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Dementia education programs for Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and Vietnamese Communities: A scoping review
No full textAbstractBackgroundAsian immigrants can experience health disparities and inequities due to language barriers and the limited availability of culturally appropriate services. Dementia education is needed to combat dementia misperceptions and promote help‐seeking. This scoping review describes the characteristics and impacts of community‐based dementia education programs for large East and Southeast Asian immigrant groups worldwide, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and Vietnamese communities.MethodsPublications in the English language from the last two decades were identified through a database search of Scopus, CINAHL Plus, PsycInfo, Embase, and OVID (MEDLINE and Emcare). We included education programs for community‐dwelling Asian adults and people with dementia and their carers. Studies conducted in both the immigrant origin and destination countries were included as education programs in both contexts might address shared health beliefs and practices. Educational programs for clinical workforces or professional development were excluded, given that workforce building is the focus of this review.ResultsThe search identified 3,431 publications. Twenty‐seven articles (17 in Asian countries, 8 in the USA, 2 in Australia, n = 10‐4,333) met the inclusion criteria: 12 for community members, and 15 for carers. Six involved people living with dementia or carers in program design. Programs for community members were delivered via group meetings in‐person or online, as well as with YouTube videos and virtual reality experiences. Two publications addressed cultural beliefs towards aging and dementia. Many educational programs for community members demonstrated improvement in health literacy. Dementia education programs for carers tended to be structured. Two of the 15 carer programs involved cultural adaptation. Carer programs reduced carer burden, improving skills and self‐efficacy. Most programs were conducted with Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese populations, one included Filipino community members, and no carer programs involved Filipino carers.ConclusionsEducational programs can be successful, but need more cultural specificity, and most were at the pilot‐testing stage. Publications on programs for Filipino communities were scarce compared to other Asian communities. Future reviews should include publications that are not in English and those on South Asian immigrants.</sec
Prevalence of Blindness and Visual Impairment in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2020: Magnitude and Temporal Trends. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
No full textPURPOSE: To assess burden of blindness and visual impairment (VI) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as of 2020, the planned end point of the Vision 2020 program. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis assessed burden, in the better eye, of blindness (presenting distance visual acuity, VA < 3/60), moderate and severe vision impairment (MSVI; VA < 6/18 but ≥ 3/60) and mild vision impairment (VA < 6/12 and ≥ 6/18); and also functional presbyopia (<N6 or N8 in the presence of ≥ 6/12 best-corrected distance visual acuity) in SSA. RESULTS: In 2020, an estimated 5,083,000 people (95%Uncertainty Interval, UI, 4,474,000-5,696,000) in SSA were bilaterally blind; 20442,000 more (95%UI 18,568,000-22,430,000) had MSVI. The age-standardized prevalence of blindness in SSA is the highest for any GBD super-region, nearly double the world average (0.99%, 95%UI, 0.85-1.12; vs 0.52%, 95% UI, 0.46-0.59 respectively). The Western (4.15%) and Eastern (3.79%) SSA sub-regions had the highest age-standardized prevalence of blindness for the 50+ age group amongst SSA sub-regions. Improvement in age-specific prevalence since 2000 was less than the Vision 2020 target (-25%) for all subcategories of VI; improvement in blindness was the only category close to the goal (about 80-100% of goal across SSA sub-regions). CONCLUSIONS: The SSA age-specific prevalence of VI has generally improved since 2000, especially for blindness. However, the number of VI cases has increased with population growth and aging, and Vision 2020 targets were not met. Because most causes of VI require individual-level clinical care, large increases in training and eye care delivery systems development/financing are critical areas of focus
Benthic Observation Survey System (BOSS) for surveys of marine benthic habitats
Get PDFMost platforms for collecting images to characterise marine benthic habitats involve a downward or forward-facing field of view that is relatively constrained (~70°), covering a relatively small area of benthos (downward ~1 m2, forward ~25 m2). Here we propose the use of a four-camera platform having a wide combined field of view (~280°), covering a much greater area (up to 100 m2). We also present a stereo-camera configuration that has the added benefit of being able to accurately measure sample area and dimensions of benthic biota. The design proposed is robust and self-righting, facilitating rapid deployment and retrieval from a range of vessels, depths and environments. We present an exemplar workflow to generate a habitat map (~100 km2) within a no-take National Park Zone within the South-west Corner Marine Park, Australia and demonstrate the benefit of increasing the field of view to estimate habitat heterogeneity. The relatively broad sample unit of this wide-field drop camera is well suited to estimating coverage (e.g. of a seagrass bed) and habitat mapping. It is time-efficient in the field, enabling spatially balanced sampling designs to acquire ground-truthing data for medium- to large-scale habitat mapping projects. This platform is a practical tool to monitor change in marine environments and assess the environmental impact (e.g. sea bed alteration) of activities such as offshore energy or fishing gears
Co-isolation of genetically distinct Burkholderia pseudomallei strains from a single patient in North Queensland.
