20th April Research Articles

When local governments' stay-at-home orders meet the white house's "opening up america again".

In the current polarized political climate, citizens frequently face conflicting directives from their local and federal government officials. For instance, on April 16th, 2020, The White House launched the "Opening up America Again" (OuAA) campaign while many U.S. counties had stay-at-home orders. We created a panel data set of U.S. counties to study the impact of U.S. counties' stay-at-home orders on community mobility before and after The White House's campaign to reopen the country. Our results suggest that before the OuAA campaign, stay-at-home orders substantially decreased the time spent in retail and recreation businesses. However, after the launch of the OuAA campaign, the time spent at retail and recreational businesses in a typical conservative county increased significantly more than in liberal counties (23% increase in a typical conservative county vs. 9% increase in a typical liberal county). We also found that in conservative counties with stay-at-home orders, time spent at retail and recreational businesses increased less than in those without stay-at-home orders. These findings illuminate that when federal and local government policies are at odds, residents decide which policies to adhere to based on the alignment between their political ideology and the government body. Our findings highlight the substantial importance of each government body in forming citizens' behaviors, offering practical implications for policy makers during natural disasters.

Spirituality and anxiety in pastoral care workers and physicians in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic had serious impact on the well-being of health care workers and highlighted the need for resources to help hospital staff to cope with psychologically negative consequences. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potentially protective effect of spirituality, as measured by the construct of transpersonal trust, against anxiety in physicians and in hospital pastoral care workers. In addition, transpersonal trust was compared to the effects of other potential resources, namely sense of coherence, optimism, and resilience. We also explored the relationship between transpersonal trust and anxiety and how it was moderated by sense of coherence and expected a significant effect. The sample included N = 405 participants (n = 151 pastoral care workers and n = 254 physicians) who completed an online survey during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic between 20th April and 05th July, 2020, that comprised established questionnaires assessing anxiety, transpersonal trust, sense of coherence, and resilience. There was no statistically significant negative relationship between transpersonal trust and anxiety in either profession or broken down by occupational group. Multiple regression analysis revealed that sense of coherence inversely predicted generalized anxiety, while transpersonal trust, resilience, and optimism did not. As hypothesized, the association between transpersonal trust and anxiety was moderated by sense of coherence. However, we could not confirm our hypothesis of a protective effect of transpersonal trust against anxiety. Our results point to the significant role of sense of coherence as a protective factor against anxiety and highlight the complexity of the relationship among spirituality, transpersonal trust, and anxiety.

Effectiveness of Phloroglucinol in Shortening the Active Phase of the First Stage of Labour in Term Pregnancies

Background: Labour is a normal physiological process, involving increasing myometrical contractions, cervical dilation and effacement resulting in delivery of the fetus and placenta and the initiation of the process of lactation. First Stage of labour lasts for 12-16hrs in primigravida and 6-8 hrs in multigravida. Two important characteristics of labour are uterine contractions and cervical effacementObjectives: To determine the effectiveness of phloroglucinol in shortening the 1st stage of labour in term pregnancies.Material and Methods: It was a double blinded randomized control trial (RCT) conducted in Obs and Gynae department of Hayatabad Medical Complex, MTI, Peshawar Pakistan, over a period of 6 months from 20th October 2022 to 20th April 2023. Patients were selected randomly for placebo and pluroghlucinol group and recorded on structured proforma. Total 375 women were selected in first stage of labour. In which 187 were given Phloroglucinol and 188 women received placebo. Results: The mean age of patients in phloroglucinol group was 28.3 ± 4.01 and in control group was 26.6 ± 6.8 years. The mean period of gestation in Phloroglucinol group was 37.3 ± 4.0 while in control group was 38.6 ± 2.08 weeks. The mean BMI of patients in Phl group was 22.12 ± 1.4 while in control group was 21.6 2 ± 1.5. The mean duration of active phase of 1st stage of labour in Phl group was 290.4 ± 29.7 minutes while in control group was 402.4 ± 29.7 minutes. Conclusion: Phloroglucinolhas significant effect in shortening the 1st stage of labour.Keywords: Active phase, Labour, Phloroglucinol, Pregnancy.

