Barriers to the Acceptance of Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment:A Multicenter Cross-sectional Study in China

Objective We aimed to understand the willingness and barriers to the acceptance of tuberculosis(TB)preventive treatment(TPT)among people with latent TB infection(LTBI)in China.Methods A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted from May 18,2023 to December 31,2023 across 10 counties in China.According to a national technical guide,we included healthcare workers,students,teachers,and others occupations aged 15-65 years as our research participants.Results Overall,17.0%(183/1,077)of participants accepted TPT.There were statistically significant differences in the acceptance rate of TPT among different sexes,ages,educational levels,and occupations(P<0.05).The main barriers to TPT acceptance were misconceptions that it had uncertain effects on prevention(57.8%,517/894),and concerns about side effects(32.7%,292/894).Conclusion An enhanced and comprehensive understanding of LTBI and TPT among people with LTBI is vital to further expand TPT in China.Moreover,targeted policies need to be developed to address barriers faced by different groups of people.

Diabetes and susceptibility to COVID-19:Risk factors and preventive and therapeutic strategies

Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is a highly infectious disease caused by a novel human coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2).Diabetes is a well-known risk factor for infectious diseases with high prevalence and increased severity.Here,we elucidated the possible factors for the increased vulnerability of diabetic patients to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the more severe COVID-19 illness.The worsened prognosis of patients with both COVID-19 and diabetes may be attributable to host receptor angiotensinconverting enzyme 2-assisted viral uptake.Moreover,insulin resistance is often associated with impaired mucosal and skin barrier integrity,resulting in microbiota dysbiosis,which increases susceptibility to viral infections.It may also be associated with higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines resulting from an impaired immune system in diabetics,inducing a cytokine storm and excessive inflammation.This review describes diabetes mellitus and its complications,explains the risk factors,such as disease characteristics and patient lifestyle,which may contribute to the high susceptibility of diabetic patients to COVID-19,and discusses preventive and therapeutic strategies for COVID-19-positive diabetic patients.

Assessment of public perspectives and barriers towards dengue preventive practices using the Health Belief Model in Puducherry,India:A cross-sectional study

Objective:To assess the perspectives and barriers towards dengue preventive practices among the residents of Puducherry,India.Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 300 households in Puducherry,using a population-proportionate(7:3)distribution from urban and rural areas by grid sampling.One adult interview per household was conducted and the participants were selected using a KISH grid.A semi-structured questionnaire based on the Health Belief Model(HBM)with additional questions on knowledge assessment was used.Knowledge was assessed based on the correctness of answers and the HBM scores were calculated on a 5-point Likert scale.Participants were categorized based on the median score under each domain.Logistic regression was used for adjusted analysis and models were built to predict the performances in each domain.Results:Four percent of the participants lacked basic knowledge regarding dengue transmission.While 208(69.3%)participants did not consider themselves at risk of contracting dengue within the next year,majority perceived dengue as a disease with low severity.Around 49.3%(148)were skeptical about the benefit of time and money spent on dengue prevention.Inadequate government efforts were stated as the major barrier(47.0%)and frequent reminders(142,47.3%)as the major cue to action.Age above 50 years(aOR 1.78,95%CI 1.04-3.06,P=0.037)and rural locality(aOR 2.68,95%CI 1.52-4.71,P=0.001)were found to be significantly associated with poor knowledge scores.Urban participants had a significantly higher chance to perceive low susceptibility as compared to the rural counterparts(aOR 1.74,95%CI 1.05-2.9,P=0.03).Participants with less than a high school education had low perceived benefits(aOR 2.46,95%CI 1.52-3.96,P<0.001)and low self-efficacy scores(aOR 2.66,95%CI 1.61-4.39,P<0.001).Conclusions:This study identifies key gaps in dengue prevention,including low perceived susceptibility,mild disease perception,limited knowledge of breeding sites,and overreliance on government efforts.Tailoring interventions to community needs,stratified to factors influencing the community perspectives can significantly improve dengue prevention efforts.

Addressing mucosal ulcers during orthodontic treatment:An urgent call for preventive strategies

Mucosal ulcers are a common yet often overlooked complication during orthodontic treatment,significantly impacting patient comfort and compliance.This letter aims to highlight the prevalence,potential causes,and management strategies for mucosal ulcers in orthodontic patients.By reviewing recent literature and clinical observations,we underscore the necessity for proactive measures and tailored interventions to mitigate the incidence and severity of these lesions.Emphasizing the role of patient education and the use of protective devices,we call for a multidisciplinary approach to enhance patient care and treatment outcomes.This discussion is particularly relevant in the context of evolving orthodontic techniques and materials,which necessitate continuous adaptation of clinical practices to ensure patient safety and well-being.