Get PDFWhile investigating colony morphology variation within clinical isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp) isolated from a single clinical infection, we identified two distinct strains (based on their multi-locus sequence type) from Bp TSV292. Reports of simultaneous co-infection are un-common, with only two studies in Thailand documenting such cases: (1) 2 out of 133 cases, and (2) 13 out of 59 patients infected with two to three polyclonal Bp strains exhibiting different genotypes. Here, we present the first comprehensive multi-omics characterization of co-infecting Bpstrains isolated from a single infection at a hospital in Townsville, Australia, in 2018. This finding impacts the design of future diagnosis and treatment of Bp
The International Collaboration of Pharmacy Journal Editors (ICPJE) formally constituted to foster quality around clinical and social pharmacy practice research publications
Get PDFJournal of Hospital Pharmacy and Health Services is the official journal of the Brazilian Society of Hospital Pharmac
The contribution of climate drivers to compound drought and extreme temperature events increased in recent decades
Get PDFCompound climate extremes severely impact crops more than individual events. Understanding historical changes in compound extreme events and their drivers is crucial for managing climate risks and protecting crop survival. Using a hybrid biophysical-statistical modeling approach, we investigated the connections between large-scale climate drivers of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)/Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and compound drought and extreme temperature (DET) across Australia's wheat belt from 1900 to 2020. DET in eastern Australia's wheat belt was more responsive to ENSO/IOD compared to the west. El Niño and positive IOD phases intensified DET and increased the probability of high-intensity DET, whereas La Niña and negative IOD reduced them. Probabilities of high-intensity DET have exhibited a temporal increase, during the strong El Niño phase and the positive IOD phase. Our findings highlight the need to assess the spatial-temporal response of compound events to climate drivers for effective early warning and mitigation
Core temperature responses of male football players during matches in the heat - Associations with physiological and running demands.
No full textOBJECTIVES: This study describes core temperature (Tcore) responses during football matches in warm to hot conditions. It aims to identify which physiological, running, and perceptual factors are associated with reaching high Tcore values while controlling for environmental conditions and cooling. DESIGN: Forty highly trained male youth football players participated in at least two out of four matches held at temperatures between 26 and 42 °C. In three matches, heat mitigation strategies (passive rest and 17 °C drinks, or cold towels and 5 °C drinks) were applied pre-match, at half-time, and in additional breaks per half. METHODS: Match running, heart rates, hydration markers, and perceptual responses were measured and checked for associations with peak Tcore values via linear mixed models accounting for environmental conditions and heat mitigation strategies. RESULTS: Peak Tcore was 39.2 ± 0.5 °C (range: 37.9-40.1 °C). Higher total distance (β = 0.39 [0.13, 0.64], p = 0.004) and distance at low-to-moderate speeds (β = 0.44 [0.18, 0.69], p = 0.001) were associated with higher peak Tcore, while walking distance was inversely associated (β = -0.42 [-0.69, -0.15], p = 0.003). High-speed and sprinting distances were not associated with peak Tcore. Higher heart rate (β = 0.37 [0.10, 0.64], p = 0.008), sweat loss (β = 0.38 [0.14, 0.62], p = 0.002) and body mass loss (β = 0.20 [0.00, 0.40], p = 0.047) were also associated with higher peak Tcore. Rating-of-fatigue (p = 0.74), perceived exertion (p = 0.78), and thermal sensation (p = 0.98) were not associated with peak Tcore. CONCLUSIONS: High Tcore peaks were observed in all conditions and were associated with higher heart rate, sweat loss, and match running. Covering more distance at low-to-moderate speed was associated with a higher heat strain, whereas walking more (instead of running) was associated with lower Tcore peaks
The use of AI large language models by university students for assignment preparation.
