Your browser doesn't support javascript.
loading
Show: 20 | 50 | 100
Results 1 - 20 de 30
Filter
1.
Environ Pollut ; 357: 124484, 2024 Sep 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38960120

ABSTRACT

Sundarban, a Ramsar site of India, has been encountering an ecological threat due to the presence of microplastic (MP) wastes generated from different anthropogenic sources. Clibanarius longitarsus, an intertidal hermit crab of Sundarban Biosphere Reserve, resides within the abandoned shell of a gastropod mollusc, Telescopium telescopium. We characterized and estimated the MP in the gills and gut of hermit crab, as well as in the water present in its occupied gastropod shell. The average microplastic abundance in sea water, sand and sediment were 0.175 ± 0.145 MP L-1, 42 ± 15.03 MP kg-1 and 67.63 ± 24.13 MP kg-1 respectively. The average microplastic load in hermit crab was 1.94 ± 0.59 MP crab-1, with 33.89 % and 66.11 % in gills and gut respectively. Gastropod shell water exhibited accumulation of 1.69 ± 1.43 MP L-1. Transparent and fibrous microplastics were documented as the dominant polymers of water, sand and sediment. Shell water exhibited the prevalence of green microplastics followed by transparent ones. Microscopic examination revealed microplastics with 100-300 µm size categories were dominant across all abiotic compartments. ATR-FTIR and Raman spectroscopy confirmed polyethylene and polypropylene as the prevalent polymers among the five identified polymers of biotic and abiotic components. The target group index indicated green and black as the preferable microplastics of crab. The ecological risk analysis indicated a considerable level of environmental pollution risk in Sundarban and its inhabiting organisms. This important information base may facilitate in developing a strategy of mitigation to limit the MP induced ecological risk at Sundarban Biosphere Reserve.


Subject(s)
Anomura , Environmental Monitoring , Geologic Sediments , Microplastics , Seawater , Water Pollutants, Chemical , Animals , Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis , Microplastics/analysis , Environmental Monitoring/methods , Geologic Sediments/chemistry , India , Risk Assessment , Seawater/chemistry , Sand
2.
Appetite ; 196: 107270, 2024 05 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38360399

ABSTRACT

In saturated markets, companies are continually launching new products. Food innovations particularly play a decisive role in this case. One new concept is food pairing, which signifies that the more aromatic compounds two foods have in common, the better they taste together. Food pairing offers an opportunity to develop innovative foods. However, some consumers are risk-averse or exhibit food neophobia. Studies on food neophobia indicate that innovative foods could face rejection. The factor that represents a marketing barrier is not only the sensory rejection of the products when tasting them but also the refusal to even try such innovative products. Therefore, the idea of whether consumers are generally open to food pairing is important to examine. Nonetheless, research into this issue is lacking thus far. The subject of how consumers judge usual, novel, and unusual pairing principles was investigated in this study. The topic of whether a target group for food pairing products exists and characterized the target group was also analysed. To achieve the objective of the study, an online survey of German consumers (n = 1,064) was conducted; these consumers judged the five flavour combinations of each category (usual, novel, unusual). The results revealed a four-cluster solution, with one-third of the sample expressing an openness to food pairing. The whole sample judged the usual combinations as suitable; by contrast, the novel and unusual combinations were deemed to be mainly appropriate for the food pairing cluster. The proposed measurement methodology for testing the openness of food pairing, which distinguishes between usual, novel, and unusual pairings, has demonstrated its usefulness. Those consumers who are open to food pairing have a high level of food involvement and a low degree of food neophobia. Furthermore, they show the highest organic food purchase frequency.


