bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A pilot study expanding participatory epidemiology to explore community perceptions of human and livestock diseases among pastoralists in Turkana County, Kenya
Authors: Griffith Evan F. , Kipkemoi Job Ronoh , Mariner Jeffrey C. , Coffin-Schmitt Jeanne , Whittier Christopher A.
Published: June 2024

In Kenya, pastoralists grapple with significant health and livelihood challenges due to livestock, zoonotic, and human-specific diseases. These diseases threaten the sustainability of their unique food production system and its considerable economic, nutritional, and ecologic value. Disease control and prevention in arid and semi-arid lands are currently inadequate due to underfunded and ill-adapted health programs coupled with a shortage of personnel. Participatory epidemiology (PE) presents a valuable tool for understanding community perceptions of disease importance and epidemiology, thereby aiding in improving control measures and promoting community involvement in centralized service delivery programs. Yet, the use of PE has focused on livestock and zoonotic diseases, leaving perceptions of human-specific disease and the complex interplay between pastoralists, their livestock, and the rangelands largely unexplored. To address this gap, we utilized PE to achieve three objectives: (1) establish links between human and livestock diseases, (2) determine perceptions of disease priorities, and (3) assess knowledge of disease epidemiology. Our findings indicate that the relationships between human and livestock diseases primarily manifest in two categories: disease symptoms and zoonoses. Disease priorities differed between locations, with no apparent pattern emerging that human or livestock diseases are considered more important. Importance indicators such as prevalence, mortality, morbidity, and spatial/temporal variation were shared across diseases. Diseases perceived as more prevalent and deadly were deemed most consequential, while those seen as less prevalent, less deadly, and exhibiting more spatial/temporal variation were considered important. Our results underscore the added value of including human-specific diseases in PE, which can help improve disease prevention and control initiatives among pastoralists. Human, animal, and environmental health programs and research can leverage and expand upon our approach, combining it with household surveys and other surveillance methods to address health challenges among pastoralists in the drylands of Northern Kenya and beyond.
On covering systems of polynomial rings over finite fields
Authors: Li Huixi , Wang Biao , Wang Chunlin , Yi Shaoyun
Published: June 2024

In 1950, Erdős posed a question known as the minimum modulus problem on covering systems for

Z

\mathbb {Z}

, which asked whether the minimum modulus of a covering system with distinct moduli is bounded. This long-standing problem was finally resolved by Hough [Ann. of Math. (2) 181 (2015), no. 1, pp. 361–382] in 2015, as he proved that the minimum modulus of any covering system with distinct moduli does not exceed

10

16

10^{16}

. Recently, Balister, Bollobás, Morris, Sahasrabudhe, and Tiba [Invent. Math. 228 (2022), pp. 377–414] developed a versatile method called the distortion method and significantly reduced Hough’s bound to

616
,
000

616,000

. In this paper, we apply this method to present a proof that the smallest degree of the moduli in any covering system for

F

q

[
x
]

\mathbb {F}_q[x]

of multiplicity

s
s

is bounded by a constant depending only on

s
s

and

q
q

. Consequently, we successfully resolve the minimum modulus problem for

F

q

[
x
]

\mathbb {F}_q[x]

and disprove a conjecture by Azlin [Covering Systems of Polynomial Rings Over Finite Fields, University of Mississippi, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 39, 2011].
An invariant C-terminal tryptophan in McdB mediates its interaction and positioning function with carboxysomes
Authors: Basalla Joseph L. , Ghalmi Maria , Hoang Y. , Dow Rachel E. , Vecchiarelli Anthony G.
Published: June 2024

Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are widespread, protein-based organelles that regulate metabolism. The model for studying BMCs is the carboxysome, which facilitates carbon fixation in several autotrophic bacteria. Carboxysomes can be distinguished as type α or β, which are structurally and phyletically distinct. We recently characterized the maintenance of carboxysome distribution (Mcd) systems responsible for spatially regulating α- and β-carboxysomes, consisting of the proteins McdA and McdB. McdA is an ATPase that drives carboxysome positioning, and McdB is the adaptor protein that directly interacts with carboxysomes to provide cargo specificity. The molecular features of McdB proteins that specify their interactions with carboxysomes, and whether these are similar between α- and β-carboxysomes, remain unknown. Here, we identify C-terminal motifs containing an invariant tryptophan necessary for α- and β-McdBs to associate with α- and β-carboxysomes, respectively. Substituting this tryptophan with other aromatic residues reveals corresponding gradients in the efficiency of carboxysome colocalization and positioning by McdB in vivo. Intriguingly, these gradients also correlate with the ability of McdB to form condensates in vitro. The results reveal a shared mechanism underlying McdB adaptor protein binding to carboxysomes, and potentially other BMCs. Our findings also implicate condensate formation as playing a key role in this association.
Trends in population attributable fraction of modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases across three decades
Authors: Zhu Fang , Boersma Eric , Tilly Martijn , Ikram M Kamran , Qi Hongchao , Kavousi Maryam
Published: June 2024

