Identification Program Research Articles

Identification of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase variants by utilizing polymerase chain reaction – Restriction fragment length polymorphism based method

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a widespread genetically inherited enzyme disorder caused by mutation in the G6PD gene located in X chromosome. Although sequencing of the gene is considered as the standard method for detection of mutations, but the process is expensive, laborious, time-consuming and not possible to perform in low resource settings. Thus, the present work was aimed to identify the G6PD variants using Polymerase Chain Reaction – Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) based method among the ethnic groups of malaria endemic Northeastern part of India. STANDARD G6PD Analyzer was utilized for screening to identify the G6PD deficient malarial patients. Molecular analysis of the deficient samples was done using PCR-RFLP technique. A total of 17 variants were explored using different restriction endonucleases. Five variants viz., Orissa (63.8 %), Kalyan-Kerala/Jamnagar/Rohini (9.02 %), Mediterranean (8.3 %), A+ (11.8 %) and Mahidol (1.38 %) were detected among the patients. G6PD Orissa was the major variant among the study population. In malaria endemic regions like Northeast India, a mass screening program for identification of G6PD variants needs to be adopted.

Talent identification in soccer: The influence of technical, physical and maturity-related characteristics on a national selection process.

The present study examines the influence of technical, physical, and relative age characteristics on players selection success within the Scottish Performance School trials. Ninety adolescent players (81 males, 9 females; mean ± standard deviation: age = 11.3 ± 0.4 years, height = 149.6 ± 6.9 cm, mass 38.1 ± 4.7 kg) performed a battery of physical fitness (20m Sprint, CMJ, 5-0-5 agility test), anthropometric, and 8 small-sided games (SSG; 9v9) as part of a talent identification (TID) programme. Players technical (ball touches, time on the ball, high-speed releases) and locomotor activities (high-speed running distance, sprint distance, accelerations, and decelerations) were monitored using foot-mounted inertial measurements units during SSG's. The data was analysed using independent sample T-tests. Mann-Whitney U analyses were conducted to examine the differences between groups whose data was determined as being (non)parametric, with Cohen effect sizes applied. Successful players performed significantly better during physical tests (Effect size ± confidence limits: Left 5-0-5 = -0.89±0.13, Right 5-0-5 = -0.51±0.11), had significantly higher locomotor activities during SSG (high-intensity distance = 0.4±26.6, horizontal accelerations = 0.59±1.19) and significantly higher technical outputs during SSG (touches = 0.71±6.1, releases = 0.49±2.5, high-speed releases = 0.59±2.7, time on the ball = 0.52±3.4) compared to unsuccessful players. Successful players had significantly higher locomotor activities and technical outputs during SSG than their unsuccessful counterparts. Monitoring technical and locomotor activities during SSG may compliment or replace physical testing batteries for assessing TID processes in soccer.

Identifying avoidable causes of perinatal deaths in a district hospital in Lesotho.

Certain determinants can be associated with avoidable perinatal deaths, and audits are needed to establish what these determinants are, and what can be done to prevent such deaths. The study aimed at identifying and describing determinants associated with avoidable perinatal deaths at a district hospital in Lesotho and strategies to curb their occurrence. A retrospective descriptive study was conducted using 142 anonymised obstetric records from January 2018 to December 2020. A data collection tool was adopted from the Perinatal Problem Identification Programme. In this tool, avoidable determinants are referred to as 'factors' or 'problems'. A concerning number of perinatal deaths were secondary to avoidable patient factors, namely a delay in seeking medical care, inappropriate responses to antepartum haemorrhage, and inadequate responses to poor foetal movements. Medical personnel factors are also worth observing, namely incorrect use of partograph, insufficient notes to comment on avoidable factors and 'other' medical personnel problems. Ranking highest among administrative problems were the unavailability of intensive care unit beds and ventilators and inadequate resuscitation equipment. Administrative problems accounted for more perinatal deaths than the patient-related factors and medical personnel factors. There is an urgent need for periodic audits, health education for patients, staff competency and the necessary equipment to resuscitate neonates.Contribution:Avoidable determinants associated with perinatal deaths in a district hospital in Lesotho could be identified. This information provides an understanding of what can be done to limit avoidable perinatal deaths.

