Sick Individuals Research Articles

Dynamics Analysis of a Delayed Crimean‐Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Model in Humans

Given that the Crimean and Congo hemorrhagic fever is one of the deadly viral diseases that occur seasonally due to the activity of the carrier “tick,” studying and developing a mathematical model simulating this illness are crucial. Due to the delay in the disease’s incubation time in the sick individual, the paper involved the development of a mathematical model modeling the transmission of the disease from the carrier to humans and its spread among them. The major objective is to comprehend the dynamics of illness transmission so that it may be controlled, as well as how time delay affects this. The discussion of every one of the solution’s qualitative attributes is included. According to the established basic reproduction number, the stability analysis of the endemic equilibrium point and the disease‐free equilibrium point is examined for the presence or absence of delay. Hopf bifurcation’s triggering circumstance is identified. Using the center manifold theorem and the normal form, the direction and stability of the bifurcating Hopf bifurcation are explored. The next step is sensitivity analysis, which explains the set of control settings that have an impact on how the system behaves. Finally, to further comprehend the model’s dynamical behavior and validate the discovered analytical conclusions, numerical simulation has been used.

Chronic dermatoses affect not only sick individuals: a review of family and caregiver burden assessment tools

Chronic dermatoses affect not only sick individuals: a review of family and caregiver burden assessment tools

In Vivo Genotoxicity and Cytotoxicity Kinetics of Trimethoprim Sulfamethoxazole in Well-nourished and Undernourished Young Rats.

Undernutrition is a serious health problem prevalent in poor countries, affecting millions of people worldwide, especially young children, pregnant women, and sick elderly individuals. This condition increases vulnerability to infections, leading to widespread use of antibiotic treatments in undernourished populations. The objective of the present study was to determine the in vivo genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) treatment according to nutritional conditions. The effects of TMP-SMX treatment were measured by analyzing the kinetics of micronucleated reticulocytes (MN-RET) induced in the peripheral blood of young, well-nourished (WN) and undernourished (UN) rats. In the WN group, two distinct peaks of MN-RET were observed, while the UN group had a significantly higher basal frequency of MN-RET compared to the WN group and only a later peak. Reticulocyte (RET) frequency slightly decreased in WN, indicating a poor cytotoxic effect. In contrast, in the UN, the treatment caused a significant increase in RET frequency. The results indicate that SMX's aromaticity index decreases when formed with TMP, suggesting potentially fewer toxic effects. In vivo TMP-SMX produces two MN-RET induction peaks in WN animals, indicating two DNA damage induction mechanisms and consequent micronucleus production. The UN rats did not display the two peaks, indicating that the first MN induction mechanism did not occur in UN, possibly due to pharmacokinetic effects, decreased metabolism or effects on cell proliferation. TMP-SMX has a slight cytotoxic effect on WN. In contrast, in the UN, the antibiotic treatment seems to favor early erythropoiesis.

Will COVID-19 become mild, like a cold?

Several recent studies conclude that an increase in the pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 cannot be ruled out. However, it should be noted that SARS-CoV-2 is a 'direct' respiratory virus - meaning it is usually spread by the respiratory route but does not routinely pass through the lymphatics like measles and smallpox. Providing its tropism does not change, it will be unique if its pathogenicity does not decrease until it becomes similar to common cold viruses. Ewald noted in the 1980s that respiratory viruses may evolve mildness because their spread benefits from the mobility of their hosts. This review examines factors that usually lower respiratory viruses' severity, including heat sensitivity (which limits replication in the warmer lungs) and changes to the virus's surface proteins. Other factors may, however, increase pathogenicity, such as replication in the lymphatic system and spreading via solid surfaces or faecal matter. Furthermore, human activities and political events could increase the harmfulness of SARS-CoV-2, including the following: large-scale testing, especially when the results are delayed; transmission in settings where people are close together and not free to move around; poor hygiene facilities; and social, political, or cultural influences that encourage sick individuals to remain active, including crises such as wars. If we can avoid these eventualities, SARS-CoV-2 is likely to evolve to be milder, although the timescale is uncertain. Observations of influenza-like pandemics suggest it may take around two decades for COVID-19 to become as mild as seasonal colds.