Aims

To evaluate temporal trends, across three decades, in the population attributable fractions (PAFs) of modifiable risk factors for 5-year risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

Methods and results

Within population-based Rotterdam Study, we defined three time groups of individuals without established CVD at ‘baseline’ with a mean age of 70 years, and followed for five years: Epoch 1990s (1989–93, n = 6195), Epoch 2000s (1997–2001, n = 5572), and Epoch 2010s (2009–14, n = 5135). The prevalence of risk factors and related relative risks were combined to quantify PAFs. The PAF of the six risk factors combined for global CVD was 0.57 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.47–0.65], 0.52 (0.39–0.62), and 0.39 (0.18–0.54) in three respective epochs. Hypertension contributed the highest PAF to global CVD in Epoch 1990s (0.37, 95% CI: 0.28–0.44) and 2000s (0.34, 95% CI: 0.22–0.43), while smoking was the largest contributor in Epoch 2010s (0.20, 95% CI: 0.06–0.32). Dyslipidaemia changed population-level coronary heart disease risk over time. For stroke, hypertension became a less significant contributor over time, but smoking became a larger contributor. For heart failure, all risk factors showed non-significant PAFs in Epoch 2010s. PAFs related to individual risk factor varied among women and men.

Conclusion

Six modifiable risk factors to population-level global CVD risk decreased over time, but still explained 39% of total CVD in the latest decade. PAFs changed considerably for hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and smoking. Risk factors had different PAFs for different CVDs with pronounced sex differences.
Population Dynamics of HIV-1 Inferred From Gene Sequences
Authors: Grassly Nicholas C , Harvey Paul H , Holmes Edward C
Published: June 2024

A method for the estimation of population dynamic history from sequence data is described and used to investigate the past population dynamics of HIV-1 subtypes A and B. Using both gag and env gene alignments the effective population size of each subtype is estimated and found to be surprisingly small. This may be a result of the selective sweep of mutations through the population, or may indicate an important role of genetic drift in the fixation of mutations. The implications of these results for the spread of drug-resistant mutations and transmission dynamics, and also the roles of selection and recombination in shaping HIV-1 genetic diversity, are discussed. A larger estimated effective population size for subtype A may be the result of differences in time of origin, transmission dynamics, and/or population structure. To investigate the importance of population structure a model of population subdivision was fitted to each subtype, although the improvement in likelihood was found to be nonsignificant.
The Development of the Regulation of International Trade
Authors: Donald McRae
Published: June 2024

International trade regulation based on agreement and the MFN principle has developed from bilateral FCN agreements to a multilateral arrangement under the GATT with diverse ancillary decisions, understandings, and agreements, to its modern form of comprehensive multilateral agreement under the WTO. A critical part of trade regulation has been the role of dispute settlement where under the WTO the Appellate Body became the authoritative decision-maker on the scope or ambit of the obligations under the WTO agreements. However, since the WTO, preferential trade agreements have proliferated at the bilateral, regional, and plurilateral levels, often deepening the areas of obligation from those under the WTO or expanding to new areas not covered by the WTO agreements. Most recently, this has taken the form of a mega-regional arrangement, the TPP, transformed into the CPTPP, characterized by the number of parties and the size of markets and coverage of areas not found in the WTO or other trade agreements, and without a constitutional role being granted to dispute settlement. The future of international trade regulation, given the present economic and political conditions, is uncertain. The comprehensiveness of mega-regulation is a model, but a reinvigoration of the WTO is unlikely. Retrenchment to traditional bilateral or small-scale regional forms of regulation of much narrower scope cannot be ruled out.
Pacific Trade
Authors: Yuka Fukunaga , Pasha L Hsieh
Published: June 2024

The chapter provides an overview of the main legal structures that govern Pacific trade in the Third Regionalism. It offers insight into the evolution of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Community, as well as ASEAN’s external agreements with Asia-Pacific economies including China, India, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand. It also discusses legal and policy considerations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) based on ASEAN Plus One agreements. Furthermore, by focusing on the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the chapter analyses key issues such as rules of origin, market access, electronic commerce, state-owned enterprises and currency manipulation. It is imperative to understand these critical developments of ASEAN, the CPTPP and the RCEP amid trade protectionism and the COVID-19 pandemic.
International Trade Policy in Latin America (Pacific Alliance—MERCOSUR)
Authors: Jorge Luis Changanaquí Miranda , John Ramiro Cusipuma Frisancho
Published: June 2024

This chapter explores the developments in trade policy in Latin America. In the past decades, Latin American States have shifted their trading policy from import substitution to free trade, building a vast web of trade agreements with the main economies of the world. New provisions, such as trade-related disciplines pertaining to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), regulatory cooperation, gender, among others, have been included in trade agreements. On the other hand, the establishment of disciplines such as labour and environment in RTAs has presented difficulties. The Pacific Alliance and MERCOSUR, both trading blocs which encompass the main actors of the region, have accomplished several milestones in trade openness. However, there has not been a wide development in trade agreements between Latin American countries despite the potential benefits that convergence might bring.
Eurasian Economic Union and Trade and Investment Liberalization
Authors: Marina Trunk-Fedorova
Published: June 2024

