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In response to the imperatives of universal health coverage, structural factors that may hinder the effectiveness of increased spending in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) need attention. This study assessed the mediating role of these factors in domestic general government health expenditure (DGGHE) effects to propose solutions for improving population health outcomes (PHO). The analysis used the Latent Growth Curve Mediation Model (LGCMM) approach within the structural equation model (SEM) framework for panel data from 42 SSA countries from 2015 to 2018. The findings were that malaria and female education formed a channel through which DGGHE imparted its effects on DALY in SSA, and these effects were achieved via the specific path from the DGGHE slope to the DALY slope, via malaria and female education slopes. However, the paper found no evidence of immunization coverage mediating the relationship between DGGHE and DALY in SSA. The paper concludes that structural factors affect the effectiveness of DGGHE on PHO, implying that governments should emphasize existing programs to fight against malaria and increase immunization coverage. Highlights: • Sub-Saharan Africa has many mediating factors acting as barriers to the effect of investments in health. • The Latent Growth Curve Mediation Model is used to assist the understanding of such factors. • The mediation effect (transmission mechanisms) of these factors must be understood for proper policymaking in favour of universal health coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is a major public health concern, and early detection and classification are essential for improving patient outcomes. However, breast tumors can be difficult to distinguish from benign tumors, leading to high false positive rates in screening. The reason is that both benign and malignant tumors have no consistent shape, are found at the same position, have variable sizes, and have high correlations. The ambiguity of the correlation challenges the computer-aided system, and the inconsistency of morphology challenges an expert in identifying and classifying what is positive and what is negative. Due to this, most of the time, breast cancer screen is prone to false positive rates. This research paper presents the introduction of a feature enhancement method into the Google inception network for breast cancer detection and classification. The proposed model preserves both local and global information, which is important for addressing the variability of breast tumor morphology and their complex correlations. A locally preserving projection transformation function is introduced to retain local information that might be lost in the intermediate output of the inception model. Additionally, transfer learning is used to improve the performance of the proposed model on limited datasets. The proposed model is evaluated on a dataset of ultrasound images and achieves an accuracy of 99.81%, recall of 96.48%, and sensitivity of 93.0%. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for breast cancer detection and classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The concept of Positive Health (PH) has gained increasing attention as a way of measuring individuals' ability to adapt in the face of contextual challenges. However, a suitable measurement instrument for PH that encompasses contextual factors has not yet been developed. This paper responds to this need by developing a Context-specific Positive Health (CPH) measurement instrument that aligns with the Capability Approach (CA). Methods: The measurement instrument was developed and tested among a representative sample of 1002 Dutch internet survey panel members with diverse sociodemographic backgrounds. The instrument was developed in two stages: a preparation phase consisting of focus groups and expert consultations, and a validation among a representative panel of Dutch citizens. The goal of the preparation phase, was to pilot test and refine previously proposed Positive Health questionnaires into an initial version of the CPHQ. The validation phase aimed to examine the initial CPHQ's factorial validity using Factor Analysis, and its concurrent validity using Multivariate Regression Analysis. Results: The developed questionnaire demonstrated adequate factorial and concurrent validity. Furthermore, it explicitly includes an assessment of resilience, this being a key component of PH. Conclusions: The introduced measurement tool, the CPHQ, comprises 11 dimensions that we have labeled as follows: relaxation, autonomy, fitness, perceived environmental safety, exclusion, social support, financial resources, political representation, health literacy, resilience, and enjoyment. In this article, we present four major contributions. Firstly, we embedded the measurement in a theoretical framework. Secondly, we focused the questionnaire on a key concept of Positive Health - the "ability to adapt." Thirdly, we addressed issues of health inequality by considering contextual factors. Finally, we facilitated the development of more understandable measurement items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevention and treatment of leprosy is a public health and social issue of global concern. China has become the first country in the world to put forward a proposal on the elimination of the harm caused by leprosy. This paper briefly introduces the status of the spread of leprosy in China, and systematically reviews the evolution of policies and measures at different stages of the disease in China, from the serious epidemic of leprosy to the control of the infection, to the basic elimination, and to the elimination of the hazards. On this basis, five main lessons learned from the control and elimination of leprosy in China were also summarized. These provide the basis for promoting the complete global elimination of leprosy and preventing its re-transmission, thereby benefiting all those who still suffer from the scourge of leprosy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the rapid advancement of digital technology has supported the growth of the digital economy. The transformation towards digitization in the public health sector serves as a key indicator of this economic shift. Understanding how the digital economy continuously improves the efficiency of public health services and its various pathways of influence has become increasingly important. It is essential to clarify the impact mechanism of the digital economy on public health services to optimize health expenditures and advance digital economic construction. This study investigates the impact of digital economic development on the efficiency of public health services from a novel perspective, considering social media usage and urban–rural healthcare disparities while constructing a comprehensive index of digital economic development. The findings indicate that the digital economy reduces the efficiency of public health services primarily through two transmission mechanisms: the promotion of social media usage and the widening urban–rural healthcare gap. Moreover, these impacts and transmission pathways exhibit spatial heterogeneity. This study unveils the intrinsic connection and mechanisms of interaction between digital economic development and the efficiency of public health services, providing a theoretical basis and reference for government policy formulation. However, it also prompts further considerations on achieving synergy and interaction between the digital economy and public health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments must act now on vaccine and pathogen-sample sharing, or any agreement will be a promise only on paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of research reveals the deaths and diseases linked to rising temperatures across the continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lawsuit could roll back access to mifepristone, a drug widely used to induce abortion in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the evolving role of decision-analytic modelling in healthcare economic evaluations. Topics include the preference for decision-analytic models over trial-based economic evaluations, the underlying philosophies that have influenced this shift, and the circumstances under which trial-based analyses might be more appropriate or preferable.

