Comparative Immunohistochemical Analysis of Clinicopathological Subgroups in Hepatocellular Carcinomas from Japan and Indonesia.

Background: Standardized pathological evaluation based on immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis could improve hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diagnoses worldwide. We evaluated differences in clinicopathological subgroups in HCCs from two academic institutions in Tokyo-Japan, and Jakarta-Indonesia. Methods: Clinicopathological parameters and molecular expression patterns were evaluated in 35 HCCs from Indonesia and 41 HCCs from Japan. IHC analysis of biliary/stem cell (B/S) markers (cytokeratin 19, sal-like protein 4, epithelial cell adhesion molecule) and Wnt/ß-catenin (W/B) signaling-related molecules (ß-catenin, glutamine synthetase) could determine the IHC-based subgroups. For immuno-subtypes categorization, CD3/CD79α double immunohistochemistry was done to evaluate the infiltration of T and B cells. CD34 staining allowed identification of vessels that encapsulated tumor clusters (VETC). Results: Indonesian HCC patients were mostly <60 years old (66%) with a hepatitis B virus (HBV) background (82%), in contrast to Japanese HCC patients (8% and 19%, respectively, both P < 0.001). In comparison with Japanese, Indonesian cases more frequently had >5 cm tumor size (74% vs 23%, P = 0.001), poor differentiation (40% vs 24%), portal vein invasion (80% vs 61%), and α-fetoprotein levels >500 ng/ml (45% vs 13%, P = 0.005). No significant differences were found in the proportions of B/S, W/B, and -/- subgroups from both countries. No immune-high tumors were observed among Indonesian cases, and immune-low tumors (66%) were more common than in Japanese cases (54%). VETC-positive tumors in Indonesia were significantly more common (29%), and most were in the HBV (90%) and -/- subgroups (90%), whereas Japanese VETC cases (10%, P = 0.030) were nonviral (100%) and W/B subgroups (75%). Conclusion: IHC-based analysis more precisely reflected the clinicopathological differences of HCCs in Japan and Indonesia. These findings provide new insights into standardization attempts and HCC heterogeneity among countries.

Towards achieving transnational research partnership equity: lessons from implementing adaptive platform trials in low- and middle-income countries.

Background: Use of adaptive clinical trials, particularly adaptive platform trials, has grown exponentially in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Implementation of these trials in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has been fostered through the formation or modification of transnational research partnerships, typically between research groups from LMICs and high-income countries (HICs). While these partnerships are important to promote collaboration and overcome the structural and economic disadvantages faced by LMIC health researchers, it is critical to focus attention on the multiple dimensions of partnership equity. Methods: Based on informal literature reviews and a meeting with leaders of one of the multinational COVID-19 adaptive platform trials, we describe some important considerations about research partnership equity in this context. Results: We organize these considerations into eight thematic categories: 1) epistemic structures, 2) funding, 3) ethics oversight, 4) regulatory oversight, 5) leadership, 6) post-trial access to interventions, data, and specimens, 7) knowledge translation and dissemination, and 8) research capacity strengthening and maintenance. Within each category we review normative claims that support its relevance to research partnership equity followed by discussion of how adaptive platform trials highlight new dimensions, considerations, or challenges. Conclusion: In aggregate, these observations provide insight into procedural and substantive equity-building measures within transnational global health research partnerships more broadly.

Lessons learned from over a decade of data audits in international observational HIV cohorts in Latin America and East Africa.

Introduction: Routine patient care data are increasingly used for biomedical research, but such "secondary use" data have known limitations, including their quality. When leveraging routine care data for observational research, developing audit protocols that can maximize informational return and minimize costs is paramount. Methods: For more than a decade, the Latin America and East Africa regions of the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) consortium have been auditing the observational data drawn from participating human immunodeficiency virus clinics. Since our earliest audits, where external auditors used paper forms to record audit findings from paper medical records, we have streamlined our protocols to obtain more efficient and informative audits that keep up with advancing technology while reducing travel obligations and associated costs. Results: We present five key lessons learned from conducting data audits of secondary-use data from resource-limited settings for more than 10 years and share eight recommendations for other consortia looking to implement data quality initiatives. Conclusion: After completing multiple audit cycles in both the Latin America and East Africa regions of the IeDEA consortium, we have established a rich reference for data quality in our cohorts, as well as large, audited analytical datasets that can be used to answer important clinical questions with confidence. By sharing our audit processes and how they have been adapted over time, we hope that others can develop protocols informed by our lessons learned from more than a decade of experience in these large, diverse cohorts.