Subject(s)
Food , Taste , Humans , Taste Perception , Food Preferences , Food, Organic , Flavoring Agents , Consumer Behavior
3.
J Multidiscip Healthc ; 17: 219-228, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38250309

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Supporting family caregivers is a major challenge for the healthcare system. The first points of contact are physicians, nurses and social services, which are not easily accessible. For this reason, an information platform has been developed to provide information for family caregivers caring for people with dementia at home. The aim of this article is to provide an insight into the didactic design of this platform. Sample and Methods: A didactic concept was developed based on didactic target group analysis and interviews with caring relatives (n=6). Results: The didactic concept of the digital platform takes into account the characteristics of family caregivers as learners, such as time constraints and reciprocity. Therefore two different learning paths, a long and a short version, are offered. Reciprocity is supported by information which are related to individual characteristics of the caring relation. This is made possible by an adaptation of the didactic method "anchored instructions": Family caregivers experience a problematic caring situation. They use the platform and central concepts related to this situation are offered as anchors. In chatbot mediated learning, these concepts are identified and, ideally, relevant information is provided in a short version. These concepts are displayed as a learning map and must be proactively selected. Chatbot mediated learning has the advantage that matching concepts are offered as a pre-selection. Especially for inexperienced carers who are not familiar with the concepts, this learning path seems to be suitable. Conclusion: The combination of learning through the "Information for Relatives" website and CML seems to meet all needs. In order to promote learner motivation, the chatbot should not only offer the identified concept, but also those related to this concept, in order to link new knowledge in one's own knowledge network.

4.
Nutrients ; 15(10)2023 May 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37242174

ABSTRACT

Iron deficiency is still widespread as a major health problem even in countries with adequate food supply. It mainly affects women but also vegans, vegetarians, and athletes and can lead to various clinical pictures. Biofortification of vitamin C-rich vegetables with iron may be one new approach to face this nutritional challenge. However, so far, little is known about the consumer acceptance of iron-biofortified vegetables, particularly in developed countries. To address this issue, a quantitative survey of 1000 consumers in Germany was conducted. The results showed that depending on the type of vegetable, between 54% and 79% of the respondents were interested in iron-biofortified vegetables. Regression analysis showed a relationship between product acceptance, gender, and area of residence. In addition, relationships were found between consumer preferences for enjoyment, sustainability, and naturalness. Compared to functional food and dietary supplements, 77% of respondents would prefer fresh iron-rich vegetables to improve their iron intake. For a market launch, those iron-rich vegetables appear especially promising, which can additionally be advertised with claims for being rich in vitamin C and cultivated in an environmentally friendly way. Consumers were willing to pay EUR 0.10 to EUR 0.20 more for the iron-biofortified vegetables.


Subject(s)
Iron , Vegetables , Humans , Female , Iron, Dietary , Biological Availability , Biofortification , Consumer Behavior
5.
Front Psychol ; 14: 1304952, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38239462

ABSTRACT

This study aims to establish a model that identifies the role of tourism, target group, tourism stakeholders, and the marketing mix factors in the context of tourism marketing based on behavior change and exchange theory, to contribute to poverty reduction through the implementation of social marketing in the tourism context. Phenomenology and grounded theory designs were used in the research. The research findings have revealed that social marketing tools and techniques are effective methods for reducing poverty in the context of tourism and have contributed to a better understanding of the impact of tourism on poverty in terms of roles, barriers, and expectations. It was concluded that for social marketing to be successfully applied in tourism, it needs to be adapted to government policies, institutions, and the private sector. According to the results of the study, government policies should be conducive to promoting behavior change through tourism. In line with the philosophy of social marketing, it is expected that the results will focus on behavior change in the target group in the context of tourism, creating shared values for society, and developing roles for the benefit of individuals and society.

6.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34886054

ABSTRACT

People with intellectual disabilities have a comparatively low level of physical activity and are affected by associated numerous impairments and diseases. However, target group specific interventions and concepts aiming at sustainable physical activity-related behavior change in everyday life are rare and the needs and perspectives of the target group have hardly been considered so far. Therefore, a target-group oriented intervention was developed. The research and developmental process was characterized by a participatory approach, involving people with intellectual disabilities throughout the whole process. For example, the interview guideline, design of the interview situation and ways of communicating were developed in a participatory manner. Twenty-four qualitative interviews with people with intellectual disabilities were conducted to explore individual physical activity-related experiences and strategies. Individual and contextual influences on physical activity were identified. Interview results were used to conceptualize an intervention that aims at promoting physical activity in the everyday life of people with intellectual disabilities by strengthening their self-management strategies. The intervention was tested in practice and modified based on communicative validation methods. Good acceptance in the long term is also expected, as the intervention takes place in people's living environment, is socially embedded and builds upon the needs of the target group.


