bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Utilization of mobile health applications and determinant factors among health science students at Debre Markos University, northwest Ethiopia in 2022
Authors: Hailiye Teferi Gizaw , Tadele Maru Meseret , Tizazu Getaye , Hordofa Zegeye Regasa , Shimie Aynadis Worku , Assaye Bayou Tilahun , Senishaw Andualem Fentahun , Tizie Sefefe Birhanu
Published: July 2023

Background

High penetration of smartphones and ownership among the young generation increased the utilization of mobile health applications for health management among university students more than ever. Compared to other health service provision mechanisms mobile health service has higher advantages in promoting a healthy lifestyle since it is not limited to time and space. Even though there are numerous studies conducted in the area of mobile health utilization, this phenomenon is not well studied among university students in Ethiopia, Hence this study aims to determine the level of mobile health applications utilization among health science students.

Method

A cross-sectional study was carried out at Debre Markos University from April 05 to June 25, 2022 among health science students. For this study, 423 students were recruited from health Science College using a systematic sampling method. The data was gathered using a self-administered questionnaire. Using SPSS version 26 software descriptive analysis, bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were performed. A P-value of .05 at a 95% confidence interval was considered statistically significant. The questionnaire’s validity was determined by expert opinion, and by calculating its reliability using cronbach alpha (α = .78).

Result

This study revealed that more than half 59% (144/244) of the study participants have installed and utilized 1–3 health-related apps. Among the students who have mobile health applications 38.6% utilize mobile health application several times a day while only 2.1% utilized rarely. Usage history shows that 40% of the study participants utilized the applications for a year, while 15.4% of the students utilized them for more than 2 years. Easiness of applications (AOR = 4.8, 95%CI: [2.1–11.2]), skill AOR = 4.2, 95%CI: [3.8–12]) and trust (AOR = 2.8, 95%CI: [1.6–4.8]) were among the factors that were associated with mobile health applications utilization. Students were asked about the barriers that limit the use mobile health applications and self-reported barriers includes Lack of knowledge and awareness of application benefits, and Lack of adequate time to use applications.

Conclusion

The study shows that mobile health applications utilization is moderate relative to previous studies. Mobile health application developers for the young generation should consider healthy lifestyle related applications like fitness and weight loss apps.
The effects of caffeine and d-amphetamine on spatial span task in healthy participants
Authors: Kassim Faiz M. , Lim J. H. Mark , Slawik Sophie V. , Gaus Katharina , Peters Benjamin , Lee Joseph W. Y. , Hepple Emily K. , Rodger Jennifer , Albrecht Matthew A. , Martin-Iverson Mathew T.
Published: July 2023

Studies that examined the effect of amphetamine or caffeine on spatial working memory (SWM) and verbal working memory (VWM) have used various tasks. However, there are no studies that have used spatial span tasks (SSTs) to assess the SWM effect of amphetamine and caffeine, although some studies have used digit span tasks (DST) to assess VWM. Previous reports also showed that increasing dopamine increases psychosis-like experiences (PLE, or schizotypy) scores which are in turn negatively associated with WM performance in people with high schizotypy and people with schizophrenia. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the influence of d-amphetamine (0.45 mg/kg, PO), a dopamine releasing stimulant, on SST, DST, and on PLE in healthy volunteers. In a separate study, we examined the effect of caffeine, a nonspecific adenosine receptor antagonist with stimulant properties, on similar tasks.Methods:Healthy participants (N = 40) took part in two randomized, double-blind, counter-balanced placebo-controlled cross-over pilot studies: The first group (N = 20) with d-amphetamine (0.45 mg/kg, PO) and the second group (N = 20) with caffeine (200 mg, PO). Spatial span and digit span were examined under four delay conditions (0, 2, 4, 8 s). PLE were assessed using several scales measuring various aspects of psychosis and schizotypy.Results:We failed to find an effect of d-amphetamine or caffeine on SWM or VWM, relative to placebo. However, d-amphetamine increased a composite score of psychosis-like experiences (p = 0.0005), specifically: Scores on Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Perceptual Aberrations Scale, and Magical Ideation Scale were increased following d-amphetamine. The degree of change in PLE following d-amphetamine negatively and significantly correlated with changes in SWM, mainly at the longest delay condition of 8 s (r = -0.58, p = 0.006).Conclusion:The present results showed that moderate-high dose of d-amphetamine and moderate dose of caffeine do not directly affect performances on DST or SST. However, the results indicate that d-amphetamine indirectly influences SWM, through its effect on psychosis-like experiences.

