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Objective: Despite widespread perceptions that SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) is no longer a significant threat, the virus continues to loom, and new variants may require renewed efforts to control its spread. Understanding how individual preferences and attitudes influence vaccination behaviour and policy compliance in light of the endemic phase is crucial in preparation for this scenario. Method: This paper presents descriptive data from a global stated choice survey conducted in 22 countries across 6 different continents between July 2022 and August 2023, and reports the methodological work developed to address the need for comparable data. Results: This study included 50,242 respondents. Findings indicated significant heterogeneity across countries in terms of vaccination status and willingness to accept boosters. Vaccine hesitancy and refusal were driven by lower trust in public health bodies, younger age, and lower educational levels. Refusers and hesitant people reported lower willingness to take risks compared to those fully vaccinated (p<0.05). Lower mental health levels were found for the hesitant cohort (p<0.05). Conclusions: Insights from this database can help public health authorities to gain a new understanding of the vaccine hesitancy phenomenon, support them in managing the transition from the pandemic to the endemic phase, and favour a new stream of research to maximise behavioural response to vaccination programs in preparation of future pandemics.

This study presents detailed crop and gas flux data from two years of rice production at the experimental farm of the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India. In comparing 4 nitrogen (N) fertiliser regimes across 4 rice cultivars (CRD 310, IR-64, MTU 1010, P-44), we have added to growing evidence of the environmental costs of rice production in the region. The study shows that rice cultivar can impact yields of both grain, and total biomass produced in given circumstances, with the CRD 310 cultivar showing consistently high nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) for total biomass compared with other tested varieties, but not necessarily with the highest grain yield, which was P-44 in this experiment. While NUE of the rice did vary depending on experimental treatments (ranging from 41% to 73%), 73%), this did not translate directly into the reduction of emissions of ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Emissions were relatively similar across the different rice cultivars regardless of NUE. Conversely, agronomic practices that reduced total N losses were associated with higher yield. In terms of fertiliser application, the outstanding impact was of the very high methane (CH4) emissions as a result of incorporating farmyard manure (FYM) into rice paddies, which dominated the overall effect on global warming potential. While the use of nitrification and urease inhibiting substances decreased N2O emissions overall, NH3 emissions were relatively unaffected (or slightly higher). Overall, the greatest reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions came from reducing irrigation water added to the fields, resulting in higher N2O, but significantly less CH4 emissions, reducing net GHG emission compared with continuous flooding. Overall, genetic differences generated more variation in yield and NUE than agronomic management (excluding controls), whereas agronomy generated larger differences than genetics concerning gaseous losses. This study suggests that a mixed ap

The COVID-19 pandemic caused and still causes unprecedented disruptions in daily lives of billions of people globally. It affects practices and routines across all household consumption domains, including clothing consumption. Drawing on Social Practice Theory, this article explores and compares changes in clothing acquisition practices during COVID-19 across nine countries: the USA, the UK, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Iran, Czech Republic, India, and Hong Kong SAR. Data was obtained through a standardized survey containing rated and open-ended questions, which were analyzed through descriptive quantitative analysis and inductive qualitative content analysis of open-ended questions. The results of this cross-country research indicate that all forms of fashion consumption, including more sustainable practices, have decreased during the pandemic. The most visible impacts have occurred in the material arrangements associated with fashion acquisition practices (e.g., closed physical shops, shipping disruptions, cancelled events, remote work, etc.). However, changes that result from these disruptions may be shorter-lived that changes that happened as a result of changing meanings associated with fashion consumption and its more sustainable forms and new competencies and skills acquired during the pandemic that could ensure more lasting practicing of more sustainable forms of fashion consumption.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused and still causes unprecedented disruptions in daily lives of billions of people globally. It affects practices and routines across all household consumption domains, including clothing consumption. Drawing on Social Practice Theory, this article explores and compares changes in clothing acquisition practices during COVID-19 across nine countries: the USA, the UK, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Iran, Czech Republic, India, and Hong Kong SAR. Data was obtained through a standardized survey containing rated and open-ended questions, which were analyzed through descriptive quantitative analysis and inductive qualitative content analysis of open-ended questions. The results of this cross-country research indicate that all forms of fashion consumption, including more sustainable practices, have decreased during the pandemic. The most visible impacts have occurred in the material arrangements associated with fashion acquisition practices (e.g., closed physical shops, shipping disruptions, cancelled events, remote work, etc.). However, changes that result from these disruptions may be shorter-lived that changes that happened as a result of changing meanings associated with fashion consumption and its more sustainable forms and new competencies and skills acquired during the pandemic that could ensure more lasting practicing of more sustainable forms of fashion consumption.

Measuring the population-level relationship between compromised mental health and diabetes care remains an important goal for clinicians and health care decision-makers. We evaluated the impact of self-reported unmet psychological need on health care resource utilization and total health care expenditure in people with type 2 diabetes. Patients who reported unmet psychological needs were more likely than those who did not to incur a higher annual medical expenditure, have greater resource utilization, and have a higher risk of all-cause mortality.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused and still causes unprecedented disruptions in daily lives of billions of people globally. It affects practices and routines across all household consumption domains, including clothing consumption. Drawing on Social Practice Theory, this article explores and compares changes in clothing acquisition practices during COVID-19 across nine countries: the USA, the UK, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Iran, Czech Republic, India, and Hong Kong SAR. Data was obtained through a standardized survey containing rated and open-ended questions, which were analyzed through descriptive quantitative analysis and inductive qualitative content analysis of open-ended questions. The results of this cross-country research indicate that all forms of fashion consumption, including more sustainable practices, have decreased during the pandemic. The most visible impacts have occurred in the material arrangements associated with fashion acquisition practices (e.g., closed physical shops, shipping disruptions, cancelled events, remote work, etc.). However, changes that result from these disruptions may be shorter-lived that changes that happened as a result of changing meanings associated with fashion consumption and its more sustainable forms and new competencies and skills acquired during the pandemic that could ensure more lasting practicing of more sustainable forms of fashion consumption.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused and still causes unprecedented disruptions in daily lives of billions of people globally. It affects practices and routines across all household consumption domains, including clothing consumption. Drawing on Social Practice Theory, this article explores and compares changes in clothing acquisition practices during COVID-19 across nine countries: the USA, the UK, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Iran, Czech Republic, India, and Hong Kong SAR. Data was obtained through a standardized survey containing rated and open-ended questions, which were analyzed through descriptive quantitative analysis and inductive qualitative content analysis of open-ended questions. The results of this cross-country research indicate that all forms of fashion consumption, including more sustainable practices, have decreased during the pandemic. The most visible impacts have occurred in the material arrangements associated with fashion acquisition practices (e.g., closed physical shops, shipping disruptions, cancelled events, remote work, etc.). However, changes that result from these disruptions may be shorter-lived that changes that happened as a result of changing meanings associated with fashion consumption and its more sustainable forms and new competencies and skills acquired during the pandemic that could ensure more lasting practicing of more sustainable forms of fashion consumption.

