Tremendous Socioeconomic Impact Research Articles

Bacteriology of Different Phenotypes of Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) reduces the health-related quality of life and subsequently causes a tremendous socio-economic impact. Although many studies have been conducted, few have identified a relationship between bacteriological characteristics and different phenotypes or endotypes. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the recent trends in bacterial cultures from different types of CRS in the Asian population. This retrospective case-control study recruited patients diagnosed with CRS who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) at a tertiary hospital in Taiwan. The patients were classified into those with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP)/chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP), eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (eCRS)/non-eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (NECRS), and central compartment atopic disease (CCAD)/lateral-dominant nasal polyp (LDNP) groups. The demographic data and bacteriological characteristics of the groups were analyzed. We included 503 patients, identifying no significant difference between CRSwNP and CRSsNP for several common bacteria in CRS. The number of Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates in culture was significantly higher in the NECRS group (50.46% vs. 32.56%, p = 0.0003) than that in the eCRS group. The number of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA; 8.51% vs. 2.35%, p = 0.0221) positive isolates was significantly higher in the CCAD group than that in the LDNP group. This was the first study in Asia to analyze the relationship between bacteriological characteristics and CCAD. MRSA is significantly higher in the CCAD group than that in the LDNP group. Recognizing the unique microbiology of CRSwNP, eCRS, and CCAD is crucial when selecting antimicrobial therapy to lessen the socio-economic impact. 3 Laryngoscope, 134:1071-1076, 2024.

Multiplex epigenome editing of ion channel expression in nociceptive neurons abolished degenerative IVD-conditioned media-induced mechanical sensitivity.

Low back pain is a major contributor to disability worldwide and generates a tremendous socioeconomic impact. The degenerative intervertebral disc (IVD) has been hypothesized to contribute to discogenic pain by sensitizing nociceptive neurons innervating the disc to stimuli that is nonpainful in healthy patients. Previously, we demonstrated the ability of degenerative IVDs to sensitize neurons to mechanical stimuli; however, elucidation of degenerative IVDs discogenic pain mechanisms is required to develop therapeutic strategies that directly target these mechanisms. In this study, we utilized CRISPR epigenome editing of nociceptive neurons to identify mechanisms of degenerative IVD-induced changes to mechanical nociception and demonstrated the ability of multiplex CRISPR epigenome editing of nociceptive neurons to modulate inflammation-induced mechanical nociception. Utilizing an in vitro model, we demonstrated degenerative IVD-produced IL-6-induced increases in nociceptive neuron activity in response to mechanical stimuli, mediated by TRPA1, ASIC3, and Piezo2 ion channel activity. Once these ion channels were identified as mediators of degenerative IVD-induced mechanical nociception, we developed singleplex and multiplex CRISPR epigenome editing vectors that modulate endogenous expression of TRPA1, ASIC3, and Piezo2 via targeted gene promoter histone methylation. When delivered to nociceptive neurons, the multiplex CRISPR epigenome editing vectors abolished degenerative IVD-induced mechanical nociception while preserving nonpathologic neuron activity. This work demonstrates the potential of multiplex CRISPR epigenome editing as a highly targeted gene-based neuromodulation strategy for the treatment of discogenic pain, specifically; and, for the treatment of inflammatory chronic pain conditions, more broadly.

Batteryless Backscatter Sensor Networks—Part II: Lessons From Scalable Deployment

Inspired by the challenges presented in Part I, Part II examines analog ambient backscatter for scalable, batteryless, wireless and ultra-low cost sensing of soil moisture. Ultra-low power ambient backscatter sensors are built, with accuracy below 4%, cost of a few euros per sensor and ability to report soil moisture to any conventional FM radio-equipped smartphone. Calibration, characterization, extensive usage and evaluation was conducted in research greenhouses and small-scale farms. Probabilistic graphical model-based algorithms were also devised that complete missing measurements. Hopefully, this work will spark further interest in batteryless backscatter sensor networks with holistic approaches and tremendous socioeconomic impact.

