prevention

Cancer, as a disease, has found a place in the social imaginary. Individuals construct ideas based on pre-established discourses—be they medical, media, or popular—which often hinder its prevention. Educational interventions have tended to focus on spreading information about the disease, ignoring its social connotations. The objective of the present study is to investigate the concept of cancer prevention in 980 adolescents, aged between 12 and 18 years, attending primary and secondary school in three public schools and one private school in the metropolitan region of São Paulo and the municipality of Dom Viçoso, Minas Gerais. The notion of prevention implies the dominant feeling of performing medical examinations from a symptom, against the idea of preventing, even when there is no clinical manifestation of the body. The majority of students emphasize the advantages of early diagnosis and that the decisive factor for the cure corresponds to the moment of detection: "cancer must be discovered in time". This is a solid belief within the body of knowledge about the disease that can be used as a starting point in prevention messages.However, even when the importance of early detection of cancer is understood as an essential element for its cure, care practices do not accompany the set of principles that regulate prevention or its demands.

The Emergency Department (ED) is a place that regularly deals with acute scenarios and people that are generally sensitive in nature. In a fast-paced environment such as this, people can be emotionally charged and react in different ways. Unfortunately, nurses in the ED tend to be most affected. Literature shows that workplace violence incidents that occur tend to involve ED nurses. Furthermore, ED nurses are more inclined to have an attitude that makes them think that any acts of transgression are “part of the job” and incidents usually go underreported. Moreover, reporting tools are usually difficult to use and tend to be a barrier to reporting workplace violence. In this evidence-based project, ED nurses will participate in an educational prevention program that will help equip them with the knowledge and awareness that is needed to decrease the incidence of workplace violence. Furthermore, a new, easy-to-use reporting tool will be implemented for ED staff. An implementation of an easier reporting tool and an education prevention program on the incidence of workplace violence will help reduce the number of future incidents of workplace violence. The purpose of this evidence-based project is to create a “zero tolerance” workplace culture for ED nurses that ultimately decreases the incidence of workplace violence. Based on research, an educational program and new reporting tool will be implemented at an urban community hospital in Westchester. Included is a purpose statement, and operational and conceptual definition, PICO questions, and an evidence-based practice protocol for workplace violence.

Background: For the prevention of respiratory infection similar to the current pandemic COVID-19, face masks are considered an effective method. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a highly transmittable virus that continues to disrupt livelihoods, particularly those of low-income segments of society, around the world has poor knowledge towards facemask at the same time has huge gape towards attitude which affects the behaviors. Therefore this study was aimed to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice towards facemask use amid the COVID-19 pandemic among public transport drivers in Debre-Tabor town, Ethiopia, 2021.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 407 public transport drivers in Debre-Tabor town from July to August 2021. The study participants were selected using a simple random sampling technique after proportionally allocating the sample size from the total number of public transport drivers, and finally, study subjects were elected continuously working in Debre- Tabor Town public transport drivers. The data were collected by trained data collectors using a structured questionnaire with face-to-face interview administered questioners and an on-the-spot observational checklist. The collected data were checked, coded, and entered into SPSS version 23, and for data cleaning and analysis.Result: A total of 407 drivers responded to the questionnaire with a response rate of 96.4% were participated in this study. The mean age was 32.75 years (range: 19-45 years). Among them majority was male 383(94.1%) and the majority of 177(43.5%) were Bajaj drives. Among the responders, 114(28%) used radio to gather information, and 41(10.1%) drivers where were caught by COVID-19, but, only 30(7.4%) were vaccinated COVID-19 vaccine. Knowledge, attitude and practices regarding facemask use among these drivers were 368(90.4% [95% CI: 87.7-93.1]). 163(40% [95% CI: 37.5% - 43.2%]), and 23 ((5.6%) [95% CI: 3.7% - 8.3%]) Regarding facemask use against COVID-19 infection respectivelyConclusion and recommendation: The current study was able to demonstrate 90.4% of drivers had good knowledge. Positive attitude and practice levels of face mask use among drivers were less than half of them or 40%, and 5.6% respectively. There is a high supply of Surgical Face masks but poor attitude and practice. Almost all of the participants don’t wear a face mask despite having good knowledge about the transmission routes of COVID-19. The government COVID-19 prevention task force or health sector should be continued their awareness creation to bring behavioral change for the implementation of the COVID-19 prevention method, especially facemask.