Unsustainable clothing consumption patterns, especially prevalent in the Global North, have come to the spotlight of media, policy-makers and the academic community in recent years. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the routine lives of citizens globally, which has impacted some consumers’ attitudes towards fashion and consumption practices. This study employs terror management theory and voluntary simplicity to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumers’ attitudes towards clothing consumption across six different countries, from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America. A structured qualitative study with closed, open-ended and multiple-choice questions was completed by a sample of consumers (N = 3748) across these countries. Among all participants of this study one-third reported that the pandemic had affected their attitude towards clothing and this study was mainly conducted to investigate the nature of those attitude changes. Qualitative analysis identified patterns of change in consumers’ attitude towards clothing (e.g., minimalism, grateful mindset, conscious mindset, decreased fashion desire, longevity and style confidence), which reveal potential for a lasting shift towards more sustainable consumption patterns. The results of this study highlight valuable managerial implications: the industry needs to respond to this shift in consumers’ attitude and move towards more sustainable business models and processes. Sufficiency-oriented business offerings, in particular, are becoming more accepted in the fashion industry. Moreover, these results are relevant for predicting future consumption patterns, especially considering that pandemics may become a more regular part of life.

Introduction: Palliative care is one of the most integral part of health care system which offers a support system to help the patients live peacefully until his last breath. India is categorized as a developing country; however, over the past 20 years, increases in the aging population and prevalence of advanced cancer are common. Together with China, the country has the second largest population in the world. It is estimated that one million new cases of cancer occur each year in India, with over 80% presenting at stage III and IV. The need of palliative care in India is immense. Assessing the knowledge regarding the palliative care can help us to understand the neglected area of concern and can enhance the student nurses to be competent while providing the care to the needy. Objectives: The aim of the study were to assess the knowledge regarding palliative care among student nurses and to find the association between the knowledge and with their socio-demographic characteristics. Materials and Methods: A quantitative research approach with descriptive survey design was selected for the study. The non-probability convenient sampling technique was used to select 50 student nurses selected college of Mathura Uttar Pradesh. A valid and reliable structured questionnaire to assess the knowledge among student nurses, were used to collect data in 1 week. A significant association was found between the knowledge score and with nursing course, age, gender and source of information as selected socio demographic variables. Maximum (68%) of student nurses had adequate knowledge score and (32%) were having inadequate knowledge. Due attention should be given towards palliative care by all the health care institutions and is needed to be incorporated in the curriculum of nurse education so that students should be made aware and they can practice in health care setting.

Introduction: Palliative care is one of the most integral part of health care system which offers a support system to help the patients live peacefully until his last breath. India is categorized as a developing country; however, over the past 20 years, increases in the aging population and prevalence of advanced cancer are common. Together with China, the country has the second largest population in the world. It is estimated that one million new cases of cancer occur each year in India, with over 80% presenting at stage III and IV. The need of palliative care in India is immense. Assessing the knowledge regarding the palliative care can help us to understand the neglected area of concern and can enhance the student nurses to be competent while providing the care to the needy. Objectives: The aim of the study were to assess the knowledge regarding palliative care among student nurses and to find the association between the knowledge and with their socio-demographic characteristics. Materials and Methods: A quantitative research approach with descriptive survey design was selected for the study. The non-probability convenient sampling technique was used to select 50 student nurses selected college of Mathura Uttar Pradesh. A valid and reliable structured questionnaire to assess the knowledge among student nurses, were used to collect data in 1 week. A significant association was found between the knowledge score and with nursing course, age, gender and source of information as selected socio demographic variables. Maximum (68%) of student nurses had adequate knowledge score and (32%) were having inadequate knowledge. Due attention should be given towards palliative care by all the health care institutions and is needed to be incorporated in the curriculum of nurse education so that students should be made aware and they can practice in health care setting.

Intermittent flooding (IF) of rice has been encouraged as an approach to reduce water use and methane emissions compared with continuous flooding (CF), but may involve trade-offs. This study compared the contrasting effect of IF and CF flooding regimes on emissions of methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and ammonia (NH3), nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and yield. A split plot design was used which assessed the effects of four different fertiliser types. The results suggest that converting from CF to IF irrigation does lower CH4 emissions (by approximately 18%); however, this comes at a cost. IF irrigation resulted in a significant decrease in grain yield, regardless of fertiliser type (6.1% in this study) and also a significant decrease in NUE (a drop of 22.5% when compared to CF). IF irrigation also resulted in a small, but statistically significant (t-test p < 0.01) increase in N2O emissions. Difference in NH3 emission between the flooding regimes was not statistically significant. Our study concludes that conversion from CF to IF irrigation methods may well reduce overall global warming potential of greenhouse gas emissions from rice production; however, yield penalties and nitrogen pollution are likely to increase as a result. Leaf colour chart based application of Neem coated urea may lower the yield scaled GHG emissions under CF irrigation and NH3 loss in IF irrigation.

