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ABSTRACT Background Methods Results Conclusion Asymptomatic nonvalvular atrial fibrillation is often suspected in patients with cryptogenic stroke which constitute 20%–30% of ischemic strokes. Detection of atrial fibrillation (AF) and treatment with anticoagulation can reduce the risk of stroke. We sought to investigate the prevalence of asymptomatic atrial fibrillation (aAF) in patients with a history of stroke or an acute stroke on admission.From November 2011 until December 2014, 15,308 patients with a first episode of AF were enrolled in phase 2 of the international, prospective, multicenter global registry on long‐term oral anticoagulation treatment in patients with AF (GLORIA‐AF) Registry. For the present analysis, we focused on patients with aAF regarding the prevalence of stroke.One third of patients (n = 4892, 32%) had aAF. Of these, 611 (12.5%) had a history of stroke or an acute stroke on admission. In contrast, 519 of 10,416 (5.0%) patients with symptomatic AF (sAF) had a history of stroke or an acute stroke on admission. Higher age, male gender, permanent AF, stroke, and the combination of stroke, TIA or systemic embolism were associated with a higher prevalence of aAF on admission. In a multivariable analysis, patients with aAF had a 2.3‐fold (95% confidence interval (CI), 2.02–2.54) risk for stroke compared to patients with sAF. Other independent risk factors for stroke were a history of prior bleeding (odds ratio 1.62, 95% CI, 1.34–1.92), chronic kidney disease (1.38, 1.21–1.56), and diabetes mellitus (1.24, 1.10–1.41).aAF is reported in about one third of patients with newly diagnosed AF and is associated with a 2.3‐fold risk for stroke compared to sAF. Therefore, screening for aAF in high‐risk patients might be appropriate to prevent further embolic cerebrovascular events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Grand multiparous women showed a significantly higher rate of postpartum hemorrhage only from parity eight. • Increasing parity is associated with an increased risk for obstetrical complications, such as PPH, placental abruption and LGA neonates, but with a decrease for some others obstetrical complications such as unplanned cesarean and preterm deliveries. • It seems that any additional delivery has an impact on obstetric outcomes, in a dose dependence matter. To assess the effect of each additional delivery among grand multiparous (GMP) women on maternal and neonatal outcomes. A multi-center retrospective cohort study that examined maternal and neonatal outcomes of GMP women (parity 5–10, analyzed separately for each parity level) compared to a reference group of multiparous women (parity 2–4). The study population included grand multiparous women with singleton gestation who delivered in one of four university-affiliated obstetrical centers in a single geographic area, between 2003 and 2021. We excluded nulliparous, those with parity > 10 (due to small sample sizes), women with previous cesarean deliveries (CDs), multifetal gestations, and out-of-hospital deliveries. The primary outcome of this study was postpartum hemorrhage (PPH, estimated blood loss exceeding 1000 ml, and/or requiring blood product transfusion, and/or a hemoglobin drop > 3 g/Dl). Secondary outcomes included unplanned cesarean deliveries, preterm delivery, along with other adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Univariate analysis was followed by multivariable logistic regression. During the study period, 251,786 deliveries of 120,793 patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of those, 173,113 (69%) were of parity 2–4 (reference group), 27,894 (11%) were of parity five, 19,146 (8%) were of parity six, 13,115 (5%) were of parity seven, 8903 (4%) were of parity eight, 5802 (2%) were of parity nine and 3813 (2%) were of parity ten. GMP women exhibited significantly higher rates of PPH starting from parity eight. The adjusted odds ratios (aOR) were 1.19 (95 % CI: 1.06–1.34) for parity 8, 1.17 (95 % CI: 1.01–1.36) for parity 9, and 1.39 (95 % CI: 1.18–1.65) for parity 10. Additionally, they showed elevated rates of several maternal and neonatal outcomes, including placental abruption, large-for-gestational age (LGA) neonates, neonatal hypoglycemia, and neonatal seizures. Conversely, they exhibited decreased risk for other adverse maternal outcomes, including preterm deliveries, unplanned cesarean deliveries (CDs), vacuum-assisted delivery, and third- or fourth-degree perineal tears and small-for-gestational age (SGA) neonates. The associations with neonatal hypoglycemia, and neonatal seizure were correlated with the number of deliveries in a dose-dependent manner, demonstrating that each additional delivery was associated with an additional, significant impact on obstetrical complications. Our study demonstrates that parity 8–10 is associated with a significantly increased risk of PPH. Parity level > 5 correlated with increased odds of placental abruption, LGA neonates, neonatal hypoglycemia, and neonatal seizures. However, GMP women also demonstrated a reduced likelihood of certain adverse maternal outcomes, including unplanned cesarean, preterm deliveries, vacuum-assisted deliveries, SGA neonates, and severe perineal tears. These findings highlight the importance of tailored obstetrical care for GMP women to mitigate the elevated risks associated with higher parity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk factors for cytomegalovirus (CMV) acquisition in men having sex with men remain unclear. Seroprevalence, incidence, risk factors and shedding of CMV were analyzed among participants enrolled in the HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis IPERGAY-ANRS trial. Among the 417 participants tested, 382 were seropositive at baseline (prevalence of 91.6%; 95%CI[88.5–94.1]) and 10/35 seroconverted during the study (incidence of 17.1 per 100 person-years; 95%CI[8.2–31.3]). A high number of sexual partners was independently associated with CMV seroprevalence. Shedding among CMV-seroconverters was reported for 6/9 and 2/9 at the oral and anal levels, respectively. Our data supports transmission of CMV during sexual contacts. Study part of the ANRS-IPERGAY Clinical trial ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01473472. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin cancers are the most common cancers and they are divided into two types: melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs). Melanoma is the most lethal and aggressive type of skin cancer. The incidence of this type of cancer is increasing. Mortality from melanoma can be reduced by avoidance of exposure to ultraviolet radiation and regular skin examination. Materials and methods of research English-language scientific literature available in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases was reviewed using the following keywords: ”melanoma”; ”early-detection”; ”self-screening”; ”tanning”; ”sunscreen”; ”dermatoscopy”; ”mortality”; ”prevention”; ”risk-factors”; ”UV protection”; ”epidemiology”. Aim of the study The purpose of this narrative review is to present risk factors, prevention and the importance of early detection of melanoma. This review also shows that it is possible to increase people's awareness of skin self-examination and the importance of UV protection through the use of modern technology (text messaging). Conclusions There are many risk factors for melanoma. People's awareness of the risks of UV exposure from both sunbathing and tanning beds is increasing. More and more people are starting to protect themselves from the sun and regularly check their skin. This behavior reduces the risk of developing melanoma and increases the chances of detecting melanoma in its early stages.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to systematically appraise risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in high-income countries during the period of predominance of the Alpha variant (January 2020 to April 2021).MethodsFour electronic databases were used to search observational studies. Literature search, study screening, data extraction and quality assessment were conducted by two authors independently. Meta-analyses were conducted for each risk factor, when appropriate.ResultsFrom 12,094 studies, 27 were included. The larger sample size was 17,288,532 participants, more women were included, and the age range was 18–117 years old. Meta-analyses identified men [Odds Ratio (OR): 1.23, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.97–1.42], non-white ethnicity (OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.39–1.91), household number (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.06–1.10), diabetes (OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.08–1.37), cancer (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68–0.98), cardiovascular diseases (OR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.84–1.00), asthma (OR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.75–0.92) and ischemic heart disease (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.74–0.91) as associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.ConclusionThis study indicated several risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Due to the heterogeneity of the studies included, more studies are needed to understand the factors that increase the risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021244148, PROSPERO registration number, CRD42021244148.