Background: Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia have remained a major global public health threat in contributing significantly to maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Based on the inverse relationship between serum 1,25(OH)2D3 levels and plasma renin activity found previously, it is speculated that 1,25(OH)2D3 might be a negative endocrine regulator of renin production in vivo. During pregnancy, vitamin D may play a role in implantation and placental function potentially due to angiogenic, immunomodulatory, and antiinflammatory effects. Vitamin Ddeficiency can affect the health of both mother and fetus by increasing the production of inflammatory cytokines and stimulating the activity of T-regulating cells. Vitamin D is emerging as a promising agent for pre-eclampsia prevention. Aims and objectives: The objective of this study is to compare the vitamin D levels in pre-eclamptic and healthy non-pre-eclamptic pregnant women in labor and find out the relationship between vitamin D levels and pre-eclampsia. Methodology: The present cross-sectional study was carried out on pregnant women with pre-eclampsia in labor. For each case with pre-eclampsia, one uncomplicated, normotensive pregnant woman in labor was taken as control. On admission to the labor room detailed history, physical examination followed by thorough obstetrics and systemic examination was done. Required investigations were done including vitamin D and calcium levels. Maternal and fetal condition was monitored during labor/cesarean section, mode of delivery, maternal and fetal outcomes were recorded. After delivery, 2cc of cord blood was collected in a serum tube and sent for vitamin D levels. Data was collected and analyzed statistically using Epi-info version 7.1.Results: It was observed that the patients in both groups were comparable with respect to demographic and obstetrics characteristics except for significantly high BP in group I. Vitamin Ddeficiency (i.e. < 20 ng/ml) was significantly more in group I as compared to group II and the difference was highly significant (p < 0.0001). Similarly, the mean maternal calcium levels were significantly lower in group I in comparison to group II (p < 0.0001) i.e. the mean maternal calcium level in group I and group II were 8.03 ± 0.94 and 9.19 ± 0.67 respectively. It was also observed that the level of 25-OH-D in neonates of preeclamptic women was significantly lower than for those of the normal pregnant women (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in all parts of the world. Pregnant women and neonates are highly vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency. Preeclampsia is indeed associated with lower vitamin D levels and the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia involves vitamin D and calcium metabolism through their role in immunomodulation, angiogenesis and anti-inflammatory effects. From the present study, it was observed that vitamin D and calcium levels were significantly lowered in women with pre-eclampsia as compared to those of the normotensive pregnant women. So early detection of vitamin D and calcium deficiencies may be helpful in preventing occurrence of PET and its complications.

Due to extensive COVID-19 prevention measures, millions of tons of chemicals penetrated the natural environment. Alterations of viruses in the environment, the neglected perceiver of environmental fluctuations, remain obscure. Chemicals especially trihalomethane restrained the virus community diversity. Segments of SARS-CoV-2 RNA have been detected near hospitals that suggesting the environment as a missing link in the transmission route. Human viruses lurking in the environment were potentially activated by pandemic prevention chemicals, warning an overlooked burden to human health. This letter warns of the risk of activation of human viruses in the environment following the overuse of COVID-19 prevention devices and emphasizes the long-term monitoring of environmental viruses in the post-pandemic period.

