CATS: Customizable Abstractive Topic-based Summarization

Neural sequence-to-sequence models are the state-of-the-art approach used in abstractive summarization of textual documents, useful for producing condensed versions of source text narratives without being restricted to using only words from the original text. Despite the advances in abstractive summarization, custom generation of summaries (e.g., towards a user’s preference) remains unexplored. In this article, we present CATS, an abstractive neural summarization model that summarizes content in a sequence-to-sequence fashion while also introducing a new mechanism to control the underlying latent topic distribution of the produced summaries. We empirically illustrate the efficacy of our model in producing customized summaries and present findings that facilitate the design of such systems. We use the well-known CNN/DailyMail dataset to evaluate our model. Furthermore, we present a transfer-learning method and demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in a low resource setting, i.e., abstractive summarization of meetings minutes, where combining the main available meetings’ transcripts datasets, AMI and International Computer Science Institute(ICSI) , results in merely a few hundred training documents.

Advancement, Collaboration and Effective Combat in Low Resource Setting: Public Health Overview After One year of the Corona Virus Pandemic in Bangladesh

Background: Current Coronavirus pandemic causing millions of deaths and unfathomable damage of nations worldwide, especially in health sector. Bangladesh is dealing with the biggest catastrophic public health event of the history in a courageous and effective way. An evidence based narrative review has been undergone to scientifically describe Bangladesh government’s measures to encounter the Corona pandemic, so far. The aim of this study is to document the collaborative action of different ministries of Bangladesh government during this pandemic to understand the in-depth steps of the healthcare provision and disaster preparedness of the public-private-international association in a low-resource setting. Methods: A literature review over five months has been conducted to write down the evidential narration of the activities against the pandemic damage in Bangladesh. Keyword and result based literatures and current media reports searched has been done. Selection criteria: Both online and offline reports, descriptive articles, governmental portal and ministerial websites were reviewed. The description is reported specifically based on the documents directed by government to fight against COVID-19 from the beginning of the pandemic till the writing period. Findings and discussion: In spite of the resource constraints, government of Bangladesh has been able to limit the damage in an optimal level. The inter- and- inter ministerial functional proposition and collaboration in national and international stakeholders initiated and sustained by the government strengthen the shield against the Coronavirus invasion. Conclusion: The sufferings brought by the pandemic knows no bound. The pandemic damage and ruin are unspeakable and undeniable at the same time. It is time to observe the positivity and critically appreciate the efforts taken by the current governmental authority to make a constructive remark for present situation, and be prepare for future building of the nation. JOPSOM 2021; 40(1): 66-71

Nursing Care of Low-Risk Newborns in Low Resource Setting: Nurses' Aides May Bridge the Gap at Community Hospitals

Objective: To study the role of a nurses' aide in the care for newborns weighing between 1500 and 2000 g at birth in a low resource setting. Study Design: Observational. Setting: The General hospital in 1994-95, in a public sector, located in a remote area in India Intervention: A female ward assistant with seven years of schooling trained, on-the-job, to keep babies warm, initiate maternal breastfeeding, and to detect rapid breathing. The nursing staff from the pediatric ward supervised her performance. A separate "warm room" appropriately heated for preterm and sick babies became a makeshift nursery. The nursing staff administered enteral feeding, oxygen, and antibiotics. Services of the resident doctors or general duty medical officers were not available. Results: The survival rate was nearly 100% for babies with birthweights between 1,500 and 2,000 g (none referred out). Conclusions: A nurses' aide may facilitate the delivery of special care for newborns where nursing personnel are grossly inadequate and saving babies weighing between 1,500 and 2,000 g may need minimal inputs. It may be worthwhile to target 1,500 and 2,000 g birthweight categories even when resources are meager. What is already known about this subject? Low resource settings face staff shortages, especially nursing staff. Health workers with midwifery skills can deliver nearly 90% of essential care services for maternal and neonatal health. A substantial proportion of neonatal deaths occur among moderately low birth weight babies. What does this study add? It is possible to train a semi-literate person to facilitate early breastfeeding and to keep a baby warm. A large proportion of deaths among babies with birthweight ranging from 1500 to 2000 g are preventable with meager resources. How might this impact on clinical practice or future developments? The facilities facing shortage of nursing staff in low resource settings, may employ nurses’ aide to deliver basic newborn care.

