Extra Life Research Articles

BCP “Bilateral Cleft Palate” Appliance

In this article, the authors are trying to describe an approach for treating the “bilateral cleft palate” newborn patients, by a simple removable appliance, BCP “Bilateral Cleft Palate” Appliance. The appliance is a removable acrylic plane, with Y shaped three sectors, an expander “works as an intraoral retractor to retract the prognathism” and a “filament” or string for appliance withdrawal and removal when required. This appliance is indicated for newborn bilateral cleft palate patients, especially during the first days of extra uterus life when infant patient suffers difficulties in nursing and feeding because of the cleft palate effects, nasopalatine fistula, and when requirements are existed to retract the anteriorly protruded prognathism, as well. The action of this appliance is orthopedic as it works to retract the prognathism by activation of the “opened central expander” that works herein as in fact a “retractor and contractor”.

Tasting life and energy with the body: the biodynamic resonance of wine

ABSTRACT Based on two long term research with natural and biodynamic winegrowers in France, this text returns to the principles of biodynamic agriculture in its desire to potentiate the living character of the vine and the soil; living supposed to translate into energy or vibrations in the glass. Why is wine attracted to biodynamics? The hypothesis put forward, which would partly explain the apparently happy marriage between wine and biodynamics, is that the latter helps to give more life and energy to wine and that this energy would be perceived through new way of tasting. Our aim here is not so much to study what this extra life or energy might be as a scientific object as these notions are in any case impossible to stabilize from a scientific point of view. The reason for our use of these unstable categories is that they emerge repeatedly on the subject of biodynamic wines from the discourses of winemakers, enologists, sommeliers and tasters, whether beginners or advanced. These categories of energy or vibrations, still in gestation, refer to forms of wine tasting that go beyond organoleptic criteria alone to extend to the receptivity of the whole body involved in the act of drinking.

Trajectories of Latent Vulnerability and Distress: Identifying Social and Spatial Fringes of the Swedish Population

It can be argued that a society is never better than how Individuals on its social and spatial fringes are faring. This motivates the purpose of this paper, which is to study how vulnerable groups can be identified, defined and explored in a spatial perspective using latent class analysis (LCA) on the whole Swedish population. We use space to refine meanings of vulnerability in individuals and groups, by contextualizing their vulnerability. This knowledge is fundamental for creating equal living conditions and for promoting the social cohesion needed for socially sustainable societies. Thus, equality and spatial integration are basic ideas in welfare policy but in recent years, the idea of integration has met various challenges with new population groups, rural–urban polarization, and disadvantaged housing areas. Using register data, we here identified life course trajectories associated with vulnerability, applying LCA to the total Swedish population aged 25 to 59 years. We identified latent classes of life courses, and detected and explored some classes with more vulnerability than others. The spatial patterns of vulnerable individuals were analysed using individualized neighbourhoods including the proportion of closest neighbours belonging to a latent class. A second LCA of vulnerable individuals refined the findings into different types of distress; extra distressed life courses were found in the metropolitan areas in Million program areas in urban outskirts, and other distressed life courses were more often found in unattractive (low housing price) rural areas, rural fringes.

Investigating the Association of Pain Intensity and Health Status among Older US Adults with Pain Who Used Opioids in 2020 Using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

The number of older United States (US) adults is increasing, yet extra life years are not always spent in good health. This study explored the relationship between pain intensity and health status among US adults aged ≥50 with pain who used an opioid in the 2020 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for demographic, economic, and health variables. Most (60.2%) older US adult opioid users with pain reported having good health (versus 39.8% poor health). In the fully adjusted analysis, those with extreme pain (odds ratio (OR) = 0.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.10, 0.35) and quite a bit of pain (OR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.19, 0.60) had lower odds of reporting good health compared to those with little pain. There was no statistical relationship between health status for moderate versus little pain. In addition, males (versus females; OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.40, 0.91), white race (versus not white; OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.22, 0.84), education ≤high school (versus >high school; OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.41, 0.92), and current smoker (versus non-smoker; OR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.32, 0.93) were associated with lower odds of reporting good health. Being employed (versus unemployed; OR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.06, 3.33), having <2 chronic conditions (versus ≥2; OR = 4.38, 95% CI = 1.91, 10.02), and doing regular physical activity (versus not; OR = 2.69, 95% CI = 1.73, 4.19) were associated with higher odds of reporting good health. These variables should be considered when assessing the health needs and developing treatment plans for older US adult opioid users with pain.

