Mpox disease is caused by a double-stranded DNA virus, genus Orthopoxvirus of the family Poxviridae. The incubation period is usually 6 to 13 days but can range from 5 to 21 days while symptoms and signs may persist f...Mpox disease is caused by a double-stranded DNA virus, genus Orthopoxvirus of the family Poxviridae. The incubation period is usually 6 to 13 days but can range from 5 to 21 days while symptoms and signs may persist for 2 to 5 weeks. Although, the clinical features are usually less severe when compared to the deadly smallpox, the disease can be fatal with case fatality rate between 1% and 10%. In Imo State, Nigeria, there has been a changing epidemiology of the disease in the last 6 years and the frequency and geographic distribution of cases have progressively increased. This study aims to conduct a review of the disease epidemiology between 2017 and 2023 and implications for surveillance in Imo State. Surveillance data from the Surveillance Outbreak Response and Management System (SORMAS) was extracted between January 2017 and December 2023 across the 27 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Imo State. A line list of 231 suspected cases was downloaded into an excel template and analyzed using SPSS<sup>®</sup> version 20 software. Analysis was done using descriptive statistics and associations were tested using Fischer’s exact at 0.05 level of significance. Of the 231 suspected cases, 57.1% (132) were males, 42.9% (99) were females and the modal age group was between the ages of 0 - 4 (32.5%). Eight (8) LGAs (districts) accounted for 71% (n = 164) of all the suspected cases. 21.2% (49) were confirmed positive, 27 males (55.1%) and 22 females (44.9%) (p > 0.05). Modal age group was 20 - 24 (22.4%, n = 11), 18% (9) were children under 14 years, p > 0.05. Case fatality rate was 8% (n = 4). There was no significant association between mortality and age group. Five (5) LGAs accounted for about 60% (29) of all confirmed cases. These LGAs contribute only 20% to the total population in the State. Only 5.6% and 4% of suspected and confirmed cases, respectively, had knowledge of contact with an infectious source. The study described the epidemiology of Mpox outbreaks between 2017 and 2023 and the findings have significant implications on detection and outbreak response activities.展开更多
BACKGROUND Glenohumeral dislocation is a common injury that may predispose patients to chronic pain and instability.However,there is a paucity of current data available regarding the epidemiological trends of this inj...BACKGROUND Glenohumeral dislocation is a common injury that may predispose patients to chronic pain and instability.However,there is a paucity of current data available regarding the epidemiological trends of this injury.AIM To provide an updated,comparative assessment of the epidemiology of shoulder dislocations presenting to emergency departments in the United States.We also sought to analyze patient demographic risk factors and consumer products associated with dislocation events.METHODS Data were obtained from the national electronic injury surveillance system database for glenohumeral dislocations between 2012 and 2021.Incidence,age,sex,and injury characteristics were analyzed using weighted population statistics as well as incidence rates and 95%confidence intervals(CI).RESULTS In total,an estimated 773039 shoulder dislocations(CI:640598-905481)presented to emergency rooms across the United States during the study period.The annual incidence rate was 23.96 per 100000 persons and the average patient age at the time of injury was 37.1 years.Significantly more male patients sustained dislocations than female patients(537189,69.5%,vs 235834,30.5%,P<0.001).With regard to associated consumer products,sports and recreation equipment were involved in the highest proportion of incidents(44.31%),followed by home structures and construction materials(21.22%),and home furnishings,fixtures,and accessories(21.21%).Regarding product sub-groups,stairs,ramps,landings,floors was cited in the greatest number of cases(131745).CONCLUSION The national annual incidence rate of glenohumeral dislocations throughout the study period was approximately 23.92 per 100000 persons.Male adolescents sustained the highest proportion of dislocations,with a peak incidence in age group 15-20 years,predominantly secondary to participation in sporting and recreational activities.Conversely,women experienced a relatively consistent incidence of dislocation throughout their lifespan.After age 63,the incidence rate of dislocations in females was found to surpass that observed in males.展开更多
Drug overdose is the leading cause of death by injury in the United States.The incidence of substance use disorder(SUD)in the United States has increased steadily over the past two decades,becoming a major public heal...Drug overdose is the leading cause of death by injury in the United States.The incidence of substance use disorder(SUD)in the United States has increased steadily over the past two decades,becoming a major public health problem for the country.The drivers of the SUD epidemic in the United States have changed over time,characterized by an initial heroin outbreak between 1970 and 1999,followed by a painkiller outbreak,and finally by an ongoing synthetic opioid outbreak.The nature and sources of these abused substances reveal striking differences in the socioeconomic and behavioral factors that shape the drug epidemic.Moreover,the geospatial distribution of the SUD epidemic is not homogeneous.The United States has specific locations where vulnerable communities at high risk of SUD are concentrated,reaffirming the multifactorial socioeconomic nature of this epidemic.A better understanding of the SUD epidemic under a spatial epidemiology framework is necessary to determine the factors that have shaped its spread and how these patterns can be used to predict new outbreaks and create effective mitigation policies.This narrative minireview summarizes the current records of the spatial distribution of the SUD epidemic in the United States across different periods,revealing some spatiotemporal patterns that have preceded the occurrence of outbreaks.By analyzing the epidemic of SUD-related deaths,we also describe the epidemic behavior in areas with high incidence of cases.Finally,we describe public health interventions that can be effective for demographic groups,and we discuss future challenges in the study and control of the SUD epidemic in the country.展开更多
Assessment of past-climate simulations of regional climate models(RCMs)is important for understanding the reliability of RCMs when used to project future regional climate.Here,we assess the performance and discuss pos...Assessment of past-climate simulations of regional climate models(RCMs)is important for understanding the reliability of RCMs when used to project future regional climate.Here,we assess the performance and discuss possible causes of biases in a WRF-based RCM with a grid spacing of 50 km,named WRFG,from the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program(NARCCAP)in simulating wet season precipitation over the Central United States for a period when observational data are available.The RCM reproduces key features of the precipitation distribution characteristics during late spring to early summer,although it tends to underestimate the magnitude of precipitation.This dry bias is partially due to the model’s lack of skill in simulating nocturnal precipitation related to the lack of eastward propagating convective systems in the simulation.Inaccuracy in reproducing large-scale circulation and environmental conditions is another contributing factor.The too weak simulated pressure gradient between the Rocky Mountains and the Gulf of Mexico results in weaker southerly winds in between,leading to a reduction of warm moist air transport from the Gulf to the Central Great Plains.The simulated low-level horizontal convergence fields are less favorable for upward motion than in the NARR and hence,for the development of moist convection as well.Therefore,a careful examination of an RCM’s deficiencies and the identification of the source of errors are important when using the RCM to project precipitation changes in future climate scenarios.展开更多
