al. postulated that in this situation, the character of infected/uninfected has the potential to modulate the community of genotoxic bacteria present at the level of the microbiota [H. pylori, possibly through the interaction with the metabolism of bile acids [H. pylori, doubled by the negative impact of the infection and the development of antibiotic resistance, it is necessary to know alternative therapies such as probiotics based on Limosilactobacillus reuteri, a Gram-positive bacterium resistant to gastric and bile juice, which maintains homeostasis in the environment by inhibiting the development of pathogenic species, while at the same time increasing adherence and therapeutic efficiency by improving digestive symptoms [With reference to the stomach, the main lines of research regarding bacterial colonization include its modification in marker) ,69,70. Acrobiota . A role ic acid) . Due to symptoms .Dysbiosis at the intestinal level has been shown to be involved in multiple pathologies, starting from local ones , osteoarticular (osteoarthritis), skin , vascular (atherosclerosis or thrombosis), chronic renal, hepatic, pulmonary and metabolic and culminating with those in the neuropsychiatric sphere or neoplastic , with all these processes being under the empire of the main axes formed by intestine and lung, brain, heart or skin ,74,75,76Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes, overwhelmed by the escalation of species such as Rhodococcus, Eggerthella, Klebsiella, Prevotella, Eubacterium and Flavonifractor and the reduction Lactobacillaceae, which is a dysbiosis that leads to the potentiation of the chronic inflammatory response and the decrease of immune tolerance, with the increase of anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies and possible imprinting of renal function [Clostridium ATCC BAA-442, Atopobium rimae, Shuttleworthia satelles, Actinomyces massiliensis, Bacteroides fragilis and Clostridium leptum in samples collected from patients positive for SLE, compared to healthy subjects, with their levels decreasing after treatment [Sphingomonas), which interferes with the digestion and absorption of proteins, the data regarding the model of change in diversity between positive subjects for SLE and healthy controls is contradictory to other studies with similar themes in the literature, which is possibly due to the influence of age and gender differences between the groups. Research in the gastrointestinal field associates the disturbance of the balance of amino acids and fatty acids with symptoms such as abdominal distension, pain, nausea, vomiting and anorexia, which were found in the clinical picture of SLE. The biological profile reveals an increased prevalence of lipid metabolism disturbances, with bile acids being strongly correlated with the SLEDAI score, an aspect doubled by the discordance identified between the metabolites present in the serum and those detected in the feces [Taking the microbiome\u2013SLE relationship as a model, a first change objectified by current studies is the inversion of the relationship function ,80. Chenreatment . The maihe feces ,88,89,90Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia faecal and Ruminococcus) and the degree of activity of the disease or the modulation of the constituents of the immune response by being involved in maintaining the homeostasis of the intestinal barriers and optimizing regulatory T cells [Although it targeted a group of subjects over 18 years old, we consider it appropriate to discuss the results of the work done by Liu F. et al. with ref T cells . The lin T cells ,91.Regarding the clinical picture of subjects with SLE, Visitaci\u00f3n N. et al. postulate, through the study of changes in the cardiovascular system in relation to the intestinal microbiota in murine models, the link between this and the development of endothelial dysfunction, vascular inflammation and hypertension . Lupus nRuminococcus gnavus strain from subjects with lupus to produce alteration of intestinal permeability through the action on zonulin, at the same time documenting the reversal of the process upon initiation of treatment with larazotide acetate (zonulin antagonist) [Another direction worthy of consideration is represented by the effects of the anti-rheumatic medication used in the treatment of SLE on the intestinal microbiota, but also by the impact of vitamin D deficiency on the composition of the microbiome, the viability of the intestinal epithelial barriers and autoimmunity ,95. Alsoagonist) ,97.In addition to the standard therapy used in SLE and adapted to pediatric criteria, which includes glucocorticoids, antimalarials, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory substances, immunosuppressants and biological agents directed against B cells, modern medicine also brings to the fore new approaches such as the impact played by dietary principles and supplementation with probiotics/prebiotics or symbiotics, but also the role of fecal matter transplantation from a healthy donor in the regulation of intestinal homeostasis or future directions that still require certification through human studies ,99.Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, just as vitamin A promotes the development of lactobacilli, and starch interacts with pathogens, improving mortality and de-escalating inflammation [Lactobacillus in the probiotic treatment of SLE and also underline the strong correlation between it and the dietary components [The basic characteristic necessary for any microenvironment to survive is its ability to reach the level of symbiosis that can confer some resistance to colonization due in part to the efficient use of nutrients, thus impoverishing the resources needed by pathogens . Occupyiammation ,100. Conammation . Wang X.mponents .Lactobacillus strains on renal function and mortality reduction in lupus nephritis, but also in the reversal of the IL-10/IL-6 ratio, which is a marker of inflammation, the results being objective in a discordant, gender-dependent manner [Bacteroides fragilis, where the range of action also includes effects on the expression of CD1d, CD86 and the balance between helper T lymphocytes 17 and regulatory T lymphocytes [Mu Q. et al. have demonstrated, in murine models, the benefit brought by supplementation with t manner . Similarphocytes . Adminisphocytes .Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria [Lactobacillus helveticus, Bifidobacterium infantis and Bifidobacterium bifidum, for 60 days, which is a finding doubled by the increase in the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio (insignificant difference compared to placebo) and the reduction of a number of 13 operational taxonomic units incriminated as possibly pathogenic [Thus, summarizing the specialized literature of Esmaeili SA. et al. concludes that the main bacteria intended to restore immunological tolerance by acting on the pro-inflammatory\u2013anti-inflammatory balance, competitive exclusion and antibacterial action are strains of bacteria . In a sithogenic .Clostridium difficile infection, is gaining more and more interest regarding its use in the management of autoimmune diseases and intestinal dysbiosis. Although still lagging behind in terms of research, benefiting so far from little interest, an aspect highlighted by the limited presence of human studies in contrast to those on animal models, it is important to know the advantages of its use, but also the interactions with pharmacological substances, such as antibiotics or laxatives, which can disrupt success rates [Transplantation of large feces, introduced into clinical practice for the purpose of treating ss rates ,109,110.ss rates . Modern ss rates ,112.In conclusion, both the study of SLE and that of the internal microenvironment represent two vast research subjects, both found at the pediatric age. The challenge in this stage is represented by the escalation of the pathogenic process of lupus, objectified by more aggressive clinical manifestations and increased mortality in contrast to the adult population. At the other pole of interest, we find the microbiome, a structure of a complexity comparable to that of the human genome, which is in continuous development starting from the intrauterine period until the age of senescence. Numerous studies in the recent literature link the microbial balance to the pathogenesis of SLE, an aspect intensively researched but still incompletely certified. Therefore, given the fragility and increased variability of the microbiota that can be modulated by various exogenous or endogenous factors, but also the connection between it and SLE, we consider it necessary for the clinician to acquire an \u201coverall view\u201d in order to reduce the burden induced by the disease in especially on the child, whose existence is under the sign of continuous discovery and change that must, as much as possible, take place in a natural course. The present work is considered by the authors to be a point of intersection of research on the stated themes, being centered on the succinct description of the main defining aspects regarding the two entities, diagnostic criteria and principles of locating and optimal collection of evidence, and the way in which they can influence each other and the potential impact of adjunctive therapeutic means to pharmacological ones in the evolutionary course of SLE, an aspect that will open new horizons in future research, also emphasizing the vast involvement of microbial disturbances in multiple systemic diseases."} +{"text": "Dear Editor,,On using spirometry, El-Moatasem and AbbassThis research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.Not applicable.The author constructed the manuscript, reviewed the literature, wrote and approved the final draft, and is responsible for the content and similarity index of the manuscript."} +{"text": "Art therapy entails a therapeutic relationship that allows the expression and exploration of mental and spiritual needs through art Bell, . It inteArt therapy can contribute to the knowledge, recognition and appropriation of one's own spirituality. This is a necessary part of the discovery process for those on the path of transcendence, leading the individual to (re)discover a broader meaning for existence , using resources such as imagination, symbolism, and metaphors. This context facilitates communication, reorganization of internal contents, meaningful emotional expression, and deepening of internal knowledge, freeing the ability to think and creativity , intrapersonally (toward self-acceptance and meaning), interpersonally (by connecting with others and one's environment), and transpersonally , inner emptiness and anxiety are some of the constraints that prevent individuals, children and adults of all ages from expressing themselves creatively Cocco, . CreativSpirituality provides meaning to our lives by enhancing our consciousness of the most personal elements of our existence, material body, environment, and the divine Bell, . CreatinThe meaning-making process and the self-affirmation of personal and societal values and ideas can help us understand spirituality. This domain of human experience can be explored through artistic representation, enabling people to direct their interest to the spiritual side of the creative experience. An integrative person-centered approach is a foundation for giving spirituality the same care and attention as other physical and psychological realities. It is acknowledged to have a large and decisive influence on recovery, healing, growth, and positive therapeutic outcomes. Art-based spiritual care, therefore, lends legitimacy to the care of the most vulnerable people and contributes to a caring culture focused on spiritual development. Additional research in a broader set of cultures and populations is needed to better understand the effectiveness of art therapy interventions in spiritual growth. Furthermore, conceptual clarity and consensus on terminology will be important in art-based spiritual care both in clinical and community settings.All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work and approved it for publication."} +{"text": "Following the significant changes in healthcare systems over the last century, the role of pre-hospital emergency medical services (EMS) has been drawn against numerous challenges. In view of this, the present study aims to reflect on the trend of change in the role of pre-hospital EMS to meet new situations and needs, thereby providing a clear picture of this process.Respecting the intricate concept of development and the major changes in Iran\u2019s healthcare system, this study was fulfilled using situational analysis (SA), developed by Clarke (2018), in Iran within 2022\u20132023. For this purpose, the data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews with four faculty members, two managers involved in EMS, and six highly skilled EMS personnel in various positions. Moreover, the relevant articles published from 1950 to 2023 were reviewed. The data analysis was then performed via SA in the form of open coding as well as simultaneous analysis through three types of maps, viz., situational, social worlds/arenas, and positional maps, along with constant comparative analysis.Pre-hospital EMS in Iran has thus far had two turning points from 1970 to 2023, wherein academic components, need for equipment and resources, in conjunction with basic needs in the modern society, have been the main propellers. As well, the complexity of care for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), demand for managed care, and technological advancement has gradually resulted in further development in EMS. This trend describes the EMS situation in Iran from 1973 to 2023, as well as the EMS emergence stages, quantitative growth and infrastructure, and clinical education development in 2002\u20132023, indicating the lack of funding and inadequate scientific infrastructure in proportion to the population receiving such services.Considering the trend of change in the approaches adopted by healthcare systems across the world, and given the breakthroughs in nursing and medicine, along the education of professionals during the last thirty years, the descriptions of duties and performance in EMS have moved from primary care and patient transfer to specialized services and outpatient care. In addition, the cultural context specific to Iran, the challenges of women working in EMS centers, the disconnection of service providers, namely, the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) Relief and Rescue Organization (R&RO), Iran\u2019s National Police Force (INPF), and Iran\u2019s National Medical Emergency Organization (INMEO), as well as lack of resources and equipment, and the geographical distribution of human resources (HRs) based on population dispersion, are thus among the significant issues facing pre-hospital EMS in this country. Pre-hospital emergency medical services (EMS) are known as the key element in healthcare systems around the world, since they play a vital role in medical teams , 2. The Notably, EMS emerged in developed countries in the 1970s. With the trend of change in the role of EMS from 1973 to 2023 worldwide, it has accordingly moved from primary care and patient transfer to specialized services and outpatient care . In 1973Having a population of about 88\u00a0million in southwestern Asia, Iran is a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Eastern Mediterranean region \u201314. CurrThis study utilized grounded theory (GT) as a qualitative method with reference to situational analysis (SA), developed by Clarke 2018). Originating from GT, SA could thus make it possible to identify and describe the situational and positional complexities of social worlds and arenas through mapping . As heal8. OriginThis SA was conducted in Iran with the participation of pre-hospital EMS personnel in the related centers, the Medical Emergency and Accident Management Center (MEAMC) at the universities of medical sciences, the specialty boards , the Iranian EMS Association (IEMSA), and teachers at the schools of nursing and paramedical sciences, including the personal experiences and archives of Javad Malekzadeh, as one of the influential people in the last six decades of nursing in Iran, who has been working on policymaking, management, education, and research in this field from 1951 to 2019 (before and after the Islamic Revolution), and five key people of his era. Inclusion criteria included: willingness to participate in the study and having at least 10 years of work experience in various fields of pre-hospital emergency. Exclusion criteria: unwillingness to participate in the study or withdrawal from the study during the interview.In total, 12 participants, varying in terms of gender, age, and academic degrees, were recruited , and the National Library and Archives of Iran (NLAI), including available statistics, government documents, international reports and historical information, the articles related to INMEO and the Iranian Nursing Organization (INO), and the studies about the role of EMS published from 1950 to 2023 in the databases of Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect, as well as the memos on the role of EMS.Upon answering each question, some follow-ups such as, The analysis and initial coding of the data retrieved from each interview were performed before the next one. With regard to the qualitative data obtained from the interviews and the existing documents, the memos were thus analyzed after the data conversion. Data analysis was performed by the first author. In this case, like GT, simultaneous data analysis was done together with data collection, coding, and classification as a constant comparative process, and memoing. Although SA, developed by Clarke (2018), was similar to the Straussian approach for open and axial coding, it lacked selective coding and an axial variable to explain the theory. Along with the axial coding, the analysis was fulfilled via a triple approach of data mapping, using situational, social worlds/arenas, and positional maps. According to these data, theoretical elements, including situational maps , social worlds/arenas maps , and positional maps were obtained.To establish the robustness of the study findings, the four stringent evaluative criteria , proposed by Lincoln and Guba (1985) were implemented. With regard to the credibility of the findings, all codes extracted from each interview were shared and checked with the interviewees and then modified if necessary. Besides, over one year was devoted to data collection and analysis. To enhance the confirmability of the findings, the transcribed interviews together with the codes and categories extracted were reviewed, and then approved by the second and third authors as well as a faculty member outside the research team. For the dependability of the findings, the research stages and processes were recorded and reported as precisely as possible step by step. There were also attempts to observe maximum diversity in the participants in terms of service delivery location, EMS role, work experience, and job position, which helped augment the credibility and then the transferability of the findings. To check the accuracy of the documents, the historical data obtained from the primary sources were compared, and supplementary interviews were further conducted with informants. Considering the external criticism of the documents, library documents as the secondary sources and their details were compared with other sources (such as interviews and other documents) and analyzed. Regarding the internal criticism of such documents and the authenticity and validity of their content, given that the primary sources were still available, historical informants were also recruited.In this study, the trend of change in the role of EMS in Iran over the last century was described by SA, using situational, social worlds/arenas, and positional maps. The description of the situation of the role of EMS in Iran from 1973 to 2023 included the following steps, viz., EMS emergence, quantitative growth and infrastructure, and clinical education development in Iran in 2002\u20132023, indicating the lack of funding and inadequate scientific infrastructure in proportion to the population receiving EMS.To better understand the situation, the frequency distribution plot of EMS according to the last-twenty-year trend was exploited Fig.\u00a0. Here, tBefore 1973, there was no formal education program for EMS in Iran. According to the available documents, the collapse of the roof of the main hall of the MIA terminal building, where 16 people lost their lives and 11 individuals were injured, was the stimulus to establish EMS in Iran. After that, a team of Iranian physicians were sent to the United States to study EMS, who then returned after six months with two highly skilled EMS educators, Jim Patterson and Max. Following a public call for people having a high school diploma and holding an entrance exam, they selected the best and employed them as EMS technicians, completing an intensive six-month training course. Therefore, EMS officially started in 1975 under the title, Emergency Information Center (EIC) . As high\u2026at that point in time, you could simply take part in such courses with all types of high school diplomas. My hometown had three centers for the whole province, and there were three ambulances. As I remember, another support was a rescue worker who was also an ambulance driver\u2026Based on the interviews and the existing documents, the EMS equipment and infrastructure, particularly the physical settings, developed at three time periods as follows:Starting new political relations with other countries, including those in the Point Four Program (as the United States policy announced by President Harry S. Truman in 1949) and the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO), between 1948 and 1978, as well as membership in the WHO, overshadowed Iran\u2019s situation with the urgency of change. In this global situation, corresponding to the Second, Third, and Fourth Economic Development Plans (EDPs), Iranian oil exports instigated economic growth. Such political and economic changes in the government accordingly pave the ground for the establishment of EMS infrastructure , 27, so The EMS resources and equipment have been thus exploited in Iran for about thirty years (1975\u20132002). As well, higher public awareness and the prevalence of NCDs gradually raised the need for specialized personnel for primary care and patient transfer, which demanded a platform for the scientific development of pre-hospital EMS.At this period, due to the severe shortage of personnel across Iran, the healthcare system focused on supplying EMS personnel to provide the required services. Currently, after about half a century, more than 20000 EMS personnel and experts, with Associate\u2019s and Bachelor\u2019s degrees, are working in INMEO, but this is far from the standard indicators in proportion to the growing population, the fleet of ambulances, and EMS centers .In this sense, Participant No. 9 stated that:\u201c\u2026. There were only three emergency center and five American ambulances in Mashhad, which were used less due to high fuel consumption\u2026 \u201cWith the onset of making EMS a subject of academic study in Iran (2002), medical equipment was improved and the fleet of ambulances was renewed. In 1999, the first Air medical emergency center launched in Tehran. As well, the Communication and Operation Command Center (COCC) was organized in a more specialized manner . During From the start of the EMS in Iran, receiving the missions was in a traditional (wireless), analog form. Following technological advancement and the digitalization of Iran\u2019s healthcare system, the algorithm of telephone triage, ambulance management, and patient information documentation changed due to the use of a software program, called ASAYAR, but the previous system was maintained for further support Fig.\u00a03)3).In this sense, Participant No. 6 stated that:\u2026 \u201cWe had heard that there were light helicopters in the emergency that were used in very rare cases \u2026.\u201dWith the merger of the universities of medical sciences and their affiliated hospital in Iran, the former Ministry of Health (MOH) was formed under the name, Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education (MOHTME) in 1986 . AccordiIn this sense, Participant No. 6 stated that:\u201c\u2026 From 1995 onwards, the type of activities became more and more advanced and there was a lot of focus on learning intubation in the system, and in the way that there are currently protocols and instructions and sometimes the right to prescribe medicine, it was not like that at that time. The type of activities moved towards becoming more professional, and in general, our dealings with clients have become more professional and ethical \u2026\u201dUpon the graduation of the pre-hospital EMS personnel, holding academic degrees, the healthcare and clinical services became gradually more scientific and specialized. The activities of the EMS personnel accordingly moved from simple and basic tasks, such as primary care and patient transfer to more advanced scientific and specialized ones, i.e., primitive and advanced CPR, working with equipment such as an electroshock and an automated external defibrillator (AED), telemedicine, coding patients with heart attacks and strokes, etc. . This le\u2026we were in charge of transferring the patients at that time. We thus went to Jorjani School for taking a short six-month course, and then entered the emergency department due to a severe shortage of personnel. These days, those who are coming here have university education and academic degrees. Some equipment such as AED is available in our base, and we have learned to work with them\u2026In these maps, the actions of people both as individuals and as members of social worlds could be examined in the current discourses. To plot it, the collective entities or social worlds in the arenas could be thus addressed, so that the collective agents and arenas of commitment and discourse could be further analyzed in a situation . The hisThe influential people of these organizations in the government system accordingly have bureaucratic and supervisory power to develop programs and perform roles in the healthcare field. Currently, MOHTME is the heart of funding EMS education, which is more important than that for other organizations.Another key issue in the related organizational groups is the close and direct relationship between the Fire Department, IRCS R&RO, and Iran\u2019s National Police Force (INPF) and the pre-hospital EMS personnel. In such a way, the Fire Department puts out the fire, releases the injured inside the city, and IRCS R&RO helps in natural disasters to rescue the injured on the road . This bePositional maps illustrate a deep understanding of the data in the adopted and unadopted positions, which are organized based on the differences, conflicts, and concerns about various issues . The keyA.Prevalence of NCDs, indicating the high demand for EMS in the societyB.Specialization of pre-hospital EMSC.Lack of equipment and resources There is also a shortage of EMS personnel with academic degrees in Iran, so that the national standard is one urban base with one active ambulance for every 20000 people and one road base with one operating ambulance in each city with a population of less than 20000. Besides, the number of standard personnel in each base is 9 people. The official statistics released by INMEO have also filed 1300 urban centers for 63\u00a0million urban population and 1700 road centers. This shows the lack of 3150 urban centers and 3300 road centers for the current position of Iran to be close to the national standards . TherefoThe above positional map displays that the healthcare system policymakers working on service provision, particularly in the pre-hospital field, need to make operational decisions to improve the quality of care to clients by categorizing different levels of pre-hospital care and changing the standards, to be compatible with the complexities of current expected care and the new economy of systems.It is clear that the role of EMS in Iran and the world has undergone significant changes over the years due to various factors, including political relations, establishment of laws and regulations, crises, education development, technological advancement, and infrastructure improvements , 37.The emergence of EMS in Iran was initially due to the collapse of the roof of the main hall of MIA terminal building in 1973. However, for about thirty years, there were no significant changes in EMS education or medical equipment, and no academic education was established for pre-hospital EMS. After the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War, there was a small growth in the number of rescue workers, and the dire need for more advanced nursing and healthcare services during the war paved the ground for pre-hospital EMS .However, it was not until after 2002 that Iran began to create a more suitable situation for changes in the role of EMS by developing pre-hospital EMS education and renovating the fleet of ambulances and medical equipment , 39.One significant factor affecting the role of EMS was the development of EMS education, which led to the graduation of pre-hospital EMS personnel with academic degrees, making clinical care more scientific , 40\u201342. It is worth noting that the structure and composition of Iran's pre-hospital EMS are different from that of other countries, with two people present in the role of EMS personnel and a physician providing aids via phone calls and consultations, while in other countries, pre-hospital EMS is met by a team of physicians, EMS personnel, and nurses. This distinction can have a significant effect on the expected EMS type and performance , 46, 47.Like in many other countries, pre-hospital EMS personnel in Iran face a range of challenges. Some of these challenges include: Lack of resources: Despite recent improvements in the fleet of ambulances and medical equipment, there is still a lack of resources in some areas, especially in rural and remote regions , 36, 48.Like other countries in the world, the role of EMS in Iran became vital due to the prevalence of NCDs, trauma triage in accidents, crises, and the high demands in the society; however, the roots of inadequate EMS and the related reasons in Iran have their own similarities and differences with those in the world.Considering the trend of change in the approaches adopted by healthcare systems across the world, and given the breakthroughs in nursing and medicine, along with the education of professionals during the last thirty years, the descriptions of duties and performance in EMS has moved from primary care and patient transfer to outpatient care and specialized services. However, sufficient EMS infrastructure has not been developed in terms of postgraduate education. In addition, the cultural context specific to Iran, the challenges of women working in EMS centers, the disconnection of service providers, namely, IRCS R&RO, INPF, and INMEO, lack of resources and equipment, and the geographical distribution of human resources based on population dispersion, are thus among the significant issues facing pre-hospital EMS in this country.To make more progress and reach a balanced development in the role of EMS, there is a need for a scientific review of the high-level courses of pre-hospital EMS, in parallel with the clarity of the role and the position of the Associate\u2019s and Bachelor\u2019s degrees as an urgency of change, which should be established by analyzing all situational maps. Given the economic pressure and the lack of EMS, continuously affecting Iran\u2019s healthcare system, nursing managers and policymakers should attempt to strengthen the legal structures, executive regulations, and the standards appropriate to Iran\u2019s situation as soon as possible to develop the role of EMS. Furthermore, there is a need to keep thinking about pre-hospital EMS teams in new situations.Getting permissions to interview the top-level managers in Iran\u2019s healthcare system was not possible in this study, so they were not recruited. Additionally, some archives and library documents could not be reviewed due to their historical age."} +{"text": "Active euthanasia is currently permitted in Netherlands, Belgium, Colombia, Luxembourg, Canada, Australia and India. Assisted suicide is allowed in Switzerland, Germany, South Korea, Japan, as well as in the states of Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Hawaii, Vermont, Montana, California of the USA.The right to die is considered to be a basic human right. In 2018, 2,357 euthanasia procedures were carried out in Belgium, most of them for the elderly. Factors that contribute to the decision to euthanize older people are: existential crisis; loss of autonomy, dignity and control; worry about future loss of autonomy, dignity, and control; lack of understanding of the processes of dying; concerns about medical intervention and treatment at the end of life; increasing disunity between generations; decline of people\u2019s spiritual culture and religious faith. In the Netherlands, euthanasia is allowed from the age of 12, sometimes for infants up to two years old. Some countries allow assisted suicide of the mentally ill.The possibility of suicide for people \u00abwho are tired of life\u00bb is discussed.Investigation of the ethical aspects of the role of a psychiatrist in the commission of assisted suicideIn order to study ethical aspects of the role of a psychiatrist in assisted suicide, the materials of the Department of bioethics of UNESCO and the positions of the legislation of a number of countries were studied.The decision about euthanasia is taken by a commission of 3 doctors, one of whom is a psychiatrist.According to psychiatrists, the desire to die in a patient with a mental disorder should be considered the same as the desire of a patient with cancer.The role of psychiatrists in euthanasia and assisted suicide is reversed. These are: the study of assisted suicides, assistance in their implementation and popularization, determination of legal capacity to permit suicide, creation of a psychotherapeutic space and providing psychological assistance to patients in the process of dying, writing of a prescription for a lethal drug, consulting patients and their families.The role of psychiatrists in Russia is to prevent suicides and treat patients with suicidal tendencies. Assistance by a psychiatrist in the suicide is a critical problem in psychiatry.None Declared"} +{"text": "The National School of Rehabilitation, Integration and Recovery in Mental Health was established in 2011 at Ono Academic College. Its operation is supervised and funded by the Department of Rehabilitation in the Mental Health Division of the Israel Ministry of Health. The School offers courses for a broad variety of mental health professionals and others involved in the mental health field (service users and family members) to promote professional competencies, social cohesion, learning from experience, and to advance mental health rehabilitation. In recent years, the School has become increasingly involved in multiculturalism, providing special courses and workshops for both the Palestinian-Arab and ultra-Orthodox Jewish sectors in Israel. The School is based on the belief in the ability of service users to recover, integrate, and live meaningful lives in the community. This belief is consistent with values of the recovery approach . The School is constantly in dialogue with the community, and provides training for interventions that promote recovery, as well as social cohesion in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation.To describe the process of foundation, implementation, and outcomes of the unique model of the School; to discuss the multicultural and social opportunities and challenges; to portray major elements of the school methodology and practice.Work model presentation through qualitative analyses of social and academical processes, alongside quantitative descriptive data.Every year, 700 students from various helping professions in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation study at the School, as well as service users. The school operates as a bridge between academy and the field and encourages learner and staff diversity, joint learning, and discourse. Over 30 courses are conducted annually including evidence-based intervention courses such as IMR, and training courses such as knowledge by experience, supervision, rehabilitation coordinators, etc. In addition, unique courses are given, such as eating disorders, DBT, and social cognitive intervention training with multicultural adaptations. Lastly, the school offers consultation in implementing interventions within services.The working model of the School operates under the framework and values of recovery, social integration and cohesion, and multiculturalism. To this day, the School offers courses, symposiums, conferences, and professional publications, to educate for values of recovery and community inclusion, alongside improving the quality of services.None Declared"} +{"text": "Dear Editor,Leishmania transmitted by the bite of a female sandfly of the genus Lutzomyia.L.(V.) braziliensis, L.(V.) guyanensis, and L.(L.) amazonensis.American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) is an infectious disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania guyanensis. The bacteriological culture of the fragment from the dorsum of the hand was positive for the Gram-negative bacillus Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The radiological examination showed bone sequestration and destruction of the cortex of the distal and middle phalanges of the third finger, suggestive of chronic osteomyelitis (+5/day intravenously for 30 days and cefepime, according to the sensitivity identified in the antibiogram, at a dose of 1\u00a0g 2\u00d7/day for 10 days, resulted in significant improvement in the skin lesions (This case report describes a 49-year-old male patient, a farmer, without comorbidities, from Mau\u00e9s, state of Amazonas, Brazil. He sought medical care at a Dermatology service complaining of a condition which had started three years before, with a papule on the proximal phalanx of the third finger, progressing to an ulcer that extended to the dorsum of the right hand. Considering the clinical picture, nine direct tests were performed to search for amastigotes, all with negative results. Different types of treatments with antibiotics and corticoids were prescribed without improvement, and with worsening and progression of the lesions for the last six months. On examination, an ulcer was observed on the dorsum of the right hand, covered by yellowish crusts, with clear and erythematous borders, which extended to the phalanges, resulting in anatomical deformity of the third finger. There were also nodules following an ascending lymphatic path, in the right forearm, some of which showed painless ulceration, with raised erythematous borders, measuring approximately 2\u00a0cm A and 1 Bmyelitis . The com lesions . The patATL can be classified into localized cutaneous, disseminated, diffuse, and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis.Among the atypical forms of ATL, the verrucous, lupoid, eczematous, zosteriform, tumor, acneiform, and sporotrichoid forms have been reported.The diagnosis should be based on epidemiology, lesion characteristics, direct examination, and culture. In atypical cases, histopathological examination and PCR are fundamental tools.5Direct examination is the most frequently used method for diagnosis because it is simple, inexpensive and easy to perform. However, the probability of finding the parasite is inversely proportional to the time of evolution of the skin lesions, being rare after one year.On histopathology, intense granulomatous inflammatory infiltrate is observed, and histiocytes, epithelioid and giant cells, lymphocytes, plasma cells, some eosinophils, and depending on the time of evolution, macrophages containing amastigotes can be seen.Leishmania guyanensis was crucial for the correct diagnosis and starting treatment.PCR, a method based on parasite DNA amplification, has a sensitivity and specificity of 100% in the typical forms and a sensitivity of 94% in atypical presentations.Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as the radiological alterations suggestive of persistent chronic osteomyelitis in the radiological control, suggest that the bone lesions observed in the present case were caused by contiguity from the secondary infection.The rare bone involvement reported in cases of ATL and proven infection by Despite its wide distribution in Brazil, atypical presentations of ATL can make the diagnosis difficult. Therefore, the relevance of epidemiology and PCR in atypical lesions is highlighted, as well as the importance of an early diagnosis, so that sequelae or mutilations can be prevented.None declared.Dina Fabr\u00edcio da Silva: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; drafting and editing of the manuscript; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the case; critical review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.Sidharta Quercia Gadelha: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; drafting and editing of the manuscript; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the case; critical review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.Andr\u00e9a de Souza Cavalcante: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; design and planning of the study; intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the case; critical review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.Rosilene Viana de Andrade: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; design and planning of the study; participation in the writing of the histopathological report; critical review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.Jorge Augusto de Oliveira Guerra: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; design and planning of the study; intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the case; critical review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.Alcidarta dos Reis Gadelha: Approval of the final version of the manuscript; design and planning of the study; intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the case; critical review of the literature; critical review of the manuscript.None declared."} +{"text": "Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study is to enhance the quality of life in elderly patients with lung cancer by understanding relations of uncertainty, appraisal of uncertainty, self-efficacy, and quality of life targeting elderly patients with lung cancer receiving anticancer therapy, and also analyzing the factors affecting the quality of life based on Mishel\u2019s theory. Materials and Methods: The subjects were a total of 112 lung cancer patients aged 65 or older receiving anticancer therapy. The data was collected by using self-report questionnaires targeting patients in hemato-oncology at Chungbuk National University Hospital. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a t-test, an analysis of variance, Pearson\u2019s correlational coefficients, and hierarchical regression analysis. Results: In stage 1, anticancer therapy (chemotherapy) , economic condition (low) , the number of anticancer therapies (three times or more) , and education (graduation from high school or higher) were influencing factors . In stage 2, self-efficacy , appraisal of uncertainty: danger , appraisal of uncertainty: opportunity , the number of anticancer therapies (three times or more) , and anticancer therapy (chemotherapy) were influencing factors, which showed 74.2% explanatory power . Conclusions: In order to improve the quality of life of subjects, it would be necessary to develop interventions for raising their self-efficacy by considering their degree of education, economic condition, the types and numbers of anticancer therapies, and understanding of the appraisal of uncertainty about the disease is assessed as an opportunity factor or a danger factor. In Republic of Korea, the elderly population aged 65 or older was 14.9% in 2019 [Meanwhile, thanks to the recent expansion of medical examinations and the development of treatment methods, the five-year relative survival rate of lung cancer patients has also improved . This meIn fact, recent studies have revealed that quality of life is a strong predictive factor of survival, highlighting its growing importance ,7. For iMoreover, the symptoms that lung cancer patients experience can have a negative impact on their physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being . InadequThe quality of life is a state of well-being that is subjectively appraised based on the general and overall situation or life experience in multidimensional areas such as physical, psychological, social, and functional . For canUncertainty refers to a lack of understanding of one\u2019s disease, related treatments, post-treatment prognosis, and the inability to judge disease-related situations. If uncertainty persists throughout the course of the disease\u2019s progression, it can be considered threatening as it delays the formation of cognitive structures and limits the ability to properly assess an individual\u2019s situation . AccordiSince uncertainty in the early stages of disease becomes a changeable and destructive element, a patient appraises it as a \u2018danger\u2019. Once the uncertainty is continued, a certain order is built, and the uncertainty is appraised positively. In this case, it could be regarded as an \u2018opportunity\u2019 in life , so the In addition, self-efficacy is a dynamic process of appraising one\u2019s own ability to perform actions necessary for coping with and adjusting to a potentially-threatening event . Due to This study is a descriptive survey research study for understanding the relations between uncertainty, appraisal of uncertainty, self-efficacy, and quality of life targeting elderly patients with lung cancer and also analyzing the factors affecting the quality of life. The research subjects were 112 elderly patients with lung cancer receiving anticancer therapy from a tertiary hospital in Chungbuk. The criteria for selection are as follows: (1) male and female senior citizens 65 or older; (2) people who received chemotherapy once or more after getting diagnosed with primary lung cancer; (3) people who have insight into the disease and an ability to communicate; and (4) people who understand the purpose of this study and have submitted written consent to participate in this study. The criteria for exclusion are people who were diagnosed with a cognitive disorder or mental illness, which was verified in their medical records. The researcher directly distributed 114 questionnaires and then conducted a face-to-face survey. After excluding two improper questionnaires, 112 people were finally included as research subjects.This study verified sex, age, marital status, main caregiver, degree of education, breadwinner, and economic condition as the sociodemographic characteristics and also researched diagnosis, clinical stage of lung cancer, types of anticancer therapy, and the number of anticancer therapies as the disease-related characteristics.In order to measure uncertainty, this study used the instrument translated into Korean by Chung et al. in 2005 For the appraisal of uncertainty, this study used the instrument translated and verified for validity by Kang based onIn the research by Mishel and Sorenson , the relSelf-efficacy was measured using the Korean-version instrument of the cThe quality of life was measured through the Korean-version functional assessment of cancer therapy scale-lung (FACT-L), version 4 , developThe data were collected from 12 October 2022 to 27 January 2023 after obtaining approval from the institutional review board of Chungbuk National University Hospital. The research subjects were elderly patients with lung cancer suitable for the criteria of selection among outpatients and hospitalized patients in hemato-oncology. I met the subjects in the outpatient counseling room of the Department of Hematology at Chungbuk National University Hospital and collected data. The researcher fully explained the purpose and methods of this study, the confidentiality related to participation in this study, and the possibility of withdrawing their participation at any time with no damage to the subjects. After that, the patients voluntarily signed the written consent for their participation. The subjects filled out the self-report questionnaires for themselves. For the patients who found it difficult to fill out the questionnaire, the researcher directly read the content of the questionnaire and took down their responses. It took an average of 20\u201330 min to complete the survey. The collected data was kept in a cabinet with locks. A password was set up for the PC, including the research data, so no one else but the researcher could read the data.\u00ae Statistics 27.0 software made by IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA, the general characteristics and disease-related characteristics of subjects were calculated through descriptive statistics such as real numbers, percentages, mean, and standard deviation. This study conducted the t-test and ANOVA for comparing the quality of life according to the general characteristics and disease-related characteristics of subjects and used the Scheffe test for the post-analysis. This study used the mean and standard deviation for the degree of uncertainty, appraisal of uncertainty: opportunity, appraisal of uncertainty: danger, self-efficacy, and quality of life of subjects, used Pearson\u2019s correlational coefficients for relations of uncertainty, appraisal of uncertainty: opportunity, appraisal of uncertainty: danger, self-efficacy, and quality of life of subjects, and conducted hierarchical regression analysis for the factors affecting the quality of life of subjects.Using the SPSS\u00b1 5.65 years, and the range of age was 65~87 years. The most responses were obtained in married couples for marital status, spouses for main caregivers, and oneself or pensioners for breadwinners. In terms of disease-related characteristics, most responses were obtained in non-small cell lung cancer for diagnosis and stage III or IV for the clinical stage. The types of anticancer therapy included immunotherapy , targeted therapy , chemotherapy , and radiotherapy and chemotherapy . In terms of the number of people receiving anticancer therapy, 73 people (65.2%) received it once.The general characteristics and disease-related characteristics of subjects are listed in p = 0.015), economic condition , types of anticancer therapy , and number of anticancer therapies of subjects. In other words, people who graduated from high school or higher showed a higher quality of life than people who graduated from middle school or lower. The people who responded to economic conditions as middle showed a higher quality of life than the people who responded as low. In terms of the types of anticancer therapy, people who received immunotherapy or targeted therapy showed a higher quality of life than people who received chemotherapy. In the number of receiving anticancer therapy, the people with the first or second time showed higher quality of life than people with three times or more. There were no differences in the quality of life according to other general characteristics or disease-related characteristics.The comparison of the quality of life according to the general characteristics and disease-related characteristics of subjects is shown in The degree of uncertainty, appraisal of uncertainty: danger, appraisal of uncertainty: opportunity, self-efficacy, quality of life, and sub-areas of quality of life are shown in p < 0.001), appraisal of uncertainty: danger , appraisal of uncertainty: opportunity , and self-efficacy . In other words, the higher the degree of uncertainty and the higher the appraisal of uncertainty as a danger, the lower the quality of life of the participants. In addition, the higher the degree of self-efficacy and the higher the appraisal of uncertainty as an opportunity, the higher the quality of life of the participants.The relations of uncertainty, appraisal of uncertainty: danger, appraisal of uncertainty: opportunity, self-efficacy, and quality of life of subjects are shown in The analysis on the factors affecting the quality of life of subjects are presented in p < 0.001), economic condition (low) , the number of anticancer therapies (three times or more) , and graduation from high school or higher showed statistically significant results, and those variables explained 36.5% of the quality of life of subjects . In the results of analyzing by adding uncertainty, appraisal of uncertainty: danger, appraisal of uncertainty: opportunity, and self-efficacy to the general characteristics and disease-related characteristics in step 2, self-efficacy , appraisal of uncertainty: danger , appraisal of uncertainty: opportunity , the number of anticancer therapy (three times or more) , anticancer therapy (chemotherapy) were significant variables explaining the quality of life. As the explanatory power was increased by 37.7% compared to step 1, it totaled 74.2%, which was statistically significant .In the results of conducting the hierarchical regression analysis, in step 1, the degree of education, economic condition, types of anticancer therapy, and the number of anticancer therapies that showed significant differences among the general characteristics and disease-related characteristics were input. As a result, the variables such as anticancer therapies (chemotherapy) , or when receiving chemotherapy three or more times. Their variables explained 36.5% of the subject\u2019s quality of life. In the second stage, the subject\u2019s quality of life decreased when receiving anticancer therapy (chemotherapy) or more than three times of anticancer therapy. Additionally, the quality-of-life score increased by 0.1 points every time the subject\u2019s score perceived uncertainty evaluation as an opportunity increased by 1 point, and the quality of life decreased by 0.18 points every time the score perceived as a danger increased by 1 point. In addition, each time the self-efficacy score increased by 1 point, the quality of life increased by 0.16 points. Their variables explained 74.2% of the subject\u2019s quality of life. In the first stage, among the general characteristics that affect the quality of life and disease-related characteristics, chemotherapy was found to have the highest influence. Symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and weight loss resulting from chemotherapy make it difficult for patients to have confidence in their future . As a reThe study also revealed that the quality of life tends to decrease as the number of chemotherapy cycles increases. These findings are consistent with a recent study by Hyun and Kim , which sThe most significant influencing factor in the second stage was self-efficacy, which affects quality of life. The study confirmed that higher self-efficacy is associated with a higher quality of life, which is consistent with other studies demonstrating the significant impact of self-efficacy on cancer patients\u2019 quality of life ,51. AccoNext, the factors that were identified as affecting the quality of life were the appraisal of uncertainty as danger and the appraisal of uncertainty as opportunity. The appraisal of uncertainty has also been observed in studies of prostate cancer patients and breaMeanwhile, in this study, it was confirmed that uncertainty does not affect quality of life. There was a difference from Kim\u2019s study, wThis study is significant in the aspect of understanding the degree of uncertainty, appraisal of uncertainty, self-efficacy, and quality of life of elderly patients with lung cancer receiving anticancer therapy and also verifying the factors affecting the improvement of the quality of life of elderly patients with lung cancer. However, since this study included elderly patients with lung cancer from a single university hospital for convenience and did not include a sufficient number of subjects, generalizing the results of this study to elderly patients with lung cancer is limited. Furthermore, it needs to be careful when interpreting the results of this study, as there could be influences according to the treatment stage and symptoms following the types of anticancer drugs. As a result of influencing factors that affect the quality of life of elderly patients with lung cancer, self-efficacy, appraisal of uncertainty: danger, appraisal of uncertainty: opportunity, the number of anticancer therapy (three times or more), anticancer therapy (chemotherapy), economic condition (low), and education (graduation from high school or over) were significant influencing factors. Accordingly, in order to improve the quality of life of elderly patients with lung cancer, we analyze the degree to which uncertainty is evaluated as an opportunity or danger, reduce what is recognized as a danger, help them recognize it as an opportunity, and increase self-efficacy. In addition, intervention is needed in consideration of education, economic conditions, the type of anticancer therapy, and the number of anticancer therapy.First, there should be expert interventions for improving the quality of life of elderly patients with lung cancer receiving anticancer therapy. It is highly possible for elderly patients with lung cancer to experience uncertainty and declining quality of life in the process of treating their cancer. Thus, to raise the quality of life of elderly patients with lung cancer, it is urgent to develop intervention programs for establishing effective management measures by considering the degree of education, economic condition, and types and several anticancer therapies. In particular, the type of treatment and the number of treatments require active expert intervention. Explanations to the patients and mutual cooperation between experts and patients will improve the quality of life.In addition, there should be consideration of the appraisal of uncertainty: danger, opportunity, and self-efficacy. Furthermore, there should be research on the quality of life of cancer patients using Mishel\u2019s theory of uncertainty."} +{"text": "As the only blood vessels that can directly be seen in the whole body, pathological changes in retinal vessels are related to the metabolic state of the whole body and many systems, which seriously affect the vision and quality of life of patients. Timely diagnosis and treatment are key to improving vision prognosis. In recent years, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, the application of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology has become increasingly extensive and in-depth, especially in the field of retinal vascular diseases. Research study results based on artificial intelligence and fundus images are remarkable and provides a great possibility for early diagnosis and treatment. This paper reviews the recent research progress on artificial intelligence in retinal vascular diseases . The limitations and challenges of the research process are also discussed. In 1956, artificial intelligence (AI) was first proposed. As a branch of computer science, the purpose of AI is to develop and study computer methods to simulate and expand human intelligence and perform complex tasks . MachineWith the rapid development of computer science in recent years, AI has made significant progress. AI has been applied in the field of medicine, especially in ophthalmology, and the clinical application of AI is particularly extensive. AI has been used to develop AI models for automatic diagnosis, screening, classification and treatment, especially in ophthalmic diseases such as ocular surface diseases , anterioRetinal vascular disease (RVD) is a major retinal disease. The vascular system of the retina is one of the components of the systemic circulatory system. There are many causes of retinal vascular diseases, including the effects of local eye diseases and systemic diseases on retinal vessels, which can be divided into the following categories: 1) retinal vascular obstructive diseases, such as retinal vein occlusion; 2) the effects of systemic diseases on retinal vessels, such as diabetes and hypertension; 3) retinal vascular inflammatory immune diseases, such as retinal periphlebitis; and 4) retinal vascular abnormalities and developmental abnormalities, such as retinopathy of prematurity. Retinal vascular disease can cause irreversible damage to retinal cells and can seriously affect the vision of patients. If patients are not treated in time, they will experience serious vision loss or blindness. Therefore, for patients with retinal vascular disease, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment are particularly important, but relatively insufficient resources for ophthalmic diagnosis and treatment greatly limit the early diagnosis and treatment of retinal vascular diseases. In recent years, AI has become increasingly used in ophthalmology, especially in image recognition and processing of retinal vascular diseases, which provides a new possibility for early diagnosis and treatment. This review summarizes the research achievements of AI for the diagnosis of retinal vascular diseases in recent years and discusses the limitations and challenges of the research.Using the AI model by Diabetes is a common metabolic disease that causes extensive damage to many tissues and organs in the body. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most serious microvascular complications of diabetes and a common cause of blindness . The incBy analyzing the fundus examination images of DR patients, AI can complete the automatic diagnosis of DR, which is of great significance in improving the diagnostic and work efficiency of doctors. To build an AI model that can automatically detect DR, Hypertensive retinopathy (HR) is a common retinal vascular disease caused by long-term hypertension . Fundus In many studies, AI has been used to screen and diagnose HR, and the AI model constructed in this study showed good screening and diagnostic performance and has the potential for clinical application. AI is also used in the classification and grading of HR, which is expected to be used clinically to reduce the pressure on doctors. Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is one of most common retinal vascular disease, second only to diabetic retinopathy, and more common in older patients . The patAs an important clinical assistant tool, AI has been widely used in the early screening of retinal vein occlusion, and especially in areas where lacking medical resources, AI can play an important role. To assist in screening for retinal vein occlusion, In addition, AI can help clinicians diagnose RVO by identifying and segmenting the characteristic lesions in the images of patients with RVO, thus reducing the workload of clinicians. Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), also called retrolental fibroplasia, is a proliferative retinopathy of immature or low birth weight infants . Most ofTo automatically diagnose ROP, In recent years, AI model has made a lot of research achievements in assisting the clinical staging and grading diagnosis of ROP. In order to assist in the grading and staging of ROP, To detect the blood vessels in areas I, II, and III of children with ROP and to assist in assessing the severity of ROP, Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), also known as senile macular degeneration, is common in Europe, the United States, and other developed countries and is the main cause of blindness in the elderly in developed countries. Its incidence increases with age . At presTo assist clinicians in diagnosing age-related macular degeneration and distinguishing its different types, AI has carried out a lot of research in this area, with remarkable results. In addition to extensive research on the diagnosis and classification of AMD, AI has been used to predict the severity, disease progression, and therapeutic effect in patients with age-related macular degeneration. Based on the referenced studies, AI is widely used in retinal vascular diseases, especially in image recognition and data analysis. Although AI model shows superior performance in assisting the diagnosis, identification, screening, staging and grading of retinal vascular diseases, AI model also faces many limitations and challenges in the research process, which will seriously affect the further research of artificial intelligence in retinal vascular diseases and hinder its clinical application. Below, we list the main limitations and challenges of AI in research on retinal vascular diseases. 1) Image quality in the dataset : The imaAt present, the use of AI technology to assist clinicians in the study of ophthalmic images and other ophthalmic examinations is a current major focus. The combination of AI and ophthalmology will greatly improve the diagnosis of ophthalmic diseases, especially retinal vascular diseases based on the analysis of fundus images. The diagnosis model based on AI will be beneficial for the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of retinal vascular diseases. Although the application of artificial intelligence in the field of ophthalmology has made a lot of research results, but from the overall situation, it is only the beginning. With further developments in computer science and technology, the application of AI in the field of ophthalmology will be more and more widely used in the field of ophthalmology. In addition, with the deepening of research, in addition to image processing and recognition, other artificial intelligence technologies will also carry out related research in the field of ophthalmology, so as to promote the continuous development of ophthalmology."} +{"text": "Currently, there is an active introduction of modern types of psychosocial treatment (PST). At the same time, an important direction is the evaluation of the effectiveness of PST, the identification of factors affecting it, which determines the urgency of research in this area.To evaluate the effectiveness of psychosocial treatment of patients with schizophrenia at different stages of psychiatric care; to build regression models to identify factors that influence the effectiveness of psychosocial treatment.Clinical and psychopathological, statistical, as well as a battery of tests: PANSS, CGI; Drug Attitude Inventory ; Insight Scale for Psychosis ; \u00abSF-36 Health Status Survey\u00bb ; URICA ; The Social Adjustment Scale-Self ; PSP and a number of other scales. 90 patients with schizophrenia in the community, inpatient department of psychiatric hospital, day hospital participated in the basic PST program, which included psychoeducation, motivational training, social and cognitive skills training. At each stage, PST was received by 30 patients who did not differ significantly in age and other socio-demographic characteristics, but were characterized by different quality of remission, the duration of the PST program was 3 months. The assessment of the patients\u2019 condition was carried out before and after the rehabilitation program.A significant improvement in the indicators on the PANSS scale was found in patients of all three groups, as evidenced by a reduction of more than 10 points in the total score of the scale. As a result of the PST program, patients of all three groups have improved to varying degrees their awareness of the disease understanding of the need for drug treatment, increased motivation, and have shown a tendency to improve a number of cognitive functions. The participants of the program demonstrated an increase in the level of activity and purposefulness of activity, as well as the ability to master new social skills and implement them. Correlation and regression analysis, during which more than 100 factors were studied, allowed us to identify the most significant factors that positively or negatively affected the effectiveness of PST: severity of the condition, duration of illness, age of onset of the disease, age of referral to the service, number of hospitalizations, type of remission, observation group, level of education, marital status, family support, family relationships, having friends, having income.The effectiveness of the basic PST program has been shown. However, the work on evaluating the effectiveness of the PST should be continued, especially for the development of information criteria and a tool for its evaluation.None Declared"} +{"text": "To analyze the concept of Health Advocacy from the methodological framework of the Evolutionary Model.The concept of interest was evaluated from the perspective of published studies identified in the databases: Web of Science, CINAHL, EMBASE, SCOPUS, MEDLINE and articles of interest. The attributes were determined from 19 scientific productions. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, proposed by Bardin.The following operational definition was obtained: Health Advocacy is an intentional action, implemented jointly and in favor of individuals and communities, especially for those who suffer from health inequalities, with the aim of preserving and improving health, well-being and empowerment for health promotion.Thus, a broader concept of Health Advocacy was abstracted, from the micro to the macro, which contemplates the development of the patient\u2019s autonomy; includes individuals and groups in care plans and involves them in political activities as possibilities to provide assistance and correct health inequalities. Among these assumptions, one can mention the guidance for health promotion. This, as a practice, involves empowerment to increase control over the factors that influence and impact health.In this perspective, the Galway Consensus, agreed in June 2008, subsidizes the implementation of health promotion actions through the standardization of fundamental competences to promote health, divided into nine domains: Favoring change, Health Advocacy, Partnership, Communication, Leadership, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation and research. The document also emphasizes that the values and principles of health promotion are based on health determinants, equity, social justice and respect for diversity.Among the nine domains of competences, there is the concept of Health Advocacy, which is defined in the document Core Competencies in Health Promotion (CompHp), endorsed by the European Union, as: Claiming with and in favor of individuals, communities and organizations to improve health, well-being and capacity building for action in health promotion.It is understood that concepts are built throughout history, bringing significant contributions to the construction of knowledge. They are formed by identifying features common to a class of objects or phenomena. They are dynamic and strongly influenced by public socialization and interaction, and their development varies according to the social context,5. These concepts can be applied to advocacy exercised by a professional and directed at different individuals or groups and understood at macro and micro levels. Thus, the authors did not identify a study that would clarify this distinction, leading the concepts to be often used interchangeably.The concept of Health Advocacy, although defined in the literature, has gaps in terms of establishing well-defined limits and differentiating it from other similar concepts, such as Patient Advocacy, Environmental Advocacy, Self-advocacy and Nursing Advocacy,7.Additionally, there is a need to expand the investigation of the concept of Health Advocacy specifically in the field of Nursing (the CompHP definition has a multidisciplinary character), since the Health Advocacy exercised expressly by nurses has particular characteristics. However, exploring this concept can make the discussion about its applicability in nursing practice scenarios visible, expanding the understanding of the term and highlighting its relevance.The study aims to analyze the concept of Health Advocacy based on the methodological framework of the Evolutionary Model in order to make it possible to clarify the term and its distinction from similar ones, establishing a theoretical basis to guide practice and future studies.Concept analysis study, built from the methodological framework of the Evolutionary Model. According to the model, concepts are ideas, being better defined based on their use and the description of their set of attributes. It is a continuous process, subject to change, depending on the context, time and situation. The analysis of a concept must follow an inductive method, in which a consensus on the term is identified, its historical aspects are evaluated and elements of agreement and disagreement are determined in different areas.The concept analysis comprises six activities: 1. Identification of the concept of interest and associated expressions, in order to select the most appropriate terminology; 2. Choice of scenario and sample. In a literature-based analysis, setting refers to the period and areas or type of literature to be included; the sample is best available described in the relevant or pertinent literature; 3. Data collection and management to: highlight the attributes of the concept; and its contextual bases, antecedents, consequences and sociocultural and temporal variations, in order to understand the situations in which the concept can be used; 4. Data analysis, in general, through thematic analysis; 5. Identification of an example, when applicable, in order to clarify the application of the concept of interest; 6. Interpretation of results, with determination of implications, hypotheses and contributions to the future or continued development of the concept.In this study, the concept of interest in Health Advocacy was defined from the perspective of published and indexed studies in scientific databases: Web of Science, CINAHL, EMBASE, SCOPUS, MEDLINE/PUBMED and references to articles related to the concept. These databases were chosen due to the availability of productions with complex and detailed discussions on the topic. The CINAHL base was specifically chosen for its focus on Nursing and the others, given the efficiency of its coverageThe following inclusion criteria were used: original studies, reflective or reviews studies related to the theme of Health Advocacy; published in Portuguese, English or Spanish. Opinion articles, letters to the editor, previous notes were excluded; duplicate studies; research protocols; studies that did not describe the concept of Health Advocacy; and studies unavailable digitally or physically in full. The term Health Advocacy was used to search, and 4,001 results were identified. Excluding duplicates, 1,561 studies remained, which were read title and abstract, using a total of 19 articles that met the aforementioned criteria in this study.. The research protocol consists of nine data collection indicators: reference; year of publication; country of origin; concept; attributes; background; consequences; substitute terms; related concepts; use of the concept and application over time.For the follow-up of the study, a research protocol was adopted, which allowed its systematization, inductive reflective-critical reading and conceptual analysis. This protocol was chosen because it had already been used in another similar study, which also followed the activities described in the Evolutionary Model.The characterization of each of the elements proposed by Rodgers for concept analysis was used, as follows: Background - Aspects, situations and phenomena that contributed to the construction of the concept; Consequences - Refer to characteristics or phenomena generated after the construction of the concept; Substitute terms - Terms or expressions used that have the same meaning in articles; Related concepts - Concepts that contribute to the constitution of the evaluated concept; Attributes - Terms or expressions that characterize the concept. To clarify the application of the concept, the examples were demonstrated through the list of publications revealing the practical application of the concept, called empirical references and interpreted by contrasting the interdisciplinary findings.Data were analyzed using the thematic content analysis proposed by Bardin to carry out the analyzes and followed three phases: pre-analysis; exploration of the material and; treatment of results, inference and interpretation. The concepts extracted from each study were listed and the coding units were systematically identified in each text. Subsequently, these units were grouped into categories, called attributes. Finally, a single concept emerges from themes present in each category, listed considering the frequency and relevance of the inferred meaning of the coding units. To clarify the application of the concept, the examples were demonstrated through the list of publications revealing the practical application of the concept, called empirical referents and illustrated concomitantly with the antecedents and consequences. The results were displayed in tables and figures and interpreted by contrasting the interdisciplinary findings.Data were analyzed using content analysis, proposed by Bardin to carry out the analyzes and followed three phases: pre-analysis; exploration of the material and; treatment of results, inference and interpretationThe attributes of the Health Advocacy concept were grouped into four parts: starting point of the concept, who implements it, who benefits from it and what it achieves (objective), as shown in .Most authors describe Health Advocacy as an action and some qualify or attribute some requirements to it, such as: intentionality; planning; not biomedical, necessarily; and that goes beyond the regular demands. In addition, another author emphasizes Health Advocacy as a job, since it is configured as any practice that involves intention, time and effort. However, since Health Advocacy is characterized as an action, it is understood that its existence is configured in a field of practice. It is understood that the stimulus for initiating the Health Advocacy action will depend on basic conditions, such as individual beliefs.There is reference to Health Advocacy as a mindset and skill,28. An example of this occurs in the digital context, of social media, where a variety of topics are superficially discussed, without, however, presenting the potential to cause change.With regard to the characteristics of the action of Health Advocacy, it is a deliberate act. In this way, he must carry within himself the will to transform a reality, to intercede. Although it is understood that advocacy can manifest itself at macro and micro levels, there is a range of activities that should not be considered Health Advocacy,11. Thus, two important components of the concept of Health Advocacy emerge, the participation and empowerment of those who have a place to speak on the subject.The second group of attributes refers to the person responsible for implementing Health Advocacy. Different actors are reported in the literature, including individuals, groups, health professionals, organizations, communities and society. Therefore, it is understood that any individual or group can practice Health Advocacy. Authors emphasize that the action must be carried out jointly with the beneficiary. Corroborating this is the emphasis on the need to include training on Health Advocacy in the nursing curriculum. Furthermore, the search using the terms \u201cHealth Advocacy\u201d and \u201cNursing\u201d showed that publications specifically using the terminology Health Advocacy in this area are rare.Health advocacy implemented by nurses has particular characteristics, since it requires specific skills and actions from them, in addition to presenting facilities and barriers inherent in the area of nursing. However, this type of advocacy, while necessary, has little potential for long-term change. It is noteworthy that there are more vocal types of Health Advocacy and others that are more silent, so that health professionals tend to exercise the type that best suits their practices and lives.Among the studies on Health Advocacy in the context of nursing, those focusing on actions at the micro level, directed at individual patients and with an emphasis on barriers related to interprofessional relationships and institutional conflicts of interest, stand out.An example of Health Advocacy at the macro level would be actions to increase funding sources or change protocols for accessing gender-affirmative treatments by transgender people; and for micro advocacy it would be to help an individual patient who does not meet all the requirements present in a given protocol to gain access to gender reassignment treatment. They can be inspired to face contemporary and future challenges, reflecting on the work of nursing personalities, such as Lillian Wald, Dorothea Dix and Florence Nightingale. These historic leaders embraced and shaped the delivery of population-based health care and advocacy and policy making.When nurses practice advocacy, their own power, professional status, and job satisfaction are enhancedThis is followed by the division of attributes with the detailing of the beneficiaries of the Health Advocacy action. The terms individuals and collectivities, likewise, broadly cover all beneficiaries, even in cases where the action will be in favor of cases and causes. By way of clarification, cases such as advocacy exercised at micro levels are understood, in general, advocacy directed at a patient; causes, on the other hand, is configured in advocacy exercised at the macro level, with objectives that will benefit collectivities.Attributes two and three may be responsible for the variability of concepts related to Health Advocacy. It was observed that, in the context of health, there is a tendency to name the type of advocacy based on who performs it or benefits from it. The use of the term patient advocacy is frequently observed, for example, when the action is directed at a sick person; or the term advocacy in nursing when the action is implemented by nurses. These different usages result in confusion in the understanding and application of the terminologies.,5. However, it is commonly used interchangeably with Health Advocacy, even though Health Advocacy is not restricted to the benefit of patients. Therefore, the existence of a conceptual hierarchy is assumed.The concept of patient advocacy has been discussed previously. Other authors describe health advocacy as a combination of individual and social actions aimed at obtaining political commitment, social acceptance, policies and support systems. It is observed that in both examples they cite mechanisms and omit the actual purpose of the activity.Finally, the attributes related to the objectives to be achieved were grouped together. When it comes to the desired result, it is observed that some authors do not distinguish between recommendations for how to reach the intended objective itself. For example, authors state that health advocacy is an intentional action by health professionals to address health determinants that negatively impact individuals or the communityIn any case, a variety of different objectives were identified, which included: (a) structural changes, such as obtaining political commitment, social acceptance, policies and support systems, influencing authorities and individuals, addressing systemic problems, promoting social changes, economic, educational, and political, address health determinants, mobilize resources, influence health policy, create system change, reduce health threats, and address unhealthy systems; (b) curative perspectives, aiming to alleviate suffering, achieve health, guarantee access to care and the health system, implement the right to health and meet a health need; and (c) preventive perspective and health promotion, to achieve health promotion objectives, with a view to developing health promotion actions; and improve health and well-being.. In Brazil, equity is one of the principles of the health system and should be taken into account in the management of health actions and resources.Knowing that health is socially determined, for example by economic conditions, housing, food; actions to result in real impact on health require structural changes. At the same time, considering the range of demands, it is important that the strategies consider the need for health equityHealth Advocacy is based on the values of health promotion. Thus, a broader concept of health is assumed, contemplating individual perspectives and empowerment to maintain health. For example, when there is a movement to implement culture, leisure and sports activities in the community for the elderly population, there is a demand for health, instead of exclusively curative.Therefore, from the determination of the most relevant attributes, the operational definition was arrived at: Health Advocacy is configured as an intentional action, implemented jointly and in favor of individuals and collectivities, especially for those who suffer from inequities in health, with the aim of preserving or improving health, well-being and empowering for health promotion.,30.Although the terminology Health Advocacy appears in studies published from 1974 to 1993, the publications referred to the term without proceeding with its previous definition or continuing with the concept of advocacy only. Some researchers have tried to construct a clear definition or framework for understanding Health Advocacy; however, these efforts met with limited success. As a result, there remained a divergence of understandings and wide variability in the enactment of Health Advocacy. It is observed that the concept emphasizes examples of mechanisms through which Health Advocacy manifests itself but fails to highlight elements of empowerment and detailing the characteristics of the objectives to be achieved.The World Health Organization in the Glossary of Health Promotion defines Health Advocacy as the combination of individual and social actions to acquire political engagement, policy support, social acceptance and support of systems or programs to achieve goals.In the Brazilian context, the Health Reform can be considered a Health Advocacy action, as it sought to reduce social inequalities and structural changes in the health care model. However, even so, the greatest challenge for the realization of the right to health in Brazil is to develop health democracy, related to the effective participation of society in strategic decision-making that result in the realization of the universal, equal and integral right to health. However, a model is lacking to explain the term. Some important elements can be added to the concept, such as the deliberate character of the action, the emphasis on health inequities, the objectives, in addition to aspects related to the maintenance of well-being or health. Additionally, the term collectivities, or groups, better encompasses other aggregations of individuals, such as health professionals.The document Core Competencies in Health Promotion (CompHp), endorsed by the European Union, published in 2012, defines Health Advocacy as: Advocating with and on behalf of individuals, communities and organizations to improve health and well-being and to develop capacity for health promotion actionsFinally, the virtual era adds a new scenario, or even a new element to the concept of Health Advocacy: the location. While, in general, Health Advocacy actions are taking place at the level of institutions, especially those of direct health care, in recent decades, with the use of the internet and social networks, the digital context has gained preponderance. Characteristics such as democratization and the expansion of the reach of information offer this technology enormous potential to generate changes.The study brings a broader concept of Health Advocacy, from the micro to the macro, in which it contemplates the development of the patient\u2019s autonomy; includes individuals and groups in care plans and involves them in political activities as possibilities to provide assistance and correct health inequalities. In this way, understanding the concept of Health Advocacy makes nurses more empowered in terms of practice, defending patients and families, as well as favoring health reforms.It is expected to contribute to a more consistent use of the concept of Health Advocacy, for its use prior to its operationalization in practice, since health advocacy encompasses a wide range of activities such as: encouraging patients to engage in healthy behaviors , helping patients navigate health care , and engaging in systems and policy-level activism to provide assistance and correct health inequalities."} +{"text": "Objectives: The central sterile services department (CSSD) offers a variety of procedures, including collecting contaminated medical equipment from various agencies through a process of washing, cleaning, packing, and sterilization, followed by storage and distribution to internal and external departments. Plans to expand and open service to the Center of Excellence continue, which will result in a rapid increase in the processing of specialized medical devices. The Center of Excellence is a source of education, learning, teaching, and practice in the cleaning, disposal, and sterile treatment of medical devices. We sought to improve the quality of sterile medical equipment to satisfy international standards of safety. Methods: We implemented a 7-stage process in the CSSD and we developed a checklist with 8 categories of environmental development based on APSIC guidelines. We provided knowledge to CSSD employees, developed their skills, and promoted attitudes in various areas, including sterile work standards, the use of sterilization machines, and infection prevention and control both inside and outside the facility. Results: We established inventory control systems, storage guidelines, and disbursement of medical supplies and equipment in the CSSD. To improve machine use in sterilization treatment or disposal, we educated staff and provided practice of machine skills according to instructions for use. Information technology (IT) was used for the distribution process, medical device identification, recording sterilization, and statistical logging of sterilization and sterile services. Conclusions: Overall, we improved the quality of CSSD services and knowledge and practice of CSSD staff, and we achieved compliance with international standards. These measures ensure the safety of service providers and patients and build trust in the quality of CSSD services and output."} +{"text": "Entropy, entitled Information and Divergence Measures, covers various aspects and applications in the general area of Information and Divergence Measures.The present Special Issue of Measures of information appear everywhere in probability and statistics. They play a fundamental role in communication theory. They have a long history dating back to the papers of Fisher, Shannon, and Kullback. There are many measures each claiming to capture the concept of information or simply being measures of divergence or distance between two probability distributions. Numerous generalizations of such measures also exist. The concept of distance is important in establishing the degree of similarity and/or closeness between functions, populations, and distributions. The intense engagement of many authors with entropy and divergence measures demonstrates the significant role they are playing in the sciences. Indeed, distances and entropies are related to inferential statistics, including both estimation and hypothesis testing problems ,3,4,5,6,All the articles included in this Special Issue were reviewed and accepted for publication because they have been found to contribute research works of the highest quality and at the same time, they highlight the diversity of the topics in this scientific area. The issue presents twelve original contributions that span a wide range of topics. In , the aut"} +{"text": "To further promote the effective governance of rural human settlements in China, it is necessary to summarize and organize the research on rural human settlements that has been undertaken in the last decade. This paper analyzes the current status of rural human settlements research from the perspectives of Chinese literature and English literature. It takes the core documents included in WOS (Web of Science) and CNKI as samples, and produces a visual analysis of the authors, institutions, disciplines, and research hotspots for rural human settlements research with the help of CiteSpace V and other measurement software, focus on identifying the similarities and differences between CNKI and WOS in the study of rural human settlements. The results show that the number of papers is increasing; cooperation between Chinese researchers and institutions needs to be further strengthened; the existing research has achieved interdisciplinary integration; the research hotspots are converging, but China pays more attention to the study of the hard environment, such as the macro level of rural human settlements and the natural ecological environments of residence, and lacks insight into the soft environment, such as the main body of residences, social relations, and individual needs in the urban fringe. This study is conducive to promoting the integrated development of urban and rural areas in China, promoting the revitalization and development of rural areas in China, and achieving social equity. The rural human settlement environment refers to the places that rural residents rely on for production, life, and residence. With the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, rural human settlements have attracted much attention and become an important part of rural revitalization. The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China officially proposed action to be carried out for the rectification of rural human settlement environments. Since then, the study of rural human settlement environments has gained the attention of domestic scholars. In February 2018, the General Offices of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the Three-year Action Plan for the Improvement of Rural Human Settlements (2018\u20132020). In 2021, the General Offices of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the five-year Action Plan for the improvement of Rural Human Settlements (2021\u20132025). The improvement of rural human settlements has entered a new stage [In order to fully reflect the reliability and comprehensiveness of the data, the Chinese and English documents in this paper are from the CNKI platform and WOS platform, respectively, which represent one of the most authoritative databases in Chinese and English.Chinese studies were screened through the CNKI platform, and data sources were selected from Peking University Core, EI, and CSSCI. The search conditions were as follows: the subject was rural human settlements OR village human settlements; the document type is academic journal; the language is Chinese; the matching method was selected as accurate; the time span is 1 January 2013\u20138 June 2022. Due to the requirements of the research tools, the title information was exported in the form of Refworks, EndNote, and NoteExpress text, and imported into NoteExpress software for data cleaning and manual cleaning. In order to prevent the contents of master\u2019s and doctoral theses and conferences from duplicating the contents of journals, some documents, such as master\u2019s and doctoral theses and conference theses, as well as book reviews, conferences, solicitations, news articles, etc., which were not relevant to the research topic, were eliminated, and 292 effective documents were finally obtained. For English literature screening through WOS, the following search conditions were entered for the basic search: the database is a core collection of Web of Science; the theme is rural residential environment or rural living environment; the document types are article and review; the language is English; the time span is 1 January 2013\u20138 June 2022. A total of 2991 documents were searched. After the duplications were processed in the same way as that described for the Chinese documents, a total of 2990 valid documents were retained.http://www.sationline.cn/#!/, Tianjin, China), Note Express , and CiteSpace V , a literature measurement software used around the world. SATI is a document catalog information analysis tool, which converts text data such as CNKI, WANFANG DATA, and the China Science and Technology Journal Database, and extracts and counts data including keywords, authors, and institutions for the construction of a common word matrix and the conversion of different matrices [The research tools used were SATI4.0 was used to analyze the literature data, and 1407 keywords were found from 2013 to 2022, among which 895 were independent keywords, with an average of 4.82 keywords per article. SATI software algorithm was used to obtain the rural human settlements keyword clustering diagram . There aThe smaller the number in the clustering label, the more keywords it contains. Taking the first three significant clusters as an example , the cluAccording to the above graphic analysis, the research themes and trends related to rural human settlements in CNKI can be divided into the following areas.The first point relates to rural revitalization and rural human settlement environment research. At present, most Chinese research on rural human settlements is related to the development of rural revitalization. Based on the background of rural revitalization, Liu Chunxia\u2019s paper analyzes the current status of rural residential environment improvement in Henan Province, and puts forward countermeasures, such as developing rural industries, unified village planning, and the intensive use of public funds . Li BohuThe second point pertains to research on the residential environment. Residential environment research is the focus of this area of rural residential environment research, and mainly considers water and sanitation improvement, garbage treatment, sewage treatment, and the construction of public service facilities. It advocates the construction of a new countryside and a livable countryside. However, domestic research on the living environment focuses more on the improvement of the natural environment, and less on the study of the human and cultural environment in relation to the rural living environment. Zhou Chuanbin designed an ecological engineering model for a rural courtyard, with \u201cplanting\u2014breeding\u2014toilet\u2014cleaning\u2014water cellar\u201d as the main line, demonstrating a micro-ecological cycle, with the production and life integration of a compound ecological courtyard . Ma JunqThe third area pertains to residential space research. China is a vast country. Due to the varying climate, terrain, and other natural environmental features, as well as traditional national culture and social and economic conditions, there are regional differences in residential spaces. Lin Chuanhong analyzes the spatial patterns of rural human settlements in Anhui Province from three perspectives: production space, living space, and ecological space . From thAs shown above, a knowledge graph analysis was undertaken for the research of rural human settlements in CNKI. Then, statistics and trend analysis were conducted for the research of rural human settlements with the data of literature included in WOS, so as to understand the overall and directional nature of international research in this field. This aspect of the study aimed to generate follow-up research on rural human settlements.As can be seen from In terms of the countries that have published papers on rural human settlements, this paper selects the top 10 countries according to the number of published papers . It can According to the analysis of the network of cooperative institutions that was conducted using CiteSpace V software see , there aThe top 10 disciplines of English research on rural human settlements were selected see , and theAccording to the SATI analysis, the number of total authors and independent authors in the study of rural human settlements in the past decade is 15,290 and 13,662, respectively, with an average of 5.12 authors per article. Through an analysis of the author cooperation network, conducted using CiteSpace, Introduction to land use and rural sustainability in China, Liu Y.S. offered an examination of the impact of shifts in human socio-economic activities on changes in land use and related policy making from both Chinese and global perspectives [The type of reference nodes in the literature data was analyzed using CiteSpace V, and the time slice was set as one year with a time span of 2013\u20132022. Other settings were set to the default. pectives . Conceptpectives . Thus, tA total of 11,635 keywords and 6968 independent keywords were retrieved through WOS, with an average of 3.89 keywords per article. According to the word frequency list of CiteSpace V, the top 20 high-frequency keywords were selected see . Among tThe WOS bibliographic information was imported into CiteSpace V software, the type of Keyword node was analyzed, the time slice was set to one year, and the keyword clustering view was obtained after running the software . There wThe keyword clustering was converted into a time graph , showingAccording to the above chart analysis, the themes and trends in rural human settlements research in WOS can be summarized as follows.The first area pertains to residential environment research. English literature mainly discusses the impact of living environments on human health, in relation to asthma, depression, obesity, and other diseases, as well as the relationship between mental health and neighborhood relations. Studies have shown that the degree of exposure to natural environments affects mental health. Beyer, K.\u2019s article examining the relationship between green spaces and mental health and the role of green space in non-urban settings suggests that \u201cgreening\u201d may be a potential strategy for improving populations\u2019 mental health in the United States . EngemanThe study of residential subjects is another key area. In WOS, scholars have carried out classification research on the main part of residence when studying the rural residential environment, especially the elderly, women, children, and young people. The most important active groups in rural human settlements are the elderly, women, children, and other vulnerable groups. According to Burholt, V., the rural environment intensifies the difficulty of social participation and access to social resources, and it enhances the loneliness of the elderly in their later years . In addiBased on the literature analysis conducted using SATI4.0, Note Express, and CiteSpace V, this paper drew a knowledge map of rural human settlements research from 2013 to 2022. We summarized and compared the number of papers, authors, research institutions, subject areas, research hotspots and trends, as well as important literature on rural human settlements in CNKI and WOS. The main conclusions are as follows:In terms of the number of published papers, both CNKI and WOS have shown a rising trend in the number of papers published on rural human settlements research. Both of them attach great importance to rural human settlements research, and their research prospects are broad.In terms of research authors and institutions, compared with WOS, CNKI lacks communication and cooperation between research authors and research institutions, and has not yet formed a complete and close cooperation network. However, Chinese research authors and research institutions have close cooperation with other countries\u2019 research authors and research institutions internationally, and they play an important role in these networks. The core group of authors and cooperating institutions in international research on rural human settlement environment has formed a relatively complete cooperative network.In this study, we can find that the study of rural human settlements in WOS integrates geography, environmental science, planning, ecology, economics, management, history, pathology, and other disciplines, realizing interdisciplinary research. The research on rural human settlements in CNKI has also achieved interdisciplinary research, but the degree of interdisciplinary integration is not as high as that in WOS.The research hotspots in CNKI are rural revitalization, living environment, and living space, and more of them are based on rural revitalization to promote rural revitalization and development. It focuses on the transformation of the living environment, including the transformation of water and toilets, garbage disposal, and sewage treatment, and the construction of public service facilities. The living spaces of different regions are mainly studied from the perspectives of production, life, ecology, and \u201cliving space\u201d, especially in relation to changes in traditional settlements in China. Because China has a long history and culture, the change in settlements reflects the different choices living subjects make regarding their living environments in different periods . GeneralIt can be seen from the above studies that the research on rural human settlements has broad prospects. In future research, Chinese scholars should connect with the hotspots of international rural human settlements research, set out the national conditions, combine the actual situations of different regions and types of rural areas in China, and establish a system theory and policy suitable for the development of rural human settlements in China. Scholars should aim to strengthen the research on the subject of rural human settlements, social relations, individual needs, and the impact of urbanization on rural human settlements from a micro perspective and continue to conduct in-depth research on the human environment, housing structures, infrastructure, and urban\u2013rural integration. We will continue to learn from countries with valuable practical experience and provide a meaningful reference for effectively promoting the integrated development of urban and rural areas in China, promoting rural revitalization and development and social equity."} +{"text": "During recent years, remarkable progress has been made in the development of new materials. Advanced structured materials, including smart and nano materials, have opened up new engineering possibilities because of their specific properties that are not found in nature, and can be significantly changed by a user in a controlled manner to make them appropriate for certain applications. Due to their unique properties, smart and nano materials have been of interest in countless areas of technical application, in various systems and structures, including intelligent and adaptive sensing or actuation, as well as active control. An understanding of the relationships between their structures and properties is of crucial importance for the practical utilization of these materials.Over the past several years, a series of approaches for progress in structural control and healthy monitoring have left paramount impacts on our everyday lives. This has shaped the framework of many engineering fields. Given the current state of quantitative and principled methodologies, nowadays, it is possible to rapidly and consistently evaluate the structural safety of mechanical systems, industrial machines, and modern concrete buildings, etc., to test their capability for serving their intended purpose. However, unsolved, problematic, and new challenges exist. Unmolded nonlinearities, ineffective sensor placement, and the effects of confounding influences due to operational and environmental variabilities still harm the effectiveness of the state of structural control and healthy monitoring systems. A typical integrating structural control and health monitoring system is shown in The aim of this Special Issue is to gain new, unique knowledge about the relationships between the structures and physico-mechanical and chemical properties of new materials, including finding ways to structure the control and development of new methods for structural healthy monitoring. Another goal is to gather the main contributions of academics and practitioners in mechanical, aerospace, and civil engineering to provide a common ground for improvements to these approaches to structural control and healthy monitoring, by using the unique properties of smart and nano materials. Studies concerning sensor technologies, vibration-based techniques, artificial-intelligence-based methods, and related fields are all welcome, in both numerical and experimental form.Structural health monitoring;Structural control;Smart materials and structures;Nanomaterials and nanocomposites;Sensors and actuators;Energy harvesting;Artificial intelligence;Damage detection;System identification;Machine learning;Sensor placement;Intelligent structure systems.The keywords of this Special Issue are:Evidently, the articles accepted for publication will cover all the topics and it is expected that the manuscripts published here are of interest to researchers working in improving the materials utilized in structural control and health monitoring.The manuscripts of this Special Issue can be classified according the topics provided in Considering the knowledge of the guest editors of this Special Issue, the preservation of the structural integrity of the damaged parts is distinguished by a control and repair procedure through establishing the smart and nanomaterials effect, in which local moment and force are induced in these materials by applying the converse effect of the structure, in order to break the increase in stress and strain levels due to the external load, thus decreasing the criticality of the damage. Additionally, entering structural health monitoring (SHM) and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques into the procedure of controlling and repairing the damage to structures will definitely highly affect the avoidance of a premature collapse of mechanical and civil structures such as pipelines, houses, bridges, aerospace, and offshore platforms. In this Special Issue, we underwent efforts to collect contributions from active researchers in the fields of structural control and health monitoring, and also mechanical, structural, electrical, material, and other engineering fields. It will act as a platform for sharing. Furthermore, researchers may provide transparent views and indices for their research areas through challenges and opportunities. In short, this sharing can help researchers to develop new ideas, particularly in the early stages of this research field."