Trial registration. Clinical Trial Registration Number:CT-2018-CTN-02561 (Therapeutic Goods Administration Clinical Trial Registry) andACTRN12618001292268(The Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry) for caffeine study, andACTRN12608000610336for d-amphetamine study.
Food safety knowledge, attitude, and practice of street food vendors and associated factors in low-and middle-income countries: A Systematic review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Desye Belay , Tesfaye Amensisa Hailu , Daba Chala , Berihun Gete
Published: July 2023

Access to safe food is considered a basic human right, but food-borne disease presents a significant public health concern globally. The problem is exacerbated in low- and middle-income countries. Due to the rise in urbanization and the popularity of street food in low- and middle-income countries, understanding the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) of street food vendors is crucial to ensuring food safety. Therefore, this review was aimed to estimate the pooled proportion of KAP of street food vendors toward food safety and its associated factors in low- and middle-income countries. A comprehensive search of published studies before January 30, 2023, was identified using databases like PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, HINARI, Science Direct, and African Journals Online, as well as other sources. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis guidelines were followed. Data were extracted using Microsoft Excel, and analysis was performed using STATA 14/SE software. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute’s quality appraisal tool. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled proportion of KAP of street food vendors toward food safety and associated factors. The funnel plot and Egger’s regression test were used to assess publication bias, and I2 test statistics were used to assess heterogeneity. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis was also conducted. In this study, fourteen eligible studies with a total of 2,989 study populations were included. The pooled proportions of good knowledge 62% (95% CI: 51–73), positive attitude 66% (95% CI: 47–86), and good practice 51% (95% CI: 36–65) toward food safety were found among street food vendors. Being of secondary school education (OR = 5.95, 95% CI: 4.05–7.85), having training in food safety (OR = 4.64, 95% CI: 2.62–6.67), having a higher monthly income (OR = 2.98, 95% CI: 1.06–4.9), and having good knowledge of food handling (OR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.17–3.16) were found to be associated factors in the food safety practice of street food vendors. Based on the findings of this study, there was a significant gap in the KAP of street food vendors toward food safety. Therefore, the provision of training and strengthening health education about food safety are invaluable strategies for improving food safety.
Improved technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution method for identifying key terrain in cyberspace asset layer
Authors: Liu Longhui , Zhou Yang , Xu Qing , Shi Qunshan , Hu Xiaofei
Published: July 2023

Reinforcing weak cyberspace assets is an urgent requirement to defend national cybersecurity. Cyberspace key terrain (CKT) is a theory recently proposed for sensing cyberspace posture. Identifying CKT in the asset layer is essential for supporting cyberspace defense decisions. Existing methods ignore the influence of the multi-attribute correlation of cyberspace nodes and cyber attack mission (CAM) diversity, which restricts the recognition accuracy of CKT. To improve the accuracy of CKT identification and explore the relationship between CKT and CAM, we propose an improved cosine similarity technique for order of preference by similarity to the ideal solution (CosS-TOPSIS) method to model CKT and construct a CAM based on the MITRE adversarial tactics, techniques, and common knowledge (ATT&CK) framework to examine the influence of different weighted CAM on modeling CKT. Based on the vulnerability value calculation method of the cyber system in the common vulnerability scoring system version 3.1 (CVSS 3.1), we evaluated the effectiveness of CosS-TOPSIS in identifying CKT using three metrics: correlation coefficient, root mean square error, and mean absolute error. Our experiments showed that, in comparison with the TOPSIS method, the accuracy of the proposed method for identifying CKT improved by 8.9%, and the root mean square error reduced by 16%; simultaneously, CAM was proven to be an essential factor in identifying CKT. The feasibility and reliability of CosS-TOPSIS in identifying CKT and the close relationship between CAM and CKT identification were demonstrated experimentally. In our work, we utilized cosine similarity and FAHP to improve the baseline method. We also introduced three indicators to evaluate the method’s reliability. Drawing from ATT&CK, we recommend CAM as a tool for sensing changes in the cyberspace environment and explore its relationship with CKT. Our work has great application potential for identifying cyberspace vulnerabilities, supporting cyberspace defense, and securing national cyberspace facilities.
Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the utilization and provision of essential health care services from 2019 to 2020 in the primary health care network in Lebanon? Results from a nationwide representative cross-sectional survey
Authors: Yaacoub Sally , Zmeter Carla , Abou Abbas Linda , Leresche Enrica , Kdouh Ola , Hammoud Rawan , Leaning Jennifer , Hamadeh Randa , Truppa Claudia
Published: July 2023

There is limited research soliciting the patient and staff perspectives on the overall effects of COVID-19 on the utilization and provision of primary care in Lebanon. The present study was part of a larger study on the overall effect of COVID-19 on both utilization and provision of essential health care services within the Lebanese primary health care network (PHCN). Here, we present the patient and staff perspectives on continuity of service provision, adherence to infection prevention and control measures, and the role of the PHCN in epidemic preparedness and response. We conducted a cross-sectional survey between June and July 2021 among patients who had received a health care service in 2019 or 2020 from registered primary healthcare centers (PHCs) in the network and among the respective PHC staff working during the same period. A total of 763 patients and 198 staff completed the surveys. Services were reported as interrupted by 15% of the total patients who used services either in 2020 only or in both 2019 and 2020. Access to chronic (67%) and acute medications (40%) were reported as the main interrupted services. Immunization also emerged as a foregone service in 2020. Among the staff, one third (33%) reported interruptions in the provision of services. Financial barriers rather than fear of COVID-19 were reported as main reasons for interruption. Both groups considered that the facilities implemented adequate infection prevention and control measures. They perceived that the PHCN maintained some essential healthcare services and that it should have played a bigger role in the response to the pandemic. There was a continuity in utilization and provision of services in the PHCN that was higher than expected, with non-communicable diseases and immunizations suffering more than other services.
Exploring the barriers and facilitators to the uptake of smoking cessation services for people in treatment or recovery from problematic drug or alcohol use: A qualitative systematic review
Authors: Iyahen Eric Osayemwenre , Omoruyi Osazee Omoregbe , Rowa-Dewar Neneh , Dobbie Fiona
Published: July 2023

