Toward an Extended Infodemiology Framework: Leveraging Social Media Data and Web Search Queries as Digital Pulse on Cancer Communication.

This study aims to extend the infodemiology framework by postulating that effective use of digital data sources for cancer communication should consider four components: (a) content: key topics that people are concerned with, (b) congruence: how interest in cancer topics differ between public posts (i.e., tweets) and private web searches, (c) context: the influence of the information environment, and (d) information conduits. We compared tweets (n = 36, 968) and Google web searches on breast, lung, and prostate cancer between the National Cancer Prevention Month and a non-cancer awareness month in 2018. There are three key findings. First, reliance on public tweets alone may result in lost opportunities to identify potential cancer misinformation detected from private web searches. Second, lung cancer tweets were most sensitive to external information environment - tweets became substantially pessimistic after the end of cancer awareness month. Finally, the cancer communication landscape was largely democratized, with no prominent conduits dominating conversations on Twitter.

The Use of Mobile Assessments for Monitoring Mental Health in Youth: Umbrella Review.

BACKGROUND: Improving mental health in youth is a major concern. Future approaches to monitor and intervene in youth mental health problems should rely on mobile tools that allow for the daily monitoring of mental health both actively (eg, using ecological momentary assessments [EMAs]) and passively (eg, digital phenotyping) by capturing individuals' data. OBJECTIVE: This umbrella review aims to (1) report the main characteristics of existing reviews on mental health and young people, including mobile approaches to mental health; (2) describe EMAs and trace data and the mental health conditions investigated; (3) report the main results; and (4) outline promises, limitations, and directions for future research. METHODS: A systematic literature search was carried out in 9 scientific databases (Communication & Mass Media Complete, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, the ProQuest Sociology Database, Web of Science, and PubMed) on January 30, 2022, coupled with a hand search and updated in July 2022. We included (systematic) reviews of EMAs and trace data in the context of mental health, with a specific focus on young populations, including children, adolescents, and young adults. The quality of the included reviews was evaluated using the AMSTAR (Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews) checklist. RESULTS: After the screening process, 30 reviews (published between 2016 and 2022) were included in this umbrella review, of which 21 (70%) were systematic reviews and 9 (30%) were narrative reviews. The included systematic reviews focused on symptoms of depression (5/21, 24%); bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, or psychosis (6/21, 29%); general ill-being (5/21, 24%); cognitive abilities (2/21, 9.5%); well-being (1/21, 5%); personality (1/21, 5%); and suicidal thoughts (1/21, 5%). Of the 21 systematic reviews, 15 (71%) summarized studies that used mobile apps for tracing, 2 (10%) summarized studies that used them for intervention, and 4 (19%) summarized studies that used them for both intervention and tracing. Mobile tools used in the systematic reviews were smartphones only (8/21, 38%), smartphones and wearable devices (6/21, 29%), and smartphones with other tools (7/21, 33%). In total, 29% (6/21) of the systematic reviews focused on EMAs, including ecological momentary interventions; 33% (7/21) focused on trace data; and 38% (8/21) focused on both. Narrative reviews mainly focused on the discussion of issues related to digital phenotyping, existing theoretical frameworks used, new opportunities, and practical examples. CONCLUSIONS: EMAs and trace data in the context of mental health assessments and interventions are promising tools. Opportunities (eg, using mobile approaches in low- and middle-income countries, integration of multimodal data, and improving self-efficacy and self-awareness on mental health) and limitations (eg, absence of theoretical frameworks, difficulty in assessing the reliability and effectiveness of such approaches, and need to appropriately assess the quality of the studies) were further discussed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42022347717; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=347717.

Beyond Educating the Masses: The Role of Public Health Communication in Addressing Socioeconomic- and Residence-based Disparities in Tobacco Risk Perception.

Public health communication has long been a key component of tobacco control efforts. However, little is known whether and how such an effort could address disparities in tobacco risk perceptions among population subgroups. In this study, using data from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey of Ethiopia, we examined if tobacco risk perceptions varied across socioeconomic and urban vs. rural population subgroups, and whether and how exposure to anti-smoking message was associated with disparities in risk perceptions across socioeconomic and urban-rural subgroups. The results indicated that health risk perceptions of smoking and secondhand smoke exposure were significantly lower among rural, less educated and less affluent population subgroups. Controlling for age, gender, education, wealth, place of residence, and pro-smoking message exposure, anti-smoking message exposure was associated with greater risk perceptions of smoking. Moreover, anti-smoking message exposure moderated the associations of place of residence and education with risk perceptions of smoking and secondhand smoke exposure, respectively. The probability of risk perception of smoking associated with anti-smoking message exposure was higher among the rural populace compared to urbanites. Similarly, the probability of risk perception of secondhand smoke exposure associated with anti-smoking message exposure was the highest among individuals without formal education compared to those with primary, secondary, and college-level education. The findings suggest that efforts should be made to make sure adequate anti-smoking message exposure among less educated and rural audiences so as to reduce disparities in tobacco risk perceptions.