Subject(s)
Intellectual Disability , Communication , Drive , Exercise , Humans , Life Style
7.
Arch Public Health ; 79(1): 229, 2021 Dec 22.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34933687

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Health reporting shall provide up-to-date health-related data to inform policy-makers, researchers and the public. To this end, health reporting formats should be tailored to the needs and competencies of the target groups and provide comparable and high-quality information. Within the Joint Action on Health Information 'InfAct', we aimed at gaining an overview of health reporting practices in the EU Member States and associated countries, and developed quality criteria for the preparation of public health reports. The results are intended to facilitate making health information adequately available while reducing inequalities in health reporting across the EU. METHODS: A web-based desk research was conducted among EU Member States and associated countries to generate an overview of different formats of national health reporting and their respective target groups. To identify possible quality criteria for public health reports, an exploratory literature review was performed and earlier projects were analysed. The final set of criteria was developed in exchange with experts from the InfAct consortium. RESULTS: The web-based desk research showed that public health reports are the most frequently used format across countries (94%), most often addressed to scientists and researchers (51%), politicians and decision-makers (41%). However, across all reporting formats, the general public is the most frequently addressed target group. With regards to quality criteria for public health reports, the literature review has yielded few results. Therefore, two earlier projects served as main sources: the 'Evaluation of National and Regional Public Health Reports' and the guideline 'Good Practice in Health Reporting'from Germany. In collaboration with experts, quality criteria were identified and grouped into eight categories, ranging from topic selection to presentation of results, and compiled in a checklist for easy reference. CONCLUSION: Health reporting practices in the EU are heterogeneous across Member States. The assembled quality criteria are intended to facilitate the preparation, dissemination and access to better comparable high-quality public health reports as a basis for evidence-based decision-making. A comprehensive conceptual and integrative approach that incorporates the policy perspective would be useful to investigate which dissemination strategies are the most suitable for specific requirements of the targeted groups.

8.
Int J Qual Health Care ; 33(3)2021 Jul 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34197580

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Not all patients are able to communicate effectively during consultations with medical specialists. Patient coaching has shown to be effective for enhancing communication. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to get healthcare professionals' views on target groups for patient coaching, on supportive elements in patient coaching and on the necessary qualifications and profile of a patient coach, to further our knowledge on the concept of patient coaching as supportive intervention for patients in consultations with medical specialists. METHODS: We chose a qualitative research design and interviewed 18 healthcare professionals (six medical specialists, four family physicians, four community nurses and four nurse specialists/physician assistants) and analysed the verbatim transcripts using Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven. After a short introduction of the global concept of patient coaching and presentation of patients' perceived barriers, two interviewers structured the interview around three research questions: which patients could benefit from a patient coach, what should such a coach do and who could act like such a coach? RESULTS: Participants describe patients who could benefit from patient coaching as generally vulnerable (e.g. older age, insufficiently accompanied, lower socioeconomic status, co-morbidity and cognitive problems) but also patients who are situationally vulnerable (e.g. elicited by bad news). Patient coaching should comprise emotional and instrumental support, aiming at reducing stress and improving the processing of medical information. Patient coaching should start from the patient's home and include preparing questions, navigating to and in the hospital, recording information during the consultation, checking understanding and recalling information. Patient coaches should have at least basic medical knowledge and a higher education. CONCLUSION: Healthcare professionals believe that patient coaching by a trained professional with medical knowledge could be beneficial to patients who are stressed when visiting a medical specialist. Future research should involve the views of patients on patient coaching, focus on investigating to what extent patient coaching is able to reduce stress and support a patient in processing medical information and the preferred patient coach's profile.