Background

Smoking prevalence and the associated poor health and mortality is significantly higher among people with/recovering from problematic drug or alcohol (PDA) use in comparison with the general population. Evidence from existing systematic reviews shows smoking cessation enhances rather than compromises long-term abstinence from alcohol or drug use. However, these systematic reviews lack important contextual detail around the reasons why uptake of, and successful engagement with existing stop smoking services remains low for people in treatment or recovery from PDA use. This systematic review explores qualitative data on the barriers and facilitators to the uptake of smoking cessation services for people in treatment or recovery from PDA use. This key objective addresses the limited inclusion of qualitative studies in previous systematic reviews on this issue.

Methods

A qualitative systematic review was conducted with searches across four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL]). All studies that had a qualitative component about free smoking cessation/reduction programmes for people in treatment or recovery from PDA use were included. Studies that examined electronic smoking or services that required a fee were excluded. Study quality was assessed using National Institute for Health and Care Excellence checklist. Qualitative synthesis involved inductive thematic analysis. (PROSPERO Registration number: CRD42022298521).

Results

8809 potentially eligible articles were identified, 72 full texts were screened and ten articles were included for full review. Barriers to uptake and engagement with existing stop smoking services centered on three key themes: perception of public health importance, programme structure, and intervention elements. Facilitators included supportive treatment environment and optimization of support/staff resources for smoking cessation service delivery.

Conclusion

Recommendations included influencing a change in the way people perceive the importance of smoking cessation activities during PDA use treatment or recovery. There was also some emphasis on the need to create the right environment for sustained adherence to treatment or recovery plans, and deliver the interventions within the health system as comprehensive care. The limited qualitative evidence on community-based and outpatient services highlights a research gap.
Latrine utilization and associated factors among districts implementing and not-implementing community-led total sanitation and hygiene in East Wollega, Western Ethiopia: A comparative cross-sectional study
Authors: Shama Adisu Tafari , Terefa Dufera Rikitu , Geta Edosa Tesfaye , Cheme Melese Chego , Biru Bayise , Feyisa Jira Wakoya , Lema Matiyos , Desisa Adisu Ewunetu , Feyisa Bikila Regassa , Gebre Dejene Seyoum
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Discharge of excreta to the environment lead to surface and groundwater contamination and human exposure to disease-causing micro-organisms. There is limitation of evidences regarding the latrine utilization among community-led total sanitation and hygiene implemented and non-implemented districts of the East Wollega Zone. Hence, this study aimed to determine the magnitude and associated factors of latrine utilization among households in community-led total sanitation and hygiene implemented and non-implemented Districts in East Wollega Zone, Western Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted. A Multi-stage sampling technique was applied to select the 461 households. Data were collected using interviews and observations guided by a pre-structured questionnaire. Data were entered using Epi Data and exported to SPSS software version 25 for data recording, cleaning, and statistical analysis. Bivariable logistic regression was run to identify the candidate variables at p-value <0.25. Variables that had associations with latrine utilization in the bi-variable analysis were entered together into multivariable logistic regression. An Adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was calculated and P-value< 0.05 was used to declare a statistically significant association.

Result

The overall prevalence of latrine utilization was found to be 52.7% (95%CI:48%, 57.3%). Religion (AOR = 0.149;95%CI:0.044,0.506), education (AOR = 3.861;95%CI:1.642,9.077), occupation, absence of children <5 years (AOR = 4.724;95%CI:2.313,9.648), toilet cleaning (AOR = 10.662;95%CI:5.571,20.403), frequency of latrine construction (AOR = 6.441;95%CI:2.203,18.826), maintenance need (AOR = 6.446; 95%CI:3.023,13.744), distance from health institution (AOR = 0.987; 95%CI:0.978, 0.996), distance from kebele office (AOR = 6.478; 95%CI:2.137,19.635), and latrine distance from dwelling (AOR = 11.656; 95%CI:2.108, 64.44) were the factors associated with latrine use.