We present a qubit-loss-free(QLF)fusion scheme for generating large-scale atom W states in cavity quantum electrodynamics(QED)system.Compared to the most current fusion schemes which are conditioned on the case where ...We present a qubit-loss-free(QLF)fusion scheme for generating large-scale atom W states in cavity quantum electrodynamics(QED)system.Compared to the most current fusion schemes which are conditioned on the case where one particle can be extracted from each initial W state to the fusion process,our scheme will access one or two particles from each W state.Based on the atom–cavity-field detuned interaction,three jWin+m+t states can be generated from the jWin,jWim,and jWit states with the help of two auxiliary atoms,and three jWin+m+t+q states can be generated from jWin,jWim,jWit,and a jWiq state with the help of three auxiliary atoms.Comparing the numerical simulations of the resource cost of fusing three small-size W states based on the previous schemes,our fusion scheme seems to be more efficient.This QLF fusion scheme can be generalized to the case of fusing k different or identical particle W states.Furthermore,with no qubit loss,it greatly reduces the number of fusion steps and prepares W states with larger particle numbers.展开更多
Using the operator correspondence of the real and fictious modes in the thermo entangled state representation, wesolve the quantum master equation describing the diffusion channel and obtain the Kraus operator-sum rep...Using the operator correspondence of the real and fictious modes in the thermo entangled state representation, wesolve the quantum master equation describing the diffusion channel and obtain the Kraus operator-sum representation ofits analytical solution. we find that the pure coherent states evolve into the new mixed thermal superposed states in thediffusion channel. Also, we investigate the statistical properties of the initial coherent states and their entropy evolutions inthe diffusion channel, and find that the entropy evolutions are only related to the decay time and without the amplitudes ofthe initial coherent states.展开更多
Background: Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) remains an important public health problem in China. Many studies on the epidemiological characteristics of HFMD have been reported, but studies in North Sichuan region ...Background: Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) remains an important public health problem in China. Many studies on the epidemiological characteristics of HFMD have been reported, but studies in North Sichuan region have been neglected. Methods: HFMD-related enterovirus infected cases were clinically confirmed and underwent real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) from May 2018 to October 2023 in Guangyuan Central Hospital. Results: During 2018-2023, other EV (437 cases, 81.08%) was the most predominant serotype followed by CV-A16 (94 cases, 17.44%), EV-A71 (8 cases, 1.48%) was the least predominant serotype. Peak infections occurred in July and October. There were no significant differences in gender, age and serotypes. HFMD was concentrated in children under 47 months of age, with the highest incidence in children aged 12 - 23 months and the highest proportion of other EV infections in the whole age group. COVID-19 did not cause significant changes in gender, age and serotype. Overall, there was a significant increase in the proportion of children aged 12 - 23 months infected with CV-A16, and an increase in the proportion of children aged over 36 months infected with other EVs. Conclusions: The incidence of HFMD caused by EV-A71 has decreased significantly, and other EVs have become the main pathogens of HFMD in North Sichuan region in recent years. In the prevention and control of CV-A16, more attention should be paid to children aged 12 - 23 months and the dominant serotype should be closely monitored. Our study highlights the importance of developing of new diagnostic reagents and vaccines for the prevention and control of enterovirus infection. This study for the first time provides insights into district interventions to local conditions.展开更多
Physical activity(PA)epidemiology first emerged as a new field of study around the 1950s with publication of seminal investigations on London civil servants1 and has continued to evolve as a scientific discipline to p...Physical activity(PA)epidemiology first emerged as a new field of study around the 1950s with publication of seminal investigations on London civil servants1 and has continued to evolve as a scientific discipline to present time.This subdiscipline of epidemiology studies the frequencies,distributions,and dynamics of PA and its impact on human health,morbidity,and mortality.Research over the past 75 years has demonstrated numerous health benefits of PA.Based on these research findings,the World Health Organization recommends adults aged 18-64 years engage in at least 150-300 min of moderate-intensity aerobic PA per week,or at least 75-150 min of vigorous-intensity aerobic PA per week,or a combination of both intensities.展开更多
The Annual Report on Cardiovascular Health and Diseases in China(2022)intricate landscape of cardiovascular health in China.In connection with the previous section,this fifth section of the report continues the dissec...The Annual Report on Cardiovascular Health and Diseases in China(2022)intricate landscape of cardiovascular health in China.In connection with the previous section,this fifth section of the report continues the dissection on the manage-ment of cardiovascular diseases(CVD).Cerebrovascular disease is the leading cause of death and loss of healthy life among Chinese residents.Based on the results of GBD 2019,from 1990 to 2019,the years of life lost due to premature death caused by stroke showed a decreasing trend,while the years lived with disability still increased continuously.At present,national mortal-ity surveillance system can provide national and provincial representative annual death data on cerebrovascular disease,but the national representative data on some other important epidemiological indicators(such as incidence,prevalence,disability rate,and case fatality rate)are scarce in China.With the construction of large cohort population and extension of follow-up time,re-search on stroke-related risk factors is increasing,providing a basis for the prevention and control of risk factors.Due to limited large-scale population-based intervention studies,there is a lack of epidemiological evidence to transform into feasible interven-tion strategies and measures.In recent years,great progress in endovascular treatment for basilar-artery occlusion has been achieved in China,but there is still much room for improvement of guideline-based anticoagulant treatment and lipid-lowering treatment,as well as standardized diagnosis and treatment among patients with ischemic stroke.展开更多
