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239 Publications foundA Qualitative Analysis of the Impact of Political Trust in the Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccine in Three Nigerian Geopolitical Zones
Authors: Nwoke Emmanuel Chukwuebuka , Ebenezer Obi Daniel , Oladapo Michael Olagbegi , Paul Olaiya Abiodun , Ahmed Mamuda Bello , Michael Avwerhota , Michael Olabode Tomori , Friday Iyobosa Igbinovia , Adebanke Adetutu Ogun , Folake Abiola Abiodun , Stellamaris Moronkeji , Esther Brodrick-Shehu
In Medicine and Health Sciences, Medicine, Public Health
The issue of COVID-19 vaccination is an important step in the control of the COVID-19 infection in the community. There have been different adopted strategies in the control of the infection and the best public intervention has been getting vaccinated for now. The most likely solution to ending the current pandemic remains through achieving a better community reach, and the frank acceptance of the availed WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine in communities. In this study, the reason for the COVID-19 vaccine uptake was evaluated across 3 geopolitical zones in Nigeria with differential political affiliation. This study utilized a qualitative sample collection methodology to qualify the prevalence of different views on COVID-19 vaccine acceptability, access, and political trust. The data was gathered utilizing pre-tested in-depth interviews, which were transcribed and analyzed thematically through the transcripts obtained from the open-ended key informant interviews. The findings from the qualitative studies indicated that the fear of the side effects, apathy/lack of interest, scarce logistics, people’s opinion, and self-denial were more of the pertinent issue around the poor COVID-19 vaccine uptake among the respondents. Government needs to ensure that health interventions rolled are adequately accessible to the targeted people and should consider the community culture while rolling out health interventions.
Inferior Epigastric Artery a Boon in Accessory Lower Polar Artery Revascularization in Renal Transplantation
Authors: Kabilan Saminathan , Balaraman Velayutham , Muthu Veeramani
In Medicine and Health Sciences, Public Health
Multiple renal arteries occur unilaterally and bilaterally in 23% and 10% of the population, respectively. During renal transplantation failure to recognize and preserve an accessory renal artery may lead to ureteral necrosis, segmental renal infarction, postoperative hypertension, or calyceal fistula formation. The problem with accessory renal artery is prolonged ischemia and delayed graft function. Long ischemia can be avoided if lower polar accessory renal artery is anastomosed to inferior epigastric artery after de-clamping as soon as the main renal artery and venous anastomosis is done. Aim: In this study we report our experience with live donor renal transplantation with multiple arteries in which the lower polar artery was anastomosed to the inferior epigastric artery. This study describes the surgical technique and outcomes of live donor renal allografts with multiple arteries in which the lower polar artery was anastomosed to the inferior epigastric artery after de-clamping. Material & Methods: Between 2012 and 2020, 68 consecutive live donor renal transplants were performed involving single Urology-Nephrology team. This included 48 with single and 20 with multiple arteries. Anastomosis of the lower polar artery to the inferior epigastric artery was used for 8 grafts with multiple arteries. Results: Successful revascularization of all areas of the transplanted graft was confirmed by Doppler ultrasonography in most patients and radionuclide renal scanning + MRA in some patients. Conclusions: In live donor renal transplantation with multiple arteries; the anastomosis of the lower polar artery to the inferior epigastric artery after de-clamping, avoids prolongation of the ischemia time that occur with other surgical techniques.
