Suchergebnisse

PURPOSE: To determine prevalence of trachoma after interventions in 15 local government areas (LGAs) of Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States, Nigeria. METHODS: A population-based impact survey was conducted in each LGA using Global Trachoma Mapping Project (GTMP) protocols. In each LGA, 25 villages were selected, except in Arewa LGA, where we selected 25 villages from each of four subunits to obtain finer-resolution prevalence information. Villages were selected with probability proportional to size. In each village, 25 households were enrolled and all consenting residents aged ≥1 year were examined by GTMP-certified graders for trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) and trachomatous trichiasis (TT). Information on sources of household water and types of sanitation facilities used was collected through questioning and direct observation. RESULTS: The number of households enrolled per LGA ranged from 623 (Kware and Tangaza) to 2488 (Arewa). There have been marked reductions in the prevalence of TF and TT since baseline surveys were conducted in all 15 LGAs. Eight of the 15 LGAs have attained TF prevalences <5% in children, while 10 LGAs have attained TT prevalences <0.2% in persons aged ≥15 years. Between 49% and 96% of households had access to water for hygiene purposes within 1 km of the household, while only 10-59% had access to improved sanitation facilities. CONCLUSION: Progress towards elimination of trachoma has been made in these 15 LGAs. Collaboration with water and sanitation agencies and community-based trichiasis surgery are still needed in order to eliminate trachoma by the year 2020.

This study was partially supported by core funds of ICIMOD contributed by the governments of Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Norway, Pakistan, Sweden, and Switzerland. AO was supported by funding from the National Environmental Research Council (NERC) National Capability Overseas Development Assistance under the grant 'Polar expertise –Supporting development' (NE/R000107/1). ; River systems originating from the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) are dominated by runoff from snow and glacier melt and summer monsoonal rainfall. These water resources are highly stressed as huge populations of people living in this region depend on them, including for agriculture, domestic use, and energy production. Projections suggest that the UIB region will be affected by considerable (yet poorly quantified) changes to the seasonality and composition of runoff in the future, which are likely to have considerable impacts on these supplies. Given how directly and indirectly communities and ecosystems are dependent on these resources and the growing pressure on them due to ever-increasing demands, the impacts of climate change pose considerable adaptation challenges. The strong linkages between hydroclimate, cryosphere, water resources, and human activities within the UIB suggest that a multi- and inter-disciplinary research approach integrating the social and natural/environmental sciences is critical for successful adaptation to ongoing and future hydrological and climate change. Here we use a horizon scanning technique to identify the Top 100 questions related to the most pressing knowledge gaps and research priorities in social and natural sciences on climate change and water in the UIB. These questions are on the margins of current thinking and investigation and are clustered into 14 themes, covering three overarching topics of 'governance, policy, and sustainable solutions', 'socioeconomic processes and livelihoods', and 'integrated Earth System processes'. Raising awareness of these ...

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Contributors -- Foreword -- Preface: An Unequal World -- Part 1: Poverty and Development: A Global Perspective -- 1. Social Distribution of and Access to Ecosystem Services: Approaches for the Alleviation of Socioenvironmental Inequalities -- 2. The Climate Change– Migration Nexus Seen Through the Lens of the European Union: Analysis of Legal and Policy Frames -- 3. Dangers of Uncontrolled Urbanisation for Society: Selected Aspects -- 4. Nutrition Insecurity in a Developed World: Challenges for Health Promotion and Further Directions for Sustainable Development -- 5. The Internalisation of Tourism Externalities: Methods and Instruments -- 6. Slow Tourism: A Community-based Approach for Sustainable Development -- 7. Agritourism and Ecotourism as an Innovative Direction for Sustainable Rural Development -- 8. Causal Nexus between a Sustainable Economy and Agricultural Credit: Global Evidence -- Part 2: Poverty and Development: A Local Perspective -- 9. Measuring Sustainable Development: A Quantitative Evaluation of Sustainable Development in Vietnam -- 10. Evaluation of Consumers' Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices in Sustainable Consumption: A Romanian Case Study -- 11. Environmental Sustainability Concerns: The Case of the Sundarbans of Bangladesh -- 12. Urbanisation, Access to Affordable Housing and Sustainable Development among Low-Income Earners in Nigeria: Insights from the Bariga Local Council Development Area, Lagos State -- 13. The Condition of Women in Nigerian Families and National Development: The Imperative for Cultural Re-evaluation and Legal Rebalance -- 14. Cuban Tourist Enclaves: A Critical Approach -- 15. The Impact of Environmental Factors on Profit Efficiency in Rice Production in Northern Vietnam -- Conclusion: Development – Prosperity or Disparity? -- Index