The Annual Report on Cardiovascular Health and Diseases in China(2022) intricate landscape of cardiovascular health in China. This is the fourth section of the report with a specific focus on epidemiology and current ...The Annual Report on Cardiovascular Health and Diseases in China(2022) intricate landscape of cardiovascular health in China. This is the fourth section of the report with a specific focus on epidemiology and current management of cardiovascular disease(CVD) in China. This section of the report highlights the epidemiological trends of CVD in China. It reveal a concerning rise in prevalence, with approximately 330 million affected individuals, including significant numbers with stroke, coronary artery disease(CAD), heart failure, and other conditions. CVD stands as the primary cause of mortality among both urban and rural populations, accounting for nearly half of all deaths in 2020. Mortality rates are notably higher in rural areas compared to urban centers since 2009. While age-standardized mortality rates have decreased, the absolute number of CVD deaths has increased, primarily due to population aging. Ischemic heart disease, hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes are the leading causes of CVD-related deaths. Notably, the burden of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease has risen substantially, with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease-related deaths increasing from 1990 to 2016. The incidence of ischemic stroke and ischemic heart disease has shown similar increasing trends over the past three decades. CAD mortality, particularly acute myocardial infarction, has been on the rise, with higher mortality rates observed in rural areas since 2016. The prevalence of CAD has increased significantly, with over 11 million patients identified in 2013. Studies assessing hospital performance in managing acute coronary syndrome reveal gaps in adherence to guideline-recommended strategies, with disparities in care quality across hospitals. However, initiatives like the China Patient-centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events(PEACE)-Retrospective AMI Study and the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-Acute Coronary Syndrome(CCC-ACS) project aim to improve patient outcomes through enhanced care protocols. Moreover, advancements in medical technology, such as quantitative flow ratio-guided lesion selection during percutaneous coronary intervention, show promise in improving clinical outcomes for patients undergoing intervention.展开更多
The Annual Report on Cardiovascular Health and Diseases in China(2022)intricate landscape of cardiovascularhealth in China.In connection with the previous section,this sixth section of the report offers a comprehensiv...The Annual Report on Cardiovascular Health and Diseases in China(2022)intricate landscape of cardiovascularhealth in China.In connection with the previous section,this sixth section of the report offers a comprehensive analysis of heart failure(HF)in China.HF is one of the most important cardiovascular disease in the 21st century.Its mortality is equivalent to that of cancer.It is an important public health problem that seriously affects the health of Chinese residents.In recent years,with the deepeningof understanding,the change of treatment principles,the innovation of treatment methods and the update of treatment guidelines,the in-hospital mortality of HF patients has declined,and the long-term prognosis is also improving.However,there are stilldifferences in the management level of HF among different hospitals in China.How to improve the standardized diagnosis andtreatment level of HF in China remains an important challenge.展开更多
Neural networks are becoming ubiquitous in various areas of physics as a successful machine learning(ML)technique for addressing different tasks.Based on ML technique,we propose and experimentally demonstrate an effic...Neural networks are becoming ubiquitous in various areas of physics as a successful machine learning(ML)technique for addressing different tasks.Based on ML technique,we propose and experimentally demonstrate an efficient method for state reconstruction of the widely used Sagnac polarization-entangled photon source.By properly modeling the target states,a multi-output fully connected neural network is well trained using only six of the sixteen measurement bases in standard tomography technique,and hence our method reduces the resource consumption without loss of accuracy.We demonstrate the ability of the neural network to predict state parameters with a high precision by using both simulated and experimental data.Explicitly,the mean absolute error for all the parameters is below 0.05 for the simulated data and a mean fidelity of 0.99 is achieved for experimentally generated states.Our method could be generalized to estimate other kinds of states,as well as other quantum information tasks.展开更多
Studies reporting the Indian prevalence of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutation are mostly single centers with small sample sizes. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarized the available evidence...Studies reporting the Indian prevalence of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutation are mostly single centers with small sample sizes. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarized the available evidence of EGFR mutation epidemiology in Indian patients with adenocarcinoma (ADC) Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). We conducted a structured literature search in PubMed, and EMBASE databases from January 2004 through October 2019. The primary outcome of interest was prevalence of EGFR mutation by gender, smoking status, and mutation subtype. The review included 34 studies. EGFR mutation prevalence was 39.5% in patients with ADC, and significantly higher in females, non-smokers, and patients with exon 19 deletions. The EGFR mutation frequency in Indian patients with ADC was higher than reported in Caucasians but at a lower range of that reported in East Asians. These findings support the use of EGFR mutation testing to guide choice of treatment.展开更多
Medical diagnostic tests to detect Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) for individuals in the United States were initially limited to people who were traveling or symptomatic to track disease ...Medical diagnostic tests to detect Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) for individuals in the United States were initially limited to people who were traveling or symptomatic to track disease incidence due to the cost of providing testing for all people in a community on a routine basis. As an alternative to randomly sampling large groups of people to track disease incidence at significant cost, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a well-established and cost-effective technique to passively measure the prevalence of disease in communities without requiring invasive testing. WBE can also be used as a forecasting tool since the virus is shed in individuals prior to developing symptoms that might otherwise prompt testing. This study applied the WBE approach to understand its effectiveness as a possible forecasting tool by monitoring the SARS-CoV-2 levels in raw wastewater sampled from sewer lift stations at a large public university campus setting including dormitories, academic buildings, and athletic facilities. The WBE analysis was conducted by sampling from building-specific lift stations and enumerating target viral copies using RT-qPCR analysis. The WBE results were compared with the 7-day rolling averages of confirmed infected individuals for the following week after the wastewater sample analysis. In most cases, changes in the WBE outcomes were followed by similar trends in the clinical data. The positive predictive value of the applied WBE approach was 86% for the following week of the sample collection. In contrast, positive correlations between the two data with Spearmen correlation (rs) ranged from 0.16 to 0.36. A stronger correlation (rs = 0.18 to 0.51) was observed when WBE results were compared with COVID-19 cases identified on the next day of the sampling events. The P value of 0.007 for Dorm A suggests high significance, while moderate significance was observed for the other dormitories (B, C, and D). The outcomes of this investigation demonstrate that WBE can be a valuable tool to track the progression of diseases like COVID-19 seven days before diagnostic cases are confirmed, allowing authorities to take necessary measures in advance and also enable authorities to decide to reopen a facility after a quarantine.展开更多