Sexual violence (SV) is a major public health issue in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially in the eastern part of the country where women have been victims of SV for many years. The objective of this study is to provide an overview of the survivor and perpetrator characteristics, as well as the circumstances surrounding SV incidents in Goma. We conducted a retrospective, descriptive cross-sectional study using data from all SV survivors who sought medical care at four hospitals in Goma from January 2019 to December 2020. The analysis of the data was carried out using STATA 16 software. A total of 700 women sought medical attention for SV in the four hospitals. The survivors' age range was 12–67 years with a mean age of 31.7 ± 14.6 years. Women aged 20–29 years were the most affected (28%). The majority of SV survivors experienced their first assault (88.29%) and sought medical attention within 72 h (60.6%). The assaults occurred mostly outside the SV survivors' homes under armed threat (84.29%), predominantly by men in civilian clothes (61.43%) compared to men in military uniform (38.57%). More than half of the survivors were assaulted by a stranger (64.71%), and of those, more than half were committed by a single perpetrator (57.29%). The findings underscore the urgent need to address this pervasive issue, emphasizing the necessity of targeted interventions to protect survivors and prevent future incidents. The circumstances surrounding these assaults, such as the prevalence of armed threats and attacks outside survivors' homes, highlight the complex challenges in combating SV in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In low- and middle-income countries, the substantial costs associated with traditional data collection pose an obstacle to facilitating decision-making in the field of public health. Satellite imagery offers a potential solution, but the image extraction and analysis can be costly and requires specialized expertise. We introduce SatelliteBench, a scalable framework for satellite image extraction and vector embeddings generation. We also propose a novel multimodal fusion pipeline that utilizes a series of satellite imagery and metadata. The framework was evaluated generating a dataset with a collection of 12,636 images and embeddings accompanied by comprehensive metadata, from 81 municipalities in Colombia between 2016 and 2018. The dataset was then evaluated in 3 tasks: including dengue case prediction, poverty assessment, and access to education. The performance showcases the versatility and practicality of SatelliteBench, offering a reproducible, accessible and open tool to enhance decision-making in public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to assess the drinking water quality in the selected urban areas of Lahore and to comprehend the public health status by addressing the basic drinking water quality parameters. Total 50 tap water samples were collected from groundwater in the two selected areas of district Lahore i.e., Gulshan-e-Ravi (site 1) and Samanabad (site 2). Water samples were analyzed in the laboratory to elucidate physico-chemical parameters including pH, turbidity, temperature, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), total hardness, magnesium hardness, and calcium hardness. These physico-chemical parameters were used to examine the Water Quality Index (WQI) and Synthetic Pollution Index (SPI) in order to characterize the water quality. Results of th selected physico-chemical parameters were compared with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines to determine the quality of drinking water. A GIS-based approach was used for mapping water quality, WQI, and SPI. Results of the present study revealed that the average value of temperature, pH, and DO of both study sites were within the WHO guidelines of 23.5 °C, 7.7, and 6.9 mg/L, respectively. The TDS level of site 1 was 192.56 mg/L (within WHO guidelines) and whereas, in site 2 it was found 612.84 mg/L (higher than WHO guidelines), respectively. Calcium hardness of site 1 and site 2 was observed within the range from 25.04 to 65.732 mg/L but, magnesium hardness values were higher than WHO guidelines. The major reason for poor water quality is old, worn-out water supply pipelines and improper waste disposal in the selected areas. The average WQI was found as 59.66 for site 1 and 77.30 for site 2. Results showed that the quality of the water was classified as "poor" for site 1 and "very poor " for site 2. There is a need to address the problem of poor water quality and also raise the public awareness about the quality of drinking water and its associated health impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The escalating threat of infectious disease outbreaks in Africa, particularly emerging and re-emerging diseases, necessitates urgent and comprehensive action. The frequency of these outbreaks demands a robust enhancement of notification and reporting systems to enable swift public health interventions. Tropical diseases such as malaria, COVID-19, typhoid fever, yellow fever, arboviruses, cholera, rabies, schistosomiasis, tuberculosis, black fungus, meningitis, evolving pathogens, and antimicrobial resistance pose significant health risks globally, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. The region faces complexities in healthcare, including weak systems, inadequate surveillance, socioeconomic disparities, and other issues. Poor health literacy, traditional practices, and distrust hinder effective disease control and contribute to disease emergence in Sub-Saharan Africa. Continuous research and global collaboration are essential to address these public health concerns, especially given Africa's unique challenges. Disease surveillance emerges as a highly effective strategy, crucial in regions vulnerable to infectious diseases. Establishing and strengthening comprehensive surveillance and reporting systems at individual, regional, national, and international levels is crucial due to the unpredictable nature of borderless outbreaks and their significant impact on morbidity, mortality, and economic stability. National surveillance relies heavily on effective control mechanisms within local community areas, necessitating the active involvement of medical personnel. Successful systems depend on functional countries using collected data for timely warnings and localized interventions. Stakeholders, including governments, health authorities, and international organizations, must collaborate urgently to implement and sustain these vital systems, mitigating the devastating consequences of infectious disease outbreaks. Additionally, a holistic approach is crucial, involving prioritized local production of vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics through initiatives like the African Vaccine Producers Initiative. This approach emphasizes the need for domestic pharmaceutical production, intensified public awareness campaigns, and the training of the next generation of global health leaders, ensuring multidimensional strategies, political and diplomatic skills, and evidence-based assessments. Conclusion: Collaboration among governments, international organizations, and educational institutions is essential for successful policy advocacy and implementation to strengthen health security and mitigate the continuous rise of infectious diseases on the continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public health and climate change mitigation are strongly related to the efficiency of a unified vehicle-health system. To date, however, the existing DEA studies have not incorporated a robust set of transportation and public health indicators to evaluate the performance of the vehicle-health system. Our approach maps the relationship between transportation and health indicators in a network DEA framework. In addition, this study develops a new methodological framework for identifying stage priorities for decision-makers, peer evaluation and an understanding of the effects of policy in a comprehensive vehicle-health production system. This study empirically evaluates indicators of vehicle use and their effects on public health for each US state. The main conclusions are summarized: First, the network DEA and cross-efficiency network DEA models have significant methodological differences, highlighting the importance of model selection for empirical analysis. Second, US states exhibit enormous disparities in their prior strategies. The relative weights of the vehicle use stage and health outcomes stage confirm differing levels of importance attached to either stage. Third, group heterogeneity and technology inequality are observed among US states. Both intra-group and inter-group inequalities drive technology inequality. Moreover, considerable heterogeneity exists in the intra-group decomposition of the overall efficiency Theil index among the three network DEA models. Finally, promoting a safe and integrated transportation network improves vehicle-health performance, implying that strategic transportation policies hold significant potential for improving public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Antibiotic resistance is a global health concern. Humans can acquire antibiotic resistance through human-to-human transmission, from the environment, via the food chain, and through the contact with animals. The National Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance 2020–2024 highlights the prudent use of antibiotics in veterinary activities as the key element in keeping antibiotics effective. We determined the factors associated with misuse of antibiotics among animal health professionals in Rwanda. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that enrolled animal health field professionals from five districts, where stratified random sampling was used to select one district by each province of Rwanda. Structured questions were used during face-to-face interviews. The misuse of antibiotics was defined as the use of antibiotics for reasons other than treatment, the non-completion of required courses, or the use of a high dose (i.e., an overdose) of antibiotics. We collected socio-demographic data of respondents, as well as elementary knowledge and perceptions on veterinary antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. A backward stepwise logistic regression model was used to identify the factors that were predictive of the inappropriate use of antibiotics. Results: There were 256 respondents to the survey. Of those, 198 were male and 58 were female. Almost three quarters of respondents (n = 174/256; 68%) reported the misuse of antibiotics at least once in the previous 12 months. The final logistic regression analysis identified the following factors to be predictive of antibiotics misuse: aged ≤ 24 years (aOR 0.92; 95% CI [0.88, 0.96]; p < 0.001); low trust in veterinary antibiotics available in the local market (aOR 8.45; 95% CI [4.18, 17.07]; p < 0.01), insufficient knowledge about basic understanding of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance (aOR 2.78; 95% CI [1.38, 5.58], p < 0.01) and not acquiring any continuing education (aOR 1.97; 95% CI [1.02, 4.19]; p = 0.04). Conclusions: This study identified inadequate perceptions of proper antibiotic use among animal health professionals. There is a need for continuous education on appropriate antibiotic use among animal health professionals to lessen the negative impact of antibiotic resistance on public health security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory diseases, including influenza and coronaviruses, pose recurrent global threats. This study delves into the respiratory surveillance systems, focusing on the effectiveness of SARI sentinel surveillance for total and severe cases incidence estimation. Leveraging data from the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile, we examined 2020–2023 data (a 159-week period) comparing census surveillance results of confirmed cases and hospitalizations, with sentinel surveillance. Our analyses revealed a consistent underestimation of total cases and an overestimation of severe cases of sentinel surveillance. To address these limitations, we introduce a nowcasting model, improving the precision and accuracy of incidence estimates. Furthermore, the integration of genomic surveillance data significantly enhances model predictions. While our findings are primarily focused on COVID-19, they have implications for respiratory virus surveillance and early detection of respiratory epidemics. The nowcasting model offers real-time insights into an outbreak for public health decision-making, using the same surveillance data that is routinely collected. This approach enhances preparedness for emerging respiratory diseases by the development of practical solutions with applications in public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to examine the association of expanded adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) with psychological distress in adulthood. The data from nation-wide online cohort was used for analysis. Community dwelling adults in Japan were included. The ACEs was assessed by 15 items of ACE-J, including childhood poverty and school bullying. Severe psychological distress was determined as the score of Kessler 6 over 13. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted, by using sample weighting. A total of 28,617 participants were analyzed. About 75% of Japanese people had one or more ACEs. The prevalence of those with ACEs over 4 was 14.7%. Those with ACEs over 4 showed adjusted odds ratio = 8.18 [95% CI 7.14–9.38] for severe psychological distress. The prevalence of childhood poverty was 29% for 50–64 year old participants and 40% of 65 or older participants. The impact of childhood poverty on psychological distress was less than other ACEs in these age cohorts. Bullying was experienced 21–27% in young generations, but 10% in 65 or older participants. However, the impact on psychological distress in adulthood was relatively high in all age groups. ACEs have impacted mental health for a long time. Future research and practice to reduce ACEs are encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

6–11-year-old children provide a critical window for physical activity (PA) interventions. The Virtual Fitness Buddy ecosystem is a precision health PA intervention for children integrating mixed reality technology to connect people and devices. A cluster randomized, controlled trial was conducted across 19 afterschool sites over two 6-month cohorts to test its efficacy in increasing PA and decreasing sedentary behavior. In the treatment group, a custom virtual dog via a mixed reality kiosk helped children set PA goals while sharing progress with parents to receive feedback and support. Children in the control group set PA goals using a computer without support from the virtual dog or parents. 303 children had 8+ hours of PA data on at least one day of each of the 3 intervention time intervals. Conversion of sedentary time was primarily to light-intensity PA and was strongest for children with low baseline moderate-to-vigorous PA than children above 45 min of baseline moderate-to-vigorous PA. Findings suggest that the VFB ecosystem can promote sustainable PA in children and may be rapidly diffused for widespread public health impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emergency medical services (EMS) are paramount to boosting health indices in lower-middle income countries (LMICs); however, lack of uniform data collection and analysis hinders system improvement efforts. In the present study, we describe patterns of EMS utilization in the Republic of Armenia and provide key insight into the quality of digital data collection methods. Results: For calls logged in the capital city, Yerevan, the majority had at least one missing field. The predominant complaint was high blood pressure among adults (34.4%) and fever among pediatrics (65.9%). A majority of patients were female (57.6%), adults (90.2%), and not transported to a hospital (85.0%). In the rural provinces, the data was largely intact. The predominant complaints were unspecified acute condition (27.4%) and high blood pressure (26.2%) among adults, and fever (43.9%) and unspecified acute condition (22.1%) among pediatrics. A majority of patients were female (57.1%), adults (94.2%), and not transported to a hospital (78.9%). Conclusions: Our study reveals that the majority of calls to the EMS system are for concerns not needing in-hospital treatment and for acute exacerbation of chronic conditions. Our study also provides a critical foundation for the improvement of EMS systems in Armenia and in other nations in transition. The Locator software has the potential to be a valuable tool to the MoH if it is improved for surveillance purposes, and future synchronization of digital systems would provide easy access to critical information on population health needs and the effectiveness of public health interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-medication is a prevalent practice among university students globally and is a significant public health concern. However, previous research has been limited in scope, focusing primarily on adolescents or the general public, leaving a gap in understanding the causal relationships associated with self-medication; thus, this study aimed to investigate the factors influencing self-medication practices among university students in Bangladesh by developing a comprehensive causal model. Data from 417 students across five public universities were collected using the simple random walk technique by a team of 10 members. The study utilized constructs of knowledge, attitude, and convenience related to self-medication as independent variables, while self-medication practice as the dependent variable. One-way ANOVA and structural equation modeling (SEM) were employed to develop a causal model of self-medication practice among university students in Bangladesh. The findings revealed that students with better medication knowledge and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were more likely to practice self-medication. A positive attitude towards self-medication and ADRs was also significantly associated with higher self-medication practice scores. Additionally, those who perceived self-medication as convenient and prescribed medication as inconvenient had higher self-medication practice scores. The attitude towards self-medication had the most substantial negative effect on self-medication practice, followed by the inconvenience of prescribed medication and the convenience of self-medication. The model explained 87% of the variance in self-medication practice, indicating a good fit for the data. University students in Bangladesh