Background: Many institutional factors predispose University students to mental health issues, including depression. However, with no central database for depression in Uganda, literature on depression and associated institutional factors among undergraduate students is scarce. This study examined the prevalence of and institutional factors associated with depression among undergraduate students at Gulu University.Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey among 452 undergraduate students at Gulu University in the academic year 2018/2019 in February and March 2019. A stratified simple random sampling was used to identify the participants. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, including mean and frequency, were used. We conducted a bivariate analysis to determine the association between variables employing Pearson’s chi-square test or Fischer’s exact test. We conducted a multivariate analysis with factors that had significant P-values of less than 0.05.Results: The average age of the respondents was 22.4 (SD - 2.4), more than half (53.1%) were male and 38.50% were in the second year. The results show that 31.19% reported depression. After controlling for age and sex, the results showed that there was a statistically significant correlation between depression and faculty (aOR - 1.15), year of study (aOR - 0.77), happiness with the course (aOR - 0-0.49), satisfaction with academic performance (aOR - 0.45), and satisfaction with academic quality (aOR - 0.61). The results indicated that the predictors of depression among undergraduate students were faculty, year of study, satisfaction with academic performance, and satisfaction with academic quality. Conclusion: A substantial proportion of Gulu University undergraduate students reported high levels of depression. The results, therefore, showed that depression in undergraduate students is an identifiable disorder that needs diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Faculty, year of study, satisfaction with academic performance, satisfaction with academic quality were predictors of depression. Thus there is an urgent need for counseling, psychoeducation, and preventive mental health services as an essential part of the university setup.

A literature-based review was made to assess available information on bovine hemoparasites related to their epidemiology, distribution, and economic importance in Ethiopia. Babesiosis, anaplasmosis, cowdriosis, theileriosis, and trypanosomosis are the major hemo-parasitic disease of bovine in Ethiopia. Their adverse effects on the health of the animals can decrease production and productivity. Hemoparasites generally cause fever, anemia, jaundice, anorexia, weight loss, milk drop, malaise, swelling of lymph nodes, dyspnoea, diarrhea, nervous disorders, and death by affecting blood vessels and/or lymphatic system of the animal. Reports from different parts of the country displayed there is a high distribution of bovine hemoparastic disease throughout the country. Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis (redwater), Ehlichiosis (Heartwater), Theileriosis, and Trypanosomosis are the major hemoparasitic diseases with heavy economic losses. Their mode of transmission was by arthropod vectors ticks and flies. Applying effective vector control and using vaccines drugs are the two most important control methods for hemoparasites diseases. Also having knowledge of parasite life cycles, their biological vector, and the immune response of bovines to vectors and parasites were also used in the successful application of control strategies. Creating awareness of the mode of transmission, method of control, and prevention of hemoparastic disease of bovine to livestock owners were warranted to decrease the effect of the disease.

Background: Sepsis among newborns is common and a major cause of neonatal deaths in developing countries. Annually, about 4 million neonatal deaths occur around the world. Of these, more than 30% are caused by infections majority of which start as umbilical cord infections. Topical umbilical cord care can reduce omphalitis (umbilical cord infection) and neonatal mortality among newborns.Objective: This study aimed to compare the incidence of omphalitis in different cord care interventions (Dry, Chlorhexidine, and Alcohol) in Nakuru County, Kenya. Methodology: A randomized controlled trial was carried out between July 2018 and June 2019. A total of 540 newborns were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 3 cord care regimens; twice cord cleansing with 4% chlorhexidine (Group 1), twice cord cleansing with 70% alcohol (Group 2), and dry cord care (Group 3) as control. Results: The risk of omphalitis was significantly reduced in the chlorhexidine group than in dry and alcohol cord care groups. The incidence of omphalitis was 1.95 times more likely to occur among the dry cord care group [AOR = 1.95; 95% CI = 1.13-3.38; p = 0.017] compared to the chlorhexidine group. Similarly, babies in the alcohol group were nearly 2 times more likely to develop omphalitis [AOR = 1.98; 95% CI = 1.15-33.40; p = 0.014] compared to those in the chlorhexidine group.Conclusion and recommendation: Chlorhexidine topical cord care significantly reduces the risk of umbilical infection in neonates when compared to both topical alcohol application and dry cord care approach. It should be recommended to be used topically for the prevention of omphalitis in our setup.