Introduction: Palliative care is one of the most integral part of health care system which offers a support system to help the patients live peacefully until his last breath. India is categorized as a developing country; however, over the past 20 years, increases in the aging population and prevalence of advanced cancer are common. Together with China, the country has the second largest population in the world. It is estimated that one million new cases of cancer occur each year in India, with over 80% presenting at stage III and IV. The need of palliative care in India is immense. Assessing the knowledge regarding the palliative care can help us to understand the neglected area of concern and can enhance the student nurses to be competent while providing the care to the needy. Objectives: The aim of the study were to assess the knowledge regarding palliative care among student nurses and to find the association between the knowledge and with their socio-demographic characteristics. Materials and Methods: A quantitative research approach with descriptive survey design was selected for the study. The non-probability convenient sampling technique was used to select 50 student nurses selected college of Mathura Uttar Pradesh. A valid and reliable structured questionnaire to assess the knowledge among student nurses, were used to collect data in 1 week. A significant association was found between the knowledge score and with nursing course, age, gender and source of information as selected socio demographic variables. Maximum (68%) of student nurses had adequate knowledge score and (32%) were having inadequate knowledge. Due attention should be given towards palliative care by all the health care institutions and is needed to be incorporated in the curriculum of nurse education so that students should be made aware and they can practice in health care setting.

Introduction: Palliative care is one of the most integral part of health care system which offers a support system to help the patients live peacefully until his last breath. India is categorized as a developing country; however, over the past 20 years, increases in the aging population and prevalence of advanced cancer are common. Together with China, the country has the second largest population in the world. It is estimated that one million new cases of cancer occur each year in India, with over 80% presenting at stage III and IV. The need of palliative care in India is immense. Assessing the knowledge regarding the palliative care can help us to understand the neglected area of concern and can enhance the student nurses to be competent while providing the care to the needy. Objectives: The aim of the study were to assess the knowledge regarding palliative care among student nurses and to find the association between the knowledge and with their socio-demographic characteristics. Materials and Methods: A quantitative research approach with descriptive survey design was selected for the study. The non-probability convenient sampling technique was used to select 50 student nurses selected college of Mathura Uttar Pradesh. A valid and reliable structured questionnaire to assess the knowledge among student nurses, were used to collect data in 1 week. A significant association was found between the knowledge score and with nursing course, age, gender and source of information as selected socio demographic variables. Maximum (68%) of student nurses had adequate knowledge score and (32%) were having inadequate knowledge. Due attention should be given towards palliative care by all the health care institutions and is needed to be incorporated in the curriculum of nurse education so that students should be made aware and they can practice in health care setting.

Introduction: Palliative care is one of the most integral part of health care system which offers a support system to help the patients live peacefully until his last breath. India is categorized as a developing country; however, over the past 20 years, increases in the aging population and prevalence of advanced cancer are common. Together with China, the country has the second largest population in the world. It is estimated that one million new cases of cancer occur each year in India, with over 80% presenting at stage III and IV. The need of palliative care in India is immense. Assessing the knowledge regarding the palliative care can help us to understand the neglected area of concern and can enhance the student nurses to be competent while providing the care to the needy. Objectives: The aim of the study were to assess the knowledge regarding palliative care among student nurses and to find the association between the knowledge and with their socio-demographic characteristics. Materials and Methods: A quantitative research approach with descriptive survey design was selected for the study. The non-probability convenient sampling technique was used to select 50 student nurses selected college of Mathura Uttar Pradesh. A valid and reliable structured questionnaire to assess the knowledge among student nurses, were used to collect data in 1 week. A significant association was found between the knowledge score and with nursing course, age, gender and source of information as selected socio demographic variables. Maximum (68%) of student nurses had adequate knowledge score and (32%) were having inadequate knowledge. Due attention should be given towards palliative care by all the health care institutions and is needed to be incorporated in the curriculum of nurse education so that students should be made aware and they can practice in health care setting.

Introduction: Palliative care is one of the most integral part of health care system which offers a support system to help the patients live peacefully until his last breath. India is categorized as a developing country; however, over the past 20 years, increases in the aging population and prevalence of advanced cancer are common. Together with China, the country has the second largest population in the world. It is estimated that one million new cases of cancer occur each year in India, with over 80% presenting at stage III and IV. The need of palliative care in India is immense. Assessing the knowledge regarding the palliative care can help us to understand the neglected area of concern and can enhance the student nurses to be competent while providing the care to the needy. Objectives: The aim of the study were to assess the knowledge regarding palliative care among student nurses and to find the association between the knowledge and with their socio-demographic characteristics. Materials and Methods: A quantitative research approach with descriptive survey design was selected for the study. The non-probability convenient sampling technique was used to select 50 student nurses selected college of Mathura Uttar Pradesh. A valid and reliable structured questionnaire to assess the knowledge among student nurses, were used to collect data in 1 week. A significant association was found between the knowledge score and with nursing course, age, gender and source of information as selected socio demographic variables. Maximum (68%) of student nurses had adequate knowledge score and (32%) were having inadequate knowledge. Due attention should be given towards palliative care by all the health care institutions and is needed to be incorporated in the curriculum of nurse education so that students should be made aware and they can practice in health care setting.

Introduction: Palliative care is one of the most integral part of health care system which offers a support system to help the patients live peacefully until his last breath. India is categorized as a developing country; however, over the past 20 years, increases in the aging population and prevalence of advanced cancer are common. Together with China, the country has the second largest population in the world. It is estimated that one million new cases of cancer occur each year in India, with over 80% presenting at stage III and IV. The need of palliative care in India is immense. Assessing the knowledge regarding the palliative care can help us to understand the neglected area of concern and can enhance the student nurses to be competent while providing the care to the needy. Objectives: The aim of the study were to assess the knowledge regarding palliative care among student nurses and to find the association between the knowledge and with their socio-demographic characteristics. Materials and Methods: A quantitative research approach with descriptive survey design was selected for the study. The non-probability convenient sampling technique was used to select 50 student nurses selected college of Mathura Uttar Pradesh. A valid and reliable structured questionnaire to assess the knowledge among student nurses, were used to collect data in 1 week. A significant association was found between the knowledge score and with nursing course, age, gender and source of information as selected socio demographic variables. Maximum (68%) of student nurses had adequate knowledge score and (32%) were having inadequate knowledge. Due attention should be given towards palliative care by all the health care institutions and is needed to be incorporated in the curriculum of nurse education so that students should be made aware and they can practice in health care setting.