Background: Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is the most common gynecological malignancy in developed countries. The overall prognosis is excellent, as most cases are diagnosed at an early stage with low-grade histology, but once the recurrence occurs, the median survival decreases severely. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with recurrence in early-stage EC and explore their impact on overall survival (OS) after recurrence. Materials and Methods: Records from patients diagnosed with EC were retrospectively reviewed. 220 patients were identified as early-stage, low-risk EC who underwent primary surgical treatment between January 2010 and December 2022, and their baseline characteristics were analyzed. Cox regression analysis was used to identify various factors for tumor recurrence. Survival analysis was done using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: In a cohort of 220 patients, we observed tumor recurrence in 44 (20%) patients and 34 (15.45%) deaths over a median follow-up of 72 months (range, 12–144 months). Multivariate analysis confirmed two risk factors: myometrial invasion (MMI) of any depth and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) as independent predictors of recurrence. The prognosis was worse for patients with recurrence than for those without. The OS for the recurrent group was 38.6%, compared to 96.0% in the non-recurrent group. In our study, the median time to recurrence was 19 months (confidence interval 18–30) months. Conclusion: The presence of MMI and LVI are important predictors for recurrence in early-stage low-risk EC.

Background: Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is the most common gynecological malignancy in developed countries. The overall prognosis is excellent, as most cases are diagnosed at an early stage with low-grade histology, but once the recurrence occurs, the median survival decreases severely. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with recurrence in early-stage EC and explore their impact on overall survival (OS) after recurrence. Materials and Methods: Records from patients diagnosed with EC were retrospectively reviewed. 220 patients were identified as early-stage, low-risk EC who underwent primary surgical treatment between January 2010 and December 2022, and their baseline characteristics were analyzed. Cox regression analysis was used to identify various factors for tumor recurrence. Survival analysis was done using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: In a cohort of 220 patients, we observed tumor recurrence in 44 (20%) patients and 34 (15.45%) deaths over a median follow-up of 72 months (range, 12–144 months). Multivariate analysis confirmed two risk factors: myometrial invasion (MMI) of any depth and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) as independent predictors of recurrence. The prognosis was worse for patients with recurrence than for those without. The OS for the recurrent group was 38.6%, compared to 96.0% in the non-recurrent group. In our study, the median time to recurrence was 19 months (confidence interval 18–30) months. Conclusion: The presence of MMI and LVI are important predictors for recurrence in early-stage low-risk EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The incidence of Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) is rising in young adults. Timely control of cardiovascular risk factors is important to prevent the increasing incidence of AMI in young adults. Aim: To analyse the clinical profile, risk factors, and outcomes of AMI among the young adult population in Manipur, India. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based cohort study was conducted in a tertiary care centre at Department of Medicine, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur, India from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022, among patients aged 45 years or younger attending the medicine Outpatient Department (OPD), admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Intensive Coronary Care Unit (ICCU) with the first attack of AMI. Cases involving pregnancy, known cases of pericarditis, and Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) were excluded. Data were collected using a performa regarding demographic profile, clinical presentation, risk factors, and treatment outcomes. The data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 21.0 and expressed as descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 39 cases were reported with a mean age of 40.2±4.6 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 9:1. The majority of cases presented with chest pain (74.3%), followed by shortness of breath (40%), nausea (13%), and collapse (10%). 75% of cases presented with multiple clinical features. The most common risk factors in young adults were smoking (84.6%), alcohol consumption (56.4%), family history of heart disease (25.6%), hypertension (20.5%), substance abuse (20.5%), diabetes (17.9%), and dyslipidemia (25.6%). Cases showed elevated cardiac enzymes - Creatine Kinase-Myocardial Band (CK-MB) (92.3%) and Troponin I (94.9%). Electrocardiogram (ECG) changes revealed ST segment elevation MI (89.7%). Only one case resulted in death during the hospital stay. Conclusion: The incidence of AMI among young adult populations is increasing, emphasising the need to raise awareness regarding cardiovascular risk factors and lifestyle modifications. However, the cases have shown good clinical outcomes among young adults with the disease.

Abstract Background Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) epidemic is driven mainly by the effect of ongoing transmission. In high-burden settings such as South Africa (SA), considerable demographic and geographic heterogeneity in DR-TB transmission exists. Thus, a better understanding of risk-factors for clustering can help to prioritise resources to specifically targeted high-risk groups as well as areas that contribute disproportionately to transmission. Methods The study analyzed potential risk-factors for recent transmission in SA, using data collected from a sentinel molecular surveillance of DR-TB, by comparing demographic, clinical and epidemiologic characteristics with clustering and cluster sizes. A genotypic cluster was defined as two or more patients having identical patterns by the two genotyping methods used. Clustering was used as a proxy for recent transmission. Descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression were used. Result The study identified 277 clusters, with cluster size ranging between 2 and 259 cases. The majority (81.6%) of the clusters were small (2–5 cases) with few large (11–25 cases) and very large (≥ 26 cases) clusters identified mainly in Western Cape (WC), Eastern Cape (EC) and Mpumalanga (MP). In a multivariable model, patients in clusters including 11–25 and ≥ 26 individuals were more likely to be infected by Beijing family, have XDR-TB, living in Nelson Mandela Metro in EC or Umgungunglovo in Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) provinces, and having history of imprisonment. Individuals belonging in a small genotypic cluster were more likely to infected with Rifampicin resistant TB (RR-TB) and more likely to reside in Frances Baard in Northern Cape (NC). Conclusion Sociodemographic, clinical and bacterial risk-factors influenced rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) genotypic clustering. Hence, high-risk groups and hotspot areas for clustering in EC, WC, KZN and MP should be prioritized for targeted intervention to prevent ongoing DR-TB transmission.

Abstract Background This study conducted a survey of men who have sex with men (MSM) in Maanshan City of Anhui Province to assess the risk behaviors related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted from June 2016 to June 2019. The MSM were recruited by a peer-driven sampling method. A face-to-face interview with anonymous questionnaire was used for data collection. The information collected by the survey was summarized and epidemiology described the basic characteristics of MSM, and then the related factors were statistically analyzed. Results A total of 934 MSM were recruited with a average age was 30.5 (SD = 8.90) years old, including 816 (87.4%) HIV negative participants and 118 (12.6%) HIV positive ones. This study showed that freelancer (OR = 4.02, 95% CI: 1.96–8.23), scope of sexual partners distribution (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.36–2.33), number of male sexual partners (OR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.47–3.02), role of anal sex with men was receptive (OR = 2.54, 95% CI: 1.25–5.13) and versatile (OR = 2.34, 95% CI: 1.31–4.19) and non-steady sex partners (OR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.56–2.93) were risk factors for HIV infection, while monthly income (OR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.57–0.82), education level (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.66–0.95), frequency of condom use (OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.35–0.81) and number of oral sex partners (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.24–0.51) in the past 6 months were protective factors for HIV infection. Conclusion Risk behaviors were common in MSM, and urgent need for targeted and comprehensive interventions to reduce risky sexual behaviour and to prevent HIV infection in MSM.

