Tag: pubmed

J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2024 Dec 23;20(1):108. doi: 10.1186/s13002-024-00749-x.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Ethnobotanical knowledge about plant roles in fisheries is crucial for sustainable resource management. Local ecological knowledge helps understand dynamics of the lake ecosystem. Fishers use plants based on availability and characteristics while adapting to the changes in the environment. Studying fishery related uses of plants and algae and the challenges interconnected with them from local perspectives can provide insights into their beneficial uses and impacts to the ecosystem.

METHODS: The study investigates the botanical knowledge of three fishing villages in Laguna Lake or Laguna de Bay (LB), Philippines, including Buhangin, Sampiruhan, and Mabato-Azufre, each with varying degrees of industrialization. The ethnobotanical study, which gathered 27 interviews between June 2022 and July 2024, included plant collection with the help of local collaborators, including local fishers as research guides.

RESULTS: Fishers in LB highlighted positive and negative plant-fishing interactions. The most frequently mentioned plant applications were fish habitat and fish hiding places. Fish food, spawning sites, conservation, and a number of challenges such as navigational concerns and aquaculture fish deaths had been previously reported in local use reports. The remaining observations provide new insights into plant-fishing interactions, including indicators of food quality and food sources for fish, the decrease in the action of waves, and how plants help in improving the quality of the water.

CONCLUSION: These results highlight that the knowledge of fishers regarding the ecosystem in which they conduct their fishing activities provides baseline information about the positive and negative relationships between plants and fishing activities in the region, which is vital for further understanding its biodiversity and ecosystem interactions. It is crucial to consider fisher knowledge and involve them as equal partners in conservation efforts of LB.

PMID:39716198 | DOI:10.1186/s13002-024-00749-x

Parasit Vectors. 2024 Dec 23;17(1):535. doi: 10.1186/s13071-024-06569-y.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Strongyloidiasis is a chronic parasitic disease that results in relevant human morbidity, caused by the nematode Strongyloides stercoralis. This nematode has a unique and complex life-cycle. There is so far no perfect test for this helminthiasis. Rapid immunochromatographic tests (RDTs) are of interest, specifically due to their feasibility for use in the field, where public health control of strongyloidiasis is recommended. The aim of this study was to evaluate two novel RDTs, one detecting immunoglobulin (Ig) G and the other detecting IgG4, based on a combination of recombinant antigens. The primary objective was to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of these RDTs, and the secondary objective was to assess ease of interpretation.

METHODS: Serum samples stored in our biobank with available matched results for at least one fecal (i.e. agar plate culture or PCR) and one serology test (i.e. enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] or indirect immunofluorescent antibody test [IFAT]) for S. stercoralis, were selected for this study. Those with at least one positive result for the fecal test were considered to be true positives (irrespective of the serology), while true negatives were those with negative results for both the fecal and serology tests. The results of the RDTs were read independently by two laboratory technicians. When disagreement over the results occurred, a third reader was involved, and the final result for each test was based on consistent results from two readers. Estimates were reported along with the 95% confidence intervals (CI). Regarding the secondary objective, agreement between two independent readers was calculated with Cohen’s kappa statistic (κ).

RESULTS: A total of 90 serum samples were tested. Sensitivity of the IgG- and the IgG4-RDTs was 91.1% (95% CI 78.8-97.5) and 77.3% (95% CI 62.2-88.5), respectively. Specificity was 91.1% (95% CI 78.8-97.5) for the IgG-RDT and 100% (95% CI 92.1-100) for the IgG4-RDT. Agreement between readers was excellent (Cohen’s κ = 0.96, 95% CI 0.86-1.08%).

CONCLUSIONS: The IgG-RDT demonstrated higher sensitivity and could hence be preferred for individual diagnosis, whereas the excellent specificity of the IgG4-RDT could be preferred for prevalence surveys in endemic areas. The results of both RDTs were easy to interpret based on excellent agreement between readers. Large prospective studies should follow to confirm these findings and to validate the use of either RDT for specific purposes/contexts.

