bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of poor sleep quality in COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Gui Zhen , Wang Yue-Ying , Li Jia-Xin , Li Xiao-Hong , Su Zhaohui , Cheung Teris , Lok Ka-In , Ungvari Gabor S. , Ng Chee H. , Zhang Qinge , Xiang Yu-Tao
Published: January 2024

Objective

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the public health responses were associated with a huge health burden, which could influence sleep quality. This meta-analysis and systematic review examined the prevalence of poor sleep quality in COVID-19 patients.

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and PsycINFO were systematically searched from their respective inception to October 27, 2022. Prevalence rates of poor sleep were analyzed using a random effects model.

Results

Totally, 24 epidemiological and 12 comparative studies with 8,146 COVID-19 patients and 5,787 healthy controls were included. The pooled prevalence of poor sleep quality based on the included studies was 65.0% (95%CI: 59.56–70.44%, I2 = 97.6%). COVID-19 patients had a higher risk of poor sleep quality compared to healthy controls (OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.30–2.30, p < 0.01, I2 = 78.1%) based on the 12 comparative studies. Subgroup analysis revealed that COVID-19 patients in low-income countries (p = 0.011) and in studies using a lower Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score cut-off (p < 0.001) were more likely to have poor sleep quality. Meta-regression analyses revealed that being female (p = 0.044), older (p < 0.001) and married (p = 0.009) were significantly correlated with a higher risk of poor sleep quality while quality score (p = 0.014) were negatively correlated with the prevalence of poor sleep quality in COVID-19 patients.

Conclusion

Poor sleep quality was found to be very common in COVID-19 patients. Considering the negative effects of poor sleep quality on daily life, sleep quality should be routinely assessed and appropriately addressed in COVID-19 patients.
Preliminary evidence for the acceptability, safety, and efficacy of the flash technique
Authors: Manfield Philip E. , Taylor Graham , Dornbush Edie , Engel Lewis , Greenwald Ricky
Published: January 2024

Objectives

This study reports on four similar studies intended to explore the acceptability, safety, and efficacy of the flash technique (FT), a method of rapidly reducing the intensity of a disturbing memory or image, with minimal subjective disturbance for subjects during the process. Of the four studies, two were conducted during FT trainings in the United States, one in Australia, and one in Uganda.

Methods

The studies involve pre-, post-, and follow-up repeated-measures design to determine the effectiveness of a 15-min FT intervention. A total of 654 subjects were asked to think of a disturbing memory and then participate in a structured experience of an FT. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether a brief application of an FT would be safe and effective in significantly reducing their disturbance. In each study, subjects rated their disturbing memories on a 0-to-10 scale, with zero representing no disturbance at all and 10 representing the worst they could imagine. Then, they took part in a 15-min group practicum where they were guided in a self-administering FT with no individual supervision or support.

Results

In all four studies, the mean reduction in disturbance exceeded two-thirds, the results were significant (p < 0.001), and the effect size was very large. Of the 813 sessions (654 subjects) represented in these studies, only two subjects reported slight increases in disturbances, and both of these subjects reported reductions in disturbance in their second FT experiences 2 h later. At a 4-week follow-up, mean disturbance levels in all four studies indicated maintenance of benefit or slightly further reduction of mean disturbance levels. An 18-month follow-up study with a subgroup of subjects who initially reported a high level of memory-related distress found similar maintenance of gains as well as symptom reduction.

Conclusion

These findings provide preliminary evidence of acceptability, safety, and efficacy of FT; therefore, further study is warranted.
Prevalence of depression in melasma: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Wenjing , Wan Yue , Sun Yuan , Gao Changyong , Li Jianhong
Published: January 2024

Background

Due to cosmetic disfigurement, melasma can negatively affect the quality of life and emotional and mental health, further leading to depression.

Objective

Prevalence rates of depression in patients with melasma vary widely across studies. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate the prevalence of depression among melasma patients.

Methods

The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched to identify articles evaluating the prevalence of depression in melasma patients from their inception to 12 July 2023. Studies were reviewed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, and a meta-analysis was performed using the Stata 14.0 software.

Results

Sixteen studies met the eligibility criteria out of the 859 studies, containing a total of 2,963 melasma patients for this systematic review and meta-analysis. Meta-analyses revealed that the pooled prevalence of depression among patients with melasma was 43.4% (95% CI 30.5–56.2%, Q-value = 808.859, d.f. = 15, p < 0.001, tau2 = 0.065, I2 = 98.1%). The meta-regression found that the publication year, sample size, and study quality were not significant moderators for the observed heterogeneity in prevalence. A subgroup analysis according to depression assessment methods showed that the prevalence of depressive disorders was 24.2% (95% CI 16.8–31.6%), and the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 45.1% (95% CI 31.2–59.0%). A subgroup analysis by geographic regions showed that patients in Asia had the highest prevalence of depression at 48.5% (95% CI 26.0–71.0%), compared to other regions. A subgroup analysis by study design showed that the prevalence of depression in case–control studies was almost identical to cross-sectional studies. In the case of OR, the pooled OR of depression between patients with melasma and health controls was 1.677 (95% CI 1.163–2.420, p = 0.606, I2 = 0.0%).