Intermittent flooding (IF) of rice has been encouraged as an approach to reduce water use and methane emissions compared with continuous flooding (CF), but may involve trade-offs. This study compared the contrasting effect of IF and CF flooding regimes on emissions of methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and ammonia (NH3), nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and yield. A split plot design was used which assessed the effects of four different fertiliser types. The results suggest that converting from CF to IF irrigation does lower CH4 emissions (by approximately 18%); however, this comes at a cost. IF irrigation resulted in a significant decrease in grain yield, regardless of fertiliser type (6.1% in this study) and also a significant decrease in NUE (a drop of 22.5% when compared to CF). IF irrigation also resulted in a small, but statistically significant (t-test p < 0.01) increase in N2O emissions. Difference in NH3 emission between the flooding regimes was not statistically significant. Our study concludes that conversion from CF to IF irrigation methods may well reduce overall global warming potential of greenhouse gas emissions from rice production; however, yield penalties and nitrogen pollution are likely to increase as a result. Leaf colour chart based application of Neem coated urea may lower the yield scaled GHG emissions under CF irrigation and NH3 loss in IF irrigation.

Introduction: Palliative care is one of the most integral part of health care system which offers a support system to help the patients live peacefully until his last breath. India is categorized as a developing country; however, over the past 20 years, increases in the aging population and prevalence of advanced cancer are common. Together with China, the country has the second largest population in the world. It is estimated that one million new cases of cancer occur each year in India, with over 80% presenting at stage III and IV. The need of palliative care in India is immense. Assessing the knowledge regarding the palliative care can help us to understand the neglected area of concern and can enhance the student nurses to be competent while providing the care to the needy. Objectives: The aim of the study were to assess the knowledge regarding palliative care among student nurses and to find the association between the knowledge and with their socio-demographic characteristics. Materials and Methods: A quantitative research approach with descriptive survey design was selected for the study. The non-probability convenient sampling technique was used to select 50 student nurses selected college of Mathura Uttar Pradesh. A valid and reliable structured questionnaire to assess the knowledge among student nurses, were used to collect data in 1 week. A significant association was found between the knowledge score and with nursing course, age, gender and source of information as selected socio demographic variables. Maximum (68%) of student nurses had adequate knowledge score and (32%) were having inadequate knowledge. Due attention should be given towards palliative care by all the health care institutions and is needed to be incorporated in the curriculum of nurse education so that students should be made aware and they can practice in health care setting.

ObjectiveNumerous barriers prevent patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) from completing a diabetes self-management program. We investigated whether patients with T2D exhibited improved clinical outcomes after attending a relatively short, interactive diabetes self-management program conducted by pharmacist diabetes educators, compared to a physician's usual care.ResultsWe retrospectively analyzed the data of adults with T2D who attended a diabetes self-management program (≥ 1 group meeting or individual appointment followed by a telephone interview from a pharmacist diabetes educator between May 2010 and Dec. 2012; n = 513) and compared their outcomes with those of T2D patients who received only their physician's usual care (n = 857). Each patient's A1C was assessed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months post-intervention. The mean [SD] reduction in A1C percentage points in the T2D patients was significantly greater in the diabetes self-management program group compared to the physician's usual care group at both 3 months (- 0.8% [1.5] vs. - 0.2% [0.9], p < 0.001) and 6 months post-intervention (- 0.6% [1.3] vs. - 0.2% [1.1], p < 0.001). T2D patients significantly improved their glycemic control within 3-6 months of attending the diabetes self-management program compared to patients who only received their physician's usual care.

ObjectiveNumerous barriers prevent patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) from completing a diabetes self-management program. We investigated whether patients with T2D exhibited improved clinical outcomes after attending a relatively short, interactive diabetes self-management program conducted by pharmacist diabetes educators, compared to a physician's usual care.ResultsWe retrospectively analyzed the data of adults with T2D who attended a diabetes self-management program (≥ 1 group meeting or individual appointment followed by a telephone interview from a pharmacist diabetes educator between May 2010 and Dec. 2012; n = 513) and compared their outcomes with those of T2D patients who received only their physician's usual care (n = 857). Each patient's A1C was assessed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months post-intervention. The mean [SD] reduction in A1C percentage points in the T2D patients was significantly greater in the diabetes self-management program group compared to the physician's usual care group at both 3 months (- 0.8% [1.5] vs. - 0.2% [0.9], p < 0.001) and 6 months post-intervention (- 0.6% [1.3] vs. - 0.2% [1.1], p < 0.001). T2D patients significantly improved their glycemic control within 3-6 months of attending the diabetes self-management program compared to patients who only received their physician's usual care.