PMID:39716196 | DOI:10.1186/s13071-024-06569-y

BMC Public Health. 2024 Dec 23;24(1):3567. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-21129-w.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Community acceptance of Traditional birth attendants (TBAs) as professional birth attendant was reported as one of the bottlenecks that has been hindering facility childbirth care service use. Hence, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that all childbirths needed to be attended by professional skilled attendants who at least possessed midwifery skill through the safe motherhood initiative. However, many births in developing countries have been being attended by Traditional birth attendants (TBAs) mainly due to pregnant women and community acceptance for TBAs as sole birth attendants. Therefore, measuring pregnant women’s perceived community acceptance towards TBAs assisted childbirth care and identifying factors could be imperative. This provides evidence for policy makers, health program managers and health care practitioners in their effort to escalate skilled and facility childbirth care there by improving maternal and newborn health outcome.

METHODS: This study had used the cross-sectional baseline data from Performance and monitoring for action Ethiopia (PMA_Et) cohort one survey which enrolled and collected data from currently pregnant women and recently postpartum women. The baseline survey collected real time data on various sexual, reproductive, maternal and new born nationwide priority indicators using customized Open Data Kit Mobile application. These data were collected using standard pretested questionnaire prepared in three local languages (Amharic, Afan Oromo and Tigrigna) by well experienced resident enumerators. The final sample size was 2,186 women who were pregnant by the time of the survey and who provided response for the perceived community acceptance for TBAs assisted childbirth care question item. Frequencies were computed to describe the study participant’s characteristics. Multinomial logistics regression statistical model building process was employed to identify associated factors of perceived community acceptance for childbirths to be attended by TBAs. Results were presented in the form percentages and odds ratio with 95% Confidence Intervals. Candidate variables were selected using p-value of 0.25. Statistical significance was declared at p-value of 0.05.

RESULTS: The overall proportion of perceived community acceptance for TBAs assisted childbirth care was found to be 58.63% (95%CI: 56.47%, 60.76%). Attending primary education was found to increase the likelihood of pregnant women perceived community acceptance by most people in their community for TBAs assisted childbirth care. Women having intentions to have another child were found to have higher likelihood perceived community acceptance by few people in their community for TBAs assisted childbirth care. On the contrary, religion, residing in the well to do households, residing in the Southern nations, nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR) and Addis Ababa had lowered pregnant women’s perceived community acceptance by most, few and some pleople in their community for TBAs assisted childbirth care.

CONCLUSIONS: The overall substantially greater proportion of pregnant perceived community acceptance for TBAs assisted childbirth care calls up on tremendous work to be done to avert such high level pregnant women perceived community acceptance for childbirths to be assisted by TBAs. Activities targeting in improving women economic status and empowerment; increasing women enrollment to secondary and higher education; using religious leaders and institutions to promote skilled delivery and childbirth care service use could likely aid in mitigating such huge surge of misconceptions towards childbirth care attendants. This significant perceived community acceptance substantially impact maternal and newborn health outcomes negatively which calls for awareness creation through community campaign to reverse this skewed perception. The activities and interventions need to be region specific. The finding also underscores the relevance of birth preparedness and complication readiness. The implication of the study is that the Health Minister and relevant actors need to design and implement region specific programs and strategies on women reproductive health empowerment and skilled childbirth care service use improvement. The other key implication of the finding was serving as one source of evidence to follow the WHO’s recommendation aimed at reducing maternal mortality through skilled delivery and childbirth care service provision. It also served to track the status of the new role of TBAs to serve as a liaison between the pregnant women and the modern health care system to escalate skilled childbirth care services.

PMID:39716195 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-024-21129-w

Harm Reduct J. 2024 Dec 23;21(1):227. doi: 10.1186/s12954-024-01141-4.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The assessment of potential health effects of switching from cigarette smoking to non-combustible tobacco products has important implications for public health and regulatory decisions. Robust epidemiological evidence requires long-term follow-up of a large number of individuals. Real-world evidence derived from health records has the potential to help fill the gap in the interim. To our knowledge, this is the first study using individual-level healthcare claims data to assess the potential impact of transitioning from cigarette smoking to smokeless tobacco on short-term direct healthcare costs.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult male patients with COPD who smoked cigarettes at baseline using the MarketScan^® Databases. We compared changes in direct healthcare costs between the 12-month periods before (baseline) and after the index date (follow-up) across three cohorts: continued smoking (CS), quit all tobacco (QT), or switched to smokeless tobacco (SW), using a non-linear difference-in-differences model with average marginal effects.