AI-based outdoor moving object detection for smart city surveillance

<abstract> <p>One essential component of the futuristic way of living in "smart cities" is the installation of surveillance cameras. There are a wide variety of applications for surveillance cameras, including but not limited to: investigating and preventing crimes, identifying sick individuals (coronavirus), locating missing persons, and many more. In this research, we provided a system for smart city outdoor item recognition using visual data collected by security cameras. The object identification model used by the proposed outdoor system was an enhanced version of RetinaNet. A state of the art object identification model, RetinaNet boasts lightning-fast processing and pinpoint accuracy. Its primary purpose was to rectify the focal loss-based training dataset's inherent class imbalance. To make the RetinaNet better at identifying tiny objects, we increased its receptive field with custom-made convolution blocks. In addition, we adjusted the number of anchors by decreasing their scale and increasing their ratio. Using a mix of open-source datasets including BDD100K, MS COCO, and Pascal Vocab, the suggested outdoor object identification system was trained and tested. While maintaining real-time operation, the suggested system's performance has been markedly enhanced in terms of accuracy.</p> </abstract>

Could care giving have altered the evolution of human immune strategies?

Life history theory indicates that individuals/species with a slow pace of life invest more in acquired than innate immunity. Factors that decrease the pace of life and predict greater investment in acquired immunity include increased nutritional resources, increased pathogen exposure and decreased risk of extrinsic mortality. Common care behaviors given to sick individuals produce exactly these effects: provisioning increases nutritional resources; hygiene assistance increases disease exposure of carers; and protection can reduce the risk of extrinsic mortality to sick individuals. This study, therefore, investigated under what conditions care giving behaviors might impact immune strategy and pace of life. The study employed an agent-based model approach that simulated populations with varying levels of care giving, disease mortality, disease transmissibility, and extrinsic mortality, enabling measurements of how the immune strategy and age structure of the populations changed over evolutionary time. We used multiple regressions to examine the effects of these variables on immune strategy and the age structure of the population. The findings supported our predictions that care was selected for an acquired immunity. However, the pace of life did not slow as expected. Instead, the population shifted to a faster, but also more cost-intensive reproductive strategy in which care improved child survival by subsidizing the development of acquired immune responses.

STRATEGI PEMBERIAN MANASIK KESEHATAN HAJI DAN TATA CARANYA


 
 
 The pilgrimage health ritual is for the physical and mental well-being of the pilgrims. The first step in the pilgrimage health ritual is a comprehensive health examination. The goal of the pilgrimage health ritual is to maintain the physical and mental health of the pilgrims so that they can perform the pilgrimage smoothly. The initial preparations of the pilgrims aim to reduce the risk of illness and ensure health during the pilgrimage. This research aims to outline health strategies for pilgrims before and after the pilgrimage through literature review. Pilgrims undergo psychological training to face the physical and emotional challenges of the pilgrimage. They are taught strategies to manage stress, stay motivated, and maintain inner peace to serve with focus and calmness. Additionally, the pillars of pilgrimage health also include vaccination and disease prevention. Pilgrims must receive specific vaccinations, such as meningitis and influenza, to prevent the spread of diseases. Infection prevention recommendations, such as regular handwashing, wearing masks, and avoiding contact with sick individuals, are also part of the health pillars of the pilgrimage.
 
 

Hemorheological changes in arterial hypertension in persons with and without COVID-19

