Health Protection Research Articles

Enhancing Public Health Surveillance: Outbreak Detection Algorithms Deployed for Syndromic Surveillance During Arbaeenia Mass Gatherings in Iraq.

Large gatherings often involve extended and intimate contact among individuals, creating environments conducive to the spread of infectious diseases. Despite this, there is limited research utilizing outbreak detection algorithms to analyze real syndrome data from such events. This study sought to address this gap by examining the implementation and efficacy of outbreak detection algorithms for syndromic surveillance during mass gatherings in Iraq. For the study, 10 data collectors conducted field data collection over 10 days from August 25, 2023, to September 3, 2023. Data were gathered from 10 healthcare clinics situated along Ya Hussein Road, a major route from Najaf to Karbala in Iraq. Various outbreak detection algorithms, such as moving average, cumulative sum, and exponentially weighted moving average, were applied to analyze the reported syndromes. During the 10 days from August 25, 2023, to September 3, 2023, 12202 pilgrims visited 10 health clinics along a route in Iraq. Most pilgrims were between 20 and 59 years old (77.4%, n=9444), with more than half being foreigners (58.1%, n=7092). Among the pilgrims, 40.5% (n=4938) exhibited syndromes, with influenza-like illness (ILI) being the most common (48.8%, n=2411). Other prevalent syndromes included food poisoning (21.2%, n=1048), heatstroke (17.7%, n=875), febrile rash (9.0%, n=446), and gastroenteritis (3.2%, n=158). The cumulative sum (CUSUM) algorithm was more effective than exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) and moving average (MA) algorithms for detecting small shifts. Effective public health surveillance systems are crucial during mass gatherings to swiftly identify and address emerging health risks. Utilizing advanced algorithms and real-time data analysis can empower authorities to improve their readiness and response capacity, thereby ensuring the protection of public health during these gatherings.

Study on microbial diversity of washing machines.

Health and environmental protection are the development trend of household appliances, coupled with the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic in the past few years. Consumers have unprecedented concerns and expectations about the sterilization and disinfection functions of household appliances. As a washing and nursing equipment for household clothes, the anti-bacterial technology of washing machine has developed rapidly. The new models of washing machines in the market have basically added the function of sterilization. In order to thoroughly solve the problem of sterilization and bacteriostasis of washing machines from the source, the distribution of microbial contamination in washing machines should be fully investigated. At present, there is almost no systematic study on the microbial community structure in washing machines in China. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the bacterial community structure in Chinese household washing machines. To explore the key factors affecting the bacterial community structure of washing machines. Bacterial communities were comprehensively analyzed by high throughput sequencing. Using chao and shannon indexes as indicators, one-way ANOVA was used to explore the key factors affecting the bacterial community structure of washing machines. A total of 2,882,778 tags and 21,265 OTUs from 522 genera were sequenced from 56 washing machine samples. Genus Mycobacterium, Pseudomonas, Brevundimonas, Sphingomonas, Sphingobium, Enhydrobacter, Methylobacterium, Pseudoxanthomonas, Stenotrophomonas and Sphingopyxis were the top ten bacteria genera in abundance. The effects of sources, types, frequency of utilization, sampling locations and service life of washing machines on bacterial diversity in washing machine were systematically analyzed. The statistical analysis showed that service life was an important factor affecting bacterial diversity in washing machine. Our study lays a foundation for directional screening of characteristic microorganisms with targeted characters including malodor-producing, fouling, pathogenic and stress-resistance, the antibacterial evaluation, metabolic mechanism of key characteristic microorganisms as well as antibacterial materials development. At present, the sterilization technology of washing machines has not been fully in combination with the distribution survey of microorganisms in washing machines. According to the specific microorganism distribution condition of the washing machine, the key distribution positions and the types of specific microorganisms contained in different positions, conduct more targeted sterilization treatment. This will help to completely solve the problem of microbial growth in washing machines from the source.