Conclusion

The latrine utilization in this study is low as compared to other studies. Religion, education, occupation, absence of children <5 years, toilet cleaning, frequency of latrine construction, maintenance need of the toilet, distance from health institution, distance from kebele, and latrine distance from dwelling are the associated factors of latrine utilization. Both households and health workers have to work together to improve latrine utilization and the safe disposal of children’s feces.
Effects of improved on-farm crop storage on perceived stress and perceived coping in pregnant women—Evidence from a cluster-randomized controlled trial in Kenya
Authors: Eichenauer Heike , Huss Matthias , Brander Michael , Bernauer Thomas , Ehlert Ulrike
Published: July 2023

Background

Food insecurity can be harmful to pregnant women, as pregnancy is a challenging period with increased maternal nutritional requirements to ensure optimal fetal development and health of the mother. Whether food insecurity negatively affects maternal health may depend on how stressful pregnant women perceive this food insecurity to be and how strongly they believe they can cope with it. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), pregnant women from smallholder households suffer from food insecurity due to post-harvest losses (PHL), i.e., loss of crops because of inadequate storage. An agricultural intervention that improves crop storage has been shown to reduce food insecurity. However, it remains to be determined whether this agricultural intervention (treatment) has an additional positive effect on pregnant women’s perceived stress levels and coping abilities. This study examines whether pregnant women from treatment households experience lower perceived stress levels and higher perceived coping abilities compared to pregnant women from control housholds.

Methods and findings

In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), short message service (SMS)-based mobile phone surveys were conducted to assess the causal effect of a food security intervention (improved on-farm storage of maize) on perceived stress and coping in pregnant women from smallholder households. Pregnant women were identified through these monthly surveys by asking whether someone in their household was currently pregnant. The significant results revealed that pregnant women from treatment households experienced more perceived stress but better perceived coping abilities compared to pregnant women from control households. Uncertainty due to lack of experience, this might have contributed to the higher perceived stress, as the women could not easily judge the benefits and risks of the new storage technology. However, the technology itself is a tangible resource which might have empowered the pregnant women to counteract the effects of PHL and thus food insecurity.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that pregnant women from treatment households had higher perceived coping abilities but experienced more perceived stress. More research is needed on how this technology impacts maternal mental health in a broader sense and whether biological mechanisms, such as epigenetics, may underlie this association.
Neural network-based method to stratify people at risk for developing diabetic foot: A support system for health professionals
Authors: Ferreira Ana Cláudia Barbosa Honório , Ferreira Danton Diego , Barbosa Bruno Henrique Groenner , Aline de Oliveira Uiara , Aparecida Padua Estefânia , Oliveira Chiarini Felipe , Baena de Moraes Lopes Maria Helena
Published: July 2023

Background and objective

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease with a high worldwide prevalence. Diabetic foot is one of the DM complications and compromises health and quality of life, due to the risk of lower limb amputation. This work aimed to build a risk classification system for the evolution of diabetic foot, using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN).

Methods

This methodological study used two databases, one for system design (training and validation) containing 250 participants with DM and another for testing, containing 141 participants. Each subject answered a questionnaire with 54 questions about foot care and sociodemographic information. Participants from both databases were classified by specialists as high or low risk for diabetic foot. Supervised ANN (multi-layer Perceptron—MLP) models were exploited and a smartphone app was built. The app returns a personalized report indicating self-care for each user. The System Usability Scale (SUS) was used for the usability evaluation.

Results

MLP models were built and, based on the principle of parsimony, the simplest model was chosen to be implemented in the application. The model achieved accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 85%, 76%, 91%, 89%, and 79%, respectively, for the test data. The app presented good usability (93.33 points on a scale from 0 to 100).

Conclusions

The study showed that the proposed model has satisfactory performance and is simple, considering that it requires only 10 variables. This simplicity facilitates its use by health professionals and patients with diabetes.
Developing evidence for building sanitation justice: A multi methods approach to understanding public restroom quantity, quality, accessibility, and user experiences
Authors: Swayne Madison R. E. , Calzo Jerel P. , Felner Jennifer K. , Welsh Carroll Megan
Published: July 2023

Access to basic sanitation is a human right and a critical environmental determinant of health. In this paper, we detail the development of three tools to investigate sanitation justice: (1) our public restroom spatial database, (2) our field assessment tool, and (3) survey of restroom access experiences. We document our process to collect these data in a consistent, health equity-driven framework. Together, these tools comprise a suite of methods for the examination of public restrooms from the macro- to the micro-level, and highlight key opportunities to promote health and well-being among restroom-reliant populations (e.g., people experiencing homelessness) by advancing sanitation justice in the built environment. With an illustrative case study, we demonstrate how methods triangulation, using the tools in concert, can provide a comprehensive assessment of basic sanitation access in a given region–San Diego, CA. We also detail how each tool can also be used separately to assess key sanitation justice and health equity questions that may be of interest to researchers, public health practitioners, policymakers, and advocates, including: (1) where do public restrooms exist (mapping)?; (2) how accessible are public restroom facilities, and what health-supportive features do they have (field assessment)?; and (3) what are the experiences of people most reliant on the available public restroom facilities (survey)? The results of our case study demonstrate that these adaptable tools can be used to provide meaningful data on and a holistic picture of public restroom quantity, quality, accessibility, and the experiences of public restroom users in a given region.
Married women decision making autonomy on health care utilization in high fertility sub-Saharan African countries: A multilevel analysis of recent Demographic and Health Survey
Authors: Negash Wubshet Debebe , Kefale Getachew Teshale , Belachew Tadele Biresaw , Asmamaw Desale Bihonegn
Published: July 2023

