Prevalence, Awareness and Risk Factors for Hypertension in Adults Attending a Tertiary Hospital in South-East Nigeria

Hypertension, a non-communicable disease, is considered a major public health challenge because of its widespread prevalence globally coupled with its huge morbidity and mortality burden, which is largely preventable if early detection and prompt initiation of management are done. Hypertension prevalence is increasing especially in the developing world, despite this, its awareness among the general population is low. This study aimed at determining the prevalence of hypertension among adult attendees of the General Outpatient Clinic of the Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTH), Owerri, with an assessment of the proportion of hypertensives who were aware of their hypertensive status, and identifying risk factors of hypertension in the study participants. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted between October and November 2022 at the General Outpatient Clinic of the FUTH, Owerri. A total of 257 consenting and eligible adult patients made up of 135 males and 122 females, aged 18 years and above, were selected by systematic random sampling method. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 34.6%. The prevalence was higher in females than in males (37.7% vs 31.9%, P = 0.325). Among the hypertensive subjects 56.2% had awareness of their hypertensive status. Following a multiple regression analysis, hypertension was independently associated with age, family history of hypertension, occupation (retirees, traders, farmers and the unemployed), and marital status (being widowed). Hypertension is prevalent in our environment;the prevalence rate from this study is higher than in most studies in our environment, suggesting possibly, a rising burden. The results from the study underscore the need for increased and sustained advocacy for implementation of policies and programs directed at increased detection and management of hypertension in the different population groups such as annual wellness check for employees in the formal sector, largescale dietary and lifestyle adjustments, and know your numbers (an approach to population driven blood pressure check for all adults). Also, health workers should use any opportunity of contact with a patient to screen for hypertension.

Promoting Sickle Cell Trait Awareness and Education: A Typology of Interventions in the United States to Inform Ongoing Efforts to Patients and Providers

Research Background: Sickle cell trait has no treatment or cure and predominantly affects people who are Black, but can affect anyone of any race or ethnicity. While commonly incorrectly considered benign by providers and the public, people with a sickle cell trait experience life-threatening outcomes that are exacerbated by extreme conditions. There is a severe lack of awareness and understanding of sickle cell trait and the associated health complications among sickle cell trait carriers and healthcare providers. Purpose/Aim: Interventions that aim to improve awareness of sickle cell trait differ in approaches and are not well documented in the literature. This typology aims to highlight current efforts to inform targeted interventions that raise awareness through consistent messaging, educate people and providers on sickle cell trait and the related health complications, and support the design and implementation of comprehensive sickle cell trait awareness initiatives. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of United States-based sickle cell trait interventions and performed a content analysis to identify the categories and characteristics of these efforts. We then organized the results into a typology according to established protocols. Results: Among 164 interventions, twenty-five (15%) met the typology inclusion criteria described above and were grouped into categories: Seven of twenty-five interventions were Educational Interventions (28%), three of twenty-five interventions (12%) were Combined Screening and Educational-Based Interventions, eight of twenty-five interventions (32%) were Policy and Guideline-Based Intervention, and six of twenty-five interventions (24%) were Sickle Cell Trait Organization-Led Interventions. Conclusions: There is a lack of consistency in messaging across interventions whether delivered by credible healthcare institutions or national organizations, which can result in lack of education and awareness and confusion around sickle cell trait. Categorizing interventions through a typology allows clarity and informs consistency in messaging, which should be at the forefront of future sickle cell trait efforts.