The Eurasian Economic Union is an organization of regional economic integration—a customs union created in line with WTO rules. It maintains, inter alia, a common customs policy and the Eurasian Single Customs Tariff. Although the EAEU is not a WTO Member, a number of its measures have been challenged at the WTO against individual EAEU Member States. The EAEU Treaty provides for the creation of an economic space with free movement of goods, persons, services and capital. It also contains a chapter on investment regulation in the EAEU, which is formulated as a regional agreement on protection of foreign investments.
Food Safety
Authors: Marsha A Echols
Published: June 2024

The WTO’s SPS Agreement creates a new trade bargain by restricting Members’ sovereignty with respect to food safety regulation with a “system” expanding on beyond the exception in Article XX(b)to GATT 1947. The essence of the SPS bargain is a ‘system’ created principally through Articles 2, 4 and 5 and Annexes B and C to the SPS Agreement. This ‘system’ inserts into the trade bargain extensive new rules about food safety regulation, based on objective and harmonized standards, scientific principles (objective evidence of a qualitative or quantitative nature) and risk assessment. The system leaves a Member little ability to consider national or regional food history and culture with respect to its decisions to food safety for protecting human life and health. However, the bargain offers the promise to a WTO Member that relinquishing some regulatory authority will be rewarded with expected commercial benefits and commitments from trading partners. In FTAs concluded after the SPS Agreement, nations affirm their SPS rights and obligations: they affirm their sovereign right to enact a sanitary measure and their obligation to base that measure on scientific principles such as objectivity, and to maintain the measure only with sufficient scientific evidence of a qualitative or quantitative nature. At the same time, like the international system that has evolved through the work of the ‘Three Sisters’, FTA partners have added ‘risk management’ and ‘risk communication’ as steps in the development of a food safety measure. The result might be a gradual shift toward an SPS system that extends beyond a purely scientific assessment of risk, including factors relevant to the protection of the health of consumers and the promotion of fair practices in food trade.
State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs)
Authors: Juliana Nam
Published: June 2024

This chapter outlines the developments in international disciplines concerning state-owned enterprises (SOEs) with a particular focus on the outcomes in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement. Despite the uncertainty of the TPP’s future, its provisions live on in the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). It provides a perspective on Chapter 17 of the TPP on ‘State-Owned Enterprises and Designated Monopolies’ in the context of negotiations among 12 disparate economies in the Indo-Pacific. It explains how that chapter ‘evolved’ existing international trade obligations and governance guidance on SOEs that compete with privately-owned enterprises.
Jurisdiction and Applicable Law in the WTO and Free Trade Agreements
Authors: Lorand Bartels
Published: June 2024

The WTO, and most modern FTAs, include binding dispute settlement systems for the determination of their core obligations. This chapter looks at the jurisdictional powers of the tribunals established in these dispute settlement systems. It briefly discusses the nature of jurisdiction, contrasting its treatment in trade and other international agreements. Next, it turns to the way that the WTO and FTAs grant trade tribunals the power to determine facts, including the measures adopted by a respondent party, and to identify, interpret and apply the applicable law to those facts. In this context, it considers questions such as the power of a WTO or FTA tribunal to consider domestic law, and also public international law outside of the WTO agreements or FTA at issue. Finally, this chapter considers how WTO and FTA tribunals relate to each other, including by means of FTA choice of forum clauses, and their effectiveness under WTO law.
Stakeholders in International Trade Law Dispute Settlement
Authors: Katherine Connolly , Todd Friedbacher
Published: June 2024

This chapter identifies the range of stakeholders in international trade dispute settlement. The community of stakeholders is diverse, and begins with Member states, which have standing to bring disputes, participate in disputes as third parties, and (in the WTO) are the ultimate source of legal authority in the dispute settlement system, through their participation in the Dispute Settlement Body. Industries are the actors who actually engage in trade across borders; they cannot initiate disputes, or participate directly, but their knowledge of how the substantive rules work ‘on the ground’ makes their involvement and cooperation key to a successful dispute, and to making the most out of Members’ legal rights and obligations. Adjudicators are the ‘deciders’, whose independence and impartiality are of fundamental importance to the legitimacy of any dispute settlement system. Accountability of the adjudicators is paramount, and they must both be, and appear to be, independent and impartial in their decision-making. The WTO Secretariat is an important source of institutional support and consistency over time, although also a source of controversy over the appropriate boundaries of its role vis-à-vis the adjudicators. Finally, experts are an often overlooked stakeholder, but increasingly crucial as disputes grow more complex, technical and scientific. Each stakeholder participates in dispute settlement in a different way, for different reasons, and each makes its own contribution to the effective functioning of the various systems.
A Comparison of Remote vs In-Person Proctored In-Training Examination Administration for Internal Medicine
Authors: Ong Thai Q. , Krumm Becky , Wells Margaret , Read Susan , Harris Linda , Altomare Andrea , Paniagua Miguel
Published: June 2024

Purpose

In response to COVID-19, the American College of Physicians provided residents the option to complete the 2020 Internal Medicine In-Training Examination (IM-ITE) via in-person and remote proctoring. This study evaluated the extent to which scores obtained from both testing modalities were comparable.

