Poor Research Articles

Sex, Gender, and Stroke Recovery: Functional Limitations and Inpatient Care Needs in Canadian and European Survivors.

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability among survivors. Past literature already investigated the biological sex differences in stroke outcome, still limited work on gender differences is published. Therefore, the study aimed at investigating whether biological sex and sociocultural gender of survivors play a role as determinants of disability and quality of life among stroke survivors across Europe and Canada. Data were gathered from the European Health Information Survey (EHIS, n=316,333) and Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS, n=127,462) datasets. Main outcomes of interest were disability, assessed through evaluating the impairment of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (iADL), and inpatient care needs, such as hospitalization or institutionalization. Multivariate logistic regression models were utilized to identify factors independently associated with outcomes. Federated analysis was conducted for cross-country comparisons. Data were adjusted for the country-specific Gender Inequality Index (GII), with higher score corresponding to more gender inequality towards femalesResults: Female survivors showed greater impairments in iADL (OR=1.73, 95% CI 1.53 - 1.96) and ADL (OR=1.25, 95% CI 1.09-1.44), without a corresponding increase in inpatient care needs. Socioeconomic factors such as marital status and income level were significant predictors of disability, with low income and being single/divorced associated with higher risks. The impact of sex was more pronounced in countries with higher GII, indicating the influence of gender inequality on stroke outcomes. The findings highlight the significant impact of biological sex and gender-related social determinants on post-stroke disability, with female sex and unfavorable socioeconomic conditions being associated with worse outcomes.

A data science-based analysis of socioeconomic determinants impacting pediatric diagnostic radiology utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research on healthcare disparities in pediatric radiology is limited, leading to the persistence of missed care opportunities (MCO). We hypothesize that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing health disparities in access to pediatric radiology services. Evaluate the social determinants of health and sociodemographic factors related to pediatric radiology MCO before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The study examined all outpatient pediatric radiology exams at a pediatric medical center and its affiliate centers from 03/08/19 to 06/07/21 to identify missed care opportunities. Logistic regression with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method and classification and regression tree (CART) analysis were used to explore factors and visualize relationships between social determinants and missed care opportunities. A total of 62,009 orders were analyzed: 30,567 pre-pandemic, 3,205 pandemic, and 28,237 initial recovery phase. Median age was 11.34years (IQR 5.24-15.02), with 50.8% females (31,513/62,009). MCO increased during the pandemic (1,075/3,205; 33.5%) compared to pre-pandemic (5,235/30,567; 17.1%) and initial recovery phase (4,664/28,237; 16.5%). The CART analysis identified changing predictors of missed care opportunities across different periods. Pre-pandemic, these were driven by exam-specific factors and patient age. During the pandemic, social determinants like income, distance, and ethnicity became key. In the initial recovery phase, the focus returned to exam-specific factors and age, but ethnicity continued to influence missed care, particularly in neurological exams for Hispanic patients. Logistic regression revealed similar results: during the pandemic, increased distance from the examination site (OR 1.1), residing outside the state (OR 1.57), Hispanic (OR 1.45), lower household income ($25,000-50,000 (OR 3.660) and $50,000-75,000 (OR 1.866)), orders for infants (OR 1.43), and fluoroscopy (OR 2.3) had higher odds. In the initial recovery phase, factors such as living outside the state (OR 1.19), orders for children (OR 0.79), and being Hispanic (OR 1.15) correlate with higher odds of MCO. The application of basic data science techniques is a valuable tool in uncovering complex relationships between sociodemographic factors and disparities in pediatric radiology, offering crucial insights into addressing inequalities in care.