Reachability-Based Confidence-Aware Probabilistic Collision Detection in Highway Driving

Risk assessment is a crucial component of collision warning and avoidance systems for intelligent vehicles.Reachability-based formal approaches have been developed to ensure driving safety to accurately detect potential vehicle collisions.However,they suffer from over-conservatism,potentially resulting in false–positive risk events in complicated real-world applications.In this paper,we combine two reachability analysis techniques,a backward reachable set(BRS)and a stochastic forward reachable set(FRS),and propose an integrated probabilistic collision–detection framework for highway driving.Within this framework,we can first use a BRS to formally check whether a two-vehicle interaction is safe;otherwise,a prediction-based stochastic FRS is employed to estimate the collision probability at each future time step.Thus,the framework can not only identify non-risky events with guaranteed safety but also provide accurate collision risk estimation in safety-critical events.To construct the stochastic FRS,we develop a neural network-based acceleration model for surrounding vehicles and further incorporate a confidence-aware dynamic belief to improve the prediction accuracy.Extensive experiments were conducted to validate the performance of the acceleration prediction model based on naturalistic highway driving data.The efficiency and effectiveness of the framework with infused confidence beliefs were tested in both naturalistic and simulated highway scenarios.The proposed risk assessment framework is promising for real-world applications.

Household Solid Waste Awareness and Practices among Residents of Windhoek, Namibia

This study explores household solid waste management (HSWM) practices and awareness among residents of Windhoek West, a rapidly urbanizing constituency in the Khomas Region of Namibia. Employing a descriptive methodology, the research investigates the interplay between public awareness, regulatory frameworks, and the availability of waste management facilities to assess their impact on waste management behaviors. Our findings indicate significant gaps in both knowledge and infrastructure that hinder effective waste management. The study reveals that while there is a high willingness among residents to engage in recycling and waste reduction, actual practices are limited due to inadequate facilities and lack of stringent enforcement of waste policies. This research identifies key factors that influence waste management practices, including demographic characteristics and access to waste management facilities. It also proposes actionable strategies such as expanding recycling and sorting facilities, enhancing educational campaigns tailored to local needs, and implementing regular enforcement mechanisms. These strategies are aimed at improving compliance with waste management protocols and fostering a culture of environmental responsibility. The results of this investigation show the critical role of ongoing education and infrastructural improvement in bridging existing knowledge gaps and facilitating effective waste management practices. This research lays a foundational step toward enhancing sustainable urban development and effective waste management in Windhoek, providing valuable insights for policymakers, community leaders, and stakeholders engaged in urban environmental management.

Effect of Health Management in Raising Awareness Rate of Disease Prevention and Treatment in Patients with Prehypertension

Objective: To analyze the effect of health management on improving the awareness rate of disease prevention and treatment in patients with prehypertension, so as to provide guidance for clinical management of patients with prehypertension. Methods: 108 patients diagnosed with prehypertension in our hospital were divided into a control group and an experimental group. The control group was not given management measures, while the experimental group was given health management. The incidence of hypertension and cognition level of hypertension knowledge were compared between the two groups after management. Results: The incidence of hypertension in the experimental group was 7.41% lower than that in the control group 29.63%. The cognitive level of hypertension in the patients (66.54 ± 1.25) was significantly higher than that in the patients without health management (41.45 ± 2.45), and P < 0.05;Conclusion: For patients with prehypertension, the implementation of health management is helpful to improve their cognition of hypertension, master related prevention knowledge, and reduce the incidence of hypertension.

Research on Enhancing Students’Intercultural Awareness and Competence in English Teaching

With the deepening of globalization,intercultural communication has become an important part of people’s daily lives and work.English,as an international language,plays a vital role in intercultural communication.However,simple language knowledge can no longer meet the needs of modern society.Students need to have intercultural awareness and competence to better adapt to the development of globalization.Therefore,it is particularly important to improve students’intercultural awareness and competence in English teaching.This paper will discuss how to improve students’intercultural awareness and competence in English teaching,which includes three parts.The first part introduces the definition of intercultural awareness and competence.The second part explores the importance of intercultural awareness and competence to students,which can help students better understand and respect different cultures,stimulate students’innovative thinking and creativity,and cultivate critical thinking skills,and is also of great significance to students’professional development,personal growth,and social responsibility.The third part discusses the effective methods and strategies to improve students’intercultural awareness and competence in teaching,including carrying out cultural discussion and debate,introducing diverse materials,creating intercultural experience teaching activities,and using virtual learning tools.To a certain extent,this study can enrich the theoretical research in the field of intercultural awareness and competence,help to improve students’intercultural awareness and competence,and provide certain practical guidance for educators to teach intercultural courses.