Age-Related Trajectory and Age at Peak Competitive Performance in Wheelchair Rugby Players at the Paralympic Games.

The first objective is to examine the age-related trajectory of competitive performance and the age at peak competitive performance in wheelchair rugby players at the Paralympic Games. Another objective is to verify age correlations with performance over the years for each class. This is a retrospective cohort study. Data were collected from the official results books of the Paralympic games. The mean age (SD) of the 267 players and 448 analyzed data from all Paralympic games (from Sidney 2004 to Tokyo 2020) across all classes was 32.8 (6.4) yrs, and the age at peak competitive performance was 30.6 (7.4) yrs. Each class had no statistical difference in age at peak competitive performance. In addition, there was no significant correlation between age and performance within classes or across all Paralympic games. The findings indicate that wheelchair rugby players' age at peak competitive performance is 30.6 yrs, which remains consistent across all classes. There is no statistical correlation between age and performance in wheelchair rugby. These findings significantly affect effective talent identification and athlete development programs. This impact ensures that athletes receive the necessary support to reach their maximum potential while avoiding the pitfalls of underestimating or overestimating their stages of development.

A Substructure-based Model Updating Method to Damage Detection for Large-scale Structures

The health monitoring and damage detection of structures are major scientific issues that the civil engineering discipline, which made great achievements in the 20th century, has bequeathed to the 21st century. Despite the installation of health monitoring systems in many large structures, implementing damage detection through finite element model updating is often time-consuming or even infeasible due to the size of the model and the presence of numerous uncertain parameters. To address this issue, this paper proposes a substructure-based model updating method. The entire structure is divided into substructures with reduced degrees of freedom, allowing for the simplification of the motion equation by employing only a small number of low-order modes from each substructure. Consequently, the analysis scale of the structure is effectively reduced. The discarded higher modes are compensated by residual modes to ensure the accuracy of structural response and sensitivity. Subsequently, a damage identification program substructure-based model updating is developed, which is applied to component mode synthesis and damage identification for large structures. By precisely detecting damage in critical areas, accurate diagnosis and evaluation of the global structural safety are achieved. The results validate the implementation, computational efficiency, and accuracy of the proposed substructure-based model updating method. This approach shifts the focus from model updating of the entire structure to model updating of substructures, with the aim of fundamentally resolving the technical challenge of accurate damage detection of large and complex structures. Furthermore, it provides theoretical support for the practical application of damage detection in large civil structures.

Improving Chinese children's socioemotional competence, behavioral adjustment, and pre-academic skills: Impacts of the 3Es Program

Despite the importance of socioemotional competence, few social and emotional learning programs have been developed for and evaluated with non-Western communities. The Early Prevention, Early Identification, and Early Intervention Program is a tiered, school-based program targeting the socioemotional skills of all second-year kindergarten students in Chinese communities with the Little Garden Curriculum and providing additional training to third-year kindergarten students with socioemotional difficulties with the Little Greenhouse Curriculum. Using a cluster randomized controlled trial, this study examined the impacts of the program on 999 children (mean age in the pretest = 4.25 years; 48 % were girls) from 18 kindergartens from Hong Kong, China. Using kindergartens as clusters, children were randomly assigned to undertake the Little Garden Curriculum (n = 624) or join the wait-list control group (n = 375). Furthermore, children who had completed the Little Garden Curriculum but still showed socioemotional difficulties were randomly assigned to undertake the Little Greenhouse Curriculum (n = 87) or join the wait-list control group (n = 50). In other words, the intervention kindergartens used for the evaluation of the Little Garden Curriculum were randomly assigned into a new intervention group or a new wait-list control group for the evaluation of the Little Greenhouse Curriculum. In pre- and posttests, teachers rated children's socioemotional competence and behavioral adjustment, and children completed reading and arithmetic tasks. Results indicated that—controlling for child age, gender, and prior scores—children who had completed the Little Garden Curriculum showed better socioemotional competence, behavioral adjustment, and pre-academic skills (ten out of 12 outcome variables). Moreover, children who had completed the Little Greenhouse Curriculum showed higher scores on six out of 12 outcome measures. Findings highlighted the utility of using culturally relevant programs to improve the socioemotional competence of Chinese children at both the universal and the indicated levels.