Despite the rising burden of fungal infections across the globe, the World Health Organization's efforts remained questionable in fungal infection-related projects. Most of the developing countries consequently lost focus on the need for assessment and establishment of national surveillance set up or advanced technology hubs against mycological infections. The current study aimed to the determination of the local burden of cutaneous fungal infections in 2019-2021. Among 497 suspected fungal cultures, 22.5% depicted fungal growth. Among males, the prevalence of dermatomycosis was 0.75 times higher than in females. Penicillium species followed by Epidermophyton and Candida species were common among subjects of < 30 years of age. The Aspergillus spp, Penicillium spp, mucormycosis agents, and Candida albicans infections were more common among subjects 30 to 60 years of age. Aspergillus species were more commonly observed among patients > 60 of age. 22.2% of the fungal infections were Penicillium species, 9% of the infections were Aspergillus species, followed by 4.4% of Epidermophyton, mucormycosis, Candida species, and Candida albicans respectively. There is an urgent need for the establishment of national policy for the prevention of fungal disease.

Background: The novel coronavirus is a rapidly spreading respiratory disease that has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) and a global public health emergency. The use of face masks has been recommended by the WHO and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as a standard prevention method for transmission of COVID-19.Objective: The objective of this study is to determine face mask utilization and associated factors in combating the COVID-19 pandemic among government employees in Akaki district administration offices in Akaki District, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2022Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted from December 1, 2021, to February 15, 2022, on 385 government employees working in Akaki district administration offices. After obtaining consent from the study participants, data were collected using pretested, self-administered, and standardized questionnaires adapted from other studies. After the data was collected, it was entered into Epi info version 7.2.6, cleaned, and analyzed using SPSS version 26. A logistic regression model was computed to measure the association between the predictor and outcome variables. A p - value of.05 with a 95% CI was used as the cut-off point to declare the level of statistical significance. Results: The study showed that the magnitude of good practice for facemask utilization was 213 (53.5%) (95% CI: 1.50, 1.60) for preventing COVID-19. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the odds of using face masks among male employees (AOR = 0.275; 95% CI: 0.137, 0.555), employees aged 20-29 (AOR = 0.17; 95% CI: 0.065, 0.481 ), employees aged 30-39 (AOR = 0.260, 95% CI: 0.109, 0.623), employees of less than five family size (AOR = 0.549, 95% CI: 0.303, 0.995), work experience at 6-12 (AOR = 0, 32, 95 CI: 0.120, 0.450), poor knowledge about face mask use (AOR = 0.504, 95% CI: 0.302, 0.844), and employees with a negative attitude (AOR = 0.430, 95% CI: 0.256, 0.721) were factors significantly associated with face mask utilization.Conclusion: The magnitude of facemask utilization was low (53.5%) compared to other studies. The results of the study showed that age, sex, household family size, work experience, poor knowledge, and the negative attitude of employees toward facemask utilization were among the factors significantly associated with facemask utilization.

Boron and their derived molecules have prevention or treatment potential against prostate cancer. In this study, we aim to investigate the effects of Boric acid (BA) and Disodium Pentaborate Dechydrate (DPD) in metastatic prostate cancer cells such as DU-145 which is brain metastatic prostate cancer, and PC3 which is bone metastatic prostate cancer.Metastatic human prostate cancer cell lines, PC-3 and DU-145, were used to show whether inhibition effects of BA and DPD on prostate cancer cells in this study. BA and DPD were applied for 24 hours to the cells. Cell viability determination was performed using WST-1 assay. Apoptotic cell death was evaluated with Annexin-V/PI flow cytometric analysis and caspase-3 expression immunohistochemically. A wound healing assay was also used to measure cancer cell migration after exposure to BA and DPD.Applying BA and DPD made inhibition of cell proliferation in both BA (1 mM) and DPD (7 mM) at 24 h. The results of Annexin-V/PI showed that DPD induced higher levels of apoptosis than BA in both prostate cancer cells. Caspase-3 expressions were also higher than BA with DPD in both metastatic prostate cancer cells. We evaluated cell migration using a wound healing assay and the result showed that cell migration was inhibited with BA and DPD in both cells. Both BA and DPD inhibited the cell viability of metastatic prostate cancer cells. Apoptotic cell death with applying DPP had a higher rate than BA treatment. Moreover, BA and DPD inhibited cell migration in both cells when we compared them with control. This study’s results showed that BA and DPD of boron derivates significantly induced cells to apoptosis and the migration was inhibited by the derived form of boron in metastatic prostate cancer cells.