Women's intention to use long acting and permanent contraceptive methods and associated factors among family planning users in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Cross sectional study.

The main objective of the study was to assess the magnitude of women's intention to use long-acting and permanent contraceptive methods and associated factors among short term family planning users in Addis Ababa public health centers, Ethiopia, 2020. A Facility-based cross-sectional study design was implemented in Addis Ababa public health center and data was collected using a pretested structured questionnaire on 504 participants, which was selected by multistage cluster sampling methods among family planning users in selected public health centers from March to April 2020. Collected data were coded and entered into EPI INFO version 4.6.0.0 and exported to SPSS version 25.0 for analysis. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine independent predictors at a 95% confidence interval and p <0.05 was considered significant. This study found the prevalence of contraception intention to use long acting and permanent methods (LAPMs) among participants were 60%. Predictors of LAPM desired number of children (AOR: 14.55, 95%CI (3.29-6.42), respondent's education (AOR: 0.36, 95%CI (0.20-0.64) and participant's occupation status (AOR: 8.75, 95% C I (1.31-5.84) were significantly associated with contraception intention.

Adherence to COVID-19 mitigation measures among American adults: the need for consistent and unified messaging.

In the United States, elite and media communications about the risks of, and mitigation strategies for, COVID-19 have been characterized by lack of consensus. In this study, we draw from a nationally representative sample of American adults to examine the associations between exposure to different media and platforms (mainstream, conservative, liberal or social media) and adherence to COVID-19 mitigation measures such as physical distancing and mask use. We also examine the individual and social factors associated with adherence to mitigation measures. We find that exposure to conservative outlets, being republican, having low confidence in scientists and high perception of information overload are associated with low adherence. In contrast, exposure to liberal and mainstream news outlets, being democrat, having high confidence in scientists, and low perception of information overload are associated with high adherence. The findings suggest the need for consistent and unified public health messaging that cuts across partisan splits and the growing skepticism in science.

Association of social participation, perception of neighborhood social cohesion, and social media use with happiness: Evidence of trade-off (JCOP-20-277).

Social participation and neighborhood social cohesion are positively associated with health and wellbeing. Given that in-person social interactions have generally dwindled over the past several decades at least in Western countries and social media use has become more common, in this study, we examined whether and how social media use interacts with social participation and neighborhood social cohesion in influencing happiness. Data were gathered from a representative sample of adults in Massachusetts, USA. General linear model was used to estimate the main and interaction effects of social participation, perception of neighborhood social cohesion and social media use on happiness, controlling for sociodemographics, marital status, employment, and self-rated health. Results indicated that both social participation and perception of neighborhood social cohesion were positively associated with happiness whereas social media use was not. However, there was a significant interaction effect of social media use and perception of neighborhood social cohesion on happiness. Compared with people with a high perception of neighborhood social cohesion, those with low perception were more likely to be happy as their social media use increased, suggesting that social media use may be helpful to promote happiness among people who perceive their neighborhoods as less supportive, trustworthy, and close-knit.

The relative persuasiveness of narrative versus non-narrative health messages in public health emergency communication: Evidence from a field experiment.

Previous studies indicated that narrative health messages are more effective than non-narrative messages in influencing health outcomes. However, this body of evidence does not account for differences in health domain, and little is known about the effectiveness of this message execution strategy during public health emergencies. In this study, we examined the relative effectiveness of the two formats in influencing knowledge and perceived response efficacy related to prevention of pandemic influenza, and determined whether effects of message format vary across population sub-groups. Data for the study come from an experiment fielded in 2013 that involved a nationally representative sample of 627 American adults. Participants were randomly assigned to view either a narrative (n=322) or a non-narrative (n=305) video clip containing closely matched information about knowledge and preventive actions related to pandemic influenza, and completed pre- and post-viewing questions assessing knowledge and perceived response efficacy related to the prevention of pandemic influenza. Results indicated that participants in the non-narrative condition reported greater knowledge and rated pandemic influenza prevention measures as more effective compared with those in the narrative condition. Message format effects did not vary across population sub-groups; post-viewing scores of knowledge and perceptions related to pandemic influenza were consistently higher in the non-narrative condition compared with the narrative condition across five socio-demographic groups: age, gender, education, race/ethnicity and income. We concluded that didactic, non-narrative messages may be more effective than narrative messages to influence knowledge and perceptions during public health emergencies.