Severe ocular complications of SJS/TEN and associations among pre-onset, acute, and chronic factors: a report from the international ophthalmology collaborative group.

We formed an international research collaboration that included Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Thailand, Taiwan, the UK, and the US (682 patients from 13 hospitals between 2005 and 2020), to better evaluate the role of race, ethnicity, and other risk factors in the pathophysiology of Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). Ophthalmologists often see SJS/TEN patients with severe ocular complications (SOC; frequency 50% SJS/TEN patients) when the patients are referred to them in the chronic stage after the acute stage has passed. Global data were collected using a Clinical Report Form, capturing pre-onset factors, as well as acute and chronic ocular findings. Key conclusions of this retrospective observational cohort study were as follows: (1) Ingestion of cold medications [acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)] was significantly and positively correlated with trichiasis, symblepharon, and/or conjunctivalization of the cornea in the chronic stage; (2) common cold symptoms prior to onset of SJS/TEN were significantly and positively correlated with acute conjunctivitis and ocular surface erosions in the acute stage and with trichiasis and symblepharon and/or conjunctivalization of the cornea in the chronic stage; (3) patients with SJS/TEN who presented with SOC tended to be female; (4) patients less than 30 years of age are more likely to develop SOC in the acute and chronic stages of SJS/TEN; (5) patients with acute severe conjunctivitis with ocular surface erosion and pseudomembrane formation in the acute stage are more likely to develop ocular sequelae in the chronic stage; and (6) onychopathy in the acute stage was positively correlated with ocular sequelae in the chronic stage. Our findings show that the ingestion of cold medications, common cold symptoms prior to the onset of SJS/TEN, and a young age might strongly contribute to developing the SOC of SJS/TEN.

Determinants of psychotherapists' attitudes to online psychotherapy.

Introduction: Online psychotherapy is a form of work that is becoming more and more popular. Public health problems, such as COVID-19, forced mental health professionals and patients to incorporate new methodologies such as the use of electronic media and internet to provide follow-up, treatment and also supervision. The aim of this study was to investigate which factors shape the therapists' attitudes toward online psychotherapy during a pandemic taking into account: (1) attitudes toward the COVID-19 pandemic (fear of contagion, pandemic fatigue, etc.), (2) personal characteristics of the psychotherapists (age, gender, feeling of efficacy, anxiety, depression, etc.), and (3) characteristics of the psychotherapeutic practice (guideline procedure, client age group, professional experience, etc). Materials and methods: Study participants were 177 psychotherapists from four European countries: Poland (n = 48), Germany (n = 44), Sweden (n = 49), and Portugal (n = 36). Data were collected by means of an individual online survey through the original questionnaire and the standardized scales: a modified version of the Attitudes toward Psychological Online Interventions Scale (APOI), Fear of Contagion by COVID-19 Scale (FCS COVID-19), Pandemic Fatigue Scale (PFS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Social Support Questionnaire (F-SozU K-14), and the Sense of Efficiency Test (SET). Results: Determinants that impacted psychotherapists' attitudes toward online therapy were: COVID-19 belief in prevention-keeping distance and hand disinfection, pandemic behavioral fatigue, previous online therapy experience (including voice call), working with youth and adults. Our study showed that belief in the sense of prevention in the form of taking care of hand disinfection before the session, pandemic behavioral fatigue and experience in working with adults were significant predictors of negative attitudes of therapists toward online psychological interventions. On the other hand, belief in the sense of prevention in the form of keeping distance during the session had a positive effect on general attitudes toward therapy conducted via the internet. Discussion: The online therapy boom during the COVID-19 pandemic has spawned a powerful tool for psychotherapists. More research in this area and training of psychotherapists are needed for online psychological interventions to become an effective therapy format that is accepted by patients and therapists alike.

[The challenge of language learning in nursing education]. / L'enjeu de l'apprentissage des langues dans la formation en soins infirmiers.

For more than a century, French has lost its status as the international language of reference and the health system is no exception to this trend: English has become the official language of medical research, the number of non-English speaking patients is increasing and the desire of health students for international mobility is strong. In light of this, language learning during health studies is essential in that it enables future professionals to better understand the changes in society that have an impact on the health system.