Introduction: Dead Sea Salt, rich in minerals and ionic compositions and low in Sodium Chloride (NaCl) has many reported unique properties that set it apart from other salts. Objectives: To evaluate the composition of Dead Sea Salt and assess its in vitro cytotoxicity, and efficacy against oral bacterial leukotoxins, oral endotoxins and oral glucan sucrase. Methods: The cytotoxicity was evaluated in an established cell line (solution at 5000 µg/mL of culture medium) using positive and negative control groups. The effect on oral bacterial leukotoxin (LtxA) and different concentrations of lipopolysaccharide and glucan sucrase was established at 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, and 96 hours using the HPLC method (high-performance liquid chromatography). Results: The most predominant elements detected were the water of crystallization (H2O, water that is found in the crystalline framework of salt and which is not directly bonded ), magnesium chloride (MgCl2), potassium chloride (KCl), sodium chloride (NaCl), calcium chloride (CaCl2), bromide (Br -) and sulfates (SO4). In vitro, Dead Sea Salt presented no cytotoxicity and was highly effective against leukotoxin, endotoxin, and glucan sucrase enzyme. Conclusion and clinical significance: We believe that rinsing with Dead Sea Salt has the potential to contribute to the prevention of periodontal, peri-implant and dental disease and merits clinical research.

Background: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is one of the most feared complications after brain tumor surgery. Despite several factors being considered to influence bleeding, an increasing number of clinical studies emphasize that hemostatic disorders, developed during surgical aggression and tumor status, could explain unexpected ICH. The objective of this prospective study was to evaluate the influence of perioperative D-dimer levels on ICH after brain tumor surgery. Methods: This prospective, observational, 18-month study, at a single third-level hospital, included all consecutive adults operated on brain tumors and postoperative stay in an intensive care unit. Three blood samples evaluated D-dimer levels (A-baseline, B-postoperative and C-24 hours after surgery). The normal range considered was 0-500ng/ml. ICH, as a primary outcome, was defined as bleeding that generates radiological signs of intracranial hypertension either by volume or by mass effect on the routine CT scan 24 hours after surgery. Other tumor features and hemostasis variables were analyzed. Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact test were used in the inferential analysis for qualitative variables and Wilcoxon and T-Test for quantitative ones. P-value < 0.05 was considered significant for a confidence interval of 95%. Results: A total of 109 patients operated on brain tumor surgery were finally included, 69 male (63,30%) and 40 female (36,70%), with a mean age of 54,60 ± 14,75 years. ICH was confirmed in 39 patients (35,78%). Their average of DDimer was A-1.526,70 ng/dl, B-1.061,88 ng/dl, and C-1.330,91 ng/dl (A p0.039, B p0,223 C p0.042, W-Wilcoxon test). The male group was also associated with ICH (p0,030 X2 test). Of those 39 patients with ICH, 30 in sample A (76,9%), 20 in sample B (51,28%) and 35 in sample C (89,74%) had a D-dimer > 500 ng/dl (p0,092, p1, p0,761 X2 test) and the relative risk of developing a postoperative hematoma in this patients was increased 0,36-fold presurgery, 0,25-fold postsurgery and 0,40-fold 24hours after surgery. D-dimer variation, had no statistical significance (p0,118, p0,195, p0,756 T-test). Platelets and prothrombin activity were associated with D-dimer levels only in sample A (p 0,02 and p 0,20, W Wilson). Conclusion: High levels of perioperative D-dimer could be considered a risk marker of ICH after brain tumor surgery. However, more studies would be worthwhile to confirm this association and develop primary prevention strategies for stroke. 

