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The impact of frequency and magnitude of natural disasters on inventory prepositioning
No full textNatural disasters have been adversely affecting human societies for many centuries. One effective strategy in preparation for a timely response to such disasters is inventory prepositioning. Holding the right amount of inventory is critical in minimizing the social and economic impact and cost. Scholars usually model such problems assuming common Probability Density Functions (PDFs) like Normal, Poisson, and Exponential to simplify calculations. Following Gumbel’s studies regarding “the nature of nature” and exploring the nature of extreme events, in this research, we address the following research questions: first, do the magnitude and timing of natural disasters follow specific PDFs? Second, how can unrealistic assumptions affect such disasters’ economic and social costs of such disasters? Third, how should researchers and practitioners correct their assumptions when modeling inventory prepositioning? To answer these questions, we design a semi-Markovian model for an (S,s) inventory system that considers the magnitude and the timing of disasters for general PDFs. The model is an inventory system that considers the magnitude and the timing of disasters for general PDFs. The model is analytically solved and tested with real data from 1996 to 2019 regarding typhoons in Florida and earthquakes in California. Our findings show that correct assumptions about the time between disasters are far more critical than the disaster’s magnitude regarding the resulting social and economic costs. In this respect, we can summarize our findings as follows: (1) if the maximum inventory level (S) depends only on the average demand, the impact of assumed PDFs is insignificant; (2) if S depends on both the average and standard deviation (STD) of demand, the impact of the employed PDFs is significant; and (3) the STD is the main factor influenced by the type of the PDF.</p
‘The world was going through what we go through everyday’: The experiences of women with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) living with their partners during the COVID‐19 lockdown in the United Kingdom
No full textAbstractObjectivesMyalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a long‐term debilitating illness characterised by profound and persistent fatigue (JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 313, 2015, 1101). The current study aims to explore the experiences of women with ME/CFS living with their partners during the COVID‐19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.DesignThe study adopted a qualitative design comprising semi‐structured interviews with participants. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis (TA).MethodsParticipants were women with ME/CFS (n = 21) recruited through ME/CFS support groups in the United Kingdom. All participants were in romantic relationships and lived with their partners.ResultsData were organised into three themes: (1) lockdown disrupting routine, (2) reducing difference and (3) fear of getting COVID‐19. People with ME/CFS found that lockdown disrupted their well‐established routines. Although routines were disrupted by partners and increased working‐from‐home practices, participants found having partners at home helpful. People with ME/CFS believed that the changes induced by the pandemic reduced the differences between themselves and the outside world which, prior to lockdown, had felt prominent. They were fearful of getting COVID‐19 as they believed this would make their ME/CFS worse. This meant that for people with ME/CFS, the lifting of the lockdown restrictions was an anxiety‐provoking time, hence impacting symptoms. People with ME/CFS continued to adhere to government guidelines after national restrictions were eased.ConclusionsThis study outlines the experiences of women with ME/CFS during COVID‐19, alongside the long‐term impact this has had due to the changes that the pandemic imposed. These findings may have implications for those with long COVID.</p
The emerging importance of cross‐ploidy hybridisation and introgression
No full textAbstractNatural hybridisation is now recognised as pervasive in its occurrence across the Tree of Life. Resurgent interest in natural hybridisation fuelled by developments in genomics has led to an improved understanding of the genetic factors that promote or prevent species cross‐mating. Despite this body of work overturning many widely held assumptions about the genetic barriers to hybridisation, it is still widely thought that ploidy differences between species will be an absolute barrier to hybridisation and introgression. Here, we revisit this assumption, reviewing findings from surveys of polyploidy and hybridisation in the wild. In a case study in the British flora, 203 hybrids representing 35% of hybrids with suitable data have formed via cross‐ploidy matings, while a wider literature search revealed 59 studies (56 in plants and 3 in animals) in which cross‐ploidy hybridisation has been confirmed with genetic data. These results show cross‐ploidy hybridisation is readily overlooked, and potentially common in some groups. General findings from these studies include strong directionality of hybridisation, with introgression usually towards the higher ploidy parent, and cross‐ploidy hybridisation being more likely to involve allopolyploids than autopolyploids. Evidence for adaptive introgression across a ploidy barrier and cases of cross‐ploidy hybrid speciation shows the potential for important evolutionary outcomes.</p
Association between sedentary behavior and dynapenic abdominal obesity among older adults from low- and middle-income countries
No full textBackground
Sedentary behavior, or time spent sitting, may increase risk for dynapenic abdominal obesity (DAO), but there are currently no studies on this topic.
Aims
Therefore, we investigated the association between sedentary behaviour and DAO in a nationally representative sample of older adults from six low- and middle-income countries.