Analysis of patient flow and barriers to timely discharge from general medical wards at a tertiary academic hospital in Cape Town, South Africa

BackgroundMovement of patients through a health establishment is a complex activity reliant upon multi-actor co-ordination across departments. The challenge of enhancing service delivery to meet the needs of a growing and aging population, whilst minimizing expense, is a global concern. There is an urgent need to understand and quantify systemic gaps in the efficient delivery of healthcare services. Stagnation of patient flow has negative impacts on both staff and patients by increasing risks of adverse outcomes, staff frustration and job dissatisfaction. An inefficient discharge process can be a significant barrier to timely patient movement.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary, academic hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa to assess the journey of medical patients from admission to discharge across the five different medical teams (firms) within the general medicine department. Consecutive sampling was used to capture all eligible adult medical in-patients admitted from the emergency department (ED) to general medicine from the 11th – 20th April 2023 and discharged up until the 30th of April 2023.We reviewed the patient notes (folders) of these individuals using a data-extraction tool to ascertain reasons for admission and barriers to timely discharge.ResultsAmong 86 patient folders reviewed, cumulatively accounting for 596 in-patient days, a difference in the median length of in-patient stay between medical firms (p = 0.042) was noted. The shortest length of stay corresponded to firms with the greatest proportion of daily senior staff oversight (defined as documented patient reviews by a registrar, medical officer and/or consultant independently or in addition to reviews done for the day by interns and/or students). While 52% of patients vacated their beds between 14:00 and 17:00, 66% of patients were admitted after 20:00. Reasons for prolonged admission were variable, and attributable to a range of different disciplines across the multidisciplinary team.ConclusionWhilst this study did not evaluate the appropriateness of chosen medical management but rather systemic drivers affecting patient movement and barriers to timely discharge, the delays in discharge were noted to be multi-factorial including facets across the efficient delivery of medical care, availability of resources and the internal operational frameworks for the institution. Understanding the need to optimize internal process efficiencies with regards to prompt acquisition of investigations, improvement of senior staff oversight and the creation of a standardized discharge process, could enhance efficient patient movement.

Predicting the seed cotton yield with value added medium range weather forecast data using CROPGRO-Cotton model at Bhathinda, Punjab

In order to assess the potential of the medium-range weather forecast in predicting the cotton productivity using crop simulation model, the CROPGRO-cotton model was calibrated and validated with the experimental data which was collected during kharif 2021 in an experiment that was carried out with two Bt cotton hybrid (RCH 776 and RCH 773) and one non-Bt (F2228), and sown at five dates i.e., April 25th, May 05th, May 15th, May 25th and June 04th in split-plot design with three replications at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Regional Research Station, Bathinda. The validated model was further used to assess the cotton productivity under different sowing dates using medium range weather forecast data on rainfall, maximum temperature and minimum temperature obtained for the period 2013-2021. The results showed that simulated values with medium range weather forecast were in close agreement with the simulated values for phenology and yield of cotton. The simulated cotton yield using daily medium range weather forecast data showed more or less significant efficiency to capture year-to-year as well as datewise variability in simulated cotton yield.

World Voice Day 2024

Abstract: World Voice Day is celebrated annually on April 16th. It provides opportunities to highlight the importance of voice and advances in voice health and training. Members of NATS should be involved in this important annual event.

History of World AIDS Day

World AIDS day is observed on December 1 each year. World AIDS Day was first observed in 1988, making it one of the earliest international health days. Its primary purpose has been to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. In the 1980s, when the HIV/AIDS epidemic emerged, there was widespread fear, stigma, and misinformation about the virus. The first World Health Assembly (WHA) met in 1948 at Geneva. Members of the assembly felt people all over the World suffered in World war. Members discussed global health issues, and felt the need of medical facility for everyone, when they are in need. Hence WHA stressed the importance of awareness of good health and wellbeing. To achieve this awareness about global health, all the members of World Health Organization (WHO), should devote 1 day to talk about good health and wellbeing, and also should provide the necessary medical help. Government organizations and non-governmental organizations of all nations joined hands with WHO. WHO decided to observe “World Health Day (WHD)” every year all over the World. The first WHD was observed on April 7 1950.1 Mahatma Gandhi, father of the Nation deeply sympathized towards the leprosy patients in India. On 30th January 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated, Government of India decided to observe “Martyrs day 30th January 1948” as “Anti-Leprosy Day in India”. Every year, in India January 30th is observed as anti-leprosy day and entire January month, survey of all villages to detect leprosy cases, school health programme and leprosy awareness programme for common man are conducted. In 1954 French journalist Raoul Follereau saw the success of anti-leprosy awareness activities in India, and he wanted WHA to observe last Sunday of January as World Leprosy Day (WLD)”. Since 1954, every year “Last Sunday of every year is observed as World Leprosy Day”. In 1982, 24th March is observed as “World Tuberculosis Day (WTD)”. Dr. Jonathan Mann made WHA to devote one day in a year to know the increasing menace of HIV/AIDS in 1988. WHA decided to observe 1st December as “World Aids Day (WAD)” since 1988. In 1991, November 14th “World Diabetes Day (WDD)” is observed. In 1992, December 3rd “World Disability Day (WDD)” is observed. In 2007, April 25th “World Malaria Day (WMD)” is observed. Keywords WHA, WHO, WHD, WLD, WAD, WTD