Mapping international research output within ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of assisted reproductive technologies.

PURPOSE: Research about ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) is influenced by cultural and value-based perspectives. It impacts regulations, funding, and clinical practice, and shapes the perception of ART in society. We analyze trends in the global literature on ELSI of ART between 1999 and 2019. As most output is produced by North America, Western Europe, and Australia, we focus on international research, i.e., academic articles studying a different country than that of the corresponding author. METHODS: The corpus, extracted from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, includes 7714 articles, of which 1260 involved international research. Analysis is based on titles, abstracts and keywords, classification into ART fields and Topic Modeling, the countries of corresponding author, and countries mentioned in abstracts. RESULTS: An absolute increase in the number of international studies, and their relative proportion. Trends of decentralization are apparent, yet geographic centralization remains, which reflects an unequal distribution of research funds across countries and may result in findings that do not reflect global diversity of norms and values. Preference for studying conceptual challenges through philosophical analysis, and for fields that concern only a portion of ART cycles. Less attention was dedicated to economic analysis and barriers to access, or to knowledge of and attitudes. International studies provide an opportunity to expand and diversify the scope of ELSI research. CONCLUSION: We call on the research community to promote international collaborations, focus on less explored regions, and divert more attention to questions of cost, access, knowledge, and attitudes.

When serology contradicts the experience of the disease: Ethics, research, and announcements about Ebola in Guinea / Quand la sérologie contredit le vécu de la maladie : Éthique, recherche et annonce à propos d'Ebola en Guinée

INTRODUCTION: In Guinea, serological tests have shown the absence of antibodies in people declared cured of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), thus refuting their previous diagnosis; and the presence of antibodies in contact cases who had not been diagnosed. These findings have led to reflections on the implications of telling those affected. PURPOSE OF RESEARCH: The objectives of this study are to identify the stakes of announcing these results in the Guinean health context. 24 people, cured of Ebola or with expertise in ethics or health, were interviewed between November 2019 and February 2020 in Conakry. They presented their experiences in terms of medical announcements in Guinea, and their opinions on the relevance of announcing these discordant serological results. RESULTS: Although it is an important step in the care relationship, the medical announcement sometimes seems neglected in Guinea. In addition, the opinions of the interviewees are rather homogeneous and favorable to the announcement to people seropositive to the Ebola virus who had not been diagnosed. However, their views are varied regarding the announcement of a negative serology to people declared cured of the EVD. They follow two trends, between Ebola survivors who say the announcement is undesirable, and ethicists and healthcare professionals for whom it is preferable. CONCLUSIONS: This survey shows that certain biological results deserve critical reflection before being announced, especially when they indicate a new diagnosis. In order to decide on a course of action for the situations exposed, a second expertise would be useful, taking into account our results and new knowledge about the virus.

Introduction: En Guinée, des analyses sérologiques ont montré une absence d'anticorps chez des personnes déclarées guéries de la maladie à virus Ebola (MVE), réfutant ainsi leur diagnostic antérieur, ainsi que la présence d'anticorps chez des cas contacts qui n'avaient pas été diagnostiqués. Ces résultats ont entraîné des réflexions sur les implications que pourrait avoir leur annonce aux personnes concernées. But de l'étude: Les objectifs de cette étude sont d'identifier les enjeux de l'annonce de ces résultats dans le contexte sanitaire guinéen. Vingt-quatre personnes, guéries d'Ebola ou ayant une expertise en éthique ou en santé ont été sollicitées lors d'une série d'entretiens menés entre novembre 2019 et février 2020 à Conakry (Guinée). Elles ont présenté leur expérience en matière d'annonce médicale et leur avis quant à la pertinence de l'annonce de ces résultats sérologiques discordants. Résultats: Bien qu'elle soit une étape importante de la relation de soins, l'annonce médicale semble parfois négligée en Guinée. En outre, les opinions des interlocuteurs sont plutôt homogènes et favorables à l'annonce de leur maladie aux personnes séropositives au virus Ebola qui n'avaient pas été diagnostiquées. Mais leurs avis sont diversifiés quant à l'annonce d'une sérologie négative à des personnes déclarées guéries de la MVE. Ils suivent deux tendances, entre les survivants d'Ebola qui déclarent que l'annonce n'est pas souhaitable, et les spécialistes de l'éthique et les professionnels de santé, pour qui elle est préférable. Conclusions: Cette enquête montre que certains résultats biologiques méritent une réflexion critique avant d'être annoncés, notamment lorsqu'ils indiquent un nouveau diagnostic. Afin de décider d'une conduite à tenir face aux situations exposées, une deuxième expertise s'avérerait utile, en prenant en compte nos résultats et de nouvelles connaissances sur le virus.