} +{"text": "In order to effectively protect rare and endangered plants, 27 provincial-level administrative regions in North Asia (the Asian part of Russia) have compiled and published local Red Data Books. In this study, the names (with synonyms) of vascular plants in the 27 provincial Red Books were digitalized and merged into a database of rare and endangered vascular plants in North Asia. The purpose is to reflect the species composition, geographic distribution pattern, and protection level of these plants and their inclusion in the national Russian Red Data Book and the IUCN Red List, and provide a reference for formulating conservation strategies. The dataset has a total of 2079 species, 160 subspecies, and 53 varieties belonging to 667 genera and 143 families. It contains data on 2292 taxa, including family name, genus name, species name and synonyms, protection level, and other information. We also analyzed the main influencing factors, existing problems of rare and endangered vascular plant species, and suggestions for addressing them. We conclude that, to date, the IUCN criteria have not been applied consistently in all regions, leading to an excessive number of species being recorded in the Red Data Books of Asian Russia; specifically, one-third of all floral species are in the regional Red Data Books. Based on this list, scientific and practical measures for protection, reproduction, and rational use are formulated. Since 1963, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has maintained the list, also known as the Red List of Threatened Species containeDuring the development of the government decree in 1996, Red Data Books were officially established in all regions of Russia. The first official regional Red Books began to appear in the Altai Territory and the Novosibirsk region in 1998 ,8. The mThis article provides a comprehensive analysis of the rare and endangered vascular plants included in all 27 Red Data Books at the provincial level in the Asian part of Russia , and all of them are listed in a database that has been created.2, or approximately 77% of Russia\u2019s territory. In the west, the border runs mainly along the middle of the Ural Mountains, separating the European and Asian parts of the Russian Federation. The northern and eastern boundaries are bounded by the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. Along the southern border, the region shares borders with Kazakhstan, Mongolia, the People\u2019s Republic of China, and North Korea. North Asia includes the Ural Federal District, the Siberian Federal District, and the Far Eastern Federal District, with a total of 27 provincial administrative regions extends from southwest to northeast. In North Asia, there are four major rivers: the Ob, the Lena, the Yenisei, and the Amur Rivers. The climatic characteristics of North Asia vary from coastal oceanic to strongly continental in inland Siberia . There aAlthough the 27 provincial-level regions in North Asia have compiled and published lists of rare and endangered vascular plants, the information is scattered in certain regions, with a degree of dispersion and locality. There are still some species for which the accepted name is not generally accepted internationally, and there is the issue of synonyms. The purpose of this paper is to integrate the Red Book species lists of 27 provincial distribution areas in Asian Russia and form a distribution map of rare and endangered vascular plants in North Asia, and to reveal the status of threatened vascular plants and the influencing factors. We attempted to compile an integrated checklist of Red Book vascular plants of North Asia in order to contribute to the protection and rational use of these species.We collated 143 families, 667 genera, 2079 species, 160 subspecies, and 53 varieties from the checklists of rare and endangered vascular plant species in 27 regional Red Data Books in North Asia .Oxytropis, Astragalus (both in Fabaceae), and Carex (Cyperaceae) ranked in the top three indicate that in terms of family classification, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, and Ranunculaceae ranked in the top three . In termop three .Among North Asia\u2019s 27 provincial distribution regions, rare and endangered vascular plant species (including subspecies and varieties) are unevenly distributed across different areas. This includes the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area, located in the Arctic region of the Western Siberian Plain, which has the lowest number at only 61 taxa. Krasnoyarsk Territory has the highest number with 328 taxa, and the regions with the second-highest numbers are the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and Khabarovsk Territory, with 265 taxa a.Among the 27 provincial-level regions in North Asia, the proportion of rare and endangered vascular plants to the total number of vascular plants is between 6% (Republic of Tuva) and 18% (Kurgan Region) b. The Red Data Book of the Russian Federation includesThe comparative analysis results indicate that among all 2292 species (subspecies and varieties) of rare and endangered vascular plants in the 27 provincial regions of North Asia, 65 families, 115 genera, and 190 species (subspecies and varieties) were on the IUCN\u2019s Red List of vascular plants , represeWe analyzed the similarities and differences in the assessment criteria of threat levels in the three sets of data in this paper. The results show that the evaluation criteria of the Russian national and local red lists conform to the basic framework of the IUCN evaluation criteria, with supplements added and improvements made at the same time see . The IUCBased on the relationship between the assessment standards of the IUCN and Russia, we determined the endangered level of 2292 threatened taxa in North Asia . Among tBased on the descriptions in the Red Book, we conducted incomplete statistics on the influencing factors of the 2292 threatened species, which mainly include 12 types: residential and commercial development, agriculture and aquaculture, energy production and mining, transportation and service corridors, biological resource use, human intrusion and disturbance, natural system modifications, plant diseases and insect pests, geological events, climate change and severe weather, and low ability of species to reproduce and spread, with narrow distribution. We counted a total of 6679 items of risk factor data, and their proportions are shown in The local Red Data Book for North Asia\u2019s 27 provincial administrative regions includes 143 families, 667 genera, and 2292 species (subspecies and varieties) , with 69Based on the three sets of data in this paper, these numbers basically reflect the geographical distribution pattern of rare and endangered vascular plants in North Asia a. It canStipa pulcherrima K. Koch has decreased due to pasture cultivation, and the species may be endangered or disappear [Eutrema cordifolium Turcz. ex Ledeb. [Micranthes brachypetala Tkach [Based on the statistical results of the influencing factors of threatened species, it is evident that the most important factors are human economic activity, livestock farming and ranching, tourism and recreation, gathering of terrestrial plants, logging and wood harvesting, mining and quarrying, roads and railroads, climate change and severe weather, and fire and fire suppression. For example, in the Trans-Urals, the abundance of isappear ,33,35. Ix Ledeb. ,21,22 anv) Tkach ,17,18 isAt the level of the 27 regions in North Asia, the number of Red Book species (subspecies and varieties) accounts for 6% (Tuva Republic) to 18% (Kurgan Region) of all vascular plants in the region b. HoweveCeratophyllum demersum L. and Potamogeton pectinatus L. (Stuckenia pectinata (L.) B\u00f6rner), and the Red Book of the Irkutsk region includes Hydrocharis morsus-ranae L. and Sagittaria sagittifolia L., which are on the edge of their range. Of the total 224 vascular plants in the Amur region Red Book, 81 are on the edge of the distribution area or ecological distribution area, accounting for 36% of the total.The vast territory of Asian Russia, from both west to east and north to south, includes the limits of distribution of many species. The populations of many plant species that are on the edge of their range are often less resilient than those in the center of the range. It was shown for aquatic species that growing at the limits of their global range was the most frequent reason for their inclusion in regional Red Data Books of Asian Russia, and 61 species represent 64% of the list . Thus, tTriglochin maritima L. and Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleid. are included in the Red Data Book of Kamchatka Territory [Potamogeton perfoliatus L. in the Red Data Book of Chukotka Autonomous Area [Elatine, Coleanthus subtilis (Tratt.) Seidel ex Roem. et Schult., and Ranunculus reptans L. are often included in Red Data Books, although they are often not threatened, as they are widespread. These species, as a rule, have no commercial value and are not collected by local people. In this case, conservation management decisions will hardly affect the abundance of the taxon in nature. In the case of a threatened taxon, as a rule, we are looking at the action of anthropogenic factors, which can be weakened or removed by making managerial decisions.A large number of taxa are listed in the regional books of the Asian part of Russia because some of our colleagues confuse the concepts of \u201crare\u201d species and \u201cendangered\u201d species. Regarding the former, the rarity of a taxon is often associated with natural causes or their ecological and biological features. erritory , and Potous Area . Some plIt was shown that most of the aquatic plants in the regions of Asian Russia are not considered to be threatened; approximately one-half have stable populations, there are no data for one-third of the species, and one-fifth of the species are increasing, while most of the protected species in the region listed in the Red Data Book of Russia are declining (94%) . Most ofHydrilla verticillata (L. f.) Royle, which is commonly found in neighboring plain regions, is among the rare species in the Red Book. Some species have a wide distribution, but are rare because of their association with cold oligotrophic lakes .Some Red Books list species whose distribution is regulated by purely natural factors . As an example, in the Republic of Altai , with a A notable effect of climate change is the northward range expansion of both widespread native species and non-native species, which has already been recorded for some aquatic plants and many southern species now occurring north of their conventional ranges . It is iIt is also inappropriate to include such species in the regional Red Data Books . UsuallyAs of 2020, six regions of Asian Russia did not have up-to-date floristic reports; in 11 regions, these reports were presented by key manuals in which the keys for identifying plants take up a lot of space, and only 10 had full-fledged reports (flora or synopsis of flora) . HoweverAfter combining the vascular plant lists in the Red Books of 27 provincial distribution areas and removing duplicate data, a total of 2440 records were obtained. When these records are matched against the Catalogue of Life, which includes 495 taxa synonyms, it can be seen that the proportion of synonyms in the data is as high as 22.0%. This shows that the problem of synonyms is widespread.Among the 27 provincial distribution areas in North Asia, the years of publication are different, as well as the standards for division. In most regions, the Red Books are compiled according to the requirements of the \u201cMethodological recommendations for maintaining the Red Data Book of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation\u201d. The assessment of taxa protection levels basically refers to the relevant assessment standards of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation . AccordiFirst, descriptions should indicate the conservation status of the taxon in all neighboring regions. In this case, if an author uses other categories (including those recommended by IUCN), the data for the region become incomparable with the data for neighboring regions. And since the Red Books in neighboring regions are usually published in different years, we do not know how this contradiction could be resolved.Second, as we pointed out above, the flora of many regions of Russia is still poorly studied. Not all regions of the country have a sufficient number of qualified botanists. As shown by a seminar on the use of IUCN criteria in the Russian Federation at the regional level held in Moscow in the early 2000s, the floristic information available for most regions of the country does not allow a qualitative determination of the categories of protection for many plant taxa. There are Russian studies on the current situation with rarity categories and recommendations for changing it ,45,46,47Today, we can state that the prepared and approved letter of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation No. 02-12-53/5987 dated 27 July 2006, \u201cMethodological recommendations for maintaining the Red Book of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation\u201d .Thus, we summarized the information about compiling red lists in the vast territory of Asian Russia, which surpasses Canada, China, and all of Europe in size. Russia has a long way to go, starting from understanding the importance of and providing state support for the branch of knowledge known as conservation biology in order to study population dynamics and threats. It is necessary to rebuild the entire system of compiling red lists of species in need of protection. Undoubtedly, it is necessary to adopt the vast global experience gained by the IUCN in compiling the Red Lists ). We collected and digitalized the vascular plant data in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation (514 species (subspecies and varieties) altogether) [https://www.iucnredlist.org/search (accessed on 28 January 2023)).We followed the administrative divisions of the Asian part of Russia comprising 27 first-level regions: 12 regions (oblasts), six territories (krais), five republics, three autonomous areas (autonomous okrugs), and one autonomous region (autonomous oblast) . The namogether) and the ogether) ,37,38,39This dataset includes the rare and endangered vascular plants listed in 27 provincial-level Red Books in North Asia (published or released), with a data volume of 2292 items see . The dathttp://www.sp2000.org.cn/names_match_services (accessed on 2 November 2022)). The spelling of names and authors in the Catalogue of Life was accepted as well. A few names that were missing in this global index of species were nevertheless included in the checklist. In this dataset, the classification is based on PPGI [To harmonize the taxonomy and nomenclature applied in different data sources, we followed the taxonomy of the 2019 Annual Checklist of the Catalogue of Life ( on PPGI for lyco on PPGI , and APG on PPGI for angiBased on the Red List of vascular plants in 27 regions of North Asia, we calculated the numbers and distribution patterns from the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation and the IUCN Red List. We analyzed the similarities and differences in the assessment criteria for threat levels in the three sets of data in this paper, and selected a unified IUCN standard for merging and other comparative analyses. We also attempted to summarize and analyze the factors influencing these threatened species.Our research shows a huge disproportion, with one-third of North Asia\u2019s vascular plants being included under different classes of protection in the regional Red Data Books of Asian Russia. One of the common shortcomings of a significant number of regional Red Data Books is the inclusion of many species that are not actually threatened by extinction and do not need special protection measures.The most significant problems of the regional Red Books of Asian Russia, according to the authors, are confusion between the concepts of \u201crare\u201d species and \u201cendangered\u201d species, the frequent inclusion of species at the borders of ranges, the inclusion of species under the control of natural factors, the inclusion of species characteristic of individual stages of restorative succession, insufficient knowledge of the territory and a lack of data on population dynamics, and organizational problems associated with maintaining the books.It is necessary to change the situation, and a more critical approach is needed for the selection of species to include in Red Data Books. The main criteria for including taxa in Red Books should be that their existence is threatened as a result of human activities and that we have the ability to influence their process of extinction."} +{"text": "After the outbreak of COVID-19, the international community has been faced with various problems it has brought to cities. A large number of research projects and corresponding management measures were launched globally, trying to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on society. Among them, exploring how to maintain the health of residents by managing and updating the design of urban streets is one of the important issues regarding urban sustainability in the post-epidemic era.This study uses bibliometric analysis techniques to obtain an overview of the knowledge structure of 898 Chinese urban streets and residents' health relationship studies from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database for two periods (1999\u20132019 and 2020\u20132022). Five aspects were analyzed in terms of the keyword domain co-occurrence network, topic evolution path, emergent terms, hierarchical clustering, and confusion matrix.The findings revealed that studies focused on six broad themes: community residents, health surveys, health education, COVID-19, healthy city, and public health. Based on these findings, the paper compares and discusses research priorities before and after the outbreak and highlights areas for further research and attention. Historically, cities have been at the center of pandemics, and public health crises have played a significant role in the evolution of urban planning and design concepts and technologies . As contIn the urban spatial structure, the street is the most important public space in the city, which spreads like a human vascular vein . The manThere is no doubt that the relationship between urban streets and residents' health in China will emerge in the research of different professional disciplines. The street, as an administrative and statistical unit, can be used in the research of health management, disease investigation, and analysis, especially during the epidemic period; it will be considered as the \u201cfirst line of defense for epidemic prevention and control\u201d . At the In this context, this study aims to review research on the relationship between urban streets and residents' health in China from 1999\u20132019 to 2020\u20132022. Specific objectives were to identify key topic areas, discuss how they have changed over time, and generate references that highlight influential literature. Through comparison, this study also emphasizes lessons to be learned from the epidemic and makes recommendations for areas that are relatively underdeveloped and require further research. This study provides a detailed systematic review of specific issues, emphasizing the relevance of various topics. The research findings can be used to understand better the current knowledge structure related to the subject, provide critical resources for reference and obtain more information for interested researchers and decision-makers, and then identify potential research differences.The bibliometric analysis summarizes large quantities of bibliometric data to present the state of the intellectual structure and emerging trends of a research topic or field. The analytical process is a combination of quantitative and qualitative assessment and interpretation \u201315. ThisTo make the analyzed data more comprehensive and reliable, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases was used as the data retrieval source. The database is listed as the main journal articles access database in Oxford LibGuides and Harvard Library's Chinese Studies, and CNKI is also the largest digital library in China, which includes most Chinese academic publications \u201321. The In this study, the Dissimilarity Matrix was constructed as follows . FirstlyAccording to the above, the paper sorts out the literature focus and research fields in these two periods, then discuss the research trend, the main topic areas of research, and the results of the analysis of the evolution path of the research topic.As seen in The study of the relationship between urban streets and residents' health in China, as a cross-cutting research theme, mainly involves the following disciplines during 1999\u20132019: public health and preventive medicine, clinical medicine, society, politics, urban and rural planning and municipalities, urban economy, and environment (in order of the percentage of literature by discipline); during 2020\u20132022, it mainly involves public health and preventive medicine, the urban and rural planning and municipality, urban economy, society, politics, etc. There is a clear shift on the proportion of literature by various disciplines and particularly with a significant increase in urban and rural planning and municipalities, and urban economy between 2020 and 2022.Valid keywords were extracted from 688 articles, and a total of 1,575 keywords were obtained. Valid keywords were extracted from 210 papers, and a total of 677 keywords were obtained. In this study, a time-zone diagram of the theme evolution was analyzed by COOC, and Burst Detection was performed by CiteSpace, which is based on the temporal dimension to determine (grasp) the research evolution paths, evolution characteristics, and frontier research trends of the research theme over different periods. During 1999\u20132009, the emergent terms with high salience and centrality were humanization, urban public space, and urban community sports. The emergent terms in this period indicate that research on the relationship between urban streets and residents' health in China has focused on the humanization of spaces, the development of community sports, and the education and management of residents' health. Residents' daily hygienic behavior is the critical normative content of health education through the production and distribution of promotional materials , explaining to residents about the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, and guiding them to look at hygiene bulletin boards, hygiene wall posters, etc., and regularly carrying out thematic hygiene knowledge competitions and health consultation activities . Along wDuring 2010\u20132015, urban streets, community construction, population aging, and landscape design were the emergent terms with high emergence and centrality. Based on the SD method, Gou and Wang evaluateDuring 2016\u20132019, only the words of social organization, elderly service facilities, urban design, community governance, accessibility, built environment, and optimization strategy emerged. Luo and Fu , based oThe context of the study theme at this time is the emergence of new types of research evidence as cities enter a phase of stock renewal and a new phase of centralized data generation for all types of urban data. Big data and open data constitute the new urban data environment, making the research results more scientific and overcoming the limitations of static, scale, and granularity trade-offs in traditional methods. However, numerous researchers are at the stage of analyzing the data and exploring the relationship between variables, and the evaluation of how to make the research results serve in the actual street space update and the effects after use is relatively weak. On the other hand, the equity of the study also needs to be concerned, as most of the studies focus on first-tier cities with good economic environments and infrastructure, and more levels of cities are needed as research subjects.The thematic evolution trends of this research area in the period of 2020\u20132022 are shown in The clustering tree diagram and confThe second subcategory contains only township (street) and women of reproductive age. The third subcategory is from survey analysis to health status. In these two categories, streets appear as administrative services and statistical units. The research focuses on the reproductive health and health knowledge of married women of childbearing age , 40, as Integrating and analyzing the results of these three categories mentioned above, it was obtained that the literature is dominated by studies focusing on community residents, health surveys, and health education. In other words, research questions related to urban public health are relatively under-explored. An important issue that can be noted from this analysis is the diversity of groups targeted for study in health survey research , which brings insight into public health research from an urban planning and urban design perspective (there is a homogeneity of research groups). The change in the content of health education requires a diversification of the means of communication and the timeliness of acceptance by residents throughout the process.The clustering tree diagram and the The second subcategory contained only psychological health and COVID-19, and He et al. concludeIn the third and fourth subcategories, from street space to older people health, Yu et al. proposedOn the other hand, Yu et al. discusseIn the fifth subcategory, from landscape to street design, Li and Yang propose During this period, research related to COVID-19, healthy city, and public health topics were more prominent. Among them, the healthy street is a new model for street development and a new direction for street design in the context of healthy city and stock planning, and it provides physical, psychological, and social dimensions of health services for residents. During a pandemic, the combination of administrative and geospatial attributes of streets is more evident, and the epidemic policies at different stages influence when and where residents go out and have a subtle impact on their daily life behaviors, for example, online food delivery services , communiOn the other hand, for this topic, searches in two databases, web of science and ScienceDirect, found that travel restrictions imposed during the pandemic increased the risk of alienation and associated stress and anxiety issues. At a time when most residents want to maintain their physical and mental health by accessing parks and street green spaces \u201364, it iAnother important issue reflected by the pandemic is the vulnerability of cities to supply chain disruptions, especially those related to the food supply, mainly due to restrictions on movement in pandemic prevention policies that block the food transportation chain from farms to markets and to residents' homes, which is undoubtedly a huge blow to low-income groups and the unemployed . Lal 7272 and LaFrom before to after COVID-19, the theme extended from the focus on the health of community residents and the sustainable development of healthy streets to re-examine the allocation of street space and refined management, focusing on women and vulnerable groups , this has accumulated more experiences and rich research directions for exploring the relationship between street space and residents' health such as building more humane streets and improving spatial compatibility; adhering to the orientation of healthy street planning and design, and refining the design of street facilities; using flexible thinking to manage street space in multiple dimensions and pluralistic participation in governance (civil society groups); continuing to pay more attention to women and disadvantaged groups; applying urban multi-source data to improve the information and technology of street governance, etc. The impact of COVID-19 has left cities operating in an environment with extreme uncertainty. Such a result is a challenge to the socio-economic, public health, and social stability, leaving governments with difficult trade-offs. City managers and researchers have explored different perspectives on how to control the spread of pandemics in urban spaces to safeguard sustainable urban development and health equity for residents; among them, the street is the most basic research unit. Although human society has been affected by COVID-19, the relationship between street space and residents' health should also follow the objective laws of urban, economic, and social development. A paradigm shift in governance from planning concepts and design tools to the policy of management is needed, rather than relying on a temporary and campaign approach to deal with the relationship between the two when a public health event occurs, and such shift must become a regular and continuous spatial governance effort.The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of existing research on the relationship between street and resident health in urban China before and after the onset of COVID-19, to identify major topic areas, and to highlight under-researched areas. In an analysis of 688 papers published from 1999 to 2019, it was found that research relating to this topic can be summarized into three major themes: community residents, health surveys, and health education. And from 2020 to 2022, themes of COVID-19, healthy city, and public health were dominated, and the research relating to this topic is enriching and growing.COVID-19 once again reveals how pandemics change the spatial structure of cities and social relations in space, reshaping space and social relations during the pandemic, which also created new spatial inequalities. Hence, executable policy of health is depending on political will and state budgeting . When stOverall, the pandemic has had a subtle impact on the relationship between streets and the health of China's residents. Now that 3 years have passed since the pandemic, it is the appropriate time to take stock of the lessons learned in order to improve the ability of cities to cope with the pandemic and to maintain sustainable and healthy urban development. First, because the streets have different orientations in the research of different disciplines, but they are interrelated, so the theoretical framework, research methods and research paradigms of the research are diverse. Second, at different times, the integration of urban streets and residents' health is different, and the correlation between the resources of each element within this complex system has not been sufficiently studied. Third, the shift of the study from relevance exploration to the causality of the research content, makes the findings more convincing. Fourth, there have been researchers who have conducted quantitative research through experimental methods, using technical equipment and virtual experiments, but the complex diversity of the city itself makes the research results remain some uncertainties.The research on the relationship between urban streets and residents' health is influenced by multiple factors such as urban economy, politics, society, science and technology, public health, etc. The research should be based on the actual situation of urban development, with more links to administrative management, public health, pathology, and other disciplines to strengthen the relationship, distinguish the problem under study and discern its characteristics. In the process of problem analysis, it is important to avoid the reduction of interdisciplinary cross-research opportunities due to the lack of knowledge on related research contents in different disciplines, which is one of the reasons why it is difficult to implement research and obtain appropriate results. Moreover, some research results, because it takes a certain period of time to execute on the ground, are less effective, and it is an issue worthy of attention on how to promote the implementation of research results. Therefore, when conducting research on the relationship between urban streets and residents' health, it is necessary to integrate the interrelationship between research elements, go beyond the traditional research from the perspective of the research object itself, and break the research paradigm of \u201ccurrent situation - problem - countermeasure\u201d.However, this study has its limitations. Evidently, bibliometric analysis is a valid method to provide an overview of the research field, identify major subject areas, and explore the evolution of themes and concepts. Yet, this study only provides a systematic review of the literature in China, and relevant research literature from other countries should be examined to better understand the impact of pandemics in providing more specific policy recommendations. In addition, most of the articles that this study analyzed are peer-reviewed. Evidence reported in the gray literature should also be considered in future studies to ensure better coverage of real-world impacts and policy-focused reporting, which will improve the coverage and breadth of study results where limitations can be reduced and reflect the needs of the real world.The datasets presented in this study can be found in online repositories. The names of the repository/repositories and accession number(s) can be found in the article/supplementary material.LM and K-HW: conceptualization, methodology, and writing\u2014review and editing. LM: writing\u2014original draft, software, formal analysis, data curation, and visualization. Both authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript."} +{"text": "The main objective of this paper is to analyze the Brazilian Ministry of Health (MoH) efforts in the management of medical equipment, with a specific approach for lung ventilators in the pandemic scenario of COVID-19.The methodology included a review of the normative framework and literature on technological management and research on the database of the Ministry of Health.As a promoter for acquiring medical equipment, the MoH role is highlighted and added to this competence; its function as the coordinator of the National Policy on Health Technology Management (PNGTS). According to the PNGTS the MoH has to support health managers in the implementing, monitoring, and maintaining health technologies. The scenario of lung ventilators in the pandemic was discussed, with research to verify demands, offers, installed capacity, and investments. In less than one year, the Ministry of Health acquired several pulmonary ventilators, 8.55 times greater than the annual averages of equipment acquired from 2016 to 2019. So far, there is still no maintenance plans or strategy of management for that equipment, especially in a post-pandemic scenario. Conclusion: It is possible to conclude that the Ministry of Health needs to improve health technology management systems. On the scale of the Policy, it is necessary to commit to permanent and long-term actions to ensure sustainability and reduce the technological vulnerabilities of the SUS. The Brazilian Ministry of Health (MoH) has historically made efforts to adapt its installed infrastructures through investments based on Programs to Strengthen the Unified Health System (SUS). One of the MoH financial efforts is \"Action 8535\u2014Structuring of Specialized Health Care Units\" , which iThrough these investments to public and private non-profit institutions, linked to SUS, the MoH substantially fosters the market for medical-hospital equipment with more than US$ 140 million per year, intended exclusively to purchase medical-hospital equipment and materials permanents . In 2018The MoH's first formal initiative on medical-hospital equipment management was in1990. The MoH created the Dental-Medical-Hospital Equipment Program (PROEQUIPO). This program aimed to contribute so that the health system had, at all levels , dental-medical-hospital equipment addressed to international technical standards regarding safety and quality and qualified human resources to manage this entire installed park.This initiative hoped to avoid operators' and patients' risks, wasted financial resources, and early scrapping of equipment .i)the creation of a specialization course in the area of management and maintenance of medical equipment for professionals of different levels of education ;ii)the development and internalization of international technical standards for the certification and improvement of the quality of the manufacture of electromedical equipment;iii)the creation of electromedical equipment testing laboratories for certification procedures;iv)the reformulation of the standard on hospital construction , which later originated the Ministerial Order MoH n\u00ba 1884/1994;v)the development of technical manuals to guide health professionals in the areas of safety, planning, and dimensioning of hospital environments;vi)the development of standards and ordinances by the Ministry of Health to improve the quality and safety of medical equipment;vii)and the mandatory registration of medical equipment and articles sold in the country .Between 1992 and 1996, the Program allowed:In January 1997, the MoH published the operative manual for the SUS Reorganization and Reinforcement Project (REFORSUS). The World Bank\u2014WB financed the Project to recover the country's health network infrastructure by purchasing medical equipment, renovation, expansion, and conclusion of health institutions infrastructure, and actions to improve the management of services. These initiatives resulted in a considerable increase in the value of the technological park of SUS healthcare establishments, which in 2015 arrived at the level of 63,626 institutions involving around 17.5 million dollars in investments .Within the scope of REFORSUS, MoH carried out several actions and initiatives to prepare SUS technical staff in the management of health technologies. In 2002 the MoH made a public call to finance a distance learning project related to the training of national human resources on medical and hospital equipment management. This action was named the Medical- Hospital Equipment Maintenance Management (GEMA).In mid-2001, the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) instituted the Sentinela Network intending to be an active observatory of the performance and safety of regularly used health products: medicines, IVD, orthoses, prostheses, equipment, and medical- hospital materials, sanitizing, blood and its components. Among its specific objectives, the following stand out: i) obtain quality information on adverse events and technical complaints related to products under surveillance in the post-use / post-marketing period\u2014VIGIPOS, to support decision-making by the National Surveillance System Sanitary (SNVS); ii) contribute to the improvement of risk management in health services; iii) develop and support studies of interests to the Brazilian Public Health System . The intIn 2007, the Support System for the Elaboration of Health Investment Projects (SOMASUS) was created, which is a computerized system with free access, developed by the Executive Secretariat of the MoH, to assist states, municipalities, and institutions of the SUS in the elaboration of infrastructure investment projects in a more qualified way. The information provided by SOMASUS includes layouts of the environments of health establishments, their respective technical characteristics, and comprehensive content to support dimensioning, acquisition, installation, and operation of medical assistance equipment. The development of SOMASUS was based on the premise that establishing standards is essential for planning health investments. Therefore, the available content is based on the parameters from SUS care coverage, ministerial ordinances, technical standards, and Anvisa collegiate directive resolutions .In early 2008, Ordinance n\u00ba 375/GM/MS was published, which instituted the National Program for Qualification, Production, and Innovation in Equipment and Materials for Use in Health at the Industrial Health Complex. The General Coordination of Equipment and Materials in Health (CGMES) within the structure of the Department of the Industrial Health Complex(DECIIS) of the Secretariat of Science, Technology and Strategic Inputs (SCTIE) .In May 2019, through Decree n\u00ba 9,795, DECIIS and, consequently, CGEMS were extinguished . In thisAlready in 2010, the National Health Technology Management Policy (PNGTS) was published, which is the guiding instrument for the actors involved in the management of the assessment, incorporation, dissemination, management of the use and withdrawal of technologies in the Unified Health System. PNGTS establishes that it is up to the MoH to support managers in the implementation of technologies and in their monitoring and maintenance after incorporation .In 2011, the MoH instituted the Health Network Quality Improvement and Training Project , with an intervention proposal to support the organization of regionalized health care networks in Brazil. It was a cooperation between the World Bank and the Ministry of Health, which aims to add to the ongoing efforts to consolidate SUS. There has been a quantitative and qualitative leap in providing health technologies to the population in recent years. This new reality has demanded from health managers an increasing effort to train professionals to manage medical-assistance equipment to optimize the use of public resources and expand the population's access to this equipment .Also, in 2011, Law 12,401 was published, and it provides rules for therapeutic assistance and the incorporation of health technology within the scope of SUS. Decree n\u00ba 7,646 provides for the National Commission for the Incorporation of Technologies in the Unified Health System (CONITEC) and the administrative process for incorporating exclusion and altering health technologies SUS .In 2013, through Ordinance GM/MS n\u00ba 3134, the National List of Equipment and Permanent Materials financed by SUS (RENEM) was created to manage the financeable items for SUS and standardize their nomenclatures, allowing their effective management. RENEM items are made available to register project proposals according to the type of Health Care Establishment and their respective environments, organized by the Equipment and Materials Information and Management System (SIGEM) .At the end of 2014, Ordinance n\u00ba 2,531/GM/MS was published, which redefined the guidelines and criteria for defining the list of strategic products for SUS and the establishment of Partnerships for Productive Development (PDP) .We carried out a literature search for normative account and survey of descriptive and exploratory data on the management of medical and hospital equipment within the scope of the MoH: i) National Register of Health Establishments (CNES) of the Department of Informatics of SUS (DATASUS), ii) and the System of Management of Equipment and Permanent Financeable Materials for SUS (SIGEM) of the National Health Fund (FNS). CNES provides information on the registration of Health Establishments regarding the physical area, human resources, equipment, and outpatient and hospital services. SIGEM, on the other hand, is the system that makes the information on financial equipment available to SUS. Data search was also carried out in the Federal Government's Integrated Financial Administration System (SIAFI), an accounting system to carry out all the processing, control, and financial, patrimonial, and accounting executions of the Brazilian federal government. Finally, we consulted the database on the ANVISA website to obtain information on the health records of lung ventilators.https://covid.saude.gov.br/, containing information on the pandemic's Brazilian response. The original search was carried out between March 2020 and December 2020.We also made consultations in the MoH website database dedicated to coronavirus data, In addition to research of an applied nature with a qualitative and quantitative approach, it is considered the authors' practical experiences in managing medical-hospital equipment and the health industrial complex.The lung ventilator is a device used in cases of respiratory failure, with the function of pumping oxygen-enriched air into the lungs. In the SIGEM there is the item with the nomenclature Pressometric and Volumetric Lung Ventilator with a suggested value: US$ 11.440,7749 .In consultation with SIGEM, in March 2020, approvals for decentralized purchases of lung ventilators in the last four years were verified, Table Checking the approval data in the last year, 2019, we can see that 76% of the approved items have specification and value suggested by the Ministry of Health, which indicates that the settings definitions are mostly standardized.In consultation with the National Register of Health Establishments (CNES-DATASUS) in MarchIn a consultation carried out March 2020), 60 records of volumetric lung ventilators were found on the Anvisa website [20, 60 reIn the paper entitled \"Study of Medical-Assistance Equipment, Orthotics, Prosthetics, and Special Materials in the Unified Health System (SUS) in Brazil,\" published in March 2019, the authors intended to consolidate the strategic and priority products in a single list through the analyses of computerized databases, publications, and consultations with the technical and final areas of the Ministry of Health. In addition to crossing the information with the previous publications on the list of strategic products, assistance demands, incidences and ABC curve, judicialization, and recent incorporation in SUS. The study considered all the criteria with the same relevance and without weighting. The lung ventilator appeared in four out of five possible criteria, showing its relevance to the services and the health system . The lunWith the establishment of a pandemic of international importance due to the new human coronavirus, MoH took measures to deal with the public health emergency, mainly to provide the historical care demand for lung ventilators.Interministerial efforts through a workgroup coordinated by the Special Secretariat for Productivity and Employment of the Ministry of Economic (MoE), with broad support and participations from the business community, the productive sector, and financial agents gathered energy to supply the necessary demand of SUS in lung ventilators. Highlighting that this happened almost a year after the extinction of CGEMS and DECIIS within the MoH, remembering that one of its competencies was coordinating activities for qualification, productions, and innovation in medical and hospital equipment.In addition to the extinction of DECIIS, the MoH extinguished the Executive Group for the Industrial Health Complex\u2014GECIS. This Forum, coordinated by the MoH, was a formal representation of fourteen bodies or entities of the Federal Public Administration, involving the decision-making nucleus of national development policy , national development and regulation agencies and ST&I institutions. With this Forum, the SUS National Directorate began to coordinate, in an unprecedented way, a priority policy for industrial, technological, and innovation development, placing itself as an instance of articulation of the economic, industrial, and technological area to meet the imperatives of SUS .Productive escalation: First, MoH specified the demand and criteria for ventilatory therapy for patients affected by COVID-19. Then, the MoH stimulated partnerships for large-scale product developments, arrangements for the production of critical components, and all the logistics necessary for the national companies that produce lung ventilators to make an exponential leap in their production to supply the centralized acquisition of MoH. Table a) More Maintenance Initiative Lung Ventilators: The Initiative\u2009+\u2009maintenance was carried out through a voluntary network to maintain unused lung ventilators, estimated at 3,000 lungs ventilators. The voluntary network was formed by the National Service for Industrial Learning (SENAI), ArcelorMittal, BMW Group, Fiat Chrysler Autom\u00f3veis (FCA), Globo Comunica\u00e7\u00e3o e Participa\u00e7\u00f5es, Ford, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai Motor Brazil, Votorantim Institute, Technological Research Institute (IPT) and POLI-USP, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz do Brazil, Moto Honda, Petrobras, Renault, Scania, Todos pela Sa\u00fade (Ita\u00fa), Toyota, Troller, Usiminas, Vale, Volkswagen do Brazil and Volvo do Brazil. Supported by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Economy, the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI), and the Brazilian Association of Clinical Engineering (ABEClin). It had 40 points to receive the equipment. It involved more than 500 engineers and trained technical volunteers. More than 2,500 lung ventilators were recovered [b) ecovered , 24.Among the actions carried out by the interministerial group to supply the care demand for lung ventilators, the following stand out:Regarding the national lung ventilator manufacturers, it is essential to register the investments and government subsidies that allowed the country to have the productive capacity to respond to the health emergency. Among those manufacturers, we highlight the history of KTK Takaoka, specifically the young medical student Kentaro Takaoka, who, with subsidies from USP's Institute of Technological Research (IPT). He set up a plant in the building of the Clinical Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine. He developed reduced dimensions equipment capable of performing controlled artificial ventilation, winning in 2005 Finep (Brazilian Innovation Agency) Inventor Innovator trophy .Also, there was support for the Magnamed company, founded in 2005. This company was one of the first companies invested by the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (Criatec), in 2014 it received from BNDES, through PSI\u2014Innovation (Investment Support Program), credit for a new lung ventilator development project and in 2015 support from FINEP\u2014Innovation and Research.As Marcelo Miterhof, an economist at BNDES, points out, \u201cif today we have a company capable of manufacturing high-tech equipment in Brazil, it is not luck or chance. It is a collective effort of Brazilian society. That started with the Technological Institute of Aeronautics (ITA), passed through USP's laboratories, received funding from FAPESP research, gained scale with investment funds from BNDES and FINEP, obtained subsidized credit from BNDES-PSI, and now it will help Brazil to face the pandemic, strengthening the SUS\u201d .It is worth mentioning Anvisa's actions and efforts with the issuance of instruments and transitory flexibility applicable to the confrontation of COVID-19. Specific resolutions have been published to address lung ventilators. Such efforts have contributed to expanding the availability of lung ventilators with accurate health records. In June 2020, 70 records of pressure and volume lung ventilators were located.In consultation with CNES, in December 2020, the installed capacity of lung ventilators in SUS also increased considerably, from 43,758 units in USE in SUS to 60,089, Table The pandemic of the new coronavirus highlighted the weaknesses in the databases for managing health technologies in the Ministry of Health. As demonstrated, there have historically been efforts for management systems for technology investments, appropriately for the decentralization of resources with a view of the institution's acquisitions. However, there are still no tools to assist the management of these post-acquisition technologies. CNES data, at the beginning of the pandemic, suggested that about 3,000 lung ventilators were out of use, and it is not possible to identify the reasons for this equipment not being in use. It should be noted that the MoH systems do not have standardization of item nomenclature; they are not interoperable and connected, which makes data collection and management difficult.The management of technologies involves, in addition to other system and infrastructure resources, trained human resources in operation and maintenance of this equipment in health establishments. The annual demand in recent years, through the approval of investment proposals from the Ministry of Health, averaged 1,800 lung ventilators per year. Given the massive centralized purchases, about 15,000 lung ventilators, efforts to adapt the management of these technologies in health services are imperative.The analysis of the technical specifications of the lung ventilators approved in 2019, about 76% with the same specification, indicates opportunities for using government purchasing powers through possible centralized purchases with the possibility of more significant advantage and economy, especially to establish maintenance clauses and post-investment data.In less than a year, the Ministry of Health acquired several lung ventilators, 8.55 times greater than the annual average of equipment acquired from 2016 to 2019. It should be noted that, to date, there has been no maintenance or management plan or strategy for this equipment, especially in a post-pandemic scenario. It should be noted that according to PNGTS, it is up to the MoH to support managers in the implementation of technologies and in their monitoring and maintenances after incorporation.Technology management lacks interoperable data and systems for its implementation. Data fragmentation, absence of technology databases compromises public policies and weakens the performance of health services.Furthermore, the articulation of public policies that combine efforts to ensure the population's access to the SUS is crucial. The interruption of the activities of the Industrial Health Complex, especially of the GECIS meetings, in the year preceding the pandemic, demonstrates the fragility of the continuity of government efforts in the medium and long term for national productive development, with a reduction in the dependencies of the international market.Therefore, based on the themes discussed here, it is possible to conclude that the Ministry of Health needs to improve health technology management systems. On the scale of the Policy, it is necessary to commit to permanent and long-term actions to ensure sustainability and reduce the technological vulnerabilities of the SUS."} +{"text": "In this sense, despite the relevance of the growth of female participation in the medical career, little is discussed about the distribution between genders of the main surgical medical specialties in the country. discuss the process of feminization in surgical specialties in Brazil over the last few years, tracing a distribution profile of these specialties. this is a retrospective and cross-sectional study with secondary data from the Censuses of Medical Demography in Brazil in the years 2011, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2020 and 2023, including the surgical specialties: Urology, Orthopedics and Traumatology, Thoracic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Digestive System Surgery, Cardiovascular Surgery, Hand Surgery, General Surgery, Head and Neck Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Ophthalmology, Coloproctology, Otorhinolaryngology, Pediatric Surgery, and Gynecology and Obstetrics. males prevails in numbers, among the surgical specialties, however, with a lower growth rate compared to females. Specialties such as urology, orthopedics and traumatology and neurosurgery are mostly male, while gynecology and obstetrics are female. it is evident that female participation in the surgical medical field has increased significantly over the last few years. The same effect is seen in Latin America, where during the years 1960 to 1990, the number of economically active women tripled, growing from 18 to 57 million,,,A large part of this female workforce is concentrated in some sectors of activity, including domestic, administrative, teaching, and health. When it comes specifically to Brazilian medicine, despite men still comprising the majority of the active medical class, female participation has seen a slow and gradual increase over the last few decades, marked by the increase in the number of university graduates,,-,-This change marks a process of feminization of medicine in the country, especially when analyzing younger age groups at the base of the doctors\u2019 population pyramidIn this sense, despite the relevance of the topic on female participation in the medical career, no current research was found in the literature that debated the distribution between sexes of the main surgical medical specialties in the country. Therefore, the objective of this work is to discuss the feminization process in surgical specialties in Brazil over the last few years, outlining a distribution profile of these specialties.We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional study with secondary data, which includes evaluating sociodemographic characteristics of doctors in Brazil according to the number of professional records, gender, and distribution in medical and surgical specialties.The secondary data used correspond to the Medical Demography Censuses in Brazil from the years 2011, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2020, and 2023.We considered the number of specialists the most suitable variable for mapping population characteristics, such as sex and age, as it disregards secondary medical records, that is, those registered with more than one Regional Council of Medicine (CRM) for practicing in more than one Federation Unit. We obtained specialist data from the Medical Demography Censuses, by crossing information from medical specialty societies, the National Medical Residency Commission (CNRM) of the Ministry of Health, and the Regional Medical Councils, as there is no unified database in the countryWe included the following medical specialties: Urology, Orthopedics and Traumatology, Thoracic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Digestive System Surgery, Cardiovascular Surgery, Hand Surgery, General Surgery, Head and Neck Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Ophthalmology, Coloproctology, Otorhinolaryngology, Pediatric Surgery, and Gynecology and Obstetrics.We present the data in raw numbers, percentages, and by the male-female ratio (MFR), which constitutes descriptive statistics, calculated from the number of males divided by the number of females in the same surgical specialty. Values less than 1 indicate a predominance of females in relation to males, while values greater than 1 indicate male predominance. In turn, a ratio equal to 1 indicates equality between the groups. We tabulated and organized the obtained data in Microsoft Office Word and Microsoft Office Excel, both in the 2016 version.To demonstrate the temporal distribution of the percentage of male and female specialists, we created maps with pie charts using the QGIS 3.22 software. The country\u2019s demographic and cartographic data were obtained from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), comprising data available in the Medical Demography Censuses in Brazil for the years 2011, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2020, and 2023.Since we extracted the data from public domain documents, submission to the Ethics in Research Committee was not necessary.Regarding the total number of specialist doctors, males remain with significant numbers, totaling, in 2023, 96,836 doctors, as opposed to 45,921 female physicians. At the same time, the growth rate in the number of female specialists increased by 114%, in contrast to the 77% growth for male doctors .Certain specialties remain predominantly male, such as urology, followed by orthopedics and traumatology and neurosurgery . On the The biggest drop in the MFR was in the urology sector, falling from 84.61 (2011) to 33.04 (2023), followed by thoracic surgery, from 14.34 to 7.02, and orthopedics and traumatology, varying from 19.2 to 12.47 .--As occurred in other professional classes, Brazilian medicine is undergoing a change in the distribution between the sexes, the effect of a movement in favor of equal rights and a reduction in inequalities and discrimination in the work environmentth century that the first female medical students graduated in Brazil,th century, men made up 77.7% of the medical profession. This male expressiveness lasted until the 60s, when it reached 87%. Following the opening of more medical schools and the significant fight for rights, female participation increased from 15.8% in 1970 to 48.6% in 2022,,It was only at the end of the 19-,,Despite the reduction in sex discrepancy over recent years, surgical specialties are still predominantly male. This same scenario is found in the United Kingdom and the United States, as men represent 73% and 61% of practicing surgeons, respectively. Among the surgical specialties studied, urology and orthopedics and traumatology were the specialties marked by the numerical superiority of men, despite the significant reduction in the discrepancy between sexes. Studies indicate that these surgical areas are, historically, demarcated by gender discrimination and psychological harassment, which, although often unrecognized, prevent women from entering them,,--When asked about the reasons, among other factors listed, the precarious maternity policy and work relations in educational institutions and hospitals, as well as the restricted guidance and mentoring on the part of teaching superiors and the salary difference are important causes of dissatisfaction and low adherence of women in surgical and academic careers-,,Another critical point strictly related to sex discrimination refers to female surgeons being repeatedly questioned about their professional and social skills, which is reflected in the limited number of women taking on leadership and coordination positions in surgical areas-,,,,Conversely, surgical specialties focused on women\u2019s health or that simultaneously have an associated clinical career, such as gynecology and obstetrics, otorhinolaryngology, and pediatric surgery, have a greater female participation and, therefore, display the lowest MFR rates. This is due to more valued and respected maternity policies, more flexible work routines and hours, in addition to more harmonious and balanced working relationships with superiors-,,-,,In fact, when analyzing the years studied, there was a significant increase in women in surgical specialties, especially due to the fight for labor rights and the deconstruction of cultural paradigms and social stereotypesAs limitations of the study, it is worth mentioning that a single data source - the Medical Demographic Census - can contribute to a smaller sample number of data and, therefore, mischaracterize the numerical reality of the proportion between men and women in surgical specialties in Brazil. Furthermore, it is not possible to know what is the main dedication or composition of the journey of doctors who have degrees in more than one specialty, which may not reflect reality.Female participation in the medical and surgical field has increased significantly over recent years, with a greater proportion of growth and participation in certain specialties. Although this great advance has been demonstrated, educational measures related to coexistence in the workplace and labor rights are still necessary, in search of a greater increase in the surgical training of women, aiming at equal participation between men and women in this field."} +{"text": "Although gender inequities in surgery are well recognized in the international literature, the panel portrayed how distant we are from the desired equity in our country. In addition, the session emphasized the need to broaden the debate and identify the mechanisms for greater inclusion and maintenance of women in the surgical career. In this editorial, we provide a historical overview of gender disparities in the Brazilian surgical ecosystem, highlight the contributing factors to a reduced number of female surgeons, and how the structure of medical societies may influence the rise of women to leadership positions. Accordingly, we discuss the benefits of gender diversity for surgeons, patients, and institutions. Furthermore, we analyze the representation of women in the Brazilian College of Surgeons since its foundation and in the scientific sessions at the conference, demonstrating that more initiatives are required to encourage female representation in the college. Finally, we propose a series of recommendations to foster engagement and contribute to the prosperity of women surgeons in Brazil.In September 2021, the 34 The panel was moderated by Dr. Maria Cristina Araujo Maya, professor of general surgery at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, and featured three speakers from different generations: Dr. Elizabeth Gomes dos Santos, general secretary and president of the Commission of Women Surgeons and of the Residency Committee of the Brazilian College of Surgeons (Col\u00e9gio Brasileiro de Cirurgi\u00f5es - CBC); Dr. Fernanda Lage Lima Dantas, professor at the Federal University of Acre, member of the Commission of Women Surgeons and full member of the CBC; and Dr. Flavia Yung Ju, plastic surgeon, full member of the CBC and preceptor of the Brazilian Institute of Plastic Surgery. On the panel, the three speakers addressed the low representation of women in the surgical area, the challenges they face, and the factors that contribute to maintaining the status quo. Although the existence of gender inequities in surgery is recognized in the international literature, this panel portrayed how far we are from the desired equity in our country. In addition, it was clear the need to broaden the discussion, identifying means for greater inclusion and retention of women in the surgical careers. Finally, it is still necessary to fight prejudice and to reaffirm the benefits of diversity for surgeons of both genders and for patients, as well as to find ways for medical societies to contribute to the prosperity of female surgeons in Brazil.In September 2021, the 34Women who choose a surgical career have faced historical challenges for generations. Until 1879, women were not accepted in medical schools in Brazil, a paradigm broken by Dr. Rita Lobato Freitas, the first physician in the country to graduate from the Bahia Faculty of Medicine, in 1887. Gradually, the percentage of women studying medicine increased, reaching 50% of the total number of medical students in 1993, and becoming the majority in 2009,Several factors contribute to a reduced number of women opting for a surgical career. Among the reasons mentioned by the conference speakers, two were recognized by a study carried out with Brazilian female doctors as the main challenges: the balance between personal and professional life and the workloadDuring the panel, the guests also discussed how the structure of medical societies influences the rise of women to leadership positions,,8.12. Men and women differ in their experiences and values, which influence both interests and prioritiesth Brazilian Congress of Surgery, only 21% (95/455) of the speakers were women through mandatory institutional courses on diversity, equity, and inclusion for medical students, resident physicians, and practicing physicians, as well as other health professionals; Strengthen institutional notification and response mechanisms in cases of gender discrimination and moral and sexual harassment; Promote equal mentoring and career planning programs with counseling, guidance, and emotional and professional support;Implement family planning initiatives during graduation and residency, providing information on contraceptive methods, fertility, and assisted reproduction, as well as compatible maternity and paternity leave, flexible hours, and day care in workplaces, with adequate facilities for breastfeeding, among others; Promote gender diversity when selecting speakers, moderators, and members of congress organizing committees, to achieve greater equity during the event, including also other genders and ethnic minorities; Develop a diverse and inclusive organizational culture in the context of medical societies in different areas of expertise.th congress, the CBC was innovative by enabling protagonism to women surgeons and diversity with the \u201cPanel discussion: Women in Surgery\u201d. More measures like these will be needed to allow the Congress and the College to become more inclusive environments. Incorporating diversity and equity as institutional values enable the inclusion of different perspectives and leadership styles that benefit patients, surgeons, and organizations. Thus, medical societies can and should be spokespersons for these changes, as well as agents that promote women\u2019s prosperity in surgery. The Brazilian Congress of Surgery is one of the main spaces to promote scientific discoveries, generate debates, and communicate discoveries in the surgical area. Therefore, the event selects which people and ideas are considered relevant to medical-scientific development. In its 34"} +{"text": "Water quality criteria (WQC) for the protection of aquatic organisms mainly focus on the maximum threshold values of the pollutants that do not have harmful effects on aquatic organisms. The WQC value is the result obtained based on scientific experiments in the laboratory and data fitting extrapolation and is the limit of the threshold value of pollutants or other harmful factors in the water environment. Until now, many studies have been carried out on WQC for the protection of aquatic organisms internationally, and several countries have also issued their own relevant technical guidelines. Thus, the WQC method for the protection of aquatic organisms has been basically formed, with species sensitivity distribution (SSD) as the main method and the assessment factor (AF) as the auxiliary method. In addition, in terms of the case studies on WQC, many scholars have conducted relevant case studies on various pollutants. At the national level, several countries have also released WQC values for typical pollutants. This study systematically discusses the general situation, theoretical methodology and research progress of WQC for the protection of aquatic organisms, and deeply analyzes the key scientific issues that need to be considered in the research of WQC. Furthermore, combined with the specific characteristics of the emerging pollutants, some new ideas and directions for future WQC research for the protection of aquatic organisms are also proposed. Water quality criteria (WQC) refers to the maximum concentration or level at which pollutants or environmental factors in water environments do not have harmful effects on human health or water ecosystems ,2,3. WQCCurrently, the two mainstream WQC research systems internationally are based on those of the United States and the European Union (EU). The United States puts forward the toxicity percentage ranking method, which is a two-value criteria system . It poinVarious relevant factors are comprehensively considered in the derivation process of WQC, and the determination of criteria values is influenced by many water environmental factors, such as water hardness, temperature, pH and dissolved organic matter, and so on ,15,16,17Based on the mentioned above, the main purpose of the present study is to systematically summarize and integrate the current technical methods of WQC, deeply analyze the key issues and technical systems of WQC research methods and summarize the current case studies of WQC. Finally, some new ideas of the derivation method of WQC for emerging pollutants are also explored and prospected.The pioneering study on WQC began in the early 20th century. The United States was the earliest country to conduct WQC research. The development process of water quality standards is presented in the form of a series of WQC papers, reports, and monographs. Additionally, the United States finally issued its national water quality guideline for the protection of aquatic organisms in 1985. In addition, the European Union, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Japan, China, and other countries have also formulated their own relevant technical guidelines for WQC and established their own WQC and ecological risk assessment research systems. With the deepening of WQC research, many countries have revised, improved, and updated their guidelines in recent years .For example, the technical guidance of the United States was issued in 1985 [Technical Guidance Document for Risk Assessment\u201d (TGD) in 2003 [The European Union promulgated the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in 2000, which played an important role in developing and promoting the setting of water environmental quality standards. The WFD is a legal framework designed to protect freshwater and marine ecosystems from the adverse effects of pollutants and to protect human health. The European Union (EU) uses environmental risk assessment technology to derive the predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) of pollutants as water quality protective objectives for environmental management and issued the \u201c in 2003 . In 2004 in 2003 . This isGuidance Document for Aquatic Effects Assessment in 1995 to evaluate the hazardous effect of pollutants on water environments [A protocol for the derivation of water quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life\u201d [Australian and New Zealand guidelines for fresh and marine water quality\u201d in 2000 [the Guidance document on deriving environmental risk limits in 2001 [Environmental Quality Standards for Water Pollution in 1971 [In addition to the two mainstream countries of the United States and the European Union, some other countries and organizations have also conducted relevant research on WQC. For example, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) issued the ronments . In 1999ic life\u201d , which wic life\u201d . The Aus in 2000 , which w in 2000 . The Nat in 2001 , which w in 2001 . The Min in 1971 , which w in 1971 .Technical guideline for deriving WQC for freshwater organisms\u201d, which was first released by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment in 2017 [The research on WQC in China started relatively late, dating back to the 1980s. The initial research was only the collection and collation of relative references and data and integrated the research methods of WQC in different countries and organizations. Subsequently, on the basis of a large number of theoretical explorations and WQC case studies, some monographs and books related to WQC were published one after another ,5,39. Th in 2017 . It is a in 2017 , which iThere are many key steps involved in the extrapolation of WQC for the protection of aquatic organisms. In general, the factors affecting WQC mainly include the reliability of basic data, standardization of toxicity data and the scientificity of statistical analysis methods. All these elements play a very important role in the study of WQC.Firstly, in terms of species selection, the selection of regional native species is crucial for WQC. Many studies have shown that, for the same pollutant, biota differences will lead to the ultimate difference in the WQC value of the pollutant, which further highlights the importance of site-specific or native species ,42,43. T5, which is the concentration at which 5% of species are at risk [Secondly, in terms of WQC derivation methods, the derivation system based on the SSD method and supplemented by the assessment factor (AF) method has been basically formed in the world at present. The main steps of WQC derivation mainly include data collection, data screening and evaluation, and WQC derivation . The bas at risk ,45,46. I at risk only use at risk , the SSDThe SSD method is an international mainstream method used to establish ecological environment criteria. Model selection is the core and key of this method. When building SSD models, the commonly used derivation methods according to the amount of toxicity data include the normal distribution model, logistic distribution model, etc., and the mainstream trend is to use the best-fit curve to derive the final WQC value ,48,49. SThirdly, in terms of the description and value of the WQC for specific pollutants, the double-value criteria system is mainly used internationally at present. The United States, Canada, China, and other countries adopt double-value criteria. Double-value criteria generally refer to long-term criteria and short-term criteria (or chronic criteria and acute criteria). Long-term criteria (chronic criteria) are designed to protect aquatic life from the negative effects caused by the indefinite long-term effects of pollutants. In contrast, short-term criteria are designed to protect aquatic organisms from serious negative effects (such as death) caused by short-term effects. Some countries and organizations also use single-value criteria such as the European Union . There aIn recent years, great progress has been made in international research focusing on WQC. Many scholars have carried out a large number of WQC case studies of typical pollutants and published a series of research papers, monographs, etc. These studies not only summarized and explored the theoretical methodology of WQC for the protection of aquatic organisms but also provided case studies on WQC, including conventional pollutants, some physical and chemical parameters of water bodies, and new emerging pollutants ,39,45,52At the same time, the countries and organizations studying WQC were screened, and it was found that China and the United States were significantly ahead of other countries in terms of the number of publications on WQC, with 284 and 134 publications . In China, the Chinese research academy of environmental sciences published the most articles, and its secondary institution, the state key laboratory of environmental criteria and risk assessment, contributed more than 118 articles. The top five countries in terms of the number of articles issued were China, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Additionally, the number of WQC articles issued by these five countries accounted for 60% of all the published articles .In terms of the WQC values of toxic substances published at the national level, some countries have also published WQC for the protection of aquatic organisms for some toxic substances at the national level. For example, since the release of the guidelines for WQC in the United States, a number of WQC for toxic substances have been published, and the WQC are updated almost every 2\u20133 years in combination with the latest research. EPA\u2019s compilation of nationally recommended WQC is presented as a summary table containing recommended WQC for the protection of aquatic life and human health in surface waters. These criteria are published pursuant to the Clean Water Act and provide guidance for states and tribes to use to establish water quality standards and ultimately provide a basis for controlling discharges or releases of pollutants. At present, the latest WQC published by the US EPA contains 186 indicators ,22, inclIn addition to the United States, Australia and New Zealand , Canada The acquisition of toxicity data is the key issue of WQC research. Different types of pollutants have different influencing factors in the study of WQC. For example, the toxic effect of organic matter on organisms is relatively complex, so the endpoint of the toxic effect of organic pollutants on organisms should be clarified in the WQC study, and then the criteria are deduced. The toxic effects of heavy metals are greatly influenced by environmental factors. Another problem encountered in WQC studies is the lack of data on the toxicity of the selected pollutants. The toxicity data could not meet the requirements of fitting the SSD curve, nor could they meet the requirements of the AF method. However, when environmental management is in urgent need, it is necessary to predict the toxicity data of pollutants by means of model prediction. Model prediction includes the following levels. First, how to use laboratory experiments to predict actual toxicity effects in the field? The Biotic Ligand Models (BLM) approach can be used. The BLM is a mechanistic approach that greatly improves our ability to generate site-specific ambient water quality criteria for metals in the natural environment . Water eEmerging pollutants refer to the pollutants produced in production, construction or other activities, which are caused by human activities, that clearly exist but have not been regulated by laws, regulations and standards and harm the living and ecological environment. With the continuous detection of emerging pollutants in the environment, they are gradually receiving widespread attention ,73,74. TCompared with conventional pollutants, emerging pollutants have the following differences. Taking EDC as an example, first, the dose\u2013response relationship of conventional pollutants generally follows the principle of \u201clow dose, low toxicity\u201d, and its toxicity value has a certain threshold. While for EDCs, it is also toxic at low doses, with the characteristics of \u201clow dose, high toxicity\u201d. In addition, EDCs may exhibit certain biological effects, including delayed and multigenerational effects, and may exhibit non-monotonic dose\u2013response relationships ,76. SecoFurthermore, in terms of WQC values, when deriving WQC for conventional pollutants, double criteria values, such as short-term criteria values and long-term criteria values, are generally formulated. Nonetheless, EDCs in a short time exposure generally will not cause serious toxicity on aquatic organisms, while, under trace concentrations, will have irreversible toxicity effects on aquatic organisms. The acute-to-chronic ratio of EDCs is generally large; the largest may reach 10,000 or 100,000 times. Therefore, it is recommended to use single-value criteria when deriving WQC for EDCs, and only the values obtained from chronic toxicity are used to derive the long-term criteria value. In addition, it is also important to establish an effective correlation between toxic effects and endpoints . Many efIn addition, a non-monotonic dose\u2013effect relationship may appear in both in vitro and short-term in vivo studies of the EDCs, but it might not be able to widely predict the toxicity endpoint in long-term in vivo studies. In the absence of the toxicity threshold of EDCs, probabilistic methods should be used to predict the threshold, which is also a new idea for the future study of WQC of emerging pollutants."} +{"text": "Pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period are phases commonly associated with joy and hope. Even though it may be an unplanned event for many women, pregnancy usually develops without complications most of the times: mother and newborn child start together\u2014and well\u2014a new phase of their lives. This does not mean that the good outcome was achieved without a significant number of women experiencing discomfort, stress, anxiety, fear, or even some sadness. These are conditions that, although not desirable, tend to be present during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. However, for some women, this is a period of great anguish, suffering, and risk. Risk of intimate partner violence, of mistreatment in health facilities, of developing physical or psychological sequelae, and risk of dying.A maternal death is an individual, family, and social tragedy. Because it is preventable in the absolute majority of times it occurs, there is no male equivalent, and it disproportionately affects certain groups of women, maternal mortality exceeds the boundaries of clinical obstetrics and reflects broader societal issues.Homo sapiens, lies the biological basis of pregnancy and childbirth. This includes, for instance, the shape of the pelvis and the complex endocrinology of parturition. The innate characteristics and potential of the species favored the development, over time, of the current human culture and society. Culture and society are the origin of the guiding principles of social organization, the legal and political structure, and the mode of production of the economy. In this context, human interaction with the planet has produced environmental degradation, with consequences that include the increasing concentration of particulate matter in the atmosphere and the acceleration of global warming. The latter, besides being responsible for the melting of ice glaciers and the rise of the sea level, is associated with a greater frequency and intensity of extreme climate events, including heat waves or drought or severe storms and heavy rain. These events affect maternal health and have been associated with an increased maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality.Considered as causes of complications of pregnancy, intrinsic or extrinsic etiological agents do not act in isolation on women to produce complications. The etiological agents act under the influence of several other factors, in a complex and multifactorial process known as the health-disease process . Over thH. sapiens, their culture and society, and the environment are super determinants of the whole health-disease process, thus originating the so-called primary determinants of health. Education, income, ethnicity and gender issues affect the risk of a woman dying during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum/postabortion period. Women of color, those living on the outskirts of large cities or in rural areas, those with little access to education or income, are the women experiencing the highest maternal mortality.Together, the innate characteristics of Given the broad determinants of maternal mortality and the complex health-disease process, maternal mortality has long ceased to be \u201cjust\u201d a health indicator and became a social development indicator. Hence its inclusion as a progress indicator of two successive global initiatives, the Millennium Development Goals (2000\u20132015) and the Sustainable Development Goals (2016\u20132030). Both initiatives, promoted by the United Nations (UN), seek to encourage the governments of the signatory countries to implement programs to promote social development and eliminate extreme poverty.The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in the early 1990s there were \u223c 500,000 maternal deaths per year worldwide. According to the UN health agency, the annual number of maternal deaths around the world would be just over 450,000 deaths in 2000 and 295,000 in 2017. The global maternal mortality ratio in 2000 and 2017 was estimated at 342 and 211 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, respectively. In Brazil, the maternal mortality ratio in 2000 was estimated by the WHO at 69 deaths per 100,000 live births, and, in 2017, 60 deaths per 100,000 live births. The WHO estimated for 2017 a total of 1,700 maternal deaths in Brazil, with the lifetime risk of 1 maternal death for 940 women.Considering the evolution of the maternal mortality ratio in Brazil since 1990, the most substantial reduction took place in the last decade of the 20th century. This reduction of maternal mortality has been partially and ecologically attributed to a greater access to primary health care during pregnancy , greater coordination between the different levels of the health system, and improvements in emergency services. These advances occurred in the context of greater economic stability and the implementation of the Unified Health System (SUS) in Brazil, which occurred in the beginning of the 1990s. In the 2000s, the rate of reduction in the maternal mortality ratio decreased and started to tend to stability, suggesting the need for more intense social transformations as well as greater gains in efficiency and quality in the health system.Although there is no shortcut to reduce maternal mortality\u2014social development is necessary for substantial and sustainable gains\u2014the health sector cannot be exempted from its central role in tackling maternal mortality. The reduction in maternal mortality occurs over a long journey, which can be divided into stages. According to the theory of obstetric transition , Brazil Maternal mortality is a difficult puzzle to solve. However, progress made in the last few decades is encouraging. In Brazil, the major obstacle is to advance the quest for social justice, particularly from an ethnic and gender perspective, expanding women's access to education and income, with special emphasis on women of color. In addition, it is essential to make a leap in the quality and effectiveness in public health services. The provision of women-centered, timely, appropriate and respectful quality care guided by the best scientific evidence should be the major goal of all maternity and women's health services. For this, the state needs to strengthen the public sector health system, and the society needs to exercise its primary role of defense and social control of the public health system."} +{"text": "The year 2022 has been a year of significant advancements in disaster and emergency medicine. The global community, in the previous years, has faced numerous challenges, from the COVID-19 pandemic to an increase in natural disasters protocols in Munich, Germany, reveals that the location of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) does not significantly affect the return of spontaneous circulation incidence, although patients in public spaces have a higher chance of being admitted to the hospital with spontaneous circulation. The study also highlights the overall low levels of bystander CPR and bystander use of automated external defibrillators, emphasizing the importance of public education and training to improve the chain of survival.Another significant aspect of disaster and emergency medicine is the management of patients in challenging environments. Two articles in this Research Topic address the intricacies of providing medical care during transportation. Wang et al. present a national retrospective study on trauma treatment and incidence, providing valuable data to inform healthcare prevention and management strategies in the country. By analyzing over 4.5 million trauma patients from two national-level databases, the authors offer insights into the demographic characteristics, trauma causes, injury degrees, disease burden, and mortality rates. This valuable information can serve as a foundation for informed decision-making, resource allocation, trauma prevention, and trauma management.The Research Topic also delves into the epidemiology of trauma in China. Lamberti-Castronuovo et al. discuss the key role of health diplomacy in overcoming the crisis, demonstrating the importance of intersectoral cooperation and collaboration between different areas of expertise. By conducting a retrospective observational case study with qualitative methodology, the authors analyze the changes made to human resources, health service delivery, and logistics in response to the pandemic. Their findings underscore the importance of intersectoral collaboration in overcoming pandemic-related challenges and preparing for future disasters.The interconnectedness and multidisciplinary nature of disaster and emergency medicine are further emphasized through the articles exploring the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This Research Topic showcases the breadth and depth of disaster and emergency medicine research in 2022, demonstrating the crucial role of intersectoral collaboration, adaptation to changing environments, and effective resource allocation. As we continue to face complex challenges in public health, military medicine, trauma care, and cardiac arrest management, it is essential to draw upon the valuable insights provided by these studies to advance our understanding and enhance our response capabilities.Robinson et al., climate change is having and will continue to have a significant impact on public health, particularly in the context of emergency medicine. The increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events call for the development of adaptive strategies. These strategies should focus on enhancing our capacity to respond to emergencies, especially in resource-limited countries where the consequences of extreme weather events are more severe, and response capabilities are often constrained (The diverse range of issues addressed in this Research Topic highlights the interconnectedness and multidisciplinary nature of disaster and emergency medicine. As underscored by strained .Lamberti-Castronuovo et al., the COVID-19 pandemic showcased the importance of intersectoral cooperation in overcoming the challenges posed by a global health crisis. However, such collaboration cannot be improvised in the wake of an emergency. Instead, it requires an ongoing relationship between the actors potentially involved in the response, fostering a culture of preparedness and resilience.Public health, by definition, is multidisciplinary and multisectoral. The contributing articles in this Research Topic demonstrate the indispensable nature of collaboration between different sectors and areas of expertise in emergency disaster response. As highlighted by In conclusion, this Research Topic underlines the ever-evolving nature of disaster and emergency medicine and the need for collaboration, innovation, and preparedness to address the emerging challenges. The findings and insights from these contributions will undoubtedly contribute to the ongoing efforts to improve the practice of disaster and emergency medicine and enhance our capacity to respond to the pressing issues of our time. As researchers, practitioners, and policymakers continue to work together in this multidisciplinary field, we can expect further advancements that will ultimately benefit the health and wellbeing of communities worldwide.SO conceptualized the Research Topic, drafted the manuscript, ensuring that it adhered to the journal guidelines and provided a comprehensive overview of the Research Topic, revised the manuscript based on feedback, ensuring its clarity and coherence, and solely responsible for the content of this editorial and approves its submission to the journal."} +{"text": "Stroke is a major health concern globally, ranking as the second-leading cause of death and the third-leading cause of death and disability combined. The economic impact of stroke is also significant, with an estimated global cost exceeding US$721 billion, equivalent to 0.66% of the global GDP . These fThis opinion article presents an analysis of the current state of stroke research in China, focusing on the four major clinical medicine journals, namely the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), The Lancet, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and the British Medical Journal (BMJ). In addition, Frontiers in Neurology was also used as a reference. We also examine the factors driving progress in stroke research in China and discuss possible future directions for stroke research in the country.China has made significant progress in stroke prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation in recent years , 6. The As the population of China continues to age and risk factors for stroke, such as diabetes and hypertension, remain poorly controlled and on the rise, the incidence of stroke is reaching a period of high prevalence , 14. ThiIt is important to note that stroke research in China has predominantly focused on ischemic stroke, with particular emphasis on acute-phase rescue and treatment during hospitalization. Societal organizations such as the Chinese Stroke Association and the National Health Commission Stroke Prevention and Control Committee have made significant efforts toward stroke prevention, post-discharge rehabilitation, and secondary prevention for the past decade , 15, 16.Our study focused on stroke-related research published between 2020 and 2021 in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) database. A total of 9,113 articles and review articles were identified using the search terms \u201cstroke\u201d. Of these, Chinese scholars contributed 2,351 publications, accounting for 25.8% of the total, and ranking second globally after the United States . Capital Medical University ranked first among research institutions worldwide with 428 publications. However, the average number of citations per article by Chinese scholars was only 90% of the global average (6.18/6.93), suggesting the need for further improvement in the quality of stroke-related research conducted by Chinese scholars.As an example, Frontiers in Neurology published a total of 4,220 papers, including articles and reviews, between 2021 and 2022, according to the SCIE database. Of these, 673 (15.9%) were related to stroke research, with China contributing to nearly one-third of these papers (31.6%). Four highly representative articles (most cited articles in SCIE database) from these stroke-related studies include a review by Li et al. , which aIn conclusion, China has made significant strides in the field of stroke research, driven primarily by its economic growth, talent development, and demographic advantages. While there has been a notable increase in the number of studies published in top journals, the overall quality of research still falls behind that of developed countries. Moving forward, the government must invest more resources in stroke-related research, particularly in the areas of hemorrhagic stroke and rehabilitation. By doing so, Chinese scholars can make further contributions to the field of stroke research and improve the overall health of the global population.W-JT had full access to all the data in the study and took responsibility for the integrity of the data and the data analysis accuracy, study concept and design, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting of the manuscript, critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content, and study supervision."} +{"text": "Wood is a widely used building material. It is characterized by a high strength-to-weight ratio, predictable fire behavior, good performance in seismic zones, and it is easy to use in the construction of prefabricated buildings. In addition, wood reduces energy consumption during construction and reduces a building\u2019s overall environmental impact, has lower embedded energy compared to steel and concrete, and has a positive effect on a building\u2019s carbon footprint . The useFor multi-story floors, glulam-concrete composite beams (GCC) have been used for years, in which bending tensile forces are mainly carried by laminated wood, and compressive forces by concrete. Compared to typical glulam beams, GCC beams are characterized by, among other things, better load-bearing capacity, flexural strength and stiffness, better sound insulation, and greater thermal mass . Du et aThe permanent preservation of the form and safety of wooden constructions is ensured not only by the structural elements with adequate load-bearing capacity and strength but also by the properties of connectors and connections of individual components. Among the most common connectors in wooden constructions are dowel-type fasteners, which include screws, dowels, and bolts. According to Johanides et al. ,6, in orAn important aspect of current research is numerical modeling, which is an excellent tool for understanding the behavior of joints in wood constructions ,6. The nAn innovative solution for connecting light timber-framed roof elements has been proposed by Islam et al. . The apeThe safety of wood construction relies on proper construction technique, the quality of the engineered wood, and fire resistance. The fire safety of the structure is one of the basic requirements to be met when designing, constructing, and using a wooden house. For this reason, flame retardants are used for wood and wood-based materials, which are designed to, among other things, reduce the spread of fire, weight loss, and the rate of heat release. However, the use of flame retardants affects the mechanical properties of the wood. Grze\u015bkowiak et al. determinOne of the research directions presented in this Special Issue is the possibility of using wood by-products from primary wood processing in the production of wood-based and insulation materials for the wider construction industry. In the sawmill industry, during the primary processing of wood raw material, in addition to losses due to desorption changes, material losses of up to 50% of the wood raw material originally intended for production are also generated . These l2. The decrease in the bond quality of plywood glued with resin with the addition of different bark species is due to its chemical composition, which can affect the resin curing process and lower the pH of the adhesive mixture. The consequence of this can be the occurrence of resin pre-curing and a decrease in the strength of the adhesive bond. In addition, spruce bark causes a decrease in the elastic modulus of plywood and its bending strength, especially in the perpendicular direction. However, the presence of lignin as well as tannins in the bark contributed to a favorable reduction in formaldehyde emissions, which was clearly observed for birch, beech, maple, and pine bark. Only in the case of spruce bark was a deterioration in the hygienic quality of the plywood produced.The bark has a unique chemical composition and contains numerous organic compounds such as tannins, lignin, cellulose, catechins, gallocatechins, flavonoids, and proanthocyanidins ,13,14. FBy-products from the wood industry have also become a source of fillers that can be used in the production of polymer-based composites. Dukarska et al. showed tThe current technological and social trends require the construction sector to implement the principles of sustainable development. An important element of this concept is the principle of wooden construction based mainly on wood and wood-based materials, which counteracts climate change by storing carbon dioxide in wood and reducing the consumption of high-emission materials such as concrete and steel. The introduction of new and innovative solutions improves the energy efficiency of buildings, their functionality, and reduces their negative impact on the natural environment. The works presented in this Special Issue exemplify the current directions of research in modern wooden construction in accordance with the concept of sustainable development."} +{"text": "A negative impact on mental health of Ukrainian people who will survive the war is very likely.Those who leave are exposed to the trauma of leaving behind home, relatives, friends, job, habits, i.e., most of what they had built in their life, and to the unpleasant feeling of knowing nothing of what they will go through.Mutual support and nurture problem-solving strategies, including favoring family reunion, restoring people dignity and control over the environment, help children recover a more positive social reality, are major protective factors in buffering the impact of war, displacement and related trauma.By November 2022, Italy had hosted more than 170.000 Ukrainian refugees. The National Service intervention, coordinated by the Civil Protection Department, has developed a Plan for the reception and assistance of the population from Ukraine to uniform the response to the emergency on the national territory. The plan has focused on two aspects: humanitarian assistance and reception. The network for reception is composed of the CAS - Extraordinary Reception Centers and the SAI - Integration Reception System. The Plan also provides measures related to health care and education to ensure mandatory vaccination requirements and the access to the school system for unaccompanied foreign minors. As to plans aimed to address mental health issues, the right to care is guaranteed, but several issues can be identified that limit the impact of the national policies on the needs of this population.None Declared"} +{"text": "The Fourth Industrial Revolution profoundly changed social institutions, industries, individuals, and ultimately the current society. The potential to improve the quality of life and generate economic benefits is one of the major promises of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and some of the most significant opportunities can be found in nanotechnology, quantum technology, and artificial intelligence (AI). At the same time, the development and deployment of technology raise a range of ethical and social issues globally. These include (1) potential labor market disruptions, (2) biases inherent in the technology itself, (2) the emergence of new moral dilemmas, (3) societies torn apart by falling trust, (4) growing inequality due to the digital divide, and (5) growing threats to data privacy, security, and reliability , the efficiency of economic systems and competitiveness countries in general.Therefore, one of the factors for effective digital modernization of society, as well as any process of change, can be the stimulation of skills of current workforce. In this regard, the issue of human development in the context of labor productivity growth during digitalization is very relevant and in high demand for scholarship and practice. Currently, companies are facing a number of problems related to human capital and its efficiency shows that the productivity of almost 60% of children will be half of what they could achieve; at the same time, there are many positive examples of human resource transformation, for example, in Singapore, the Republic of Korea, and Ireland : (1) management and organization theory, (2) institutional economics, (3) market and firm theory, (4) behavioral dogmas of the organization, (5) various applied methodologies and methodologies for measuring and systematizing HCR, (6) business process human resources, and (7) strategic and collective human capital. When using the polyparadigm nature of the study of management research, it is important to consider the many paradigms of management research. The proposed study analyzes the polyparadigm of strategies .LDGOS\u2013is the level of development of the government's online service, rated in points (1\u2013100) and calculated by WIPO; data from some countries for 2020 and 2022 were not taken into account due to lack of data (no data). The highest score in 2021 was occupied by the USA (94.7), and the lowest\u2013by Germany (73.5). One can assume that the digitalization of government's online services actively influences the development of human capital and strategies for its management.PI\u2013is the prosperity index, rated in points (1\u2013100) and calculated by the Legatum Institute Foundation; data is contained in The Legatum Prosperity Index\u2122 2019: Creating the Pathways from Poverty to Prosperity Report and reflects the achievements of the countries of the world in terms of their wellbeing and prosperity. PI practically did not change for the considered countries in 2020\u20132021. This index can also be taken into account in modern personnel strategies for managing human capital.IEF\u2013is the index of economic freedom, rated in points (1\u2013100) and calculated by the Heritage Foundation; data is contained in Country Rankings of Economic Freedom 2020 and reflects the rule of law, the degree of bureaucratization of public administration, the effectiveness of regulation, and the openness of markets. In 2022, Germany had the highest IEF (76.1), and Russia\u2013the lowest (56.1). IEF can also be considered in new personnel management strategies.HIC\u2013is the human inequality coefficient calculated by the United Nations (UNDP); data is contained in the Human Development Report 2019. It reflects the degree of social justice in education, employment, career development, performance, and pay (in %). In 2021, the USA had the highest HIC (10.6), and Germany\u2013the lowest (6.2). The index can be integrated into modern strategies.phw-is the productivity per capita (GDP per hour worked) per hour (USD). It is calculated by the OECD and shows the cost of goods produced by one worker per 1 h of work. This index can be taken into account in digital HR management strategies. Unfortunately, there is no information about GDPphw in Russia today; in the USA, the index is 71.1 USD.GDPThe novelty of the proposed research is characterized, first, by the specification of the conceptual dogmas of human capital administration in the context of digitalization and, second, by the assumption of the interdisciplinarity of the digitalization phenomenon. We tested the skills of current workforce methodology, which is based on the calculations of the World Economic Forum and reflects the level of education and training, labor force qualifications, and digital skills of the population.Strategic management originated in the early 80s of the 20th century at the enterprises of Western Europe. Strategic management of skills of current workforce involves managing the formation of competitive labor potential, taking into account current and future transformations of the external and internal environment, which allows the organization to survive, develop, and achieve short-term and long-term goals. The reorganization of the labor supply market and the development of digital platforms are transforming employment mechanisms; in this connection, further, we will highlight the main current personnel strategies.phw; PI) are related to the behavioral dogmas of the organization and methodologies for measuring and systematizing HCR. For example, when calculating the profitability of a business and the cost of an hour using modeling methods for 50 production employees who directly provide services to customers , the full salary per hour will be 330 rubles, and the profitability of the business will be 59%. In the considered strategy, recruitment is carried out according to strict criteria; wages are calculated depending on the length of service.The main strategy is the concept of profitability of human capital management in the context of digitalization of economic systems Hamburg, . This stThe advantage of the strategy of profitability of human resource management in the context of the digitalization of national economic systems is the focus on flexible management of personnel training. The classical methods of managing human potential based on the development of skills no longer meet the requirements of the modern labor market, according to the concept developed by I. Hamburg . The demIn addition, corporate learning extends beyond a single company, with massive open online courses and social learning becoming especially popular. These trends are producing new types of corporate training and co-working spaces.phw; IEF) converge on a multidimensional typology of HCR resources: management and organization theory, behavioral dogmas of the organization, HCR systematization, and strategic and collective human capital. For example, when transferring employees to a remote work format, eliminating rental fees, and introducing automation everywhere, business profits can increase up to 10%. Financial rewards in an organization using a liquidation strategy are gradually increased based on merit, and staff skills are constantly improved as needed. The liquidation strategy in the context of the digitalization of economies in the field of human capital management includes the automation of the functions of the personnel department, which is an important advantage of the concept. Automation includes, on the one hand, the introduction of digital workplaces and, on the other hand, technologies that change the methods of work and interaction between employees converge on the management, the theory of behavioral dogmas of the organization, and strategic and collective human capital. At present, one can state the formation of an innovative direction in management based on the management of human potential, a dynamic network organizational structure focused on the cultivation and management of self-managed working groups. The spread of remote work contributes to the acquisition of skills for online management of virtual departments and well-coordinated work in a multicultural environment, which also implements an entrepreneurial strategy. The advantage of this strategy is that it is implemented in conditions of a high degree of financial risk and limited resources and involves mobile decision-making. Personnel awards that meet personal needs are awarded on a competitive basis, with an emphasis on entrepreneurial strategy and teamwork. In contrast to the liquidation strategy, the entrepreneurial concept is focused on the use of digital platforms that allow economic activity to be regulated in such a way that most of the duties performed by full-time employees can be transferred to a private company.The next relevant concept of human resources management in the context of the digitalization of national economic systems is an entrepreneurial strategy (Malik and Sanders, The anti-crisis strategy for the transformation of human resources management in the context of the digitalization of national economies is aimed at preventing the bankruptcy of an organization Mendy, . The polIn the human resource management system, the concept in the context of the digitization of national economies is focused on low risks and sustainable growth, and long-term planning is the dynamic growth strategy of Knice et al. . PolyparAny strategy for the development and control of human potential accumulates the conditions and safety of work, methodological aspects of conflict resolution, methods for assessing and adapting personnel, a code of corporate ethics, a personnel reserve, a system of incentives and remuneration, as well as a development concept. The modernization of human potential in the context of the digitalization of the economy should be based on a competency-based approach while taking into account the new conditions; digital competencies will be a priority.As a result, we provide a detailed outlook on the cumulative challenges associated with intra-entrepreneurship, the sustainability of HRM management, and the digital transformation facing modern organizations. The researchers considered a sustainable approach to personnel management, which focuses on the synthesis of internal and external factors in the context of achieving positive results not only for a particular institution but also for the socio-economic segment and the environment. There is a strong necessity to examine cases related to the role of HRM in creating a corporate image and optimal development of institutions, as well as in increasing employee engagement, satisfaction, productivity, and wellbeing. The study discusses the new opportunities provided by digitalization and mobile communications in the field of intellectual capital, which make employees the focus of an organization to create sustainable, highly competitive advantages, which is the practical significance of the study.Research design: LK. Research: VK, PK, and LB. Literature review: PK and LB. Writing: LK and VK. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version."} +{"text": "Infection science is a discipline of healthcare which includes clinical microbiology, public health microbiology, mechanisms of microbial disease, and antimicrobial countermeasures. The importance of infection science has become more apparent in recent years during the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic and subsequent highlighting of critical operational domains within infection science including the hospital, clinical laboratory, and public health environments to prevent, manage, and treat infectious diseases. However, as the global community transitions beyond the pandemic, the importance of infection science remains, with emerging infectious diseases, bloodstream infections, sepsis, and antimicrobial resistance becoming increasingly significant contributions to the burden of global disease. Machine learning (ML) is frequently applied in healthcare and medical domains, with growing interest in the application of ML techniques to problems in infection science. This has the potential to address several key aspects including improving patient outcomes, optimising workflows in the clinical laboratory, and supporting the management of public health. However, despite promising results, the implementation of ML into clinical practice and workflows is limited. Enabling the migration of ML models from the research to real world environment requires the development of trustworthy ML systems that support the requirements of users, stakeholders, and regulatory agencies. This paper will provide readers with a brief introduction to infection science, outline the principles of trustworthy ML systems, provide examples of the application of these principles in infection science, and propose future directions for moving towards the development of trustworthy ML systems in infection science. Particularly, the use of ML continues to increase in high-stake environments where data is being used to support humans in decision-making scenarios and in some cases, completely removing human involvement. In healthcare, data driven processes are becoming more prominent along with the application of ML. This is evident by the growing application of ML in many areas of healthcare including radiology, cardiology, neurology, and general hospital use . This is2.ML is a type of artificial intelligence (AI), described as a set of methods/algorithms that learn patterns from data, utilising these patterns to produce predictions . ML tech3.Recently, the principles associated with trustworthy AI have become more of a focus in the research community as ML becomes increasingly applied in high-stakes environments such as finance, defence, and healthcare. This includes identifying the requirements for the development of trustworthy ML systems, and establish pathways to adoption for ML systems in practice.\u2022Human agency and oversight\u2022Technical robustness and safety\u2022Privacy and data governance\u2022Transparency\u2022Diversity, non-discrimination and fairness\u2022Societal and environmental well-being\u2022AccountabilityThe implementation, relevance, and specific interpretations of the trustworthy AI requirements ultimately depends on the specific domain and context in which the ML system is being developed and deployed , established by the European Commission . They crdeployed . The guideployed , and do purpose .In healthcare, it is the responsibility of the stakeholders in each of the unique domains to develop their own specific set of best practices that are appropriate for their own context. When developing ML systems worthy of trust, it is important to consider the entire lifecycle of the ML system. This involves data collection and processing, ML model development, and subsequent deployment and monitoring of the model. ML model development involves training, testing, and validation of the model, and deployment requires taking the model from the research, to the real world environment. This is often achieved by providing an interface to enable users to interact with the ML system, through a client-side application such as a web or mobile application, or through the use of an application programming interface (API) deployed through the use of cloud computing resources or on premise infrastructure. The principles of trustworthy ML systems need to be integrated at each of the stages in this ML system development and deployment lifecycle. This has been previously identified by Li et al. , where tThe recent attempts at establishing the principles, and guidelines for trustworthy AI systems has also prompted the requirement for methods to assess the overall trustworthiness of a system. An assessment of the trustworthiness of a ML system is necessary to deploy these systems into real world environments. Z-Inspection, introduced by Zicari et al. , is one 4.As previously identified, there have been a number of reviews highlighting the application of ML to problems in IS. However, far fewer ML applications implement the principles for developing ML systems that are worthy of trust. The google scholar database was searched to identify research articles that explore and implement the principles and practices of trustworthy machine learning systems for IS. Exact searches for \u201ctrustworthy machine learning for infection\u201d did not produce any articles. Articles containing \u201ctrustworthy machine learning infection\u201d and \u201cmachine learning infection\u201d were searched for. Articles were then manually examined. Examples of studies which have implemented some of these principles based on this search have been included in this section and shown in 5.ML based approaches have been producing promising results in IS, providing insight into the utility of ML applications for addressing problems relating to patient management, clinical laboratory workflows, and surveillance and monitoring of public health. The increasing interest in the application of ML in the IS context presents additional opportunities to address the regulatory and system stakeholder concerns regarding the trustworthiness of ML based approaches in practice. The importance of implementing trustworthy ML principles along the entire ML lifecycle, from collection of data through to the deployment, monitoring, and continuous improvement of ML systems is critical to ensuring the success and adoption of these systems in practice. Whilst there has been a significant increase in the number of ML applications in IS, this is not reflected in the real world integration of the models into practice. A significant amount of the work regarding the development of ML systems in healthcare has been directed towards a small number of domains, which is evident by the number of approved AI based systems/devices in the United States of America (US) and Europe (EU). Between 2015 and 2020, 222 and 240 AI/ML devices have been approved in the US and EU respectively . These f6.There has been an increased focus on IS as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the significant impact on the global community. As the world moves beyond the pandemic, IS and the problems within the domain remain significant, with the growing threat of emerging infectious diseases, the global burden of sepsis, and the continual rise of AMR. The recent growth in the development of ML applications in the different areas of IS including the hospital, clinical laboratory, and public health setting has shown promising results. These applications have targeted a wide range of problems including the treatment and management of patients, the improvement of laboratory workflows, and predicting infection trends. However, there is a significant gap between the number of ML applications in research, and the effective implementation of ML systems. This paper has provided readers with an introduction to infection science, outlined the principles of trustworthy ML systems, presented an overview of the ML applications in IS that implement some of the principles of trustworthy AI, and identified the need for a change in focus towards implementing the practices of trustworthy ML systems to promote adoption of these systems in practice. Further work is required to ensure a more systematic view of trustworthiness is integrated into ML approaches in IS. In the future, we encourage researchers, engineers, and ML practitioners to address all areas of the ML system lifecycle, moving beyond model training and testing, and take a focused, end-to-end view of implementing trustworthy ML system principles in the IS domain to promote adherence to the regulatory requirements, stakeholder acceptance, and adoption of ML systems in practice within IS."} +{"text": "Stress Biology. Stress Biology was launched this year as an open access journal published by Springer Nature\u00a0in partnership with Northwest A&F University of China. We plan to have the journal indexed by SCIE in 2024 and aim to obtain its first impact factor of no less than 5.0 in 2024.We are pleased to invite you to join us in celebrating the birth of a new life sciences academic journal, Stress Biology journal is to promote stress biology research for the sake of agricultural sustainability and human well-being.All organisms in nature, including plants, animals and microbes, have to struggle with a variety of biotic (pathogens and pests) and abiotic stresses in order to survive and propagate. During the long history of evolution, these organisms have developed various strategies and mechanisms to cope with environmental stresses. Nevertheless, severe stresses are still the main challenges limiting the growth, health and productivity of plants and animals. Plants, animals, and microbes and their interactions are the vital parts of the ecology we depend on, and some of them such as crop plants, livestock and poultry provide the food, fiber and shelter for us. Global climate change brings with it more frequent extreme weathers, leading to outbreaks of diseases and pests, and severe drought and floods, heat waves and bitter cold, and causing great threats to agricultural production and food security. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of stress resistance and developing technologies for improving the stress resistance of plants, animals and useful microbes is critical for sustainable agriculture. The mission of the Stress Biology aims to be a leading international journal that is vigorously peer-reviewed and publishes important results of stress biology research. The journal publishes original, high quality research of all aspects of stress biology, including but not limited to work that (1) provides fundamental insights into the understanding of responses of plants, microorganisms and animals to abiotic and biotic stresses; (2) elucidates the mechanisms underlying the adaptation and resistance of plants, microorganisms and animals to biotic and abiotic stresses; and (3) uses biotechnological and other strategies to improve the resistance of plants, microorganisms and animals to abiotic and biotic stresses. Topics covered by the journal include: physiology, molecular biology, cell biology, microbiology, pathology, ecology, genomics, epigenetics, gene editing, stress resistance breeding, biotechnology, and so on. Article types include: original paper, short communications, reviews, highlights, letters to the editor, editorials.Stress Biology will have all the good characteristics of a Springer Nature journal, including straightforward initial submission, fast and fair review with constructive comments, rapid online publishing prior to copyediting and typesetting, high-quality production, etc. Furthermore, as an open access journal, all contents will be freely available to researchers worldwide through the Springer Nature platform. The journal will cover article processing charge for authors during the period from 2021 to 2023.Stress Biology cover a wide range of research topics in the field of stress biology and showcase the goals and scope of our journal: a high-quality open access journal with a broad scope for communicating various discoveries in stress biology that contribute to the development of sustainable agriculture worldwide.The high-quality reviews and research articles published in this inaugural issue of Stress Biology!We sincerely thank all of the authors who have contributed papers to this inaugural issue. We also would like to thank all of our editorial board members and the reviewers, as well as members of our editorial and production teams, for their support. Our joint efforts have now culminated in the successful launch of this new journal of our own research community! We look forward to working together with you all to grow this promising journal so that your important research discovery can have the great impact and benefits to society it deserves. Come and publish in Editors-in-ChiefZhen-Sheng Kang: Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Director of the State Key\u00a0Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas\u00a0of ChinaJian-Kang Zhu: Member of the US National Academy of Sciences, and Director of the Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesAssociate EditorsJin-Rong Xu: Professor of Purdue University, USAHuazhong Shi: Associate professor of Texas Tech University, USAExecutive editorQiao-Chun Wang: Professor of Northwest A&F University,\u00a0China"} +{"text": "First experience of the sub-national process of certification of elimination of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV and/or syphilis at a global level. In 2022, 43 municipalities \u2265 100,000 inhabitants were certified, covering 24.6 million inhabitants.The experience of sub-national certification of the EMTCT was important in mobilizing the municipalities that engaged in its initiatives, worked to improve the quality of care and surveillance and emerging as the main proponents in the process.Through this ongoing and dynamic initiative, there is an anticipation of over 100 municipalities and states joining in 2023. Sub-national certification aims to enhance comprehensive care for pregnant women, in order to achieve national certification of EMTCT. to describe the subnational implementation process of the certification for elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and/or syphilis, its main barriers, challenges and opportunities. in 2022, indicators from the last full year for impact targets and the last two full years for process targets, available in national information systems, were evaluated; descriptive reports were analyzed and actions were acknowledged within four thematic axes, according to PAHO/WHO recommendations. 43 municipalities \u2265 100,000 inhabitants were certified, covering 24.6 million inhabitants; one municipality achieved dual elimination (HIV-syphilis), 28 municipalities achieved elimination of HIV and 10 received silver tiers; regarding syphilis, one elimination was observed, along with 4 gold tiers, 13 silver tiers and 4 bronze tiers; a higher number of certifications was identified in the Southeast and South regions. barriers and challenges of the process were overcome through tripartite collaboration; the experience provided better integration of surveillance with care and improved actions aimed at preventing mother-to-child transmission. Several recommendations and guidelines have been published, and a plan has been proposed for the Member States to promote the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV and syphilis in the Americas, with targets set to be met by 2015.Following PAHO\u2019s initiative, the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2014, released the Global guidance on the criteria and processes for certification: EMTCT of HIV and/or syphilis. These criteria were expanded in 2017, when it was established the possibility for countries with a high prevalence of HIV and/or syphilis to be certified for the bronze, silver or gold tiers in \u201cthe path to elimination\u201d, encouraging gradual reduction in MTCT rates.), and dual certification, in addition to providing for certification for gold, silver and bronze tiers on the Path to Elimination of MTCT of HIV and/or syphilis, in order to encompass places that have not achieved the elimination targets but show indicators that are closer to .8 Nati),,,,1,(1), The years evaluated were 2019 and 2020.The certification process of EMTCT of HIV and/or syphilis occurred in municipalities with \u2265100,000 inhabitants during 2022, as a partnership strategy involving the Ministry of Health, states and municipalities, aiming to improve actions for reducing MTCT of HIV and syphilis, infections still considered a public health problem in the country.The steps for implementing the certification were as follows: (i) the establishment of the National Validation Committee for MTCT; (ii) definition of criteria and process and impact indicators; (iii) development of a list of cities with \u2265 100,000 inhabitants and eligible states, meeting the recommended indicators; (iv) proposal presentation to states and municipalities; (v) standardized development process of the certification report, based on the supplement to the Guide for Certification of Elimination of Mother-to-child Transmission of HIV and/or Syphilis, by the candidate municipality or state; (vi) analysis of municipal reports by the Ministry of Health; (vii) establishment and training of the National Validation Team (NVT), comprised of experts from each thematic axis; (viii) development of the field manual for the NVT; (ix) planning and performance of on-site visits by the NVT, based on the supplement to the Guide;In the Guide for Certification of Elimination of Mother-to-child Transmission of HIV and/or Syphilis, the subnational certification strategy acknowledges the development of actions distributed in four thematic axes, according to PAHO/WHO recommendations:a) programs and services;b)epidemiological surveillance and data quality;c) diagnostic capacity and test quality; andd)human rights, gender equality and community participation.These four axes were structured to induce organization and improvement of care based on the best evidence, according to the logistical and technological resources available.This spans from early prenatal care with timely access to testing and appropriate treatment, to surveillance, through case monitoring and control.The requirements and minimum criteria for municipality certification included (i) prior achievement of impact and process indicators, established in the Guide for Certification of EMTCT , (ii) thOf the total of 326 Brazilian municipalities with \u2265 100 thousand inhabitants, 85 were initially considered eligible based on the analysis of impact and process indicators and targets available in the national information systems; with the exception of testing, whose source is local. State administrators, contacted by the Ministry of Health via e-mail and phone calls, were asked to participate in the certification process by crafting strategies to support municipal administrators and health professionals of the network, aiming at epidemiological analysis of the data and development of the descriptive report.The main stage of the process was the on-site visit to the municipalities, carried out by the NVT, whose members should come from different states than those of the municipalities visited. The purpose of these visits was to validate and enhance the information provided in the report submitted by the municipality. This activity was divided into two segments: first, a technical and political meeting with state and municipal administrators, health professionals and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in the process; and secondly, the visit to the health services that comprise the maternal and child health care network . The primary care centers visited should preferably be located in regions of higher social vulnerability.In order to standardize the visits, (i) a list of evaluation points was developed for each type of request , according to the four axes previously described, and (ii) a structured framework was developed for generating reports during technical visits, including the evaluated points and observations.Conselho Nacional de Secret\u00e1rios de Sa\u00fade - CONASS), the National Council of Municipal Health Secretaries , professional councils , scientific societies, PAHO, UNICEF, UNAIDS and the National Regulatory Agency for Private Health Insurance and Plans . The visit report was also sent to the municipalities, as part of an ongoing process of improvement and qualification.A report was drafted for each visit in order to support the National Validation Committee in making the final judgment on the granting of certification. This Committee is comprised of representatives of the Ministry of Health, the National Council of Health Secretaries , followed by the Northeast region (n = 64). These regions encompass 71.5% of the Brazilian population living in municipalities of this size .In total, 45 certification requests were received from municipalities, across the country\u2019s five macro-regions, and 43 received certification and/or tiers of progress toward elimination. The process involved visits to 337 health services within the maternal and child health care network. Services located in areas of greater social and individual vulnerability, as well as maternity hospitals and specialized care services (SCS) were given priority. Local specificities and schedule compliance represented challenges experienced by the NVT.At the end of the process, in 2022, of the 43 certifications awarded, 38 were for HIV and 22 for syphilis. One municipality achieved dual elimination of both HIV and syphilis. The highest number of certifications occurred in the Southeast and South regions of the country. The total number of municipalities that were certified encompassed 24.6 million inhabitants. Regarding the categories, 28 municipalities achieved elimination of HIV, while 10 received silver tiers. As for syphilis, there was one elimination, 4 gold, 13 silver and 4 bronze tiers A and 3B.The subnational certification process of EMTCT of HIV and/or syphilis in Brazil was the first experience in this regard, and can serve as a model for other countries. Implemented in 2022 for both health conditions, the initiative showed the importance of collaborating with states and municipalities in organizing service networks and surveillance of these infections.Some barriers and challenges emerged during the process, but the joint work involving the three levels of government enabled the identification of solutions and adaptations within the outlined dynamics. The primary required adjustment was the use of the guidance for certification proposed by the WHO,One barrier found in the experience was the challenge of measuring the indicator of coverage for pregnant women who underwent at least one HIV and/or syphilis test during prenatal care, given that there is no single national data source for its verification. It could be seen that adherence to the Ministry of Health\u2019s electronic medical record system, which allows this information to be recorded, is heterogeneous across the country. It was also noted that a significant number of the candidate municipalities performed rapid testing, but did not systematically record this procedure. In addition, there was a gap in collecting this data within the private healthcare network. Therefore, the alternative found was to allow the systematic analysis of medical records, based on a representative random sample of live birth population in the years evaluated, namely: the medical records from the last full year for impact targets; and the last two full years for process targets. This measure was important and further motivated the municipalities to participate in the certification process for the elimination of MTCT of HIV and/or syphilis.),,,17,,(An opportunity in conducting this process was the face-to-face visits to the municipalities, which provided the exchange of experiences and knowledge, mobilization of local teams, identification of strengths and weaknesses in the processes developed in the locations, as well as encouraging the use of national information systems and the electronic medical record in primary health care. The certification process is a strategy for mobilization and continuous education. The indicators are monitored across the three levels of management annually, encouraging empowerment through recognition of the joint effort made. The stages of the process have strengthened the integration between surveillance and health care, intersectoral collaboration, intergovernmental management and social control in tackling EMTCT. All of these elements contribute to a continuous learning methodology and local improvement, operating as a potent mechanism for inducing the achievement of process and impact targets, towards the EMTCT of HIV and syphilis.By including the axis of \u201chuman rights, gender equality and community participation\u201d, the certification process has promoted the recognition of municipal experiences in prevention, diagnosis and treatment, in the context of populations facing vulnerability and inequity in access to these services. Furthermore, it highlighted the need to promote community participation in instances of social control, such as health councils and ombudsman offices.The experience with the certification process of EMTCT of HIV and/or syphilis in 2022 was important in mobilizing the municipalities that engaged in its initiatives, worked to improve the quality of care and emerging as the principal proponents in the process. The participation of the three levels of government - federal, state and municipal - civil society and the scientific community showed the strength of tripartite governance, especially in a country with continental dimensions such as Brazil. For 2023, the whole process is being repeated with the anticipation of over 100 municipalities joining. The experience of the subnational certification of the elimination of MTCT of HIV and/or syphilis showed that, beyond the outcomes achieved, the methodologies employed were of paramount significance, providing change in service routines and better integration of surveillance with health care."} +{"text": "The process of ovulation involves multiple and iterrelated genetic, biochemical, and morphological events: cessation of the proliferation of granulosa cells, resumption of oocyte meiosis, expansion of cumulus cell-oocyte complexes, digestion of the follicle wall, and extrusion of the metaphase-II oocyte. The present narrative review examines these interrelated steps in detail. The combined or isolated roles of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are highlighted. Genes indiced by the FSH genes are relevant in the cumulus expansion, and LH-induced genes are critical for the resumption of meiosis and digestion of the follicle wall. A non-human model for follicle-wall digestion and oocyte release was provided. Ovulation is the term used to define the ovarian release of the female mature gamete that is ready to be fertilized. The process of ovulation includes a series of morphological and biochemical events within the preovulatory follicle. Several genes are activated in the ovarian environment, leading to enzymatic and structural transformations under the influence of gonadotropins and sex steroids that are modulated by several growth factors. All of these events ensure that the oocyte becomes likely to be fertilized and extruded on the ovarian surface to form the corpus luteum.menstrual cycle,menstrual cycle physiology,folliculogenesis,theca cells,granulosa cells,oocyte,oocyte-cumulus complex,follicular wall digestion,cumulus-oocyte-complex expansion,oocyte maturation,gene expression,FSH,LH, andprogesterone receptor. We expanded the search to the references of the retrieved articles.We searched for articles published in English in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. The keywords were as follows:The more advanced stages of follicle development are characterized by the appearance of intercellular space filled by antral fluid. At this stage, the granulosa cells are differentiated into two distinct populations: cumulus cells, which are those closely linked to the oocyte, and wall or mural granulosa cells, which internally line the follicular wall. Although these two cell types share a common origin, there are differences in the production of transcribers and proteins.Folliculogenesis begins with the formation of the primordial follicle, and ends with the preovulatory follicle.The ovulation process occurs in a coordinated and interrelated way in five complex steps: interruption of granulosa cell proliferation, resumption of meiosis, expansion of the cumulus with oocyte release inside the antrum, lysis of the follicular wall, and oocyte extrusion at the metaphase II (MII) stage. In mammals, oocytes are stationed in meiosis I at prophase I. The resumption of meiosis I occurs during puberty as a result of the gonadotropic stimulus in follicles in the preovulatory stage, culminating in the rupture of the germ vesicle.Periovulatory gene expression induced by the FSH in cumulus cells plays a minor but necessary role in the mediation of ovulation . The ocThe role the LH in the ovulation process is complex and fundamental for the resumption of meiosis, loosening of the cumulus cells, and rupture of the follicle.The genetic and biochemical events responsible for cumulus mucification are summarized inThe oocyte maturation process aims to empower the female gamete and ensure its subsequent development until the activation of the embryonic genome occurs. Therefore, chromatin condensation is relevant in the continuity of meiosis, redistribution of organelles in the cytoplasm, and alterations in the cytoskeleton; all of these modifications are precisely regulated and coordinated .28ForThe functions of the OSFs include growth stimulation, prevention of apoptosis, inhibition of luteinization, regulation of energy metabolism, cholesterol biosynthesis, and regulation of cumulus expansion.In general, the properties of lacunar junctions enable the direct and bidirectional transport of small molecules between the oocyte and the granulosa cells. High intraoocyte levels of cAMP maintain the oocyte in the stage of germ vesicle, through suppression of the activity of the maturation-proimoting factor (MPF).In a recent studyThe meiotic spindles are responsible for the continuity of the meiotic division and extrusion of the two polar corpuscles. Initially, the mitochondrial groups are in a central position in the oocyte. As the maturation progresses, they migrate to the edges of the oocyte, close to the extruding regions of the polar body.Morphological and biochemical changes that result in rupture of the follicular wall and oocyte extrusion occur basically by the action of the LH, because it induces the synthesis and secretion of various enzymes . The roCAATenhancer-binding protein \u03b2 (C/EBP\u03b2), PR, and other activator protein-1 family members , all involved in the functional activity of the granulosa cells of the ovulating follicle.The ADAMTS 16, present in luteinized granulosa cells, responds to FSH stimulation and actively participates in the process of structural follicle remodeling at the time of ovulation. The role of the LH on PR is mimicked by cAMP-inducing agonists . Targets of PR appear to control the rupture of the follicle, mainly ADAMTS-1 and cathepsin L. Among the proteases involved, thrombospondins 1 and 4 (ADAMTS1/4) promote the breakdown of the proteoglycan family structures, such as versican, through granulosa activation by PRs,The proteoglycan components of the ECM induced by the LH peak, on either granulosa or theca cells, serve as substrates preferably for ADAMTS 1, culminating in follicular rupture.After the rupture of the follicular wall, there is tissue reorganization by the activation of promatrix factors, which, in an organized and vascularized way, causes granulosa cell differentiation into luteal cells, thereby originating the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum is composed of functional cells for the synthesis of progesterone, the main regulator of the pituitary secretion of gonadotropins, the principal factors involved in the maintenance of the corpus luteum until initial gestation."} +{"text": "The \u201cOne Health\u201d concept considers that human and animal health, and ecosystems are closely related and aims to make a link between ecology and human and veterinary medicine. Due to the explosion in population growth along with the geographic and climatic conditions , Africa is becoming a major hotspot for various socio-health issues associated with infectious diseases, including arboviruses. The incontestable advantages of a One Health approach in Africa lie in the fight against pathogens, such as arboviruses, and in the preservation of environmental, animal, and human health to ensure that the increasing high needs of this population are met as well as their protection against potential epidemics. The One Health strategy gives us a glimpse of the difficulties and challenges that the African continent faces. The importance of this approach in Africa is to establish guidelines and strategies for effective solutions and changes in behavior and harmful activities. Overall, the establishment of high-quality global health policies in the framework of the global health standards program would provide healthy and sustainable human\u2013animal\u2013environmental interactions for the welfare of all. The changes in our environment, mainly caused by human activities and the evolution of interactions between humans and animals, are, and will undoubtedly be, responsible for sanitary crises ,2,3. TheThe risk of the emergence and/or re-emergence of infectious diseases with active human-to-human transmission increases the risk of rapid and direct development of the diseases, leading to an epidemic and in some cases a pandemic. Likewise, the increase in interactions between wildlife, domestic animals, vectors for human and animal pathogens, and humans inevitably increases the risk of transmission and dissemination of zoonoses within the human population, leading to increased risk of epidemics. In addition to the challenges from the epidemics of Dengue in Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Angola, Gabon, Sudan, and Ethiopia and the current management of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are the issues of antimicrobial resistance and environmental sanitation policies in Africa ,12,13. MAmong these emerging diseases, the term arbovirus refers to a group of viral diseases transmitted by arthropods, such as mosquitoes, ticks, and sandflies. Vector-borne diseases are a growing burden according to the World Health Organization (WHO), sometimes causing epidemic outbreaks in various tropical regions . These dThe impact of arboviral diseases in Africa is significant, particularly in low-resource settings where access to healthcare is limited ,30. The Arbovirosis in Africa is a complex problem that is influenced by a variety of factors, including the high prevalence of mosquito vectors that are the primary vectors. Many parts of the continent have a warm and humid climate that provides an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes. Additionally, deforestation and urbanization create new habitats for disease-carrying mosquitoes, leading to an increase in their population ,31. The Overall, the combination of these factors makes arboviral diseases a significant economic burden to African countries, particularly in terms of healthcare costs, lost productivity, and reduced tourism revenue. Arboviruses are, unfortunately, not a priority for research and surveillance in Africa due to other health, security, and political issues. Thus, they are among the neglected diseases in many African countries, even though there is a great risk of emergence of new variants and/or re-emergence of existing variants. Many people in Africa are unaware of the risks associated with arboviral diseases and the measures they can take to protect themselves. This can lead to a lack of preparedness and a delay in seeking medical attention, which can exacerbate the impact of these diseases. The burden of these diseases is expected to increase in the future due to population growth, urbanization, and climate change, making it a major public health challenge for Africa.The One Health approach is of great importance in the management of current and future emerging and re-emerging diseases in Africa. Tight collaboration between various actors from different disciplines is very important in the prevention, surveillance, diagnosis, and discovery of therapeutic solutions necessary for the control and/or eradication of infectious diseases. Indeed, integrated surveillance lies in the surveillance, control, and diagnosis of infectious diseases , in the research for molecules of therapeutic interest, in the training of health professionals, in connecting actors from different fields, and in establishing policies to fight against endemic and neglected zoonoses. Human behaviors and activities also show the need for this strategy. For example, deforestation by humans forces changes in wild-animal behaviors. Indeed, the animals affected have to adapt to their new environments, for example, by changing their feeding grounds and settling increasingly close to livestock breeding areas ,31. In tArboviruses are, unfortunately, not often a research or surveillance priority in Africa. In this sense, they are among the neglected diseases, although they represent an increasing risk of epidemics and the appearance of new more virulent or contagious strains. Arboviruses are a major health risk in Africa because of its climate, and the different interactions between humans, animals, and vectors. African countries must therefore adopt comprehensive policies for surveillance of and research into arboviruses.Different methods can be used to better characterize the risk associated with arboviruses and understand their biological basis in order to better guide public health interventions. These methods include studies of biology at the environmental, vector, animal, and human level, with a trans/interdisciplinary interaction. In general, the transmission of arboviruses is influenced by a large number of factors related to the biology of hosts, vectors, and viruses, which are inter-related within dynamic natural environments and influenced by abiotic factors, such as climate or hydrography . A comprConsequently, the need to understand the emergence of a disease in humans through an approach that integrates a large number of environmental parameters, described as global, has been reinforced ,34. HencTight collaboration between animal, environmental, and human health institutions is important to find solutions and effective control approaches at both local and international levels. These efforts must include Africa, especially given its climate, rapid population growth, and slow economic growth, making Africa at risk for the emergence and/or re-emergence of epidemics. For the moment, no African country has taken the lead for the continent, but instead, individual countries are organizing themselves for carrying out studies with a One Health aim, sometimes with local funds and very often with foreign funds. This is particularly the case today for common North\u2013South diseases ,37. The The effectiveness of the One Health approach has been demonstrated with zoonoses responsible for emerging and/or re-emerging diseases linked to epidemics in certain regions of Africa ,40,42,43We analyzed several reports on the One Health concept and highlight the relevance of using this approach in the control of arboviruses in Africa, while at the same time addressing the challenges and difficulties related to its implementation. A systematic literature search related to the topic was first performed in electronic databases . We also searched data on the WHO and the Institute of Research for Development (IRD) websites. All collected data were then used to discuss: (1) the relevance of the One Health concept in the control of arboviruses in Africa and (2) the challenges and difficulties of implementing this concept on the African continent. The search included research articles (in English and French) and news articles published between January 2009 and April 2023 (that last 14 years). A total of 863 articles were reviewed and all articles identified as irrelevant were excluded. Exclusion criteria included type of study, language of publication, nature of the pathogens addressed, and incomplete technical and/or clinical data. The articles were analyzed first on the basis of the title, then the abstract, and then, finally, the full text. A total of 71 articles were included for study. We combined the following search terms: \u201cOne Health and Africa\u201d and \u201chuman health\u201d or \u201cenvironmental health\u201d or \u201canimal health\u201d or \u201carbovirus and emerging diseases\u201d or \u201cre-emerging diseases\u201d and \u201cAfrica climate\u201d. Figure 2 was generated using the online software Datawrapper and Figures 1, 3\u20135 were generated using PowerPoint 2019 software.In regard of various epidemics in Africa , the health authorities of certain countries have thought of a multidisciplinary strategy to fight against these epidemics ,48,49,50The relationship between a pathogen , and its host is rather dynamic and the environment plays also an important role in the nature and dynamics of an epidemic . This maPhlebovirus of the Phenuiviridae family. RVF is endemic in Africa and affects domestic ruminants, such as cattle, sheep, goats, and camels [Aedes-type mosquitoes that transmit the virus during blood meals both in animals (domestic or wild) and humans, with contact between infected animals also allowing for virus spread ) and annual rainfall totals over 150 mm ,47. ThesNairoviridae, genus Orthonairovirus. It is a zoonosis that also has a high rate of human-to-human transmission and produces epidemic outbreaks in humans [CCHF is a viral hemorrhagic fever caused by a virus from the family n humans ,55,56. Tn humans . The morn humans . The modn humans . Farmersn humans .Considered the second most common arbovirus in the world due to its geographical distribution, CCHFV is endemic in several African countries, such as DRC, Nigeria, Namibia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Central Africa Republic, Senegal, Uganda, South Soudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Madagascar, Mauritania, South Africa, Kenya, and Senegal, as well as in Asia , South-Eastern Europe, and the Middle East ,60,61,62Due to this very complex cycle, in which hosts and vectors are themselves strongly influenced by environmental parameters, a One Health approach is required for the prevention and control of this disease . The intIn Africa, improvement in technical platforms for the detection of CCHF is required. Indeed, the 451 antigenic cross-reactivities with nairoviruses prevents serological analyses due to the high rate of false positives. In this sense the One Health approach will make it possible to pool funds and direct funding towards the most appropriate strategies for all, and an appropriate screening strategy . AlthougThe One Health approach to CCHF surveillance also involves promoting awareness and education about the disease, particularly in areas where CCHFV is endemic. This includes educating communities about the importance of tick control, proper animal husbandry, and safe food-handling practices.Flaviviridae family, genus Flavivirus. There are four serotypes of DENV: DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4 [Aedes. Like all arboviruses, transmission is either sylvatic, where the virus circulates between wild animals, such as Simian species , and mosquitoes without human contact; or urban, where the virus circulates between mosquitoes and humans through constant contact with the bite occurring preferentially during the day helps in the early detection of cases and outbreaks, and facilitates a rapid response to control the spread of the disease. In addition, early detection of circulating DENV serotypes could identify potential new emerging strains. Then, by integrating data from human, animal, and environmental sources, public health officials may identify potential outbreaks early and take proactive measures to prevent their spread. This approach can lead to the development of more effective and sustainable strategies for disease prevention and control, as well as contribute to the overall health and well-being of communities.Prevention and control efforts are crucial to reduce the impact of the disease on humans. The interest in DEN surveillance by the One Health approach lies in its ability to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the disease and its transmission dynamics. Dengue involves multiple hosts and vectors, including humans, mosquitoes, and non-human primates, although dengue epidemics are currently linked to an urban transmission cycle. A One Health approach to DEN surveillance can provide a comprehensive understanding of the disease and help in developing effective prevention and control strategies. Surveillance of DENV circulation in mosquitoes . Most African countries are poor and located in areas at high risk of disease emergence due to their climate, proximity to risk areas, and human activities. Therefore, the pooling of funds and One-Health-type policies would be very useful, both in the reduction of unnecessary expenditure and in the establishment of priority policies related to the surveillance and control of emerging or re-emerging diseases . The chaAnalysis of the flaws in the management of the COVID-19 crisis has shown that the One Health strategy is indeed rarely used in many countries . The strAn integrated health strategy has indeed operational consequences that disrupt the existing methods of study, surveillance, prevention, and action\u2014giving rise to resistance to implementation. Implementation of One Health requires a change in the understanding of risks and practices . The varThe centralization of data is important for an overall quality analysis based on the economic and geographical networks in place. It is also important to establish shared regulations between the different sectors involved, standardized operating protocols, effective control instruments, the creation of health structures for rapid treatment, and laboratories sufficiently equipped to maintain health and surveillance systems during crises. It is also important to improve staff training in One Health strategies by introducing the importance of this notion into the training paths of students from the various disciplines concerned.The recent outbreaks of arboviruses , and the COVID-19 pandemic have demonstrated the need for an integrated health strategy and have encouraged us to plan for the prevention and management of future crises. Africa is particularly exposed to the risks of the emergence of new pathogens given its environment of high demographic growth with a favorable climate to emerging/re-emerging diseases. A special effort must be made in Africa to ensure a trans/interdisciplinary approach for safer health and more effective management of future epidemics. This management involves coordinated multi-sector actions at different scales, from local to international. The One Health concept should be considered as an approach that goes far beyond the prevention of health crises; it is indeed a holistic vision of health that considers the close links between health, environment, climate, food, and agriculture. Implementing the One Health concept requires political commitment and adherence to a number of core principles, including socio-political and multi-cultural parity, inclusion, and community involvement, defined by the One Health high-level interdisciplinary expert group."} +{"text": "Cameroon has two main educational systems: English and French, which have a colonial heritage. The controversy is that each educational sub-system has its own curriculum. In the French-speaking part of the country, sports and physical education are mandatory for obtaining the CEPE, Baccalaureate, and any other public examination. In the English-speaking part, sports and physical education are yet to be included in the curriculum. The goal of this policy paper is to change the narrative of the curriculum of public examinations in Cameroon's anglophone educational sub-system by following the example of the country's French part. This policy paper targets curriculum developers, the General Certificate of Education Board, and the Ministries of Education. What will be innovative is that students from English-speaking Cameroon will also be included in sports activities at an early age.Development: We used the Health-Enhancing Physical Activity Policy Audit Tool (HEPA PAT) to collect data at the ministries of education, the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education, 197 public schools, and 204 health care facilities. Content analysis, ethnographic studies, and Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis are used to assess why average French-speaking Cameroonians have a longer life span, are physically active, and participate in more high-level sports than their English-speaking counterparts.The Cameroon Government Certificate (GCE) of Education Board is in charge of putting this project into action. Sports and physical education should be required courses for both the ordinary and advanced levels of the GCE.We will implement the process and conduct an impact assessment. With the process evaluation, we will monitor if the program is meeting the intended goals. The impact evaluation will give a broader view of the outcome of the program.When this policy is put into place, the English-speaking part of Cameroon will have HEPA and be pushed to be as healthy and fit as the French-speaking part."} +{"text": "Dear Editor,Tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) in Brazil is the New World tegumentary leishmaniasis (NWTL), with distinct protozoan species, vectors, reservoirs and presentation when compared to the Old World tegumentary leishmaniasis (OWTL), which occurs in European, African and Middle Eastern countries. The authors report the fourth case of TL in Brazil caused by an Old World species, which is not native to Latin America, and discuss the introduction of this species in the country.L. amazonensis and L. major through the anatomopathological analysis, although the literature reports differences in the size of the parasitophorous vacuoles of these species .Leishmania spp. This genetic target was chosen due to the presence of multiple copies per cell and due to the size of the DNA fragment amplified from the employed primers ,Leishmania major species complex .L. major infection.In the Middle East, the most often reported etiological agents are In 1991 the cases decreased in Syria, where this disease is endemic, due to the fight against mosquitoes. However, in the late 1990s, an increase was observed, which was attributed to intense rural-urban migration and the deterioration of services, such as garbage collection and basic sanitation.The refugees were settled in border towns, mainly in Turkey, without medical care and living in an environment favorable for the spreading of epidemics. New cases of TL were observed in refugee camps. In Lebanon, there was an increase from six cases between 2000\u20122012 to 1,033 cases in 2013 alone, 97% of which were Syrian refugees.In Brazil, Syrians constitute the predominant group of refugees.Leishmania. In Turkey, non-endemic strains have been detected, even in a patient with no history of travelling, suggesting the introduction of this species.Anopheles sergentii as a vector was verified,L. majorL. major-like strains, possibly L. major,Hence, it is possible to discuss the autochthonous transmission of new species of The authors emphasize the importance of this diagnosis in patients from endemic areas, considering the potential for deformities. Moreover, they emphasize the relevance of this report for the epidemiological investigation of the possibility of autochthonous transmission of Old World species in our country.None declared.Cindy Tiemi Matsumoto: Data collection, or analysis and interpretation of data; writing of the manuscript or critical review of important intellectual content; intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the studied cases; critical review of the literature; approval of the final version of the manuscript.Milvia Maria Sim\u00f5es and Silva Enokihara: Intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the studied cases; critical review of the literature.Mar\u00edlia Marufuji Ogawa: Data collection, or analysis and interpretation of data; effective participation in research orientation; intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the studied cases; critical review of the literature; approval of the final version of the manuscript.Samira Yarak: Data collection, or analysis and interpretation of data; writing of the manuscript or critical review of important intellectual content; effective participation in research orientation; intellectual participation in the propaedeutic and/or therapeutic conduct of the studied cases; critical review of the literature; approval of the final version of the manuscript.None declared."} +{"text": "The WHO emphasizes lifelong management of hearing diseases such as hearing loss and advocates for prevention. The Ear and Hearing Care Situation Analysis (EHCSA) tool was designed by the WHO for assessment and quality improvement of state-led management of hearing loss prevention and management programs. The purpose of this study was to use the EHCSA to assess the ear and hearing management program in Korea and to establish goals consistent with best practices for improving policies and services related to ear and hearing care.The EHCSA was used as a need assessment of the ear and hearing management services in the country. The EHCSA consists of two sections. Section 1 consists of 41 questions to evaluate health policies and support services. Section 2 consists of 203 questions to evaluate human resources and services of the ear and hearing management sector.There are an estimated 800,000 people with hearing loss in Korea. Policies such as hearing aid support are in place, and outreach services such as free hearing tests are also being actively conducted. In all medical institutions, ear and hearing management treatment and medication prescriptions could be received without barriers. Workers in the fields of ear and hearing management, such as audiologists, language therapists, special education teachers, and sign language interpreters, are specialized and have well-established guidelines for training.Overall, the domestic ear and hearing management sector has confirmed that policies and services are well-prepared in comparison with advanced countries such as the United States, Iran, and China. The use of the EHCSA was functional in collecting data on the current state of domestic ear and hearing management policies and services in Korea, can be used for continuous quality improvement and expansion of medical services, and can be used as a reporting mechanism to the WHO. Hearing is one of the five senses and refers to a mechanical sense that detects the frequency and intensity of sound waves transmitted through a medium, such as air or water. The ear is a sensory organ that causes brain activity, which leads to thoughts and emotions, and it has a proportion equivalent to vision in perceiving the surrounding environment . By 2050Accordingly, since 2005, China has been implementing a national project called the Hearing the Future-China National Hearing Care Program, which includes the early diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of hearing loss. India has also continued to implement a state-led policy called NPPCD since 2008, and Australia is operating a government-led program to manage and supervise hearing screening, diagnosis, hearing loss prevention, and rehabilitation services from newborns to the older adult. The United States is striving to reduce the occurrence of social problems caused by hearing loss through the national \u201cHealthy People 2020\u201d is a method for situation analysis developed by the WHO and includes the conditions of situation analysis . SituatiThe \u201cWHO EHCSA\u201d was distributed to collect, evaluate, and report on ear and hearing management policies, services, and human resources and for the assessment of national health systems in the context of ear and hearing management. This can help to understand the dynamics of hearing loss and the systems and policies that support ear and hearing management, including available personnel, infrastructure, and services, and to establish an improved healthcare system that can help with hearing management. The tool has a total of two sections: Section 1 and Section 2 with a total of 41 and 203 questions, respectively. Section 1 provides information on overall health policies and services, such as total population, age distribution, gender distribution, illiteracy rate, Internet penetration rate, life expectancy, fertility rate, vaccination status, deaf patient distribution, infant health policy, youth health policy, and disease management protocol. Section 2 provides detailed information on human resources, such as departments and representatives dealing with ear and hearing care issues in the Ministry of Health and Welfare, ear and hearing care-related institutions, policies, and programs. Questionnaires for assessment are also available .The emphasis was on collecting indicators in line with the context of the questions in the WHO ear and hearing care situation analysis tool. Information, such as country profiles and holidays, was collected using documents from national institutions, such as WHO statistics, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the National Statistical Office. First, the indicators of the National Statistical Portal (KOSIS) serviced by the National Statistical Office were confirmed. In addition, to confirm the specific information, documents, such as project reports and academic publications of national institutions that calculated the indicators, were checked. Finally, if the index was not secured through the search, consultations were conducted with experts.To answer the questions, open materials distributed by the state and materials from the conference were used. Data from the National Statistical Office, 2021 population and housing census, 2021 future population estimation, 2020 death cause statistics, and 2017 and 2021 birth statistics press releases were used. In the data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 2021 tuberculosis patient report status, 2020 HIV/AIDS report status year, and tuberculosis treatment guidelines were used. In the data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, clinical guidelines for screening genetic testing for newborns, criteria for determining the grade of disablement, disaster crisis management measures for infectious diseases, and the classification of medical institutions were used. In addition, the World Population Review's literacy rate by the country in 2022, the Ministry of Science and ICTs 2021 wireless communication service subscriber statistics, the 2021 Internet usage survey, the Ministry of Education's school health inspection guidelines and integrated education guidebook, the National Health Insurance Service and Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service's health insurance statistics year, and hospital inquiry services were included. To use data from National Health Insurance, approval of the institutional review board is required. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Yonsei University Wonju Severance Christian Hospital (CR323326). The National Statistical Portal (KOSIS) provided by the National Statistical Office, Population and Housing Survey, and Disability Statistical Yearbook published by the Korea Disabled Development Institute were mainly used.The Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) is a statistical service provided by the National Statistical Office for users to find the statistics they want at once by collecting major domestic and international statistics. Currently, it contains more than 1,000 types of state-approved statistics on the economy, society, and environment prepared by more than 300 institutions and provides the latest statistics on international finance, the IMF, the World Bank, and the OECD. Most national distribution data, such as the population and housing census and disability statistical yearbook, are uploaded on the portal .The population and housing general survey is a basic national statistical survey conducted by the National Statistical Office to understand the size and characteristics of all people and houses in Korea and is released annually. It is a national basic statistical survey conducted on people and residences in the national territory at a certain time and period and is used as basic data in various fields, including policymaking, planning, research, and evaluation by national institutions, private companies, academic organizations, and the public. It is used to prepare secondary processing statistics, such as the Ministry of Employment and Labor's labor supply plan, the Ministry of Health and Welfare's premium rate and national pension fiscal estimate, the low birth rate and aging index, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport's housing supply rate . The disThe main priority was whether the criteria for determining the data were calculated by national ministries. As most of the data produced by national ministries are targeted at the entire nation and collected at the national level, it can be inferred that these data have been verified in terms of representation and reliability. If there were no data, the data of the academic society or association in the field were used; if there were no data in the institution, the engineer or expert was consulted. The year of the data to be used was set as 2021, as the data from the major national ministries for the year 2022 would be distributed the following year, and the most recent data were used if there were no data for the year 2021.The results of the population profile are shown in The results of the sociopolitical profile are shown in The results of the health status indicators are shown in The results of the hearing loss are shown in The results of the healthcare strategies are shown in The results of the EHC policies implemented by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and other institutions are shown in The results of the existence of primary medical care and the presence or absence of EHC are shown in The results of the overall state of the primary medical institutions are shown in The results of the overall state of the secondary medical institutions are shown in The results of the overall state of the tertiary medical institutions are shown in Section 2.3 concerns people employed in the EHC field. The results of the overall state of ENT specialists are shown in The results of the overall state of audiologists are shown in The results of the overall state of speech and audio-verbal therapists are shown in The results of the overall state of hearing aid and earmold technicians are shown in The results of the overall state of teachers of the deaf are shown in The results of the overall state of sign language interpreters are shown in The results of the overall state of general physicians are shown in Health workers, excluding medical personnel specified in the Medical Act, include emergency medical technicians, caregivers, health education specialists, and practical nurses.The results of the overall state of emergency medical technicians are shown in The results of the overall state of health education specialists are shown in The results of the overall state of caregivers are shown in The results of the overall state of practical nurses are shown in The results of the overall state of hearing aids are shown in Cochlear implants are available in both public health systems and the private sector, similar to hearing aids. This was confirmed in the hospital inquiry service of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, and the guidelines are publicly distributed by Snail of Love, a non-profit organization .The results of the overall state of other assistive devices are shown in The results of the overall state of medicines are shown in The results of the overall state of enactment of the hearing care service are shown in The results of the overall state of health insurance are shown in The results of the overall state of health-related data are shown in The results of the overall state of EHC research are shown in This study aimed to identify the current status of EHC in Korea using EHCSA distributed by the WHO in 2015, compare it with other countries, and establish and improve policies related to medical services and hearing diseases. To this end, we would like to examine various areas, such as domestic health policies, the status of patients with hearing-impairment, and the status of medical personnel, and report to WHO on the state of EHC in Korea.In Iran, a situation analysis was conducted on the domestic ear and hearing care program based on the EHCSA. Through this, inadequate health literacy, weak intra-sectoral and intersectoral cooperation, inadequacy of policy responses, non-integration of the EHC in the primary healthcare system, poor standard processes and resources of EHC, and lack of an EHC surveillance system were identified as major problems . In BangIn contrast, Russia supplemented its nationwide implant and hearing aid programs by introducing a cochlear implant in 1991. Therefore, infants born with hearing impairments could receive hearing aids or cochlear implants and rehabilitation services as needed, and up to 1,100 infants receive cochlear implants each year. In addition, people of all ages can receive hearing tests and hearing aid fitting services at audiological centers, which are paid through the national budget . In the Comparing policies and workforce status in other countries, data, such as Korea's EHC program and workforce status, are at the level of advanced countries. The Ministry of Health and Welfare publishes a health and welfare white paper every year to understand major policies and achievements in the health and welfare sector and to help the government achieve new national goals and tasks. The policies implemented by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the current status of projects, and plans for implementing new policies are specified. There are child welfare policies, older adult welfare policies, low birth rate measures, disability welfare policies, oral health policies, mental health policies, and herbal medicine policies; however, EHC policies are not implemented or planned, except for innate hearing tests and hearing aid support policies .The Korea Health Industry Promotion Agency's \u201cHearing Aid Market Analysis\u201d published in 2015 reported that the average growth rate of hearing aids worldwide is 6.9%. Looking at the ranking, Korea showed the fourth-highest growth rate of 8.5% after 18.3% in China, 10.3% in Germany, and 9.1% in France . There aA survey was conducted to investigate the current status of the domestic hearing aid market, and 61.6 and 71.7% of the respondents said they needed an obscure certificate to sell hearing aids in the category of factors that hinder the development of the domestic hearing aid market and need education as a hearing expert, respectively .The above data are not updated continuously, so it is difficult to state that it represents the current situation because it is not the latest data and the survey was conducted with a limited number of people. Therefore, this study is meaningful, and the information on the latest status of the EHC programs was collected. Overall, both the Health workforce and EHC programs are well-prepared, but incidences of hearing diseases, such as hearing loss, are continuously increasing, so various support measures need to be prepared to convert hearing aid-related certificates into national certificates or rehabilitation and support. In addition, domestic health policy improvements and medical service expansion should be achieved through the continuous collection of data on EHC.The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/The studies involving humans were approved by the Institutional Review Board of Yonsei University Wonju Severance Christian Hospital (CR323326). The studies were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. Written informed consent for participation was not required from the participants or the participants' legal guardians/next of kin in accordance with the national legislation and institutional requirements.Conceptualization: YS. Data curation: JuhL and JunL. Formal analysis, methodology, and visualization: CY and JuhL. Project administration, writing\u2014reviewing, and editing: CY, YS, SO, and TK. Writing\u2014original draft: JuhL. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version."} +{"text": "In order for the results to be tangible and have an impact, it is essential to be attentive and agile in attracting resources.Knowing one\u2019s own budget and that of other entities that may become a source of resources, understanding the ecosystem that surrounds it is extremely timely for the search for better investments.Although there is no regulation for the profession of fundraiser, being created according to the needs of the entities, it is important to notice that the search for complementary resources is a method of identifying opportunities and partners to explore and test new business initiatives, enabling the best use, optimizing efforts, and obtaining better results.fundraising points exclusively to the financial understanding, the concept is much broader and also covers those resources related to technical, technological, material, immaterial, and human capacity, both for creation and implementation,Although the term Actions involving these activities can be applied to collaborate specifically with an institution (whether public or private), municipalities, states and/or priority projects and programs,The scarcity of capital directly affects entities, generating the most diverse limitations, from the provision of basic services, infrastructure, updates, and the implementation of continuous improvements through research and academic studiesAn example is the current crisis caused by the coronavirus, which has required a large volume of investments in health in a short period of time. In order to reduce the health crisis, public resources were redirected to the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) in the three spheres of government. Although the private sector has supported the SUS, it has not received the same opportunities and benefits.The private sector suddenly had to cope with an increase in demand for COVID-19 care, a rise in the price of supplies, and the suspension of elective surgeries and examinations, sharply reducing the revenues of private hospitals.,In the third sector, the pandemic has affected the budget of entities. According to Luis Donadio, coordinator of Fundraising Office of Funda\u00e7\u00e3o Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), with the COVID-19 pandemic, it was found that of the R$ 7 billion received by Fiocruz during the pandemic, from the various entities of society, 80% had been operated by public institutions,The pandemic itself was one of the main recent factors that demonstrated how fragile and limited the budgets of institutions and governments are, sensitizing them on the importance of structuring areas and sectors focused on fundraising activitiesOther challenges that make resources more constrained are the economic, legal, and political scenarios in Brazil.However, it is not enough just to raise funds, with the structuring of areas and sectors focused on these actions. It is essential to qualify the human resources involved, training the teams to prepare plans based on priorities and feasibility of implementation, considering all the perspectives that the project requires, monitoring the technical and financial execution until completion, aiming at efficient and effective management.When drafting, the adequacy of real targets, objective and up-to-date value estimates, the assessment of deadlines and their follow-up forms help to implement feasible projects.Setting feasible targets, acapacity building, monitoring indicators, investing in institutional relationships, and monitoring project implementation are essential for achieving favorable results.Aware of the competing demands on their own resources, external fundraising alternatives are sought.,There are several formats of resource transfers from public entities to other spheres, widely served in other areas as essential as health, briefly explained here only to add knowledge to the reader, since the focus of this work is the health areaConstitutional transfers: the portions of resources collected by the Union and transferred according to the Federal Constitution;Legal transfers: regulated by representative laws that determine the qualification, application, and accountability. They may or may not be linked to a specific purpose. They are presented in automatic transfers, which consist of financial transfers without the use of covenants, adjustments, agreements, or contracts, occurring through deposit in a specific account of the beneficiary, used for the decentralization of resources in certain programs in the area of education;Direct transfer to citizen: provides monthly financial benefits to the target audience of the program;Voluntary transfers: for costing or investment, as cooperation, aid or financial assistance not related to constitutional or legal determinations.The main financial provider for health care, public resources can be obtained by governmental and non-governmental (non-profit) entities.Constitutional Amendment No. 29 of 2000 ensures the financing of public health actions and services, proposing that the three spheres of government annually contribute minimum resources from percentages of revenues. Expenses for public health actions and services are considered to be those with active personnel and other costing and capital expenses, related to finalistic and support programs, including administrative ones, which are aimed at actions and services of universal, equal and free access and which are in accordance with the objectives and goals of the health plans of each federative entity,Ordinance GM/MS No. 204 of January 29, 2007, regulates the financing and transfer of resources for health actions and services, monitoring and controllingCurrently, the distribution of public resources, mainly from the Union, is guided by the Federative Pact, established by the Federal Constitution of 1988. This pact determines the financial obligations, laws, collection of resources, fields of action and the definition of the competencies of each entity of the federation\u2013Union, states, and municipalities.The Constitution provides that each sphere of government must apply a minimum share of tax revenues to health, with 12% of revenues for states and 15% for municipalities.,,The National Health Fund, established by Decree No. 64,867 of 1969, acts at the federal level as the financial manager of SUS resources, financing capital and current expenses, in accordance with the policies and programs managed by the final secretariats of the Ministry of Health, in addition to managing the transfers of these resources to states, municipalities and the Federal DistrictThe budget allocations that make up the general budget of the Union, intended for the transfer of resources, are:Program Resources: programs previously listed by the grantor, available for public and private entities to register project proposals;Parliamentary Amendment Resources: these are resources granted to parliamentarians of the Legislative Branch, inserted in the General Budget of the Union, with a view to participating and influencing the distribution of the proposals of the Executive Branch. The distribution by the ministry occurs through current legislation and adapting to the technical character of execution,After the publication of Ordinance No. 3,992/2017, federal funds for public health actions and services began to be transferred in the fund-to-fund modality, through two blocksPublic Health Actions and Services Costing Block: resources intended for public health actions and services already implemented and the functioning of the responsible bodies and establishments.Investment Block in the Public Health Services Network: resources for the structuring and expansion of public health actions and services.,The Investment classification (GND 4) is used for budget expenses with the execution of expansion works and new constructions or with the acquisition and installation of equipment and permanent material. The transfer occurs via fund to fund, agreement or transfer contract, taking into account the structuring of specialized health care units or the structuring of the primary health care services networkIt is noteworthy that only the acquisition of equipment and permanent materials that are part of the National List of Equipment and Permanent Materials that can be financed for SUS is allowedThe classification of Other Current Expenses (GND 3) is used for budget expenses for the acquisition of consumables, renovations, training, in addition to other current expenses of the other nature groups. The transfer occurs via fund to fund, considering the temporary increment of the medium and high complexity ceiling or the temporary increment to the costing of primary health care servicesBefore sending the resource, it is recommended to consult the primary health care services and medium and high complexity ceilings of each state, the Federal District, and each municipality to be indicated as beneficiary. If the ceiling is already exceeded, it is not possible to receive new resources within the current year.\u2013No counterpart is required from states, municipalities or the Federal District for transfers of resources to SUS, as well as for private non-profit entities that work in health and comply with art. 76 of Law No. 13,242/2015The instruments for the transfer of resources from the Ministry of Health to the states and municipalities are carried out by:Fund-to-fund transfers;Agreements;Onlending contracts;Decentralized execution term;Public consortia, created by Law No. 11.107/2005, establish the joining of two or more federation entities with legal personality to establish cooperation relations and the achievement of common objectives. Art. 9 of Interministerial Ordinance No. 127/2008 determines that public consortia have preference to voluntary transfers from bodies and entities of the federal public administration.These transfers of resources from the Union to the other spheres of public administration or to private non-profit entities are carried out through the conclusion of instruments between the parties, for the execution of activities of reciprocal interest, highlighted in the general budget of the Union in budget appropriations for specific purposes.Prioritizing the capture of public resources in health, according to the classifications already mentioned, the following describes in detail the transfer instruments.Fund-to-fund transfers decentralize resources by dispensing with the formalization of agreements. Guided by Law No. 8,142/1990 and regulated by Decree No. 1,232/1994, they are transfers that are developed within the scope of the Brazilian SUS, through the National Health Fund, under the management of the Basic Operational Standard of the Brazilian SUS 01/1996Intended to cover health actions and services that are implemented by the states, Federal District, and municipalities, these actions and services correspond to investments in the service network, outpatient and hospital coverage and other health actions.The decentralization process was improved by the Ministry of Health in 2006, with the release of the Health Pact (Ordinance No. 399/2006). Thus, the transfers became part of six resource blocks: basic care (primary care), medium and high complexity care, health surveillance, pharmaceutical assistance, SUS management, and unregulated blockTransfers occur directly from the National Health Fund to state, Federal District, and municipal health funds. The application must be carried out as provided for in the health plan of the respective government sphere. It should reflect, at the end of each year:The link with the purpose of each work program of the general budget of the Union that gave rise to the transfer;The established in the health plan and in the annual health programming of each federative entity;The object and commitment agreed in the normative acts of the SUS.When directing resources to municipalities, according to Law No. 8,142/1990, the municipality must meet the minimum criteria, which include the existence of a health fund, health council, health plan, management report, counterpart of resources in the respective budgets, and a commission for the elaboration of the career, positions and salaries plan, with a two-year deadline for its implementation. Failure to comply with these criteria will result in the State being responsible for administering the funds,With regard to accountability, Consolidation Ordinance No. 1/GM/MS of 2017 regulates the management report by consolidating the rules on the rights and duties of health users, the organization and functioning of the Brazilian SUSThis management report must be sent to the Ministry of Health annually and submitted to the respective health council for approval, proving the conformity in the application of the transferred resources (adequacy with the purpose of the budget action), and compliance with the agreed object.,Interministerial Ordinance 424, of December 30, 2016, establishes: Agreement is an instrument that regulates the transfer of financial resources from bodies or entities of the Federal Public Administration, direct or indirect, to bodies or entities of the State, District or Municipal Public Administration, direct or indirect, public consortia, or private non-profit entities, for the purpose of executing a project or activity of reciprocal interest and in mutual cooperation,Decree No. 6,170, of July 25, 2007, establishes that the on-lending contract is the administrative instrument in which the transfer of financial resources is carried out through a federal public financial institution or agent, as agent of the UnionThe rules apply to agreements and, when applicable, to transfer contracts.The decentralized execution term is the decentralization of credit between bodies and / or entities that are part of the Union\u2019s fiscal and social security budgets, to carry out actions of interest to the decentralizing budget unit and the object provided for in the work program, faithfully respecting the functional programmatic classification.The health sector in Brazil has faced numerous difficulties, which has required an urgency on the part of institutions and organizations in diversifying to contribute resources to their projects. The professionalization of project management has become increasingly necessary and resolutive in view of the prospects and projections for the economic scenario in the country.In order to finance investments, alternatives are emerging in the private sector that can help to complement public resources, which are currently insufficient for health maintenance.,Although the search for resources in the private sector provides a wider range of options, these follow fiscal obligations are disciplined by legislation and in particular by the fiscal responsibility law\u2013Complementary Law No. 101,Interestingly, before Complementary Law No. 101, there was no legislation that guided public indebtedness, spending limits and contracting of credit operations, which provided a real chaos in the budgets of government entities, causing the accumulation of immense, poorly planned debts that went from mandate to mandateThe absence of legislation such as this one was and has been up to nowadays the biggest cause of the existence of unfinished works and indebted public entities.The fiscal responsibility law came to establish parameters related to the public spending of each federative entity. The implementation of budget restrictions proposes the fiscal preservation of entities, in accordance with their annual balance sheets, ensuring the financial health of states and municipalitiesThe main source of private funding, financing is the most common alternative for supplementing budgets and making major investments.In Brazil, the main financiers are the development banks, which are used for both public and private projects of long term and high value.Briefly, development banks are financial institutions, usually set up by governments, and provide adequate supply of medium and long-term financing for economic and social development programs and projects.,Currently, the main lenders, which account for 50% of the Brazilian banking system, are Caixa Econ\u00f4mica Federal, Banco do Brasil and Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econ\u00f4mico e Social. In addition to these, some national banks also act as capital providers for long-term financingFor the most part, financing is desired to expand and/or modernize the physical structures of health institutions, to improve and increase the capacity of care and the provision of health services, but it still meets demands for modernization of management, governance, operational efficiency, and certification, aiming at economic and financial sustainability.Inserted in the national scenario by Federal Law No. 11,079/2003, public private partnerships are commonly presented as the union of a group of actors with a common goal of improving health, with mutually agreed roles and principlesAt least one private non-profit organization and one for-profit organization;Sharing of efforts and benefits;Creating social values to improve health.Subject to the rules imposed by government regulators, they can come up with breakthroughs and innovative solutions to provide additional resources for public health research.The expression of interest procedure allows individuals or legal entities to present feasibility studies for a specific project, subsidizing with information suitable for the opening of a concession or public private partnership process.The winning study that will be used for the implementation of the project will have the reimbursement of the expenses of the elaboration of the project, while the other ones do not have any valid reimbursement.Expression of interest procedure can be applied in public private partnership projects, concession, permission and lease of services and public goods, concession of real right of use, privatization of companies and partnership contracts.Public notices are public calls opened by legal entities, which, through the proposed criteria, select normative Manager procedures to receive resources or awards provided for in the notice.It is a very important source of fundraising, being recommended for all types of organization, as in 2019 the number of calls for proposals moved more than R$ 3 billionThey are extremely democratic and are made available throughout the year, for the most diverse causes, for the most diverse stakeholders, and at flexible values adaptable to demands and projects.The competition is broad and requires that the projects are well prepared and planned, meeting the proposed needs, and the criteria required in the notices. Upon approval, the resource must be used exclusively for the purpose for which it was registered and estimated in the work planFinally, fundraising, regardless of whether it is public or private, is an important step and should be discussed by the researchers involved. It is important that this fundraising is strategic, structured, with clear objectives and that it considers all the financial needs involved, such as administrative expenses, human resources, and maintenance of the physical structure."} +{"text": "Medical education is an important and ever-changing profession that determines the future of healthcare and public health in any nation. It is also a complicated and difficult process that needs ongoing adaptation and innovation in order to satisfy the changing demands and expectations of health systems and communities. However, several challenges and limits impede the growth and quality of medical education in the Arab world, preventing it from reaching its full potential. In this article, we\u00a0will highlight some of the major difficulties affecting medical education in the Arab world from our\u00a0own experience as a medical student\u00a0in one of the Arab nations. The puzzle and the answerThe Educational SubjectsIn the Arab world, there is a misalignment between the curriculum and the demands of local health systems and communities. Many medical schools in the area confront this difficulty, since they frequently follow outmoded or imported curricula that do not represent the epidemiological, cultural, and socioeconomic realities of the region . This crThis gap is caused by a number of factors, including the rapid changes in the health landscape caused by the increasing burden of chronic diseases, aging, and environmental issues, the limited involvement of stakeholders in the design and evaluation of curricula, such as health professionals, policymakers, patients, and communities, the lack of integration of scientific research skills and evidence-based practice into curricula, and the insufficient use of innovative teaching methods .Despite the challenges, the Arab world has seen some achievements and opportunities for improvement, such as the establishment of prestigious and reputable universities that provide medical education in accordance with the most recent and advanced educational curricula, the attraction of international partnerships and collaborations that enhance the exchange of expertise and resources, and the adoption of continuing medical education as a principle ,3.Faculty MembersOne of the primary issues that medical education faces in the Arab world is a lack of skilled and competent faculty members and mentors who can provide\u00a0high-quality education and training to medical students. This scarcity has an adverse effect on the quality and outcomes of medical education, as well as on the healthcare system and society as a whole. There are several reasons for this shortage, including the low attractiveness and retention of medical faculty members, a lack of incentives and recognition for teaching excellence and innovation among faculty members, a lack of training and development opportunities for faculty members to improve their teaching skills and knowledge in line with current advances and standards in their fields, and the high workload and stress that faculty members face in their academic and clinical roles, which often leads to burnout and dissatisfaction .There are various viable remedies that might be applied by medical schools, hospitals, and policymakers throughout the Arab world to solve this dilemma. Some of these solutions include: increasing faculty recruitment and retention in the medical field by offering competitive salaries, benefits, and career opportunities that match their qualifications and competencies, rewarding and recognizing faculty members who demonstrate teaching excellence and innovation in their fields through awards, grants, promotions, and other forms of recognition, providing regular and effective training and development , and lowLimited Opportunities for Scientific Research and InnovationScientific research and innovation are critical in every civilization for expanding knowledge and improving health outcomes. However, the Arab world's medical education confronts several problems that hinder its ability to conduct high-quality research and create an innovative culture. Lack of finance, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient human resources, low academic standards, poor cooperation, and restricted dissemination of research findings are some of the obstacles .Despite these obstacles, there are some possibilities and initiatives throughout the Arab world to improve research and innovation in medical education. Some institutions, for example, have developed centers for entrepreneurial studies, social innovation, and technology transfer to encourage faculty and student innovation and entrepreneurship . To suppInfrastructure and ResourcesMedical education in the Arab world is suffering from a significant lack of facilities and teaching and learning tools. The physical buildings, equipment, technology, and communication systems that enable the delivery of medical education are referred to as infrastructure. The human, financial, and material inputs that enable the execution of medical education programs are referred to as resources. According to a recent assessment, many Arab medical schools lack enough facilities and resources to achieve quality and accrediting criteria .In the Arab world, limited facilities and resources have a detrimental influence on the quality and results of medical education. Inadequate infrastructure, for example, may limit the availability and accessibility of clinical training facilities, simulation labs, libraries, and research institutes . InadequSeveral solutions have been suggested and executed by various parties to solve the Arab world's poor infrastructure and resources for medical education. Increased governmental and corporate investments in medical schools, hospitals, clinics, labs, libraries, and research institutes are among them. Enhancing collaboration and coordination among medical education institutions, health authorities, professional groups, and international organizations to exchange best practices, standards, curriculum, professors, and students is another approach ,10. A thConclusionMedical education in the Arab world has several problems, particularly in light of social, political, and economic developments. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has highlighted both the region's strengths and inadequacies in medical education. As a medical student in the Arab world, I wanted to express some of my thoughts on the present situation and potential solutions.Despite these challenges, there are several possibilities and strengths that may be used to improve medical education in the Arab world. One of them is the availability of technology and digital platforms that may help with information access, communication, cooperation, and creativity. The COVID-19 pandemic has hastened the adoption of online learning and telemedicine, which have the potential to improve the quality and efficiency of medical education and practice. However, it is critical to guarantee that these technologies are used correctly, ethically, and successfully.Medical education in the Arab world is facing a critical era of development that will need collaborative efforts from every group involved to solve problems and capitalize on possibilities. As a regional medical student, I hope that this article has thrown some light on some of the challenges that impact our education and future professions. I also hope that it has sparked some conversation and action among educators, politicians, practitioners, and students in our region to enhance medical education."} +{"text": "The Younger Researchers of the Brazilian Chemical Society committee supports early career researchers promoting communication, collaboration, education, networking, representation, and career development. The establishment of national and international scientific networks has been progressively encouraged by scientific and governmental entities worldwide. This movement aims to strengthen science and technology sectors, given the advantageous intersection of ideas, promotion of interdisciplinary projects, and stimulation for creating multilateral opportunities in research and innovation. We live in a constantly changing world, and we must be prepared to handle local and worldwide challenges that emerge from the social, economic, and health fields. In this regard, strategic decisions and sustainable actions depend largely on the exchange of knowledge, flexibility to deal with adversities, and the ability to manage complex situations.1 Undoubtedly, the creation and maintenance of networks composed and directed to young researchers are highly beneficial for both the younger and senior scientists. Whereas experienced researchers provide valuable training, mentoring, and professional advice that contribute to the younger researcher\u2019s career advancement, early career researchers provide up-to-date information about new and upcoming technologies in an era of rapid digitalization, for example. Besides, they can also offer their undeniable enthusiasm and fresh ideas.2Scientific societies play an essential role in this process by aggregating experts in their areas. However, it is a challenge for their knowledge to be further fructified into the preparation of future leaders and training them as new decision-makers. Indeed, there is a common sense that the active participation of younger generations of researchers in scientific societies is vital for the dissemination of the knowledge acquired by experienced scientists who have been building those societies.3 which started in 2018. Its first activities included the alignment with the demands of the Brazilian Chemical Society (SBQ) board and divisions, the search for institutional support, writing bylaws, and defining the initial activities for its consolidation. The committee would have its existence centered on the organization of a workshop during the SBQ annual meetings and on the representation in national and international meetings and initiatives. However, after the first months of its launch, the committee took on other roles, both within the Brazilian Chemical Society itself and in the broader scientific community. These activities highlighted the enormous demand already existing in the scientific environment, and the potential of young researchers as agents of transformation, renewal of ideas, and workforce. After this initial structuring, the official launch occurred in 2019 during the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Chemical Society . Since then, the committee has been promoting the representation of Brazilian, young and early-career researchers, in the national and international scientific community. Among several activities and objectives, the committee aims to organize and support the community of younger scientists, fostering communication, collaboration, education, networking, exchange, and career development in an inclusive and effective way. Both in the national and international scenario, the core activities include: (1) full support of several actions headed by the Brazilian Chemical Society; (2) governance; (3) public outreach; (4) social media management; (5) assistance, coordination and transmission of web-based courses, seminars and podcasts; (6) organization of events during the SBQ annual meetings; (7) representation and participation in external conferences; (8) organization of journal themed issues dedicated to young researchers; (9) structuring and launching recognition awards.Bringing the discussion to the Latin American scenario, this can be illustrated by the creation of the committee of Younger Researchers of the Brazilian Chemical Society (JP-SBQ),The principles of equality, inclusion, freedom of ideas, and a range of views are also fundamental premises of the committee. It supports people from all ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities, socioeconomic status, disabilities, and other individualities. The result is the creation of an environment where all young researchers feel represented and comfortable in a safe, respectful, harassment-free, accessible, and welcoming space.To promote professional collaboration and interaction between young researchers from different chemistry fields from companies or universities, the network includes representatives from most Brazilian regions. However, in a continental country such as Brazil, promoting the development of a network that reaches towards underrepresented regions is not an easy task. Overcoming this bottleneck by increasing diversity, exchange of ideas, and, finally knowledge advancement, is the aim.4 The committee advocates for urgent revision of the governmental policies, turning them into enduring state policies for investments in science, technology, and innovation. This agenda could also be promoted by the mobilization of society, industrial, and academic bodies to put Brazil on a path to becoming a developed and self-sufficient country and not an exporter of the young science talent. By these means, proper investment in highly skilled early-career scientists will contribute to building a modern and sustainable economy based on human capital, technology, and innovation, rather than mainly on the exploitation of natural resources.5Another key aspect of the committee\u2019s activities involves career development in a country threatened by unstable funding for science, inadequate financial support, and PhD salaries based on monthly scholarships without any professional register, such as retirement or payroll taxes contribution.6Implementing a committee composed of young researchers in the Brazilian Chemical Society was only possible due to the support of senior and well-established researchers, as well as the support of university bodies, research, and funding institutions. In common, those bodies are aware that investments in young leadership are essential to address national and global challenges.Prof. Dr Shirley Nakagaki, current president of SBQ, says:SBQ is the largest scientific society for Chemistry in Brazil. It has a long history of representing chemists in all instances where such representation is necessary, whether in academia, research funding agencies or committees involved in formulating and making decisions about current scientific and technological policies in the country. For us, the board of the Brazilian Chemical Society, it has always been a challenge to involve our young researchers in the society\u2019s activities, as we understand that without active young researchers and decision-makers, no scientific society has a future. Investing in our young scientists, equipping them with the skills they deem important, is key to building a sustainable society. Guiding them along the scientific path, igniting their interest in science, particularly in the field of chemistry, begins in academia, research laboratories, and the development of scientific work that, in most cases, is destined for success. We, as educators and researchers, are trained for this. However, showing them the path involved in making the right decisions regarding their involvement with universities and representation committees that guide research policies, is a fundamental role in establishing a solid and fruitful scientific community in our country. In scientific organizations like SBQ, we have groups of individuals with this expertise, and the creation of committees like JP-SBQ serves as an open and efficient channel to provide our young researchers with the necessary information and training to achieve this learning in an appropriate, ethical, and scientific environment. As the current president of SBQ, and undoubtedly speaking on behalf of my predecessors, I have been striving to accommodate the demands and ideas of our young researchers in order to make SBQ a facilitating environment for their lifelong scientific learning. However, within the society, we certainly possess the expertise to facilitate this knowledge acquisition. Our goal, from the perspective of JP-SBQ, is to have our young researchers become national and international scientific leaders, trusted educators, influencers, and decision-makers who will help shape Brazilian scientific policies.