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INTRODUCTION: Outcomes for Asian patients in the United States are often overlooked in the surgical literature. Surgical education includes little emphasis on reporting outcomes for Asian patients in the United States. Our null hypothesis (H0) is that there is no difference in surgical complications following parathyroid surgery between Asians and all other ethnicities in the United States. Our alternate hypothesis (H1) is that Asians have more incidences of certain complications (possibly due to culture and language barriers). METHODS: Data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) was queried for parathyroidectomy and patient race. Complications within 30 days of surgery were extracted. RESULTS: Among, White, Black, Asian, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, and Hispanic patients of the United States the Asians (p = 0.018) and Blacks (p = 0.003) had increased operative time for parathyroid surgery compared to other groups. Hispanics had the most surgical complications (p = 0.025). Blacks had statistically significant longer hospital stay (p

Abstract Objectives The primary objective of this project was to develop a comprehensive COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions’ index for the province of Québec (QCnPI-Index). The resulting database systematically categorizes, multiple non-pharmaceutical interventions implemented in the 17 administrative regions (AR) of the province of Québec to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the form of an index. Data description Data represent interventions and groups of interventions implemented during the COVID-19 period in Québec. They are a compilation of policies, guidelines, and governmental interventions related to COVID-19, considering temporal and geographical dimensions. Data were collected for all 17 AR of Québec using dates as unit of analysis, from March 2020 to April 2022. They were first collected and then coded by an interdisciplinary research team to form the foundation of the QCnPI-Index. Contribution This quantitative instrument offers the necessary granularity for nuanced spatial and temporal studies within the province of Québec, using AR, for instance, as unit of analysis. With this database, pre-, during-, and post-COVID periods can thus be better analyzed. Additionally, the innovative methodologies employed for data collection, coding, and weighting offer valuable insights that may have broader applications in public health, epidemiology, and other research domains. The QCnPI-Index could be instrumental for public health, epidemiology, and transportation researchers investigating the multifaceted impacts of non-pharmaceutical interventions on various societal domains, such as road safety, alcohol and cannabis consumption, and/or mental health, in the province of Québec.

Purpose: Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) represents the persistent absence of sperm in ejaculate without obstruction, stemming from diverse disease processes. This survey explores global practices in NOA diagnosis, comparing them with guidelines and offering expert recommendations. Materials and Methods:Materials and Methods: A 56-item questionnaire survey on NOA diagnosis and management was conducted globally from July to September 2022. This paper focuses on part 1, evaluating NOA diagnosis. Data from 367 participants across 49 coun-tries were analyzed descriptively, with a Delphi process used for expert recommendations. Results:Results: Of 336 eligible responses, most participants were experienced attending physicians (70.93%). To diagnose azoosper-mia definitively, 81.7% requested two semen samples. Commonly ordered hormone tests included serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (97.0%), total testosterone (92.9%), and luteinizing hormone (86.9%). Genetic testing was requested by 66.6%, with karyotype analysis (86.2%) and Y chromosome microdeletions (88.3%) prevalent. Diagnostic testicular biopsy, distinguishing obstructive azoospermia (OA) from NOA, was not performed by 45.1%, while 34.6% did it selectively. Differ-entiation relied on physical examination (76.1%), serum hormone profiles (69.6%), and semen tests (68.1%). Expectations of finding sperm surgically were higher in men with normal FSH, larger testes, and a history of sperm in ejaculate. Conclusions:Conclusions: This expert survey, encompassing 367 participants from 49 countries, unveils congruence with recommended guidelines in NOA diagnosis. However, noteworthy disparities in practices suggest a need for evidence-based, international consensus guidelines to standardize NOA evaluation, addressing existing gaps in professional recommendations.