Subject(s)
Mentoring , Aged , Communication , Health Personnel , Humans , Qualitative Research , Secondary Care
9.
Z Gerontol Geriatr ; 54(5): 471-478, 2021 Aug.
Article in German | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33796892

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Preventive home visits are part of communal programs for older citizens. The city of Hamburg promoted the pilot project "The Hamburg home visit for older citizens" in two city districts. The voluntary program is offered to persons on their 80th birthday, without comprehensive assessment and is performed by visitors with a background in healthcare or social work. The aim is to provide information, to identify need of help and to initiate contact with officials for support if wanted. METHODS: The structural and administrative prerequisites were defined together with officials of the city of Hamburg and the two city districts. The data safety concept, provision of addresses, birthday letter, information to be provided, recruitment, qualification and training of the visitors, timing and performance of visits, guiding how to communicate during the home visit, documentation and quarterly reports are described in detail. RESULTS: From September 2018 to December 2019, 1636 (35%) out of 4716 persons contacted were visited by 59 visitors. The most frequent reasons for refusal were no need because of good health (40%) or satisfaction with existing support (14%). Most issues addressed were health situation (51%), mobility (43%), housing conditions (42%) and social contacts (41%). There was need of support as documented in 399 out of 1636 home visits, and contacts for support were initiated as required by 55 persons. CONCLUSION: The acceptance of this new approach was 10% higher than 25% per month that had been expected in both the concentrated urban as well as the more rural city districts. Home visits on the 80th birthday appear to be feasible provided that structural and operational prerequisites are considered. In 2020, they were offered to all districts of the city, i.e. to about 15,000 persons per year.


Subject(s)
Geriatric Assessment , House Calls , Aged , Humans , Life Style , Pilot Projects , Preventive Health Services
10.
J Biol Eng ; 15(1): 15, 2021 Apr 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33882982

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Many patients suffering from peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are dependent on bypass surgery. However, in some patients no suitable replacements (i.e. autologous or prosthetic bypass grafts) are available. Advances have been made to develop autologous tissue engineered vascular grafts (TEVG) using endothelial colony forming cells (ECFC) obtained by peripheral blood draw in large animal trials. Clinical translation of this technique, however, still requires additional data for usability of isolated ECFC from high cardiovascular risk patients. Bovine carotid arteries (BCA) were decellularized using a combined SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate) -free mechanical-osmotic-enzymatic-detergent approach to show the feasibility of xenogenous vessel decellularization. Decellularized BCA chips were seeded with human ECFC, isolated from a high cardiovascular risk patient group, suffering from diabetes, hypertension and/or chronic renal failure. ECFC were cultured alone or in coculture with rat or human mesenchymal stromal cells (rMSC/hMSC). Decellularized BCA chips were evaluated for biochemical, histological and mechanical properties. Successful isolation of ECFC and recellularization capabilities were analyzed by histology. RESULTS: Decellularized BCA showed retained extracellular matrix (ECM) composition and mechanical properties upon cell removal. Isolation of ECFC from the intended target group was successfully performed (80% isolation efficiency). Isolated cells showed a typical ECFC-phenotype. Upon recellularization, co-seeding of patient-isolated ECFC with rMSC/hMSC and further incubation was successful for 14 (n = 9) and 23 (n = 5) days. Reendothelialization (rMSC) and partial reendothelialization (hMSC) was achieved. Seeded cells were CD31 and vWF positive, however, human cells were detectable for up to 14 days in xenogenic cell-culture only. Seeding of ECFC without rMSC was not successful. CONCLUSION: Using our refined decellularization process we generated easily obtainable TEVG with retained ECM- and mechanical quality, serving as a platform to develop small-diameter (< 6 mm) TEVG. ECFC isolation from the cardiovascular risk target group is possible and sufficient. Survival of diabetic ECFC appears to be highly dependent on perivascular support by rMSC/hMSC under static conditions. ECFC survival was limited to 14 days post seeding.

11.
Article in Chinese | WPRIM (Western Pacific) | ID: wpr-912708

ABSTRACT

This paper aims to push health scientific popular knowledge and carry out targeted patient health education for certain patients, based on the demand of health education for specific diseases and population. Taking the female climacteric health scientific popularization as an example, the authors summarized the practice of popularizing scientific education in a tertiary specialized hospital based on the cognitive level and health education needs of outpatients and the general public. A multidisciplinary health scientific popularization team was set up to communicate popular science knowledge to patients and other menopausal women in need through multi-channel and multi-platform forms. Such means include online ones, offline ones, and cooperation with various social organizations. The implementation of health scientific popularization mode meets the needs of patients and the general public. The implementation of this mode of health popularization could improve their self-health management ability and health accomplishment. It provides a good reference for public hospitals to carry out health science popularization.