\u201d\u201c"} +{"text": "Regarding the mode choice of farmland transfer, the existing literature have more examined the choices between market-based transfer (spontaneous transfer) and government or village committee-led transfer, and between formal contract and informal contract. However, the question that how the two parties choose among various specific transfer modes has not attracted extensive attention of scholars. Based on contract theory and transaction cost economics, this paper uses the public samples of the third national agricultural census data to investigate how large-scale households choose among the specific transfer modes when transferring into farmland, like the transfer of the contracted management right (TCMR), lease and shareholding. The findings of this paper are as follows. Firstly, with the increase in the transfer-in area and the education level of the household head, the probability of choosing lease and shareholding increases relatively, but the latter rises faster. Secondly, compared with large-scale farmers whose aim is to plant crop, the probability of those who transfer into farmland for gardening and forestry operation choosing shareholding has increased significantly. Thirdly, the age of the household head and the number of household laborers have an interactive effect on the mode choice of transferring into farmland. In addition, the mode choice of large-scale households\u2019 transferring into farmland is also significantly affected by environmental factors such as local topography, irrigation, traffic conditions, industrial structure, and social security development. Therefore, adhering to the parties to choose the mode of farmland transfer independently is crucial. The government and rural grassroots organizations should help the parties to understand the characteristics, adaptability and supply and demand of different modes, and help the parties to explore the most economical mode. The contribution of this paper is that it expands the study of the transfer of rural land rights to the choices of specific transfer modes, and partially reveals the rule of choices, which provides a reference for the parties to choose the most efficient transfer mode under different conditions and for the government and rural grassroots organizations to play a role. Farmland transfer plays an important role in the revitalization of rural industry, agricultural modernization, and rational utilization of land, scale management, as well as the improvement of land output rate, labor productivity and resource utilization rate [Since the implementation of the household contractual system in rural China in the 1980s, farmland transfer and moderate scale management have occurred and become popular, and diversified transfer modes like the exchange of contracted land, the transfer of contractual management rights (TCMR), substituting farming, subcontracting, lease, \u201cReverse Renting and Subcontracting\u201d, shareholding and land trust have also emerged. This is due to the change of family population and labor force and the difference of farming ability; especially with the development of industrialization, urbanization and modern agriculture, a large number of rural labor force enter the industry and commerce, and thus new agricultural management entities such as, family farms, farmers\u2019 cooperatives and agricultural enterprises have emerged in large numbers. By 2020, the areas of transfer of contracted farmland had reached nearly 37.64 million hectares, accounting for 36.15% of the contracted and government or village committee-led transfer, and between formal contract and informal contract. Some studies explore that there are more spontaneous transfer among farmers in land transfer in non-suburban rural areas; however, in suburban rural areas, the government or village committee-led circulations occur more frequently . Driven Farmland property rights and its supporting system, the relationship between the parties to the transaction and the participation of government or village collective, land use and so forth have an important effect on the choice of the contract form of land transfer . The signing of formal contracts are significantly promoted by the confirmation of contracted land rights, the establishment of land transfer dispute mediation institutions , the conBesides, some studies examine the choice of price of land transfer and contract flexibility. For instance, the land rights and its Some researchers have explored how farmers choose among specific land transfer modes. They show that those choices are mainly affected by farmers\u2019 age, education level, risk preference, land endowment, as well as non-agricultural employment, family income and its stability. For instance, Wang and Gu examinesMoreover, some scholars analyze the choice and change of fixed rent contract and shared tenancy contract. Barzel argues tAs mentioned above, regarding the mode choice of farmland circulation, the previous literature have mainly examined the selection between market-based transfer (spontaneous transfer) and government or village committee-led transfer, as well as between formal contract and informal contract. However, the problem that how the transferor and transferee in farmland market choose specific circulation modes such as TCMR, lease, and shareholding, namely the circumstance that the circulation subjects with different characteristics may choose which specific modes under what conditions has not yet attracted extensive attention of the existing literature.Based on contract theory and transaction cost economics, this paper adopts the public samples of the Third National Agricultural Census, and takes the case that large-scale households transfer into cultivated land to analyze how they select among three basic circulation modes of TCMR, lease and shareholding, focusing on the impacts of circulation areas, uses and family characteristics on the mode choices of circulation.As mentioned above, in China, there are various circulation modes in cultivated land transfer, such as exchanging contracted land, the transfer of contractual management rights (TCMR), substituting farming, subcontracting, lease, \u201cReverse Renting and Subcontracting\u201d, shareholding, land trust, auction and sale of land management rights during realizing mortgage of that rights. But from the perspective of land transfer-in and expanding management scale, only TCMR, lease and shareholding (namely absorbing others to share with the land management rights) are three basic circulation modes . Meanwhile, TCMR will make the transferor lose the contractual rights and the security function of land, thus, only a few households are willing to choose TCMR to transfer out of land . AccordiIn addition, circulation areas may also affect the mode choice of farmland transfer-in through capital demand. The greater the areas of transfer-in , the greater the capital demand, and the more likely the transferee is to choose the contractual form which can reduce capital demand. Under the contracts of TCMR and the fixed rent contract, the transferee or lessee needs to pay the price of TCMR or rent, while it is not required to pay that price or rent under the shareholding contract. Therefore, ceteris paribus, in order to reduce the demand for funds, the probability of large-scale households\u2019 choosing shareholding may increase faster than that of choosing lease with the increase of the areas of transfer-in.The uses of farmland transfer-in include crop cultivation, garden and forestry management, breeding, etc. Different uses have different production cycles. The longer the cycle, the greater the uncertainty , and the higher the operational risks may be . TherefoThe characteristics of human capital of large-scale households include the ability to search for trading partners and information, organizational ability, and the specificity of human capital. Firstly, when large-scale households transfer into farmland, the costs and scope of searching for trading partners are affected by search capability. The stronger the search ability, the more likely they are to lease land or absorb others to share with land management rights beyond the collective, so the probability of choosing lease and shareholding may rise relatively. Secondly, from the perspective of management decision-making, the transferee or the lessee enjoys the exclusive management decision-making rights under the contracts of TCMR and lease. While, under the contract of shareholding, the costs of decision-making are more higher as shareholders collectively execute their decision-making rights , 62. In The environment of cultivated land includes topography, traffic, irrigation water and so forth, which may have multiple effects on the mode choice of farmland transfer-in. First, ceteris paribus, the contractors\u2019 willingness to transfer out of the contractual management rights may be relatively lower in areas with better environmental conditions, such as plains, traffic-developed areas and water-sourced areas. That is, for the transferee, the number of potential counterparties choosing TCMR is relatively smaller, and the costs of searching and waiting for transaction are relatively higher. Thus, subject to this, the probability of large-scale households\u2019 choosing TCMR to transfer into farmland may be reduced relatively. However, there may also be an opposite forces, that is, for land with better environmental conditions, the transferee may relatively prefer to establish a stable and persistent contractual relationship. While as mentioned above, compared with lease and shareholding, TCMR is the most stable and lasting. Therefore, the probability of choosing TCMR may relatively increase. Subsequently, environmental conditions may affect the future value of cultivated land. Nevertheless, due to the complexity and uncertainty of environmental factors that affect the future value of land and the bounded rationality of human beings, it is fairly difficult to predict the future value of land, and the costs of finding transaction prices and bargaining may be quite high in TCMR and lease. In the shareholding, equity returns automatically reflect the change of land future value, thus saving the costs of predicting the change of land future value. As a result, ceteris paribus, the more complex and uncertain the environmental factors that affect the future value of land are, the more likely large-scale households are to choose shareholding when they transfer into farmland. Therefore, the influence of environment of cultivated land on the mode choice of transfer-in is uncertain and needs to be tested.As mentioned above, large-scale households\u2019 mode choices of transferring into cultivated land are subject to the number of potential counterparties with different modes in the market, namely households\u2019 mode choices of transferring out of cultivated land. The land security function is The data used in this paper are from the public sample of the Third National Agricultural Census of the People\u2019s Republic of China . As shown in In this paper, the explained variable is the mode of large-scale households\u2019 farmland transfer-in: TCMR = 0, lease = 1, shareholding = 2. In the sample, 96.77% of large-scale households transfer into land by lease, with 1.73% by TCMR and 1.50% by shareholding.The explanatory variables include circulation areas, uses, and human capital of large-scale households.The average households\u2019 areas of transfer-in in the sample are about 7.25 hectares, with the minimum of 0.0067 hectares and the maximum of 866.67 hectares.The most majority of large-scale households transfer into cultivated land for crop cultivation, accounting for about 87.15 percent of the total sample, only 6.73 percent for breeding and 5.61 percent garden & forestry managements. In addition, few used for other business.This paper chooses gender, age, educational attainment of the household heads and the number of labor forces to reflect the characteristics of human capital of large-scale households. Among the samples, 92.52% household heads are male and 7.48% are female. The average age of the household heads is about 47 years old. The smallest is 1 year old, and the largest is 94 years old. Moreover, the education attainment of household heads is mainly junior high school, accounting for 60.53%, followed by primary school, and high school & above education accounting for 26.02% and 12.02% respectively. Additionally, few have not attended school and the average number of labor forces per household is about 2.7, with the minimum of 0 and the maximum of 12.Control variables include village topography , township traffic conditions , the main irrigation water source of the village , the ratio of pension insurance coverage , and the proportion of output value of the primary industry of the province (city) taking up in GDP . Among them, the first three variables reflect the environmental conditions of cultivated land, and the last two variables reflect the security function of local land.Owing to the database used in this paper have been desensitized, it is impossible to identify or infer which administrative village or township corresponds to the large-scale households in the sample, but it can identify whether they belong to the same prefecture-level city. Therefore, this paper uses the prefecture average level of topography, traffic, water and RPI among those control variables.mlogit regression. According to the above theoretical analysis, the mlogit model is established as follows:The explained variable contains three unordered categories , so this paper adopts ML indicates the logit predicted value or Log Odds of households choosing different modes of farmland transfer-in. ix represents each explanatory variable; iz represents each control variable; \u03bc is a random error item; \u03b20, i, \u03b4i\u03b2 are parameters to be estimated.In function (1), Since the circulation areas have abnormal observations, the logarithm of circulation areas is taken in the model.mlogit regression analysis is carried out on the data with the minimum value as reference and the results are shown in Using STATA for statistical analysis, age-mean)#(labor-mean), is introduced into Model 2. The impacts of these variables are discussed as follows.This paper also examines the interaction effect between explanatory variables. In order to avoid multicollinearity, a middle strategy is used for interaction items . The results show that there is a significant interaction effect only between the age of household heads and the number of labor forces. Therefore, the interaction term of age and labor, namely .One the other hand, the following is the effect of circulation uses on the mode choice. In contrast to large-scale households who transfer into cultivated land to operate crop cultivation, for those whose purposes are garden and forestry, the Log Odds of choosing lease of is relatively higher, but it is insignificant. Log Odds of choosing shareholding increases by 1.7166 at the 5% significance level (Model 1), that is, large-scale households prefer to choose shareholding. This may be mainly because that garden & forestry have longer business cycle, greater uncertainty and higher operational risks compared with crop cultivation, and large-scale households tend to choose shareholding contracts to decentralize risk when they transfer into cultivated land. In addition, compared with those whose purpose is crop cultivation, Log Odds of choosing lease decreases relatively when large-scale households\u2019 purpose is breeding, and Log Odds of choosing shareholding increases relatively, but they are insignificant.First, in contrast to large-scale households with female household heads, for those with male household heads, the probability of choosing lease and shareholding is relatively higher in transferring into cultivated land, but both are insignificant.Second, with the improvement of household heads\u2019 educational attainment, the probability of choosing lease and shareholding increases, but the latter increases faster. Compared with those uneducated, Log Odds of large-scale households whose household heads have primary school, junior high school, senior high school & above diplomas choosing to lease increases by 0.6877 at the 10% significance level, 0.7287 at the 10% significance level and 0.7406 at the 5% significance level, respectively. Log Odds of large-scale households\u2019 choosing to share increases by 2.7996, 2.8103 and 3.7307 (Model 1) at 1% significance level, respectively. It is probably because that cross-collective lease and shareholding require higher ability to search for trading partners and information, communicate, and negotiate, as well as supervise and execute contracts in contrast to the transfer of contractual management rights (TCMR) among members within the collective. Additionally, compared with TCMR and lease contracts, shareholding contracts have higher requirements on organization and control capability of the core subjects, whereas education significantly improves the ability of the educated in these aspects. Therefore, when households transfer into cultivated land, households\u2019 educational attainment has a significant positive impact on the selection of lease and shareholding, but the impact on shareholding is more greater.Ceteris paribus, with the increase of the age of household heads, the probability of large-scale households\u2019 choosing lease and shareholding when transferring into cultivated land decreases significantly, but the latter decreases faster. In other words, the probability of choosing TCMR increases relatively. The followings are two possible reasons for that. One reason is that older farmers have less opportunities for non-agricultural employment, but own stronger specificity of their human capital and more farming experience dedicated to agriculture than younger farmers. Consequently, they pay more attention to the stability of contracts when they transfer into cultivated land. As mentioned above, at present, the contracts of TCMR are more stable and durable than lease and shareholding contracts in China. Besides, for shareholding contracts, farming experience is not included in the surplus distribution, which further restricts older farmers with more farming experience to share with land management rights. Therefore, when large-scale households transfer into cultivated land, the negative impact of household heads\u2019 age on the selection of shareholding is greater than that on lease.According to the interaction term between the age of household heads and the number of family labor forces in Model 2, for large-scale households with different numbers of labor forces, the impact of household heads\u2019 age on the mode choice of transferring into cultivated land has significant differences. In terms of the average number of family labor forces (about 3), for one year increase in household heads\u2019 age, Log Odds of choosing lease and shareholding decrease by 0.0123 and by 0.0335 at the 5% significance level respectively. The coefficient of interaction term is positive, indicating that the increase in the number of family labor forces weakens the negative impact of household heads\u2019 age on the selection of lease and shareholding. In other words, the household heads\u2019 age has a negative impact on choosing lease and shareholding, but this negative impact is less for families with more labors than those with less labors.In the light of the choice of TCMR and lease, the number of family labor forces has a significant negative impact on the selection of lease. From the interaction term in Model 2, the impact of the number of family labor forces is significantly different for large-scale households with different household heads\u2019 age. At the average age of household heads about 47 years old, for each additional family labor forces, Log Odds of the selection of lease decreases by 0.1408 at the 5% significance level. In addition, the coefficient of interaction term is positive, indicating that the increase of household heads\u2019 age weakens the negative impact of the number of family labor forces on the selection of lease. In other words, the number of family laborers has a negative impact on choosing lease, but the negative impact on households with older household heads is less than those with younger household heads. From the perspective of the selection of TCMR and shareholding, the probability of choosing shareholding also shows a downward trend with the increase of the number of labor forces, but it is insignificant.5.2.4.1. Effects of topography. Log Odds of choosing lease decreases by an average of 0.4129 at the 1% significance level in accordance with the order of plains, hilly areas, and mountainous areas (model 1). On the contrary, the probability of choosing TCMR increases in turn in the same order. This may be because the worse the topography conditions, the higher the households\u2019 willingness to transfer out of contractual management rights, which brings about more suppliers of TCMR. That is, for the transferee, through TCMR, the costs of searching and waiting for in the transaction decrease relatively. Accordingly, when large-scale households transfer into cultivated land, the probability that they choose TCMR increases relatively. Additionally, there is also a decreasing trend to choose shareholding in accordance with the order of plains, hilly areas, and mountainous areas, but it is insignificant.5.2.4.2. Impacts of traffic conditions. In terms of the choice of TCMR, lease and shareholding, with the improvement of traffic conditions, the probability of choosing lease increases relatively, but it is insignificant and the probability of choosing shareholding increases significantly at the 5% significance level. Log Odds of choosing shareholding increases by 1.0665 on average as traffic conditions improve by per one level. It is probably due to the fact that the better the traffic conditions, the greater the space for the rise of land value. But it is difficult to predict the future value of land, and the costs of finding transaction price and bargaining in TCMR and lease may be high. However, from the perspective of shareholding, the return on equity of shareholders automatically reflects future changes in land value, saving the costs of predicting that changes.5.2.4.3. Impacts of water sources. Between the choice of TCMR and lease, compared with regions without water sources, Log Odds of lease in regions with water sources decreases by 3.5972 at the 1% level (Model 1). This may be because ceteris paribus, the costs of irrigation in regions with water sources are lower, which makes the transferee prefers to choose a more stable way to transfer into farmland with water sources. As mentioned above, in contrast to lease contracts, TCMR is more stable and persistent. Furthermore, Log Odds of choosing shareholding in regions with water sources also shows a downward trend compared with regions without water sources, but it is insignificant.5.2.4.4. Impacts of the ratio of pension insurance coverage. From the perspective of the choice of TCMR and lease, for every 1% increase in the ratio of pension insurance coverage, Log Odds of choosing lease decreases by 0.0254 when large-scale households transfer into cultivated land at the 1% significance level (Model 1). That is, with the increase in the ratio of pension insurance coverage, the probability of choosing TCMR increases relatively. It is probably because that ceteris paribus, the higher the ratio of pension insurance coverage, the smaller the security function of land, and thus the higher the probability for households to transfer out of the contracted land, the more the transferor. That is, for the transferee, the more potential counterparties to choose TCMR, the lower the costs of searching and waiting for the transaction. As a result, the probability of choosing TCMR is relatively higher when transferring into cultivated land. Between the choice of TCMR and shareholding, with the increase in the coverage rate of pension insurance, Log Odds of shareholding also decreases, but it is insignificant.5.2.4.5. Impacts of the proportion of primary industry. Between the choice of TCMR and lease, when the proportion of primary industry increases by per 1%, Log Odds of choosing lease increases 0.0756 at the 1% significance level (Model 1). That is, with the increase in the proportion of primary industry, the probability of choosing TCMR is reduced. This may be because the higher the proportion of primary industry, the more backward the secondary and tertiary industries, which brings about more stronger land security function. According to this, when the contractor transfers out of the cultivated land, the probability of choosing TCMR and lease relatively decreases and increases respectively. Namely, for the transferee, the potential counterparties of TCMR relatively reduce, and the cost of searching and waiting of TCMR relatively increases. When the transferee chooses lease, the potential counterparties increase and the cost of searching and waiting decreases relatively. Therefore, the probability of choosing lease is relatively higher when transferring into cultivated land. However, the influence of the proportion of the primary industry on the selection of TCMR and shareholding is insignificant.Considering that models may have endogenous problems and the results are not robust, in this paper, we carry out the robustness tests in model 3 and model 4. On the one hand, according to Lu & Wang\u2019s practiceOn the other hand, in Model 4, the educational attainment of the heads of large-scale households is treated as a continuous variable. It is shown that among the choice of three circulation modes, the probability of choosing lease and shareholding increases significantly with the improvement of educational attainment, while the latter increases faster, which is consistent with the results of Model 1 and Model 2. In addition, the symbols of other variables also correspond to those of Model 1 and Model 2, and the coefficient and significance change little. Consequently, in this study, the estimation results are robust.Based on the contract theory and transaction cost economics, this paper adopts the public samples of the Third National Agricultural Census of People\u2019s Republic of China, and takes the case that large-scale households transfer into farmland to analyze the choice of three basic circulation modes which include the transfer of contractual management rights (TCMR), lease and shareholding. According to the contract theory and transaction cost economics, saving the transaction cost is the basic principle of contract choice. TCMR, leases and shareholding have different characteristics in terms of the scope of transaction, land security function, market supply, capital demands, transaction costs and risks; and thus have different transaction costs and risks under different conditions such as the area of transfer-in, the use, the human capital of the parties, the number of laborers, and farmland environment (see Part 3 for details). Therefore, under different conditions, the transfer subjects have different tendencies on the mode choice of land transfer namely contract form. The followings are the findings of our study.On the one hand, when large-scale households transfer into cultivated land, the areas and uses of circulation, the number of family labor forces and characteristics of household heads have important impacts on the selection of the mode of circulation. First, with the increase of circulation areas and improvement of educational attainment of household heads, the probability of choosing lease and shareholding increases relatively, but the latter increases faster. Subsequently, in contrast to large-scale households whose transfer purpose is crop cultivation, those whose transfer purpose is garden and forestry management are more likely to choose shareholding. Furthermore, there is an interaction effect between the age of household heads and the number of family labor forces on the mode choice of circulation. Specifically, the probability of choosing lease and shareholding shows a downward trend as household heads\u2019 age increases, but the latter decreases faster, and this trend weakens with the increase of the number of family labor forces. With the increase of the number of family labor forces, the probability of choosing lease also presents a downward trend which weakens gradually with household heads\u2019 age increasing.On the other hand, the mode choice of large-scale households\u2019 transferring into cultivated land is also significantly affected by local topography, irrigation, traffic conditions, industrial structure and social security development. First, from the perspective of topography, according to the order of plains, hilly areas and mountainous areas, the probability of choosing lease decreases significantly, and the probability of choosing TCMR increases in turn. Subsequently, in the light of irrigation conditions, large-scale households in areas with water sources prefer to choose TCMR, and the probability of choosing lease significantly reduces. Moreover, the probability of choosing shareholding shows a marked increase in areas with better traffic conditions. Additionally, as the proportion of primary industry rises, the probability of choosing lease increases significantly, and the probability of choosing TCMR is reduced relatively. Ultimately, as the ratio of pension insurance coverage increases, the probability of choosing lease decreases significantly, and the probability of choosing TCMR increases relatively.Based on the above research findings, five policy implications are put forward as follows. First, saving transaction costs is the basic principle of contract selection. Different circulation modes have different transaction costs under the conditions of different areas and uses of circulation, human capital and number of labor force. Generally speaking, both the transferor and transferee pretty understand that conditions. Therefore, the mode choice of farmland transfer must adhere to circulation parties\u2019 independent choice and negotiation to stimulate the initiative and creativity of them. In addition, mandatory orders and one-size-fits-all policy should be inhibited. Second, for the selection of circulation modes, the government and rural grassroots organizations should play a main role in educating, training, demonstrating and guiding farmers by providing them with necessary knowledge to choose circulation modes, such as the characteristics and adaptability of different circulation modes. Moreover, it is important for government and rural grassroots organizations to help farmers to obtain information, provide negotiation platform, analyze the characteristics of supply and demand of different circulation modes, and discuss the possible circulation modes from the ability to save transaction costs and then put forward suggestions. Meanwhile, the government should support the development of rural land rights value assessment institutions through fiscal, taxation and credit policies to reduce the costs of discovering transaction prices and bargaining in land rights transactions. Third, improve the quality of rural education and develop vocational education and skills training. Thus, that will enhance farmers\u2019 search capability for transaction partners and information, communication and negotiation, supervision and implementation of contracts to promote the circulation of land management rights. Fourth, support the development of rural transport and play a positive role of it in land lease and shareholding. Specifically, strengthen village road construction; improve the transportation network; increase the density of highway exits and entrances, railway stations and docks. Furthermore, it is extraordinarily possible to try to achieve a scene where there are entrances and exits for villages and towns along the expressway, docks for villages and towns along the waterway, and railway stations for villages and towns with a certain population along the railway. Fifth, it is necessary to reduce farmers\u2019 dependence on land. Specifically, improve the level of rural social security; increase the employment of farmers and then promote the transfer of rural labor force by developing the processing and circulation of agricultural products, rural leisure tourism, rural service industry and so on. Additionally, water conservancy construction of cultivated land should be strengthened to solve the problem of irrigation water source in water-free areas. Accordingly, these measures will play a positive role in TCMR.Regarding the study of rural land rights transfer or configuration modes, the contribution of this paper is mainly reflected in two aspects. First of all, it expands the research field of rural land transfer, turning the focus to the choice of specific transfer modes, like TCMR, lease and shareholding. Taking large-scale households\u2019 land transfer-in as an example, this paper investigates the effect of the area and use of transfer-in, labor resources and human capital of households, farmland environment and land security function on the mode choice of land transfer-in. Secondly, the different modes of land rights transfer are regarded as different forms of contracts, and the analysis paradigm of transaction cost economics is applied to the analysis of the mode choice of farmland transfer-in for large-scale households in this study. This study partly reveals the rule that the parties of rural land rights transfer choose the modes of transfer, and provides a reference for the parties with different characteristics under different conditions to choose the most efficient mode of transfer, and also for the government and rural grassroots organizations to play a role.However, this study has some limitations due to the restriction of data resource. First, some factors that may have an impact on the mode choice of farmland transfer-in are not included in the analysis, like the local agricultural insurance and the financing environment. Second, the classification about the uses of farmland transfer-in is relatively rough. Third, the indicators reflecting the security function of farmland and land environment are not accurate enough since this paper uses regional averages or provincial data.Therefore, this study can be further broadened from the following aspects. Firstly, a comprehensive analysis of the factors that affect the mode selection of farmland transfer-in could be considered in the future research. Secondly, environmental factors could be more accurate. In addition, future studies can focus on the mode choice of rural land rights transfer from the perspective of agricultural enterprises, farmers\u2019 cooperatives, and the party who transfers out of land."} +{"text": "The co-construction of conjugality is influenced by the interactions established in the family as a whole. It manifests itself, therefore, as a relational model in the expression of affectivity and the management of conflicts.In this clinical case report, the couple assumes relational difficulties focused on the significant reduction of time in individual leisure activities and, on the other hand, a 24-hour coexistence in the same space, in a period of compulsory confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic.This study is exploratory-descriptive, using the case study as an empirical approach.The case described, reports to Couples Therapy, with the sessions taking place in 2022, in a total of seven. The couple, N, male, and J, female, have been married since 2020, shortly before the first confinement because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Regarding their marital relationship, they reported that it deteriorated due to the difficulty in expressing an adaptive reaction to the stressor confinement and the opposite position regarding their desire to become parents.Integrative strategies were developed, with different theoretical and operative references. The couple took control of their relationship due to a greater empathic awareness and the establishment of a healthy and balanced communication system.None Declared"} +{"text": "As health and care workers represent the backbone of health systems, addressing the challenges posed by the escalating demand for medical services has become imperative for central governing bodies, the scientific and medical community, and non-governmental organizations.A spectrum of global obstacles, including a growing elderly population, a surge in chronic illnesses, ecological threats due to shifting climates, unforeseen epidemics, and the heightened expectations of medical service users emphasize the need for immediate and targeted interventions.Across Europe, a healthcare crisis has materialized, underscored by medical personnel strikes driven by insufficient resources and unfavorable working conditions. These strikes have been observed in nations such as France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Europe, asserts that \u201cThe health workforce crisis in Europe is no longer a looming threat \u2013 it is here and now. Health providers and workers across our region are clamouring for help and support\u201d .Currently, all countries in the WHO European Region face severe challenges related to the health and care workforce, including staff shortages, migration, concerns about mental well-being, and gender-related disparities. The need for action is urgent, demanding not only efficient and impactful solutions, but also approaches tailored to the distinct needs of the population, taking into consideration the socio-economic disparities inherent to national and regional contexts.One issue, especially pertaining to Eastern Europe, is staff shortage due to migration or uneven distribution. The Romanian healthcare system experienced a substantial outflow of medical professionals migrating to OECD countries in the past. By the end of 2020, more than 21,500 Romanian doctors had relocated primarily to nations such as France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Israel, Hungary, Belgium, Sweden, and Ireland. However, this migration trend has been on a decline, primarily attributable to factors such as salary increases in the public sector implemented in 2017 and various government initiatives. Notably, the number of doctors who migrated between 2018 and 2020 is less than half of the trend observed between 2012 and 2014 . Moreover, Romania boasts a record of trained medical professionals. In 2020, 26.3 medical students graduated per 100,000 population, surpassing the ratios of all European Union (EU) nations and significantly exceeding the EU19 average of 17.7 in the same year ..1].Given the extent and impact of the issues approached, it is of great importance that the Bucharest Declaration is transposed into concrete political action, to address the needs of the medical system and, ultimately, ensure improved patient outcomes. Moreover, there is a need for a resolution coming from the World Health Organisation that aligns with the principles laid out in this declaration to commit towards addressing the health and care crisis.The Bucharest High-Level Regional Meeting on Health and Care Workforce in Europe took place in the capital of Romania between 22 and 23 March 2023, showcasing a view on the state of European healthcare .The opening ceremony was moderated by Natasha Azzopardi Muscat, Director at the Division of Health Systems and Public Policy from the WHO Regional Office for Europe, and featured Hans Kluge, the WHO Regional Director for Europe, and representatives of the Romanian Government. Medical practitioners and nurses then shared their accounts, highlighting the state of health and care.The event featuredOver the course of the first day, the High-Level Regional Meeting delved into an array of critical topics, exploring the recruitment and retention challenges faced by health and care personnel in remote and rural settings, the domain of digital health, and innovative nursing methodologies. The topics extended to the examination of retention policies and the sharing of successful practices across various regions within the WHO framework. An essential aspect of the day's discourse was dedicated to the mental well-being of health and care workers. This segment was distinguished by spotlighting the experiences of Albania, Ukraine, Italy, and Ireland, thus underlining the significance of mental health support within the field.Transitioning to the second day, the event embarked on an exploration of healthcare planning and governance, enriched by valuable insights from Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, and Georgia. Additionally, the imperative role of health data in facilitating well-informed policy decisions, particularly concerning human resources, was underscored. Further discussions revolved around the practical intricacies of health systems, encompassing forecasting methodologies and the seamless integration of scientific evidence into policy-making. At the heart of these deliberations was the endeavor to enhance the appeal of health and care professions, aligned with the overarching goal of advancing the quality and reach of healthcare services.In a broader context, the High-Level Regional Meeting also approached strategies to attract young and passionate talents to the realm of healthcare, as well as focused on addressing pressing matters such as workforce migration, promoting work-life balance, and mitigating gender-based pay disparities within the sphere of European health and care.The event conveyed a concise yet powerful message, while there is no single solution to the healthcare crisis, collaborative efforts are essential to achieve incremental and consistent progress that could lead to significant changes.We were honored to host this regional meeting tackling a subject of extreme importance to the sustainability of healthcare systems in WHO\u2019s European Region. \u201cTIME TO ACT\u201d is not only a slogan, but means assessment, coordinated planning, and, most importantly, implementation. Healthcare professionals are the beating heart of our healthcare systems, and we hope that the adoption of the Bucharest Declaration on Health and Care Workforce will emphasize the importance of taking more robust measures aimed at providing better training to healthcare professionals, better distribution of workforce, increasing the attractiveness of a healthcare career, as well as more effective planning and governance."} +{"text": "Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology , which was first released in March 2016, saw significant developments in 2022. This journal provides an advanced forum for research studies on functional morphology and kinesiology and the regulatory functions of movement. JFMK meets the growing demand for high-quality, peer-reviewed international journals, offering easy access, high publicity via open access, the Digital Object Identifier (DOI), ORCID, and CrossRef to all researchers. We are indexed in Scopus (Elsevier\u2019s abstract and citation database), PubMed, PMC, DOAJ , Scilit , Google Scholar, World Health Organization Hinari, Food Science and Technology Abstracts (FSTA), IFIS, and Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, Series and Publishers (NSD). Our full texts are archived in CLOCKSS , e-Helvetica , and J-Gate (Informatics India).The In 2022, JFMK was assessed by SCImago Journal Rank as having a 2.7 CiteScore and reached Q2-quartiles in the following research fields: Anatomy, and Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation.In 2023, the CiteScoreTracker result for our journal in Scopus is 3.6, which is higher than in the previous year, which demonstrates the citation growth of our journal. In October 2022, we applied to be indexed in the Web of Science.JFMK is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). To verify the originality of content submitted to our journals, we still use iThenticate to check submissions against previous publications. MDPI works with Publons to provide reviewers with credit for their work and with MDPI Scitations Alert to provide our authors information on new publications in their research field.Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology has continued to grow on functional morphology and kinesiology research dealing with the analysis of structure, function, development, and evolution of cells and tissues of the musculoskeletal system and the whole body. It is my pleasure to confirm the progress recorded in recent years [https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jfmk/stats (accessed on 15 January 2023).The journal publishes articles focusing on molecular, cellular, tissue, system, and the whole-body response to a broad definition of physical activities. Furthermore, the journal provides an advanced forum for the analysis of the structure, function, development, and evolution of the cells and tissues of the musculoskeletal system and associated clinical disorders. We are proud to let you know that, thanks to your continuous support, the nt years ,2,3,4,5,Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology receives more manuscripts than it is able to publish, and the decision as to which papers are accepted or rejected is a difficult one. The decision is based on several factors, including originality, experimental design, scientific quality, data interpretation, clarity, and the quality of the written English, in order to uphold the high standards we have set for our journal.Indeed, the number of published manuscripts has jumped from 98, in the 2021 volume, to 112, in the 2022 volume, and we rejected 35% of the contributions to maintain the high standards of our journal. The In 2022, different Special Issues were activated thanks to the huge support of our editors. They include the following: \u201cMotor Competence, Physical Activity and Health 2022\u201d, edited by Prof. Dr. V\u00edtor P. Lopes and Prof. Dr. Luis Paulo Rodrigues ; \u201cMotivaJournal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology will be published in full open access in order to provide free access to readers, and to cover the costs of peer review, copyediting, typesetting, long-term archiving, and journal management, an article processing charge (APC) of 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs) will be applied to papers accepted after peer review.All articles published in the In 2022, we added new keywords related to our journal as follows: Exercise and Physical Health; Sports Psychology and Cognitive Functioning; Muscle Structure and Musculoskeletal Disorders; Anatomy and Kinesiology; Adapted Physical Activity for Health Promotion; Rehabilitation and Rheumatology; Sports Medicine, Injury Prevention and Treatment; Strength and Power; Nutrition and Body Composition; Physical Activity and Neurodegeneration; Postural Control and Balance; Resistance Training; Sport Physiology and Performance; Athlete Monitoring and Management; Team Sports and Technology.In 2023, we shall continue our efforts to improve the journal through further growth and increased visibility.Follow up the planned papers from editorial board members;Contact international conferences recommended by the Editor-in-Chief or by editorial board members and try to establish media partnerships with them to make JFMK increasingly well known among scholars;Communicate with editorial board members more frequently and seek their generous and valuable input and expertise for journal development;Post high-quality papers through social media and increase online readership;Reduce the processing time of each submitted manuscript;Take steps to have publications indexed by the Emerging Sources Citation Index (Web of Science), by EMBASE (Elsevier) and by Web of Science\u2014Clarivate;Improve the Citescore in the SCImago Journal Rank in the kinesiology-related sections such as Anatomy, Histology, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy, and Rehabilitation;Achieve the First Impact Factor status, as released by Clarivate Analytics;Accomplish, for our authors, the JFMK Best Paper Award and the JFMK Travel Grant Award;Garner, for the sake of journal promotion, support from sponsors for our editors to participate in, and disseminate our journal to, international conferences.In order to achieve this target and lay a strong foundation for publications in 2023, and in our application for indexing, we have made the following plans:Since 2021, MDPI has included the accepting Academic Editor\u2019s name on published articles, where they have accepted that manuscript after full peer review. This supports greater transparency for the readership, demonstrates the care that our Academic Editors take in making decisions, and offers full acknowledgement of the effort put in when making expert judgements about the suitability of a manuscript for publication. We strongly believe that this will also support the rigorous and robust quality of our peer-review process.We hope that you share our enthusiasm for this journal, and we look forward to working with you to make JFMK a leader in its field. Your contributions are vital for the success of this new journal. We look forward to receiving your contributions , and proposals for Special Issues are always welcome.I have personally found this to be quite a challenge, one not helped by the COVID-19 pandemic, but one due in large part to the special position that JFMK is trying to navigate in the highly competitive publishing landscape. I wish you a healthy and prosperous new year and look forward to continuing to expand the reach and impact of the journal with your help next year.I take also this opportunity to warmly thank, for their confidence, the following: our authors, readers, and reviewers, as well as our editorial advisors, eminent scientists in these fields, who, with their experience and important suggestions, guide us in this great enterprise; our excellent editorial board members, whose depth of experience covers a very broad spectrum on different disciplines related to morphology and kinesiology arenas; the managing editor, Ms. Molly Lu, for her huge support, the publishing manager, Dr. Peter Ribar, and the other members of the Editorial office, who day after day, thanks to their valuable contributions, ensure the growth of this journal; and finally, all members of our teams in Basel, Barcelona, Beijing, Belgrade, Romania, Tokyo, and Wuhan, as well as our sponsors."} +{"text": "Journal of Personalized Medicine presents extended versions of selected contributions to pHealth 2021, the 18th International Conference on Wearable Micro and Nano Technologies for Personalized Health, held on 8\u201310 November 2021 in Genoa, Italy. The original papers have been published in the IOS Press Studies in Health Technology and Informatics 2021, volume 285 (URL accessed on 15 June 2023).This Special Issue of the JPM pHealth 2021 Special Issue before giving the green flag for formal submission. Mauro Giacomini, as Chair of the pHealth 2021 Local Organizing Committee, has managed the review process, performed by at least two independent international experts.The 2021 edition of pHealth emphasized the interrelated aspects of advanced pHealth, i.e., personalized, participative, preventive, predictive, precision medicine (5P medicine) in health and social services. In that context, mobile technologies, micro\u2013nano\u2013bio smart systems, artificial intelligence and robotics, data management and analytics, machine learning and deep learning for personalized health, the Health Internet of Things (HIoT), systems medicine, public health, and virtual care are of interest. Those new technologies create new potential risks for security, privacy, and safety, resulting in new challenges for meeting ethical and trustworthiness requirements of systems, partners, and processes. Bernd Blobel as the long-term Chair of the pHealth conferences\u2019 Scientific Program Committee as well as of the pHealth Steering Committee has checked and edited every paper invited for publication in the MDPI The book starts with an introduction into the ongoing transformation of health and social care including the related organizational, methodological, and technological paradigm changes. For designing and managing ethical and intelligent transformed health ecosystems, the comprehensive and correct formal representation complex, dynamic, interdisciplinary ecosystems with their knowledge spaces is inevitable. Regarding ethical, legal, security, and privacy aspects, the system\u2019s policy domain and their aforementioned subdomains must be especially addressed. Therefore, the paper specifically discusses the deployment of ontologies for representing ecosystems and their domains, hereby also considering newly standardized ontologies for representation and management of ethically driven robotics and automation systems. Thereafter, knowledge representation and management for semantic data integration is discussed in the context of practical solutions for biobanks. As the new technologies and methodologies are not just necessary for developing and running transformed health and social care ecosystems, but are also inevitable for properly including the current and potential actors, the introductory chapter of the book concludes with a paper on didactic concepts for digital learning in care settings.The second chapter presents two papers tackling the deployment of mobile technologies for pHealth. The first discusses and compares different approaches to learning systems for managing ambulant stress detection. The second one studies the deployment of mobile applications for improving care processes, especially the communication between care providers in pediatrics.The third chapter discusses the deployment of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and automation in transformed health and social care ecosystems with concrete solutions. The first paper focuses on Natural Language Processing, and the last one on unsupervised learning for automatically analyzing notes and electronic medical records. The second paper analyzes processes optimization with machine learning. The papers that follow investigate the deployment of Chatbots in the context of behavioral health, the deployment of machine learning to analyze the side effects of CVD interventions, the intelligent analysis of COVID-19 pneumonia cases using Hybrid Bayesian Networks, and, finally, the use of decision support systems.The last chapter addresses security, privacy, safety, and trust issues changing their characteristics as well as occurrence and importance in the context of the transformation of health and social care ecosystems. First, the implementation of standard-based security and privacy in genomic information systems is discussed at length. Thereafter, a new methodology is presented for assessing privacy and trust in eHealth. The penultimate paper of this volume addresses the importance of data democratization for the advancement of data sharing at a national and European level, as well as globally, while the last paper offers a risk prediction methodology in cardiac surgery.Journal of Personalized Medicine and its Editorial Office, and especially to Penny Su, for the valuable continuous support. Without all those efforts, this volume would not have been possible.The editors thank all authors and reviewers for their important contribution to the success of this volume. Furthermore, they are deeply indebted to the MDPI"} +{"text": "Malaria is a major public health threat worldwide, and it was also widely prevalent in the history in China, seriously endangering people's health and affecting socioeconomic development. China was certified malaria elimination in 2021 with unremitting efforts since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. This great achievement has been another milestone in the fight against major infectious diseases following the elimination of smallpox, poliomyelitis, leprosy, filariasis, neonatal tetanus and blinding trachoma in China. This paper briefly introduces the malaria burden dynamics and the corresponding malaria transmission risk stratificantions, as well as systematically reviews the evolution of anti-malaria policies and measures from severe epidemic to elimination in China. Meanwhile, five key lessons in malaria control and elimination in China are also briefly summarized. All of the above provide evidences for promoting global malaria eradication and preventing reestablishment of malaria transmission, finally benefit all individuals still suffering from the scourge of malaria. Plasmodium parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Plasmodium parasites that infect humans include Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale and P. knowlesi, of which P. falciparum is the most lethal, and P. vivax and P. ovale can relapse due to the presence of latent liver stages known as hypnozoites, which can activate weeks, months, or even years after the primary clinical infection from 1950 to 2021 . FurtherIn order to actively response to the health-related Millennium Development Goals, and the ultimate global goal of malaria eradication, the Chinese government launched the national malaria elimination program (NMEP) in 2010, with the corresponding National Action Plan for Malaria Elimination in China (2010\u20132020) . As a reWith the launch of the NMEP in 2010 and the WHO certification of malaria-free in 2021 as milestones, three phases of the malaria control phase (1949\u20132009), the elimination phase (2010\u20132020) and the post-elimination phase (2021~) can be divided from the founding of the People's Republic of China. Furthermore, the control phase could be roughly divided into four different stages according to the characteristics of malaria transmission and the anti-malaria policies and measures in different periods, namely, the focal investigation and control stage (1949\u20131959), the control of severe epidemics stage (1960\u20131979), the incidence decline stage (1980\u20131999), and the achievement consolidation/pre-elimination stage (2000\u20132009) Figure .Anopheles mosquitoes. It was recorded that four Plasmodium species have been endemic in China, among which P. vivax and P. falciparum were the main species. Moreover, P. vivax was distributed nationwide, and P. falciparum was the dominant species in the hyperendemic area in southern China, which was the major cause of severe malaria and death. In addition, P. malariae was mainly scattered in southern China, and P. ovale was only found sporadically in some areas of southwest China and some counties in Hainan.In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, it was estimated that there were 1,829 malaria-endemic counties nationwide, accounting for more than 70% of the total number of counties at that time . The claAnopheles anthropophagus and Anopheles minimus, and the northern edge of P. falciparum malaria transmission were first divided in 1958 according to the disease survey data combined with topography, climate and other factors, then this stratification was updated with more characteristics in 1965 were stratified based on the national malaria reports from 2006 to 2008 in China , 39 Fig.In the post-elimination phase, risk stratification of the re-introduction was defined in the Technical Guideline for Prevention of Reestablishment of Malaria Transmission based on the border malaria status, the receptivity and vulnerability Figure .P. ovale was reported in Pingba County in Guizhou Province responsible for malaria investigation, personnel training and pilot prevention and control were began to be established in severely endemic areas. In 1953, the report on the National Health Administrative Conference and the second National Health Conference was approved by the Government Council, and the prevention and control against the most serious endemic diseases including malaria was required to be strengthened. By 1955, malaria transmission nationwide was basically clear, and more lessons on malaria control were summarized. At the same time, a variety of antimalarial drugs such as proguanil, cycloguanil, chloroquine, primaquine and pyrimethamine could be synthesized, with a capacity to provide batch supply of some antimalarial drugs such as proguanil and cycloguanil. In 1956, the Draft of National Program for Agricultural Development (1956\u20131967) was proposed, in which malaria was included as one of the most serious diseases affecting the population that could be virtually eliminated in all possible areas and within a limited period of time. In the same year, the first National Malaria Control Program was developed by the Ministry of Health, and malaria was classified as a notifiable disease for the first time. In 1958, Kaili County in Guizhou Province was selected as the first pilot county for malaria eradication by the Ministry of Health.As a result, remarkable progress such as the significant reductions of prevalence and incidence of malaria was achieved in the hyperendemic areas such as Simao County in Yunnan, Kaili County in Guizhou, and Hainan Island.P. vivax were occurred mainly in the Huanghuai Plain in the early 1960s and early 1970s.At this stage, China's malaria control unfortunately failed to achieve continuous results, and serious epidemics caused by Plasmoduim species and the transmission level were specified in the National Technical Plan for Malaria Prevention and Control issued in 1964 established in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China to carry out focal investigation and control, or the malaria surveillance network relying on three-level primary health network at the county, town and village levels, or the implementation of various control and elimination policies and measures, all of which are inseparable from a stable malaria control team. In addition to natural factors, the repeated recurrences of malaria transmission in China in the past were related with brain drain, team dispersion, and work stagnation. Meanwhile, the establishment of a real-time surveillance and response system with detailed case epidemiological information, the establishment of a nationwide malaria diagnostic reference laboratory network and quality management system, as well as the continuous implementation of various forms of training and assessment, have improved the level and quality from timely detection and standardized treatment of cases to rapid identification and effective response of epidemics, laying a solid foundation for malaria control and elimination.Plasmodium species, distribution and ecological habits of malaria vectors, etc. in China, thus different strategies and measures have been developed, tailored and implemented in various malaria transmission phases and settings, which made control and elimination feasible in different subregions of China. For instance, the technical specifications for malaria elimination around the core of 1-3-7 approach was carried out in the elimination phase, and the strategy for prevention of malaria re-establishment was updated in a timely manner from the elimination strategy focusing on each case/focus to the prevention of reestablishment focusing on timely identification of the source of infection in the post-elimination phase.Development and implementation of evidence-based strategies and policies across the whole country have been the key to China's successful response to the disease. There are great differences in various topography, climate, level of socioeconomic development, people's living habits, transmission characteristics of etc., have not only provided advanced concepts, technologies and financial support, but also strengthened timely information sharing and experience exchange, which facilitated the malaria elimination.Community involvement has played an important role in malaria control and elimination in China from the following three aspects at least: (1) extensive participation in health education and promotion organized by different sectors to improve public awareness and behavior of malaria prevention and control and to create a healthy and harmonious community; (2) extensive mobilization of community residents to protect environment and implement vector control in combination with new rural construction and China Patriotic Health Campaign; and (3) assistance and cooperation with local CDCs and township health centers in malaria case epidemiological investigation, foci investigation and disposal. Furthermore, inter- or multi-sectoral collaboration to develop and perform guidelines, policies, plans and measures for malaria elimination, intranational collaboration such as the joint prevention and control mechanism for malaria control in Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, Anhui and Hubei, and the international cooperation such as the close collaboration and cooperation with the WHO, the Global Fund, and the cross-border cooperation under bilateral and multilateral mechanisms, Research in basic science and field applications has made great contributions to malaria elimination in China, not only in the control and elimination strategies, but also in key technologies, covering pathogen biology, vector biology, and interventions such as diagnostics, antimalarial drugs, insecticide-treated mosquito nets and radical treatment of vivax malaria, etc. . Among tMalaria is another major infectious disease eliminated in China after the elimination of smallpox, poliomyelitis, leprosy, filariasis, neonatal tetanus and blinding trachoma , which iZ-GX: conception or design of the work. J-HY and Z-GX: drafting the article. LZ and X-YF: critical revision of the manuscript. All authors final approval of the manuscript."} +{"text": "This study aimed to analyze coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)vaccine policies and effectiveness in Korea, Japan, and Singapore, thereby providing empirical experience for vaccination and response to similar public health emergencies.The study systematically summarized the COVID-19 vaccine policies in Korea, Japan, and Singapore through public information from the Our World in Data website and the official websites of the Ministries of Health in these three countries.Total vaccinations, COVID-19 vaccination rates, rates of fully vaccinated, rates of boostervaccinated, and total confifirmed cases were selected for cross-sectional comparison of COVID-19 vaccination in these three countries. Combining the basic characteristics of these three countries, daily cases per million, daily deaths per million, and the effective reproduction rate were calculated to measure the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine policies implementation in each of these three countriesThe countermeasures against the COVID-19 in Korea, Japan, and Singapore, although seemingly different on the surface, have all taken an aggressive approach. There are large similarities in the timing of the start of COVID-19 vaccination, the type of vaccine, how vaccine appointments are made, and whether vaccination are free, and all had high vaccination rates. A systematic comparison of the anti-epidemic practices in the three East Asian countries revealed that all three countries experienced more than one outbreak spike due to the spread of new mutant strains after the start of mass vaccination with COVID-19 vaccination, but that vaccination played a positive role in reducing the number of deaths and stabilizing the effective reproduction rate.This study comparatively analyzed the COVID-19 vaccine policies and their effects in South Korea, Japan, and Singapore, and found that there is a common set of logical combinations behind the seemingly different strategies of these three countries. Therefore, in the process of combating COVID-19, countries can learn from the successful experience of combating the epidemic and continue to strengthen the implementation of vaccination programs, as well as adjusting public perceptions to reduce the level of vaccine hesitancy, enhance the motivation for vaccination, and improve the coverage of COVID-19 vaccine based on different cultural factors, which remains the direction for future development. The worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the most serious public health threat since the 1918 H1N1 influenza pandemic ; On MarcSince the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the various measures taken by countries to control the epidemic, the high transmission capacity of the virus, the rapid mutation rate, the general susceptibility of the population and the many asymptomatic infected persons have put enormous pressure on global public health, vaccination has become the most cost-effective means of controlling outbreaks . The devAlthough each country fights the epidemic differently, the external shocks and expectations to end the epidemic are the same for all countries. Therefore, we need to understand why the same effects occur in different countries, that is, what is the common logic behind the seemingly different strategies. The central question of this study is: Why did the three countries achieve similar results with different policy strategies? Thus, this article is a study in search of commonalities. Finding and refining the basic principles for fighting the epidemic can provide important guidance for future epidemic prevention and control . ConsideThe COVID-19 epidemiological data used in this study were obtained from publicly available information on the Our World in Data website and the official websites of the national health ministries of Korea, Japan, and Singapore. The data were selected for the period from the start of COVID-19 vaccination in each of the three countries to May 5, 2023. Total vaccinations, COVID-19 vaccination rates, rates of fully vaccinated, rates of booster-vaccinated, and total confifirmed cases were selected for cross-sectional comparison of COVID-19 vaccination in these three countries. Daily cases per million, daily deaths per million, and the effective reproduction rate (Rt) were calculated to measure the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine policies implementation in each of these three countries.Total vaccinations are the sum of the basic and booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and are the total number of doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered. COVID-19 vaccination rates are the proportion of the population that has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, including the proportion of the population that is fully vaccinated and the proportion of the population that is partially vaccinated. Daily cases per million is the number of new confifirmed cases per million population per day for each country. Daily deaths per million is the number of new deaths per million population per day for each country. The effective reproduction rate is an indicator of how many people are infected by one individual. If Rt\u2009=\u20092, this implies that each infected person transmits the virus to two others, resulting in an uncontrolled epidemic . Rt can The COVID-19 vaccine policies of Korea, Japan and Singapore are obtained from official WHO documents, survey reports, and official government websites and official documents of the three countries, such as Ministry of Health of Singapore, Japanese ministry of health, labor and welfare, Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare, etc. The COVID-19 vaccine policy extracted from this study includes the following aspects: basic vaccination program, vaccine procurement and supply, vaccine development, vaccine booster vaccination, vaccination of underage groups, mandatory vaccination, incentive vaccination, and vaccination support policies.Finally, we conducted a cross-sectional comparison of basic COVID-19 vaccination in Korea, Japan, and Singapore, summarized the COVID-19 vaccination policies in each of these three countries, plotted the epidemiological curves of each of these three countries, and labeled the major vaccination policies to assess the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccination policies adopted by each country and to examine their commonalities.Cross-country comparative studies need to be based on an understanding of the underlying country context, otherwise they tend to yield unrealistic policy recommendations . First, As seen by Fig.\u00a0Korea launched a large-scale COVID-19 vaccination on February 26, 2021, as can be seen by Table\u00a0The main goal of the Korean government was to achieve universal vaccination as soon as possible in order to control the epidemic and restore normal socio-economic activities. The government has actively promoted the vaccination program by providing free vaccines to the Korean public and ensuring the supply of vaccines to the public through a variety of means, including mass vaccination centers, local vaccination centers, and corporate vaccination. At the public perception level, the Korean public has been supportive of vaccination and widely recognizes the importance of vaccines in controlling the epidemic. The majority of the public actively participated in vaccination and cooperated with the government's vaccination program. At the same time, as Korea focuses on collective consciousness and social responsibility , this isWhile most countries around the world started vaccinating their populations in early 2021, the Japanese government's delay in doing so has been met with accusations from both inside and outside Japan. Starting with the first mass vaccination on February 17, 2021, the vaccination was carried out in the order of medical-related personnel, the elderly, and the general public, as can be seen by Table\u00a0The main objective of the Government of Japan was to achieve universal vaccination as soon as possible in order to control the epidemic and restore normal socio-economic activities. The government was actively promoting the vaccination program by providing free vaccines to the Japanese people and ensuring the supply of vaccines to the public by providing services such as appointments and vaccinations through multiple channels. In terms of public perception, Japan has some disagreements with Korea. Influenced by a long history of self-confidence in the strength of medical resources, science and technology, and health education, Japan is more cautious in accepting new things and viewing external information , for exaSingapore launched its National Vaccination Programme (NVP) on December 30, 2020, with the first vaccines being the Pfizer-BioTech/Comirnaty vaccine, jointly developed by Pfizer and Biotech, the first country in Asia to receive mass vaccination. As can be seen by Table\u00a0The Singapore Government's main objective was to achieve universal vaccination as soon as possible to contain the outbreak, to reduce transmission and to protect public health. The Government was actively pursuing the vaccination programme by providing free vaccines to Singaporeans and ensuring the availability of vaccines and vaccination services through the establishment of multiple vaccination centers and the provision of a booking system, among other things. The public in Singapore has been supportive of vaccination and generally recognizes the importance of vaccines in combating epidemics. The majority of the population was willing to be vaccinated and participated in the government's vaccination program. Vaccine-related information has been made widely available to the public, and decisions based on official guidance and expert advice. One of the cultural characteristics of Singapore is the emphasis on social responsibility and the collective good , and thiAs seen by Fig.\u00a0In terms of the number of deaths and mortality rates during the wave phase, this round was lower than the previous four waves in Japan, with only 2100 and 0.26%, and the rapid spread of the vaccine played a huge role in this round, as Japan began mass COVID-19 vaccination on February 17, 2021. Except for a small fluctuation in the low level of the epidemic in July and August 2021 due to the Tokyo Olympics, both daily cases per million and daily deaths per million remained at extremely low levels until the end of 2021, and the epidemic in Japan was nearly dissipated after the Delta epidemic. As seen by Fig.\u00a0Since the promotion of COVID-19 vaccination, the situation of daily new cases per million varies among countries, with a decrease in daily deaths per million, and the effect is more pronounced in countries with high coverage, but except for Singapore. Vaccination levels in Singapore were very high, with daily new cases per million starting to decline 40\u00a0days after vaccination initiation . With 72Through a comparative analysis of the vaccination policies of the three countries, it can be seen that the three countries share many similarities in their vaccination strategies. Korea, Japan and Singapore all attach great importance to vaccination as an important means of outbreak control, and have developed scientific and rational vaccination strategies and priorities. Based on specific target populations, a phased vaccination program has been formulated, and vaccination priority is determined based on risk assessment to ensure early vaccination of high-risk groups. In terms of vaccine supply and distribution, all three countries were committed to ensuring an adequate supply of vaccines, signing agreements with multiple vaccine manufacturers to ensure the stability of the vaccine supply, thus guaranteeing smooth vaccination, and distributing vaccines through the establishment of vaccination centers and appointment systems. In terms of improving vaccine coverage, Korea, Japan and Singapore have attached great importance to improving vaccination coverage by setting up multiple vaccination centers and providing convenient vaccination services in each region to ensure easy access to vaccinations and vaccinate as many residents as possible.At the same time, there are differences in vaccination policies. In terms of the challenges faced by the three countries in the early stages of vaccination, Japan faced delays in supply and distribution in the early stages of vaccination, while South Korea and Singapore moved forward with their vaccination programs relatively quickly. In terms of strategies for vaccination, Korea and Singapore adopted mass vaccination centers and appointment systems, while Japan focused more on establishing vaccination sites and strengthening promotion and publicity at the local level. In terms of the speed of vaccination, Korea achieved high nationwide coverage for a large part of the population in a relatively short period of time, while Japan and Singapore reached high coverage at a later stage.A comprehensive analysis of vaccination policies and epidemiological curves shows that in terms of vaccination coverage, Korea, Japan and Singapore have all actively promoted vaccination, and although there are some differences in vaccination speed and strategy, they have all achieved higher vaccination coverage earlier. In terms of outbreak control effects, although all three countries had more than one outbreak peak caused by new mutant strains, with the increase in vaccination coverage, all three countries achieved some outbreak control results, with decreases in daily cases per million, daily deaths per million, and Rt values. Korea's outbreak control after vaccination reached the expected goal and the situation improved significantly; Japan's outbreak control effect gradually appeared, but further efforts are still needed; Singapore successfully controlled the outbreak and reached a more controllable state. In terms of social life and economic recovery, with the advancement of vaccination, people can participate in more social activities, and various industries have begun to recover; in terms of the safety of vaccination, all three countries have implemented stringent vaccine safety testing and regulatory measures, and have rigorously evaluated the quality, safety and efficacy of vaccines, and the vaccines that have been put into use are in line with international standards and regulations, although all three countries Although there are reports of individual adverse reactions and side effects in all three countries, these countries have actively taken measures to detect and manage them, such as setting up reporting systems, strengthening testing and treatment, and other ancillary measures. In terms of ongoing prevention and control measures, the intensity of prevention and control and the degree of implementation varied by country based on the outbreak situation and the level of social compliance, but all three countries emphasized the ongoing implementation of prevention and control measures after vaccination, including non-pharmacological interventions such as social education distances and the use of face masks.The ostensibly different vaccination policies of Korea, Japan and Singapore selected for this study show great similarities in vaccination rates and vaccination levels. Therefore, by comparing the anti-vaccination practices of Korea, Japan and Singapore, this study reveals the common logic behind the seemingly very different anti-vaccination approaches and policy combinations of the three countries, i.e., positive willingness to vaccinate, multi-party collaboration, and protection from multiple perspectives are the main threads running through the three countries.In terms of vaccine policy objectives, although, due to the differences between countries in terms of epidemic situation, healthcare systems and economic conditions, different countries have chosen different policy instruments and focuses; for example, while accelerating the speed of vaccination, South Korea and Japan have taken measures such as restricting public gatherings in order to control the spread of the cases; while Singapore has adopted means such as retrospection and quarantine. However, in essence, the objective of all three countries is to safeguard public health and safety. First, the general principles of the anti-epidemic institutional arrangements in the three countries are very similar, with epidemic prevention and control planning, national leaders personally directing and taking the lead in vaccination, and all using the risk of infection and serious illness as the first criterion for vaccination consideration; second, in the medical and public health fields, the strength of the resource allocation in Singapore, South Korea, and Japan is at the forefront of the world, and they have played an important role in this epidemic, and during the epidemic, the Singaporean government During the epidemic, the Singaporean government took the initiative to follow up on its social security policies, South Korea had multiple appeals, and Japan vigorously strengthened its medical response system to bridge the infection prevention gap.It is worth mentioning that the public's willingness to vaccinate and vaccine hesitancy have always had an impact on the advancement of COVID-19 vaccination . On the In the practices of Korea, Japan and Singapore, the combination of these factors has contributed to increased vaccination coverage, which in turn has had a significant impact on controlling outbreaks. Therefore, the promotion of COVID-19 vaccination also requires adjusting public perceptions as much as possible based on different cultural factors to reduce the level of public vaccine hesitancy, adequately publicizing the safety and efficacy of vaccination, developing incentives to enhance the motivation of the population to vaccinate, and appropriately conducting mandatory vaccination to increase COVID-19 vaccine coverage.Non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) are public health measures aimed at reducing virus transmission by reducing exposure rates, such as contact tracing, international travel controls, closure of public transportation, wearing of masks, closure of workplaces, and cancellation of public events . In thisThis study assessed the effectiveness and impact of different policies in promoting vaccination by examining non-pharmacological interventions during vaccination in three countries and analyzing the vaccination situation in the three countries comparatively, and then explored the impact of factors such as the social, cultural and economic contexts on the implementation and effectiveness of the policies, in order to contribute to a better understanding of the reasons for the differences in the policies between the different regions, as well as the factors behind the same results.The study found that, despite the different degrees of challenges in vaccine supply and public trust in vaccines in these three countries, they all adopted active vaccination policies, committed to achieving universal vaccination and thus controlling the outbreak, and formulated relevant policies based on the actual situation of the countries in a pragmatic and locally adapted manner, which ultimately led to significant results in controlling the outbreak and protecting public health in all of them. Thus, COVID-19 vaccination is a key public health strategy to reduce the overall burden of COVID-19 globally , and theAt the same time, we should also recognize that epidemic prevention and control is a multi-task, multi-link complex activity, and there is no need for countries to adopt a one-size-fits-all policy mix, but rather a need to follow a common goal, and it is entirely possible that different combinations of anti-epidemic policies can be formed according to their respective national conditions, which may lead to different paths to the same end. The great difference between East Asia and the rest of the world in this outbreak is that there is some consensus on the basic anti-epidemic goals and logical starting point, as epitomized by Korea, Japan and Singapore. In the global fight against COVID-19, countries can continue to strengthen the implementation of vaccination programmes, drawing on the successful experience of combating the epidemic. At the same time, based on different cultural factors, public perceptions should be adjusted as much as possible so as to reduce the level of public vaccine hesitancy. On this basis, fully promoting the safety and efficacy of vaccination, developing incentives to enhance the public's motivation to vaccinate, and appropriately carrying out mandatory vaccination to enhance COVID-19 vaccine coverage remain the direction for future development."} +{"text": "Polymer nanomaterials have emerged as a promising class of materials within the field of biomedicine, owing to their unique physical, chemical, and biological properties. These materials have been extensively investigated for a wide range of biomedical applications, including drug delivery, tissue engineering, and diagnostic imaging. In this editorial, we review recent research articles about the use of polymer nanomaterials in biomedicine. More specifically, we examine the development of new nanomedicines in combination therapy for cancer treatment, the use of thermosensitive liquid suppositories for drug delivery, and the development of nanoparticulate photoluminescent probes for bioimaging. These articles highlight the potential of polymer nanomaterials in addressing some of the key challenges in biomedicine, such as the improvement of drug delivery, the enhancement of therapeutic efficacy, and the development of new diagnostic and imaging tools. As the field of polymer nanomaterials continues to advance, it is important to consider their safety and long-term effects. With careful designs and tests, polymer nanomaterials have the potential to revolutionize the field of biomedicine and improve patient outcomes.Anna et al. focused Kim et al. developeMoreover, Maria et al. developeMagdalena et al. exploredLee et al. studied The use of polymer nanomaterials in biomedicine is an exciting and rapidly growing field with a wide range of potential applications. The articles reviewed in this editorial highlight some of the latest developments and advancements within the field, including the development of new nanomedicines in combination therapy for cancer treatment, the use of thermosensitive liquid suppositories for drug delivery, and the development of nanoparticulate photoluminescent probes for bioimaging.Furthermore, these studies demonstrate the versatility and potential of polymer nanomaterials in addressing some of the key challenges in biomedicine, such as the improvement of drug delivery, the enhancement of therapeutic efficacy, and the development of new diagnostic and imaging tools. The use of these materials can lead to better outcomes for patients; that is, disease management can be improved and survival rates can be increased."} +{"text": "To report the experience of using the Project-Based Learning methodology, inemergency remote teaching, with undergraduate nursing students.The study was carried out in the course \u201cEducational Actions in NursingPractice\u201d, developed remotely in 2020, during the pandemic caused by the newcoronavirus, in the Bachelor\u2019s and Licanciate Degrees in Nursing at a publicuniversity in the state of S\u00e3o Paulo. The course used Project-Based Learningthrough the following phases: anchoring; driving question; investigation andresearch; creation and development; and presentation of the results as anactive learning methodology, with the formation of small groups of studentsand tutors and process evaluation.The students developed educational projects in health through a virtuallearning environment, platforms, and digital tools.The methodology adopted and the use of digital technologies allowed theachievement of the proposed objectives, the motivation and autonomy of thestudents throughout the remote teaching process, and the development ofcompetences for the elaboration of projects in health education for nursingtraining. The scopeof the spread of the virus around the world has made countries adopt contagionreduction strategies, includingsocial isolation, which directly affected education systems with the widespreadclosure of educational institutions such as schools, colleges, anduniversities,4.The World Health Organization (WHO), in March 2020, declared COVID-19, caused bySARS-CoV2, a pandemicERE).The suspension of in-person activities led Higher Education Institutions (IESs) toquickly adapt, in an improvised way, their teaching strategies and tools,characterizing Emergency Remote Teaching is highlighted, whichallows students to confront real-world situations, issues, and problems, making themmeaningful, determining how they should be addressed, and acting cooperatively insearch of solutions. It is characterized as a methodology that encourages studentsto work collaboratively and in a team based way on the integration of differentknowledge, stimulating the development of critical thinking and the active role ofstudents, aiming to solve or propose the confrontation of a challenging issuestemming from the construction of a project. The PjBL methodology consists of thefollowing steps: anchoring; driving question; investigation and research; creationand development; and presentation of resultsThe objective of this study was to report the experience of using the Project-BasedLearning methodology in emergency remote teaching, with undergraduate nursingstudents.This is an experience report on the use of the PjBL in the course of educationalactions in nursing practice, developed remotely in 2020, during the pandemic causedby the new coronavirus, in the Bachelor\u2019s and Licanciate Degrees in Nursing at apublic university in the state of S\u00e3o Paulo.\u201ctounderstand and apply the necessary foundations for the development ofeducational actions in health inherent to the practice of nursing in differentsocial groups and learning scenarios\u201d. The objectives to be achievedby students are:The course has a workload of 90 hours, with a practical component of 60 hours, and isoffered in the second semester of the first year of nursing school. It lasts for asemester, with a weekly meeting. The general objective of the course is .\u201c1. To understand the concept of health education 2. To recognize the educationalprocess as inherent to nursing practice 3. To identify and apply presuppositions ofthe theoretical frameworks of the learner\u2019s adhesion and motivation in theeducational practice. 4. To recognize and implement educational practice atdifferent stages of life cycle. 5. Plan, build, develop, and evaluate educationalhealth projects\u201d.The course\u2019s learning program, before the pandemic, adopted dialogic expositoryclasses, case studies, workshops, discussions, and seminars as teaching strategies,with the support of a virtual learning environment, as well as practical activities. The established assessment method included selfand hetero-assessment, reporting, and activities developed in the field of practice.The approval criterion consisted of the final average above and/or equal to five anda frequency of at least 70%Google Meet\u00ae, through the corporate platform of the Google Workspaces forEducation\u00ae in which students and professors are logged in the educationalinstitution email. Asynchronous moments were supported by the institution\u2019s virtuallearning environment (VLE) Moodle\u00ae.The course plan remodeled from the PjBL methodology consisted of theoretical contentsadministered remotely in synchronous classes through theuse of the software of video calls The instructional design of the course\u2019s VLE was structured following the contentscovered and the phases of the PjBL, aiming to be a collaborative space for learningand exchanging experiences. The environment presented tools for asynchronousinteraction between teacher and students; course guidelines and presentation;welcoming message from teachers to students; course schedule; notices and newsboard; course syllabus; division of tutoring groups; tasks, materials, andcomplementary bibliographies; assessment of classes and tutoring; as well as virtualclasses and the recording of synchronous classes.Google Forms\u00ae composed of global assessment questions available in the VLE. For eachproposition, the Likert scale was adopted, with four response intervals, rangingfrom one to four , as well as a space for studentsto add justifications to their answers.The evaluation method remained self- and hetero-evaluative, replacing the report andactivities developed in the field of practices with the development and presentationof the educational project. At the end of the semester, students were invited toevaluate the course through a form on the platform .At PjBL, students play an active role, being co-responsible for the constructionof the project at all stages, seeking information, exchanging experiences,communicating and collaborating with their peers, in small groups, through themediation of professors who act as tutors in the processThe methodology assumes the development of five phases: anchoring; drivingquestion; investigation and research; creation and development; and presentationof results.anchoring, used to introduce the context of the project tostudents, can be presented in different ways, such as short narratives, data,and information from a certain context, as well as images, videos and/or news.The objective of this phase is to attract the students\u2019 attention and interest,presenting the context and the problem to be worked on.The phase driving question guides and identifies the focus of thecontext and of the problem that will be worked on in the project. It can beestablished in advance by the tutors or jointly identified by the studentsthemselves, based on reflection, discussion, and the definition of priorityquestions related to the context and problem presented.The phase investigation and research for a better understanding andin-depth investigation of the problem, providing the articulation of theory withreality. The greater the engagement around the anchoring and driving question,the greater the involvement of students at this stage.From the anchoring and driving question phases, students are encouraged to carryout the creation and development phase.After investigation and research, students are encouraged to think, together andstrategically, about the best way to create and develop forms of coping with theproblem, characterizing the results presentation, throughdiversified strategies, such as oral presentation, dialogue poster, video, amongothers. If the problem is related to a practical field activity, it can beshared with the subjects that make up the context worked on.Finally, the group of students has the possibility to socialize the developmentof the project systematicaly in the CNS),not requiring submission to the Human Research Ethics Committee.This experience report was built by the course professors and the creators of theproject. The students were active participants in the execution of thepedagogical proposal. This research is part of Resolution No. 510 of April 2016, of the National Health Council provides the development of the teaching-learningprocess.Learning emphasizes the protagonist role of the student, due to his/her direct,participatory, and reflective involvement in all stages of the process,experimenting, designing, creating, with the teacher\u2019s guidance, the final product.Learning is developed in a flexible way through the sharing of space, time,activities, materials and technologies that make up the active process and projectdevelopmentERE was presented concomitantly with limitationsfor the use of ICT in terms of cognitive, epistemological, and structural obstacles.The insecurities of teachers in the use of technologies, as well as cultural beliefsthat students are more prepared for digital use, are pointed out as obstacles inadapting to the use of ICTs.For some authors, .In this context, there was a trend towards an increase in the number of hoursdedicated to the use of ICT in 2020, with the most used resources being digitallearning environments, followed by audio and video platforms. There were alsolimitations regarding the availability of equipment and the challenges of overcomingthe inequality of opportunities among students, such as technological infrastructureand high-speed internet.ICTs are tools that allow new interactions and the creation of favorable spaces forthe teaching-learning process, as they act as facilitators in the construction andexchange of knowledge, stimulating the exercise of autonomy of the subjectsinvolved,20,21.Several authors highlight successful experiences in the educational process with thepromotion of meaningful learning through PjBL, as learning is based on realproblems, in the context of life, and the proposals for solutions are based onmeeting these needs.In this regard, in the use of the PjBL methodology, the tutor\u2019s supervisory rolebecomes essential, involving students in the creation and execution of the project,respecting the learning objectives and recognizing the difficulty that students andteachers have in planning and executing this strategy, which emphasizes the need forweekly records and monitoring to enable the construction of projects. The use ofdigital tools helps in the planning and execution of the project, as it promotesintegration and agilityThe PjBL methodology was very close to the subject\u2019s learning object \u2013 related to thepractical component, which was greatly affected by the pandemic \u2013, allowing thestudent to develop an educational action in health. Based on the health needsidentified by the groups of students, the methodology contributes to theconstruction of educational projects based on the current situation and itsapplicability..In a study on pedagogical action in the light of PjBL, the path traced and theresults obtained demonstrated the methodology as an effective strategy regarding thecommitment to diversify the professor\u2019s methodological repertoire, especially in apost-pandemic context that led to the establishment of a parallel, virtual world andto a reality of abrupt changes in the ways of interacting, dialoguing, teaching, andlearning.At PjBL, students are protagonists and have a voice to make choices during theprocess. Thus, in this course, projects of educational actions were developed indifferent themes, supported by the theoretical methodological framework proposedduring the execution of all projectsMentimeter\u00ae was used, with the purpose and opportunity to re-signify the evaluationprocess with ICT as allies. The use of digital tools for the assessment process iseffective and, when directed to formative assessment, allows students and professorsto carry out agile, practical, remote, and synchronous feedbacks.As a form of evaluation, the The ICTs are part of the contemporary model of teaching in health and nursing andtend to be more incorporated as scientific and technological development advances.In the course presented, the use of ICT was essential for the maintenance of thestudents\u2019 academic schedule in the context of the pandemic, especially with regardto the practical component. However, the analysis and reflection on the limits andpossibilities of the use of technologies in health and nursing education arerequired.Offering the course with the use of PjBL, allied to technologies, proved to beeffective in achieving learning objectives, especially in the development of skillsto plan, build, develop, and evaluate educational health projects. The innovativecharacter of the experience in articulating the PjBL with the promotion of thedevelopment of technological competences applied to health education in the trainingof nurses is also highlighted.The tutoring meetings were fundamental for the growth and productivity of the groupof students, allowing autonomy and freedom of creation and learning in topicsrelated to health education, expressed by the satisfaction of students in the courseevaluation.Regarding the future challenges of the course\u2019s professors, the main ones will be:the implementation of the methodology in the return of classroom teaching to supportthe performance and construction of projects to be applied in practice scenarios;and the reflection on the limits and possibilities of technologies for thedevelopment of technological competences in the training of nurses, aiming at theirappropriate use in teaching, professional practice, and in the population\u2019s healtheducation."} +{"text": "This article was published with an error in the affiliation of Biljana Blazevska Stoilkovska. She is in fact affiliated with the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia."} +{"text": "To identify and map the types of analysis in nursing validation studies This is a scoping review with collection carried out in July 2020. The following data extraction indicators were considered: year of publication, country of origin, type of study, level of evidence, scientific references for validation and types of analyses. Data were collected in the following bases: U.S. National Library of Medicine, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, SCOPUS, COCHRANE, Web of Science, PSYCHINFO, Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences, CAPES Theses and Dissertation Portal, Education Resources Information Center, The National Library of Australia's Trobe, Academic Archive Online, DART-Europe E-Theses Portal, Electronic Theses Online Service, Open Access Scientific Repository of Portugal, National ETD Portal, Theses Canada, Theses and dissertations from Latin America. The sample consisted of 881 studies, with a predominance of articles , with a prevalence of publications in 2019 , of Brazilian origin , of the methodological study type . Polit and Beck stood out as the methodological reference and Cronbach's Alpha as the statistical test. Regarding the type of analysis, the exploratory factor analysis and the content validation index stood out. The use of at least one method of analysis was evident in more than half of the studies, which implied the need to carry out several statistical tests in order to evaluate the validation of the instrument used and show its reliability. In the world scenario, there is a growing number of validation studies in the health field aimed at the production of technological resources with the purpose of supporting care in different contexts, both in the training and qualification of professionals, as well as in management and patient care. From thiFurthermore, numerous materials can be submitted to validation stages, such as research instruments, care protocols, educational booklets, standard operating procedures, virtual learning objects, algorithms and others. These maContent validation assesses whether the content produced is relevant, correct and adequate for what is proposed. TransculUse validation seeks to trace the degree of user satisfaction with the tool built. As for usability, the validation investigates the effectiveness, efficiency and relevance of the use of the technology in relation to the intended objective in a more broad manner.,7 TherefThus, the data analysis stage is important for validation studies, as it is considered essential to establish the relevance and quality of the constructed material. However, the reliability of the analysis process must be in line with the material and type of validation performed. Thus, itStudy design. This is a Scoping Review with a research protocol registered in the Open Science Framework (DOI:10.17605/OSF.IO/YH9UZ) based on the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Reviewer's Manual, accordinStudy location and data collection period. A primary investigation was carried out by crossing Data analysis AND Validation study AND nurse research in the National Library of Medicine (PUBMED) and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases to identify and survey the most common keywords frequently in surveys. Thus, the search strategy was obtained with the help of the Boolean operators AND and OR: Validation Study OR AND Data Analysis OR AND Nurse Research OR (Nursing Sciences). It should be noted that the search in each database was adapted to its specific search engines, but the compatibility of descriptor combinations was maintained. The capture of studies was performed in July 2020. The following platforms were used to search for articles: U.S. National Library of Medicine (PUBMED), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), SCOPUS, COCHRANE, Web of Science, PSYCHINFO, Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS). In view of the theses and dissertations that make up the gray literature, the following were explored: CAPES Thesis and Dissertation Portal, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), The National Library of Australia's Trobe (Trove), Academic Archive Online (DIVA), DART- Europe E-Theses Portal, Electronic Theses Online Service (EThOS), Open Access Scientific Repository of Portugal (RCAAP), National ETD Portal, Theses Canada, Theses and dissertations from Latin America.Selection criteria. The following inclusion criteria were defined for the eligibility of the studies: research related to the types of analysis of validation studies in nursing, studies published in full and available electronically on the CAPES Periodicals Portal through the Federated Academic Community (CAFe). No restrictions were established regarding language and time of publication. Editorials, letters to the editor, opinion articles and reflection articles were excluded. In addition, duplicate materials were counted only once.Sample definition and Study variables. The study selection process took place in two stages, the first starting from reading the titles and abstracts, which were verified by peer reviewers. In the second stage, the studies were analyzed by reading the material in full and the indicators were extracted: year of publication, country of origin, type of study, level of evidence based on the JBI recommendations, which coData processing and analysis. The selected data were organized in a spreadsheet using the Microsoft Excel 2010\u00ae software, evaluated using simple descriptive statistics, and presented in graphs, tables and figures.From the search in the databases, 809,975 studies were initially identified, which were analyzed in stages that are described in The selected studies consist of articles , dissertations and theses . With regard to the period of publications, the year 2019 stood out .Regarding the origin of the studies, Brazil , the United States of America and Turkey stood out, as shown in Regarding the type of method, there was a prevalence of those classified as methodological , cross-sectional , validation studies , descriptive , observational , cohort and exploratory , quasi-experimental , accuracy, concept analysis, randomized clinical trial and action research each, case control, sequential triangulation and systematic review each. It is noteworthy that some studies did not describe the method used. The levels of evidence of the studies were evaluated, in which there was a predominance of level five , followed by level four , level three , level two , and level one . In addition, the data collection indicators were synthesized and presented in There were also variables such as the types of analysis of validation studies in nursing and the amount of analysis used in each research, which are described in Regarding the analysis of published studies, the predominance of articles was noticed. This finding is associated with the fact that this type of production is carried out in a shorter period of time compared to the others and, often, they consist of clippings from larger research, such as research reports, dissertations and theses. Regardinstricto sensu graduate courses in the health area, which foster the progress of science and technology, which require a careful evaluation before their implementation and, therefore, validation studies become essential as they attest to the quality of the tool developed. was found as one of the most important dimensions in the analysis of a material, since it allows the determination of the validation of the material based on statistical calculations defined according to the pre-established.,23,24 ThHowever, for Pasquali, this process is understood as Content Validation Coefficient (CVC) and differs in statistical calculations. In this case, each item and the instrument as a whole are validated according to previously established criteria and by means of an expert opinion, which provides the adequacy of the content and semantics of the material to make it understandable to the audience for which it is intended and compatible with the purpose for which it is available. Both verIt is evident that the presence of one more method of analysis in 50% of the studies implies the need for several tests to measure the validation of a material and prove its reliability. These results corroborate an integrative review by confiThe main types of analysis used in validation studies in nursing are the exploratory factorial and the content validation index. Regarding the methodological framework, Polit and Beck stood out, and as a statistical test, Cronbach's Alpha for structuring and evaluating the tool produced. All these processes allow the improvement of the technologies developed and ensure their quality, in addition to enabling their use in health services, since such materials guide and the routine of professionals and turn it dynamic by subsidizing their practical performance and strengthening the theoretical basis.Furthermore, as contributions from the research developed, the mapping of the analyzed information is elucidated, considering that from the results obtained, researchers will be able to base the analyses of their validation studies by understanding which types of analyses are most suitable for each type of approach according to the findings of this material, as well as statistical tests and calculations that can be associated and appropriate references and benchmarks"} +{"text": "The concept of One Health is not new; it can be traced back for at least two hundred years , firstlySilent Spring, reporting the tragedy of silenced birds due to biomagnification and exposure to the organochlorine insecticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) [Historically focused on zoonoses , the conne (DDT) . What isne (DDT) ,14. The n = 2458 inpatients).In the toxicology\u2013pharmacology areas, some recent findings published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, with an intersection with other scientific areas, are worth mentioning. The everyday appearance of new psychoactive substances (NPS) and the consequent morbidity and mortality associated with their consumption is a highly recognized problem . PiperazAs highlighted before for several pharmacological drugs with abuse potential ,30,31,32Discussing toxicology in a unifying approach to balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and the environment is needed. By taking a One Health approach to toxicology, researchers can gain a more complete understanding of the impacts of toxic substances on the health of multiple species, as well as the ecological and societal implications of these impacts, and clues to reach a greener chemistry. This can help inform policy decisions concerning the regulation and management of toxic substances, with the goal of promoting the health and well-being of all living beings. Innovative research directly related to toxicology , but also at the interface of biomedical, biochemistry and environmental Sciences , with cross-cutting issues within the Sustainable Development Goals, is welcome. Real world data and evidence will further improve the translational impact, enabling the development of ecological and needs-oriented research, and to identify the specificities, risk, and resilience factors of the individuals to the toxic insults on health. Finally, multidisciplinary approaches involve the study of toxicological interactions and implications to One Health, biosorbents and environment, food microbiology, chemical compounds and therapeutic implications, drug repurposing, biomarkers, cancer studies, the development of analytical methodologies, and the analysis of real-world data and evidence for a better understanding of the diseases from a global picture point of view."