The Role of Prenatal Psychosocial Stress in the Associations of a Proinflammatory Diet in Pregnancy With Child Adiposity and Growth Trajectories
Authors: Carmen Monthé-Drèze , Izzuddin M. Aris , Sheryl L. Rifas-Shiman
By NCBI Pubmed
Importance: Prenatal psychosocial stress and nutrition may each program offspring adiposity, an important predictor of lifelong cardiometabolic health. Although increased stress and poor nutrition have been found to co-occur in pregnancy, little is known about their combined longitudinal associations in the offspring. Objective: To investigate whether the associations of the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) with offspring adiposity differ by prenatal stress levels and whether these associations change with age. Design, setting, and participants: Project Viva, a prospective prebirth cohort study of mother-child dyads in Massachusetts, included singleton children of mothers enrolled between April 1999 and July 2002, with follow-up visits at early childhood, midchildhood, and early adolescence. Data analysis was performed from October 31, 2020, to October 31, 2022. Exposures: Food frequency-derived DII score in pregnancy was the exposure. Effect modifiers included stress-related measures in pregnancy; depressive symptoms assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), dichotomized at scores greater than or equal to 13 vs less than 13; and census tract-level social vulnerability (overall Social Vulnerability Index and its 4 main subindices), dichotomized at the 75th percentile. Main outcomes and measures: Overall adiposity, comprising sex- and age-standardized body mass index (BMI z), sum of subscapular and triceps skinfolds, fat mass index (FMI), and body fat percentage estimated using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA); and central adiposity, comprising waist circumference, ratio of subscapular to triceps skinfolds, and DXA-derived trunk FMI. Results: Among 1060 mother-child dyads, mean (SD) maternal age was 32.6 (4.6) years, and 811 (77%) mothers were non-Hispanic White. Mean (SD) DII score was -2.7 (1.3) units, Social Vulnerability Index level was 38th (27th) percentile, and 8% of mothers had depressive symptoms. Mean (SD) age of the children was 3.3 (0.3) years at the early childhood visit, 7.9 (0.8) years at the midchildhood visit, and 13.2 (0.9) years at the early adolescence visit. In adjusted analyses, children born to mothers in the highest (vs lowest) quartile of DII had slower decrease in BMI z scores (β, 0.03 SD units/y; 95% CI, 0.01-0.05 SD units/y), and faster adiposity gain (eg, BIA total FMI β, 0.11 kg/m2/y; 95% CI, 0.03-0.19 kg/m2/y) over time. Associations of prenatal DII quartiles with childhood adiposity were stronger (eg, BIA total FMI quartile 4 vs quartile 1 change in β, 1.40 kg/m2; 95% CI, 0.21-2.59 kg/m2) among children of mothers with high vs low EPDS scores in pregnancy, although EPDS scores did not modify the change over time. Associations of prenatal DII with adiposity change over time, however, were greater among children whose mothers lived in neighborhoods with a high (BIA percentage body fat: β, 0.55% per year; 95% CI, 0.04%-1.07% per year) vs low (β, 0.13% per year; 95% CI, -0.20 to 0.46% per year), percentage of racial and ethnic minorities, and residents with limited English-language proficiency. Conclusions and relevance: The findings of this cohort study suggest that it may be useful to simultaneously evaluate prenatal diet and psychosocial stress in women as targets for interventions intended to prevent excess childhood adiposity.
Resting Heart Rate: Risk Indicator and Emerging Risk Factor in Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Michael Böhm , Jan-Christian Reil , Prakash Deedwania , Jae B. Kim , Jeffrey S. Borer
In Medicine and Health Sciences, Medicine, Public Health
By NCBI Pubmed
Resting heart rate is central to cardiac output and is influenced by changes occurring in numerous diseases. It predicts longevity and cardiovascular diseases, and current evidence suggests that it is also an important marker of outcome in cardiovascular disease, including heart failure. Beta-blockers improve outcomes in heart failure; however, they have effects outside reducing heart rate. Ivabradine has demonstrated efficacy in reducing rehospitalizations and mortality in heart failure and in improving exercise tolerance and reducing angina attacks in patients with coronary artery disease, whereas selective heart rate reduction may also prove to be beneficial in therapeutic areas outside those in which ivabradine has already demonstrated clinical efficacy. This review provides an update on the associations between heart rate and cardiovascular outcomes in various conditions, the experimental effects of heart rate reduction with ivabradine, and the potential new indications in cardiovascular disease.
Current Evidence to Propose Different Food Supplements for Weight Loss: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Mikiko Watanabe , Renata Risi , Davide Masi , Alessandra Caputi , Angela Balena , Giovanni Rossini , Dario Tuccinardi , Stefania Mariani , Sabrina Basciani , Silvia Manfrini , Lucio Gnessi , Carla Lubrano
In Life Sciences, Public Health
By NCBI Pubmed
The use of food supplements for weight loss purposes has rapidly gained popularity as the prevalence of obesity increases. Navigating through the vast, often low quality, literature available is challenging, as is providing informed advice to those asking for it. Herein, we provide a comprehensive literature revision focusing on most currently marketed dietary supplements claimed to favor weight loss, classifying them by their purported mechanism of action. We conclude by proposing a combination of supplements most supported by current evidence, that leverages all mechanisms of action possibly leading to a synergistic effect and greater weight loss in the foreseen absence of adverse events. Further studies will be needed to confirm the weight loss and metabolic improvement that may be obtained through the use of the proposed combination.