Intraseasonal‐to‐seasonal evolution of soil moisture‐based droughts and floods in observation‐based datasets and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 models

AbstractDroughts and floods are extreme events that have tremendous socioeconomic impact. Many studies have investigated their possible variations under the effects of climate changes, while their intraseasonal‐to‐seasonal characteristics have received less attention. Based on observation‐constrained monthly soil moisture (SM) datasets since 1980, we analysed the spatiotemporal characteristics of global SM at the intraseasonal‐to‐seasonal time scales and the associated influencing factors. The results were then used to evaluate the performance of simulations by Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) models. It is found that the frequencies of extreme wet events are slightly higher than those of extreme dry events, but their spatial distributions are similar and are both affected by precipitation variability. Extreme events tend to have longer durations than nonextreme events, and their global mean durations are 4–5 months. Globally, dry events persist longer than wet events. Maximum SM anomalies are strongly affected by earlier precipitation and this effect is stronger in a transitional climate. The onset and peak times of SM anomalies in a year occur most frequently near the peak time of precipitation rather than that of SM. Approximately half of CMIP6 models overestimate the durations of both dry and wet events and approximately one third of models only underestimate wet events durations. Different versions of the same model produce similar event durations. The findings of this study enhance understanding of the intraseasonal‐to‐seasonal variabilities of global droughts and floods and could provide guidance for future study of land–atmosphere interactions and prediction of extreme events.

A Semi-Supervised Multi-Task Learning Approach for Predicting Short-Term Kidney Disease Evolution.

Kidney Disease (KD) may hide complex causes and is associated with a tremendous socio-economic impact. Timely identification and management from the first level of medical care represent the most effective strategy to address the growing global burden sustainably. Clinical practice guidelines suggest utilizing estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) for routine evaluation within a screening purpose. Accordingly, the analysis of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) using Machine Learning techniques offers great opportunities to monitor and predict the eGFR trend over time. This paper aims to propose a novel Semi-Supervised Multi-Task Learning (SS-MTL) approach for predicting short-term KD evolution on multiple General Practitioners' EHR data. We demonstrated that the SS-MTL approach can (i) capture the eGFR temporal evolution by imposing a temporal relatedness between consecutive time windows and (ii) exploit useful information from unlabeled patients when labeled patients are less numerous with a gain of up to 4.1% in terms of Recall. This situation reflects the real-case scenario, where available labeled samples are limited, but those unlabeled much more abundant. The SS-MTL approach, also given the high level of interpretability, might be the ideal candidate in general practice to get integrated within a decision support system for KD screening purposes.

The Effect of Blue-Enriched Lighting on Medical Error Rate in a University Hospital ICU

Fatigue-related errors that occur during patient care impose a tremendous socioeconomic impact on the health care system. Blue-enriched light has been shown to promote alertness and attention. The present study tested whether blue-enriched light can help to reduce medical errors in a university hospital adult ICU. In this interventional study, a blue-enriched white light emitting diode was used to enhance traditional fluorescent light at the nurse workstation and common areas in the ICU. Medical errors were identified retrospectively using an established two-step surveillance process. Suspected incidents of potential errors detected on nurse chart review were subsequently reviewed by two physicians blinded to lighting conditions, who made final classifications. Error rates were compared between the preintervention fluorescent and postintervention blue-enriched lighting conditions using Poisson regression. The study included a total of 1,073 ICU admissions, 522 under traditional and 551 under interventional lighting (age range 17-97 years, mean age ± standard deviation 58.5 ± 15.8). No difference was found in overall medical error rate (harmful and non-harmful) pre- vs. postintervention, 45.5 vs. 42.7 per 1,000 patient-days (rate ratio: 0.94, 95% confidence interval = 0.71-1.23, p = 0.64). Interventional lighting did not have an effect on overall medical error rate. The study was likely underpowered to detect the 25% error reduction predicted. Future studies are required that are powered to assess more modest effects for lighting to reduce the risk of fatigue-related medical errors and errors of differing severity.

Emerging Therapeutic Strategies for Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating neurologic condition with tremendous socioeconomic impact on affected individuals and the health care system. The treatment of SCI principally includes surgical treatment and marginal pharmacologic and rehabilitation therapies targeting secondary events with minor clinical improvements. This unsuccessful result mainly reflects the complexity of SCI pathophysiology and the diverse biochemical and physiologic changes that occur in the injured spinal cord. Once the nervous system is injured, cascades of cellular and molecular events are triggered at varying times. Although the cascade of tissue reactions and cell injury develops over a period of days or weeks, the most extensive cell death in SCI occurs within hours of trauma. This situation suggests that early intervention is likely to be the most promising approach to rescue the cord from further and irreversible cell damage. Over the past decades, a wealth of research has been conducted in preclinical and clinical studies with the hope to find new therapeutic strategies. Researchers have identified several targets for the development of potential therapeutic interventions (e.g., neuroprotection, replacement of cells lost, removal of inhibitory molecules, regeneration, and rehabilitation strategies to induce neuroplasticity). Most of these treatments have passed preclinical and initial clinical evaluations but have failed to be strongly conclusive in the clinical setting. This narrative review provides an update of the many therapeutic interventions after SCI, with an emphasis on the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms.