} +{"text": "During the transport, storage, and consumption of edible vegetable oils, the color of some freshly refined oils is gradually darkened, which is known as the color reversion. The oil industry has been plagued by the issue for a long time because the dark color of the oil is related to its poor quality and low acceptability for consumers. Color reversion of refined vegetable oils is primarily related to the processing pigments, especially tocored, which is the oxidation product of \u03b3-tocopherol. However, the underlying molecular action mechanism of tocored is not yet fully understood due to the complex transformations of tocored in oil systems. This paper presents a brief description of oil color, followed by an overview of research progress on the mechanism of color reversion. In particular, the effect of minor components on color reversion is highlighted in an attempt to explain the remaining mysteries of color reversion. Furthermore, the measures to restrain color reversion by quality control of the oilseeds, the adjustment of technical parameters of processing, and the storage conditions of refined oils are summarized to provide some references for the oil industry. Refined vegetable oils, after degumming, deacidification, bleaching, deodorization, and dewaxing, appear pale yellow or amber when they are freshly prepared. However, during transport, storage, and consumption, the color of some vegetable oils gradually darkens and turns deep yellow or light red. This phenomenon is known as the color reversion of oils . The colThe gradually deepening color of freshly prepared oils was due to oxidation. Meanwhile, the peroxide value of the oil, an indicator of the content of primary oxidation products, was significantly increased during the deepening process, which resulted in the poor quality of the oil . A similThe studies on the color reversion of refined vegetable oils can be divided into four stages . The firThe second stage was from 1960 to 1980, and the research was dominated by Japanese researchers. Tomita et al. found thThe third stage was from 1980 to 2000, and the research was concentrated in Taiwan, China. A color reversion mechanism, which was significantly different from that of Japanese researchers, was proposed by Lai et al. . SubsequThe fourth stage was from 2000 to now. The correlative works were mostly concentrated in China, and the research field was divided into two parts: mechanism analysis and restraining measures. The color reversion of vegetable oils has been systematically studied by Dr. Zhang . The aut(I) The quality control of oilseeds. For example, the degree of color reversion of oils was influenced by the cultivar, the moisture content, and the maturity of the oilseeds.(II) The pretreatment of oilseeds. Steam pretreatment of raw soybeans has been proven to be an effective measure to restrain the color reversion of refined soybean oil .(III) The oil extraction process. The temperature during the process was very important for the color stability of the oil.(IV) The refining of crude oil. The five processes involved in vegetable oil refining are degumming, deacidification, bleaching, deodorization, and dewaxing. The color reversion of refined vegetable oils was influenced by the technical parameters of these processes (except dewaxing).(V) The storage of refined vegetable oils. The speed of color reversion of refined vegetable oils was determined by the addition of exogenous antioxidants as well as the temperature, light, and sealing conditions during storage.In this review, the color of vegetable oils and the research progress on the mechanism of color reversion were presented. To understand the reasons for color reversion, the effect of minor components was highlighted. In addition, the restraining measures were also summarized to provide some available references for subsequent research and the oil industry.The color of vegetable oils is mainly attributed to two types of pigment. One is the naturally existing lipid-soluble pigments, such as carotenoids and chlorophylls. The other is the pigments produced during oil processing, which are called the processing pigments, for example, the products of oxidative polymerization, and non-enzymatic browning reactions.Carotenoids and chlorophylls are the predominant natural pigments present in most vegetable oils . Caroten2+, and chlorophylls are responsible for the green color of vegetable oils. The main forms of chlorophyll in vegetable oils are chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b The oxidative polymerization of acylglycerols ). The major portion of vegetable oil is TAG, which is comprised of one glycerol and three groups of fatty acids. Due to the presence of unsaturated double bonds in these fatty acids, TAGs are prone to oxidative polymerization at high temperatures, which results in the formation of polar components including the oxidized TAG monomers, TAG dimers, and TAG oligomers . Most of(II) The non-enzymatic browning or Maillard reaction. In previous studies, non-enzymatic browning products of phospholipids (pyrrolized phospholipids) were found to rapidly enhance the color intensity of oils ,28,29. T(III) The oxidation of non-TAG. The color of oils was changed with the oxidation of non-TAG components, such as tocopherols and phospholipids .(IV) The other reactions. Sono et al. found thortho-quinones, and it tends to be yellow at low concentrations and red at high concentrations . Th. Th\u22121 toNatural antioxidants are good alternatives to synthetic antioxidants because consumers are concerned about the safety of synthetic compounds. However, natural antioxidants have some limitations and disadvantages, such as low thermal stability and expensive costs. Therefore, in order to achieve the commercial sustainability of natural antioxidants, more efficient and economical methods for the extraction of natural antioxidants from plant matrices should be developed ,97.The market for refined vegetable oils has been plagued by the phenomenon of color reversion. A comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of color reversion and the effective restraining of this phenomenon is of increasing interest. As discussed in many studies, the color reversion of oils is involved in a large and complex system. Although some studies have shown that \u03b3-tocopherol oxidation is the main reason for color reversion, the proposed mechanisms of color reversion are controversial. Consequently, the molecular action of the oxidized derivatives of \u03b3-tocopherol in lipid systems is worth exploring, as this could provide new insights into the mechanism of color reversion. Moreover, further research should also focus on elucidating the mechanism of the effect of phospholipids and metal ions on color reversion. Despite the achievements, the issue has not been satisfactorily solved. An efficient and economical method to restrain color reversion is still needed to be developed."} +{"text": "The current Special Issue, entitled \u201cFriction, Corrosion and Protection of Material Surfaces\u201d, aims to discuss the state-of-the-art research progress regarding the friction and corrosion behaviors of new materials and advanced protective materials or technologies, with a special focus on the understanding of underlying friction and corrosion mechanisms and modification approaches of material surfaces against friction and corrosion in order to guide the design and preparation of materials with high performance for practical applications.Friction and corrosion, which exist widely in engineering instruments, marine equipment, aerospace settings, medical equipment and other advanced manufacturing fields, are the key factors that cause surface damage to material surfaces and the failure of equipment. According to incomplete statistics, they cause billions in economic losses every year. Therefore, the friction, corrosion and protection of materials are hotspots in scientific research ,2.Friction and corrosion are phenomena of surface\u2013interface interactions that are closely related to the environmental conditions in which materials and components are used. The design of materials and components should take into consideration the specific operating environment, so as to reduce the energy dissipation and component damage caused by surface corrosion and interfacial friction between interacting materials . The reaThe research interest of this Special Issue thus includes, but is not limited to, friction and corrosion behaviors of new materials, advanced protective materials, and advanced protective technologies. Moreover, the experimental and theoretical studies of the friction and corrosion mechanisms and advances in the friction, corrosion and protection of material surfaces are the central topics of this Special Issue."} +{"text": "Women are at risk for a wide range of depressive and anxiety disorders and particularly for mood disorders associated with their menstrual cycle, with seasonality, and during the menopausal transition.To review the presentation of depression, the importance of timely and effective treatment, and some of the research surrounding increased prevalence of depression in women, and the times and conditions such as the perimenopausal transition, pregnancy, postpartum period, and comorbidities of this increased risk in women.Dynamic interactions of both biological and environmental factors contribute to the development of major depression. These include, but are not limited to, predisposing genetic influences, gender, environmental stressors, poor social support, childhood sexual abuse, other psychiatric illness, and trauma. Timely and effective treatment of each episode of depression to remission is critically important. Barriers to instituting collaborative care of depressive illness are numerous. The lack of adequate collaborative care along with the consequent failure to adequately diagnose and treat depression reflects some of the deficiencies in the current organization and delivery of health services.The prevalence of depression, its psychosocial and medical consequences, and the worsening course of depression without treatment highlight the public health importance of early detection and improved strategies for the treatment of depression in modern health care settings."} +{"text": "Engineering materials encompass a wide spectrum of structural\u2013functional products that are commonly used in the transportation , construction, machinery, and tooling industries. The final shapes and performances of such products are determined by a sequence of primary and secondary manufacturing processes. In many cases, the performances are intimately linked with and depend on a complex self-balanced (elastic) residual stress state which may enhance or weaken the expected performances of the products in relation to the target application .The quality and performance of engineering products are normally assessed at the end of the manufacturing route via standard testing methods, which are generally of a destructive type . However, these methods are not capable of discerning between residual stresses and the intrinsic properties of a material. X-ray diffraction techniques are used, although not so frequently, to measure the residual stresses over the surface of engineered products at the microscopic scale .The employment of a quick, viable, non-destructive assessment method, which can be used not only at the end of the manufacturing process but also at all the critical steps of such a process, would introduce considerable benefits to industry in terms of improving the processes, quality, and reliability of the final products.The aim of this Special Issue is to show how the instrumented indentation test (IIT) can introduce unprecedented benefits to research and industry because of its quick, non-destructive, and low-cost features. Moreover, unlike the tensile test, only relatively small probing samples are required. The current state of the art is presented in a number of selected illustrative case studies. Further, the possible limits and shortcomings have also been reported. The following major benefits of ITT have been identified in the vast sector of engineering materials and their manufacturing: (a) the rapid setting up of the manufacturing process, (b) the identification of the critical manufacturing stages, such as the replacement of worn tools, (c) in-line process control through the monitoring of any relevant indentation properties at the desired depth of a product, (d) in-service structural health monitoring, (e) the determination of the tensile-like properties of a product , and (f) the possibility of detecting subsurface biaxial residual stress induced by the manufacturing process. The current ISO 14577 standard, Part 1 to Part 4 ,3,4, refIIT is already successfully utilized in the industrial sector of coatings, thin films, and MEMS at the nanoscale for final quality assessments , althougA number of scientists, users, developers, engineers, and technical experts from the academic, industrial, and research areas have contributed to this first volume of the Special Issue on The Instrumented Indentation Test: An Aiding Tool for Materials Science and Industry. The present state of the art on the subject indicates that, in spite of promising experiences which encourage the transfer of IIT from the laboratory to industry ,17,18,19The article by Schiavi et al. is speciThe comprehensive review by Montanari and Varone offers nThe paper by Scales et al. presentsResidual stresses are ubiquitous in most manufactured products and components. As compressive and/or tensile residual stresses typically induce pile-up and sink-in phenomena respectively during IIT, accurate prior test calibrations and ad hoc corrections are needed. At present, the influence of residual stresses on IIT properties is not fully understood . The papers by Akatsu et al. and Lee The study by Lee et al. is instead based on an experimental approach. They used the macro-instrumented indentation test (MIIT) to assess the performance of three arc-welded T-joints made of HY-grade (30 mm thick plate) vessel steels. The necessary free-stress region in the samples was associated with the electro-discharge machined regions that were liberated after the dissection operations of the joint samples. They measured the residual stress profiles along the fusion line on the top and the bottom of the plate surfaces using a method based on force difference measurements. The achieved MIIT-based residual stress profiles were successfully validated against the X-ray diffraction-measured counterparts at an appreciable level of confidence. The mechanical characterization of dissimilar welded joints is a complex problem of industrial and scientific relevance. The accurate inspection of the complex inter-phase mixture region, which develops when welding the two dissimilar materials in contact, determines the actual mechanical strength and toughness of a joint. The work by Maizza et al. presentsThe fundamental study by Pero et al. on the nThe research by Cabibbo was drivThe proposed calibration mainly focuses on the indenter geometry (area function) and machine compliance; three reference indenters and three reference materials were considered. The results shown in this work attest a reduced spread of the mean values of the determined indentation hardness, hence permitting a more accurate characterization to be made of individual microstructure features, such as twins in copper, carbides in 100Cr6 steel, pearlite globules, and ferrite grains in gray cast iron. nIIT plays an important role in expanding the science of elastoplastic materials in various forms , due to the possibility of using very small loads with a point indenter. The demand for the determination of a more accurate indentation modulus and contact area during nIIT led Huen et al. to develThis Special Issue also received contributions that are devoted to material science research.The work by Ohmura and Wakeda involvesFinally, the possibility of efficiently automating nIIT has enabled developers to enhance the speed of indentation data acquisition and storage to a very high level. This has encouraged researchers to develop more efficient numerical methods to manage and post-process such data. For instance, Kossman and Bigerelle took advAll of the articles submitted to this Special Issue deal with the latest key advance in the use of IIT in industry and research and pave the way toward a successful transfer of IIT to the vast industry of engineering materials and inherent manufacturing. The contributions have touched on various aspects of IIT, from a pedagogical basis to nanoplasticity science in metallic materials, while presenting important case studies of industrial applications with useful hints for new IIT developments and valuable suggestions for the revision of existing international codes. Indeed, the provision of improved international IIT codes is paramount to accurately and unambiguously assess the final quality, integrity, and performance of the large spectrum of manufactured products and engineering materials in an non-destructive manner. As the number of industrial activities and sectors involved in such an assessment process has been forecast to be quite large, the relative impact on the improved materials, products, processes, and systems and, in turn on our lives, safety, economy, environment, science, and technological progress is expected to be enormous and of great importance."} +{"text": "The spatial structure of minerals is a fundamental factor in determining the morphology, physical properties, and genesis of minerals ,2,3,4. TIn recent years, research activity on the interaction mechanism and environmental effects at the surface interface between minerals and environmental substances has been increasing ,11. In cThermal and kinetic studies on the spatial structure of minerals are also of great interest to the scientific community. Under high-pressure conditions, corresponding patterns of change and intrinsic relationships in the chemical composition, internal structure, and physicochemical properties of minerals can be observed ,14,15. TThis Special Issue reflects the diversity of spatial structure studies related to minerals. We will provide a brief overview of the contents of this Special Issue in the following paragraphs. We would like to make it clear, however, that the purpose of this Editorial is not to elaborate extensively on each article, but to encourage readers to explore them.Kang et al. (Contribution 1) treated Luo et al. (Contribution 2) observedShi et al. (Contribution 3) carried The article by Hua et al. (Contribution 4) describeZhao et al. (Contribution 5) utilizedThis Special Issue introduces the latest research on the physical and chemical properties and modification mechanisms of pyrite tailings, the intrinsic structure and geological genesis of thermally metamorphosed coal-based graphite, the mechanical properties and spatial structure of geopolymer-modified clays, the characterization and utilization of the mineral phases of iron ore tailings, and the spatial structure and mechanical properties of Pisha sandstones under wet and dry cycling. This compilation of articles on the spatial structure of minerals covers a diverse range of research directions, reflected, for example, in the variety of research methods , the flexibility of combining macro- and micro-applications, and the range of media studied, such as rocks, industrial raw materials, and solid wastes. In addition, the results presented in this Special Issue can serve as a reference for scholars working in this research area. We invite such scholars to continue conducting further research on the topics discussed."} +{"text": "A model of recovery and recovery-oriented practice has been developed based on three previously published meta-syntheses of experiences and processes of mental health and substance use recovery. The model integrates the findings of these three meta-syntheses into three components: experiences of recovery, processes of recovery-oriented practice, and social and material capital. The experiences of recovery involve being, doing, and accessing and are viewed as embedded in the processes of recovery. The processes of recovery-oriented practice aim to mobilize and apply various forms of capital to support the recovery journey. Social and material capital, in turn, constitute the context in which recovery occurs and requires mobilization for the individual and the service system. The model is grounded in the principles of well-being, person-centeredness, embedding, self-determination, and the interdependency of human living. The model is both descriptive and explanatory, as it depicts the experiential and processual aspects of recovery and recovery-oriented practice and their interrelationships. The model as a framework needs to be elaborated further through application in practice and research, especially for understanding how experiences, processes and practices interact over time, and how they are affected by access to material and social capital. In enhancing knowledge of mental health and substance use recovery and recovery-oriented services, the participation of individuals with lived experience is crucial. The World Health Organization (2022) states tThis paper presents an experience-based model of recovery and recovery-oriented practice developed by integrating the findings from three meta-syntheses ,3,4. TheAlthough there are still controversial views regarding the concept of recovery and its application in the context of mental health and substance use (MHSU) care, specifically in terms of the dichotomies of clinical versus personal and process versus outcome, the definition of recovery in the MHSU context advanced by SAMHSA is generally accepted. It states that \u201crecovery is a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential\u201d (p. 3). Recovery-oriented practice in MHSU care encompasses person-centered processes such as acceptance and insight, autonomy and control as the basis for the recovery process of self-actualization, transformation from a negative to a positive sense of self, and provider-oriented processes of support and resource mobilization to help people to pursue their subjective recovery processes and handle difficulties that may occur. During recent decades, many versions of recovery-oriented practice models have been developed and applied in clinical practice. Several systematic reviews focus on the nature and characteristics of recovery-oriented practice, beginning with the study by Le Boutillier and colleagues 2011) [ [11] witThe key principles and philosophies underlying various models of recovery-oriented practice include an emphasis on processes that foster (a) living a good life through promoting wellbeing, (b) an orientation towards the primacy of the person in determining priorities and aspirations, and (c) maintaining citizenship and social inclusion. For example, Slade proposedIn embracing the prevailing ideas in the literature on recovery and recovery-oriented practice and integrating our orientation toward lived experience, we identified three general philosophical/conceptual ideas as the basis for an elaboration of our model of recovery and recovery-oriented practice. These include the principles of wellbeing, the principles of person-centeredness and self-determination, and the general orientation of human life as interdependent and social. Wellbeing has become a central focus of international health care policy, suggesting the need for a shift from a traditional deficit focus in mental health care to a focus on possibilities and the necessary conditions for living well . This foThe concept of wellbeing has also been extended in positive psychology, which focuses on factors that enable human flourishing at individual, community, and societal levels. Seligman specifieThe notions of person-centeredness and self-determination have emerged strongly in the health care field in recent decades as a perspective in which the worthiness of individuals as autonomous, unique human beings is upheld as the foundation for a meaningful and fulfilling life. These notions are, therefore, viewed as the basis for wellbeing and health, and are founded upon the concept of personhood, which upholds the essential features of being human in terms of dignity, autonomy, and human singularity . Person-Beginning with the thoughts of the classical philosophers, the essential features of human life have been examined in relation to the social component, where politics was the major aspect in Plato and Aristotle. Sociologists in modern times, starting with Weber, Durkheim and Marx and continuing to the post-modernists of recent decades, have pointed out various systematic ways in which social systems and social factors determine and constrain human experiences and actions. In a fundamental way, human living is played out in social contexts in which other people and social institutions both promote and confine the ways in which life is lived. In our work, the work of Bourdieu on human practice and social capital provides a foundation to consider how social aspects of human life influence everyday living, i.e., human practice. In his conceptualization of human practice, Bourdieu posits the role of capital in various forms, including economic, cultural, social, and symbolic capital, as resources that yield power playing out in human practice . To BourThis model has been developed by integrating and consolidating the results of three meta-syntheses by this research team of the empirical publications published during the past 25 years. The major themes reported are presented in The five major themes describing recovery experiences are viewed as specifying recovery as the dynamics between the self and others and as the dynamics between the self and material contexts (one\u2019s environment) . RecoverFrom our perspective, the experiences of recovery are grounded in the recovery processes extracted in the second meta-synthesis. Three major themes extracted here are then structured into three meta-concepts of being, doing, and accessing . RecoverWhile the concepts specified for the experiences and processes of recovery refer to the phenomena in persons in recovery, the major themes identified in our third meta-synthesis express the aspects of recovery-oriented practice considered as vital characteristics of such practice . These tThe model of recovery and recovery-oriented practice emerges from these three sets of recovery-related experiences as dynamically integrated, interrelated, and coalescing, because the locus of recovery-oriented practice is in the experiences of recovery coexisting with the processes of recovery. This is depicted in By integrating the results of our research, the model is founded in the philosophy of wellbeing and the good life as a human right, the principles of person-centeredness and self-determination as an ideal mode of living, and the philosophy of the interdependence of human living as the essential feature of the lives of humans as social and ecological beings. The concept of recovery is oriented towards the idea that one must strive to live as well as possible and must have access to and use of resources. This means that a person with MHSU problems may need relational and material/environmental support. Therefore, recovery-oriented MHSU services are viewed as supporting, facilitating, and coordinating the efforts of persons with MHSU problems in their recovery journey. The model as depicted in The model is constructed with the conceptual categories as the major components, rather than making direct use of the themes found in the meta-syntheses. This was to enable a high level of conceptualization derived from using the major themes as experientially critical categories. This is primarily a descriptive model that provides a comprehensive picture of various experiential phenomena that exist in persons in recovery in the context of recovery-oriented practice. The experiences of recovery are viewed as inherently embedded within the processes of recovery involved in the recovery journey, while recovery-oriented practice influences and interacts with the person\u2019s experiences and processes of recovery. These three components of experiences are interconnected in MHSU service provision at any given time and in long-term contact with services. A person begins a recovery journey with the realization of the MHSU problem and has experiences that reflect the dynamics of the self in relationships with others and with the environment through the ongoing processes of being, doing, and accessing. When the person receives MHSU services, he/she gains help, support, and coordination in a collaborative framework for accessing, mobilizing, coordinating, and using various forms of capital, through relationships with professional care providers. In an ideal situation, such practice processes will be tailored to individuals\u2019 specific needs and desires. Since the themes found in the meta-syntheses are experiential, they can be used as illustrative components in understanding and describing experiences of recovery and recovery-oriented practice. Furthermore, the model may also be used to illustrate and explore how experiences, processes and practices are interrelated and interdependent. It is also possible to use this model in an explanatory fashion, by examining individuals\u2019 recovery experiences in relation to the co-existing recovery processes and the use of MHSU care practices. Since it is an experientially based model, it is critical to examine how experiences in various dimensions exist for persons in recovery and in relation to practice processes either at a given time or over a longer period.The descriptive and explanatory model developed in this paper, based on our three previous meta-syntheses that compiled experiential knowledge from an extensive number of studies on recovery experiences, recovery processes and recovery-oriented services, demonstrates the complex and comprehensive nature of recovery. Personal experiences and processes are entangled with material issues, and, to enable recovery, having or developing access to a variety of resources is key. The model can be considered a useful tool in enhancing knowledge and understanding of how recovery at a personal level is entangled with relational and material issues, and how relational and material resources are also important at the level of service provision. Being sensitive to how social determinants affect possibilities for recovery is decisive in developing working relationships and adequate services. The model may be used to enhance understanding at an individual-oriented level, at a relational level and at a more structural level, and how these levels interact and mutually affect each other. Thus, the model unfolds recovery as multifaceted and complex, extending beyond the often referred to and criticized understandings of recovery as individual journeys ,19,34. According to the WHO , recoverWhile what is referred to as recovery capital involves a myriad of resources, Best and Laudet argue thInternational human rights provide an important framework, obliging countries to respect, protect and fulfil fundamental rights and freedoms for all people, including the rights of people with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities. A rights-based approach to mental health involves a paradigm shift in what counts as knowledge, and hence also a shift in power balances, which aligns well with an understanding of recovery as also involving a paradigm shift . The UN Mahdanian et al. suggest"} +{"text": "Previous anatomical studies of the urogenital fascia (UGF) have focused on males, and there is a lack of relevant anatomical studies on the distribution of the extraperitoneal UGF in females.In this investigation, guided by the embryonic development of the female urogenital system, the ventral pelvic fascia structure of 10 female cadavers was dissected, and the distribution and morphology of female extraperitoneal UGF were observed, recorded in text, photographs and video, and 3D modeling was performed.We find that in the female extraperitoneal space there is a migratory fascial structure, the UGF, which surrounds the urogenital system and extends from the perinephric region to the pelvis along with the development of the urogenital organs. The two layers of the UGF are composed of loose connective tissue rich in fat that surrounds the urogenital organs, their accessory vascular structures, and the nerves of the abdominopelvic cavity. In the pelvis, it participates in the formation of the ligamentous structures around the rectum and uterus. Finally, it surrounds the bladder and gradually moves into the loose connective tissue of the medial umbilical fold.Sorting out the distribution characteristics of UGF has some reference value for studying the metastasis of gynecological tumors, the biomechanical structure of the female pelvis, and the surgical methods of gynecology, colorectal surgery, and hernia surgery.The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12893-023-02239-5. The combination of embryology, anatomy, and surgery has helped surgeons identify anatomical problems, analyze anatomical structures, and innovate surgical methods. With the widespread development of minimally invasive surgery and pursuit of safe and efficient operation plans, surgical membrane anatomy has made great progress. Surgeons from different specialties, such as colorectal surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and urology, mark and name the fascial structures based on the characteristics of their respective specialties by separating their respective surgical areas, and this naming based on surgical practice lacks standardization and uniformity \u20133. This Ten formalin-treated female cadavers provided by the Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Health Science Center, Xi\u2019an Jiaotong University were dissected using a set of dissection equipment and a camera. The cadavers used in this study had intact retroperitoneal and pelvic cavities, the type of study was anatomical and surgical, and the cadavers were exposed only to formalin solution and no other fluids during the entire study. There was no pathological evaluation of cadaveric specimens in this investigation, and the entire study was conducted by two professors of human anatomy, two professors of general surgery, one professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and three postgraduate students, who were systematically trained and qualified for anatomical studies. The entire study was conducted in strict accordance with the protocol approved by the Biomedical Ethics Committee of Xi\u2019an Jiaotong University (Ethics License No. 2014\u2009\u2212\u20090303). For educational and scientific research purposes, written informed consent was obtained from the immediate family members of the deceased. The format of the informed consent form followed the guidelines of the China Organ Donation Management Center. The methods of this study follow the CACTUS guidelines, which provide guidance for anatomical studies and contribute to the quality of research methods .The peritoneum was incised longitudinally at the bilateral paracolic gutters, the colon was lifted to expose the retroperitoneal space, and the perirenal fascia was carefully dissected to observe its continuation into the pelvis. The specimen was dissected with a saw along the highest point of the iliac crest and the sagittal plane of the pelvis, respectively, and the UGF, internal iliac artery, pelvic splanchnic nerves, and pelvic plexus were carefully dissected, and the rectum, uterus, broad ligament, round ligament of uterus, upper vagina, fascial structures around the bladder, and preperitoneal fascia were dissected. The peritoneum of the hemipelvic specimen was completely and carefully peeled off, fully exposing the underlying UGF. Finally, the aforementioned fascial structures and the organs, blood vessels, and nerves within them were dissected from the cadaveric specimen along with the iliac blood vessels and flattened, taking care to preserve their integrity. Finally, their morphology was observed and documented through text, photographs, 3D modeling, and video.Our research has shown that outside of the peritoneum there is an intact migratory fascial structure that surrounds the urogenital system known as the UGF. The fascia extends anteriorly and posteriorly around and into the female pelvis with the development of the genitourinary organs. The two layers of the UGF are loose connective tissue rich in fat that surrounds the kidneys, ureters, fallopian tubes, ovaries, hypogastric nerves, uterus, bladder, and their accessory vascular structures. The side near the center of the body is called the visceral layer, and the other side is called the mural layer. At the upper pole of the kidney, the visceral and mural layers of the UGF surround the kidney, and they originate from the intermediate mesoderm like the kidney, and we can consider the anterior and posterior renal fascia as the starting segments of the visceral and mural layers of the UGF. In the midline, the visceral and mural layers of the UGF fuse in front of the aorta and inferior vena cava. Laterally, the UGF surrounds the ovarian vessels and is externally bordered by the laterocostal fascia. At the inferior pole of the kidney, the UGF continues to expand and encompasses the genitourinary vessels, ureters, and submental nerves as it migrates toward the pelvis Fig.\u00a0. Its vis.Embryology helps us to understand the continuity of membrane anatomy. The theories of mesenteric anatomy, fascial anatomy, and membrane anatomy reveal the structure and function of membranes from different perspectives , 15. FasHow the UGF migrates from the retroperitoneum to the pelvis can be understood from the embryonic development of the female genitourinary system. At 4\u20135 weeks of embryonic development, the mesonephric ducts formed from the intermediate mesoderm extend caudally into the cloaca. Immediately thereafter, the ureteric buds emerge from the end of the mesonephric duct and return to the intermediate mesoderm to induce differentiation into the kidney , 20. ThiThe fascial structures surrounding the uterus and the four pairs of ligaments in the parietal uterus play an important role in maintaining the position of the uterus , 23. GeoMalignant solid tumors are confined to regions of tissue of the same embryologic origin for a considerable period of time. The boundaries between tissues of different embryologic origins are boundaries for tumors that limit their spread and prevent them from invading adjacent tissues of different embryologic origins. From the point of view of the histo-embryological development of the organ, the key to complete resection of the organ is the precise dissection of the fascial gap between adjacent organs. Total mesometrial resection (TMMR) is a new embryology-based surgical technique for cervical cancer that removes tissue of M\u00fcllerian duct origin, removes tissue structures of the same origin in terms of embryonic developmental origins, achieves a very high degree of radicality, preserves the pelvic visceral nerve compared to conventional hysterectomy, and thus reduces the incidence of postoperative complications . HoweverThe limitations of this investigation are 1. the cadavers were performed on formalin-fixed cadavers, not fresh cadavers, and the findings can be affected by post-mortem degenerative changes.2. because of the limitations of the autopsy technique, it was not possible to remove the entire portion of the UGF in the retroperitoneal, pelvic, and the anterior preperitoneal space from the cadaver intact.3. lack of histologic validation. These deficiencies will be improved in future anatomical studies.As in males, the UGF in the extraperitoneal space in females migrates from the perirenal space to the pelvis as the genitourinary organs develop, forming a continuous, integral, and complete fascial structure around them that supports, protects, and nourishes the organs of the genitourinary system. Sorting out its distribution characteristics has some reference value for exploring the metastasis of gynecological tumors, the biomechanical structure of the female pelvis, and the surgical methods of gynecology, colorectal surgery, and hernia surgery.Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.Supplementary Material 1"} +{"text": "Frontal ataxia, originally described by Bruns, is characterized by the presence of signs of frontal lobe dysfunction, such as perseveration, paratonia, frontal release signs, cognitive changes, and urinary difficulty, associated with imbalance, slow gait, broad-based, the presence of postural instability and falls, retropulsion, and bradykinesia in the lower limbs. The goal of the present study is to recall the historical aspects of this condition, to draw attention to the importance of this clinical finding for the differential diagnosis of ataxias and to review the main semiological differences between primary ataxias ."} +{"text": "National Neurology Forum (NNF), held on April 21-22, 2023, at the Palace of Parliament in Romania, served as a platform for exchanging ideas and presenting advancements in the field of neurology as its central focus. Announced by Health Minister Prof. Dr. Alexandru Rafila in the autumn of 2022 and developed under the aegis of the Romanian authorities, the SNBCC is an initiative aligned with the 2023-2030 National Health Strategy and European level initiatives such as the Stroke Action Plan for Europe (SAP-E). Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the Romanian population, having a significant economic burden on the healthcare system. The SNBCC aims to implement a systematic reform plan for the management of healthcare practices at the national level to ultimately improve population health. The strategy will help policymakers to improve care for the Romanian population by implementing a comprehensive reform plan in the field of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, based on a detailed assessment of their impact on the Romanian population, which will inform initiatives focusing on prevention, investments in medical staff training, infrastructure, increasing access to neurorehabilitation, and consolidating the national network for acute stroke care.EFNR President), Prof. Dr. Cristina Tiu (President of the Romanian Neurology Society), and Prof. Dr. Bogdan O. Popescu (Vice Rector at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila Bucharest). Supported by the Foundation of the Society for the Study of Neuroprotection and Neuroplasticity (SSNN), the Ministry of Health, the Romanian Society of Neurology (SNR), Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, and George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, the event featured an array of topics, such as neurology, neurosurgery, cardiology, diabetes and nutritional diseases, and physical and rehabilitation medicine. Officials from public authorities, universities of medicine and pharmacy, and national and international professional societies were present at the scientific proceedings.The forum was chaired by Prof. Dr. Dafin Muresanu panel showcased perspectives on at-home care, the personal, clinical, and economic impact of the disease, and the objective evaluation regarding the burden of advanced PD. The session also highlighted patient and caregiver perspectives on the neurological degenerative condition and encompassed different approaches to the early identification of at-risk patients, improved access to care, and expanded education and medical and psychosocial care. Neurorehabilitation, as an integral part of PD patient care, was also discussed in terms of adequate neurological rehabilitation with multidisciplinary teams, the current state of medical infrastructure, and solutions to expand patient access to high-quality care.Intersectoral Global Action Plan (IGAP) on epilepsy and other neurological disorders and the Brain Health Strategy (EAN) to reduce the burden of neurological diseases and improve the quality of life for patients worldwide.The epilepsy panel approached the importance of prioritizing this disease within national action plans, highlighting the relevance of awareness campaigns and specialized services and emphasizing the scientific significance of recent progress in epilepsy research and innovation. Additionally, the panel provided perspectives on developing a national registry for epilepsy and pediatric neurological diseases and improving medical access in Romania's rural communities. The session aimed to promote the objectives of the The next panel centered around cognitive impairment and dementia, showcasing the importance of early identification and the emotional and social impact on patients and their families. Participants discussed emerging trends and progress in diagnosing and managing cognitive impairment, including innovative therapies and non-pharmacological interventions. The session highlighted the importance and benefits of multidisciplinary collaboration and partnerships among healthcare professionals, patients, and authorities to develop personalized strategies to improve patients' quality of life. Overall, the unique challenges of cognitive impairment and the need for innovative care strategies represented the central theme.The multiple sclerosis panel discussed the burden of the disease and its impact on the patient's quality of life, emphasizing the role of integrative approaches in managing the symptoms and the impact of early identification, monitoring, and access to personalized therapies. The debates tackled the perspective of healthcare actors and stakeholders and were directed toward identifying the main challenges and solutions for raising patient care standards through collaborative efforts among patients, professionals, and healthcare authorities.Focused discussions on peripheral neurological diseases followed, centered around the interdisciplinary approaches in the diagnosis and management of several disorders including Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), progressive muscular dystrophy, Pompe disease, or amyloid neuropathy.The experts discussed the importance of early diagnosis and treatment in neuro-oncological affections, pinpointing the need for comprehensive multidisciplinary approaches from the perspective of oncology, radiotherapy, neurosurgery, psycho-oncology, and palliative care. The use of minimally invasive and modern neurosurgery techniques was debated, as well as the importance of comprehensive evaluation in cerebral metastasis, immunohistochemistry, and pathologic diagnosis. Lastly, the session addressed the determination of tumoral mutations and the use of NGS technology, as well as off-label therapies, clinical studies, and genetic counseling.The headache and migraine panel brought forward recent innovations in diagnosis and treatment and explored the international classification of headaches and migraines and their impact on patients\u2019 lives. The session aimed to identify the most efficient solutions for patients\u2019 treatment by offering a comprehensive approach to all the perspectives outlined.The Romanian healthcare system stands to benefit from integrative approaches, better access to medical care, and increased awareness and education regarding cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The future of neurology and general healthcare should be built upon the collaborative action of all actors involved and center around improving resource allocation, patient care, and medical personnel training. Considering the current disparities in access to care for the population, broadly accessible approaches are direly needed.To support and encourage reformative actions of the Romanian Healthcare System, the second edition of the National Neurology Forum will be organized next year, on 18-19 April 2024 . The fol"} +{"text": "Journal of Appalachian Health is committed to reviewing published media that relates to contemporary concepts affecting the health of Appalachia. This is a review of the text Appalachian Health: Culture, Challenges, and Capacity. This book is an ideal starting point for anyone interested in Appalachian history, public health, and health disparities research.The Scutchfield FD, Wykoff RW, editors. Appalachian health: culture, challenges, and capacity. Lexington KY: University Press of Kentucky, 2022. ISBN-13: 978-0813155576; Cost: $40.50 e-Edition; $45.00 Hardcover.Danielle M. Davidov, PhD, is an associate professor in the Schools of Public Health and Medicine at West Virginia University. Her research employs qualitative and mixed methods to develop and evaluate complex interventions to address trauma and violence in community-based, academic, and clinical settings. Much of her work has focused on the intersection of trauma, substance abuse, and mental health among Appalachian populations. She has received grant funding from the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to explore and address issues related to intimate partner violence and child maltreatment in Appalachia. She conducts research, teaching, service, and engagement activities that aim to enhance the health and well-being of women and underserved groups in her home state of West Virginia. Within the School of Public Health, she mentors undergraduate, master\u2019s-level, and doctoral students and teaches courses related to intervention design, qualitative methods, social determinants of health, and public health prevention.This book is comprised of 11 chapters written by scholars and researchers from public health disciplines as well as experts in the field of Appalachian studies. Many of the authors are natives of Appalachia and currently live and work within the region.Editors include F. Douglas Scutchfield, MD, and Dr. Randy Wykoff, MD, MPH, TM. Dr. Scutchfield, a renowned public health expert and leader in the field of Appalachian health, passed away in May 2022. Dr. Scutchfield held appointments in the Honors College, College of Medicine, and College of Public Health at the University of Kentucky (UK). He founded the College of Community Health Science at the University of Alabama and the Graduate School of Public Health at San Diego State University. He additionally founded the School (now College) of Public Health at UK. In addition to extensive editing and publishing experience in the field of public health, he served as the founder and previous editor-in-chief of this journal.Journal of Appalachian Health and co-editor of the book under review. He is Founding Dean of the College of Public Health and Director of the Center for Rural Health Research, both at East Tennessee State University. He is board certified in Pediatrics and Preventive Medicine, with an additional certification in Tropical Medicine. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President for International Operations at Project HOPE, as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and for 11 years with the Food and Drug Administration.Dr. Randy Wykoff is the current editor-in-chief of the Aunique region with a complicated social, political, and economic history, Appalachia often enters the public discourse as a place bound by geography and culture that is subjected to stereotypes and fraught with health challenges. Appalachia has long been mistaken as an area of abject poverty begging for outside intervention. Still, the region faces significant socioeconomic and health disparities that threaten the health and well-being of current and future generations. A critical first step in reducing these disparities is to document them, examine their causes, and propose evidence-based, multilevel solutions.This text uses a socio-ecological approach to provide an in-depth examination of the complex history and current reality of health in the U.S. Appalachian Region. It takes the reader on a fascinating journey that illustrates how the mountainous region, with one of the nation\u2019s strongest economies prior to the Civil War, and an abundance of natural resources, became home to some of the most distressed and disadvantaged places in the country within just over a century. The authors do an impressive job of describing the region and its inhabitants not as a monolith, but in a way that highlights challenges as well as bright spots using historical insights into the causes and context surrounding Appalachian health.This book is an ideal starting point for anyone interested in Appalachian history, public health, and health disparities research. More established scholars and their students who focus on Appalachian health will appreciate the myriad comparisons between Appalachian and non-Appalachian counties on a variety of health indicators. Additionally, the inclusion of data demonstrating the geographic variation in health and economic status within Appalachian subregions can help planners, politicians, and researchers focus energy and resources on places most in need. Epidemiological data provided throughout the text reveal that even where improvements in Appalachian health and socioeconomic status have been made, this progress has happened at a much slower pace than in the rest of the U.S.To explain and provide context for these disparities, the authors expertly weave together consequential stories of the region\u2019s rich and complicated history, including hardships like environmental exploitation and mining disasters, as well as powerful success stories, such as the formation of the Frontier Nursing Service and Appalachian Regional Healthcare System. Importantly, this text emphasizes the complex interplay of place, identity, and cultural context, while underscoring the substantial power and influence that structural and political forces have had on Appalachia. Taken together, the chapters of this book provide \u201ca cautionary tale but inspiring fable\u201d of a region of paradox and tremendous promise. Alongside the epidemiological data are stories about local communities and champion changemakers that give us hope for the future with inspiration from the past.This book contains numerous tables, graphs, and figures illustrating comparisons of sociodemographic and health indicators between non-Appalachian counties, Appalachian counties, and in many cases between subregions of Appalachia . There are also tables showing Appalachian and non-Appalachian metrics of healthcare utilization and access as well as data on trends over time for numerous variables and indicators. Included maps show county-level health disparities and indicators throughout the Appalachian Region. To top these resources off, there are extensive endnotes and references at the end of every chapter.This book is an in-depth, nuanced exploration of health in Appalachia, with focus on disparities and health indicators described within relevant geographical, historical, socio-cultural, and structural contexts. While the reader is left with the stark reality that Appalachians unquestionably suffer poorer health and quality of life compared to their non-Appalachian counterparts, we are also reminded of the preventable, reversible, and thus changeable nature of many of the outlined health indicators. It provides us with reassurance that while we have a long way to go to make meaningful improvements in Appalachian health, with solution-oriented, structural, and environmental approaches, the issues are surmountable.Finally, the authors leave us with a charge: Appalachian problems are the world\u2019s problems. If we can learn from the complex lived experiences of Appalachian people to find equitable solutions to their health challenges, those same solutions can be applied globally and locally to improve health."} +{"text": "First, a scoping review was carried out to elaborate the content. In the second step, the content was validated with 46 nurse judges selected for convenience. The minimum criterion of agreement among judges was 80%. The third step consisted of content organization and layout.the guide content was elaborated from the Federal Nursing Council legislation, scientific articles and textbooks. Content was considered appropriate, relevant and organized by judges.the digital guide is an alternative that can contribute to the NP execution and implementation, supporting the planning and implementation of actions for quality of care. Moreover, the published literature on SNC brings a diversity of concepts, generating ideological conflicts in the understanding of nursing practice, in the teaching of nursing theories, the nursing process and care methods-3.The terms Systematization of Nursing Care (SNC) and Nursing Process (NP) are still treated as synonyms in several Brazilian publications, which contributes to the lack of consensus on these two fundamental concepts for nursing practice, with direct repercussions on the formation of professional identityConselho Federal de Enfermagem) Resolution 358/2009 points out that the SNC seems to be a broader concept and different from the NP. This resolution states that SNC \u201corganizes professional work in terms of method, staff and instruments, making the operationalization of the NP possible\u201d and defines NP as \u201ca methodological instrument that guides professional nursing care and the documentation of professional practice\u201d.On the other hand, the Federal Nursing Council .This research was carried out between 2020 and 2021, which followed three steps: 1) guide theoretical content elaboration; 2) content validity; and 3) guide layout. was carried out. Thus, the authors selected as questions for the review: what is SNC? What is NP? What strategies can be used to implement the NP?For content elaboration, a scoping reviewWe included scientific articles , textbooks and legislation on SNC and NP, nursing staff sizing, nursing theories, concepts and application of NP, nursing instruments and records, without restriction of modality or methodology, published from 2002 to 2021. The initial time frame of 2002 coincides with the publication of regulations that provided, for the first time, in Brazil, on the mandatory implementation and documentation of SNC: COFEn Resolution 272/2002.Base de Dados de Enfermagem (BDENF); Spanish Bibliographic Index of Health Sciences (IBECS); Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE); Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied (CINAHL); CAPES portal for theses and dissertations; and Cochrane and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO). For electronic search, the tools of the aforementioned databases, libraries and portals were used. A search was also carried out through Google Scholar for material referring to gray literature.The sources consulted were the professional regulation websites, Federal and Regional Councils of Nursing in Brazil and Brazilian states, in addition to bibliographic databases: Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS); The selected Health Science Descriptors (DeCS) related to NP applicability, concept and teaching were: Nursing Process; Nursing Legislation; Nursing Education, Standardized Nursing Terminology; Nursing Theory; Nursing Diagnosis; Continuing Education, Nursing Records. For search strategy, the Boolean terms AND, OR and NOT were used to compose the search keys to be used for searches in the databases. To complement the search for attributes in the literature, the bibliographic references cited in the selected publications were also used.Two authors performed a critical reading of the publications, selected to identify and characterize distinctions between the concepts of SNC and NP, identify NP elements that can support its application in nursing practice and verify operational elements of NP and SNC essential to its implementation. This reading included judgment on argument consistency and content reliability of the publications, which were considered, for producing the guide, in line with the regulatory directives contained in COFEn Resolution 358/2009.Based on the scoping review, a pilot material was organized that was assessed and corrected by four nurses with expertise in NP. After adjustments, we proceed to the second step.In the second step for content validity, 147 nurses from care, management and teaching areas were selected for convenience. After nurse selection, an invitation letter was sent by e-mail with information about the objective, procedures and instruments to be completed.\u00ae, with a two-section instrument: 1) judge characterization; 2) preliminary version of the guide, still without final layout, for validity of the following items: ability to express the content; organization (order) of content; relevance to the theme; language adequacy; adequacy and clarification of images; organization, sequence and structure.Data collection was performed using Google Forms.The authors established as an adequacy criterion the achievement of at least 80% agreement between the judges, and situations where the agreement index was lower than 80% would be reformulated, following the suggestionsFor the diagramming step, a team of designers was hired, who worked together with the researchers.Based on literature search, the guide content on SNC and NP was prepared in accordance with COFEN legislation provisions on NP. Thus, 47 scientific articles were gathered in the databases, in addition to 24 textbooks on SNC and NP, staff sizing, nursing theories and classifications, concepts and application of NP, instruments for data collection and care documentation.\u00ae); NANDA International (NANDA-I); Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC); and Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC); and the third addresses strategies for implementing the NP. In addition to the textual content, 32 illustrations were prepared, which seek to exemplify, reinforce and self-explain the pertinent content.The digital guide has 45 pages, being composed of three parts: Defining concepts; The Nursing Process; and Strategies for implementing the Nursing Process. The first part covers the topics: What SNC is; Classification methodology; Staff sizing and development; and instruments. The second deals with NP aspects: process steps, registration, use of classifications: International Classification for Nursing Practice nurses from various states of Brazil, most of them from the South and the Southeast, with ages ranging from 27 (twenty-seven) to 69 (sixty-nine years old). Length of professional training varied between 1 (one) and 47 (forty-seven) years. Regarding the degree, 41.3% had a master\u2019s degree, 45.7% a specialization and 13% a doctoral degree.In the digital guide content validity, in relation to the ability to express the content, experts\u2019 agreement was 94.6%; in item content organization (order), it was 94.4%; in theme relevance, it was 94.6%; in language adequacy, it was 97.2%; in image adequacy and clarification, it was 93.8%; and in organization, sequence and structure, it was 95.8%. The overall agreement index was 95.06%.In the diagramming step, the written content and figures were reorganized on presentation pages and configured in the format of a digital guide so that it would also meet the needs of those who want to print the material.The cover and all header and footer layout were prepared by a designer. The insertion of content on the pages resorted to the use of tables that highlight some excerpts that summarize the central ideas of the topics covered. The figures were carefully arranged, highlighting their importance and function of composing the content. The screens were assessed and reformulated by the authors together with the diagrammer.Before starting the didactic content, the guide brings a brief presentation and summary, in which the reader can learn about the content covered and guide their search for a specific topic, as shown in In the first part, the guide presents the distinction between SNC and NP, highlighting the differentiating attributes of the concepts, since understanding the difference between them is an important knowledge for the nursing team, as it is not yet the domain of the entire professional category .Part 2 of the guide is entirely dedicated to the NP, addressing the constitutive definition of concept and emphasizing its operational steps. To facilitate understanding, in addition to the definition of each step, figures were also used that represent these dynamics and relationship of the steps, which do not occur in a linear way, but follow a whole reasoning that favors their effectiveness. The legal aspect and the importance of systematizing the nursing consultation were also addressed, bringing its main characteristics clearly and succinctly. The guide exemplifies and presents some of the most well-known and used nursing theories in Brazil .The guide deals with the importance and legal aspects of nursing records, presenting the conceptual distinction between notes and nursing evolution as well as the mandatory elements for registration. The guide then discusses the standardized nursing language systems used in each NP, addressing the structure and way of applying the NANDA-I, NOC, NIC and ICNP\u00ae classifications.Part 3 of the guide brings two reports on the experiences of hospitals in the SNC and NP implementation, showing some of the strategies and resources available, and then the references used are presented, as shown in .In the first part, the guide presents the distinction between SNC and NP, and it is common to find in practice and in publications that treat NP, care methodology and SNC as synonyms or with different definitions. There is a conceptual conflict that generates difficulty in understanding the professional practice of nursing.The correspondence of meanings attributed to SNC and NP contributes to the lack of consensus on the concept of these two fundamental components for nursing practice, and this has direct repercussions on the formation of professional identity.The second part of the guide addresses NP. The NP implementation showed that nurses recognize the importance of the scientific method to achieve a systematic and deliberate practice, although in practice they still maintain attitudes focused on care focused on the management of signs and symptoms of diseases, to the detriment of the real needs demonstrated by patients-7,15.Among the main difficulties in complying with what is recommended in the legislation in relation to NP, the lack of theoretical knowledge, practical exercise and resources, as well as the scarcity of time for its performance, stand out. Nurses\u2019 actions often make doing routine, without sufficient scientific support.The legal aspect and the importance of Nursing Consultation, at the outpatient level, were also addressed. Nursing consultation should be used as a technology for differentiated care and provided with scientific knowledge that provides understanding and reflection on their health work. It is important that nurses know the nursing theories, because their use supports nurses in defining their roles, adequacy and quality of professional performance. The guide exemplifies the theme by presenting some of the most known and used theories.NP and nursing consultation should be guided by a theoretical support-19.The theoretical support chosen guides data collection, diagnosis definition, action planning and assessment of the results achieved, influencing aspects of nursing record. Practice guided by nursing theory helps to improve quality of care as it allows nurses to articulate what they do for patients and why. Therefore, they should continue guiding their practice through the lens of nursing theory, in addition to assessing the effectiveness of this practice guided by it.When performed based on theoretical support and with the use of standardized language, nursing records favor a more effective communication between the health team allowing a continuity of patient care. However, incompleteness is still observed in clinical records compromising quality of care and patient safety,22-23. On the other hand, the quality of nursing records arouses the interest and need in other professionals to consult them, allowing a better definition of therapy, care and diagnosis, in addition to serving as a basis for assessment and efficiency of quality of care practices.The guide addresses nursing classifications and records. Standardized language systems are important tools for NP registration, as they qualify documentation and communication between professionals,8,25.The third part presents the report of two hospitals in the implementation of SNC and NP, showing strategies and resources. The NP implementation favors the strengthening and recognition of nursing through standardization of actions and their records-28.The digital guide is an educational technology that contributes to the NP execution and implementation in the different scenarios of nursing practice, enabling quick, simple, direct and qualified access to these tools in a more complete way. Technology can be understood with different meanings, such as technical, scientific knowledge, procedures, processes, products, materials and organizational, educational, information and support systems-34.Nursing technologies are being incorporated into the clinical learning environment as a way of dynamizing the teaching-learning process or in the care and management context, for the NP execution and documentation in order to optimize access to information, records and documentation or to assist decision-making regarding patient care. Technologies also help in the implementation of appropriate practices in the services, organize the work processes, support the execution of health procedures, and update team knowledge-32. In this regard, different methods can guide the process of elaboration, validity and application of technologies in teaching, care and management, and the method used in this research has the potential of reproducibility for developing other materials.The literature is extensive about the development of technologies in nursing. Researches point to the use of qualitative and quantitative approach methodologies, methodological, descriptive, applied technological development, quasi-experimental, cross-sectional, Convergent Care Research, participatory research, action research, integrative or systematic review, User-Centered Design studies, among others-34. We emphasized the importance of publicizing the construction/application of technological productions in order to contribute to the advancement of nursing science.Different formats of digital educational technologies are being developed and used in nursing education, such as applications, hypertext, games, videos, virtual environments, virtual learning objects and simulators with virtual reality. In terms of care and management, studies point to the development and use of technologies such as guides, manual/protocol, software/application, teaching material, non-patentable process/technology, diagrams, instructional material, courses, booklets, recommendations, among othersAs a limitation, the technology content validity step is identified, due to the invited judges\u2019 low compliance, pointing out the need for new research in order to expand the number and representativeness of different Brazilian states and practice scenarios of the evaluators.The digital guide provides nursing professionals with access to material on SNC and NP based on technical-scientific knowledge. In a practical way, themes present in daily work were presented and evidence of quality, efficient, effective and safe care for people. The guide allows access to fundamental knowledge, which will assist in professional practice with more security and legitimacy.The \u201cGuide on Systematization of Nursing Care and Nursing Process\u201d is a technological innovation in health, as it encompasses a broad content, based on national and international references on the concepts, implementation strategies and operationalization of SNC and NP. The guide can be important for the entire nursing category, in addition to serving as an instrument that can bring an understanding of NP to professionals from other professional categories, such as managers and multidisciplinary teams, who need to understand the nursing work process for their decision-making.The guide content was considered by experts as relevant, clear, objective, organized, with adequate and scientifically coherent language and images, and has coherent and relevant organization, sequence and structure. In the global assessment, the agreement rate was 95.06%.The digital guide is available as a motivating and satisfactory alternative to health education, capable of contributing to the NP execution and implementation, supporting health care planning and implementation of actions aimed at quality of care.The illustrations help the reader\u2019s understanding of SNC and NP, representing the definition and relationship between these two concepts, and follows a whole reasoning that favors understanding, allowing quick, simple, direct and qualified access to fundamental knowledge, which will help in professional practice based on scientific evidence.This digital guide is relevant for scientific and technological development, having the potential to generate impact and be applied at local, regional and national levels, as it is available online on the website and can be used in teaching-learning to support nurses and students and provide subsidies for advancing the NP/nursing consultation implementation."} +{"text": "In the published article, there was an error in the Funding statement:This work was partially supported by VetzPetz Asia Company and Chiang Mai University (CMU) , which provided the necessary budget through the Center of Excellence in Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, R000029941 (WP), and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University . The authors declare that this study received funding from VetzPetz Asia Company. The funder was not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of this article or the decision to submit it for publication.The correct Funding statement appears below.This work was partially supported by Pharmalink International Limited and Chiang Mai University (CMU) , which provided the necessary budget through the Center of Excellence in Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, R000029941 (WP), and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University . The authors declare that this study received funding from Pharmalink International Limited. The funder was not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of this article or the decision to submit it for publication.The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated."} +{"text": "BackgroundThe Preventive Health and Screening Outpatient Department (OPD) was started in Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi, India with the vision of promoting health , counseling, screening, early diagnosis, and treatment and referral services (secondary prevention). The objective of the study is to describe the process of establishing the Preventive Health and Screening OPD in a tertiary hospital in Delhi and illustrate the functioning of the newly established OPD.MethodologyThis study is based on observation of the day-to-day functioning of the OPD, record checking of registers, and reviewing the records of the hospital registration system. Here, we describe the functioning of the OPD from its initiation in October 2021 until December 2022.ResultsThe routine services provided at the OPD include health promotion and education, especially focusing on non-communicable diseases, screening, diagnosis, treatment, lifestyle counseling; general OPD services; growth monitoring and counseling; group discussion for harms of tobacco usage; counseling for tobacco cessation, hepatitis B, and dT vaccination; group counseling for antenatal women; and screening for breast cancer. A few events such as the breast cancer screening camp and the non-communicable disease screening camp were also conducted under the purview of the new OPD. Such OPDs are the need of the hour for the provision of comprehensive healthcare, including promotive and preventive healthcare, along with curative health services, at tertiary healthcare levels.ConclusionsHealthcare services are incomplete without the preventive, promotive, and screening components of healthcare. For mainstreaming health promotion and preventive healthcare, Preventive Health and Screening OPDs are essential at hospitals. The benefits of prevention extend beyond managing chronic diseases and longer lives. Three levels of prevention and five levels of preventive interventions, as promoted by Leavell and Clark, are taught in all healthcare institutions under the concept of health and disease . \u201cPrevenEvidence has proved that investment in public health is more efficient and effective than an emphasis on curative and rehabilitative services -9. The hThe objective of the study is to describe the process of establishing a unique outpatient department (OPD), the Preventive Health, and Screening Outpatient Department, in a tertiary hospital in Delhi, and illustrate the functioning of the newly established OPD. The Preventive Health and Screening OPD was started in Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital by the Department for Community Medicine for promoting health and preventive measures at the tertiary healthcare level.The present study is a descriptive account involving meticulous observation and review of hospital records. The initiation process of the OPD has been delineated through a comprehensive analysis of the proposal (for the establishment of the OPD) and minutes of the meeting register. Furthermore, data collection was conducted through daily observations of the OPD\u2019s operational functioning. In addition, hospital registration reports spanning a period of 15 months, from October 2021 to December 2022, were thoroughly reviewed for data analysis and reporting purposes.Establishment of the Preventive Health and Screening Outpatient DepartmentThe inception of the Preventive Health and Screening OPD at Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi, was formulated with the vision of promoting health , screening, early diagnosis and treatment (secondary prevention), counseling, and referral services. The intention of establishing such an OPD was set in motion by the Department of Community Medicine. The proposal was discussed among the faculty of the department. Debates and discussions regarding the selection of services, functioning of the OPD, the utility of such an OPD, the demand of the OPD, and logistics requirements followed. The priority areas were marked, and the services list was finalized for the OPD. After repeated persuasion, with the support of the Medical Superintendent and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, the OPD was started in the new OPD building of Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi, in September 2021. The staff posted in the OPD is listed in Table The OPD has delivered health care to its beneficiaries for more than 15 months until December 2022. This has been mediated by conducting health education sessions, group and individual counseling of beneficiaries, screening of high-risk groups, and, per demand, diagnosis and treatment of common illnesses, non-pharmacological interventions, lifestyle counseling, adult vaccination, and referral to other departments. Citizen charters were put up at different locations in the hospital to inform about the new OPD and its services. Beneficiaries in the OPD were either walk-in patients, referred from other departments or from the field practice areas, and referred cases from peripheral clinics of the Department of Community Medicine. The flow of OPD services is illustrated in Figure Non-communicable disease screening, diagnosis, and treatment and lifestyle counselingOpportunistic screening for diabetes, hypertension, oral cancer, and breast cancer was conducted for all walk-in patients aged 30 and above. Under the purview of occupational health checkups, all security guards employed in the hospital were screened for diabetes, hypertension, and oral cancer. During the screening, a history of diet, medication, and addiction was also obtained. The guidelines followed for the screening and management of the beneficiaries were in accordance with the guidelines issued under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India. All beneficiaries with elevated blood pressure and blood glucose level were followed up and provided treatment and counseling for lifestyle modification. All patients were explained about diet, exercise, frequency of follow-up visits, the importance of treatment adherence, blood investigations, possible disease complications, and ways to prevent the complications. If required, patients were referred to other specialized departments.General outpatient services Patients with common illnesses were treated according to standard treatment protocols. For chronic non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and osteoarthritis, lifestyle modification was emphasized, along with pharmacological treatment. Patients were also explained the importance of treatment compliance and regular follow-up visits. Opportunistically, patients were educated about the dangers of antibiotic abuse and were discouraged from the use of over-the-counter antibiotics. For all patients, non-pharmacological interventions were equally highlighted as the pharmacological part of the treatment during the counseling.Group discussion for harms of tobacco usage and counseling for tobacco cessationAll security guards, sanitation workers, and nursing attendants in the hospital were provided health education on the harms of tobacco usage in group counseling sessions. All tobacco users, identified during non-communicable disease screening, were registered for tobacco cessation. All counseling sessions were conducted with the help of a validated flipchart. Patients were referred to the Department of Psychiatry if indicated.Adult vaccination centerA center was established for adult vaccination where hepatitis B and dT vaccinations were regularly provided at the OPD. First-degree relatives of hepatitis B patients were counseled about the ways of transmission and prevention of hepatitis B. All hospital staff was encouraged to get regular doses of hepatitis B and flu vaccines according to schedule.Health promotion and health educationResident doctors and interns posted at the OPD conducted regular health education sessions about relevant topics using flipcharts at the OPD premises and the waiting\u00a0areas of the hospital.Group counseling for antenatal womenGroup counseling sessions for antenatal women were conducted in the OPD, with the help of a PowerPoint presentation. The beneficiaries were explained about medication intake, diet, rest, contraindications during pregnancy, birth preparedness, breastfeeding, postnatal care, and family planning. At the end of the counseling, the queries of the beneficiaries were addressed. All antenatal women were screened for any anomaly of the nipple which might cause difficulty in breastfeeding.The well women clinicAll women above 30 years of age were screened for breast and cervical cancer. This service was conducted in coordination with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The beneficiaries were also taught about self-breast examination. Beneficiaries who screened positive for breast lumps were referred to the Department of Surgery.Growth monitoring and counselingA total of 33 children were found to be malnourished after screening in 15 months. They were screened for anemia and other common illnesses. Along with treatment, their attendants were counseled on the diet and care of the children.After 15 months of functioning of the OPD, the total number of beneficiaries of different services is presented in Table The Preventive Health and Screening OPD aimed at achieving health in a holistic way. Hence, apart from the above-mentioned services, a few special events were conducted by the Department of Community Medicine, at the OPD premises.In November 2021, a blood sugar screening camp was conducted on the occasion of World Diabetes Day. A total of 214 people were tested. Among them, 32 individuals were found to be diabetic who were unaware of their status. In total, 29 people were found to have uncontrolled blood glucose levels. All diabetic patients were treated and informed about the dietary and lifestyle changes at the Preventive Health and Screening OPD.On the occasion of International Women\u2019s Day, the Department of Community Medicine and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, in collaboration with the Association of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists of Delhi conducted Women Cancer Screening Fortnight. A total of 70 women visiting the hospital were screened for cervical and breast cancer . Moreover, their knowledge of cervical and breast cancer was assessed. They were educated on the risk factors, symptoms, preventive measures of cervical and breast cancer, and self-breast examination.On the occasion of International Day of Yoga 2022, the Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy, Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India along with the Department of Community Medicine, conducted an event with the theme \u201cYoga for Humanity\u201d at the Preventive Health and Screening OPD. The standard Yoga protocol was demonstrated. The program was attended by around 150 participants comprising MBBS interns, faculty employees, security staff, and nursing staff.A refresher training session about anti-rabies vaccination was held in the OPD. The participants included nurses, postgraduate trainees, junior residents, and interns. An interactive discussion about the vaccination schedule, indications, and challenges was conducted. Queries of the staff posted at the Rabies Vaccination Clinic were addressed at the end of the session.Safdarjung Hospital, a 1,531-bedded multi-specialty with an additional 500 emergency beds, is one of the largest tertiary care teaching hospitals in India. It is a Central Government Hospital under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. The hospital has a monthly OPD attendance of approximately 200,000 which includes patients from all age groups, socioeconomic strata, and disease spectrum from all over India. Patients are mostly accompanied by one or more attendants. This heavy footfall provides an opportunity to cater promotive and preventive care to them within a tertiary care setup. With almost 10,000 patients per working day, there are time constraints faced by treating physicians as well as supporting paramedical staff to provide detailed health education and health promotion advice to patients.Health education regarding the prevention of diseases, lifestyle modification, and overall health promotion is an important component of disease management and holistic health improvement. Such advice should be given in a detailed manner and should be personalized to the patient\u2019s illness, risk factors, and level of understanding to ensure the proper transfer of information and improve compliance. Such advice assumes greater importance in the context of non-communicable diseases because these diseases are influenced by modifiable lifestyle factors to a great extent. Properly disseminated health information and health promotion advice has the potential to prevent non-communicable diseases, earlier detection, and/or reduce complications of such diseases. In addition, screening for non-communicable diseases is important in the Indian scenario because of the lack of awareness and regular screening. Such screening helps in the earlier detection of non-communicable diseases and ensures better treatment and control while reducing potential complications. Similarly, antenatal care also requires counseling for lifestyle modification apart from medicinal treatment. Growth monitoring of under-five children and advice for defaulters also require individual counseling and guidance.Preventive care services can promote healthier lifestyles, provide early detection of diseases, and reduce the need for inpatient care services among individuals . A similThe private healthcare sector is presently catering to the increasing demand for preventive healthcare -16. The Our study is not without limitations. Because our study is review and observation-based, it suffers from the inherent problem of incomplete and inconsistent existing data. The study elaborates on a period of the initial 15 months. It is limited by the timeframe of data collection, which may not capture changes or trends that occur outside of the study period.Healthcare services are incomplete without the preventive, promotive, and screening components of healthcare. The benefits of prevention extend beyond managing chronic diseases and longer lives. For mainstreaming health promotion and preventive healthcare, Preventive Health and Screening OPDs are essential at hospitals. Tertiary hospitals being the apex centers in our country should attend to their beneficiaries holistically beyond the narrow purview of curative medicinal practice. Research should be encouraged for assessing the feasibility of the implementation of such OPDs, exploring barriers, ways to awareness and demand among the community for the services, and improving the effectiveness of such OPDs."} +{"text": "The frequent occurrence of pig epidemics has restricted the sustainable and healthy development of the pig industry and its ability to enhance the supply of pork, negatively impacting China\u2019s economic and social development. In recent years, China has faced many pig epidemic risks and challenges, with one high-risk area and two medium\u2013high-risk areas. The epidemic risk was highest in Beijing, Hainan, Liaoning, Tibet and Zhejiang. This study will help to better prevent and mitigate epidemic risks, promote high-quality development of the pig industry, and meet the nutritional needs of residents.Strengthening the analysis and risk assessment of the pig epidemic will help to better prevent and mitigate epidemic risks and promote the high-quality development of the pig industry. Based on a systematic understanding of live pig epidemics, a risk assessment index system was constructed, and the spatial and temporal variation characteristics of pig epidemics in China were explored by the entropy method. In recent years, the overall trend in pig epidemics over time first increased and then decreased; in space, the acceleration of the spread of epidemics across the country weakened. China still faces challenges, including many types and a wide range of diseases, large total livestock breeding and weak epidemic prevention and control capacity, and a large risk of introduced foreign animal epidemics. The spatial and temporal variations in the pig epidemic risk were obvious; one high-risk area, two medium\u2013high-risk areas and 10 medium-risk areas have been found in recent years, during which time, the epidemic risk was highest in Beijing, Hainan, Liaoning, Tibet and Zhejiang. However, there were significant differences in the regional distribution of the risk level of pig epidemics in different years. To further build a secure \u201cdefense system\u201d for the high-quality development of the pig industry, it is recommended to improve the monitoring and early warning system of pig epidemic risk, perfect the pig epidemic prevention and control system, and strengthen the regional collaboration mechanism of epidemic prevention and control. Accelerating the high-quality development of the pig industry and ensuring the stable and orderly operation of the pork market is an important means of meeting the animal-based nutrition needs of residents and safeguarding national food security. This is a basic guarantee for enhancing the level of regional economic and social development, improving the ability of farmers to increase production and income and forging a realistic path for accelerating the construction of an agricultural powerhouse and realizing people\u2019s aspirations for a better life. In recent years, the frequent occurrences of African swine fever and other major animal epidemics have restricted the sustainable and healthy development of the pig industry and its ability to enhance the supply of pork, negatively impacting national economic and social development and the lives of urban and rural residents. Although, currently, incidences of African swine fever and other major animal epidemics have been alleviated, sporadic occurrences, as well as epidemic prevention and control, cannot be ignored. Data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People\u2019s Republic of China showed that 15 new outbreaks of African swine fever occurred nationwide in 2021, and 4500 pigs were killed and disposed of. Since then, China\u2019s government has attached great importance to the construction of national biosafety risk prevention, control and management systems; it has become inevitable and necessary to carry out risk assessment and systematic research on major animal disease prevention and control as an important part of the national biosafety risk prevention and control system.The literature on animal disease risk is primarily focused on risk assessment, animal disease prevention and control, etc. . In termThe issues of domestic animal disease transmission risk and international trade disease transmission risk have also been explored in many studies ,16,17. SOther studies have suggested that to achieve the stable and orderly development of the pig industry, the important role of epidemic prevention and control must be given high priority in building a long-term mechanism ,28. FromIn general, with the current focus on African swine fever, the research that specifically analyzes this situation and risk assessments of pig epidemics needs further systematic and in-depth review. In particular, after African swine fever outbreaks, it is of great practical importance to review the circumstances of the pig epidemic, systematically explore the spatial and temporal variation characteristics associated with the risk level of the pig epidemic, and summarize the lessons learned to better improve the epidemic prevention and control system, prevent and resolve the epidemic risk, and promote the high-quality development of the pig industry in the future. Considering the shortcomings of existing studies, this study attempted to construct a pig epidemic risk assessment index system based on an understanding of pig epidemic circumstances starting in 2017; use the entropy method to assess the epidemic risk and understand the spatiotemporal characteristics; and, finally, propose corresponding countermeasure suggestions for reference.Animal epidemics are an important factor that restricts the smooth and orderly development of the pig industry; epidemics with greater impacts mainly include porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome and African swine fever. Regarding the trend of pig epidemics in recent years, after 2018, affected by African swine fever, the number of cases, deaths, and cullings increased sharply. Afterward, as the epidemic prevention and control situation continued to improve, the pig epidemic gradually slowed down . In termBefore the African swine fever outbreaks, pig epidemics were mainly distributed in Jiangxi, Hubei, Chongqing and Guangxi provinces, while the number of cullings was generally at a relatively low level. After the outbreak of African swine fever, the regional distribution of the epidemic changed significantly, with concentrated outbreaks in various regions. In 2018, the top three provinces in terms of cases were Jiangxi, Yunnan and Sichuan, the top three provinces in terms of deaths were Liaoning, Yunnan and Chongqing, and the top three provinces in terms of cullings were Liaoning, Hunan and Fujian. In 2019, the regional distribution of the epidemic changed further, with the top three provinces in terms of cases and deaths being Guangxi, Sichuan and Heilongjiang, and the top three provinces in terms of cullings being Heilongjiang, Jiangsu and Guangxi. Since 2020, with the African swine fever epidemic under better control, the national pig epidemic situation has continued to improve, and only Gansu Province\u2019s pig epidemic has been relatively serious. Overall, the regional distribution of pig epidemics in recent years was mainly affected by African swine fever, and with the African swine fever epidemic under control, pig epidemics have rapidly slowed nationwide. Currently, pig epidemics occur only sporadically in some provinces .At present, although African swine fever and other major animal diseases are better controlled, the associated risks and challenges are still prominent. First, pig epidemics are diverse and widespread. According to the \u201cList A, B and C Diseases\u201d issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People\u2019s Republic of China in 2022, there are currently a wide variety of pig diseases in China, such as A diseases, including African swine fever, foot and mouth disease, and swine vesicular disease. At present, a large number of pig diseases occur sporadically, and complete elimination is still far off. In terms of the speed and scope of the spread, African swine fever, for example, was first diagnosed in Liaoning Province in August 2018, and then the epidemic spread rapidly across the country within a short period of time, tremendously and negatively impacting the pig industry and market as well as the economy and society. The pig slaughters in 2019 fell by 21.6% compared with the previous year, and pork production dropped by 21.3%.Second, the total amount of livestock breeding was large, and the epidemic prevention and control capacity was not strong. China is the world\u2019s largest producer and consumer of pigs, and since the outbreak of African swine fever in 2018, China\u2019s government has implemented a series of policy initiatives to accelerate the recovery of pig production to normal levels. The inventory of pigs reached 452.56 million heads in 2022, of which the inventory of breeding sows reached 43.90 million heads. Although the level of scale, intensification and modernization of pig breeding has improved, there is still a large gap between the expected goal of high-quality development and the levels of developed countries in terms of epidemic prevention and control capabilities. There are still more small and medium-sized farms, retail households and other business entities in which the awareness and ability regarding epidemic prevention and control are not strong, and the level of epidemic prevention and control of pig households needs further improvement. In addition, the current grassroots epidemic prevention and control system is not sound, the epidemic prevention team is relatively weak, and loopholes in quarantine supervision and other issues remain prominent. In China, where people prefer hot fresh meat, the long-distance transport and slaughter of live pigs also create uncertainty about the spread of pig epidemics.Moreover, the risk of introduction of foreign animal diseases is greater. At present, the global situation of pig epidemics is still not optimistic. Data from the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) showed that in 2022, there were 6026 new outbreaks of African swine fever worldwide, with 159.80 thousand newly confirmed cases, 199.90 thousand heads killed and disposed of, and 38.50 thousand deaths. Although China has been strictly controlling foreign animal epidemics for a long time, including with the development and implementation of the \u201cEmergency Response Plan for Major Animal Epidemics Inside and Outside China\u201d and \u201cInterim Measures for Veterinary Health Management of Animal Isolation and Quarantine Sites at Ports\u201d and other policy initiatives, it still failed to block the introduction of animal diseases such as African swine fever into China. It is necessary to pay great attention to the variety of global animal diseases, the complexity of the pathogens and the seriousness of these situations and other issues; to learn from the current round of African swine fever regarding domestic exposures; to accelerate sound domestic animal disease prevention and control systems; and to reduce the risk of foreign disease introduction to protect the high-quality development of the pig industry.To systematically assess the risk of pig epidemics and explore their spatial and temporal risk characteristics, this study constructed an evaluation index system and combined it with the entropy method. In defining the concept of risk assessment, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction considers that risk consists of two parts: hazard and vulnerability . CombiniSpecifically, the morbidity rate was measured by the ratio of the number of cases caused by the epidemic to the number of pigs, the mortality rate was measured by the ratio of the number of pig deaths caused by the epidemic to the number of cases, and the culling rate was measured by the ratio of the number of pigs culled during the epidemic to the number of pigs. The higher the three indicators were, the more serious and dangerous the pig epidemic was. In particular, unlike morbidity and mortality rates, the culling rate was more indicative of the severity of the epidemic, such as the occurrence of African swine fever in recent years, which caused a higher culling rate, and although the realistic mortality rate was not high, a large number of pigs were culled due to factors such as the high lethality and rapid spread of African swine fever.Breeding density was measured by the ratio of pig inventory to grain cultivation area. Pigs are grain-fed livestock, and a higher breeding density indicates a higher local pig carrying capacity and a higher epidemic risk faced by pig breeding. Industrial structure was measured by the ratio of pig industry output value to total agricultural output value. The higher the proportion of pig industry output value is, the more likely the pig industry is the leading industry in the province, the higher the corresponding scale of standardization and modernization, and the lower the epidemic risk faced by pig breeding. The prevention and control foundation was measured by the ratio of pig inventory to the number of people on staff in township animal husbandry and veterinary stations. The higher the ratio of pig inventory to the number of staff in the township animal husbandry and veterinary station is, the more pigs a single animal husbandry and veterinary staff member has to manage and serve, the weaker the force of pig epidemic prevention and control, the lower the intensity of epidemic prevention and control, and the greater the risk of an epidemic affecting pig breeding.ijx is the value of hazard and vulnerability indicators after normalization, ija is the original value of each hazard and vulnerability indicator, and max{ija} and min{ija} are the maximum and minimum values of each hazard and vulnerability indicator, respectively.Considering the differences in different indices in terms of their outlines and positive and negative directions, this study first standardized the indices, then calculated the index weights at all levels by the entropy method, and finally combined the standardized index values and weights to calculate the pig epidemic risk index. It should be noted that the morbidity rate, mortality rate, culling rate, breeding density and prevention and control foundation were all positive indicators, while industry structure was a negative indicator. The standardized treatment formula is specified as follows:ith region under the jth indicator needs to be calculated as follows:ijp is the corresponding indicator weight. Then, the entropy value of the jth indicator is calculated:je is the entropy value of the corresponding indicator and satisfies je\u2265 0, k = 1/lnn. On this basis, the weights of each indicator are calculated as follows:jw is the corresponding indicator weight, jd is the information entropy redundancy of the jth indicator, and jd= 1 \u2212 je.Before calculating the weights of each indicator through the entropy method, the weight of the corresponding indicator of the The data for this study were obtained from the Official Veterinary Bulletin of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People\u2019s Republic of China, China Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Yearbook, and China Statistical Yearbook. Considering that the Official Veterinary Bulletin from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People\u2019s Republic of China was available only for October 2021 and earlier, the pig epidemic data for 2021 were only for January\u2013September. Therefore, the time interval examined in this study was set as 2017\u20132020, where 2017 was the normal year before the outbreak of African swine fever, 2018\u20132019 was the most serious period of African swine fever, and 2020 was the year when the epidemic was better controlled. Overall, the time interval selected in this study covered the current round of the pig epidemic, and the pig industry in each region and its impact could better reflect the corresponding epidemic risk prevention and control capacity and its problems.Combined with the basic data, the indices of pig morbidity, mortality and culling rates, breeding density, industrial structure, and prevention and control foundation from 2017 to 2020 were calculated, and the risk of a pig epidemic and its hazard and vulnerability indices were calculated after standardization. Specifically, the hazard and vulnerability weights calculated by the entropy method for 2017\u20132020 were 0.679 and 0.321, respectively; the hazard indicators were 0.243, 0.105 and 0.652 for morbidity, mortality and culling rates, respectively; and the vulnerability indicators were 0.393, 0.125 and 0.482 for breeding density, industrial structure and prevention and control foundation, respectively. The weights of each indicator reflected that the risk of a pig epidemic came more from hazards, the culling rate regarding hazard factors was more important, and the foundation of prevention and control of vulnerability factors was more important. Regarding the characteristics of the regional distribution of pig epidemic risk, the top five provinces were Beijing, Hainan, Liaoning, Tibet and Zhejiang, with risk indices of 0.682, 0.367, 0.337, 0.282 and 0.268, respectively. The bottom five provinces in terms of risk were Shandong, Hebei, Jilin, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia, with risk indices of 0.097, 0.104, 0.112, 0.118 and 0.125, respectively.In terms of hazards, the top five provinces were Beijing, Liaoning, Tibet, Qinghai and Jiangxi, with hazard indices of 0.799, 0.361, 0.329, 0.281 and 0.266, respectively. The bottom five provinces were Shandong, Guangdong, Henan, Hebei and Guizhou, with risk indices of 0.006, 0.017, 0.052, 0.052 and 0.07, respectively. Among them, the top provinces in terms of morbidity rates were Jiangxi, Chongqing, Qinghai, Tibet and Zhejiang, the top provinces in terms of mortality rates were Jilin, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning and Heilongjiang, and the top provinces in terms of culling rates were Beijing, Liaoning, Tibet, Tianjin and Xinjiang.In terms of vulnerability, the top five provinces were Hainan, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and Zhejiang, with vulnerability indices of 0.962, 0.566, 0.460, 0.439 and 0.438, respectively. The bottom five provinces were Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Shanxi and Ningxia, with vulnerability indices of 0.118, 0.122, 0.147, 0.148 and 0.149, respectively. The top provinces in terms of breeding density were Hainan, Fujian, Beijing, Guangdong and Guangxi; the top provinces in terms of industrial structure were Hunan, Yunnan, Sichuan, Anhui and Chongqing; and the top provinces in terms of prevention and control foundations were Hainan, Henan, Zhejiang, Anhui and Fujian. In terms of the overall situation of the risk of pig epidemics in different areas in recent years, there was 1 high-risk area, 2 medium\u2013high-risk areas, 10 medium-risk areas, 17 medium\u2013low-risk areas and 1 low-risk area nationwide. The risk of pig epidemics and regional prevention and control should not be ignored.Regarding the trend in temporal changes in the risk of pig epidemics, the regional changes in the risk of pig epidemics in different years were obvious. Before the outbreak of African swine fever in 2017, the provinces with the highest risk of pig epidemics were Qinghai, Jiangxi and Chongqing; the risk was also relatively high in northwest, southwest and southeast China; and the risk was low in northeast and north China. There were three high-risk areas, no medium\u2013high-risk areas, and three medium-risk areas, and the others were medium\u2013low- and low-risk areas. In 2018, with the outbreak of African swine fever, the regional distribution of pig epidemic risk changed significantly, mainly concentrated in Beijing and Liaoning, with Zhejiang, Tianjin and Jiangxi also at relatively high levels, and the overall risk of pig epidemics shifted to the east. There was one high-risk and medium\u2013high-risk area and three medium-risk areas, and the remaining areas were low-risk and medium\u2013low-risk areas.The year 2019 was a more severe year for the occurrence of African swine fever, and the risk of pig epidemics spread faster across the whole country. The highest risk of epidemics shifted to Tibet and Jiangsu; the epidemic risks in Qinghai, Xinjiang and Heilongjiang were also relatively high. There were two high-risk areas, three medium\u2013high-risk areas, and two medium-risk areas, and the remaining areas were low- and medium\u2013low-risk areas. In 2020, with the African swine fever epidemic under better control, the risk of pig epidemics in China slowed. Gansu and Shanghai had the greatest epidemic risks and were high-risk and medium\u2013high-risk areas; the risks in other areas were relatively low, and there were 26 low-risk areas.In general, the spatial and temporal variation in pig epidemic risk was the result of multiple factors. This study focused on two aspects: the occurrence and spread of pig epidemics and the spatial and temporal variation in epidemic prevention and control. From the perspective of the occurrence and spread of pig epidemics, the higher the mortality rate was, the faster the spread, the more serious the situation, the greater the risk of pig epidemics, and the more obvious the risk spillover effect to other regions.Taking African swine fever as an example, the mortality and culling rates caused by the national pig epidemic in 2018\u20132019 were 41.97% and 0.49% and 40.95% and 0.19%, respectively, much higher than the respective 21.50% and 0.001% in 2017 before the African swine fever outbreak. Among them, the highest culling rate was 7.64% in Beijing in 2018 and 2.16% in Tibet in 2019, which was consistent with the regional distribution and annual changes in the risk of pig epidemics. In terms of spatial and temporal differences in pig epidemic prevention and control, factors such as breeding density, industrial structure, and prevention and control foundation were closely related to the risk of an epidemic; the greater the breeding density was, the more vulnerable the industrial structure, and the poorer the prevention and control foundation was, and the more serious the risk faced by pig breeding. In terms of breeding density, the highest was 10.73 heads/ha in Hainan, and the lowest was 0.72 heads/ha in Inner Mongolia. The risk of pig epidemics in Hainan was obviously higher than that in Inner Mongolia. In terms of industrial structure, the highest was 19.65% in Hunan, the lowest was 1.40% in Tibet, and the risk of pig epidemics in Tibet was higher than that in Hunan. In terms of prevention and control foundation, each township animal husbandry and veterinary station in Hainan Province needed to serve 21,086.40 pigs, while the corresponding indicator in Tibet was only 136.94 pigs. The pressure of prevention and control in Hainan was significantly greater than that in Tibet, so the corresponding risk of pig epidemics in Hainan was higher than that in Tibet.On the basis of understanding the situation of pig epidemics, the following research conclusions were obtained by constructing a pig epidemic risk assessment index system and combining it with the entropy method to explore the characteristics of spatial and temporal differentiation of pig epidemic risk in China.First, the overall trend in pig epidemics first increased and then decreased. African swine fever was the most serious epidemic in recent years, and swine erysipelas, swine pasteurellosis, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, classical swine fever and other pig diseases were also more common. Pig epidemics showed a trend of accelerated spread nationwide after continued weakening and now have only sporadic occurrences in some areas. Although African swine fever and other pig diseases are better controlled, the risks and challenges, which include many types and a wide range of diseases, cannot be ignored. Livestock breeding and epidemic prevention and control capacity were not strong during the study period, and the risk of introduction of foreign animal diseases was greater.Second, the spatial and temporal variation in pig epidemic risk was obvious. In 2017\u20132020, there was 1 high-risk area, 2 medium\u2013high-risk areas, 10 medium-risk areas, 17 medium\u2013low-risk areas and 1 low-risk area. The top five provinces in terms of pig epidemic risk were Beijing, Hainan, Liaoning, Tibet and Zhejiang, and the bottom five provinces were Shandong, Hebei, Liaoning, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia. There were significant differences in the regional distribution of epidemic risk in different years, with the high-risk areas being Qinghai, Jiangxi and Chongqing in 2017, Beijing in 2018, Tibet and Jiangsu in 2019, and Gansu in 2020. The temporal and spatial variations in pig epidemics and risks were mainly the result of many reasons, such as the scale of pig breeding, transportation and circulation, epidemic prevention and control capacity in different provinces, and so on.Based on the above research findings, the following countermeasures are proposed for reference. First, sound monitoring and early warning systems for pig epidemic risk are needed. For domestic and foreign pig and other animal diseases, it is necessary to establish a risk monitoring and early warning system that covers the whole industry chain, including breeding, slaughtering, processing, circulation and sales, so that timely detection, timely reporting, and timely formation and release of epidemic prevention and control early warning plans can provide a reference for scientific decision making for the pig industry and market participants.Second, the pig epidemic prevention and control system should be improved to include innovations in vaccination and culling, biosecurity and other means of disease prevention and control and should strive for an effective combination of multiple programs and efficient prevention and control. Epidemic detection in the pig industry chain of breeding, transportation, slaughtering and processing should be strengthened. The feeding management system, such as closed feeding and all-in-all-out, should be implemented; the cleaning and disinfection facilities and equipment for epidemic prevention in pig farms should be improved; farm records should be established; and pig identification, such as ear tags with activity, temperature and sound sensors, should be strictly enforced. The strategic planning of animal disease prevention and control science and technology should be strengthened; the promotion of scientific and technological innovation, transformation of results and integrated demonstrations should be accelerated; and research and development of vaccines for African swine fever and other major diseases should be accelerated. The construction of a grassroots animal disease prevention and control system, an epidemic prevention team, and grassroots epidemic prevention capacity should also be strengthened and improved. The culling subsidy system should be improved, and the enthusiasm and initiative of farm households for prevention and control should be fully mobilized.Third, the regional collaboration mechanism for epidemic prevention and control should be strengthened. To jointly build a solid \u201cdefense system\u201d for the high-quality development of the pig industry, it is necessary to establish an overall responsibility-sharing mechanism for the prevention and control of swine diseases in production and marketing areas based on the \u201cnational chessboard\u201d; to streamline and consolidate the responsibilities and obligations of various areas; to implement zonal prevention and control and regionally differentiated prevention and control strategies; to compensate for shortcomings and weaknesses according to local conditions; and to strengthen regional cooperation in the prevention and control of the entire industrial chain of pig and product production, transportation and slaughtering."