The mental health impact caused by COVID-19 on adolescents was reviewed, and due to limited data, adult results were included, to support our assertion that additional mental health resources are needed for both adult and young people. Positive gains would include improved socio-emotional skills, a decrease in maladaptive behaviors contributing to the disruption in interpersonal relationships and lifetime achievements, suicide attempts and psychopathology, persistent mental health concerns found in the juvenile justice and foster care systems and substance use addiction later in adulthood (The American Psychological Association, 2019; Garber & Weersing, 2010; Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, n.d.; Tomasello, 2018;). Geiger & Davis, 2019, found that 13% or 3.2 million United States (U.S.) teenagers aged 12 - 17 years old experienced at least one major depressive episode with the depression rate increasing 59% from 2007 to 2017. Therefore, we assert that developing programs to overcome barriers to mental health aid can reduce instances experienced in adolescence and adulthood.

Background: Pediatric nurses are in a unique position to provide oral health care to hospitalized children and help in the prevention and management of oral diseases. The objectives of this study were to determine pediatric nurses’ level of oral health knowledge and to evaluate their attitude towards the prevention of oral diseases and willingness to obtain more oral health education and training.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at 6 randomly selected hospitals in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. A self-administrated questionnaire with items including demographic data, dental knowledge, attitude, and willingness to obtain more information and training was completed by 240 pediatric nurses working in different pediatric medical wards.Results: On average, 64% of surveyed pediatric nurses had acceptable dental knowledge. Only 79% of nurses assess patients’ mouths on admission. About 77% of nurses claimed to receive instructions regarding oral care before qualification and 72% after qualification. However, 91% showed great attitudes and interest in providing oral care to hospitalized children and were willing to obtain more information about oral health care for children.Conclusion: Pediatric nurses working in Riyadh hospitals had limited oral health knowledge, however, they showed good awareness and a positive attitude toward promoting oral health care to hospitalized children.

Introduction: Oral habit is common in childhood and it is proven to cause multiple adverse effects on oral and general health, while oral habits in the adult population are under looked. The prevalence of oral habits varied among different societies. The extent of these effects varies depending on a wide range of variables including the actual habit, the duration, and the intensity of the oral habit. Objectives: The primary objective is to determine the prevalence of oral habits in adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the secondary objective is awareness of different types of oral habits and their adverse effects.Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study using questionnaire through google form which will address the prevalence of 5 Oral habits in the adult population, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia such as nail biting, chewing on pens/pencils/Miswak, using the teeth as a tool, chewing ice, and teeth clenching/grinding and bruxism. Also, it will address the awareness of these 5 oral habits and their adverse effects on oral health and prevention modalities. Results: There were 220 participants. The majority were Saudi (52.7%), females (83.2%) with bachelor’s degrees (63.6%) and around fifty percent with age below 30 years old. The most prevalent pattern was using teeth as a tool (46.8%), followed by chewing ice (43.6%) and nail-biting (39.1%). All five habits were mainly started in childhood; however, a respectable percentage of beginning is still reported during adulthood, particularly for clenching/grinding/ bruxism and chewing ice, with a ratio of 36.4% and 25%, respectively. Most participants who reported clenching/grinding/ bruxism and nail-biting were related to stress (75.3%, 48.8%, respectively). The majority reported that oral habits could harm teeth (82.3%) and could be preventable (78.6%).Discussion: Most of the studies concentrate on oral habits in children while few studies had concentrated on oral habits in adults. Oral habit is not uncommon in adults, they have either to continue childhood bad habits or practice new oral habit. The adverse effect varies widely on oral and general health. Although the adult population is aware of these side effects few only seek medical advice.Conclusion: In Saudi Arabia, oral habit is not uncommon in adults. So the recommendation for the prevention of oral habits is to embed it in all public services, at strategic and operational levels.

