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Jan 2024 DOI 10.14302/issn.2641-4538.jphi-23-4856
Rashid AlKalbani SalmaCorresponding author
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major public health problem worldwide, as it is the third most common disease and the second leading cause of cancer-related fatalities. In recent years, Oman, like many other countries, has seen an epidemiological shift from communicable diseases to noncommunicable diseases, including colorectal cancer, necessitating comprehensive planning to address the root cause of the problem as well as a comprehensive screening program to detect diseases at an early stage and thus improve health outcomes. Colorectal cancer is the second most frequent cancer in Oman, with the highest mortality rate, inflicting considerable public health and economic consequences; nevertheless, there is no population-based CRC screening programme in place to minimise the disease's incidence, mortality, and severe health outcomes. This review highlights the epidemiology of colorectal cancer in Oman, the Wilson and Junger criteria, operational readiness, and recommendations for implementing a population-based colorectal cancer screening program.
Apr 2020 DOI 10.14302/issn.2641-4538.jphi-20-3296
Rezapour BarataliCorresponding author
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health, Assistant Professor, PhD in Health education and promotion, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
Preventable factors such as infectious diseases (pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria), malnutrition and neonatal complications are still the leading cause of child mortality worldwide 1 In 2013, it is estimated that 6.3 million babies born worldwide died before the age of 5, and approximately 9.2% of these deaths were due to diarrheal diseases 23 in simple, accessible ways, and effective treatment can reduce diarrhea-related mortality and make hospital admissions unnecessary, and the role of mothers is the most important 4. Since the presentation of Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) in 1979, mortality has reduced. Diarrhea has had a steady downward trend 5. If mothers who have children under 5 years of age, used correctly ORS, they could easily resolve the problem of dehydration in acute diarrhea 6. Mothers didn’t use correctly ORS because of their Low literacy and lack of knowledge and wrong attitude about ORT7. Some health care workers provide mothers’ required equipments, regardless of their educational needs, and mothers may not use ORS. In this study, health workers identified mothers' educational needs and subsequently they trained them about using ORS at home in acute diarrhea in children under 5 years of age.
Mar 2020 DOI 10.14302/issn.2694-1198.jge-20-3206
Volobuev A.N.Corresponding author
Samara State Medical University. Department of Medical Physics. Samara, Russia
On the basis of Hardy – Weinberg’s law the problem of inbreeding in a family tree and a population was investigated. With use of an inbreeding factor are received the discrete equation for a family tree and differential equation for a population. The numerical solution of the differential equation for a population was found and analyzed at various values of the inbreeding factor. Migration of inbred population is investigated in view of natural selection. It was shown that velocity of migration falls with increase of the inbreeding factor. Interrelation of the recessive allele frequency at woman for a migrating population with inbreeding factor and standard parameter of selection was found.
Jan 2020 DOI 10.14302/issn.2694-1198.jge-19-3141
Volobuev A.N.Corresponding author
Samara State Medical University. Department of Medical Physics. Samara, Russia
On the basis of Hardy – Weinberg law the problem of migration from the genetic point of view is considered. It is proved the linear differential equation of migratory process of a panmictic population. The phase of the solution of this equation is investigated. On the basis of the carried out analysis the dependence of migration velocity of a population on average time of alternation of generations is found. It is shown that migration of primitive people from Africa to Europe needed alternation the several hundred generations. The dependence of migration velocity of a population on the average area developed by a population for year is investigated. Lacks of the carried out analysis owing to absence of the account of natural selection and inbreeding are marked.
Dec 2019 DOI 10.14302/issn.2694-1198.jge-19-3079
Volobuev A.N.Corresponding author
Samara State Medical University, Department of Medical Physics, Samara, Russia
The problem of natural selection against recessive homozygotes in a population is investigated. It is shown that natural selection of mutant alleles linked with the Х-chromosome in a population at women is described by the nonlinear differential equation of the third order. The order of the differential equation characterizes a power of selection. It is marked that the high order of the differential equation of natural selection allows level all mutational processes in Earth populations.
Jul 2019 DOI 10.14302/issn.2694-1198.jge-19-2756
Volobuev A.N.Corresponding author
Samara State Medical University, Department of Medical Physics, Samara, Russia
Processes of genetic-mathematical modeling of a population development are considered. A basic distinction in the mathematical description of a family tree and a population is shown. In a family tree alternation of generations has discrete character. In a population there is a continuous alternation of generations. The method of the differential equations is applied for the description of a population. It is shown that mutational process in a population can be described with use of a Green’s function. For radiating influence on a population the universal evolutionary law is found.