Breast cancer awareness in reproductive women in the low-and middle-income countries:a scoping review

Objective:This study aimed to assess breast cancer(BC)awareness among reproductive women in low-and middle-income countries(LMICs),identify influencing factors,and propose feasible interventions or programs.Methods:We followed a 5-step process using a modified version of Arksey and O’Malley framework methodology.A comprehensive search was conducted on the Embase,PubMed,and CINAHL electronic databases for literature published within 10 years(from 2012 to 2022).Results:Thirty-three papers published between 2012 and 2020,spanning 18 countries,were included.Of these,45.6%described a good level of knowledge,while 24.2%reported that women at reproductive ages had good awareness.Twelve influencing factors were identified in 3 categories:socio-demographic(family history,personal history,marital status,age,religion,income status,living place,and occupation),personal(self-efficacy,education,and perceived level),and external(advertisements promoting awareness).Educational programs were recommended in most(>72%)of the included studies.Conclusions:While most studies reported high levels of knowledge and awareness,some found low prevalence among certain groups.Factors affecting knowledge and awareness were classified into socio-demographic,personal,and external categories,with socio-demographic factors such as age,education,income,and marital status being the most frequently cited.The studies recommended implementing educational programs,health prevention strategies,and social interventions to increase BC knowledge and awareness.

磁共振酰胺质子转移模态的胶质瘤IDH基因分型识别:基于深度学习的Dual-Aware框架

目的基于磁共振酰胺质子转移(APT)模态数据,提出Dual-Aware深度学习框架实现胶质瘤异柠檬酸脱氢酶(IDH)基因分型,实现无创性的辅助诊断。方法共收集118例多模态磁共振脑影像数据,其中68例为野生型,50例为突变型,所有数据完成了脑部胶质瘤ROI区域勾画。APT模态成像无需造影剂,它对肿瘤的信号强度跟肿瘤恶性程度呈正相关,且对IDH野生型的信号强度高于对IDH突变型的信号强度。针对APT模态肿瘤成像及衍生区域形态多变,且相对其他模态更缺乏明显的边缘轮廓特点,构建Dual-Aware框架,引入Multi-scaleAware模块挖掘多尺度特征,EdgeAware模块挖掘边缘特征,以实现基因分型的自动识别。结果两类Aware机制的引入能够有效提升模型对胶质瘤IDH基因分型的识别率。对各模态数据在准确率和AUC方面都取得了一定的提升,并在APT模态上取得了最佳性能,预测精度达到83.1%,AUC达到0.822,从而验证了APT模态对于脑胶质瘤IDH基因分型识别的优势和有效性。结论本文采用的深度学习算法模型基于APT模态的图像特点构建,验证了APT模态在胶质瘤IDH基因分型识别任务中的有效性,有望在该任务利用APT模态取代目前常用的T1CE模态,避免造影剂注射,以实现无创性的IDH基因分型。

Knowledge and awareness of human mpox infection among healthcare workers:A cross-sectional study in southwestern Nigeria

