Evaluation of Malaria Transmission and Vector Control Strategies in the Dry Season in the Cotonou V Health Zone, Benin, West Africa

The anarchic urbanization of certain African cities favors the multiplication of the malaria parasite. Thus, the urgent mobilization of African cities is essential to combat this health risk. It is, therefore, with the objective of contributing to the investigation of problem areas that the present study evaluates malaria transmission and vector control strategies in the Cotonou V health zone in particular. This is a cross-sectional study taking into account four neighborhoods, including Wologuèdè, Sainte Rita, Gbèdjromèdé and the area around Etoile Rouge. Two nocturnal captures on voluntary humans and the method of spray were carried out in the dry season from December 2021 to February 2022. On the captured Anopheles, the ELISA Circum-Sporozoite Protein test was performed to determine the infectivity and calculate some transmission parameters. Finally, we conducted a survey using the second stage sampling method with one step to ask selected households about their knowledge of vector control methods, their use and the physical integrity of LLINs. We collected 2386 culicidae of which the majority was Culex quinquefasciatus. After the ELISA test, the 29 Anopheles tested, showed no infectivity, i.e. an EIR of 0 pi/h/n. In addition, 99% of the populations in the Cotonou V area use LLINs to protect themselves. However, coils, door and window screens, aerosol sprays, skin and household repellents, and periodic indoor spraying were used. Finally, the majority of nets observed had T1 tears, but there were also T2, T3 and T4 nets (P-value = 0.0). This study confirms that malaria transmission during the dry season in the Cotonou V health zone is almost negligible but not non-existent. Also, populations are exposed to the nuisance of Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes continuously throughout the year.

The Research on the Paths of Popular Science Education about Myopia Prevention and Control among College Students in the Context of Shifting the Focus Forward

Currently, the number of myopic people in China has reached as high as 600 million, and it shows a trend of “early onset, high incidence, and a high degree of severity”. The issue of myopia among children and adolescents has attracted widespread attention from all sectors of society. Comprehensive myopia prevention and control efforts have been launched nationwide. Popular science education, vision screening, and improving visual environments are effective measures for preventing myopia. However, among the target audience for comprehensive myopia prevention and control, the preschool children group has been neglected, and the work of myopia prevention and control for this group has been significantly weakened and marginalized. Due to insufficient awareness of prevention and control, the hyperopia reserve in the preschool children group is being continuously depleted, leading to the early onset of myopia. In light of this situation, the focus of myopia prevention and control needs to shift forward, and it is worth exploring and pondering how college students with a background in optometry can develop entertaining and engaging popular science education materials and methods.

Positive correlations between the health locus of control and self-management behaviors in hemodialysis patients in Xiamen

Objective:To investigate the association between the health locus of control and selfmanagement behaviors in patients receiving hemodialysis.Methods:Patients receiving hemodialysis in Xiamen,Fujian province,from December 2014 to March 2015 answered the Chinese version of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scale and the self-management behavior questionnaire.Results:The participants in this study indicated that they believed others exerted more control over their health than themselves or chance.In addition,the majority of participants had a medium to low level of self-management behaviors.Positive correlations were also observed between a participant's health locus of control and their level of selfmanagement behaviors.Internal health locus of control and external(others)health locus of control were significant predictors of self-management behaviors controlling for the effect of payment method.Conclusion:The results of this study provided evidence that there is a strong relationship between the health locus of control and self-management behaviors in hemodialysis patients.This study provides important information for medical professionals as they design strategies to educate hemodialysis patients on their health locus of control and selfmanagement behaviors.

Equity Study in Health Workforce on Tuberculosis Control in China: a Nationwide Evaluation

We aimed to describe the distribution of tuberculosis （TB） health workers in China and provide evidences of potential inequity for policy development. We used Lorenz curves and Gini index to characterize the distribution of TB health workers by population size, geographical area and number of annual registered TB cases. An additional stratified analysis was done by three economic regions. The Gini index were 0.33 for population size, 0.62 for geographical area and 0.30 for number of registered tuberculosis cases that indicated an acceptable average, significant inequity and a relative average distribution nationwide respectively.

The Current Status and Challenges Regarding Tuberculosis Infection Control in Health Care Facilities in China

Health care facilities are a high-risk environment for generating and spreading respiratory infectious diseases such as tuberculosis （TB）. The TB prevention and treatment staff in health care facilities are responsible for the identification, diagnosis, treatment, supervision, and management of TB patients .