BACKGROUND: Public acceptance of governmental measures are key to controlling the spread of infectious diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a significant burden on healthcare systems for high-income countries as well as low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The ability of LMICs to respond to the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic has been limited and may have affected the impact of governmental strategies to control the spread of COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate and compare public opinion on the governmental COVID-19 response of high and LMICs in the Middle East and benchmark it to international countries. METHODS: An online, self-administered questionnaire was distributed among different Middle Eastern Arab countries. Participants' demographics and level of satisfaction with governmental responses to COVID-19 were analyzed and reported. Scores were benchmarked against 19 international values. RESULTS: A total of 7395 responses were included. Bahrain scored highest for satisfaction with the governmental response with 38.29 ± 2.93 on a scale of 40, followed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (37.13 ± 3.27), United Arab Emirates (36.56 ± 3.44), Kuwait (35.74 ± 4.85), Jordan (23.08 ± 6.41), and Lebanon (15.39 ± 5.28). Participants' country of residence was a significant predictor of the satisfaction score (P < 0.001), and participants who suffered income reduction due to the pandemic, had a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and held higher educational degrees had significantly lower satisfaction scores (P < 0.001). When benchmarked with other international publics, countries from the Gulf Cooperation Council had the highest satisfaction level, Jordan had an average score, and Lebanon had one of the lowest satisfaction scores. CONCLUSION: The political crisis in Lebanon merged with the existing corruption were associated with the lowest public satisfaction score whereas the economical instability of Jordan placed the country just before the lowest position. On the other hand, the solid economy plus ...

Background: Public acceptance of governmental measures are key to controlling the spread of infectious diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a significant burden on healthcare systems for high-income countries as well as low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The ability of LMICs to respond to the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic has been limited and may have affected the impact of governmental strategies to control the spread of COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate and compare public opinion on the governmental COVID-19 response of high and LMICs in the Middle East and benchmark it to international countries. Methods: An online, self-administered questionnaire was distributed among different Middle Eastern Arab countries. Participants' demographics and level of satisfaction with governmental responses to COVID-19 were analyzed and reported. Scores were benchmarked against 19 international values. Results: A total of 7395 responses were included. Bahrain scored highest for satisfaction with the governmental response with 38.29 ± 2.93 on a scale of 40, followed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (37.13 ± 3.27), United Arab Emirates (36.56 ± 3.44), Kuwait (35.74 ± 4.85), Jordan (23.08 ± 6.41), and Lebanon (15.39 ± 5.28). Participants' country of residence was a significant predictor of the satisfaction score (P < 0.001), and participants who suffered income reduction due to the pandemic, had a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and held higher educational degrees had significantly lower satisfaction scores (P < 0.001). When benchmarked with other international publics, countries from the Gulf Cooperation Council had the highest satisfaction level, Jordan had an average score, and Lebanon had one of the lowest satisfaction scores. Conclusion: The political crisis in Lebanon merged with the existing corruption were associated with the lowest public satisfaction score whereas the economical instability of Jordan placed the country just before the lowest position. On the other hand, the solid economy plus ...

Abstract Advances in machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) present an opportunity to build better tools and solutions to help address some of the world's most pressing challenges, and deliver positive social impact in accordance with the priorities outlined in the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The AI for Social Good (AI4SG) movement aims to establish interdisciplinary partnerships centred around AI applications towards SDGs. We provide a set of guidelines for establishing successful long-term collaborations between AI researchers and application-domain experts, relate them to existing AI4SG projects and identify key opportunities for future AI applications targeted towards social good.