Method

Data were analyzed from residents from all U.S.-based Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education–accredited IM residency programs and participating Canadian and international programs who completed the IM-ITE in 2020. The final sample contained 27,115 IM residents: 9,205 postgraduate year (PGY) 1, 9,332 PGY-2, and 8,578 PGY-3. Testing modality, gender, PGY, time spent on assessment, and native language were used to predict percent-correct scores in a multilevel regression model. This model included all main effects and all 2-way interactions between testing modality and each resident-level demographic variable, allowing those effects to be controlled for.

Results

Of 27,115 residents studied, 11,354 (42%) tested remotely and 15,761 (58%) in person. Across the parameters of interest (main effect of testing modality and 2-way interactions), the only statistically significant effects were the interaction effects between testing mode (interaction effect: −0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], −1.01 to −0.21) and PGY (interaction effect: −0.54; 95% CI, −0.95 to −0.13) (P = .002). Differences between in-person and remote predicted scores were slightly larger for PGY-1 than for PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents, but the magnitude of these differences across residency training was well under one percentage point. Because these statistically significant effects were deemed educationally nonsignificant, the study concluded that performance did not substantively differ across in-person and remote examinees.

Conclusions

Residents taking the 2020 IM-ITE performed similarly across in-person and remote proctoring. This study provides evidence of score comparability across the 2 testing modalities and supports continued use of remote proctoring for the IM-ITE.
An Analysis of Trainee Status of the Primary Care Physician and Ambulatory Care Outcomes
Authors: Graham Kelly L. , Norian Elizabeth , Li Jonathan , Amat Maelys , Davis Roger B.
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Prior studies report disparities in outcomes for patients cared for by trainees versus faculty physicians at academic medical centers. This study examined the effect of having a trainee as the primary care physician versus a faculty member on routine population health outcomes after adjusting for differences in social determinants of health and primary care retention.

Method

This cohort study assessed 38,404 patients receiving primary care at an academic hospital–affiliated practice by 60 faculty and 110 internal medicine trainees during academic year 2019. The effect of primary care practitioner trainee status on routine ambulatory care metrics was modeled using log-binomial regression with generalized estimating equation methods to account for physician-level clustering. Risk estimates before and after adjusting for social determinants of health and loss to follow-up are presented.

Results

Trainee and faculty cohorts had similar distributions of acute illness burden; however, patients in the trainee cohort were significantly more likely to identify as a race other than White (2,476 [52.6%] vs 14,785 [38.5%], P < .001), live in a zip code associated with poverty (1,688 [35.9%] vs 9,122 [23.8%], P < .001), use public health insurance (1,021 [21.7%] vs 6,108 [15.9%], P < .001), and have limited English proficiency (1,415 [30.1%] vs 5,203 [13.6%], P < .001). In adjusted analyses, trainee status of primary care physician was not associated with lack of breast cancer screening but was associated with missed opportunities to screen for colorectal cancer (relative risk [RR], 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68–0.88), control type 2 diabetes mellitus (RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.64–0.94), and control hypertension (RR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.69–0.94).

Conclusions

Primary care physician trainee status was associated with poorer quality of care in the ambulatory setting after adjusting for differences in socioeconomic factors and loss to follow-up, highlighting a potential ambulatory training gap.
Building on Strengths: An Affirmational and Systems-Level Approach to Revisiting Character in Medicine
Authors: Cianciolo Anna T. , O’Brien Bridget C. , Klamen Debra L. , Mellinger John
Published: June 2024

Although U.S. medical education has continued to place increased emphasis on defining competency standards and ensuring accountability to the public, health care inequities have persisted, several basic health outcomes have worsened, public trust in the health care system has eroded, and moral distress, burnout, and attrition among practicing physicians have escalated. These opposing trends beg the question of how the “good doctor” concept may be strengthened. In this perspective, the authors argue that revisiting the construct of physician character from an affirmational perspective could meaningfully improve medical education’s impact on overall health by more holistically conceptualizing what—and who—a good doctor is. The authors introduce positive psychology’s framework of character strengths, probe the distinction between character strengths and medical professionalism, and summarize the role of character strengths in promoting physician engagement and well-being in health care work. They contend that a systems-level approach to cultivating character strengths will foster physician moral agency and well-being and, by extension, transformational change in health care. Consistent with best practice in modern character education, the authors propose that institutions mindfully cultivate moral community among all stakeholders (students, faculty, staff, postgraduate trainees, and patients) and that moral community interaction centers on each member’s personal aspirations with respect to living a good life, guided by the character strengths framework and informed by patient perspectives.
Development and Initial Validation of the Shame Frequency Questionnaire in Medical Students
Authors: Bynum William E. , Dong Ting , Uijtdehaage Sebastian , Belz Franz , Artino Anthony R.
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This study presents the steps taken to develop and collect initial validity evidence for the Shame Frequency Questionnaire in Medical Students.