Law and policy differences help explain why, as HIVrelated science has advanced swiftly, some countries have realised remarkable progress on AIDS while others see expanding epidemics. We describe the structure and findings of a new dataset and research platform, the HIV Policy Lab, which fills an important knowledge gap by measuring the HIV-related policy environment across 33 indicators and 194 countries over time, with online access and visualisation. Cross-national indicators can be critical tools in international governance—building social power to monitor state behaviour with the potential to change policy and improve domestic accountability. This new and evolving effort collects data about policy through review of legal documents, official government reports and systematic review of secondary sources. Alignment between national policy environments and global norms is demonstrated through comparison with international public health guidance and agreements. We demonstrate substantial variation in the content of law and policies between countries, regions and policy areas. Given progress in basic and implementation science, it would be tempting to believe most countries have adopted policies aligned with global norms, with a few outliers. Data show this is not the case. Globally, alignment is higher on clinical and treatment policies than on prevention, testing and structural policies. Policy-makers, researchers, civil society, finance agencies and others can use these data to better understand the policy environment within and across countries and support reform. Longitudinal analysis enables evaluation of the impact of laws and policies on HIV outcomes and research about the political drivers of policy choice

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged governments around the world. It also has challenged conventional wisdom and empirical understandings in the comparative politics and policy of health. Three major questions present themselves: First, some of the countries considered to be most prepared—having the greatest capacity for outbreak response—have failed to respond effectively to the pandemic. How should our understanding of capacity shift in light of COVID-19, and how can we incorporate political capacity into thinking about pandemic preparedness? Second, several of the mechanisms through which democracy has been shown to be beneficial for health have not traveled well to explain the performance of governments in this pandemic. Is there an authoritarian advantage in disease response? Third, after decades in which coercive public health measures have increasingly been considered counterproductive, COVID-19 has inspired widespread embrace of rigid lockdowns, isolation, and quarantine enforced by police. Will these measures prove effective in the long run and reshape public health thinking? This article explores some of these questions with emerging examples, even amid the pandemic, when it is too soon to draw conclusions.

Law and policy differences help explain why, as HIVrelated science has advanced swiftly, some countries have realised remarkable progress on AIDS while others see expanding epidemics. We describe the structure and findings of a new dataset and research platform, the HIV Policy Lab, which fills an important knowledge gap by measuring the HIV-related policy environment across 33 indicators and 194 countries over time, with online access and visualisation. Cross-national indicators can be critical tools in international governance—building social power to monitor state behaviour with the potential to change policy and improve domestic accountability. This new and evolving effort collects data about policy through review of legal documents, official government reports and systematic review of secondary sources. Alignment between national policy environments and global norms is demonstrated through comparison with international public health guidance and agreements. We demonstrate substantial variation in the content of law and policies between countries, regions and policy areas. Given progress in basic and implementation science, it would be tempting to believe most countries have adopted policies aligned with global norms, with a few outliers. Data show this is not the case. Globally, alignment is higher on clinical and treatment policies than on prevention, testing and structural policies. Policy-makers, researchers, civil society, finance agencies and others can use these data to better understand the policy environment within and across countries and support reform. Longitudinal analysis enables evaluation of the impact of laws and policies on HIV outcomes and research about the political drivers of policy choice

Law and policy differences help explain why, as HIVrelated science has advanced swiftly, some countries have realised remarkable progress on AIDS while others see expanding epidemics. We describe the structure and findings of a new dataset and research platform, the HIV Policy Lab, which fills an important knowledge gap by measuring the HIV-related policy environment across 33 indicators and 194 countries over time, with online access and visualisation. Cross-national indicators can be critical tools in international governance—building social power to monitor state behaviour with the potential to change policy and improve domestic accountability. This new and evolving effort collects data about policy through review of legal documents, official government reports and systematic review of secondary sources. Alignment between national policy environments and global norms is demonstrated through comparison with international public health guidance and agreements. We demonstrate substantial variation in the content of law and policies between countries, regions and policy areas. Given progress in basic and implementation science, it would be tempting to believe most countries have adopted policies aligned with global norms, with a few outliers. Data show this is not the case. Globally, alignment is higher on clinical and treatment policies than on prevention, testing and structural policies. Policy-makers, researchers, civil society, finance agencies and others can use these data to better understand the policy environment within and across countries and support reform. Longitudinal analysis enables evaluation of the impact of laws and policies on HIV outcomes and research about the political drivers of policy choice

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged governments around the world. It also has challenged conventional wisdom and empirical understandings in the comparative politics and policy of health. Three major questions present themselves: First, some of the countries considered to be most prepared—having the greatest capacity for outbreak response—have failed to respond effectively to the pandemic. How should our understanding of capacity shift in light of COVID-19, and how can we incorporate political capacity into thinking about pandemic preparedness? Second, several of the mechanisms through which democracy has been shown to be beneficial for health have not traveled well to explain the performance of governments in this pandemic. Is there an authoritarian advantage in disease response? Third, after decades in which coercive public health measures have increasingly been considered counterproductive, COVID-19 has inspired widespread embrace of rigid lockdowns, isolation, and quarantine enforced by police. Will these measures prove effective in the long run and reshape public health thinking? This article explores some of these questions with emerging examples, even amid the pandemic, when it is too soon to draw conclusions.

INTRODUCTION:The scope of pharmacy practice has evolved over the last few decades to focus on the optimization of medication therapy. Despite this positive impact, the lack of reimbursement remains a significant barrier to the implementation of innovative pharmacist practice models. SUMMARY:We describe the successful development, implementation and outcomes of three types of pharmacist collaborative care models: (1) a pharmacist with physician oversight, (2) pharmacist-interprofessional teams and (3) physician-pharmacist teams. The outcome measurement of these pharmacist care models varied from the design phase to patient volume measurement and to comprehensive quality dashboards. All of these practice models have been successfully funded by affiliated health systems or grants. CONCLUSIONS:The expansion of pharmacist services delivered by clinical faculty has several benefits to affiliated health systems: (1) significant improvements in patient care quality, (2) access to experts in specialty areas, and (3) the dissemination of outcomes with national and international recognition, increasing the visibility of the health system.

The scope of pharmacy practice has evolved over the last few decades to focus on the optimization of medication therapy. Despite this positive impact, the lack of reimbursement remains a significant barrier to the implementation of innovative pharmacist practice models. We describe the successful development, implementation and outcomes of three types of pharmacist collaborative care models: (1) a pharmacist with physician oversight, (2) pharmacist-interprofessional teams and (3) physician-pharmacist teams. The outcome measurement of these pharmacist care models varied from the design phase to patient volume measurement and to comprehensive quality dashboards. All of these practice models have been successfully funded by affiliated health systems or grants. The expansion of pharmacist services delivered by clinical faculty has several benefits to affiliated health systems: (1) significant improvements in patient care quality, (2) access to experts in specialty areas, and (3) the dissemination of outcomes with national and international recognition, increasing the visibility of the health system.