Digital biomarkers: 3PM approach revolutionizing chronic disease management — EPMA 2024 position

AbstractNon-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) have become a major global health concern. They constitute the leading cause of disabilities, increased morbidity, mortality, and socio-economic disasters worldwide.Medical condition-specific digital biomarker (DB) panels have emerged as valuable tools to manage NCDs. DBs refer to the measurable and quantifiable physiological, behavioral, and environmental parameters collected for an individual through innovative digital health technologies, including wearables, smart devices, and medical sensors. By leveraging digital technologies, healthcare providers can gather real-time data and insights, enabling them to deliver more proactive and tailored interventions to individuals at risk and patients diagnosed with NCDs.Continuous monitoring of relevant health parameters through wearable devices or smartphone applications allows patients and clinicians to track the progression of NCDs in real time. With the introduction of digital biomarker monitoring (DBM), a new quality of primary and secondary healthcare is being offered with promising opportunities for health risk assessment and protection against health-to-disease transitions in vulnerable sub-populations. DBM enables healthcare providers to take the most cost-effective targeted preventive measures, to detect disease developments early, and to introduce personalized interventions. Consequently, they benefit the quality of life (QoL) of affected individuals, healthcare economy, and society at large.DBM is instrumental for the paradigm shift from reactive medical services to 3PM approach promoted by the European Association for Predictive, Preventive, and Personalized Medicine (EPMA) involving 3PM experts from 55 countries worldwide. This position manuscript consolidates multi-professional expertise in the area, demonstrating clinically relevant examples and providing the roadmap for implementing 3PM concepts facilitated through DBs.

Tennessee hospital noncompliance with price transparency legislation for 8common laboratory tests.

The goal of this study was to assess hospital compliance with federal price transparency mandates and barriers to pricing information in Tennessee. All hospitals websites were queried for gross, cash, and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee prices for 8 high-frequency laboratory tests in 2 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services-mandated pricing sources: (1) a machine-readable file of all available services and (2) a consumer-friendly display of 300 shoppable services. Barriers, including click counts, data availability, and intrahospital price discrepancies, were noted. Of the 145 Tennessee hospitals assessed, 97.2% were noncompliant with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services final rule. Subanalysis of available machine-readable files, price estimators, and shoppable services files demonstrated 49.6%, 95.1%, and 78.6% noncompliance, respectively. Barriers to pricing information included requiring protected health information (55.9%), missing at least 1 pricing source (7.6%), having no pricing sources available (6.2%), and involving more than 3 clicks to access the cash price in machine-readable files (54.1%) and price estimators (68.6%.) Average intrahospital discrepancy for basic metabolic panel cash prices across pricing sources was $101.30 (range, $0-1012.40). Our study showed high levels of noncompliance with price transparency laws, inconsistent and inaccessible pricing, and continued challenges facing patients in Tennessee.

CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PUBLIC HEALTH

One of the objectives of the European Union is to ensure a high level of protection for its citizens, an objective that cannot be achieved without guaranteeing the protection of the health, safety and economic interests of consumers. In the context of these concerns, the European legislator has integrated consumer protection into all relevant policy areas of European Union legislation. The central aim of this policy is the protection of citizens' health, although the main responsibility in this direction rests with the Member States. Looking beyond the borders of the member states and even of the European Union, the Covid-19 pandemic has proven that health is a priority and goes beyond the area of interest, which is limited to the borders of a state or a union of states, but has gained global relevance.

Novelization of the provisions of the criminal legislation of Ukraine, which provide for liability for medical crimes and misdemeanors: issues of interpretation and enforcement