} +{"text": "Nature Biotechnology 10.1038/s41587-019-0360-3, published online 5 February 2020.Correction to: In the published version of this paper, the members of the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium were listed in the Supplementary Information; however, these members should have been included in the main paper. The original Article has been corrected to include the members and affiliations of the PCAWG Consortium in the main paper; the corrections have been made to the HTML version of the Article but not the PDF version. Additional minor corrections to affiliations have been made to the PDF and HTML versions of the original Article for consistency of information between the PCAWG list and the main paper, and in the PCAWG Technical Working Group, the two affiliations for Miguel Vazquez have been changed from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA and Instituci\u00f3 Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avan\u00e7ats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain to Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Barcelona, Spain and Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway."} +{"text": "Since the appearance of the first civilizations, various substances have been used to improve human health. Although nature is undoubtedly the source of many medicinal substances, since the early 19th century there has been an enormous development of pharmaceutical products aimed at treating or improving human health. Over time, the emergence of new generations of therapeutic agents has been observed, including not only small molecules, but also proteins and peptides, monoclonal antibodies, nucleic acids, and living cells. This progress has opened up new possibilities for the use of these therapeutic agents in the treatment of specific diseases, while at the same time causing enormous challenges in delivering them into the body while maintaining their therapeutic usefulness. For the effective action of these agents, it is necessary, among other things, for them to have proper solubility, stability, target location, off-target non-toxicity, controlled pharmacokinetics, possibility of bypassing biological barriers or, in the case of cells, maintaining cell viability and phenotypes ,3.Polymers, along with metals and ceramics, constitute the most common platform used for DDSs ,5. They Over the past 70 years, DDS polymer materials and their designs have progressed from external devices and simple off-the-shelf macroscopic supplies through to microscopic particles and ultimately to complex and rationally designed nanocarriers. The application of DDSs has improved the clinical usefulness of many drugs and enabled new therapeutics, such as anti-cancer and siRNA therapies. However, there are still remaining challenges that drug delivery systems have to overcome to be clinically viable. The next generation of DDSs will need to be able to overcome the biological barriers which limit the delivery of complex therapeutic molecules, and utilize less invasive systems which secrete biomolecules into specific tissues, at specific times and concentrations, sometimes for a prolonged period of time. Therefore, the innovations in the field of polymer materials will be the driving force in overcoming existing boundaries, while the polymer DDSs will still be considered the most active field of biomedical research in pharmaceutical industries and academic laboratories.Polymers Special Issue dedicated to the memory of late Professor Andrzej Dworak https://www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers/special_issues/polym_carr_deliv_biomed_appli_mem_prof_Dworak (accessed on 23 February 2021)This book comprises articles concerning recent advances in natural and synthetic polymeric materials with the desired physical, chemical, biological, and biomechanical properties to match the various requirements of controlled delivery of various therapeutic agents. The book contains reviews and original articles of eminent scientists and friends of Professor Dworak, each of which was published previously as original contributions to the Prof. Dworak was an outstanding specialist with experience in the studies of the mechanisms of oxirane and cyclic imines polymerization and controlled radical polymerization of various types of monomers in order to obtain macromolecules with carefully planned structures and properties, including polymers sensitive to stimuli. In his research, he successfully translated knowledge in the field of polymer chemistry and polymer materials into their potential use in medicine and pharmacy. Prof. Dworak initiated many national and European projects in which he carried out studies in the field of basic research, including the preparation and therapeutic use of various types of nanoparticles and polymer nanocontainers carrying different types of active substances. He also managed projects related to the development of polymer supports for the culture and transfer of cell sheets, which significantly accelerated the healing process of burn wounds. The results of Prof. Dworak\u2019s research has been published in nearly 150 articles in international journals, and he was the co-author of several patents.On 17 March 2022, the Silesian Meeting on Polymer Materials Conference (Polymat 2022) was organized and dedicated to the memory of Prof. Andrzej Dworak . The conAccording to the conference program, Prof. Axel M\u00fcller , JohannePolymers, published by the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. In the category of advanced synthesis and study of polymeric materials, Aneta Medaj, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland, was awarded for her presentation entitled \u201cPolymer nanocapsules templated on liquid cores as model photoreactors\u201d. In the category of interdisciplinary and international studies, Erik Dimitrov of the Institute of Polymers, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Sofia University, and the Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Zabrze, Poland, was awarded for the presentation \u201cNucleolipid vesicles. Supramolecular structures resembling spherical nucleic acids\u201d. In the category of advanced biopolymer materials, Mattia Parati . The posters were available also on the Internet. Many of them were of high practical importance. The posters were evaluated by a special jury . The three best communications were selected and awarded prizes of EUR 450 each, funded by the Swiss journal a Parati , UniversPolymers, MDPI, and the Chemical Industry.The conference was held under the auspices of the European Federation of Polymers, the Committee of Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and the Polish Chemical Society. The media patronage over the conference was taken by The conference was accompanied with a small exhibition of research instruments . The Scientific Committee, headed by Prof. Zbigniew Florja\u0144czyk, was responsible for the high scientific level of the presented papers, and the Organizing Committee, headed by Prof. Alicja Utrata-Weso\u0142ek, orchestrated the smooth running of the event. The conference was attended by about 170 scientists from Poland and abroad. After the closing remarks given by Prof. Barbara Trzebicka, chairwoman of the Conference, the participants proposed a farewell toast: to meet again at Zabrze in the near future! An extended report on the conference was also published in Polish ."} +{"text": "This article explores the first fifty years of the History of Medicine and Health Care Program in Calgary and considers the impact of interdisciplinary cooperation as well as the role of interprofessional undergraduate and clinical medical education. Through this exploration, I argue that medical history should be a central part of study curricula, that a historical understanding can provide a robust background for physicians in a fast-changing world in the clinic, and that through their disciplinary expertise, medical historians play a fruitful role in scholarly and teaching exchanges with medical students and clinicians in the modern medical humanities.Medical historians and educators have long lamented that the integration of the study of the history of medicine into the educational curricula of medical schools and clinic-based teaching has been protractedly troubled. Employing the development of the history of medicine program at the University of Calgary as a case study, this article emphasizes the importance of integrating medical history with teaching schedules to further students\u2019 insights into changing health care settings, the social contingency of disease concepts, and socio-economic dependences of medical decision-making. History of medicine programs can furnish plentiful opportunities for research training through summer projects, insight courses, and field Karl Sudhoff\u2019s (1853\u20131938) institute for the history of medicine, which opened in 1906 at the University of Leipzig in Germany, has long been considered a gold standard for history of medicine programs affiliated with medical faculties.A statue of Hippocrates stands in the Health Sciences Centre (HSC) of the University of Calgary\u2019s (UofC\u2019s) Cumming School of Medicine (CSM). It is a legacy of Peter J. E.Cruse\u2019s (1927\u20132006) history of medicine courses and was a gift from the sizeable Greek-Canadian population to the UofC\u2019s new medical school.Founding faculty member Dr. Cruse pushed for the inclusion of medical history in the schedule of Calgary\u2019s new medical school (1970\u20131971), from which workshops emerged for residents in surgery and staff surgeons.The Calgary Associate Clinic\u2019s Historical Bulletin. The Bulletin, as it was previously called, was published between 1936 and 1958, focusing greatly on the history of medicine in Alberta, but also on the history of medicine in general, in 22 volumes comprising 88 issues.Canadian Bulletin of Medical History (CBMH) when it was created as the newsletter of the Canadian Society for the History of Medicine in 1979. Published twice a year for the Canadian Society for the History of Medicine, originally by Wilfrid Laurier University Press and now through the University of Toronto Press, the CBMH has prominently featured several research articles from faculty and trainees participating in Calgary\u2019s HOMHCP.Calgary\u2019s founding physician-historian Cruse was born in Stellenbosch, South Africa. His father, Henri P. Cruse (1894\u20131950) was a university professor specializing in the history of pedagogy at Stellenbosch University, while his mother Aletta (1897\u20131965?) worked as a schoolteacher.aficionado Bill Whitelaw, who headed the conference until 2007 , where they gave short history of medicine presentations to the assembly.2007 see .23Cambridge Scholars Publishing in Britain has emerged to document the conference proceedings and include the best peer-reviewed research papers given at the conferences. These publications combine the submitted and accepted papers regarding clinical medical history topics, as well as those topics in health care history by other interested undergraduate and graduate students from across Canada. It is also a welcome opportunity for medical residents to write and publish some of the first papers in their clinical careers. Of all the submitted conference papers, up to fifteen of the best papers are considered for publication in the conference proceedings, often making substantive contributions to our medical understanding and the existing historiography, including for example original work on the early ambulatory and mobile clinical stations in Atlantic Canada, the introduction of super glue into modern surgery, and assessments of the economy of material culture of menstruation products in public health and gynaecology to mention here only a few.Presentation topics at the HMDs have covered areas such as the classics , history of public health , nursing (including the interdisciplinary nature of modern medicine and the physician-nurse relationship), veterinary medicine , as well as neuroscience see . Prizes,The review process and the selection of high-quality papers is made by a local committee, which receives further input from the board of advisors, as well as from external historians of medicine. These selection processes have engendered a significant academic appeal for the HMDs at the UofC.Medical school instructors have long pondered the challenges of incorporating history of medicine teaching in student and clinical education, seeking ways to furbish insights into the humanities, social contextualization, and create ethical awareness in the curricula.(1) To attract students and faculty from interdisciplinary backgrounds and cross-departmental affiliation to engage in and contribute to the Program\u2019s activities\u2026; (2) to develop and expand the profile and standing of the Program within medical and interdisciplinary communities engaging in historical research and teaching medicine and health care across Canada and abroad; (3) to relate to the university, the local community and the public at large explaining and interpreting topics from the history of medicine, the life sciences and neuroscience\u2026; (4) to conduct interdisciplinary teaching and research in the CSM and beyond by integrating views from the History and Philosophy of Science, Science and Technology Studies, Cultural and Media Studies.This directional statement emphasizes the importance of engaging with the social, cultural, political, and economic contexts of clinical training and medical knowledge. Today, the half-time validity of medical knowledge is getting increasingly shorter and 50% of medicine\u2019s knowledge basis is revised every 5 years.Building a wider understanding of the central task and function of history in current medical curricula remains attractive to students, since it provides a valuable foundation to them.practica offered, which make extensive use of the Dr. Cruse Collection and Mackie Collection for their research projects and presentations concerning medical history.Furthermore, a significant number of the history of medicine books from the former Calgary Associate Clinic were later donated to the UofC\u2019s Health Sciences Library. There, the collection was merged with the \u201cDr. Peter J. Cruse Collection\u201d and the \u201cMackie Family Collection in the History of Neuroscience.\u201dEnticing collaborations in research and education among physicians, medical scientists, historians, sociologists, and anthropologists has been, and continues to be, a foundational motivation for the UofC HOMHCP. To this end, meeting and exchange platforms, the history of medicine library collection, as well as interest groups and specialized colloquia, have been established to foster the interaction between the humanities and health sciences. Since 2012, the mutual interaction in the wider field of the medical humanities has also become institutionalized through the collaboration with other members of the CSM\u2019s Health Care Humanities Committee.In their previous article \u201cMaking the Case for History in Medical Education\u201d in this journal, David S. Jones et al. have argued that they see both chances as well as challenges with integrating medical history within the medical humanities, while making \u201cthe case for history as an essential component of medical knowledge, reasoning, and practice.\u201dclient\u00e8le as the Monday lectures, offer practical instruction and experience on various topics, ranging from skills for public presentation, academic discussion, history research methodology, to history of medical techniques with some hands-on experiential learning. The course offers thereby a good chance for medical students to establish informal relationships with faculty, who later serve as faculty preceptors in students\u2019 disciplines of interest for individual research projects and even as collaborators on mutual publications.The history of medicine courses are comprised of a series of lectures and seminars held on Mondays from 12:30 to 1:20 PM throughout the full academic year, which highlight particular themes, episodes, controversies, people, and events in the history of medicine. The types of history taught in these courses include the social history of medicine, the history of medical ideas, laboratory history, the relationship of the history of medicine with the history of science and the Science and Technology Studies (STS), elements from public health history, as well as the relationship between the history of medical technologies and modern media studies. These lectures and seminars, attended by medical students, residents, postdocs, and interested clinical faculty, provide an overview of history of medicine and are taught by both historians and medical faculty actively publishing in the history of pathology, pediatrics, geriatrics, public health, as well as complementary and alternative medicine.curriculum vitae as well as their electronic Canadian Resident Matching Service portfolios.Proceedings of the Annual History of Medicine Days.At the end of each academic year, the associate dean for undergraduate medical education receives a letter about each student\u2019s participation in the course and spin-off activities, including archival work, presentations, and publications, as these are always seen as valuable additions to a student\u2019s This content of the UofC\u2019s HOMHCP is hence fully aligned with most of the strategies for history at medical schools in the US and Canada as pointed out in \u201cMaking the Case for History in Medical Education.\u201d The concerns articulated in their article regarding resource competition between the medical humanities and history of medicine would not necessarily lead to antagonism but can also be overcome through mutual forms of collaboration and the emphasis of interdisciplinary strengths. Furthermore, Jones et al.\u2019s focus on reframing history of medicine as a field that is based in science studies and history of science, discussing questions of paradigms, biopolitics, discourses, and postmodernism, can also be widened to include valuable public health perspectives, areas of comparative and global history, along with important aspects of intersectionality and indigeneity regarding the history of medicine and health care.Students could also submit abstracts on medical topics to the Royal College of Family Physicians of Canada for their student prize competition.aper\u00e7u: \u201cart always outlasts science.\u201dAlthough the Calgary History of Medicine and Health Care course has changed in nature and scope since it was started by Peter Cruse, students remain committed to the experience of the program, which offers them insight from various faculty members into their specific areas of interest.Clio in the Clinic emphasizes. The current analysis of the local history of medicine program can offer useful insights into the proliferation of the program along with the available resources and history of medicine collections. Education studies have frequently examined history of medicine programs to elicit how medicine is perceived, understood, and taught with a critical perspective to its historical development and socio-cultural context. This article has examined the historical steps that led to the foundation of the UofC\u2019s HOMHCP and its context in the reform education initiatives at this younger medical school in Canada. The support of external funding agencies, the AMF and the Hannah Foundation (now the AMS), was instrumental in bringing a medical history perspective into the educational setting in Calgary. Rather being wedded to contingent local settings, the UofC has tried to reach out to other medical schools, nursing schools, and history of medicine programs, to stimulate active exchanges and place history of medicine in a wider communicative network.Comparatively few North American medical schools include medical historians and history of medicine courses. At the UofC\u2019s CSM, the muse of history is nevertheless seen as integrative to medical teaching, research, and collaboration, as this case study submitted to Further networking opportunities were woven into the fabric of many of the history of medicine courses, including exchanges with colleagues from clinical education, and interdisciplinary collaboration with other historians, philosophers, anthropologists, and ethicists, as well as inter-professional panels.This collaborative community is locally supported by the planning committees, the award committees, and a pool of volunteering judges and conference moderators. The program is presently supported by Melanie Stapleton, a gastroenterologist as first co-chair and Lesley Bolton, a classicist, as second co-chair; Stephen Pow, who arrived from the Central European University, Budapest, Hungary, as an AMS-funded postdoc; sessional history instructor Susan McMahon as a research associate; and Marcia Garcia as the course and conference coordinator; along with physician-historian Robert Lampard holding an adjunct position in the department of community health sciences. Previous postdocs have included Fedir Razumenko from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Aleksandra Loewenau from Oxford, UK; Will Pratt from Edmonton, Canada; and Matt Oram from Christchurch, New Zealand. The program is administratively located in the CSM and can be found on the third floor of the Cal Wenzel Precision Health Building, while the Science, Technology, Environment, and Medicine Studies laboratory is housed on the eighth floor of the Faculty of Arts, and the History of Medicine Room in the library being located on the first floor of the HSC. The following individuals or administrators serve on the advisory committee: the chair is the associate dean, research (CSM), Bill Whitelaw as former HOMHCP chair, the head of the department of community health sciences, the head of the department of history, the associate dean for undergraduate medical education (CSM), the director of the O\u2019Brien Institute for Public Health, the director of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, classicist Peter Toohey, the dean of the Faculty of Arts, a student representative, and the CEO of AMS. The current state of the history of medicine curriculum at the UofC has further been exported to other schools, most visibly at the UofA\u2019s medical school in Edmonton, where the history of medicine interest program was restarted and revitalized by Jamil Kassam, a historian trained at the University of Chicago with see a speciaReviewing the structure and function of the HOMHCP reveals similarities, differences, and cooperation features with other history of medicine programs that developed around the same time across Canada. Many students and trainees from these centres have attended the HMDs conferences in Calgary:Its program in the medical humanities is located in the faculty of medicine and was led for four decades by physician-historian Jock Murray, who had been the former dean of the faculty. The program is primarily addressed to undergraduate medical students. Staff members include medical humanities scholar Wendy Stewart, historian of medicine Ronald Stewart, Marc Gilbert as postdoc, and Ana Sardinha as administrator.The department of social studies of medicine was founded in 1966 by Donald G. Bates (1933\u20132001). It is situated in the medical faculty, but members are cross-appointed in the departments of their home discipline. A lecture on the history of medicine and seminar-style block courses are taught in the medical faculty, yet most of the undergraduate teaching occurs within the disciplinary departments. McGill\u2019s is a research-intensive department, staffed by architectural historian Annmarie Adams as chair, sociologist of science Alberto Cambrosio, bioethicist Jennifer Fishman, medical ethicist Phoebe Friesen, bioethicist Jonathan Kimmelman, medical ethicist Nicholas King, historian of medicine Thomas Schlich, anthropologist Margaret Lock, medical historian Andrea Tone, medievalist Faith Wallis, historian of medicine George Weisz, and anthropologist Todd Meyers.The Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology was created in 1967 as a graduate studies and research institute. As an autonomous unit, it remains outside the medical faculty, with close relations to other UofT faculties. Academic staff include philosopher of science Brian Baigrie, philosopher of science Hakob Barseghyan, philosopher of science Joseph Berkovitz, historian of medicine Lucia Dacome, religious studies scholar Yiftach Fehige, historian of mathematics Craig Fraser, historian of biology Nikolai Kremensov, philosopher of sociology Mark Solovey, medical anthropologist Wen-Ching Sung, historian of biology Marga Vicedo, philosopher of biology Denis Walsh, historian of technology Rebecca Woods, and historian of physics Chen-Pang Yeang.Furthermore, the other seven Hannah Chairs continue to send students and participate themselves regularly in the HMDs, as organized by the UofC\u2019s own Hannah Chair.A particular aim of many history of medicine programs is the reinterpretation of Western culture, medicine, and science in critical, epistemological, constructivist, and other perspectives through teaching and research in medicine.[The Introduction of the teaching of history of medicine] is unlikely to occur in a \u201ctop-down\u201d fashion\u2026, it is much more likely to occur in a \u201cground-up\u201d fashion, whereby energetic, committed, politically adroit historians will take advantage of local circumstances and opportunities at their own institutions, succeed in their work, and thereby facilitate the growth and spread of the effort.History of medicine programs actively further interdisciplinary collaboration between departments, faculties, and beyond \u2013 and, what is perhaps one of the greatest benefits of all, teaching faculty are available to meet with individual students to discuss their interests, provide feedback on history of medicine and career path questions, and offer research preceptorships for projects. Most medical schools, with their rather large budgets, could afford to finance medical history positions and would derive significant profit from them. The study of the history of medicine is central to the training of future doctors \u2013 from day one of their classes, while offering a space for insightful reflection of their work on the clinical wards and clerkship periods \u2013 through the medical humanities and within the (ever) ongoing reform activities in medical education."} +{"text": "Geopolymer (GP) is environmentally friendly, has good mechanical properties and long-term workability, and has broad application prospects. However, due to the poor tensile strength and toughness of GPs, they are sensitive to microcracks, which limits their application in engineering. Fiber can be added to GPs to limit the growth of cracks and enhance the toughness of the GP. Plant fiber (PF) is cheap, easy to obtain, and abundant in source, which can be added to GP to improve the properties of composites. This paper reviews recent studies on the early properties of plant fiber-reinforced geopolymers (PFRGs). In this manuscript, the properties of PFs commonly used for GP reinforcements are summarized. The early properties of PFRGs were reviewed, including the rheological properties of fresh GPs, the early strength of PFRGs, and the early shrinkage and deformation properties of PFRGs. At the same time, the action mechanism and influencing factors of PFRGs are also introduced. Based on the comprehensive analysis of the early properties of PFRGs, the adverse effects of PFs on the early properties of GPs and the solutions were summarized. At present, Geopolymers (GPs) are considered an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional building materials and an ecological material to replace traditional cement in recent years ,2,3. ComIn general, the synthesis of GPs consists of an active solid silicaluminate precursor and activator solution. The source of precursor material is very rich. For example, kaolin, silica fume, fly ash, slag, and other industrial wastes . The mos4 and Al-O4 tetrahedral units. GPs are an environmentally friendly cementing material with low energy consumption and less pollutant emission in the production process [As mentioned earlier, GPs are an emerging sustainable material that meets the goals of energy conservation and environmental protection and can reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the environment. GPs are inorganic polymer materials with a three-dimensional network structure composed of Si-O process ,10. Howe process ,12. Fibe process . Because process ,15.Plant fiber (PF) has the advantages of low density and a high length-diameter ratio. It is not only cheap and readily available, but also comes from abundant sources and can be repeatedly processed and biodegradable . At the In recent years, PFs have been gradually applied to the development of engineering materials to improve the brittleness and other properties of cementing materials ,19,20. AResearch in recent decades shows that PF is feasible to replace synthetic fiber in GP composites. The research on the early properties of plant fiber-reinforced geopolymers (PFRGs) in recent years is reviewed. In this paper, the characteristics of PFs commonly used in GPs and the properties of fiber-reinforced geopolymers are briefly reviewed. The research on the early properties of PFRGs is discussed, including the rheological properties of freshly mixed slurry, early strength of GPs, early shrinkage deformation and cracking of GPs, etc. The action mechanism and influencing factors of early properties of GPs were introduced. The microstructure of GP in the early reaction process was analyzed and discussed.PFs are abundant, widely distributed, and have many other advantages. They are not only low-cost but also have good mechanical properties and are biodegradable ,28. The As can be seen in However, compared with other types of fibers, PFs have unique properties that enable them to bond effectively to the substrate. 6H10O5)n. The chemical structure of the GPs is shown in Cement produces gels due to the hydration of mineral particles, but the reaction systems of GPs and cement-based materials are quite different. Cellulose is the most important component of PFs, and its chemical formula is (CSome researchers believe that the reaction process of GP mainly consists of dissolution, diffusion, polymerization, and solidification. First, when aluminum silicate raw materials are dissolved in an alkali activator solution, many silicon and aluminum monomers can be produced. The silicon and aluminum monomers gradually diffused from the surface to the inside and then condensed rapidly to form the oligomer gel phase of silicon and aluminum. Finally, the silica-alumina oligomer gel phase solidifies and hardens into GP concrete ,77. HoweWhen PF is added to the GP matrix, a series of changes will occur in fiber properties. The compatibility between PFs and GP matrix will affect the workabilities and mechanical properties of composites to a great extent. Tan et al. studied The PF itself has an internal cavity structure ,30,31. B\u22123. Pimraksa et al. [Fiber can affect the density of composites as well as the water absorption. Liu et al. studied a et al. believeda et al. studied a et al. added siThe interface characteristics and adhesion of fibers and matrix are key factors in the interface control technology of composites ,80. The In fact, by adding kaolin and nanoclay, the porosity and pore size distribution of cement mortar is reduced ,93. On tGP is considered a green alternative to Portland cement. Previous studies on GPs have focused on their chemical and mechanical properties, microstructure, and potential applications, but few researchers have focused on their rheological behavior. In the fresh state, good workability of PFRGs is a prerequisite for better mechanical properties ,95. The Slump value is one of the important characteristics of the workability of fresh concrete. Slump tests can judge the workability and the freshness of the mixture. Compared with other fibers, steel fiber, and other conventional fibers are considered to be one the potential reinforcement fibers in GP composites. These fibers can enhance the flexural strength, tensile strength, ductility, and toughness of GP composites ,100. HowBashar et al. conducteIn contrast to traditional inorganic fibers, the sugar in PF is easy to hydrolyze under the action of alkalinity in the matrix. Hydrolysate plays an anticoagulant role in the hardening of the composite. At the same time, the fluidity of the slurry will be significantly reduced, and the slump loss of the slurry will be accelerated.Wongsa et al. found thAbbas et al. studied Similar to the above studies, Su et al. studied In summary, the workability loss of different types of fiber-reinforced GP mixtures is affected by their type, aspect ratio, and content in the mixture. The workability reduction of PF is higher than that of steel fiber and inorganic fiber with the same GP matrix. This is due to the high water absorption of PFs. Therefore, pre-wetting or pretreatment of PFs before the addition of GP mixtures can reduce the absorbent chemical composition of the fibers.From the perspective of low carbon and environmental protection, relevant personnel also carried out research on the related properties of waste PFRGs . Liu et Malkawi et al. used palIn addition, the effect of setting time is also an important index to evaluate the rheological properties of GPs. Ferreira et al. i2 and C-S-H will be produced in the hydration process of cement, which will increase the viscosity of the system and thus increase the slump loss of concrete. Adding admixtures to concrete is beneficial to maintaining the good fluidity of concrete. The surface of mineral admixtures is smooth and dense. When mixing concrete, they are dispersed among cement particles, and these dense particles act as dispersants.Many factors affect the rheological properties of GPs. Due to the high viscosity of sodium silicate solution, the rheology of GPs is quite different from that of ordinary concrete . When ceThe higher ratio of sodium silicate to sodium hydroxide in the GPs exacerbates the viscosity effect and further reduces the slurry flow ,119. SimIn addition, increasing the volume of the activator solution has been shown to improve rheology without significantly affecting the compressive strength of the mixture due to an increase in its liquid-solid ratio . Su et aThe addition of PFs will reduce the fluidity of the GP slurry and shorten the setting time of the slurry. The addition of some materials, such as rice husk ash, also affects the rheological properties of the GPs. Das et al. found that due to the absorption characteristics of rice husk ash particles, rice husk ash has a high water requirement, and insufficient water content will lead to faster hardening, thus reducing the processing capacity and setting time ,122.PFs affect the early strength of GPs, including compressive strength, flexural strength, and tensile strength. The results show that the PF can shorten the setting time of the matrix and improve the ductility and tensile strength of composites. Its influence on the composites is mainly manifested in the enhancement of toughness and the decrease of compressive strength ,124.The early strength of GPs is higher than that of cement concrete. Saranya et al. found th2 to 21.25 N/mm2 when 0.5% coir fiber was added. Korniejenko et al. [Both traditional inorganic fiber and PF can affect the compressive strength of the GP matrix. Korniejenko et al. analyzedo et al. analyzedExcessive fiber addition and uneven distribution in the matrix have adverse effects on the compressive strength of GPs . LazorenAbbas et al. studied The effect of waste fibers such as straw on the compressive strength of the GP matrix is similar to that of sisal and coir fibers. Workiye et al. preparedThe mechanical properties of PFs can improve the flexural strength of GPs, which is due to the high tensile strength and elastic modulus of PFs. The tensile stress exerted on the composite matrix can be transferred to the fiber through the interfacial bonding between the fiber and the GP matrix. In GP composites, fiber types, and properties are more effective than matrix properties in improving fracture properties such as flexural strength. Fiber properties control the failure mechanism and fracture characteristics of composites.Lazorenko et al. showed tThe flexural behavior of PFRGs is similar to the compressive behavior. Zhou et al. studied Abbas et al. investigKorniejenko et al. found thSimilar to flax fiber, cotton fiber, sisal fiber, and coir fiber, related studies found that sawdust produced consistent results in the GP matrix . SawdustAs can be seen from Through microscopic analysis of the early reaction process of GPs, researchers have further understood the structure and formation mechanism of the early reaction of PFRGs, to better understand their early properties. With the further study and development of the chemical reaction and mechanism of GPs, other early characterization techniques have been gradually developed and applied.Wongsa et al. conducteFrydrych et al. showed bIn contrast to cement-based materials, water does not participate in hydration during polymerization. In this process, the purpose of adding water is to provide a workable mixture. Over time, this excess water will dissipate and cause significant shrinkage of the GPs . ShrinkaPF can reduce the shrinkage of the matrix . Some stAlthough the mechanical properties of GPs containing PFs have been studied extensively, the effects of these fibers on the drying and shrinkage properties have been significantly less reported. Su et al. observedFibers can act as bridges in cement-based materials to prevent the spread of cracks. The morphology of the fibers has a great influence on their bonding properties with the cementitious matrix. The main function of fiber is not to improve the compressive strength of composites but to improve its toughness and control the further development of matrix cracks.Alomayri et al. found thGPs are cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and consume relatively little energy. However, the early tensile strength of GPs is relatively poor, and the mechanical properties of GPs can be improved by adding PFs.There are many studies on the mechanical properties of PFRGs, including the durability and degradation of PFs in a matrix. In recent years, more and more types of fibers have been used as reinforcements in a GP matrix. The recent advances of PFRGs are mainly reflected in the following aspects:Various recycled reinforcements have been used to prepare PFRGs, such as wastepaper sludge, waste cotton stalk, bagasse, and straw particles;Due to the need for intelligent construction technology, good early performance of PFRGs, including flowability and buildability, is becoming increasingly important, such as the development and preparation of 3d printing PFRGs;As the admixture of composites, nanomaterials are added to the PFRGs to improve the physical and mechanical properties of the matrix, such as nanoclay and nanocellulose;A variety of PFs pretreatment methods are used to improve the characteristics of PFs, to enhance the performance of PFRGs.The early properties of PFRGs are studied, including the rheological properties of freshly mixed GP slurry, the early compressive strength and flexural strength of GP, and the early shrinkage deformation and cracking of GP.The addition of PFs greatly delays the setting time of cement-based composites. However, unlike cement, the addition of PFs shortens the setting time of GP due to the heat that may be generated during the degradation of PFs.The degree of workability loss of different types of fiber-reinforced GP mixtures is affected by fiber type, aspect ratio, and content in the mixture.PF can improve the early flexural strength of composites and has the function of toughening and strengthening composites. The higher the content of cellulose, the greater the toughening and strengthening function.Compared with traditional fibers, the influence of PFs on the early performance of GPs mainly has the following problems:In an alkaline environment, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin of PFs are easily hydrolyzed to produce carbohydrate substances. However, saccharides can hinder the solidification of GPs and inhibit the strength development and setting time of cementitious materials during the polymerization, which will have a negative effect on the early mechanical properties of GPs. The characteristics of PF cause its water absorption, variability, and cementitious material bonding to be poor. Because of the high water absorption, the effect of PF on the workability of the GP matrix is higher than that of steel fiber and inorganic fiber.Through this study, the application of PFs to GPs as reinforcing materials has an adverse effect on the early performance of composites, mainly on the fluidity of mixtures. To solve these problems, PFs can be pretreated with chemical modification to solve them."} +{"text": "Department of Respiratory, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.In the published article, there was an error regarding the affiliation for Shicong Zhu. Instead of having affiliation 1, they should have The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated."} +{"text": "Formerly Scientific Officer, Medical Research Council Social and Community Psychiatric Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UKJohn Birtchnell, who died on 5 September 2022 at the age of 90, had a long and prolific career in psychiatric research. A common factor linking his areas of research interest was the definition and measurement of psychological dependence. It was out of this that he developed his general theory of relating, which he regarded as his most important contribution to knowledge.Throughout his career John balanced his pursuit of statistically valid data from populations with the in-depth knowledge of individuals, couples and families gained through his clinical work as a psychotherapist. In over 100 published papers, topics included early loss and separation experiences, social class and mental illness, marital quality and depression, the causes and management of attempted suicide and maladaptive forms of relating. In later years John drew on evolutionary theory to theorise on brain function and was fascinated by aspects of memory even as his own was failing.John was born in Aylesbury on 8 April 1932, the only child of Wilfred and Minnie Birtchnell. His father was an aircraft fitter. The family moved to Gloucester when he was five, his father taking a job in a nearby aircraft factory. John attended Sir Thomas Rich School. His schooling was interrupted when, at the age of 12, he fell from a tree, sustaining a compound fracture of his arm and nearly dying of septicaemia, being saved by the recent introduction of sulphonamides. A second medical emergency was the outcome of his quest for knowledge, when, at the age of 15, learning that six berries of deadly nightshade would be lethal, he thought it would be interesting to experience the effects of three.Already confirmed in his wish to be a psychiatrist before he studied medicine at Edinburgh University, he did house jobs in psychiatry and neurosurgery, then senior house officer posts in Liverpool in neurology and psychiatry, obtaining the Diploma in Psychological Medicine in 1963. After clinical posts at Crichton Royal Hospital (Dumfries) and St John's Hospital (Aylesbury) he went to Aberdeen. His earliest research interests were in the possible short- and long-term consequences of parental death, the topic of his MD thesis, at Aberdeen University, where he subsequently trained full time in psychotherapy, obtaining the Aberdeen University Diploma in Psychotherapy.For the remainder of his career he worked for the Medical Research Council, commencing as an MRC Clinical Research Fellow in the Department of Mental Health, Aberdeen University, where he worked on the Aberdeen Case Register, then moving in 1970 to the MRC Clinical Psychiatry Unit at Graylingwell Hospital, Chichester, under the directorship of Dr Peter Sainsbury. Here the focus was research on suicide and attempted suicide. On Dr Sainsbury's retirement in 1982, this unit was disbanded and John was relocated to the MRC Social Psychiatry Unit at the Institute of Psychiatry, London, where he worked for most of his career. After his retirement in 1998, he continued to work as an Attached Worker with the Section of Clinical Psychiatry at the Institute.British Journal of Medical Psychology (1989\u20131995) and it is a measure of his ability to work collaboratively across disciplines that, as well as being a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, he was awarded the Fellowship of the British Psychological Society and Honorary Membership of the British Association of Art Therapists.He was the editor of the A young man preoccupied with his nose. He wrote papers on art therapy and contributed over a 20-year period to an annual residential art therapy school at Leeds Metropolitan University.John was a keen amateur artist and developed an interest in art therapy while at Aberdeen. It was there that he made a film He married Rosemary (Niven) in 1961 and they divorced in 1969. He met his second wife, Sandra, in 1970, when she came on secondment to the MRC Unit in Chichester, the courtship ritual including writing two papers together. Following marriage in 1973, they had two sons. In later years, he developed Alzheimer's disease which had a chronic course. His illness spared him the grief of the loss of his younger son in 2020. He is survived by his wife, elder son and grandson."} +{"text": "To analyze the concept of men's health care and identify its essential, antecedent and consequent attributes in the health context. This is a concept analysis structured in the theoretical-methodological framework of the Walker and Avant Model. An integrative review was carried out between May and July 2020, using keywords and descriptors: Men's Care and Health. The concept of men's health care is structured by 240 attributes, 14 categories, 82 antecedents and 159 consequents, from the selection of 26 published manuscripts. The design was evidenced from the dimensions: Intrapersonal, psychological and behavioral related to masculinities, interpersonal, organizational and structural, ecological, ethnoracial, cross-cultural and transpersonal. The concept of men's health care revealed the male specificities regarding the recognition of the place of health care and the daily exercise in the lived experience. Most of the scientific production is directed to the hegemonic masculinity model, centered on the profile of white and heterosexual men, in which other peripheral models of masculinities that include black, poor men, residents in traditional communities and minority sexual and/or gender groups, are little present.When performing a search in global databases such as the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online - MEDLINE/ PubMed, the absence of studies related to the health care of men was identified, as well as the development of defined concepts, in which only the presence of isolated terms and/or uniterms was recognized. In this scenario, the apprehension of the available findings justified the decision to contribute to the development of the concept \u201cmen's health care\u201d. Given the above, this study aimed to analyze the concept of health care for men and identify essential, antecedent and consequent attributes in the context of health.This is a concept analysis based on the theoretical-methodological model of Walker and Avant, whose composition is systematized in eight stages, namely: 1. Selection of the concept; 2. Delimitation of the objectives of the analysis; 3. Identification of the use of the concept in the literature; 4. Determination of essential attributes; 5. Identification of the model case; 6. Identification of contrary cases; 7. Identification of the background and consequences of the concept under analysis and 8. Definition of the empirical references of the developed concept.As proposed by Walker and Avant in the first stage, it was defined as a question for the development of the concept: How can men's health care be conceptualized? Thus, we adopted the inclusion criteria of the reviewed studies to achieve development, namely: having been produced in the area of health sciences, social sciences and humanities; presenting health care involving the male public as the centrality of the object/concept and composing relevant findings for the development of the concept in the health field. In the second stage, the objective was defined, followed by the third and fourth stage, which consisted of the theoretical exploration of the conceptual attributes. An integrative review was carried out on the elements that make up men's health care, in order to investigate the existence of theorized concepts, employment, frequency of appearance, adequacy, correlation and the definition of these in the literature. In order to compose the textual corpus of the study, the stages proposed by Mendes, Silveira and Galv\u00e3o were adopted, namely: 1. Definition of the review question; 2. Search and selection of primary studies; 3. Extraction of data from primary studies; 4. Critical evaluation of primary studies; 5. Summary of the review results; 6. Presentation of the review.The questions adopted for data extraction in the literature were defined through the PICo strategy, whose acronym means: Population/Problem: Man; Interest: Essential, antecedent and consequent attributes; Context: Health care,Three stages were structured for the organization of search strategies. To this end, the search strategy was used: \"Men's health\" AND \"Care\" in the Virtual Health Library (VHL) to find uncontrolled descriptors contained in the articles of interest. Then, there were combinations of controlled descriptors, obtained in the Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS) and uncontrolled, obtained in the initial search, plus the Boolean operators \"OR\" and \"AND\". Finally, this strategy was adapted for each database .The search and selection of the studies were carried out from September to December 2021, by two researchers who were authors of the study, independently, and the divergences were resolved by a third researcher. The following databases were used: MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, LILACS, BDENF, Scopus, Web of Science and SciELO. For the management of the collected material, the Endnote was used. The selection of studies followed the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method,For the development of the concept, we extracted from the empirical data: definition, concept, and antecedents, essential and consequent attributes. In this context, the defining essential attributes are configured in words or expressions that are used to structure the essential properties that determine the concept of interest, which makes it individualized from other existing analogous and/or approximate concepts. The antecedents and consequences of this concept are outlined as situations, events and/or incidents, which emerge a priori and a posteriori, in due order, the phenomenon of interest investigated, which results as a consequence, in this case, the health care of men. After this stage, the data were codified and allocated into analytical categories, in which the essential attributes of men's health care were composed of characteristics: Intrapersonal, psychological and behavioral related to masculinities, interpersonal, organizational and structural, ecological, ethnoracial, cross-cultural and transpersonal.The analysis of the results of the review evidenced in the literature was descriptive, in which the synthesis of each study included in the review was presented, as well as comparisons between the studies. In addition, a thorough and exhaustive analysis of the direct relationship between the elements and the phenomenon investigated was carried out. The structuring of the development of the concept of health care for men is organized in the presentation of the scientific productions selected for the composition of the corpus of analysis, followed by the exposure of the use of terms related in the literature in different areas of knowledge, the delineation of the derivation/development of the concept from its essential attributes, the definition of the concept, the antecedents and consequences, the model case and the otherwise.The identification of the use of terms related to the concept of health care of men present in the literature was organized by the appearance in the areas of knowledge, expressed in When based on the survey, selection and dissection of the literature on the subject, submitting it to the derivation for the development of the concept, the essential attributes related to the health care of men were apprehended, represented in model case was developed, described below: [...] \"Adult man has observed his body, his mind and spirit daily, which made it possible to recognize a drop in his income at work. When experiencing pain and changes in sexual dynamics, he talks to his partner; he seeks to consume foods that he believes can increase potency, indicated by friends. He reflects on what occurs to him and seeks to recognize the place of this pain, and the reasons for its occurrence, later, he tries to change the pace of his activities, adopts physical exercises and relaxation; he tries to think of positive situations. He uses the references of care experienced in the past, seeks guidance from significant people, family, friends, co-workers and neighbors; he adopts integrative and complementary practices, seeks assistance in traditional spaces and in health services. He recognizes himself as vulnerable, external to his desires, fears, and concerns and expresses his feelings and emotions. He reveals the tensions between his state and the pressures of hegemonic masculinities. When feeling afraid of becoming ill, he resorts to his socio-affective, environmental, bioenergetic, ethnic/racial, cultural, spiritual and/or religious network, and allows himself to be cared for by others to face the adverse situation and reintegrate into his daily activities that make up his sociohistory\u201d. In order to illustrate the operability of the applicability of the concept of men's health care, a is presented, as follows: [...] \u201cAdult man realized that he has not been yielding at work as before, he feels constant pain but takes medication on his own or drinks a beer. He believes that this discomfort will pass, because he thinks he is strong enough to overcome this situation and continue working in the same way. When he realizes that tiredness affects his sexual activity, he avoids intimate encounters and touching this aspect with his partner. Sometimes he is afraid of getting sick, he feels irritated and he feels confident not to cry, he thinks about seeking help, but soon gives up thinking about it he can solve this situation alone and goes back to work\u201d.As a way to illustrate the non-operability of the concept of men's health care, the opposite The structuring of antecedents and consequences for the health care of men are represented from the qualification as harmonious and disharmonious, when considering their characteristics in relation to health care. The antecedents of the concept were structured in dimensions: intrapersonal , interpersonal, macrosocial, ecological, ethnic-racial, cross-cultural and transpersonal, which relate to the interactions described below: Intrapersonal : Illness; autonomy and independence; cycles and/or phases of life; personal beliefs; male beliefs; food and body culture; diseases; male identity; normative models; intelligible practices; performances; subsistence; male universe; force vectors; experiences.Interpersonal (socio-affective interaction): Discursive fields; affective determinants; medical discourses; femininity; female historical-cultural reference; medical guidance; therapeutic plans; marital, family, maternal, paternal and socio-affective relations; references of care; sexualities; female universe.status; urbanization.Macrosocial (interaction with structures of society): Accesses - diagnostic tests, internet, health services; social environment; provided by institutions; conjuncture; daily life; contexts - social and life; social constructions - gender - masculinities; social class; culture; social determinants; city dynamics; factors - generational, historical, political, risk; communication - cellular telephony; social imaginary; social metaphors; health care models; world of work - conditions, locations, value; organization of health services; social organization; health plan; family provision; racial relations; wealth; economic situation; social Ecological (interaction with the environment): Animal and plant coexistence; emigration and migratory flows; territorial and regional insertion; geographical location; nationality; agricultural, environmental, ecological and ethnic relations.Ethnic-racial: Ethnic-centered experiences; ethnic teachings; ethnic acculturation.Cross-cultural (interaction with culture): Adoption and influence of local customs and popular knowledge.Transpersonal: Adoption of beliefs and philosophies; desires around personal fulfillment; ancestral, spatial, spiritual, faith and religious influences; ways of existing, seeing care, health and living life; ritual practices.The consequent of the concept were structured in dimensions: intrapersonal , interpersonal, macrosocial, ecological, ethnic-racial, cross-cultural and transpersonal, described below:Intrapersonal: Healthy and balanced eating; abandonment of habits harmful to health and/or addictions; adoption and directing efforts to promote a healthy lifestyle and habits, preventive care with physical and mental health, aesthetics, relaxation, leisure, daily measures to control diseases, improvement of sleep pattern; learning, perception and concern with health care; self-examination; evaluation of signs and symptoms; knowledge of the body; control in food consumption, weight, metabolic levels, blood perfusion; moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages; dedication to work and the family; decrease in exposure to the risks of greater health problems, the emergence of diseases and aggravation of others already existing; elaboration of individualized forms of care; adequate coping with the effects and treatments of diseases; emission of healthy behaviors; positive coping with the disease and/or health problems; hydration; hygiene; independence for self-care; management of intrapersonal barriers to care; manifestation of emotions and feelings; maintenance of the practice of positive attitudes towards oneself, life, health status, good functioning of the body and continuity of care and healthy longevity; changes in health behaviors; objectification of care, health and life; personal organization and care routines; health promotion, physical, psychosocial and spiritual well-being and health prudence; recognition of the importance of health care; rest; subversion; personal and symbolic appreciation; zeal.Interpersonal: Adherence and regular monitoring of consultations and/or interventions and/or prescriptions and/or treatments and/or health-disease-aggravation therapies, implemented by professionals in health services; Adherence to available family support; Adoption of care with the home environment; Support received and provided to loved ones/family members; Care of the other; Care for sexual and reproductive health; Child and/or child care; Being with the other; Establishing relationships with and between people; Affective involvement and/or manifestation of affection; Establishment and strengthening of trust and family and socio-affective bond; Interaction with health professionals; Immunization; Modeling of good behavior with others; Practice of physical activity and/or physical exercises; Obtaining referrals from health services; Participation in activities offered in the health service ; Preservation of marriage and harmony of the home and health habits arising from conjugality; Medical search for diagnosis; Conducting diagnostic tests; Recreation and/or socialization with friends; Overcoming weaknesses caused by widowhood; Use of medications according to medical prescription and/or safe recommendation; Use of primary health services.Macrosocial: Access to attractions in the community; support received in the workplace; search for help from others; search for improvement in quality of life; sharing with the social other; collective coexistence; work performance; willingness to obtain social support; engagement in intellectual activities; involvement in social projects; exercise of good coexistence and company; strengthening with the social network; engagement in labor and union activities; structuring of modes for care, health and life; establishment of levels of care and health care; management of responsibilities towards the family; management of barriers imposed by daily, by work, by the health system and by economic/financial difficulties; maintenance of functional and work capacity; improvement of social skills; motivation to attend public spaces; participation of group activities in the community and/or educational groups; promotion of future reduction of spending on health; promotion of social and work well-being; provision of material resources for care to occur; preservation of the workforce; reduction of the pace of daily activities and work; overcoming patriarchal values and gender barriers, masculinities and other social character; use of informational support in access to guidance and instruments arising from social incentive; healthy life.Ecological: Agricultural cultivation; ecosophy; establishment and/or closer ties with the environment/earth; environmental preservation.Ethnic-racial: Racial self-affirmation; good ethnic coexistence; establishment of mechanisms for overcoming and combating racism and racial discrimination; strengthening of ethnic relationships; valuing knowledge, cultures and ethnic traditions.Transcultural (interaction with culture): Ancient knowledge transmitted from generation to generation; search for traditional knowledge; preservation of family traditions; overcoming cultural barriers; use of teas and products and/or natural and/or home remedies from traditional and/or ancestral popular knowledge.Transpersonal: Achievement of happiness; accumulation and/or acquisition of life experiences; well-being; search for help, assistance and/or spiritual and life healing; search for balance; going to church; participating in religious groups; promotion of spiritual well-being.\"The health care of men is a set of conceptions, attitudes and practices, which is structured individually and/or collectively in the intrapersonal, behavioral, interpersonal, macrosocial, ecological, cross-cultural, ethnocultural and transpersonal dimensions in a given socio-cultural and territorial inscription. This care is directed both individually and collectively to men and by themselves, based on the beliefs and expectations about the male being in the world. In the individual sphere and experience, care is manifested anchored in the notions of the productive and sexual body, in an intersubjective and psycho-emotional way, which involves values, self-recognition of the need to take care of oneself, singular experiences, search for personal fulfillment, ethnic agreement and transcendence. In the collective sphere, interpersonally care is manifested in interactions with its socio-affective network; community, environmental and culturally emerges and is expressed under the influence of the social construction of masculinities and femininities, of ecosystemic and socio-historical experiences\u201d.From the identification of the attributes of the concept of \u201cmen's health care\u201d, the stage of conceptual definition was carried out. The concept developed showed that the health care of men is based on previous references and is structured in male and female learning of gender, which outline attitudes, behaviors, stereotypes and practices that demarcate impressions of the place of man in the ways of being, of seeing himself, health, care, environment and life: [...] -When raising the essential attributes of the concept of men's health care, the expressiveness of existing phenomena was observed, which had different ramifications and origins, which led us to outline structures that were based on the dimensions of men's being and existence in a given socio-historical, cultural, gender and masculinities context, sexual identities, territory, schooling, age and generation, race/color/ethnicity, the world of work, daily and complex life and social class.-To develop the concept from the identification of essential attributes, it was noted in the material that there was a greater centrality and frequency of appearance of findings related to men's health care with regard to the set of actions, attitudes, characteristics, conceptions, components, state, motivations, orientations, perceptions, positions, feelings and experiences arising from the identity constructions of men. In addition, they were also linked to the principles, values, subjectivities, imaginary and intelligibilities that strongly guided the construction of habits and lifestyle in relation to health care.The health care of men reserves great centrality in the individual sphere of the subjects, which has a significant approximation with the hegemonic aspects of masculinities, when gender norms based on patriarchy and machismo are printed. Such findings may result in harm to the self-care of health by influencing the adoption of isolated, unsafe care measures, as seen in the context of male self-medicalization, the removal of this public from health services, resistance to adherence to health therapies and prevention strategies. ,-,,-,-,,,,,Although the studies were developed between the 1990s and 2000s, men of different ages were investigated, and even the most current studies, there was a marked nuance for the exercise of biophysiological care, corporeality.-,,-,,,-Regarding the dimension of interpersonal essential attributes, we observe the presence of communication phenomena, the relationship that men establish with and among people who are in their cycle and/or socio-affective network.-locus of social and political inscription.,-status and responsibilities required and the way these elements influence the health care of men-The essential macrosocial attributes are related to phenomena arising from occupation, family, socioeconomic level, culture, values and social ideologies and evolutionary relationships of intra and interpersonal character of society. Men's health care is closely linked to the dynamics of the world of work, social class, mobility, exchanges, social conflicts, as well as emerging from ways of life, everyday life and complexity. In this sense, the attributes reveal the emergence of processes such as assemblages, cultural influences, representations, life stories, objectification, organization, daily life, ethics, the health-disease process, health promotion, quality of life, social responses, routines, experiences and vulnerabilities.,,,,When trying to identify essential attributes and frame them in ecological dimensions, in which the presence of a health care interconnected to the habitat, the ecological niche and the intimacy of men with the maintenance of the ecosystem was observed, specific phenomena were glimpsed. In this way, the preservation of local customs, the position of being in community, ecosophy, the relationship with the physical and social, animal and vegetable environment, as well as the presence of the interrelationship with space, the world, nature, organisms and the earth, were identified.,(-),,,-,,-(53)It was also noted the incorporation of attributes related to ethnic and cross-cultural dimensions, seized in studies whose male population investigated was permeated by the influence of structural markers of age and generation - elderly men, territory - rural, riverside and peasant men and race/color - black men.The concept of men's health care involved the following dimensions/aspects: intrapersonal, psychological and behavioral related to masculinities, interpersonal, macro-social, ecological, ethnic-racial, cross-cultural and transpersonal. In addition, the impact of this study is based on the advancement of scientific knowledge on the subject and the potential for feasibility in generating contributions to health science and practice, whether from an epistemological and conceptual perspective, or to practice from the reformulation of public policies, orientation of the service and health care and construction of care technologies. The concept analyzed can be useful to support the practice directed to the health care of men in the various scenarios of action, in the field of nursing and health, strengthening the structuring of instruments for clinical care, teaching, research and development of public policies for men, considering the antecedents, attributes and consequences of the care of this population."} +{"text": "MEFV mutations. Up to now, however, no nationwide research of autoinflammatory diseases with standardized contents which can integrate with data of other international studies has been performed in Japan.In recent years, responsible genes for autoinflammatory diseases have been increasingly known and clinical phenotype-genotype correlations of these diseases have been explored through international clinical databases such as EUROFEVER project. However, clinical features of genetic disorders could be affected by countries and races of the patients. Actually, patients with Familial Mediterranean fever in Japan show the different distribution of both clinical features and We have established autoinflammatory diseases database in Japan. In this research, we designed this database for integration with that of EUROFEVER project in cooperation with Pediatric Rheumatology international trials organization. This integration will enable us to evaluate clinical features and genotypes of autoinflammatory diseases patients in Japan in comparison with the European patients, which will provide further evidences of these diseases, leading to appropriate diagnosis and treatment for the affected patients.Most of diagnoses of the patients with autoinflammatory diseases in Japan have been performed in the central specialized hospitals. In this research, we have collaborated all these hospitals and will collect the patients diagnosed as autoinflammatory diseases through these hospitals. In addition to the diseases devoted to EUROFEVER project, other candidate diseases such as Nakajo-Nishimura like syndromes are included. Inclusion criteria and database contents of the patients are designed by reference to that of EUROFEVER project. Patients\u2019 information will be obtained from collaborated hospitals and the hospitals which actually will treat the patients. Before participation of this study, each collaborated hospital conformed to institutional review board of each hospital and the Declaration of Helsinki.Pilot study using paper-based registrations and questionnaires has been closed, and this analysis is ongoing. Now this research is in the transition to web-based system. We hope to show these results in Autoinflammation 2013.We have established autoinflammatory diseases database in Japan. This research is ongoing now.T. Kawai Grant / Research Support from: the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, R. Nishikomori Grant / Research Support from: the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, M. Awaya: None declared, K. Nakagawa Grant / Research Support from: the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, K. Izawa Grant / Research Support from: the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, T. Yasumi Grant / Research Support from: the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, O. Ohara Grant / Research Support from: the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, T. Heike Grant / Research Support from: the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare"} +{"text": "Aquatic Biosystems. We welcome submission of original research manuscripts, reviews, and commentaries to the journal.Aquatic biological systems are a critical part of the structure and function of earth's biosphere. While attention of the scientific community is often focused on the reaction of biological systems to changes in the environment, these systems also have profound effects, or actions, on the environment. Throughout the evolutionary history of earth, the rise and/or fall of different aquatic biosystems has impacted the character of the biosphere. At no time have environmental changes been more important to all life on earth than in the modern era, which underscores the need for the new journal, While the nature of the last common ancestor of all life remains enigmatic, geological evidence indicates the evolution of diverse prokaryotic microorganisms early in the earth's history. Around 3 billion years ago, the concerted metabolic activities of oxygen-evolving aquatic photosynthetic bacteria led to an oxygen-enriched atmosphere, and the development of a UV-protective ozone blanket, both of which provided the antecedents for an explosion of biological diversity and biomass. Two billion years later, the rise of larger and structurally more complex algae and aquatic plants provided new habitats and energy sources for the expansion of aquatic animal populations, which in turn formed the basis of new food webs.Subsequent shifts in the dominance structure of aquatic biological communities, driven in part by continental drift and sea level changes, influenced the chemical and geological character of the biosphere. A primary example of such a shift in dominance was the proliferation of planktonic coccolithiphores in the early cretaceous, leading to vast calcium carbonate deposits on the ocean floor and alterations in ocean chemistry. Modern studies of the ocean floor are leading to discoveries of complex communities, such as near hydrothermal vents and submarine brines, which may represent a snapshot of the early history of planet earth.Most recently, during the past few ticks of the evolutionary clock, the rapid surge in human population and development has reached a scale and dimension that can significantly alter the structure and function of aquatic biosystems, even on a global scale. The increasing and widening threats posed by the actions of human biosystems to the integrity and sustainability of aquatic biosystems highlight the importance of understanding how these systems function, and their resilience to environmental change. Understanding the aquatic microbial community and its effects on plants and animals is key to choosing a sustainable future. It is also important to place the reactions of aquatic biosystems to human actions within the context of non-anthropogenically-driven changes in the environment, such as climatic cycles.st century. Success will require open access to information and the concerted and long-term commitment of scientists, managers and policy makers. This commitment must extend to exploring innovative ways to prevent, minimize or reverse damage to aquatic biosystems, including the development of engineered biosystems aimed at renewable production of essential resources and mitigation of harmful waste materials, such as greenhouse gases, excess nutrients and pollutants. In other words, countering the consequences of negative actions with positive actions, in order to avoid negative reactions by critical aquatic biosystems.The complexity of this task will require the use of all available resources, including the wide range of technological capabilities driving basic and applied research in the 21Aquatic Biosystems. The scope of the journal ranges from the molecular and organismic levels to global systems and processes, reflecting the wide range of research in aquatic biological systems. The journal encourages reports on a wide array of environments, including lakes, rivers, marshes, springs, lagoons, solar pans, estuaries, and the open seas and ocean, and their micro- and macro-flora and fauna. The focus is on the relationships between the environment and biological systems, encompassing microbial genomics, physiology, and ecology, biogeochemical cycling, food webs, paleolimnology, biodiversity, conservation, resource management, and ecosystem structure and function. Engineered systems, such as for aquaculture, renewable resource, biofuels, biotechnology, and biomedical production, as well as constructed wetlands, are within the scope of Aquatic Biosystems.In order to facilitate communication across such an interdisciplinary spectrum, we launch the new Open Access independent journal named Aquatic Biosystems is to bridge across freshwater and saline systems, between basic and applied research, and from gene systems to ecosystems. The online Open Access format of the journal is designed to accelerate the process of disseminating important research results and information, in order to better meet the needs and demands of the highly dynamic and global science, management, and private sectors. We invite our international community of fellow scientists to contribute to Aquatic Biosystems.The goal of"} +{"text": "The authors would like to acknowledge Matt Ardito and Annie De Groot of EpiVax, Inc. for providing the predictions that were used to synthesize the tetramers. None of the authors are affiliated with EpiVax, Inc. Epivax, Inc. had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript, aside from the above-mentioned contribution. The authors have declared that no competing interests exist."} +{"text": "Francisella tularensis. The agent was named after Tulare County, California, where the agent was first isolated in 1910, and Edward Francis, an Officer of the US Public Health Service, who investigated the disease. Dr. Francis first contracted deer fly fever from a patient he visited in Utah in the early 1900s. He kept a careful record of his 3-month illness and later discovered that a single attack confers permanent immunity. He was exposed to the bacterium for 16 years and even deliberately reinfected himself 4 times.An infectious, plaguelike, zoonotic disease caused by the bacillus Tularemia occurs throughout North America, many parts of Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Peoples Republic of China, and Japan, primarily in rabbits, rodents, and humans. The disease is transmitted by the bites of deerflies, fleas, and ticks; by contact with contaminated animals; and by ingestion of contaminated food or water.Clinical manifestations vary depending on the route of introduction and the virulence of the agent. Most often, an ulcer is exhibited at the site of introduction, together with swelling of the regional lymph nodes and abrupt onset of fever, chills, weakness, headache, backache, and malaise."} +{"text": "That year there were many deaths in the village.Germs flew like angels from one house to the nextand every family gave up its own. Mothersdied at their mending. Children fell at school.Of three hundred twenty, there were eleven left.Then, quietly, the sun set on a day when no onedied. And the angels whispered among themselves.And that evening, as he sat on the stone steps,your grandfather felt a small wind on his neckwhen all the trees were still. And he would tell usalways, how he had felt that night, on the skinof his own neck, the angels, passing.Copyright 2004 by Lola Haskins. Reprinted from Desire Lines: New and Selected Poems, BOA Editions, 2004, by permission of the author and the publisher through American Life in Poetry, an initiative of Ted Kooser, the 2004-2006 poet laureate consultant in poetry to the Library of Congress; the American Life in Poetry project is supported by The Poetry Foundation, The Library of Congress, and the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln."} +{"text": "Environmental Health Perspectives in 2004 for Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products, administered by the USDA [U.S. Department of Agriculture] FSIS, is an interagency program designed to identify, rank and test for chemical contaminants in meat, poultry, and egg products.They continue,The NRP requires the cooperation and collaboration of several agencies for its successful design and implementation. The USDA FSIS, the EPA [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency], and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) FDA are the primary federal agencies managing this program. The FDA, under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, establishes tolerances for veterinary drugs, and action levels for food additives and environmental contaminants. The EPA, under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act , establishes tolerance levels for registered pesticides\u2026. Representatives from FSIS, FDA, EPA, the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), and the DHHS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collaborate to develop the scheduled sampling program.Setting and enforcing safety levels involves several steps, one of which is the collection of meat and poultry samples, followed by statistical analysis, interpretation, and action. The NRP sampling plan is designed to identify samples with residues above the allowed levels. The data are then analyzed as categorical values . Current methods of data analysis do not include estimation of mean values that can then be extrapolated to the national food supply. It was by analyzing the data as a continuous variable that my coauthors and I were able to describe the high levels of arsenic in chicken in 2004 .Concerns about arsenic levels in chicken are of increasing importance because of the increased per capita consumption of chicken over the past decade ."} +{"text": "The understanding of the decision-making process in the introduction of new vaccines helps establish why vaccines are adopted or not. It also contributes to building a sustainable demand for vaccines in a country. The purpose of the study was to map and analyze the formal decision-making process in relation to the introduction of new vaccines within the context of health policy and health systems and identify the ways of making decisions to introduce new vaccines in Bangladesh. During February-April 2011, a qualitative assessment was made at the national level to evaluate the decision-making process around the adoption of new vaccines in Bangladesh. The study population included: policy-level people, programme heads or associates, and key decision-makers of the Government, private sector, non-governmental organizations, and international agencies at the national level. In total, 13 key informants were purposively selected. Data were collected by interviewing key informants and reviewing documents. Data were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that the actors from different sectors at the policy level were involved in the decision-making process in the introduction of new vaccines. They included policy-makers from the ministries of health and family welfare, finance, and local government and rural development; academicians; researchers; representatives from professional associations; development partners; and members of different committees on EPI. They contributed to the introduction of new vaccines in their own capacity. The burden of disease, research findings on vaccine-preventable diseases, political issues relating to outbreaks of certain diseases, initiatives of international and local stakeholders, pressure of development partners, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) support, and financial matters were the key factors in the introduction of new vaccines in Bangladesh. The slow introduction and uptake of new vaccines is a concern in the country. Rapid action on the application of GAVI support and less time taken by the Government in processing the implementation and administrative work may expedite the introduction of new vaccines in future in this country. Immunization, a proven tool for controlling and eliminating life-threatening infectious diseases, can avert 2-3 million deaths each year globally. It is one of the most cost-effective health investments . UniversHaemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), hepatitis B (Hep-B), pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), and rotavirus vaccines are particularly geared toward children of developing countries where the burden of disease is high . New vaccines tend to be considerably more expensive than existing vaccines, and some targeted diseases are relatively \u2018hidden\u2019 and, therefore, may lack demand from public and political perspectives . The sloTo control the vaccine-preventable diseases, the Government of Bangladesh has been working to expand the EPI by introducing new vaccines. Bangladesh introduced the pentavalent Hib vaccine in January 2009 to prevent severe child pneumonia and meningitis. However, the formal decision-making process in relation to the adoption of vaccines was never studied in Bangladesh. The purpose of the present study was, therefore, to map and analyze the formal decision-making process in the introduction of new vaccines within the context of health policy and health systems and identify the ways of making decisions to uptake new vaccines in the country.During February-April 2011, a qualitative assessment was made at the national level to assess the decision-making process in relation to the adoption of new vaccines in Bangladesh.For policy analysis of the decision-making process in the adoption of vaccines, the study included: policy-level people, programme heads or associates, and key decision-makers of the Government, private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and international agencies at the national level.In total, 13 key informants were purposively selected from relevant government, non-government and international agencies, and most informants were the members of any or more committees on EPI.Data were collected by interviewing key informants and reviewing secondary documents.Key informant interviews: Considering the complexity of the decision-making process as it is driven by many different factors and involves multiple actors, the key informants were selected from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW); Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & Co-operatives (MoLGRD); Ministry of Finance; Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS); EPI; Dhaka City Corporation; World Health Organization (WHO); United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF); representatives from different committees, including National Committee for Immunization Practice (NCIP), Scientific and Technical Sub-committee (STSC), Inter-agency Coordination Committee (ICC), National Steering Committee for Polio Eradication and Measles Control (NSCPEMC), and NGOs. Data were collected from the actors involved in decision-making on the following: time taken in decision-making, factors that influence decision-making, decisions on financing and barriers faced in the introduction of new vaccines, steps taken to solve the problems, why vaccines are adopted or not, and demand for new vaccines.Review of secondary documents: Secondary documents relating to the adoption of new vaccines were collected and reviewed. Types of documents reviewed included: comprehensive multi-year plan of the national immunization programme of Bangladesh for 2006-2010 and 2011-2016, systems research relating to EPI, policy analysis-related documents on new vaccines, immunization surveillance system-related documents, unpublished documents relating to upcoming vaccines, and minutes of meetings of different committees.Secondary data: Evidence from the review of policy documents provided general information necessary to describe the general context and introduction of new vaccines.Analysis of qualitative data: Analysis of qualitative data began following the initial data collection from the field and led to refinements as the study progressed. The interviewers prepared transcripts after the completion of each interview. At first, the transcripts were carefully read, the main findings were listed, and then the coding of main findings was carried out. After reading, re-reading, and coding the texts, the main themes were begun to formalize. Each theme was then examined separately and fully within the available data.The respondents were interviewed after obtaining their informed consents. Efforts were made to ensure that all respondents were properly informed about the study and they thoroughly understood their involvement. Participation was voluntary. The participants were ensured that refusal would have no adverse consequences for them. They were also assured that the information provided by them would be used for research purposes only and would not be shared anywhere by their names. Interviews were conducted according to the convenience of the respondents.The Research Review Committee and Ethical Review Committee of icddr,b approved the study before its implementation.The Government of Bangladesh is the main actor in making decisions on the introduction of new vaccines. The respondents mentioned that the key people involved in decision-making are: Director, Primary Health Care (PHC); Programme Manager, EPI; and Director General, DGHS. Their roles included the formulation of policy about the implementation of the existing EPI vaccines and taking initiatives for the introduction of new vaccines. They are also the key persons in all national-level EPI-related committees. The Joint Secretary, PHC-WHO at the MoHFW and the Joint Secretary, Budget, at the Ministry of Finance are particularly important. Although they do not participate in different forums relating to the introduction of new vaccines, their signatures in the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI) application for the introduction of new vaccines are essential.According to the key informants, the academicians also play important roles in introducing new vaccines. The academicians included professors of paediatrics, immunology, virology, and liver transplantation. Most respondents reported that high value is given to the opinions of the academicians in relation to the introduction of new vaccines. They stated that, if the specialists and academicians do not agree with the introduction of any vaccine, the concerned authority would not approve its introduction.All the informants reported that the introduction of new vaccines is determined based on scientific evidence. They stated that researchers and scientists are very important in providing scientific information on the need for the introduction of new vaccines. Most respondents mentioned the contribution of researchers in the introduction of the Hib vaccine. They said that, before the introduction of the Hib vaccine, good data were available to understand the burden of disease. According to them, a survey was conducted by the international research institutions and medical colleges. Findings of studies provided information on the burden of diseases and the need for the introduction of Hib vaccine. They shared the findings with the policy level, which influenced the introduction of the vaccine in the country. The respondents informed that the researchers conduct studies and make recommendations to determine which vaccine should be introduced on a priority basis.Representatives from different professional associations play an important role in the introduction of new vaccines. The associations included: Bangladesh Paediatric Association, Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), and Bangladesh Hepatological Society (BHS). Some of them are members of different committees on EPI, and they influence in introducing a new vaccine. One respondent said:You know.\u2026BHS has been pressurizing the Government to introduce Hep-B birth dose. At a certain point, our Hon'ble Health Minister became convinced about it, and he is in favour of introducing it at least at the facility level before its introduction at the outreach centres.The informants stated that the media generally do not have a major role in the introduction of new vaccines. The media play roles in the implementation of a new vaccine but their role in decision-making is minor. Normally, the vaccines are introduced in phases. The respondents mentioned that the reason for the lower level of influence of the media is that, if the media are involved in decision-making, they may publicize about the vaccine all over the country, which may create confusion among the people.All key informants reported that the development partners, especially WHO, UNICEF, and GAVI, play important roles in introducing a new vaccine in Bangladesh. The other development partners, such as World Bank, USAID, and UK-AID, are also the key actors in this regard. WHO and UNICEF provide technical support to Director, PHC and Programme Manager, EPI, about initiation and preparation of GAVI application, capacity assessment of cold-chains, and implementation of a new vaccine. Some key informants stated that the role of WHO and UNICEF is more important than the Government in terms of the introduction of new vaccines. They said that no matter whether the Government is interested or not but if WHO desires, they can introduce a vaccine in BangladeshIn response to a question about the role of GAVI, the respondents mentioned that the GAVI mainly provides financial support for the introduction of new vaccines. They also added that the GAVI has some priority vaccines to introduce. If their requirements are fulfilled, they support us and provide vaccines.The GAVI funds are used under the guidance of ICC. The ICC consists of members from different governments and NGO stakeholders. Secretary, MoHFW, is the chairperson of the committee. Other members include: Director General of DGHS; Director General of Family Planning (DGFP); Joint Secretary (PHC and WHO); Programme Manager, Child Health and Limited Curative Care; and Deputy Secretary of the MoHFW. The members of the ICC from other sectors include: Joint Secretary, Local Government Division, MoLGRD; Joint Secretary, Finance Division, Ministry of Finance; Director of the Ministry of Environment; Secretary, National Polio Plus Committee of Rotary International; development partners, such as WHO, UNICEF, USAID, World Bank, UK-AID, JICA, Royal Netherlands, and Sida; representatives from NGOs; and others, such as icddr,b, Save the Children-USA, Immunization Consultant, and GAVI. ICC is part of the decision-making body in the introduction of new vaccines.In Bangladesh, the NCIP formulates policy and monitors the EPI. It is the final body for taking steps in the introduction of new vaccines. The committee is chaired by the Secretary of MoHFW. Other members of the committee include: Director General, DGHS; Director General, DGFP; Joint Secretary ; Joint Chief (Planning); and Directors and Programme Managers, EPI, MoHFW. Other members also include professors at different medical colleges, representatives from professional associations, and development partners. The committee plays a vital role in making decisions on the introduction of new vaccines.Under the supervision of the NCIP, the STSC has been formed to review the policy of EPI. Director General, DGHS, is the chair of the committee. Other members of the committee include: Directors of National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), PHC, Maternal and Child Health, MoHFW; Professors at medical colleges; Programme Manager, EPI; representatives from professional associations; and representatives from WHO and UNICEF. The issue of introduction of new vaccines is first discussed in this committee for further processing.Information on the burden of disease from research organizations leads to initiation of the process of introducing a new vaccine. Whenever information on the burden of disease comes from researchers and the Government and other technical personnel become convinced, the Government starts the process of introducing a new vaccine. The first step in the process of introducing a new vaccine is to discuss it in the STSC. The STSC also discusses about the possible funding sources, GAVI support, cold-chain capacity, and sources of other support in introducing the vaccine. If the STSC is satisfied and approves, a proposal is sent to the NCIP for its approval. Whenever the approval is provided from the NCIP, steps are taken to apply for GAVI support for the introduction of the vaccine. Before submitting the GAVI application, the ICC must endorse the proposal .The respondents informed that whenever the NCIP and ICC approve the introduction of a new vaccine, the EPI headquarter starts the preparation of GAVI application for support. After receiving the complete application, the GAVI reviews it and sends it back with their comments and queries for clarification. After having satisfactory responses to their comments, the GAVI approves the application for the introduction of a new vaccine .The respondents actively involved in the preparation and submission of the GAVI application informed that almost two years are normally required to start the implementation of a vaccine after the submission of an application to the GAVI. The GAVI generally sends their comments six months after receipt of an application. It also takes some time to address the comments provided by the GAVI and resend the application to them. After resubmission of the application, it requires again around six months for the GAVI to take a decision and inform of their approval. According to the respondents, almost another one year is required to complete all the formalities and administrative work to start the implementation of the vaccine. The respondents from the EPI informed that they submitted an application to the GAVI for its support for the introduction of the Hib vaccine in 2007 in Bangladesh, which was finally implemented in 2009.The prevalence and burden of disease, findings of research on vaccine-preventable diseases, active participation of all key stakeholders, political issues relating to outbreaks of certain diseases, initiatives from international and local stakeholders, pressure from development partners, financial matters, and the GAVI support are the key factors that influence the introduction of new vaccines in Bangladesh. All the key informants stated that the GAVI, WHO, UNICEF, and other development partners have influenced the introduction of new vaccines. These international stakeholders not only influence by financing the introduction of new vaccines, they also provide technical support to the Government for the introduction.The political issues relating to the outbreaks of certain diseases also influence decision-making. Some key informants stated that, in 2009, the newly-formed political government felt certain pressure of the Haemagglutinin type 1 and Neuraminidase type 1 (H1N1) pandemic in Bangladesh. At that time, the H1N1 pandemic became a political issue through the media coverage. Without any analysis of mortality and morbidity due to H1N1, the Government had to take decision to bring the H1N1 vaccine in the country to reduce the public panic prevalent at that time.Most respondents stated that the financial factor is important for introducing new vaccines because new vaccines are usually more costly than the traditional vaccines. For introducing any new vaccine, the Government needs support from the development partners, particularly from the GAVI. The respondents also acknowledged the GAVI's contribution to two vaccines previously introduced, such as Hep-B and Hib. They stated that the Government can co-finance in introducing the new vaccines.In Bangladesh, while introducing new vaccines, decisions are jointly taken by the Government, academicians, researchers, representatives from different professional groups, and development partners. The Government, however, plays the key role. Without the contributions of other groups mentioned above, new vaccines might not be introduced in the country. The MoHFW initiates and forwards the GAVI application for a new vaccine after being vetted by the expert academicians. The researchers help the Government by providing relevant information to the policy-makers on the burden of disease, gathered from different studies and demand for new vaccines. The professional groups contribute to providing expert opinions about the introduction of new vaccines. The development partners, especially WHO and UNICEF, provide technical support to the concerned department of the MoHFW in the initiation and preparation of GAVI application, assessment of cold-chain capacity, and implementation of a new vaccine. The study participants mentioned that the role of WHO and UNICEF is remarkable in the introduction of new vaccines. All the actors work with positive attitudes toward the introduction of new vaccines. No negative attitude was observed among any actor involved in the introduction process of a new vaccine.The process of introducing a new vaccine contributed to establishing a formal procedure in Bangladesh. Whenever information on the burden of disease becomes available from researchers and the Government and other technical personnel are convinced, the Government starts the process of introducing a new vaccine. The first step in the process is to discuss it in the STSC. The STSC also discusses about the possible funding sources, GAVI support, cold-chain capacity, and support from other sources in introducing the vaccine. If the Sub-committee is satisfied and approves, a proposal is sent to the NCIP for its approval. When the approval of the NCIP is accorded, steps are taken to apply for GAVI support for the introduction of the vaccine. Before submitting the GAVI application, the proposal has to be endorsed by the ICC. This formal procedure became structured and functional while introducing the Hib vaccine in Bangladesh in 2009.The findings of the present study have shown that about two years are generally required to introduce a new vaccine after the submission of an application to the GAVI. The GAVI generally takes six months to send their comments to the Government. A considerable time is also needed in the resubmission of the application and making a decision by the GAVI. The findings of the study revealed that, after according approval by the GAVI, one year was required to complete all formalities and administrative work to start the implementation of the Hib vaccine. The slow process in the introduction and uptake of new vaccines is, thus, a concern in Bangladesh.The prevalence and burden of a disease, research findings on vaccine-preventable diseases, political issues relating to outbreaks of certain diseases, initiatives from international and local stakeholders, pressure from the development partners, and financial matters are the key factors in the introduction of new vaccines in Bangladesh. The GAVI, WHO, UNICEF, and other development partners influence the decision in the introduction of a new vaccine. Political issues relating to the outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases also influence in making decisions. The Government needs financial support from the development partners, particularly from the GAVI, for introducing a new vaccine,. The issue of co-financing helped the Government take over the vaccine cost gradually. Therefore, the system of co-financing may be considered while introducing new vaccines in the country.The GAVI Alliance's initiative to introduce new vaccines in Bangladesh is of utmost importance for children of the country. The role of Alliance in providing financial and technical resources for this purpose is crucial, especially given the high costs of such vaccines .The findings of the study indicate that slashing the funding gaps for immunization and achieving financial sustainability will require several important actions in Bangladesh. For instance, a larger public-sector budget resulting from economic growth, greater government commitments to immunization within health budgets, greater multi-year commitments from donors, reduction in vaccine prices, and a major sustained effort by the GAVI Alliance to support Bangladesh to introduce new vaccines and to permit sufficient time and planning for a transition away from GAVI support may enable Bangladesh to become financially self-sustainable. Findings of others suggest similar actions for poor countries ,18.The burden of disease, findings of research on vaccine-preventable diseases, political issues relating to outbreaks of certain diseases, initiatives of international and local stakeholders, pressure from the development partners, GAVI's support, and financial matters are the key factors in the introduction of new vaccines in Bangladesh. To expedite the introduction and uptake of new vaccines, it is important that the GAVI takes rapid action on the application for its support and the Government takes less time to complete the administrative work.The study was funded by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), (Grant No. 803). icddr,b acknowledges with gratitude the commitment of LSHTM to its research efforts. The authors thank all key informants for their participation in the study. The authors also thank Mr. Wazed Ali, Senior Field Research Officer, icddr,b, for his assistance during data collection and writing of the manuscript."