Virtual reality cricothyrotomy - a case-control study on gamification in emergency education

BackgroundCricothyrotomy is an invasive and rare emergency intervention to secure the airway in a “cannot intubate, cannot ventilate” situation. This leads to lack of routine. Cricothyrotomy is performed only hesitantly. Therefore, we aim to improve teaching by including a virtual reality (VR) cricothyrotomy as a learning tool.MethodsWe programmed the VR cricothyrotomy in the C# programming language on the open-source Unity platform. We could include 149 students that we randomly assigned to either a study group (VR cricothyrotomy) or control group (educational video). We asked the study group to subjectively rate the VR cricothyrotomy. To evaluate our intervention (VR cricothyrotomy) we took the time participants needed to perform a cricothyrotomy on a plastic model of a trachea and evaluated the correct procedural steps.ResultsThe majority of students that performed the VR simulation agreed that they improved in speed (81%) and procedural steps (92%). All participants completed the cricothyrotomy in 47s ± 16s and reached a total score of 8.7 ± 0.7 of 9 possible points. We saw no significant difference in time needed to perform a cricothyrotomy between study and control group (p > 0.05). However, the total score of correct procedural steps was significantly higher in the study group than in the control group (p < 0.05).ConclusionsVirtual reality is an innovative learning tool to improve teaching of emergency procedures. The VR cricothyrotomy subjectively and objectively improved correct procedural steps. Digitized education fills an educational gap between pure haptic experience and theoretical knowledge. This is of great value when focusing on extension of factual knowledge.Trial registrationDRKS00031736, registered on the 20th April 2023.

Socio-economic Effect of COVID-19 on the Global Economy

Epidemics and pandemics have been part of human existence since time immemorial. Although the foregoing terms are often used interchangeably, they have distinctive meanings in the scientific world. The world has been plagued with a significant number of epidemics and pandemics in prior and recent years. Earlier news on the outbreak of COVID-19 was received with scepticism by leaders and citizens of several advanced, emerging and developing economies around the world. Most global leaders doubted the exponential effect of COVID-19 on their respective countries and on the global economy as a whole. The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of COVID-19 on global economic activities and output. The research relied on the quantitative approach to scientific inquiry. Specifically, a cross-sectional design was adapted and used in the study. This enabled the researchers to gather relevant research data over a specific period of time. Data required for the conduct of the study were obtained mainly from secondary sources. These included peer-reviewed articles published in journals, research papers, textbooks, and newspaper publications; Google Search Engine including Worldometers.info, Africanews.com, and Weforum.org; financial websites such as Tradingeconomics.com; and electronic databases of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and World Economic Outlook, among other significant sources. Annual data on global gross domestic products from 1990 through 2019, data on the top twenty global economies from 2019 through 2021 and available data on the COVID-19 pandemic as of 20th April 2020 were used in the study. Regression models and descriptive statistics were used to describe the research variables; and to evaluate their behaviour over the stated time frame on the global economy. Findings from the research revealed a positive but non-significant relationship between fiscal year and global GDP (p = 1.12239, p &gt; 0.05). The results suggested that the fiscal year alone has no significant influence on global GDP. Rather, internal and external environmental factors in a given financial year, such as Tsunamis, tornadoes, earthquakes, bushfires, hurricanes, and pandemic outbreaks (such as COVID-19), influence global GDP and its attendant growth. The findings revealed Ghana’s estimated economic losses from COVID-19 (GH¢15 billion) are equivalent to 4.27% of projected GDP (GH¢351.19 billion) for 2020 and equivalent to 4.34% of GDP (GH¢346 billion) for 2019, while estimated global economic losses from the pandemic (US$2.7 trillion) ranged from 3.05% to 3.06% of projected global GDP (US$88.574 trillion or US$88.312 trillion) for 2020. Almost all African economies are struggling to patch the economic holes created by the menacing COVID-19 pandemic. Since the non-occurrence of a similar or higher magnitude pandemic in the near and distant future cannot be guaranteed, the researchers recommended the need for leaders of various economies to put the necessary contingency measures and structures in place to avert devastating effects, should any pandemic occur. Experiences from the Ebola and Coronavirus outbreaks are expected to serve as strong practical case studies for the Africa Centre for Disease Control (ACDC) to improve its response rate to epidemic and pandemic outbreaks on the continent. The ACDC should be able to advise member countries on the state-of-the-art medical facilities required to facilitate treatments for epidemic and pandemic outbreaks. There is a need for inter-country collaboration. That is, African countries that are “handicapped” in medical facilities and equipment should collaborate with those that are endowed with and also share expertise to save the continent from socio-economic dissipation. The World Health Organisation (WHO) must continue to monitor health conditions and situations in countries and territories and provide early signals to enhance the preparedness and responsiveness of various economies. Member countries must provide the necessary logistics and technological assistance so WHO could improve on its existing structures and mechanisms for “systematic disease surveillance and reporting.”