The problems of criminal law protection of life and health of a person in the field of medical care attract the special attention of scientists, because it is about the most valuable constitutional rights and freedoms of a person. At the same time, the results of the analysis of criminal statistics regarding registered medical crimes and misdemeanours, their further pretrial investigation and trial, give grounds for serious concern. The reasons for the negative investigative and judicial practice may be the shortcomings of the legal construction of the norms, numerous changes made to the Criminal Code, as well as the high latency of medical offenses. Therefore, the purpose of this article is a comprehensive study of the amendment of the criminal legislation of Ukraine, which provides for responsibility for medical offenses, identifying the shortcomings and advantages of such legislative decisions, as well as formulating separate recommendations for the enforcement of the norms of the Criminal Code. The following research methods were used to achieve the specified goals. The dialectical method of cognition made it possible to establish the norms of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which provide for responsibility for medical offenses and to reveal the problems of their enforcement. The historical method made it possible to identify all normative acts that amended the norms of the Criminal Code, which provide for liability for medical offenses. The dogmatic method made it possible to clarify the true content of such concepts as "order of application of transplantation", "activity connected with transplantation", " substantial harm to the victim's health", etc. The systemic-structural method was used to analyse such evaluative concepts as "damage to the victim's health", " substantial damage to the victim's health", "severe consequences", etc., which are used in many provisions of the Criminal Code and are interpreted in different ways in judicial practice. The comparative legal method was used to compare the regulatory national legislation of Ukraine in the field of medical care and the relevant norms of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The conducted research gave grounds for the conclusion that socially dangerous consequences in the form of "substantial harm to the victim's health", which are provided for in Part 1 of Art. 143 of the Criminal Code, cover the infliction of light physical injuries on the victim that caused a short-term health disorder or minor loss of working capacity, moderate physical injuries, severe physical injuries, as well as infection with the human immunodeficiency virus or other incurable infectious disease. At the same time, negligently causing the death of a recipient during an illegal transplantation requires additional qualification under a set of criminal offenses. The revealed cases of arbitrary and sometimes unsystematic use of different evaluation concepts of harm to human health in the norms of the Special Part of the Criminal Code point to the urgent need for unification in the criminal legislation of Ukraine, both the concept of "harm to health" and the normative consolidation of its types.

Hourly near-ground NO2 concentration retrieval from geostationary satellite observations

Abstract. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is an important contributor to the formation of acid rain, photochemical smog and aerosol particles, which seriously endangers public health. At present, remote sensing of polar-orbiting satellites is a conventional means to obtain large-scale NO2 distribution, but it cannot capture the rapid change because of long revisit periods. The Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) on the Himawari-8 geostationary satellite has the advantage of high time resolution, which makes it possible to realize near-real-time atmospheric monitoring. Here, based on the absorption characteristics of NO2 in infrared radiation, hourly near-surface NO2 concentrations are retrieved based on the brightness temperature from AHI and auxiliary information such as meteorology and aerosol. The results of 10-fold cross-validation show that NO2 estimations from satellite are in good agreement with in-situ measurements, and their determination coefficient (R2) can reach 0.79. Due to different emission and atmospheric diffusion conditions at different time, the model performance presents a diurnal variation of high accuracy in the noon and afternoon but low accuracy in the morning. Based on the retrieval dataset, it is found that high NO2 concentrations are mainly concentrated in the densely populated and industrial areas such as the North China area. In addition, NO2 pollution mainly occurs in autumn and winter, and the average NO2 concentration in winter is about 1.63 times that in summer in 2021. This study provides a new insight for satellite retrieval of NO2, which is of great significance for real-time pollution monitoring and public health protection.

Preparation and Biological Activity Studies of Octenyl Succinic Anhydride Starch-Based Emulsions Containing Natural Essential Oils and Their Components

In this study, clove essential oil (CL), eugenol (EU), and cinnamaldehyde (CI) were immobilized in starch sodium octenyl succinate (SSO) using an emulsification method. The main characteristics, stability, and biological properties of the prepared emulsions were established. Particle size analyses using dynamic light scattering showed that the smaller droplets were characteristic of emulsions containing CI (205–218 nm) and EU (181–236 nm), while the largest droplets were determined for CL emulsions (293–348 nm). Moreover, the highest antioxidant activity was determined for CL (79–83%) and EU (80–88%) emulsions, while CI emulsions showed the greatest antibacterial activity. The obtained emulsions were applied to the paper sheets and the bioactive properties of coated paper were studied. Evaluation of antioxidant properties revealed that high antioxidant activity reaching 76–92% and 87–91% was characteristic of coatings containing CL and EU, respectively. Meanwhile, coatings containing CI showed quite low antioxidant activity (4–9%) but demonstrated the greatest antimicrobial effect on Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as yeasts. Hence, CL and EU emulsions could be used as effective natural antioxidants, whereas CI emulsions could be applied as an antimicrobial agent on cellulose-based substrates for a wide range of human health protection applications.