} +{"text": "There is a grammatical error in the Funding section. It should read: This project was generously supported by Parks Canada, the Western Transportation Institute-Montana State University (WTI), the Woodcock Foundation, the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, and the Wilburforce Foundation. Other support was provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Alberta Conservation Association, Calgary Foundation, and the Mountain Equipment Cooperative. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript."} +{"text": "Memories can be the most precious of possessions. Today I write about over 50 years of my journey with allergy. More than naming my field of specialization, allergy has been my passion, and has become, in its way, my own life's companion.My journey of love with allergy began in 1960 at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, Canada. I believe I was the first Asian to have trained under the legendary Dr. Bram Rose, a brilliant disciplinarian who was then President of the American Academy of Allergy . My husband, Dr. Manuel Lim, had begun his training in Otolaryngology at the Royal Vic under Dr. James McNally the year before. Manuel had made an appointment for me with Dr. Rose that July. I will never forget my first meeting with Dr. Rose in his office. His directives to me, a young fellow about to embark on a career in allergy, were blunt, to say the least: \"When you do not know the answer, say that you do not know it; and when you are not sure, say nothing. I cannot stand people who talk through their______.\" His colorful words are forever carved in my memory, because they amounted to a rigorous standard for working in our specialty: be accurate, tolerate no nonsense. In the decades to come, I learned to fully appreciate my training under Bram , I owe what I am today. They form the pillars of my professional life.I was allowed to see patients after a month at Royal Vic, and after 3 months I became part of the team, presenting at journal clubs and joining research. In September 1960, 6 months after my arrival at Royal Vic, Bram sent me with the \"boys\" to Washington, DC, to attend my first American Academy of Allergy meeting at the height of winter. A generous mentor, Bram introduced me to luminaries of allergy in the 1960s , and to younger physicians who would become famous in the years to come . This early mentorship and collegiality sparked an intense desire for the pursuit of knowledge in allergy, a solid foundation for what I could become as an allergist.In 1961, Bram gave me a grant to attend my first International Association of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (IAACI) convention. It was a thrilling and terrifying experience for me, because all the \"giants\" in the field were in attendance at New York City. In fact, the IAACI, now the World Allergy Organization (WAO) has become a tradition for me: I have not missed a meeting since 1967, the year when I also became Fellow of the American Academy of Allergy. A year after I qualified for the American Board of Allergy and Immunology in 1975, Dr. Alec Sehon nominated me to serve as member-at-large of the IAACI Executive Board a year later. It was a great privilege for me to be the first female physician to sit on the IAACI board.Let me now switch gears and describe the early decades of our specialty in the Philippines. I returned to my homeland from my training in Royal Vic in June 1963, and my arrival caused quite a stir. At that time, allergy was still considered a \"controversial subspecialty.\" Asthmatics were in the hands of pulmonologists, patients with atopic eczema/dermatitis and urticaria were being seen by dermatologists, and those suffering from allergic rhinitis were treated by Otolaryngologists. In such a situation, my friends in Manila worried about my potential patient base as an allergist. In fact, at one of my first public lectures on allergy, our specialty was dismissed by a prominent Philippine University's Chair of Dermatology who stated that \"allergy is a waste basket diagnosis.\" I was crushed, but Dr. Arturo B. Rotor, my country's first trained allergist and Assistant Dean of the University of the Philippines' College of Medicine, defended my presentation as a concise summary of the state of the field. Encouraged, I began consulting with Dr. Rotor about my idea of organizing a national society of allergy, but at that point, such a dream seemed unrealistic since there were only 5 allergists in the country.The discovery of IgE by Professors Bennich and SGO Johannson Figure and KimiThe 1970s were a formative period for allergy in the Philippines. In the early 1970s, with the help of palynologist Dr. Pacifico Payawal and pharmacist Gloria Laserna, both formerly with the National Science Development Board (NSDB), I conducted pioneering pollen surveys in 5 regions of the Philippines and mold surveys in Metro Manila. I conducted these studies because, as Oren Durham once said, \"the allergist must know his pollens.\" Morris Webb of Hollister-Stier laboratories and Dr. Bob Esch of Greer laboratories created extracts from the local pollen fiora I supplied, while with the help of Dr. Vin Bristow, the Commonwealth laboratories of Australia, Dr. John Trinca, and Kathy Stringer, we were able to analyze and identify Philippine house dust mites. Three pioneering Filipino allergists disseminated the knowledge of allergy and immunology to urban centers and rural towns in the Philippines, using chalkboards and mimeographed handouts, speaking to both friendly and pessimistic audiences of various religious and ideological groups. A handful of pioneering researchers on allergy represented various Philippine universities: myself and Dr. Noche of the University of Santo Tomas (UST), Dr. Agbayani and Dr. A. Lingao of the University of the Philippines (UP), and Dr. Manuel Ferreria of Manila Central University. I also remember Dr. Avelina Bacnis for her principles and discretion. A Secretary of PSAI for more than ten years, Dr. Bacnis refused to be elected President. And I appreciate the contributions of another of the ten founding members of PSAI, Dr. Amelia Ochoa-Bulmer, who served as Secretary-Treasurer of PSAI and who is currently in private practice in the Philippines. At present, research is being carried on by a younger generation of Filipino allergists, among them, Dr. Agnes Gonzales-Andaya and Dr. Remedios Ong at UST, Dr. Madeleine Sumpaico at UP-Philippine General Hospital, Dr. Manuel Po and Dr. F. Padua at Fe del Mundo Medical Center and National Kidney and Transplant Institute. The PSAI became a member of the IAACI in 1976 and today, what is now called the Philippine Society of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (PSAAI) has nearly a hundred members. The PSAAI is in very good hands.One of PSAAIs greatest accomplishments, to my mind, is our hosting of the 1998 Third Asia Pacific Congress of Allergology and Clinical Immunology in Manila. Graced by the presence of then WAO president, Prof. SGO Johannson, and over 30 international speakers, the Congress drew a record number of attendees, with over 1300 participants from all over the world. I remain incredibly grateful to WAO for honoring me in Munich, Germany with the 2005 Outstanding Clinician Award; this was the greatest surprise of my life, and to this day I feel humbled, honored, and privileged to be so recognized. In coming to the final section of this editorial , I would like to thank Professor Lanny Rosenwasser and Sofia Dorsano for their invitation to contribute my perspective on changes in our field and the continuing importance of global exchanges to our specialty. In that spirit, I would like to offer these observations and recommendations:I would like to see the WAO continue to play a formative part in encouraging the development of national allergy societies throughout the world. For nations in what used to be called the \"Third World\" and is today referred to as the \"Global South, \" honoraria for the most distinguished and sought-after international speakers can be prohibitive. WAO's help in this regard--either through cosponsorship of speakers or organizing volunteer lecturers to speak at national allergy societies overseas--could make a crucial difference. WAO, through the World Allergy Forum and (GLORIA), has already been giving grants to national allergy societies of at least one speaker for their conventions, and I would like to see such grants expanded. A tandem between a clinical allergist and a clinical immunologist would be ideal. Locally, I believe that continuing medical education credit requirements should be mandatory for the national medical societies.In an era of transnational economic recession, many allergists who would like to attend international conventions may be barred from doing so by financial considerations. Discounts could be given to delegates from developing nations and perhaps, like the AAAAI and ACAAI, seniors could be offered free or discounted registration. In the Philippines today, both government grants and pharmaceutical sponsors rarely underwrite the travel costs of delegates to international medical conventions; in the few occasions when they do, they tend to prioritize infectious diseases and cardiovascular and endocrine disorders to the detriment of immunology and allergy.Dr. Allen Kaplan and Dr. Carlos Baena-Cagnani, both Past Presidents of WAO, were among the first to voice the ideal of a global exchange of ideas on allergy, allowing poor and wealthy nations alike to share ideas. In my view, national allergy societies play a crucial role in both national and global exchanges, providing critical education and training for specialists and allowing collegial partnerships and discussions with other specialists. By eludicating proper management techniques, such national and transnational fora ultimately help to improve the quality of life for our patients.Felicidad Cua-Lim, MD is the Founding President of the Philippine Society of Allergology and Immunology (1972-1978) and has served as Honorary President of the Philippine Society of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology from 2000 to the present. She was also Founding Chair of the National Asthma Movement (1994-1996), President of the Philippine College of Physicians (1996-1997), and President of the Asia Pacific Association of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (1998-2000). In addition to being named Outstanding Clinician by the WAO in 2005, she was honored as Outstanding Physician of the Year by the Professional Regulation Commission in 1984, Honorary International Distinguished Fellow by the American College of Allergy and Immunology in 1990, and Most Distinguished Physician by the Philippine College of Physicians in 2002. She taught at the University of Santo Tomas for 40 years, retiring as Professor 1 in 1995."} +{"text": "The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of filters to improve the image of Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) in diagnosis of osteolytic lesions of the mandible, in order to establish the protocols for viewing images more suitable for CBCT diagnostics. 15 dry mandibles in which perforations were performed, simulating lesions, were submitted to CBCT examination. Two examiners analyzed the images, using filters to improve image Hard, Normal, and Very Sharp, contained in the iCAT Vision software, and protocols for assessment: axial; sagittal and coronal; and axial, sagittal and coronal planes simultaneously (MPR), on two occasions. The sensitivity and specificity of the cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) have been demonstrated as the values achieved were above 75% for sensitivity and above 85% for specificity, reaching around 95.5% of sensitivity and 99% of specificity when we used the appropriate observation protocol. It was concluded that the use of filters to improve the CBCT image influences the diagnosis, due to the fact that all measured values were correspondingly higher when it was used the filter Very Sharp, which justifies its use for clinical activities, followed by Hard and Normal filters, in order of decreasing values. According to the parameters published by the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (AAOMR), criteria should be used by dentists who are responsible for the clinical management of patients with anormalities in the oral and maxillofacial region .Although the combination of conventional projections and panoramic radiographs is appropriate in a large number of clinical situations, radiographic assessment can often be facilitated by multiplanar image viewing, including the computed tomography images , 3.Furthermore, technological evolvement results in improvement of diagnosis of bone lesions. In this regard, filters of refining the image can be used to further enhance CBCT images, producing better diagnosis of osteolytic lesions of the jaws. The evaluation of the presence of bone destructions is fundamental, since it directs the prognosis, planning, and conducting of the therapeutic process.Following these statements, the purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of image filters and observations parameters in diagnostic enhancement of CBCT image, in order to establish protocols for CBCT interpretation, regarding the scope of mandibular osteolytic lesions diagnosis.in vivo situation, the specimens were installed in a plastic container containing about 1 liter of water, so as to be totally submerged. Subsequently, the tomographic acquisition was performed using a cone beam device iCAT cone beam 3D dental Imaging System , with the following acquisition parameters: 0,25\u2009mm of voxel size and 40 seconds of time of acquisition.The sample consisted by CBCT scans of 15 dry mandibles, in which lesions were produced involving only cortical or cortical and medullary, using a high-speed hand piece with dental carbide burs . The lesions were located in the buccal or lingual cortex of the mandibular body, and they presented different dimensions, shapes, and loci numbers, depending on the size of the used burr, in order to simulate uni- and multilocular lesions. In order to simulate the attenuation caused by soft tissue in an After acquisition of RAW data, the images were stored in natively universal DICOM format to avoid data loss and transferred to workstation located in an environment adjacent to console. Original volumes of CBCT scans were examined by two examiners, radiologists with previous experience in reports of CT scans, independently, who analyzed the images in the iCAT Vision software (version 1.6.20), without prior knowledge of any information on the simulated lesions, and the interpretation followed the principle of randomization of the images, on a personal computer, according to the established protocols of observation, on two occasions with an interval of seven consecutive days between assessments. The evaluation of artificial bone perforations followed the protocol of interpretation and was always the same for all images taken by the same examiner.All assessments were conducted individually and sequenced (a filter to improve the image at a time) for each examiner and images in question, under controlled light and environment free of external stimuli. evaluation of images obtained by CBCT acquisition on axial images with the use of following filters: hard, normal, and very sharp, through the program iCAT Vision in an independent workstation; evaluation of images obtained by CBCT acquisition on coronal and sagittal protocols with the use of the same sequence of image filters; evaluation of images obtained by CBCT acquisition on axial, coronal, and sagittal protocols simultaneously (MPR) with the use of the same sequence of image filters.The sequence analysis of the images complied with the following protocols:During the study of the images, only the studied image plane was displayed on the computer monitor, remaining the other pictures hidden using tools available in the program, in order to avoid interference in the assertion of presence or absence of mandibular lesion. Then, data were recorded properly for subsequent statistical analysis.P < 0.5).The statistical evaluation was performed by using validity test (sensitivity and specificity), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy , to estaIn order to check the reproducibility of the method above, testing intra- and interobserver agreement, were obtained Kappa scores including obtaining an interval of 95.0% of confidence for the population Kappa.The significance level used in the decision of the statistical test was 5%. Data were entered via Excel 2007 spreadsheet, and the software used to obtain statistical calculations was SPSS version 17.0 for windows [This work was submitted to the Ethics Committee of FOUSP under number 149/03, protocol 151/03.Tables Tables The cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT) was a big step in the improvement of CT examinations in dentistry, because the proposed improvements added quality to the image, facilitating diagnosis, and also increase the study, the facility, and the interest of dentists , 6. The use of cone beam computed tomography as a tool to perform morphologic and morphometric studies of the mandible is due to the advantages of this type of scan features, such as the observation of an extensive region of the mandibular arch, including areas and anatomical structures adjacent to the mandibular canal, allowing a precise analysis of the tract and its relationship with anatomical reference points , 8.The use of reduced thicknesses cut and reduced sizes of voxels in CBCT allows greater sensitivity and specificity \u201311.Our results found, in general, sensitivity above 75% and specificity above 85% Tables to 4. AcThe use of more advanced algorithms and the greatest number of visualization tools have an important role in determining the number of bone lesions in the jaws, as well as improving the process of diagnosis and treatment \u201317, thusSuomalainen et al., in 2008 , said th initial screen display: hard filter for all images, screen for planning implants: hard filter for all images, screen for ATM viewing: hard filter for the 3 first images and normal filter to Condyle images in preview mode Ortho, MPR screen: normal filter for all images, Cephalometric screen (Ortho view mode): very sharp image filter for left and right top images and hard filter for all others.According to the manual of use of the iCAT Vision software, patterns of use of filters to improve the images to be followed are the following:According to the results obtained in our research, Normal filter was inferior for the visualization and detection of simulated osteolytic lesions in the jaws.The use of filters to refining the image is critical for sensitivity and specificity involved in the diagnosis of lytic areas of the jaws. The evaluation of the presence of bone destruction is very important, since it directs the prognosis and the planning and conducting of therapeutic process. High-resolution iCAT CBCT images resulted in an increase in sensitivity without jeopardizing specificity .Observation protocols play an important role in the analysis of mandibular bone lesions. The junction of viewing plans (MPR), in our study, shows excellent values of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, with respect to the assertion of the presence of simulated osteolytic lesions .Analyses were done by regions of the mandible , and with regard to verification of the presence of bone lesions, the values of the measures were correspondingly lower for lesions located in the lingual and higher for lesions found on the buccal .In the present study, stands out the agreement between the examiners, in each assessment, with the gold standard, which ranged from 84.3% to 89.3%, whereas the agreement of each examiner was higher at the second moment of your assessment. Kappa values ranged from 0.77 (good agreement) to 0.84 (excellent agreement) .In the evaluation of intraobserver agreement in the assessment of loci number, In the evaluation of interobserver agreement comparedin vitro study, and based on the values found, it can be a basis for further studies, including those performed in vivo.The analysis of intra- and interobservers kappa values showed excellence in most of the results, demonstrating the reproducibility of the method used. Thus, this was an The sensitivity and specificity of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) for diagnosis of osteolytic lesions (simulated) in the mandible, using standalone workstation, was shown. The influence of filters to improve the CBCT image was confirmed, and the very sharp filter was higher, which justifies its use for clinical activities, followed by normal and hard filters, in order to decrease values. The best protocol for visualization the simulated osteolytic lesions was the MPR."} +{"text": "The aims were to identify whether there is burnout and the burnout levels of doctors and nurses working in ICUs . Also, to identify factors that may lead to the development of burnout in doctors and nurses working in the ICU.Application of a self-completion questionnaire with three items: the sociodemographic data of the study population, experiences in the workplace, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (Portuguese Version for Investigation 2006). For the implementation of methodological tools, we requested the authorization of the relevant institutional bodies, the ethics committee and directors of services. The professionals who participated in the study were asked for informed consent, whether formal or informal. Observation of the contexts of work and interviews was also done. In this study we will focus on the results of the questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v.17.0.A total of six hospitals, 10 polyvalent adult ICUs in the north of the country, 300 professionals, 73% nurses. Age of respondents was a median 32 years, with 8 years of professional experience and 4 years on the ICU. Results of the MBI: average levels of burnout in physicians and nurses working in the ICU. The risk of developing burnout is highest being a nurse 1:54 OR, yet there is no statistically significant difference at 95% . Nine percent of professionals studied showed burnout, 31% with Burnout syndrome and high risk of burnout. Distribution of levels of burnout by occupational category: higher levels of emotional exhaustion in nurses, personal and professional achievement smaller in nurses, and higher depersonalization in doctors.The results of the study underline the importance of promoting the prevention of burnout in doctors and nurses in the ICU."} +{"text": "Patients with colorectal cancer undergoing surgical treatment require planning and preparation of interventions for prevention of postoperative complications, especially considering the complexity and commitment of its clinical and psychosocial condition.To identify and synthesize the factors that influence the occurrence of postoperative complications and establish the implications of these scientific evidence for nursing care.It is an integrative review of literature where descriptors were used, wound, colorectal cancer and complications with search in the databases Medline, CINAHL and Lilacs, resulting in a sample of 10 scientific articles.Results indicated that the preoperative bowel preparation, staging and tumor location, surgical technique and care of the wound in the postoperative period as the factors influencing the occurrence of postoperative complications.Thus, measures of prevention and infection control can be implemented that are related to the rigor of the completion of the enema, ensure the conduct, preparation and guidance of patients for diagnostic tests and specialized , fitness and education on pre-operative surgery and its consequences, evaluation of patient outcome and the surgical wound and hospital discharge planning with primary care for the patient and family, encouraging the physiological recovery and wound healing. These nursing interventions could help in decreasing the rates of postoperative complications and mortality of this clientele, as well as improve the quality of perioperative nursing care.J. Silva Other review, H. Sonobe: None declared, D. Andrade: None declared, A. Giordani: None declared, C. Naka Shimura: None declared, E. Watanabe: None declared."} +{"text": "It is a great honor to assume the role of Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Epidemiology from Dr. Tomotaka Sobue. Under Dr. Sobue\u2019s outstanding leadership, the average impact factor reached 2.113 in 2012, and the expansion of the Journal beyond its original base has continued to accelerate. Indeed, the Journal is now recognized as an international rather than a domestic journal, and manuscripts from abroad account for two-thirds of the total. On behalf of the Board, I wish to thank Dr. Sobue for his inspiring dedication and service.Like many journals, the Journal of Epidemiology has recently faced major challenges in the global publishing environment. One broad-reaching change has been the introduction of open access licensing. Our adoption of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY v3.0) for all papers allows authors to retain ownership of the copyright of their papers, but also allows anyone to download, reuse, copy, reprint, distribute, or modify the paper, provided they cite the original authors and source. The global change in policy towards open access for papers supported by research grants is unstoppable, and our decision to adopt this model is critical to the future of the journal.Second, the Editorial Board warmly welcomes the participation of five new associate editors from abroad, starting from 2014. We believe these new colleagues will contribute to the continuing globalization of the Journal.The editorial team seeks to maintain the Journal\u2019s high international standards and will continue to publish original and review articles on a wide range of topics. Looking to the future, our goal is to establish the Journal as one of the leading journals in epidemiology. I warmly welcome the participation and support of every reader in attaining this goal.Manami Inoue, MD, PhDEditor-in-ChiefJournal of EpidemiologyProject ProfessorAXA Department of Health and Human SecurityGraduate School of MedicineThe University of Tokyo"} +{"text": "Please view the complete, correct, equations here: In the Methods section of Experiment Two, there is an error in the third, fourth and fifth equations. The coefficient of the complex valued result (A"} +{"text": "The codes and practices of professional morality had been enunciated centuries ago in the traditional Indian systems of medicine. The modern code of medical and research ethics has its origin in the Nuremberg Code, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Code of Medical Ethics by Medical Council of India, World Health Assembly Helsinki Declaration, Belmont report and the Revised Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) guidelines. The revised Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines have been adopted in 2006.The ethical principles of autonomy, justice, non-maleficense and beneficense are applicable to any research undertaken. Careful attention has to be given to the processes of taking consent, assent from minors, re-consent, community engagement, risk-benefit assessment, interventions, data management and follow up. Special concerns for cohorts include the difficulty in conveying results due to the absence of immediate benefits and unpredictable susceptibility due to genetic variations. There are issues of confidentiality and stigmatization due to the allotment of unique identification. There is a need for translational research in cohort studies to understand the priorities, validity and applicability in different cultural settings and the role of community based participatory research. There are concerns in research methodology due to shifting from acute paradigm to chronic paradigm, involvement of special population groups.Bio-banks have advantages such as advancement of scientific knowledge, present and future medical benefits for the individual, improved pharmaco-genomic understanding and commercial benefits through patents. The major ethical concerns revolve around collection, storage and management of samples. Human dignity, right to share benefits, intellectual property rights, access to personal data, sample sharing by researchers, movement of samples outside the country, samples from deceased or non-traceable persons are all issues which has to be carefully thought out. Breach of confidentiality and unwanted information flow can result in anxiety, depression, social stigma and discrimination. There are also issues of cultural and social acceptability for taking samples.The ICMR has issued guidelines for DNA banking in 2006 for primary and secondary use of samples. A draft DNA Profiling Bill, 2007 is under the consideration of the Indian Parliament which looks to legalize the collection and analysis of DNA samples and to create a balance between the constitutional rights of an individual and the public interest along with accountability and transparency in the practice of DNA collection and testing. It will be essential to establish standards for laboratories, staff qualifications, training, proficiency testing, collection of body substances, custody trail from collection to reporting and a data Bank with policies of use and access to information therein, its retention and deletion. Thus genetic technology faces ethical challenges in the clinical, social, economic, scientific, legal and political domains."} +{"text": "The rapid and evolving nature of hair research has led to the foundation of the European Hair Research Society (EHRS) in 1989, dedicated to the advancement of basic and clinical research focused on hair. Since the first meeting in Brussels, Belgium, the Society has held annual meetings in different cities in Europe, which attract more and more hair experts from universities, research institutions and industries from all over the world. Indeed, the EHRS stands in close contact with international hair research societies, and together with the North American Hair Research Society, the Korean Hair Research Society, the Society for Hair Science Research (Japan), the Australasian Hair and Wool Research Society, and the Indian Hair Research Society, co-organizes international scientific meetings.th annual meeting of the EHRS will be held this year in Jerusalem, Israel, from July 6\u20139, 2011 [http://www.ehrs.org or go directly to http://www.ehrs.org/conference/2011jerusalem/). The main conference will be preceded by a specialized hair course covering aspects of hair anatomy, pathology and genetics, fungal and parasitic infestations of the scalp, drugs affecting the hair and hair-associated contact dermatitis. The course will also present the basic and updated methods of hair trichoscopy. The opening lecture will be exceptionally attractive, and will discuss the momentous topic of \u201cHair in Movies\u201d.The 15\u20139, 2011 . The sciDuring the following two days, all major aspects of basic and clinical hair research will be discussed, from hair follicle physiology and biochemistry and hair growth cycles, through various pathological conditions of hypotrichosis and hirsutism, alopecia areata, androgenetic and cicatricial alopecia to various techniques of hair imaging and medical, molecular, cosmetic and surgical methods for hair regrowth or removal.Prof. Desmond Tobin was selected to give the prestigious John Ebling lecture, an honor awarded to leading scientists in hair research for their exceptional achievements in this field. The topic of the lecture this year is the hair follicle melanocyte. In addition to plenary lectures on current topics of broad interest, short talks will be selected from the submitted abstracts and will be presented. We expect a large poster session, incorporating topics from all fields of hair research. The best posters and lectures will be honored with a Poster and Lecture Prizes. The EHRS is dedicated to the encouragement of the scientific careers of young investigators, and also grants the annual Jurgen Schweizer Prize for the best presentation during the meeting. Additionally, a Travel Grant will be provided to selected delegates after acceptance of their abstract. But above all, the EHRS allows young people to interact with leading hair researchers in an unhurried, intimate atmosphere. The unperturbed atmosphere of the EHRS meetings allows also for informal close interactions, and these unscripted meetings make the EHRS especially valuable and distinctive.The venue of the EHRS 2011 will be the Ramada Hotel, located close to the heart of the city of Jerusalem. In addition to enjoying the scientific spirit of this meeting, delegates will also have the opportunity to appreciate the beauties of Jerusalem and its surroundings. Jerusalem is unique for incorporating a magnificent mix of cultures and people, and its breathtaking historical sights are sure to become an unforgettable experience for visitors. The social itinerary will include a visit to the Israel Museum, Light and Sound Show at the David Tower, Tour of the Old City of Jerusalem, Masada and the Dead Sea.jerusalem2011@ehrs.org. Early registration via jerusalem2011@ehrs.org by April 15th. We look forward to welcoming you in Jerusalem on 6\u20139 July, 2011.We invite you to submit abstracts for posters and oral presentations via Yours friendly,"} +{"text": "Infantile spasms is a severe form of encephalopathy that typically affects infants younger than 2\u2009years old. Pediatricians, pediatric neurologists, and other pediatric health care providers are all potentially key early contacts for families who have an infant with IS. The objective of this article is to assist pediatric health care providers in the detection of the disease and in the counseling and guidance of families who have an infant with IS.Treatment guidelines, consensus reports, and original research studies are reviewed to provide an update regarding the diagnosis and treatment of infants with IS. Web sites were searched for educational and supportive resource content relevant to providers and families of patients with IS.Early detection of IS and pediatrician referral to a pediatric neurologist for further evaluation and initiation of treatment may improve prognosis. Family education and the establishment of a multidisciplinary continuum of care are important components of care for the majority of patients with IS. The focus of the continuum of care varies across diagnosis, initiation of treatment, and short- and long-term needs. Several on-line educational and supportive resources for families and caregivers of patients with IS were identified.Given the possibility of poor developmental outcomes in IS, including the emergence of other seizure disorders and cognitive and developmental problems, early recognition, referral, and treatment of IS are important for optimal patient outcomes. Dissemination of and access to educational and supportive resources for families and caregivers across the lifespan of the child with IS is an urgent need. Pediatric health care providers are well positioned to address these needs. Infantile spasms is a severe form of epilepsy of early infancy . AlthougThe etiologic classification of IS includes the categories of cryptogenic and symptomatic. The cryptogenic form of IS occurs in 10% to 40% of IS patients. In infants with cryptogenic IS, no underlying cause is identified and the children have normal development prior to the onset of IS . OutcomeWithin symptomatic IS, a defined underlying cause is present, usually with developmental delay at onset of spasms. The percentage of IS cases classified as symptomatic has increased over time due to improved diagnostic techniques, such as metabolic and genetic testing and neuroimaging. It is estimated that approximately 60% (in living infants) to 90% of children with IS have an associated underlying disorder that is evident . Causes PubMed was searched for IS treatment guidelines, consensus reports, and original research studies. Relevant studies were reviewed to provide an update regarding the diagnosis and treatment of infants with IS. Web sites were searched for educational and supportive resource content relevant to providers and families of patients with IS.ARX mouse model), or propose a final common pathway underlying all causes of IS [Little is known about the pathophysiology of IS. The causes of IS appear to be extremely variable , and a ces of IS . The stres of IS . Adrenoces of IS ,28. Othees of IS .In the great majority of cases, parental observation of spasms initiates the clinical evaluation of IS -32. Parehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35wRjuvg9MI and developmental regression. Even a brief EEG recording may confirm the diagnosis, but if IS is suspected, a prolonged awake and asleep video-EEG study is recommended . IntericThe recommended approach to EEG evaluation, during the diagnostic evaluation and during follow-up to determine treatment effectiveness, is an overnight inpatient 24-hour video EEG to capture both hypsarrhythmia and spasms. It will allow the exclusion of other movements that may mimic IS and allow the investigation of other seizure types that may be occurring. If hypsarrhythmia or spasms do not occur, and the events continue at home, the EEG should be repeated in 1\u2009week or as clinically indicated. If developmental regression is present, the EEG should be repeated earlier than 1\u2009week. If an inpatient video EEG is not available, a prolonged 4-hour to 8-hour EEG video during a waking and sleep period may be completed as an outpatient; it is particularly important to capture non-REM sleep.Once spasms and hypsarrhythmic EEG have been documented, determining the cause of IS becomes the focus of the clinical evaluation -32. The Recently, an IS consensus group reviewed the most recent practice guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society for the medical treatment of IS , and outThe most recent practice guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society for the medical treatment of IS, which reviewed the available evidence as of 2004, state that ACTH is probably effective and vigabatrin is possibly effective in the cessation of spasms and abolition of hypsarrhythmia . The praChildren with IS who do not respond to first-line treatments may be considered for epilepsy surgery or the ketogenic diet, though no controlled trials are available for the efficacy of the ketogenic diet in IS. There currently is insufficient evidence to recommend protocols using new or emerging therapies for IS . The evoThere was consensus among the ISWG that use of ACTH is effective as first-line therapy for IS. Within the United States (US), natural ACTH is used, whereas outside the US tetracosactide, a synthetic ACTH compound, is frequently used. There was insufficient evidence to precisely define the optimum ACTH dose and duration of treatment for IS, although short duration was preferable . The moshttp://www.lundbeckshare.com). Children on vigabatrin are required to have periodic ophthalmic evaluations beginning with a baseline evaluation at initiation of therapy (no later than 4\u2009weeks after starting treatment) and at least every 3\u2009months while on therapy, as well as 3 to 6\u2009months after cessation of treatment . This is particularly important as parent/caregiver distress may interfere with the ability to comply with providing medical care to the child at home.Given the possibility of poor developmental outcomes in IS, including the emergence of other seizure disorders and cognitive and developmental problems ,53, the Children with IS often require an evaluation for early intervention programs for developmental impairment. Because available resources vary by community and by state, parents/caregivers should ask the treating physician about local services. Additionally, parents/caregivers can search for services using the Internet, ask about listings of social services at their local library, and determine whether their county of residence publishes information about social services and resources relevant for IS and comorbid disorders. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to create a support network and engage family and friends in the search for information and services. Persistence is important; if initial contacts do not lead to desired services, parents/caregivers should seek assistance from alternative service organizations. The optimal management of IS is complex, and care across the lifespan may be complicated by ongoing seizures, intellectual disability and learning disorders, or behavioral and/or psychological issues. Adults who have a history of IS may require discussion of future guardian issues, group home applications, and respite care options .Table Assistance programs for children with IS help uninsured and under-insured families gain access to medications and financial support (premium/co-payment assistance program) by working with pharmaceutical companies and insurance plans (see Table IS imposes a significant ongoing challenge to the child\u2019s family and caregivers, as well as to health care professionals. Early detection and referral to a pediatric neurologist for clinical evaluation and prompt effective treatment is strongly recommended as it may improve prognosis. To best navigate the medical environment and optimize clinical care, the child\u2019s family and caregivers need access to up-to-date information about IS, effective treatments, and establishment of a multidisciplinary continuum of care, which includes access to resources for psychosocial support. Further dissemination of and access to educational and supportive resources for families and caregivers across the lifespan of the child with IS is an urgent need.The development of this manuscript was supported by an unrestricted grant from Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Union City, CA. The supporter was not in any way involved in the development of the scientific content of this manuscript.Dr Wheless has received grants from NIH, the Shainberg Foundation, UCB, Ovation, Questcor, Marinus, Ortho-McNeil, King, Cyberonics, and Eisai; is a consultant for UCB, Ovation, Questcor, Marinus, Ortho-McNeil, King, Cyberonics, Pfizer, Eisai, Valeant, CyDex, and Neurelis; is a member of a speakers bureau for UCB, GlaxoSmithKline, Ortho-McNeil, Cyberonics, Pfizer, Eisai, Shire, and Valeant; and has received honoraria and reimbursement for travel expenses from Questcor.Ms Gibson has received grants from Questcor, Ovation, Valeant, Eisai, Ortho-McNeil, and GlaxoSmithKline; and has received honoraria and reimbursement for travel expenses from UCB, Questcor, Ovation, and Sepracor.Ms Rosbeck has received reimbursement for travel expenses from Novartis Oncology. The Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance has received grants from Lundbeck, Questcor, Novartis Oncology, UCB, and Cyberonics.Ms Hardin, now retired, was formerly Vice President of Patient Services at the National Organization for Rare Disorders, where she had oversight of the Acthar Gel Patient Assistance Program and the Infantile Spasms Co-payment Assistance Fund, both of which received support from Questcor Pharmaceuticals.Ms O\u2019Dell is a consultant for and has received honoraria and payment for development of education presentations from Ovation and Questcor; and has received grants and reimbursement for travel expenses from Questcor.Dr Whittemore has received grant funding from NIH, and has received reimbursement for travel expenses from Novartis Oncology. The Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance has received grants from Lundbeck, Questcor, Novartis Oncology, UCB, and Cyberonics.Dr Pellock is a consultant for Eisai, Jazz, King, KV, Marinus, NeuroPace, Ortho-McNeil/Johnson & Johnson, Lundbeck, Pfizer, Questcor, UCB, and Valeant; has participated in an advisory board for Eisai, Ortho-McNeil/Johnson & Johnson, Lundbeck, Questcor, UCB, and Valeant; is a lecturer for Eisai, Ortho-McNeil/Johnson & Johnson, Lundbeck, Questcor, UCB, and Valeant; is a researcher for Eisai, Marinus, Ortho-McNeil/Johnson & Johnson, Lundbeck, Pfizer, Questcor, UCB, and Valeant; and has received honoraria and reimbursement for travel expenses from Questcor.JWW contributed to the conception and design of the paper, contributed to the drafting of the paper, contributed to revising the paper, and gave approval of the final version. PAG contributed to the conception and design of the paper, contributed to the drafting of the paper, contributed to revising the paper, and gave approval of the final version. KLR contributed to the conception and design of the paper, contributed to revising the paper, and gave approval of the final version. MH contributed to the conception and design of the paper, contributed to revising the paper, and gave approval of the final version. CO contributed to the conception and design of the paper, contributed to the drafting of the paper, contributed to revising the paper, and gave approval of the final version. VW contributed to the conception and design of the paper, contributed to revising the paper, and gave approval of the final version. JMP contributed to the conception and design of the paper, contributed to revising the paper, and gave approval of the final version.The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2431/12/108/prepub"} +{"text": "Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) appears to be an important tool in Brazil and Latin America to address the use/abuse of alcohol and other drugs and to help implement and organize preventive activities, particularly in the services of primary health care (PHC). Nevertheless, there are few studies evaluating the implementation of SBIRT in PHC of Latin American countries, identifying elements that promote positive results in the prevention and/or reduction of consumption according to each situation. Therefore, this study presents a method for implementing SBIRT developed in the PHC of a small/medium Brazilian city, highlighting challenges and possibilities for its dissemination in other cities and countries in Latin America. This is a research intervention, with data collection and evaluation through participant observation. The entire process was evaluated to the suitability to local needs, determining factors that could facilitate or impede its implementation. The method developed consisted of six stages: initial contact and planning, diagnosis and mapping, raising awareness, training and monitoring. In the process of implementation the hindering points detected were: insufficient resources , shortage of integration and intersectional health care settings, lack of participation by physicians, focus in dependence, scarcity of participation of civil society and absence of spaces where this population could participate. However, the participation of community health workers and nurses in the implementation and organization of SBIRT, the actions implemented by health teams, such as educational and preventive practices in schools and discussion groups with communities, are positive prospects for the implementation of SBIRT in the Latin American PHC context. Finally, the method presented is considered a useful model to other Latin American cities and countries, with necessary adaptations. Despite the advances, progress is needed in preventing alcohol and other drug abuse in Latin America, with long-term measures."} +{"text": "Over the past few decades, major advances in the field of molecular biology, coupled with advances in genomic technologies, have led to an explosive growth in the biological data generated by the scientific community. The critical need to process and analyze such a deluge of data and turn it into useful knowledge has caused bioinformatics to gain prominence and importance. Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary research area that applies techniques, methodologies, and tools in computer and information science to solve biological problems. In Nigeria, bioinformatics has recently played a vital role in the advancement of biological sciences. As a developing country, the importance of bioinformatics is rapidly gaining acceptance, and bioinformatics groups comprised of biologists, computer scientists, and computer engineers are being constituted at Nigerian universities and research institutes. In this article, we present an overview of bioinformatics education and research in Nigeria. We also discuss professional societies and academic and research institutions that play central roles in advancing the discipline in Nigeria. Finally, we propose strategies that can bolster bioinformatics education and support from policy makers in Nigeria, with potential positive implications for other developing countries. The advent of high-throughput sequencing and computational approaches to biological data analysis means biology will never be the same again, and Nigeria is one of the developing countries making modest progress with respect to this. It is obvious that computing and sequencing are rapidly and drastically changing the face of biology. This has led the global scientific community to the relatively new disciplines of computational biology and bioinformatics. Needless to say, it is common knowledge that bioinformatics asks lots of questions that cut across all life sciences and turns the answers into knowledge for the benefit of scientists, pharmaceutical companies, and the public. For example, the World Wide Web has made it possible for a single public database of genome sequence data to provide services through a uniform interface to a worldwide community of users In this article, our working definition of bioinformatics shall be \u201can emerging scientific field involving the development and integration of techniques, such as applied mathematics, statistics, computer science, chemistry, and biochemistry, to solve biological problems.\u201d Obviously, by providing algorithms, databases, user interfaces, and statistical tools, bioinformatics makes it possible to complete important work such as comparative genomics, proteomics, interactomics, metabolomics, and all other \u201c-omics\u201d research. Over the years, there have been several bioinformatics training events, including workshops, and modest research in this field in Nigeria.The beginning of bioinformatics in Nigeria dates back to the early part of year 2000, and so far, it is still developing, with modest accomplishments. To the best of our knowledge, four key organizations were initially involved in the development of bioinformatics in Nigeria. They include Covenant University, University of Ibadan, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), and University of Ilorin. These institutions organized several workshops, seminars, and symposia on bioinformatics at the beginning of the study of bioinformatics in Nigeria. In addition, the West African Biotechnology Workshops Series (WABWS) The credit for the first national bioinformatics training awareness in Nigeria can go to the region-wide training courses on molecular biology and bioinformatics organized by the West African Biotechnology Workshops Series between 2002 and 2005. The series featured notable workshops, such as the Applied Malaria Bioinformatics Workshop in 2004, the WABWS Advanced HIV Sequence Analysis in 2005, and the WABWS Advanced Viral Bioinformatics Course in 2005, at the University of Ibadan.The Covenant University's Computer and Information Science Department launched its bioinformatics activities with a workshop in 2005, which was tagged, \u201cInternational Workshop on Pattern Discovery in Biology (IWPDB).\u201d In 2009, Covenant University organized the second International Workshop on Pattern Discovery in Biology. This workshop was supported by EMBnet and focused on bridging the gap between biologists and bioinformaticians. The workshop highlighted the fundamentals of bioinformatics and the systematic approach for understanding biological data using computational methods In furthering the development of the discipline in Nigeria, the University of Ilorin, through its Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, in collaboration with the West African Bioinformatics Research Institute , organized an introductory bioinformatics training workshop in 2006 and organized training in bioinformatics and computational molecular biology techniques in 2008. Since 2009, several intermediate and advanced bioinformatics workshops and/or courses have been held in different parts of Nigeria. For instance, Chevron Biotechnology Centre, Federal University of Technology, Yola, organized a series of hands-on training workshop on molecular biology and biotechnology between 2009 and 2011. These workshops featured significant training on bioinformatics. These training opportunities provided capacity building in bioinformatics for several Nigerian scientists and other scientists from neighboring countries.However, although bioinformatics is taught at the postgraduate level in many Nigerian institutions, it remains the case that only a few Nigerian universities teach the course at the undergraduate level. Therefore, more in terms of bioinformatics research and education is expected from Nigeria. Nevertheless, some universities are making modest progress with respect to this. Worthy of note are the Covenant University, University of Ibadan, and University of Ilorin, which offer MSc and PhD degrees in computer science with specialization in bioinformatics. Other universities, such as the Federal University of Technology, Yola, offer bioinformatics as a course in their biotechnology and biochemistry degree programs.The current strength of bioinformatics and computational biology research work in Nigeria is not yet at its full potential because of inadequate institutional support. This notwithstanding, a new generation of Nigerian scientists with expertise in bioinformatics is emerging, and bioinformatics training is spreading. Therefore, it is hoped that bioinformatics research will receive a boost in the near future. As an indication of current and past research efforts in bioinformatics in Nigeria, Plasmodium sp., the parasite that causes malaria, is transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito. Resistance to anti-malarial drugs has become a major challenge, especially in Africa, where about 90% of malaria cases occur. This, in part, informs the research interest in this area. Covenant University's bioinformatics research cluster is one of the most active research clusters in the country. The group is currently leading bioinformatics research in malaria within the country. Other research foci of the cluster include studies involving microarrays and data mining/analysis, as well as database design and management.The trend shows a consistent increase in bioinformatics publications in the last two years, with most of the bioinformatics research focusing mainly on malaria Despite this progress in the field of malaria research in Nigeria, a lot still needs to be done and published in reputable journals that are indexed in leading databases. Searches from the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases retrieved only a limited number of publications from Nigerian scientists. In the same manner, NABDA is leading bioinformatics research in the country in the areas of human genome variation and visual analytics, in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (WTSI) and the Visual Analytics in Biology Curriculum Network, United States, respectively. WTSI has particularly played a major role in providing continuous research capacity building in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. Details of major research foci, as well as research projects in some bioinformatics research groups and academic institutions in Nigeria, are summarized in In addition, there has been an upsurge of interest among Nigerian scientists in undertaking bioinformatics and computational biology research in institutions overseas. This has led to many of them pursuing such interests either as research fellows, doctoral students, or postdoctoral fellows in several institutions in Europe and the Americas. Expectedly, this is fostering opportunities for mutually beneficial international research collaborations and expanding the research networks of Nigerian scientists. It is hoped that this new attitude and interest will, in the near future, positively impact on the overall development of bioinformatics research and education in Nigeria.The number of institutions involved in bioinformatics education and research in Nigeria is gradually increasing at an encouraging pace. As a field of science that is relatively new in Nigeria, only a few institutions are currently actively involved in bioinformatics research in the country . HoweverSegun A. Fatumo was Founder and pioneer President of the Regional Student Group Africa (2007\u20132009) of the Student Council of the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCBSC). He is currently an H3ABioNet NABDA Node Visiting Research Fellow at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and University of Cambridge. He is Vice President of Africa Society for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (2011\u2013present).Moses P. Adoga is president of Regional Student Group West Africa (RSG West Africa) of the ISCB-SC and a faculty member at Nasarawa State University, Nigeria.Opeolu O. Ojo is Research and Training Director at Chevron Biotechnology Centre, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, Nigeria and currently a Research Fellow at the University of Ulster, Coleraine, United Kingdom.Olugbenga Oluwagbemi is Vice President of RSG West Africa and holds a PhD from Covenant University and formerly a Fulbright Research Fellow at the John Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, US.Esther T. Adeoye is currently a master's student of information management at the University of Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic and formerly a graduate research intern at Covenant University Bioinformatics Research Group.Itunuoluwa Ewejobi is a faculty member and a PhD student at Covenant University and a former Research Fellow at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany under the DAAD fellowship.Marion Adebiyi is the immediate former President of RSG West Africa and a faculty member at Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria.Ezekiel F. Adebiyi is Professor and Head of the Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe) and Covenant University H3ABioNet Node.Clement O. Bewaji is Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria and the Director of Research at WABRI.Oyekanmi Nashiru is Professor and Director of molecular biology and bioinformatics department, National Biotechnology Development Agency, NABDA/FMST, Umar Musa Yar'A dua Expressway, Abuja, and H3ABioNet NABDA Node, Abuja, Nigeria.Bioinformatics research efforts in Nigeria have been thriving over the years with increased support from international scientific organizations for training, research, and conference participation. Many Nigerian members of the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) have benefitted from such support. This has made it possible for the members to present their work at conferences in different aspects of bioinformatics, biotechnology, and computational biology.www.bioinformatics.org), Regional Student Group Africa (RSG Africa), Regional Student Group Morocco (RSG Morocco), International Society for Computational Biology Student Council (ISCBSC), and ASBCB.Within the African continent, many Nigerian members of the African Society for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (ASBCB) hold prominent positions and play influential roles in the society. In the past few years, Nigeria produced the president of the society. Presently, Nigerians hold the position of vice president and secretary of the society. Many Nigerian scientists have participated significantly in organizing ISCB Africa and ASBCB conferences across the continent. For instance, in 2009, Nigerian bioinformatics students and scientists initiated and participated in the first African Virtual Conference In 2005, at the first IWPDB, which took place at Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria, the Nigerian Society for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (NiSBCB) was established. The society aims to strengthen and expand bioinformatics education and research across Nigeria through:Promoting the exchange of ideas and resources in the fields of bioinformatics and computational biology and facilitating local and international collaborations among Nigerian scientists and educators.Promoting the establishment of infrastructural facilities.Facilitating access to bioinformatics and computational biology infrastructure.Advancing and promoting bioinformatics and computational biology in Nigeria.Serving a global community by influencing governmental and scientific policies, providing high quality research publications, and hosting professional meetings, and through distribution of valuable information about training, education, employment, and relevant news from related fields.Developing the application of bioinformatics in Nigeria in collaboration with individuals, groups, and organizations.Due to the need to introduce bioinformatics to more universities in Nigeria Connect Nigerian researchers, educators, industrialists, and policy makers to resources and opportunities in the field of bioinformatics.Showcase the benefits of bioinformatics for the development of the economy of Nigeria.Promote the integration of bioinformatics in the Nigerian educational system.Organize activities that promote bioinformatics through short courses, workshops, and seminars.Link NBREN members with other bioinformatics networks and societies across the globe.In addition, NBREN will organize bioinformatics-related events, facilitate research, recommend policies to the government, develop a national bioinformatics curriculum, and organize bioinformatics training workshops and conferences in Nigeria.Challenges facing the introduction and the development of bioinformatics in Nigeria have been reviewed in earlier publications In addition to funding, other recognized challenges include inadequate facilities for consistent research, inadequate training and capacity-building opportunities, infrastructural problems such as inadequate power supply, and lack of appropriate national policy/strategy for bioinformatics education and research.The contribution of bioinformatics to developments in biological science education and research has been identified. Interestingly, as the awareness of the discipline is becoming more prevalent within the academia in Nigeria, so is the interest of new-generation scientists in this emerging scientific discipline. It is also clear that research in bioinformatics is gradually becoming entrenched in Nigeria and is becoming increasingly useful in tackling some of the health challenges facing the country and the rest of Africa.However, the development of the discipline is faced with several challenges, ranging from funding to inadequate infrastructure. Public-sector\u2013driven investment in scientific research and development, particularly bioinformatics, in Nigeria is minimal. Like in most developing countries, this has led home-based Nigerian scientists to rely on personal efforts in bioinformatics education and research. To a large extent, these efforts have been fruitful. The number of research articles in bioinformatics from Nigeria is increasing. Nigerian scientists are becoming more involved at both local and international levels. The teaching of the discipline at undergraduate and postgraduate levels within the nation is becoming more widespread. We therefore believe that bioinformatics and computational biology can be bolstered in Nigeria by the formulation and implementation of governmental policies that aim to foster the twin disciplines through research funding, capacity building, and pedagogic activities within universities and research institutions across the country.http://www.covenantuniversity.edu.nghttp://cubre.covenantuniversity.edu.nghttp://cubre.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/index.php/nigeria-society-for-bioinformatics-and-computatational-biology-nisbcb/http://www.nabda.gov.ng/http://www.run.edu.nghttp://www.uniben.eduhttp://www.wabri.orghttp://www.unilorin.edu.nghttp://www.asopah.orghttp://public.tableausoftware.com/views/ngr_bioinfo/research_groups"} +{"text": "In February 2010, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBUMS) organised in Tehran a very high standard conference on ocular inflammation and uveitis. Several members of the executive committee of the Society for Ophthalmo-Immunoinfectiology in Europe (SOIE) took active part in that meeting and we thoroughly enjoyed the superb hospitality given to us by our Iranian colleagues. After 3 days of friendly contacts, stimulating exchanges and mutual convergence of opinions and interests, the idea emerged to work on one issue of Journal of Ophthalmic and Vision Research (JOVR) devoted to uveitis and inflammatory eye diseases. This partnership between the SOIE and SBUMS led to the project resulting today and publication of the present issue. Such collaborative work, building bridges between clinicians and researchers from different parts of the world, corresponds exactly to the philosophy of the SOIE, a society dedicated to teaching and promotion of knowledge in the field of uveitis and inflammatory eye diseases in Europe and beyond. Since its formal foundation in 2005 in Lausanne, Switzerland, SOIE has organised courses and meetings in Monte Carlo, Monaco in 2006, Krakow, Poland in 2007, Cappadocia, Turkey in 2008, the oasis of Tozeur, Tunisia in 2009, St. Petersburg, Russia in 2010, Bad Blumau, Austria in 2011 and Vilnius, Lithuania 2011. To expand its range of activities, a sister society the Society for ophthalmo-immunoinfectiology in Europe and the Middle-East (SOIEME) was established in 2011, in order to intensify contacts in that part of the world, an example of which is the collaboration that led to the present achievement.This issue was planned to include and combine articles by Iranian authors on one side and from authors in connection with the SOIE on the other side. After a little more than one year of work and efforts, we succeeded to build an issue consisting of 14 peer-reviewed articles, equally divided between contributors from Iran and from the SOIE.In this editorial, articles originating from the SOIE will be commented, while Professor Masoud Soheilian, the other guest-editor of this issue, will present Iranian contributions in his editorial.In their original article, Papadia M and colleaguesAs an illustration to this article, Bouchenaki and HerbortThree review articles on pediatric uveitisPediatric uveitis is a topic that is not dealt with in a unanimous and consensual fashion, making it the subject of controversies. Ilknur Tugal-Tutkun, vice-president of the SOIE and one of the recognized uveitis specialists in Turkey, based her review on an extensive personal experience.In their review on CNS diseases and uveitis, Allegri P, Rissotto R and colleaguesPiergiorgio NeriFinally, two interesting case reports showing the importance of ICGA in choroidopathies conclude the series of seven articles related to the SOIE. Papadia and HerbortThe collaborative effort between our two medical backgrounds resulted in the present issue of the JOVR that will hopefully interest ophthalmologists in both settings and will lead to closer contacts and better mutual appreciation and understanding.We truly hope the reader will enjoy this special JOVR issue on uveitis and intraocular inflammation."} +{"text": "Following the publication of this article , it was The authors declare that they have no competing interests.CR carried out the molecular genetic studies and the interpretation of the results. RAC and LM made substantial contributions to interpretation of data and participated in manuscript preparation. AS, TK, SME, DP, AC and RC were involved in the clinical evaluation of patients and manuscript revision. DT made substantial contributions to conception, analysis and interpretation of data and drafted the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript."} +{"text": "To address the Appraisal and Prospects for Person-Centered Medicine in Croatia, members of the Local Organizing Group met during the First International Congress of the ICPCM in Zagreb, Croatia on November 8th, 2013.Starting at the Zagreb School of Public Health in 1927, the promotion of person-centered medicine and people-centered health care, based on the teachings and legacy of professor Andrija \u0160tampar, has been occurring in Croatia for decades. Professor Andrija \u0160tampar, one of the founders of the WHO and a representative at its first general meeting, considered by many as the father of public health, pioneered various public health projects in Croatia and abroad. He was, above all, a great educator who inspired many of his students and the general public alike, to promote the concept of health for all and the importance of health-related activities within the community, with emphasis on the responsibility of each individual for his/her own health. Croatia is a country with a long history of patient associations, as well as one with an array of public health projects recognized worldwide. Recently, a group of enthusiasts gathered here in Croatia to undertake the creation of a variety of projects related to the development of person-centered medicine, with the help of leading academic associations along with the President of the Republic, Professor Ivo Josipovic. Among other things, a multitude of programs were introduced to the curriculum of the University of Zagreb School of Medicine at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels, with the aim of perfecting the curriculum to reflect the concepts of person-centered medicine. Various symposiums, workshops, media activities, collaboration with patient associations within Croatia, post-graduate seminars, and national conferences about psychiatry and person-centered medicine were held in Zagreb in 2012, and an English-language book was published with the collaboration of over a hundred authors from Croatia and abroad entitled \u201cThe person in medicine and healthcare - from bench to bedside to community\u201d. Croatian representatives were actively involved in a variety of activities of the International College of Person-Centered Medicine (ICPCM) and organized the First International Congress of the International College of Person-Centered Medicine in November 2013.With that in mind, we believe that Croatia could contribute significantly to the development of person-centered medicine and people-centered health care, within Croatia and abroad. We intend to continue the activities promoted by ICPCM and its associated institutions. Therefore, we resolve to undertake a project entitled \u201cThe International Academy for Person-Centered Medicine and People-Centered Healthcare\u201d. The goal of this project is initiate various multimedia educational activities for health care professionals, patient associations, and the general public with the intention of promoting fundamental provisions and principles of person-centered medicine, people-centered health care, and promote the culture of health and wellness. Our plan is to submit a declaration of intent to the ICPCM for collaboration on this project. We are convinced that, together, we can make our community better and healthier. There is no future without a clear understanding of the past, the future is being built today, and today is yesterday\u2019s tomorrow, so we have to continue working together and learning from one another."} +{"text": "One of the main conceptual changes in the 20th century medicine is the inclusion of social dimension. The \u201cgolden era\u201d of Parson\u2019s medical model , which uAs a reaction to the negative situation in the Croatian medical system, the Centre for Palliative Medicine, Medical Ethics and Communication Skills (CEPAMET) was founded on September 21, 2010. The Centre is semi-autonomous unit within the School of Medicine, University of Zagreb. The conceptual framework of the Centre is devoted to education, organization, and research in three domains: palliative medicine, ethics, and health communication. The interdisciplinary team involved in the CEPAMET creation consists of experts in psychiatry and psychology, neurology, oncology, and general practice. The Centre also has an advisory board, consisting of the most prominent international and national experts.Despite the obvious lack of the palliative medicine facilities and overall positive attitudes in the general public ,4, palliProper communication skills have often been neglected in medical education in Croatia, but in the EU and USA there is an emphasis on communication in different, often tricky, situations that physicians encounter on a daily basis. The CEPAMET will offer education in these skills to both undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as other professionals. Several CEPAMET units are constructed as communication skills laboratories, where students and professionals will have a chance to practice with real-life and simulated patients using video cameras and scales, such as Roter Interaction Analysis System and Cambridge Guide to Medical Interview ,7. This Several members of CEPAMET have already been assigned a role in the Teaching Committee of the European Association for Communication in Health Care. Despite numerous studies in the area of medical communication, the evidence-based outcomes of communication interventions are still largely unclear . The devThe third area of interest of the CEPAMET is medical ethics. With the progressive social and technological changes in the Croatian medicine, the issue of ethics, ethical conduct, and ethical problems is more important than ever. To deal with this problem, several guidelines are being planned to improve ethical conduct and avoid possible ethical pitfalls in the everyday medical practice. Medical ethics principles are often neglected in education and cognitive processes. The CEPAMET strives to popularize ethics in medical community and educate professionals in current opinions and philosophical theories regarding the issue. Furthermore, education is meant to be focus-oriented, guiding physicians and students through the complex and commonly problematic world of applied ethics, as opposed to teaching and proposing theoretical stance.Although CEPAMET is certainly an ambitious project, it is only a small step toward improving our medical reality. Without substantial support from various levels of our health care system, academic community, civil society, and patients, CEPAMET\u2019s goals are unlikely to be met. Therefore, we would also like to offer a possibility of collaboration to both national and international partners, in order to further contribute to the development of patient-centered medicine in Croatia."} +{"text": "The neglected infections of poverty represent the latest threat to the poorest people living on the Gulf Coast of the United States and in Washington, District of Columbia.Together, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the BP oil disaster have shed light on a tragic level of poverty in the northern Gulf of Mexico, especially for the African Americans living in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. According to the National Center for Children in Poverty at Columbia University, more than 40% of black children in each of these states currently live in poor families, and over 12% of children from Louisiana and Mississippi live in extreme poverty, defined as families with incomes that are less than half of the federal poverty level In previous papers I have noted high rates of parasitic and related neglected infections among the poorest Americans living in distressed areas, but especially in inner cities, the American South, the border with Mexico, and Appalachia A fresh look at the neglected infections of poverty reveals the extreme vulnerability of the US Gulf Coast to these conditions, which includes Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, as well as neighboring regions of Texas and Florida . Among tAedes mosquitoes Since I first wrote about neglected infections in the US two years ago, the prospect of dengue and its most serious complication, dengue hemorrhagic fever, have emerged as additional and now imminent threats to the people living on the Gulf Coast. Between 1946 and 1980, no cases of dengue occurred in the continental US Toxocara eggs have been detected in soil samples in Baton Rouge Toxocara was recently noted to frequently occur with toxoplasmosis co-infections Non-vector-borne neglected infections are also now highly prevalent among the poorest people living on the Gulf Coast. Trichomoniasis exhibits a 10-fold higher prevalence among African American women Although the District of Columbia does not have statehood, as a unique federal district it is often treated as an autonomous region and compared in rankings with the 50 US states. Today, Washington, D.C., rivals Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama as among the worst in terms of life expectancy and health index If reconstruction plans for the Gulf Coast and Washington, D.C., are ever implemented, an important component should be directed towards the neglected infections of poverty in these areas. I am particularly concerned about the Gulf\u2019s vulnerability to emerging dengue fever infections, while for both the Gulf Coast and Washington, D.C., we must urgently address neglected diseases that disproportionately affect African American populations, including toxocariasis, toxoplasmosis, trichomoniasis, and congenital CMV infection; and those that affect Hispanic Americans, including Chagas disease and cysticercosis. The fact that we know so little about the neglected infections of poverty in America\u2019s most distressed areas is representative of just how glaring these conditions are as health disparities.In 2008, I suggested that we must urgently address the neglected infections through programs of active surveillance and assessments of disease burdens, studies to examine the mechanisms of transmission in poor communities, efforts to control or eliminate these infections through public health interventions that include treatment or vaccination and health education, and a program of research and development to create a new generation of drugs, diagnostics, and vaccines"} +{"text": "Understanding the metabolic fate of small organic molecules is of fundamental importance to the successful design and development of drugs, nutritional supplements, cosmetics and agrochemicals ,2. In th"} +{"text": "Shared decision making (SDM) - involving patients in decisions relevant to their health - has been increasingly influential in medical thought and practice around the world. This paper reviews the current status of SDM in Israel, including efforts to promote SDM in the legislation and healthcare system, its influence in medical training and the national health plans, and funding for SDM-related research. Published studies of SDM in Israel are also reviewed. Although informed consent and patients' right to information are regulated by Israeli law, little provision is made for SDM. Further, there are few organized programs to promote SDM among medical professionals or the public, and governmental support of SDM-related research is minimal. Nonetheless, patients have begun to influence litigation in both formal and informal capacities, medical schools have begun to incorporate courses for improving physician-patient communication into their curricula, and the largest national health plan has initiated a plan to increase public awareness. A review of the limited research literature suggests that although patients and physicians express a desire for greater patient involvement, they often have reservations about its implementation. Research also suggests that despite the positive effects of SDM, such an approach may only infrequently be applied in actual clinical practice. In conclusion, though not actively promoting SDM at present, Israel's universal coverage and small number of health plans make rapid, widespread advances in SDM feasible. Israeli policymakers should thus be encouraged to nurture burgeoning initiatives and set plausible milestones. Comparing the status of SDM in Israel with that in other countries may stimulate further advancement. Shared decision making (SDM), \"the attempt to involve patients in decision-making tasks, especially where decisions, in the face of uncertain or equivocal evidence of benefit, are sensitive to personal preferences\" , has groIndeed most patients wish to take an active part in choosing among alternative courses of action regarding their health, with the physician either participating in the decision or providing relevant information and then allowing the patient to decide autonomously . Beyond Though ultimately manifest at the level of the patient-physician encounter, SDM must first be legally mandated and medical professionals must be trained to incorporate its principles into their practice. Further, research studies are necessary to monitor its status and drive improvement. Moreover, these activities must be supported and promoted by national health, legal, and other organizations. Some countries have allocated resources for the promotion and evaluation of SDM. In Germany, the ministry of health funded the research consortium ''Patient as partner in medical decision-making'' . In CanaGerman Journal for Evidence and Quality in Healthcare (ZEFQ) on the global status of SDM . MB is the director of the Center of Clinical Quality & Safety, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center. GS is the director of the Center for Health Law, Bioethics and Health Policy, Ono Academic College, a senior researcher at the Unit for Genetic Policy and Bioethics, Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, and a professor of Law with the University of Virginia. GMD is researcher at the Center for Medical Decision Making, Ono Academic College.TMS, formerly a researcher at Princeton University, is the founding director of the Center for Medical Decision Making, Ono Academic College, and holds an adjunct position at Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. OG is a senior researcher at the Unit for Genetic Policy and Bioethics, Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research and author of the book"} +{"text": "In 1961, Chafetz [Research presented at the September 2011 International Network on Brief Interventions for Alcohol and Other Drugs (INEBRIA) conference in Boston was from around the globe, covered alcohol and other drugs, crossed a variety of health settings and practitioners, and showed the sophistication that has been reached in the field. Research discussed when, where, and for whom SBI has or might not have efficacy, how to implement SBI programs, adaptations of SBI, costs and effectiveness, and many other topics. Nonetheless, despite the excitement, breadth, and sophistication, the fact remains that few patients eligible for SBI receive the service, and, as a result, opportunities to improve health and save health care costs are missed. Most people with alcohol and drug use disorders receive no treatment.At least in some cases, SBI is ready for dissemination. And, with solid evidence available, health reforms promised in the US and elsewhere, and an international discussion taking serious shape regarding the integration of care for medical, mental health, and substance use conditions, SBI may have reached a tipping point for dissemination and implementation as well as for small- and large-scale studies of remaining efficacy and effectiveness questions.The editors of ASCP invited INEBRIA attendees and presenters to submit their studies for peer review and possible publication. The initial core of this thematic series, \u201cScreening and brief intervention for unhealthy alcohol and other drug use,\u201d is the result of that call for papers, a seed that we expect will grow as the SBI literature continues to become more robust. Papers will cover a range of topics from what the efficacy of SBI really is, to effectiveness in people with mental health and drug use conditions, to adolescent SBI, to health professional attitudes towards SBI, to SBI implementation research and even to state-of-the-art SBI research protocol design, among others. We hope this series begins a long and serious conversation."} +{"text": "The following information was missing from the funding section: BBSRC, DEFRA, NERC, the Scottish Government and the Wellcome Trust, under the Insect Pollinators Initiative crops project. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript."} +{"text": "A funding organization was incorrectly omitted from the Funding Statement. The Funding Statement should read: Part of the work was funded by an internal grant of the University Hospital Regensburg (ReForM-C), and by the Wilhelm Sander-Stiftung, Munich and Ingolstadt, Germany. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis,decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. No additional external funding was received for this study."} +{"text": "This video presents the story of a university extension project called \"Clean Hands\" which originated from a master's dissertation in 2006, based at the Center for Studies and Nursing Research for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections (NEPIH) based at the Center for Studies and Nursing Research for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections (NEPIH) at the School of Nursing, Federal University of Goi\u00e1s, Brazil, and is registered with the Pro-Chancellor of Extension at the university. Since its creation, the project has developed activities to encourage the establishment of hand hygiene (HH) in health care, in cooperation with professionals, academics, patients and caregivers, as well as in scientific events, with academics and health professionals. After the outbreak of H1N1 in 2009, the project developed campaigns in municipal daycare centers (CMEI), the Municipal Department of Education, of the city of Goi\u00e2nia, Goi\u00e1s, Brazil, targeting children, parents and workers. In these campaigns, different promotion strategies are used: informative stylized banners depicting HH; educational brochures, a song parody CD, demonstration of proper HH technique, using poster paints on children\u2019s hands; a puppet theater; and face-to-face discussions about the importance of, obstacles to, and benefits of HH. Annually, the project hosts a festival of parodies with the theme of HH, called \"CANTA FEN\", which brings together academics and healthcare professionals. The project\u2019s day-to-day operations are normally run by five students, supported by the other members of NEPIH, currently 33 staff members , participating in the activities of the project. Up to February 2013, the project has performed about 180 campaigns (45 were for children) reaching approximately 8,000 people. Participation in the project has contributed to the development of skills and competencies with regard to the implementation of health promotion strategies with different audiences and requires that students constantly stay up to date on the subject. The festival of parodies has helped to empower its members to conduct scientific and cultural events and promote emphasis of the subject in a playful manner.None declared."} +{"text": "The funding information should read as follows: IBM funded this study through the employment, at the time of the study, of Isidore Rigoutsos, Niina Haiminen, and Laxmi Parida. Between them they conceived, designed and performed the experiments, analyzed the data and designed the assembly evaluation protocol. David Kuhn is employed by USDA-ARS SHRS and received no funding for this study from IBM. He participated in the analysis and interpretation of data, and the writing of the paper."} +{"text": "Second International Symposium on Recent Advances in Environmental Health Research was organized by Jackson State University (JSU) from September 18 \u2013 21, 2005 at the Regency Hotel in Jackson, Mississippi. The symposium was built upon the overwhelming success of the 2004 conference that was also organized by JSU and co-sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) RCMI-Center for Environmental Health, the U.S. Department of Education Title III Graduate Education Program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the JSU office of Research. This international meeting commemorated 20 years of the NIH-NCRR Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Program, a congressionally mandated program initiated by the NIH in 1985 with the mission to expand the national capability for research in the health sciences. Over the years, RCMI institutions have played a significant role in addressing important biomedical research questions that are critical in managing the health needs of the nation in a cost-effective manner. At JSU, the RCMI program has served as a catalyst for excellence in biomedical research and education. Research conducted through the RCMI Program is providing a strong scientific basis for understanding the pathogenesis and for discovering innovative therapies for human diseases such as cancer and AIDS. Through the RCMI Program, doctoral students trained at JSU have gone on to obtain competitive post-doctoral positions at prestigious institutions such as Harvard Medical School, John Hopkins Medical Center, Purdue University Medical Center, and the NIH. As echoed by President Ronald A. Mason, Jr., \u201c\u2026JSU is proud to be integral part of the very successful and productive RCMI Program. This symposium highlighted the excellence in biomedical, clinical, and behavioral research conducted by RCMI institutions\u2026\u201dThe In an attempt to contribute global solutions to these environmental challenges, scientists around the world, have been more and more involved in bioenvironmental research, studying the toxic mechanisms of action of various environmental agents, developing new approaches for detecting or remedying environmental damage, identifying and characterizing genes involved in the manifestation of environmentally-related diseases, and providing the public and policy makers with scientific tools that are critical for environmental health decision-making.Second International Symposium on Recent Advances in Environmental Health Research served as a platform for environmental and biomedical scientists-biologists, chemists, toxicologists, public health scientists, engineers, and policy makers interested in bringing about substantial contributions to addressing global environmental, and sustainable development issues, to communicate the latest advances in scientific research and new developments on critical environmental and human health topics including the following:New Frontiers in Environmental Health Research: The causes of most human diseases have been attributed to the complex interactions between genetic factors and environmental exposures. Hence, control and prevention measures highly rely on the understanding of the cause and effect relationships between these factors and disease development. In recent years, new areas of research such as toxicogenomics, proteomics, and functional genomics have emerged, with the aim of understanding molecular mechanisms of health and disease. Also, the recent advances in the molecular biology of the cell cycle regulation have given new life to our understanding of cancer in particular, and the idea that defects of regulation in cancer cells may partially explain successes that have been achieved in cancer chemotherapy. Specific areas of symposium research presentations included gene expression studies, proteomics, gene-environment interactions, functional genomics, biomarkers of effect, sensitivity and effect, signal transduction and gene activation; and molecular targets of disease chemotherapy.Environmental Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment: Growing public awareness of the potential risk to humans from toxic chemicals in the environment has generated demand for new and improved methods for toxicity assessment and rational means for estimating health risk. Many environmental agents such as metal ions, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides/herbicides, UV-light, food additives, and viruses are known to induce various types of illnesses including cancer in humans. Several symposium presentations dealt with research elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which these environmental agents induce toxicity, mutagenesis, and carcinogenesis, as well as research on hazard assessment of exposure to physical, chemical and biological agents; dose-response evaluation and model development; exposure assessment analysis; and health risk characterization; and management.Emerging Topics in Computational Biology, and Environmental Modeling: Using of computational methods and procedures to investigate environmental and biological phenomena has made remarkable progresses. This field includes analysis of human genome data, prediction of DNA and protein structure and function, design of biomaterials and therapeutic agents, studies into small molecule-biomacromolecule interactions, and other related computational method development. Therefore, several symposium presentations dealt with the computational analysis of the physical and chemical properties of several environmental compounds, as well as on quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) studies for developing predictive toxicology models associated with exposure to these compounds.Health Disparities and Environmental Security: In recent years health disparities and biological and chemical terrorism have emerged as major issues in public safety and homeland security. With recent advances in laboratory technologies, it is often possible to measure specific genetic variations as risk factors for specific types of disease. Equally important is the evaluation of the role of modifier factors such as environmental exposures or other genes that may exacerbate the genetic risk leading to differences in disease susceptibility among individuals. Since the events of September 11, 2001 regarding the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the subsequent anthrax attacks on several people, our collective thinking with regard to our vulnerability to terrorism has completely changed. The specific areas of research presentations included the following: health disparities and cancer; health disparities and heart disease; health disparities and infectious diseases; and bioterrorism/chemical terrorism.Medical Geology and Human Health: Recent concerns over health-related issues arising from exposure to environmental substances have raised substantial interest in a new field termed \u201cmedical geology\u201d. In fact, naturally-occurring toxic metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury are now known to cause serious public health problems in several areas of the world. Likewise, the geographical distributions of several infectious diseases such as malaria, meningitis, and schistosomiasis, have been linked to intrinsic climatic and environmental factors. Research on this topic dealt with disease ecology, toxicology, pathology and/or epidemiology with regard to the emerging subject of medical geology.Natural Resources Damage Assessment and Management: Several environmental influences including natural and anthropogenic factors have been linked to ecosystem vulnerability. Monitoring and assessment data are therefore needed for science-based decision-making with regard to environmental management. Papers for presentation on this topic included those related to: a) conceptual modeling for ecological risk assessment, b) assessment of the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of specific ecosystems, c) applications of GIS and remote sensing technology to environmental assessment and management, and d) bioindicators for environmental management.Building on the foundation of the first symposium, the The symposium attracted 260 participants from 21 countries representing all five continents, and more than 150 scientific presentations across the disciplines of environmental health and biomedical sciences. As stated above, the scientific program was composed of six plenary sessions where oral/platform presentations were given by more than 40 invited speakers. In addition, there were two poster sessions \u2013 one for faculty and professional scientists, and one for students \u2013 with more than 100 abstracts. The submitted full length manuscripts were peer-reviewed, and selected for publication by experts in their respective fields. The accepted papers are being published in three volumes as special issues of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.Environmental Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Epigenetic Gene Imprinting; focusing on the new mechanisms to understand the environmental component of human disease. Many thanks to Mrs. Zelma Leflore and her students for providing the technical assistance with the technology needed for platform presentations, emails, and other services.We wish to extend special thanks to Dr. Sheila McClure, Director of the NIH-NCRR-RCMI Program, Bethesda, Maryland, for serving as Banquet Speaker, and Dr. James Townsel, Director of the RCMI Center for Molecular Neurosciences at Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee, for serving as Distinguished Speaker for the Second Honorary Biomedical and Health Information Lecture Series\u201d at the symposium. He made a distinguished lecture on the Commitment to Eliminate Health Disparities and the Need to Achieve Diversity within the Biomedical Workforce. Thanks are also extended to all our conference presenters, session chairs, and keynote speakers, and especially Dr. John McLachlan, Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies at Tulane University, and Director of the Center for Bioenvironmental Research at Tulane/Xavier Universities, for giving the inaugural presentation on Special thanks are extended Dr. Ronald Mason, Jr. (President), Dr. Felix Okojie , Dr. Velvelyn Foster (Interim Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs), and Dr. Mary Myles (Director of Title III Program) for their administrative support. We would like to acknowledge the authors for their involvement and cooperation, and for their outstanding contributions to advancing science and sound decision-making in the critical area of environmental health sciences. Special thanks are also extended to all the peer-reviewers who took time off their busy schedules to carefully and critically review each of the manuscripts.On behalf of the entire organizing committee, the greatest acknowledgments go to our major symposium sponsors including the U.S. Department of Education Title III-Strengthening the Environmental Science Ph.D. Program at JSU, National Institutes of Health RCMI-Center for Environmental Health, and JSU Office of Research Development and Federal Relations."} +{"text": "On February 27\u201328, 2004, scientists, clinicians, researchers, women's health advocates, educators, policymakers, and representatives from nongovernmental organizations and community-based organizations gathered in Atlanta for the first International Conference on Women and Infectious Diseases (ICWID): From Science to Action. The Office of Minority and Women's Health of the National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), spearheaded the conference. It was cosponsored by the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the American Society for Microbiology.The broad ICWID steering committee included representatives from the DHHS Office on Women's Health, the National Institutes of Health Office for Research on Women's Health, the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, the Fogarty Center, and the Office of Women's Health of the Health Resources and Services Administration. Academic, community-based, and philanthropic organizations as well as numerous CDC entities were involved. The conference's goal was to enhance prevention and control of infectious diseases among women worldwide. The conference's 400 attendees from 25 countries and 30 U.S. states recognized the need for a forum to address the complex set of concerns and issues surrounding women and infectious diseases.Julie Gerberding, director of CDC and administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, opened the conference with an overview of the impact of infectious diseases on women. The address reminded listeners of the female face of infectious diseases: women may be biologically more susceptible to certain infections and suffer more severe complications. Other keynote speakers included Paul DeLay of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, Carol Bellamy of the United Nations Children's Fund, and Mirta Roses Periago of the Pan American Health Organization.The theme of the conference was \"From Science to Action.\" In 35 sessions, attendees discussed practical application of scientific knowledge in areas such as HIV, infectious causes of chronic diseases and other infectious disease\u2013chronic disease relationships, gender roles in infectious disease transmission and prevention, sexual coercion and its effect on infectious diseases in women, sexually transmitted diseases, health disparities, healthcare workers and caregivers, immunization, effective community-based strategies, the role of cultural competence in women's health, and more.The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation sponsored 26 ICWID scholarships, which allowed persons from nongovernmental organizations and community-based organizations from 10 countries and four continents to attend who otherwise would not have had the opportunity. These ICWID scholars will amplify the conference's impact by taking the knowledge and insights gained back to their home countries and organizations.Streptococcus infections and achievements in other arenas, participants emphasized the many challenges remaining for the future. With the continuation of such efforts, the newly spotlighted female face of infectious diseases can also be the face of hope and progress.The conference successfully illuminated the female face of infectious diseases. While celebrating successes in the prevention and control of prenatal and neonatal Group B"} +{"text": "Foot pain affects up to 24% of people aged over 65 years, and is associated with difficulty undertaking activities of daily living, problems with balance and gait, an increased risk of falls, and reduced health-related quality of life. Established risk factors for foot pain in this age-group include female sex, obesity and chronic medical conditions such as osteoarthritis and diabetes. However, given the significant age-related changes in the structure and function of osseous, muscular and soft tissues in the foot, the contribution of lower limb biomechanical factors to the development of foot pain in older people is receiving increased attention in the research literature. This presentation will provide an overview of (i) the epidemiology of foot disorders in older people, (ii) the physiological changes that occur in the ageing foot, (iii) the role of biomechanics in understanding the potential mechanisms underlying the development of foot pain, and (iv) the role of plantar pressure analysis for the assessment and management of foot pain in this age-group."} +{"text": "The 27th edition of the 2006 Report of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Infectious Diseases, known to most clinicians as \"The Red Book,\" is considered the \"Bible\" of pediatric infectious diseases. In addition to providing an updated and exhaustive summary of the clinical manifestations, etiology, epidemiology, diagnostic tests, treatment, isolation, and control measures for >200 pediatric infectious diseases, this reference discusses a number of related topics, including management. With >350 liaisons and collaborators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Canadian Paediatric Society, the World Health Organization, and others, the 12-member 2004\u20132006 Committee on Infectious Diseases issued the current edition, which reflects the state of the art at the time of publication and is updated every 3 years.The Red Book began as an 8-page mimeographed report assembled in 1937 by the Committee on Immunization and Therapeutic Procedures for Acute Infectious Diseases (currently the Committee on Infectious Diseases) and titled \"Immunization Procedures.\" A revision issued in 1938 in pamphlet form was actively sought, and annual issues became more comprehensive, with the addition of 76 pages reflecting the increase in therapeutic antimicrobial drug options in the ensuing 10 years.The current 992-page 27th edition has newly added sections, including key developments in combination vaccines, the 2006 AAP standards for child and adolescent immunization practices, parental refusal to vaccinate, updates on prevention of mosquitoborne infections, and updated information on emerging infectious diseases and pathogens, including Baylisascaris, metapneumovirus, West Nile virus, coronaviruses, pertussis, tuberculosis, and pneumococcal, meningococcal, and varicella infections. Expanded discussions of drug interactions as well as the revised American Heart Association recommendations for the prevention of bacterial endocarditis are presented. Many website resources have been added throughout the text to provide the reader with links to expanded information about the topic.The text is organized into 5 sections with a comprehensive list of appendixes. Section 1 reviews active and passive immunization and provides a practical discussion of numerous aspects of vaccine administration, including vaccine shortages, reporting of vaccine-preventable diseases, and parental misconceptions about vaccinations. Section 2 provides recommendations for care of children in special circumstances, including the topic areas of biological terrorism, children in out-of-home child care, infection control, and medical evaluation of internationally adopted children. This section serves as a comprehensive resource for both general and infectious diseases pediatricians. The 3rd section, an alphabetical summary of infectious diseases, comprises the bulk of the text. Sections 4 and 5 address the expanding category of antimicrobial agents, therapy, and prophylaxis, including guidelines and indications for their appropriate use.http://www.aapredbook.org). This site also lists errata from the current edition and allows readers to register to be notified when new errata are posted, when new policy statements are issued, and when site updates and new features are added. Readers may also register for a customized citation/keyword alert.The area of infectious diseases is rapidly emerging and changing, so the guidelines presented in the current edition may have undergone updating and revision following publication. Therefore, readers are urged to monitor updated recommendations issued by the Committee on Infectious Diseases on the Red Book Online website (The 27th edition of the Red Book is a vital resource for adult and pediatric infectious disease practitioners as well as general practitioners and is considered by many the quintessential resource and reference for clinical practice."