Tobacco-control policy support among people from low socioeconomic positions in Massachusetts.

People from low socioeconomic positions (SEP) are at a higher risk of smoking, face greater barriers to smoking cessation, and have lower access to health information. To improve tobacco-related health outcomes, policies requiring altering labeling on cigarette packs could be implemented. However, public support is needed to influence the policymaking process. We assessed factors associated with supporting tobacco-control communication policies. We analyzed data from Project CLEAR, a study conducted in Massachusetts. The analytic sample included participants who answered questions on their support for three policies: 1) graphic health warnings (GHWs), 2) Quitline number, and 3) smoking cessation information on cigarette packs (n = 357). Binomial logistic regression modeling was conducted by policy. Independent variables included demographic characteristics and smoking status. We found that younger vs. older individuals (aOR = 0.41, 95 %CI:0.23-0.72), males vs. females (aOR = 0.58, 95 %CI:0.35-0.96), and people who smoke vs. those who don't smoke (aOR = 0.41, 95 %CI:0.24-0.70) were less likely to support a law requiring GHWs. Participants with a low vs. higher level of education (aOR = 0.55, 95 %CI:0.32-0.95) were less likely to support a law requiring a Quitline number. Younger (18-39) vs. older individuals (aOR = 0.53, 95 %CI:0.29-0.94), males vs. females (aOR = 0.57, 95 %CI:0.34-0.96), and participants with a low vs. higher level of education (aOR = 0.56, 95 %CI:0.32-0.98) were less likely to support a law requiring cessation information on cigarette packs. Findings suggest that targeted theory-based public health and communication strategies should be developed to increase awareness and support towards policies that would help reduce cigarette smoking among people from low SEP to eliminate tobacco-related health inequities in the US.

First molecular-based anti-TB drug resistance survey in Eritrea.

BACKGROUND: In the absence of reliable data on drug-resistant TB in Eritrea, a national survey was conducted in 2018 using molecular-based methods, bypassing the need for culture.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in all 77 TB microscopy centres in the country. All 629 newly registered sputum smear-positive pulmonary TB patients were enrolled over 12 months. Sputum samples were tested using the Xpert® MTB/RIF assay and targeted next-generation sequencing (Deeplex Myc-TB) to identify resistance and explore the phylogenetics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex strains.RESULTS: Drug resistance profiles were obtained for 555 patients (502 new, 53 previously treated). The prevalence of rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) was respectively 2.0% and 7.6% among new and previously treated cases. All RR-TB isolates that were susceptible to isoniazid displayed a phylogenetic marker conferring capreomycin resistance, confirming circulation of a previously described resistant TB sub-lineage in the Horn of Africa. Only one case of fluoroquinolone resistance was detected.CONCLUSION: The prevalence of rifampicin resistance among TB patients is encouragingly low. The scarcity of fluoroquinolone resistance bodes well for the success of the recommended all-oral treatment regimen. Surveillance based on molecular approaches enables a reliable estimation of the burden of resistance and can be used to guide appropriate treatment and care.

Association of Social Media Use With Social Well-Being, Positive Mental Health, and Self-Rated Health: Disentangling Routine Use From Emotional Connection to Use.

Most studies addressing social media use as a normal social behavior with positive or negative effects on health-related outcomes have conceptualized and measured social media use and its effects in terms of dose-effect relations. These studies focus on measuring frequency and duration of use, and have seldom considered users' emotional connections to social media use and the effects associated with such connections. By using a scale with two dimensions capturing users' integration of social media use into their social routines and their emotional connection to the sites' use, the present study has brought preliminary evidence that may help map where social media use, as a normal social behavior, may be considered beneficial or harmful. Data from a nationally representative sample (n = 1,027) of American adults showed that while routine use is associated with positive health outcomes, emotional connection to social media use is associated with negative health outcomes. These associations have been consistent across three health-related outcomes: social well-being, positive mental health, and self-rated health. The data also showed that the strength of the positive and negative associations of routine use and emotional connection with the health outcomes varies across socioeconomic and racial/ethnic population subgroups. Our findings suggest that the link between social media use and health may not only be captured by and explained in terms of conventional dose-effect approaches but may also require a more sophisticated conceptualization and measurement of the social media use behavior.