Exploring HIV/AIDS investigator perceptions of equity within research partnerships between low-and middle-income and high-income countries: a pilot survey.

BACKGROUND: Recommendations for research partnerships between low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs) stress the importance of equity within the collaboration. However, there is limited knowledge of the practical challenges and successes involved in establishing equitable research practices. This study describes the results of a pilot survey assessing key issues on LMIC/HIC partnership equity within HIV/AIDS research collaborations and compares perspectives of these issues between LMIC- and HIC-based investigators. METHODS: Survey participants were selected using clustered, random sampling and snowball sampling. Responses were compared between LMIC and HIC respondents using standard descriptive statistics. Qualitative respondent feedback was analyzed using a combination of exploratory and confirmatory thematic analysis. RESULTS: The majority of categories within four themes (research interests and resources; leadership, trust, and communication; cultural and ethical competence; representation and benefits) demonstrated relative consensus between LMIC and HIC respondents except for 'lack of trust within the partnership' which was rated as a more pronounced challenge by LMIC respondents. However, subcategories within some of the themes had significant differences between respondent groups including: equitable setting of the research agenda, compromise within a partnership, the role of regulatory bodies in monitoring partnerships for equity, and post-study access to research technology. CONCLUSIONS: These efforts serve as a proof-of-concept survey characterizing contemporary issues around international research partnership equity. The frequency and severity of specific equity issues can be assessed, highlighting similarities versus differences in experiences between LMIC and HIC partners as potential targets for further discussion and evaluation.

The present situation of and challenges in research ethics and integrity promotion: Experiences in East Asia.

As relatively new economies to the global research arena, East Asian nations have fully realized the importance of research integrity in recent decades. This article conducts document analysis to demonstrate and discuss the current situation of research integrity campaigns in Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, nations that have similar cultural backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses. This article emphasizes the common situations faced by these three nations both individually and collectively. Based on a four-pillar framework, research integrity campaigns in these nations are making progress in terms of policies and regulations, institutional management, researchers' education and training, and the handling of misconduct cases. Various issues and challenges have also emerged in this context, although these efforts may have had positive impacts on research communities in these three nations. Challenges associated with research integrity governance, institutional willingness, RCR instructor qualifications, the effectiveness of education, and the standardization of definitions of misconduct and noncompliance are also highlighted. The issues discussed in this article are expected to have implications for research communities and policy-makers in these three nations as well as in a global context.

The children's brain tumor network (CBTN) - Accelerating research in pediatric central nervous system tumors through collaboration and open science.

Pediatric brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related death in children in the United States and contribute a disproportionate number of potential years of life lost compared to adult cancers. Moreover, survivors frequently suffer long-term side effects, including secondary cancers. The Children's Brain Tumor Network (CBTN) is a multi-institutional international clinical research consortium created to advance therapeutic development through the collection and rapid distribution of biospecimens and data via open-science research platforms for real-time access and use by the global research community. The CBTN's 32 member institutions utilize a shared regulatory governance architecture at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to accelerate and maximize the use of biospecimens and data. As of August 2022, CBTN has enrolled over 4700 subjects, over 1500 parents, and collected over 65,000 biospecimen aliquots for research. Additionally, over 80 preclinical models have been developed from collected tumors. Multi-omic data for over 1000 tumors and germline material are currently available with data generation for > 5000 samples underway. To our knowledge, CBTN provides the largest open-access pediatric brain tumor multi-omic dataset annotated with longitudinal clinical and outcome data, imaging, associated biospecimens, child-parent genomic pedigrees, and in vivo and in vitro preclinical models. Empowered by NIH-supported platforms such as the Kids First Data Resource and the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative, the CBTN continues to expand the resources needed for scientists to accelerate translational impact for improved outcomes and quality of life for children with brain and spinal cord tumors.

International nurse education research collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic: Researchers' perspectives.