Methods
Cross-sectional data from the Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health were analysed. Dynapenia was defined as handgrip strength 88 cm (> 80 cm for Asian countries) for women and > 102 cm (> 90 cm) for men. DAO was defined as having both dynapenia and abdominal obesity. Self-reported sedentary behavior was categorized as ≥ 8 h/day (high sedentary behaviour) or
Results
Data on 20,198 adults aged ≥ 60 years were analyzed [mean (SD) age 69.3 (13.1) years; 54.1% females]. In the overall sample, ≥ 8 h of sedentary behavior per day (vs.
Discussion
High sedentary behaviour may increase risk for DAO among older adults.
Conclusions
Interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour may also lead to reduction of DAO and its adverse health outcomes, especially among males, pending future longitudinal research.</p
Children’s and young people’s perspectives on disasters – mental health, agency and vulnerability: a scoping review
No full textDisasters such as flooding, earthquakes and hurricanes can have devastating impacts on children and young people's lives, with evidence highlighting significant social and mental health consequences lasting many years. Yet other research highlights how children and young people actively contribute to disaster responses, supporting their families and communities to manage and overcome such impacts. Despite this evidence, very little research has been conducted directly with children and young people to explore their own perspectives on disasters, including the impacts on their social and emotional wellbeing, as well as their priorities for disaster planning programmes. This paper reports findings from a scoping review that examined the extant evidence base on research conducted directly with children investigating children and young people's (0–18 years) perspectives on disasters. The review identified thirty five relevant papers that were included for further analysis. Review findings highlighted children and young people's fears and anxieties related to their experience of a disaster, with many studies foregrounding negative outcomes and children's ‘vulnerability’. In contrast, a limited number of studies focused on children's knowledge, strengths and contributions to disaster responses. Our review highlights how such approaches underscore the importance of harnessing children and young people's perspectives within the development of disaster resilience programmes to support their socio-emotional and mental health.</p
Music in Care Home Settings: Guidelines for Implementation and Evaluation Based on the Music Interventions for Depression and Dementia in ELderly Care (MIDDEL) Study in the UK
No full textContext: Music-based interventions are widely acknowledged to promote the wellbeing of care home residents, particularly those whose communication is impaired, such as through stroke or dementia. Yet in such settings the use of music is limited for reasons that are not entirely clear.
Objectives: The Music Interventions for Depression and Dementia in ELderly care (MIDDEL) trial in 16 English care homes was used as a case study to highlight key issues which appear to affect the successful implementation and evaluation of music-based interventions.
Methods: The fidelity data from the MIDDEL trial was used to develop inferences in consultation with interventionists and researchers. Based on the literature about implementing psychosocial interventions in care homes and data from this study, a checklist was developed to enhance implementation and research pertaining to music-based interventions in care homes.
Findings: New insights were found on the adherence of interventionists to the fidelity criteria. Pragmatic issues relevant to conducting a trial immediately after a pandemic are highlighted, including: the difficulties of maintaining engagement with care home personnel and the practicalities of delivering an intensive intervention to a population who have depression and dementia. We derive recommendations for improving future interventional studies in care homes.
Limitations: The participating care homes may not be representative of the industry. The Covid pandemic complicated the study in numerous ways documented here.
Implications: The lessons learned offer guidance for future implementation and research on music-based interventions in residential care settings.</p
Knowledge, attitude, and practice of diabetes in patients with and without sight‑threatening diabetic retinopathy from two secondary eye care centres in India
No full textBackground/Aims: Good knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) of diabetes influence its control and complications. We examined the KAP of diabetes in patients with sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy (STDR) and non-sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy (NSTDR) attending two different referral hospitals in India.Methods: 400 consecutive patients (mean age = 58.5 years ± 10.3) with diabetic retinopathy attending retina referral clinics in Chennai (private) and Darjeeling (public) were recruited. A validated questionnaire on diabetic KAP was administered in English or the local language. Data were analysed using an established scalar-scoring method in which a score of 1 was assigned to the correct answer/healthy lifestyle and 0 to an incorrect answer/unhealthy lifestyle/practice. Clinical data included fasting blood sugar, blood pressure, retinopathy, and visual acuity. Retinopathy was graded as STDR/NSTDR from retinal images using Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study criteria.Results: Usable data from 383 participants (95.8%) were analysed. Of these, 83 (21.7%) had STDR, and 300 (78.3%) had NSTDR. The NSTDR group reported a significantly lower total KAP score (mean rank = 183.4) compared to the STDR group (mean rank = 233.1), z = -3.0, p Conclusion: Patients who had not developed STDR had poorer KAP about diabetes and diabetes-related eye diseases. This is an important issue to address as the risk of their progressing to STDR is high unless appropriate steps to improve their knowledge/awareness and lifestyle practice are introduced early.</p
Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for irritability in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis with the GRADE assessment
No full textBackground: Numerous interventions for irritability in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been investigated. We aimed to appraise the magnitude of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for irritability in ASD without any restrictions in terms of eligible interventions.Methods: We systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science until April 15, 2023. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a parallel design that examined the efficacy of interventions for the treatment of irritability in patients of any age with ASD without any restrictions in terms of eligible interventions. We performed a random-effects meta-analysis by pooling effect sizes as Hedges’ g. We classified assessed interventions as follows: pharmacological monotherapy, risperidone plus adjuvant therapy versus risperidone monotherapy, non-pharmacological intervention, and dietary intervention. We utilized the Cochrane tool to evaluate the risk of bias in each study and the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of evidence for each meta-analyzed intervention.Results: Out of 5640 references, we identified 60 eligible articles with 45 different kinds of interventions, including 3531 participants, of which 80.9% were males (mean age [SD] = 8.79 [3.85]). For pharmacological monotherapy, risperidone (Hedges’ g − 0.857, 95% CI − 1.263 to − 0.451, certainty of evidence: high) and aripiprazole (Hedges’ g − 0.559, 95% CI − 0.767 to − 0.351, certainty of evidence: high) outperformed placebo. Among the non-pharmacological interventions, parent training (Hedges’ g − 0.893, 95% CI − 1.184 to − 0.602, certainty of evidence: moderate) showed a significant result. None of the meta-analyzed interventions yielded significant effects among risperidone + adjuvant therapy and dietary supplementation. However, several novel molecules in augmentation to risperidone outperformed risperidone monotherapy, yet from one RCT each.Limitations: First, various tools have been utilized to measure the irritability in ASD, which may contribute to the heterogeneity of the outcomes. Second, meta-analyses for each intervention included only a small number of studies and participants.Conclusions: Only risperidone, aripiprazole among pharmacological interventions, and parent training among non-pharmacological interventions can be recommended for irritability in ASD. As an augmentation to risperidone, several novel treatments show promising effects, but further RCTs are needed to replicate findings.</p
Hospital Falls Clinical Practice Guidelines: A Global Analysis and Systematic Review
No full textBackground: Hospital falls continue to be a persistent global issue with serious harmful consequences for patients and health services. Many clinical practice guidelines now exist for hospital falls and there is a need to appraise recommendations.Method: A systematic review and critical appraisal of the global literature was conducted, compliant with PRISMA. Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Epistemonikos, Infobase of Clinical Practice Guidelines, Cochrane CENTRAL, and PEDro databases were searched from 1 January 1993 to 1 February 2024. The quality of guidelines was assessed by two independent reviewers using AGREE GRS and AGREE-REX. Certainty of findings was rated using GRADE-CERQual. Data were analysed using thematic synthesis.Results: 2404 records were screened, 77 assessed for eligibility, and 20 hospital falls guidelines were included. Ten had high AGREE-REX quality scores. Key analytic themes were: (i) there was mixed support for falls risk screening at hospital admission, but scored screening tools were no longer recommended; (ii) comprehensive falls assessment was recommended for older or frail patients; (iii) single and multifactorial falls interventions were consistently recommended; (iv) a large gap existed in patient engagement in guideline development and implementation; (v) barriers to implementation included ambiguities in how staff and patient falls education should be conducted, how delirium and dementia are managed to prevent falls, and documentation of hospital falls.Conclusion: Evidence-based hospital falls guidelines are now available, yet systematic implementation across the hospital sector is more limited. There is a need to ensure an integrated and consistent approach to evidence-based falls prevention for a diverse range of hospital patients.</p
MicroRNAs: circulating biomarkers for the early detection of imperceptible cancers via biosensor and machine-learning advances
No full textThis review explores the topic of microRNAs (miRNAs) for improved early detection of imperceptible cancers, with potential to advance precision medicine and improve patient outcomes. Historical research exploring miRNA’s role in cancer detection collectively revealed initial hurdles in identifying specific miRNA signatures for early-stage and difficult-to-detect cancers. Early studies faced challenges in establishing robust biomarker panels and overcoming the heterogeneity of cancer types. Despite this, recent developments have supported the potential of miRNAs as sensitive and specific biomarkers for early cancer detection as well as having demonstrated remarkable potential as diagnostic tools for imperceptible cancers, such as those with elusive symptoms or challenging diagnostic criteria. This review discusses the advent of high-throughput technologies that have enabled comprehensive detection and profiling of unique miRNA signatures associated with early-stage cancers. Furthermore, advancements in bioinformatics and machine-learning techniques are considered, exploring the integration of multi-omics data which have potential to enhance both the accuracy and reliability of miRNA-based cancer detection assays. Finally, perspectives on the continuing development on technologies as well as discussion around challenges that remain, such as the need for standardised protocols and addressing the complex interplay of miRNAs in cancer biology are conferred.</p
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