Conclusion

The prevalence of depression was relatively high in patients with melasma, and there was a correlation between melasma and depression, encouraging clinicians to screen for depression in their patients and providing a combination of physical and psychosocial support. If necessary, they should be referred to formal mental health services to seek professional psychological intervention.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, CRD42022381378.
Impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease pandemic on healthy lifestyle behaviors in persons with and without disabilities in Qatar
Authors: Pandiyan Uma , Sathian Brijesh , Kariyathankavil Ibin , Saad Rafat , Al Kuwari Fatma , Alexander Poovathoor Joseph , Hanif Saquib , Zabat Loubna
Published: January 2024

Purpose

This study aimed to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lifestyle behaviors which included physical activity, sedentariness, healthy eating habits, sleep habits, and tobacco use in persons with and without disabilities in Qatar.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used a structured, online questionnaire. The collected data included demographics, mental health, physical health, eating habits, body weight, sleep, and nicotine intake. This study was conducted between September 25, 2020, and December 31, 2020.

Results

Seventy respondents from Qatar participated in the study. Pre-pandemic healthy lifestyle behaviors (physical activity, healthy diet, sleep, etc.) showed no significant differences between people with and without disabilities. However, perceived changes in mental and physical health and eating habits during the pandemic lockdown differed between people with and without disabilities. People with disabilities reported worsening mental health (64.7%), physical health (53%), and dietary habits compared to the pre-pandemic levels. Furthermore, the more severe the disability, the more significant is its impact on mental and physical health.

Conclusion

This study indicated that the pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental and physical health of people with and without disabilities in Qatar. These findings reveal how closely individuals with disabilities and their lifestyle choices are related to their mental and physical well-being. This will enable the development of specific interventions for similar situations in the future.
Exploring the role of hub and network dysfunction in brain connectomes of schizophrenia using functional magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Chan Yee-Lam E. , Tsai Shih-Jen , Chern Yijuang , Yang Albert C.
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Pathophysiological etiology of schizophrenia remains unclear due to the heterogeneous nature of its biological and clinical manifestations. Dysfunctional communication among large-scale brain networks and hub nodes have been reported. In this study, an exploratory approach was adopted to evaluate the dysfunctional connectome of brain in schizophrenia.

Methods

Two hundred adult individuals with schizophrenia and 200 healthy controls were recruited from Taipei Veterans General Hospital. All subjects received functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. Functional connectivity (FC) between parcellated brain regions were obtained. Pair-wise brain regions with significantly different functional connectivity among the two groups were identified and further analyzed for their concurrent ratio of connectomic differences with another solitary brain region (single-FC dysfunction) or dynamically interconnected brain network (network-FC dysfunction).

Results

The right thalamus had the highest number of significantly different pair-wise functional connectivity between schizophrenia and control groups, followed by the left thalamus and the right middle frontal gyrus. For individual brain regions, dysfunctional single-FCs and network-FCs could be found concurrently. Dysfunctional single-FCs distributed extensively in the whole brain of schizophrenia patients, but overlapped in similar groups of brain nodes. A dysfunctional module could be formed, with thalamus being the key dysfunctional hub.

Discussion

The thalamus can be a critical hub in the brain that its dysfunctional connectome with other brain regions is significant in schizophrenia patients. Interconnections between dysfunctional FCs for individual brain regions may provide future guide to identify critical brain pathology associated with schizophrenia.
Comparing the metabolic pathways of different clinical phases of bipolar disorder through metabolomics studies
Authors: Guo Qin , Jia Jiao , Sun Xiao Li , Yang Hong , Ren Yan
Published: January 2024

This study identified the metabolic biomarkers for different clinical phases of bipolar disorder (BD) through metabolomics. BD patients were divided into three groups: patients with BD and depressive episodes (BE, n = 59), patients with BD and mania/hypomania episodes (BH, n = 16), patients with BD and mixed episodes (BM, n = 10), and healthy controls (HC, n = 10). Serum from participants was collected for metabolomic sequencing, biomarkers from each group were screened separately by partial least squares analysis, and metabolic pathways connected to the biomarkers were identified. Compared with the controls, 3-D-hydroxyacetic acid and N-acetyl-glycoprotein showed significant differences in the BE, BH, and BM groups. This study suggests that different clinical types of BD share the same metabolic pathways, such as pyruvate, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and ketone body metabolisms. In particular, abnormal glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism was specific to BM; β-glucose, glycerol, lipids, lactate, and acetoacetate metabolites were specific to depressive episodes; the guanidine acetic acid metabolites specific to BH; and the acetic and ascorbic acids were metabolites specific to manic and BM. We screened potential biomarkers for different clinical phases of BD, which aids in BD typing and provides a theoretical basis for exploring the molecular mechanisms of BD.
Physicochemical and bacteriological quality of swimming pools water in Kombolcha Town, Northeastern Ethiopia
Authors: Natnael Tarikuwa , Hassen Seada , Desye Belay , Woretaw Lebasie
Published: January 2024