Objective:To identify the knowledge and awareness level of human mpox viral infection among healthcare workers in southwestern Nigeria.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ekiti State,southwest Nigeria among 316 healthcare workers that were selected through a systematic random sampling.Data were collected with the aid of a semi-structured,self-administered questionnaire.The Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were used to find the association between the independent and dependent variables.The significance level was set at P-value<0.05.Results:Two hundred and twenty-two(70.3%)of the respondents were aged≤40 years,mean age(36±9)years,189(59.8%)were female,306(96.8%)were Christians,and 203(64.2%)were married.Three hundred and fourteen(99.4%)of the respondents were aware of mpox infection.Main sources of information about mpox were medical education(44.0%),radio/television(32.0%)and newspaper(21.0%).However,among those aware of the disease,209(67.0%)demonstrated poor knowledge levels.Longer than 5 years’experience of medical practice was the only significant predictor of higher knowledge level of the disease(OR 1.76,95%CI 1.01-3.06;P=0.046).Conclusions:Despite the high awareness level of mpox infection among healthcare workers,there still exists a huge knowledge gap.It is recommended that targeted intervention could be directed towards continuous medical education and simulation exercises on re-emerging infectious diseases like mpox to improve the knowledge of the healthcare workers.

Improving myopia awareness via school-based myopia prevention health education among Chinese students

AIM:To investigate the myopia awareness level,knowledge,attitude,and skills at baseline and to implement and evaluate the efficacy of myopia prevention health education among Chinese students.METHODS:A total of 1000 middle school students from 2 middle schools were invited to participate in the study,and myopia prevention health education was conducted.The students were assessed at baseline,followed by a survey.The efficacy of health education was evaluated using the self-comparison method pre-and post-health education.RESULTS:The study included 957 and 850 pre-and post-health education par ticipants,respectively.The baseline knowledge of all respondents on myopic symptoms(87.5%),myopia is a risk of eyes(72.9%),myopia prevention(91.3%),myopia increases with age(86.7%),performing periodic eye examinations(92.8%),and one first,one foot,and one inch(84.8%)significantly increased after health education(P<0.001 for all).However,the percentage of students who still did not think it necessary to take breaks after 30-40min of continuous near work was 27.0%.The opinion that“myopia can be cured”was still present in 38.3%.CONCLUSION:Implementing school-based myopia prevention health education improves knowledge,attitudes,and skills regarding myopia among Chinese middle school students.

Providing Global Awareness in Distributed Dynamic Systems

The paper investigates applicability of the developed high-level model and technology for solution of diverse problems in large distributed dynamic systems which can provide sufficient awareness of their structures,organization,and functionalities.After the review of meanings of awareness and existing approaches for its expression and support,the paper shows application of the Spatial Grasp Model and Technology(SGT)and its basic Spatial Grasp Language(SGL)for very practical awareness solutions in large distributed dynamic systems,with obtaining any knowledge from any point inside or outside the system.The self-evolving,self-replicating,and self-recovering scenario code in SGL can effectively supervise distributed systems under any circumstances including rapidly changing number of their elements.Examples are provided in SGL for distributed networked systems showing how in any node any information about other nodes and links,including the whole system,can be obtained by using network requesting patterns based on recursive scenarios combining forward and backward network matching and coverage.The returned results may be automatically organized in networked patterns too.The presented exemplary solutions are parallel and fully distributed,without the need of using vulnerable centralized resources,also very compact.This can be explained by fundamentally different philosophy and ideology of SGT which is not based on traditional partitioned systems representation and multiple agent communications.On the contrary,SGT and its basic language supervise and control distributed systems by holistic self-spreading recursive code in wavelike,virus-like,and even“soul-like”mode.

Endogenous Security-Aware Resource Management for Digital Twin and 6G Edge Intelligence Integrated Smart Park

The integration of digital twin(DT)and 6G edge intelligence provides accurate forecasting for distributed resources control in smart park.However,the adverse impact of model poisoning attacks on DT model training cannot be ignored.To address this issue,we firstly construct the models of DT model training and model poisoning attacks.An optimization problem is formulated to minimize the weighted sum of the DT loss function and DT model training delay.Then,the problem is transformed and solved by the proposed Multi-timescAle endogenouS securiTy-aware DQN-based rEsouRce management algorithm(MASTER)based on DT-assisted state information evaluation and attack detection.MASTER adopts multi-timescale deep Q-learning(DQN)networks to jointly schedule local training epochs and devices.It actively adjusts resource management strategies based on estimated attack probability to achieve endogenous security awareness.Simulation results demonstrate that MASTER has excellent performances in DT model training accuracy and delay.