Objective: To determine whether COVID-19 causes an increase in spleen dimensions in individuals with a recent history of COVID-19 infection. Methods: This case-control study was conducted at the Radiology Department of the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital and Sehat Medical Complex, both in Lahore. The study sample comprised 384 individuals, selected using a convenience sampling technique. Participants included individuals of all age groups and both genders; however, those under 18 were excluded due to the potential for incomplete spleen maturation. Other exclusion criteria included a history of splenectomy, the presence of traumatic or non-traumatic splenic lesions, or any other splenic abnormalities. Data collection commenced after obtaining approval from the Research Ethics Committee at the University of Lahore. The Siemens Sonovista c3000 Grey Scale Ultrasound Machine was used, and the data were analyzed using SPSS version 24. Results: In a study involving 384 participants, the mean age was 35.7 ± 6.14, ranging from 22 to 50 years. Of these, 296 (71.1%) were female, and 88 (22.9%) were male. Echogenicity varied, with 29 participants (7.6%) exhibiting heterogeneous echogenicity and 355 (92.4%) showing homogeneous echogenicity. Spleen margins were irregular in 67 participants (17.4%) and smooth in 317 participants (82.6%). Regarding the history of Covid-19, 188 participants (49%) tested negative, while 196 participants (51%) tested positive. Conclusion: Patients with a history of COVID-19 exhibited a significant increase in spleen length, volume, and thickness.

IntroductionThe food providing for the growing world population has always been one of the main concerns of mankind and rice is one of the most important sources of human food. The importance of rice plant in human nutrition and the necessity of achieving self-sufficiency in its production through increasing yield is not hidden from anyone. Among the solutions that humans have used to deal with this problem is choosing the right planting method, planting date and cultivars. Currently, the cultivation of this plant is carried out in most parts of the world in the form of transplanting. Supplying sufficient amount of water is necessary to increase crop production and lack of water is one of the basic limitations in the development of rice cultivation in some regions of the world. Therefore, it is an undeniable necessity to choose a suitable bed for planting plants that will reduce water consumption and produce optimal crops. Also, planting date can have a significant impact on crop growth and rice yield, and it is important to determine the most suitable cultivars for a special planting date. Despite the great importance of different rice transplanting beds on its crop production and the optimal management of these beds through the application of appropriate planting dates that can have a significant impact on crop production, so far not many studies have been conducted in Khuzestan.Materials and MethodsThis research was designed to determine the feasibility of establishing rice cultivar seedlings in dry beds and compare it with wet conditions at different times of seedling production. The experiment was carried out during the cropping years of 2021 and 2022 at the Shavur research station in Khuzestan province, located 65 km north of Ahvaz. It was conducted using a split-plot design within a randomized complete block design with three replications. The main factor, planting beds for the seedlings, included transplanting in a conventional bed (paddling), transplanting in a bed with field capacity, transplanting in a flat bed under dry conditions, and transplanting in a raised bed under dry conditions. The sub-factor was the date of seedling production, which included June 2, June 12, and June 23. The rice cultivars, which were the sub-sub-factors, included Champa, Anbori, Germez-Paboland, and Daniyal.Results and DiscussionThe results of comparing the average of traits showed that the highest yield of paddy in the two years of the experiment was related to the flat planting bed and the planting date of 2 June (5190 kg.ha-1 in first year, 6536 kg.ha-1 in second year, respectively in Anbori, Germez-Paboland and Champa). Rice yield showed a high correlation with biological yield, number of panicles per square meter, panicle length and plant height. The lowest yield of paddy in the two years of the experiment belonged to the conventional bed (2811 kg.ha-1 in 12 June in first year, 2964 kg.ha-1 in 23 June in second year, respectively in Anbori, Germez-Paboland and Daniyal).ConclusionLong-term waterlogging in the method of gerbera cultivation has caused disturbances in the growth and production of the plant, resulting in a decrease in paddy yield. Therefore, it can be concluded that different beds for transplanting have a significant impact on rice crop production. Optimal management of these beds, through the application of appropriate planting dates and suitable cultivars, can effectively improve crop production. Also, according to the obtained results, although the Daniyal cultivars is a high-yielding cultivars, compared to the local varieties, it could not achieve better performance under the conditions of the treatments investigated in this experiment.