Introduction

The use of swimming pool water for recreation, rehabilitation, and athletics is widespread around the world, especially in large Cities and Towns. However, poorly managed swimming pool water can facilitate the spread of illnesses connected to recreational water. Despite this, there is no evidence on quality of swimming pools water in Kombolcha Town. Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate the physicochemical and bacteriological quality of swimming pools water in Kombolcha Town.

Methods

A laboratory-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April, 2021 in Kombolcha Town. A total of 90 water samples were collected from the three outdoor swimming pools. The collected data of both physicochemical and bacteriological parameters were entered into Microsoft Excel 2010 and analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. One-way ANOVA was used to test whether there were statistically significant differences between different swimming pools. The level of significance was declared at a p-value of <0.05.

Results

In this study, out of all the pool water samples that were examined, 37.8% had pH values between 7.2 and 7.8, 36.7% had temperatures between 21°C and 32°C, and 26.7% had turbidity values that were within the WHO standard. Furthermore, only 16.7% of the pool water samples showed residual chlorine levels of 2–3 mg/L. In addition, only 27.8, 35.6, and 32.2% of the samples, respectively, met the WHO criterion for total coliform, fecal coliform, and heterotrophic plate count.

Conclusion

The result indicates that most pool water samples did not fulfill both the physicochemical and bacteriological quality of the WHO standard limit for swimming pools. Thus, it is crucial to clean and regularly check the pool water, apply pool safety requirements, and raise pool user’s awareness about the danger of pool water pollution through training.
The role of meteorological factors on influenza incidence among children in Guangzhou China, 2019–2022
Authors: Chen Zhitao , Liu Yanhui , Yue Haiyan , Chen Jinbin , Hu Xiangzhi , Zhou Lijuan , Liang Boheng , Lin Guozhen , Qin Pengzhe , Feng Wenru , Wang Dedong , Wu Di
Published: January 2024

Objective

Analyzing the epidemiological characteristics of influenza cases among children aged 0–17 years in Guangzhou from 2019 to 2022. Assessing the relationships between multiple meteorological factors and influenza, improving the early warning systems for influenza, and providing a scientific basis for influenza prevention and control measures.

Methods

The influenza data were obtained from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Meteorological data were provided by Guangdong Meteorological Service. Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relevance between meteorological factors and the number of influenza cases. Distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM) were used to explore the effects of meteorological factors on influenza incidence.

Results

The relationship between mean temperature, rainfall, sunshine hours, and influenza cases presented a wavy pattern. The correlation between relative humidity and influenza cases was illustrated by a U-shaped curve. When the temperature dropped below 13°C, Relative risk (RR) increased sharply with decreasing temperature, peaking at 5.7°C with an RR of 83.78 (95% CI: 25.52, 275.09). The RR was increased when the relative humidity was below 66% or above 79%, and the highest RR was 7.50 (95% CI: 22.92, 19.25) at 99%. The RR was increased exponentially when the rainfall exceeded 1,625 mm, reaching a maximum value of 2566.29 (95% CI: 21.85, 3558574.07) at the highest rainfall levels. Both low and high sunshine hours were associated with reduced incidence of influenza, and the lowest RR was 0.20 (95% CI: 20.08, 0.49) at 9.4 h. No significant difference of the meteorological factors on influenza was observed between males and females. The impacts of cumulative extreme low temperature and low relative humidity on influenza among children aged 0–3 presented protective effects and the 0–3 years group had the lowest RRs of cumulative extreme high relative humidity and rainfall. The highest RRs of cumulative extreme effect of all meteorological factors (expect sunshine hours) were observed in the 7–12 years group.

Conclusion

Temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, and sunshine hours can be used as important predictors of influenza in children to improve the early warning system of influenza. Extreme weather reduces the risk of influenza in the age group of 0–3 years, but significantly increases the risk for those aged 7–12 years.
Sociodemographic determinants of depression, anxiety, and stress immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study among university students in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alasqah Ibrahim , Alhamdan Abdullah , Alhouri Mohammad , Alfehaid Mohammed
Published: January 2024

Background

The public health measures taken in educational institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic had complex influences on students’ mental health. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and sociodemographic determinants of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic among students at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study among Qassim University students in Saudi Arabia. All students registered for the academic year 2022 were invited to participate in a survey through social media. A total of 453 participants completed an online survey that included the DASS-21 for assessing the emotional states of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress..