Method

The instrument was based on a 7-step survey design; validity evidence was collected from content, response process, internal structure, and relationship to other variables. A literature review and qualitative interviews led to the design of the initial 16-item scale. Expert review and cognitive interviewing led to minor modifications in the original structure. Initial pilot testing was conducted in August 2019 in Uniformed Services University (USU) medical students; reliability assessment and exploratory factor analysis were performed. The revised 12-item scale was tested in January 2022 in Duke University School of Medicine medical students; reliability assessment, exploratory factor analysis, and correlation analysis with depression, burnout, anxiety, emotional thriving, and emotional well-being were performed.

Results

A total of 336 of 678 USU students (50%) and 106 of 522 Duke students (20%) completed the survey. Initial exploratory factor analysis of the USU data revealed 1 factor (shame), and 4 items were dropped from the scale according to predefined rules. Subsequent exploratory factor analysis of the Duke data revealed 1 factor; no further items were removed according to predefined rules. Internal consistent reliability was 0.95, and all interitem correlations were less than 0.85 for USU and Duke samples. As predicted, mean shame scale scores were positively correlated with anxiety (r = 0.54, P < .001), burnout (r = 0.50, P < .001), and depression (r = 0.47, P < .001) and negatively correlated with emotional thriving (r = −0.46, P < .001) and emotional recovery (r = −0.46, P < .001).

Conclusions

The Shame Frequency Questionnaire in Medical Students is a psychometrically sound instrument with strong internal reliability and multisource validity evidence, supporting its use in studying shame in medical students.
Association between liver fat level and risk of hypertension: evidence from a Chinese health examination dataset
Authors: Sun Yongbing , Qi Xin , Wang Xuan , Lin Xinbei , Zhou Yang , Du Yawei , Liu Ao , Lv Xue , Zhou Jing , Li Zhonglin , Wu Xiaoling , Zou Zhi , Dou Shewei , Zhang Michael , Zhu Jiadong , Shang Feifei , Li Fengli , Hu Yangxi , Li Hao , Li Yongli
Published: June 2024

Background:

Hypertension development is predominantly influenced by inflammation, excessive fat deposition, and metabolic irregularities. Among these factors, liver fat accumulation is a critical metabolic disorder. However, the quantification of liver fat levels and its associated risk for hypertension incidence remain ambiguous. This project is designed to explore the association between liver fat levels and the risk of hypertension in a healthy population.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study involved 4955 participants from the Health Management Center at Henan Provincial People's Hospital who were surveyed between February 2020 and February 2023. Participants were categorized into four groups based on liver fat quartiles. Subgroup analyses, restricted cubic spline regression models, and logistic regression were utilized to assess the association between liver fat levels and hypertension risk. The relationships between liver fat levels and inflammatory markers were examined using multiple linear regression models. Additionally, a mediation analysis was conducted to explore the role of inflammatory factors in the relationship between liver fat and hypertension risk.

Results:

Participants with hypertension exhibited greater liver fat levels than did those without hypertension. An increased risk of hypertension was associated with elevated liver fat levels, even after adjusting for other covariates [Q4 vs. Q1 in model II: odds ratio (OR = 1.28), 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04–1.59, P = 0.022; P for trend = 0.039]. A nonlinear relationship was observed between liver fat level and hypertension risk, with a notable increase in hypertension risk occurring at liver fat levels greater than 8.65%. Additionally, a positive correlation was found between inflammatory markers and liver fat levels. A mediation effect of 4.76% was noted, linking hypertension risk and liver fat levels through neutrophils.

Conclusion:

Liver fat levels exceeding 8.65% significantly elevated the risk of hypertension. Inflammatory factors serve as crucial mediators of the relationship between liver fat and hypertension.
Five-year survival rate of cancer patients in Ethiopia – systematic review and meta-analysis, 2022
Authors: Gedfew Mihretie , Afenigus Abebe Dilie , Akalu Tadesse Y. , Andualem Atsedemariam , Ayenew Temesgen , Getie Addisu
Published: June 2024

Background:

Cancer and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were once thought to be diseases of high-income countries. However, new studies suggest that they are now a major public health burden in low- and middle-income countries as well. The rate of survival after diagnosis significantly varied across types of cancer and the treatment options they received. Therefore, we conducted this study to determine the survival status of cancer patients in Ethiopia.