BACKGROUND: Vascular resistance, and therefore blood pressure (BP), depends on vascular and rheological factors. Microrheological characteristics of red blood cells (RBCs) can affect blood viscosity (BV) and thus be included in the pathogenesis of increased blood pressure in arterial hypertension (AH). Signaling molecules such as gasotransmitters (NO, CO and H2S) regulate vascular tone and RBC microrheological characteristics and thus affect blood pressure and tissue perfusion. OBJECTIVE: It was evaluated the changes in the macro- and microrheological characteristics of blood and red blood cells (RBCs) under arterial hypertension in persons with and without COVID-19, as well as the protective effect of NO and H2S donors on the RBC microrheological properties. METHODS: Hemorheological profile parameters were recorded in group 1 individuals (n = 18, 9 women and 9 men) without a history of COVID-19; group 2 (n = 16; 11 females and 5 males), hypertensive patients who had COVID-19. As a control, there was a group of healthy individuals (group 3 n = 22). In experiments with red blood cells (RBCs) and their recovered ghosts (filled with an isotonic solution of known viscosity), deformability (RBCD) and aggregation (RBCA) were recorded after incubation of cells with sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 100μM) and sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS, 100μM). RESULTS: In patients with AH in both groups, the main parameters of the hemorheological profile were negatively changed, including a decrease in RBCD and an increase in BV, plasma viscosity (PV) and RBCA. SNP and NaHS significantly increased deformability and reduced their aggregation (p < 0.01). However, in healthy individuals, microrheological responses to GT donors (100μM) were more pronounced than in patients with AH, especially in the AH+COVID-19 group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Both gasotransmitter donors (NO and H2S) have a positive effect on the RBC microrheological characteristics in healthy and sick individuals. However in hypertensive patients, especially those who had COVID-19, microrheological responses to GT donors were significantly lower. Therefore, on the model of red cell microrheological responses, as on a test object, it is possible to determine the decrease in the sensitivity of cells and tissues to the regulatory action of gasotransmitters.

Sick individuals, sick populations revisited: a test of the Rose hypothesis for type 2 diabetes disparities

IntroductionThe Rose hypothesis predicts that since genetic variation is greater within than between populations, genetic risk factors will be associated with individuals’ risk of disease but not population disparities, and...

Tailoring medical treatment in Pakistan: The promise of precision medicine

Madam, I am writing to discuss the rapidly evolving field of precision medicine (PM), an exciting and highly relevant topic that has garnered increasing attention in Pakistan in recent years. PM is an approach that considers individual differences in genetics, environment, and lifestyle to tailor medical treatment for each patient, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach1. There are several potential benefits of PM for patients in Pakistan. By tailoring treatments to individual needs, PM can lead to more effective treatments and improved patient outcomes. For instance, a recent study found that PM approaches resulted in better outcomes for patients with head and neck cancer2. We can also see big applications of PM in diabetes, which is quite a common disease in Pakistan. PM can revolutionize diabetes care by utilizing genetics to inform diagnosis, therapy, drug dosage, monitoring, and treatment of complications, while it may not yet be widely used, it is expected to become a routine aspect of diabetes care in the near future3. In addition, PM can reduce healthcare costs in the long run by avoiding unnecessary treatments and hospitalizations4. Despite these benefits, the adoption of PM in Pakistan is still in its early stages. There is progress to be made in implementing PM in the country, and several challenges must be overcome such as investment in the infrastructure, training, research, and development required to make PM more widely available and affordable. One big issue regarding PM is its role in the public health domain, as public health experts have expressed doubts about prioritizing individualized approaches for treating sick individuals instead of population-based prevention programs that consider broader factors affecting health like behavior, environment, and society5. But populations managed by PM contribute to a vast amount of data with their unique genetic and socioeconomic traits. Through the analysis of this data using more modern technology, such as machine learning, high risk people may be predicted, which is a game-changer for public health6. To achieve this reality of PM, there is a need to invest in infrastructure, training, and research in this field. In conclusion, PM has the potential to revolutionize healthcare by providing personalized treatment options based on individual factors such as genetics and lifestyle. While there are challenges to implementing PM in LMICs, the field is advancing rapidly, and ongoing research is providing hope for the bright future of personalized medicine in Pakistan.

A Probabilistic Hesitant Fuzzy MCDM Approach to Selecting Treatment Policy For COVID-19

The global significant rise in the number of sick individuals and fatalities has made the ongoing struggle against the severe and lethal COVID-19 pandemic a global effort. There are several ongoing therapies for COVID-19, and more are being developed. However, selecting the best therapy option for COVID-19 patients is still needed. Patients may easily choose from the available COVID-19 therapies using the multi-criteria decision-making method. As a result, the present study provides an MCDM method that is created to determine COVID-19 therapies. Probabilistic Hesitant Fuzzy Set numbers, values, and ambiguity are introduced. Theorems and characteristics of PHFS numbers are also investigated in depth. The Complex Proportional Assessment technique is used, based on the PHFS, for dealing with ambiguity issues. This study uses ten criteria and three treatment methods: antibacterial medication and plasma treatment, vaccinations, as well as quarantine and in-house isolation. The study results reveal that quarantine and isolation at home mark the most effective treatment, followed by vaccinations with antibiotics and plasma therapy.