Results

The mean scores for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress, were 10.70, 11.18, and 10.40, respectively. At least 18% of the students reported experiencing moderate-to-severe levels of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress. The study showed that the feminine gender was associated with higher Depression, Anxiety, and Stress scores.

Conclusion

Students in the current study described experiencing higher levels of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of the present study can help universities take targeted measures to address the impact of a pandemic like COVID-19 on students’ mental health.
How can the collaborative participation of regulators, whistleblowers, and parties effectively promote rumor management in public health emergencies?
Authors: Wang Yalin , Qi Liping , Cai Shaoshuo
Published: January 2024

To effectively address the mental health risks associated with public health emergencies, it is crucial to actively manage rumors. This study explores the dynamic evolutionary process of rumor diffusion and its collaborative governance in public health emergencies. A game-theoretic model is constructed, involving three main actors: regulators, parties involved in public health emergencies (PIPHE), and whistle-blowers. The behaviors and game outcomes of each party are analyzed, and the effectiveness and feasibility of the model are validated through numerical simulations. The findings of this study reveal that various factors, such as regulatory costs, penalty income, reputation damage for regulators; image loss, reputation enhancement, penalty expenditure for PIPHE; and time costs, social responsibility, and reward income for whistle-blowers, all influence the behavioral choices and game equilibrium of each party. Optimization strategies for rumor governance are proposed in this study, including enhancing the sense of responsibility and capability among regulators, increasing transparency and credibility among PIPHE, and encouraging and protecting the participation of whistle-blowers. This study provides a comprehensive analytical framework for rumor governance in public health emergencies, contributing to improving the governance of public health emergencies and maintaining online public health orders for social sustainability.
A 4-year prospective investigation of predictive effects of prepandemic sexual stigma, affective symptoms, and family support on fear of COVID-19 among lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals
Authors: Huang Mei-Feng , Chang Yu-Ping , Chou Wen-Jiun , Yen Cheng-Fang
Published: January 2024

Aim

This prospective study examined whether prepandemic sexual stigma, affective symptoms, and family support can predict fear of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals.

Methods

Data of 1,000 LGB individual on prepandemic sociodemographic characteristics, sexual stigma (familial sexual stigma [FSS] measured by the Homosexuality-Related Stigma Scale, internalized sexual stigma [ISS] measured by the Measure of Internalized Sexual Stigma for Lesbians and Gay Men, and sexual orientation microaggression [SOM] measured by the Sexual Orientation Microaggression Inventory), affective symptoms (i.e., depression measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies–Depression Scale and anxiety measured by the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory–State version), and family support measured by the Adaptability, Partnership, Growth, Affection, and Resolve Index were collected. Four years later, the fear of COVID-19 was assessed using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale and the associations of prepandemic sexual stigma, affective symptoms, and perceived family support on fear of COVID-19 4 years later were analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis.

Results

In total, 670 (67.3%) participants agreed and completed the follow-up assessment. Greater prepandemic FSS, ISS, SOM, affective symptoms, and perceived family support were significantly associated with a greater fear of COVID-19 at follow-up.

Conclusion

The identified predictors should be considered when designing interventions aimed at preventing and reducing the fear of COVID-19 in LGB individuals.
Association between sociodemographic status and the T2DM-related risks in China: implication for reducing T2DM disease burden
Authors: Huang Xin , He Yinhui , Xu Haiyan , Shen Yuyan , Pan Xiaowen , Wu Junyun , Chen Kai
Published: January 2024

Objective

Analyzing the association between sociodemographic status and the type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-related risks in China to reduce the disease burden of T2DM.

Methods

We downloaded data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 to estimate the disease burden of T2DM in China. Secondary analyses were performed by year, age, gender, summary exposure value (SEV), and sociodemographic index (SDI).

Results

In China, it is estimated that 3.74 (3.44–4.10) million incidence, 90.0 (82.3–98.5) million prevalence, 168.4 (143.2–194.0) thousand deaths, and 9.6 (7.6–11.9) million DALYs occurred in 2019, showing an increase of 96.8, 156.7, 162.8, and 145.4% compared to 1990. An inverse U-shaped curve was observed for the correlations between T2DM-related burden and SDI. A heavier burden was found in males. The top four risk factors were high body mass index (HBMI), dietary risks, air pollution and tobacco. HBMI, as the key risk, accounted for half of the disease burden of T2DM in China. Lower degree of SEV and higher level of attributable T2DM-related burden could be found in main risks, meaning their critical role of them in the development and progression of T2DM. An inverse U-shaped curve could be found in the association between age-standardized incidence, mortality, DALYs rate, and SDI.