Methods:

PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases from inception to 10 April 2022 were searched to identify relevant studies. A funnel plot and Egger’s regression test were used to determine publication bias. The I
2 statistic was used to check heterogeneity between the studies. DerSimonian and Laird random effects model was applied to estimate pooled effect size and 95% confidence interval across studies. Sensitivity analysis was deployed to determine the effect of a single study on the overall estimation, and the analysis was done using STATA Version 14 software.

Results:

A total of 19 studies with 12 847 study participants were included to estimate the pooled survival rate of cancer patients. The estimated pooled survival rate of cancer patients in Ethiopia was 57.15 (95% CI: 56.34–57.97). Regarding the subgroup analysis, based on cancer type, the highest pooled survival rate was recorded among prostate cancer patients at 80.47 (95% CI: 73.60–87.34), followed by cervical cancer patients at 60.89 (95% CI: 37.78–84.00) while the smallest was among colorectal cancer patients at 40.04 (95% CI: 9.11–70.9) and based on study design the highest pooled survival rate was among prospective cohort study at 63.91 (95% CI: 30.86–96.96). Based on publication year, the highest pooled survival rate was recorded in 2020 with 69.61 (95% CI: 48.51–90.70), followed by in 2018 at 63.13 (95% CI: 50.01–76.25).

Conclusion:

The survival rate of cancer patients is low in Ethiopia. This demonstrates that the survival of cancer patients is a major problem in Ethiopia. Therefore, situation-based interventions and preventive strategies should be developed to enhance the survival rate of cancer patients.
Current Dietetic Practices After Metabolic Surgery in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Aljaaly Elham A. , Alashmali Shoug , Bakhsh Manar , Khalifa Nahlaa , Kilabi Boshra , Al-Rufaihi Hanan , Bahashwan Marwah , Habib Wed
Published: June 2024

Dietetic practices after metabolic surgery are not well defined in Saudi Arabia. This study evaluates the current dietetic practice post-metabolic surgery in Saudi Arabia. Thirty-two registered dietitians (RDs) completed an online survey to evaluate dietetic practices in postmetabolic surgery. Sixteen RDs indicated that patients can be discharged on a clear liquid diet, while the rest (n = 16) suggested a full-liquid diet. RDs also reported monitoring diet adequacy (75%) and diet regimen adherence (68.8%), as well as providing dietary discharge instructions (75%). This study indicates that standardized dietetic protocols and practices of postmetabolic surgery need to be established in Saudi Arabia.
Body Type and Body Dissatisfaction in Instagram Posts by Dietetics and Nursing Students
Authors: Siu Elizabeth , Chan Christina , Hitchcock Basema , Evans Marci , Metallinos-Katsaras Elizabeth
Published: June 2024

Students in health professions seeking to establish professional credibility through their appearance could be at greater risk of body dissatisfaction. Instagram posts featuring #rd2be (n = 865) or #nursingstudent (n=1610) were reviewed for body type and body image messages. A greater proportion of #rd2be posts contained images of thin or muscular bodies and text with body image–related messages than #nursingstudent posts. Posts with #nursingstudent had a higher prevalence of text expressing dissatisfaction with weight, fat, or muscle than posts with #rd2be. Results suggest that nursing and dietetics students may grapple with body image while establishing their professional identity.
Relationship between blood group (ABO) and risk of COVID-19 infection in a patient cohort in Tehran, Iran
Authors: Fathollahi Asal , Bashizadeh Fakhar Haniyeh , Shaghaghi Babak
Published: June 2024

Background and purpose. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a contagious disease causing severe acute respiratory syndrome which had a catastrophic effect on the world population and resulted in more than 2.9 million deaths worldwide. Epidemiological investigations have recently announced blood type has an association with the incidence of COVID-19 infection. Consequently, research in this regard can be effective in determining a person’s susceptibility to a viral infection. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between blood types and the risk of COVID-19 in patients admitted to Khorshid laboratory, Tehran, Iran.

Materials and methods. From January to March 2020, 50 nasal and throat swapb samples of patients’ secretions were obtained from patients who were admitted to Khorshid laboratory. They were confirmed to have COVID-19 virus RNA and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-ABI, and their blood type was determined simultaneously. After collecting data to determine the relationship between COVID-19 infection and blood type, a confidence interval of 90 % was considered using SPSS 16.

Results. The mean age of the patients was measured at 38.4±6.3 years. According to PCR results, 100 % of the subjects with COVID-19 showed blood type A. In addition, the ratio of blood type A to the percentage of reference type O was higher (P=0.009).