Background

Women’s decision-making autonomy has a potential impact on the scale-up of health care utilization. In high fertility countries, evidence regarding women’s decision-making autonomy on their health care utilization and its associated factors is limited and inconclusive. Hence, it is important to investigate women decision-making autonomy on their health care utilization and associated factors in high fertility countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods

The data source for this study was obtained from recent Demographic and Health Surveys that were comprised of a weighted sample of 178875 reproductive age women. A multilevel mixed-effect binary logistic regression model was fitted. The odds ratios, along with the 95% confidence interval were generated to identify individual and community-level factors associated with women’s autonomy in health care decision-making. A p-value less than 0.05 was declared as statistical significance.

Results

In this study, 42% (95% CI: 41.7, 42.3) of women were able to exercise their reproductive autonomy. The highest (74.8%) and the lowest (19.74%) magnitude of women autonomy was found in Angola and Mali, respectively. In multilevel analysis; age of women 25–34 years, 35 and above (AOR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.29, 1.39), and (AOR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.75, 1.90), women’s primary and secondary educational level (AOR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.20, 1.31), and (AOR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.32, 1.54), husband primary and secondary educational level (AOR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.18, 1.29), and (AOR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.27), women who had work (AOR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.59, 1.74) female household heads (AOR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.37, 1.51), media exposure (AOR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.18), health insurance coverage (AOR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.17, 1.36), urban residence (AOR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.19), community education (AOR = 2.43, 95% CI: 2.07, 2.85) and low community poverty level (AOR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.49) were predictor variables.

Conclusion and recommendation

Although every woman has the right to make her own health care decisions, this study showed that almost 58% of them had no role in making decisions about their health care utilization. Thus, each country Government should support women’s decision making autonomy regarding their healthcare utilization through mass media and extensive behavioral education.
Learning curve for flexible bronchoscope-guided orotracheal intubation for anesthesiology residents: A cumulative sum analysis
Authors: Cai Xingzhi , Yue Mingming , Liu Xiaohui , Zhang Lize , Wu Shanshan , Shen Wenlong , Yu Ailan
Published: July 2023

Background

Endotracheal intubation with a flexible bronchoscope is a well-recognized airway management technique that anesthesiologists must master. Skill acquisition and knowledge must reach an appropriate level before trainees perform independent practice on patients. There are a paucity of evidence-based outcome measures of trainee competence in performing flexible bronchoscopy. The objectives of this study were to 1) construct a learning curve for flexible bronchoscope-guided orotracheal intubation for anesthesiology residents using the CUSUM method and 2) determine the number of procedures required to achieve proficiency.

Methods

This study included 12 first-year anesthesiology residents with no previous experience with flexible bronchoscopic intubation. Trainees attended theoretical and simulation training and performed flexible bronchoscope-guided orotracheal intubation in adult patients with normal airways under general anesthesia. Number of intubation attempts, intubation success rate, time to intubation, and incidence of dental and mucosal injuries were recorded. The cumulative sum (CUSUM) method was used to evaluate the learning curve of flexible bronchoscope-guided orotracheal intubation.

Results

Trainees performed flexible bronchoscope-guided orotracheal intubation on 364 patients. First-attempt intubation success occurred in 317 (87.1%) patients. Second-attempt intubation success occurred in 23 (6.3%) patients. Overall, the flexible bronchoscope-guided orotracheal intubation success rate was 93.4% (range, 85.3% to 100%). The mean number of orotracheal intubation procedures per trainee was 31 ± 5 (range, 23 to 40). All trainees crossed the lower decision boundary (H0) after 15.1 ± 5.6 procedures (range, 8 to 25 procedures). There was a significant decrease in median intubation time [39s (IQR: 30, 50) vs. 76s (IQR: 54, 119)] (P< 0.001) after crossing the lower decision boundary (H0) compared to before. There were no dental, mucosa, arytenoid or vocal cord trauma events associated with intubation.

Conclusions

Learning curves constructed with CUSUM analysis showed that all trainees (anesthesiologist residents) included in this study achieved competence (intubation success rates ≥ 80%) in flexible bronchoscope-guided orotracheal intubation. Trainees needed to perform 15 (range, 8 to 25) procedures to achieve proficiency. There was wide variability between trainees.