RESULTS: A total of 23,427 COPD patients were included (CS: 11,167; QT: 12,013; SW: 247). At baseline, the QT cohort had the highest total average healthcare costs ($43,771), followed by SW ($38,419), and CS ($27,149). The unadjusted difference-in-differences model revealed no statistically significant differences in total healthcare cost changes when comparing the QT or SW cohorts to the CS cohort (-$1,532 [95% CI: -$3,671, $608] for the QT cohort, and -$452 [95% CI: -$15,415, $14,511] for the SW cohort). After adjusting for Deyo-Charlson Comorbidity Index and COPD exacerbation, assuming patients had two comorbidities and exacerbations, the QT cohort had greater reduction in total healthcare costs compared to the CS cohort (-$2,910 dollars [95% CI: -$4,485, $-1,335]). The same trend was observed for the SW cohort, although the estimate was not statistically significant (-$5,312 [95%CI: -$11,067, $442], p = 0.08).

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the feasibility of using administrative claims to conduct real-world evidence studies on the harm-reduction potential of non-combustible tobacco products and found evidence suggesting reductions in direct healthcare costs after quitting tobacco or switching to smokeless tobacco among patients with COPD. Based on the learnings and limitations identified during the study, we propose concrete recommendations to improve future observational studies by integrating additional real-world healthcare data from multiple data sources.

PMID:39716190 | DOI:10.1186/s12954-024-01141-4

BMC Med Educ. 2024 Dec 23;24(1):1521. doi: 10.1186/s12909-024-06548-y.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Medical research is an essential aspect of the training of resident doctors and is required by postgraduate medical colleges in Nigeria as part of the fulfilment of fellowship awards. However, research participation among resident doctors in Nigeria is low, despite seemingly high interest in research among resident doctors. The objective of our study is to examine the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and barriers related to medical research among resident doctors in a public and private tertiary care in Nigeria.

METHODOLOGY: The study is a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out between November 2023 and December 2023 in a public tertiary hospital and a private tertiary hospital in Nigeria. A total of 352 participants were recruited for the study-303 from the public tertiary hospital and 49 from the private tertiary hospital. The obtained data were analysed using SPSS Statistics version 26 (IBM Corp. Released 2019. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.). The significance level was set at P < 0.005.

RESULTS: The majority (63.92%) of the participants had spent between 2 and 5 years in residency training. A total of 57.67% had participated in research other than dissertations, while 35.23% had participated in research publications. The majority (48.58%) of participants assessed their research knowledge to be fair, whereas 2.56% assessed their knowledge to be excellent. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between self-reported knowledge of research and the number of research publications (adjusted ρ = 0.332; P < 0.001). The leading (60.8%) barrier to research participation among resident doctors in Nigeria was lack of time due to stress/pressure of the residency program. An overwhelming majority (95.17%) of resident doctors have shown interest in research participation, and up to 75.87% even want it to be mandatory for all resident doctors in Nigeria.

CONCLUSION: This study showed that despite limited participation, resident doctors have a positive attitude towards research. However, there is a struggle to translate this enthusiasm into practical application; hence, there is a need to address the barriers to effective participation of resident doctors in medical research.

PMID:39716182 | DOI:10.1186/s12909-024-06548-y

BMC Nurs. 2024 Dec 23;23(1):945. doi: 10.1186/s12912-024-02640-2.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Simulation is defined as “the processes by which we are trying to achieve results approximating clinical practice as closely as possible.” It is a technique for replacing or completing real-life experiences with guided experiences.

OBJECTIVE: To assess and explore clinical simulation practice and associated factors among nurse and midwife educators working at teaching institutions in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

METHOD: An institutional mixed-method study was conducted from May 9 to June 7, 2022, at six teaching institutions in Bahir Dar City. A sample size of 220 was taken into account for the quantitative study, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to gather data. In-depth interviews were used to acquire data for the qualitative study, which involved eight participants. The data was entered into EpiData and exported to SPSS version 26 for additional analysis after being reviewed for consistency and completeness. To evaluate the relationship between the dependent and independent variables, binary logistic regression analysis with both (bi-variant) and (multivariable) inputs was carried out.