We present a stable valley photonic crystal(VPC)unit cell with C_(3v)symmetric quasi-ring-shaped dielectric columns and realize its topological phase transition by breaking mirror symmetry.Based on this unit cell stru...We present a stable valley photonic crystal(VPC)unit cell with C_(3v)symmetric quasi-ring-shaped dielectric columns and realize its topological phase transition by breaking mirror symmetry.Based on this unit cell structure,topological edge states(TESs)and topological corner states(TCSs)are realized.We obtain a new type of wave transmission mode based on photonic crystal zipper-like boundaries and apply it to a beam splitter assembled from rectangular photonic crystals(PCs).The constructed beam splitter structure is compact and possesses frequency separation functions.In addition,we construct a box-shaped triangular PC structures with zipper-like boundaries and discover phenomena of TCSs in the corners,comparing its corner states with those formed by other boundaries.Based on this,we explore the regularities of the electric field patterns of TESs and TCSs,explain the connection between the characteristic frequencies and locality of TCSs,which helps better control photons and ensures low power consumption of the system.展开更多
In this narrative review, we highlight the disparities in the incidence and mortality of gastric cancer across various racial and ethnic populations in the United States (US). Despite the low and decreasing trend in t...In this narrative review, we highlight the disparities in the incidence and mortality of gastric cancer across various racial and ethnic populations in the United States (US). Despite the low and decreasing trend in the incidence of gastric cancer in the US, the incidence remains significantly high among Asian and Hispanic Americans, showing a striking racial and ethnic disparity. The low survival rate of gastric cancer further accentuates the magnitude of this disparity. In addition, there is a marked funding disparity among different cancers in the US, reflecting the significantly lower level of support for cancers, such as gastric cancer, which are more prevalent in minority populations, compared to the cancers more prevalent among non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). Moreover, the economic burden from health disparities remains high. Although studies from the US and Asia suggest that screening for stomach cancer may be cost-effective, there is no currently available guideline for scree-ning high-risk populations in the US. A multidimensional framework involving the community, physicians, and policymakers is proposed to tackle these gastric cancer disparities and to develop population-based screening and surveillance programs to reduce the burden of gastric cancer.展开更多
Objective:Bladder cancer(BC)is a significant public health concern in the Middle East and North Africa,but the epidemiology and clinicopathology of the disease and contributors to high mortality in this region remain ...Objective:Bladder cancer(BC)is a significant public health concern in the Middle East and North Africa,but the epidemiology and clinicopathology of the disease and contributors to high mortality in this region remain poorly understood.The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the epidemiological features of BC in the Arab world and compare them to those in Western countries in order to improve the management of this disease.Methods:An extensive electronic search of the PubMed/PMC and Cochrane Library databases was conducted to identify all articles published until May 2022,following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.A total of 95 articles were included in the final analysis after title,abstract,and full-text screening,with additional data obtained from the GLOBOCAN and WHO 2020 databases.展开更多
Bordetella bronchiseptica(Bb)is recognized as a leading cause of respiratory diseases in dogs and cats.However,epidemiological data on Bb in dogs and cats in China are still limited,and there is no commercially availa...Bordetella bronchiseptica(Bb)is recognized as a leading cause of respiratory diseases in dogs and cats.However,epidemiological data on Bb in dogs and cats in China are still limited,and there is no commercially available vaccine.Live vaccines containing Bb that are widely used abroad are generally efective but can establish latency and potentially reactivate to cause illness in some immunodefcient vaccinated recipients,raising safety concerns.In this study,34 canine-derived and two feline-derived Bb strains were isolated from 1809 canine and 113 feline nasopharyngeal swab samples collected from eight provinces in China from 2021 to 2023.The PCR results showed that the percentage of positive Bb was 22.94%(441/1922),and more than 90%of the Bb isolates had four virulence factor-encoding genes(VFGs),namely,fhaB,prn,betA and dnt.All the isolated strains displayed a multidrug-resistant phenotype.The virulence of 10 Bb strains isolated from dogs with respiratory symptoms was tested in mice,and we found that eight isolates were highly virulent.Furthermore,the eight Bb isolates with high virulence were inactivated and intramuscularly injected into mice,and three Bb strains(WH1218,WH1203 and WH1224)with the best protective efcacy were selected.Dogs immunized with these three strains exhibited strong protection against challenge with the Bb feld strain WH1218.Ultimately,the WH1218 strain with the greatest protection in dogs was selected as the vaccine candidate.Dogs and cats that received a vaccine containing 109 CFU of the inactivated WH1218 strain showed complete protection against challenge with the Bb feld strain WH1218.This study revealed that Bb is an important pathogen that causes respiratory diseases in domestic dogs and cats in China,and all the isolates exhibited multidrug resistance.The present work contributes to the current understanding of the prevalence,antimicrobial resistance,and virulence genes of Bb in domestic dogs and cats.Additionally,our results suggest that the WH1218 strain is a promising candidate safe and efcacious inactivated Bb vaccine.展开更多
The study comparatively analysed the socioeconomic characteristics and digital literacy level of Agricultural Extension personnel (AEP) in Ebonyi and Imo States, South-East, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to de...The study comparatively analysed the socioeconomic characteristics and digital literacy level of Agricultural Extension personnel (AEP) in Ebonyi and Imo States, South-East, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to describe the socioeconomic characteristics of agricultural extension personnel in Ebonyi and Imo States, and to ascertain the digital literacy level of AEP in the studied states. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 312 Agricultural Extension personnel (132 from Ebonyi State Agricultural Development Program and 180 from Imo State Agricultural Development Program) for the study. Data were collected through the use of validated and structured questionnaire, and administered through the help of well-trained enumerators. Data were analysed using simple descriptive statistical tools such as percentages mean score, standard deviation and weighted mean. Findings indicated that they were more male in the both States (55.3% and 57.8%) for Ebonyi and Imo State respectively and that the average age of AEP in Ebonyi and Imo States were 44.7 years and 49.2 years respectively. It was further revealed that the majority (77.3% and 82.8%) had B.Sc./HND as their highest academic qualifications, belonged to professional organisations (62.1% and 75%), and were earning an average monthly income of N58,798 and N62,648 for Ebonyi and Imo State respectively. Also, it was revealed that their mean years of service were 12.4 years and 13.4 years for Ebonyi and Imo State respectively. Almost all of them (87.9% and 95.0%) own a smartphone, had access to the internet (80.3% and 90.0%), but do not own a laptop/ipad (82.6% and 72.8%) for Ebon-yi and Imo State respectively. Results further revealed that Agricultural extension personnel in both Ebonyi and Imo State respectively had low digital literacy level ( = 2.41 and 2.32). The study concluded that AEP in Ebonyi and Imo State respectively had similar socioeconomic characteristics and low level of digital literacy. The study recommended that the management of ADPs in both Ebonyi and Imo State should ensure the training of AEP in digital skills to enhance their digital literacy level to enable them use digital technologies in their work.展开更多