Tempus Fugit

Who deserves to live the longest? How do you know if you should give or take extra time from others? In this philosophical short story fiction, Shelia gets a strange letter in the mail on her 69th birthday, along with a pamphlet from a strange company she has never heard of. She ignores the mailer, but a few weeks later, two salesmen arrive at her door. They explain to her that “everyone gets 70 years of life,” on average, but that it’s possible to give, or take, extra life from others. Life can be given, or taken, from those you know, or complete strangers. Perhaps some are more (artists, scientists) or less (criminals, drug addicts) deserving of the life they were naturally given. This is all too much for Shelia, who decides to simply put off the question for another day. Her 70th birthday eventually arrives, and the salesmen are back, asking for her decision. Should she give a few years to a loved one? If she does nothing, they explain to her, the community deficient will be taken from society as a whole. After due consideration, Shelia tears up the contracts, and decides to make no decision at all.

Экономический эффект от вакцинации как аргумент в разъяснительной работе по вакцинопрофилактике

There is no doubt about the economic effect of vaccination. However, the relevant assessments have not yet become a convincing argument for the need for vaccination. P u r p o s e o f t h e s t u d y . Based on the results of the inventory of the existing domestic and foreign experience in determining the economic effect of vaccination, identifying management problems in the relevant explanatory work, propose other approaches on how to calculate the economic effect of vaccination and how to use this argument in explanatory work on vaccination. M a t e r i a l s a n d m e t h o d s . A comparative analytical assessment of domestic and foreign experience in the field of calculating the economic effect of vaccination has been carried out. It is analyzed what place the economic effect of vaccination has in explanatory work of state bodies on vaccination. R e s u l t s . It has been established that the insufficient effectiveness of explanatory work on vaccination is largely the result of an incorrect delineation of functions at different levels of government (municipal, regional, federal). Unreasonably large tasks in this area are assigned to the municipal level, while the federal level, on the contrary, turned out to be actually unreasonably exempted from solving the substantive tasks in the field of explanatory work on vaccine prevention. The analysis of foreign and domestic experience in determining the economic effect of vaccination confirmed the significance of the results, calculations, and estimates. The necessity of presenting the results of the assessment of the economic effect of vaccination in a simpler and more understandable form is substantiated. For this purpose, an assessment was made of what can give the economy in value terms 25 years of additional human life, which he received in the 20th century thanks, according to experts, to vaccination. The calculation of GDP per capita (according to Rosstat for 2021, in purchasing power parity) for 25 years of extra human life due to vaccination was carried out. The need to consider the issue of the advisability of paying people for vaccination is substantiated. F i n d i n g s . It is necessary to reconsider the traditional approaches to assessing the economic effect of vaccination. State and municipal authorities should update the tasks in the field of vaccination in order to increase its effectiveness.

Deficient state-supported cancer care: A source of deep concern

Deficient state-supported cancer care: A source of deep concern

Optimal Cost-Effective Screening Strategy for Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms in Female Smokers.

The prevalence of intracranial aneurysms among female cigarette smokers was shown to be high in previous studies, yet the cost-effectiveness of screening them has never been explored. To explore the most cost-effective screening strategy for female smokers. A decision analytical study was performed with a Markov model to compare different screening strategies with no screening and to explore the most optimal screening strategy for female smokers. Input data for the model were extracted from literature. A single screening at different ages and multiple screening every 15 years, 10 years, 5 years, and 2 years were performed for female smokers in different age ranges. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness of the model. Finally, value of information analysis was performed to investigate the value of collecting additional data. Screening female smokers for unruptured intracranial aneurysm is cost-effective. All screening strategies yield extra quality-adjusted life years. Screening at younger age brings more health benefit at lower cost. Frequent screening strategies decrease rupture rate of aneurysms more with higher costs per quality-adjusted life year. Screening after age 70 years and frequent screening (every 2 years) after age 60 years is not optimal. Among all the parameters in the model, collecting additional data on utility of the unscreened population would be most valuable. Screening female smokers for intracranial aneurysms once at younger age is most optimal. However, in clinical practice, the duration and intensity of exposure to cigarettes should be taken into consideration.