Dec 2024 DOI 10.14302/issn.2642-9241.jrd-24-5320
Djelo Diallo BoubacarCorresponding author
Introduction Mortality is one of the most important demographic phenomena in public health, and its rate is the primary indicator of a population's state of health. The aim of this study was to describe the profile of patients in the pneumo-phthisiology department of the Hospital National Ignace Deen CHU in Conakry. Methodology This was a retrospective descriptive study lasting one year, from 01 January to 31 December 2023, on 176 records of hospitalized patients who died in the pneumophthisiology department of the Ignace Deen National Hospital. Results A total of 1043 patients were hospitalized during our study period, 176 of whom died, giving a mortality rate of 16.87%. The mean age of the deceased patients was 49.57±18.8 years, with a male predominance (sex ratio=1.93). Clinical signs on admission were dominated by dyspnoea (70.45%) and chest pain (61.36%). Tuberculosis was the most common diagnosis with a frequency of 42.61%, followed by TB/HIV co-infection with a frequency of 22.16%. The average length of hospitalization was 8.79 days. Probable cause of death was dominated by respiratory distress (54.44%) and decompensated anaemia (32.95%). Conclusion Mortality in the pneumo-phthisiology department of the Ignace Deen National Hospital remains high. Anemia and respiratory distress were the most common diagnoses of severity, hence the need to improve management of these probable causes of death.
Dec 2024 DOI 10.14302/issn.2470-0436.jos-24-5322
Pestana Aguiar CatarinaCorresponding author
Studies show that individuals with limited health literacy skills experience worse health outcomes in a multitude of chronic diseases including glaucoma. These patients have poorer compliance, worse disease understanding and greater disease progression. The main purpose of our study was to evaluate the knowledge about glaucoma basic concepts in patients with this disease. A 24 question survey was given to patients followed by the glaucoma department, by phone or in person. Epidemiological data and personal therapeutic regimens were collected as well as data concerning the pathophysiology, treatment and prognosis of the disease. Survey responses were obtained from 79 patients with a mean age of 72 years old. Most of the patients had a low education level. The majority of patients could not enumerate glaucoma risk factors (74.5%), their glaucoma type (94.9%) or the best glaucoma definition (57%). However, they were able to relate the disease to a high IOP (75.9%) and the possibility of it leading to blindness (96.2%). We believe that patients, when observed in their glaucoma appointments, tend to retain information related to the prognosis and consequences of the disease and not focus on the understanding of its pathophysiology, causes and mechanisms, which may reflect their concern about their own future. However, this may lead to some misconceptions about the definition of glaucoma and specially about what can cause this disease. Some investment should be done to improve health literacy in the glaucoma population, with appropriate language and handed material.
Sep 2024 DOI 10.14302/issn.2577-137X.ji-24-5207
Olutola AyodotunCorresponding author
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy has emerged as a major challenge to global efforts to control the pandemic, particularly in Nigeria, where hesitancy to other effective vaccines such as polio and measles has been widely reported. Several individual, societal, and structural factors contribute to this behaviour and prevent the effectiveness of COVID-19 prevention efforts. Objectives This study sought to identify the predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the seven states of North-Central, Nigeria. Methods A population-based cross-sectional online survey was conducted among residents using a semi-structured questionnaire adapted from the WHO SAGE vaccine hesitancy scale and distributed via social media networks over 8-weeks. Results A total of 1,429 responses met the inclusion criteria and were analysed. Among the respondents, 60.7% were males, 47.5% were between the ages of 26 and 45, and 80.1% had postsecondary education. A total of 421 respondents (29.5%) were hesitant and unwilling to receive the vaccine. The reasons for hesitancy were concerns about side effects (37.1%), doubt about the existence of COVID-19 (11.0%), and the perception of time required to receive the vaccine (9.6%). Post-secondary education (AOR: 0.49, 0.36-0.66) and people of the Islamic faith (AOR: 0.68, 0.52-0.90) were found to be associated with lower levels of hesitancy. Conclusion The study found that vaccine hesitancy is a complex problem that is linked with multiple social determinants of health as lower educational attainment, lower income and Christian faith were found to be predictors of vaccine hesitancy. Confidence, Complacency and Convenience factors were expressed by respondents as concerns about side effects, doubt about the existence of COVID-19 and time required to receive the vaccines were the most prominent reasons for unwillingness to receive the vaccine. In order to protect the public health of communities, targeted interventions are required to increase vaccine acceptance by cultivating trust in vaccines, disseminating accurate information, and engaging with community stakeholders including religious groups.
