scholarly journals Current US neurosurgical resident involvement, interest, and barriers in global neurosurgery

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. E16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paige Lundy ◽  
Christopher Miller ◽  
Sarah Woodrow

OBJECTIVEIt is estimated that nearly 47 million preventable deaths occur annually due the current worldwide deficit in surgical care; subsequently, the World Health Organization resolved unanimously to endorse a decree to address this deficit. Neurosurgeons from industrialized nations can help address the needs of underserved regions. Exposure during training is critical for young neurosurgeons to gain experience in international work and to cultivate career-long interest. Here, the authors explore the opinions of current residents and interest in global neurosurgery as well as the current state of international involvement, opportunities, and barriers in North American residency training.METHODSAn internet-based questionnaire was developed using the authors’ university’s REDCap database and distributed to neurosurgical residents from US ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education)–approved programs. Questions focused on the resident’s program’s involvement and logistics regarding international rotations and the resident’s interest level in pursuing these opportunities.RESULTSA 15% response rate was obtained from a broad range of training locations. Twenty-nine percent of respondents reported that their residency program offered elective training opportunities in developing countries, and 7.6% reported having participated in these programs. This cohort unanimously felt that the international rotation was a beneficial experience and agreed that they would do it again. Of those who had not participated, 81.3% reported interest or strong interest in international rotations.CONCLUSIONSThe authors’ results indicate that, despite a high level of desire for involvement in international rotations, there is limited opportunity for residents to become involved. Barriers such as funding and rotation approval were recognized. It is the authors’ hope that governing organizations and residency programs will work to break down these barriers and help establish rotations for trainees to learn abroad and begin to join the cause of meeting global surgical needs. To meet overarching international neurosurgical needs, neurosurgeons of the future must be trained in global neurosurgery.

Author(s):  
Jeremy Youde

While Chapter 3 focuses primarily on the evolution of global health governance, Chapter 4 pays more attention to its contemporary manifestation as a secondary institution within international society. This chapter discusses the current state of the global health governance architecture—who the important actors are, how they operate, how they have changed over the past twenty-five years, and how they illustrate the fundamental beliefs and attitudes within the global health governance system. In particular, the chapter discusses the relative balance between state-based and non-state actors, as well as public versus private actors. This chapter highlights five key players within contemporary global health governance: states; the World Health Organization; multilateral funding agencies; public–private partnerships; and non-state and private actors


Author(s):  
Roger Magnusson

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes, are responsible for around 70 percent of global deaths each year. This chapter describes how NCDs have become prevalent and critically evaluates global efforts to address NCDs and their risk factors, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations (UN) system. It explores the factors that have prevented those addressing NCDs from achieving access to resources and a priority commensurate with their impact on people’s lives. The chapter evaluates the global response to NCDs both prior to and since the UN High-Level Meeting on Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases, held in 2011, and considers opportunities for strengthening that response in future.


2012 ◽  
Vol 37 (7) ◽  
pp. 1462-1469 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Spiegel ◽  
Fizan Abdullah ◽  
Raymond R. Price ◽  
Richard A. Gosselin ◽  
Stephen W. Bickler

2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katy Satué ◽  
Juan Carlos Gardon ◽  
Ana Muñoz

AbstractMyeloid disorders are conditions being characterized by abnormal proliferation and development of myeloid lineage including granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils), monocytes, erythroids, and megakaryocytes precursor cells. Myeloid leukemia, based on clinical presentation and proliferative rate of neoplastic cells, is divided into acute (AML) and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). The most commonly myeloid leukemia reported in horses are AML-M4 (myelomonocytic) and AML-M5 (monocytic). Isolated cases of AML-M6B (acute erythroid leukemia), and chronic granulocytic leukemia have also been reported. Additionally, bone marrow disorders with dysplastic alterations and ineffective hematopoiesis affecting single or multiple cell lineages or myelodysplastic diseases (MDS), have also been reported in horses. MDSs have increased myeloblasts numbers in blood or bone marrow, although less than 20%, which is the minimum level required for diagnosis of AML. This review performed a detailed description of the current state of knowlegde of the myeloproliferative disorders in horses following the criteria established by the World Health Organization.