Novel Artificial Intelligence Tool for Real-time Patient Identification to Prevent Misidentification in Health Care.

Errors in the identification of true patients in a health-care facility may result in the wrong dose or dosage being given to the wrong patient at the wrong site during radiotherapy sessions, radiopharmaceutical administration, radiological scans, etc. The aim of this article is to reduce the error in the identification of correct patients by implementation of the Python deep learning-based real-time patient identification program. The authors utilized and installed Anaconda Prompt (miniconda 3), Python (version 3.9.12), and Visual Studio Code (version 1.71.0) for the design of the patient identification program. In the field of view, the area of interest is merely face detection. The overall performance of the developed program is accomplished over three steps, namely image data collection, data transfer, and data analysis, respectively. The patient identification tool was developed using the OpenCV library for face recognition. This program provides real-time patient identification information, together with the other preset parameters such as disease site, with a precision of 0.92%, recall rate of 0.80%, and specificity of 0.90%. Furthermore, the accuracy of the program was found to be 0.84%. The output of the in-house developed program as "Unknown" is provided if a patient's relative or an unknown person is found in restricted region. This Python-based program is beneficial for confirming the patient's identity, without manual interventions, just before therapy, administering medications, and starting other medical procedures, among other things, to prevent unintended medical and health-related complications that may arise as a result of misidentification.

FORMATIVE EVALUATION TRIAL OF THE “MY HEALTH PRIORITIES” PROGRAM IN SOUTHERN OLDER AFRICAN AMERICANS: THE BHIP STUDY

Abstract Older African Americans (AA) with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) living in the Deep South are less likely to have access to early palliative care (PC) despite experiencing higher symptom burden and healthcare use, and poorer communication around goals of care. This disparity in PC use may partly be due to a lack of culturally-responsive care practices that effectively activate AAs with MCCs to identify their own values and priorities for end-of-life care. We conducted a formative evaluation of the web-based, self-directed “My Health Priorities” Identification Program to determine cultural acceptability and feasibility of use among AAs with MCCs in a primary care setting. We are now recruiting 20 AA patient with MCC and caregiver dyads from UAB Kirklin Primary Care Clinic. Recruited dyads will complete the “My Health Priorities” program and participate in semi-structured acceptability interviews. Patients and caregivers will also complete pre- and post-test measures of perception of care, treatment burden, shared decision-making, and communication exchange. Preliminary findings from six dyads suggest that the current program lacks spirituality-specific content. Dyads also expressed that the exemplar character included in the program was not relatable or representative. Overall, participants stated that the program was useful in helping them to think about and articulate their healthcare values and priorities. The findings from the research will directly inform a small-scale pilot grant that will assess the acceptability, feasibility, and potential efficacy of a values solicitation and operationalization intervention for AAs with MCCs and caregivers.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE – APPLICATION IN FORENSIC MEDICINE