Hypoxic burden - definitions, pathophysiological concepts, methods of evaluation, and clinical relevance.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common chronic condition that affects over a billion people worldwide and is associated with adverse cardio- and cerebrovascular consequences. Currently, the go-to clinical measure that determines the presence and severity of OSA is the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). The AHI captures the frequency of respiratory events due to changes in ventilation that are associated with either oxygen desaturations or arousal from sleep. The AHI is poorly correlated to adverse outcomes in OSA with poor prognostic ability. To overcome the limitations of AHI and perhaps driven by the ease of acquisition, several studies have suggested characterizing nocturnal hypoxia in OSA, termed as "hypoxic burden". The purpose of this review is to focus on the hypoxic burden in OSA, its various definitions, and its utility in moving OSA diagnosis beyond the AHI. Several measures and definitions of hypoxic burden have been proposed and studied that show promise in overcoming limitations of AHI and also have a greater prognostic ability than AHI. More recently, area-based measures that attempt to characterize the depth and duration of oxygen desaturations, i.e., nocturnal hypoxia in OSA, have been shown to better relate to incident cardiovascular disease than AHI. In this review, we delve into the evidence for these novel area-based metrics and also delve into the pathophysiological concepts underlying nocturnal hypoxia while cautioning the reader on interpretation of the recent findings relating hypoxic burden to adverse outcomes in OSA. In this review on hypoxic burden, we focus on the need that has driven the sudden influx of studies assessing hypoxic burden for various outcomes of OSA, its underlying pathophysiology, the various definitions, and clinical relevance. We hope that the reader can appreciate the nuances underlying hypoxic burden in OSA and suggest the need for a cohesive framework for moving beyond the AHI with hypoxic burden.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Breastfeeding among South Indians: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract Introduction: Research shows that exclusively breastfed infants have a 13% lower mortality risk. However, only 37% of infants in Low and middle income country (LMIC) are exclusively breastfed. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a Chennai hospital’s outpatient department, focusing on pediatrics. The study commenced after obtaining ethical clearance (99/IEC-SMMCHRI). Breastfeeding knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) scales were developed by modifying existing KAP tools. The KAP questionnaire was based on the World Health Organization. The same was applied to 250 consenting mothers. Results: Participants had a mean age of 27 years, with the youngest mother at 19 and the oldest at 40. Forty-one percent had finished high school, and 37% had completed undergraduate studies. Eighty-eight percent had strong breastfeeding comprehension, and 96% had a favorable attitude. However, only 32% exclusively breastfed. The study found significant correlations between knowledge and behavior (χ2 = 4.27, P = 0.04) and between attitude and behavior (χ2 = 5.69, P = 0.017). Mothers with adequate knowledge tended to follow recommended feeding practices, and those with a positive attitude displayed good practices. Conclusion: Despite positive attitudes toward breastfeeding, the cultural practice of introducing prelacteal food hinders exclusive breastfeeding, leading to negative outcomes. While there have been some improvements in exclusive breastfeeding rates, addressing this disparity could reduce child mortality rates. The outcomes of the research will be highly beneficial for primary care physicians in their efforts to promote exclusive breastfeeding among expectant mothers.

Agricultural and rural development interventions and poverty reduction: Global evidence from 16 impact assessment studies

Agricultural and rural development interventions can reduce global poverty by providing growth-oriented tools, including access to finance, training, and markets. While such interventions effectively reduce monetary poverty (e.g., $1 a day poverty line), there is increasing interest in incorporating non-monetary poverty indicators, such as education, health, and living standards, to capture inherent multidimensionality in poverty. This study analyzes data from 16 impact evaluation studies conducted between 2019 and 2023 to examine whether and to what extent agricultural and rural development interventions affect multidimensional poverty of small-scale producers. Our analysis shows a 4 percent reduction in multidimensional poverty for treatment households compared to comparison households. Our findings suggest that agricultural and rural development interventions play a positive role in reducing poverty and have the potential to improve the long-term well-being of poor households.

Poverty and Prices: Assessing the Impact of the 2017 PPPs on the International Poverty Line and Global Poverty

Abstract Purchasing power parities (PPPs) are used to estimate the international poverty line (IPL) in a common currency and account for relative price differences across countries when measuring global poverty. This paper assesses the impact of the 2017 PPPs on the nominal value of the IPL and global poverty. Updating the $1.90 IPL in 2011 PPP dollars to 2017 PPP dollars results in an IPL of $2.15—a finding that is robust to various methods. Based on an updated IPL of $2.15, the global extreme poverty rate in 2017 falls from the previously estimated 9.3 to 9.1 percent, reducing the count of people who are poor by 15 million. This is a modest change compared with previous updates of PPP data. The paper also assesses the methodological stability between the 2011 and 2017 PPPs, scrutinizes large changes at the country level, and updates alternative, complementary poverty lines with the 2017 PPPs.