12.
Rev. bras. estud. popul ; 38: e0163, 2021. tab
Article in Portuguese | LILACS | ID: biblio-1288520

ABSTRACT

Considerando o recente surgimento de vacinas eficazes contra a Covid-19 e os escassos recursos para atender imediatamente à maior parte da população mundial, as sociedades precisam definir a ordem em que os grupos de cidadãos terão acesso às novas vacinas. As campanhas de vacinação devem priorizar a imunização de indivíduos vulneráveis e encarregados de ajudar outras pessoas, reduzindo as perdas humanas e minimizando os danos sociais e econômicos. No Brasil, os usuários de transporte público nas grandes cidades apresentam altos níveis de vulnerabilidade, diante de fatores relacionados à configuração espacial, à organização dos sistemas de transporte e ao alto percentual de pessoas de baixo nível socioeconômico em grandes periferias que dependem exclusivamente do transporte público para acesso a empregos e serviços básicos. A imunização dos usuários do transporte público pode produzir efeitos práticos relevantes no combate à Covid-19 no Brasil, tais como economia de recursos públicos, redução do número de óbitos e maior eficiência no controle setorizado da doença nas cidades. Portanto, sugerimos que os formuladores de políticas devem considerar os usuários frequentes de transporte público das grandes cidades brasileiras como um grupo-alvo nas campanhas de vacinação, dando a esse grupo um certo nível de prioridade com base em um mapeamento de risco adequado em nível local.


Teniendo en cuenta la reciente aparición de vacunas eficaces contra la covid-19 y los escasos recursos para atender de inmediato a la mayoría de la población mundial, las sociedades deben definir el orden en el que los grupos de ciudadanos tendrán acceso a las nuevas vacunas. Las campañas de vacunación deben priorizar la inmunización de personas vulnerables y personas encargadas de ayudar a otras para reducir las pérdidas humanas y minimizar los daños sociales y económicos. En Brasil, los usuarios del transporte público en las grandes ciudades presentan altos niveles de vulnerabilidad, dados los factores relacionados con la configuración espacial, la organización de los sistemas de transporte y el alto porcentaje de personas de nivel socioeconómico bajo dentro de los grandes suburbios que dependen exclusivamente del transporte público para acceder a empleos y servicios básicos. La vacunación de los usuarios del transporte público puede producir efectos prácticos relevantes en el combate a la covid-19 en Brasil, como el ahorro de recursos públicos, la reducción del número de muertes y una mayor eficiencia en el control sectorizado de la enfermedad en las ciudades. Por lo tanto, sugerimos que los formuladores de políticas consideren a los usuarios frecuentes del transporte público de las grandes ciudades brasileñas como un grupo objetivo en las campañas de vacunación y le den a este grupo cierto nivel de prioridad basado en un adecuado mapeo de riesgos a nivel local.


Considering the recent emergence of effective vaccines against COVID-19 and the scarce resources to assist most of the world population immediately, societies need to define the order in which groups of citizens will get access to new vaccines. Vaccination campaigns should prioritize the immunization of vulnerable individuals and people tasked with helping others, thus reducing human losses and minimizing social and economic damage. In Brazil, public transport users in large cities present high levels of vulnerability, due to factors related to the spatial configuration, the organization of transport systems and the high percentage of people of low socio-economic status within large suburbs that depend exclusively on public transport to access jobs and basic services. Immunizing public transport users can produce relevant practical effects in combating COVID-19 in Brazil, such as saving public resources, reducing the number of deaths and achieving greater efficiency in the sectorized control of the disease within cities. Therefore, we suggest that policymakers should consider the frequent users of public transport from large Brazilian cities as a target group in vaccination campaigns, affording this group some priority based on adequate risk mapping at the local level.


