Objective: The relationship between screen use and problematic internet use (PIU; i.e., internet addiction) amongst adolescents has not been sufficiently explored. Further, there is even less research on how gender is associated with this relationship. The goal of the study was to examine adolescent screen use, PIU, and its impact on day-to-day routines of adolescents. Methods: Participants were recruited from an outpatient pediatric clinic in São Paulo, Brazil. A total of 180 adolescents completed questionnaires related to their screen use, extracurricular activities, and symptoms of PIU. Univariate and multivariate statistics were used to determine correlates and predictors of PIU, and to explore gender differences. Results: A total of 26.1% of adolescents met the criteria for PIU. There were no significant differences between boys and girls in PIU severity. However, there were significant gender differences in preferred use of the Internet, with boys being more likely to access the Internet to play video games (odds ratio [OR]=27.1) and girls being more likely to socialize with friends (OR=4.51). PIU severity increased proportionally to the number of hours of use of all screen devices with moderate-to-large effect sizes (η2=0.060–0.157). Using screens during meals and missing extracurricular activities were both associated with PIU. Conclusion Though gender was not associated with PIU, both excessive use of screen devices during meals and neglect of offline extracurriculars activities were identified as risk factors for PIU. Prevention measures should consider the impact of gender and associated patterns of motivation and Internet use.

Purinergic P2Y Receptor Antagonists ; Consensus ; Cardiovascular System ; Cardiology ; Asia

Background: Workplace bullying is defined as frequent, ongoing, and detrimental incidence of unreasonable acts/behaviors directed towards an individual. The consequences of bullying to individuals often lead to absenteeism, resignation, job dissatisfaction, and suicidal ideation making it a major public health concern. This organizational issue, when not addressed, will greatly affect the workflow in any organization. There is a paucity of literature on this problem in the Southeast Asian countries Objective: This study aimed to describe the extent of workplace bullying among employees of a public higher education institution. Methodology: The researchers used a descriptive, cross-sectional study design. Survey questionnaires in Google Form were emailed to all employees with a 35.96% participation rate. The survey instrument asked participants to indicate their awareness about any bullying behavior in their unit and to specify the typical profile of bullies and victims they know of. Responses to quantitative variables were summarized using the mean and standard deviation, while qualitative variables were reported as frequency and percentage distribution. The software used for analysis were Microsoft Excel and EpiInfo 7. Results: At least one-third (36.94%) of survey respondents indicated that they witnessed a form of bullying in the workplace with more awareness seen among faculty members and permanent employees. The most common type of bullying observed in the workplace was criticism in public. Notably, this type of bullying was similar across employee categories. The predominant reactions of victims of bullying include feeling of fear and loss of trust, and confiding to a friend or co-worker. Conclusion The phenomenon of bullying has been witnessed by the employees and reported to have adverse effects on victims. Informational campaigns coupled with anti-bullying policy and programs are necessary to promote employee well-being.
Occupational Stress ; Universities ; Occupational Stress ; Philippines

Non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) usually affects adults younger than 50 years and frequently leads to femoral head collapse and subsequent arthritis of the hip.It is becoming more prevalent along with increasing use of corticosteroids for the adjuvant therapy of leukemia and other myelogenous diseases as well as management of organ transplantation. This review updated knowledge on the pathogenesis, classification criteria, staging system, and treatment of ONFH.

Non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) usually affects adults younger than 50 years and frequently leads to femoral head collapse and subsequent arthritis of the hip.It is becoming more prevalent along with increasing use of corticosteroids for the adjuvant therapy of leukemia and other myelogenous diseases as well as management of organ transplantation. This review updated knowledge on the pathogenesis, classification criteria, staging system, and treatment of ONFH.

Background/Aims: Gastroparesis is identified as a subject that is understudied in Asia. The scientific committee of the Asian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association performed a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices survey on gastroparesis among doctors in Asia. Methods: The questionnaire was created and developed through a literature review of current gastroparesis works of literature by the scientific committee of Asian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association. Results: A total of 490 doctors from across Asia (including Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam) participated in the survey. Gastroparesis is a significant gastrointestinal condition. However, a substantial proportion of respondents was unable to give the correct definition and accurate diagnostic test. The main reason for lack of interest in diagnosing gastroparesis was “the lack of reliable diagnostic tests” (46.8%) or “a lack of effective treatment” (41.5%). Only 41.7% of respondents had access to gastric emptying scintigraphy. Most doctors had never diagnosed gastroparesis at all (25.2%) or diagnosed fewer than 5 patients a year (52.1%). Conclusions Gastroparesis can be challenging to diagnose due to the lack of instrument, standardized method, and paucity of research data on normative value, risk factors, and treatment studies in Asian patients. Future strategies should concentrate on how to disseminate the latest knowledge of gastroparesis in Asia. In particular, there is an urgent need to estimate the magnitude of the problems in high risk and idiopathic patients as well as a standardized diagnostic procedure in Asia.