Introduction. Artificial neural networks are widely utilized in medical fields, such as dentistry, molecular genetics, immunology, cardiology, and others. Forensic medicine is no exception, as artificial neural networks are also beginning to find applications in this field.
 The aim of this study was to demonstrate the potential for predicting human anthropometric parameters using dermatoglyphic parameters, which could enhance the method of dermatoglyphic identification.
 Materials and methods. We analyzed dermatoglyphs of the hands and feet from 567 individuals aged 18 to 59 years, with no genetic or endocrine disorders and no musculoskeletal problems.
 Results and discussion. The outcome of our work resulted in the development of the "Dermatoglyphics For Prediction (DFP)" program [Author's Certificate No. 74561. Computer program "Forensic Medical Identification Program using Artificial Neural Networks" Registration date: 07.11.2017]. This software device, after appropriate training, enables the prediction of an individual's ethnic-territorial affiliation and the presence of specific anthropometric parameters using such input data as dermatoglyphs of the hands and feet.
 Conclusions. The increasing needs of the Ukrainian community for the identification of unknown individuals, given the geopolitical situation related to Russian invasion in Ukraine (the constant threat of ballistic missile attacks and unmanned aerial vehicles across the entire territory of Ukraine, which could lead to mass casualties), justify the relevance and the search for innovative approaches to dermatoglyphic identification expertise, utilizing state-of-the-art technologies, particularly neural network-based prediction of anthropometric parameters, sex, and ethnic-territorial affiliation of an unknown person, using input parameters such as dermatoglyphs of the hands and feet, with the aim of enhancing the evidentiary value of identification expertise. This software device, after appropriate training, allows for the prediction of ethnic-territorial affiliation and the presence of specific anthropometric parameters in the examined individual using such input data as dermatoglyphs of the hands and feet.

The Endocannabinoid System - The Prediction of Spontaneous Preterm Birth in High-Risk Women: Protocol of a Study.

Spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) is a major cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality, even in developed countries. Prediction of sPTB is therefore a valuable tool to reduce the associated risks. The current standard for the prediction of sPTB consists, in addition to anamnestic data, of previous sPTB and previous second trimester miscarriage, measurement of cervical length by transvaginal ultrasound (TVU CL) together with assessment of fetal fibronectin levels in cervicovaginal fluid. Other evaluation parameters, such as the level of endocannabinoids in the pregnant woman's blood, could increase the sensitivity of this management. Endocannabinoids (eCBs) are a part of the endocannabinoid system (ECS); out of them anandamide (arachidonoyl-ethanolamide, AEA), in particular, plays an important role in the regulation of pregnancy and childbirth. We present the protocol for an open, non-randomized study to evaluate concentrations of AEA and other endocannabinoids: 2 linoleoylglycerol (2-AG), 2 linoleoylglycerol (2-LG), 2 oleoylglycerol (2-OG), and 2 arachidonoyldopamine (2-ADOPA or also NADA) in the blood of pregnant women as potential predictors of sPTB. In a total of 230 women with a history of sPTB or miscarriage, eCBs levels between 22 and 28 weeks of gestation will be assessed from maternal blood, in addition to the standard procedure. The aim of the study is to determine the relationship between blood concentrations of the endocannabinoids tested and the risk of sPTB. The results of this study will describe the prognostic significance of maternal blood eCBs levels for sPTB, and could subsequently enable improved screening programs for early identification of sPTB.

Genetic diversity analysis in soybean (Glycine max L.)

Using Mahalanobis D2 Statistics, genetic diversity research was carried out on 321 different genotypes of Soybean (Glycine max L.) at All India Coordinated Research Project on Soybean, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani, Maharashtra. Total 321 genotypes were classified into ten clusters based on D2 values. Cluster II, cluster VII, cluster VI, cluster V and cluster IX had 74, 15, 9, 3 and 2 genotypes, respectively, whereas, cluster I had the maximum genotypes of 214. One genotype was present in clusters III, IV, VIII and X. Cluster VII (1230.69) had the greatest intra-cluster distance, followed by Cluster VI (1104.13), Cluster II (604.39), Cluster I (478.57), Cluster IX (209.08) and Cluster V (96.3). D2 Values across the clusters ranged from 128.81 to 15699.76.The maximum inter-cluster distance was noticed between cluster X and cluster III (15699.76); followed by cluster X and cluster V (15568.61); cluster X and cluster VI (12020.02) and cluster X and cluster I (11083.56). Plant height (37.1%), number of pod clusters/plant (28.83%), total number of pods/plant (21.48%) and number of nods/plant (5.95%) contributed the most to diversity. Genotypes included in Cluster X & Cluster III; Cluster X & Cluster V and Cluster X & Cluster VI were identified for diverse source in the hybridization programme for identification of desirable transgressive segregants for important Agronomic traits in soybean.