possess intermediate knowledge of medication and primary knowledge of ADRs. They exhibit a positive attitude towards self-medication and ADRs. Physical convenience favors self-medication, while the inconvenience of prescribed medication contributes to its lower preference. Policymakers should focus on evidence-based guidelines to reduce the extent of unnecessary self-medication practice and to enhance the quantity and accessibility of prescribed medications to address the issue effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is a member of the ESKAPE group and is responsible for severe community and healthcare-associated infections. Certain Klebsiella species have very similar phenotypes, which presents a challenge in identifying K. pneumoniae. Multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae is also a serious global problem that needs to be addressed. A total of 190 isolates were isolated from urine (n = 69), respiratory (n = 52), wound (n = 48) and blood (n = 21) samples collected from various hospitals in the Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia, between March 2021 and October 2022. Our study aimed to rapidly and accurately detect K. pneumoniae using the Peptide Mass Fingerprinting (PMF) technique, confirmed by real-time PCR. Additionally, screening for antibiotic susceptibility and resistance was conducted. The primary methods for identifying K. pneumoniae isolates were culture, Gram staining, and the Vitek® 2 ID Compact system. An automated MALDI Biotyper (MBT) instrument was used for proteome identification, which was subsequently confirmed using SYBR green real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) and microfluidic electrophoresis assays. Vitek® 2 AST-GN66 cards were utilized to evaluate the antimicrobial sensitivity of K. pneumoniae isolates. According to our results, Vitek® 2 Compact accurately identified 178 out of 190 (93.68%) K. pneumoniae isolates, while the PMF technique correctly detected 188 out of 190 (98.95%) isolates with a score value of 2.00 or higher. Principal component analysis was conducted using MBT Compass software to classify K. pneumoniae isolates based on their structure. Based on the analysis of the single peak intensities generated by MBT, the highest peak values were found at 3444, 5022, 5525, 6847, and 7537 m/z. K. pneumoniae gene testing confirmed the PMF results, with 90.53% detecting entrobactin, 70% detecting 16 S rRNA, and 32.63% detecting ferric iron uptake. The resistance of the K. pneumoniae isolates to antibiotics was as follows: 64.75% for cefazolin, 62.63% for trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, 59.45% for ampicillin, 58.42% for cefoxitin, 57.37% for ceftriaxone, 53.68% for cefepime, 52.11% for ampicillin-sulbactam, 50.53% for ceftazidime, 52.11% for ertapenem, and 49.47% for imipenem. Based on the results of the double-disk synergy test, 93 out of 190 (48.95%) K. pneumoniae isolates were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase. In conclusion, PMF is a powerful analytical technique used to identify K. pneumoniae isolates from clinical samples based on their proteomic characteristics. K. pneumoniae isolates have shown increasing resistance to antibiotics from different classes, including carbapenem, which poses a significant threat to human health as these infections may become difficult to treat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promotion of public health is one of the most important benefits of ecosystems. Nevertheless, the relationship between ecosystems and social health' needs is not well understood. Therefore, a study was done to investigate the potential of natural (forests and rangelands) and artificial (urban parks and gardens) ecosystems in ensuring the five dimensions of public health (i.e. physical, mental, spiritual, social and environmental) in the social systems (urban and rural societies). Therefore, 47 health indicators were used in order to relate different ecosystems and social' needs to five dimensions of public health through questionnaire. The results indicated that natural ecosystems had the greatest potential in providing mental, spiritual and environmental health due to ecological characteristics of wilderness and aesthetic. The artificial ecosystems had the greatest potential in providing physical and social health due to their easy access. However, there was a match between social health' needs and ecosystem potential in the rural areas. The study highlighted the need for promotion of ecological indicators related to mental health in urban areas by enhancing silence and aesthetic in artificial ecosystems. Presented framework can provide comprehensive information on the weaknesses and strengths of different ecosystems to promote public health based on social needs and fixing the weaknesses of artificial ecosystems in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community correction institutions in China frequently employ the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) and the health survey brief (SF-12) as primary tools for psychological assessment of community correctional prisoners. However, in practical application, the SCL-90 Checklist faces issues such as complex item numbers, overall low cultural level of the subjects, and insufficient professional level of the administrators. The SF-12 health survey brief, as a preliminary screening tool, although only has 12 questions, to some extent simplifies the evaluation process and improves work efficiency, it is prone to missed screening. The research team collected 17-dimensional basic characteristic data and corresponding SCL-90 and SF-12 data from 25,480 samples of community correctional prisoners in Zhejiang Province, China. This study explored the application of multi-label multi-classification algorithms and oversampling techniques in building machine learning models to delve into the correlation between the psychological health risks of community correctional prisoners and their characteristic data. Inspired by computerized adaptive testing (CAT), we constructed an adaptive and efficient screening model for community correctional prisoners through experimental comparisons, based on the binary relevance algorithm with sample oversampling. This screening model personalize the assessment process by dynamically matching participants with the most relevant subset (s) of the nine dimensions of the SCL-90 based on their individual characteristics. Thus, adaptive dynamic simplification and personalized recommendation of the SCL-90 scale between question groups were achieved for the specific group of community correctional prisoners. As a screening tool for psychological symptoms of community correctional prisoners, this model significantly simplifies the number of questions compared to SCL-90, with a simplification rate of up to 65%. However, it achieves this simplification while maintaining excellent performance. The accuracy reached 0.66, with a sensitivity of 0.754, and an F1 score of 0.649. This innovation simplified the assessment process, reduced the assessment time, improved work efficiency, and enhanced the ability to judge the specificity of community correctional prisoners population. Compared to the SF-12, although the simplification rate and accuracy of the model are slightly lower than those of the SF-12, the sensitivity increased by 42.26%, and the F1 score improved by 15.28%. This means the model greatly reduces the possibility of missed screening, effectively preventing prisoners with abnormal psychological or mental states from losing control due to missed screening, and even committing suicide, self injury, or injuring others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of infectious diseases with pandemic potential is a major public health threat worldwide. The World Health Organization reports that about 60% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonoses, originating from spillover events. Although the mechanisms behind spillover events remain unclear, mathematical modeling offers a way to understand the intricate interactions among pathogens, wildlife, humans, and their shared environment. Aiming at gaining insights into the dynamics of spillover events and the outcome of an eventual disease outbreak in a population, we propose a continuous time stochastic modeling framework. This framework links the dynamics of animal reservoirs and human hosts to simulate cross-species disease transmission. We conduct a thorough analysis of the model followed by numerical experiments that explore various spillover scenarios. The results suggest that although most epidemic outbreaks caused by novel zoonotic pathogens do not persist in the human population, the rising number of spillover events can avoid long-lasting extinction and lead to unexpected large outbreaks. Hence, global efforts to reduce the impacts of emerging diseases should not only address post-emergence outbreak control but also need to prevent pandemics before they are established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent psychosomatic complaints