BACKGROUND: International research collaborations in nurse are increasing. However, collaborations in international nurse education research are limited compared to clinical nurse studies. This paper presents the experiences of seven investigators of a multi-country study while conducting collaborative research among nurse students across five continents. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to describe the experiences and challenges of conducting an international nurse education research and to propose recommendations to enhance these collaborative research experiences. METHODS: Narrative perspectives from nurse educators on the international nurse collaborative experience were described in this discussion paper. RESULTS: International collaboration in nurse education research was a positive and enriching experience. While several challenges were experienced by the collaborators, the presence of facilitating factors, benefits of collaboration, and opportunities for personal and professional growth and development outweighed the challenges. Team leader attributes, active engagement, commitment, genuine interest, and cultural sensitivity are essential in creating a successful international nurse research project. CONCLUSION: International collaborative nurse research fosters expansion of nurse knowledge through sharing of expertise and development of culturally diverse perspectives.

Closed Shop or Collaborative Hub? An Analysis of the Partners' Importance in CANZUK Countries' Research Collaborations.

Collaborative partners are important in international research collaboration. The research collaborations between four CANZUK countries (Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom) are examined to see whether their research connections are different from the research relationships with other countries. This paper measures the affinity index values and analyses the development of research collaborations among CANZUK countries with those between the CANZUK and other countries. The whole counting method and the fractional counting method are applied in this study to compare the differences in the results. The findings show that although the affinity index values of CANZUK countries were decreasing over time, the importance of CANZUK partners to CANZUK countries has likely increased over time at the expense of the other partners' importance. The study also shows the minor differences in results obtained by applying two different counting methods. These differences can be explained by the nature of the counting methods, and the choice to use either one of these two counting methods should be considered in other international research collaboration studies.

Recalibrated responses needed to a global research landscape in flux.

When engaging in international collaboration, researchers and research institutions have to relate to a great range of differences in legislation, scientific practices, incentive systems, and cultural norms. The research landscape has become even more complex in the last decade, and the gray zones at the intersections of a diverse set of institutional contexts may be used to push boundaries. The focus of earlier efforts seeking to harmonize views on scientific integrity in an international context was more limited. Moreover, the guiding research norms have been primarily shaped by a US-European science duopoly. The rise of China has, however, created a multipolar research landscape. As a response to recent geopolitical developments and changes in the global research landscape, guidelines are starting to emerge, especially in the West, that seek to guide research behaviors in a turbulent world. These guidelines collectively identify integral issues to consider, such as research integrity, academic freedom, export control, national security, data security, and intellectual property rights. The plethora of considerations required cause contradictory advice and the research community faces considerable challenges in implementing such guidelines. Therefore more work is needed to guide research relationships in an uncertain world.

Pwojé Bon Vwazen (The Good Neighbor Project) An initiative to develop a community health worker project as a response to COVID-19 in Haiti.

Understanding the resource limitations in developing countries, a community health worker (CHW) project was developed to help educate, provide materials, and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Haiti. CHWs have shown to be an evidence-driven alternative in resource-limited settings. Pwojé Bon Vwazen (The Good Neighbor Project) took place from May 2020 to September 2020 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Through the project, 9 CHWs were trained. The project had two coordinators in Haiti. The CHWs, over the period of 4 months, were able to reach 1350 individuals and provide them with education regarding spread and prevention of COVID-19 and distribute materials including soap, hand sanitizers, and masks which were sewn in Haiti. Access to affordable health care presents a unique challenge in resource-limited countries. Training of CHWs and implementation of a CHW program can be an alternative in certain situations.

Consent Requirements for Testing Health Policies: An Intercontinental Comparison of Expert Opinions.

Individual informed consent is a central requirement for clinical research on human subjects, yet whether and how consent requirements should apply to health policy experiments (HPEs) remains unclear. HPEs test and evaluate public health policies prior to implementation. We interviewed 58 health experts in Tanzania, Bangladesh and Germany on informed consent requirements for HPEs. Health experts across all countries favored a strong evidence base, prior information to the affected populations, and individual consent for 'risky' HPEs. Differences pertained to individual risk perception, how and when consent by group representatives should be obtained and whether HPEs could be treated as health policies. The study adds to representative consent options for HPEs, yet shows that more research is needed in this field - particularly in the present Covid-19 pandemic which has highlighted the need for HPEs nationally and globally.

The Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis Consortium: 10 Years of Global Collaborations in Human Brain Mapping.