Objective. To implement and evaluate the effectiveness of an interactive health literacy program by measuring pharmacy students' knowledge and confidence. Design. A health literacy module consisting of a lecture and workshop was incorporated into a self-care course for first-year pharmacy students. Active-learning activities included practicing health literacy tools, discussing faculty-created video vignettes, and improving readability of patient education monographs. A non-validated survey assessed knowledge and confidence before and after training. Assessment. Fifty-three students (88%) completed a pre-training survey, and 60 (100%) completed a post-training survey. Students' confidence improved in six of seven areas (p<.001). Students' knowledge significantly improved in three of 14 areas (p<.01) pertaining to the average American reading level, high-risk age groups, and correlation of late prescription refills to low health literacy. Although knowledge increased in other areas, the improvements were not significant. Conclusion. An interactive, multifaceted health literacy training program significantly improved pharmacy students' knowledge and confidence in recognizing and being able to assist patients with low health literacy.

Human activities have massively altered the global nitrogen (N) cycle, doubling annual production of reactive N (Nr) compounds from atmospheric dinitrogen (N2). The use of 120 Mt year−1 fertilizer N, with a global terrestrial/atmospheric N fixation of 285 Mt year−1, has provided huge benefits for global food production. However, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of the world food system is only ∼15%. The lost Nr creates a cascade of air and water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, until it is eventually denitrified back to N2. India clearly illustrates a dual N challenge for food and environment, consuming 17 Mt of N fertilizer annually (14% of the global total), which has increased since 1970 at 6% year−1 approximately. Emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from combustion sources are also increasing rapidly at 6.5% year−1 currently. By comparison, population growth rate is lower (2% year−1), while ammonia (NH3) emission increase is even less (1%), pertaining to smaller changes in livestock numbers. At current rate, Indian NOx emissions will exceed NH3 emissions by 2055. India currently loses Nr worth US$10 billion year−1 as fertilizer value, while costs of Nr to health, ecosystems, and climate are estimated at US$75 (38–151) billion year−1. Only a small fraction of the Indian population consumes animal products, hence per capita Nr use and pollution is much less than in many developed countries. However, rates of meat consumption are increasing. While published projections from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization anticipate a doubling of South Asian fertilizer consumption from 2006 to 2050 (equivalent to 1.9% year−1 increase), these projections lack transparency and require reevaluation. In practice, the future nitrogen cycle for India will depend on scientific advances in agronomy, genetics and environment, and the extent to which government and society grasp the emerging opportunities for optimizing N management.

Objective. To implement and evaluate the effectiveness of an interactive health literacy program by measuring pharmacy students' knowledge and confidence. Design. A health literacy module consisting of a lecture and workshop was incorporated into a self-care course for first-year pharmacy students. Active-learning activities included practicing health literacy tools, discussing faculty-created video vignettes, and improving readability of patient education monographs. A non-validated survey assessed knowledge and confidence before and after training. Assessment. Fifty-three students (88%) completed a pre-training survey, and 60 (100%) completed a post-training survey. Students' confidence improved in six of seven areas (p<.001). Students' knowledge significantly improved in three of 14 areas (p<.01) pertaining to the average American reading level, high-risk age groups, and correlation of late prescription refills to low health literacy. Although knowledge increased in other areas, the improvements were not significant. Conclusion. An interactive, multifaceted health literacy training program significantly improved pharmacy students' knowledge and confidence in recognizing and being able to assist patients with low health literacy.

Human activities have massively altered the global nitrogen (N) cycle, doubling annual production of reactive N (Nr) compounds from atmospheric dinitrogen (N2). The use of 120 Mt year−1 fertilizer N, with a global terrestrial/atmospheric N fixation of 285 Mt year−1, has provided huge benefits for global food production. However, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of the world food system is only ∼15%. The lost Nr creates a cascade of air and water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, until it is eventually denitrified back to N2. India clearly illustrates a dual N challenge for food and environment, consuming 17 Mt of N fertilizer annually (14% of the global total), which has increased since 1970 at 6% year−1 approximately. Emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from combustion sources are also increasing rapidly at 6.5% year−1 currently. By comparison, population growth rate is lower (2% year−1), while ammonia (NH3) emission increase is even less (1%), pertaining to smaller changes in livestock numbers. At current rate, Indian NOx emissions will exceed NH3 emissions by 2055. India currently loses Nr worth US$10 billion year−1 as fertilizer value, while costs of Nr to health, ecosystems, and climate are estimated at US$75 (38–151) billion year−1. Only a small fraction of the Indian population consumes animal products, hence per capita Nr use and pollution is much less than in many developed countries. However, rates of meat consumption are increasing. While published projections from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization anticipate a doubling of South Asian fertilizer consumption from 2006 to 2050 (equivalent to 1.9% year−1 increase), these projections lack transparency and require reevaluation. In practice, the future nitrogen cycle for India will depend on scientific advances in agronomy, genetics and environment, and the extent to which government and society grasp the emerging opportunities for optimizing N management.