Background: Although maternal mortality is declining in most countries, it remains a significant public health problem worldwide, with high rates, particularly in developing and insecure countries like ours. Objective...Background: Although maternal mortality is declining in most countries, it remains a significant public health problem worldwide, with high rates, particularly in developing and insecure countries like ours. Objective: To study the epidemiological factors and factors associated with the occurrence of maternal death in the Gynecology-Obstetrics Department of University Hospital of Tengandogo. Method: It was a retrospective case-control study with a descriptive and analytical purpose over a period of 6 years from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2022. Cases were women with maternal deaths during the study period. Data processing and analysis were performed using Stata version 13 software. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with Stata version 13 software, and logistic regression modeling was used to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR), their 95% confidence intervals (CI), and the threshold for statistical significance was set at a p value < 0.05. Results: A total of 372 patients were included in the study, including 146 cases of maternal death. The in-hospital maternal mortality rate was 1933 deaths per 100,000 live births. The average age was 28.5 years. 58.9% of patients lived in rural areas. Married patients accounted for 88.7% of cases. The average parity was 3. Direct obstetrical causes were the main causes of death, accounting for 72.6%. They were dominated by post-partum hemorrhage (24.2%), puerperal infection (18.6%), pre-eclampsia/eclampsia (16.1%) and retroplacental hematoma (8.9%). Chronic anemia (12.9%) was the main indirect obstetric cause. Risk factors associated with maternal death were primiparity (OR for paucigravida and multigravida at 0.05;P = 0.001);ambulance transport (OR for patients referred and brought in by personal vehicle = 0.3, p < 0.001) and vaginal delivery (OR for cesarean deliveries = 0.4, p < 0.001). Conclusion: To reduce maternal mortality in Burkina Faso, strategies such as educating women about danger signs during pregnancy and promoting women’s education can be adopted.展开更多
文摘Mpox disease is caused by a double-stranded DNA virus, genus Orthopoxvirus of the family Poxviridae. The incubation period is usually 6 to 13 days but can range from 5 to 21 days while symptoms and signs may persist for 2 to 5 weeks. Although, the clinical features are usually less severe when compared to the deadly smallpox, the disease can be fatal with case fatality rate between 1% and 10%. In Imo State, Nigeria, there has been a changing epidemiology of the disease in the last 6 years and the frequency and geographic distribution of cases have progressively increased. This study aims to conduct a review of the disease epidemiology between 2017 and 2023 and implications for surveillance in Imo State. Surveillance data from the Surveillance Outbreak Response and Management System (SORMAS) was extracted between January 2017 and December 2023 across the 27 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Imo State. A line list of 231 suspected cases was downloaded into an excel template and analyzed using SPSS<sup>®</sup> version 20 software. Analysis was done using descriptive statistics and associations were tested using Fischer’s exact at 0.05 level of significance. Of the 231 suspected cases, 57.1% (132) were males, 42.9% (99) were females and the modal age group was between the ages of 0 - 4 (32.5%). Eight (8) LGAs (districts) accounted for 71% (n = 164) of all the suspected cases. 21.2% (49) were confirmed positive, 27 males (55.1%) and 22 females (44.9%) (p > 0.05). Modal age group was 20 - 24 (22.4%, n = 11), 18% (9) were children under 14 years, p > 0.05. Case fatality rate was 8% (n = 4). There was no significant association between mortality and age group. Five (5) LGAs accounted for about 60% (29) of all confirmed cases. These LGAs contribute only 20% to the total population in the State. Only 5.6% and 4% of suspected and confirmed cases, respectively, had knowledge of contact with an infectious source. The study described the epidemiology of Mpox outbreaks between 2017 and 2023 and the findings have significant implications on detection and outbreak response activities.
文摘BACKGROUND Glenohumeral dislocation is a common injury that may predispose patients to chronic pain and instability.However,there is a paucity of current data available regarding the epidemiological trends of this injury.AIM To provide an updated,comparative assessment of the epidemiology of shoulder dislocations presenting to emergency departments in the United States.We also sought to analyze patient demographic risk factors and consumer products associated with dislocation events.METHODS Data were obtained from the national electronic injury surveillance system database for glenohumeral dislocations between 2012 and 2021.Incidence,age,sex,and injury characteristics were analyzed using weighted population statistics as well as incidence rates and 95%confidence intervals(CI).RESULTS In total,an estimated 773039 shoulder dislocations(CI:640598-905481)presented to emergency rooms across the United States during the study period.The annual incidence rate was 23.96 per 100000 persons and the average patient age at the time of injury was 37.1 years.Significantly more male patients sustained dislocations than female patients(537189,69.5%,vs 235834,30.5%,P<0.001).With regard to associated consumer products,sports and recreation equipment were involved in the highest proportion of incidents(44.31%),followed by home structures and construction materials(21.22%),and home furnishings,fixtures,and accessories(21.21%).Regarding product sub-groups,stairs,ramps,landings,floors was cited in the greatest number of cases(131745).CONCLUSION The national annual incidence rate of glenohumeral dislocations throughout the study period was approximately 23.92 per 100000 persons.Male adolescents sustained the highest proportion of dislocations,with a peak incidence in age group 15-20 years,predominantly secondary to participation in sporting and recreational activities.Conversely,women experienced a relatively consistent incidence of dislocation throughout their lifespan.After age 63,the incidence rate of dislocations in females was found to surpass that observed in males.
文摘Drug overdose is the leading cause of death by injury in the United States.The incidence of substance use disorder(SUD)in the United States has increased steadily over the past two decades,becoming a major public health problem for the country.The drivers of the SUD epidemic in the United States have changed over time,characterized by an initial heroin outbreak between 1970 and 1999,followed by a painkiller outbreak,and finally by an ongoing synthetic opioid outbreak.The nature and sources of these abused substances reveal striking differences in the socioeconomic and behavioral factors that shape the drug epidemic.Moreover,the geospatial distribution of the SUD epidemic is not homogeneous.The United States has specific locations where vulnerable communities at high risk of SUD are concentrated,reaffirming the multifactorial socioeconomic nature of this epidemic.A better understanding of the SUD epidemic under a spatial epidemiology framework is necessary to determine the factors that have shaped its spread and how these patterns can be used to predict new outbreaks and create effective mitigation policies.This narrative minireview summarizes the current records of the spatial distribution of the SUD epidemic in the United States across different periods,revealing some spatiotemporal patterns that have preceded the occurrence of outbreaks.By analyzing the epidemic of SUD-related deaths,we also describe the epidemic behavior in areas with high incidence of cases.Finally,we describe public health interventions that can be effective for demographic groups,and we discuss future challenges in the study and control of the SUD epidemic in the country.