Introduction: The incidence of Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) is rising in young adults. Timely control of cardiovascular risk factors is important to prevent the increasing incidence of AMI in young adults. Aim: To analyse the clinical profile, risk factors, and outcomes of AMI among the young adult population in Manipur, India. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based cohort study was conducted in a tertiary care centre at Department of Medicine, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur, India from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022, among patients aged 45 years or younger attending the medicine Outpatient Department (OPD), admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Intensive Coronary Care Unit (ICCU) with the first attack of AMI. Cases involving pregnancy, known cases of pericarditis, and Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) were excluded. Data were collected using a performa regarding demographic profile, clinical presentation, risk factors, and treatment outcomes. The data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 21.0 and expressed as descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 39 cases were reported with a mean age of 40.2±4.6 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 9:1. The majority of cases presented with chest pain (74.3%), followed by shortness of breath (40%), nausea (13%), and collapse (10%). 75% of cases presented with multiple clinical features. The most common risk factors in young adults were smoking (84.6%), alcohol consumption (56.4%), family history of heart disease (25.6%), hypertension (20.5%), substance abuse (20.5%), diabetes (17.9%), and dyslipidemia (25.6%). Cases showed elevated cardiac enzymes - Creatine Kinase-Myocardial Band (CK-MB) (92.3%) and Troponin I (94.9%). Electrocardiogram (ECG) changes revealed ST segment elevation MI (89.7%). Only one case resulted in death during the hospital stay. Conclusion: The incidence of AMI among young adult populations is increasing, emphasising the need to raise awareness regarding cardiovascular risk factors and lifestyle modifications. However, the cases have shown good clinical outcomes among young adults with the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: India confronts health and malnutrition challenge for its 8.6% of its elderly population. Malnutrition is complex condition influenced by multiple factors such as sociodemographic, somatic, dietary and lifestyle characteristics. Objectives: To study the health status, sociodemographic factors, nutritional status using MNA scale and associated riskfactors among elderly attending RHTC OPD affiliated to tertiary health care centre of central India. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during December 2022 to September 2023 among 300 elderly of ≥60 years of age. A structured questionnaire was used to record the sociodemographic and relevant personal details. MNA scale was used to assess malnutrition. Data was entered in MS Excel window version 11 and analysed by using Open-Epi Software. Association between two categorical variables was analysed by using Chi-square test. Results: MNA Scale showed 22.67% were malnourished and 39.00% were At-Risk of malnutrition. Among 300 elderly, 53% were from 60- 70 years of age group and 52% were females. Being older of age ≥70 years (OR= 3.92), Female (OR= 2.04), widow/ widower (OR= 3.21), Illiterate (OR=5.88), living Alone (OR= 3.21) within broken family (OR= 3.21) were significantly associated with malnutrition (p <0.05). Lower socioeconomic status (OR= 2.73), financial dependency (OR= 4.23) and presence of Morbidity (OR= 2.35) were also associated with malnutrition (p <0.05). Conclusion: The nutritional status of the elderly was found to be significantly poor in this study. Lack of awareness regarding nutritional status necessitates the implementation of screening, early diagnosis and treatment at primary health care level to promote healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current cross-sectional study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of Leptospira infection in bovine dairy farms in the Telangana state of India, as well as the associated risk factors, in order to implement effective preventive measures for disease control. A total of 469 blood samples were collected from 67 herds/farms in different areas, covering 20 administrative districts in the state. These samples consisted of 253 from cattle and 216 from buffaloes. Questionnaires were used to collect data on host and epidemiological factors. The collected sera were tested using the gold standard serological test, the Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT), which employed a panel of 18 reference serovars for Leptospira exposure. The statistical analysis of epidemiological data was carried out to identify the risk factors associated with Leptospira exposure. The overall observed seroprevalence at the animal and farm levels was 41.4% and 77.6%, respectively. The most prevalent anti-leptospiral antibodies were observed against the serogroups Icterohaemorrhagiae (32.4%), Pomona (22.2%), Javanica (19.1%), Australis (17.0%), Bataviae (15.5%), Autumnalis (12.9%), Hebdomadis (12.9%), and others, in the total reacting samples. At the animal level, the significant risk factors associated with exposure to Leptospira species were breed (p = 0.03) and health status (p = 0.03). Furthermore, the multivariate statistical analysis of farm factors revealed that farm size (p = 0.05), presence of dogs (p = 0.04) and rodents (p = 0.01) on the farm, use of fodder from wet soils (p = 0.04), and proximity to water bodies (p = 0.04) were significantly associated with exposure to Leptospira in the studied region. This study provides the first report from India highlighting the important risk factors at the herd/farm and animal level associated with Leptospira infections in cattle and buffaloes. The findings contribute to strengthening the one-health strategy by facilitating the design and planning of appropriate control measures to alleviate the burden of leptospirosis in bovines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) epidemic is driven mainly by the effect of ongoing transmission. In high-burden settings such as South Africa (SA), considerable demographic and geographic heterogeneity in DR-TB transmission exists. Thus, a better understanding of risk-factors for clustering can help to prioritise resources to specifically targeted high-risk groups as well as areas that contribute disproportionately to transmission. Methods: The study analyzed potential risk-factors for recent transmission in SA, using data collected from a sentinel molecular surveillance of DR-TB, by comparing demographic, clinical and epidemiologic characteristics with clustering and cluster sizes. A genotypic cluster was defined as two or more patients having identical patterns by the two genotyping methods used. Clustering was used as a proxy for recent transmission. Descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression were used. Result: The study identified 277 clusters, with cluster size ranging between 2 and 259 cases. The majority (81.6%) of the clusters were small (2–5 cases) with few large (11–25 cases) and very large (≥ 26 cases) clusters identified mainly in Western Cape (WC), Eastern Cape (EC) and Mpumalanga (MP). In a multivariable model, patients in clusters including 11–25 and ≥ 26 individuals were more likely to be infected by Beijing family, have XDR-TB, living in Nelson Mandela Metro in EC or Umgungunglovo in Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) provinces, and having history of imprisonment. Individuals belonging in a small genotypic cluster were more likely to infected with Rifampicin resistant TB (RR-TB) and more likely to reside in Frances Baard in Northern Cape (NC). Conclusion: Sociodemographic, clinical and bacterial risk-factors influenced rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) genotypic clustering. Hence, high-risk groups and hotspot areas for clustering in EC, WC, KZN and MP should be prioritized for targeted intervention to prevent ongoing DR-TB transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the distribution, drug resistance and risk factors of multi-drug resistant bacterias (MDROs) in patients with Type 2 diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). Method. The clinical data, foot secretions, pathogenic microorganisms and drug sensitivity tests of 147 patients with type 2 diabetes admitted to our department from January 2018 to December 2021 were analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether they had been infected with MDROs or not. Seventy-one cases were infected with MDROs as the case group, and the remaining 76 cases were the control group. Chi-square test and t-test were used to analyze the results of MDROs infection and DFU, and logistic multivariate regression was used to evaluate the risk factors of MDROs infection. Results. A total of 71 strains were isolated from the MDROs-positive group, with the top three being Staphylococcus aureus (46.48%), Escherichia coli (22.53%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (18.31%), respectively. Logistic multifactorial regression analysis showed that history of previous antimicrobial exposure, neuroischemic wound, Wagner grade 3-5, and combined osteomyelitis were associated with Type 2 diabetic foot infection MDROs (P <0:05). Conclusion. Previous history of antimicrobial exposure, neuroischemic wounds, Wagner grade 3-5, and combined osteomyelitis are independent risk factors for MDROs, which can identify the risk factors for MDROs at an early stage and help to identify people at high risk of MDROs infection and take relevant comprehensive treatment in time to slow down the development of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Investigation of risk factors for the presence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in inpatients on surgical wards and associated intensive care units of a German tertiary care hospital. Methods A single-centre retrospective matched case-control study was performed with surgical inpatients admitted between July 2013 and December 2016. Patients with in-hospital detection of VRE later than 48 h after admission were included and comprised 116 VRE-positive cases and 116 VRE-negative matched controls. VRE isolates of cases were typed by multi-locus sequence typing. Results ST117 was identified as the dominant VRE sequence type. Next to length of stay in hospital or on an intensive care unit and previous dialysis the case-control study revealed previous antibiotic therapy as a risk factor for the in-hospital detection of VRE. The antibiotics piperacillin/tazobactam, meropenem, and vancomycin were associated with the highest risks. After taking into account length of stay in hospital as possible confounder other potential contact-related risk factors such as previous sonography, radiology, central venous catheter, and endoscopy were not significant. Conclusions Previous dialysis and previous antibiotic therapy were identified as independent risk factors for the presence of VRE in surgical inpatients.