Biocompatible optical physically unclonable function hydrogel microparticles for on-dose authentication

On-dose authentication (ODA) enhances security by incorporating customized molecular or micro-tags into each pill, preventing counterfeit products in genuine packages. ODA's security relies on tag non-replication and non-reverse engineering. Combining ODA with graphical Physical Unclonable Functions (PUF) promises maximum security. PUF uses intrinsic micro or nanoscale randomness as a unique ‘fingerprint’. However, current graphical PUFs have limitations like specific illumination requirements and the use of toxic materials, restricting their use in pharmaceuticals.In this study, we propose a novel approach called on-dose PUF. This method involves embedding microspheres randomly within micro biocompatible hydrogel particles. We showcase two distinct types of such on-dose PUFs. The first type utilizes randomly distributed superparamagnetic colloids (SPC) of identical diameters, while the second type utilizes vortexed sunflower oil drops of various diameters. The diameter and coordinates of the microspheres serve as input for generating cryptographic keys. A universal circle identification and binning program is used for extracting this information. One advantage of this approach is that it enables imaging using white light illumination and low-magnification microscopy, as color and signal intensity information are not crucial. This method enables patients to verify their medication by using their mobile phones from home.To assess the performance of the proposed on-dose PUF, we conducted canonical investigations on the single-diameter system. This system can only generate one layer of cryptographic keys, making it potentially more vulnerable than the multiple-diameter system. However, the single-diameter system successfully passed NIST Statistical tests and exhibited sufficient randomness, ideal bit uniformity, Hamming distance, and device uniqueness. Furthermore, we found that the encoding capacity of the single-diameter system was 9.2×1018, providing ample labeling potential.

Comprehensive review of multidimensional biomarkers in the ShangHai At Risk for Psychosis (SHARP) program for early psychosis identification.

Psychosis is recognized as one of the largest contributors to nonfatal health loss, and early identification can largely improve routine clinical activity by predicting the psychotic course and guiding treatment. Clinicians have used the clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR) paradigm to better understand the risk factors that contribute to the onset of psychotic disorders. Clinical factors have been widely applied to calculate the individualized risks for conversion to psychosis 1-2 years later. However, there is still a dearth of valid biomarkers to predict psychosis. Biomarkers, in the context of this paper, refer to measurable biological indicators that can provide valuable information about the early identification of individuals at risk for psychosis. The aim of this paper is to critically review studies assessing CHR and suggest possible biomarkers for application of prediction. We summarized the studies on biomarkers derived from the findings of the ShangHai at Risk for Psychosis (SHARP) program, including those that are considered to have the most potential. This comprehensive review was conducted based on expert opinions within the SHARP research team, and the selection of studies and results presented in this paper reflects the collective expertise of the team in the field of early psychosis identification. The three dimensions with potential candidates include neuroimaging dimension of brain structure and function, electrophysiological dimension of event-related potentials (ERPs), and immune dimension of inflammatory cytokines and complement proteins, which proved to be useful in supporting the prediction of psychosis from the CHR state. We suggest that these three dimensions could be useful as risk biomarkers for treatment optimization. In the future, when available for the integration of multiple dimensions, clinicians may be able to obtain a comprehensive report with detailed information of psychosis risk and specific indications about preferred prevention.