When we picture a school, many of us will see a teacher, standing at the front of a classroom. When our children are at school, it’s their teachers we turn to with concerns. When we think back to our own school days, we think fondly about our favourite teachers, those who really stood out. Teachers have always been at the heart of education, at least in the popular imagination. It is particularly odd, then, that in much of the education research and policy discourse in low-income countries over the past 20 years teachers have been side-lined and presented as passive, generic (and often negative) inputs. While children’s engagement with education systems is increasingly framed in constructivist terms, with much attention given to the interrelation between their ideas and their experiences, these terms have been far less evident in research and policy around teachers’ engagement with these same systems. This is slowly changing, and for the first time global goals recognise the central role of teachers. We intend to use this blog post – and the UKFIET September 2017 symposium it links to – to acknowledge and critically consider this change, what it signifies and how our work can support and strengthen this recognition: What do we do when, as educational researchers, we want to learn more about teachers’ knowledge and experiences, and the roles they inhabit? What methodologies can expand our understanding of the working lives of teachers? To what extent should we include teachers in the design and analysis of these methodologies? What ethical considerations do we need to undertake and what logistical and empirical challenges might arise? And crucially, how can we try our hardest to ensure that data collected will support and empower the teachers we study?, Reflections from the workshop available at: https://www.ukfiet.org/2017/understanding-teachers-working-experiences

Introduction: To analyze the relationship between first trimester uric acid levels and risk of development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Method: A total of 300 pregnant women up to 14 weeks of pregnancy were enrolled in this study. After obtaining their demographic data and clinical assessment blood sample for serum uric acid was taken. Women were subsequently followed till term. All women were subjected to blood sugar screening one hour after 50 gm glucose and glucose tolerance test if screening was < 200mg/dl. GDM was diagnosed by 3 hours glucose tolerance test using Carpenter and Coustan criteria or by one hour screening value > 200 mg /dl. Results: GDM complicated 2.66% (8/300) of the pregnancies. All the women with serum uric acid > 5 mg/dl (n=6) had deranged blood sugar screening and out of this 5 developed GDM. Conclusion: The study demonstrates a striking association between first trimester uric acid and risk of developing GDM. First trimester uric acid level may be used as predictor for development of GDM.

Introduction: To analyze the relationship between first trimester uric acid levels and risk of development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Method: A total of 300 pregnant women up to 14 weeks of pregnancy were enrolled in this study. After obtaining their demographic data and clinical assessment blood sample for serum uric acid was taken. Women were subsequently followed till term. All women were subjected to blood sugar screening one hour after 50 gm glucose and glucose tolerance test if screening was < 200mg/dl. GDM was diagnosed by 3 hours glucose tolerance test using Carpenter and Coustan criteria or by one hour screening value > 200 mg /dl. Results: GDM complicated 2.66% (8/300) of the pregnancies. All the women with serum uric acid > 5 mg/dl (n=6) had deranged blood sugar screening and out of this 5 developed GDM. Conclusion: The study demonstrates a striking association between first trimester uric acid and risk of developing GDM. First trimester uric acid level may be used as predictor for development of GDM.

PurposeA collaborative pharmacist-primary care provider (PharmD-PCP) team approach to medication-therapy management (MTM), with pharmacists initiating and changing medications at separate office visits, holds promise for the cost-effective management of hypertension, but has not been evaluated in many systematic trials. The primary objective of this study was to examine blood pressure (BP) control in hypertensive patients managed by a newly formed PharmD-PCP MTM team versus usual care in a university-based primary care clinic.MethodsThis randomized, pragmatic clinical trial was conducted in hypertensive patients randomly selected for PharmD-PCP MTM or usual care. In the PharmD-PCP MTM group, pharmacists managed drug-therapy initiation and monitoring, medication adjustments, biometric assessments, laboratory tests, and patient education. In the usual-care group, patients continued to see their PCPs. Participants were aged ≥ 18 years, were diagnosed with hypertension, had a most recent BP measurement of ≥ 140/≥ 90 mm Hg (≥ 130/≥ 80 mm Hg if codiagnosed with diabetes mellitus), were on at least 1 antihypertensive medication, and were English speaking. The primary outcome was the difference in the mean change from baseline in systolic BP at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included the percentage achieving therapeutic BP goal and the mean changes from baseline in diastolic BP and low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.FindingsA total of 166 patients were enrolled (69 men; mean age, 67.7 years; PharmD-PCP MTM group, n = 75; usual-care group, n = 91). Mean reduction in SBP was significantly greater in the PharmD-PCP MTM group at 6 months (-7.1 [19.4] vs +1.6 [21.0] mm Hg; P = 0.008), but the difference was no longer statistically significant at 9 months (-5.2 [16.9] vs -1.7 [17.7] mm Hg; P = 0.22), based on an intent-to-treat analysis. In the intervention group, greater percentages of patients who continued to see the MTM pharmacist versus those who returned to their P

PurposeA collaborative pharmacist-primary care provider (PharmD-PCP) team approach to medication-therapy management (MTM), with pharmacists initiating and changing medications at separate office visits, holds promise for the cost-effective management of hypertension, but has not been evaluated in many systematic trials. The primary objective of this study was to examine blood pressure (BP) control in hypertensive patients managed by a newly formed PharmD-PCP MTM team versus usual care in a university-based primary care clinic.MethodsThis randomized, pragmatic clinical trial was conducted in hypertensive patients randomly selected for PharmD-PCP MTM or usual care. In the PharmD-PCP MTM group, pharmacists managed drug-therapy initiation and monitoring, medication adjustments, biometric assessments, laboratory tests, and patient education. In the usual-care group, patients continued to see their PCPs. Participants were aged ≥ 18 years, were diagnosed with hypertension, had a most recent BP measurement of ≥ 140/≥ 90 mm Hg (≥ 130/≥ 80 mm Hg if codiagnosed with diabetes mellitus), were on at least 1 antihypertensive medication, and were English speaking. The primary outcome was the difference in the mean change from baseline in systolic BP at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included the percentage achieving therapeutic BP goal and the mean changes from baseline in diastolic BP and low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.FindingsA total of 166 patients were enrolled (69 men; mean age, 67.7 years; PharmD-PCP MTM group, n = 75; usual-care group, n = 91). Mean reduction in SBP was significantly greater in the PharmD-PCP MTM group at 6 months (-7.1 [19.4] vs +1.6 [21.0] mm Hg; P = 0.008), but the difference was no longer statistically significant at 9 months (-5.2 [16.9] vs -1.7 [17.7] mm Hg; P = 0.22), based on an intent-to-treat analysis. In the intervention group, greater percentages of patients who continued to see the MTM pharmacist versus those who returned to their P