remain a public health issue globally. Studies suggest that cyberbullying victimisation, particularly on social media, could heighten the risk of psychosomatic complaints. However, the mechanisms underlying the associations between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints remain unclear. This cross-cultural study examines the mediating effect of problematic social media use (PSMU) on the association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints among adolescents in high income countries. We analysed data on adolescents aged 11–16.5 years (weighted N = 142,298) in 35 countries participating in the 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Path analysis using bootstrapping technique tested the hypothesised mediating role of PSMU. Results from the sequential binary mixed effects logit models showed that adolescents who were victims of cyberbullying were 2.39 times significantly more likely to report psychosomatic complaints than those who never experienced cyberbullying (AOR = 2.39; 95%CI = 2.29, 2.49). PSMU partially mediated the association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints accounting for 12% (β = 0.01162, 95%CI = 0.0110, 0.0120) of the total effect. Additional analysis revealed a moderation effect of PSMU on the association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints. Our findings suggest that while cyberbullying victimisation substantially influences psychosomatic complaints, the association is partially explained by PSMU. Policy and public health interventions for cyberbullying-related psychosomatic complaints in adolescents should target safe social media use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palliative care is essential to global health services as it improves the quality of life of patients, their families and caregivers. The ATLANTES Global Observatory of Palliative Care (University of Navarra) was created a decade ago to promote a positive attitude towards patients with advanced illness in society and medicine. To do so, and over the past 15 years, ATLANTES has mapped palliative care data worldwide using public health, macro and comparative perspectives in different atlases. These have enabled data to be contextualised and good examples to be identified concisely and graphically. Atlases have been widely employed as advocacy tools within international institutions and ministries of health. While the aim and the perspective have remained unalterable over time, the methods and design have evolved throughout the publications from sober cartography and static infographics to big interactive data visualisation web tools. By embracing technology, ATLANTES has developed an open-access web mapping tool reuniting information from regional atlases, favouring global access to data. In 2022, matching the increasingly recognised need for robust monitoring of palliative care worldwide, ATLANTES became a WHO Collaborating Centre for the Global Monitoring of Palliative Care Development. This attempt to bridge the gap and ensure equitable care information in countries with limited palliative care access has resulted today in more accessible, self-explanatory, and visually appealing palliative care data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlocking the full potential of digital public health (DiPH) systems requires a comprehensive tool to assess their maturity. While the World Health Organization and the International Telecommunication Union released a toolkit in 2012 covering various aspects of digitalizing national healthcare systems, a holistic maturity assessment tool has been lacking ever since. To bridge this gap, we conducted a pioneering Delphi study, to which 54 experts from diverse continents and academic fields actively contributed to at least one of three rounds. 54 experts participated in developing and rating multidisciplinary quality indicators to measure the maturity of national digital public health systems. Participants established consensus on these indicators with a threshold of 70% agreement on indicator importance. Eventually, 96 indicators were identified and agreed upon by experts. Notably, 48% of these indicators were found to align with existing validated tools, highlighting their relevance and reliability. However, further investigation is required to assess the suitability and applicability of all the suggestions put forward by our participants. Nevertheless, this Delphi study is an essential initial stride toward a comprehensive measurement tool for DiPH system maturity. By working towards a standardized assessment of DiPH system maturity, we aim to empower decision-makers to make informed choices, optimize resource allocation, and drive innovation in healthcare delivery. The results of this study mark a significant milestone in advancing DiPH on a global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Substance use-related emergency department (ED) visits have increased substantially in North America. Screening for substance use in EDs is recommended; best approaches are unclear. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on diagnostic accuracy of ED screening tools to detect harmful substance use. Methods: We included derivation or validation studies, with or without comparator, that included adult (≥ 18 years) ED patients and evaluated screening tools to identify general or specific substance use disorders or harmful use. Our search strategy combined concepts Emergency Department AND Screening AND Substance Use. Trained reviewers assessed title/abstracts and full-text articles for inclusion, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias (QUADAS-2) independently and in duplicate. Reviewers resolved disagreements by discussion. Primary investigators adjudicated if necessary. Heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis. We descriptively summarized results. Results: Our search strategy yielded 2696 studies; we included 33. Twenty-one (64%) evaluated a North American population. Fourteen (42%) applied screening among general ED patients. Screening tools were administered by research staff (n = 21), self-administered by patients (n = 10), or non-research healthcare providers (n = 1). Most studies evaluated alcohol use screens (n = 26), most commonly the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT; n = 14), Cut down/Annoyed/Guilty/Eye-opener (CAGE; n = 13), and Rapid Alcohol Problems Screen (RAPS/RAPS4/RAPS4-QF; n = 12). Four studies assessing six tools and screening thresholds for alcohol abuse/dependence in North American patients (AUDIT ≥ 8; CAGE ≥ 2; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition [DSM-IV-2] ≥ 1; RAPS ≥ 1; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism [NIAAA]; Tolerance/Worry/Eye-opener/Amnesia/K-Cut down [TWEAK] ≥ 3) reported both sensitivities and specificities ≥ 83%. Two studies evaluating a single alcohol screening question (SASQ) (When was the last time you had more than X drinks in 1 day?, X = 4 for women; X = 5 for men) reported sensitivities 82–85% and specificities 70–77%. Five evaluated screening tools for general substance abuse/dependence (Relax/Alone/Friends/Family/Trouble [RAFFT] ≥ 3, Drug Abuse Screening Test [DAST] ≥ 4, single drug screening question, Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test [ASSIST] ≥ 42/18), reporting sensitivities 64%-90% and specificities 61%-100%. Studies' risk of bias were mostly high or uncertain. Conclusions: Six screening tools demonstrated both sensitivities and specificities ≥ 83% for detecting alcohol abuse/dependence in EDs. Tools with the highest sensitivities (AUDIT ≥ 8; RAPS ≥ 1) and that prioritize simplicity and efficiency (SASQ) should be prioritized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) causes significant mortality and long-term sequelae. This study assesses the potential public health impact of adolescent vaccination strategies employing MenACWY and MenC vaccines in Germany, where the existing meningococcal immunisation programme predominantly involves MenC administration in toddlers. Methods: A dynamic transmission model was developed to simulate the carriage of five meningococcal serogroup compartments (AY/B/C/W/Other) from 2019 until 2060 within 1-year age groups from 0 to 99 years of age. IMD cases were estimated based on case-carrier ratios. The model considered vaccine effectiveness against carriage acquisition and IMD. Results: The model predicts that introducing MenACWY adolescent vaccination could lead to a considerable reduction in IMD incidence, with the potential to prevent up to 65 cases per year and a cumulative total of 1467 cases by 2060. This decrease, mainly driven by herd effects, would result in a reduction of IMD incidence across all age groups, regardless of vaccination age. Furthermore, implementing MenACWY vaccination in adolescents is projected to decrease annual MenACWY-related IMD mortality by up to 64%, equating to an overall prevention of 156 IMD deaths by 2060. These protective outcomes are expected to culminate in approximately 2250 life years gained (LYG) throughout the model's projected time horizon. In contrast, the adoption of MenC vaccination in adolescents is predicted to have minimal influence on both IMD incidence and mortality, as well as on LYG. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that implementing MenACWY vaccination for adolescents in Germany is likely to notably reduce IMD incidence and mortality across age groups. However, the introduction of MenC adolescent vaccination shows only limited impact. Considering the extensive healthcare resources typically required for IMD management, these findings suggest the potential for economic benefits associated with the adoption of MenACWY adolescent vaccination, warranting further cost-effectiveness analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to assess the hen's eggs knowledge, handling practices, and consumption among Palestinian consumers using the cross-sectional survey design. Online questionnaire was sent via social media platforms including well-known Facebook and WhatsApp groups in West bank, Gaza and Jerusalem, along with an invitation explaining the research objectives and the voluntary participation. The online questionnaire consisted of three main sections: socio demographic, knowledge and practices for hen's eggs during purchase, preparation, storage, and consumption. The items were developed based on previous literature and international guidelines for hen's eggs purchase and handling, and subjected to content validity process, followed by a pilot study to determine the reliability of the questionnaire using Cronbach's alpha test. The final data were analysed based on the dichotomous Rach model for knowledge and polytomous Rasch model for practices using Winsteps version 5.1.3. The Rasch SPSS output interval data files were used in the inferential analyses tests (one-way ANOVA test and independent samples t-test). The Rasch analysis showed that on average the participants had quite low level of knowledge of hen's eggs consumption safety, (person ability Mean 0.10 logit). The item difficulty measures ranged between + 1.65 (most difficult) and − 2.24 logit (easiest). It was not easy for the participants to endorse the items pertaining their practices in handling the hen's eggs during purchase, preparation, storage and consumption, (person ability Mean − 0.11 logit). The item difficulty measures ranged between + 2.68 logits (most difficult) to − 2.45 logit (easiest). In addition, female participants significantly outperformed males in knowledge scores; and the level of hen's eggs hygiene practices and storage during purchase depended on participants' knowledge level. The research recommended interventional programs to enhance Palestinians' awareness and knowledge about hen's eggs knowledge, handling practices, and consumption. Further quantitative and qualitative research studies were also recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review thoroughly explores numerous key areas contributing to sustainable health and well-being. It encompasses precision medicine, eco-friendly healthcare practices, digital health technologies, holistic well-being approaches, community health promotion, global health protection, and data-driven public health techniques, providing a roadmap for a greater resilient healthcare future. The study evaluates the effectiveness of mathematical modelling in predicting COVID-19 transmission patterns and variants. It starts by providing an overview of COVID-19 and its variants, which include their origins and modes of transmission, then delves into prediction techniques and mathematical modelling, focusing especially on the use of differential equations-based modelling to understand disease progression. The objective is to enhance scientific information of COVID-19 variants and their effect on public health by providing insights, situation analyses, and policy recommendations derived from mathematical modelling. This comprehensive review focuses on serving as a useful resource for researchers, policymakers, and healthcare experts in addressing the pandemic and its evolving variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This "Policy Brief" explores the potential integration of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) into the United Kingdom's air quality and public health monitoring frameworks, highlighting its potential to enhance existing air pollution control strategies. Amid growing concerns over air pollution's impact on health, particularly the link between particulate matter and lung cancer, this brief presents a focused investigation into how AOD can be leveraged alongside traditional monitoring methods to provide a more nuanced understanding of air quality trends. By correlating AOD data with lung cancer incidence rates within the UK, the brief aims to uncover potential associations and inform public health decisions. Furthermore, it discusses the advantages and limitations of employing AOD in air pollution and respiratory disease monitoring, advocating for a strategic enhancement of the UK's air pollution monitoring efforts. This approach seeks to complement and refine current monitoring practices with advanced remote sensing techniques, aiming to inform policy innovations that prioritize environmental health and public welfare. Through a comprehensive review of existing data and policies, the brief underscores the urgency of adopting multidimensional air quality management strategies that respond to technological advancements and emerging public health needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health awareness days are dedicated to raising awareness regarding health issues and encouraging individuals to take preventative measures to improve their health. Mass media, including television, radio, print, and internet platforms, may significantly spread information and promote health awareness days to a large audience. It can contribute to increasing public knowledge, facilitating behaviour change, and encouraging individuals to take action towards better health. For this study, an interview schedule was conducted in four sub-divisions of the Gurgaon District of Haryana, and 400 respondents were administered the questionnaire. 76% of the respondents are keen on knowing all health days listed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GOI. Further, 38.2% of the respondents would prefer online news as a mass media medium to know about health awareness days. Health awareness days can play a critical role in increasing the respondents' knowledge about disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is evidence that hypertensive heart disease is attributed to environmental noise and air pollution in European regions. Epidemiological studies have also demonstrated the potential role of road traffic air–noise pollution in adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension. Despite the local implementation of the EU Directive on environmental noise and air quality, it is necessary to explore the progress and understand the impact of policy, legislation and the collection of exposure and associated health data for air and noise pollution in order to improve environmental public health. Therefore, the DPSEEA (Driving force, Pressure, State, Exposure, Effect and Action) conceptual framework model was used to systematically map and review these links and to identify relevant indicators linking air–noise pollution with cardiovascular diseases. With a focus on the EU and specifically UK situation, we critically evaluate the effectiveness of evidence-based policy implementation of action plans, summarizing existing data using modified framework model tools. We concluded that, the DPSEEA conceptual framework provides an effective review method to more effectively, conduct data surveillance monitoring and assessment, and tracking outcomes with different types of evidence in the field of environmental public health. There is great scope demonstrating the use of the DPSEEA conceptual framework to highlight the casual relationship between exposure and effects taking into account other factors such as driving force, pressure, state, exposure and action and to incorporate as surveillance information in the environmental health tracking system (EHTS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaria remains a formidable worldwide health challenge, with approximately half of the global population at high risk of catching the infection. This research study aimed to address the pressing public health issue of malaria's escalating prevalence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, Pakistan, and endeavors to estimate the trend for the future growth of the infection. Methods: The data were collected from the IDSRS of KP, covering a period of 5 years from 2018 to 2022. We proposed a hybrid model that integrated Prophet and TBATS methods, allowing us to efficiently capture the complications of the malaria data and improve forecasting accuracy. To ensure an inclusive assessment, we compared the prediction performance of the proposed hybrid model with other widely used time