Background: As the subject of environmental health knowledge trains specialized and dedicated human resources and offers the quality and quantity of human resources needed for environmental health, future research and foresight are particularly crucial. This study examines research and educational facilities in the field of environmental health in terms of the presence of expert human resources and the development of facilities. This study addressed educational and research centers in the field of environmental health in terms of its development and the presence of expert human resources. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional research was conducted in 2018-2019. First, a description of the ten areas of higher education has been presented and information related to indicators such as the presence of health faculty, the number of professors and research centers has been presented in the form of tables and figures. The data were analyzed using SPSS 22 software. Results: The findings indicated that there are regional differences in the proportion of faculty members to the total population. This ratio was lower in regions 5 and 10, but was significantly higher in region 8 compared to the national average (4.5 persons per million people). Also, the eastern provinces had a high number of environmental health student training centers. There were differences in the number of environmental health research facilities across different regions, and some provinces had none at all. The highest number of people working with environmental health degrees was found in region 5, while the lowest number was found in region 7. Conclusion: The findings showed that the development of education should be based on related factors, including population, and the environmental health facilities and priorities of each of the regions should be the basis of educational-research center development, student admission, and attracting faculty members and expert staff in order to be more productive in the field of environmental health engineering.

Background: Awareness of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) procedures is important for the general public to receive emergency services in a timely manner. Understanding public expectations is essential for providing therapeutic interventions and managing expectations.Objectives: This study aimed to determine the relationship between public awareness and expectations regarding pre-hospital EMS in Tabriz, Iran, in 2020.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran, in 2020. In this study, 1100 EMS callers were randomly selected. Data were collected through telephone interviews using a questionnaire assessing public awareness and expectations of pre-hospital emergency care services and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS v.16 software.Results: The average interviewers’ awareness score was 65.72±14.98. The highest awareness was related to the area of medical emergencies (75.56±6.87) and the lowest awareness was related to contacting emergency service (58.59±21.65). The total expectation was high (79.99±8.90). Moreover, the expectations regarding emergency facilities and response time was 80.16±8.97 and the expectations from emergency staff was 79.82±9.95. Men's awareness and women's expectations of emergency services were high. In this study, there was a significant relationship between awareness and expectation (P=0.001 & r=0.15). Moreover, there was a significant relationship between the level of awareness and expectations regarding demographic variables, including gender, age, marital status, education and income levels (P

Abstract Human mobility describes physical patterns of movement of people within a spatial system. Many of these patterns, including daily commuting, are cyclic and quantifiable. These patterns capture physical phenomena tied to processes studied in urban planning, epidemiology, and other social, behavioral, and economic sciences. This paper advances human mobility research by proposing a statistical method for identifying locations that individual move to and through at a rate proportionally higher than other locations, using commuting data for the country of New Zealand as a case study. We term these locations mobility loci and they capture a global property of communities in which people commute. The method makes use of a directed-graph representation where vertices correspond to locations, and traffic between locations correspond to edge weights. Following a normalization, the graph can be regarded as a Markov chain whose stationary distribution can be calculated. The proposed permutation procedure is then applied to determine which stationary distribution values are larger than what would be expected, given the structure of the directed graph and traffic between locations. The results of this method are evaluated, including a comparison to what is already known about commuting patterns in the area as well as a comparison with similar features.

Whilst the practitioner field around current student communications has developed in recent years, most published research still focuses either on prospective students, theoretical benefits of student communications or usage of individual channels of communication. This paper contributes to policy and practice by providing the first UK-wide look at current students' communications preferences and behaviours through a meta-analysis of 17 student communications surveys (total students surveyed 20,134). Results show that students expect their universities to utilise a range of channels (including email, social media and student portals) -- i.e. an integrated marketing theory approach. Most students feel that they receive the right level of information; however, overall satisfaction with communications has decreased in recent years. This paper provides recommendations for practice, as well as a template to improve consistency in future institutional student communications evaluations.

To eliminate the risk for vaccine-related paralysis, live attenuated Sabin-strain oral poliovirus vaccine type 2 was withdrawn from routine use in a globally coordinated manner in 2016. However, because of [...]