Transient Stability Preventive Control of Wind Farm Connected Power System Considering the Uncertainty

To address uncertainty as well as transient stability constraints simultaneously in the preventive control of windfarm systems, a novel three-stage optimization strategy is established in this paper. In the first stage, the probabilisticmulti-objective particle swarm optimization based on the point estimate method is employed to cope with thestochastic factors. The transient security region of the system is accurately ensured by the interior point methodin the second stage. Finally, the verification of the final optimal objectives and satisfied constraints are enforcedin the last stage. Furthermore, the proposed strategy is a general framework that can combine other optimizationalgorithms. The proposed methodology is tested on the modified WSCC 9-bus system and the New England 39-bussystem. The results verify the feasibility of the method.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of preventive nursing measures for pressure injuries in patients in the neurology intensive care unit

BACKGROUND Patients in neurology intensive care units(ICU)are prone to pressure injuries(PU)due to factors such as severe illness,long-term bed rest,and physiological dysfunction.PU not only causes pain and complications to patients,but also increases medical burden,prolongs hospitalization time,and affects the recovery process.AIM To evaluate and optimize the effectiveness of pressure injury prevention nursing measures in neurology ICU patients.METHODS A retrospective study was conducted,and 60 patients who were admitted to the ICU of the Department of Neurology were selected and divided into an observation group and a control group according to the order of admission,with 30 people in each group.The observation group implemented pressure injury prevention and nursing measures,while the control group adopted routine care.RESULTS Comparison between observation and control groups following pressure injury prevention nursing intervention revealed significantly lower incidence rates in the observation group compared to the control group at 48 h(8.3%vs 26.7%),7 d(16.7%vs 43.3%),and 14 d(20.0%vs 50.0%).This suggests a substantial reduction in pressure injury incidence in the observation group,with the gap widening over time.Additionally,patients in the observation group exhibited quicker recovery,with a shorter average time to get out of bed(48 h vs 72 h)and a shorter average length of stay(12 d vs 15 d)compared to the control group.Furthermore,post-intervention,patients in the observation group reported significantly improved quality of life scores,including higher scores in body satisfaction,feeling and function,and comfort(both psychological and physiological),indicating enhanced overall well-being and comfort following the implementation of pressure injury prevention nursing measures.CONCLUSION Implementing pressure injury preventive care measures for neurology ICU patients will have better results.

Reliability-BasedModel for Incomplete Preventive ReplacementMaintenance of Photovoltaic Power Systems

At present,the operation and maintenance of photovoltaic power generation systems mainly comprise regular maintenance,breakdown maintenance,and condition-based maintenance,which is very likely to lead to over-or under-repair of equipment.Therefore,a preventive maintenance and replacement strategy for PV power generation systems based on reliability as a constraint is proposed.First,a hybrid failure function with a decreasing service age factor and an increasing failure rate factor is introduced to describe the deterioration of PV power generation equipment,and the equipment is replaced when its reliability drops to the replacement threshold in the last cycle.Then,based on the reliability as a constraint,the average maintenance cost and availability of the equipment are considered,and the non-periodic incomplete maintenance model of the PV power generation system is established to obtain the optimal number of repairs,each maintenance cycle and the replacement cycle of the PV power generation system components.Next,the inverter of a PV power plant is used as a research object.The model in this paper is compared and analyzed with the equal cycle maintenance model without considering reliability and the maintenance model without considering the equipment replacement threshold,Through model comparison,when the optimal maintenance strategy is(0.80,4),the average maintenance cost of this paper’s model are decreased by 20.3%and 5.54%and the availability is increased by 0.2395% and 0.0337%,respectively,compared with the equal-cycle maintenance model without considering the reliability constraint and the maintenance model without considering the equipment replacement threshold.Therefore,this maintenance model can ensure the high reliability of PV plant operation while increasing the equipment availability to improve the system economy.

Influencing factors and preventive measures of infectious complications after intestinal resection for Crohn’s disease

The incidence of Crohn’s disease(CD)has increased in recent years,with most patients requiring intestinal resection.Complications after intestinal resection for CD can lead to poor prognosis and recurrence,among which infectious complic-ations are the most common.This study aimed to investigate the common risk factors,including medications,preoperative nutritional status,surgery-related factors,microorganisms,lesion location and type,and so forth,causing infectious complications after intestinal resection for CD,and to propose corresponding preventive measures.The findings provided guidance for identifying suscept-ibility factors and the early intervention and prevention of infectious complic-ations after intestinal resection for CD in clinical practice.