Optimalisasi Program Pamsimas melalui Kegiatan KKN-Tematik di Desa Paccekke Kabupaten Barru

ABSTRACT
 One of the village's potentials which is currently being managed by the Paccekke community is the development of springs by each hamlet by forming water management groups from springs. The spring water is distributed through pipes to residents' homes. Based on the survey results, deficiencies were still found in the clean water supply system, including when water use increased there were several houses that were not supplied with clean water, because the position of the house was higher than the water storage tank. Apart from that, there are still deficiencies in the clean water supply system in hamlet 2, namely that the PAMSIMAS program has not been included. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out a special program regarding the management and distribution of these spring water sources. The general aim of the Problem Identification and Analysis (IMAP) program is to help increase community empowerment in Paccekke Village, especially in the Paccekke Village drinking water supply system sector. The specific objectives of this IMAP data collection program are (1) Knowing the distribution route for the drinking water supply system (SPAM) in Paccekke Village. (2). Knowing the potential and problems in the provision of drinking water (SPAM) in Paccekke Village. (3). Help develop drinking water supply management (SPAM) in Paccekke Village to make it better. (4). Forming the creation of social petas plumbing systems (Piping Lines) in the drinking water supply (SPAM) of Paccekke Village.

Research on Real-Time Monitoring and Warning Technology for Multi-Parameter Underground Debris Flow

Sudden debris flows in underground mines are characterized by strong burstiness, great destructiveness, and difficult monitoring. Traditional single monitoring methods can only roughly judge the probability of underground debris flow occurrences through one-sided potential phenomena, making it difficult to accurately predict sudden underground debris flows. Therefore, effective monitoring methods can prevent or reduce waste and damage to mineral resources caused by mine debris flow disasters. This study is based on the theoretical foundations of rainfall automatic identification program, unsteady flow theory, and wavelet threshold denoising theory. It preprocesses key data such as rainfall, groundwater, and surface displacement with the aim of reducing criterion errors and improving the accuracy of determination. By utilizing the underground debris flow warning determination program, warning determination algorithm, and information management system hosted on the monitoring and warning platform, a comprehensive underground debris flow warning system is integrated. This system incorporates determining parameters such as rainfall, water inflow, groundwater level, surface subsidence, pore water pressure, surrounding rock stress, microseismic phenomena, and underground video recognition, with the innovative approach of “weather-surface-underground” multi-directional monitoring. The system was successfully installed and applied in the Pulang Copper Mine in Yunnan Province, demonstrating good application effectiveness. The results indicate that compared to traditional single monitoring methods, the multi-directional monitoring and warning system for underground debris flows has advantages such as low fault tolerance and high accuracy, making it more suitable for ensuring safe mining in mining areas.

The initial complete chloroplast genome of Ludisia discolor in Vietnam

The medicinal plant Ludisia discolor has been highly valued for its effectiveness in treating various diseases. To better understand its genetic makeup, the complete chloroplast genome (cp) of this plant from Vietnam was sequenced, annotated, and compared with published cp genomes. The results of this study revealed that the complete cp genome of L. discolor is 151,876 bp in size consisting of 96 protein coding genes, 12 rRNA and 33 tRNA genes. Total 53 simple sequence repeats were detected in this genome, most of them are polyA and polyT. Genomic comparisons revealed significant differences between the cp genomes of L. discolor from Vietnam with other accessions from China. These findings could provide valuable insights for the taxonomy, plant identification, breeding, and conservation programs of L. discolor in Vietnam.

Prevalence of Haemoglobinopathy among Young College Students in Anand-Gujarat: A Premarital Screening Program for Carrier Detection of Hemoglobin Disorders

Background: Hemoglobin disorders are the leading health concern in the World including India. Effective screeningprograms, awareness campaign and proper prenatal diagnosis are the only ways to eradicate the disease. Verysparse data are available on the spectrum of haemoglobinopathies in the central part of Gujarat state. Hence, thisstudy was undertaken to find out the prevalence of haemoglobinopathies among the students of Anand People’sMedicare Society, Anand District, Gujarat, India.Methods: In this prospective study, total 2195 students were screened for haemoglobinopathies after takingclinical and familial history. A complete hemogram report was obtained by an automated hematology counterand hemoglobin variants were quantitated by performing HPLC on Bio-Rad Variant II. The prevalence ofhemoglobinopathies was 7.06%, which includes β-thalassemia trait (2.73 %), sickle cell trait (3.82%), homozygoussickle cell disease (0.09%), Hb D trait (0.22%), Hb E (0.09%) trait and other haemoglobinopathies (0.08%).Conclusion: Population groups with high gene frequency of haemoglobinopathies requires a routine premaritalscreening program, awareness and education for identification, prevention of high-risk marriages and birth ofthalassemic homozygotes.

Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulations in Related to Leishmania donovani: An Update and Literature Review.

Leishmaniasis, a disease caused by Leishmania parasites and transmitted via sandflies, presents in two main forms: cutaneous and visceral, the latter being more severe. With 0.7 to 1 million new cases each year, primarily in Brazil, diagnosing remains challenging due to diverse disease manifestations. Traditionally, the identification of Leishmania species is inferred from clinical and epidemiological data. Advances in disease management depend on technological progress and the improvement of parasite identification programs. Current treatments, despite the high incidence, show limited efficacy due to factors like cost, toxicity, and lengthy regimens causing poor adherence and resistance development. Diagnostic techniques have improved but a significant gap remains between scientific progress and application in endemic areas. Complete genomic sequence knowledge of Leishmania allows for the identification of therapeutic targets. With the aid of computational tools, testing, searching, and detecting affinity in molecular docking are optimized, and strategies that assess advantages among different options are developed. The review focuses on the use of molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation for drug development. It also discusses the limitations and advancements of current treatments, emphasizing the importance of new techniques in improving disease management.

Promotores' perspectives on the virtual adaptation of a hereditary breast cancer education program.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States (U.S.) and the leading cause of cancer related death among U.S. Hispanics/Latinas (H/Ls). H/Ls have lower rates of screening and longer time to follow up after an abnormal mammogram. We developed a comprehensive community health educator (promotores)-led education and risk identification program for Spanish-speaking H/Ls in California to increase mammography screening, genetic testing, and the understanding of the impact of family history on cancer risk. Due to COVID-19, we adapted the program to a virtual platform. The experience of transforming the program to a virtual platform provided unique opportunities for collaboration between researchers, community partners, and participants. Promotores are major partners in community based participatory research and in the provision of health care services, but their voices are often excluded from scientific reports. This commentary is an effort to provide a platform for promotores to share their experiences and for the readers to understand their approach in bridging the gap between health care services and communities.

Bridging the gap: Survey highlights challenges and solutions in outreach and identification of people with inherited bleeding disorders.

Inherited bleeding disorders (IBD) are genetic conditions that affect blood clotting, leading to complications such as prolonged or spontaneous bleeding into muscles or joints. Early identification and treatment are crucial to prevent complications and improve outcomes. However, effective patient outreach and identification programs for IBD face significant challenges globally. This study aimed to identify successful patient outreach initiatives for IBD, barriers encountered during implementation, and approaches used to overcome them. The World Federation of Haemophilia (WFH) conducted a survey of its national member organizations and other patient associations, totalling 153 organizations, to identify common strategies, barriers to their implementation, and solutions for outreach and the identification of people with IBD. The survey consisted of both closed-ended and open-ended questions, and the data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Common challenges included resource and sustainability-related aspects such as financial constraints, limited lab equipment for diagnosis, and inadequate government commitment. Significant barriers also encompassed physical/geographical challenges like difficulty accessing remote areas, and inadequate logistical support and transportation. Seven themes emerged to enhance patient outreach: resource mobilization; awareness-raising and advocacy; knowledge and capacity building; collaboration and partnership; decentralization of services; improved logistical support and infrastructure; utilization of technology and innovation; and financial aid and incentives. Multistakeholder collaboration, coupled with secured government commitment, is crucial for improving global outreach, diagnosis rates, and access to care for individuals with IBD. Customized outreach programs should consider regional contexts, financial constraints, and prioritize innovation.