Can We Identify Subgroups in Which ICSI is Cost-Effective Over IVF: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomised Clinical Trial

Background: The use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has increased substantially worldwide, primarily in couples with non-male factor infertility. We recently published the results of a large randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing ICSI and IVF showing no significant improvement of ICSI over IVF in couples with normal semen concentration and motility. Here, we assess the cost-effectiveness of ICSI in these couples, with additional attention for subgroups. Aim: To assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of ICSI versus IVF in relation to sperm morphology. Method: We performed a cost-effectiveness alongside a randomised clinical trial comparing ICSI and IVF. Between 16th March 2018 and 12th August 2019, we had randomized 1,064 couples (532 to ICSI vs 532 to IVF) in two centres in VietNam. After comparing the difference in life birth rate, we calculated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio as the additional cost to establish one live birth. We also looked at (cost-)effectiveness in subgroups by the baseline characteristics treatment-indication, ovarian response, total-motile-count and sperm-morphology. Results: In the base case, there were per 100 women 3.4 more babies born for an extra cost of €65,600. This translates to €19,294 per extra life birth, which is comparable to the benchmark of €15,000 per live birth. We did not find significant interaction with any of the baseline characteristics (all P-values for interaction [Formula: see text] 0.05). However, for sperm morphology, in the 458 couples with [Formula: see text]=4% normoform cells, live birth rates were 32.1% versus 32.9% (RR 0.97 (0.75 to 1.27)), while in 201 women with [Formula: see text]4% normoform cells this was 36.2% versus 29.7% (RR 1.22 (0.97, 1.54)). While this would implicate no effectiveness of ICSI in couples with completely normal sperm, in couples with normal total sperm count and motility, those with sperm morphology [Formula: see text]4% would have 6.5 additional babies per 100 women, resulting in a cost-effectiveness of €10,076 per extra life birth. Conclusion: In couples with completely normal sperm (normal total sperm count, motility and morphology) ICSI does not add anything to the chances obtained with IVF. In couples with a normal total sperm count and motility with abnormal morphology, ICSI could be considered as it seems cost-effective.

The role of life skills in developing an authentic leadership attitude in public health students: a multicenter cross-sectional study in Poland

BackgroundDecision-making skills are considered crucial life skills that condition proper social functioning within groups (i.e., support authentic leadership skills and increasing one’s chances of success and wellbeing in life). Nonetheless, the number of scientific papers addressing the role of life skills in developing authentic leadership skills in public health students is limited. The aim of the present study was to develop a theoretical model to determine the role of selected life skills in developing authentic leadership skills in public health students.MethodsThe study was conducted from January 16 through February 28, 2018. In total, 653 students undertaking in-service training in Master’s degree programs qualified for the study, and complete data sets were obtained from 329 students (response rate 50.38%). The data were collected by means of a paper questionnaire. Four research tools were used in the study: The Authentic Leadership Self-Assessment Questionnaire, The Moral Foundations Questionnaire, The General Self-Efficacy Scale, and The Youth Leadership Life Skills Development Scale.ResultsTwo subgroups were identified among the public health students in the study: 1) the extra life skills training group (N = 113) and 2) the no extra life skills training group (N = 216). Both groups of study participants did not differ significantly in terms of age (M (SD): 25.0 (3.89) vs. 25.0 (3.66); t = 0.068, P = 0.946). On the other hand, clear differences were observed in the case of the respondents’ participation in voluntary service. The respondents from the extra life skills training group declared participation in voluntary activities less frequently than the respondents from the second identified group (48.7 vs. 31.9%).ConclusionsA verified theoretical model showed that course aimed at strengthening authentic leadership competences should be modular, should focus on self-improvement and critical reflection, and should be spread over time to enable and encourage each participant to grow and flourish at their own pace.

A Good Time to Be Born

A Good Time to Be Born

Diagnosis and Acute Treatment of Ischemic Stroke.

Stroke is defined as an acute cerebrovascular accident characterized by an interruption of vascular supply lasting more than 24 hours. Therapeutic goal, reassumed at the well-known "time is brain", is strictly focused on achieving timely restoration of cerebral blood flow at risk of infarction to reduce neurological complications. Consequently, time to treatment is the most important determinant of the efficacy of reperfusion. Current guidelines strongly recommend the use of intravenous thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator and endovascular thrombectomy to reach that goal. These therapies allow to obtain 1.9 million neurons saved per each minute of onset-to-reperfusion time and 4.2 days of extra healthy life and are crucial in the reduction of mortality and morbidity of ischemic stroke. Multidisciplinary collaboration involving a coordinated prehospital management and stroke team composed of physicians with expertise in emergency medicine, neurologists, radiologists, nurses, technicians, and laboratory personnel are essential for rapid triage and should guide clinical decisions to deliver the appropriate reperfusion therapy for each patient.