文摘Assessment of past-climate simulations of regional climate models(RCMs)is important for understanding the reliability of RCMs when used to project future regional climate.Here,we assess the performance and discuss possible causes of biases in a WRF-based RCM with a grid spacing of 50 km,named WRFG,from the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program(NARCCAP)in simulating wet season precipitation over the Central United States for a period when observational data are available.The RCM reproduces key features of the precipitation distribution characteristics during late spring to early summer,although it tends to underestimate the magnitude of precipitation.This dry bias is partially due to the model’s lack of skill in simulating nocturnal precipitation related to the lack of eastward propagating convective systems in the simulation.Inaccuracy in reproducing large-scale circulation and environmental conditions is another contributing factor.The too weak simulated pressure gradient between the Rocky Mountains and the Gulf of Mexico results in weaker southerly winds in between,leading to a reduction of warm moist air transport from the Gulf to the Central Great Plains.The simulated low-level horizontal convergence fields are less favorable for upward motion than in the NARR and hence,for the development of moist convection as well.Therefore,a careful examination of an RCM’s deficiencies and the identification of the source of errors are important when using the RCM to project precipitation changes in future climate scenarios.
基金the National Natural Science Foun-dation of China(Grant No.12204311)the Jiangxi Natural Science Foundation(Grant No.20224BAB211025).
文摘We present a qubit-loss-free(QLF)fusion scheme for generating large-scale atom W states in cavity quantum electrodynamics(QED)system.Compared to the most current fusion schemes which are conditioned on the case where one particle can be extracted from each initial W state to the fusion process,our scheme will access one or two particles from each W state.Based on the atom–cavity-field detuned interaction,three jWin+m+t states can be generated from the jWin,jWim,and jWit states with the help of two auxiliary atoms,and three jWin+m+t+q states can be generated from jWin,jWim,jWit,and a jWiq state with the help of three auxiliary atoms.Comparing the numerical simulations of the resource cost of fusing three small-size W states based on the previous schemes,our fusion scheme seems to be more efficient.This QLF fusion scheme can be generalized to the case of fusing k different or identical particle W states.Furthermore,with no qubit loss,it greatly reduces the number of fusion steps and prepares W states with larger particle numbers.
基金Collaborative Innovation Project of University,Anhui Province(Grant No.GXXT-2022-088).
文摘Using the operator correspondence of the real and fictious modes in the thermo entangled state representation, wesolve the quantum master equation describing the diffusion channel and obtain the Kraus operator-sum representation ofits analytical solution. we find that the pure coherent states evolve into the new mixed thermal superposed states in thediffusion channel. Also, we investigate the statistical properties of the initial coherent states and their entropy evolutions inthe diffusion channel, and find that the entropy evolutions are only related to the decay time and without the amplitudes ofthe initial coherent states.
文摘Background: Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) remains an important public health problem in China. Many studies on the epidemiological characteristics of HFMD have been reported, but studies in North Sichuan region have been neglected. Methods: HFMD-related enterovirus infected cases were clinically confirmed and underwent real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) from May 2018 to October 2023 in Guangyuan Central Hospital. Results: During 2018-2023, other EV (437 cases, 81.08%) was the most predominant serotype followed by CV-A16 (94 cases, 17.44%), EV-A71 (8 cases, 1.48%) was the least predominant serotype. Peak infections occurred in July and October. There were no significant differences in gender, age and serotypes. HFMD was concentrated in children under 47 months of age, with the highest incidence in children aged 12 - 23 months and the highest proportion of other EV infections in the whole age group. COVID-19 did not cause significant changes in gender, age and serotype. Overall, there was a significant increase in the proportion of children aged 12 - 23 months infected with CV-A16, and an increase in the proportion of children aged over 36 months infected with other EVs. Conclusions: The incidence of HFMD caused by EV-A71 has decreased significantly, and other EVs have become the main pathogens of HFMD in North Sichuan region in recent years. In the prevention and control of CV-A16, more attention should be paid to children aged 12 - 23 months and the dominant serotype should be closely monitored. Our study highlights the importance of developing of new diagnostic reagents and vaccines for the prevention and control of enterovirus infection. This study for the first time provides insights into district interventions to local conditions.
文摘Physical activity(PA)epidemiology first emerged as a new field of study around the 1950s with publication of seminal investigations on London civil servants1 and has continued to evolve as a scientific discipline to present time.This subdiscipline of epidemiology studies the frequencies,distributions,and dynamics of PA and its impact on human health,morbidity,and mortality.Research over the past 75 years has demonstrated numerous health benefits of PA.Based on these research findings,the World Health Organization recommends adults aged 18-64 years engage in at least 150-300 min of moderate-intensity aerobic PA per week,or at least 75-150 min of vigorous-intensity aerobic PA per week,or a combination of both intensities.
文摘The Annual Report on Cardiovascular Health and Diseases in China(2022)intricate landscape of cardiovascular health in China.In connection with the previous section,this fifth section of the report continues the dissection on the manage-ment of cardiovascular diseases(CVD).Cerebrovascular disease is the leading cause of death and loss of healthy life among Chinese residents.Based on the results of GBD 2019,from 1990 to 2019,the years of life lost due to premature death caused by stroke showed a decreasing trend,while the years lived with disability still increased continuously.At present,national mortal-ity surveillance system can provide national and provincial representative annual death data on cerebrovascular disease,but the national representative data on some other important epidemiological indicators(such as incidence,prevalence,disability rate,and case fatality rate)are scarce in China.With the construction of large cohort population and extension of follow-up time,re-search on stroke-related risk factors is increasing,providing a basis for the prevention and control of risk factors.Due to limited large-scale population-based intervention studies,there is a lack of epidemiological evidence to transform into feasible interven-tion strategies and measures.In recent years,great progress in endovascular treatment for basilar-artery occlusion has been achieved in China,but there is still much room for improvement of guideline-based anticoagulant treatment and lipid-lowering treatment,as well as standardized diagnosis and treatment among patients with ischemic stroke.
