Risk Factors, Lifestyle Behaviors, and Vascular Brain Health

Although a relationship between traditional cardiovascular risk factors and stroke has long been recognized, these risk factors likely play a role in other aspects of brain health. Clinical stroke is only the tip of the iceberg of vascular brain injury that includes covert infarcts, white matter hyperintensities, and microbleeds. Furthermore, an individual’s risk for not only stroke but poor brain health includes not only these traditional vascular risk factors but also lifestyle and genetic factors. The purpose of this narrative review is to summarize the state of the evidence on traditional and nontraditional vascular risk factors and their contributions to brain health. Additionally, we will review important modifiers that interact with these risk factors to increase, or, in some cases, reduce risk of adverse brain health outcomes, with an emphasis on genes and biomarkers associated with Alzheimer disease. Finally, we will consider the importance of social determinants of health in brain health outcomes.

Corporate Diversification and Risk: Portfolio Effects and Resource Redeployability

By analogy with portfolio diversification by stock market investors, managers and researchers have often expected that firms that spread operations across product or geographic markets reduce risk. However, numerous exploratory studies in corporate strategy and in international business have not been able to robustly confirm this expectation. This study develops a formal model to scrutinize implications of corporate diversification for corporate risk. The model incorporates the key distinction of corporate diversification, economies of scope, that qualifies the analogy between corporate and portfolio diversification. The presence of a particular type of economies of scope, resource redeployability, not only inherently increases risk but it can also raise risk over the level in undiversified firms. The model uses determinants of resource redeployability from previous research to derive conditions with which corporate diversification enhances risk. The developed elaborate operationalization of corporate risk should facilitate future research and help corporate managers.

The impact of vaccination on incidence and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with kidney failure in Scotland

Background Patients with kidney failure requiring kidney replacement therapy (KRT) are at high risk of complications and death following SARS-CoV-2 infection with variable antibody responses to vaccination reported. We investigated the effects of COVID-19 vaccination on incidence of infection, hospitalization and death of COVID-19 infection. Methods Study design was an observational data linkage cohort study. Multiple healthcare datasets were linked to ascertain all SARS-CoV-2 testing, vaccination, hospitalization, and mortality data for all patients treated with KRT in Scotland, from the start of the pandemic over a period of 20 months. Descriptive statistics, survival analyses and vaccine effectiveness were calculated. Results As of 19th September 2021, 93% (n=5281) of the established KRT population in Scotland had received two doses of an approved SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Over the study period, there were 814 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection (15.1% of the KRT population). Vaccine effectiveness against infection and hospitalization was 33% (95% CI 0-52) and 38% (95% CI 0-57) respectively. 9.2% of fully vaccinated individuals died within 28 days of a SARS-CoV-2 positive PCR test (7% dialysis patients and 10% kidney transplant recipients). This compares to <0.1% of the vaccinated Scottish population being admitted to hospital or dying death due to COVID19 during that period. Conclusions These data demonstrate a primary vaccine course of two doses has limited impact on COVID-19 infection and its complications in patients treated with KRT. Adjunctive strategies to reduce risk of both COVID-19 infection and its complications in this population are urgently required.

The Role of Social Marketing in Preventing the Spread of Non-Communicable Diseases

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers have become a major health concern for most countries around the world. Different elements such as social, biological, and environmental cause the NCDs. But the only way that one can intentionally modify to avoid these diseases is the desire to reduce risk factors for physical activity, tobacco, and diet. Several prevention strategies have been launched worldwide thorough governmental programs by implementing policies/laws. However, these programs don't integrate active communicate participation and support with the social community. This chapter aims to bring out the priority of enhancing the level of public awareness of NCDs. To ensure public responsiveness, the focus of this research is to create an effective solution to prevent risky behavior. The authors focus on the construction of “Sahtek,” a social media solution developed on the fundamentals of social marketing, to better coach and promote awareness of NCDs prevention.

Blockchain

A blockchain is a specific database stored in an electronic form. The databases stored in a block are put in a chain. When new data is added, it will be put in a new block. The blockchain may be created for storing different kind of information in which the most popular use of blockchain is ledger for transactions. Anything of value can be put in a blockchain, and this will reduce risk factors and cost. The blockchain is a chain of blocks used to store public databases. The blockchain can be a powerful tool in business applications for sharing and updating data. The blockchain may be used for the business process for handling transaction-related problems in an effective manner. The blockchain is also helpful in developing an ecosystem between various stakeholders. The policies, benefits, and cost are serious risk factors.