Trial registration

Trial registration:Chinese Clinical Trial Register,ChiCTR 2000032166.
Role of biotechnology in creating sustainable agriculture
Authors: Das Saurav , Ray Manjit Kumar , Panday Dinesh , Mishra Piyush Kumar
Published: July 2023

This narrative review paper discusses the role of biotechnology in the development of sustainable agriculture. The paper begins by defining sustainability and highlights the importance of biotechnology in establishing sustainable agriculture. Sustainable agriculture is an approach that prioritizes meeting current food and fiber production needs while conserving and enhancing natural resources for future generations. To achieve agricultural sustainability, it is necessary to strike a balance between economic viability, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. This can be difficult, especially in the face of biotic and abiotic stresses such as pests, diseases, climate change, soil degradation, and water depletion. The prevalence of pests and diseases that can significantly diminish crop yields and quality is one of the greatest obstacles to sustainable agriculture. Biotechnology can be used to create crops that are resistant to pests and diseases to address these issues. Soil nutrient deficiency is another obstacle to sustainable agriculture, as it can reduce crop yields and plant health. Biotechnology has the potential to play a significant role in developing more productive and nutritious crops. However, at the same time, it is essential to ensure that these technologies are developed in a responsible manner and that their benefits are distributed equitably across communities and regions.
Designing Michelin-starred menus from the perspective of chefs: Is the presence of local food worth a trip?
Authors: Fusté-Forné Francesc , Noguer-Juncà Ester
Published: July 2023

This article builds on the understanding of restaurants as food tourism attractions that contribute to the protection and promotion of terroir. This is specifically relevant in relation to Michelin-starred restaurants which are recognized as must-go places worldwide. Menu design is one of the elements that inform the relationships between locality and luxury in restaurants through food. Drawing on a qualitative study based on interviews with ten chefs of Michelin-starred restaurants in the region of Girona (Catalonia, Spain), the article analyses the role of local food in the design of menus in luxury gastronomy. Results show that while food with a local origin is crucial in menu design, chefs acknowledged the difficulty of building seasonal and sustainable supply chains and the impact of global influences on the restaurant experiences. Also, the article discusses the relationships between producers and chefs in terms of economic and environmental situations that inform the territorial connection between production and consumption. The implications for food tourism management and marketing are also explained.
No Simple Way Home, Akuol de Mabior (dir.) (2022), South Sudan: LBx Africa and STEPS
Authors: Mututa Addamms
Published: July 2023

Review of: No Simple Way Home, Akuol de Mabior (dir.) (2022), South Sudan: LBx Africa and STEPS
A Saúde no Saber - Um Projeto de Promoção da Literacia em Saúde
Authors: Amaral Sara Varela
Published: July 2023

A Saúde no Saber é um projeto nacional que pretende contribuir de forma efetiva para a cultura científica em Portugal ao criar uma campanha de literacia em saúde. Este projeto leva para a arena de discussão pública vários tópicos relacionados com saúde, envolvendo a sociedade na organização de Oficinas de Ciência – momentos de discussão e partilha entre cidadãos e investigadores do CNC, e na co-produção de materiais de comunicação de ciência. Vão ser discutidos temas como Sono, Cancro, Menopausa, Fertilidade e Gravidez, Imunidade, Doenças Neuropsiquiátricas, Doenças Neurodegenerativas, Desenvolvimento Neuronal, Doenças Raras, Microbiologia e Doenças Infeciosas, Alimentação e Doenças do Metabolismo e Biotecnologia e Terapias Avançadas. Este projeto é financiado pela Ciência Viva no âmbito do concurso Comunicar Saúde de 2019.
Validation of epigenetic markers for prediction of response to topical corticosteroid treatment in eosinophilic esophagitis
Authors: Jensen Elizabeth T. , Langefeld Carl D. , Howard Timothy D. , Dellon Evan S.
Published: July 2023

Background:

We previously identified 18 CpG methylation biomarkers associated with treatment response to topical steroids (tCS) in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Here, in an independent cohort, we assessed the validity of these CpG sites as treatment response biomarkers.

Methods:

DNA was extracted from prospectively biobanked esophageal biopsies from newly diagnosed EoE patients enrolled in a randomized trial of two tCS formulations. Histologic response was defined as <15 eosinophils per high-power field (eos/hpf). Pre-treatment DNA methylation was assayed on the Illumina Human MethylationEPIC BeadChip. Logistic regression and area under the ROC (AUC) analyses, adjusting for chip, position on the chip, age, sex, and baseline eosinophil count, were computed to test for an association between DNA methylation and treatment response at the 18 previously identified CpG sites.

Results:

We analyzed 88 patients (58 histologic responders, 30 non-responders), with a mean age of 38±16 years, 64% male, 97% White race. Of the 18 CpG sites, 13 met quality control criteria, and three were associated with responder status (p<0.012), including sites within UNC5B (cg26152017), ITGA6 (cg01044293), and LRRC8A (cg13962589). All three showed evidence of reduced methylation in treatment responders, consistent with the original discovery associations. The predictive probability for non-response with all three CpG sites was strong (AUC=0.79).