文摘The Annual Report on Cardiovascular Health and Diseases in China(2022) intricate landscape of cardiovascular health in China. This is the fourth section of the report with a specific focus on epidemiology and current management of cardiovascular disease(CVD) in China. This section of the report highlights the epidemiological trends of CVD in China. It reveal a concerning rise in prevalence, with approximately 330 million affected individuals, including significant numbers with stroke, coronary artery disease(CAD), heart failure, and other conditions. CVD stands as the primary cause of mortality among both urban and rural populations, accounting for nearly half of all deaths in 2020. Mortality rates are notably higher in rural areas compared to urban centers since 2009. While age-standardized mortality rates have decreased, the absolute number of CVD deaths has increased, primarily due to population aging. Ischemic heart disease, hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes are the leading causes of CVD-related deaths. Notably, the burden of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease has risen substantially, with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease-related deaths increasing from 1990 to 2016. The incidence of ischemic stroke and ischemic heart disease has shown similar increasing trends over the past three decades. CAD mortality, particularly acute myocardial infarction, has been on the rise, with higher mortality rates observed in rural areas since 2016. The prevalence of CAD has increased significantly, with over 11 million patients identified in 2013. Studies assessing hospital performance in managing acute coronary syndrome reveal gaps in adherence to guideline-recommended strategies, with disparities in care quality across hospitals. However, initiatives like the China Patient-centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events(PEACE)-Retrospective AMI Study and the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-Acute Coronary Syndrome(CCC-ACS) project aim to improve patient outcomes through enhanced care protocols. Moreover, advancements in medical technology, such as quantitative flow ratio-guided lesion selection during percutaneous coronary intervention, show promise in improving clinical outcomes for patients undergoing intervention.
文摘The Annual Report on Cardiovascular Health and Diseases in China(2022)intricate landscape of cardiovascularhealth in China.In connection with the previous section,this sixth section of the report offers a comprehensive analysis of heart failure(HF)in China.HF is one of the most important cardiovascular disease in the 21st century.Its mortality is equivalent to that of cancer.It is an important public health problem that seriously affects the health of Chinese residents.In recent years,with the deepeningof understanding,the change of treatment principles,the innovation of treatment methods and the update of treatment guidelines,the in-hospital mortality of HF patients has declined,and the long-term prognosis is also improving.However,there are stilldifferences in the management level of HF among different hospitals in China.How to improve the standardized diagnosis andtreatment level of HF in China remains an important challenge.
基金Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No.2019YFA0705000)Leading-edge technology Program of Jiangsu Natural Science Foundation (Grant No.BK20192001)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.11974178)。
文摘Neural networks are becoming ubiquitous in various areas of physics as a successful machine learning(ML)technique for addressing different tasks.Based on ML technique,we propose and experimentally demonstrate an efficient method for state reconstruction of the widely used Sagnac polarization-entangled photon source.By properly modeling the target states,a multi-output fully connected neural network is well trained using only six of the sixteen measurement bases in standard tomography technique,and hence our method reduces the resource consumption without loss of accuracy.We demonstrate the ability of the neural network to predict state parameters with a high precision by using both simulated and experimental data.Explicitly,the mean absolute error for all the parameters is below 0.05 for the simulated data and a mean fidelity of 0.99 is achieved for experimentally generated states.Our method could be generalized to estimate other kinds of states,as well as other quantum information tasks.
文摘Studies reporting the Indian prevalence of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutation are mostly single centers with small sample sizes. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarized the available evidence of EGFR mutation epidemiology in Indian patients with adenocarcinoma (ADC) Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). We conducted a structured literature search in PubMed, and EMBASE databases from January 2004 through October 2019. The primary outcome of interest was prevalence of EGFR mutation by gender, smoking status, and mutation subtype. The review included 34 studies. EGFR mutation prevalence was 39.5% in patients with ADC, and significantly higher in females, non-smokers, and patients with exon 19 deletions. The EGFR mutation frequency in Indian patients with ADC was higher than reported in Caucasians but at a lower range of that reported in East Asians. These findings support the use of EGFR mutation testing to guide choice of treatment.
文摘Medical diagnostic tests to detect Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) for individuals in the United States were initially limited to people who were traveling or symptomatic to track disease incidence due to the cost of providing testing for all people in a community on a routine basis. As an alternative to randomly sampling large groups of people to track disease incidence at significant cost, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a well-established and cost-effective technique to passively measure the prevalence of disease in communities without requiring invasive testing. WBE can also be used as a forecasting tool since the virus is shed in individuals prior to developing symptoms that might otherwise prompt testing. This study applied the WBE approach to understand its effectiveness as a possible forecasting tool by monitoring the SARS-CoV-2 levels in raw wastewater sampled from sewer lift stations at a large public university campus setting including dormitories, academic buildings, and athletic facilities. The WBE analysis was conducted by sampling from building-specific lift stations and enumerating target viral copies using RT-qPCR analysis. The WBE results were compared with the 7-day rolling averages of confirmed infected individuals for the following week after the wastewater sample analysis. In most cases, changes in the WBE outcomes were followed by similar trends in the clinical data. The positive predictive value of the applied WBE approach was 86% for the following week of the sample collection. In contrast, positive correlations between the two data with Spearmen correlation (rs) ranged from 0.16 to 0.36. A stronger correlation (rs = 0.18 to 0.51) was observed when WBE results were compared with COVID-19 cases identified on the next day of the sampling events. The P value of 0.007 for Dorm A suggests high significance, while moderate significance was observed for the other dormitories (B, C, and D). The outcomes of this investigation demonstrate that WBE can be a valuable tool to track the progression of diseases like COVID-19 seven days before diagnostic cases are confirmed, allowing authorities to take necessary measures in advance and also enable authorities to decide to reopen a facility after a quarantine.
基金Project supported by the Suzhou Basic Research Project (Grant No.SJC2023003)Suzhou City University National Project Pre-research Project (Grant No.2023SGY014)。
文摘We present a stable valley photonic crystal(VPC)unit cell with C_(3v)symmetric quasi-ring-shaped dielectric columns and realize its topological phase transition by breaking mirror symmetry.Based on this unit cell structure,topological edge states(TESs)and topological corner states(TCSs)are realized.We obtain a new type of wave transmission mode based on photonic crystal zipper-like boundaries and apply it to a beam splitter assembled from rectangular photonic crystals(PCs).The constructed beam splitter structure is compact and possesses frequency separation functions.In addition,we construct a box-shaped triangular PC structures with zipper-like boundaries and discover phenomena of TCSs in the corners,comparing its corner states with those formed by other boundaries.Based on this,we explore the regularities of the electric field patterns of TESs and TCSs,explain the connection between the characteristic frequencies and locality of TCSs,which helps better control photons and ensures low power consumption of the system.
文摘In this narrative review, we highlight the disparities in the incidence and mortality of gastric cancer across various racial and ethnic populations in the United States (US). Despite the low and decreasing trend in the incidence of gastric cancer in the US, the incidence remains significantly high among Asian and Hispanic Americans, showing a striking racial and ethnic disparity. The low survival rate of gastric cancer further accentuates the magnitude of this disparity. In addition, there is a marked funding disparity among different cancers in the US, reflecting the significantly lower level of support for cancers, such as gastric cancer, which are more prevalent in minority populations, compared to the cancers more prevalent among non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). Moreover, the economic burden from health disparities remains high. Although studies from the US and Asia suggest that screening for stomach cancer may be cost-effective, there is no currently available guideline for scree-ning high-risk populations in the US. A multidimensional framework involving the community, physicians, and policymakers is proposed to tackle these gastric cancer disparities and to develop population-based screening and surveillance programs to reduce the burden of gastric cancer.