Get PDFUsing an opportunity where students were explicitly permitted to use artificial intelligence (AI) applications to prepare an assignment, we compared the practices and beliefs of two distinct student cohorts: second-year science students at a large metropolitan university in Australia and students at a partner institution in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Data from an anonymous survey revealed that over 50% of students employed AI tools, primarily for idea generation and initial drafting, instead of using these tools as a source of text they would use in the assignments without editing or attribution. Reasons for use showed differences between native English speakers, their nonnative speaking classmates, and their classmates attending the PRC campus. Across the cohorts, there was a measured engagement with AI tools when preparing assignments. Notably, all cohorts declared a greater willingness to use such tools if institutional licenses were made available. Most students believed that they would use AI in their future professional roles and that their institutions should be providing guidance on the proper use of AI tools. At the Australian campus, sanctioning the use of AI in preparing the class assignment was not associated with any change in the average assignment marks from those gained by a cohort from the previous year where no sanction was in place. At the same time, there was a significant improvement in the average mark for the PRC students, which was associated with the same sanction.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We compared second-year science students at an Australian university and a partner institution in China on their use of AI tools for assignments. Over 50% used AI for idea generation and drafting. Notably, PRC students showed improved grades when AI was permitted, while Australian students saw no change. Most students expressed a willingness to use AI in their future careers and called for institutional guidance on AI use, especially if official licenses were provided
Comparison of temporal dependence between phreatophyte health and hydrometeorological variables for three groundwater dependent ecosystems
No full textGroundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs) exhibit complex spatiotemporal dependency on multiple variables including precipitation, surface and soil water, and groundwater availability. While spatial relationships have been explored in many previous studies, the temporal lag between GDE vegetation health and hydrology is not well understood across a scale of anthropogenic influence. Data from three groundwater dependent ecosystems (Arkansas River in Colorado, USA; South Platte River in Colorado, USA; and the San Pedro River in Arizona, USA), each differing in magnitude of anthropogenic encroachment, are collected and analyzed to discern which hydrologic variables have the strongest correlation in time with phreatophyte health (e.g., Populus fremontii and Populus deltoides). Phreatophyte health serves as a surrogate for overall GDE health. The response variable used to estimate GDE health is a daily time series (2016-2023) of plant health that is quantified by computing the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) using Planet Imagery (3-m spatial resolution). The covariates are groundwater depth (meters below land surface), discharge (cubic meter per second), precipitation (mm) and temperature (deg. C). We examine the temporal dependence between the response variable and each covariate by first pre-whitening each data series using a Bayesian hierarchical autoregressive model and then applying a cross-correlation analysis to the residuals. Initial results indicate the correlation in time between NDVI and groundwater depth are highest at time t and t-1, regardless of the magnitude of anthropogenic influence, on a monthly time scale. We anticipate that at higher temporal frequency (i.e., daily) the correlation between the response and the covariates will show distinct patterns owing to alterations in the natural flow regime from agricultural practices and reservoir management. Our research highlights the complex temporal relationship between phreatophyte health and hydrology in groundwater dependent ecosystems encroached by differing magnitudes of anthropogenic influence. This research can aid conservationists in understanding the lagged impact that environmental flows, drought, land use change, and pumping-induced water table decline can have on phreatophyte health. Additionally, this research informs the choice of temporal scale (i.e., daily or monthly) at which to model groundwater dependent ecosystems in spatially distributed parameter modeling schemes
Severe chronic UTI sustained by clinically undetected intracellular Escherichia coli in a pediatric patient
Get PDFABSTRACT Background The presence of intracellular bacterial communities (IBCs) in the urothelium has been well documented in adults with chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs), but its long-term persistence going undetected in a severely symptomatic adolescent has not been reported. Case Summary We present the case of a 14-year-old girl suffering from debilitating chronic UTI symptoms and associated urinary incontinence for many years. Multiple antibiotic courses provided only temporary relief, with positive Escherichia coli cultures recurring promptly after each treatment cycle. A recently conducted cystoscopy (after >6 years of persistent symptoms) revealed widespread squamous metaplasia of the bladder wall, and enhanced urinary analysis identified extensive intracellular bacterial ( E. coli ) communities in exfoliated urothelial cells. These intracellular bacterial communities persisted even when the urine became transiently culture negative on antibiotic treatment. Evidence from confocal microscopy demonstrated extensive intracellular E. coli , which may serve as a bacterial reservoir that seeds urinary reinfection when antibiotics are ceased. Persistent intracellular bacteria were not detected by routine urine microscopy and culture. Analysis of urinary cytokines suggested chronic inflammation of the bladder wall, driven by persistent bacterial infection, as the potential cause for the unrelenting symptoms. Conclusion This is the first report demonstrating long-term undetected IBC in a severely symptomatic child with chronic UTI. It underscores the need to learn more about intracellular bacteria and urinary tract biofilms that are protected from antibiotics and host immunity. IBC reservoirs seem to drive bladder wall inflammation, exacerbating clinical symptoms and increasing the risk of long-term adverse sequelae
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