Fabrication of gold nanotubes from removable MgO nanowires templates.

We have prepared MgO/Au core-shell nanowires, subsequently demonstrating the fabrication of Au nanotubes by using MgO nanowires as a sacrificial template. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. MgO nanowires were coated with a conformal layer of Au via sputtering. By etching away the MgO core in aqueous (NH3)2SO4 solution, hollow nanotube-like structures of Au were readily obtained. This approach offers a potentially useful route for the fabrication of a variety of hollow metallic structures.

Effects of lipid association on lomustine (CCNU) administered intracerebrally to syngeneic 36B-10 rat brain tumors.

A syngeneic, intracerebral rat brain tumor model was developed and characterized and then used to evaluate the therapeutic enhancement of lipid-associated 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea (CCNU). The Fisher rat glioma cell 36B-10 (100,000-500,000 cells) was implanted intracranially to Fisher F-344 rats into the caudate nucleus. Animals treated with lipid-associated CCNU showed a 2- to 10-fold decrease in tumor size compared with animals treated with free CCNU, indicating that lipid association increases the therapeutic index of intracerebral CCNU treatment. Moreover, the syngeneic rat brain tumor model may be useful for evaluation of other therapeutic modalities.

A 2600-locus chromosome bin map of wheat homoeologous group 2 reveals interstitial gene-rich islands and colinearity with rice.

The complex hexaploid wheat genome offers many challenges for genomics research. Expressed sequence tags facilitate the analysis of gene-coding regions and provide a rich source of molecular markers for mapping and comparison with model organisms. The objectives of this study were to construct a high-density EST chromosome bin map of wheat homoeologous group 2 chromosomes to determine the distribution of ESTs, construct a consensus map of group 2 ESTs, investigate synteny, examine patterns of duplication, and assess the colinearity with rice of ESTs assigned to the group 2 consensus bin map. A total of 2600 loci generated from 1110 ESTs were mapped to group 2 chromosomes by Southern hybridization onto wheat aneuploid chromosome and deletion stocks. A consensus map was constructed of 552 ESTs mapping to more than one group 2 chromosome. Regions of high gene density in distal bins and low gene density in proximal bins were found. Two interstitial gene-rich islands flanked by relatively gene-poor regions on both the short and long arms and having good synteny with rice were discovered. The map locations of two ESTs indicated the possible presence of a small pericentric inversion on chromosome 2B. Wheat chromosome group 2 was shown to share syntenous blocks with rice chromosomes 4 and 7.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) rods: short-term results in lumbar spine degenerative disease.

Pedicle screw and rod instrumentation has become the preferred technique for performing stabilization and fusion in the surgical treatment of lumbar spine degenerative disease. Rigid fixation leads to high fusion rates but may also contribute to stress shielding and adjacent segment degeneration. Thus, the use of semirigid rods made of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has been proposed. Although the PEEK rods biomechanical properties, such as anterior load sharing properties, have been shown, there are few clinical studies evaluating their application in the lumbar spine surgical treatment. This study examined a retrospective cohort of patients who underwent posterior lumbar fusion for degenerative disease using PEEK rods, in order to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes and the incidence of complications.

Surgical outcomes of long spinal fusions for scoliosis in adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECT: In this study, the authors compared outcomes and complications in patients with and without rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who underwent surgery for spinal deformity. METHODS: The authors searched the Johns Hopkins University database for patients with RA (Group RA) and without RA (Group NoRA) who underwent long spinal fusion for scoliosis by 3 surgeons at 1 institution from 2000 through 2012. Groups RA and NoRA each had 14 patients who were well matched with regard to sex (13 women/1 man and 12 women/2 men, respectively), age (mean 66.3 years [range 40.5-81.9 years] and 67.6 years [range 51-81 years]), follow-up duration (mean 35.4 months [range 1-87 months] and 44 months [range 24-51 months]), and number of primary (8 and 8) and revision (6 and 6) surgeries. Surgical outcomes, invasiveness scores, and complications were compared between the groups using the nonpaired Student t-test (p < 0.05). RESULTS: For Groups RA and NoRA, there were no significant differences in the average number of levels fused (10.6 [range 9-17] vs 10.3 [range 7-17], respectively; p = 0.4), the average estimated blood loss (2892 ml [range 1300-5000 ml] vs 3100 ml [range 1700-5200 ml]; p = 0.73), or the average invasiveness score (35.5 [range 21-51] vs 34.5 [range 23-58]; p = 0.8). However, in Group RA, the number of major complications was significantly higher (23 vs 11; p < 0.001), the number of secondary procedures was significantly higher (14 vs 6; p < 0.001), and the number of minor complications was significantly lower (4 vs 12; p < 0.001) than those in Group NoRA. CONCLUSIONS: Long spinal fusion in patients with RA is associated with higher rates of major complications and secondary procedures than in patients without RA.