Beneficial Outcomes of Omega-6 and Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Malnourished Children: A Scoping Review

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) intake may be beneficial in many aspects during the early phase of life. This scoping review aims to examine the beneficial outcomes and intakes of omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA among children. An electronic database search on academic journals published from 2017 to 2021 was conducted using Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar. A total of 35 studies were identified and included in this scoping review. Majority of the findings found that PUFAs intake has a beneficial impact on the growth development, mental and cognitive health among children whether they are malnourished, sick or healthy individuals. Overall, this review may provide additional information on the benefits and recommended intake of supplementing PUFAs on children. More detailed research on this topic is needed to support these findings since it will contribute to the formation of the dietary intervention.

Inflammation and Psoriasis: A Comprehensive Review.

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated disease with a strong genetic component that brings many challenges to sick individuals, such as chronic illness, and which has multiple associated comorbidities like cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and psychological disorders. Understanding the interplay between the innate and adaptative immune system has led to the discovery of specific cytokine circuits (Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α), IL-23, IL-17), which has allowed scientists to discover new biomarkers that can be used as predictors of treatment response and pave the way for personalized treatments. In this review, we describe the footprint psoriasis leaves on the skin and beyond, key pathophysiological mechanisms, current available therapeutic options, and drawbacks faced by existing therapies, and we anticipate potential future perspectives that may improve the quality of life of affected individuals.

A sick sense of care: Perception of caregivers by sick individuals

A sick sense of care: Perception of caregivers by sick individuals

Attitude and Satisfaction of in-Patients Toward Hospital Meals at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano

Nutrients are essential to support the growth and healing of sick individuals. Most hospital provides meals for admitted patients. Sometimes these meals are not taken by these patients due to one reason or the other. Patients' satisfaction with hospital meals could play a role in the quality of care rendered.
 Aim: This study aimed to assess patients' attitudes and satisfaction with meals served to inpatients at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.
 Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to collect data from one hundred and thirty-one respondents utilizing a self-structured questionnaire. Data analysis was analyzed using simple descriptive statistics and results were presented in frequency and percentages.
 Results: The mean age of respondents was 41.5±5years, the majority are female 53.4%, married 66.4%, Hausa/Fulani 78.6% and have no formal education 33.4%. The preferred meal was home 68.7% and 62.6% were never asked about their choice of meal. The majority of the respondents 72.5% were satisfied with the hospital meal. There was no significant relationship between the level of income and satisfaction with hospital meals (X2 = 5.934; p = 0.115).
 Conclusion: Most patients are satisfied with the hospital meal. There was no relationship between income and satisfaction with hospital meals. It is recommended that patients be involved with the choice of meal served as this will enhance the taking of hospital meals and also help in quick healing and quality of care.

Human scent as a first-line defense against disease

Individuals may have a different body odor, when they are sick compared to healthy. In the non-human animal literature, olfactory cues have been shown to predict avoidance of sick individuals. We tested whether the mere experimental activation of the innate immune system in healthy human individuals can make an individuals’ body odor be perceived as more aversive (intense, unpleasant, and disgusting). Following an endotoxin injection (lipopolysaccharide; 0.6 ng/kg) that creates a transient systemic inflammation, individuals smelled more unpleasant compared to a placebo group (saline injection). Behavioral and chemical analyses of the body odor samples suggest that the volatile components of samples from “sick” individuals changed qualitatively rather than quantitatively. Our findings support the hypothesis that odor cues of inflammation in axillary sweat are detectable just a few hours after experimental activation of the innate immune system. As such, they may trigger behavioral avoidance, hence constituting a first line of defense against pathogens of infected conspecifics.

State of the Art on Family and Community Health Nursing International Theories, Models and Frameworks: A Scoping Review.