Predicting regional sustainable development to enhance decision-making in brownfield redevelopment using machine learning algorithms

Brownfield redevelopment and land sustainable management have many interconnected aspects, which could be evaluated by regional development. Most contaminated sites in Taiwan often lack comprehensive consideration during remediation for land reuse planning; therefore, they are operated independently from regional development. Regional development is a dynamic process; however, there is a research gap in understanding how regional development can serve as an incentive for brownfield redevelopment. This study established a model for assessing regional sustainability using machine learning (ML-RSD), that model used principal component analysis (PCA) and support vector machine (SVM) to predict the comprehensive evaluation rating of regional development at the township level and to explore the trends of regional governance sustainability. The results of ML-RSD that are compared to commonly used methods (driver-pressure-state-impact-response and entropy weight method) were consistent. Indicators such as the protection of vulnerable groups (SDG1), food security (SDG2), good health and well-being (SDG3), inclusive and equitable quality education (SDG4), environmental protection (SDG6), accessible and reliable energy (SDG7), and sustainable economic growth (SDG8) were identified as the main factors affecting regional development. Additionally, the model achieved an accuracy value exceeding 80%. Additionally, the results showed that there was no significant correlation between the delisted site (completed remediation) and regional development in southern Taiwan. The model underscored the overall lower comprehensive sustainable values for regions affected by inadequate land rehabilitation governance (SDG15). The results present that brownfield redevelopment strategies should enhance their effectiveness in land adaptation and integrating brownfield redevelopment with regional sustainable development is essential for it to become a win–win solution.

Guía para el manejo de los trastornos del desarrollo sexual en la infancia, Medellín 2020-2021

Objective: to present a local guide for the management of disorders of sexual development (DSD) in childhood. Disorders of sexual development are situations in which a newborn has congenital incoherence between chromosomal, gonadal and / or genital development. Materials and methods: the Guide for action on anomalies of sexual differentiation (ADS) / different sexual development (DSD) of the Spanish Pediatric Association published in 2018 was adapted, according to the guidelines of the Guide for Adoption-Adaptation of Guides of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Institute of Technological Evaluation in Health in Colombia 2017. The GRADE system was used for the global qualification of the evidence and this guide was evaluated with the AGREE II-Global Rating Scale (AGREE II-GRS) tool. Through the Delphi method, a consensus was made with national experts who contributed their opinions about the diagnosis, management and follow-up of these disorders, which were included. Results: a guide was developed with 15 evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of TDS in childhood. Conclusions: the management of TDS in childhood requires the participation of an interdisciplinary group that, in accordance with the recommendations in the light of current knowledge, guarantees to advance and improve technologies for both its diagnosis, as well as for its various therapies and the follow-up that implies the complexity of these disorders.

Strategic threat health response in Australia capital cities: Predicting the optimum locations for field hospitals through geospatial analysis

AbstractObjectiveThe advent of the COVID‐19 pandemic has accentuated the critical importance of epidemic preparedness within national healthcare systems. This study presents a geospatial analysis aimed at optimising the placement of field hospitals in Australia to ensure adequate healthcare access during pandemics.MethodsThe latest census data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics were integrated with the spatial locations of current emergency departments within Australian capitals. Buffer zones with a 7.5 km radius were created around the public emergency departments (EDs). Buffer zones outside the 7.5 km radius that exhibited high population densities were categorised into high‐density (red), moderate‐density (yellow) and low‐density (green) zones to prioritise and tailor healthcare responses during a pandemic. The identification of high‐density population areas outside the ED radius enabled the stratification of potential sites for ED facilities.ResultsNinety‐one potential field hospital sites were identified across Australia's capital cities. The findings indicate that the addition of these sites would place over 95% of the population within a 7.5 km radius of an ED facility. This network of proposed sites is designed to serve a spectrum of population densities, ensuring equitable healthcare access for both densely populated urban centres and less populated areas.ConclusionsThis study underscores the potential of field hospitals to strengthen Australia's public health system against emergencies. By advocating for the creation of 91 field hospitals within a 7.5 km reach for over 95% of urban dwellers across major cities, it demonstrates a strategic approach to ensure comprehensive ED coverage. Drawing on international examples, including China's Fangcang hospitals, the USA's post‐acute care (PAC) facilities and the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) Nightingale Hospitals, it highlights the need for healthcare agility and scalability, especially during pandemic outbreaks. The research presents a blueprint for field hospital deployment, marking a significant advancement in public health logistics and protection across Australia's varied demographic and geographical landscapes.