This Special Issue of Human Brain Mapping is dedicated to a 10-year anniversary of the Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium. It reports updates from a broad range of international neuroimaging projects that pool data from around the world to answer fundamental questions in neuroscience. Since ENIGMA was formed in December 2009, the initiative grew into a worldwide effort with over 2,000 participating scientists from 45 countries, and over 50 working groups leading large-scale studies of human brain disorders. Over the last decade, many lessons were learned on how best to pool brain data from diverse sources. Working groups were created to develop methods to analyze worldwide data from anatomical and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), resting state and task-based functional MRI, electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). The quest to understand genetic effects on human brain development and disease also led to analyses of brain scans on an unprecedented scale. Genetic roadmaps of the human cortex were created by researchers worldwide who collaborated to perform statistically well-powered analyses of common and rare genetic variants on brain measures and rates of brain development and aging. Here, we summarize the 31 papers in this Special Issue, covering: (a) technical approaches to harmonize analysis of different types of brain imaging data, (b) reviews of the last decade of work by several of ENIGMA's clinical and technical working groups, and (c) new empirical papers reporting large-scale international brain mapping analyses in patients with substance use disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, major depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, epilepsy, and stroke.

Comparison of a U.S. and Zambian Ob/Gyn Residency Training Programme.

Introduction: The major objective of the study was to compare and contrast a U.S. and Zambian Ob/Gyn residency programme, using uniform metrics, as the basis for an initial exploration of perceived inequities in post-graduate medical education between low- and high-income countries. Methods: Measurements of the following procedures were used to indicate whether minimum standards had been met by trainees in their respective postgraduate programmes: vaginal deliveries; C-sections; abdominal, vaginal and laparoscopic hysterectomies; other laparoscopic surgeries; cancer cases; abortions; obstetrical ultrasounds; cystoscopies; incontinence and pelvic floor surgeries. Evaluations were also made with respect to the presence or absence of an official ultrasound rotation, subspeciality and off-service rotations, protected didactic time and exclusive time on obstetrics and gynaecologic clinical services. Comparisons were made relative to these various categories and the average procedural numbers at each level of training to determine differences in trends and degree of exposure. Results: Minimal procedural requirements were met by both the U.S. and Zambian programmes. For open surgical cases, the minimum standards were higher for the Zambian programme, whereas for procedures associated with the use of high-end technology, such as ultrasound and minimally invasive surgery, minimum standards were higher for the U.S. programme. Conclusion: There were no significant differences in the Zambian and U.S. Ob/Gyn post-graduate training programmes, relative to their respective metrics. A more extensive analysis is required to determine the actual competency levels that are produced by the respective training systems.

Trauma-Related Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic In 59 Countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended life like few other events in modern history, with differential impacts on varying population groups. This study examined trauma-related distress among 6,882 adults ages 18 to 94 years old in 59 countries during April to May 2020. More than two-thirds of participants reported clinically significant trauma-related distress. Increased distress was associated with unemployment; identifying as transgender, nonbinary, or a cisgender woman; being from a higher income country; current symptoms and positive diagnosis of COVID-19; death of a loved one; restrictive government-imposed isolation; financial difficulties; and food insecurity. Other factors associated with distress included working with potentially infected individuals, care needs at home, a difficult transition to working from home, conflict in the home, separation from loved ones, and event restrictions. Latin American and Caribbean participants reported more trauma-related distress than participants from Europe and Central Asia. Findings inform treatment efforts and highlight the need to address trauma-related distress to avoid long-term mental health consequences.

Social Network Analysis of COVID-19 Research and the Changing International Collaboration Structure.

Research in Information Science and interdisciplinary areas suggested the formation of a growing network of international research collaboration. The massive transmission of COVID-19 worldwide especially after the identification of the Omicron variant could fundamentally alter the factors shaping the network's development. This study employs network analysis methods to analyze the structure of the COVID-19 research collaboration from 2020 to 2022, using two major academic publication databases and the VOSviewer software. A novel temporal view is added by examining the dynamic changes of the network, and a fractional counting method is adopted as methodological improvements to previous research. Analysis reveals that the COVID-19 research network structure has undergone substantial changes over time, as collaborating countries and regions form and re-form new clusters. Transformations in the network can be partly explained by key developments in the pandemic and other social-political events. China as one of the largest pivots in the network formed a relatively distinct cluster, with potential to develop a larger Asia-Pacific collaboration cluster based on its research impact.