White paper on venomous snakebite in India.

Venomous snakebite is one of the leading preventable causes of mortality and morbidity with tremendous socio-economic impact on the family and nation. Venomous snakebite has been relisted as a neglected tropical disease after having been removed off the list in 2013. This paper discusses the various reasons which could be attributed to the high mortality and morbidity due to venomous snakes and also provides recommendations on policy decisions, improvement on the quality of venom and anti-snake venom and in promoting awareness on how to avoid snakebite.

Moving forward to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals: How do we secure sustainable investments for family planning?

Evidence demonstrates how rights-based family planning (FP) brings transformational benefits to women, families, communities and countries. Investing in FP is not only a human rights issue, but also a key catalytic factor for countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sustainable and equitable access to FP has a tremendous socioeconomic impact and boosts synergistic efforts to reduce poverty, achieve food security and improved nutrition, save lives and improve health and well-being, improve women’s and girls’ education, advance gender equality and empowerment, mitigate the effects of access to water and sanitation, reduce the impact on health of climate change, and contribute to economic growth and social inclusion. Nevertheless, while the benefits are realized across many other sectors, the burden of financing for FP is born predominantly by the health sector. Although there have been several attempts to integrate FP into other sectors’ initiatives, the results have not yet been fully systematized or scaled up. This open letter calls for a new approach to broaden the attention of different sectors to invest in FP as a catalytic intervention to achieve the SDGs. Using the UNFPA Conceptual Framework for Sustainable Financing for Family Planning, we will highlight elements to be considered by development actors in shaping national, regional and global actions. By exploring new funding sources and mechanisms to increase investments in FP, maximizing efficiency, and overall, revamping FP beyond the health sector, we intend to expand the reach of the discussions across non-traditional actors, underscoring the need to increase efforts towards guaranteeing universal health access for all as a main contributor to achieve the 2030 agenda. Further, we will detail experiences of how UNFPA and development partners have incorporated innovative approaches to secure sustainable financing for FP at the national level providing concrete examples on how to proceed in this area.

Tension-type headache

Tension-type headache is the most common primary headache disorder. The life-time prevalence of tension-type headache in general population is between 30 to 78%. Tension-type has the tremendous socio-economic impact on the individual and the society. Unfortunately, it is the least studied primary headache. The pathophysiology of this headache disorder is not fully understood. The diagnosis of tension-type headache is based on the history, and general and neurological examinations. Abnormalities in peripheral and central nociceptive nervous systems in combination with environmental and genetic factors may play a role in the pathophysiology of tension-type headache. The pharmacotherapy of episodic tension-type headache is non-specific and includes simple analgesics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Tricyclic antidepressants are the mainstay in the prophylactic treatment of chronic tension-type headache.

The effect of transcranial direct current stimulation combined with functional task training on motor recovery in stroke patients.

The field of neuromodulation encompasses a wide spectrum of interventional technologies that modify pathological activity within the nervous system to achieve a therapeutic effect. Therapy including transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has all shown promising results across a range of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. This article reviews the state-of-the-art of neuromodulation for stroke and discusses the opportunities and challenges available for clinicians and researchers interested in advancing neuromodulation therapy. The annual worldwide incidence of stroke ranges from 27.5 to 63 individuals per 100,000. Stroke, a major cause of adult disability, has devastating effects on patients and their caregivers, which has a tremendous socioeconomic impact on families and healthcare systems around the world. There are only a few treatments available for the improvement of motor function in stroke patients. The majority of these treatments are based on functional motor learning (ML) strategies. Both the mechanisms underlying stroke recovery and the effectiveness of neurorehabilitation interventions still remain poorly understood for widespread implementation, although it strongly depends on the quality of rehabilitation service to reach maximal post-stroke recovery.

Disability and socio-economic impact of mental disorders in the state of Punjab, India: Findings from national mental health survey, 2015-2016.