Abstract Background Sepsis-related AKI is related to short-term mortality and poor long-term prognoses, such as chronic renal insufficiency, late development of end-stage renal disease, and long-term mortality. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association of hyperuricemia with acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with sepsis. Methods The retrospective cohort study included 634 adult sepsis patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from March 2014 to June 2020 and the ICU of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from January 2017 to June 2020. Based on the first serum uric acid level within 24 h of admission to the ICU, patients were divided into groups with or without hyperuricemia, and the incidence of AKI within seven days of ICU admission was compared between the two groups. The univariate analysis analyzed the effect of hyperuricemia on sepsis-related AKI, and the multivariable logistic regression model analysis was used. Results Among the 634 patients with sepsis, 163 (25.7%) developed hyperuricemia, and 324 (51.5%) developed AKI. The incidence of AKI in the groups with and without hyperuricemia was 76.7% and 42.3%, respectively, with statistically significant differences (2 = 57.469, P

The global economy was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper estimates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the overall risk of construction projects in Egypt and identifies risk factors affected by the pandemic. A structured questionnaire was designed to collect data. One hundred thirty-two cases before the COVID-19 pandemic and 68 cases after the pandemic were managed. The outliers were excluded using Mahalanobis distance. The distribution of the samples before and after the COVID-19 pandemic was studied using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and the difference in medians using the Mann-Whitney U test. The delay in payment and the fluctuation in material prices are the most critical risk factors after the epidemic spread in residential projects in Egypt. Suspension of projects has been the most significant consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pandemic increased the overall risk by 17%. This research helps to identify the main risk factors after the pandemic, and then the project manager can prepare an appropriate risk response plan.

Post-partum depression is one of the most severe types of depression and can be developed at any age, no matter of cultural of social status. Objectives. To determine the factors associated with the psychological impact of pregnancy and to emphasize the psychological and psychiatric risks after giving birth for a woman. Materials and Methods. The study enrolled 35 patients diagnosed with postpartum depression that have been hospitalized in a tertiary-care center for psychiatric disorders between 2016 and 2020. Data were collected from patients’ observation charts. Results. The incidence of postpartum depression is higher in the age range 30-45 years old for primiparous women who are from urban areas, unemployed and not integrated in a family (unbalanced families or single parents), with medium level of education (high school) and alcohol addiction. One of 35 patients committed infanticide. Conclusions. Even if the postpartum depression is known worldwide it is still underdiagnosed, with certain factors concurring to that. Postpartum depression requires the identification of risk conditions in pregnant women and individualized therapy in a patient-centered, holistic manner.

Abstract Background Cancer is becoming an important public health problem in Uganda. Cancer control requires surveillance of lifestyle risk factors to inform targeted interventions. However, only one national Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) risk factor survey has been conducted in Uganda. This review assessed the prevalence, trends and distribution of lifestyle risk factors in Uganda. Methods The review identified studies up to January 2019 by searching Medline, Embase, CINAL and Cochrane databases. Further literature was identified from relevant websites and journals; scanning reference lists of relevant articles; and citation searching using Google Scholar. To be eligible, studies had to have been conducted in Uganda, and report prevalence estimates for at least one lifestyle cancer risk factor. Narrative and systematic synthesis was used to analyse the data. Results Twenty-four studies were included in the review. Overall, unhealthy diet (88%) was the most prevalent lifestyle risk factor for both males and females. This was followed by harmful use of alcohol (range of 14.3% to 26%) for men, and being overweight (range of 9% to 24%) for women. Tobacco use (range of 0.8% to 10.1%) and physical inactivity (range of 3.7% to 4.9%) were shown to be relatively less prevalent in Uganda. Tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol were more common in males and more prevalent in Northern region, while being overweight (BMI > 25 kg/m2) and physical inactivity were more common in females and more prevalent in Central region. Tobacco use was more prevalent among the rural populations compared to urban, while physical inactivity and being overweight were more common in urban than in rural settings. Tobacco use has decreased overtime, while being overweight increased in all regions and for both sexes. Conclusion There is limited data about lifestyle risk factors in Uganda. Apart from tobacco use, other lifestyle risk factors seem to be increasing and there is variation in the prevalence of lifestyle risk factors among the different populations in Uganda. Prevention of lifestyle cancer risk factors requires targeted interventions and a multi-sectoral approach. Most importantly, improving the availability, measurement and comparability of cancer risk factor data should be a top priority for future research in Uganda and other low-resource settings.

Tuberculosis (TB) drug resistance has become a substantial public health threat, posing a significant challenge to global TB control. Nigeria is one of the eight countries contributing two-thirds of the global TB cases in 2020, with a high rate of MDR/RR-TB. This study was designed to determine MDR-TB prevalence among suspected drug-resistant TB patients, MTBC mutation patterns, and the associated factors of MDR-TB in Osun State. We obtained fresh sputum samples from eligible participants who tested positive for rifampicin resistance on GeneXpert assay for analysis using the MTBDRplus LPA. SPSS version 23 was used for statistical analysis, significance was set at p