Spondylodiscitis in familial dysautonomia: a case report.

Familial dysautomonia (FD, or Riley-Day syndrome) is a rare but fatal autosomal recessive peripheral neuropathy caused by a point mutation in I-κ-B kinase complex associated protein (IKBCAP) gene. The disease, that affects primarily people of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, prejudices the development of primary sensory neurons determining depletion of autonomic and sensory neurons. Musculoskeletal problems include: spinal deformities, foot deformities, fractures and arthopathies. In this article we review a case of a 34 years old male of non-Jewish origin affected by FD presenting L2-L3 kyphosis and inability to walk due to chronic L2-L3 spondylodiscitis not surgically treated 14 years before as acute disease. De novo spondylodiscitis affecting patients presenting FD and its subsequent management was not previously described in the literature.

Changing trends in cervical spine fusions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective data analysis. OBJECTIVE: To compare the trends in primary cervical spine fusion procedures in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) against those in the general population. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: RA severely impacts multiple joints in the body and can result in substantial deformity and functional impairment. Cervical spine involvement is common. In the past decade, treatment for RA has changed substantially with the introduction of biologically based, disease-modifying antirheumatic medications. Recent literature has shown decreasing rates of total joint arthroplasty in patients with RA. METHODS: Cases of cervical spine fusion in the general population and in patients with RA were identified from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 1992 through 2008. US population counts were obtained from the Census Bureau. Data were analyzed with computer software (significance, P < 0.05 for all analyses). Linear regression models were used to describe national rates of cervical spine fusion in patients with and without RA. RESULTS: There was a marked increase in the number of cervical fusion procedures in the studied population. Over time, the incidence of atlantoaxial fusion increased in the general population (P < 0.01) and decreased in patients with RA (P < 0.01). Compared with the general population, patients with RA had a significantly lower rate of increase in the incidence of posterior cervical fusion (P < 0.01) and a significantly higher rate of increase in the incidence of anterior cervical fusion (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: In the US, the absolute number of primary cervical fusion procedures from 1992 through 2008 increased in the general population and in patients with RA. However, the patients with RA had a significantly lower incidence of undergoing atlantoaxial and posterior cervical surgical procedures than did the general population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2.

Thoracic disc disorders with myelopathy: treatment trends, patient characteristics, and complications.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review. OBJECTIVE: To analyze trends in the use of 3 surgical treatments (anterior/anterolateral decompression and spinal fusion [ASF], posterior/posterolateral decompression and spinal fusion [PSF], and disc decompression/excision without fusion [DDE]) for patients with thoracic disc disorders with myelopathy (TDM), and how the treatments differ in terms of patient and hospital characteristics, complications, mortality, and resource utilization. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Various approaches have been described in the literature, but the preferred method is not well established. METHODS: Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database, we identified 13,837 patients with TDM who underwent spine surgery from 2000 through 2010. Analyses were performed using linear regression for trends, χ test for categorical variables, and analysis of variance test for discrete variables (significance, P < 0.05). RESULTS: Over the study period, the preferred treatment of TDM shifted substantially from DDE being performed in two-thirds of the patients in 2000 to PSF being performed in almost half of all patients by 2010. Patients undergoing ASF were significantly younger and had significantly higher rates of private insurance than those in the other groups. DDE was performed significantly more frequently at nonteaching hospitals. Patients undergoing ASF had the highest complication rate (24.2%), especially pulmonary and cardiac complications. They also had a 2.8-fold and 2.0-fold mortality compared with DDE and PSF, respectively. Patients undergoing DDE had significantly shorter length of stay and lower total hospitalization charges than the other groups. CONCLUSION: Over the last decade, there has been a significant increase in PSF use in the surgical treatment of TDM. Postoperative complication and mortality rates were highest with ASF; DDE approach was associated with significantly fewer complications, shorter length of stay, and lower hospitalization charges than other groups. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.