Offshore wind farms affect the spatial distribution pattern of plaice Pleuronectes platessa at both the turbine and wind farm scale

Abstract We investigated how the distribution of plaice Pleuronectes platessa, a typical soft-sediment fish species, has been affected by the introduction of hard substrate [turbines and scour protection layer (SPL)] at both turbine and wind farm scale in two Belgian offshore wind farms (OWFs). Diving transects (40 m) at 11 monopiles revealed four times higher plaice abundances on the sandy patches of the SPL (average radius 16.5 m) compared to the surrounding sand. We suggest that the configuration of the SPL, i.e. an open rock field, offering increased food and shelter opportunities, with sandy patches in between, facilitating the natural burrowing behaviour of plaice, forms the basis for the increased plaice abundances at the turbine scale. At the wind farm scale, beam trawl catches in between the turbines and in reference zones revealed significantly increased plaice abundances in one OWF, which suggests that wind farms can act as refuge areas for plaice, at least under specific conditions. Differences in environmental conditions, turbine foundation type, and surrounding fishing pressure may explain the equivocal findings between both OWFs, whereas low statistical power could have hampered the detection of general refuge effects. Next to the integration of different spatial scales (turbine/wind farm) within one study, longer-term monitoring and including extra life history parameters (e.g. length and sex ratio) might enhance the detectability of potential refuge effects.

Design of a modified atmosphere storage system for shelf life enhancement of mango ( Mangifera indica , cv. Amrapali )

Modified atmosphere storage (MAS) system was developed under passive as well as active conditions for bulk handling and storage of mango. The developed mathematical model used in the design process was validated and found to be appropriate, as indicated by moduli (E < 10%). The use of O2 absorber in the active MAS system has extended the shelf life of mango by 3.5 times as compared to control along with maintaining good quality attributes at the end of the storage period at ambient temperature (27°C). It may be due to attainment of an early dynamic equilibrium O2 and CO2 concentrations which were much close to the targeted level. The shelf life of mango under control, passive and active condition was found to be 4, 10 and 14 days, respectively. The extra shelf life gained by mango under active MAS condition may provide buffer period for storage, retailing and distribution during supply chain. Novelty impact statement The main cause of post-harvest loss of crop like mango and other fresh produce is the poor handling due to unavailability of a bulk storage system at on-farm level. Therefore, it is essential to develop an economical storage system which can facilitate large quantity storage of mango to the farmers at their orchard level itself. Hence, in the above context, our study is an attempt made to develop, design and compare an active as well as passive MAS system for mango. These uniquely developed and designed MAS systems were evaluated under passive as well as active condition by storing 100 kg of mango inside them. From the results, it was quite clear that an active MAS system can provide long-term storage of mango even at on-farm storage condition and can also facilitate a buffer period to the farmers during retailing and distribution.

Cost-Utility Analysis of Thumb Carpometacarpal Resection Arthroplasty: A Health Economic Study Using Real-World Data

Knowledge about the costs and benefits of hand surgical interventions is important for surgeons, payers, and policy makers. Little is known about the cost-effectiveness of surgery for thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis. The objective of this study was to examine patients' quality of life and economic costs, with focus on the cost-utility ratio 1 year after surgery for thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis compared with that for continued nonsurgical management. Patients with thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis indicated for resection arthroplasty were included in a prospective study. The quality of life (using European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions-5 Level), direct medical costs, and productivity losses were assessed up to 1 year after surgery. Baseline data at recruitment and costs sustained over 1 year before surgery served as a proxy for nonsurgical management. The total costs to gain 1 extra quality-adjusted life year and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio were calculated from a health care system and a societal perspective. The mean European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions-5 Level value for 151 included patients improved significantly from 0.69 to 0.88 (after surgery). The productivity loss during the preoperative period was 47% for 49 working patients, which decreased to 26% 1 year after surgery. The total costs increased from US $20,451 in the preoperative year to US $24,374 in the postoperative year. This resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of US $25,370 per quality-adjusted life year for surgery compared with that for simulated nonsurgical management. The calculated incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was clearly below the suggested Swiss threshold of US $92,000, indicating that thumb carpometacarpal surgery is a cost-effective intervention. Economic and Decision Analyses II.