Supply chains (SCs) are susceptible to risks because of their dynamic and complex nature. Big data analytics (BDA) through blockchain technology (BCT) can significantly contribute to managing SC risks. However, to date, the combined effect of BDA-BCT for SC risks has not been investigated extensively in the literature. This paper aims to identify the risk factors of the BDA-BCT initiative for Indian manufacturing organisations. Through the literature and experts' judgments, sixteen risk factors were identified. Data was collected from machine tool, automobile component, and electrical manufacturing organisations. Further interrelations between risk factors were evaluated using the grey DEMATEL approach. The results show that 'supply chain visibility risks', 'infrastructure and development costs', 'demand forecasting and sensing risks', 'data privacy and security risks', 'policy and legality related risks', and 'supply chain resilience' were identified as common factors in the adoption of BDA-BCT practices by the three organisations. The cause-effect relationship between risk factors can assist managers, suppliers, service providers, and policymakers in the significant adoption of BDA-BCT in the context of manufacturing organisations. The study provides a novel way to utilise BDA-BCT in minimising supply chain risks. Limitations of the study are that it was conducted only for Indian organizations. In the future, the findings of the study can be validated through empirical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis represents a clinical challenge associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to analyze potential risk factors for the in-hospital mortality of vertebral osteomyelitis (VO) patients. Methods: Based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) codes for VO ("M46.2-", "M46.3-", and "M46.4-") data for total case numbers, secondary diagnoses, and numbers of in-hospital deaths were extracted from the Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (InEK GmbH). Odds ratios (OR) for death were calculated for several secondary diseases and factors of interest. Results: Despite age, certain comorbidities were found to be strongly associated with increased mortality risk: Heart failure (OR = 2.80; 95% CI 2.45 to 3.20; p < 0.01), chronic kidney disease (OR = 1.83; 95% CI 1.57 to 2.13; p < 0.01), and diabetes with complications (OR = 1.86; 95% CI 1.46 to 2.38; p < 0.01). Among the complications, acute liver failure showed the highest risk for in-hospital mortality (OR = 42.41; 95% CI 23.47 to 76.62; p < 0.01). Additionally, stage III kidney failure (OR = 9.81; 95% CI 7.96 to 12.08; p < 0.01), sepsis (OR = 5.94; 95% CI 5.02 to 7.03; p < 0.01), acute respiratory failure (OR = 5.31; 95% CI 4.61 to 6.12; p < 0.01), and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) (OR = 5.19; 95% CI 3.69 to 5.19; p < 0.01) were associated with in-hospital mortality. When analyzing the influence of pathogens, documented infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa had the highest risk for mortality (OR = 2.74; 95% CI 2.07 to 3.63; p < 0.01), followed by Streptococci, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus infections. Conclusions: An early assessment of individual patient risk factors may be beneficial in the care and treatment of VO to help reduce the risks of mortality. These findings emphasize the importance of closely monitoring VO patients with chronic organ diseases, early detection and treatment of sepsis, and tailored empirical antibiotic therapy. The identification of specific pathogens and antibiotic susceptibility testing should be prioritized to improve patient outcomes in this high-risk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study conducted a survey of men who have sex with men (MSM) in Maanshan City of Anhui Province to assess the risk behaviors related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from June 2016 to June 2019. The MSM were recruited by a peer-driven sampling method. A face-to-face interview with anonymous questionnaire was used for data collection. The information collected by the survey was summarized and epidemiology described the basic characteristics of MSM, and then the related factors were statistically analyzed. Results: A total of 934 MSM were recruited with a average age was 30.5 (SD = 8.90) years old, including 816 (87.4%) HIV negative participants and 118 (12.6%) HIV positive ones. This study showed that freelancer (OR = 4.02, 95% CI: 1.96–8.23), scope of sexual partners distribution (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.36–2.33), number of male sexual partners (OR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.47–3.02), role of anal sex with men was receptive (OR = 2.54, 95% CI: 1.25–5.13) and versatile (OR = 2.34, 95% CI: 1.31–4.19) and non-steady sex partners (OR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.56–2.93) were risk factors for HIV infection, while monthly income (OR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.57–0.82), education level (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.66–0.95), frequency of condom use (OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.35–0.81) and number of oral sex partners (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.24–0.51) in the past 6 months were protective factors for HIV infection. Conclusion: Risk behaviors were common in MSM, and urgent need for targeted and comprehensive interventions to reduce risky sexual behaviour and to prevent HIV infection in MSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic diseases affect a disproportionate number of United States (US) veterans, causing significant long-term health issues and affecting entitlement spending. This longitudinal study examined the health status of US veterans as compared to non-veterans pre- and post-COVID-19, utilizing the annual Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) behavioral risk factor surveillance system (BRFSS) survey data. Age-adjusted descriptive point estimates were generated independently for 2003 through 2021, while complex weighted panel data were generated from 2011 and onward. General linear modeling revealed that the average US veteran reports a higher prevalence of disease conditions except for mental health disorders when compared to a non-veteran. These findings were consistent with both pre- and post-COVID-19; however, both groups reported a higher prevalence of mental health issues during the pandemic years. The findings suggest that there have been no improvements in reducing veteran comorbidities to non-veteran levels and that COVID-19 adversely affected the mental health of both populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sepsis-related AKI is related to short-term mortality and poor long-term prognoses, such as chronic renal insufficiency, late development of end-stage renal disease, and long-term mortality. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association of hyperuricemia with acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with sepsis. Methods: The retrospective cohort study included 634 adult sepsis patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from March 2014 to June 2020 and the ICU of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from January 2017 to June 2020. Based on the first serum uric acid level within 24 h of admission to the ICU, patients were divided into groups with or without hyperuricemia, and the incidence of AKI within seven days of ICU admission was compared between the two groups. The univariate analysis analyzed the effect of hyperuricemia on sepsis-related AKI, and the multivariable logistic regression model analysis was used. Results: Among the 634 patients with sepsis, 163 (25.7%) developed hyperuricemia, and 324 (51.5%) developed AKI. The incidence of AKI in the groups with and without hyperuricemia was 76.7% and 42.3%, respectively, with statistically significant differences (2 = 57.469, P < 0.001). After adjusting for genders, comorbidities (coronary artery disease), organ failure assessment (SOFA) score on the day of admission, basal renal function, serum lactate, calcitonin, and mean arterial pressure, hyperuricemia was showed to be an independent risk factor for AKI in patients with sepsis (OR = 4.415, 95%CI 2.793 ~ 6.980, P < 0.001). For every 1 mg/dL increase in serum uric acid in patients with sepsis, the risk of AKI increased by 31.7% (OR = 1.317, 95%CI 1.223 ~ 1.418, P < 0.001). Conclusion: AKI is a common complication in septic patients hospitalized in the ICU, and hyperuricemia is an independent risk factor for AKI in septic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Investigation of risk factors for the presence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in inpatients on surgical wards and associated intensive care units of a German tertiary care hospital. Methods: A single-centre retrospective matched case-control study was performed with surgical inpatients admitted between July 2013 and December 2016. Patients with in-hospital detection of VRE later than 48 h after admission were included and comprised 116 VRE-positive cases and 116 VRE-negative matched controls. VRE isolates of cases were typed by multi-locus sequence typing. Results: ST117 was identified as the dominant VRE sequence type. Next to length of stay in hospital or on an intensive care unit and previous dialysis the case-control study revealed previous antibiotic therapy as a risk factor for the in-hospital detection of VRE. The antibiotics piperacillin/tazobactam, meropenem, and vancomycin were associated with the highest risks. After taking into account length of stay in hospital as possible confounder other potential contact-related risk factors such as previous sonography, radiology, central venous catheter, and endoscopy were not significant. Conclusions: Previous dialysis and previous antibiotic therapy were identified as independent risk factors for the presence of VRE in surgical inpatients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cancer is becoming an important public health problem in Uganda. Cancer control requires surveillance of lifestyle risk factors to inform targeted interventions. However, only one national Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) risk factor survey has been conducted in Uganda. This review assessed the prevalence, trends and distribution of lifestyle risk factors in Uganda. Methods: The review identified studies up to January 2019 by searching Medline, Embase, CINAL and Cochrane databases. Further literature was identified from relevant websites and journals; scanning reference lists of relevant articles; and citation searching using Google Scholar. To be eligible, studies had to have been conducted in Uganda, and report prevalence estimates for at least one lifestyle cancer risk factor. Narrative and systematic synthesis was used to analyse the data. Results: Twenty-four studies were included in the review. Overall, unhealthy diet (88%) was the most prevalent lifestyle risk factor for both males and females. This was followed by harmful use of alcohol (range of 14.3% to 26%) for men, and being overweight (range of 9% to 24%) for women. Tobacco use (range of 0.8% to 10.1%) and physical inactivity (range of 3.7% to 4.9%) were shown to be relatively less prevalent in Uganda. Tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol were more common in males and more prevalent in Northern region, while being overweight (BMI > 25 kg/m2) and physical inactivity were more common in females and more prevalent in Central region. Tobacco use was more prevalent among the rural populations compared to urban, while physical inactivity and being overweight were more common in urban than in rural settings. Tobacco use has decreased overtime, while being overweight increased in all regions and for both sexes. Conclusion: There is limited data about lifestyle risk factors in Uganda. Apart from tobacco use, other lifestyle risk factors seem to be increasing and there is variation in the prevalence of lifestyle risk factors among the different populations in Uganda. Prevention of lifestyle cancer risk factors requires targeted interventions and a multi-sectoral approach. Most importantly, improving the availability, measurement and comparability of cancer risk factor data should be a top priority for future research in Uganda and other low-resource settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ting Li,1,&ast; Ling Hu,1,&ast; Xiao-Ling Yin,1 Yi Zou,1 Hai-Yan Fu,1 Hong-Lin Li2 1Department of Endocrinology, The First Hospital of Nanchang (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University), Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, USA&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Ling Hu, Department of Endocrinology, The First Hospital of Nanchang (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University), No.128 of Xiangshan North Road, Donghu District, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330008, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 0791-88862350, Fax +86 0791-6782945, Email ythulingh@163.comObjective: To retrospectively review the clinical data of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients hospitalized in Nanchang, China, summarized the prevalence of osteoporosis (OP) in T2DM patients in this area, and analyzed related influencing factors.Methods: The clinical data of hospitalized patients with T2DM were collected retrospectively. According to the results of bone mineral density test, the subjects were divided into the normal bone mass group, the osteopenia group, and the OP group. Age, gender, educational background, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), duration of T2DM, glycosylated hemoglobin, serum lipids, and complications of T2DM in the three groups were analyzed and compared.Results: The prevalence of OP in patients with T2DM was 35.77%. There were statistically significant differences in age, gender, BMI, WHR, duration of T2DM, educational background, the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR), and diabetic peripheral neuropathy among the three groups (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that increasing age, prolonged duration of T2DM, low BMI, high levels of HDL-C, and complicated DR were risk factors for osteopenia and OP.Conclusion: The prevalence of OP in T2DM was high. Risk factors for abnormal bone mass in T2DM might be females, advanced age, long duration of T2DM, low BMI, high levels of HDL-C, and diabetic microangiopathy.Keywords: type 2 diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, risk-factors, prevalence