Mental illness results in a plethora of distressing issues, has tremendous socio-economic impact and causes socio-occupational dysfunction in the individual as well as the caregivers. There is a felt need to explore the disability caused by mental illness and the associated socio-economic impact at the population level in a developing nation like India. To elucidate the disability and socio-economic impact associated with mental illness at the individual and household levels for the state of Punjab in India. This was a multisite cross-sectional study carried out during 2015-2016 (as a part of the National Mental Health Survey of India) in three districts and one urban metro area of Punjab. The sample was selected using multi-stage, stratified, random cluster sampling technique, with random selection based on Probability Proportionate to Size (PPS) at different stages. A validated set of questions was used to assess the socio-economic impact of mental illness and the Sheehan Disability Scale was used to document self-perceived disability among individuals with mental morbidity. Median (IQR) and proportions were used to summarize quantitative and qualitative data, respectively Results: Subjects with any mental morbidity reported disability of varying severities across different domains of life; family life was affected the most (70.1%). One in every six persons reported that their mental illness interfered with their daily activities to a large extent. Economic burden was high and a typical family would spend about INR 1500/month (US$23) towards the treatment of its member with mental morbidity. Family members had to forego their work for at least 7 days in 3 months to take care of their relative with mental illness. Mental illness causes disability in the individual and has tremendous socio-economic impact on the family, incapacitating a family's productivity to a large extent and thus affecting the society.

Managing Risk for Sustainable Microfinance

Sustainable micro-finance depends on the appropriate management of credit risk. However, small and micro businesses (SMBs) tend to offer little information on their default probability, which poses serious challenges for their micro-finance needs. Given the tremendous socioeconomic impact of SMBs, it is essential that they receive appropriate guidance. The current situation is not sustainable – sometimes lenders charge excessive interest or withdraw funding if limited by regulatory ceilings; sometimes lenders underestimate SMB credit risk, through an insufficient understanding of intrinsic risk. To alleviate this problem, we propose an insurance framework to determine the feasible range of insurance premium.

Sero-prevalence and intrinsic factors associated with Brucella infection in food animals slaughtered at abattoirs in Abuja, Nigeria

BackgroundBrucellosis, a neglected tropical food-borne zoonotic disease, has a negative impact on both animal and human health as well as tremendous socio-economic impact in developing countries where rural income relies largely on livestock breeding and dairy products. It is endemic in the animal population in Nigeria and is a recognized occupational hazard. This work was done to establish the sero-prevalence and predisposing factors of food animals in Abuja, Nigeria to Brucella infection.ResultsOf 376 cattle, 203 sheep and 260 goats screened, 21 (5.6%); 19 (9.4%); 51 (19.6%) were positive, respectively for brucellosis with Rose Bengal Plate Test, and 2 (0.5%); 4 (2.0%); 10 (3.8%), respectively with c-ELISA. The likelihood of acquiring Brucella infection was higher among the Red Sokoto breed of goats compared to other breeds of goats (p = 0.05).ConclusionThis study showed that the prevalence of Brucella infection was low in food animals slaughtered at abattoirs in Abuja. However, of all animals screened, seropositivity to Brucella infection was highest in goats with Red Sokoto breed of goats more likely to acquire the disease when compared to other breeds.

A TaqMan real time probe assay for specific detection and quantification of lapinized vaccine strain of classical swine fever virus

Classical swine fever (CSF) is a highly contagious viral disease having a tremendous socio-economic impact. In CSF endemic countries such as India, control strategies depend heavily on the use of a live attenuated vaccine. The persistence of vaccine virus in tissue/blood of vaccinated animals may interfere with the diagnosis when RT-PCR assay is used for CSF diagnosis. A TaqMan based real-time RT-PCR assay was developed with primers and probe targeting the NS5B region of the lapinized CSFV (vaccine strain) used in India for detection and quantification of lapinized CSFV. The real-time TaqMan RT-PCR assay presented in the current study provided a rapid, specific and sensitive diagnostic tool for the detection of LCSFV and for quantification of virus load in various organs. This real time RT-PCR assay can differentiate the infected from vaccinated animals and quantification assay can be used for post-vaccination studies.

Functional genomic analyses of Enterobacter, Anopheles and Plasmodium reciprocal interactions that impact vector competence.