Marduk’s Basket and the Heavenly Treasury: Comparing Charity in the Dialogue of Pessimism and Sirach

Abstract The article treats the value of economic generosity (usātu) in the Babylonian Dialogue of Pessimism and compares it to almsgiving in the biblical book of Sirach. It attempts to resolve a longstanding obscurity: whether usātu is placed in Marduk’s “ring” (kippatu) or “basket” (qappatu). External evidence suggests that, while both readings have support and a similar theological significance, the reading “basket” (qappatu) is preferable and should be related to the temple quppu, “cash box,” used for collecting donations. The article then addresses the relevance of mortality to the Dialogue’s discussion of doing usātu. Appeal to other Akkadian wisdom literature suggests that doing usātu was connected with a reward of extra life. An analysis of the theological structure of usātu in the Dialogue and Akkadian wisdom literature leads to a comparison with the theology of almsgiving and the heavenly treasury in Ben Sira and other Second Temple Jewish literature.

Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer

Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer

Assessment of the willingness of doctors to work at coronavirus disease-19 treatment center

Objectives: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is currently ravaging the entire world. Doctors as well as other healthcare workers as front-liners in tackling this disease are at a higher risk of exposure to the virus and its potential consequences. The objectives of this study were to assess the knowledge of doctors on the mode of transmission of the virus, to assess their willingness and readiness to work at the COVID-19 treatment center, to identify factors that affect their willingness to work at the treatment center, and to assess their knowledge on infection prevention and control (IPC) practices. Materials and Methods: All medical doctors who attended the COVID-19 sensitization and preparedness meeting with the management of Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State Nigeria, were recruited into the study after an informed consent was obtained. Study period spanned from the beginning of April 2020 to middle of June 2020. A structured, pre-tested questionnaire was administered to collect relevant information. Results: A total of 112 doctors that were in attendance had the questionnaires administered to them; however, 106 (94.64%) questionnaires were returned. Out of these, 64.2% had correct knowledge of the mode of transmission of COVID-19. We observed that only 34.9% of doctors were willing to work in the treatment center while 1.9% were indifferent. The perceived lack of adequate training and insufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff were major reasons why some doctors were not willing to work in these centers. Fifty percent of the participants got the correct meaning of donning and doffing and three quarters of them had good knowledge of IPC practice. Conclusion: We found in our study that a substantial number of doctors were unwilling to work in COVID-19 treatment areas due to a number of factors including perceived inadequate PPE and inadequate knowledge. The factors that would influence their willingness to work in COVID-19 treatment center were more training, provision of inducement or extra allowances and life insurance schemes. We recommend that in addition to putting emphasis on training, re-training, and providing appropriate equipment, special inducement allowance, and life insurance for healthcare workers might be helpful to encourage them to work in COVID-19 treatment centers.

Long live humankind Extra Life Steven Johnson Riverhead, 2021. 320 pp. Extra Life Duncan Singh, Helen Sage, Tristan Quinn, David Alvarado, Jason Sussberg, directors Nutopia, 2021. Airing 11 May to 1 June 2021 on PBS. Check local listings.

Data collection and analysis earn top spots among factors that have drastically increased life expectancy

RESEARCH CHARACTERISTICS HISTOPATHOLOGY AND APPLICATION IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY TO CLASSIFY NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMA IN 103 MILITARY HOSPITAL

Objective: Evaluate the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Application of the manifestation of immune markers to classification Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Matherial and Method: The cross-sectional descriptive, retrospective and prospective study of 75 patients diagnosed on histopathology and immunohistochemistry as Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at Military Medical Hospital 103 from January 2018 to September 2020. Results: The disease occurred in men more than women: 2/1. The average age of diseases is 58.31 ± 17.62. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the lymph node accounts for the highest proportion (57.3%). WF7 accounts for the highest percentage (54.7%). The majority of the disease is in intermediate malignancy with 76%. B-cell Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma accounts for 84%. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma accounts for the highest rate of 66.67%, of which the GCB type accounts for 32%, the non-GCB accounts 68%. Conclusion: The diagnosis and classification of Non Hodgkin lymphoma helps clinicians predict the response to chemotherapy, extra life, which is indicative of monoclonal antibody therapy