RESULT: Among respondents, 104 (49.1%) were government employees. Most of the respondents in this study were male (65.6%). Statistically significant associations simulation practice experience (AOR = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.07-64), training (AOR = 0.52; 95% CI: 0.27-0.98), educational qualification (AOR = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.15-0.93) and cost (AOR = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.18-0.74). The study showed that only 121 (57%) of the respondents’ practices were classified as “good practice,” while 91 (42.9%) were classified as “poor practice.” Qualitative findings revealed that a lack of classroom space, inadequate training in the institution, and a consistent checklist hampered the implementation of clinical simulation practice. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: We determined that a shortage of classroom space, inadequate resources, high costs, and an absence of ongoing training were the key obstacles to the successful implementation of clinical simulation practice. Responsible governmental bodies should give attention for clinical simulation education.

PMID:39716181 | DOI:10.1186/s12912-024-02640-2

BMC Med Educ. 2024 Dec 23;24(1):1518. doi: 10.1186/s12909-024-06460-5.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Due to the complex and abstract anatomy of the nervous system, neurology has become a difficult subject for students of clinical disciplines. It is imperative to develop new teaching methods to improve students’ enthusiasm for learning this course. Small private online courses (SPOC) combined with problem based learning (PBL) blended teaching models based on massive open online course (MOOC) provides a new direction for future neurology teaching reform. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of applying SPOC combined with PBL in neurology teaching.

METHODS: This study was conducted during the 2020 intake of undergraduate students at the Second Hospital and Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University. A total of 48 students were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to either a Lecture-Based Learning (LBL) group or a SPOC + PBL group, with 24 participants in each group. After the classes, comparisons were made between the two groups in terms of teaching methods, increases in learning interest, level of participation in learning, satisfaction, and closed-book unit test scores.

RESULTS: The average unit test score of the SPOC + PBL group was 84.29 ± 1.65, the average score of LBL group was 77.0 ± 1.92. The difference in average scores between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.01). The proportion of students with 91-100 points in SPOC + PBL group was higher than that of LBL group, and the difference was statistically significant, P < 0.01. Student satisfaction survey in the SPOC + PBL group was significantly higher than that in the LBL group, P < 0.01.

CONCLUSIONS: The application of SPOC combined with PBL teaching based on MOOC in neurology teaching may be more effective than traditional LBL model. It is expected to help medical students overcome the “fear” of learning neurological diseases, improve the teaching effect of neurology courses, and meet the needs of modern medical education by employing a hybrid course structure and adopting a problem-oriented approach.

PMID:39716179 | DOI:10.1186/s12909-024-06460-5

BMC Public Health. 2024 Dec 23;24(1):3565. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-21140-1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The duration of sleep is linked to a range of disorders. Osteoarthritis (OA) stands as one of the most prevalent forms of arthritis and serves as a leading cause of disability. The correlation between the duration of sleep and OA remains ambiguous. Research indicates that waist circumference correlates with sleep duration and OA, respectively. This study aimed to investigate the association of sleep duration with OA and the mediated effect of waist circumference.

METHODS: The study sample comprised adults who were participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2011 and 2018. Insufficient sleep is characterized by a duration of less than seven hours, whereas 7-8 h is considered appropriate, and 9 h or more is categorized as a long sleep duration. Three models were employed in this study. Model 1 was not adjusted for any covariates, while Model 2 was adjusted for sex, age, and race. Model 3 has been adjusted to account for all covariates. Utilizing multivariable logistic regression, subgroup analysis, interaction tests and smoothing curve fitting, the correlation between sleep duration and OA was explored. The mediating effect of waist circumference on the association between sleep duration and OA was investigated through mediation analysis.

RESULTS: In this study, 9380 did not have OA, while 2424 were diagnosed with the ailment. After multivariable adjustment, the odds ratios (OR) for OA were 1.19 (95% CI 1.06, 1.34; P = 0.0026) for people with insufficient sleep duration and 1.18 (95% CI 1.03, 1.35 P = 0.0142) for participants with long sleep duration. Sleep duration and the incidence of OA were found to be related in a U-shaped manner. Additionally, 12.1% of the correlation between sleep duration and OA appeared to be mediated by waist circumference.

CONCLUSIONS: Increased OA was found to be correlated in a U-shaped manner with sleep duration in the middle-aged and elderly cohorts. Both insufficient and long sleep duration contribute to an elevated risk of developing OA. A potential mediating factor in the association between OA and sleep duration is waist circumference. Focus on sleep health and visceral obesity in middle-aged and older adults is necessary.

PMID:39716177 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-024-21140-1

BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2024 Dec 23;25(1):1063. doi: 10.1186/s12891-024-08181-8.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The main key to the 4th industrial era is robots, and wearable robots are incorporated into human healthcare. Samsung Electronics’ Bot Fit is a hip joint-centered assistive robot that can induce walking posture and energetic walking exercises.