Low Birth Weight and Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Pregnant Women in Lomé (Togo) in 2021: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Since 2012, the World Health Organization has recommended intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPT-SP) to prevent malaria-related complications in pregnant women. Ten years following these recommendations, we conducted this study to estimate the coverage for three doses of IPT-SP (IPT3) as well as the prevalence of low birth weight (LBW), and its associated factors in Lomé (Togo) in 2021. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and March 2021. An exhaustive recruitment of women and their newborns was carried out in the maternity wards of the Sylvanus Olympio University Hospital Center. Data from antenatal consultations and clinical data of the newborns were collected. Multivariate logistic regression was carried out to determine factors associated with LBW. Results: A total of 252 mother-child pairs were included in this study. Median age of the mothers was 27 years, IQR [24-31]. More than a third (35.3%) of the mothers were primigravida. IPT3 coverage was 66.7% and 14.7% of newborns had a LBW. The prevalence of LBW was 33.3% [23.3-43.4] in women who had received fewer than 3 doses of IPT-SP and 5.4% [2.0-8.8] in those who had received at least 3 doses of IPT-SP (p Conclusion: Ten years following recommendations of the WHO on IPT-SP, malaria prevention based on IPT-SP is not optimal among pregnant women in Lomé, and the proportion of LBW children remains high. Actions to strengthen the three-dose IPT-SP policy are needed to prevent malaria and its consequences among newborns in Togo.

Prevalence and Individual-Level Determinants of Uptake of Three or More Doses of Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine for Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Pregnancy in Busia County, Kenya

Background: Malaria in pregnancy causes maternal anemia, low birth weight, intrauterine growth retardation, and preterm deliveries. In malaria-endemic regions in Kenya, percentage of pregnant women hospitalized with malaria reach up to 60%. WHO recommends at least three doses of sulphadoxine pyrimethamine for Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Pregnancy (IPTp) antenatally. This study sought to ascertain the prevalence and individual-level factors influencing the uptake of IPTp-SP3+. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study at Busia County Referral Hospital. 384 mothers were consecutively sampled at the maternity unit during delivery. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Odds ratio (OR) and adjusted OR were used to determine statistical significance of individual factors influencing uptake of three or more IPTp-SP. Results: 43.0% of participants took IPTp-SP3+. Individual factors that affected the uptake of IPTp-SP3+ included starting ANC visits in the first trimester (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.23 – 3.67, p = 0.046), having more than four ANC visits (aOR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.49 – 6.50, p = 0.002), having a higher monthly income (aOR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.24 – 5.36, p = 0.012), being aware of the advantages of IPTp-SP medications (aOR = 3.7, 95% CI: 1.40 – 9.74, p = 0.008), and having a positive attitude toward ANC services (aOR = 3.2, 95% CI: 1.61 – 6.31, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Less than half of the pregnant mothers are complyingIPTp-SP3+. There should be aggressive efforts by the County and National Ministries of Health promoting initiation of ANC attendance early and attendance of all the recommended eight visits together with ensuring availability of the drugs.

The Preventive Effect of Comprehensive Nursing Intervention on Arteriovenous Fistula Failure in Patients in the Hemodialysis Room

Objective:To explore the preventive effect of comprehensive nursing intervention on arteriovenous fistula failure in patients in the hemodialysis room.Methods:82 patients with arteriovenous fistula in the hemodialysis chamber treated in our hospital from July 2022 to October 2023 were selected as the research subjects.The random number table method divided them into a control group and an experimental group of 41 cases each.The control group received general nursing intervention measures,while the experimental group underwent comprehensive nursing intervention.The incidence of complications(internal fistula failure,bleeding,thrombosis,infection),psychological emotions(SAS scale,SDS scale),quality of life(physical pain,physiological function,emotional function,social function),and nursing satisfaction(very satisfied,basically satisfied,satisfied,dissatisfied)were compared between the two groups of patients.Results:The incidence of complications in the experimental group(4,9.76%)was significantly lower than that in the control group(29,70.73%);the SAS scores and SDS scores of the patients in the experimental group after intervention were both lower than those in the control group;the quality of life score(physical pain,physiological function,emotional function,and social function)was all higher than those of the control group;the post-intervention nursing satisfaction of the experimental group(40,97.57%)was also significantly higher than that of the control group(29,73.17%);and the listed differences were statistically significant(P<0.01).Conclusion:For patients with hemodialysis ventricular arteriovenous fistula failure,comprehensive nursing intervention can reduce the incidence of complications,relieve anxiety and stress,improve quality of life and nursing satisfaction,and achieve better preventive effects.

