Search Results (9)

During the Mesozoic, NE Asia experienced intense tectonic and magmatic activity, including the closure of the Mongol–Okhotsk Ocean (MOO), the subduction and demise of the Mudanjiang Oceanic Plate (MOP), and the continuous westward subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate (PPP). The evolution of the MOP remains highly contentious, particularly regarding its final closure timing and subduction polarity, and warrants further investigation. The Heilongjiang Complex (HLC), primarily distributed within the Mudanjiang Suture Zone (MSZ), which separates the Jiamusi and Songnen blocks, preserves key geological records of the Mudanjiang Oceanic subduction and closure. By employing detailed structural analysis, zircon U-Pb dating, and tomographic imaging, we reconstruct the tectonic history of the HLC and propose its five stages of deformation since the Mesozoic. The first stage, which occurs from the Late Triassic to the Early Jurassic, is characterized by SE-dipping schistosity within the HLC. Integrating the identification of the east-dipping remnants of the oceanic lithosphere west of the MSZ by tomographic imaging suggests an eastward subduction of the MOP underneath the Jiamusi Block during the Early Mesozoic. The second stage, spanning the Early Jurassic to the Late Jurassic, is characterized by E–W-striking tight folds associated with the MOO’s SSE-ward subduction and PPP’s NNW-ward subduction. The third stage of deformation, occurring from the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, features S–N-striking box folds, indicative of the final amalgamation of the Jiamusi, Songnen, and Nadanhada terranes. The fourth stage, taking place in the late Early Cretaceous, is marked by near E–W-striking thrust faults that are associated with the closure of the eastern segment of the MOO. Finally, the fifth stage, which follows the Early Cretaceous, involves nearly NE-striking thrust faults related to NW-ward subduction of the PPP. Full article

A high prevalence of smoking and low rates of smoking cessation interventions can be observed in psychiatric wards. A questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study was performed in five hospitals among 107 psychiatric ward nurses. The aim was to investigate nurses’ views on patients’ smoking practices and their influence on the safety of both the patients and medical personnel. In addition, we asked about the availability of smoking cessation support. Most of the respondents noticed the negative impacts of smoking on patients and medical personnel. Nearly a third of our respondents (29.0%) recalled smoking-related accidents in their facilities. In 45.2% of these accidents, a patient set someone else on fire. Around one fifth of nurses had rather permissive attitudes towards tobacco use in hospital wards. Significant associations were identified between respondents’ smoking status and their opinions on amending smoking policies and on unsupervised smoking. Regarding professional help available to smoking patients, 88.8% of participants reported that interventions to address smoking were available in their wards. Psychiatric hospitalisation can be an opportunity to offer tobacco treatment to patients with mental health conditions. To make use of this opportunity, smoke-free policies need to be put in place and hospital personnel, particularly nurses, should be trained and equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to assist in the smoking care of psychiatric ward patients. Full article

To address community-driven concerns about lead-contaminated drinking water in residential homes in the Greater Fifth Ward neighborhood in Northeast Houston, Texas utilizing participatory-based research. The study collected survey data and performed lead analysis on drinking water from residents’ homes. The Greater Fifth Ward is characterized as a majority-minority environmental justice community and is located within two confirmed cancer clusters. The residents of 172 homes completed a survey and had detectable lead levels in their water samples. Survey results indicated that more than half of the residents (58.2%) were concerned with the water quality and 42.9% rated the drinking water as poor. Water lead levels detected ranged from 0.01 to 22 µg/L. 10.9% of homes exceeding 1 µg/L, and one located exceeded the USEPA’s action limit of 15 µg/L. Homes built prior to 1978 without major renovation had significantly higher levels of lead in their drinking water compared to homes built after 1978 (p-value < 0.05). These findings demonstrate the need for lead testing of residential water in low socioeconomic-status communities, as well as demonstrating the benefits of community engagement and participatory research to address environmental health concerns. Full article

Background: Data describing patients hospitalized in medical rehabilitation wards after the acute phase of COVID-19 could help to better understand the rehabilitation needs in the current pandemic situation. Methods: Cohort including all patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in a single, large university hospital in Northeast France from 25 February to 30 April 2020. Results: 479 patients were admitted with COVID-19 during the study period, of whom 128 died (26.7%). Among the 351 survivors, 111 were referred to rehabilitation units, including 63 (17.9%) referred to physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM) units. The median age of patients referred to rehabilitation units was 72 years. Patients who had been in intensive care, or who had had a long hospital stay, required referral to PRM units. Two biomarkers were associated with referral to rehabilitation units, namely, elevated troponin (p = 0.03) and impaired renal function (p = 0.03). Age was associated with referral to PRM units (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Almost one-third of COVID-19 patients required post-acute care, but only one-fifth had access to PRM units. The optimal strategy for post-acute management of COVID-19 patients remains to be determined. The need for rehabilitation wards during a pandemic is a primary concern in enabling the long-term functioning of infected patients. Full article