Do you want to participate in a clinical study as a healthy control?-Risk or benefit?

A healthy woman volunteered to participate as "healthy control" in a study.An increased level of procalcitonin(PCT) was detected and remained elevated on follow-up measurements.As calcitonin levels were elevated as well,thyroid ultrasound was performed which revealed nodes in both thyroid lobes,one of them showing metabolic activity in positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan.To exclude a malignant thyroid cancer despite the negative findings in a fine needle aspiration the patient underwent thyroidectomy and a medullary thyroid carcinoma(MTC) was detected in the right lobe.MTC is a rare endocrine tumor with a poor prognosis once having spread,therefore early detection remains a priority for the outcome.Screening parameter is serum calcitonin,in absence of infection the pro-hormone PCT can be used as a screening parameter as well with high sensitivity.

Multiple mediation effects of health locusof control and hope on the relationshipbetween stroke patients’ social supportand self-management

Objective:This study aimed to identify the mediation effects of health locus of control(HLC)and hope between stroke patients’social support and self-management.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted.A total of 300 Chinese stroke patients were recruited by convenient sampling from the acupuncture department of two Chinese Traditional Medical Hospitals in Tianjin Province from June to September 2018.The self-report questionnaires include Social Support Assessment Scale,Herth Hope Index,Mental Health Locus of Control Scale,Stroke Self-management Behavior Scale,and personal information questionnaires.All the survey data were entered in Excel and analyzed using the SPSS 24.0 program.Mediation was tested with Bootstrapping in AMOS 23.0 program.Results:The result showed that internal health locus of control(IHLC),chance health locus of control(CHLC)and hope were the mediators between social support and self-management.The direct,indirect,and total effects of social support on self-management behavior were 0.306 (P<0.01),0.109(P<0.01),and 0.415(P<0.01),respectively.Conclusions:Social support can directly influence self-management,and it can also indirectly influence self-management through IHLC,CHLC,and hope.

Impact of Village-based Health Education of Tobacco Control on the Current Smoking Rate in Chinese Rural Areas

The number of smokers in Chinese rural areas is more than 200 million, which is twice that in cities. It is very significant to carry out tobacco control interventions in rural areas. We performed this community intervention study to evaluate the efficacy of village-based health education of tobacco control on the male current smoking rate in rural areas. The population of this study was the males above 15 years old from 6 villages in rural areas. The villages were randomly assigned to intervention group or control group（3 villages in each group）. Self-designed smoking questionnaire was applied. The intervention group received the village-based health education of tobacco control for one year. The primary outcome measurement was the male current smoking rate. In the baseline investigation, completed surveys were returned by 814 male residents from the control group and 831 male residents from the intervention group. The male current smoking rate in the control group and the intervention group was 61.2% and 58.5%, respectively, before intervention. There was no significant difference between these two groups（P〉0.05）. After one-year intervention, the current smoking rate in the intervention group（51.2%） was significantly lower than that in the control group（62.8%）（P〈0.001）. Our study suggested that the village-based health education of tobacco control was effective in lowering the male current smoking rate in rural areas, which could be a suitable and feasible way for tobacco control in the Chinese rural areas.

Correlates of Health Locus of Control among Patients Diagnosed with Type-II Diabetes Mellitus

Background: The comorbidity between chronic physical conditions and psychosocial health became common interest for health professional and researchers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among health locus of control, self efficacy, and demographic factors in patients with type-II diabetes mellitus. Method: Data were collected using cross-sectional, correaltional design from 793 patients with type-II diabetes in regards to health locus of control (HLOC) self-efficacy, and biomarkers. Results: The mean score for the internal subscale of HLOC was 27.2 (SD = 6.32), for the powerful others subscale of HLOC it was 30.9 (SD = 5.7), and for chance subscale of HLOC it was 18.6 (SD = 6.8). The mean total score of locus of control scale was 76.8 (SD = 13.1) ranging from 19 to 132. The mean score of HbA1C was 7.5 (SD = 2.6). Patients had moderate to high perception of powerful other health locus of control, and self efficacy. Results also showed that locus of control had positive and significant correlation with self efficacy (r = 0.18, p > 0.01) and negative relationship with HbA1C (r = -0.11, p > 0.01). On the other hand, age has no significant correlation with health locus of control. Conclusion: Health care professionals need to enhance patient’s self-efficacy and internal power of their patients for better health outcomes. Nurses and other health professionals need to emphasize the psychosocial health aspects of patients with chronic illnesses, and in particular, those diagnosed with type-II diabetes mellitus.