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus associated with the disease called COVID-19 and become a global pandemic. The only way to prevent its severe scenarios is through timely and rapid testing. In comparison to more time taking gold-standard RT-PCR testing, rapid diagnostic kits are used. For better prevention and diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, the analysis of rapid diagnostic kits' accuracy and specificity is necessary. This study is meant to assess and examine the viability, responsiveness, and explicitness of quick antigen distinguishing nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS), and saliva-based units. The study was conducted on 200 suspected COVID-19 patients from Islamabad, 100 of which were RT-PCR positive while 100 were RT-PCR negative. For the analysis of Rapid diagnostic COVID-19 kits (RDT), nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) and saliva samples were taken from the RT-PCR positive and negative patients. Among 100 RT-PCR positive patients, 62% were males (19 - 91 years), 34% were females (20 - 78 years) and 4% were children (6 - 17 years). False-negative results were significantly more observed in saliva-based RDTs of the sample (49%) as compared to nasopharyngeal swab RDT (38%). There were 2% invalid results in saliva-based RDT and 3% invalid results in Nasopharyngeal swab RDT. While among 100 RT-PCR negative patients 69% were males (19 - 80 yrs), 27% were females (18 - 77 yrs) and 4% were children (12 - 16 yrs.). False positive results were significantly more in saliva-based RDT (22%) as compared to Nasopharyngeal swab RDT (13%). The sensitivity and specificity of saliva-based RDT were 67% and 87% respectively while that of Nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) was 72% and 82% respectively, both of which were less than the gold standard RT-PCR sensitivity demanding the introduction of more sensitive RDT kits in Pakistan for accurate detection of COVID-19.

Among the conditioning factors of Diabetic Foot (DF), neuropathy is considered the main factor, arteriopathy the aggravating factor, and foot deformities the triggering factor. The preventive interventions for DF and its complications are distributed by levels of care. At the higher level, hospital care focuses on reducing DF amputations. At the lower level, Primary Care (PC) and Podiatry, focused on preventing DF. PC is considered the ideal place to identify the conditioning factors of DF. In this area, prevention follows the recommendations of the International Working Group on Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) by screening neuropathy focused on the sensitive or insensitive foot. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) a recommends person-centered assessment of neuropathy by clinical examination of symptoms and signs testing sensory, motor, and autonomic neuropathy. This controversy lead us to investigate which methodology (screening or clinical examination) could be more accurate in identifying the conditioning factors of DF in a group of people recruited in the TERMOPIEDI study. Neuropathy was assessed following the definition of diabetic neuropathy, the Young MJ diagnostic criteria, and the Toronto Council diagnostic category. These results allowed us to know the applicability of this procedure in PC within nursing competencies, detecting a greater number of patients with neuropathy compared to the screening method. People with neuropathy presented higher plantar temperature, concluding that neuropathy interferes with foot thermoregulation.

Numerous studies of bullying in schools have identified aspects of the environment (E) and aspects of the person (P) as contributing to the prevalence of bullying in schools. It is proposed that the concept of desire can play a central role in explaining how bullying in schools arises and how it can be effectively addressed by schools by promoting social and emotional learning, mindfulness, and problem-solving techniques such as the Method of Shared Concern. The article identifies a need for further research to confirm the hypothesized relationships and assess the utility of the concept of desire as a variable in research and the practice of bullying prevention in schools.

Neurological disorders are a significant cause of mortality and disability across the world. The current aging population and population expansion have seen an increase in the prevalence of neurological and psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia. These pose a significant societal burden, especially in low - and middle-income countries. Many neurological disorders have complex mechanisms and lack definitive cures; thus, improving our understanding of them is essential. The pathophysiology of neurological disorders often includes inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Oxidative stress processes, especially the generation of reactive oxygen species, are key mechanisms in the development of neurological disorders. Oxidative stress refers to an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species and antioxidants that can counteract them. Through their impacts on the pathophysiology of neurological disorders, nutrients with anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and antioxidative properties have been suggested to prevent or mitigate these disorders. Certain vitamins, minerals, polyphenols and flavonoids may have therapeutic effects as adjuvant treatments for neurological disorders. Diet quality is also a risk factor for some neurological and psychiatric disorders and addressing nutritional deficiencies may alleviate symptoms. Therefore, optimizing nutritional intake may represent a potential treatment or prevention strategy. This review summarizes a selection of promising nutrients for the prevention and amelioration of neurological disorders to provide a summary for scientists, clinicians and patients, which may improve understanding of the potential benefits of nutrients in the treatment of neurological disorders.