Participatory health research under COVID-19 restrictions in Bauchi State, Nigeria: Feasibility of cellular teleconferencing for virtual discussions with community groups in a low-resource setting

Introduction During the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have used Internet-based applications to conduct virtual group meetings, but this is not feasible in low-resource settings. In a community health research project in Bauchi State, Nigeria, COVID-19 restrictions precluded planned face-to-face meetings with community groups. We tested the feasibility of using cellular teleconferencing for these meetings. Methods In an initial exercise, we used cellular teleconferencing to conduct six male and six female community focus group discussions. Informed by this experience, we conducted cellular teleconferences with 10 male and 10 female groups of community leaders, in different communities, to discuss progress with previously formulated action plans. Ahead of each teleconference call, a call coordinator contacted individual participants to seek consent and confirm availability. The coordinator connected the facilitator, the reporter, and the participants on each conference call, and audio-recorded the call. Each call lasted less than 1 h. Field notes and debriefing meetings with field teams supported the assessment of feasibility of the teleconference meetings. Results Cellular teleconferencing was feasible and inexpensive. Using multiple handsets at the base allowed more participants in a call. Guidelines for facilitators and participants developed after the initial meetings were helpful, as were reminder calls ahead of the meeting. Connecting women participants was challenging. Facilitators needed extra practice to support group interactions without eye contact and body language signals. Conclusions With careful preparation and training, cellular teleconferencing can be a feasible and inexpensive method of conducting group discussions in a low-resource setting.

The rare splenic abscess

Although the spleen is frequently enlarged in association with systemic infection, splenic abscesses are rare. They result from direct or haematogenous spread, or when a haematoma becomes infected. We present a case of the rare splenic abscess in a low resource setting.

Thermal Protection of Newborns: The World Health Organization Guidelines Need to Include Clear and Feasible Options for Low-Resource Settings

Backgorund: Hypothermia in babies may increase mortality, directly or indirectly, by potentiating the effect of the other morbidities. Guidelines published by The World health organization (WHO) on newborn health (2015) may be inadequate to address the issue in a low-resource setting. To be relevant in such a context, they should be user-friendly for the trainers of health workers (HW) who may be responsible for interpreting the recommendations and training the HW. Text: According to earlier guidelines (2013), ‘No randomized or quasi-randomized trial that evaluated the impact of keeping infants warm after discharge (hospital births) or after 24 hours (home births) was identified’. However, kangaroo mother care (KMC), a strong recommendation with moderate-quality evidence, and thermal protection are inseparable, as the most crucial component of KMC is skin-to-skin contact, which keeps a baby warm. A HW may be surprised when the guidelines or the basis change and, the move comes at a time when the earlier guidelines (1993) are just finding roots in patient care practices. Current guidelines are based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology, where randomized trials assume more importance. The guidelines recommend the following methods to keep infants warm after birth: KMC (strong recommendation, moderate-quality evidence), intermittent KMC (strong recommendation, moderate-quality evidence), and radiant warmers or incubators (strong recommendation, very low-quality evidence). The divergence between the evidence and the recommendations may be difficult for the HW to comprehend. Conclusions: The guidelines for postnatal care need to be revisited and revised so that clear and feasible options for keeping infants warm in low-resource settings are offered. Besides KMC, warm rooms, heated mattresses, plastic wraps and Styrofoam boxes may be suggested. What is already known about this subject? • In the absence of a randomized or quasi-randomized trial that evaluated the impact of keeping infants warm, there are fewer options in a low-resource setting. • They include Kangaroo mother care and incubators/radiant warmers. What does this study add? • Options that may not have been supported by randomized trials but have consistent results may be suggested. • They include warm rooms, heated mattresses, plastic wraps and Styrofoam boxes. • In future revisions, the level of evidence should be paired with the recommendations. How might this impact on clinical practice or future developments? The health worker may choose the most feasible option at home or at a facility.

An Appraisal of Husband’s Support for Contraceptive Use in Low Resource Setting of Chattogram City, Bangladesh

This study aimed to explore the current status concerning the roles of husbands in family planning and to identify the associated factors in the slum areas of Chattogram city in Bangladesh. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among the women living in different slums (N = 400) of Chattogram city. Data were collected using a structured and facilitator-administered questionnaire. Cross tabulation with chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed using IBM SPSS version 24.0. This study revealed that 70.5% of the husbands supported wives’ contraceptive use. This study explored that husbands’ having education (OR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.42-4.22), having two children (OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.18-0.76) and more than two children (OR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.09-0.50), more utility facility in the slum areas (OR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.15-4.68), a good relationship between husband and wife (OR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.13-3.44), commencing reproductive health communication after the birth of the second child (OR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.19-0.99), respondents’ having moderate knowledge on RH (OR =4.46, 95% CI: 2.10-9.46) and husbands’ visiting any health center to take wives’ reproductive health care (OR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.06-4.09) were the predictors for supporting their wives in terms of contraceptive use.