Japanese Version of the Parent Health Locus of Control Scales: Validity and Reliability

The Parent Health Locus of Control (PHLOC) Scales measure parents’ beliefs about the factors that affect their children’s health. The aim of our study was to develop a Japanese version of the Parent Health Locus of Control (JPHLOC) Scales and to verify its validity and reliability. The JPHLOC scales consist of six scales: Professional Influence, Parental Influence, Child Influence, Media Influence, Fate Influence, and God, Buddha, and the Spirits Influence. Our questionnaire was administered to 231 principal caregivers from Japan whose children were under 6 years of age. The items, related to the “God, Buddha, and the Spirits Influence” scale, showed a floor effect. The exploratory factor analysis indicated that JPHLOC’ six factors functioned similarly to the PHLOC’ factors. The Fate Influence and Child Influence factor structures in JPHLOC scales were different from the corresponding factor structures in the original PHLOC scales in the functioning of only one item. There were statistically significant correlations between JPHLOC scales and Japanese version of the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF), which add evidence to the criterion-related validity of JPHLOC scales. Furthermore, applying the known-groups method, our study showed that there was a significant difference across the JPHLOC scale scores, owning to differences in the children’s and caregivers’ demographics, which provides an evidence for construct validity. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the six scales were estimated between 0.73 and 0.93. In a test-retest study, the interclass correlation coefficients for the six scales were ranged between 0.80 and 0.90. The results suggested that the JPHLOC scales have sufficient reliability and validity. The JPHLOC scales are applicable to the caregivers of healthy children. We confirm that the PHLOC scales are also applicable to Japanese caregivers.

196例初治病原学阳性肺结核患者结核感染控制知识知晓情况调查

目的:调查初治病原学阳性肺结核患者结核感染控制知识掌握情况,为有效开展结核感染控制和健康教育工作提供依据。方法:对2019年1月至2023年1月于首都医科大学附属北京胸科医院、北京市昌平区结核病防治所、北京市大兴区结核病预防控制中心纳入的196例初治病原学阳性肺结核患者进行结核感染控制知识知晓情况问卷调查,调查内容包括患者的基本信息、结核感染控制知识问卷、临床信息等;发出问卷196份,有效问卷196份,有效率为100.0%。统计调查对象结核感染控制知识知晓情况,分析影响其结核病防治核心信息知晓情况的因素。结果:196例调查对象结核感染控制知识总知晓率为64.4%(2649/4116)。多因素logistic回归分析结果显示,相对于初中及以下学历,大专/本科及以上学历者结核感染控制知识知晓率达标的可能性更高(OR=6.659,95%CI:1.995~22.220);相对于有结核病接触史者,无结核病接触史者结核感染控制知识知晓率达标的可能性更低(OR=0.218,95%CI:0.054~0.886)。结论:初治病原学阳性肺结核患者结核感染控制知识知晓率尚有待提高,初中及以下文化程度和无结核病接触史的患者结核感染控制知识知晓率相对较低,需针对这部分人群开展结核病预防控制健康教育工作。

Evaluation of Infection Prevention and Control Programmes (IPC), and Assessment Tools for IPC-Programmes at MOH-Health Facilities in Saudi Arabia

Infection Prevention and Control is a Quality Standard and is crucial in all health care facilities. Many hospitals remain deficient in trained infection control professionals (ICPs), and now there is an acute awareness of the need to correct this shortfall. The objectives of the study were to describe the current status of ICP programs at ministry of health (MOH) and to evaluate the current status of infection prevention and control programs at health care facilities in kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A cross sectional interview and a self assessment study were conducted on infection prevention and control (IPC) program in Saudi Arabia. All the MOH hospital in all regions was randomly chosen to the study setting. The selection of facilities was done at random with a clear intention to include twenty regions. A random sample was taken from these hospitals with sample size 56 (55.4%), by Multi stage random sampling technique. Results showed that the total facility in all over the kingdom was 51.4% where central area covered the facility score 58.2%, followed by western area (54.8%), south (53.7%), east (46.3%), and lastly with (45.8%) north area. Survey revealed that the infrastructure for infection control program in Saudi Arabian hospitals remained underdeveloped. There were defects in the identified components of effective infection control programs.