Discussion:

We validated epigenetic biomarkers (CpG methylation sites) for prediction of tCS response in EoE patients in an independent population. While not all previously identified markers replicated, three demonstrated a relatively high predictive probability for response to treatment and hold promise for guiding tCS treatment in EoE.
Interfaces da divulgação científica na era digital pós-pandêmica
Authors: Wolkers Carla Patricia Bejo
Published: July 2023

A era digital está estabelecida e, com ela, as formas de acesso à informação mudaram drasticamente nas últimas décadas. As redes sociais, em especial, ganharam grande destaque e a disseminação de informações é desenfreada, muitas vezes, não apresentando bases científicas sólidas. Nesse contexto, o presente relato de experiência visa apresentar o projeto de extensão “Cérebro Descomplicado”, uma iniciativa de divulgação científica séria e comprometida, e a utilização das redes sociais como ferramenta principal de divulgação. Embora a reflexão sobre os efeitos do uso das redes sociais sobre a ciência seja primordial, o impacto do projeto reforça a importância dos novos meios de disseminação de informações na sociedade moderna, demonstrando que as redes sociais podem ser uma ferramenta eficiente de divulgação científica e diálogo entre a universidade e a sociedade.
Acolhimento de crianças de origem cigana em escola pública de Minas Gerais, Brasil
Authors: Ferreira Telma Ellen Drumond
Published: July 2023

Apesar de sua riqueza cultural, o povo cigano, como muitas outras minorias étnicas, sofre grande discriminação e preconceito em todos os países, inclusive no Brasil. Os ciganos brasileiros têm a matrícula escolar garantida por lei nas escolas (LDB 9.394/96), mas o caráter nômade ou seminômade de seus acampamentos dificulta um processo efetivo de frequência, acompanhamento do rendimento e intervenção escolar, resultando em baixo aproveitamento e consequente discriminação social. Diante desse contexto, este projeto de extensão universitária tem como objetivo principal promover ações de socialização dos alunos de origem cigana (calé)   em uma escola pública da cidade de Santa Bárbara, Minas Gerais. Por meio de oficinas de arte, a equipe do projeto permitiu e incentivou que as crianças ciganas falassem livremente de seus anseios, aspirações e dificuldades. Essas ações são importantes para uma consequente melhoria da socialização e rendimento escolar delas, tendo como foco as políticas de combate à exclusão escolar e social. Ao trabalhar com as dificuldades, as ansiedades e os medos das crianças originárias de famílias ciganas, os graduandos da Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais vivenciaram um importante momento de aprendizagens sociais, o que contribui para a formação de um profissional da área de Engenharia mais integrado às demandas da sociedade.
Local therapy of the knee osteoarthritis: results of a multicenter study of meloxicam
Authors: Toroptsova N. V. , Bagretsova A. A. , Bursikov A. V. , Kuzmicheva E. V.
Published: July 2023

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic progressive joint disease that leads to disability. One of the main treatment approaches in OA is to reduce pain and increase the functional activity of patients.

Objective: to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability and safety of Meloxicam Canon (MC) in the form of a 1% gel for external use as a symptomatic therapy in patients with knee OA, accompanied by pain.

Material and methods. The randomized, open, multicenter study included 100 patients aged 50 to 80 years with stage II–III knee OA, who were randomized into two groups in a 1:1 ratio. In the main group, patients applied MC gel topically, and in the comparison group –Amelotex® gel. Patients were examined at baseline, and after 7, 14 and 28 days. The following indicators were studied: intensity of pain during movement on a visual analogue scale (VAS), affected knee circumference (AKC); Lequesne and WOMAC indices; patient global health assessment (PGHA) according to VAS; response to therapy, tolerability according to the number of adverse reactions (AR), safety according to blood and urine tests.

Results and discussion. Pain intensity according to VAS by the end of the observation period decreased on average by 65.0±25.6% in the main group, and by 62.8±29.1% in the comparison group (p<0.0001 for each group). AKS significantly decreased by visit 3 in both groups. There was an improvement in PGHA by VAS by 69.7±24.3 and 66.6±26.8% on average, respectively (p><0.0001 for each group). The average decrease in the Lequesne index was 55.0±30.1 and 52.8±38.3%, and in the WOMAC index – 58.9±30.8 and 59.3±31.8%, respectively, in the main group and comparison group (p><0.0001 in each group for both indices), while there were no differences in the dynamics of all indicators between the two groups (p>0.05). During the observation, no negative dynamics in patients’ condition in both groups was noted. No serious ARs or deaths were recorded during the study.

Conclusion. The conducted multicenter study demonstrated that MC gel is an effective and safe drug for local use in OA, accompanied by pain.
A prospective comparative randomized trial of the efficacy and safety of topical tenoxicam and diclofenac in knee osteoarthritis
Authors: Kashevarova N. G. , Taskina E. A. , Strebkova E. A. , Sharapova E. P. , Savushkina N. M. , Korotkova T. A. , Alekseeva L. I. , Lila A. M.
Published: July 2023

Local forms of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are characterized by a high safety profile due to low systemic absorption. They do not increase the risk of developing class-specific gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and kidney adverse events (AEs), which makes it possible to prescribe them even in severe comorbid pathology, which is typical for patients with osteoarthritis (OA).