A Family and Community Health Nursing (FCHN) model was first conceptualized by the WHO approximately 25 years ago in response to the epidemiological transition leading to major changes in the population health needs. To date, no study has comprehensively explored the adherence of current applications of FCHN to the WHO original framework. We carried out a scoping review on PubMed, Scopus and CINAHL with the aim to compare the main features of FCHN models developed at the international level with the WHO's framework. We identified 23 studies: 12 models, six service/program descriptions, four statements and one theoretical model. The FCHN models appear to focus primarily on sick individuals and their family, mainly providing direct care and relying on Interaction, Developmental and Systems Theories. While these features fit the WHO framework, others elements of the original model are poorly represented: the involvement of FCHN in prevention activities is scarce, especially in primary and secondary prevention, and little attention is paid to the health needs of the whole population. In conclusion, current applications of FCHN show a partial adherence to the WHO framework: population approaches should be strengthened in current FCHN models, with a stronger involvement of nurses in primary and secondary prevention.

Chemo-Enzymatic Fluorescence Labeling Of Genomic DNA For Simultaneous Detection Of Global 5-Methylcytosine And 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine.

5-Methylcytosine and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine are epigenetic modifications involved in gene regulation and cancer. We present a new, simple, and high-throughput platform for multi-color epigenetic analysis. The novelty of our approach is the ability to multiplex methylation and de-methylation signals in the same assay. We utilize an engineered methyltransferase enzyme that recognizes and labels all unmodified CpG sites with a fluorescent cofactor. In combination with the already established labeling of the de-methylation mark 5-hydroxymethylcytosine via enzymatic glycosylation, we obtained a robust platform for simultaneous epigenetic analysis of these marks. We assessed the global epigenetic levels in multiple samples of colorectal cancer and observed a 3.5-fold reduction in 5hmC levels but no change in DNA methylation levels between sick and healthy individuals. We also measured epigenetic modifications in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and observed a decrease in both modification levels (5-hydroxymethylcytosine: whole blood 30 %; peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) 40 %. 5-methylcytosine: whole blood 53 %; PBMCs 48 %). Our findings propose using a simple blood test as a viable method for analysis, simplifying sample handling in diagnostics. Importantly, our results highlight the assay's potential for epigenetic evaluation of clinical samples, benefiting research and patient management.

Can social capital facilitate households' donations in rural China?

Charitable donations by individuals are an important component of the third distribution. This paper examines the causal effect of social capital on donations by households in rural China. To do so, we draw on two waves of nationally representative household survey data collected by the authors themselves on 3295 households from eight provinces in China in 2018 and 2022. Our data show that about 24% of sample households ever donated money in 2019–2021, with the primary purpose of helping poor and sick individuals. We further use an instrumental variable approach to address the potential endogeneity of social networks. Results from two-stage least squares suggest that rural households with more social capital (as indicated by stronger social networks and with CPC family members) not only tend to be more likely to donate, but also donate more frequently and more amount during the study period. Results from mechanism analyses suggest that social capital promotes rural households' donations through the information effect, responsibility effect and reputation effect. The above results are robust to different model specifications and weighting schemes. This paper adds empirical evidence to inform policy-making in promoting charitable donations in China's pursuit of common prosperity.

The walking sick: Perception of experimental sickness from biological motion

Identification of sick conspecifics allows for avoidance of infectious threats, and is therefore an important behavioral defense against diseases. Here, we investigated if humans can identify sick individuals solely from biological motion and posture (using point-light displays). Additionally, we sought to determine which movements and sickness parameters would predict such detection. We collected video clips and derived point-light displays (one stride presented in a loop) of sick walkers (injected with lipopolysaccharide at 2.0 ng/kg body weight) and the same walkers when healthy (injected with saline). We then presented these displays to two groups, one group classified each walker as sick or healthy (study 1, n = 106), and the other group scored the walkers’ health on a visual analogue scale (study 2, n = 106). The raters were able to identify sick individuals above chance, and rated sick walkers as having worse health, both from observing video clips and point-light displays. Furthermore, both sickness detection and worse apparent health were predicted by inflammation-induced increase in rigidity and slower walking, but not other cues. Altogether, these findings indicate that biological motion can serve as a sickness cue, possibly allowing humans to identify sick conspecifics from a distance, and thereby allowing for disease avoidance.