Role of mitochondrial quality control in exercise-induced health adaptation

Long-term endurance training or physical activity has been confirmed not only to improve physical performance, but to bring about an obvious beneficial effect on human health; however, the mechanism of this effect is not clear. The most studied health adaptations in skeletal muscle response to endurance exercise are increased muscle glycogen level and insulin sensitivity, fiber type transformation toward oxidative myofibers, and increased mitochondrial content/function. Mitochondria are dynamic organelles in eukaryotic cells critical in physical performance and disease occurrence. The mitochondrial life cycle spans biogenesis, maintenance, and clearance. Exercise training may promote each of these processes and confer positive impacts on skeletal muscle contractile and metabolic functions. This review focused on the regulation of these processes by endurance exercise and discussed its potential benefits in health and disease. We presented evidence suggesting that exercise training potentiates not only the biogenesis of mitochondria but also the removal of old and unhealthy mitochondria through mitochondrial quality control.

Imperatives of Health Psychologist in the Control and Management of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa

The paper studied the imperatives of health psychologists in the control and management of HIV/ AIDS. HIV/AIDS is a relatively new disease, but has caused more deaths than any other disease in human history, and there is no known cure yet. Even though, HIV/AIDS is a death sentence, experts agreed that early detection, and early commencement of treatment may prolong the life of the patients, and that early detection may prevent or reduce the transmission of the virus. Early detection, commencement of treatment, and compliance with medical advice are the responsibilities of the health psychologist. This paper therefore, concludes that health psychologist is indispensable in effective control, and management of HIV/AIDS, and so recommends that awareness be created on the roles of health psychologists in this regard, through health education.

新时期我国结核病防治服务体系建设及展望

中国结核病防治服务体系是随着疫情水平的变化和经济社会的发展不断调整变化的。自2011年,中国逐步推行新型结核病防治服务体系。进入新时代,如何更好地健全和完善结核病防治服务体系,是结核病防治工作面临的重大问题。作者系统总结了中国结核病防治服务体系的演变沿革,阐述了结核病防治服务体系运行现状,分析了其中存在的问题和挑战,对结核病防治服务体系建设提出了工作意见和建议,并展示了未来发展前景。

The effects of an exercise program on health-related quality of life in postpartum mothers: A randomized controlled trial

Background and Objective: There is controversy on the psychological effects of postpartum exercise. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a postpartum exercise program on health-related quality of life and psychological well-being. Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial in Tokyo, Japan. The intervention groups participated in ball-exercise classes (weekly exercise of 90 minutes for four weeks) at three months postpartum. The exercise class included the following: 1) greeting and warm-up;2) aerobic exercise involving bouncing on an exercise ball 55 or 65 cm in diameter;3) rest and self-introduction;4) stretching and cooling down. The primary outcome measure was health-related Quality of Life (QOL) assessed using the MOS Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36v2). The secondary outcome measures were Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores. The intervention group was compared to the control group at four months postpartum. Results: Of the 120 women screened, 110 women met the study criteria. Nine could not be included and the remaining 101 were allocated randomly into intervention and control groups (50 and 51 participants respectively). Analysis of covariance adjusting for baseline values indicated that the SF36 subscales of physical functioning (p = 0.018) and vitality (p = 0.016) significantly improved in the intervention group compared to the control group, although there were no significant differences between the groups in the SF36 Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores. The RSES increased in the intervention group (p = 0.020) compared to the control group. No significant group differences were observed in EPDS scores. Conclusions: The postpartum exercise class program provided to healthy postpartum women appears to have contributed to promoting health-related QOL and self-esteem.