Conclusion

The disease burden of T2DM has rapidly increased in China. Gender disparities, different age distributions and inconsistent socioeconomic levels all played an important role in it. The key risk was HBMI. With the improvement of socioeconomic level, the main risk factors for T2DM have changed from environmental factors to lifestyle factors. Targeted control and preventative strategies to address adjustable risk factors could put an end to this soaring burden.
A semi-empirical risk panel to monitor epidemics: multi-faceted tool to assist healthcare and public health professionals
Authors: Perramon-Malavez Aida , Bravo Mario , de Rioja Víctor López , Català Martí , Alonso Sergio , Álvarez-Lacalle Enrique , López Daniel , Soriano-Arandes Antoni , Prats Clara
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Bronchiolitis, mostly caused by Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and influenza among other respiratory infections, lead to seasonal saturation at healthcare centers in temperate areas. There is no gold standard to characterize the stages of epidemics, nor the risk of respiratory infections growing. We aimed to define a set of indicators to assess the risk level of respiratory viral epidemics, based on both incidence and their short-term dynamics, and considering epidemical thresholds.

Methods

We used publicly available data on daily cases of influenza for the whole population and bronchiolitis in children <2 years from the Information System for Infection Surveillance in Catalonia (SIVIC). We included a Moving Epidemic Method (MEM) variation to define epidemic threshold and levels. We pre-processed the data with two different nowcasting approaches and performed a 7-day moving average. Weekly incidences (cases per 105 population) were computed and the 5-day growth rate was defined to create the effective potential growth (EPG) indicator. We performed a correlation analysis to define the forecasting ability of this index.

Results

Our adaptation of the MEM method allowed us to define epidemic weekly incidence levels and epidemic thresholds for bronchiolitis and influenza. EPG was able to anticipate daily 7-day cumulative incidence by 4–5 (bronchiolitis) or 6–7 (influenza) days.

Discussion

We developed a semi-empirical risk panel incorporating the EPG index, which effectively anticipates surpassing epidemic thresholds for bronchiolitis and influenza. This panel could serve as a robust surveillance tool, applicable to respiratory infectious diseases characterized by seasonal epidemics, easy to handle for individuals lacking a mathematical background.
Stress is not so bad—cortisol level and psychological functioning after 8-week HIIT program during pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Wilczyńska Dominika , Walczak-Kozłowska Tamara , Santos-Rocha Rita , Laskowski Radosław , Szumilewicz Anna
Published: January 2024

Background

Amid extensive pregnancy exercise research, the impact of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on pregnant women’s mental health is underexplored. Despite exercise benefits, it can trigger stress responses like elevated cortisol. This study fills the gap by investigating correlations between hair cortisol levels, mental health, and HIIT effects in pregnant women.

Methods

We conducted a randomized control trial among 38 Caucasian women in uncomplicated, singleton pregnancy (age 31.11 ± 4.03 years, 21.82 ± 4.30 week of gestation; mean ± SD). The experimental group comprised 22 women engaged in an 8-week high-intensity interval training program (HIIT). The comparative group consisted of 16 pregnant women undergoing an 8-week educational program (EDU). Before and after the interventions, all women were evaluated using the following tools: Hair cortisol level measurements, Beck Depression Inventory – II for depressive symptoms assessment, Childbirth Attitudes Questionnaire for childbirth fear measurement, 12-item Short Form Health Survey to gage health-related quality of life, International Physical Activity Questionnaire for physical activity level estimation, and a Progressive maximal exercise test to evaluate maternal exercise capacity.

Results

The key finding of our study reveals that women engaged in the HIIT intervention exhibited a distinct cortisol production pattern in contrast to the EDU group practicing standard moderate intensity physical activity. In the HIIT group, there was an increase in hair cortisol levels, while the EDU group showed a notable decrease. Remarkably, HIIT stimulated cortisol production without adversely impacting fear of childbirth and psychophysical condition during pregnancy. In fact, only the HIIT group showed a significant enhancement in mental health.

Conclusion

No links were discovered between hair cortisol levels and the severity of depressive symptoms, psychophysical well-being, or fear of childbirth. Hence, based on our research, employing cortisol levels during pregnancy as an indicator of negative stress or depression risk appears unwarranted.
Does improving basic public health services promote household consumption of rural migrant workers? Evidence from China
Authors: Pan Lan , Li Gang , Wan Haoran
Published: January 2024

Background

Transforming rural migrant workers’ consumption potential into a consumption booster requires ensuring their equal rights as urban residents. The adequate access to Basic Public Health Services (BPHS) help effectively tackle rural migrant workers’ health challenges and promote the well-being of this vulnerable population. Assessing the welfare effects of BPHS through a consumption perspective offers valuable insights and provides policy implications for enhancing the equity of BPHS and achieving common prosperity.

Methods

Utilizing the household-level data from China Migrants Dynamic Survey 2017 (CMDS 2017), this study comprehensively evaluated the effects of BPHS on rural migrant workers’ household consumption by combining the methods of OLS, PSM, and IV.