采用世界卫生组织AWaRe工具促进我国抗菌药物的合理使用

本文介绍世界卫生组织推荐的AWaRe工具,包括AWaRe抗菌药物分级目录和AWaRe抗菌药物使用手册,以促进我国抗菌药物的合理使用。

Measuring the Level of Knowledge and Awareness about Scoliosis in Saudi Arabia

Background: Scoliosis is a serious condition occurring in 1% to 4% of the population. This study was conducted and designed to educate society about scoliosis and measure the knowledge and awareness about it. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on members of the Saudi Society who have consented to participate in this research between the 8th of January and 5th of February 2023. Results: A total of 427 people agreed to participate in the study. The highest percentage of the participants was female 69.1%. About 41% participants out of 427 were in the age group 18-25 years. Most of the participants were from the Middle Region. (71.9%) of participants were unfamiliar with scoliosis, while (72.1%) had no prior knowledge of the condition. Conclusion: This study indicates insufficient awareness and knowledge about scoliosis in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, further studies are needed to raise awareness about scoliosis and help people to learn more about this condition.

The Awareness of Jazan Females about the Nutrition Related Effects of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine and metabolic disorders in premenopausal women affecting 5% - 10% women in reproductive age. Many studies show that good dietary habits and balanced diet in addition to regular exercise can significantly improve the symptoms of the syndrome. The prevalence rate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reached 42.8%. This study aimed to measure the awareness of Jazan females about the nutrition related effects of polycystic ovary syndrome and investigate the association between age and awareness of nutrition related effect on PCOS. Method: Cross sectional study was conducted during a period from January 9th to February 5th 2023, by a questionnaire used to measure the awareness of female in Jazan region about the nutrition related effects of poly cystic ovary syndrome. Data was collected using Google questionnaire survey and it was randomly distributed to Jazan women from 18 to 50 years old. The questionnaire was about general information about PCOS, nutrition-related effects of PCOS, the effects of eating patterns on PCOS, physical activity, and sleeping. The sample size was 384 women. Results: The total response was about 363 women. The results showed that women in the Jazan region did not have sufficient knowledge about PCOS 51.5% and 63.4% had no knowledge about diet recommendations for PCOS. However, there was awareness about healthy eating patterns that reduce the symptoms of PCOS. The level of awareness of PCOS and its association with age among Jazan women was higher in young adult groups (21 to 29 years old). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, the level of knowledge about PCOS among Jazan women is insufficient. Also, their awareness about diet and lifestyle interventions was low. There is a relationship between age and awareness of the nutrition-related effects of PCOS. Promoting the role of balanced nutrition and nutritional knowledge is an important requirement for all women, especially those with PCOS. The role of health, educational, and governmental institutions is important in spreading the link between nutrition and PCOS.

Measuring the Awareness of Thalassemia in Saudi Arabia

Introduction: Thalassemia disorder is a genetic disease that causes the blood to have less hemoglobin than normal, the main requirement to control thalassemia’s propagation is to educate the entire society. Methodology: A descriptive survey was taken to evaluate the awareness of thalassemia among Saudi Arabia’s society, with a sample size of 384. Results: The results were written in frequencies, and it shows that most of the participants were unaware and lacking information on thalassemia syndrome. Discussion: The results of this study provide valuable insights into the awareness of thalassemia in Saudi Arabia and highlight the need to raise awareness of this disease. Conclusion: This study is not comprehensive because the survey was not disrupted evenly, but it can give us an overview of the awareness of thalassemia in Saudi Arabia, and it shows that most of the participants were unaware and lacked information on thalassemia.