METHODS: This study is a cross-section study. Fifty-eight subjects consisting of older and younger adults participated. The straight walking test was conducted under the conditions of bare body, wearing the wearable robot Bot Fit assist mode, and applying voice coach. Spatio-temporal gait parameters were analyzed and the statistical significance level was set at 0.05.

RESULTS: When assist mode and voice coach were applied, pelvic movement in 3 axes, stride length, and walking speed compared to the bare body increased. In young adults, stride length difference decreased in assist mode 1 and voice coach 1 compared to the bare body.

CONCLUSION: Bot Fit’s assist mode and voice coach method positively influence walking efficiency, posture, stride length, and speed, though potential interaction effects between these interventions should be considered. Personalized, real-time adjustments show promise for optimizing walking exercises, warranting further investigation into their long-term and population-specific effects.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Research Information Service, KCT0007974. Registered 12/07/2022.

PMID:39716173 | DOI:10.1186/s12891-024-08181-8

BMC Med Imaging. 2024 Dec 23;24(1):348. doi: 10.1186/s12880-024-01504-0.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the diagnostic value of CT lymphangiography (CTL) and non-contrast MR lymphangiography (MRL) in lymphatic plastic bronchitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical and imaging data of 31 patients with lymphatic plastic bronchitis diagnosed by clinical, imaging and pathological results were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent CTL and MRL. The imaging findings of patients include: (i) abnormal lymphatic reflux of the bronchial mediastinal trunk, the subclavian trunk, the cervical trunk, the thoracic duct and the right lymphatic duct; Abnormal CTL reflux refers to abnormal iodide deposition outside the normal lymphatic reflux pathway; If the MRL can observe abnormal lymphatic dilatation, hyperplasia, or morphological abnormalities, it is assumed that abnormal lymphatic reflux may be present.; (ii) abnormal morphological changes of lymphatic vessels at the extremity of the thoracic duct, the extremity of the right lymphatic duct and the mediastinum, such as spot-like or tubular, cystic changes; (iii) abnormal CTL and MRL signs in the lungs. The Mcnemar test was used to compare the parameters between CTL and MRL. P< 0.05 was statistically significant. The Kappa test was used to evaluate the consistency of CTL and MRL in evaluating lymphatic plastic bronchitis.

RESULTS: MRL was superior to CTL in detecting abnormal lymphatic reflux in the right lymphatic vessel, thoracic duct, cervical trunk and subclavian trunk (P< 0.05).and the diagnostic consistency was general (Kappa < 0.40). There was no significant difference between MRL and CTL in the detection of abnormal lymphatic reflux in the bronchial mediastinal trunk (P> 0.05), and the diagnostic consistency was good (Kappa > 0.60). MRL was superior to CTL in detecting lymphatic abnormalities such as cystic changes at the extremity of the thoracic duct, spot-like or tubular changes at the extremity of the right lymphatic duct, cystic changes at the extremity of the right lymphatic duct, and cystic changes in the mediastinum (P< 0.05), and the diagnostic consistency was poor, fair, fair, and moderate (Kappa < 0.60), respectively. MRL and CTL showed abnormal signs in the lung: CTL was superior to MRL in showing the thickening of interlobular septum, lung nodules and airway stenosis (P< 0.05), and the diagnostic consistency was moderate, moderate and poor (Kappa < 0.60). There was no significant difference between CTL and MRL in atelectasis, consolidation in lobar and segmental distribution, consolidation in non-lobar and segmental distribution, and the thickening of the bronchovascular bundle (P> 0.05), and the diagnostic consistency was very good, very good, good, good (Kappa > 0.60). There was no significant difference between CTL and MRL in ground glass opacity, airway wall thickening and intralobular interstitial thickening (P> 0.05), and the diagnostic consistency was average, fair and poor (Kappa < 0.40).

CONCLUSION: The MRL is superior to CTL in showing the abnormalities of the thoracic duct, the right lymphatic duct and other abnormal lymphatic vessels. CTL is superior to MRL in the detection of pulmonary abnormalities. The combination of CTL and MRL can provide more comprehensive imaging information for diagnosing and treating lymphatic plastic bronchitis.

PMID:39716172 | DOI:10.1186/s12880-024-01504-0