Recently, a new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (B.1.1.529) Omicron variant originated from South Africa in the middle of November 2021. SARS-CoV-2 is also called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) since SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19. Several studies already suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant would be the fastest transmissible variant compared to the previous 10 SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, interest, and alert. Few clinical studies reported the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant but there is insufficient time to perform actual experiments to prove it, since the spread is so fast. We analyzed the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, which revealed a very high rate of mutation at amino acid residues that interact with angiostatin-converting enzyme 2. The mutation rate of COVID-19 is faster than what we prepared vaccine program, antibody therapy, lockdown, and quarantine against COVID-19 so far. Thus, it is necessary to find better strategies to overcome the current crisis of COVID-19 pandemic.

Coccidiosis in chickens is an intestinal parasitic disease caused by protozoan parasites named Eimeria spp. In some Eimeria infections, intestinal lymphocytes are known to highly express chicken NK-lysin (cNK-lysin), an antimicrobial peptide with anticoccidial activity. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the expression of cNK-lysin in E. necatrix-infected chickens and its role in E. necatrix infection. The expression of cNK-lysin transcript was significantly increased in E. necatrix sporozoites-treated lymphocytes. In E. necatrix infection, cNK-lysin transcript was induced in intestinal lymphocytes but not in the spleen. The recombinant cNK-lysin exhibited anticoccidial activity against E. necatrix sporozoites as well as immunomodulatory activity on macrophages by inducing proinflammatory cytokines. These results indicated that E. necatrix infection induces high local expression of cNK-lysin and the secreted cNK-lysin helps protect coccidiosis.

Esophageal achalasia is a primary motility disorder characterized by insufficient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation and loss of esophageal peristalsis. Achalasia is a chronic disease that causes progressive irreversible loss of esophageal motor function. The recent development of high-resolution manometry has facilitated the diagnosis of achalasia, and determining the achalasia subtypes based on high-resolution manometry can be important when deciding on treatment methods. Peroral endoscopic myotomy is less invasive than surgery with comparable efficacy. The present guidelines (the “2019 Seoul Consensus on Esophageal Achalasia Guidelines”) were developed based on evidence-based medicine; the Asian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association and Korean Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility served as the operating and development committees, respectively. The development of the guidelines began in June 2018, and a draft consensus based on the Delphi process was achieved in April 2019. The guidelines consist of 18 recommendations: 2 pertaining to the definition and epidemiology of achalasia, 6 pertaining to diagnoses, and 10 pertaining to treatments. The endoscopic treatment section is based on the latest evidence from meta-analyses. Clinicians (including gastroenterologists, upper gastrointestinal tract surgeons, general physicians, nurses, and other hospital workers) and patients could use these guidelines to make an informed decision on the management of achalasia.

Objectives: This scoping review aimed to support a landscape analysis to identify lessons learned about intersectoral collaborations (ISCs) by describing their existing models in the context of dengue, malaria and yellow fever. Methods: A scoping review following the methodology of Joanna Briggs Institute was performed using the following inclusion criteria: studies involving humans; studies discussing intersectoral collaborations, malaria/dengue/yellow fever, and prevention or control at any level; and studies in countries endemic for the aforementioned diseases. Studies were screened using Covidence, while data were extracted using NVivo. Results: Of the 7,535 records retrieved, 69 were included in the qualitative analysis. Most ISCs were initiated by multilateral organizations and ministries of health, and none by communities. Strategies included advocacy, health education, research, public health measures, resource mobilization, service delivery and training; mostly employed on a community level. Monitoring and evaluation were mostly formative, ongoing, and participatory. Gaps included administrative and policy barriers, resource shortages, and inadequate research and training. Conclusions Multiple models of ISC exist in the literature. There is a need to develop a comprehensive framework for an effective and sustainable multisectoral approach for the prevention and control of VBDs ensuring adequate resources, active stakeholders, and strategies that span the entire socio-ecological spectrum.
Dengue ; Disease Vectors ; Intersectoral Collaboration ; Malaria ; Vector Borne Diseases