Background: Medical education has been rapidly growing and transforming due to the enormous evolution of medicine. There have been many proficient ways to learn in medicine, but academic lectures, attending wards, and ambulatory care clinics (ACC) remain the three main ways of gaining clinical knowledge and experience for medical students. Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic shift in care by focusing on ambulatory care rather than inpatient settings, which provides a golden opportunity to reinforce medical education. Purpose: Most of the published studies that have focused on the teaching barriers in ACC were descriptive rather than analytic studies. Herein, we aim to detect and determine the barriers to teaching in ACC settings using qualitative analysis. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, observational study, involving medical students in their clerkship years (i.e., fourth and fifth) from two different medical colleges in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Faculty who are involved in undergraduate medical education in both colleges were also included. Main Results: A total of 387 medical students studying at the two universities were enrolled in the study. Most of the participants preferred attending outpatient clinics with consultants (44.2%) and the majority preferred attending internal medicine (IM) and IM subspecialties clinics (40.4%). Regarding the challenges, students believe the top three barriers are related to: faculty (39%), environment (34.8%), and patients (14.8%). Faculty on the other hand see that the top three barriers are related to environment (55.6%), patients (24.4%), and faculty (20%). Conclusion: Undergraduate medical education in outpatient settings has many challenges. In our study, the most significant challenges were COVID-19-related restrictions, patient refusal, and insufficient time for teaching. Future studies are needed to investigate these barriers and explore potential solutions that can decrease their burden on undergraduate medical education. Full article

(1) Background: the relationship between the psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is understudied. Moreover, health science students are the future leaders and advocates of vaccination efforts. Therefore, it is essential to understand the origins of vaccine hesitancy and evaluate if the adverse psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic influence it. (2) Methods: we shared an anonymous questionnaire among health-science students via institutional emails of two Lithuanian universities. Results were summarized with odds ratios and mean differences. (3) Results: a total of 1545 health sciences students answered the questionnaire. Almost a fifth of the respondents claimed that they were unsure about getting vaccinated, and nearly one out of ten claimed that they would not get vaccinated. Medicine students, non-infected students, and students who volunteered in a COVID-19 ward were significantly more willing to get vaccinated compared to other health science students. Vaccine hesitant respondents reported a more significant negative effect of COVID-19 on their income and belief in the future. (4) Conclusions: the results of this study showed that negative psychosocial impact on income and ‘belief in future’ were positively associated with vaccine hesitancy. Having been diagnosed with COVID-19 was significantly associated with being doubtful towards vaccination. Full article

From 1850 through approximately 1920, wealthy entrepreneurs and elected officials created “grand avenues” lined by mansions in New York City, Chicago, Detroit, and other developing US cities. This paper examines the birthplaces of grand avenues to determine whether they have remained sustainable as magnets for healthy and wealthy people. Using data from the US EPA’s EJSCREEN system and the CDC’s 500 cities study across 11 cities, the research finds that almost every place where a grand avenue began has healthier and wealthier people than their host cities. Ward Parkway in Kansas City and New York’s Fifth Avenue have continued to be grand. Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, D.C., Richmond’s Monument Avenue, St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, and Los Angeles’s Wilshire Boulevard are national and regional symbols of political power, culture and entertainment, leading to sustainable urban grand avenues, albeit several are challenged by their identification with white supremacy. Among Midwest industrial cities, Chicago’s Prairie Avenue birthplace has been the most successful, whereas the grand avenues of St. Louis, Cleveland, Detroit, and Buffalo have struggled, trying to use higher education, medical care, and entertainment to try to rebirth their once pre-eminent roles in their cities. Full article

The increasing incidence of ischemic heart disease is concomitantly increasing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) treatments. Adequate nurse staffing has enhanced quality of care and this study was conducted to determine the relationship between survival-related PCI treatment and the level of nursing staff who care for patients admitted to receive PCI. National Health Insurance claims data from 2014 to 2015 for 67,927 patients who underwent PCI in 43 tertiary hospitals were analyzed. The relationships of nurse staffing in intensive care units (ICUs) and general wards with survival after PCI were investigated using logistic regression analyses with a generalized estimation model. The in-hospital mortality rate in ICUs was lower in hospitals with first-grade nurse staffing {odds ratio (OR) = 0.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.23–0.48}, second-grade nurse staffing (OR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.40–0.77), or third-grade nurse staffing (OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.53–0.95) than in hospitals with fifth-grade nurse staffing. Nurse staffing in general wards was not related to in-hospital mortality due to PCI treatment. This study found that nurse staffing in PCI patients requiring short-term intensive care significantly affected patient survival. An understanding of the importance of managing the ICU nursing workforce for PCI treatment is required. Full article

This paper will chronicle the unique stories that have come to exemplify the larger experience of Fifth Ward as a historically African American district in a rapidly changing city, Houston. Fifth Ward is a district submerged in the Southern memory of a sprawling port city. Its 19th century inception comprised of residents from Eastern Europe, Russia, and other religious groups who were fleeing persecution. Another way to describe Fifth Ward is much closer to the Fifth Ward that I knew as a child—an African American Fifth Ward and, more personally, my grandparents’ neighborhood. The growing prosperity of an early 20th century oil-booming Houston had soon turned the neighborhood into an economic haven, attracting African Americans from rural Louisiana and east Texas. Within the past two decades, Latino communities have populated the area, transforming the previously majority African American ward. Through a qualitative familial research review of historic documents, this paper contains a cultural and economic analysis that will illustrate the unique legacies and challenges of its past and present residents. I will center my personal genealogical roots to connect with larger patterns of change over time for African Americans in this distinct cultural ward. Full article