THE USE OF LASER AS THERAPY FOR ORAL PARESTHESIA

Introduction: Generally, paresthesia are a pain or uncomfortable sense or abnormality feeling like a burned, sweating, etc. The symptoms can be temporary or permanent, an acute nerve injury will reduce risk of permanent paresthesia. Review: Paresthesia can caused by local anesthesia ( injection method), extraction of third molar, dental implant, endodontic treatment, and trauma. It can prevented by proper patient identification, treatment planning and procedure. The management of paresthesia are observation, Physiologic treatment (cryotherapy, electro-iontophoresis, heat-therapy, massage treatment or acupunture), pharmacology therapy (antibiotics, anti-inflamation, antidepressant, neurotropic group, and topical), phsychologic therapy and laser therapy. Conclusion: Using Laser for paresthesia are to accelerate and enhanced regeneration the nerve tissue. With low-level laser it wiil be e xpected to healing an injured nerve.

Agreeableness and neuroticism predict being more concerned about COVID-19 and bothered by friends’ risky behavior

Given the importance of friendships during challenging times and the mixed associations reported between personality traits and disease-related behaviors, we investigated the influence of personality traits on friendships during the COVID-19 pandemic and how both influenced risky behaviors. In November 2020, we asked participants about their reactions to friends’ behavior as part of a larger study. We found that agreeableness and neuroticism predicted participants being more concerned about COVID-19 and bothered by friends’ risky behavior, and extraversion predicted enjoying helping friends during the pandemic. Our results suggest that personality influences how individuals cope with their friends’ risky behaviors. This work could be relevant for developing interventions to reduce risk taking during the pandemic, such as using friendships to reinforce adherence to public health guidelines.

A systematic assessment of preclinical multilaboratory studies and a comparison to single laboratory studies

Multicentric approaches are widely used in clinical trials to assess generalizability of findings, however they are novel in preclinical experimentation. We synthesized characteristics of multilaboratory studies and quantitatively compared them to single laboratory studies. We systematically identified sixteen in vivo interventional multilaboratory studies and matched them to 100 single laboratory studies by intervention and disease. Differences in standardized mean differences (DSMD) were calculated to compare treatment effects based on study design. The multilaboratory study design was applied across a range of diseases (e.g. stroke, diabetes, trauma). The median number of labs was 4 (range 2-6) and the median sample size was 111 (range 23-384). Multilaboratory studies adhered to practices that reduce risk of bias and were transparently reported. These studies demonstrated significantly smaller treatment effects than single lab studies (DSMD 0.72 [95% confidence interval 0.43-1]). Preclinical multilaboratory studies demonstrate trends that have been well recognized in clinical research (i.e. smaller treatment effects with greater rigour in study design). This approach may provide a method to robustly assess interventions and reproducibility of findings between laboratories.

A Novel Approach to First in the World Retrieval of Open Water Vertical Xmas Tree

Wells plug & abandonment was carried out in a deepwater field (Field C) offshore West Africa. There were 15 deepwater subsea wells in this field. Thirteen of the wells were completed with Open Water Vertical Xmas Tree (OXT) while remaining two were completed with Enhanced Vertical Xmas Tree (EVXT). In the wells with Open Water Vertical Xmas Tree (OXT), the upper completion tubing and hanger were ran together with the Xmas Tree in a single run. This posed challenges to Operator in retrieving the Xmas Tree. This paper will discuss the novel approach used by Operator in the OXT retrieval. Due to the design of OXT which was different from most of the vertical Xmas Trees (XT) in the world, there were a few challenges in the process of XTs retrieval. If the XTs and upper completion tubing were retrieved in reversal of the way it was completed, it will exposed the well to prolonged duration of single barrier until a BOP can be latched on for subsequent activities. On top of that, the Original Equipment Manufacturer's Completion Workover Riser (CWOR) system and Support Landing Structure (SLS) was not available in full package to be utilized in this project. Furthermore, there were constraints on the rig moonpool space, handling of OXT on surface and clashes between the rig's BOP and existing subsea structures. In managing the risk of well exposure to single proven and monitored barrier during the process of OXT retrieval, Operator has evaluated a few options and came out with a novel approach in the OXT retrieval which managed to minimize exposure time and reduce risk in operations. In contrary to the original principle of well completion here, after a barrier was established in the well, the OXTs was retrieved separately from the upper completion tubing to allow rig BOP to be latched onto wellhead in shortest possible time. To achieve this objective, operations was planned to be carried out on a dual activity derrick rig. Meanwhile, a non-OEM rental CWOR system was used together with Tree Running Tool from the OEM CWOR system to access the wells for intervention work and subsequently retrieve the OXTs. By doing this, the combined CWOR stack exceeded the height limitation at the rig's moonpool. Some modifications were carried out to allow the operations to happen. A novel approach was also used to handle the OXT on surface without the OEM Support Landing Structure - which simplified the operations and reduced HSE risks. Solution was also put into place to enable latching of the rig BOP onto wellheads on Drill Centre although there were risk of clashing initially.