Results

The enhancement of BPHS promotes rural migrant workers’ household consumption even after considering endogeneity problems. Mechanism analysis indicates that BPHS imposes its positive effects on rural migrant workers through improving health literacy and increasing citizenization willingness. Furthermore, we identified heterogeneous effects across individual and household characteristics of rural migrant workers, and their flow patterns.

Conclusion

Our analysis indicates that BPHS plays a greater role in promoting household consumption of socially vulnerable groups, such as trans-provincial migration, rural migrant workers in old generations, and with lower-level income. Overall, these results suggest that the welfare effects of BPHS are inclusive in China.
Pregabalin use in forensic hospitals and prisons in German speaking countries—a survey study of physicians
Authors: Novotny Michal , Bulla Jan , Hubl Daniela , Fischer Sebastian Karl Maximilian , Grosshans Martin , Gutzeit Andreas , Bilke-Hentsch Oliver , Seifritz Erich , Mutschler Jochen
Published: January 2024

Background

Pregabalin is a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) analog that was approved in the EU in 2004 for the treatment of neuropathic pain, generalized anxiety disorder and epilepsy. Since its introduction, pregabalin abuse and misuse has increased significantly. In Switzerland, clinical reports suggest that pregabalin misuse is common among patients in forensic hospitals and prisons. However, data on pregabalin use is scarce, especially in these settings. Therefore, we conducted a study to explore patterns of pregabalin use among prison and forensic patients.

Methods

We used a questionnaire to survey physicians working in prison and forensic medicine in German-speaking countries. A total of 131 responses were received.

Results

According to the physicians' subjective assessment, 82.5% of them had observed a recent increase in pregabalin use by their patients and 89.1% of them reported that their patients requested pregabalin without a clear medical indication. Patients misusing pregabalin in combination with other illicit substances were observed by 93.3% of the physicians surveyed. According to 73.5% of the physicians surveyed, they had already encountered patients on pregabalin doses of more than 600 mg/day (the maximum recommended daily dose); the highest dose reported was 4,200 mg/day. According to 85.0% of physicians surveyed, they have observed patients experiencing withdrawal symptoms from pregabalin, with the most commonly reported symptoms being displeasure and high aggression. Regarding the nationality of pregabalin-misusing patients, 58.3% of the interviewed physicians reported to be rather in contact with foreign patients, mainly from Northwest Africa (Maghreb). Only 45.0% of the surveyed physicians prescribe pregabalin. Among patients who developed behavioral problems while taking pregabalin, none of the physicians (0.0%) showed a tendency to continue pregabalin at the same dose; all respondents chose to reduce/substitute/discontinue.

Conclusion

Our study has provided confirmatory evidence that the use of pregabalin presents a significant issue in forensic and prison medicine across German-speaking countries. Prescribing pregabalin in this field can compound use disorder problems and exacerbate challenges in daily life for those in forensic institutions or prisons. It is necessary that all physicians who prescribe pregabalin are clearly informed about the management (including the risks) of this drug.
Perceptions of COVID-19 during and after the Omicron outbreak among healthcare personnel in Indonesia
Authors: Maruf Mohammad Ainul , Weng Yi-Hao , Chiu Ya-Wen , Chiou Hung-Yi
Published: January 2024

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic occurred in several waves with different levels of seriousness. Healthcare personnel (HCP) constituted a high-risk population for COVID-19, necessitating monitoring of their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) status and level of psychological distress. This study investigated differences in the impacts of COVID-19 during and after the Omicron outbreak among HCP in Indonesia.

Methods

An online structured questionnaire survey was distributed twice in selected hospitals of Indonesia: the first survey was between December 2021 and February 2022 (Omicron era) and the second between August and October 2022 (post-Omicron era). A multiple logistic regression model was used to determine the differences in KAP and psychological distress among HCP toward COVID-19 with demographic characteristics adjusted for.

Results

This study included 402 (Omicron era) and 584 (post-Omicron era) HCP members. Positive attitudes were more common in the Omicron era than in the post-Omicron era (p = 0.001). The availability of face shields and protective eyewear significantly decreased from 62.7 to 55.6% (p = 0.028). However, psychological distress among HCP significantly increased after the Omicron outbreak (p = 0.024). Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed a decrease of positive attitudes (OR = 0.626; 95% CI = 0.476–0.823) in the post-Omicron era.