series models, such as ARIMA, ETS, and ANN. The models were developed through R-statistical software (version 4.2.2). Results: For the prediction of malaria incidence, the suggested hybrid model (Prophet and TBATS) surpassed commonly used time series approaches (ARIMA, ETS, and ANN). Hybrid model assessment metrics portrayed higher accuracy and reliability with lower MAE (8913.9), RMSE (3850.2), and MAPE (0.301) values. According to our forecasts, malaria infections were predicted to spread around 99,301 by December 2023. Conclusions: We found the hybrid model (Prophet and TBATS) outperformed common time series approaches for forecasting malaria. By December 2023, KP's malaria incidence is expected to be around 99,301, making future incidence forecasts important. Policymakers will be able to use these findings to curb disease and implement efficient policies for malaria control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate assessments of epidemiological associations between health outcomes and routinely observed proximal and distal determinants of health are fundamental for the execution of effective public health interventions and policies. Methods to couple big public health data with modern statistical techniques offer greater granularity for describing and understanding data quality, disease distributions, and potential predictive connections between population-level indicators with areal-based health outcomes. This study applied clustering techniques to explore patterns of diabetes burden correlated with local socio-economic inequalities in Malaysia, with a goal of better understanding the factors influencing the collation of these clusters. Through multi-modal secondary data sources, district-wise diabetes crude rates from 271,553 individuals with diabetes sampled from 914 primary care clinics throughout Malaysia were computed. Unsupervised machine learning methods using hierarchical clustering to a set of 144 administrative districts was applied. Differences in characteristics of the areas were evaluated using multivariate non-parametric test statistics. Five statistically significant clusters were identified, each reflecting different levels of diabetes burden at the local level, each with contrasting patterns observed under the influence of population-level characteristics. The hierarchical clustering analysis that grouped local diabetes areas with varying socio-economic, demographic, and geographic characteristics offer opportunities to local public health to implement targeted interventions in an attempt to control the local diabetes burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The war in Ukraine has led to significant migration to neighboring countries, raising public health concerns. Notable tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates in Ukraine emphasize the immediate requirement to prioritize approaches that interrupt the spread and prevent new infections. Methods: We conducted a prospective genomic surveillance study to assess migration's impact on TB epidemiology in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from Ukrainian war refugees and migrants, collected from September 2021 to December 2022 were analyzed alongside 1574 isolates obtained from Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Results: Our study revealed alarming results, with historically the highest number of Ukrainian tuberculosis patients detected in the host countries. The increasing number of cases of multidrug-resistant TB, significantly linked with Beijing lineage 2.2.1 (p < 0.0001), also presents substantial obstacles to control endeavors. The genomic analysis identified the three highly related genomic clusters, indicating the recent TB transmission among migrant populations. The largest clusters comprised war refugees diagnosed in the Czech Republic, TB patients from various regions of Ukraine, and incarcerated individuals diagnosed with pulmonary TB specialized facility in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine, pointing to a national transmission sequence that has persisted for over 14 years. Conclusions: The data showed that most infections were likely the result of reactivation of latent disease or exposure to TB before migration rather than recent transmission occurring within the host country. However, close monitoring, appropriate treatment, careful surveillance, and social support are crucial in mitigating future risks, though there is currently no evidence of local transmission in EU countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important major public health emergency, COVID-19 broke out more than two years. At present, China has entered the post-epidemic era. However, it is still necessary to study the medical health resource allocation in public health emergencies. Therefore, the evaluation of medical health resources allocation is important. Firstly, we use two kinds of linguistic preference orderings (LPOs) to represent experts' opinions when evaluating the medical health resources allocation in public health emergencies. Then, a novel ORESTE method with LPOs is developed to solve multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems. Additionally, we apply the proposed ORESTE method to solve a practical MCDM problem involving the medical health resources allocation in public health emergencies. Finally, some comparative analyses among the proposed ORESTE method and some existing methods under a double hierarchy linguistic environment are set up, and some discussions are summarized to show the validity and applicability of the proposed novel ORESTE method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public concern regarding safety policies serious consequences is anticipated to persist over an extended duration. A study examining a case of rapid public health policy adaptation in China during the COVID-19 epidemic was conducted by gathering public opinion data from major social media platforms. A systematic approach to comprehend public opinion was developed. Five fundamental elements and four dimensions were delineated. An indicator system was established utilizing the K-means text clustering model. Public prediction, expectation, and their evolution underlying public concern were elucidated employing TF–IDF text mining models. The HMM elucidated the way public opinion influences policy adjustments. The findings underscore that public concern regarding enduring events undergoes temporal shifts, mirroring the evolution of public opinion towards policy. Public opinion aroused by both the original event and derived events collaboratively influence policy adjustments. In China, public opinion serves as a mechanism for policy feedback and oversight; notably, negative public sentiment plays a pivotal role in expediting policy transitions. These findings aid in refining policies to mitigate emergencies through a feedback loop, thereby averting the emergence of safety risks such as social unrest prompted by public opinion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Enterobacter belongs to the ESKAPE group, which includes Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp. This group is characterized by the development of resistance to various antibiotics. In recent years, Enterobacter cloacae (E. cloacae) has emerged as a clinically important pathogen responsible for a wide range of healthcare-associated illnesses. Identifying Enterobacter species can be challenging due to their similar phenotypic characteristics. The emergence of multidrug-resistant E. cloacae is also a significant problem in healthcare settings. Therefore, our study aimed to identify and differentiate E. cloacae using Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) as a fast and precise proteomic analytical technique. We also tested hospital-acquired E. cloacae isolates that produce Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) against commonly used antibiotics for treating urinary tract infections (UTIs). We used a total of 189 E. cloacae isolates from 2300 urine samples of patients with UTIs in our investigation. We employed culturing techniques, as well as the BD Phoenix™ automated identification system (Becton, Dickinson) and Analytical Profile Index (API) system for the biochemical identification of E. cloacae isolates. We used the MALDI Biotyper (MBT) device for peptide mass fingerprinting analysis of all isolates. We utilized the single peak intensities and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) created by MBT Compass software to discriminate and cluster the E. cloacae isolates. Additionally, we evaluated the sensitivity and resistance of ESBL-E. cloacae isolates using the Kirby Bauer method. Out of the 189 E. cloacae isolates, the BD Phoenix system correctly identified 180 (95.24%) isolates, while the API system correctly identified 165 (87.30%) isolates. However, the MBT accurately identified 185 (98.95%) isolates with a score of 2.00 or higher. PCA positively discriminated the identified E. cloacae isolates into one group, and prominent peaks were noticed between 4230 mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) and 8500 m/z. The ESBL-E. cloacae isolates exhibited a higher degree of resistance to ampicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, cephalothin, cefuroxime, and cefoxitin. Several isolates were susceptible to carbapenems (meropenem, imipenem, and ertapenem); however, potential future resistance against carbapenems should be taken into consideration. In conclusion, MALDI-TOF MS is a powerful and precise technology that can be routinely used to recognize and differentiate various pathogens in clinical samples. Additionally, the growing antimicrobial resistance of this bacterium may pose a significant risk to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Headache is a common symptom of influenza infection; however, its causes and consequences remain uncertain. In this manuscript, we analyzed which demographic and clinical factors were associated with the presence of headache during the course of influenza infection and whether patients with headache had a different prognosis, evaluated by need of hospitalization, sick leave or school absenteeism. The influence study (NCT05704335) was an observational study that analyzed data routinely collected from the Health Sentinel Network between 2010 and 2020. During the study period, 7832 cases were considered, among which, 5275 (67.4%) reported headache. The presence of headache was independently associated with myalgia (2.753; 95%CI: 2.456–3.087, P < 0.001), asthenia (OR: 1.958; 95%CI: 1.732–2.214, P < 0.001), shivering (OR: 1.925; 95%CI: 1.718–2.156, P < 0.001), nasopharyngeal erythema (OR: 1.505; 95%CI: 1.293–1.753, P < 0.001), fever (OR: 1.469; 95%CI: 1.159–1.861; P = 0.001), sudden onset of symptoms (OR: 1.380; 95%CI: 1.120–1.702, p = 0.004), female sex (OR: 1.134; 95%CI: 1.023–1.257, P = 0.018), and gastrointestinal symptoms (OR: 1.169; 95%CI: 1.039–1.315; P = 0.01). Patients with headache had a sex and age adjusted lower odds of being referred to the hospital (OR: 0.463; 95%CI: 0.264–0.812, P = 0.007) and a higher odd of having a sick leave and/or school absenteeism (absenteeism (OR: 1.342; 95%CI: 1.190–1.514, P < 0.001). In conclusion, the presence of headache seems associated with symptoms caused by the innate immune response. These findings support a headache pathophysiology linked with the innate immune response. Due to the potential negative consequences and its treatable nature, clinicians should systematically evaluate it and, whenever necessary, treat it too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We need terms such as ‘gender modality’ that are flexible enough to capture the nuances of human experience but pragmatic enough to serve science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The threat of antimicrobial resistance means that new antibiotics need to be used sparingly. Governments must support their development with a long-term funding plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) testing services are known as the primary step in preventing the spread of HIV. However, access to these crucial services varies across regions within continents due to disparities in healthcare infrastructure, resources, and awareness. Approximately one in every five people living with HIV (PLWH) encounters obstacles in accessing HIV testing, notably in Eastern and Southern Africa, where geographical, resource, awareness, and infrastructure limitations prevail. Consequently, HIV remains a significant public health concern in these regions, necessitating expanded testing efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS disaster. Despite these challenges, there is a lack of scientific evidence on the prevalence of HIV testing and its determining factors in Rwanda. This study determined the prevalence of never being tested for HIV and its associated factors among sexually active individuals aged 15–56 who participated in the Rwanda AIDS Indicators and HIV Incidence Survey (RAIHIS). This cross-sectional study enrolled 1846 participants. The variables were extracted from the RAIHIS dataset and statistically analyzed using STATA software version 13. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were employed to identify predictors of never having undergone HIV testing, with a 95% confidence interval and a 5% statistical significance level applied. The prevalence of non-testing for HIV was 17.37%. Being aged 15–30 years (aOR 2.57, 95%CI 1.49–4.43, p < 0.001) and male (aOR 2.44, 95%CI 1.77–3.36, p < 0.001) was associated with an increase in the odds of never testing for HIV. Further, those from urban area were less likely than those living in rural areas to have never tested for HIV (aOR 0.31; 95% CI 0.38–0.67; p < 0.001). Participants who were not aware of HIV test facilitates were more likely to have never undergone HIV testing (aOR 1.75; 95% CI 1.25–2.47; p = 0.031) than their counterparts. While the prevalence of HIV non-testing remains modest, the significance of youth, male gender, lack of awareness, and rural residence as influential factors prompts a call for inventive strategies to tackle the reasons behind never having undergone HIV testing. Further exploration using mixed methodologies is advocated to better comprehend socio-cultural impacts and causation relating to these identified factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-based product replacements are gaining popularity. However, the long-term health implications remain poorly understood, and available methods, though accurate, are expensive and burdensome, impeding the study of sufficiently large cohorts. To identify dietary transitions over time, we examine anonymised loyalty-card shopping records from Co-op Food, UK. We focus on 10,626 frequent customers who directly replaced milk with alternative milk. We then use product nutritional information to estimate weekly nutrient intake before and after the transition. 83% who converted to alternative milk saw a fall in iodine (44%), calcium (30%) and vitamin B12 (39%) consumption, with 57% reducing iodine purchase by more than 50%. The decline is even higher for those switching dairy and meat products. Our findings suggest that dietary transitions - such as replacing milk with alternative milk - could lead to nutritional deficiencies, notably iodine, which, if not addressed, may represent a significant public health concern, particularly in countries which do not mandate salt iodisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Health Organization (WHO) Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders was developed by WHO to address the worldwide challenges and gaps in provision of care and services for people with epilepsy and other neurological disorders and to ensure a comprehensive, coordinated response across sectors to the burden of neurologic diseases and to promote brain health across life-course. Headache disorders constitute the second most burdensome of all neurological diseases after stroke, but the first if young and midlife adults are taken into account. Despite the availability of a range of treatments, disability associated with headache disorders, and with migraine, remains very high. In addition, there are inequalities between high-income and low and middle income countries in access to medical care. In line with several brain health initiatives following the WHOiGAP resolution, herein we tailor the main pillars of the action plan to headache disorders: (1) raising policy prioritization and strengthen governance; (2) providing effective, timely and responsive diagnosis, treatment and care; (3) implementing strategies for promotion and prevention; (4) fostering research and innovation and strengthen information systems. Specific targets for future policy actions are proposed. The Global Action Plan triggered a revolution in neurology, not only by increasing public awareness of brain disorders and brain health but also by boosting the number of neurologists in training, raising research funding and making neurology a public health priority for policy makers. Reducing the burden of headache disorders will not only improve the quality of life and wellbeing of people with headache but also reduce the burden of neurological disorders increasing global brain health and, thus, global population health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bringing fresh perspectives to long-standing health challenges, these scientists are using techniques such as big-data analytics and AI to push the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older populations might be more protected than younger ones because of exposure to ‘matched’ strains during childhood, but an H5N1 pandemic is likely to take a major toll all the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study finds that antibodies from people with the debilitating condition trigger similar symptoms in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countries are cracking down on tobacco use and vaping — the laws could save thousands of lives and billions of dollars, say scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]