Mar 2020 DOI 10.14302/issn.2575-1212.jvhc-20-3225
di Virgilio FabrizioCorresponding author
DVM, Clinique Vétérinaire Vet24 – 59700 – Marcq en Baroeul, France
Objective To evaluate/ determine the risk factors for dogs presented with Gastric Dilation- Volvulus (GDV) to a referral veterinary centre and to compare the results with those currently reported in veterinary literature. Materials and Methods The observational case-control study comprised a population of 215 dogs that attended the referral centre between 2000 and 2018. Medical records were searched for GDV and those matching the criteria were manually reviewed. A questionnaire was completed by the owners of the dogs involved in the study (both case and control populations) in order to gain further information that could be considered relevant to GDVs. In particular, information included the dogs’ behaviour and the dogs daily activities. Results The study included 115 cases of GDV and 115 controls. Out of the GDV dogs 13% (15/115) were small breed dogs and the remaining 87% (100/115) either large or giant breeds. The following risk factors for developing a GDV have been identified: Purebred dogs over 3 years old and either large of giant breeds, weighing > 30 kg. Foreign body ingestion, diarrhoea, and grass consumption were also associated to increase the likelihood in developing GDV. Behavioural temperament was not associated with developing GDV. Clinical Significance The findings support previously identified risk factors in the development of GDV, but characteristics related to the dogs temperament warrant further investigation. Knowledge of these results will further allow clinicians to make evidence‐based recommendations to owners in attempting to prevent GDV in dogs. Furthermore this paper confirms that the risk of GDV in certain breeds and in certain conditions is always high and that GDV is still an extremely current disease.
Aug 2019 DOI 10.14302/issn.2572-3030.jcgb-19-2597
Oluwafemi Oyamakin S.Corresponding author
Department of Statistics, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
In other to present a series of stochastic models from population dynamics capable of describing rudimentary aspects of genetic evolution, we studied two-allele Wright–Fisher and the Moran models for evolution of the relative frequencies of two alleles at a diploid locus under random genetic drift in a population of fixed size “simplest form, selection, and random mutation”. Principal results were presented in qualitative terms, illustrated by Monte Carlo simulations from R and http://www.radford.edu/~rsheehy/Gen_flash/popgen. Moran and the Wright-Fisher Models exhibited the same fixation probabilities, only that the Moran model runs twice as fast as the Wright-Fisher Model. A clue that can help us to understand this result is provided by the variance in reproductive success in the two models. Genetic changes due to drift were neither directional nor predictable in any deterministic way. Nonetheless, genetic drift led to evolutionary change in the absence of mutation (P=0.5), natural selection or gene flow. In general, alleles drift to fixation is significantly faster in smaller populations. Probability of fixation of an allele A was approximately equivalent to the initial frequency of that allele. With the inclusion of selection in our model, probability of fixation of a favoured allele due to natural selection increased with increase in fitness advantage and population size. The time taken to reach fixation is much slower, in case of no selective advantage, than a fixation under mutation with selective advantage.
Nov 2017 DOI 10.14302/issn.2576-6694.jbbs-17-1748
Nair AjayCorresponding author
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104, USA
Neo-Darwinian natural selection theory indicates that sudden, drastic changes in the environment place selective pressure on genetic variants in a population. As time progresses, this pressure sculpts individuals to better fit this new environment. Waddington’s classic experiment was repeated using white-eyed (the w1118strains) flies which produced the crossveinless (cve; disturbed wing crossveins) trait from the parent generation. The F1 generation was split into two selection lines: an Upward Selection Line, that produced more cve in successive generations, and a Downward Selection Line that responded with a consistent but non-linear decline in the percentage of crossveinless. This article will introduce and enlarge observations made on flies with cve; especially the manner in which the Waddington experiment impacts the population. It seems that Waddington evaluated crossveinless just by what it is good for, but not by the price of using it. That is to say, there is an inevitable cost that needs to be paid in order to acquire crossveinless-ness (cve and the associated phenotypes).
Oct 2015 DOI 10.14302/issn.2470-5020.jnrt-15-726
Tong Dao-MingCorresponding author
Department of Neurology, Affiliated Shu Yang People′s Hospital, XuZhou Medical University, Jiangsu, China
Background: A higher incidence of symptomatic lacunar infarction (LI) was confirmed in metropolitan areas. The aim of this study was to determinethe prevalence characteristics and early predictors of LI in a population of elderly outpatients in northern China. Methods: From February 2011 to March 2012, a retrospective cohort of new patients was selected for study, all registered neurologic outpatients of the tertiary teaching hospital in northern China. A total of 453 outpatients, clinically only having had an initial visit and a magnetic resonance imaging study of the brain, were enrolled. The prevalence characteristics and vascular risk factors of LI were assessed. Results: Of 453 symptomatic outpatients, 258(57.0%) patients had symptomatic LI. We found that the main types of symptomatic LI were nonfocal symptoms, such as dizziness and headache, dizziness/vertigo, and migraine/headache. Age, BMI, smoking, history of hypertension, duration of hypertension, existing hypertension, headache and dizziness, pure motor hemiparesis, blood glucose, hypercholesterolemia, systolic blood pressure, and ABCD2 score, were significantly higher in patients with LI than in those without LI (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression confirmed that hypertension ≥3years in duration (odds ratio=1.092; 95% CI, 1.019 -1.170) and a median mABCD2 score ≥4 (odds ratio=3.912; 95% CI, 2.955- 5.180) were independent, early predictors of symptomatic LI. Conclusions: The incidence of LI in Northern China was located at the higher end of range in northern China, and common type of symptomatic LI was nonfocal symptoms. Hypertension of long duration and high-risk ABCD2 scores are early predictors of symptomatic LI.