Conclusion

Our data indicated a significant increase in psychological distress among HCP in the post-Omicron era. These findings suggest a need for greater focus on psychological distress among HCP in Indonesia.
An integration of hybrid MCDA framework to the statistical analysis of computer-based health monitoring applications
Authors: Hongxia Wang , Juanjuan Guo , Han Wang , Wenlong Lan , Yasir Muhammad , Xiaojing Li
Published: January 2024

The surge in computer-based health surveillance applications, leveraging technologies like big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, aims to provide personalized and streamlined medical services. These applications encompass diverse functionalities, from portable health trackers to remote patient monitoring systems, covering aspects such as heart rate tracking, task monitoring, glucose level checking, medication reminders, and sleep pattern assessment. Despite the anticipated benefits, concerns about performance, security, and alignment with healthcare professionals’ needs arise with their widespread deployment. This study introduces a Hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) paradigm, combining the strengths of Additive Ratio Assessment (ARAS) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), to address the intricate nature of decision-making processes. The method involves selecting and structuring criteria hierarchically, providing a detailed evaluation of application efficacy. Professional stakeholders quantify the relative importance of each criterion through pairwise comparisons, generating criteria weights using AHP. The ARAS methodology then ranks applications based on their performance concerning the weighted criteria. This approach delivers a comprehensive assessment, considering factors like real-time capabilities, surgical services, and other crucial aspects. The research results provide valuable insights for healthcare practitioners, legislators, and technologists, aiding in deciding the adoption and integration of computer-based health monitoring applications, ultimately enhancing medical services and healthcare outcomes.
RoMIA: a framework for creating Robust Medical Imaging AI models for chest radiographs
Authors: Anand Aditi , Krithivasan Sarada , Roy Kaushik
Published: January 2024

Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods, particularly Deep Neural Networks (DNNs), have shown great promise in a range of medical imaging tasks. However, the susceptibility of DNNs to producing erroneous outputs under the presence of input noise and variations is of great concern and one of the largest challenges to their adoption in medical settings. Towards addressing this challenge, we explore the robustness of DNNs trained for chest radiograph classification under a range of perturbations reflective of clinical settings. We propose RoMIA, a framework for the creation of Robust Medical Imaging AI models. RoMIA adds three key steps to the model training and deployment flow: (i) Noise-added training, wherein a part of the training data is synthetically transformed to represent common noise sources, (ii) Fine-tuning with input mixing, in which the model is refined with inputs formed by mixing data from the original training set with a small number of images from a different source, and (iii) DCT-based denoising, which removes a fraction of high-frequency components of each image before applying the model to classify it. We applied RoMIA to create six different robust models for classifying chest radiographs using the CheXpert dataset. We evaluated the models on the CheXphoto dataset, which consists of naturally and synthetically perturbed images intended to evaluate robustness. Models produced by RoMIA show 3%–5% improvement in robust accuracy, which corresponds to an average reduction of 22.6% in misclassifications. These results suggest that RoMIA can be a useful step towards enabling the adoption of AI models in medical imaging applications.
Development of a goal setting and goal management system: Intervention Mapping
Authors: Kang Eunyoung , Foster Erin R.
Published: January 2024

Background

Although goal setting and goal management (GSGM) is a key component of chronic disease management and rehabilitation practice, there is currently no widely used evidence-based intervention system available. This paper describes the theoretical underpinnings and development of a new intervention called MyGoals. MyGoals is designed to guide occupational therapy (OT) practitioners to implement theory-based, client-engaged GSGM for adults with chronic conditions in community-based OT rehabilitation settings.

Methods

We first developed a planning team with two adults with chronic conditions, two clinicians, and two researchers. As a collaborative team, we co-developed MyGoals by following Intervention Mapping (IM) steps 1–4 and incorporating community-based participatory research principles to ensure equitable, ecologically valid, and effective intervention development. In the first step, the planning team conducted a discussion-based needs assessment and a systematic review of current GSGM practice to develop a logic model of the problem. In the second step, the planning team identified performance objectives, intervention target personal determinants, and change objectives, and created a logic model of change and matrics of change objectives. In the third step, the planning team designed MyGoals. Lastly, in the fourth step, the planning team produced, pilot-tested, and refined MyGoals.

Results

The ultimate goal of the MyGoals intervention is to enable clients to achieve personally meaningful rehabilitation goals. The planning team identified four target determinants (e.g., self-efficacy), six intervention activities (e.g., Education, Reflection, Find My Goals, Make My Goals, Make My Plans, My Progress), eight performance objectives (e.g., List potential goals), and 26 change objectives (e.g., Understand the importance of GSGM). Two pilot tests indicated that MyGoals is feasible for clients and identified areas for improvement. Based on the feedback, minor refinements were made to the MyGoals intervention materials.