Single-machine scheduling with preventive periodic maintenance and resumable jobs in remanufacturing system

A single-machine scheduling with preventive periodic maintenance activities in a remanufacturing system including resumable and non-resumable jobs is studied.The objective is to find a schedule to minimize the makespan and an LPT-LS algorithm is proposed.Non-resumable jobs are first scheduled in a machine by the longest processing time（LPT） rule,and then resumable jobs are scheduled by the list scheduling（LS） rule.And the worst-case ratios of this algorithm in three different cases in terms of the value of the total processing time of the resumable jobs（denoted as S2） are discussed.When S2 is longer than the spare time of the machine after the non-resumable jobs are assigned by the LPT rule,it is equal to 1.When S2 falls in between the spare time of the machine by the LPT rule and the optimal schedule rule,it is less than 2.When S2 is less than the spare time of the machine by the optimal schedule rule,it is less than 2.Finally,numerical examples are presented for verification.

Acute and chronic excitotoxicity in ischemic stroke and late-onset Alzheimer's disease

Stroke and Alzheimer's disease are common neurological disorders and often occur in the same individuals.The comorbidity of the two neurological disorders represents a grave health threat to older populations.This review presents a brief background of the development of novel concepts and their clinical potentials.The activity of glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated Ca^(2+)influx is critical for neuronal function.An ischemic insult induces prompt and excessive glutamate release and drastic increases of intracellular Ca^(2+)mainly via N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors,particularly of those at the extrasynaptic site.This Ca^(2+)-evoked neuronal cell death in the ischemic core is dominated by necrosis within a few hours and days known as acute excitotoxicity.Furthermore,mild but sustained Ca^(2+)increases under neurodegenerative conditions such as in the distant penumbra of the ischemic brain and early stages of Alzheimer's disease are not immediately toxic,but gradually set off deteriorating Ca^(2+)-dependent signals and neuronal cell loss mostly because of activation of programmed cell death pathways.Based on the Ca^(2+)hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease and recent advances,this Ca^(2+)-activated“silent”degenerative excitotoxicity evolves from years to decades and is recognized as a unique slow and chronic neuropathogenesis.The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit GluN3A,primarily at the extrasynaptic site,serves as a gatekeeper for the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor activity and is neuroprotective against both acute and chronic excitotoxicity.Ischemic stroke and Alzheimer's disease,therefore,share an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-and Ca^(2+)-mediated mechanism,although with much different time courses.It is thus proposed that early interventions to control Ca^(2+)homeostasis at the preclinical stage are pivotal for individuals who are susceptible to sporadic late-onset Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease-related dementia.This early treatment simultaneously serves as a preconditioning therapy against ischemic stroke that often attacks the same individuals during abnormal aging.

Imperative for long-term management and surveillance in Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease(KD)is a significant pediatric vasculitis known for its potential to cause severe coronary artery complications.Despite the effectiveness of initial treatments,such as intravenous immunoglobulin,KD patients can experience long-term cardiovascular issues,as evidenced by a recent case report of an adult who suffered a ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction due to previous KD in the World Journal of Clinical Cases.This editorial emphasizes the critical need for long-term management and regular surveillance to prevent such complications.By drawing on recent research and case studies,we advocate for a structured approach to follow-up care that includes routine cardiac evaluations and preventive measures.

Relevance of epidemiology data in trauma management

Trauma is a major cause of morbidity and mortality across the globe accounting for significant health burden.Relevance of trauma care revolves round prevention,planning and execution of safety regulations.Acquisition of the actual data regarding the type of trauma,affected age group,timings of trauma occurrence,involved part of the body constitute the initial steps in the building of the composite overview of the epidemiology of trauma.In succession,would be the measures directed towards avoidance of trauma and capacity building of trauma center.