Author(s):  
Van-Hao Duong ◽  
Thanh-Duong Nguyen ◽  
Miklos Hegedus ◽  
Erika Kocsis ◽  
Tibor Kovacs

The determination of natural radionuclide concentrations plays an important role for assuring public health and in the estimation of the radiological hazards. This is especially true for high level radiation areas. In this study, 226Ra, 228Ra and 238U concentrations were measured in well waters surrounding eight of the high-level natural radiation areas in northern Vietnam. The 226Ra, 228Ra and 238U activity concentrations vary from <1.2 × 10−3–2.7 (0.46), <2.6 × 10−3–0.43 (0.07) and <38 × 10−3–5.32 Bq/L (0.50 of median), respectively. 226Ra and 238U isotopes in most areas are in equilibrium, except for the DT-Thai Nguyen area. The calculated radiological hazard indices are generally higher than WHO (World Health Organization) recommendations. Average annual effective dose and excess lifetime cancer risk values due to drinking well water range from to 130 to 540 μSv/year and 7.4 × 10−6 to 3.1 × 10−5, respectively.


Author(s):  
Tuomas Kari ◽  
Miia Siutila ◽  
Veli-Matti Karhulahti

This chapter is an extended revision of the authors' earlier study (2016) on the training routines of professional and high-level esport players, with added focus on their physical exercise. The study is methodologically mixed with a quantitative survey sample (n=115) and a qualitative interview sample (n=7). Based on this data, high-level esport players train approximately 5.28 hours every day around the year, and professional esport players at least the same amount. Approximately 1.08 hours of that training is physical exercise. More than half (55.6%) of the professional and high-level esport players believe that integrating physical exercise into their training programs has a positive effect on esport performance; however, no less than 47.0% do the physical exercise chiefly to maintain their overall state of health. Accordingly, the study indicates that professional and high-level esport players are physically active as well: those of age 18 and older exercising more than three times the daily 21-minute physical activity recommendation given by the World Health Organization.


2018 ◽  
Vol 72 ◽  
pp. 795-805
Author(s):  
Apolonia Stefaniak ◽  
Karolina Janion ◽  
Beata Stanuch

Depression is a mental disorder with a high prevalence. According to World Health Organization, it is a frequent cause of disability and the leading cause of suicide, with its risk increasing with age. The disorder is commonly diagnosed in patients with acute or chronic inflammatory conditions. Depression is typically accompanied by weakened T cell-mediated immunity, as well as abnormal secretion of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and the resulting imbalance between them. The current developments in the field include a link established between depression and changes in intestinal microflora, suggested by numerous trials involving animals and also a small number of studies conducted on people. This paper is a review of the publications regarding the role of intestinal microbiota in the pathophysiology of depression found in PubMed and Web of Science repositories. The results of studies published over the last decade confirm the significance of intestinal microbiota for the pathophysiology of depression. One of the ways in which intestinal microbiota may impact the development of depression is the response of the innate immunity system to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), resulting with the stimulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The modifications of gut microflora have also been linked to changes in the hypothalamic- pituitary-adrenal axis, in the metabolism of tryptophan, (which is a serotonin substrate) and in neurotransmitter levels in the brain. Even though the results cited in this review seem promising, our current state of knowledge in this respect remains far from satisfactory, warranting further investigation into the potential of bacteria for supplementing the pharmacological therapy of depression.