Background and Aim: Various studies have reported that 4-7 percent of adults with palpable thyroid nodules that 50-70 percent of it's diagnosed with high-accuracy sonography. Although most thyroid nodules are non-cancerous and do not require treatment, a small percentage of them are associated with a potential risk of malignancy, which is an important early diagnosis by ultrasound or pathology. The present study aimed to compare the ultrasound with the pathologic results of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of thyroid nodules for the rapid diagnosis of thyroid malignancies in patients referred to Baqiyatallah Hospital. Methods: The study population consisted of 100 (80 female, 20 male) patients with thyroid nodules in the age range of 19-82 years referred to the radiology ward of Baqiyatallah Hospital who were studied by the cross-sectional method. All patients were first scoring by ultrasound, then fine needle aspiration with thyroid nodule ultrasound was performed, and the specimens were referred to the pathology department for further evaluation. Results: The pathologic results from fine-needle aspiration showed that only 8 of the 100 patients studied had malignant nodules that, by ultrasound scoring, 7 patients had 4 scores and 1 patient had 3 scores. However, the other 92 patients with benign nodules 57.60% of patients had score 1, 30.43% of patients had score 2 and 11.97% of patients had score 3. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, it seems that ultrasound scoring is useful in the rapid diagnosis of thyroid nodules and prevent unnecessary thyroid nodule FNA.

Presents a pioneering collection studying religion as a wider determinant of health in BritainHighlights the role of religion in exacerbating health inequalities, along with ethnicity, racism, social class and deprivationInvestigates contemporary health inequalities among second and third generation British Muslims, with a particular focus on disadvantaged childrenCaptures a wide range of health issues that British Muslims live with, such as: structural discrimination; COVID-19; mental health; consanguinity; genetic predispositions; dementia; domestic violence; end of life care; absentee fathers; and migrationCritically appraises current health practices and methods and offers practical guidelines on how to involve British Muslims in health promotion initiativesIncludes a foreword by Professor Aziz Sheikh, OBE, Chair of Primary Care Research and Development, University of EdinburghThis landmark volume presents the lived experience of British Muslims in regards to health inequalities, access to health services and involvement in health promotion initiatives. Exploring religion, ethnicity, racism, social class and deprivation, the book examines how British Muslims interact with the UK healthcare system and the subsequent marginalisation in accessing benefits from those systems. Authors expose the unequal distribution of health benefits among British Muslims and explore how this has come to the fore during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using reflexive, interpretive, critical and evidence-based data-driven scenarios from across the UK; this book identifies loopholes in the healthcare system affecting high-risk groups. In doing so, it analyses why and how British Muslims live with the worst health outcomes when compared with all deprived social groups and ethnicities in the country

"Political Research in the Middle East and North Africa focuses specifically on doing research in one of the most important regions in contemporary world politics. It is also one of the most difficult areas to do research in given the current high levels of violence, political instability, and authoritarianism that plague the region. Gathering together a large and diverse group of researchers who study the region, Janine Clark and Francesco Cavatorta's volume will serve as a foundational methods guide for young academics on how to conceive and carry out their research projects. At the same time the topics in the book provide a useful refresher to more established scholars so that their methodological training and ethical considerations keep pace with novel approaches and changing obstacles in the field. What makes this volume especially useful is its focus on methodological 'lessons learned' from the contributors' first hand experiences. Each chapter deals with the challenges of implementing qualitative and quantitative methods in the field, the real-life obstacles encountered and the possible solutions to overcoming them. It will therefore be an invaluable companion book to more standard methods books, which focus on the 'how to' of methods but are often devoid of any real discussion of the challenges of on-the-ground fieldwork."--Publisher's summary

"Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a member of the protein family intimately associated with zinc-containing endopeptidases, which are the main proteases implicated in extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. The high ability of MMPs in the degradation of extracellular proteins is an important event in many normal biological as well as pathologic processes, including tumor progression, tissue repair, wound healing, developmental morphogenesis, and inflammatory diseases. This review is focused on the description of the modulation mechanism of MMPs via oncoviruses. Up to now, a large number of oncogenic viruses have been detected and recognized as etiologic factors of multiple human cancers. Actually, by expression of several viral oncoproteins of tumorigenic viruses with the simple genetic system, we are able to deregulate or modulate the pathways of cell transformation procedure in malignancy. In brief, upregulated expression of MMPs genes by direct (through DNA binding) , as well as indirect interactions (by activating PI-3K/AKT, ERK/MAPK, IFN/JAK/STAT, JNK, NF-κB signaling pathways and/or immune response) with tumorigenic viruses, have a noticeable role in the proliferation of cells, as well as angiogenesis, mobility, EMT, invasiveness, and metastatic features. In fact, the growth of tumor-related researchers offers a future perspective for the efficiency of targeted, molecular-based therapies and its anticancer effects via diverse mechanisms such as the suppression of viral oncoproteins. "