Conclusion. There was a significant relationship between ABO blood type and susceptibility to COVID-19. As the current study suggests, those with blood type A are at a higher COVID-19 infection risk than those with blood type O.
Deciphering the interaction surface between the West Nile virus NS3 and NS5 proteins
Authors: Brand Carolin , Geiss Brian J. , Bisaillon Martin
Published: June 2024

West Nile virus (WNV) is the most prevalent mosquito-borne virus and the leading cause of viral encephalitis in the continental United States. It belongs to the family Flaviviridae which includes other important human pathogens such as dengue virus (DENV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and Zika viruses (ZIKV). Despite several decades of research, no specific antiviral drugs are available to treat flavivirus infections. The present study characterizes the interaction between the WNV NS3 and NS5 proteins for the purpose of identifying hotspots in the protein-protein interaction which could be targeted for the development of antiviral therapeutics. We previously developed an interaction model in silico based on data available in the literature. Here, potential interacting residues on NS3 and NS5 were mutated in a WNV replicon, and seven mutations in the NS3 protein were found to drastically reduce viral replication. In addition to being well conserved among mosquito-borne flaviviruses, these residues are located on the protein’s surface in two clusters which might be interesting new targets for future drug development.
Request for an Opinion: conservation of the illegitimate prokaryotic generic name Proteus Hauser 1885 (Approved Lists 1980)
Authors: Li Meng-Syun
Published: June 2024

The prokaryotic generic name Proteus Hauser 1885 (Approved Lists 1980) is a later homonym of the protozoan genus name Proteus Müller, 1786 and therefore should be considered illegitimate and in need of replacement according to Rules 51b(4) and 54 of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes. However, it would be unwelcome for medical and veterinary community to propose by anyone any replacement name and discontinue the current usage. To prevent from any unfavourable replacement, conservation of the illegitimate prokaryotic generic name Proteus Hauser 1885 (Approved Lists 1980) according to Rules 23a Note 4 and 56b is needed, and therefore, a request for conservation by the Judicial Commission over its earlier protozoan homonym is made here by the author, with Judicial Opinions 9 and 12 serving as precedents.
Aberrant TSC-Rheb axis in Oxytocin receptor+ cells mediate stress-induced anxiety
Authors: Tabaka Olivia , Lawal Saheed , Triana Rodrigo Del Rio , Hou Mian , Fraser Alexandra , Gallagher Andrew , Ruiz Karen San Agustin , Marmarcz Maggie , Dickinson Matthew , Oliveira Mauricio M. , Klann Eric , Shrestha Prerana
Published: June 2024

Stress is a major risk for the onset of several maladaptive processes including pathological anxiety, a diffuse state of heightened apprehension over anticipated threats1. Pathological anxiety is prevalent in up to 59% of patients with Tuberous Sclerosis complex (TSC)2, a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) caused by loss-of-function mutations in genes for Tuberin (Tsc2) and/or Hamartin (Tsc1) that together comprise the eponymous protein complex. Here, we generated cell type-specific heterozygous knockout ofTsc2in cells expressing oxytocin receptor (OTRCs) to model pathological anxiety-like behaviors observed in TSC patient population. The stress of prolonged social isolation induces a sustained negative affective state that precipitates behavioral avoidance, often by aberrant oxytocin signaling in the limbic forebrain3,4. In response to social isolation, there were striking sex differences in stress susceptibility in conditional heterozygote mice when encountering situations of approach-avoidance conflict. Socially isolated male mutants exhibited behavioral avoidance in anxiogenic environments and sought more social interaction for buffering of stress. In contrast, female mutants developed resilience during social isolation and approached anxiogenic environments, while devaluing social interaction. Systemic and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)-specific inhibition of downstream effector of TSC, the integrated stress response (ISR), rescued behavioral approach toward anxiogenic environments and conspecifics in male and female mutant mice respectively. Further, we found thatTsc2deletion in OTRCs leads to OTR-signaling elicited network suppression, i.e., hypofrontality, in male mPFC, which is relieved by inhibiting the ISR. Our findings present evidence in support of a sexually dimorphic role of prefrontal OTRCs in regulating emotional responses in anxiogenic environments, which goes awry in TSC. Our work has broader implications for developing effective treatments for subtypes of anxiety disorders that are characterized by cell-autonomous ISR and prefrontal network suppression.
Workplace bullying and job outcomes: intersectional effects of gender and culture
Authors: Zheng Connie , Nauman Shazia , Jahangir Nida Usman
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This study explores the under-researched phenomenon of workplace bullying against women in male-dominated Pakistani society, highlighting its severe impacts and bridging the research gap on intersectional effects of gender and cultural dynamics in developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a mixed-method research approach, we conducted two-wave surveys with 308 female workers in Pakistan's educational and health sectors. Data analysis examined relationships between workplace bullying and job outcomes like productivity and satisfaction, complemented by insights from in-depth interviews with 18 female workers.

Findings

The study reveals that workplace bullying significantly undermines job productivity, increases emotional exhaustion mediated by job anxiety and decreases job satisfaction among female workers. Bullying persists due to weak institutions and inadequate law enforcement, with perceived social support found to be an insignificant moderator.

Practical implications

The study findings underscore the economic implications of workplace bullying, as it drives female workforce attrition, hindering economic development. The study recommends conflict resolution strategies, effective HR policies, national law enforcement and supportive social networks to combat bullying and create a conducive work environment.

Social implications

This study aligns with the UN's SDG goals #5 (gender equality) and #8 (decent work and economic growth), addressing pertinent issues related to workplace bullying in pursuit of these global objectives.