Subject(s)
Humans , Brazil , Vaccination , COVID-19 , Transportation , Risk , Immunization , Disaster Vulnerability , Health Policy
13.
Front Psychol ; 11: 566725, 2020.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33123047

ABSTRACT

Response instructions-inviting participants to respond from a certain perspective-can significantly influence the performance and construct validity of psychological measures. Stereotype Content Model (SCM) and then the BIAS map ("behaviors from intergroup affect and stereotypes") were originally developed as universal measures of shared cultural stereotypes-participants' perceptions of what most of the people in a society think about the target group-and their related social-structural antecedents, emotions and behavioral tendencies. Yet a number of studies have adopted a different response instruction focusing on individual stereotypes-what the participants personally think about the target group. So far, there is little evidence to suggest how these two different response instructions (individual vs. shared cultural perspective) might influence the performance of the BIAS map, especially when applied to target groups that elicit different normative and social desirability concerns. To provide novel evidence, we conducted an experiment with a representative sample of ethnic Slovaks (N = 1269). In a 2 × 2 factorial design, we found response instruction (individual vs. shared cultural perspective) and target group [stigmatized ethnic minority (the Roma) vs. non-stigmatized ethnic minority (the Hungarians)] had significant effects on the BIAS map and their interaction had significant effects on the social structure and behavioral tendencies (but not on stereotypes and emotions) scales. Exploratory analysis also points to partial influence on the mediation hypothesis underlying the BIAS map and minor effects on its scale properties. Our evidence suggests that the difference between individual stereotypes and shared cultural stereotypes partially depends on the target group in question and that they should be treated as two potentially separate constructs.

14.
BMC Med ; 18(1): 223, 2020 08 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32814581

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: There is substantial burden of seasonal influenza in Kenya, which led the government to consider introducing a national influenza vaccination programme. Given the cost implications of a nationwide programme, local economic evaluation data are needed to inform policy on the design and benefits of influenza vaccination. We set out to estimate the cost-effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccination in Kenya. METHODS: We fitted an age-stratified dynamic transmission model to active surveillance data from patients with influenza from 2010 to 2018. Using a societal perspective, we developed a decision tree cost-effectiveness model and estimated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted for three vaccine target groups: children 6-23 months (strategy I), 2-5 years (strategy II) and 6-14 years (strategy III) with either the Southern Hemisphere influenza vaccine (Strategy A) or Northern Hemisphere vaccine (Strategy B) or both (Strategy C: twice yearly vaccination campaigns, or Strategy D: year-round vaccination campaigns). We assessed cost-effectiveness by calculating incremental net monetary benefits (INMB) using a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of 1-51% of the annual gross domestic product per capita ($17-$872). RESULTS: The mean number of infections across all ages was 2-15 million per year. When vaccination was well timed to influenza activity, the annual mean ICER per DALY averted for vaccinating children 6-23 months ranged between $749 and $1385 for strategy IA, $442 and $1877 for strategy IB, $678 and $4106 for strategy IC and $1147 and $7933 for strategy ID. For children 2-5 years, it ranged between $945 and $1573 for strategy IIA, $563 and $1869 for strategy IIB, $662 and $4085 for strategy IIC, and $1169 and $7897 for strategy IID. For children 6-14 years, it ranged between $923 and $3116 for strategy IIIA, $1005 and $2223 for strategy IIIB, $883 and $4727 for strategy IIIC and $1467 and $6813 for strategy IIID. Overall, no vaccination strategy was cost-effective at the minimum ($17) and median ($445) WTP thresholds. Vaccinating children 6-23 months once a year had the highest mean INMB value at $872 (WTP threshold upper limit); however, this strategy had very low probability of the highest net benefit. CONCLUSION: Vaccinating children 6-23 months once a year was the most favourable vaccination option; however, the strategy is unlikely to be cost-effective given the current WTP thresholds.


Subject(s)
Disease Transmission, Infectious/economics , Disease Transmission, Infectious/prevention & control , Influenza Vaccines/economics , Influenza, Human/economics , Influenza, Human/prevention & control , Cost-Benefit Analysis , Female , Humans , Infant , Kenya , Male
15.
Article in German | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32666180