This study seeks to understand the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health conditions including loneliness and abuse of older adults. The pandemic has affected individuals across all age groups. It has taken a drastic toll on the mental health of a particularly vulnerable and high-risk population - the elderly. One selected manifestation, abuse of the elder population, takes on a variety of different forms. The more obvious types of abuse may take place in verbal, sexual, financial, and physical forms. However, more discreet forms of abuse include self-neglect, neglect, abandonment as well as risk factors such as isolation and stress. Given this, loneliness among elders is not always a product of abuse but it is a commonly occurring phenomenon as many elders enter nursing homes without much supportive maintenance, age in place at home, or simply have trouble communicating with their caretakers. Considering the numerous different factors that may contribute to the loneliness of the elderly population, our research looks to describe and identify why elders may feel lonely. This study describes context, solutions, and interventions for overcoming the vexing issue of loneliness; and proposes an engaging initiative aimed at ameliorating conditions such as abuse that often results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study evaluated the prevalence and perioperative risk factors for early high-output ileostomy (EHOI) and developed a precise nomogram model to predict the occurrence of EHOI. Methods: 140 patients who underwent ileostomy surgery at three hospitals in Wuhan, Hubei Province, between January 2022 and May 2022 were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. By using univariate and multifactorial logistic regression, independent risk variables for the development of EHOI were examined, and the nomogram model for predicting the risk of EHOI was created by using R software. The calibration curve and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC AUC) were used to evaluate the calibration and discrimination of the prediction model, Hosmer–Lemeshow to verify the fit of the model. Clinical impact curve (CIC) and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to assess the model's clinical efficacy. Results: A total of 132 patients participated in the study, and the incidence of EHOI was 25.8% (34/132). The nomogram model incorporated 3 risk factors hypertension, drinking habits, and high white blood cell (WBC) count after surgery. The AUC was 0.742, and the nomogram showed great calibration and clinical validity by comparing the calibration curve, DCA, and CIC. Conclusions: Hypertension, drinking, and high WBC was significantly correlated with EHOI. The nomogram model has great clinical value in predicting the EHOI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A meta-analysis of 1470 isolated pancreatic metastases of renal cell carcinoma revealed that these are characterised by not only the exclusive occurrence of PM and a good prognosis but a lack of prognostic significance of volume and growth rate dependent risk factors and the independence of treatment results from standard or local resections. The good prognosis affects not only isolated PM, but also multi-organ metastases of the RCC, in which the additional occurrence of PM is also associated with a better prognosis. As an explanation for all these peculiarities, a strong acting seed and soil mechanism can serve, which allows metastases settlement only in the pancreas, but prevents them definitively or for years in all other organs. Genetic studies revealed specific changes in cases of PM of RCC and a lack of loss of 9p and 14q, which are otherwise specific gene mutations at the onset of generalization, a low weight genome instability index, and a low rate of PAB1 and a high rate of BPRM1 alterations, which signal a more favourable course. The cause of pancreatic organotropism in isPMRCC, however this is still unclear. A meta-analysis of 1470 isolated pancreatic metastases of renal cell carcinoma revealed, that, in addition to the unusual exclusive occurrence of pancreatic metastases and the favourable treatment results, the isPMRCC is characterised by further peculiarities of the clinical course: The lack of prognostic significance of volume and growth rate dependent risk factors and the independence of treatment results from standard or local resections. As an explanation for all these peculiarities, according to today's knowledge, a strong acting seed and soil mechanism can serve, which allows embolized tumour cells to grow to metastases only in the pancreas, and prevents them definitively or for years in all other organs. The good prognosis affects not only isolated PM, but also multi-organ metastases of the RCC, in which the additional occurrence of PM is also associated with a better prognosis. Genetic studies revealed specific changes in cases of PM of RCC: Lack of loss of 9p21.3 and 14q31.2, which are otherwise specific gene mutations at the onset of generalization, a low weight genome instability index, i.e., high genetic stability, and a low rate of PAB1 and a high rate of BPRM1 alterations, which signal a more favourable course. The cause of pancreatic organotropism in isPMRCC is still unclear, so only those factors that have been identified as promoting organotropism in other, more frequent tumour entities can be presented: Formation of the pre-metastatic niche, chemokine receptor–ligand mechanism, ability to metabolic adaptation, and immune surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-partum depression is one of the most severe types of depression and can be developed at any age, no matter of cultural of social status. Objectives. To determine the factors associated with the psychological impact of pregnancy and to emphasize the psychological and psychiatric risks after giving birth for a woman. Materials and Methods. The study enrolled 35 patients diagnosed with postpartum depression that have been hospitalized in a tertiary-care center for psychiatric disorders between 2016 and 2020. Data were collected from patients’ observation charts. Results. The incidence of postpartum depression is higher in the age range 30-45 years old for primiparous women who are from urban areas, unemployed and not integrated in a family (unbalanced families or single parents), with medium level of education (high school) and alcohol addiction. One of 35 patients committed infanticide. Conclusions. Even if the postpartum depression is known worldwide it is still underdiagnosed, with certain factors concurring to that. Postpartum depression requires the identification of risk conditions in pregnant women and individualized therapy in a patient-centered, holistic manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a highly morphic, retrovirus that rapidly evolves through mutation as well as recombination. Because of the immunocompromised status in HIV patients, there is often a higher chance of acquiring different secondary infections followed by liver cirrhosis, hepatitis B & C, and HIV-associated nephropathy. The current study was conducted to see the prevalence of secondary infections, hematological and biochemical markers for liver and renal associated diseases, and to detect the envelope gene (GP41) in newly diagnosed HIV patients. A total of 37 samples were collected from HIV-positive patients registered in different hospital settings under the National AIDS control program. The collected samples were processed for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hematological analysis, and biochemical analysis. To identify the envelope gene in newly diagnosed HIV patients, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed using four gene-specific primers. The HIV infections were seen more in male as compared to females. A significant decrease in complete blood count was observed in HIV patients when compared to healthy individuals. There was a significant increase in aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), urea, and creatinine observed in HIV patients. No significant difference was observed in alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin, and albumin levels when compared to healthy control. Anemia was observed in 59.4% of HIV patients. A total of three (8.1%) patients were found to be co-infected with hepatitis B and one (2.7 %) was co-infected with hepatitis C. Out of these 37 tested samples, a total of four showed the successful amplification of the envelope gene. This study provides platform for the health care facilitators to regularly monitor the signs, symptoms and clinical biomarkers of HIV-associated infections to prevent toxicity at an early stage to improve the quality of life (QoL) and minimize the mortality rate in HIV patients. Envelope gene mutating frequently results in drug resistance, and thus future research on polymorphism analysis will reveal points of substitutions to improve drug designing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To estimate the incidence and identify the factors affecting retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in a rural tertiary hospital in Thailand. Methods: This retrospective chart review included all infants screened for ROP. The study included all infants with gestational age (GA) ≤ 30 weeks or birth weight (BW) ≤ 1,500 gr or selected larger infants with an unstable clinical course. Retinal findings were classified according to the revised International Classification of ROP. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Results: Of the 113 screened infants, the incidences of any ROP and ROP requiring intervention were 17.7% and 8.8%, respectively. In univariate analysis, lower GA, lighter BW, total days of supplemental oxygen, days of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), presence of apnea, and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) were associated with the development of any ROP. In the stepwise multivariable logistic regression analysis, lighter BW, male gender, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) were significant risk factors for the development of any ROP. Lower gA and being either a twin or triplet were significant risk factors for ROP requiring intervention. However, no antenatal condition was identified as a risk factor for ROP. Conclusion: The incidence of ROP in rural tertiary hospitals was relatively high as compared with previously published data from urban tertiary hospitals. Lighter BW, male gender, and BPD were significantly associated with the development of ROP in a local context. Epidemiological studies are necessary to prevent ophthalmic morbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Globally, infectious diseases are the major cause of death in children under the age of 5 years. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia account for 95% of global child mortalities every year, where acute respiratory infections (ARI) remain the leading cause of child morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to analyze the risk factors of ARI disease symptoms among children under the age of 5 years in Uganda. Methods A cross-sectional design was used to analyze 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS) data collected on 13,493 children under the age of 5 years in Uganda. Various methods, such as logistic regression, elastic net logistic regression, decision tree, and random forest, were compared and used to predict 75% of the symptom outcomes of ARI disease. Well-performing methods were used to determine potential risk factors for ARI disease symptoms among children under the age of 5 years. Results In Uganda, about 40.3% of children were reported to have ARI disease symptoms in the 2 weeks preceding the survey. Children under the age of 24 months were found to have a high prevalence of ARI disease symptoms. By considering 75% of the sample, the random forest was found to be a well-performing method (accuracy = 88.7%; AUC = 0.951) compared to the logistic regression method (accuracy = 62.0%; AUC = 0.638) and other methods in predicting childhood ARI symptoms. In addition, one-year old children (OR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.12–1.44), children whose mothers were teenagers (OR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.06–1.53), and farm workers (1.25; 95% CI: 1.11–1.42) were most likely to have ARI disease symptoms than other categories. Furthermore, children aged 48–59 months (OR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.60–0.80), breastfed children (OR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.76–0.92), usage of charcoal in cooking (OR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.69–0.87), and the rainy season effect (OR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.61–0.72) showed a low risk of developing ARI disease symptoms among children under the age of 5 years in Uganda. Conclusion Policy-makers and health stakeholders should initiate target-oriented approaches to address the problem regarding poor children’s healthcare, improper environmental conditions, and childcare facilities. For the sake of early child care, the government should promote child breastfeeding and maternal education.