Objective: to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Artoxan gel (tenoxicam) 1% in comparison with Diclofenac gel 1% in patients with knee OA in a prospective comparative randomized trial.

Material and methods. The study included 60 patients with Kellgren–Lawrence stages II–III knee OA, aged 41 to 78 years. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: the 1st group received Artoxan gel 1%, 5 cm 2 times a day for 14 days; 2nd – Diclofenac gel 1% according to the same scheme. During therapy, we assessed pain using a visual analog scale, the WOMAC index, quality of life using the EQ-5D questionnaire, satisfaction with therapy, and time to effect.

Results and discussion. It has been demonstrated that local forms of NSAIDs have a positive effect on all clinical manifestations of OA: effectively reduce pain, stiffness, improve the functional state of the joints and quality of life. They also have a good safety profile and a fast symptomatic response. Comparison of the two groups showed that in patients receiving the local form of tenoxicam, there was a tendency to a more rapid and pronounced analgesic effect.

Conclusion. The results of the study confirm the good efficacy and safety of local forms of NSAIDs.
Clinical masks of marble disease
Authors: Radaikina O. G. , Usanova A. A. , Fazlova I. Kh. , Guranova N. N. , Radaikina E. V.
Published: July 2023

Marble disease, or osteopetrosis (OPT), is rare in the practice of a rheumatologist, internist or pediatrician. This group of hereditary diseases is based on a defect in the formation, development and functioning of osteoclasts (OCL), which leads to disruption of the processes of resorption and remodeling of bone tissue. Disturbance of resorption leads to increased density and changes in the quality of the bones, as a result of which they become more fragile. As a rule, the disease manifests with pathological fractures. In recent decades, 70% of patients with OPT have been found to have mutations in at least 10 genes that lead to impaired functioning of the OCL. Depending on the variant of inheritance, autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive and intermediate types of OPT are distinguished. Autosomal dominant OPT has a benign course that can be asymptomatic or characterized by multiple bone fractures and other spinal anomalies. The disease usually manifests in adulthood or adolescence. Life expectancy in patients of this group does not differ from that in the general population. Malignant, or infantile, OPT is associated with an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. Its clinical manifestations are observed from the moment of birth, without treatment, patients die within the first decade of life. In such patients, in addition to the skeletal pathology, there is involvement of the hematopoietic system, compression of the cranial nerves and their function disturbance.

The article presents a clinical case of autosomal dominant OPT diagnosed in adulthood (at the age of 38), when the patient referred to the doctor for the first time. Differential diagnosis with ankylosing spondylitis and paraneoplastic spondyloarthritis was performed.
The potential use of DNA double-strand breaks detection in various fields of medicine
Authors: Torgashina A. V. , Lila A. M.
Published: July 2023

The article discusses the relevance of determining DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) using the analysis of γ-H2AX foci as a marker of DNA instability in various conditions. The issues of the formation of DSBs and the peculiarities of their detection in various tissues are highlighted. Changes in the intensity of DSBs formation during the use of radiological diagnostic methods, stress, increased physical exertion, some oncological and rheumatic diseases, as well as the dynamics of DNA repair on the background of various methods of therapy were analyzed.
ANALISIS PENGARUH PENGGUNAAN TRANSAKSI NON TUNAI ELEKTRONIK DAN DAYA SUBSTITUSINYA TERHADAP TRANSAKSI TUNAI DI INDONESIA
Authors: Damayanti Delivia , Iskandar Deden Dinar , Tantawi Rahmad
Published: July 2023

Electronic non-cash transaction is an innovation of payment methods. E-money is one of its popular forms. An electronic non-cash transaction using e-money has more advantages than using cash transaction. These advantages make e-money transaction keep increasing. Currently, the increment in e-money transactions has also been accompanied by a decreament in the amount of cash transaction, even though the nominal is still small. This study aims to analyze the effect of electronic non-cash transaction instruments on cash transaction in Indonesia.The dependent variable in this study is cash transactions, the value of cash transactions in this study uses an approach from data on the amount of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the value of non-cash transactions (e-money). The independent variables is electronic non-cash transaction proxied by e-money users, number of reader machines, nominal e-money transactions, nominal clearing transactions, and nominal BI-RTGS transactions as a proxy for electronic non-cash transactions. Macroeconomic factors are also added to this study as independent variables, such as GDP, private consumption expenditure, BI interest rate, and inflation rate. This research uses quantitative methods using time-series data from January 2015 to June 2020. The data analysis method used in this research is the Engle-Grangel cointegration test and the error correction model (ECM).The results of the study shows that the number of users and the nominal of e-money transactions as a proxy for electronic non-cash transactions are able to substitute cash transactions in Indonesia in the long-run. While in the short-run, just the nominal of e-money transaction as a proxy for electronic non-cash transactions are able to substitute cash transactions in Indonesia.