Fall-risk assessment of aged workers using wearable inertial measurement units based on machine learning

Falls are the major cause of fatal and nonfatal incidents among aged workers. Estimating individual fall risk is crucial for occupational protection and public health. This study aimed to develop a fall-risk assessment method based on Machine Learning (ML) and Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs). A total of 28 aged workers (60 to 80 years old) participated in this study, recruited from community sanitation workers and janitors. They were categorized into high and low fall-risk groups based on functional gait assessment. Each participant performed 5 sets of motion experiments in the lab, covering 6 daily motions. We gathered their kinematic data with IMUs for training ML-based fall-risk assessment models. Five classic ML classifiers were optimized using grid search, and a Convolutional Neural Network and Long Short-Term Memory (CNN-LSTM) hybrid deep neural network was built to recognize walking motion from kinematic data for input into the fall-risk assessment model. The results demonstrated that ML classifiers trained with walking motion data exhibited superior performance. Cross-validation revealed that the optimized Random Forest classifier, with IMU on the right upper leg, reached 91.3 % accuracy. Additionally, the CNN-LSTM models were evaluated using F1-score, which can balance accuracy and coverage of model performance evaluation. The CNN-LSTM achieved a maximum F1-score of 95.18 %, proving their effectiveness in extracting walking motion data. These findings indicate that the developed IMU-based ML method exhibits excellent performance in assessing fall risk, potentially allowing aged workers to assess their fall risk before clinical diagnosis by embedding it in wearable IMUs.

Refugees' right to health: A case study of Poland's disparate migration policies.

Poland has faced two waves of migration: the first was of irregular asylum seekers, which led to the humanitarian crisis on the eastern EU-Belarusian border since 2021; the second was of Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion. Although there are noticeable differences between these situations, and between the different reactions of the Polish authorities, it is possible to juxtapose them in terms of the right to health. The normative content of refugee and human rights law is the starting point for reconstructing the meaning of the terms 'refugee' and 'right to health'. A refugee is a person who needs international protection because of a well-founded fear of harm, which is not limited to persecution as defined by the Refugee Conventionbut also includes situations of international and non-international armed conflict. The right to health, which includes, inter alia, entitlements to a 'system of health protection' and 'underlying determinations of health', is reconstructed on the basis of human rights law and refugee and migration law. There are no legal and moral grounds to grant the right to health differentially to different groups of refugees. Nondiscriminatory health policy requires that refugees have the same access to health care as nationals, although their specific health needs resulting from past experiences and refugee situation require special treatment, that is, an appropriate refugee health policy. The broad understanding of the underlying determinants of health demonstrates the importance of overall migration policy for refugees' health, which can jeopardise the fragile good of refugee health.

Use of measurement results from a mobile laboratory in the diagnostics of anthropogenic environment - linear ordering of objects using the TOPSIS method

The measurements of the concentrations of gaseous and dust pollutants in the anthropogenic environment are an important element of environmental monitoring and for determining directions of preventive activities in the field of health protection. The article presents the results involving the concentrations of suspended dust and gaseous pollutants in the outdoor air, which were recorded at three measuring stations of air quality in the Silesian and Opole voivodeships (Wodzisław Śląski, Zabrze, Kędzierzyn-Koźle). The results were supplemented with the values recorded by the mobile laboratory located at the Center for Continuing Education - Branch of the Silesian University of Technology in Rybnik. The research results were used for a synthetic assessment of the threat level to the anthropogenic environment. In the computational layer, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was employed, which is included in the group of methods for solving multi-criteria decision-making problems (Multi Attribute Decision Making).

Utilisation and barriers of social health protection program among its enrolled population of federally administrative areas, Pakistan

ObjectivesThe objective of this research is to analyse the extent of utilisation and identify the barriers faced by individuals in the Federally Administrative Area of Pakistan concerning the Social Health...