A different type of leadership style: Michael Jordan – a great void or a shooting star?

Research methodology The data used to present this case was collected from secondary data sources. These sources included media reports associated with Michael Jordan and his trajectory since entering the sport, as well as specific information published about his time at the Chicago Bulls. Another key source of information is the ESPN documentary conducted specifically on Jordan’s relationship with his National Basketball Association (NBA) team. Case overview/synopsis The case follows the story of Michael Jordan, who took his team, the Chicago Bulls, to fame in a rather controversial manner. To do so, Michael Jordan had to alter his leadership style over the years to be respected as a leader and motivate his team to win one NBA championship after another. On 20th April 2020, ESPN’s “The Last Dance”, a 10-part documentary about Michael Jordan and his time playing for the Chicago Bulls was released to much acclaim. The documentary became highly noted as Jordan himself, both directed and starred in the documentary. Jordan’s great achievements stood out, but so did the conflicts that the basketball star had with The Bulls’ management team and mainly, his teammates. Relationships between teammates were far from harmonious, which led to questions around whether Michael Jordan was as good a leader, as he was a star player. Cultural change within the organisation was primarily linked to the often-contested leadership of Jordan. Complexity academic level The case can be used at UG, MSc and MBA levels. It works for in-person teaching and for online teaching. It is most suitable in leadership, strategy and strategy in practice courses. However, it is critical to note that the case can shed light on the dynamics that leaders and teammates have within their teams. Therefore, this case may be valuable to students studying courses where they themselves must work in groups and oftentimes encounter challenges in managing their team. These challenges can arise at all levels of experience. As such, the case provides particularly useful reflection for decision makers who may be beginning to develop their leadership skill (UG), those who have already experienced working in teams (MSc) or leading teams themselves (MBA, Executive MBA). The case addresses the challenges associated with achieving high team motivation and performance. It also sheds light on the challenges associated with leading a cultural change within a team and the approaches of different actors involved. It may be best to introduce the case in the context of a (1.5–2 h) workshop once students understand the basic frameworks and tools used to analyse leadership styles and their characteristics.

Study protocol: fish oil supplement in prevention of oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy in adjuvant colorectal cancer patients – a randomized controlled trial. (OxaNeuro)

BackgroundOxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN) in general and painful OIPN in particular is a debilitating late effect that severely affects cancer survivors’ quality of life and causes premature cessation of potentially lifesaving treatment. No preventive treatments and no effective treatment for chronic OIPN exist despite many attempts. One of several suggested mechanisms includes neuroinflammation as a contributing factor to OIPN. Fish oil containing long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFAs) are precursors to specialized proresolving mediators that mediate the resolution of inflammation. Our primary hypothesis is that a high supplementation of n-3 LCPUFAs will lower the prevalence and severity of OIPN.MethodsThe OxaNeuro project is an investigator-initiated, multicenter, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study. We will include 120 patients eligible to receive adjuvant oxaliplatin after colorectal cancer surgery. Patients will receive fish oil capsules containing n-3 LCPUFAs or corn oil daily for 8 months.The primary endpoint is the prevalence of OIPN at 8 months defined as relevant symptoms, including one of the following: abnormal nerve conduction screening, abnormal vibration threshold test, abnormal skin biopsy, or abnormal pinprick test. Additional endpoints include the intensity and severity of OIPN-related neuropathic pain, patient-reported OIPN symptoms, quality of life, mental health symptoms, body composition, and cognitive evaluation. Furthermore, we will evaluate inflammatory biomarkers in blood samples and skin biopsies, including the potential OIPN biomarker neurofilament light protein (NfL) which will be measured before each cycle of chemotherapy.DiscussionIf readily available fish oil supplementation alleviates OIPN prevalence and severity, it will significantly improve the lives of both cancer survivors and palliative cancer patients receiving oxaliplatin; it will improve their quality of life, optimize chemotherapeutic treatment plans by lowering the need for dose reduction or premature cessation, and potentially increase survival.Trial registrationClinicalTrial.gov identifier: NCT05404230Protocol version: 1.2, April 25th. 2023

The impact of isolation on comorbidity of PTSD symptoms and depression: evidence from PTRP-5-6 in China.

The Omicron pandemic struck Shanghai, China, resulting in impairments of both physical and psychological health on those patients who were confirmed and transferred to the Fangcang shelters. The way of isolation led to high risk of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and depressive symptoms among the patients in Fangcang shelters. We aim to estimate the prevalence and comorbidity of PTSS and depressive symptoms in patients from China's Fangcang shelters during the epidemic. Demographic information questionnaire, the posttraumatic stress disorder checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were used in the study. The data were collected online via mobile phones during 10th April to 20th April, 2022, as part of our Psychological Trauma Recover Project-5-6 (PTRP-5-6), a longitudinal study focusing on individuals who have experienced trauma. A total of 336 subjects were included in the analysis. The results revealed (1) the prevalence of depressive symptoms, and PTSS were 30.1% (cut-off = 10) and 6% (cut-off = 33); (2) Multiple logistic regression showed that female (OR = 3.04, p < 0.05), suffering from dyspnea (OR = 5.83, p < 0.05) or gastrointestinal symptoms (OR = 6.38, p < 0.05) were risk factors for PTSS; higher education level (OR = 3.27, p < 0.05) and suffering from dizziness or headache (OR = 2.46, p < 0.05) were risk factors for depressive symptoms; (3)Respectively, 85% of the patients who reported PTSS also experienced depressive symptoms, 16.8% of the patients who reported depressive symptoms presented PTSS. In the context of COVID-19, the comorbidity rate of PTSS and depressive symptoms among patients in Fangcang shelters increased with the severity of depressive symptoms.

Monitoring emerging pathogens using negative nucleic acid test results from endemic pathogens in pig populations: Application to porcine enteric coronaviruses.

This study evaluated the use of endemic enteric coronaviruses polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-negative testing results as an alternative approach to detect the emergence of animal health threats with similar clinical diseases presentation. This retrospective study, conducted in the United States, used PCR-negative testing results from porcine samples tested at six veterinary diagnostic laboratories. As a proof of concept, the database was first searched for transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) negative submissions between January 1st, 2010, through April 29th, 2013, when the first porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) case was diagnosed. Secondly, TGEV- and PEDV-negative submissions were used to detect the porcine delta coronavirus (PDCoV) emergence in 2014. Lastly, encountered best detection algorithms were implemented to prospectively monitor the 2023 enteric coronavirus-negative submissions. Time series (weekly TGEV-negative counts) and Seasonal Autoregressive-Integrated Moving-Average (SARIMA) were used to control for outliers, trends, and seasonality. The SARIMA's fitted and residuals were then subjected to anomaly detection algorithms (EARS, EWMA, CUSUM, Farrington) to identify alarms, defined as weeks of higher TGEV-negativity than what was predicted by models preceding the PEDV emergence. The best-performing detection algorithms had the lowest false alarms (number of alarms detected during the baseline) and highest time to detect (number of weeks between the first alarm and PEDV emergence). The best-performing detection algorithms were CUSUM, EWMA, and Farrington flexible using SARIMA fitted values, having a lower false alarm rate and identified alarms 4 to 17 weeks before PEDV and PDCoV emergences. No alarms were identified in the 2023 enteric negative testing results. The negative-based monitoring system functioned in the case of PEDV propagating epidemic and in the presence of a concurrent propagating epidemic with the PDCoV emergence. It demonstrated its applicability as an additional tool for diagnostic data monitoring of emergent pathogens having similar clinical disease as the monitored endemic pathogens.