Sociodemographic associated factors with non-disclosure of HIV sero-status to sexual partners in Maputo, Mozambique

The HIV prevalence in Maputo city is 16.2%. There is a lack of data describing associated factors with disclosure or non-disclosure of HIV-positive sero-status to sexual partners. This analysis describes associated factors of non-disclosure of HIV sero-status to sexual partners among people living with HIV (PLHIV) participating in a serostatus disclosure support program at three health facilities in Maputo, Mozambique. We used a cross-sectional design of PLHIV aged over 18 years. Datas were collected between December 2019 and September 2020. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate factors associated of non-disclosure of HIV sero-status. A total of 377 patients were enrolled in the HIV sero-status disclosure Program. Of these, nearly two-thirds (61.5%) were women, 52.9% had completed secondary school, 47.7% were 25–34 years old, 50.9% had informal employment with low income, and 73.2% were married. Univariate logistic regression model showed greater odds of non-disclosure among patients who had an employment contract with a maximum wage (Crude Odds Ratio [cOR] 2.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15–3.55, p = 0.015); were single (cOR 3.85, 95% CI 2.22–6.69, p < 0.001); were living with parents (cOR 2.30, 95% CI 1.07–4.93, p = 0.033); received financial support for their monthly household expenses from parents or a close relative (cOR 7.15, 95% CI 2.19–23.36, p = 0.001); or brought a parent/close relative and/or a friend as a confidant during HIV care(cOR 3.17, 95% CI 1.74–5.76, p < 0.001; and cOR 5.97, 95% CI 1.57–22.66, p = 0.009, respectively). Multivariable logistic regression model showed: from parents/close relative and from partner (Adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] 8.19, 95% CI 1.44–46.46, p = 0.018; and aOR 4.34, 95% CI 1.05–17.17, p = 0.043), respectively); in those who brought a parent/close relative and/or a friend as a confidant during HIV care (aOR 8.86, 95% CI 2.16–36.31, p = 0.002; and 195 aOR 21.68, 95% CI 3.02–155.87, p = 0.002, respectively). Non-disclosure of serostatus is a critical issue for HIV care and treatment programs, given that non-disclosure of HIV serostatus increases risk of HIV transmission. Understanding the factors associated with non-disclosure is crucial for designing strategies to address these factors and end the HIV epidemic by 2030. Our findings suggest that HIV serostatus disclosure programs might target the sociodemographic factors strongly associated with non-disclosure.

Prevalence of Anemia and its associated factors among 6–59 months age children visiting public hospitals at Afar Region, Northeast Ethiopia: a hospital-based cross-sectional study

BackgroundAnemia is a significant global public health issue among children aged 6 to 59 months, particularly in low-income countries like Ethiopia. Studies focusing on pastoral communities, especially in the Afar Region, often underestimate the prevalence of anemia in these children. To address this information gap, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of anemia and its associated factors among children aged 6 to 59 months in public hospitals in the Afar Region of northeastern Ethiopia.MethodA hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among children aged 6 to 59 months, using systematic random sampling, at public hospitals in the Afar Region from February 28 to April 30, 2023.The data collection tool was adapted from the Ethiopian National Food Consumption Survey and the World Health Organization Infant and Young Child Feeding guidelines. Data entry was performed using EpiData version 4.2 and Anthroplus software for anthropometric measurements. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 26. Binary logistic regression models were applied to identify predictors of anemia, with a p-value of ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant.ResultAmong the 306 children aged 6 to 59 months, the overall prevalence of anemia was 46.41 (95 CI: 43.8–48.9 ). Of the 142 anemic children aged 6 to 59 months, 62 (43.66 ) had mild anemia, 60 (42.25 ) had moderate anemia, and 20 (14.08 ) had severe anemia. Key factors associated with anemia included mothers with no formal education, the lowest family monthly income, a family size greater than five, and rural residence. Additionally, a previous diagnosis of parasitic infection, children aged 24–35 months, early weaning, a malaria diagnosis within the past three months, and diarrhea in the last two weeks were significant predictors of anemia in children aged 6 to 59 months.ConclusionIn the current study, anemia in children aged 6 to 59 months was classified as severe and is regarded as a critical public health issue. This suggests that more efforts should be made to significantly decrease anemia by actively involving rural mothers with no formal education and low income who have children aged 6–59 months, focusing on the prevention and management of malaria, diarrhea, and parasitic infections.