Introduction to Guidelines for public health protection against high temperature and heatwaves

In recent years, the high temperature and heatwaves have seriously affected the health of Chinese residents, and there is an important need for public health protection guidelines for high temperature and heatwaves in China. The National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention has organized experts to fully investigate the evidence from epidemiological research on the health of populations in high temperature and heatwaves globally and in China, analyze the health hazards and protection needs of different populations, and put forward practical and effective individual protection measures and health recommendations. For this reason, the "Guideline for Public Health Protection against High Temperature and Heatwaves" (referred to as the "Guideline") was officially issued in June 2023. This article interprets the background and significance of the Guideline, the principles of compilation, the main considerations, the main contents, the implementations and promotions and other aspects, to improve the understanding of the content of the Guideline and strengthen the publicity and implementations.

Multiple signal-enhanced electrochemiluminescence aptamer sensors based on carboxylated ruthenium (II) complexes for acetamiprid detection

BackgroundRapid and sensitive detection for acetamiprid, a kind of widely used neonicotinoid insecticide, is very meaningful for the development of modern agriculture and the protection of human health. Highly stable electrochemiluminescence (ECL) materials are one of the key factors in ECL sensing technology. ECL materials prepared by porous materials (e.g., MOFs) coated with chromophores have been used for ECL sensing detection, but these materials have poor stability because the chromophores escape when they are in aqueous solution. Therefore, the development of highly stable ECL materials is of great significance to improve the sensitivity of ECL sensing technology. ResultsIn this work, by combining etched metal-organic frameworks (E-UIO-66-NH2) as carrier with Tris(4,4′-dicarboxylic acid-2,2′-bipyridine)Ru(II) chloride (Ru(dcbpy)32+) as signal probe via amide bonds, highly stable nanocomposites (E-UIO-66-NH2-Ru) with excellent ECL performance were firstly prepared. Then, using MoS2 loaded with AuNPs as substrate material and co-reactant promoter, a signal off-on-off ECL aptamer sensor was prepared for sensitive detection of acetamiprid. Due to the excellent catalytic activity of E-UIO-66-NH2-Ru and MoS2@Au towards K2S2O8, the ECL signals can be enhanced by multiple signal enhancement pathways, the prepared ECL aptamer sensor could achieve sensitive detection of acetamiprid in the linear range of 10−13 to10−7 mol L−1, with the limit of detection (LOD) of 2.78ⅹ10−15 mol L−1 (S/N = 3). After the evaluation of actual sample testing, this sensing platform was proven to be an effective method for the detection of acetamiprid in food and agricultural products. Significance and noveltyThe E-UIO-66-NH2-Ru prepared by linking Ru(dcbpy)32+ to E-UIO-66-NH2 via amide bonding has very high stability. The synergistic catalytic effect of MoS2 and AuNPs enhanced the ECL signal. By exploring the sensing mechanism and evaluating the actual sample tests, the proposed signal "on-off" ECL sensing strategy was proved to be an effective and excellent ECL sensing method for sensitive and stable detection of acetamiprid.

The Fundamental Right to Oral Health and Its Judicialization in The Brazilian State