Conclusions

We completed rigorous and collaborative IM to develop MyGoals. Establishing the theoretical and developmental foundation for MyGoals sets the groundwork for high-quality, evidence-based GSGM. Future studies on effectiveness and implementation are necessary to refine, translate, and scale MyGoals in rehabilitation practice.
Dinophysis, a highly specialized mixoplanktonic protist
Authors: Reguera Beatriz , García-Portela María , Velasco-Senovilla Esther , Rial Pilar , Escalera Laura , Díaz Patricio A. , Rodríguez Francisco
Published: January 2024

Several Dinophysis species produce lipophilic toxins (diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, DSP and pectenotoxins PTX) which are transferred through the food web. Even at low cell densities (< 103 cell L-1), they can cause human illness and shellfish harvesting bans; toxins released into the water may kill early life stages of marine organisms. Dinophysis species are mixotrophs: they combine phototrophy (by means of kleptoplastids stolen from their prey) with highly selective phagotrophy on the ciliate Mesodinium, also a mixotroph which requires cryptophyte prey of the Teleaulax/Geminigera clade. Life cycle strategies, biological interactions and plastid acquisition and functioning in Dinophysis species make them exemplars of resilient holoplanktonic mixoplankters and of ongoing speciation and plastidial evolution. Nevertheless, 17 years after the first successful culture was established, the difficulties in isolating and establishing cultures with local ciliate prey, the lack of robust molecular markers for species discrimination, and the patchy distribution of low-density populations in thin layers, hinder physiological experiments to obtain biological measurements of their populations and slow down potential advances with next-generation technologies. The Omic’s age in Dinophysis research has only just started, but increased efforts need to be invested in systematic studies of plastidic diversity and culture establishment of ciliate and cryptophyte co-occurring with Dinophysis in the same planktonic assemblages.
Verification of uncertainty estimates of autonomous field measurements of marine reflectance using simultaneous observations
Authors: Mélin Frédéric , Cazzaniga Ilaria , Sciuto Pietro
Published: January 2024

The primary ocean color product is the spectrum of remote sensing reflectance RRS that allows the quantification of in-water optically significant constituents and all ocean color applications. The determination of its uncertainties is thus key to the creation of comprehensive uncertainty budgets for all derived ocean color products. The assessment of satellite RRS uncertainties has largely relied on corresponding field measurements but this process is solid only if these field measurements are in turn fully characterized. Uncertainty budgets have therefore been defined and reported for the radiometric measurements collected in the framework of the Ocean Color component of the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET-OC). The contemporaneous deployment of two autonomous systems for 5.5 years on the Acqua Alta Oceanographic Tower (AAOT) located in the northern Adriatic Sea led to the collection of 4,449 pairs of coincident observations (collected with a time difference lower than 10 min) distributed over 659 days of data acquisitions that can be used to verify reported uncertainty values. The comparison of matched pairs showed a good agreement for RRS (with differences of typically 2%–3% between 412 and 560 nm), as well as for the aerosol optical thickness τa (3%–6%). Differences between data from the two systems appear generally consistent with their stated uncertainties, indicating that they are metrologically compatible and that uncertainties reported for AERONET-OC data are usually trustworthy (with possible exceptions depending on the level of error correlation between measurements from the two systems). Using uncertainty cone diagrams, this result holds across the range of uncertainty values with few exceptions. Independent uncertainty estimates associated with non-systematic error contributions were obtained using a collocation framework allowing for error correlation between measurements from the two systems. The resulting uncertainties appeared comparable with the reported values for τa and RRS. The related mathematical development also showed that the centered root-mean-square difference between data collected by two systems is a conservative estimate of the uncertainty associated with these data (excluding systematic contributions) if these data show a good agreement (expressed by a slope of method II regression close to 1) and if their uncertainties can be assumed similar with errors moderately correlated (typically lower than 0.5).
A mini-review of signal processing techniques for RIS-assisted near field THz communication
Authors: Sharma Vaishali , Garg Navneet , Sharma Sanjeev , Bhatia Vimal
Published: January 2024

Reflecting Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) are reshaping the landscape of wireless communications, particularly in the terahertz (THz) frequency bands, offering promising solutions to inherent challenges in the bands. THz communication boasts bandwidths exceeding 100 GHz, leading to data rates potentially in the terabits per second (Tbps) range, thereby making it an attractive proposition for wireless communications, imaging, and sensing. However, benefits come with challenges, including significant molecular absorption, scattering, diffraction, and hardware limitations. Moreover, as bandwidth in the THz range increases, so does the difficulty of signal processing at Nyquist rate. RIS emerges as a game-changer for 6G and beyond by providing programmable reflecting elements that can adaptively modify the phases and amplitudes of incident signals, enabling precision in directing THz waves and enhancing received signal strength. Such capabilities can significantly mitigate path loss and atmospheric absorption challenges. Furthermore, inherent pencil beamforming capabilities of RIS lead to optimized energy utilization. Major challenge in THz communications is the pressing needs for efficient algorithms for robust THz transceivers and optimizing RIS elements. This review describes the integration of RIS and near-field THz communications, highlighting their future potential and challenges for the next-generation wireless networks. In this article, a comprehensive understanding of the complexities and nuances of near-field propagation in 6G networks, especially as the technology shifts towards extremely large-scale antenna arrays (ELAA). Additionally, it will introduce the transformative potential of sub-Nyquist rate signal processing and artificial intelligence (AI) offering innovative solutions to address the inherent challenges of 6G communication, especially in channel estimation and beamforming strategies.