Screening of Saprolegniasis Preventive Drugs for Golden Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Fertilized Eggs During Hatching

In order to screen the effective preventive drugs for saprolegniasis occurred during hatching of the fertilized eggs of golden trout, effects of two kinds of self-made Chinese herbal compounds（AB） and two kinds of chemical bactericides（peroxyacetic acid andhydrogen peroxide, CD） with three disinfection concentrations were compared in this study. The fertilized eggs of golden trout were randomly divided into 13 groups, each group with two parallels of 1 000 eggs. Drugs at high,medium and low concentration were respectively used to immerse the fertilized eggs35 min for disinfection once a day. The numbers of live and dead eggs were recorded each day before disinfection and the numbers of survival eyed eggs were counted in each experimental group after finishing the whole test. The results indicated that all of four kinds of drugs used here had a certain effect on prevention and control of saprolegniasis during hatching of fertilized eggs of golden trout, and also showed a correlation between the concentrations and effects. After the selection of several drugs, we found that group B-medium, C-medium and D-high exhibited the most remarkable effects on control of saprolegniasis. However, careful consideration should be given to chemical drugs residues and their potential hazard to the eyed eggs. Therefore, Chinese herbal compound B was suggested to be used for prevention and control of saprolegniasis to achieve the healthy aquaculture. And the concentration and operation time of Chinese herbal compound B should be strictly controlled when used in disinfection of fertilized eggs.

Musculoskeletal disorders in nursing staff

Nursing staff provides patient care in an occupational environment that often imposes challenges that affect significantly the musculoskeletal system.Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are common in nursing stuff and have a negative impact in their professional and daily activities.In the current editorial,the duties of nursing staff,the types of musculoskeletal disorders,the predis-posing factors(including factors related to professional tasks/ergonomics and to working schedules,psychological,social and individual factors)and their impact on working ability and quality of life nursing staff are summarized and pre-ventive measures are proposed.

西安地区犬和猫肿瘤流行现状与防治对策

通过对西北农林科大西安动物医院4年7个月共收治的西安地区7399例(犬4813例,猫2586例)犬和猫病例中308例肿瘤的分析,发现犬、猫肿瘤发病率分别为5.96%和0.81%;最常发的肿瘤有乳腺肿瘤、恶性淋巴瘤、脂肪瘤、肥大细胞瘤与肛周腺瘤。犬发病品种以贵宾犬、牧羊犬与金毛犬居多,分别占24.64%、12.56%和11.59%;小型犬发病率最高,占51.57%。老龄犬多发,但9岁以下犬发病率也高达33.45%。发病季节集中在冬春季节。发病部位以乳腺和皮肤最多,分别占29.27%和21.95%。雌性犬、猫发病率分别为58.19%和42.86%,雄性犬、猫发病率分别为41.81%和57.14%;未绝育雌性犬、猫更易发生乳腺肿瘤与泌尿生殖道肿瘤,未去势雄性犬、猫更易发生肛周肿瘤。组织活检与组织病理学结果显示良性肿瘤占58.51%,恶性肿瘤占41.49%。

不同近视防控手段对脉络膜影响的研究进展

我国近视人群呈现高发、低龄化的严峻趋势。许多研究发现近视防控手段如角膜塑形镜、低浓度阿托品滴眼液、光照、后巩膜加固术、中医相关方法等均与脉络膜的厚度、血流及相关分子生物变化有着密不可分的关联。角膜塑形镜和低浓度阿托品具有脉络膜增厚效应、脉络膜血流调控作用;配戴多点离焦防控镜具有脉络膜增厚效应;光照和哺光仪的近视防控效果在脉络膜厚度和血流上的作用也有体现;中医方法的近视防控效果体现在脉络膜微结构的改变上,但有关各种防控手段对脉络膜的远期影响仍需大样本量研究探索。文章对脉络膜与近视防控手段的关联进行综述,以说明防控手段在脉络膜层面防控近视的原理,以期对临床发现新的防控手段提供新的思路。

超大城市洪涝灾害成因综合解析——以重庆市为例

近年来,极端天气事件呈现趋多趋强态势,变化环境下洪涝灾害频发给社会经济发展带来严峻挑战。重庆是中国西部超大城市和成渝城市群“双核”之一,主城区地貌以山地、丘陵为主,受上游江河来水和三峡库区回水的双重影响,洪涝灾害风险突出。以重庆市历年洪涝灾害事件为基础,梳理重庆市防涝减灾现状,分析水文、地理、地形、城市化、气象等因素对重庆市洪涝灾害发生频率和强度的影响,结合这些洪涝灾害致灾因子进一步对重庆市的孕灾环境和承灾体进行分析,提出针对重庆中心城区洪涝治理的对策建议。分析发现:重庆市洪涝灾害受多种因素综合影响,特殊的地理位置和山地城市的地形条件决定了重庆防洪治涝的艰巨性;重庆市河流纵横,山高谷深,完全具备发生洪涝灾害的孕灾条件;应充分考虑气象水文和经济社会发展的新情况,根据三峡水库等建成后的洪涝灾害特征和城区防洪防涝能力现状,及时优化城市洪涝灾害防御体系。