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the protection of the right to oral health as a fundamental human right, analyzing the legal demands on the subject, with the aim of understanding how the protection of oral health has occurred by the Brazilian Judiciary, as well as the parameters established by the courts. Theoretical Framework: The right to health, as a human right, was recognized for the first time in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It should be noted that human rights are indispensable for the debate regarding the guarantee of the right to qualified and safe oral health, with a direct relationship between general health, oral health and human dignity. Furthermore, the National Oral Health Policy of the Brazilian State, materialized in Law No. 14,572/2023, attributes to the Unified Health System (SUS) the competence to define the guidelines and standards for the physical and organizational structure of oral health services, serving as panel to reflect on its importance, which goes beyond the aesthetics of the smile, permeating essential aspects of the physical, mental and social health of human beings. Method: The methodology applied was the deductive method; As for the means of research, bibliographical methods were used, using doctrine, legislation and jurisprudence on the subject; Regarding the purposes, the research is understood as qualitative. Results and discussion: The results obtained revealed that, although oral health is a right constitutionally affirmed by the Brazilian State, given the implicit recognition as a social right in article 6 of the Magna Carta, the judicial route still stands out as an important instrument for its implementation. The need to implement greater protection, in practice, for oral health is evident, since, despite legislative developments to achieve this fundamental human right, there is a lack of concrete actions by the Executive Branch. Research Implications: The results of this work are of great relevance for the health of the Brazilian population, and the need to implement greater protection for oral health remains evident, since, despite legislative developments in Brazil and the world to expand the scope of this human right fundamental, there is a lack of concrete actions by the Executive Branch to implement social and economic policies guaranteed in art. 196 of the Federal Constitution. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that the Judiciary, in the 21st century, continues to be constantly used as an alternative to implement the right to oral health, which demonstrates that this right still remains on the margins of general health and society. In this way, the jurisprudential survey carried out is of great relevance in the knowledge acquired that can contribute to the promotion of public policies aimed at oral health.

Experimental study on enhancing electrostatic charging of nonwoven filter media through novel electrode configurations

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the urgent need for efficient particle filtration to tackle public health challenges. This study compares the electrostatic charging capabilities of two types of electrodes: conventional Metal Lamellar Electrodes (MLE) and Modified Lamellar Plate Electrodes (MLPE) with PMMA insulation, in their role of charging nonwoven polypropylene filter media. Experimental analysis unequivocally demonstrates the superiority of MLPE in promoting effective electrostatic charge, as influenced by applied high voltage and inter-electrode distance, resulting in a significant enhancement in fine particle filtration. Numerical simulations of the electric field conducted using the COMSOL software and employing the Finite Element Method (FEM) validate these findings. FEM discretizes the domain into small finite elements and applies Laplace's equation in charge-free regions, providing a comprehensive understanding of the behavior of dual-electrode corona discharge systems. These simulations indicate higher field intensities for MLPE compared to MLE.By integrating experimental and numerical analyses, this study sheds light on the potential benefits of MLPE for air filtration systems, offering a noteworthy advancement in the control of airborne infections and reduction of environmental health risks. This research lays the groundwork for the development of more efficient and durable filtration systems, meeting the increasing demands for public health protection.The findings of this study suggest that the adoption of MLPE could significantly contribute to improving indoor air quality and mitigating the transmission of respiratory diseases. MLPE may also find utility in industrial filtration and air purification in sensitive work environments. Ultimately, this research sets the stage for the development of more efficient and sustainable filtration systems, addressing the growing needs for public health protection.

Effectiveness of BNT162b2 Vaccine Against Symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children Aged 5-11 Years in Japan During Omicron Variant Predominate Periods.

Although the effectiveness of BNT162b2 messenger RNA vaccines against the Omicron variant has been reported in several countries, data are limited in children living in Asian countries. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the effectiveness of the pediatric primary two-dose monovalent mRNA vaccine series in preventing symptomatic novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Japan. We conducted a test-negative case-control study (262 test-positive cases and 259 test-negative controls) in patients aged 5-11 years who presented with COVID-19-like symptoms during the Omicron BA.2- and BA.5-predominant periods. Vaccination status, demographic data, underlying medical conditions, lifestyle, personal protective health behaviors, living environment, and PCR test results were obtained using parent-administered questionnaires and clinical records. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) against symptomatic COVID-19 was calculated using a multivariate logistic regression analysis. Of the test-positive cases and test-negative controls, 9.2% (n = 24) and 12.7% (n = 33) received two vaccine doses, respectively. Having siblings and a BA.5-dominant period were significantly associated with symptomatic COVID-19. After adjusting for age, siblings, study period, and duration after the last vaccination, the overall VE of two-dose vaccination was 50.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5-74%). VE was 72% (95% CI, 24-89%) within 3 months after the two-dose vaccination, while it decreased to 24% (95% CI, -80% to 68%) after 3 months. Two BNT162b messenger RNA vaccine doses provided moderate protection against symptomatic COVID-19 during the Omicron variant period. A time-dependent decrease in VE was noted after the second dose; thus, a booster dose 3 months after the second dose is warranted.