Effect of a Novel Ashwagandha-based Herbomineral Formulation on Pro-inflammatory Cytokines Expression in Mouse Splenocyte Cells: A Potential Immunomodulator
Authors: Mahendra Kumar Trivedi , Sambhu Charan Mondal , Mayank Gangwar , Snehasis Jana
In Life Sciences, Medicine and Health Sciences, Public Health
By NCBI Pubmed
Background: Herbomineral formulations are momentous in an audience of worldwide by virtue of their holistic approach to life. These formulations are widely used as complementary therapies in immunocompromised patients including cancer. Still, there is the need of cost-effective and safe herbomineral-based formulation that can modulate immune response by the regulation of cytokines cascades. Objective: Current study, we investigated immunomodulatory effect of TEBEH in LPS-induced cytokines expression levels in mouse splenocytes in vitro. Materials and methods: The most effective and safe concentrations of TEBEH were chosen by determining the cell viability of splenocytes using MTT assay. The pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, MIP-1α, and IFN-γ were measured in cell supernatants using ELISA. Results: MTT data showed TEBEH formulation was found safe up to 10.53 μg/mL. At noncytotoxic concentrations (0.00001053-10.53 μg/mL), TEBEH significantly (P ≤ 0.001) inhibited the expressions of TNF-α, IL-1β, and MIP-1α in mouse splenocytes as compared with vehicle control. Conclusion: In summary, TEBEH may indeed promote an anti-inflammatory environment by suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These observations indicated that TEBEH has potential effects in downregulating the immune system and might be developed as a useful anti-inflammatory product for various inflammatory disorders. Summary: The present study was undertaken to evaluate an immunomodulatory effect of the herbomineral formulation in LPS-induced mouse splenocytes with the measurement of cytokines expression such as TNF-α, IL-1β, MIP-1α and IFN-γ. The results showed that the expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, and MIP-1α was significantly down-regulated while, IFN-γ was significantly up-regulated in mouse splenocytes. It is hypothesized that modulation of the proinflammatory cytokines might occur via NF-κB pathway. Therefore, the herbomineral test formulation might act as an effective anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory product, and this can be used as a complementary and alternative treatment for the prevention of various types of inflammatory and auto-immune disorders Abbreviations used: LPS: Lipopolysaccharide, IL: Interleukin; NF-κB: Nuclear factor kappa-B, TNF-α: Tumor necrosis factor alpha, MIP-1α: Macrophage inflammatory protein-1α, IFN-γ: Interferon, MTT: 3-(4,5-diamethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2Htetrazolium), ELISA: Enzyme linked immune sorbent assay, ANOVA: Analysis of variance.
Research Progress of Unexplained Headache and Potential Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases
Authors: Di Chen , Si Yu Tao , Tian Le Chen , Ying Yu Luo , Zhu Ling Guo
In Medicine and Health Sciences, Medicine, Public Health
Headache is a common nervous system symptom with complex causes, including neurogenic, odontogenic, vascular, infectious and so on. Headache is generally manifested as pain in the region above the skull, orbit and occipital bone. But sometimes it also involves pain in the oral and maxillofacial region, because the craniofacial region is closely adjacent to the oral anatomy. Some oral diseases, such as pulpitis, temporomandibular joint disorder syndrome, and oral mucosal disease, can not only cause pain at the primary site, but also show head and face pain. Therefore, headache is easily confused with some oral diseases in clinical diagnosis. A large number of clinical reports at home and abroad have analyzed the correlation between neurologic diseases and oral diseases. This paper attempts to analyze the internal relationship between the two from clinical manifestations, pathogenesis and other aspects, focusing on the discussion of headache caused by oral diseases, which is meaningful for stomatologists and neurologists, and is conducive to expanding the thinking of oral disease research and diagnosis and treatment.