Health Facilities Readiness to Implement Standard Precautions for Infection Prevention and Control in Tanzania: Lesson Learnt from SARA Reports

Introduction: Standard Precautions are a set of measures applied in the care of all individuals/patients regardless of their infectious status aiming at preventing healthcare workers and patients from infections, preventing environmental contamination and spread of infections to the community. Many health facilities have not implemented them to an acceptable level. The purpose of the study is to report progress of improvement in health facilities readiness to implement standard precautions for infection prevention and control based on SARA reports. Methods: We generated mean scores of all standard precautions each year and calculated their standard deviations, variances and confidence intervals. One-way ANOVA was used to determine if the mean scores were equal. Finally, the trend of improvement in health facilities readiness to implement the standard precautions was generated. Results: A total of nine standard precautions were reported in SARA reports for 2012, 2017 and 2020. The mean scores of the standard precautions were 52.22% in 2012, 64.55% in 2017 and 69.66% in 2020. The overall trend showed an increase in health facilities readiness to implement standard precautions, although the mean scores were not statistically different (p-value 0.3217). Conclusion: SARA surveys conducted in Tanzania in 2012, 2017 and 2020 have shown an overall increase in health facilities readiness to implement standard precautions. Safe final waste disposal was being done in fewest facilities while single-use or auto-disable syringes were in most facilities that were sampled in all years. SARA surveys may be a useful way to evaluate Infection Prevention and Control adherence in health facilities.

液体火箭发动机健康监控技术研究进展

液体火箭发动机健康监控技术作为保障运载火箭安全、可靠发射的核心关键技术,经过几十年的发展,有力推动了航天事业的进步。介绍了液体火箭发动机健康监控技术中故障检测与诊断、容错控制与健康监控系统研制等技术的研究现状与发展趋势;梳理了健康监控领域面临的重难点问题,并提出相应的解决方案。分析展望了液体火箭发动机健康监控技术未来发展趋势,为从事火箭发动机健康监控技术研究的科研人员提供参考。

2018-2022年四川省病原学阳性肺结核患者密切接触者筛查情况分析

目的:分析2018-2022年四川省病原学阳性肺结核患者密切接触者的结核病筛查情况,为密切接触者的筛查和管理工作开展提供理论依据。方法:选取“结核病管理信息系统”中登记日期在2018年1月1日至2022年12月30日期间的病原学阳性肺结核患者及其密切接触者(与病原学阳性肺结核患者在确诊3个月至开始抗结核治疗后14 d内直接接触的人员)作为调查对象,其中,2018年1月1日至2022年12月30日登记的病原学阳性肺结核患者的密切接触者均为筛查对象;2022年登记的病原学阳性肺结核患者的密切接触者为随访对象。分析不同时间、不同类型密切接触者结核病筛查及活动性肺结核检出情况。结果:2018-2022年四川省共报告病原学阳性肺结核患者99 273例,登记其密切接触者260 661名,其中260 291名密切接触者进行了结核病可疑症状筛查,症状筛查率为99.86%,共检出活动性肺结核患者2623例,平均检出率为1.01%。有结核病可疑症状的密切接触者的结核病检查率(98.50%,6425/6523)和检出率(4.54%,292/6425)均明显高于无结核病可疑症状密切接触者的结核病检查率(86.40%,219 247/253 768)和检出率(1.06%,2331/219 247),差异均有统计学意义(χ^(2)值分别为807.587和658.621,P值均<0.001)。家庭外密切接触者结核病检查率(96.53%,82 173/85 129)明显高于家庭内密切接触者(81.92%,143 499/175 162),差异有统计学意义(χ^(2)=10 595.710,P<0.001);家庭内密切接触者活动性肺结核检出率(1.58%,2264/143 499)明显高于家庭外密切接触者(0.44%,359/82 173),差异有统计学意义(χ^(2)=591.968,P<0.001)。对2022年新登记的42 078名病原学阳性肺结核患者密切接触者在患者诊断时开展症状筛查,39 056名(92.82%)开展了结核病检查,检出719例(1.84%)活动性肺结核患者;35.39%(9705/27 423)完成第2次随访(首次筛查6个月后),55.31%(5368/9705)接受结核病检查,检出2例(0.04%)活动性肺结核患者;仅7.08%(4072/57 474)完成第3次随访(首次筛查1年后),38.33%(1561/4072)接受了结核病检查,检出1例(0.06%)活动性肺结核患者。结论:2018-2022年四川省病原学阳性肺结核患者密切接触者筛查比例较高,但筛查效果不理想,应重视家庭外密切接触者结核病筛查工作,以及重视密切接触者首次筛查后6个月及1年后的随访工作。