A bibliometric and knowledge-map analysis of bispecific antibodies in cancer immunotherapy from 2000 to 2023

BackgroundBispecific antibody (BsAb)-based cancer immunotherapy has provided new avenues for the treatment of various malignancies. The approval of Blinatumomab has encouraged further investigation into these treatments, and a series of preclinical and clinical trials have been conducted, together with the publication of numerous articles. Here, the knowledge structure of BsAb-based cancer immunotherapy is summarized using bibliometric analysis to provide in-depth insight into current research trends and foci. MethodsThe studies included in the bibliometric analysis of BsAbs in cancer immunotherapy were retrieved from the online Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database on April 16th, 2023. Visualization analysis was performed with the help of CtieSpace (version 6.2.2.msi [64-bit]), VOSviewer (version 1.6.19), R (version 4.2.1), and the Bibliometric analysis platform (R-based online data processing tool). ResultsA total of 1750 papers were identified. Analysis of annual publications and total citations indicated that publications have increased steadily over the past few decades. The USA, followed by Germany, had largest number of publications, making significant contributions to the field. The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center received the highest number of citations (n = 3769). However, its collaboration and cooperation with different institutions require further strengthening. MAbs and Clinical Cancer Research published the most papers, while Blood and Cancer Research were the most commonly co-cited journals. DM Goldenberg from the USA published the most articles with the highest H-index (34), and the most co-cited author (2137 citations) was PA Baeuerle; both these authors have distinguished achievements in this field. Analysis of co-cited references and keywords showed that the hotspots and research focus on the use of BsAbs for solid tumors have increased rapidly while the application of BsAb immunotherapy in hematologic malignancies has expanded significantly. The hot topics in the field included cytokine release syndrome, the efficacy and safety of BsAbs, resistance mechanisms, and the exploration and optimization of combination therapies. ConclusionCancer immunotherapies based on BsAbs are a hot topic in research. Current studies focus on the construction and optimization of BsAb structure, as well as their combination with other treatment modalities to improve their efficacy and overcome resistance. Furthermore, it is expected that the ongoing investigation of BsAb-based immunotherapy for solid tumors will bear fruit with significant clinical application prospects in the near future.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha and vascular endothelial growth factor in Glioblastoma Multiforme: a systematic review going beyond pathologic implications.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive primary brain tumor characterized by extensive heterogeneity and vascular proliferation. Hypoxic conditions in the tissue microenvironment are considered a pivotal player leading tumor progression. Specifically, hypoxia is known to activate inducible factors, such as hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1α), which in turn can stimulate tumor neo-angiogenesis through activation of various downward mediators, such as the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Here, we aimed to explore the role of HIF-1α/VEGF immunophenotypes alone and in combination with other prognostic markers or clinical and image analysis data, as potential biomarkers of GBM prognosis and treatment efficacy. We performed a systematic review (Medline/Embase, and Pubmed database search was completed by 16th of April 2024 by two independent teams; PRISMA 2020). We evaluated methods of immunoassays, cell viability, or animal or patient survival methods of the retrieved studies to assess unbiased data. We used inclusion criteria, such as the evaluation of GBM prognosis based on HIF-1α/VEGF expression, other biomarkers or clinical and imaging manifestations in GBM related to HIF-1α/VEGF expression, application of immunoassays for protein expression, and evaluation of the effectiveness of GBM therapeutic strategies based on HIF-1α/VEGF expression. We used exclusion criteria, such as data not reporting both HIF-1α and VEGF or prognosis. We included 50 studies investigating in total 1319 GBM human specimens, 18 different cell lines or GBM-derived stem cells, and 6 different animal models, to identify the association of HIF-1α/VEGF immunophenotypes, and with other prognostic factors, clinical and macroscopic data in GBM prognosis and therapeutic approaches. We found that increased HIF-1α/VEGF expression in GBM correlates with oncogenic factors, such as miR-210-3p, Oct4, AKT, COX-2, PDGF-C, PLDO3, M2 polarization, or ALK, leading to unfavorable survival. Reduced HIF-1α/VEGF expression correlates with FIH-1, ADNP, or STAT1 upregulation, as well as with clinical manifestations, like epileptogenicity, and a favorable prognosis of GBM. Based on our data, HIF-1α or VEGF immunophenotypes may be a useful tool to clarify MRI-PET imaging data distinguishing between GBM tumor progression and pseudoprogression. Finally, HIF-1α/VEGF immunophenotypes can reflect GBM treatment efficacy, including combined first-line treatment with histone deacetylase inhibitors, thimerosal, or an active metabolite of irinotecan, as well as STAT3 inhibitors alone, and resulting in a favorable tumor prognosis and patient survival. These data were supported by a combination of variable methods used to evaluate HIF-1α/VEGF immunophenotypes. Data limitations may include the use of less sensitive detection methods in some cases. Overall, our data support HIF-1α/VEGF's role as biomarkers of GBM prognosis and treatment efficacy.