The prevalence of psychological distress and its associated sociodemographic factors in the Australian adults aged 18–64 years during COVID-19: Data from the Australian National Health Survey

ObjectiveCOVID-19 significantly contributed to an increase in psychological distress and may have disproportionally impacted certain sociodemographic groups. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of psychological distress among Australian adults aged 18–64 years and identify sociodemographic factors associated with psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsSecondary analyses were conducted using data from the National Health Survey 2020–21 to calculate weighted national estimates of the prevalence of psychological distress using the Kessler Psychological Distress scale (K10). The association between sociodemographic factors and psychological distress was analysed using multivariable logistic regression, with adjustments for complex survey design. ResultsThe average of K10 score was 16.94, with a prevalence of combined high/very high distress reported at 21.13 % among Australian adults. Young women aged 18–25 reported the highest average scores (M = 20.44) across all sex and age groups. Risk factors associated with psychological distress included lower personal income, marital status (never married; widowed/divorced/separated) and being ‘born in Australia’. Protective factors included homeownership and having children in the household. Additionally, among women, being aged ≥56 was significantly associated with lower odds of psychological distress. LimitationsData collection relied on self-completed online form, and a cross-sectional design limits the inference of a causal relationship. DiscussionDuring COVID-19 pandemic, lower personal income and being female have consistently been identified as risk factors for psychological distress. Targeted and tailored interventions based on age, sex and disadvantage are warranted, particularly focusing on younger women, to alleviate the adverse effect of the pandemic on the population's mental health.

Local governance role in provincial development in Vietnam

Improving public governance efficiency and effectiveness plays an important role in economic development. But research shows this relationship to be highly dependent on the country context. This paper analyzes the role of local governance on provincial economic development in Vietnam. Results show that the good governance has a positive relationship with the economic size of provinces andper capita income and contributes to poverty reduction. If the local governace index increases by 10%, the per capita income will increase by 4.38% and the poverty rate will decrease by 8%. Analysis also shows that control of corruption, grassroot citizen participation, accountability and transparency, and improvement of public administrative procedures impact poverty reduction, with corruption control having a negative correlation coefficient. Thus, effectiveness of local governance correlates with provincial economic developmentin Vietnam.

The fragrance of ghee: food aesthetics, food insecurity and policy dreams

In this short article, we call for policy makers, activists and academics to take account of food aesthetics of economically and racially marginalised people – especially women – when understanding and intervening in food distribution. Although it may seem that aesthetics and poverty are mutually exclusive, and somewhat provocative to suggest that food aesthetics, when understood more expansively, aesthetics is an important aspect of domestic food work, as our findings from our research with British Bangladeshi women from Tower Hamlets on low incomes and responsible for social reproductive labour in their families and communities attest. We draw inspiration from feminist philosophy of food and taste, and everyday domestic aesthetics. Reflecting on our data, we combine these philosophies with Krishnendu Ray’s critique of food sociologists who imagine that people on low incomes lack a sense of beauty because their lives are dominated by their life of suffering. To conclude, we propose that food aesthetics should become part of the politics of food distribution and rights.