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Dynamic developments in the healthcare system are associated with a more active and more participatory patient role, in which patients make informed decisions and help shape their care. This points to the increasing role of health information and health information seeking behaviors. But to date, the health information seeking behavior of people in Germany hasn't been subject to systematic survey research. The German Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS Germany) closes this gap. METHODS: HINTS Germany was fielded as a telephone survey with a sample of N = 2902 people. The questionnaire covers various aspects of the search for and use of health information, healthcare, health status, and health-related behaviors. RESULTS: First results show regional and gender differences in health information seeking. One in four respondents reports problems concerning the process of health information seeking. The most used health information sources are doctors and other health professionals as well as the Internet, whereby respondents trust health information from doctors by far the most. DISCUSSION: The rather rare use of the Internet as the primary source corresponds to the lower level of trust that the respondents place in the Internet as a source of health information, which is also known from other studies. However, this should not hide the fact that the Internet can be of great importance as a supplementary source, i.e., used in combination with other information, for example after a doctor's visit. HINTS Germany provides a data basis representative of the adult population in Germany, with which the importance of health information seeking for health-related attitudes and behaviors can be analyzed in a differentiated manner.


Subject(s)
Information Seeking Behavior , Trust , Adult , Germany , Humans , Internet , Sex Factors , Surveys and Questionnaires
16.
Comb Chem High Throughput Screen ; 23(4): 274-284, 2020.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31267864

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Identification of drug-target interaction is essential in drug discovery. It is beneficial to predict unexpected therapeutic or adverse side effects of drugs. To date, several computational methods have been proposed to predict drug-target interactions because they are prompt and low-cost compared with traditional wet experiments. METHODS: In this study, we investigated this problem in a different way. According to KEGG, drugs were classified into several groups based on their target proteins. A multi-label classification model was presented to assign drugs into correct target groups. To make full use of the known drug properties, five networks were constructed, each of which represented drug associations in one property. A powerful network embedding method, Mashup, was adopted to extract drug features from above-mentioned networks, based on which several machine learning algorithms, including RAndom k-labELsets (RAKEL) algorithm, Label Powerset (LP) algorithm and Support Vector Machine (SVM), were used to build the classification model. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Tenfold cross-validation yielded the accuracy of 0.839, exact match of 0.816 and hamming loss of 0.037, indicating good performance of the model. The contribution of each network was also analyzed. Furthermore, the network model with multiple networks was found to be superior to the one with a single network and classic model, indicating the superiority of the proposed model.


Subject(s)
Algorithms , Drug Development
17.
J Sep Sci ; 42(21): 3382-3389, 2019 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31503388

ABSTRACT

"Dogel ebs" was known as Sophora flavescens Ait., a classical traditional Chinese Mongolian herbal medicine, which had the effects on damp-heat dysentery, scrofula, and syndrome of accumulated dampness toxicity. Although the chemical constituents have been clarified by our previous studies, the metabolic transformation of "Dogel ebs" in vivo was still unclear. To explore the mechanism of "Dogel ebs," the metabolites in plasma, bile, and urine samples were investigated. A fast positive and negative ion switching technology was used for the simultaneous determination of flavonoids and alkaloids in "Dogel ebs" in a single run. And a target-group-change coupled with mass defect filtering strategy was utilized to analyze the collected data. 89 parent compounds and 82 metabolites were characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Both phase I and phase II metabolites were observed and the metabolic pathways involved in oxidation, demethylation, acetylation, and glucuronidation. 69 metabolites of "Dogel ebs," including three hydroxyls bonding xanthohumol, formononetin-7-O-glucuronide, 2'-hydroxyl-isoxanthohumol decarboxylation metabolite, oxysophocarpine dehydrogen, 9α-hydroxysophoramine-O-glucuronide, etc. were reported for the first time.


Subject(s)
Bile/chemistry , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis , Animals , Bile/metabolism , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/metabolism , Male , Medicine, Chinese Traditional , Molecular Conformation , Molecular Weight , Rats , Rats, Wistar
18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29631250