文摘Objective:Bladder cancer(BC)is a significant public health concern in the Middle East and North Africa,but the epidemiology and clinicopathology of the disease and contributors to high mortality in this region remain poorly understood.The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the epidemiological features of BC in the Arab world and compare them to those in Western countries in order to improve the management of this disease.Methods:An extensive electronic search of the PubMed/PMC and Cochrane Library databases was conducted to identify all articles published until May 2022,following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.A total of 95 articles were included in the final analysis after title,abstract,and full-text screening,with additional data obtained from the GLOBOCAN and WHO 2020 databases.
基金the Guangdong Major Project of Basic and Applied Basic Research(2020B0301030007).
文摘Bordetella bronchiseptica(Bb)is recognized as a leading cause of respiratory diseases in dogs and cats.However,epidemiological data on Bb in dogs and cats in China are still limited,and there is no commercially available vaccine.Live vaccines containing Bb that are widely used abroad are generally efective but can establish latency and potentially reactivate to cause illness in some immunodefcient vaccinated recipients,raising safety concerns.In this study,34 canine-derived and two feline-derived Bb strains were isolated from 1809 canine and 113 feline nasopharyngeal swab samples collected from eight provinces in China from 2021 to 2023.The PCR results showed that the percentage of positive Bb was 22.94%(441/1922),and more than 90%of the Bb isolates had four virulence factor-encoding genes(VFGs),namely,fhaB,prn,betA and dnt.All the isolated strains displayed a multidrug-resistant phenotype.The virulence of 10 Bb strains isolated from dogs with respiratory symptoms was tested in mice,and we found that eight isolates were highly virulent.Furthermore,the eight Bb isolates with high virulence were inactivated and intramuscularly injected into mice,and three Bb strains(WH1218,WH1203 and WH1224)with the best protective efcacy were selected.Dogs immunized with these three strains exhibited strong protection against challenge with the Bb feld strain WH1218.Ultimately,the WH1218 strain with the greatest protection in dogs was selected as the vaccine candidate.Dogs and cats that received a vaccine containing 109 CFU of the inactivated WH1218 strain showed complete protection against challenge with the Bb feld strain WH1218.This study revealed that Bb is an important pathogen that causes respiratory diseases in domestic dogs and cats in China,and all the isolates exhibited multidrug resistance.The present work contributes to the current understanding of the prevalence,antimicrobial resistance,and virulence genes of Bb in domestic dogs and cats.Additionally,our results suggest that the WH1218 strain is a promising candidate safe and efcacious inactivated Bb vaccine.
文摘The study comparatively analysed the socioeconomic characteristics and digital literacy level of Agricultural Extension personnel (AEP) in Ebonyi and Imo States, South-East, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to describe the socioeconomic characteristics of agricultural extension personnel in Ebonyi and Imo States, and to ascertain the digital literacy level of AEP in the studied states. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 312 Agricultural Extension personnel (132 from Ebonyi State Agricultural Development Program and 180 from Imo State Agricultural Development Program) for the study. Data were collected through the use of validated and structured questionnaire, and administered through the help of well-trained enumerators. Data were analysed using simple descriptive statistical tools such as percentages mean score, standard deviation and weighted mean. Findings indicated that they were more male in the both States (55.3% and 57.8%) for Ebonyi and Imo State respectively and that the average age of AEP in Ebonyi and Imo States were 44.7 years and 49.2 years respectively. It was further revealed that the majority (77.3% and 82.8%) had B.Sc./HND as their highest academic qualifications, belonged to professional organisations (62.1% and 75%), and were earning an average monthly income of N58,798 and N62,648 for Ebonyi and Imo State respectively. Also, it was revealed that their mean years of service were 12.4 years and 13.4 years for Ebonyi and Imo State respectively. Almost all of them (87.9% and 95.0%) own a smartphone, had access to the internet (80.3% and 90.0%), but do not own a laptop/ipad (82.6% and 72.8%) for Ebon-yi and Imo State respectively. Results further revealed that Agricultural extension personnel in both Ebonyi and Imo State respectively had low digital literacy level ( = 2.41 and 2.32). The study concluded that AEP in Ebonyi and Imo State respectively had similar socioeconomic characteristics and low level of digital literacy. The study recommended that the management of ADPs in both Ebonyi and Imo State should ensure the training of AEP in digital skills to enhance their digital literacy level to enable them use digital technologies in their work.
文摘Background: Although maternal mortality is declining in most countries, it remains a significant public health problem worldwide, with high rates, particularly in developing and insecure countries like ours. Objective: To study the epidemiological factors and factors associated with the occurrence of maternal death in the Gynecology-Obstetrics Department of University Hospital of Tengandogo. Method: It was a retrospective case-control study with a descriptive and analytical purpose over a period of 6 years from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2022. Cases were women with maternal deaths during the study period. Data processing and analysis were performed using Stata version 13 software. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with Stata version 13 software, and logistic regression modeling was used to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR), their 95% confidence intervals (CI), and the threshold for statistical significance was set at a p value < 0.05. Results: A total of 372 patients were included in the study, including 146 cases of maternal death. The in-hospital maternal mortality rate was 1933 deaths per 100,000 live births. The average age was 28.5 years. 58.9% of patients lived in rural areas. Married patients accounted for 88.7% of cases. The average parity was 3. Direct obstetrical causes were the main causes of death, accounting for 72.6%. They were dominated by post-partum hemorrhage (24.2%), puerperal infection (18.6%), pre-eclampsia/eclampsia (16.1%) and retroplacental hematoma (8.9%). Chronic anemia (12.9%) was the main indirect obstetric cause. Risk factors associated with maternal death were primiparity (OR for paucigravida and multigravida at 0.05;P = 0.001);ambulance transport (OR for patients referred and brought in by personal vehicle = 0.3, p < 0.001) and vaginal delivery (OR for cesarean deliveries = 0.4, p < 0.001). Conclusion: To reduce maternal mortality in Burkina Faso, strategies such as educating women about danger signs during pregnancy and promoting women’s education can be adopted.