Originality/value

This study represents a unique attempt to address the intersectional dynamics of gender and culture concerning workplace bullying in Pakistan.
Do environmental awareness and food safety information nudges enhance youth’s affinity to safer food consumption? Findings from an experiment in Nepal
Authors: Khanal Aditya R. , Timilsina Ram Hari , Dhungana Purushottam
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Unsafe food consumption results in adverse health conditions, foodborne illness and undernutrition among households and communities. The consumption of food contaminated with harmful microorganisms or with harmful pesticide residuals results in adverse health conditions and undernutrition. However, there are a number of challenges to maintaining food safety in the food systems of developing countries, like Nepal, where awareness of food safety is low and research on these issues is lacking.

Design/methodology/approach

We conducted an experiment among youth aged between 20 and 26 years in Nepal to assess their food safety awareness and affinity to safer fresh produce choices. In the classroom setting experimentations with and without information nudges conducted among 224 youth participants, participants chose one fresh produce packet among the four. We analyzed results using multinomial and mixed logit models appropriate for discrete choice modeling.

Findings

We found that the youth’s perceived higher importance of sustainable food systems and their knowledge levels on microbial contamination and foodborne illnesses play significantly positive roles. The likelihood of choosing microbial safety-labeled fresh produce or both microbial- and chemical safety-labeled fresh produce increased with nudging among those who have some knowledge of microbial contamination and foodborne illnesses – we found that the interaction of nudging and level of knowledge is significantly positive. Youth belonging to higher income classes do not necessarily have a higher affinity to safer fresh produce but with nudging, the higher income class youth have a higher likelihood of choosing safer fresh produce choices.

Research limitations/implications

Youth engagement and their awareness of food safety could be one of the important strategies to potentially develop them as effective promoters, adopters and educators in enhancing food safety in food systems in Nepal. Our predicted premium for food safety attributes points to the potential scope for the emerging market segment or business opportunities augmenting food safety in Nepal.

Originality/value

We examined the factors influencing the safer fresh produce choices among youth in Nepal. We tested whether awareness levels of microbial contamination and foodborne illness and information nudging affect the likelihood of safer fresh produce choice. Then we predicted the willingness to pay (premium) for safety attributes. To the best of our knowledge, none of the previous studies have examined this aspect in Nepal.
Instructor perceptions of active learning in higher education in Oman and students' commitment to the approach
Authors: Al-Amrani Said Nasser
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Creating active learning opportunities requires building a learning culture in which the instructor plays the role of a facilitator, leaving the ultimate responsibility of learning to the student. The question, however, is whether this is happening in practice. This study aims to answer this question through instructors' perceptions of active learning in a higher education institution in Oman.

Design/methodology/approach

The study participants were 85 instructors working for a private university in Oman. Data were collected by surveying these instructors' perceptions of active learning practice indicators, such as active teaching strategies and student educational practices. This was followed by interviewing a random sample of the same instructors (N = 10) to obtain a deeper understanding of their implementation of the active learning approach.

Findings

Data collected through the survey revealed that the shift from passive to active learning in higher education in Oman created a discrepancy between instructors' willingness to practice active learning and learners' unpreparedness to become autonomous learners. The follow-up interview findings confirmed this point, revealing instructors' negative perceptions of student participation and engagement in out-of-class activities.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to investigate the application of active learning in a higher education institution in Oman from the perspective of instructors.
Association between red cell distribution width/serum albumin ratio and diabetic kidney disease
Authors: Chen Jiaqi , Zhang Daguan , Zhou Depu , Dai Zhijuan , Wang Jie
Published: June 2024

Background

Previous studies have shown that the red cell distribution width (RDW)/serum albumin ratio (RA) is an integrative and new inflammatory marker. RA is associated with clinical outcomes in a variety of diseases, but the clinical value of RDW/RA in the assessment of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has not been elucidated. We examined the link between diabetic RA and DKD while controlling for a wide variety of possible confounders.

Methods

Retrospective cohort analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES: 2009–2018) database from the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital and the Wenzhou Medical University (WMU) database was conducted. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between RA and DKD.

Results

Overall, 4513 diabetic patients from the NHANES database (n = 2839) and the WMU (n = 1412) were included in this study; 974 patients were diagnosed with DKD in NHANES and 462 in WMU. In the NHANES cohort, diabetes mellitus (DM) patients with higher RA level had a higher risk of DKD (odds ratio = 1.461, 95% confidence interval: 1.250–1.707, p < 0.00001). After adjusting for confounders and propensity score‐matched (PSM) analysis, both shown RA levels were independently linked to DKD (pAdjust = 0.00994, pPSM = 0.02889). Similar results were also observed in the WMU cohort (p < 0.00001).

Conclusions

The study observes that the RA was an independent predictor of DKD in DM patients. The RA, a biomarker that is cost‐effective and easy‐to‐access, may have potential for risk stratification of DKD.

image