Jinjani (Mimosa hamata Willd., Mimosaceae) is widely distributed in India and Pakistan, which contains several interesting bioactive constituents and possesses health promoting properties. In this study, the antioxidant activity with the total phenolic content of different successive extracts (pet. ether, chloroform, n-butanol and water) from leaves, stem, root and seeds of M. hamata were assessed in an effort to compare and validate the antioxidant potential of the particular part of the plant. The antioxidant activity was determined by 2, 2- Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and total phenolic content was estimated by using Folin-Ciocalteu’s reagent. All tested extracts possessed appreciable antioxidant potential but n-butanol extract of roots was significantly higher in total phenolic content (73.16±0.19 mg GAE/g extract) and in antioxidant assay (IC50 = 5µg/ml). It is also noteworthy that in n-butanol extract of roots higher yield (85.60%) was also observed. This study validates the antioxidant potential of the roots in M. hamata and the positive relationship between total phenolic content and antioxidant activity.

Background In recent years waterpipe smoking has become a popular practice amongst young adults in eastern Mediterranean countries, including Iran. The aim of this study was to assess waterpipe smoking perceptions and practices among first-year health sciences university students in Iran and to identify factors associated with the initiation and maintenance of waterpipe use in this population. Results Out of 371 first-year health sciences students surveyed, 358 eight students completed a self-administered questionnaire in the classrooms describing their use and perceptions towards waterpipe smoking. Two hundred and ninety six responders met study inclusion criteria. Waterpipe smoking was common among first-year health sciences university students, with 51% of students indicating they were current waterpipe smokers. Women were smoking waterpipes almost as frequently as men (48% versus 52%, respectively). The majority of waterpipe smokers (75.5%) indicated that the fun and social aspect of waterpipe use was the main motivating factor for them to continue smoking. Of waterpipe smokers, 55.3% were occasional smokers, using waterpipes once a month or less, while 44.7% were frequent smokers, using waterpipes more than once a month. A large number of frequent waterpipe smokers perceived that waterpipe smoking was a healthier way to use tobacco (40.6%) while only 20.6% thought it was addictive. Compared to occasional smokers, significantly more frequent smokers reported waterpipe smoking was relaxing (62.5% vs. 26.2%, p = 0.002), energizing (48.5% vs. 11.4%, p = 0.001), a part of their culture (58.8% vs. 34.1%, p = 0.04), and the healthiest way to use tobacco (40.6% vs. 11.1%, p = 0.005). Conclusions Social and recreational use of waterpipes is widespread among first-year health sciences university students in Iran. Women and men were almost equally likely to be current waterpipe users. Public health initiatives to combat the increasing use of waterpipes among univ

Background In recent years waterpipe smoking has become a popular practice amongst young adults in eastern Mediterranean countries, including Iran. The aim of this study was to assess waterpipe smoking perceptions and practices among first-year health sciences university students in Iran and to identify factors associated with the initiation and maintenance of waterpipe use in this population. Results Out of 371 first-year health sciences students surveyed, 358 eight students completed a self-administered questionnaire in the classrooms describing their use and perceptions towards waterpipe smoking. Two hundred and ninety six responders met study inclusion criteria. Waterpipe smoking was common among first-year health sciences university students, with 51% of students indicating they were current waterpipe smokers. Women were smoking waterpipes almost as frequently as men (48% versus 52%, respectively). The majority of waterpipe smokers (75.5%) indicated that the fun and social aspect of waterpipe use was the main motivating factor for them to continue smoking. Of waterpipe smokers, 55.3% were occasional smokers, using waterpipes once a month or less, while 44.7% were frequent smokers, using waterpipes more than once a month. A large number of frequent waterpipe smokers perceived that waterpipe smoking was a healthier way to use tobacco (40.6%) while only 20.6% thought it was addictive. Compared to occasional smokers, significantly more frequent smokers reported waterpipe smoking was relaxing (62.5% vs. 26.2%, p = 0.002), energizing (48.5% vs. 11.4%, p = 0.001), a part of their culture (58.8% vs. 34.1%, p = 0.04), and the healthiest way to use tobacco (40.6% vs. 11.1%, p = 0.005). Conclusions Social and recreational use of waterpipes is widespread among first-year health sciences university students in Iran. Women and men were almost equally likely to be current waterpipe users. Public health initiatives to combat the increasing use of waterpipes among univ

When we picture a school, many of us will see a teacher, standing at the front of a classroom. When our children are at school, it’s their teachers we turn to with concerns. When we think back to our own school days, we think fondly about our favourite teachers, those who really stood out. Teachers have always been at the heart of education, at least in the popular imagination. It is particularly odd, then, that in much of the education research and policy discourse in low-income countries over the past 20 years teachers have been side-lined and presented as passive, generic (and often negative) inputs. While children’s engagement with education systems is increasingly framed in constructivist terms, with much attention given to the interrelation between their ideas and their experiences, these terms have been far less evident in research and policy around teachers’ engagement with these same systems.

Public faith in the World Health Organisation has held up so far. But Donald Trump’s efforts to discredit it are damaging not just because they inhibit America’s co-operation with other countries, writes Renu Singh (Georgetown Law). They also make it less likely that, in the absence of strong domestic leadership, US citizens will trust the WHO enough to follow its recommendations.

When we picture a school, many of us will see a teacher, standing at the front of a classroom. When our children are at school, it’s their teachers we turn to with concerns. When we think back to our own school days, we think fondly about our favourite teachers, those who really stood out. Teachers have always been at the heart of education, at least in the popular imagination. It is particularly odd, then, that in much of the education research and policy discourse in low-income countries over the past 20 years teachers have been side-lined and presented as passive, generic (and often negative) inputs. While children’s engagement with education systems is increasingly framed in constructivist terms, with much attention given to the interrelation between their ideas and their experiences, these terms have been far less evident in research and policy around teachers’ engagement with these same systems.