Health Awareness: A Significant Factor in Chronic Diseases Prevention and Access to Care

Health literacy and awareness are essential strategies in promoting global health and improving access to care. While seen as an essential tool for promoting population health awareness to improve early detection and treatment of chronic diseases, it is yet to be emphasized in most African countries. Health literacy is an essential practice to promote chronic disease prevention and reduce the growing threat to population health. Incidences and mortalities from chronic diseases commonly arise from limited knowledge of the causative risk factors and access to health facilities. Without knowledge about causes, health impacts, and available health services, people continue to indulge in the habits that worsen their health conditions and fail to access care timely. By using health literacy and awareness as a tool for chronic disease prevention, healthcare professionals will develop strategic health awareness programs that fit the socio-demographics of the population they serve. This article explored the significant role health awareness occupies in individual and community health prevention through health promotion and education. It reviewed the concept and dimensions of chronic disease prevention, cultural beliefs and impact on chronic diseases, gaps created by low health literacy, and the significance of health literacy in disease prevention and health promotion. Furthermore, it recommends that health systems and local communities form partnerships to address common and emerging health problems, and health systems should be properly funded.

Breast Self-Examination (BSE): Association between “Belief in BSE” and “Awareness of BSE” among University Female Students in Uganda

Background: Regular breast self-examination (BSE) has been known to effectively detect breast cancer occurrence early. Are Women who consider BSE effective in detecting breast cancer more likely to be aware of BSE, or vice versa? The present study was an attempt to answer this question. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed for 259 female University students in Kampala, Uganda. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Univariate and bivariate analyses were carried out. Results: The majority (64.1%) were aware of the BSE technique. Women considering BSE to be effective for early cancer detection were significantly more likely to be aware of the BSE technique. Conclusions: University students who believed in the benefits of BSE were more likely to be aware of BSE than those who did not. More emphasis should be placed on health education for women of younger ages to increase the knowledge of the practice of BSE.

Awareness and perspectives of audiologists on assessment and management of misophonia in India

Background:The assessment and management of misophonia need a team approach,and audiologists are essential team members.However,the role of an audiologist in this condition is not well understood,and there is a lack of awareness even among professionals about their role in the assessment and management of misophonia.Purpose:The main aim of our study is to document the present level of awareness and knowledge about misophonia assessment and management among audiologists in India.Methods:A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among audiologists from all over India.Descriptive statistical procedures were measured based on the type of questions being addressed,and a non-parametric chi-square test was done to see the association among variables.Results:The results show a lack of knowledge about misophonia even among audiologists,as only 15.3%of the audiologist reported being confident in handling cases with misophonia.Conclusion:Although the exact assessment and management of misophonia is still the topic of debate,it is clear that audiologists are the team's key members.However,the results clearly show a lack of confidence in handling cases of misophonia among audiologists in India.This result shows the future need for Research in misophonia from an audiological perspective.

Context Awareness by Noise-Pattern Analysis of a Smart Factory

Recently,to build a smart factory,research has been conducted to perform fault diagnosis and defect detection based on vibration and noise signals generated when a mechanical system is driven using deep-learning technology,a field of artificial intelligence.Most of the related studies apply various audio-feature extraction techniques to one-dimensional raw data to extract sound-specific features and then classify the sound by using the derived spectral image as a training dataset.However,compared to numerical raw data,learning based on image data has the disadvantage that creating a training dataset is very time-consuming.Therefore,we devised a two-step data preprocessing method that efficiently detects machine anomalies in numerical raw data.In the first preprocessing process,sound signal information is analyzed to extract features,and in the second preprocessing process,data filtering is performed by applying the proposed algorithm.An efficient dataset was built formodel learning through a total of two steps of data preprocessing.In addition,both showed excellent performance in the training accuracy of the model that entered each dataset,but it can be seen that the time required to build the dataset was 203 s compared to 39 s,which is about 5.2 times than when building the image dataset.