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to investigate awareness of women living in the western region of Iran about warning signs and risk factors for ovarian cancer. Methods This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted in Sanandaj and Kermanshah, Iran, 2020 and 2021. In this study, 1081 women aged 18–70 years were selected as the sample to fill out the electronic version of the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Measure (OCAM) to identify the significant variables of ovarian cancer warning signs and risk factors. The obtained data were statistically analyzed by descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression in SPSS 19. Results In this study, 60.9% of the participants had medium awareness of the subject. The results indicated that participants with higher educational attainment (P

Introduction: Mastopexy with prosthesis remains a challenge for all plastic surgeons. Consistent results are still difficult to obtain for many reasons, and some authors advocate caution due to complications.Methods: This retrospective study includes 92 consecutive single-stage augmentation mastopexy cases performed by the same surgeon between March 2012 and October 2019.Results: The median follow-up was 14 months for the augmentation mastopexy group. Three patients (3.3%) had grade III capsular contracture. The revision rate was 25.3%: 7.6% with ptosis recurrence, scar revision in 6.5%, and 1.1% asymmetries. Three patients (3.3%) had ruptured muscle loop fixation, four patients (4.4%) had dynamic deformities.Conclusion: The modified double-space technique in our experience shows consistent long-term results, and revision/complication rates were similar to some studies but higher than others. Prior breast surgery, smoking, breastfeeding, and previous bariatric surgery do not increase rates of complications and revisions. It can be one of the options for covering and supporting implants in augmentation mastopexy procedures.

Abstract Background The magnitude of diagnostic abnormalities can influence the perception of clinical outcome. Extreme neutrophilic leukocytosis (ENL) is an uncommon finding caused by markedly increased granulopoiesis. A lack of recent, large‐scale studies limits our understanding of the importance, causation, and prognosis associated with ENL in dogs. Hypothesis/Objectives Describe disease categories (DC) identified in dogs with ENL and identify variables associated with survival. We hypothesized that factors including fever, segmented and band neutrophil counts, and DC would be negatively associated with survival. Animals Two‐hundred sixty‐nine dogs with ENL (segmented neutrophils ≥50 × 103 cells/μL) presented to the veterinary teaching hospitals at Auburn University (n = 164), the University of Missouri (n = 81), and Oklahoma State University (n = 24) between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2019. Methods Retrospective study. Demographic data and outcome variables including temperature, CBC findings, DC, duration of hospitalization (DOH) and outcome were acquired from the medical record. Statistical analyses included chi‐squared and Kruskal‐Wallis tests, and Pearson product moment correlations with a P

Highlight: 1. One of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in diabetes mellitus patients is coronary heart disease (CHD). 2. The risk factors for coronary heart disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients were observed. 3. The risk factors of CHD more commonly found in T2DM patients were high-risk age, male sex, hypertension and dyslipidemia. Abstract: Background: Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic syndrome that becomes a concern in almost all countries in the world, particularly developing countries. Changes in lifestyle and genetic factors are causing the incidence of this disease to continue to increase every year. Nowadays, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) caused by insulin resistance is the most common kind. One of its complications known as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes is coronary heart disease (CHD). Insulin resistance can lead to the atherosclerosis process that is the basis of coronary heart disease. It is said that conditions of hyperglycemia, hypercoagulable state, and high cholesterol can induce the process of atherosclerosis. Besides diabetes mellitus, the other risk factors that increase the incidence of CHD are sex, age, family history, dyslipidemia, smoking, hypertension, and obesity. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the risk factors for coronary heart disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study of diabetes mellitus patients with coronary heart disease was conducted in Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2014. Data were taken from medical records at the Department of Internal Medicine. Incomplete medical records were not included in this study. Risk factors analyzed were age, sex, history of hypertension and dyslipidemia. Results of this study were presented in a frequency distribution table. Results: Based on the data of 70 samples, risk factors of CHD in T2DM patients are found as follows: 44 (62.9%) samples were male, 56 (80%) high-risk aged group, 48 (68.6%) with dyslipidemia, and 50 (71.4%) with hypertension, while 24 (34.3%) samples had three risk factors at once. Conclusion: High-risk aged, male sex, hypertension, and dyslipidemia are more commonly found in T2DM patients with CHD. The more risk factors that one may have will increase the occurrence of cardiovascular disease within 10 years forward.