ABSTRACT

Fufang-Xialian-Capsule (FXL) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula which was utilized to treat chronic atrophic gastritis. Despite the chemical constituents have been clarifying by our previous studies, but the metabolism of FXL after oral was still unclear. In order to clarify the mechanism of these absorbed components, a target-group-change (TGC) strategy was utilized to analysis the collected data. This strategy include five steps: (1) acquired the mass spectra data and tandem mass spectra data simultaneously; (2) confirmed the prototype absorbed into blood and the tandem mass behavior of prototype; (3) clarified the potential group change of prototypes after metabolism by Metabolynx XS software; (4) confirmed the target group change acquired by compare the tandem mass behavior of metabolites with their prototypes; (5) inferred the position of group change occurred and metabolic pathways of each prototypes. Based on the TGC strategy, the structure of metabolites and the metabolic pathways of FXL were confirmed. The main group change behaviors on the prototypes after metabolism include demethylation, methylation, hydroxylation and glucuronide conjugation. As the results, there were 33 metabolites transformed from 11 prototypes confirmed, these 11 prototypes include 4 flavones, 5 alkaloids and 2 ginsenosides. All the metabolites could be identified or tentatively characterized according to the structure of metabolites and previous reports.


Subject(s)
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry , Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods , Alkaloids/blood , Alkaloids/chemistry , Alkaloids/metabolism , Animals , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/metabolism , Flavones/blood , Flavones/chemistry , Flavones/metabolism , Ginsenosides/blood , Ginsenosides/chemistry , Ginsenosides/metabolism , Male , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley
19.
Health Expect ; 21(5): 878-886, 2018 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29624858

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2 have been targeted in health-care systems in many western countries as a high-risk group. However, we have limited knowledge of the long-term significance of this prenatal care policy. OBJECTIVE: To investigate accounts women give of their experiences of being targeted as severely overweight during pregnancy when they look back at the intervention 4-5 years later. DESIGN: Interpretive analysis based on 21 semi-structured interviews conducted 4-5 years after the pregnancy with Danish mothers categorized as having a pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 30. FINDINGS: In the women's retrospective accounts three phases were identified and separated: (i) Being identified as a "severely overweight pregnant woman." The women differed over whether they accepted this categorization, but all believed that an approach based on weight was acceptable. (ii) Encounters with health-care professionals. The women differed here: some reported no negative experiences; others reported experiences of prejudice and silence. (iii) Reflections on long-term outcomes. Most women reported that the interventions during their pregnancies did not lead to any lasting lifestyle change. The women disagreed over whether, in principle, pregnancy was a suitable time to be targeted. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our study illustrates the importance of critically considering whether pregnancy is a suitable window of opportunity for obesity prevention, and shows that women's experiences should be examined in relation to each phase of intervention. More interdisciplinary studies are needed to map potential benefits and other consequences over the short- and long-term.


Subject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , Body Mass Index , Obesity , Pregnant Women/psychology , Professional-Patient Relations , Adult , Denmark , Female , Humans , Interviews as Topic , Pregnancy , Prejudice , Prenatal Care/methods , Qualitative Research , Retrospective Studies
20.
Patient Educ Couns ; 100(6): 1177-1184, 2017 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28089311

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The Self-Management of Well-being (SMW) group intervention for older women was implemented in health and social care. Our aim was to assess whether effects of the SMW intervention were comparable with the original randomized controlled trial (RCT). Furthermore, we investigated threats to effectiveness, such as participant adherence, group reached, and program fidelity. METHODS: In the implementation study (IMP) 287 and RCT 142 women participated. We compared scores on self-management ability and well-being of the IMP and RCT. For adherence, drop-out rates and session attendance were compared. Regarding reach, we compared participants' baseline characteristics. Professionals completed questions regarding program fidelity. RESULTS: No significant differences were found on effect outcomes and adherence between IMP and RCT (all p≥0.135). Intervention effect sizes were equal (0.47-0.59). IMP participants were significantly less lonely and more likely to be married, but had lower well-being. Most professionals followed the protocol, with only minimal deviations. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of the SMW group intervention was reproduced after implementation, with similar participant adherence, minimal changes in the group reached, and high program fidelity. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The SMW group intervention can be transferred to health and social care without loss of effectiveness. Implementation at a larger scale is warranted.


Subject(s)
Continuity of Patient Care , Psychotherapy, Group , Self Care/methods , Self-Management , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Loneliness/psychology , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Compliance , Program Evaluation , Quality of Life , Self Care/psychology , Surveys and Questionnaires
SELECTION OF CITATIONS
SEARCH DETAIL