Neighborhood Food Access in Early Life and Trajectories of Child Body Mass Index and Obesity

Limited access to healthy foods, resulting from residence in neighborhoods with low food access, is a public health concern. The contribution of this exposure in early life to child obesity remains uncertain. To examine associations of neighborhood food access during pregnancy or early childhood with child body mass index (BMI) and obesity risk. Data from cohorts participating in the US nationwide Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes consortium between January 1, 1994, and March 31, 2023, were used. Participant inclusion required a geocoded residential address in pregnancy (mean 32.4 gestational weeks) or early childhood (mean 4.3 years) and information on child BMI. Residence in low-income, low-food access neighborhoods, defined as low-income neighborhoods where the nearest supermarket is more than 0.5 miles for urban areas or more than 10 miles for rural areas. BMI z score, obesity (age- and sex-specific BMI ≥95th percentile), and severe obesity (age- and sex-specific BMI ≥120% of the 95th percentile) from age 0 to 15 years. Of 28 359 children (55 cohorts; 14 657 [51.7%] male and 13 702 [48.3%] female; 590 [2.2%] American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Other Pacific Islander; 1430 [5.4%] Asian; 4034 [15.3%] Black; 17 730 [67.2%] White; and 2592 [9.8%] other [unspecified] or more than 1 race; 5754 [20.9%] Hispanic and 21 838 [79.1%] non-Hispanic) with neighborhood food access data, 23.2% resided in low-income, low-food access neighborhoods in pregnancy and 24.4% in early childhood. After adjusting for individual sociodemographic characteristics, residence in low-income, low-food access (vs non-low-income, low-food access) neighborhoods in pregnancy was associated with higher BMI z scores at ages 5 years (β, 0.07; 95% CI, 0.03-0.11), 10 years (β, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.06-0.17), and 15 years (β, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.07-0.24); higher obesity risk at 5 years (risk ratio [RR], 1.37; 95% CI, 1.21-1.55), 10 years (RR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.37-2.12), and 15 years (RR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.53-2.83); and higher severe obesity risk at 5 years (RR, 1.21; 95% CI, 0.95-1.53), 10 years (RR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.20-1.99), and 15 years (RR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.32-2.80). Findings were similar for residence in low-income, low-food access neighborhoods in early childhood. These associations were robust to alternative definitions of low income and low food access and additional adjustment for prenatal characteristics associated with child obesity. Residence in low-income, low-food access neighborhoods in early life was associated with higher subsequent child BMI and higher risk of obesity and severe obesity. We encourage future studies to examine whether investments in neighborhood resources to improve food access in early life would prevent child obesity.

Income and inequality pathways consistent with eradicating poverty

Abstract To investigate concurrent climate action and poverty eradication, we present combined income growth (GDP/capita) and domestic income inequality (measured as Gini coefficients) pathways that pursue (absolute and relative) poverty eradication reflecting the three narratives of Sustainable Development Pathway (SDP). The GDP/capita pathways are modifications of the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway SSP1 scenario, including one post-growth future for high-income countries and higher growth for all currently lower-income countries. Current inequality levels, together with the total national income from the GDP pathways, determine the inequality reductions required to eradicate poverty in individual countries; they are based on a methodology that specifies the relationship between poverty, inequality, and growth. Our pathways show rapid and sustained reductions in within-country inequality (Gini), even with high economic growth. The speed of redistribution is limited to the highest historically observed changes in inequality. We identify which countries face the greatest difficulties in meeting their poverty eradication targets and estimate the level of international transfers needed to fill the gap for those countries. Our findings reconfirm the importance of reducing within-country inequality in eradicating global poverty.

Investigating health risk behavior disparities in the United States with finite mixture modeling