} +{"text": "Capacity building in health research generally, and helminthiasis research particularly, is pivotal to the implementation of the research and development agenda for the control and elimination of human helminthiases that has been proposed thematically in the preceding reviews of this collection. Since helminth infections affect human populations particularly in marginalised and low-income regions of the world, they belong to the group of poverty-related infectious diseases, and their alleviation through research, policy, and practice is a sine qua non condition for the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Current efforts supporting research capacity building specifically for the control of helminthiases have been devised and funded, almost in their entirety, by international donor agencies, major funding bodies, and academic institutions from the developed world, contributing to the creation of North\u2013South \u201cpartnerships\u201d. There is an urgent need to shift this paradigm in disease-endemic countries (DECs) by refocusing political will, and harnessing unshakeable commitment by the countries' governments, towards health research and capacity building policies to ensure long-term investment in combating and sustaining the control and eventual elimination of infectious diseases of poverty. The Disease Reference Group on Helminth Infections (DRG4), established in 2009 by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), was given the mandate to review helminthiases research and identify research priorities and gaps. This paper discusses the challenges confronting capacity building for parasitic disease research in DECs, describes current capacity building strategies with particular reference to neglected tropical diseases and human helminthiases, and outlines recommendations to redress the balance of alliances and partnerships for health research between the developed countries of the \u201cNorth\u201d and the developing countries of the \u201cSouth\u201d. We argue that investing in South\u2013South collaborative research policies and capacity is as important as their North\u2013South counterparts and is essential for scaled-up and improved control of helminthic diseases and ultimately for regional elimination. During their deliberations, and in the previous reports of this collection Building research capacity is a long-term process that requires a systemic and inter-sectoral approach to developing appropriate regulatory frameworks , building and maintaining physical infrastructure, and investing in human resources, equipment, and training in an environment conducive to research commitment and institutional support Inter-country differences are mainly due to major investments that have been made by the developed world towards research and development (R&D) activities, especially in the proportion of the gross domestic product (GDP) that the countries' governments are willing to invest in research for an expected return. In some developed countries, long-term investment has resulted in extensive infrastructure, existence of national expertise and national and international academic prestige, a tradition in research funding, and a more expeditious path between basic and clinical, translational research and its implementation into public health policy and practice. Investments in research and innovative technologies have tremendously improved health in the developed world because of these countries' clear health research policies, including the setting up of priorities at institutional, national, and regional levels. The readily available and opportune deployment of such resources has led to rapid advances in controlling infectious agents that have epidemic potential. However, in the developing world, and especially in most African countries, adequate investments by most DECs in research capacity building to support prevention, control, and elimination of infectious diseases of poverty are insufficient. In addition to the paucity of highly trained researchers, there is a considerable brain drain of the already scarce numbers of trained professionals, fragmentation of research with much duplication of efforts, and a lack of focus on distinct national needs. According to Chauhan The purpose of this review is to examine the level of capacity building in DECs, highlight some of the challenges that hinder the development of health research capacity with particular reference to poverty-related infectious diseases, summarise (not exhaustively) available research capacity building initiatives and policies and their implications for helminthiasis research and control, and provide recommendations for improvement of research capacity building towards the control and elimination of human helminthiases. ACBF, African Capacity Building FoundationAPOC, African Programme for Onchocerciasis ControlAusAID, Australian Agency for International DevelopmentBioMalPar, Biology and Pathology of Malaria Parasite NetworkB&MGF, Bill and Melinda Gates FoundationCAPES, Brazilian Federal Agency for the Support and Evaluation of Graduate EducationCDTI, Community-Directed Treatment with IvermectinCGMRC, Centre of Geographical Medicine Research CoastCNPq, National Research Council of BrazilCSRS, Swiss Centre for Scientific Research, C\u00f4te d'IvoireDBL, Danish Bilaharziasis Laboratory-Institute for Health Research and DevelopmentDEC, disease-endemic countryDFID, Department for International Development, United KingdomDIMACS/MBI, Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science/US\u2013African Biomathematics InitiativeDRG4, Disease Reference Group on Helminth InfectionsEFINTD, European Foundation Initiative for African Research into Neglected Tropical DiseasesFIOCRUZ, Oswaldo Cruz FoundationGDP, gross domestic productHKI, Helen Keller InternationalICEMR, International Center of Excellence for Malaria ResearchIDRC, International Development Research Centre, CanadaIRD, Institut de Recherche pour le D\u00e9veloppement, FranceJAF, Joint Action Forum (APOC)JICA, Japan International Cooperation AgencyKEMRI, Kenya Medical Research InstituteKFPE, Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries, SwitzerlandKNUST, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, GhanaMDG, Millennium Development GoalM&E, monitoring and evaluationMRC, Medical Research Council, United KingdomNGDO, non-governmental development organisationNTD, neglected tropical diseaseOCP, Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West AfricaPDP, product development partnershipRAPLOA, rapid assessment procedure for loiasisR&D, research and developmentREA, rapid epidemiological assessmentREMO, rapid epidemiological mapping of onchocerciasisRNSA, Regional Network for Schistosomiasis in AfricaRNAS+, Regional Network for Asian Schistosomiasis and other Zoonotic HelminthsSCI, Schistosomiasis Control InitiativeSCORE, Schistosomiasis Consortium for Operational Research and EvaluationSPHD, Section of Parasitology, Health and Development (of former DBL)STH, soil-transmitted helminthiasisSwiss TPH, Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteTB, tuberculosisTDR, Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical DiseasesTWAS, The Academy of Sciences for the Developing WorldUNICEF, United Nations Children's Fund UNDP, United Nations Development ProgrammeUSAID, United States Agency for International DevelopmentVBD, vector-borne diseaseWHO, World Health OrganizationThere is great disparity in research capacity for parasitic diseases between the developed countries of the North and the developing countries of the South as well as among, and within, the latter. Inequalities in health research\u00a7 contribute to inequalities in health and ultimately wealth. These inequalities are even more pronounced in the case of infectious diseases of poverty and helminthiasesThere have been a number of high-level meetings on research for health in disease-endemic countries (DECs)\u2021, with the Bamako Call to Action 2008 concluding that to remedy the above, a greater proportion of the countries' GDP should be invested in science and technology and at least 2% of the ministries of health's budgets should be invested in research and research capacityThose countries of the South that have invested substantially in biomedical research and research and development (R&D) have greatly increased their scientific output, halted or reversed brain drain, and excelled at product development partnerships and innovation Capacity building is a long-term, systemic, and inter-sectoral process, of which training of scientists is only a component. A more comprehensive approach requires physical infrastructure, appropriate equipment, conducive research environment, regulatory frameworks including the establishment of ethical review boards, attractive pay and working conditions, and substantial government support, including a competitive national research funding agency and monetary investmentThere are a number of international initiatives aiming to strengthen capacity building and establish interdisciplinary and multinational teams addressing infectious diseases of poverty in general and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and helminthiases in particular. Nearly all are funded by industrialised nations, accentuating North\u2013South alignment. Although these initiatives are very welcome, they remain somewhat unbalanced\u00a7An umbrella term referring in this paper to research in biomedical, public health, social science, and environmental (among others) disciplines related to human health.\u2021In the context of this paper, DECs are countries endemic for poverty-related infectious diseases, including HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and emerging, zoonotic, and neglected tropical diseases.Research must focus on national priorities and high disease burden conditions in DECs, with emphasis on evaluating interventions that aim to strengthen research capacity and health systems, and activities that translate knowledge into action and benefits to the local population To achieve the MDGs, several recent high-level meetings on research capacity and policy have called for action on health research interest for potential support, be transparent and conduct open competitions for the best projects, scientifically and in terms of potential impact, have the possibility for a level of sustainability, integrate research and training, and help leverage external funding to support the national and regional efforts in research and training.It is evident that more interaction among nations with similar health problems and common infectious diseases is essential to facilitate exchange of experiences as well as training of individuals to help achieve the MDGs. This requires a great deal of investment from both international and national funding bodies to develop the facilities and the capabilities of scientists who can drive research aimed at developing more effective tools and strategies to fight infectious diseases of poverty. Improving prevention and control strategies for NTDs will result in poverty alleviation and consequent achievement of the MDGs. However, this will require a sincere commitment, a governmental political resolve, and competitive and transparent mechanisms to use health research as a driver towards sustainable human resource development, economic growth, and poverty reduction. Collaborative research is surely one of the best means for strengthening such research capacity, and in general, it has been the case that scientists in DECs welcome collaboration with the more industrialised nations of the North as a vehicle for overcoming barriers to conducting research, obtaining training and funding, and promoting the exchange of ideas. Unfortunately, scientists of DECs seem less enthusiastic about collaboration between countries within their own continents and regions http://apps.who.int/tdr/svc/grants/calls/grants-dec-investigators-2010). More recently, in 2010, the TDR has sponsored research and training exchanges between African scientists from Niger, Nigeria, and Uganda and the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Shanghai regarding schistosomiasis control. This has resulted in a fruitful South\u2013South connection between two previously separate TDR-supported networks in schistosomiasis, namely, the Regional Network for Asian Schistosomiasis and other Zoonotic Helminths and the Regional Network for Schistosomiasis in Africa . Through this newly cemented collaboration, the two networks can learn from one another to build their capacity and expertise (http://www.who.int/tdr/publications/documents/tdrnews86.pdf). Another significant step in the right direction is the proposed relocation to Africa of the TDR-supported Initiative to Strengthen Health Research Capacity in Africa (ISHReCA), at present based at TDR/WHO in Geneva, and sponsored by the Wellcome Trust, among other funders (http://ishreca.org/).It is also true that most efforts towards health research and NTD capacity building in DECs have been made with the impulse of institutions based in industrialised countries. One of the major international organisations that has played an important role in building research capacity is the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), based at the World Health Organization (WHO). The TDR has over the past 30 years sponsored the training of graduates from DECs at both master's and doctorate levels, notwithstanding specialist technological training, and further support (in the form of re-entry grants) to return to their own countries and establish productive research. The emphasis is on developing the research, management, and leadership capacities of DEC scientists and fostering research environments for long-term sustainability, quality processes, and strategic partnerships (http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/News/Media-office/Press-releases/2009/WTX055742.htm). This is in addition to longer-established African-based programmes such as the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme at the Centre of Geographical Medicine Research Coast (CGMRC), in Kilifi, Kenya (http://www.kemri-wellcome.org/). There are many other such programmes, and http://www.acbf-pact.org/).In 2009, the Wellcome Trust funded the African Institutions Initiative, aiming to develop institutional capacity to support and conduct health-related research vital to enhancing people's health, lives, and livelihoods through the formation of seven new international and pan-African consortia , with eahttp://www.cnpq.br). This scheme funds meetings, research, and seed money to evaluate potential on collaborative efforts. In partnership with the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World , an autonomous international organisation based in Italy that promotes scientific capacity and excellence for sustainable development in the South, CNPq also supports students from African countries to be trained in Brazil at post-graduate and post-doctoral levels. Furthermore, the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), with support from the Brazilian government, recently established an initiative with the Mozambican National Institute of Health to create a master's programme in health sciences, with the goal of providing qualified human resources for health research and innovation for Mozambique Regarding South\u2013South initiatives, Brazil has, since 2008, supported collaboration and training of African scientists through the Pro-Africa Program for Thematic Cooperation in Science and Technology of the National Research Council incur very low national investments in research in general, and have a low productivity in science and technology Establishing and nurturing collaborations in research is undoubtedly one of the best vehicles for building and strengthening research capacity in DECs, and emphasis should be placed on long-term partnerships. Efforts to incorporate as co-workers multinational members of interdisciplinary teams can be of immense value, which should be encouraged and cultivated http://www.worldbank.org/); the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ; the Carter Center (http://www.cartercenter.org/index.html); Fogarty International Center (http://www.fic.nih.gov/); GlaxoSmithKline (http://www.gsk.com/); Helen Keller International ; the Japan International Cooperation Agency . The challenge is how to ensure that low-income countries create a stable demand for sustainable control, anthelmintic distribution, and the research that supports these activities. In responding to this demand, it is crucial that there is an appropriate supply of trained personnel at various levels, and that the countries are able to raise adequate resources to complement or eventually replace what is already received from external sources, thus sustaining the success of control and elimination efforts made once donor fatigue occurs, or donor funding is diverted somewhere else. An excellent example of such a transition from external donor funding to internal, DEC funding is the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC). APOC is funded entirely from voluntary contributions channeled through the APOC Trust Fund, and has fostered North\u2013South, North\u2013South\u2013South, and South\u2013South partnerships such as the World Bank ; it manages the APOC Trust Fund and reports annually to the Joint Action Forum (JAF) on the financial situation of APOC. Community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI) activities are funded through three mechanisms: trust funds available through APOC, contributions from the national governments of APOC countries, and funds from non-governmental development organisations (NGDOs). To extend APOC activities until 2015, US$60 million were raised during the JAF meeting in Brussels in December 2007, when in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the donation of Mectizan (ivermectin), the manufacturer and donor of the drug, Merck & Co., Inc., also became a financial donor of APOC.http://www.who.int/apoc/about/funding/en/index.html).Over 80% of funds are spent on technical and operational activities in endemic countries. Simulium yahense, which have led to the elimination of this vector species on the Bioko island of Equatorial Guinea Not only are the treatment activities of CDTI financed through this mechanism, but also APOC provides funds to encourage operations research and enable evaluation of its impact by multidisciplinary and international teams with a strong cadre of African scientists. Examples are the studies for the feasibility of elimination through insecticidal larviciding of the Bioko form of APOC is an example of North\u2013South support being extended to South\u2013South cooperation. APOC and TDR have supported relevant operations research in the areas of rapid epidemiological mapping of onchocerciasis (REMO), rapid epidemiological assessment (REA) of onchocerciasis, rapid assessment procedure for loiasis (RAPLOA), and CDTI as a community-empowering strategy. All this has contributed significantly to improved capability and increased number of researchers in onchocerciasis-endemic countries of Africa. APOC has supported research in the onchocerciasis-endemic countries either financially or by maThe successes achieved by control programmes, like the former Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa (OCP), the current APOC, and the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI), have been partly realised because of the fundamental and operations research carried out within the umbrella of the programmes activities In many DECs, scientists and/or lecturers from research institutions and universities work mainly as individuals rather than as teams. This leaves the new entrant, the young scientist/lecturer, in a place where there is little or no guidance, direction, or an environment that will facilitate his/her career development and progression. Moreover, facilities and inputs for scientific research available to the young scientist are limited. To facilitate research capacity in DECs, there is a need for senior scientists/faculty staff members at higher levels to mentor junior researchers. Having a mentor with expertise, peer esteem, and networking skills provides an invaluable triad function: guidance and direction for the development of a career pathway; research facilities, laboratories, and group support for practical experience; and access to a network of contacts for projection in the national and international arenas. Mentors and role models provide not only exposure to robust and demanding academic and research environments and a vision of what is expected and possible to achieve, but also opportunities to participate and present in international conferences, and obtain feedback on research dissemination activities, manuscripts, oral presentations, and grant preparation. The introduction of the junior fellowships by the European Foundation Initiative for African Research into Neglected Tropical Diseases (EFINTDs) is a stehttp://www.biomedcentral.com/developingcountries/events/openaccessafrica). However, a considerable amount of investment by higher education and research institutions is needed to maintain the necessary funding for electronic journals, digitised archives, bibliographic databases, and printed literature that are not easily available in DECs. Furthermore, fast and reliable Internet access is sometimes lacking in DECs, which in turn limits the access of researchers in those countries to open-access information via the Internet. For a compilation of web-based bibliography databases of epidemiology, parasitology, and tropical medicine resources from the Spanish-speaking Latin America and Caribbean regions, see http://www.cambridgetrusts.org/partners/capes-brazil.html).Strict open-access publication policies, subsidies by the research funders of wealthier nations, and the growth of prestigious and high impact open-access journals have ameliorated the access of scientists in DECs to high quality and updated peer-reviewed research. In particular, BioMed Central has recently launched \u201cOpen Access Africa\u201d, a collection of initiatives designed to increase the output and visibility of scientific research published by African learning institutes. The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, Ghana, is the first African Foundation Member to participate in BioMed Central's free membership scheme , bioinformatics, and computational biology that can, in the medium and long term, have a major impact on disease control or elimination http://www.finlay.sld.cu/english/eindex.htm), and was recently licensed to GlaxoSmithKline The path forward is not impossible, however. Some DECs in South America, the Caribbean, and the African regions, despite similar challenges, have been able to develop adequate research capacity. For example, Brazil, Cuba, and South Africa have made major technological advancements in the field of functional genomics, bioinformatics, and vaccine development. Notably, the scientific output and impact of these countries' researchers have increased internationally, and consequently the brain drain has been reduced or halted A further challenge hampering the effective development of research capacity building is the lack of application of the same rigorous monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices to capacity building work that are implemented in other areas, with most activities lacking standard quality assurance processes at the design stage, and not being routinely tracked, monitored, and evaluated Given the lack of political will and financial commitment by most DECs to support research capacity building, the role of global and regional efforts has become crucial in supporting and sustaining the control of helminth infections. These efforts include various established research partnerships between the developed countries and the developing nations. Establishing these North\u2013South partnerships in the form of consortia, networks, and collaborations between research institutions has made valuable contributions to research capacity and should be encouraged, although this requires significant financial investments For such partnerships to work effectively, they should include major players such as local research institutions, universities, and researchers on infectious diseases of poverty, managers of control programmes, and policy-makers. They should also provide a forum for an active involvement of the DECs and their scientists to ensure that the priority needs of these countries, as well as the training of local human resources, are met. For a more comprehensive account of \u201cdesirables\u201d in establishing \u201cwin-win\u201d partnerships between the North and the South, readers are referred to the \u201c11 Principles for Research in Partnership with Developing Countries\u201d prepared and published by the Swiss Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries (KFPE) Malaria research initiatives are good examples of such integrated successes. Although it is a large and highly competitive field, a number of networks exist to foster collaboration, communication, and interactions not only amongst international members, but also among local members. An example is the Biology and Pathology of Malaria Parasite , a network of excellence funded by the European Commission, which has been successful in establishing and strengthening malaria communities and laboratories in both Europe and malaria-endemic countries In addition to these North\u2013South partnerships, research capacity building can be reinforced by facilitating and providing more opportunities for South\u2013South collaborations http://ec.europa.eu/health/programme/funding_schemes/index_en.htm); the training and capacity building programmes of the Section for Parasitology, Health and Development of the former Danish Bilharziasis Laboratory , and of the former Swiss Tropical Institute ] in Basel, http://www.swisstph.ch/); the US Agency for International Development , and in particular the USAID's Neglected Tropical Disease Program (http://www.neglecteddiseases.gov/index.html); the Neglected and Other Infectious Diseases Program of the B&MGF (http://www.gatesfoundation.org/topics/Pages/neglected-diseases.aspx); the New York-based Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (http://www.fordifp.net/); the International Development Research Centre of Canada ; AusAID (http://www.ausaid.gov.au/) in Australia; the Institut de Recherche pour le D\u00e9veloppement in France; the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom ; the Wellcome Trust (http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/), and the Medical Research Council also in the UK, as well as other foundations, initiatives, and programmes , bioinformatics, and computational biologyDetection and monitoring of resistance to anti-parasitic and anti-vectorial measuresOptimisation of existing, and development of novel diagnostics, drugs, and vaccinesEconomic evaluation of the health impact of helminthiases and of deployed interventions for cost-effectiveness analysis of control programmesIn order to increase DEC research output, gain external visibility, and improve success rates in obtaining studentships, fellowships, and research awards in an increasingly competitive environment, capacity building strategies should include formal training in paper-writing, oral presentation skills, and grantsmanshipMonitoring and evaluation (M&E) instruments should be devised and deployed to assess the effectiveness of research capacity building strategies in the same rigorous way they are applied to quantify the impact of control interventions. This would provide evidence-based arguments for the continuation and improvement of capacity buildingFigure S1Concept and Strategy of the Hashimoto Initiative for Global Parasite Control. WB: World Bank; WHO: World Health Organization; MFA: Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs; MHW: Japan Ministry of Health and Welfare; JICA: Japan International Cooperation Agency; G8: The Group of Eight ; NMIMR: Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research; WACIPAC: West Africa Centre for International Parasite Control; KEMRI: Kenya Medical Research Institute; ESACIPAC: Eastern and Southern Africa Centre of International Parasite Control; ACIPAC: Asian Centre of International Parasite Control (adapted from reference (PDF)Click here for additional data file.Table S1Examples of Current Research Capacity Building Initiatives in the Area of Health Research, Helminthiases, and other Infectious Diseases of Poverty with Particular Reference to Africa.(PDF)Click here for additional data file.Text S1Examples of North\u2013South and South\u2013South Research and Capacity Building Initiatives in Helminthiases and other Infectious Diseases of Poverty.(PDF)Click here for additional data file."} +{"text": "Toward a New Psychiatry: Philosophical and Ethical Issues in Classification, Diagnosis and Care' http://www.biomedcentral.com/series/newpsychiatry.This Editorial introduces the thematic series on ' Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) of the American Psychiatric Association, which upon release in spring of 2013, is hoped to instantiate greater consistency, and improve the ways that psychiatric disorders are classified and diagnosed [In the main, medicine has progressed substantially in recent years due to technological advances that have arguably enhanced methods to analyse research data, improved diagnostic techniques, and enabled more effective therapeutics. Such advancements are also being employed increasingly in psychiatry; in particular, progress in neuroimaging and other neurophysiological techniques, developments in behavioural sciences and psychotherapies, and developments in psychiatric genetics have all contributed to knowledge of mental illnesses. However, we must ask if, and in what ways these developments actually have affected the science, practice and clinical value of psychiatry. In addition, psychiatry is also confronting increasing diversity in socio-cultural values, norms and perspectives. The constructs of normality and abnormality, mental health and disorder, and the need for varying types of preventive and therapeutic interventions are undergoing iterative change. In part, this is reflected in, and influenced by the fifth edition of the Such re-assessment and revision will be important as worldwide social changes prompt new challenges and opportunities in psychiatric research and practice: international ethnic, religious and political beliefs and behaviours are becoming evermore prevalent, and the field is gaining prominence in non-western nations such as Japan, China and India. These changes necessitate reflection and insight in the philosophical and scientific bases of the profession, the ethical, legal, and social implications, as well as questions and problems that may be incurred through its articulation. Namely, how will - and perhaps should - advances in neuroscience, neurotechnology and genetics alter studies, concepts and the practise of psychiatry? In what ways might the DSM-5 affect the practical, ethical and legal aspects of the field, and its role in society? How might psychiatric diagnostic and therapeutic practices be best suited to meet the contingencies of non-Western societies? What specific constructs, paradigms, tools and techniques might shape and define this future path?Toward a New Psychiatry: Philosophical and Ethical Issues in Classification, Diagnosis and Care', addresses these questions, concepts, problems and possible solutions from multi-disciplinary perspectives. The issue begins with a paper by Shadia Kawa and James Giordano that presents the historiography of the DSM and posits the implications of both the history of the DSM, and the potential of the DSM-5 to affect the current and future canon and practice(s) of psychiatry [This thematic issue, 'ychiatry . James Pychiatry . In respychiatry .The use, utility and real value of the psychopharmacological (vs psychotherapeutic) approach to depression is addressed in a point-counterpoint dialectic provided by John Ioannidis, and John M Davis and colleagues, which then raises important questions about the actual nature of psychiatric disorder ,6. IndeeAs a result of advancements in the neurosciences, studies of brain-behaviour relationships have increasingly become part of the psychiatric literature, as evidenced by the application of neuroimaging tools, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). But neurotechnological approaches, while important, are not without limitations, and like any tool, must be used in ways that are technically correct, ethically sound, and effective in practise. Kristina M Visscher and Daniel H Weissman argue that advances in cognitive neuroscience research can be facilitated by greater sharing of raw fMRI data between researchers, thereby allowing effective comparison, syntheses and validation of research-based information that can be translated into more meaningful clinical diagnostics and therapeutics . StudiesWhile striving to define notions of technical rectitude, and individual and social good are crucial to the practise of any form of medicine, we must ask what new developments in the neurosciences, and changes in society portend for the future of psychiatry, and its place in contemporary cultures? Jennifer H Radden explicitly deals with such issues in her examination of patient rights, the nature, values and varied needs of mental health consumers, and the ways that reconstructive cultural semantics may influence clinical, ontological and socio-legal distinctions relative and relevant to psychiatric care . ExplicaPhilosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine). Submissions addressing these themes are invited to the following journals for inclusion: BMC Medicine; BMC Neurology; Genome Medicine BMC Psychiatry; BMC Neuroscience; and Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine.The ideas and opinions detailed in these papers represent insights to the ways that changing conceptualisations of mental function, health, disorder and illness inform and direct the current and future practices of psychiatric research and treatment. We aim to continue to publish important articles which address these issues, and invite you to submit your manuscript to this cross-journal, thematic series , will be explored further in a two-day conference: BMC Medicine at BioMed Central. Jigisha Patel is the Medical Editor for BMC-series journals at BioMed Central. James Giordano is the Editor-in-Chief for Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine.Sabina Alam is the Editor of"} +{"text": "To address the issue on Person Centered Health Professional Education, members of the Board of the International College of Person-Centered Medicine (ICPCM) and participants of the First International Congress of the ICPCM met during the Congress in Zagreb, Croatia on November 8th, 2013.We, participants in the First International Congress of Person-centered Medicine and the Board of the International College of Person-Centered Medicine, call for action to promote person-centered health for all through transformative educational concepts, programs and actions.Person Centered Medicine seeks to place the whole person in context at the center and as the goal of clinical practice and public health. It articulates science and humanism to achieve health care actions that are ethical, holistic, culturally sensitive, relationally attentive, individualized and seek common ground for joint diagnostic understanding and shared decision-making for prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and health promotion. It also endeavors for people-centered development of health services and public health policies, all supported by person-centered education, training and research.In order to advance person-centered medicine and health through educational efforts, we derive strength, inspiration and guidance from the many international bodies that regularly participate in our discussions, among them the World Federation for Medical Education, the International Association of Medical Colleges, and academic institutions from across the world. We also draw information and documentation from the proceedings of relevant events such as the the Geneva Conferences and International Congresses of Person-centered Medicine as well as from pertinent publications such as the International Journal of Person Centered Medicine.Person-centered educational efforts need to be attentive to the different aspects and levels of the educational domain, including conceptual bases, institutional organization and culture, selection and development of health professional students, instructors and mentors, interactional mechanisms among students, teachers, patients and families, educational settings, curriculum development and evaluation, educational methods, and broader issues on education, health and society.We therefore propose the following educational and related actions:1. Enhancement of the conceptual bases of professional training and public education by grounding them in ethics and human rights, knowledge of the bio-psycho-socio-cultural determinants of ill health and positive health, attention to personal values and preferences, and the flourishing of well-being and life projects.2. Analysis and optimization of the organization and culture of educational institutions to be supportive of person-centered health for and with students, faculty and administrative colleagues.3. Selection of students who are suited to the goals and responsibilities required of health professionals and commitment to their personal development in addition to their broad technical training.4. Selection of instructors and mentors who are suited to their educational responsibilities and commitment to their continuing professional and personal development.5. Facilitation of dynamic interactions among students, instructors, patients and families by ensuring opportunities for dialogue at all levels, promoting inter-disciplinary training, and engaging patients as instructors.6. Promoting curricular developments that have person-centered guiding principles, that include curricular experiments and mechanisms for their evaluation, that consider a balance between concentrated blocs and longitudinal integration for the achievement of educational objectives, and that incorporate the continuum of health promotion, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care.7. Exploring the design, implementation and evaluation of person-centered educational methods such as experiential and reflexive learning, communicational exercises, training groups with patients and families, shadowing mentors, employing video recordings for feedback purposes, community visits and practice, utilization of narratives, practice of artistic activities, motivational interviewing, establishing common ground among clinicians, patients and families for diagnosis and care, articulation of competence- and performance-training, and ability to work with patients from different cultures and social conditions in a respectful and collaborative manner.8. Promoting health in individual patients and in society by active education of patients, addressing broad issues on determinants of health and the impact of cultural, religious and social factors on health and health care, identifying and reducing health hazards in the environment and society, and being all involved in shaping sound health policies.The International College of Person-centered Medicine is committed to the above listed recommendations and calls on governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to collaborate on the advancement of these educational efforts toward the promotion of person-centered medicine and health."} +{"text": "Vivienne Ho was not included in the author byline. She should be listed as the third author and affiliated with Center for Vascular Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, United States of America. The contributions of this author are as follows: Conceived and designed the experiments, performed the experiments, analyzed the data, and contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools."} +{"text": "Jun Saegusa was incorrectly omitted from the list of authors of the article. Dr. Saegusa should be indicated as the eighth author and affiliated with Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America. The contributions of this author are as follows: Performed the experiments and analyzed the data."} +{"text": "In Rinderpest and Peste des Petits Ruminants: Virus Plagues of Large and Small Ruminants, Tom Barrett (now deceased), of the Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright Laboratory, Surrey, UK, and his co-editors have subtly presented the main developments in the quest to conquer these diseases. The instructive text, which touches on the key dynamics of both deadly diseases, incorporates considerable historical detail, infection biology, and information on disease diagnosis, control, and eradication. This book consists of high quality scientific and historical research based on the editors\u2019 experience with morbilliviruses and collaborations with other researchers worldwide. In total, 22 scientists have contributed their expertise on various infectious diseases to the monograph\u2019s 17 chapters.Throughout, the contributors have tried to maintain an appropriate balance between peste des petits ruminants (PPR) and rinderpest (RP). This hypothesis-based balancing act is important to understand PPR. A future significance of PPR can be realized by the phrase stated by the editors, \u201cIf rinderpest becomes a disease of the past, PPR is certainly a disease of the future.\u201d The book starts with an historical account of the RP and PPR diseases accompanied by photographs from the 18th century. These photographs are detailed, illustrative, and fascinating. Of particular interest are a condolence letter, written by Emile Roux from Institute Pasteur to the widow of Joseph Hamoir, with whom Emile Roux worked on rinderpest, and a group photo, including Robert Koch, of his visit to the Imperial Veterinary Laboratory in 1897 where he conducted experiments to immunize cattle with the bile taken from an animal that had succumbed in a virulent outbreak of rinderpest. The book focuses on the following issues: relative position of each member in the genera, comparative molecular biology, pathophysiology of the infectious diseases, global epidemiologic patterns, contribution of countries in the eradication of the disease under the Pan African Rinderpest Campaign Programme and the Pan African Programme for the Control of Epizootics, viral immune suppression, and molecular diagnostic approaches being developed. For all these issues, the importance for clinicians of accurate diagnosis and management and prevention of infectious diseases is highlighted. Because of the current sensitivity about an emergence of PPR and the successful Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme, the contributors believe that PPR can be controlled similarly and its spread prevented. Thus, the last 7 chapters emphasize the traditional prophylactic measures, potency of vaccines and possibility of vaccine use, the history of vaccine improvement, recent advances in vaccine development, implementation of international control campaigns for the eradication of RP and PPR by using vaccine, and a brief overview of the pathogenesis and eradication of measles virus. Finally, the editors assess the real cost and benefits of the Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme campaign and predict that the world will soon be free of RP, at comparatively little cost.Although the book discusses many aspects of the current situation, such as epidemiological distribution, progress in vaccine development, and advances in the diagnosis of PPR diagnostic procedures, information regarding the most recent developments is lacking; a few chapters were written in \u22482000 before the increase in PPR research. Still, I consider this to be the only book that comprehensively describes PPR. It is suitable not only for academics and researchers, but also for virologists, infectious disease specialists, vaccine researchers, and clinicians. Moreover, this book provides appropriate scientific source material suitable for undergraduate and graduate studies."} +{"text": "This e-book presents a collection of research and review articles related to the spread, control and basic understanding of vector borne diseases all over the world. It is well known that a multidisciplinary point of view is necessary in order to develop a global vision of this emergent problem. Therefore, in order to promote this holistic approach to the knowledge of vector borne diseases, this e-book contains a total of 19 collaborations of entomologists, epidemiologists, virologists, parasitologists, bacteriologists, zoologists and veterinarians of Europe, Africa, Asia, and America. The title perfectly reflects some of the global factors that are behind the emergence and/or reemergence of vector borne diseases.It is now well known that several climatic, environmental and sociodemographic changes that have occurred over the past years are some of the most important causes for the resurgence of many diseases worldwide. However, global change, defined as the impact of human activity on the fundamental mechanisms of biosphere functioning, includes not only climate change, but also habitat transformation, water cycle modification, biodiversity loss, synanthropic incursion of alien species into new territories, or the introduction of new chemicals in nature.Although there is a large and varied group of vectors worldwide, in this e-book we have examined the two most important disease vectors in our opinion: mosquitoes and ticks. Studies about the presence and transmission rates of viruses like West Nile, assays about mosquito control with new and encouraging methods, studies related to the importance of vector control strategies, research results about the role of asymptomatic cases of anthroponosis like Dengue, and investigations about the impact of climate trends on diseases transmitted by ticks and mosquitoes, are some of the issues that can be found in this Research Topic.As editors of this Research Topic, we would like to acknowledge sincerely all coauthors for their valuable and interesting contributions and we wish the readers of this e-book a productive and enjoyable reading of some of the most innovative work related to vector borne diseases."} +{"text": "We inadvertently failed to include the complete list of all coauthors for this work . The fulAW is an employee of Bristol-Myers Squibb which produces dasatinib and BMS911543. The remaining authors declare that they have no competing interests.FMJ conceived and designed the project, supervised all the experiments, and wrote the manuscript. SP, BS, and TM helped to design and performed all the animal and bench experiments. CJC and YZ performed the gene expression analysis and prepared the corresponding figures. JM, DB, MDW, and SYL assisted with the study design and tissue acquisition, critically reviewed the data, and reviewed the manuscript. Additionally MDW performed all the histologic tissue analyses including interpretation of the IHC and prepared the corresponding figures. AW and ML were involved with the pre-clinical development of BMS-911543 and assisted with the study design and preparation of the manuscript. All authors gave final approval of the manuscript."} +{"text": "It is my great privilege to take over as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Epidemiology after Dr. Tomotaka Sobue, who served in that role between 2008 and 2010. Under the outstanding leadership of Dr. Sobue and his team, an online submission system was started in 2008, and the number of manuscripts from abroad has substantially increased. In 2010, 40% of submitted articles were from Japan, 12% from Europe, 11% from China, 9% each from Taiwan and countries in the Middle East, 5% from Korea, 6% from other Asian countries, 6% from the United States, and 2% from South America. The average impact factor from 2007 through 2009 was 1.73.The journal will continue to cover a broad range of high-quality epidemiological research throughout the world and to contribute to the basic, clinical, public health, and political sciences. The editorial team seeks to maintain our high international standard by publishing original and review articles on a variety of research topics in order to eventually establish us as one of the leading journals in epidemiology.Hiroyasu Iso, MD, PhD, MPHEditor-in-Chief, Journal of EpidemiologyProfessor of Public HealthDepartment of Environment and Social MedicineOsaka University Graduate School of Medicine"} +{"text": "There is an error in the funding statement. The correct funding statement is, \"This work is supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under grants No. 61174150, No. 70771011, and No. 60974084, the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University of Ministry of Education of China (No. NCET-09-0228), and fundamental research funds for the Central Universities of Beijing Normal University. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.\""} +{"text": "The affiliation for the third author is incorrectly assigned. The correct affiliation for Giovanni Colonna is the first affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and CRISCEB - , Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy."} +{"text": "Reports of secondary bloodborne transmission of vCJD add to the uncertainty about the future of the vCJD outbreak. The only variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) patient identified in the United States died in 2004, and the diagnosis was confirmed by analysis of autopsy tissue. The patient likely acquired the disease while growing up in Great Britain before immigrating to the United States in 1992. Additional vCJD patients continue to be identified outside the United Kingdom, including 2 more patients in Ireland, and 1 patient each in Japan, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and the Netherlands. The reports of bloodborne transmission of vCJD in 2 patients, 1 of whom was heterozygous for methionine and valine at polymorphic codon 129, add to the uncertainty about the future of the vCJD outbreak. Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses of tonsillar biopsy tissue demonstrated the presence of protease-resistant prion protein, which supported the diagnosis of vCJD. By September 2002, the patient was bedridden. An experimental treatment with quinacrine was given to the patient for 3 months, but she showed little improvement. She remained in a state of akinetic mutism and died in June 2004, \u224832 months after illness onset.The patient was born in Great Britain in 1979 and immigrated to the United States with her family in 1992. She had no history of surgery or receipt of blood or blood products, and she was never a blood donor. Consistent with findings for vCJD patients in the United Kingdom associated with potential foodborne exposure, this patient was homozygous for methionine at polymorphic codon 129 of the prion protein gene. A full autopsy was performed, and neuropathologic examination of brain tissue showed the presence of florid plaques and severe cortical atrophy . ImmunohThis patient is the only US resident with a confirmed diagnosis of vCJD. She was likely exposed to BSE while growing up in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1992, which suggests an incubation period of 9\u201321 years . The illAs of early August 2005, 157 vCJD patients were reported from the United Kingdom: 13 have been reported from France, 3 from Ireland, and 1 each from Canada, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United States . SimilarCertain characteristics distinguishing vCJD from classic CJD raised early concerns about possible secondary bloodborne spread of vCJD, especially in light of the lack of experience with this newly emerged disease. Of specific concern was the detection of the agent in lymphoid tissues and the possibility of prionemia as the agent spreads from the gut to the brain. In 1997, to monitor for the possible bloodborne transmission of vCJD, researchers in the United Kingdom began investigating recipients of blood components obtained from donors who subsequently died of vCJD , predominantly psychiatric manifestations at illness onset, delayed appearance of frank neurologic signs, absence of a diagnostic electroencephalographic pattern, presence of the pulvinar sign on MRI, and a longer median illness duration (http://www.cjdsurveillance.com), which was established to facilitate autopsy performance and testing (In June 2005, the US Department of Agriculture confirmed BSE in an \u224812-year-old cow born and raised in Texas. This is the first time an indigenous BSE case was detected in the United States. A previous BSE-positive cow identified in Washington State was imported from Canada ("} +{"text": "This review traces the evolution of modern medical education in India on the one hand and the formation of the Indian Psychiatric Society and the progress of postgraduate psychiatric education on the other hand, all in the context of Indian psychiatry. The topic is covered under the headings standard of psychiatric education, the goals, competencies required, impact of psychiatric disorders, relation of medicine to psychiatry, and the directions for the future of postgraduate psychiatric training. Modern medical education in India began in 1822, in a medical school at Calcutta. The medium of instruction was the language of the region, into which English medical books were translated. In the year 1833, Lord William Bentick, the then Governor General of India, appointed a Committee to examine the question of medical education in India. The committee recommended the abolition of the medical school and the establishment of a medical college in its place. Consequently in the year 1835, two medical colleges were started in India, one in Calcutta and the other in Madras. The duration of the medical course was four years, which was extended to five years in 1845.[The Indian Medical Council Act No. XXVII of 1933, was brought into force on 1 November 1933, and the Medical Council of India (MCI) was constituted thereunder on15 February 1934. From time to time, amendments have been made in this Act. The council has been primarily concerned with undergraduate medical education, but during the last six decades, particularly after the new Medial Council Act of 1956, it empowered the Council to look after Postgraduate Medical Education. According to Section 20(1), the Council may prescribe standards of postgraduate medical education. Consequently, the Postgraduate Medical Education Committee of MCI has made valuable recommendations regarding the nomenclature of postgraduate degrees, the courses and period of studies, examination systems, recognition of training institutes, and postgraduate teachers.There has been a tremendous growth in medical education since 1935, but more so, during the last three decades. Today there are 313 recognized medical colleges and admit35133 students every year. As on July 2010, there are 112 Medical Colleges and Postgraduate Institutes, which admit266 M.D. degree students in Psychiatry each year, besides which, 55 Medical Colleges have training facilities for 124 D.P.M. students. In addition 50 to 60 Postgraduates appear for D.N.B. of the National Board of Examination. It may be important to mention that the first M.D. Psychiatry course was started by Medical College at Patna in 1941 and the first M.D. Candidate was late Prof. L.P. Verma, a Past President of I.P.S. and Past Editor of Indian Journal of Psychiatry and Neurology.The Indian Psychiatric Society was founded in January 1947 and significantly in the same year the Society appointed a committee on Post-graduate Psychiatry Education. The need for P.G. training in Psychiatry was mentioned by Dr. C.C. Saha during his Presidential address by him in 1962 at Agra. Since th20This trend is gradually changing, and during the last four decades, dramatic developments have taken place regarding the growth of psychiatry. Today it is obvious that like most other specialties, psychiatry is becoming increasingly specialized and fragmented.The development of psychiatric education, including its objectives and standards is guided by the Medical Council of India, a statutory body established in 1933. Since 1956 it has had a permanent Committee on Postgraduate Medical Education, whose function it is to formulate rules and curricula of studies and the minimum requirements for teaching centers. It also maintains the quality of teachers and examinations conducted by the universities, so as to bring about uniformity of standards.In many ways the recommendations of the Council are mandatory and should be fulfilled before an institute/ college is recognized as a Postgraduate Department, and the following areas are essential:(a) The teaching staff must be adequate and qualified(b) The student to teacher ratio must be satisfactory, normally one postgraduate student (MD) per teacher per year-recently this ratio has been changed to two MDs for one teacher from 2010(c) The ratio of student to number of patients he handles must be satisfactory(d) Each postgraduate teacher must have at least 40 in. patients with out-patient, follow-up and adequate laboratory facilities, and a library for research, in the unitThe selection of MD students must be strictly on merit, and in some institutions credit must be given to their work in rural areasThe duration of a postgraduate degree course must be for a minimum of three years and for the diplomas two years, after one year of compulsory rotatory internship in a recognized medical institution. This period of three years training has to be full-time, and every postgraduate student must be either a full-time resident or a full-time scholarWith regard to the content and method of training, the main purpose must be to expose the student, by graded residency posts, to all branches of clinical psychiatry and also neurology. The student must participate in the care and management of patients, and must be given increasing responsibility as his experience develops. By the time he is in his last year of training, he must be able to diagnose and initiate treatment independently. He has to become conversant with the allied subjects, such as, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurobiochemistry, including electroencephalography, neuroradiology, psychology, and social work, during his trainingOrganization of the teaching program is a complex task for anyone given this kind of responsibility. It is easy to preach ideals but difficult to practice, and at present our leaders face two formidable tasks: First, to train and provide service to the mental healthcare of 1.2 billion population, and second, to maintain high standards in the scientific field in order to ensure a high quality of teaching and research activityMD Three yearsDPM Two yearsThe modular approach in teaching is essential. Training must involve learning experiences targeted at the needs of the community and also at exposing the students to community-based activities. A combination of both formative and summative assessment is vital.To produce competent and knowledgeable specialists and/ or medical teachers and to research in psychiatry.To achieve this, it is recommended that postgraduate students recognize the health needs of the community, and be able to carry out professional obligations ethically. To master most of the competencies, it is necessary to grasp the speciality required for the needs at the secondary and tertiary levels, and be aware of the contemporary advances in the discipline. To acquire a spirit of scientific inquiry, research methodology and epidemiology are essential. Further it is suggested that they acquire the basic skills in teaching the medical and paramedical professionals.Sufficient understanding of the basic sciences relevant to the concerned specialityTo diagnose and manage the majority of conditions in the specialityTo plan and advise measures for the prevention and rehabilitation of the mentally sickTo demonstrate skills in the documentation of individual case records of morbidity and mortalityTo have empathy and a humane approach toward patients and their familiesTo have skills for the implementation of a national health program effectively and efficientlyTo organize and supervise healthcare services, demonstrating adequate managerial skills in the clinic/ hospital settingTo develop a self-directed learning ability, recognize continuing educational needs; select and use the appropriate learning resourcesTo develop skills in using educational methods and techniques for teaching of medical studentsTo demonstrate being an effective leader of a health teamSimilar to every discipline, every postgraduate student in psychiatry shall aim at the development of specific competencies, defined and spelt out in clear terms. Each department shall produce a statement and bring it to notice of the trainees at the start of the program so that he or she can direct the effects toward the attainment of these competencies.Components of the postgraduate curriculumThe major components of the postgraduate curriculum shall be to include relevant theoretical knowledge and to develop practical and clinical skills and attitudes, including communication skills, training in research methodology, and thesis writing skills.Basic sciences, in Neuroanatomy, Neurophysiology, Genetics, Neurochemistry, Neuroimaging, Psycho pharmaclogy, Psychology, and Social Sciences, including Statistics and EpidemiologyDiagnostic assessment of all psychiatric diseases including a basic knowledge of Internal Medicine and NeurologyEtiopathogenesisTherapeutics relevant to all Psychiatric disordersPrognosis of various disordersNecessary knowledge about prevention and mental health promotion and research methodologyA written curriculum is necessary, as it defines competency and expectation, program evaluation, and helps in the proper assessment of learners.After the completion of training, the trainees must be knowledgeable about the aspects of those bio-medical, social, and psychological sciences that underpin the practice of clinical psychiatry. In particular, trainees should be able to demonstrate the knowledge of those aspects of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurochemistry, neuropharmacology, and other biological sciences, which are relevant to understanding psychiatric disorders, including those aspects of psychology, sociology, anthropology, and other social sciences, which are relevant to psychiatric disorders. It must also focus on the various biological, psychological, social, and cultural models of the etiology of psychiatric disorders. The theoretical underpinnings of the major treatment modalities for psychiatric disorders, including biological, psychotherapeutic, and social and family interventions are essential.A minimum of six months in Neurology and Primary Care,18 months minimum in General Psychiatry, which includes inpatient, day hospital, rehabilitation, and outpatient services, is necessary. Rotations can include adult, geriatric, child, and adolescent patients. A minimum of six months of complimentary didactic/clinical rotations will be available. It must include three months in consultation and liaison psychiatry and three months in community-based psychiatry.The evaluation of the training process should focus on motivation and empathy. Knowledge in psychiatry, including patient care, communication skills, professionalism, and empathetic development, must be evaluated. Formative and summative assessment should be an integral part of the evaluation process.Appropriate assessment devises should be used for evaluation; for instance, objective structured clinical examination, examination on written or computer-based, multiple-choice questions, chart-stimulated recall oral examination, case logs, and so on. The self-assessment evaluation process should take into consideration the cultural and regional factors.The present evaluation process for the MD degree is not very satisfactory and needs improvement. It should include faculty evaluation by residents, to improve the teaching and development of the faculty. Program evaluation by residents and faculty must be used to improve educational programs. Evaluation of teaching materials and tools must also take place regularly. The role of an individual supervisor in the evaluation process is essential to convey the accumulated evaluation data. Oral and written evaluation must take place twice a year, to determine the level of educational progress and the quality of the curriculum and not just at the end of three years. Patients\u2019 log books must be an integral part of the evaluation process.The evaluation must be compatible and must encompass clinical psychiatry, including clinical assessment and the delivering and monitoring of treatment, and also multiprofessional case management, with ethical professional practice, as also management and leadership issues. The evaluation must also include research, informatics, and knowledge management, and must be demonstrable, culturally sensitive, and deliverable in terms of available local training facilities. Training must have explicit, assessable learning objectives, which must be reviewed and revised as necessary. Similarly evaluation must be rooted in evidencebased practice. There must be feedback from the trainees and the evaluation methods must be modified accordingly.After the completion of their training, the trainees must be knowledgeable about the epidemiology, etiology, psychopathology, clinical features (including complications), and natural history of psychiatric disorders and psychological reactions in both the individual and the caregiver, including concepts of the impairment, disability, and handicap. A sound knowledge of the assessment and care of these conditions is also expected. In particular, trainees must be able to demonstrate the knowledge of the incidence and prevalence of illnesses at different ages and in various populations, as also the history of the evolution of the concepts of psychiatric disorders and principles of treatment. Similarly understanding of the influence of specific factors on the assessment and care of psychiatric disorders, including: Age, intellectual capacity, co-medical illness, gender, culture, spiritual beliefs, and socioeconomic status, are important.They must also understand the influence of various factors that affect the outcome of treatment and the principles underlying the choice and integration of interventions in psychiatric disorders, including relative cost effectiveness. The principles of legislation, which relate to the practice of psychiatry, with particular emphasis on mental health legislation, including its local application, must also be gathered. The phenomenology of psychiatric disorders, including the definitions of psychiatric symptoms and their significance, psychiatric diagnosis, and the criteria on which these are based, within the framework of one of the widely accepted classification systems such as ICD or DSM, the possible causative or exacerbating factors in psychiatric disorders, the natural history of the disease process in psychiatric disorders, which enables identification of the severity of the disease, the urgency of the need for treatment, the stage of the need for treatment, and the prognosis must be understood.Similarly, after the completion of training, trainees must be knowledgeable about the impact of psychiatric disorders on patients, their families, caregivers, and significant others. They should also have knowledge about the impact on patients with psychiatric disorder and their treatment, including the broader potential impact on multiple areas of the patients\u2019 life and lifestyle. They must also know the particular impact on patients with psychiatric disorder and their treatment, when this treatment involves hospitalization and involuntary treatment. The impact of the psychiatric disorder on the families and caregivers, including an awareness of their needs and their role in the care of a patient is important. Community consequences of psychiatric disorder and implications for the community of policies for the care and treatment of people so affected, is another aspect that trainees need to gain knowledge about, along with understanding the attitudes and responses of the community to psychiatric disorder, including the implications of stigma to the patients, their families, and caregivers.The trainees must have a knowledge about the appropriate management plans for psychiatric disorders, including(a) Physical and psychological investigations and assessments,(b) Psychotherapeutic techniques, (c) Psychopharmacological and other physical therapies, (d) Situations in which referral to or consultation with colleagues in psychiatry and other disciplines is appropriate, (e) understanding of rehabilitation programs.After the completion of training, trainees must be knowledgeable about the general medical and common surgical conditions. Higher levels of knowledge, tempered by maturity and experience, are expected in those areas of general medicine that are particularly related to psychiatric practice. In particular, trainees must be able to demonstrate knowledge of the presentation, investigation, diagnosis, and treatment of medical conditions, particularly in those areas related to psychiatric practice. Their knowledge of further investigations that are necessary to confirm or reject diagnostic hypotheses, to aid the patient\u2019s management, the basic principles involved in the management of significant medical illnesses, the interaction between medical and psychiatric disorders, the psychosocial and cultural aspects of medical illness and its significance to patients and their families, with regard to both the illness and its treatment, are desirable.The long case history is an essential component of the final examination. Time \u2013 one hour, personal style, format \u2013 case history, identifying data, How the patient presented his problem \u2013 which led to his presentation to the clinic, history must be sufficient, with details \u2013 which help to give meaning and substance to the diagnostic formulation and help to arrive at a diagnosis, and the context in which therapy would be affected, including a rehabilitation plan. It must also include physical examination \u2013 neurological, cardiovascular system, respiratory system and eye-fundus.Title \u2013 15 minutesPersonal StyleMental status examinationNeurological examination if requiredBrief history \u2013 relevantSymptomsSignsDiagnostic formulation with tentative diagnosis, with justificationTreatment planningFormat must includeViva must includePharmacotherapyBehavior therapyPsychotherapyForensic psychiatryHistory of psychiatryClinical syndromesRecent researchAny other aspectsSpot test must includePsychological testsEEGX-rays + MRI + CATPsychiatrists have played a prominent role in shaping the mental health program and providing mental health care to patients in every country. It is true for India too. However, their influence is in part a byproduct of their own professional preparation. The global information about the quality and quantity of training of psychiatrists is largely unavailable. Similarly, there is a wide variation in the training programs, in spite of MCI regulations and guidelines. There is a constant need for retrospective introspection. How satiRecently, WHO in collaboration with the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) has brought out an interesting publication\u2018Atlas: Psychiatric Education and Training Across the World 2005\u2019. This isThe structure and requirements of the healthcare delivery system in each countryThe role of legal and other accreditation bodies such as the MCI, established under the law of the land, which define and set standards of postgraduate medical education in the universities and medical institutions, which maintain and implement standards and impart trainingIt needs to be emphasized that the goal of postgraduate training in all specialties, including the field of psychiatry, is to produce competent and knowledgeable specialists and teachers, who can meet the needs of the community, carry out professional obligations ethically, be aware of contemporary advances in the discipline, and have some foundation in the principles of research methodology.There are some established systems in the education system that are applicable in the field of postgraduate training in medicine, including psychiatry, which can be usefully incorporated to help in this direction, namely, (a) uniform admission policies, (b) some uniformity in the content of the training program, (c) the organization of the curriculum, which can be evaluated (d) the outline of the training program including the standard methods of instruction, (e) objective assessment methods, (f) to develop acceptable guidelines with regard to the relationship between the institution/College/University and the external, national or Today, specialists licensed in one country rarely have extended practice privileges in another country. In some countries, the license for specialists is even restricted for practice in only some provinces of the country. The implications are obvious\u2013the assessment method must be harmonized within the country and some international standards need to be developed\u2013WHO is an established body under the U.N. Organization. Accordingly, WHO is a body that can take the necessary steps to meet this goal. It is not an easy path, but needs patience and sustained efforts to meet the challenge.The WHO, whose primary mission is that of directing and coordinating International Health Work, must take vigorous steps to develop the standards of medical education at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels and strengthen the accreditation process. This will certainly improve the quality of health care."} +{"text": "After publication of this work , we noteMEM, SAK, VRG and DEL contributed to the design of the experiments; MEM, HEG, SAK and XZ, performed the experiments; TAPFD and PB designed the plasmids used to express the recombinant proteins that formed the nanoparticles; TAPFD and YY made the gold nanoparticles; MEM and DEL wrote the manuscript. All authors read, were involved in interpretation of results and approved the final manuscript."} +{"text": "More than 90 people attended a March 25\u201327, 2004, conference on Ethics and Epidemics. This conference was sponsored by the Albany Medical College\u2013Graduate College of Union University Masters in Bioethics Program, the University at Albany School of Public Health, the New York State Department of Health, and the Wadsworth Laboratories. Attendees came from Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe, Canada, and the United States. Among the 24 papers and panels, presentations were made by George Annas, professor and chair of Health Law at the Boston University School of Public Health; Ezekiel Emanuel, chair of the Department of Clinical Bioethics of the Magnuson Center of the National Institutes of Health; Thomas R. Freiden, commissioner, New York City Department of Health; Matthew Wynia, director of the Institute of Ethics of the American Medical Association; Kenyan bioethicist Angela Wassuna associate for International Affairs of the Hastings Center; and 19 other bioethicists and health professionals.Presentations ranged from case studies to health policy debates. Many reviewed the history of epidemics, emphasizing their global nature and the imperative of global strategies for epidemic control. Several papers examined recent epidemics and explored new strategies for dealing with epidemic control while respecting human rights. The consensus was that the old policeman model of public health needs updating. Discussion focused on how best to balance public safety, professional responsibility, personal liberty, and human rights, while effectively containing epidemics. Emanuel and Wynia reaffirmed the responsibility of physicians and first responders to put their health and lives at risk in combating epidemics. Yet, noting the vulnerability of first responders (in the Toronto severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS] outbreak and elsewhere), they distinguished between bravery and foolhardiness, arguing that just as professionals have a responsibility to protect the public from disease, the public, in turn, has a responsibility to provide the training, equipment, and resources to minimize the need to take risks.Virtually all conferees observed that the public health infrastructure needs substantial rebuilding to cope effectively with epidemics. Annas, however, noted that in bioterrorist assaults the control of biologic agents is a public health problem to be dealt with by public health officials, not by the U.S. Department of Defense or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He further stated that policies on epidemic control that involve consistent, open, and truthful communication with the public\u2014like those used in New York and Toronto during the recent SARS outbreak\u2014create cooperative environments that minimize conflicts between freedom and safety and limit the effects of isolation and quarantine. However, Emanuel et al. asserted that the traditional enforcement authority of public health law was essential and needed as a fallback. The result of the debate was that 21st century methods need to be developed to control infectious disease epidemics that reconcile the need to protect public health and respect human rights.http://www.bioethics.union.edu under \"News.\" For further information contact bioethics@union.edu or 518-388-8045.The conference program is available on"} +{"text": "News from the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance The Society has begun 2011 on multiple highpoints, yet these have been tempered by a recent and particularly saddening low - the untimely death of Stefan Fischer. For those of you unaware, Stefan was the Director of Clinical Science for Philips Healthcare, North America, an important developer of CMR pulse sequences, tools and equipment that remain critical standards today; he was a long-standing member of SCMR with friends too numerous to count in our Society and field. I had known Stefan for well over a decade, and knew him as fiercely intelligent, strong-willed yet gently firm in his guidance, purposeful in increasing the benefits we impart to patients with our technology, and always practical. His passing leaves a gap that is impossible to fill, both in our Society, and in our hearts. I trust that the work we pursue in this Society will continue to live up to those characteristics and ideals that he embodied.To recap key Society events thus far, the year began with the 2011 SCMR Annual Scientific Sessions held in conjunction with the Euro CMR Working Group in Nice, France. It was a great success with a record number of participants from around the world. Much of that success can be attributed to the constant and hard work put forth by the Program and Abstract Chairs, Sven Plein, MD, and Raymond Kwong, MD, who put together an outstanding scientific program with a compelling array of scientific presentations, excellent posters, invited talks, and thought provoking case-sessions. The opening plenary was an important prelude to the thrust of the meeting where Michael Lauer, MD, of the NHLBI, emphasized the critical importance of CMR investigators and clinicians to design trials that alter patient outcome, as opposed to simply providing a superior diagnosis - a theme that was emphasized repeatedly as necessary to maximize CMR's impact on clinical care.During the meeting, the Society awarded its first Gold Medal Award, given for distinguished and extraordinary service to the field of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance and to the Society. Fittingly, Gerald Pohost, MD, and Charles Higgins, MD, two long-standing and esteemed leaders in CMR and the Society were the inaugural winners of this annual award.Outside of the annual meeting fantastic news was received about our journal: the Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance saw its impact factor increase from 2.28 to 4.33!, placing it within the upper tiers of both cardiovascular and imaging journals. This near doubling reflects the committed leadership of Journal Editor-in-Chief, Dudley Pennell, MD, to continually increase both the quality and quantity of CMR scientific publications, and to expand the reach and impact of the JCMR within the field of cardiovascular investigation. Great thanks are to be extended to Dr. Pennell and to the journal's Editorial Board for their tireless efforts on behalf of the JCMR. Please continue to send your important scientific work to our flagship journal.Elsewhere, the Society continues to make progress in standardization of CMR, aspects that are essential for its continued adoption. In recent years the publication of recommendations for standardization of data acquisition and repoVictor Ferrari, MD, the prior Education Committee Chair, along with James Moon, MD, the Web Editor, and his team have recorded and posted the majority of presentations from the 2011 meeting, making them available for continued review. In addition, the team has recently completed and made available on the Society's website, the first SCMR Online Course in CMR covering topics including CMR Physics, Safety, Techniques, and up to 35 Clinical Cases. These new educational courses are available for credit toward Level 1, 2, and 3 training in CMR, and should help facilitate training for those new to CMR. To further advance the Society's educational goals, SCMR has joined with the Euro CMR Working Group to develop an international standard credentialing examination for CMR to serve the needs of CMR practitioners world-wide. The exam will be available by the 2013 Annual meeting.Moving now beyond recent accomplishments and looking to the immediate future, the Society's Board of Trustees has spent multiple days of intensive meetings in Strategic Planning that have led to refining the Society's Vision and Mission statements, along with identifying a series of themes - Societal Alliances & Partnerships, Clinical Evidence, Education, Communication, and Technological & Efficiency Advances - from which many new projects and directives have been developed. These Strategic Planning sessions, held at this year's annual meeting and at the mid-year Board meeting in Philadelphia in June of this year, have given us a roadmap of where we would like to go and how we can get there, as well as the tools for doing so more effectively. Expect that these projects will engage the Board, committees, and many of our members to help drive the numerous new initiatives.As an international Society we have for years embraced a more global perspective, though one that remained relatively U.S., Europe, and Japan-centric; nonetheless, the rapidity and breadth of globalization necessarily requires a further expansion of our vision and ability to adapt. To date we are doing an admirable job: as highlights, a Middle East working group has been formed and a new imaging society in India seeks opportunities to collaborate; increasing activity from our Latin American group has led them to request that the Society consider holding an annual meeting in Latin America ; and through the efforts of former President Gerald Pohost, MD, we are making plans for a jointly sponsored meeting in China in the fall of this year, along with the development of a Chinese working group. To come full circle, the European Chapter (via the Euro CMR Working Group of the European Society of Cardiology) has developed an outstanding CMR registry that already has resulted in multiple publications; there are further ongoing efforts to expand the registry with help from the U.S. and Asia study groups, pushing it further toward a truly global CMR registry.The Society is also expanding its outreach efforts and has recently nominated an SCMR member to a U.S. governmental advisory panel for imaging reimbursements, and in the process, and for the first time, collaborated with and cross-sponsored candidates from sister imaging societies . We expect more such policy-influencing nominations to come. Perhaps most importantly the Society is in process of a broad collaborative effort bringing together vendor partners, contrast manufacturers, the NIH and FDA, corelab and post-processing experts, and CMR thought leaders for design and initiation of a large-scale, multi-center clinical trial to push CMR to the forefront by demonstrating its clinical relevance and superiority - efforts that bring to reality the themes Michael Lauer, MD, emphasized at the 2011 annual meeting earlier in this report.So in summary, I believe that this is an exciting and invigorating period for the Society, where the coming years will see growth along multiple avenues, continuing robustness and preference for CMR in cardiovascular care, and greater collaborative efforts that will further advance the field and the Society. The Board is working hard, and despite the challenging times we face today, the future continues to look bright.To conclude, let me add that we are finalizing plans for the 2012 SCMR meeting. Raymond Kwong, MD, and Jeanette Schulz-Menger, MD, our Program and Abstract Chairs, respectively, have put together a terrific program. Multiple tracks aimed at clinicians, basic scientists, and pediatric CMR imagers are planned. Immediately prior to the annual meeting SCMR will hold a two-day joint workshop in concert with ISMRM: \"Exploring New Dimensions of Cardiovascular Flow and Motion\". We expect that this will be another spectacular annual meeting, and one you won't want to miss. Please remember the abstract deadline of October 3rd, and make your plans to come to Orlando, Florida, during February 2-5, 2012, where we hope to welcome many familiar and even more new faces to the meeting. For those making plans further ahead, be sure to pencil in your calendars the dates for the 2013 meeting to be held February 1-4, 2013 in San Francisco, California."} +{"text": "Over the past 20 years the Fundacion Salud de Ayurved Prema Argentina has spread the knowledge of Ayurveda throughout Latin America. The Fundacion is based in Buenos Aires in the Argentine Republic, where it now runs courses in two of the country\u2019s major medical schools - at the School of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires, and the National University of Cordoba\u2019s School of Medicine. Based on an MoU with Gujarat Ayurveda University, at Jamnagar, Gujarat, the Fundacion has been accredited as a Collaborating Center for teaching, assistance and research in the field of Ayurvedic Medicine in Argentina. This has led to successful missions to other countries in the region where the Fundacion and its associates have been able to start dialogues with governments, and in places hold sizeable courses. The knowledge of Ayurveda is now spreading throughout South and Central America and hardly a country remains untouched by it. The Fundaci\u00f3n de Salud Ayurveda Prema is a nonprofit organization registered with the Argentine government. Its goal is to contribute to the promotion of Ayurveda medicine and all its preventive and therapeutic resources of value in the health field. The aim of the Foundation is to help Ayurveda attain the best possible status within Argentina\u2019s medical community and with the general public. Our vision is to improve and perfect the health of the peoples of Latin America using Ayurveda.We have now been spreading Ayurveda in the Argentine Republic and Latin America for over 20 years, focusing our efforts on both the medical profession and the people. Throughout this time, our interest has been to integrate useful elements of traditional approaches to medicine such as Ayurveda, which is our specific field of knowledge, with mainstream medicine and scientific research methods in an atmosphere of mutual respect, acknowledgment, and positive assessment. Currently, we are conducting four postgraduate courses on Ayurvedic medicine, all certified by the most prestigious universities in the country. In the fields of teaching and research, our goal is to preserve the wealth and purity of Ayurveda\u2019s teachings, and to demonstrate its usefulness for modern biomedical science.On January 5, 2001, after obtaining approval from India\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Health, the Fundaci\u00f3n de Salud Ayurveda Prema signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gujarat Ayurveda University in the presence of Shailaja Chandra , the Governor of the Gujarat State, and other top Indian officials. The MoU accredited the foundation as a collaborating center for teaching, assistance, and research in the field of Ayurvedic Medicine in Argentina.In 2000, the School of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires approved our first postgraduate course on Ayurvedic medicine. Founded Officials from five different departments of the School of Medicine had examined the course program for a year. Without exception, they deemed it of interest to the medical community as a whole. They considered that it had appropriate objectives, a well-developed analytical curriculum, sufficient instructional resources, an adequate schedule, as well as good infrastructure and assessment procedures. The course was finally approved by the School Board and the Dean. It is intended for medical doctors, psychologists, pharmacists, and other professionals in the health field. Several Indian ambassadors to Argentina like Pramathesh Rath (2006 and 2007) and R. Viswanathan (2008) have also delivered lectures to the course.Later, in 2002, an annual advanced postgraduate course on Ayurvedic medicine, accredited by the University\u2019s School of Medicine and designed for health professionals, was added. from theAYUSH, S. S. Savrikar; Director of the Institute of Postgraduate Teaching and Research, and former Vice-Chancellor, Gujarat State Ayurved University, M.S. Baghel; Director National Institute of Ayurved, Jaipur, Ajay Kumar Sharma; and Professor of Ayurveda, Gujarat State Ayurved University, H. M. Chandola.Well-known and respected Ayurvedic scholars and doctors from leading Indian institutions have supported the courses through their articles, including, among others, former Vice-Chancellor, Rajasthan Ayurveda University, R. H. Singh; former Vice-Chancellor, Gujarat State Ayurved University, and Ayurvedic Advisor, Dept. of Support of top academics from India\u2019s major educational institutions devoted to Ayurvedic studies has made it possible for us to transmit Ayurveda\u2019s fundamentals and its most relevant therapeutic tools completely faithfully. It has also enabled us to enrich course content through scientific interchange with well-known institutions at the highest academic level. All this was made possible by the MoU with Gujarat State Ayurveda University.In April 2010, a new biennial postgraduate course on Ayurvedic medicine exclusively for medical doctors was started at the National University of Cordoba\u2019s School of Medicine. The UnivMore than 450 professionals, 250 of whom were medical doctors, have now taken our postgraduate courses, while another 500 nonprofessional students have participated in courses on Ayurvedic principles and Ayurvedic massage. Students come from many countries in addition to Argentina, including Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the USA.For the last 3 years, we have been participating in an optional Course on Complementary Medicine for students of the School of Medicine at the University of El Salvador, in Buenos Aires. We also run regular courses on Ayurvedic massage for health technicians. These give technicians a more integrated and holistic approach to patient care, and have attracted great interest.Since 2005, we have also offered online courses on the principles of nutrition in Ayurveda. By implementing several educational strategies that establish a more personal relation with students, and so replacing the direct contact in normal courses, we have achieved a very positive response. This has enabled our students, who come from all Spanish-speaking countries, to share their personal growth and transformation experiences; the latter often extend to their families, making it possible for whole family groups to acquire better health habits.We have also conducted lectures, seminars, workshops, and conferences on various Ayurveda topics in Ministries of Health, Schools of Medicine, and professional and scientific associations in most Latin American countries: Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, and Chile, even Spain and India .For example, in 2002 we coordinated and taught a course at the University of the Americas, Panama. The course, which led to a \u201cDiploma in the Ayurveda Nutrition System, Manual Therapies and Body Aesthetics for Healthier Tourism,\u201d was conducted with assistance from the Panama Institute for Tourism. We also conducted training workshops for low-income families on the Ayurvedic use of local medicinal plants. Another example: in 2006 and 2007, we were invited to take charge of Ayurveda training at an Online Course on Complementary Medicine at the School of Medicine, National University of Chile.A crucial aspect of successfully introducing Ayurveda practice in Latin America has been our approach to Ayurvedic medicines. We have counseled the appropriate Health Departments within the Health Ministries of Venezuela and Costa Rica to give them scientific information, and help their personnel understand the background of the therapeutic use of such medicines, thus facilitating their official registration.At present, Ayurvedic medicines produced in India are officially registered in Venezuela, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras. In other Latin American countries, we make use of local herbal medicines. We have taken immense trouble to make accurate correspondences between local medicinal plants and those originating in India. For example, we have developed a list of medicinal plants from Latin America and the West that can be used in Panchakarma procedures.In order to spread Ayurveda most effectively, we took a step we regarded as essential: translation of some of the important, classical Ayurveda texts into Spanish, the second most spoken language in the world. Similarly, we brought out Spanish language publications on distance courses on Ayurvedic medicine,\u20139 and a The translation of the six volumes of Charaka Samhita, a task tSome papers resulting from our research work and surveys on different subjects, such as \u201cThe International Acceptance of Ayurvedic Formulations,\u201d \u201cPhysiolOur relationship with Gujarat Ayurveda University has led to four Intensive Training Seminars in Jamnagar, in which students from our own Foundation, other Latin American countries, and Spain have participated. The Seminars included training classes, observation of Ayurvedic procedures, visits to botanical gardens, and scientific exchanges with professors of the Institute of Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, as well as with other teachers at the University. Reciprocally, Indian professors and experts from many Western countries, such as Subhash Ranade and Robert Svoboda, have participated in workshops and seminars in Argentina.As a result of our postgraduate courses, and seminars conducted in many countries of the Latin American region, and in India, some of our students have been able to establish new Ayurvedic centers in their countries of origin.Ayurveda offers practical solutions to many problems in modern life. In Argentina, as in other countries in the last few years,18 there Put to the test in several cultures, Ayurvedic principles have proved useful in both prevention and cure the world around. Our course participants come from many countries, and have subsequently attested to the validity and wisdom of these principles.The World Health Organization has recognized Ayurveda to be a very sophisticated system of traditional medicine. Ayurveda21What the new millennium specifically requires is integrated training of health professionals to fulfill increasing demands in the West. Health professional teams, patients, and the general public are all experiencing a deep need for a system that integrates body, mind, and spirit. Our time demands a personalized approach to prevention, and effective, natural methods of treatment, with low levels of side effects or adverse responses.In the world\u2019s most prominent universities, there is currently a trend to include courses on complementary and alternative medicine. A 1998 survey of American schools of medicine found that, of the 117 which answered the questionnaire out of 125 surveyed, a total of 123 courses were taught at 64% of the university medical schools.[It has always been held that universities are the proper place for evolution of thinking as they offer an environment of freedom for discussion of ideas, and encouraging the advancement of science. Our postgraduate courses have been approved since they offer a framework for mutual respect and tolerance for different ways of viewing health and treating illness. As narrated above, these considerations have led to our courses being recognized by Argentina\u2019s best traditional learning institutions such as the University of Buenos Aires and the National University of Cordoba.The World Health Organization has urged that interchanges between traditional and modern medicine be promoted. To achieOf all systems of traditional medicine, Ayurveda seems to be best understood by people in Latin America and the West, and thus most up-to-date. Experience confirms that its ancient wisdom is easily accepted and incorporated both by professionals, health workers, and the general public. We find increasing numbers of people and institutions turning to its concepts and resources to care for individuals and families, and to heal disease. Participants in our courses tell us that Ayurveda\u2019s holistic and scientific approach improves and deepens the practical work of physicians, psychologists, nutritionists, physiotherapists, kinesiologists, nurses, yoga teachers, nutrition counselors, manual therapists, and other health professionals and technicians.Fundaci\u00f3n de Salud Ayurveda Prema is open to possible forms of collaboration with other Ayurvedic institutions: (a) in order to organize training visits for its members to Ayurvedic centers in India, and visits of foreign Ayurvedic professors to Argentina; (b) to carry out scientific research projects to demonstrate to the biomedical community the value and usefulness of Ayurvedic resources and remedies; and (c) to support work on the provision of Ayurvedic texts in Spanish.Ayurveda has shown its potential to solve some of our age\u2019s greatest health problems. We are glad to be a part of this movement. Those trained in this ancient Science of Life will be at the forefront of a highly positive and enriching trend in the field of health."} +{"text": "World Allergy Organization Journal has recently published a number of position papers, statements and guidelines on topics of global importance in allergy and clinical immunology, including hereditary angioedema [http://www.waojournal.org). This significant publishing activity represents the ongoing goals of the WAO Journal to provide the most up-to-date and useful information on critical topics of global relevance in the field of allergy/immunology. Since the switch by the World Allergy Organization (WAO) of its Journal to an online-only format five years ago, the Journal has disseminated timely, informative original studies and reviews that offer a global perspective. Now in the sixth year of publication, there are a number of important updates and changes regarding the WAO Journal that should be highlighted.The gioedema , urticargioedema , probiotgioedema , biodivegioedema , as wellgioedema , an effoWAO Journal is now published by BioMed Central, as of January 2013, introducing a new era for the Journal in the open-access publishing arena. The Journal\u2019s former publisher, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, partnered with WAO to create and develop the WAO Journal as a fully online publication, and at the time of its launch, it was one of the few of its kind. This recent move to open access publishing reinforces the vision of the WAO Journal as a fully accessible authoritative resource for allergists, immunologists and all medical professionals interested in the field. While the Journal has been freely available to all individual members of the WAO Member Societies, it is now fully open to readers everywhere, and its contents will also be available through PubMed Central. This move is pmount in the continuing evolution of the WAO Journal as an indispensable source of new research and authoritative review of scientific and clinical advances and knowledge in the allergy community worldwide.The Another significant change coming in the Journal\u2019s sixth year is an editorial transition, as this will be my last year as Editor-in-Chief. This represents a completion of my five-year tenure in this role. Over the next six months WAO will be searching for and evaluating a potential new Editor-in-Chief, derived and solicited from all corners of our community. The new Editor-in-Chief will ideally serve for a few months as Deputy Editor-in-Chief, assuming full responsibility as Editor-in-Chief in January 2014. It is satisfying to see, during my term as Editor-in-Chief, the progress the Journal has made as the flagship publication of the World Allergy Organization in providing a global forum for the exchange of research and information on allergy, asthma, and clinical immunology through publication of original research, clinical reviews, position papers, and epidemiological studies that contribute practice-relevant science in patient care."} +{"text": "Critical Care has agreed to publish extended abstracts submitted by invited renowned scientists from all over the world; that is, Europe, the Americas, Asia. Neuroprotection - potentially achieved by targeted temperature management - is essential in emergency and acute care management of various severe neurologic and cardiologic diseases. Beyond neuroprotection - for this aim, therapeutic hypothermia has been established after resuscitation of patients with cardiac arrest due to a shockable arrhythmia and in neonatal asphyxic encephalopathy - therapeutic hypothermia and prophylactic controlled normothermia have been published in single case reports, retrospective, open, but also in prospective randomised controlled trials in many other emergency disciplines in which both neuroprotection and protection of other organs and tissues are the target of our therapeutic endeavours. The Medical University Innsbruck, Austria, is happy to organise this conference on temperature management, therapeutic hypothermia and prophylactic normothermia respectively, to be held in Portoroz, Slovenia. In accordance with the first Meeting on Hypothermia, which was held in Miami, Florida, USA (CHilling At the Beach), we are proud to suggest the acronym CHAB standing for take Care for Heart And Brain, characterising the major target organs of therapeutic and, possibly also, prophylactic temperature management. Again, we have been able to gather most renowned scientists, neurointensivists and intensivists, emergency physicians, cardiologists and other specialists to cover the entire scientific and clinical spectrum of emergency temperature management, technical aspects of cooling and management of potential complications including shivering, but also temperature management in neurology, neurosurgery, intensive care medicine, in the operation theatre, cardiology, infectious diseases, and so forth. Beyond that we cross borders and discuss hypothermia and intracranial pressure, pharmacodynamics in hypothermic patients and the influence of hypothermia onto pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, hypothermia in refractory status epilepticus or heat stroke, hypothermia and advanced neuromonitoring, hypothermia and nutrition, shivering and the critical issue of rewarming, amongst other topics.It is a pleasure to announce the 2nd Innsbruck Hypothermia Symposium. We are very happy that per se - to neuronal damage. Knowing the medical literature and knowing the issue of potentially life-threatening side effects and complications incurred by this invasive therapeutic manoeuvre, it is the foremost aim of this symposium and this supplementary issue of Critical Care to discuss all these aspects of targeted temperature management in emergency, critical care and, in particular, neurocritical patients and conditions. For this reason the organisers have agreed that the discussion of these various issues, being so important for general critical care, neurocritical care and emergency medicine, must be distributed as widely as possible, making it available to critical care and neurocritical care specialists all over the world. Therefore we are extremely grateful to the Editors of Critical Care for providing a forum for all of the extended abstracts of all invited speakers, covering the entire field of adult emergency and critical care medicine. We do hope and we are convinced that this supplementary issue will be a source of inspiration and knowledge, hopefully becoming a work of reference for intensivists, neurologists, neurointensivists, cardiologists and all emergency physicians alike. It is the aim of the organisers to establish a series of such symposia within the next years in order to keep up with all the developments in this field and to maintain the highest possible level of knowledge of targeted temperature management in the community of emergency and intensive care physicians.The aim of this symposium is to enhance the knowledge on temperature management, increase the readiness and stimulate the preparedness to institute therapeutic hypothermia and/or prophylactic controlled normothermia, respectively, in patients in need of tissue and organ protection, uncontrolled body temperatures possibly adding -"} +{"text": "Alcohol Research & Health examines addiction to multiple substances\u2014that is, combined dependence on alcohol and other drugs (AODs), including marijuana, cocaine, and opioids. It seems fitting, then, to begin the issue with a look at what constitutes \u201caddiction.\u201d The Oxford English Dictionary (pp. 24\u201325) traces the term addiction to Roman law, under which addiction was a \u201cformal giving over by sentence of court; hence, a dedication of person to a master.\u201d This notion of relinquishment of control by the addicted person is the central feature of many lay and professional definitions of the term. The study of addictive behavior crosses several disciplines, including, among others, behavioral neuroscience, epidemiology, genetics, molecular biology, pharmacology, psychology, psychiatry, and sociology. Articles in this issue examine aspects of AOD use disorders from the perspective of some of these varied disciplines.This issue of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The DSM, both in its revision of the third edition identifies impaired control over substance use as the essential feature of dependence, which is \u201ca cluster of cognitive, behavioral, and physiological symptoms indicating that the individual continues use of the substance despite significant substance-related problems.\u201dThe term \u201csubstance dependence\u201d has gained great currency because of its use in the The dependence syndrome, which forms the basis for the diagnostic approach used in DSM\u2013III\u2013R, was first described for alcohol by Alcohol Research & Health examine aspects of AODUDs from the perspective of some of these varied disciplines. However, given the pros and cons of the use of the terms dependence and addiction, as well as the absence of a clear consensus on which is preferred, in this volume the terms are used more or less interchangeably.The terminology used to describe alcohol and other drug (AOD) use disorders (AODUDs) is of key importance to both the study and the clinical care of people suffering from these conditions. AODUDs result from a combination of genetic, environmental, social, and psychological factors. The heterogeneity of addictive disorders is well recognized, with a key dimension of subgroups being the pattern of dependence on multiple substances . The stuFour articles in this volume focus on the etiology and development of AODUDs. The article by Drs. Dick and Agrawal discusses both genetic and environmental risk factors for AOD use and for co-occurring dependence on AODs. In a related article, Dr. Wand describes how stress and the genetics of the stress response influence risk for dependence. Dr. Cruz and colleagues\u2019 article reviews the neurobiological mechanisms of addiction and how they may influence co-morbid AOD use. Drs. Thatcher and Clark review psychological risk factors for adolescent AOD use, including parental substance use disorders and psychological dysregulation; child deficits in cognitive, behavioral, and emotional regulation that lead to experimentation with AODs; and the development of substance-related problems.Other articles in this issue focus on the epidemiology and timing of AOD use. Dr. Falk and colleagues report on the co-morbidity of AOD use and disorders in the general population. Dr. Martin distinguishes between the use of alcohol at the same time as other drugs and alcohol consumption that occurs separately from other drug use.The diagnosis and treatment of AODUDs are covered separately in this issue. In the first of two articles, Drs. Arnaout and Petrakis describe challenges to the diagnosis of AODUDs and factors\u2014such as the patient\u2019s gender, family history, and course of illness over time\u2014that influence the accuracy of diagnosis. The second article, by Drs. Arias and Kranzler, examines the literature on the treatment of patients with co-morbid AOD dependence, including concurrent and sequential treatment approaches, psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy, and treatment matching.Alcohol Research & Health adequately presents the literature on the prevalence, complex mechanisms, adverse consequences, and challenges to the evaluation and treatment of co-occurring use, abuse, and dependence on AODs.Clearly, AOD use, abuse, and dependence are far-reaching phenomena. Similar to the concept of craving, which seeks to provide an experiential basis to explain compulsive drug use but which has limited precision, the meaning of the terms substance abuse, dependence, and addiction will continue to evolve and must be further validated empirically. Refining these terms is central to helping researchers and clinicians understand more fully the phenomena to which they refer and to develop methods to diagnose and treat co-morbid AODUDs effectively. Despite the lack of consensus on terminology, we hope that this issue of"} +{"text": "Funding information was incorrectly given in the Acknowledgements section.In addition, a funding organization was incorrectly given in the Funding Statement. The Funding Statement should read: \"The authors are thankful to the College of Medicine Research Centre (CMRC), Deanship of Scientific Research, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for supporting the work. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.\""} +{"text": "To the Editor: In May 2003, a previously healthy, 42-year-old rice farmer and miller, living on the Plain of Jars (Xieng Khuang Province) in northeast Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) (Laos), dehusked and polished glutinous rice in her hand-operated rice mill. While milling, her hand slipped, removing the skin covering the interpharyngeal joint of her right index finger, on a dusty, wooden part of the machine. She did not recall the implantation of a wood splinter. During the following 4 weeks, multiple firm, erythematous lesions developed, which were not tender, fluctuant, or itchy, at the site of the injury and on the medial and anterior aspects of the lower and upper arm (,Sporothrix schenckii, the cause of sporotrichosis, and the diagnosis was confirmed by sequencing the 18S rRNA gene, which showed 100% identity to that of S. schenckii (,pper arm . The lesS. schenckii is a dimorphic fungus found in soil, hay, decaying vegetation, and moss. Persons exposed to these environmental foci, such as farmers and gardeners, are especially at risk. Percutaneous inoculation is presumably the main method of infection, although inhalation and insect and mammal bites and scratches, especially from armadillos and cats, have been implicated (,,Sporotrichosis has been described from North and South America, Europe, and Japan. In Asia and Australasia, it has been described from India (With 73% of the Lao population living on