2007 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
pp. 823-832 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Vahidnia ◽  
G.B. van der Voet ◽  
F.A. de Wolff

Arsenic (As) is one of the oldest poisons known to men. Its applications throughout history are wide and varied: murder, make-up, paint and even as a pesticide. Chronic As toxicity is a global environmental health problem, affecting millions of people in the USA and Germany to Bangladesh and Taiwan. Worldwide, As is released into the environment by smelting of various metals, combustion of fossil fuels, as herbicides and fungicides in agricultural products. The drinking water in many countries, which is tapped from natural geological resources, is also contaminated as a result of the high level of As in groundwater. The environmental fate of As is contamination of surface and groundwater with a contaminant level higher than 10 particle per billion (ppb) as set by World Health Organization (WHO). Arsenic exists in both organic and inorganic species and either form can also exist in a trivalent or pentavalent oxidation state. Long-term health effects of exposure to these As metabolites are severe and highly variable: skin and lung cancer, neurological effects, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Neurological effects of As may develop within a few hours after ingestion, but usually are seen in 2—8 weeks after exposure. It is usually a symmetrical sensorimotor neuropathy, often resembling the Guillain—Barré syndrome. The predominant clinical features of neuropathy are paresthesias, numbness and pain, particularly in the soles of the feet. Electrophysiological studies performed on patients with As neuropathy have revealed a reduced nerve conduction velocity, typical of those seen in axonal degeneration. Most of the adverse effects of As, are caused by inactivated enzymes in the cellular energy pathway, whereby As reacts with the thiol groups of proteins and enzymes and inhibits their catalytic activity. Furthermore, As-induced neurotoxicity, like many other neurodegenerative diseases, causes changes in cytoskeletal protein composition and hyperphosphorylation. These changes may lead to disorganization of the cytoskeletal framework, which is a potential mechanism of As-induced neurotoxicity. Human & Experimental Toxicology (2007) 26, 823— 832


2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 967-976 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Darrow ◽  
Chintan Bhatt ◽  
Cassandra Rene ◽  
Lakisha Thomas

In January 2016, the first case of mosquito-borne Zika infection in the mainland United States was confirmed in Miami, Florida. The first locally acquired case was reported 6 months later. Local public health and school officials began warning students of the outbreak on their return to the classroom in August 2016. In November–December 2016, we conducted a survey of students attending a large public university in Miami to determine how well informed they were about Zika. A multistage sampling design was used to contact teaching assistants and ask them for help in recruiting their students. Eligible students had to be 18 years of age or older and enrolled in at least one three-credit course during fall semester. A 25-item questionnaire based on the World Health Organization Zika Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice Resource Pack was developed, pretested, and approved by the university’s institutional review board before it was made available to eligible students through Blackboard Learn or a survey link. About half (50.4%) of the 139 respondents had heard about Zika prior to 2016. Only one student was unaware of Zika before our survey. Most (47.1%) first learned about Zika through television, 18.8% from family or friends, and 15.2% from the Internet, social media, or university e-mail. Two thirds (66.2%) believed Zika could be prevented, 15.1% thought it might be prevented, and 85.7% had taken some precautions. A high level of awareness of the risk of Zika infection was apparent. Most students reported taking steps to avoid exposure to the Zika virus.


Author(s):  
Lynette Denny ◽  
Rengaswamy Sankaranarayan

In 1968, the World Health Organization published guidelines on the principles and practice of screening for disease, which are often referred to as the ‘Wilson and Jungner criteria’. These principles are still applicable today. With the onset of genetic screening, new controversies around screening emerged and in 2008, Andermann et al. synthesized and modified the Wilson criteria. Screening is a systematic attempt to select those who are at high risk of a specific disease from among apparently healthy individuals. The ultimate aim of screening is prevention of disease or to detect disease at an early, curable stage. There are many controversies about screening for cancer, such as the use of prostatic-specific antigen screening for prostate cancer, mammography screening for breast cancer, and debates around current screening for colorectal, lung, and cervical cancers. Controversies also exist with regard to the level of evidence required before screening for a disease is initiated. Even if there is a high level of evidence for efficacy and effectiveness, how the programme should be implemented needs careful consideration, particularly a clear understanding of benefits versus harms, potential or actual. In some countries, mass population screening programmes are implemented and in others, screening is dependent on access to health insurance. This chapter explores past and current screening activities among women for early detection and prevention of gynaecological cancers including cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancers and discusses screening for vulval and vaginal cancer.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document