BackgroundMalaria exerts a tremendous socioeconomic impact worldwide despite current control efforts, and novel disease transmission-blocking strategies are urgently needed. The Enterobacter bacterium Esp_Z, which is naturally harboured in the mosquito midgut, can inhibit the development of Plasmodium parasites prior to their invasion of the midgut epithelium through a mechanism that involves oxidative stress. Here, a multifaceted approach is used to study the tripartite interactions between the mosquito, Esp_Z and Plasmodium, towards addressing the feasibility of using sugar-baited exposure of mosquitoes to the Esp_Z bacterium for interruption of malaria transmission.MethodsThe ability of Esp_Z to colonize Anopheles gambiae midguts harbouring microbiota derived from wild mosquitoes was determined by qPCR. Upon introduction of Esp_Z via nectar feeding, the permissiveness of colonized mosquitoes to Plasmodium falciparum infection was determined, as well as the impact of Esp_Z on mosquito fitness parameters, such as longevity, number of eggs laid and number of larvae hatched. The genome of Esp_Z was sequenced, and transcriptome analyses were performed to identify bacterial genes that are important for colonization of the mosquito midgut, as well as for ROS-production. A gene expression analysis of members of the oxidative defence pathway of Plasmodium berghei was also conducted to assess the parasite’s oxidative defence response to Esp_Z exposure.ResultsEsp_Z persisted for up to 4 days in the An. gambiae midgut after introduction via nectar feeding, and was able to significantly inhibit Plasmodium sporogonic development. Introduction of this bacterium did not adversely affect mosquito fitness. Candidate genes involved in the selection of a better fit Esp_Z to the mosquito midgut environment and in its ability to condition oxidative status of its surroundings were identified, and parasite expression data indicated that Esp_Z is able to induce a partial and temporary shutdown of the ookinetes antioxidant response.ConclusionsEsp_Z is capable of inhibiting sporogonic development of Plasmodium in the presence of the mosquito’s native microbiota without affecting mosquito fitness. Several candidate bacterial genes are likely mediating midgut colonization and ROS production, and inhibition of Plasmodium development appears to involve a shutdown of the parasite’s oxidative defence system. A better understanding of the complex reciprocal tripartite interactions can facilitate the development and optimization of an Esp_Z-based malaria control strategy.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-016-1468-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Cyber Crime

Cyber Crime

SensoTube: A Scalable Hardware Design Architecture for Wireless Sensors and Actuators Networks Nodes in the Agricultural Domain.

Wireless Sensor and Actuators Networks (WSANs) constitute one of the most challenging technologies with tremendous socio-economic impact for the next decade. Functionally and energy optimized hardware systems and development tools maybe is the most critical facet of this technology for the achievement of such prospects. Especially, in the area of agriculture, where the hostile operating environment comes to add to the general technological and technical issues, reliable and robust WSAN systems are mandatory. This paper focuses on the hardware design architectures of the WSANs for real-world agricultural applications. It presents the available alternatives in hardware design and identifies their difficulties and problems for real-life implementations. The paper introduces SensoTube, a new WSAN hardware architecture, which is proposed as a solution to the various existing design constraints of WSANs. The establishment of the proposed architecture is based, firstly on an abstraction approach in the functional requirements context, and secondly, on the standardization of the subsystems connectivity, in order to allow for an open, expandable, flexible, reconfigurable, energy optimized, reliable and robust hardware system. The SensoTube implementation reference model together with its encapsulation design and installation are analyzed and presented in details. Furthermore, as a proof of concept, certain use cases have been studied in order to demonstrate the benefits of migrating existing designs based on the available open-source hardware platforms to SensoTube architecture.

Guest Editors’ Introduction: Special Issue on Cyber Crime

The twelve papers in this special section focus on the topic of cybercrimes. These computer crimes reflect the evolution of criminal practices that have adapted to the world of information and communication technologies. Cybercriminality has become a curse of the modern world with the potential to affect every one nationally and/or internationally. Individuals, companies, governments and institutions may become victims as well as (involuntary) helpers of cyber criminals. The inability to provide effective cyber-security can potentially have a tremendous socio-economic impact on global enterprises as well as individuals.

Evolution and molecular epidemiology of classical swine fever virus during a multi-annual outbreak amongst European wild boar.

Classical swine fever is a viral disease of pigs that carries tremendous socio-economic impact. In outbreak situations, genetic typing is carried out for the purpose of molecular epidemiology in both domestic pigs and wild boar. These analyses are usually based on harmonized partial sequences. However, for high-resolution analyses towards the understanding of genetic variability and virus evolution, full-genome sequences are more appropriate. In this study, a unique set of representative virus strains was investigated that was collected during an outbreak in French free-ranging wild boar in the Vosges-du-Nord mountains between 2003 and 2007. Comparative sequence and evolutionary analyses of the nearly full-length sequences showed only slow evolution of classical swine fever virus strains over the years and no impact of vaccination on mutation rates. However, substitution rates varied amongst protein genes; furthermore, a spatial and temporal pattern could be observed whereby two separate clusters were formed that coincided with physical barriers.