Health disparities are ongoing challenges in the United States, with one of the underlying factors being the variation in health risk behaviors across different socioeconomic and demographic communities. In this cross-sectional ecological study, utilizing data from 26,781 US zip codes provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we conducted generalized linear model regressions to explore the associations between race, poverty, education, and urban/rural status in areas. Our analysis indicated that areas with a higher prevalence of Black population and higher poverty levels are associated with a more significant number of unique health risk behaviors. Conversely, other racial groups were associated with fewer unique health risk behaviors, although they may still engage in higher levels of specific behaviors. These insights underscore the need for tailored public health strategies to address the disparities in health risk behaviors across different sub-populations. Additionally, we employed Finite Mixture Modeling (FMM) to identify distinct sub-populations in the United States based on health risk behaviors, specifically binge drinking, smoking, sleep deprivation, and physical inactivity, which are essential risk factors for chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. We identified four clusters and conducted an in-depth analysis of the demographics and socioeconomic characteristics of the identified clusters. Our findings reveal that one cluster, characterized by the worst health risk behaviors, exhibited the highest poverty rate, the least favorable health insurance profile, and the lowest frequencies of post-secondary education attainment compared to the other three clusters. This cluster, therefore, warrants targeted public health interventions.

CTAFFNet: CNN–Transformer Adaptive Feature Fusion Object Detection Algorithm for Complex Traffic Scenarios

As the core technology of an environmental perception system, object detection has received more and more attention and has become a hot research direction for intelligent driving vehicles. The CNN–Transformer hybrid model has poor generalization ability, making it difficult to meet the detection requirements for small objects in complex scenes. We propose a novel convolutional neural network (CNN)–Transformer Adaptive Feature Fusion Network (CTAFFNet) for object detection. First, we design a Local–Global Feature Fusion unit known as the Convolutional Transformation Adaptive Fusion Kernel (CTAFFK), which is integrated into CTAFFNet. The CTAFFK kernel utilizes two branches, namely CNN and Transformer, to extract local and global features from the image, and adaptively fuses the features from both branches. Subsequently, we develop an adaptive feature fusion strategy that combines local high-frequency and global low-frequency features to obtain comprehensive feature information. Finally, CTAFFNet employs an encoder–decoder structure to facilitate the flow of fused local–global information between different stages, ensuring the model’s generalization capabilities. Results from the experiment conducted on the large and challenging KITTI dataset demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed network. Compared with other mainstream networks, it achieves an average precision of 91.17%, particularly excelling in the detection of small objects at longer distances with a remarkable 70.18% accuracy, while also providing real-time detection capabilities.

The association between food insecurity and colorectal cancer screening: 2018-2021 New York State Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

To assess the association between food insecurity and colorectal cancer screening uptake in screening eligible participants in New York State. We analyzed 28,154 adults who participated in New York State Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) from 2018 to 2021, were age-eligible for colorectal cancer screening based on the USPSTF guidelines at the time of survey administration and answered a version of the administered survey that included the module on food insecurity. Participants were defined as food insecure if they self-reported being always, usually, or sometimesstressed about having enough money to buy nutritious meals in the past 12months. We compared demographic, healthcare access, overall health status, food insecurity by colorectal cancer screening status. Multivariable analyses were performed to assess the association of food insecurity and colorectal cancer screening status after adjusting for relevant covariates. Weighted analyses were performed using survey procedures to obtain population estimates. Food insecurity was statistically significantly associated a decreased likelihood of being up to date on colorectal cancer screening (ORadj 0.83, 95% CI [0.72, 0.94]) and being ever screened for colorectalcancer (ORadj 0.74, 95% CI [0.64, 0.87]) after adjusting for overall health status, healthcare coverage, interview year, age, race/ethnicity, sex, educational attainment, and income. Health status, health coverage, age, and Non-Hispanic Black race/ethnicity showed positive, statistically significant association with ever being screened and with being up to date for colorectal cancer screening. Lower income, lower educational attainment, and non-Hispanic Asian race/ethnicitywere statistically significant inverse predictors of ever being screened and being up to date on screening. This project assessed the association between food insecurity and colorectal cancer screening uptake using the BRFSS survey. Food insecurity may be an important predictor for colorectal cancer screening uptake in eligible adults in the United States. The results from the study can inform future interventions and policies designedto improve participation inroutinecolorectal cancer screening.

Association between fibrosis-4 index and cognitive impairment in elderly patients with hypertension: A cross-sectional study.

The fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) is a noninvasive fibrosis test that is recommended for patients who are at risk of developing hepatic fibrosis. The aim of the study was to explore the correlation between FIB-4 index and the decline of cognitive function among older patients with hypertension. The study used a cross-sectional design to analyze data obtained from the NHANES 2011-2014. The significance of the FIB-4 index correlation with cognitive function in individuals over the age of 60 was evaluated via multivariate regression models. The nonlinear link was described and fitted smoothed curves. There were a total of 2039 participants in the study, and those with a higher FIB-4 index were more susceptible to developing cognitive decline. In the completely adjusted model, the association remained statistically significant between the FIB-4 index and poor cognitive function as measured by CERAD: Total Score (OR=0.72, 0.57-0.91), Animal Fluency Score (OR=0.66, 0.48-0.91), and Digit Symbol Score (OR=0.36, 0.17-0.77). A nonlinear association was found between the FIB-4 and poor cognitive ability: Total Score, CERAD: Score Delayed Recall, Digit Symbol Score, and Animal Fluency Score. In elderly patients with hypertension, a high FIB-4 index is correlated with an increased prevalence of cognitive decline. Hence, the FIB-4 index could potentially serve as a valuable tool for determining individuals with hypertension who are susceptible to both liver-related complications and cognitive impairment.

A zero-shot quantitative evaluation model for subsurface defects size based on ultrasonic nondestructive testing

Existing defect quantitative evaluation models requires collecting and labeling all types of defect data for training. However, such models have a poor ability for new defect, and collecting and labeling data is a costly task. A zero-shot evaluation model is proposed to solve the questions. First, a Wavelet Packet Transform-based method is developed to convert defect ultrasonic signals into time–frequency images. Second, we define defect semantics from length, width, and height to describe defects of different sizes. Third, the ResNet with embedded Brownian Distance Covariance matrix and multi-dimension parallel framework is designed to extract the image features. Then, an autoencoder is trained to embed the defect semantic into the feature space. Finally, the dimension of defect is evaluated by measuring the similarity between the features and the category centroids. Experimental results reveal that our model has better ability to evaluate the dimensions of new defect compared to others models.

Knowledge of and attitude towards depression among urban and rural residents in Beijing: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesTo compare the level of knowledge of depression, recognition ability and attitudes towards depression among urban and rural residents in Beijing.DesignA cross-sectional study.SettingSix districts in Beijing, China, 2021.ParticipantsA total of...

Conspiracy theories, social polarization and crises

Social media facilitate the distribution of conspiracy theories. It is uncertain whether indeed the number of myths and also the number of those who appropriate myths has increased. Conspiracy theories have so far essentially been the subject of sociological and psychosociological research showing ageneral disposition to become infected irrespective of the topic of amyth. Are there specific psychopathological risk factors for becoming infected by conspiracy myths? Are there effective therapeutic or preventive measures? Asystematic search was carried out in PubMed using the query "conspir*[title] AND review" followed by manual selection and appraisal only of publications addressing conspiracy theories in general, i.e. not limited to specific myths, with afocus on systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Moreover, the publications identified were manually screened for further meta-analyses. The search resulted in 166 hits. The available evidence is essentially based on studies using questionnaires, which can clarify only associations but not causalities. The evidence suggests that the strongest correlates of conspiratorial ideation pertain to low cognitive abilities, nonanalytic style of thought resulting in reduced balancing of probabilities before deciding, feelings of loss of control, paranoia, schizotypy and the dark triad (narcissism, Machiavellianism, authoritarianism). Specific psychological characteristics are risk factors for conspiratorial ideation. Current research approaches are unsuitable to clarify whether psychiatric disorders are overrepresented. Sociodemographic risk factors include male gender, low level of education, low income, social isolation and are non-specific. Group processes promote, again presumably nonspecifically, conspiracy theories thus contributing to social polarization. The genetic basis and neurobiological mechanisms are unknown. Conspiracy theories were and are used as an instrument of political contention. The enlightened democratic social contract requires free, unbiased thinking. Consequently, the risk factors identified so far facilitate conspiratorial ideation and question the very fundaments of the social contract by impairing unbiased evaluation and decision making. Therefore, prevention is warranted. .