Background: Not only in India but also worldwide, criminal activity has dramatically increasing day by day among youth, and it must be addressed properly to maintain a healthy society. This review is focused on risk factors and quantitative approach to determine delinquent behaviors of juveniles. Materials and Methods: A total of 15 research articles were identified through Google search as per inclusion and exclusion criteria, which were based on machine learning (ML) and statistical models to assess the delinquent behavior and risk factors of juveniles. Results: The result found ML is a new route for detecting delinquent behavioral patterns. However, statistical methods have used commonly as the quantitative approach for assessing delinquent behaviors and risk factors among juveniles. Conclusions: In the current scenario, ML is a new approach of computer-assisted techniques have potentiality to predict values of behavioral, psychological/mental, and associated risk factors for early diagnosis in teenagers in short of times, to prevent unwanted, maladaptive behaviors, and to provide appropriate intervention and build a safe peaceful society.

Abstract Background and aim For over 40 years of the HIV/AIDS global epidemic, no effective cure nor vaccine is yet available, making the current control strategies focused on curbing new infections through risk reduction. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of HIV risk factors and their associated socio-demographics among women of reproductive age in Sierra Leone. Methods We used weighted data from the Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey (SLDHS) of 2019 for 12,005 women aged 15–49 years. Multistage sampling was used to select study participants. Exposure to HIV risk factors was considered if a woman reported at least one of the following; having multiple sexual partners, transactional sex, non-condom use for the unmarried, and having other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We, then, conducted multivariable logistic regression to explore the associated socio-demographics. All the analyses were done using SPSS (version 25). Results Of the 12,005 women, 38.1% (4577/12005) (95% confidence interval (CI) 37.3–39.0) had at least one of the four risk factors. Women of 15 to 19 years (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.34, 95% CI 1.00–1.80) and 20 to 34 years (AOR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.05–1.49) had more odds of having HIV risk factors compared to those of 35 to 49 years. Urban residents (AOR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.17–1.89) and those from the Northwestern region (AOR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.26–2.60) were also more likely to encounter HIV risk factors compared to their respective counterparts. Moreover, unmarried women (AOR = 111.17, 95% CI 87.55–141.18) and those working (AOR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.14–1.67) also had higher odds of having HIV risk factors, compared to their respective counterparts. Sex of household head and parity were also significant associates. Conclusions More than a third of women in Sierra Leone had encountered at least one HIV risk factor, and this was associated with age, place of residence, region, marital status, working status, household head and parity. There is a need for strengthening HIV/AIDS education programs, laws and policies targeting the young, working, unmarried and urban-resident women.

Objective: To investigate health literacy, behavioral and psychosocial characteristics in coronary artery patients. Methods: Between March 2019 and 2020 years, 275 coronary artery patients aged ≥50 years were included in the study. Turkish Health Literacy Scale-32 and Beck Depression Inventory were used to collect the data. Results: General health literacy index score was 31.7 and the prevalence of limited health literacy was 59.3%. Adequate health literacy was 2.8 fold higher in the 50-64 age group, 3.1 fold higher among men, 3.4 fold higher among married and 5.3 fold higher among those who believed in the necessity of individual protective practices (P

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent multifactorial psychopathology affected by neurotransmitter levels. Monoamine Oxidase A (MAOA) influences several neural pathways by modulating these levels. This systematic review (per PRISMA protocol and PECOS strategy) endeavors to understand the MAOA uVNTR polymorphism influence on MDD and evaluate its 3R/3R and 3R* genotypic frequencies fluctuation in MDD patients from different populations. We searched the Web of Science, PubMed, Virtual Health Library, and EMBASE databases for eligible original articles that brought data on genotypic frequencies related to the MAOA uVNTR variant in patients with MDD. We excluded studies with incomplete data (including statistical data), reviews, meta-analyses, and abstracts. Initially, we found 43 articles. After removing duplicates and applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria, seven articles remained. The population samples studied were predominantly Asians, with high 3R and 4R allele frequencies. Notably, we observed higher 3R/3R (female) and 3R* (male) genotype frequencies in the healthy control groups and higher 4R/4R (female) and 4R* (male) genotype frequencies in the MDD groups in the majority of different populations. Despite some similarities in the articles analyzed, there is still no consensus on the MAOA uVNTR variant's role in MDD pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Not only in India but also worldwide, criminal activity has dramatically increasing day by day among youth, and it must be addressed properly to maintain a healthy society. This review is focused on risk factors and quantitative approach to determine delinquent behaviors of juveniles. Materials and Methods: A total of 15 research articles were identified through Google search as per inclusion and exclusion criteria, which were based on machine learning (ML) and statistical models to assess the delinquent behavior and risk factors of juveniles. Results: The result found ML is a new route for detecting delinquent behavioral patterns. However, statistical methods have used commonly as the quantitative approach for assessing delinquent behaviors and risk factors among juveniles. Conclusions: In the current scenario, ML is a new approach of computer-assisted techniques have potentiality to predict values of behavioral, psychological/mental, and associated risk factors for early diagnosis in teenagers in short of times, to prevent unwanted, maladaptive behaviors, and to provide appropriate intervention and build a safe peaceful society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective Postoperative bowel obstruction was one of the most severe complications in patients who received colorectal surgeries. This study aimed to explore risk factors of early postoperative obstruction and to construct a nomogram to predict the possibility of occurrence. Methods The records of 1437 patients who underwent elective colorectal surgery in Peking University People’s Hospital from 2015 to 2020 were retrospectively collected. Risk factors of early postoperative bowel obstruction were identified by logistic regression analysis and a nomogram was then constructed. Bootstrap was applied to verify the stability of the model. Results COPD, hypothyroidism, probiotic indications, duration of antibiotics, and time to postoperative feeding were identified as independent risk factors and were put into a nomogram for predicting early postoperative bowel obstruction. The nomogram showed robust discrimination, with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.894 and was well-calibrated. Conclusion A nomogram including independent risk factors of COPD, hypothyroidism, probiotic indications, duration of antibiotics, and time to postoperative feeding were established to predict the risk of early postoperative bowel obstruction.

Background: Hospital health care workers are at high risk of developing COVID-19 and transmitting the disease to their family upon returning home; the aim here is to estimate the secondary attack rate of COVID-19 in household contacts of health care workers and their transmission risk factors. Material and Methods: COVID-19 cases in the health care workers of an academic hospital in Pamplona, Spain, from 2 March to 26 May 2020, were followed up. The secondary attack rate (SAR) was estimated from cases in household contacts of index cases and their risk factors by Poisson regression. Results: 89 index cases were studied from 99 notified cases in health care workers (89.0%), excluding secondary cases or those who lived alone. Forty-six secondary cases confirmed by the laboratory were found among 326 household contacts, a secondary attack rate of 14.11% (95% CI 10.75–18.31), and 33 household contacts with acute infection symptoms without microbiologic confirmation 10.12% (95% CI 7.30–13.87). Considering all the cases, the secondary attack rate was 27.3 (95% CI 22.75–32.38). Risk factors were the gender and profession of the index case, the number of people living in the household, and the number of persons per bedroom. When the index case health worker used a single room, it had a protective effect, with an incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 0.493 (95% CI 0.246–0.985); Conclusions: The secondary attack rate found among household contacts of health care workers is high. The preventive isolation of health care workers in individual rooms in their house may reduce the transmission in their families.