Importance of World AIDS Day

HIVAIDS is not just a pandemic disease but a prosodemic disease. HIVAIDS had rapidly spread reaching every village of the world neither wind nor water has a role in spreading the disease. The first World Health Assembly WHA met in 1948 at Geneva. Members of the assembly agreed that people all over the world suffered due to World War. Members discussed global health issues and felt the need for medical facility to serve everyone when in need. Hence WHA stressed the importance of awareness of good health and wellbeing. To achieve this awareness about global health all the members of World Health Organization WHO should devote one day to talk about good health and wellbeing and also should provide necessary medical help. Government organizations and non-governmental organizations of all the nations joined hands with WHO. WHO decided to observe ldquoWorld Health Day WHDrdquo every year all over the world. The first WHD was observed on April 7 1950. Mahatma Gandhi Father of our Nation deeply sympathized towards leprosy patients in India. On 30th January 1948 Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. Government of India decided to observe ldquoMartyrs day 30th January 1948rdquo as ldquoAnti-Leprosy Day in Indiardquo. Every year in India January 30th is observed as anti-leprosy day and during the entire January month survey of all villages is conducted to detect leprosy cases school health programs and leprosy awareness programs for common man are also conducted. In 1954 French journalist Raoul Follereau noticed the success of anti-leprosy awareness activities in India and wanted WHA to observe last Sunday of January as World Leprosy Day WLD. Since 1954 every year Last Sunday of January is observed as lsquoWorld Leprosy Dayrsquo. In 1982 24th March was observed as ldquoWorld Tuberculosis Day WTDrdquo. Dr. Jonathan Mann in 1988 made WHA to devote one day in a year to remember the increasing menace of HIVAIDS. WHA decided to observe 1st of December as ldquoWorld AIDS Day WADrdquo. In 1991 ldquoWorld Diabetes Day WDDrdquo was observed on November 14th. In 1992 December 3rd was observed as ldquoWorld Disability Day WDDrdquo. In 2007 April 25th was observed as ldquoWorld Malaria Day WMDrdquo.

The impact of the 2022 spring COVID-19 booster vaccination programme on hospital occupancy in England: An interrupted time series analysis.

Regular booster vaccination programmes help protect the most vulnerable from COVID-19 and limit pressure on health systems. Existing studies find booster doses to be effective in preventing hospital admissions and deaths but focus on individual effects, failing to consider the population impact of incomplete vaccination coverage and seasonal patterns in disease transmission. We estimated the effectiveness of the 2022 spring booster vaccination programme, available for those aged 75 years and older, residents in care homes, and adults with weakened immune systems, on COVID-19 hospital bed occupancy in England. Booster vaccine coverage in the eligible population increased rapidly in the months after rollout (from 21st March 2022), flattening out just below 80% by July 2022. We used interrupted time series analysis to estimate a 23.7% overall reduction in the rate of hospital occupancy for COVID-19 following the programme, with a statistically significant benefit in the 6-12 weeks following rollout. In the absence of the programme, we calculate that a total of 380,104 additional hospital bed-days would have been occupied by patients with COVID-19 from 4th April to 31st August 2022 (95% CI: -122,842 to 1,034,590). The programme delayed and shortened the duration of the peak while not reducing its magnitude. In sensitivity analyses adjusting the start of the post-intervention period or removing the rate of COVID-19 infection in the over 60s from the model, the effect of the spring booster programme on hospital bed occupancy remained similar. Our findings suggest that timing is a critical consideration in the implementation of COVID-19 booster programmes and that policymakers cannot rely on intermittent booster vaccination of high-risk groups alone to mitigate anticipated peaks in hospital pressure due to COVID-19 epidemics.

Mental health of junior college students in China during COVID-19 school lockdown: Findings of on-line cross-sectional survey

During the COVID-19 pandemic, junior students who had recently entered university may have experienced particular difficulties. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of anxiety, depression, and sleep status among junior college students during school closure. Junior college students from 3colleges in Anhui Province participated in this study from 6th to 20th April, 2022. The students’ data were collected using a designed online questionnaire developed on the “Wen juan xing” website and submitted via cell phone. Ordinal logistic regression analysis indicated that female sex was an independent risk factor for increased anxiety, depression, and insomnia (anxiety: OR 1.503, 95% CI 1.191–1.897; depression: OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.023–1.270; ISI OR 2.052, 95% CI 1.646–2.559). Notably, medical specialty was an independent risk factor for depression and anxiety (anxiety: OR 1.367, 95% CI 1.078–1.734; depression: OR 1.289, 95% CI 1.148–1.448). Moreover, being a freshman was a risk factor for increased depression and insomnia (depression: OR 1.036,95% CI 0.931–1.153; insomnia: (OR 1.157,95% CI 0.961–1.394). The findings indicate that a considerable portion of junior college students experienced psychological problems due to lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Effects of Gibberellic Acid and Cane Girdling of Applications on Crimson Seedless Grape Variety of Cluster and Berry Characteristics

‘Crimson Seedless’ grape variety is a late maturity and small berry size. Berry size is one of the most important quality parameters of table grapes. This trial was carried out in the Crimson Seedless (Vitis vinifera L.) grower vineyard in Sarıgöl (dadağlı) locality of Manisa province in the 2022 vegetation period. A randomized complete block design was used with vines as blocks and clusters as the experimental unit’s four treatments and four replications. Vine bunches of Crimson Seedless grape variety, ten years old, were sprayed extensively with a GA3 (Gibberellic Acid) solution (20 mg L-1) on the 25th of April 10th of May, and 10th of June/2022, while girdling (G) was applied from removing 3 mm diameter bark all around from 10 cm below the top of the vine trunk at fruit set stage. Control (C) only water was sprayed. This study aimed to reveal gibberellic acid and cane girdling applications on Crimson Seedless cluster and berry characteristics. Harvest (oBrix 19) was done on the 10th of October/2022 and after that, the cluster weight (g), cluster length (cm), cluster width (cm), berry weight (g), berry length (mm), berry diameter (mm), berry length/berry diameter, total soluble solid, total acidity and maturity index were determined in fresh fruit samples randomly taken from each vine. It was found that all applications generally had statistically (P

Modified ferriman-gallwey score and hirsutism among normal healthy female population.

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Hirsutism by using the mFG score and to identify the mean mFG score among the normal healthy female population of Peshawar. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 448 normal healthy married women aged between 20 to 40 years from 14th April 2022 to 13th October 2022 at Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar. The mFG score was used to evaluate Hirsutism, a score of eight or above was regarded as indicative of Hirsutism. The mean modified Ferriman-Gallwey (mFG) score was 8.89 ± 4.33. 255 (56.9%) of the individuals had a mFG score of more than 8. These people showed mild hirsutism in 52.0% of cases, moderate hirsutism in 4.5% of cases, and severe hirsutism in 0.4% of cases. It was observed that the lower abdomen and thigh region had the highest prevalence of mild to moderate hirsutism, with a considerable number of individuals scoring two and three. Conversely, the back and buttocks showed predominantly minimal to no hirsutism, with the majority of participants scoring 0 and 1. There was no discernible difference in mean mFG scores between age groups, according to statistical analysis (p=0.195). Intriguingly, rates of hirsutism were found to be higher in urban versus rural populations, at 78.7% versus 36.6%, respectively (p<0.01). In addition, 80.3% of people who had a positive family history of hirsutism had a mFG score of 8 or higher. The prevalence of Hirsutism among the normal healthy female population based on the mFG score was relatively high.